Genre: New Adult Contemporary Romance Sex. Lies. Two "reformed" Hollywood stars. And one hell of a war of wills. Movie director Jake Wild lives up to his name. A dangerously sexy playboy, he's used to getting any woman he wants when he wants. Until he meets his nemesis: the beautiful, equally notorious Star Davis. Ready to leave behind her party-girl ways and set to play the lead in his new film, Star doesnât expect to fall for the charms of her director. And the last thing Jake wantsâor needsâis for his life to spiral out of control. Two beautiful misfits have met their match. A match that lights a bonfire... From the Hollywood Hills to the grasslands of Africa, the epic Star Trilogy takes you on a thrilling journey shrouded in secrets, masked by betrayal, and with unforeseen twists and turns that will make you question whose side you're on. Lights . . . Camera . . . Action . . . Strap up your seat belt . . . you're in for a bumpy ride. #1 Shooting Star #2 Falling Star #3 Shining Star ~Excerpt~ I looked out of the open window as Los Angeles crawled past in the traffic and exhaled a sigh of momentary defeat. This town was doing my head in. Making me lose sight of reality. The palm trees towering into the azure sky like skinny skyscrapers reaching as high as they could goâeveryone reaching beyond their means. Grabbing, aspiring, grasping, taking. Even the trees, goddammit. And the houses on Sunset with their manicured lawns, making you believe that life could be controlled, clipped, neatened. Like my father. A control freak whoâd move a pencil one inch to the left if he felt it was out of place. Not on set, no. In his own freaking home! A pencil. And I tried to be like him. Organized. Sharp. On the ball. Controlled. A colonel-in-the-army type. But that wasnât me and never had been. I secretly welcomed madness with relish. Unintentionally courted it. Nurtured dysfunction as if it were a breastfeeding baby, willing chaos into my life the way some people attract money or women. Right now my mind was rattling with a sort of hectic glee. Star Davis represented turmoil and for some unknown reason it excited meâmy curiosity piqued. âI wanted an unknown for the role of Skye,â I told Brian, willing my thoughts back to safer waters. A nice, new actress with no baggage, no ego and no âhistoryââthatâs what I need. âIâve been auditioning at drama schools all over the world. Iâve seen sixty-two actresses. Iâd narrowed it down to eight. And now you tell me Iâve basically wasted my time?â âYou tell the press that very same thing. âI saw sixty-two actresses and, you know what? None of them hold a candle to Star Davis.â â âA candle thatâs going to start a fire.â âYouâll figure it out, Jake. I mean, letâs face it, sheâs met her matchâmatch, haha, no pun intended, Get it? She can set you alight.â I didnât laugh at his joke. âWhatâs that supposed to mean, âmet her matchâ?â âBad boy Jake Wildâyouâve had some good times on the casting couch yourself, my friend. You canât deny youâve clocked up quite a reputation over the years.â âThe couch has been reupholstered, Brian. The past is the past. I donât take advantage of starry-eyed actresses these days. Iâm a professional. I get the job done and donât screw around with the talent anymore. Ever. Well, as of last week. Itâs my number one rule.â âWell leave Star in peace, you know what Iâm saying? Sheâs vulnerable. Sheâs fresh out of rehab and needs to be looked after.â He fixed his piggy gaze on me, a bushy eyebrow twitching ironically. âOh no! Donât look at me, mate. Thereâs no way Iâll be her fucking nanny!â âYouâre the only one, Jake, who can keep her on the straight and narrow. We canât have her going AWOL in the middle of a shoot. Sheâll need to be watched like a hawk.â âWhat about her sea of bodyguards? her PA, her father, for that matter?â âNone of them can be trusted. Sheâs too manipulative. Besides, theyâre all on her payroll.â âHer father too?â âHeâs her unofficial manager.â âGreat âmanager,â â I murmured. âStarâs been supporting her entire family ever since she did that diaper commercial when she was two years old. She has a strange perspective on life. She has never been told âno.â So sheâs used to being boss, and getting what she wants.â âWell sheâs not bloody bossing me.â I said that with bravado, yet here I was being âbossedâ by the system. Brian. The executive producers, the producers, the moneymen, the money women . . . the goddam accountants. The suits whose faces Iâd never even seen. And indirectly, Star herself. Sheâd slithered her way into winning the part of Skye with her wily ways, by offering herself practically free. Clever girl. Sheâd probably sucked someoneâs dick to get the part. She had me in a corner and I hadnât even met her yet. âAnd one more thing,â Brian added. âApparently her house is about to be remodeled and she was planning to move into a hotel for a while. But I donât trust the idea of Star Davis running around loose in a hotel, you know? Too many distractionsâtoo much booze on tap.â âWhatâs your point?â I said, meeting his eyes with a stony glare. âI thought until every shot is in the can it would be a good idea if she stayed in your homeâyou can make sure thereâre no temptationsâno drugs or liquor anywhere near her.â I stared at him incredulously as he smoothly took a bend, the Porsche revving with a quiet growl. He went on, âWe can hire our own bodyguardâ someone who canât be bribed by her to slip her anythingâ he could live in your guest houseâthe one in your garden? And she could stay in one of your guest bedrooms. So, you know, sheâll be under your roof.â He was serious when he said this. âNo. Brian, youâre really pushing your luck. I have limits. I donât want some wayward teenager telling me to fuck off in my own house. Iâm not her father. Iâm a film director. I have work to do. Storyboards to prepare, scenes to plan out. I have to stay on top of the shooting schedule, liaise with my assistant director, my lighting cameramanâJesus, what the fuck? I donât have time to deal with some drug-addicted, attention-seeking, Cristaldrinking brat!â ~About the Author~ She lives with her husband and coterie of animals in France. She loves to travel and meet people and is thrilled that her books have touched readers from all parts of the globe. ~Giveaway~ Arianne Richmonde is giving away one print set of the Star Trilogy to one lucky winner during the tour. Enter the rafflecopter below for a chance to win, Comments are closed.
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Melissa KeirGator Girl Extraordinaire Archives
October 2023
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