Lights, camera, action!
I recently heard my new release Muskoka Spotlight being described as a celebrity romance book. I suppose it is, as it’s about a famous Hollywood actor hiding out in Muskoka, Canada where he meets an aged care nurse, and sparks fly, etc. It’s just I hadn’t really thought about it in that kind of way. I just considered it more of an opposites attract small-town romance, where the very type of person our Jesus-loving heroine thought she wanted turned out to be quite different to the one God had for her.
I really loved writing this book, and imagining the interactions between humble, not-too-pretty “Pastor” Jackie who has found contentment in her singledom, but if pressed to describe her ideal, certainly doesn’t need the tall, dark, handsome cliché hero. “He could be a plumber or a pastor for all she cared. She just wanted someone genuine, someone who loved Jesus and would love her.”
Contrasting this with so-famous-he-has-to-go-into-hiding Lincoln, who is used to women chasing him and being admired the world over, then meeting someone who certainly doesn’t, makes for a push-pull of attraction, and some really fun scenarios—especially when a gruff yet romantic-hearted grandfather in a nursing home gets involved.
And while some people might turn their nose up at the celebrity romance trope, other readers love it. And when you think about it, it’s not that dissimilar to other kinds of tropes, like royalty, sports star (hello!), and billionaire, all of which contain aspects of glamour tied with a (tiny!) degree of attainability and make for a classic escapist read.
Such romances aren’t completely unrealistic, after all. Like an Australian real estate agent who met a Danish prince in a Sydney bar. Or Kate Middleton who met Prince William while at university. Or billionaire Mike Cannon-Brookes who (apparently) met his wife at an airport lounge. And while countless gossip mags are devoted to the ins and out of the relationships between various actors and actresses, other relationships have flown a little more under the radar, or have met in more humble circumstances than on a film set or at a glitzy party. For example, Oscar-winning actor Matt Damon is reported to have met his wife at a bar. A few years ago, Zac Efron met an Byron Bay waitress at a cafe and started a relationship which lasted several months at least, until long distance put an end to it, or so they gossip mags say. (Who me, read them? Never. Except sometimes, at the hairdressers, but only for the fascinating source material…)
So I think many people enjoy reading celebrity romance books because it taps into that glamorous “almost possible” escapist realm, while there is enough reality to ground it in plausibility – at least while we’re reading the book. And I think readers always enjoy a good escape and an entertaining read.
Here’s a bit more about Muskoka Spotlight:
Jackie O’Halloran never expected her actions at a friend’s wedding in Muskoka to go viral. Even less did she expect to gain the notice of a famous Hollywood actor, Lincoln Cash, and all the temptation his handsome presence provides. But she’s a good Christian girl, so a man like him has to be out of the picture. Or so she thinks.
Linc’s visit to see his ailing grandfather was supposed to be a quick visit to Muskoka. He hadn’t counted on meeting a forthright young lady whose courage made headlines around the world. But as he gets to know her he’s tempted to stay, which just might prove dangerous for his agent’s peace of mind, and for Linc’s own heart.
Can these two opposites push past mere attraction to find real love? And what does faith have to do with it at all?
Buy now at Amazon / Other retailers
