Dream casting for Wreck My Plans!
One of the most fun things about writing Wreck My Plans, my book about a woman who loses her job and ends up at an active retirement community, is that it felt like I was hanging out with a bunch of rambunctious grandmas. I picked inspirations and wouldn’t it be fun if one day they portrayed my characters?
Mia – Zoey Deutch. I’ve watched her in a few romcoms and love her!
Grandma Helen – Helen Mirren. Yes, that’s why I named her Grandma Helen.
Wanda – Goldie Hawn. That’s who I pictured whenever I wrote Wanda. And she’s always chewing gum.
Vonetta Harris-Wagner – Oprah
Gertie Harris-Wagner – Lily Tomlin
Sophia – Sophia Loren
Noah – Davey Fisher (shoutout for blond heroes)
Carlos – Taylor Zakhar Perez
Here’s a fun excerpt with several of the grandmas to give you a better idea of the hijinks. 😊
Excerpt:
“If we’re talking regrets…” Chair legs scrape cement as Arlene scoots into the outermost ring of porch light.
Wanda lunges across the table, dipping one braless boob in the puddle of salsa on my plate as she snags Arlene’s hand. “Don’t you dare say your divorce, babe—you did nothing wrong.”
“He never deserved you,” Rita chimes in, and I nod my head, because solidarity.
“This fuss is why I”—Sophia lifts her head high and sweeps a stray curl out of her eye—“don’t believe in regrets.”
Sputtered raspberries, guffaws, and an out-of-character “Don’t make me go there, because I will,” from Vonetta echo through the humid air and, since my grandma hasn’t finished her margarita, I reach over, lift the glass to my lips, and help her out.
The other women shout out several examples, the majority of which are just names.
“Allen.”
“Fernando.”
“Edmund.”
I barely resist hollering Antonio’s name, because I’m still kind of curious about how he went from pet project to geriatric fuckboy. Also, whether he returned to going by Tony, or if he’s sticking with Antonio?
“Fine, on this point, I’ll concede,” Sophia says with a toss of her head, and my ears ring from all the overlapping conversations. “I regret a few marriages, but I never regret a divorce.”
Our boisterous laughter drowns out everything else.
But one by one, their gazes return to me, and foreboding prickles my skin.
“Mia could do it.” Sophia’s lenses reflect my shell-shocked expression, yet my mouth remains hanging open. “You should, too. Do it all while you’ve got youth on your side.”
Do what? I don’t dare ask for clarification because I’m afraid of the answer. With the last few swigs of that margarita catching up with me, I’m also not connecting thoughts as quickly or correctly.
Sophia’s smile widens, the bronzer on her cheeks luminescent. “Rita could teach you one of those sensual dance routines—”
“I know!” Rita taps her lip, really selling the act that this is coming to them on the spot. “And we can get Dr. Vasquez to perform it with her.”
“That might be a lot to ask up front,” Grandma Helen says from my other side, slightly exaggerated and stilted, like she’s reading from cue cards. “Perhaps we have her go flirt with the doctor and see where that leads.”
“Yeah, and she can go bungee jumping for me by proxy!” Wanda slams an open palm on the table, making the items atop it rattle and several of us startle, leading me to believe she’s veering off book. “Record it on one of those fancy body cams and describe it to me in excruciating detail.”
“Brilliant idea.” Grandma Helen meets my eyes, and frankly, I’d rather be in trouble than tussle with the mischievous gleam within the green and amber brown. “We’re all pushing eighty or have toppled on over, and Mia’s too afraid to put herself out there.”
Ouch, although not exactly untrue.
“You have no sense of work/life balance, hon. You work or think about working all day every day, no time for rest or romance or fun.” Wanda scoots closer, halfway onto the seat of my chair with me, her heavily mascaraed lashes snagging in her bangs as she grimaces and adds, “We have a more active social life at our age than you do at twenty-two.”
Since I’m too stubborn to admit they might have a point, I cross my arms tightly and say, “Twenty-six.”
Vonetta harrumphs. “Basically fetal.”
“…fresh from the womb,” Gertie finishes a similar sentiment.
“What we’re thinking is,” Wanda says, glancing at Grandma Helen—the duo’s been in my life since forever, platonic soulmates who navigate the world like an old married couple. “We’ll take over your social calendar.”
“And set you up on dates.” Rita’s rapid clapping sounds next to my ear. “There are so many eligible grandsons and nephews to pull from.”
Wait. What’s happening?
Or more accurately, what am I slamming the brakes on? It’d be super great to know that much at least.
The grannies are pinning their hopes and dreams on me, I can at least see that in the misguided lightbulbs blinking above their heads.
Which means it’s time to bring out Mia the Buzzkill, bearer of hard truths and destroyer of moods. No little girl dreams of becoming anal retentive when she grows up, but here I am anyway.
In my experience, people didn’t shoot the messenger, they resented her.
“Yeah, none of that’s happening. While it’s lovely to see everyone and catch up,” I say, adopting a more serious tone, “this whole life intervention is getting pointed right back at you. After all, I’m not the one going around, not wearing protection and spreading venereal diseases.”
Well, now I finally have their attention…
And their collective ire.
WRECK MY PLANS Copyright © Cindi Madsen
WRECK MY PLANS by Cindi Madsen
Age isn’t a number.
It’s a state of chaos.
When publicist Mia Andrews becomes the face of a viral disaster dubbed #PantyGate, her career implodes along with her reputation.
Now jobless and single, Mia lands in the last place she expected—her grandmother’s anything-but-quiet retirement community in Florida. It’s chaos. It’s hilarious. It’s exactly what she didn’t know she needed.
Even worse? The meddling retirees are determined to fix Mia’s love life. Somehow, they find time to play matchmaker—with not one but two bachelors under thirty-five.
But amid the mayhem, Mia’s learning that the best second chances come when—and where—you least expect them.
For fans of witty banter, lovable troublemakers, and slow-burn romance, this is the laugh-out-loud rom-com that proves love never gets old.
Romance Comedy | Romance Contemporary [ Entangled: Amara, On Sale: January 12, 2026, e-Book, / eISBN: 9781649375810 ]
Buy WRECK MY PLANS: Kindle | Apple Books | Kobo | Google Play | Amazon CA | Amazon UK | Amazon DE | Amazon FR
About Cindi Madsen
Cindi Madsen sits at her computer every chance she gets, plotting revising, and falling in love with her characters. Sometimes it makes her a crazy person. Without it, she’d be even crazier. She has way too many shoes, but can always find a reason to buy a new pretty pair, especially if they’re sparkly, colorful, or super tall. She loves music, dancing, and wishes summer lasted all year long. She lives in Colorado (where summer is most definitely NOT all year long) with her husband and three children.
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