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Monday, May 26, 2008

MEN and BABIES by Bronwyn Jameson

My current work in progress is an unplanned pregnancy book (tentatively scheduled for March 09) and this week I've been thinking about my hero, an alpha of the cool, controlled, emotionally aloof variety, and how this baby will bring him undone. I haven't written a new baby scene for years and years -- I am thinking that A Tempting Engagement (2003) may have been my last. And that wasn't the hero and heroine of that book's baby, but the couple from the previous book. Is there no more heart-squeezing scene than that of a big, tough alpha turned to goo by a tiny bundle of babydom? Don't you love that image: the contracts of size and strength, the parallel of vulnerability? Who is holding who in the palm of their hand?

I've been thinking about that and thinking about my own dad, a stoic, capable gentleman who didn't make many mistakes...except in the aftermath of new fatherhood. In those days it was the father who filed the birth details and my dad, well, he got it wrong. Several times. My elder brother and sister, both names spelled incorrectly. My youngest sister, names written down in the wrong order so her middle name became her first.

And then there's me.

By the time I reached age 17 there'd been a deal of ribbing over my father and the not-quite-right names. I thought I'd gotten off scot free. Even though my name is the most difficult of the five, Dad spelled it correctly. Then I applied for my birth certificate and discovered I'd been registered with the wrong birth date. A simple mistake, we laughed a lot, but it's been causing me grief ever since. By that time I'd already used my real birth date for some documentation (e.g. my bank and school) while everything official such as my driving licence and passport required the date on my birth certificate.

Every so often I get caught out answering the questions to verify my identity. "Birth date," says the impersonal voice on the end of the phone. And I automatically give my real birth date, then comes the stumbling explanation, the dubious silence, and another six or ten questions because they didn't quite believe me.

My father, being male, never owned any of these mistakes. "The clerk must have written it down wrong," he would say. I blame the enormity of the new baby experience--an alpha with all control taken out of his hands--and how that combination turns the most capable, careful man to quivering ineptitude. I love it; how about you? Do you love a good alpha + baby storyline? Have you read one lately you can recommend, because after writing this post I find I am quite in the mood.

11 comments:

Pat Cochran said...

Hello, Bronwyn,

One of the quickest ways to get me
to purchase a book is to include
the word "baby" in the title! It can be entitled "Baby" and I'm there with check in hand! Recently, I read "Another Man's Baby" and an
older book, which I re-read, was "The Baby Gift."

P. S. I'm looking forward to the next (and last) book in the Diamonds Down Under series!

Pat Cochran

Avi J said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Avi J said...

Hi Bron, I love baby stories too, what stood out for me was Catherine Mann's The Executive's suprise baby part of the Garrisons series in 2007 and Mr and Mistress By Heidi Betts from the Elliott series in 2006

Bronwyn Jameson said...

Pat, looks as though you are in luck with the upcoming Desires whose covers I featured. :-)

Avi, I must check those out again. Thanks for the recommends.

Bron

azteclady said...

Hi, Bronwyn!

On the babies in books bit, I'm usually on the other end of the reading spectrum from Pat Cochran--I need previous recommendations to get over the "Baby" in the title.

The good thing is that there are plenty of great authors out there writing all kinds of awesome stories involving babies :grin: I would definitely recommend Karen Templeton's Baby, I'm Yours for the bumbling new to fatherhood male experience. Really good, IMO.

While reading about your issues with the real vs the official birth certificate, I was reminded of my own issues with the official spelling of my name vs the one my mother insists is the correct spelling *chuckling* to this day, she sighs, very put upon, when I sign my name my way :wink:

Have a great week, everyone!

EllenToo said...

I like stories with babies especially if the baby brings the hero to his knees.

Jane said...

I just read "A Bride's Baby" by Liz Fielding, but the baby isn't born yet in the book. There's just something about babies in books that attracts readers.

LJ said...

Hi Bronwyn, baby stories are some of my favourite. Diana Hamilton, The Mediterranean Billionaire's Secret Baby was one of my favourite baby stories, oct 2007.

Bronwyn Jameson said...

Azteclady, If Karen Templeton's name is on the cover then there's a pretty high chance I will like it. (Off to check out that title.)
And we can sympathise over our erroneous birth certificates. :-)

Jane, snap. That one is on my PDA. Love the snappy dialogue.


LJ, thanks for the recommendation. That one will be available as an eBook.

Thanks,
Bron

Michele L. said...

Hi Bronwyn,

Sherryl Woods wrote an enjoyable series about babies called, And Baby Makes Three:The Next Generation series. Also, I remember reading a book from the Love Inspired line by Steeple Hill books. It was called "A Very Special Delivery" by Linda Goodnight which was a very nice story.

There are so many out great stories but I can't remember them all! Senior moment, ha, ha! Have fun Bronwyn reading down under!

Hugs,
Michele R.

Bronwyn Jameson said...

Michele, thanks for coming up with some more great recommendations. The Sherryl Woods books may still be available at eBooks. I will check.

Bron