A no-nonsense tale of a college girl, a celebrity encounter, a sexy restaurant, wealthy men, savvy women and many moments of self-discovery.

Valerie Imparato's corporate career path is nearly sideswiped as she becomes indoctrinated into the racy lifestyles of the affluent and sometimes famous patrons in her coveted server position at one of Philly's top restaurants-until the fortuitous wisdom of her Italian grandmothers sheds light on Val's relationships with men, sex, and money.

Will Val finally hook up with Billy Joel? How will spending her birthday alone in Mexico turn out? Will she fire her therapist? It all comes full-circle for the college girl turned marketing exec from South Philadelphia in this novella based on a true story.

As Valerie transitions from the office to a sexy restaurant and back, she must face some of the same businesspeople she serves lobster fra diavolo or a dirty martini to a few nights a week. Through lavish dinner parties and some eye-opening experiences inside the "boys' club," plus laugh-out-loud interactions with Val's sharp-tongued restaurant co-workers and other comical characters, Valerie gets a front row seat to a diametric lifestyle that eventually changes the way she views the world.

For anyone who's spent time working in a restaurant, and especially those who've been on the dating scene, Lying Down with Dogs is a humorously anecdotal, fast-reading novella with a few surprises. All the major themes play out in this little book of big characters: beauty, trade-offs, friendships, and the question of who's using who.

Natalie Pantaleo is a Philadelphia-based marketing-communications consultant, consummate storyteller, and first time book author with "Lying Down with Dogs." As early as the caption in her eighth-grade yearbook indicates, Natalie has wanted to write for a living, and that she does...and more. Adept at interpreting complex information, Natalie creates digestible, well-positioned and compelling campaigns and content for targeted audiences. She is a published features writer and an innovative thinking facilitator as well. Her resume spans healthcare, finance, non-profit, education, and retail. A seasoned strategist, she's led teams at First Penn Bank, Franklin Mint Federal Credit Union, DSC Advertising, and the National Board of Osteopathic Medical Examiners, as well as guided clients like New York's Hudson Bread, Los Angeles-based Josie Maran Cosmetics and Revmo, Inc. in Las Vegas. In 2021, Natalie launched her website: www.TheInsideOutMarketer.com. Like "Lying Down with Dogs'" protagonist Val, Natalie attributes her ability to capture nuance, her fundamental sense of humor and the witty side of sarcasm to her upbringing in the colorful subculture of "South Philly" where Italian-American influence provided anecdotes for life. "South Philly follows me wherever I go, and I wouldn't have it any other way," Natalie admits. She holds an M.A. in Bilingual/Bi-Cultural Studies of Spanish from LaSalle University where she graduated with honors, and a B.A. in Journalism and Public Relations from Temple University. She joyfully contributed time and talent to the Leukemia Society, Cystic Fibrosis and Alexsandra Bilotti foundations. Among her endeavors, Natalie says her most creative and enlightening work-in-progress is raising her lovely and spirited teenage daughter.