A former rocker’s past explodes online, forcing her and her daughter to face secrets, second chances, and the soundtrack of their lives.
Libby Conlin thought her rock & roll days were ancient history—until her newly divorced daughter Bridget moves back in and secretly uploads Libby’s old songs for an art school project. The tracks go viral. The industry starts calling. And Libby’s past—along with the secrets she thought she’d buried—comes crashing back.
As mother and daughter clash, connect, and unravel the truth behind the music, both are forced to confront who they are, what they’ve lost, and what they still have time to reclaim.
Chick Singer is a sharp, emotionally charged novel about family riffs, second chances, and the dangerous thrill of chasing dreams—at any age.
About the Author
Lorraine Devon Wilke is a writer of screenplays, stage plays, articles, editorials, short stories and novels. In 2010, she launched her “arts & politics” blog, Rock+Paper+Music, and in 2011 became a popular contributor to HuffPost and other media sites. Her essays have been reprinted and excerpted in academic tomes, nonfiction books, and literary journals. She maintains a column at Medium and a popular Substack titled Musings of a Creative Loudmouth. Her previous novels include After the Sucker Punch (2014), Hysterical Love (2015), and The Alchemy of Noise. Devon Wilke lives in Los Angeles with her family, including her husband, attorney/writer/producer, Pete Wilke.
Praise for Chick Singer
"A finely crafted novel about sidelined dreams and second chances. OUR VERDICT: GET IT!”— Kirkus Reviews
“A smart, twisty, wonderful novel with all the messy grit of the real world. Devon Wilke digs into complex relationships and finds heartfelt emotion in a story of suppressed ambition and motherly love that resolves in unexpected and profound ways.” —James Parriott, award-winning producer/writer/director, Grey’s Anatomy, Ugly Betty, Patriot
“Chick Singer rocks with dynamic characters whose dialogue pops like a backbeat. Devon Wilke trains a knowing look upon our current frantic and fragmented state, and the music that goes with it.” —Junior Burke, award-winning dramatist, songwriter, and author of Buddha Was a Cowboy and Cold Last Swim
“Bittersweet and deeply felt, Chick Singer nails the heartbreak of an artist forced to recalibrate when the heady dreams of youth crumble into the stale compromises of middle-age. But Libby Conlin is not about go gentle.” —Tom Amandes, actor/director/playwright, Everwood, The Untouchables, Celestial Events, Brothers & Sisters
“From the first page of Devon Wilke’s Chick Singer, we’re immediately involved with the full-throated, living, breathing, complex human beings who truly seem more like people we know than fictional characters.” —Susan Morgenstern, award-winning director and producing director of The Braid Theatre
“In Chick Singer, Lorraine Devon Wilke masterfully transports the reader into a compelling world of secrets, suppressed dreams, artistic passions, challenging relationships, and personal triumphs. A page-turner not to be missed!” —Judith Teitelman, award-winning author of Guesthouse For Ganesha
“With pitch-perfect writing, fully fleshed out characters, and a page-turning storyline, Chick Singer belts out a classic tune of love between mother and daughter, best girlfriends, and that undeniable passion that defines your true self.” —Debra Thomas, award-winning author of Luz and Josie and Vic
