Monday, October 10, 2016

MEET CECILY SINCLAIR (MIXING IT UP)


Leading up to the release of Mixing It Up, I wanted to introduce you to some of the important players in the book. First up is heroine Cecily Sinclair—Cordon Bleu graduate, TV chef, trust fund baby. Although she was born into the world of the elite where she was expected to do one of two things with her life (go the Ivanka Trump route and follow her father into the very lucrative family business or emulate Paris Hilton and make a career out of being a globe-trotting heiress), she elected to follow her dream of becoming a world-class chef. Cecily is very passionate about food and cooking and woe betide anyone who interferes with her doing what she loves in precisely the way she wants to. (Take note, Dante and Devlin!)

Author's Note: For me, one of the most fun things about writing for Cecily was that money was no object to her. She's had it all her life, she's used to having the finest things, and she doesn't think twice about whipping out her black AmEx when she needs to. At the same time, she's not frivolous with her money, nor is she flashy. She wears designer clothes, but she has no bling, no chauffeured car, and she cleans her own relatively modest apartment. That doesn't mean she's not a bit of a snob, though. Fast food? Perish the thought!

Another facet of Cecily I enjoyed was her constant inner struggle between being the calm, cool, and composed lady she was raised to be and letting out her fiery side. (As her cousin Dina points out on numerous occasions, Cecily is a true Scorpio—passionate, stubborn, determined, possessive, vengeful.) It's a battle she often loses, sometimes to her detriment.

Quotes: "Of all the chefs in all the world, I have to get stuck with that moody, showboating jerk again!"

"I don't want to cast aspersions on any of my former boyfriends, but if I had to choose between sex and a tagine that tastes like this . . . It's my little stewed friend all the way."

"Red is for trollops. My grandmother drilled that into my head at a very young age. I've never even worn red lipstick, or owned a red purse, because of her edict against it." 


Casting: This wasn't easy! There aren't many actresses who are tall, slender blondes with an aristocratic air about them. The one who comes closest to my vision of Cecily is Canadian actress Laura Vandervoort (Bitten, Smallville). She's got the right coloring and bone structure and she manages to exude both elegance and warmth.


So, now you've got the scoop on Miss Cecily. She's in for a bumpy ride in Mixing It Up. Will she live up to the family credo, "Sinclairs don't fails; they prevail"? You'll have to read the book, which comes out on October 19th to find out!

Drop back by tomorrow and I'll give you the 411 on one of the exasperating men Cecily tangles with in Mixing It Up.

 

6 comments:

  1. Love it! :) I think Laura Vandervoort would be a great choice for Cecily. Can't wait to meet the rest of the cast!

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    1. Thanks, Cat! The men were easy to cast, but the women have been problematic. I do think Laura works for Cecily, though. I'm glad I finally remembered her!

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  2. I cannot wait to read this book! :)

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  3. I love this quote: "Red is for trollops. My grandmother drilled that into my head at a very young age. I've never even worn red lipstick, or owned a red purse, because of her edict against it."
    My mother used to say stuff like that about wearing red too, so I wore it just to anger her.

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    1. Ha! Wardrobe rebellion - I love it, Janine! Red's my favorite color, so I've always worn it, but I do agree that some shades of the color can look cheap.

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