Welcome Guest Author Dee Tenorio & GIVEAWAY

Cheeky Reads is excited to welcome author Dee Tenorio. Today, Dee is celebrating the release of her latest book All of You from Samhain Publishing. All of You features a set of twin brothers, so what better topic for Dee to talk to us about today. Make sure you enter to win the contest at the bottom of the post for a chance to win an ebook from Dee's backlist of titles!

Welcome Dee!

They Call Me...The Twin Whisperer

Actually, no one calls me that, but really, I wish they would. I'm getting tired of yelling, whispering once in a while would be nice.

Now, if you haven't met me before, my name is Dee. I'm a writer. I married a twin. I gave birth to twins. And I am now beginning my second series about twins, The Lonnigans. In fact, the first book, "All Of You", is out today from Samhain Publishing! Which is why I'm here today. Because if you've never known a twin...you might not realize what you could be getting into when you pick up this series. These Lonnigans aren't your regular Romance twins. But I'll get to that...

See, in my many years of twin experience, I've learned quite a few things about these unique sets of people, and I like to try to set the stereotypes back a little in my writing--thus those amazing Lonnigan differences--but I thought, hey, why not share a little of the knowledge? Help people do a little twin-whispering of their own.

So here it is, Dee's Five Facts About Twins Most People Get Wrong:

1) They are two separate people. I know, it's kind of obvious, but you'd be surprised how often folks think twins are interchangeable. They might often have moments of startling similarity in motion, tone and tastes, but believe me, they have such individual quirks and personality differences that if they had a different face, you'd never mistake them for members of a collective. So, if you know someone who's married to a twin, don't ask her if she ever gets confused. She doesn't. In fact, just the thought probably makes her gag. (I know it does me...no offense, BIL)

2) Not all twins are polar opposites. I see this a lot in romance and it kind of cracks me up. I'm sure there are night & day twins, but honestly, most siblings will share at least some common interests. Take my husband, for example. All of his siblings--including the twin--love Japanese animation and a deep love of movies. Blending likes and not-likes is a big miss when it comes to representing twins realistically.

3) Fraternal Twins are still twins. Honest, my next set of fictional twins are going to be fraternal, lol. Just to mess with people. My own twins are identical, but due to a really difficult birth, I had one baby natural and one baby c-section. (Yes, the suckage of that is epic). As a result, "Natural" baby has a different head and face shape from C-Section baby, giving people the idea they're fraternal. (Nope, they're not--they still confuse me from time to time, I rely on that slight difference to tell them apart) So, I hear a lot, "Oh, then they're not real twins." Ask their mother, they're twins. And they have a great many of the same similarities as Identicals. In fact, I may come up with a story just to explore that further. It's not the faces that make them twins. It's the togetherness.

4) Not all twins are psychic. You know, unless they're actually psychic. Granted, some kooky alikeness things happen (hubby and his twin tended to wear the same colors, though they woke and dressed in different places and times), but they're not open ended walkie-talkies. (Though, that would really come in handy.) The same can be said of very close regular siblings.

5) Raising twins isn't the same as having two kids, one right after another. It's not. Twin babies are on the run about 20 hours a day and they are at the same level of understanding and needs. If you've ever met a nine month old, you'll know he's already trying to walk and is sitting up and is on some kind of schedule. Not saying it's easy, but believe me, a kid who can sit and hold a bottle while the other gets nursed is a godsend in comparison to two--often smaller and premie, to boot--babies who need 24 hour care. So, if you ever get the urge to tell a twin parent that you know how they feel--which is run over and trampled and probably cranky--step away from the thought. Just offer the poor parent something to wake them up. They need it.

So what is it that makes these two romance heroes so unique? Well, I like to think they're a bit more real. They're close, but they also show a bit of the frustration that comes from knowing someone since conception. (You know, you love him, but you'd also like to choke him a little) The twin bond is a real thing, but for most twins, it's a love bond. A friend bond. And while there is something magical and mystical about that kind of connection, for most twin folks, it's just part of every day. And I wanted to bring you into that every day world as best I could.

Oh, and if I didn't mention, Lucas--the twin in the second Lonnigan novel, "All Or Nothing" (out in July!)--has his story running at exactly the same time! (Okay, so I got a little twinny there. Can you forgive me?)

So, just to make this fun, how about you all take part in my giveaway for today?

Head on over to my Website and check out the upcoming books section. See if you can find the names of both heroines for the Lonnigan series from the book blurbs and excerpts. Post the names here in the comments and you're entered to win a free ebook of your choice from any of my backlist! (Sorry, All Of You doesn't count. :) )

Dee

22 comments:

  1. I've always been fascinated with twins and triplets so this interview was interesting. Thank you!!

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  2. Good Morning Dee! Thanks for stopping by and visiting us on your release day. :)

    I'm currently about 3/4th of the way done reading All of You and it's great. I can't wait to write the review.

    Thanks again!

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  3. Great post, Dee! I always wanted to be a twin as a child (I'm not ;)), and wanted to have them as a mom. I didn't get what I wanted, but it sure is fun reading about twins!

    Jessica Saunders and Belinda Riggs are the lucky heroines! Can't wait to read their stories! Congrats!

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  4. LOL, actually, I wanted to have twins too. And I'm so glad I did! They're adorable and sweet, even if they're more than a little bit nuts and exasperating (Baby Trouble is at the "No! I no want!" stage and Baby Shatner is getting there) and they've never met a mess they couldn't spread in .2 seconds. Oh, and I should probably mention that twins are big believers in "Divide & Conquer"--they long ago mastered distracting Mommy with one thing while the other gets something they're not allowed to have, so they can share under the dining room table.

    It never pays to have kids that are smarter than you, much less two at the same time, lol. (oh, all right, it's a good thing, but not when they're toddlers)

    Dee

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  5. Congrats on the new release, Dee. It sounds great. I am one of those who enjoys reading about twins, since they are usually so close. I love that. Anyway, I hope this book is a great success for you, and I can't wait to read about Jessica and Belinda and their men! :)

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  6. LOL, Dee! I know you're right--it *is* good to have smart kids, but it sure can be frustrating when you're trying to get dinner on the table amidst the chaos! ;) Just keep on writing! :D

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  7. Hi Dee
    I have your Midnight Trilogy & Betting Hearts & totally loved them. What a fun post. My sisters are fraternal twins. My brother-in-law says that when you marry a twin, you marry her sister too. They are pretty close (no not that way). My fave memory is calling them in for dinner. It was always easier to yell "twins" instead of their individual names.

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  8. These both sound like great reads! The girls are Jessica Saunders and Belinda Riggs. Got my fingers crossed. :)

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  9. LOL, that was a lot what it was like with my BIL, though it was really more of a trial for him, lol. Luckily, his wife filled things out so we were more like double-daters all the time. :)

    We do do a lot of "Someone get the twins.", but hubby has always wanted to make sure the girls have a sense of individuality, so we make it a point to use their names. So much so, the babies insist on their names when people mix them up, lol. It really is adorable. :)

    Dee

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  10. I grew up watching Patty Duke in her twin TV series, and The Parent Trap. Just fascinated about the idea of switching places. The idea of living another person's experience without the rest of the world knowing is intriguing.

    The answer is Jessica Saunders and Belinda Riggs. They sound like really great strories.

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  11. I enjoy stories about twins, please count me in!

    delilah0180(at)yahoo(dot)com

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  12. Your interview has piqued my curiosity. The heroines areBelinda Briggs and Jessica Saunders.

    enyl(at)inbox(dot)com

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  13. I have a few sets of twins on both sides of my family and was hoping I'd have a set too....but didn't.

    Stupid Question....Do you dress them in matching clothes??? My aunts and uncles did and I can still remember my cousins hating it (at least when we got older). But gee....their baby pictures are so darn cute. I think if I had had twins, I would have dressed them alike too???

    Heroine Answer:
    Belinda Riggs
    Jessica Saunders

    Congrats on your new release and looking forward to reading your new book, twins and all!!!
    mitzihinkey at sbcglobal dot net

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  14. Congrats on the release! The book sounds great, I'll be looking for it. Books about twins are very interesting.

    eva.silkka at gmail.com

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  15. Belinda Riggs and Jessica Saunders.

    We have twins in every side of our family and I was always hoping I would end up with twins. Didnt happen. Now I hope it will happen with the next generation!

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  16. How twins interact is always so amazing to me. The Lonnigans look like quite the pair to take on, but I think I can handle it :) Congrats on your new release

    Answer: Jessica Saunders & Belinda Riggs are the two lucky heroines

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  17. When I could not get pregnant, I wanted triplets, years after I got my daughter, I'm so glad there is only one of her.

    God bless your twins.

    Thanks for sharing Dee!

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  18. Thanks for the invite :) I enjoyed reading about these myths about twins.
    And I'm really curious now about the Lonnigan twins and their love interests Jessica and Belinda!
    Thanks for this fun post!

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  19. Your series sounds great, I would love to read it! I always love to read series about siblings, I like how the hero/heroine of the previous novel is still present as a supporting character in the following novels, it's hard to part with likable characters you grew to love :-)

    The answer to your question is Jessica Saunders and Belinda Riggs.

    Thank you!

    stella.exlibris (at) gmail DOT com

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  20. I'm so sorry, I forgot to add the answer to the question!
    Jessica Saunders and Belinda Riggs are the heroines.

    eva.silkka at gmail.com

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  21. Sorry Gang, I meant to come back a lot sooner, but it's been hectic the last day or so.

    Mitzi--LOL, that's not a stupid question at all. Sometimes I do dress them the same--they're babies after all and it's prolly the only time I'll be able to get away with it. Though, usually, I dress them thematically the same. Similiar clothes, but different colors. Or the same colors, but different clothes. That kind of thing. And then there's those crazy days when they wear what they want. (It's not pretty, but also strangely adorable, lol)

    Thanks everyone for taking part and I hope you all enjoy the Lonnigans (and everyone else who pops up this summer!)!
    Dee

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  22. Wow this book sounds so good.

    Jessica Saunders & Belinda Riggs are the heroines!

    chirth7@yahoo.com

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