Original subtitles

(soft piano music)

(pop beat) - ♪ I feel more awake ♪

♪ Than ever before ♪

- ♪ Whoa, whoa ♪

- ♪ And when I get up

♪ The sun is no more ♪

- ♪ Whoa, whoa ♪

- ♪ I'll meet you at midnight I can't miss that smile ♪

♪ The warmth of the streetlight I know you'll stay a while ♪

♪ Oh, oh, oh ♪

- Erica? I have a grande non-fat mocha for Erica?

- It's actually Eric. - Oh!

Sorry. Have a great day!

(laughing)

Do you think that they know that we do that on purpose?

- You do that on purpose. And if you weren't my best friend,

I would've fired you by now. - Oh, please, you love it,

Billy. Er, Beckham... Becca!

- Very funny. - OK, I'm gonna be late.

I wish you were coming with me. - Me too. This place isn't

gonna run itself. You can tell me all about it after.

- Ooh, here comes the nerves.

- You'll be great. Good luck! - Thank you!

- ♪ I'll meet you at midnight I can't miss that smile ♪

♪ The warmth of the streetlight I know you'll stay a while ♪

♪ Oh, oh, oh ♪

♪ I feel it all ♪

♪ My heart beats faster I feel it all ♪

♪ When we're together ♪

♪ And when it's dark outside ♪

♪ There's a light with you I'll always wanna feel ♪

♪ I feel it all I feel it all ♪

- Cassie, hi.

- Piper, hi! I'm so glad that you're here.

- What kind of publicist would I be if I wasn't

at my client's very first book signing?

Are you excited? - Yeah...

Excited, nervous, tempted to run and hide.

- Don't be silly. Your book is amazing! Read it twice already.

- Not even my mom has read it twice.

- It's so relatable. You put into writing

everything my girlfriends and I secretly talk about.

- Well, it is based on my real break-up.

- I know! It's like you got your heart broken just for us.

And all the things you did to move on.

I mean, who goes skydiving to get over a heartbreak?

- Just doing my part.

It's going to be really great to have a familiar face here today.

- Let's get inside. This "familiar face" is freezing.

- Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm.

- So are you ready? - Uh, define ready.

- Just relax and be yourself. This will be fun.

- OK, but you're sure that I won't have to read

or answer questions? Because I really hate speaking in public.

- Which is why you'll only be signing copies of your book

until Elliot turns up. - Elliot?

- Somersby.

Of the Dread Monarch Saga.

- Oh, right, the dragon guy.

- The best-selling dragon guy.

I used the fact that he's one of our authors

to get you displayed next to him.

- I think the dragon ate part of my display.

- Well, if you're not happy with it, we can move it.

- Oh no! Are you kidding me? My book is on display

in a real bookstore. I think this is fantastic!

- Well, it's just the beginning.

Come on, let's get you set up. ♪♪

(indistinct chatter)

(sighing)

- Hi! Ms. Winslett? - Hi!

- I really loved your book.

- Thank you. - Thank you.

- Mom, hi! You came! - Oh, I wouldn't miss it.

- You're not missing much. - This takes me back

to my very first book signing.

- I'm pretty sure you never had a crowd this small.

- It was a different time. People read more books then.

- It's madness out there.

- Mom, this is my publicist Piper.

- Hold up.

Your mother is Jeannine Jordan?!

But your name is-- - My maiden name is Jordan.

(both laughing)

- I have read

all your novels! Um, sorry.

May I get a picture? - Only if you don't mind

taking a picture of me with my very talented daughter.

- Of course. (click)

- Oh! - This will look great

on my website. (click)

- That would be great press for Cassie.

You never told me your mother

was an award-winning author. When people hear about this--

- I don't really want to throw that around.

- My daughter wants to launch her career all on her own.

Which I fully support.

Don't worry, honey. I'll just show the picture

to my friends at hot yoga. - Make sure they buy the book.

(laughing)

- That must be Elliot. Shall we head over

- Oh, what, and leave all my fans?

- Come on.

♪♪

(indistinct talking) - Who's Elliot?

- The Dragon writer. - Welcome, everyone.

We all love his amazing

Dread Monarch Saga,

so it is both a pleasure and an honour

to welcome the one, the only Elliot Somersby.

(applause) - Thank you.

- Wow! Is it always like this?

- Pretty much. I'll introduce you later.

- Thanks very much and thank you for buying

my little dragon saga.

Ha! Hmmm...

Is that for me? - Yeah.

- Oh, thanks, but I'm OK with my bottle of water.

(women giggling) - Wow, he's really laying

the "aw shucks" routine on pretty thick, don't you think?

- Don't know if he can write, but he can certainly work

a crowd. - Today, I would like to read

a passage from my second chronicling

of my Dread Monarch Saga,

Dragon's Lair.

"The wounded dragon flew through the air

"for what might be one last time.

"Klar-Al stroked its brow,

"clung to its neck, and whispered,

You are my Eternal Warrior."

- "Klar-Al"? - Princess of the Nine Kingdoms

and heir to the Crystal Scepter.

- The what? - You haven't read them?!

- Shh! - Sorry.

- "'And so I shall forever be.'

"the winged creature replied with a great sigh,

"its valiant spirit ascending through the veil

"from which there is no return,

"not even for a dragon

as noble as he."

Thank you all so much.

(inaudible talking) - You know, Mom, it's really

sweet of Piper to introduce us, but we should just go.

This line's gonna take forever. - The writing isn't bad.

- It's a book about dragons, how hard can it be to write?

(soft jazz music playing) (indistinct chattering)

We should probably leave.

- Elliot's just gonna take a short break.

- We really should go. - Don't be silly.

- I thought I recognized you!

- You recognized me?

- Elliot, this is-- - I am such a huge fan.

I don't know if you remember me. I was

in your Freshman Lit class in Princeton.

Between your novels and your classes, you single-handedly

inspired me to change my major from business to

creative writing. - I'm really sorry about that.

- I can't believe the Jeannine Jordan is at one my events.

- Well, no, actually, I'm here for my daughter,

but I am glad I got to see your reading.

- I'm the daughter. Hi. - Hi. I'm the dragon writer.

- You heard me? - It's OK.

You know, writing dragons is easy;

it's the elves that give me the most trouble.

- Oh, I'm so sorry, Mr. Somersby.

- Please call me Elliot. All my critics do.

- I shouldn't have said anything.

You know, I know nothing about dragons,

and I'm sure writing about them is very challenging.

- It's OK. I appreciate your honesty.

And thank you so much

for bringing your mom. Can I sign a copy for both of you?

- Oh, uh, she's actually here for my book signing.

- Elliot Somersby, this is Cassie Winslett.

She's one of MacDonner Press' new authors.

- Oh! Uh... Wow, so embarrassed.

Cassie, it's nice to meet you.

Welcome to the MacDonner Press family.

- I mean, I could sign a copy of my book for you if you want.

- I deserve that. - Uh, sorry to interrupt,

but this crowd is a little restless.

- Great. Um, such a pleasure to see you again.

- Well, thank you. - Cassie, I'm gonna read this.

- You don't have to. - No, I want to.

It was nice meeting you, new writer Cassie.

- Isn't he great? He's a major talent.

(cell phone musical ringtone) Sorry, I have to take this.

- How about I treat you to a celebratory latte?

- Mm-hmm.

♪♪

- OK, all I have heard about

is this Elliot guy and his book signing.

I want to hear about my brilliant best friend's.

Tell me, how did it go? - It didn't really "go."

- Couldn't have been that bad. - Let's just say I've signed

more coffee cups here in an hour than books there.

- OK, I think you're being modest. Is she, Jeannine?

- He even won her over. She's the toughest critic I know.

Do you remember my first grade book report?

- Oh, I remember. - She made me

do four revisions, and it was a 30-page book--

- 30-page book on butterflies! - And to cheer you up,

I made you a vanilla bean ice cream float--

- With the cookie crumbles? - I think that was the start

of my career. - Writing is rewriting.

My Princeton students pay a lot for that advice.

What? You think I can't read and hear you at the same time?

And to answer your question, Cassie had a small

but supportive crowd. - And by that, she means

her and my publicist, Piper. - You haven't

done any publicity, you refuse to throw my name around.

- Because I don't want everyone to know me

as "PEN/Faulkner Award-winning Jeannine Jordan's daughter."

I want to make my own name for myself.

- And I respect that, but if no one knows that you've

written a book, you're not gonna be known as anything.

Now, take Elliot here...

- "Elliot." They're on a first-name basis.

- His performance made me interested in reading a story

about a talking dragon. And I'm enjoying it.

- So why should that matter to me?

- Because I would never have picked up a fantasy book

and now I can't put it down. (cell phone ringing)

Sweetheart, you could have the same effect on people.

- Uh, it's Piper, I need to take this.

Just excuse me. Piper, hey.

- Is there really a talking dragon?

- Well, technically, it's telepathic.

- Gotcha. - OK, I'll see you then.

Um...

So my book editor to meet me; what do you think that means?

- Well, if it's lunch, that's a good thing.

- What if it's at their office?

- Who wants more lattes? - With cookie crumbles?

- Yeah. Coming up. - OK.

♪♪

(inaudible conversations)

Hi, I'm Cassandra Winslett.

I have a 10 o'clock appointment with Gwendolyn.

- Go right in, they're expecting you.

- "They"?

- Cassie! Thank you for coming in.

You know Piper and Julian... - We didn't officially meet,

but nice to see you again. - Oh, here he is,

Elliot. - Hello again.

- Hi. - Did you finish my book yet?

- I have encyclopaedias that are smaller.

Did you finish mine? - I did, actually, yeah.

- You're kidding? - No. It's alright,

you could make it up to me by reading mine on the book tour.

- What book tour?

- Piper and Julian told me how well you two

hit it off at the reading. - You had great chemistry.

- We barely spoke. - I felt it, too.

- We recently had success pairing new writers

with our established authors.

And as you may have noticed,

Elliot tends to draw a crowd wherever he goes.

- Sure, but my book is a romantic comedy memoir

about getting over a breakup, and Elliot writes...

nerd novels. I'm sorry.

- Uh, successful nerd novels.

- Still, I don't see the connection.

- Here's the thing, Cassie. You need the exposure,

especially with females 18 to 35.

That's a large, loyal market

that still buys books, then blogs and tweets about them.

And they happen to love

Elliot's novels. - Oh, I saw.

Practically passed out when he put on his glasses.

You know, I'm sorry, but do you even need those glasses

or are they the fake kind? - I'll never tell.

- So much chemistry.

- It's palpable. - This is why we want

you two on tour together. - Wow,

me on a book tour.

OK, well, how long is the tour?

- It's a week trial run. Just a few Northeastern college towns.

- And what does a trial run mean?

- Here's the thing: your book just came out,

and our early projections show sluggish sales,

which is making it hard to get reviewers to read it.

- But these things take time, right?

- Slow roll-outs are a thing of the past.

Name recognition sells. So the hope is that by teaming

you with our star author, we'll see sales increase.

- And if not? - Then, unfortunately,

we'll have to re-evaluate our partnership.

- No pressure, right? - I'm sorry.

It's tough for new writers out there.

But we love your book and we see a lot of promise in you.

- What did you want me to do on tour? I mean,

aside from winning Elliot's fan base.

- Similar to the signings yesterday,

but with readings. - Readings?

I just... I really hate public speaking,

so what if I just sign the books and let Elliot do the talking?

- Well, there's also interviews and Q and A's...

- Maybe we could come up with something

that doesn't end with me breaking out in hives

or freezing on stage.

It's just not very good for sales.

- Well, I was told that your mother was at the reading.

She's a big draw. Maybe you'd be more comfortable

doing interviews with her? The press would eat it up.

♪♪

- This has been a great meeting.

Just really, you've given me a lot

to think about. Thank you.

- Wow. Wow, I wasn't expecting that reaction.

- Cassie! - Yeah.

I'm so sorry. I didn't mean to run out like that.

I'm very appreciative of everything

that you're trying to do for me. - I can imagine how overwhelming

this all seems, but we have to do something big

to get people to read your wonderful book.

Otherwise--

- I'm just another wannabe writer in a coffee shop.

♪♪

- This should warm you up. - Thanks, Becca.

- What's going on with you?

- Nothing, why?

- You just hung the sign upside-down.

- I'm so sorry. - And I heard you call

a customer by his correct name earlier.

- I couldn't think of a funny name.

- For Joe? That's

a softball name. Everything rhymes with it.

- You know, I just... I have a lot of my mind.

- The book?

- Yeah. - Yeah.

- Ahem!

- What are you doing here? - Cassie! Please excuse

my rude barista. How can we help you?

- I actually came to talk to the rude barista.

- This is the dragon writer. - Oh!

You didn't say he was cute. - Maybe I don't think he's cute.

- Order anything you want. It's on us.

- I like her. Can she do that?

- That's my roommate, Becca. She owns the place, so yeah.

- Look, I just wanted to come by

and apologize for what happened today at MacDonner Press.

- I did feel a little ambushed. - Yeah,

I could tell. I'm sorry,

I thought they would have given you a heads-up about the tour.

- I appreciate the apology,

but you didn't have to come all the way down here to deliver it.

- Well, I also have an ulterior motive.

I want you on this tour.

- Oh, you want me to be your opening act?

- Opening act, it's... You're funny.

- Listen, I'm actually on the clock,

so if you could just make it fast, whatever you have to say.

- As a barista? - Not all of us

were bestsellers by age 27, so some of us have to work.

- Aw, you googled me. - And you're stalking me.

How did you find me, by the way?

Is tracking one of your dragon powers?

- Yeah. That and I asked Piper. Look, I think you that you have

a fresh approach to storytelling.

That's why I requested you to be on the tour.

- Listen, the tour is an incredible opportunity--

- But? - Nobody wants to hear from me.

The moment anyone finds out who my mom is,

I cease to exist as a person and much less a writer.

And I mean, come on, admit it,

that's why you wanted to tour with me, right?

To get closer to your literary hero?

- OK, I admit that the thought might have crossed my mind,

but that's before I read your book and realized

what a witty, original writer

you are, not just a barista

who is Jeannine Jordan's daughter.

- Well, maybe I am a witty, original barista, too.

- I imagine you're a lot more than that.

Listen, this is

where I'm gonna be tonight at 7.

We're going over the details on the tour.

I hope I see you there.

♪♪

(indistinct conversations)

- I don't think she's coming. - She'll be here.

Give her 5 minutes. (piano music playing)

See? What did I tell you?

- Listen, I am so sorry that I'm late.

I would actually blame the train, but it's my fault.

I almost let my nerves get the best of me.

- All my pleading worked then? - It's slow season

at the coffee shop, so the timing just worked out.

- Coffee shops have slow seasons?

- Can't tell you how excited we are for this awesome book tour!

- It's going to be epic. - It's going to be epic.

- Don't forget "awesome." - It's just a quick tour. Here,

Albany, Boston and Buffalo. - They love you in Buffalo.

- Me? - No, Elliot.

- Right. - Cassie, if you need anything,

I'll be your point person. So you give me a call,

it doesn't matter the time. - We reserved a rental car.

- We're driving? I thought you were a best-selling author.

- I have a dog, ands she prefers to drive.

- Your dog knows how to drive? - She's a very clever dog.

- Then why can't she fly? - If you would prefer

to fly, we can make arrangements or get you a driver.

- I don't want to make anything overly complicated.

Great! Then you can ride with me. I'd enjoy the company.

- What about your dog? - Lousy conversationalist.

- I love it! This is great PR. Plus you will have a chance

to get to know one another and trade

writing tips or whatever. - OK, I have one condition.

- I already told them that your mom's not coming along

as a wingman. - Make that two conditions.

What he just said and I control the driving music.

- OK, but I get to pick the road snacks.

- Well, Mr. Somersby, looks like we have ourselves a deal.

When do we start? - Monday.

- Monday as in two days from now Monday?

- We're hoping to get ahead of any potential snowstorm.

- It'll go fast. Before you know it, you'll both be back

and working on your next books! - Elliot, people are already

asking about that third book.

- Oh yeah, the third book. It's the big finale.

- Oh! And, Elliot, I also have

you down for... Blue fine-points for signing,

breath mints,

room temperature water, extra blankets for your room,

concierge service. Anything else?

- No, that's fine. Thank you.

- What about you, Cassie? What do you need?

- M and M's. No red ones.

- "M and M's, no red ones."

- I think that she's kidding.

- I don't understand. - Cassie thinks

that I'm a diva. - I didn't say that.

- But you thought it. - But I didn't say it.

- I can already tell this tour is gonna be a success.

I'm tweeting out the dates now. - It is going to be--

- Awesome. - Epic.

♪♪

- Do you think that I'm overpacking?

- Not at all.

- I've never been on a book tour, I don't really know

what I need. - You definitely need this.

It'll look way better on you than on me.

Maybe Elliot will like it. - I'm not interested

in what Elliot likes. - Mm-hmm.

He wasn't wearing a wedding ring.

- I don't care. - It would be interesting.

You going on tour to promote your breakup book

and then falling in love.

It could be your sequel!

- I will take your sweater, but not your sequel.

♪♪

OK.

Yeah, I think this is a two-person job.

I just... I can't... - Here, just...

- OK. - Yes!

- Alright.

Three. - OK. Oh, my God! Oh no!

(chuckling) We're good.

- OK. - Great.

I packed it up. - Yeah, you did.

- OK, OK. Hey, Mom!

Right on time. - This reminds me

of the first time I sent you off for summer camp.

Oh, uh, smile!

- Oh, wait.

- (chuckling): OK. (click)

- Very funny, but we're gonna take another one.

I want a real picture.

This is a big deal.

(click) - OK, Mom, it's not prom.

- No, this is better.

You are never gonna forget your first tour.

- Or my only tour. - Oh, Cassie, stop talking

like that. This is the first day of the rest

of your long, fabulous career. I want you to savour

every moment.

- Mom, you didn't have to get me anything.

- Your father gave that

to me on my first tour.

You should have it.

- "Always write from the heart."

- He'd be so proud of you.

- Thanks, Mom. I love it. Come here.

(laughing) - OK, come here.

- Sorry, am I interrupting?

- Oh, uh, no. We're, uh... We're just saying goodbye.

- I can wait in the car, if you want to take a minute.

- No, it's OK. - Alright. Let me get your bag.

Bags. Wow, you pack enough?

- I can pack more if you want. - No, no,

this'll be my... my workout for the tour. Ugh!

- Well, I will miss you both.

- Take lots of pictures. I'll put them on your fan site.

- I don't have a fan site. - You do now.

(click) - OK.

Bye! - Bye!

- Have fun! Elliot,

don't drive too fast.

♪♪

- Oh, OK, so I need to get this out in the open.

- Alright, I'm listening.

- I know you're the big draw

and I'm the tag-along new writer,

but we're equals and despite my barista experience,

I am not here to fetch your coffee or get you baked goods.

- Never crossed my mind to have you fetch anything for me.

- OK. Well then, drive on. Oh, I made a road trip playlist.

♪♪ (barking)

Aw! Is this your entourage?

- Yeah. That's Bungee. - Bungee?

Like jumping? - She was a bouncy puppy.

- You are way less scary than bungee jumping.

So, is she the secret to your success?

- You guessed it. She's the brains behind this operation.

- Well, I hope that you get comfy, Bungee,

because it is going to be a long ride.

- Actually, the first leg is pretty short.

You read the itinerary, right?

- Oh, Piper sent that to me this morning,

but I didn't have a chance with all the packing.

- I hope you packed a life jacket,

because they are throwing you in the deep end.

- What do you mean?

♪♪ I don't want to go

in the deep end. I want to get out of the pool.

How can you be so calm? - You get used to it.

(crunching noise) - Piper!

- How are my favourite authors? - I think I'm gonna be sick!

- You should do it now before you get on TV.

- You're not helping. - Just take a deep breath.

(deep breath) That's it.

And another one. - Now, when you get out there,

don't look in cameras. Just look at Samantha.

- Samantha? - The host.

She's gonna ask you about your book. Like what inspired it?

What's your routine? Easy stuff.

Pretend like you're talking to one of your friends.

- One of my friends. Got it. - OK.

(knocking) - You're ready for us?

- OK. - Be good, Bungee.

- How does he make everything look so easy?

- That's Elliot.

I'll be just off camera. Don't forget to smile.

But not too smiley.

- Smile but not too smiley. That makes perfect sense.

Are you live tweeting the interview?

- What? No, I'm just making some arrangements for Bungee.

You're gonna be OK. You just have to breathe.

- Why does everyone keep reminding me to breathe?

Has anyone ever forgotten to breathe? Is that a thing?

- It's OK. - I'm gonna be right here

if you need me, OK? I got your back.

- Elliot Somersby. It's been a while.

- Samatha Wallace, hi. How are you?

- And you must be Cassandra Winslett. The interns cannot

stop talking about your book. - Oh. Well, good things, I hope.

- We all have a breakup story, am I right?

Elliot knows the drill. We're gonna start with a segment

on his book, and then we'll move on to you, Cassandra.

Sound good? - Mm-hmm.

Oh, you can call me Cassie. - Cassie it is.

(TV show theme music) - I'm just trying to be myself.

- OK. Here we go.

Welcome back. With me now is Elliot Somersby,

author of the best-selling Dread Monarch Saga,

and an exciting new writer, Cassie Winslett.

Let's start with you, Elliot. First of all, congratulations!

Your second book is doing even better than the first.

How does that feel? - Can't lie, Samantha,

it feels pretty great. - And I know your fans

are eagerly awaiting the third book

in the trilogy. Any idea when we'll be able to see that?

- Um, let's just say I'm working

very hard at giving it the ending that it deserves.

As for when you're gonna see it,

well, I can't give away all my secrets now, can I?

(Samantha and Elliot chuckling) - And, Cassie, I assume

that there are no dragons in your book.

- No dragons.

Although it is an adventure book, if you consider

everything that I did to get over my breakup an adventure.

- I thought that the chapter where you go stand-up paddle

boarding is hilarious. Would you say

that My Heartbreak Year is your Eat, Pray, Love?

- Well, I did a lot of eating.

(women chuckling) Um, though the "journey"

was local and definitely on a budget.

- So it's accessible? - (softly): Yeah.

- Pardon me? - Yes.

(mouthing)

And, um... We've all had our heart broken.

I know I've done my fair share of wallowing,

but I realized it's not about holding on

to the past, but your future and learning to love yourself

as you move forward. Sorry, I'm kind of rambling.

I'm a little nervous. - It's fine. The question

that we all want to know is: what does your mother

think about all of this? - My mother?

- For those in the audience that don't know,

Cassie's mother is author Jeannine Jordan.

And this is your first book, she must have had

tons of advice, right? - Um... Well...

...we're very supportive of one another.

- Great!

Well, it looks like we're

out of time. I'd love to thank my guests Elliot Somersby

and Cassandra Winslett for being here today.

Stay tuned. When we come back,

we are gonna learn how to grow tomatoes in the snow.

(TV show theme music)

Alright! Great job, guys!

I hope you have a great rest of your book tour.

- Thank you. - Thank you.

- I completely bombed that, Elliot. I'm sorry.

You know, if you wanna back out of touring with me,

I completely understand. - Hey, hey. It wasn't that bad.

Are you OK?

- Yeah.

I just... It's a lot.

- Yah. Um...

I'm gonna head back to the Green Room

to make sure Bungee hasn't eaten any pillows or anything.

- I heard there's a gift basket with our name on it,

so, you know, I could stress eat some candy right about now.

- OK.

at did we get?

- Oh, uh, a couple of mugs

and candy...

and copies of our own books.

- Ha!

Well, at least, we could sign each other's,

sell 'em online.

- You know, I know we have

to do these interviews, but I don't have to like them.

- Why? You got this.

- Just... You know, growing up,

I was always sheltered from my mom's writer life.

And then when I was 10, my dad died

and the shield wasn't there anymore.

- Oh. Sorry, that must've been hard.

- It was. Especially on her.

I mean, suddenly, she's single

and juggling everything and...

You know, she is so impressive,

and I would happily talk about her all day long,

it's just it's everybody else. They want to pick us apart.

- Is that maybe where the stage fright came from?

♪♪ - I guess so.

- The fear of not living up to what came before?

I get it.

(chuckling)

- You know, growing up,

it didn't matter what I wrote, my teachers always compared

my work to my mom's. I mean, I was a kid!

- Yet you still became a writer.

(Cassie chuckling) - It's hereditary, I guess.

It's just I really want my book

to be my own voice, you know? I don't...

I don't want to be seen as the "kid of someone famous."

It's very important to me that I make my own way.

I mean, otherwise, what's the point if nobody's interested?

- You make them interested.

You're the writer, you tell the story.

- Oh, is that some of your wizard wisdom?

- First of all, there's no wizards in my book.

You haven't read my book yet, have you?

- What snacks did you bring? - Wow,

nice pivot, great pivot. I'm gonna let this one go this time.

- Come on, it's all beef jerky and potato chips!

- There's some turkey jerky in there too.

- Yeah, OK, wow. You have not been

on a road trip with a woman in a while,

have you? - Bungee would eat it.

- Bungee would eat this grocery bag!

OK, we need to make a food stop.

(Elliot sighing) - OK, alright. You know what?

I know the perfect place.

(laughing)

- Normally, we don't allow pets,

but it's slow and your dog is adorable.

- Thank you. It's so cold outside, I really appreciate it.

- And I'm also a fan.

(waitress chuckling)

- Wow, where did you find this place?

On a list of places where all your fans work?

- Actually, believe it or not,

I ate here three times a day for two days straight.

- What? How did you do that?

- I was on my first tour.

I was younger. I was trying to save money.

- Mm-hmm. - But you gotta admit, though,

the food is pretty good. - You're right, delicious, but--

- It's better than beef jerky.

But not dog treats. Right, Bungee? Hm, you want one?

Yeah, good girl. Yeah. - You two are cute together.

- Yeah, well, we've been through a lot.

She was a congratulations for my first book.

- Oh. From your publisher?

(music playing in background) - No. From, uh...

from my ex-wife, Allison.

You know, sometimes I think

Bungee likes her more than she likes me.

- Oh, why is she with you?

I'm sorry. I don't mean to pry.

- No. Road trips are fueled on gasoline and stories.

- Well, I did spill my guts to you earlier.

- Allison just recently moved to Buffalo.

She hasn't seen the dog for a few months.

Actually, since we've been divorced.

So I just... I thought it'd be nice if they saw each other.

- Well, it's very amicable of you.

- You know, I got the idea from you.

- What? - Yeah.

Your book, that chapter when you first see your ex?

- Oh! When I do my first and only flash mob.

- Yeah. That was really funny, by the way.

And I guess I just...

I was thinking that maybe I could reconnect

and remain on good terms with her.

- I just wrote it.

I didn't think anyone would be influenced by it.

- Well, I was. So, thank you.

- Sure.

- May I get you anything else?

- Uh... no.

We should hit the road if we want to get to Boston.

- Be safe out there. They're saying a winter storm

is definitely gonna hit. - Should we be worried?

- No. No. If there's anything to worry about,

Julian and Piper will let us know.

♪♪

(kids laughing)

(Cassie chuckling) - Snow angels!

I... I can't remember the last time I did that.

- You want to make one, don't you?

- Oh yeah, but it's not very professional.

- Oof! - Hahaha!

- What are you waiting for? Come join me.

(Cassie laughing)

- Hi! - Hello!

- Busted! - Hi!

- Mr. Somersby, I am so excited

to have you stay in my home.

- Thank you. Thanks for having us.

- That's nice. - This is Cassie Winslett.

- Oh, nice to meet you. - Hi, nice to meet you.

We don't normally do that.

- Oh, I've been tempted to do that myself.

(all laughing) Mr. Somersby--

- Please. Call me Elliot.

- Oh, Elliot, would you come and sign

the guest registry, please? Otherwise, the gals

in the book club will never believe you stayed here.

- I'd be happy to, of course. - That's good.

I'll send my husband to get your bags.

- Great, OK. I'm just gonna go grab Bungee.

- You come on with me. (Cassie chuckling)

And this is your room.

- It's cozy. - And if you'll follow me,

Mr. Somersby, I have just the room for you.

It's right this way. (Cassie sighing)

- Hey, neighbour! - Hey.

I didn't take you for being a bed and breakfast kind of guy.

- I just figured these places are a bit more dog friendly

than hotels. - Hey, is, uh...

is your room the size of a closet, too?

- Maybe like a walk-in closet.

You wanna check it out? - Ha!

♪♪

- Wow! This is amazing!

I think my room would fit in here four times.

- The B and B owner was a fan. - Yeah, clearly.

Even Bungee's dog bed

is bigger than mine. - Yeah.

Tell you what, why don't we flip for the room.

- Oh, come on, you're kidding. Only a crazy person would

risk giving this up. - Call it.

I'm serious, call it. - Heads.

- Heads!

Wow, must be your lucky day.

♪♪ - Hey, thank you.

- For what? - The coin toss.

I saw that it was tails. - Was it?

Must have missed that. (Cassie chuckling)

Come on. Enjoy the room.

- Hey... - Becca, hey. Are you busy?

- No. I was hoping you'd call. How's it going with the writer?

- It's not at all what I expected.

He's so down to earth.

And we're actually staying at a bed and breakfast.

- Were there no hotels available?

- That's the thing. No ego. We're staying here for his dog.

- A bed and breakfast for his dog?

How bad is it? You can tell me. - [It's nice.]

I mean, it's not trendy or anything,

but it's traditional.

- (chuckling): OK. You have to send me pictures.

- [OK, I will.] - OK.

Oh, I gotta go. Have fun.

Perfect!

♪♪

(knocking on door) - Elliot, are you in there?

- Uh, yeah.

Hey. - Hey.

Listen, are you hungry? The B and B host brought up

a lot of food that I'm pretty sure was meant for you.

- Um...

yeah. Sure.

Stay.

Stay.

- She's a really big fan. - Wow!

Ha! Ha! I think we better enjoy this

before she finds out I didn't start book 3 yet.

- You haven't? But you seemed so confident about it

in the interviews. Wait, does Gwendolyn know?

- Uh... actually,

you're the first person I've ever told.

- Oh. It's gotta be weird,

knowing it's your last book.

- Can I be honest with you?

Like a writer to writer thing?

I think that I'm avoiding writing

because once I finish, who am I?

- You're the guy who wrote a huge book series.

- Yeah, sure,

but what if I can't write anything like that again?

I don't want to be a one-hit wonder.

- Technically, it would be three hits.

- You know what I mean. - Yeah.

I don't want to be

known as just the "dragon" writer.

- Come on, you don't really see yourself that way, do you?

- I didn't see myself...

I didn't see myself being divorced,

and that happened a year ago.

So between that

and the series coming to an end, it's just...

- It's a lot of change. (Elliot sighing)

- Yeah.

- Well, what a pair we make, huh?

You've got writer's block and my entire future is on the line.

- At least we won't go hungry. - (laughing): Yeah.

That's for sure.

♪♪

(sighing)

(exhaling)

♪♪

♪♪

(knocking on door)

- Cassie? Cassie, are you awake?

(barking) - Uh, yeah.

I'll be right there.

Coming!

(barking) Come on, Bungee!

Bungee! Bungee! Bungee!

Hi! Hey, good morning, Bungee.

And Elliot. - Morning.

I was just about to take Bungee for a walk.

I was gonna get a coffee. Do you want one?

- Yeah, sure. Thank you. - Alright.

Now, let's go for a walk. Come on.

(Cassie laughing) Wow, she loves you.

- Yeah. Hey, you know, why don't I

take her for a walk, and you could go get the coffees.

- Ah, no. I couldn't ask that of you.

- Ah, yeah, hey. She and I are pals now.

Seriously. Besides, I could use a blast of cold air

in the face to help wake me up. I was

up late last night... working.

- Wow! Well, I wish I could say the same.

Uh, OK, sure.

Oh, just a quick word of warning: squirrels.

Beware of them. - OK. Watch out for squirrels.

OK. OK, come on.

♪♪

(Bungee barking)

Oh! No, to the right!

To the right! Ooh!

♪♪

- She saw a squirrel? - Yeah, she saw a squirrel.

(Cassie laughing) - Sorry.

Bungee! Oh, I'm sorry. - No, it's fine.

- All over you. Uh, you've got a little...

(cell phone ringing) Oh!

I have to, uh...

I gotta take this. - Yeah, yeah,

of course. - Hi, Ally,

Yeah, yeah.

No, Bungee is... She's good.

Yeah, she's getting plenty of exercise.

OK. Alright, bye. (cell phone beeping)

Uh... We just got our first review.

- How much do they love you? - Oh, this is not me.

This is you. - Mine?

- Yeah. It looks like this book tour is... it's paying off.

- Oh! Well, I mean,

I know reviews are subjective and everything,

so I don't really care, but... what does it say?

Do they like it? Please tell me they like it.

- It's from the Times Book Review,

and yeah, they love it.

I quote,

"Cassandra Winslett's honest account

of moving on had me in tears of laughter."

It also says, "New writer Winslett

is the voice for women under 35!"

- (laughing): I'm so relieved!

- You deserve it. You do. (cell phone beeping)

Looks like somebody else has read your review.

- Yeah. Becca is asking me

if she can post my review. (cell phone beeping)

Piper is so excited that she's flying up for the readings.

(cell phone beeping)

- And they're both requesting more pictures for the fan site.

- Really? Well, I can help with that.

- Yeah.

- A photo of you reading your first

congratulatory texts. (click)

Hahaha! (cell phone ringing)

- Oh, hey, it's my mom.

- Oh, yeah, we'll... we're gonna give you some privacy.

- OK. - OK. Congratulations.

- Thanks. - Come on.

- Hey, Mom! Did you read the review?

- I did. I knew they were going to love you.

- Oh, I can't believe it.

- [Why not? Everyone else can see how amazing you are.]

It's time that you start to see that, too.

- Thanks, Mom.

- Now, go out there and own that tour.

(chuckling) ♪♪

- "...as the wounded dragon flew through the air

for what might be the last time."

Thank you. (Piper talking indistinctly)

Thanks.

OK, I warmed them up for you. - You can just stay up there.

- Oh, you got this. Come on, go! Go, go, go!

- Good job. - Hi!

This is my first time

reading in front of a crowd.

I'm not as skilled as Mr. Dragon here.

(some people chuckling)

I, um... I wrote this book after having my heart broken.

"After the breakup, I got tired of seeing my puffy eyes

"and messy hair in the mirror, so I decided to stop feeling

"sorry for myself and start living. First,

"I made a list of all the things I'd always wanted to do.

And then second, I decided to take a year and do them all."

♪♪

Thank you. Thank you so much.

(polite applause)

Thank you.

I think my reading actually put people to sleep.

I think I put myself to sleep.

- Listen, if you can learn French,

run a marathon and do all those other things

you wrote about, you can definitely conquer this.

I really believe that. - If you say so.

- Besides, they don't look asleep

to me. ♪♪

- Hi.

Oh.

- Thanks.

♪♪

Alright, so because

public speaking in pretty much unavoidable,

I think that we should work on your stage fright.

- Is it unavoidable? I mean,

I won't tell if you want to do all the talking.

- Two words: book deal.

- OK, fine. You're right. It's just I need to practice.

- Why not right now?

Ladies and gentlemen, the Bard of Breakups,

Cassie Winslett! Oh, my God! Hey!

(Elliot imitating crowd cheer)

Alright, so you're on the stage. You go up to the mic.

What's the first thing that you say?

- Hello? Howdy?

- "Howdy"? Seriously?

- I don't know. It is way different

doing it in front of a group of strangers

than it is with you and Bungee and the open road.

- The audience is there for you. They're on your side.

Try this. Close your eyes.

(musical cue on radio) - Brace yourself, Albany,

the next week looks to be a snowy one

as a winter storm blows down from the north.

Now, let's return to our music. - OK, now I am worried.

- Oh, I think we're gonna get ahead of it.

Forget about the weather for a minute.

OK, close your eyes. Alright, you're on stage.

Now, picture speaking

to all of your favourite people.

(sound of applause)

- Elliot's never agreed to tour with anyone before.

- He hasn't? - Nope.

As outgoing as he is on stage, he's actually really private.

He's all about his writing and his dog.

Julian and I even took bets on when he'd request

to start driving alone. - (Elliot): Thank you.

- Before I start, I just want to take a moment

and introduce a good friend of mine,

Cassie Winslett.

Cassie just released a fantastic new memoir.

I think

you should hear from her before you hear

from me.

What do you say? Would you like her to read

a passage from her book, My Heartbreak Year?

- Come on.

- Cassie Winslett, everyone!

Just go on like we practiced.

- Mm-hmm. - Close your eyes.

Picture all your favourite people.

(applause)

- "It wasn't that he was the love of my life.

"He wasn't even one of those great loves that you read about

"or see in the movies.

"It was that he loved me

"at a moment when I thought I needed it.

"But it was after he broke up with me

"on my birthday... (crowd reacting)

"...that I realized it wasn't his love

that I needed, but my own."

♪♪

- That was great.

- You know, full confession: that wasn't so bad.

- I'm gonna be your opening act pretty soon.

- I highly doubt that. Nothing prepared me for reading

my own words in front of a roomful of strangers

and having them "get" it. What a rush!

(cell phone beeping)

Becca said that my social media following

is starting to grow since the review,

and some people are even posting pictures from the reading!

- Hashtag "Way to go." - I know I'm being obnoxious.

It's just... it's so unreal. - No, you're not.

we should go celebrate. - We have to be in Buffalo

by the end of the night. - We can make a detour.

- What about the storm? - What storm?

(chuckling) Come on, what do you say?

- OK.

- Alright. Oh, maybe... don't tell Piper.

Bye, Piper. - We'll see you in Buffalo!

♪♪

(inaudible conversations)

- So I noticed that there was no winter activities

in your many breakup adventures,

so today we're going snowshoeing.

- Oh! That's awesome, I've never done that before. Is it hard?

- No, it's easy. We even got a doggie daycare for Bungee.

- Nice!

- So, what do you think? - Yeah, it's fun.

Hey, you wanna race? - I don't know how far

we're gonna get. - It's OK. Ready? Go!

Whoa!

Thanks.

♪♪

- Yeah.

- Ready? - Yeah.

(kids laughing) - Hey, Becca.

Did you get the photos I sent? We just went snowshoeing.

- Yes. Are all book tours like this?

- If they are, I never wanna come home.

Oh, here comes Elliot. I gotta go. Tell everyone I said hi.

- OK. Bye.

- Oh!

Wow, only 17 texts from Piper wondering

where we are. - Yeah. Well, 6 from Julian.

He says that the snowstorm is definitely heading our way.

- OK, come on.

- Come on, Bungee.

♪♪

- Looks like we didn't get ahead of the storm.

Should I text Piper, tell her we'll be there tomorrow?

- Yeah. Yeah, I think that's a good idea.

- OK.

Hey! We're in luck,

we got the last cabin. It's a two-bedroom, two-bath.

They're getting it ready now. - I would sleep in a tub

if it got us out of this storm.

- OK.

- Alright. Come on, Bungee. Let's get the bags.

♪♪

You know, I gotta say, between the fire and the gift basket,

being snowed in is not that bad.

- Yeah, well, the owner's daughter is apparently a fan.

- Really? I should send her a thank you.

- Of mine.

- That's great! (Cassie chuckling)

Really, way to go. - Thanks. Yeah.

You know, I actually make a killer hot chocolate.

- Oh yeah? Is that one

of your many skills you learned on your breakup adventures?

- It is actually. I ended up taking a chocolate-making class

and a cheese-making class, but not at the same time.

- Haha! Well, I don't know if you know this,

but I make a pretty mean cup of hot chocolate myself.

- Are you suggesting a cocoa cook-off?

- I might be. What do you say?

- Challenge accepted.

You're going down. - I don't think so.

- (Cassie): Is yours ready? - Alright.

No peeking, 'cause this is a secret recipe.

- OK. Hey, eyes on your own pot.

- So, have you been thinking about a second book yet?

- Well, I have a notebook full of ideas,

but I'm not sure I like any of them.

- There's got to be one idea in there that you like.

- Well, they're all fiction and--

- Your mom writes fiction.

You know,

you can't run away from who you are.

- I'm just not sure I'm up for all the comparison.

- Something tells me that you can handle almost anything.

- Well, I think that my hot chocolate is ready.

- Yeah. Mine too.

- Prepare to be wowed.

(both chuckling)

- You know, we're always gonna be compared to someone.

I'm competing against myself every time I write a new book.

- Yeah. How's that going, by the way?

- It isn't.

- It will. I believe in you.

You know, I think I'm gonna wait for the book tour to end

before I decide my next move.

- I think it's important

to remember that you're creating your own name here.

In the future, there's gonna be a whole new generation

of readers who know Jeannine Jordan only

as Cassie Winslett's mom. (Cassie chuckling)

- Ever thought about becoming a motivational speaker?

- Well... - Haha!

- Alright, why don't we switch and drink?

- Sure. - Alright.

Oh, wait, wait. Hold on.

(Cassie chuckling)

- Mmm! Is that peppermint?

- Very good.

Spicy! - Oh yeah. I put cinnamon in it

and then just a dash of cayenne.

You know, I actually think I like yours better.

- I think I prefer yours.

Alright, should we call it a draw?

- Well, there are no losers when it comes to hot chocolate.

(both chuckling) - Cheers.

♪♪

Hey, buddy.

(deep breath)

♪♪ (amused sigh)

Shh... Shh...

Shh...

♪♪

♪♪

Yeah, we got held up by the storm, but we should

be there this afternoon. You'll have plenty of time

to see her. Yes, Ally, I'll call you when we get there.

OK, bye.

Hey! - Hey.

- Morning, sleepyhead.

- I fell asleep on you, didn't I?

- Yeah. Just when I was telling you a pivotal

plot point in my new book. - Are you serious?

- No. No, I...

I wish. - Thank you for this by the way.

- Yeah, well, that wasn't me. That was the dog.

- Oh. Well, that was very kind of you, Bungee.

- You just looked so cozy, I didn't want to wake you.

The roads are all clear,

so we should be good to get back to civilization now.

- Oh. Well, I kind of like it here.

It won't take me long to get ready.

♪♪

- I like it here, too.

(lip-smacking calling noises) Come on, Bungee.

Come on, Bungee!

♪♪

(cell phone ringing)

- I bet it's Piper asking for our ETA.

(cell phone ringing) And it's Piper asking

for an ETA.

Hey, Piper, what's up? We were just talking about you.

- Are you close? We've got a full day ahead.

- Unless Elliot suddenly decides to drive like a grandmother,

we should be there in about 30 minutes.

- [Great! Julian and I]

[are already at the inn. We'll meet you here.]

No more detours. - We'll come straight there,

I promise. (music playing on the radio)

(Cassie chuckling)

What? Do I have something on my face?

- You've been reading my book. - How do you know that?

(sniggering)

So, what do you think?

I've been waiting very impatiently for your thoughts.

- Really? Mine?

- Of course. I respect your opinion.

- Well, I haven't finished it yet.

- Alright, well, what do you think so far?

- It's...

inventive and artistic.

And what really surprises me is how realistic

the characters are.

Like the queen, um...

- Klar-Al. - Klar-Al.

Even she's faced with really hard decisions, like leaving

the dragon's lair, you understand why she has to go.

- You do?

- Yeah, of course. I would do the same thing.

I mean, she can never reach the height of her powers

in the dragon's world. - Yeah, I never really thought

of it that way. - She's inspired by her ex.

- Yeah, and I'm the dragon she left behind.

I don't see you as a dragon. - Well, you haven't seen me

when I'm hungry. - Haha! Stop.

You know, I don't know

what you have planned next, but I would have

all of the main characters travel back on their own,

instead of forcing them back together.

It could make for a more dynamic ending.

- It's not a bad idea. ♪♪

- Oh, we're so glad you're here. - We were getting worried.

- Welcome, Mr. Somersby.

I'll be taking care of your dog during your stay.

I've been given a complete run-down on her feeding

and her exercise program. There is a dog bed

and blankets waiting in the room. She's in good hands.

- Great. Thank you so much.

- Now I understand your list.

Extra blankets, water;

Bungee is the diva, not you.

- You figured it out. - OK, Bungee, let's go.

We have an appointment at the doggie day spa. Come on!

- Hmm, I want a spa appointment. - I don't think

there's gonna be time for that. - There's been some changes

to the itinerary. - In addition to the signing,

we've also added a radio interview. And then there's

the Q and A at the university tonight. We have to make up

for lost time. - Also congratulations, Elliot.

- For what? - You've been awarded

the American Publishers' Author of the Year Award.

The reception is in New York in two weeks.

- Elliot, that's huge! - OK,

go freshen up. We'll meet back here in 45 minutes.

- They'll get your bags. - OK.

- Alright, you guys, I ask all my guests

to join me in the Book Chat Speed Round.

Now, the rules are very, very simple.

Answer as many questions as you can

in under one minute. Are you ready?

- Sure. - OK, we're setting the timer.

And... where do you like to write?

- My best friend's coffee shop, Brewed by Becca

in Princeton, New Jersey! - Elliot?

- Usually my laptop.

- Oh, come on! - That's not a real answer.

- OK, favourite book that you've read most recently?

- My Hearbreak Year

by Cassie Winslett. - Is that another joke answer?

- No. I've read it multiple times.

- You have? - OK. Off that answer,

what do you like most about each other's writing?

- Uh, his imagination.

- She makes me want to be a better writer.

(tick tock) (buzzing)

- And that's our speed round. I honestly don't know

if we could've topped that last answer anyway.

I'd like to give a huge thank you

to Cassie Winslett and Elliot Somersby.

Thank you guys so much for coming on.

- Thanks for having us. - And we're off.

(cell phone vibrating) - Thanks. That was a blast.

I'm sorry, I just gotta return this call.

- Yeah.

(inaudible talking)

- That was really incredible what you said,

but you have your own book to promote,

you don't have to pretend to be into mine.

- I didn't. I meant every word of it.

- Really? - Yeah.

But I do have

to go. I'm late. I gotta drop Bungee off to Allison.

But I'll see you at the Q and A? - Mm-hmm.

- Great!

- I can't wait to send these pictures to your roommate.

- You and Becca are friends?! - Oh yeah, we text all the time.

She reached out about your website, and now

we're constantly trading photos. The three of us should have

a girl's night when we get back. - Yeah, sure.

- Where did Elliot go?

- Oh! He went to go see his ex. She wants to see the dog.

- Huh.

- What does "huh" mean?

- I'm just really impressed that they get along.

I mean, he was crushed when she left. I think he blames himself.

- Oh. How did it end?

- He spent more time working on his book

than his relationship, and one succeeded and one failed.

I guess it's just how it goes.

Let's get a coffee.

♪♪

- Alright, we have time for a few more questions.

You in the second row. - This question is for Cassie.

Which adventure was your favourite and which was

the hardest to do? - Which adventure was

my favourite?

I'm gonna answer your second question first.

The hardest was going out to dinner by myself.

I don't mean just sitting at a bar

scrolling through your phone trying to look busy, alone.

You all know what I'm talking about.

I challenged myself to go out to dinner,

to sit at a table with no book, and no phone,

and just enjoy being there.

Which was surprisingly difficult.

But it also became my favourite adventure.

I appreciated the food more, I made friends with strangers,

and, most importantly,

I felt good about myself. I challenge you all to try it.

- Well, I have one more question.

Elliot,

it's my understanding that after the signing tonight,

this is the end of the book tour--

- Yeah. Yeah. It went by fast.

- Yeah, it did.

- What do you plan to do after? - Write.

I mean, you're all waiting for the third book, right?

(crowd cheering)

- Anything you want to tell us about your final book?

- As someone who just finished reading his second book,

I'm not even thinking about a third.

I'm gonna read the first and second book over again.

Who's with me? (crowd cheering)

- Cassie Winslett and Elliot Somersby!

(cheering)

- Thank you for the save.

- I owed you one.

- That was a long day. Well done, everyone.

- Who wants to celebrate? - Actually, I was...

I was gonna show Cassie around the city.

- That's OK, we can go together.

- Julian, we should go. We have a lot of work to do still.

- We do? - Yeah.

Sure. We have tons of work. Have fun, you two.

- Let go. Let me know where you are.

- Julian! - OK. You can pin it

on the phone. There's a setting for pinning.

- (Piper): Julian! (soft music)

- You know, I never thought I'd say this,

but I don't want this book tour to end.

- Neither do I.

- (together): So... (both laughing)

- I've been thinking-- - Yeah, so have I.

- You go first. - No. You, please.

- I think I'm gonna stick around here for a little while.

I want to give Allison

and Bungee just some more time together.

- Yeah, I totally understand.

That's very... responsible.

- Allison asked me to drop Bungee off tomorrow morning.

So, I... I won't see you tomorrow.

♪♪

This is... this is our last night together.

- Oh.

- I'm sorry, what was it that you wanted to say to me?

- Uh, I was just... gonna say...

...that I'm starving,

and we should have a farewell meal.

- Yeah. I'd love that.

- Yeah, I would love that, too.

- Hey, Cassie. - Yeah?

- Thank you

for making this the best tour that I've ever had.

♪♪

- Let's go eat.

♪♪

Hello?

Becca? Is anyone here?

- (all): Surprise! (laughter)

- What?!

- Oh, welcome home, sweetheart!

- What is all this? - It's your Welcome Home Party!

- I can't believe you did all this.

- It was your mom's idea. - You were so nervous about

the tour, and then you went out and you won over everyone.

I am so happy for you. - Thanks, Mom.

- Your social media's on fire. You have

to check out your website. - Oh.

- So, some are the ones you sent me

and others, your fans tagged.

And the rest came from Piper. - Oh, that one,

that's my favourite. (indistinct conversations)

- I don't even recognize myself.

- Well, that's because you don't see what we see.

OK, I'm gonna get us something to drink.

♪♪

- This one is my favourite.

- That was from the last night of the tour.

- You fell in love, didn't you?

- I didn't mean to. - We never do.

Do you want to talk about it? - No.

No, there's nothing to talk about. He's uh...

He's in Buffalo. It's where his ex is.

- That's ironic.

Maybe he should read your book for pointers on how to move on.

- He did. A few times.

You know, it's fine. Hahaha! I'm being silly.

We were just two writers on a tour, so...

- Hey, there's no tears at your own party.

- Yep. You're right. Haha!

- Come on, time to celebrate.

- Yes.

- Um, thank you all so much for being here.

I'm so lucky to have such a great group of friends.

- Awww! - Mom, thank you.

You know, your...

your notes on all of my book reports were overkill...

(laughter) ...but you made me who I am,

so thank you.

Cheers to you.

- (people): Cheers!

- Did I ever tell you that I became

a writer to avoid going into medicine?

- You were gonna be a doctor?

- Your grandfather had this dream

that I was gonna join his medical practice.

- I didn't know that.

- Yeah, he was so beloved and so respected,

and I thought I could never live up

to any of his accomplishments. So, I told him

that I was studying medicine,

but secretly I was writing.

- I bet grandpa was so upset. - Oh, he was.

Not that I was deceiving him, but because I didn't try.

I thought I could never be as good as he was,

so I just avoided medicine altogether.

- What are you telling me, Mom?

- I know it can't be easy for you being compared to me,

but instead of running away

from your dream, you're still going for it,

and you've handled it with such grace.

Honey, I was never that brave.

- Oh, Mom, you're the bravest person that I know.

- Keep writing. It's what you're meant to do.

I love you. - I love you, too.

♪♪

(typing on keyboard)

- Hey, roomie. - Hey.

Wait. Weren't you in that same spot when I left?

- Mm-hmm. I hit a groove and I can't stop.

- What are you working on? - A new book.

It's a novel. - Really?

- Mm-hmm.

I still haven't figured out the ending yet.

- It's not about dragons, is it? - No way.

- OK, good. Speaking of--

- No, I haven't heard from him, and I'd be surprised

if I ever do.

- That's not what I was gonna say.

I got an alert about this new Elliot interview.

(Cassie chuckling)

- I'm sorry. You get alerts about Elliot?

- I set up alerts about the two of you

when you were going on tour, and I just haven't changed

my settings yet. - Yeah, OK. Mm-hmm, sure. Great.

Alright. - OK, watch.

- Am I bringing a date to the Awards?

Let's just say that I'm working on it.

- He's working on it! That's code

for he doesn't have a date. - Or it's just proof

that instead of moving on,

he is working things out with his ex.

- OK, this might be our first friend fight,

'cause I disagree. ♪♪

- OK.

(indistinct conversations)

(women laughing)

- Hey, look who's here! - Piper?

- This place is so cute! - I can't believe

we finally get to meet in person.

- I know! We talked so much during the tour,

feels like I've known you forever.

- That pic you sent-- - -The one of them laughing?

- It got so many "likes." - Nice!

- I don't mean to interrupt girl-bonding time,

which I'm loving by the way, but what are you doing

in Princetown? I mean, I know our winter mocha latte is good,

but I don't know if it's leave-the-city good.

- Oh, no, they are that good, actually.

- Your presence has been requested

at the American Publishers Awards tomorrow night.

- The one Elliot's receiving?

MacDonner Press has a table, and it's my job

to make sure you look the part of hot new writer.

- Oh, what does that look like?

- It has less coffee stains.

(chuckling)

- Wow, I haven't seen him since Buffalo.

I feel like I imagined the entire trip.

- You didn't imagine anything.

He's gonna be excited to see you.

Trust me. ♪♪

(indistinct chattering)

- How's the man of the hour?

- Fine.

It's a little... it's a little fancy.

- Yeah. - Usually, my fans are dressed

in costume. - Do you have your speech?

- Yeah. - Great.

♪♪

- Uh, excuse me. - Yes.

- Hi.

- Hi.

- I'm gonna go find our table.

- You look incredible.

- You're not so bad yourself.

- Good evening, all. Will everyone

please take their seats. - I think that's our cue.

Me?

- Of course. Who else?

(chuckling)

♪♪

- Cassie, it's wonderful to see you.

- I'm very happy to be here.

- We have a lot to celebrate:

a successful book tour, your rising sales,

and... MacDonner Press extending your publishing deal.

- Really? Thank you. - Mm-hmm.

- Um, I'm so sorry. I just... I got really excited.

That's great news. - Ladies and gentlemen,

thank you and welcome

to this evening's Awards' presentation.

I am thrilled to present this year's

American Publishers Author of the Year, Elliot Somersby.

- Thank you. Thanks very much.

Thank you. Wow!

Wow! What an honour, thank you.

Thank you so much.

I'd like to thank the American Publishers

for this incredible award.

As some of you might know,

I just recently wrapped a book tour.

While on the road, I realized that

even though writing is a solitary craft,

I couldn't have done it alone.

I, uh... I'd like to thank Gwendolyn MacDonner

and the entire team at MacDonner Press.

And I'd like to thank Allison

for always encouraging me to keep writing,

even when I was just a wannabe writer.

When I was working on my first book,

she, uh... she just...

She was always there for me.

- I... I am so sorry. I don't feel very well,

I think I should go.

(indistinct whispering)

- (Elliot): Um...

Sorry. If you'll just bear with me for a second,

I have so many people I'd like to thank.

♪♪

Finally, I would like to thank my fans

who I wouldn't be here without.

So, thank you, everyone.

This award truly is an honour. Thank you.

Thank you.

Hey.

Where's Cassie? - She didn't feel well.

- Uh, take this. - Yeah.

♪♪ Hi. Thank you.

Thank you so much. - Congratulations!

- (Becca): Are you sure you heard him correctly?

- Yes. He made a point of thanking his ex.

(Becca sighing)

- Are they back together?

- I don't know. He's just... He's not over her.

You know, I actually convinced myself

that he felt the same way. And I got all dressed up, and...

I just... I felt so foolish I had to leave.

- If it makes you feel any better, you looked beautiful.

♪♪ (chuckling)

- Yeah.

Some heartbreak expert I turned out to be, huh?

- OK, let's go or we'll be late! (cell phone ringing)

(Beep!) Is that Elliot again?

- Mm-hmm. - He's been calling non-stop

for three days; are you ever gonna answer?

- Until I know what to say, that phone is staying

in my pocket. Let's go. - Fair enough.

♪♪

- ♪ There's this feeling we're all ♪

♪ So much more than we see ♪

♪ They can box us up in walls ♪

♪ But that don't change anything ♪

♪ There's a sun on the rise painting all the sky blue ♪

♪ Where morning meets night ♪ - For your website.

Yah! - OK.

- Nice! - Alright.

Let's go get ready. (applause)

(cheering) Thank you

all so much for coming to what I consider

to be my do-over signing. (people laughing)

This bookstore means a lot to me. I basically grew up here.

I bought my very first book here with my allowance money.

And I also kicked off

my first book tour here, though I didn't know it at the time.

(laughter) I'd also like to announce

that I'm officially coming out with a second book.

Thanks to all of your support,

I am actually writing a novel,

and I believe that a sneak peek

of my very first chapter is on my website.

Just saying that this novel has been

a labour of love is an understatement.

Oh, and it looks like we have a question.

- Take it. - OK. A question in the back?

- Yeah, uh, I know

that this book is fiction, but the pages

on your website, they seem kind of real.

I was wondering what the influence was.

- Uh, well, sir,

the book is inspired

by a... a road trip I took

on my very first book tour. - And, uh,

who is the influence for your dashing leading man?

- I don't believe that I used the term "dashing"

to describe him. - I mean, that was just implied.

- Well, he was based

on the writer I went on tour with, loosely.

Elliot Somersby, maybe you've heard of him?

- I have actually. He's a very, very talented writer.

(crowd laughing)

So have you... have you thought of an ending yet?

- I'm still working on that. - Well, maybe your dashing

leading man could help you out. - You know, I actually think

that he has been too busy in his own personal life to help.

So if anyone else has questions...

- Yeah, I have another one. - Wait, what are you doing?

- It's fun. I've never been on this side before.

- I mean, no, what are you doing here? What about Allison?

- Allison?

We're not together. - But your speech.

- Is that why you left?

- Why don't we take five,

and those of you who'd like to line up for the book signing,

Cassie will be with you shortly. (indistinct chatter)

- Allison and I, we're just trying to be friends.

That's it.

You were the one that I wanted there that night.

- You did? But--

- I invited you.

I-I just wanted it to be a surprise.

- It just seemed like you had a lot

that you needed to work through. - Yeah, well, I did.

And I needed to do it alone.

I needed to get over myself.

I needed to write.

I needed to stop living in the past,

move forward.

I was able to do that because of you.

Because of your book.

And if you'd stayed for my entire speech...

...this is what you would have heard: "Every story

"has a hero.

"A character who enchants us

"and challenges us,

"who inspires us to be better people,

"who makes us see the world

"in a whole new light.

"And I wouldn't be up here tonight

"if it wasn't for the hero in my life,

Cassie Winslett”"

You see, Cassie, I...

I didn't just fall in love with your writing...

...I fell in love with you.

I love you, Cassie Winslett,

and I... I hope that you love me back.

- I have loved you since the very first book signing.

- Well, then I guess this is

a great place to do this.

♪♪

(applause)

(Cassie chuckling)

I just have one more surprise.

(barking) - (crowd): Awww!

- Bungee! Hahaha! - Bungee, come here!

Come here. She didn't want to miss this.

- This next joint book tour is going to be huge!

- We're going to need to double the appearances.

- I like that idea. - You like that idea?

- Mm-hmm. (bark)

♪♪

♪♪

- ♪ There's this feeling we're all ♪

♪ So much more than we see ♪

♪ They can box us up in walls ♪

♪ But that don't change anything There's a sun on the rise ♪