Hollywood's Golden Age: a guest post by Carla Caruso

I'm delighted to have the fabulous Carla Caruso here today. Carla is the author of rom-com mystery Pretty Famous (Harper Impulse) - isn't that cover divine?!

Anyway, I'm handing over the blog to her...

I’m a sucker for anything to do with Hollywood’s Golden Age.
Well, the last part of the period really, which extended from the end of the silent era in American cinema in the late 1920s to the early ‘60s when movies were being prolifically released by the studios.
I’ve got an Audrey Hepburn DVD box set comprising films like Breakfast at Tiffany’s and Roman Holiday, have binged on Alfred Hitchcock thrillers, read about Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton’s tumultuous relationship in the biography, Furious Love, and visited Grace Kelly haunts in Monaco.
So it’s no real surprise I’d one day weave this passion into a novel of my own! Which turned out to be the third in my ‘Astonvale’ rom-com mystery series, Pretty Famous. The series revolves around neat-freak professional organiser Celeste Pretty and her builder beau, Lenny Muscat, plus a different character from the well-heeled suburb of Astonvale each time and their ‘crush’.
This time Celeste’s nemesis, uber-blonde interior designer Imogen Karmel, got her time in the sun. Imogen just happens to be Grace Kelly-obsessed and her lifelong ambition is to marry a prince. (Her model mum dated one.) Then a mysterious guy, Hudson Addison, lands on Imogen’s doorstep and all signs point to him being a royal in hiding. There’s no way she’s letting Hunter out of her sight! But is he really who she thinks he is?
Interlaced with this is Celeste’s organising work at the home of a late 1950s screen star’s grandniece. Here, Celeste finds herself blowing away the cobwebs on a sixty-year-old Hollywood secret. Ooh, er!
Writing the book gave me plenty of excuses to read up on classic Hollywood stars for inspiration (Cindy De La Hoz has some fantastic books on everyone from Marilyn Monroe to Lucille Ball), plus watch films like Nicole Kidman’s Grace of Monaco. I have to admit the research wasn’t very hard work at all, nor was the writing. In fact, I had a ball. I hope readers will, too.
Get your copy of Pretty Famous from Harper Collins.

Carla Caruso was born in Adelaide, Australia, and only ‘escaped’ for three years to work as a magazine journalist and stylist in Sydney. Previously, she was a gossip columnist and fashion editor at Adelaide’s daily newspaper, The Advertiser. She has since freelanced for titles including Woman’s Day and Shop Til You Drop. These days, she plays mum to twin lads Alessio and Sebastian with hubby James. Visit www.carlacaruso.com.au or her blog, www.theunitalianwife.com.