Author Profile: Alison Pace

Author Name: Alison Pace

Website: http://www.alisonpace.com/

Bio: Alison Pace is the author of the novels If Andy Warhol Had a Girlfriend, Pug Hill, Through Thick and Thin, City Dog, and A Pug’s Tale. Her essays have appeared in several anthologies including It’s a Wonderful Lie: The Truth About Life in Your Twenties, Everything I Needed to Know about Being a Girl I Learned from Judy Blume, and Howl: A Collection of the Best Contemporary Dog Wit.

Alison lives in New York City where she teaches creative writing and is at work on another book.

Her favorite city other than New York is Rome. Her favorite books, music, and TV shows change constantly though there will always be a special place in her heart for Willie Nelson, Cake, Wuthering Heights, and Will & Grace; her favorite movies are When Harry Met Sally, Manhattan, and Best In Show; her favorite movie line is from Rushmore when Luke Wilson says, “These are my O.R. scrubs,” to which Jason Schwartzman replies, “Oh, are they?”

See my four star review of A Pug’s Tale!

Bio retrieved from alisonpace.com

Author Profile: Victoria Connelly

Author Name: Victoria Connelly

Website: http://victoriaconnelly.com/

Bio: Victoria Connelly grew up in Norfolk before attending Worcester University where she studied English Literature. After graduating, she worked her way through a number of jobs before becoming a teacher in North Yorkshire.  In 2000, she got married in a medieval castle in the Yorkshire Dales and moved to London.

Although having had articles and short stories published, it was only when Flights of Angels was published that Victoria was able to realise the dream of becoming a professional writer. Bought in a bidding war between five publishers and released as Unter deinem Stern in Germany, the novel was made into a film for television by award-winning Ziegler Film. Her second novel, The Unmasking of Elena Montella (Wenn es dich gibt), was published in 2007 and her third, Three Graces (Wohin mit der Liebe), was published in 2009.

Her first novel to be published in the UK – Molly’s Millions – came out in 2009. She is currently working on a trilogy about Jane Austen addicts.  The first, A Weekend with Mr Darcy, was published in the UK by Avon, HarperCollins, and was published in the US by Sourcebooks in July 2011.   The second in the trilogy, The Perfect Hero, was published in the UK in April 2011 and will be published in the US as Dreaming of Mr Darcy. The third book, Mr Darcy Forever, will be published in the US in April 2012.

Her next book to be published in the UK will be The Runaway Actress – a romantic comedy about a movie star who swaps Hollywood for the Highlands.

Victoria’s three fantasy rom coms, previously published in Germany, are now available in English on Kindle and other ebook formats.

She lives in London with her artist husband, a springer spaniel and four ex-battery hens.

Titles: Molly’s Millions, A Weekend With Mr Darcy, The Perfect Hero

See my review of The Perfect Hero

 

Bio Retrieved from victoriaconnelly.com

 

 

 

 

Guest Post from Cynthia Ellingsen

Chick Lit Plus, thank you so much for hosting me today! I am delighted to talk with you about the writing process for my first book, The Whole Package.

 

The Whole Package is a story about three women who lose everything. One loses her job, one loses her fortune and one loses her husband. Together, they open the world’s first restaurant exclusively staffed by scantily clad men. Even though this is a comical premise, the story is actually about the strong friendship these three women share.

Because the story I wanted to write was based around three strong distinct female characters, I was faced with the task of creating them. Before I could even get started, I thought a lot about what I wanted from the three of them as a unit. It was important to me that these women were fine interesting and entertaining, as well as the best of friends. Then, I started thinking about what I wanted from them on an individual basis. I wanted characters that women could easily relate to but at the same time were interesting and unique.

Creating a character from scratch has to start somewhere, right? When I was writing the character Jackie, I had no idea where to start. I knew I wanted someone artistic, enigmatic and who was the pack leader, but I know anything about her. Well… I did have a fabulous friend who loved Angel perfume. For some reason, the smell of this perfume made me think of a woman with fluffy blonde hair, who charmed absolutely everyone who met her. Angel perfume. Such a tiny detail. It’s small, but it was more than enough to begin building who Jackie would become.

While a painter might use broad brush strokes to create a painting, I have always found that when I use broad strokes to write, those characters end up well… broad.  There is an expression that “God is in the details” and I find that to be especially true when trying to invent a character.  It is very hard for me to create a character without knowing the tiny little details about that person.

What do I mean when I say broad brush strokes? A broad brush stroke is like saying, “I want to have a comical best friend in my story.”  A broad character trait like comical is not something I have an easy time writing if I don’t know those tiny little details that make up who this comical person is.

In The Whole Package, I think of Doris as a comical character. But the thing that make her so funny to me are the details and aspects of her personality – the  things that she likes and dislikes – that make her come to life. For example, when building Doris, I knew that she had a weakness for Godiva chocolates, that her favorite time period was when she played soccer in high school and that finding simple order in a white room or a row of perfectly lined up sweaters brought her joy. Knowing these tiny details about Doris made it much easier to delve into the larger issues that make her she is.

Once I had a grasp on the smaller details, I started to put the puzzle pieces together to create the whole. During this process, I learned that Doris loved Godiva chocolates because she was going through a hard time and found comfort in chocolate. The fact that these chocolates were Godiva served as another clue – Doris clearly had some money if she could purchase premium chocolates instead of something you’d grab at the checkout.

Another piece I paid attention to was the knowledge that Doris also found comfort in a white room and a clean house. Again, comfort. Why did she need so much comfort? Well, that’s when I started to discover that there was a lot going on with Doris. That there was a reason Doris needed all of that comfort. It was because she had lost her mother, was desperately unhappy and living in the past. Oh. And she was married. And that her husband didn’t understand the depression she was going through, which was pushing him away and…

Doris began to develop as a character.

Of course, every writer is different. Ultimately, it’s just a matter of finding what works for you. In the end, there’s really only one thing that matters: that you have fallen in love with your characters. That you’ll miss them when they’re not around every day, telling you their problems. It’s that moment of complete, pure love that means you’re on the right track.

 

Let me know your writing tips and tricks. Visit me at www.cynthiaellingsen.com

Interview with Marybeth Whalen

Q: Have you always known you wanted to be a writer?

I always knew I was a writer down deep. It took a lot longer for me to admit I wanted to be one to myself– and especially to other people.

Q: Are your stories inspired by your own life, or lives of people you know?

My stories are always inspired by my own life. I have heard it said that novelists have good “what iffers.” We see something and we start the “What if?” game. Pretty soon we have the core of a novel. That’s what happened with my new novel, She Makes It Look Easy. I asked myself what if a woman who has it all together finds herself in an unavoidable situation. How does she respond and does she keep it all together or willingly lose it for something that looks better than the life she thought she wanted?  And what if a friend who admired her watched all this transpire? What would that do to her illusion of perfection?

Q: When you are in the writing process, is there a specific time of day that you get most of your writing done? Do you have any set schedule you follow?

I try to write every day when my youngest is in Transitional Kindergarten. I really try to guard that time, which means no errands, fun lunches with friends, volunteering at my kids’ school, etc. That means I write from 9-1 M-F. During huge deadlines, I will also go off on Saturdays for the day to a coffee shop and my husband will hold down the fort so I can get a chunk of work done. I have also been known to check into a hotel for a weekend and work round the clock, sleeping only when I have to. Whatever it takes.

Q: Your second novel, She Makes It Look Easy, came out in June. Can you tell us about this book in twenty words or less?

This book is for every woman who has ever looked at another woman and thought “I want what she has.”

Q: Can you talk to us about the process of finding a publisher. Did you have an agent, how did you query, etc.?

I do have an agent that I connected with through a friend. That’s how I sold both my novels– through agents who sold to a publisher. I would encourage people to make those wonderful writing connections through conferences, online, etc. Don’t do it to gain something, but also be ready for those connections to benefit you in surprising ways!

Q: What was the most challenging part of the writing process for you?

Revision kicks my butt every time. I always claim I hate the book, should’ve never written the first word, etc. I also always go to my husband and ask if we could give the advance back. He always says no. We have six kids. It’s gone. Now get to work.

Q: You have six children! I’ll ask the obvious- how do you keep up with everything?

Because of the way my husband and I have chosen to raise our family, my family has to come first. At this stage of my life, the writing has to fit into my family life– not the other way around. However as my kids are getting older I am seeing that there will be more pockets of time to write. My ability to write will grow with my kids. So for that reason I really try to enjoy what I have with them now while I have it. But for now I am comfortable with doing a book a year, Lord willing! That seems to work for my family.

Q: On top of your writing and your family, you run a fantastic blog! I love that you have a category for each day. Do you think having blogs and social networking accounts are a must for authors these days?

I think having some sort of presence on the internet is expected by readers at this point. I know now when I read a new author, I go look up her blog, twitter, etc. because I want to know more about her. It’s rare I see an author not have one. Of course I am not talking about all authors because there are some who just don’t play the game and they are good enough to get away with that. But for mere mortals like myself, I think a blog, a twitter account, a facebook page, etc. are all good things to invest some time in. Having the daily categories has helped me a tremendous amount. It’s taken away that “what in the world do I write about today??” question. I am all about making things as easy and simple as possible in all areas of my life. If it’s not easy and simple, chances are I am going to shy away from it.

Q: Where would be your dream vacation?

An extended trip to the UK where I got to see both David Gray and The Blue Nile perform. But coming in a close second is a month at my beloved Sunset Beach, where my first novel The Mailbox is set.

Q: What is your best advice for aspiring writers?

Write regularly. Write the novel of your heart. Don’t worry about publication right now. Just write the novel you want to read. Someone said that to me once and it’s what ultimately got me to write The Mailbox. Boy am I glad I did!

Thank you to Marybeth for the interview! Please be sure to see my 5 star review for She Makes it Look Easy, and also check out Marybeth’s blog that I love so much!

Author Profile: Lori Foster

Author Name: Lori Foster

Website: http://www.lorifoster.com/home.php

Bio: Since first publishing in January 1996, Lori Foster has become a Waldenbooks, Borders, USA Today, Publisher’s Weekly and New York Times bestselling author. Lori has published through a variety of houses, including Kensington, St. Martin’s, Harlequin, Silhouette and Samhain. She is currently with Berkley/Jove.

Lori believes it’s important to give back to the community as much as possible, and for that reason she ran special contests in conjunction with a publisher, facilitating many first sales for new authors. She routinely organizes events among authors and readers to gather donations for various organizations.

Recent Titles: When You Dare, Trace of Fever, Savor the Danger

See my reviews of When You Dare, Trace of Fever, Savor the Danger

Bio Retrieved from lorifoster.com

Guest Post by Deborah Cloyed

Living Life and Writing Fiction

The number one question I get about the book is how much it is based on real life people and on my travel experiences.

The Summer We Came to Life is set in Honduras, where I lived for six months in 2006. It depicts best friends dealing with the death of a fourth, as their parents share tales of love and loss, before the story takes a supernatural, quantum metaphysical twist.  The book is definitely fiction, but was inspired by my travels, and by friends and family in real life.

The seed for the novel came from a discussion with my best friend in Honduras – the meeting of Baby Boomer parents and their adult daughters.  Then I barely survived two near death drowning experiences, white-water rafting in Honduras and on vacation in El Salvador, and I had my motivation – exploring the deeper mysteries about love and loss and mourning.

Then, add to these factors the crazy thing that happens to writers as we go about our day.  I collect little pieces, like a shag carpet collects crumbs – something hilarious a friend said, something hurtful I can’t make sense of, a conversation I overhear at a restaurant.  The pieces glom onto a central story idea I can’t escape.  In the case of The Summer We Came to Life, it was a combination of my own brush with death and the ever-presence of my childhood best friend as I approached thirty and had all these big life decisions to make.

I believe writing is unavoidably tied to our stage in life.  In my twenties, I wrote wild stories about the single life (that I thank my lucky stars will never see the light of day!), this book was very much about the modern woman turning thirty, and I’m sure the books I write in my forties will be about very different central themes.

Isn’t writing fiction one of the most fascinating psychological processes of the human mind?  It encompasses worldview, cultural bias, echoes and obsessions of memories, rites of passage, inspiration of the Muse, the zeitgeist, and collective unconscious.  And still it is a manifestation of a completely unique creation by the imagination of a single human being on earth.

How’s that for a job description?!

So, this summer, please check out The Summer We Came to Life and journey through my memories and my ‘what-ifs’ with me to four countries through two generations, and even parallel universes.

Big thank you to Deborah for stopping by and please visit her website for more details!

Interview with Laura Dave

Q: Did you always know you wanted to be a writer?

Always.  My father used to read to me every night when he came home from work, and it made me fall in love with books and writing.  I can’t remember a time when I didn’t want to write myself.

Q: Do you have a certain writing routine?

I’m actually pretty disciplined.  I go to the same coffee shop every weekday morning, put on my headphones, and write for 4-5 hours.  Then I take a lunch break.  When work is going well, I will sometimes have a night session also.  The quirkiest part of my writing routine is that I always listen to music while I’m working–and usually the same song on repeat.  The song changes with each book.  For The First Husband, I listened to The National quite a bit.

Q: What is the hardest part for you during the writing process?

Starting a new project is always the hardest part.  I will often write and re-write the first 60 pages of a novel for months and months.  Then something will click and I can finish the book in less time than those first 60 pages took to figure out. That is the exciting part for me: When I finally know where I want to go with a story, I really start to enjoy myself.

Q: Where does the inspiration for your stories come from?

It always comes form a question I can’t stop thinking about often deriving from events in my life, and the life of my friends.  With my first novel, London Is The Best City In America, the question was: how do we choose a life?  With The Divorce Party, The question was: how do we forgive?  And with The First Husband it is: how do we find the place we belong?

Q: How did you find your agent?

I met my agent at an amazing writer’s conference in Tennessee called The Sewanee Writers‘ Conference.  I highly recommend writers conferences as a place to personally connect with agents, editors, and other writers. They can be invaluable.

Q: If you hadn’t been a writer, what career would you be doing?

I love music, so I’d like to say a soundtrack producer on a television show or for the movies.  That’s an alternate fantasy of mine.

Q: Can you describe your latest novel, The First Husband, in twenty words or less?

When a woman’s longterm boyfriend leaves her, she marries a new man three months later in reaction. Heartbreak (and happiness!) ensue.

Q: How important do you think social media is these days for authors?

I think it can be very important.  It allows you to be in conversation with your readers which is priceless.  And, for me, very enjoyable. I love hearing my readers’ stories and thoughts, and hearing what they thought about mine.  Social media provides a platform (like we’ve never had before) for all of that.

Q: My favorite magazine, Cosmopolitan, named you a “Fun and Fearless Phenom of the Year” in 2008. What does an achievement like that mean to you?

It means so much to me!  To be honored among such inspiring women still feels like a dream come true.  And I adore Kate White, Cosmopolitan’s Editor in Chief.  So getting to spend time with her was special for me.

Q: What is your best advice for aspiring writers?

Commit to your writing.  This could mean going to a writing program, or it could mean giving yourself two hours before work of uninterrupted writing time.  The key is honoring the commitment.  The same way you brush your teeth, or exercise, you should decide it is something that you just do. No excuses.  And, once you are used to doing it, give yourself a word count to reach.  It can be 500 words a session, it can be 250.  But nothing makes you feel more like a writer than actually seeing your progress.

Q: Where would be your dream vacation?

My fiance and I took a trip to Italy last year that I could do every year happily, forever.  I fell madly in love with Italy’s Amalfi Coast, and can’t wait to go back.

See my review of The First Husband

Visit Laura’s Website!

Debut Author Spotlight: Jesi Lea Ryan

Debut Author: Jesi Lea Ryan

Debut Novel: Four Thousand Miles

Jesi and I connected through the great land of Twitter, and she offered to send me a copy of her debut novel, Four Thousand Miles. I gratefully accepted, another book to read and another new author to meet, and Jesi agreed to do a Q&A session with me. After checking out her blog, http://diaryofabibliophile-jesilea.blogspot.com/, I found out we are from the same hometown of Dubuque, Iowa- we even went to the same high school, just during separate years. What a small world! Jesi was really inspiring to chat with, and gave some great insight on why she decided to begin her journey as a writer without an agent. She works with a fabulous publishing company, DCL Publications, and is steadily writing her second novel- which I can’t wait for! Four Thousand Miles was a terrific story filled with romance, uncertainty, and my favorite part- travel! Read a clip of my review:

“Natalie was a terrific heroine, and I supported her when she boarded that plane to London. There were real people with real problems going through the motions and figuring out their lives. And I love that! I think Jesi Lea Ryan did an outstanding job in Four Thousand Miles, and I hope she has more for us soon.”

So please check out Jesi Lea Ryan by checking out her blog or follow her on Facebook or Twitter. You can find your copy of Four Thousand Miles at DCL Publications.

Author Profile: Tonya Plank

Name: Tonya Plank

Website: http://www.tonyaplank.com/

Bio: Tonya Plank was born and raised in Phoenix, Arizona. She has a B.A. in English and Political Science from the University of Arizona, an M.A. in History from Brown University, and a J.D. from Rutgers Law School at Newark. She worked as an appellate public defender in New York City for many years. While practicing law full-time, she wrote her first novel (Swallow), which was published in December 2009. Swallow, an Amazon best-seller in legal fiction, received several awards, including a gold medal for best regional fiction in the 2010 Independent Publisher Awards (IPPYs), the gold medal for women’s fiction in the 2010 Living Now Book Awards, and was a finalist in the ForeWord Magazine Book of the Year Awards and the National Indie Excellence Awards. A former competitive ballroom dancer and a longtime balletomane, Tonya writes a dance blog, Swan Lake Samba Girl, which has been lauded by James Wolcott of Vanity Fair and Terry Teachout of the Wall Street Journal, and has been cited in those publications as well as the New York Times Arts Beat blog, the Washington Post, and CNN.com. The blog won a 2007 award from the Public Defender Network for best blog by a public defender that has nothing to do with the job. She also writes for the Huffington Post and several dance publications.

Currently: Tonya lives in New York and is working on her second novel, an urban / legal drama about a group of young men who witness a shooting from various perspectives.

Author Profile: Robert Rave

Getting his start as a New York publicist working at one of the city’s most renowned firms, Robert Rave takes his behind-the-scenes view of the world of high-society and celebrity elite to set the stage for his light-hearted, witty literary adventures.

In his first novel, Spin, Rave chronicled the life of Taylor Green – a young corn fed publicist trying to make a name for himself in the cut-throat world of high-stakes PR.  As Taylor finds himself in increasingly bizarre yet hilarious situations for the sake of his job, he is forced to weigh the fame and fortune he seeks against his own character and moral code.  Dubbed “a Devil Wear’s Prada for straight guys” by Entertainment Weekly, Spin was acclaimed by critics as a must-have summer beach read, and established Rave as one-to-watch on the “chick-lit” scene.

On August 3^rd Rave will release Waxed, an equally titillating novel which follows the Impresario sisters who run New York’s hottest waxing salon.  Against the backdrop of this sexy yet taboo vocation, Rave tells a textured story of the three women as they struggle with relationships and strive for personal fulfillment. With equal parts wit, wisdom and humor, Rave layers in charming cameos by the many women (and men) who visit the salon, to deliver a thoroughly enjoyable read.  Rave also launched www.youvebeenwaxed.com, a companion website to the novel.  The site serves as a meeting place for women and men to share their often funny, and sometimes painful anecdotes of personal grooming.

Rave, recently named a Forty Under Forty by The Advocate, is also a regular contributor to the The Huffington Post.  Rave currently resides in Los Angeles with his two French Bulldogs, Stanley and Freddy.

Bio written by Robert Rave

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