The Swan Diaries
Dirt Behind the Scenes of Reality TV
by
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"I Flew off the Mountain, mom!" After I heard that I waited and waited outside the apartment where the production company had set up as the "office". No one would tell me how she was and at one point I'm down on my knees praying and crying to GOD! Pleease, don't let anything happen to her!! I remember literally falling to my knees and crying so hard that I couldn't stand up. I was thinking the worst and hoping for the best. (That was the REAL emotion that Reality TV just didn't capture!) FRIDAY FRIDAY, YEAH - - Only it's a really early morning and GUESS WHAT the camera crew and producers show up in my apartment. Since I have no mirrors, I'm sure I have eye boogers and gross hair! My favorite producers showed, Jen, Diane and then Andy and Dave (the boom box and camera dudes.) Diane told me she couldn't do this project any more. The stress of watching these woman day in and day out missing their families and going through this pain alone was taking a toll on her. Both she and Jen encouraged me to always think about what was going on and question the powers to be before I made any decisions. After they talked to me about this, I had some thinking to do! I need to talk to the doctors and find out what is REALLY going on with my "transformation"!
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About the Book
What is "reality"?
Tawnya Cooke reveals the real story behind the scenes of the controversial FOX reality show; The Swan. Utilizing the day to day journal she compiled in the many months of filming while she was a contestant on the The Swan, you will follow the day to day "routine" she encountered, along with the often times exciting world of reality TV!
When 40 year old financial industry Compliance Officer Tawnya Cooke was chosen out of 250,000 women nationwide to be a “Swan” on the FOX Reality Show, THE SWAN, little did she know how very UNreal reality TV was. This book is her day to day journal and process from so called ugly duckling to becoming a beautiful “Swan”. Throughout the often times surreal process she kept both her dignity and sense of humor. Tawnya was up against plastic surgeons who wanted to flex their Frankenstein muscles on her face and body, as well as executive producers of the show, who had no boundaries set up for these potential Reality stars. However, she stood her ground and in the end did things her way.
This is Tawnya’s widely anticipated memoir regarding a reality star’s rise and fall and rise again, and the men and women who after five years still are an intricate part of her life!
About the Author
Tawnya Cooke grew up an average mid-America life in a small town in Oklahoma. Looking for her "calling", she started working in the financial industry at the tender age of 19. She continued along that career path, juggling both quality family time and jobs until she reached the age of 40. This is when the opportunity of a life time presented itself to Tawnya. She was given the chance to share her successes, and work through some recent life changing setbacks, on TV in the "not so reality" of reality world television. Little did Tawnya know that TV "reality" is not always as it seems! This compelling story follows the real life day to day journal Tawnya compiled when living in LA filming The Swan, and all the adventures she encountered while this real life drama unfolded. Tawnya now lives in Denver with her soul mate, Don and their two dogs, Donovan and Brutus. She continues to work in the finance industry as a Principal for a large investment firm. She enjoys traveling to see her two daughters, Lacia and Kaleah as well as her mom, Jo and her dad, Jack who still reside in her small town Oklahoma home.