The Limits of Limelight

The Limits of Limelight
Author: Margaret Porter
Publisher: Gallica Press
Total Pages: 314
Release: 2021-09-14
Genre: Fiction
ISBN: 0990742067

Hollywood turned Ginger Rogers into a star. What will it do for her cousin? Pretty Oklahoma teenager Helen Nichols accepts an invitation from her cousin, rising movie actress Ginger Rogers, and her Aunt Lela, to try her luck in motion pictures. Her relatives, convinced that her looks and personality will ensure success, provide her with a new name and help her land a contract with RKO. As Phyllis Fraser, she swiftly discovers that Depression-era Hollywood’s surface glamor and glitter obscure the ceaseless struggle of the hopeful starlet. Lela Rogers, intensely devoted to her daughter and her niece, outwardly accepting of her stage mother label, is nonetheless determined to establish her reputation as screenwriter, stage director, and studio talent scout. For Phyllis, she’s an inspiring model of grit and persistence in an industry run by men. While Ginger soars to the heights of stardom in musicals with Fred Astaire, Phyllis is tempted by a career more fulfilling than the one she was thrust into. Should she continue working in films, or devote herself to the profession she’s dreamed about since childhood? Which choice might lead her to the lasting love that seems so elusive?

Sing Your Pleasure

Sing Your Pleasure
Author: A.C. Arthur
Publisher: Kimani Press
Total Pages: 220
Release: 2010-09-01
Genre: Fiction
ISBN: 1426866038

Charlene Quinn can't believe her luck when she lands a major contract with L.A.'s hottest record label. Even more thrilling, she'll be laying down tracks with none other than Akil Hutton in his private Miami recording studio. Despite Akil's gruff, take-no-prisoners attitude, Charlene is powerfully attracted to the driven music producer. She never dreams the feeling's mutual…until the night she ends up singing a song of passion in Akil's arms…. His shy, innocent new client isn't Akil's usual type. Until he hears her sing. With her celestial voice and voluptuous body, Akil knows Charlene is headed straight for stardom—and his heart. But the powerhouse producer's holding tight to secrets from his past—ones that may drive his new protégée away. What will it take to keep the angelic singer in his arms forever…long after the last sweet, sensual note fades away?

Limelight

Limelight
Author: Amy Poeppel
Publisher: Simon and Schuster
Total Pages: 416
Release: 2018-05-01
Genre: Fiction
ISBN: 1501176390

In a smart and funny novel by the award-winning author of the critically acclaimed “big-hearted, charming” (The Washington Post) Small Admissions, a family’s move to New York City brings surprises and humor. Allison Brinkley—wife, mother, and former unflappable optimist—discovers that her decision to pack up and move her family from suburban Dallas to the glittery chaos of Manhattan may have been more complicated than she and her husband initially thought. New York is more unruly and bewildering than she expected, defying the notions she developed from romantic movies and a memorable childhood visit. After a humiliating call from the principal’s office and the loss of the job she was counting on, Allison begins to accept that New York may not suit her after all. When she has a fender-bender, witnessed by a flock of mothers at her son’s new school, she is led to the penthouse apartment of a luxurious Central Park West building and encounters a spoiled, hungover, unsupervised teenager who looks familiar. It doesn’t take long to recognize him as Carter Reid—a famous pop star who has been cast in a new Broadway musical. Through this brush with stardom, Allison embraces a unique and unexpected opportunity that helps her find her way in the heart of Manhattan. “A tribute to Broadway, teen celebrity life, and a mother who has now seen it all, this work is tough love at its finest and a great read for those wanting a ride on the wild side” (Booklist, starred review).

Beautiful Invention

Beautiful Invention
Author: Margaret Porter
Publisher:
Total Pages: 378
Release: 2018-09-16
Genre: Motion picture actors and actresses
ISBN: 9780990742036

A biographical historical novel covering a period of tribulation and transformation for Hedwig Kiesler, "the most beautiful girl in the world," who achieves lasting fame as movie star Hedy Lamarr--and enduring influence as an inventor.

Montgomery Clift

Montgomery Clift
Author: Patricia Bosworth
Publisher: Open Road Media
Total Pages: 410
Release: 2012-06-05
Genre: Biography & Autobiography
ISBN: 1453245014

“The definitive work on the gifted, haunted actor” (Los Angeles Times) and “the best film star biography in years” (Newsweek). From the moment he leapt to stardom with the films Red River and A Place in the Sun, Montgomery Clift was acclaimed by critics and loved by fans. Elegant, moody, and strikingly handsome, he became one of the most definitive actors of the 1950s, the first of Hollywood’s “loner heroes,” a group that includes Marlon Brando and James Dean. In this affecting biography, Patricia Bosworth explores the complex inner life and desires of the renowned actor. She traces a poignant trajectory: Clift’s childhood was dominated by a controlling, class-obsessed mother who never left him alone. He developed passionate friendships with Marilyn Monroe and Elizabeth Taylor in spite of his closeted homosexuality. Then his face was destroyed after a traumatic car crash outside Taylor’s house. He continued to make films, but the loss of his beauty and subsequent addictions finally brought the curtain down on his career. Stunning and heartrending, Montgomery Clift is a remarkable tribute to one of Hollywood’s most gifted—and tormented—actors.

How to Become a Celebrity

How to Become a Celebrity
Author: Charles Hopkins-Thyme
Publisher:
Total Pages: 184
Release: 2013-04
Genre:
ISBN: 9788292944066

Andy Warhol once said that everyone will have 15 minutes of fame. But why stop at 15 minutes? Being a celebrity opens doors that are closed to even the top members of society. Numerous celebrities have become budding business moguls and established themselves as very successful entrepreneurs. Their names have become brands worth millions of dollars. And celebrity status offers something that money really can't buy. It gives you a position and importance in society that can perhaps be rivaled only by top political leaders. More people will listen to what a celebrity has to say on a subject he or she may know nothing about than to wisdom from a senator who has served his state all his professional life. Celebrities are the new royalty. So why wouldn't you want to be one? This book provides a step-by-step description on how you can build a career in the limelight-from the very basics to the hidden secrets of the trade. It won't change your life overnight, but it will give you all the tools you need to succeed.

The Power of the Other

The Power of the Other
Author: Henry Cloud
Publisher: HarperCollins
Total Pages: 172
Release: 2016-05-03
Genre: Business & Economics
ISBN: 0062199382

An expert on the psychology of leadership and the bestselling author of Integrity, Necessary Endings, and Boundaries For Leaders identifies the critical ingredient for personal and professional wellbeing. Most leadership coaching focuses on helping leaders build their skills and knowledge and close performance gaps. These are necessary, but not sufficient. Using evidence from neuroscience and his work with leaders, Dr. Henry Cloud shows that the best performers draw on another vital resource: personal and professional relationships that fuel growth and help them surpass current limits. Popular wisdom suggests that we should not allow others to have power over us, but the reality is that they do, for better or for worse. Consider the boss who diminishes you through cutting remarks versus one who challenges you to get better. Or the colleague who always seeks the limelight versus the one who gives you the confidence to finish a difficult project. Or the spouse who is honest and supportive versus the one who resents your success. No matter how talented, intelligent, or experienced, the greatest leaders share one commonality: the power of the others in their lives. Combining engaging case studies, persuasive findings from cutting-edge brain research, and examples from his consulting practice, Dr. Cloud argues that whether you’re a Navy SEAL or a corporate executive, outstanding performance depends on having the right kind of connections to fuel personal growth and minimize toxic associations and their effects. Presenting a dynamic model of the impact these different kinds of connections produce, Dr. Cloud shows readers how to get more from themselves by drawing on the strength and expertise of others. You don’t have a choice whether or not others have power in your life, but you can choose what kinds of relationships you want.

When Stars Rain Down

When Stars Rain Down
Author: Angela Jackson-Brown
Publisher: Thomas Nelson
Total Pages: 368
Release: 2021-04-13
Genre: Fiction
ISBN: 0785240454

Opal is an eighteen-year-old Black woman working as a housekeeper in a small Southern town in the 1930s—and then the Klan descends. A moving story that confronts America’s tragic past, When Stars Rain Down is both heartwarming and heart-wrenching. The summer of 1936 in Parsons, Georgia, is unseasonably hot, and Opal Pruitt senses a nameless storm brewing. She hopes this foreboding feeling won’t overshadow her upcoming 18th birthday or the annual Founder’s Day celebration in just a few weeks. She and her Grandma Birdie work as housekeepers for the white widow Miss Peggy, and Opal desperately wants some time to be young and carefree with her cousins and friends. But when the Ku Klux Klan descends on Opal’s neighborhood, the tight-knit community is shaken in every way possible. Parsons’s residents—both Black and white—are forced to acknowledge the unspoken codes of conduct in their post-Reconstruction era town. To complicate matters, Opal finds herself torn between two unexpected romantic interests—the son of her pastor, Cedric Perkins, and the white grandson of the woman she works for, Jimmy Earl Ketchums. Faced with love, loss, and a harsh awakening to an ugly world, Opal holds tight to her family and faith—and the hope for change. “When Stars Rain Down is so powerful, timely, and compelling . . . an important and beautifully written must-read of a novel.” —Silas House, author of Southernmost 2021 Langum Prize in American Historical Fiction – Finalist Stand-alone novel Includes discussion questions for book clubs

Muted

Muted
Author: Tami Charles
Publisher: Scholastic Inc.
Total Pages: 512
Release: 2021-02-02
Genre: Young Adult Fiction
ISBN: 133867353X

A ripped-from-the-headlines novel of ambition, music, and innocence lost, perfect for fans of Elizabeth Acevedo and Jason Reynolds! Be bold. Get seen. Be Heard.For seventeen-year-old Denver, music is everything. Writing, performing, and her ultimate goal: escaping her very small, very white hometown.So Denver is more than ready on the day she and her best friends Dali and Shak sing their way into the orbit of the biggest R&B star in the world, Sean "Mercury" Ellis. Merc gives them everything: parties, perks, wild nights -- plus hours and hours in the recording studio. Even the painful sacrifices and the lies the girls have to tell are all worth it.Until they're not.Denver begins to realize that she's trapped in Merc's world, struggling to hold on to her own voice. As the dream turns into a nightmare, she must make a choice: lose her big break, or get broken.Inspired by true events, Muted is a fearless exploration of the dark side of the music industry, the business of exploitation, how a girl's dreams can be used against her -- and what it takes to fight back.