Thank you for joining us on the Virtual Book Tour to celebrate the release of Making Headlines, a Contemporary Fiction novel by Jennifer Hansen (1 February 2016, Impulse Australia, 259 pages). Be careful what you wish for - your dream job could become your biggest nightmare. For fans of THE DEVIL WEARS PRADA and BRIDGET JONES'S DIARY.
PREVIEW: Check out the book's synopsis and excerpt below. Read the first chapter with Amazon Look Inside.
And finally do not miss our Interview with author Jennifer Hansen!
Jennifer Hansen will be awarding a eCopy of Making Headlines to 3 randomly drawn winners via Rafflecopter during the tour.
Please do take part: comment on our post and follow the tour where you will be able to read other excerpts (☀), interviews (ℚ), reviews (✍) and guest blog posts (✉).
Synopsis | Teaser | Author Q&A | About the Author | Giveaway & Tour Stops
Synopsis
Working as a TV reporter has its challenges, but when Rachael Bentley decides to aim high and become a newsreader, she faces a whole new minefield of explosive scenarios.Rachel's path sees her pitched against egos in the newsroom, office politics and corrupt politicians, not to mention rampant sexism, and a mystery stalker. Juggling a messy personal life doesn't help, nor does the emotional impact of reporting on life's tragedies and when it all takes a toll and Rachel starts partying too hard, she finds herself making the headlines instead of reading them.
Will she survive a world where dreams are shattered daily and will she find the man who can help her keep her soul?
Teaser: Excerpt
It was late in the afternoon but an early start for Rachel. She’d come in before nightshift to meet with Tony. He’d always been her mentor, but now he was leaving she was concerned he might not be as keen to help her along the career path she so desperately wanted to walk. If only she could get him to assign her a newsreading shift before he left, she might have a chance. She walked into his office full of trepidation.
‘Hi Tony, how was Sydney?’ Rachel smiled politely. It was 5 pm but it looked like he’d already packed his briefcase and was about to head home. Unusual, given he normally stayed to watch the news.
‘Ah Rachel, good, yes, good. Just in time. Take a seat. So, what is it you wanted to chat about?’ He half-sat on his desk, tapping a pen against his palm.
‘Well, firstly, I just wanted to say congratulations on your new job, though everyone is really sorry you’re leaving. Especially me. I mean, because you gave me my first break and all … I guess you only have a week or so left now, and ah … um …’
Folding his arms, Tony smiled as she fumbled to find the words. ‘Rachel, that’s very kind, but I get the feeling you came here for a reason?’
She took a deep breath. ‘Yes, I did. Look, you know how much I want to be a newsreader and I’m just worried with you leaving, that your replacement might not have the same faith in me that you’ve had. The opportunity to try reading updates might take another year while the next news director gets to know me. Is there a chance you could put me on an update roster before you go?’ She looked at him cautiously.
Tony adjusted his glasses, like he was taking in the changes to her appearance for the first time. Not that Rachel had done anything drastic. She’d taken up jogging and lost a few kilos. Perhaps he thought her nose was too big? She hoped he liked her hair, now that she’d added blonde streaks to liven up the mouse brown and was making an effort with blow-drying. It was a challenge trying to look the part but she was doing her best.
‘Right. Okay.’ Tony paused. ‘Well, that’s a bit out of the blue, but I will see what I can do. Don’t get your hopes up, though. Reporters usually do at least a year on the road before getting a chance at reading. Good to see you’re ambitious It’s good to aim high.’ He took off his glasses, polishing them with the corner of his jacket.
‘So there might be a chance?’ she asked, clutching at the end of her seat.
‘Definitely a chance. I’ll take a look at the rosters tomorrow and let you know.’ Tony was already standing, collecting his coat and briefcase. Her cue to leave.
‘Thanks Tony, that means a lot. Thank you.’ She smiled gratefully and walked back to her desk, buzzing. Tony was a man of his word so there really was a good chance she might get her first crack at newsreading. Her excitement grew as the possibility became bigger.
Rachel had several hours to fill before she was officially on nightshift. She thought about Tim and picked up her phone. They needed to talk. Their relationship was about as vibrant as a bowl of porridge. Was she being paranoid, or had Tim distanced himself from her even more since her trip to Sydney? Or was it just his growing drug problem? He’d made little effort to acknowledge her birthday. His gift, a pair of silver earrings in the shape of two gum leaves, was given as a half-hearted gesture. She stared at his name on the screen and put her phone down. No, they needed to talk face to face.
She began sifting through a pile of mail on her desk. She picked out an invitation to the opening night of the musical 42nd Street for Saturday week. She’d RSVP’d ‘yes’ but had yet to invite a guest. Judging from the glossy card, it was sure to be a gala evening. Tim hated A-list functions. Worse still, he made no effort to hide his complete disinterest when introduced to some of the minor celebrities she had come to know. Still, it was a musical and he enjoyed the theatre. She picked up the phone, paused and changed her mind again, sighing. No, she would phone Tim. She picked up the receiver for the third time and began dialling. They would talk. Over lunch. This weekend. Finally, she’d made up her mind.
‘Hi Tony, how was Sydney?’ Rachel smiled politely. It was 5 pm but it looked like he’d already packed his briefcase and was about to head home. Unusual, given he normally stayed to watch the news.
‘Ah Rachel, good, yes, good. Just in time. Take a seat. So, what is it you wanted to chat about?’ He half-sat on his desk, tapping a pen against his palm.
‘Well, firstly, I just wanted to say congratulations on your new job, though everyone is really sorry you’re leaving. Especially me. I mean, because you gave me my first break and all … I guess you only have a week or so left now, and ah … um …’
Folding his arms, Tony smiled as she fumbled to find the words. ‘Rachel, that’s very kind, but I get the feeling you came here for a reason?’
She took a deep breath. ‘Yes, I did. Look, you know how much I want to be a newsreader and I’m just worried with you leaving, that your replacement might not have the same faith in me that you’ve had. The opportunity to try reading updates might take another year while the next news director gets to know me. Is there a chance you could put me on an update roster before you go?’ She looked at him cautiously.
Tony adjusted his glasses, like he was taking in the changes to her appearance for the first time. Not that Rachel had done anything drastic. She’d taken up jogging and lost a few kilos. Perhaps he thought her nose was too big? She hoped he liked her hair, now that she’d added blonde streaks to liven up the mouse brown and was making an effort with blow-drying. It was a challenge trying to look the part but she was doing her best.
‘Right. Okay.’ Tony paused. ‘Well, that’s a bit out of the blue, but I will see what I can do. Don’t get your hopes up, though. Reporters usually do at least a year on the road before getting a chance at reading. Good to see you’re ambitious It’s good to aim high.’ He took off his glasses, polishing them with the corner of his jacket.
‘So there might be a chance?’ she asked, clutching at the end of her seat.
‘Definitely a chance. I’ll take a look at the rosters tomorrow and let you know.’ Tony was already standing, collecting his coat and briefcase. Her cue to leave.
‘Thanks Tony, that means a lot. Thank you.’ She smiled gratefully and walked back to her desk, buzzing. Tony was a man of his word so there really was a good chance she might get her first crack at newsreading. Her excitement grew as the possibility became bigger.
Rachel had several hours to fill before she was officially on nightshift. She thought about Tim and picked up her phone. They needed to talk. Their relationship was about as vibrant as a bowl of porridge. Was she being paranoid, or had Tim distanced himself from her even more since her trip to Sydney? Or was it just his growing drug problem? He’d made little effort to acknowledge her birthday. His gift, a pair of silver earrings in the shape of two gum leaves, was given as a half-hearted gesture. She stared at his name on the screen and put her phone down. No, they needed to talk face to face.
She began sifting through a pile of mail on her desk. She picked out an invitation to the opening night of the musical 42nd Street for Saturday week. She’d RSVP’d ‘yes’ but had yet to invite a guest. Judging from the glossy card, it was sure to be a gala evening. Tim hated A-list functions. Worse still, he made no effort to hide his complete disinterest when introduced to some of the minor celebrities she had come to know. Still, it was a musical and he enjoyed the theatre. She picked up the phone, paused and changed her mind again, sighing. No, she would phone Tim. She picked up the receiver for the third time and began dialling. They would talk. Over lunch. This weekend. Finally, she’d made up her mind.
Making Headlines
Available NOW!
UK: 
US:
About the Author
JENNIFER HANSEN is best known to TV audiences as the former co-host of Channel Ten’s 5pm news. These days Jennifer works in radio as part of Smooth FM’s breakfast show where she reads the news and chats with Mike Perso about all things Melbourne.
In between media gigs, Jennifer went back to ‘school’ - taking up the ‘Professional Writing and Editing’ course at RMIT. That has helped her complete her first novel and two screenplays.
Occasionally she remembers to look after her family - including husband Neighbours actor Alan Fletcher (aka Dr Karl Kennedy) and their two children, Veronica and Tom.
Follow Jennifer Hansen:
Giveaway and Tour Stops
Enter to win one of three eCopies of Making Headlines.a Rafflecopter giveaway
Follow Making Headlines's tour at:
Feb 1: Rogue's AngelsFeb 3: Sharing Links and Wisdom
Feb 3: Erin Cawood/Beyond my writing space
Feb 4: Long and Short Reviews
Feb 5: Please Pass The Books
Feb 8: Welcome to My World of Dreams
Feb 9: BooksChatter
Feb 10: LibriAmoriMiei ✍
Feb 11: Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!
Feb 12: The Book Connection
Thanks for hosting!
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