Behind the Scenes

Fans of Abby Jimenez and Meryl Wilsner will fall in love with this hilarious and refreshingly authentic novel about second chances, pugs, and finding the perfect muse. Business consultant Rose Josten might not have officially reached "pug lady" middle age, but she's already got the pugs-along with their little Gucci coats and trash-lovin' appetites. Still, life is good, with her work, her sisters, and a secret hobby creating incredibly tactile (and surprisingly sexy) mindfulness videos. So why does it feel like it's not quite enough? Which is exactly when former filmmaker Ash Stewart enters camera left, and Rose's world suddenly goes full technicolor. Ash never looks at anyone. Not since her ex ripped her heart from her chest in Spielberg-esque style, crushing her reputation, dreams, and directorial career in one brutal blow. But Rose is altogether different. She's curvy, beautiful, and just so damn put together. And her business expertise might be Ash's best bet for getting her last film-and her last chance-financed. Now if they can just keep their attraction under wraps, Ash's lost dream could finally come true. But are they creating movie magic ... or setting the stage for disaster? "Escapism with no apologies." ―Publishers Weekly, starred review "A sweet queer romance between two fully drawn, fully unique characters, with a sexy ASMR subplot I never knew I needed." ―Anita Kelly, author of Love & Other Disasters

Karelia Stetz-Waters (she/her) writes happily-ever-afters for women who love women. Her novels include the Out in Portland series and Satisfaction Guaranteed. She lives her own happily-ever-after in Oregon with her wife of over twenty years. Karelia has a BA in comparative literature from Smith College and an MA in English literature from the University of Oregon, and she currently teaches English at Linn-Benton Community College. Karelia loves to hear from readers. Be sure to stay in touch by signing up for Karelia's newsletter, available on her website. You can learn more at: KareliaStetzWaters.com Twitter @K_StetzWaters Facebook.com/KareliaStetzWatersAuthor Instagram @KareliaStetzWaters