As this is a fairly short story, there are only two characters in this Casting Call.
Cynthia Winterspoon's picking up the pieces after a messy split from her husband. At 37, she's reluctant to start over, and ready to fight for the business she's built from scratch.
Thoughtful and kind, she's not prepared for a new guy in her life. Rex Reynolds is nothing like the rock star persona he projects, but a motorcycle accident leaves them both reeling.
Scarlett Johannson would be perfect as Cyn.
Rex Reynolds, rock god and general hot mess, thinks his life is pretty much figured out. Until a motorcycle accident robs him of his memory - except for two things. His love of music, and the girl he loves. But the girl, Cyn, doesn't seem to remember him.
At 37,
Cynthia Winterspoon is a self-made millionaire, more popular than Martha
Stewart. Women love her decorating and recipe ideas for every season, geared
toward shabby chic, affordable for the middle class. Cynthia lives by her
motto: Make your life enjoyable. Except that her husband just left her for a
woman barely out of high school, and is suing her for everything she has. The
scandal’s rocked her world, but nothing compared to the shakeup after she meets
rock star Rex Reynolds.
Rex
Reynolds, rock god and general mess, has everything he could possibly need—except
love. The real kind, that inspires the greatest love songs. An appearance on a
late night talk show seems just another gig until he meets Cyn, the sweetest,
kindest woman whose thoughtfulness touches his soul. When a motorcycle accident
robs him of his memory, one image blazes bright in his mind: Cyn. He’s
convinced she’s his fiancee. Now all that stands between him and true happiness
is her hesitancy.
Can his amnesia
help them both remember what’s most important?
Casting Call (coming soon)
Reviews (coming soon)
Excerpt
If only
he’d take off those damn sunglasses, she’d have a better idea of what he was
thinking. Maybe.
“They were
right.” He jutted out his chin.
“Who?” Had
he heard something? Known all along about her husband? Maybe he was the real
tabloid spy. She released an inward groan.
“Whoever
said you were a good listener. I’ve never bared my thoughts to anyone else.”
She
practically melted with relief. “You are, too. I feel better having let it all
out.” To a complete stranger. Not her smartest move.
“So do I.
I actually feel as if a weight’s been lifted from me.” He tore off the Ray Bans
and leaned toward her. “Don’t let any man treat you less than a princess.”
She ducked
her head. Not even as a girl had she dreamed of being royalty. Frilly dresses?
Too hard to climb trees wearing them. Nor were palaces her style, debutante
balls or any of the other nonsense. None of it seemed much fun.
“I’m not
very good with pedestals. Unless I’m giving it a makeover.” But she could
imagine him a prince, easily. Light blue flecked his dark blue eyes, the effect
mesmerizing. “You have lovely eyes.”
A slow
smile crept over his face. “Too much mascara and liner, I’m told.”
“A
little.” Way more than her. “But I imagine you need the look to maintain your
image. And you wear it well.”
Brows
furrowed, he leaned even closer. “Who are you?”
Warmth
flushed her face. “Should have introduced myself earlier, sorry.” After
recovering from the near-faint, perhaps? Or should she have waited until after
insulting him? “Cynthia Winterspoon.” She extended her hand.
“A princess
name if I ever heard one.” He bent his head to touch his lips to her fingers,
cradled gently in his hand.
Excitement
tiptoed across her skin. She forgot to argue against the royal title.
“Well,
Cyn.” He made it sound so sexy and slightly devilish. “You have lovely eyes,
too.” His gaze swept down to her lips, her cleavage. “Lovely… everything. But
your eyes, they’re captivating. The term ‘doelike’ comes to mind. I haven’t
seen any woman pull off such an innocent-sexy combo since Marilyn Monroe. I bet
you’re a real man eater, aren’t you?”
No, but
she’d be willing to learn. She almost forgot to breathe. And something even
more important. “What’s your name?”
Surprise
flickered across his face. “Rex Reynolds.”
“And
you’re in a band? What do you do, play guitar?” Up close, he lost some of the
bad boy mystique. His scruffy look had been carefully cultivated—too much hair
product gave the stringy effect. His clothes were rumpled, but clean. The scent
of coconut and lime teased her senses. The stubble on his chin couldn’t be more
than a day old.
“Not a
fan, eh?” He shot a dubious glance at her boots. “Let me guess. Country music?”
She tilted
her chin. “Classical.”
“Wagner,
Rachmaninoff, Beethoven? That sort?” He knit his brow. “Nothing contemporary?”
She
repressed the urge to apologize. “My parents forbade it.”
Another
full body scan, ripe with appreciation, left her feeling more naked than she
could remember.
He took
her hands in his. “You’re all grown up now, Cyn. Take a walk on the wild side.”
Spoken like a flirty tease, and a challenge that invited her somewhere soft and
warm, where her wildest, most decadent dreams could come true.
I thought about doing NaNoWriMo this year. In fact, I even signed up for it. But my WIPs had other ideas. I have so many that have been knocking around in my head for too long. Years, in fact. I want them out. Gone. Too many voices in my head talking at once makes me a cranky writer.
And last month, another story idea hit me and took off. I'm at 21k now and don't want to put that on hold because the flow is going strong. You gotta ride those waves when they come, or they'll flow back out into the sea.
Of all things to inspire my muse, a TV commercial for a series or special starring Martha Stewart and Bret Michaels stopped me long enough to think, "what a weird combination." Then the characters morphed into a rock star and a younger decorator, and they started talking. Fleshing out their back story, what they wanted, and then - best of all - surprising me with little twists. I had to start writing fast to keep up with it.
Those are the best kind of stories. Like little gifts. So I decided to share the first chapters on WattPad. I've been posting some other stories, in whole or in part, if you'd like to check them out. Here's the blurb for Rock My World:
At 37,
Cynthia Winterspoon is a self-made millionaire, more popular than Martha
Stewart. Women love her decorating and recipe ideas for every season, geared
toward shabby chic, affordable for the middle class. Cynthia lives by her
motto: Make your life enjoyable. Except that her husband just left her for a
woman barely out of high school, and is suing her for everything she has. The
scandal’s rocked her world, but nothing compared to the shakeup after she meets
rock star Rex Reynolds.
Rex
Reynolds, rock god and general mess, has everything he could possibly need—except
love. The real kind, that inspires the greatest love songs. An appearance on a
late night talk show seems just another gig until he meets Cyn, the sweetest,
kindest woman whose thoughtfulness touches his soul. When a motorcycle accident
robs him of his memory, one image blazes bright in his mind: Cyn. He’s
convinced she’s his fiancee. Now all that stands between him and true happiness
is her hesitancy.
Can amnesia
help them both remember what’s most important?
Eventually, I'll self-publish the story, so created this cover:
What do you think?
Do you use WattPad, as a reader or writer? Are you doing NaNo this year?
