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Interview with Brenda Janowitz
Chick Lit Authors

Interview with Brenda Janowitz

Q: Why did you decide to write chick lit books?
Q: What gave you the ideas for your two novels?

I’ve always been a writer. In fact, that’s the reason why I became a lawyer in the first place—trying to find a career where I could write full time. But I’ve always had a real love for fiction, and I’d find myself practicing law and thinking about these fictional stories that I wanted to write. When I was invited to my ex-boyfriend’s wedding, my life slowly but surely began to resemble some of my favorite chick lit novels, and I said to myself, ‘I’ve just gotta start writing this stuff down…

When I finished SCOT ON THE ROCKS, I just knew that Brooke’s story had to continue! Since both she and Jack are lawyers, I thought it would be so much fun to pit them against each other in the courtroom… all while planning their fairy-tale wedding. Thus the idea for JACK WITH A TWIST was born!

Q: What was the hardest part about the writing process?

The hardest part for me is always the end. (Isn’t it for every writer?) You’ve taken the reader on a journey, and it’s so important to deliver on everything you’ve built up, and to give them something memorable and satisfying.

Q: Do you have a third chick lit novel in the works?

Right now, I’m working on a commercial women’s fiction novel, and I’ve also got a Young Adult proposal brewing. I always have lots of ideas going at the same time! We’ll have to see which one shapes up to become novel # 3.

I’d love to continue Brooke’s story, but for now, these other stories just keep calling out to me. BUT, I recently had my first child and there’s lots of funny things that have been happening along the way. Readers always ask me if Brooke will have a baby next, so you never know….

Q: What is your favorite part about living in New York?

Do I have to narrow it to just one thing?! New York is the greatest place on earth. It has always inspired me and exhilarated me.

My husband and I recently moved out to the suburbs, but we are just a short car ride from the city. Whenever we get back into the city, you just feel that energy hit you, and it’s such a rush.

Q: What do you enjoy doing in your free time?

Free time? Um, what’s that? Like I said, I recently had a baby, so most of my days I’m lucky if I get to take a shower!

As a writer, I suppose that my favorite thing to do is read. And as a chick lit writer, needless to say, my other favorite thing to do is shop!

Q: Did you set any New Year’s Resolutions this year?

Nope. I’m not big on New Year’s resolutions. Each day when I wake up, I just try to do the best that I can for that day.

But, yes, now that you’ve mentioned it, I would like to also lose some weight, too….

Q: You teach a creative writing class. How much do you enjoy the teaching process?

I love teaching. It’s always amazing to me how we all have stories inside of us. It’s great to see the brave few trying to make their dreams come true and get their stories onto paper.

Mediabistro gets such a talented group of people together for me to teach each time—it’s always humbling to me to see how wonderful my students are. I’m now at the stage where my students are getting agents and are on their way to book deals, so that is an incredible thing to see.

Q: What would be your advice to aspiring writers?

Keep writing! It’s so easy to get discouraged or feel like you don’t have the time to write. But like anything else that is important in life, you have to work at it and make the time for it.

Edit! Editing your work is almost as important as the writing itself. Sure, you’re telling your story, but it’s also important to consider the way that you tell it. You want your writing to be tight, elegant and polished. It can only get to be that way through careful and thorough editing.

Develop a very thick skin. You’re putting yourself out there when you write and not everyone is going to love what you do. But that’s okay! You’re not writing to please everyone out there. You’re writing because you have a story that you want to tell. So start getting used to criticism and then see tip #1—keep writing!

Q: What is or do you think would be your favorite place to travel?

Since I honeymooned in Hawaii, I’d have to say Hawaii. It’s such a beautiful and quiet place. There’s a rich history there, which is so much fun to explore.

And, of course, there’s just something for me about the beach—feeling the sand under my toes, listening to the crashing waves—that relaxes me to the core and allows my creative juices to flow. What could be more inspiring than a place like Hawaii?! (Does this mean that I get to go there again now?)

February 14, 2010
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Stuck in Downward Dog by Chantel Simmons
Chick Lit Review

Stuck in Downward Dog by Chantel Simmons

Mara Brennan needs to get her life together. She has been dumped by her live in boyfriend, who moved out of their tiny basement apartment and took everything with him, including her bed and her self-confidence. She is working at a dead-end job as a receptionist at a cosmetic clinic, and her overbearing sister has taken up residence with her to try to cheer her up after the break-up. Meanwhile, her best friends, Olivia and Mitz, are living the perfect lives with their boyfriends and husbands and dazzling careers. Mara can’t help but feel she is missing out on being able to host her own dinner parties, get a fabulous career, and perfecting her yoga poses.
Mara makes her OM List (Olivia and Mitz List) to try to become a better person and more like her friends. While trying to check off the items such as hosting the best dinner party and becoming a fabulous chef, Mara realizes a few important details. She has a tiny apartment not suitable for hosting parties, and she hates cooking. She also realizes that Olivia and Mitz’s lives may not be so fabulous after all, once cracks begin to show between the three friends. Through it all, she finds a supportive a family that thinks incredibly highly of her, and figures out how she can help her perfect sister through a personal crisis.
Stuck in Downward Dog, the debut novel from Chantel Simmons was an excellent story of trying to find oneself. The challenges that Mara was facing are completely relatable, and the humorous journey of her identity makeover made me laugh throughout. I do have say the beginning started off a bit slow; the plot didn’t start to excite me until about half way in, but once it hit that point I couldn’t put it down! One aspect I really enjoyed about the novel is that it didn’t end with the heroine finding herself by getting a boyfriend. I thought that was really inspiring and even more motivating to readers, sending a message that women can be powerful with their careers and selves without being married. A favorite book of mine and a define recommendation to all.

February 12, 2010
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Lauren Conrad Hits Bestseller List
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Lauren Conrad Hits Bestseller List

Lauren Conrad has done it again. The reality star, 24, has topped the New York Times bestseller list once more with her second novel, Sweet Little Lies. Conrad told People.com, “It’s so gratifying for my second book to be so successful and it was so fun to write! The characters were already developed so I really enjoyed the process so much more this time around. All the characters have become like my friends now.” Former star of The Hills also reached the bestseller list with her first novel, L.A. Candy, with her novels following Jane Roberts, a young girl who reaches reality TV fame in L.A. A third novel will be released in the series.

February 12, 2010
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Underlying Notes by Eva Pasco
Chick Lit Review

Underlying Notes by Eva Pasco

Underlying Notes, the debut album from Eva Pasco follows Carla Matteo as she tries to cope with all life has handed her. Carla is now middle-aged and struggling to find her path in life, whether that be following her ambitions on becoming a teacher, or giving up her career to work alongside her husband Joe at his waste management company. She is also dealing with troubles from her past- her father’s mysterious death and her never ending fantasies about another man- who happens to be her fiercely faithful husband’s friend. With all her troubles, a new neighbor added to the mix only adds more drama, after she realizes her husband is having an affair and plots her revenge. One of the only things to keep Carla calm are her perfumes- spending hours online rating and reviewing different scents with other perfume lovers.
I unfortunately cannot say that I thoroughly enjoyed Underlying Notes. There was too much jumping around in the plot for me to be able to keep up, and the style of writing was bit too poetic prose for my liking. I didn’t get a real sense of understanding with the supporting characters and how they all fit into the story, though I can say that I understood the heroine and why she was dealing with the difficulties in her life. Another aspect that I didn’t like was that the title, Underlying Notes, was worked into every chapter seemingly multiple times, which seemed slightly overbearing. All of that made me want to stop reading more than once throughout the novel, but I am glad I pushed on and kept reading, because there was a nice ending to it all. I’m not exactly sure who I would recommend this book too, but if you are looking for a different style of writing, I would say check it out and see what you think!

February 12, 2010
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British Fashion Designer Dead at 40
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British Fashion Designer Dead at 40

British fashion designer Alexander McQueen was found dead at his London home on Thursday morning, People.com has reported. Police confirmed that the deceased was indeed the 40 year old designer. His family released this statement surrounding the unexpected death, “Alexander McQueen today announces the tragic news that Lee McQueen, the founder and designer of the Alexander McQueen brand has been found dead at his home. At this stage it is inappropriate to comment on this tragic news beyond saying that we are devastated and are sharing a sense of shock and grief with Lee’s family. Lee’s family has asked for privacy in order to come to terms with this terrible news and we hope the media will respect this.”
One of McQueen’s contemporary lines, McQ, was scheduled to be shown at New York Fashion Week on Thursday afternoon

February 11, 2010
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Twenties Girl by Sophie Kinsella
Chick Lit Review

Twenties Girl by Sophie Kinsella

Lara is having a problem: she is being haunted by her 105 year old great-aunt’s ghost. Sadie, who was a daring flapper back in her time of the Roaring 20’s, keeps appearing alongside Lara, but as a younger version of her deceased self. She has some unfinished business and needs Lara to help her find her necklace before she can pass on. At first Lara is frustrated and fed up with trying to help Sadie, who is making her wear ridiculous flapper clothes and makeup and go on dates with boring men just so Sadie can feel “alive” again through the only person that can see her. But as time goes on, Lara realizes how much she and Sadie have in common, and strangely, how Sadie can help with her floundering love life and equally dismal career as a headhunter.
Twenties Girl from Sophie Kinsella was a favorite of mine- which shocked me. Though I am a huge fan of Kinsella I was thinking this novel sounded too out there for me. A ghost haunting her great-niece? But I was proved wrong, and could not put it down! The novel was engaging, humorous, inspirational, and even had a few fun twists thrown in as well. I honestly think Kinsella is one of the few authors that could have pulled this plot off, and she did it with a comedic twist and a bit of mystery throw in. A must read!

February 10, 2010
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Pretty in Plaid by Jen Lancaster
Chick Lit Review

Pretty in Plaid by Jen Lancaster

Jen Lancaster keeps her humorous bit alive with her third novel, Pretty In Plaid. Lancaster takes readers on the ultimate flashback in time, traveling back through the ‘80s and ‘90s and revealing her journey to show just how she got to where she is now. I enjoyed reading about the disastrous birthday dinner when Lancaster was eight and realized how to eat a lobster, her Greek years in college and how she struggled to fit in, and how she came to meet her future husband, Fletch.
Pretty in Plaid was a fun read, mainly because I was learning even more about one of my favorite authors. I like how Lancaster lets readers into her life, and her humor and honesty through each saga keeps me laughing throughout the novel. I do have to be honest and say this wasn’t my favorite novel from Jen Lancaster; it just didn’t give me the same pull as the others I have read. I think maybe because there was not really a “true” plot, it was just basically story-telling and I wasn’t sure where the story would stop. Still an entertaining read and I would recommend to all chick lit fans, just not a personal favorite of mine.

February 9, 2010
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Relief For Dry, Damaged Hair
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Relief For Dry, Damaged Hair

All this dry weather does nothing good for my hair, which is naturally uncontrollable. My hairdresser is always suggesting using a deep conditioning treatment about once a week to help breathe some life and moisture into my locks, so I finally decided to see what it’s all about. I browsed online looking for some at home treatments because a friend had told me she makes her own recipe instead of buying expensive bottles at the salon. So I figured I could do the same, save myself some money and get better looking hair.

The recipe I settled on was from RecipeZaar.com and seemed pretty straightforward. Ingredients: 1 cup of mayonnaise (preferably room temperature), ½ cup of olive oil, and three eggs. Blend all ingredients together, then apply thoroughly to hair, adding more on the ends. Use a shower cap or old towel to wrap around your head, keeping the heat on your strands. Leave on for 10-20 minutes depending on the length of your hair, then wash out thoroughly. Don’t shampoo after you use this treatment! The next day when you shower, shampoo and condition as usual.

My hair did feel better after using this treatment, though for that first day it did feel a little oily, so I would suggest making sure you do it when you are not going out! But after the next shampoo, I could tell that there was more shine, and it felt better to touch. If you are suffering from dry hair as well try out this or another deep conditioning treatment to get some results!

February 9, 2010
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Interview with Wendy Markham
Chick Lit Authors

Interview with Wendy Markham

Q: What is your favorite part of the writing process?
About 1/3 of the way through a novel, I finally hit my stride and the writing begins to really flow. Up until then, I tend to go back and rewrite the early chapters over and over again, filling in the blanks, moving text, fleshing out characters, etc. Once it starts flowing, the writing takes on a life of its own and I can’t wait to get to my keyboard every morning!
Q: Did you always know you wanted to write?
Yes, I’ve known since third grade that I wanted to become an author one day. I was fortunate to have been encouraged by my teacher and my parents, who believed in me and supported me every step of the way.
Q: Where do you find the inspiration for your novels?
The spark of an idea for quite a few of my chick lit plot elements and characters come from my own life. I also write suspense novels (under my own name, Wendy Corsi Staub), but usually turn to other sources of inspiration for those—newspapers, true crime stories, Dateline and 48 Hours. But no matter what I’m writing, my novels all start with a musing “what if…?”
Q: You write for more than one genre, do you find anything difficult about that?
Not at all, probably because I only work on one book at a time. I tend to live in my fictional world while I’m on a deadline, and I think it would be difficult to jump back and forth from happy-shoe-shopping-land to corpse-in-the-woods-land. Writing in different genres keeps things fresh and interesting for me.
Q: You worked for bookstores while you were in college, what kind of knowledge did you take away from those jobs?
I learned how the publishing business works behind the scenes—about relationships between booksellers and their customers, between booksellers and sales reps, booksellers and authors…really, the most important person in an author’s life is the person responsible for getting the book into a reader’s hands. As an author, I have tremendous respect for booksellers, and try to let them know as often as possible how much I appreciate their efforts on my behalf.
Q: I absolutely love the ‘Slightly’ series! How did you come up with the characters and their scenarios?
Thank you! Tracey is very loosely based on me, and the people in her life are based—again, very loosely—on people I knew when I was a young, single woman in New York City. Certain characters—Raphael, for example—are composites of people I knew. Others are purely fictional—her parents are nothing like my parents, her mother-in-law, Wilma, came out of left field. But others—Jack, Yvonne, and Will come to mind—are rooted in real people I encountered along the way to being married and settled down.
Q: Did you have a favorite writer while you were growing up?
I I was—and still am—obsessed with Laura Ingalls Wilder. In fact, this past summer, I dragged my family out to the Prairie. We visited “Little House” sites in Kansas, Missouri, and South Dakota, and this coming summer, I’m going to be a featured speaker at “Laurapalooza,” the first-ever conference for Laura fans.

Q: You are always keeping busy, but when do get free time how do you spend it?
With my family! I’m a happily married mom with two boys who are growing up too fast, and we live our lives surrounded by hundreds of family members, friends, and neighbors. I like nothing better than to have a crowd around my dining room table eating homemade food. That, or traveling! I’ve embarked on a fifty-state book tour with my husband and sons in tow, and we complete a new leg every summer when school is out.
Q: What advice would you give to aspiring writers?
Do your homework! If you want to become a published author, remember that this is a business as well as an art. Learn how the industry works, network with other writers online and at conferences and chapter meetins, and read as much as you can about how to prepare and submit a manuscript. It’s a slippery uphill slope to publication for most writers, so be prepared to work hard. I promise there is nothing more rewarding than reaching the top!
Q: What would be or is your favorite place to travel?
Travel is my passion, and I’ve been to 47 states, all over Canada, Mexico, and the Caribbean. I cherish our yearly trips to the Caribbean most of all, because it’s a week spent just with my family—I belong only to them, and I don’t bring makeup or bookmarks or shoes other than flip flops. Pure heaven!

February 9, 2010
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