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New Release: These Things Hidden by Heather Gudenkauf
Chick Lit Review

New Release: These Things Hidden by Heather Gudenkauf

Heather Gudenkauf, New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of The Weight of Silence, follows her phenomenally successful debut novel with THESE THINGS HIDDEN (MIRA Books, February 2011, $15.95 U.S./$18.95 CAN.), an equally absorbing dramatic work. In THESE THINGS HIDDEN, Gudenkauf deftly tells the story of three families united by a chilling secret the night two babies are born.

The story begins with a girl named Allison Glenn being released from prison after spending five years there for an unconscionable murder. Without any contact from her parents or her sister, Allison is sent to a halfway house in her hometown. She is determined to reconnect with her sister Brynn and desperate to atone for involving her in what happened that fateful night. Brynn wants nothing to do with her sister and feels that it is she who is still imprisoned — forced to keep hidden the truth of what really happened.

As a precocious sixteen-year-old high school student, Allison seemed to have an ideal life in the town of Linden Falls, Iowa—perfect grades, sports achievements, beauty and popularity. But there were cracks under that flawless exterior. Her parents were relentlessly driving her to perfection and the pressure of meeting unrealistic expectations propelled her into the arms of Christopher Tullia, an unsavory college student who offered her an escape from the demands of her day-to-day existence.

That respite came at a high cost when Allison realized that she was pregnant. Desperate to preserve the illusion of her perfection and future she hid the pregnancy. That facade was shattered when Allison, suddenly in labor, convinced her loving and sensitive younger sister Brynn to help keep her secret.
When the truth is revealed the consequences are unimaginable and change the lives of the families involved forever.

THESE THINGS HIDDEN
Heather Gudenkauf
Mira Publisher
$15.95 U.S./$18.95 CAN.
ISBN-13: 978-0-7783-2879-7
352 Pages

HEATHER GUDENKAUF
Heather Gudenkauf is the author of the New York Times and USA Today bestselling novel The Weight of Silence. She lives in Iowa with her family. Heather is an advocate of Safe Haven laws that are enacted in most states to provide a safe place for parents or another person who has the parent’s permission to leave an infant at a hospital or health care facility without fear of arrest for abandonment. Visit her website at www.HeatherGudenkauf.com

December 21, 2010
1 Comment
Midnight Brunch by Marta Acosta
Chick Lit Review

Midnight Brunch by Marta Acosta

Marta Acosta follows up her enjoyable Casa Dracula debut with Midnight Brunch¸ still following the life of heroine Milagro de los Santos. Milagro is the only known human to survive a vampire infection, making her quite popular in the vampire world. But Milagro has eyes only for the dashing Oswald, and now lives with him in the family estate. Milargo is upset when she learns she isn’t allowed to attend the naming ceremony for the new baby in the family, simply because she is not family. Already feeling left out at times around Oswald and his clan, this only angers Milargo further. When Oswald departs on a humanitarian trip, Milagro decides to follow a few leads to understand more about the vampires and their culture. She doesn’t expect to find herself in a desert spa, playing assistant to a celebrity actor, and having her life threatened by quirky vampires who are determined to take over the world.
I know a lot of people say that sequels never stack up to the original, but I loved Midnight Brunch- even more than Happy Hour at Casa Dracula! I knew Milagro and Oswald and their story, and I was happy to see that the action picked up with barely a stitch in time going by. It was like welcoming old friends. Milagro is the same sexy heroine, living on the dangerous side by choice this time, and I liked watching her and Oswald’s relationship grow. I would definitely recommend readers to the Casa Dracula series, even if you aren’t vampire or paranormal fans. I wasn’t, and hadn’t read a paranormal book before Happy Hour, and I’m sure glad I did! Acosta’s writing and the world she created are too good to pass up.
Rating: 5/5

December 20, 2010
1 Comment
Debut Author Spotlight: Aidan Donnelley Rowley
Chick Lit Authors

Debut Author Spotlight: Aidan Donnelley Rowley

Debut Author: Aidan Donnelley Rowley
Debut Novel: Life After Yes
I met Aidan because her debut novel, Life After Yes, was the final selection for the fabulous book club I belong to- SheKnows. The SheKnows bloggers got to vote on our last book, and I am sure glad we chose Life After Yes. Here is a clip of my five star review:
“Life After Yes was one of my favorite reads of 2010. I commend Aidan Donnelley Rowley for writing such a truthful story, with real characters and real problems. I almost feel this novel should come with a warning label: Will you risk asking yourself the questions Quinn is asking of herself? Are you brave enough to face the answers? I recommend everyone to read this book, chick lit fan or not. I think we can all identify with a piece of Quinn, and take away a lesson on true happiness.”
After our selection was chosen, I hopped online to find out more about Aidan Donnelley Rowley, and was pleasantly surprised to find that she has a pretty unique blog going. Aidan tackles numerous subjects, ranging from pregnancy and parenthood, health and happiness, and of course- writing. Her blog is titled “Ivy League Insecurities” which I found interesting. Like her main character Quinn in Life After Yes, Aidan is Ivy League educated, and attended Yale College and Columbia Law School. She worked as a lawyer for a hot second, but now has focused on her family- who includes her two young daughters- and her writing. Aidan blogs about her daily life, her struggles as a writer, and her insecurities. I like her blog because she feels like a real person. Yeah, she has an Ivy League education. And yes, she has published a fantastic novel. But she isn’t afraid to admit her insecurities. I find her writing refreshing, meaningful, and inspiring.
So please take some time out to swing by Ivy League Insecurities and drop a line to Aidan, or visit her on Twitter or Facebook. If you haven’t picked up your copy yet of Life After Yes, you will want to get that on your Christmas list. I gave Aidan’s debut a five star review, and I’m sure many other readers will agree!

December 17, 2010
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Happy Hour at Casa Dracula by Marta Acosta
Chick Lit Review

Happy Hour at Casa Dracula by Marta Acosta

Happy Hour at Casa Dracula is book one in the feisty, fantasy, and romantic “vampire” series from Marta Acosta. Readers are introduced to Milagro de los Santos, the hip Latina who accidently gets infected by the ravishing Oswald. When Milagro suddenly gets the urges to eat raw meat and drink blood, Oswald whisks Milagro away to his family compound, and starts spilling the family secrets. Oswald and his family won’t claim themselves as vampires, instead insisting that they have a genetic condition- which makes them have urges to drink blood and can’t go in the sun. They fear Milagro has been infected after her encounter with Oswald, and that no human has survived infection. When Milagro appears to be able to fight off the infection, and grows increasingly attracted to the engaged Oswald, she must accept the vastly different life she will now lead.
I have never read vampires book, and don’t get much into paranormal reads, but when my pal Marta Acosta asked me to review her series, I couldn’t say no. And I’m glad I didn’t turn her down! Happy Hour isn’t a typical vampire novel filled with dark scenes and biting necks. Milagro is a hilarious protagonist, an independent chick who isn’t afraid to walk on the wild side and wear that skin tight leopard dress. The journey she takes readers on promises to be funny, entertaining, and will keep you flipping the pages. I love the world that Acosta has created, and look forward to more from the series!
Rating: 4/5

December 16, 2010
4 Comments
Author Profile: Shannon McKelden
Chick Lit Authors

Author Profile: Shannon McKelden

Author Name: Shannon McKelden

Website: http://shannonmckelden.com/

Bio: Shannon knew she enjoyed writing since the sixth grade, when her short stories earned her A+ grades. While she enjoyed writing, that dream got sidetracked as she worked in a shoe store and a bank, graduated high school, got married and took on a mortgage. After her daughter was born, Shannon was able to start dabbling in the writing again- and went on to publish short stories for magazines. It took a few years later and finding the Romance Writers of America, but Shannon now has published three novels.

Currently: Shannon lives in the Pacific Northwest with her husband, two kids, three cats, a dog and a crow.
Titles: Venus Envy, Venus Guy Trap, and The Kiss Test
Bio Retrieved from shannonmckelden.com

December 15, 2010
1 Comment
Guest Post: For Love of Writing by Donna VanLiere
For Writers

Guest Post: For Love of Writing by Donna VanLiere

For Love of Writing
Donna VanLiere
The Christmas Journey
www.donnavanliere.com

At every writer’s seminar or symposium you’ll hear someone from a publishing house or literary agency say to write about you love or what you know. Red Smith, the first sportswriter to win the Pulitzer Prize, said, “There’s nothing to writing. All you do is sit down at a typewriter and open a vein.” That’s easier said than done and impossible to do unless you’re pouring your heart into the words and writing about you know.

It’s those books, the ones that come from the place of knowing that are the ones worth reading—ones where the writer poured herself into the writing. Those are the novels that touch the reader to the core, prompting her to care more deeply or give more generously. Those are the stories that reach the far places of the reader’s heart making her angry at injustice or more passionate about the homeless. Eloquence and style have their place but for my money I’d rather read a book that was written with passion because it’s within those pages that I feel something.

In Hebrew, the word dabar means both word and action. A good book shouldn’t just say something but make you feel something. When I give a book away as a gift it’s always because the book did something to me. As a writer, you should always ask yourself, “What do I want the reader to feel?” because it’s not all about the words. There’s more. There’s helping the reader feel a little wiser, a little less alone, a little less afraid, a heap more grateful, a little more understanding, patient or loving, a bit more human and a lot more alive. Those are the books worth reading and the only ones worth writing.

December 14, 2010
1 Comment
The Kiss Test by Shannon McKelden
Chick Lit Review

The Kiss Test by Shannon McKelden

Margo Gentry has a great life. She works as a DJ to Manhattan’s only country music station, and just got a prestigious award that will likely come with promotions and praise. Her boyfriend is fabulous and understanding of Margo never wanting to get married. Her mother lives far far away, and can never just pop in for dinner. Yes, Margo has a great life.
Until it all explodes. The radio station gets bought out and all DJ’s lose their jobs- even Margo with her fancy new award. Her boyfriend suddenly decides marriage, kids, and moving to the suburbs is a must- something that makes Margo want to gag. And her mom calls to say she is getting married-for the 11th time!- and insists that Margo be her maid of honor. With no job and no place to live after refusing her boyfriend’s proposal, Margo finds comfort by living with her best friend Chris- until she realizes his house is just a revolving door for all women trying to pin him down by passing his “kiss test.” Chris, a friend from Margo’s childhood, insists she be a part of her mother’s wedding, and offers to drive her across the country to attend. Margo accepts his offer on one condition- they can stop by in Graceland to visit the home of Elvis- Margo’s obsession. The road trip turns out to be a test of their friendship- and of the kiss test.
I really enjoyed The Kiss Test by Shannon McKelden. The one-liners are hilarious, the situations Margo gets herself into are off the wall funny (the part where she has to sleep in a bathtub was the best!) and I thought this novel had some good life lessons buried under the humor. The friendship between Margo and Chris has a genuine feel to it, and I thought the road trip was the perfect way to show that. I did get a little overwhelmed with all the Elvis obsessions, but other than that, this is a super funny read and I recommend it to all chick lit fans!
Rating: 4/5

December 13, 2010
4 Comments
In My Mailbox: Week of December 12th
Updates

In My Mailbox: Week of December 12th

In My Mailbox: Week of December 12th

Title: Celebrities For Breakfast
Author: Shelley Stout
Received: From Shelley Stout
Synopsis: Personal shopper to the stars, Judith Collington, refuses to spend one more day in LA, answering the whiney demands of her Hollywood clientele. To escape, Judith and her seventh-grader, Shannon, give up their lucrative lifestyle to run a bed and breakfast in central Illinois. Judith prepares to purchase the property, until it changes hands in a poker game. New owner: Hollywood actor and part-time egomaniac, Ren Spencer. Judith installs Ren into the nearest guest room, where he insists on heated towels and meals on a tray. She would love to hate him, except he’s pathetic in an endearing sort of way. Oh, and did I mention he’s about to become engaged?

If you really want the latest, just read Shannon’s private computer journal. Her bedroom wall is plastered with posters of her all-time favorite star, but Shannon could care less if Ren Spencer’s a has-been at 35. He’s so hot, she can’t stop writing love stories about him. So what if Ren drinks too much and has to sober up in jail? And why can’t Shannon just have a normal mother like everybody else?

CELEBRITIES FOR BREAKFAST is a romantic comedy told through Judith’s voice, but sprinkled throughout are Shannon’s journal entries and Ren’s two cents.

Title: Blue
Author: Lou Aronica
Received: From Lou Aronica
Synopsis: Chris Astor is a man in his early forties who is going through the toughest stretch of his life. Becky is Chris’s fourteen-year-old daughter, a girl who overcame enormous challenges to become a vibrant, vital young woman – and now faces her greatest obstacle yet. Miea is the young queen of a fantasy land that Becky and Chris created when Becky was little, a fantasy land that has developed a life of its own and now finds itself in terrible, maybe fatal trouble. Together, Chris, Becky, and Miea need to uncover a secret. The secret to why their worlds have joined at this moment. The secret to their purpose. The secret to the future. It is a secret that, when discovered, will redefine imagination for all of them. Blue is a novel of trial and hope, invention and rediscovery. It might very well take you someplace you never knew existed.

Title: The Christmas Journey
Author: Donna VanLiere
Received: From Ann Staszaleck with AuthorsOntheWeb.com
Synopsis: The eighty-mile journey of a common carpenter and a simple peasant girl is one of the most powerful stories in history. As books go out of print and stories fade from memory, the journey of Joseph and Mary and her delivery inside a common barn continues to bless and inspire hope in people around the world.
Accompanied by moving and beautifully rendered original watercolor illustrations throughout, Donna’s signature voice retelling shows that the story of the Nativity is alive in our modern world.

December 12, 2010
1 Comment
Chick Lit Reading Challenge for 2011
Updates

Chick Lit Reading Challenge for 2011

I have been seeing a bunch of challenges popping up in the past week, but I have yet to see anything with just chick lit…so I decided to go for it and host my own! This will be my first year doing this, so there may be some bumps along the way, but I am excited to give it a try. So, welcome to the Chick Lit Plus Chick Lit Challenge for 2011!
Rules:
Challengers will read 12 chick lit books throughout 2011. You can obviously read more books of other genres, but you need at least 12 chick lit to count for this challenge.
Two of the twelve books need to be from debut authors. The debuts should be released in 2011. I am starting a new feature on my blog that will highlight new releases and debuts, so you can find suggestions there.
Start your own challenge post on your blog, and put the link in the Mister Linky below. This must be to the specific post mentioning the Chick Lit Plus Challenge, not just to your blog. This way, other challengers can link over to your page and see how you are doing! If you do not have a blog but wish to sign up, just email me at Samantha (at) chicklitplus (dot) com and I will get you signed up.
Please send me an email when you start a new book for the challenge. I will be doing a weekly post on the challenge, and I will mention all the books that are being read by challengers.
Starting in January, there will be a link specific to the challenge. Challengers can add their links to their book reviews.
Readers can join the challenge anytime between now and the later part of 2011. The books you read do not need to be selected beforehand, you can them add them as you go.
Prizes:
I have some fantastic authors that are willing to contribute their books to this challenge. There will be monthly prizes, and each reader who links over their reviews or emails me the book they are reading will be entered to win the monthly prize.
And that’s it! If you are wondering if a specific book will count towards chick lit, just send me an email and I will let you know. Also, if you have any trouble adding your URL below, send me an email with the link and I will get it added for you.
So I think that is it, but like I said, this is my first challenge I’m hosting, so if I missed anything please let me know, or I might be adding some info along the way. I hope you sign up and enjoy the challenge, and hopefully find some great books, authors, and new friends!

December 12, 2010
109 Comments