https://authorpaulaljones.weebly.com/books.html
You, Me, And Reality looks like an exciting story. Can you tell us a little about it?
Sure! This is a story about a Luanne Smith, a young woman
from the Deep South who feels stuck. It's as if every opportunity for success
in life and happiness is just out of reach. Her feelings stem from her strong
desire to explore her interest in acting. But she's spent her entire life in
one of Louisiana's poorest communities, and so dreams of acting feel a million
miles away.
Any plans to turn it
into a series?
Though Luanne's story may continue on in the imaginations of
the reader's who love it, this is a standalone book.
How long did it take
you to write You, Me, And Reality?
It took me about a total of eight or nine months to write
the book. I started writing it in 2020, got distracted by writing other books,
forgot about it, and then came across the manuscript this year and decided to
finish it. I image this happens to a lot of authors who love to write and are
perpetually distracted!
What motivated you to
become a writer?
I've loved to write since I was a little kid. I remember
writing poems at five years old, but I didn't realize I was writing poems, I
was just writing strings of words that I thought sounded pretty together. So,
I'm not really sure what the motivation is. It's like breathing. It's a natural
process that I can't really help.
How did you come up with the title to your book?
The title, YOU, ME, AND REALITY, reflects the love story
that unfolds in the book (you, me) and the reality show that Luanne ends up
participating in (reality). Also, the words seemed to rhyme. So, though the
title probably could have been better, I thought, "This is cute. Why not
go with it?"
Can you tell us a little about Luanne Smith?
Luanne Smith has always wanted to be a Los Angeles-based
actor, but she works at a bakery in Louisiana.
Both of her parents were actors, and before their untimely
deaths they chased their dreams by leaving Louisiana and moving to Hollywood.
Lu wishes she had the same courage. But at 24 years old she
has yet to leave her job at the bakery, let alone Louisiana. She feels stuck
and hopeless.
Everything changes one evening, when a Hollywood producer
glides into the bakery with a life-changing offer.
Days later, Lu finds herself on the set of a reality show in
Los Angeles.
But as she embarks on her LA adventure, Lu realizes that
some of Hollywood’s terrain is dangerous. At this point, Lu's story takes a
dark turn.
What part of the book was the most fun to write?
The opening chapters that focus on Lu's humdrum routine of a
life and her budding romance with her best friend, Samuel. That was sooooo much
fun to write!
What was your hardest scene/section to write?
When Lu ends up in Los Angeles and finds herself in new
terrain, navigating a darker side of Hollywood the book became more challenging
for me. It's difficult for me to write scenes that put my favorite characters
in life-threatening situations because I don't want anything bad to happen to
them, but I want the scene to be realistic. I really struggled with the second
half of the book because of this.
What do you like to do when not writing?
When I'm not working on my personal writing projects, I enjoy helping other people shape up their manuscripts and self-publish their books. In fact, just before this interview, I was helping a fellow Indie Author upload her manuscript to Amazon.
I also work as a writer for a local news station and that allows me to occasionally interview interesting people and tell their stories.
As far as non-writing related hobbies go, I love creating
vegan recipes, watching quirky indie movies, taking long, relaxing walks, and
traveling to new places!
Where can readers
find out more about your work?
Readers are welcomed to visit my website at: https://authorpaulaljones.weebly.com/ and
chat with me on Twitter at @PaulaLHarvey