Double Identity by K. Dawn Byrd

If you missed it on Wednesday I shared an interview by K. Dawn Byrd (which you can find here).  I received a lot of great info about her newest release Double Identity and, rather than make an extra long post for {Writer Wednesday} I rolled it over to today.  Hope you enjoy and make sure and hop on over to amazon to pick up your own copy!

Synopsis...

Seventeen-year old Bree is shocked when she discovers she has a twin sister, even more shocked to find that she's an identical twin. When Bree's sister becomes obsessed with her boyfriend, Luke, Bree must decide who wants who and who's telling the truth.

From the back cover...

Bree has always wanted a sister. She's shocked when she learns that her father is alive and her identical twin sister, Cassie, is coming to live with her. She can't wait for Cassie to arrive. She just knows they'll be best friends.

Bree soon discovers that even though they look alike, they're totally different. Cassie is wild and impulsive. She hates Bree's little town and everything in it, except Bree's boyfriend, Luke. When Cassie becomes obsessed with Luke, she'll go to any length to have him for herself.

Luke has a secret, which Cassie learns and uses against him. She's off her medication and will stop at nothing. She says he's in love with her. He says he loves Bree. Will their secrets destroy them and their relationships?

Interview with the heroine... 

1.Bree, tell me the most interesting thing about you.
I'm not sure how interesting it is, but I've had the same boyfriend since middle school. I've always known Luke is the guy for me. We have big plans for the future. He's going to be a veterinarian and we're going to work together. He'll take care of the large animals and I'll be a small animal expert.

2. What do you do for fun?
I love to hang out with Luke. He lives on a farm and raises horses. It's fun to ride through the meadows and to pet the newborn animals.

3. What do you put off doing because you dread it?
I put off washing my car. It's such a pain.

4. What are you afraid of most in life?
I'm afraid of losing my dad to cancer. Now that he's back in my life, I don't want to lose him.

5. What do you want out of life?
All I want is to graduate from high school and college and marry Luke.

6. What is the most important thing to you?
My parents and Luke and my faith. For seventeen years, I thought my father was dead, but he's alive. He's fighting cancer right now and I'm really scared. I don't know what I'd do without my faith in God. I'm having a really hard time right now because my identical twin sister, Cassie, is in love with my boyfriend.

7. Do you read? If so, what is your favorite type of book to read?
I don't have much time to read. I'm in high school and I work part-time at the local bowling alley.

8. If you could change one thing about yourself, what would it be?
I'd want to look totally different from my twin, Cassie. Having a twin does something to a girl's identity. For example, Luke thinks I'm beautiful. Does he think my sister is beautiful too?

9. Do you have a pet? If so, what is it and why that pet?
No pets, but I love to play with the animal's on Luke's farm.

10. If you could travel back in time, where would you go and why?
I would go back to the day I was born and find a way keep my parents together so I could grow up with my sister. Maybe if we'd grown up together, she would be a nicer person.

Interview with the hero...

1. Luke, tell me the most interesting thing about you.
I live on a farm and raise horses. My name is pretty well known in the horse circuit.

2. What do you do for fun?
I love working with my hands on the farm. It doesn't matter if I'm repairing a fence or mucking the stalls. I'm happy with the animals.

3. What do you put off doing because you dread it?
I put off dealing with drama. I absolutely hate it. Since Bree's twin sister came to town, we've had nothing but drama.

4. What are you afraid of most in life?
Losing Bree. She's my life. Her sister, Cassie, says she's in love with me and she's trying to destroy my relationship with Bree.

5. What do you want out of life?
I want it all. A wife. Kids. A little white house with a picket fence. I'm working toward those goals right now by going to college to be a veterinarian.

6. What is the most important thing to you?
My family and Bree.

7. Do you read books? If so, what is your favorite type of book?
I read farming magazines.

8. If you could change one thing about yourself, what would it be?
If I could change one thing about myself, it would be not keeping secrets from Bree. There's something about myself that I hate with a passion and because I kept it from Bree, it might destroy our relationship. Cassie knows and she's using it to blackmail me.

9. Do you have a pet? If so, what is it and why that pet?
I have lots of animals on the farm.

10. If you could travel back in time, where would you go and why?
I'd love to meet Noah and talk to him about how he kept all those animals happy on that little ark.

Excerpt from the novel...

I'd just stepped out of the shower when I heard Cassie giggle. She must have come in while I was indisposed. Almost too tired to wiggle, I dreaded facing her. All she did was complain and her mood swings made me want to scream or break something or both. Some days, I longed for Dad to get well and take her back where she came from.

I breathed in the scent of strawberry shower gel that lingered in the air. Luke had texted, saying he loved me. He'd wanted to get together, but I'd been working. Would we find any time together once school started? When we'd gone to the same school, we'd had lunch together and I'd always ridden home with him. His schedule for the upcoming year was so different than mine, and he had night class. Could our relationship survive?

"Boy, can he kiss," Cassie said. "Even better than Mick. One kiss and I forgot Mick ever existed."

I paused by the door, considering making some kind of noise so she'd know I was in the next room. I pushed the thought away. Why should I? There had been several times recently when I'd had suspicions that she'd been spying on me. I poured my favorite vanilla lotion into my hands and rubbed it on my arms. Why was the bottle so low?

Cassie groaned. "If I could just get him to see that little Miss-Goody-Two-Shoes isn't the one for him. He has to be attracted to me, you know?" She laughed again and paused for several seconds. "Pretty smart of me to fix my hair like hers. Mom can't even tell us apart."

She was talking about me, but who was she talking about kissing? Luke? Had she kissed Luke? Hot, seething anger rumbled through me. Tying my robe so tightly, the belt dug into my stomach, I flung open the door so hard it hit the wall. I hated confrontation, but it was time.

Cassie's look of sheer shock morphed into a look of pure horror. "Maggie, I have to go. I'll call you later."

Hands on hips, I glared at my sister. "Who were you talking about?"

"Just girl talk with my friend, Maggie, back home."

"Who were you talking about kissing?"

A flush colored her cheeks, barely visible through her slowly fading California tan. "Mick. I was talking about Mick."

"You said someone kissed better than him. Who?"

"Jake. Not that it's any of your business."

I wanted to slap the I-know-something-you-don't-know smile off her face. Having a sister wasn't all it was supposed to be. She'd been nothing but a pain since she'd landed on our doorstep.

"Jake." I laughed, relieved that she had a thing for Luke's farm hand. Jerking my clothes from the hangers, I headed back to the solitude of the bathroom. Was I paranoid? Was I losing my mind?

_______________________________________________

I don't know about you, but I definitely want to pick up my own copy of this!  I can't wait to see what happens.  What do you think?  Will Bree and Luke's relationship survive Cassie and her apparently devious ways?

K. Dawn Byrd {Writer Wednesday}

For this Writer Wednesday we have the pleasure of hearing from K. Dawn Byrd. She is an author of inspirational novels in several genres, including, historical, suspense, romance, and young adult. Some of her favorite things are chocolate, cars, and her pets. Her hobbies include reading, writing, and riding down country roads in the passenger seat of her husband's Corvette Stingray. When asked why she writes, her response is, "For the simple joy of placing words on the page!"

Author Interview | K. Dawn Byrd

[K had some questions prepared so they will differ slightly from previous interviews.]
What would you like readers to take away from your book?
...Double Identity is a young adult book about two identical twins, one a Christian, one a non-believer. I'd like for the reader to take away that no matter what happens, God is with us. Also, people need to learn to trust their hearts.

Why did you choose to write this book?
...I thought it would be fun to explore what it would be like to have an identical twin. Of course, a young woman's boyfriend would love how she looked. Would the fact that someone else looks just like her make her insecure?

What did you learn while writing this book?
...I learned that being an identical twin can be hard!

What is the toughest test you've faced as a writer?
...Finding time to write. I work a full-time job and also a lot of weekends, which means that I have to be really devoted to my writing time. I set aside at least an hour every night, six days a week if possible. The fact that I start with a well-developed plot makes things move faster.

Which books on writing have been the most helpful to you and why?
...It's not really a book, but I'll tell you about it anyway. Margie Lawson's on-line classes made more impact on me and my writing style that anything else I've ever studied. They're very affordable too!

What accomplishment(s) are you most proud of, writing-related or not?
...I'm proud of earning a master degree in professional counseling from Liberty University. I believe this degree helps me to understand my characters better and what makes them tick.

What kind of planning do you do before writing a novel?
...I fill out character sketches in order to get to know my characters better. I ask myself what their goals are, what motivates them, and what's keeping them from reaching their goals. Sometimes, I start by writing a synopsis. This gives me information about the plot as it develops. I usually have a pretty strong plot before I actually begin the story.

What are your favorite writing conferences and why?
...The ACFW conference is my favorite because I absolutely love the worship. It blesses my heart. It's also really nice to chat with like-minded people.

Why do you write?
...I write because I can't stop. It's more than a hobby, it's a passion. It's the most fun I've ever had in my life!

Are you a plotter or a pantzer?
...A big time plotter. Because I write all of my books in 30-day marathons, I have to start with a thorough plot. That doesn't mean that sometimes the story doesn't take a life of it's own, surprising me when it takes me down a road I hadn't planned to travel.

What are you working on right now?
...I'm working on a thriller about a serial killer. It's a difficult story because there are several twists and turns and I have to be careful how I write it for everything to fall into place correctly.

What's next for you?
...I have three releases in 2012, all young adult. Something Beautiful in January. The Hot Line Girl in June. Luck of the Draw in November.

What would you be doing if you weren’t writing?...Probably still riding a Harley. I sold my bike in order to have more time to write. On weekends, I'd rather curl up with my laptop and the story in my head.

Tell us a little more about yourself , with three things not many people know about you.
...
a) I have a masters degree in professional counseling from Liberty University.
b) I'm an animal lover. I have two hairless Chinese Crested dogs, an African Gray parrot, three ferrets, and several aquariums in my home.
c) I love sour foods. I'd rather have olives, pickles, or dilly beans than something sweet sometimes.

Do you listen to music when you write and if so, what kind of music – or do you find it distracts you?
I must have total peace and quiet when I write. I hate it because it keeps me from writing sometimes when I'd like to.

What do you do for fun when not writing?
When not writing, I love to read. Romantic suspense or young adult novels are favorites.

Tell us about your latest release and what you think readers will enjoy about it.
...My latest release, Double Identity, was a lot of fun to write. I think readers will like it because it will keep them on the edge of their seats. When both twins fall for the same guy, who will he choose? How will he tell them apart?

If you were an animal, which one do you think you would be, and why? ...I'm not sure which animal I would be, but my step-daughter was recently joking and said that if she believed in reincarnation, she'd want to come back as one of my ferrets because I take such good care of them. That was the ultimate compliment!

What is your personal definition of success?
...My personal definition of success has nothing to do with money. To me, a successful person is one who is happy and enjoys life.

How can readers get in contact with you?
Email: kdawnbyrd@yahoo.com
Blog: www.kdawnbyrd.blogspot.com
Twitter: kdawnbyrd
Pinterest: kdawnbyrd
Facebook: kdawnbyrd

Plus, as an extra treat, on Friday I'll be posting a special peek at K's newest novel Double Identity! Make sure and check back then.