Dear Readers
Families are fascinating to me – as a mum and grandma, but also as an author. Siblings don’t automatically get along well together; personality clashes happen! And in blended families, children who have started life with a different parent might find it difficult to adjust to a new family.
In my new book, My Daughter’s Keeper, Tasha has no choice but to agree to her little girl, Daisy, being left for much of her time with Daisy’s father’s new partner, Kirsty, who has two older daughters. Daisy soon settles into a friendship with the younger one, but there’s a big age gap between Daisy and the eldest daughter, Amelia, who’s at that pre-teen moody stage. As an only child, Daisy’s not used to this type of behaviour. She’s nervous around her, and soon reports that Amelia’s being mean and spiteful to her.
Of course, it’s hard to believe one child’s word over another’s. But in this instance, one is only six years old and Tasha’s own flesh and blood, while the other is twice her age, and acts so unpleasantly with everyone that it’s difficult to like her. Is it jealousy or just spite? Is it even true? Any parent will prioritise the safety of their own child. I imagined this happening with one of my own children – and then imagined being Kirsty, the older girl’s mother; she’d defend her own daughter, too, wouldn’t she? This gave me the definition of a difficult situation! Read the story to see how it resolves – with a lot of drama and surprises along the way.
Happy reading!
Sheila