Hi N.K.! First off, congratulations on the release of Hollywood Lies. Loved it!
Thank you on both accounts! I’m pleased you enjoyed it, and I’m extremely excited for its release.
I thought it would be fun to have a Hollywood style interview today. Since Devon is a new Hollywood star and Collette is a Hollywood veteran, these questions take you through an imaginary Hollywood career. Are you ready?
Fun! Not sure if I’m ready *bites nails*
You are a new actress in Hollywood and you landed a walk-on role on a popular television series. Which series would you love to have a small role on and why?
Well, Fringe is off the air now or I would definitely say Fringe. It was such a well-written and well-executed show. And John Noble is one of the best actors around. But since Fringe is off the table, I would have to say I’d want to be on Castle so I could fangirl all over Captain Mal-uh, I mean, Nathan Fillion, or Person of Interest because like Fringe, it’s incredibly well-written with some awesome actors delivering the lines.
After a handful of successful television roles, you are chosen for a brand new series. What kind of television show would it be? Sitcom? Drama? Police drama? Medical drama? Etc...
It would be some kind of Science Fiction/Fantasy hybrid because those are the shows I find I enjoy the most. They can tackle some really huge issues without seeming like they’re preaching or directly pushing on some hot button issue.
Congratulations! Your new show was a hit and you are on your way to the big screen. If you had the chance to pick your first movie co-star, male or female, who would you pick?
For a male co-star, I’d love it to be John Noble. He’s just an amazing, absorbing actor. Of course, Sean Bean is one of my ultimate actors - you know the actors you think of when people ask impossible questions like “Who’s your favorite actor?” There is just something about Sean Bean that enraptures me.
For a female co-star, Kate Winslet or Cate Blanchett. Damn those ladies are talented. Again, they are the actors I think of when the question of favorites is asked and it’s probably because of how absorbing they are. They are incredibly well-known ladies, but just like the gentlemen mentioned above, when you go to one of their movies, you don’t see them, the celebrity, you see the character.
A few years (and movies) down the road, you have your big breakthrough role and you’re nominated for an Oscar. What kind of dress would you wear? Who is your date?
Well first, I’m overwhelmed and shocked to be nominated. What an honor. I’m sure my 9th grade drama teacher didn’t see this coming at all. As for the dress, it would probably be a simple black strappy thing with low or no heeled shoes.
My date? Well, if I don’t take my husband, I think he’d probably get pissed, so I’ll go with the man who has been my date for twelve years :)
Now that you are a bonafide movie star and you are given the opportunity to choose one book you would love to turn into a movie. Which book would you choose? Which role would you play?
The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern. Since I’m obviously a very talented actor, I would choose the lead role of Celia Bowen.
This has been one of my top reads in the past few years. It’s so enchanting and beautiful. Celia, of course is the lead, but more than that, she’s captivating. I picture her in gorgeous ankle length dresses with beautiful flowing hair. Despite what some could consider a lousy upbringing, she’s a good person who maintains that childlike wonder through it all.
After so many years, you’ve decided that it is time to go behind the camera. Would you rather be a director, producer, or screenwriter? Or something else?
I think screenwriting would be a natural role for me, but I think with years of Hollywood training under my belt, I’d love to try my hand at all three eventually. Probably not with one project as I think collaboration during the creative process is essential.
What did you think? Was that fun?
That was incredibly fun, but you forgot my lifetime achievement award. :) Thank you so much for thinking of those questions and taking me on a tour of my faux-Hollywood life.
Now, a few questions about Hollywood Lies...
The story of Devon and Collette takes the reader on a rollercoaster of virtually every emotion. How did you come up with the story?
It’s a story that’s slowly been building for a while. I’ve mentioned a couple of times (on other blogs) that back in the late nineties articles started coming out that were focused more on the lead actors’ relationship than the movie itself. I thought it was intriguing how the conversation had switched from “So see and support this amazing movie” to “Go see this movie because these two actors who fell in love are in it!”
In the early 2000s there was a movie that portrayed two Hollywood stars who were supposed to be sweethearts but hated each other.
Those two things really got me to think about how the reality we see on magazine covers isn’t exactly reality. I started thinking about how actors are commodities and are used after filming to drive box office sales. I mean, they’ve always promoted films, but there seems to have been a shift between using them to promote a film and using their lives--every minute of it--to promote it.
The story was born out of a thought that what we see isn’t exactly the truth of it all.
Following Devon through his rise to fame was almost exhausting. There were times when I wanted to hug him and times where I could have slapped him silly. What was it like for you to watch him go through these rough events? How about Collette?
I think, like you, I wanted to hold his hand through it and also shake some sense into him. The thing about Devon is that he’s young. He doesn’t even know what he wants out of life. He’s still trapped between adolescence and adulthood. So when you throw fame and fortune into the mix, the confusion within him becomes a certainty. All he knows is that he knows nothing.
For Collette, I want her to wake up and realize she’s in charge of her life, no matter what it might seem. She’s wounded and like a lot of people, she has allowed that wound to drive her life. She’s allowed that wound push her around a little bit and influence her decisions. While I think she has a lot of sage advice for a newbie actor, she doesn’t have a great handle on herself yet either.
I love the insight an author has towards their characters. If they were real people and you could give them one piece of advice to Devon and Collette (either as a couple or as individuals), what would it be?
For Collette, I’d tell her to trust just a little more. Not everyone in the world wants a pound of flesh from her, and without risk, things can’t change for the better.
For Devon, I’d tell him to listen to that quiet voice within him and realize that he has the answers he’s seeking, he just has to be still and quiet long enough to hear and recognize them for what they are.
As a character, Liliana fascinated me. We see so many young actors and actresses that unfortunately become victims of Hollywood’s pressure. What do you see in her future? Would you consider writing her story?
This is an interesting question. In a way Liliana fascinates me, too. I don’t see her as becoming a victim at all. I see her being very shrewd and owning Hollywood and celebrity life. I see her as being someone very attuned to manipulating her world to what she wants it to be.
Would I consider writing her story? Absolutely. In fact, since reading this question, I’ve given thought to her story and it is something I would invest time into writing. Would you want to read it? She’s not going to be people’s favorite character in Hollywood Lies, but there is something interesting about her. A little mysterious because her motives aren’t clear, a little dangerous because she’s (in a way) very much out for herself, and a little annoying because she’s so young and thinks she knows everything.
I think it would absolutely interesting to explore her story more.
Lastly, what would you say to a new reader to persuade them to buy Hollywood Lies? How is it different from other books?
Hollywood Lies gives a probable inside peek at the lives of celebrities. It holds no punches, glosses over nothing, and gives you the good with the bad. It also comes with two distinct points of view, giving the reader more than just one side of the story. It’s a love story that’s pitted with outside influences and internal struggles and shows not just a relationship, but a realistic relationship.
Thank you so much for stopping by. Congratulations on the release!! I loved the emotional roller coaster Hollywood Lies took me on. It was my first time to read one of your books and I know it won’t be the last.
You are very kind, not just for your words, but also hosting me on your blog. Thank you so much for doing what you do. Book bloggers are the best because they share their love and passion for stories with others.
* * * * * * * *
The web is cast when Stroud, a woman with a few skeletons in her closet, hires two young artists in her low-budget film. She handpicks Liliana Addison and Devon Maddox to be Hollywood’s next big stars. Former child star Liliana has had limited success with her previous roles but hopes to take the world by storm under Collette’s tutelage. While Devon is an out of work actor, he never stops dreaming about making it big. The director’s interest in him assures Devon his dreams are about to become reality.
Sparks between Collette and Devon set their lives ablaze, but the studio has other plans. Executives concoct a fictitious romance in order to drive box office sales and launch careers between Devon and Liliana. When the studio offers to make the young actors into bona fide stars, will the price be too high to pay, or will the deal be too sweet to pass up?
Can the trio handle the pressure of a hidden romance coupled with a phony public relationship? Will love be enough to conquer the promise of fame, fortune, and a lasting legacy, or will it be an easy sacrifice?
All three will tread the thin line of Hollywood Lies and genuine passion on the most important red carpet walk of their lives.
* * * * * * * *
Author Bio:
Based in the American Midwest, N.K. Smith is a Technical Writer for a Fortune 100 company. The author of the Old Wounds Series, she is a mother of two who finds the time to write very early in the morning when the rest of the world is still fast asleep.
Based in the American Midwest, N.K. Smith is a Technical Writer for a Fortune 100 company. The author of the Old Wounds Series, she is a mother of two who finds the time to write very early in the morning when the rest of the world is still fast asleep.
An avid lover of history, art, music, books, and people, she is interested in telling stories that speak to the human condition.
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