The Brunette Bombshell

By De-ann Black

Twenty–six year old Sadie works as a newspaper journalist in the stressed out, deadline crushing, editorial department of a London tabloid.

It’s Sadie’s job to write features for the paper — and to stay sane at the same time. When the top columnist quits to work in New York, Sadie is thrown in at the deep end and becomes the Talkabout columnist for the paper. Talkabout is a newsy, fashion, beauty, nightlife, gossipy column that balances the hard news features in the tabloid.

As the new columnist, Sadie is sent by her editor, Jamieson, who she secretly has a crush on, to cover a feature about an upmarket hairdressing salon in the heart of the city. But like most things in Sadie’s life, nothing ever runs according to plan.

For a start, it’s raining, so she’s soaked by the time she arrives at the salon, which is owned by the gorgeous but overly demanding Cosmo (a renowned hairdressing entrepreneur who can make any woman look great). Cosmo has created a new range of hair colours to transform the average brunette into a sultry bombshell.

Unfortunately, his campaign model leaves him just as he’s about to launch his new colour range. Luckily, Sadie arrives on the scene. Cosmo sees something in her that he believes has potential — an exciting, contemporary, everywoman quality, and sets about persuading her to be the brunette bombshell for his advertising campaign.

So begins Sadie’s double life. By day, she’s the newspaper journalist, and by night she’s the woman behind the lustrous look thousands of women want.

The Brunette Bombshell is a modern, light–hearted romance novella.

About the Author:

De-ann Black is a bestselling author, traditionally published for over 15 years, with over 40 books published, scriptwriter and former newspaper journalist.

She splits her time between Scotland, Dublin and London.

Her latest romantic comedy books include:

The Bitch-Proof Suit.

Oops! I'm the Paparazzi.

The Cure for Love.

Heart of Ice (Romance)

• Language: English
• Publisher: Toffee Apple Publishing
• Release date: Jan 8, 2012
• ISBN: 9781908072825

De-ann Black

De-ann Black is a bestselling author, scriptwriter and former newspaper journalist. Traditionally published for over 15 years. She has over 40 books published, for adults (romance, crime thrillers, espionage/suspense novels) and children (non-fiction rocket science books, children's fiction and picture books). Her books include Special Forces and crime thriller books - Guile, The Strife of Riley, and Moth to the Flame. Romantic comedies include - The Bitch-Proof Suit, The Cure For Love, and Oops! I'm the Paparazzi. De-ann's latest children's fiction books are: Secondhand Spooks - December 32nd, Faeriefied, and School for Aliens. She previously worked as a full-time newspaper journalist for several years. She had her own weekly columns in the press. This included being a motoring correspondent where she got to test drive cars every week for the press for three years. She is also a professional artist and illustrator. And photographer. Additionally, De-ann has always been interested in fitness, and was a fitness and bodybuilding champion, 100 metre runner and mountaineer. As a former N.A.B.B.A. Miss Scotland, she had a weekly fitness show on the radio that ran for over three years. De-ann trained in Shukokai karate, boxing, kickboxing, Dayan Qigong, and Jiu Jitsu. She splits her time between Scotland, Dublin and London. Find out more at www.de-annblack.com

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Text copyright © 2011 by De-ann Black

All rights reserved.

No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without the written consent of the publisher.

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are either products of the author's imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, businesses, companies, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.

Published by Toffee Apple Publishing 2012

Smashwords Edition

The Brunette Bombshell

ISBN-13: 978-1-908072-82-5

Toffee Apple Publishing

Smashwords Edition, License Notes

This ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This ebook may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each recipient. If you’re reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then please return to Smashwords.com and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.

Contents

1 – Rainy Night In London – Tabloid Reporter Thrown In At The Deep End

2 – Tabloid Journalist Becomes Brunette Bombshell

3 – The Glitterati Enjoy Party In London Nightclub

4 – Talkabout With Sadie The Tabloid Columnist

5 – Thousands Of Women Go Brunette Crazy

6 – Tabloid Hack Is A Magnet For Trouble

7 – Reporter Hits City Streets In Rainy Photo-Shoot

8 – Tea Total Journalist Judges Cocktail Contest

9 – Celebrities Let Their Hair Down At Salon Event

10 – Salon Owner Launches New Magazine

More books by De-ann Black (sample chapters)

About De-ann Black

CHAPTER ONE

Rainy Night In London — Tabloid Reporter Thrown In At The Deep End

I shielded myself with my umbrella and hurried across the busy London street in the pouring rain. The lights from the shops reflected on the wet pavement, and at five–thirty in the evening, everyone seemed to be hurrying home from work while I was starting out on a whole new adventure.

A hundred thoughts were racing through my mind. I’d hardly had a chance to think what I was going to write when I’d told my editor, Jamieson, I’d accept the assignment. But I’d come up with something. I would.

I’d always wanted to be a journalist. And for the past year I’d been working as a freelance reporter in the stressed out, deadline crushing, editorial department of a London tabloid. It was my job to write the small filler features for the paper — and to stay sane at the same time.

So when one of the regular columnists quit, (to work for a newspaper in New York), leaving our paper in the lurch with a deadline looming, I was thrown in at the deep end and sent to the one business I truly adored.

Most nights after work I peered across the street at the upmarket hairdressing salon in the heart of the city. It was always busy with the celebrities who frequented it. The prices were completely outrageous, but if you wanted star–studded glamour, this was the place to go. I planned that one day I’d blow a week’s wages or more on having my hair done there. A girl can dream, huh? Living as a single girl in London, with a flat in the city centre, was quite expensive, and although I wasn’t poor, I didn’t make enough to be able to splash out on something like this.

So you can imagine my excitement when Jamieson sent me to write the salon’s editorial feature for the tabloid’s Talkabout column. A celebrity launch party for a new range of hair colouring was in the pipeline, and I was sent to write the opening feature. The celebrity launch feature would follow next week.

I’d love to say that Jamieson offered me the job because I’m one of his top journalists, but this wouldn’t be true. He’d given me the chance because he had no one else to cover it, and I was reliable. I never missed a deadline, and this feature had to go into the paper by nine tonight, ready for the next day’s issue. Advertising revenue was involved, and although Jamieson was the editor, he often had to accommodate the advertising manager’s requirements for editorial space.

Besides, Talkabout was popular — a newsy, fashion, beauty, nightlife, gossipy column that balanced the hard news features.

All I had to do was prove to Jamieson he’d picked the right person for the job. I planned to make this work.

However, like most things in my life, it didn’t run according to plan. For a start, it was raining, so I was drenched by the time I arrived outside the salon, which was owned by the overly demanding Cosmo (a renowned hairdressing entrepreneur who could make any woman look great).

Cosmo had put a lot of effort and marketing into creating a new range of hair colours to transform the average brunette into a sultry bombshell.

I’d heard that Cosmo was gorgeous — a dramatic looking Londoner. Tall and handsome was totally my type, though currently I had an occasional and unrealistic crush on Jamieson. He was in his early thirties, tall, brown haired, and with a male swimmers build (a wedge on long legs) though the only swimming he did was with the media sharks. Jamieson had no idea that every time he handed me an assignment my heart thundered nervously. I was sure the effect of Jamieson would wear off, though in the past few months it hadn’t even waned. I needed to get out more. Out in a social sense, not chasing up stories and meeting deadline after deadline.

As arranged, a press photographer was waiting for me outside the salon, sheltering under one of the canopies in the cold, winter rain.

‘Jamieson says he’s given you the Talkabout column,’ said the photographer. ‘Congratulations, but I think this is going to be a fiery one.’

I was going to ask him why, when I heard shouting coming from inside the salon.

‘Cosmo’s not happy,’ he said.

‘What’s happened?’ I said.

‘His campaign model decided to ditch the whole idea of working with him on the launch of his new range to take up a movie offer.’

‘Where does that leave us?’

‘I had a word with Cosmo’s assistant. She says the launch is still going ahead. They’re looking for a model replacement. So I’ll take some pics of the salon, and Cosmo with the products, that sort of thing. We can still run with it.’

I nodded, and what seemed like a torrent of rain ran off my umbrella down the back of my black mackintosh coat, soaking the ends of my long, dark hair.

I cursed inwardly.

‘You look fine,’ he said, which was kind of him.

I looked anything but fine, with barely a