Siblings

 by Sharon Dunn

In my book that releases on September 30, Double Protection Duty, siblings who are identical twins are a big part of the story. Austin and Beacon are three-year-olds with dark hair and blue eyes. I remember a twin telling me that she really hated when people assumed that because she and her sister looked alike, they must also have the same talents and preferences. For this reason, I wanted to make sure that Austin and Beacon had distinct personalities. Austin is talkative often speaking for his brother. He is more physical. He prefers to play with cars and building blocks and makes mechanical noises when he plays. Beacon is quieter. If given a choice, he loves to do art and look at picture books. Even if you are not a twin, I think everyone desires to distinguish themselves from their siblings. 

I grew up in a family with four sisters and a brother. I am the middle child. The blessing of a big family is that you could always find someone who was up for playing. On the flip side, there was always someone you could pick a fight with. Even though I grew up isolated in the country, I think having so many siblings helped me have decent social and survival skills. My sisters and I played all kinds of imaginative games that I think nurtured my creativity as a writer.  When I was a young adults trying to establish myself in a career and marriage and taking care of growing children, I didn't get together often with my siblings. Now that I am older, I find myself wanting to be with them more. It's come full circle. 

How about you? Are you a twin or maybe you have siblings or friends who are twins? How did growing up with siblings shape you as a person? Maybe you were an only child. How did that affect you? Did you have a best friend who was like a sibling?

Leave a comment along with your email address. I will be giving five copies of Double Protection Duty away (USA only).  If you want to learn more about me and my books and sign up for my newsletter where I do more giveaways, you can go to my website at www.sharondunnbooks.net.