Barefoot in the City of Broken Dreams

Book 2 in the Russel Middlebrook: The Futon Years

"There was no way moving to Los Angeles was going to make me give up my soul. After all, I'd already seen all the movies about Hollywood. I knew how things worked."

Twenty-four year-old Russel Middlebrook and his boyfriend have moved to Los Angeles so Russel can try to make it as a screenwriter.

Almost right away, in a forgotten old house off Sunset Boulevard, Russel meets Isaac Brander, a once-famous film producer who is convinced he can turn Russel's screenplay into a movie.

Russel knows that success can't possibly come this easily. After all, most of Russel's Los Angeles friends are so desperate to make it that it's downright scary. His ex-boyfriend, Otto, is trying everything to become an actor, and Daniel, the sexy neighbor, doesn't even need a casting couch to get naked.

So what's the catch with Mr. Brander? Could it be that movies about Hollywood don't tell the whole truth? But what does that mean for Russel's soul?

Barefoot in the City of Broken Dreams, a sequel to Brent Hartinger's The Thing I Didn't Know I Didn't Know, is a fast-paced, funny story about the price of fame in Hollywood: the hilarious lengths people will go to achieve it, and the touching secret to survival when things don't work out exactly as planned.

REVIEWS

"A sharp, canny, and highly engaging tour through a Hollywood of cunning characters and colorful intrigues. I was charmed by every sly, sexy page."
– Barry Sandler, screenwriter of Making Love and Crimes of Passion

"Simultaneously light-hearted and introspective … my favorite Russel Middlebrook book to date … so good I didn't want to put it down."
– ISRBR

"Heart and humor … [and] a Hollywood ending that had me grinning from ear to ear."
– Bookaholism

"With his trademark wit, warmth, and economy, Brent Hartinger brilliantly captures what it's like to move to L.A. and try and make it in Hollywood: the highs and the lows, the friends and the phonies, the fun and the frustration."
– Dennis Hensley, co-screenwriter of Testosterone, author of Misadventures in the (213)

"If you liked [the Russel Middlebrook Series], you're sure to love the slightly older Russel … I can't wait for the third novel coming out next year!"
– Shooting Stars Magazine

PRAISE FOR BRENT HARTINGER

"Hits the narrative sweet spot."- NPR's All Things Considered

"Downright refreshing."- USA Today

"I really think this guy could be the next Judy Blume." - Pop Candy

ACCOLADES

•A INDIEFAB Book of the Year
•International Book Awards, Finalist