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JULIE EDGAR STAFF WRITER

member of the America-Israel
Chamber of Commerce, hasn't
been deluged with orders for
the novel. But, she says, it
has attracted new business, and
that was part of the master
plan.
"The reason I did this was not
to sell the novel, but as a public-
ity stunt," she says. "I did it for
fun."
Dr. Dunitz, a native Detroiter,
went back to work last year af-
ter a 12-year hiatus raising
her four daughters. She concen-
trates on professional writing —
company brochures, speeches
and the like — but is in the
process of penning the script
and lyrics for a musical show
called "Leading Lady" about the
trials and tribulations of an out-
sized, Ethel Merman-like char-
acter.

PHO TO BY ELIZABETH CARNEG IE

The novel leaves
a lot to the
imagination.

An Ann Arbor
writer puts part
of a love affair
on the Internet.

llison Webster almost has it
all — blossoming career,
smart clothes, dewy corn-
plexion, snazzy sports car.
But true love, it seems,
has always eluded her.
Until Mickey Adams ...
Like all romance novel
heroines, Allison will prob-
ably shed a lot of tears —
but get what she wants in
the end.
• What that is, is a mys-
tery, because her story is
not contained between
the covers of a paperback, the
kind typically found on a super-
market stand. Ms. Webster is a
cyber-character, a byte by byte
creation of Carol Dunitz, a writer
by trade who believes she's the
first to put romance fiction on the
Internet.
"There's probably been some
limited publishing on the Inter-
net, but much of it won't appeal
to women, because women aren't
on the Internet as much. We're
not a population that tends to
be addressed. I think (the novel)
is the best-written, if not the

Before she set out to write Al-
ready Spoken For, Dr. Dunitz
read close to a dozen romance
novels to get a feel for the idiom.
Then, like any good novelist,
she drew on her own experiences
only one written," Dr. Carol Dunitz:
She says she is in the to fill in the blanks.
Cyber novelist. process of copyrighting
Dunitz says.
"I'm very good about writing
Even if she isn't the first,
Already Spoken For, about human emotions. I cer-
other scribes of purple prose prob- which went on line last month. tainly know about Detroit — I
ably haven't trained their rose- For now, it's in the public was born and raised there; I know
colored specs on the city of province of the Internet, acces- about the advertising industry —
Detroit.
sible to anyone with access to the I worked in it. As for relation-
What we learn from Chapters World Wide Web. The site is Dr. ships, of course I know about
I and II of Already Spoken For is Dunitz's home page at http://last- them," she says.
that Allison is 28 and willowy, she word.com .
Her novel doesn't aim to titil-
drives a Mazda Miata, dresses
A sampling from Chapter I:
late but to stimulate the reader's
tastefully, and is finally enjoying
"Mickey Adams rose easily and imagination, she adds.
the success of her advertising walked over to greet her. Allison
"It's somewhat steamy, be-
company. She drives along Farm- was stunned by his very presence. cause our imaginations are more
ington Road, attends a luncheon Ah, yes. He was handsome in his steamy. In some of the 1940s
in the Renaissance Center, dines photographs but not half as hand- movies, there's so much before
at the Whitney.
some as he was in person. He was they put their arms around each
Then there's Mickey — hand- taller than she expected, well over other and kiss. We're talking
some, dashing, rich Mickey, scion 6 feet. And by his trim, well- about the kind of novel that isn't
of the Mickey Adams sportswear groomed appearance, it was clear exactly in the Harlequin or Sil-
boutiques, a coveted account in he made every effort to stay in ex- houette mode, but it's kind of like
the advertising world. Will Alli- cellent physical shape. His large that. It's like you take it to bed
son win the business? Will she fall dark eyes and thick mass of and three or fours hours later
for him? He for her? Or, is he "al- straight, black hair perfectly com- you've had fun. It's not intended
ready spoken for?"
plemented his ruddy complexion. to be deep." LI
The answers are available on There was a magnetism she felt
diskette from Dr. Dunitz, who has radiate toward her even before he
`a' For more information
a doctorate in speech communica- started to speak."
about The Last Word or Al
tion, theater and journalism, and
So far, Dr. Dunitz, a vice pres-
ready Spoken For, call Dr.
runs her own writing company, ident of the American Jewish
Dunitz at (313) 747-6266.
The Last Word, out of Ann Arbor. Committee-Detroit Chapter and

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