PLATINUM DOLL by Anne Girard

“I wasn’t born an actress, you know. Events made me one.”

Jean Harlow

It’s the roaring 20’s and 17-year-old Harlean Carpenter McGrew runs off from St. Louis to Tinsel Town – chasing a dream to see her name in bright lights and to be the biggest star in Hollywood!

In California, Harlean has everything a girl could want  – a rich husband, glamorous parties, fancy, famous friends – except a stage to showcase her talents! But that all changes when on a dare, she’s pushed front and center into the spotlight and embraces her true ambition as Hollywood’s leading lady.

“Would you be shocked if I put on something more comfortable?”

When Jean Harlow, as she became known, spoke those words in Howard Hughes’ film, “Hell’s Angels,” she was launched into super stardom becoming Hollywood’s first sex symbol.

Author, Anne Girard tells the story of the short lived and celebrated life and career of actress, Jean Harlow in her novel, PLATINUM DOLL: A Novel About Jean Harlow (MIRA).

With her timeless beauty and striking shade of platinum-blond hair, Jean Harlow’s rising fame showed no limits. Howard Hughes offered anyone who could duplicate her hair color 10-thousand dollars, but no one did! As she rises in fame, Jean learns that this new world of stardom comes with its own set of burdens.

Jean Harlow starred in six films and died at just twenty-six years old. Ammonia, Clorox bleach and peroxide were combined into a mixture that was used weekly to keep her famous hair that platinum-blonde shade and that’s what reportedly contributed to her death.

Unlike what Hollywood tragically did to Jean Harlow, Anne Girard does not do in her book. Ms. Girard tenderly tells a story  so readers come away knowing Ms. Harlow as a full person, not a one-dimensional “doll.” It’d be easy to write the cliché story about a star-struck star, but Ms. Girard is too much a professional and has too much class to take that route. Readers will be thrilled to find a historical novel overflowing with pages of accurate research – and it’s even more exciting for Hollywood fans!

Author Anne Girard has written fourteen previous novels, including the bestselling MADAME PICASSO. She also writes under the name “Diane Haeger.” For ALL things Anne and Diane, check out http://www.annegirard.com  .  She’s also on Facebook and twitter.

PLATINUM DOLL: A Novel About Jean Harlow will be published Tuesday, January 26th. Contact your local independent bookstore to pre-order your copy today.

Have a wonderful week.