Write Your Own Script by AL Brooks

Hear a reading from the novel Write Your Own Script by A.L. Brooks @albrookswriter1 on this episode of Book Clips, the mini podcast that gives listeners a taste of a book.

Listen to this reading here

Synopsis 

Beloved famous British actress Tamsyn Harris is in her early fifties and works hard to prove she’s still got “it”, despite her age. That means never revealing she’s a lesbian, for fear it would threaten her acclaimed career. After an on-set incident blows up, she disappears to a retreat to lay low for a while.

Maggie Cooper is a successful author with two pseudonyms and suffering from burn out. It’s hard enough trying to maintain both worlds, let alone keep them separate from real life. After checking herself into a retreat in Norfolk, the last thing she expects to find is the respected, beautiful actress she’s had a crush on her whole life.

As passion sweeps them up, they agree it can only be a holiday fling. But is that enough? Can they just return to their lives and leave each other behind?

A sizzling lesbian romance about finding out what’s important in life.

Transcript

please note this transcript has not been edited and is automatically generated meaning certain words will be incorrect

you are listening to book clips a mini podcast in which authors and erasers do readings from novels check out the show notes for the synopsis and by links for this book hi this is AL Brooks and today I’m going to be reading from my latest novel write your own script just to give you a little background for the section I’m going to read Tamsin Harris is a 50-something actress who has been forced to lie low after Athol incidents on the set of her latest film Maggie is an author suffering from burnout who is on retreat with her dog gizmo unbeknown to both women they are neighbors each staying on a country estate in Norfolk East England in secluded cottages about 200 yards apart strolling through the trees had become Maggie’s new favorite thing this past week usually they were confined to the local park near her house in Putney having such an expanse to play in had sent her beloved border terrier into paroxysms of delight and his enthusiasm was infectious so what if she hadn’t written a single word since she’d arrived here they reached the gravel driveway of her cottage and she made passed the car to get to the front door she can Lance back at the other cottage the single lights coming from what she knew was the kitchen and hopes that whoever was staying there hadn’t been too disturbed by gizmos antics his most squeeze through the door before she’d even got it fully open and ran straight to his water bowl where he lapped noisily for a couple of minutes while she removed her coat and shoes it was nicely nippy out and her face was tingling now that she was back in the warmth of the cottage she walked over to the fire and added some more wood noting that her pile was diminishing but would at least last her through tomorrow morning the bottle of red wine she’d opened the night before was standing on the kitchen counter a moments later she was sipping a large glass by the fire she’d taken to sitting in the single armchair the sofa was comfy enough but there was something even more comforting about being embraced completely by the chair gizmo usually either laying on the floor by the fire but wedged between her folded legs and one arm of the chair she stared at the flames as they danced in the grate her eyes felt tired hell the whole of her felt tired the burnout had hit her hard and fast and although she knew her recovery would happen at its own good pace she couldn’t help but will it to go faster she had deadlines to meet fans to keep happy she snorted and gizmo had passed out in front of the fire after guzzling down his water twitched in his slumber she hadn’t written a word in 2 3 months both her publishers were clamoring for new titles but she didn’t have it in her the ideas weren’t there and sitting in front of a blank screen wasn’t conjuring up any inspiration so here she was unreachable in it she’d agreed with her mainstream agent that she would take a month off see if she could free the block she had no idea what would happen if it didn’t work the warmth of the wine and the fire were making her drowsy and her head dipped this was the other thing she couldn’t quite get used to she was tired constantly tired of course you’re tired you’re burnt out you have nothing left in the tank burnt out she thought that only happened to city workers the people making all the big deals in the financial market he had never occurred to her it could happen to a writer a writer of romances for crying out loud she chuckled gizmo raised his head his liquid brown eyes blinking at her relaxed she said and took another sip of wine it’s just me going slightly bonkers no not bonkers really just a bit lost stand still yet little bugger Maggie grabbed gizmo by his collar and hauled him back to Walter I thought you loved walks why are you fighting me on this she finally managed to clip the lead into place and stood upright again as soon as she did gives most strained to the leather leash in his eagerness to reach the front door good god you’re fickle stumbling after the little dynamo she grabbed the keys from the small table in the entranceway and locked the door behind them once they were on the front step the cold pricked at her ears and she smiled another beautiful morning in this small piece of paradise and to her it was paradise nothing but nature all around after yet another restless night she knew the fresh air would do her good it was crazy she thought as she let gizmo lead him towards the path that squirmed through an opening in the trees about a minute from the back of their cottage but for someone so worn out she couldn’t get a decent night’s sleep she hadn’t done since the first night here the speed with which she took the trip packed and closed up her house had worn her down to the point where not sleeping was impossible once she’d arrived at the cottage but since then of course all of her doubts about her writing had plagued her brain and so far none of the remedies she tried for easing her mind before sleep had worked they were in the trees now and the change in the sounds around them and in the very air itself soothed her maybe she should try sleeping out here one night she snorted yes so not going to happen imagine all the wildlife skittering around she’d give herself a heart attack before daybreak around and if she was going to be eaten by world animals even though she knew it was ridiculous there were no carnivores predators in Norfolk thought of exposing herself to the rawness of nature that way it did not appeal a Yelp from gizmo brought her sharply out of her reverie and she looked around to see what had him so worked up and she stopped and stared because standing on the path ahead of them looking concerned at the noise and the rather agitated little hot skismo was making was Tamsin Harris Maggie shook her head no there was no way that could possibly be Tamsin Harris standing in a Norfolk woodland all alone only twenty paces or so in front of her Tamsin Harris was a world-famous actress who splits her time between London and Los Angeles eating out all the best restaurants of being seen in all the most fashionable places when she wasn’t working on a film or TV series this woman whoever she was just had a remarkable likeness to her that’s all mind you it was extraordinary how much her double she was good morning Maggie called yanking gizmo back on his lead and pointing a finger at him they said behave when he turned reproachful eyes on her is your dog safe the woman replied Maggie was affronted safe of course gizmo was safe what a ridiculous thing to only I’m not exactly a fan of dogs she sounded like Tamsin Harris to with that hint of huskiness in the posh but not too posh tone that Townsend Harris used Maggie stared at her again taking in all her features the chestnut brown hair was mostly hidden by a stylish woolen cap but it was the right shade she are close enough for Maggie to see her eyes but the height seemed about right even in the flat walking boots she wore and the body shape was too although many women were a slimmest Tamsin so that wasn’t much of a clue when Maggie let her gaze drift back to the woman’s face she realized she was still waiting for Maggie’s response oh sorry gizmo’s fine don’t worry all bark and no trousers this one gives my whimpered as if offended finally the woman smiled it was weak but even so it transformed her face and suddenly right then Maggie knew that smile was unmistakable holy crap the actress walked slowly towards her then gestured to the path I’m just going to pass by okay of course Maggie’s heart was thundering beneath her ribs Tamsin bloody Harris Maggie’s celebrity crush since she was 18 years old only yards away from her and about to walk within inches of her how was that even possible Tamsin approached gave Maggie a half smile then sidestepped around gizmo with caution he stared up at her his mouth open tongue lolling and for a brief moment Maggie wondered if she was standing in the middle of the pathway in much the same manner a quick check confirmed that to her relief her tongue was still contained within her closed mouth she knew however that her eyes were as wide as sources she should say something ask her are you really Tamsin Harris but her brain wouldn’t engage properly and when it did her overwhelming sense was much to her surprise to protect Tamsin to keep her secret because clearly Tamsin was here incognito there was no entourage no sign of any companion and for someone as famous as Tamsin Harris to do that there must be a significant reason behind it as someone who was in Norfolk dealing with her own demons Maggie could respect that no matter how desperate she was to run after her and ask for her autograph you have been listening to Al Brooks reading from write your own script you have been listening to book clips check out the show notes for the synopsis and by links for this book if you are interested in showcasing your novel then check out the show notes for 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