Short-listed for this year's Open Novella Contest 2024, Miss Otis Regrets, by MarCafeWrites is a delightful tale of murder and intrigue, set in the New York of 1951.

"Rumors. Infidelity. Lies. Secrets. MURDER. And all before lunch time. Who knew being a socialite in 1951 could be so thrilling?" 

From very beginning, the author immerses us in the rarefied atmosphere of an exclusive society, filled with gossip, elegant fashion and pretension.

'"Gloria. Patricia," Marcella said, her tone full of warning. She gave the women an icy stare. "We're here for book club, not gossip hour."

"Aren't they the same thing?" Gloria inquired, blinking stupidly.

"They most certainly are not," Marcella negated. She smoothed her fingers across the dramatic swoop of her dark hair. "For gossip hour we have cocktails."'

Marcella Montgomery and the other six members of the exclusive Gilded Grove Ladies' Book Club are seated in Delmonico's Bistro waiting to discuss their chosen book of the month, when they are scandalised to receive a message relayed from their Vice President, Camilla Otis.

"Miss Otis regrets she is unable to lunch today."

The scandal only deepens when they are confronted by two police officers outside the restaurant and informed that Camilla is in jail, arrested for the murder of her young Italian lover. Devastating and shocking news to be sure—for she will have to cope with less than 600 thread count sheets in jail—but also deliciously exciting.

And we soon discover that Camilla Otis is not the only lady in the Book Club to have a dark secret. The story weaves its way around the murder as the police investigate, discovering one intrigue after another, giving us glimpses into the private lives of Marcella and her companions. None of the women in question are the fine, upstanding ladies of society that the public believes them to be.

The plot thickens when the victim is revealed to be the son of a family linked to the Italian Mob.

And then there is Karen Dwindle, a character not quite a member of the club but still strangely present at many of the key moments.

No spoilers, you'll have to read the story to see how the pieces fit together in this puzzle.

The story is written in third person omniscient, a point of view where the narrator knows all the thoughts, actions, and feelings of all characters, and may move from one character to another to show how each contributes to the plot. Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen is one of the best examples of this writing style.

By writing in third-person omniscient the author can show both the characters' thoughts along with what is actually happening. This allows the reader to clearly see the difference between opinion and fact, and can show the bigger picture within the story.

This style works particularly well in Miss Otis Regrets, as we get to see multiple characters and their actions, it also gives the story a literary quality, in my opinion.

Mar used two of the ONC prompts in her story.

#28: "Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned."And #27: "Sometimes love is what drives you to take your next breath. Other times, it's revenge."

But what actually inspired the story was the song of the same name, written by Cole Porter in 1934. Here's the first verse but you can find the complete song on Youtube:

"Miss Otis regrets she's unable to lunch today, madam.
Miss Otis regrets she's unable to lunch today,
And she's sorry to be delayed,
but last evening down at lover's lane
she strayed, madam.
Miss Otis regrets she's unable to lunch today"

Beautifully crafted, Miss Otis Regrets will bring a smile to your face, even as your brain is busy, following the plot twists and turns. Once you start reading, you won't want to stop until you reach the end.

You can find the link to the story in the comment next to this note:

Interview with the Author

Good morning everyone!

Elveloy here from AdultFictionStories. Today I'm interviewing MarCafeWrites (Mar), author of Miss Otis Regrets, our Featured Story for July 2024

Elveloy: Firstly, can you tell us a little about your non-wattpad life?

Mar: My non-Wattpad life isn't very exciting. I'm autistic, and that has an impact on pretty much every aspect of my life. I'm uncomfortable in public and social situations, so with the exception of work, I don't really go anywhere. I do enjoy walks/jogs. I live in the tropics, so it's good walking weather year round. My day job is a flight attendant for an international airline. I've been with my airline for seven and a half years, which means my seniority is good enough to allow me to build/control my own work schedule. I love the freedom that affords me.

Elveloy: Flight attendant, eh? I guess that involves enough travelling! What drew you to Wattpad?

Mar: I had never heard of Wattpad! In March of 2020, Covid-19 was really starting to affect everything in the US, and for the end of March and all of April most of my flights were canceled. Because of all of this sudden free time, I stumbled upon this huge international writing contest online (not Wattpad affiliated). I hadn't written anything in about four years, but I figured, "Why not try?" So, I wrote my novel "Carpe Noctem." There were over 3,000 participants in the contest, but somehow I was one of the handful of winners! An online friend of mine told me my story deserved to be read by more people, and she introduced me to Wattpad. I started my account in April 2020, revamped "Carpe Noctem," posted it, and in 2022 it won a Watty!

Elveloy: Congratulations! That must have been exciting. And talking about your writing, do you consider yourself a 'plotser' or a 'pantser'?

Mar: I didn't know there was such a thing as a "pantser" until after I came to Wattpad. I'm a procrastinator and very easily distracted (probably thanks to my autism), so if I don't know exactly where the story is going before I start it, I never finish it. I don't plot out every tiny detail — I like to give the characters and storyline a chance to grow and expand naturally. However, I always do have a clear beginning, middle, and end in my head before I begin writing (especially as I feel an obsessive need to bring every aspect of the story full circle), and I always know who my leading characters are.

Elveloy: I see your story, Miss Otis Regrets, made it to the Open Novella Contest Short List. How was that experience for you?

Mar: This is my third ONC novella to advance to the shortlist, and I was pleasantly shocked to make it this year! I thought the judges might find the story confusing or too involved. I'm very excited to have made it so far!
I first participated in the ONC in 2021 at the recommendation of a friend. She raved that it was a fun contest and a good opportunity to write something that wouldn't be as daunting to finish as a novel. I found she was right on both accounts. I wrote a story called "Vengeful Creations" about an author who had a lot of unfinished projects (so, basically me), and it ended up being named an honorable mention!! It was safe to say after that experience that I was hooked. The community of writers who participate are so energetic and supportive, too! That makes the whole experience even more enjoyable and helpful.

Elveloy: I've found that, too. And what's next in the pipeline for you?

Mar: Next, I'm trying to follow the advice of my protagonist from "Vengeful Creations" and finish one of my incomplete projects! I began working on a fantasy adventure novel back in April of 2004 about a group of kids who accidentally travel to another world (very Narnia/Oz-esque) and have to help thwart a terrible villain. That's not a typo. 2004!! I've been working on it on-again-off-again (mostly off) for the past two decades! It's about 90% complete, and I'm determined to finish it this summer! Lol, twenty years after the fact, but I did not have the writing prowess to write an epic story like this back then. It would have been okay-ish at best. Now, at present, I believe I can do the idea justice, and present something truly enjoyable.

Elveloy: We'll look forward to it. Sometimes these things just need to simmer on the back burner for a while. I wrote the first draft of a couple of my own stories back in the last century!

Thank you so much for coming in today.