How Craig Silvey inspired a romance novelette

Dear Craig Silvey,

Sorry, Craig. I guess you weren’t expecting to read a headline like that in your life time. I hope you clicked on it, though.

Because it’s true, in a sorta-kinda-roundabout way.

See, I interviewed you a while back, when Jasper Jones the movie was about to hit the cinemas. Remember that? We sat in a café and chatted about life on a film set in Pemberton, and how cool it was watching your book baby being made into a film.

And as I drove home, thinking how cool it would be for one of my book babies to be made into a film, a story idea crept into my mind. A quirky, fun, romantic story about a writer called Oliver (I hope you like the name) who’s on set down south somewhere while his book is being made into a film.

And then this cheeky young woman called Kaylie turned up and suddenly they were climbing Gloucester Tree and talking about books and writing in a café …

Now, in case you’re freaking out here, I am not Kaylie. And you are not really Oliver. So you don’t have to worry at all about any awkward stuff, okay? Good. Glad I cleared that up. I’m happily married and want to stay that way.

Truly, it was just the idea of a writer being down south on a film set that inspired me, and the rest went on from there. Plus, I was dared by fellow writer Maureen Eppen to include three weird words in this novelette, one of which is pilkunnussija.

Anyway, I hope you don’t mind. And if you read Under Her Spell, I hope you’re kind.

Oh, you can buy it here (you probably don’t want to be seen googling a rom-com):

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Best,

Monique

PS. Here’s the blurb.

Writer Oliver Pendall has enough on his plate working on the set of Multiples, a clone movie based on his bestselling book. All he wants is time to write his next novel, but when he meets the bubbly but disconcerting Kaylie, life as he wants it is turned upside down and inside out. Kaylie’s on-off behaviour has him all hot and bothered, and the more he tries not to think about her, the more he falls under her spell.

But Kaylie’s not his usual type and Oliver’s words are as tangled as his emotions, setting the scene for near-miss that could break more than one heart. Will Oliver see what’s right in front of him? Or will he leave it too late?

Light-hearted and funny, Oliver and Kaylie will make you laugh, smile and tingle all over.

“With all the hallmarks of a rom-com, Under Her Spell is a story that would make for a great movie. At only 40 pages, it has a tightly packed plot that is precisely executed. With sparkling dialogue, adorable introspection from Oliver, and a cute word quirk from Kaylie, it’s a story I thoroughly enjoyed from start to finish.” THERESA SMITH WRITES, AUTHOR

One more PS: Did you see the bit about Under Her Spell making a great movie?