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Y&R's Eileen Davidson chats on Sex, Murder & Soaps in new novel!
Courtesy/CBS
Nelson Branco recently spoke with the The Young and the Restless multi-talented Eileen Davidson (Ashley) to discuss her new novel, Swinging In The Rain, the state of the soap industry and more. Branco wanted to send us this piece and share the story with On-Air On-Soaps and its readers.
SEX AND MURDER SHE WROTE
-Eileen Davidson’s latest sudsy mystery novel, Swinging In The Rain, sings a new tune-
When it rains, it pours: Not only is Young and the Restless superstar Eileen Davidson finally sizzling on the front burner as the sexy and enduring (and often times stubborn) heroine, Ashley Abbott, but one of the world’s most beautiful women has also just released a fourth installment of her guilty pleasure soap opera-inspired mystery series, Swinging In The Rain, and recently finished filming a movie!
Whew – it’s a lonely life! Her imaginary character, star of The Bare and the Brazen, Alexis Peterson, is too busy solving murder mysteries to be enjoying the Davidson’s kick-ass success. But hey, at least Alexis is diversifying her career, which is a necessity these days in these depressing economic times. Forget pimps – it’s hard out there for a soap star these days from cancellations, pay-cut disputes, plot-driven stories, and Daytime Emmy Award controversies.
“She might be dead in the next book,” laughs Davidson. “We’ll have to see! There’s always a lot to write about in the soap world. Once I finish a book, I always go, ‘I should have put this in!’ This industry is an endless well of material! You know – you hear stories!” So what sudsy happenings can we expect this time around? In story 411, “something happens to Alexis’s ex-husband,” and the soap sleuthing diva finds herself unexpectedly thrown into the sensual world of swinging. “The [arc] is a reflection of what happened to me in my own life when I heard swinging was still going on,” she explains. “I was like, ‘You got to be kidding me!’ I mean, I’ve been around the block, but I was still surprised. I did a lot of research on the book, which was kind of fun. It’s not the main storyline in the book but it all does come to a head.” Spill, Eileen: exactly what kind of research did Davidson find herself immersed in? “
I was at Scott Bailey’s birthday party. How random is that? A woman came up to me and announced she was a fan of my books,” she recalls. “After telling her I was planning my fourth book and how I was hoping to use the swinging sex culture as a backdrop, she said her friend owned one of the top swinging clubs in LA. We met and I interviewed her. All the details in the book came from what she told me. There’s a lot of things I didn’t use because this isn’t a X-rated book; it’s PG, so I had to tone it down. And just to be a cornball, I thought I’d set the book during El Nino, hence the title of the book.”
Tempted to see the inner workings of this world up-close and personal, Davidson even accepted an invitation to attend a real-life swing night, but chickened out. “I wasn’t going to participate and just watch, but I ended up not making it.”
That sound you hear is the world of tabloids sighing.
Davidson’s fourth book is a special endeavor since she self-published the book. “Large publishers don’t promote their authors unless you’re a John Grisham,” Davidson points out. “We’ll see how self-publishing works. I sort of wrapped up the series in case but we’ll see how it goes. I have to tell you it was super easy. Go to createspace.com and amazon.com and they walk you through everything. It’s not easier than having your own publisher, of course, because the publisher does everything for you but they take all your profits. We saw nothing from what we made from the previous books, so self-publishing lets you keep almost all the profits.”
In the soap world, profits are few and far between. With soaps getting canceled, Davidson worked the new industry realities into her latest tome. “There’s a lot more truthiness this time around,” she says. “Cancellations, budget cuts, no more location shoots, that kind of stuff.”
Photo Credit: JPI Studios
Despite its number-one status, not everyone is confident about Y&R’s future — especially with the news of All My Children and One Life To Live’s double cancellations (they will, however, live online). “It rocked our world,” Davidson reports. “People think Y&R will be the last man standing but who knows? We’re all vulnerable. Nothing lasts forever. It’s more of a question of how long we will air. But I do believe we’ll be the last soap standing.”
Having debuted as breakout young soap star during the golden era of daytime serials, does Davidson find it ironic that that no one really understood how great they had it in comparison to Hollywood back in the day– and how quickly it all disappeared? “It’s so true. I certainly knew how lucky I was back then,” she relays. “I still am. I’m very appreciative. I didn’t see the end of the genre happening this soon. But I never saw my soap career lasting forever, either. Even when I got fired a couple of years ago from Y&R, I even said, ‘I never thought I was playing Ashley until the day I die.’ You can’t take anything personally anymore because all bets are off. Everyone is scrambling. Yes, some decisions may not be right but they are definitely not personal.”
But the soap opera mystery series is not a veiled Davidson biography, which is why her heroine, Alexis, is a brunette. “I didn’t want Alexis to look like me because her story isn’t mine necessarily,” she said.
Davidson just wrapped filming a movie based on the real-life story, Hell and Mr. Fudge, during Emmy weekend in Alabama where is she significantly aged to play a character’s mother. “I got my Kristen and Susan accent back,” she chuckled. “
Photo Credit: JPI Studios
Which begs the question: How does one even attempt to age this eternal beauty? “Awww, shut up,” Davidson laughs, before joking, “Yes, I do look in the mirror every day and say, ‘I’m really beautiful.’ I turned 52 recently. I don’t like getting older on TV. But I appreciate the compliments.”
With scripted TV becoming an endangered species, would she ever do a reality-TV series? “I don’t,” she answers matter of fact. “But I shouldn’t say no because then I’ll probably end up doing one. I can’t imagine doing one because whenever I watch like the Real Housewives, which I like a lot, I’m constantly embarrassed for these women. I’m always mortified on so many levels for these people.”
With soap memoirs all the rage, would Davidson ever consider penning her life story? After all, her marriages over the years could provide a fascinating narrative alone! “There are too many people alive,” she deadpans. “There’s no way! Some people would have to die.”
– Nelson Branco
Swinging in the Rain is available in Ebook and on hardcover at amazon.com and createspace.com.
ABC has named their ‘Bachelor’ for the upcoming 30th season of the reality series. Sam Hartman, a 27-year-old NFL quarterback who plays playing for the Washington Commanders, will be handing out the roses as he searches for love.
The upcoming season of The Bachelor will premiere in 2027 on Sunday, March 21 at 8 p.m ET. on ABC and streaming the next day on Hulu and Hulu on Disney+ for bundle subscribers in the U.S.
The announcement was made, and Hartman’s first interview was on the Friday, November 13 edition of Good Morning America, where he shared with cohosts Sam Champion and Rebecca Jarvis: “I’m excited but also very nervous, I have a tough time holding conversation with one girl. 30 is going to be pretty tough.”
Photo: NFL
WASHINGTON COMMANDERS QB WRESTLED WITH THE NOTION OF BECOMING THE BACHELOR
Hartman also revealed his initial thoughts on appearing on The Bachelor: “Honestly, at first, I was like ‘no way. The connotation of it − I don’t know.” Ultimately the QB was swayed to take on the reality franchise lead for its upcoming season.
A Charlotte, North Carolina, native, Hartman played for Wake Forest and Notre Dame in the college ranks. It was there he set ACC records, including most career touchdown passes and 300-yard passing games. Sam was also featured in the documentary series QB1: Beyond the Lights. Currently, on the NFL’s Washington Commanders, he serves as a quarterback on their practice squad.
FORMER ATHLETES THAT ALSO GAVE OUT THE FINAL ROSE
The pick of Sam Hartman aligns with pro athletes who have appeared on the show in the past including: now ‘Bachelor’ host, NFL quarterback Jesse Palmer, former soccer player Juan Pablo Galavi, ace car driver Arie Luyendyk Jr. and former NFL practice squad player Colton Underwood.
The Bachelor is executive produced by Scott Teti, Jason Ehrlich and Andy Frank serve as executive producers.
You can check out Sam Hartman talking about being cast as the series lead for the upcoming season 30 of The Bachelor with GMA below.
Now let us know, will you be checking out the 2027 season of The Bachelor featuring Sam looking for love? Let us know your thoughts via the comment section.
General Hospital
‘General Hospital’s’ Cynthia Watros Honors Former ‘Titus’ Co-Star Stacy Keach Following His Passing
General Hospital star Cynthia Watros, who can currently be seen in on the ABC soap opera in the role of Nina Reeves, has had a enduring career in television. That included her time on the 2000-2002 Fox sitcom, Titus.
In Titus, Watros starred along with Stacy Keach as Erin Fitzpatrick and Ken Titus, respectively. After the November 10th news that Keach had passed away at 85 while living in Poland, Cynthia took to her Instagram on Thursday, November 12 to pay tribute to the great actor.
Watros expressed, “My first prime time show was along side Stacy. I loved him instantly. What an amazing talent and man.❤️”
Photo: ABC
In Titus, Stacy played stand up comedian Christopher Titus’ heavy-drinking, chain-smoking, five-times-divorced father who frequently pulled cruel pranks and tried to toughen his kids up. Cynthia played by Christopher’s level-headed, big-hearted girlfriend trying to build a normal life with him. In fact, Cynthia’s role on the sitcom was first series regular role after her Daytime Emmy run of Annie Dutton on Guiding Light which ran from 1994-1998.
STACY KEACH’S WIFE ON HIS PASSING
Keach’s wife, Malgosia shared the news of the actor’s death publicly in a statement with PEOPLE. Malgosia expressed, that Stacy had, “a long and difficult battle with a serious heart condition and heart failure.”
She added, “Stacy peacefully departed this world. He fought for so long, with extraordinary courage, determination and strength. He was a true warrior, facing his illness with the same remarkable spirit and resilience that defined his life.”
Małgosia continued, “Stacy was not only a legendary actor, admired and loved by audiences the world over, but also my beloved husband, my companion and the heart of our family. His passing leaves an immeasurable emptiness in our lives. But his extraordinary spirit, his unforgettable voice and the love he gave so generously will remain with us forever.”
Now, let us know do you remember when Cynthia made her sitcom debut in Titus? Share your thoughts via the comment section on Cynthia’s many TV roles and the passing of Stacy Keach in the comment section. But first, check out the very first episode of Titus with Cynthia Watros below!
Beyond the Gates
‘Beyond the Gates’ Emmy Winner Ambyr Michelle Wants to Compete on ‘Dancing with the Stars’: ‘Pick Me’ (Exclusive)
Soap opera fans are always clamoring for when Dancing with the Stars reveals their cast each season, that they would include a familiar face from daytime drama, but it rarely happens, if ever, anymore.
Over the last several years, the series has leaned heavily into casting celebrities with massive TikTok or Instagram followers, which in turn, have helped this season and last have their best ratings numbers in years.
But, how about for next season’s cast of Dancing with the Stars, that it could include newly-awarded Daytime Emmy winner, Ambyr Michelle (Eva Thomas) of Beyond the Gates?
Photo: CBS
LOVE OF DANCE TO LOVE OF ACTING
Michael Fairman TV spoke to Michelle about her dance background and if she would love a shot at lifting the Len Goodman Mirrorball Trophy during Wednesday’s November 11, livestream chat on the Michael Fairman Channel.
Ambyr explained to fans (who joined in on the live chat), how she began her show business career. “I started off as a dancer, first and foremost. Acting wasn’t really something I wanted to go after. I did plays when I was younger, but it was just something we did in school, but I really wanted to be a dancer. I moved out to LA to dance, and I fell out of love with dance, which was so weird.”
This year’s Emerging Talent in a Daytime Drama Series winner, added, “I was like, ‘What is going on?’ I moved all the way out here for dance. I found I was forcing myself to go to dance class, and I just didn’t have the passion for it. I was working at this restaurant at the time, and one of my coworker was like, ‘What about taking an acting class out here?'”
Next, Ambyr took the coworker up on the idea. “So, I took an acting class and I fell in love with it that day,” shared Michelle. “I was like, ‘I want to do this for the rest of my life.’ I thought, I would love to book a role, of course, as a dancer, but I think acting has a little bit more longevity.”
Photo: ABC
A SHOT AT THE LEN GOODMAN MIRRORBALL TROPHY
When the talked turned to if Ambyr would consider or be interested in appearing on the ballroom dance competition series, she piped up with, “I would love to do Dancing with the Stars! Pick me!”
As those in the live chat rallied around this idea, it made us think, Ambyr could be the first contestant from Beyond the Gates, and someone representing the soaps. It checks off so many boxes! To which Ambyr replied, “That would be beautiful.”
You can check out the full conversation with Ambyr below.
So, what do you think soap fans? Can we make sure Ambyr’s name gets in front of the producers and casting director for next season’s Dancing with the Stars? Would you like to see her in the competition? If so, who would be your dream pro professional dance partner for her? Let us know in the comment section.
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‘The Bachelor’ Names NFL Quarterback Sam Hartman as Lead for Season 30
‘One Life to Live’ and ‘General Hospital’ Actress Bree Williamson Mourns the Loss of Husband Michael John Roberts
‘General Hospital’ Casts Ayla Bullington as the New Avery Jerome-Corinthos
Y&R’s New Head Writers Share Vision for Genoa City: Contemporary Homage to Bill Bell, Mixing Heightened Escapism and Grounded Reality
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‘General Hospital’s’ Cynthia Watros Honors Former ‘Titus’ Co-Star Stacy Keach Following His Passing
‘Beyond the Gates’ Emmy Winner Ambyr Michelle Wants to Compete on ‘Dancing with the Stars’: ‘Pick Me’ (Exclusive)
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The book looks good, where can I order it. since I live in Europe don’t know if i can get it at the american bookstore here in amsterdam. Please let me know where i can buy a copy.
Cool interview.I liked it.
i don’t know how it’s #1 the writing is awful thank goodness for the women.
I have Diva Las Vegas on iPad via Kindle app though haven’t read it yet. Working on Carolyn Hennesy’s The Secret Life of Damien Spinelli
Look forward to it though.
I’ve always loved Eileen Davidson’s portrayal of Ashley. This chick never gets the kudos she deserves… thanks for featuring this, Michael, and congrats to her on her latest novel!! 🙂