Future Tour: Unlocked by Rachael O’Bryan
Rachael will be on tour June 11-18 with her novel Unlocked This is a novel in stories about the impact people can have on a…
Charming Tuesday: A Beauty Favorite
Chick Lit Plus is kicking off a fabulous new feature called “Charming Tuesday” on our website. Every Tuesday, we will choose a beauty product and narrow down our absolute favorites, often times featuring a giveaway of one (or two) of our beauty “must-have’s”. So, check back every Tuesday to see which products make the cut.
Charming Tuesday Product Of The Week: Foundation
Samantha’s Must-Have:
My favorite foundation hands down is Almay’s Smart Shade, Smart Balance. I wrote a post on Almay products and highlighted this foundation way back in December of 2009, and it is still a staple in my bag. I remember when I first bought it and squeezed some product into my hand, freaking out because it was white. I didn’t understand that it literally blends into your skin, matching your skin tone perfectly. So not only do not I have to worry about those pesky lines showing, but this foundation also balances your skin so you don’t get oily or dry throughout the day. I absolutely recommend this product!
http://chicklitplus.com/
Sara’s Must Have:
Living in Texas, it can be difficult to wear foundation most days because of the extreme heat in the summer. In the past, I have usually used a tinted moisturizer pretty much year round, but during pregnancy, I felt like I needed a little more coverage than what a tinted moisturizer could offer. So, naturally, since I am a huge fan of Bobbi Brown makeup in general, I thought I would stop in and give them a try. Needless to say, I wasn’t disappointed. This foundation did it all- the weightless coverage helped even out my ever changing skin tone, minimized the appearance of pores and blemishes, and helped my super-dry skin stay hydrated. Plus, there is the added benefit of UV protection. I highly recommend this foundation to anyone looking for a smooth applying, never cakey (or dry) foundation for their skin that still provides a natural (almost tinted moisturizer like) feel.
Interview with Kathy Lynn Harris
When did you know writing was for you?
I know it sounds cliché, but I think I’ve always known. I was writing “books” and poetry and essays before I reached the ripe old age of 10. In school, writing was easy for me, and something I could lose myself in for hours. I remember in an English class in high school, we were asked to write a brief description of a character, as if we were writing a novel about that character. I wrote a two-pager about a homeless man. The teacher came up to me after I turned it in with great concern; she was certain that someone I knew personally was homeless. It was an awesome moment — that feeling of having created something from imagination that was compelling and real.
Where did the idea for Blue Straggler come from?
I originally wrote a short story about a 30-something career girl who was depressed and directionless. I kept coming back to her character, and the characters of her two friends who were trying to help her through it. I loved those characters (who eventually became Bailey, Idamarie and Rudy in the novel)! But I didn’t really have a plot for them. Then I made my own personal move from Texas to Colorado and realized that I could use that experience to fuel the story. I wanted to answer the question, “How would a change of scenery affect Bailey’s restlessness? How would the oddball friend-triangle work if one of them left town?” And Blue Straggler was born.
What is the hardest part of the writing process for you?
Truly for me, the most difficult thing is finding the time to write. I’m not one of those lucky people who can sit down and generate pages of work right away. It takes time for me to get back into the story and characters after being away from them for even 24 hours. I need a couple of hours of writing time to be productive. So, with all the demands of a full-time job and being a mama and wife and friend and sister and daughter, I have a hard time finding large blocks of time to write. Also, my addiction to my Kindle and HGTV doesn’t help matters.
What are your favorite genres to read?
I love literary fiction and women’s fiction. I love a good book of poetry. I enjoy smart memoirs. I don’t typically do sci-fi or fantasy. I think I’m too grounded in reality. Maybe I should try to change that!
What do you want readers to take away from your story?
I’d like them to perhaps come away with a greater understanding of what home means to them, and to realize that sometimes it’s easy to get trapped living a life that everyone, including yourself, thought you were supposed to lead. But maybe that life isn’t the one that is going to fuel your soul. More than likely, though, they’ll just come away with a craving for Cool Whip, enchiladas and/or tequila.
How important do you think social media is for authors these days?
I think it’s become hugely important. I know for a fact that I would not have had the success I’ve had so far with Blue Straggler without Facebook. I have great networks of friends out there who have helped spread the word. I probably owe Mark Zuckerberg a beer.
What would be your advice to aspiring writers?
If writing is really your passion, stick with it. Don’t give up. It took about eight years for me to find a publishing home for Blue Straggler. There’s a lot to be said for tenacity in today’s quick-win world. It’s ironic because I’m certainly not known for having much patience. (Friends, coworkers and family members are snickering right now.) Yet here I am, a poster child for determination. Go figure!
Author Website: kathylynnharris.com
Read Kathy’s blog here: kathylynnharris.com/blog
Connect with Kathy:
Facebook – www.facebook.com/BlueStragglerFiction
Twitter – @KathyLynnHarris
Email – kathy@kathylynnharris.com
Purchase Blue Straggler via Amazon.com:
http://www.amazon.com/Blue-Straggler-Kathy-Lynn-Harris/dp/0983170142/ref=tmm_pap_title_0
Three Daves by Nicki Elson
Three Daves was such a fun book to read. I loved the throwback to the 80’s and Nicki Elson did a fantastic job with creating…
Well-Heeled Writer Platform
Building a writing platform is an important ingredient in finding success with our craft. I’m talking more about how we validate our work, answering the question … Why are you the one to write this Mystery/Romance/Family Drama/YA book? What expertise can you bring to the work? Take this chair, for instance. It definitely has “platform” going on. At the same time, it brings something fresh to the seat genre. But without that platform, the chair so lacks authority!
Platform is helpful in both fiction and nonfiction, and there are several ways a writer can build one. Some include holding an MFA. Are you a lawyer? Back up the legal thriller you’ve written with that title. Love to cook? Parlay that passion into your own unique cookbook.
Authority in a subject does lend credibility to a piece of writing, and can help influence agents, editors, and especially your reading audience. At the same time it gives you a rich knowledge of wisdom and experience to bring to the page, layering your story with authenticity.
For me, I’ve developed my blog as an extension of my novel Whole Latte Life. The blog looks at the same questions the book does, that of living our passions, whatever they may be. I’ve posed questions to my readers, initiated active dialogues in the Comments, and interviewed experts in the arts of music, writing, greeting card design, cooking, and others, to bring their experiences to my readers, and to build my own base of knowledge on the subject.
So think Platform … Consider your education, employment, hobby, expertise, craft, as a shoe-in to building your writing resume.
~Joanne
Future Tour: Lucky Charm by Marie Astor
Marie will be on tour May 7-21 with her contemporary romance novel Lucky Charm Twenty-eight-year old Annabel Green is about to tie the knot with…
In My Mailbox: Week of April 22
Title: Unlocked
Author: Rachael O’Bryan
Received: Via CLP Blog Tours
Synopsis: In Unlocked The main character Rebecca takes the reader on a journey through a collection of short stories concerning nine guys she met while being a tutor in college for the football team. She recounts her struggles with love, friendship, self-confidence, trust, acceptance, and heartache. The stories indicate how people and relationships can really shape a person’s life.
The story is told in first person and Rebecca introduces herself to the reader in the beginning by providing some background about herself. Delving into the actual stories, the first story of the book, “The Costly Answer” finds Rebecca wondering if her answer to one question asked by her crush cost her a chance at a relationship after she spots him a few years later in a different city. In the second story, “He Better Not Touch My Doughnuts,” she shares her experiences dealing with trust in a friendship. In the third story, “Big Brother (Sometimes),” Rebecca shares her love for her quasi-big brother, but also admits that she could never truly let go of any doubts surrounding their friendship. In the following story, “The Truth Does Set You Free,” Rebecca discusses her relationship with a guy she had a crush on for quite awhile until she finally gives their friendship an honest review. The next story, “A Necessary Goodbye,” discusses naturally letting a friendship go. That story is followed by “The Perfect Imperfect Person to Love,” where Rebecca shares her deep love and commitment to a friend she fell for and her struggle to let go. “The Best Player on the Team,” is a story about Rebecca’s friendship with one of the football players that she admired on and off the field. Next is the story, “Words Can Hurt,” which discusses the pain of being there for someone and then realizing he may never have appreciated her. And finally, “Good Guys Always Finish Last” is a story where Rebecca realizes that there are decent guys out there, and sometimes they get overlooked.
Title: Dancing Naked in Dixie
Author: Lauren Clark
Received: Via CLP Blog Tours
Synopsis: Travel writer Julia Sullivan lives life in fast-forward. She jet sets to Europe and the Caribbean with barely a moment to blink or sleep. But too many mishaps and missed deadlines have Julia on the verge of being fired.
With a stern warning, and unemployment looming, she’s offered one last chance to rescue her career. Julia embarks on an unlikely journey to the ‘Heart of Dixie’—Eufaula, Alabama—home to magnificent mansions, sweet tea, and the annual Pilgrimage.
Julia arrives, soon charmed by the lovely city and her handsome host, but her stay is marred by a shocking discovery. Can Julia’s story save her career, Eufaula, and the annual Pilgrimage?
Title: The Ghost of Lily Painter
Author: Caitlin Davies
Received: Unsolicited, Random House UK
Synopsis: The first time Annie Sweet sees 43 Stanley Road, the Victorian house is so perfect she almost feels as though it has chosen her. She longs to move in, but with her husband increasingly distant, and her daughter wrapped up in her friends, Annie is left alone to mull over the past. Soon she becomes consumed by the house and everyone who has lived there before her, especially a young chorus girl called Lily Painter. As Annie delves further into Lily’s past she discovers a dark episode of two notorious baby farmers. Until Annie solves the mystery at the heart of the scandal, the ghost of Lily Painter will never be able to rest.
Title: I Couldn’t Love You More
Author: Jillian Medoff
Received: Amy @KMSPR
Synopsis: Which child would you save? A decision no parent can even fathom.
Eliot Gordon would do anything for her family. A 38-year-old working mother, she lives an ordinary but fulfilling life in suburban Atlanta with her partner, Grant Delaney, and their three daughters. The two older girls are actually Eliot’s stepdaughters, a distinction she is reluctant to make as she valiantly attempts to maintain a safe, happy household . . .
Then Finn Montgomery, Eliot’s long-lost first love, appears, triggering a shocking chain of events that culminates in a split-second decision that will haunt her beloved family forever. How Eliot survives-and what she loses in the process-is a story that will resonate with anyone who has ever loved a child. With hilarious honesty, wrenching depth, and a knockout twist, I COULDN’T LOVE YOU MORE illuminates the unbreakable bonds of family and reveals the lengths we’ll go to save each other, even as we can’t save ourselves.
On Tour: In Leah’s Wake by Terri Giuliano Long
Terri will be on tour April 23- May 7 with her novel In Leah’s Wake ***Newly edited Book Club Edition (2012)*** A Story of Love,…
Author Profile: Meg Mitchell Moore
Author Name: Meg Mitchell Moore
Website: Meg Mitchell Moore worked for several years as a journalist. Her work has been published in Yankee, Continental, Women’s Health, Advertising Age and many other business and consumer magazines. She received a B.A. from Providence College and a master’s degree in English Literature from New York University. The Arrivals is her first novel. Her second novel will be published by Reagan Arthur Books in 2012. Meg lives in Newburyport, Massachusetts, with her husband, their three children and a beloved border collie.
Titles: The Arrivals, So Far Away
See my review for The Arrivals!
Follow her on Twitter
Become a fan on Facebook
