Meet Jessica Lave, author of 'Quiet on the Set'

Please give a warm welcome to author Jessica Lave. Get to know her and her new book, 'Quiet on the Set.' Be sure to leave a comment or question for her to enter the giveaway below!

What was the inspiration for this book?

I wrote this book nearly three years ago when I was having a personal struggle with what a successful college graduate was supposed to look like. Frustrated and confused, I decided to write a story about successful, talented young woman who followed her passion and was able to do well with it. It started out as a story about a career, a coveted one in the movie business, but it evolved into a story about my main character’s relationships: her professional relationships, her romances, and above all, her friendships. There’s nothing more important than the people you can call in the middle of the night, count on to tell you the truth, and be there for you no matter what.

Which character was the most fun to write?

I would say Karen, my supporting lady, was probably the most fun. I have a bit of a soft spot for the “best friend” characters—they tend to have the funnier lines and they’re usually more entertaining because the main character is too wrapped up in their own thoughts. I loved Karen even more when I went back in for editing and rewrites because I gave her a new subplot that wasn’t in the original story, and it was a really lovely tangent to work on for her.

What is one of your favorite scenes?

One of my favorite scenes is one that also was added during the revision process. Rylie has just had the director, a pretty big name, drop out of her second film project, mainly due to the meddling of her “nemesis,” and she has to figure out how to keep the film afloat. She realizes she knows another person who’s a director, though not as well-known, and she calls on him to find out first if she thinks his style is a good fit for her script, and then if he’s interested in directing his first feature film. It’s a very fast-paced scene, and it has some quippy dialogue as Rylie does her best to convince the fledging director to take on the project. Most of all, I enjoyed writing that scene because it was like the solution just fell into place as I created the conflict, and as a writer, that’s a rare but awesome feeling when it happens.

Do you have any other projects in the works?

I don’t have any more books “on the way” in terms of publishing at this time, but I am working on writing another story. It’s an international adventure/thriller type of story in which a British doctor gets locked up in an Indian prison, and his friend back home sends in a journalist, the only person willing and able to do the job, to track him down and bring him home. It’s completely unlike anything I’ve written before, and trying to write dialogue with British characters has been a challenge, but a fun one. As much as I’m enjoying working on it, I do have a couple other stories that I would like to begin editing, and there’s always another new idea lurking, daring me to start writing another story. There just are not enough hours in the day to get as much done as I’d like!

New Adult is a new genre that is rapidly gaining more ground, and you have published it a few times. What do you like about writing it?

New adult is a very natural fit for me. I’m at a stage in my life in which I’m still adjusting to the transition from youth to adulthood, and it’s very easy to put my characters into similar situations and have them work through things from their perspective. I didn’t consciously choose to write in this genre, and I’ve actually been writing in it for a few years now without realizing there was a name for it! The themes and characters that are typified within the new adult genre just fit naturally with the stories I wanted to tell. I’m just so relieved and pleased that there is a name for this genre now, and that people are starting to learn about it and gain interest in those types of stories!

Tell us about some of your other books.

Realistically Yours is the first book I published. It’s a new adult, contemporary romance, chick lit story, about a young woman trying to sort out her romantic life after the death of her first love. While it was a very painstaking process writing the first draft, I really love how it turned out in the end.

My second book is a novella called A 21^st Century Fairy Tale. It’s a fantasy mystery book, with a few new adult components as well, about a dark stranger who crops up in a small mountain town to gain a foothold in America and begin his reign of evil. However, it’s not quite as dark as it sounds—it’s more of a community-based story, focused on how the town comes together to fight the takeover. It’s a short, fun digression into fantasy, and a break from the ordinary for me and the writing I was used to doing.

You write a lot, even if you don't finish them all. What drives you to write?

I really can’t say what it is that drives me, but that is how it feels—a compulsion, not a decision. I think I’m an innately creative person, and I need to have some way to translate that creative energy into something. Most often, it’s writing, and writing is the creative outlet I enjoy the most. However, I used to draw (and may again soon), I still sew and knit on occasion, and when pressed, I can get pretty creative with reusing or repurposing things around the house, or coming up with a new way to organize my closet or my shelves.

You call yourself a filmophile. What are some of your all-time favorites?

I do love the movies, old, new, black and white, Technicolor, action, drama, comedy—I’m there for pretty much anything! I’m not as well-versed as some movie buffs, but I’m working my way there. I’m a very visual person, so movies have a natural appeal for me in that way, but I also love the stories. It’s wonderful how a movie can bring a story to life in a new way with smart dialogue, beautiful scenery, and brilliant actors.

My favorites are an odd pair, Jerry Maguire and Casablanca, and my taste is pretty eclectic. I love classics like Roman Holiday and Cool Hand Luke, I’m way too into Star Wars, and I like newer movies, too, like Goodfellas, T2: Judgment Day, and… I could go on like this forever.

I’m also really loving that it’s summer and all the big movies are coming out right now! I already saw Iron Man 3, The Great Gatsby, and Star Trek Into Darkness, and I’m looking forward to seeing Man of Steel when it comes out!

You also call yourself a bookworm. What are you reading right now and what is next on your TBR pile?

Right now, I’m mostly committed to The Tale of Findo Gask, but my TBR pile is about 3 feet high, and those are just the physical books I have! I have quite a few more on my Kindle that I need to get to at some point. After finishing with Findo, I think I’d like to wrap up a few other books that I’ve started reading a while back and haven’t finished yet, 1984, Nixonland, and The Gunslinger, mainly, before jumping into anything new.

What is something that readers may be surprised to learn about you?

I speak French. Not well, but I studied it for seven and a half years in high school and college, and became quite proficient for a while there. I’m a little out practice now, but I still read, write, listen, speak, and translate when given the opportunity!

Is there anything else you would like to add?

I want to say thank you to all my readers, my new web friends, my tour hosts and coordinators, my parents, and the universe as a whole! This has all been a wonderful experience, and I hope everyone has enjoyed reading along and learning more about me both as a writer and a less glamorous, but hopefully just as interesting, regular person. I’m so lucky to be able to share my writing and my books, and I’m so grateful to have so much support from you all!

Thank you so much for your time!

AUTHOR INFORMATION:

By day, I work in a cubicle tending to an e-commerce website. By night, I blog, I review television shows and films, and occasionally, I settle down long enough to write a novel. I’ve always had a diverse set of interests, which has led me to study everything from ethics to yoga to film, but the one thing that has stayed consistent is my enthusiasm for writing. Writing is my way of bringing all of my interests together—I may not be able to speak six languages, pick the lock on a door, or cook a five-course meal without a recipe, but I can write about a character who can, and that’s the next best thing!

Visit me on my website: http://www.jessicalave.com/

Follow me on Twitter: https://twitter.com/jessinsists

Connect with me on Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6428146.Jessica_Lave/

QUIET ON THE SET

By

Jessica Lavé

BLURB:

When her screenplay gets accepted to a local LA film festival, 23-year-old Rylie Cates heads to Tinseltown, where she is thrust into the spotlight as her career takes off.

As she struggles to live up to her newfound success, Rylie meets the people who will become her friends, her guides to the city and the movie business, and ultimately, her “LA family.”

Despite her best intentions, deciphering the politics surrounding her new career proves difficult, and she unwittingly makes a few enemies on her path to success.

Confronted by scheming studio executives, philandering movie stars, and the perpetual lure of the bottle, Rylie relies on her new friendships to help her navigate life, love, and business in Hollywood.

Read an excerpt:

A little background: This scene is from “Chapter Six: Bad Habits.” Rylie has recently had her heart broken and has wandered off to be by herself at a friend’s party when she meets Shane. They’ve already been chatting for a couple minutes in this scene:

‘You new here?’ Shane said.

‘I just moved here in May.’

‘And Wes Kern already broke your heart?’

‘Sad, but true,’ Rylie said.

‘You’ll move on. He’s just a kid having fun being famous.’

‘I hope it’s soon. Heartbreak sucks.’

‘Truer words.’ He told her about a girl who broke his heart, and it was such a sad story, she cried. Maybe for him, and maybe for herself. In five weeks, she hadn’t cried over Wes, and maybe she just was overdue. He held her, comforting her without trying to quiet her.

‘I don’t get why your date would leave you. I sure wouldn’t,’ Rylie said, sniffling.

‘I guess I’m too old.’

‘You’re not old.’

‘Too old for her.’

‘What is she, picky? You seem like a catch to me,’ Rylie said.

‘She’s twenty-five. I’m thirty-four.’

‘By that standard, you’d be too old for me, too.’

‘Yeah?’

‘Twenty-three.’

‘Wow. Am I too old for you?’

‘Age is irrelevant if you like each other.’

‘I like you. Even watching you cry, you’re beautiful.’

‘You better be careful or I might fall for you, too.’

‘Promise?’ he said. He kissed her then, gently, and she kissed him back. She couldn’t have protested if she wanted to, and she didn’t. The kiss only lasted a moment, until a few boisterous party-goers decided to skinny dip. Shane smiled, sensing their mutual embarrassment at being caught. ‘Can I take you home?’ he said.

Rylie nodded. ‘That’d be great. Thanks.’

 

Buy links: Amazon Paperback \ Kindle \ CreateSpace

Jessica will give a $20 Fandango eGift Card to one randomly drawn commenter. Follow the tour for more chances to win!