Happy Friday,
I have a great team that meets each week, and this week’s meeting was especially good. We’re spread across the Western Hemisphere—New York, Tennessee, and Colombia, South America—and together the team’s written and published books across a wide range of genres and subjects, with more in the works. Our niches may vary, but one thing unites us: we all manage to make ourselves miserable before, during, and even after finishing a book. It’s a common affliction among writers and creatives—but I believe it’s one that can be helped, maybe even cured (see the webinar opportunity below). The good news? We can celebrate when the work is complete and this week I want to recognize my friend and a member of my team, Rick Mowat.
His new book, a memoir co-authored with Michael Perzel, is available on Amazon this Saturday, June 28. Livin’ It is a fast-paced, true coming-of-age story set in the gritty streets of 1960s–70s Philadelphia.
“A profane Happy Days, filled with violence and hilarity.”
– Scott Ferguson, Copy Editor-Conde Nast
In this week’s guest blog, Rick shares the story behind the story and I’ll think you’ll find it inspiring. I recommend ordering the book and Rick would be most grateful if you’d post a review.
FREE Webinar: Writing Through Uncertainty
Join me for the next webinar on July 9, where we’ll use the Beyond Happiness Method to tap into our creative self-conscious and access fresh solutions for whatever uncertainty you’re facing. Big or small, the Self-Acknowledge Hug, Word of the Day Clustering and Three Minute Storytelling can help!
In my new novel, Bad Girl Pie, Dorothy, the main character, is a hot mess. A successful ghostwriter, she longs to write her own book. But she’s been burned—by family, by lovers, even by her best friend and agent. She’s dealing with uncertainty in spades!
Dot’s Word of the Day Cluster and blog:
Now Taking Clients: Ghostwriter of Celebrity Cookbooks Who Can’t Boil Her Own Life Down
by Dorothy Sherlock
Are you a celebrity chef with a signature truffle risotto, 4.5 million followers, and absolutely no idea how to string a sentence together?
Fantastic. I’m your ghost.
I’ve written cookbooks for TV personalities who think “umami” is a yoga pose. I’ve translated scribbled Post-It notes and iPhone voice memos into bestselling recipes that end up on talk shows, book tours, and, yes, Oprah’s list.
What I Do:
• Craft your heartfelt intro about “growing up in a food-loving Italian family” (despite your Connecticut roots and DoorDash addiction).
• Write your 10-minute weeknight meals with 42 ingredients and 12 pans.
• Weave in your “culinary philosophy,” which you learned last week on TikTok.
What I Don’t Do:
• Write my own damn cookbook.
• Share my family’s food stories. Too busy monetizing yours.
• Eat gluten. Not because I can’t—because I don’t have time to chew.
Pricing:
• Creative bankruptcy (mine)
Bonus Features:
• I know how to spell “tzatziki” under pressure.
• I can fake enthusiasm for cauliflower crust like a pro.
• I’ve tested recipes in kitchens I will never afford.
Testimonials:
“She made me sound like I cared about food justice.”
— Actor turned sauce entrepreneur
“You should really write your own book!”
— My Aunt, monthly
So if you’re looking for a ghost who can turn your culinary chaos into a hardcover success, I’m sautéing your voice in olive oil and silence.
Meanwhile, my own cookbook idea—“Burnt Offerings: Recipes I Never Wrote”—remains medium rare.
Dot really needs to come to the webinar on July 9 and I really hope you’ll come too. You can reserve your spot here.
Want More From Behind the Scenes?
If you’re enjoying these stories and want more behind-the-scenes thoughts, writing tips, and inspiration, I’d love for you to join me on Substack. It’s free, fun, and a great way to stay connected!
Here’s to your success and peace of mind,
Professor Marilyn Horowitz
Bad Girl Pie Review and News!
As a guy who’s spent his career spinning other people’s stories, I’ve got a soft spot for someone brave enough to finally tell their own—and Dorothy Sherlock nails it. Bad Girl Pie is sharp, funny, and unexpectedly moving. One minute you’re laughing out loud, the next you’re gut-punched by a line that hits a little too close. It’s a wild ride—from family trauma to tango in Mexico to one hell of a comeback. If you’ve ever felt like it was too late to start over, this book says otherwise. I couldn’t put it down.
~Rick Frishman Best Selling Author, Publisher, Speaker, Founder of Author 101 University, Founder at Planned TV Arts/Media Connect the largest book publicity firm in the USA.
Available for preorder on Amazon!
Oui, oui!!
Bad Girl Pie is for sale in the famous Shakespeare and Company store in Paris!
Shakespeare and Company is an English-language bookshop in the heart of Paris, on the banks of the Seine, opposite Notre-Dame. Since opening in 1951, it’s been a meeting place for anglophone writers and readers, becoming a Left Bank literary institution. {READ MORE}
Writing my First Book – LIVIN’ IT
by Rick Mowat
Between 1986 and 1990, I worked as a waiter at a restaurant called Morton’s of Chicago in Philadelphia. It was – and still is – a small chain of upscale steakhouses. The place is really first-rate, but I warn you … it’s hard to spend more on a piece of meat and a baked potato. I had recently landed in Philly, having just returned from Venezuela, where I was the Principal Trombone of the Caracas Philharmonic. For many unknown reasons, I decided Philly would be where I’d regroup and figure out what I would do next for my act two.
At Morton’s, I met a fellow waiter named Michael Perzel. It was immediately obvious that Mike was one of the kindest, most giving, good-spirited individuals I would ever meet. We all know the phrase of doing a deal “only with a handshake” – but with Mike, even the handshake was unnecessary.
Whatever he said he would do, he did, and with flying colors. Quite a rare and amazing person, to say the least. After my stint In the City of Brotherly Love, I moved back to NYC and lost track of Mike for a long time.
Fast forward 30 years, and through the miracle of Facebook, we reconnected. Next thing you know, I’m floating in his lovely pool at his equally lovely home in Bucks County, PA.
We talked nonstop for hours, catching up on three decades of our lives. He had become a very successful businessman with several different houses around the country and I had done a lot of writing, directing and performing. Over 400 comedy sketches (most of them performed), eight screenplays (one produced), 11 short films (all produced), and written numerous articles for Script and Filmmaker Magazines.
We had taken very different paths, but it made no difference in our continued fondness for each other. As the night was winding down and the alcohol was kicking in – he mentioned that he’d like to invest in our upcoming independent feature film, which I had written and was building a decent head of steam. And so he did. Fast forward again.
At yet another of his lavish parties, we started gabbing away about the latest headlines, our favorite albums and movies, how the current era was so vastly different from the ’60s and ’70s that we grew up in, and our fondness for that great lost era. He lets out that he’s always wanted to write a book. Oh? About his teen years growing up in Philly. All ears, I commanded him to unleash the hounds. About two hours later, we did a non-handshake deal. I was set to co-write a memoir about his amazing, brutal, tragic, yet hysterical teen years growing up in a blue-collar section of Philly – Mayfair. I was blown away by his gripping, heart-rending tales. While I had plenty of my own stories during this period, they paled in comparison.
So the writing began, and though the process was challenging, it also was seemingly effortless. It was challenging because the stories were unconnected vignettes without a shape, arc, or even a timeline. Easy because Mike was an open book and always available. We talked and or emailed every day for four months. Sometimes, two or three times a day. I would often push him into uncomfortable emotional territory, and he always responded with great transparency.
What really hooked me was how this kid of the streets, with only his mom in the picture, overcame a life of drugs, gang wars, weapons, burglaries, legal run-ins, (not to mention a near prison term) to emerge as the most stand-up guy I’ve ever known. I eagerly jumped at the chance to help Mike put it all down on paper. With that, we teamed up to write a very exciting, rock-and-roll-filled, moving, yet funny retelling of Mike’s life that very few have ever known – not even me. And now they can – read all about it, which makes me very glad.
Feeling overwhelmed? Think the world sucks? That people aren’t good? Read this book and restore your faith in the world, humanity, and the ability to change.
FREE Webinar on July 9
We’re all facing a world that feels increasingly unpredictable. Whether it’s global news, job pressures, creative challenges, health concerns, or financial strain, the weight of the unknown can feel overwhelming. This interactive webinar series offers a safe and supportive space to pause, breathe, and reconnect.
This isn’t about pretending everything’s okay. It’s about using the Beyond Happiness Method and discovering how to feel grounded and more secure, even when everything isn’t. Whether you’re a writer, a professional, or simply someone seeking peace in the middle of life’s storms, this webinar will give you practical tools to feel steady and strong, no matter what comes next.
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