Twin Hearts, by JoAnn Durgin - FREE Book - Winner's choice

Tell us about your book.  Twin Hearts is my new contemporary Christian romance, and it releases in mid-March. The twins in the title are Rebekah and Josh Grant, and this book tells their parallel love stories. Josh is an up-and-coming mergers and acquisitions attorney in Baton Rouge, and Rebekah is an elementary school teacher in a nearby town. Although it’s the third book in The Lewis Legacy Series, it can definitely be read on its own (of course, I’d recommend reading the first two books). I give enough backstory interwoven into the events to clue the reader as to the histories of the main characters so the reader can pick up with the story and go!

Can you give us a sneak peek? Here’s the short-version synopsis of Twin Hearts:

Josh Grant is a man seeking redemption. He’s not looking for love, but finds it in a most unexpected and tender way. His twin sister, Rebekah, is torn between two very different men: a dashing, British aristocrat offering her the world, and the other a humble, faithful Louisiana lumber man. When family tragedy strikes, the twins lean on Sam and Lexa Lewis and their fellow TeamWork Missions volunteers for encouragement. Together they learn lessons in faith and family and what's most important in life as they discover it’s time to stake their claim on love, which means a road trip from Louisiana to . . . the peace to be found in seeking and finding the sweetest desires of the heart.

Here are two excerpts:

From Josh's Story (Please note I'm using "her" and "she" in place of the love interest name - part of the surprise - at least until this book releases):

He stood facing the large picture window at the front of the house, dressed in a perfectly-tailored gray suit, hands in his pockets. Even from the back, Joshua Grant was an impressive man. In the years since she’d seen him, he’d grown broader across the shoulders, and filled out his suit coat well. His thick, wavy blond hair was longer than she remembered and curled slightly at the nape of his neck. Her knees felt weak and threatened to buckle beneath her. Ridiculous. Get over it. You shared a moment with this man more than four years ago and never heard from him again. He’s here to say whatever it is, so stop swooning, hear him out and take it like a grownup.

“Hi, Josh.” Her voice was shaky, her hand even more so, and coffee sloshed around inside the pot. Then he turned around. Oh, goodness, the man was gorgeous. Since she’d last seen him, he’d transitioned from a very cute guy into a full-grown, handsome, confident businessman in his suit with a crisp, white shirt and that tie . . . well, it just wasn’t fair. The green in that silk tie was a perfect match for those unbelievable peepers. The heel of her sandal caught on the carpet, and she stumbled forward with a small cry. The modicum of grace she’d acquired from three years of ballet saved her, but she still swayed in precarious fashion, unsteady on her feet. Well, this is going well.

From Rebekah's Story:

“Thanks again for lunch, the roses, everything, Kevin. I had a great time. Feel free to surprise me at the school anytime.” Rebekah gathered the flowers and waited as he walked around to her door. Once both her feet were firmly on the ground, he released her hand. When he smiled, it wasn’t the same, but it was probably the best he could offer.

“Bye.” She forced a bright smile. “Call me later?”

Kevin nodded, but said nothing. His expression was guarded, his eyes cloudy, the emotional distance between them more than uncomfortable. She shifted from one foot to the other, uncommonly antsy as an unspoken fear wormed its way into her subconscious. Rubbing her hands up and down her bare arms, she tugged her sweater tighter about her shoulders. She waited until his eyes met hers. With one last glance, she turned to go. A few steps closer to the entrance, Rebekah paused, turning to look behind her. Kevin stood on the sidewalk, hands on his hips, watching her. Pivoting, she walked toward him—wanting to run—forcing slow, steady steps even though her feet were weighted with an invisible burden. He met her halfway, drawing her into his arms. She moved her hands around his powerful shoulders, felt the hard muscles beneath his shirt. His kiss was gentle, tentative almost. Something passed between them. What it was, she didn’t know, but it was there, strong and real.

“Please don’t go, Rebekah.” It was barely more than a whisper against her cheek. Resting one hand on the side of her face, his features drawn, Kevin’s eyes held a pervasive sadness she couldn’t understand. He dropped his hand and walked back toward his truck. She watched as he climbed in and pulled away, not waving, not looking back.

Rebekah shook her head, one hand moving to her lips. “Go where?”

What inspired this book? I felt the need to bring back Josh, in particular, and have him find his redemption. The basis of the series is based around a couple named Sam Lewis and Lexa Clarke, and their love story is the first book, Awakening. Sam works for a Christian organization called TeamWork Missions. As such, he becomes the leader and mentor of the guys in my series, and Lexa—who met Sam during a fateful San Antonio TeamWork camp—is a mentor for the young women, all of whom are volunteers for TeamWork. Josh was thrown out of the San Antonio work camp by Sam. As Twin Hearts begins, it’s almost five years later, and he’s come to Houston seeking Sam’s forgiveness. Lexa and the TeamWork volunteers rallied around my couple in the second book, Second Time Around, when they were in trouble. Same here, but more so in Josh’s storyline. Josh, in turn, helps and mentors Rebekah. The close, loving, teasing relationship they share is a beautiful thing.

What has been your most challenging experience writing a book? Twin Hearts presented a unique challenge in that it’s actually two love stories taking place at the same time. How to go back and forth between the two without frustrating the reader? I finally realized I needed to do it chronologically, and not worry about giving “equal” time to each couple. In the end, it all works out fine, and I believe I switched the stories at places in the book in the right places. Frequent phone conversations between the twins (and a shared dinner) keep the action moving forward, as well. Because of a pivotal event in the lives of the twins, the stories converge about two-thirds of the way. 

What is your favorite thing to write about, (i.e., forgiveness, rebellion, etc.)? Love is my favorite theme, of course (as opposed to “romance”). God first loved us, and the Bible is full of love stories. I personally find nothing more enthralling than a love story. Forgiveness is a big theme for me, and is a part of all my books. I like to believe my books have humor. Nothing brings me greater joy than being able to make the reader smile or laugh. There’s enough sadness in life, and my books don’t shy away from that inevitable part of life, but I also strive to bring hope and light into my stories by presenting characters and stories where people try to do the right thing but sometimes fall short in spectacular fashion. But when they fail, they keep on going.

What do you hope readers will take away from this book? I hope they’ll feel they know my characters, as if they’re real. There’s a shocking, but very sweet surprise revealed in Twin Hearts. One of the takeaways from that storyline (a predominant one) is to show that God’s people aren’t perfect. We sometimes fall prey to the same temptations and sins as others. It’s how we ultimately deal with the consequences of our sin that makes all the difference.

What is your favorite color? I adore all shades of blue. Pink has always been a favorite, but the hope and promise to be found in yellow is incomparable. Green is my next favorite, and it’s the color used on the back cover of Twin Hearts. The significance of the green? Josh and Rebekah Grant share one distinguishing feature—gorgeous emerald eyes flecked with amber.

Do you have a favorite recipe? In honor of Sam Lewis’ great affection and affinity for peaches (which comes into play in Twin Hearts), I’ll share one of the simplest, but most delicious recipes I enjoy: Take two cans of pie filling (e.g., cherry, peach, blueberry, strawberry) and spread the contents out in a 13” by 9” baking dish or pan. Sprinkle a yellow cake mix evenly over the top. Melt a couple of sticks of butter or margarine and pour on top, and try to cover all the dry areas. Bake at 350 degrees until the topping is a light golden brown. It’s delicious either hot or cold, and is a real crowd-pleaser. Top with ice cream or whipped topping. Yummy!


If you could travel back in time when and where would you go? If I want to travel back in history, I read a good historical romance. I’m quite happy and content in the here and now. There’s so much life to live, and I’m finding each new day and year brings new challenges, but also sweet joys and triumphs.

What project are you currently working on? I’m working on my first novella. I love the challenge of making each word count. I also have a stand-alone book I’d like to get published—it’s a romance with a real whopper of a mystery thread. Next up, though, is editing Book #4 in my series, Daydreams. The events take place during the holiday season. I’m so blessed to be able to do what I love and see my books in print! It’s a true joy to write them, and my most fervent prayer is they’ll bless the hearts of my readers.

Thanks for the honor and privilege of sharing with you today. Blessings, friends. Matthew 5:16

Awakening and Second Time Around are now available from Torn Veil Books in both paperback and e-book versions at all major online book retailers, including Amazon and Barnes & Noble. Twin Hearts will be available mid-March.

Short Author Bio: JoAnn Durgin is the author of the popular contemporary romantic adventures, Awakening, and its follow-up, Second Time Around, published by Torn Veil Books. Her third book in the series, Twin Hearts, releases next month. JoAnn, her husband, Jim, and their three children live in her native southern Indiana after living in TX, CA, PA and MA. She likes to say she’s “been around in the nicest sense of the word.” She’s a full-time wealth administration paralegal in a Louisville, Kentucky, law firm, and is a member of the American Christian Fiction Writers and Romance Writers of America. Her books are available at every major online book retailer such as Amazon and Barnes & Noble, both in paperback and electronic versions. Please visit her at www.joanndurgin.com or on Facebook.

Twin Hearts releases on March 15th. JoAnn has kindly offered a winners choice of either Awakening or Second Time around.

At least 10 people need to leave a comment WITH an email address for there to be a contest. OR you can email me at srstormo@yahoo.com and put "Contest - Twin Hearts" in the subject line.

Winner annouced March 11th.