Books published by publisher Rothesay Press

Have you ever wanted to climb into a time machine and visit Hollywood during its heyday?As America embraces the 1950s, that brash upstart called television is poaching Hollywood's turf, inch by inch. If the studios don't do something drastic, they may lose the battle.When screenwriter Marcus Adler fell afoul of the blacklist, Europe offered sanctuary. Hollywood lures him back, but the specter of Joseph McCarthy forces Marcus to fight for a final chance to clear his name.A charismatic figure rises to intimidate the entire film industry, and Hollywood Reporter Kathryn Massey realizes that she knows a secret that just might topple this self-appointed savior. If Kathryn fails, will her neck land on the chopping block instead?A new kiss-and-tell magazine splashes onto the scene--but it isn't playing by the rules. Gwendolyn Brick figures she doesn't need to worry about a scandal rag until she spots someone lurking around the Garden of Allah during Marilyn Monroe's birthday party. Suddenly, Confidential threatens to expose everything.Tinseltown Confidential is the seventh installment in the Hollywood's Garden of Allah saga. If you like richly woven details, the Golden Age of Hollywood, and characters who come to life, then you'll love Martin Turnbull's captivating historical fiction series.Hollywood's Garden of Allah novels:Book 1: "The Garden on Sunset"Book 2: "The Trouble with Scarlett"Book 3: "Citizen Hollywood"Book 4: "Searchlights and Shadows"Book 5: "Reds in the Beds"Book 6: "Twisted Boulevard"Book 7: "Tinseltown Confidential"Book 8: "City of Myths"Book 9: "Closing Credits"Martin Turnbull's Garden of Allah novels have been optioned for the screen by film & television producer, Tabrez Noorani.INTERVIEW WITH THE AUTHORYour Garden of Allah novels are rich in the history and lore of classic era Hollywood. What was your original inspiration?I came across an online article about the Garden of Allah Hotel, which opened as "The Jazz Singer" ushered in the talkies. The Garden's residents witnessed the unfolding evolution of Hollywood and actively participated in it.How has writing these novels changed your view of this golden age that we perceive as the greatest era of film production?L.A. was a much less densely populated city. Consequently, all movie industry workers were far more likely to know each other. People moved from MGM to Paramount to Twentieth Century-Fox to RKO to Warner Bros. Two or three degrees of separation were usually enough!Why did you not go the safe route and change the names of the major players to suit your story?The whole point of recounting the history of Hollywood through the eyes of the Garden's residents was because so many celebrities lived there. Harpo Marx and Sergei Rachmaninoff were neighbors, F. Scott Fitzgerald played charades with Dorothy Parker, Errol Flynn got drunk, Ginger Rogers was always looking for a tennis partner, and Bogart courted Bacall. I figured: Why tell it if I'm going to change the names?

Have you ever wanted to climb into a time machine and visit Hollywood during its heyday?Hollywood history is more than just colorful. It's dripping with red.As World War II ends, a new boogieman emerges: the Red Menace. When a scandal accuses Tinseltown of being riddled with Communists, MGM writing department head Marcus Adler needs to keep his reputation beyond reproach. Unfortunately in Hollywood, nobody's past is spotless.While the House un-American Activities Committee prepares to grill the brightest stars in town, gossip columnist Kathryn Massey is doing everything she can to shed the FBI informer mantle she carried during the war. Desperate to avoid tangling with a notorious mobster, Massey may have to take on J. Edgar Hoover himself to secure her freedom.The war killed Gwendolyn Brick's dream of opening her own store, but valuable secrets can creep into the strangest of places. From behind the perfume counter at Bullocks Wilshire, Brick makes a shocking discovery that could revive her dream and change multiple lives for good.In postwar Hollywood, there are reds in the beds, the sharks are circling, and it's feeding time.Reds in the Beds is the fifth installment in the Hollywood's Garden of Allah saga, a series of historical novels set in Hollywood's heyday. If you like authentic and richly-detailed history, compelling and memorable characters, and seeing fiction and history seamlessly woven together, then you'll love Martin Turnbull's authentic portrayal of the City of Angels. Hollywood's Garden of Allah novels:Book 1: "The Garden on Sunset"Book 2: "The Trouble with Scarlett"Book 3: "Citizen Hollywood"Book 4: "Searchlights and Shadows"Book 5: "Reds in the Beds"Book 6: "Twisted Boulevard"Book 7: "Tinseltown Confidential"Book 8: "City of Myths"Book 9: "Closing Credits"Martin Turnbull's Garden of Allah novels have been optioned for the screen by film & television producer, Tabrez Noorani.INTERVIEW WITH THE AUTHORYour Garden of Allah novels are rich in the history and lore of classic era Hollywood. What was your original inspiration?I came across an online article about the Garden of Allah Hotel, which opened on Sunset Boulevard in 1927 just before "The Jazz Singer" ushered in the talkies, and closed in 1959, the year that "Ben Hur" announced the last hurrah of the studio system. The Garden's residents witnessed the unfolding evolution of Hollywood and actively participated in it.How has writing these novels changed your view of this golden age that we perceive as the greatest era of film production?L.A. was a much less densely populated city. Consequently, all movie industry workers were far more likely to know each other. People moved from MGM to Paramount to Twentieth Century-Fox to RKO to Warner Bros. Two or three degrees of separation were usually enough!Why did you not go the safe route and change the names of the major players to suit your story?The whole point of recounting the history of Hollywood through the eyes of the Garden's residents was because so many celebrities lived there. Harpo Marx and Sergei Rachmaninoff were neighbors, F. Scott Fitzgerald played charades with Dorothy Parker, Errol Flynn got drunk, Ginger Rogers was always looking for a tennis partner, and Bogart courted Bacall. I figured: Why tell it if I'm going to change the names?Do you think stories set in old Hollywood are becoming more popular because of Turner Classic Movies?Yes! TCM has produced a whole new audience for them. Consequently there is a greater interest in the time and place from which these movies sprung.

Have you ever wanted to climb into a time machine and visit Hollywood during its heyday?The Garden of Allah Hotel on Sunset Boulevard — Hollywood’s most infamous hotel during Hollywood’s most famous era.Right before talking pictures slug Tinsel Town in the jaw, a luminous silent screen star converts her private estate into the Garden of Allah Hotel. The lush grounds soon become a haven for Hollywood hopefuls to meet, drink, and revel through the night. George Cukor is in the pool, Tallulah Bankhead is at the bar, and Scott Fitzgerald is sneaking off to a bungalow with Sheilah Graham while Madame Alla Nazimova keeps watch behind her lace curtains.Book One: The Garden on Sunset — The real story of the Garden of Allah begins with its first residents, three kids on the brink of something big. Marcus Adler jumps on the midnight train out of Pennsylvania and heads for the only address he knows: 8152 Sunset Boulevard. Kathryn Massey has bigger plans than fulfilling her mother’s thwarted dreams: she has her eye on the Hollywood Reporter. Gwendolyn Brick is from the wrong Hollywood: Hollywood, Florida, but six days, three trains, a bus and two streets cars will fix that. Together, they learn that nobody gets a free pass in Hollywood, but a room at the Garden on Sunset can get your foot in the door.Book Two: The Trouble with Scarlett — Gone with the Wind is released by first-time author Margaret Mitchell and becomes an international sensation. Everyone in Hollywood knows that Civil War pictures don’t make a dime but renegade movie producer David O. Selznick snaps up the movie rights and suddenly the whole country is obsessed with answering just one question: Who will win the role of Scarlett O’Hara?Book Three: Citizen Hollywood — Orson Welles, the enfant terrible of New York, is coming to Hollywood to make his first movie. Tinsel City is agog! Can he even direct a movie? What will it be about? Will he scandalize the West Coast the way he’s shocked the East Coast? And, more importantly, who will he bed first and does he kiss-and-tell? When William Randolph Hearst realizes Citizen Kane is based on him, he won’t be happy—and when Hearst isn’t happy, nobody’s safe. Marcus, Kathryn, and Gwendolyn need to go for broke, and the clock is ticking. Hollywood’s Garden of Allah novels:Book One: The Garden on SunsetBook Two: The Trouble with ScarlettBook Three: Citizen HollywoodBook Four: Searchlights and ShadowsBook Five: Reds in the BedsUPDATE: Martin Turnbull's Garden of Allah novels have been optioned for the screen by film & television producer, Tabrez Noorani.

"Famous People Who've Met Me" is an outrageous collection of true stories starring oddball characters, behind the scenes gurus, scoundrels, and brilliant superstars in the music business straight out of Minnesota. The unique memoir does more than just recount tales; it's a true in-depth character study as told through the eyes of musician, agent, concert promoter, and manager Owen Husney. The stories reflect not only his crazy, sometimes dark experiences but also his contributions to the world of music -- from Elvis to Al Jarreau, Richard Harris to Yanni, Hendrix to K-Tel, Prince to The Revolution.

The Butt Hello... and Other Ways My Cats Drive Me Crazy is a hilarious and insightful look at our furry friends' often bizarre bahavior. Featureing the whimsical illustrations of author Ted Meyer, the book examines a wide range of offbeat feline idiosyncracies and characteristics. Cat lovers--and even those who dislike cats--will gleefully recognize the habits and demeanor that have endeared felines to their owners for ages. Anyone who has ever been the beneficiary of midnight toe attacks, fishy tuna breath, or a "butt hello" will recognize their own surly little furball in this original collection of cat-centric observations.