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Author Profile: Victoria Connelly
Chick Lit Authors

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.
See my review of The Perfect Hero

Bio Retrieved from victoriaconnelly.com

September 8, 2011
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Author Profile: Lisa Dale
Chick Lit Authors

Author Profile: Lisa Dale

Author Name: Lisa Dale

Website: http://lisadalebooks.com/

Bio: A lifelong bookworm, Lisa Dale is a firm believer that there are few things in life better than curling up with a novel and a cup of tea. Lisa Dale grew up in rural Northwestern New Jersey before attending McDaniel College in Westminster, Maryland. She worked briefly in publishing before going back to school to get an MFA in fiction at Fairleigh Dickinson University. A nominee for Best New American Voices and the Pushcart Prize, her writing appears in many literary magazines, such as The Writer, Fourth Genre, Flyway, Fugue, Sou’wester, The Southeast Review, The MacGuffin, Many Mountains Moving, and more.
Titles: Simple Wishes, It Happened One Night, Slow Dancing on Price’s Pier
See my review of Slow Dancing on Price’s Pier
Visit Lisa’s Blog!
Bio Retrieved from lisadalebooks.com

September 6, 2011
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Interview with Susan Mallery
Chick Lit Authors

Interview with Susan Mallery

Tell us about ONLY MINE.
Each book in the Fool’s Gold series is a standalone novel, meaning that you won’t get lost if you read them out of order. Fool’s Gold is a town facing a serious (and seriously funny) problem – the 2010 census revealed that the town is suffering from a man shortage. Fool’s Gold has become the punch line of countless jokes on TV talk shows, which makes the strong, independent women in town pretty darn crabby… and which attracts the attention of a sleazy TV producer.
In ONLY MINE, it’s Dakota Hendrix’s job to interview potential contestants. After she recommends two handsome young twins for the show, the twins’ gorgeous, stern older brother demands that she declare them unfit. Finn Anderson wants his brothers to return to college. Finn has raised the boys since their parents died, and he won’t consider his duty done until they graduate. While Finn does everything he can to strong-arm or coerce his brothers back to Alaska, Dakota is struggling with a problem of her own, a problem so big that it will change the course of her life.
You can read free excerpts at www.foolsgoldca.com. You’ll find lots of freebies and fun bonus content there, too!

How did you come up with your Fool’s Gold series?
I knew I wanted to create a series based on a place. In the past, I’d written series based on a family, so once I ran out of siblings, I ran out of stories. Readers kept asking me for more in every series. They loved that sense of connection, and they wanted it to go on. Debbie Macomber was the one who suggested I stop writing about families and start writing about a place. With a place, the story possibilities are infinite. (Debbie Macomber is like my Mayor Marsha – I never say no to Debbie! She’s a genius.)
The place itself needed to have a strong identity. As I was brainstorming the series, I heard a story about the then-upcoming 2010 census, about everything a town can discover about itself from census results. I wondered, “What if there was a man shortage?”
So Fool’s Gold was born… the town with the man shortage. But instead of making the women eager to get more men to town, I tweaked reader expectations and made the women strong, self-sufficient, and kind of crabby that anyone would think they need more men. They can run the town just fine without men. Which means that any men who do move to Fool’s Gold have to earn the right to live there . . . and they have to earn the hearts of the women they love.
www.FoolsGoldCA.com is my gift to readers who have been so loyal to me. I wanted to create an experience for readers that goes beyond the books. On FoolsGoldCA.com, readers will find amazing bonus content such as between-the-books updates, stories and pictures from the characters’ weddings, Fool’s Gold magazines, a map of town, and funny ads from local businesses… I could keep going, but the truth is, you have to see it to get it. Fool’s Gold is the Land of Happy Endings!

What draws Dakota and Finn to each other?
At their core, Finn and Dakota both value their families more than anything. Finn thinks he wants to be done with his familial duty. He wants to get his brothers through college so he can return to his days as a carefree bachelor, but he will learn that he’s not that guy anymore. Somewhere along
the way, he grew up. At heart, he’s a family man.
You love to write about families, such as the Hendrix triplets. Why?
I was an only child, so I love writing about the big, boisterous family that I never had. Triplets are an extension of that – three sisters who have been together since birth. Each of the triplets has her own personality, but the experiences these three women have shared throughout their lives make them as close as it’s possible to be.
You’re known for both the depth of your characters and for your humor. Do both come naturally to you?
I think men and women falling in love with each other is inherently hysterical. Who came up with that bright idea?! Men do everything they can to avoid emotion, and yet they’re irresistibly drawn to women, who overflow with emotion. When I get teary-eyed over a commercial, my husband looks at me like I’m completely nuts. There’s this constant push-pull between men and women that never really goes away, and it will always be funny to me.
Most of my storylines are not funny in and of themselves. My characters deal with some very serious issues in their lives, but their ability to find the humor says a lot about their resilience. I like people in real life who can laugh at themselves, and I like that in characters, too.
Do you plot your books before writing?
I do a lot of plotting in advance, which means I can write the story quickly, which further means that I don’t lose interest. For me, the creative rush is highest during the plotting process, and the actual writing of the book is more about getting the story down on paper. I’ve tried
writing without a plot, and it just doesn’t work for me. I enjoy the aspect of surprise, but I dread revisions. Even when a book is thoroughly plotted, though, the characters can sometimes surprise me. I was sweetly surprised by a secondary romance in ONLY MINE.
How many more Fool’s Gold books will you write?
There will be at least seven more books after this year’s. In 2012, three delicious cowboy brothers and their younger sister will move to Fool’s Gold. And in 2013, I think I’m going to establish a bodyguard academy on the edge of town. After that, who knows? If readers clamor for more from Fool’s Gold, anything’s possible. (You can let me know you want more by writing to me at
www.facebook.com/susanmallery, www.twitter.com/susanmallery, or www.goodreads.com/susanmallery.)
Are you working on anything new outside of Fool’s Gold?
BAREFOOT SEASON, my next women’s fiction novel, will be out in April 2012 and will launch a new series set on quaint Blackberry Island. The story is about two former best friends who form a turbulent truce to save the inn they both love.

The recent Buzz has been that you have your own team of Cheerleaders for the release of Only Mine and the books to follow. How did the idea come about? What is their purpose? How did you choose the squad?

Often, I hear from excited fans who discovered me because someone put one of my books in their hands and said, “You have to read this!” It moves me. And this year, it inspired me to create the Fool’s Gold Varsity Cheerleading Squad. I decided to form a team of avid readers to share with the world their love of Fool’s Gold, the Land of Happy Endings. (Fool’s Gold is the setting of my ongoing series of romance novels. It’s a quirky small town in the foothills of the Sierra Nevada Mountains. Fool’s Gold is dealing with a man shortage. This year’s stories center around the Hendrix triplets. They are ONLY MINE, ONLY YOURS, and ONLY HIS.) The cheerleaders will earn lots of prizes along the way for doing what they love – talking about books – and I will dedicate a book next year to the grand prize winner.
I invited my fans to “try out” for the team by sharing three creative ideas for spreading the word about Fool’s Gold. I was overwhelmed by the response! More than 500 fans tried out in the first few days, with some pretty amazing ideas. As I read through their applications, their enthusiasm brought a lump to my throat. I wish I could have accepted every one of them and had a cheerleading battalion that could take over the country. Unfortunately, I
only had 25 advanced copies of ONLY MINE to give away. Selecting the final 25 was a daunting task. I wanted to get a good mixture of people who emphasized online ideas and those who emphasized in-person ideas, such as standing in front of a bookstore on release day, wearing a sandwich board, ringing a bell like the Salvation Army. (Yes, she got picked. Hi, Stacey!) I also wanted cheerleaders from all across the U.S., so geography played a
role.
I don’t know if it was pure luck or my discerning genius, but I am thrilled with the cheerleaders who made the team! They’ve handed out bookmarks, talked to people at the bookstore, called long distance friends. And now they’re doing a blog tour to tell the world how much they love Fool’s Gold!
Where can readers meet the squad?
The cheerleaders are pictured on my Facebook page:
http://www.facebook.com/home.php#!/SusanMallery?closeTheater=1. You can also join my Goodreads fan page http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/8716.Susan_Mallery and my goodreads group to discover other readers who love my books! (Including
the cheerleaders!) (http://www.goodreads.com/group/show/49998.We_love_Susan_Mallery_)
Will your squad answer some questions?
They would love too!! Readers please meet the squad…

Why did you try out for the squad?
Atmac: Honestly? Because I thought it would be fun. I LOVE Susan’s books… I’ve been a fan of hers for years. I’ve met some really great people through FB author pages and knew I’d enjoy meeting and working with a crew who enjoyed her books. It’s hasn’t really felt like a competition…. more like a group of women with similar interests. Already, I’ve met more people than I imagined and it’s only been going on for a week!

Marilyn: Because I missed the last try out!
What is your favorite Fool’s Gold title?
Kelly: Sister of the Bride, which was part of the Summer Brides anthology. I could relate to Kate being a complete tomboy and sportswriter myself.
What’s your favorite book by Susan?
Beccie: My favorite book of Susan’s would have to be from her Buchanan Family series, “Sizzling”. I love Reid’s character and how he falls in love with the smart and understated Lori. I guess I see myself in Lori and that’s why I love it.

Marilyn: Accidentally Yours and Sunset Bay
How did you discover Susan for the 1st time?
Stacey: I am an avid reader of the Harlequin Desire line and found Susan that way. Her “Millionaire” series was my favorite.
Jen: My Aunt had given me a stack of books & Susan’s was included…I can’t remember the title now (of course), but it was with the ex football player & a bakery.
What made you an avid fan of Susan’s books?
Heidi: Susan’s writing made me an avid fan! I love the way her writing can pull me into a story, make me feel part of a small town, and fall in love with the characters. As I began to research her list of back-list, trying to find more to read, I found that Susan is a very fun and out-going person. The creativity behind Fool’s Gold website is brilliant and has me wanting more and more from this small community of people. I love how Susan tries to connect with her readers through her website and blog…the videos, yummy recipes, and I love the fun stories and pictures of her dog, NIKKI.

Jennifer: Her writing is humorous with a great story…she is a one of a kind author.
What’s it like to be on the squad?
Charlotte: To be on the Varsity Cheerleading squad with the 24 other women who love Susan as I do is AWESOME, we all share a love for Susan and her novels. We sit and wait with baited breath for the next installment.

Marilyn: Fantastic

Have you read only mine yet? What do you think?
Atmac: Yes! LOL… and I loved it!! My daughter adopted a child just this year. She has 2 children, but we nearly lost both of them with her second child. Her husband refused to let her bear any more children, so they decided to adopt. The months and months of filling out paperwork, and it happened just as suddenly for her as it did for Dakota. I really liked how strong Dakota was–she never whined or complained about the hand that Life dealt her. Finn was a hero who was easy to respect. Even though he comes off strong in the beginning, you know WHY he’s the way he is. He’s like the parent, but not. And so close to feeling like he could do “his” thing.

Why should readers buy this book?
Kelly: Because it will make you smile. This is the perfect escape from reality with some wonderful characters read.
Marilyn: Why not?
Any favorite quotes from the book?
Atmac: “You’re not funny,” her mother snapped. “If you think this is humorous, you’re wrong. I’m in crisis here. A really, really big crisis. I feel sick to my stomach, my head hurts, I’m retaining enough water to sink a battleship. I’m a woman on the edge. You need to respect that.”

Charlotte: “Mom I’m pregnant!” bhahahah I would have been killed but her mom embraced her and wanted to share in her love.

Be honest… What’s Susan really like?
Jennifer: She is humble and an absolute doll!!

Jen: She’s amazing! I never thought she would be as involved with our squad as she has been. Everyone and I feel I need to keep up & stay on top of those.
Tiffany: Supportive, Caring, Giving, Friendly, Creative, and a great author! She is someone you would want as a friend in good times and bad. She really has been so kind and supportive of all of us even when it has nothing to do with her or her books! She just cares.

August 22, 2011
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Interview with Meredith Schorr
Chick Lit Authors

Interview with Meredith Schorr

How do you know being an author is the right choice for you?

I honestly do not know if it is the right choice for me forever. I hope so, but we’ll see if I can keep coming up with book ideas! I never thought about being an author until I started writing Just Friends With Benefits on a whim and loved every minute of it. And I’ve enjoyed writing my second novel just as much. As long as writing novels continues to make me happy, I assume I will keep doing it.

I read that you were interested once in writing books for children. Do you still have an interest for this?

Not at all. After dabbling in children’s stories, I realized it wasn’t for me. I’ve often thought about writing a Young Adult novel, but teenagers are so different now than they were back in my day. (Yikes that made me sound REALLY old.) I was a pretty innocent kid and don’t know if what I would write would appeal to a more sophisticated generation of teenagers.

Is any part of Just Friends With Benefits is based on your life?

Yes and no. Stephanie is a lot like me and most of the other characters are inspired by people I’ve known. That being said, the story itself is completely fictictious. While some events/conversations might have actually taken place, they were used completely out of context.

I see that you are currently in the revision stage for your second novel. Can you tell us what this story will be about?

I’ve actually begun the tortorous process of drafting my query letter and pitch! Here’s what I have so-far. It will be tweaked: “Exactly 365 days after breaking up with her high school sweetheart of nine years, 26 year-old Jane Frank is ready to fall in love again. Although the plan is to be in a committed relationship by the time she starts law school the following year, Jane discovers that finding and maintaining a boyfriend in high school circa 1999 is entirely different than dating in NYC post-millenium. When Jane finds herself on the receiving end of the silent ‘fadeaway’ three times too often, she is determined to take back control, but risks losing her friends, family and a little bit of her sanity in the process.” The working title is “Taking Back The Fadeaway”.

Do you have a certain writing routine?-

Actually I don’t. I work full-time and have a lot of other things going on that make it impossible for me to write every day. I do belong to a writer’s group that meets every week. And I try to write on lunch hours, while commuting, and often while waiting my turn for a hair or doctor’s appointment, and even online at the grocery store. I do a lot of writing remotely on my phone.

What is the hardest part of the writing process for you?

As far as the writing itself, I struggle the most with description. I usually write the first draft pretty sparingly and then flesh it out during revisions.

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

EXTREMELY important. Especially for e-published writers like myself whose books cannot be bought at brick & mortar stores. There is definitely less chance of an impulse sale so getting yourself out there using social media is very helpful.

What are some of your pet peeves?

People who stop at the bottom of an escalator and just stand there. Similarly, people who stop in the middle of a NYC city street to look up at a building or billboard without any thought to the fact that people are directly behind them. People walking on the streets who don’t move to the side to send texts. I think I have a lot of issues with commuters in NYC!!

What are a few things on your bucket list?

I would like to see one of my books in an airport book store. Observing someone buy it would be even better! I’m going to get a little corny here and say that I’d really like to fall in mutual love with the right person. The right person is key as there have been a few wrong ones. Oh, and the “mutual” part is key too! Running a marathon is a possibility but I’m going to reserve judgement until I complete my first half marathon in September.

What is your advice to aspiring writers?

I believe writers should write the story they want to write and not only what they think will sell. Also, writers should learn to take construction criticism and learn from it, but also be able to trust their own instincts. There is a fine line between editing blindly based on someone else’s comments and being so stubborn (and foolish) that you aren’t able to see changes that could really improve your story. Finally, I think aspiring writers should not be afraid to explore new options of publishing. It’s a changing industry and there are a lot of different ways to publish.

Where would be your dream vacation?

I have so many dream vacations and they run the gamut in type. But common to all are good company, delicious food and drinks “a-plenty”!

August 22, 2011
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Guest Post by Susan Fales-Hill
Chick Lit Authors

Guest Post by Susan Fales-Hill

The realization that one MUST write books can dawn slowly, over the course of a lifetime, or in a Joan-of-Arc-hears-a-voice sudden flash of inspiration. I had my first epiphany during a dismal meeting with T.V. network executives as I burned at the stake of their unrelenting criticism of a script I had written about a subject I knew cold: glamorous black divas. It was 1998 and I was a thirteen year sitcom veteran having worked as a writer on “The Cosby Show, “as Executive Producer/Headwriter of its spinoff, “A Different World,” two other less memorable shows, and served as Consulting Producer on Brooke Shields’ comedic vehicle, “Suddenly Susan.” (Thirteen years may not sound like much, but TV writers’ careers are measured in dog years, we are hideously overworked and grossly overpaid. For that decade plus, I had no life, and was mother to a large brood of handbags) This was the tail end of the last great Golden Age of Network television, a time before niche networks and the proliferation of reality shows featuring disgraced politicians and Republican baby mamas mamboing their way to image rehabilitation and big cash prizes. During a lull between show running jobs, I had agreed to write a pilot, with Whoopi Goldberg as producer, about a Broadway diva who had fallen on hard times. Having grown up around a group I like to call the Original Divas, Diahann Carrol, Eartha Kitt, Lena Horne, my own mother, Broadway legend, Josephine Premice (who would awaken me every morning with a song, a homemade chocolate shake and wearing her false eyelashes,) I knew the breed. I more than knew them, had a Doctorate in Advanced Divology.
. Rather than comment on the story, the executives launched into an attack on the depiction of the “Diva. “ They reeled off a list of actresses they considered divas, all of them white, and though all talented, more “Mae West” raunchy/vulgar than naughty and refined like the performers I’d known all my life. Whoopi objected: “None of the women you’ve mentioned is a woman of color.” “Our Yoga instructor is Indian,” the executives countered brightly without a trace of irony. With all due respect to this no doubt lovely and obviously enterprising woman, I submit that opening a Yoga studio in a strip mall in Santa Monica in the 1990’s doesn’t quite compare to changing the image of African American women from sexless, subservient mammies to sophisticated, empowered glamazons in the era of Jim Crow. Call me crazy. Beyonce, Halle Berry, Viola Davis, Angela Basset and scores of others owe their careers to the strides made by this prior generation of path breakers. But the executives were clearly oblivious to these truths. As they steamrolled over Whoopi’s comment and the original concept of the piece, I felt as if I had landed in the third circle of Dante’s Hell and was being punished for all eternity for a crime I didn’t remember committing. Aside from the fact they had no frame of reference for the world, or the women we were depicting, they weren’t going to bother to do their research. I had had the privilege of working on groundbreaking shows that had systematically dismantled stereotypes, but in this case “the revolution (would) not be televised.” I knew in that moment that to do justice to the Original Divas, I would eventually have to turn to another medium.
I wish I could tell you, dear reader, that I stood up then and there, cast my pencil down before these benighted bores and declared “Enough is enough, I’m done with T.V.” In the first place, the discussion was taking place via phone, in a time before Skype, so the drama of my standing up and tossing said pencil to the ground would have been lost on them. In the second, I’m nothing if not practical and security oriented. It took a couple of more years to loose myself from television’s golden handcuffs. That same year, I sold a show to Showtime with Tim Reid that starred the incredible Pam Grier. For two seasons, we enjoyed much greater creative freedom . But I realized I still had not told my story. It was my husband who asked me one night over dinner: “Other than the money, what keeps you in TV?” I stared at him dumbly and looked down at my designer purse. I had to admit to myself that woman does not live by luxury accessories alone. It was time to take a chance. An article I wrote about growing up bi-racial in the 60’s and 70’s and not ending up in an asylum led me to immortalize my mother in a memoir, “Always Wear Joy,” published two years after her passing and the year my daughter was born.
All I can say, dear reader is, “once you go hardback, you never go back.” The work of writing books is far lonelier. I can no longer bounce ideas ofF an entire staff, but am reduced to talking to myself (hopefully not in public) until my editor weighs in on the first draft. And there is no one to fetch me cappuccinos at will. That said, the freedom to depict the world as I know it, big, messy, multicultural, and not be told that a character is too old (because she’s all of thirty two), too unlikeable, too exotic, too badly behaved, too too much is well worth the “sacrifices.”
My debut novel, “One Flight Up,” the first multicultural chick lit novel, is dedicated to the notion that we don’t pick our friends like Garanimal pajamas, (i.e.they don’t all match. ) Tired of books that end with an “I Do,” I wanted to explore the choices women face between marrying sexy Mario in the Mazerati, who rocks your world but won’t be there to change diapers, and Murray the Mortician who will, but between the sheets may make you feel like you’ re being embalmed. I’m now on book three and counting.
With each tome, I learn, grow, and hopefully improve. My television training served me well. I don’t treat deadlines as mere suggestions and I’m the first to edit myself. I don’t treat any part of my books like the stone tablets of Moses. Writing is re-writing. And so, I suppose I should thank the two executives whose whining incomprehension drove me to seek out new territory. And should book writing not pan out, I can always return to my first job out of high school and before college: peddling designer purses behind the counter at Gucci. Anyone for a calf-skin clutch?

susanfales-hill.com

August 18, 2011
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Debut Author and Novels- August and September 2011
Chick Lit Authors

Debut Author and Novels- August and September 2011

Debut Authors & Novels- August/September 2011   Title: The Last Page Author: Lacy Camey Available: August 3, 2011 Synopsis: Norah Johnson is at a crossroads…

August 17, 2011
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Author Profile: Kathleen Kole
Chick Lit Authors

Author Profile: Kathleen Kole

Author Name: Kathleen Kole

Website: http://kathleenkole.com/

Bio: Born in Edmonton AB, Kathleen began storytelling in grade school. She has many fond memories of passing summer afternoons, out on the swings in her backyard, creating tales that entertained her neighborhood friends.

When she finally decided to venture from her backyard, Kathleen pursued a career in storytelling. She graduated from college with a Diploma in Radio and Television Arts and traveled the path of freelance writing for numerous local newspapers.

Many years later, too many to talk about without seeming rude and nosey, Kathleen has channeled her imagination to the pages of her novels. She hopes that you enjoy her tales and encourages you to feel free to read her stories on the swing set in your own backyard.

Kathleen has traveled from Edmonton, to a new backyard with a lovely mountain view. She spends time there with her beloved husband, adored son and silly dog. They let her tell them stories and always laugh in all of the correct places. She’s lucky, and she knows it.
Titles: Breaking Even
See my review of Breaking Even
Bio Retrieved from kathleenkole.com

August 13, 2011
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Guest Post from Brooke Moss
Chick Lit Authors

Guest Post from Brooke Moss

Try, Try, Try…and Try Again.
By Brooke Moss

Thanks for having me here on Chick Lit Plus, I’m thrilled to be here!
Ever since I sold my debut novel, The What If Guy, to Entangled Publishing, I’ve been asked at least a dozen times for advice on how to break into the publishing world. And as much as I’d like to be able to share my amazing words of wisdom, and to map out the way to publication for all of the aspiring writers out there, I have to admit something:
I’m still as clueless as I ever was.
Well, maybe not quite as clueless as I was. After all, I was pretty clueless. But do I have all of the answers? No way, man. Not at all. Every day I move forward in this new career of mine, I learn more. I’ve learned about the editing process, and how grueling and painful it can be. I’ve learned about doing publicity for your books, and how time consuming that process is. I’ve learned about timelines and deadlines, and how important it is to learn the dying art of patience.
Since selling my book, I’ve been the student, so to speak. But I do have some sound advice for all of the aspiring writers out there. And this advice comes straight from the mouth of an author who was aspiring just a few short months ago. Follow these steps, and it may be your debut hitting the shelves next:
1.) Write a book. Don’t query it before it’s done. Sure, it’s tempting to do so, but it’s simply not a good idea. Because you never know how long your editing process might take, and if an agent or editor expresses interest in it, you’d hate to make them wait six months before it’s in the right shape to send. DON’T query a book that’s not finished. As the great Cherry Adair says, “Finish the damn book!”
2.) Once that book is finished, start editing. Now, this may take a while, and a few separate sets of eyes to look at it, but don’t get discouraged. Editing is a normal part of getting your book in the proper shape for querying. Take it from me, editing isn’t fun. Personally, I loathe it. But it is a necessary evil. So keep your chin up, and do it.
3.) Edit it again. I know, you were so happy when you thought you were done. You danced and celebrated and breathed a sigh of relief, because the worst was over…but no. The work is not done.
4.) Edit it again. Okay, okay, don’t stop reading…I promise that I know what I am talking about. Give your manuscript to a friend, and hand them a red pen. Ask them to mark anything that doesn’t read smoothly, or is confusing. When you get the manuscript back, go through it with new eyes, and fix fix fix.
5.) Write a query letter, and repeat steps three and four. That query letter is an agent or editor’s first impression of you. Make it short, sweet, and undeniably you.
6.) Make a list of agents and editors that you would love to work with. Never query an agent that you haven’t researched. You don’t want to wind up working with an agent that you don’t mesh well with, or have an unforeseen clash of personalities. Plus, what good does it do to query an agent or editor that only works with contemporaries, when you write paranormal, or vice versa? Do your research, and query the right options for you.
7.) Send the queries. And follow their guidelines! If they say no attachments, by gosh, they mean it. Don’t include a picture of yourself in a bikini, or send the first fifty pages of your manuscript, just because you think they’ll give it a chance out of pity. Not following their guidelines is a one way road into the slush pile.
8.) When you get rejected, and believe me, you will, don’t get down on yourself. This is part of the process, no matter how very much it sucks. And believe me, it sucks. Sometimes I even cried. The point is: Just keep sending out the queries. Thank each person who rejects you for pushing you even closer to the person who will offer you a contract.
9.) If you’ve been rejected more times than you can stand and you feel like you’re on the verge of a mental breakdown (which is totally normal) then table the book. Put it in a drawer and promise yourself to revisit it in six months. A year. A decade. Whatever feels right.
10.) Start a new book. I know, I know, now you’re rolling your eyes saying, Why the hell would I do that, when I’ve already written such a good book!? Believe me, I’ve been there. Here’s the deal: A writer who writes ONE great book is like shutting one’s self into a tiny room with no windows or doors. No room to expand. Write another book. Keep making up new worlds. Keep creating new characters. You never know when you’ll be given the chance to revisit that old book, but why limit yourself? Write another damn book.
11.) Edit the new book.
12.) Repeat steps one through nine. If that book doesn’t sell, repeat step ten.
Here is my point in a nutshell: Never give up. If you can’t sell one book, write another. Fine tune your skills. Go to conferences. Listen to lectures. Try new styles, perspectives, methods, etc. Never consider yourself to be at your best; otherwise you’ll never reach your best. Perfect your craft. The What If Guy was the fifth book I wrote. After I was offered a contract for it, my editor read on my website about a trilogy I’d written a few years ago, and asked to read it. This particular trilogy was rejected over forty times.
No, I’m not kidding.
The books you’ve tabled aren’t being forgotten. But never allow yourself to be so tethered to an old project that you’ve stagnated yourself. Keep trying. Try, try, try, try, try…and try again. That’s the best advice this debut author can offer to aspiring writers. Good luck to each and every one of you.
The What If Guy is available through Entangled Publishing, and I am thrilled to be sharing it with the world. It tells the tale of single mom, Autumn Cole, who is returning to the miniscule farming town of her youth, to reluctantly reclaim her role as daughter of the town drunk. Things become even more complicated when she realizes that her son’s history teacher is Henry, the college sweetheart she dumped, but never stopped loving. Be sure to grab a copy of The What If Guy, and then tell me what you think!
Find The What If Guy at Amazon, B&N, Books On Board, and at your local bookseller. A special thanks goes to Entangled Publishing for their amazing prizes and giveaways. Thanks guys!

Find me on the web at Website, Blog, Twitter, Goodreads, and Facebook.

Fondly,
Brooke Moss

August 10, 2011
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Interview with Marybeth Whalen
Chick Lit Authors

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, 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!

August 4, 2011
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