Fat Girl Begone by D.E. Haggerty
Romantic Comedy
Self Published
Print Length: 235 pages
Publication Date: May 1, 2017
ASIN: B06XTSHJHB
I’m a total mess. My boyfriend dumped me – get this – because I diet too much. Not because I’m fat, mind you. Of course, this spurs me into the diet-fitness-revenge-plan of the century, which leads me to the gym and a scorching hot personal trainer. I even manage to make some cool new friends, including a millionaire if you can believe it. Things are looking up! Naturally, that’s the moment my ex decides he wants me back, the personal trainer asks me out, and my millionaire male buddy decides to throw his hat in the ring. But that’s not enough drama. No, not for me. Because I’ve also lost my job and decided to start my own business. Just call me Ms. Drama.Warning: Bad language, bumpy roads, and embarrassing moments ahead. But there’s also more than a bit of romance and even, if we’re lucky, love. Fingers crossed.Not endorsed by or affiliated with any brand of tequila.
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Guest Post
How Fat Girl Begone! inspired me
D.E. Haggerty
Authors are always asked about what inspired them to write a particular book or poem or short story. But there’s another story. The story of how a book or character a writer has created can inspire that writer. Fat Girl Begone! is the story of a woman’s struggle with her weight and self-image. There’s also a whole bunch on romance and embarrassing antics, but let’s stick to the weight loss struggle for now.
I’ve always struggled with my weight and self-image. Well, except for those five years in the U.S. Army, but – as you can imagine – I had other issues to occupy my mind then. I’m a total yo-yo dieter. I’m fairly certain the term was actually invented for me. Up, down, half-way up, all the way down, up higher than ever, quarter-way down. My weight yo-yoing up and down did my head in.
When I sat down to write Fat Girl Begone!, I had just moved to The Hague after a 10-year hiatus from the country. I spent over seven years in Germany setting up and then running a Bed & Breakfast. I quickly discovered that wasn’t my thing. When the hubby got a job offer in Turkey, I jumped on the opportunity to go with him. Like, literally, I jumped up and down and then got the move arranged before he could blink.
Living in Istanbul, Turkey was my first experience being a ‘real’ expat. For me that meant a whole lot of eating out and drinking an overabundance of adult beverages. As you can imagine, the string on my yo-yo nearly snapped. Along with a general excitement at being back in a country I now consider home, I was all fired up to get fit and lose weight upon my move to The Hague.
Oh sure, I made some progress. I joined a bunch of tennis groups and a gym and started working out on a regular basis. But when I finally sat down to write Fat Girl Begone! four months after my return, I’d only managed to lose about 10 pounds. I was beyond frustrated as, even with losing 10 pounds, I was still heavier than my previous ‘heaviest weight ever’-amount. That darn yo-yo was taunting me!
That’s where the heroine of Fat Girl Begone!, Everly, came in. I was writing about how Everly needed to stop whining and stick with the program for at least a month. Something clicked in my head. Darn it! I realized I wasn’t listening to my own advice. Once again, I was letting work, volunteer obligations, and my social life get in the way of sticking with my own program.
That’s when I decided to keep up with my diet and fitness regime for as long as I was writing Everly’s story. So, from December 19th until the week before I handed the manuscript off to the editor in March, that’s what I did. I didn’t lose tons of weight, but I am down a total of 22 pounds since last August when I arrived in The Hague. My tennis game has also improved, which makes me super-duper happy. Even more exciting? I pulled my summer clothes out of the closet and they fit. Some are even loose.
Yeah, I still have a ways to go. (Which is why I’ve gone completely nutso and signed up for a 10-kilometer urban run in which we run through the buildings of the downtown of The Hague including up and down stairs.) But I’m getting there. I feel better. I think I look better. And it’s at least partially thanks to Everly. Everly may have never really been a fat girl, but I don’t plan on being one ever again.
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Excerpt
Carter is changed into street clothes by the time I join him at the entrance to the gym. He’s wearing jeans with more holes than material and a Star Wars t-shirt with a picture of a storm trooper and the words ‘Chicks dig the uniform’ printed underneath.
“In case anyone was confused about whether you’re a geek or not?” I raise an eyebrow at him as I try not to laugh out loud. Or at least not too loud.
He shrugs. “Be yourself; everyone else is already taken.”
“Okay. A well-rounded geek who can quote Oscar Wilde.”
“That’s Oscar Wilde?” He winks. “Come on. There’s a little bar next door.”
We quickly walk to the bar where I am obviously not the only person enjoying the pleasure of athleisure apparel. “Someone took the whole location, location, location advice and ran with it.” The place is the standard model of a sports bar except it’s not full of men getting off work and catching a game on the big screen. Nope. The place is packed with people telling themselves that the calories in the beer don’t count if they worked out first. At least that’s what I plan on telling myself.
Carter puts his hand on the small of my back and gently leads me to a small high table to the side of the bar. “Tequila?”
I shake my head. “Not unless you want to find out if this high table can support my weight when I decide to dance on it.”
He looks under the table and studies the joints. “Looks like it can take it.”
“Are you an engineer as well as Star Wars aficionado?”
He shrugs. “Does software engineer count?” I ignore his question and ask for a beer.
“So,” Carter starts as he sets down two extra-large frosty mugs of beer. “What’s going on?”
I shrug and take a long pull on my beer. “It’s just been a really tough week.”
“You looked pretty happy when you finished with your personal trainer on Wednesday.” Is that a jealous tone I detect? I study Carter’s face, but he keeps his expression neutral as he takes a drink from his mug.
“Just some issues at work.”
“Anything I can help with?”
I bark out a laugh. “Not unless you have $150,000 you can part with.”
“I can loan you the money if you like.” He says the words as if it’s no big deal to have access to that kind of money. Who is this guy?
“Do you really have that kind of money?” I slap my hand over my mouth when I realize what I just asked. “Forget I said that. I’m sorry.”
Carter shrugs. “I’m not. It’s no secret that I have some money. If you need it, all you have to do is ask.”
I lean forward and study his face for signs he’s pulling my leg. “Oh my god, you’re not kidding. You do have the money.”
He raises an eyebrow at me. “You really don’t know who I am?”
Is that some kind of trick question? “You’re Carter.” I point to his t-shirt. “Lover of Star Wars. I’m still in suspense about whether you love Star Trek as well.”
“You’ll just have to wait to find out.” He winks before leaning back. He stares at me and remains quiet for longer than is comfortable. Finally, he shrugs. “You may have heard of my company. Carter Enterprises.”
“So, you do love Star Trek!”
About The Author
I grew-up reading everything I could get my grubby hands on from my mom's Harlequin romances to Nancy Drew to Little Women. When I wasn't flipping pages in a library book, I was penning horrendous poems, writing songs no one should ever sing, or drafting stories which have thankfully been destroyed. College and a stint in the U.S. Army came along, robbing me of free time to write and read, although on the odd occasion I did manage to sneak a book into my rucksack between rolled up socks, MRIs, t-shirts, and cold weather gear. After surviving the army experience, I went back to school and got my law degree. I jumped ship and joined the hubby in the Netherlands before the graduation ceremony could even begin. A few years into my legal career, I was exhausted, fed up, and just plain done. I quit my job and sat down to write a manuscript, which I promptly hid in the attic after returning to the law. But being a lawyer really wasn’t my thing, so I quit (again!) and went off to Germany to start a B&B. Turns out being a B&B owner wasn’t my thing either. I polished off that manuscript languishing in the attic before deciding to follow the husband to Istanbul where I decided to give the whole writer-thing a go. But ten years was too many to stay away from adopted home. I packed up again and moved to The Hague where I’m currently working on my next book. I hope I’ll always be working on my next book.
Fat girl Begone! is my eleventh book.Website: http://dehaggerty.wordpress.com
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