An Adult Book Review for the Greatful Moments Christmas Gift Guide/ Wish List for Mature Audiences Only…
Adult-content notice: Overnight Sensation is an adult novel containing sexual content, gay relationships, adult language, and mature themes. It is not intended for children or readers looking for a family-friendly story. It is a story that I would read in my room under the covers not because I was embarrassed by what I was reading but because this type of stuff wasn’t spoken about when I was growing up and it can embarrass the person reading it but because I wanted to give the owner my honest opinion.
Now, I would like to ask you a question. Have you ever picked up a book knowing it might not be something you would normally read, but decided to give it a chance anyway? That’s exactly what happened when I received Overnight Sensation by Richard Tyler Jordan.
Before sending the book, Richard gave me fair warning. He explained that it was a decidedly adult novel featuring gay sex, adult language, Hollywood excess, and characters whose behavior would probably make Mickey Mouse cover Minnie’s ears. Which after reading the book I could see why Mickey would cover Minnie’s ears. Heck I needed to cover my own ears at times.
He even wondered whether I’d change my mind about featuring him after I saw what was inside! But I knew I needed to share his story because there was people in the world who would enjoy his style of writing and genre of books. Well, Richard, I certainly appreciate a man who gives a girl fair warning! 😂
After spending 30 years working at Walt Disney Studios, Richard knows a thing or two about the entertainment business. But while he spent his working hours helping promote Disney movies, he spent his evenings writing a very different kind of story. That little secret eventually became Overnight Sensation, a Hollywood novel filled with ambition, revenge, questionable behavior, and plenty of drama.
And, of course, that unusual journey from Disney publicist to novelist was enough to make me curious. Come and join me behind the Hollywood Story and lets see what happens because anything to do with #Hollywood, and entertainment is something that is going to catch my eye.
Overnight Sensation follows a battle-scarred Hollywood publicist, a monstrous studio executive determined to ruin his life, and an ambitious street hustler who discovers that sex, charm, and a complete absence of scruples can open an astonishing number of doors in Hollywood.
This isn’t a sweet little story about movie stars living happily ever after. It’s a decidedly adult look at ambition, power, revenge, relationships, and the questionable things people may do when they want something badly enough. It almost reminds me of the stories of the #Mob which I’m obsessed with,
Richard draws on his years in the movie business to create a world populated by larger-than-life characters who are ambitious, complicated, and frequently up to no good. Hollywood provides the backdrop, but the story also explores a familiar question: What happens when getting what we think we want doesn’t necessarily make us happy?
The novel combines suspense, drama, a little romance, and Hollywood dreams. Readers who enjoy stories about the entertainment industry, complicated characters, and adult themes may find its world intriguing. Which I did at times. The book was originally published in 2001 and was previously published under the title Tricks of the Trade.
I also enjoyed the book’s cover. The dark maroonish-red background, black tinges, and star imagery give it a dramatic Hollywood appearance. The tagline, “In the shadows of fame, revenge shines bright,” fits the story’s themes of secrets, ambition, and revenge. It’s the kind of cover that makes you stop and look, even before you know what you’re getting yourself into!
Of course, the cover isn’t the whole story, and readers should know that this novel contains mature subject matter before deciding whether it’s right for them. Which is why this is no, book for Mickie Mouse but it is about “The Man Who Wrote a Novel Behind Mickey Mouse’s Back” but I’m sure the Author would have kept it out of Mickie’s hands.
One of the most interesting parts of this experience was learning about Richard Tyler Jordan himself. Richard spent three decades working in feature-film publicity at Walt Disney Studios. His job involved helping promote movies, working through demanding deadlines, and persuading audiences that each new release was something they simply couldn’t live without.
As Richard explained in his own account, he sometimes had to stretch reality a little to make a movie sound better than it was. Anyone who has ever worked in publicity can probably appreciate the challenge! I know I can from my time in marketing and doing survey’s back in the day.
After spending long days writing about other people’s movies, Richard wanted a creative project that belonged entirely to him. He wanted to write something he didn’t have to share with an anthropomorphic rodent. So he rented a tiny apartment near the studio and began writing novels in secret.
By day, he was Richard Tyler Jordan, the Disney publicist. By night, he became Ben Tyler, the novelist writing a very different kind of Hollywood story. Eventually, his secret got out. His colleagues became interested in reading his book, although some apparently wanted to find out whether they had been turned into characters! Wouldn’t that have been fun/
Richard explained that he didn’t base his fictional characters on just one person. Instead, he combined personality traits, egos, and examples of bad behavior from different people. When discussing the novel’s particularly unpleasant boss, he joked that no single person was quite awful enough. It took a committee! I love that sense of humor.
Richard’s story also reminds us that people sometimes have creative sides that their coworkers, friends, and even family members might never expect. His professional life involved promoting family entertainment, while his personal writing took him somewhere decidedly different.
His colleagues eventually discovered his literary secret, but he had already accomplished something important: he’d created a story of his own. I found that background fascinating, and it made me appreciate the person behind the novel even more. Which is why I wanted to read this story.
Now, let’s talk about why I chose to read this book in the first place. I want to be honest with my readers. Overnight Sensation contains subject matter that doesn’t align with all my personal beliefs. There were things in the book I didn’t approve of, and it’s not something I would choose to share with children or put on a family reading list.
But I chose to read it anyway. Why? Because I don’t know everything, and I don’t pretend to. I believe there is value in learning about people, experiences, and perspectives that are different from our own. Which is why years ago, I watched the movie Brokeback Mountain. There was so much conversation surrounding that movie that I wanted to see it for myself rather than rely entirely on what other people said about it.
David absolutely refuses to have anything to do with that movie! Let’s just say he isn’t interested in even having the movie in our house again and he refused to finish watching the movie the one time I choose to watch it. But that is okay because it was his decision just like it would be mine if I chose to watch it again.
I don’t agree with everything that happens in Brokeback Mountain, but I found the love story beautiful. Would I watch it again? honestly I’m not sure if I would or wouldn’t. But I’m glad I watched it once because I was willing to experience a story outside my usual choices.
That experience is part of what made me willing to read Overnight Sensation. I wanted to explore the story for myself, learn something new, and understand a little more about a world I don’t personally know. I didn’t want to count on what everyone else had to say.
Reading a book doesn’t mean I agree with every decision a character makes. Watching a movie doesn’t mean I endorse everything it portrays. Sometimes, we can appreciate a story’s writing, emotions, or dramatic elements without agreeing with the choices made by the people in it.
And that brings me to something much more personal. My Uncle Chuck and my cousin John Michael were gay. Growing up, I never spent my time thinking about that. Uncle Chuck was my uncle and he had a friend named Charlie, as far as us kinds new they were friends, and then there was John Michael he was my cousin. They were my family. They were also two of the nicest people in the world, and I wouldn’t have changed either one of them for a million dollars.
My dad used to say he never understood why the Lord would give him people like that in his family. I remember those words, but when I think about Uncle Chuck and John Michael, I remember the people themselves. I remember the family members I loved, not a label that made them different from anyone else.
Honestly, I don’t remember growing up and thinking about my uncle’s sexuality. He was simply Uncle Chuck. John Michael was simply John Michael. They were people I loved, and that was what mattered to me. That experience helped shape how I look at people today.
My faith is important to me. I have my beliefs about relationships and how I choose to live my life. There are things I agree with and things I don’t. But I don’t believe that having different beliefs or living differently from me means someone isn’t deserving of love, kindness, and respect. They are human beings. They are people. And they deserve to be loved just as we all do.
I don’t have to make the same choices as someone else to treat them with compassion. I don’t have to agree with everything in a book to appreciate the writing or learn something from reading it. And I don’t believe I need to shut myself off from every story that explores experiences outside my own.
That’s why I was willing to give Overnight Sensation a chance. I read it for myself, formed my own opinion, and found things to appreciate even though some of the content wasn’t for me. Would I Recommend Overnight Sensation? Would I tell everyone to run out and read Overnight Sensation? No. Would I recommend it to children or suggest it as a family read? Absolutely not.
This is a decidedly adult novel, with sexual content, gay relationships, adult language, and mature themes. Readers who prefer clean fiction or aren’t comfortable with explicit adult material should know that this book probably isn’t for them. However, adults who enjoy Hollywood satire, dramatic characters, complicated relationships, and stories about ambition and revenge may wish to investigate it for themselves.
I enjoyed the Hollywood setting, the drama, and the opportunity to learn about Richard’s background. I also appreciated his willingness to answer my questions and share the story behind a novel he wrote more than two decades ago. For that I am thankful.
Would I personally make the same choices as the characters? No. Did I agree with everything in the story? No. But I can recognize an author’s creativity and appreciate the experience of reading something different. Just as I am sure you can if you keep a open mind.
I also became curious about Richard’s other books, including his Polly Pepper Cozy Mystery series and some of his other titles. I’d be interested in exploring those books and discovering how they compare with Overnight Sensation. Discovering an author doesn’t mean every book they write will suit every reader. Sometimes it simply opens the door to discovering something else you might enjoy.
I would encourage readers to investigate the book’s content and make their own informed decisions. That’s what I did, and I’m glad I gave it a chance. This is why I can say I would read the book again because I am sure I missed things the first time and that is what makes a book more interesting to me.
I had the opportunity to ask Richard five questions about his 30 years at Disney, his decision to write Overnight Sensation, the experiences that inspired his characters, and how he feels about the book more than two decades after its original publication. His answers were full of humor and interesting details. I particularly enjoyed hearing about his secret writing life, his colleagues’ reactions to the novel, and his reflections on how his writing has evolved over the years.
Rather than squeeze his complete answers into this review, I’ve decided to share our conversation in a separate article. In our companion interview, Richard shares his own words and perspectives about his journey from Disney publicity to writing novels, the inspiration behind his characters, and what he hopes readers take away from his work.
Look for my full written Q&A with Richard Tyler Jordan on Greatful Moments. Life Isn’t Mickey Mouse’s World. Or is it?
And now I’m going to step onto my soapbox for just a minute. Don’t worry. I’ll get down eventually! 😂 I’m not Jesus, and I wasn’t put on this Earth to judge other people. I believe I was put here for a reason, and one of the things I believe I’m supposed to do is spread a little kindness. Just like Dolly!
Dolly Parton has spent years reminding people that kindness, generosity, and love matter. I happen to believe she’s onto something. Come hell or high water, I’m going to keep trying to spread a little kindness wherever I go. I won’t always get everything right, and I certainly don’t have all the answers. But I know how I want to treat people, and I know how I want people to remember me.
And that’s one of the reasons I feel blessed to be able to share Richard Tyler Jordan’s book and interview with my Greatful Moments readers. No, Overnight Sensation isn’t exactly something Mickey Mouse would ask Santa to put in his Christmas stocking! But here’s the thing: this isn’t Mickey Mouse’s world. It’s real life, and people are living it every single day.
We don’t all believe the same things. We don’t all make the same choices. We don’t all walk the same road. But every person we meet is a human being who deserves dignity, compassion, and kindness I can read a book without agreeing with everything in it. I can hold firmly to my faith without believing it’s my job to judge everybody else’s life.
And I can share an author’s work with my readers while being honest about what I thought of it and what they can expect if they choose to read it. When I think about Uncle Chuck and John Michael, I don’t think about a label. I think about two wonderful people I loved dearly and wouldn’t have changed for anything.
That’s the perspective I bring to this review. I want to be honest about my beliefs, fair to the author, and respectful of the fact that other people have their own experiences and perspectives. That’s what I want Greatful Moments to be about: sharing stories, learning about people, celebrating the good things in life, and remembering that there’s room for kindness even when we don’t see eye to eye.
So, yes, you’ll find Overnight Sensation in my Christmas Gift Guide/ Wish List, accompanied by an honest review and a conversation with its author with a tag labeling it for Mature Eyes Only. But I’m not telling everyone to read it, and I’m certainly not suggesting it’s appropriate for everyone. I’m giving adult readers the information they need to decide for themselves.
As for me, I’m going to keep reading, keep learning, keep praying, and keep trying to spread a little kindness wherever the Lord leads me. And if somebody doesn’t like that, well… The can move on Buttercup because I have no room for drama or to be judged for what I do.
Off my soapbox now! 😂 Who’s ready for a cup of coffee and a little front-porch conversation? Thank you for joining me at Greatful Moments, where we’re grateful, thankful, and blessed—and where I hope there’s always room for one more story and a little more kindness.
About the book:
“Tyler stirs up an intoxicating cocktail composed of equal parts delicious name-dropping gossip, venomous Hollywood satire and steamy boy-meets-boy action.” — Publishers Weekly
Prepare to plunge headfirst into the tumultuous, high-stakes world of Bart Caine, a battle-scarred publicist at Sterling Studios, the glittering epicenter of Hollywood’s family entertainment empire. Bart’s workplace is a breeding ground for arrogance and ego, where insufferable celebrities clash with monstrous movie studio executives. At the center of this maelstrom of power and ambition is his vicious boss, Stephanie Hough—a woman hell-bent on power and destroying Bart’s career.
But in Sin City, the spotlight doesn’t shine solely on Bart. Enter Paco Castillo, a fiery Hispanic hustler whose dreams of a screenwriting career have been ruthlessly shattered by a nefarious and predatory showbiz agent. In this cutthroat industry where ambition drives every move and alliance, Paco wields his talents for manipulation like a weapon—especially in the bedroom, where his incendiary skills adapt effortlessly to intimate encounters with women and men equally. Exploiting his ability to captivate and control virtually anyone with his charm and sex appeal, he perceives Bart as his passport to the golden gates of the movie studios. However, a chance meeting with TV’s quintessentially all-American and wholesome sitcom dad, Peter Jacks, offers an even more cunning and lucrative opportunity. The question isn’t whether Paco is willing to go the distance; it’s just how far he’ll push the boundaries—because, as it turns out, there are no limits in Hollywood.
As these showbiz mavericks set the stage for a revenge-fueled showdown against Stephanie and the ruthless entertainment industry, they inadvertently unearth a revelation with the potential for seismic reverberations throughout Hollywood. In a world where hidden agendas and scandalous secrets hold sway, Bart and Paco find themselves ensnared in career-defining battles. As they swim the treacherous waters teeming with opportunistic sharks hungry for blood, they discover just how murky the depths of Tinseltown can truly be.
Please note: This title was previously published as Tricks of the Trade
About the book: RICHARD TYLER JORDAN
Richard Tyler Jordan is the author of the Timothy Trousdale mystery series: Breakfast at Timothy’s, Suite Charity, and Murder in the Margins. His popular Polly Pepper mystery series includes Murder in Mint Condition, Murder and a Missing Manuscript, Shadows at Midnight, and A Corpse in the Castle, among others.
His standalone novels are Overnight Sensation, Gay Blades, Strangers in the Night, and One Night Stand. Richard is also the author of But Darling, I’m Your Auntie Mame!, his celebration and history of the irrepressible fictional icon created by Patrick Dennis.
Before turning his attention to murder—strictly on the printed page, of course—Richard spent thirty years at The Walt Disney Studios as a senior publicist and staff writer, contributing to the marketing campaigns for more than 500 live-action and animated feature films.
Richard lives in England with his husband, in a 500-year-old stone cottage that has so far provided atmosphere, inspiration, and—rather disappointingly—not a single body under the floorboards.
Grateful. Thankful. Blessed.
GratefulMoments.com
Thank you,
Glenda, Charlie and David Cates
