Enemies in Earnest
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***Synopsis***
Acacia Ashley has one love: the written word. Specifically the rich, earthy, prose of Mr. Ernest Hemingway. Her love for Hemingway goes so deep that she opened a bar in his honor. Every year in July she plays host to Hemingway Days in Candy Cane Key, and every year she has to stay on guard in case Edwin Wheeler decides once again to find a way to ruin the solemnity of the occasion.
Edwin Wheeler doesn't care about books or old men, but the sea? The sea is where he spends his days in search of the almighty dollar. But when he grows bored of plying tourists with fruity drinks, he’s often found needling the resident bookworm, Acacia. She's hated him ever since the incident five years ago. Why does getting a rise out of her give him a bit of a rise as well?
When the bell tolls signaling approaching stormy weather that threatens both of their businesses, the pair realizes a farewell to arms may be the best way to avoid a dangerous summer.
What is the sub-genre and trope? Did your characters lead you to this genre or was that decided before the story began?
Enemies to Lovers, Small Town Romance, Forced Promiximity
Are you more character or plot-driven?
I think I toe the line between character and plot though I do like a fully developed character with easy to understand motivations.
With many main and secondary characters, how do you keep them separated in your mind? Do you have a story/vision board above your workspace?
I have an Excel spreadsheet which kind of has some details on it though I’m bad about keeping it up to date.
Mostly I just remember them all in my head. They’re like actual people because by the time you’ve published the book you know so much about them it isn’t hard to remember who they are and which book they came from.
I know from previous interviews that characters take on a life of their own. Were any of the characters in this series determined to take their own direction instead of where you initially wanted them to go?
Not in this book specifically. Though they certainly have in other books Ive written!
Are any of the male POVs based on anyone you know?
Not in this book, but in other books they certainly have been!
Are any of the female POVs based on anyone you know?
Hmm, I’m not sure really. Maybe there’s some of me in there? I didn’t really consciously set out to write someone into this book. But people’s quirks and idiosyncrasies always tend to pepper themselves into my books.
Was there any one character/scene that was harder to write about than the other?
This book has no third act break up. Usually romances tend to have that, but I’ve never really been a fan of it. Typically something other than a miscommunication or something to the like separates them. But this one I figured a tropical storm was dramatic enough haha.
What is your favorite book in the series?
This one isn’t really a “series.” It’s part of Man of the Month but each month is written by a different author, so it is a series but it isnt.
I know that we aren’t supposed to have “favorites” as far as our children, but seriously, who’s your favorite character and why?
This is such a hard question because honestly I have so many favorite. SO MANY. And picking just one is nearly impossible because I love them all for different reasons.
But at the moment I think I’m going to say Bryce Ellis from Date and Switch. That book is wide, so it doesn’t have a whole lot of traction on it. But he is just so quippy and swoony. I love him and Sera together.
Series question - Who is your favorite couple and why did you decide on their dynamics?
Ha! I sort of answered that above. Since Felicity is also mentioned in Enemies in Earnest, I’ll also say Felicity and Klaus (Felicity is Sera’s twin sister and their books were written back to back).
I just love how much they are loved by their men, how close they are as sisters and really, the whole damn Miller family (their brother Rex will have a book in 2024).
How do you get inside these characters’ heads to find their perfect HEA?
I just write what they show me.
What scene in this book/series sticks out the most for you? Why?
It’s actually a bonus scene for this book. When I wrote Screwg’d some years back, there was a sub story line about Marley searching for her Dad that carried through a few books. And when I found out this book was being based in the Keys and that just happened to be where Marley’s dad, Dr. Asher Krane retired to, I knew I had an opportunity to close the loop.
I really love how perfectly imperfect Asher is and was, and how upfront he is with Marley so as not to hurt her more than she already has been.
How long did it take you to write this book?
I am a pretty fast writer. I rapid release throughout the year so most of my books take about six weeks, roughly to finish.
How did you come up with the title for your book?
For this book, my holiday (each author in the series piked a holiday associated with their month) I chose Hemingway Day. And I knew I was writing an enemies to lovers, and I love puns and alliteration so this title was pretty easy to come up with: Enemies in Earnest.
My biggest struggle was whether or not to Enemies in Ernest (as in Hemingway) or Enemies in Earnest (as in earnestly my enemy) and the group chat I have with the fellow authors of that series had suggested Earnest because it’s more common and more than likely what people would type into the search bar.
If you met these characters in real life would you get along?
Oh god yes. They’re just as snarky and sarcastic as me. I feel like most authors write people who they like, emulate, or have pieces of them in them…so naturally they’d get along!
Series question – Did you know in advance that you were going to write this as a series or did one of the characters in book one demand their own story?
No, most of of the time I drop in random characters for color and then suddenly I’m like "ooooh xyz character could be related or friends with abc character from this series" and then boom suddenly I have another book.
If your book was made into a movie, which actors do you see as playing your characters?
For this one? Hmmm, I think America Ferrera and Nick Offerman. I think they would do really well with the snappy one liners and the back and forth and aside from being a U of I alum (ILL!) Nick Offerman can just play a good like curmudgeon but not too curmudgeony.
Can you give us a hint as to what we can expect next? Whether a new book and series or a sequel to an existing series? Can you share a small tease?
I have a fake date/royals book coming out soon called The Expireship. About the princess of Luxembourg having a fake date to her brother the Prince’s wedding that turns out to be not so fake, and turns into a no-strings 30 day relationship. And, after that I’m doing a modern take on Aladdin for Christmas.
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Acacia Ashley has one love: the written word. Specifically the rich, earthy, prose of Mr. Ernest Hemingway. Her love for Hemingway goes so deep that she opened a bar in his honor. Every year in July she plays host to Hemingway Days in Candy Cane Key, and every year she has to stay on guard in case Edwin Wheeler decides once again to find a way to ruin the solemnity of the occasion.
Edwin Wheeler doesn't care about books or old men, but the sea? The sea is where he spends his days in search of the almighty dollar. But when he grows bored of plying tourists with fruity drinks, he’s often found needling the resident bookworm, Acacia. She's hated him ever since the incident five years ago. Why does getting a rise out of her give him a bit of a rise as well?
When the bell tolls signaling approaching stormy weather that threatens both of their businesses, the pair realizes a farewell to arms may be the best way to avoid a dangerous summer.
MAN OF THE MONTH CLUB is a steamy small-town collection featuring a new hottie (or two) every month. In 2023, escape to Candy Cane Key, Florida, and celebrate All the Holidays with your favorite group of romance authors and their delicious Paradise Men. Can’t wait to see you there!
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