1. Hello Hollywood is book two in the Backstage Pass series. Should readers pick up a copy of Stars Collide first?
Hello Hollywood can be read alone. However, the story’s heroine (Athena) is introduced in Stars Collide. So, if you want to get to know her (and the backstory about the sitcom) it would help to read Stars Collide first. This would also give the reader insight into the characters of Kat, Scott and Lenora. Good news! Stars Collide is currently free in e-book form. Check it out at amazon and/or Barnes and Noble
2. How much of your screenwriting experience did you draw from to create the character of Athena?
Whether I’m writing a screenplay, a stage play or a novel, the process is much the same. I always see the story in my head, much like a movie! It’s great fun to translate what I see to the page. What bliss! I should add that my time in L.A. (writing the movie Liar’s Moon) was such a blast! That experience played heavily into my decision to write the “Backstage Pass” series.
3. You actually lived in L.A. and worked in the movie business for a while. Can you tell us about your time there?
If I close my eyes, I can flash back to a kinder, gentler era. No, not the fifties. Not even the sixties. My "kinder/gentler" era took place in the late 70s, when my father decided to move our family from the Houston area to Los Angeles.
Yep, it's true. I lived in L.A. when I was eighteen. Why? Because my father had illusions of grandeur. Like gazillions who had walked the road before (and after) him, he wanted to get in the movie business. Unlike most, my father actually had connections - writers, directors and so forth. He was also filled with ideas. So, off we went, traveling from Houston to L.A.
I still remember the home we rented--a two-story, five-bedroom house in Bel-Air West (directly off of Mulholland) with a fabulous pool and hot tub in the back yard. The area behind our home was a canyon (one that actually caught on fire)!
While writing "Liar's Moon" (the movie that would go on to be filmed starring Matt Dillon and Cindy Fisher), I worked at Tele-Credit (a check verification company on Avenue of the Stars in L.A.). I also (of course!) spent time at Malibu Beach. (What eighteen-year-old wouldn't?) My favorite thing to do, however, was to drive through Hollywood Hills. Oh, how I loved looking at those houses!
Jump ahead from 1977 to 2010:
I came up with the idea to write Hello Hollywood (book two in the Backstage Pass series). The goal? To relive my time in Los Angeles and to pay tribute to my dad. Over the next several weeks I'll be sharing more details about my time in L.A. (as well as a host of other things related to the book). I hope you'll enjoy this journey with me. In the meantime, click the link below to purchase a copy of Hello Hollywood for yourself! (By the way, the cover below is the original cover. It has been changed, due to a copyright issue. Look for a blog entry in a few days about the dog on the cover!)
4. Tell us about your fascination with sitcoms.
"Hello. My name is Janice and I grew up addicted to sitcoms."
Oh, how I loved 'em as a kid! Side-splitting laughs, crazy characterization, a rollicking good time. Who could ask for more? Why, I could hardly wait to get home from school to watch some of my favorites.
Here are the ones at the top of my list:
- My Three Sons
- Leave it to Beaver
- I Love Lucy
- Mary Tyler Moore
- The Dick Van Dyke Show
- The Brady Bunch
- The Courtship of Eddie's Father
- Family Affair
- Newhart
- The Flying Nun
On and On I Could Go!
So, what captivated me? Why did I spend countless hours watching these television shows? Simple. They placed quirky characters into exaggerated situations...situations that caused those characters to squirm!
Many people ask why I write comedy. The reasons are many, but near the top of the list is this one: I love putting quirky characters into sticky situations. What fun! And that's exactly what I did in Hello Hollywood,
5. I hear there’s a funny story about the dog on the cover of Hello Hollywood. Could you tell us a little more about that?
When I set out to write Hello Hollywood I hadn't given thought to adding a dog. A phone call from my awesome editor changed my mind in a hurry. Her opening line: "Hey, what do you think about adding a dog to the story?" was met with a resounding "Yes!" on my end. (I'm a dog lover, after all.) Because the story is about a Greek family it only made sense to add a Greek dog. With the help of my awesome friend (and dog-sitter) Heather Tipton, the "Greek Domestic Dog" breed was chosen. Little did I know what havoc this decision would wreak with it came time to shoot the cover of the book!
I found out in the fall of 2010 that the photographer was having trouble locating a Greek Domestic dog and might have to go with another breed. Bummer, right? Wrong! While browsing the Internet, he happened to locate just the right dog--a Greek Domestic dog named Gus who'd been rescued from a shelter about an hour outside of D.C. Ironically, the photographer happened to be going to D.C. for Thanksgiving. (Go God!)
Gus sat for the cover (and did a fine job, I might add). Then, just a couple weeks ago (right after the book's release) I received a note from a newspaper reporter in Virginia, wanting to do a story about Gus and his big "break" as a cover model. What fun! The reporter put me in touch with Gus's owners and we exchanged emails. I'm indebted to Gus and his owners! In fact, I decided to put together a little gift package for my canine friend. It was sent (along with a photo of my two dachshunds, Sasha and Copper) just this week. A thousand thanks, Gus!
6. I’ve noticed that most of your books have a comedic flair. Why do you write comedy?
From the time I was a little girl, I was the happy-go-lucky sort. Giggly. Goofy. My mom always called me a ham because of my overly-dramatic style. Not that I minded. Oh no. Drama was my thing. And performing comedy on the stage was the thing that made me happiest. Then I grew up. . .and life happened. Unfortunately, some of the events of my grown-up life weren’t funny. In fact, they were pretty tragic. Still, through my faith and my innate desire to keep on keepin’ on, I managed to keep my smile intact much of the time.
When I began to think about writing books for a living about fourteen years ago, I decided to take the humorous approach because I believe that “laughter doeth good, like a medicine.” In many ways it’s just he “ointment” we need to get through a rough time. Not only do these humorous stories transport readers, they lift my spirits, as well. And frankly, I’ve needed my spirits lifted. The next time you pick up a book that I've written, I hope you see my sense of humor shining through. I've particularly enjoyed adding humorous elements to my first person stories
7. Athena comes from a large, wacky Greek family and there are certain stereotypes associated with that; are you Greek or do you come from a big family?
I am not Greek, but I do have a large family (and chaos ensues whenever we’re all together). Our family is of Scottish heritage. We are the “Hanna clan” (with our roots trailing all the way back to Sorbie Castle in Scotland). When we all get together, there are nineteen and eleven small children (average age three). You can imagine what fun that is! Like every family, we have our “wacky” characters. Some in the Hanna clan would argue that I’m the wackiest of all. I’m definitely one of the few who has talking characters in her head.
8. Fans of My Big Fat Greek Wedding may see some similarities with Hello, Hollywood! Was this intentional?
I’d just finished promoting my (very Italian) “Weddings by Bella” series when I started writing the “Backstage Pass” series, so some of the ethnic eccentricities in those books translated well to Athena’s story. I tried my best to shy away from My Big Fat Greek Wedding, (because I didn’t want to copy-cat). That said, it is one of my favorite movies, so I suppose some of the flavor rubbed off. Years ago I had a good friend whose family owned a Greek restaurant. I used much of what I learned from her in the sandwich shop scenes. Hope the readers are hungry for Greek food after reading!
9. There’s a scene in which Athena pokes fun, tongue-in-cheek, at the general perception of the Romance genre; how does Hello, Hollywood! fit into that genre?
Hello Hollywood is definitely a romance, but fits more into the romantic comedy genre than the general romance category. Most general romances are written in third-person (he said/she said). Hello Hollywood is more like the chick-lit novels of the past—written in first person and seen only through the eyes of the heroine. This provides further insight into your earlier question about why so little attention is paid to Athena’s physical attributes. Because this story is only from her POV (point of view) the “eye of the camera” (as it were) focuses only on what she sees/hears/feels, etc.
10. I’ve noticed several reviews of the book online. Can you share a few of those reviews with our readers?
Here's what a few people are saying:
*****
"This
fun entry in Thompson's comic Hollywood series (after Stars Collide)
features humor, romance, and breezy dialog. Those who enjoy Rene
Gutteridge's "Occupational Hazards" novels for their quirky humor and
characters will appreciate this new series." – Library Journal
*****
"Romance, drama, fun--Hello, Hollywood! has it all."--Jenny B. Jones, award-winning author of Save the Date and A Charmed Life series
*****
"Thoroughly
delightful! A blend of contemporary life and romance with nostalgic
snapshots of Hollywood's golden age. Thompson writes with warmth and
humor, creating a world we can all escape to for a little while."--Rachel Hauck, bestselling and award-winning author of Dining with Joy
*****
Comedic
timing is an art form, and Janice Thompson is a master. Her romantic
comedies keep getting better and better. I laughed all the way through
Hello, Hollywood! The story is reminiscent of the old Hollywood sitcoms -
the days of I Love Lucy and Dick Van Dyke. If you like to laugh--and
who doesn't?--treat yourself to a rollicking good read. Novel Rocket and
I give it 5 stars. A must read! - Ane Mulligan, Sr. Editor of Novel Rocket
*****
For
those that remember the old Dick Van Dyke Show from back when sitcoms
were in black and white (you can catch reruns of the show even now) you
will enjoy how the writing team our heroine belongs to uses that show,
about a similar comedy writing team, as role models. It made me want to
flip on the television and find some of those reruns. - Reviewer Pam Meyers
*****
Hello,
Hollywood! is a fun easy read, and I really loved the Zeus, the Greek
Domestic dog. They are quite a fascinating breed, and as an animal and
dog person myself, I had to look up a bit more about them. All the
characters were strong. Family, friends, God and solving problems were
integral parts in this book. Overall I just liked it, it was fun, well
written, fast paced, and sweet. I liked the ending screen play as well.
- Reviewer Carol Keen
*****
11. How can my readers learn more about you and your books?
Website: www.janicehannathompson.com
Blog: I would love to have readers follow my blog, where I’m currently blogging on Hello Hollywood.
Facebook: JaniceHannaThompson
Twitter: booksbyjanice@aol.com
