Hollywood made Lovella Benjamin a star. She made herself a legend.
Beautiful, ruthless and adored by millions, Lovella Benjamin has spent a lifetime destroying anyone foolish enough to stand between her and success. Fame is everything. Image is everything. Mercy has never been part of the script.
Then she meets David Garand.
Charming, enigmatic and impossible to forget, Garand offers her exactly what she has always wanted: the chance for her legend to live forever. But every bargain carries a hidden cost.
As the glitter of Hollywood gives way to something far darker, Lovella discovers that the greatest performance of her career may already be over, and the audience is no longer applauding.
Inspired by the moral decay of The Picture of Dorian Gray, this novella is a dark supernatural thriller about vanity, ambition and the terrifying price of getting exactly what you wished for.
Lovella Benjamin
Hollywood promised fame to anyone willing to dream. Lovella arrived determined to do more than dream. Beautiful, intelligent and fiercely ambitious, she refuses to let anyone stand between her and stardom. But every success comes at a price, and every bargain leaves its mark.
Celia Vane
Hollywood has no shortage of beautiful actresses, but Celia Vane stands apart through grace, talent and quiet generosity. She believes success should never come at the expense of others. In a world where ambition often overshadows integrity, she reminds everyone that another path is still possible.
David Garand
Every dream factory has a man who knows how to make dreams come true. Elegant, persuasive and impossibly well connected, David Garand can introduce the right people, arrange the impossible and change a career overnight. All he asks in return is that you accept his offer.
Be careful what you wish for. The universe is listening.
Wally Grice
Every star needs someone working behind the scenes, and Wally Grice has spent a lifetime turning hopeful newcomers into household names. Wise, loyal and refreshingly down to earth, he knows Hollywood's brightest lights can cast the darkest shadows. Sometimes the best advice is the advice nobody wants to hear.
Julian Harrow
A rising Hollywood leading man, Julian Harrow possesses something far rarer than talent in the film industry - honesty. Kind, thoughtful and quietly courageous, he sees beyond Lovella's carefully crafted image to the woman she once was. But in a world built on ambition, even genuine love can become the highest price of all.
Eddie Lusk
A photographer with a good eye and an even better heart, Eddie Lusk is one of the few people who remembers Lovella before Hollywood changed her. Loyal to a fault, he stands by her when no one else will, even as the woman he once knew begins to disappear.
REVIEW
"Brilliantly acerbic biography of Hollywood fictional star.
We are introduced to the debut of a young lady who negotiates her way into the Hollywood studio system and who doesn't care who she uses and discards to create her image of the perfect bitch.
She revels in the attention and fearfulness of those around her.
I particularly liked the often barbed or cutting quips she used to manipulate men or crumble any potential rival women. It felt like she was always on set and acting the role rather than living a fulfilling life.
The ending is great and leads the reader in with more showing than telling. An interesting and compelling read."
REVIEW
"Tom Kane is one of my favourite authors, and for good reason. His writing draws the reader in right from the start and keeps (me) glued to each book right the last word - including this one.
The second in his Noir series of novellas, this book, like the last one has a shock at the end.
It tells the story of an ambitions young woman, enduring poverty in a seedy hotel room with no one but her good and faithful friend and admirer, Eddie, a photographer. It is the mid 1930s.
This is a story of how, if a person rises to the top by being so completely focused on appearances and always ready with a witty comback that they have no room for anyone else, there will be consequences. And no escape."
Works with Kindle, Apple Books, Kobo, Nook and most eReaders.
REVIEW
"Lovella sucked me into the book immediately! I loved her character and her take no stuff attitude!!"
Purchase Options
The Fiction Bookstore - 99¢
Buy direct from the author's Book Store at low prices. Downloads to Kindle, Apple, Kobo, Nook & other eReaders/Apps by BookFunnel.
Amazon Kindle - $1.99
Download to Kindle.
Draft2Digital - $1.99
Download to Apple, Kobo, Nook, Smashwords and other digital platforms.
128 City Road, London, EC1V 2NX, England.
Company Registration Number: 16668227