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Interview with Cathleen Holst
Chick Lit Authors

Interview with Cathleen Holst

Q: You are a new writer. What made you want to start writing, and how long have you been at it? Writing is something I’ve always loved doing. Even as a young girl I remember writing stories, but it was something I always kept very private. I remember writing a short story for my history class during my sophomore year of high school that was based on the Salem Witch Trials. Ms. Ray, my history teacher, returned the stories and had written a note on the top of my paper that I will never forget. In red ink she wrote, “You’re a great writer.” The seed was officially planted, but I never thought seriously about writing until I read a book (that I will leave nameless) in 2009 that I really enjoyed. The story was great and highly addictive (I literally could not stop reading). The writing, however, was mediocre at best, and I thought if writing like that could get published, than certainly mine could. 
Q: What have you found to be the most difficult so far in your journey? I would have to say that the most difficult thing, for me, is finding good blocks of uninterrupted writing time. My mother-in-law has been so helpful in that respect and watches my four year-old a couple days a week for me. That is such a huge help. But on a technical note, that would have to be the outlining process. I find it almost impossible to outline before I start writing. I will get an idea and just start writing like mad, but inevitably stall around the third or fourth chapter. That’s when I start outlining or really what I like to call my “what if’s”. I’ll take my idea and twist and turn it in as many different directions as I possibly can until I get something I like.
Q: Your debut novel is The Story of Everleigh Carlisle. Where did that inspiration come from? I wish I had some type of prolific answer like how the story came to me in a dream, or I was sitting on train and had this sudden burst of inspiration, but sadly I have none of that. I literally had no idea what I was going to write about when I began. All I knew was that I had this burning desire to write something…anything. I had no outline, no plot ideas, not even the name of a character. I just started typing the first thing that popped into my head. And that’s how Everleigh was born.
Q: Are you currently working on another novel, or some ideas for a plot or characters? Yes. I have the basic plot and a few characters outlined for my next novel. I began working on it while waiting to hear if Everleigh was going to be picked up for publication. After working and reworking that story for so long, I had to walk away for a while and begin something new. I’m excited to get back to it.
Q: How were you able to secure a publisher? Can you walk us through the process? My experience in that is probably different than most. I took the same path that hundreds of other aspiring novelists take by sending out queries to agents by the dozen. But where mine differs is how I met my publisher. After joining a new online networking site for writers I read the profiles of several members, but when I came across a profile belonging to a publisher my interest was piqued and I visited their website. After reviewing the type of material they were interested in, I was curious about why they were not interested in one particular genre. I have to be honest, I wasn’t sure if a fledgling novelist like me should bother a publisher with my little question. But nothing ventured, nothing gained, right? I took a chance and emailed my question to her. She was very kind and answered my question right away. I’m not sure what I did (but I’m glad I did it), she then later took an interest in me and asked to see my manuscript. Even though she’s not an agent, I still had to submit a query letter, synopsis and the first two chapters. And I fully expected her response to be the same as every other agent I submitted to; something along the lines of “Your story sounds interesting, but unfortunately we’re going to have to pass and we wish you all the best in your publishing endeavors.” Imagine my surprise when she said she wanted to publish it! After countless rejections, someone actually liked it. I really couldn’t be happier with my publisher, and couldn’t ask for a better first experience.
Q: What do you hope readers take away from your book? Honestly, I hope that if the reader is having a bad day or if they find their life isn’t going exactly the way they expected that they are able to relate to Everleigh—she gets thrown a curveball in her life as well—and realize that even though by all appearances we have everything we want, we still need to listen to our heart. Because if our heart’s not happy then we never will be, no matter how much money we have, what neighborhood we live in, our car, our social status, or even our job title. None of that defines who we are as people, and that is something Everleigh struggles to remember. As we all do at times. But even more than that, I just hope they enjoy reading it as much as I’ve enjoyed writing it.
Q: What is the best part about being a “Georgia Peach?” Now that’s an original question.  There’s nothing like good ol’ fashioned Southern hospitality, sweet tea, barbecue, and fried green tomatoes, all of it. I just love the South. It’s my home. Oh, and the weather, I can’t forget the weather. It’s nice to be able to experience all four seasons, and sometimes we experience all four in the same week.
Q: What is the biggest risk you have ever taken? I don’t really know if I’d call it a risk because I didn’t have anything to lose, but deciding to share with everyone that I was writing a book with the intent of becoming published was rather terrifying for me. As I said earlier, I kept my love of writing private so to announce to my family that I was seriously writing was scary. They’ve all been incredibly supportive.
Q: Being a new writer, what would be your advice to aspiring writers? Never stop writing and don’t let rejections get you down. It’s all part of the business. John Grisham, Stephen King, JK Rowling, Stephenie Meyer, and countless others…they’ve all received rejection letters and after receiving mine I was now a member of that club. That’s some great company to be in. If you want it bad enough, it will happen. Don’t let a few “no’s” stop you from pursuing your dream. Another piece of advice I would give is to take your time when writing your first novel, and get as much HONEST feedback as you can. That means stepping outside your comfort zone and sharing your writing with others who are not close friends or relatives. It may be painful sometimes, but believe me it will help you grow as a writer. I received a comment about my writing once that almost had me in tears, but once I calmed down I realized everything this person had pointed out was spot on. It was the best comment I’d received.
Q: What is or do you think would be your favorite place to travel? Oh my…there are so many places I would love to visit. I would have to say Paris or Tuscany. Under the Tuscan Sun is one of my all-time favorite movies, and after watching that I said, “I want to buy a villa in Tuscany and hire the muscular descendents of Roman gods to help me rebuild it!” Hey…a girl can dream, can’t she?

February 26, 2010
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Interview with Allie Spencer
Chick Lit Authors

Interview with Allie Spencer

Q: You attended a law school and practiced law for years. Why did you decide to start writing?

I’ve wanted to be a writer for most of my life and dabbled at it for years. However, it wasn’t until I’d had my first child that I finally had the time (during his naps) to sit down and tackle a full-length novel. At the moment, the writing seems to be taking off, but there is always the chance I’ll be back in court if things don’t work out!

Q: What is your favorite part of the writing process?

Oooh, that’s a hard one. I think every part of the process has good bits and bad bits, but for sheer excitement, I think it has to be the moment you first hold your published novel in your hand – everything you struggled with suddenly seems worth it. Also, it’s hard to beat the moment a fantastic idea or a wonderful character turns up unannounced in your head; in my experience this doesn’t happened very often so you need to make the most of it!

Q: On the other hand, what do you think is the hardest part of the writing process?

I find the first edit the hardest. I write and write and write until I have a first draft and then I go back over it and try and pull it into some sort of shape. I usually end up doing at least six drafts/re-workings, but that first ‘go through’ feels as though it takes forever and by the time I’ve finished it, I’ve usually convinced myself that I’ve just written the worst book in the history of the universe! But you have to gird up your loins and go back in and do it all over again – and by the time I’ve finished the second edit, I generally feel much more positive.

Q: Do you have a certain area that you get all your work done?

I write in my bedroom, sitting on the bed with my laptop on my knee. I’m sure this isn’t good for me and some sort of ergonomic karma is going to get me sooner or later, but I love the peace and calm of the bedroom (unlike the crazy, untidy study that my husband occupies) and I can hide away from the washing up and unfinished housework lurking downstairs.

Q: Where do you find the inspiration for your books?

Sometimes it seems to come out of nowhere: I’ll be watching television, picking the children up from school or going for a run, and I’ll think ‘wouldn’t that be a good idea for a book?’ or, ‘oh, yes – that’s the way the plot needs to go!’. At other times, I’ll find myself in a particular situation, or perhaps reading an article in the paper, and ideas start sparking out of that. I got the inspiration for Tug of Love whilst sitting in a crowded corridor outside a courtroom: I suddenly wondered what it would be like if the door to that courtroom opened and your boyfriend came out – and there you were, in the most public situation imaginable, having just found out that your boyfriend was going through a divorce he hadn’t told you about.

Q: How do you enjoy any free time you get?

I seem to spend most of the time I’m not writing running round like a headless chicken sorting out the house or looking after the children. However this New Year I made a resolution to get back into some of the things I used to enjoy such as going to the theatre, cinema and concerts. I haven’t made it to the flicks yet, but I did go to see Noel Coward’s Private Lives a couple of weeks ago and I’ve got two more theatre trips booked – one is for a show at the Globe Theatre which I am really excited about.

Q: What is one thing about you that most people wouldn’t know?

Er, tough one. The answer would either have to be something a bit bizarre, like the fact that I was once in a play where all my lines were in Anglo Saxon and I had to wave a broad sword around (!) or something more serious, like the fact I am dyslexic. Thankfully my dyslexia is not at the serious end of the spectrum, but it does mean I need to put in extra effort to make sure my writing’s up to scratch.

Q: Who are some of your favorite authors?

I like anyone with an unusual, humorous take on life so my favourites include Marian Keyes, Sophie Kinsella (I have just finished Twenties Girl – it was amazing), Douglas Adams and the fantastic Jasper Fforde.

Q: What advice would you give to aspiring writers?

Never give up: keep writing, keep polishing and keep sending your work out to editors and agents. If you give up, you can be absolutely certain you will never be published; keep going and you are always in with a chance. I think it’s also worth going to writers’ conferences or joining groups such as the Romantic Novelists’ Association (who, by the way, run a critiquing scheme for unpublished authors). By meeting and talking to the editors and agents who attend this sort of function, you get yourself known and also get a feel for what publishers are looking for.

Q: What is or do you think would be your favorite place to travel?

If I could go anywhere, I think I’d hop in a time machine and whiz back through some of my favourite historical eras. I studied the Middle Ages at uni, so a quick visit to the Fifteenth Century would be interesting to see if our ideas about life back then are anywhere near the truth! Then a stop-over in Regency England – possibly a visit to the great Jane Austen herself, if that could be arranged – before winding up in the Roaring Twenties for champagne cocktails and a spot of Charleston dancing!

February 26, 2010
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Chick Lit Author Irene Zutell
Chick Lit Authors

Chick Lit Author Irene Zutell

Irene Zutell started her career as a newspaper reporter, writing on police and city hall news. After becoming bored with that work, she became a travel writer, touring continents and countries including some of her favorites: Paris, St. Petersburg, Dubrovnik, Prague, Florence, and Rome. After years of writing and traveling, Zutell moved to Los Angeles and started a career as a reporter for People magazine, writing human interest articles and following celebrity lives.
Irene Zutell has three books published: They’re Not Your Friends, I’ll Never Have Sex With You Again!, and Pieces of Happily Ever After. Her writing has also been featured in Us Weekly, The New York Times, The NY Daily News, and Newsday. She currently lives in Los Angeles with her husband and two children.

February 21, 2010
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Chick Lit Author Cathleen Holst
Chick Lit Authors

Chick Lit Author Cathleen Holst

Born and raised in Atlanta, this “Georgia Peach” has her stilettos firmly planted in the south. Despite whisking her characters off to glamorous places like New York City or Beverly Hills, she has no desire to relocate herself to a city where good ol’ fashioned sweet tea is not readily available. However, she would have her boarding pass in hand in a New York minute for a shopping trip off Rodeo Drive.
Cathleen currently resides in a small suburb of Atlanta with her extremely patient husband (and former high school sweetheart) of five years with their three children and two, sometimes over-the-top, rambunctious dogs. She has been writing stories as long as she can remember, and to this day is still perfectly happy to be left alone in a room making stuff up. (Much to the dismay of her husband as he often has to do the lion’s share of the cooking.)
Although her love of literature is not confined to one particular genre, it has always been the “feel-good” stories that have resonated with her the most. Calling her stories “chick-lit” does not offend her in the least. All stories, whether they’re an edge of your seat mystery, a decadent regency-era romance, or heart pounding thriller or sci-fi, have their place in our hearts. And for Cathleen, these frilly (yes, sometimes a bit frivolous) delightful easy reads are as perfect as the cherry sitting atop a banana split.

February 21, 2010
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Chick Lit Author: Plum Sykes
Chick Lit Authors

Chick Lit Author: Plum Sykes

Plum Sykes was born in London, one of six kids, and has a twin sister Lucy. She graduated from Worcester College, Oxford with a degree in modern history. Sykes began her career in fashion by working as a fashion assistant at British Vogue. She then moved on to be a contributing editor on fashion for American Vogue after moving to New York.
Plum Sykes love for fashion helped develop her first novel, Bergdorf Blondes, which focuses on New York socialites living their couture lives. Blondes quickly hit the bestseller lists, and paved way for Sykes second novel, Debutante Divorcee. Sykes is married to British entrepreneur Toby Rowland and they have a daughter together, Ursula.

February 20, 2010
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Interview with Irene Zutell
Chick Lit Authors

Interview with Irene Zutell

Q: Why did you decide you wanted to be a writer?
A: I couldn’t think of anything else I was competent at!

Q: Where do you find the inspiration for your novels?
A: Usually, there’s a bit of real life mixed in with the fiction. I’m from New York, but I find a lot of my inspiration in my new hometown-Los Angeles. There’s so much to write about here. I really is crazy here. For instance, we live on a cul de sac in the valley, and right on the hill above us is a house that was used in porn movies. So, we’d be sitting outside listening to moaning. It was very surreal.

Q: I just started reading Pieces of Happily Ever After. Where did the idea for that story come from?
A: This woman–Vera Moder–who lived a few blocks from us was dumped by her husband for another woman–Julia Roberts. She was all over the tabloids. Her husband, Danny, eventually married Julia . I wanted Vera to do a nonfiction book with me. But when she wouldn’t, I decided to fictionalize it. Imagine going through a break-up and having it very public? And imagine having to read about your partner’s romance in the tabloids? I thouht it was a great jumping off point for a novel about a lot of other stuff–mothers and daughters, aging, love, romance, etc.

Q: Is there a typical day for you?
A: I wish I had a typical day. I wish I could say I get up at 5 a.m. and write until noon. But I don’t. I write when I can. I write when my kids are at school, or at night, or right now as they play outside. I usually don’t move until I have to because I know that at any moment, someone’s going to cry or fight or be hungry.

Q: What is your favorite part about writing?
When it just flows and I’m in that zone where I’m totally lost in the story.

Q: You have been a correspondent for PEOPLE and US Weekly. What did you take away from those experiences?
A: When I first started working for People, I thought it would be a joke–just something easy to do for a whle. Was I wrong. It was the hardest job. Being a reporter for People, I learned to pay attention to detail and to think fast. I learned that you really can never have enough details for a story and you’ve got to constantly be coming up with creative ways to draw a subject out.

What were some of the favorite stories you worked on?

A: Even though I covered mostly the celebrity beat, my favorite stories were always the human interest type–like the girl who awakened from a coma after months and months, or the veternarian who spent weekends on Seattle’s Skid Row taking care of the homeless’ pets.

Q: If you hadn’t been a writer, what do you think would be your career?
A: I have no idea.

Q: Are you currently working on any future novels?
Sure. I have some things in the works, but right now I’m ghostwriting a book.

Q: What would be your advice to aspiring writers?
Never give up. Listen to the voice in your head instead of what other tell you.

Q: What is or do you think would be your favorite place to travel?
I used to be a travel writer, so I love traveling. Anywhere. I love European cities like Paris, St. Petersburg, Dubrovnik, Prague, Florence, Rome. But I also loved a trip I took a while back throughout Alaska. I went to Tahiti on my honeymoon, which was just incredible. And I love road trips through northern California.

February 16, 2010
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Chick Lit Author: Adele Parks
Chick Lit Authors

Chick Lit Author: Adele Parks

Adele Parks was born and raised in northeast England and attended Leicester University to study English Language and Literature. After moving to Italy and teaching English, Parks moved back to the UK and began a career in advertising. After living life on the fast track (and moving to Botswana for a few years in between) Parks went on to write her first novel- Playing Away- which became the debut best seller of the millennium.
Since being published, Parks has gone on to publish eight more novels- all of which have become best sellers. Her titles are: Playing Away, Game Over, Larger Than Life, The Other Woman’s Shoes, Still Thinking Of You and Husbands, Young Wives’ Tales, Tell Me Something and Love Lies. Adele Parks currently lives in Guildford with her husband and son.

February 16, 2010
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Interview with Brenda Janowitz
Chick Lit Authors

Interview with Brenda Janowitz

Q: Why did you decide to write chick lit books?
Q: What gave you the ideas for your two novels?

I’ve always been a writer. In fact, that’s the reason why I became a lawyer in the first place—trying to find a career where I could write full time. But I’ve always had a real love for fiction, and I’d find myself practicing law and thinking about these fictional stories that I wanted to write. When I was invited to my ex-boyfriend’s wedding, my life slowly but surely began to resemble some of my favorite chick lit novels, and I said to myself, ‘I’ve just gotta start writing this stuff down…

When I finished SCOT ON THE ROCKS, I just knew that Brooke’s story had to continue! Since both she and Jack are lawyers, I thought it would be so much fun to pit them against each other in the courtroom… all while planning their fairy-tale wedding. Thus the idea for JACK WITH A TWIST was born!

Q: What was the hardest part about the writing process?

The hardest part for me is always the end. (Isn’t it for every writer?) You’ve taken the reader on a journey, and it’s so important to deliver on everything you’ve built up, and to give them something memorable and satisfying.

Q: Do you have a third chick lit novel in the works?

Right now, I’m working on a commercial women’s fiction novel, and I’ve also got a Young Adult proposal brewing. I always have lots of ideas going at the same time! We’ll have to see which one shapes up to become novel # 3.

I’d love to continue Brooke’s story, but for now, these other stories just keep calling out to me. BUT, I recently had my first child and there’s lots of funny things that have been happening along the way. Readers always ask me if Brooke will have a baby next, so you never know….

Q: What is your favorite part about living in New York?

Do I have to narrow it to just one thing?! New York is the greatest place on earth. It has always inspired me and exhilarated me.

My husband and I recently moved out to the suburbs, but we are just a short car ride from the city. Whenever we get back into the city, you just feel that energy hit you, and it’s such a rush.

Q: What do you enjoy doing in your free time?

Free time? Um, what’s that? Like I said, I recently had a baby, so most of my days I’m lucky if I get to take a shower!

As a writer, I suppose that my favorite thing to do is read. And as a chick lit writer, needless to say, my other favorite thing to do is shop!

Q: Did you set any New Year’s Resolutions this year?

Nope. I’m not big on New Year’s resolutions. Each day when I wake up, I just try to do the best that I can for that day.

But, yes, now that you’ve mentioned it, I would like to also lose some weight, too….

Q: You teach a creative writing class. How much do you enjoy the teaching process?

I love teaching. It’s always amazing to me how we all have stories inside of us. It’s great to see the brave few trying to make their dreams come true and get their stories onto paper.

Mediabistro gets such a talented group of people together for me to teach each time—it’s always humbling to me to see how wonderful my students are. I’m now at the stage where my students are getting agents and are on their way to book deals, so that is an incredible thing to see.

Q: What would be your advice to aspiring writers?

Keep writing! It’s so easy to get discouraged or feel like you don’t have the time to write. But like anything else that is important in life, you have to work at it and make the time for it.

Edit! Editing your work is almost as important as the writing itself. Sure, you’re telling your story, but it’s also important to consider the way that you tell it. You want your writing to be tight, elegant and polished. It can only get to be that way through careful and thorough editing.

Develop a very thick skin. You’re putting yourself out there when you write and not everyone is going to love what you do. But that’s okay! You’re not writing to please everyone out there. You’re writing because you have a story that you want to tell. So start getting used to criticism and then see tip #1—keep writing!

Q: What is or do you think would be your favorite place to travel?

Since I honeymooned in Hawaii, I’d have to say Hawaii. It’s such a beautiful and quiet place. There’s a rich history there, which is so much fun to explore.

And, of course, there’s just something for me about the beach—feeling the sand under my toes, listening to the crashing waves—that relaxes me to the core and allows my creative juices to flow. What could be more inspiring than a place like Hawaii?! (Does this mean that I get to go there again now?)

February 14, 2010
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Interview with Wendy Markham
Chick Lit Authors

Interview with Wendy Markham

Q: What is your favorite part of the writing process?
About 1/3 of the way through a novel, I finally hit my stride and the writing begins to really flow. Up until then, I tend to go back and rewrite the early chapters over and over again, filling in the blanks, moving text, fleshing out characters, etc. Once it starts flowing, the writing takes on a life of its own and I can’t wait to get to my keyboard every morning!
Q: Did you always know you wanted to write?
Yes, I’ve known since third grade that I wanted to become an author one day. I was fortunate to have been encouraged by my teacher and my parents, who believed in me and supported me every step of the way.
Q: Where do you find the inspiration for your novels?
The spark of an idea for quite a few of my chick lit plot elements and characters come from my own life. I also write suspense novels (under my own name, Wendy Corsi Staub), but usually turn to other sources of inspiration for those—newspapers, true crime stories, Dateline and 48 Hours. But no matter what I’m writing, my novels all start with a musing “what if…?”
Q: You write for more than one genre, do you find anything difficult about that?
Not at all, probably because I only work on one book at a time. I tend to live in my fictional world while I’m on a deadline, and I think it would be difficult to jump back and forth from happy-shoe-shopping-land to corpse-in-the-woods-land. Writing in different genres keeps things fresh and interesting for me.
Q: You worked for bookstores while you were in college, what kind of knowledge did you take away from those jobs?
I learned how the publishing business works behind the scenes—about relationships between booksellers and their customers, between booksellers and sales reps, booksellers and authors…really, the most important person in an author’s life is the person responsible for getting the book into a reader’s hands. As an author, I have tremendous respect for booksellers, and try to let them know as often as possible how much I appreciate their efforts on my behalf.
Q: I absolutely love the ‘Slightly’ series! How did you come up with the characters and their scenarios?
Thank you! Tracey is very loosely based on me, and the people in her life are based—again, very loosely—on people I knew when I was a young, single woman in New York City. Certain characters—Raphael, for example—are composites of people I knew. Others are purely fictional—her parents are nothing like my parents, her mother-in-law, Wilma, came out of left field. But others—Jack, Yvonne, and Will come to mind—are rooted in real people I encountered along the way to being married and settled down.
Q: Did you have a favorite writer while you were growing up?
I I was—and still am—obsessed with Laura Ingalls Wilder. In fact, this past summer, I dragged my family out to the Prairie. We visited “Little House” sites in Kansas, Missouri, and South Dakota, and this coming summer, I’m going to be a featured speaker at “Laurapalooza,” the first-ever conference for Laura fans.

Q: You are always keeping busy, but when do get free time how do you spend it?
With my family! I’m a happily married mom with two boys who are growing up too fast, and we live our lives surrounded by hundreds of family members, friends, and neighbors. I like nothing better than to have a crowd around my dining room table eating homemade food. That, or traveling! I’ve embarked on a fifty-state book tour with my husband and sons in tow, and we complete a new leg every summer when school is out.
Q: What advice would you give to aspiring writers?
Do your homework! If you want to become a published author, remember that this is a business as well as an art. Learn how the industry works, network with other writers online and at conferences and chapter meetins, and read as much as you can about how to prepare and submit a manuscript. It’s a slippery uphill slope to publication for most writers, so be prepared to work hard. I promise there is nothing more rewarding than reaching the top!
Q: What would be or is your favorite place to travel?
Travel is my passion, and I’ve been to 47 states, all over Canada, Mexico, and the Caribbean. I cherish our yearly trips to the Caribbean most of all, because it’s a week spent just with my family—I belong only to them, and I don’t bring makeup or bookmarks or shoes other than flip flops. Pure heaven!

February 9, 2010
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