Published by Harper Collins June 2009 (UK/Australia/NZ) Oct 09 (US) Nov 09 (Canada)

EVERYONE thinks they already know Britney the performer. But who is Britney the person - that woman rendered almost invisible by, and lost within, her iconic fame?

In late 2008, as a carefully choreographed comeback was masterminded by her management, it was this question that compelled me into an examination of the human behind the brand; the fragility behind the mask.

I wasn't a fan. More a detached but curious observer. But story and character fascinate me and there was no more remarkable story and no more complex character than that of Britney Spears, 'owned' by everyone but herself. Indeed, this is not just a story about Britney per se. It is intended as a story about fame and Hollywood in which she happens to be the protoganist - the cautionary tale of what happens next when the dream comes true.

It's my first book under my own name. So it represented a personal departure. But its tone and approach was informed by a sympathetic perspective from my experiences as a ghostwriter. If only more people realised the gulf between image and reality; between a media-spun reputation and true character.    

"Britney: Inside the Dream" sets out to understand a much misunderstood woman, and bring compassion to the personal struggle of a mother-of-two searching for an identity away from her music and fame. Searching, strangely enough, for normality - the very thing that so many wannabes wish to escape.

Some have decribed this biography as 'The Road Less Travelled' meets 'Biography'. Or 'In Treatment' meets 'Biography'. That's because I took my research into therapy for six hours a week for three months. For many hours a week, I sat on the shrink's couch in Los Angeles to examine the previously unexamined life of this pop star. The psychotherapist's voice is weaved throughout the narrative, informing our understanding.  

Countless sources afforded me the privilege of a rare insight into Britney's world, mind and troubles. These are sources who are extremely supportive, and wished to contribute to a fair and true portrait of this young woman.

I, for one, walked away from this project with an incredible admiration for Britney. Why? Because when you allow yourself to stand in her shoes and look through her eyes, ask yourself the one question I posed to myself after the final chapter: would I still be standing at the end if that were me?