What
would you do to become famous in Hollywood? In City of Toys, four
beautiful women confront that very question. It takes more than just looks to
make it in Tinsel Town, as they soon discover. The city brings them together as
roommates and the hunger of fame lures them into situations that they never
expected. Through a series of intertwined yet separate events, City of
Toys takes us from the naive optimism of the girl’s hopes and dreams to the
sordid Hollywood underworld. Relying on one another helps get them through the
Hollywood maze but will their friendship be enough to save them?
Four beautiful women, each with their own demons driving them towards the fame and fortune they so desperately seek, come together in Hollywood, the land of shattered dreams and broken hearts. Marlo, the tough-talking, former child actress from New York, Rhonda, the small town beauty queen, Kim, the "nice Jewish girl" with a painful childhood, and Guyla, the "serious actress" with a debilitating, stress-induced illness, all meet and reside in the same apartment building deep in the heart of Hollywood.
Each of these fame-hungry women experiences one painful disaster after
another from casting directors behaving in sexually inappropriate ways, to
crazed stalkers and jealous, mentally deranged starlets hounding them. They
begin to rely upon one another to get through the horrific maze called
Hollywood. But when the pressure gets too much, will their friendship be enough
to save them in the City Of Toys?
EXCERPT
Chapter 1
The morning sun sparkled high in the sky above Los
Angeles, and the summer heat had not yet fully invaded the curious world known
as Hollywood. A cool, coastal breeze drifted in from the Pacific Ocean, so the
infamous L.A. smog was not going to permeate the atmosphere too severely. The
traffic at the intersection of Franklin Avenue and La Brea was typical, bumper
to bumper and road rage simmering from tempestuous drivers. But, it was made
even worse today by the arrival of a large moving van in front of the building.
The Franklin Regency was a five-story dwelling that
loomed on the southwest corner of the crossway, halfway between the sparkling
wealth of the Hollywood Hills and the sordid madness that was Hollywood
Boulevard.
Everywhere beautiful, young people with fabulous faces
and perfect bodies -- every single one of them a struggling actor, model or
something or other, trying to keep the bitterness at bay -- jogged, walked
dogs, hurried to auditions and roller-bladed. While the homeless (and other
un-lovely denizens of ‘paradise’ almost equal in number) who had long ago lost
the spark of life, seemed to blend into the background, completely ignored and
snubbed by the bronzed gods and goddesses scurrying to an audition for a
laxative commercial.
Awe-filled and often-disappointed tourists took it all
in, recording it on film and video for the folks back home, wherever that may
be. In the bright, mirrored lobby of the Franklin Regency, however, all was
cheerful and sanguine. Rhonda McNutt talked excitedly on a pay phone to her
father back in Cordova, Tennessee. Rhonda was nineteen, beautiful, and in the
process of moving into the Franklin Regency Apartments.
“Yes, poppa, the truck just got here.” She spoke into
the receiver with her thick Southern drawl. Outside, the large van containing
all of her worldly possessions had pulled up to the curb. Rhonda had driven out
to Los Angeles the week before, and was still in shock that she was actually
here. She looked vigilantly around the lobby, at the longhaired rocker guys
covered with tattoos, the sexy, gorgeous blondes, and the older men who could
not resist winking at her as they passed by. She knew she was in a whole new
place, but that didn’t matter. She was in Hollywood, and she was determined to
be an actress. I’m here, and I’m going to make it! I’m going to be a star!
“All right, poppa, I’ll call you as soon as the phone
is turned on...I love you too, poppa. Bye.” She gently hung up the phone, and
waited for Marina Edwards, the apartment manager. An older woman stepped out of
the elevator, clad in a severe dark business suit, and walked purposefully
towards the front door.
She turned and gave Rhonda a nasty look, then
stepped outside, chatting deliberately into a cell phone. Rhonda sat on a pink
plush couch and waited while the moving men began to unload her furniture. She
stared up at the famous James Dean poster on the wall. ‘The Boulevard of Broken
Dreams’ was the caption underneath. Not for me, Rhonda thought, my
dreams of Hollywood stardom are going to come true. She had dreamt of being
a movie star since she was five, and nothing was going to stand in the way of
her goals. Finally, the elevator doors opened, and Marina stepped out,
accompanied by a tall, beautiful redhead.
“I’m glad this place is centrally located, my agent
says I need to get to my auditions quickly.” She told Marina curtly, glancing
down at her watch.
“We’re just fifteen minutes from Burbank and Warner
Brothers, and five minutes from Hollywood and Paramount.” Marina explained. The
girl pursed her lips and gripped her designer handbag.
“Well, I’ll think about it. I live in Pasadena now,
and my agent is on my case about being late to auditions all the time. Things
are starting to happen for me, and my agent tells me that I need to be close to
the studios,” she said a little too loudly, glancing over at Rhonda to make
sure she overheard.
She thrust her hand out to Marina, who smiled. “I’ll
call you.” The girl turned sharply on her heel and headed out the front door,
not without sneaking a quick glimpse of Rhonda. She gave Rhonda an uppish
glance, and darted out the door.
“Marina.” Rhonda jumped up and cheerfully bounded over
to her.
“Hey you! Come on in.” Marina unlocked the office door
and the two of them ambled in. Marina was in her late thirties, blonde and
beautiful, with very white teeth and an enormous smile. The two women had met a
few days before, when Rhonda noticed the ‘Now Renting’ sign out front as she
was driving around. Marina had leased her a single apartment on the first
floor, and now it was time to go over little details. The moving men were
placing Rhonda’s things in the lobby.
“Apartment 122, right?” Marina smiled sweetly. She
smelled of Noxzema and peppermint chewing gum.
Rhonda was so excited she could barely contain
herself. My God, I’m really here!
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Lindy S. Hudis is a graduate of New York University, where
she studied drama at Tisch School of the Arts. She is the author of several
titles, including her romance suspense novel, Weekends, her
"Hollywood" story City of Toys, and her crime novel, Crashers. She is
also the author of an erotic short story series, "The S&M Club"
and "The Mile High Club". Her short film “The Lesson” was screened at
the Seattle Underground Film Festival and Cine-Nights in 2000. She is also an
actress, having appeared in the television daytime drama "Sunset
Beach". She and her husband, Hollywood stuntman Stephen Hudis, have formed
their own production company called Impact Motion Pictures, and have several
projects and screenplays in development. She lives in California with her
husband and two children.
Amazon:
http://www.amazon.com/Lindy-S-Hudis/e/B009PODN24/ref=sr_ntt_srch_lnk_1?qid=1404089046&sr=1-1
Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/lindy.hudisTwitter: https://twitter.com/Lindyscribe
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