Against a backdrop of the glittering, cut-throat television industry and the sophisticated New York publishing world, two women's lives are transformed and a friendship is forged. When Lydia Southland, the glamorous star of a hit television series, balks at finishing her tell-all memoirs, Kate Weston, executive editor of a New York publishing house, soon finds herself on a plane to L.A. Fearful of revealing her life to public scrutiny, Lydia wants to cancel the project, and is none too thrilled when Kate shows up on her Benedict Canyon doorstep. But the two women develop a strong friendship and, as they work together on the book, they're forced to acknowledge parts of their lives they've long denied. As Kate becomes part of Lydia's large extended family, she learns to come to terms with her painful past. And Lydia finds that only by confronting her life and loves - past and present - can she ever hope to find true happiness.
Benedict Canyon
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Book Description
Editorial Reviews
From Publishers Weekly
Van Wormer, whose earlier novels laid bare the world of Manhattan TV production, here exposes New York publishing and Hollywood movieland in a nonstop romantic adventure. A Literary Guild selection in cloth.
Copyright 1993 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
Copyright 1993 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
From Kirkus Reviews
It's steady as she goes in this snappy, sappy novel by Van Wormer (West End, Riverside Drive), who now goes bicoastal and follows a much conflicted New York book editor as she tries to keep her job, untangle her love life, face the recurring nightmare of her mother's suicide, and wring an autobiography out of a difficult Hollywood star. The editor-as-heroine is Kate (``You can take the girl out of Fairfield County but you can't take Fairfield County out of the girl'') Weston, beloved by authors and agents, but barely hanging on to her job at Bennett, Fitzallen & Coe because the house has recently been purchased by a big conglomerate that understands how to market toys but doesn't appreciate good books. When Kate's ordered out to L.A. to get TV queen Lydia Southland to finish her autobiography (a sure-fire bestseller that's intended to save B,F&C), she rises to the occasion, wooing the gorgeous but unforthcoming Lydia; her gay secretary, Noel, a recovering cocaine and alcohol abuser; top writer and former lover Gary; and trusty Mexican housekeeper Gracia. Once Lydia decides she likes Kate, she pitches right in with her personal life, even encouraging Kate's editor friend Mark to wrest Kate away from her-live in beau. But when Lydia's half-sister dies, leaving behind little Alyssa, all bets are off on the autobiography--since little Alyssa is really Lydia's secret daughter by Gary, a fact that the book might bring out. That's bad news for Kate; and, indeed, she gets the hatchet at B,F&C. But so what? She gets Mark and a TV production job in L.A. Lydia gets Gary and Alyssa. And even Noel gets a nice lesbian actress to take home with her at night. A confident commercial endeavor--wise about the TV and book publishing fields, funny and sexy by turns, with an extremely elastic sense of the human heart. -- Copyright ©1992, Kirkus Associates, LP. All rights reserved.
--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
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More About the Author
Quick Reading Order Lists:
"The Alexandra Chronicles": 1)Riverside Drive 2)West End 3)Any Given Moment 4)Talk 5)Exposé 6 )The Last Lover 7)Trouble Becomes Her 8)The Bad Witness 9)The Kill Fee 10)Mr. Murder 11)Riverside Park
"The Sally Harrington Mysteries": 1)Exposé 2)The Last Lover 3)Trouble Becomes Her 4)The Bad Witness 5)The Kill Fee 6)Mr. Murder
The "Stand Alone" Novels: 1)Benedict Canyon 2)Jury Duty 3)Just for the Summer
Best-selling author Laura Van Wormer has been a force in fiction since the publication of "Riverside Drive" in 1988. She is the author of thirteen novels. Her engrossing plots, memorable characters and insider knowledge of the media professions have won praise from the New York Times, the Los Angeles Times, USA Today, Good Housekeeping, and People.
After graduating from Darien High School in Connecticut Laura spent a year at the University of Arizona before transferring to Syracuse University, from where she received a B.S. in Public Communications from the S.I. Newhouse School and minored in English.
Upon graduation Laura went to New York looking for a job in television but landed a job instead as secretary to the editor-in-chief of Doubleday & Company. "Every day my head was spinning," Laura says. "Everyone from Leon Uris to William F. Buckley, Jr., Victoria Holt to Phyllis Whitney, Edna O'Brien to Stephen King, Arthur and Alex Hailey to Allen Drury were all publishing with Doubleday at that time."
Laura rose through the editorial ranks somewhat specializing in celebrity and mass media-related books. Caught in a deadline crunch one year, Doubleday and 20th Century Fox flew Laura out to the West Coast to create a book based on the hit series, "Dynasty". Upon her return to New York an offer was made to create a book for the rival show, "Dallas". Laura ended up taking the assignment and leaving Doubleday to write her first novel.
The novel ended up taking four years. To keep body and soul together Laura became "The Official Dallas Historian" (!) and created a game for Lorimar based on the show. She then took on "Knots Landing", wrote copy for the back of jigsaw puzzles and created a game.
Finally she finished her first novel, "Riverside Drive", published in 1988, which is currently in its 5th edition. She has been a full time writer ever since.
Laura is a longtime member of the Authors Guild of America, and also (because of "Jury Duty" and the Sally Harrington mysteries) the Mystery Writers of America and Sisters in Crime. She lives in Connecticut, New York and Shelburne, Nova Scotia.
"The Alexandra Chronicles": 1)Riverside Drive 2)West End 3)Any Given Moment 4)Talk 5)Exposé 6 )The Last Lover 7)Trouble Becomes Her 8)The Bad Witness 9)The Kill Fee 10)Mr. Murder 11)Riverside Park
"The Sally Harrington Mysteries": 1)Exposé 2)The Last Lover 3)Trouble Becomes Her 4)The Bad Witness 5)The Kill Fee 6)Mr. Murder
The "Stand Alone" Novels: 1)Benedict Canyon 2)Jury Duty 3)Just for the Summer
Best-selling author Laura Van Wormer has been a force in fiction since the publication of "Riverside Drive" in 1988. She is the author of thirteen novels. Her engrossing plots, memorable characters and insider knowledge of the media professions have won praise from the New York Times, the Los Angeles Times, USA Today, Good Housekeeping, and People.
After graduating from Darien High School in Connecticut Laura spent a year at the University of Arizona before transferring to Syracuse University, from where she received a B.S. in Public Communications from the S.I. Newhouse School and minored in English.
Upon graduation Laura went to New York looking for a job in television but landed a job instead as secretary to the editor-in-chief of Doubleday & Company. "Every day my head was spinning," Laura says. "Everyone from Leon Uris to William F. Buckley, Jr., Victoria Holt to Phyllis Whitney, Edna O'Brien to Stephen King, Arthur and Alex Hailey to Allen Drury were all publishing with Doubleday at that time."
Laura rose through the editorial ranks somewhat specializing in celebrity and mass media-related books. Caught in a deadline crunch one year, Doubleday and 20th Century Fox flew Laura out to the West Coast to create a book based on the hit series, "Dynasty". Upon her return to New York an offer was made to create a book for the rival show, "Dallas". Laura ended up taking the assignment and leaving Doubleday to write her first novel.
The novel ended up taking four years. To keep body and soul together Laura became "The Official Dallas Historian" (!) and created a game for Lorimar based on the show. She then took on "Knots Landing", wrote copy for the back of jigsaw puzzles and created a game.
Finally she finished her first novel, "Riverside Drive", published in 1988, which is currently in its 5th edition. She has been a full time writer ever since.
Laura is a longtime member of the Authors Guild of America, and also (because of "Jury Duty" and the Sally Harrington mysteries) the Mystery Writers of America and Sisters in Crime. She lives in Connecticut, New York and Shelburne, Nova Scotia.
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Benedict Canyon,
This review is from: Benedict Canyon (Kindle Edition)
I thought I had read all of Van Wormer's novels. What a great find. Great fun and great sex and a great ending that had me whistling dixie.
3.0 out of 5 stars
Great beach reading!,
By
This review is from: Benedict Canyon (Hardcover)
This was a sweet little book, decently written, and just perfect for vacation. Kate is a New York book editor, sent out to L.A. to help famous actress Lydia Southland write her memoirs. Lydia, Kate and all the people around them have had struggles they've kept secret and all these come out during the process. Both ladies find love, and though it's all terribly predictable, it's also very sweet. The ending is tied up in a nice little bow and they all live happily ever after, which is just what one expects from this type of book. A worthwhile read, if you're going to a beach, or that's the kind of thing you're into.
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