A couple of years ago I wrote a series of books (starting with six and ending with nine) set in fictional Serendipity, Texas called Cowboy Country. The series premise was all about cowboys and babies—lots of babies.
So, when I went to plan out my next six-book series, I shied away from babies, at least until Book Six, which I am now writing and that stars an adorable pair of twins.
As it happens, though, fiction mirrors real life, reminding me why romances with babies in them are so popular. Here at the Kastner’s, we haven’t had a newborn in our house since our grandson was born eleven years ago, so we were extra excited to welcome Emily Rose on June 6th. Her brother even dressed up in a suit for the first time meeting his sister so he would, “make a good impression.”
My heart be still.
And that was when I remembered just why babies are so special and why I enjoy writing them into my books. They give us the opportunity to fall in love all over again, to experience the giddiness and butterflies we may have thought were long past us.
This Granny thanks the newest member of our family for reminding her just why babies should be included in books.
Because…adorbs!
Do you enjoy reading books with babies as secondary characters? Why or why not?
Deb’s next book, A Reason to Stay, will be out August 23rd! Preorder today!
~~Love Courageously~~ Publisher's Weekly Bestselling, award-winning author of 30 novels, Deb Kastner enjoys writing contemporary inspirational western stories set in small communities. She feels especially blessed to be able to include faith as a natural and genuine part of her characters' lives. Deb lives in beautiful Colorado with her husband and a pack of miscreant mutts. She is blessed with three adult daughters and two grandchildren. Her favorite hobby is spoiling her grandchildren, but she also enjoys reading, watching movies, listening to music (The Texas Tenors are her fav), singing in the church choir, and exploring the Rocky Mountains on horseback.
I love babies in books, they bring out all the feels.
They are cute! I really like “instant family” plots where neither the hero nor the heroine were the baby’s parents, something like “the bachelor uncle must raise the nephew and oh! here’s the nanny heroine!” things like that. It’s like watching two adorable new parents who don’t know what to do with the baby or what’s going on between them.
Babies are a normal part of life and so deserve to be in our stories.
Babies bring so much to a story. It can show another dimension to a character’s personality. It does bring on the feels, too!
I do, and I don’t. It totally depends on the circumstances surrounding the baby, to be honest. I’ve read some that are really good, and I’ve read some that weren’t. I like the books with babies as long as the baby isn’t used as a pawn, or as a means to bring a married couple having trouble together. It’s not the baby’s job to keep his/her parents together, and if that’s the only reason they have a baby, it’s not going to work, and the poor child is put in the middle, where they should never be. I had a friend who was having problems in her marriage, and she wanted to have a baby so the baby could bring them together. That’s not a reason to have a baby, and there was no guarantee they’d stay together just because there was a baby!!
I like babies and children in books they bring life to the stories.I have 12 sibblings 2 older and 10 younger and 2 nephews ages 1 and 8 months and 2 nieces 1.5 and 7 months so I have grew up with children all my life
Ps. Your new granddaughter is adorable
Congrats on the new grandbaby! We got to experience the joy of an unexpected “extra” grand ourselves last fall, and we are loving every minute.
I haven’t written a baby into a story. I think it can be hard to balance the timing and the plot that way, but I’ve certainly seen it well done, too. Maybe I should give it a whirl!
Congratulations on your newest grand baby, she is adorable, and so are you older grandchildren. How sweet of her brother to get all dressed up to welcome her. Yes, I love to read books with babies in them, and later on I love to read about the little baby growing up and then when the baby is all grown up also. Have a great day and a great rest of the week. God Bless you and your family.
I adore babies in fiction! But that gives me baby fever, and my husband is tired of me asking for another baby, so…
Congratulations!!
Don’t get me wrong when I say this because I really do love babies & reading about them in fiction! There’s just been SO many books lately with babies in them. Like anything else, I can grow tired of reading the same type of thing & need to switch to something different.
The same could be said of dogs, kids, tropes (or themes), characters, etc. I like variety in my books so I tend to mix up what I read :-)
Congrats on your upcoming book Deb! I have all the K-9 companion ones and will be getting this one as well. These kind of dogs (service) are among my favorite, both in fiction and real life.
Also, congrats on the new granddaughter! I saw your posts on Facebook, what a cutie she is. Have fun being a grammie again, no better job in the world :-)
I forgot to add, how sweet that her big brother dressed up to meet her….that’s the sweetest thing ever! I hope you’ll incorporate that into one of your stories, I bet your readers will eat that up :-)
I enjoy babies in stories.
Agreed! And conflict, too!!
I love those plots. They are much easier on the inspy author. That said, we may be Christians, but we all make mistakes, and at least babies are always blessings!
Totally! Babies create families, and families are what life is all about. So much so that I have Family tattooed on my calf!!
For me this is especially true for the hero. There is nothing as heartwarming as a big ol’ man with a baby. Seeing my husband hold his granddaughter still chokes me up.
Oh my goodness! Real life!! I can’t imagine that having a baby would help a situation like that. Babies are lovely, but they are a LOT of work and stress because everyone is tired. I completely agree that the baby shouldn’t be used that way even in fiction.
Thank you! I love that you grew up in such a large family who are now having children of their own. You’ll be surrounded with blessings!
I’ve got to admit it can sometimes be complicated when you’re trying to forward the romance. What to do about the babies? LOL
That’s something I stayed aware of as I went through this Rocky Mountain Family (and K9 Companion) series. There weren’t babies in the stories but there were a few children, and some of the couples from earlier stories had babies later on, so I wanted to watch them grow.
Congratulations! She is so precious. I love reading books with babies and children. Thank you so much for sharing. God bless you.
Ha! I know what you mean. My ship sailed some time ago, so I’m relying on my adult children to give me the grandkids!
Thank you!!
I totally get you. Any trope can be done to death and then it’s time for a change…as a writer as well as a reader. And yes, for sure, Granny is the best job title ever. So much love!
Oh, I know, right? When Boo said he wanted to make a good impression on his baby sister, my heart just melted! Book material, to be sure.
Me, too. I’m really enjoying putting twins into my latest.
Aww, thanks. I’m definitely partial to her. Emily is very active and very vocal. I’m already envisioning her future!
cute pics
I love books with babies in it & as a second character. It’s such exciting stories
I love baby books. It makes me want to see my family as babies again
aww congratulations all a round. so sweet about big brother dressing up to give a good impression. so swwweeeet. I love to read books with babies/children and animals. seems to make it more real.
Oh! I don’t have a problem with people making mistakes, it’s just that when the hero or heroine is already a parent, I feel like I lose connection with them because they go to the “being like my parents” shelf, being a young woman student and without children, I can see a single mother heroine who is the same age as me but automatically feels “older”.
When she is a girl in the same situation as me who, due to work or being the best friend of the here “unexpected dad”, I understand her better, seeing how she brings out her maternal side.
I am soooooooooooooooooo late in commenting. internet has been playing up and 2 cats sick with cat flu (and their mama not feeling that great herself).
Congrats on the new granddaughter.
I do like babies and kids in books as secondary characters. I get frustrated when they are there and mentioned but basically sleeping or of screen but not really mentioned. they add to the storyline and do so many funny things.
I love babies! Adorable!!!