Pinar Tarhan, Author at Addicted to Writing

6 Ways to Find and Develop Your Romance Novel Idea: Free Chapter from How to Write An Amazing Romance Novel

Posted on December 6, 2019 Written by Pinar Tarhan

Hey fellow writers!

My birthday gifts continue. My official birthday is tomorrow, but I already had one delicious chocolate cake yesterday.

For the last three days, I’ve posted the first three chapters of my romcom novel Making A Difference (M.A.D.) (aff. link). Chapter links are below:

For romance writers, I crafted How to Write an Amazing Romance Novel.

If you want to get a taste of the book before you buy it, here’s the chapter on finding and developing your romance novel idea.

Finding the Idea: 6 Ways to Find and Develop Your Romance Idea

Sometimes it just comes to you, and everything’s just right. Often, the idea needs to be tweaked a bit. But there will be occasions when you’ll need to fight for it. You’ll only find a concept worth writing about by digging deep, which might include some long and frustrating brainstorming sessions.

When it comes to you

The idea for Making A Difference (M.A.D.), my romance novel, came to me during my second year in college. I was sitting at a Public Relations class taught by this famous professor who was a PR legend in my country. She was in her late seventies, early eighties and shared fascinating true stories. One story stood out in particular, and she became the basis of Faye, a cool supporting character whose influence shaped my romantic hero into the man he is.

My hero Jay, aka the male protagonist, was partly inspired by this other great teacher I had the year before. Here’s the funny part: They don’t really resemble each other. The one thing they had in common was how entertaining, informative, and engaging their lectures are. I loved this teacher so much I’d drag myself out of bed for his classes, come hell or high water, bad health or sleepless nights. I felt betrayed when we ended up getting only one class from him.

College is a time when a lot of students develop crushes on their professors or TAs. While I didn’t develop a crush on a teacher, I had several friends who did. And I wondered what it would be like if I had. What if there was a teacher who I was so attracted to that it distracted me? And wouldn’t it be complicated if that teacher was attracted to me too?

But professors having affairs with students is not exactly fresh, or very romantic, is it? Think about it. There is a power imbalance. There is usually an age difference. And the yuck factor is high if the teacher is married. The yuck factor intensifies if this teacher has done it more than once. Now you, and potentially your readers, have zero respect for both of your main characters.

But what if…this teacher was so not happy with his feelings for his student? What if he wasn’t a full-time teacher? What if he went out of his way to avoid his feelings? What if the student was extremely passionate and believed in following her heart no matter what? What if the age difference was minimal? What if he was obsessed with ethics and walked the walk? What if they were both single?

Now, you have no reason not to root for your characters. Sure, it is still awkward and difficult, but it could happen to you. Have you never been attracted to someone you shouldn’t be attracted to? Is ten years of age difference really that bad when it comes to love? And you have created a ton of internal and external conflict by making characters’ personality and values differ from each other.

So Making A Difference (M.A.D.) was born:

“Everybody loves Jay. He’s that humanitarian PR guru who doesn’t live like the rich and runs a profitable company so that he’ll have more resources to help people. He defines himself through how much he and his company make a positive impact.

He’s engaged to a gorgeous CEO whose purse collection could feed the homeless in NYC, but he’s only human.

If anyone notices the irony, it’s Jay’s new partner Zoe. 10 years older than her, Jay is the reason she studied PR. So when Jay’s business partner/best friend takes a less pressuring position, she’s delighted to return to the firm she interned for.

But Jay and Zoe have a big secret: 5 years ago, they fell hard for each other. She was a student at NYU where Jay was a lecturer. To Jay, his legacy was everything, and he’d never risk his reputation by dating a student. Moreover, he’d die before he let Zoe ruin her career. She is furious he doesn’t take the risk for them. She even leaves the country for a year to get over him.

And now she’s happily coupled-up with lovely writer Colin.
Colin detests Jay, and he doesn’t even know the entire story. Zoe’s upset Colin’s turning into a whiny jerk, but he’s the first guy she has felt strongly for in a long time.

Jay can no longer dismiss his feelings as nostalgia, but Zoe’s still furious at him. And the last time he tried to fix things, she left the company and the country. And now that the stakes are even higher.

Will Jay be able to follow his heart even when improving the world seems easier?”

How the what ifs and following questions came together

So Jay Clark, my male protagonist, became the grandson of a PR guru, the co-owner of a successful PR company and humanitarian who was dedicated to making the world a better place. There is no catch, no hidden agenda. He just wants to improve the world – and he does so by helping as many people as he can with healthcare, food, and shelter. He is a workaholic who defines himself through his work, so he doesn’t really care much about dating or romance.

I have read and watched too many characters who care about their reputation and will do anything to protect it. What makes Jay different is that he avoids doing anything that might harm his reputation in the first place. If you have nothing to hide, it’s much easier to avoid a scandal.

So if he doesn’t pursue his romantic interest, how do you get them to spend time together? By making them mentor/mentee, boss/employee, and really good friends. This is contemporary romance. The novel isn’t set in the 20s. It is expected to see professors hanging with their students. So it is both heaven and hell for these characters to be together all the time (and they want to be), but not being able to actually be together as a couple.

How do you throw them together after college is over? How do you create new (or redefine former) obstacles to keep them apart?

Another common thing to do is giving your main characters other love interests. Nothing complicates things further than other significant people.

They don’t live in a vacuum, and the purpose of their existence isn’t just to find love or to be together. The trick is to get them to be with these other people without making their feelings for each other seem less special. But also you don’t want your main characters to come off as completely selfish jerks. You want them flawed, but not as heartless or cruel.

But how much your characters can get away with, how much they can be forgiven for depends on the world you created and your own values. If you are going to have your characters commit adultery or murder, for instance, you better show us damn good reasons for us to still root for them. Most of us flex our values and morals for fiction, especially if you give us enough redeeming circumstances.

Let’s take adultery. I am, as a person, 100% against the concept. I’m so against it, in fact, that when someone forgives a cheating partner and stays with them in a story, I’m immediately turned off. But there have been some exceptional fictional examples that inspired me to start a fun blog post series called “When Adultery is Okay.” On my entertainment site pinartarhan.com/blog.

For instance, in the movie Revenge (based on the novella by Jim Harrison), Kevin Costner falls in love with (and of course has sex with) the wife (Madeleine Stowe) of his friend (Anthony Quinn). Gross, right? Who does that?

But his “buddy” is a much older, ruthless Mexican mobster. His wife is totally trapped. And have you seen the younger Kevin Costner? You can’t help but want the star-crossed lovers to be together.

And with this example, let’s look at the other side of the coin, the characters our protagonists are with now – the Mr./Miss Right Nows. While stories like Revenge give the hero and heroine a clear out, you need to check if it is not too easy. So easy, that it might backfire.

Let me tell you what I mean. In the Revenge example, there is no contest between Anthony Quinn’s character and Kevin Costner’s. If the current significant other is such a jerk, it only makes sense that he loses the girl. But here are two things the writer did that avoid clichés and easy-way-outs. For one thing, Madeleine Stowe’s marriage was not arranged. She wanted to marry him. He was charismatic, wealthy, impressive. We are pretty sure he promised a gentler, kinder future where he didn’t have mistresses. (Oh, yes, he cheats too. What a prize!) The second is that you understand why she hasn’t tried to leave him. How can you divorce a powerful mobster? So dumping the guy isn’t an option.

But in most modern settings and sub-genres, this doesn’t work. When you want to offer your readers an escapist fantasy rooted in realism, when you want to write a feel-good romance, you don’t generally write abusive or dangerous partners. You create characters that are not impossible to leave. And since the character isn’t dangerous, there is no good reason your main character stays with them:

Suppose you created strong heroes and heroines who are nice people at their cores. They don’t use people for their own pleasure. They are emotionally intelligent.

Then why would they stay with an annoying partner who doesn’t value them? Why would they waste their time? When you make their current romantic partner insufferable, you make it easy for your reader not to feel sorry for them. But if they are so insufferable, why is your strong, self-respecting lead with them?

A better option would be to make the temporary love interests human too: flawed, but lovable. So that staying doesn’t seem like a cruel, stupid or unnatural thing to do. But don’t make them more loveable than your main character, obviously.

I know, writing can be so complicated!

How to wire your brain so that ideas will come to you

I can hear some of you shaking your head and saying “Yeah, that’s just great, but ideas don’t just come to me!”

Maybe they don’t. Maybe they do, and you don’t recognize them yet. In any case, here are some tips to stimulate your brain so that it creates, captures, welcomes, and stores ideas:

Live your life to the fullest to the best way you can. This doesn’t mean you have to do things out-of-character or things that make you uncomfortable, although that sometimes helps as well.

Traveling inspires. If you can’t afford to venture far, discover more things to do in or around your neighborhood.

I don’t think my current novel idea would have come to me had I not spent a month in Santa Barbara, California. I created that novel as a screenplay at first. While I was getting notes from a professional reader in Hollywood, she asked if I was from California because I had captured the atmosphere so well.

Take that dancing class. Go to that language course. Meet up with that friend you haven’t seen in more than ten years.

Live! Live, especially when you are healthy and you have some money. When

you need to do less due to work, health or financial reasons, the stored up fun from your past will come to you as inspiration.

Read. Listen.

The news. Memes. Books. Blogs, magazines, newspapers, comics, graphic novels, spam emails….Whatever comes to you, read, learn, forget. You never forget the most useful stuff. And if you want to make sure you remember a certain something, take notes.

I’m not a fan of reality TV. I don’t think reality shows will inspire you to create anything unless you are interested in conjuring up reality shows or stories featuring reality shows.

That said, everyone is different. If it is fun for you, go for it. Just don’t forget to watch other stuff too. Variety is key. I rarely watch documentaries (though I’ve watched some magnificent ones), and I’m not a fan of gory horror. Besides those, I watch anything and everything that seems interesting.

Learn, even if it is trivia or obscure.

While one of my ideas was inspired by a true event (an inspiration source I go into detail about in Section 4: True Stories and Memes), it wouldn’t have been possible without my intensive trivia knowledge of rock music, particularly about rock music history in the 80s and 90s).

I have always been a huge rock fan. Writing that story was second nature to me. When you already know so much, writing, researching and developing your story all become easier.

It might also make sense to incorporate some of the real-life events into your characters’ dialogue. If your characters first meet during the grunge scene in the 90s, it’d make sense to have them talk about Pearl Jam and Nirvana, even if you made up the main musicians and songs for your story.

Juliet, Naked (aff. link) is a 2018 movie starring Ethan Hawke and Rose Byrne. Based on Nick Hornby’s novel, it’s a charming romantic drama and comedy about a 40-something woman re-evaluating her life choices through her boyfriend’s obsession with a former famous rock musician.

The musician character played by Ethan Hawke feels so authentic. While it is a credit both to the actor and the screenwriters (and of course, Nick Hornby), it’s hard to imagine Hornby wasn’t inspired at all by what happened to some real-life musicians when he created the story.

You can watch the Juliet, Naked trailer on YouTube.

You don’t have to give two hoots about music. Your passion might be about football, knitting, racing, or gardening. Your knowledge about your interests might spark your imagination, as well as add authenticity to your characters.

Dreams… and Nightmares

I dreamed about the current romantic comedy-drama I’m working on. Set in Los Angeles, it’s about the unconventional relationship a disgraced actor forms with a fan. I took the plot of the dream, added a supporting cast, and some minor characters. I included some personal experiences and real-life struggles and expanded on it.

But the idea came within the dream.

When I woke up, I remembered it vividly and enjoyed it immensely, so I started taking notes. Before I knew it, I had my next story.

I also recently dreamed this weird sci-fi, dystopian romance I’m trying to differentiate from others of its kind, but I quite like the bare bones of the story.

Unfortunately, I don’t always dream writeable-plots. More often than not, it is ordinary stuff featuring people I know in real life. Sometimes they are so weird even director David Lynch wouldn’t use them in a film. But once in a while, I wake up all inspired, thanks to the dream muses.

But you can also take the other definition of dreams and run with that.

For instance, what did you dream about becoming growing up? Maybe you wanted to be a doctor but you hated science classes, or the sight of blood made you nauseous. Maybe you desired to be a pilot, but your eyesight prevented you from realizing that. There is no reason your characters can’t fulfill your dreams and fantasies for you. Even the sky isn’t the limit when you are writing fiction.

What about nightmares? What are your greatest fears? Maybe you are secretly terrified of being accused of something you didn’t do and being sent to prison for it. Perhaps your worst nightmare is being kidnapped by some lunatic and being tortured.

If you are thinking one nightmare doesn’t make a story, or you are not satisfied where this line of thinking got you, why not combine the elements?

What if you were a doctor wrongly accused, and then you emerge from prison a different person and decide to kidnap the people responsible? Or maybe you just got out of prison, and to add insult to the injury, you got bitten by a werewolf? What if the accuser was a vampire and had a good reason to sully your good name? It could be a dark, Stockholm Syndrome-y story.

Don’t be afraid to brainstorm. Bad ideas will come. So will good ones.

Speaking of bad ideas: sometimes a tweak in the right place is all you need

The first romantic comedy story I thought about was a love triangle. But the happiness of inspiration was overshadowed by disappointment. It was cliché. It didn’t feel worth pursuing. But there were too many things about the storyline that I had enjoyed, so I decided to reverse one situation. It became funnier and a lot more romantic. Then I gave it one more twist, and voila! It turned into something I would be happy spending so much time with.

Tweaks can include anything from changing the location to altering jobs of characters, from transforming how characters feel for each other to reversing personality traits…anything goes. Change anything and everything until you come up with a central idea that you are happy with.

True Stories and memes

I’m co-writing a screenplay inspired by two funny memes we saw on the Internet.

And one of my favorite romantic stories that I wrote as a screenplay, which will probably be my third or fourth novel, was inspired by true events.

Now, the story inspired by true events is not related to what happened in real life at all. I just thought of a tragic event, reversed it with a “what if this happened instead of that” question, and imagined my own reaction if that tragic thing had happened to someone I was a fan of. And jackpot!

If you are basing your novel on actual true events, however, I recommend doing your research on not getting sued. Here’s some initial reading on the matter:

How Not to Get Sued When Writing about Real People (article on LitReactor)

A Writer’s Guide to Defamation and Invasion of Privacy (article on Writer’s Digest)

Brainstorming from scratch…. or prompts

We talked about using your own dreams and nightmares. You can mine your experiences, what you would change in books you felt meh about, endings you never got to see, but you wish you had…

However, if you are feeling stuck and nothing seems to help, it might be time for writing exercises. Many writing websites offer free prompts and methods for stimulating your brain. My favorite so far has been “The Blank from Hell” exercise suggested in ScriptMag.

The “blank” from hell can be used for any genre, and it is a fun and creative way to create any character, especially your antagonist.

You can use it for animals, locations, jobs, relationships and so on.

Being Inspired by Popular Works and Writing Parallels

If a creative work is public domain, it means it’s not protected by intellectual property laws. It belongs to no one. Because it doesn’t belong to one person, anyone can use a public domain work without getting permission.

This is how it was possible for Seth Grahame-Smith to write the novel Pride and Prejudice and Zombies (aff.link), a highly successful twist on the Jane Austen classic. It was even made into a movie in 2016 starring Lily James as Elizabeth Bennett.

You can watch the movie trailer here.

Now, instead of a romantic comedy, you have a romantic horror story with a lot of kickass fight scenes.

If you want to use this method for creating your story or finding inspiration, check out this list of public domain works.

Other True Stories of Inspiration from Published Romance Authors

Carmen Radtke

Carmen Radtke fell in love with romantic comedies as a child in front of a TV set. Katharine Hepburn and Cary Grant, Audrey Hepburn and Peter O’ Toole shaped her sense of adventure and love of foreign places as well as her expectations in witty dialogue. Because real life turned out to be sadly lacking in this respect, she’s recreating her ideals in The Case of The Missing Bride, and A Matter of Love and Death. More novels are with her agent, and she’s also busy trying her hand with screenplays, encouraged by cat and daughter.

About The Case of the Missing Bride

When a girl goes missing on board of an ocean liner, only one person is convinced that the disappearance is no accident.

Alyssa has found herself with a group of impoverished girls who are embarking from Australia to Canada in the hope of marriage. As the daughter of a senior official, Alyssa doesn’t share this goal. She hopes to return to England via Canada.

But the girls all share one problem. Their presence on the ship is not known to many of its passengers, but their worlds collide when one of the gentlemen discovers them. Then Emma, one of the intended brides, goes missing. Alyssa is convinced the disappearance is no accident and will risk her own life to search for the killer.

What happened to Emma? Is there a murderer on board the ship?

Alyssa is about to discover that there is more to her voyage than she bargained for.

About A Matter of Love and Death

Adelaide, 1931. Telephone switchboard operator Frances’ life is difficult as the sole provider for her mother and adopted uncle. But it’s thrown into turmoil when she overhears a suspicious conversation on the phone, planning a murder.

If a life is at risk, she should tell the police; but that would mean breaking her confidentiality clause and would cost her the job. And practical Frances, not prone to flights of fancy, soon begins to doubt the evidence of her own ears – it was a very bad line, after all…

She decides to put it behind her, a task helped by the arrival of their new lodger, Phil. Phil takes her to a nightclub, where she meets charming but slightly dangerous club owner Jack. Jack’s no angel – prohibition is in force, and what’s a nightclub without champagne? But he’s a good man, and when Frances’ earlier fears resurface, she knows that he’s the person to confide in.

Frances and Jack’s hunt for the truth put them in grave danger, and soon enough Frances will learn that some things are a matter of love and death…

Carmen Radtke on How She Found the Inspiration for Her Books

“ While researching The Case of the Missing Bride I read that Australia was only topped by Germany when it came to unemployment during the Great Depression. I didn’t know that. I read up on the prohibition after 6pm, and since I’ve always loved the Thin Man movies and 1940s movies, I had this idea of a girl supporting her whole family, so she has to do whatever it takes to not jeopardise her job, and a decent guy feeling the same kind of responsibility. Jack breaks the law because he’s a good guy… I took it from there, with the added bonus of Uncle Sal turning up unplanned, but fully formed, as the connection between Frances and Jack’s worlds. It’s very much a homage to classic movies, only set in Australia.

A matter of love and death has romantic subplots which directly influence the mystery. Most of my favourite mysteries are to a certain extent romantic novels.

I was living in New Zealand when I stumbled upon that one paragraph that became the basis for Missing Bride. It made me sad and angry, and got me thinking about how something like this could as easily happen today, a group of poor young women nobody would care about if they vanish…

With A Matter of Love and Death, it was my lack of knowledge about Australia during the Great Depression. I knew heaps about the effects in the US, UK, and Germany, but down under? And it’s fascinating. It truly is, frog cakes included… I could see Frances dancing on board the Floating Palais, Dolores singing, the gaiety and the desperation goes my hand in hand…

Everything can spark a story, even a place…”

Fiona Leitch

Fiona Leitch is a novelist and screenwriter from the UK. Her debut novel, the dark romantic comedy Dead in Venice was published by Audible as one of their Crime Grant finalists, while her romantic comedy screenplay ‘Parliamentary Affairs’ was recently optioned by a producer in LA. She dreams of living in a crumbling Venetian palazzo and enjoys scaring her cats by trying out dialogue on them.

About Dead In Venice by Fiona Leitch

Bella Tyson is a famous 40-something crime writer suffering from writer’s block ever since a bitter divorce two years before. When a fan offers her the use of an apartment in Venice, Bella jumps at it, hoping a change of scene will have her writing again. Once there, she soon meets Will, a charming Englishman, who shows her around the city.

Enchanted by both Will and her new surroundings, Bella decides to write a supernatural murder mystery and begins researching local legends and the city’s more sinister side, including an illicit visit to the island of Poveglia, spooky former home of Venice’s asylum. Soon Bella uncovers more than she has bargained for and finds herself enmeshed in a series of gruesome real-life murders that uncannily mirror the legends she is researching.

As she and Will join forces to investigate, real life and local lore merge disconcertingly – for nothing in Venice turns out to be what seems, including Will…

Fiona Leitch on How She Found the Inspiration for Her Books

“My main inspiration was Venice itself. I visited it before I had any ideas about a story set there. It is without doubt one of the most romantic places in the world, but it’s also really easy to get lost and disoriented. If you end up down one of the back streets at night, when it’s dark and deserted and quiet, it has a real atmosphere. You can easily imagine dark deeds being done, bodies in the canal, ghosts… So it inspired me to think about love and death, and I thought ‘what if you fell madly in love with someone in this romantic place, and then found out he was a murderer? Could you forgive him?’ And that’s the story behind the book…!”

Inga Batur

Inga Batur the author of Faodail: Lucky Find in the North of Scotland (Romance in Scotland) and Second Chances (Romance in Scotland Book 2)

She lives in the city with her husband, who makes sure she looks great on all the photos and two kids. She dreams of moving into a cottage in the most remote corner of Scotland, where she can write steamy contemporary romances, stare at the Ocean and eat scones. Her daughters aren’t impressed.

Inga Batur on How She Found the Inspiration for Her Books

“We were on holiday in the North of Scotland, and we were staying at this small whitewashed cottage on the cliffs. We had no wi-fi, no TV, no schedule, we spent our days walking around and doing nothing. With no other stimuli, my brain had no distractions. So, I kept getting these flashes of images, kind of like my brain playing a film for me.

The whole setting made me think of a story. I had fragments in my mind from before, because I had wanted to write a book for a long time. But I was always too busy with something else. Here I finally wasn’t. I was able to play with it, as we explored the beaches and the cliffs. Each place was a small aha moment. I could use this and this…

Besides, I had such a hard time leaving, and then I thought, if I write about it, then I don’t have to leave, I can return in my mind over and over again.

So, it seems my real inspiration are the places we travel to. Last year we were in Ireland, and I had a story set there in a second. I think it has to do with scenery, with a new setting, new experiences, of relaxing, not being stuck in a routine…

I have now written two books set in Scotland, they work as a series but can be read as standalones, and I am just about to start on the third, making it a trilogy. But I am also starting to think where else can I stage a book.”

N J Simmonds

N J Simmonds, author of YA fantasy romance series The Indigo Chronicles, began her career in glossy magazines. She went on to manage marketing campaigns for big brands before becoming a freelance writer and consultant.

In 2015 she co-founded online magazine The Glass House Girls and has since contributed to many publications. She writes books filled with fearless teens, magic, and adventure, and also lectures on storytelling and self-branding. Originally from North London, with Spanish parentage, N J lives in the Netherlands with her husband and two daughters.

N J Simmonds on How She Found the Inspiration for Her Books

“Everywhere. It could be from a dream, something my children said (I got the title of a new book I’m working on that way), lyrics of a song or an emotion or event I’ve experienced. Sometimes it’s from a story we all know and love, but by changing the setting, time, a few events or perspective you can create a brand new and original tale. As Mark Twain famously said – “There’s no such thing as a new idea.”

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Making A Difference (M.A.D.): Chapter 3 (Writer Birthday Gifts Continue)

Posted on December 5, 2019 Written by Pinar Tarhan

Hi, Writers!

As promised, I’m posting chapter two from my contemporary romcom novel Making A Difference (M.A.D.). If you want it for free for my birthday, email to me about it by the 7th of December at pinartarhan@windowslive.com. If you want to buy it, you can buy it on Amazon (aff.link).

Missed chapter 2? It’s here.

Without further ado, here’s chapter 3:

CHAPTER 3

Present Day

Zoe and Colin loved staying in as much as dining out, so this time Zoe prepared an intimate picnic setting in her living room while Colin cooked one of his own recipes. Luckily for her, the man was an expert at whipping up delicious meals. If there was a gene that made you want to cook, she didn’t possess it.

As they settled on the woolen blanket on the floor, leaning against the leg of the sofa, Colin was still a little shocked. He was expecting Jay to offer her a decent position with grand benefits, but he so hadn’t seen this coming.

“Wow!” he said probably for the hundredth time that evening and took a big bite of his food.

“I thought you’d be over it by now.”

“But it’s so huge!”

“I know. It’s amazing.” Zoe sipped her drink.

“Amazing. Astonishing. Scary. Aren’t you a bit overwhelmed?”

“Are you kidding? Of course, I am. My head is about to explode with ideas.”

“Must’ve been one hell of an intern.”

“You had doubts?”

“Never.” He leaned in and gave her a kiss. “Although…I’m a bit worried about how much less time you’re going to have for me now.”

“Says the man who signed a three-book contract and is scheduled for book-signing all over the US and Canada.”

“Well-played.”

Zoe grinned and kissed him. Colin laid a trail of seductive kisses down her neck. The food was going to get cold, but so what?

Zoe started work the next day even though Martin and Jay had offered her more time. Transitioning from freelancing with one client to a full-time office job where she’d be co-running a busy firm was bound to create a culture shock for anyone, but Zoe wouldn’t hear of it. She was beyond ready. Besides, Martin’s wedding was approaching, and he needed to finish updating Zoe before he went on his honeymoon.

Plus, she had to redecorate Martin’s office. It was so blatantly male, minimalistic and chromium, it gave her the chills. Jay had already assigned a generous stipend. While he didn’t believe in spending more than he had to on clothes, he never held back when it came to optimizing the work environment and increasing productivity.

Zoe was mentally renovating when Keira dropped by.

“Welcome back,” Keira said enthusiastically.

Zoe smiled. “Thanks. Feels good to be back. And I love your hair!” She did. Keira had gone with a spiky cut and dyed it black. It surprisingly made her look more feminine and contrasted nicely with her pantsuit.

“Congratulations on the book! Loved it. And love your boyfriend! Cute and brilliant.” Keira suspected Jay would grimace at Colin being described as “cute” and “brilliant.” He believed Colin was overrated, though Jay would probably deem Zoe’s boyfriend not good enough even if she were dating Hugh Jackman. She suppressed the urge to mention this in front of Zoe.

“I’ve missed you, Keira.” The girls exchanged a short hug.

“You’ll so liven up things around here,” Keira said.

“Are you implying working with Martin and me was boring?” Jay had chosen that moment to appear.

Keira grinned. “Would I ever? But there is exciting. Then there’s exciting and a damn good time!”

Jay was too used to Keira’s teasing to even roll his eyes. He turned to Zoe. “You are indeed more fun than Martin and me combined on a given day, but she really shouldn’t rub that in.”

Keira winked at him and left with the usual skip in her step.

“So when are you going furniture-hunting?”

“Already took care of it. Everything will be here by the afternoon.” Jay looked at her quizzically. “What? Like you didn’t know I’d go shopping right after I said yes. So, now that we’ve established I’m set, let’s get to it, Clark.”

Jay smiled, and they went into his office to begin with the non-financial stuff, aka the stuff they could get done without Martin.

And it was just as fun as they remembered. They knew exactly how the other one’s mind worked, and this made the process so much faster, not to mention more fun. Zoe thought about the first time they’d worked together.

Five Years Ago

It was early in the morning, right after the business commuters and students with early classes had left. The medium-sized coffee shop had only a bunch of people in it now.

Zoe occupied her favorite corner table by the window, typing away happily on her laptop, remembering to sip her coffee before it turned cold and mouthing the lyrics to the Elvis Presley version of Fever playing in the background.

She didn’t notice Jay come in and walk to the bar. The song made him wish he was at a blues bar or a dance hall. Put on the right song, place him on the dance floor with a partner who could dance, or at least follow, and well… he knew how to have a good time. He’d inherited his knack for dancing also from Faye.

As he waited for his order of a double espresso with little sugar, he scanned the room, and he was pleased to see Zoe on her own, singing Fever. The girl had the guts, the motivation and the plans to take on the world. And evidently, she had decent taste in music too. He smiled to himself, grabbed his coffee and strolled over to her table.

Zoe looked up to see Jay coming toward her and smiled. She didn’t really care if she looked silly lip-singing. She adored the song, and she wasn’t going to feel embarrassed for being caught in the moment. Besides, it was one of her good-hair, good-skin days. There was nothing wrong with wanting to look presentable in front of a teacher. OK, maybe it was a little about how attractive Jay was. Wanting to attract people you considered attractive was only natural, right?

Jay wasn’t the first good-looking teacher she knew. However, he was the only good-looking teacher with his brains, motives and success. Moreover, despite all that, he wasn’t smug. She marveled at how easy it was to chat with him. To be around him.

“Just to go? This place is great for chilling out,” Zoe commented on his plastic cup.

“So it would seem. This is a new place, right? Most coffee shops are just too loud and badly decorated to enjoy your coffee indoors. Not to mention the horrible stuff they try to pass for music.”

“This is better than a library if you know the hours to avoid. And they have decent taste. So you might want to take in the atmosphere.”

Jay took the hint and sat in the armchair across her, putting his coffee on the table. “What’re you doing here so early anyway?” he asked.

“Developing a project proposal. You?”

“I have a meeting with the dean,” Jay answered. “We’ve been working on this project together to provide a wider range of scholarships for underprivileged kids.”

“That sounds great.”

“It’s something we’ve both been meaning to do. What’s your project about?”

“A development program proposal to get free tutoring for dyslexic school kids so they can keep up with their classmates. They’ll also engage in fun confidence and skill-building activities. Once I’m done, I’ll pitch to companies with corporate responsibility projects in education.”

The project was right up Clark & Foster’s alley, but she wasn’t going to pitch to her teacher. She was afraid it would look like she was only after scoring a good grade. Yes, she wanted an A. But she hadn’t been building connections and researching like crazy for the past few months to solely to maintain her GPA. Besides, her work was solid enough to sell itself.

“Why don’t you e-mail it to me when you are done?”

“Really?”

“If it’s feasible, I’ll try to squeeze it in with our current schedule. If not, I’ll get you in touch with companies that would kill for this kind of stuff.”

“Thanks, Jay. I really appreciate it.”

“Is this for a class?”

“It’s for me. Well, it is for the kids. I don’t have an awful lot of money to donate, and I’m good at creating stuff…And at the expense of sounding superficial, I’ve to admit it beats individual volunteer work. Most projects just have a better chance of making an impact when they are funded by a corporation that can hire experts.”

“That doesn’t sound superficial. It sounds viable. It also sounds like me.”

“I might as well deserve to be in your class.”

“I like your idealism. Balancing the fun with your conscience…I have a tendency to forget about fun.”

“I’m not capable of that. But I can’t turn off the second part either, the part about wanting to improve things. That’s your fault.” She beamed at him, and he returned the smile. She continued, “People always feel obliged to take some action only when something bad happens to them personally. I mean you are helping people fight diseases, poverty, traumatic experiences… But you basically never had any drama in your life.”

“Well, my dad’s an idiot. That ought to count for some trauma.” They both laughed.

Jay’s father was a conservative who had run for the Senate and won. He was anti-choice, anti-gay, pro-war, and Jay couldn’t believe they were related. He theorized Faye had dropped the guy on his head when he was a baby or something. Since his parents were on the same page, growing up would have been a nightmare without Faye around.

Jay glanced at his watch and jumped to his feet. “I just remembered why I took the coffee to go. Don’t forget to e-mail me the final version.”

“Will do. Thanks again.”

“Hope your zeal rubs off on the rest of my class.” He downed the rest of his coffee and headed for the exit. So what if he showed up a little late? He rarely found the time to relax and embrace the moment. It was a delightful change of pace.

Five Years Ago

NYU campus

Two days after they had run into each other at the coffee shop, Zoe was resting on a bench, reading Dan Brown’s Deception Point.

“How’s Brown treating you?” Jay said, walking toward her. He had caught sight of her on his way to his office on the campus.

She looked up. “I love my mainstream thriller.”

Jay sat down beside her. “I love any book I can’t put down, so I have a weakness for Brown too.”

“What’s your favorite?”

“Hate to be a cliché but it’s The Da Vinci Code.” Not a literary snob either, thought Zoe. Jay Clark was officially her favorite teacher.

“I’ve been meaning to ask you –”

“Did I have a chance to read your proposal?” he cut in. Zoe nodded with anticipation. “I e-mailed you ten minutes ago.” Jay smiled.

The suspense was killing Zoe. “So, what did you think?”

“Faye told me she could give you a hand if you needed.”

“You showed this to Faye Clark? And she liked it?”

“She was impressed by the effort and heart of it. Martin has some suggestions on funding, but basically, you did one hell of a job.”

Zoe needed to get into the nearest closed space to dance around. She wouldn’t be able to get back to normal unless she got the excitement out of her system. Dancing was her favorite way of calming down. And celebrating.

“Thank you,” she managed, her veins abuzz with excitement.

“I’m not done. We want to see if you can pull off organizing the whole thing for real.”

“You want me to actually do this? With your resources?”

“And if you succeed, Clark and Foster will be more than happy to offer you an internship. What do you think?”

“I think I’ll get to work on it right away.”

“Let’s meet in my campus office. You have any classes after four?” She shook her head. “It’s settled then. Martin will also be there to talk the details through.”

She nodded. Jay got up and walked out.

She was delighted. Landing an internship with Clark and Foster was extremely hard. Unlike most companies that hired and discarded interns, and treated them like low-lives that were barely smart enough to serve coffee and paid them ridiculously little (if they paid at all), Clark and Foster treated them as one of their permanent staff. They were respected, fairly compensated, looked after and given opportunities. In return, they were expected to pour themselves 100% into the company.

You didn’t intern at Clark & Foster to fill a month. You interned there to prove yourself worthy of a career there. They only hired the smartest, most dedicated and emotionally invested people. She’d better not screw this up.

Making A Difference (M.A.D.): Chapter 2 (Writer Birthday Gifts Continue)

Posted on December 4, 2019 Written by Pinar Tarhan

Hi, Writers!

Missed chapter 1? It’s here.

Without further ado, here’s chapter 2:

Making A Difference (M.A.D.)

CHAPTER 2

Zoe felt glorious. There she was, at the Fifth Avenue Barnes and Noble, at the signing of her boyfriend Colin’s book. His mystery novel was self-published into oblivion a year before they met. Not only had she found him a brilliant agent who scored him a contract with a major publishing company, but she had gone on to carry him to the top of the bestseller lists with her marketing campaign.

She had stumbled upon the book in a tiny local bookstore. She’d devoured the four hundred pages over a weekend and called the author for a meeting at the publishing company she was then working for. Unfortunately, the company had no interest in purchasing the rights. Even though she had been zealously recruited by one of the partners, somehow they had had little faith in her judgment on this matter. They failed to acknowledge she had a potential bestseller in her hands. So she quit and promoted the book as a freelancer, and here they were.

Zoe wasn’t about to get humble, though. Her success had nothing to do with luck. She had trained with Jay, her brilliant mentor. She had worked hard and paid attention. And she had officially shoved it to her old firm.

Who said you couldn’t have it all? She had quit resisting the lovely 29-year-old author few months ago. They liked each other, and it felt right. What the hell? You could mix business with pleasure after you kicked the business part’s ass, right?

She smiled as the store assistant informed her the crowd was bustling, and they were ready to let people in. She thanked him and nodded.

She turned to Colin. “Ready?”

“I think so. I mean I’ve only been fantasizing about this moment since I was eleven.” They smiled warmly at each other, and the doors opened.

As people moved forward in the line, a guy in his mid-thirties noticed Jay approaching. He nudged the woman next to him. “Isn’t that Jay Clark?”

The woman looked at the direction he was pointing at. “Yep.”

They weren’t the only ones who recognized Jay. A middle-aged woman standing closer to the store called out, “Hey, Jay!”

She didn’t personally know Jay. But even if you’d watched the news once in the last ten years, or picked up a business magazine, you recognized Jay Clark. He was that weird rich businessman who didn’t live like the rich and invested most of his money in trying to save the world. Actually, he was more concerned about the people. The environment mattered, but he believed enough people were already at it.

Jay turned to her and smiled. “How’re you doing?”

He loved being the kind of celebrity that he was. He had the money and the power. He also had the most significant people on speed dial. The paparazzi weren’t intrigued since he didn’t date supermodels or drive Ferraris. OK, so he had dated one movie star, a gorgeous one at that, but she was just an acting student back when they met at NYU. She was still a struggling gem, aspiring to be discovered when they broke up right after graduation. And the few girlfriends after that piqued the interest of Harvard Business Review, Entrepreneur and Forbes magazines, including his fiancée Carla.

A young hipster in the line couldn’t resist asking, “So who are you saving today, buddy?”

“Just here to get my copy signed.”

“Well, I know you are sort of a celebrity, but shouldn’t you at least pretend to be in the line?”

Jay smiled. “Oh, I’m not looking to meet the author. Good day.” He toddled on, leaving the guy puzzled.

Jay entered the bookstore, marched past the line and headed directly toward Zoe. She was standing by the desk where Colin sat blissfully signing his books. Jay caught Zoe’s eye, and they beamed at each other. As they hugged, he said proudly, “Congratulations!”

Man, she looked as beautiful as he remembered. She had her long brown hair down, slightly curled. She rocked her jeans with her long legs, knee-height boots and fitted cotton blouse.

“Thanks. Colin, this is Jay Clark. Jay, Colin Nelson.”

“Nice to meet you.”

“Likewise. Enthralling book.”

“Thanks.”

They shook hands, and Colin turned to the college-aged girl in front of him and greeted her. The girl didn’t seem to be in any rush. Instead, she beamed at Jay and said, “You can go first.”

Jay smiled back. “That’s okay. I’m not in the line.”

As a reply, she addressed the crowd behind her, “Hey, does anyone mind if Jay Clark gets his autograph before us?” They didn’t, so Jay gave his book to Colin. It was neither the time nor the place to admit he wasn’t here for him.

One guy asked the people behind him, “Who the hell is Jay Clark?” and got a collective condescending stare.

“Thanks,” Jay said as Colin returned his freshly signed copy. He got back to his readers, and Jay handed his book and pen to Zoe. “Your turn.”

“Are you serious?”

“You know I’m a fan.” Jay grinned. Zoe signed the book, returning his grin.

“How’s your schedule this week?” asked Jay, taking the book back.

“It depends. Am I meeting you?”

“And Martin. We have a job offer for you.”

“In that case, my schedule is wide open.”

“You are OK with a breakfast meeting tomorrow?”

“Sounds good.”

“How about that coffee shop you love, the one near NYU?”

“Perfect.”

“See you at nine, then.” Zoe nodded enthusiastically, her eyes sparkling.

Jay had come to Colin’s signing to arrange a business meeting. He had always been supportive. He had followed her whole career and not just this latest accomplishment. But she hadn’t seen him much in the last few years apart from various benefit events or gatherings with her former co-workers. Yet he knew she was ready. Oh, and trust him to add the personal touch of arranging the meeting at her favorite coffee shop in the whole city. When it came to bosses, Jay Clark was the best one you could have. She couldn’t wait to work for him again.

Colin admired the intimately lit, mid-sized Italian restaurant Zoe had chosen for their celebratory dinner that evening as the scents of several dishes wafted lightly in the air. Yummy food, soothing music, excellent company. The atmosphere was complete with candlelight and fresh flowers on the tables, as well as a trio playing Italian hits on the stage.

“Nicely chosen.”

“Thanks. I wanted the venue to match the magic of the occasion.” Zoe basked in the simplicity of it. She couldn’t think of a better way to celebrate their mutual success. It was always a risk to be involved with someone you worked with. Thankfully, their professional relationship had ended without a glitch.

She was in a breath-taking (she hoped) strapless blue mini dress. Colin looked dashing in his black jacket, black shirt, dark jeans ensemble. On his worst day, Colin could play the second best-looking guy in a Hollywood movie. “You did it. You topped the New York Times Bestsellers list.”

“Which I could only dream about until you took a chance in me. So we should toast to being a great team. An epic team, in fact.”

“To us.”

They smiled, clinked their glasses and sipped their champagne as they gazed into each other’s eyes. Nothing quite beat the honeymoon period of a promising relationship.

The modern and cozy coffee shop offered everything a student or a freelancer could need: optimum-height tables with comfortable chairs, a fast and free Internet connection, jazz and Indie rock numbers playing in the background at a moderate volume. The walls were enchanted with unpretentious paintings, which appealed to the regular guy and not just art buffs. Most importantly, the coffee was delicious and affordable. The shop also welcomed its share of business people who chose leisurely over rigid.

Jay and Martin occupied a roomy table at the back. Jay relaxed into the leather sofa while Martin took a large sip from his double espresso. “So you don’t hate me?”

Jay grinned. “For the last time, I can’t hate you because you want to be more involved at home and make your bride-to-be happy.”

“I’m so glad Zoe still wants to work with us.”

“So am I. If we didn’t know the right person, I would be having a nervous breakdown right about now.”

“You and me both. I’m still a part of everything. I just…need to be in the office less.”

“I get it. She’d like to have children with a guy who doesn’t sleep in his office, regardless of how awesome that office might be,” Jay said.

“It has been six years, but she feels like we’ve dated only for six months. And she calculated my office hours to prove her point. Using a spreadsheet.” Sally was a rare breed whose soft and sweet warnings were scarier than any yelling could ever be.

Jay glanced at the coffee bar, his face deadpan. “There aren’t many web designers out there with her persuasion skills. She should have been a hostage negotiator or something.” They exchanged grins as both men envisioned the not-so-unlikely scenario and sipped their coffee.

At five to nine Zoe entered the café. Martin and Jay got up as she walked toward them. Zoe and Martin hugged.

“Hey, kiddo. It has been a while.”

Zoe laughed. “Kiddo? Seriously? You do realize you are only ten years older than me?”

Martin shrugged. “Felt like a kiddo moment. And it has been a long time.”

Zoe nodded. She and Jay hugged shortly, and they all sat down. Zoe noticed the tall cup of steamy cappuccino before her. It even had a pinch of chocolate powder on it. Talk about customization. She shot an amused look at Martin and Jay.

“Martin is in a rush to make the offer,” Jay said.

“Glad to hear that. I’m trying put on a cool professional facade, but I may not be able to keep it up much longer.” Zoe was getting more and more excited.

“Neither can I,” said Martin. “So, Zoe, how would you like to be Jay’s partner?”

Zoe had to gulp down a rather large and scorching sip of coffee. “I’m sorry?” She gawked at them. Were they joking? They seemed serious. Not that they would ever joke about anything related to their company. Still…He said partner?

“We mean it,” Martin said, reading her reaction. “I’m getting married next weekend. Sally and I want this next phase of our relationship to be about us. She was pretty patient with me working fifteen-hour-days. But we’re planning a family. I have no intention of being a dad who’s rarely home and misses everything.”

Zoe tried to digest it all. “Martin, it’s your company. You determine your schedule. Are you sure you want a permanent vacation?”

“Well, it’s not permanent,” Jay cut in. “He’s staying on as the head financial consultant. He’s just not going to be involved in management or event planning or any other fun stuff.” Martin conveniently ignored the last part of the comment.

“And you want me to be your right hand?”

“Pretty much,” Jay said.

“Guys, I appreciate your believing in me, but I was an intern five years ago.”

“You weren’t an ordinary intern, though,” said Martin. “You’ve always aspired to be an integral part of Clark & Foster. You scrutinized our every project, every step. You know the company inside out. Hell, you are still in touch with most of our staff!”

“What about my lack of experience?”

“Sometimes energy, youth and enthusiasm count for more,” Jay said, darting a knowing glance at Martin. Martin rolled his eyes. Jay grinned and turned back to Zoe.

“Plus, you are not exactly inexperienced, are you? We kept up with your career, just like you kept up with ours. There is no one better suited for this.”

Zoe took a deep breath. “I was ready for an appealing offer. But this is…just… wow.”

Martin turned to his partner. “I don’t think she is saying no.”

“Nope. She’s not.”

“A chance to work with my two mentors, at the highest position there is? You bet I’m not saying no. It’s the most terrific challenge ever, and I am overwhelmed.” She felt like jumping up and down on the sofa. She took one more sip of coffee to calm down. Okay, maybe more caffeine wasn’t a good idea. “If you think I can handle it, then, absolutely. I’m in.”

“Oh, you can do more than handle it. I am pretty sure you’ll kick ass,” Martin said.

“Welcome back,” Jay said.

Zoe barely remembered calling Colin after the meeting. She was pretty sure she had accepted this life-altering, beyond-her-dreams offer, but she might not have been articulate enough to give him all the details. Everything felt surreal.

Thankfully, Colin would cook a celebration dinner at his place, which suited her just fine. She would be too hyper to behave herself at a restaurant. A partner at Clark and Foster? Wow!

Thirty minutes after the meeting, Zoe was sitting at the kitchen counter opposite Mel in their apartment. The two young women had been best friends and roommates since their first year at NYU.

“Holy crap!” Mel said after she told her the news. “This is amazing!”

“I know.”

“Have you told Colin?”

“Yeah, I called him on my way home. He’s still processing. So am I!”

“Well, it is huge. It’ll probably take a while for the news to sink in. But I agree with Martin and Jay. You’re the one for the job.”

“Thanks. I mean it’s scary, but I couldn’t be happier.”

“I can see that.” Mel smiled. “But do me a favor, and don’t tell Colin about the other thing.”

“What other thing?”

“About you and Jay.”

“There is no me and Jay.” Mel gave her friend a skeptical look. “There was no me and Jay. It was just a crush.”

“I’m not sure the word crush quite covers it,” Mel said.

“Fine. I was smitten. But everyone had a thing for Jay when he taught at NYU.”

“Me included,” Mel agreed. “He was young, hot, brilliant, fiery… And he didn’t have the slightest interest in sleeping with his students, though I’m not sure you were happy about that.”

Zoe playfully punched her friend on the shoulder and said, “It was five years ago. Get over it.”

“Oh, I’m over it. All I’m saying is you shouldn’t share everything with your boyfriend, however wonderful he might be.”

“Trust me, I know. No guy wants to hear about an ex-crush, especially if that crush will be a permanent fixture in his girlfriend’s life. But his mind’s probably already gone there. Jay was my lecturer for two semesters, he is my mentor, we are close…”

“Good point. Well, congrats, once again.” Mel stood up. “Got to start getting ready for my date now.”

“How is it going with John?”

“This is our fifth date. How long do you have to wait before saying you have a boyfriend anyway?”

“No clue. A couple of weeks? A month?”

“Might just see how he updates his Twitter. If there’s nothing even slightly hinting at me after date six, I’m chucking him,” Mel half-joked.

“Have fun!” Zoe called after her as Mel scurried out of the room.

Zoe smiled, then returned her thoughts to this morning’s meeting. Not many people had their life exactly where they wanted at twenty-six. Nope, scratch that. Her life was better than what she had originally envisioned. She had assumed she’d be working closely with Martin and Jay. Replacing Martin hadn’t crossed her mind.

The first time Zoe had seen Jay was on a CNN interview. He was twenty-five, having recently co-founded the company. He believed in himself, Martin and their dreams. He was determined to make a difference in the world, and from that interview and onward, she knew he would. She had also discovered her passion. She was hooked on public relations, on what it was and how it could be utilized. She enjoyed the marketing aspect of it, but what truly entranced her was how a message could be manipulated into the next great thing or a disaster.

After gobbling up all the essential resources on PR, including the firms, its relationship with business and advertising, and most importantly all the projects of Clark and Foster, it was inevitable to choose NYU: a university with a substantial PR program, the university Jay Clark graduated from. It was just the luckiest coincidence that he’d decided to teach there while she was in her third year.

Five Years Ago, NYU

The vast lecture hall was crammed, with some students ready to listen on their feet. Zoe and Mel had secured their front row seats an hour ago. Excited and anticipating whispers filled the room. After all, Jay was to PR what The Rolling Stones were to music.

A few minutes later, Jay appeared in his trademark semi-casual style: blue Levi’s, dark beige suede jacket, dark blue shirt matching his eyes. No tweeds, no patches. He stepped on the platform and smiled confidently.

“Hey everyone. I’m Jay Clark. I am an NYU graduate who was dying to come back. Now, I will be upfront: I’m extremely demanding and challenging. I’ll spend the next couple of weeks talking to you and getting to know you. And then I’ll make you work your asses off. So if you are only here to shine your CV or out of plain curiosity, you will be in immense pain for a semester. Drop out before it’s too late. I won’t be cutting anyone slack. And those of you that are here out of your passion for the subject are also screwed. I will let you pick my brain, and you may not be able to handle it.”

He paused to let everyone take it all in. Some laughed, some exchanged low-pitch grunts and whispers. Many students eagerly clung on to his every word. A few just gaped at Jay. This wasn’t the pep talk they were expecting. He continued, “It’s all about changing things for the better. Helping out because you can. I bide my time between clients, benefit events and organizations. Clark & Foster doesn’t do charity to evade taxes or get discounts. We are in the business so that we will have millions to spend on the causes we believe in. Profit is never the end goal, just the means to an end. We are excellent at what we do. We don’t solicit for clients. The clients seek us, and we work with them only if they possess certain principles.” He had their undivided attention. “Enough about me. What do you want to do with your lives?”

A guy from the rear spoke up. “Potential nightmare student here.” Jay smiled, amused. At least he was honest. “I want to work as a celebrity publicist. It’s good money, and I can manipulate. Who knows? I might use my clients’ connections to become a celebrity myself.” He was clearly having fun depicting his fantasy future career. Several classmates nodded, clearly willing to follow similar paths.

“Basically you want fame and money?” Jay asked. The guy nodded. “You’ve just scored yourself a nightmare teacher, then. By the time I’m done with you, you’ll already have helped the society enough for a lifetime.” The guy looked terrified as the rest of the class laughed. Jay continued, “Guys, I am one of those people you either love or hate. But either way, you will talk about me. And I will find a way to use that word of mouth and transform it into something useful.”

Zoe and Mel were all ears as he moved on to his next victim, motioning a girl from the middle rows to speak up.

“I plan to start my own PR firm. I’ll try to work with firms with integrity. But there aren’t many of them left.”

“I’m going to be the spokesperson of a multi-national corporation,” a guy at the back added.

Mel joined the conversation, “I’m an advertising student. I wanted to be in your class because it’ll help me be better at my job. No, scratch that. It’ll make me better in general. I want to learn whatever I can from you. And I welcome the workload.”

Jay nodded in approval and turned to Zoe. “And you?”

“I want to follow in your footsteps. With a twist.”

“A twist?” He was intrigued.

“You pay so much attention to survival. Food, water, clothes, health, shelter… And of course, that’s the core. But here’s the question: why do we want to stay alive? Why should they fight? We need to show people why it is worth living, and not be done after providing the basics.”

Her response got cynical hoots from the class. One of the students mocked, “Yeah? We can’t take them shopping with us, you know.” A couple of others cracked up.

Zoe ignored her and kept talking to Jay, “Life isn’t about consuming. Or entertainment. It’s whatever makes you get up in the morning. We need to share our lust for life, make it contagious. Give them reasons to feel something other than gratitude. And we can inflict happiness only if we are happy. So I’m going to work for a firm that shares my ideals, will help people survive and help them feel glad to be alive. And I’m not saying I can ever be as selfless or work-oriented as you. Having fun means too much to me. I want to have a job I’ll love, one that will give me the energy and the tools to improve things.”

Jay was impressed. Even the cynics in the class were beginning to pay attention: she was determined, eloquent and idealistic. Oh, and beautiful on the side of gorgeous. “I like the approach…?”

“Zoe.”

“You’re going to have to fight a lot for what you believe in, Zoe.”

“Comes with the territory. I’m used to it.”

Jay smiled at her. And Zoe smiled back. He knew in his heart that this smart beauty was going to make a big difference in the world. He just wasn’t prepared for how much impact she’d have on him.

**************************************************************************************************************

Stay tuned to read chapter 3 tomorrow!

This Writer’s Turning 35 on the 7th, and I Come Bearing Gifts!

Posted on December 3, 2019 Written by Pinar Tarhan

Winter’s come, and 35 is coming! That’s right; I’m turning 35 on the 7^th of December!

I still can’t believe it. The point isn’t that 35 is old. Of course, it isn’t. But it is still a lot in terms of lived experience, and you can’t help but be both amazed and freaked out by how fast years have gone. It was certainly slower when I was in high school and college, let me tell you! 🙂

So as my gift to you, I’m giving away my two books Making A Difference (M.A.D.) (affiliate link) and How to Write an Amazing Romance Novel (affiliate link) for my birthday. And if you want to give me a present instead, you can always leave a review.

How it will work:

On the 7^th of December, How to Write an Amazing Romance Novel will be free to download on Amazon and Smashwords. I’ll announce it on the blog and social media. If you want to buy it before or after then on Amazon, just click on the links above. If Smashwords is your jam, you can buy it here. Smashwords offers more formats.

Because I uploaded my novel Making A Difference (M.A.D.) through an intermediary publishing company, I can’t make it free on the websites. I can, however, send the format of your choice to you via email. So if you want to read my romcom novel for free, email to me by the 7^th of December, asking me for my novel. Mention my birthday. 🙂

My email: pinartarhan@windowslive.com.

Want to check out the novel before then? Here’s the first chapter.

Enjoy!

CHAPTER 1

Present Day

Clark and Foster PR

“We’ve already saved the world today, mate.” Martin faked a passable English accent as he stood before the desk of his partner Jay. Jay raised a quizzical brow without looking from his computer. “Well, we’ve helped. And Faye will eat us for lunch if we are late,” Martin pointed out, returning to his regular New York accent.

The mention of Faye accelerated Jay’s exit faster than a fire alarm. Martin grinned as Jay grabbed his jacket from his chair and shut down his computer. They left together.

Martin Foster and Jay Clark had been partners for ten years. They’d established Clark & Foster PR right after college, with full blessing and intellectual support from Faye Clark, Jay’s PR ultimate guru grandmother who was a lot better at managing her social life so she let them be workaholics on their own time.

Faye was already at the chic new restaurant, sipping her Cosmopolitan when Martin and Jay arrived two minutes late.

“My boys! Three more minutes, and you’d have to share me with Dave,” she said, winking at them mischievously.

“Hey, Faye!” they greeted her in unison. Nobody was allowed to call her anything other than her first name. Even at seventy-five, she was too robust, young-looking and fun to be called Grams or Mrs. Clark.

Dave, her boyfriend of three years, would agree. Dave was a suave and agile sixty-five-year-old who still prioritized Faye over anything and anyone, despite running several successful skydiving schools. They had met when Faye decided to take up the sport for her seventy-second birthday. Faye’s husband, Jay’s grandfather, had been killed in combat many decades ago.

“Dave wanted to come,” Faye said. “He says hello.”

“Yeah, well, he can meet you for dinner,” Jay said and sat across from Faye. Martin took the chair beside her. Despite enjoying the company of Dave, they needed her all to themselves today. They ordered as soon as the waiter appeared. They couldn’t wait to catch up and pick her brains. They would just have to endure being scolded about their lack of fitness activities first.

“How’s the gym treating you?” she said pointedly, knowing that the gym they built in the basement of their firm was frequented a lot more by their employees.

“I got in a few laps,” Martin boasted while Jay avoided the question altogether.

“Today?” asked Faye.

Martin instantly looked sheepish. “This month,” he admitted.

Faye shook her head in disapproval. Good thing they were as fit and healthy as men could get at thirty-six, a boon of all the humanitarian work they did and supervised on-site both in the USA and around the world.

“I should have a word with Keira. She’s been cutting you too much slack recently.” Keira was their super-efficient office manager as well as the second health police they were exposed to. She got along with Faye fabulously.

“Well, she’s a bit too busy to tease us at the moment,” Martin said, and Faye nodded. There was an urgent topic they were all dying to discuss: Martin’s departure from the firm. So they ordered as soon as the waiter appeared.

Not that Martin was quitting in the traditional sense. He would remain as the CFO and would contribute to as many projects as possible. However, he was stepping down from his office, cutting the hours and would be working mostly from home. This substantial change was due to his fiancée Sally’s loving request. Well, ultimatum really. She wouldn’t marry him otherwise.

The problem was, their titles as CEO and CFO didn’t do much more than show Jay was the management whiz, and Martin was the financial expert. They were the two brains behind all operations. So when Martin had first informed Faye about his decision, she’d joked he’d have to go into witness protection. She would lose it if she were in Jay’s shoes. She was also worried this would irrevocably harm the friendship between her two favorite men.

Luckily, they already had the perfect substitute in mind. Faye had met her on several occasions and witnessed the outcome of her efforts. “I agree about Zoe being the best choice. And she is obviously more fun than you two.”

“There is a very long list of reasons why she’s meant for the job,” Jay concurred.

“She’ll willingly rip your butts from your chairs. Well, at least you Jay. It’s Sally’s duty now to inject life into this one.” Martin and Jay shared a look. Faye was only half-teasing. It was lucky their job required socializing. Any other profession, and both men would have become hermits.

Martin smiled as he thought about Sally. He loved everything about his fiancée, and she would make sure he didn’t slip into his old workaholic ways. But then again, being a workaholic humanitarian was a rightfully acclaimed trait.

“Don’t worry, Faye. I’ll grant Zoe full control of all things social. Oh, and yes, I’ll listen to her when she tells me to move it.” Jay grinned.

“Pleased to hear that, but you haven’t talked to her yet,” Faye pointed out.

“No, but I’m positive she will accept,” Martin said. Well, he was ninety percent positive. The rest was wishful thinking. If she said no, he’d have to stay on. Recruiting the right person was not solely about not letting Jay down. There was no way Jay or Martin would bestow Martin’s office on someone who didn’t inherently understand or value their company.

“She’ll say yes,” assured Jay. Then he added with an ominous grin, “I’ll have to kill Martin otherwise. Or shun him for the next three decades.” They all laughed.

“He means it, you know,” Faye added as she took a delicate sip of her drink.

“I know,” Martin said a little anxiously. “I don’t blame him.”

“I might even have to punish you myself,” Faye said.

Martin sighed. “I’m aware I’m facing double rejection here.”

Given that they had practically lived and breathed PR since their teens (Jay’s passion had started even earlier), nobody could foresee Martin would even consider going part-time. Jay smiled. Faye had every right to be mad if Martin failed to persuade Zoe. And yes, there really was only one right candidate for the job as far as they were concerned.

“She has always wanted to come back to the company,” Jay reasoned. “And she is being offered the ultimate position.”

“That’s a pretty big leap from internship,” Faye said.

It was. But Zoe deserved the credit they gave her. Though she was only their intern five years ago, she had quickly become Faye’s third favorite student. More importantly, both Jay and Martin counted her as a friend.

One of the crucial factors behind their success was employing individuals who thought like them: people who put each other over profit, rapport over ambition, casual over formal. One didn’t resign from Clark and Foster. Some switched to part-time, but no one truly left. So far only Angie Clark, Jay’s younger sister, had been fired, but she had asked for it. She wasn’t meant for regular office hours or writing press releases.

“When are you meeting Zoe?” Faye asked.

“I’m going to her book signing tomorrow morning,” Jay said.

“It’s her boyfriend’s book signing,” Martin corrected.

Jay raised his eyebrows, reaching for his drink. “Well, she got him published, and she made him a bestseller, and she organized the signing. That makes it her book signing equally, if not more.”

“He has a point,” Faye said to Martin. “She got his career off the ground. He had the material, but it’s no use if no one knows about it, is it?”

Jay could always count on Faye for common sense. People tended to overlook the marketing aspect of products. No matter what people thought about Colin, without the right marketing, he wouldn’t have a career, period. If Zoe hadn’t worked day and night to get Colin launched, he’d be just another fish in an ocean filled with millions of competitors.

“Fine. Zoe’s book signing.” Martin knew better than to disagree with Jay on any Zoe-related matter. They didn’t disagree a lot, but Zoe and Jay had always been closer than Martin and Zoe. They connected better. He would go as far as to say they completed each other, but that would piss Jay off. And he didn’t want to give Faye any ideas. So he kept it to himself.

“So go get her, tiger,” Faye said, and they all laughed.

Jay was planning on doing just that. It was either Zoe or Martin was staying on. Jay liked Sally. She was a lovely person, and she made Martin happy. But Jay hadn’t labored, sweated, and bled to build a unique company from scratch and carry it to the top for it to be ruined by her idea of a happy family.

But he wasn’t anxious at all. Just like Faye was his role model, he was Zoe’s. He had a feeling she would jump at the offer.

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Stay tuned for Chapter 2! Tomorrow, I’ll be sharing it on the blog as well!