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The Actor, the Writer and the Dominatrix
From the creator of 'Destiny of a Girl' comes this dark comedy which explores the complexities of love, friendship and sexuality.
After being unceremoniously dumped by his girlfriend, Jason (a struggling screenplay writer) has to take on a lodger to help pay the rent. Enter the beautiful Stacey Steele, a successful dominatrix who is a total breath of fresh air in Jason's boring life. Things suddenly look up for Jason as his friendship with Stacey blossoms (blurring the lines between friendship and love) and a local television network finally buy one of his screenplays.
Meanwhile, disgraced actor Chester Brooks is looking to make a comeback and resurrect his once great acting career, but first he needs to convince the world to forgive him for his heinous deeds in the past. Not everyone is quite so forgiving though...
These three characters are on a collision course which is filled with humour, heartfelt confessions and haunting moments of self-discovery.
Contains strong language, sex, drug use and violence.
After being unceremoniously dumped by his girlfriend, Jason (a struggling screenplay writer) has to take on a lodger to help pay the rent. Enter the beautiful Stacey Steele, a successful dominatrix who is a total breath of fresh air in Jason's boring life. Things suddenly look up for Jason as his friendship with Stacey blossoms (blurring the lines between friendship and love) and a local television network finally buy one of his screenplays.
Meanwhile, disgraced actor Chester Brooks is looking to make a comeback and resurrect his once great acting career, but first he needs to convince the world to forgive him for his heinous deeds in the past. Not everyone is quite so forgiving though...
These three characters are on a collision course which is filled with humour, heartfelt confessions and haunting moments of self-discovery.
Contains strong language, sex, drug use and violence.
254 pages, Paperback
Published March 19, 2020
1 person want to read
About the author
Dean Tongue
25 books55 followersWriter and Polly's bitch.
I was either going to be a writer or a serial killer.
Maybe one day I'll be both.
So far I have written...
The 'Polly the Paedophile Slayer' Trilogy
Victim of Modern Education
Victims of Justice
Word Gets Around
Machine Gun Jesus
Aggressive Depressive
V is for Violence
Alienate
Polly and Will Love to Kill
Destiny of a Girl
A Farewell To Demons
The Actor, the Writer and the Dominatrix
Machine Gun Zombie
Gangster's Moll
What Now?
Coma Cop
Help! Our Television Swallowed Us!
Twenty Pence Piece
Noises
Choices
Voices
...and there are many more to come!
I was either going to be a writer or a serial killer.
Maybe one day I'll be both.
So far I have written...
The 'Polly the Paedophile Slayer' Trilogy
Victim of Modern Education
Victims of Justice
Word Gets Around
Machine Gun Jesus
Aggressive Depressive
V is for Violence
Alienate
Polly and Will Love to Kill
Destiny of a Girl
A Farewell To Demons
The Actor, the Writer and the Dominatrix
Machine Gun Zombie
Gangster's Moll
What Now?
Coma Cop
Help! Our Television Swallowed Us!
Twenty Pence Piece
Noises
Choices
Voices
...and there are many more to come!
Ratings & Reviews
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Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews
March 27, 2020
I really enjoyed this book, had me gripped from the start. Jason and Stacey's friendship is the heart of the book and there are some genuinely funny laugh out loud moments in here! It's not all fun and games though as there is a darker side to this book too (of course there is!) and this all leads to a very satisfying conclusion.
I love all the quirky touches that Tongue brings to his books and they are present here too - the quotes at the beginning of each chapter, the newspaper articles, the pages of screenplay from Jason's TV show and even a 'Rewind' feature a couple of times, taking the action back a bit to see things from a different point of view. It's always exciting, always fresh and most of all, always entertaining! 5 stars.
I love all the quirky touches that Tongue brings to his books and they are present here too - the quotes at the beginning of each chapter, the newspaper articles, the pages of screenplay from Jason's TV show and even a 'Rewind' feature a couple of times, taking the action back a bit to see things from a different point of view. It's always exciting, always fresh and most of all, always entertaining! 5 stars.
April 5, 2020
"It's our individuality that connects us to people."
Dean Tongue has done it again with a page-turning story featuring believeable characters. I loved the budding friendship between Jason, the writer, and Stacey, the dominatrix. Chester, the actor, added a dark and complex element to this tale. Tongue's insight in his writing always blows me away. I love how he portrated the dominatrix profession the way it truly is. He always writes realistic female characters and Stacey is a sweet, but totally bad ass woman.
Jason's inner dialogue was always hilarious - it gives women insight into how a guy might be thinking in certain situations. I was very impressed with how Chester worked through his deep inner conflicts with **spoiler alert** being gay. This story deals with some serious issues such as violence, self-harm, drug addiction, and struggling to become who you really are. When asked why he would care what people think of him, Chester says "Of course I fucking care". At the core, we all want to be an ideal version of ourselves and we want to be accepted for who we are. Tongue beautifully shows this part of human nature in a darkly hilarious story that I am very happy to have read.
5/5 stars! Keep up the amazing stories, Dean Tongue!
Dean Tongue has done it again with a page-turning story featuring believeable characters. I loved the budding friendship between Jason, the writer, and Stacey, the dominatrix. Chester, the actor, added a dark and complex element to this tale. Tongue's insight in his writing always blows me away. I love how he portrated the dominatrix profession the way it truly is. He always writes realistic female characters and Stacey is a sweet, but totally bad ass woman.
Jason's inner dialogue was always hilarious - it gives women insight into how a guy might be thinking in certain situations. I was very impressed with how Chester worked through his deep inner conflicts with **spoiler alert** being gay. This story deals with some serious issues such as violence, self-harm, drug addiction, and struggling to become who you really are. When asked why he would care what people think of him, Chester says "Of course I fucking care". At the core, we all want to be an ideal version of ourselves and we want to be accepted for who we are. Tongue beautifully shows this part of human nature in a darkly hilarious story that I am very happy to have read.
5/5 stars! Keep up the amazing stories, Dean Tongue!
April 3, 2020
Tongue's writing thrives on great characters and believable dialogue, and this book has both! There is so much quotable dialogue in this book!
His writing is so original that he can take such a basic concept and make it interesting and quirky in so many ways. This book plays on cliches and stereotypes and gives the reader a lot of food for thought.
I laughed out loud in places as I got to know Jason and Stacey and my heart was in my mouth near the end of this unpredictable ride. Tongue is great at creating chaotic, action packed chapters.
The character of Chester is intriguing to say the least, his dark journey really played on my mind even after finishing the book.
I obviously really enjoyed this! Can't wait for Tongue's next book!
His writing is so original that he can take such a basic concept and make it interesting and quirky in so many ways. This book plays on cliches and stereotypes and gives the reader a lot of food for thought.
I laughed out loud in places as I got to know Jason and Stacey and my heart was in my mouth near the end of this unpredictable ride. Tongue is great at creating chaotic, action packed chapters.
The character of Chester is intriguing to say the least, his dark journey really played on my mind even after finishing the book.
I obviously really enjoyed this! Can't wait for Tongue's next book!
March 26, 2020
Another fantastic tale from the unpredictable mind of Dean Tongue!
If this was just called 'The Writer and the Dominatrix', it would just be a witty romantic comedy, but it's 'The Actor' who adds the darkness to this 'dark comedy'.
You will hate Chester Brooks, no doubt about it. But by the time Tongue has finished twisting your mind and blurring the lines between good and bad, you won't know what the hell to think! As always, his characters are so engaging to read. Jason is a shy writer who is totally besotted by his new lodger, a dominatrix named Stacey (ANOTHER stellar female character from Tongue)
Jason's inner thoughts will have you in stitches and I should imagine this will be even more hilarious for women to read, as they can now see what thoughts go through a man's mind as opposed to the words which come out of his mouth!
The great thing about this book it that you genuinely have no idea where it's heading and I love this unpredictability about Tongue's books - You know SOMETHING is going to happen, you just can't predict what.
As with most of Tongue's books, this touches on some very delicate subjects late on, and this seemingly bouncy comedy suddenly turns very dark as it builds to a heart-stopping finale. Also, the closing dialogue of this book is beautifully life-affirming and something I really needed to read in these strange times we are living in. Thank you Dean!
If this was just called 'The Writer and the Dominatrix', it would just be a witty romantic comedy, but it's 'The Actor' who adds the darkness to this 'dark comedy'.
You will hate Chester Brooks, no doubt about it. But by the time Tongue has finished twisting your mind and blurring the lines between good and bad, you won't know what the hell to think! As always, his characters are so engaging to read. Jason is a shy writer who is totally besotted by his new lodger, a dominatrix named Stacey (ANOTHER stellar female character from Tongue)
Jason's inner thoughts will have you in stitches and I should imagine this will be even more hilarious for women to read, as they can now see what thoughts go through a man's mind as opposed to the words which come out of his mouth!
The great thing about this book it that you genuinely have no idea where it's heading and I love this unpredictability about Tongue's books - You know SOMETHING is going to happen, you just can't predict what.
As with most of Tongue's books, this touches on some very delicate subjects late on, and this seemingly bouncy comedy suddenly turns very dark as it builds to a heart-stopping finale. Also, the closing dialogue of this book is beautifully life-affirming and something I really needed to read in these strange times we are living in. Thank you Dean!
May 11, 2020
I thoroughly enjoyed this book! Jason and Stacey's friendship is so real and well handled, I could happily read chapter after chapter of these two characters just hanging out together! The dialogue is excellent and the author lets his characters have 'real' conversations, which is a great way for us to get to know them! Lots of funny moments are in this book too, I laughed out loud at a particular 'accident' on a first date! There are serious moments too, so be warned, it does get a little bit dark in parts. Overall, a great story with great characters!
March 29, 2020
Tongue is a bold and brave author. He rams home such an effective message about sexuality with this book, and he does it in the best way possible - through great characters and storytelling.
The excessive use of the word f*ggot may put some people off early on, but it's all part of an explosive character arc that left me floored and thankful that Tongue had written it. Yes, this is a comedy on the surface, but the further you get into it, the more serious and deeper it gets.
This book won't be for everyone but I urge you to give it a chance. It's hilarious, haunting and comforting all at the same time.
The excessive use of the word f*ggot may put some people off early on, but it's all part of an explosive character arc that left me floored and thankful that Tongue had written it. Yes, this is a comedy on the surface, but the further you get into it, the more serious and deeper it gets.
This book won't be for everyone but I urge you to give it a chance. It's hilarious, haunting and comforting all at the same time.
May 16, 2020
This was such an enjoyable read, Jason and Stacey's journey is adorable! Jason is so sweet but so shy and Stacey really brings some excitement into his life! It's inevitable that he would fall in love with her and we are willing him to make something happen!
But that's where Chester comes in and threatens to ruin everything! These characters are each on a journey that culminates in a truly heart-stopping confrontation, and I was genuinely scared that Jason's love for Stacey would not come out! The valuable lesson here is that we should live for the day (Or 'own the day' as Stacey says!). Tell people that you love them because you never know if you'll get another chance!
The theme of forgiveness at the end is also magnificently handled, giving us different views on forgiveness. "You don't have to forgive him, forgiveness is a personal choice" Stacey says. This book shows us that we all have our good points and our flaws and sometimes the bad side comes out of people for the wrong reasons. After all, "we're only human"
But that's where Chester comes in and threatens to ruin everything! These characters are each on a journey that culminates in a truly heart-stopping confrontation, and I was genuinely scared that Jason's love for Stacey would not come out! The valuable lesson here is that we should live for the day (Or 'own the day' as Stacey says!). Tell people that you love them because you never know if you'll get another chance!
The theme of forgiveness at the end is also magnificently handled, giving us different views on forgiveness. "You don't have to forgive him, forgiveness is a personal choice" Stacey says. This book shows us that we all have our good points and our flaws and sometimes the bad side comes out of people for the wrong reasons. After all, "we're only human"
September 17, 2020
This was a brilliant book and brilliantly written to. dean tongue never fails with his writing style and his characters which he definitely has a skill for.And also for writing page turners once you start you just can't put the book down. The book has a bit of everything: its dark,romantic,funny (laugh out loud moments) violence (its dean tongue what do you expect),emotional,entertaining,and tragic. The characters where fantastic jason,stacey,chester and gimpy (who doesn't like a gimp in a book).jason is so funny and sweet and i love how dean writes what people are thinking if only we could all hear people's thoughts it would be a funny old world.The story was great you wouldn't expect anything less and i didn't expect it to end how it did. I can't wait for the next book from one of my favorite authors.
May 9, 2020
I find there is so much genuine human emotion in Dean's more recent work, a stark contrast to the brutality of his early books.
As with last years Destiny of a Girl, I found myself drawn into these characters by realistic dialogue and very dry, witty humour. Jason is the sweetest guy and his crush on Stacey it both believable and hilarious. Stacey is a great character and I like how Dean doesn't mind letting his female characters upstage the men on many occasions!
Chester is an equally fascinating character, complex as hell and superbly written. The closing conversation on a park bench between Jason and Stacey was just pure perfection and a great example of how good Dean's dialogue is! 5 stars!
As with last years Destiny of a Girl, I found myself drawn into these characters by realistic dialogue and very dry, witty humour. Jason is the sweetest guy and his crush on Stacey it both believable and hilarious. Stacey is a great character and I like how Dean doesn't mind letting his female characters upstage the men on many occasions!
Chester is an equally fascinating character, complex as hell and superbly written. The closing conversation on a park bench between Jason and Stacey was just pure perfection and a great example of how good Dean's dialogue is! 5 stars!
April 21, 2020
OWN THE DAY!
I was in the middle of reading another Tongue book (Destiny of a girl) when i came across this one by him too. I read the first few pages as a sample and got so hooked i ended up reading the whole damn thing!
Jason and Stacey are just so damn likable i couldn't put this down! The 'will they won't they' trope has been used a million times before but through the mind of Tongue it just somehow feels fresh and unpredictable, especially with the introduction of Chester, a character who's journey both angered and moved me!
Another great read by Tongue who is one of my all time favourite indie authoers!
I was in the middle of reading another Tongue book (Destiny of a girl) when i came across this one by him too. I read the first few pages as a sample and got so hooked i ended up reading the whole damn thing!
Jason and Stacey are just so damn likable i couldn't put this down! The 'will they won't they' trope has been used a million times before but through the mind of Tongue it just somehow feels fresh and unpredictable, especially with the introduction of Chester, a character who's journey both angered and moved me!
Another great read by Tongue who is one of my all time favourite indie authoers!
April 15, 2020
I read this book in one day as it was so enjoyable. I really liked how each chapter started with a quote from one of the characters and I couldn't stop laughing at the one by a neighbour of Gemma. I loved the way the characters linked in with one another, Jason, Stacey and the gimp were all very likeable and Tongue did a great job writing Chester as the guy you loathe. The story is funny, dark and at times romantic. This is by far my favourite read so far this year.
June 1, 2020
"there's a lot of stereotypes in the world regarding gay people, you see it in movies all the time. like the gay guy is always a woman's best friend or a f--king cake maker at a wedding or something. we're not all like that!"
just one of many great lines of dialogue in this book. i'd like to thank the author for writing such a raw and harrowing portrayal of repressed sexuality and not sugar coating anything. THANK YOU
just one of many great lines of dialogue in this book. i'd like to thank the author for writing such a raw and harrowing portrayal of repressed sexuality and not sugar coating anything. THANK YOU
April 7, 2020
"We're only human"
Tongue fantastically shows us this with three wildly different characters. Yes, we're all different and have our own things that make us tick, but deep down we're all human and are deserving of the same amount of respect and compassion from others, even if we are 'different'. Another hugely enjoyable book.
Tongue fantastically shows us this with three wildly different characters. Yes, we're all different and have our own things that make us tick, but deep down we're all human and are deserving of the same amount of respect and compassion from others, even if we are 'different'. Another hugely enjoyable book.
Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews