Do you like romance novels in which there is a kid or baby as secondary character, such as single mom, single dad, or secret baby romances?
As a reader, I personally prefer romances to focus on the hero/heroine. I’m generally not a fan of kids or babies in romances—although I’ve read some that I enjoyed. However, I’m aware I may not be the norm. My readers, many of whom are parents, may like kids in romance. I totally get that single moms might enjoy reading stories about parents who get a second chance at love. So, I’ve written a few sci-fi romances with kids in them.
The first sci-fi romance I wrote with a child as an actual secondary character was Alien Intention (Alien Mate 3). To be honest, the kid was only in the story because I’d written myself into a corner in the previous book, Alien Attraction (Alien Mate 2). In Alien Attraction, reality TV show star Stormy Weathers is paid a million dollars to become an alien’s mail order bride as a stunt for her show. Stormy needed to be sympathetic; she couldn’t just do it for the money. Voila! She got a nephew who needed a heart operation and becomes a mail order bride to save Devon’s life. Basically, I used Devon as a device. He wasn’t intended to be a real character.
Well…in book 3, Alien Intention, Stormy’s sister Sunny decides to make a better life for herself and her son by becoming a mail order bride, too. Of course, she takes Devon with her to Dakon. So then I was stuck with a kid! As in a real life, a kid character can be a real buzz kill when it comes to romance. Sunny and Romando were never going to be able to get it on with Devon around. I had to get rid of the son.
Since Dakon is a planet caught in an ice age, I thought about sending Devon to military snow camp. Lol. I rejected that idea. When I remembered he’d been separated from his favorite aunt Sunny for more than year, I sent him to stay with Aunt Sunny for a while. Problem solved!
In my Alien Mate spinoff series, Dakonian Alien Mail Order Brides, I wrote two books, Sixx and Braxx, with secondary kid characters. (In Alien Mate human women go to planet Dakon; in the Dakonian series, the alien men come to Earth in search of brides. Same aliens; different settings). Sixx is a Dakonian single dad who needs to find a mate and then return to his son. Braxx is a big brother to a little boy in foster care.
My new Alien Castaways series has one book with a child: Wingman. Delia is a single mom to a young daughter with imaginary playmates. When Izzy insists an angel is coming to her birthday party, Delia assumes it’s one of Izzy’s pretend friends. And then the winged alien actually shows up! The scene where Delia meets Wingman is one of my favorites.
Anyway, I would like to know what YOU like. Do like romances with children or babies in them?
Available on Amazon, Apple Books, Kobo, GooglePlay and BN
Alien Intention | Sixx | Braxx | Wingman
