GENRE: Contemporary Romance
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BLURB:
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.
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EXCERPT:
Finn took her hand and led her upstairs. As they approached the closed double doors, he said, “This is the room I had in mind for your office. It’s empty now, but my decorator is coming by tomorrow afternoon so you two can plan and scheme. When you see it, just remember we’ll redo it from top to bottom, flooring to light fixtures.”
“Oh my God,” she gasped as he opened the doors to a massive room featuring sky-high ceilings and windows to match. “It’s big enough to be a ballroom!”
He smiled. “You spend your life writing about the big topics, the big questions, and I hoped this big space might be inspiring.” She silently let her eyes follow the crown molding around the entire ceiling as she tried to catch her breath. He took her hand and continued showing her around. “There’s a full bathroom over here, and in this corner, there’s a walk-in closet. We could install some built-in cabinets and shelves. But just wait—I think you’ll really love this bit,” he said, leading her to a pair of doors. They stepped outside onto a large, furnished veranda with an outdoor fireplace, overlooking the entire back of the property. He rubbed her fingers and asked, “Do you think this will work for your office, sweetheart?”
“Do I think this will work?” she whispered incredulously, her voice shaking. She turned to him with tears in her eyes. “Finn, this is the nicest room in the house.”
“I think so too,” he said.
“No, I mean . . .”
“What, baby?”
“It’s just lovely beyond words that you would save this for me.”
He kissed her softly. “I’ve been picturing you here for so long, waiting to see how you would make this space your own.”
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AUTHOR :
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.
Website: https://patricialeavy.com/
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INTERVIEW:
* Did you use any of your own experience as inspiration?
After the Red Carpet was very much born from my imagination, but there are always little bits of myself that slip into the pages.
* On average, how long does the writing process take?
It’s different every time which is why I’m still in love with writing. I have one book that I drafted in ten days, another I have been writing on and off for ten years. Each book is different. That said, it usually takes me one to two months to draft a novel and then I spend ages revising.
* When did you realize you wanted a career in writing?
From the time I was five or six. My mother recently found some of my first stories, which I also illustrated and bound with old wallpaper and glue to make them look like books. On the back of one, it says I was only six years old. Despite dreaming about being an author for my entire life, I wasn’t brave enough when I was young to pursue it. I didn’t know if I could handle a life full of rejection and critique. Being an artist is tough. So, I took a different career path, became a sociology professor, and found myself writing books anyway, starting with nonfiction. Eventually, I wrote my debut novel and soon thereafter quit my tenured teaching gig and became a full-time author.
* If you weren't an author, what other career paths would you have taken?
Sociology professor. I enjoyed it.
* Out of the characters that you created, who is your favorite?
Tess Lee. She’s the protagonist in a series of novels I’ve written called The Celestial Bodies Romances. We’ll be releasing a book each spring. The first book, Shooting Stars Above, comes out March 18, 2025 and is available for preorder. I also really adore Ella Sinclair, the protagonist in The Location Shoot and After the Red Carpet. I think she’s always the coolest person in the room in the best way.
* What advice would you give to someone looking to be a writer?
Develop a relationship with your work that isn’t dependent on anything external.
* What kind of research (if any) was required for any of your books?
It’s always different. For After the Red Carpet I traveled to London to do research at a few sites. In one scene the characters attend an awards ceremony at the Royal Albert Hall in London. It had to be there because it’s a real awards ceremony and that is where it’s held. I went and took a group tour. My intention at the time was simply to take notes about what it looked like inside—an in-person experience is always so much more helpful than what you can find online. I thought I’d glean a little tidbit or detail that I’d be able to throw in. Little did I know, the history of the hall actually tied in perfectly to the major theme in my novel. 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, which had not been the original plan. They even wove the letter A into the stairway railings and had a pricey, gold memorial statue created outside, across the road from the hall. In After the Red Carpet, Ella tells Finn this history as they are walking into the venue. Finn thinks it’s romantic, but Ella isn’t so sure. She wonders if it would have been better to honor his wishes because seeing someone for who they truly are is far more important than extravagant gifts. So, you see, sometimes when you do research, you discover so much more than you anticipated, and it makes the story even stronger.
*How long after you finish a book do you start another one?
Immediately. I get so depressed leaving a story world. I miss the characters deeply. It feels like the world’s worst breakup mixed with grief. To get over it, I start the next one. Before long, I’m swept away again.
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GIVEAWAY:
Patricia Leavy will be awarding a $10 Amazon/BN gift card to a randomly drawn winner.
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