Lauren Clark: Everyone’s short on time. Life’s too busy! Where’d the day go? It’s a fact. You have to be selective about who and what gets your attention. If reading a good book helps you stay sane, then Stay Tuned is the perfect escape. It’s fun, fast-paced, and a peek behind the scenes at a local TV news station. Best of all, it’s all about someone else’s crazy life!

Stay Tuned is also based on a true story. Before I began work at an Upstate New York television station as a reporter, the two main anchors (who were in a romantic relationship) got into a fistfight in the parking lot of the television station. They were fired, the incident made the newspaper, and a lot of ugly editorials and threats were exchanged. The story—and the irony of these two successful people losing their jobs—has always stayed with me. While I was beginning to write Stay Tuned, I thought it might be interesting to have something similar happen—this time, while the anchors were on air—and watch what unfolded behind the scenes.

Now that I’ve shared those messy details, (see, you never know what might end up in a novel!) here’s more about Stay Tuned: Melissa Moore has a good life—better than average—but not great. She’s stuck with an absentee husband and a high-maintenance boss, and must help care for her mother, who’s afflicted with dementia. While Melissa loves her job as a producer, her two main co-anchors’ on-again, off-again love affair is a constant stressor. When their arguing gets out of hand in the studio, punches fly during a live show. Melissa jumps on set to help—sink or swim. When the dust settles, her boss taps her to be a fill-in anchor until a replacement can be found.

With the help of her best friend Candace, Melissa’s wardrobe and haircut get a much-needed update and polish. Bolstered by praise and encouragement from friends and strangers, Melissa tackles her new job with confidence and energy. Meanwhile, though, her personal life starts falling apart. Is it just her imagination or does her new male co-anchor seems a little too friendly? Why is her husband leaving post-it notes instead of calling? Can she cope with her mother’s failing memory? Who’s sending strange packages to her house? Is someone stalking her?

In the midst of all of this chaos, tragedy strikes. Fire breaks out at a local home for the elderly, a friend of the family loses her life, and Melissa’s husband reveals dark secrets that may cost him his job. As the story races to the finish, Melissa must make choices that will affect everything and everyone she loves.

I hope you enjoy Stay Tuned as much as I loved writing it! I’d love to hear what you think about the story and characters. Feel free to drop me at line at laurenclarkbooks@gmail.com.

Rowena: Thanks so much for joining us today on The Book Scoop, Lauren. I hope you’ll go out and get yourself a copy of Stay Tuned. I enjoyed it and I’m sure you will too!

..and that’s your scoop!