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Interview with Deborah Blumenthal
Chick Lit Authors

Interview with Deborah Blumenthal

Q: You have works published with a variety of topics: beauty, health, fitness, travel, etc. Where do you gain all the knowledge to write on these subjects?

I always do lots of research, but to me it’s fun digging into fields that I’m personally interested in.

Q: Do you have one favorite subject that you write about?

My background is in nutrition, so healthy eating is of particular interest to me.

Q: I just finished reading Fat Chance. Where did the inspiration for Maggie’s character come from?

Maggie’s a character who’s close to my heart because she suffers from vanity issues, as I think all women do, whether or not they are overweight. To me the book is about the larger issue of self-acceptance, not just about what the scale reads.

Q: Did you study journalism in college? I wasn’t able to find what you majored in!

No, I majored in English.

Q: You don’t only write books for adults, you have published books for young adults and children. How do you find the ideas to write for so many different audiences?

When you’re a writer the ideas are everywhere. I try to read a lot of newspapers and magazines, and often the ideas come from the short, off-beat little items.

Q: How were you able to break into the writing industry?

Actually I married a journalist and I began to see the world the way he does and see news stories everywhere.

Q: I saw that you hold reading and writing workshops at schools and libraries. Why do you think this is important to do?

Writing is such a lonely profession that it’s fun and inspiring to get away from the computer and interact with real people. When I go to schools I learn so much from kids about what works and what doesn’t in terms of picture books.

Q: You are not only a journalist and published author, but a nutritionist. In your opinion, what do you think is one of the most important nutrition lessons we should be aware of?

I think of food as medicine and believe that we have a great deal of control over our own health. I also think we have to respect the body and give it the best possible food,.

Q: What would be your best advice for aspiring writers?

Keep reading, and closely examine your favorite books to find out how the authors tell the stories and create the characters. Also, force yourself to sit down every day and write.

Q: What would be your favorite place to vacation to?
Venice!

April 18, 2010
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Interview with Karen White
Chick Lit Authors

Interview with Karen White

Q: I read that you aspired to be a writer after reading Gone With the Wind. What about that novel made you want to write?
It completely took me to another world where I wasn’t aware of time passing around me until I’d turned the last page. I lived in London at the time and I remember leaving for the Tube in the morning to go to school and instead going to the roof of our building of flats and staying there all day and doing nothing but reading. I continued to read late into the night until it was done. I _became_ Scarlet O’Hara and I fell in love with Rhett Butler. I laughed, I cried–I actually lived that story. And it left me with the feeling that I wanted to somehow recreate that feeling, which is probably what prompted me to write my first book.
Q: Why did you choose a business degree over pursing writing?
Because my father paid for my college education. 🙂 I have a bachelor’s in management with a concentration in marketing, and I will never regret having that degree. Marketing a book is a lot like marketing shampoo, and everything I learned in business school applies to my writer’s life, too.
Q: How were you able to get break into the writing industry?
I entered my first book into a writer’s contest in which the finalist judges were top New York literary agents. I didn’t really expect to win, but I did and the finalist judge offered to represent me. She sold my first book to the second publisher she sent it to and is still my agent ten years later!
Q: You will have 13 books published by the end of the year. How do you keep finding fresh ideas for plots and characters?
Oh my gosh, you’re right! How did that happen?? Seriously, I’m never at a loss for story ideas. Mostly I owe that to my two teenagers who force me to disappear into the “happy place” in my head quite often which is where I find my inspirations. I also find cool tidbits everywhere. For instance, today in a news flash on AOL I read the story about a woman who found a key and a note about locating the treasure box the key went to inside an antique rocking chair she was restoring. I just might have to put that in my next Tradd Street mystery book!
Q: Do you have a favorite book you have written? One that maybe you enjoyed writing just a bit more than the others, or enjoyed the research more?
Even though picking a favorite book is a lot like picking a favorite child (and for the record, the answer to that is my dog), I have to admit that I love The House on Tradd street and its sequels. I think it’s because I simply love the characters, and because they’re in four books, I get to keep them around me for a very long time. As for research, I absolutely LOVED researching ON FOLLY BEACH (my May 2010 book). Half of the book takes place during 1942 and I just love WWII history. I had way more fun with that than I probably should have. But I’m a history geek, so it couldn’t be helped.
Q: Is there a certain area that you need to be at to get your writing done?
Not really–I think that comes from having children around since I wrote my first book. I just learned to type wherever I was. I still do that and bring my laptop everywhere. I recently discovered that being on an airplane, with all of the ambient noise of the plane’s engines, is very conducive to writing!
Q: Would you say you have any bad habits, either personally or professionally?
Of course! I wouldn’t be human otherwise. What’s ironic is that my bad habits in both of my lives (writing and non-writing) are polar opposites. In my personal life, I’m extremely organized and efficient–almost to the point of being overbearing and dictatorial. In my writing life, I take a very haphazard approach and don’t outline or plan or anything–I just sit down and spit it out.
Q: What are some of your favorite genres to read?
I read it all! I love general fiction, some mystery, some espionage, southern fiction, historical romance, and memoirs.
Q: Where would you love to travel to?
I’ve always traveled. As a matter of fact, I just got back from Costa Rica and this summer we’re going to England, Scotland and France. I’ve been to Egypt, most western European countries, and several South American countries (I lived in Venezuela for 2 years when I was younger). After reading MEMOIRS OF A GEISHA years ago I decided I’d like to travel to Japan. Would also like to go to Australia, although the long plane trip is a big turn off for me. There’s only so much sitting still I can manage!
Q: What would be your best advice for aspiring writers?
To borrow from Nike: JUST DO IT! Talking about it, or thinking about why you don’t have time to do it will not get a book written. Sitting down in front of your computer or note pad is the only thing that will write the book.

April 17, 2010
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Author Event: Jennifer Weiner
Chick Lit Authors

Author Event: Jennifer Weiner

On Thursday, May 13th, best-selling author Jennifer Weiner will be speaking, answering questions, and signing books at BORDERS (10 Columbus Circle) at 7:00PM.

WHO: Best-selling author Jennifer Weiner

WHAT: Jennifer Weiner will be speaking, answering questions and signing books from her New York Times #1 bestselling novel – Best Friends Forever

WHERE: BORDERS # 592 – 10 Columbus Circle – NYC

WHEN: Thursday, May 13th at 7:00PM

April 15, 2010
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Give Back with Toms Shoes
Chick Lit Plus

Give Back with Toms Shoes

I am an avid listener of the Elvis Duran Morning Show. I listen to them every morning on my drive to work, and find them to be hysterical. I love listening to Carolina’s ‘Rage Page,’ I’m always hearing about new fashion or beauty products through her. This morning, she was talking about Toms Shoes. With every pair of shoes you purchase through Toms Shoes, Toms will donate one pair of shoes to a child in need. What’s better than giving yourself some new shoes and supporting a child at the same time? You can check out Toms website at http://www.toms.com/. Be sure to check out the ‘Our Movement’ section. In April 8th, Toms hosted ‘One Day Without Shoes,’ where people around the country went barefoot for the day to see how difficult it is not to have shoes. Even celebrities such as Kristen Bell went barefoot for a day! Be sure to purchase your next pair of shoes through Toms, and thanks to Carolina and the Elvis Duran Morning Show for bringing awareness to a great cause.

April 15, 2010
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De-Jiggle Your Arms in Time for Summer
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De-Jiggle Your Arms in Time for Summer

Spring is here (yea!) and t-shirts and sleeveless shirts are being unearthed from the dungeons in storage. But are your arms ready for the warm weather, or do you have a littler extra jiggle you need to get rid of? Shape.com has put out a De-Jiggle Arm Workout Plan to help tone up and firm your arms in time for the nice weather. There is a great triceps anatomy lesson to take advantage of, and the exercises will make your arms sore! But it’s worth it to look your best in those sleeveless tanks, so head over to Shape.com and download your workout plan.

April 15, 2010
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Interview with Maria Murnane
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Interview with Maria Murnane

Q: Where did the idea come from for Perfect on Paper?
If you move to San Francisco after college and live there for enough time, there are a number of common experiences you will eventually share with nearly everyone else there – for better or for worse. As I began to notice these things, I found myself thinking I need to write a book, which then evolved into That’s something that would totally go in my book. A great example of this is my good friend Alison, who was a little stressed out when she started dating her now husband, who is several years older than we are. When they first started dating, she wasn’t sure how she felt about the age difference. “I mean, he has a parking space,” she said one day. “He’s like a grown up!” As soon as the words were out her mouth, I pointed at her and said “That could totally go in my book!” (Unless you have a trust fund or are an investment banker, having a parking space in San Francisco is a major rite of passage.)
So when I started writing Perfect on Paper, all I really knew was that I wanted to tell a funny story that included many of these common experiences. I had a general idea of how it would begin, but that was about it. Once I got going, however, the story sort of took on a life of its own. And then one day I was done!
Q: My copy of your book is in the mail, on its way to me. What can you tell me about this story and the characters?
If you’ve never lived in San Francisco, I hope it (and they) will make you feel like you have. And if you have lived in San Francisco, I hope it (and they) will make you feel right at home. 
Q: I did read that the main character in Perfect on Paper works in PR, and you have previously worked in PR. Are there more similarities between you and your character?
I like to say that Waverly Bryson’s life is like my life—if my life were more exciting. While some of my friends have said that reading Perfect on Paper is like listening to me talk for 311 pages (if they could stand that), in many ways we are very different. For example, we can both be quite chatty and like to make random observations, and we both tend to stick our foot in our mouths when we get nervous. We both love U2, chocolate and American Idol, and we’ve both been on some laughably bad dates. But she’s not athletic at all, whereas I play soccer several times a week and love watching sports too. She practically gets left at the altar; I’ve never even been engaged. Her mom died when she was a baby; my parents are happily married. She’s an only child; I have three siblings and six nieces and nephews. Waverly missed out on the big family that I’ve always enjoyed, but I felt it made the story more interesting to have her as an only child with a rocky relationship with her dad.
Q: What made you decide to write a novel?
One day I quit my job and had no idea what I wanted to do next other than not work in PR anymore, so I bought a ticket to go to Argentina by myself for a couple weeks. And after two weeks I loved it so much there that I decided to stay for an entire year. Then I realized that if I was ever going to write the book I’d thought about so many times, that was that time. So I just started writing and writing and writing, and eventually I had the first draft of what would eventually become Perfect on Paper.
Q: Do you have more writings in the works?
Ha ha ha my publisher keeps asking me that question too! The answer is yes, but “in the works” must be loosely interpreted. I have had many readers ask me to write a sequel though. Everyone wants to know what happens to Waverly!
Q: You played semi-pro soccer while living in Argentina . How was that experience and why did you stop?
I could write an entire novel just answering this question! The short answer is that it was an amazing experience, and I came home because I had finished writing Perfect on Paper and wanted to get it published.
Q: People have said you are a role model for women. What does that mean to you?
It means SO MUCH. Whenever I hear that, it validates all the hard decisions I’ve made over the past few years, the biggest of which was to give up a steady paycheck. It hasn’t been an easy road for me, and I don’t think people realize that when they take the time to tell me that I have impacted their lives, that they are impacting my life too.
Q: What has been the best experience for you since publishing Perfect on Paper?
While I’ve experienced some pretty amazing things because of Perfect on Paper, there are two that stand out:
The first was seeing a total stranger reading my book at a café in San Francisco. I nearly had a heart attack! And if that weren’t amazing enough, when I told her who I was, I found out that she was as excited to meet me as I was to meet her! She said she absolutely loved my book and was already on page 178 (had just started it the night before). Then she showed me literally 25 pages she had dog-eared because she thought they were so funny. She asked me to sign the book and wanted to know when I was writing the sequel because she’d be first in line to buy it!
The second amazing experience was stumbling across a Facebook post a college student at Boston University made about me after I spoke at a sorority there a few weeks ago. (A bunch of the girls added Waverly Bryson as a friend.) The day after I spoke, I realized that several of them were posting things about me, and one of the girls posted that she wanted to be me. It nearly made me cry.
Q: Where do you think would be the best place to travel to?
I love to travel so much that this question is pretty much impossible to answer. There are just too many places I want to see! Right now Croatia and Guatemala are on my list, as are Switzerland and Slovenia. And Tunisia. I just got a new passport last week – I can’t believe I have zero stamps! My old one had like one page left. Domestically, I’ve never been to the Deep South and have always thought that would be an interesting trip. And Alaska. And North Carolina. And Martha’s Vineyard. Did I mention I love to travel? 
Q: What would be your best advice for aspiring writers?
I guess I would say that if there is a book inside of you, just sit down and write it. Write and write and write, and when you can’t think of what to write next, go back and edit what you’ve already written. If you do that consistently, eventually you will have a book. And no matter what happens after that, nothing can take away the profound sense of personal accomplishment that comes with typing the words THE END.

April 13, 2010
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A Healthier Version of Tuna Fish
Chick Lit Plus

A Healthier Version of Tuna Fish

The April edition of Fitness Magazine had a great section on what foods you should toss and which you should stock up on. Many of those highlighted were foods that pertain to me, in particular though was tuna fish. I usually feel pretty healthy when I decide to go with tuna for lunch, but the canned albacore tuna isn’t as healthy as I thought. Instead of buying the canned variety, you should stock up on chunk like tuna packets, because they have plenty of nutrients and proteins, but about 1/3 the amount of mercury found in the canned tuna. I know I will be switching!

April 12, 2010
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Meet Author Deborah Blumenthal
Chick Lit Authors

Meet Author Deborah Blumenthal

Deborah Blumenthal is a journalist and nutritionist, and writes books for adults, young adults, and children. She also routinely writes for The New York Times and has written columns on topics such as health, fitness, beauty, and travel. Other feature stories of Blumenthal’s have been printed in newspapers and magazines, including: New York’s Daily News, The Washington Post, The Los Angeles Times, Bazaar, Cosmopolitan, Woman’s Day, Family Circle, Self, and Vogue.
Deborah Blumenthal has four published works for adults: The New York Book of Beauty, Beauty: The Little Black Book for New York Glamour Girls, Fat Chance, and What Men Want. Blumenthal currently lives in New York City.

April 12, 2010
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In My Mailbox: Week of April 11
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In My Mailbox: Week of April 11

In My Mailbox: Week of April 11th

Title: Are You There Vodka? It’s Me, Chelsea
Author: Chelsea Handler
Received: Public Library
Synopsis: When Chelsea Handler needs to get a few things off her chest, she appeals to a higher power — vodka. You would too if you found out that your boyfriend was having an affair with a Peekapoo or if you had to pretend to be honeymooning with your father in order to upgrade to first class. Welcome to Chelsea’s world — a place where absurdity reigns supreme and a quick wit is the best line of defense.

In this hilarious, deliciously skewed collection, Chelsea mines her past for stories about her family, relationships, and career that are at once singular and ridiculous. Whether she’s convincing her third-grade class that she has been tapped to play Goldie Hawn’s daughter in the sequel to Private Benjamin, deciding to be more egalitarian by dating a redhead, or looking out for a foulmouthed, rum-swilling little person who looks just like her…only smaller, Chelsea has a knack for getting herself into the most outrageous situations. Are You There, Vodka? It’s Me, Chelsea showcases the candor and irresistible turns of phrase that have made her one of the freshest voices in comedy today.

Title: Perfect on Paper
Author: Maria Murnane
Received: From Maria Murnane
Synopsis: Waverly Bryson is a late-20s successful businesswoman who almost has it all: dream job in Sports PR, two best friends, and a bar where everybody knows her name. What she doesn’t have is a ring on her finger, and after being left at the altar, she’s in no hurry. Besides, she has plenty of other issues to tackle, including her wayward father, a new rival at work, and an ever-shrinking amount of personal time. To keep sane, Waverly makes a habit of jotting down “Honey Notes,” her own brand of self-deprecating wisdom and pipe-dream for a line of greeting cards.
As Waverly stumbles back into the dating scene (no stalkers or jean shorts, please), her personal and professional lives threaten to collide. Perfect on Paper reminds readers that everyone has a bad date (or twelve), and that everyone needs a best friend to tell them, “Honey, you are not alone.”

Title: Enchanted Inc.
Author: Shanna Swendson
Received: Public Library
Synopsis: Katie Chandler had always heard that New York is a weird and wonderful place, but this small-town Texas gal had no idea how weird until she moved there. Everywhere she goes, she sees something worth gawking at and Katie is afraid she’s a little too normal to make a splash in the big city. Working for an ogre of a boss doesn’t help.
Then, seemingly out of the blue, Katie gets a job offer from Magic, Spells, and Illusions, Inc., a company that tricks of the trade to the magic community. For MSI, Katie’s ordinariness is an asset. Lacking any bit of magic, she can easily spot a fake spell, catch hidden clauses in competitor’s contracts, and detect magically disguised intruders. Suddenly, average Katie is very special indeed.
She quickly learns that office politics are even more complicated when your new boss is a real ogre, and you have a crush on the sexy, shy, ultra powerful head of the R&D department, who is so busy fighting an evil competitor threatening to sell black magic on the street that he seems barely to notice Katie. Now it’s up to Katie to pull off the impossible: save the world and – hopefully – live happily ever after.

Title: Looks to Die For
Author: Janice Kaplan
Received: Public Library
Synopsis: A smart and sassy heroine makes her debut in a stylish new mystery series from the bestselling co-author of “The Botox Diaries” and “Mine Are Spectacular!”Lacy Fields is the wife of a prominent Beverly Hills plastic surgeon, a dedicated mother of three, and an absolutely fabulous decorator to the stars. But when her husband is accused of murdering a young wannabe actress, Lacy finds out she has a killer instinct for hunting down murderers as well as antique furniture. Cleverly marrying the day-to-day foibles of family life with delicious insider glamour, “Looks to Die For” takes readers behind the scenes of a fashionable world of gossip, name-dropping, and murder. The suspense-meets-shopping page turner signals the arrival of a savvy and stylish new voice.

Title: Forget Me Knot
Author: Sue Margolis
Received: Public Library
Synopsis: From the acclaimed author of Gucci Gucci Coo and Apocalipstick comes a funny, sexy novel about questionable engagements—and a love worthy perhaps of the big screen.

Florist Abby Crompton has a knack for arranging the most exquisite bouquets for the hippest clientele. If only her personal life could run as smoothly. Although her fiancé, Toby, proposed a month ago, Abby’s still waiting for the ring. An up-and-coming lawyer, Toby’s been far too busy to shop—let alone muster the energy for romance. If that wasn’t frustrating enough, the night she’s supposed to meet her future mother-in-law, Abby gets stuck in an elevator—with a sexy stranger bearing fine wine. Needless to say, a tipsy Abby arrives late for dinner and doesn’t make the best impression.

In the aftermath of the dinner disaster, Abby is thrilled to learn that a film studio wants to use her shop in an upcoming movie. But when she meets the director, Dan, she’s shocked to discover that he’s none other than the same man with whom she shared the elevator—and some highly personal information. Now, with Toby putting in more overtime, Abby’s feeling even more neglected. And her attraction to Dan is growing daily—as her own life begins to mirror the romantic comedy he’s shooting.

Featuring an irrepressible heroine, Forget Me Knot blooms with charm, wit, and fun.

April 11, 2010
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