AS MY WORLDS COLLIDE...
By Alina Adams

I worked in soaps from 1994 to 1996, and then again from 2001 until now. But, in between...

In between, I worked in figure skating.

I was a researcher for ABC and ESPN's coverage of the National and World Championships, for TNT's Olympics, and a feature producer for NBC's StarSkates series of specials. I've written two non-fiction books on the subject, "Inside Figure Skating," and "Sarah Hughes: Skating to the Stars," and five figure skating murder mysteries, "Murder on Ice," "On Thin Ice," "Axel of Evil," "Death Drop" and "Skate Crime." (The latter were actually very soapy, as I kept the same characters and some storylines through all five books.)

Now, my worlds have collided as soap actors Rebecca Budig (GL, AMC) and Sean Young (Y&R) made their debut last night on Skating With The Stars.

Dick Button was one of the judges. I spent two years of my life locked in a sound-booth with Dick Button, trying to control what came out of his mouth at the bequest of a producer screaming in my ear through a head-set about twice the size of my head.


Based on the picture above, or pretty much on anything Dick has said on television over the years, I'm sure you can guess how well my attempt to control him went. (Full disclosure: I actually adore the man, he is absolutely brilliant, and articulate and... just a little bit twisted.)

Right now, I am fighting very hard my impulse to blog about the show. When it (inevitably) turns more and more into a soap opera as the weeks go on, I'm not sure I'll continue to have the stamina. So consider yourselves warned.

To keep this on soap topic, please enjoy the Days of Our Lives clip below of Hope skating in an ice show... in order to save the world from blowing up. (Really.)



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Alina Adams is the author of Oakdale Confidential and The Man From Oakdale, and the co-author of Jonathan's Story.