{"id":44525,"date":"2025-07-06T23:14:14","date_gmt":"2025-07-06T23:14:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/44525\/"},"modified":"2025-07-06T23:14:14","modified_gmt":"2025-07-06T23:14:14","slug":"lawrence-author-amanda-sellet-puts-the-comedy-back-in-rom-com-for-her-upcoming-book-launch-the-lawrence-times","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/44525\/","title":{"rendered":"Lawrence author Amanda Sellet puts the comedy back in \u2018rom-com\u2019 for her upcoming book launch \u2013 The Lawrence Times"},"content":{"rendered":"

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Lawrence author Amanda Sellet will celebrate her forthcoming, rib-tickling romantic comedy novel with a film screening and book signing at Liberty Hall. She hopes that Lawrence readers and writers will be there to laugh alongside her.<\/p>\n

After all, Lawrence is a city teeming with authors and hopeful storytellers \u2014 Sellet, whose next book will be the fourth novel-length publication under her belt, can attest.<\/p>\n

\u201cI just can\u2019t believe how many writers there are,\u201d she said. \u201c\u2026 I went into the post office in Lawrence to mail something, and just out of the blue, the person was like, \u2018Oh, is that a book? Are you one of the writers in town?\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n

For Sellet, who has lately specialized in rom-coms with a screwball bent, those writers have ensured the stories in her head make it to the shelves.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m not sure I would have been able to sustain this career or stayed in it long enough to get over that line of getting my first book published without the support of other writers in the area who are going through similar things,\u201d she said.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\"\"Molly Adams \/ Lawrence Times Amanda Sellet holds some of the books she\u2019s authored.<\/p>\n

For her, a fellow author confirming that her draft should be \u201can actual book\u201d is like being told \u201cThat\u2019ll do, pig.\u201d<\/p>\n

The next \u201cactual book\u201d is \u201cThe Odds of Getting Even,\u201d a retelling of the 1941 film \u201cThe Lady Eve,\u201d coming out July 15. Sellet has teamed up with Liberty Hall to celebrate the release with a screening of the film, replete with themed cocktails and an onsite book signing hosted by the Raven Book Store.<\/p>\n

Sellet has a soft spot for classic romantic comedy films, and she fawned over Barbara Stanwyck\u2019s performance in \u201cThe Lady Eve\u201d \u2014 \u201cshe\u2019s just like this ballsy, brassy dame\u201d \u2014 and laughed at the male lead\u2019s gullible nature \u2014 \u201csuper young, beautiful, sweet, na\u00efve Henry Fonda.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n

Launching the book alongside the film is an ideal marriage, and Sellet said she is \u201cexcited to hear people laugh in realtime.\u201d She is similarly attached to her zany characters modeled after Stanwyck and Fonda\u2019s portrayals, whom she called \u201cthese sweet little chaos monsters.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n

\"\"Molly Adams \/ Lawrence Times A copy of \u201cWriting the Romantic Comedy\u201d sits on Sellet\u2019s bookshelf alongside other craft books.<\/p>\n

Enthusiasm for her characters and stories writ large can be traced to multiple sources, like a children\u2019s librarian mother or the inspiring surge of young adult fiction in the 2000s. Still, Sellet articulated her authorial motivations in a single sentence.<\/p>\n

\u201cI want to write something that makes me feel the way that I feel when I read a book I love, you know, just like lit up from the inside,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe Odds of Getting Even\u201d is the second installment in Sellet\u2019s trilogy of classic romantic comedy film retellings. \u201cHate to Fake It to You,\u201d her first title for adults, kicked off the project as a retelling of \u201cChristmas in Connecticut\u201d in 2024. This recent foray into adult fiction bloomed from her stint as a young adult author, following a multidecade career in journalism.<\/p>\n

\u201cI think I\u2019m always looking for the space where you can just go all in and not hold anything back, and so I thought, \u2018OK, well, maybe in adult I can do that,\u2019\u201d Sellet said. \u201cAnd it\u2019s funny, because I think usually people by that, they mean like, \u2018I can have some super explicit sex on the page.\u2019 And for me, I\u2019m like, \u2018I mean, I can be silly.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n

In a literary market where romance novels are often adorned with cartoon covers and generalized as comedies, regardless of their comedic content, Sellet wanted to go all in with cowboy poetry, snake chaos, and a cross-ocean pursuit to make readers swoon and laugh.<\/p>\n

\"\"Molly Adams \/ Lawrence Times Amanda Sellet holds books by fellow local authors.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt is that thing where we just have these innate things that appeal to us,\u201d she said. \u201cIt\u2019s (comedy in writing) what I always aspired to, and it\u2019s what I naturally gravitate toward \u2026 In the same way, if you walked into a bakery, you\u2019d be like, \u2018Well, I\u2019m having the cherry one, not the blueberry one.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n

Local author titles Sellet recommends<\/b><\/p>\n

\u2022 \u201cThe Undercutting of Rosie and Adam<\/a>\u201d by Megan Bannen:<\/b> The third standalone fantasy rom-com in the \u201cHart & Mercy\u201d series, dedicated to Sellet \u2014 \u201cto be clear, I loved it before I knew it was dedicated to me,\u201d Sellet said. Coming July 8.<\/p>\n

\u2022 \u201cThe Mercy Makers\u201d by Tessa Gratton:<\/b> Read more about the book in this article<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\u2022 A series of mystery short stories written by Julie Tollefson,<\/b> published in various outlets. Find them all at this link<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\u2022 \u201cSuch a Witch\u201d by Sarah Henning:<\/b> A YA rom-com described as<\/a> \u201c\u2018Wednesday\u2019 meets \u2018Clueless,\u2019\u201d coming summer 2026.\n<\/p>\n

Those who likewise gravitate toward the comical can support Sellet\u2019s work by attending the launch event. However, pulling out the pocketbook is not the only option.<\/p>\n

\u201cI think people always think that they have to spend money to be supportive, and really \u2014 request a book from the library,\u201d she says. \u201cCheck it out from the library, maybe if you like it, review it somewhere, post about it online.\u201d<\/p>\n

Sellet has particularly enjoyed guest-starring in book clubs around the community.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cAll my neighbors had me at their book clubs, and I was like, \u2018Wow, I barely have to cook for myself.\u2019 It\u2019s just like, cheese and crackers and wine all around.\u201d<\/p>\n

The book launch kicks off Tuesday, July 15 with a screening of \u201cThe Lady Eve\u201d at Liberty Hall at 6:30 p.m. Tickets for the film are $12.50, with themed cocktails available for an additional cost.\u00a0<\/p>\n

The book signing begins at 8 p.m. Copies of the book cost $19 and are available for preorder.<\/a><\/p>\n

Follow progress on Sellet\u2019s upcoming titles \u2014 including a YA mystery<\/a> in 2026 and an adult rom-com retelling of \u201cHis Girl Friday\u201d\u00a0 \u2014 by joining her newsletter<\/a> or following her on Instagram, @amandajsellet.<\/a><\/p>\n

If our local journalism matters to you, please help us keep doing this work.<\/p>\n

Don\u2019t miss a beat \u2026 Click here to sign up for our email newsletters<\/p>\n

Click here<\/a> to learn more about our newsletters first<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Wulfe Wulfemeyer (they\/them), community reporter, has worked with The Lawrence Times since May 2025. They can be reached at wulfe@lawrencekstimes.com. <\/p>\n

Read their complete bio here<\/a>. Read their work for the Times\u00a0here<\/a>.<\/p>\n

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