#SampleSunday - Flipped Out, DIY-5

Avery and her hunky handyman boyfriend Derek Ellis are renovating another house in Waterfield, Maine. But it’s not just any house. It belongs to local news anchor Tony “the Tiger” Micelli—and it’s a quaint cottage with limitless possibilities. Even more exciting is that the makeover is going to be filmed as part of a home renovation TV show.

Unfortunately the road to cable TV fame is a bumpy one: this DIY spins into a DOA when Tony’s corpse is found at the cottage, flat on his back and not from natural causes. Turns out there were a few people who wanted Tony dead, and that the murderer might have his sights set on a few more Waterfield residents. That means it’s up to Avery to nail the killer. Before someone yells "Cut!" and it's all over.

From somewhere in chapter 3... I think.

“And . . . action,” Nina said.

I made sure to stay out of sight while Wilson panned the living room—it wouldn’t do for us to be peeking around the archway and ruining the shot—but once Adam started speaking, we knew Wilson had finished his pan and was focused on Adam, so we leaned into the living room to watch.

“Hi,” Adam said, grinning dementedly, “and welcome to Flipped Out! I’m Adam Ramsey, your host. Today we’re here in Waterford, Maine—”

“Cut,” Nina said. “It’s Waterfield, Adam. Do it again.”

Adam grimaced. Wilson went back to the doorway. Derek and I ducked out of sight, and it all started over again. And again. Adam couldn’t seem to get the hang of it. He was very handsome, he probably photographed extremely well, he had a nicely modulated voice, but he couldn’t remember details to save his life. If it wasn’t the name of the town that slipped his mind, it was another word he mispronounced or stumbled over. After five or six takes, he had finally got the introduction and the name of the town and everything else just right, but when he moved into the kitchen to introduce Derek and me, the problems started all over again.

“Here we are with this week’s team of renovators, Erik Ellis and—”

“Cut,” Nina said, her voice beginning to show signs of wear around the edges. “It’s Derek, Adam. Not Erik. Do it again.”

Wilson looked put out. Adam looked pained. “Sorry, Neen.”

Nina was making an almost visible effort to be nice. “I’m sure you are, Adam. Just do it again, please.”

Wilson moved back to the doorway, Derek and I exchanged a glance, and Adam took a deep breath and blew it out again, flashing another broad smile. “Here we are with this week’s team of renovators, Derek Ellis and Ivory Baker—”

“Cut,” Nina said. “It’s Avery, Adam. Derek and Avery. Not Erik and Ivory. Do you need a break?”

The not so subtle subtext was, “Take a break, Adam. And come back ready to get it right.”

"Yeah,” Adam said, “I think maybe I do. I’ll be right back.”

He left through the laundry room and headed into the backyard, where he’d probably either punch a tree to make himself feel better, or wander around for a couple of minutes, kicking at tufts of grass and muttering. Hopefully he’d come back inside in a better frame of mind.

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Flipped Out just hit the New York Times bestseller list at #33 - yay!!! - and can be bought through Amazon and B&N, as well as other e-retailers and in bookstores and select big box stores - Target, Walmart, etc - across the country.