Still the One
by Robin Wells
After Katie Charmaine's husband is killed in Iraq, all she has left is a closet full of his clothes, a few pictures, and fond memories. She not only lost her love, but her last chance to have the children she's always wanted. Until Zack Ferguson shows up in town . . . with the daughter Katie gave up for adoption nearly seventeen years ago.
Zack Ferguson has never forgotten Katie, or the one magical night they spent together. Seeing her again brings up a tidal wave of emotions: regret over the way he left her, anger at the secret she kept, and desire he hasn't felt in years. But he's in town for Gracie. Their daughter is sixteen, angry at the world, and-worst of all-pregnant. She needs the love of her two parents now more than ever. Can these three forgive the hurts of the past and open their hearts to each other?
FIVE FUN FACTS
I always know a lot more about my characters and fictional settings than I have room to put into a book. One thing about the fictional town of Chartreuse, Lousiana that didn’t make it into either Between the Sheets or Still the One: it has a sign at the city limits that reads: “Welcome to Chartreuse, the most colorful town in Louisiana.”
The town of Chartreuse is loosely modeled on a town about thirty minutes from my home called Pontchatoula. Pontchatoula is very eccentric: it has a giant strawberry on the roof of the police station and a caged pool in the middle of town that houses an enormous alligator.
The concept of the Chartreuse Cafe as a local gathering place comes from a cafe in Pontchatoula. When you walk inside, it’s like entering a time warp to the fifties.
I decided to create a fictional town instead of setting my stories in an actual one because I mention local politicians. I didn’t want anyone to think I was referring to actual people.
I love writing about small towns because they have such a rich sense of community. People’s lives and histories are intertwined, which can make for some interesting dynamics. When one person changes, it can be hard for the other people to accept (after all, they remember what you were like in high school!), but then every change has a ripple effect throughout the whole community.
I started thinking about Katie’s story the moment she appeared as a secondary character in Between the Sheets. I wanted her to be married so that she could offer Emma experience-based advice about love, but I wanted her to be able to hang out as a single, unencumbered by a husband. I decided Katie’s husband would be in Iraq. Then I started wondering what her life would be like when he returned - or if he would return. And that’s when the story of Still the One took off.
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GIVEAWAY
I have five copies of this book to giveaway courtesy of Hachette Books. Giveaway is open to U.S./Canada - no PO boxes. To enter - just leave a comment with your email address. This giveaway will end on June 20.
