
The Cult of Truland
A Tale of Fame, Murder and Man's Quest for the Perfect Talk Show Guest
Kevin Brass
The Cult of Truland is a contemporary satire in the page-turning tradition of Christopher Buckley and Carl Hiaasen. Set in the world of Hollywood and celebrity media, it tracks the scandals, crimes and lustful relationships of paparazzi icon Jake Truland, a true hero of the post-Kardashian age.
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Jake is a master of the fame game, a single-minded rogue laser-focused on celebrity, attention, the buzz. No one is better at getting his name in a gossip column or generating a week-long media frenzy. To his most devoted fans – 59.8 percent women, 28-54, with 1.2 ex-husbands and a zest for designer-label tequila, studies show – Jake is a mysterious figure in Cole Haan loafers, appearing periodically to dispense wisdom and date fashion models of questionable morals.
But there has been a shift in the celebrity zeitgeist. Jake is fading into the realm of the almost famous, relegated to morning radio shows and staged nightclub appearances. Celebrity bowling shows loom on the horizon.
That all changes when a mysterious chain of events returns Jake to his beloved spotlight. The celebrity news hordes shift into full frenzy. Copters take to the sky. Jake is back. But the resulting media tornado sweeps up a trailer park of characters and sends Jake careening out of control. Pursued by TV producers, investigators and his obsessive fans, Jake confronts the dark side of his celebrity as he struggles to protect the one person he truly loves.
The Cult of Truland is a romp through the glitzy, ethically-vague corridors of Hollywood, celebrity journalism and Jake Truland’s fame-obsessed world.
Short Excerpt
For as long as he could remember Jake jonesed for the buzz of news coverage, the tingle of a media happening. When he was a kid he paged himself in department stores, just to hear his name announced over the speakers. He grew up jealous of Baby Jessica, the girl who fell down the well.
Jake never fell into a well, so he had to work at it…
Full Excerpt
“A trifecta — funny as hell, cautionary and filled with jaw-dropping thunderclaps . . . If you dig Robert Crais and Elmore Leonard, you’ll enjoy Brass’s wild dive into the drowning pool of Big Time fame.”
– Bill Minutaglio, former People Magazine bureau chief, author of “Dallas 1963” and “City on Fire”
“An amazing voice… [the] style reminds me of Elmore Leonard.”
-Houston Writers Guild
“Smart, insightful, contemporary and witty commentary on the modern media condition, come to life with a compelling character along with a fun cast of characters. A delightful read.”
-Paul Taublieb, Emmy-award-winning producer, Taublieb Films