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Intimate Encounters by Sierra Michaels
Chick Lit Review

Intimate Encounters by Sierra Michaels

Cali is leading two very different lives. While a graduate student earning high grades in her archeology field and working to finish her master thesis, she also works as a sensual massagist, working with a handful of other young women that are trying to get by in life. Cali struggles with finding normalcy, even though the only men she is meeting is for her services, and her friendships are with women who perform those same services each night. She desperately wants out of the shady business, especially after she is drugged and raped by a client, and a cop poses as a client to bust the illegal acts. But she knows that she can’t hold down a regular job while trying to finish her studies, and the money she makes is too good to refuse.
Intimate Encounters is the debut album from author Sierra Michaels, and is a genuine piece about the struggles many women must deal with. The heroine is wondering if she made the right choice about her chosen field of study, but feels she has come to far to turn her back now. And she knows she can’t keep on leading this double life to make great money if she wants to be able to settle down with a man. Though the novel talks openly about extremely proactive subjects, I never felt I was reading a ‘dirty’ book. Instead, I felt truly touched by Cali and the decisions she needed to make. Encounters is a favorite of mine, mostly due to Michaels being able to take this character who is unsure about her life and is going down the wrong path, and be able to set her straight. It was a long journey for Cali, and I think readers will not only respect the decisions she made along the way, but find the inspiring message lying within.

May 15, 2010
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Contest from Author Wendy Wax
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Contest from Author Wendy Wax

Author Wendy Wax is hosting a fun contest for her novel The Accidental Bestseller, which is being published May 25th. Readers need to send in a picture of them reading The Accidental Bestseller on a beach- any beach!- by August 1st and they will be entered to win beach bag of books by some of Wendy’s favorite writers!

Visit www.authorwendywax.com click on ‘Join Wendy’s email list,’ fill in the form, attach your photo, and hit ‘submit’ to enter.

Photos will also be posted on Wendy’s facebook page. Be sure to friend Wendy so that you can see your shot!

I know I’ll be sending in my picture…I just have to find a beach first! Pre-order your copy below from Amazon and take that pic!

May 13, 2010
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Giveaway: The Summer We Read Gatsby by Danielle Ganek
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Giveaway: The Summer We Read Gatsby by Danielle Ganek

The Summer We Read Gatsby
By Danielle Ganek

Two half-sisters search for the “thing of utmost value” in an inherited ramshackle Southampton cottage in Ganek’s witty new novel (after Lulu Meets God and Doubts Him). The story is narrated by introverted, newly divorced, would-be writer Cassie, but the flamboyant center of the story is her older half-sister, Peck, a theatrical socialite determined to “bring out” her sister while thwarting Cassie’s sensible plan to sell Fool’s House, the cottage they’ve jointly inherited from their eccentric aunt Lydia. As they wonder whether the house’s treasure is a Jackson Pollock painting, a first edition of The Great Gatsby, or a family secret, the sisters’ contrasting personalities clash in hilarious ways. During a summer marked by parties that recall both the artsy milieu of Pollock and the posh extravagance of Gatsby, the two sisters run into long-lost loves, strange neighbors, aggressive real estate agents, and charming artist hangers-on as they ponder the legacy of their beloved Aunt Lydia and their relationship to each other. Even though many of the novel’s revelations can be seen a mile away, getting there is a fun, witty, and surprisingly moving trip.

One reader will a copy of Danielle Ganek’s The Summer We Read Gatsby. To enter, leave a comment on this post, comment on Facebook, or sign up for my monthly newsletter. *Contest is open for US residents only* Good luck and a special thanks to Artemis Azima of Engelman & Co. for hosting this giveaway.

May 13, 2010
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Beauty Review: L’Oreal Double Extend Lash Boosting Serum
Chick Lit Plus

Beauty Review: L’Oreal Double Extend Lash Boosting Serum

I think I have moaned and complained more than enough times on this blog that I have less than stellar eyelashes. I thought about going the Latisse route, but I heard too many horror stories about the side effects from using that product. Then I saw that L’Oreal came out with a similar concept, the Double Extend Lash Boosting Serum. It promised results in four weeks, and those results were longer lashes, more lashes, and less damage to lashes. Since I want all of that, and L’Oreal is a trusted company of mine, I decided to fork over the $12 and give it a shot. My tube is just about empty now, and probably 3 ½ weeks have past since I began use. And my results- well they aren’t great and they aren’t terrible. I have noticed that I lose less lashes when I take off my eye makeup at night. I used to rip out about four lashes on average a night, and now I lose either one or none at all. But I haven’t noticed a real change in their appearance. The directions state to put on the serum in the morning and at night, making sure you have clean dry eyes. There is a bristle-less wand that you swipe on the upper lashes and again on the lash line, like you were putting on eyeliner. When I put it on, I think I see my lashes grow just a tad, but a few hours later, I can’t tell a difference. I was hoping for a more long-term effect, not just a few minutes of longer lashes, but I am grateful that I’m losing less eyelashes. I guess that has to count for something. I haven’t decided yet if I will buy another tube, maybe my lashes are so hopeless they need double the strength to get them to grow!

May 13, 2010
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Blake Shelton & Miranda Lambert Engaged
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Blake Shelton & Miranda Lambert Engaged

Country crooners Blake Shelton and Miranda Lambert are engaged. Shelton, 33, proposed on May 9th with a diamond-and-platinum ring that he picked himself, according to People.com. Of her engagement, Lambert, 26, says, “He called my dad and got his blessing first. That was so Southern and old-school and perfect.” The couple has been together for 5 years.

May 12, 2010
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Tyra Banks to Write Novels
Chick Lit Plus

Tyra Banks to Write Novels

For those of you who can’t get enough of Tyra Banks on either her day-time talk show or reality show, the supermodel is giving you more. Banks, 36, scored a three book deal with Random House, and her first novel will be titled Modelland. Banks herself posted a note on her website, Tyra.com.
“I said I was going to do it, and here it is! It’s for all the girls and guys who want a lot more FANTASY in their lives … and some fierceness and magic, romance and mystery, crazy and wild adventures, and yeah, some danger too.

“It’s my novel called Modelland (pronounced “Model Land”) that takes you to a fantastical place you’ve never seen, or heard about, or read about before … Where dreams come true and life can change in the blink of a smoky eye.”
No publishing date was announced.

May 12, 2010
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Double Check The Labels!
Chick Lit Plus

Double Check The Labels!

As I was reading the April edition of Fitness Magazine, I came across an article simply titled ‘Wrong Number.’ The article talked about how research has found that a product’s calorie count could be ‘up to 8% higher’ than the number stated on the label. What does that mean for the health conscious label checkers? Unfortunately, looks like the answer is more work. Fitness reports that with the sheer volume of products hitting the shelves, it just is not possible for the FDA to regulate each and every item, making it harder to know what is the real deal. They have listed the top three ways to avoid common mistakes.
The carbs should be ‘equal or greater than the combined total grams of sugar and fiber.’ The example Fitness gave was that if a cookie has three grams of fiber and eight grams of sugar but the label reads just eight grams of carbs, that is an error.
If you see a cooked food or pasteurized juice that says it has 100% of the vitamin, that could be wrong. Heat reduces vitamin C, so those foods are highly unlikely to contain high amounts. Double check the label, and if the ingredients include ascorbic acid it is ok- this means the vitamin was added after the processing.
The amount of sodium needs to be listed. If salt is included in the ingredients, sodium needs to be printed on the nutrition facts. If sodium is missing but salt is listed, the amount of calories is likely to be incorrect.

May 12, 2010
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Chick Lit Author Maria Murnane
Chick Lit Authors

Chick Lit Author Maria Murnane

Before Maria Murnane started writing, she worked in sports PR for a few years before quitting her career and moving to Argentina for a year. During that time, she played semi-pro soccer and starting working on her manuscript, which then turned into her debut novel, Perfect on Paper.
Murnane studied at UC Berkeley, where she graduated with high honors in English and Spanish. She also received a master’s degree in integrated marketing communications from Northwestern University. Murnane currently lives in New York and also works as independent business writer.

May 11, 2010
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Enter the Emily Giffin Contest
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Enter the Emily Giffin Contest

ne of my favorite authors, Emily Giffin, is running a FABULOUS contest through SheKnows.com. She is giving away a few of her favorite things- including a Blackberry and a pair of designer shoes! Check out the contest and enter here!

May 11, 2010
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