Project and content management for Contemporary Authors volumes
WORK TITLE: Blind Item
WORK NOTES: with Kevin Dickson
PSEUDONYM(S):
BIRTHDATE:
WEBSITE:
CITY: Hollywood
STATE:
COUNTRY:
NATIONALITY:
https://us.macmillan.com/author/jackketsoyan/
RESEARCHER NOTES:
PERSONAL
Male.
ADDRESS
CAREER
Author and publicist; owner, EMC Bowery. Formerly worked for PMK agency.
WRITINGS
SIDELIGHTS
“Jack Ketsoyan is one of Hollywood’s veteran publicists,” wrote Ruchel Freibrun on the Popbuff website. “Jack is down to earth, personable and the anti-diva of publicists.” He is also the coauthor, with entertainment reporter Kevin Dickson, of the novels Blind Item and Guilty Pleasure—books that draw on real-life celebrity scandals for their inspiration. “Who are the real keepers of celebrities’ darkest secrets?” asked Madeleine Davies on the Jezebel website. “It’s the publicists and tabloid editors who often work together to keep famous people—and their weird shit—out (or occasionally in) the press.” Ketsoyan and Dickson advertise that the stories depicted in their novels are thinly-disguised versions of real-life scandals, and that, explain reviewers, adds to their attraction. “Through the adventures of [Blind Item‘s] heroine … we meet a gaggle of Hollywood A-listers,” said Beth Sobol on the ENews website. “Many of them sound very much like thinly veiled versions of certain real-life celebs.” “Sprinkled throughout this … story,” stated a Publishers Weekly reviewer, “are real scandals that busy publicists and managers managed to hush up and hide.”
In the first volume of the series Ketsoyan and Dickson introduce the trio of young people who navigate the frenetic world of Hollywood. Blind Item, reported Matthew Kolas in Spy, tells the story of “an Ohio-to-LA transplant named Nicola making her way through the rough and tumble life of young Hollywood is a lighthearted romp addled with drugs, celebrities, wanna be’s and plenty of sexy and salacious gossip and intrigue.” “Along with her roommate, Kara, and best friend, Billy,” said a Kirkus Reviews contributor, “she further and further enmeshes herself in the culture of fame that defines the city.” Eventually, continued Sara Scribner in School Library Journal, “Nicola runs up against the gorgeous and suave Seamus O’Riordan, a major movie star with whom she soon becomes intricately bound.” Nicola does not want to become involved with O’Riordan, but she finds herself sucked into the new relationship—and, at the same time stylist Kara is launching a career as a reality television star and a relationship with a rap star, and Billy transitions from a average tabloid writer to a full-blown paparazzo. “The book is about Hollywood behind the scenes,” Freibrun explained. “It is not just a place for glitz and glamour, but the reality of being in it and making it.”
Overall, critics enjoyed Blind Item, while acknowledging that Ketsoyan’s and Dickson’s first novel can be somewhat ephemeral. “I loved the sparkly cover, the synopsis, and the fact that the book was written by ‘two Hollywood insiders’–who better to tell this story?” said Samantha March in Chick Lit Plus by Samantha March. “Wow! is there a lot happening between the pages.” “If you’re interested in following publicists in Hollywood, then definitely give this one a read,” advised Krystianna Straley in Downright Dystopian. “I wouldn’t go into expecting a whole lot, you definitely have to be in the mood for a read like this!” At the same time, reviewers also acknowledge that the novel can be fascinating. “Blind Item has all these characters that are just regular people looking for a steady income and trustworthy people… in a town known for lies, deceit and being fake,” wrote Kristin Downer in Nerd Problems. “Dickson and Ketsoyan brought … [so much] life [to] these characters that I found myself yelling at their decisions, laughing, crying, and smacking my head.” “For readers of US Weekly and In Touch,” declared Booklist reviewer Kristine Huntley, “this will be an outlandishly fun ride.” “This one,” concluded Amanda Garrity, writing in Voice of Youth Advocates, “fits nicely in the new adult genre, perhaps good for those seeking a scandalous, tabloid-inspired beach read.”
BIOCRIT
PERIODICALS
Booklist, May 1, 2017, Kristine Huntley, review of Blind Item, p. 55.
Kirkus Reviews, April 15, 2017, review of Blind Item.
Publishers Weekly, April 3, 2017, review of Blind Item, p. 48.
School Library Journal, June 1, 2017, Sara Scribner, review of Blind Item, p. 106.
Spy, July 25, 2017, Matthew Kolas, “On the Record: ‘Blind Item’ Authors Kevin Dickson and Jack Ketsoyan.”
Voice of Youth Advocates, June, 2017, Amanda Garrity, review of Blind Item, p. 62.
ONLINE
Chick Lit Plus by Samantha March, http://chicklitplus.com/ (August 7, 2017), Samantha March, review of Blind Item.
Downright Dystopian, http://downrightdystopian.blogspot.com/ (July 22, 2017), Krystianna Straley, review of Blind Item.
ENews, http://www.eonline.com/ (June 1, 2017), Beth Sobol, “Do You Recognize the Celebs in This `Fictional’ Hollywood Tell-All?”
Jezebel, https://jezebel.com/ (May 31, 2017), Madeleine Davies, “Hollywood’s Biggest Secret-Keepers Wrote a Book and Are Here to Talk about It.”
Nerd Problems, http://www.nerdprobs.com/ (August 12, 2017), Kristin Downer, review of Blind Item.
PopBuff, http://popbuff.com/ (June 12, 2017), Ruchel Freibrun, “Jack Ketsoyan and Kevin Dickson Talk about Their Book Blind Item.”
Series
Blind Item (with Jack Ketsoyan)
1. Blind Item (2017)
2. Guilty Pleasure (2018)
Jack Ketsoyan is a veteran publicist in Hollywood, who's spent most of his time on the other side of the velvet rope. He has worked for the big agencies such as PMK, representing stars like Jennifer Lopez. He now runs his own boutique agency, EMC Bowery. Jack has occasionally specialized in crisis PR, helping stars deal with sudden scandals. Blind Item, co-written with Kevin Dickson, is his debut novel.
Jack Ketsoyan and Kevin Dickson talk about their book Blind Item
June 12, 2017 By Ruchel Freibrun
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Kevin Dickson, Erika Girardi and Jack Ketsoyan
Jack Ketsoyan is one Hollywood’s veteran publicists. I first connected with Jack on Instagram as a fan and we have been communicating ever since. We met at his first book launching in Barnes and Noble in Santa Monica. Jack is down to earth, personable and the anti-diva of publicists. In fact, he was the first one to greet me. I meet a lot of entertainment publicists but truly, Jack is one of the nicest publicists I have met.
Erika Girardi introduced authors of Blind Item
Entertainment Tonight and other media were present. Jack was introduced by his friend and client Erika Jayne (Real Housewives of Beverly Hills). After a brief interview with ET, Erika enthusiastically introduced Kevin Dickson (co-author) and Jack Ketsoyan. Erika mentioned, “I’m here to introduce Kevin and Jack. Jack and I like what you heard…we’ve been together for so many years. I consider him my family, so I’m super proud tonight.”
Entertainment Tonight interviews Jack and his friend/client Erika
The book is about Hollywood behind the scenes. It is not just a place for glitz and glamour, but the reality of being in it and making it.
Lindsey Kelk, a bestselling British chick lit author and journalist hosted the event with some questions to the authors. Kelk was the first person who read Blind Item and described the book as, “a rip-roaring summer fun ride ….it is scandalous, it is fun, it is exciting, it is sexy.”
Lindsey Kelk interviews Kevin and Jack
About the authors
Kevin Dickson was a journalist/tabloid editor who worked for In Touch and Life and Style magazine. While Ketsoyan started very early in his career at the age of 16 for a small PR firm. The rest is history. The two authors met through Paris Hilton and they become quick friends. Ketsoyan said of Dickson, “He was someone I could trust. He was someone I could tell things that I knew would never get published. He is not gonna go behind my back and do something that he is not supposed to do.”
Book signing of Blind Item
Lindsey asked the authors, were there any scandals that were too juicy to go in the book?
Jack: We were planning maybe down the road that we would put in [scandals] but we didn’t wanna go to crazy, outrageous ’cause we wanted people to believe in it.
Kevin: We were talking about the worst day that you had at work. I remember this one day where I edited this photo shoot at a home of a celebrity. So much horrible stuff happen that when I got to my car, I was like ‘I can’t do this job anymore!’ We talked about that type of character cause this is how we approach this book. This is the type of character we need. If we put it, you wouldn’t believe it… you wouldn’t believe a word of it. You would think we were lying and so that person got nixed.
Veteran Publicist Jack Ketsoyan
Stage relationships
In the last part of the discussion, Kelk asked about stage relationships in Hollywood.”Is it a real thing? Do people have stage relationships?” Jack replied, “Yes they do and it’s mostly young starlets who have been auditioning for so long and they just do not get a break. Finally, an agent approaches them and says, ‘there is a heartthrob that would take you to that next level. If you want to have a contract for three years, you would get this role that you want, you would get the movies that you want, and you will have a pretty decent life.” Jack added, “that’s what happens, usually three years. The third year you kinda see what happens.”
Attendees at Blind Item book signing
Towards the end of the book signing, Jamie an attendee from Los Angeles said, “It was so wonderful. Just being able to meet everyone and being able to get a little back story about what the book is about is really incredible.It was so fun.”
Blind Item Book Launching
Blind Item is now number nine on Amazon for single women category and People magazine named Blind Item as one of the best summer books.
On the Record: “Blind Item” Authors Kevin Dickson and Jack Ketsoyan
By Matthew Kolas July 25, 2017
Image courtesy Amazon
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* Hollywood vets Kevin Dickson and Jack Ketsoyan release first book, “Blind Item”
* So successful that a sequel is already in the works
* Don’t miss their advice for young aspirants
“This is not a true story, but every story inside is true,” boasts the back cover of “Blind Item.” The 358-page narrative about an Ohio-to-LA transplant named Nicola making her way through the rough and tumble life of young Hollywood is a lighthearted romp addled with drugs, celebrities, wanna be’s and plenty of sexy and salacious gossip and intrigue.
BUY: Kindle ($12.99) | Hardcover ($17.65) | Audio CD ($40.47)
Written by entertainment journalist Kevin Dickson and publicist Jack Ketsoyan, the book takes their shared experience of Hollywood’s underbelly and synthesizes it into “heightened truth.” Despite suggestions that they write a salacious tell-all, Ketsoyan tells SPY that they “didn’t want to out anyone.”
“We wanted to write a love story that was fun,” adds Dickson.
As Nicola’s romance with movie star Seamus O’Riordan develops, readers are introduced to a modern feminism that depicts women who are confident and guilt-free about sex. “We’re getting lots of feedback from women who feel inspired,” says Ketsoyan, who has worked with big PR agencies like PMK and EMC Bowery, while representing stars like Jennifer Lopez.
In the book, Nicola is also a publicist, though as her journey continues, she learns that the real-life soap opera of celebrity doesn’t always have a fairytale ending. And despite working your PR magic, you can’t always control the final outcome.
A fun read in the vein of “The Devil Wears Prada,” the book captures the biting and often cynical nature of Hollywood, with a wink and nod to everything from staged paparazzi shots, to child stardom, fake romances and reality TV.
Image courtesy of EMC Bowery
This is Dickson and Ketsoyan’s first book, but the two friends must have succeeded. There’s already a sequel in the works.
Asked what advice they have for the new crop of Hollywood hopefuls, Ketsoyan says to “be ready for what you’re in for. It won’t be easy; there will be lots of ‘no’s.’ You have to want it.”
Slightly more practical than inspirational, Dickson says not to “give anyone footage that will bite you in the ass,” and “if you do reality TV, learn to say ‘no.'”
If you buy something because we told you about it, we may receive compensation from retail partners.
Dickson, Kevin: BLIND ITEM
(Apr. 15, 2017):
Copyright: COPYRIGHT 2017 Kirkus Media LLC
http://www.kirkusreviews.com/
Dickson, Kevin BLIND ITEM Imprint (Adult Fiction) $26.99 6, 6 ISBN: 978-1-250-12225-4
An ingenue from Ohio tries to make it in Hollywood only to find a city more flawed than she once dreamed.Nicola moved to LA from Ohio to work in public relations alongside celebrities she's idolized her entire life. Along with her roommate, Kara, and best friend, Billy, she further and further enmeshes herself in the culture of fame that defines the city, ultimately becoming the girlfriend of a movie star. But being a star isn't all she thought it was, and while Kara becomes a reality TV star and Billy joins the legions of paparazzi, Nicola is confronted by the ugly reality of invasive public scrutiny. Dickson and Ketsoyan trade on the very hunger for scandal that feeds the book's shallow revelations about Hollywood culture; they tantalize the reader by claiming the stories of sex, drugs, and depravity in the book are real, but they'll never tell which starlets got up to what. It's a transparent ploy to market a book that is ultimately hollow and unoriginal, with no new insights into the nature of celebrity or our societal relationship with fame's double-edged sword. From the opening pages, when Nicola goes from being an average young woman driving her used Toyota Tercel to being on the arm of a mega-star in the course of 15 minutes at a party, the book lacks depth, development, and realism that could make the subsequent stories of scandal more engaging and affecting. Nothing new in this tale of disillusionment with the pressures and culture of Hollywood.
Source Citation (MLA 8th Edition)
"Dickson, Kevin: BLIND ITEM." Kirkus Reviews, 15 Apr. 2017. General OneFile, http://link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/A489268639/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=ITOF&xid=13d737fa. Accessed 10 Dec. 2017.
Gale Document Number: GALE|A489268639
Dickson, Kevin, and Jack Ketsoyan. Blind Item
Amanda Garrity
40.2 (June 2017): p62.
Copyright: COPYRIGHT 2017 E L Kurdyla Publishing LLC
http://www.voya.com
2Q * 2P * NA
Dickson, Kevin, and Jack Ketsoyan. Blind Item. Imprint/Macmillan, 2017. 368p. $26.99. 978-1-250-12225-4.
Recent Hollywood transplant Nicola never imagined a life among the most famous--and seedy--celebrities, but as the assistant to a domineering publicist, her job lands her at a party where she meets and is wooed by leading man Seamus O'Riordan. Nicolas closest friends are her reality star-wannabe roommate, Kara, and Billy, who trades tabloid gossip stories for money. As her professional world begins to creep into the life she tries to keep private, Nicola is forced to consider who and what are most important to her.
Though Hollywood insiders Dickson and Ketsoyan fulfill the promise of a story full of jaw-dropping scandals, the payoff is shallow and contrived. Nicolas girl-next-door persona is unrealistic, with constant references to her used car and former life in Ohio (presented like a Hollywood version of a smalltown, midwestern upbringing). Her disconnect from the celebrity elite is overplayed as she dives swiftly into the culture of the rich and famous. The promise of real-life celebrity gossip may entice older teens; however, be aware that frequent references to hard drugs and graphic sexual situations appear throughout the story. This one fits nicely in the new adult genre, perhaps good for those seeking a scandalous, tabloid-inspired beach read.--Amanda Garrity.
Source Citation (MLA 8th Edition)
Garrity, Amanda. "Dickson, Kevin, and Jack Ketsoyan. Blind Item." Voice of Youth Advocates, June 2017, p. 62. General OneFile, http://link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/A497860311/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=ITOF&xid=05a71777. Accessed 10 Dec. 2017.
Gale Document Number: GALE|A497860311
Blind Item
Kristine Huntley
113.17 (May 1, 2017): p55.
Copyright: COPYRIGHT 2017 American Library Association
http://www.ala.org/ala/aboutala/offices/publishing/booklist_publications/booklist/booklist.cfm
Blind Item. By Kevin Dickson and Jack Ketsoyan. June 2017. 352p. Macmillan/lmprint, $26.99 (9781250122254).
Dickson, a tabloid journalist, and publicist Ketsoyan unite to offer up a frothy fictionalized look at celebrity scandals through the eyes of a trio of up-and-comers. Nicola is the assistant to a powerful Hollywood publicist who decides to set her up on a "date" with a television actor. The encounter is a disappointment to Nicola, but Scottish movie-star Seamus O'Riordan, whom she meets at a pop starlets party, wants to sweep her off her feet. Nicola's roommate, Kara, is being similarly romanced by a rap star, but her aspirations of being a stylist fall to the wayside when she's pulled into the spotlight on a reality show. And Nicolas best friend, Billy, a freelance tabloid writer, is trying to escape the fallout from his own fling with a closeted film star. The celebrity antics are purportedly drawn from real life, but somehow the charmed lives of the three young protagonists feel far less believable than the antics of the rich and infamous. Nevertheless, for readers of US Weekly and In Touch, this will be an outlandishly fun ride.--Kristine Huntley
Source Citation (MLA 8th Edition)
Huntley, Kristine. "Blind Item." Booklist, 1 May 2017, p. 55. General OneFile, http://link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/A495035052/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=ITOF&xid=93e55d27. Accessed 10 Dec. 2017.
Gale Document Number: GALE|A495035052
Blind Item
264.14 (Apr. 3, 2017): p48.
Copyright: COPYRIGHT 2017 PWxyz, LLC
http://www.publishersweekly.com/
Blind Item
Kevin Dickson and Jack Ketsoyan. Imprint, $26.99 (352) ISBN 978-1-250-12225-4
Ohio native Nicola never thought she'd end up in Hollywood working as a publicist and attending birthday parties for the rich and mostly famous. But when her meth-dealing boyfriend is thrown in jail, her best friend Billy, a freelance "journalist" selling gossip to the highest bidder, sets up a new life for her in L.A., far away from the drama back home. Nicola soon finds herself in compromising situations with some of Hollywood's biggest heartthrobs while trying to keep herself out of the spotlight. Falling in love with an actor is the last thing she wants to do, but leading man Seamus O'Riordan is doing everything in his power to sweep her off her feet. Between managing her roommate Kara's burgeoning reality TV stardom, Billy's romantic escapades, and scandalous entanglements, Nicola can barely keep herself rooted to the ground. Hollywood insiders, entertainment reporter Dickson and Hollywood publicist Ketsoyan, take "write what you know" to a whole new level: sprinkled throughout this rags-to-riches wish-fulfillment story are real scandals that busy publicists and managers managed to hush up and hide. (June)
Source Citation (MLA 8th Edition)
"Blind Item." Publishers Weekly, 3 Apr. 2017, p. 48. General OneFile, http://link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/A489813675/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=ITOF&xid=454a9033. Accessed 10 Dec. 2017.
Gale Document Number: GALE|A489813675
Dickson, Kevin & Jack Ketsoyan. Blind Item
Sara Scribner
63.6 (June 1, 2017): p106.
Copyright: COPYRIGHT 2017 Library Journals, LLC. A wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
http://www.schoollibraryjournal.com/
DICKSON, Kevin & Jack Ketsoyan. Blind Item. 352p. Imprint. Jun. 2017. Tr $26.99. ISBN 9781250122254.
Gr 10 Up--A raw, expletive-laden peek at behind-the-scenes Hollywood, this novel doesn't just push the envelope but shreds it, perhaps telling far more than typical celebrity-obsessed readers might want to know. The tale revolves around Nicola, a savvy Midwesterner; her best friend Billy, who scoops scandals for celebrity rags; and her roommate Kara, a stylist willing to do just about anything to get ahead. While working at a Hollywood PR firm, Nicola runs up against the gorgeous and suave Seamus O'Riordan, a major movie star with whom she soon becomes intricately bound. Nicola is swept into a sometimes glamorous and often trashy web of fallen pop stars, ruthless paparazzi, and druggedout reality TV castoffs. She is torn between her desire to live a semi-normal life and her attraction to Seamus, a complicated and seductive figure with secrets of his own. The teaser reads, "This is not a true story, but every story inside is true," setting the stage for readers to wonder which crass egomaniac is being represented in each vignette. This "Cinderella" tale, told by two Hollywood insiders, is a tawdry romp whose plot often feels like a mere backdrop for sexual escapades and raunchy talk. VERDICT An additional purchase for collections serving mature teens and new adults.--Sara Scribner, Marshall Fundamental School, Pasadena, CA
Source Citation (MLA 8th Edition)
Scribner, Sara. "Dickson, Kevin & Jack Ketsoyan. Blind Item." School Library Journal, 1 June 2017, p. 106. General OneFile, http://link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/A493916118/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=ITOF&xid=25e21210. Accessed 10 Dec. 2017.
Gale Document Number: GALE|A493916118
DirtCast
Hollywood's Biggest Secret-Keepers Wrote a Book and Are Here to Talk About It
Madeleine Davies
5/31/17 4:35pmFiled to: dirtcast
46.7K
76
9
Practically everyone has a story about a strange celebrity encounter. Maybe it didn’t happen to you—maybe it happened to a friend of a friend or your cousin’s wife’s coworker—but the story is there and you’ve likely repeated it. But who are the real keepers of celebrities’ darkest secrets? It’s the publicists and tabloid editors who often work together to keep famous people—and their weird shit—out (or occasionally in) the press.
This week on DirtCast, we sit down with Kevin Dickson and Jack Ketsoyan, co-authors of the forthcoming Blind Item, a novelization of all the crazy people and stories they’ve encountered in their years as an editor at In Touch and a celebrity publicist specializing in crisis management (respectively).
Dickson and Ketsoyan were not keen to name names of the celebrities parodied/represented in the book—most are composites and they want to make you guess, anyway—but they did share some highly interesting facts for those of us interested in the underbelly of the celebrity-publicist-tabloid relationship.
Stuff like:
Publicists will often barter with the editors of celebrity weeklies, offering up exclusive stories, in order to get negative coverage of their clients pulled from the magazine.
Publicists live in fear of their hot interns sleeping with their clients. Their fears are often realized.
Your favorite celebrity couple might be fake.
Paris Hilton is smart.
Something I learned personally this episode thanks to a very helpful listener: Winning the Palme d’Or at Cannes is not the same as winning Best Director at Cannes. Apologies to Ruben Ostlund (Palme d’Or winner) and Sofia Coppola (Best Director winner) for the mistake I make in the first 30 seconds of the episode. Please don’t let it spoil our truly informative interview with Ketsoyan, Tara Reid’s one time publicist (not a job for the faint of heart), and Dickson, one of the first people Kim Kardashian called after learning about her leaked sex tape. (You can read all about that here.)
Blind Item comes out June 6. For updates and maybe even a little dirt, follow Jack and Kevin on Twitter.
#BookReview: Blind Item by Kevin Dickson & Jack Ketsoyan
August 7, 2017 / Leave a comment
blind itemAbout the Book
No one knows her name, but now everyone wants to.
As an assistant publicist in Hollywood, Nicola spends her days (and nights) sweeping up the scandals of singers, movie stars, and TV actors. Fresh from Ohio, she’s rapidly discovering the real Hollywood is rotten under its glittering skin. Everyone is a hustler with a hard bottom line and a soap opera sob story.
When she breaks her own rules and starts dating a movie star, the Los Angeles scene starts to spill into her own life. As the paparazzi begin the hunt for sexy star Seamus O’Riordan’s new mystery girl, Nicola’s best friend Billy has her back while he prowls parties for the latest scoop to sell to the tabloids. Her roommate Kara keeps tabs on things too—in between befriending a former child star and transforming herself from stylist to reality TV sensation.
As the scandals pile up behind them, their pasts will be exposed… And every secret can be sold.
Written by two Hollywood insiders, Kevin Dickson and Jack Ketsoyan, Blind Item‘s jaw-dropping scandals are real, but the names are not. And they’ll never tell.
My Review
I’m a huge fan of celebrity-lit, so when I was asking to review Blind Item, I jumped at the chance. I loved the sparkly cover, the synopsis, and the fact that the book was written by “two Hollywood insiders” – who better to tell this story? Wow is there a lot happening between the pages. What I always find so intriguing about celebrity inspired books, especially when they are coming from celebrities or Hollywood insiders, is that you know everything involves the truth in some way. So even though some situations or scenes seemed so unreal to me, I had to remember that in the world of celebrity, anything goes. Fascinating. This is a very racy read so keep that in mind if that isn’t your style. The pacing actually was a little slow to me so at times it was challenging to hold my interest, even with all that was packed into the story, but I still thought overall it was fun and very interesting to read. If you like Hollywood or celebrity-lit, I would say give it a read.
4 stars
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Home / Blog / BOOK REVIEW: Blind Item by Kevin Dickson and Jack Ketsoyan
BOOK REVIEW: Blind Item by Kevin Dickson and Jack Ketsoyan
Kristin Downer August 12, 2017 Blog, Book Reviews, Books Leave a comment
Title: Blind Item
Author: Kevin Dickson and Jack Ketsoyan
Publication: June 6, 2017
Publisher: Imprint
Genre: Women’s Fiction, Entertainment
Pages: 368
SYNOPSIS: (From Goodreads)
No one knows her name, but now everyone wants to.
As an assistant publicist in Hollywood, Nicola spends her days (and nights) sweeping up the scandals of singers, movie stars, and TV actors. Fresh from Ohio, she’s rapidly discovering the real Hollywood is rotten under its glittering skin. Everyone is a hustler with a hard bottom line and a soap opera sob story.
When she breaks her own rules and starts dating a movie star, the Los Angeles scene starts to spill into her own life. As the paparazzi begin the hunt for sexy star Seamus O’Riordan’s new mystery girl, Nicola’s best friend Billy has her back while he prowls parties for the latest scoop to sell to the tabloids. Her roommate Kara keeps tabs on things too—in between befriending a former child star and transforming herself from stylist to reality TV sensation.
As the scandals pile up behind them, their pasts will be exposed… And every secret can be sold.
Written by two Hollywood insiders, the jaw-dropping scandals are real, but the names are not. And they’ll never tell.
REVIEW:
**A copy of this book was provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.**
What I had hoped Fifty Shades of Grey would have been, Blind Item was all of that and more. This book was full of spice, attitude, and wrapped in a sexy flair. Blind Item follows Nicola and her friends as they navigate the tricky world of Hollywood, some trying to stay out of trouble and others looking for it.
Blind Item has all these characters that are just regular people looking for a steady income and trustworthy people… in a town known for lies, deceit and being fake. Dickson and Ketsoyan brought to life these characters that I found myself yelling at their decisions, laughing, crying, and smacking my head right along with their every move. When an author can make you feel what their characters are feeling, it’s a good one. The cover of this book mentions that the stories are real, but the names are not. So, while this is a fiction book, it’s easy to picture in your head the reality that this happens every single day in Hollywood. The ups, downs and crazy that is squeezed into this book filled with hours of entertainment. Blind Item covered all the basis. Drama. Romance. Suspense. Mystery. Reality. Every genre I can think of was twisted and turned into this book made to question the very life we live and if our lives would be this insane if we were in their world.
The blind item has all the things that I wanted Fifty Shades of Grey to be, with an amazing and entertaining story line to go along with it. I will absolutely be picking up the next book either of these gentlemen write and enjoying every second of it.
STAR RATING: 5/5
You can pick up your copy of Blind Item by Kevin Dickson and Jack Ketsoyan from Amazon, Barnes and Noble or a bookstore near you. Also make sure to add it to your To Reads list on Goodreads and leave feedback for the authors when you are finished.
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About Kristin Downer
Super Mom and Awesomely Nerdy Lady who can’t stand to sit still. Delving into the online world I ran a successful online radio channel and blog that brought fans up close and personal with their favourite music, television and movie stars. Now, with my hilariously nerdy partners in crime, we are hiding our nerdyness no more! Twitter: @Kristin_Downer
Do You Recognize the Celebs in This "Fictional" Hollywood Tell-All?
by Beth Sobol | Thu., Jun. 1, 2017 9:00 AM
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Blind Item, Kevin Dickson, Jack Ketsoyan
Macmillan Children's Publishing Group
Summer's hottest beach read has officially arrived. If you're a fan of Hollywood and all things celebrity, you're going to love Blind Item, the new novel written by Kevin Dickson and Jack Ketsoyan. Over the years, Dickson, a veteran entertainment journalist, and Ketsoyan, longtime publicist to some of Tinseltown's most beautiful stars, have seen it all. Now, they're ready to dish.
Through the adventures of the book's heroine, assistant publicist Nicola Wallace, and her friends, we meet a gaggle of Hollywood A-listers. Many of them sound very much like thinly veiled versions of certain real-life celebs.
Think you can guess who's who among this group of characters?
Photos
Celebrity Book Signings
• Amber Bank: A former child star turned reality sensation. Amber uses a baby voice in public and on TV, but behind the scenes, she's a raspy train wreck who keeps vodka in the water glass by her bedside.
• Ethan Carpenter: A young heartthrob movie star who has made a fortune playing the hunk next door. In reality, an overdose lands him in the hospital as he struggles to keeps his true sexual orientation a secret.
• Paul Stroud: An aging Hollywood actor. Still dashingly handsome, rumors of his flatulence problem prove to be true, as poor Nicola learns the hard way.
• SaraBeth Shields: A formerly wholesome pop star whose penchant for partying leads to violent outbursts. To clean up her image, she signs on with a fake sober coach.
Kristin Cavallari and Jenny McCarthy were lucky enough to get advance copies and can't stop raving about it. Cavallari calls it a "sexy, fun beach read," while McCarthy praises Blind Item as "outrageous as any true life tabloid scandal—a must."
We know what we'll be reading poolside next weekend.
Blind Item is out June 6.
Saturday, July 22, 2017
Blind Item
31145129
Title: Blind Item
Authors: Kevin Dickson, Jack Ketsoyan
Publisher: Imprint
Release Date: June 6, 2017
Source: Publisher for Review
No one knows her name, but now everyone wants to.
As an assistant publicist in Hollywood, Nicola spends her days (and nights) sweeping up the scandals of singers, movie stars, and TV actors. Fresh from Ohio, she's rapidly discovering the real Hollywood is rotten under its glittering skin. Everyone is a hustler with a hard bottom line and a soap opera sob story.
When she breaks her own rules and starts dating a movie star, the Los Angeles scene starts to spill into her own life. As the paparazzi begin the hunt for sexy star Seamus O'Riordan's new mystery girl, Nicola's best friend Billy has her back while he prowls parties for the latest scoop to sell to the tabloids. Her roommate Kara keeps tabs on things too-in between befriending a former child star and transforming herself from stylist to reality TV sensation.
As the scandals pile up behind them, their pasts will be exposed... And every secret can be sold.
Written by two Hollywood insiders, the jaw-dropping scandals are real, but the names are not. And they'll never tell.
**Thanks so much to the publisher for allowing me to read this book in exchange for an honest review!**
what i liked
The premise! I mean, who doesn't want to read a book that's all about juicy Hollywood? This book really gives you an inside look on what it's like, and honestly, there seems to be a lot more to it than meets the eye.
THE SETTING. It takes place in LA, obviously, so what's not to love?
This book read very quickly which makes it an awesome poolside read. It was light, fluffy, and of course touched upon some other topics.
Blind Item read more like a New Adult book, so I'd be wary of that going in if you're a younger reader!
There were some undertones of The Devil Wears Prada which is one of my favorite movies.
what i disliked
I wish it were longer!
overall
If you're interested in following publicists in Hollywood, then definitely give this one a read. I wouldn't go into expecting a whole lot, you definitely have to be in the mood for a read like this!
Posted by Krystianna Straley at 12:00 AM Email ThisBlogThis!Share to TwitterShare to FacebookShare to Pinterest
Labels: 2017 releases, blind item, imprint, jack ketsoyan, kevin dickson, publisher for review