Author Gwen Hayes

Please join me in welcoming the fabulous and talented author, Gwen Hayes, to Killer Fiction. In addition to being just a super cool chick, Gwen has been my guru of all thing YA as I’ve branching out into this newer, younger genre. If there is anything about teenager lit out there to be known, Gwen knows it. Her funny paranormal romance book Oh, Goddess, about a thousand year old goddess stuck in a human body, comes out next week and I highly recommend it. So, take it away Gwen…


Thanks to the lovely writers at Killer Fiction for letting me crash the party today. I'm working up a case of nerves for my latest release from Samhain Publishing next week, so staying busy is great. I took on a little extra angst because all author and editor proceeds are being donated to the Coalition for Pulmonary Fibrosis, and now I'm concerned that I'll be sending them a check for $10 or something. If you are interested in learning more about how you can help fight this insideous disease, please visit http://www.coalitionforpf.org/ . To learn more about my short story for the cause, Oh Goddess, please visit http://samhainpublishing.com/coming/oh-goddess.

So, how have I been filling my time?

Last weekend, I watched "When Harry Met Sally" for the umpteenth time total and the second time in a month. I have no idea what compelled me to watch it again after such a short interval--but if pressed I will call it research as I tend to write romantic comedy and Nora Ephron is pretty much a deity for the genre. On the down low--I find it comforting and easier on my hips than chocolate chip cookies.

I noticed something different about the film every time I watch it, but what occurred to me this time is how differently I see the heroine, Sally, played by Meg Ryan, now that I am closer to Sally's age in the movie. When the flick hit theaters in 1989, I was 19 years old. Of course, I knew everything then and I knew that Sally was totally justified in her anger at Harry for the way things happened after they fell into bed. (I usually try to discuss these things spoiler free, but the movie is 20-years-old now. It's like getting mad at people for saying "Luke, I am your father.")

Now, I'm a little more compelled to tell Sally to quit acting like one of "those" girls. The ones that say one thing to men when they mean another, but then get mad at men for not being able to figure it out. She said "It was a mistake" and he agreed with her. They both decided not to let it ruin their friendship and then she proceeded to shut him completely out of her life while telling him what a jerk he was.

huh.

So--what classic movies do you see differently now than when you first watched them? Do you now look at Andi in "Pretty in Pink" and wonder why she held out for the rich boy with no personality when she could have had Ducky? Do you see "The Outsiders" as a bunch of pretty boy punks now? Is "Red Dawn" no longer the scariest thing you can imagine happening?

Let's dish--keep me from thinking about Tuesday.

Gwen Hayes...saving the world one love story at at time.
www.gwenhayes.com