Stupidly funny in the best possible way. I loved the fact that oh-so-serious Marc and cannon-lit-studying Alex bonded over this film. Surely you jest!
Tag Archive | Waiting For a Girl Like You
The Goodyear Guide to West Virginia
Excerpt:
Paul made a derisive noise. “You are talking to the only Michelin rated short order cook on the planet.”
“You are not Michelin rated.”
“I can dream.”
Drew pushed through the door.
“Yes, I can see it now. The Michelin Guide to West Virginia,” Alex said, heading out.
“More likely to be the Goodyear guide to West Virginia.”
Michelin is a French tire company. As a marketing tool, they started producing a restaurant guide to convince people to take road trips. The Michelin guide became so successful that people stopped associating it with the tires at all. As it is a French restaurant guide, the rating of chefs was very important so to be a Michelin rate chef is a huge honor.
Goodyear is also a tire company. They used to be made in Akron, Ohio (also the former home of Firestone) and many West Virginians went up route 77 to Akron to find jobs in the tire factories. Thus, the joke about a Goodyear Guide to West Virginia.
Waiting For a Girl Like You available now.
Video Friday: Love Song
Okay Swift fans, cool your jets. This predates her and it’s Love Song, not Love Story. This song by Tesla is a long time favorite and it ties in nicely with the whole Love Song Of J. Alfred Prufrock.
What I’m Reading: John Steinbeck
The Chrysanthemums by John Steinbeck was the third of the trio of books that made such an impression on me that I nearly burst into tears in front of my Brit Lit prof. It’s not my favorite of the three, but I still don’t think I’ll ever plant chrysanthemums in my garden.
Why Marc is my favorite member of Touchstone.
Marc is smart. Very smart. But he’s not the musician he wishes he to be. Much to Marc’s great misfortune, Jason is the musician he wishes he to be. Every damn day he has to wake up to the fact that he’s never going to have the gift that Jason does. Or even the gift that Brian does. He’s clever, but he’s not brilliant. He’s good, but he’s not great, and no amount of hours spent practicing or studying other great musicians is going to change that. On his darkest days, he believes that he’s the weakest link in the band. But he’s accepted what he considers to be his handicap and he’s making the best of it. His talent, whether he likes it or not, is business.
How can you not love a guy like that?
Marc is a tall, struggling ex-smoker. He’s older than the other members of the band by a few years so he’s always been the elder. There’s a lot of Joe Elliott (Def Leppard) in him, but without Mr. Elliott’s terrific case of foot-in-mouth disease. There’s also a smidge of Jonathan Cain (Journey). I tried to mix in a little Paul McCartney (do you need his resume?) which comes out in his defensiveness though. I know, I know, Paul McCartney? Defensive? Trust me. Or don’t and dig into the story behind “Silly Love Songs.” Lennon makes a smart ass, bitter remark in the press and Paul writes a hit song in his own defense.
OMG, Joe Elliott, Jonathan Cain and Paul McCartney all in one. I may faint.
Waiting For a Girl Like You available now.
Video Friday: Twenty Flight Rock
This was the original title of Waiting For a Girl Like You all because I wanted Alex to live on the 10th floor of her dorm and for Marc to have to climb those stairs to get to her. Marketing didn’t like it, but the scene where they are arguing all the way up those 20 flights remains.
A Tale Of Two Guitarists
The root of the dynamic between Jason and Marc had its roots in two guitarists I happened to know. One of them is an extremely gifted player. The other is not so gifted, but extremely determined. I haven’t seen him for many years, but I’m sure of two things. One, he’s probably single and two, he’s still plugging away.
Player One* managed to screw up his life in the most shocking turn of events I’ve ever lived through (and if you watched my highlight reel, you’d be really horrified by that statement.) He was at the top of his (admittedly small) field. The best blues guitarist in our city. Taught <famous guitar player> of the <well-known, current group> to play guitar. Standing gigs that went for years. Many fans who were friends. Lots of guitar students. Married to a beautiful woman. Gorgeous house in the country, yet still close enough to everything, which he had bought from his parents for, most literally, a song. And then. You knew there was going to be an “and then,” didn’t you? And then he cheated on his wife. He didn’t want children and his wife had been willing to forego children for him. His mistress got pregnant. Divorce. He lost the house to his ex in the divorce mostly because his parents were pissed at him. Those friends who were fans and students? Well, when you do something so awful as to cheat on your wife, whom everyone loves, and have a child with your mistress, whom everyone recognized long ago as smarmy, you tend to lose those friends slash fans, who are the bulk of your audience. When you lose your audience, you lose your gigs. Poof.
Player Two was always a good guy. Reliable as the sun. I doubt Player One ever realized there was any rivalry between them, but Player Two did. He was acutely aware of every gig the other one got, every fan, every time someone stupidly opened their mouth in his presence to compare them and he came up short. (He had a little twitch at the corner of his mouth that gave him away.) He practiced constantly and researched. Last I heard, and I haven’t been around for a long time, he had a girlfriend, but it was a very low-key affair. Before that he had been in a serious, monogamous relationship with his craft. He was always good looking, in a tall, serious way. Not as flashy as Player One. No drama for him.
Personally, I can see the appeal of both sides. (Obviously, I wrote books using both character types.) Big drama, big loss. No drama, less risk. Of course, poor Marc ends up with big drama anyway, but that’s because he chooses a chick with baggage. In the end, that means he gets the big love after all. What would you choose?
*Names withheld to protect the innocent and not so innocent.
Waiting For a Girl Like You is available.
What I’m Reading: James Joyce
This collection is The Dubliners which contains The Dead, which I am still haunted by and two decades after reading it, I can summarize it on command. Test me on it. If you see me out and about, ask me what The Dead is about and I will tell you.
Waiting For a Girl Like You is here!
Hoping to dodge a scandal that could destroy her personal life and her career, Alex fled grad school for a summer job in tiny Potterville, West Virginia. She didn’t expect the town cupids to orchestrate a “chance” meeting with Marc—a sexy, brooding rock star who appreciates her love of poetry. But Alex doubts he’ll want anything more if he discovers the indiscretion she can’t forgive herself for…
Marc came to Potterville to get some space from his band and clear his head. But before he knows it, he’s intrigued with the waitress at the local diner. Alex is not only smart and beautiful, she’s inspiring his songwriting and taking it to the next level. Soon he’s falling for her—and then she runs away. For the first time, Marc is chasing after a woman—and giving both himself and Alex a chance to heal past hurts and take a chance on the future…
Excerpt:
“I think you’re nuts,” Marc said, pulling the car into park in front of Angela and Finn’s.
“I might be, but I have the opening shift and I can’t let Ida and Paul down.”
“So put in your notice tomorrow. Tell them you have a full-time job being in love with me.” He pulled her hand to his lips.
Alex shivered. He’d promised and meant it. At least, he meant it now. But Marc, something about the way he stammered over his words, made it seem too true for speech. It reminded her of the Mathew Arnold poem that said something about love being too weak to unlock the heart and let it speak. “I made a commitment, and I want to keep it.”
“Okay, but I think you’re going to regret every minute you’re not with me.” He drew a deep breath with his eyes fixed on hers. “I know I’m going to regret every minute you’re not with me.”
“No wonder you’re such a successful songwriter.”
He chuckled and released her hand. “I’ll see you tomorrow bright and early.”
“No. Don’t you dare come in until the end of my shift, or I’ll never get any work done. Ida will kill you.”
“Fine. I’ll be there tomorrow, and we can start planning that big trip to Italy you always dreamed of.”
Italy. Last night when he had suggested delaying her master’s for a semester to travel to Italy with him, it had taken all of ten seconds for her to agree. He loved her. Three months traveling through Italy with Marc and away from Roger. The master’s program would be there when she was ready, and by that time, maybe Roger would have gotten himself together so she wouldn’t have to worry about the two of them bumping into one another. The loans would have to be dealt with when the time came. She leaned in and pecked him on the cheek before jumping out of the car. Anymore than that, and she might never get into the house. “Bye.”
“See you tomorrow.”
He waited on the street until she closed the front door behind her. She leaned on it, sighing, listening to the car pull away. Angela and Finn both turned away from tonight’s crime dramedy to look at her.
“Well?” Angela asked. “He wants me to move in with him. He’s taking me to Italy.” Finn snorted and turned back to the TV, but Angela jumped up.
“Really? Italy? What about school?” “I’m going to delay it. He said they’re not going into the studio for a while so we can spend the time together. I might even transfer to UCLA to finish up. If I finish at all.”
“If? You’d quit?” “He mentioned marriage.” “Marriage!” Angela threw her arms around Alex. “I knew it. I just knew it. You two are perfect for each other.” “I guess so.” Alex pulled away and rubbed her face. “I have to clean up and get to bed. I open in the morning. Good night.” After a quick shower, she opened her e-mail. The first one was from the university congratulating her on finishing her master’s thesis, and if she had any questions “do not reply to this e-mail address, but contact your advisor.” Master’s thesis, she hadn’t… The time on the e-mail said it had arrived about an hour and a half after she and Marc had left the diner. She opened her sent e-mail. About the time Marc was declaring his undying devotion, she had snuck home and submitted a master’s thesis and had been back in time to sink sobbing into Marc’s arms.
Roger. That bastard.
Yanking on a T-shirt and a pair of jeans, she ran out to the living room where Angela and Finn were still planted in front of the television. “I need to borrow your car.”
Waiting For a Girl Like You is available now!
Video Friday: Waiting For a Girl Like You
Funny story. As my editor and I were gearing up to edit this book the marketing department sent us an email saying that the original title didn’t really fit with the rest of the books in the series. (It didn’t, but writers get myopic that way. That’s why we need marketing departments.) So I sat down with my very large iTunes catalog and started going through titles to see which one fit next best. I sent them five and they picked this one.
I was relating this story to a friend over lunch shortly thereafter and what do you suppose came on overhead play? It was destiny.
Waiting For a Girl Like You available now. (My book, not the song. You can find the song on your own.)
