As
a freelance journalist and author, Marlise Elizabeth Kast has contributed
to over 50 publications including Forbes, Surfer, San Diego Magazine
and New York Post. Her passion for traveling has taken her to 60
countries and short term residency in Switzerland , Dominican Republic
, Spain and Costa Rica . Following the release of her memoir Tabloid
Prodigy, Marlise wrote Day & Overnight Hikes on California's
Pacific Crest Trail, and co-authored Fodor’s 2009 Guide to Cancun
and Fodor's 2009 Guide to San Diego. She recently completed a 13
month surfing and snowboarding expedition through 28 countries.
Now based in San Diego , Marlise is currently working on her fifth
book.
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Dishing the Dirt,
Getting the Gossip, and Selling My Soul in the Cutthroat World
of Hollywood Reporting
Marlise, the
daughter of a minister, grew up in a loving, conservative,
slightly sheltered family, and aspired to a career as a
respected journalist or television news anchor.
She was
perhaps the least likely person to become a star reporter for
Globe. But, right out of college, with a journalism degree
and few job prospects, she became a tabloid writer, playing the
high-stakes game of cat-and-mouse with some of Hollywood’s
hottest celebrities.
There was almost
nothing Marlise wouldn’t do to get the story behind the
celebrity facade. Dumpster diving and hiding in the bushes were
child’s play compared to ploys like posing as a drunk to crash
one star’s wedding or bluffing her way through the L.A. Police
Department to confirm the DUI of another celeb’s daughter. Using
a combination of charm and brains, Marlise convinced co-workers,
waiters, bouncers and bartenders to confess the juicy secrets of
Hollywood stars. On the red carpet and VIP guest lists, she
assumed countless identities, including those of a
florist, a tennis player, a mourner, and a bridesmaid.
Along the way,
Marlise continually wondered: was she abandoning her principles
in exchange for a shot at celebrity reporting? Torn between her
journalistic duties and her moral responsibilities, Marlise
tried to ignore the battle with her conscience, telling herself
this wasn’t a permanent job, just a stepping stone to a more
respectable career.
This riveting and
entertaining memoir is full of her
outrageous-but-true tabloid experiences. Marlise’s narrative
details the behind-the-scenes deals, manipulations, and
deceptions used to break the big stories. In an industry where
turnover is high, and loyalty low, Marlise survived multiple
bosses, a rotating roster of photographers, professional
shenanigans, terrifying situations, and comical predicaments, as
well as legal threats from some of the celebrities and
“personalities” she wrote about. She eventually wrote over 200
articles for the tabloids.
Her biggest story,
though, is the one she’s never told before; how—after a
dangerous high-speed chase, a corporate betrayal of her trust,
and the doubts that continued to plague her—Marlise came
face-to-face with a story her conscience would not allow her to
tell.
After so many years
of lying about who she really was, Marlise had to discover her
own truth. As this riveting memoir reveals, her redemption is
more honest and personal than any celebrity news she’s ever
reported.
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