Maggie Blackbird

Today, author Jennifer Patricia O’Keeffe is guesting. She’s talking about her latest release, Snowfall, a romantic comedy, on sale for .99 cents for the duration of the tour (April 28th to May 2nd). Don’t forget to enter the Rafflecopter giveaway.

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‘A RomCom for Today’s Every-Woman’

My favorite type of romantic comedy to write is a realistic one. I believe that life throws humor at us in so many different ways that sometimes we just can’t see it. Strangely enough, we usually see it in others.

Romantic comedies, especially in film, have taken a sort of foul, raunchy shift since the golden age of actresses like Julia Roberts or Goldie Hawn. I prefer to focus on the romance and the comedy of what I write and let my readers utilize their imaginations.

When I write, I always keep in mind my audience. I decided long ago that I didn’t want to have to target specific age demographics. My target audience is, however, 98% women, and whether those women are old or young or somewhere in between, I want them to be able to read my books and each of them enjoy them equally.

‘Snowfall’ keeps what I hold dear and incorporates it beautifully. As a humorist, my number one element is joy. Laughter. Smiles and ‘OMG’ moments. I love to sit back and enjoy those old slapstick films, or watch a marathon of ‘I Love Lucy,’ and I learn from them, weaving that offbeat and sometimes slapstick humor into my contemporary tales. Witty dialogue, snowball slapstick, and plenty of ‘uh oh’ instances keep the laughs alive in ‘Snowball.’

I think my favorite scene in the book is early on when Melody, who works as an assistant librarian, is put in charge of the afternoon’s children’s reading program and has to read to the kids. She picks a book that the kids don’t like, and a food fight breaks out, with the kids utilizing the snack buffet to pelt Melody and each other with all sorts of messy treats and beverages. It was sudden and unexpected, just like kids tend to do…

Romance must also be alive in one of my romantic comedies. Melody doesn’t think she needs romance. She’s happy and single and living alone in her apartment with her books and her comfy chair. It’s the comedy of the story that brings about romance for Melody, but the romance doesn’t come easily, and even when it gets there, for Melody it’s still a bumpy road to a happy ending.

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Title: Snowfall
Series: N/A
Author: Jennifer Patricia O’Keeffe
Genre: Romantic Comedy
Length: 87 pages
Release Date: March 13, 2025

Blurb: Melody is a simple woman with simple needs that include good clean books, safe and intelligible television, and a job that she loves. As far as she’s concerned, she has everything she needs, including a beloved gig as the assistant librarian of her local public library. When a Winter Reads program turns chaotic and Melody is caught in the crossfires of a massive child-induced food fight, her dream job becomes a nightmare – a nightmare that continues into a snow-covered, accident-prone next day. After waking up to a sudden massive snowfall covering her town, she becomes the unwilling victim of a snowball fight between two identical twin brothers. Melody must then decide if she has met her very own Mister Right, or if her perfect life can handle an imperfect interruption.

Lighthearted laughs and endearing moments fill this modern romantic comedy by humorist Jennifer Patricia O’Keeffe.

GET IT FOR .99 CENTS FROM APRIL 28TH TO MAY 2ND

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“Well… their hunt for me paid off I guess.” Melody smiled and sipped her drink. “I got my necklace back, I got a wonderful new boyfriend, and… well… I don’t think I’ve shared this news with you yet.”

“You’re getting married?” Cocoa asked, throwing out a wild guess.

“Nope.”

“You’re pregnant!”

“Oh, god no!” Melody exclaimed.

“Well then, what is it?” Cocoa put her hands on her hips and Melody could see she was growing impatient.

“I… think… I’m in love.”

“No!” Cocoa shouted. Her voice was pretty loud and she looked around with a quirky smile as several customers looked her way. Then, she looked at Melody again, not caring who had heard her shout. “Not you, little Miss I’m Happy with My Quiet Little Life?”

“Quiet little life…” Melody rolled her eyes. “You make me sound so boring. But… my life’s not so quiet anymore, and honestly, I’m loving it more than I ever thought I could.”

Cocoa began to sing softly. “You’re in love! Love, love, love, love, love!”

“Oh, hush,” she said and blushed.

“I expect to be Maid of Honor at the wedding,” Cocoa continued. “I’m picturing very tacky beige bridesmaid dresses, a small church service, and lots of hokey pictures of us doing wacky poses in our outfits!”

“Aren’t you rushing things a little?”

“Well… someone has to. If I know you, the two of you haven’t even had –…”

“Don’t even say it!” Melody cut her off. “Good things come to those who wait.”

“He’s going to be gray-haired old man by the time you give up the –…”

“No!” Melody exclaimed and then laughed nervously. “Goodness, Cocoa!”

Cocoa laughed heavily. “Okay, fine. But tell me then what all you two have planned for your one-month anniversary tonight.”

“All I know is he’s taking me out to a restaurant but won’t tell me what it is,” she explained. “And he has something for me, but he won’t tell me what that is either.”

“I bet it’s a ring,” Cocoa noted. “It’s gonna be a ring. He’s going to pop the question. I know it!”

“After just a month? No way,” Melody discouraged. “Maybe a promise ring?”

“A promise ring? Are you both twelve?” Cocoa huffed and grabbed a rag to wipe down the counter. “That’s kid stuff.” She then paused and smiled a little mischievous grin. “By the way…”

“Yes?”

“What did you get him for your one-month anniversary?”

Melody’s smile disappeared and her eyes became concerned. “Is – is that a thing?”

“Yes, girl!” Cocoa exclaimed and put her rag down. “This isn’t the nineteen fifties, you know. Present giving is an equal thing now. He gives you a gift. You give him a gift. It’s called gifting.”

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Jennifer Patricia O’Keeffe is a humorist fiction author whose works include the stories My Name is Not Cupid, The Scent of a Man, and the beautifully reviewed thriller about a mother who would stop at nothing to save her child, Hot Chocolate on a Cold Winter’s Night, among others. Known for her quirky romantic comedies that feature realistic women of various ages and races and the trials and tribulations of adulting and dating, Jennifer’s writings allow real women to see themselves in her characters.

Jennifer is also a proud LGBTQ+ ally and often features gay characters in her stories, including the tale All I Want is to be Happy, which features a wonderful gay protagonist. Jennifer, herself, is a single straight woman, still looking for love, and living with her cats in an apartment in Nashville, Tennessee.

Follow Jennifer: Facebook | X | Blog

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