Award Winner! Honorable Mention, Contemporary Fiction, 2021 Writers Digest Self-Published E-Book Awards If you like stories told in unusual ways, enter the emotional, funny, and scary world of Backstory-a single mom’s quest for new love and Hollywood fame. But wait: Is a serial killer stalking her and her daughter? Told by a series of letters and brief screenplay scenes, this story’s dynamic format will make you laugh, cry, and cheer for Merry Mayfield, a mid-life Columbia University film school grad, who relocates to Austin, Texas, after a devastating divorce. Through her diary-like notes to her adored professor Roland Holmes, you’ll share Merry’s pains, joys, and passions-especially for the charming teacher who inspires Merry’s love for drama and film.

You’ll also meet her domineering brother Brandon and zany sister in law Deanna, who each try to exorcise Merry’s demons. And you’ll be amazed by the offbeat characters who enter Merry’s world as she struggles to support her three unhappy teens and find a way to succeed.

As Merry resists her brother’s demands to forgo writing for sales, she wallows in too many martinis, flings with Mr. Wrongs, and brazen acts that lead to trouble. Naively, Merry even dates her stalker, until he sets his sights on her daughter, Nora. What happens next will shock and surprise readers who love a story that unwinds with a wry smile.

Reader tip: Don’t skip the Foreword or Afterword chapters to fully appreciate this story’s ironic (and surprising) turn. -J.K.K., reviewer