Meet the Writers
So I went on to have a glittering career as a famous writer? Well, no, not exactly. I graduated with a degree in business studies then ran away to become a local government officer. This led me to a twenty-year career in information technology and eventually to a job as a staff writer on a computer magazine, so I suppose I made it to a writing career in the end.
I’ve written topical comedy sketches for BBC Radio and had short stories published in print and online. I’m now editor of PC Tools magazine and a regular contributor to sister titles. You can find out more on my website.
Fallen Star
Ian Barker
When Karl’s career as a pop star suddenly ends he finds life and love in the real world more complicated than he ever imagined.
From the age of sixteen, Karl Weston has only ever known how to be a pop star. When that world is turned on its head by the death of another band member he has to learn to cope with a new set of challenges. He begins to discover that in a society obsessed by celebrity, the one thing worse than remaining in obscurity is having your fame whisked away.
Fallen Star is the story of Karl’s struggle to return to the limelight, encountering corrupt management, auditions for sleazy movies and the world of reality TV along the way. As if his career wasn’t complicated enough, for the first time in his life Karl finds true love with Lizzie. But she’s the daughter of an IRA martyr and that makes her someone his ex-soldier father is bound to hate.
It’s a novel about the price of fame, the shallowness of celebrity culture, the blindness of prejudice and the redeeming power of love. It should appeal to fans of writers like Nick Hornby and Tony Parsons or to anyone who has allowed themselves the guilty pleasure of being sucked into watching a reality TV show.
Complete @ 70,000 words
Ian’s Website
http://www.barker-home.demon.co.uk/