Celia Mulder
Tell us about your latest release:
My debut novel, Celebrity Spin Doctor, came out last September and last month it became a double RITA nominee.
Blurb:
Remember when country star, Christy-Anne, had the leaked sex tape?
No one else does either. All thanks to Lucille Anton, undercover PR agent for troublesome celebrities. They screw up, she covers up. Business is good and Lucille’s good at it. But all that changes when international superstar Michel Polce approaches her with the toughest case of her career—his fiancée is trying to kill him and he doesn’t want anyone to know.
Brett Jacobs is at rock bottom of, well, everything. But he pulls himself out of his grimy apartment to attend a party with his former best friend, Michel Polce. Little does he know he’s about to be introduced to the most fascinating, unattainable woman he’s ever met in his life. And the only way to get close to her is to convince her, and himself, to help Michel.
The mission is clear—find the fiancée, tell her to stop trying to kill Michel, and make sure no one knows. But with an ex-boyfriend popping up at inconvenient moments, a fugitive uncle who can’t stay away, and some ill-timed sexacapades, this ordeal is more than any of them bargained for.
Excerpt:
Lucille had her arms crossed over her black blouse, forcing open the unbuttoned top and revealing a glimpse of black lace. She looked him up and down while he stared at her face. He could feel her eyes on his skin, scraping across every inch of his being with slow, deliberate judgment. As in the hotel suite, he felt gloriously naked. He was sure it was meant to make him feel insignificant and tiny, but whether it was from his years of neuroses and self-deprecation or some latent desire in her gaze, he shivered with pleasure at the scrutiny.
“I see you own other clothes.” Her tone was clipped and cold.
“Are you checking me out?” Brett had meant to joke, but it came out husky.
Lucille laughed, one brief, humorless bark that said “you wish.” She pushed past him and into the tomb of the mansion beyond. She paused in the foyer, taking in the empty stillness.
“I don’t know how to say this, but—” Brett began.
“Sylvia’s been kidnapped.” Lucille cut him off. “And what I’d really like to know is why the hell you didn’t call me about it. You’ve clearly been here long enough to make yourself at home.”
Brett frowned. “What does Sylvia’s kidnapping have to do with you? Aren’t you Michel’s publicist?”
Lucille turned on her scary, pointy-heeled boots and glared at him, her arched eyebrows knit together. “Don’t be stupid.”
“Then you’re not his publicist.” Brett already knew this, of course, but he was annoyed and sick of her, and wildly attracted to her and now a bit pissed off.
“No. I’m not. We both know I’m not, so we can drop the charade. I need to see Michel.” She turned and walked away, her heels ringing against the stone.
How did you decide on your story plot? I was standing in the checkout line at a grocery store one day and saw the cover of the latest issue of the National Enquirer. It featured a grainy, poorly lit photo with a headline about Beyonce being caught cheating. Presumably the photo was supposed to be Beyonce in bed with a guy who wasn’t Jay-Z. I thought, who writes this stuff? And then it hit me. My character. The main character of my book is the one who comes up with these wild celebrity stories. And she’s doing it for the celebrities to cover up what they’re actually up to. Boom. Celebrity Spin Doctor was born.
Do you have a favorite scene? Why? I have multiple favorite scenes. Pretty much anytime Lucille, Brett, and Michel are together, it’s my favorite. They are a weird, dysfunctional family that kind of works and I love it.
My debut novel, Celebrity Spin Doctor, came out last September and last month it became a double RITA nominee.
Blurb:
Remember when country star, Christy-Anne, had the leaked sex tape?
No one else does either. All thanks to Lucille Anton, undercover PR agent for troublesome celebrities. They screw up, she covers up. Business is good and Lucille’s good at it. But all that changes when international superstar Michel Polce approaches her with the toughest case of her career—his fiancée is trying to kill him and he doesn’t want anyone to know.
Brett Jacobs is at rock bottom of, well, everything. But he pulls himself out of his grimy apartment to attend a party with his former best friend, Michel Polce. Little does he know he’s about to be introduced to the most fascinating, unattainable woman he’s ever met in his life. And the only way to get close to her is to convince her, and himself, to help Michel.
The mission is clear—find the fiancée, tell her to stop trying to kill Michel, and make sure no one knows. But with an ex-boyfriend popping up at inconvenient moments, a fugitive uncle who can’t stay away, and some ill-timed sexacapades, this ordeal is more than any of them bargained for.
Excerpt:
Lucille had her arms crossed over her black blouse, forcing open the unbuttoned top and revealing a glimpse of black lace. She looked him up and down while he stared at her face. He could feel her eyes on his skin, scraping across every inch of his being with slow, deliberate judgment. As in the hotel suite, he felt gloriously naked. He was sure it was meant to make him feel insignificant and tiny, but whether it was from his years of neuroses and self-deprecation or some latent desire in her gaze, he shivered with pleasure at the scrutiny.
“I see you own other clothes.” Her tone was clipped and cold.
“Are you checking me out?” Brett had meant to joke, but it came out husky.
Lucille laughed, one brief, humorless bark that said “you wish.” She pushed past him and into the tomb of the mansion beyond. She paused in the foyer, taking in the empty stillness.
“I don’t know how to say this, but—” Brett began.
“Sylvia’s been kidnapped.” Lucille cut him off. “And what I’d really like to know is why the hell you didn’t call me about it. You’ve clearly been here long enough to make yourself at home.”
Brett frowned. “What does Sylvia’s kidnapping have to do with you? Aren’t you Michel’s publicist?”
Lucille turned on her scary, pointy-heeled boots and glared at him, her arched eyebrows knit together. “Don’t be stupid.”
“Then you’re not his publicist.” Brett already knew this, of course, but he was annoyed and sick of her, and wildly attracted to her and now a bit pissed off.
“No. I’m not. We both know I’m not, so we can drop the charade. I need to see Michel.” She turned and walked away, her heels ringing against the stone.
How did you decide on your story plot? I was standing in the checkout line at a grocery store one day and saw the cover of the latest issue of the National Enquirer. It featured a grainy, poorly lit photo with a headline about Beyonce being caught cheating. Presumably the photo was supposed to be Beyonce in bed with a guy who wasn’t Jay-Z. I thought, who writes this stuff? And then it hit me. My character. The main character of my book is the one who comes up with these wild celebrity stories. And she’s doing it for the celebrities to cover up what they’re actually up to. Boom. Celebrity Spin Doctor was born.
Do you have a favorite scene? Why? I have multiple favorite scenes. Pretty much anytime Lucille, Brett, and Michel are together, it’s my favorite. They are a weird, dysfunctional family that kind of works and I love it.
Celia Mulder hails from the lovely, yet unpredictable northern Michigan. They are a librarian, a former wedding planner, and an avid appreciator of all things campy and ridiculous. Friends-to-lovers plots are their catnip. They believe in three things-- the superiority of Aquaman, the healing power of romance novels, and Buffy: the Vampire Slayer.
What’s your favorite thing to do to relax? My ideal relaxing evening is hanging on my couch with a cat curled in my lap as I knit and watch movies. Add some wine and a face mask and it’s just about perfect.
If you could go back in time to when you were seven years old, what wisdom or advice would you pass on to yourself? I would let myself know that while the horse stories aren’t going to pan out, this writing thing is going to stick. So don’t hold back.
Now about you as an author…What authors had an impact on you growing up and as an adult? This may come as a surprise given that I write contemporary romances, but Douglas Adams has always had a huge impact on my writing. I am inspired by his humorous, no-holds-barred writing style and fantastic situational comedy.
What is your favorite aspect or writing? Your least favorite? I’ll start with my least favorite, which is preparing to sit down to write. I get distracted, waste time online, decide I have to pay my bills right at that moment, and generally put off doing the writing. My favorite part is when I’ve gotten through all of that and the words are flowing. When I get carried away with an idea and the characters are leading the plot. The writing is exciting and fresh and every word feels brilliant.
Do you have any “must haves” with you while you’re writing? Music. I must have music playing. At first I thought it could be any music and I wrote the first draft of Celebrity Spin Doctor while listening to the Twilight soundtracks. The whole book was a serious downer and had to be completely rewritten. I am now much more conscious of what I’m listening to as I write. I create a playlist for each book and the music helps me get into the story better.
What’s your favorite thing to do to relax? My ideal relaxing evening is hanging on my couch with a cat curled in my lap as I knit and watch movies. Add some wine and a face mask and it’s just about perfect.
If you could go back in time to when you were seven years old, what wisdom or advice would you pass on to yourself? I would let myself know that while the horse stories aren’t going to pan out, this writing thing is going to stick. So don’t hold back.
Now about you as an author…What authors had an impact on you growing up and as an adult? This may come as a surprise given that I write contemporary romances, but Douglas Adams has always had a huge impact on my writing. I am inspired by his humorous, no-holds-barred writing style and fantastic situational comedy.
What is your favorite aspect or writing? Your least favorite? I’ll start with my least favorite, which is preparing to sit down to write. I get distracted, waste time online, decide I have to pay my bills right at that moment, and generally put off doing the writing. My favorite part is when I’ve gotten through all of that and the words are flowing. When I get carried away with an idea and the characters are leading the plot. The writing is exciting and fresh and every word feels brilliant.
Do you have any “must haves” with you while you’re writing? Music. I must have music playing. At first I thought it could be any music and I wrote the first draft of Celebrity Spin Doctor while listening to the Twilight soundtracks. The whole book was a serious downer and had to be completely rewritten. I am now much more conscious of what I’m listening to as I write. I create a playlist for each book and the music helps me get into the story better.
