By Lisa Maliga, copyright 2026
In January, I took a one-month-long break from the internet. My goal was to rewrite one of my novels. The events in the book also took place in January, so I was completely immersed in my rewrite. Going over my original notes, reading old books, and researching the last decade of the 20th century, I saw what changed and what hadn’t. I wanted to be certain that “North of Sunset” gave off that 1996 vibe. Back then, the internet was only a few years old.
My passion for this project increased as I was able to stay away from the online world which can be distracting. I made notes in a spiral bound notebook. I remembered how Los Angeles was so different than it is now. I listened to music from that time period and watched movies filmed in the mid-nineties. Research always pays off.
While this book is still a novel with a strong female protagonist, it’s a bit more romantic and the ending has changed from the 2015 version. Some of the language has been cleaned up.
Book Description:
1996. Beverly Hills, California.
Sherman Lee is a wildly successful action movie producer with one obsession left: critical respect. But his temper, indulgences, and irrational demands have made him difficult to work for — no assistant lasts more than a few days.
Until Emily Karelin.
Disciplined, grounded, and far removed from Hollywood excess, Emily steps into Sherman’s home office with no industry experience — and no idea what she’s walking into. Navigating his unpredictable demands is challenging enough. But when Sherman’s best friend, internationally adored movie star Wesley Barron, becomes captivated by her, the stakes turn personal.
Will Emily survive Sherman’s loyalty tests?
Can she resist the charm of a renowned movie star?
In a world built on ego, image, and ambition, Emily must decide how much she’s willing to endure and what does loyalty truly cost?
EXCERPT
Emily let herself into the gate that morning. Not since her health food store days had she worked on a Saturday. Last night he’d given her a key to unlock the front door and she opened it and went into the office. No sign of him. Emily made coffee and retrieved several messages, mostly from the pesky media. Which was she to do first, the Rolodex or the scripts? She switched on the computer. Emily went into the kitchen to look for him. Harriet was there, scrambling eggs.
“Hi, Harriet.”
The older woman looked up and smiled. “Good morning, Emily. You’re just in time for breakfast. Sherman’ll be out in a minute.” Harriet pointed her spatula toward the open sliding glass door. Beyond that was the pool.
Emily hadn’t been near the pool. She decided to ask her boss about her first project of the day. She walked out on the large redwood deck and over to the pool that was a natural stone-lined edifice rather than a turquoise oval.
Sherman wore black trunks and was swimming the crawl stroke. He finished a lap and went over to the edge, breathing rapidly. He smiled at her and pointed to a towel on a nearby chaise lounge. “Hi Emily. Hand me that towel, will ya?”
“Sure.” She picked it up and gave it to him.
Sherman dried his face. “Just did thirty laps.”
“Thirty? Wow, I’m impressed. I couldn’t even do three.”
He pulled himself out of the pool and proceeded to dry himself off with the sheet bearing the Olympic rings. “You can go for a swim…”
“No thanks. Besides, I don’t even own a bathing suit.”
Sherman smiled as he dried off his legs. “Who the hell says you need a bathing suit to swim?”
Amazon link: North of Sunset Also available in Audible: North of Sunset Audible edition
Amazon UK: https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B0GPJZH3M4
Apple [iTunes]: https://books.apple.com/us/book/north-of-sunset-a-novel/id6759506151
B&N Nook: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/north-of-sunset-lisa-maliga/1029605165
Kobo: https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/north-of-sunset-a-novel
All other links: https://books2read.com/u/b6NgY6
Lisa Maliga is an American author of contemporary fiction, psychological thrillers, and cozy mysteries. Many of her works of fiction are set in Los Angeles.
North of Sunset | Official Book Trailer
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