Q: Why did you decide to start writing? A: Ever since I was old enough to write, I've wanted to be an author. Of course, often when you tell your guidance counsellor at high school your dream, they tell you that it's not a real career, and instead recommend going to university for journalism, which is exactly what my guidance counsellor advised me. Unfortunately, they're not at all the same thing! One is all about reporting the truth, and the other is all about making things up (And I wanted to do the latter!). Still, off I went to j-school to get my degree. I don't regret it, but it was definitely a different career path. So a few years ago, while working at ELLE magazine as the beauty editor, I decided that I couldn't put off writing a novel any longer. I set myself a deadline and every night after work, I'd work on what eventually became Stuck in Downward Dog, my first novel. Q: I love the concept behind Love Struck! Where did that inspiration come from? A: I wanted to write a novel that was light and fun, but that had a deeper underlying dilemma, to which female readers could relate. I thought about the dynamics of relationships and the instance of affairs--and how oftentimes, we have these hard and fast rules that we would break up with our boyfriend/spouse instantly if we learned he was cheating. But I think it's easy to think that it's black & white, but would it be a harder decision if it actually happened to you? What if you really loved the person who cheated on you? Relationships are something that everyone can relate to, and so I thought that made for an interesting theme. Then, I threw in the lightning and the memory loss, just to complicate things, and make the novel a bit of fun and escapism. Q: What is your favorite part about being a writer? A: I recently quit my full-time job as a magazine editor to write--and now, I love the freedom of being able to do what I love every single day, even from the couch! Q: Do you have a certain area (office, bedroom) where you have to be in order to get writing done? A: When my agent sold Stuck in Downward Dog, my husband bought me a writing desk, and we turned our spare bedroom into my office. I'm all set up there, but I have a laptop (pink, of course) so I usually alternate from working at my desk, to sitting on the couch, or writing in bed (on the weekends, when I've got the entire day to write). Q: I read that you were an assistant to a literary agent. How was that job, and how much did you learn? A: I learned so much being an assistant to a literary agent. She was (and still is) quite a successful agent, and it was incredible watching her run her business as a one-woman show. I learned what an agent does for an author (so much, without any pay until she sells the book!) and how passionate most agents are about the work and the clients they're representing. I ultimately realized though, that I couldn't bear to file and answer phones while I witnessed--daily--every other author write their novels, get signed by an agent and sell their book. That was my dream, so I had to make it happen for myself. Q: How did you land your positions at places such as ELLE and TV Guide? A: After graduating, a friend asked me to cover a few of her shifts at one of the newspapers in Toronto. I did, and ended up sitting next to a woman who, a few months later, was hired to work at ELLE, which was just launching its English Canadian edition. She called me a few days after she started and asked if I wanted to proofread the magazine a few days a month. Two months later, the editor hired me full time, and I worked my way into the beauty department the following year. After two years of writing about self-tanners in July and holiday glam in December, I applied for an open position at TV Guide, which was published in the same building. I loved working there, and getting a sneak peek at new shows before they were on TV. Now, while I'm in Dexter and Glee withdrawal, I wish I was back there so I could get a little preview at the coming season! Q: Love Struck is due out February 15th. Do you have a third novel in the works? A: Writing a novel is such a labour of love that for months and months you're bogged down in the very unglamorous aspects of writing, revising and editing. So now that the book is done and about to come out, I definitely want to just enjoy this time as much as possible, including my launch party and other media appearances. Of course, the reality is that the moment I finish writing a novel and there's nothing more I can do to it, I start thinking about my next idea. But I'm superstitious, so until I have something set, I don't like to tell anyone my idea. Q: Do you have a favorite book or author? A: I have a few favourite authors, depending on the genre. For commercial women's fiction, I adore Emily Giffin. Her latest novel, Love the One You're With, is my favourite book. For YA, I think Sarah Mlynowski (Magic in Manhattan series) is the funniest writer I've ever read. And for short stories, I love Stuart McLean. When I was at Ryerson University, Stuart was a professor in another program. For four years I wanted to stop by his office and ask him to sign one of his books for me, but I couldn't work up the nerve because I was so intimidated. It's ridiculous, really. Q: What would be your advice to aspiring authors? A: Write! You can definitely achieve your dream of being an author, but you have to write. So often, other aspiring authors ask me for the secret, but I really don't think there is one. If you love writing, you will eventually succeed. I'm no expert, but I try to remember these three things, whenever I get discouraged or need inspiration. a) It takes 10,000 hours to become an expert at any activity. So the only way to be a good writer is to write as much as you can. Eventually you will become a good writer! b) Success is only 1% luck. The rest is 99% hard work. c) There's no such thing as writer's block. If you don't want to sit down and write your novel, then you probably don't love the story. And if you're stuck on a scene, cut it. It probably won't work anyway, if you can't figure out how to write it. Q: What is or do you think would be your favorite place to travel? A: Last fall, once I finished my final edit of Love Struck, my husband and I took three weeks off to travel to South Africa. I loved it. It was such an amazing mix of history, culture, and wildlife. It was the best vacation I've ever taken, and I'm a bit worried to take another vacation, since I doubt it will compare!
Clemmie Colshannon is running out of luck. After finding out her boyfriend is a complete slum (him being the main reason of losing her job as a London art appraiser) and having a disastrous trip around the world, Clemmie finds herself living back at home. Her family is eclectic at best, with a drama queen actress as a mother with a passion for wild animals, (including a recuperating seagull), a brother with a secret crush that he is changing all his ways for, and a reporter for a sister that gets Clemmie wrapped up in what turns out to be a dangerous story. Holly Colshannon, whom readers first met in Playing James, has found a juicy story involving another writer at the newspaper, Emma the society writer. Emma has mysteriously disappeared, and the girls learn she was secretly planning to get married to a man her father did not approve of. While trying to help Emma get her fiancé back, the sisters inadvertently put Emma (and their whole family) in danger. Society Girls by Sarah Mason delivers a humorous story, with the supporting cast really giving the story line something extra. It was a little slow in the beginning, but the humor kept me going until the real drama started happening. Chick lit readers will also enjoy the love story that is fairly obvious to all but the heroine, and overall Society Girls makes for an entertaining read.
As a lover of carbonated drinks, I have been trying to cut back my consumption of soda and other juices that aren’t the best for my health. My solution? Bringing a water bottle with me to work and drinking water throughout my 8 hour work day. I also bought a Brita water filter for my house, because my tap water does not taste good at all and I now can drink healthier, better tasting water instead of sugary juices at home. I was so proud of myself switching to a healthier alternative, and I even heard that drinking lots of water would help improve my skin. I got even more excited after hearing this, and upped my drinking level from about 3 full water bottles to five full water bottles during my work day. Sad to say, I got an email from FitnessMagazine.com filled with fun pointers and facts today, and one of their little facts mentioned that drinking water (no matter how much or how little) will improve your skin. Darn. Water is still good for your overall health, but will not help hydrate and improve skin. What will help? Apply a lotion or moisturizer to your face right after you get out of the shower. That will help trap the moisture and you will begin to see improved results.
People.com has reported that Dancing With the Stars will be missing a regular in the ballroom next season. Co-host Samantha Harris had decided not to return when the show premieres on March 22nd for its 9th season, instead she will be focusing on projects, such as correspondent duties on The Insider. Her spot has yet to be filled.
The Superbowl will be filled with superstars for its musical performances. Carrie Underwood has been slated to sing the national anthem on February 7th, when the Indianapolis Colts will take on the New Orleans Saints. Queen Latifah will also perform “America the Beautiful” and The Who will be the entertainment during half time.
Here comes the reality bride! People.com has reported that The Bachelor couple of Jason Mesnick and Molly Malaney will say there I Do’s on national television, following in the footsteps of the only other successful couple the show has produced: Trista Rehn and Ryan Sutter. ABC has confirmed that the wedding episode will air on March 8th, and will follow preparations such as dress fittings and even the bachelor/bachelorette parties. More than 17.1 million viewers tuned in to the Rehn/Sutter marriage in 2002, and another astronomical number is predicated for this marriage, especially consider the unusual circumstances surrounding Mesnick’s choice. As you may remember, he originally chose Melissa Rycroft on the show’s finale, only to let her go at the Final Rose Ceremony and ask runner-up Molly to give him another chance.
Gisele Bundchen is revealing new details about the birth of her son, Benjamin. The baby (father is Bundchen’s husband NFL quarterback Tom Brady) was born on December 8th, but not at a Boston-area hospital that previous reports stated. Instead, Bundchen gave birth at the couple’s Beacon Hill penthouse, in the bathtub. The supermodel confirmed the water birth while giving an interview to the Brazilian magazine Fantástico. People.com reports that Bundchen is also back to work, shooting a campaign for Brazilian fashion label Colicci in Boston.
Carol Mason always had the desire to write. Even though she suffered through some very non-glamorous jobs in the beginning, she always knew the passion for writing was there, she just wasn’t so sure on what she wanted to write. After her husband, Tony, convinced her to get a degree that was related to writing, Mason got her degree in Radio and Television Arts from Ryerson Polytechnical University in Toronto- and decided she wanted to write a book. After many rejections but never giving up hope, The Secrets of Married Women was bought by Hodder, and has since sold to 12 countries and is translated into 8 languages. Carol Mason now has two books published, The Secrets of Married Women and Send Me a Lover, with a third soon to be published. The Love Market is due out in stores on Valentine’s Day 2010. Mason currently lives in British Columbia with her husband and their cat and dog, Sadie and Rosie.
I hit up the gym about three times a week or so, but the equipment is pretty sparse due to the fact that is within my apartment complex. Sure there are two treadmills, a bike, elliptical, and some free weights- but it’s nothing compared to the big chain gyms. I’ll take what I can get though, and rely on magazines and the internet to keep mixing up my workouts and giving me new ideas. My only problem with the treadmill is that I don’t like to run. I have bad knees and a bad ankle from my cheerleading days in high school, so running for just a few minutes can cause me a lot of pain. To still get a good workout, I decided to take up walking. I started power walking but didn’t feel like I was getting too much out of it, so I switched to walking on an incline. And I have met my match. As of right now, I walk at a brisk pace, and slowly creep up the incline, until a reach a level 8. Once I get to that 8, I am winded, my legs are burning, and I feel like I may collapse on the treadmill, so after about three minutes I start to lower the incline again and eventually cool down. After I complete 30 minutes, I am drenched with sweat, my heart rate is definitely up, and my legs feel like jello. But I feel great, because I know I just gave myself a great workout. I did get worried that by walking on an incline that I would actually be making my legs (especially my thighs) bigger and bulkier, but one click on the internet showed me that is not true. About.com gave a pretty straightforward answer on my dilemma, explaining that walking, along with a variety of other aerobic exercises, uses the body’s slow-twitch fibers, which are designed for sustained activity and will not grow in size. To get lean and toned legs, walking on an incline is highly recommended. To burn more calories, increase your speed or the incline or both! Good luck!
