Page 38 of Enemies in Earnest

So our version of Our Town was done Theater in the Round Style. No sets. Just us, only costumes and a spotlight, —which made us have to reallyactwithout depending on props or anything else that makes acting easier.

Anyhow our narrator was played by a woman, because all girls school - her name was Sarah and she did an amazing job. SO much so that when my college did Our Town my freshman year, I auditioned for the role of the narrator. I got a standing ovation from the people at the audition and I was absolutelycrushedwhen they told me they weren’t casting a female in that role that it was written as a man and so they were casting it as a man. They offered me some stupid assed role as like “woman in cemetery number two” I gave them the double finger and never auditioned for another play at in college again.

7. If you read the MOTM in order you’re more than likely just coming off Come to Papa— Matilda Martel’s book. I intentionally use the phrase more than once in my book and mention Felix and Harlow as a nod to her and her story. (Also if you’ve readmybookFlirt Like a Champmy Harlow and her Harlow are not the same people… we just both have great taste in naming characters ??). They were sort of aligned. Book nerds.academics, Hemingway. She and I are pretty similar in our neediness for literary things. And when we signed up for holidays for this years MOTM I practically humped the calendar laying claim to Hemingway Day. I don’t know if she wanted it too… but given she’s right before me in June maybe she did ??But so that’s why I have Edwin say “Come to Papa”

If you know you’re Hemingway you might know that he was referred to as Papa. Which was sort of why I had Edwin say it.

If this is the first book you’re read from me and you’re curious about the Asher/Marley sub plot: Asher and Marley’s mom don’t have a story. It was something I threw in as an aside in Marley’s story: Screwg’d — it continued in her and Bear’s Wedding Story: Independence Bae, and continued even further in Witch Please. That little plot point has been hanging out there for so damn long that when I finally saw MOTM was going to be based in the Keys I thought now is my chance to finally close that loop. So if you want to learn about Marley, Bear, and that whole world, those would be the books to start with. Also, if you want to hear about that reunion from Marley’s perspective, keep scrolling I’ve added it as a bonus scene. It’s a rough that I wrote AFTER this was edited and proofed so its got my eyes on it, and ProWritingAid.. so please don’t come at me for nitpicky stuff please and thank you.

As you’ll see — my characters all kind of pop in and out of each others books, so through those you’ll meet other characters and you can follow any number of branches about other people. They (Marley & Ted/Bear) also briefly get mentioned in Felicity’s Sister’s book: Date & Switch and then in Felicity & Klaus’ book: Rental Clause

8. If you’re reading the Christmas in July from MOTM books alongside the regular MOTM Books and you’re like no one else mentions this Tropical Storm, Willow. ????‍?? I’m not part of the xmas in July group and I’ve had a storm planned in mine since I put up my blurb—so ??????‍??

9. Yes I put yet another person/group of people at Oxford. IDK why. It just seemed to make sense if Acacia’s mom was from Spain that if she were a high achiever, Oxford would be in her sights. I have to do the math and see if Acacia would have been there at the same time as any of my other Oxonians. I feel like she might overlap with Sebastian, Imogen and Phoebe. Perhaps at some point there will be some quirky kismety way to bring them all together.

Speaking of kismety things… I don’t think I had a single sign from the universe with this book. It could be because there is such a hurricane of life happening right now that I wasn’t as attuned to or dialed in as I usually am. IDK. Now I’m a little bit bummed that there’s nothing to offer up.

10. I know nothing about hurricanes. I apologize to any Floridian that is like Willow you trippin. Mea Culpa. My only experience with hurricanes and tropical storms are from my in-laws who live in Port Charlotte. And when there was literally a hurricane barreling down on them they were like “meh—it probably will just be a little rain and maybe some mud in our lanai” and my husband and I were like THE EYE IS LITERALLY PROJECTED TO PASS RIGHT OVER YOUR HOUSE and they were all ??????‍??. We all grew up in the midwest. We had tornados and that was it. Maybe I over-blow the tropical storm but I figured its similar to a really bad thunderstorm that has tornado like winds without the tornado.

11. Six-Toed Joe, a black and white, six toed kitty with a black mustache that makes him look like a Mario, is actually a real cat. But his name isn’t Six-Toed Joe and he doesn’t live in the Florida Keys. His name is actually Mario, and he belongs to my friend Author Melissa Huie and he is SO cute. So… sorry not sorry for putting her cute little kitty, six toes and all in my story.

12. Also, yes I did in fact drop yet another Gilmore Girls reference into a book. :) They will never get old for me. Haha. I recently read somewhere that when you are stressed out that you return to comfort shows because you know what is going to happen in them and therefore you don’t have anxiety over the outcome of each episode. Gilmore Girls has always been that show for me. My husband has actually gotten to the point that when he comes home from work snd sees me watching an episode of Gilmore Girls he’s like “Oh shit what happened?” I will always be Team Logan haha and the more I read about Amy Sherman Paladino the more disappointed I am, but Gilmore Girls will never not be my favorite show.

I dedicated this book to my friend, fellow author M.A. Foster. She and I are sprinting partners. In that we message one another on weekends and say “hey are you writing” and then we set a timer for usually thirty minutes and write. If it wasn’t for her, this book legitimately wouldn’t have gotten finished. She also incidentally lives in Florida. While I’m writing this book she’s writing a college football book so I’d be like “How soon would people start evacuating for a tropical storm” and she’d be like “Where would a tight end place in the draft.” It was a blissful partnership.

Alright, I think that is it for me. Keep turning for the rest of the Man of the Month books, the piece from Marley and some of the rest of what I’ve been doing.

As always, thank you so much to each of you for supporting my dreams. There is nothing I love more than coming and playing make believe in worlds of my choosing. (And hearing from readers always gives me a boost—legit) Especially the ones who mention how much you love my Mea Culpas hahaha ????

Writing has always been my solace and my escape, and I am eternally grateful that you sit down somewhere around the world, take hold of my hand, and allow me to show you what I’ve created. Thank you. From the very bottom of my heart.

As aways Andi Lynne and the Unicorn Tribe there is no one I am more grateful to than each of you. ILY infinity. xox

Pay A Visit to Willow’s Worlds!

Love on the Air Series

Screwg’d(Bear & Marley)

Bed of Roses(Raven & Penn)

Independence Bae(Bear & Marley, Raven & Penn and some old friends from Dirty Little Secret & Secrets of the Heart)

The Miller Sisters (Love on the Air Spinoff)

Date & Switch(Sera Miller & Bryce Ellis (Penn’s Brother)

Rental Clause(Felicity Miller & Klaus Baer)

Under a Starless Sky (Date & Switch Spin Off) – Appeared in Christmas Anthology will release this Christmas

Enemies in Ernest(Acacia & Edwin (Klaus’ Cousin)

Salve (Rex Miller & Regina Cole - Felicity & Sera’s brother) Coming 2024!

The Murray Brothers

Thirst Trap(Beckett & Lane)

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