An interesting fact I discovered while researching
twins: “For
twin pairs where schizophrenia occurs, in 50% of cases
both identical twins in a pair develop the disease, while only 10-15% of cases
in fraternal twins show this pattern. This is evidence for a strong genetic
component in susceptibility to schizophrenia. However, the fact that both
identical twins in a pair don't develop the disease 100% of the time indicates
that there are other factors involved.”
In Gemini Rising, my monozygotic twins,
Alain and Alina, are male/female, which is biologically impossible. But not in the imagination of a writer,
right? They are a bit androgynous but
the male looks more male, and the female feminine. I was asked on one blog what they looked
like. I saw them as tall, slender with
pale blonde hair and tawny gold eyes.
Gemini Rising was released in print this month by Double Dragon Publishing and is available through their website. The ebook is available at Barnes & Noble and Amazon.
Please visit my website for Vampyre Hunt, a spicy free read.
The trailer for Gemini Rising: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=08IGfFxPCWQ
Excerpt:
Alain tucked the in-flight magazine into the seat pocket and gazed
out the scratched window of the 747. Distance vanished on clouds fleeing
beneath the silver wings, carrying him from a dark-eyed beauty to a fair-haired
princess locked in an island castle. From
one life in the sun to a score of problems.
Someone was going to get hurt.
Already he hurt—a low throbbing like a toothache. If he
returned to Portugal, Alina would be devastated. His father would disown
him. If he picked up his discarded heritage, a part of him would die and
Maritza would grieve. For
a time. He wasn’t vain enough to think the black-haired beauty would
die without him.
The choice lay in his hands.
Damn life got complicated when he tried to declare independence
from The Keep. He shifted his long legs cramped beneath the airline
seat. He preferred not to think, but fragments of memory plagued the
corners of his eyes.
A vivid picture of Alina supplanted images of recent days drenched
white-hot by a Portuguese sun. His twin’s presence was more corporeal
than the woman sitting to his left. Welcome or not, Alina was there inside him, the mere thought of her a
compulsion. He sensed her anticipation mounting as the miles
melted. Excitement tingled over him. In self defense, he grasped at
a memory of riding the splendid Lusitano stallions. As he pictured
Maritza framed in an arbor of roses, his heart dived.
I like the way you made the story different. Good work, Linda!
Linda, very beautiful writing, this excerpt, and you taught me a new word.
Linda,
Perfect, as always. Like Mona, I wasn't aware of this word for twins, either.