My friend Johanna Edwards has a new book out, so I thought I'd interview the "next big thing" about her book "The Next Big Thing."

Q: The Next Big Thing is about a woman who goes on a reality weight loss show, From Fat to Fabulous. Where did you get the idea?

A: I’m a big fan of reality TV and I had an idea for a weight-loss show. This was during the summer of 2003, well over a year before NBC premiered “The Biggest Loser.” I still think they ripped me off, but I digress :) At any rate, I made up a reality show and wrote a book around it. If I’d known anything about pitching the networks I probably would have taken that path.

Q: What do you think of the reality show trend? Is it dying out and are people tired of watching people compete for their 15 minutes of fame?

A: I do think it’s waning, which I blame on overkill. The networks went crazy for a while there and just threw any reality show they could think of on the air and people got burned out. I think certain shows – like “American Idol” and “Survivor” – will always be popular, but all of the “clone” shows are going to die out. But even when the trend dies down, I think reality shows will always be around in some form or fashion. MTV’s had “The Real World” and “Road Rules” on the air since the early ‘90s and both shows are still rating’s powerhouses.

Q: Can you tell us about your next book?

A: I’m under a gag order! I can’t even reveal the title. But I will say this: it’s very high concept and it has nothing to do with weight or reality TV. I hope that doesn’t disappoint my fans (um, do I have fans?) Since “The Next Big Thing” debuted on two bestseller lists there’s a pretty good chance my third book may be a sequel to that.


Thanks! You can find out more about Johanna's book at www.johannaedwards.com