Eileen Davidson - Death In Daytime: (A Soap Opera Mystery 01)

Death In Daytime: (A Soap Opera Mystery 01) — read online for free the complete book (whole text) full work

Below is the text of the book, divided by pages. System saving the place of the last page read, allows you to conveniently read the book "Death In Daytime: (A Soap Opera Mystery 01)" online for free, without having to search again every time where you left off. Put a bookmark, and you can go to the page where you finished reading at any time.

Light

Font size:

↓

↑

Georgia Tahoma Arial Verdana

Reset

Interval:

↓

↑

Bookmark:

Make

1234567...45

Table of Contents

Praise forDeath in Daytime

A fun read. Eileens many years as a daytime television star add verisimilitude to her novels soap opera backdrop, as her heroine struggles to clear her name while finding romance in this fast-paced whodunit. A little guilty pleasure for soap opera fans and nonfans alike.

Kay Alden, former head writer of
The Young and the Restless and associate head writer of
The Bold and the Beautiful

Through the character of Alexis, we get a real inside perspective on the life of a soap opera veterannot a clichd diva, but a warm, complex, and thoughtful single mother with a great sense of humor about herself and the glamorous world she works in.... Readers will be thrilled with the unexpected twists and turns of the plot. I know I was.

Peter Bergman (Jack Abbott on
The Young and the Restless)

Death in Daytime [is] a funny and entertaining read that had me laughing out loud. Ms. Davidson draws on a world she knows very well and gives you a host of who done it characters that keeps you guessing to the very end. I highly recommend the book and can see it as a movie.

Ron Moss (Ridge Forrester on
The Bold and the Beautiful)

Eileen Davidsons debut mystery has star quality with an appealing protagonist and fascinating lore about the making of TV soaps.

Carolyn Hart, New York Times bestselling author

This book is dedicated to my sister Connie,
who has always inspired me as a writer,
and now inspires me with strength and courage.

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

Much love and many thanks to my mom, Charlotte Greathouse, for a lifetime of love and support. And Patti van Patten for the last six years of love and support. To my dad, who I know is watching over and inspiring me. To all of my sisters, brothers, nieces, and nephews for making my life so interesting and full. Thank you to Bill and Lee Bell for starting my career in daytime television, and to Bradley Bell for continuing it. To all the actors, crews, and production people who have given me so much personally and so much to draw from over the years! To Bob Randisi for helping me learn the ropes of writing a novel and for being so encouraging... and talented. And of course, love and thanks to my sons in all configurationsPaul, Duke, Flea, and Jessefor keeping life real and really entertaining! And enormous thanks to my husband, Vincent, for helping me realize a dream. Come to think of it, lots of dreams!

Chapter 1

I really wasnt all that upset when Marcy Blanchard was murdered, but that was before I knew Id become the prime suspect.

The MBNMedia Broadcasting Networkbuilding isnt just any building; its monolithic, a huge, sprawling metropolis of stages, executive offices, commissary, coffee bar, wardrobe departments, and special effects buildings. You can even get a car wash in the parking lot. All of this, surrounded by a battalion of huge satellite dishessentries guarding the bastion of Televisioncan be intimidating if youre new here.

MBN has been around since the forties and is responsible for some of broadcastings biggest hits, first in radio and then television. It started airing The Yearning Tide way back in the early sixties.

The basic premise of the show revolves around the loves and lives of the Benedict and Miller families in the bucolic seaside community of Hampton Heights. The Benedicts are a wealthy, not-so-nice family who made their millions in real estate. They own the hugely successful land development company Benedict Properties. I play the character Tiffany Benedict, first-born daughter of Owen and Belinda Benedict. Tiffany has a younger brother, Denver, and younger half sister, Cicely. Tiffs the smart, kind, straight shooter of the family. Her sibs are downright nasty.

The Millers are a cop family, with little money but hearts of gold. Billy and his wife, Loretta, have two sons: Hank, a cop, and Matty, a doctor. The Millers had originally owned prime beach property that Owen Benedict (the Benedict patriarch) swindled from Sergeant Billy Miller (the Miller patriarch), thus creating a situation ripe for unending daytime drama.

There are roughly twenty-five to thirty contract players (that means regulars) on the show, give or take a few. This depends on story and budget issues. The show is woven in and around different characters but always has its core families, the Benedicts and the Millers, in the mix. Its a recipe that has worked well for The Yearning Tide, because it quickly became a huge daytime hit and has rated in the top three for more than forty years.

Ive been on the show for close to half of those years, so youd figure I wouldnt need identification to get in, right? Wrong. I stopped at the gate and showed my ID that day, which had pretty much started like any other. Gone were the days when I could count on simply being recognized to get in. Things have gotten a lot more rigid at the studio since 9/11, as if terrorists are going to blow up game shows and reality series. Whos to say, though; maybe that would be a good choice. Just kidding. One time I forgot my ID, but since I was on the TV screen in the guards booth at that moment (at MBN they pipe in only MBN shows all dayvery 1984) I simply pointed to the screen and then at myselfnothing. So I again pointed with more emphasis at the screen and back at myself. Okay, maybe I dont look exactly the same on TV as in real life. But its not that drastic a difference! Is it?

But back to today. I parked the car and as I started to get out, my coffee cup fell into my lap. Further portent of a bad day. I winced, because the travel cup was a good one that kept the coffee very hot. I pulled my bag onto my shoulder, grabbed what was left of my coffee, and headed through the glass front door of the MBN.

When no one was looking, I took the elevator, preferring it to the stairs. I mean, I care about keeping in shape, but lets not get carried away! I made my way to my second homemy dressing room. Photos of my kid and some magazine covers of me on the wall, fake orchids in a vase, a candle or two. Thats it. I looked at my tired self in the mirror and dumped my makeup bag out onto the coffee table. I have a bad habit of trying to apply makeup in poorly lit environments. See, even though I have a terrific work ethic, Im basically lazy. I gave up and decided that day to let the experts have a crack at it. Off to Hair and Makeup.

My name is Alexis Peterson and Im not a diva; Ive never been a diva. Actually, I resent the term. When you hear the word diva, you think of some obnoxious woman who happens to act or sing for a living, who doesnt have any appreciation for anyone but herself and who seems to think that only her needs matter.

I am a professionalwhat you call a working actress. I show up on time, I am always prepared, and I treat the people around mecast and crewwith respect and consideration.

I fell into acting after a fledgling modeling career. I did a few B movies and guest spots until I got my present part on The Yearning Tide, where I have been plying my trade now for more than twenty years.

I find it odd, looking back, that on that particular day, as I was on my way to get made-up, I was indulging myself in some career/life retrospection.

Acting has been very good to me. Ive been quite successful. I love to act, but I hate a lot of the stuff that goes along with it. But if Im going to be honestand really, what have I got to lose?I love all the bullshit, too. Its your typical love/hate relationship. Like almost every other relationship in my life.

Next page

1234567...45

Light

Font size:

↓

↑

Georgia Tahoma Arial Verdana

Reset

Interval:

↓

↑

Bookmark:

Make

Similar books «Death In Daytime: (A Soap Opera Mystery 01)»

Look at similar books to Death In Daytime: (A Soap Opera Mystery 01). We have selected literature similar in name and meaning in the hope of providing readers with more options to find new, interesting, not yet read works.

Maureen Russell

Days of Our Lives: A Complete History of the Long-Running Soap Opera

Michael Maloney

The Young and Restless Life of William J. Bell: Creator of the Young and the Restless and the Bold and the Beautiful

Elizabeth Searle

Soap Opera Confidential: Writers and Soap Insiders on Why Well Tune in Tomorrow as the World Turns Restlessly by the Guiding Light of Our Lives

Paula Smythe

The Natural Soap

Nancy Ross

Soap Making: A Beginners Guide To Soap Making

J.D. Rockefeller

How to Make Soap: A Beginners Guide in Soap Making

Michelle Gaboya

Soap Recipes

Charlotte Brunsdon

Screen tastes : soap opera to satellite dishes

Amanda McCarthy

Ultimate Guide To Soap Making

White Lemon

Soap Making: 365 Days of Soap Making: 365 Soap Making Recipes for 365 Days (Soap Making, Soap Making Books, Soap Making for Beginners, Soap Making Guide, ... Making, Soap Making Supplies, Crafting)

Author

Natural soap making

Minto

The Basics Of Soap Making: Introduction To Soap Making

Discussion, reviews of the book Death In Daytime: (A Soap Opera Mystery 01) and just readers' own opinions. Leave your comments, write what you think about the work, its meaning or the main characters. Specify what exactly you liked and what you didn't like, and why you think so.