When You Wish Upon A Star... Be Careful What You Wish For!

About the Book

This is the true, strange, and unbelievable life story of a little girl with big wishes. Mentally tortured by her mother, sexually assaulted by her first boyfriend, and always told that she was ugly...this ugly duckling turned into a swan and ended up in Hollywood. She was an aspiring model, dancer, extra, stunt girl, and actress who befriended some of the biggest celebrities of the 60's and 70's, had her 15 minutes of fame and, a child from one of Hollywood's hottest heart throbs.

A no-holds-barred page turner about life in the fast lane of the 60's, with a detour through the dream and nightmare world of Hollywood that would change her life forever!

A story that spans 45 years... from 1961 to the present. Take an insiders peek at your favorite icons from days gone by. Including: James Arness, Peter Lupus, Evel Knievel, Cliff Robertson, Doug McClure, Robert Fuller, William Shatner, James Franciscus, Ceasar Romero, Kirk Douglas, Tony Curtis, Lee Marvin, Michelle Triola, Frank Sinatra, Frank Sinatra Jr., Tina Sinatra, Jilly Rizzo, Richard Conte, Bob Hope, Jane Fonda, Abby Dalton, Clint Richie, Deborah Walley, Jim Morrison, Johnny Carson, Stuntmen, Musicians, Directors, and many, many more.

Take a roller coaster ride of fun, chaos, excitement, love, pain, tears, joy and insanity. Take the ride of your life with her life. And... be careful what YOU wish for!

About the Author

Karen Swanson has had many interesting careers in her 57 years. Her young adult years as an aspiring actress; her naivety and complete seduction by Hollywood, and the repudiation she endured from the "star" who fathered her child were the main motivation to write her story. A healing process that has taken over 37 years to purge from her soul, she hopes her story will help others who have suffered the same indignities... or, save even one young girl who may be walking the same path.

Karen's later adult years were spent as a professional cook, and in the family construction business as site supervisor, designer and property manager. She is also an accomplished stain glass artist, and a teacher who has worked extensively with the elderly.

Retired now and disabled with degenerative disk disease, Karen still enjoys the ocassional "extra" work in television and, teaching classes on that subject or gourmet cooking. A lifelong animal lover, she prefers to spend most of her time with her four cats, in the seclusion of her country home.

Karen has one son, who she says is the only good thing to come out of her Hollywood experience.