Today, I have author Chanel L. Faye in the interview chair. We’re discussing her latest release Hollywood Love, a contemporary romance. Be sure to check out the excerpt.
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1. First, what’s your favourite scene in the book? Not in regards to writing, but reading, and why?
Chanel: My favorite scene is when the two friends reveal their feelings for each other as I feel that is when the story protagonist starts working with issues she’s been avoiding.
2. If you had to do it all over again, would you change anything in your book?
Chanel: No. I wrote and rewrote the book that I feel all that needed to be on the book is there.
3. What do you love most about your two main characters?
Chanel: Alex’s patience with Jordan and he’s wiliness to show how important she is to him. Jordan finally dealing the issues from her past that kept preventing her from finding love.
4. What makes you want to shake your two main characters?
Chanel: Jordan letting her insecurities and her exes actions impact her relationship with Alex. Alex not realizing his feelings for Jordan sooner.
5. If you could spend time with one character from your book, who would it be? And what would you do during that day?
Chanel: Jordan and her friends. And it will be spent at the beach playing beach volleyball.
6. If your two main characters dined together, what would they cook up? It can be breakfast, lunch, dinner, or even a snack.
Chanel: It will be waffles and chicken with sweet chili sauce for breakfast.
7. How did you come up with the title for your book?
Chanel: Alex is an aspiring actor in a place that puts importance to how a person looks and Jordan deals with insecurities that deal with her self-esteem and this was about finding love beyond just your looks.
8. If your book was made into a film, who would you like to play the leads?
Chanel: For now I don’t see anyone that could play the leads. Maybe the casting directors will cast fresh new faces for the film.
9. If your book was a candle, what scent would it be and why?
Chanel: Ocean scented.
10. If your book had a theme song, what would it be and why?
Chanel: Ed Sheeran ft Yebba-Best Part of Me.
11. If your book was a colour, what would it be and why?
Chanel: A vibrant red.
12. If a reader asked you why they should read your book, what would you tell them?
Chanel: If they are looking for all the feels of seeing two imperfect people falling in love than this book is for them.
13. What can we expect from you in the future?
Chanel: I’m working on a romance suspense book to be released in 2022.
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Book Title: Hollywood Love
Series: N/A
Author: Chanel L. Faye
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Heat Rating: 4
Book Length: 52,000 words, 222 pages
Publication Date: October 14, 2021
Publisher: Self-Published
Is true love even possible in a city built on broken dreams? There’s only one way to find out…
Blurb: Nursing student Jordan Madison wasn’t looking for love. Her broken engagement proved how devastating that could be. But then she met a sweet, kind, and devastatingly handsome aspiring actor who made her question everything. The fact that he has a girlfriend back home means she needs to keep him in the friendzone…even though what she really wants is quite the opposite…
Alex Miller was chasing a dream. He left his entire life in Seattle behind to move to Los Angeles. And frankly, it was all a little lonely and overwhelming—until he met Jordan. Becoming her friend is the best thing that’s happened to him in a long time. It would be so easy to fall for her. Too bad he can’t ever let that happen…
Can Jordan and Alex overcome all that stands between them—including the ghosts of his and her past—to find a screen-worthy happily ever after? Or will their story end like a Hollywood tragedy?
The reclaimed wooden table shook, spilling my tea on the floor. Soft music played on my headphones, anatomy and biology books laid out before me.
“Oof.”
I heard it through the music. I removed the headphones and looked up to grey-blue eyes that had an apologetic look to them. A fluttering started in my stomach as his eyes pierced through me.
“I’m so sorry, Miss,” the man said with a smile on his handsome, squared face. “I wasn’t looking where I was going. I can buy you another tea if you don’t mind.”
Reluctantly, I looked away from his eyes to the table to see if any tea had spilled onto my books but saw no stains. I sighed gratefully. “No, that’s okay, I was done anyway.”
I gave a small smile and started packing up the books, putting them in my book bag.
“Are you sure? I feel bad,” he said, picking up the plastic coffee cup from the floor and putting it back on the table.
“No, that’s fine, thanks for the offer though,” I said as I rose from the table and headed toward the door of the café.
7 hours later.
“Great! You got back just at the right time, Jordan,” my brother said as I walked through the double doors of his bar.
“What’s up? Why are you so excited?”
My eyes narrowed as I strolled toward the wooden bar area with soft lighting and pale brown pastel interior, where he was cleaning glasses.
“Well, the stock just got in, so I’m going to need help before Tess comes in for her shift,” he said with a grin on his face. “Now before you say no, just remember, you’re living with me rent-free,” he chuckled, placing the glasses down.
“Why can’t Tess do it when she gets in?”
“She’ll be getting in just before happy hour starts and that’ll be too late. Please. Pretty please?” He pouted.
“Alright,” I said with a groan as I placed my book bag down on the ground next to the bar counter and started to put away warm beer and liquor from the crate that my brother brought from the storage room. The cold air of the refrigerator hit my face as I opened it to place the beers. “But it’ll just be a minute because I need to study. I have a test tomorrow.”
He put up his hands. “Hey, as long as the front fridges are full of beer, I’ll be happy. I’m going to the back to get more.”
The music on my headphones made stocking the fridges more tolerable.
“Excuse me?” I heard through the music and I turned toward the voice. My heart jumped. It was the cute guy from the café. His grey-blue eyes had been on my mind the whole day.
I removed the headphones. “Hi, can I help you?”
“Hey, I know you,” he said. His smile grew bigger.
“Um, yes. We met this morning. Well not really, but we talked.” My heart flip-flopped as I approached the bar counter where he stood.
“I hope I didn’t ruin your morning tea. You sure left in a hurry.”
He sat down and played with a stoneware beer coaster.
“Yeah, sorry about that. I was late for class. Can I get you a drink?” I asked while trying not to stare at his handsome face with a gleam in his eyes.
“A beer, please.”
I grabbed the beer from the fridge and placed it on the coaster. “Happy hour doesn’t start for another hour.”
“With the day I’ve had, happy hour starts now,” he said, squeezing his eyes shut and twisting his bow-shaped mouth.
“Aww, bad day?” I asked as I finished putting beer into the fridges.
“Bad audition, more like it. By the way, my name is Alex. Nice to meet you.” He grinned, extending his hand to me.
“Jordan,” I said as I grasped his hand, sending heat down my arm.
Behind me, I heard grunting sounds as my brother returned carrying a crate of beer and placing it on the floor. “Wow, those are heavy,” he gasped, wiping his coffee-colored face with his hand.
“Do you need a hand?” Alex asked.
“No, these will last for tonight, and we can’t be letting our customers carry stock for us,” my brother laughed.
“Good, you’re back. Now I can head upstairs,” I smirked at my brother.
“Come on, just wait until Tess gets here. Plus, you can’t leave a customer alone. “He turned to Alex. “He might need another beer.”
“Eric,” I said to my brother. “Meet Alex.”
Eric laughed, extending his hand to Alex. “Nice to meet you, man.”
“Likewise,” Alex said.
“So when this Tess arrives, can I buy you a drink to make up for this morning?” Alex focused his eyes on me.
“You don’t have to, it was a mistake. Could have happened to anyone.”
A wistfully thoughtful expression crossed his face. “I was just distracted this morning with the audition and didn’t see your table.”
“So you’re an actor, then? Might I have seen you in something?” I asked jokingly.
Alex gave a short laugh. “No, more like an aspiring actor. Just recently moved to Los Angeles to try my luck. What about you? You mentioned a class earlier on.” He had finished his beer and began tapping the side of the bottle.
“Can I get you another one?”
“Yes, please.”
I grabbed another beer and handed it over. Eric was at the end of the bar trying not to listen in to our conversation.
“I’m training to be a nurse, my second career,” I smiled.
“Second career?”
“Yes, I worked in sales and marketing before I went to Nursing College,” I answered as I sat down.
“Why change?” He chuckled. “I’m sorry, am I asking too many questions? My friends say I can grill like a lawyer.”
I laughed, my eyes taking in his strong jaw, straight nose, light brown bushy eyebrows, and short dark brown hair, with a curl across his forehead. The bar doors opened and two male customers walked to the bar counter, where Eric assisted them.
I glanced at the customers and turned back to Alex. “I left my first job when my mother got too sick to take care of herself, and after she died, I volunteered at retirement homes, where I realized I liked nursing.”
Alex touched my hand. “I’m sorry about your mother.”
“Thank you. She died two years ago,” I said.
“I’m sorry about your mother. I know it was two years ago, but it must be hard still,” Alex said.
I turned to hide away the tears moistening my eyes. “Thanks. I’m fine.”
“How’s your father?”
I took a deep breath. “He passed away when I was two and Eric was ten years old, so now it’s just the three of us.”
I could see that he wanted to probe further, but the doors to the bar opened again and in sauntered Tess, wearing a black T-shirt with a metal band printed on it and jeans torn at the knees. Tess had been Eric’s bartender since he had opened the bar five years ago.
“Tess, thank goodness,” I exclaimed as I got up from the bar stool and hugged her. The evening Happy Hour crowd was starting to fill up the bar’s tan booths, Eric busying writing down their orders.
“Hi, Jordan. So Eric has been keeping you behind the bar, huh?” Tess said with a grin on her face, her red hair curling around her round face, her green eyes twinkling with laughter.
“You got it, and I have a test tomorrow.”
“Get out of here. I’ve got it now.”
She turned towards Alex. “Do you want another drink, sir?”
“No, I think this one will be my last. But I still owe you a tea or a drink,” Alex said to me.
I smiled and touched my soft short curls with my hand. “Sure, I guess you do.” Tess glanced at the two of us as she straightened the glasses on the back bar countertop and checked the liquor.
“Yo, Eric,” I called to him from the other side of the bar where he was serving customers.
Eric draped a dish towel over his shoulder as he turned and walked toward me. “Yes, Jordan? Are you making your escape now?”
“I’ll help again tomorrow, I promise. Just have to ace the test first.”
Grabbing my book bag, I slung it on my right shoulder and turned to Alex. “It was good to meet you.”
“Till next time,” he said with a slight smile on his face.
I headed to the stairs that lead to my apartment.
My mind was lost in thought. Why had I opened myself up to a stranger? Normally, it took me a while to warm up to people, but it had been easy to talk to Alex. The fact that I had talked about my mother surprised me more than anything. I bit the inside of my mouth as the raw scar in my heart left from my mother’s death started to ache.
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Chanel L. Faye first fall in love with book boyfriends when she was in her early teens. She now writes book boyfriends that she hopes her readers will fall in love with. She loves travelling and is a citizen of the world. Professionally, Chanel is a media broadcaster. Her happy place is near the beach.
Find Chanel: Web Site | Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads | Instagram | Tik-Tok
Maggie Blackbird 