Bethany Maines is a native of Tacoma, Washington, and debuted her first novel Bulletproof Mascara in 2010. She enjoys traveling and teaching karate to children, and holds a third degree black belt in the martial arts. Her day job has her working as a graphic designer, but between her careers and hobbies, Maines is working on a sequel to Bulletproof Mascara.
On Tuesday, May 4th at 6:00pm bestselling author Jennifer Weiner will be at the Reading Terminal Market in Philadelphia to celebrate the paperback publication of her #1 New York Times bestseller Best Friends Forever. Jen will be signing paperback copies of Best Friends Forever and will read from her upcoming novel Fly Away Home, landing on bookshelves July 13th, 2010. Wine and chocolate will be served!
WHO: Best-selling author Jennifer Weiner
WHAT: Jennifer Weiner will be signing paperback copies of her #1 New York Times bestseller Best Friends Forever and reading from upcoming novel FLY AWAY HOME, landing on shelves July 13th, 2010. Wine and chocolate will be served!
WHERE: Reading Terminal Market – 51 North 12th Street – PHILADELPHIA
WHEN: Tuesday, May 4th at 6:00pm
Will you be buying Jennifer Aniston’s debut fragrance? I am not big on buying goods such as perfumes just because a celebrity slaps there name on the label and smiles for the photographs, but I make an exception with Jennifer Aniston. Not only has she been a favorite actress of mine for years, I think she is a great role model and one of the more down to earth celebrities roaming Hollywood. She’s also talked about how hands on she was during the process, from picking the scents, bottle, and name. The fragrance, which Aniston says will smell sexy and clean” and “floral, but not too flowery” will debut in the UK in June to be followed by a launch in the United States. Lolavie was the selected name, and will cost between $46-$62.
Q: What made you start writing your cozy mysteries?
I actually started writing romances, but somehow my love stories always had a dead body in the middle of them. Eventually I realized my subconscious was telling me something: I’m a mystery writer, whether I like it or not. (Thankfully, I *do* like it.)
Q: Why did you choose this genre to write about?
I’ve always enjoyed reading mysteries of all sorts (hard-boiled, suspense, procedurals, etc.) because of the puzzle at the heart of the story. Cozies appeal to me the most because of the emotional element and the opportunity for humor. I get my dead body, but I also get a little romance and a whole lot of laughing. Turns out there’s a natural fit between my voice and the genre. Works out well.
Q: How long did it take you to write I Scream, You Scream?
I sold I SCREAM on proposal, so I had a tight deadline. I ended up writing it, from start to finish, in about six months.
Q: What would you say is the hardest part about writing a mystery?
Satisfying mysteries (I think) give you enough clues that, when you find out who the killer is, you’re smacking yourself in the forehead: “of course!” But, at the same time, you don’t want the readers to actually guess the killer until the big reveal. Walking that line between impossible and obvious is tough.
Q: You not only write, but you teach college constitutional law. What do you love about teaching?
Well, it’s never boring. I love those moments when my students get something, when the light bulb goes on. It’s pretty cool: you can usually see the precise moment when everything clicks into place. Those moments more than make up for the hassles and drama that tend to follow college kids wherever they go.
Q: I read you have a passion for ice cream- me too! (Who doesn’t?) What is your favorite flavor?
My favorites vary. Since it’s spring, I’m in the mood for fruit flavors (coconut, cherry, peach, raspberry). In the fall and winter I go for more exotic flavors. One of my favorites is a Thai chili made by the good people at Jeni’s Splendid Ice Creams in Columbus, OH: it’s a peanut butter ice cream with a coconut base and a hint of cayenne. It’s decadent.
Q: Can you tell us more about Cozy the Cat?
Isn’t he great? My friend Sonny Strait is a cartoonist, and he drew Cozy for me. I write cozy mysteries, but I have a bit of an edge. Cozies with claws, if you will. So I asked Sonny to draw me a cat (the universal cozy mystery icon) but a little ragged around the edges. A street cat. And Cozy was born.
Q: What’s your favorite reality TV show?
I watch the competition shows (American Idol, America’s Next Top Model, Top Chef, Project Runway …), but my favorite reality show is also one of the oldest: COPS. It’s like the very best people-watching in the world, delivered to your living room in 30 minute increments. Can’t beat that with a stick.
Q: What would be your advice to aspiring writers?
Writers write. It’s that simple. If you want to be a writer, you have to keep doing it. Maybe the manuscript you’re writing won’t sell, and maybe the next one won’t either. Maybe you’ll write a dozen manuscripts before you sell. Each one will be better than the last, each one will teach you something, so the process isn’t wasted effort. You have to be o.k. with a lot of frustration, a lot of criticism, and a lot of failure … and you have to take joy in the actual process of writing.
Q: Where do you think would be your favorite place to travel?
Wow. I’ve rarely been outside the U.S., so I wouldn’t cross anything off my list. But I would love to travel to Great Britain. My family is Welsh, and I have a friend who lives up near the Scottish border. I want to see Stonehenge and the Giant’s Causeway in Ireland … so if I had the funds and the time, Mr. Wendy and I would take a good two weeks in the British Isles.
Q: Why did you decide to write romance novels?
After reading my very first romance at age 11, I loved how it made me feel at the end–that all is good and beautiful in this world. I knew then I wanted to write my own stories, to make other people feel that way, if only for a short while
Q: You have one book out now, Borrowed Stilettos. Are you currently working on another?
I always work on more than one thing at a time. I’m working on follow-up to Borrowed Stilettos and also a romantic suspense novella. Among other projects. I write really slow (the darn day job gets in the way) so I can’t tell you when to expect something new. Soon, I hope.
Q: What do you hope readers take away from your writing?
I just hope they can lose themselves in my world while they’re reading. I hope my writing makes them smile.
Q: How did you celebrate your first publishing deal?
You know, I’m almost ashamed to say I didn’t do anything special. It took a while for it to sink in. I think I celebrated more when I made the Golden Heart finals in 2008, because I’d just come off a long writing draught where I was questioning my sanity to keep pursuing this dream. Making the GH finals proved to me that writing is what I need to do–no matter how hard and frustrating this industry can be.
Q: Are there any authors that you really admired, or kept their works in mind while you were writing?
There are so many, but I have to give a shout out to Rachel Gibson and Charlene Teglia. Rachel, because she’s the first published author I ever met (I met her right after she’d sold her first book), and I realized that published authors are just normal people (I was still a bit awestruck by her though). 🙂 And Charlie because she and I started out writing around the same time. She sold to a small digital press back when nobody had even heard of such a thing, and she just kept going and going and going, like the little engine that could. And look at her now. So cool. If I could be half as prolific and successful as either of them, I’d be ecstatic.
Q: It caught my eye that you are Zumba teacher. This was just offered as a fitness class through my place of employment, but I’ve never heard of it! Someone said it’s like dance- how can you explain it? Zumba is awesome. It’s like a big, aerobic dance party with lots of Latin moves. You don’t have to be a dancer to do Zumba (I’m SO not a dancer and I teach it). If you take a class, know you’ll feel like a complete spaz and a dork the first couple of times, but stick with it. You’ll love it. My sister lost 25 lbs just from doing Zumba several times week.
Q: Besides writing and working out, what are some other ways you entertain yourself?
Honestly, I don’t have a lot of time for entertainment. Between my day job as fitness instructor and personal trainer, and my other job as writer, I’m a mom and a wife. Not much time for anything else. I do try to schedule a couple of girls’ weekends each year with my sisters and another with my friends.
Q: You have been married for 22 years! What is a piece of romantic advice you can offer?
Marry your best friend and everything else will fall into place.
Q: And what piece of professional advice can you offer to aspiring writers?
Write what you love to read, even if it’s not hot in the market right now. And don’t ever, EVER give up.
Q: What is or do you think would be your favorite place to travel?
I’d love to see all of the United States someday. I’ve seen the East coast and the West coast, but really nothing in between. By the end of my life, I want to have visited each of the 50 states at least once.
Jodi Picoult is a best-selling author with 17 titles published. Picoult studied creative writing at Princeton, and excelled quickly, having two short stories published in Seventeen magazine while still a student. After graduating, she went on to work as a technical writer for a Wall Street brokerage firm, as a copywriter at an ad agency, as an editor at a textbook publisher, and as an 8th grade English teacher. She also received her Master’s degree in education before having her first child and writing her first novel.
Picoult’s seventeen titles are: Songs of the Humpback Whale, Harvesting the Heart, Picture Perfect, Mercy, The Pact, Keeping Faith, Plain Truth, Salem Falls, Perfect Match, Second Glance, My Sister’s Keeper, Vanishing Acts, The Tenth Circle, Nineteen Minutes, Change of Heart, Handle With Care, and her latest- House Rules. Jodi Picoult currently lives in Hanover, New Hampshire with her husband and their three children.
Two of my favorite activities are fitness (no really!) and travel. Thanks to the April edition of Fitness magazine, I now know of an exercise machine that will combine both. The NordicTrack X7i is an interactive incline trainer that uses a Wi-Fi connection to provide multiple routes. The routes are retrieved from Google Maps, so you can get satellite, terrain, and street-level views of each course. So if I want to have a casual stroll through the streets of Italy or just show the hiking area down the street from where I live, I can type in the location and off I go with my interactive workout. One of the best features has to be that the treadmill will automatically adjust for elevation changes in the course. Travel the world without spending any money and get fit- a win win!
I have been reading that yogurt is a great healthy snack that I should probably start eating. I have been getting better on my snacking habits; I have substituted grapes and string cheese for candy bars and chips, but it never hurts to try something new. But there are so many yogurts out there all claiming to be the best for you, so it’s a little overwhelming looking at all the choices in the grocery aisle. The April edition of Fitness magazine helps answer a few of those questions with their Eat Right section. They highlight yogurt, and even have a ‘what to look for’ box that lists the most important factors in your selection process. The guidelines, for a 6 ounce serving of yogurt, are as follows:
100-150 calories
3.5 grams of fat or less
2 grams or less of saturated fat
At least 8 to 10 grams of protein
20 grams or less of sugar
At least 20% of your daily value of calcium
At least 20% of your daily value of vitamin D
In My Mailbox: Week of April 18th
Title: The Icing on the Cupcake
Author: Jennifer Ross
Received: From Jennifer Ross
Synopsis: In this delectable novel—complete with recipes—Jennifer Ross frosts a sweet story of a young woman fulfilling her dreams, one delicious cupcake at a time.
In Ansley Waller’s world of Southern belles and gentlemen, getting a diamond ring isn’t just important—it’s the ultimate goal. So when her fiancé, Parish, unceremoniously kicks her to the curb and cancels their upcoming wedding, Ansley is so ashamed that she decides to leave Dallas and make a fresh start. In a surprise move, she heads to New York City to live with her recently widowed grandmother, Vivian, whom she’s never met. In turn, Vivian gives Ansley a no-nonsense ultimatum: Rather than wallow in misery, either get a job or go home.
The Waller women have a tradition of baking their way out of sorrow. So Ansley mixes batch after batch of creative cupcakes—Black Bottom Heartache, Moving Blues Banana Caramel, Tres Leches Made Small. Before long, she’s opening up her own cupcake shop and even trying her hand at dating. But the ways of Manhattan’s eligible bachelors are altogether different from their Southern counterparts, and Ansley’s nearly fail-safe tactics fall flat. And worse, someone’s got a half-baked scheme to sabotage Ansley’s new life. It’ll take a cup of courage and a dash of Southern charm, plus a few secret ingredients, if Ansley hopes to pull off her recipe for success.
Title: On Folly Beach
Author: Karen White
Received: From Karen White
Synopsis: To most people, Folly Beach, South Carolina, is simply the last barrier island before the Atlantic. To some, it’s a sanctuary, which is why Janie Hamilton’s mother encourages her to buy the local book store, Folly’s Finds, hoping it will distract Janie from the loss of her husband in Afghanistan.
Janie is at first resistant, but intrigued after finding love letters and an image of a beautiful bottle tree in a box of used books from Folly’s Finds, and decides to take the plunge. The store’s seller insists on one condition: Janie must allow Lulu, the late owner’s elderly sister, to continue selling her bottle trees from its back yard. Historically, bottle trees were brought by African slaves to the American South, and Janie had grown up with one in her backyard, and it has always been a symbol of refuge to her.
Janie generally ignores Lulu as she sifts through the love letters, wanting to learn more. But the more she discovers of the letters’ authors, the closer she feels to Lulu. As details of a possible murder and a mysterious disappearance during World War II are revealed, the two women discover that circumstances beyond their control, sixty years apart, have brought them together, here on Folly Beach. And it is here that their war-ravaged hearts can find hope for a second chance…
Title: Best Friends Forever
Author: Jennifer Weiner
Received: From Jennifer Weiner
Synopsis: Some bonds can never be broken…
Addie Downs and Valerie Adler will be best friends forever. That’s what Addie believes after Valerie moves across the street when they’re both nine years old. But in the wake of betrayal during their teenage years, Val is swept into the popular crowd, while mousy, sullen Addie becomes her school’s scapegoat.
Flash-forward fifteen years. Valerie Adler has found a measure of fame and fortune working as the weathergirl at the local TV station. Addie Downs lives alone in her parents’ house in their small hometown of La Prairie, Illinois, caring for a troubled brother and trying to meet Prince Charming on the Internet. She’s just returned from Bad Date #6, when she opens her door to find her long-gone best friend standing there, with a terrified look on her face and blood on the sleeve of her coat. “Something horrible has happened,” Val tells Addie,…
