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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

In My Mailbox: Week of September 4

In My Mailbox: Week of September 4th

Title: Live Out Loud
Author: Heather Wardell
Received: From Heather Wardell
Synopsis: Songwriter Amy wants to honor her late best friend by starting the support center for teenage girls they’d planned when they were just girls themselves. When her song becomes an internet sensation she sees how to get the money she needs, but soon realizes she adores her new pop star career. She must choose: create the center she needed herself as a teen or truly become Misty Will, pop princess.

Title: Dollars to Donuts
Author: Kathleen Kole
Received: From Kathleen Kole via CLP Blog Tours
Synopsis: Take one newspaper columnist; move her from the anonymity of her home city to a sleepy, small town; add a dollop of nosey, suspicious and just plain odd neighbors; a dash of mystery in the form of a stained garbage can and a rodent and, finally, a large pinch of unsettling attraction to a virtual stranger and you’ll find yourself with a recipe that imitates April Patterson’s life.
Sound strange? It is.
April Patterson had no idea that when she decided to follow the path of family and love, she would find herself an unwitting player in an eyebrow raising cul-de-sac mystery, grasping for her privacy as she plays “Dodge the Neighbor” and being forced to examine her relationship motives … all before she had unpacked her last box!
Taking a deep breath, and a large bite into a comforting donut, April consoles herself with the knowledge that it will all work out. It always does … doesn’t it?

Title: A Slot Machine Ate My Midlife Crisis
Author: Irene Woodbury
Received: From Irene Woodbury via CLP Blog Tours
Synopsis: This darkly funny novel describes Wendy Sinclair’s spin-crazy life in Las Vegas after she impulsively decides to not return to Houston following a bizarre girls’ weekend in 2005.
The confused, unhappy 45-year-old newlywed soon rents a ramshackle apartment in a building filled with misfits; wallows in a blur of spas, malls and buffets, and, ultimately, becomes a designer of cocktail waitress uniforms and an Ann-Margret impersonator in a casino show with Elvis.
She also hangs with some pretty colorful characters. Paula’s her bold, brassy glamazon BFF who’s looser than a Casino Royale slot. Maxine’s her saucy former-Tropicana-showgirl boss. Paige and Serena are two twenty-something blackjack dealers she shops, gambles, and clubs up a storm with. Major crushes on a hunky pilot and sexy former rock star are also part of the mix.
And then there are the phone fights with Roger, Wendy’s workaholic husband waiting impatiently in Houston. Their clashes are louder and more raucous than a hot craps table at Caesar’s! Does she go back to him, or does her midlife crisis become a midlife makeover?

Challenge:Post Reviews:September

September Challenge Reviews January Reviews February Reviews March Reviews April Reviews May Review June Reviews July Reviews August Reviews Please note this is not the…

Beauty Review: Biore Pore Minimizing Lightweight Moisturizer

I have been trying out the Biore line, especially the pore minimizes, since that is a big problem that I have. When it came time to buy new moisturizer, I decided to try the Pore Minimizing Lightweight Moisturizer with SPF ($20). I really liked this product, it went on smoothly, smelled nice, and I think it did help control my large pores. The reason why I wouldn’t use it again is because it’s really not all that lightweight. After I would apply it, it would feel super heavy on my face, and I would have to wait 10-15 minutes before I even attempted to put on my makeup. But it worked well for days that I went makeup free, and could just throw some on and have the added bonus of a sunscreen built right in. Overall, good product, but not a favorite for me. It looks like this product is going to be discontinued anyways, so I’m glad I didn’t fall in love with. And I’ve been having pretty good luck with Biore, but they discontinue products so fast that I think I will try a new brand next. I would hate to get my heart set on something only to learn it’s no longer available!
[Rating: 3.5]

Breast Cancer Awareness

Breast cancer is a subject that is close to me, and each year I like to do something to bring awareness to the disease, which is the most common cancer among women in the US. This year, I knew I wanted to use my blog as some sort “platform,” but I wasn’t sure the best way to go about it. So, I’m doing this post to announce some of my ideas, and if anyone has any more, please suggest them! Or if anyone wants to team up together, holler at me! I’m open to any and all suggestions.
My first thought is tied with the Chick Lit Challenge that I host. For every review that is submitted for the challenge, I will donate $1 to the Susan G. Komen organization. Second, I will have a donation button up on Chick Lit Plus from early September to the end of October, and all donations that I receive will also go directly to the Susan G. Komen organization. These are two ideas that are pretty set in stone for me.
Another idea I was thinking about was doing some sort of contest, where women can submit articles to be published on Chick Lit Plus. The subjects could range from how breast cancer has affected you, to what you do to help find the cure. One story could be chosen each week and featured on CLP, and the ones who get chosen could win a prize- maybe a book?  If anyone wants to donate any sort of prizes to this, that would fantastic! Again, this is just an idea, not one I have decided on for sure, and I am hoping to get some feedback from all you lovelies that take the time to read my blog. If you have any other suggestions or comments, feel free to leave them below, or email me at Samantha@ChickLitPlus.com . Thanks everyone, hopefully this will be great and we can make it a yearly tradition!

Alyssa Milano Welcomes Son

And baby makes three! One of my favorite actresses and sports enthusiasts, Alyssa Milano, welcomed son Milo Thomas Bugliari on Wednesday morning. According to People.com, Milo was born at 9:27 a.m. He weighed 7 lbs., and was 19 inches long. This is the first child for Milano, 38, and husband Hollywood agent David Bugliari, who married in 2009.

Dancing With the Stars Season 13 Cast Announced

Alrighty all you dancing divas, it’s time to bust out the glitter and spray tans once again. That’s right, the next cast of Dancing With the Stars has finally been revealed, and it’s shaping up to be an interesting season. Here are the mirror ball hopefuls:
Chaz Bono- 42, LGBT activist and Cher’s….son
David Arquette- 39, actor and Courteney Cox’s husband (though the couple are currently separated)
Kristin Cavallari- 24, reality star and jilted fiancée of Chicago Bears quarterback Jay Cutler
Rob Kardashian- 24, reality star….and a Kardashian
Carson Kressley- 41, fashion guru and….
Ron Artest- 31, LA Laker player, currently trying to change his name to Metta World Peace (no joke)
Elisabetta Canalis-32, um….George Clooney’s ex girlfriend, also a model and actress
Chynna Philips- 43, singer-actress, husband Billy Baldwin is a DWTS alum
Nancy Grace- 51, TV host and quite opinioned former prosecutor
JR Martinez- 28, Soap opera star and veteran who was hit with a land mine in the Iraq War in 2003
Hope Solo- 30, US Women’s Soccer goalie, had an amazing save against Brazil that shot her to stardom
What do you think about the new cast? Who are some of your favorites to walk away as the winner? The pairings will be announced on Good Morning America tomorrow, and Season 13 will kick off on September 19th.

Alrighty all you dancing divas, it’s time to bust out the glitter and spray tans once again. That’s right, the next cast of Dancing With the Stars has finally been revealed, and it’s shaping up to be an interesting season. Here are the mirror ball hopefuls:
Chaz Bono- 42, LGBT activist and Cher’s….son
David Arquette- 39, actor and Courteney Cox’s husband (though the couple are currently separated)
Kristin Cavallari- 24, reality star and jilted fiancée of Chicago Bears quarterback Jay Cutler
Rob Kardashian- 24, reality star….and a Kardashian
Carson Kressley- 41, fashion guru and….
Ron Artest- 31, LA Laker player, currently trying to change his name to Metta World Peace (no joke)
Elisabetta Canalis-32, um….George Clooney’s ex girlfriend, also a model and actress
Chynna Philips- 43, singer-actress, husband Billy Baldwin is a DWTS alum
Nancy Grace- 51, TV host and quite opinioned former prosecutor
JR Martinez- 28, Soap opera star and veteran who was hit with a land mine in the Iraq War in 2003
Hope Solo- 30, US Women’s Soccer goalie, had an amazing save against Brazil that shot her to stardom
What do you think about the new cast? Who are some of your favorites to walk away as the winner? The pairings will be announced on Good Morning America tomorrow, and Season 13 will kick off on September 19th.

Celebrity Rant: Kelly Osbourne on Kate Middleton

I don’t usually take to my blog to vent about celebrities, but this article really had me stewing. I gave it a few weeks to see if I would become less angry, but…I’m still pretty angry when I think about it. Kelly Osbourne, who I have always been a big fan of, slammed Kate Middleton aka Duchess of Cambridge for Kate’s repeated use of, well, repeating outfits. The Duchess has often been photographed wearing the same labels and even the same articles of clothing. Oh the shock and horror. When Osbourne, who cohost the E! show Fashion Police, appeared on The Tonight Show With Jay Leno earlier in the month, she took a stab at Middleton, saying, “In England they’re like, ‘Look how thrifty she’s being, showing the British public that the Royals are in a recession as well.’ Only in this country they call it a faux pas. I’m sorry, but if I had that job I would only wear it once. If I am going to be the future bloody Queen of England I’m going to wear that dress once because I’m giving up the rest of my life, all of my privacy. At least I can get a new dress every day!”

I kept digging deep to figure out why these statements bothered me so much. And I think it’s because I’m increasingly bothered by celebrities in general in our society. The USA was plummeted into a recession, is very well heading towards another one, have had horrible natural disasters strike, like the devastating tornado that hit Joplin, Missouri, yet we “normal” folk have to watch the news about how celebrities spend their money. And talk about frivolous. It wasn’t too long after the Joplin tornado that Kim Kardashian received at 20.5 carat ring from Kris Humphries. I’ve read about Rachel Zoe spending $87,000 on her baby’s nursery. And then to read about reality TV stars such as the Jersey Shore cast and Kate Gosselin and the ridiculous amounts of money they pull in and spend all on themselves. It’s a little sickening. Maybe people like me look up to someone like Kate Middleton, who doesn’t let that fact the she is now royalty and can have anything she wants go to her head. Maybe we appreciate a real role model who we know we won’t see in a sex tape or doing cartwheels while wearing no panties while out wasted a bar some night. Does anyone else agree with me here? I’m just getting tired of seeing celebs feel the need to have three houses, ten cars, closets full of clothes they never wear, etc., while so much of the country struggles. Do I think celebrities are to blame or should single handily fix us? No, of course not. But I wish people that are more privileged than most could understand that not everyone lives their lavish lives. I personally appreciate Kate Middleton and what she stands for. The more you read about celebrities, politicians, athletes, and anyone else with a large bank account and have a media presence, you see they mostly care about themselves. Greed, lust, sloth, wrath, envy…anyone catching the Seven Deadly Sins here when it comes to them? And again, to make sure I’m not offending everyone with the title “celebrity” attached to them- I don’t mean all of them. There are certainly celebrities like the Jolie-Pitts, George Clooney, Matt Damon, etc. that are constantly in the news because they are giving back in some way or another. Even Drew Barrymore and Hayden Panettiere are making headlines for their charitable donations. Is it possible to be rich and famous without being a snob and inconsiderate? Yes. Is it possible to be royalty and still have a solid head on your shoulders? Yes. Thank you Kate Middleton for wearing the same outfits and showing that just because you’re famous doesn’t have to mean you’re out of touch with the rest of the world and have to succumb to the pressures that are placed on you. And shame on you Kelly Osbourne for calling her out because of it. I think we need more Kate Middleton’s for children and young people- and heck, even myself- to look up to. Who else is your ten year old daughter seeing on the TV- Snooki and OctoMom? What a frightening thought.

Beyonce is Pregnant!

Well, this news just excites me- Beyonce is pregnant! The dynamite pop diva, 29, showed off her baby bump at the MTV Video Music awards, teasingly saying, “I have a surprise!” This will be the first child for Beyonce and husband Jay-Z , 41, who have been married for three years. No word was given on a due date. What do you think about this breaking baby news?