The Forgotten One
The Heirs Book 2
Catherine Bybee
Montlake Pub
Nov 12th, 2024
The Forgotten One by Catherine Bybee once again proves how she can make readers laugh yet also pull at their heart strings.
This plot has a rags to overnight riches story. Yesterday Max was an ordinary workingman, concerned with little more than the price of gas. Now he suddenly has a family, jaw-dropping wealth, and an avid (if clumsy) reporter on his trail. With the press threatening to destroy his new life, he needs to release his real story strategically, and tabloid journalist Sarah is the key. As Max and Sarah team up to peel back the ugly layers of Max’s past, they stumble heart-first into their fiery attraction. But after their research threatens their newly built trust, their future is threatened. A little bit of a cliffhanger where readers can’t wait for book three to see where this romance is going.
Elise Cooper: Idea for the story?
Catherine Bybee: I wanted to do a Cinderella story with the man, not the woman. Also, in the forward of the book I wrote how I was in foster care as a child for a while. I wanted to bring things to light about the foster care system and what happens to these children who have no parents. The system fails then it helps.
EC: How would you describe Max?
CB: Max is the reality of how someone could survive in the foster care system. He is a survivor but not thriving. He is jaded, emotionally unavailable, needs to learn to trust, needs to learn to love both romantically and platonically. He searches for closure because there are no ties to his past. Max is bitter and arrogant, his coping mechanism. He is strong willed, self-assured, and protective.
EC: How would you describe Sarah?
CB: She is a Lois Lane type, only she wears the glasses, not Clark Kent. She needs to learn to take risks, and to know her own value and worth. I think she is a different kind of heroine that I usually write about with the fire behind her and is unsure of herself. She has two parents that love her and support her. As with my other heroines Sarah does not have a past that makes her stronger. She does not have baggage and is down to earth.
EC: What is the relationship between the siblings?
CB: Each of the three are so completely different. All three siblings have in common the disenchantment and hate of their biological father. Hate binds just as good as love binds. They have past aggressions. Max’s siblings push him. Alexandria chases her father’s love, takes no guff, leaves no prisoners, and is driven. Chase is comfortable in his own skin. Once Max realizes what it truly means to have someone to care for, they become very close. They are all loyal to each other and have togetherness.
EC: What is Max and Sarah’s relationship like?
CB: The romance moved quickly, and they realized they are right for each other. He has an emotional wall and is wary of people. Max teaches her to stand up for herself. He did not need a strong heroine. Having her in his life helped him to withstand the new reality. She keeps him grounded. They were intrigued with each other without drama.
EC: What did you want to say about tabloids?
CB: They have no regard for someone’s privacy and the emphasis is to sell papers, not the truth. They have no regard for someone grieving. Max chastises this system.
EC: You also highlight the foster care system?
CB: There is a large amount of tormenting and bullying. I talk a little about what I saw as an ER nurse.
EC: You always have great quotes, and, in this book, it is about the title, “MS”-please explain
CB: You mean this quote, “The expectation for a woman to change how she is addressed because of her marital status is not only sexist, but also archaic and outdated.” There is a very big distinction as what Miss means, Mrs. means, and Ms. means. We do not know if a man is married with just the reference Mr. I am divorced and will tell people when they refer to me as Mrs. that it cost me a lot of money to remove the “r.” People make assumptions with these titles.
EC: Next book?
CB: In book three I give Max and Sarah the ring and the promise. I do not think there would be a fourth book because there is not a character to put in a romance. The third book is Alex’s story with a strong hero. This will be the story of how Alex gets over her past. The title is No More Yesterday’s, coming out in May or June.
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