Future Tour: A Year to Remember by Shelly Bell
Shelly will be on tour July 23- August 13 with her novel A Year to Remember When her younger brother marries on her twenty-ninth birthday,…
Guest Post by Rainbow Rowell
As I was working on my first novel, Attachments, I remember reading author blogs and listening to authors talk and always hoping they would reveal some secret that would make all the difference. Some sort of publishing shortcut or insider information or unbeatable writing tip…I don’t think these exist.
Everyone pretty much says the same thing — READ. WRITE. FINISH. (That third one is crucial)
But one piece of advice, which really didn’t have anything to do with writing, really did end up making all the difference personally. I read an interview with Diana Gabaldon, who writes the excellent Outlander series, and she was talking about how she managed to write and work and be a mom. And she said (paraphrasing here) that she stopped caring about cleaning. She forgave herself for not being a great housekeeper.
This idea hit me like three and a half tons of bricks. It seemed so wise — and so freeing!
It’s too much to work full-time and have small kids and write novels. That right there is already too much. Trying to keep up with laundry, too? MADNESS.
I asked myself what my real priorities were. Being a good mom and a good newspaper columnist were important to me. Giving myself a real shot as a novelist was important for me. Making sure that my house was always ready for company…was not.
So I gave myself permission not to clean. (Does that sound radical? It felt radical.)
My husband pinched in a lot. Between the two of us, we kept the house from smelling or changing colors. But we didn’t try to beat back the clutter. We still don’t.
There are almost always dishes in our sink — we pat ourselves on the back for getting them that far. And I sort my personal laundry on a quarterly basis. (You probably think I’m kidding. I’m not kidding. I have a hundred pairs of socks. I dig out the high-priority stuff, jeans and my favorite nerdy T-shirts, as necessary.)
I’m not exactly proud of our messy house. And it does bother me sometimes … the stacks of shoes by the door, the piles of homework and mail, the dust. But I try to think of everything I’m accomplishing instead.
My first novel is published — it’s real, I can touch it. My second comes out next year and I just finished my first draft of the third. I could never have written these books and stay on top of everything else.
I have plenty of dirty laundry, yes — but no regrets.
The Cinderella Blues by Obren Bokich
The Cinderella Blues by Obren Bokich tells the story of Kat, a charming yet hopeless romantic, who is imaginative in a very endearing way. The story follows her as she juggles both her miserable job and the search for her true “Prince Charming”. She ventures through the dating scene with optimism and stumbles a few times, but ultimately learns to trust herself and her heart and in doing so, she realizes that she may end up with her happy ending (in more ways than one) after all.
I thoroughly enjoyed The Cinderella Blues and found it delightfully heartfelt and witty. I think Bokich did a wonderful job at creating a character that most women can identify with, as well as life situations that many of us experience ourselves. Being single in a city like LA is a task in itself, and I think Kat does so in a very realistic and charming way. I absolutely adored the relationships that Kat has throughout the book, especially the one with Cooper- whom I think is a heart throb in his own right! Overall, this book was a joy to read and I found myself laughing out loud at several parts. A great book to share with your girlfriends!
Future 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 The Tyler family had the perfect life – until sixteen-year-old Leah…
March Birchbox Review
Once again I’m behind on getting my Birchbox review up. This review is for my March box, which is one of my favorites yet! Some of my must-have beauty products were in here, and I felt like this was my most personalized Birchbox to date. Sign up to receive your own box and read below for my reviews!
“Birchbox delivers the best products and the best insider secrets, without any fuss. Every month Birchbox members will receive a curated box of luxe beauty samples. Each box will span beauty categories and deliver exciting products that fit into both your day-to-day routine, and into those days when you want to turn up the drama a notch.”
1. Color Club Neon Nail Polish – Neon is all the rage in fashion right now. From clothing, shoes, and yes – nail polish – this is the trend to get on board with. The color I got is a greenish turquoise, and I tried this on my toenails first and loved it! The colors in this family also include bubblegum pink, fluorescent orange, purple, electric blue, yellow, and magenta. I would buy more of these!
2. Harvey Prince Yogini – The scent is designed to help keep us calm and the stress at bay – like being in a yoga class. I must say, each fragrance I have received from Birchbox is spot on in the description. My first whiff literally made me feel like I was sitting on my yoga mat. It’s hard to describe it, but it truly does smell…calming. I love this product!
3. Juice Beauty Blemish Clearing Cleanser- I love trying out new cleansers, and this one definitely hit the spot! The scent is just what the name says – juicy – and I could feel it working on my skin. I used it twice a day for four days in a row, and could see an improvement. I would buy this full-sized product.
4. Lulu Organics Lavender + Clary Sage Hair Powder- I have been using dry shampoos for the past few months, but haven’t found one that I was a big fan of. Usually they leave my hair feeling gross to the touch and weighing everything down. This powder is a lot lighter, and smells nice in my hair. I would recommend others to give this one a try.
5. stila Smoky Eye Shadow – I was introduced to stila products through Birchbox, and they have become one of my favorite brands. I just recently purchased their tinted moisturizer at Ulta, and am loving it. The three pack I received is for the classic smoky eye. It shows clearly what is the base, the lid and the liner, and gives the instructions on how to achieve the smoky eye on your own. Love it!
6. Tea Forte skin-smart Teas – I won’t lie – I haven’t tried this yet. I am not a fan of tea, and though I set this on my countertop to make sometime, I just haven’t been able to try it yet. Though the descriptions make them sound pretty awesome – containing “mega-high levels of antioxidants to repair your skin from the inside out,” I just haven’t got around to try them out yet. But I will! Who knows? Maybe this will be the product to change my mind about tea.
Skin Rules by Debra Jaliman, M.D.
I am all about caring for my skin. I stopped going to tan beds in college, I read product reviews, I slather on sunscreen everyday – summer or winter. So I was thrilled to read Skin Rules by Debra Jaliman, M.D. and one of the top New York dermatologists. With 77 tips filling the pages, I quickly soaked in all the advice she had to offer, and have to say I am super impressed with this book! I know it will not be leaving my bookshelf, because I’ve already gone back three times to look up a product or recommendation. I have changed the way I wash my face – from once at night to both morning and night. It might seem pretty obvious, but I never thought of all the germs that make it on to my pillowcase at night. There are so many great product recommendations – from over the counter cleansers, prescriptions for eyelash lengtheners, to laser procedures to help sculpt a body. I definitely recommend you give this book a read!
[Rating: 5]
Blog Tour Sign Up: Pickin’ Tomatoes by JW Bull
What would you do to reinvent yourself? To what extremes would you resort?
Maggie Malone wants a new life. Who aspires to be a single, forty-year-old, jobless new mother? Driven by the need for an income, Maggie decides to enter a writing contest. Cooking and Women Magazine is seeking a columnist who can compare finding “Mister Right” to cooking. To qualify, an entrant must be single and an experienced chef. Maggie is neither – she can’t even cook. But desperation turns white lies into tasty morsels that whet her creative appetite and she whips up an article comparing finding “Mister Right” to picking the right tomato for her homemade salsa. She wins the contest, is dubbed The Chef of Hearts, and her new life, although a bit shaky, is launched.
Women across America write to her about loneliness, infidelity, insomnia – even to complain about a boyfriend’s snoring. Maggie dissects their problems with a single stroke of her pen, all the while struggling with her own issues. She dishes out therapy in recipes and funny stories and becomes an instant celebrity. As she balances learning how to cook, being a mother and writing a column, her dual lives begin to spin out of control. On the back burner, subterfuge sizzles in the skillet, threatening Maggie’s new recipe for success and she finds herself in the same stew as many of her readers – lost and alone. It’s only when Maggie comes clean with all her lies that she realizes pickin’ the right tomato might not be simply about finding “Mister Right” – sometimes it’s about making the right choices.
Pickin Tomatoes serves up a three-course meal of mayhem, motherhood and middle age flavored with dashes of irony, wit, and wisdom. Throw in a liberal sprinkling of recipes geared towards those who don’t cook, and Pickin’ Tomatoes becomes a must read for anyone who has searched for “Mister Right” but, most of all, wants to find herself.
J. W. Bull lives in Atlanta, Georgia with her husband and two sons. Although she has worked as a sous chef for Lavande Restaurant, she currently is a private violin teacher and a member of The Georgia Symphony. She is also finishing another novel, Musical Chairs, a mystery involving Maggie’s cousin—Molly Malone, plucky part-time symphony player and fulltime Irish fiddler. It’s a hilarious spoof on symphonies, Irish fiddling, and mysteries that continues the Malone saga.
On Tour: All the Difference by Kaira Rouda
Kaira will be on tour April 9-23 with her novel All the Difference From the bestselling author of HERE, HOME, HOPE, comes a novel of…
Charming Tuesday: A Beauty Favorite & Giveaway
I started using Maybelline mascara when I first started college. It’s been my go-to mascara since. I love to try out other products, always searching for that gem, but a particular Maybelline mascara will always be in my bag. I love the ones that feature a double brush, one side being the microfiber base coat, and the other side the mascara. The one that I am currently addicted to is the Maybelline XXL Curlpower. It makes my lashes longer and really lasts throughout the night, coming off only once I use my makeup remover. I haven’t found a mascara yet to top this one!
A good runner up that I’ve found is from Too Faced. I’m a big fan of the Too Faced brand, and own many of their products. The mascara that I really love is the Too Faced Lash Injection. It has a 3-D formula that builds tubes around the lashes, making them look longer and fuller. And it’s the truth! When I take off this mascara at night, the little tubes come off. It’s pretty neat to see something really working. I also always have this mascara in my makeup bag!
Sara’s Must-Have:
I am without-a-doubt a beauty product connoisseur; I read reviews online, engulf myself in “the best-of-the-best” lists in magazines, and spend too much time browsing the beauty aisles when I am out and about. The reason why is because I am always searching … searching for the next “must-have” in my beauty arsenal. I have found a few new additions over the years, but none of them have ever been Mascara. I have used Maybelline Great Lash in Blackest Black since I started really wearing makeup when I was fourteen. I have deviated some here and there, lured by advertising for a new product that promises a “thicker, fuller lash”, but nothing has ever come close. By far, Maybelline Great Lash is hands down my absolute favorite and an absolute beauty must-have of mine.
