MARCHING.COM: The Line by Courtney Brandt

Courtney Brandt delivers first book in teen fiction series

LOS ANGELES, CA - Author and self-proclaimed "band geek" Courtney Brandt believes there is no fictional voice to represent high school band students.

With the release of The Line, Brandt is hoping to change that.

"Every high school in the country has a marching band, so why isn't there a series about them?" she said, acknowledging that the "band geek" demographic is "definitely worth paying attention to."

The Line is the first in a young-adult novel series Brandt hopes will shed more light on the common but all too often neglected sector of teenage life.

Brandt's debut work centers around the misadventures of Lucy Karate, the only female percussionist on the Forrest Hills High School marching band. Karate faces challenges balancing band life with the boys, friends and small talk of "normal" high school girls.

While The Line is intended for teenage females, Brandt believes it can appeal to any current or former high school marcher.

Citing "confidence in my audience", Brandt decided to publish the novel herself and has held several book signings to promote its release. Brandt has committed to give a percentage of the book's sales to charity, including the Interlochen Center for the Arts. For book purchases in spring 2008, Brandt has pledged to donate $1 per book toward a DCI member who needs a little extra support for the summer.

Brandt is also optimistic of finding a production company for a possible adaptation to the screen.

Brandt, 26, graduated from the University of Georgia in 2001. She now lives with her husband in Los Angeles, where she works as a tour director and executive assistant at Warner Brothers.

The Line is available in paperback (172 pages). For more information about the author and the book, visit TheLineBook.com.

Photo courtesy of the author.

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