Last night Ken Corday invited us to celebrate the launch of his new book The Days of our Lives: The True Story of One Family's Dream and the Untold History of Days of our Lives
It was such a lovely evening, and fun to see everyone there to support Ken. Kristian and I carpooled over to the event together. We arrived in time to see all the photographers shooting delightful Suzanne Rogers. Shelly Hennig doing press... Nadia & Brandon looking gorgeous posing. Molly & Casey piled out of the car behind us... it was a crowded line at the red carpet! Galen and his wife, Jenna, and I chatted about the boys and the Lakers...
after a few pictures... who did I see? Drake Hogestyn. I miss him SO SO SO much. I can't believe I don't have a picture with him to post. I was probably too busy hugging him and his wife Victoria. I got caught up - listened to a few stories. (anyone who has ever met Drake knows he tells the BEST stories.) and so it was so wonderful catching up on his life. He also got me all choked up when he told me that he has kept the orchid I gave him on his last day on set all this time. He said it's now blooming again (which is way better than I do with orchids, by the way!) and that he thinks about me every time he sees it. Seriously, he's such a wonderful dad. I love him.
I spent a few minutes teasing James about his place in Ken's book as one of the infamous villains of Salem... (for more you'll have to read it yourself). He had plenty to tease me about - after he warned me to protect my vegetable garden from wildlife, only to have to humbly admit to him that while there's plenty of wire to protect from gophers digging their way in, I didn't anticipate above ground attack - those pesky rabbits.
I did get a fun pic with Joe Mascolo - Drake, Joe, Lauren Koslow & I all stood talking for so long chatting.
And then after a lovely cocktail reception, we listened to Ken read a few excerpts of his book. There is some wonderful history of how his father, Ted Corday and wife Betty, started Days. How amazingly insightful he was to know a show about a simple midwest town could really succeed... and how he brought Francis Reid & MacDonald Carey in to star. I knew some of the stories but not all of them - I don't know about you, but I am so looking forward to reading all the details of how they started Days.
The book covers the show all the way to the present - some behind-the-scenes look at production, and how our involvement with fans have gone all the way from fans picketing NBC studios when they thought Marlena had been murdered by the Salem Strangler to updates on Twitter.
I definitely recommend it, for all you Days fans out there - I know you'd love to get a better idea of how TPTB got their start. :) I can't wait to hear what you think about the book.
