The nominees for Best Series:
Stephanie Plum Series by Janet Evanovich
Shopaholic Series by Sophie Kinsella
Heather Wells Series by Meg Cabot
I Heart Series by Lindsey Kelk
Enchanted Series by Shanna Swendson
Please vote for your favorite by commenting below. Everyone who votes is entered to win!
Katie Chandler is just your average 26 year old who moved from her small town lifestyle in Texas to the magical world of New York City. She lives with her two friends, who also moved from Texas, and works Monday-Friday at a thankless assistant job to an evil boss. Katie wishes she could really do something with her life, make her mark somehow. Be important, wanted, needed. She never thought she actually possessed a talent, a gift, for magic.
Katie learns, after much persistence from the company MSI, that she is an immune- someone who can see magic but can’t actually practice it. MSI, which stands for Magic, Spells, and Illusions Inc. wants to recruit Katie and put her gift to use, being able to see past magical shields, cloaks, and invisibility. MSI are the good guys in the magical world, working to prevent evil magic at play. Katie quickly adapts to her new life, magic by day and normal at night. The hardest part is not being able to tell her roommates and parents about what she now does as a living- which includes working for the one and only Merlin. When a former MSI employee turns to the dark side, a battle ensues and Katie finds herself playing a pivotal part. Finally, somewhere she belongs, where she will make a difference.
Enchanted Inc. the first in the Enchanted series from author Shanna Swendson, is a fun tale that offers a magical adventure from the norm. The adventures the heroine embarks are comical, and the writing is light and saucy, with a twinge of seriousness and enough of a love story to interest chick lit fans. If you are looking to escape the everyday stories with the usual plot twists and characters, crack open the Enchanted series and get lost in the magic.
Rating: 4.5/5
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.
Shanna Swendson always wanted to write. From the time she was a little girl, Swendson was constantly making up characters and adventures that were based of movies, TV shows, or other books. She went on to study journalism at the University of Texas, and secured a degree in broadcast news. After beginning work in public relations, Swendson decided it was time to get serious about writing novels. She joined local writing organizations and registered for her first writing conference. Now, Shanna Swendson is a successful novelist, and creator of the popular magical series Enchanted Inc. Some of her titles include: Enchanted Inc., Once Upon Stilettos, Damsel Under Stress, and Don’t Hex with Texas.
Once Upon Stiletto’s is the follow-up novel to Shanna Swendson’s Enchanted Inc. Katie Chandler is still working in the magical community, as an assistant to Merlin- yes the Merlin. Katie is an immune, meaning she is not magical and is immune to the spells and tricks around her, making her a rarity in the community. But when there is a break-in at her work and an inside spy is at large, Katie is put in charge to find out who is behind it all.
That task turns out to be harder than Katie thought, especially with the arrival of her parents from Texas. Her parents already disapprove of Katie’s move to New York City, but an even bigger issue- they are unaware that Katie works in a magical community. They don’t even think magic exists. So while Katie is juggling her parents, the impending holidays, and trying to figure out her love life, more break-ins occur on the job.
Once Upon Stilettos from Shanna Swendson is a fun novel that combines the regular world with the magical. Think Sabrina the Teenage Witch, but for chick lit lovers. The dialogue is snappy, the plot is humorous, and the mystery is engaging. Reading one will want to make you pick up all four novels in Swendson’s Enchanted series.
Q: Why did you start writing?
I’ve always entertained myself by making up stories in my head. From there, it seemed like a natural progression into writing those stories down.
Q: I just got into your Enchanted series. I was always a fan of shows such as Sabrina the Teenage Witch, and I love reading these magical adventures. Where was the inspiration for these novels?
When I first came up with the idea, chick lit was the big publishing trend, and I loved those books that reflected the kind of life I was having as a single woman, with difficulty finding Mr. Right, bad dates, crazy bosses, and all that. At the same time, I’d just discovered the Harry Potter series. I’d always been a big fantasy fan, but hadn’t read a lot of fantasy novels that took place in modern times in more or less the “real” world, and I really loved that aspect of the series. I loved the places where the magical world intersected with the real world or where the magical people tried to hide what they really were — like the secret entrance to Diagon Alley or the mysterious Platform 9 3/4. I also liked the whimsical way the magical world duplicated many of the familiar elements of the real world, like the mail service, the school and the shops. The school parts of those books reminded me of my own school days because I am essentially Hermione Granger, and I was just like her when I was that age. I even have the bushy hair, and I was generally best friends with guys, many of whom I had crushes on even while they didn’t realize I was female. I found myself mentally merging the chick lit world and a Harry Potter-like modern magical world, and then I realized that was exactly what I wanted to read — something like chick lit that reflected my adult life, but with magic in it, or else something like the magical world of Harry Potter, but about adults. At first, it was mostly what I wanted to read, but when I couldn’t find anything like that, I decided to write it myself.
Q: I just had a guest post about first timers at a writer conference. You gave some details on your website about your first conference. What was one of the most important lessons you took away from that?
I honestly don’t remember anything from any of the session I attended at that first conference. The main thing I learned from just being at the conference was that writing was something I could do and maybe even eventually do as a job. Up to that point, being an author seemed like dreaming of being a movie star, not like something an ordinary person could do. Meeting real writers and seeing that they were just people was eye-opening. I also met editors and agents for the first time at that conference, and even chatted with them, and that taught me that they weren’t superhuman beings sitting on Mount Olympus, but that they were people who loved books and reading, just like me. It made being a published author seem like a real possibility instead of just a wild dream.
Q: You contributed an essay to Everything I Needed to Know About Being a Girl I Learned From Judy Blume. How did it feel to be included in that piece?
I felt so honored. I still get a thrill out of the thought that Judy Blume now might have the slightest idea that I exist.
Q: Are you currently working on any novels?
I’m working on a book that may spawn an entirely new series, but I haven’t sold it to a publisher yet. Right now, I’m mostly writing it for fun, and then I hope it will be published. Meanwhile, I’m researching the next book I hope to write, which will be very different for me and probably rather challenging.
Q: What is your biggest personal accomplishment?
I’m pretty proud of the fact that I’ve been self-employed for eight years now and am making a living as a novelist, which is the fulfillment of a life-long dream.
Q: What is your favorite part about being a writer?
Working at home, on my own schedule, with no boss and no office politics. It’s wonderful that I can get up when I want, wear what I want and work when I want. This job offers so much freedom and flexibility. Plus, I make money for doing the things that I do to amuse myself.
Q: How long does it take you to finish writing a book?
It really depends, and the writing comes in phases that may not be connected, with multiple projects overlapping. I can generally write a first draft in a couple of months, but it may take me months before that to research and think about the story and months after that to revise the book. I guess if I crammed together all the parts of work on a book, it would take me about four or five months. Some books come more quickly than others, and some take a lot longer.
Q: What is your advice to aspiring writers?
You need to be persistent. One of the biggest mistakes I see in aspiring authors is giving up too soon — thinking that the first round of rejections means they aren’t going to make it or falling prey to vanity publishing scams and spending a lot of money to publish a book that isn’t really ready instead of getting back to work and writing something new that stands a chance of being published the right way (where the author gets paid). At the same time, you need to know when to give up — not on writing entirely, but know when to give up on a project and try something new instead of getting bogged down on something that may not ever go anywhere.
Q: What is or do you think would be your favorite place to travel?
I have two favorites. One is New York City. I love how you’re seeing an entirely different city, depending on where you go and what you do. Oddly, I’ve always been there for business or to research books, so I haven’t done the standard tourist stuff (I’ve never been to the Statue of Liberty!), but I’ve discovered a lot of fun nooks and crannies that aren’t in guidebooks. Then I also love going to England. The English countryside is gorgeous, and I love how there are walking paths all over the country, going from village to village across fields. It’s a wonderful place to escape from day-to-day life and clear your head.
In my Mailbox: Week of February 21
Title: The Goddess Rules
Author: Clare Naylor
Received: Public Library
Synopsis:
When obsessed pet owners have pooches or kitties they want immortalized on canvas, Kate Disney is the artist of choice. From her shed (which doubles as a studio and apartment) in London’s Primrose Hill, Kate caters to the whims of the rich and famous while herself living a decidedly bohemian existence. The problem is, she has a tendency to cater to her on-again, way-off-again boyfriend as well. Jake is so erratic, that most of her friends don’t understand why she even bothers. But it’s hard to fall out of love with a man who writes her songs and calls her Angel—even if he disappears for weeks at a time.
Luckily for Kate, Mirabelle Moncur isn’t buying any of that claptrap. Mirri was an actress, a legend in her time. Now, at age sixty, she’s given up on fame and men and lives in Africa, where she raises lion cubs. But her reclusive nature has done nothing to dull her beauty, mar her incredible figure, or dampen her outrageous joie de vivre.
After sweeping into London to have Kate paint a portrait of her favorite cub, Mirri seizes hold of Kate’s life—from the baggy wardrobe to the hopeless taste in men. Under Mirri’s tutelage, Kate learns to dance on tables with abandon, drink like a dockworker, and flirt like a goddess. And when her old friend Louis reenters the picture, she begins to see things in a whole new light. But Mirri has secrets that hint at a less than divine future. Now it’s Kate’s turn to teach Mirri a thing or two about life, love, and being fabulous.
Title: Sex as a Second Language
Author: Alisa Kwitney
Received: Public Library
Synopsis:
A teacher of English as a second language, forty-year-old Katherine Miner is an expert on idiomatic phrases and subtle verbal cues. When it comes to the opposite sex, however, she’s baffled enough to choose early retirement from the dating game. It’s not that she hates men, it’s just that she doesn’t trust them. After all, her soon-to-be ex-husband has dropped all contact with their son, and her own father disappeared from her life thirty years ago. And then Kat meets Magnus Grimmson, a tall, good-looking, tongue-tied Icelander in the front row of her class. Magnus doesn’t appear to pose any threat — in fact, he seems to understand less about women than Kat does about men. But just when Kat considers risking a little intimacy, her father reappears in her life, causing unexpected complications. Emotionally torn, Kat is left to question whom she can trust — and to realize that she still has a lot to learn about men and the kind of communication they don’t teach in school.
Title: Once Upon Stilettos
Author: Shanna Swendson
Received: Public Library
Synopsis: Katie Chandler’s life is pure magic–literally. As an executive assistant at Magic, Spells, and Illusions, Inc., she’s seen more than her share of fantastical occurrences. A mere Manhattan mortal, Katie is no wizard, but she’s a wiz at exposing “hokum” pocus, cloaked lies, and deceptive enchantments. And she’s fallen under the all-too-human spell of attraction to Owen, a hunky wizard and coworker. Owen, however, is preoccupied. Someone has broken into his office and disrupted top-secret files, and it reeks of an inside job. CEO Merlin (yes, the Merlin) and taps Katie and her special ability to uncover the magical mole.
Keeping her feelings in check while sleuthing alongside Owen, Katie is shocked to discover that her immunity to magic is waning, putting her in grave danger. Soon she’s surrendering to the charms and enchantments of everyone and everything around her, including a killer pair of red stilettos. Katie must now conjure up her natural instincts to get to the bottom of the break-in, regain her power, and win the wizard of her dreams.
Title: The Nanny
Author: Melissa Nathan
Received: Public Library
Synopsis: Twenty-three-year-old Jo Green knows that if she has to spend one more night in ultra-provincial Niblet-Upon-Avon she’ll go completely bonkers! So she answers an ad in the paper, bids her devoted boyfriend Shaun adieu, and heads off to the big city. With a new job that offers excitement; a cool car; and her own suite with a TV, DVD player, and a cell phone, how can she go wrong?
Then she meets . . . the Fitzgeralds — Dick and Vanessa and their unruly brood of rugrats who have suddenly been entrusted into Jo’s care. There’s eight-year-old “psycho-babe” Cassandra; bloodthirsty Zak, the six-year-old Terminator; and timid little Tallulah.
So what else could go wrong? How about the arrival of Dick’s children from his first marriage: teenage Toby and (gulp!) all-grown-up-and-very-nicely-at-that Josh the accountant? And now that she has to temporarily share her room with Josh, Jo’s head is really in a spin — because with her hometown beau still in the picture and a sexy possibility sleeping just a foot away, life has suddenly gotten very complicated indeed!
