The Art of Writing Humor by Kristin Wallace

Since our focus is on humor, I thought it would be fun to focus on romance authors who excel at writing humor. I always include humor in my books as I find it impossible to have 300 pages of nothing but angst. For me, writing humor comes naturally, but it can be hard. It can also be underappreciated, just like comedic movies (or actors) don't get the kind of respect that dramatic movies enjoy. Robin Williams was a genius at his craft, but it wasn't until he did a few dramatic roles that he got the respect he deserved, including an Academy Award. 

Here are some of my favorite romance authors, who also happen to write humor.

Susan Elizabeth Phillips (the Queen in this category) - Her funniest books include Breathing Room, Ain't She Sweet, Natural Born Charmer, and Call Me Irresistible. 

Kristan Higgins - She manages to make you laugh and cry, sometimes on the same page. Her funniest books include: The Best Man, To Good to Be True, and Just One of the Guys.

Lucy Score - This is a newer author to me and she is hilarious. Her funniest books include: Rock Bottom Girl, The Worst Best Man, and The Dead Guy Next Door.

Julia Quinn - Historial authors can be funny, too. I was a fan of Julia's long before the Bridgerton series arrived on Netflix. Her funniest books include: Ten Things I Love About You and Just Like Heaven.

Jennifer Crusie - She hasn't written much lately, but her earlier books are hilarious: Funniest books include: Bet Me, Faking It, and Welcome to Temptation. 

Christina Lauren - Another new author (though it's actually two authors writing together). Funniest books include: The Unhoneymooners, The Honey Don't List, and In a Holidaze. 

Do you have favorite comedic authors? They don't have to be romance authors!

Kristin Wallace is a USA Today Bestselling author of inspirational and sweet contemporary romance filled with Love, Laughter, and a Leap of Faith. She has three best-selling series: Covington Falls Chronicles, Shellwater Key Tales, and Palm Cove Tales. Look for CHRISTMAS CHARADE, a brand-new Covington Falls Chronicles book as part of the Holiday Fake-Out box set. 

Christmas Charade - Covington Falls Chronicles

The story revolves around Magnolia (Maggie) Lewis. She left Covington Falls over a family rift and the desire to follow her dream as an artist and sculptor. Now, she has to return for her cousin's Christmas wedding. She can't go back alone, however, because everyone thinks she has a boyfriend. (It was just a tiny lie.) A non-boyfriend who has no idea he's about to get dragged into her family drama. 

Convincing Liam Sullivan to be her fake date to the wedding is only the first challenge. She needs to make sure she doesn't fall in love with him for real.

   

 

AMAZON  /  ITUNES  /  BARNES & NOBLE   /  KOBO 

(Google Play coming soon!)

Making ‘Em Laugh by Julie Cameron

If you ask me what my favorite book is, I will most likely fall into a trance and tell you that you are asking the impossible of me. Hopefully, however, this will spark a conversation about all the great books we’ve both read, and perhaps we’ll each pick up a few new titles to add to our “To Be Read” list.

JULIE CAMERON

I do, sort of, maybe, kind of, possibly have a favorite sub-genre of Romance though, and that would be the Romantic Comedy. I don’t necessarily mean the and-craziness-ensues-type of comedy where the characters find themselves in mad-cap adventures, although if sufficiently entertaining, I enjoy that, too. What I really love is the witty banter, especially between the love interests. If they can verbally spar with each other and make me laugh, I’m hooked.

But humor is not an easy thing to pull off, especially in the written word. A stand-up comedian will get instant feedback as to whether their humor is being well-received and can adjust on the spot if it is not. As a writer, it is more difficult to know how your wit is coming across, and that can be stressful.

At a table reading for my Christmas Spirit screenplay I was surprised (and thrilled) every time they laughed in all the right places. But it was an anxious time waiting and wondering if it would flop. Because of this experience, I believe I am more sympathetic (even empathetic) as a Content Editor when it comes to my comedy writing clients. I have a healthy respect for any writer who can create it subtly and with panache. 

Not everyone can pull humor off though, so if this isn’t something that comes naturally to you, don’t push it or it will most likely come out flat. 

?????????????????

Like anything else in learning something new, practice, practice, practice. If you want to add more humor to your writing, read the masters. There are many gifted Romantic-Comedy writers out there, so read different types and see what resonates the most with you, then write in your own style and voice (please notice that I did not just tell you to write what they write – that would be plagiarism).

If you want to see how it is done, here are a few examples: Susan Elizabeth Phillips, Nobody’s Baby But Mine with its sharp, quick-witted banter especially between the heroine and hero; Kristan Higgins, Now That You Mention It, which blends wonderful dialogue and funny antics (oh, lordy, the scene with the bird!); and Darynda Jones’ Charley Davidson series has all of the above in abundance.

And in case you’re wondering, no, I am not saying that these are my favorite books. They are certainly among them though!

BIO:  Julie Cameron is an author of award-winning novels with diverse experience in content editing, consulting, writing, blogging, screenwriting, and self-publishing. She is a flexible and adaptable mentor and coach working with both published and non-published authors through Landon Literary.

(720) 557-7355

https://landonliterary.com/

Humor isn't always funny

Hi, I’m Judith Ashley, author of The Sacred Women’s Circle series, soul nourishing romantic women’s fiction that honors pagan spiritual practices. My stories show you what life could be like if you had a place like The Circle where you are unconditionally accepted, supported and loved. And where, with this support, you do overcome obstacles and find your happily-ever-after.

Romancing The Genres’s January 2020 topic is about humor. We’ve challenged ourselves to tell a funny story about family, friends or perhaps a funny scene in a book we’ve written or read. And, as you follow the Genre-istas through this month as well as check in on our Romantic Comedy Author guests each weekend, I’m sure you’ll be entertained to the point of at least chuckles if not outright laughter.

I was raised in a family with an excellent sense of humor. Memories of people laughing so hard tears coursed down their cheeks are many. So I start this post from the position of laughter being a good thing, agreeing with the saying “Laughter is the best medicine.”

Imagine my surprise when I scoured those memories I just mentioned for The Story to tell in this post and nothing showed up. Somehow trying to write about the time my mom and I got the giggles or, according to my dad, hysterically laughed, in church and “the look” he gave us did not translate to the page.

A warning: while I do believe laughter heals, I also know some people weaponized humor and laughter. Talking about writing this post with my best friend who visited a couple of weeks ago firmed my decision to take this tact with this post. Over the course of her several day visit, we talked about the political climate in the United States and other parts of the world. As we shared our perspectives, we both said pretty much the same thing. Humor can be deadly, laughter can harm.

In a scene in Book 1 in The Sacred Women’s Circle series, Lily: The Dragon and The Great Horned Owl, my heroine Lily Hughes is explaining to the hero, Jackson Montgomery, that her first husband would say something cruel and then add “I’m just joking.” Underneath his denials, she knew he did mean what he’d said. If she or someone else challenged him, his pat response said looking and sounding wounded was “You can’t believe I meant that.”

Like Lily, I’ve been in situations where someone has said something untoward and couched it as “teasing” or “joking.” Then when I said something about what they said was hurtful, the comeback was “What was wrong with you?” And that was often followed by a remark designed to embarrass or humiliate.

Unless we’ve buried our inner knowing so deep, we’ve lost contact with it, we do “know” when someone’s joke is an actual attack. And when that inner knowing tells us the other person is serious what can we do?

How do we defend ourselves?

How do we take exception when someone weaponizes humor?

Can that be done without becoming the target ourselves?

In this political climate having strategies to protect oneself from “teasing” or “just joking around” or “you can’t believe I was serious” statements is important.

My best friend was in line when she heard two people “joking” about shooting someone living in a car. She turned and said “That’s not okay.” And, that’s all she said before facing forward again.

It behooves us all to know where that line is; that line where we will stand firm; where we will state out loud “That’s not okay” where we will challenge the ‘teaser’ and call him/her on their word choices.

Words do matter. And while I may believe most of the time that “words can never hurt me” unless I allow them to, that belief is not held by everyone.

Let’s help each other create a rich and varied arsenal of responses to those who weaponize one of our best “medicines” that gets us through the tough times.

A word of caution: do be aware of your environment. Can you stand firm and be safe yourself. This is not about putting ourselves in danger but, instead, letting people know that the joke isn’t funny.

I’m adopting “That’s not okay” but also adding “Are you serious? You’d really in this case kill someone who is living in a car?”

How would you or do you deal with people and in situations where humor is weaponized? By sharing, you make all of us stronger in an effort to keep humor as one of our best medicines.

You can find all of my books at your favorite e-book vendor. Be sure to ask your local library if you’d prefer to read my books through that resource.

Learn more about Judith's The Sacred Women’s Circle series at JudithAshleyRomance.com

Follow Judith on Twitter: JudithAshley19

Check out Judith’s Windtree Press author page.

You can also find Judith on FB! 

© 2020 Judith Ashley

Mutt's and Mistletoe Book Review

Review of Mutts and Mistletoe by Natalie Cox

From the first page of this laugh-out-loud Holiday Romance set in the English countryside, British Author Natalie Cox had me smiling at her heroine’s Ten Things I Hate About Christmas list. Told in the first person, the story gives the reader access to Charlie’s thoughts (gently snarky) as well as her words and actions. This adds an extra layer of humor to the hilarious fish-out-of-water mix.

Charlie’s seemingly stable urban life is overturned in a flash when she discovers her live-in boyfriend has been cheating on her with his personal trainer for over a year. Charlie struggles to make sense of what happened.

At the ripe old age of thirty-one, she’s lost (or had stolen) four years of her life, and she wants to make the most of what remains. But her self-confidence has been shaken. Her romantic heart is battered and bruised. She’d rather be alone than live with someone she can’t trust.

Charlie’s plans to hole up alone over Christmas with a bottle of Chardonnay and watch Audrey Hepburn movies is blown to smithereens when her apartment building blows up from a gas leak. Suffering from a concussion and temporarily homeless, she agrees to stay with her cousin Jez in the country while she recovers. Jez runs a high-end boarding kennel, Cozy Canine Cottages.

Unfortunately, Charlie has no experience with country living, and her only experience with dogs was with her mother’s third ex-husband’s over-indulged and under-disciplined pugs. At five years old, she experienced them chewing up her dolls, constantly trying to hump her leg and getting the attention she craved. Nothing to love there as far as she is concerned.

Charlie finds herself a fish out of water, but being an adventurous soul, she gamely tries to fit in with Jez and Slab (ancient Poodle), Hulk (spunky Pomeranian), Malcom (nervous, deaf Great Dane), Judd (three-time national champion Irish Setter), The Twins (two huge Alaskan Malamute sled dogs) and Peggy (very pregnant beagle).

When Jez’s long-term internet romantic partner gives her two weeks in the Arctic together for Christmas, and none of Jez’s friends can kennel-sit for her, Charlie gamely volunteers. After all, how hard can it be?

Plus, the pay is REALLY good.

When the boiler in the kennel building breaks down, Charlie must bring all the dogs into the house with her so they don’t freeze to death. Jez’s off-beat local friends rally round to help and before she knows it, Charlie begins to appreciate and enjoy the company of canines.

Unfortunately, every time Charlie runs into the handsome-but-prickly vet, he seems to get the impression she’s reckless and irresponsible. But he has such sexy forearms…and she’s learned he had his heart broken, too.

Natalie Cox has an amazing comic voice. Her characters are interesting and relatable, including the dogs. The plot has plenty of fun twists and turns with a heartwarming and happy ending.

I read Mutts and Mistletoe in bed the first time, and woke my husband multiple times laughing out loud. Two weeks later, I read the story again because it was soooo funny. I laughed just as much the second time around.

This book goes on my ‘keeper’ shelf! ~ Sarah McDermed

Buy at  Amazon

Available in Print, Audible, E-book. Can be found at all the large print and e-book retailers, and in many languages.

How do I edit…as a not super systematic pantser?

By Cassandra O'Leary

How do I edit as a panster? I'm glad you asked, dear readers. I'm currently in the final throes of editing a single title romantic comedy manuscript (currently 96,000 words long) and it's been a saga. For starters, I began writing this novel in 2015, then left it halfway done for at least a year before finishing the first, messy draft. Then I sat on it again for about another two years! Note, I do not recommend this method...I only remembered the bare bones of the plot by the time I got back to it.

But a lot happened in the intervening time. I got my first book published with HarperCollins UK (not my first manuscript though, that's also put away and will never see the light of day), I wrote some shorts and novellas and nearly an entirely different book. So I guess I've learned a little since then.

From the first draft to something book-like

Coming back to the draft, I was pleasantly surprised it didn’t completely suck. There were some interesting characters (hello, I remember you!), funny dialogue and a setting that I think it a bit different. Then I struck the problems, and oh boy, they were many. Missing scenes and chapters out of sequence were the main issues, and honestly they’re a hallmark of my writing because I’m a real panster (I write by the seat of my pants, without an outline). I often open up brand new documents to write single scenes when I feel the urge, or when I get stuck. Then, I have to work out where to slot-in the new content, and smooth out the rough edges so it matches the preceeding and succeeding scenes.

I’ve re-jigged the structure of this manuscript quite a lot, so it’s book-shaped, has chapters that are roughly the same length, alternating point of view scenes, and hopefully with chapter endings that have a hook or at least an interesting last line.

Continuity—or where did that character go?

So, continuity is the first thing I look for. My heroine was apparently getting test results from the doctor before she even made an appointment! Also, I look at how my characters’ dialogue has changed—I notice if I’ve added in more slang or different speech patterns as I go along. This is me as a writer, getting to know a character’s voice. Then there is the problem with disappearing secondary characters. I’m just thinking of writing a new scene with my hero and his best friend, because poor Sam the mechanic was only in one scene, and has apparently evaporated.

Nuts and bolts

Next comes nuts and bolts stuff like fixing spelling errors, missing words, excessive use of some words (that, but, just, only—these are my worst offenders as repetitive words) and short sentences versus longer. I tend to write sentence fragments and direct thoughts as a character would speak them. This is a stylistic choice and not an error as such, but it can become annoying if the same type of sentence is repeated e.g. Oh. My. God. I have a character that would say this, but we don’t want it ten times on the same page! I’ll do another check for all of these things when I get to the final draft.

A special note on sexy scenes

I like the sexy times on the page…too much maybe. My sex scenes tend to be overly long in a first draft, as I get them out in a big, long, hard, marathon session (I love double entendres, LOL). This means, analysing a sexy scene like I would any other scene—where is the pace too slow, where is it all action, no emotion, or where is it out of character or lopsided, from only one character’s point of view (when writing in both main character’s POV).

If it’s all he-did-this-to-her, then he-did-this, it’s a little boring. And because I write romantic comedy, I like to add a little humour in the bedroom (or car, or office or whatever) when the characters get together. Maybe the heroine blurts out something completely inappropriate at a vital moment… This is where I also examine dialogue to see if it’s doing its job in the scene.

Hard copy for a close-up look

Once I have a second draft that mostly hangs together, it’s time for me to print out the manuscript in its entirety and mark-up edits on the printed page. Time for red pens and highlighters! This helps me see outstanding issues with repetition, the balance of dialogue versus narration on the page, plus I tend to notice stand-out expressions in print.

I recently attended a writing workshop with the fabulous author, Stefanie London, and she reminded me about something I’d learned a couple of years ago. Each author has their own literary techniques that they can amplify in editing e.g. alliteration. I LOVE ALLITERATION! Sexy, sensational scenes start slow…you see what I did there. The repeated ‘s’ sound gives a poetic sound to the line. I naturally write some lines like this, but it’s worth spotting and improving these patterns in edits.
Once I’ve marked up all of these handwritten notes, I edit the main document on my laptop again. We’re nearly there!

Finally, the read through

A great idea I picked up from a friend, is to send your completed manuscript to your e-reader or tablet, and read it like a published ebook. Don’t edit on screen, but keep a notepad handy to write down any issues you notice as you read. Hopefully by this stage it’s only minor typos that slip through, a quick fix rather than a major re-work.

The End! Except, now it might be time to write a query letter or synopsis…urgh.

About Cassandra O’Leary

Cassandra O'Leary is a romance and women's fiction author, communications specialist, avid reader, film and TV fangirl and admirer of pretty, shiny things.

In 2015, Cassandra won the We Heart New Talent contest run by Avon Books/HarperCollins UK. Her debut novel, Girl on a Plane, was published in July 2016 and in translation in the Czech Republic as “Letuska”. Cassandra was also a 2015 finalist in the Lone Star writing contest, Northwest Houston Romance Writers of America, and a 2014 finalist in the First Kiss contest, Romance Writers of Australia. In addition to her traditionally published work, Cassandra has indie published novellas including Heart Note: A Christmas romcom novella, and short stories.

Cassandra is a mother of two gorgeous, high-energy mini ninjas and wife to a spunky superhero. Living in Melbourne, Australia, she's also travelled the world. If you want to send her to Italy or Spain on any food or wine tasting 'research' trips, that would be splendiferous.
Read more at cassandraolearyauthor.com

Kiss Me Again... Second Chance Romance

By Cassandra O'Leary

What would you say to the one who got away? Or the one who was never a 'thing' but you secretly hoped they would be… We're talking second chance romance.

I've been on a binge reading and watching spree lately, with the common theme of second chances. I love the tension and the emotional complexity of these stories, the push and pull between characters living simultaneously in the present and the past. Every look, every whispered remembering of what once was, or what might have been, adds layers to the superficial plot and dialogue. Now we're talking oodles of delicious subtext, people!

Persuasion by Jane Austen

Persuasion by Jane Austen 

The king (or really, matriarch) of the second chance or reunion romance is Persuasion. Often overlooked by casual Austen readers in favour of Pride and Prejudice or Sense and Sensibility, Persuasion is a book that unfolds slowly, pulls at the heartstrings and hits you hard in the feels. It's a more mature take on love than some of Austen's other works.

In Persuasion, the heroine Anne Eliot is twenty-seven years old, which is on-the-shelf in terms of marriageability in the Regency era. Anne was once engaged at age nineteen, but was persuaded to break-off the relationship by her manipulating family. Eight years later, she still hasn't married and the love of her life, Captain Wentworth, returns to the village where Anne's family lives. Captain Wentworth was once a poor sailor, considered beneath Anne in terms of social status. In fact, the Eliots have fallen on hard times and are forced to sell their fine belongings and move out of their grand home—a job left entirely to Anne as the practical, capable type. Captain Wentworth has since made his fortune as a sea captain, so their roles are reversed from what they once were.

As a reader, I adore Anne as a no nonsense woman, a non-typical heroine who people see as unimportant and uninteresting. In fact, she's highly intelligent, caring and probably would have been a great business woman in another time. She's put her family above her own desires for so long, it's become second nature. Anne has to overcome social and trust issues, and her own narrow view of what her life should be, to finally find her way back to love.

Captain Wentworth represents freedom as much as love, since a second chance with him would also allow her to live her own life. And of course he's a noble hero, wounded by Anne's rejection but still so in love under a gruff exterior. When the story hits its climactic moment, near the end of the story, Wentworth declares himself in a letter that's heart wrenching:

"You pierce my soul. I am half agony, half hope. Tell me not that I am too late, that such precious feelings are gone for ever. I offer myself to you again with a heart even more your own than when you almost broke it, eight years and a half ago.”

Read it now, or try watching the excellent British movie version!


Persuasion, 2007 movie

Love and Other Words by Christina Lauren

This romantic women’s fiction book by the fabulous writing duo, Christina Lauren, is an utterly gorgeous tale of teenage sweethearts/best friends reunited.

There's a lovely setup in this book, when Macy meets Elliot (yes, there are some Persuasion and many other book references in here!), her new, nerdy but beautiful next door neighbour at her holiday home. He's literally sitting in her walk-in wardrobe reading a book, and later, the same space becomes her library, and their private refuge from the world. Macy's father paints the ceiling of the library with stars, and I was reminded of the line from Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet:

"When he shall die take him and cut him out into stars and he shall make the face of heaven so fine that all the world will be in love with night and pay no worship to the garish sun."

I'm not spoiling the ending or spilling the reasons why these two young people were separated, so you'll just have to read it for yourself!

Roman Crazy by Alice Clayton and Nina Bocci

Who loves all things Italian? Me! So it should be no surprise I fell in love with this book, set in Rome. We meet Avery at the start of this novel in a most surprising context (with an amazing and funny first line that I can't share here due to this being a PG rated site!) and her life goes up in flames.

Her husband was cheating, and she decides to leave him and her comfortable life to visit her old friend in Rome. There she meets Marcello, gorgeous and charismatic Italian architect, who just happens to be the man she could never forget. They had been lovers in college, until Avery had to go home to America and she never saw him again.

What I loved most about this book were the authentic Italian touches, from descriptions of places in Rome, to the food and the depiction of Marcello's extended family who come together for a local festival. Also, it's both funny and heartfelt. Avery has to make some big decisions about whether to follow the safe route and return to her old life, or to find a new direction and herself in the process. Recommended reading!

The Boy Is Back by Meg Cabot

I haven't quite finished reading this novel, but it's great fun. Told in an unusual style mixing text messages, emails, newspaper articles, diary entries and even online reviews, this book is a modern version of an epistolary novel (a novel written as a series of documents, with other famous examples including The Color Purple by Alice Walker and The Perks of Being A Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky).

There's various point of view texts from many members of the heroine's and hero's families, so it's a fun look at the shorthand way we communicate these days and sometimes mis-communicate. Becky Flowers (love the name) is a woman who organises other people's lives for a living, but of course she kind of fell into it herself without a plan. Her high school boyfriend, Reed Stewart, is a multi-millionaire pro golfer who's back in town when his family asks for help with his aging parents. Old scores need to be settled, and the kooky old couple with a house full of cats and raccoons bring the couple together again. Anyway, I'm still reading but I'm definitely hooked.

Don't You Forget About Me by Mhairi McFarlane

This story was gorgeous and also very British (which I love). The heroine, Georgina, meets up with her high school crush again when she applies for a job as a bartender at a renovated pub, owned by two Irish brothers. Of course one of them turns out to be her secret boyfriend, Lucas, from years ago. Only he doesn't seem to remember her at all. Can it be possible that one person can fall completely, madly in love, and the other person doesn't even remember it? Lucas is all dreamy but stern and standoffish (in a Heathcliff way, as noted in the book) whereas Georgina wears fluffy pink overcoats and is slightly off with the fairies. It's opposites attract and the kind of slow burn unfolding drama I love to read. With lots of laughs. And a dog.

Tree Love by Cassandra O'Leary (that's me!)

My own short story is a sweet bite-sized read about a couple who fall in love after first meeting at university. The hero (Dan The Man Mancini) ‘drops in’ on the heroine, Natalia Bianchi, years later, when he falls out of a tree in front of her! I hope the story conveys some of the longing and the temptation to try out another life that's typical of second chance stories, as well as being a fun, romantic read.

I'm working on another second chance story too, which will be either a long-ish novella or a full length book. We'll see when I finally finish writing…

About Cassandra O'Leary

Cassandra O'Leary is a romance and women's fiction author, communications specialist, avid reader, film and TV fangirl and admirer of pretty, shiny things. 
In 2015, Cassandra won the We Heart New Talent contest run by Avon Books/HarperCollins UK. Her debut novel, Girl on a Plane, was published in July 2016. Cassandra was also a 2015 finalist in the Lone Star writing contest, Northwest Houston Romance Writers of America, and a 2014 finalist in the First Kiss contest, Romance Writers of Australia. Her indie published romcom novella, Heart Note, is out now! 
Cassandra is a mother of two gorgeous, high-energy mini ninjas and wife to a spunky superhero. Living in Melbourne, Australia, she's also travelled the world. If you want to send her to Italy or Spain on any food or wine tasting 'research' trips, that would be splendiferous.
**Winner of the global We Heart New Talent contest. Nominated for BEST NEW AUTHOR in AusRomToday 2016 Reader's Choice Awards for excellence in Australian romance fiction** 
Read more at: cassandraolearyauthor.com 

A Cinderella Wedding Romance with a Twist

by Madelle Morgan

New Adult romantic comedy Caught on Camera is the first in my “Upstairs-Downstairs” romance series. The premise – “Hollywood in cottage country” – is that Hollywood A-listers fall in love with local service providers in Muskoka, a beautiful lake district.

Caught on Camera, Book 1, has a Cinderella theme. However in this wedding romance it’s the stand-in bridesmaid who gets the make-over.

Backcover Blurb

To achieve her dream of working on Hollywood film sets, star struck chambermaid Rachel Lehmann needs $35,000 for film school tuition by the end of the summer. When she’s asked to fill in for a missing bridesmaid at a movie star’s wedding, it’s her big chance to take candid photos of celebrities and sell them to the entertainment gossip magazines. Then groomsman Mickey McNichol, agent to the stars, sweeps her off her feet.

Mickey’s bitter experience is that everyone in show business fakes emotions. When he falls for the stand-in bridesmaid, he thinks he’s finally met a beautiful woman he can trust. But if Rachel betrays his friends’ privacy, Mickey will ensure she never works in Hollywood.

Excerpt

Rachel bit her bottom lip as she regarded her reflection in the Bridal Suite’s floor-length mirror. An awed part of her brain struggled to accept the extraordinary image of herself barefoot and clad in an exquisite pale-lilac strapless, tea-length chiffon dress with fitted bodice.

The practical part fretted about falling behind schedule. She kept one eye on the digital bedside clock and the other on the ball of white fur rolling over her chambermaid uniform on the unmade bed.

“I need to call the housekeeper, Ms. Kane. I have rooms to clean.”

“Wanda will take care of that,” the bride-to-be said airily. She turned to her personal assistant. “Inform the hotel manager that I need Rachel until Sunday.”

“Right away.” The PA bolted for the exit.

“We booked the entire hotel for the wedding,” assured the tall, slender woman with a medley of blond highlights in waist-length hair. “What the bride wants, the bride gets. Relax and show me a few smiles. Mouth open. Mouth closed. You know the drill.”

“Drill?”

“Your smile for the wedding photos. I need to approve it.” She grabbed Rachel’s bare shoulders and twisted her around for a close-up.

“Photos?” Rachel squeaked. Her heart leaped to her throat. With her beyond-ordinary face and small boobs, she’d stand out among all the beautiful people and not in a good way. “You don’t want me in your wedding photos, surely?”

Ignoring her protest, Ms. Kane tapped a scarlet, French-tipped nail against her perfect chin. “Mouth closed, I think. Yes, a sweet but sexy smile puts the focus on your big brown eyes.”

“Ms. Kane?” Rachel burbled, an embarrassed flush warming her cheeks. “I’m not pretty enough for celebrity photos. I belong behind the camera, not in front of it. You need to find someone else—”

As Rachel gestured at the mirror, she caught sight of the tiny white dog on the bed behind them. Its devilish black eyes stared straight at Rachel’s backside. To her horror, she noticed a dark stain spreading out from under its butt and over her uniform.

“Oh my gods. Your dog just urinated on the bed!”

“Did she?” With Ms. Kane’s good humor restored, she merely glanced at her pet sitting innocently beside a puddle rapidly disappearing through Rachel’s uniform into the eight-hundred-thread-count Egyptian-cotton duvet cover.

“Naughty Mopette,” she cooed. “It’s Wanda’s fault. She’s supposed to walk you every four hours. The maid will clean it up.”

“I’m the maid!”

“Not anymore you’re not. This weekend you’re my bridesmaid. A distant cousin on my mother’s side from…from…”

“Toronto,” Rachel supplied.

“Right, Toronto, Canada. Where they have that international film festival.”

“And the largest city in Canada,” Rachel added dryly.

“So it’s settled.”

“But”—Rachel flung an arm toward the mirror—“look at us,” she wailed. “Standing beside you I’m…I’m the beautiful princess’s ugly stepsister.”

“Not stepsister,” Ms. Kane scolded, wagging a slender, elegant forefinger. “Cousin, remember? And give me some credit for the ability to make you presentable. You must know that I was a model before I launched Candy Kane Cosmetics? It’s my business to transform women’s faces into the best they can be. A skillful application of makeup, and you won’t recognize yourself.”

Rachel heaved a tremulous breath, then another. She’d viewed hundreds if not thousands of films, so she knew all about the magical transformation that actors underwent in a makeup artist’s chair. All eyes would be on the bride anyway, right?

I’ll merely be a secondary character. Not even that—an extra. No one pays attention to walk-ons. I’ll be practically invisible. Her galloping pulse slowed.

Taking Rachel’s acceptance for granted, Candy Kane’s mind was already on a different track. “Don’t you dare tell any of the guests you work here.” Candy swiped fingers across her mouth in a zipping motion. “There’s a big tip in it if you keep the secret and pull this off.”

How big? Rachel wanted to ask, but kept her “sweet but sexy” lips clamped shut. Truthfully, a generous tip wasn’t the reason a shiver of excitement rippled across her exposed skin.

Panic receding, she’d belatedly begun to appreciate the photo-taking opportunities associated with being on the set in a supporting role, so to speak, instead of as a hotel employee with no legitimate excuse to approach a celebrity wedding guest.

Listen to the Playlist for Free

Each novel in the series will have a YouTube Playlist. Find the link under the description here.

Enjoy the summer!

Madelle

CAUGHT ON CAMERA BUY LINKS 

Amazon.com | Amazon.ca | Amazon.co.uk | Amazon.com.au | Kobo | Apple Books | Walmart

SEDUCED BY THE SCREENWRITER BUY LINKS

Amazon.com | Amazon.ca | Amazon.co.uk | Amazon.com.au

Kobo  | Apple Books | Walmart

Madelle's romantic thriller DiamondHunter is a free read in Kindle Unlimited.

Follow Madelle on  Twitter, Facebook, Goodreads, Pinterest, and Wattpad. For giveaways and new releases, subscribe to Madelle’s blog at www.MadelleMorgan.com.

Crazy About Dogs

by Madelle Morgan

If you've been reading my posts, you know I love dogs. 

I grew up with dogs, but as an adult I had cats. Notice I didn't say I owned cats. Cat lovers will understand why. 

Cats are easier to care for when you have a job. Cats are self-sufficient while their human is away for long days or even a weekend. No walking is needed, and cats don't gobble up the day's kibble the minute the dish is filled.

For the longest time I enjoyed dogs vicariously by creating dog characters in my Hollywood in Muskoka series.

MOPETTE

Mopette stars in Caught on Camera, a rom-com and first novel in the series. Mopette's a lovable white Maltese who is Trouble with a capital T. 

That lavender ribbon from the bridesmaid's bouquet in her mouth on the cover? The Black Moment is all Mopette's fault. After she clamps her sharp little teeth into the ribbons and drags the bouquet away where Rachel can't find it, all hell breaks loose.

TITAN

Seduced by the Screenwriter's dog character is a retired German shepherd police service dog. He's based on a real canine hero named Titan owned by a Canadian police dog handler.

Catrina abandoned a career as a police diver after a horrifying case left her with PTSD. She relies on Titan. He's not only her best friend and partner in her security business, he's also her therapy dog.

When Catrina falls for Chett, a Hollywood screenwriter, he's quick to warn her that he is terrified of dogs, especially this particularly massive beast. She has to choose: it's either him or the dog. What an impossible quandary for Catrina!

BRANDY

Hollywood Hero, the third in the romance series, is in development, as they say in the movie biz. Meanwhile, readers want to know what happened to Mopette after the end of Caught on Camera. My arm was twisted to include her in Hollywood Hero as a secondary character, so I did! She has a trot-on role.

Hollywood Hero introduces an old Chesapeake Bay Retriever. She lives at Boondocks Lodge in Muskoka, which will be the setting for Hollywood Hero as well as the fifth in the series. 

For this book, I held a contest, asking subscribers of my blog at MadelleMorgan.com for name suggestions. The winner who proposed the name Brandy won a paperback copy of Seduced by the Screenwriter.

Brandy of Boondocks Lodge

Our family had two rescue Chesapeakes, Cindy and Taffy, at different times in my childhood and teen years. They were both gentle, intelligent females who were protective of us kids. They loved swimming at the Muskoka summer cottage.

And now for the big reveal

My husband has retired, so.....

A bouncy, energetic puppy joined our family on May 3!

Raven was born March 8. She's a hypoallergenic Australian Labradoodle, the smallest in a litter of 10 pups. She'll be 30 pounds fully grown.

Raven at 8 weeks

And guess what? Right now she's the size of a cuddly cat.

Happy spring!

Madelle

CAUGHT ON CAMERA BUY LINKS 

Amazon.com | Amazon.ca | Amazon.co.uk | Amazon.com.au | Kobo | Apple Books | Walmart

SEDUCED BY THE SCREENWRITER BUY LINKS

Amazon.com | Amazon.ca | Amazon.co.uk | Amazon.com.au

Kobo  | Apple Books | Walmart

Madelle's romantic thriller DiamondHunter is a free read in Kindle Unlimited.

Follow Madelle on  Twitter, Facebook, Goodreads, Pinterest, and Wattpad. For giveaways and new releases, subscribe to Madelle’s blog at www.MadelleMorgan.com.