Twenty years ago, I was pregnant through the heat of summer, and our house lacked central air conditioning. To add to the strain, I was enormous.
Yes, every pregnant woman feels huge, but consider this: I’m five feet, one inch tall. My younger son, who turns twenty next week, weighed ten and a half pounds. Even though I had a caesarian section, the doctor had to struggle to get the baby out. He was that big.
Well, here I am again, enduring a pregnancy in the heat of summer. Wait! I’m not expanding my family, except in the figurative sense. See, my heroine is pregnant, and she’s generously sharing her discomforts as well as her joys with me.
For her, though, the heat’s not so bad, because she’s giving birth at Thanksgiving. But in fiction deadline world, I’m writing about her now, which means I’m on a different timetable.
Find all this confusing? Imagine how I feel. Still, after eighty-four published books, I should be used to celebrating Thanksgiving in August. And while I have to put up with those annoying prenatal doctor visits, I also get to feel a baby moving inside me again.
Did I mention I’m also eating pie at Thanksgiving without gaining an ounce? Wish I could actually taste it.
The book’s working title is The Surrogate’s Surprise, and it should be out sometime in mid-2010. It’s the second book of my new Safe Harbor Medical series, part of the Harlequin American line. The first book, still without a confirmed title, has a due date of February 2010, and the third, with a Christmas setting, will be issued in December 2010.
While we’re on a medical theme, I should mention my September 2009 release, Doctor Daddy. Both hero and heroine are obstetricians, but the heroine doesn’t have a baby in this one.
Thank goodness. One pregnancy per summer is my limit.
Saturday, August 01, 2009
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6 comments:
Reading your post made my tummy ache, Jacqueline.
Love the August covers!
My son weighed "only" 9lb 10 oz, but I'm 4'10". I've always been jealous of tall, willowy gals who have no baby bump till 7 months. I couldn't see my shoes after 5 months!
I'm going to keep an eye open for the Safe Harbor Medical Series. How do you research the medical aspect? Do you have a nurse or doctor in your family for easy access? Or do you read journals and articles, and interview professionals? Research intimidates me.
Thanks!
Lenore
Since I subscribe to the HAR line I get the books early. I read DOCTOR DADDY last week and really enjoyed it as I have all the Harmony Circle books. I'll be looking forward to reading your new Safe Harbor series.
I carried one child thru the summer--he was born the middle of October. It was awful!!!
To answer Lenore's question, I research in a variety of ways. First, there's been my more-extensive-than-I'd-like experience as a patient. Second, I do have friend who's a nurse available to answer questions. Third, I do a lot of research on the Internet, and keep an eye open for magazine and newspaper articles on medical topics.
My youngest was born on the hottest day of the summer that year--it got up to 104*! DH was only too happy to crank up the a/c in the room. My best friend and I were pregnant at the same time, with same due dates (hers came 4days earlier), which was good, since her a/c died from overwork.
I think virtual pregnancy sounds much more enjoyable than the real thing actually was.
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