Spotlight by Krista Richmond
“He’s Hollywood premieres, and I’m small-town newspaper. Where can this possibly go?”
Available from: Amazon, Kobo, Barnes and Noble, and TWCS PH
As both a fan and a journalist, Lily Richards often wonders what role the media plays in creating the phenomenon that is actor Daniel Brighton. Personally, she prefers to report her favorite celebrity’s latest role rather than his latest dining companion—but she knows others in her profession don’t always agree.
About the Author
Krista Richmond is a journalist, pop culture enthusiast and a true Southern girl at heart. When she isn’t writing, she’s often in her kitchen, attempting to recreate recipes created by her favorite Food Network personalities, or at her local theater, catching the latest blockbuster (or indie flick).
Connect with Krista Richmond on:
As both a fan and a journalist, Lily Richards often wonders what role the media plays in creating the phenomenon that is actor Daniel Brighton. Personally, she prefers to report her favorite celebrity’s latest role rather than his latest dining companion—but she knows others in her profession don’t always agree.
A chance encounter with Daniel at a press junket gives Lily the opportunity to prove she’s not like other journalists. But Nate Brennan—Daniel’s publicist—isn’t convinced of Lily’s altruistic nature. He’s baffled by his client’s sudden preference for the no-name columnist, and when they are forced to work together, their professional battles soon lead to personal sparks.
As Lily becomes more involved in the world of entertainment media, she must balance what she feels is appropriate celebrity coverage with the personal relationships she now holds dear.
How much is too much when you’re standing near the glare of the Spotlight?
Excerpt
Bulbs started flashing. The buzz in the room
tripled in volume. And Lily’s heart hammered away in her chest as all the
attention in the room focused on one person.
His slightly uneven walk contrasted with the
graceful way he folded his lanky frame into a chair placed at the middle of the
table on the platform stage. He looked tired as he reached for one of the cups
of coffee provided for him, but happy to be there. Lily could tell that he was
nervous about facing a room full of reporters by the swift move of his long
fingers over the stubble covering his chin. She had no way of knowing if the
other journalists in the room had picked up on this habit.
With a soft smile and quiet “hello” to the
crowd, things got started. Lily tried to pay attention to the questions that
were being asked and the responses to them, but found herself drawn to watching
Daniel. The way he handled the onslaught of questions was rather fascinating.
It was clear that he took each one seriously. He held eye contact with whoever
posed the question and answered them directly. He took a moment to form his
answer, wanting to be as honest as possible. And those answers turned out to be
thoughtful and, quite frequently, clever.
The press conference moved at a brisk pace. The
reporters all wanted the opportunity to ask Daniel at least one thing since he
was the big draw for this movie. Lily patiently waited her turn. Her hand went
up, and she caught the eye of the person holding the audience’s microphone. He
gave her a slight nod, indicating that she’d be next. While she waited, she
locked eyes with a man to the right of the stage who seemed startlingly
familiar. She held his gaze for a beat, trying to place him, but couldn’t
before it was her turn.
Lily took the microphone when it was passed to
her, gripping it so hard that her knuckles turned white. She bit down on her
bottom lip and took a deep breath in through her nose as Daniel finished
answering the previous question.
Lily had no idea what had been asked.
After a beat of silence, the organizer pointed
to her. “Right up front, Daniel.”
Here goes nothing.
About the Author
Krista Richmond is a journalist, pop culture enthusiast and a true Southern girl at heart. When she isn’t writing, she’s often in her kitchen, attempting to recreate recipes created by her favorite Food Network personalities, or at her local theater, catching the latest blockbuster (or indie flick).
A graduate of Tennessee Tech University and the University of Tennessee with degrees in communications, she worked in print journalism for several years. Now, she works in marketing in southern Louisiana.
Follow her adventures on Twitter at @KristaRichmond.
Connect with Krista Richmond on:
Praise:
Ms. Richmond has a very conservative writing style but overlooking the formality came a great storyline complete with great character development, There were surprising little twists and plot shifts that made this book stand out from all the others. -Talk Books To Me
I was really looking forward to reading this book. I don't know why but I really like reading about writers, and part of what I really liked about the book and the writing was how the author made the character of Lily a very ethical writer, and in this day in age when tabloid journalism is so rampant, it was kind of refreshing really Lily's point of view on how covering the entertainment industry should be done. -Home. Love. Books
Lily Richards has the kind of fairytale life that 20 years ago I wished I had. Her work - and a little stalking - has resulted in a friendship with the hottest actor on the planet, but it's his publicist she can't stop thinking about. I'm so glad Richmond took Lily in this direction, because having her fall for the actor would have been too much of a Mary Sue move. Nate is great, and I loved their e-mail exchanges. A lovely debut novel. -Goodreads (Andrea)
No comments:
Post a Comment