With eighteen, soon to be nineteen Contemporary Romance titles under my belt, there isn’t much I haven’t put in a book. But never twins. Until A Texas Bond. When I was a teenager, I had this fantasy world in my head where I’d get married someday and have twins. After my son was born, I was so grateful God didn’t grant that long ago wish. I don’t know how people handle two babies at once. My one was plenty. Especially since he had colic until he was five and a half months old.
It was fun creating five and a half-year-old Madison and Mason Keyes for my soon to be released title. I gave them strawberry blond hair leaning toward red. Mason is mischievous and Madison is a rule follower. Their Aunt Stacia has her hands full trying to keep up with them, even though her dad helps out. Her hands get even more full when their uncle shows up, having just learned about the twins his brother gave up.
Stacia and Ross have always been the older, wiser siblings, trying to clean up the messes their younger siblings make. When their lives intersect with Madison and Mason, the sparks fly. Stacia doesn’t trust him and is certain he’s come to fight her for custody, while Ross is just trying to figure out a way to break his brother’s bombshell news to his parents.
My mom’s youngest siblings are twins, male and female. And my friend since high school has twins. She says I prayed her
pregnant because by the time I had my son after 16 1/2 years of marriage, all my friends’ kids were almost grown. I was worried about him having friends he could spend the night with and me not worry. I decided to pray my cousin pregnant. It didn’t work, but my friend ended up pregnant with twins. And both were girls, so my son couldn’t spend the night with them anyway.
Despite having a few twins in my life, I had to do some research, so here are some fun facts I found about twins.
- A boy and a girl can’t be identical twins.
- There’s no scientific proof that twins can read each other’s minds.
- Identical twins may have almost indistinguishable DNA, but they still have different fingerprints.
- Even with modern technology, there can be a hidden twin during a portion of the pregnancy.
- About 40% of twins, generally identical twins, will develop some form of autonomous language, using nicknames, gestures, abbreviations, or terminology that they only use with each other.
- Even though identical twins have almost indistinguishable DNA, they still have different personalities.
- Twins can have different birthdays by days, weeks, and even months.
- Twins do run in families, but it’s a common misconception that they skip a generation.
Since my twins are five in the book, I didn’t use much of this. But it was still fun learning all of it.
In the meantime, I’m still puzzling away. My great niece got me this beach puzzle for Christmas. It has hidden images in it, so that should be fun. And I have another one of with a barn waiting in the wings given to me by a friend and church member.
So do you know any twins? If so, tell us something interesting about them? If not, what do you find fascinating about twins? Or even better, what book do you love that features twins? Answer for a chance to win a print copy of A Texas Bond. Ends Feb 7th.
Award winning author, Shannon Taylor Vannatter writes contemporary Christian cowboy romance and has over a dozen published titles. A romance reader since her teens, she hopes to entertain Christian women and plant seeds in the non-believer’s heart as she demonstrates that love doesn’t conquer all—Jesus does. She gleans fodder for her fiction in rural Arkansas where she spent her teenage summers working the concession stand with her rodeo announcing dad and married a Texan who morphed into a pastor. In her spare time, she loves hanging out with her husband and son, flea marketing, and doing craft projects.
When I started school we had several sets in the year ahead and behind. One of my class mates had twin sisters. At church a lady had Fraternal twins 2 girls and she was a twin and her sister had twins. Actually for a small town we had lots of twins.
We don’t have any in the family
My aunt had 2 kids 11 months apart and always said it was like bringing up twins.
I love the covers! The colors and designs are amazing.
My cousin has twin granddaughters that just turned 13. They are identical and so cute. Unfortunately they live over 700 miles away so I only see them through pictures.
One year our kindergarten classes had 7 sets of twins so the newspaper did a big article on them.
I am a twin! Not identical. When little, we definitely had our own way of communicating. We have been fast friends all these years, though our lives as adults have been totally different. Our faith is the most important thing to both of us.
My niece had twins boy and a girl. The girl did not survive. I also have a great aunt who had identical twin boys neither had twins of there own.
On both maternal and paternal sides of my family, twins run through my mom is a twin her other half is a male. My father’s last siblings are twins both male and I share my birthday with them. Despite being twins none of their children nor grand children have twins I always like the idea of having twins but that was not God’s plan for me.
I have twin cousins!! Twins run in both sides of my family. I have to say, some of my favorite books with twin were the Bobsey Twins books I read as a child.
Don’t know any twins but the connection between twins has always fascinated me.
My husband is a twin. He and his brother look nothing alike. My husband is short and went bald at 18. His twin brother is tall and has thick hair. We are preparing to grow our family through FET with donor embryos and there’s always a higher chance for multiples with any assisted reproduction techniques. I’m equally excited and terrified! Hahaha
Your book sounds like a good read. I have known a good number of twins. When I was in elementary school, I actually went to school with triplet boys. In high school I had good friends who were twins. In college I dated a twin. We had identical twin girls who lived down the street when we lived in Georgia.
Hello Shannon My Grandmother on My Moms side had a set of twins and then my Aunt on my Mom’s side had a set of triplets then my Aunts daughter had a set of twins they weren’t identical But my family has twins and triplets in it! Love the cover of your book and it sounds like a great read! Have a nice day Blessings!
I know a couple twins from my primary school. In my sister’s class there were twins. 2 boys. They were inseparable. In fact, it was so bad that when one went home sick, the other went home half an hour later too because he wasn’t feeling well. I always really enjoy reading about twins.
I’ve always wondered how twins feel when they are identical and people get them mixed up with one another.
Wow that is a lot of twins for a small town, Ausjenny. And I bet your aunt was hopping.
Thanks Jeanna. LI does a great job with covers.
Oh Lori, I can’t imagine having twin teen girls. Imagine the potential drama. That’s a lot of twins. Sounds like it should be in the Guinness Book of World Records.
That’s so cool, Margaret. A built in friend for life right from birth.
Oh that’s so sad, Kim. Identicals fascinate me. Especially how they look so much alike, but their personalities are still so different.
That’s a lot of twins, Angeline. My aunt and uncle twins had their own language when they were kids. So funny.
That’s fun, Trudy. My friend who has twin girls was kind of shocked when she got pregnant. I remember her saying, twins run in both our families, I’ll probably have twins. Sure enough, she did.
Me too, Yvonne. I don’t even have any siblings. So I’m just fascinated by siblings.
Hey Rebekah, my friend’s daughters look nothing alike. One looks just like her and one looks just like her husband. Oh wow, blessings on your adventure.
Oh my, Merrillee, I really can’t imagine raising triplets. When do those moms sleep when they’re little?
Lots of multiples surrounding you, Sarah. Thanks. It was a fun book to write.
I forgot to mention the twin boys in our church, Marilene. They’re in college now, so I haven’t seen them in a while. But they’re six months older than our son and inseparable. But they ended up going to two different colleges.
Me too. We have another set of twins in our church who come every once in a while. They used to trick everyone pretending to be each other.
Those facts are so interesting, and not really something I would think of for twins. I do not have a twin but everyone always asks my brother and I if we’re twins since we look alike.
I Know This Much Is True by Wally Lamb comes to mind. Thank you kindly
That’s funny, Abigail. My moms twin siblings are male/female. But everybody always thinks my two aunts who are 3 years apart are the twins.
I haven’t read that, Kelley. I’ll have to check it out. Thanks.
My cousin has identical twin boys and the twins skipped two generationz, lol. Adorable with completely different personalities though. I am loving the serial in InspyRomance with the twins :)
I love love love this cover <3
I know twins, not identical – they are a boy and a girl (Daniel and Daniella).
The first year with the twins is a nightmare – it's a fact ;)
I love the bond between the two!
There were at least two sets of identical (both female) twins in my small school growing up. I’m sure that I have known others, but that is all that comes to mind at the moment. No twins in the family for me.
My younger cousin is the only one in our family that has twin boys. I think they are about 10 or so now. She certainly has her hands full with 4 young boys (one is a teen) in the house! I don’t know how her husband & her do it.
I don’t mind reading about twins (or even triplets or quads) because they certainly add their own personalities to the story.
There are no twins in our family, one of my nieces grandchildren are twins and they are girls. I did know twin girls that were in my elementary school. I think twins have a Very special bond. Thank you for the chance at your great sounding book, the book cover is beautiful, I love it. Have a Great weekend and stay safe. God Bless you and your family.
I personally know three different sets of twins. I know identical twin sisters, fraternal twin brothers, and a pair of fraternal twins one is a boy and the other is a girl.
I come from a family of 12 – no twins, Dad’s brother lived across the lane from us – also a family of 12 – no twins, Dad’s sister lived less than a mile down the road from us – a family of 7 with two sets of twins – all boys, and yet none of those 7 produced twins. Mom’s mother had 11 live births, but lost two sets of twins as preemies. One would think that some of my siblings or my mother’s siblings would have twins – none; however, two of my great nieces each produced twin girls. Hence, the skipped generation concept, I guess.
I went to school with two sets of twins. One set were identical girls. The other set were a boy and a girl. In both cases, they were very different in their personalities. Your book sounds fun and exciting. Thank you for the opportunity. God bless you.
God bless you. I went to school with two sets of twins. One set were identical girls. The other set were a boy and a girl. In both cases, they were very different in their personalities. Your book sounds fun and exciting. Thank you for the opportunity.
we have 3 sets of twins in the family and I have friends that had twins .
My former neighbors had fraternal twin daughters. One was definitely a nicer person than the other.
I’ve wanted twins also & I’ve wanted twin girl & boy babies. On both sides my Dad ‘s mom lost the babies at birth & my Mom’s mom had a miscarriage. I would love twins!!
Twins would be nice cause I really want another girl & then a boy. Both at once makes them very close also.
From what mum said (they are all older than me) She actually said having twins would have been easier. But they were very close until they younger one turned about 15 or 16 when she ran away with a boy and ended up pregnant and living in a hippy commune for many year but eventually became a Christian there and turned their lives around. Her bother was always finding ways to injure himself. If someone was going to find a hole to trip over it was him.
Never had twins but as a retired labor and delivery nurse helped bring many sets of twins into the world. Most of them were much calmer when close to the other.
My husband had brothers that were identical twins but being in his birth family we never knew about or met them until they were all adults. Unfortunately one of them passed away about 4 months after meeting him so we never got to really know him. The surviving one lived with us for a few months so we did find out they had a great number of ways they were just alike. I had a set of twins a couple of years behind me in school. It has turned out that one of them is working for me now & I found out that while they are identical twins they are & always were polar opposites. I am so surprised they have never gotten along, even as kids. That’s unlike anything I have ever heard before.
Your book looks so good. I don’t think I have ever read a book with twins in it before.
Wow, as far as I know my aunt and uncle are the only twins in our family, Dianne.
I love those names for twins, Natalya. I can imagine that about the first year. Thanks for the compliment on the cover.
Our church is pretty small to have two sets of twins, Patty. And when my son was small, he often played with the twin boys from church and my friend’s twin girls.
I can’t imagine having more than one boy, Trixi. They are a whole other species. If it wasn’t dirty or messy, our son wasn’t interested when he was small. That was hard for me. I like clean. I’m against dirt and sweat. I kept him as clean as I could.
They do have their own bond. And no matter how good of friends you become with one of both of them, you’ll never be in their inner circle.
I’ve never known any identical twins, Angeline. That would be interesting to have another person who looks just like you, but acts completely different.
Interesting Sandra. My friend who has twins, the twins thing comes from her husband’s family. His siters are twins and his mom is a twin. So they had twins for three generations.
I had fun creating different personalities for my fictional twins, Debra. All the twins I’ve known are very different. I kind of based my book twins on my aunt and uncle. They’re in their late 60’s now. But my uncle is a jokester and was mischievous as a child. My aunt is very sweet and a rule follower. So that’s how my fictional twins turned out.
Wow, that’s a lot of twins, Shelia.
I think that happens a lot, Denise. And there usually seems to be a dominate twin too.
How sad. I thought me or one of my cousins would have twins. But none of us did.
Hi Debra, I guess it would be weird to meet two people who look exactly alike and act exactly alike.
One pregnancy and get it over with sounds nice, Sylvain. But two babies at once would be a handful.
That makes sense, Pam. They soothe each other from the beginning and remain close their entire lives.
I’m glad y’all got to know the one at least. Back when I was a hairdresser, I had female client twins where one was really nice and one was selfish and conniving. Another female set, one was all pink and lace and the other was tomboyish and loved to fish.
I had identical twin cousins (one is deceased). I never could tell them apart. My grandmother had twins that didn’t survive in the early 1900’s. I was very glad that I didn’t have them. I think it is interesting when they develop their own language.
:)
Wow, that’s interesting you couldn’t tell them apart. At one time, we had 3 sets of twins in our small church. I could tell them all apart and I knew exactly who was who, but I’d still call them by the wrong name sometimes.
I love your cover. it’s adorable!
Thank you, Patricia. I thought so too.