The Director Gets a Grip: Moonchuckle Bay Romantic Comedy #3

by Heather Horrocks

  “Yes,” he said, feeling dreamily happy, falling into her beautiful blue eyes.

  “And you will be repulsed by the very thought of Bianca Rossi. You don’t want to touch her or see her. You don’t know what you ever saw in her.”

  “Yes,” he agreed, glad to be having this conversation with her.

  “And you will help and promote Moonchuckle Bay Studios and their movies. You will say great things about them and their movies.”

  “Yes. They’re a lovely studio.”

  “Good weasel,” she said, patting his hand.

  “Is there a weasel in my office?” he asked.

  “Not anymore,” Bianca said.

  Bianca? Bianca Rossi. Ew. And she was touching his hand. He pulled his away and stepped back. What had he ever seen in this repulsive woman? He didn’t know.

  Leo Rossi said, “Have you ever directed porn movies, Emmett?”

  “Porn? No. I hate the stuff.” He was disgusted at the mere thought. He wondered how he could get them out of his office. He had work to do before attending a big New Year’s Eve party this evening.

  Blake Gladwell said, “Do you know Rachel Poole?”

  “Who? I’ve never heard of her.”

  Both Gladwell and Winston smiled, and the sight of it didn’t make Emmett feel good.

  “It’s been good visiting with you, Emmett, but we’re on a tight schedule and I’m sure you are, as well. We need to be going.” Bianca Rossi put out her hand to shake.

  Ew. He put his hand up in an awkward wave instead. “Thank you for stopping by.”

  Bianca smiled and he was repulsed.

  She leaned closer and her eyes grew very blue again. “Oh, and Emmett, I considered which word to use — maybe one you use every day like cameras — but decided to be kinder than you are. Still, because you blackmailed a woman, every time you hear the word weasel, you will cluck like a chicken for two seconds.”

  “Yes.”

  “Good bye and good riddance, weasel.”

  I Could Sweeten the Pot

  BLAKE LOOKED AT HIS WIFE across the ballroom at the Marriott Hotel and they exchanged a smile.

  The last six months had been a happy whirlwind. First their elaborate wedding, then the completion of the post-production on Bianca’s film, followed by the premieres.

  His talented wife had scheduled the movie premiere of the first Love Bites movie last week, the first Saturday in June, in Hollywood. She’d invited Emmett Pierce, but, even though he’d sent a card saying how much he admired Moonchuckle Bay Studios, he regretted to inform them that he would be unable to attend. Blake chuckled. Too bad, because he’d wanted to work the word weasel into the conversation several times tonight.

  She’d planned two special showings at the Moonchuckle Bay Studio Theater earlier today, one for townsfolk and the other for tourists. They were currently at the after-party, a strictly invitation-only event, with lots of swag bags and people in pretty clothes.

  Since there were so many humans involved in this production, the after-party was being held at the Marriott Hotel rather than the exclusively supernatural Wildwood Hotel.

  A band provided music, and couples were on the dance floor: women in colorful dresses swirling alongside men wearing suits and tuxes.

  The premiere of Emmett’s and Miranda’s movie had been in September. Normally Blake wouldn’t wish ill on either a filmmaker or a star, but he had to admit he was glad that the movie had not been received well. One could even say it had bombed.

  On the other hand, Bianca’s movie — which she’d finally titled Magical Moments — had set records for attendance and money earned. It looked like his bride would get her wish to make more Love Bites rom-coms in between her Creature Features.

  And he planned to enjoy working beside her on each of them.

  Bianca floated toward him, exquisite in the pale pink designer gown that hugged her luscious curves in all the right places.

  Music played and he put out a hand. “Care to dance, Mrs. Gladwell?”

  “I’d love to, Mr. Gladwell.”

  He led her onto the dance floor and twirled her around the room.

  “Did I mention that your contract’s been extended?” she asked with a warm smile.

  “Really, darlin’? For how long?”

  “Oh, only forever.”

  “I don’t know. I’m very popular right now. A lot of other directors have expressed interest in me recently.”

  “I could sweeten the pot,” she said, as she kept pace with the intricate steps they’d practiced for the last month. “I’ll even keep my wedding ring on.”

  As the song came to a dramatic end, he twirled her and dipped her back deeply. “Okay, I accept your generous offer.”

  He pulled her back up and they were both flushed and laughing. He lifted her hand. “Your parents had exquisite taste in rings.”

  “Thank you for giving me this ring. It means so much to me, both because of my parents and because of your thoughtfulness.”

  “Well, I was a starving key grip who couldn’t afford much...”

  She gently shoved him. “Whatever. I saw the balance in your savings account. You were far from starving.”

  He laughed. He’d insisted on using the savings to purchase their new house, not too far from her family mansion, but in a more modest, yet still nice neighborhood.

  They strolled toward the refreshment tables, greeting people as they walked.

  She asked, “How are your parents treating you?”

  He caught sight of his mother and father chatting with Leo and Orlando Rossi. They’d come to his wedding, and had begun to warm a bit. Perhaps it was when they realized how much the combined Rossi net worth was. He might not care about Bianca’s wealth, but they did. But they were here, and he was glad for that. “As well as can be expected.”

  “I could have a conversation with them like I did with Emmett. Tell them you’re their favorite son.”

  He laughed. “If only I felt good about you doing that. It’s a great idea.”

  They reached Steven, who stood apart from the table.

  Steven told Bianca, “You look lovely tonight, Bianca.”

  “Thank you, Steven. You clean up pretty nice, too.”

  “Our parents seem quite taken with your new in-laws, Blake. I have bad news for you.”

  Blake raised an eyebrow.

  “Unfortunately, I think you might be back in the will.”

  Blake shook his head.

  “You know what that means, don’t you?” Steven asked with mock sadness. “Now I’ve got to share half of my inheritance with you.”

  Bianca smiled at Blake. “No need. Didn’t you hear? He married into money.”

  ~ The Happy Ending ~

  Thank you!

  Thank you very much for taking the time to read my book, The Director Gets a Grip, the third book in the Moonchuckle Bay series. I love to write these light-hearted, humorous stories to allow people to curl up with a good book for an afternoon. I hope you were entertained.

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  DID YOU SEE ANY (GASP!) ERRORS OR TYPOS?

  Though this book has gone through numerous edits, by myself and others, including two professional editors and three beta readers, we are human. If you s
pot any errors or typos, please email me at Corrections@BooksByHeatherHorrocks.com and let me know! I want my books to be as clean as possible, both in content and in format. Then, if you have a Kindle, be sure to download the corrected ebook — set a reminder for the following week, go to your Kindle account, search for the title, click on the box immediately to the left of the title, and download the corrected file.

  THANKS AGAIN...

  For your time and interest, and for telling your friends about my books. If you’d like to know more about my other books, that section is just a page or two away.

  Happy tales, Heather Horrocks

  www.BooksByHeatherHorrocks.com

  Author’s Note

  The International Horror Festival of Wales is a perfect place for the Creature Features movies to be showcased, and it’s a real deal that is held in November; however, for the purposes of my story, I moved the dates of the festival two weeks earlier.

  While the title Director of Photography (DoP) is apparently more commonly used in the U.S. and cinematographer in the U.K., I chose to use cinematographer because who, besides film folk, can remember all those initials?

  Book Club Questions

  1. Have you ever wanted to be in a movie? Were you ever an extra? Did you take acting lessons?

  2. Bianca can’t trust the lifemate buzz because of her baggage with a deceitful warlock. Has your baggage from any previous relationships affected your current relationship? For the bad? For the good?

  3. Have you, like me, always wondered what the heck a key grip was and did? Did you feel the movie-making details were too much, too little, or just right?

  4. Blake is basically disowned by his parents because he didn’t do what they wanted him to. Have you had any similar experiences in your life? How did you react?

  5. What did you think of the big scary lady vampire director who secretly wants to direct rom-coms?

  6. Emmett is most likely a sociopath. Did you know that 1 in 25 people are sociopaths? They’re much more common than you’d think. Have you ever read the book The Sociopath Next Door? It would pretty much describe Emmett.

  7. Did you like the image of the director being like a conductor of an orchestra? Is there an image you like better?

  8. Blake is mistaken for being uneducated because of his drawl and y’all. Have you ever thought that about someone with a slow southern drawl? How were you proven wrong?

  9. Blake sends flowers to Bianca right on the set, determined to woo her and let everyone know. Have you ever been wooed publicly? How did it feel?

  10. Did you think it necessary for Blake to ask Bianca’s brothers for her hand in marriage?

  About the Author

  Heather Horrocks is the USA Today bestselling author of numerous books (Moonchuckle Bay paranormal romances, Chick Flick Clique and Christmas Street romantic comedies, a novel in the unprecedented American Mail-Order Bride series, Who-Dun-Him Inn and Bad Mothers Club cozy mysteries, and Women Who Knew inspirational books) plus an upcoming series for writers, sharing her unique character interview and amazing book-in-a-day system developed by plotting over seventy-five books with Diane Darcy, each in one day. She is also the founder of Word Garden Press, a niche publisher of PG-rated fiction and non-fiction.

  Raised overseas for her first seventeen years, she hid under the bed with her mother during a South American coup, waterskied through an oil slick in the Persian Gulf, partied with a Kuwaiti princess classmate, flew in and out of the blacked-out Cairo airport mere moments before it was bombed during the Six Day War, rode a camel (and ate a camel steak), crossed the finish line first at Utah's Miller Motorsports Park—and walked on hot coals—without getting burned!—at a firewalk workshop!

  She loves anyone who can make her laugh, which explains why she adores her witty husband, her funny friends and sisters, Anne George mysteries, and her cute little dog Gus. She loves to cook for friends, siblings, and especially her children and their families. She and her husband reside in Utah. You can find her online at www.BooksByHeatherHorrocks.com.

  Books by Heather Horrocks

  MOONCHUCKLE BAY Paranormal Romances:

  Jingle Belle (free here), The Artist Cries Wolf, The Bridesmaid Earns Her Wings, The Director Gets a Grip, The Fireman Finds His Flame (Feb 2017)

  CHRISTMAS STREET Romantic Comedies:

  Bah, Humbug!, Kissing Santa, The Naughty List, Love on Christmas Street (#1, 2, & 3), Deck the Malls

  CHICK FLICK CLIQUE Romantic Comedies:

  Pride and Precipitation, A Hound Dog Named Elvis, Regally Blonde, A Pink Dog Named Fluffy (formerly titled Puppy Love), My Spare Lady, Movie Night at Candy’s Cafe (#1, 2, & 3), A Bulldog Named Desire, Fifty Shades of Greystoke, While You Were Stranded, Romancing the Clone (2016), Davidson and Goliath

  WHO-DUN-HIM INN Cozy Mysteries:

  Snowed Inn, Inn the Doghouse, Inn the Family Way, Laugh Yourself to Death at the Who-Dun-Him Inn (#1, 2, & 3), The Czech’s Inn the Mail #4 (2016)

  BAD MOTHERS CLUB Cozy Mystery Series:

  Murder is Misunderstood #1

  INSPIRATIONAL:

  Women Who Knew the Mortal Messiah, Men Who Knew the Mortal Messiah, Women and Men Who Knew the Mortal Messiah, Women Who Knew the Great Jehovah (2016)

  AMERICAN MAIL-ORDER BRIDE:

  Violet: Bride of North Dakota

  OTHERS:

  How to Stuff a Wild Zucchini, Old Maid of Honor, Baby Mine

  Receive a FREE STORY for signing up for Heather’s New Release Newsletter at www.BooksByHeatherHorrocks.com

  Acknowledgments

  I have many people to thank on this book:

  My sister SEPTEMBER WEEKS, for your continuing moral support. (And Gus says thanks to you and Martin and Cisco and Harvey for making him an honorary member of your pack.)

  USA Today bestselling author DIANE DARCY for plotting with me, providing moral support, brainstorming books and marketing, and being a partner on the path to author enlightenment.

  My amazing editors — ANISSA WALL of AnissaEdits.com and THERESA CROUSE of Magical Words Editing — for polishing and buffing my words.

  My fantastic, nitpicky beta readers — Desiree Rowe Taggard, Heidi Nielsen (both of you!), Lois Sturdivant, Lori Hocker Carson, Marsha Sensel, and Nair Adair Burton.

  Copyright © 2017 Heather Horrocks

  www.BooksByHeatherHorrocks.com

  Word Garden Press

  The publisher does not have any control over and does not assume any responsibility for third-party websites or their content.

  Cover Art Copyrights

  Retro Theater Marquee © KeithBishop (istockphoto.com)

  Bride & Fiance - Copyright © J-Sho (istockphoto.com)

  (Background) Defocused Blue Sparkles - Copyright © MRaust (istockphoto.com)

  (Bat) Halloween Gargoyle - Copyright © ved007 (istockphoto.com)

  Watercolor Christmas Set (tree) - Copyright © Dinkoobraz (istockphoto.com)

  Inside Graphics Copyrights

  Halloween © luplupme (istockphoto.com)

  Monster At The Window © Dean Murray (istockphoto.com)

  All Rights Reserved

  This includes the right to reproduce this book, or portions thereof, in any form. No part of this book may be reproduced, scanned, or distributed in any manner whatsoever without written permission from the author except in the case of brief quotation embodied in critical articles and reviews. Please purchase only authorized electronic editions.

  Work of Fiction

  This book is a work of fiction. The names, characters, places, and incidents are products of the writer’s imagination or have been used fictitiously and are not to be construed as real. Any resemblance to persons, living or dead, actual events, locales or organizations is entirely coincidental.

  Receive a free novella and updates on new books released by Heather Horrocks at www.BooksByHeatherHorrocks.com.

  Excerpt:

  Jingle Belle

  Moonchuckle Bay Prequel #0.5

  G
et this book free here.

  Jingle has a bounty hunter on her trail!

  When her controlling uncle plans snow pixie Jingle Belle’s unwanted marriage to a much older man, she flees Snowville. Determined to marry only for love, she boards the Blizzard Express to create a new life for herself. Nicholas is hired to deliver her to her groom — but when he comes face to face with the beautiful faedy, he wants to keep her for his own. Can he keep her safe? And will she forgive him if she learns what he’s done?

  Chapter One ~ A Surprise Party

  THE MAGIC WORKED! FINALLY!

  Jingle Belle’s heart sang with jubilation as she watched the flash of light that signaled she’d gotten it right.

  After three years of work in her mother’s laboratory, Jingle had perfected her snow magic!

  She held the cone high as she spun around the room. Little sparkles of blue light flashed off the snow — a flavor that would fix a person’s blue mood and make them feel happier.

  She took another bite. It was delicious — and her own mood shifted even higher.

  Now she could help people feel better the way her mother had encouraged her to do before her death. Her mother had been gifted in pixie magic, and Jingle had finally accomplished something her mother would be proud of. If only she could show her what she’d done.