Author Guest Post With Lauren Clark

Lauren Clark has kindly agreed to guest post here about her work, and share her inspiration for becoming a writer in honor of her debut release, Stay Tuned.

 About The Author:

Lauren Clark has been a voracious reader since the age of four and would rather be stranded at the library than on a desert island. In her former life, she worked as an anchor and producer for CBS affiliates in Upstate New York and Alabama.

Lauren adores her family, yoga, her new Electra bike, and flavored coffee. She lives near the Florida Gulf Coast. Visit her website and blog at laurenclarkbooks.com.

Find Lauren Clark on the Web:

Stay Tuned Website | GoodReads | Facebook | Twitter

 Guest Post:

Stay Tuned:  Deadlines, Divas, and Danger

If you need an escape from the long, cold winter days, Stay Tuned should bring some warmth and cheer! Stay Tuned is a faced-paced, fun, behind-the-scenes look at the television industry. The story centers on Melissa Moore, producer for the six and ten o’clock news. Unlike many female heroines of today, Melissa’s life is not perfect—far from it.

While I loved writing Melissa’s character, and watching her grow and develop, the real fun was creating the supporting cast:  Over the top, high-maintenance news anchor Alyssa Andrews and best friend-extraordinaire Candace Daughtry.

Alyssa is gorgeous and deliciously evil—think reality TV diva—blithely oblivious to the fact she’s completely self-absorbed. She’s a stereotypical news anchor, perfect on camera, mean as a snake as soon as she’s off the set. In real life, the anchors I worked with are down-to-earth, real people who care about their jobs and viewers. Still, it was great fun to make Alyssa a Paris Hilton look-alike with a serious jealous streak and a mean right hook!

Candace Daughtry is based on my best friend, Lisa. I took all of her wonderful qualities, turned her into a hair stylist, and made her (a little bit) obsessed with Dr. Phil! Like Lisa, Candace is the best friend a girl could ever have—someone you can call at midnight, the person you laugh the hardest with, the person who knows your worst faults and loves you anyway. My friend Lisa has beaten some of the toughest obstacles in life a person could face, and I wanted to draw on that same tenacity and inner fire in Candace. She’s a true friend—I hope everyone is blessed to have a Candace (or Lisa) in her life!

While I had always dreamed about authoring novels, I didn’t get really serious about it until a few years ago. The idea for Stay Tuned is actually based—in part—on a true story. Before I began work at WTVY in Watertown, New York, as a reporter, the two main anchors (who were in a romantic relationship) got into a fistfight in the parking lot of the television station. They were fired, the incident made the newspaper, and a lot of ugly editorials and threats were exchanged. I thought it would be delicious fun to have something similar happen on air and allow readers to watch what happened behind the scenes.

When I decided to retire from the news desk, stay home with my children, and dip my toe into the author world, Stay Tuned was the only novel I wasn’t terrified to show the outside world. The first two shall remain locked in a drawer forever! I’ve since written a few more, including Dancing Naked in Dixie, due out in September of 2012.

Books and reading have always been a big part of my life—I was an English Lit major, have a master’s in journalism, and for a few short, awful months, went to law school in Syracuse, New York. After I came to my senses, I found a job in public relations, and then later became a reporter and anchor (WTVY is near Kingston, ON; WTVY is in Alabama, near the Gulf Coast).

I hope you enjoy Stay Tuned as much as I loved writing it! I’d love to hear what you think about the story and characters. Feel free to drop me at line at laurenclarkbooks@gmail.com.

 Stay Tuned:

Title: Stay Tuned

Author: Lauren Clark

Publishing Group: Monterey Press

Release Date: November 21, 2011

What happens when a #1 news team becomes the top story instead of reporting it?

For TV producer Melissa Moore, crisis management comes with the job. From employee disputes to her high-maintenance boss, there’s not much she hasn’t seen or can’t handle.

But no one—including Melissa—expects a fistfight during the ten o’clock news. When sexy-but-crazy Alyssa Andrews lands a punch on her co-anchor’s face, Melissa jumps on set to help. She’s determined that WSGA’s reputation won’t be destroyed on her watch.

Both anchors are fired and Melissa agrees to fill in—but not before polishing her look from haircut to heels. While the new Melissa wows WSGA viewers, her personal life starts fraying at the edges. Melissa’s husband is away more than he’s home, leaving cryptic Post-it notes in his wake. Her mother’s antics spiral out of control at the nursing home and a stalker decides Melissa is her next target.

What happens next? Stay Tuned to find out…

Find Stay Tuned Online:  

Goodreads | Official Website | Amazon | Kindle

Book Trailer:

 Blurbs:

"Stay Tuned is as faced-paced as a real-life newsroom. The drama on the air and behind the scenes will keep you racing toward the last page! -Devon Walsh, WKRG-TV

"Loved it. Lauren accurately portrays life in a television newsroom...the personalities, the pressures, the pace. The book will leave you wanting more." - Anne Richter, WWNY-TV

"Stay Tuned is a great read! The story of a career woman juggling life and love and finding herself along the way. I couldn't wait to get to the end to see if my suspicions were right about Chris. Author Lauren Clark writes so well you can feel what the characters feel." -Lauren Davis,  News Anchor, WVLT-TV

"The characters in Stay Tuned grab hold and demand you live the story right along side them. I found myself wanting to steal Melissa's best friend Candace and make her my own--even if that means having to put up with an endless slew of quotes from Dr. Phil."
-Emlyn Chand, Author, Farsighted

Happy reading until next time!