Interview with Georgie Lee

I’d like to welcome our guest today, Georgie Lee. It’s a pleasure having you come visit us at Much Cheaper Than Therapy, where chocolate is plentiful and advice is free. So grab some chocolate and a lounge chair. Your therapy session has begun.

I understand you have a new release out called Labor Relations. Can you tell us a little bit about your fabulous new book?

Labor Relations is about two labor relations attorneys on opposite sides of a major arbitration facing a passionate conflict of interest. The heroine, Sarah Steele, is the newest member of the Movie Actors Guild legal team and new to Hollywood. The hero, Jake Rappaport, is the head of Labor Relations at Lion Studios, a veteran movie industry man enjoying the perks of Hollywood but wondering if there isn’t something more. There is an instant and powerful attraction between them but a personal relationship during the arbitration could ruin both of their careers.

Labor Relations is a very interesting title. How did you arrive at that name?

I toyed with a couple of other titles but since the story involves two labor relations attorneys working through a potentially career ending relationship, it best described the story.

What made you decide to write in this genre?

I’d written and published a traditional Regency and finished another which had been rejected. I wanted to try my hand at contemporaries and even though Labor Relations was my first contemporary, it has inspired me to write more.

Are you a plotter or a pantser and how did it affect the writing of this book?

I’m a pantser which can be frustrating, especially when I get stuck. Thankfully, since I know about Hollywood labor relations, I didn’t have too many problems with this book. It was so much fun writing a fictional version of the Los Angeles that I know and there is so much conflict between my two main characters that I never really had trouble. Now, a couple of my other WIPs, that’s another story…

Did you have to do a lot of research for the book? What are your favorite research books or sites?

Since I’d worked at a major entertainment union for five years and knew the movie business well, I didn’t have to do much research. My husband is an attorney so I asked him whenever I had any legal questions about conflict of interest or state bar sanctions. When it came to writing about Los Angeles, I decided to create fictional places based on real ones. It gave me the flexibility to create the settings I needed while still staying true to the spirit of Hollywood.

Where did you get your idea for this particular book?

I was working at a large entertainment union in Hollywood. My days were full of conflict as I argued with producers and studios over various claims for violations of the union contract. I knew about Hollywood and especially the conflict between studios and labor unions and I began to ponder different fictional situations until I discovered the one that would ultimately become my novel. What would happen if a lawyer at an entertainment union and a lawyer working for a studio fell in love while they were both working opposite sides of a major arbitration? It was a fun conflict to explore.

Which character did you like writing about the most, and why?

I enjoyed writing about Sarah the most. As the Hollywood outsider, the story is mostly told through her point of view and it was fun to write about attending movie premieres and meeting celebrities through the eyes of someone who is new to the experience.

Tell us about how you develop your characters. Do you create character sheets, do interviews, that sort of thing? How does your research affect your character development?

Like my stories, I develop my characters as I write. Sometimes, it means going back and writing in a backstory or making changes to the story as I learn more about my characters.

Do you have any authors that inspired you?

Since I’m such a voracious reader across so many genres, there are too many to name.

What do we have to look forward next?

Rock ‘n’ Roll Reunion, my sweet contemporary novella, was released by Ellora’s Cave Blush in January 2011. While I’m waiting to hear back on a few other submitted manuscripts, I am working on more contemporaries set in the entertainment industry as well as historical romances set during the Regency and in colonial America.

Thanks, Georgie Lee!

She will be around all day today. I'm sure some of you have questions or comments for her, so please ask away...

Bio.
A dedicated history and film buff, Georgie Lee loves combining her passion for Hollywood, history and storytelling through romantic fiction. She began writing professionally at a small TV station before moving to Los Angeles to work in the interesting but strange world of the entertainment industry. Her traditional Regency, Lady’s Wager and her novella Rock ‘n’ Roll Reunion are both available from Ellora’s Cave Blush. Labor Relations, her contemporary romance of Hollywood, is available from Avalon Books. When not writing, she enjoys reading non-fiction history and watching any movie with a costume and an accent.

Check out author’s website at www.georgie-lee.com

Buy http://search.barnesandnoble.com/Labor-Relations/Georgie-Lee/e/9780803477124/?itm=1&USRI=georgie+lee.