www.MartinTurnbull.com
The Hollywood’s Garden of Allah novels:
- Book 1 – The Garden on Sunset
(Book 1 is available for free in all ebook formats) - 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
Also by Martin Turnbull:
Chasing Salomé – a novel of 1920s Hollywood
The Heart of the Lion – a novel of Irving Thalberg’s Hollywood
All the Gin Joints – a novel of World War II Hollywood (Book 1 in the Hollywood Home Front trilogy)
~ OTHER LINKS ~
Los Angeles cafes, restaurants, bars & nightclubs
L.A. & Hollywood vintage photo blog (updated daily)
The Hollywood’s Garden of Allah novels companion map
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Official blog of Martin Turnbull, author of the Hollywood's Garden of Allah novels 
WHERE CAN I BUY YOUR BOOKS.
Hey Deniel, and thanks for your interest. Here are some links:
My novels page on my website has all the links:
http://www.martinturnbull.com/sample-page/
My author page on Amazon is:
http://www.amazon.com/Martin-Turnbull/e/B006PVNBMM/
The first two books (ebook format) are currently available for free:
http://www.martinturnbull.com/about-the-garden-of-allah-series-of-books-by-martin-turnbull/want-to-visit-golden-era-hollywood/
THANKS MARTIN ,I’M A BIG FAN OH HOLLYWOOD IN THE 40’S AND 50’S ETC..I WISH WE COULD STOP THEM FOR DESTROYING ALL THE HISTORY. REGARDS DENIEL EDWARDS. …
You and me both, Deniel! The Garden of Allah Hotel was open from 1927 to 1959, which I consider the golden years of Hollywood – i.e. from “The Jazz Singer” to “Ben-Hur.” The Garden of Allah was a singularly unique place which has largely been forgotten so it’s my aim with my novels to recreate a special time and place which has been torn down and forgotten.
MARTIN WHY CAN’T WE REBUILD IT IN HOLLYWOOD ????…SOME SMART BUSINESSMAN COULD DO IT. WOW…THE SAME WITH A STREET CAR LINE, THERE’S CITES ALL OVER WITH THE OLD REFURBISH STREET CARS RUNNING.WE SHOULD CHAT SOMEDAY BY PHONE ETC..I WANT TO KNOW WHAT WE CAN DO TO PRESERVE THE HISTORY OF OLD HOLLYWOOD…ETC.REGARDS DENIEL/ 818/761/9354.
Having been a tour guide at two classic studios, I really miss some old backlots. Particularly Forty Acres, Columbia Ranch and Disney… Even the studios with existing backlots have lost a lot of their history. Think there’s some stories to be told there?
Hi Garan – I like to thing that there are always stories to be told, especially in movie back lots. The question is: Are they as interesting…?!?!?
I think so.
I watched movies and TV shows as a kid from 3000 miles away, and wondered where some of those buildings were. As an adult living here, the backlots offered me an occasional rare connection to the past. I still remember a day I was sent to work on the Warner Ranch. Got there really early so i could stand in front of 3 surviving facades that were four sitcom houses I remember fondly.
When I worked at Bway theatres in NY, Garson Kanin wrote a book called SMASH with real theatre descriptions that happened to be very accurate.
I believe you’ve already been doing that. And there’s more to be told.
Meanwhile, I was doing the same thing from 8000 miles away in Australia. And I very clearly remember reading and loving “Smash.”
I’ve read that book numerous times and even tried to reach Zadan/Meron to suggest they option the book. Though i enjoyed the series there’s precious little of the actual book left in it. Did you notice the parallels to Kanin’s real life experience and figure out who the characters were based on? Look who I’m talking to… of course you have. Another window into the theatre scene, largely based in LA is Diary of a Mad Playwright. I have a bunch of real untold stories from my stagedoor days. For a lot of us what went on behind the scenes is at least as entertaining as what happened onstage… as you know.
You have a lot to draw from, and you’ve built up a following, so as long as it pleases you, keep writing.
I’ve just read your first book and i cantered through it – i loved it! I’m in the UK and wondered if you know of any books about the design of golden age of America theaters that i could get here – Radio City and the like?
Book number 2 is on order. And with the advent of the Netflix series Hollywood, surely there will be the call for a TV series soon? 🙂
Hi Esther, and thanks for your note. I’m very glad to hear that you cantered through “The Garden on Sunset.” And if you liked it enough to order “The Trouble with Scarlett” I think the chances are very good that you’ll enjoy the rest of the series. As for book about the golden age of American theaters, I don’t have any that I can recommend in particular but I know there are some out there. And the producer who currently holds the screen rights for the Hollywood’s Garden of Allah series has recently renewed the contract so fingers crossed that something comes of it!
I have a bunch of books on movie theatres, and a couple on legit theatres. I got them mostly by going on Amazon and searching books under theatre or movie theatres. There is an archival book called simply “Theatres” that comes with a CD of images. I had a few of these books linked from my site: CinemaSightlines.com.
PS: Martin has a brand new book out today.
Brilliant, thank you, i shall have a look.
Oh yes, I saw, I am definitely playing catch up!
I just finished the Garden of Allah series. I hate that it is over. I feel as bad as the characters leaving their cherished hone! Really enjoyed each and every book! Thank you!
Hi Karen! Thanks for stopping by and letting me know how much you’ve enjoyed my Hollywood’s Garden of Allah series. And yes, it’s a bittersweet moment at the end of the final book, isn’t it?
Hi Martin! I’ve heard that The Vine Street Theatre was the venue for the Lux Radio Broadcasts, but I’ve also heard that they were broadcast from The Music Box Theatre as well as The Hollywood Playhouse on Vine Street at different times. Can you shed any light on this?
Bob Diston.
As far as I know, it was just at the CBS Radio Playhouse on Vine St. Wikipedia has quite an extensive article about it:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lux_Radio_Theatre
… My younger brother and I were talking about when we lived at 30708 Pac Cos Hwy at Trankas, Malibu as kids from Dec 56 to Oct 59. And he was doing some research on it later, and came across an article about the history of the Malibu coast by Martin Turnbull. I found it and the photograph very interesting. I am going to checkout his novels that sounds interesting… Ty
Thanks for stopping by, Erik. If you do check out my novels, I certainly hope you enjoy them!