Fifteen Minutes Of Fame

Over 150 regular folks getting their time in the spotlight--some are heroes, some are far from that. But they all share one thing in common: they weren't planning to become famous.

View our feature on Lisa Daily's Fifteen Minutes of Shame. What happens when America’s favorite dating expert finds out on national television that her husband is cheating on her? Darby Vaughn’s fifteen minutes of fame quickly becomes fifteen minutes of shame when the story of her divorce is splashed across supermarket tabloids. If Darby takes her philandering husband back, her career will be over. If she doesn’t, she’ll lose the only man she’s ever loved. As she rebuilds her life with help from her girlfriends, Darby has to make some tough choices, but she stays true to her heart every step of the way.

Michael I've spent the last twelve years of my life traveling the country, working with celebrities and big corporations to fix their marketing and PR mishaps. When my boss told me my next assignment was in my hometown of Denver, I thought I hit the jackpot. A chance to beat around my old stomping grounds for two months and see my brother and my best friends, what more could I want? A lot more, apparently, including the gorgeous nurse I'm trying to keep at arm's length. Taric Hall is the breath of fresh air I wasn't expecting, and the more I have him, the more I want. I know this thing between us has an expiration date. So why am I starting to feel like leaving is going to be so much harder this time around? Taric Being a single parent to an eight-year-old little girl isn't easy, but I wouldn't change that part of my life for anything. What I would change is my lack of love life. I've kept guys away on purpose, all for the sake of keeping the status quo. I don't want to admit it, but I'm scared to lose my heart to someone and have him disappoint not only me but my daughter, as well. When Michael Lee ends up in my hospital, the last thing I expect is for our chance meeting to lead to more. He's the first guy in a long time I can actually see myself having a future with. If only he wasn't leaving in a few weeks, maybe I'd be able to convince him (and myself) that we can last longer than your average fifteen minutes of fame. ***Fifteen Minutes of Fame is a full-length M/M romance novel featuring a found family, lots of tattooed hotties, and a hookup that leads to a HEA. This is the first book in the Friends of Friends series and can be read as a standalone.

In the future, everyone will be world-famous for 15 minutes. Andy Warhol coined that prophetic line in 1968. Ironically, in today's modern society, Warhol's statement is arguably more famous than its author. Forty-plus years after he made his seemingly outrageous pronouncement, most people would probably agree that his prediction appears to have in fact, come true. It has become possible, in large part, due to the vast audiences of hundreds of channels of scripted television and unscripted reality TV shows, the new media digital revolution dominated by YouTube, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, countless blogs and seemingly infinite legions of websites. Author Darrell Miller characterizes fame as that defining point in your life or career-whether you are a celebrity or not-that has the potential and capacity to actually take you to a higher level of success and to reach your personal or business goals. Throughout his career as an entertainment attorney, the author has observed many celebrity artists, athletes and other high profile people who have achieved or exceeded their financial and personal dreams. As an entertainment attorney in Los Angeles, he has worked with or studied many non-celebrities who became instantly famous as a result of being on reality TV, winning a lottery or getting a big promotion at their job. Miller's primary goal is to make people stop and give real consideration to some of these issues in an effort to motivate them to understand that once they have reached a certain level of fame and fortune, it is extremely important to spend quality time, energy and research on developing basic plans and strategies in order to sustain their success. As Mr. Miller writes, there are serious perils to blindly embracing and enjoying the fleeting fun of celebrity fame and fast money. The tabloids, newspapers, blogs and social media are littered with the ruins of shooting stars-celebrities, politicians, sports figures and executives-all have come and gone in the blink of the public's eye. The concept driving The 16th Minute of Fame is that it is vital to avoid embracing the superficial, popularized concept of fame. The core theme explored in this book will largely center on how a person can achieve and sustain fame in the entertainment industry. However, the issues of fame, fortune and success are universal, and they inevitably affect most professions. Miller uses the entertainment industry as the backdrop for much of the discussions in this book because that is the industry that he knows best. However, the information presented will also be directly applicable to most non-entertainment related athletes, professionals, business owners and entrepreneurs who are pursuing goals to advance their personal life and/or business.

An accessible and insightful PR guide from a top adviser to the rich and powerful Media attention can boost careers, generate millions of dollars, and make dreams come true. It can also destroy reputations and derail carefully laid business plans. All publicity is not good publicity. No one knows this better than Howard Bragman. For more than thirty years he has helped prominent people—movie stars, business leaders, philanthropists— get their messages out, in good times and bad. His book won’t make anyone famous overnight, but it will help readers understand the changing world of today’s PR. If your public’s perception doesn’t match reality—if you are a better person, offer a better product, or stand for a better cause than anyone realizes— you need help. Bragman shows how to: Understand your real target audience Respect what the media needs and wants Give memorable interviews, even during a crisis Handle the new challenges of the Internet age He illustrates his lessons with juicy examples, from Frank Sinatra and Madonna to Coca-Cola and Monica Lewinsky. Whether you’re trying to build a business, advance your career, or change the world, there’s much to be learned from Bragman’s insights and experience.

One of Andy Warhol’s superstars recalls the birth of an art movement—and the death of an icon In this audacious tell-all memoir, Ultra Violet, born Isabelle Collin Dufresne, relives her years with Andy Warhol at the Factory and all of the madness that accompanied the sometimes-violent delivery of pop art. Starting with her botched seduction of the “shy, near-blind, bald, gay albino” from Pittsburgh, Ultra Violet installs herself in Warhol’s world, becoming his muse for years to come. But she does more than just inspire; she also watches, listens, and remembers, revealing herself to be an ideal tour guide to the “assembly line for art, sex, drugs, and film” that is the Factory. Famous for 15 Minutes drips with juicy details about celebrities and cultural figures in vignettes filled with surreptitious cocaine spoons, shameless sex, and insights into perhaps the most recognizable but least intimately known artist in the world. Beyond the legendary artist himself are the throngs of Factory “regulars”—Billy Name, Baby Jane Holzer, Brigid Polk—and the more transient celebrities who make appearances—Bob Dylan, Jane Fonda, Jimi Hendrix, John Lennon. Delightfully bizarre and always entertaining, filled with colorful scenes and larger-than-life personalities, this dishy page-turner is shot through with the author’s vivid imagery and piercing observations of a cultural idol and his eclectic, voyeuristic, altogether riveting world.

“Ultimately, [If Today Be Sweet] reflects on what makes an individual part of a community, and movingly depicts the heartaches, responsibilities, and rewards of family life—among one’s own blood relatives as well as one’s ‘family of choice.’ . . . [A] meditation on the complex process of building a new life.” — Charlotte Observer The recent death of her beloved husband, Rustom, has taken its toll on Tehmina Sethna. Now, while visiting her son, Sorab, in his suburban Ohio home, she is being asked to choose between continuing her old life in India and starting a new one in this unfamiliar country with her son, his American wife, and their child. Her destiny is uncertain, and soon the plight of two troubled young children next door will force the most difficult decision she has ever faced. Ultimately the journey is one that Tehmina must travel alone. Eloquently written, evocative, and unforgettable, If Today Be Sweet is a poignant look at issues of immigration, identity, family life, and hope.