Fame by Misadventure

*Winner of the 2024 PenCraft Seasonal Book Award Spring Competition*
*Winner - Fiction General - National Indie Excellence Awards*
CHINATOWN MEETS REAL HOUSEWIVES IN THIS HOLLYWOOD "WHYDUNIT."
When former reality TV star and child actor Molly Mandrie takes her own life, her co-stars, producers, and fans' lives are all thrown into chaos. Under the thumb of the controlling Applause Network and their executive producer Guy Maker, cast members Tamara, Andrea, Fievel, and Elliot struggle to confront how their relationships contributed to Molly's death.
Meanwhile, big-time movie star and self-proclaimed "Molly's biggest fan" Hector Espinoza uses his industry access to ask questions. If Guy Maker was her best friend and the man who gave her a second chance at fame, why didn't he go to her funeral?
And fifteen-year-old social media influencer Nixon Bryce, who rose to fame mimicking Molly's drunken antics, finds her dysfunctional relationship with her mother is pulled into the fray as Applause looks to her to be their fresh new face.
In this deep-dive into the dramatic and dangerous world of reality TV, the cameras have stopped rolling and the makeup is off. Characters' stories start to intertwine as they search for the truth about Molly's death, racing towards an emotionally crippling conclusion that will change their lives, and careers, forever.

WILL STERLING is a queer writer and actor living in Los Angeles. As a former producer and director of production for a major podcast network, he has spent his career as a fly on the wall to conversations from celebrities of all walks of life. Having had to leave a lot of confessions, rumors, humor, and hurt on the cutting-room floor, he brings these emotional stories to life by shining light on the pain that often hides behind the makeup.