What is your moment?

Defining moment.

This phrase is a concept I have focused on from day one of writing this series. Can a defining moment change who you are? What if that moment is the worst in your life? What if it’s the best?

How much control do we have over our destiny?

I asked that a lot with Brittany when I developed her character and how she would handle moving forward with her life. I tried to find a balance between her reactions and her expectations. I didn’t want her attack to be always on the minds of those in her life.

I didn’t want her to see herself as a victim.

This idea went with other characters, too.

Tommy and Julie had a defining moment. When their parents died, their lives became forever changed.

But did that mean they couldn’t move forward?

Would that moment always stop them from being truly happy?

Life throws us curveballs all the time. It might be a personal setback or a professional upset. It might be an unexpected romance or a reconnecting of a lost love.

I’ve discovered that our defining moment isn’t always just one.

Sometimes, we redefine ourselves more than once.

Sometimes, that’s the most important part of living.

Back to “Defining Moment”.

This book covers a few major points in our Family by Choice.

We begin with the scare David had, but the knowledge that he is okay will come pretty quickly. Desi is shaken up. Julie thinks all girls are trouble and her son should stay home with her. Bill and Julie both feel that their son is growing into an incredible young man.

David is falling hard for Desi and she feels the same way. It is new and fun and romantic and the issues they have before them are certainly not small.

Desi is healing, and she is happy. It’s important for her to stay in the happiness and not let the doubt creep in. She struggles with that.

David does his best to help her.

Until the cancer comes back.

And Ian and Cassie face a harsh truth.

Desi wasn’t the only one who suffered a life altering moment.

Cassie has been through hell, and her need to protect those around her has led to catastrophic results.

Ian has reached his limit. He has yet to come to terms with all that his daughter has been through, and now his wife is in terrible danger. His defining moment might just cost him everything.

Naomi suffers a defining moment of her own when her life is blown apart by the actions of someone she least expects. Her ability to come to terms with what happens is both heartbreaking and eye opening.

It’s something nobody could see coming.

Tommy and Brittany struggle to find a way to help their daughter.

Stephanie and Jack are dealing with their daughters and the aftermath of Tessa’s surgery and recovery. What has happened to Desi and in a way to David, has struck Sabrina deep within, and she questions a lot about herself and her place in the world.

Will a handsome young man change how she looks at herself?

Bill and Julie also have their hands full when Josie decides she is ready to date.

This doesn’t sit well with anyone- especially David.

But perhaps the biggest moments come from places we don’t expect.

Mike and Jade and Evan and Liz.

Mike and Jade are waiting to welcome their miracle baby and memories of all they have been through are creeping into their lives. Their daughters go off to camp and everything is progressing as it should.

And then an evil from the past resurfaces in a way nobody could see coming.

Evan and Liz are also changing. Things have been good, but Evan worries about how happy his wife truly is. She misses her brother and if he was truthful, so does Evan.

He adores working with Brittany and he knows Kevin is happy living in Michigan, but he wonders if maybe it’s time for a change? Maybe they should move back to LA?

Before they can really discuss things, a threat from their past resurfaces and throws their calm happiness into chaos.

Defining Moment is a continuation of the saga we know as our Family by Choice. It is full of twists and turns and suspense. It is the best of people and the worst of what is out there.

I can’t wait for you to read it. I am attaching a light hearted preview, and at the end, please click on the link to preorder your copy at a reduced rate of $1.99 for a limited time.

Enjoy.

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He walked in and heard Desi before he saw her. She was softly singing to Ophelia and rubbing her back as the pig grunted. David stood mesmerized at the beautiful sound and jumped when she turned to him.

“Are you going to come in and help or just stand there?” she smiled.

Blushing, he walked in.

“I didn’t want to intrude,” he said and walked in. He saw four tiny piglets next to Ophelia, all of them nursing.

“Oh my gosh! Look what you did!” he looked at Ophelia.

She grunted and Desi moved.

“Here comes number five,” she said.

“Wait, right now? Where?”

Desi raised her eyebrows at him.

“Right, I know where. What can I do?”

“Just watch so she doesn’t hurt herself. We really shouldn’t do anything else. She knows what to do.”

David watched in awe as another little piglet squirted out. Desi picked it up with a towel and rubbed it before placing it down with the others until it latched onto a nipple.

“Another boy,” she smiled.

David was speechless.

“You okay?” she asked.

He just nodded.

“Here is another one,” she said.

David blinked and when the piglet stopped after it was halfway out, he panicked.

“Should we help it? Is it going to be okay? What if it’s being crushed? Why are you so calm?”

Desi looked at him.

“Give me your hand.”

David did and she moved it to Ophelia’s back, applying pressure at a certain point. David was stunned when the little piglet came right out.

“Here, pick it up and rub it,” she handed him a towel.

“No, I mean I shouldn’t. I think I’ll hurt it. What if I hurt it?”

Ophelia squealed and Desi shrugged.

“Another one is coming, so you better move it before it gets crushed.”

David looked at her with fear and picked the tiny pig up.

“It’s a girl! She had a girl!” he grinned.

Desi laughed and nodded.

“Put her over here so she can latch,” she said.

“Huh? Oh, right,” he said and put the pig down.

“It’s not eating. Something is wrong with it. What do we do?” he asked in a panic.

Desi gently moved the baby closer and helped her latch onto the nipple.

“She just needed a little more encouragement.”

David was amazed.

“How do you know all of this?”

Desi smiled as she helped another baby come out.

“It’s the family business,” she said as she rubbed the baby. “Sort of. My dad has taught me a lot and I really love helping. I think it’s a miracle every time we bring a new animal into the world.”

David watched as the piglets nursed and finally, she appeared to be done.

“We thought there were 12, and she has only had 11. Let me get my dad to check.”

“I can go,” David said.

She smiled.

“You babysit. Just don’t let her roll over on any of them.” She walked away and David looked at her.

“Would she do that?”

He sighed and turned back to the babies and Ophelia.

“So you have a big family now,” he said. “I think you will be a really good mom. I think I should have a talk with Hamlet, too. He should be involved. I saw him earlier and he’s just eating and lounging. That’s not fair. He should have to help you. He should want to help you. He has 11 little children who need their father. How is that okay?”

“Um, are you done with the pep talk?” Ian asked as he and Desi stood there, smiling.

David scrambled to his feet.

“I was just, um, well,” he sighed.

“You were just being adorable,” Desi said and stood next to him as her dad went to check Ophelia.

David grinned and watched.

“Desi, we have a code P.”

She nodded and turned to get the supplies.

“What’s that? What’s a code P? What are you doing?” David asked. “Should I do something?”

“The baby is trapped in the birth canal,” she said as she rushed back with a bunch of supplies. She got a long glove for her father and a bunch of lube and she looked at David.

“Put the babies in the basket, quickly. Ophelia may struggle and we don’t want them to get hurt.”

He nodded and quickly picked up each piglet and placed it in the warm basket. They squealed in anger at being removed from nursing, but David tried to quiet them.

“Move away,” Ian said and David did, his eyes wide as Ian stuck his hand where David didn’t think he should and Ophelia squealed at the obstruction.

Desi went to help her dad and David turned the basket so the babies couldn’t see.

“It’s okay. Your mom is going to be fine,” he said and softy pet each piglet. He turned to see Desi standing there with another piglet.

“All done.”

“You got it? Is it okay?”

“He’s just fine,” she smiled.

Ian cleaned up and smiled at them as he walked out.

“Let’s put them back with her,” she said and David handed her each baby.

“She only had one girl,” Desi said. “That’s really unusual.”

“She won’t eat,” he said.

Desi tried and couldn’t get her to latch.

“We can bottle feed her,” she said. “Hold her and keep her warm and I’ll be right back.”

David nodded and held the little piglet to his shirt.

“Don’t worry little girl,” he said. “Desi will help you.”

“Here, give her this,” Desi said and handed him a bottle.

“Me? No, you do it.”

“Nope. I need to clean up. Besides, you held her first, so you’re her mom now.”

David blinked and Desi laughed. “I’m kidding. Just feed her for a minute.”

He held the bottle and the little pig hungrily latched on. Desi finished cleaning and turned to see David rocking the pig in his arms. He was talking softly and she thought it was the most amazing thing she had ever seen. He looked at her and her expression changed.

Was he crying?

“David? What’s wrong?”

He sniffed and looked at her.

“I love bacon. I have bacon almost every day.”

She stifled a laugh.

“That’s okay.”

“No it’s not. How can I ever eat bacon again? What will my life look like without bacon?” he said and the little pig squealed softly.

Desi walked over and took the little pig from him, placing her with her brothers.

“My mom and dad and I all eat meat. We aren’t vegetarians.”

“But how can I eat bacon after seeing what I just saw?”

She shrugged.

“Just take it one day at a time. Maybe next time you get a pizza, you don’t eat pepperoni.”