Ever wondered what the glamorous life of a TV news anchor is like? Alisyn Camerota serves up a taste in her breezy novel, Amanda Wakes Up. Camerota combines her TV insider knowledge with a flair of comedy and current issues in this entertaining story about a young journalist who lands her dream job. The best part? The author is actually an American television journalist, as she co-anchors CNN's News Day! All of Camerota's insider knowledge about the media industry takes new life in Amanda Wakes Up.
Camerota wanted readers to get a glimpse into the 'behind the scenes' world of being a TV news anchor, because of all the juicy stuff that goes on backstage is too good not to write about! The universal issue of what you're willing to sacrifice for success plays a big role in Amanda Wakes Up as the main character has a dream job that falls into her lap, which turns out to be more of an ethical dilemma than Amanda Gallo ever anticipated. She deals with the struggle of navigating the world of her work life with her love life and her personal life, causing many relationships to take a toll due to her newfound career. As the news heats up with a controversial election, Amanda's job becomes increasingly difficult and her personal life begins to unravel. Faced with what may be the biggest story of her career, Amanda must decide if she's willing to put her job or personal life first in order to save herself.
Camerota started writing this novel in 2012, in the midst of another crazy Presidential election. Frustrated by all of the stories were popping up combined with fact that all news isn't created equal, she wanted Amanda to experience the struggle of what real news truly is, the true point of journalism and bring that to life for readers. The author explains how she wanted to capture something in the novel that wrestled with her personal career as well. "At first we are so eager to get the big story and have a breaking news story on our watch. Often they are tragic and painful, as that's the nature of breaking news," Camerota explained. "For Amanda, I wanted her to realize that not everything is just a story, and real people are actually behind these tragedies and that real things happen and news isn't just about her ambition and need to climb up the career ladder. In the novel she learns she must be delicate and careful of the repercussions of reporting, which contribute to her awakening and growth throughout the novel."
The news industry is quite interesting and there's definitely a lot we didn't know about, such as this strange occurrence that Alisyn talks about in the video below!
Amanda Wakes Up takes you through the trials and tribulations of working in the news industry, which is one of the things that makes the novel so captivating. Camerota worked hard to depict the struggles of having a serious ethical dilemma such as your boss having a different viewpoint on a story than you, which happens to Amanda in the novel. The author explained that this isn't just an issue for journalists, but anyone can tackle this issue in their everyday work life. She wanted to express the universal struggle that people have with office politics and she did a fantastic job of doing so!
The character of Amanda Gallo will captivate you from the start, and following her on this crazy media maze will make you want to step into the news room yourself! Amanda Wakes Up is a smart book with a shrewd, and perspective eye on what really happens behind-the-scenes of a news network. Every page crackles with tension of this surreal moment in politics and media and Amanda's honest effort to juggle her crazy ambition, mortality, and matters of the heart will suck you right in from the hilarious opening chapter!