Romantic Comedy with Kerry Blaisdell

I'm happy to be able to share with you an interview I did with Kerry Blaisdell. She is the bestselling and award-winning author of the acclaimed Dead Series, including DEBRIEFING THE DEAD and its sequels, which InD’tale Magazine recommends for “fans of shows like ‘Constantine’ or ‘Supernatural.’” She also writes award-winning Romantic Suspense (PUBLISH OR PERISH, a Publishers Weekly BookLife Prize Quarterfinalist) and Historical Mystery. She has a B.A. from U.C. Berkeley in Comparative Literature (French/Medieval English), and a Master’s in Teaching English and Advanced Mathematics from University of Portland. Kerry lives in the gorgeous Pacific Northwest with her family, assorted animals, and more hot pepper plants than anyone could reasonably consume.

Paty:  Why do you write Romantic Comedy?

Kerry:  I write what I'd like to read, and my characters drive the story. I can't help it if what they do/say/think turns out to be funny.  :)  No, seriously, I think if I *tried* to be funny, it wouldn't work. So instead, I let my characters keep making mistakes over and over again, digging themselves deeper and deeper into a hole, and let their reactions and responses "settle" however they may. Comedy is largely interpreted by the reader (or viewer, in the case of TV and movies). To my characters, it's just their reality, and how they try to deal with it. And along with the "light," there's also some dark in my books. I really believe comedy and tragedy go hand-in-hand, and while my stories aren't tragic, there's always deep emotions mixed in with the lighter scenes.

Paty:  I agree books do need a little bit of both tragedy and humor. How did you come up with the main characters in The Princess Shoppe?

Kerry:  I have no idea. LOL! Again, my stories are character-driven. I had the germ of an idea ("What if there was a failing theme park in the middle of the desert, based on the super-dark Grimm's versions of the fairytales Disney co-opted?"), and then suddenly Allie was kicking her way out of a bathroom stall in the men's room, only to find Matt using the urinal across from her. They took it from there. I did consciously do a bit of "opposites attract"-ing, though: Matt is very buttoned-down, and Allie's a chaotic mess. But honestly, I don't do detailed character sheets or bios in advance. I let all that come out in the story organically.

Paty:  I think organic writing, when the writer is also surprised by what the characters do or say, makes the best scenes.  The female protagonist in the book has to overcome a lot. How do you come up with the obstacles you write into the stories that keep the conflict going for your characters?

Kerry:  For me, it really boils down to the characters themselves. I honestly start writing, and as they show me who they are, I start to notice their behavior patterns, and how they stop themselves from achieving their goals, based on the lessons they learned growing up. So for Allie, her entire focus is on getting a house and settling in one location ("putting down roots"), because her dad dragged her all over the country while she was growing up. This makes no sense to Matt, who has lived in the same area his entire life - he doesn't get why it's such a big deal to her. In fact, he has family coming out his ears and would give anything to NOT have so many connections and obligations. Then, for each of them, those little nuggets of who they are become the obstacles of the story: Allie has to take the undercover PI job at the theme park or she'll lose the house she put an offer on; Matt feels obligated to stay on as security expert for the park, because he owes his life to the owner. But what he really wants is to start his own architecture firm. Then, as more princesses disappear, and more stuff comes out about each of their backgrounds/life stories, everything just gets more complicated. Sorry - I'm rambling.  :)  But basically, the obstacles just keep popping up, because of WHO the characters are.

Paty:  I get that. The best stories for me are character-driven.  How did the plot idea for this book come to you?

Kerry:  I have a "quirky" sense of humor. I love anything that is completely absurd or ironic or both. Big Monty Python fan, if you couldn't guess. Also the Pink Panther movies, etc - basically anything where there's maybe one relatively "sane" person, surrounded by totally insane people who have NO idea they are insane - they're just living their best lives. So, on a trip to Disneyland with our, then young children, I suddenly thought about the terrible, awful "fairytales" told to the Grimms by the poor German peasants a few hundred years ago. All the blood and death and awfulness. And I thought, hmm, what if THAT was the basis for a theme park? And then I thought, what if it was out in the desert in the middle of nowhere, and yet someone somehow thought it would be a success? After that, the disappearing princesses and the PI tasked to go undercover and find them was icing on the "plot cake."

Paty:  I love how your mind thinks!  What type of romantic trope did you use for this book?

Kerry: "Enemies to lovers," although Matt and Allie aren't really enemies. They don't like each other much at the start, but they aren't trying to destroy each other. Also, "forced proximity/road trip," and a bit of "Cinderella" (the Disney version, not the Grimm's one  ;)) in Allie being forced to dress like a princess when her regular MO is jeans, t-shirt, and sneakers. Plus, I always have multiple subplots going, so there's a secondary romance where the couple are in an arranged engagement situation. I love that trope - no idea why, but I do!  :)  And then there's a bunch of "love stories" that are about parental love and finding friendships, too, rather than romance.

Paty:  The book is full of tropes!  Who are some of the authors you read who write this subgenre of romance?

Kerry:  Hoo-boy - I hate this question. LOL! I know I'll think of a dozen other authors as soon as I hit send, but off the top of my head, Julie Ann Long is great. Jennifer Crusie was a huge inspiration when I first started seriously pursuing publication. Also Janet Evanovich - the Stephanie Plum's are hilarious, although not really romance. But I'm writing romantic comedy mystery/suspense, so it counts.  ;)  There are many-many other authors out there who I admire, and who I believe write funny, touching, emotional books. I don't know that they are classified as "romantic comedy," though.

Paty:  Just for fun – Tell us what is your favorite thing to do besides writing and reading, because we know that’s a given. 

Kerry: This is a hard one, too. Mainly, I exercise. LOL! No, really: I love walking my dogs, lifting weights, and getting on the elliptical for an hour three times a week. I enjoy being outside whenever the weather cooperates. I live in the Pacific Northwest, so winters can be cold and rainy, and anymore, summers can be unbearably hot. But whenever there's a sweet spot, I sit out on my deck, enjoying my garden while I write and perform the important job of being a lap for my Chorkie. I also like to knit, play the piano (just for fun), and cook when I have time. Oh - and spend time with family. LOL! Mr. Author and I have kidults (mid-20s), so they mostly have their own lives now. But I love seeing them whenever we can all get together!

The Princess Shoppe

Once upon a time in La-La-Land: When theme park princesses start vanishing, a free-spirited P.I. goes undercover and finds her prince—a cautious ex-military spy who'd rather be left alone.

Fired from her job, Allie Kincade has a house in escrow, an eviction notice from her landlord, and nothing in the bank. So when she’s offered an insanely large paycheck to dress up as a princess and find three women who’ve gone missing from their jobs as costume characters at GrimmLand, she jumps at the chance. But the park isn’t all it seems: Deep in the SoCal desert, it’s owned by the king of an obscure European country, and the attractions are based on the Grimm brothers’ goriest folktales. Plus, Allie’s new boss clearly wishes she’d never been hired.

As head of GrimmLand security, buttoned-down Matt Wilcox is convinced the princesses—all out-of-work actresses—simply found better gigs and "forgot" to quit. But he owes his life to King Roland, and he can’t retire and pursue his own dreams until the women are found. Then the king’s adult daughter—a real princess—also goes missing, and Matt must work with Allie to uncover the truth. Will their fairy-tale ending be a happy one…or more Grimm?

You can see links to purchase the book here: http://linktr.ee/kerryblaisdellbooks

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