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CHAPTERONE
I’m brushing vomit from my teeth when the email arrives. A single phone chime that does nothing to let me know how much it will change my life.
I assume it’s a reader asking when they can expect my latest book. Those are coming more and more frequently now. I suppose I should be flattered—or at the very least grateful—for this, but mostly it just reminds me that I’m failing.
That I’m letting more people down.
My current manuscript sits on my laptop at around thirteen thousand words. Twelve thousand—give or take—of which are pure garbage. I haven’t touched it in weeks, and when I do, it’s just to stare at the page and contemplate changing my characters’ names.Again.
I’ve lost my touch. Lost my motivation. Lost my ability to care about anything at all, but especially characters that don’t truly exist dealing with problems that also don’t exist.
I just can’t bring myself to do it anymore.
Ever since…
No.
I force the thought away, grabbing the bottle of vodka sitting next to my sink. I’m not going to have too much to drink. It’s only eleven in the morning, after all, but I feel so bad already, I think a sip or two won’t hurt.
Lifting the bottle to my lips, I welcome the familiar burn and pick up my phone to check the email.
From: Owen Doyle
Subject: Hello!
I roll my eyes.Hello, Owen Doyle. What the hell do you want?
Opening the email, I realize it’s not a reader, but a scammer.Even better.
Hi Mari!
I hope this email finds you well. I wanted to reach out to say what huge fans my wife and I are of your work. We read them together quite often and we’re always floored at how easily you’re able to blow us away with your twists! We’ve yet to predict any of them. In fact, we just finishedNo Chancelast night and we were both sure we had it figured out for the first time, only to be blown away when you brought Brady back at the last minute! Brilliant!
Anyway, we’ve just moved to Charleston, and I wondered if you’d ever be up for meeting us for coffee or something? It would make her day, and I’d get major cool points. I’m also an award-winning producer of films and television shows likeLast Revenge, Death Day,andSay You Will. I’m linking my website below. I’d love to discuss working together in the future!
Hope to hear back from you.
Best,
Owen
I sigh. If I had a dollar for every time I got an email from some “production company” interested in turning one of my books into a film (for the low, low cost of ten thousand dollars), I’d never need to write another book again.
I almost close the email.Almost.
But curiosity gets the best of me. Even with alcohol still coursing through my system from last night, I’m not stupid enough to click any links in the email. Instead, I open my browser and search the name of his production company.
Epic Scope Productions
I expect to find a shoddy website with one or two pages of random film posters, but what I find instead actually looks to be legit. In fact, they’ve produced some of my favorite shows and movies. I click on the “About” section and see the company was founded by Owen Doyle more than ten years ago.
Setting the bottle of vodka back on the counter, I read through the numerous articles discussing the work they’re doing and how they’re bringing new stories and new voices to the screen.
I glance up at the oversized bathroom mirror in front of me, staring at my ruddy skin and the dark bags under my eyes. Could I be dreaming somehow?
Could this guy be for real?
