Philadelphia RowHome Magazine – Summer 2022

By Rachel Porter

Natalie Pantaleo is a Philadelphia-based marketing communications consultant, crafty storyteller, and now, first-time author. Her upcoming release, Lying Down with Dogs, presents an entertaining coming-of-age story exploring themes surrounding the unpredictable lifestyle that can occur from working in the service industry.

The fictional novella based on a true story follows main character, Valerie (Val) Imperato, a 19-yearold South Philly girl navigating her way as she transitions from a working college student to a profession within corporate America. When Val begins working at The Tavern, she navigates some harsh lessons revolving around money, love, power, and sex, and how the people she encounters handle them.

“To me, one of the most intriguing facets of my story is the serendipitous nature that led to its publishing,” Pantaleo says.

The concept for Lying Down with Dogs originated about 11 years ago when Pantaleo was out to lunch with former coworkers, laughing and recalling stories from their days as restaurant servers. One of the women suggested she write down the hilarious stories they shared. For entertainment purposes, Pantaleo jotted down a few vignettes that year, but it wasn’t until 2013 that the story started to transition into a coming-of-age tale based on her experiences.

“I didn’t intend for that to happen, but as I started to write, it came out of me,” Pantaleo says.

In 2015, she picked up the story, again, in an attempt to structure those vignettes into a cohesive tale. While on a retreat in Sedona last March, Pantaleo met a licensed therapist during a group activity. The woman introduced herself by holding up a children’s book written by her goddaughter, a publisher. Pantaleo told the therapist that she had written a couple of children’s books, as well, and the woman offered to contact her goddaughter about them. Pantaleo said she thanked her but dismissed it as a polite exchange. She knew how daunting the publishing process could be.

That June, Pantaleo received a call from a number in Arizona. She picked up the phone and a woman introduced herself as Lindsay Allison Dierking, the goddaughter… and publisher for The Awakened Press.

She caught Dierking’s attention and followed up by emailing her a resume and three writing samples. For kicks, she included a P.S. about her in-progress novella.

Two weeks after their call, Dierking and Pantaleo met via a Zoom call to talk about Pantaleo’s children’s books. Instead, Dierking was more excited about the novella and wanted to publish it.

Stunned, Pantaleo excitedly agreed and the two began to work on the process. “It had become my labor of love. It was a great hobby even though I haven’t touched it in years,” Pantaleo says.

The two did a beta test just before Christmas. Although the feedback was helpful, people loved the story. Pantaleo said she was humbled and exhilarated during the experience. “That was the most rewarding part so far – just for someone to relate to my words,” she says.

After the beta tests, they continued working simultaneously on the book proposals and completed the technical editing at the end of May 2022. On July 1, they had a completed manuscript and targeted July 15th as the launch of the book’s website.

“I can remember sitting in my office penning the first vignette – “The Frankie Story” – and never in my wildest dreams envisioned what’s become Lying Down with Dogs,” Pantaleo says. “This little book is growing arms and legs like crazy, and I feel very blessed.”

Lying Down with Dogs is set to release September 12th by The Awakened Press. Copies will be available in print, e-book, and shortly after, an audiobook version. Distribution involves 40,000 retailers worldwide, including libraries, schools, and universities, Amazon Worldwide, Apple Books, Kobo, Barnes & Noble and your local independent bookstores. PRH

Photo Caption: The Awakened Press Publisher, Lindsay Allison Dierking (left) and Lying Down with Dogs author, Natalie Pantaleo (right), in Scottsdale, AZ