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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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In My Mailbox- Week of February 14
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In My Mailbox- Week of February 14

I have seen the “In My Mailbox” feature from quite a few other book sites, so I decided to try it out for myself! Each week, I will list what books I have either bought, got from the library, borrowed from friends, received from authors, etc. Enjoy!

Title: Second Time Around
Author: Beth Kendrick
Received: From Beth Kendrick for Review
Synopsis:
Thanks to an unexpected inheritance, four college friends get an opportunity to start over and pursue their dream jobs. But the road not taken has a few speed bumps…

Every summer, a group of former English majors hold a mini-reunion. They laugh, reminisce, and commiserate about their soul-sucking jobs. Maybe they should have listened to everyone who warned them to study something “practical.”

Then an unexpected windfall arrives—one million dollars, to be exact—with the stipulation that they use it to jump-start their new careers. Almost overnight, a professor, a bartender, a copywriter, and an administrative assistant reinvent themselves as a bed-and-breakfast owner, a pastry chef, a novelist, and an event planner. But the changes in their professional roles create unexpected turbulence in their personal lives, and soon the secrets and scandals from their past resurface.

For anyone who has ever wondered
“What if?”, this engaging novel provides a sweet, funny look at friendship, romance, and second chances.

Title: Pieces of Happily Ever After
Author: Irene Zutell
Received: From SheKnows.com for Review
Synopsis:
What happens after “happily ever after”? Alice Hirsh is about to find out…
Alice, a former New Yorker who thought she’d never feel at home in the bizarre world of the San Fernando Valley, was adapting, raising her 5-year-old daughter while trying to keep her job and make her new house a home. When her attorney husband lands a trophy client – box-office queen Rose Maris – things begin to look up. Then Alex starts working late – a lot. He crunches his paunch into a six-pack and trades his Gap ensembles for Armani everything.
Soon, Rose and Alex’s affair blazes in the tabloids and Alice is plunged into trash-gossip hell. Her life crumbles around her as she navigates her newly single self through suburban LA –a place rife with porn stars, psycho soccer moms and nutty neighbors.
Is there a chance to wrest Alex from the Sexiest Woman Alive? And if so… would Alice want him back? And what about George–her college sweatheart? Or Johnny, a walking charm-bomb paparazzo? As Alice inventories the rubble of her life, she desperately searches for her bearings and is forced to ask herself what she really wants from life, love and herself.

Title: Bergdorf Blondes
Author: Plum Sykes
Received: Public Library
Synopsis: Plum Sykes’s beguiling debut welcomes readers to the glamorous world of Park Avenue Princesses, the girls who careen through Manhattan in search of the perfect Fake Bake (tan acquired from Portofino Tanning Salon), a ride on a PJ (private jet) with the ATM (rich boyfriend), and the ever-elusive fiancé.
With invitations to high-profile baby showers and benefits, more Marc Jacobs clothes than is decent, and a department store heiress for a best friend, our heroine known only as Moi is living at the peak of New York society. But what is Moi to do when her engagement falls apart? Can she ever find happiness in a city filled with the distractions of Front Row Girls, dermatologists, premieres, and eyebrow waxes? Is it possible to find love in a town where her friends think that the secret to happiness is getting invited to the Van Cleef and Arpels über-private sample sale? And how is she going to deal with the endless phone calls from her mother in England demanding that she get married to the Earl next door?
With enormous wit and an insider’s eye, Sykes captures the nuances of the rich and spoiled in a heartwarming social satire, featuring a loveable “champagne bubble of a girl” who’s just looking for love (and maybe the perfect pair of Chloé jeans).

Title: The Debutante Divorcee
Author: Plum Sykes
Received: Public Library
Synopsis: A major national media event when published in hardcover, this delicious follow-up to Bergdorf Blondes was an immediate New York Times bestseller and confirmed Plum Sykes’ status as a literary superstar.
Sylvie Mortimer has just married and is blissfully happy with The Divine New Husband, Hunter. Sylvie’s new friend, Lauren Blount, is very rich, very young, very thin, very pretty — and very, very divorced. The most reckless and glamorous of Manhattan’s Debutante Divorcée set, Lauren captivates Sylvie, the group’s token newlywed. But while Lauren sets out on a morality-lite, orgasm-heavy “Make Out Challenge,” Sylvie discovers her marriage isn’t exactly an Eternity ad — especially when the city’s most notorious Husband Huntress zeros in on her spouse.

February 14, 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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Relief For Dry, Damaged Hair
Chick Lit Plus

Relief For Dry, Damaged Hair

All this dry weather does nothing good for my hair, which is naturally uncontrollable. My hairdresser is always suggesting using a deep conditioning treatment about once a week to help breathe some life and moisture into my locks, so I finally decided to see what it’s all about. I browsed online looking for some at home treatments because a friend had told me she makes her own recipe instead of buying expensive bottles at the salon. So I figured I could do the same, save myself some money and get better looking hair.

The recipe I settled on was from RecipeZaar.com and seemed pretty straightforward. Ingredients: 1 cup of mayonnaise (preferably room temperature), ½ cup of olive oil, and three eggs. Blend all ingredients together, then apply thoroughly to hair, adding more on the ends. Use a shower cap or old towel to wrap around your head, keeping the heat on your strands. Leave on for 10-20 minutes depending on the length of your hair, then wash out thoroughly. Don’t shampoo after you use this treatment! The next day when you shower, shampoo and condition as usual.

My hair did feel better after using this treatment, though for that first day it did feel a little oily, so I would suggest making sure you do it when you are not going out! But after the next shampoo, I could tell that there was more shine, and it felt better to touch. If you are suffering from dry hair as well try out this or another deep conditioning treatment to get some results!

February 9, 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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Heart Healthy Tips
Chick Lit Plus

Heart Healthy Tips

Women’s Health Magazine has a great article on tips for a healthier heart. At my work (a hospital) we recently celebrated ‘Wear Red for Women’s Health’ this past Friday, so I thought this article would be good to print out and hang up in my office, and share with all of you! Here are the five tips you can do to avoid heart problems:
1. Eat More Plants and Fish. Colorful foods (think berries and spinach) are filled with heart healthy antioxidants that can reduce the risk of heart disease. The antioxidants work to keep plaque from building up on the arteries, keeping the vessels clear and healthy. Fruits and vegetables also give the body plenty of potassium, helping to regulate the blood pressure. Fatty fish such as salmon or sardines is a great way to get the omega-3 fatty acids, which also reduce the risk of heart disease by decreasing your blood pressure and triglycerides.
2. Cut the Fat. Butter, meat, and whole dairy products often contain high levels of saturated fats, which is bad for the heart. You want to keep your saturated fat level to about 7 percent of your daily calories and try to eliminate trans fats from your diet. Trans fats can do a double whammy- increasing the level of bad cholesterol and lowering the level of good cholesterol. WHM recommends keeping trans fats in your diet down to 1 percent of your daily calories- and the common foods that these are found in is margarine, oils, fried foods, and pastries.
3. Know Your Risk. We all know that prevention is key, and this relates to all aspects of your health. Don’t be afraid to ask your doctor to run some tests on you to check out your levels of cholesterol, blood sugar, and other tests that could reveal potential health problems. Be especially aware if there is history of health problems in your family, such as diabetes or heart attacks.
4. Move Your Feet. Working out and utilizing cardio routines is a great way to protect your heart. Even just walking 30 minutes a day can improve heart strength and lower bad cholesterol levels.
5. Stop Smoking. We are all aware that smoking can introduce many health problems in the system, so it’s time to quit! WHM reports that smokers are up to four times more likely to develop coronary heart disease than those who don’t smoke. Tobacco can narrow arteries, raise blood pressure, and thicken blood- all which can lead to clogged arteries and heart attacks. And- it reeks!
All these tips can be life-savers, so be sure to start implementing them into your daily routine. Be sure to check out Women’s Health Magazine online for the full article and other great heart healthy ideas!

February 9, 2010
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Check Out These Sculpting Secrets
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Check Out These Sculpting Secrets

As I was browsing on Shape.com today I found an article titled ‘Speedy Sculpting Secrets.’ Since I work out to look more sculpted, I headed to the page to see just what secrets I needed to learn. Most of them were what I expected, but there were a few surprises that were thrown in there, and a few new moves I am going to try at the gym. Here were some of my favorite secrets:
1. Hit the Hills. The treadmill can be your friend when trying to vary your workouts. Remember, if you continually do the same routine, your body and muscles will eventually get used to your moves and you won’t be helping yourself. Try these three treadmill programs to keep mixing it up.
FLAT SPRINTS Set the treadmill at a constant 1 percent grade and run of walk fast (you should be completely out of breath) for 30 seconds. Recover at an easy intensity for 60 seconds. Repeat 9 times.
HILL DRILLS Run or walk for 30 seconds at an 8 percent grade followed by 60 seconds at a 1 percent grade. Repeat 9 times.
CONSTANT CLIMB Set the treadmill at an 8 percent grade and walk or run for 30 seconds at a moderate pace (you should be out of breath) followed by 60 seconds at a slower pace, still on the 8 percent incline. Repeat 9 times.

2. Don’t Procrastinate. Try not putting off the moves you dread (for me that would be push-ups!) because you are less likely to complete them if you keep them until the end. Get them out of the way first thing, that way you won’t be as tired when trying to complete them near the end of your routine.
3. Water is Your Friend. Pools can be a workout gold mine if you have access to one. Swimming laps is a great way to sculpt the body, but there are other ways you can utilize the pool as well. Shape suggest getting a kickboard and doing flutter kicks across the length of the pool, then getting gout and doing either lunges or squats and repeating the exercise. By alternating between water and land, the body is getting a cardio-sculpting workout.
4. Hold Your Tongue. This tip I found very interesting. When doing moves such as crunches, you should rest your tongue behind the top row of your teeth. This will help prevent neck strain, keeping you in better form and working the abs harder.

Check out the full article at Shape.com for all 31 sculpting secrets!

February 9, 2010
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Interview with Liz Fenton & Lisa Steinke
Chick Lit Authors

Interview with Liz Fenton & Lisa Steinke

Q: Why did you decide to do a dual narrative book?
We feel readers (like us!) enjoy getting inside the head of more than one key player in a story. And there’s also the fact that we can barely compose a joint email without debating each word, (don’t even get us started on the play we tried to co-write back in college!) so we thought it would make things a wee bit easier if we each wrote our own character. But luckily, we have a very collaborative editing process and we each take feedback from the other about our character, plot points, etc…(Our motto: once the book is written, anything is fair game!)
Q: Do either of you want to write a novel on your own?
Right now, we’re having so much fun collaborating that it would feel like we were missing a limb if we tried to do it on our own.
Q: Where did you get the idea for I’ll Have Who She’s Having?
We had talked about writing a book for TEN years, but we hadn’t decided on the plot. It wasn’t until Lisa went on vacation to Maui and brought home a chapter about a girl named Kate that we decided it was now or never and we developed the storyline and wrote our book.
Q: Can you give any details about your second novel in works?
Anther dual narrative, it’s about two women who never expected to find themselves in the complicated world of divorce.
Q: I am such a fan of your website. How do you keep up with all the posts and get the ideas for each piece?
Thanks so much! We have a lot of fun with Chick Lit Is Not Dead. And honestly, we find the best material comes from the simplest things in our lives, like painting the house with your spouse (major no no!) or watching and wanting to try out for The Amazing Race (Liz says, “Yes”. Lisa says, “No!”). The only downside? Our friends now begin sentences with, “This better not end up on your blog!”
Q: What are some of your favorite hobbies (besides reading and writing!)
Liz likes to play tennis or shop in all her (non-existent!) spare time. And Lisa is a workout and reality TV junkie (not necessarily in that order).
Q: Who are some of your favorite authors that you have been able to interview?
We loved our series “25 Things Liz and Lisa want to know about….” And now we’re equally excited about our latest feature, “5 things Liz and Lisa didn’t know about…” because our favorite authors give us juicy nuggets about themselves that we wouldn’t otherwise know. They share their favorite coffee order, what they’d be doing if they weren’t a writer, who they crush on…And we feel lucky that so many of our favorite authors like Jennifer Weiner and Allison Winn Scotch have played along. And we nearly died when our writing partner role models, the authors of THE NANNY DIARIES, not only gave us an interview but also interviewed us! We’re still coming down from that high!

Q: And what authors have you yet to interview that you are most excited about?
Because of her obsession with The Hills, Liz is pretty pumped about Lauren Conrad. And Lisa is very excited about Wendy Wax. Wendy’s novel, “The Accidental Bestseller” is one of her all-time fav’s. Lisa just finished her soon to be released novel, “Magnolia Wednesdays” which was also fantastic!
Q: What advice can you give to others like me, wanting to get published and be so involved with the chick lit world?
Write the book you want to write. Always stay true to the person you are because publishing trends come and go. (We can’t tell you how many times agents we queried told us that Chick Lit was dead!) There will always be an audience that wants to read good books about engaging characters. And most importantly, don’t forget to have fun!
Q: Have you been on any great trips, together or separately? What would be your favorite?
We had a blast on our writer’s retreat to Palm Springs last fall. Let’s just say that warm weather + Hot Latin cabana boys= low word count.

February 7, 2010
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Chick Lit Author: Chantel Simmons
Chick Lit Authors

Chick Lit Author: Chantel Simmons

Chantel Simmons, Winnipeg Free Press bestselling author, was born in St. Catherine’s and graduated from Ryerson with a Bachelors Degree in Journalism. After graduation, Simmons went on to be an assistant to a literary agent, and made the decision that she wanted to become a freelance writer. While spending her time writing, she helped pay the bills by assisting photographers at the Toronto Sun, and in 2002 landed a position as editorial assistant at ELLE Canada. While working at ELLE, Simmons was offered a position at TV Guide as assistant editor and after that went on to work as editor to Elevate magazine, where she got her inspiration for her first novel.
After getting married in 2005, Simmons’ husband convinced her that she actually needed to write her novel in order to get published, and after writing and securing an agent, Stuck in Downward Dog was published in the US and Canada, and went on to be a Winnipeg Free Press bestseller. Her second novel, Love Struck will be released February 15, 2010. Chantel Simmons now works at Sweetspot.ca as editorial director and works on two blogs: The Cherry on Top and Make-it-Session.

February 7, 2010
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