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Debut Authors and Titles- Summer 2011
Chick Lit Authors

Debut Authors and Titles- Summer 2011

Debut Authors & Titles- June & July 2011

Title: Pushover
Author: Laurel Mayer
Synopsis: Dani Wilder is a rising star on the Hollywood culinary scene, and she thinks she has finally found the perfect locale for the launch of her first restaurant. The prime spot sits on Sunset Boulevard, highlighted with rich wood beams, a vaulted ceiling, private booths and a stunning loft so high that the fall could kill someone. In fact, it did.
As this mild-mannered chef prepares to open L.A.’s “it” restaurant, she stumbles upon the sordid, dark secrets of her otherwise perfect boyfriend’s past. Impossibly handsome and pediatrician to celebrity kids, Jack has it all – including a former fiancée he never mentioned, or got over. Accused of pushing a woman to her death in the space on Sunset, Rebecca Sterling shares more than history with the restaurant, she was engaged to Jack and now she’s back in town.
Yes, Rebecca returns to do what she does best: spin a web of lies and get her way. And her deceptive methods work as usual with Jack. It’s certainly awkward for Dani, but is it dangerous? Dani suspects Rebecca got away with murder, lied to Jack, and is sabotaging the restaurant. Dani’s love, life, and livelihood are entangled in Rebecca’s scheme, and at what cost? After all, the only thing Rebecca loves more than making an entrance is making an exit.
Available: May 26

Title: Diary of a Mummy Misfit
Author: Amanda Egan
Synopsis: Ever felt like you don’t belong?

When Libby Marchant and husband Ned made the monumental decision to sacrifice luxuries and holidays to see their only son Max through private education, they hadn’t expected to meet so many unsavoury and dislikeable personalities along the way.

Happily, the cruel jibes of the pompous ‘Meemies’ are made more tolerable by the lasting and loyal friendship they strike up with the affluent Fenella & Josh.

Follow Libby’s journey as she discovers the chasm between the Haves and the Have-Nots in her mad new world of school committees, designer handbags, bitching and botox.

With Fenella by her side, Libby is able to maintain her sanity. But what happens when the credit crunch bites, you’re desperate for another baby and your Asian neighbour is trying to match-make you with her infatuated son?
Available: June 2011

Title: Take It Like a Mom
Author: Stephanie Stiles
Synopsis: One thing sets her apart from other modern-day superheroes: mom genes. Annie Fingardt Forster used to be a lawyer who wore dry-clean only and shaved both legs. But things have changed. Now a stay-at-home mom, she wears cargo pants and ponytails and harbours a nearly pathological hatred towards hipster parents. With a three-year-old and a baby on the way, Annie knows what to expect … at least, she thought she did. Faced with her husband’s job loss, pre-school politics, and a playground throwdown with her arch nemesis, Annie realises that even with her husband and friends by her side, what she really needs is to learn to suck it up – and take it like a mom.
Available: July 5, 2011

Title: Rock Star’s Girl
Author: Jennifer Farwell
Synopsis: Emily Watts just wants a weekend break from the workaholic hours she’s taken on to keep her business, a popular fashion-snark web site, up and running. What she gets is overnight celebrity and a career-killing media scandal.

While taking time out to attend a concert in support of friend Jesse Cinder, a struggling musician, Emily meets Cory Sampson, the lead singer of a chart-topping rock band. When she agrees to a date with Cory, making entertainment headlines is the last thing she expects. Even so, it’s a minor surprise by comparison to her discovery that in the music world, media notoriety trumps all. Tabloid allegations erupt when Cory and fame-hungry Jesse use Emily for personal gain, and her tarnished image results in steep revenue losses for her web site when its advertisers balk. Suddenly, even her backup income vanishes when editors at the publications she freelances for cut ties. To save the web site and writing career she’s made her life and dream, Emily must go from being a pawn in the Hollywood headline game, to becoming the media mastermind.

Available: July 2011

June 24, 2011
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On Tour: Starring in the Movie of My Life by Laurel Osterkamp
CLP Blog Tours

On Tour: Starring in the Movie of My Life by …

Laurel is on tour June 20-July 4 with her novel Starring in the Movie of My Life Thirty-five-year-old Samantha acts without thinking. Her heart is…

June 24, 2011
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Little Miss Teacher by Cassandra O’Sullivan Sachar
Chick Lit Review

Little Miss Teacher by Cassandra O’Sullivan Sachar

Cassandra O’Sullivan Sachar is on tour with CLP Blog Tours June 13-27 with her novel Little Miss Teacher. This story follows Candace Turner and her first year as an English teacher. Candace lands a high school teaching gig straight out of college, and struggles to deal with her career and life in the real real world. Her lesson plans don’t always go as smoothly as she hopes, both in the classroom and in her personal life. Some of her students are wild, her professional outfits are all wrong, she overdoses on NyQuil and passes out on the job, and a tragedy strikes her classroom. She also can’t get her crush to crush on her, her fling with another teacher turns out to be a disaster, and she can’t seem to fit in with the other instructors.
I found Little Miss Teacher to be humorous yet very real. Cassandra O’Sullivan Sachar is an English teacher herself, and it felt like I was almost reading through her diary. I had flashbacks of my high school days, and I remember when I had a first year teacher who sometimes looked like she just wanted to give up on us. I remember feeling sympathetic for her when she couldn’t tame us. A behind the scenes look on what a teacher really goes through during the first year was extremely interesting. There were funny parts, such as the NyQuil incident, but there were serious moments too that puts life into perspective, like the death of a student and a health scare with Candace’s best friend and roommate. I would have liked to see a little more on Candace’s friend or crush or family member, something to give the story a little oomph. About halfway through, I started to wonder what exactly the point of the story was, and thought maybe a little more drama would have helped speed it along and capture my attention. But once I finished and looked back on the whole story, I enjoyed learning something new about a profession and the struggles and embarrassing moment’s teachers have. I liked how the lessons plans for the classroom could be related to the lesson plans in life, and I would recommend this book. Thank you to Cassandra and the other great bloggers who participated in this tour!
[Rating: 3.5]

June 23, 2011
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GIVEAWAY: Confessions of a Call Center Gal by Lisa Lim
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GIVEAWAY: Confessions of a Call Center Gal by Lisa Lim

Madison Lee is a fresh college grad, ready to take on the world of print media. But she has zero luck landing a job. Unemployment is at ten percent and on the rise. Desperate and left with no other options, she accepts a position as a service rep at a call center in Pocatello, Idaho. At the Lightning Speed call center in Spudsville, Maddy plunges into the wild and dysfunctional world of customer service where Sales is prided over Service and an eight hour shift is equivalent to eight hours of callers bashing her over the phone. Oh sure, the calls are bad. But Maddy manages to find humor on the phone and off the phone. And with all the salacious drama behind the calls, there is never a dull moment at the Lightning Speed call center.
Lately . . . Maddy has been pining for her smolderingly gorgeous co-worker Mika Harket. Now things are heating up on the phone–and elsewhere. Don’t hang up on this novel. Working at a call center has never been this garish . . . or this delightful.
I have two copies of Confessions of a Call Center Gal by Lisa Lim for giveaway- one paperback and one eCopy. To enter, please leave a comment below letting me know why you want to win, and please include if you would prefer paperback or eBook. Winners will be chosen Thursday, July 7. Thank you to Lisa Lim for sponsoring this giveaway!

June 22, 2011
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The D Word by Liz Fenton and Lisa Steinke
Chick Lit Review

The D Word by Liz Fenton and Lisa Steinke

Jordan Daniels knows her marriage to Kevin is over. Even though they have a young son together, Jordan hasn’t been happy, and knows she wants more. But a year after she files for divorce, Jordan isn’t so sure she made the right choice. Even more frustrating- her career. Jordan makes a living as a spiritual counselor, and relies on her feelings and dreams to help others see their future. But she can’t see hers, and wonders if it’s too late to get Kevin back. Kevin seems to have moved on easily from the divorce, while Jordan can’t put clothes on his side of the closet yet. Can she win him back?
Elle Ryan knew something felt off when she agreed to marry Chase. But it took just weeks before the wedding before Elle got the strength to call it off- hurting her boyfriend and his sister, who happens to be her best friend. Elle never thought she could meet a great guy at the dog park, but when she runs into Kevin Daniels and his dog Georgie, the sparks fly immediately. Though Elle comes with her own baggage, so does Kevin- his ex-wife Jordan and five year old son Max. Elle can clearly see Jordan wants Kevin back, and will try to do anything to get Elle out of his life. Can Elle win the battle?
The D Word, co-authored by Liz Fenton and Lisa Steinke (the ladies behind the fabulous blog chicklitisnotdead.com) bring chick lit readers a story full of love and heartache, with twists in the story and enough light-hearted situations to make you smile even when you are reading about a not so happy topic. The story is told from both Jordan and Elle’s point of view, and it’s always interesting to get inside two character’s minds and see how they think- and what they think of each other. I loved that Jordan was jealous of Elle for her red hair and fresh face, and Elle was jealous of Jordan for being blonde and sophisticated. Spot-on for how woman usually think! I was curious throughout the way about how all the characters would end up, because there was no clear path. And I could easily side with both Jordan and Elle, so that made me invested in both characters. The only think I didn’t like was all the flashbacks. Those would yank me out of the story, and some I thought were really unnecessary. But other than that, a lot of fun to read and I think chick lit fans should put this on their to-read list!
[Rating: 4]

June 22, 2011
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Future Tour: Blow Me by Lennie Ross
CLP Blog Tours

Future Tour: Blow Me by Lennie Ross

Lennie Ross is on tour August 1-15 with her novel Blow Me Blow Me is the story of three single women—Skylar, Dawn, and Chloe—all hovering…

June 22, 2011
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Trace of Fever by Lori Foster
Chick Lit Review

Trace of Fever by Lori Foster

Lori Foster is keeping hearts racing and palms sweaty with her latest novel Trace of Fever. This book picks up after When You Dare, and follows Dare’s friend and partner Trace Rivers as he works undercover as a bodyguard for Murray Coburn. Murray runs a human trafficking business, and Trace has a personal interest after the kidnapping of his sister Alani. Just when Trace thinks he has gotten enough information and amo to take down Coburn and his business, Priscilla “Priss” Patterson shows up at the offices claiming to be Coburn’s daughter. Priss is set for revenge against Coburn, who used and abused her mother and eventually led to a terrible and fearful childhood for Priss while her mother had to cope with her nightmares. Now Trace’s plans are foiled while he tries to protect Priss, all without blowing his cover and exposing the real him to Coburn and his associates.
I was really excited to pick up Trace of Fever after I gave When You Dare a five star review, but the book fell a bit flat for me. There is so much odd sexual tension and innuendos between Trace and Priss during the beginning chapters that I started to feel a bit lost. I felt that Dare had a lot more action and kept the story moving with a seat of your pants feel to it, while Trace focused more on the sex. Every character seemed only to care about sex, and it started to get stale for me after so many chapters. Once the end started approaching and I didn’t know if Trace of Priss would get out alive after confronting Coburn, the story started to pick up for me and I became engrossed in the last few chapters. If you are a big romance fan, I would definitely recommend checking out the book, but if you like the action more, you might become a bit bored with the beginning. It was fun to catch up with Dare and Molly and even Chris from the first book, and see how their lives have progressed. There is a third book coming out, Savor the Danger, that follows Jackson and Trace’s sister Alani, and I will be interested in reading that one as well. That will be available June 28th.
[Rating: 3.5]

June 21, 2011
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In My Mailbox: Week of June 19
Updates

In My Mailbox: Week of June 19

In My Mailbox: Week of June 19, 2011

Title: The Dumpster
Author: Becky Due
Received: From Becky Due
Synopsis: Nicole, a cute, chubby, twenty-something woman, is looking for love in all the wrong places. Who would have guessed that a dumpster in the back alley below her bedroom window would hold the key to finding love?

Title: Hotel No Tell
Author: Daphne Uviller
Received: From Crystal @ Book Sparks PR
Synopsis: Now working as a junior detective with the New York City Special Investigations Commission, Zephyr’s gone incognito as a concierge to find out who laundered a hundred grand off the hotel books—and why. But the discovery of a prone, flush-faced guest gasping for air in room 502 only hints at the sinister goings-on inside this funky establishment. While the rapid response of the fire department leads to a sweaty date with a smooth-talking, rock-climbing rescue worker, Zephyr finds herself even more hot and bothered by an attempted murder on her watch. Could the smart-mouthed Japanese yenta across the hall know more than she’s telling? How are cryptic phone calls from a mysterious corporation linked to the victim in 502?

Under pressure and overwhelmed, Zephyr soon finds that a concierge cover is no protection in a place where crime, like the city itself, never sleeps.

Title: Stay
Author: Allie Larkin
Received: From Crystal @ Book Sparks PR
Synopsis: Savannah “Van” Leone has loved Peter since the day they met. The problem is, Peter has loved Van’s best friend, Janie, since the moment they met. And now they’re walking down the aisle, with Van standing nearby in a Halloween orange bridesmaid dress, her smile as hollow as a jack-o-lantern. After the wedding, Van drowns her sorrows in Kool Aid-vodka cocktails and reruns of Rin-Tin-Tin, and does what any woman in her situation would do: She buys a German Shepherd over the internet.
The pocket-sized puppy Van is expecting turns out to be a clumsy, hundred-pound beast that only responds to Slovakian. Van is at the end of her rope—until she realizes that this quirky giant may be the only living being who will always be loyal to her, no matter what. And thus begins a friendship that will alter Van’s life in ways she never imagined.
Joe leads Van to Dr. Alex Brandt, a rugged vet with floppy blond hair and winning smile. But just as things are starting to heat up, the newlyweds return from their honeymoon, forcing Van to decide just how much she’s willing to sacrifice in order to have everything she ever wanted. Warm and witty, poignant and funny, Stay marks the arrival of an irresistible new voice.

Title: Faking It
Author: Elisa Lorello
Received: From a friend
Synopsis: Thirty-four-year old professor Andi Cutrone has broken up with her fiancé in Massachusetts , moved back to her native New York, and wants to be a better lover. So after meeting Devin, a handsome, charming escort, she proposes an unusual arrangement: lessons about writing in exchange for lessons about sex. When Devin accepts Andi’s proposal, he draws up a contract in which the two are forbidden to see each other socially. There’s just one problem: Andi also wants Devin.
Halfway into their arrangement, Devin and Andi break the rules of their contract and begin spending time together outside their weekly tutorials of drafting essays and dancing while stripped down. As they grow closer, Andi struggles to hide her feelings from Devin and accept herself as just another client while Devin attempts to maintain a “business as usual” attitude. Enter Sam, a New England professor with whom Andi begins a long distance relationship.
As their protective layers peel away, Andi and Devin discover each other ‘faking it’ and hiding their true selves from the world. However, once fully uncovered, both must decide how (and with whom) they will honor these truths. Will she give up her New York life for Sam? Will she hold out for Devin? Is it even possible to be in love with two men?
Faking It is a witty, sometimes hilarious, sometimes heart-wrenching story about relationships, writing, and getting real.

June 20, 2011
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Breaking Even by Kathleen Kole
Chick Lit Review

Breaking Even by Kathleen Kole

Penelope Whittaker is as sensible as they come. Working as an accountant, soon to be married to another accountant, the loving Ben Miller who she has dated for years. Everything in Penelope’s life is stable and consistent. Until she meets Scott Harrison. After a chance encounter (and locking her keys in her car) Scott comes to Penelope’s rescue. And from there, her predictable life starts to spin out of control. Penelope is taken by Scott’s good looks, his devotion to his son, and his ease when chatting with her. Penelope keeps finding reasons to take her soon to be sister-in-law’s children to school, just to run into Scott. Those meetings turn into a coffee date, then lunch, then dinner. Before she realizes what is happening, Penelope is spending more time thinking about Scott than her fiancé, and fighting with Ben almost every chance she gets. Is Ben really the one for her? Or is life about to give Penelope a chance to break away from her good girl image?
Kathleen Kole is on tour with CLP Blog Tours and her latest novel Breaking Even. I was really intrigued by the story. Penelope’s character is very likeable, even though she is doing something extremely un-likeable- possibly embarking on an affair. But this is life, and that does happen. It was refreshing not to read another story about how horrible the man is and how he cheats, etc, etc. Kole really dives in her heroine’s story and why she feels the pull of another man, with a perfectly respectable fiancé waiting at home for her. I was never quite sure how the story was going to end, or which road Penelope would choose, which kept me invested throughout. And I thought there were some good smaller plot points with Ben’s brothers and their wives and how they deal with their marriages that was interesting to read about. There were times where the writing felt just a bit stiff, but overall I really enjoyed the book and thought it was a quick and interesting read. I will definitely be looking for more from Kathleen Kole.
[Rating: 4]

June 17, 2011
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