Written by Tanja Kobasic, ‘Vanishing Twin’ grabs the reader by the throat and never lets go. With tender romance and a submissive heroine slowly coming out of her shell, the novel explores notions of faith, sisterhood and the darkness of the human heart. To prepare for writing one of the few novels featuring conjoined twins, the author truly lived the life of her characters in a compelling experiment that saw her using the bathroom, hiking and even going on a mock date with a 40lb doll strapped to her side.
Toronto, ON -- (SBWIRE) -- 09/10/2014 -- Imagine sharing everything from the waist down with one person. Imagine living day-in and day-out with a complete lack of privacy, autonomy or space.
Now imagine falling desperately in love.
Such is the plight of Scarlett Jennings, the ‘star’ of Tanja Kobasic’s brilliant and imaginative new novel, ‘Vanishing Twin’, volume one in the ‘Untapped Series’. Conjoined with her twin sister Jade, Scarlett struggles with her attraction and connection to Sebastian Cole, a mysterious and uniquely powerful magician. Aware that Jade is also fascinated by Sebastian and that her lover has demons of his own, Scarlett begins to shed her inhibitions and fears – but at what cost?
“These two sisters, each with a brain, with separate emotions and desires, must battle with the fact that they cannot escape one another, no matter how much they might try. It’s enthralling to me – the notion of being quite literally fused to another person, without even a moment to breathe on your own. How could they bear it?” asks Kobasic. “I decided to find out for myself and appreciate their hardship, feel their pain and face their struggles in reality.”
Kobasic made a doll of Jade; who weighed in at 40lbs and symbolised what could be one of literature’s most in-depth attempts for an author to see life through their protagonist’s eyes.
“The first thing I did was live my life at home with Jade strapped to me. It threw up a myriad of questions such as who wipes and who flushes? How do they take a bath when it clearly isn’t wide enough? How can they do anything requiring balance when they would always be tipping to the left? How would Jade eat when she only has one arm? It was vital for me to act all of this out,” she explains.
Continuing, “I hiked with Jade, played games of Double-Dutch and contorted ‘us’ to figure out if we’d be able to speak eye-to-eye (which I now know is impossible). In an emotive experiment I decided to act out a scene from the book where the sisters go on their first date. Getting into my friend’s car, Jade’s head smashed along the door jamb, which was a sobering reminder of how seemingly mundane tasks required constant thought and planning. In short, I did everything with this doll and the book is all the better for it.”
It is this startling realism that makes ‘Vanishing Twin’ an engrossing, exciting and unputdownable read.
Official Synopsis
Scarlett and Jade Jennings, conjoined twins fused at the pelvis, share everything from the waist down. Born to a Bulgarian teen with a drug addiction, the sisters were given up at birth to be raised in a treacherous orphanage and then adopted at the age of three by an American couple. Now motivational speakers and New York Times bestselling authors, the two make a daring move—to the glittering lights of Las Vegas. Their structured world unravels following their introduction to shadowy magician Sebastian Cole. Even after Scarlett discovers that Vegas's most sought-after illusionist is rumored to possess demonic powers and that his own mother tried to kill him, she finds herself drawn to him. But for Scarlett to be with Sebastian, Jade must be appeased. Yet self-centered Jade, unstable and increasingly aggressive, only fuels the shadows that have plagued Sebastian since his birth. Is it really love that has brought them together. Or are they only high-profile pawns in the ongoing war between good and evil?
‘Vanishing Twin’ has attracted rave reviews from early readers and publications.
“Creative in concept, the novel ably depicts the inherent difficulty of romantic love for conjoined twins. An inventive love story full of curious twists and turns,” from Kirkus Reviews.
Blue Ink Reviews wrote: “Excellently developed characters, brisk pacing, an intensely spiritual undertone, and a highly original take on the battle between Good and Evil make this a page-turner of a read…”
Reader’s Favorite had only glowing things to say about the book
“Tanja Kobasic's dark romantic fantasy is a remarkable and compelling story that is also very much a psychological thriller. I had trouble putting down Vanishing Twin as Kobasic smoothly and skillfully wraps her readers in her story line. Her characters are real and finely drawn, and the descriptions of the Nevada countryside are quite literally wonderful. Vanishing Twin is highly recommended.”
To find out more, visit: http://www.stoneseriespublishing.com
About Tanja Kobasic
Tanja Kobasic is the creator of the Golden Key: A transitional children's book, linked with one of Canada's largest confectionary companies. When Tanja isn't writing, she runs her paralegal firm and is a proud and licensed member of The Law Society of Upper Canada.