Paper hearts and plot tw.., p.1
Paper Hearts and Plot Twists, page 1
Paper Hearts and Plot Twists
A Fake Dating Romance
Phoenix L Beecher, Melody Anne
Falling Star Publications
Copyright © 2024 by Phoenix L Beecher and Melody Anne
All rights reserved.
No portion of this book may be reproduced in any form without written permission from the publisher or author, except as permitted by U.S. copyright law.
To my amazingly sweet husband who was there every step of the way supporting and encouraging me. I wouldn’t have been able to do this without you.
Contents
Playlist
Preface
1. Part 1
2. Chapter 1
3. Chapter 2
4. Chapter 3
5. Chapter 4
6. Part 2
7. Chapter 5
8. Chapter 6
9. Chapter 7
10. Part 3
11. Chapter 8
12. Chapter 9
13. Chapter 10
14. Chapter 11
15. Chapter 12
16. Chapter 13
17. Chapter 14
18. Chapter 15
19. Chapter 16
20. Chapter 17
21. Chapter 18
22. Part 4
23. Chapter 19
24. Chapter 20
25. Chapter 21
26. Chapter 22
27. Chapter 23
28. Chapter 24
29. Chapter 25
30. Chapter 26
31. Chapter 27
32. Chapter 28
33. Part 5
34. Chapter 29
35. Chapter 30
36. Chapter 31
37. Chapter 32
38. Chapter 33
39. Chapter 34
40. Chapter 35
41. Chapter 36
42. Chapter 37
43. Chapter 38
44. Part 6
45. Chapter 39
46. Chapter 40
47. Chapter 41
48. Chapter 42
49. Chapter 43
50. Chapter 44
51. Part 7
52. Chapter 45
53. Chapter 46
54. Chapter 47
Epilogue
About the Author
About the Author
Playlist
"Shut Up and Dance" - WALK THE MOON
"Ho Hey" - The Lumineers
"Can't Stop the Feeling!" - Justin Timberlake
"Just the Way You Are" - Bruno Mars
"You Belong with Me" - Taylor Swift
"I'm Yours" - Jason Mraz
"Perfect" - Ed Sheeran
"Adore You" - Harry Styles
"Sweetest Devotion" - Adele
"Into You" - Ariana Grande
"Speechless" - Dan + Shay
“Beautiful Things” - Benson Boone
"Distance" - Emily King
"Wish You Were Here" - Pink Floyd
"I Will Remember You" - Sarah McLachlan
"Elastic Heart" - Sia
"Stay" - Rihanna ft. Mikky Ekko
"Someone Like You" - Adele
"Always Remember Us This Way" - Lady Gaga
"Say Something" - A Great Big World, Christina Aguilera
"Already Gone" - Kelly Clarkson
"Wide Awake" - Katy Perry
"Someone New" - Hozier
Preface
Reading and writing have been life long passions. They are escapes from the world and ways to connect with others in strong and meaningful ways. This book is a culmination of that passion, combining that deep love for reading with the desire to write and story tell.
As a bookworm and avid reader, I've always loved the bookish environments and I've always wanted to attend one of these amazing book conferences. I'm sure I'm not the only reader who has had a fantasy of running into a dreamboat of a man at one of these events, accidentally having to share a room, and then falling madly and deeply in love.. No?
With a setting of a book conference, Melody and I had to make a choice in characters and situations. We could make up a bunch of fake author and books or use real author names and the books that they wrote. We opted to use real authors and real books. Our main reasoning here is that we want to share our love for these authors and the amazing work that they do.
There are so many phenomenal writers and we feel that it is so important for authors to support other authors and build them up. Check out some of the authors we mentioned and try out their books if you haven't already!
Despite real author names being used, these are not real situations and this is not real dialogue. Paper Hearts and Plot Twists is fiction, and everything within the book is fiction.
Part 1
Before the Conference
An excerpt from Emily Parker’s Whispers of the Heart
So gentle and sweet, he holds me tight
Against his skin, cherishing the night
He covers my eyes, his lips devour mine
Dwelling in him, feeling so divine.
A hand ’round my throat, holding so tight
Sweet lips caress, he’s such a delight
“Good girl,” he whispers and my heart pounds
My head floats; this feeling so profound.
Chapter 1
An echoing thud reverberated through the room as the book landed on a pile of others just like it. Miles grabbed another from a separate stack and set it in the recently vacated space. Smooth ink covered the pages in a loopy signature that read Miles Parker. He dotted the i and, at the top of the page above his signature, he wrote “Happy Reading!” He tried to write some kind of quote or phrase whenever he was signing, but after being at it for hours his threshold for long-winded messages was at its limit. The bookstore wanted some exclusive signed copies, and they were paying a pretty penny for them, so Miles slaved away at his agent’s insistence.
“Are you paying attention to me?” Benjamin asked, his voice tinged with annoyance. That same annoyance was evident in every line of his body, from his crossed arms to his tapping toes. Benjamin could easily be described as “high strung.” He wore stress and worry like a seasoned jacket and thrived off it.
“Not particularly,” Miles snarked, grabbing the next book to sign. He’d been at it for three hours already, and judging by the remaining pile, it would be another three if he continued going at this pace, which wasn’t very likely. Around the room books were stacked in various piles. There was a system to the organization, but Miles couldn’t begin to figure it out. It looked like the setting of a scribe’s room in a fantasy novel. The perfect setting for Miles’s latest book, actually.
“Well, you need to start paying attention. We need to work together if we want to gain some traction with your next deal and have it go through without falling flat.”
“I thought I hired you to take care of the details? Why am I paying you fifteen percent to make me work more?”
“You know you’d be drowning without me. I make this a world easier for you, but I can’t do it without a little support and help on your end.”
“Isn’t talking to you now support?” Miles teased. Ben’s scowl was answer enough. Miles continued, “I tried sending Larissa an email, but she never responded. I’ve also emailed other editors there and was rejected. What else am I supposed to do?” Miles asked, frowning deeply. He didn’t want to admit it, but the rejections were hitting him hard. He’d been the fantasy darling basically since he began, so rejection was new. He could always move to another publishing house, but Miles was not a quitter, and he had his sights set on this particular one. It was something he desperately wanted.
“My contact in the agency said we might get a positive answer if we change your public image a bit and you do some interviews that redact some statements you made in the past,” Ben admitted. “I think we should follow that advice.”
“I’m not going to take back what I said in interviews,” Miles said, aghast at even the thought. “That’s disingenuous, and makes me feel like a sell-out. I don’t say anything I don’t mean.”
“It might be our only chance if you want to publish with them.”
“There are always options. Sometimes you just have to pave the way.”
“Be reasonable,” Ben said. “This publishing house could careen you to number one and keep you there for who knows how long.”
“I am being reasonable. I’m not going to pretend to be someone I’m not. I’ve been number one before and I’ll get there again. I refuse to get there by lying about who I am. I’d rather get there through my own merit.”
“You drive me crazy.”
“Yet you still work with me, and I’m convinced I’m your favorite client.”
“Maybe I’ll change that, starting today,” Ben joked. He lifted another pile of books and dropped them next to Miles to continue moving through and signing, then grabbed a stack of already signed books and moved them to a box for shipping. Ben must be a sadist who enjoyed torturing him.
“You threaten that weekly. It’s turning into a pretty weak threat.”
“Yeah, I know,” Ben said, shaking his head. “But really, we need to do something to get this deal.”
“Who haven’t we talked to yet from the house?” Miles asked. He opened and closed his hands a few times, trying to work out some of the cramps that were forming. He picked up his pen again and continued with the next book in the stack.
“We’ve exhausted all of my c ontacts,” Ben admitted. “I think we should look at options from other houses.”
“They are the leading house in the genre, and eight of the last ten bestsellers have come from them,” Miles replied.
“Well that still leaves two of the ten coming from another house.”
“Two out of ten are horrific odds.”
“I suppose, but if you want this house, you’re going to have to put some work in,” Ben said.
“So you’re telling me that I need to suck up to Larissa somehow to get a deal.”
“That’s exactly what I’m telling you, but in a nicer way.”
Miles wrinkled his nose and set down his current book a little harder than he originally intended. He rolled his shoulders and grabbed another book, quickly flicking to the title page. “I could convince her if she saw me in person. I’m pretty charming.”
“I think you overestimate your charm, but the idea has merit,” Ben mused. “Her publishing house is on the list to go to Cupid’s Quill Symposium in Denver, so I’m sure she’ll be there as well. She’s a pretty hands-on editor and attends a majority of the events from what I’ve seen.”
“So I need to get her a drink and schmooze the hell out of her, then we’ll be signing a new contract by the end of the weekend. Easy enough.” He winked at Ben between books.
Ben stared back at him, face deadpanned. “You say it’s easy, yet we’d already have a deal if that were the case. We have to take this seriously and plan our strategy. It’s basically a battlefield. A precarious one.”
“Maybe it’s only that way because you’ve been the one trying to schmooze her in person. I can’t imagine she’d fail to respond to my undeniable charm.”
“That Bennett confidence is going to get you in trouble,” Ben replied drolly.
“So far it’s helped me get to pretty great heights,” Miles said. “Is there anyone else I should try to talk to while we’re at the conference? Might as well use this event as an opportunity to get the collaborative work done.”
Ben frowned and tilted his head, contemplating the question. “It wouldn’t be a bad idea to make time to talk to other authors in the genre. Neil Gaiman, Brandon Sanderson, and Terry Pratchett will be the biggest names there, so try to at least meet up with them casually. It could help to meet some of the up-and-coming authors too. See if anyone has any current projects in the works. You might get asked to do a foreword or a short story in an anthology. Sometimes those pan out and bring awesome press.”
“Okay, so stalk and talk to other authors in my genre, check,” Miles teased.
“You know that’s not what I meant,” Ben said with a roll of his eyes.
“It’s basically the same thing, though,” Miles said with a chuckle. He pushed back from the table, his chair sliding several feet away, stood, and stretched, arms moving above his head. “I’m sick of signing for the moment. Let’s grab a bite to eat, then we can come back and keep at the planning.”
Chapter 2
Fluorescent lights flickered from the ceiling, bathing the store in a too bright glow. It was busier than usual. Customers impatiently waited in line, some tapping their toes, while others browsed their phones.
Emily stood behind the cash register, blocked from the flow of customers by the conveyer belt and counter. Her shoulders slumped as she grabbed items and scanned them in a haze. She’d been at this much too long today, but the end was finally in sight. She just needed to make it through a bit longer.
“Well isn’t this my lucky day!”
Emily turned toward the newest customer and tried not to let her smile slip when she noticed his leering gaze looking her up and down.
“Were you able to find everything you needed today?” Emily asked as she started to scan his thankfully small order.
“Well now I have.” He didn’t even try to hide that he was staring her down.
Emily focused on the groceries, scanning them. She wanted to end this interaction as quickly as possible.
“Say, what time do you get off work?”
“I don’t share that information with customers,” Emily responded. She tried to giggle as though he’d told some kind of great joke. In her experience these men reacted harshly when they felt rejected.
“Are you sure? I could make it worth your while,” he pushed.
“I have some pretty long shifts,” Emily said as she scanned the last item. “Your order comes to thirty-nine dollars and fifty-three cents.”
“If you ever change your mind, I’m a regular,” he responded with a wink. He put his information into the keypad.
“Of course. Have a nice day,” she said as he moved to grab his bagged groceries.
“You too, sweetheart.”
Emily continued smiling, but felt it twitch. She shuddered as the man turned his back to her then flicked her hands, trying to shake the feeling. The creepy flirtatious customers were her least favorite, and there were a lot in the running for that position.
She turned back to the conveyor belt, already filled again, and grabbed the first item to scan. She robotically asked the customer questions, enquiring about their day, if they’d like to purchase a bag, and if they’d like to round up to donate to the “Make a Wish” foundation.
“Excuse me!” a shrill voice demanded. Emily blinked and glanced up, startled out of her routine with the current customer, who was entering their information in the credit card machine. The loud voice belonged to a tall and thin woman with an asymmetrical bleach-blonde bob. She wore designer sunnies and had deep plum lips, currently shaped into a sneer.
“May I help you with a quick question, ma’am?” Emily responded, ignoring her innate urge to snap at the woman. Just looking at her told Emily she’d be a problem. Her body language screamed irrational from her angrily tapping toe to her crossed arms, not to mention the heavy sneer.
“I do not have a quick question,“ the woman said, cutting in front of an older gray-haired woman in a mobile scooter who was next in line, her purchases already on the belt. “I need help, and you need to help me.”
“Well, I have one person in line before you, so I’ll happily help if you jump in line. Otherwise, customer service is very willing to assist,” Emily said, trying her best to keep the smile on her face. She gestured toward customer service, though she tried to hide the cringe at the long line already there. When the woman saw that same long line, her angry foot seemed to move at double speed, and the frown deepened.
“It’s like this store doesn’t care about their customers,” she said, getting louder as she spoke. Emily fought the urge to flinch. Confrontation was her worst enemy.
“Of course we care, ma’am,” Emily said, trying to salvage the situation. “I’ll help you as soon as I’m finished with my current customer.” Emily looked at the woman whose transaction had been interrupted by this exchange. She mouthed “I’m sorry” and the woman shrugged in response. Thank goodness for customers who were understanding.
“She doesn’t mind if you help me first,” the woman snapped, stepping up in front of the other woman, while simultaneously using a foot to push the scooter back. The other customer blinked, a bit shocked by the exchange and by being manhandled in such a way.
Emily opened her mouth to say something, though she really wasn’t sure what, when her current customer spoke up. “It’s okay. I can wait a moment. Worst case scenario, I can gather my stuff real quick and go to a different line.”
“Sorry for the inconvenience,” Emily murmured to the angel of a woman, before turning back to the customer who was quickly becoming her worst of the season.
“I can’t believe you’re calling me an inconvenience,” she snapped. “It’s like these stores have no standards for hiring anymore. I don’t know why they don’t hire people with integrity and real-world work ethic.”
Emily took a deep breath in and counted to five before releasing that same breath to another count of five. When she felt like she could respond without cussing out the woman, she asked, “What can I do to help you?”
“If this store ran the way it was supposed to, you wouldn’t need to help me. I want this in red,” the woman said. She shoved an item under Emily’s nose and into her hands, which Emily reflexively grabbed. She blinked and unfurled the item, revealing a ruffly monstrosity of a sweater. Emily grabbed the tag and looked it up on the computer, pulling up the store’s current inventory.
