"Riveting, vulnerable, wicked-the Truth, Lies and Love in Advertising series is fun, Fendi, and all the other f-words in between." -Doug Elfman, author, journalist, and award-winning critic (former writer for Las Vegas Review-Journal and Chicago Sun-Times)
"An enticing peek into the inner workings of an advertising agency against the delicious backdrop of Los Angeles, California, Camera Ready is a high-stakes tale of professional and romantic conflict. The intense chemistry between Jane Mercer and Craig Keller sets up a sizzling dilemma-a fast-moving read that you won't want to put down." -Beverly Melasi Haag, President, Melasi Publications Inc.
"A captivating yet unsettling foray into the world of advertising, where glossy high-fashion campaigns obscure the power, sex, and corruption underneath. You will root for Jane Mercer as she negotiates her way through the pitfalls of her career, and ache for her as she watches her dreams shatter. A sweeping story of cataclysmic chain reactions set off by one bad decision, Camera Ready is both suspenseful and fun to the very last page." -Rebecca Augustine, author of Love Without Cause: Create Inner Transformation, Renew Your Thinking, and Be Love in a World That Doesn't Deserve It
"Camera Ready is a delightful page-turner, beginning with chapter one. The novel pulls the reader right into territory that is all at once dangerous, tantalizing, and fun. But beyond the fashion, friendships, and fast-paced corporate work world, there is evidence of a glass ceiling still firmly held in place by a complex system of 'good ol' boy' structures. Camera Ready is a must-read for the twenty-first-century woman." -Lori Swick, author of Comfort and Mirth and Dreaming-The Sacred Art
"Camera Ready is a super-charged work that delivers an emotional ride for readers-men and women alike. In this internal battle of empowered Jane versus mistake-prone Jane, she risks it all when she allows a ghost from the past to reenter her life." -Pedro Figueroa, author
2022-01-18
In this novel, a woman attempts to maintain a relationship and her career when her new boss turns out to be a former lover.
Jane Mercer has it all. Having worked her way up from receptionist, Jane is vice president at Warren Mitchell advertising agency, a company on the verge of an IPO, which could prove very lucrative for her. On the personal side, she has found the love of her life, Derek Lowell, a professional violinist. Derek’s main flaw seems to be his inability to handle Jane’s previous affair with rich, handsome, and married Craig Keller, owner of Keller Whitman Group, a competitor in the ad industry. Though the affair happened long before the couple got together, the thought of Jane sleeping with a married man is problematic for Derek. A chance meeting with Craig and the very public spectacle of the entrepreneur’s impending divorce have Derek on edge. Meanwhile, Jane starts questioning if she still has feelings for Craig, despite the humiliation of knowing she was just one of hundreds he seduced. As Craig begins to toy with Jane, alluding to the potential of a relationship redo, the very real issue of his company absorbing hers plays out, making him her new boss. Jane finds herself in the precarious position of trying to keep her job and resist his seductive charms. Royce has crafted a relatable story of a past relationship coming back to haunt and possibly threaten the new one, a conundrum many readers will no doubt have found themselves in a time or two. Though Jane does lie to preserve her relationship, one might excuse her decision, given her past is being unfairly held against her. Still, it’s not the main character’s deceit that raises flags, but the author’s characterization of Craig as a gorgeous, “dastardly” womanizer when he’s actually a narcissistic predator, preying on Jane’s inability to resist his toxic charms. Character depiction aside, Royce does a great job of developing the plot, culminating in a satisfying conclusion
An entertaining romance; the voice and writing will definitely keep the pages turning.
