Sign On!: Secrets and Stilettos (Prequel)

By Jamie Collins

A failing network. A desperate producer. An unscripted all-woman talk-fest to the rescue!

Chief Executive Producer, Bumpy Friedman  had a vision. He recognized the need for a new talk-magazine show that would deliver the ratings—and save his job in the process. He would create a new approach to serving up the latest news and gossip—a daily talk show hosted by four high-profile women of varying ages--authorities on everything from pop-culture to fashion; fiction-writing to interpersonal relationships, all presented in a no-holds-barred forum that would leave viewers with something to talk about. But before the contract deals are sealed, and the dotted lines, signed—a myriad of highly guarded life secrets and shocking revelations convey the truths behind each woman's scintillating and scandalous persona on their way to the coveted casting couch on the set of The Gab.

Sign On! the prequel, sets the stage for Jamie Collins's four-book "Secrets and Stilettos" series—a fun, fast-moving and binge-worthy indulgence.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Jamie Collins
• Release date: Nov 19, 2016
• ISBN: 9781540113917

Book preview

Prologue

"T he idea came to me as I was standing in line at the grocery store, explains producer Bumpy Friedman, of the creation of Global Network’s all-woman talkfest, scheduled to air next month. The groundbreaking show will feature four female hosts with definite star power. A spokesperson for the network says, We aren’t afraid to be intelligent as well as controversial. Friedman, the thirty-five-year veteran, goes on to add, What could be better than Oprah , Ellen , and The View —on steroids? Daytime snooze-talk goes Real Housewives , TMZ -style. We will offer viral topics with headline-worthy guests on multimedia platforms to meet the current appetite for hot and unscripted gossip served up by the best celebrity hosts in the business. So, in simple terms . . . that’s how The Gab was born."

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Media Magazine

2015

1

Global Studios, New York City

Fall 2015

Bumpy Friedman had a vision. It kept him up at night, and it fueled him throughout the day.

The elevator doors snapped open, and a push of briefcases, overcoats, and power ties scattered in all directions. There were important matters at hand. Deals to be won. Viewers to capture. Market shares to be claimed. Station executives bent over smart- phones streaming with appointments, contacts, opportunities, all wore it—the same indelible look: the Game Face. Impervious to fear, this was a powerful weapon in the volatile jungle of network television programming. It was the first day of fall Sweeps, and that translated to one simple collective mission: survival.

Time was money, and money was the name of the game. That, of course, and ratings, without which, heads would roll. It was as simple as that.

Bumpy Friedman had been here before. The pressure fazed him little. He knew to trust his gut instincts. And today, his gut said victory.

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He burst through the mammoth plate glass doors, customarily late, his Rolex still on Central Standard Time. Couldn’t get the damn thing to reset since the last business trip to Chicago, so he just left it that way. Did the math, give or take the Daylight Savings factor. It was going on five months now, and it was really beginning to become a royal pain in the ass.

The executive offices of Global Studios were a stunning testament to the TV station’s long-standing position of first place. Portraits of network legends, beloved celebrities, and corporate aristocracy enshrined in chrome frames lined the walls of the sterile gray corridors high above Fifth Avenue. Each revered icon a mainstay, and due in large part to the verisimilitude of Bumpy’s genius.

This was where it all happened. The colossal Global Studios logo glistening above the marble and

Reviews for Sign On!

[Mary Kimball · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

A great prequel. It was fast-paced and really pulled me into the series. Very entertaining!