Jan 19, 2011

Its a beautiful, bouncing, baby boy!

Reading: My revision notes from my ed for the 100,000th time
Watching: Golden Globes highlights
Making me SMILE: Soraya’s news that I’m about to share...


Okay, so as you know there are a few of us newbie Cats on the block this year – Riva/Desire/Presents Extra author Robyn Grady, Cherish/Romance author Soraya Lane and me (Natalie Anderson, Riva/Presents Extra). Now it’s supposed to be Soraya’s first blog today but I’m so thrilled to report that just over 24 hours ago, Soraya gave birth to her first child – a lovely, healthy baby boy!!! So she’s in hospital (both she and babe are doing very well) and today you’re stuck with me.



Photo by Louisa Stokes, www.freedigitalphotos.net

So first up, can I say a huge congratulations to Soraya and her husband and welcome the world’s newest little hero :)



(That's not him in the photo btw - I'm still waiting on visuals - can't wait to meet him!!!)

Anyway, because of Soraya’s wonderful news, I got to thinking about babies. Funny that!
 

Babies and children often feature in romance novels and for a reason – they’re popular! Especially in the ‘home and hearth’ lines. But in the line I write for – now known as Riva in the UK, babies don’t tend to arrive during the book. They’re sometimes in an epilogue, more often in the far off future... Although it has to be said that the ‘unplanned pregnancy’ is definitely a popular ‘hook’. I’ve not written many pregnancy stories up to now (I think it’s because I have four kids of my own, and I like to escape to a child-free, ‘glam’ zone in my writing-  at least for a little while!). But then I came up with a hero and heroine and I just knew I had to put them in this position and let them work their own way out of it...



Unplanned pregnancies are common. Yes you can have supposedly safe sex and still get pregnant especially, as my hero and heroine discover, when there’s lots of salt water, sand and ferocious energy involved ;) But these two point blank refused to go straight down the ‘we’d better get married’ route which is often what happens on the pages – or at least  in the opinion of one of the two main characters. No, my two non-conformists stop and consider all the options (and flat out non-options – marriage is a no-go for them both). They eventually decide they can be very modern and come up with some kind of co-parenting scheme that will work just fine... Of course, things get complicated - (for the couple, not for the pregnancy fortunately!). Walk on the Wild Side is out in Feb in the UK and in April in the US. I found it a challenging one to write – in part I think because I always want the heroine to be sure she’s loved – for her to know that had she not gotten pregnant, she and this hero would have gotten together and found the happy ever after anyway...

Do you enjoy unplanned pregnancy plotlines? How about children in stories – do you like to have them chattering on the page? I do think there’s something wonderful about seeing a hero interact with a young child – especially when he may have always considered them some kind of alien species... Or do you prefer your romances to be nappy-free?!

By the way, Soraya has a FANTASTIC child character in her debut book – Soldier on her Doorstep (out in June in the UK). There’ll be tears from you – I promise! Stay tuned for more info to come on that one :)

18 comments:

  1. Huge congratulations to Soraya's bouncing baby boy. Now, find out the name for us Nat!
    Well done on stepping in, love babies and kids in stories, but the beauty is in the balance. They can't take over the story for me, I prefer little and often!

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  2. Just wanted to pop by and wish Soraya and her husband congratulations for the birth of their little boy!

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  3. Dropping in to wish Soraya, her man and their new little bundle of man, congratulations. A new baby is such a special and wonderful gift.

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  4. I love stories with children in them and the unexpected twists a pregnancy can cause a couple of characters.

    One of the first category books I read involved a heroine who desperately wanted a child but couldn't find the "right" man to marry & have a child with, so she decided rather than have a relationship she'd just find the "right" sperm donor, sleep with him and raise the child on her own.

    Her best friend (the hero) wasn't too happy to hear of her approach, and suggested he "help out". Before then neither had ever viewed each other as romance material and the unfolding romance was great.

    Please pass on my congratulations and hugs to Soraya, DH and their new little boy - I had a chuckle at the scenario you described of his imminent arrival and Soraya's finished ms.

    Thanks, Nat, for keeping us posted. :-)

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  5. Hi Susan! Yes, I've mutterings of a name... but I've got to leave Soraya something for her to share direct :)
    Agree with you on the balance in books - and of course it depends on your mood - are you wanting an escape from kidlets that day? Or wanting a wonderful reminder of how fabulous they can be! :)

    Hi Julie-Ann and Toni - it's such an exciting time for them isn't it!!! Will pass on the messages (until she can get them herself!)

    Hi Kylie - I LOVE those kind of stories when the BF decides to 'help out' - it can be so much fun to watch the 'complicated mess' unfold!

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  6. I buy a book with the cover depicting a baby or a child everytime!

    With the baby, I know there's going to be fireworks of the kind I like in the book.

    Congratulations on your new Riva release WALK ON THE WILD SIDE.
    BTW, will it be released as a RIVA in Australia/NZ?

    Huge Congratulations to Soraya and her baby! Hope she's feeling well and enjoying her baby!

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  7. Huge congrats Soraya. As a mum of THREE boys, I can honestly say - they're AWESOME! I don't MIND a baby in a story but I don't like them to be the focus. Sometimes I think they have a habit of getting in the way :) Of course, not when my FAVE authors use them!

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  8. Yayay Soraya and family!! I so adore newborns. From 0 to 12 months is my fave time. I love babies in stories - so easy to get at the hero's heartstrings. But not in RIVA/Presents Extra, lol. We readers need diversity and that means all manner of 'escape'!

    Having said that, I'm off to Maze Mania, an undercover playground, with Rachel and assorted kidlets now. Wish us luck!

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  9. Congratulations, to Soraya! What gorgeous wonderful news! Thanks for passing it on, Natalie, and we'll look forward to when Soraya can fill us in on all the details :-)

    I like babies in a romance, but like the majority here I don't like them to be the focus. I love the sound of Walk On The Wild Side -- you've certainly given your hero and heroine a nice, fat hurdle to overcome there (am rubbing my hands in glee and looking forward to settling down with it at some stage in the future).

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  10. Oooo, Natalie, I do love your reason for your "Making me smile" quip! What exciting news! Congratulations to Soraya and hubby and new addition - I'm so glad to hear they're doing well!

    I like babies and children in a romance - but as others have said, as long as they're not the focus of the story. I like to see lots of the hero and heroine on the page!

    Walk on the Wide Side sounds great! I'm guessing a March release for Australia and New Zealand?

    :)
    Sharon

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  11. A HUGE congratulations to Soraya... there's nothing as special as the arrial of a newborn x

    Re the questions, i agree with the writers above, a little is fine... altho now you mention it it seems to be used as the excuse these days alot for the characters to be forced together... and I have to say... I always wonder - in this day and age the female should be using protection (like the pill) - altho I realise it's only a story.

    I do like the ones where the father discovers in the future tho about a child for what ever reason and he goes back to fix everything... that's every girls fairytale I think when they're a single parent... well you know... if the father was a hot rich as hot... nice ... hot ... guy hahahahaha

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  12. Marvellous news about Soraya and her baby boy, Natalie -- and thanks for stepping into the breach!

    Walk on the Wild Side sounds like a lot of fun -- I look forward to reading it!

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  13. Congrats to Soraya and her Hubby wonderful news babies are so beautiful and I also love a story with a baby or children in them and I do enjoy an unplanned pregnancy story

    Have Fun
    Helen

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  14. Hi Natalie --
    Great news for Soraya! Congrats to her and hubby on their baby boy. I have a baby boy on the way (he has a few more months of cooking to do yet!) so Soraya's news brings a tear to my eye.

    I don't mind a baby in a story -- since I generally read and write paranormal babies aren't as common but in the right story they work well.

    Congrats on Walk on the Wild Side -- sounds great!

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  15. Huge congratulations to Soraya and her husband! And welcome to the world, little boy!

    With babies in stories, I sometimes love them, depending on the story and the author. If they're done well, I get all gooey inside. =)

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  16. Fantastic news about Soraya. It really is one of life's greatest adventures.

    I enjoy babies but have quite a soft spot for difficult teenagers too (in fiction!)

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  17. Big congrats to Soraya! And thanks for posting the news Natalie! =))
    I prefer to focus soley on the hero and heroine but the last few books I have read with children were brilliant!

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  18. I don`t like babys on the story usually.I don`t like them chattering on the page. Although maybe there could be unplanned pregrancy in (the end of) the story. Like you did in your book ALL NIGHT WITH THE BOSS.I really liked it how they learned/grow very realistically to handle unplanned pregrancy situation and found they way out as a happy loving couple. Not only forced to be together because of the pregnancy. Very well done story.

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