Author:
THE DEVIL OF SHAKESPEARE
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Date Posted: 14:21:50 12/12/03 Fri
Author Host/IP: cache-dl09.proxy.aol.com/205.188.209.45
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
Contact: Lissy Peace/Ann Barber
(312)573.2070
Annbarber10@aol.com
LOCAL ROCK & ROLLER GOES FROM SCREAMING FANS TO
ENGROSSED READERS;
THE DEVIL OF SHAKESPEARE, WRITTEN BY HARD ROCK DRUMMER
AND ATLANTIC RECORDS RECORDING ARTIST BILLY McCARTHY
MARKS THE LAUNCH OF ONE OF CHICAGOLAND'S MOST
PROMISING NEW STORYTELLERS;
A FASCINATING COMMENTARY ON THE UNDERBELLY OF FAME,
MCCARTHY'S HOT DEBUT THRILLER ALREADY HAS MUSIC AND
BOOK INDUSTRY INSIDERS BUZZING;
If you asked most men to confess their biggest fantasy when they were teens, many would describe standing in the spotlight next to their favorite rock & roll star with a guitar or set of drumsticks in their hands, performing live to thousands of adoring, screaming fans. That's what Billy McCarthy saw whenever he closed his eyes, too. The only difference was that
for this young south suburban Chicagoan and self-taught musician, the dream would become reality.
Drummer and former Atlantic Records recording artist Billy McCarthy, under then pseudonym Billy Dior, whose group D'Molls introduced a fresh, new sound to 80's rock music, would go on to share the same stage with the likes of Cheap Trick, Guns & Roses, Kiss, and many other of his childhood idols. His image would grace the covers of the very newspapers and music magazines he had read as a kid. The lifestyle of his musician
heroes-the stretch limos and luxury hotels, the willing groupies and sold out concerts would become his own.
Now, nearly a decade later, McCarthy, who has traded the rollercoaster ride of the recording business for the grassroots comforts of the Midwest, is turning his inside knowledge of celebrity into one of the hottest new thrillers of the season. In THE DEVIL OF SHAKESPEARE, McCarthy's acclaimed literary debut, he exposes the toxic underbelly of the entertainment industry with wit, humor and insight as only someone
who has been there and tasted its allures can know.
Set in the near future, this dark coming of age fable tells the story of David Faulkner, whose dysfunctional family fuels his ambition to escape his rough blue collar neighborhood on Chicago's Southside. His angelic good looks coupled with his ethereal talent make him the Leonardo DiCaprio of his own generation. This is an era in which everything is magnified, where once leading movie stars made twenty million a picture, David nee Darian Fable commands five times that amount. His decision to abandon Hollywood, a fabulous career, the untold riches, and retreat to a bucolic estate in Connecticut, sets in motion a chain
of events that threatens both the lives and careers of some of the most important powers in the entertainment industry, including his own.
For McCarthy, going from drummer to author hasn't been a leap, but the next natural step in the evolution of his creative instincts. "It's all about beat and timing," McCarthy explains. "Storytelling, like rock & roll, has to have a pulse. When I write, I hear the rhythm of the narrative in my head, just like I hear the rhythm of the music when I play. My goal is always
the same whether I'm the musician trying to excite an audience or the author trying to engage the reader-keeping it straight and simple, but keeping it thunderous."
Industry insiders are already buzzing about THE DEVIL OF SHAKESPEARE. Before the manuscript was even complete, one of Chicago's top local papers, The Daily Southtown did a feature on McCarthy's pending contribution to the local literary scene. Some of
rock & roll's hottest musicians are already endorsing the book. Says C.C. DeVille of the multi-platinum glam rock band Poison, "Billy McCarthy's a genius!"
"I was really blessed. I had an incredible run with my music career. I lived this great life in Los Angeles, and enjoyed all the perks of being a successful artist signed to a label. But after a while, I grew tired of all the deceit and greed that seemed to dictate everyone's behavior, and the obsession with celebrity that permeated the Hollywood culture. I might have had the talent to fit in out there, but not the heart. This book, though I wrote it to be entertaining, also communicates a strong message about fame. I wanted it to inspire readers to look deep inside their own psyches when it comes to who they look up to and why."
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Former Atlantic Records recording artist Billy McCarthy (under then pseudonym Billy Dior) is one of the most respected musicians to come out of Chicago's rock scene. A founding member of the popular band D'Molls, Billy has also shared the stage with such legendary rock & rollers as Guns & Roses, Cheap Trick, Kiss, and many others. Billy McCarthy lives in the south suburbs of Chicago where he is currently immersed on future books, FUNNYMAN JACK SMACK, DEAR EDDIE, and SARAH GOODING.
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