MULTIPLE CHOICE
The claws are out in the race to become Hollywood's brightest star in Lauren Conrad's third instalment and conclusion of the Fame Game series, Infamous. The summary says: "Filming for season two of The Fame Game has begun, and star Madison Parker is doing something she never thought she'd do: avoiding the PopTV cameras. She knows Trevor will come groveling and that she'll go back to the show eventually - but on her terms. Fame can turn a girl into a pawn, and Madison knows that's not the life she wants. Fame can turn a girl into a target, too, something her Fame Game co-stars are quickly learning. Up-and-coming actress Carmen is trying to figure out who's feeding gossip about her to the press, and all signs point to someone from her inner circle. Meanwhile, the tabloids have dubbed Kate 'The Boring One' but if she's so boring, why is she the one with the boyfriend and a stalker? Help comes from an unexpected place as Madison gives Kate pointers about how to work the reality-TV system. But will Kate take the advice too far? As the girls' careers heat up, so do their love lives, and they each discover that chasing their dreams almost always comes at a price." Infamous is out in June 2013.
In Starstruck, the second novel in Lauren Conrad's Fame Game series, friendships are tested. The summary says: "Are the stars of The Fame Game ready for their close-ups? Madison Parker has discovered that not all publicity is good publicity. After turning herself in for stealing some bling, the reality star is stuck doing community service while her Fame Game castmates soak up all the screen time. Not that newcomer Kate Hayes needs more attention - ever since her breakout song became an overnight sensation she's suddenly acting like she's Katy Perry. Aspiring actress Carmen Curtis is finally making a name for herself, but she's finding it harder than ever to get out from behind her famous mother's shadow. And in Hollywood, leading men are a dime a dozen, but a good man is hard to find. So when two of the girls have their eye on the same guy that can mean only one thing: on-camera drama."
The Fame Game - Lauren Conrad (2012)
Lauren Conrad is back with a spin-off from her L.A. Candy series. While there are some new faces and new twists, readers will recognise the main character, Madison, and her sidekick, Gaby, straightaway. However, the newbies include an extremely talented but struggling musician from Ohio named Kate, and a celebuspawn named Carmen. Between the four of them, there is enough drama to go around but reality TV producer Trevor Lord wants to create some drama of his own - and he doesn't care who gets hurt in the process. While Kate has met a great guy, Trevor wants it to look like Carmen is dating him, not Kate, and Madison's extremely dysfunctional family isn't off-limits either. The more drama that producers create, the better the ratings will be. But what about the girls' lives? Will they be able to withstand playing The Fame Game with a clever and manipulative producer such as Trevor? This is another great celebrity-related story but it seems a little bit too similar to the prior series. That being said, fans of reality TV (where nothing is really real) will get a thrill out of reading what really goes on behind the scenes - and coming from a reality TV veteran like Conrad, most likely what you're reading isn't too far from the truth. (AS)
American reality TV star turned author turned fashion designer Lauren Conrad has signed another three-book deal with HarperCollins. Conrad's first trilogy L.A. Candy, Sweet Little Lies and Sugar and Spice, was based around Jane Roberts, the girl-next-door rising star of a reality show very similar to her own The Hills. Now she's taking a character from her first series - Madison Parker, the ruthless bad girl desperate to be a star, and giving her new life in The Fame Game. "This series is about a girl who loves everything that fame is, and that's all she's ever really wanted," Conrad told UsMagazine.com. "(Madison) has fun with the press, she enjoys the attention, she welcomes scandal!" The summary says: "Madison Parker made a name for herself as best frenemy of nice-girl-next-door-turned-reality-celeb Jane Roberts in the L.A. Candy books. Now she's ready for her turn in the spotlight and she'll stop at nothing to get it. But with backstabbing friends and family, relentless paparazzi, and tabloid scandals she can't control, Madison is going to have her work cut out for her. Plus, there's a new nice girl in town - Carmen Price, the daughter of Hollywood royalty - who's a lot more experienced than Jane was at playing the fame game." The Fame Game will be out in April.