It’s certain that Basketball Wives Evelyn Lozada was created for this lifestyle. While many reality stars fade into the shadows of D-list fame, this feisty Latina from New York’s gritty Bronx borough has expanded her TV limelight into a book deal (“Inner Circle: The Wives Association”), a spin-off show (“Ev & Chad”) and one million Twitter followers. The first-time author is weeks away from releasing her Courtney Parker-assisted novel, which you can officially cop on June 12.

In the meantime, bottle-wielding Ev is calm, spending her time vacaying in Cabo, loving on fiance Chad Ochocinco and planning her much-anticipated wedding (and wedding special). As our Guest Editor for the day, she talks us through the controversial BBW season finale, why she has such a respect for strippers and her thoughts on Rihanna‘s wild ways. —Niki McGloster

Without giving too much away, what is the juiciest part of the book?
There’s a mistress in the book and she’s physically assaulted. I think the readers would be very surprised as to who physically assaulted her. She was a mistress of one of the players of the book. Towards the end, you’ll be like, ‘Get the hell out of here,’ because you’re thinking it’s one person and it ends up being…well, you know.

How was the entire writing process for you? I know it stems from journals, but how did you go in and kind of write it to make it fiction?
I have an amazing co-writer, Courtney Parker, and we would have many conversations on the phone. It’s a little tough at times because you’re re-living and talking about things that happened 9, 10 years ago. Also in a weird way, it was a little therapeutic. You know, talking about it and getting excited about this book. She was very, very helpful, and she’s an amazing writer.

What is your reaction to the naysayers and haters who are wondering why you wrote a book?
I’ve learned, especially from Chad, that controversy is good. Nothing phases him and he’s like, ‘Why do you care?’ I’ve learned a lot of him: the more popular and more successful you become, the more haters and the more attorneys you need [laughs].

How do you develop a tough skin for that?
You can’t do this and be sensitive. For example, you know Suzie [Ketcham], she gets a lot of shit from the show. After she films the show, she doesn’t watch it or go on Twitter. She’s like, ‘I don’t know how you deal with it.’ I’ve accepted that this is a part of my life and apart of my world now. The more the show became popular, and I started dating Chad, and I got engaged to Chad, it’s been like chaos. I’m never going to hide and I’m always one of those people that say TV can be a gift and a curse, and at the same time it’s opened up a lot of doors for me that I never would have imagined. I can look at [the show] and say, Maybe I shouldn’t have handled it like that. Maybe I shouldn’t have thrown that bottle at Kenya, you know what I mean? If I’m blessed to be on TV for another five seasons, you won’t see Evelyn doing that. I’ve learned from that situation. Me and Tami do get a lot of heat because we are straight forward and in your face and controversial. It’s not always positive, but I know we can look back and say, ‘You know what, bitch, that wasn’t cool.’

What other lessons have you learned from the show through watching yourself?
Just to probably listen. Everyone always says it on the show, ‘Evelyn goes from 0-10.’ And that’s how I’ve always been since I was 13. Where I grew up, most people wouldn’t say, Okay, let’s have a conversation. That’s not the way things were dealt with where I grew up. You running your mouth? You talking shit? Things happen. There’s consequences for that. I’ve learned it’s not all about screaming and yelling and, ‘Oh, you’re a fucking bitch.’ Most of the time I don’t get my point across.

So Basketball Wives has been kind of like an anger management tool for you?
Yeah, it has. I was born and raised in the Bronx and went to public school in Manhattan. New York is a hustle and bustle type of place, you’re in cab getting cursed out and everyone is so high-strung. You’re always on defense mode. I love New York; I wouldn’t take anything back, but you become a little aggressive [Laughs].

How did you handle the reactions for your VIBE cover?
You know, you have those people that love you and think that everything you do is great then there are those who are like why did they put these girls on here they aren’t role models. I think that goes hand in hand with not really caring what people say. I would like to put a camera in your house for 2 months and see what I capture. People only know Evelyn from the show, they don’t know me fro outside the show, and that’s why I’m happy I was blessed with another opportunity because you get to see all of that. You get to see me with the family, Chad with the family, our kids, the issues we are having. It’s two totally different shows and two totally different things that the world will get to see when it comes to me. I wasn’t really to bothered, I kind of knew that it was going to happen, everybody has their opinion. But for me its been a good response, people love the cover and how the photos came out so that’s pretty cool.

In your last chat with Jen, a lot was said. Could you ever move forward into a space where you could at least be in the same room with her?
I think so. A lot was happening during that time. I’m one of those people, I said some things and I was just like, that was not cooI. I live by loyalty and I feel like at that point I broke the friend code. I should have never broken that code and I should have never stooped down to that level. Like, if she wants to do interviews and slick comments, it is what it is. I don’t hate her. People just get caught up in this industry; you do interviews and say certain things. I truly don’t wish her anything negative, we’ve gone through a lot together as friends from moving out, men drama, all types of stuff. It’s just tough having to relive it then talk about it. You never have that time for healing. But now that the show is done and things are calming down, I’m not angry anymore about it and I don’t hate her at all. I don’t really hate anybody, I was just upset how things were handled.

Do you miss her or the friendship?
I miss her. We were friends for 10 years. I was in her wedding, so you know yeah, and your thinking you guys are going to do this show together, your BFF, and then your kind of like what happened? And we are mutual friends with a lot of people, so everything else became weird energy. It was tough.

Now, Shaunie’s been taking a lot of heat too. What are your thoughts on that?
I’ve had conversations with Shaunie, and she is in a tough place because she wears all hats, she’s Executive Producer, a cast mate, friend to us…it’s just tough because you’re being pulled from every angle. I can honestly say that from season 1, Shaunie has been an advocate to find a balance. We filmed a charity event for kids with cancer and it was the most amazing charity event that I’ve ever went to. Even the camera men, grown men, were crying. But it didn’t make the cut and they chose to air the part with me calling someone a fucking bitch instead. She’s an Executive Producer, but she doesn’t know what tapes are being sent to VH1; she doesn’t know everything that is going on. But I can guarantee you that it will look different and not only because of all the controversy, but because she’s been working so hard to find a balance.