Author Guest Post
Q&A
How
did this story begin? Was it a character, or a particular image?
Let’s
see, the story began as I was attempting to travel the world in sixty days,
LOL! Just kidding J The story actually came from a series
of bad dates that I have encountered. Of course, none of my dates were as bad
as Leslee’s (the main character) were, but nonetheless they were still pretty
horrific. So I just developed these ideas, in a comedic yet outlandish fashion,
to be the worst dates that anyone can ever go on and put them into a novel. I
feel that single women who read this novel may actually feel a little bit
better about their dating life because Leslee has been through more than the
average single lady … or so I think. Also, I love the idea of having love right
under your nose and not even know it.
Do
you have any growing pains with this novel?
Not
necessarily. It took me five years to write The Bachelorette Project but that was mainly because I was attending school and
working at the same time. But, I did have to make a few changes from when I
first started writing it to the end of the five years. My writing had
progressed between that time so change was definitely necessary. I really had
fun writing this novel. It didn’t stress me out at all. If anything, it was
like my own personal therapy, LOL!
How
would you most like readers to respond to the novel?
I
would mainly want readers to laugh with the novel while reading it. The Bachelorette Project has a few
serious tones in it, but it’s mainly written for the sake of comedy. Of course,
I already expect readers to either ‘love to hate’ Leslee or they will totally
fall in love with her corky-like nature. I would want people to see that she is
a smart woman, yet she has her moments of stupidity like anyone in the world
has. She’s human and people’s lives are never completely perfect.
What
are you reading right now? Are there any authors (living or dead) that you
would name as influences?
Well,
since I’m a comedy fiction groupie, I am reading Fifty Shames of Earl Grey by Fanny Merkin a.k.a Andrew Shaffer.
This, of course, is a parody of the Fifty
Shades series and I find myself consistently laughing while reading this
book. I’m not much of an erotica fan, so more than likely I won’t read the real
Fifty Shades (tragic, isn’t it?), but
I never turn down a good humor book … and as far as influential authors, I’d
have to say Jane Green (because I love Chick Lit) and Christopher Buckley (witty
and funny … love his writing). I like womanly/girly and I love comedy so these
two authors are definitely the ones that I look up to and admire.
What
do you do when you’re not writing?
When
I’m not imaginarily traveling the world in my imaginary boat, believe it or
not, I am a hockey mom. My son plays street hockey so I’m pretty involved with
that. I also like to watch crime shows and very little reality television when
I have spare time. So, writer + hockey mom = a very beautiful combination, LOL!
What
is your next project? What have you been working on recently?
I
have so many ideas running through my head at all times and it can be difficult
to stick to just one. But, as of right now, I am working on a novel about a
dysfunctional birthday family dinner through the perspective of a woman that
was adopted and lost when it comes to her background. I’m really excited about
this because I wrote a play about this before, and to write a novel about it really
expands on the idea. It’s more of a dark comedy than
anything and I’m having a blast writing it. It should be out by November. I’m
also working on my first YA novel which is based on college life and that has
been fun, too. I love being a writer because using my imagination is what I do
best, I think. I can’t wait to finish writing and publish these two other
projects because then I can write a sequel to The Bachelorette Project, but who knows what the future will bring
…
About The Author:
Tami Anthony is an author, a playwright, and the beautiful mind behind Pink Butterfly Publications, a publishing company devoted to female-driven literature. She is a graduate of Rutgers University with a Bachelor's in English Literature and Theatre Arts. Tami presently resides out of Philadelphia with her son and is currently working on her second novel and future plays.
Virtual Book Tour Contest Giveaway
Win an eBook copy of The Bachelorette Project!
Book Review
The Bachelorette Project by Tami Anthony
Published By: Pink Butterfly Publications
Release Date: June 3, 2012
Format: Paperback - 364 pages / Kindle - 488 KB
ISBN: 1478285036
ASIN: B0088M83OW
Genre: Contemporary Romance / Chick Lit / Women's Fiction
BUY THE BOOK: The Bachelorette Project
Disclaimer: I received a copy of the book from the author in exchange for my honest review and participation in a virtual book tour event hosted by Reading Addiction Book Tours.
Book Description:
After multiple dates gone awry and unanticipated encounters of the extreme, Leslee decides to confide in the last person that she’d ever consider asking dating advice from: Eric, her handsome, womanizing college friend with a well-known ‘love ‘em and leave ‘em’ reputation. Aside from Eric’s infamous bachelor tactics, Leslee can’t help but to be oddly attracted to him, but will pursuing the charming, ‘bad boy’ philanderer that Eric is even be worth the risk?
With unbelievable twists and a contemporary, comedic Chick-Lit feel, The BACHELORETTE Project is the chronicle of a single woman’s journey to finding true friendship, discovering herself, and learning the enigma of love down to a science.
Book Excerpt:
I follow Mark to his house from the bar. We pull up to this very quaint brick rancher with a gigantic front yard and half groomed bushes and trees spread about. There is nothing spectacular about Mark’s house. It’s … well, very plain actually. It’s not a dream house nor a McMansion. It’s as ordinary as ordinary can be. Yup, I think to myself, this will definitely be a booty call. I can’t even imagine living in a house like this. It doesn’t scream RICH and FABULOUS the way I would want a house to scream. I imagine that my future husband will have a fantastic two-story house with a classy cobblestone driveway and this breathtaking garden with white roses and lilacs growing in effigy. Yeah, maybe I need to leave this dream world of mine and face reality. I could very well fall in love with a man who lives in a rancher or worse, a motorhome.
I park Karen’s car in front of his house. He walks over and opens the car door for me. “So, this is it,” Mark says as I exit the car. “This is my home.”
“It’s very nice,” I reply politely. So what if I lie? Don’t act like you’ve never done it.
“Yeah, I’m not home a lot because of work and all,” he tells me. You can say that again, I think to myself. Who in the world doesn’t make sure that their hedges are cut? Who doesn’t mow their own lawn? There’s a solution to this scenario and it’s called hiring a landscaper.
“That … sucks,” I blurt out. I couldn’t think of a good word to use. It seems that most of our conversation topics were used up at the bar. Maybe it’s a good thing, though. Less talk, MORE ACTION!
I hold on to his arm as we walk to his front door. I place my head onto his shoulder devouring the exotic scent of his cologne. I’m in heaven. I decide to go in for the kill. Before I know, I’m stopping him in his tracks and planting the most passionate kiss on his lips, taking his breath away. He looks stunned, in a good way of course.
“What was that for?” he asks.
“For being the sexiest man that I’ve ever met,” I say slyly. “I can’t wait to see the inside of your house, mainly your bedroom.” I slowly move my hand under his shirt touching his finely-chiseled abs. Mark becomes speechless.
“I, um, yeah,” he stutters in shock. “Yeah, you can see the bedroom,” he says eagerly and rushes me to the front door. “Let’s, um, do that!” He opens the door and pulls me inside. I push him against the closest wall and begin to kiss on his neck. “You still,” GROAN! “Want that … oh, God! Coffee?”
“Not … right … now,” I say between breaths as I pull anxiously on the top of his jeans. I then feel something rubbing against the bottom of my leg and I jump.
“What is it?” Mark asks with his eyes closed.
“Your dog,” I reply. The dog continuously jumps on my leg and I laugh. “He’s a cute dog.” A little brown, furry thing. His dog is the most adorable pocketbook dog that I’ve ever seen.
“Let me put him in the guest room,” Mark tells me. “I’ll be right back.” He directs me to his couch. “Have a seat. I have a surprise for you.”
“Already?” I ask. I doubt it’s diamonds. After all, we just met. Maybe it’s a very fine Chardonnay of some sort. A girl can wonder.
“Let’s just say I like to set the mood,” he says then winks. He walks away with the dog.
OK, I think to myself as I take a look around the living room. It’s your typical man-home equipped with a gargantuan-sized flat screen TV, an X-Box, surround sound speakers, an overly technical stereo, a wooden coffee table with absolutely nothing on it, and a wide collection of DVDs and video games. One thing’s for certain, he has a clean home that doesn’t smell funny. That has to be a plus, right?
“Leslee?” I hear Mark say seductively a few feet behind me.
“Yes?” I ask without turning around assuming that any second now he’ll be the one kissing my neck. He claps twice and the room darkens. The sound of house music blares from the speakers and white strobe lights begin to flicker within the room. What … the … fuck? “Um, Mark?” I ask. “What is going on?” I hear him breathing heavily behind me and I begin to panic a little.
“There’s one thing that I didn’t tell you at the bar,” he says and I’m so afraid to turn around. Where the hell did I put my Mace?!
“And, um, what’s that?” I ask. Now I’m speechless! What in the world is about to happen? Should I be praying?
I feel him licking on the back of my neck and I shiver. “I’m a dancer,” he says.
“You mean like Cabaret dancing, Riverdancing, what?” I ask as my body shakes. I have no clue what he’s talking about nor do I want to. “You dance the Tango?” I guess. “Waltz? Tap? Ballet?” I ask quickly.
“No,” he says and laughs. “I … am … SUPERMAN!” he shouts as he leaps over the couch and jumps onto the coffee table wearing a Superman thong and a red cape all while holding a glowstick in each hand. Oh … my … God, I think to myself. Is this really happening? My libido has gone from roaring and ready-to-go to temporarily shutting down for the night. Is he serious?
Mark throws his arms in the air and freezes into some sort of funny, galactic pose. The music stops for a second and his eyes widen. Dramatic effect, I guess?
He throws off the cape and begins to thrust his pelvis forward. The music seems to get louder and louder, and I become more and more anxious to run.
“Accountant by day,” Mark yells, “private dancer by night, baby!” He then leaps off the table and jumps on my lap, humping me like some overly anxious teenage boy. I cringe. This is not how I imagined my night … not at all.
“Maybe I should go,” I say with fear in my voice. “I, um, have to get up really early for Pilates and I …” I’m lost in thought. Why do these things always happen to me?!
“You like this body?” he asks as he breaths heavily into my face.
“Um, sometimes?” I say in the form of a question. “I don’t know?”
“You like this rock-hard ass?” he asks as he stands on the floor and bends over.
“I, um, it’s getting late. I should go,” I say in a rush and grab my purse. I try to stand up but he pushes me back on the couch. Kick to the crotch NOW? I ask myself but too frightened to move.
“Grab my ass,” he instructs me. Apparently there’s no shame in his game.
“Oh, no. I really shouldn’t.”
“GRAB MY ASS, DAMNIT!” he yells.
“OK, OK!” I yell back as I grab his left buttock. For some people, this would be the ultimate turn on, being dominated by a man in a Superman thong, but to me, not so much. I hold on to his butt cheek for dear life as his eyes roll into the back of his head. He looks just like a man who’s just cum. How is he getting aroused by this? Is this some sort of crazy Superman butt fetish that I wasn’t informed about? I have to get out of here!
“Ooooooh!” he groans loudly, then slowly his knees buckle and his body drops to the floor. He doesn’t move.
“Mark?” I say. He resembles a dead fish: pale, non-mobile, sickly looking. I clap twice to turn on the lights. “Mark, are you OK?” I ask as I stand over him and let my foot give his limp body a little nudge. He doesn’t respond. Oh fuck! I think I killed him! I grab his shoulders and shake him. “Mark, get up!” I yell. He lays still. “You can’t be dead!” I whimper pathetically as I smack his face. Sadly, part of me wants to take off the thongs and sneak a peek at the goods, another part of me wants to roll him on to his front yard for his neighbors to see what type of freak they live next to, but the part of me that’s telling me to leave quietly and quickly has hands down gotten my vote.
I slowly grab my purse and head to the door as his dog walks out into the living room and begins to lick on Mark’s face. The secrets that the dog could tell me are probably endless. Should I just steal the dog? No, Leslee, you can’t, I tell myself, then again …
“Since I obviously can’t have the man, I guess I’ll settle for man’s best friend,” I say aloud. The dog pauses from licking Mark’s face and runs toward me, jumping into my arms. The dog just looks at me. “What?” I ask him. “Would you rather be adopted by a woman with fabulous taste or would you rather be an orphan?” The dog looks down and whimpers. “Yeah, I thought so,” I say as I walk out of Mark’s house quietly. Another date, another disaster, but this time I leave with the cutest, most adorable partying gift ever: my new dog.
I park Karen’s car in front of his house. He walks over and opens the car door for me. “So, this is it,” Mark says as I exit the car. “This is my home.”
“It’s very nice,” I reply politely. So what if I lie? Don’t act like you’ve never done it.
“Yeah, I’m not home a lot because of work and all,” he tells me. You can say that again, I think to myself. Who in the world doesn’t make sure that their hedges are cut? Who doesn’t mow their own lawn? There’s a solution to this scenario and it’s called hiring a landscaper.
“That … sucks,” I blurt out. I couldn’t think of a good word to use. It seems that most of our conversation topics were used up at the bar. Maybe it’s a good thing, though. Less talk, MORE ACTION!
I hold on to his arm as we walk to his front door. I place my head onto his shoulder devouring the exotic scent of his cologne. I’m in heaven. I decide to go in for the kill. Before I know, I’m stopping him in his tracks and planting the most passionate kiss on his lips, taking his breath away. He looks stunned, in a good way of course.
“What was that for?” he asks.
“For being the sexiest man that I’ve ever met,” I say slyly. “I can’t wait to see the inside of your house, mainly your bedroom.” I slowly move my hand under his shirt touching his finely-chiseled abs. Mark becomes speechless.
“I, um, yeah,” he stutters in shock. “Yeah, you can see the bedroom,” he says eagerly and rushes me to the front door. “Let’s, um, do that!” He opens the door and pulls me inside. I push him against the closest wall and begin to kiss on his neck. “You still,” GROAN! “Want that … oh, God! Coffee?”
“Not … right … now,” I say between breaths as I pull anxiously on the top of his jeans. I then feel something rubbing against the bottom of my leg and I jump.
“What is it?” Mark asks with his eyes closed.
“Your dog,” I reply. The dog continuously jumps on my leg and I laugh. “He’s a cute dog.” A little brown, furry thing. His dog is the most adorable pocketbook dog that I’ve ever seen.
“Let me put him in the guest room,” Mark tells me. “I’ll be right back.” He directs me to his couch. “Have a seat. I have a surprise for you.”
“Already?” I ask. I doubt it’s diamonds. After all, we just met. Maybe it’s a very fine Chardonnay of some sort. A girl can wonder.
“Let’s just say I like to set the mood,” he says then winks. He walks away with the dog.
OK, I think to myself as I take a look around the living room. It’s your typical man-home equipped with a gargantuan-sized flat screen TV, an X-Box, surround sound speakers, an overly technical stereo, a wooden coffee table with absolutely nothing on it, and a wide collection of DVDs and video games. One thing’s for certain, he has a clean home that doesn’t smell funny. That has to be a plus, right?
“Leslee?” I hear Mark say seductively a few feet behind me.
“Yes?” I ask without turning around assuming that any second now he’ll be the one kissing my neck. He claps twice and the room darkens. The sound of house music blares from the speakers and white strobe lights begin to flicker within the room. What … the … fuck? “Um, Mark?” I ask. “What is going on?” I hear him breathing heavily behind me and I begin to panic a little.
“There’s one thing that I didn’t tell you at the bar,” he says and I’m so afraid to turn around. Where the hell did I put my Mace?!
“And, um, what’s that?” I ask. Now I’m speechless! What in the world is about to happen? Should I be praying?
I feel him licking on the back of my neck and I shiver. “I’m a dancer,” he says.
“You mean like Cabaret dancing, Riverdancing, what?” I ask as my body shakes. I have no clue what he’s talking about nor do I want to. “You dance the Tango?” I guess. “Waltz? Tap? Ballet?” I ask quickly.
“No,” he says and laughs. “I … am … SUPERMAN!” he shouts as he leaps over the couch and jumps onto the coffee table wearing a Superman thong and a red cape all while holding a glowstick in each hand. Oh … my … God, I think to myself. Is this really happening? My libido has gone from roaring and ready-to-go to temporarily shutting down for the night. Is he serious?
Mark throws his arms in the air and freezes into some sort of funny, galactic pose. The music stops for a second and his eyes widen. Dramatic effect, I guess?
He throws off the cape and begins to thrust his pelvis forward. The music seems to get louder and louder, and I become more and more anxious to run.
“Accountant by day,” Mark yells, “private dancer by night, baby!” He then leaps off the table and jumps on my lap, humping me like some overly anxious teenage boy. I cringe. This is not how I imagined my night … not at all.
“Maybe I should go,” I say with fear in my voice. “I, um, have to get up really early for Pilates and I …” I’m lost in thought. Why do these things always happen to me?!
“You like this body?” he asks as he breaths heavily into my face.
“Um, sometimes?” I say in the form of a question. “I don’t know?”
“You like this rock-hard ass?” he asks as he stands on the floor and bends over.
“I, um, it’s getting late. I should go,” I say in a rush and grab my purse. I try to stand up but he pushes me back on the couch. Kick to the crotch NOW? I ask myself but too frightened to move.
“Grab my ass,” he instructs me. Apparently there’s no shame in his game.
“Oh, no. I really shouldn’t.”
“GRAB MY ASS, DAMNIT!” he yells.
“OK, OK!” I yell back as I grab his left buttock. For some people, this would be the ultimate turn on, being dominated by a man in a Superman thong, but to me, not so much. I hold on to his butt cheek for dear life as his eyes roll into the back of his head. He looks just like a man who’s just cum. How is he getting aroused by this? Is this some sort of crazy Superman butt fetish that I wasn’t informed about? I have to get out of here!
“Ooooooh!” he groans loudly, then slowly his knees buckle and his body drops to the floor. He doesn’t move.
“Mark?” I say. He resembles a dead fish: pale, non-mobile, sickly looking. I clap twice to turn on the lights. “Mark, are you OK?” I ask as I stand over him and let my foot give his limp body a little nudge. He doesn’t respond. Oh fuck! I think I killed him! I grab his shoulders and shake him. “Mark, get up!” I yell. He lays still. “You can’t be dead!” I whimper pathetically as I smack his face. Sadly, part of me wants to take off the thongs and sneak a peek at the goods, another part of me wants to roll him on to his front yard for his neighbors to see what type of freak they live next to, but the part of me that’s telling me to leave quietly and quickly has hands down gotten my vote.
I slowly grab my purse and head to the door as his dog walks out into the living room and begins to lick on Mark’s face. The secrets that the dog could tell me are probably endless. Should I just steal the dog? No, Leslee, you can’t, I tell myself, then again …
“Since I obviously can’t have the man, I guess I’ll settle for man’s best friend,” I say aloud. The dog pauses from licking Mark’s face and runs toward me, jumping into my arms. The dog just looks at me. “What?” I ask him. “Would you rather be adopted by a woman with fabulous taste or would you rather be an orphan?” The dog looks down and whimpers. “Yeah, I thought so,” I say as I walk out of Mark’s house quietly. Another date, another disaster, but this time I leave with the cutest, most adorable partying gift ever: my new dog.
My Book Review:
Twenty-eight year old Leslee Robinson has the world at her feet: a paralegal position at a prestigious law firm in Manhattan, a well-known news anchor fiance, and living the NYC lifestyle where you have to keep up with the Joneses to survive in the elite fashion conscious circles of the concrete jungle.
But the unexpected happens: Leslee loses her job and her fiance all in one day!
Feeling depressed and helpless, Leslee decides to leave NYC for a while and return to her hometown of Philadelphia to lick her wounds and get herself back on her feet. Staying at the home of her BFF Karen, aka the "Bridezilla," Leslee ponders why she's been so unlucky in the dating / relationship game.
Leslee creates The Bachelorette Project, a scientific dating experiment designed to uncover the elusive wants and needs of the enigmatic male species. With the help of Karen and single-mother/friend Annie, Leslee embarks on a crazy journey to find what it will take to win the heart of Mr. Right. After experiencing some really humorous and disastrous outcomes from the dating experiment, Leslee turns to her old college guy buddy, Eric, a womanizing bachelor, for advice on what men really want in a woman. Along the way, Leslee finds herself becoming attracted to Eric. Can Mr. Right have been right in front of her for all these years?
The Bachelorette Project is a sassy and humorous look at womanhood, friendships, dating and the elusive search for love and Mr. Right. The author weaves an entertaining, no holds barred story of one woman's journey of self-discovery and the pursuit of finding true love.
Written in the first person narrative by the quirky protagonist, Leslee Robinson, the reader is brought along for the ride as Leslee embarks on a comical journey to figure out the male species through her scientific dating experiment. With a lot of twists and turns and drama to go along with the sassy humor, Leslee's experiment is sure to tickle the reader's funny bone. This story is realistic, any woman can relate to the situations that Leslee and her friends find themselves in, because who hasn't experienced something similar in their own lives?
The author has created a realistic, complex, down right funny cast of characters. Their individual quirky personalities, dialogues and comical antics are hysterical and make this story a compelling and laugh-out-loud entertaining read. I can't say enough about Leslee, Karen, Annie and Eric. These characters are so realistic and intriguing, you can't help but feel like you know them. Their "keep it real" dialogues are classic, I found myself laughing so much throughout the book while shaking my head in agreement with them, it felt like I was sitting next to them on the couch. Any book that can transport a reader into the story's environment is a must read, and the author succeeded with flying colors!
The NYC and Philadelphia settings in the book were rich in detail and descriptions. The author does a really good job of describing the sights and sounds of these two vibrant cities.
The Bachelorette Project is a thoroughly entertaining inside look at friendships, the differences in men and women, and how each gender deals with the slippery slope that is the dating and relationship world. If this book doesn't make you laugh, then you have no sense of humor!
RATING: 5 STARS *****
Thanks for having me at your blog, Kathleen :) I truly appreciate it and I'm glad that you enjoyed the book. I'm pretty sure I'll be writing the sequel after all, LOL :)
ReplyDeleteHi Tami! Thank you for the opportunity to read, review and host your virtual book tour event. I loved the book, can't wait to read the sequel. :)
DeleteAwesome review! I have this on my TBR list and can't wait to read it! :)
ReplyDeleteHi Lisa! Thank you for stopping by and commenting. I hope you enjoy the boy, it is really good! :)
DeleteHi, I was simply checking out this blog and I really admire the premise of the article and this is really informative. I will for sure refer my friends the same. Thanks
ReplyDeleteDating Advice