Izzy's Pop Star Plan: The Album

By Alex Marestaing

In this second book of the Izzy’s Pop Star Plan series, the final voting tallies on International Pop Star Challenge are finally revealed, and a media firestorm begins to rage.

Though a heavy audience favorite, Izzy Baxter loses by a mere 112 votes. Rumors have it that the sixteen-year-old was robbed of the title because of her faith. Everyone seems to be offering the teen legal advice, and many begin pressuring Izzy to demand a recount. After trying hard to hear God’s voice in all the noise, she decides to leave the loss behind and focus on her fledgling music career.

Izzy is flooded with contract offers, but after agonizing over the myriad of choices, she finally decides to sign with Pop Star judge Giuseppe Rossi’s Megatone Records. The talented teen is then whisked away to London to begin recording her first album. But even songs produced by a genius British producer feel empty for Izzy without incorporating her faith.

Needing to clear her head, Izzy takes a break from recording and heads to Uganda for a two-week mission trip with her youth group. While working at the Kisugu orphanage, Izzy’s heart is broken and forever changed. On top of a lonely African hill, the young songwriter begins working on a new set of songs, and a new Pop Star Plan is born.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Thomas Nelson
• Release date: Mar 5, 2011
• ISBN: 9781400317998

Book preview

Izzy’s

Pop Star

Plan

The Album

Izzy’s

Pop Star

Plan

The Album

ALEX MARESTAING

9781400316724_INT_0003_001

Izzy's Pop Star Plan: The Album

© 2011 by Alex Marestaing

All rights reserved. No portion of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means— electronic, mechanical, photocopy, recording, scanning, or other— except for brief quotations in critical reviews or articles, without the prior written permission of the publisher.

Published in Nashville, Tennessee, by Thomas Nelson. Thomas Nelson is a registered trademark of Thomas Nelson, Inc.

Published in association with Jenni Burke at D. C. Jacobson and Associates.

Published in association with literary agent Jenni Burke of D. C. Jacobson & Associates LLC, an Author Management Company. www.dcjacobson.com

Cover design by Birdsong Creative.

New York photographs by Chandler Seal.

All other photographs by Nicola Claire.

Thomas Nelson, Inc., titles may be purchased in bulk for educational, business, fund-raising, or sales promotional use. For information, please e-mail [e-mail].

This novel is a work of fiction. Any references to real events, businesses, organizations, and locales are intended only to give the fiction a sense of reality and authenticity. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.

Unless otherwise noted, Scripture quotations are taken from the HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan Publishing House. All rights reserved.

Scripture quotations marked NASB are from NEW AMERICAN STANDARD BIBLE®. © The Lockman Foundation 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995. Used by permission.

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Marestaing, Alex.

Izzy’s pop star plan : the album / Alex Marestaing.

   p. cm. — (Izzy’s pop star plan ; [2])

Summary: Much drama follows sixteen-year-old Izzy’s near-win of the International Pop Star Challenge, but rather than demand a recount Izzy turns to God to help her decide how to proceed in her attempt to realize her dream of become a singing star.

ISBN 978-1-4003-1672-4 (pbk. : alk. paper)

[1. Singing—Fiction. 2. Christian life—Fiction. 3. Missionaries—Fiction. 4. Uganda—Fiction. 5. Blogs—Fiction.] I. Title. II. Title: Album.

PZ7.M33525Izz 2011

[Fic]—dc22

2011005666

Printed in the United States of America

11 12 13 14 15 RRD 5 4 3 2 1

To Mom and Dad . . .

thanks for everything.

Contents

Acknowledgments

PART 1: Stuck in New York

Day 1: Not Again Mood Meter: Mega Sleepy

Day 2: Relaxing? Mood Meter: Fingernail Biting Time

Day 3: The Extra Hour Mood Meter: Clenched Fists

Day 4: @Ice Dreams Mood Meter: Duck!

Day 5: The Terrible Truth Mood Meter: Betrayed

Day 6: Mr. Lloyd Darby Mood Meter: ANGRY

Day 7: The Waiting Game Mood Meter: Listening

Day 8: Marshall the Monster Mood Meter: Brain Explosion

Day 9: Bad News Mood Meter: Tragical

Day 10: October Already Mood Meter: Like a New York Autumn

Day 11: That’s Not Me, is It? Mood Meter: Horribly Horrified

Day 12: Among the Mops Mood Meter: Really All Right

Day 13: @Debbie Lane Show Mood Meter: Nervous? Me?

Day 14: A Walk to Humility Mood Meter: Much Better, Thank You

Day 15: Not So Sweet Seventeen Mood Meter: Unbirthdayish

Day 16: @Home Mood Meter: Fire Escape Finally

Day 17: Wait Mood Meter: Patience, Patience, Patience

Day 18: Surprise! Mood Meter: Sweetly Surprised, of Course!

Day 19: Mr. McGuire Mood Meter: Just Right

Day 20: Happy Birthday Again Mood Meter: No Way!

PART 2: Spinning Round Like a Record

Day 21: Guitar Strings, Finally! Mood Meter: Melodious

Day 22: Sunny Sunday Mood Meter: Happy Endings

Day 23: The Deal Mood Meter: Way Too Excited

Day 24: Questions Mood Meter: Wishfully Wondering

Day 25: One Hundred Pages Mood Meter: Just Joyful

Day 26: @Melodia Records Mood Meter: What?!

Day 27: London Dreaming Mood Meter: Cheerio, Old Chap

Day 28: Final Answer Mood Meter: Beyond Begging

Day 29: Thinking About it Mood Meter: DESPERATION TIME!

Day 30: Flood Mood Meter: Planning to Be Happy

Day 31: @Open Mike Night Mood Meter: Down to the Wire

Day 32: Mom Mood Meter: Nostalgic

Day 33: Etienne Again Mood Meter: Simply Beautiful

Day 34: Shop Till I Drop Mood Meter: Feeling Fashionable

Day 35: Signed, Sealed, and Delivered Mood Meter: Starstruck

PART 3: London Calling

Day 36: Reality Check Mood Meter: Shaky

Day 37: @London Mood Meter: Funtastically Faving

Day 38: Texting Away Mood Meter: Imagining

Day 39: @Camden Studios Mood Meter: Nearing Nervous

Day 40: Top of the Pops Mood Meter: Barely Breathing

Day 41: Africa? Mood Meter: Missing Something

Day 42: Studio Blues Mood Meter: Bluer Than Blue

Day 43: Dad Day Mood Meter: Pretty Like a Violet

Day 44: The Lecture Mood Meter: Lightning Cloud Frustrated

Day 45: The Call Mood Meter: Confusion Cloud

Day 46: Hungry Hearts Mood Meter: Simply Sympathetic

Day 47: Emily Again Mood Meter: Desperate Disappointment

Day 48: Not @the Brit Awards Mood Meter: Absent

Day 49: On a Date? Mood Meter: Awfully Alone

Day 50: @Top of the Pops, NOT Mood Meter: I Don’t Know!

PART 4: African Nights

Day 51: Over Algeria? Mood Meter: Down and Up

Day 52: @Kampala Mood Meter: Eyes Wide Open

Day 53: Technicolor Morning Mood Meter: Dancing

Day 54: Reality Check Mood Meter: Heartbreak Beat

Day 55: Talent Show Mood Meter: Talentless

Day 56: Hakuna Mood Meter: Sweet Springlike Smiles

Day 57: Two Hearts Beat as One Mood Meter: Totally Together

Day 58: @Prince of Peace Chapel Mood Meter: Joyful Noises

Day 59: Work, Anyone? Mood Meter: Eager Like a Beaver (Hey, don’t laugh. it rhymes. Sort of.)

Day 60: The Missing Piece Mood Meter: Getting It, Finally

Day 61: Writing Away Mood Meter: Catchy

Day 62: @Ngamba Village Mood Meter: Blown Away

Day 63: @Bonfire Night Mood Meter: Warm Like a Sandy Summer Beach

Day 64: Good-bye Mood Meter: Sniff, Sniff

Day 65: @Air France Flight #304 Mood Meter: Majorly Missing

Day 66: @Charles de Gaulle Airport, Paris Mood Meter: Kissing Pavement

Day 67: @Notting Hill Mood Meter: AHHH!

Day 68: Armor it Mood Meter: Battle Ready

Day 69: @Dinner Mood Meter: Frustrations Flying

Day 70: Phone On, Captain Mood Meter: Yikes!

PART 5: Way Beyond London

Day 71: December Rain Mood Meter: Aching

Day 72: Ultimatum Mood Meter: Like a Lion

Day 73: Colleen Mood Meter: Trying, at Least

Day 74: The Call Mood Meter: Now What?

Day 75: What Now? Mood Meter: Cinnamon Gumball Red

Day 76: Road’s End? Mood Meter: Everything Empty

Day 77: @Harrods Mood Meter: Getting There

Day 78: Band-Aid Mood Meter: A Little Bit Less

Day 79: Why? Mood Meter: Asking and Answering

Day 80: The Call Mood Meter: Glowing

Day 81: Coming or Going? Mood Meter: Candy Cane Sweet

Day 82: @Landry Lane Mood Meter: Totally Together

Day 83: Brainstorm Mood Meter: Creative Avalanche

Day 84: Money, Money, Money Mood Meter: Making It, I Think

Day 85: Finally Friends Mood Meter: Givin’ a Peace Sign

Day 86: John 3:16 Mood Meter: Feeling Simplicity

Day 87: @Hamleys Toy Store Mood Meter: Playful

Day 88: Friends or More? Mood Meter: Smooth Sailing

Day 89: Miracle Mood Meter: Floating Away

Day 90 and Beyond: Anything and Everything Mood Meter: Starting to Get It

Acknowledgments

My gratitude goes out to:

My wife and dearest friend, Margaretha. Thanks for holding everything and everyone together during some long days of writing.

Noah, Emma, and Isabella, my dearest treasures and constant source of inspiration.

Jenni Burke, Don Jacobson, and everyone at D. C. Jacobson and Associates.

Jennifer Deshler, MacKenzie Howard, Michelle Burke, AnnJanette Toth, and everyone at Thomas Nelson who helped make Izzy a better book.

Everyone at The Revolve Tour. Thanks so much for taking Izzy on tour with you.

Bri Ivey for doing an awesome job as Izzy on the book’s video blogs.

Nicola Claire, for amazing me once again with your photos.

PART 1

Stuck in New York

I started talking to You,

You started talking to me.

Now it’s easy to see that

Your love changed everything.

FANTASTIC—IZZY BAXTER

Day 1: Not Again

Mood Meter: Mega Sleepy

One fifteen in the morning! I can’t believe he didn’t show up until one fifteen! Giuseppe Rossi, the hypercritical International Pop Star Challenge judge, was typically late, late, late for our midnight emergency meeting, so my dad and I ended up nearly freezing to death in our overly air-conditioned hotel lobby as we waited for the dark-haired, fashion-conscious Italian to show. We had gone back to our room to crash because we were crazy tired after tonight’s Madison Square Garden show, but Giuseppe kept maniacally texting us like a computer with a virus or something. I come now. No sleep yet. Very important information I give you. So . . . we waited.

To be honest, there was no way I was going to be able to fall asleep anyway. For one thing, I still had adrenaline pumping through my veins like a freight train after my tragical Madison Square Garden finals loss to Japanese singer and Pop Star friend Atsumi Takenaga. On top of that, I was crazy CURIOUS! I mean, what was this important info he had for us? Could it be a record deal? Being the popstarologist that I am (I’ve been studying pop stars and taking notes in my Pop Star Plan journal since I was six), I was overwhelmingly aware that Giuseppe owns one of the biggest record labels in the world, Melodia. I also knew that it’s pretty common for him to sign Pop Star Challenge contestants, especially finalists like me. Season two winner Jason Myers and Pop Star final four contestant Jessica Chambers are both on his roster. So, needless to say, I definitely wanted to be awake if something epically good was going to come crashing down on my pop star dreaming shores. Believe me, after tonight’s loss, I desperately needed some good news.

I was actually filming a video blog when he finally arrived. He looked like a secret agent from a James Bond movie or something. From the nervous look on his face, I instantly knew that he definitely wasn’t here to bring me a million-dollar deal. We need to speak about the show, he said mysteriously, in a half whisper as he sat down in front of us.

Okay, my dad and I answered at the same time. I would have said Jinx! like I always do with my best friend, Maddie, when we copycat each other’s words, but I didn’t think our stressed-out-looking Italian friend would have gone for that, at least not tonight.

He leaned forward and continued. There seems to have been a problem with the voting.

The voting? I asked, wondering what he meant.

Yes, we have a big problem with the voting. All at once his volume level started to climb to its passionately loud default setting. "Never we have so many votes, and never we have two singers so close in the end. Only a 112 vote difference between Atsumi and you."

Okay, I know some of you are new to my blog, so let me explain to the Izzy newbies among us. I just finished competing on a hugely popular singing show called International Pop Star Challenge. The winner, who gets a record deal, is picked by the television audience. This season, over forty million people worldwide voted.

What voting problem? Spit it out, Giuseppe! I wanted to scream, but, of course, I didn’t.

Allow me to explain. Werner, the show’s producer, well, he— Before he could finish, a flash of bright light suddenly invaded our middle-of-the-night meeting. Paparazzi! There were only four of them, far from the tons of photo-crazed camera people who followed us around in Paris, but the attention was enough to totally freak Giuseppe out.

He quickly scribbled down a time on the back of his business card and handed it to my dad. We talk more on Tuesday. Yes? he said as he grabbed his coat and scrambled toward the door with the paparazzi trailing behind like baby ducks following their mama.

What in the world? I laughed as I watched him hop into his limo.

I guess we’ll have to stay in New York until Tuesday to find out. Are you good with that? asked my dad.

Sure, I said as I sleepily got up and headed for the elevator. After surviving this chaotic week, I guess two more days of Big Apple madness aren’t going to kill me.

My Heart

All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work. (2 Timothy 3:16–17)

Once again I find myself in the middle of a major Pop Star drama, and, people, drama queen I’m not. Sometimes I wonder when my life is going to get back to normal. I mean, the last two and a half months have been roller-coaster crazy, and I’m not sure if I can take any more stress. One good thing that’s come out of this is that I’m learning to rely on God and His Word for absolutely EVERYTHING.

In all life’s craziness, I just have to keep reminding myself that God’s Word equips us and totally gets us ready for anything we may face in life. So march onward, my fellow blogophiles. We’ll get through. Oh yeah, one more thing, don’t forget to raise your hands on life’s roller-coaster drops. It’s more fun that way.

Good Night, God

Lord, once again I don’t really know what’s going on. Please remind me that You do. Amen.

That’s my prayer. What’s yours?

L8R

4 COMMENTS:

Maddie said . . .

Got back to L.A. safely. Luckily, your bro Anders was on the same flight, so I didn’t end up accidentally shipping myself to Russia or something. I wish I could have stayed in New York longer with you. But . . . Mrs. Wilson’s Algebra II class awaits, you know.

Posted Monday, 1:34 a.m.

Izzy said . . .

I’ll be back to you and LuLu’s in a couple of days. Stay strong!

Posted Monday, 1:57 a.m.

Maddie said . . .

By the way, a bunch of kids at church have been asking for your blog password. Should I give it to them?

Posted Monday, 3:00 a.m.

Izzy said . . .

No, I don’t want the whole world hearing all this stuff . . . pretty personal.

Posted Monday, 10:00 a.m.

Day 2: Relaxing?

Mood Meter: Fingernail Biting Time

I ended up spending over half the night awake, wondering what Giuseppe had to say. A problem with the voting? What in the world was he talking about? The awful thing is now I have to wait until tomorrow to find out because of some important business he had to do today. The suspense is killing me.

On top of that, my dad didn’t book a flight back to L.A. until next Sunday because he decided last minute to meet with a couple of his web design clients. So now I’m stuck in N.Y. until next week. HELP!

I thought a peaceful day in Central Park would be the perfect cure for my stressed-out head. I could lazily stroll down tree-lined paths and then plant myself under some tall tree to write a little music. Perfectly relaxing, right? WRONG! Today was even stressier than yesterday. (I know, stressier is not a word.)

So there I was, walking along the outside of Central Park Zoo, enjoying the sounds of the animals, when in came a text. I was kind of surprised because the only people who really send me texts are Maddie and Sabine, and being that they aren’t homeschooled like I am, I knew they wouldn’t be able to message me on a school day. It took me a while to fumble through my laptop bag and find my cell, but when I did, I instantly recognized the number—Etienne!

Okay, in case you’ve been sleeping through the last hundred or so of my blogs, Etienne was a major crush of mine, emphasis on the word was. He was on International Pop Star Challenge with me, and we actually went out on a date in Paris, against my dad’s wishes. In other words, I totally blew it. I broke things off between us about a month ago, and that’s why I was so shocked to get a text from him.

After staring at my phone like a mannequin for about a minute, I took a deep breath and hit the View button. 97.5, seven o’clock eastern was all it said. I was completely confused and spent the next half hour or so twirling the cryptic text round and round in my brain, trying to figure it out. Normally I would just text the person back with a big Explain, but I have this no texting Etienne policy that I’m trying to stick to, and I wasn’t going to break it.

I was about to throw the text into my brain’s unsolved mystery files when I saw it, on the side of a bus, the answer I was looking for. The huge yellow and orange ad explained everything—97.5: The City’s Soundtrack. Sherlock Baxter had figured it out; 97.5 was a radio station, and Etienne was going to be on at seven.

Curiosity got the best of me, and all I could do for the rest of the day was wait for seven. When the time came, I turned on the clock radio in my hotel room and hopped onto my bed. It took me a while to find the station, but when I got there, I instantly recognized the voice, This is Etienne Rousseau coming to you live with my newest single, ‘Pretend.’

From the moment the electronic groove kicked in, I was mesmerized.

Tried to make it, but in the end

Just wound up on my knees again.

It hurt to hear his voice. I mean, I’d be lying if I told you I didn’t still care about him . . . a lot. But, even though my heart ached, I just couldn’t pull myself away from the radio. The music was awesome, and the lyrics were the best I had ever heard from him. They almost sounded, well, Christian, especially the bridge.

Even when it’s dark, you’ll guide me through,

Because that dark is light to you.

I recognized the words. They were from Psalm 139. Oh my goodness! He’s been reading the Bible I gave him back in France, I said out loud.

Right after the song, the DJ interviewed him for a while. Even though it was your basic pop music interview, I was on the edge of my seat. I took careful mental notes of every detail.

He was sticking around New York for a week or so to promote his new album.

He wanted to ride the momentum he gained during International Pop Star Challenge to make some headway in the States.

Then, like a leaving train, the station began playing another song by another artist and he was gone, gone from my life forever. Emptiness hit me like a wave. Etienne’s song would be a hit and would take him around the world a million times, to play for millions of fans, and I would head back to Hollywood to my normal life, alone.

I stuck my head in my pillow and began to cry, for a lot of reasons. I had come so close to winning Pop Star, but I didn’t. I had come so close to dating the guy of my dreams, but I hadn’t. Mostly I cried because I couldn’t see the future anymore.

My Heart

Even the darkness will not be dark to you; the night will shine like the day, for darkness is as light to you. (Psalm

Reviews for Izzy's Pop Star Plan

[cenneidigh · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I liked this book, it is more for the young adult set then me but it was touching. Izzy lost her mother and missed her terribly. She lived with her father and brother in Hollywood, where she was close to many auditions. The book follows her plan to become a rock star, with rules and actions to take. Its set up to look like a blog with entries and comments. On the way she run into issues that need resolving and with the help of the Bible and God she makes her decisions. The parts about her mother and Mrs. A touched me the most and I even teared up at times. The singing competition is similar to Idol, and the posts outlining the other contestants brought you more and more into their lives.The Bible references were well places, even if some of the explanations were wonky. I think kids would like this story and maybe the scriptures would touch them also. I didn't agree with the father making her wait to date until she was 18, I think 16 is more reasonable.One thing I like about Christian writing is the concept of 'Giving it to God'. Things you can't handle, or cause you stress. Who better to turn them over to, then to the one who knows everything and can give you true peace. I have a few things I need to give to him right now. If you enjoy Christian writing this may be a good book for you

[stephanieloves · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Hollywood native Izzy Baxter has come far with her pop star dream. As a contestant of "International Pop Star Challenge," she travels to Harajuku, Paris, Buenos Aires, and New York to finally make that dream come true, but she's going to have to overcome life's obstacles before she gets there. Izzy's Pop Star Plan is a 90-day devotional with strong Christian approaches on dealing with jealousy, anger, grief, sadness, moving on, helping others, disappointment, intimidation, good tidings, displaying faith, companionship, abandonment, staying true to yourself and your faith, dating, teenage rebellion, heartbreak, standing out, and worship and praise.The story isn't that exciting; I wasn't exactly excited to see what happened next. It just describes day-to-day things, and I definitely saw the "happily ever after" coming, but the few dramatic twists and turns in the middle are worthwhile. Izzy's discoveries and personal dilemmas are well-portrayed and the way she faces her fears and makes tough decisions is moving and affecting.Izzy as a narrator is likable enough, but the main problem I had is how UNCHARACTERISTICALLY she acts for a 16-year-old. She's way too mature and her thinking process is literally that of an adult's; I don't care how "Christian" she is... teenagers just don't act that way. On the other hand, sometimes she acts like a baby, crying every time her father leaves the house, refusing to date guys because her dad told her not to (hello???), and being too dependent on other people. And yet she discovers, on her own, God's messages? The character is just unrealistic and contradictory to me. She doesn't act like an adolescent; she acts either childishly and immaturely, or like a boring adult, so I couldn't quite place her as a real person. However, I was proud of her because she overcomes her homesickness and the challenges thrown her way, in order to pursue her lifelong aspirations; she's a dynamic character and Marestaing did a great job demonstrating her growth through gospel.Overall, her, her family, and her friends are living in a naïve, blind Christian world that doesn't realistically depict real life, but then again this is a juvenile novel so I guess Marestaing was aiming for the grossly oversimplified and positive outlook.Izzy's Pop Star Plan is a Christian-tinted self-improvement devo set to an agreeable tune. As a devotional, this book is very heavy on God-this and God-that—way too preachy for me—but as a debut novel, it's sentimental and promising.Pros: Blog format with comments—felt like a real online journal // Evocative of countries Izzy travels to // Solid Christian approaches to everyday human emotions and difficulties // Lots of character growthCons: Not very exciting or fun // Very predictable // Izzy doesn't act like a 16-year-old... she acts like she's 30 one day, and 3 on another. There's sadly no in-between // Competition results are way too idealized; nothing disappointing ever happens to her career // PreachyVerdict: Touching and full of the honest emotion only found in a teenager's diary, Alex Marestaing's first novel is an entertaining daily devotional about finding yourself through friends, family, new experiences, new people, good music, and of course, God. Izzy takes readers with her on her adventures around the world, giving fascinating glimpses of the reality show industry, pop star fame, and Christian lifestyle. I personally didn't enjoy the cheery storyline that seemed to always be favorable to the main character, but I do think middle-grade girls (ages 9-12) will like it.6 out of 10 hearts (3 stars): Satisfying for a first read, but I'm not going back.Source: Complimentary copy provided by BookSneeze in exchange for an honest and unbiased review (thank you!).