LOVE. LIES. ACTING. THE STARLET SERIES.
Starlet's Man - High school student athlete, Manny Biro, is caught between
the boy he should be and the man he wants to become. Starlet's Web - Hollywood entangles talented teen actress in a web of lies. Starlet's Run - In a world where an actress is a product and everyone is a critic, can young love survive? Should it? Starlet's Light - Young Hollywood actress is 'so done' with acting. She gives up the fight until she sees the light.Awards: ~ STARLET'S WEB GOLD MEDAL: 2014 Readers' Favorite International Book Awards ~ ~ STARLET'S LIGHT SILVER MEDAL: 2014 Readers' Favorite International Book Awards ~ ~ STARLET'S WEB GOLD MEDAL WINNER: 2013 AUTHORdb Book Cover Contest! ~
Q&A with Carla J. Hanna
Hollywood. Your Starlet Series chronicles the story of teens in love to
adults working in Hollywood. Where did the inspiration come from?
When my kids played with children of celebrities, I wondered what their
lives would be like if we stayed in Santa Monica. My husband and I were
wealthy dot.com parents mixing with entertainment industry parents. I met
some awesome actors and performers, crew members, and lawyers who all
wanted what I wanted for our kids: for them to live happy, safe lives
filled with joy. The Starlet’s Web Series of novels came from that
perspective.
Why do you think that people are so obsessed with Hollywood? What makes it
so alluring?
A Silicon Valley executive makes considerably more money than any TV star
and has a greater cash-flow than most of our celebrities, so the allure of
Hollywood is not wealth-driven. Competition for jobs is also higher in the
entertainment business so the desire to be in show business does not
reflect opportunity. People obsess about celebrity because it is so
difficult to achieve and maintain stardom. We like scarcity and add value
to objects that we cannot easily obtain.
What is the "moral" of your stories, if you had to give readers one?
Readers control not only the content of our stories but also set the price
of fame. We turn a blind-eye to the plastic surgery and anti-aging
mentality that has become a requirement for stardom. We know our
professional athletes take steroids but we have put in place regulation
and testing. I hope we reject the focus on youthfulness in Hollywood and
demand more characters of color and diverse body types.
I noticed that you once lived in Santa Monica - I love it there, and I try
to visit often! What was your favorite part of living there?
I love the beautiful scenery, too. I lived in the house I describe in
Starlet’s Web with the amazing, peaceful view of the Pacific Ocean. I
loved hearing the surf roll into the beach from the terrace.
How did living in the SoCal area inspire the story of The Starlet Series?
Being sexy is a huge part of a teen’s identity in the Hollywood culture.
My friends’ teens had drug, porn and sex problems even though the parents
went to church or enrolled the teens in private religious schools. The
hypocrisy is inherent in a business that sells products based on sex and
violence. The Starlet Series explores the contractions they face as they
form their identities.
What's your favorite writing snack - and place to write?
I sit down with coffee with cream and one Dove dark chocolate in my home
office. I have a very lame, ancient desktop computer that I vow to upgrade
as soon as I release Starlet’s End, coming in September.
Advice to aspiring Young Adult authors?
The price of ebooks is so low that making a living from your Kindle
edition will be tough. Rather than write a novel, write a graphic novel or
pitch a logline for a TV series or film. Definitely do write your story if
you have the artistic drive to do so, but think carefully about the
business of book publishing before you dive in.
Currently, Amazon has an oversupply of books. Readers couldn’t possibly
demand the four million books that are available. I have the flexibility
and financial independence to publish the Starlet Series books. If I
didn’t have the time to market, readers would not be able to discover
them.
Carla J. Hanna is the author of award-winning young adult romance and
coming of age fiction novels for readers who enjoyed Nicholas Sparks' A Walk to Remember, Elizabeth Gilbert's Eat, Pray, Love, Gayle Forman's If I Stay, or John Green's The Fault in Our Stars.
A former housewife of Santa Monica, California, Ms. Hanna shares an
insider's perspective on Hollywood and celebrity influence in her
multicultural novels.
Connect with Carla Online: Official Website | Facebook | Twitter | Wattpad |