Interview with Patricia Leavy
After the Red Carpet is a cozy romance.
It’s the second book that follows Ella Sinclair and Finn Forrester. In the
first book, The Location Shoot, the pair meet on a film set in Sweden. Finn is
starring in the movie and Ella is a free-spirited philosopher who is friends
with the director. The book ends when Finn proposes to Ella on the red carpet
at the Cannes Film Festival, captivating the press and public with their
real-life fairy tale. After the Red Carpet is about what happens next. They vow
to prioritize their romance and live an adventure of their own making. Ella
moves into Finn’s Beverly Hills mansion and must adjust to his world. Finn,
secretly afraid of losing Ella, is determined to make everything perfect for
his betrothed. Meanwhile, Ella wants nothing more than to retain her own
identity as they build their new life together. All the while, she is writing a
philosophical treatise on love, exploring the question: when we love so deeply,
where do we end and where does the other begin? Really, this is a sweet and
whimsical Hollywood story perfect for a romantic escape, but really, it’s about
things a lot of us deal with—merging your life with someone else, trying to
retain “me” in a “we,” and starting a family.
Do you come up
with the hook first, or do you create characters first and then dig through
until you find a hook?
It never happens the same way twice
which is why I’m still so in love with writing. That said, my books are
definitely character and relationship driven, so I usually have a clear sense
of who the characters are and then let their story unfold from there.
Which of your own
characters would you like to have lunch with?
Honestly, in this
book, all of them. Finn is completely dreamy. Ella is the type of woman
everyone wants to be friends with—she’s smart, funny, and kind. Her bestie,
Marni, is sarcastic and snarky, which is always fun. And Jean Mercier, the
filmmaker who originally got them together, is a creative genius although
dystopian, dark, and a bit twisted. I think it would be fun to hang out with
him.
Tell us about what you are reading at the moment or anticipate reading in
the future? Any favorite authors you enjoy reading in your spare time?
There are so many I love, but I do know a
lot of authors personally, so I try not to pick favorites. A few on my
bookstack right now: Emily Henry, Colleen Hoover, Sarahlyn Bruck. Presently,
I’m reading a nonfiction book about an artist named Wanda Gag.
Which of your own
books would you like to live in?
After the Red Carpet. It’s a total fairy
tale.
What do you do when
you have free time?
I’m obsessed with
movies and my husband and I try to see a couple a week in the theater. I also
love art, and write nonfiction books about art, so I go to a lot of museums,
galleries, plays, concerts. I spend a lot of my life alone in my office lost in
my story worlds, so I make time for regular hang outs with close friends too.
How do you approach
character development in your stories? Do you have any specific techniques or
methods that you find particularly effective?
I really try to listen to the characters
and let them teach me. I also pay attention to how others view them and how
they make those around them feel. You can learn a lot about a person by how
other people feel in their presence.
What do you believe
sets your writing apart from others in your genre, and why should readers choose
to read your books?
My novels are cozy and meant to wrap
readers in a hug. Some people describe them as escapist, feel-good, comfort
reads. I adore a happy ending, one filled with love, maybe a lesson, and a
touch of empowerment or hope. My novels are character and dialogue-driven. If
you prefer lots of description about surroundings, my books may not be your cup
of tea. While my novels are romantic and do include humor—smart girl humor—they
are not rom-coms (a genre I adore, but not one I write). Really, my novels are
about love itself. All-encompassing, cozy, affectionate, sexy, messy,
confusing, inexplicable, meant-to-be, once-in-a-lifetime love. At the core, my
novels are about relationships and self-discovery. Plots are less important
than the central relationships. When there is a kidnapping, accident, or death
threat, which is rare, it’s always used as a device for the characters to learn
more about themselves and how to love each other better. A lot of romance
novels have pretty toxic relationships—people who treat each other badly before
they treat each other well. That’s fine, but it’s not what I do. My characters
are aspirational. They always treat each other well, although some do have
major struggles, but they are internal, not external. So if you’re in love with
love itself, and you’re looking for characters who “do” love well, my books are
for you.
Can you discuss any
upcoming projects or books that you're currently working on? What can readers
expect from your future works?
My
novel Shooting Stars Above is the first book in a romance series I’ve written
called The Celestial Bodies Romances. It will be out in March 2025 and we’ll be
releasing a new book in that series each spring. For fans of After the Red
Carpet, Ella and Finn’s story continues in a final book coming out in September
2025 but we’re keeping the title under wraps for now. One tidbit, it takes
place decades after The Location Shoot and After the Red Carpet.
AFTER THE RED CARPET
For fans of Tessa Bailey and Hannah Grace, After the Red Carpet is a feel-good, contemporary celebrity romance about what happens after the fairy-tale beginning as two lovers work toward their own true meaning of “happily ever after.
After legendary Hollywood star Finn Forrester proposed to philosopher Ella Sinclair on the red carpet at the Cannes Film Festival, the couple captivated the press and public with their real-life fairy tale. Now they vow to prioritize their romance and live an adventure of their own making. Ella moves into Finn’s Beverly Hills mansion and must adjust to his world. Finn, secretly afraid of losing Ella, is determined to make everything perfect for his betrothed. Meanwhile, Ella wants nothing more than to retain her own identity as they build their new life together. All the while, she is writing a philosophical treatise on love, exploring the question: when we love so deeply, where do we end and where does the other begin?
In
this highly anticipated follow-up to The Location Shoot, will Ella and Finn
finally live the life they’ve dreamed of? See how their epic romance unfolds,
after the red carpet.
Excerpt
Three:
Finn and Ella strolled down the long red carpet at the famed
Royal Albert Hall, arm in arm behind the rest of the Celebration team.
“Somehow I’ve never been here before,” Finn said.
“Well, you’re in for a treat. It’s extraordinary inside.
Concerts here are wonderful.”
“I’ll have to get us tickets sometime.”
“Funny story about how this place came to be. Prince Albert
wanted to create a hall to celebrate the arts and sciences, to bring culture to
the people. He died before it was completed, and Queen Victoria insisted it
should be named after him. They even wove the letter A into the stairway
railings. Then of course she had that obscenely pricey, gold memorial statue
created outside, across the road from the hall. She spent the rest of her life
wearing black, to show her deep mourning.”
“She must have really loved him.”
Ella shrugged.
“What?” Finn asked.
“Oh, I don’t know. I’m sure she did love him, in her own
way, but perhaps it would have meant more to simply realize his vision. He
wanted this place to be about the arts, not about him. Love isn’t about gold
statues or opulence. The grandest gesture is seeing someone for who they are
and honoring what’s important to them.”
AUTHOR Bio and Links:
Patricia Leavy, PhD, is an award-winning, best-selling author. She was formerly Associate Professor of Sociology, Chairperson of Sociology & Criminology, and Founding Director of Gender Studies at Stonehill College. She has published more than forty books; her work has been translated into many languages, and she has received more than one hundred book honors. Her last novel, The Location Shoot, was featured on Ms. Career Girl‘s “10 Perfect Books to Get Your Fall Reading List Started” and was the 2023 Firebird Book Awards 1st Place Winner in 4 categories: Contemporary Novel, Pop Culture Fiction, Romance and Summer Beach Read. Patricia has also received career awards from the New England Sociological Association, the American Creativity Association, the American Educational Research Association, the International Congress of Qualitative Inquiry, and the National Art Education Association. In 2018, she was honored by the National Women’s Hall of Fame and SUNY-New Paltz established the “Patricia Leavy Award for Art and Social Justice.” Patricia lives in Maine. In addition to writing, she enjoys art, reading, and travel.
5 comments:
Looks like a good book.
Thank you so much for hosting today.
This looks like a great read. Thanks for sharing.
Sounds like a good read.
I enjoyed the interview.
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