Future Tour: Chosen by Chandra Hoffman
Chandra will be on tour November 28-December 19 with her novel Chosen. In the spirit of Jodi Picoult and Anna Quindlen, CHOSENfeatures a young caseworker…
The First Day of the Rest of My Life by …
Madeline O’Shea, a highly successful life coach, is a hypocrite. She tells people what to do with their lives, but doesn’t follow any of the advice she doles out. Madeline is hiding a secret- a horrible, wretched past filled with twisted abuse and heartbreak. Madeline, along with her sister and best friend, Annie, have worked hard to keep their childhood away from the public. But when a reporter starts getting too close for comfort, Madeline and Annie’s past may be revealed.
The First Day of the Rest of My Life by Cathy Lamb is not a story for the faint of heart. While I pride myself on being able to handle difficult scenes (and even write many of my own), I struggled through this book. The abuse that Madeline and Annie endure as girls is horrific and heart-breaking and evil. There were parts of this story that I couldn’t even say aloud after I was finished reading. That being said, if you can’t handle topics such as sexual abuse, please don’t try to read this book. It will tear you apart.
Besides from that, I understand the point and lesson Lamb wants readers to take away from this book, because it is one that I touch in my debut novel as well. How to move on from difficult circumstances that were beyond your control, regaining your life when at times it doesn’t seem possible, and never losing faith in yourself. And that I can appreciate. Sometimes the writing veered off track for me, and I wasn’t quite sure some scenes that just seemed like fillers were included. The grandparents were a lovely addition to Madeline and Annie, and the back story that included the mother was quite touching, even humorous at times. But overall, this is a very sad and dark novel, filled with plot twists and characters that continually brought me down. The ending really helped solidify Madeline and Annie starting their new lives, ones where they were no longer consumed in guilt and haunted from their past, and I was glad for a happy ending there. While this book gave me a lot to talk and think about, I don’t think it’s for everyone.
[Rating: 3.5]
Meet Laura Pepper Wu and Ladies Who Critique
How does a writer join Ladies Who Critique?
Log onto LadiesWhoCritique.com and click on ‘Sign Up’. The sign up form will ask you some questions about your writing and critiquing experience in order to create your profile. It’s easy, free and shouldn’t take more than a couple of minutes. Then voila! You are part of the LWC family 😉
How does someone who wants to be a critique partner join?
The process is the same as above. You can choose to state whether you are “looking for a critique partner” or not and this will be displayed on your profile so that other writers know that it’s okay to contact you through our internal messaging system or not.
How was Ladies Who Created started?
Great question! It was born from my own struggle to find critique partners that “got” my genre (chick lit actually!). I attended a fantastic writers group for a year but I was about 20 years younger than everyone else there, and because the group was constantly growing in size we had to listen to 3 hours of reading for 20 minutes of feedback. As I started getting more serious about my writing I realized that I needed to step up the game a little!
You can read more about how the site fell into place here.
What are the benefits of joining Ladies Who Critique? What will writers get out of LWC that they couldn’t from just asking a friend?
Critiquing is certainly not for everyone and it does take guts to put your baby out there and receive good, honest feedback. A friend will most likely praise your work and give you some sugar which is great, and these so-called “beta readers” do serve a very important purpose of their own. But for the most part it is hard to hear honest feedback from friends and family. Plus they don’t often give it!
For writers who are serious about improving their style, seeking publication and to really “taking their writing to the next level” (the tagline for LWC atually!) a good critique partner will help you to see where you need to make improvements and also point out what you are doing right, objectively and without the emotional attachment. That stuff will do wonders for your writing!
What really goes into critiquing a novel?
There are a lot of different aspects; the bigger picture stuff and the smaller details. The bigger picture includes the consistency of the main character, the believability of the characters, pacing, description, setting, holes in the plot and so on. Smaller details include awkward phrases, repetitive use of words, unrealistic dialogue and so on. There’s a lot to consider! A good critique partner will help you work on this step by step, and many writers find that having several critique partners (all with different strengths) is the best way of polishing their novels.
Why is having a critique partner so valuable to a writer?
You can read the 11 top reasons why having a CP will rock your world here! In sum though, not only will they provide a fresh pair of eyes for your work (crucial when you have been so close to the writing for so long), they will also support you and raise your spirits when writing gets hard, share your successes when you get published, and also keep you on track with the editing process. Accountability is one of writers’ greatest motivations and a good critique partner can get your ass into gear with the process for sure!
Thanks for having me on Chick Lit Plus! I’d be delighted to see more chick lit writers at Ladies Who Critique. Join me over there or follow me on Twitter @LauraPepWu for more updates.
Blog Tour Sign Up: Unscripted by Natalie Aaron & Marla Schwartz
As a producer on a reality dating show, Abby Edwards knows that true love is a myth. Her career and her friends are all she needs. Right?
When her screenwriter ex makes a hit movie based on their relationship, Abby’s faults are projected on screens across the country. Suddenly the fact that her job depends on orchestrating hot tub hook-ups doesn’t seem so impressive.
Her friends rally to help. Zoë thinks she needs to meet a guy. Stephanie suggests an attitude adjustment. Nancy wants her to get in touch with her inner Goddess. Abby knows they mean well, but she prefers to focus on her work. Unfortunately, she’s already embarrassed herself in front of her new boss, Will Harper, who she would find totally crush-worthy if he weren’t so irritating.
Abby’s about to be reminded that life doesn’t follow a script—and good things happen when you least expect it…
Whispers From the Heart by Heather Hummel
Heather Hummel is on tour with CLP Blog Tours and Whispers From the Heart. I really enjoyed this book. It was fun, fast, and heart-warming. The main character is Madison Ragnar, a high school English teacher who is trying to forget her past. She left a bad boyfriend for a fresh start, but continually worries he is going to find her. When a man around town seems to be stalking her, her friends grow concerned. When he turns out to have a tie from Madison’s past, she doesn’t know how to react, or what to think of the twist of news he brings. Meanwhile, a tragic event rocks her high school class, and Madison tries her best to connect with her students while giving them an education. Along with best friend Olivia, Madison realizes the importance of living everyday to its fullest, and for letting fate works its magic.
Like I said, Whispers From the Heart is a shorter book, about 250 pages. Sometimes with shorter stories it can be easy to feel cheated out of character development or the plot, but I didn’t find this to be the case. I immediately bonded with Madison, and was pulled into her world. The plot twist shocked me- definitely not what I expected, and Hummel really knows how to keep readers on their toes. It was really touching to see how Madison connected with her students as well. Overall, a solid read that I have to recommend! I can’t wait for book number two from this author!
[Rating: 4.5]
In My Mailbox: Week of October 23
In My Mailbox: Week of October 23
Title: A Heart in Sun and Shadow
Author: Annie Bellet
Received: From Annie Bellet via CLP Blog Tours
Synopsis: In an ancient Wales that never was…
Twin brothers Emyr and Idrys are cursed to live as hounds; Emyr by night, and Idrys by day. The twins believe they will be trapped this way forever until they meet the fierce and curious Áine, a changeling woman born with Fey blood and gifts struggling to fit into a suspicious human world.
Áine unravels the fate of Emyr and his twin as all three of them fall in love. To free her lovers from the curse, she embarks on a journey to the realm of the fey where she confronts her own unique gifts and heritage. Ultimately, she must decide where her heart truly lies and what she’s willing to risk to get what she desires most.
Title: LA Commandments
Author: Gillian Duffy
Received: From Gillian Duffy
Synopsis: Joanne Kavanagh and best friend Suzie pack their bags and swap dreary, depressing Dublin for the cool Californian coast. Both are determined to start a new life in the land of opportunity, leaving behind the recession and their complicated families.
They make a pact at the airport to stick religiously to the ‘LA Commandments’, a list of ten ‘Thou Shalt Nots’ for their new life in LA, including ‘Thou Shall Not Fall in Love,’ but when Jo befriends sexy, shy musician Marc, and Suzie falls for womanizing bar-man Chris, not only are the commandments at risk of being broken, but also the girls’ hearts…
With all California has to offer —sunshine, shopping, killer nightlife, and drop-dead-gorgeous men, will the girls stay faithful to the LA Commandments?
Title: Chosen
Author: Chandra Hoffman
Received: From Chandra/Harper Collins via CLP Blog Tours
Synopsis: In the spirit of Jodi Picoult and Anna Quindlen, CHOSEN features a young caseworker increasingly entangled in the lives of the adoptive and birth parents she represents, and who faces life-altering choices when an extortion attempt goes horribly wrong.
It all begins with a fantasy: the caseworker in her “signing paperwork” charcoal suit, paired with beaming parents cradling their adopted newborn, against a fluorescent-lit delivery room backdrop. It’s this blissful picture that keeps Chloe Pinter, director of The Chosen Child’s domestic adoption program, happy juggling the high demands of her boss and the incessant needs of parents on both sides.
But the job that offers Chloe refuge from her turbulent personal life and Portland’s winter rains soon becomes a battleground itself involving three very different couples: the Novas, college sweethearts who suffered fertility problems but are now expecting their own baby; the McAdoos, a wealthy husband and desperate wife for whom adoption is a last chance; and Jason and Penny, an impoverished couple who have nothing-except the baby everyone wants. When a child goes missing, dreams dissolve into nightmares, and everyone is forced to examine what they really want and where it all went wrong.
One Bird’s Choice by Iain Reid
While I don’t usually read memoirs, One Bird’s Choice by Iain Reid was recommended to me from a friend, so I decided to give it a try. Iain describes himself as “an overeducated, underemployed twenty-something, living in the big city in a bug-filled basement apartment and struggling to make ends meet.” He finds part-time employment at a radio station near his parent’s home, and decides to bite the bullet and move in with them to help save money. While Iain was hoping for a temporary move, his stay ends up being a year long. As the year goes along, Iain settles a little too comfortably into his new lifestyle, which includes home cooked meals, farm chores, lots of beer drinking, and taking fashion advice from his parents.
I thought One Bird’s Choice was interesting and fun to read. Iain’s parents sound hilarious, and I laughed a lot at many of their scenes. When I started reading, I almost was wondering if Iain was just a lazy pile, and why he wasn’t trying harder to find a job and not have to live with his parents. But as I was getting his perspective on his life and his future, I realized that he simply was unsure what he wanted to be when he grew up. Sure, he had a few goals and interests, but he didn’t have a set career he was trying to achieve. I thought it would be difficult for me to relate to him, being the overly ambitious gal that I am, but through his comedic and truthful writing, I was able to develop a bond. Overall, I enjoyed this book and would recommend it.
[Rating: 4]
Blog Tour Sign Up: Stay Tuned by Lauren Clark
What happens when a #1 news team becomes the top story instead of reporting it?
For TV producer Melissa Moore, crisis management comes with the job. From employee meltdowns to her high-maintenance boss, there’s not much she hasn’t seen or can’t handle. But no one—including Melissa—expects a fistfight during the ten o’clock news. When sexy-but-crazy Alyssa Andrews lands a punch on her co-anchor’s face, Melissa jumps on set to help. She’s determined that WSGA’s reputation won’t be destroyed on her watch.
Both anchors are fired and Melissa agrees to fill in—but not before polishing her look from haircut to heels. While the new Melissa wows WSGA viewers, her personal life begins fraying at the edges. Melissa’s husband is away more than he’s home, leaving cryptic Post-it notes in his wake. Her mother’s antics spiral out of control at the nursing home and a stalker makes Melissa her next target.
What happens next? Stay Tuned…
Debut Author and Titles- November 2011
Debut Authors and Titles- November 2011
Title: One Little White Lie
Author: Pricilla Bleik
Synopsis: India Roman has always come second best. Growing up with a clinically depressed sister, overbearing mother and then settling for a controlling marriage to a much older man, India is used to accepting what little life throws at her. When her husband leaves her with two young children and a mortgage, on the same day her sister goes missing after successfully auditioning in the first round for the world’s premier talent show, India decides to take a chance on herself. Taking her sister’s place on the talent show, India lies about her age and pretends to be her sibling to make it through to the finals. But there is more than one dark secret in her past, and just when it seems that India might finally come first, a shocking revelation rears up to steal the limelight once more.
Available: ebook in November and paperback early 2012.
Title: The Bollywood Breakup Agency
Author: Naina Gupta
Synopsis: Twenty-six-year-old Neela Solanki’s family is fed up with her rude refusal to either work or marry any of the eminently suitable men put before her, so they cut her off without a penny. Unable to make her designer ends meet, Neela stumbles upon a unique business idea – a breakup agency that helps ‘de-arrange’ unsavoury Indian engagements. However, Neela’s brash attitude to her culture soon comes back to haunt her, when she finds love in the most unusual of places.”
Available: ebook in November and paperback early 2012.
Title: Destined To Fail
Author: Samantha March
Synopsis: ADD
Available: November 2011
Title: Unscripted
Authors: Natalie Aaron & Maria Schwartz
Synopsis: ADD
Available: November
