Quirky, heart-opening, funny, poignant, up, down, and everywhere in between—that’s life and that’s Life in the Hollywood Lane.
Trish, an LA actor, is bereft with guilt after her best friend commits suicide. Glamorous yet tough-as-nails Hollywood is Trish’s backdrop and a reflection of her life as she stumbles on through an actor’s life of casting calls and premieres, rejection and acceptance. Slowly Trish releases the idea of how her life should be and embraces the messy, flawed, yet stunningly beautiful truth of how it is.
Trish’s humorous resilience and acceptance lead to transformation, surrender, and ultimately love. Author Ann Crawford’s trademark optimism for life and love shine through in this inspiring story that reminds us all that no matter what the question, love is always the answer.
Life in the Hollywood Lane is chockablock with LOL and aha moments. Also, know any folks who’ve been chasing a long-held dream? Do them a favor and gift them this book!
Targeted Age Group:: Adult
What Inspired You to Write Your Book?
Life in the Hollywood Lane is about Trish, a 40-year-old actor, who faces tragedy with her best friend's suicide, but keeps herself moving forward to achieve her dreams. This has definitely been my path and, like Trish, I've come to realize that life isn't about the destination; it's about the journey.
I worked in LA in the talent industry for a little bit, and one of my actors committed suicide. She was beautiful, talented, amazing — one of the last people I thought would choose to do that. I've had other friends commit suicide, too, so it's certainly been something I've thought a lot about. Cyndi (in my book) is a completely fictionalized version of the actor I worked with.
How Did You Come up With Your Characters?
As I mentioned above, I worked in the talent industry in LA for a little bit, and one of my actors committed suicide. While the book is about her best friend and how she dealt with her grief (through a lot of humor), I chose to make Cyndi (the one who died) the shero of her own journey, too.
Book Sample
Act 1, Scene 1—Intro
Ever have one of those lifetimes? Yeah, me, too. This has definitely been one of ’em.
Ohhhhhhhh! (Add to that a shaking of the head and, oh, sure, even a stomping of the feet for good measure.) Wasn’t there supposed to be something in particular I was supposed to be doing this particular day, this particular week, this particular month, this particular year, this particular life? Whatever it was, I’d lost track of it.
I’d lost track of it, kind of…that is, until she died. Then everything stopped swirling and settled at the bottom of the snowglobe that was my life. Slowly, over a year or so, it all became crystal clear.
Hi. Can we talk? Actually, can I just babble to you? That’s kind of what I do, babble and ramble—but it’s a good kind of babbling and rambling, I promise. Thanks.
My name is Trish. I’m lucky enough to call myself an actor and actually be able to name some big movies when new introductions inevitably ask, “Would I have seen you in anything?” My BFF—the bestest of bestest friends in the history of bestest, practically my sister—killed herself. I didn’t write this as a downer, though…in fact, quite the opposite. Hollywood is one of the toughest towns to be successful in. It’s crazy here. But, then, so am I. This wild place and I are a great match, then.
In addition to telling you a story, I want to share what life is like here—the good, the bad, the fun, the not-so-pretty. It’s more of a dramedy, a look at how lovably wacky we humans are.
When I was thinking about what to call my little tale here, I thought of The Valley of the Happy People—Not! But I didn’t want to have a big, fat negative on the cover that literally represents my life.
A screenwriting professor once told the class I attended, “You can’t have a story called The Valley of the Happy People. No one would watch a movie where all the characters get along and are oh-so-happy-and-perfect. A story is drama, and drama needs conflict to show contrast. Characters need to grow—they have to start out one way, go through the hero’s journey, and come out transformed.”
In other words, screenplays are just like this life we have here. Well, hopefully….as in hopefully we come out transformed. Unless we die first. But then that’s transformation, too.
I guess we can’t get it wrong, really. (I’m not talking to murderers and rapists, etc. here—they get it wrong.)
Backstory
Every movie has a backstory, as they call it in “the industry”—as if there’s only one industry. They call LA “the coast,” too, as if there’s only one coast. Interesting. Anyway, here’s the backstory for my particular movie, my life.
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