entertainment

Jessica Rudd's new book: read the first chapter here.

Mamamia’s Managing Editor Lana Hirschowitz writes: Imagine my joy when a copy of Jess Rudd’s new book Ruby Blues arrived in the office.

Cue bun-fight as everyone rushed to grab it.

I loved Jessica’s first book, the best-selling Campaign Ruby which follows the life of Ruby who quite unexpectedly lands the job of financial policy adviser to the Leader of the Opposition. I loved the book, the way Jessica writes and of course I was captivated by the “prophecy” therein.  As was most of Australia.

For those of you who haven’t read it Campaign Ruby tells the story of a prime minister who is pushed out of the top job by a surprise leadership spill and an ambitious female colleague becomes the nation’s first female prime minister!!  Sound familiar ? You may have heard the stir the book caused. It was loud. But the book was brilliant and purely fictional.

Ruby Blues is the sequel to Campaign Ruby. It follows the adventures of Ruby as she turns thirty, her love life is luke-warm and her job is er, tricky.

Here is an extract from the beginning . Read it,  I challenge you not to want to read on…

I yawned in his face.

It was the ugliest yawn in my repertoire, the kind that made my eyes squint, nostrils flare and chin multiply.

But Luke still wanted me.

How my anti-tooth-grinding mouthguard wasn’t a shattering turn-off was unfathomable.

 

Tell him you’re exhausted, Ruby, pleaded my head. This is the first night you’ve been in bed before 2 a.m. in weeks.

His hands crept beneath the covers and under my carefully selected, greying, oversized Financial Services Association T-shirt—the most unbecoming of all my nightwear. Take that, Luke’s libido!

‘I love this shirt.’ He pushed it up and kissed between each rib. ‘It’s the one you wore when you locked yourself out of your hotel room on the campaign, remember?’

Sucked in, head, said my body. Oh, it writhed, I love it when he does that! Just go with it, Ruby. Fuck, forfuck’s sake. Release some of that tension—

 

And then watch it rebuild in the tactics meeting tomorrow, my head protested. Have you even set your alarm?

 

I can’t remember. Yes. No. Yes. I think I did. Unless that was yesterday—

 

Your first conference call is at five.

 

Yes, but—

 

Not to mention breakfast with the US advance team.We’re leaving on Saturday.

 

Plenty of time. Tomorrow’s Wednesday.

 

Tomorrow’s Thursday. Did you book the committee room for the meeting?

 

Shit. Why did I even agree to organise that?

 

And have you charged your BlackBerry?

 

I think so—

 

It’s too late now, mocked my body. Shirt’s off. Woohoo!

 

Fear not, head. He’s about to discover my Amazonian armpits.

I put my elbows in wing position, revealing tufts as plentiful as pom-poms. He pulled back.

Success.

 

Well played, said my head.

Luke headed south.

My body rejoiced.

 

He’s a trooper, said my head. I’ll give him that.

Maybe this wasn’t so bad after all. My body’s right, I reasoned. Many sexless weeks had passed and I was stiffer than a body builder’s six-pack.

I took a deep breath, felt my muscles loosen, my head slow. My heart quickened, my skin sizzled and my eyes closed.

 

I sat bolt upright. My mouth was tinder dry; my cheek sticky with drool. I checked my phone and sipped some chilled water from the bedside glass. Ten to five. That would do.

I snuggled down, rustling the linen enough to disturb Luke’s slumber. His skin was warm beneath the blankets, cool above, hinting at the freezing Canberra morning awaiting us outside.

My hot breath defrosted his right earlobe.

‘What?’ grunted Luke. He was in a foetal coil so tight it would’ve taken a melon scoop to spoon him.

‘I just had the weirdest dream that we were’—I trailed my fingers from the dip between his collarbones to the base of his sternum—‘you know.’

Luke stretched and flipped to face me. His impossibly long lashes blinked as his eyes adjusted to the partial light.

‘Was I doing this?’ He wriggled down to nibble at my sides.

‘As a matter of fact, you were.’ I kissed his fingertips.

‘And then’—lower still—‘this?’

‘Yes,’ I gasped. ‘Exactly that.’

‘And then what happened?’ He stopped.

‘Remind me,’ I said, channelling my inner temptress.

‘You snored.’ He about-faced. ‘All night.’ The downy duvet covered his face.

 

Stupid head.

Phew. Hooked yet?

What is the funniest or most bizarre excuse you have ever made? And it doesn’t have to be about getting out of sex.

If you missed it before you should watch Mia’s interview with Jessica. In fact, even if you missed it, you should watch it again:

[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wqcRfw76x2Y&version=3&hl=en_US]

And if you are in Sydney and you want to come to the launch of Ruby Blues, Mamamia is giving away 5 double passes to attend the launch on Wednesday 2 November at 6pm Shearers Bookstore, 99 Norton Street, Leichhardt in NSW.  Mia will be launching the book so you’ll get to see her there too.

If you want to be there just fill in the form below. The first 5 people to respond with the correct answer will win the tickets. Easy peasy. Tickets will be sent to your address – only winners will be notified

Sorry folks the competition is now closed.