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Kathleen O'Reilly | Where Inspiration Strikes
April 2, 2010
As a writer, I get ideas from all sorts of things: movies, newspaper articles,
stories from my friends, and yes, sometimes the calendar. The Blaze
Encounters series are linked short stories that revolve around a common
theme, which is sometimes a holiday. A couple of summers back, I was hanging
with my editor at the RWA National Conference and chatting up what’s *hot* in
the Blaze line, and we began talking about the Encounters, and at that point, we
were one glass of wine away from the idea of a Blaze Encounters that
revolves around April Fools Days. Yes, while others think of Valentine’s Day or Christmas, I, of course, think of
April Fool’s, and because I felt the idea was so stupendous, I immediately
drafted my talented critique partner, Julie Kenner, into coming
along for the write. April Fool's dates back a long, long time, easily as far back as the Middle
Ages, and some experts pin its origin to Chaucer's Canterbury Tale. Others
experts point to the French calendar, which is the most respected (or suspected,
as the case may be) theory. In 1564, the first of the calendar year was moved
from Easter to January 1, but the French were a stubborn people who didn't want
to give up their old New Year's, and so they stuck to the older calendar. The
French, being a not only stubborn, but surly bunch, were mocked for their
old-fogey attitudes, and were dubbed "Poisson d'Avril" or Fish of April, which
now loosely translates (as is the way of such entomological anomalies) to
April's Fools. In 1983, a Boston University professor was interviewed by the AP for an article
on the origin of April Fool’s Day. He had a fabulous explanation of how the
holiday dated back to Roman times and was used to mark the elevation of one
special court jester to King for the day. Of course, the story was a prank on
the AP itself. The AP was not amused.  The best part of April Fools is reading about great hoaxes
in history, and wow, we people are an April Fishy bunch. In April 1998, an
article appeared in the New Mexicans for Science and Reason, claiming that the
Alabama Legislated had decided, in its infinite Alabamian wisdom to change the
value of pi. Hoax? Oh, yes.
In 1962, those loopy Swedes broadcast that TV viewers could change their
existing black & white TV sets into color ones by carefully placing a nylon
stocking over the screen. There was a run on nylons that day, and the Swedes
have sworn off color TV ever since (not really; I’m joshing you on that one.) In 1996, Taco Bell claimed to have purchased the Liberty Bell and was renaming
it to the Taco Liberty Bell. Thousands of Liberty-Bell-Loving patriots were
furious and their voices rang out in rage at the brass commercialization.
According to the Museum
of Hoaxes website (very fun, check it out), the best line of the day was
this one: "...when White House press secretary Mike McCurry was asked about the sale.
Thinking on his feet, he responded that the Lincoln Memorial had also been sold.
It would now be known, he said, as the Ford Lincoln Mercury Memorial."
 When Julie and I brainstormed the idea,
we knew we couldn’t do pranks because a lot of April
Fools pranks end up not being funny. So, we came up with the idea of two
brothers and sisters who suffer a curse on April Fools Day, and each one copes
with the curse in their own individual way. And of course, since this is a
romance, they find true love along the way. And of course, since this is a
Blaze, there are lots of steamy moments (usually with April Fool’s cursed type
things happening around them). I’ve posted an excerpt on my website (for readers to enjoy. It was a lot of fun to write, and
I’m pleased to say that I’ll be giving away a prize package to TWO winners (No
fooling!). A copy of the April release of JUST FOOLING AROUND, and
also, my May release (did I mention that I have a May Blaze as well?): LONG SUMMER NIGHTS. Winners
will be chosen from comments.
So, no fooling, what’s the best April Fool’s joke you’ve heard of, been a party
to, or alternatively been subjected to or embarrassed by? Kathleen
Comments
28 comments posted.
Re: Kathleen O'Reilly | Where Inspiration Strikes
My son and daughter-in-law went to the store at one in the morning of April 1st. About forty-five minutes later, my son called me and said Jenni had been pulled over by the police. They had frisked her and put her in the cuffs before putting her in the back of the squad car. After some arguing, they finally agreed to let him drive her truck home. He didn't know what was going on and...April Fools! I threatened to throw my phone at him.
(Patsy Hagen 4:53am April 2, 2010)
Don't forget the boatload of mayonnaise sinking - Cinco do Mayo!
(Karin Tillotson 12:01pm April 2, 2010)
Just Fooling Around on Long Summer Nights sounds pretty nifty!
Blessigs,
Marjorie
(Marjorie Carmony 12:08pm April 2, 2010)
Happy Reading and Happy Easter!
(Freda Mans-Labianca 12:21pm April 2, 2010)
i cant wait 2 read this!
(Debbi Shaw 12:33pm April 2, 2010)
The last time I was a part of any April Fool's tricks was when I was a child and I can't even remember what they were.
(Leni Kaye 12:52pm April 2, 2010)
Patsy, Your son sounds like a prankster! Glad it worked out.
(Kathleen O'Reilly 1:13pm April 2, 2010)
I haven't heard of an April Fool's joke being played on anyone in ages. People are more concerned about the state of the nation at present, I guess. Maybe school students might still employ April Fool pranks.
(Gladys Paradowski 1:23pm April 2, 2010)
I think April Fool's Day is such a unique holiday to write a series about! Pretty ingenious.
(Joanne Reynolds 1:40pm April 2, 2010)
My husband was telling me a joke played on one of their employees yesterday, very funny but I can't go into detail! Your books sound fab and I can't wait to read them!
(Gail Hurt 2:25pm April 2, 2010)
my bestfriend & her boyfriend got really serious one year & on april fools day i didnt think about it but they told me that they were getting married she had a ring on that finger & i didnt know what day it was so i went along with it i said congrats & asked if they knew the plans for the wedding yet. They kept at it until 5:00 that night & than started laughing i said what they said april fools day & i said what do you mean & they said we got you its april fools day
(Melissa Roberge 3:29pm April 2, 2010)
I am not one that is good at practical jokes, but I love a good laugh! :)
(Colleen Conklin 3:32pm April 2, 2010)
I haven't had much to do with April Fool's day since I was a kid....although my own kids used to try and play a prank or two....hehe!!!!
(Valerie Bongards 3:41pm April 2, 2010)
My daughter is taking a yoga
class at college and she told
her boyfriend that as part of
her class she had to teach
someone who had never taken a
yoga class(him) yoga positions
and she had to tape it. Her
boyfriend is 6'6" and no way
could he contort himself like
a pretzel but he said he'd do
it -- then she told him he had
to wear a leotard.
(Lisa Richards 4:33pm April 2, 2010)
My husband usually tricks at least once on April fools.
(Sherry Russell 4:45pm April 2, 2010)
I am not one for practical jokes. I think they are mean & hurtful to the person victimized. I enjoy a good laugh just not at anyone else's expense.
(Mary Preston 6:08pm April 2, 2010)
My youngest son is always pulling pranks on me. I hate them. But I go along with him anyway
(Julie Swaney 6:46pm April 2, 2010)
I played one trick on my fiance'. I told him it had snowed overnight.
(Mary Smith 7:04pm April 2, 2010)
When we were kids we switched around the white sugar and salt, but gave our actions away with all the giggling and big eyes not looking at the shaker or sugar bowl.
(Alyson Widen 7:24pm April 2, 2010)
I'm really not into April Fool's Day so haven't done any pranks on anyone.
(Diane Sadler 8:31pm April 2, 2010)
When April 1st arrives, I run and hide. I'm always the one who is pranked and (sadly) I fall for it.
(Rosemary Krejsa 9:32pm April 2, 2010)
Hello Kathleen, Please enter me in your fantastic contest. I love winning contests from freshfiction.com
God bless, Cecilia
[email protected]
(Cecilia Dunbar Hernandez 9:42pm April 2, 2010)
Thank you, everybody. We have a very mixed bunch, and I love the yoga story. :)
(Kathleen O'Reilly 10:28pm April 2, 2010)
My husband many years ago was working on heavy steam run equipment. The job was behind schedule and the scheduler wanted to know why. So he told him - somehow the steam got caught up in the pipe and until we can free it, we can speed up the work.
(Johannah Brookwell 11:08am April 3, 2010)
It has been awhile since I even pulled an April's Fool prank. Maybe it is a good thing that I don't remember as in incriminate myself.
(Kai Wong 3:51pm April 3, 2010)
I'm one of those that has them done to
(Patricia Kasner 10:50pm April 3, 2010)
This looks like a fun series. I have not pulled an April Fools joke since, like Alyson Widen already posted I put salt in the sugar bowl and sugar in the salt shaker. I got in so much trouble, I quit all pracical joking after that.
(Sandra Dickey 5:42am April 4, 2010)
Our son-in-law is a postal carrier.
They showed up to sort mail at 6:30 or
7AM as usual. The postmaster told
them they would have to watch a 30
minute training film before being able
to start sorting for the day. Amid
much grumbling, the film started as all
post office training films do. A couple
of minutes into the film, their post
master's face popped onto the picture
with a big smile and "April Fools, get
to work and have a good day."
(Patricia Barraclough 7:39pm April 5, 2010)
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