Welcome to my feature where authors share about the hobbies, careers, or passions of their characters.
I’m pleased to introduce today’s guest, Jude Hopkins…
The Play’s the Thing
I always wanted to write a play, which is why I instilled that same desire into Hadley Todd, the willful protagonist of my debut novel, “Babe in the Woods.” For my play, I always imagined a witty comedy that would light up Broadway before it was made into a movie. Hadley, however, is still smarting from a bad breakup, so she wants to write a play about a woman’s last moment of innocence before she realizes her love affair is over. Hadley wants her play to warn vulnerable women about the blackguards most likely to leave a girl heartbroken and avoid them before it’s too late. (She is the perfect example of a “too-late” girl.)
For a play-writing class in graduate school, I did write a scene from a play set in a restaurant starring a younger man and a woman in the halcyon days of first love. And I inserted that scene into “Babe in the Woods” because Hadley was ruminating over her failed love with her previous beau, wishing to return to the wonderful time they had together. Hadley remembers the scene as she dozes off one day, anguished by the memory.
So, throughout the book, Hadley seeks an answer to the question, “Can we ever find the last moment of our innocence”? She likes the idea of writing a drama that can be staged with characters similar to her ex, then explain to him, in precise language, how much he hurt her by leaving her—without his walking away as he did in real life. But there’s the not-insignificant problem of a writing block. Where to begin? Her friends tell her that once gone, innocence can’t be recovered, but wisdom gained from the experience is certainly valuable. They urge her to use that wisdom to find a mutual love because love shouldn’t be such hard work. Find love, then write the play.
Instead Hadley falls for a younger man, an aspiring rock star who reminds her of her former lover. After seeing him as possible fodder for her play by watching his way with women, she promises to introduce him to her Hollywood music biz connections. But things get complicated. Hadley doesn’t find the ready answers she’s looking for after enlisting him in her scheme. After a trip to California with the younger man, she comes to realize that her friends were right. She needs a mutual love—and she might just have one right before her eyes. But when she returns to her hometown to claim it, she finds situations—and people—aren’t exactly what she thought they were. Does Hadley learn from her journey, both metaphorical and literal? Or does she remain stuck—not only with writer’s block but also with her love life?
And, most important, does she sit down in front of her computer and begin writing the play she knows is within her?
It’s all there, ready to unfold, in my novel, “Babe in the Woods.”
Timber! She’s Falling in Love
Blurb:
It’s September 1995, the first year of the rest of Hadley Todd’s life. After living in Los Angeles, Hadley returns to her hometown in rural New York to write and be near her father. In addition to looking after him and teaching high school malcontents, Hadley hopes to channel her recent L.A. heartbreak into a play about the last moment of a woman’s romantic innocence. But she seeks inspiration.
Enter Trey Harding, a young, handsome reporter who covers sports at the high school. Trey reminds Hadley of her L.A. ex and is the perfect spark to fire up her imagination. The fact that Trey is an aspiring rock star and she has L.A. record biz connections makes the alliance perfect. She dangles promises of music biz glory while watching his moves. But the surprising twist that transpires when the two of them go to Hollywood is not something Hadley prepared for.
Excerpt:
“Have you ever fallen in love?”
He winked at her. “All the time.”
She’d have the last word, something she realized was important to her. “I think it’s wrong, all these women you lead on. Don’t you? I mean, they may get attached, fall for you. But you seem to use them, to see what you can get out of them for your own purposes. I think that’s wrong, They’re human beings, after all. With feelings.”
He turned around, his eyes drained of any light. “They use me, too. It’s not like they’re not getting anything out of it.”
“What am I getting out of this?” she asked him, if not rhetorically.
He stood on one hip, a move that made him appear more rakish than usual. “I really don’t know, Miss Todd. I wondered that myself. I thought perhaps you were bored or intrigued. Or maybe you’re a control freak.” He took a step toward her so he was within half an inch of her face. “Or maybe you’re just like the rest and can’t resist me.”
Hadley stood her ground. “How do you know when it’s over? The moment when love, or lust, turns into something else. Something not as passionate?”
“I don’t think about it,” he said, returning her gaze. “It’s something that happens. Maybe it’s not one moment. It just is.”
He turned around and walked out of the room.
Buy links:
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/babe-in-the-woods-jude-hopkins/1143104918?ean=9781509248438
https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/babe-in-the-woods-5
About the Author:
Jude Hopkins has published essays in The Los Angeles Times, Women Writers, Women’s Books, Medium and elsewhere, as well as poetry in numerous journals. Her work can be found on her website https://www.judehopkinswriting.net/. Twitter/X: @HeyJudeNotJudy
Author Alicia Dean 