More Bold twists and turns ahead
Dipping a toe into the decadent and glamorous world of a daytime soap opera is a guilty pleasure for many TV viewers but for Sydney author Shannon Curtis the opportunity to dive headfirst in to the world of The Bold and the Beautiful was nothing less than wicked.
The romantic suspense author is among a handful of Australian writers commissioned to take their favourite characters in the long- running soap opera from the screen to the page for the first time with a series of licensed novellas set in The Bold and the Beautiful's world.
The novellas, which are published in print by Pan Macmillan and digitally via Momentum, recount new love stories that have not yet been seen on television.
As a long-time fan of the soap, Curtis said having the opportunity to delve into the complex relationships of the fictional fashion house Forrester Creations was like facing a pile of presents on Christmas morning and trying to decide which one to unwrap first.
"I thought watching the TV show was an indulgence but writing for it is even more so," she said.
"I could not wear couture fashion if my life depended on it and teetering around in high heels is beyond my scope but to be able to fantasise about that world and write about that world is delicious."
Since The Bold and the Beautiful premiered in the US in 1987, it has won 52 Daytime Emmy Awards and reportedly established a daily viewership of about 35 million people globally.
The book deal comes as The Bold and the Beautiful approaches its 7000th episode and celebrates 27 years on air.
The first two titles, including Collision Course by Curtis and Forbidden Affair by Amy Andrews, were released in February. Curtis' Stormswept and Second Chances by Ros Baxter are released on April 1.
Stormswept sees series favourite Hope Logan, portrayed by Kim Matula, travel to Australia for a fashion shoot only to find herself caught in a storm and stranded on a deserted island with former flame Oliver Jones (Zack Conroy).
Curtis said she had fun setting the drama in Australia but familiarising herself with the characters' on-screen history required watching hours and hours of the series and tracking their key plot twists.
"It is a massive challenge to write in someone else's world but it is also liberating in some ways because we were told we could do almost anything we want with the characters," she said. "There are guidelines we have to observe, like we are not allowed to kill anyone off, which was really hard for me because I come from a romantic suspense background and that is where I naturally want to go."
Curtis said while each novella was developed in collaboration between the authors and The Bold and The Beautiful executive producer and head writer Bradley P. Bell, some of the planned storylines would turn fans' expectations on their heads.
"We get to take the characters on tangents, so you get to see them doing something that they may do off- screen, so it is like the novels are value-adding to the experience," she said. "We try to project where the characters may be several months down the track, and what they may be doing . . . but the show has been running for 27 years and I can tell you that there are some storylines that I totally did not see coming.
"It is too wicked."
'I could not wear couture fashion if my life depended on it and teetering around in high heels is beyond my scope but to be able to fantasise about that world and write about that world is delicious.' Shannon Curtis
