Chick Lit Plus by Samantha March

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Tiger Woods to Break Silence Friday
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Tiger Woods to Break Silence Friday

Tiger Woods will finally be breaking his three month silence on Friday. People.com reports that the golfer, who hasn’t been seen in public since his car crash last November that led to the explosive sex scandal and his multiple affairs, will talk to a small group on Friday. His agent and spokesman released this statement, “Tiger Woods will be speaking to a small group of friends, colleagues and close associates … at the TPC Sawgrass Clubhouse in Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida. Tiger plans to discuss his past and his future and he plans to apologize for his behavior.”

February 18, 2010
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Alexander McQueen Died by Hanging
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Alexander McQueen Died by Hanging

The death of British fashion designer Alexander McQueen has been ruled a suicide. People.com reports that an official inquest at Westminster Coroner’s Court in London on Wednesday reports that McQueen was killed by hanging himself in his wardrobe closet at his Mayfair apartment. A suicide note was found next to him.

February 18, 2010
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Is Running in the Cold Harmful?
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Is Running in the Cold Harmful?

One question that often arises in the cold winter weather is the safety of running in the frigid temperatures. I noticed that when I run outside or even just walk outside when the temperature dips below freezing that my lungs start to almost burn and it can become pretty painful. But a post on FitnessMagazine.com can bring relief to runners- there is no danger when running outdoors. The burning sensation may be irritable, but is simply because the air you are breathing in is colder than the air in your lungs. The lungs begin to work to try to make that air coming in warmer, which can cause rapid water loss, therefore making you feel that burn. While there is no danger, you can try to wear a scarf around your nose and mouth to sidestep any irritation.

February 16, 2010
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Nicole Richie Engaged!
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Nicole Richie Engaged!

Nicole Richie and Joel Madden are making it official! Richie, 28, announced her engagement to the
Good Charlotte rocker on The Late Show with David Letterman on Monday. The wedding is expected to be held this summer. Richie and Madden began dating in December 2006 and have two children together- Harlow, 2, and Sparrow, 5 months.

February 16, 2010
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Healthy Foods That Can Make You Fat
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Healthy Foods That Can Make You Fat

As I was reading the February issue of my favorite magazine- Cosmopolitan of course- I started reading the article ‘These Healthy Foods Can Make You Fat.’ I figured I would see the usual culprits such as salad loaded with dressing and croutons, but I was really surprised to see all that made the list. Here were the biggest surprises for me:
1. Dried Fruit. What? Fruit is always good for you..or I guess not. Dried fruit is not as good for you as fresh fruit because it has been dehydrated and is much denser. The example that was given was that fresh grapes have 60 calories, while dried raisins pack 460 calories! Big difference.
2. Sushi Rolls. I’m always hearing about the sushi diets and other crazy seafood tricks celebrities are doing to stay in shape, but sushi rolls will not help thin your waistline. Sure there are veggies and seaweed that are healthy, but many of the rolls are filled with cream cheese or mayo that is definitely unhealthy. Most sushi rolls can have up to 600 calories- and that’s before the soy sauce!
3. Wraps. Cosmo said that most wraps unrolled can reach up to 1 foot across- a fact that made my mouth drop! That is a whole lot of tortilla shell! No matter what healthy foods you put into the wrap, there is no denying that 1 foot of tortilla is not healthy- and add in the mayo or dressing- most wraps reach up 300 calories.

What were the other “healthy” offenders?
• Granola
• Bran Muffins
• Half-and-half
• Bottled Teas
• Veggie Burgers
• Rice Cakes
• Juice
• Diet Microwave Meals
• Salads
• Tofu

Check out this month’s Cosmo for the full article and other healthy tips!

February 16, 2010
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Interview with Irene Zutell
Chick Lit Authors

Interview with Irene Zutell

Q: Why did you decide you wanted to be a writer?
A: I couldn’t think of anything else I was competent at!

Q: Where do you find the inspiration for your novels?
A: Usually, there’s a bit of real life mixed in with the fiction. I’m from New York, but I find a lot of my inspiration in my new hometown-Los Angeles. There’s so much to write about here. I really is crazy here. For instance, we live on a cul de sac in the valley, and right on the hill above us is a house that was used in porn movies. So, we’d be sitting outside listening to moaning. It was very surreal.

Q: I just started reading Pieces of Happily Ever After. Where did the idea for that story come from?
A: This woman–Vera Moder–who lived a few blocks from us was dumped by her husband for another woman–Julia Roberts. She was all over the tabloids. Her husband, Danny, eventually married Julia . I wanted Vera to do a nonfiction book with me. But when she wouldn’t, I decided to fictionalize it. Imagine going through a break-up and having it very public? And imagine having to read about your partner’s romance in the tabloids? I thouht it was a great jumping off point for a novel about a lot of other stuff–mothers and daughters, aging, love, romance, etc.

Q: Is there a typical day for you?
A: I wish I had a typical day. I wish I could say I get up at 5 a.m. and write until noon. But I don’t. I write when I can. I write when my kids are at school, or at night, or right now as they play outside. I usually don’t move until I have to because I know that at any moment, someone’s going to cry or fight or be hungry.

Q: What is your favorite part about writing?
When it just flows and I’m in that zone where I’m totally lost in the story.

Q: You have been a correspondent for PEOPLE and US Weekly. What did you take away from those experiences?
A: When I first started working for People, I thought it would be a joke–just something easy to do for a whle. Was I wrong. It was the hardest job. Being a reporter for People, I learned to pay attention to detail and to think fast. I learned that you really can never have enough details for a story and you’ve got to constantly be coming up with creative ways to draw a subject out.

What were some of the favorite stories you worked on?

A: Even though I covered mostly the celebrity beat, my favorite stories were always the human interest type–like the girl who awakened from a coma after months and months, or the veternarian who spent weekends on Seattle’s Skid Row taking care of the homeless’ pets.

Q: If you hadn’t been a writer, what do you think would be your career?
A: I have no idea.

Q: Are you currently working on any future novels?
Sure. I have some things in the works, but right now I’m ghostwriting a book.

Q: What would be your advice to aspiring writers?
Never give up. Listen to the voice in your head instead of what other tell you.

Q: What is or do you think would be your favorite place to travel?
I used to be a travel writer, so I love traveling. Anywhere. I love European cities like Paris, St. Petersburg, Dubrovnik, Prague, Florence, Rome. But I also loved a trip I took a while back throughout Alaska. I went to Tahiti on my honeymoon, which was just incredible. And I love road trips through northern California.

February 16, 2010
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Chick Lit Author: Adele Parks
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Chick Lit Author: Adele Parks

Adele Parks was born and raised in northeast England and attended Leicester University to study English Language and Literature. After moving to Italy and teaching English, Parks moved back to the UK and began a career in advertising. After living life on the fast track (and moving to Botswana for a few years in between) Parks went on to write her first novel- Playing Away- which became the debut best seller of the millennium.
Since being published, Parks has gone on to publish eight more novels- all of which have become best sellers. Her titles are: Playing Away, Game Over, Larger Than Life, The Other Woman’s Shoes, Still Thinking Of You and Husbands, Young Wives’ Tales, Tell Me Something and Love Lies. Adele Parks currently lives in Guildford with her husband and son.

February 16, 2010
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Kevin Smith Too Fat to Fly
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Kevin Smith Too Fat to Fly

Kevin Smith is too fat to fly. At least, according to Southwest airlines. The actor/director was asked to leave a flight on Saturday that was traveling from Oakland to Burbank, California, according to People.com. Smith, 39, usually purchases two seat tickets when he travels to accommodate his size, but was on standby for this particular flight and there was only one seat left. After he had been seated, airline officials decided he needed to leave for the “safety and comfort of all customers.” Southwest released this statement on the incident, “”If a customer cannot comfortably lower the armrest and infringes on a portion of another seat, a customer seated adjacent would be very uncomfortable and a timely exit from the aircraft in the event of an emergency might be compromised if we allow a cramped, restricted seating arrangement.”

February 15, 2010
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In My Mailbox- Week of February 14
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In My Mailbox- Week of February 14

I have seen the “In My Mailbox” feature from quite a few other book sites, so I decided to try it out for myself! Each week, I will list what books I have either bought, got from the library, borrowed from friends, received from authors, etc. Enjoy!

Title: Second Time Around
Author: Beth Kendrick
Received: From Beth Kendrick for Review
Synopsis:
Thanks to an unexpected inheritance, four college friends get an opportunity to start over and pursue their dream jobs. But the road not taken has a few speed bumps…

Every summer, a group of former English majors hold a mini-reunion. They laugh, reminisce, and commiserate about their soul-sucking jobs. Maybe they should have listened to everyone who warned them to study something “practical.”

Then an unexpected windfall arrives—one million dollars, to be exact—with the stipulation that they use it to jump-start their new careers. Almost overnight, a professor, a bartender, a copywriter, and an administrative assistant reinvent themselves as a bed-and-breakfast owner, a pastry chef, a novelist, and an event planner. But the changes in their professional roles create unexpected turbulence in their personal lives, and soon the secrets and scandals from their past resurface.

For anyone who has ever wondered
“What if?”, this engaging novel provides a sweet, funny look at friendship, romance, and second chances.

Title: Pieces of Happily Ever After
Author: Irene Zutell
Received: From SheKnows.com for Review
Synopsis:
What happens after “happily ever after”? Alice Hirsh is about to find out…
Alice, a former New Yorker who thought she’d never feel at home in the bizarre world of the San Fernando Valley, was adapting, raising her 5-year-old daughter while trying to keep her job and make her new house a home. When her attorney husband lands a trophy client – box-office queen Rose Maris – things begin to look up. Then Alex starts working late – a lot. He crunches his paunch into a six-pack and trades his Gap ensembles for Armani everything.
Soon, Rose and Alex’s affair blazes in the tabloids and Alice is plunged into trash-gossip hell. Her life crumbles around her as she navigates her newly single self through suburban LA –a place rife with porn stars, psycho soccer moms and nutty neighbors.
Is there a chance to wrest Alex from the Sexiest Woman Alive? And if so… would Alice want him back? And what about George–her college sweatheart? Or Johnny, a walking charm-bomb paparazzo? As Alice inventories the rubble of her life, she desperately searches for her bearings and is forced to ask herself what she really wants from life, love and herself.

Title: Bergdorf Blondes
Author: Plum Sykes
Received: Public Library
Synopsis: Plum Sykes’s beguiling debut welcomes readers to the glamorous world of Park Avenue Princesses, the girls who careen through Manhattan in search of the perfect Fake Bake (tan acquired from Portofino Tanning Salon), a ride on a PJ (private jet) with the ATM (rich boyfriend), and the ever-elusive fiancé.
With invitations to high-profile baby showers and benefits, more Marc Jacobs clothes than is decent, and a department store heiress for a best friend, our heroine known only as Moi is living at the peak of New York society. But what is Moi to do when her engagement falls apart? Can she ever find happiness in a city filled with the distractions of Front Row Girls, dermatologists, premieres, and eyebrow waxes? Is it possible to find love in a town where her friends think that the secret to happiness is getting invited to the Van Cleef and Arpels über-private sample sale? And how is she going to deal with the endless phone calls from her mother in England demanding that she get married to the Earl next door?
With enormous wit and an insider’s eye, Sykes captures the nuances of the rich and spoiled in a heartwarming social satire, featuring a loveable “champagne bubble of a girl” who’s just looking for love (and maybe the perfect pair of Chloé jeans).

Title: The Debutante Divorcee
Author: Plum Sykes
Received: Public Library
Synopsis: A major national media event when published in hardcover, this delicious follow-up to Bergdorf Blondes was an immediate New York Times bestseller and confirmed Plum Sykes’ status as a literary superstar.
Sylvie Mortimer has just married and is blissfully happy with The Divine New Husband, Hunter. Sylvie’s new friend, Lauren Blount, is very rich, very young, very thin, very pretty — and very, very divorced. The most reckless and glamorous of Manhattan’s Debutante Divorcée set, Lauren captivates Sylvie, the group’s token newlywed. But while Lauren sets out on a morality-lite, orgasm-heavy “Make Out Challenge,” Sylvie discovers her marriage isn’t exactly an Eternity ad — especially when the city’s most notorious Husband Huntress zeros in on her spouse.

February 14, 2010
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