Guest Blog: Cindy Arora

Be You

By Cindy Arora

People ask me all the time how I finished a book. I was a new mom, had a full-time job and plenty of personal shenanigans going on in my life to keep me busy. But there I was every night, elbow deep in character profiles, dialogue, and researching petit fours.

While writing Heartbreak Cake, I had one simple mantra that kept me going, even when I wanted to go lay down on my couch and eat cake while watching Sex and the City reruns.

“Get her done.” Simple, succinct and exactly what I needed to hear on a daily basis.

You see, you can’t write a book unless you finish it. So before you can even start judging yourself on how terrible the dialogue is, how silly the characters are, or how much better (insert author’s name here) book is, you really just have to finish it.

So, in the meantime, while writing your rough draft, just be you. Have fun, stretch your writing legs, get out of your own way, and just do what you love. Write.

My Favorite Writing Quotes

1. “Almost all good writing begins with terrible first efforts. You need to start somewhere.” Anne Lamott

2. “If I waited for perfection, I’d never write a word.” Margaret Atwood

3. “A professional writer is an amateur who didn’t quit.” Richard Bach

4. “If I waited until I felt like writing, I’d never write at all.” Anne Tyler

Heartbreak Cake by Cindy Arora

Business is sweet for pastry chef Indira Aguilar. Her indie bakery, Cake Pan, is fast becoming the talk of the wedding circuit for its unique take on cakes and homespun creations for the modern bride, garnering national recognition and drawing in celebrity clients. But while her professional life is blossoming, her personal life is crumbling. Indira may have a talent for blending buttercream into bliss, but when it comes to relationships, she’s got a lot to learn. Considering that the love of her life, Josh Oliver, is not only married, but also runs the award-winning pastry department of her fiercest competition, Crystal Cove Resort, Indira puts much more at stake than just her heart when she ends her affair with him. Rumors begin to fly as the small seaside community of Long Beach learns of her secret relationship, and Indira must defend not only her actions, but her wedding business and her reputation while trying to maneuver the choppy heartbreak waters of starting over, finding new love, and facing her past. With the support of friends and family, a fondness for butter, and a determined spirit, Indira may just bake her way back to happiness and possibly into the heart of Crystal Cove’s dishy new chef, Noah. But one thing is certain. Where there’s heartbreak, there must be cake.

Add Heartbreak Cake to your Goodreads shelf! Follow along with the Heartbreak Cake Blog Tour via Fictionella! Visit publisher Simon & Fig for more information about the book, and connect with Cindy at cindyarora.com!