 Seeing Stars"Enjoy that naiveté, honey, because when it wears off you're going to want to start drinking," an experienced Hollywood Mom tells eager mother Ruth, who is certain her daughter Betheny is a terrific little actress. Seeing Stars is the story of Betheny and three other young actors: Quinn, cast adrift by his family and excelling only on Hollywood sets; beautiful Allison, misled by her powerful need for love; and Laurel, whose desperate secret makes the stakes impossibly high. As talent managers, agents, coaches, directors and teachers nurture—and feed on—their ambitions, stars will be made, hearts will be broken, children will grow up, some dreams will be realized and some will die.
 Seeing Stars addresses real-world issues and obsessions of young Hollywood actors and their families, exploring the roles that adults inevitably play in the lives of child actors. In Hollywood, children hold the keys to their parents' futures rather than the other way around, with sometimes alarming consequences.
Hammond wrote Seeing Stars following two years spent in Hollywood supporting her daughter's acting career. Although not autobiographical, Seeing Stars draws on Hammond's Hollywood experiences, which she calls "amazing, exhilarating, alarming and transformative."
 Hannah's Dream
An Indie Next Notable Pick, Hannah's Dream is a beautifully told tale rich in heart, humor and intelligence. After forty-one years together, Sam knows Hannah the elephant as well as he knows anyone. Sam is aging and his health is failing, but he has vowed not to retire until an equally devoted caretaker is found to replace him. Enter Neva, who quickly discovers what Sam already knows: that despite their loving care, Hannah is isolated, lonely, and her feet are nearly ruined from standing on hard concrete all day. Neva and Sam hatch a plan to send Hannah to an elephant sanctuary—just as the zoo's implacable director launches an aggressive marketing campaign spotlighting Hannah as the zoo's star attraction.
"Diane Hammond writes with heart, compassion and humor ... A generously told tale that will stick with you long after the last page is turned." — Terry Gamble.
"Irresistably touching, delectably uplifting, Hammond's understated yet gargantuan tale of devotion and commitment poignantly proves that love does indeed come in all shapes and sizes." — Booklist
About the Author
Diane was born in Queens, New York, her first job was at a department store in Honolulu, Hawaii, and she recently spent two years in Hollywood. But she's "really" a North-westerner, having lived here for years, and intending to stay here now—"hopefully for good," she says. Diane and her husband live in Bend, Oregon with five very large cats and a Pembroke Welsh corgi. Visit Diane on facebook or at http://www.dianehammond.com
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