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	<title>Chick Lit Plus &#187; Updates</title>
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	<link>http://chicklitplus.com</link>
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	<lastBuildDate>Fri, 10 Feb 2012 22:56:26 +0000</lastBuildDate>
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		<title>GIVEAWAY: Destined to Fail Prize Pack</title>
		<link>http://chicklitplus.com/giveaway-destined-fail-prize-pack/</link>
		<comments>http://chicklitplus.com/giveaway-destined-fail-prize-pack/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Thu, 09 Feb 2012 16:19:50 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Samantha</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Updates]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[birchbox]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[destined to fail]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[samantha march]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://chicklitplus.com/?p=7629</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[I am excited to run what you will hopefully find a fun giveaway – for myself! I recently published my debut novel Destined to Fail under my pen name Samantha March, and am going to be running a giveaway for a prize pack through ChickLitPlus! Everyone who purchases their copy of Destined to Fail and [...]]]></description>
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		<slash:comments>4</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Author Profile: Lennie Ross</title>
		<link>http://chicklitplus.com/author-profile-lennie-ross/</link>
		<comments>http://chicklitplus.com/author-profile-lennie-ross/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Tue, 07 Feb 2012 15:05:56 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Samantha</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Chick Lit Authors]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Debut Author]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Updates]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[blow me]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[chick lit authors]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[chick lit books]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[chick lit review]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[lennie ross]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://chicklitplus.com/?p=7827</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Author Name: Lennie Ross
Website: http://www.lennieross.com/
Blog: http://www.lennierosswrites.com/
Bio: Lennie Ross writes a blog on dating in Los Angeles called Lennie Ross Writes and works as a researcher, story editor, and story consultant for other screenwriters. Under a pseudonym, she wrote several screenplays for Playboy's now defunct film division, Indigo Entertainment. She has also written several romantic comedy and suspense thriller feature film scripts. Her screenwriting credits include: writing and hosting a documentary on asthma; writing, producing, and starring in her own sitcom pilot, and writing and starring in her own play, I Think I'm Falling In Love With You. Lennie wrote two episodes of the Japan-Canada co-production animation series, Cyber- Six, and has had several TV movies optioned.
While pursuing a screenwriting career, Lennie has worked as a producer, talent agent and assistant casting director for roughly ten years. Prior to her adventures in the screen trade, Lennie wrote advertising copy for print and television, and fashion and travel articles for regional, national, and international publications including Beautiful B.C., Canadian Inflight, Adventure West, Pacific Northwest, Western Living and Vancouver Magazine.

Title: Blow Me
See my review for Blow Me
Bio retrieved from lennieross.com
]]></description>
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		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>In My Mailbox: Week of February 5</title>
		<link>http://chicklitplus.com/mailbox-week-february-5/</link>
		<comments>http://chicklitplus.com/mailbox-week-february-5/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Sun, 05 Feb 2012 21:06:36 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Samantha</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Chick Lit Plus]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[In My Mailbox]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Updates]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[chick lit books]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[chick lit review]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[diary of a mad fat girl]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[nine uses for an ex-boyfriend]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[sarah pekkanen]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[sarra manning]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[stephanie mcafee]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[these girls]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://chicklitplus.com/?p=7807</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[In My Mailbox: Week of February 5

Title: These Girls
Author: Sarah Pekkanen
Received: From Kortney @ Sparkpoint Studio
Synopsis: Family secrets may shape us all, but it’s the rich, complicated layers of friendship that can save us. 
Cate, Renee, and Abby have come to New York for very different reasons, and in a bustling city of millions, they are linked together through circumstance and chance. 
Cate has just been named the features editor of Gloss, a high-end lifestyle magazine. It’s a professional coup, but her new job comes with more complications than Cate ever anticipated. 
Her roommate Renee will do anything to nab the plum job of beauty editor at Gloss. But snide comments about Renee’s weight send her into an emotional tailspin. Soon she is taking black market diet pills—despite the racing heartbeat and trembling hands that signal she’s heading for real danger. 
Then there’s Abby, whom they take in as a third roommate. Once a joyful graduate student working as a nanny part time, she abruptly fled a seemingly happy life in the D.C. suburbs. No one knows what shattered Abby—or why she left everything she once loved behind. 
Pekkanen’s most compelling, true-to-life novel yet tells the story of three very different women as they navigate the complications of careers and love—and find the lifeline they need in each other.
Title: Diary of a Mad Fat Girl
Author: Stephanie McAfee
Received: From Jessica @ Penguin Group
Synopsis: Graciela "Ace" Jones is mad-mad at her best friend Lilly who cancels their annual trip to Panama City for mysterious reasons; at her boss Catherine for "riding her ass like a fat lady on a Rascal scooter;" at her friend Chloe's abusive husband; and especially at Mason McKenzie, the love of her life, who has shown up with a marriage proposal three years too late. Ace is never mad, though, at her near-constant companion, an adorable chiweenie dog named Buster Loo.
Ace's anger begins to dissipate as she takes matters into her own hands to take down Chloe's philandering husband-and to get to the bottom of a multitude of other scandals plaguing Bugtussle, Mississippi. Then, she starts to realize that maybe Mason deserves a second chance after all.
With a sharp and distinctive voice, Stephanie McAfee delivers a hilarious and fast-paced tale about Ace Jones and her two best friends-thick as thieves and tough as nails-navigating Southern small-town politics and prejudices, finding love, and standing up for each other all the way.
Title: Nine Uses for an Ex-Boyfriend
Author: Sara Manning
Received: From Transworld Publishers 
Synopsis: Hope Delafield hasn't always had an easy life. 
She has red hair and a temper to match, as her mother is constantly reminding her. She can't wear heels, is terrified of heights and being a primary school teacher isn't exactly the job she dreamed of doing, especially when her class are stuck on the two times table.
At least Hope has Jack, and Jack is the God of boyfriends. He's sweet, kind, funny, has a killer smile, a cool job on a fashion magazine and he's pretty (but in a manly way). Hope knew that Jack was The One ever since their first kiss after the Youth Club Disco and thirteen years later, they're still totally in love. Totally. They're even officially pre-engaged. And then Hope catches Jack kissing her best friend Susie... 
Does true love forgive and forget? Or does it get mad... and get even? 

]]></description>
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		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Guest Post by Samantha March &#8211; The Book Reviewer Gets Reviewed</title>
		<link>http://chicklitplus.com/guest-post-samantha-march-book-reviewer-reviewed/</link>
		<comments>http://chicklitplus.com/guest-post-samantha-march-book-reviewer-reviewed/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Sun, 05 Feb 2012 19:49:06 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Samantha</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[For Writers]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Updates]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[destined to fail]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[samantha march]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://chicklitplus.com/?p=7802</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[The Book Reviewer Gets Reviewed

I did not realize how much pressure I was going to feel after publishing Destined to Fail. Sure, I felt the usual pressures I’m sure many authors have – will the book sell, will I get any good reviews, etc – but I had an added pressure. I was the book [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://chicklitplus.com/guest-post-samantha-march-book-reviewer-reviewed/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Interview with Nancy Volkers</title>
		<link>http://chicklitplus.com/interview-nancy-volkers/</link>
		<comments>http://chicklitplus.com/interview-nancy-volkers/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Fri, 03 Feb 2012 04:16:51 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Samantha</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Updates]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[a scottish ferry tale]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[chick lit authors]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[chick lit books]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[chick lit review]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[nancy volkers]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[nancy volkers interview]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://chicklitplus.com/?p=4275</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Q: Have you always known you wanted to write?
A: Definitely... writing has been a part of my life for as long as I can remember.

Q: What was the first piece of “real” writing you did?
A: I wrote an illustrated Halloween story in kindergarten - one long run-on sentence! It started out "There once was a witch and she had a black pot and one day a pumpkin came and stole the pot...." I don't remember the rest, but I remember that the witch and pumpkin reconciled in the end.

Q: How long did it take you to write A Scottish Ferry Tale?
A: It took about six months to complete. But the first draft was done in a month -- I wrote it as part of National Novel Writing Month, in November 2008. Then I went back and added more to the story. 

Q: Can you describe your novel to readers in 20 words or less?
A: Young woman grapples with issues of head vs heart, fairy tales, love and chocolate cake. A handsome Scot helps. 

Q: What do you find to be the most challenging part of editing?
A: Flow. I want the story to flow, but I'm very much a "day in the life" writer -- I want people to see the characters as people, doing things that real people do. Sometimes that means spending five chapters on a two-week period of time, and then skipping ahead months into the future. It's tough to strike a balance between recounting too much and leaving out important bits.

Q: How did you celebrate once A Scottish Ferry Tale was published?
A: When the first proof arrived, I screamed - a happy scream. ;-) I didn't have any specific celebration, really. But I celebrate a little bit almost every day -- when I get an email from someone who's been touched by it, when I see people purchasing it, when aspiring novelists ask for advice. 

Q: Are you working on a sequel?
A: I'm dealing with formatting issues, back/front matter and the cover, but the sequel is finished. It's called Scotland by Starlight, and should be available in early 2011.

Q: You live in Vermont, a state that has been on my travel wish list for years. Why do you enjoy living there?
A: It's gorgeous, and I love the four distinct seasons (five, if you count "mud season" between winter and spring). Being outside in nature is important to me. The state is like one big small town -- people are tough and independent, yet always willing to lend a hand. And there's a sense of community here that's invigorating; people still trust one another. Add in local foods, beer, wines, and art -- it's just a wonderful place to live. (And billboards are against the law, so when you drive on the interstate, you can see the mountains!)

Q: Where would be your dream vacation? 
A: I've always wanted to visit New Zealand.

Q: What is your advice for aspiring writers? 
A: Get messy. Don't expect perfection in the first draft, or even the twentieth. There's a great essay by Katherine Patterson (Bridge to Terabithia) - she lives in Barre, Vermont, which is known for granite quarrying. She says that the first draft is akin to quarrying the granite - you're just trying to get something out of the ground. It won't be pretty, so don't expect it to be.  Once you've done that hard work, the grunt work, you can start sculpting and turn your lump of granite into something amazing. 

Also, seek out people who can provide constructive criticism, not just pats on the back. We all love to hear kudos, but your writing will change and improve if you are willing to consider other points of view. 
]]></description>
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		<slash:comments>2</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Challenge 2012:Post Reviews:February</title>
		<link>http://chicklitplus.com/challenge-2012post-reviewsfebruary/</link>
		<comments>http://chicklitplus.com/challenge-2012post-reviewsfebruary/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Thu, 02 Feb 2012 22:53:28 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Samantha</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Updates]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[chick lit books]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[chick lit reading challenge]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[chick lit review]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[marla schwartz]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[natalie aaron]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[unscripted]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://chicklitplus.com/?p=7780</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[
February Reviews
See past reviews
January Reviews
 Please note this is not the sign up page. To sign up, click here
To see what challengers are reading, click here
Only signed up challengers are eligible to win
Prize for January: Three (3) winners will win an eBook copy of Unscripted by Natalie Aaron &#38; Marla Schwartz. You must post the link [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://chicklitplus.com/challenge-2012post-reviewsfebruary/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>11</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>In My Mailbox: Week of January 29 Part 2</title>
		<link>http://chicklitplus.com/mailbox-week-january-29-part-2/</link>
		<comments>http://chicklitplus.com/mailbox-week-january-29-part-2/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Thu, 02 Feb 2012 20:31:37 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Samantha</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Chick Lit Plus]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[In My Mailbox]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Updates]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[another piece of my heart]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[ashley ream]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[blame it on the fame]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[chick lit books]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[chick lit review]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[jane green]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[losing clementine]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[molly shapiro]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[point click love]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[sheknows book lounge]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[tracie banister]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://chicklitplus.com/?p=7771</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[In My Mailbox: Week of January 29 Part 2

Title: Point Click Love
Author: Molly Shapiro
Received: From Molly Shapiro
Synopsis: In Molly Shapiro’s fun and sexy debut novel, four women try to sort through the wild and complicated world of text messaging, status updates, and other high-speed connections.   
 
Best friends and fellow midwesterners Katie, Annie, Maxine, and Claudia are no strangers to dealing with love and relationships, but with online dating and social networking now in the mix, they all have the feeling they’re not in Kansas anymore. Katie, a divorced mother of two, secretly seeks companionship through the Internet only to discover that the rules of the dating game have drastically changed. Annie, a high-powered East Coast transplant, longs for a baby, yet her online search for a sperm donor is not as easy—or anonymous—as she anticipates. Maxine, a successful artist with a seemingly perfect husband, turns to celebrity gossip sites to distract herself from her less-than-ideal marriage. And Claudia, tired of her husband’s obsession with Facebook, finds herself irresistibly drawn to a handsome co-worker. As these women navigate the new highs and lows of the digital age, they each find that their wrong turns lead surprisingly to the right click and, ultimately, the connection they were seeking.

Title: Blame it on the Fame
Author: Tracie Banister
Received: From Tracie Banister
Synopsis: A power-trippin’ bitch, a has-been, a skanky ex-model, a press-shy indie queen, and a British stage actress no one knows – that’s how the Best Actress hopefuls in this year’s too-close-to-call Oscar race cattily describe each other. Which of them will win the much-coveted gold statue and what price will they be forced to pay as they travel the red carpeted-path to Hollywood glory? 

Amidst all the press-schmoozing and angsting over which designer gown to wear, these Oscar contenders feud, commiserate, and face a succession of personal crises – scandalous secrets come to light, marriages implode, accidents land two nominees in the hospital while another receives news that could derail her career, all culminating on Tinsel Town’s biggest night when anything can happen, and does.

BLAME IT ON THE FAME is the debut novel of author Tracie Banister whose writing is similar in tone (sexy, humorous) to the works of Lauren Weisberger and Candace Bushnell.

Title: Losing Clementine
Author: Ashley Ream
Received: From Lauren @ Harper Collins for SheKnows Book Lounge Review
Synopsis: In thirty days Clementine Pritchard will be finished with her last painting and her life. 
World-renowned artist and sharp-tongued wit Clementine Pritchard has decided that she's done. After flushing away a medicine cabinet full of prescriptions, she gives herself thirty days to tie up loose ends—finish one last painting, make nice with her ex-husband, and find a home for her cat. Clementine plans to spend the month she has left in a swirl of art-world parties, manic work sessions, and outrageous acts—but what she doesn't expect is to uncover secrets surrounding the tragedy that befell her mother and sister. In an ending no one sees coming, will we lose Clementine or will we find her? 
A bold debut from an exciting new voice, Losing Clementine is a wonderfully entertaining and poignant novel about unanticipated self-discovery that features one of the most irresistible, if deeply flawed, characters to grace contemporary fiction in years. 

Title: Another Piece of My Heart
Author: Jane Green
Received: From Stephanie @ St. Martin’s Press for SheKnows Book Lounge Review
Synopsis: Andi has spent much of her adult life looking for the perfect man, and at thirty-seven, she's finally found him.  Ethan--divorced with two daughters, Emily and Sophia--is a devoted father and even better husband.  Always hoping one day she would be a mother, Andi embraces the girls like they were her own. But in Emily’s eyes, Andi is an obstacle to her father’s love, and Emily will do whatever it takes to break her down. When the dynamics between the two escalate, they threaten everything Andi believes about love, family, and motherhood—leaving both women standing at a crossroad in their lives…and in their hearts. 
ANOTHER PIECE OF MY HEART is a novel that illuminates the nuances and truths about relationships and is Jane Green at her absolute best.
]]></description>
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		<slash:comments>1</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Interview with Erik Atwell</title>
		<link>http://chicklitplus.com/interview-erik-atwell/</link>
		<comments>http://chicklitplus.com/interview-erik-atwell/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Thu, 02 Feb 2012 15:37:38 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Samantha</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Chick Lit Authors]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Debut Author]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Updates]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[chick lit books]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[chick lit review]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[clp blog tours]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[erik atwell]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[thank you for flying air zoe]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://chicklitplus.com/?p=7765</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[
Why did you want to write Thank You For Flying Air Zoe?

Hi Samantha! Real quick before getting to the Q&#038;A, I want to thank you for both having me here on Chick Lit Plus, and for putting together this ridiculously cool blog tour!

Okay, so… Why did I want to write Air Zoe? Maybe because I felt I owed it to readers to share my experiences about being in an all-girl garage band.

Kidding. I do that a lot. Hopefully it won’t get too annoying.

The truth is, I wrote this story because I very much wanted to tell a universally relatable story about reconnecting with one’s youth. I think that for many, adulthood arrives without much warning, and it often leaves our wildest and most unbridled dreams in the dust. To me, this is sort of a bummer. Granted, adulthood brings with it a full boatload of responsibilities, and we can’t all just pitch everything on a whim and backpack through Europe whenever an adventurous itch needs to be scratched. But I believe that with enough emotional maintenance, we can hold on to the urgency and energy of our youth.

I think that one of the many keys to happiness is to live without regrets. And for the most part, I’ve followed this blueprint well. Though I’m still slightly bitter that I never won an Olympic gold medal. I was kind of a hotshot on skis as a six-year-old, but looking back now, I see where it all went wrong.

Not enough training and too many trips to the local DQ. 

Oh well. I’m sure the chocolate milkshake has derailed many amazing athletic accomplishments over the years, huh?

Anyway, I thought it would be both challenging and fun for me as a writer to take a shot at writing a story about a woman who wanted to correct her life’s one big regret. And really, didn’t we all dream of being a rock star at some point during our childhood?

What is the hardest part about writing for you?

That’s an easy one... Starting. Starting a new story, starting a new chapter, starting the day’s writing session. Just plain trying to get out of the gate and hit my stride. Unfortunately, I haven’t yet located the little on/off switch that will allow me to be a writer one moment and a rational, agreeable, and normal person the next. I can do my best to schedule a specific writing time, but unless my mind is properly slanted toward creativity in that moment, I will be utterly useless as a writer.

Conversely, my favorite part of writing is barreling past all of those horrible potholes and speed bumps that clutter up my path. Once the story gains speed and the writing is in rhythm, that’s when the whole process can be pure bliss.

What is the most rewarding part of being published?

Now see, this is such a great question that I’m having a hard time starting my answer! (*grin*)

Maybe this is because there are so many possible answers. For one, being published eliminates what would likely be a massive regret were I to never publish a novel. I think that’s the basic reward as dictated by my unofficial Bucket List. Been writing a while. I really wanted this.

A rewarding memory that’ll forever make me laugh... When the book first came out, I received three boxes of author copies. So I did what any sane person would do -- I stacked all 96 copies on top of one another to see whether or not I was taller than the stack! I was, but not by much. And wow, wasn’t there a spectacular moment of pure panic when at about 80 books high, the tower started to topple! Anyway, I think that the sheer lunacy of building my own little Air Zoe high rise kind of captured the euphoria of being published. You don’t quite know what to do with yourself, so you end up going slightly cuckoo. I’m surprised I didn’t try to build a fort!

But I think that the most rewarding part of being published has to be hearing compliments from readers and reviewers. It’s definitely a trip when you check your daily websites and see that someone has taken the time to share their thoughts about your novel. And if you’re lucky enough to get four, or even (*gasp*) five stars for your work?

You kind of spaz out a little. Maybe do a somersault/handstand/Macarena combo. It’s not all that pretty, but I find it effectively conveys the right amount of enthusiasm.

Are you currently working on another novel?

Not at the moment, but this is only because I’m currently working on being a new dad, and the little one has staked a claim to my schedule for a while. That said, I’m definitely eager to get something else out there soon. Right now I’m looking at two options. 

Option One... I already have a finished draft of a pretty nifty novel called Most Likely To Succeed that I wrote prior to writing Air Zoe, but it needs to have maybe a hundred or so pages lopped off around the edges. It’s just way too long. I think I thought I was the Tolstoy of chick lit or something. 

Option Two... Maybe a sequel to Thank You For Flying Air Zoe? Yeah, this is what I’d love to write next, provided this first effort can win over enough of an audience to justify an encore performance. I even have an (extra top secret) title and storyline swimming around in my head!

Do you have a writing routine you try to stick to?

Once upon a time in the pre-fatherhood era, yes. I would spend mornings lost in impossibly deep thought over what I would write later that day. And by that, I mean that I pretty much surfed the internet while watching SportsCenter and drinking way too much coffee. On occasion, I might write what I thought was a cool sentence or two as I prepared to tackle the project that afternoon.

Afternoon would arrive, and I would be raring to go! But after even more coffee, I would usually conclude that my cool sentences were not at all cool, and I was probably going to have to give up on this writing thing for good. I imagine that in my mind, I have given up on having a career as a writer close to five thousand times. “I should quit writing,” I would say to myself. “I should quit writing, and instead focus on trying to make the 2014 Olympic Ski Team!”

Fortunately, I’m not very good at quitting. And sure enough, by late afternoon, while in full sulk over my epic creative inabilities, the proverbial bright idea light bulb would suddenly shine brightly overhead. I would then hurry to the computer, hammer out a few paragraphs -- or even pages -- and thus make an amazing and dramatic eleventh hour save of the project!

Then the very next morning, I would wake up, make coffee, read these allegedly brilliant things I’d written the day before, and think, “Wow, this is kind of awful.”

Lather, rinse, repeat! (*grin*)

How important do you think blogs and/or social media are to authors?

Given the web’s global reach, I think that blogs and such are an absolute necessity these days. I recently wrote a blog post announcing this Blog Tour, and I joked about how traditional book tours are just so 20th century. Sure, some of the more established authors hit the road and draw large crowds at signings, but us debut authors don’t have the resources needed to facilitate such promotion. Social media, however, gives us a bit of a fighting chance to compete. Still, it takes work to connect with others through blogs, or sites like Facebook and Twitter, because with so many writers out there trying to get noticed, the creative chaos can be tough to sift through. Too many voices at one time can create a white noise wherein none of the voices are truly heard. 

I’m definitely still learning how to best utilize social media, but it seems to me that a good strategy is one that comes pretty naturally to me, and that is to both know and respect that fine line between connecting and self-promoting. My own blog is almost criminally primitive, but it achieves what I believe is its most vital goal – it helps me connect with readers on a more personal level. And if you can give readers a chance to care about you as a person, I think they’re more inclined to support your career as an author. 

So yeah, I think that blogs can be fantastic little windows into the worlds of authors they might otherwise never get to know. I mean if I had this same fledgling career a dozen years ago, would my audience know that I’m a new dad who’s now rockin’ a burgundy minivan?

Wow, did I just admit that?

What is your advice for aspiring writers?

I would tell them this... Don’t stop believin’, hold on to that feelin’. Don’t lose your grip on the dreams of the past, you must fight just to keep them alive. You’ve gotta hold on to what you’ve got, it doesn’t really matter if you make it or not... And... Um...

Okay, time out.

Can you tell that I’ve spent the last few months mired in 80s music?

Kidding aside, there’s actually a whole lot of sound advice within the 80s lyrics mash-up above, cliché though it all may be. Unless you’re incredibly lucky and/or impossibly talented, you are going to need enough belief in yourself to overpower rejection. Because it probably will happen, and when it does, you will question your own voice. You will doubt that you have what it takes to make it in an industry that is growing increasingly tougher to break into. 

And you know what?

That is totally okay. Maybe you don’t have what it takes -- at least not yet. However, maybe you’re close, and all you need is to keep trying. Keep studying the writings of others. Keep picking yourself up when you stumble and fall. Keep writing, because your creative evolution demands that you never give up. And above all else, don’t beat yourself up if you’re struggling. Because writing isn’t easy, and struggle is just part of the program. Personally, I’ve always found that the less pressure I put on myself to succeed on others’ terms, the better my writing is. Seems to me that the less you worry about the outcome, the more likely you are to see results.

I have a favorite quote that fits here and will be a nice parting sentiment. It comes from Anonymous. I don’t know about you, but I hope that someday they discover who Anonymous is, because he/she says tons of quotable things.

The quote: “The worst thing you write is better than the best thing you didn’t write.”

Remember this and just write.

Thanks for everything, Samantha -- I’ve had a blast being here.

Like, totally!

]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://chicklitplus.com/interview-erik-atwell/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>2</slash:comments>
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		<item>
		<title>Author Profile: Deborah Cloyed</title>
		<link>http://chicklitplus.com/author-profile-deborah-cloyed/</link>
		<comments>http://chicklitplus.com/author-profile-deborah-cloyed/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Tue, 31 Jan 2012 15:07:16 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Samantha</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Chick Lit Authors]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Debut Author]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Updates]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[deborah cloyed]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[the summer we came to life]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://chicklitplus.com/?p=7747</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Author: Deborah Cloyed
Website: http://www.deborahcloyed.com/
Bio: DEBORAH CLOYED lives in Los Angeles, in Humphrey Bogart’s old room with a view. As a photographer, travel writer, or curious nomad, she’s previously resided in London, Barcelona, Thailand, Honduras, Kenya, and New York City. She’s traveled to twenty other countries besides, several as a contestant with her childhood best friend on CBS’ The Amazing Race. She runs a photography school for kids and is happily at work on her next book – a nonlinear love story set against the political violence in Kenya 2007-2008.
Titles: The Summer We Came To Life
See my review of The Summer We Came To Life

]]></description>
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		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>In My Mailbox: Week of January 29</title>
		<link>http://chicklitplus.com/mailbox-week-january-29/</link>
		<comments>http://chicklitplus.com/mailbox-week-january-29/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Sun, 29 Jan 2012 21:41:32 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Samantha</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Chick Lit Plus]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[In My Mailbox]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Updates]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[a promise of safekeeping]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[chick lit books]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[chick lit review]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[children of the gods]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[clp blog tours]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[lisa dale]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[liz matis]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[love by design]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[monica millard]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[sheknows book lounge]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://chicklitplus.com/?p=7735</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[In My Mailbox: Week of January 29, 2012
&#160;
Title: Children of the Gods
Author: Monica Millard
Received: Via CLP Blog Tours
Synopsis: For as long as seventeen-year-old Reka Cushing can remember, she has watched her friends and her neighbors be stolen, their bodies used as hosts for the Halorans; an alien race that has come to earth posing as [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://chicklitplus.com/mailbox-week-january-29/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
		</item>
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