the characters
Ginny, the young starlet on her way up
Hopeful, talented and hungry for fame, English actress Ginny Watkins knows that Hollywood is a tightrope. One false step and she’ll come tumbling down. She’s seen it happen, and is determined that won’t be her fate. She’ll work ridiculous hours and do whatever it takes to become a star. Then she meets Max Whitman – Hollywood’s biggest star. He wants to help, and their martini-soaked evenings are full of promises and secrets. But stardom can’t be that easy, can it?
Stella, the screen goddess on the slide
Once as big as the hugest stars, Stella Hope is clinging to her career after her split from Max, trying to make the best of life at Ealing Studios. Then she gets a letter demanding $50,000, blackmailing her for a terrible mistake she made years ago. Don’t they know who they’re dealing with? She’ll never pay! No, instead she’s going to find her blackmailer and confront them. But first she has to figure out who dislikes her this much. Who wants to see her beautiful face in the gutter?
Max, the heartthrob and Stella’s ex
Impossibly beautiful with a fragile ego, Max Whitman is the most powerful actor in Hollywood. But that’s not enough. He wants an Oscar, and he wants to feel youthful and relevant. He needs an image change and a younger leading lady, now that Stella has abandoned him. Ginny’s the perfect fit. If she does what he says and lets him call all the shots. He knows how to play the system to get exactly what he wants. Always. Until now.
Maggie, the secretive make-up artist
A huge fan of Stella’s and now her hair and make-up artist, Maggie has quickly become her confidante, too. Which is wonderful because both women could use a friend right now. But Maggie is desperate and her demons mean she fills her evenings smoking and drinking and battling nightmares. Who is she and when will she reveal her real reasons for targeting Stella? Or will Stella find her out before Maggie gets what she needs?