Don't expect a "tell-all" book from Brit's mom

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — When author Lorilee Craker accepted her latest assignment, pop phenom Britney Spears had only shaved her head.

Things got worse from there.

Since March, Craker has been working with Britney's mom, Lynne Spears, on a book about her experiences being a celebrity parent and, given Britney's constant presence in gossip rags, Craker has a front-row seat to a much-discussed story.

"Pop Culture Mom: A Real Story of Fame and Family in a Tabloid World" is set for release on Mother's Day 2008 through Thomas Nelson, a Nashville-based Christian publisher.

With the Britney media circus in full force, Craker's timing is fortuitous. Since the project began, Lynne has watched her pop-star daughter suffer through one public humiliation after another — rehab, legal woes, an ongoing custody battle and a botched comeback performance.

Craker said the book isn't a celebrity tell-all, contrary to tabloid reports. It's more of a mother's-eye view of a struggling child who has been thrust into the pop-culture eye.

"Lynne, first of all, is a wonderful person. She is one of the kindest, most decent people, and very down-to-earth," said Craker, who has worked as a freelance entertainment writer for more than 11 years. "People would be amazed at how normal she is, but she's living in this sort of surreal life at the same time."

Craker flew to Nashville in the spring to meet with Lynne, and they hit it off. She recently returned from Los Angeles, where she spent time with Lynne and her youngest daughter, Jamie Lynn, star of Nickelodeon's "Zoey 101."

The book — which will be about 200 pages — is a collaborative effort, and the byline will read "Lynne Spears with Lorilee Craker."

Representatives from Thomas Nelson — which publishes leading Christian authors and spiritual books by celebrities such as Bill Cosby and Bono — did not return requests for comment.

Craker, 39, has written nine other books, mostly about parenting.

When the "Pop Culture Mom" story broke, tabloids and blogs pegged the book as a tell-all, prompting negative online feedback.

"Looking at how Britney turned out, it should be a how NOT to parent," wrote a reader of the Web site hollyscoop.com.

Craker is quick to point out how celeb-gossip consumers' impression of Lynne, 52, is different from the woman she knows.

"One thing I do want to make clear is that she's not a stage mom," Craker said. "People are so accusatory toward her and so judgmental of her, and it just drives me crazy because I know the real her."

She said the book also would portray Britney in a different light.

"It's the truth, but it's based in love. [Lynne is] a mother and a grandmother to her core. She loves her children and her grandchildren with just enormous devotion."