All information in this post is courtesy of Loren Jaggers of Penguin Random House.
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Penguin Random House is Celebrating The April 16 Release of:
THE GREAT PRETENDERS
by
LAURA KALPAKIAN
With a USA Giveaway!!
THE GREAT PRETENDERS
by
LAURA KALPAKIAN
With a USA Giveaway!!
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“In her riveting new novel, Laura Kalpakian has given us a heroine to cheer for in this juicy tale of Hollywood. Roxanne Granville’s journey from diffident daughter of privilege to boundary-shattering career woman who takes on both the Hollywood blacklist and the racial prejudices of the early Civil Rights era is breathtaking and moving, even epic.”—Melanie Benjamin, New York Times bestselling author of The Girls in the Picture
“Deeply moving, intelligent and charming, this is a story to savor. “—Patti Callahan Henry, New York Times bestselling author of The Bookshop at Water’s End
“Kalpakian has written a timely story that deftly deals with racism and the fight for justice. THE GREAT PRETENDERS is poignant, touching and often filled with laugh-out-loud wit.”—Renée Rosen, author of Park Avenue Summer
“A fascinating journey into the intrigues and hypocrisies of 1950s Hollywood, coupled with an indomitable heroine who dares to shatter the rules. Exciting, fast-paced, and revelatory.”—C.W. Gortner, author of The Romanov Empress and Mademoiselle Chanel
THE GREAT PRETENDERS
is a sweeping, unforgettable new novel featuring an ambitious,
determined heroine who dares to fight for blacklisted writers in
McCarthy-era Hollywood.
Featuring an amazing protagonist coupled with the sharp writing Kalpakian has come to be known for, I think this one will definitely appeal to fans of classic Hollywood and readers of Melanie Benjamin, Fiona Davis, and Beatriz Williams.
THE GREAT PRETENDERS is a riveting novel that resonates in today’s world, and reminds us that some things are worth fighting for.
Featuring an amazing protagonist coupled with the sharp writing Kalpakian has come to be known for, I think this one will definitely appeal to fans of classic Hollywood and readers of Melanie Benjamin, Fiona Davis, and Beatriz Williams.
THE GREAT PRETENDERS is a riveting novel that resonates in today’s world, and reminds us that some things are worth fighting for.
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PRAISE FOR THE GREAT PRETENDERS:
Touching
on everything from politically motivated witch hunts to racism,
Kalpakian's timely tale vividly evokes 1950s Los Angeles.”—Booklist
“What a good book! Engagingly readable, full of Golden Age of Hollywood glitz—and
a wonderful story of idealism, courage and the price of love. Enjoyed every page!”—Diana Gabaldon, #1 New York Times
bestselling author of Outlander
“In her riveting new novel, Laura Kalpakian has given us a heroine to cheer for in this juicy tale of Hollywood. Roxanne Granville’s journey from diffident daughter of privilege to boundary-shattering career woman who takes on both the Hollywood blacklist and the racial prejudices of the early Civil Rights era is breathtaking and moving, even epic.”—Melanie Benjamin, New York Times bestselling author of The Girls in the Picture
“Deeply moving, intelligent and charming, this is a story to savor. “—Patti Callahan Henry, New York Times bestselling author of The Bookshop at Water’s End
“Kalpakian has written a timely story that deftly deals with racism and the fight for justice. THE GREAT PRETENDERS is poignant, touching and often filled with laugh-out-loud wit.”—Renée Rosen, author of Park Avenue Summer
“A fascinating journey into the intrigues and hypocrisies of 1950s Hollywood, coupled with an indomitable heroine who dares to shatter the rules. Exciting, fast-paced, and revelatory.”—C.W. Gortner, author of The Romanov Empress and Mademoiselle Chanel
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ABOUT THE GREAT PRETENDERS:
Outraged
by her grandfather's illicit affair with Empire Pictures’ latest femme
fatale, Roxanne Granville forsakes her position as Hollywood royalty and
rejects the man who raised her,
determined to strike out on her own. Backed by little more than the
stubborn grit she inherited from her beloved grandmother, Roxanne sets
up shop as a low-budget film agent for budding screenwriters.
When an old friend, exiled from Hollywood and Empire Pictures by her grandfather for being a Communist sympathizer, begs for her help, Roxanne decides to right the wrongs committed by her family by selling his script under someone else’s name. After all, it’s what her grandmother would have wanted.
Soon Roxanne finds herself at the helm of a lucrative business, having landed her secret clients a handful of major studio deals through willing front men. Her newfound freedom leads her to a passionate relationship with Terrence Dexter, an African American journalist and jazz aficionado. But Hollywood is ruthless when it senses a scandal. How long will it take before all of Roxanne's success comes crumbling down?
When an old friend, exiled from Hollywood and Empire Pictures by her grandfather for being a Communist sympathizer, begs for her help, Roxanne decides to right the wrongs committed by her family by selling his script under someone else’s name. After all, it’s what her grandmother would have wanted.
Soon Roxanne finds herself at the helm of a lucrative business, having landed her secret clients a handful of major studio deals through willing front men. Her newfound freedom leads her to a passionate relationship with Terrence Dexter, an African American journalist and jazz aficionado. But Hollywood is ruthless when it senses a scandal. How long will it take before all of Roxanne's success comes crumbling down?
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Laura Kalpakian has won a National Endowment for the Arts Fellowship, a Pushcart Prize, the Pacific Northwest Booksellers’ Award (twice), the Anahid Award for an American writer of Armenian descent, the PEN West Award, and the Stand International Short Fiction Competition.
Laura Kalpakian has won a National Endowment for the Arts Fellowship, a Pushcart Prize, the Pacific Northwest Booksellers’ Award (twice), the Anahid Award for an American writer of Armenian descent, the PEN West Award, and the Stand International Short Fiction Competition.
She has had residencies at the Virginia Center for the Creative Arts, the Montalvo Center for the Arts, and Hawthornden Castle in Scotland.
She is the author of multiple novels and over a hundred stories published in collections, anthologies, literary journals and magazines in the U.S. and the U.K. A native of California, Laura lives in the Pacific Northwest.
She is the author of multiple novels and over a hundred stories published in collections, anthologies, literary journals and magazines in the U.S. and the U.K. A native of California, Laura lives in the Pacific Northwest.
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GIVEAWAY:
CONTEST HAS ENDED!!
CONGRATS TO OUR WINNER:
JOANNE OF GEORGIA!!
I am partnering with LOREN JAGGERS OF PENGUIN RANDOM HOUSE FOR THIS GIVEAWAY.
Not a requirement for the giveaway, but please follow my blog.
CONTEST HAS ENDED!!
CONGRATS TO OUR WINNER:
JOANNE OF GEORGIA!!
I am partnering with LOREN JAGGERS OF PENGUIN RANDOM HOUSE FOR THIS GIVEAWAY.
Not a requirement for the giveaway, but please follow my blog.
USA ONLY
April 17 - 24
Enter here
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Best of Luck in the giveaway, and thanks for stopping.
ReplyDeleteElizabeth, thanks for hosting a giveaway for this appealing Hollywood tale! I'll add it to my blog's sidebar. :)
ReplyDeleteThanks, Suko, and thanks for commenting.
Delete