A beloved daughter. A devastating choice.
And now there’s no going back.

Four years ago, nineteen-year-old Travis Brown had to make a life changing decision. While his friends were out partying and meeting girls, Travis was at home raising his newborn daughter on his own – changing diapers and working to keep food on the table.  But he’s never regretted his decision. Bella is the light of his life – the reason behind every move he makes – and so far, she is fed.  Cared for.  Safe.

But when Travis loses his construction job and his home, the security he’s worked so hard to create for Bella begins to crumble…

Bestselling author of The Secret Life of CeeCee Wilkes, The Midwife’s Confession, and The Lies We Told, Diane Chamberlain, returns with her latest and most gripping novel to date, THE GOOD FATHER (Harlequin MIRA; April 24, 2012; $14.95 U.S./$17.95 CAN.), showing the great lengths a father will go to provide for his little girl.

Just when Travis is at a loss for solutions, a job in Raleigh opens up with the power to change their situation.  It has to.  But upon arriving in Raleigh, there is no job, only an offer to participate in a onetime criminal act that promises quick money and no repercussions.

With nowhere else to turn, Travis must make another choice for his daughter’s sake.  Even if it means he might lose her.

Excerpt from THE GOOD FATHER:

“These are for you.” I held the flowers toward her and wished I’d thought to tie them together with something, but with what? “Bella picked them for you this morning.”

Q&A:

1. Describe your latest book in 15 words or fewer.

When a single father loses his job, he takes desperate measures to provide for his daughter.

2. What inspired you to write THE GOOD FATHER?

I write in a coffee shop each morning, and one day a young man and little girl walked in, looking very out of place there on a weekday morning. The girl was about three years old and simply precious, but my novelist’s mind went to work right away. Why were they together? Was he her father? A kidnaper? What if he asked me to watch her for a few minutes and then disappeared? The idea for The Good Father was born.

3. Where do you do most of your writing?

In the mornings, I write in a coffee shop surrounded by chatter and music I barely notice. In the afternoons, I write at home where I need complete quiet except for the music of a dramatic movie soundtrack. But my favorite writing spot is at my little beach condo, where I can watch the sea and the gulls and dolphins as I’m thinking through my next sentence.

4. Are any characters in the book based on people you know or have met in your personal life?
I am careful never to base any characters on real people. I learned early that doing so limits what I can make those characters do. When I was writing my first novel, my protagonist not only looked like me but she was a hospital social worker like me as well. I soon discovered I couldn’t make her do anything I wouldn’t do, which made for a boring story. I turned her into someone as unlike myself as possible (an athlete!) and she immediately came to life.

Diane Chamberlain is the best-selling author of 20 novels. Her books, frequently set in the southeastern United States, are complex stories about love, compassion and forgiveness with a touch of mystery and suspense.
Diane was born and raised in Plainfield, New Jersey, and attended Glassboro State University. She also lived for many years in both San Diego and northern Virginia. Diane received her master’s degree in clinical social work from San Diego State University. Prior to her writing career, she was a hospital social worker and a psychotherapist in private practice, working primarily with adolescents. Diane’s background in psychology and her work in hospitals have given her a keen interest in understanding the way people tick, as well as the background necessary to create real, living, breathing characters. More than a decade ago, Diane was diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis, which changed the way she works: She sometimes types using voice recognition software. She feels fortunate that her arthritis is not more severe and that she is able to enjoy everyday activities as well as keep up with a busy work and travel schedule. Diane has three married stepdaughters, three grandchildren, and two shelties. She lives with photographer John Pagliuca in North Carolina where she’s at work on her 21th novel.

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Paperback Dolls is made up of women from different parts of the world, with different backgrounds, different tastes and beliefs that were brought together through a love of reading. We like to think of ourselves as a cyber version of "The View" that focuses on books, authors, and reading. We are proof positive that one common love can unite the most opposite of people and form lasting friendships that introduce other ways of life and perspectives to each other.

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