Residence: Bonneville, Alberta
Carmen Kissel-Verrier was born in rural Alberta, Canada. These days, she is a technical writer and a graduate of Mount Royal University. Carmen still loves a wild time spent with peculiar people and appreciates a good ribeye steak. She remains fascinated by the diversity of the human spirit.
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The Butcher Shop Girl begins with Carmen’s unique coming-of-age as she’s ripped from her extended family after her Catholic parents’ divorce. Learning to conquer unusual places in the name of survival, Carmen spends her childhood working in her mother’s slaughterhouse in prairie Alberta, tearing through flesh and getting up to trouble. To escape a violent home, she bounces from house to house, working on the family farm, and eventually in the oil patch.
At eighteen, Carmen’s competitive craving for money and independence leads her to a career as an exotic dancer. Starting out in seedy small-town dives, she quickly earns her place in high-end clubs throughout North America, becoming an elite world-travelling entertainer. Carmen lives the high life and makes big money. She parties with the Hells Angels and falls in love with a sexy U.S. drug enforcement agent—effortlessly walking the line of two extreme worlds. But when run-ins with premium organized crime land her in Bolivia, she realizes she’s gone too far, and the only thing that can free her is to ask her estranged family for help.
"CKV shows us how to persevere - no matter how many times we get punched in the gut. A blockbuster memoir for 2020" - Brett Kissel, Multi Juno & CCMA Award Winning Artist
"An often gripping read about misfits, money, and motivation" - Kirkus Reviews
"This true story will give you the shivers! A page turner to the very end! A MUST read coming of age journey of a girl who wagered hard and won it all!" - Blaise Hunter, CEO of Blaise The Trail Inc., Author of Heroine: Embrace Your Flaws & Own Your Awesome. Nominee for 2020 Woman of Inspiration Award (Canada-wide).
