Romy Sommer's Blog, page 4

I need your help

Everyone loves a reformed bad boy, right? The man the heroine's mother always warned her about. The man the heroine herself would rather have nothing to do with, but of course she still falls for him.

So why am I struggling to come up with movie examples of rom-coms where the bad boy is reformed through the love of the right woman? It really shouldn't be so hard!

So far I've come up with the following examples:
Johnny Castle in Dirty Dancing. The bad boy who turns out not to be so bad after all.Matthew McConaughey in How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days. The heartless womaniser who finds the one woman he wants to settle down with.Flynn Rider in Disney's Tangled. Edward Cullen in Twilight.But there must be more, and this is where I need your help. Can you suggest any other movies with a bad boy hero?

PS: This is serious research, I promise, not just an excuse to indulge a bad boy fetish!

Movie Review: The Next Best Thing

I had a blast from the past on the weekend when I rewatched this movie from 2000. I remember it being a sweet, touching story - which just goes to show that either my memory is failing or I've changed a lot in thirteen years.

Madonna's character is such a bitch through the second part of the movie that I'd have slapped her if I could.
After spending the first part of the movie convincng us (a tad unbelievably) how much she wants a child, and what a great mom she is, this entire characterisation goes out the window when she meets a man. She becomes completely selfish, severing all ties between her son and the only father he's ever known.

Why? Because Rupert Everett as the Dad is an abusive waste of space? No, simply because he doesn't want his son to move across the country and never see him again.
Huh? Does she not know how many single women struggle to find a positive father figure for their sons in this day and age?

But it gets worse. The custody battle between the two made my blood boil. The devoted dad is told by his lawyer that he doesn't stand a chance of getting any sort of custody because ... wait for this ... he's gay.

This wasn't the 1980s. This was the start of the new millenium. Were US laws seriously that discriminatory such a short time ago?

The final scene is played out on a hilltop. Rupert Everett walks up the hill to his parked car. Why had he parked his car in this arb spot? Why was he walking to get to it? We'll never know.
Though no doubt the director thought the view would make a sweeping backdrop to the movie's climax. It does, but it's also so random that it completely took me out the scene when I should have been crying great big crocodile tears.


And what was with the shadows over everyone's foreheads throughout the movie? Boom shadow - or someone's idea of art?



The Amazon editorial review describes this movie as "lazily directed" and I completely agree. There was some great material here - great actors (Lynn Redgrave among them) and a wonderful opportunity to examine the modern family dynamic - but it never reaches its potential. The only highlight of this seriously anti-climactic movie was Neil Patrick Harris in a supporting role.

The best thing to come out of The Next Best Thing is that I'd love to rewrite this story in my own way. Maybe I will...

Endless Possibilities

It's play time! Today we're playing Endless Possibilities. Guess where in the world this is and who lives behind these doors.

There are no prizes, just the fun of letting your imagination run free. Leave a comment below to tell me your story behind this picture.

From www.pinterest.com

Reviews!

I've been a bad, bad blogger these last few weeks, but I rationalise it by saying I'm sure you'd all rather have my next book than yet another blog post. Right?

But just so you don't forget me, here's a quick round-up of some of the lovely reviews Waking up in Vegas has had so far. Thank you to all the reviewers for taking the time to not only read the book, but to write down and share your thoughts. Reviewers rock!

Desere Steenberg of Romance Book Haven's Contemporary Romance Reviews gave the book 5/5:
"I highly recommend this read to everyone that enjoys a fun and spicy romance read with a difference. The fact that the author incorporated a fairy tale backdrop made it that much more magical!"
You can read the full review here.

Jeannie Zelos gave the book 4 stars on her blog:
"This is a fun romantic tale with a lovely HEA. Sometimes you want light-hearted and funny and this book does it."
You can read the full review here.

And 4 hearts from Cat at The Cat's Meow:
"If you like a Cinderella type sweet romance, complete with princes, and castles and kingdoms, toss in  a modern day setting, with a strong female lead, that is afraid to follow her heart and accept her prince charming,  lots of sensuous romance you will love this one."
You can read the full review here.

From Andrea Heltsley Books: "I give this read four glittery stars for being a fun, romantic read!"
You can read the full review here.

And the most recent review is from Laura at Laura's Book Reviews:
"I really enjoyed this author's writing style; it was easy to read and the pace and flow was perfect. This was quite a surreal book in places; it bordered on the fantasy boundary but was deep seated in reality for the most part....This would be a great read for the beach or sitting in the garden."
You can read the full review here.
Best of all, Laura got my Katy Perry glitter reference!]

The Next Big Thing

Mega congratulations to my fellow Minx, Lorraine Wilson, whose debut book, Confessions of a Chalet Girl has sold to Harper Impulse! Well done, Lorraine - so, so proud of you!

* * *
I’ve been tagged by Rachel Brimble (a friend from our earliest days together with The Wild Rose Press) to join in The Next Big Thing.

Rachel is a versatile and prolific author who writes historical & contemporary romances and romantic suspense for (amongst others) Harlequin's SuperRomance and Omnific. She lives near Bath in England, which is the setting for the book she talks about in her contribution to The Next Big Thing. You can find out more about Rachel's books here.

If anyone isn’t familiar with The Next Big Thing, it's a blog chain that gives authors the opportunity to discuss their latest books, while getting word out about the author who tagged them - and then tagging other authors to keep the chain going. It’s also a great way for readers to learn more about the many wonderful stories out there and new soon-to-be-favorite authors!

I participated in The Next Big Thing once before, chatting about An Innocent Abroad .
Here are my new questions and my answers...

1) What is the working title of your book?
I've tentatively titled this book Plan B (which is a whole lot catchier than its original name of Rik's Story!)  

2) Where did the idea come from for the book?  
Even before I started writing my debut novel Waking up in Vegas, I was intrigued to know what became of Max's big brother Rik after he was unceremoniously booted out of Westerwald. This is Rik's story.

3) What genre does your book come under?

It's a contemporary romance, with some comic elements thrown in.

4) Which actors would you choose to play your characters in a movie rendition?
This is easy to answer since I start planning my books by first finding images online that fit the characters.

Rik is very definitely Tom Hardy as he appears in This Means War. Beneath the tattoos and stubble, he's a complete gentleman - but for the first time in his life he's giving in to a rebellious streak.

The heroine, Kenzie, is a little more difficult to cast, since the perfect image I found was on Pinterest and I have absolutely no idea who she is!

Can you recommend any ginger-haired, delicate actresses who might suit the role?

5) What is the one-sentence synopsis of your book?
Rik is in desperate need of a Plan B for his life. Kenzie is the queen of coming up with Plan Bs. Will there be a place for her in his new life?

6) Is your book self-published, published by an independent publisher, or represented by an agency?

 This book will be published by Harper Impulse.

7) How long did it take you to write the first draft of your manuscript?

Ouch - I'm still busy with it! But since my deadline to deliver to Harper Impulse is 8 weeks away, I can tell you that it definitely won't be more than another 8 weeks!

8) What other books would you compare this story to within your genre?
I find it so hard to compare my books to others, because every book seems so different. The one book that it most certainly compares to is my debut novel, Waking up in Vegas, to which this story is linked.

9) Who or what inspired you to write this book?
See question two! In a way I guess you could say it was my curiosity about Rik that inspired this story.

10) What else about your book might pique the reader’s interest?
This book is set in a sunny, exotic locale. And there are sea turtles.

***
Now it's time to tag some of my fellow authors to participate in the Next Big Thing. However, since almost everyone I know has already taken part, if you're reading this, are a writer, and haven't yet done a Next Big Thing post, then consider yourselves tagged!

And just because it's my blog and I can, here's another gratuitous picture of Tom Hardy.

An epiphany... that's just not me, but how cool is that?

I grew up in love with movies. I dreamed myself into more movies and TV shows than you can imagine. I loved movies so much that I wanted to make them. So I went off to film school and then started working in the movie business.

Maybe it's because I shifted from making real films to advertising that (finally!) helped me realise today's epiphany. There are people who believe in the art of advertising and who have dedicated their lives to crafting great TV ads, but from where I sit it's just the pretty face of selling stuff. There are people who love the process of making movies, the technical and creative challenges. Thank heavens for all those people - but I've finally realised that's not me.

It's taken me close to 20 years (okay, maybe not that long, but some days it feels longer!) to realise that I didn't really want to make movies, and that what I loved about them was stories .

I wanted to be involved in making stories and I finally am. Now I get to write stories that others can imagine themselves in. And I get to write the stories that I imagine myself in!
At long last I can watch a TV show, fantasise that I know the fictional characters ... and then write down those stories that I dream up. And I get to call it work! How cool is that?

Thank you Universe for helping me (finally!) discover a career as a writer, and thank you for letting me do what I love.

Endless Possibilities

It's very nearly pay day, so let's celebrate by getting our creative juices flowing with a game of Endless Possibilities. How to play? Just look at the picture below and let your imagination fly. Where is this? And who lives behind that door. Tell me your story...

From www.pinterest.com
My newest 1920s Rae Summers romance Prohibited Passion is free today and tomorrow only (Friday 24 and Saturday 25 May) on Amazon and Amazon UK. Please, please download!

Inspiration, opening chapter and Kansas

If you haven't yet got your hands on a copy of Waking up in Vegas, you can read the opening chapter here for free to try before you buy.

Finally, my heartfelt wishes go out to everyone in Kansas. I cannot imagine the devastation you're dealing with today, and I hope you're safe.

Out and About

It's been just over a week since Waking up in Vegas released and what an awesome ride it's been!

During this week I've been interviewed by Hot Pink Typewriter, received reviews on Amazon, Goodreads and Contemporary Romance Reviews and I've introduced you to my hero Max and to my heroine Phoenix. More fabulousness coming your way soon.

If you'd like a visual glimpse behind the scenes of Waking up in Vegas, including the settings as well as the characters, take a look at my WuiV Pinterest board.

I also want to send a shout out to my fellow Minx, Kitty French. Way to go, girl! (PS: I want to be like you when I grow up).

And now... YAY!! It's Friday! Roll on the weekend!

The inspiration behind Waking up in Vegas

Today is release day for Waking up in Vegas!

And as you're reading this I'm sitting beside the road somewhere watching a Toyota TV advert being filmed. Hopefully I'm warm, comfortable and not too exhausted from an early morning start.

So what are you still doing here? Have you gone off and bought my book yet?
Oh, okay. If you've already bought your copy, then you're allowed to stay a little longer and read on...

Waking up in Vegas started with a dream. Not a metaphorical dream but a literal one. I woke up one morning and thought “now that would make a great story”.

I wrote the first draft three years ago, in 30 days during the mad month of November. I submitted it to a publisher only to receive a personalised rejection that said the opening just wasn’t innovative enough.

So I set the story aside, wrote a bunch of other stuff, learned the craft, and then one day late last year, as I was driving home from work, singing at the top of my lungs to Katy Perry (my car being the only safe place I can sing without being heard) it came to me – the perfect opening to Max and Phoenix’s story.

It was just about November and I was planning on doing Nanowrimo again, so I decided to give these poor star-struck lovers another go. I wrote the entire story over again from scratch. The only things that remained from that draft three years ago were the characters, and the fictional country of Westerwald.

This time it only took me 29 days to write their new story, and it was the most fun I’ve had writing. Ever. Thank you Katy Perry!

I knew in my heart this story was going places, so I made a list of my ideal publishers who I thought could do justice to it (all two of them) and sent off my manuscript. Cue two rejections (one of which has to be the loveliest rejection letter of all time). But I wasn’t fazed.

I still believed in this story, and I wasn’t going to let just anyone get their hands on it. If I couldn’t get a dream publisher to back this story, then I’d go it alone. I bought a cover and contracted an editor, and was all set to brave the Sea of Self Publishing.

A few days later, as I idly surfed my Twitter stream, I spotted a link to an announcement of a new digital first imprint from Harper Collins. I clicked on the link and landed up on a Facebook page. There wasn’t much information, what with the page being brand new, but I was sold.

Not only was this a Big 5 Publisher, but it had Kimberly Young at the helm. Since I’d met Kimberly at a conference last year, I sent off my manuscript straight away, with a cheeky reminder that we’d met. Then I sat back, anticipating a lengthy wait. After all, this is publishing - where everything happens two years from now.

This was the least anxious wait I’ve ever endured. I knew this story was a winner, and I knew I had a back-up plan in case Harper Impulse didn’t like it. Two weeks into the wait I heard (via one of those friends of a friend but you can never remember afterwards where you heard it from) that the HI editors were having an acquisitions meeting. And I just knew.

That was when the sweating started. And the doubts. They’d only had my story a couple of weeks. Perhaps they hadn’t even read mine yet? Was I insane to think they’d buy my book?
I stalked my Inbox. A week passed. Nope, they definitely hadn’t read it yet. Or if they had, they hated it.
I gave up stalking my Inbox. Oh well, there was always Plan B…

Then, when I’d stopped watching my inbox altogether, the email arrived…

You can read more about The Call here.

You can’t get a better dream publisher than Harper Collins – unless it’s being a launch title for a brand new HC imprint, and unless it’s staffed by such lovely and talented people as Harper Impulse is.

Thank you Universe for sending me the dream that made every other dream come true!