Shadow's Bliss

Book excerpt: Sydney Stewart needs a man, and not just any man, she needs Joseph. Joseph is tall, handsome and Ivy League educated. He works in the stock market and tells wonderfully descriptive tales of his days traveling the globe. Sydney's friends will love Joseph; they will welcome him into their throng with open arms but there is one small problem: Joseph doesn't exist. Noel Potter has a similar issue. He needs a new boyfriend to scare off his ex, but not just any boyfriend. He needs Stefan, an underwear model with all his buttock clenching, post-meal purging and obvious hatred for anyone not body beautiful. Like Joseph, Stefan doesn't exist. Enter Daniel Bliss, a classically trained New York actor with one thing in mind: Becoming the next Robert De Niro. There is one small problem: No one will hire him. He is stuck performing bit-parts and acting as stand-ins. But then Daniel comes up with a new business venture, one that pays handsomely and keeps him true to his aspirations of becoming a great actor: He starts acting in real-life roles, situations where a trained thespian can fill the void, becoming Joseph, Stefan and anything anyone is willing to pay for. "Every actor should own this book." Richard Montoya. Choreographer and Broadway Performer