Don’t Drop the Baby (Dr. Brogan Corkie Matchmaking Doctor Book 1)
Genre Medical Romantic Comedy — PG
Blurb
Dr. Brogan Corkie is happily semi-retired from medicine and now has time for other hobbies. Her passion for food is only second to her skill at matchmaking!
Ross Skye, owner of BabyCare, a high-end line of baby merchandise, is injured in an accident, and Brogan uses her cooking, medical – and matchmaking – skills to help him out. Dr. Lauren Kane is taking care of her nephew for two weeks, and Brogan agrees to babysit while Lauren is at work.
Two years ago, Ross and Lauren dated. At that time, Lauren wanted kids, but Ross wasn’t keen. Now the tables have turned, and Ross is trying to convince Lauren that they’d make an awesome parenting team. Brogan suggests they test drive parenthood by looking after a simulated baby for a week – a computerized version that eats, sleeps, wets, and cries. Ross and Lauren experience the “joy” of having a newborn firsthand, and the bar is set pretty low. Their first goal is: don’t drop the baby. The second goal is to find out if their love for each other will survive the test of…parenting.
Excerpt from Don’t Drop the Baby
Her phone rang and she picked it up eagerly when she saw her daughter’s name on the call display. “Hi love, how are you?”
“On a scale of one to ten, I’d have to say ten.”
Brogan smiled. When the kids were teenagers, they’d roll their eyes when Brogan switched hats from mom to doctor and asked them to rate their pain or mood on a scale of one to ten. Later on it became a running family joke and everything from the weather to vegetables to their opinion of their sibling’s date was fair game.
“How are things with you, Mom? How’s the retirement test going?”
“Also a ten out of ten. I’ve slipped into my new career like a fish to water. I couldn’t be happier.”
“Nice. I’m sure a lot of patients are missing you, but you’ve earned the break. Are you managing to keep busy?”
“Yes. My freezer was overflowing, but I’ve got my very first customer.”
“Good gracious. Someone’s paying you to cook?”
“Mae honey, have a little faith. Some people enjoy my cooking.”
Mae laughed. “I guess the bright side is you can treat them if something goes wrong. Not many chefs can boast that.”
Brogan chuckled reluctantly. “The advantage of keeping my license up.”
“What are you catering?”
“I’m the in-house chef for a young man.”
Silence. “Excuse me?”
“Jess’s nephew was in an accident and fractured his arm and leg. I’m getting his meals and keeping an eye on him.”
“Jess’s nephew? You’re telling me that you’re living with multi-millionaire Ross Skye, CEO of BabyCare, who recently walked away from the crash of his private helicopter with a broken arm and leg?”
Brogan frowned. “Helicopter? I didn’t realize. I’d assumed it was his car. But either way, yes.” She paused. “Although I highly doubt he walked away from it.”
“He’s an experienced pilot. Apparently there was some mechanical problem, and his skill saved him. The crash was pretty spectacular. It was caught on video and plastered all over social media. He’s lucky to be alive.”
That might explain the trouble sleeping.
“He could afford the best of the best,” Mae continued. “How did you get involved?”
Brogan pursed her lips and tried to overlook the insult. “Jess asked me to drop off a few meals for his freezer, and I offered to help.”
“Just like that?”
“Just like that.”
“Does he know you’re a doctor? Has he asked you to prescribe something illegal for him? Narcotics? Benzos?”
Brogan sighed audibly. “Relax, Mae. I do know what I’m doing.”
“The fact that you’re staying at his house seems a little sketchy. A one out of ten, Mom,” Mae said with a grunt. “Does Finn know about this?”
“Something tells me he will shortly,” Brogan said wryly. “I appreciate your concern, but there’s no need for it. I’m having fun.”
“That’s what concerns me!”
Brogan laughed. “I love you, dear. Say hello to Lori for me and don’t worry.”
Mae sighed. “Love you, Mom. Be careful.”
Brogan smiled and hung up the phone. Kids – can’t live with ’em, can’t live without ’em.
Buy link Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0847SFBFV
Let’s find out about Linda and Don’t Drop the Baby
NA: How did you come up with the idea for your book/A fun fact about writing your book.
LO’C: I’m so excited to introduce a new series – Dr. Brogan Corkie, Matchmaking Doctor. I’ve been busy working on this series for the past year. I originally had the idea for this story two years ago. I’m a physician, and I work at an Urgent Care Clinic. I frequently see patients with infectious illnesses and advise them to stay home from school or work until they’re no longer contagious. Sometimes it’s difficult for working parents to find care for their sick children – often they just can’t take a day off and it’s nearly impossible to find a caregiver willing to look after a child who is ill. It also isn’t easy for someone living on their own to cope when they don’t feel well. I thought caring for the sick when they are temporarily ill would make a great job for a retired doctor, since a doctor wouldn’t be daunted by the illness. That’s how Dr. Brogan Corkie’s character was born.
Initially, I was going to have her look after the sick in their homes and then bring two people together in that context. But when I started writing, I ended up giving Brogan a hobby – she enjoys cooking and catering for people and that became her second career. She uses her cooking know-how, her medical knowledge – and her matchmaking skills – to care for other people. I “upgraded” her M.D. from Medical Doctor to Matchmaking Doctor. Brogan is the romantic catalyst – she brings couples together and then through good advice and a warm heart she weaves her magic to make love happen. And throughout the series, Brogan’s own heart gets tangled up in romance, too! Medicine – it truly is a work of heart.
NA: What sort of research did you do to write this book?
LO’C: I don’t usually do much research for my books – the medicine part is easy for me, and I write contemporary romances, so I don’t need to check history facts. I can focus on writing!
NA: What started you on the path to writing?
LO’C: I’m a physician, and I started writing because I wanted to find a fun way to disseminate medical information and to educate and empower readers to take ownership of their health. Targeting a female audience with romance novels seemed like a good idea because women are usually the ones who see a doctor. (Males typically only go when a girlfriend/partner/spouse/mom encourages them to do so. :D)
I write romantic comedies because I love being in a fun headspace when I’m writing, and I weave the best parts of medicine into my stories. Laughter is essential to great health and nothing is better than a happily-ever-after ending!
NA: What do your friends and family think about your writing?
LO’C: My family supports me in the sweetest ways – helping me promote with social media or buying thoughtful writing gifts for my birthday. The funniest thing with respect to my family was my choice of characters for the first book. I wanted the female character to deliver a baby unexpectedly, out of the hospital setting, so I knew she was going to be an obstetrician-gynecologist. I was trying to write what I know – and my husband is an ophthalmologist. I know the medical terminology related to the eye specialty and have a good sense of the job through him, so naturally, it made sense to make the male character an ophthalmologist. It wasn’t until I hosted a release party for my book that I realized how much ribbing he was getting as a result of that (and the sexy scenes in the book). Oops!
NA: Do you outline books ahead of time or are you more of a by-the-seat-of-your-pants writer?
LO’C: Before I start to write a story I have a rough idea of the beginning, middle, and the ending, but I don’t plot out the whole thing. I do make a detailed description of the characters. And I can’t start writing until I’ve nailed down the characters’ names. The male names are the hardest because I have 3 sons, and they have a lot of friends. The name can’t remind me of anyone I know.
NA: What has been one of your most rewarding experiences as an author?
LO’C: The most rewarding experience has been meeting new people – in person and online. It has been so much fun talking to other writers and readers, and I’ve been invited to a few book club meetings, which I love!
NA: What do you like to do when you’re not writing?
LO’C: I love to dance. I’ve been doing Zumba for years, and I recently started Scottish Country dancing. It is so much fun!
NA: A pet peeve
LO’C: People who take up two spots when they parallel park. I always wish I had a super strength superpower to fix them.
NA: Why did you choose the shirt you have on?
LO’C: I’m wearing a cozy sweater – because it’s cold outside and it keeps me toasty warm inside.
NA: First thought when the alarm goes off in the in the morning?
LO’C: I’m glad I set that alarm ten minutes early, so I can stay under the covers for another few minutes.
NA: What are you working on now?
LO’C: I’m editing the third book and writing the fourth book of the Dr. Brogan Corkie Matchmaking Doctor series. The fourth book will be a Christmas romantic comedy!
NA: What books will we see from you in coming months?
LO’C: I’ll be releasing Don’t Forget the Dog, Book 2, and Don’t Unravel the Past, Book 3 of the Dr. Brogan Corkie Matchmaking Doctor series in May 2020 and August 2020 respectively. And I’ll release Book 4 in November. Can’t wait!
Bio
Award-winning author Linda O’Connor started writing romantic comedies when she needed a creative outlet other than subtly rearranging the displays at a local home décor store. Her books have enjoyed bestseller status. When not writing, she’s a physician at an Urgent Care Clinic. She shares her medical knowledge in fast-paced, well-written, sexy romances – with an unexpected twist. Her favourite prescription to write? Laugh every day. Love every minute.
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No one who lives in the U.S. can be unaware of our current toxic political climate. It’s gotten to the point where people can be attacked for the hat they wear, or an argument can occur between strangers over a candidate’s plan for health care. Know what it is? It’s ridiculous, is what it is. When did we stop being a country where people could disagree without fear of fistfights? When did people stop mattering less than being “right?”
Mom and Dad usually voted for the candidate who supported the military more. My grandmother was a die-hard Democrat, a union steward in the plant where she worked, and had strong opinions she would voice anywhere about who should be running things. Contrary to most of my contemporaries who grew up during the Vietnam War, I leaned more toward my parents’ views than the revolutionaries’. Now, my mom leans more toward her mother—less conservative and more progressive. Do we battle it out during phone calls? Yes. Do we still love each other? YES! We’re family and we love each other despite any comments about the elections.
Cece Whittaker is a Christian Romance writer who lives at the southern New Jersey coast. She has created the 
How Charity Sunday works: for every comment made on this blog post, I will donate money to the charity named. The same promise is made for every blog site listed in the group–click the Linky Links link at the bottom of this post to see the list of participants and read/comment on any of them to see a donation go to that blogger’s charity. We’re all different! Thanks for your help and your participation!
To set the stage, I attended Mary Washington College of the University of Virginia (now University of Mary Washington), in Fredericksburg, Virginia. At that time, sooooo many years ago, the University of Virginia was all male. The exception were those women who had majors that had to finish in Charlottesville, like nursing majors. If you were a woman and wanted to attend UVA, you went to the girls’ branch, Mary Washington. All female, when I attended, we were just a couple of years way from having to wear a skirt or dress when leaving the dorm and being forbidden from getting into a car with a male without a chaperone.
on the hall. Her roommate had immediately christened her Caddy, based on her initials, and that’s what we all called her. She was tall and kind of willowy where I was stubby and not willowy at all. She had naturally curly auburn hair (that took forever to dry) and a fair Irish complexion. We hit it off right away, partially, I’m sure, because she didn’t go home very often and neither did I. She had (still has) a wickedly sharp sense of humor, an amazing intellect, and one of the kindest hearts I’ve ever known. She’s very loyal to her friends but she’s not a pushover. She loves her family fiercely, and she’s a damn hard worker.
I really don’t know any writing programs, so I suspect I don’t use them. Or maybe this means writing tips and suggestions? Those I use—on and off.
nothing works for me except what I use—which is nothing like a plotting program! Sometimes I start a book with only a kernel of an idea, and that’s kind of too little to use in a plotting program.