Fans of The Bachelor and The Bachelorette can now get an intimate peak at what it's like to be a contestant on the show! Diamonds and Hearts: A Poetic Memoir, a collection of poems written by Chris Siegfried during his journey with Desiree Hartsock on Season 9 of The Bachelorette, is now available for sale at dhpoetry.com.
Siegfried, 27, turned to a fellow bachelor vying for Hartsock’s heart, Zack Kalter, for advice on turning his collection of poetry into a book. Before the 28-year-old publisher was eliminated during the fourth rose ceremony, Kalter was impressed with Siegfried's writing. "He read me a couple of poems and they were pretty good. Just from there I said in passing, 'Hey, you should probably publish this at some point,'" Kalter tells Us Weekly, "After the show stopped filming, I was in L.A. one day and he called me up and said, 'Hey, I've been thinking a lot about the book thing we talked about back on week two and I’d like to see if we can make this work.'"
The book also features two additional poems written by The Bachelorette Hartsock herself, one of which was written a month before the final rose ceremony on a postcard from Antigua. "It basically expresses her feelings for Chris that early on, so it’s kind of cool that she saved the poem until they got engaged. To look back and to see how she was falling in love with him, it gives you a broader perspective of what actually was happening in her mind and heart," Kalter shares.
Writing poetry is one way the couple connected with each other. "Des has been writing poetry herself for many years in a journal, so she was already kind of on that bandwagon when Chris came along. I think that they really bonded over that passion and that way of communication and she obviously liked the fact that he's able to express himself through words," Kalter explains. "It's just natural to add some of her stuff in the book as well."
Fans who order Diamonds and Hearts can receive special bonuses from Hartsock and Siegfried, including Twitter shout-outs, Skype sessions or dinner with the couple in Seattle, where the lovers are currently living together and preparing for a Summer 2014 wedding.
Bridal stylist Hartsock, 27, recently revealed on LIVE With Kelly and Michael that her and Siegfried have begun thinking about their upcoming nuptials, "We want to keep it intimate," also admitting that she is not yet sure whether the event will be filmed.
Even if Hartsock and Siegfried opt for a private fete, fans can still look forward to a Bachelor wedding in 2014. Sean Lowe and Catherine Giudici announced they will be tying the knot on January 26 and airing the wedding live on ABC.
