Thursday, April 18, 2013

Second Chance Boyfriend by Monica Murphy ~ Guest Post & Giveaway


I'd like to welcome Monica Murphy to StuckInBooks!

Keeping Secrets


**Thanks Valerie for having me as a guest on the blog today!**


My characters Drew + Fable from One Week Girlfriend and Second Chance Boyfriend are full of secrets, especially Drew. Pretty much the entire plot of OWG revolves around Drew and all of the secrets he’s hiding and how they nearly destroy him.

Here’s where I make an embarrassing confession: Some of those secrets I reveal, I didn’t know they were going to happen when I started the book. As in, I knew the relationship I was going to create between Drew and Adele. I knew that there would be a death in the family and that was one of the main reasons Drew hated going back home. But that final revelation? The big bomb I dropped near the end?

I wasn’t sure if I should do it. I didn’t know if I wanted to go there. I worried I might take it too far…


I decided to go ahead and do it. And I’m glad I did (and I’m being purposely vague for those of you who haven’t read OWG yet). Another confession—it’s mentioned quite often in reviews that the secrets in OWG weren’t that big of a secret and that I did a bad job of hiding them.

My dearest readers, it was never my intention to hide those secrets with the exception of the final one and even then, I dropped hints. I wanted to take the reader on a journey of discovery through Fable’s eyes. She picked up real quickly that things weren’t right between Drew and Adele. I wanted it to be obvious. I wanted Fable and the reader to know what Drew’s secrets were…and hope like crazy that they can’t be true.

Anyone remember the movie The Sixth Sense? I loved that movie—and I figured it out on my own before the big reveal (I was so proud of myself). What I loved even more is a behind the scenes bit I saw and how many hints were sprinkled throughout the film. There were a bunch of them! But I was so caught up in the story I missed them completely.

Now, I’m no M. Night Shyamalan (writer/director of The Sixth Sense), but I tried to sprinkle a few clues throughout OWG. Trust me, I wanted you to figure out what Drew’s secrets were. I also wanted you to not want to know because oh my God, they’re awful.

Again with Second Chance Boyfriend, I didn’t quite know starting at the beginning of the book that I would end it the way I did. Everything was pretty much plotted out. Even what happens between Fable and Owen and their mom, yep I had that planned. But I didn’t know what to do with Adele…
This is where my crazy I’m a total pantster-type writer who doesn’t plot for crap method comes in. How do I balance the secrets and know when to reveal them? Since I’m making it up as I go along and I realize at whatever point of the book, “Wow I should totally do that!” well, that’s when I throw it in. Yeah, there’s no method to my madness whatsoever. I’m reading it/learning it as I write it.

I’ve read many times in articles about writing and craft that the writer should take their characters and do something totally awful to them. It’s hard to damage your babies. Makes you feel bad, you know? I love Drew + Fable. I have also put those two through the ringer. I give them a glimpse of true happiness in SCB and then I throw a wrench in it, I’m not going to lie. It can’t be all sweetness and light and easiness. Otherwise, the story would be boring.

After so many years of writing (eep another confession—I’m not a complete newbie), you learn about pacing. That’s the most important thing. That’s what makes a book fly as you read it. The pacing is so intriguing, with no extra stuff to drag it down, you can’t stop reading it. That was my goal as well with both OWG and SCB. I wanted it to be unputdownable. Part of that is focusing solely on the characters, specifically Drew + Fable. I came to this realization just recently—I never gave Fable’s mom a name. How crazy is that? I never named the town where Drew + Fable live, but it’s based on a town I went to college in.

Do those missing little details matter? I don’t think so. I hope not. I hope you’re all so caught up in the story of two broken people who can only heal when they’re together, that the small stuff doesn’t matter.

More than anything, I hope you fall completely in love with Drew + Fable and never want to let go of their story. I know I don’t want to let them go…








About the author:

Monica Murphy writes books with boys and kissing in them. She also likes to read books with boys and kissing in them. Writer of new adult contemporary romance-ish stuff. Mom and wife. Native Californian.






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Thanks, Monica.  I totally LOVED One Week Boyfriend!  (Check out my 5 star review here!)  I so saw it but was hoping beyond hope I was wrong, alas I was not.  It did make me love Drew so much more.  I'm currently reading Second Chance Boyfriend (Review very soon).  Love these two and hope the end is happy for them.



****GIVEAWAY**** 



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11 comments:

  1. I LOVE finding new authors - well, new-to-me-authors - and I am totally fascinated with this storyline already!

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  2. This author is obviously striking a chord with a ton of readers with both of her current books. I'd love to see what all the buzz is about. Thanks.

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  3. This sounds like a great read. Adding it to my read list.
    lauratroxelatyahoodotcom

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  4. Hi Tour twin! =) love love loved Monica's guest post!

    I have a Drew & Fable interview over at i*Heart*BigBooks today.

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  5. Great post! I think Monica did a perfect job w/the secrets b/c I did feel I was discovering Drew right along w/Fable. This series ranks among my favorites and I am so excited we get to meet Monica at RT!!

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    1. Wait? What? We do? Sweeeeet!

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    2. Valerie you're going to RT? Ooooh....so many wonderful people I get to meet yay! :)

      And thanks for having me on your blog today! *hugs*

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    3. I am! So excited to meet authors and my twitter pals. :) You are welcome on my blog anytime!

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  6. I love romance stories! :D Plus that necklace to so cute!
    Samantha D

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  7. Have heard great things about this book and plus I do want to read a book which is from New Adult Genre.

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