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Birthday Giveaway!

I wanted to do something special to help celebrate my birthday week, and what better way than a giveaway? I have been wanting to host a giveaway to help clear some of my ARC’s from my bookshelf, and this seems like the perfect opportunity. I have six books that are up for grabs, with six different winners!

Second Time Around by Beth Kendrick
The Summer We Read Gatsby by Danielle Ganek
Fly Away Home by Jennifer Weiner
Call Me Mrs. Miracle by Debbie Macomber
A Chesapeake Shores Christmas by Sherryl Woods
Perfect on Paper by Maria Murnane

To enter:
1. Send an email with your full mailing address to Samantha(at)chicklitplus.com. You will not be entered unless I have this email! When you send the email, please also include if there are specific books you would like to win. Or if you would like a chance at all of them, just say so!
2. Post a comment below and let us know one of your favorite birthday memories.
3. For bonus entries, spread the word! Post this contest on Facebook or Twitter.

That’s it! The contest will close the day after my birthday, on Thursday March 24. Please note that I will be choosing a different winner for each book. This contest is open for US residents only.

Best Debut Novel Nominees

The nominees for Best Novel from a Debut Author:

The Opposite of Me by Sarah Pekkanen
I’ll Have Who She’s Having by Liz Fenton and Lisa Steinke
Reunion by JL Penn
Hook Line and Sink Him by Jackie Pilossoph
Perfect on Paper by Maria Murnane

Please vote for your favorite by commenting below. Everyone who votes is entered to win!

Perfect on Paper by Maria Murnane

Waverly Bryson has to be the luckiest girl in the world. After years of disastrous blind dates and her hopes of love being dashed, she has finally become a bride to be. Her fiancée? Only the gorgeous and wealthy Aaron Vaughn III. But suddenly things go horribly wrong. Just two weeks shy of becoming a wife, Aaron breaks it off with Waverly, telling her he’s just not in love with her. Ouch. Waverly is properly devastated, and moves blinding through the next year, wondering why love just won’t happen to her.

Then Waverly meets Jake McIntyre while on the job in Atlanta. He could be the perfect man, except Waverly can’t seem to keep it together around him. The evening concludes with her getting too drunk to dance with Jake and having to leave his company to throw up in the bathroom. Sure that she has ruined any chance with him, Waverly thinks she may well be single the rest of her life. In addition to her failed love life, her job is sinking fast. Being passed over for an assignment at her sports PR position is tough enough, and now Waverly is unsure she wants to continue on in the industry. It’s the support of her two best friends, McKenna and Andie that keep Waverly’s spirits up.

Perfect on Paper: The (Mis)adventures of Waverly Bryson by Maria Murnane is laugh out loud comedy. The heroine goes on laughable dates, finds herself in awkward situations, and is the definition of a klutz. Through each situation the humor shines through, and readers will enjoy the ‘honey notes’ that pop up along the way. This is a definite favorite of mine, I love when books can actually make me laugh and smile throughout each chapter. Murnane does a fantastic job making Waverly so relatable, and the supporting cast including the two best friends, a handful of co-workers, and a lazy father, really help Waverly’s journey along. Chick lit fans will enjoy the complicated romance and strong pull of friendship throughout.

Rating: 5/5

Chick Lit Author Maria Murnane

Before Maria Murnane started writing, she worked in sports PR for a few years before quitting her career and moving to Argentina for a year. During that time, she played semi-pro soccer and starting working on her manuscript, which then turned into her debut novel, Perfect on Paper.
Murnane studied at UC Berkeley, where she graduated with high honors in English and Spanish. She also received a master’s degree in integrated marketing communications from Northwestern University. Murnane currently lives in New York and also works as independent business writer.

Interview with Maria Murnane

Q: Where did the idea come from for Perfect on Paper?
If you move to San Francisco after college and live there for enough time, there are a number of common experiences you will eventually share with nearly everyone else there – for better or for worse. As I began to notice these things, I found myself thinking I need to write a book, which then evolved into That’s something that would totally go in my book. A great example of this is my good friend Alison, who was a little stressed out when she started dating her now husband, who is several years older than we are. When they first started dating, she wasn’t sure how she felt about the age difference. “I mean, he has a parking space,” she said one day. “He’s like a grown up!” As soon as the words were out her mouth, I pointed at her and said “That could totally go in my book!” (Unless you have a trust fund or are an investment banker, having a parking space in San Francisco is a major rite of passage.)
So when I started writing Perfect on Paper, all I really knew was that I wanted to tell a funny story that included many of these common experiences. I had a general idea of how it would begin, but that was about it. Once I got going, however, the story sort of took on a life of its own. And then one day I was done!
Q: My copy of your book is in the mail, on its way to me. What can you tell me about this story and the characters?
If you’ve never lived in San Francisco, I hope it (and they) will make you feel like you have. And if you have lived in San Francisco, I hope it (and they) will make you feel right at home. 
Q: I did read that the main character in Perfect on Paper works in PR, and you have previously worked in PR. Are there more similarities between you and your character?
I like to say that Waverly Bryson’s life is like my life—if my life were more exciting. While some of my friends have said that reading Perfect on Paper is like listening to me talk for 311 pages (if they could stand that), in many ways we are very different. For example, we can both be quite chatty and like to make random observations, and we both tend to stick our foot in our mouths when we get nervous. We both love U2, chocolate and American Idol, and we’ve both been on some laughably bad dates. But she’s not athletic at all, whereas I play soccer several times a week and love watching sports too. She practically gets left at the altar; I’ve never even been engaged. Her mom died when she was a baby; my parents are happily married. She’s an only child; I have three siblings and six nieces and nephews. Waverly missed out on the big family that I’ve always enjoyed, but I felt it made the story more interesting to have her as an only child with a rocky relationship with her dad.
Q: What made you decide to write a novel?
One day I quit my job and had no idea what I wanted to do next other than not work in PR anymore, so I bought a ticket to go to Argentina by myself for a couple weeks. And after two weeks I loved it so much there that I decided to stay for an entire year. Then I realized that if I was ever going to write the book I’d thought about so many times, that was that time. So I just started writing and writing and writing, and eventually I had the first draft of what would eventually become Perfect on Paper.
Q: Do you have more writings in the works?
Ha ha ha my publisher keeps asking me that question too! The answer is yes, but “in the works” must be loosely interpreted. I have had many readers ask me to write a sequel though. Everyone wants to know what happens to Waverly!
Q: You played semi-pro soccer while living in Argentina . How was that experience and why did you stop?
I could write an entire novel just answering this question! The short answer is that it was an amazing experience, and I came home because I had finished writing Perfect on Paper and wanted to get it published.
Q: People have said you are a role model for women. What does that mean to you?
It means SO MUCH. Whenever I hear that, it validates all the hard decisions I’ve made over the past few years, the biggest of which was to give up a steady paycheck. It hasn’t been an easy road for me, and I don’t think people realize that when they take the time to tell me that I have impacted their lives, that they are impacting my life too.
Q: What has been the best experience for you since publishing Perfect on Paper?
While I’ve experienced some pretty amazing things because of Perfect on Paper, there are two that stand out:
The first was seeing a total stranger reading my book at a café in San Francisco. I nearly had a heart attack! And if that weren’t amazing enough, when I told her who I was, I found out that she was as excited to meet me as I was to meet her! She said she absolutely loved my book and was already on page 178 (had just started it the night before). Then she showed me literally 25 pages she had dog-eared because she thought they were so funny. She asked me to sign the book and wanted to know when I was writing the sequel because she’d be first in line to buy it!
The second amazing experience was stumbling across a Facebook post a college student at Boston University made about me after I spoke at a sorority there a few weeks ago. (A bunch of the girls added Waverly Bryson as a friend.) The day after I spoke, I realized that several of them were posting things about me, and one of the girls posted that she wanted to be me. It nearly made me cry.
Q: Where do you think would be the best place to travel to?
I love to travel so much that this question is pretty much impossible to answer. There are just too many places I want to see! Right now Croatia and Guatemala are on my list, as are Switzerland and Slovenia. And Tunisia. I just got a new passport last week – I can’t believe I have zero stamps! My old one had like one page left. Domestically, I’ve never been to the Deep South and have always thought that would be an interesting trip. And Alaska. And North Carolina. And Martha’s Vineyard. Did I mention I love to travel? 
Q: What would be your best advice for aspiring writers?
I guess I would say that if there is a book inside of you, just sit down and write it. Write and write and write, and when you can’t think of what to write next, go back and edit what you’ve already written. If you do that consistently, eventually you will have a book. And no matter what happens after that, nothing can take away the profound sense of personal accomplishment that comes with typing the words THE END.

In My Mailbox: Week of April 11

In My Mailbox: Week of April 11th

Title: Are You There Vodka? It’s Me, Chelsea
Author: Chelsea Handler
Received: Public Library
Synopsis: When Chelsea Handler needs to get a few things off her chest, she appeals to a higher power — vodka. You would too if you found out that your boyfriend was having an affair with a Peekapoo or if you had to pretend to be honeymooning with your father in order to upgrade to first class. Welcome to Chelsea’s world — a place where absurdity reigns supreme and a quick wit is the best line of defense.

In this hilarious, deliciously skewed collection, Chelsea mines her past for stories about her family, relationships, and career that are at once singular and ridiculous. Whether she’s convincing her third-grade class that she has been tapped to play Goldie Hawn’s daughter in the sequel to Private Benjamin, deciding to be more egalitarian by dating a redhead, or looking out for a foulmouthed, rum-swilling little person who looks just like her…only smaller, Chelsea has a knack for getting herself into the most outrageous situations. Are You There, Vodka? It’s Me, Chelsea showcases the candor and irresistible turns of phrase that have made her one of the freshest voices in comedy today.

Title: Perfect on Paper
Author: Maria Murnane
Received: From Maria Murnane
Synopsis: Waverly Bryson is a late-20s successful businesswoman who almost has it all: dream job in Sports PR, two best friends, and a bar where everybody knows her name. What she doesn’t have is a ring on her finger, and after being left at the altar, she’s in no hurry. Besides, she has plenty of other issues to tackle, including her wayward father, a new rival at work, and an ever-shrinking amount of personal time. To keep sane, Waverly makes a habit of jotting down “Honey Notes,” her own brand of self-deprecating wisdom and pipe-dream for a line of greeting cards.
As Waverly stumbles back into the dating scene (no stalkers or jean shorts, please), her personal and professional lives threaten to collide. Perfect on Paper reminds readers that everyone has a bad date (or twelve), and that everyone needs a best friend to tell them, “Honey, you are not alone.”

Title: Enchanted Inc.
Author: Shanna Swendson
Received: Public Library
Synopsis: Katie Chandler had always heard that New York is a weird and wonderful place, but this small-town Texas gal had no idea how weird until she moved there. Everywhere she goes, she sees something worth gawking at and Katie is afraid she’s a little too normal to make a splash in the big city. Working for an ogre of a boss doesn’t help.
Then, seemingly out of the blue, Katie gets a job offer from Magic, Spells, and Illusions, Inc., a company that tricks of the trade to the magic community. For MSI, Katie’s ordinariness is an asset. Lacking any bit of magic, she can easily spot a fake spell, catch hidden clauses in competitor’s contracts, and detect magically disguised intruders. Suddenly, average Katie is very special indeed.
She quickly learns that office politics are even more complicated when your new boss is a real ogre, and you have a crush on the sexy, shy, ultra powerful head of the R&D department, who is so busy fighting an evil competitor threatening to sell black magic on the street that he seems barely to notice Katie. Now it’s up to Katie to pull off the impossible: save the world and – hopefully – live happily ever after.

Title: Looks to Die For
Author: Janice Kaplan
Received: Public Library
Synopsis: A smart and sassy heroine makes her debut in a stylish new mystery series from the bestselling co-author of “The Botox Diaries” and “Mine Are Spectacular!”Lacy Fields is the wife of a prominent Beverly Hills plastic surgeon, a dedicated mother of three, and an absolutely fabulous decorator to the stars. But when her husband is accused of murdering a young wannabe actress, Lacy finds out she has a killer instinct for hunting down murderers as well as antique furniture. Cleverly marrying the day-to-day foibles of family life with delicious insider glamour, “Looks to Die For” takes readers behind the scenes of a fashionable world of gossip, name-dropping, and murder. The suspense-meets-shopping page turner signals the arrival of a savvy and stylish new voice.

Title: Forget Me Knot
Author: Sue Margolis
Received: Public Library
Synopsis: From the acclaimed author of Gucci Gucci Coo and Apocalipstick comes a funny, sexy novel about questionable engagements—and a love worthy perhaps of the big screen.

Florist Abby Crompton has a knack for arranging the most exquisite bouquets for the hippest clientele. If only her personal life could run as smoothly. Although her fiancé, Toby, proposed a month ago, Abby’s still waiting for the ring. An up-and-coming lawyer, Toby’s been far too busy to shop—let alone muster the energy for romance. If that wasn’t frustrating enough, the night she’s supposed to meet her future mother-in-law, Abby gets stuck in an elevator—with a sexy stranger bearing fine wine. Needless to say, a tipsy Abby arrives late for dinner and doesn’t make the best impression.

In the aftermath of the dinner disaster, Abby is thrilled to learn that a film studio wants to use her shop in an upcoming movie. But when she meets the director, Dan, she’s shocked to discover that he’s none other than the same man with whom she shared the elevator—and some highly personal information. Now, with Toby putting in more overtime, Abby’s feeling even more neglected. And her attraction to Dan is growing daily—as her own life begins to mirror the romantic comedy he’s shooting.

Featuring an irrepressible heroine, Forget Me Knot blooms with charm, wit, and fun.