MEET PILAR'S MEN

Saving the best (if you're into hunky guys) for last, I give you the trio of men who are orbiting around Pilar in IN NEED OF THERAPY. You could not find a more diverse group of guys.  Ford is a psychiatrist from New York; he's down-to-earth, intelligent, kind - Pilar likes him instantly and they become good friends, bonding over their careers, families, and mutual love of a good cheeseburger.  The very smooth, charming, and wealthy Victor is Pilar's recently dumped ex.  While she bears him no ill will, she's growing impatient with his repeated, over-the-top attempts to win her back.  It doesn't help matters that her mother is Victor's biggest cheerleader.  Pilar's new patient, Mitch, is not her usual type as he's not well-educated or career-driven (He's in his 30s and works as a lifeguard!), but the man is undeniably gorgeous, not to mention entertaining with his swagger, and she finds herself enjoying their weekly interactions.

Author’s Notes:  You'd think that Pilar had an embarrassment of riches in the Hottie Dept., but alas, no.  While all of these fellas are very appealing, each in his own way, they, also, have mega-watt "Don't go there!" signs flashing over their heads.  Ford is a happily married man with a small child (the adorable Nate) and Pilar is too moral of a person to ever contemplate an affair (Okay, she might contemplate it because she is human and Ford has the dreamiest pair of blue eyes she's ever seen, but that's as far as she's willing to go.)  And there is no way that Pilar would ever dally with a patient no matter how sexy and flirty he was.  She's far too mindful of the restrictions that come with any  therapist/patient relationship and she would never do anything to jeopardize her career.  So, that leaves Victor. Is it ever a good idea to give an ex-boyfriend a second chance?  Should you believe him when he tells you he's changed?  These are all questions Pilar has to wrestle with.

Ford Quotes (non-spoilery): "Maybe Victor keeps coming back because your rejections lack conviction?  Maybe there's some part of you that enjoys all of the attention?"

"I know what they are, Pilar, thank you.  Anatomy was my best subject in medical school."

"You really put the whammy on men."

Victor Quotes (non-spoilery): "You have no romance in your soul, mi querida.  Most women would be thrilled to have a man fall at their feet and pledge his eternal devotion."

"You shouldn't be acting so familiar with a man you just met.  You'll give him ideas.  I didn't like the way he was looking at you . . ."

"I know you think I'm all flash and no substance, Pilar, but there's more to me than meets the eye.  I have hidden depths."

Mitch Quotes (non-spoilery): "Doc, I've got a job where I meet young, beautiful, half-naked women every day, and a lot of them come on to me.  If I didn't respond, I'd have to be gay or have some kind of medical problem." 

"Nine years of school?  I only made it through three months of junior college.  You must be really smart."

"I handed her a couple of casabas and asked her to squeeze my melons and tell me if they were ripe."

Casting Ford:  This was not easy!  I racked my brain for an actor who was handsome in a rugged, regular guy way and had the kind, intelligent face and piercing blue eyes I reference in the book, but I could not come up with a single actor who could do Ford justice.  So, I finally consulted the experts, my hottie-loving friends, and the always-imaginative Natalie Aaron came back with an excellent suggestion - Irish actor Jason O'Mara!  Honestly, I can't believe I didn't think of Jason myself as I've adored him since I first saw him on the TV show, MEN IN TREES.  He's perfect for Ford!

Casting Victor:  Victor is good-looking and stylish (he's always dressed in designer suits), so he has no trouble catching the eye of most of the women who come into his tapas restaurant.  I ran down a list of handsome Latino actors with dark coloring, and the one who most resembled the vision of Victor that I had in my head was the very yummy Adam Rodriquez. 

Casting Mitch:  I started writing IN NEED OF THERAPY back when I was still in the throes of my LOST-watching fever.  So, I based Mitch's physical appearance on my favorite LOST actor, the deliciously sexy Josh Holloway.  I even heard his Sawyer-voice saying Mitch's dialogue as I was writing it.  No one smirks with a naughty twinkle in his eye better than Josh and that's just what the character of Mitch calls for, along with a rockin' bod and a head full of shaggy blond hair.  

If you want to know more about these three handsome hotties and who Pilar ends up with, be sure to pick up my book, IN NEED OF THERAPY, when it goes on sale at Amazon and Barnes & Noble on Monday!

MEET PILAR'S BEST FRIEND - SARA READE

Model-turned-swimsuit designer Sara Reade has been Pilar's BFF since they met in their freshman year of college.  Unlike Pilar, who's always diplomatic and sensitive of other people's feelings, Sara is a no-b.s., calls 'em like she sees 'em kind of gal.  She is fiercely loyal to Pilar and doesn't like to see other people take advantage of her, which she thinks everyone from jobless Izzy to the perpetually-cheating Victor does.  Currently on the verge of debuting her first swimsuit collection, Sara is an overworked, chocolate-addicted mess who relies on Pilar to keep her from losing it on a daily basis.    

Author’s Notes:  Personality-wise, Sara and Pilar are complete opposites, but they complement each other.  Pilar is able to ground Sara when she's being high-strung while Sara is a great sounding board for her bestie, who knows she can come to her about any problem, be it work, family, or man-related.  Sara can always be counted on to give Pilar good, solid advice, even when it's not what Pilar wants to hear.  Everyone needs a friend like Sara!  And she brings out Pilar's fun-loving side, which is what Pilar needs since she's often bogged down by all the responsibility that comes with both her job and her needy family.

Sara Quotes (non-spoilery):  "Ethics don't buy a girl jewelry, or give her multiple Os."

"I'd sooner walk into oncoming traffic than put my name on a bikini made from this cheap, hideous-looking excuse for a fabric."

"Don't do it.  Don't sell your soul to that bed-hoppin', Gucci Pour Homme-wearin' devil."

Casting Sara:  Sara is a willowy blonde, with gorgeous blue-green eyes and oodles of charisma.  I see Swedish beauty Malin Akerman as the character.  She has that wholesome, but sexy, vibe and is definitely a head turner like Sara.  She, also, has the figure of a model without being anorexic and looks fantastic in a swimsuit!

MEET PILAR'S FAMILY

Pilar comes from a large, extended Cuban-Chilean-American family, featuring an abundance of aunts, cousins, nephews, and in-laws in addition to her own sisters and parents, most of whom are very passionate, opinionated, and loud.  Pilar's is always the voice of reason in this tempestuous crowd.  She is the middle child of three, so she became the family mediator/peacemaker at an early age and she continues to function in that capacity as an adult.  Her older sister, Ana, is a stay-at-home mom with three boys so unruly that they’d make Supernanny question her career choice.  And the youngest of the Alvarez siblings is Isidora aka "Izzy," a rule-flouting rebel who delights in shocking her parents and the conservative Ana whenever she can.  The girls' mamá, Luisa, has mastered the fine art of histrionics and is always enacting some drama of her own making.  Needless to say, Pilar takes after her more mellow and cerebral father who misses out on most of his family's crises as he's busy running a successful Miami law firm.

Author’s Notes:  There are a lot of conflicting personalities in Pilar's family and somehow she always seems to end up getting caught in the crossfire.  One of my favorite scenes in the book is the one where Pilar gets together with her entire family to celebrate her mother's birthday and what starts out as a nice evening with everyone being on their best behavior quickly devolves into a complete free-for-all.  Isn't that always the way at big family events?

For me, one of the most interesting relationships in IN NEED OF THERAPY is the one between Luisa and Izzy.  They butt heads constantly and are always complaining about each other to Pilar.  Neither one of them will admit it, but the reason they have so much trouble getting along is that their temperaments are too similar, with both of them being ridiculously self-absorbed and stubborn and never wanting to compromise.  Pilar definitely has her work cut out for her trying to get those two on the same page.  

Izzy Quotes (non-spoilery): "He said he missed you and wanted to know what you were up to.  I told him that you'd moved to a remote island in the South Pacific so that you could provide psychological treatment to a tribe of cannibals there."

"You are such a prude.  I wear less than this to the beach every day.  And I get my butt pinched in clubs every night, so I might as well get paid for it."

"Wow, it's like being back in Psych 101.  Now, I remember why I dropped that class." 

Mamá Quotes (non-spoilery):  "Do you want to be the first woman in our family who's unmarried when she turns 30?  Even your cousin Sancha managed to find a man by the time she was your age, and she's got that lazy eye and a laugh that makes her sound like a donkey!" 

"Can you imagine what Father Ramirez is going to say when he hears about this?  The whole family will be excommunicated.  We'll be disgraced!"

"How could I have raised a daughter who has so little sense, a daughter who spits on the holy sacrament of marriage?"

Casting the Alvarez Women - Isidora:  Izzy is described in the book as being a knockout with dark coloring and legs that go on for days.  What's almost as important as her heart-stopping looks is her attitude.  She's hot and she knows it, so anyone playing this character would have to bring that confidence and sassiness to the table.  I think that the gorgeous Naya Rivera would be the perfect choice.

Casting the Alvarez Women - Ana:  Eldest sister, Ana, has black hair and olive skin like Izzy, but the similarities end there.  Ana has had three babies in a row, so her face and body are a little softer and rounder.  Plus, she has a more mature look than either of her sisters since she's on the other side of 30.  I think the very pretty Sara Ramirez actually looks like she could be Naya Rivera's older sister.

Casting the Alvarez Women - Mamá:  Luisa was a celebrated beauty in her youth, who has the pageant tiaras to prove it, and she's very fastidious about preserving her looks, so I imagined her as being quite the bodacious lady even in her 50s.  Even though she's technically about 20 years too old to play Luisa, I still have trouble picturing anyone but the forever-gorgeous and feisty Raquel Welch in the role.

MEET PILAR ALVAREZ

Psychologist, daughter, sister, friend, single lady looking for love, Pilar Alvarez has a lot of roles to play in my soon-to-be-released Chick Lit novel, IN NEED OF THERAPY.  Her career really defines Pilar as a person.  She is, and always has been, a fixer, someone who sees a problem or conflict and wants to jump in and resolve it.  She genuinely cares about her patients, friends, and family members and wants everyone to be happy.  An optimist and an idealist, Pilar accepts others at face value and strives to see the best in them, so her disappointment is acute when she feels that someone has let her down.  To paraphrase one Mr. Fitzwilliam Darcy, Pilar's "good opinion once lost is lost forever."

Author’s Notes:  I've always been fascinated by psychology and even toyed with the idea of becoming a therapist myself.  I took several Psych classes in school, read Psychology Today religiously, and doled out advice to friends like I knew what I was talking about!  So, it was fun to climb inside the head of a shrink for this book and explore how she felt about her work, her patients, and what her job-related high points and frustrations were.

Pilar may be smart, grounded, and good at what she does, but that doesn't mean she takes herself too seriously.  It was important to me that the character have a good sense of humor about all the craziness (both personally and professionally) in her life and that she have flaws.  She is fallible and she's the first person to admit that, which I think is an admirable trait.  She might be the most even-tempered member of her highly volatile family (more on them in tomorrow's blog post), but the fiery Latina inside her does burst out once in a while, usually cursing in Spanish.

Pilar Quotes (non-spoilery):  "Right, I wouldn't want a potential mate to know that I have a functioning brain."

"You are such a liar!  You weren't paralyzed by my beauty for a minute, much less an hour!"

"I'm always pro-eating."

"It is possible for two mature people of the opposite sex to have a platonic relationship based on common interests."

Casting:  I always pictured Pilar as beautiful, but not intimidatingly so. She's very feminine with a curvaceous figure, long, wavy brown hair, and a friendly smile that invites people to confide in her.  I think Eva Mendes comes pretty close to how I envisioned  Pilar.  She's appealing to both men and woman, has a great sense of style, and sparkles with warmth and positivity.

MEET PHILIPPA SUTCLIFFE

Philippa Sutcliffe, an English stage actress better known for her tempestuous on-set affair with Scottish lothario Miles McCrea than her film work, dismisses the Oscars as nothing more than a popularity contest and is outraged when contractual obligations force her to reunite with her former lover, who’s also a nominee, to campaign for their film.

Author’s Notes:  There is probably more of me in Philippa than in any of the other characters in BLAME IT ON THE FAME.  She has a sharp tongue, but a good heart.  Unfortunately, it was broken by the roguish Miles, a man Philippa knew she had no business being with in the first place (Fancying bad boys is a fatal character flaw that Philippa and I share.)  I had the best time writing the banter between Miles and Philippa, but then love/hate relationships are always fun in fiction, aren’t they?  Miles and Philippa are like a British Dave and Maddie (Moonlighting shout-out) for the new millennium.

Philippa Quotes (non-spoilery):  “This is typical Miles McCrea.  He makes a commitment then forgets all about it when something shiny or silicone-enhanced comes along and distracts him.” 

“You’re awfully sensitive for a Hollywood sell-out.”

“Lovely.  So, if I win this award, it won’t be because of my acting, it’ll be because letting Miles McCrea get into my knickers gave me global name recognition.”

Casting:  Although she doesn’t perfectly match my physical description of Philippa, I always envisioned Emily Blunt (one of my favorite actresses) in the role.  She’s so good at playing prickly while still conveying the vulnerability beneath the tart words and that’s Philippa to a tee.  A friend of mine said that she saw Rachel Weisz as Philippa and that would work, too.  I’ll leave it up to readers to decide who their Philippa is.

MEET JORDAN SCHAEFFER

The daughter of a Bond girl and a Spielbergian director, Jordan Schaeffer was born with movies in her blood.  Wanting to be an actress, not a celebrity, she’s toiled happily in indie films for a decade, never imagining that her work would receive any recognition.  Both thrilled and terrified by her Oscar nod, Jordan wonders if she can live up to the expectations everyone has of her because of her DNA.

Author’s Notes:  I was really interested to explore what it’s like to be a second-generation actress, especially when the first-generation was wildly famous, charismatic, and successful.  Jordan grew up in a fishbowl with everyone watching her, wondering what, if any, talents she’d inherited from her parents, and how she would make use of them.  She is the polar opposite of her mother, vivacious, world renowned sex symbol Lisa Merrin (my favorite character in the book because she’s so deliciously outrageous) and that sets up a lot of great conflict between the two of them. 

Jordan Quotes (non-spoilery): “Silly me, I thought the Oscar was for Best Actress, not Best Self-Promoter.”

“Ugh, I’m so bad at this.  I have no fashion vision.  I can’t imagine myself wearing any of these.  I’m all about comfort, not couture.”

“Why do I even bother voicing an opinion?  It’s just a waste of breath with her.  She never listens; she just does what she wants to and expects me to fall in line.  Well, not this time!  The Oscars are going to be my night.  Not hers, MINE!”

Casting:  Jordan is not your typical, glammed up starlet.  As an indie actress, she favors the more casual, funky look, something along the lines of Lena Headey.

Bonus Casting:  Since Jordan’s mom, Lisa, was an iconic sex symbol of the ‘80s and is still a blonde bombshell in middle age, Kim Basinger, who looks gorgeous as ever at 58, would be the perfect embodiment of the character.

MEET ANAYA REYNOLDS

A supermodel who ditched the catwalk to try her hand at acting, Anaya Reynolds is Tinsel Town’s latest It Girl.  Her hard partying ways, casual hook-ups with himbos, and uncensored mouth keep the tabloids happy, but her self-destructive behavior, which spirals out of control as the Oscars near, threatens to destroy her credibility, her career, and quite possibly, her life.

Author’s Notes:  Celebrity trainwrecks – we hear about them and their shenanigans every day and we wonder how they can be so self-destructive and out-of-control.  Sometimes their stories have a happy ending (Robert Downey, Jr. – such an amazing comeback!) and sometimes a tragic one (R.I.P. Amy Winehouse.)  Like other celebrity trainwrecks before her, Anaya has it all (fame, talent, beauty, adoration) and she’s arrogant enough to think that she can hold on to it no matter how badly she behaves. 

You’ll have to read the book to find out what happens to Anaya, but I think of her story as a cautionary tale and I found it both fascinating and challenging to delve into the psyche of someone who never considers consequences.

Anaya Quotes (non-spoilery):  “I have a great ass, an ass that sold eight million pairs of True Religion lo-rise jeans.  My ass brought dark wash denim back.”

“Yeah, yeah, I know, I’m a bad, irresponsible girl, but can’t the lecture wait until I’ve had a smoke and a cup of Brazilian Dark Roast?”

“Bitch, please.  You’re the one who shops the sales racks at Macy’s and gets her hair color from a $6 bottle of Clairol.  If anyone in this club is ‘low-rent,’ it’s you.”

Casting:  I didn’t really have a particular person in mind while writing Anaya, but I’ve looked at photos of several black supermodels and I think that the gorgeous Arlenis Sosa comes pretty close to how I imagined Anaya.  She’s tall, dark-skinned, edgy and chameleonic in her looks, and she exudes sensuality and confidence.  

MEET LAUREL HASTINGS

Having retired to a quiet suburb in Connecticut after winning an Academy Award in the ‘90s, Laurel Hastings is shocked to learn that her first film role in 15 years has garnered her another nomination.  Suddenly back on the media’s radar, Laurel fears that the real reason she chose to leave show business will be exposed, and her plans for a low-key comeback will turn into a journalistic feeding frenzy. 

Author’s Notes:  Laurel has a lot to contend with, both personally and professionally, in BLAME IT ON THE FAME.  Her story is one that I think most women will be able to relate to as it’s about overcoming obstacles, finding the inner strength that we all have deep down, and believing in yourself despite the odds.  Show business is tough for aging actresses; they wonder if they’re still relevant and if they can compete with others who might be younger, prettier, more talented, etc.  Laurel doesn’t know if there’s a place for her in Hollywood anymore, she’s not even sure if she wants to be a part of the crazy world she left behind so many years ago. 

Laurel Quotes (non-spoilery):  “Great.  I’ve been given the grand old dame/Helen Mirren/Meryl Streep slot.  I hope I have something appropriately matronly to wear.”

“There were at least a dozen reporters waiting for me at La Guardia last night.  They were circling the baggage carousel like a pack of jackals.  I gave them a statement and posed for a few pictures, but it wasn’t enough.  It’s never enough for those people!”

“My stomach says, ‘yes,’ but my thighs say, ‘You’ll be sorry when you have to do that photo shoot with all those swizzle stick-thin starlets tomorrow.’”

 

Casting:  No one else could be Laurel for me but Laura Linney.  She’s the right age and she has the right look - mature, but still very attractive, blonde, classy, and a kind face.

MEET DANIELLE JAMISON

All sweetness and light when dealing with the press and her fans, Danielle Jamison is a different creature behind closed doors.  Cold, cunning, and career-obsessed, she’s managed to parlay her role on a teen soap into movie stardom, but she won’t be satisfied until she has the Oscar, an award that’s already eluded her once.

Author’s Notes:  Every story needs a villain right?  The one in BLAME IT ON THE FAME just happens to come in a petite, sweet-voiced package.  Not that Danielle considers herself a villain; she’s just ambitious and goal-oriented and woe betide the person who gets in her way (that includes her husband and two small children.)

I love Danielle and make no excuses for it.  I’d totally want to hang out with her and listen to her talk smack about all of the other nominees in her category.  I’d just have to be careful never to turn my back on her; otherwise, I might end up with a knife stuck in it.

Danielle Quotes (non-spoilery):  “Are you insane?  How many kids with leukemia are members of the Academy?  If I want to win this thing, and you know I do, then I need to be courting the gay vote, not wasting my time on sick rugrats.  Tell GLADD I’ll be there.”

“I’ll look like frickin’ June Cleaver.  Minus the pearls, of course.  I’ll leave those to Reese, whose kids aren’t nearly as cute as mine.  I think she bleaches their hair.  It looks just a little too blonde to be natural if you know what I mean.”

“I’ve heard that drugs make you paranoid.  I guess you’re living proof.”  

Casting:  In my mind’s eye, Danielle looks like a young Amy Adams with the natural beauty (strawberry blonde hair, perfect skin, lovely smile) and aura of wholesomeness.