Title: Hollywood Lies Author: N.K. Smith
Published: June 20th 2013 by The Writer's Coffee Shop
Page Count: 186
Genre: Contemporary Romance, Erotic
Description: In a world where make believe is a multibillion dollar industry, it’s hard to know where the fantasy ends and real life begins. When Collette Stroud, an influential Hollywood actor and director, takes a chance on two young actors for her romantic teen movie, three lives converge in a complicated web of publicity, passion, lust, and lies.
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.
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4 out of 5 starsHollywood Lies takes you behind the scenes and into the lives of those in the celebrity world. Told from Devon's and Cole's points of view, the story goes beyond what the fans see and deep into their lives, invading into their thoughts, feelings, emotions, hopes, and regrets.
Devon is an actor looking for his big break. He really is your typical guy next door type – sweet, smart, and sexy. Collette is a child actress turned director and hates the limelight. While she loves her work, she does everything she can to keep her private life private – not always easy to do in Hollywood. Liliana is an up and coming actress – again your typical girl next door type. Hollywood Lies revolves around these three characters and the struggles they go through in their everyday life as celebrities.
I love that we got to meet Devon and Liliana before they were big stars so we got to see who they really were before they got caught up in the Hollywood lifestyle. I really liked Devon, maybe even more so because of the fact that he was far from perfect. He made mistakes, and he eventually owned up to them. I would have loved to see more of Liliana in the story. She was kind of hidden behind Devon and Cole even though she ultimately played a large role in the story.
Overall, this was a great book and super steamy as well!
Q & A with N.K. Smith
Q. Tell us a little bit about your main characters, Liliana, Devon, and Collette.
A: All three are actors in various stages of their career. Collette is a seasoned (and jaded) pro who has moved on from acting to directing. She needs a few unknown actors for her low-budget teen flick. Enter Devon and Liliana. Liliana’s career began when she was just a child, but she hasn’t achieved the kind of fame she really wants. And Devon? Well, Devon’s never been satisfied with his life. He’s always felt as though there was more out there for him. His dissatisfaction and ingratitude follows him as he begins his “new life” as a Hollywood star.
A: What was your favorite scene to write?
Q: One of my favorites was probably Lili and Devon's walk in the Spanish gardens. It was a lot of flirtation, some anxiety about being out in public, and some surrealism by having this ultra-private moment while surrounded by security guards blocking out fans with cellphone cameras.
Q: If you could be any character from your book, who would you be and why?
A: I think I would want to be Devon's friend Brady. He gets to stay out of the fray. He's got a sweetheart he loves, doesn't have to be thrown into the limelight, and is otherwise just a fun guy.
Q: How has your environment/upbringing colored your writing?
A: Environment and upbringing colors everything. It gave me the drive to write as well as the ability to do so, but also the themes in my life are typically the themes I deal with in the stories I write. I don't think my personal environment and upbringing colored Hollywood Lies as much as other novels, but I think growing up in a celebrity obsessed culture has lead me to writing a book like this. Growing up, I cared about what celebrities did, who they dated, what they wore, what they thought. To this day, I have to argue with myself on whether or not I should click that Celebrity Gossip link.
Q: What is your work schedule like when you're writing?
A: It's incredibly boring. Are you sure you want to know? When I'm writing I get up around 4:15 or 4:30 in the morning, I write for about an hour and a half, then get ready for my job. I commute, work, write on my hour lunch break, commute, spend time with my family, and if I'm lucky, go to bed before 11 at night.
Q: Do you have any hidden talents?
A: Beyond telling stupid jokes that make my kids laugh, sadly, I do not. I was in drama in high school, but I'm not sure anyone could stretch to call that a "talent." Oh, here's one (maybe), I can figure out "Whodunnit" within the first five minutes of any crime show. Is that a talent, or what? :)
Q: What book are you reading now?
A: I am currently reading three books: The Storytelling Animal by Jonathan Gottschall, If You Meet the Buddha on the Road, Kill Him by Sheldon Kopp, and A Decade of Hope by Dennis Smith. I will be starting Cloud Atlas by David Mitchell soon(ish).
About the Author: 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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