LET’S
WELCOME
T.C. RYBICKI
AUTHOR OF:
Rad-Reader: What was it that made you say I have to write this story?
TC: It doesn’t take much to spark a new idea with me, so as soon as I thought I needed a single dad book, I started Harmony.
Rad-Reader: Where did the idea for this story come from?
TC: I had just published my first book and had a few ideas brewing. But when I brainstormed with my betas, they all agreed, start the single dad one and we’ll see what we think.
Rad-Reader: Can you give us the backstory on Lulu and Wyatt that the blurb/synopsis doesn’t give us?
TC: Wyatt is definitely a man with honor. He served in the military and thought he was doing the right thing marrying Rena when she got pregnant the first time. He was headstrong about making his family work since his parents had been a bad example. He clearly didn’t want to fail his children, even when things didn’t work out with their mother.
Lulu was devoted to her family, a bit of a daddy’s girl, and sometimes at odds with her mother like so many young women declaring their independence. Her creative spirit made her seem reckless in some respects, but she was a natural nurturer and had been a responsible, caring daughter her whole life. In the beginning, that meant she ended up with deadbeat boyfriends. Eventually, her caring nature made her an asset to Wyatt and his kids.
Rad-Reader: Do you use a storyboard to help keep your story fresh in your head as well as the characters?
TC: I have experimented with different methods. Pinterest boards are the easiest for me for character inspirations, locations, and sometimes clothing and styles located in my books. I have recently taken up journaling, so I added an author journal to keep my different ideas in one spot.
Rad-Reader: How old is Wyatt? How old was Rena, Wyatt’s ex? So, She has only been gone seven months, right?
TC: Wyatt started off 24 in this story and Rena was close in age. She left soon after the twins were born, so seven months when Wyatt met Lulu.
Rad-Reader: If she never wanted to get pregnant and okay I can see the first time with Mabel but how did it happen again?
TC: Well, things happen with married people. I truly believe Rena loved Wyatt even though it wasn’t always the right way. They’d been growing apart since Mabel, but she was trying to hold onto her marriage and that’s how the twins came to be.
Rad-Reader: What kind of business is Wyatt in and is Wyatt part owner since he wanted to have his own business?
TC: Wyatt is an executive in sales and marketing for a large company that sells high-quality athletic wear. He has a great work ethic, so he quickly moved into a position of trust which allowed him to work from home and be with his children.
Rad-Reader: Does his sister have kids? Because why would she entrust the kids to this babysitter? Really, twins which are seven-months-old?!
TC: Yes, Devin has two older boys, so she knew the babysitter. It was the first time she couldn’t watch her niece and nephews, so she convinced Wyatt it would be fine. He agreed, knowing the twins should be sleeping most of the time he was out.
Rad-Reader: Lulu is fighting with the hose when they meet. Wyatt finds her attractive but more than anything Mabel likes her. Why do you think she likes her so much?
TC: Kids have an amazing internal radar and often times develop a strong like or dislike for someone new to them. Having worked around children and coming from a bigger family, Lulu instantly knew a few methods of connecting with a child. She brought herself to Mabel’s level and showed interest in what the little girl had to say. I also think Mabel had been longing for a mother figure even though she didn’t understand all the emotions involved from losing her mother.
Rad-Reader: Lulu had no money yet when offered the job working for Wyatt she thought about moving. Why? Seemed like a no-brainer.
TC: Lulu had concluded she rarely made the right choices around men. She’d just experienced abandonment from her boyfriend and had the creepy encounters with the new roommate. Here was a man she didn’t know making her an offer that was almost too good to be true. She was at a crossroads because she’d sworn her independence from her parents, but didn’t want to act rash or impulsive.
Rad-Reader: Okay, if dad is FBI how did she end up dating the flake that left her with Munch? Yet, her dad’s doing a background check on Wyatt?
TC: Lulu’s ex-was a hometown boy. Who is to say Agent Dunn never investigated Kyler’s background and it wasn’t mentioned? But I think it’s safe to assume he already knew all there was to know about the guy if Lulu had him around her family. This new man, Wyatt, that hired Lulu was a stranger to his daughter and their entire family. A good father with resources did what he thought he should do for peace of mind.
Rad-Reader: If her parents are so worried why haven’t they come to check on her?
TC: The storyline moved quickly and once her parents realized Lulu was in a good situation, they relaxed. She was an adult, so they were allowing her to prove her independence. Her mother ran a daycare and getting away from a job like that isn’t always easy.
Rad-Reader: Why is Wyatt willing to mess up a good thing by being jealous of her ex? She needs to figure it out or she will leave, right?
TC: Jealousy is a reactionary emotion. Most people don’t have control over their emotions enough to think them through rationally. And things were still new with Wyatt and Lulu at that time so there will be misunderstandings and things to learn about each other.
Rad-Reader: Why is she afraid to hear “I Love You?”
TC: Lulu was much more afraid to say it than hear “I love you” and to her, once it was out in the open, expectations would follow. She’d made mistakes in the past with men that said they loved her. She knew the words meant more than ever with Wyatt, so it was important they wait to speak that powerful statement.
Rad-Reader: Mabel is a hoot do you know a little one like her?
TC: Yes, my youngest is quite precocious. He makes amazingly frank observations about life without coaching from the adults. So anytime, I questioned my muse when writing Mabel, I reminded myself, yes, there are kids like this. I have one! Ha-ha.
Rad-Reader: Mine is now 17. LOL! She was born a grown-up. Never wanted to be a baby wanted to be where the adults were. She would always seem to add to the discussion this one time she didn't and we looked at her. She very seriously looks at all of us her shoulders raise and says, "I got nothing." We all just roar with laughter, she was all of four. But from her, it was a miracle.
Rad-Reader: After being sick Wyatt had good news from his lawyers. But after thinking about it Lulu said she made a decision she thought would work how do you think Ren will take it?
TC: I think once Rena re-entered the picture and made her intentions clear, Lulu and Wyatt didn’t care one bit about her feelings. She was completely unreasonable given her track record.
Rad-Reader: Family vacation. Is that a good thing at this time or not?
TC: The family trip was important to both Wyatt and Lulu. Even though they were a new couple, Lulu entered this relationship with her eyes wide open. She knew full well life with Wyatt included his children.
Rad-Reader: Court takes a turn then hell breaks loose. What makes Ren so mean to put her kids through this?
TC: Rena’s motives could only be classified as selfish even if she loved her children, she came back for her own reasons. She also had a pile of Daddy issues and resentment that Wyatt could handle the pressures of parenting, work, and life when she could not.
Rad-Reader: If your book was made into a movie who would you want to play…?
Lulu: Katy Perry (younger)
Wyatt: Christopher Mason
Rena: Emma Stone
Mabel: Meline Wayne
Devin: Susie Abromeit
Bonnie: Eloise Mumford
Trent: Anthony Konechny
Mark: Diogo Morgado
TC:
Lulu: Young Katy Perry is an interesting choice. I could never pinpoint one person for Lulu.
https://www.pinterest.com/pin/167688786103827636/
https://www.pinterest.com/pin/167688786103827636/
Wyatt: Christopher Mason was always my Wyatt muse.
https://www.pinterest.com/pin/98586679322921663/
Rad-Reader: When I was reading the book that is who I saw the whole time. Too funny!
Rena: Natalie Dormer
https://www.pinterest.com/pin/380343131010372208/
https://www.pinterest.com/pin/98586679322921663/
Rad-Reader: When I was reading the book that is who I saw the whole time. Too funny!
Rena: Natalie Dormer
Rad-Reader: What song or songs best describes the couple or the book as a whole?
“Lonely Call – Rae Lynn”
Lulu’s boyfriend ran out on her leaving for Nashville to check out the lay of the land he said. Leaving her with a roommate that looked like he belonged in prison. She needed a shower but with Munch around not possible. Her soon to be ex only called when he wants to get laid.
“Good Girl – Dustin Lynch”
When Wyatt saw Lulu losing the fight with the water hose across the street he didn’t know what to think. But when she talked to his kids on their level she had him. She won his heart when she got Mabel to laugh and she says she likes her.
“Bring Yourself to Me – Morgan James”
Wanting to be a singer Lulu would be down in the basement practicing her singing. This would be a song I could see her singing because she was falling for Wyatt hard. But she couldn’t let him know.
“Prayed for You – Matt Stell”
Wyatt was a young single father with a daughter of five-years-old and twin boys that were seven-months-old. He needed help he was drowning. Working from home doing multimillion-dollar deals wasn’t helping. When all of a sudden Lulu came into their lives.
TC: I listened to so much Carrie Underwood writing this novel.
“Inside Your Heaven” was their family song for a reason.
Rad-Reader: What was your favorite thing to do as a kid? Do you remember anything from when you were Mabel’s age?
TC: I grew up in a small town. We had property, so I rode dangerous 3-wheelers, did backflips on the trampoline, and swam as much as possible without sunscreen. LOL!
Rad-Reader: Do you have any children? If so, how old are they?
TC: I have many children, age ranges from adult to my precocious 8-year-old.
Rad-Reader: What kind of things do you like to do with your free time?
TC: Seriously, if I have free time, I write. I also like to cook, lift weights, hang out with my kids, enjoy date nights with my husband of almost thirty years, and I also waste too much time scrolling my Instagram accounts.
Rad-Reader: What kind of food do you like to pig out to while watching a movie at home? What kind of movie genre would it be?
TC: French fries used to be my favorite, but I’m changing my eating habits, so there is actually no more pigging out on anything, but I love Mexican food.
Rad-Reader: What is your next project and when is it coming out?
TC: I released two books this summer, so I’m taking a publishing break. Normally, when I finish a project, something else is calling (or screaming) at me to finish. It didn’t happen this time, so I’m waiting for the right muse. I have at minimum seven novels with a good start that are ready to be picked up any given day.
Rad-Reader: Where can our readers buy your books? Links
TC: My books are all exclusive to Amazon since they’re enrolled with Kindle Unlimited.
Rad-Reader: Where can our readers find you on the Web? Links
TC:
TC,
We would like to thank you for being with you. It was a pleasure reading your book. I got such a kick reading about this blended family being that is what we have. It is not easy no matter what you do nothing goes right and nobody is ever happy at the same time but you do the best you can with what you have to work with.
Like Lulu, you make the love spread as well as the music and the humor. I just loved your Mabel she was a hoot. Once again thanks for the fun read. Come by when your next book drops so that we can feature it on our Shout-Out: An Author's Place page. You are now a 1 Rad-Reader Misfit and we are glad to have you.
Char
We would like to thank you for being with you. It was a pleasure reading your book. I got such a kick reading about this blended family being that is what we have. It is not easy no matter what you do nothing goes right and nobody is ever happy at the same time but you do the best you can with what you have to work with.
Like Lulu, you make the love spread as well as the music and the humor. I just loved your Mabel she was a hoot. Once again thanks for the fun read. Come by when your next book drops so that we can feature it on our Shout-Out: An Author's Place page. You are now a 1 Rad-Reader Misfit and we are glad to have you.
Char
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