FIFTEEN MINUTES OF FAME Cover Reveal

      Here it is! At long last I am able to share with everyone the Fifteen Minutes of Fame book cover! I am so excited about this! I chose this picture nearly nine months ago and I still think it ROCKS! In case you haven’t heard about the upcoming book, here is the current press release about it!

INDIANAPOLIS_ After six books on local history including The Famous Faces of WTTV-4, Eastside Indianapolis: A Brief History, Historic Irvington and A Belief in Providence, local author Julie Young has branched into fiction teaming up with St. Louis-based Rocking Horse Publishing to release an exciting YA title Fifteen Minutes of Fame on April 11.

Written as a first-person memoir, Fifteen Minutes of Fame is the story of Megan Taylor, a young girl who was plucked from obscurity at the age of 15 and transformed into the mysterious rock icon MonAmi. At the height of her fame and on the final night of her farewell tour, the singer runs from the career that made her a superstar and back to her hometown where she sorts through the complexity of living a double life that the rocker says “was hardly the best of both worlds.”

“I was inspired by a lot of young artists, both past and present who hit that super-stratified level of fame at a young age,” Young said. “The pressure is enormous. People are promising you the moon and in a few years it’s all over or they are a train wreck and nobody knows what went wrong.”

Part Hannah Montana; part Roman Holiday, Fifteen Minutes of Fame is a madcap behind-the-music fantasy that will thrill fans of Meg Cabot and Jen Calonita. Young said that after writing several non-fiction titles over the years, it was time to do something different.

“This one is for the kids,” she said. “I wanted to write a story that would remind me of the rock and roll dreams I had when I was a teenager.”

Like her main character, Young began performing at a young age and longed for the musical lifestyle she writes about in the book, but is quick to point out that is where the similarities end.

“I never could have lived MonAmi’s life,” she laughed. “My parents never would have signed the contract!”

Young said that she is excited to have partnered with Rocking Horse for her first YA publication and is currently working to schedule personal appearances throughout the country this summer.

“Fifteen Minutes of Fame is ready to rock, are you?” Young said.

Fifteen Minutes of Fame (ISBN: 9780991969576) is available in both hardcopy and ebook format at amazon.com, bn.com and other major retailers. For more information or review copies, contact publisher@rockinghorsepublishing.com for media requests and blog tour stops, e-mail Julie@julieyoungfreelance.com

Follow MonAmi’s tour Diary for exclusive online content: http://fifteenminutesmonami.wordpress.com

Advertisement

Fabulous Fridays- Top Moments of 2013

I’m sorry to see 2013 go. Last year at this time, I vowed that it would be the best one since 1986 and I have to say, in the end…2013 is going to be a hard one to top. On New Year’s Eve, I was at dinner contemplating what the best moment of the year was. I had to be the only one at the table with a true Top Ten list but I couldn’t help it. It was all so amazing! So with no further ado…here are some of my favorite moments from what has truly been a spectacular year!

     Seeing/Meeting Heart. It’s always exciting to go to a concert, but it is even more exciting to see your favorite band, meet them and listen to them do a 30 minute encore of your OTHER favorite band. Top that off with an exclusive interview with the lead singer and a press pass for the show and you have a recipe for an unforgettable life event!

     Getting my masters degree. I firmly believe that education is the key to making all of your dreams come true and it was incredible to be able to complete my masters program in a year and to secure my degree with a 4.0 GPA. It seemed like such a long journey but in the end, it was well-worth it. Hopefully in 2014, I can secure a teaching position at a local college or university and enter into a new phase of my already amazing career!

 

     Going to Disney World. I don’t take vacations, so after completing my degree I decided that the Monkey and I would take off for the Happiest Place on Earth and trip the light fantastic for an AWESOME week. The Disney people do not disappoint, I must say. Everyone was so pleasant and accommodating and I literally cried when I had to leave and go back to the real world. Getting to spend that vacation with my teenage son was also fabulous, especially when I asked him what the best part was and hearing him say, “Meeting the mouse!”

      Singing on the American Idol Stage. OK, it was the American Idol Experience at Disney’s Hollywood Studios, but still…I had to go through a blistering audition process, impress the production people and give the performance of my life in 90 seconds. Hands down that auditorium had the best sound system I have ever encountered and even though I didn’t take home the Golden Ticket, having some of my “fans” come up to me afterward and want their picture taken with me made me feel like a rock star!

     Attending the Western & Southern Open. I am a tennis junkie. I admit it. I love the sport and there are a lot of top players worthy of watching. It had been years since I attended a live match so what better way to spend your birthday than to go to Cincinnati and see the top players in the world. Seeing Venus, Roger and Vika was so wonderful and having one of them wish me many happy returns was even better. Can’t wait to go back in 2014! (I’ve got my eye on you Andy Murray!!!)

 

     Meeting “Doctor Who.” There is something truly exciting about helping your kid reach a goal of meeting one of his idols. It’s even better when you get to interview that idol as well! For my young “whovian” there was nothing as special as meeting Peter Davison even though when I asked him about his top moment of 2013…Doctor Who surprisingly didn’t make the list. LOL

    Releasing FAMOUS FACES of WTTV-4. I am always honored and proud to release a new book, but this one was extra special considering that the subjects of the book were the television heroes of my childhood. I was thrilled when “Janie” came to the launch along with the Puppet Master Brian Reynolds, and Commander KC. We were able to Skype briefly with Peggy of the “Popeye and Peggy” show and the book has received some wonderful reviews on Goodreads!

 

     Signing the FIFTEEN MINUTES OF FAME contract. At long last my first novel is coming out and I could not be more excited about it. I am so appreciative of Rocking Horse Publishing for taking a chance on MonAmi’s madcap journey into manufactured superstardom and I can’t wait to beef up the buzz as we approach our 4/1/14 launch date!

 

As for what is coming in 2014? Well if you know me, there will be plenty of weekly book reviews and Fabulous Fridays. I plan to start an “Author Spotlight” feature and of course, don’t forget to check out MonAmi’s Tour Diary which is the companion blog to FIFTEEN MINUTES OF FAME and full of sneak peeks, deleted material and whatever MonAmi feels like sharing. I guarantee there will be plenty of the unexpected along the way and I can’t wait to share it all with you. Let’s rock the new year!

Julie Young

On the Web: http://www.julieyoungfreelance.com

Like Julie Young on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/authorjulieyoung

Like FIFTEEN MINUTES OF FAME on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Fifteenminutesoffamebook

Twitter: @JulieYoung14

 

Calling All Musicians and Songwriters

    Are you ready to get your original music in the hands of new fans? Ready to break out of the local market? Do you need someone to help get the word out and spread your sound around? Look no further! FIFTEEN MINUTES OF FAME is coming and it’s ready to rock! All it needs is you!

What is FIFTEEN MINUTES OF FAME? 

FIFTEEN MINUTES OF FAME is a novel by me, Julie Young set for release in April 2014 by Rocking Horse Publishing (www.rockinghorsepublishing.com). It tells the story of  Megan Tayor, a young musician who was plucked from obscurity at the age of 15 and molded into music icon MonAmi with a new recording contract, a new name and a mysterious image conceived by a demanding record label known for cranking out flash-in-the-pan-hit-makers. When MonAmi defies the odds and lasts longer than the requisite “fifteen minutes of fame” the label reaps the benefits from the bona fide super star until on the night of her farewell tour, burned out and angry, MonAmi goes on the run, leaving everything behind.

     She returns to her hometown of Kentwood, Indiana where she goes into seclusion and is forced to make peace with the person that she is and the persona she has become. Like it or not, she has to face the music. Who said living a double life was “the best of both worlds?”

What does this have to do with me? 

In order to launch FIFTEEN MINUTES OF FAME, I am giving musicians the opportunity to donate copies of their CD’s for reader giveaways, which I will promote on my website, blogs, social media outlets in exchange for your support of the book. There is no catch. This is ABSOLUTELY FREE and completely legitimate. All you have to pay for is the postage to get the CDs to me or avoid money altogether and donate your music in the form of MP3 files which will be burned (an agreed upon number of times) or, if you only have a single or two may be selected for a FIFTEEN MINUTES OF FAME compilation CD.

So, do I keep the rights to my songs? Is this for real? 

     YES!!! This is merely my way of developing a symbiotic relationship with the music community that I love and cherish more than anything in the world! Help me help you by getting your music into new hands, help you reach new fans and build a bigger buzz than you have right now. The FIFTEEN MINUTES OF FAME  Facebook page will be promoting musicians who participate throughout the winter and spring of 2014 and there will be tons of new opportunities beyond.

What kind of music are you looking for? 

As a general rule…everything. I am open to pop, rock, R&B, country, rap, Christian…whatever. I am NOT and WILL NOT accept CDs or files that are blatantly explicit and I am not looking for death metal. I would like a good honest mix of genres from hard working bands who “get” the opportunity I am providing and are excited to be part of it.

Do you have to be a certain age? 

Nope…High School garage bands…working musicians,…women…all are welcome…if you have ORIGINAL material…I’m willing to consider it. I do request that your band be “verifiable” (I don’t want to find out later that you are the 21st Century’s answer to Milli Vanilli) so that I can operate in the most honest way possible.   

Why are you doing this? 

   My character got her big break because someone was willing to give her a chance. Musicians know that it is important to get their music out there any way possible just as authors like to find readers anywhere and everywhere. My book is about music…I’m a musician…why wouldn’t I use that platform to promote the book and do something good at the same time?

I don’t have any originals, but I would still like to get my band promoted. 

I am happy to accept merch from bands who do not play originals, (i.e. promotional guitar picks, drum sticks, t-shirts) whatever…just contact me and we can talk about it.

     Have I answered all of your questions? Probably not, but that’s OK…the first step is getting the word out FIFTEEN MINUTES OF FAME will not be as successful without musicians and their dreams. If you are ready to kick this book and your music into high gear….then let’s get ready to rock! Contact me to find out how you can get involved!

Like Julie Young on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/authorjulieyoung

Like Fifteen Minutes of Fame on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Fifteenminutesoffamebook

Follow Julie Young on Twitter @Julieyoung14

E-mail: Julie@Julieyoungfreelance.com