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Charming Tuesday: A Beauty Favorite
Chick Lit Plus

Charming Tuesday: A Beauty Favorite

Like the saying goes, all good things must come to an end … and today marks our final posting for Charming Tuesday. In a few weeks we will be starting a new segment that will feature some of our favorite beauty products, but for now, this will be the last Charming Tuesday. So, in honor of a fun and fantastic few weeks with this feature, Samantha and I have listed below our absolute ALL TIME BEAUTY MUST HAVES! Enjoy!

Charming Tuesday Product of the Week: ALL TIME BEAUTY MUST HAVE

Samantha’s All Time Beauty Must Have:

With our last Charming Tuesday post, Sara and I decided to pick our all-time must have product. Of course I can’t choose one, so I decided to write about the products that I bring in my small makeup bag when I am going out. These are what I call my essentials, and I have actually made my boyfriend leave a friend’s house once to go back home and get my bag for me. I feel naked without it when I’m out and about. So here’s my essentials:

1. Concealer. I use Almay Clear Complexion Concealer, and it is fabulous at covering up any marks and staying put throughout the night.

2. Eyeliner. I use Maybelline Showstopper in navy. When I opt out of eyeliner, I could pass for the kiddie buffet. Not a good look for me. I have eyeliner on hand wherever I go.

3. Lip Gloss. Sara got my hooked on Maybelline Baby Lips lip gloss. It has turned into an addiction. I now have cherry, peach, and quenched.

4. Eyelash Glue. Yes, I wear fake eyelashes, and often. I always have my adhesive on hand for any just in case moments and have lash stuck my cheek. That has yet to happen, but you never know.

Those are my makeup essentials. I also always pack a mini-deodorant (hello dance floor), an extra hair tie that usually ends up going to a girlfriend, and a pair of flip-flops if I’m wearing heels. I love big purses, and my feet thank me at the end of the night.

Sara’s All Time Beauty Must Have:

I have two. My first beauty favorite is actually fairly new. Recently, I started hearing all the buzz about the new BB creams that were being introduced onto the market. As I have mentioned before, I am usually a pretty low maintenance gal, and most days leave the house without any makeup on. But, I was interested to try out this new product and see what all the buzz was about … so I went to my local Walgreens and picked up the new Garnier BB Cream and was amazed with the results. This product renews, brightens, evens, hydrates, and protects skin – and it really does. My skin had a dewy glow right after application! By far, this is my new favorite and I’m sure I will be using it from here on out.

My other favorite must have beauty product is actually sunscreen. I’ve always been very diligent with my sunscreen usage because my skin is so fair, but two summers ago, I found out that I had a melanoma on my upper right arm. It was a very scary time in my life but I am glad that we were able to find it and remove it all completely. I now go to the dermatologist every three months to have my skin checked and am even more diligent about my sunscreen application. Because of my past, I literally fly through bottles of sunscreen. Some work better than others, but to me, they are all the same … but my face is a different story. I have found that regular sunscreen on my face is too harsh and often times burns my skin. That is, until I started wearing Ocean Face Potion. This stuff is fabulous! It protects my skin without the irritation, plus the container is small and I can carry it around in my purse. By far, my absolute must have product – I literally have a container in my purse, my car, my gym bag, and a few in our medicine cabinet. I highly recommend this product.

June 19, 2012
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Worth Lying For: Book Excerpt
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Worth Lying For: Book Excerpt

WORTH LYING FOR
by
Lisa Cheney & Lisa Craig

CHAPTER ONE

I was too old to be scrabbling for loose change on the floor of my car. But the twenty-two pennies mined from the bottom of my purse wouldn’t buy me a coffee at George’s Market. An archaeological dig under layers of receipts, magazines, and old shopping lists was bound to unearth fifty-three cents more. I found a quarter by my feet, then, leaning over, hit the mother lode under the passenger seat: four dimes and a nickel.
I was about to haul myself upright, spare change and pride in hand, when some idiot zoomed up and parked right next to me, even though mine was the lone car in the lot. Craning my neck, I saw a mint condition, 1968 Shelby Mustang GT500. I may only be a receptionist/bookkeeper, but I’m a receptionist/bookkeeper for a classic car restoration garage. I know my muscle cars. And for my money, the 1968 Shelby is the best looking automobile ever made.

The early October morning sun glinted off its shiny black paint and bright chrome trim. I was filled with the covetousness I usually reserve for designer shoes and the occasional signature handbag. If I could own a car like that, and the right pair of stilettos to match, everything in my life would be perfect.
As I sighed over my vision, Jimmy Adler, the biggest jackass I had ever known, stepped out of my dream car. The driver—it was painful to think of him as the owner of this classic vehicle—had spent our high school days in a haze of pot smoke, emerging occasionally to sell to others or publicly berate his girlfriend, Tina. I hadn’t seen him much in the past twenty-some years, which was surprising considering we live in such a small town. Then again, in a small town you hear about people whether you want to or not. It was common knowledge that he had continued on his sordid path, and Tina, now his ex-wife, would never bring charges even after all the domestic violence calls. He was an absolute pig and he was driving my car.

In contrast to my own tee shirt and ancient wrinkled slacks, he was decked out. He had on a gorgeous black leather jacket that, even from a distance, I could tell was a soft, supple lambskin that called out to be petted. He hadn’t gotten fat, or lost his still-brown hair. Truly, there is no justice in the universe.
I watched him swagger toward the store. No, make that stagger. He weaved two steps sideways for every one he took forward. He was completely hammered and it was not yet nine in the morning. Stumbling over the front step to the market, he smashed his forehead against the glass door. He obviously felt no pain as he bounced off in surprise and fumbled for the pull handle. He pushed on it for a minute or so while shouting out some garbled swearing, before he realized he had to pull the door open. He hadn’t changed a bit.

The Shelby was parked way too close, but as long as I eased my door open there was enough room to get out. As satisfying as it would have been to bang my car door into his, I had to rise above such pettiness for the sake of the Shelby. A work of art is a work of art, no matter how big of an idiot the owner is. I lightly ran my fingertips over its smooth paint. Torturing myself further, I peeked inside the open passenger window at the red leather interior. Perfect. Damn it.
On the pristine leather of the passenger seat, next to an empty fifth of Jack Daniels and a couple baggies filled with suspicious-looking herbs, I saw a black duffle bag. Inside the unzipped bag I could see money: stacks and stacks of money. Not Monopoly money. Real, U.S. legal tender. Stupid drug dealing bottom-feeder, how do you end up with a Ford Shelby and a bag of cash while I’m looking for change under the floor mats of a Ford Escort?

On its own reconnaissance my hand shot out and grabbed the bag, then dragged it through the open window. Adrenaline tightened my throat as I stared at my offending hand. This was wrong, so very wrong. I was an upstanding citizen who paid her taxes, mortgage and insurance on time. I believed in my heart that world peace was possible. I had never so much as stolen somebody’s thunder.

Put. The money. Back. Slide the bag through the window, drop it back on the seat and this never happened. I dropped the bag through the open window of my car instead. Inexplicably, I found myself behind the wheel, speeding away as fast as my little junker would go.
I drove two tenths of a mile straight downhill then came to a screeching halt at the end of a treacherously narrow driveway to a daycare establishment called Smartypants, where I turned around. I came back up the hill in time to see the Shelby racing away in the other direction. Jimmy ignored a stop sign, hung a left with tires squealing, then disappeared from sight.

I went around the block slowly. I had no idea where Jimmy was headed. Chasing after him—for any reason—seemed like a bad plan.
As I cruised past the storefront it was impossible to see in or out through the layers of beer and liquor advertisements obscuring the windows. The convenience store had no obvious security cameras pointed at the parking lot. I was fairly sure Mr. George had no security measures in place at all, aside from a baseball bat he kept next to him at the checkout. I thought back. I hadn’t heard any cars driving by earlier and there hadn’t been a soul anywhere in the vicinity.

I had pulled off the perfect crime without even trying.

June 19, 2012
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+ One by Brian Baleno
Chick Lit Review

+ One by Brian Baleno

+ One by Brian Baleno follows the all too common problem today about finding balance between love and work. Jake, the main protagonist, finds himself in quite the predicament because he is a workaholic for a job that he loves and in a relationship with a woman that he loves. So, which one will he choose? Love or Money? This novel takes an in depth look at both sides of his predicament and how it effects those involved.

I found + One to be well written and also a very in-depth look into what many individuals face today. The characters are well written and realistic, as are the dilemmas that they face. I found the dynamic between Jake and Kara to be raw and heartfelt. This book is definitely not a happily-ever-after type of book …. seeing as how he is unable to make his relationship with Kara work, but we get to watch Jake as he grows as a person and matures. Seeing as how I am a female, I wanted a little more love and a happy ending, but I know that sometimes things happen and relationships don’t work out. I found the ending to be refreshing and honest. Overall, a great lad-lit novel from a debut novelist. I highly recommend this book to anyone looking for a good read from a male perspective.

[Rating: 4/5]

June 19, 2012
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Future Tour: Pickin’ Tomatoes by JW Bull
CLP Blog Tours

Future Tour: Pickin’ Tomatoes by JW Bull

JW will be on tour July 9-30 with her chick lit novel Pickin’ Tomatoes Maggie Malone wants a new life. Who aspires to be a…

June 18, 2012
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Worth Lying For by Lisa Cheney & Lisa Craig
Chick Lit Review

Worth Lying For by Lisa Cheney & Lisa Craig

Worth Lying For by Lisa Cheney & Lisa Craig stars Mary Minke: semi-happily married, mother, with an overall fairly content life. Sure, there are things here and there that she wishes she had done differently, but overall, things are good and she has no major compliants. That is until she stumbles upon a bag of cash in the fancy car of drug dealer Jimmy Adler and steals it. At first, she isnt sure what to do with it. Seeing as how she has lived in the same house, with less than adequate things, she looks into the simple things in life like a new washer and dryer, or a fancy pair of shoes. But, after a while, she is overcome with guilt and finally confides in her best friend. Mary vows to do some good with the money finally, but must do so in secret away from her husband who is the local sheriff.

As a debut novel, I wasn’t quite sure what to expect when I started Worth Lying For, but it didn’t take me long to feel right at home with this novel. The whole time, I felt like I was re-living a very Thelma & Louise esque adventure. Lisa Cheney & Lisa Craig are absolute riots when it comes to their writing and know how to drop in funny lines here and there and were always spot on. I loved how real the characters felt, especially Mary- I felt like she was very real and I loved that she was far from perfect yet still very likeable and relatable. Overall, I would highly recommend this book to anyone looking for an adventure of a read.

[Rating: 4.5/5]

June 18, 2012
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Blog Tour Sign Up: This Tangled Thing Called Love by Marie Astor
CLP Blog Tours

Blog Tour Sign Up: This Tangled Thing Called Love by …

Marie will be on an excerpt-only tour in August with her contemporary romance novel This Tangled Thing Called Love. Please use the sign up form…

June 17, 2012
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Guest Post from Suzan Battah
Chick Lit Authors

Guest Post from Suzan Battah

Some More Meanings and Fun Stuff about the BaSatai World

Thank you Samantha for allowing me on your blog, I love chatting about the BaSatai World and people often ask me how I remember so much about the world I’ve created and it’s simple because I love it, visualize it and feel and know the characters so well.

About the Title and What it Means – BaSatai: Outside In

BaSatai is referring to the supernatural people from the parallel world
H-Trae. The main character in the book Armani is a BaSatai hidden away on earth. Outside In refers to the way Armani feels like an outsider, different, singled out in the book there is a section where Rafael tells her ‘why are you always looking from the outside in?’. This book is mainly about Armani’s struggle with looking from the outside in.

About the Main Character Armani

Armani is plagued with a curse in her blood designed to break the parallel divide between H-Trae and earth when her blood spills and she dies. As she comes closer to turning 18, the elite BaSatai warriors and her Guardian have come to train her and take her home where she can be better protected. Yet Armani does not accept the curse in her blood nor does she accept the BaSatai and her Guardian giving up their lives just to protect her. Armani is suffering from human emotions and struggles to understand her purpose and identity in life. Her Guardian Karhl also arrives to guide her through the process of crossing over with Rafael, an elite BaSatai Warrior, who stirs up more confusion, emotions and guilt in Armani. She refuses to fall into line and doesn’t want to go back. She’s a walking target for her enemies crossing the divide to find her as the blood curse matures, the Supernatural’s are following the scent and willing to kill her to fulfill the curse.

Armani really struggles in this first book. She is a BaSatai suffering from human emotions and her stubborn belief she isn’t really cursed. She has a bad attitude and real vulnerbility. For Armani, the BaSatai coming for her mean the loss of her freedom and the guilt on her conscious if they die to protect her. It’s a tough struggle and she complains and fights it all the way. She’s like any normal teenager with usual issues but a more serious part of her life is that her death can destroy humanity.

The Music that Inspired BaSatai
Music is a big part of my writing life. I love Within Temptation, Kanye, Rihanna, Evanescence, Gobsmack and any type of Classical music helps me to write especially emotional scenes. All I Need by Within Temptation is the song for Rafael and Armani.
 

The Characters and My Favourite
I love all my characters in my books, each has such distinct personalities when it comes to the choices they make and the reasons behind it. But a favourite is surprisingly not a main character in book 1 and that is Valko, he’s annoying and rude but so much fun to write and certainly honest when maybe he shouldn’t be.

June 17, 2012
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My First 5K: The Color Run
Chick Lit Plus

My First 5K: The Color Run

I am excited to share the news that I have signed up for my first 5K run! I love fitness and exercise, but I have never entered any kind of run, race, relay, etc., excerpt for the Susan G Komen Race for the Cure, but I usually end up walking that. So my girlfriend and I decided to start expanding our comfort zones, and our first 5K will be in October of this year. The one we are currently signed up for is called The Color Run, and basically – you run, and get pain thrown on you. That’s right – paint. You get a plain white T with registration, and by the end of the race, you’re just covered in paint. Oh boy. But I’m excited to do this, and hopefully we can work our way up to more 5Ks, maybe 10K or even…a half or full marathon one day. The lovely Sara from CLP just told me the other day that she has done many runs in the past, and is going to attempt a full marathon soon. That is so awesome!
Sometimes I feel a bit silly getting so excited over a 5K, especially when I talk to people who have done plenty of them. But it’s my first one, my first real time at running ( I don’t run – ever) so I decided to take it a step further and blog about my experience. Since part of CLP is dedicated to Health & Fitness, I figured this would fit right in. I’ll share my training schedule that was done up for me, how I’m trying to get healthier as a whole for the run (mainly watching my diet more carefully) and just my thoughts on being scared I’m not going to be able to run the three miles. If anyone has run before and has any tips, or will be running soon, feel free to join the conversation! I would love to hear from you 
So for Week 1, which was June 11-17, it started off with baby steps. This is good for me, because I am not joking when I said I didn’t run. My workouts are yoga, Pilates, Zumba, kickboxing, walking on an incline on the treadmill, elliptical or stationery bike. Do you see running in there? I don’t play any sports, period, and never go for “fun runs.” (If there is such a thing.) The last time I remember running at all was senior year of high school for a warm-up in gym class, and I was always the last out of the locker room. How is it that I love fitness but hate running? Don’t know, but that’s me.
So my schedule looked like this:
Monday: Walk 3 minutes, run 5 minutes, walk 2 minutes
Tuesday: Walk 5 minutes
Wednesday: Walk 4 minutes, run 8 minutes, walk 4 minutes
Thursday: Walk 10 minutes
Friday: Off
Saturday: Walk 5 minutes, run 10 minutes, walk 5 minutes
Sunday: Off
Now, that does seem like a fairly easy workout schedule, but keep in my mind I already create monthly workout’s for myself, so really, my schedule looked like this:
Monday: Walk 3 minutes, run 5 minutes, walk 2 minutes, 60 minute elliptical
Tuesday: Walk 5 minutes, Kettleball workout – 20 minutes, Billy Blanks 50 minute Tae Bo DVD
Wednesday: Walk 4 minutes, run 8 minutes, walk 4 minutes, 60 minute treadmill walk, incline
Thursday: Walk 10 minutes, Kettleball workout – 20 minutes, Yoga DVD – 30 minutes
Friday: Off – Kettleball workout – 20 minutes
Saturday: Walk 5 minutes, run 10 minutes, walk 5 minutes
Sunday: Off Pilates DVD, abs – 20 minutes
For my diet, I don’t eat the best, but I have made some changes. I switched my sugary breakfast cereal to Special K Fruit and Yogurt cereal, and changed my snacks to Ranch Wheat Thins. I am cutting back on fast food, and am down to one soda per week. I like using this 5K – and an upcoming friend’s wedding – as motivation to really get healthy. So let the training begin!

June 17, 2012
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In My Mailbox: Week of June 17
Chick Lit Plus

In My Mailbox: Week of June 17

In Samantha’s Mailbox:

Title: Monarch Beach

Author: Anita Hughes

Received: From Audrey @ St Martins Press

Synopsis: Anita Hughes’ Monarch Beach is an absorbing debut novel about one woman’s journey back to happiness after an affair splinters her perfect marriage and life—what it means to be loved, betrayed and to love again.

When Amanda Blick, a young mother and kindhearted San Francisco heiress, finds her gorgeous French chef husband wrapped around his sous-chef, she knows she must flee her life in order to rebuild it. The opportunity falls into her lap when her (very lovable) mother suggests Amanda and her young son, Max, spend the summer with her at the St. Regis Resort in Laguna Beach. With the waves right outside her windows and nothing more to worry about than finding the next relaxing thing to do, Amanda should be having the time of her life—and escaping the drama. But instead, she finds herself faced with a kind, older divorcee who showers her with attention… and she discovers that the road to healing is never simple. This is the sometimes funny, sometimes bitter, but always moving story about the mistakes and discoveries a woman makes when her perfect world is turned upside down.

Title: Construct a Couple

Author: Talli Roland

Received: From Talli Roland

Synopsis: Is any relationship strong enough to survive a string of secrets?

With a great job at a reputable magazine and a man who’s the perfect match, Serenity Holland thinks she’s laid the foundation for an ideal London life. When a routine assignment uncovers a shocking secret threatening her boyfriend’s company, Serenity decides to leave nothing to chance, taking matters into her own hands. Soon, though, she realises keeping secrets isn’t as easy as she thought . . . and the consequences are far worse than she ever imagined.

Read how Serenity met her match in the first book of the series, Build A Man.

Title: Twenty-Nine and a Half Reasons

Author: Denise Grover Swank

Received: Via CLP Blog Tours

Synopsis: When Rose reports for Fenton County jury duty she figures she’s lucky to get out of a morning working at the DMV. Instead, despite a disastrous encounter with the new assistant district attorney, Martin Deveraux, she’s picked as a juror on a murder case. As the case progresses, she realizes an ominous vision she had in the men’s restroom proves the defendant is innocent. And there’s not a cotton picking thing she can do about it.

Or is there?

As if things weren’t bad enough, Rose’s older sister Violet is going through a mid-life crisis. Violet insists that Rose stop seeing her sexy new boyfriend, Arkansas state detective Joe Simmons, and date other men. Rose is done letting people boss her around, but she can’t commit to Joe either. Still, Rose isn’t about to let the best thing in her life slip away.

Title: I Should Be So Lucky

Author: Judy Astley

Received: Unsolicited, TransWorld Publishers

Synopsis: Viola hasn’t had much luck with men. Her first husband, Marco, companion of her youth and father of her only child, left her when he realised he was gay. Her second, Rhys, ended his high-octane, fame-filled life by driving his Porsche into a wall. No wonder her family always believes she needs Looking After, and her friends think she really shouldn’t be allowed out on her own … Which is why, at the age of 39, she finds herself shamefully back at home, living with Mum. Viola knows she has to take charge; she needs to get a life, and fast. With a stroppy teenage daughter, a demanding mother, and siblings who want to control her life for her, where is she going to turn?

In Sara’s Mailbox:

Title: The Gaggle: How the Guys You Know Will Help You Find the Love You Want

Author: Jessica Massa

Received: Nina @ Simon & Schuster

Synopsis: Who cares if he’s just not that into you? You’ve got a gaggle.

It’s easy to feel like your love life is nonexistent. You know you’re great, so why haven’t you been on a classic dinner-and-a-movie date since . . . well, forever? Because as it turns out, you are now living in a post-dating world, where the old rules for sex and relationships no longer apply. Suddenly, everything and nothing is a date. But this means that you have much more going on in your love life than you realize.

Think about all the ambiguous interactions you have with guys: from a brainstorming session with a coworker, to a drink with an old friend, to a late night Skype session with an ex who’s still in your life. Once you open your eyes, you’ll see that you’re already exploring all sorts of connections with the men in your life via these non-dates. And who are all these guys you’re non-dating?

Say hello to your gaggle.

The gaggle is the group of guys in your life who play different roles, fulfill different needs, and help you figure out who you are, what you want, and what kind of relationship you ultimately desire. Though no two gaggles are alike, there are ten types of men a gaggle might include, such as the Ego Booster, the Hot Sex Prospect, and the Boyfriend Prospect. Romance, excitement, self-discovery, love . . . all this will be yours, once you stop stressing about dates, labels, and expectations and start thinking of each man you know and meet as a potential guy in your gaggle.

In this clever and groundbreaking debut, based on interviews with women and men across the country, Jessica Massa reveals the ways in which the potential for love is all around you. The Gaggle is the ultimate guide to figuring out what you want—and finding your match—in a world that has left traditional dating behind.

Title: The Ninety Days of Genevieve

Author: Lucinda Carrington

Received: Unsolicited

Synopsis: A 90-day sex contract wasn’t exactly what Genevieve Loften had in mind when she began business negotiations with the arrogant and attractive James Sinclair. As a career move she wanted to go along with it; the pay-off was potentially huge. However, she didn’t imagine that he would make her the star performer in a series of increasingly kinky and exotic fantasies. Thrown into a world of sexual misadventure, Genevieve learns how to balance her high-pressure career with the twilight world of decadence.

June 17, 2012
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