Published synopsis:
Fancy cars, a loving wife, a designer home in the Hollywood Hills. Nathan Lindeman had it all, lost it all, and now he’s desperate to get it back. They say there are no second acts in show business, but they just may be wrong. There’s a new TV series being cast that’s virtually guaranteed to be a success, and Nathan has a shot at snagging one of the lead roles. If, that is, he can survive the perils and pitfalls that threaten to derail him along the way. Follow along on Nathan’s journey, as he deals with teenage casting directors, soulless network execs, ego-maniacal fellow performers, hucksters and thieves, a cast of characters so bizarre and unbelievable they could only be based in reality. By turns, funny, sad, heartbreaking and heartfelt, Drowned in the Grenadine explores America’s fascination with celebrity, the nature of success and what it means to be both a father and a son.Review:
Nathan Lindeman is determined to make his star shine in Hollywood. He’s had a taste of fame already, which ended all too abruptly, and he wants it back - desperately. He knows the ins and outs of acting. He has a great agent. Now, all he needs is that ever elusive perfect role. Or is his fifteen minutes already up?To everyone east of the California border, Hollywood is a great and fascinating mystery. A dream world where everyone is fashionable, every day is sunny and careers bloom overnight. The petals on these careers not browning or curling until age and gravity take their toll. Anyone brave enough to breach the border of acting’s Mecca has a chance to have a successful career, if they can just get that first big break. Or, at least, that’s what we all want to believe. There has to be somewhere that all of our dreams can come true, right?
Dan Gilvezan bursts our bubble in Drowned In the Grenadine. He brings us into a world where careers are doomed by not only past failures, but past successes, as well. As an audience, it seems that we are constantly being bombarded with new shows and movies, leading us to believe that things speed along in a blur in the land of glitz and glamour. What we find out in this novel is that things actually move at a snail’s pace; and at any moment, things can change for the better or for the worse. And the Hollywood dream? A mirage created to hide the undercurrent of greed, backstabbing and loss of morals that many ending up swimming in.
As we read about Nathan’s career, it’s easy to see how people get caught up in it. As they say, the show must go on, right? It’s not until the glitz is gone and his world shatters yet again that Nathan realizes that maybe, just maybe, his priorities are as screwed up as his career. Isn’t it more important to be a son, a father and a husband than it is to be a star? At heart, he’s a really nice guy, but his aspirations are getting in the way of his caring about anyone but himself. Will he realize this before it’s too late?
Dan Gilvezan leads us on a Hollywood journey of self-discovery in Drowned In the Grenadine. The issues in the book are not exceptional – anyone who puts work and career ahead of family and love is destined to ultimately be alone and unhappy if they don’t change. But seeing this as his characters traverse the sea of Hollywood gives the reader a unique look into the acting business that the tabloids never do. The illusion is taken down and we are given a tour of auditions, script changes, call backs, contracts, job security and second chances. The reader is torn between feeling sorry for Nathan, and thinking that maybe he got what he deserved. But, should anyone pay forever for past mistakes? By the end of the book, you will be convinced that the answer is no, and you will be rooting Nathan on.
Drowned In the Grenadine is a well written, thought provoking book that will make you laugh in some parts, and wish you could do something to help Nathan in others. Dan Gilvezan draws you into his world and keeps you there until the very last sentence and I thoroughly enjoyed my time there. I thank the author for a review copy and I give the book five stars.
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