The Fame Game

by Charles Casillo

“Juicy, nasty, funny, intense.”—Liz Smith “Catchy and mesmerizing. You can’t put the book down.”— EDGE New York City A hip, modern-day cautionary tale of the trappings of celebrity and its deadly consequences. Meet Mikki Britten, a woman equal parts beauty, talent, and ambition. When Hollywood calls, Mikki stops at nothing to achieve her quest for ultimate fame. In her way is Carla Christaldi, a Hollywood daughter who will do anything to escape her father’s shadow. When Mario DeMarco enters their lives, fame takes on a deadly edge. Charles Casillo is also the author of The Lives and Careers of John Rechy .

Genres: Fiction

387 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2006

About the author

Sometimes while sitting darkly in the far corner of a corner bar, sipping a martini with three olives, or just strolling down a city street with shadowy, hidden secrets, this author's mind wanders to his many interests and obsessions: Tragic figures, film noir, Marilyn Monroe, sex, eccentric personalities, extraordinarily talented individuals, and antidotes for insomnia, loneliness, and insecurity. He has written about some of these subjects in his books "The Marilyn Diaries," "Outlaw: The Lives and Careers of John Rechy," "The Fame Game," "Boys, Lost & Found," the comprehensive biography "Marilyn Monroe: The Private Life of a Public Icon," and his latest book "Elizabeth and Monty: The Untold Story of Their Intimate Friendship." Often he might scribble some of his musings on a cocktail napkin or the back of a newspaper and find it wadded up in the morning--crumpled, torn, and almost illegible but usually with the seed of a thought that might lead to something new.

Reviews

[Brian Centrone · Rating 5 out of 5]

Read this book. It's a must. My good friend Charles wrote it with inspiration from my fav Jackie S. I can't wait for it to become a movie. It's gonna be HOT!

[Anthony Johnson]

An amazing book. I could not not stop once I started. Excellent writing style, full of intrigue, suspense and drama

[Lisha G. · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Fame Game is definitiv ein Roman, der es in sich hat. Es erzählt die Geschichte um drei wundervollen Menschen alle drei sehr ehrgeizig, voller Träume wollen unbedingt um jeden Preis im Showbiz berühmt werden und die Welt erobern.
Mikki, wunderschön, Sexy atemberaubend möchte Top- Model werden bei der grössten Top- Modelagentur, gesignt werden aber der Anfang ist nicht einfach, sie muss erst den Boss der Top Agentur überzeugen das sie die richtige ist, setzt ihre weibliche Reize ein.
Carla, will zum Film, ihr Vater ein grosser Film- Produzent könnte ihr helfen, nur Carla will es ohne ihren bekannten berühmten Vater alls Schauspiellerin schaffen. Carla findet sich nicht schön genug übergewichtig erst zu Beauty-Doc bewundert Mikki's Schönheit, beide Frauen werden Freunde, versuchen gemeinsam ihr Glück im Model- und Film Biz zu gelangen,
Mario, trifft auf die beiden Frauen zu, auch er träumt von Ruhm, Geld und die Welt zu erobern. "The Fame Game "ist hinreissend, packend, macht, sexy, traurig und tragisch.
Ich habe dieses Buch sehr genossen, habe schnell durchgelesen, konnte es nicht aus der Hand legen. Ein brilliantes Buch, von Schriftsteller Charles Casillo. Eine Fortsetzung um Character Mikki wäre schön, ein Film auch Macht- Gier- und Sex - Liebe- Zuneigung- Erfolg- Glamour, Drogen, Geborgenheit, Sehnsucht in diesem Buch dreht sich um alles oder nichts.

Wie der Titel uns sagt ~ THE FAME GAME ~ DAS BERÜHMTE SPIEL "~
Ich liebe dieses Buch, es ist BRILLIANT
Grossartig geschrieben ein MEISTERWERK von Schriftsteller Charles Casillo BRAVO
AMAZING NOVEL⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

[Damian Wild · Rating 5 out of 5]

As a noted celebrity biographer, Casillo is an expert on fame and the great lengths people will go to attain it. Unlike those biographies, “The Fame Game” is a work of fiction - allegedly - that delivers a delicious dose of lust, sex, betrayal and murder in a tale that shows just how far someone is willing to go to get their fifteen minutes of fame. The characters are sexy, sleazy and completely unreliable, making for such a fun, entertaining read that I found it impossible to put down. Written in the “roman a clef” style of classics by Jacqueline Susann and Jackie Collins, you will find yourself playing “the fame game” too as you try to guess the real life inspirations behind the characters. The Fame Game is an unputdownable page turner - the ultimate beach, vacation or staycation read!

[Ted · Rating 4 out of 5]

Charles Casillo’s “The Fame Game” is a sexy, engaging, bare-knuckled satire about career advancement in a dog-eat-dog world. It’s a real page-turner with some surprising plot twists. Mario, the narrator/confessor is a hustler-turned-writer. His best friend Mikki is a beautiful model and would-be actress. And Carla, living in the shadow of her famous father, is a would-be anything. Add to them a cast of other colorful characters – men who can make or break careers in an instant, a phony boy wonder, and a lonely has-been actress – and you have a get-ahead-at-any-cost orgy of talent, love, sex, drugs, and betrayal. Casillo’s well-drawn characters are believable, drawn undoubtedly from his own experience as a model, actor, and writer in New York and LA. As are his settings. His descriptions of the NYC club scene and the late-night subway are as pungent as I’ve ever read. And don’t forget Casillo’s other work, the celebrated “Marilyn Diaries” and his wonderful, gritty collection of short stories “Boys, Lost and Found.”

[Rich Merritt · Rating 5 out of 5]

EXCELLENT BOOK! Smart, snappy and funny, with far too much Truth for most people to handle. LOVED IT!

[Richard · Rating 5 out of 5]

A good solid read..hard to put down! Characters are well-developed.

[Sarah Harper · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved this book! Read it in one sitting, because I couldn't put it down.