Katie Cox (overnight singing sensation and owner of the World's Wonkiest Fringe) never meant to become a pop star. And she didn't mean to start a war with Karamel (aka the World's Cheesiest Boy Band).

Now her first concert is just days away. Cool? Maybe. Terrifying? Definitely. And with her school friends more interested in her fame than her feelings, and an army of Karamel fans ready to take her down, this battle goes way beyond the charts.

Marianne Levy spent her twenties as an actor. She was in various TV shows, did some comedy on Radio 4 and made a brief appearance in the film Ali G Indahouse, where she managed to forget both her lines. She then worked as a continuity announcer for Living TV, introducing, and getting obsessed with, America's Next Top Model. She's been the voice of a leading brand of make-up, a shopping centre and a yogurt. Marianne is the author of the Ellie May young-fiction series for Egmont and a regular contributor to the Independent on Sunday. She lives in London with her husband, daughter and a bad-tempered cat. Face the Music is her second novel for Macmillan.