Going Up South

By Janet W. Ferguson

Description:

No one told him he had a son. Actor Dylan Conner is furious. Not only has he been left out of his child’s life, the baby boy has been given another man’s last name. Determined to be a better father than the sorry guy who’d left him and his mother, Dylan fights to ensure a significant place in his son’s life. Unfortunately, his bad-boy reputation overshadows his good intentions. Only one woman in this small town sees beyond his Hollywood image. And he’s falling for her. Too bad she’s the custody mediator. After her scandalous divorce in the small town of Oxford, Mississippi, attorney Cassie Brooks has no intentions of practicing law again. The humiliating experience left a bitter taste for love, marriage, and her profession. Now friends need Cassie’s help in a custody negotiation, and her role demands she remain objective. She never expected to be drawn to Dylan Conner—the actor who everyone warns is bad news. Not only is the mediation at stake, but so is her heart.

Book Takeaway:

The book deals with forgiveness and coming to terms with emotional baggage from the past. The scripture theme comes from Isaiah 61. "He binds up the broken-hearted."

Why the author wrote this book:

This is the second book in a series called Southern Hearts. I’ve never had a character that was so much fun to write—or imagine! Dylan Conner made appearances in my first book Leaving Oxford as an actor (Think Hottest Man Alive) who had a crush on my heroine, Sarah Beth LeClair. He’d pop in wearing ridiculous disguises to visit her, from Aunt Bee to redneck hippie. He was funny and flirty, but had little interest in settling down. He thought maybe he could with Sarah Beth, but her heart was always elsewhere. When that novel ended, I just had to write his story. I had to figure out what made him tick. I also wanted to send my characters on a mission trip. From research for my first book, I wanted to continue the characters' involvement in ministery with Central America.