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In My Mailbox: Week of Septemeber 12
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In My Mailbox: Week of Septemeber 12

In My Mailbox: Week of September 12th

Title: Sammi Ever After
Author: Soma Helmi
Received: From Soma Helmi
Synopsis: Girl meets boy. They fall in love. Girl moves across the world to be with boy. Boy dumps her at the airport…via email. Sammi’s fixation with Prince Charming has her in trouble again. Now she’s in London, sleeping on a friend’s couch and no ‘Happily ever after’ in sight. From Bali to Greece, Sammi’s journey to find her own fairytale ending may take her to a place she never expected.

Title: Her Fearful Symmetry
Author: Audrey Niffenegger
Received: From Audrey Niffenegger
Synopsis: Fortune’s wheel is a harsh chastiser, and those lucky writers who have found heady success with their first books often come crashing down with the second, never to rise again. What’s the cause? Do they succumb to nerves from external expectations? Do they secretly feel unworthy? Are our expectations as readers unreasonable? Have they merely been sport for the gods?

The Time Traveler’s Wife, Audrey Niffenegger’s first book, was Cinderella at the ball — a book that got published without a literary agent behind it, a popular success that was a critical one too. Its distinctive (and, I assume from Niffenegger’s acknowledgments, long-steeped) flavor completely eluded the dumb movie made from it. Describing the novel as blending fantasy, science fiction, romance, mild philosophy, and epistolary traditions is technically accurate, but fails to capture its unusual charm: its balance of inevitability and suspense, the importance of conversations both humorous and tersely poignant, the cultural riffs and bookish background of Chicago in the ’80s and ’90s, the bubble of optimism that buoys it up even in the face of death and decay. It’s a great read. Given the weight of expectations (and money) riding on her second book, the conditions were ripe for Niffenegger to dig her own grave. But it turns out that in her second book, Her Fearful Symmetry, Niffenegger gets her characters to do the grisly digging for themselves while she floats out smelling like a rose.

Title: Cold Dawn
Author: Carla Neggers
Received: From Alana Signor @ Truth Be Told PR
Synopsis: A search-and-rescue dog handler and a California smoke jumper search for a violent arsonist in the snowy mountains of New England, in COLD DAWN (MIRA Books, November 2010, $7.99 U.S./ $9.99 CAN.), the third novel in New York Times bestselling author Carla Neggers’ riveting Black Falls series.
With the network of paid killers that disrupted life in Black Falls exposed, the people of the small, picturesque town in the heart of the Green Mountains are breathing a collective sigh of relief. That is, until search-and-rescue expert Rose Cameron discovers the charred remains of Derek Cutshaw, a ski instructor, with whom she shared a brief, troubled relationship. The fire looks like an accident, but Rose believes it was deliberately set and that Derek was murdered.
But Derek’s not the only former flame to reenter Rose’s life. Nick Martini, a wildfire smoke jumper with whom Rose shared a night of passion in Los Angeles, appears in Black Falls.
Still reeling from having ever gotten involved with Derek and, especially, from the tragic death of her father on Cameron Mountain, Rose ended her relationship with Nick by running back home to Vermont.
Nick has no desire to disrupt Rose’s life again or to earn the ire of her tough mountain-men brothers. But he’s on the trail of a firebug he believes is responsible for setting the fire that killed a California arson investigator.
Nick is convinced the same killer is responsible for the fire that killed Derek Cutshaw. But was his death a murder for hire or was the killer voluntarily disposing of a man who had hurt Rose Cameron and other people in Black Falls? Or had Derek stumbled on the arsonist’s identity?
Only Nick and Charlie Neal, the 16-year-old genius son of the vice president of the United States, believe a string of fires and explosions over the past year are connected. Nick is determined to follow the evidence—even if it takes him straight to Rose Cameron—to root out a ruthless firebug who has wormed his way into her hometown.

Title: Call Me Mrs. Miracle
Author: Debbie Macomber
Received: From Alana Signor @ Truth Be Told PR
Synopsis: This Christmas, Emily Merkle (call her Mrs. Miracle!) is working in the toy department at Finley’s, the last family-owned department store in New York City. And her boss is none other than Jake Finley, the owner’s son. For Jake, holiday memories of brightly wrapped gifts, decorated trees and family were destroyed in a Christmas Eve tragedy years before. Now Christmas means just one thing to him ¿ and to his father. Profit. Because they need a Christmas miracle to keep the business afloat. Holly Larson needs a miracle, too. She wants to give her eight-year-old nephew, Gabe, the holiday he deserves. Holly’s widowed brother is in the army and won’t be home for Christmas, but at least she can get Gabe that toy robot from Finley’s, the one gift he desperately wants. If she can figure out how to afford it. Fortunately, it’s Mrs. Miracle to the rescue. Next to making children happy, she likes nothing better than helping others and that includes doing a bit of matchmaking! This Christmas will be different. For all of them.

Title: A Chesapeake Shores Christmas
Author: Sherryl Woods
Received: From Alana Signor @ Truth Be Told PR
Synopsis: After years apart, Mick and Megan O’Brien are finally ready to make it official…again. Most of their grown children couldn’t be happier about their rekindled love and impending marriage this holiday season. Only Connor is a holdout. Driven to become a divorce attorney after what he views as his mother’s abandonment of their family, Connor’s not about to give his blessing to this reunion romance.
The last thing Megan wants to do is hurt her family again. After all, is she really sure she and Mick can make it this time around? And when an unexpected delivery causes chaos, it seems only a miracle can reunite this family.
Of course, it is Christmas—the season of miracles.

Title: Well Read and Dead
Author: Catherine O’Connell
Received: From Catherine O’Connell
Synopsis: The return of blue-blooded fashionista Pauline Cook, whose search for a missing friend leads her from an iconoclastic book group to the deepest and most unfashionable reaches of the Far East.
Back in Chicago after a disastrous European love affair, socialite Pauline Cook finds her finances nearly depleted, her co-op a shambles, and her best friend mysteriously missing—vanished along with Pauline’s cat. Though Whitney Armstrong’s husband offers a substantial reward for the return of his lost wife, Pauline can’t help suspecting that his grief is merely an act. But it’s a shocking suggestion by a member of Whitney’s book club that really gets Pauline moving—halfway around the world, in fact, to Thailand . . . in spite of a psychic’s warning of terrible danger.
In Asia, a morass of dark motives and deadly corporate intrigues await the intrepid globe-trotter. And all the high society connections in the world aren’t going to ensure that Pauline makes it home alive. . . .

Title: Well Bred and Dead
Author: Catherine O’Connell
Received: From Catherine O’Connell
Synopsis: Newly widowed Pauline Cook was once the toast of the Windy City elite—but now she’s practically broke. At least she’s in better shape than her dear departed friend Ethan Campbell, whose corpse Pauline has had the misfortune to discover. A writer who chronicled the lives, loves, and ensembles of the Gold Coast’s most elegant ladies, Ethan apparently took his own life—while inelegantly clad in old boxers, no less. And since no relatives are coming forward to claim Ethan’s remains, it falls to Pauline to settle his final affairs . . . with her own dwindling funds.
However, there are things about Ethan’s suicide that don’t seem to add up: the ratty undergarments he “chose” to die in, for example . . . and the multiple birth certificates the police turn up in his apartment. Before she can truly lay her friend to rest, plucky Pauline’s determined to get to the bottom of his increasingly suspicious death.

September 13, 2010
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GIVEAWAY: Falling Home by Karen White
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GIVEAWAY: Falling Home by Karen White

In FALLING HOME, an NAL/Accent trade paperback on sale November 2nd, Cassie is pulled away from her fast-track career, her Upper West Side apartment and…

September 12, 2010
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Author Profile: Isabel Wolff
Chick Lit Authors

Author Profile: Isabel Wolff

Author Name: Isabel Wolff

Website: http://www.isabelwolff.com/index.html
Bio: I was born in Warwickshire, read English at Cambridge and after spells in the theatre and in advertising, I got a job at the BBC. I had twelve very happy years at BBC World Service radio where I was a producer and reporter in the Features department and in Current Affairs. I travelled widely compiling documentaries in Central America, Australia, Africa and the Far East. I also wrote freelance articles for magazines and newspapers such as The Spectator, the Evening Standard, the Independent and the Daily Telegraph who, in 1997, commissioned me to write a comic, girl-about-town column, Tiffany Trott. Within a month of the first column appearing I’d been signed up by HarperCollins to turn Tiffany’s adventures into a book. To my amazement HarperCollins then said they’d like another book, and another, and so somehow, without having set out to be a novelist, here I am.
Currently: Isabel currently lives in London with her partner Greg and their two children, Alice and Edmund. She is working on her ninth novel, due out in 2011.
Titles: The Trials of Tiffany Trott, Making Minty Malone, Out of the Blue, Rescuing Rose, Behaving Badly, and A Vintage Affair.

Bio Retrieved from isabelwolff.com

September 12, 2010
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10 Tips for Aspiring Authors by Chantel Simmons
Chick Lit Authors

10 Tips for Aspiring Authors by Chantel Simmons

10 Tips for Aspiring Authors
1. Only you can write your book. Writing is a job, and you’re not going to make a living at being a writer unless you treat it like a job. You could watch TV, go to a movie, or go for manicures with your best friend. There’s always going to be something else you could do instead of writing, and while all those other activities are fun, no one’s going to write your book for you while you’re doing them. So while you’re trying to write your book, try to actually sit down and write.
2. Set goals. Set a deadline to finish writing the book, then set mini-goals, such as “Finish Chapter 5 by the end of the month” or “Write 1,000 words a week.” Then comes the fun part: make a list of rewards and whenever you meet a goal, reward yourself. Go to a movie with a friend or get a manicure. You’ll enjoy it that much more knowing you worked hard for it. And you won’t feel guilty that you should be home writing for those few hours.
3. Practice, practice, practice. It takes 10,000 hours to become good at anything, so if you want to write a good book, then get writing. It takes 30 days to make a habit, so try to write every day, even if it’s only for 10 minutes or 10 words. Eventually, it’ll become a habit and those 10 words will turn into 10 pages. And when you miss a day of writing, you’ll feel so guilty you’ll ensure you don’t miss the next day.
4. Don’t believe in writer’s block. If you’re stuck on a scene, skip it and write the next scene. Chances are, if you aren’t excited to write a scene, it probably won’t be a very good one to read, either, so just move on. If you feel certain there are plot points you needed to get across in that troublesome scene, jot them on a Post-it and stick it to your computer scene. You’ll find another place to work them into the story.
5. Schedule in your writing time. Then stick to it. You wouldn’t miss a doctor’s appointment to make cookies or do the laundry, so don’t skip an hour of writing to do it either.
6. Don’t quit your day job. If you sell the proposal for your book for a million dollars, well, then, sure, ignore my advice and quit your day job. But if you’re working on your first novel and you don’t have an agent, let alone a publisher, keep your day job—or at least do something else that gives your day some structure and brings in some money. Being unemployed and poor can be stressful. And stress isn’t usually one of the key qualities that inspire you to write a good novel.
7. Believe in yourself. No one is going to care as much about your book or your career as a writer as you do. You have to be your own biggest cheerleader. Of course, make sure that all your rah-rah cheering is warranted. Keep trying to get your book published for as long as you believe that it’s the best book you can possibly write. When you stop believing your book is your absolute best work ever, move on. Revise it or start writing a new book. Lots of successful, published writers have unpublished manuscripts sitting in drawers. You won’t be alone so don’t worry about it.
8. Have a plan. I like to plot out each chapter before I start writing. It’s just a few points, but this way, if I don’t feel like writing Chapter 2, I can skip ahead to Chapter 6. If that’s too planned out, try jotting down your opening chapter, your source of conflict, the climax and the closing sentence. If you know those key elements, you’re going to be a lot better off than if you just sit down and write random scenes and then hope they all fit together in the end. There’s a very good chance you’ll end up scrapping half your work. (Of course, there’s nothing wrong with just letting the words flow—it all works toward the 10,000 hours—it just means it will take a lot longer to finish that first book).
9. Ask friends to read your book. Four eyes are better than two. Twenty opinions are better than none. You don’t have to incorporate everybody’s suggestions, but you never know when someone might make a suggestion that you think is a good one—and that will you’re your book that much stronger. And if 10 people have the same negative criticism about a plot point or a character, chances are an editor, an agent or readers might think the same thing. Isn’t it better to get that opinion free when you can still fix the problem than in a rejection letter or in a published book review?
10. Never give up. If every agent ignores you, follow up. If they all reject your book, compile a new list of agents and send the book out again. If every editor passes on your book, revise it and send to new editors. All you need is one person to say yes, so don’t get discouraged about the ones who don’t. Success is 99% hard work and 1% luck. If this is your dream, it’ll be that much sweeter if you have to work hard to realize it.

Chantel Simmons is the bestselling author of two novels – Stuck in Downward Dog and Love Struck. Read Chantel’s blog at www.chantelsimmons.com or tweet with her on twitter.com@chantelsimmons

September 10, 2010
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Chick Lit Plus Awards
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Chick Lit Plus Awards

And the Chick Lit Plus Award goes to……

BEST LOL NOVEL
Nominees:
Not Ready for Mom Jeans by Maureen Lipinski
Lowcountry Summer by Dorothea Benton Frank
Rachel’s Holiday by Marian Keyes
The Undomestic Goddess by Sophie Kinsella
Sleeping with Ward Cleaver by Jenny Gardiner
Winner: The Undomestic Goddess by Sophie Kinsella

BEST ROMANCE NOVEL
Nominees:
Summer of Two Wishes by Julia London
Something Blue by Emily Giffin
Something Borrowed by Emily Giffin
The Notebook by Nicholas Sparks
Anyone for Seconds? by Fiona Cassidy
Winner: The Notebook by Nicholas Sparks

BEST BFF NOVEL
Nominees:
Firefly Lane by Kristin Hannah
Best Friends Forever by Jennifer Weiner
Hope in a Jar by Beth Harbison
Summer Sisters by Judy Blume
Second Time Around by Beth Kendrick
Winner: Best Friends Forever by Jennifer Weiner

BEST VILLAIN IN A NOVEL
Nominees:
Miranda, The Devil Wears Prada by Lauren Weisberger
Olga, Moonlight in Odessa, by Janet Skeslein Charles
Cici, I Heart Paris by Lindsey Kelk
Patty, The Icing on the Cupcake by Jennifer Ross
Valerie, Bulletproof Mascara by Bethany Maines
Winner: Cici, I Heart Paris by Lindsey Kelk

BEST SCANDAL IN A NOVEL
Nominees:
Perfect Blend by Sue Margolis
Fly Away Home by Jennifer Weiner
Still Thinking of You by Adele Parks
Poor Little Bitch Girl by Jackie Collins
Pieces of Happily Ever After by Irene Zutell’
Winner: Fly Away Home by Jennifer Weiner

BEST TEAR-JERKER NOVEL
Nominees:
Firefly Lane by Kristin Hannah
Promises to Keep by Jane Green
The Opposite of Me by Sarah Pekkanen
The Lies We Told by Diane Chamberlain
On Folly Beach by Karen White
Winner: Firefly Lane by Kristin Hannah

BEST NOVEL FROM A DEBUT AUTHOR
Nominees:
The Opposite of Me by Sarah Pekkanen
I’ll Have Who She’s Having by Liz Fenton and Lisa Steinke
Reunion by JL Penn
Hook Line and Sink Him by Jackie Pilossoph
Perfect on Paper by Maria Murnane
Winner: I’ll Have Who She’s Having by Liz Fenton and Lisa Steinke

BEST NOVL WRITTEN BY A CELEBRITY
Nominees:
LA Candy by Lauren Conrad
Chelsea Chelsea Bang Bang by Chelsea Handler
The Truth About Diamonds by Nicole Richie
Sweet Little Lies by Lauren Conrad
Star by Pamela Anderson
Winner: Chelsea Chelsea Bang Bang by Chelsea Handler

MOST INTRIGUING CONCEPT
Nominees:
The One That I Want by Allison Winn Scotch
Tuesday Tells it Slant by Holly Christine
The Lies We Told by Diane Chamberlain
Espressologist by Kristina Springer
Bulletproof Mascara by Bethany Maines
Winner: Espressologist by Kristina Springer

BEST FEMALE
Nominees:
Willa, Montana Sky by Nora Roberts
Darcy, Something Blue by Emily Giffin
Becky, Shopaholic Series by Sophie Kinsella
Rachel, Something Borrowed by Emily Giffin
Sammy, Sammy’s Hill by Kristin Gore
Winner: Becky, Shopaholic Series by Sophie Kinsella

BEST MALE
Nominees:
Luc, See Jane Score by Rachel Gibson
Ethan, Something Blue by Emily Giffin
Luke, Shopaholic Series by Sophie Kinsella
Alex, I Heart Paris by Lindsey Kelk
Dan, A Vintage Affair by Isabel Wolff
Winner: Alex, I Heart Paris by Lindsey Kelk

BEST SERIES
Nominees:
Stephanie Plum Series by Janet Evanovich
Shopaholic Series by Sophie Kinsella
Heather Wells Series by Meg Cabot
I Heart Series by Lindsey Kelk
Enchanted Series by Shanna Swendson
Winner: I Heart Series by Lindsey Kelk

NOVEL THAT SHOULD BE A MOVIE
Nominees:
A Total Waste of Makeup by Kim Gruenenfelder
I Heart New York by Lindsey Kelk
Size 12 Is Not Fat by Meg Cabot
The Undomestic Goddess by Sophie Kinsella
Hook Line and Sink Him by Jackie Pilossoph
Winner: I Heart New York by Lindsey Kelk

BEST NOVEL MADE INTO A MOVIE
Nominees:
Flirty With Forty by Jane Porter
My Sisters Keeper by Jodi Picoult
The Notebook by Nicholas Sparks
The Princess Diaries by Meg Cabot
Confessions of a Shopaholic by Sophie Kinsella
Winner: The Princess Diaries by Meg Cabot

CHARACTER WITH THE BEST JOB
Nominees:
Sophie, Sophie Katz Series by Kyra Davis
Lydia, The Shop on Blossom Street by Debbie Macomber
Becky, Shopaholic Series by Sophie Kinsella
Heather, Heather Wells Series by Meg Cabot
Marla, Diary of a Beverly Hills Matchmaker by Marla Martenson
Winner: Sophie, Sophie Katz Series by Kyra Davis

BEST WEDDING IN A NOVEL
Nominees:
Shopaholic Ties the Knot by Sophie Kinsella
Wedding Season by Katie Fforde
Scot on the Rocks by Brenda Janowitz
For Better, For Worse by Carole Matthews
I Do, But I Don’t by Cara Lockwood
Winner: Shopaholic Ties the Knot by Sophie Kinsella

BEST SUPPORTING CHARACTER IN A NOVEL
Nominees:
Suze, Shopaholic Series by Sophie Kinsella
Kelly, Love in Mid Air by Kim Wright
Dot, The Icing on the Cupcake by Jennifer Ross
Jessica, Shopaholic and Sister by Sophie Kinsella
Candace, Reunion by JL Penn
Winner: Suze, Shopaholic Series by Sophie Kinsella

BEST COUGAR NOVEL
Nominees:
Flirting With Forty by Jane Porter
The Cougar Club by Susan McBride
The Infidelity Pact by Carrie Karasyov
Winner: The Cougar Club by Susan McBride

BEST COVER
Nominees:
Fairytale of New York by Miranda Dickinson
Twenties Girl by Sophie Kinsella
Misery Loves Cabernet by Kim Gruenenfelder
Pretty in Plaid by Jen Lancaster
Secrets of the Hollywood Girls Club by Maggie Marr
Winner: Pretty in Plaid by Jen Lancaster

BEST SEQUEL
Nominees:
Shopaholic Takes Manhattan by Sophie Kinsella
Something Blue by Emily Giffin
The First Assistant by Clare Naylor and Mimi Hare
Slightly Settled by Wendy Markham
Killer Cocktails by Sheryl J Anderson
Winner: Something Blue by Emily Giffin

BEST MYSTERY
Nominees:
I Scream, You Scream by Wendy Lyn Watson
Killer Heels by Sheryl J Anderson
Looks to Die For by Janice Kaplan
House Rules by Jodi Picoult
Bulletproof Mascara by Bethany Maines
Winner: Bulletproof Mascara by Bethany Maines

September 9, 2010
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Check to See if You’re a Winner!
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Check to See if You’re a Winner!

Thank you to everyone who voted for the first annual Chick Lit Plus Awards! I am counting up the votes and can’t wait to announce the final results. Before that, I wanted to list the winners for all of you who voted for your favorites! I had some amazing authors donate their books, and below are the winners. Please check to see if your name or email is listed. If so, please send me an email at Samantha@chicklitplus.com before Friday September 10th to claim your prize. Thanks again everyone!

1 Winner receives three novels by Marla Martenson, Excuse Me, Your Soul Mate is Waiting, Good Date, Bad Date, and Diary of a Beverly Hills Matchmaker – SAMANTHA SANDERS
1 winner receives Vivian Rising by Daniella Brodsky- CASEY (CASEYAMARA@GMAIL.COM)
1 winner receives Her Fearful Symmetry by Audrey Niffenegger- SARAH REID
1 winner receives Swallow by Tonya Plank- LISA NELSON

Congratulations to the winners!

September 8, 2010
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Author Profile: Grace Coopersmith
Chick Lit Authors

Author Profile: Grace Coopersmith

Author: Grace Coopersmith
Website: http://www.gracecoopersmith.com/
Titles: Nancy’s Theory of Style
Bio: I’m a San Francisco Bay Area native and still live there. I went to Stanford, where I studied creative writing, literature, and theatre. (I had a mad idea that I wanted to be a theatre reviewer. Anyway…)
With this extremely useful ability to sit around and read books and talk about them, I took miscellaneous low-paying jobs. I frequently worked for non-profits, including theatre companies. One of my job skills was properly opening a bottle of champagne for special guests. I also learned to forge signatures and mimic my bosses’ writing styles. I can’t remember if I put those skills on my resume, but I used to see my counterfeit letters framed and displayed by proud recipients.
I was a frequent contributor of home, gardening, and style columns and features for newspapers and magazines. So, yes, I have written in-depth articles about modern wallpaper trends, worm composting, and luxury home libraries.
Right now, I’m working on another novel set in San Francisco.
Under my own name, Marta Acosta, I write the Casa Dracula series. Haunted Honeymoon (Simon & Schuster/Gallery) will be released in October 2010. You see, I even counterfeit myself.
Bio Retrieved from http://www.gracecoopersmith.com/

September 8, 2010
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Interview with Robyn Harding
Chick Lit Authors

Interview with Robyn Harding

Q: When did you know you wanted to be a writer?

I was about twelve years old when I read The Outsiders. I was so inspired that S.E. Hinton had written the book when she was only 15! And when I say I was inspired, I mean that I basically wanted to copy her. (But I would be even more impressive because I was only 13.) So, I started my own novel about a bunch of parentless boys who smoked and fought and took too many aspirins. I even tried to give them cool names like Pony Boy and Soda Pop. (I can’t remember all the characters but my protagonist’s name was Brewster.) Unfortunately, I lost interest in Brewster’s saga on about page 9, but that’s when I knew… I wanted to be a writer.

Q: Your first novel is titled The Journal of Mortifying Moments. Where did you get the idea to write this?

I wanted to write about the disastrous relationships we all have when we’re young and insecure and how, when we look back through a window of time and distance, we can see the humor in them. So I decided to have my character, a woman in her early-thirties, keep a journal about her past dating disasters. She’d write about all the humiliating and hilarious experiences she’d had with men during high school, college, and in her twenties. But then I thought, “Why on earth would someone write all that down?” That’s when I came up with the idea to have her therapist suggest the journal as a tool to work on her current relationship… And the journal of mortifying moments was born.

Q: Do you have a certain writing routine you stick to (writing so many hours a day, anything like that?)

I have two kids so I’ve had to develop a writing routine around them. I take them to school and then I sit down to write. Over the years, I’ve realized that my most creative time is in the morning, so I try to protect those three or four hours. In the afternoon, I’m kind of burned out and writing is more of a struggle. (And in the evening, I’m practically brain dead, lying on the couch, drooling and watching Bachelor Pad.) In the summer, when the kids are on vacation, I get up early and write. Lucky for me, they like to sleep in, so I can usually get an hour or two in before they’re up.

Q: What do you think is the hardest part when you are editing your own work?

I find that if I can step away from a project for a week or more, I can go back to my manuscript with fresh eyes. Suddenly, all the problems are so glaringly obvious. The difficulty is in the walking away. Sometimes deadlines won’t allow it. And sometimes, I feel an almost compulsive need to tweak it… and tweak it and tweak it.

Q: Your latest novel, Chronicles of a Midlife Crisis, is due out in September and covers both the male and female perspective after a breakup. Where did the inspiration for this idea come from?

I wanted to challenge myself and try writing in a different voice. I’d been developing a screenplay with a male protagonist, so I was in that male headspace already. I decided to write from a male, first person point of view. Also, I’d always found it funny how two people can view the same situation so differently – especially a man and a woman.

Q: How were you able to get a man’s perspective on how he feels and behaves after a breakup?

I went back and looked at my past break ups. In my experience, men tend to get over relationships quickly – at least on the surface. Women are more likely to cry and pine and grieve for months. Men look like they’ve moved on – within a few weeks, they’re dating, partying and socializing. But eventually, they crack. Because they haven’t dealt with the loss of the relationship, they end up on the phone saying, “We were so good together. Will you take me back?” In “Chronicles of a Midlife Crisis”, Trent feels trapped in a lifeless marriage. But when single life throws him a wicked curve ball, he’s desperate to hit the rewind button.

Q: What was your biggest challenge while writing Chronicles?

It was the authenticity of the male voice. I really had to get into that headspace. My husband was a great help. I’d get him to read over chapters that were from Trent’s point of view. My husband would suggest things like: “Instead of ‘ I have to pee’… Say ‘I need to take a piss’.”

Q: What is one personal goal you would like to achieve by the end of the year?

“Chronicles of a Midlife Crisis” has been optioned for a television series. I’ve worked really hard on a pilot and a pitch document, and it’s being submitted soon. I would really love to see something happen with it by the end of the year.

Q: What book(s) are you reading right now?

This is going to sound so pretentious, but I’m reading “Tess of the D’Urbervilles” by Thomas Hardy. I was rereading “A Prayer for Owen Meany” and John Irving references “Tess…” so often. I realized that I’d never read it and probably should. But before that, I read a fun novel called “One Day” by David Nicholls.

Q: What is your advice for aspiring writers?

Write it, polish it, and submit it. I didn’t have any insider connections and I managed to secure an agent and get published. Agents really are looking for something fresh and new and exciting – and that just might be you. But you also have to know when to quit. If you’ve submitted a manuscript and it’s consistently rejected, move on. Write something else. Write it, polish it, and submit it.

Q: Where would be your dream vacation?

I’d like to rent a house with my family in the south of France for the entire summer. From there, we could take short trips into Italy and Spain. My kids speak French (I speak a little, my husband speaks none) so they’d have to do all the talking.

September 7, 2010
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Final Votes for Chick Lit Plus Awards
Updates

Final Votes for Chick Lit Plus Awards

Today is the last day to vote for your favorites to win the Chick Lit Plus Awards! A link is provided below to each category, please use the comment section on those posts to submit your vote. Every single person who enters their vote will be entered in a drawing to receive the following books:
Excuse Me, Your Soul Mate is Waiting by Marla Martenson
Good Date Bad Date by Marla Martenson
Diary of a Beverly Hills Matchmaker by Marla Martenson
Swallow by Tonya Plank
Vivian Rising by Daniella Brodsky
Her Fearful Symmetry by Audrey Niffenegger

If you vote for multiple categories, you are entered multiple times!
Best Laugh Out Loud Novel
Best Romance Novel
Best BFF Novel
Best Villain in a Novel
Best Scandal in a Novel
Best Tear Jerker Novel
Best Novel from a Debut Author
Best Novel written by a Celebrity
Most Intriguing Concept
Best Female in a Novel
Best Male in a Novel
Best Series
Novel that should be turned into a Movie
Best Novel made into a Movie
Character with the Best Job
Best Wedding in Novel
Best Supporting Character
Best Cougar Novel
Best Cover
Best Sequel
Best Mystery/Cozy Mystery

September 6, 2010
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