I (Shamelessly) Pitched my Novel to Hollywood!

I pitched my novel, The Dream Jumper's Promise, to Hollywood players last weekend. That's the short version.

Former Cover

Here's the long version:
Over two days at the Universal City Hilton Hotel, I got 7 minutes of unadulterated privacy with a Hollywood producer to share the bare bones of my story line.

Final Cover

I also shoved my book into the purses of two other producers, one of whom said she thought my log line was intriguing, the other who was basically trying to leave the room. I weaseled my way into conversations and made the most of my short stint in Hollywood like my children's futures depended on this weekend, which is kind of true. As a polite Canadian, I'm not proud of my behavior but I had a brief opportunity to make a connection and I tried to put myself out there, just in case.





How Did I Happen Upon This Opportunity?

Just before I left the room to pitch!

The organization, Sisters in Crime, has a Hollywood chapter that's run by screenwriters, scriptwriters, actors, novelists, talented people in their own right, and they organized an event for an elite number of novelists to come together at the Hollywood Hilton last weekend to learn how to adapt a book to Hollywood and pitch said book to some high powered producers. Free! A friend referred me.
I was accepted very last minute and booked a plane ticket that cost way more than if I'd planned this in advance. But, this was the opportunity of a lifetime for me. I'm a big movie fan, former actress, and pitching to Hollywood just sounded so damn sexy when I said it out loud!


What Did it Involve?
Over 48 hours, we authors were treated to talks from David Isaacs (Writer of Mad Men, Cheers, Frasier, Mash etc), Ron Mardigian (former senior agent at William Morris), Pam Veasey (producer/writer CSI Cyber), and a host of other industry professionals that would knock your socks off. Can you say Giving Back? Pretty sure these people didn't get paid and most of them did not come to the Hilton necessarily looking for a book to adapt.
Some did though.

Hart Hanson, creator of Bones

Over the two day event we networked, schmoozed, learned how to write a treatment, pitched, and watched a scriptwriter fall off a stage and break his ankle. True. I was talking to another polite Canadian who writes Bones when the writer of Agents of Shield stepped back and disappeared off the back of the stage where he'd just charmed everyone with stories of writing for Hollywood. Both Hart Hanson and I said "Excuse me," like polite Canadians, and bolted to the scene.

When the guffuffle died down, I spoke briefly to the producer who'd caught my attention during the talk and sounded like she might be open to a new idea, Michele Mulroney (Sherlock II) and she took my novel. I have to admit, I felt a bit whorish doing business right after Drew's accident but hey, it's Hollywood and I'd scraped together the pennies to get to California. I had one shot at Michele Mulroney and Hart Hanson was off to the ER with Drew. I'd been about to hand Hart my novel and beg him to develop a TV show around The Dream Jumper when our attention landed elsewhere. Damn.

The day before, I'd pitched to Jane Goldenring who took my book, applauded my one liner, was very gracious and accomplished, and I'm hoping she takes a look at my little Indie self-pub and sees something that would translate to the big screen and make a lot of money.
I also pitched to Stan Spry from Cartel Management and he liked the idea of the book and referred me to Haley Stoessl, Manager of Development. Haley gave me her card.

Drew Greenberg at hotel valet stand after the Emergency Room. 

Friday night, at the Sisters in Crime cocktail party, I descended on Snowfall Films exec and powerhouse, Suzanne Lyons, who asked me to send her something-- Suzanne is also Canadian and happens to be funny as hell. Marianne Moloney, who was once a VP at Universal, and discovered the book Ordinary People also worked on Roxanne, one of my favorite movies, with Steve Martin. She said I had a great name, for whatever that's worth. I hope to find her contact info and will remind her of my great name.
We met readers for studios like Dreamworks and Amblin, who spend all day reading books to recommend, or not, to their bosses. They talked about what they look for. One turned down Fifty Shades of Grey and stands by that decision.
The whole weekend was absolutely fascinating and I got on the plane Saturday night with a thirty-seven pound head full of info and full of myself because hey, I frickin pitched to Hollywood!

Here's my log line:
The Dream Jumper's Promise is about a guy who can slip into other people's dreams and uses that to solve a crime.

Here's some of what I learned this weekend in a nutshell (a pistachio, not a walnut):

-Hollywood likes books better than concepts because novels are finished, complete, characters are fleshed out. Authors are pre-approved.
-Sometimes not having a huge contract with a big 5 agency will be appealing because the rights to your book are more readily available and cheaper.
-Be prepared for changes to your book. The screenwriter might completely change everything but make sure you get credit: Based on the Novel The Dream Jumper's Promise
-Managers can work harder for a client than an agent if you're with a BIG agency
-Unsolicited material isn't as welcome as if your agent sends it (or your entertainment attorney!)
-Learn how to write a treatment, do not leave out the ending in all its beauty
-Scouts in New York meet regularly with agents trying to find books that will adapt to movie well
-Ask your agent to get on the Friday list to producers--Notable Books of the Week
-Get an agent! Imperative to lend credibility to your project.
-Find the one thing unique to your book and lead with that in your pitch
-Don't try to tackle screenwriting to sell your novel, There are experts for this.
-If a producer options your book (ties it up while trying to get a studio on board) be patient
-When you pitch, tell it like a campfire story with lots of vocal inflections.
-No more than 5 characters in pitch
-Only pitch action, no dialogue
-Thrillers are popular, especially with a female protag
-In the pitch, include the hard decisions that turn the plot
-To get these people's attention, you need something unique and you need to be aggressive. Not obnoxious, Ron said, but aggressive.
-Short Stories sometimes rise to the top of the pile for TV ideas
-If a producer options your book it may take a year or two to get the studio, director, screenwriter on board. You must be patient.

Good Luck. Somebody's going to get a movie made from their book.
It might as well be us, right!?

Kim Hornsby is an Amazon Bestselling Author who's shared the top five list with J.D. Robb, Stephen King and Dean Koontz in Amazon's Suspense Lists. She's an Award-Winning Mystery/Thriller writer who combines Danger, Adventure and often Ghosts.
Find Kim's many books on her author site at Amazon,

Who's Off the Wedding List on The Bachelor Finale?

Ben is Engaged! To Lauren B. but it was touch and go there for an hour as Ben Higgins declared his love for two women! Yes two!!! Jo Jo and Lauren were both equally in love and guardedly sure that they might end up as Ben's fiancee because for the first time in Bachelor history, The Bachelor told women that he loved them. And that he was in love with them!

If you watched this finale you might have agreed with me at this point that saying those words is not a great idea if you are going to utter it to both remaining women. It's just plain unfair to that one lady who will be going home in tears after planning what to name the first baby.
Note to future Bachelors: Do not say the love word before the proposal. Do not. Bad idea. Even if you do love everyone. It's going to be taken the wrong way as a major hint that that girl is the ONE.

Last night's show revealed two nervous ladies, Ben in a state of turmoil over who to choose, and Neil Lane with a big confused smile. It seemed like our Bachelor was still wondering who to spend the rest of his life with until C.H. gave him a helpful hint. "Who can't you live without?"

Both ladies met Ben's parents, made great impressions, and went back to their Jamaican hotel rooms hoping to call Amy Higgins Mom, and Dave Higgins Dad in another few months.
I have to mention here that I knew without a doubt who Ben picked and having that secret info ruined the whole season for me. It's not fun to know the "winner." At all. There is no tension, game, interest in the other girls when you have the final answer.
That said, we watched both ladies dress in their finest for proposal day and then get helicoptered over to Ben and the proposal station set up by those amazing set decorators on another part of the island. At this point in the show I was shouting at Ben that he shouldn't have let Jo Jo get all dressed up. He should have done one of those hotel room let down things, especially considering all he and Jo Jo had been through and the fact that they were self-professed best friends and all. Sheesh!
But no, he let her get into her proposal outfit and nervously shake her way down a slippery stream path to find out that she wasn't the love of his life. Harsh!
Moving on...Lauren looked darling and was overjoyed to hear that she is the love of his life. Lauren B. is his person and he is hers. I wouldn't say it was the sweetest proposal in Bach history but it was nice. They looked very happy and that made me happy, even though I did not have any wine last night to help my happiness along.
After the Final Rose came next with Ben wearing a checkered suit, print tie and checked shirt. Is this the new style because he looked like a traveling roadshow barker to me? He spoke eloquently but was flustered when Jo Jo came out to say hello and tell him she's moved on. Which is good because Ben has too. With his fiancee.

It probably helped Jo Jo move on this week when The Bachelor producers switched gears and dropped Caila as the new Bachelorette in favor of Jo Jo. According to spies, they'd even shot some test footage of Caila only to decide the public wasn't thrilled with her. So, Jo Jo and her hair fiddling will be back in another four months to find herself a true love on TV. I like Jo Jo but really, really hope that hair fixing thing she does constantly gets toned down ALOT! It's annoying.
And to that critic who wrote that Caila is as interesting as a drawer full of sand, remember that The Bachelor director and editor only show us what they want us to see and she might be a real bitch or have a wild personality. Regardless, Caila was gracious on social media this morning wishing the happy couple congratulations and wishing Jo Jo a great run at the Bachelorette. Come to think of it, she might not have made great TV if she's polite and sweet. And gracious.
C.H. tried half-heartedly, to get Ben and Lauren to get hitched on camera last night, having flown in Ben's friend and pastor but no, they want friends at their wedding, Ben said. Anyone else feel like we aren't his idea of wedding guest material? I was a little insulted as a faithful standing member of Bachelor Nation who hadn't even had any wine. Looks like we are off the wedding list People.

The closing credits rolled while the Higgins family and the Bushnell family hugged it out and blended and smiled while the happy couple mingled amongst them.
I give this Bach couple a 98% chance of making it to the alter and only hold back 2% for crazy uncalled for happenings like flood or famine.
A happy ending is always great on The Bachelor, don't you agree?

The Chicken Tells All on The Bachelor!

Sheila, the little chicken from Redmond, Washington, sat quietly during The Women Tell All on The Bachelor last night, until she couldn't take it any longer. Chickens can sense liars and when she flew off owner and Bachelor contestant, Tiara Soleim's lap, it kind of said it all.
Sheila's "I'm outta here" flying escape during Olivia saying "I'm a strong, independent woman," one more time, was actually what I wanted to do at that point.
I'm pretty sure if Sheila could talk, she'd have told Olivia, "Be sure to add aggressive, competitive and insensitive, because most of these women who have left good jobs and the safety of the real world to be on this scary and possibly life-changing reality show, have the same strength and independence as you."
The best behaved chicken in Hollywood took to the ABC studio skies to hop to Lace's lap, then continued to the floor on her way to the door, the airport and ultimately the plane that brought her to Los Angeles. (Side note: Tiara flew to L.A. with Sheila who could not go under the seat in front of her and actually had to ride in cargo in the dark! What a trooper!)
Tiara then convinced her little pet to come back to her lap and listen some more to the girls' venting about what went down in the house.

Here's the thing (and Sheila knows this, I'm sure). Women love to talk, we need to vent, we have big emotions that make us say crazy things sometimes and then we make up. Sometimes we say stuff we don't REALLY mean. Not really. Especially three months later.

Like Jubilee. I love Jubilee. Love. She might have said she was the only full-black woman in the house and that might be an offensive comment to people who are half black, I don't know, but give the girl a break. She's done 4 frickin' tours of duty in the military. If she bragged about being all black and minimized your blackness, can you not just let it go? If someone said to Jaime that they were half Canadian and she said she was full Canadian, would we be talking about this?

Maybe Jubilee was hard to get along with if you lived in the house but let's move on, Ladies. You are not going to get sympathy when you speak against a woman whose family all died in Haiti, who serves in the military and cries on camera. Complicated is fine. Many people are.
And Amy Schumer went on a rant today (#InternationalWomensDay) to lambaste Chris Harrison who tried to help Jubilee be less complicated, saying that Jubilee doesn't need a romance to be an amazing woman. Amy said complicated is not a bad thing. I wonder if she was too hasty to jump on that cause.
I don't think Chris tried to say complicated won't get you a man, necessarily, but Jubilee indicated that she'd like to love openly and maybe wasn't the best personality type for this type of show where everyone competes to date the same person. Chris Harrison was trying to handle her tears in his usual bumbling, love counselor style. It wasn't a terrible thing, Amy, and I should know. I love to call out C.H.
Last night the twins were a little too verbal, Amanda had a throat problem and couldn't really speak, Lauren H said nothing, Caila looked like she'd been crying before the show, Lace redeemed herself with a gorgeous apology and Olivia still looked aggressive and bossy. (She needs one of those Hollywood coaches who tell you how to dig yourself out of bad PR.)

I actually loved this Women Tell All so much more than most but maybe that is because I know Tiara and have held that little chicken in my hands and both 'ladies' are as sweet and lovely as you'd ever want to know. I'm just hoping that Tiara and Sheila get to go to Bachelor In Paradise in a few months and we can see Sheila in her poultry bikini!
What do you think.

#SheilaforBachelorInParadise
#ChickenTellsAll

The Bachelor Breaks the Cardinal Rule!!!!

Jamaica Mon, on The Bachelor!

Ben has three women left at this point and all three women are in love with the hunky software salesman from Indiana. Or they think they are. It's my opinion that at this point they have a form of Stockholm Syndrome and are in love with the only man they've seen for months, a man who is made out to be the next James Bond and their feelings in this captivity have led them to believe they love Ben. It's clever how the producers limit their time with the Bachelor and control the women's experiances. That's why the Fantasy Suite dates are essential. They actually get to spend uninterrupted hours to find out who this guy really is. Forget the bed. The women don't have cameras in their faces, directors telling them where to stand, producers prompting them for dirt on another girl.

The first date last night was Caila and Ben's float on a raft down a river to the Jerky Center where they ate barbeque and drank from coconuts. Caila was worried and quiet and not herself and Ben sensed it. Conversation was stilted.
Later, at the dinner table, she confessed her worry about the other relationships. He basically told her to trust him so she did, and bravely revealed that she loved him. Fireworks went crazy in the background as they stood in thigh deep (probably cold) water to pose and kiss. They woke up the next morning and blissfully kissed, drank coffee, and smiled a lot, like lovers do.

Lauren's date with Ben involved releasing newborn sea turtles to the ocean, an activity I missed doing by one day recently in Nicaragua. (There were no new hatches the day I was at the turtle beach.) Lauren and Ben had loads of one day old Hawksbills to watch as they hobbled to the sea instinctively. Who wasn't moved to almost tears to see these babies head to what will probably be their early demise in the ocean. Not many make it. Not like in Finding Nemo.
That night, Lauren and Ben found a reggae band on the street and sat at the Bachelor dinner vignette to read the Fantasy Suite card. Lauren told Ben that he's the man of her dreams and also revealed that she loved him. For the first time in Bachelor history the Bachelor said it back and I almost fell off my chair and spilled my two buck Chuck. Are they allowed to say that? He did! These two seemed very much in love and I pretty much had this contest all sewn up at this point but wait...

The next day with Jo Jo went swimmingly. She wears skimpy, sexy clothes, have you noticed? Her bikini at YS Falls was strange and highlighted her assets. She and Ben swam and talked and kissed and when she revealed she loved him, Ben said he loved her too. Jo Jo's mouth feel open. WHAT? She took this to mean that she is the ONE, I was pretty sure, and fell the rest of the way in love with Ben. Isn't this the Bachelor Cardinal Rule #1? Do not say those love words until your propose to that one girl at the very end??? Whether the show's psychologist warned Ben or not, we'll never know.

The Fantasy Suite card presented itself at dinner and off they went to the Romeo and Juliet room for privacy. In the morning, they fed each other fruit, declared their love for each other and off Ben went to ponder what to do after telling two women that he loves them. He forgot to tell Caila that he loves her! But wait. He doesn't exactly.
When Caila decided to surprise him with a visit to his guest house on the other side of the island, he sat her down on the cold hard stairs outside his suite and delivered the cold, hard truth. She had to leave. She started to, then got out of the car to ask him when he knew he wasn't in love with her. Good move, Caila! She got a satisfactory answer and cried all the way to the airport.
At the rose ceremony sisterwives Lauren and Jo Jo wondered where Caila got to until Ben arrived to say he'd sent her home. They toasted awkwardly, group hugged awkwardly, and tried to smile even though all three of them knew that one of them would be crying their eyes out in the next few days. Well, maybe two of them. Ben is a soft-hearted guy.

The Women Tell All was filmed Saturday night in Los Angeles and the Chicken Enthusiast was invited to attend--and Sheila, the little chicken who she loves. Sheila had to fly cargo, unlike a tiny dog who can go under the seat in front but the little chicken handled her trip to Hollywood like a trooper. Tiara, the chicken enthusiast had never been more proud of a chicken in her life. Sheila was held by Chris Harrison and Elan Gale for selfies, got on-camera time and even squawked at an appropriate moment during the taping. We aren't sure if Tiara will get edited out but the fact that they invited someone who was let go the first night, was an exciting honor for our girl from Washington State.
Tune in Monday to see if Sheila the chicken gets air time, if they cut away to Tiara's mid-riff showing outfit or if they call out Leah for lying about throwing Lauren B under the bus!

The 88th Oscars, a Platform for Causes

The 88th Oscars was all about causes last night, whether it was the fight for Black Rights, Climate Change, Rape, Aboriginal Rights, Gay Rights, Women's Rights, or anything else that was mentioned in either the monologue, an acceptance speech, or the form of a nomination.

This broadcast is watched by millions and millions of people all over the world. It's a huge platform. When the Oscars asked Chris Rock to host, they must've known he'd address the elephant in the room, which was the white nominations. Or rather, the lack of black people on the ballots. Rock isn't afraid to be controversial and when the nominations came out this year, and there were no black artists on the list, the Academy probably knew Rock would address this issue. (Who am I to point out that Best Director went to someone who might not be considered a white man. Or by "white" do we mean everyone who is not black? I'm not sure but I think the hashtag (#OscarsSoWhite) that was circulating these past weeks, was poorly thought out.

In the opening monologue, Chris Rock "kidded" about how we have Best Female Actress category separate from Best Male Actor like it was a track and field event and the performance level was somehow different. Then he suggested we have Best Black Actor. I think he was kidding. I hope so.
I'm not about to critique the movies, the choices, the Academy, but we were told that black actors were snubbed many, many times. Idris Elba, Will Smith, Michael B. Jordan to name a few, apparently delivered Oscar worthy performances only to be left off the list.

Black lives do matter and mentioning that at the Oscars is a powerful message. Well done. Racism in Hollywood was brought to the forefront last night.

Rock's monologue made its point even if the point was delivered with a dose of bitterness. In what I thought was a strange effort to balance his message though, Rock threw Jada Pinkett Smith under the bus, saying she wasn't someone who would be invited to the Oscars anyhow and her boycott of the event was like him boycotting Rhianna's panties. He got his laugh then countered with a more somber thought.

Throughout the night, Rock tailored his introductions to drive his message home. The first presenters, a pregnant Emily Blunt and South African actress Charlize Theron,were introduced as two of the whitest women in Hollywood. They ignored the obvious insult, and delivered a classy presentation.
Even Sarah Silverman was insulted and minimized by Rock's introduction. Then, she went on to insult Sam Smith's James Bond song by insisting she hadn't seen the movie. What was wrong with everyone last night?
Rock introduced Cate Blanchett by referencing her Oscar-nominated movie about "girl on girl action" by saying it was the third best movie in that category (think p0rn) after which Cate presented costume design like the pro she is. They must not hear the intro's backstage.
Rock insulted Asian people in a schtick about the Price Waterhouse ballot counters by insinuating Asian's are tone deaf. He used children for that joke. As the mother of an Asian child, I didn't laugh.

Mad Max cleaned up on the podium and Tina Fey and Steve Carrell got big laughs for their banter at the microphone. I wondered if black people laugh at those two, something I never would have wondered before last night. Or at Ryan Gosling and Russell Crowe, whose banter was clever and witty.

In another bit, Rock interviewed people coming out of a theater in Compton who light-heartedly agreed that they didn't know most of the movies on this year's list. Fair enough. I didn't either. Whoopie Goldberg did a bit about being an opinionated janitor which was funny, Angela Bassett did a funny bit and Tracy Morgan portrayed The Danish Girl (the funniest moment of the whole night for me--love Morgan in drag!) after which I hoped we could move on.
But no, two children approached the stage, one of them I assumed starred in the all-white Oscar nominated movie ROOM and in the introduction Rock called the black child actor (who I presume was not nominated but should have been,) as "my man." Michael B. Jordan was introduced as "should have been nominated" as well. I've never seen white hosts do this before but I could be wrong.

I hadn't followed the #OscarsSoWhite controversy. Maybe because I'm white or maybe because it didn't drift into my news feed this month. I've been working away from the internet. I am just a viewer who likes to tune in to The Oscars every year to see the stars and enjoy the show. I understand that people were enraged about the nomination snubs and maybe it was justified. I didn't see Straight Out of Compton or Spike Lee's film yet. I didn't see most of the movies nominated because I work full time and write books in my off hours. I like to watch The Oscars as escapism and to see clips from movies I might rent one day. Will Smith might have delivered the best performance this year but is that any reason to minimize Leo DiCaprio's performance and make him feel uncomfortable in the front row? That is Kanye West's style and now, unfortunately it's Chris Rock's style.
Even during the Girl Scout cookie sales in the audience, Rock asked "white folks" to buy his daughters' cookies. When Michael B. Jordan offered, he was turned down and when Lou Gossett held up his money, Rock said he was diabetic and instead turned to Leo to contribute because he's rich.

Customarily at The Oscars, we hear about injustices during the documentary acceptance speeches but the winners were slightly over-shadowed and traction this year was difficult. The Best Documentary Short Subject winner was A Girl in the River, a film about honor killing. The filmmaker announced that the film had had enough impact in Pakistan to change the laws for honor killing, something that has been legal until recently. Killing young girls in a non-white country. "Push women to go to school," the winner said. Wow.
When Lady Gaga sang her Oscar-nominated song about rape--You Don't Know 'til It Happens to You, and survivors appeared onstage it was one of the most powerful moments that night. Then the president of the Academy spoke eloquently, addressing the diversity issue. As the president and as a black woman, I thought her speech was eloquent, but at this point we'd heard so much, which was a shame.

It was a night of causes and I, for one, will be happy when the Oscars comes back next year having learned a lesson. I hope Chris Rock goes down in history (not just Black History) for championing for his cause but I also hope to never see him host the Oscars again. Although there were genuine moments of brilliance in his "comedic" monologue, his opinionated barbs dominated the evening.
Whether it's because this year's nominations were all white (not exactly true) or whether it's because the Academy snubbed some very talented black artists, I hope the Oscars learned something because this was the most uncomfortable, unenjoyable ceremony yet.

Tears and Orthopedics on The Bachelor

Monday night on The Bachelor, we followed Ben Higgins to Warsaw Indiana, the orthopedic capital. I'd always wondered where that was and now I know!
Warsaw looked postcard pretty and so much more interesting than Chris Soules' town with five buildings, and one of them shut down. I'd move to Warsaw!

Autumn in Indiana looks very picturesque and both my hubby and I wondered if those amazing Bachelor set designers scattered red and gold leaves everywhere to make the town look so pretty.

Ben picked up the few girls left in his family's party boat and drove them around the large lake to their rented house, which was apparently just down the shoreline from the Higgins' family digs.

The first date was a one on one and Ben grabbed Lauren from the group of girls on the couch to tour the town in a quaint old red truck. Unlike my tour of Hubby's hometown 24 years ago where he pointed out all the places he got in trouble, Ben took Lauren to where he volunteers time to an after school kids' program. The kids remembered him even though he now lives in Colorado and has a real job. Very cute. Two Indiana NBA stars joined them for basketball and Lauren fit in like she grew up in the Orthopedic capital.

When the sun set, they ended up in matching jeans and leather jackets at Ben's old apartment, I believe he said. A moment to clear the air about Lauren's commitment to Ben, had them smooching and all was well in Ben/Lauren world.
Back at the house though, tears flowed from the girls left behind. "Why am I here if I don't get a one on one?" This is the type of thinking that can lead a contender straight to the Limo for One, if you're not careful. Sheesh! Lasting relationships take time to grow. Five weeks to be exact.

Ben and Jo Jo had a date the next day and drove to Chicago, (really close to Warsaw) to visit Wrigley Field, home of the Cubs, Ben's favorite sports team. They played a bit of baseball, hung out on the grass, tried to eat a romantic dinner on the mound and we never heard any references to Ben trying to get to third base with Jo Jo.


The group date next day was a fun/morose jaunt to a picturesque farm where Becca, Amanda and Caila coupled up and tried to row boats on the farm's pond. Becca and Caila were too distracted with Ben in the other boat to figure out how to row. Then, they went in the barn where the set designers had made a barn look prettier than it had a right to and I was sure Becca had a terrible flashback of another Bachelor barn where her heart was broken by Chris Soules. She looked a bit traumatized, especially when the rose went to Amanda.

Off went Ben and Caila on the second half of the date that included a town carnival where the mayor declared Ben a town treasure and Amanda declared Ben a french frie stealer. (Another McDonald's ad!)

Emily got the last one on one date and was thrilled to get her alone time with the tall hunk. They took off in the party boat and docked at Ben's family home where Emily proceeded to dig herself deeper and deeper into the "I'm too young to get married" hole. She actually said that she'd always wanted to be an NFL cheerleader to Ben's parents like there was still plenty of time to chase her dream. Which there is, but not with Ben and he had to cut her loose after the date. I happen to think Emily is a sweet kid but she's a kid, still. She had to ask if the birds on the lake were swans. Endearing, but not wife material for Ben.
More tears ensued when she packed, left and got in the Limo for One.

 The girls proceeded to get ready for a chilly rose ceremony amongst the red and gold maple leaves on the county courthouse lawn in Warsaw.
Coats were in order, probably something most of the girls didn't foresee needing to wear over a sexy cocktail dress. Becca did not make the cut and was a bit snarky over him "blindsiding" her. Hey, Becca. Blindsiding is when you don't see it coming and you spent most of this episode talking about how you'd probably get cut.



Next week is hometowns and it looks like the mean brother syndrome rears its ugly head at JoJo's. Oh Oh!

Bachelor at 20 and a Wedding!

THE BACHELOR celebrated its 20th season with a Sunday night special edition/look back at twenty shows and it was actually pretty good!
I'm going to make this short and just give a quick overview of the show seeing I did not take notes while watching. Hey, I'd just finished an 8-hour shift at Macy's and simply wanted to sit on the couch, eat something with melted cheese on top and drink a Coors Lite.
The show paid tribute to Bachelor Nation, the fan base that keeps the show on the air. Yes, you. We watched clips from earlier Bachelor shows, including the first one with Alex Michel and a bevy of ladies who looked a whole lot more real and less Hollywoodized than the ladies have in recent shows. Nowadays one must visit the nail salon, the tanning salon, the hair salon, the gym, the dentist, the MAC makeup counter and then get some hot shot designer to sponsor your clothes on the show.

It was fun to see loads of former Bachelors in one room with their wives (Andrew Firestone has three kids!), fiancees (Bob Guinney and Jessica, my neighbors), girlfriends (?), or lack thereof (Chris Soules is still alone, apparently). It seems the Bachelorettes have fared better at finding love. At the party we saw Kaitlyn and Shawn, Trista and Ryan, Deanna and hubby, Ashley and J.P. and Andy Dorfman and no one. There were also many pregnant, (engaged!) alumni like Ashley Salter, Ali Feditowski, and the tiara-wearing Diva who is one of Chris Harrison's favorite Bachelor people. (What?) Other alumni who attended were Sarah Herron, Chris Bukowski, Ashley the crier, Juelia, Jared, and more.
They showed outtakes, had funny little segments like "Worst Villain" clips and the show was thoroughly entertaining to this Bachelor groupie.
Then, we switched to another gathering, one that happened recently, to celebrate Jade and Tanner's wedding. I know these two events took place separately because Jason Mesnick and Molly couldn't come to the 20th party but Jason was at the wedding. Molly was home with the baby in rainy Seattle.

Chris Harrison interviewed alumni with the empty wedding scene as the backdrop, and for once, he did a pretty good job with ad lib. CH is becoming the king of Schmaltz and said "Never before in Bachelor history," so many times over the two hours, I forgot to count.

I really like Jade and Tanner's story and was very happy to see them fall in love on Bachelor in Paradise. I was hoping they'd make it past the afterlife when the show ended and was worried their relationship wouldn't survive. Last night they looked absolutely radiant and thrilled as they vowed to love each other forever in one of the nicest wedding ceremonies in Bachelor History. The vows were heartfelt, Jade looked absolutely gorgeous, and the flowers! Did anyone notice that flower wall Jade passed as she came off the staircase? The audience was filled with alumni, most crying after the vows and it was a beautiful ceremony with CH officiating.
The reception was a staged filming of more Bach alumni including Jillian Harris, Deanna, Andi, Michelle Money, Ben, Chris Soules, and Seal. Yes, Seal sang at the reception and did a wonderful job. The guy who sang at the ceremony Matt Nathanson was a little loud and it was a welcome change when Carly from Bachelor in Paradise sang a pretty song she wrote for the happy couple.
All in all, last night's show was fun to watch and I'm sure more than a few hookups occurred at the Dana Point La Di Da Hotel. And isn't that what The Bachelor is all about?
No, not hooking up! Love.