Chick Lit Plus by Samantha March

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My Reward for Working Out
Chick Lit Plus

My Reward for Working Out

I love checklists. From grocery lists, shopping lists, daily to-do lists, I make them all. I love checking items off my list so much, that sometimes I add an item that I’ve already completed to a list, just so I can have the satisfaction of checking it off. A little overboard, perhaps, but my checklists help me accomplish my goals.
One list in particular has been on my mind lately, and this is my workout list. Each month I make my new workout list, dividing the month into four weeks. Week One is my warm-up week, the week with the least amount of activities. Weeks Two and Three are the hard weeks, the ones where I really have to push myself to get each workout complete. And the Fourth week is my cool-down week, not quite as simple as Week One, but definitely easier than weeks Two and Three. I alternate between going to the gym, completing workout videos at home, and doing my trusty workouts I tear out of magazines such as SHAPE or WOMENS HEALTH.
I have been doing this workout list for about a year now, and I love it. My neurosis for checklists comes in handy here, because I want to be able to check those workouts off. If I instead had no list and just told myself I’ll work out when I can, I know I wouldn’t be as motivated to get myself to the gym. But lately, I’ve noticed myself slacking off. I make excuses: the cold weather, boyfriend is hogging the TV playing Xbox, Dancing With the Stars is on…whatever it may be. I wasn’t completing my weeks in time, therefore I wasn’t able to check off those workouts. I needed a new plan, a way to motivate myself even further to always have time for my workout routines.
I’ve read in a million different places that rewarding yourself is a great way to keep up with a diet or workout plan. Don’t drink a soda all week- get that hot fudge sundae you’ve been craving. Complete all your workouts on time- get that hot fudge sundae you’ve been craving. My problem with this solution- if I want a hot fudge sundae, I will go out and buy myself one. I’ve never been good at limiting what I eat, especially if it involves ice cream. Or chips. Or candy. Anyways, you get my point. So what would motivate me?
Money! Everyone loves money. This is my new plan: Take $20 out of my checking account at the start of each month. Five dollars represents each week. If I complete a week on time, that five dollars can go back in my wallet. If I fail to complete my week on time, that five dollars will go into my darling pink piggy bank with all my loose change, not to be seen again until the bank is full and I go cash in (usually take around 9-12 months to fill). Now technically, this is a win/win for me. I win, I get my money back. I lose, I put my money into savings, which is a good thing. But I have a difficult time putting my hard earned dough into a savings account, I want to keep it in my greedy wallet. So in order for me not to lose five dollars a week or twenty dollars a month to Miss Pink Piggy, I will have to keep up on my workouts, and keep crossing them off my list. I just started this new plan last week, and I’m happy to say I finished in time and the five bucks went back in my wallet 
Does anyone else have a workout plan? How do you keep yourself motivated to get your sweat on? I would love to hear anyone’s suggestions!

December 2, 2010
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Well Read and Dead by Catherine O’Connell
Chick Lit Review

Well Read and Dead by Catherine O’Connell

One of my favorite heroines Pauline Cook is back and better than ever in Well Read and Dead, the second novel in the high society mysteries by Catherine O’Connell. This time, Pauline returns to America after an extended European vacation, only to come back after the terrorist attacks of 9/11. Her once exceptional stock portfolio has now crumbled, leaving her without much money to go of off- again. To make it worse, her beautiful Chicago penthouse that was highly damaged in a fire still isn’t in a livable condition yet, one of her closest friends Whitney has gone missing, and Whitney took Pauline’s precious cat, Fleur, with her! Pauline becomes determined to find Whitney, so she can get her cat back and score a cool multimillion dollar reward promised to her by Whitney’s husband if Pauline can find her. What Pauline doesn’t know is that Whitney has stumbled upon a very disturbing secret regarding her husband’s lingerie business, and Pauline finding Whitney and discovering the truth could cost the woman both their lives.
Again, I was highly entertained by the antics of Pauline. Losing 20 million dollars when her Enron stock collapsed? A missing best friend and no place to live? Pauline doesn’t let these obstacles bring her down, she continues her shopping, luncheons, and staying in the best room at one of Chicago’s finest hotels. There was something different about Pauline in this novel compared to the first, Well Bred and Dead, and those occurrences happen when two very devastating occurrences happen. I won’t say what they are because I don’t want to ruin it for anyone, but I was shocked more than once in this book. I thought O’Connell’s writing was once again exceptional for the character and her story, and I highly look forward to the third novel, Well Wed and Dead.
Rating: 5/5

December 1, 2010
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A Chesapeake Shores Christmas by Sherryl Woods
Chick Lit Review

A Chesapeake Shores Christmas by Sherryl Woods

Mick and Megan O’Brien divorced twelve years ago and had five children together. After twelve years of trying to go their separate ways, Mick and Megan are back together, slowly working towards reconciliation and getting remarried. Megan still can’t seem to let go that Mick is stubborn in his ways, and that he continually put his work before her while they were married- and fears he will do the same the second time around. Some of the children (now grown adults) aren’t quite on board with their parents impending nuptials, especially divorce attorney Connor, who seems determined to ruin the wedding. Will the family be able to come together for the holidays, or will too many unseen obstacles keep getting in the way?
A Chesapeake Shores Christmas by Sherryl Woods is from a series, but don’t be worried if you haven’t read the previous books. You will feel right at home with the O’Brien family. The story is sweet, a couple coming together after years apart, finding their way again after so many hurdles. I read that many people didn’t like Megan’s character, because she left the family after her and Mick divorced, but I related with her. As the story goes on, she becomes a very likeable heroine: strong, determined, and trying to be independent. It is clear that she loves all her children deeply, even Connor who keeps trying to shut her out. I think my only problem with this story is that it was just too nice and sweet. Sure, Connor plays a villain and has his own challenge present itself, but that wasn’t enough conflict to really make me feel for the character’s stories. If you are looking for a light read that will make you saw “aww” and feel warm and cuddly inside, A Chesapeake Shores Christmas would be right for you.
Rating:3.5/5

November 24, 2010
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In My Mailbox: Week of November 21
Updates

In My Mailbox: Week of November 21

In My Mailbox: Week of November 21st

Title: Goodnight Tweetheart
Author: Teresa Medeiros
Received: From Ayelet Gruenspecht/Gallery Books
Synopsis: Abigail Donovan has a lot of stuff she should be doing. Namely writing her next novel. A bestselling author who is still recovering from a near Pulitzer Prize win and the heady success that follows Oprah’s stamp of approval, she is stuck at Chapter Five and losing confidence daily. But when her publicist signs her up for a Twitter account, she’s intrigued. What’s all the fuss? Taken under the wing of one of her Twitter followers, “MarkBaynard”—a quick witted, quick-typing professor on sabbatical—Abby finds it easy to put words out into the world 140 characters at a time. And once she gets a handle on tweets, retweets, direct messages, hashtags, and trends, she starts to feel unblocked in writing and in life. After all, why should she be spending hours in her apartment staring at her TweetDeck and fretting about her stalled career when Mark is out there traveling the world and living? Or is he? Told almost entirely in tweets and DMs, Goodnight Tweetheart is a truly modern take on a classic tale of love and loss—a Griffin and Sabine for the Twitter generation.

Title: The Hating Game
Author: Talli Roland
Received: From Talli Roland
Synopsis: When man-eater Mattie Johns agrees to star on a dating game show to save her ailing recruitment business, she’s confident she’ll sail through to the end without letting down the perma-guard she’s perfected from years of her love ’em and leave ’em dating strategy. After all, what can go wrong with dating a few losers and hanging out long enough to pick up a juicy £200,000 prize? Plenty, Mattie discovers, when it’s revealed that the contestants are four of her very unhappy exes. Can Mattie confront her past to get the prize money she so desperately needs, or will her exes finally wreak their long-awaited revenge? And what about the ambitious TV producer whose career depends on stopping her from making it to the end?

Title: How I Learned to Love the Walrus
Author: Beth Orsoff
Received: From Beth Orsoff
Synopsis: When Los Angeles publicist Sydney Green convinces her boss to let her produce a documentary for the Save the Walrus Foundation, the only one Sydney Green is interested in saving is herself. The walruses are merely a means to improving her career and her love life, and not necessarily in that order. Sydney would’ve killed the project the second she learned she’d be the one having to spend a month in rural Alaska if it had been for any other client. But for rising star and sometimes boyfriend Blake McKinley, no sacrifice is ever too great. Yet a funny thing happens on the way to the Arctic. A gregarious walrus pup, a cantankerous scientist, an Australian sex goddess, a Star Wars obsessed six-year-old, and friends and nemeses both past and present rock Sydney Green’s well-ordered world. Soon Sydney must choose between doing what’s easy and doing what’s right.

November 22, 2010
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Why Should You Hire An Editor?
For Writers

Why Should You Hire An Editor?

When I first started taking my writing seriously, I pounded out a rough draft in a few short months. I read it over, made a few changes, and thought it was perfect. Time to start agent querying, right? So wrong. I read on a few different blogs that you should always have someone else read through your work before you start the query process, so I found a writing contest, entered, and paid $40 to have an editor give me a critique on my first chapter and synopsis. The response came back positive; I was told I was a good writer with a definite story-telling ability, but that my characters needed some tweaking and possibly my plot a new direction.
I was so confused! I thought my manuscript was perfect and I would have agents lining up to represent me. I asked a few Twitter friends to critique my first chapter for me, and their comments came back similar to what the editor had said. Before I began writing, I didn’t have any professional training in the world of fiction. I focused, signed up for workshops and seminars, bought books on writing and editing, and began the process of learning how to be a great writer. Now, I am hard at work on my fourth rewrite of my manuscript, and finally can really grasp character development, the mechanics of dialogue, syntax, proportion, and so much more!
So why should you hire an editor? Perhaps you are like me last year, new to all things writing and publishing, and need some guidance along the way. Without having this editor and my virtual friends look over my chapters for me, I would have started querying agents who probably would have laughed at my work! Another great reason for hiring an editor is simply to have a fresh set of eyes looking at your writing. Writers become invested in the characters, they know how they will act, interact, fight, love, etc., so it can become increasingly difficult for the writer to see flaws. Readers will find them easily, and they can be a huge distraction, possibly even having the reader give up on the book.
As an editor, I read through your manuscript one time, just simply reading. If anything real jarring stands out, I will make note of it, but the first read-through I am just getting to know your story, your characters, and your voice. The second time I read through is the in-depth session, where I will make notes on anything that I think doesn’t work in the story. I don’t want my critiques to be all negative of course, so I also add the elements I think work and should be kept. My goal is to never re-write your scenes, instead give you a fresh take to help you go back and edit your own work. I don’t believe editors should go in and change everything on your manuscript. I think editors should give opinions and suggestions, but in the end, help the writers understand, so eventually they can do the majority of editing themselves.
I can say with conviction that hiring an editor was the best choice I made in my writing. Without her help, I would have continued thinking my first draft was the best I could do, without understanding why readers wouldn’t be as invested in the story. I hope that you will give a serious thought to hiring an editor, whether it is myself or someone else, because I believe than can be a huge asset to your writing career. If you would like to contact me regarding my editing services, please email me at Samantha (at) chicklitplus (dot) com.

November 21, 2010
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Call Me Mrs. Miracle by Debbie Macomber
Chick Lit Review

Call Me Mrs. Miracle by Debbie Macomber

I had a bit of a stretch on my bookshelf, meandering away from the chick lit genre and diving into some different categories. I wasn’t too excited to read Call Me Mrs. Miracle by Debbie Macomber. The cover didn’t look too exciting, like the promises some chick lit covers hold, and I wasn’t sure about a lovey Christmas story. But I have to be proved wrong sometimes, don’t I? I loved this story! It was so cute and delightful, filled with inspirational characters, the most inspiring of all being (of course) Mrs. Miracle.
The story centers around Jake Finley, manger and boss’s son of the last family-owned toy story in New York City. While preparing for the Christmas rush and trying to prove to his father that he is capable of running the store on his own one day, Jake meets Emily Merkle, an employee who appears out of thin air to help customers. One customer in particular catches Jake’s eye- Holly Larson. Holly is struggling financially after taking on the duty of being guardian of her 8 year old nephew, Gabe, once his father gets deployed. She desperately wants to give Gabe a special Christmas, but isn’t sure she can pull it off. With the help of Mrs. Miracle, Jake and Holly both get the Christmas they deserve.
Even though I could guess how the story would end, I still loved the anticipation and build-up along the way. It was a light read, no major complications or mystery surrounding the characters, and the romance was pitch perfect. I think some inspirational lessons will be taken away from readers who enjoy this novel, but the writer doesn’t dump an overload of inspirational stories throughout the way. There is a subtle guidance woven with the plot and the character’s stories, and I would highly recommend Call Me Mrs. Miracle, even if this may not be your first genre choice.
Rating: 4/5

November 19, 2010
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Cold Dawn by Carla Neggers
Chick Lit Review

Cold Dawn by Carla Neggers

When Rose Cameron finds a body, burnt nearly beyond recognition, the small town of Black Falls, Vermont fears a killer could be a on the loose-again. Smoke jumper Nick Martini joins the community from California after an arson investigator is killed, a hunch that the death may be connected to the recent Black Falls murder. Now, Rose and Nick must deal with the one night of passion they shared months ago, to figure out if it could be anything more. But with Nick best friends and business partners with one of Rose’s highly over protective brothers, neither are sure the relationship could work- or if they really want it to. But both need to push aside their feelings of lust and romance and catch the killer lurking in Black Falls.
I knew Cold Dawn by Carla Neggers would be on my Favorites List after the first chapter. Even though this mystery novel is part of a series, readers will easily be able to pick up with the characters and the plot even if they have not read the previous books. The suspense was enough to keep me up at night, frantically flipping the pages to figure out who the murderer was and how all the subplots would tie together. The romance between the lead couple was very well written, full of drama and cliff hangers at the end of chapters, that kept me hooked on this story. My only issue was the amount of characters that contributed to the story, I began to feel overwhelmed after trying to keep track of all of them! But besides that little fact, this is a great story that gets a definite recommendation from me. After reading Cold Dawn, Carla Neggers has shot to the top of my favorite authors list!
Rating: 4.5/5

November 17, 2010
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Her Latest Supporting Role by Cynthia Ashworth
Chick Lit Review

Her Latest Supporting Role by Cynthia Ashworth

When you can’t make it as an actress in New York, what’s the next best thing? Work in advertising! Jill Barber takes on a job at a large ad agency while working to finish her degree at New York University. After failing her final exam and then refusing to sleep with her professor in order to pass, she is forced to attend summer school. Jill doesn’t think it’s so bad once she finds out her instructor is the gorgeous young novelist Jonathan Wunder. The drama begins once Jill enters a possible relationship with Wunder, all while studying to pass her class, keep her job when layoffs threaten the ad company, and fight off advances from another co-worker.
I’m sad to say I really didn’t enjoy Her Latest Supporting Role, the debut novel from Cynthia Ashworth. I had a hard time developing any sort of a connection with the main character, and felt at times the story was moving along too fast for me to understand why certain scenes were happening. The supporting characters didn’t motivate me at all, and I sometimes wondered what the point of the best friend was. One thing that really displeased me was about halfway through, the story turned to all emails. Pages and pages of emails between the characters, and once that happened, I was totally out of it. Some important realizations were happening to the main character, but instead of feeling any of it or realizing those same points alongside Jill, I was just being told about them in a short email. I was disappointed with this rom com debut, and I hope Ashworth’s future writing will be more inspiring.
Rating: 2/5

November 16, 2010
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Her Fearful Symmetry by Audrey Niffenegger
Chick Lit Review

Her Fearful Symmetry by Audrey Niffenegger

Well this is a first. I always have a lot to say about the books I read, my opinions on the writing (good or bad) and if I would recommend the book. But I have found a novel that left me…speechless. Not sure what to say, whether good or bad. Not even sure if I should recommend it to others.
I was looking forward to reading Her Fearful Symmetry by Audrey Niffenegger, her sophomore novel after The Time Traveler’s Wife. I hadn’t read or seen the movie, but heard many good things and eagerly anticipated opening her latest. I was left feeling confused, unsettled, and plain unsure about what I just read. I always jot down my rating as soon as I finish a book, but I just stared blankly at my notebook, not sure what to write. Kind of like I am doing now for this review, except I’m at a computer.
The story begins with the untimely death of Elspeth, twin sister to Edie and lover to Robert. Aunt to young girls, Julia and Valentina, also twins. Elspeth requests in her will that the twin girls move from the States to London to live in her flat for a year. During their stay, the twins meet Elspeth’s ghost, befriend some odd characters, become fascinated with the neighboring cemetery, and start to grow apart as sisters. Valentina begins to feel she will never be her own person with her twin constantly in the picture, and she and Elspeth devise a morbid plan to change that. The ending had me shout aloud, a strangled noise actually escaped from lips, I was so shocked by the events taking place.
Niffenegger obviously has a talent for telling stories and creating so many unique characters throughout one novel. The plot is interesting, though I don’t have much interest for the supernatural topics. I thought about giving Her Fearful Symmetry a three rating, but decided to up it to a four. My reasoning behind that is, I simply couldn’t stop talking about the story! I called my mom, I told my boyfriend and his mom, I told co-workers…it really got me thinking and talking to many people I don’t normally discuss my readings with. I also looked on Amazon to see what other readers thought, and they were over 400 reviews! Seems everyone wanted to give their opinions, and the ratings were anywhere from a 1-5. If you have read Her Fearful Symmetry, I would love to get your feedback on the story, and if you haven’t, give it a try. You might love it, you might hate it, but I can guarantee most will be left wanting to talk about it!
Rating: 4/5

November 11, 2010
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