by: Mark Workman
Genre: Coming of Age/Young Adult
Release Date: March 19, 2025
Publisher: Birdeto Books
The world’s only conjoined triplets enter a 1978 televised music competition to find their long-lost mother.
“There's nothing wrong with show business when you're old enough to swim with sharks, but until then, beware the flame.”
Three voices, one dream, and a chance to uncover the truth.
It’s 1978, and the glittering disco craze is sweeping across America. Identical conjoined triplets Elliana, Bellamona, and Gabriella have one shared dream: finding their mother, who vanished without a trace years ago. Singing is their only solace, and now they have a chance to take that passion to the national stage.
When they’re invited to compete in Your Shooting Star, a famous music competition, the teenage sisters see it as their chance to reunite with the woman they can’t remember but long to know. But stepping into the spotlight means facing their greatest fears. As the underdogs fight to stay in the contest, they must brave ruthless rival Twyla-Violet, a former child model determined to claim the coveted title at any cost.
While the four-round competition heats up, secrets, lies, and conspiracies threaten to tear their world apart. Can the triplets stand strong and use the power of television to reconnect with their past? Or will their dream shatter under the pressure of fame?
Elliana Banfear (Ellie) is attached to Mona’s right side. She is a talented singer and plays the left-handed bass guitar. She is also skilled at forging her father’s signature and can become testy when under pressure.
Gabriella Banfear (Gabby) is attached to Mona’s left side and is the shyest of the triplets. She is also a gifted vocalist and plays the guitar. She is the only one able to drive their Volkswagen bus, which they use as a mobile seamstress studio. Their mother’s old Singer treadle sewing machine is installed inside. She is also a talented mimic who can impersonate her father and anyone else, especially over the phone.
The Banfear triplets are multi-instrumentalists and gifted artists who enjoy painting and sketching. They have been running their seamstress business for the past four years, since age twelve. Their two dreams are to find their long-lost mother and design stage costumes for rock stars like their idols, the Bee Gees. They are ambidextrous and highly intelligent, having read the entire Encyclopedia Britannica. However, they are naive and sheltered due to their overprotective father, Benson—a polyglot and literary translator—who nicknamed them Papilio when they were born. Their only friend is their huge, clumsy Great Pyrenees dog, BeeGee, who loves to dance to disco music while they perform in their garage. They are bullied at school, suffer from stage fright and low self-esteem, and isolate themselves to avoid answering painful questions about their mother.
Twyla-Violet Higgins is the lead singer of the band Empress and Papilio’s relentless high school bully. She is rich, talented, and beautiful. A former child model and soda pop TV commercial star, she is now on the comeback trail, determined to win Your Shooting Star to regain her fame and launch a show business career. She refuses to let anyone, including Papilio, stand in her way. Twyla-Violet is the spitting image of her tall, blond mother, Lovisa Nordin-Higgins, a former Swedish fashion model. Her manager is her father, Edward, a renowned attorney who punches below the belt and expects his daughter to do whatever it takes to succeed.
Carla gawked at the triplets, shocked by their wrecked makeup. “What have you done?” Katherine stepped over to them. “Carla, I’ll take care of the girls.” She took in their disturbed faces. “Did Twyla-Violet do something to you again?”
Mona sniffed back her tears. “It doesn’t matter anymore.”
“Sixty seconds,” Carla announced behind them.
Katherine pulled the girls around her. “Don’t let that bully beat you. There’s no time to fix your makeup. You must turn this crisis into a tactical advantage. I want you to think of the one thing you want more than anything else and imagine how you’d feel if you couldn’t have it.”
Papilio stared up at her, six amber irises adrift in the pain-stained red sclera of their eyes. “That’s how we feel now,” Mona muttered as another black tear dripped from her chin and soiled more of their white blouse.
“So put those painful emotions into every word you sing and note you play. Understand, Papilio?”
Appearing almost catatonic, the triplets nodded slowly.
Carla pointed at the stage. “Ten seconds!”
Gently, Katherine brushed a black tear from Mona’s soft jawline with the back of her fingers. “And don’t forget to sing the lyrics from a girl’s perspective. Make them personal.” She stepped back and gestured for Papilio to go.
“Thanks for everything,” Mona said as if it would be the last time they ever saw the coach they had come to admire.
An aching feeling in the pit of Mona’s stomach told her something awful was about to happen. She sensed the judges sharpening their axes, anticipating the metallic taste of blood, ready to exact their punishment on Papilio for being naive enough to think three homely zeros were good enough to become America’s Teen Shooting Star. Their wacko mother didn’t even want them—why would anyone else?
Mona sniffed back her tears. “It doesn’t matter anymore.”
“Sixty seconds,” Carla announced behind them.
Katherine pulled the girls around her. “Don’t let that bully beat you. There’s no time to fix your makeup. You must turn this crisis into a tactical advantage. I want you to think of the one thing you want more than anything else and imagine how you’d feel if you couldn’t have it.”
Papilio stared up at her, six amber irises adrift in the pain-stained red sclera of their eyes. “That’s how we feel now,” Mona muttered as another black tear dripped from her chin and soiled more of their white blouse.
“So put those painful emotions into every word you sing and note you play. Understand, Papilio?”
Appearing almost catatonic, the triplets nodded slowly.
Carla pointed at the stage. “Ten seconds!”
Gently, Katherine brushed a black tear from Mona’s soft jawline with the back of her fingers. “And don’t forget to sing the lyrics from a girl’s perspective. Make them personal.” She stepped back and gestured for Papilio to go.
“Thanks for everything,” Mona said as if it would be the last time they ever saw the coach they had come to admire.
An aching feeling in the pit of Mona’s stomach told her something awful was about to happen. She sensed the judges sharpening their axes, anticipating the metallic taste of blood, ready to exact their punishment on Papilio for being naive enough to think three homely zeros were good enough to become America’s Teen Shooting Star. Their wacko mother didn’t even want them—why would anyone else?
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I enjoyed reading this well done excerpt!
ReplyDeleteThank you for sharing.
Oh, wow..three voices. That would be amazing.
ReplyDeleteSounds like a good read, love the cover!
ReplyDelete