Inspiration for Hen Party

So where did I find the inspiration to write a ROM-COM story set amongst the high drama of a hen party going off the rails?

The writer’s juice came from two unexpected places;

a piece of news from outback Australia

and a sprinkle of movie magic.

Add numerous “are you a crazy woman or what?” shakes of the head, and viola,  the whacky ideas came to life. Here’s the low down on what really happened behind the scenes of the Hen Party story;

Back in 2012, I was busy researching Victoriana on the internet; the prim and proper bits about society etiquette and social norms. Tra-la-la...doo-ditty-doo…and then I came across a piece of current affairs news that got my giggle up.

One night in July…east of Darwin, something jaw-dropping happened at a hotel in the Northern Territory of Australia (the home state of the Crocodile Dundee movies, if you've seen or heard of them).

The original news headline that I read went like this;

NT Cops Mistaken For Strippers.

Northern Territory police officers have managed to escape with their dignity intact after being mistaken for strippers by women at a hen's party.

Don’t believe this is real? Here’s the link to another ABC news article I found on the web. The video clip in this link doesn't work for me so I've posted a youtube version after this. 

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2012-07-06/hen-pecked-humpty-doo-police-officers/4114154

And here’s the short youtube news video (it might be a bit blurry, sorry about that, re-hooking this 2012 news story is like trying to catch a slippery fish— it keeps wiggling out of reach);

So what was going on at the pub in the town of Humpty Doo? A doo-wah-wah case of mistaken identity? Yep, a group of partying women were most excited about strippers, tearing their shirts off and running amok but unfortunately they picked the wrong blokes, the policemen. Have you heard the saying; “the truth is stranger than fiction?” Ooh yeah, that’s what I’m talking about here.

Thank goodness for all concerned that the police officers left the hen’s party with their dignity intact.

As I read the news, party scenes flashed through my head. I couldn't stop the laughter wobbling my belly. Afterwards, I went back to my historical writing and didn’t think much more about the news piece...for a little while, at least.

During the next year, I wrote a few paragraphs here and there about a women’s party. Nothing serious or committed, it was more a jotting down of some ideas that might never grow into a story. Then a character called Mad Maddy dropped into my mind for a chat. She was bristling with raw energy but still I resisted writing the Hen Party story. I didn’t think I could write funny, rowdy or racy enough.

Then in 2013 along came, “The Heat”, a buddy cop movie starring Sandra Bullock and Melissa McCarthy. The on scene chemistry between the two talented actresses was a lot of fun. I also noticed and enjoyed some moments of female humor.

Like the night the two women spend getting drunk in a bar, chatting to men, dancing terribly and bonding. There was another scene where they are on a street, fighting each other for possession of a cell phone. Or when Melissa McCarthy pulls the knife out of Sandra Bullock’s thigh causing much pain and wincing and then they hear the footsteps of the bad guy coming back. The knife has to go back into the wound so they don’t look like they’re planning an escape.

Cogs were turning in my mind from the effects of the quirky female humor, which is not often seen in Hollywood movies. The two, odd buddy girls wowed me. They were fresh, I could relate to them, and sometimes they were downright hilarious.

After watching “The Heat”, I could see a bigger story for Hen Party, female humor, Mad Maddy’s motivations for playing up at the girls’ night out. More of the story world soon followed with the arrival of the heroine and her gorgeous-looking, but bad-ass hero. Their past relationships wounds to overcome. Their sizzling attraction to each other that I couldn't slow down. Eventually a whole cast of misfit characters appeared to bring the good, the bad and the ugly to one riotous evening at a hotel lounge.

In late 2014, I committed to writing Hen Party, even if I had to type parts of it with a beetroot red face and feel like I was at the wrong writer’s party. What the heck? I broke my own writer’s chains and had some fun. I've giggled to myself, and laughed out loud. Family members have dashed into the room to see if I was okay or if I had finally lost my marbles. Maybe I came close because writing Mad Maddy pushed me to a sharp edge of resistance.

So I’m excited about Hen Party in a crazy sort of a way. I can’t wait to make the story world videos to show you more. If I had the artistic talent myself, I’d make the whole story into cartoons. Forget about being serious, cut loose for some down-time with the Henriettas', the naughty laadees at the party.

Before I go, I thought I’d leave you with the official trailer for “The Heat”, mind the bad girls. That’s what I’m talking about!

Until next time,

Share a giggle with someone you love!

Ashlyn

The Romance Writer

I like to let my imagination roam and write stories in different time periods from the late Victorian age to the present. I’m writing a series of romance books for the sub-genres of Historical, Contemporary and Romantic Comedy to entertain readers.

As I continue writing, at the same time I will also be taking the characters on an extra journey into the digital world. The heroines and heroes will become more than Times New Roman words on my laptop. I would like to show the romantic couples to readers in more ways than the written words.

Build visual story worlds and breathe life into the characters with pictures, audio and videos. I’m long on the inspiration and a bit short on the technical know-how to achieve my creative goals. However, lately, I've been finding some innovative ladies all over the globe to collaborate with me. They’re helping me give the story worlds a vivid splash of color through the use of multi-media.

There’s more background on the stories down lower in this post, but my enthusiasm has over-ruled the sense of order and I’d like to tell you about two productions I’m currently working on.

For the Victorian story, Ambush & Surrender, I've been writing and producing a gorgeous, vintage video about the heroine, Vonnie. Making it with sepia colors and aiming for some effects from the era of silent films. I've purchased rousing music from a young German composer to accompany the short video. You can watch the video on my facebook page,  here.

For the ROM-COM story, Hen Party, I’m making the first short video to show the circumstances of the girls’ night out. The secondary characters, a group of women called the “Henriettas” are not pretty girls or even fashionable. For the video, I'm giving the Henrietta misfits a retro, cartoon art look to add a bit of pzazz. There’s also a white cat who has insights on the story, a sort of narrator. The overall effect is quirky and I hope, funny, but most of all, my goal is to entertain and draw a smile from readers. When the first Hen Party video is finished, I plan to post it here on the blogger.

Here’s some more information about my upcoming romance book series.

HISTORICAL

The late Victorian age is one place I call my writer’s home. I’m drawn to this era during the reign of Queen Victoria because of the enormous story-telling potential. The Industrial Revolution brought about both prosperity and disruption to English society, women’s roles and class structure.

I have found opportunities to indulge elements of Victorian romanticism, and combine them with heroines who have the courage to change with the times, and make something out of their lives.

I’m planning two different book series set in late Victorian times.

RENTON MANOR will be the first series.

I am currently writing the first book-Ambush & Surrender. It’s a story reversing the “Highwayman” trope to a “Highwaywoman” with a hero in jeopardy and a heroine with a desperate purpose. Love happens?

I am currently posting about Ambush & Surrender on my  facebook page.

VICTORIAN VENUS, the first book-Scandalous Temptations will be the beginnings of a grand love story between a ruined woman and a rogue lord. I am pouring my heart and soul into writing several books about this couple who scandalize London society.

CONTEMPORARY

At the moment, I am planning a SOUL MATES series about a heroine and a hero who get a second chance at love.

ROM-COM

The VADGESTA series are laugh about stories starring one sexy hero and heroine, and the chaos caused by a cast of misbehaving women. 

I’m past half-way writing the first book, Hen Party. In the coming weeks, I’ll start posting more about Hen Party here on the blogger site.

Share a smile with someone you love!

Bye for now,

Ashlyn

The Romance Reader

For many years, I’ve been a reader of romance books across several sub genres. 

With the arrival of e-books, their convenience and price, has meant I’m reading more widely now than ever before. 

As a reader, I've had, and continue to have the experience of how the world of romance novels enriches my life.

Recently I've been reading; 

HISTORICAL

Anna Campbell, Her Christmas Earl.

A story about a heroine and hero caught in a compromising situation and the  consequences that follow from such impropriety. Anna is one of my favorite Regency authors with her bold story lines and exuberant use of language.

Tessa Dare, A Night to Surrender- the first book in the Spindle Cove series.

Spindle Cove is the place where ladies who have fallen out of society for various reasons live in retreat. I am enjoying reading about the moves and counter-moves of the heroine and hero in this book so much, I had to put it away, hoard it, because I don’t want the story to end. The British humor in this book makes me giggle and feel light-hearted. 

CONTEMPORARY

Z.R Heller, The Chronicles of Moxie.

Moxie is a saucy kindergarten teacher who knows how to get herself in trouble without raising a sweat. Moxie's chronicles are a fresh and young read with raw humor.

N.M. Siler, The Law of Attraction (Lawyers in Love)

The writing in some of the courtroom scenes is funny. It’s also refreshing how the two clear-minded lawyers know what they want from each other, in places where they shouldn't be trying to get it, like courthouse interview rooms which don’t have locks on the doors. 

PARANORMAL

Nalini Sigh, Secrets at Midnight-Nightshift Anthology.

I bought this book because I needed to know more about shapeshifters.  My youngest daughter was having a one-sided conversation with me about alpha mates, dominants and shape shifting werewolves. Huh? I’d look at her strangely, not having a clue what she was talking about.

She’s been putting up writing on Wattpad since she was ten years old, and speaking the lore of shapeshifters from her story world ever since then.

So I purchased the Night Shift anthology and have learnt, and been entertained by a romance about big cat shapeshifters from best-selling, New Zealand author, Nalini Singh. There is a caring and uplifting hero in her story, "Secrets at Midnight".

I’m moving onto the second story in the anthology now, "Magic Steals" by Ilona Andrews and I hope to share some comments in future blogs.

Signing off from the wonderful world of romance novels.

It’s time to do some writing!

Ashlyn

Hello and welcome to my page wherever you are in the world.

I like reading romance. Well, I love it actually. Cheesy, huh?  Not at all, for me. I've read about some awesome guys and terrific women in the pages of books. Reading has saved me a few times from having a melt-down over raising kids, the day job, the mortgage, and paying the bills.

My mother was a hoarder of “good” books. She loved her special ones like friends. Her bookcases were her personal library. 

I read books from an early age, as soon as I could string words together into sentences, and understand them.  Only, I wasn’t born with the best eyesight. 

I wore pale pink, pointy-ended “Dame Edna” style reading glasses in the nineteen seventies.

I started reading romance, (my step-grandmother’s Mills & Boon books) as a young teenager, and decades later, something else happened…

I was inspired to create my own romance stories with the sexy heroes and heroines from my imagination. It’s been a journey to learn the craft of writing. I've entered competitions to receive critical feedback and improve. Critique partners have generously given me their comments to help me take another step towards publication.

There’s been a whole lot of editing, rewriting, learning more about myself, and the different writing voices inside my head (the historical and contemporary muses). Now my plans to independently publish are getting closer and closer.

I look forward to sharing some more enjoyable moments with you from my favorite place—the world of romance novels.

Thanks for stopping by,

Ashlyn