Additional information
by Bonnie Hearn Hill (Author)
A star-crossed love story, based on the scandalous relationship between a famous pop star and celebrity columnist in mid-twentieth-century America.
1956, New York City. Singer-songwriter Johnnie Ray rose to stardom with his radio hits "Cry" and "The Little White Cloud That Cried," delivering emotional vocals in jazz and blues styles that captivated fans and presaged rock 'n' roll. But despite appearing in the box office smash There's No Business Like Show Business and having a chart-topper with "Just Walkin' in the Rain," his career has been declared "endsville" by "The Voice of Broadway" columnist herself.
With her husband Dick Kollmar, Dorothy Kilgallen has cohosted the radio show Breakfast with Dorothy and Dick, broadcast live from their Park Avenue apartment since 1945, reporting show business and front-page news items. Having covered the Lindbergh baby kidnapping, Dorothy never envisioned becoming a journalist more known for gossip than hard-hitting headliners. And now, a regular panelist on the popular television game show, What's My Line?, she encounters the singer she publicly criticized without mercy.
Enjoying each other's company at their chance meeting, Johnnie and Dorothy begin an affair that threatens to consume their professional and personal lives. From attending Broadway shows and nightclubs to partying with the elite of the entertainment world, their behavior shocks the press and society. And as the open secrets of Johnnie's bisexuality and Dorothy's alcoholism add even more unwanted speculation into their activities, they become desperate to salvage their reputations, risking not only the love they share, but their very lives.
Author Biography
Bonnie Hearn Hill is the author of 16 novels, as well as numerous essays and short stories. Her most recent story appeared in the 2024 Anthony-winning anthology Crime Hits Home: A Collection of Stories by Crime Fiction's Top Authors.
Co-anchor of the KMPH Great Day Book Club, a monthly segment on Central California's leading news morning show, she teaches writing online and throughout Central California. She holds an MFA degree in Creative Writing from Antioch University Los Angeles, and lives in Fresno. bonniehhill.com
