We caught up with Julie Danvers and Tina Beckett to find out more about their new Medical duet, The Island Clinic.

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What was your favorite part about writing the Island Clinic Series?

JD (Julie Danvers): I loved that my part of it involved writing about a single mother. The heroine of my story, Willow, is raising a child on her own in the Caribbean. My own mother was single for a while, so I loved being able to take this imaginative angle on single motherhood while drawing from some real emotion.

TB (Tina Beckett): I couldn’t resist the setting. A tropical paradise complete with hammocks for…um, snuggling? Sign me up! I truly loved our make believe island and the history my hero and heroine had with it.

What do you like best about your hero? Your heroine?

JD: For Willow, I love that even though life has been challenging, she hasn’t lost her adventurous spirit. She’s got a daughter to raise, but she’s going to do it on her own terms, even if others might see it as unconventional. And Theo, as a cancer survivor, has had to show some mental and physical toughness to get through his recovery, but his illness has left him aware of just how vulnerable he is. Both of them have faced difficult circumstances, but haven’t lost sight of what they really want out of life.

TB: Nate suffered a terrible loss on the island. One that has haunted him and made him come back to open a specialized clinic there. His dedication to saving people made me ooey gooey inside. Sasha adopted a steely exterior in order to hide a secret fear of betrayal. Watching her overcome that was tough, but oh so rewarding in the end.

What’s keeping your hero and heroine apart?

JD: I think a lot of it comes down to pride. Willow’s been a single mother for three years; she doesn’t want someone coming in and disrupting the quiet life she’s built for herself and her daughter – even though a part of her welcomes that disruption! And Theo wants to jump in and be the rescuer, without realizing he’s the one who needs to be rescued.

TB: For my characters, it is fear. Nate has a crippling fear of loss, a fear of not being able to save someone. For Sasha, who experienced a romance-gone-bad at Harvard that left her cynical to the max, she is afraid of putting her trust in a romantic partner.

Part of the appeal for the Island Clinic’s celebrity clientele is that the clinic’s location is very remote, which increases the privacy for patients. But that also means the staff has to live far away from family and friends. Would you ever consider moving to an island in the Caribbean for a job?

JD: If I were in Willow’s situation, yes, absolutely. Part of the fun of writing this book was that there was that wish-fulfillment aspect to it. I would make the same choice as Willow in a heartbeat. But I have a partner who is very adamant that we live close to the strong network of friends and family that we are so fortunate to have, so I am not about to run off to the Caribbean anytime soon.

TB: Having grown up in a military family who pulled up stakes and moved regularly, change was a normal part of my childhood. As an adult, I have lived in countries other than my own (thanks to a husband who loves to travel) so, for me, that’s an easy answer. Yes, yes and yes! But for now, I have two hammocks in my backyard, where I can sip tropical beverages and dream of warm sandy beaches.

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The duet features the two books, Caribbean Paradise, Miracle Family by Julie Danvers and How to Win the Surgeon’s Heart by Tina Beckett.

Out 24th June. Pre order now!

By Lauren Gardiner