Blog Tour Sign Up: Sparkle by Cara Alwill Leyba

Cara will be on tour in November/December with her self-help novelSparkle.Print copies will be available for US/Canada residents. Cara will also be open for a guest post or interview. Please fill out the form below if you would like to be included. I will contact everyone chosen to participate. Thank you!

Note from the author: Sparkle is self-help with a twist: rather than encouraging women to change, my book encourages women to celebrate themselves exactly as they are: flaws and all.

ABOUT SPARKLE:

As women, we have become professional self-critics. We’ve become so convinced by society that we need to attain a level of perfection that just isn’t real. Whether it’s trying to get skinnier, look younger, get that promotion, please our parents, get fuller lips or rid ourselves of cellulite — we’re no a never-ending mission to change and it always winds up making us feel like crap.

Instead, why not focus on all the fabulous qualities that we already possess? There is so much to celebrate when we look at all of our accomplishments. In this straight-up girlfriend’s guide, lifestylist and certified wellness coach Cara Alwill Leyba empowers women to design the lives they desire and deserve. So raise your glass and toast yourself. You’re about to start shimmering, shining and dazzling every day! Because isn’t everything better when it sparkles?

Praise for SPARKLE:

“Don’t spend another dull moment in your life. Learn to live your best life with Cara Alwill Leyba’s SPARKLE. It should be every woman’s new manifesto.” — Cara Lockwood, author of I Do (But I Don’t) USA Today Bestseller

CARA’S BIO:

Cara Alwill Leyba is a writer, lifestylist and certified wellness coach  from NYC who empowers women to live their most effervescent lives and celebrate themselves. She encourages women to indulge in the things that make them happy, and swears that every woman can live a “Champagne life,” no matter how busy she is or how tight her budget.

Her blog, The Champagne Diaries, boasts a dedicated following of thousands of loyal readers and has been featured in Glamour, Shape, Cafe Mom, Daily Mail UK, MSN Australia, AOL UK Lifestyle, and a host of other publications worldwide.

Cara also regularly appears on the “Ask Dr. Fritz” radio show on WWRL New York, where she helps host Dr. Fritz answer questions from callers about love, career, family, relationships and more. Her writing has also appeared in xoJane and Mind Body Green.

When she’s not popping bubbly and penning her Champagne diaries, Cara spends her days leading a digital advertising team at MTV Networks. She lives in Brooklyn, New York with her husband and dog-child.

**Cara’s tour is now full. Thanks to everyone who signed up!**

Debut Author of the Month: Cat Lavoie

Chick Lit Plus is pleased to announce the Debut Author of the Month for August is Cat Lavoie, author of Breaking the Rules!

What was your reaction when you learned that you had been selected as the Debut Author of the Month for Chick Lit Plus?

I was incredibly honored and overjoyed! There was definitely a happy dance (or two) involved in my celebration. I’m so proud to be a chick lit writer and extremely proud of this novel so being recognized by a wonderful site that celebrates and embraces the genre is really awesome.

 

 

Why should readers get their copy of Breaking The Rules?

I think that Breaking the Rules is a story that most people can relate to because–at its core–it’s about the bond between family and friends. I might be a bit biased but I fell in love with Roxy and Ollie and I’m hoping readers will connect with them and their journey.

Giveaway!

We will be giving away one Kindle/ePub copy of Breaking the Rules to a lucky winner! To enter, please just leave a comment below. The winner will be chosen on Friday, August 31.

**The winner is Emily Lewis!**

Connect with Cat!

Cat blogs about the writing life and posts adorable pictures of Abbie over at the Catenabi Chronicles. Come say hello at: www.CatLavoie.com and follow @Catenabi on Twitter.

www.CatLavoie.com
http://www.facebook.com/ CatLavoieAuthor?ref=stream
http://www.goodreads.com/

author/show/6440914.Cat_Lavoie
https://twitter.com/Catenabi

Chick Lit Lovers’ Labor of Love!

Chick Lit Lovers’ Labor of Love!

 For four days over the US Labor Day weekend, 7 of your favorite chick lit writers are offering their books for $.99 to say a huge thank you to all the readers who’ve supported them over the years. Elle Lothlorien, who has coordinated the chick lit lovelies, says, “We’ve had such amazing support from readers over the years. They’ve posted reviews, friended us on Facebook, helped us procrastinate on twitter and sent emails telling us how much they appreciate our work. As a little thank you for all that love, we wanted to give something back to them.”

From Friday, August 31^st through Monday, September 3^rd, all of these books are $.99 on Amazon.com. You can also spread the love to your friends through Amazon’s ‘give as a gift’ button.

THE FROG PRINCE BY ELLE LOTHLORIEN

It was his pheromones that did it. With one sniff, sex researcher Leigh Fromm recognizes that any offspring she might have with the mysterious stranger would have a better-than-average chance of surviving any number of impending pandemics.

But when Leigh finds out that the handsome “someone” at her great aunt’s wake is Prince Roman Habsburg von Lorraine of Austria, she suddenly doubts her instincts—not that she was intending to sleep with the guy. The royal house of Habsburg was once completely inbred, insanity and impotency among the highlights of their genetic pedigree. (The extreme “bulldog underbite” that plagued them wasn’t called the Habsburg Jaw for nothing.)

It doesn’t matter that his family hasn’t sat on a throne (other than the ones in their Toilette) since 1918, or that Austria is now a parliamentary democracy. Their lives couldn’t be more different: Roman is routinely mobbed by paparazzi in Europe. Leigh is regularly mocked for having the social skills of a potted plant. Even if she suddenly developed grace, charm and a pedigree that would withstand the scrutiny of the press and his family, what exactly is she supposed to do with this would-have-been king of Austria who is in self-imposed exile in Denver, Colorado?

ONE PINK LINE BY DINA SILVER

Can the love of a lifetime be forever changed by one pink line? Dina Silver’s tender, absorbing novel, One Pink Line, is the warmhearted, wry story of love, loss and family, as seen through the prism of one singular, spirited young couple who find themselves in a predicament that changes the course of their lives, and those closest to them.

Sydney Shephard, a sweet-tempered, strong-natured college senior is young, in love with an exceptional man, and unexpectedly pregnant. Faced with a child she never planned for, she is forced to relay this news to her neurotic mother, relinquish her youth, and risk losing the love of her life. Then there’s Grace, a daughter, who believed she was a product of this great love, grows to realize her existence is not what she assumed, and is left with profound and puzzling questions about who she really is.

Spanning generations and every imaginable emotion, One Pink Line reveals how two points of view can be dramatically at odds, and perhaps ultimately reconciled.

BUILD A MAN BY TALLI ROLAND

Slave to the rich and the rude, cosmetic surgery receptionist Serenity Holland longs for the day she’s a high-flying tabloid reporter. When she meets Jeremy Ritchie — the hang-dog man determined to be Britain’s Most Eligible Bachelor by making himself over from head to toe and everything in between — Serenity knows she’s got a story no editor could resist.

With London’s biggest tabloid on board and her very own column tracking Jeremy’s progress from dud to dude, Serenity is determined to be a success. But when Jeremy’s surgery goes drastically wrong and she’s ordered to cover all the car-crash goriness, Serenity must decide how far she really will go for her dream job.

SINGLE IN THE CITY BY MICHELE GORMAN

Take one twenty six year old American, add to a two thousand year old city, add a big dose of culture clash and stir.

To think Hannah ever believed that Americans differed from Brits mainly in pronunciation, sophistication and dentistry. That’s been the understatement of a lifetime. She lands upon England’s gentle shores with no job, no friends and no idea how she’s supposed to build the life she’s dreaming of. Armed with little more than her enthusiasm, she charges headlong into London, baffling the locals in her pursuit of a new life, new love and sense of herself.

ROMANTICALLY CHALLENGED BY BETH ORSOFF

Being single is tough enough without constantly being asked, “When are you getting married?” Julie Burns, a 32-year-old Hollywood entertainment attorney weary of being asked about her marital status and informed of the dismal statistical reality regarding the matrimonial chances for a single woman of her age, decides to put more effort into her search for a decent man. She is willing to try just about everything, except giving up her standards (for more than one date). The results are disastrous and hilarious. Urged by her friends, she gives a schlemiel she meets on an airplane a chance as well as trying dating services, blind dates, and speed dating. How can a cute, intelligent woman with a great career fail to meet the man of her dreams? Her friends claim she is just too picky, but Julie is just looking for a man with a future.

WENDY AND THE LOST BOYS BY BARBARA SILKSTONE

When a deathbed promise to a friend leaves Wendy Darlin, feisty Miami real estate broker for billionaires, trapped on a super-yacht with Ponzi-king, Charlie Hook, she’s forced to join him on a quest to recover his hidden treasure. Along for the danger-filled adventure are an undercover SEC Investigator, who kindles a spark in Wendy with his ‘Johnny Depp’ eyes and Hook’s young female helicopter pilot who befriends Wendy as they sail the high seas, one step ahead of modern day ruthless pirates.

THE MERRY GO ROUND BY DONNA FASANO

When Lauren divorces her husband, she has one thought on her mind…stepping off the merry-go-round. However, her life quickly turns into a three-ring circus: her hypochondriac father moves in, her ex is using her shower when she’s not home, and her perky assistant is pushing her out into the fearsome dating world. She also has to decide if the dilapidated barn and vintage merry-go-round she was awarded in the divorce settlement is a blessing or a bane. As if Lauren’s personal life isn’t chaotic enough, this slightly jaded attorney is overrun with a cast of quirky characters who can’t stay on the right side of the law. What’s a woman to do? She can allow life to spin her in circles forever. Or she can reach out and grab the brass ring.

KISSED IN PARIS BY JULIETTE SOBANET

“You are in Paris, the City of Love. You must not be so controlled. Here, have another glass. I promise you, it will not hurt.”

When 29-year-old event planner Chloe Turner wakes up penniless and without a passport in the Plaza Athénée Hotel in Paris, she only has a few fleeting memories of Claude, the suave French man who convinced her to have that extra glass of wine before taking all of her possessions and slipping out the door. As the overly organized, go-to gal for her three drama queen younger sisters, her anxiety-ridden father, and her needy clients, Chloe is normally prepared for every disaster that comes her way. But with her wedding to her straight-laced, lawyer fiancé back in DC only days away and a French con-man on the loose with her engagement ring, this is one catastrophe she never could have planned for.

As Chloe tries to figure out a way home, she runs into an even bigger problem—the police are after her due to suspicious activity now tied to her bank account. Chloe’s only hope at retrieving her passport and clearing her name lies in the hands of a rugged, undercover agent named Julien who has a few secrets of his own. As Chloe follows this mysterious, and—although she doesn’t want to admit it—sexy French man on a wild chase through the sun-kissed countryside of France, she discovers a magical world she never knew existed and has to decide if the perfectly ordered life she’s built for herself back home is really what she wants after all.

And writers from other genres have joined us to offer their fantastic books for $.99 too through September 3rd. Click here for the full list.

 

Midnight Promises by Sherryl Woods

Midnight Promises by Sherryl Woods is the first in the Sweet Magnolia’s triology. This book follows Elliott Cruz, who first courted struggling single mom, Karen Amex, years ago. Now a few years into their marriage, their colliding dreams threaten to tear them apart. Elliott wants to pursue a business opportunity using their “baby money” and that causes issues with Karen due to her financial insecurities. Lack of communication, tension, personal issues, and secrets make things difficult, and unsure how to handle conflicting interests, things become tense quickly between the two … but it isn’t until they find out about an affair close to home that their issues are put into perspective and don’t seem so damning after all. Will they be able to work through their differences?

Sherryl beautiful conveys what life is like inside most marriages: life gets busy, spouses lose touch with one another, and things get in the way …. and I love how she handled their conflict and the resolution. I feel like most of the time in books, marriages are made out to be either completely disastrous or similar to a fairy tale, when for most people, they are right in between. I also really liked the secondary plot line (well, as much as one can when it deals with an extramarital affair) and how Elliott and Karen use her marriage crisis to really see what they have right in front of them. Midnight Promises is a wonderful read and Sherryl does a fantastic job at creating very in depth characters and a very believable story line. Overall, a really great read.

[Rating:4.5/5]

The Sweet Magnolia triology:

Catching Fireflies

When bullying threatens to destroy a teen’s life, painful memories resurface for dedicated high school teacher Laura Reed and pediatrician J. C. Fullerton. With the support of the Sweet Magnolias, they they bring the town together to ensure that a promising student’s future isn’t ruined. And to establish once and for all that bullying has no place in Serenity, South Carolina.

Both J.C.’s and Laura’s passion for the cause is deeply personal, and their growing feelings for each other are just as strong. But with so many secret hurts to overcome, can these two vulnerable lovers find the strength to believe in happily ever after?

Where Azaleas Bloom

Single mom Lynn Morrow is determined to put food on the table for her son and daughter. Her soon-to-be-ex-husband has failed to meet his obligations time and again—but it turns out that Ed is struggling with his own demons.

Enter contractor Mitch Franklin, an unlikely knight in shining armor. A widower with two grieving sons, Mitch once admired Lynn from afar. Now he sees in her not only the sweet girl who got away, but a woman desperately in need of support. While rushing to the rescue of Lynn and her children comes naturally to Mitch, he’s also wise enough to encourage Lynn to find her own way…hopefully straight into his arms.

On Tour: Free Gift With Purchase by Jackie Pilossoph

Jackie will be on tour September 3-17 with her novel Free Gift With Purchase

Your FREE GIFT WITH PURCHASE doesn’t always come from the department store makeup counter!

Emma and Laura are about as different as two sisters can be. Emma’s always been the party girl, Laura, the hardworking doctor. But now, the two have something in common. Both are newly single and trying out the dating scene after marriage.

Emma’s a widow and a single mother with a guilty secret she can’t let go. Laura’s husband just dumped her for one of four women he’s been sleeping with. A dispute over the house forces Laura to move in with her sister and that’s when the fun begins.

Go on some dates with these 42 and 44 year-old adorable sisters who are both looking for love and your jaw will surely drop! Laura’s mixed bag includes Dan, a selfish womanizer, Ari, a stalker, and Tim, a compulsive liar. For Emma there’s gorgeous, sexy Preston, a self-proclaiming “fun guy,” beautiful Alice, who’s a lesbian, and a string of Matts who go from bad to worse. Then there’s separated, charismatic, wealthy Luke Sullivan. Luke’s carrying some baggage, but he makes Emma’s heart stop every time he appears.

Free Gift With Purchase is a book about two sisters who have always seen things from an entirely different perspective, but who as women in need of each other learn to consider that instead of judging, looking through each other’s eyes might make their lives a lot richer. In other words, when you buy into opening your heart and believing in yourself, you might just end up with a Free Gift With Purchase.

Please visit CLP Blog Tours for all the tour stops!

Author Bio:

Jackie Pilossoph is also the author of Jackpot! and Hook, Line and Sink Him. She is a freelance corporate and newspaper reporter, and columnist for the Pioneer Press. Pilossoph holds a masters degree in communication from Boston University, and is currently working on her fourth novel.
Connect with Jackie!

my website and blog: www.jackiepilossoph.net

Future Tour: Lost in the Light by Mary Castillo

Mary will be on tour October 1-22 with her novel Lost in the Light

One October morning in 1932, Vicente Sorolla entered the white house on the hill and was never seen again .

Now, Detective Dori Orihuela helplessly witnesses his brutal murder in her nightmares.

Settling into a 120 year-old Edwardian mansion, Dori restores her dream home while recovering from a bullet wound and waiting to go back on duty.

But then one afternoon, Vicente materializes out of her butler’s pantry and asks her to find a woman named Anna. Dori wonders if she’s not only about to lose her badge, but also her sanity.

Dori and Vicente’s unlikely friendship takes us back to the waning days of Prohibition in San Diego and the dusty barrio of National City. Mary Castillo’s new novel, featuring the wild Orihuela family that first delighted readers in Names I Call My Sister, weaves romance, history and a mystery into a humorous, touching and unforgettable story.

Please visit CLP Blog Toursfor the full tour schedule!**Anyone who purchases their copy of Lost in the Light before October 22 and sends their receipt to Samantha (at) ChickLitPlus (dot) com, will get five entries in a drawing to win a $10 Amazon gift card!!**

Blog Tour Sign Up: Diners, Dives and Dead Ends by Terri L. Austin

Terri will be on tour in November with her humorous mystery novel Diners, Dives and Dead Ends. ePub and mobi eBooks will be available or print copies can be sent to US/Canada residents for review.  Terri will also be open for a guest post or interview. Book excerpts can be requested. Please use the form below to select your preferences. I will contact everyone chosen to participate. Thank you!

As a struggling waitress and part-time college student, Rose Strickland’s life is stalled in the slow lane. But when her close friend, Axton, disappears, Rose suddenly finds herself serving up more than hot coffee and flapjacks. Now she’s hashing it out with sexy bad guys and scrambling to find clues in a race to save Axton before his time runs out.

With her anime-loving bestie, her septuagenarian boss, and pair of IT wise men along for the ride, Rose discovers political corruption, illegal gambling, and shady corporations. She’s gone from zero to sixty and quickly learns when you’re speeding down the fast lane, it’s easy to crash and burn.

**Terri’s tour is now full. Thanks to everyone who signed up!**

 

GIVEAWAY: Thank You For Flying Air Zoe by Erik Atwell

Ladies and Gentlemen, the Fasten Seat Belt sign has been turned on, but feel free to ignore it, because sometimes life is best lived on its dizzy edges. Your cruising altitude today will be sky high, and you will be flying at staggering speeds as you travel alongside Zoe Tisdale, former Valley Girl and rock star turned bored butter saleswoman. On the heels of a brush with mortality, Zoe concludes that she’s been letting time pass her by. Realizing she needs to awaken her life’s tired refrains, Zoe vows to recapture the one chapter of her life that truly mattered to her – her days as drummer for The Flip-Flops, a spirited, sassy all-girl garage band that almost hit the big time back in 1987. But reuniting the band won’t be easy. The girls who were once the whiz kid guitarist, the prom queen bass player, and the hippie lead singer grew up and became women who are now a reclusive dog trainer, a wealthy socialite, and a sociopathic environmentalist. Will Zoe bring the band back together and give The Flip-Flops a second chance at stardom? Is it possible to fully reclaim the urgent energy of youth? As you follow this wild flight path, please know that your destination could be anywhere at all, complimentary oxygen is provided upon request, and baggage flies free. We hope you enjoy the ride, and Thank You For Flying Air Zoe.

I have one eBook copy of Thank Your For Flying Air Zoe up for grabs! To enter, please leave a comment below choosing your favorite boy or girl group. (Me – The Spice Girls!) The winner will be chosen Saturday, September 1. Thank you to Erik Atwell for sponsoring this giveaway!

**The winner is Abby!**

Bill and Giuliana Rancic Welcome Son

Bill and Giuliana Rancic are at last parents! Their son Edward Duke was born Wednesday at 10:12 pm in Denver, Colorado. The ecstatic parents were in the delivery room, and it is reported that Bill, 41, cut the cord and Giuliana, 37, was the first to hold Edward. Bill announced the happy news via Twitter Thursday morning: “The ‘Duke’ has landed! Edward Duke Rancic was welcomed into the world last night at 7 lbs., 4 oz. G & I feel blessed beyond words…We did it!”

The couple, who have been married since 2007, have struggled to have children, dealing with infertility, a miscarriage, and Giuliana’s diagnosis of breast cancer. They eventually used a gestational surrogate. Congrats to the happy couple!

 

Photo Credit: Jeff Kravitz/FimMagic

The Gaggle by Jessica Massa

The Gaggle by Jessica Massa is partially a self-help book, partially a humorous read that will keep you entertained until the last page. This book asks the question that no one wants to answer, “who cares if he’s just not that into you?” And instead of offering you simple solutions on how to break into the dating world, it shows you what you’ve been missing that has been right in front of your eyes the whole time … your GAGGLE. Incase you aren’t familiar, a gaggle is a term that replies to every type of man that you encounter in your world because dating is simply, no longer dating like it used to be. This book teaches you to look at your co-workers, their friends, college friends, old friends, an ex, and the list goes on and on and on. This book shows you that you have so much more going on in your life than you are giving yourself credit for and that some of your current relationships may actually be “the one” hidden in disguise.

I really, really enjoyed reading The Gaggle by Jessica Massa. I feel like it takes the self-help books of the dating world and knocks them on their ass, and although it is humorous in its descriptions of the men out there, it is pretty accurate in describing the lack of dating in todays world. It’s easy to feel like your love life is nonexistent and I have girlfriends who get so wrapped up in who and when their next date will be that they forget to see what is right in front of them. Overall, this was a very fun, helpful, honest portrayal of the dating scene today and I thoroughly enjoyed it. I would recommend it to my single girlfriends for guidance and those who are current committed for a good laugh.

[Rating: 4.5/5]

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