Comedy
comedy
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My Secret Snowflake: the Comic Premise
A question I sometimes get asked is how did I come up with the comic premise for my romantic comedy, in this case, My Secret Snowflake.
How did I come up with the premise for My Secret Snowflake?
The premise for My Secret Snowflake was inspired by a conversation with a close friend when we were discussing dating. The original premise was that the protagonist likes a guy (we’ll call him A). She pretends that she is the Secret Santa for A’s best friend (B for Best friend) and asks A what she should gift B. She uses this excuse to hang out with A.
Anyway, I pitched this idea for a Romantic Comedy in a Steve Kaplan comedy workshop in 2021. If you want to write a comedy, I highly recommend his workshop and books, including The Comic Hero’s Journey and The Hidden Tools of Comedy.
We had to pitch three different stories. Steve said he liked this one, but I should switch it so that she likes B, but as she hangs out with A trying to find out more about B, she falls for A. Then you have a triangle. I was very resistant at first (in my head). Didn’t he see the brilliance of the original idea that she had an excuse to hang out with the guy she liked?
But when it came time to actually write My Secret Snowflake, I realized that Steve was right. This is a much better approach because it creates more tension.
So in My Secret Snowflake, Iris, having caught her ex cheating, decides she wants to date a nice guy next time (no heart-melting gorgeous guys for her, thank you very much). She decides that her workplace colleague, Ernest, might fit the bill. In the company Secret Snowflake exchange, she gets her best friend’s crush, so she gives that one to her best friend. Her best friend received Ernest, so Iris gets Ernest. Ernest and Sebastian eat lunch together every day so Iris thinks that they’re close friends and asks Sebastian for gift suggestions for Ernest. Sebastian says, “Socks.” He continues:
“I’m not really friends with him. We just had a tight deadline on a joint project,” I say. “I have no idea what to get Ernest as a gift. Socks?” Ernest is very…earnest. When her face drops, I add, “But I’ll think about it.”
“Not if socks is your idea of a good gift,” Iris says.
Comic Premise
Steve Kaplan defines the comic premise as “a lie that allows the writer to tell a greater truth.” Steve Kaplan, The Comic Hero’s Journey at p. 38. What I particularly find helpful is his description of the comic premise as “the tool to excite your imagination.” Id. As he noted, once you have a great premise, the story basically writes itself. “The better the premise, the more the story writes itself in your head.” Id. at 39.
As for the lie, Steve Kaplan writes that “in the comic premise, we devise a lie, an impossible or implausible event.” Id. My books tend to be more realistic, but the lie in my comic premise is that Iris is lying to herself. Because of her bad breakup, she convinces herself that staid workaholic Ernest is now the type of guy she wants.
My premise above, unfortunately, didn’t have enough that the story wrote itself, but it did suggest a framework. There would have to be Secret Snowflake-related events and meetings with Sebastian to discuss gifts for Ernest. Similarly, it’s a holiday romantic comedy set in New York City. I had fun including some New York City holiday activities. As a result, Iris and Sebastian get stuck in a crowd near Rockefeller Center and can only inch along. 🙂
UK Romantic Novelists Association Conference
I just came back from the RNA Conference in London and it was so much fun. My critique partner, Giulia Skye, and I talked nonstop over dinner. I met another friend for lunch (where we discussed K-dramas). Then I was off for the three-day RNA conference at Royal Holloway.
It was way too short. I love discussing writing and publishing and meeting up with friends. It’s a very friendly conference, and at every conference, I make even more friends. Here’s a picture after a night of dancing, so I’ll leave you with this photo of RNA authors Victoria Walker, Sharon Ibbotson, Ruby Moone and me.
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Meet Author Jeevani Charika
I’m so excited for you to meet author Jeevani Charika.
Jeev is a fellow author in the U.K. Romantic Novelists Association with me, and I really enjoyed her book, Playing for Love, available here .
Playing for Love Playing for Love Blurb
When Sam’s not working on her fledgling business, she spends her time secretly video-gaming. Her crush is famous gamer Blaze, and she’s thrilled when she’s teamed up with him in a virtual tournament.
But what Sam doesn’t know is that Blaze is the alter ego of Luke, her shy colleague – and he has a secret crush too.
Luke has a crush on Sam.
Sam has a crush on Blaze.
How will this game of love play out?
My Review of Playing for Love
Loved this book! It was so good. The interplay between the game play between Bravura and Blaze and the deeply supportive, developing relationship at work between Luke and Sam was brilliantly done. And I also think someone needs to make Sam’s inserts idea a reality. I almost missed my subway stop because I was so engrossed in Playing for Love! My favorite read of 2022 so far! Highly recommend!
Meet Author Jeevani Charika and Let’s Talk about Playing for Love
Kathy: How did you come up with the idea of two gamers meeting each other in a game and also at work?
Jeevani: The story was inspired by a children’s TV show called Miraculous Ladybug and Cat Noir, which has a love square with only two people in it. I loved that dynamic, but I don’t write superhero stories, so I thought I’d move into online gamers who don’t talk about their gaming.
Kathy: I also love the purse insert idea. How did you come up with that?
Jeevani: There are people who sell purse inserts on Etsy! I was thinking about the amount of hassle it is to change purses and went poking around on Etsy to buy one. At the time, I was thinking about something for Sam to do as a business. Suddenly the puzzle pieces fell into place.
Kathy: The backstory of Samadhi with her mother and her current relationship with her father is so emotionally powerful. Do you have any advice on creating back stories?
Jeevani: My characters tend to just show up and start saying things, so I don’t often have elaborate characterisation sheets (some writers do, and I’m always impressed with how organised they are!). I mostly get the backstory by asking why. Why was Sam interested in handbag inserts? Because she has a lot of bags. Why does she have a lot of bags? Inherited them from her mum … etc. Once you find one aspect, you expand on it and see if you can tie it to some other aspect of her character. For example, why is her relationship with her father so strained? How can I link that to the death of her mother?
Kathy: I loved how you did the in-game interaction. It felt so real. Do you game?
Jeevani: I absolutely loved writing the in-game parts. I don’t get to write fantasy/adventure very often, so it was great fun for me. I haven’t played any computer games since Tombraider in the 90s. But I have a teenager, so I know a bit about gaming. I watched a lot of YouTube playthroughs as research and I spoke to my friend’s son who is studying the psychology of gaming about how online relationships feel real to people in generations who’ve grown up with the internet. (I’m Gen X. I remember when life was analog).
Kathy: Do you have any pets? What’s your favorite habit of your current pet?
Jeevani: I don’t personally, but my daughter has pet rats. They’re very cute and very friendly. I have an old jumper that I wear when I play with them – one of them likes to climb into the pocket and just hang out in there. The other one likes to sit in the hood.
Meet the Author Jeevani Charika and Her Thoughts on Writing
Kathy: Do you have a writing routine? If so, what is it?
Jeevani: I don’t really have a proper routine. Between the day job, eldercare and childcare my days are all over the place. I do try to do something to do with writing every day, though. I do my best work sitting in bed at night.
Kathy: Are you a pantser or a plotter?
Jeevani: I used to be a pantser. Then I had to write Christmas At The Palace in 8 weeks, so I HAD to plot. I didn’t like plotting, but it did make the whole thing more efficient. So now I do a half baked plot – just one side of A4 before I start. If I plot in too much detail, I end up losing the enthusiasm to write it. I’ve told myself what happens, so … why bother?
Jeevani Charika’s Tips on Comedy Writing
Kathy: You’ve also written a book on Writing the Romantic Comedy with Jane Lovering. Can you explain the “juxtaposition of thingy”?
Jeevani: It all started with a talk that we did for an RNA conference. We were trying to find the thing that all these funny techniques had in common. It turned out to be the juxtaposition of expected outcome vs comedy outcome. Except, it was wider than that. So we started referring to it as juxtaposing your thingies … which sounds a bit rude, so we changed it to juxtaposition of thingy instead.
Kathy: You also talk about the rule of threes in that book. What is that?
Jeevani: The rule of three is a well known thing in comedy. Things are funnier in threes. The first sets the scene, the second sets up a pattern and so an expectation of what comes next, the third subverts the expectation and makes you laugh. An awful lot of jokes are structured like this.
Three is a number we’re naturally drawn to, so having a list of three is more satisfying than having a list of four or more.
My Favorite Question: If you could choose five writers to join you for a dinner party, who would you invite?
Kathy: And my favorite question: if you could choose five authors to join you for a dinner, who would you choose?
Jeevani: Aah, I hate this question. I’m quite shy (I know I don’t seem it!) so I’d be properly tongue tied and sit there quietly if I met my heroes. But … Terry Pratchett (obvs), PG Wodehouse, Julie Cohen, Agatha Christie, the guys who wrote Asterix, Renee Goscinny (I assume I will magically be able to speak French at this party).
Kathy: That would be an amazing dinner party! And of course, you can magically speak French.
Thanks so much for taking the time to answer my questions. I’m looking forward to reading your next book too, called Picture Perfect, available October 2022, and you can preorder here. Sign up for her newsletter and get a free book at jeevanicharika.com. And you can also follow Jeevani on Twitter @rhodabaxter (her other pen name).
Picture Perfect -
Cover Reveal
Here’s the cover reveal for my short novella, A Scavenger Hunt for Hearts, by Cover Ever After.
A Scavenger Hunt for Hearts BLURB:
When Kiara is dumped by text and then ghosted by her boyfriend, she resolves to concentrate on her successful artist career and leave dating to those who can handle that heartbreak.
But the chance to dress up as a teacup work of art and participate in a scavenger hunt at the New York City modern art museum to win her favorite artist’s painting has her pairing up with a stranger dressed as a Rembrandt.
He may not know much about modern art, but he certainly knows how to make her heart beat.
Can Kiara take a chance on love again?
This will be FREE for everyone who signs up for my newsletter. So make sure you are on the list! I plan to publish it at the end of July.
Cover News Reveal: Is This For Real? Cover wins A Chill with a Book Cover Award
Is This for Real? won a Chill with a Book Cover Award. Thanks to my amazing cover designer, Cover Ever After, who makes the most amazing covers!
It’s the June 2022 Cover of the Month!
Caper Crush News
Proof copy of Caper Crush I just received my proof copy of Caper Crush! Woohoo! I can’t wait until Caper Crush is published and you can meet Miranda and William. Perfect beach reading!! The paperback will release soon and the e-book is available to order here.
What are you reading? Or watching?
Have a great weekend!!
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Comedy Tips from BUSINESS PROPOSAL
Business Proposal Movie Poster (Netflix) BUSINESS PROPOSAL illustrates some great comedy tips. I spent March watching two Korean dramas, BUSINESS PROPOSAL and TWENTY-FIVE TWENTY-ONE.
Comedy Tips from BUSINESS PROPOSAL
BUSINESS PROPOSAL is light and fluffy, but also quite brilliant in how it subverts certain Korean drama tropes. And the humor is really good. It is a fake dating romcom too, and I do love that trope.
Business Proposal has a great comic set scene in the very first episode. The main character is Hari, who works as a food researcher. Her best friend, Young-seo, is wealthy. Young-seo’s father keeps setting her up on blind dates to find an appropriately connected and rich marriage partner, but she wants to marry for love.
The Comedy SET SCENE in BUSINESS PROPOSAL
Hari on her blind date in Business Proposal Enter Hari, who pretends to be Young-seo on her dates and acts so outrageous that she scares off any potential suitors. This is a great set up for comedy, because it allows for surprise and exaggeration, which can be key for comedy, but in a manner that remains true to the purpose of the scene. Here, Hari is absolutely outrageous, and it’s hilarious.
First, there is a flashback to Hari scaring off a previous Young-seo suitor by pretending to be possessed.
In the blind date scene, Hari, pretending to be Young-seo, meets Tae-mu. The audience knows that Tae-mu, a workaholic, also doesn’t want to marry anyone; his grandfather wants him to get married so he will have grandchildren. Hari gets more and more desperate as Tae-mu completely misses her outrageousness because he keeps checking his work email.
It also illustrates another helpful tip for comedy: that there should be someone who is watching someone else do something funny. In this scene where Hari meets CEO Tae-mu on a date, Tae-mu is the straight man as he is shocked by her antics. As Steve Kaplan points out in his book, The Hidden Tools of Comedy:
“The dynamic of Straight Line/Wavy Line is the idea that comedy isn’t watching somebody do something funny, but rather us watching someone watch someone do something funny.”
The Hidden Tools of Comedy by Steve Kaplan at p. 172.But Tae-mu also realizes that she’s not all that she seems. And so there’s a twist as he seems to go along to see how far she is going to take this.
TWENTY-FIVE TWENTY-ONE
TWENTY-FIVE TWENTY-ONE broke my heart when the couple broke up. As a RomCom writer, I couldn’t take it. I think the writer of TWENTY-FIVE TWENTY-ONE might have been trying to write a first love, but ended up writing a forever love. Anyway, I wrote an alternate HEA ending that was published by Dramabeans. It was therapeutic. And I was so honored that Dramabeans published it. It definitely made my week!
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Meet Author Anni Rose
I’m excited for you to meet author Anni Rose today on my blog, especially because she has some tips on writing comedy callbacks!
Recipe for Mr. Right Blurb
A sprinkle of luck and a dollop of fate …
Ruby Brooks is a little sceptical when her horoscope say she’s going to have a fabulous year – especially when she loses a boyfriend and a job in quick succession. Plus, a rogue kitchen fitter has run off and taken everything, including the kitchen sink!
So, Ruby takes luck and fate into her own hands with an unusual resolution – she’ll enter ten competitions a day, whether they’re for her dream Japanese holiday or a year’s supply of dog food (she doesn’t have a dog) and win her way to happiness.
But when a Valentine’s Day prize from a local restaurant results in chef Adam Finder (and his dog, Brutus) appearing in her life, is that luck or fate? And will Ruby ultimately find out that true happiness doesn’t need to be won?
It’s available at:
Amazon: https://amzn.to/3lqwepf
Apple: https://apple.co/3BpysL9
Kobo: https://bit.ly/3iM3p4H
Google Books: https://bit.ly/3uVCGYv
Goodreads: https://bit.ly/3AmzplN
Website: https://bit.ly/3AsYFHc
Meet the Author Anni Rose Interview
ANNI ROSE Kathy: Hi Anni, I’m so glad you could join us today on my blog. Anni is a fellow author in the Romantic Novelists Association with me, and I really enjoyed her book, Recipe for Mr. Right.
Anni: Thank you, Kathy, for inviting me, it’s a real pleasure to be with you today.
Kathy: I loved the set-up of Ruby applying to 10 contests a day in Recipe for Mr. Right. And I thought you did a brilliant job of comic callbacks with that set-up. Also, I loved the heart-warming romance between Ruby and Adam. And you did a great job of conveying the stalkerish friend who feels just a bit off. Oh, and I also loved Mr. Tahsin and his son Malik – what great characters. I hope we see them again too. Highly recommend.
Kathy: How did you come up with the applying to contests idea for Recipe for Mr. Right?
Anni: Time to ’fess up, I entered ten competitions a day at one time, but only for a month. I did win a “Write your own Will” book, a pair of rubber gloves, Ideal Home tickets and tickets to a Donny Osmond Concert though!
Kathy: That’s not a bad haul. Have you ever had a kitchen outfitter leave you with no kitchen?
Anni: Of course, the book is entirely fictional; however, a bad experience with a new kitchen might have been the inspiration for it. I don’t think anyone who’s had a new kitchen built will tell you it was much fun, so it was cathartic to get it out of my system by writing about it. But I am lucky, in so much, as I have two really talented sisters, one who designs and builds furniture. She built my current kitchen and (my office) while it was a stressful time for a while, it is just amazing, and I love it.
Kathy: Do you have any pets? What’s your favorite habit of your current pet?
Anni: I’ve always had pets, in the past horses as well as cats, dogs and chickens.
Now we have just the one cat, one chicken and two dogs. Brian is a fifteen-month-old Labrador and Rocky is a Romanian rescue, who came to us after an operation for two broken back legs. He’d been hit by a car and left in the road, nearly eighteen months ago. Both of them are amazing, and usually quite happy to settle in the office while I’m writing. But give Brian a treat, however small, and he won’t eat it until he’s run round it in circles, jumping and throwing it about, until Rocky comes from nowhere and then pinches it. Funnily enough when we had a reunion with his brothers and sisters, it seems quite a few of them do exactly the same thing. Oh, and he tends to sleep with his tongue out. So, whatever he’s lying on can get quite damp.
Kathy: Aww. I love that story.
Meet the Author Anni Rose and Her Thoughts on Writing
Kathy: Do you have a writing routine? If so, what is it?
Not a routine as such because I tend to write whenever I can, so it can be any time of the day (or night). Sometimes I find I’m most productive if I only have fifteen or twenty minutes, so no time to prevaricate and I am very good at that! I try not to go back and read what I’ve written. There’s plenty of time for editing once the first draft is finished. Otherwise I get caught up with rewriting and editing and before I know where I am, a couple of hours have passed in which time I haven’t written anything new.
I usually write directly on to a computer. I really love writing in long-hand and tend to revert to that if I get stuck on a particular idea. That’s my justification for buying new stationery, something I do a lot. Oh, and I find I am most productive when not too far away from a large mug of tea.
Kathy: Are you a pantser or a plotter?
A bit of both these days. One of the first books I wrote, I had no plan at all, other than the characters and a basic plot. I wrote the chapters I fancied writing when I fancied writing them. Some days it was just back story and never got into the novel. I loved the freedom of doing it, but it was a very difficult book to edit, and changed hugely over the first few drafts.
Now, I’m writing a series of books, set in the same town. I really need to be more organized and keep track of characters, places etc. It’s quite often minor characters that I find I’m interested in developing stories for in later manuscripts. Until recently I kept notebooks full of ideas and notes, but these days I’m experimenting with Plottr software, and so far, it does seem easier to be able to just go back and check on something.
Kathy: I feel like I’m a bit of both too.
Meet the Author Anni Rose and Advice on Callbacks and Comedy
Kathy: I really loved your use of callbacks. Do you have any advice for writers on writing callbacks?
Thank you. If there’s something the character needs to do or say at the end of the book, I try and introduce the idea early on and maybe refer to it occasional throughout the book. One of the first writing classes I went to said that if you were going to fire a gun in chapter four, you needed to introduce it in chapter one.
Kathy: Do you have any other advice for writers on writing comedy or romantic comedy?
My family think it’s incredibly funny that I write comedy, because usually if I tell them a joke, I get something slightly wrong. So, they don’t find it nearly as hilarious as I do and I end up explaining the joke to them. I like my main characters to have a sense of humour.
I think that humour is important in life in general. Quite often the things I think are funny at the time when I see them written down later don’t work at all and—I hate slapstick. My heroes or heroines are normal people. My comedy will hopefully come from their reaction to situations they find themselves in. I like them all too much to subject them to absurd physical activity such as pies in faces, pokes in the eye or have them slipping around on banana peel. Having said that I am currently struggling to fit my “Has anyone seen the dog bowl?” joke into my current WIP.
My Favorite Question: If you could choose five writers to join you for a dinner party, who would you invite?
Kathy: And my favorite question: if you could choose five authors to join you for a dinner, who would you choose?
This is an incredibly difficult question. I couldn’t possibly limit my dinner companions to five if I had to include any romantic novelists, so I’m going to exclude all of them. But it goes without saying if I could invite as many as I wanted then you’d be on my list Kathy. But it was still incredibly hard. I have a long waiting list if any of the following couldn’t make it:
So, without the romance writers it would have to be Ben Macintyre – he is a historian, reviewer, and columnist for The Times newspaper. He has written a number of books about historical controversies, and I heard him talk once about Agent Zigzag. I know he can really make the period come alive and has a lovely sense of humour too. So, I think he’d make a great dinner companion. And I have a huge number of questions about other events I’d like to know his theories on.
Enid Blyton: I grew up reading Enid’s books. I so wanted to go to Malory Towers or be a member of the Famous Five. Of course, we’d be having lashings of ginger beer which I think she’d approve of!
Harlan Coben: If you asked me what other books apart from romances I read for relaxation, I’d probably say crime. Anything crime except psychological thrillers—unless that is, they’re written by Harlan Cohen. I think I’ve read all his books and at the moment am loving Stay Close on Netflix.
Vikram Seth: I was introduced to Vikram by Suitable Boy and love his writing style. He is an amazing storyteller, but we haven’t seen much of him for a while, I’m worried he might have writers’ block so my final guest would have to be Anne Lamott.
Anne Lamott: I loved Bird by Bird, great writing advice, very provocative with a light humorous touch. It was one of the first writing books I read, and she gives great advice. I loved her novel All New People too, if anyone can get Vikram going again I’m sure it would be Anne.
Kathy: That is going to be an amazing dinner party! Thanks so much for taking the time to answer my questions. I’m looking forward to reading your second book, Recipe for Mr Perfect.
Anni: Thank you, Kathy, it was great talking to you. The punchline for the dog joke – oh yes – I didn’t even know he played cricket.
Kathy: You can follow Anni here:
Twitter: @AnniRoseAuthor
Facebook: www.facebook.com/AnniRoseAuthor
Website: https://anniroseauthor.co.uk
Instagram: anniroseauthor
Recipe for Mr. Perfect Blurb
How do you know if you’ve found Mr Perfect or Mr Perfectly Useless?
Jess Willersey realised things with Martin weren’t perfect, but it’s still a shock when he leaves. Is she destined to a singleton lifestyle with only her cat for company, or could a certain hat-astrophic encounter with a handsome stranger at a rather unusual wedding signal a turning point?At the same time, Jess’s best friends and work colleagues, Maggie and Sarah, are going through their own personal disasters – from shocking family revelations to dodgy dating app-related drama.
To top it all off, it seems that the handsome stranger won’t remain a stranger – and when Neil Jackson turns up at the friends’ office with yet another bombshell, how long will he stay ‘Mr Perfect’ in Jess’s eyes?
Let’s Talk
So, if you could choose 5 writers to invite to a dinner party, who would you invite?
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E-book On Sale Now!
The e-book of both Partner Pursuit and Is This for Real? is on sale now for 99 cents. I put Partner Pursuit on sale for 99 cents through January 13th to celebrate the e-book launch of Is This for Real? available here.
Is This for Real? is now out in ebook! So excited for you to meet Penelope and Rory! On sale for 99 cents through Jan. 24. https://books2read.com/u/4DxdWO
Is This for Real? Blurb
Here’s the blurb:
An opposites-attract, friends-to-lovers, slow burn, fake-dating romantic comedy.
Love is all fun and games until somebody gets hurt. Usually, me. I admit it. I’m a relationship recluse. Ironic, given that I write romantic comedies. So, I’m on a sabbatical from dating.
Which is why fake dating my best friend, Rory, is foolproof. Rory suggested it because he needed a date for work functions. And I can use our experiences as fodder for my romcom novel. Plus, my sister doesn’t know it’s not real, and she is thrilled that I’m not walling myself off emotionally. Her words, not mine. But I do wish she would stop saying that she always suspected there was something more between me and Rory. She should realize that we’ve been friends forever so I’m immune to his appeal.
We would never work. Rory is such a romantic; he still believes in that perfect love similar to his parents’ marriage. My parents fought bitterly. So, we are better off as friends. I can’t risk losing our friendship, even if this might be my chance—before his ex-girlfriend wins him back.
Those flickers of attraction? Easily extinguished by cold-water reality, like a two-mile hike in drenching rain over sand with wheelie luggage.
But our relationship is not sticking to the plot—or is it?
And so happy with these reviews:
“Let me begin by saying I would risk it all for Penelope and Rory.” – NetGalley
“The slow burn pacing was perfection.” – NetGalley
“It made me feel good and that’s something I really enjoy in my books.” – NetGalley
Partner Pursuit Blurb
And here’s the blurb:
Workaholic lawyer Audrey Willems is not going to take any chances with her bid to become a partner at her New York law firm—especially with only six months until the decision.
Until she bumps into Jake—her new neighbor. Jake is a fun-loving music marketing executive who might just be The One.
He’s funny, caring, supportive—and able to kill water bugs in the bathroom.
But Jake will never date a woman married to her job. His father was a workaholic lawyer who never had time for family.
And she’s just got the case of a lifetime—the one she needs to win to make partner. Working 24/7 at the office may not even be enough hours to pull off a victory.
If only she had not met him now.
Audrey is determined to prove that she can juggle work and romance—even if managing court cases, candlelit dinners, and bike rides around Manhattan is a lot harder than it looks. She keeps canceling dates for yet another case crisis.
But when making partner is like a game of musical chairs and the last seat is a business-class alone, which partnership will she choose?
Let’s Talk
I’m about to get back to editing my third novel (sneak preview is available in Is This for Real?).
I hope you are all doing well and staying safe.
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Happy Paperback Publication Day!
Happy Paperback Publication Day to IS THIS FOR REAL?
Is This for Real? paperback mock-up Is This for Real? is available now in paperback on Amazon. https://www.amazon.com/dp/1737… It releases in e-book on January 11, 2022 –pre-orders are available now at 99 cents for the e-book until January 25. A Grand Romance included it in its list of Most Anticipated Romance Reads for January 2022.
I absolutely love my cover from COVER EVER AFTER.
IS THIS FOR REAL? BLURB
Here’s the blurb:
An opposites-attract, friends-to-lovers, slow burn, fake-dating romantic comedy.
Love is all fun and games until somebody gets hurt. Usually, me. I admit it. I’m a relationship recluse. Ironic, given that I write romantic comedies. So, I’m on a sabbatical from dating.
Which is why fake dating my best friend, Rory, is foolproof. Rory suggested it because he needed a date for work functions. And I can use our experiences as fodder for my romcom novel. Plus, my sister doesn’t know it’s not real, and she is thrilled that I’m not walling myself off emotionally. Her words, not mine. But I do wish she would stop saying that she always suspected there was something more between me and Rory. She should realize that we’ve been friends forever so I’m immune to his appeal.
We would never work. Rory is such a romantic; he still believes in that perfect love similar to his parents’ marriage. My parents fought bitterly. So, we are better off as friends. I can’t risk losing our friendship, even if this might be my chance—before his ex-girlfriend wins him back.
Those flickers of attraction? Easily extinguished by cold-water reality, like a two-mile hike in drenching rain over sand with wheelie luggage.
But our relationship is not sticking to the plot—or is it?
Wonderful Reviews
It has received some wonderful reviews:
“This is a beautiful friends-to-lovers story which really tugged at your heartstrings as our main characters battled with their own insecurities and background, and falling in love with each other whilst also battling this so as not to wreck their friendship.”
– NetGalley“I loved how closely the storyline in Penelope’s books and miniatures blog mimicked the events of her real life. Her side business in miniatures is her own form of art expression and seems to be a successful business even when her writing career is a challenge. So many aspects of this story felt like those photos of photos taken in a mirror, reverbated into infinity. I felt like I was sitting on Penelope’s shoulder, sharing her viewpoint and getting a clear line of sight into her thoughts. I felt so close to the story that at some points, I wanted to whisper to Penelope to just throw a tantrum and tell Rory to get rid of his horrible ex. I loved how, similar to Partner Pursuit, the city is such an integral part of the story, almost a character in itself. It’s a goodie.”
Read-athon2021, Instagram.“Funny, uplifting, true to life, relatable and cheerful. If you need [cheering] up, this is the perfect book for you.”
-NetGalleyLet’s Talk
I hope you are enjoying the holiday season! I’m so happy that I received an early holiday gift with the paperback publication day of Is This for Real? .
Wishing you all the best in 2022!
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Cover Reveal: Is This for Real?
Is This for Real? cover It’s time for the Cover Reveal for my second book, Is This for Real? It’s fake dating and friends-to-lovers and dogs and dollhouse miniatures! My cover was again designed by Lucy of Cover Ever After.
Is This for Real? Cover and Blurb Reveal
Here’s the blurb:
An opposites attract, friends-to-lovers, slow burn, fake dating romantic comedy
Love is all fun and games until somebody gets hurt. Usually me. I admit it, I’m a relationship-recluse. Ironic, given that I write romantic comedies. So, I’m on a sabbatical from dating.
Which is why fake dating my best friend Rory is foolproof. Rory suggested it because he needed a date for work functions. And I can use our experiences as fodder for my romcom novel.
Plus, my sister doesn’t know it’s not real and she is thrilled that I’m not walling myself off emotionally. Her words, not mine. But I do wish she would stop saying that she always suspected there was something more between me and Rory. She should realize that we’ve been friends forever so I’m immune to his appeal.
We would never work. Rory is such a romantic; he still believes in that perfect love similar to his parents’ marriage. My parents fought bitterly. So, we are better off as friends. I can’t risk losing our friendship, even if this might be my chance—before his ex-girlfriend wins him back.
Those flickers of attraction? Easily extinguished by cold water reality—like a two-mile hike in drenching rain over sand with wheelie luggage.
But our relationship is not sticking to the plot—or is it?
The e-book is available for pre-order (releasing January 11, 2022) and the paperback will be for sale in December 2021.
Blog Tour Interview with Julie of A Little Book Problem
Today, I’m also chatting with Julie of A Little Book Problem. Here’s one of my favorite questions, but check out her blog for the rest of the interview.
What is your favourite thing about being a member of the RNA? What do you think you have gained from membership?
I have gained so much. First, my favorite thing is the friendships I have made. I made so many friends when I was at the RNA Conference in Leeds. That was an amazing experience. Everybody was so friendly. I went not knowing anybody.
I met my now-critique partner Giulia Skye on the train to Leeds, and we immediately clicked as we discussed The Hating Game and the novels of Susan Elizabeth Phillips. Now we email each other weekly, and she is the one who encouraged me to indie-publish. But I’ve made a lot of friends at the RNA (also online via the Facebook groups). It is great being friends with other writers.
Second, I think the critiques in the NWS are invaluable.
Third, I also enjoy the camaraderie, friendships and mentoring in the Facebook groups.
Also, the RNA Conference, the online classes and the magazine articles are really helpful. I had a 1-to-1 consultation for my Partner Pursuit blurb at the RNA conference this past summer.
Let’s Talk
I hope you are all doing well. I just watched two fun romantic comedies LOVE HARD (Netflix) and THE LAST CONCEPTION (Amazon). Have you seen them? Any books or movies you’d recommend?
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Why I love HOW TO LOSE A GUY IN 10 DAYS
How to Lose A Guy in 10 Days movie There are so many reasons why I love HOW TO LOSE A GUY IN 10 DAYS. In my Gotham screenwriting class, we had to list our favorite movies and I said HOW TO LOSE A GUY IN 10 DAYS. I’m pretty sure that’s the first time my teacher heard that movie listed. I think he even did a double-take 🙂
Kristen Buckley, Brian Regan and Burr Steers wrote the screenplay based on the comic book by Michele Alexander and Jeannie Long.
WHY I LOVE HOW TO LOSE A GUY IN 10 DAYS
- Brilliant Premise
- Sparky Dialogue
- Set Scenes
- Inner Conflict
- Romance
- Rule of Three and Callbacks
- New York
PREMISE
The premise is brilliant because it insures that the two romantic leads in direct conflict. She is writing an article on how to lose a guy in 10 days making the mistakes some women make when dating (like being clingy or paranoid), so she is doing everything she can to lose him. He has to make a woman fall in love with him in 10 days and bring her to a client event in order to be able to pitch the diamond advertising account he wants. Basically no matter what she does, he is going to keep dating her.
The “diamonds are forever” angle adds another layer of conflict. He reminds himself that diamonds are forever, so this isn’t a one night stand. He wants to take it slow, changing the music and moving away from the bed; she is trying to make sure he is hooked by kissing him.
It’s also a twist on the “clumsy, emotionally open” romcom heroine because Andie is super cool and is only acting like the clingy and immediately emotionally open girlfriend to write the article.
SPARKY DIALOGUE
This one word dialogue exchange is so sparky and immediately showcases their chemistry and connection.
“Andie: Unattached?
Ben: Currently.
Andie: Likewise.
Ben: Surprising.
Andie: Psycho?
Ben: Rarely, Interested?
Andie: Perhaps.
Ben: Hungry?
Andie: Starving.
Ben: Leaving?
Andie: Now?”
From the script of HOW TO LOSE A GUY IN 10 DAYS.
SET SCENES
The premise leads to some hilarious set scenes as she gets more and more desperate in her attempt to lose him. There’s the scene where he’s cooking a lamb dinner (“bringing out the big guns” to make her fall in love with him), and she has brought over a box of girly things to move into his apartment, even though it’s only the second time she’s been there. The frilly toilet cover was a particularly good touch. Her interrupting his poker night with the boys is another hilarious scene.
INNER CONFLICT
What’s also well done is that Andie and Ben are falling for each other, which renders Andy conflicted about behaving like a crazy girlfriend and even about writing the article.
Meanwhile, Ben feels like he’s dating two people:
Thayer:
“I thought you said after the Knicks games, she was a goddess.”
Ben
“Oh she was. That was the good Andie, this amazing, fun cool, sexy woman. I’m talking about the evil Andie now. It’s like a crack-enhanced Kathie Lee Gifford”
HOW TO LOSE A GUY IN 10 DAYSThis personality switch first happens at the Knicks NBA final basketball game. At first, they’re both having a great time, and then Andy remembers that she has to be a nightmare girlfriend, so, in the last minutes of a tight tied game, she asks Ben to get her a soda.
ROMANCE
The romance is also well-developed, starting from their cute meet to their clicking at the basketball game. But it’s at the weekend with his family in Staten Island, when Andie is herself again, that their feelings deepen and they both acknowledge that they feel something real for the other. She plays Bullshit with his family and learns that she’s the first girl he has ever brought home. He then teaches her how to ride a motorbike. And she gets emotional about the fact that his mom hugged her. Their kiss then is a more heartfelt, slow kiss.
CALLBACKS
HOW TO LOSE A GUY IN 10 DAYS illustrates certain comedy techniques, namely Callbacks. First, in the dinner scene, she brings the baby fern over: “it’s a baby fern, just like our relationship, a helpless little baby in need of tender, loving care.” Second, when she interrupts his poker night, she sees that the baby fern is wilting (“Our love fern! You let it die!) and asks if he is going to let their relationship die. And finally, when Ben is pursuing her to win her back, he picks up the wilted love fern from her office and brings it to her.
The basketball game is also a recurring callback:
- the first game, when she makes him miss the final moment
- the second game: he thinks they will watch it from home, but she says she doesn’t eat meat so they have to go out and eat at a restaurant where he can’t see the game
- the third game: he thinks she has front row tickets (she doesn’t)
- the final game: they don’t watch it in at Madison Square Garden because they’ve broken up
Similarly, there’s a callback to the Bullshit game when she says she has to go to Washington D.C. to write the more substantive articles she wants to write and he says “bullshit.”
NEW YORK
And finally, it’s a love letter to New York with all the street scenes, the Knicks games, and even a visit to Staten Island.
Let’s Talk
Those are the reasons why I love HOW TO LOSE A GUY IN 10 DAYS. What are your favorite lines and scenes from How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days? What do you love about it? Do you have other favorite romantic comedies?
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Korean Drama RomCom Recommendations
I’ve become addicted to watching Korean dramas since watching CRASH LANDING ON YOU, so here are 6 Korean Drama RomCom recommendations. I am also slowly getting in shape via my workout regime of watching a Korean drama while biking. The cliffhangers get me on the bike every day.
WEIGHTLIFTING FAIRY KIM BOK-JOO
I love this Korean drama. This is about a woman, Kim Bok-joo, chasing her dream of becoming a professional weight-lifter, inspired by the real-life story of Olympic gold-medalist Jang Mi-ran. (So on point for this summer with the Olympics). Kim Bok-joo (played by Lee Sung-kyung) is pursued by a swimmer (played by Nam Joo-hyuk) training at the same elite college. Their relationship is so happy and adorable. And she also has a great group of girlfriends.
This one is available on Viki. Yang Hee-seung is the writer.
MY LOVE FROM ANOTHER STAR
My Love From Another Star Given how much I loved CRASH LANDING ON YOU, I wanted to watch the writer’s previous dramas. Park Ji-eun also wrote MY LOVE FROM ANOTHER STAR and it does not disappoint.
A Hallyu star falls in love with the alien next door who has to return to his planet in three months or die. So, there are similar high stakes, similar character growth (successful, isolated, self-centered woman and lonely, emotionally-withdrawn man) and a smart antagonist who is trying to kill the Hallyu star.
Gianna Jun plays the Hallyu star and Kim Soo-hyun plays the alien. Gianna Jun is a brilliant comedic actress. One of my favorite scenes is when she is plastered like a starfish against their shared wall trying to listen into the conversation next door between Kim Soo-hyun (whom she likes) and a woman she no longer trusts.
I also wanted to watch this after reading Dramabeans commentary recommending it while in the middle of CRASH LANDING ON YOU. Like many, the commentator was concerned about whether this couple from North Korea and South Korea were going to have a Happy Ever After, and she wrote, “this writer allowed an alien and a human to live happily together. What does it say about the state of our world if this couple from North Korea and South Korea can’t live together?”
I highly recommend reading Dramabeans recaps and commentary for any Korean dramas you are watching as the recaps can explain some points lost in translation and it’s illuminating to see other viewer’s reactions.
This one is available on Viki.
LEGEND OF THE BLUE SEA
Legend of the Blue Sea is about a mermaid (Gianna Jun) who falls for a con man (Lee Min-ho). The con man schemes are fun capers. Park Ji-eun (writer of CRASH LANDING ON YOU) also wrote this one. My third book has caper elements so it was fun to watch this and be inspired. And again, we have high stakes–it’s not clear how long mermaids can survive on land. This is available on Viki.
TOUCH YOUR HEART
Touch Your Heart movie poster from Wikipedia I highly recommend this one. It’s about an actress (Yoo In-na) who wants to play a lawyer in a film so she gets a job as a lawyer’s assistant to prepare for her audition for that role. She’s assigned to work for Lee Dong-wook who is a gruff and reserved, but extremely brilliant lawyer.
She seems initially to be very sheltered and flighty (and very into pink–think LEGALLY BLONDE), but she is actually quite smart underneath, and she gradually thaws his heart. As a former lawyer, I love how they interwove the legal work. And I love that she has all these skills (like cooking and checking out crime scenes) from learning certain trades to play various roles (like a chef and a detective).
It’s available on Netflix. It is written by Lee Myung-suk and Choi Bo-rim.
ROMANCE IS A BONUS BOOK
ROMANCE IS A BONUS BOOK is about an unemployed woman (played by Lee Na-young) who used to be a successful ad copywriter, but then left the workforce to take care of her aging mother and her daughter. After getting divorced from her cheating husband, she has no income and can’t seem to get a job because of her age. She applies to work for her best friend’s publishing company as support staff, deleting her qualifications from her resume.
This one is great for movie club discussions as it deals with the realities of an older woman trying to return to the workforce after she left to spend time being a stay-at-home mother. Her best friend (played by Lee Jong-suk) has always been in love with her and it’s about their navigating their personal and professional lives.
Jung Hyun-jung is the writer. It is based on YOUNGER (they acquired the rights to produce a Korean drama based on it). I still have to watch YOUNGER.
It is available on Netflix.
PLAYFUL KISS
Playful Kiss Movie Poster This one has the trope of the persistent, but less academically-inclined high school girl (played by Jung So-min) who has a crush on the mean, aloof, brilliant boy (played by Kim Hyun-joong), but I think that it’s well done. It works particularly well in showing how they both complement each other and make each other better. It also has a lot of laugh-out-loud moments. And there are even bonus episodes on Youtube. Go Eun-nim is the writer.
Available on Amazon.
Let’s Talk Korean Drama RomCom Recommendations
Have you watched any of these Korean dramas? Do you have any Korean drama RomCom recommendations? I would love to hear them! I am about to watch IT’s OKAY TO NOT BE OKAY.