2017 August

How binge-watching Suits gave me casting ideas for The Boyfriend Swap

August 26, 2017 5 Comments

My deadline to deliver the third book in the Blogger Girl series to my editor at Henery Press is Friday, September 1^st. Last Saturday, I completed my revisions based on one beta reader’s comments. Since I was still awaiting feedback from my other beta reader, I had no writing-related responsibilities on Sunday. I’ve been battling deadline upon deadline non-stop over the last year and am in desperate need of a break. Rather than get ahead of the game (like I usually do) and start my next book, I opted to put on my pajamas at two in the afternoon and binge-watch the entire first season of Suits.

I love shows that hook me from episode one, and Suits did not disappoint. The characters are well-developed and funny, and the dialogue is sharp. Even though the lazy day was meant to be a break from writing, the more I watched, the more it dawned on me how much two of the female main characters, Rachel and Donna, reminded me of the two protagonists in The Boyfriend Swap.

Donna is sassy, quick-witted, confident, and strong. So is Sidney Bellows.

Donna is a tall redhead. So is Sidney.

Both woman are also flawed and vulnerable

I believe Donna is older than Sidney, who is twenty-eight, but otherwise, they are a great match.

Donna – “If you were ever lucky enough to have me, you wouldn’t want to share.”

Sidney – “I’m sure our respective partners will behave. I keep Will very satisfied.”

Donna – “I’m Donna. I know everything.”

Sidney – “You put in a good effort, but you’re up against a champion fighter. It’s best you accept your loss and move on.”

Donna

The similarities between Rachel Zane and Robyn Lane are more related to their physical appearance. Both are very attractive women with long, dark wavy hair. Aside from the fact that Rachel has brown eyes and Robyn’s are blue, I can totally picture Robyn looking like Rachel. Rachel is of mixed race, unlike Robyn, but Robyn is of mixed religion. Rachel is also older than Robyn, who is only twenty-six, but since I’m only on the first season from six years ago, the age difference doesn’t seem so big. Both woman are also very strong without being forceful or overly aggressive. They show a lot of empathy toward others and are kind until provoked.

Rachel – “Here’s your goddamn birthday card. I don’t appreciate you coming into my office saying that no one at the firm has what they’re supposed to have, and I don’t know what crawled up your ass today, but I take care of my business.”

Robyn – “Thank you very much, Sigmund Freud. I knew a Juris Doctorate permitted you to give legal advice, but I had no idea it also qualified you to psychoanalyze me.”

Rachel – “I am not the goody-goody you think I am.”

Robyn – “You said yourself, my nickname had nothing to do with my purity. I might have been a naughty schoolgirl, but I guess you’ll never know.”

Rachel Zane

THE BOYFRIEND SWAP – “THE HOLIDAY” MEETS “THE PROPOSAL”

COMING 11/7/2017 BUT UP FOR PRE-ORDER NOW
AMAZON: myBook.to/TheBoyfriendSwap

BARNES & NOBLE: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-boyfriend-swap-meredith-schorr/1126945247?ean=2940158732935

The Boyfriend Swap (available for pre-order now) – how it differs from my other novels

The Boyfriend Swap is now available for pre-order on Amazon and Barnes & Noble!

How is The Boyfriend Swap different from my other novels?

All the adult romantic comedy novels I’ve published so far, while very different in plot, have shared some similar characteristics. I took a different direction in The Boyfriend Swap. Some examples:

While all the novels so far were told from one character’s perspective, The Boyfriend Swap is told in alternating dual perspectives—Robyn Lane and Sidney Bellows, two twenty-something New York women.
The main characters in all my other novels worked in a law-firm setting, either as a legal secretary, a paralegal, or a marketing manager. By contrast, Robyn works in an elementary school as a music teacher, and her career plays a major role.
The setting for all my novels before has been a city—Washington, D.C. for Just Friends With Benefits and New York City for the others. Although Robyn and Sidney both live in Manhattan, the bulk of The Boyfriend Swap takes place in the suburbs—Bala Cynwyd in Philadelphia and Scarsdale in Westchester.
None of my previous characters drove, at least not within the pages of the novels. In The Boyfriend Swap, both Sidney and Robyn drive, and several scenes take place with them in the car.

There are probably many other differences, but you’ll have to read the book to find out. Did I mention it’s up for pre-order?

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EXCERPT

Perry pressed his lips together, appearing to ponder his next words. “Okay, I’ll do it. I’ll be Sidney’s boyfriend for a few days—in name only, of course.” He shined his baby blues on me. “I’ll miss you, but if it’s what you really want…”

I swallowed hard. It was what I wanted, wasn’t it? Why else would I be on a double date with Sidney, a virtual stranger, and her boyfriend—Will Brady? I’d agreed to lie to my parents, something I never did, just to avoid their blatant disdain for my dating choices. So what if I had an unrequited crush on Will the entire duration of my childhood? I was an adult now, and I was dating Perry. I needed to protect him from my parents’ judgement and maintain my sanity over the holiday weekend. This was what I wanted.

Then why did I feel like I was going to throw up?

“Of course it’s what she wants,” Sidney responded for me.

I nodded timidly. “Sure.” Taking a deep breath in and letting it out, I clarified my answer with a more confident “Yes.” I met Will’s eyes across the table. “As long as Will’s okay with it too.”

“What do you say, Will?” Sidney asked, sounding certain the answer would be a resounding “Yes.”