Swan Song of the Sample Lady

Swan Song of the Sample Lady is a slightly irreverent book with a behind-the-scenes look at what can happen in the day-to-day life of a demo lady in a bulk warehouse food store. Though food sampling seems like an everyday, simple job, it proves to be one filled with heart-warming experiences, some drama, a little humor, and personal triumph. Each chapter offers a glimpse into this little known world of offering miniature pieces of food to passersby eager to get their hands on those toothpicks and chomp onto all the tasty goodness.

Mom and the compassionate crew recognize the deserving, they scoff at the opportunists and watch in awe at the absurd. Rather than a story, this book serves up scrumptious tidbits of a demo lady's experiences from within the vast and open space of those huge warehouse stores. It all really does come down to a pair of unattended dentures and a toothless patron gumming down cheesecake, a sadistic customer wanting to know every detail of a vacuum cleaner and an all out brawl in frozen foods over a pig-in-a-blanket. Not to mention a little "I am woman hear me roar!." Who knew so much drama could ensue deep within the looming aisles of these 100,000 square foot venues. This is a small 'gem,' if you will to remember just how much we, the regular people, are worth. And to remember that there really are more good people than bad out there. You just have to believe it.

Bad Dog Coleyon (a pen name) is a writer and dog walker who's been juggling these two professions for more than 16 years. Bad Dog has written for many trade publications, for online media and a few news papers. She wanted to give her mom the rightful respect her mom deserves for having survived as a single mother through the 70s, 80s, 90s and beyond and thought this book, with its messages of humor, strength and self empowerment would do just that.