Samantha’s Favorite Reads of 2011!
As another year comes to an end, a fun thing we book bloggers like to do is look back and crown our favorites of all favorites when it comes to books we read. Throughout 2011, I read and reviewed 143 books, a twenty-two book increase compared to 2010. Not too shabby considering I also published my own novel and started CLP Blog Tours! I can’t wait to see what 2012 has in store for me, but for now, let’s reflect on my Favorites of 2011!
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, will be available 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!
Ariel Baxter feels everything is falling into place. She and her husband have a new house in a beautiful, well to do neighborhood, and her photography business is on its way up. But with her husband constantly working, her kids driving her a little crazy, and the domestic life not all she thought it would be, Ariel starts to question if they made the right decision moving away from their friendly neighborhood. But when Justine Miller, all-star mother, housewife, and neighbor, befriends Ariel, she is immediately drawn into her world of perfect. Justine never seems flustered, has a hair out of place, makes her own healthy meals, and organizes neighborhood activities. Ariel decides she wants to be just like Justine, but no matter how hard she tries, she can’t seem to find the time or organization to follow the footsteps of her neighbor. But life isn’t always as it seems. Justine is hiding many secrets from her new friend, an affair being the biggest of them all, and Justine’s perfect world is slowly crumbling. Will Ariel figure out she is being deceived by her new friend? And will she be able to appreciate what she does, or constantly trying to be someone she is not?
I really enjoyed reading She Makes it Look Easy by Marybeth Whalen. The plot is pretty simple: have you ever looked at a friend, a neighbor, a co-worker, and wanted their life? Thought they had it so much better than you? This is what Ariel does to Justine, puts her on a pedestal and tries to change so she is just like her. But with all the problems Justine is hiding from Ariel and the rest of her friends, Justine’s life is anything but perfect. Money problems, marital issues, the affair, are all threatening to disrupt the picture perfect image Justine has worked so hard to uphold. The story felt very real to me, especially when Ariel goes against her better judgment and starts to shun another fellow neighbor, simply because Justine said to. I thought the prologue to the story was very interesting, and I had to go back and re-read it one more time after I finished the story. I just wish there had been a little more at the end that explained what happened to Justine, but the prologue helps me draw my own conclusion. I guess this is noted as a Christian novel, and while there were a few sections that talked about church and faith, I really wasn’t overwhelmed or felt that Whalen was trying to force religion upon me, which I know can happen sometimes with religious-orientated books. I am giving this book five stars, for the intricate plot, phenomenal writing and character development, and for tackling a subject that so many woman can connect with. Get She Makes it Look Easy on your to-read list!
[Rating: 5]
In My Mailbox: April 21
Title: Dancing on Glass
Author: Pamela Binnings Ewen
Received: From Pamela Binnings Ewen
Synopsis: In the steamy city of New Orleans in 1974, Amalise Catoir sees Phillip Sharp as a charming, magnetic artist, unlike any man she has known. A young lawyer herself, raised in a small town and on the brink of a career with a large firm, she is strong and successful, yet sometimes too trusting and whimsical. Ama’s rash decision to marry Phillip proves to be a mistake as he becomes overly possessive, drawing his wife away from family, friends, and her faith. His insidious, dangerous behavior becomes her dark, inescapable secret.
Title: She Makes it Look Easy
Author: Marybeth Whalen
Received: From Marybeth Whalen
Synopsis: Ariel Baxter has just moved into the neighborhood of her dreams. The chaos of domestic life and the loneliness of motherhood, however, moved with her. Then she meets her neighbor, Justine Miller. Justine ushers Ariel into a world of clutter-free houses, fresh-baked bread, homemade crafts, neighborhood playdates, and organization techniques designed to make marriage better and parenting manageable.
Soon Ariel realizes there is hope for peace, friendship, and clean kitchen counters. But when rumors start to circulate about Justine’s real home life, Ariel must choose whether to believe the best about the friend she admires or consider the possibility that “perfection” isn’t always what it seems to be.
Title: Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow
Author: Claudia Carroll
Received: From Charlotte @ Avon Books
Synopsis: Absence makes the heart grow fonder … doesn’t it? What happens when two people decide to give themselves the year off … from each other? Annie and Dan were the perfect couple. But now the not-so-newly weds feel more like flatmates than soul mates and wonder where all the fun and fireworks went. When Annie lands her big break in a smash-hit show that’s heading for the bright lights of Broadway, she’s over the moon. Goodbye remote Irish village of Stickens, hello fabulous Big Apple! But with their relationship already on the rocks, how will Annie and Dan survive the distance? They’re hitting the pause button on their marriage. One year off from each other – no strings attached, except a date to meet in 12 months at the Rockefeller Centre to decide their fate. Will they both turn up? Or is it too late for love?
