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Megan Mulry | Favorite Scenes
July 11, 2013
I am so excited to visit Fresh Fiction! Lately I've been preoccupied with all
the different ways we feel passion, all the versions of 'romance' we experience
as we move through life. My earliest exposure to 'romance' was in movies like The Sound of Music
and Gone with the Wind, which I watched because my parents were watching
them. I didn't really even understand what my mother saw in Christopher Plummer
or my father saw in Vivien Leigh, but I knew they saw *something*. Then there
were books like... Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. I know, weird.
Later I would add books like The Color Purple and Pride and
Prejudice, but to my young mind, my first first-hand exposure to real
passion was Willy Wonka. For me, the word romance evokes this sort of
smoke-and-mirrors concept that has something to do with accelerating my heart;
it means a book or a scene or a character moves me and makes me believe...in
something. Deeply. Usually, it's the thing that gives the character (and me) an abiding happiness
after overcoming great odds. Seeing Willy Wonka yell at little Charlie Bucket
(even though I read the book before I saw Gene Wilder in the role, it will
always be a furious Gene Wilder yelling in my mind, "GOOD DAY
SIR!")—anyway, the feelings that scene evoked, unbeknownst to me at
the time, are the feelings that all my favorite romance novels evoke. That deep
fear that the character has really screwed things up so abominably, that his
future really is destroyed, that the people who believed in him are
disappointed, crushed really. And then—YES!—the moment of clarity
when the character sees what must be done to remedy the situation. Groveling is
usually involved at this point. Deep down Charlie knew he had lied; deep down
Wonka was enraged because Charlie had not lived up to his expectations. None of that really had anything to do with Everlasting Gobsmackers, but with
honor and integrity and love. Those are the best motivations in a romance novel.
Of course, Lizzie Bennet and Fitzwilliam Darcy are beautiful examples of this:
all sure-of-themselves and cocky until they realize (like we all do eventually)
that people are usually terribly misinformed when they compare their insides to
someone else's outsides. It's that pivotal moment of self-awareness and honesty that I love to create in
my books. In my latest release, IF THE SHOE FITS, the
British bad-boy hero, Devon Heyworth lives a double life. He projects the cool,
careless exterior of an aristocratic wastrel, but inside he's super intense and
controlled. Until he meets the heroine, that is. Likewise, the chic, confident
heroine, Sarah James, thinks she's got her life pretty much figured
out—great job, great clothes, great friends—check! check! check! But
they are both totally thrown by how the other person makes them feel (er, way
too much). The heroine, Sarah James, is finally called to account by her wildly eccentric
grandmother (who travels from Paris to London in her chauffeur-driven Rolls
Royce while the 16-passenger Mercedes van follows with her luggage). After Sarah
discovers Devon has been messing about in one of her business deals, she doesn't
know if she can trust him. She asks her grandmother: "Whether it is business or the depth of his feelings, he lied to me.
Doesn't that signify?" "Of course it signifies. But was it both business and the depth of his
feelings that he lied about, Sarah?" Sarah's silence was answer enough. "No one wants to live in a minefield of treachery, I agree, but it
sounds like you already know that he hasn't lied to you about anything of real
importance, has he?" "Such as?" "Do you know how he feels about you? Unequivocally? Does he look at
other women when he is with you or does he make you feel like the most beautiful
woman in the room? On earth? Is he affectionate with you in front of his family
and friends or only a deux? Has he introduced you to his mother?" Sarah stared blindly out the wall of windows. She supposed she always knew to
be careful what she wished for when she called Letitia for advice, because she
would surely get it. Do you have any favorite scenes or characters who are not traditionally
considered romantic, but for whom you feel that *something*? One commenter
will win IF THE SHOE FITS US / Canada only
Comments
26 comments posted.
Re: Megan Mulry | Favorite Scenes
i like the sound of this book, added to my list! ty
(Debbi Shaw 9:14am July 11, 2013)
sounds like a great book to read cant wait to start
(Denise Smith 9:20am July 11, 2013)
The book sounds great. And I have always loved Snape from the HP books and think he would make a great romantic character.
(Pam Howell 10:16am July 11, 2013)
Your post was lovely and the novel unique and special. A
character that is not traditionally romantic but has that
"something" is Maxim de Winter.
(Sharon Berger 10:18am July 11, 2013)
While I was reading your posting, there was one character who kept screaming out to me. That was Anna, from Anna and the King of Siam. I don't know if you would actually consider her romantic, nor her role in the movie, but it's actually supposed to be a love story. I adored the movie, and still do!! Yul Brynner played an excellent King, and isn't exactly my idea of a catch, but considering it's a love story, I don't know if this one would count. I fell in love with the cover of your book, as well as the story, and would love to read it. Since Anna screamed out to me to put her in for my answer, I'm hoping to have a shot at winning.
(Peggy Roberson 10:29am July 11, 2013)
Hi everyone,
Thanks so much for the comments!
Debbi & Denise - I'm glad this post made the book appeal to you. As a writer,
one always wonders :)
Pam - my great confession is that I still haven't read HP or Twilight. I feel like I
missed the boat. But I've heard of this Snape and think I need to pursue it once
and for all.
Sharon - Two words: Laurence Olivier! Excellent choice.
Peggy - I love The King and I! It was one of the first Broadway plays I ever went
to when I was a ten-year-old girl in New York City in the 70s. Constance
Towers and Yul Brynner. It was splendid! Anna is a great choice.
Thanks again for commenting!
(Megan Mulry 11:21am July 11, 2013)
I think Jane Eyre's Mr. Rochester is not traditionally romantic, but he's
really appealing to me. I enjoyed reading your experiences with literary
romance. Your book sounds wonderful! Congratulations and thanks for the
giveaway!!!
(Linda Brennan 11:35am July 11, 2013)
Hmmm... I can't think of anything. I love all types of romantic stories though. The only thing that I can think of is like the other commenters who say that they like Snape...
(May Pau 12:21pm July 11, 2013)
Well I have enjoyed many books... some with characters that did not want love or seemed like they were not the type to except it, but things come around in the end... gotta love those HEAs.
(Colleen Conklin 1:18pm July 11, 2013)
Oh I like that observation from the excerpt. I am certainly picking this up it will be a must read for me. It is very true that we must watch what people do and not listen to what people say. Many times true feelings are reflected in the smallest actions. I don't remember exactly what books they are from but there were some characters where small things mattered so much. A man remembering a favorite food or childhood memory that seemed so unimportant to others but to the woman it meant the whole world.
(Patti Paonessa 2:58pm July 11, 2013)
One that has always struck me as romantic and beautiful was the winter sleigh-ride scene in Dr. Zhivago. I saw this when I was very young and loved it. I must say, I was mesmorized by it! I also loved the scene from Pretty Woman when she walks into the clothing boutique where the clerks had snubbed her a few days prior, dressed to the "nines" and they didn't recognize her and she said, "Remember Me?" She then gave them a piece of her mind about how they treated her by the way she looked! Your book sounds good, and I'm loving the cute cover!
(Linda Luinstra 5:15pm July 11, 2013)
I will show my age with my comment, but I can remember scenes from Archie Bunker where he was so blunt and abrasive but deep down he loved Edith very much. I always felt that deep connection she had with him, and sometimes the writers let his vulnerability show too. That was so wonderful.
That comment aside, I would love to get to know you as an author and your book sounds very interesting; something that I would really love to read. It would be wonderful if I could get to be the recipient of this giveaway and so thank you for that opportunity.
Much success.
(Cynthia Blain 7:36pm July 11, 2013)
I have to say one of my favorites romantic characters would have to be
Mr. Darcy from Pride and Prejudice. I hope i win a copy of the book. It
sounds wonderful. Thanks for the giveaway!
(Sarah Bauman 8:29pm July 11, 2013)
That's where you have me, because I am ALWAYS drawn to the untraditionally romantic characters! :-)
(Chelsea Brooks 10:09pm July 11, 2013)
Romantic but not really...I would have to go to my younger years and go
with Kermit & Ms. Piggy. They cared for each other, chasing, and karate
chops where involved.
(Laura Gullickson 10:11pm July 11, 2013)
Cannot think of any any favorite scenes or characters who are not traditionally considered romantic,but your book sounds like one that is going to be hard for me to put down once I start reading it
(Shirley Younger 10:29pm July 11, 2013)
Winnie Foster and Jesse Tuck in Tuck Everlasting. The book, not the movie (although I greatly enjoy both). In the book, they both have such an innocence to how they see the world and their expectations from life. While an obvious couple in the movie, it isnt as much so in the book, yet there is something striking about what they could've had if Winnie made a different choice.
(Samantha King 10:34pm July 11, 2013)
I really like the cover of your book. I don't know why; it's
just so appealing to me
(Kelsie Budhu 11:47pm July 11, 2013)
Yes a few I love the geeks or typically NOT romantic but have something about them like loving pets, a cool skill or humour that is awesome.
(Darci Paice 11:48pm July 11, 2013)
Yes, I agree that Willy Wonka and Kermit the Frog and Miss
Piggy were funny too. Thanks for the great memories and I
love your book cover: IF THE SHOE FITS and it seems
fascinating and I would love to win and read it this summer.
Thank You very much. Cecilia CECE
(Cecilia Dunbar Hernandez 12:05pm July 12, 2013)
I'm thinking Jack Sparrow from the Pirates movies. He doesn't
fill the traditional hero role, but there's just something
about him...
(Margay Roberge 12:14pm July 12, 2013)
could win
(Kent Cook 12:14pm July 12, 2013)
It would When Harry Meet Sally. Harry and Sally just don't seemed right for each other but at the end they did ended up as a couple.
(Kai Wong 1:38am July 12, 2013)
I guess I read mostly traditional romances. Can't think of any untraditional romances that I've read.
(Carol Woodruff 4:23pm July 12, 2013)
I feel that "something" when men can't admit to feelings of
being flawed or vulnerable and the acts of forgiveness we all
want them to participate. The two hardest words to say is
"I'm sorry."
(Alyson Widen 6:22pm July 12, 2013)
I can't think of any right off my head, but your book sounds great.
(Marcy Shuler 3:17pm July 13, 2013)
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