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1-900-ANYTIME
From the award-winning, nationally bestselling African-American author Tracy Price-Thompson, a sexy, thrilling new novel featuring a working woman whose obsessive clients are determined to get her all to themselves.
Tracy Price-Thompson has been awarded with numerous honors for her steamy, action-packed, and culturally relevant writing. She received a Hurston/Wright Award for her insightful short story, “Other People’s Skin” and for her heart-wrenching novel, A Woman’s Worth. The Romantic Times Book Club named Knockin’ Boots the Best Erotic Romance of 2005. Now Price-Thompson returns with an exciting pageturner sure to keep readers on the edge of their seats. In Untitled, a woman turns to phone sex in order to satisfy some of her most erotic fantasies. Blessed with a silky voice, a kinky wit, and the ability to construct erotic portraits through words, she lulls men into her fantasies and builds a colorful clientele base as a phone sex worker. Her distinctive voice allows her to enthrall her clients with sexual trysts that are limited only by her imagination. But intimate attachments can be formed in many ways, even through a phone line, and to her surprise anonymous sex is not always anonymous. Her sumptuous voice and her phone skills are so captivating that two of her clients become obsessed with meeting her in the flesh. They both relentlessly track her down—one seeking her love, the other seeking her life.
Tracy Price-Thompson has been awarded with numerous honors for her steamy, action-packed, and culturally relevant writing. She received a Hurston/Wright Award for her insightful short story, “Other People’s Skin” and for her heart-wrenching novel, A Woman’s Worth. The Romantic Times Book Club named Knockin’ Boots the Best Erotic Romance of 2005. Now Price-Thompson returns with an exciting pageturner sure to keep readers on the edge of their seats. In Untitled, a woman turns to phone sex in order to satisfy some of her most erotic fantasies. Blessed with a silky voice, a kinky wit, and the ability to construct erotic portraits through words, she lulls men into her fantasies and builds a colorful clientele base as a phone sex worker. Her distinctive voice allows her to enthrall her clients with sexual trysts that are limited only by her imagination. But intimate attachments can be formed in many ways, even through a phone line, and to her surprise anonymous sex is not always anonymous. Her sumptuous voice and her phone skills are so captivating that two of her clients become obsessed with meeting her in the flesh. They both relentlessly track her down—one seeking her love, the other seeking her life.
272 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2009
About the author
Tracy Price-Thompson
17 books57 followersTracy Price-Thompson is the national bestselling author of the novels, Black Coffee, Chocolate Sangria, A Woman's Worth, Knockin' Boots, and Gather Together in My Name. Tracy is a highly decorated Desert Storm veteran who graduated from the Army's Infantry Officer Candidate School after more than ten years as an enlisted soldier. A Brooklyn, New York, native who has traveled extensively and lived in amazing places around the world, Tracy is a retired Army Engineer officer and Ralph Bunche graduate Fellow who holds a bachelor's degree in Business Administration and a master's degree in Social Work.
Tracy is also the co-editor of the anthologies Other People's Skin and Proverbs for the People and composes professional literary reviews based on established elements of writing for several print sources.
Tracy lives in Hawaii with her wonderfully supportive husband and several of their six bright, beautiful, incredible children.
Tracy is also the co-editor of the anthologies Other People's Skin and Proverbs for the People and composes professional literary reviews based on established elements of writing for several print sources.
Tracy lives in Hawaii with her wonderfully supportive husband and several of their six bright, beautiful, incredible children.
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Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews
April 1, 2015
I have had this book on my bookshelf for years. I got it from a book club book swap and I took it because of the cover and the title. It sounded interesting and reminded me of the Spike Lee movie Girl 6.
Bertha was born with a voice of an angel but was cursed with a body deformed since birth. With the help of several surgeries and a foundation that provides assisted living, Bertha has made a life of her own. With several steady clients, Bertha transforms herself into their fantasy girl once their credit cards have cleared.
Overall the story was interesting, sad and very very sexually graphic. I know you are thinking what can be so graphic about phone sex but this book says it all and leave nothing to the imagination. Toward the first have of the book each chapter is about one of Bertha's clients and how they become a client. I thought the writing style was easy and simple. A quick read that will have you gasping here and there. One thing I liked about this book was the diverse clients she had and the diverse reasons for them to call her in the first place.
You know I am about a great ending and an ending can make or break a book for me. The ending was so quick and everything tied up nicely. It was a bit too predictable and I was thinking something else might come about to make it better somehow. So for me the simple, predicable ending gave the story an overall soap opera feeling. I mean what are the chances of them all finding out who she is. Again a quick and easy read with some hot and graphic sex and violence.
Bertha was born with a voice of an angel but was cursed with a body deformed since birth. With the help of several surgeries and a foundation that provides assisted living, Bertha has made a life of her own. With several steady clients, Bertha transforms herself into their fantasy girl once their credit cards have cleared.
Overall the story was interesting, sad and very very sexually graphic. I know you are thinking what can be so graphic about phone sex but this book says it all and leave nothing to the imagination. Toward the first have of the book each chapter is about one of Bertha's clients and how they become a client. I thought the writing style was easy and simple. A quick read that will have you gasping here and there. One thing I liked about this book was the diverse clients she had and the diverse reasons for them to call her in the first place.
You know I am about a great ending and an ending can make or break a book for me. The ending was so quick and everything tied up nicely. It was a bit too predictable and I was thinking something else might come about to make it better somehow. So for me the simple, predicable ending gave the story an overall soap opera feeling. I mean what are the chances of them all finding out who she is. Again a quick and easy read with some hot and graphic sex and violence.
September 16, 2009
The Purple Room
Twenty-three year old Bertha Sampson is severely disfigured. Born crippled and deformed, an effect of Gulf War syndrome. Bertha may not have been blessed with looks but she sure was blessed with a beautiful, soulful, voice. A voice that will hold listeners captivated.
Unfortunately, Bertha, chooses to cut herself off from the outside world. Spending her days and nights holed up in her two-bedroom apartment. One bedroom she refers to as the “sick room”, the other being converted into the “purple room.” The “purple room” is strictly for her alter ego, Bliss. The sensual, erotic part that lays hidden inside Bertha.
Bliss is Bertha’s persona behind the telephone of her private hotline…1-900-ANYTIME. A place that men or women can call to fulfill some of their most erotic, sexual fantasies over the phone. There is: the married woman that has a sexual fetish that her husband is unable to fulfill, the man that has never had a girlfriend because of a deep secret that he has been carrying, the rapper that has a secret that could ruin his career, the married man who’s wife is knocking on death’s door and to the Asian man that has anger issues towards whites and blacks alike. Each person has their own individual reasons why they call Bliss’ hotline. One person wants to harm her…another, to love her. What happens when her real identity is revealed?
1-900-ANYTIME by Tracy Price-Thompson is a novel about love, hate, jealousy and finding one’s self. One thing I want to share with you all…I don’t eat Chinese food for a reason (laughing), although I realize that things like this happen anywhere. You got to read the book to find out what I am talking about. I read this book in a day and a half…so if you are looking for a quick and original story…this is your read!
Reviewed by Leona
StreetLitClique
www.streetlitclique.ning.com
Final Rating: 5 stars
Twenty-three year old Bertha Sampson is severely disfigured. Born crippled and deformed, an effect of Gulf War syndrome. Bertha may not have been blessed with looks but she sure was blessed with a beautiful, soulful, voice. A voice that will hold listeners captivated.
Unfortunately, Bertha, chooses to cut herself off from the outside world. Spending her days and nights holed up in her two-bedroom apartment. One bedroom she refers to as the “sick room”, the other being converted into the “purple room.” The “purple room” is strictly for her alter ego, Bliss. The sensual, erotic part that lays hidden inside Bertha.
Bliss is Bertha’s persona behind the telephone of her private hotline…1-900-ANYTIME. A place that men or women can call to fulfill some of their most erotic, sexual fantasies over the phone. There is: the married woman that has a sexual fetish that her husband is unable to fulfill, the man that has never had a girlfriend because of a deep secret that he has been carrying, the rapper that has a secret that could ruin his career, the married man who’s wife is knocking on death’s door and to the Asian man that has anger issues towards whites and blacks alike. Each person has their own individual reasons why they call Bliss’ hotline. One person wants to harm her…another, to love her. What happens when her real identity is revealed?
1-900-ANYTIME by Tracy Price-Thompson is a novel about love, hate, jealousy and finding one’s self. One thing I want to share with you all…I don’t eat Chinese food for a reason (laughing), although I realize that things like this happen anywhere. You got to read the book to find out what I am talking about. I read this book in a day and a half…so if you are looking for a quick and original story…this is your read!
Reviewed by Leona
StreetLitClique
www.streetlitclique.ning.com
Final Rating: 5 stars
January 24, 2021
The story was very fast-paced. The author is a great storyteller who keeps you interested in the story. Since this my first time reading one of Mrs. Thompson's books, I did not expect this to be so explicit. On another note, the personal stories of the six characters were interesting and will grab your attention. Having to call a 1-900 number to get instant gratification after a while realizing you still have to resolve your problems. One more thing, I stay away from Chinese food.
December 10, 2021
Not good.
March 18, 2012
Everyday I scan the job postings on Monster, Career Builder, and Craig’s List. They say to check everyday so you can get in before the position gets filled, which is all fine and dandy….when there are actual jobs that you can apply for. Most of the time I just sit there and openly declare “no jobs” after having gone through about 15 pages worth of nothing. I’ll pretty much consider any job at this point. And then, one day, I found an ad for a phone sex operator. No experience necessary. Flexible hours. Work from home. Pays…..$26 an hour! What!? Seriously? I hummed with intriguing wonder. It’s not like I’d actually be doing anything. Just talking, listening, agreeing mostly. I wouldn’t have to leave the house, and I’d be banking $26 bucks an hour. How bad could a gig like this be? And that’s why I chose to read 1-900-ANYTIME by Tracy Price-Thompson.
Bertha, A.K.A. “Bliss,” is professional about her work and awards her clients top-notch service, which is the main reason why most of them keep coming back to her. She has the gift of painting lustrous fantasies of pleasure with her sultry voice. With words so provocative and scenes so vivid, the experience explodes into a gratifying reality for her clients. Everyone loves Bliss, especially Bertha, because being Bliss is the only way she is able to release her own fervent desires—desires that are buried underneath the fragmented skin of a disfiguring “beast.”
Sadness envelops you as you learn of the pain and humiliation Bertha had to endure growing up with this congenital disease. When I think of people like Bertha, I get the impression that they live a cloistered, lonely life. They don’t go out, they don’t meet people, and they surely don’t get “normal” jobs. I honestly thought her reason for this phone sex gig was purely to make ends meet. But, instead, it was to fulfill her own aching sexual urges, which, surely, are also left forgotten for a “beast” like Bertha. Perhaps the monetary reason may have made Bertha more sympathetic, but the fact that it was purely sexual definitely made her human—a horny human, but human nonetheless.
In the story, we learn about Bliss’ clients—their history, their family, but, most importantly, their reason for wanting to call Bliss. Jim Burgess is an honest, hard-working man who wanted nothing more than to make a decent living and, eventually, fall in love with the right girl. But then a fraternity prank left him with an ailment that destroyed his hope of having the All-American package. His calls to Bliss were so earnest and genuine that they seemed to have a special connection.
By the end, all hell breaks loose when her clients discover that their fantasy girl was not what they had imagined. I gotta say that I was surprised to find out who actually wanted Bertha dead—always the last person you expect.
The writing was so raw and powerful that you could feel the characters come alive with crippling anger, sadness, and passion. However, the energy of the words wilted towards the end as some editing issues floated to the surface. Many of the sex scenes may have been too graphic—too disgusting, really—for my usual taste. Did they really have to be that descriptive? And then I thought, yes! Isn’t that what a sex operator does?
But, seriously, those scenes were still too nasty. I only kept on reading to explore the danger Bertha finds herself in, and I have to say the whole thing was pretty anticlimactic. The book started off well, but then it kind of tapped out in the end.
In conclusion, I think I’ll keep skimming the job ads.
Bertha, A.K.A. “Bliss,” is professional about her work and awards her clients top-notch service, which is the main reason why most of them keep coming back to her. She has the gift of painting lustrous fantasies of pleasure with her sultry voice. With words so provocative and scenes so vivid, the experience explodes into a gratifying reality for her clients. Everyone loves Bliss, especially Bertha, because being Bliss is the only way she is able to release her own fervent desires—desires that are buried underneath the fragmented skin of a disfiguring “beast.”
Sadness envelops you as you learn of the pain and humiliation Bertha had to endure growing up with this congenital disease. When I think of people like Bertha, I get the impression that they live a cloistered, lonely life. They don’t go out, they don’t meet people, and they surely don’t get “normal” jobs. I honestly thought her reason for this phone sex gig was purely to make ends meet. But, instead, it was to fulfill her own aching sexual urges, which, surely, are also left forgotten for a “beast” like Bertha. Perhaps the monetary reason may have made Bertha more sympathetic, but the fact that it was purely sexual definitely made her human—a horny human, but human nonetheless.
In the story, we learn about Bliss’ clients—their history, their family, but, most importantly, their reason for wanting to call Bliss. Jim Burgess is an honest, hard-working man who wanted nothing more than to make a decent living and, eventually, fall in love with the right girl. But then a fraternity prank left him with an ailment that destroyed his hope of having the All-American package. His calls to Bliss were so earnest and genuine that they seemed to have a special connection.
By the end, all hell breaks loose when her clients discover that their fantasy girl was not what they had imagined. I gotta say that I was surprised to find out who actually wanted Bertha dead—always the last person you expect.
The writing was so raw and powerful that you could feel the characters come alive with crippling anger, sadness, and passion. However, the energy of the words wilted towards the end as some editing issues floated to the surface. Many of the sex scenes may have been too graphic—too disgusting, really—for my usual taste. Did they really have to be that descriptive? And then I thought, yes! Isn’t that what a sex operator does?
But, seriously, those scenes were still too nasty. I only kept on reading to explore the danger Bertha finds herself in, and I have to say the whole thing was pretty anticlimactic. The book started off well, but then it kind of tapped out in the end.
In conclusion, I think I’ll keep skimming the job ads.
May 27, 2012
I'd wanted to read 1-900-A-N-Y-T-I-M-E for a while because Tracy Price-Thompson is the author of one my favorite books, Chocolate Sangria, as well as A Woman's Worth, and she knows how to tell a rich story.
Then comes 1-900-A-N-Y-T-I-M-E, which is quite an ambitious tale in itself. However, it didn't quite live up to my expectations.
Bertha, a severely disfigured woman with a traumatic past, uses her seclusion to her advantage by running a sex line as "Bliss" to fulfill her sexual needs. Her clients are mostly delusional men living out their secret fantasies through her. Bertha truly believes she knows what these men want. When they all figure out (at the exact same time no less!) whom she really is, it dawns on her that phone sex can't compare to the human connection - and that people are willing to pay a lot keep their hidden desires just that.
While the novel is multi-layered and character driven, the plot didn't gel as well I'd hoped. It was almost unbelievable in some parts. Like one of her clients, a rapper named La-Rule (get it?) was a closethead who imagined making love with Bliss's boyfriend. He was so worried about the public discovering his secret that he stalks Bliss to retrieve her credit card records tying him to her sex line; yet, he fully disclosed himself and his career to her in the beginning, even sending her CDs and promotional items in the mail. Huh?
Yes, there were other things that made me go hmm, but I will say it was fast paced and kept me hanging on.
Then comes 1-900-A-N-Y-T-I-M-E, which is quite an ambitious tale in itself. However, it didn't quite live up to my expectations.
Bertha, a severely disfigured woman with a traumatic past, uses her seclusion to her advantage by running a sex line as "Bliss" to fulfill her sexual needs. Her clients are mostly delusional men living out their secret fantasies through her. Bertha truly believes she knows what these men want. When they all figure out (at the exact same time no less!) whom she really is, it dawns on her that phone sex can't compare to the human connection - and that people are willing to pay a lot keep their hidden desires just that.
While the novel is multi-layered and character driven, the plot didn't gel as well I'd hoped. It was almost unbelievable in some parts. Like one of her clients, a rapper named La-Rule (get it?) was a closethead who imagined making love with Bliss's boyfriend. He was so worried about the public discovering his secret that he stalks Bliss to retrieve her credit card records tying him to her sex line; yet, he fully disclosed himself and his career to her in the beginning, even sending her CDs and promotional items in the mail. Huh?
Yes, there were other things that made me go hmm, but I will say it was fast paced and kept me hanging on.
January 9, 2011
This was the first booki purchased for my new nook color, it would have gotten a five star rating from me if it wasn't for this one chapter in particular, for me that chapter was a turnoff and to unrealistic. I mean really what are the chances of all clients figureing out the same thing at the same Time?
August 12, 2011
Price-Thompson sure has an active imagination as this story cleverly unfolds. She honors the disabled with a story of shame, sexual freedom, acceptance & love. Recommended read.
February 16, 2013
This book is better than what most people think, some really good writing in here!
October 25, 2013
Interesting look at various people using a sex-line. And all the craziness (quite unrealistic) that went down when they discovered they were talking to a severely disabled woman.
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews