Chick Lit Plus by Samantha March

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Well-Heeled Writer Platform
For Writers

Well-Heeled Writer Platform

Building a writing platform is an important ingredient in finding success with our craft. I’m talking more about how we validate our work, answering the question … Why are you the one to write this Mystery/Romance/Family Drama/YA book? What expertise can you bring to the work? Take this chair, for instance. It definitely has “platform” going on. At the same time, it brings something fresh to the seat genre. But without that platform, the chair so lacks authority!

Platform is helpful in both fiction and nonfiction, and there are several ways a writer can build one. Some include holding an MFA. Are you a lawyer? Back up the legal thriller you’ve written with that title. Love to cook? Parlay that passion into your own unique cookbook.

Authority in a subject does lend credibility to a piece of writing, and can help influence agents, editors, and especially your reading audience. At the same time it gives you a rich knowledge of wisdom and experience to bring to the page, layering your story with authenticity.

For me, I’ve developed my blog as an extension of my novel Whole Latte Life. The blog looks at the same questions the book does, that of living our passions, whatever they may be. I’ve posed questions to my readers, initiated active dialogues in the Comments, and interviewed experts in the arts of music, writing, greeting card design, cooking, and others, to bring their experiences to my readers, and to build my own base of knowledge on the subject.

So think Platform … Consider your education, employment, hobby, expertise, craft, as a shoe-in to building your writing resume.

~Joanne

April 23, 2012
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In My Mailbox: Week of April 22
Chick Lit Plus

In My Mailbox: Week of April 22

Title: Unlocked
Author: Rachael O’Bryan
Received: Via CLP Blog Tours
Synopsis: In Unlocked The main character Rebecca takes the reader on a journey through a collection of short stories concerning nine guys she met while being a tutor in college for the football team. She recounts her struggles with love, friendship, self-confidence, trust, acceptance, and heartache. The stories indicate how people and relationships can really shape a person’s life.
The story is told in first person and Rebecca introduces herself to the reader in the beginning by providing some background about herself. Delving into the actual stories, the first story of the book, “The Costly Answer” finds Rebecca wondering if her answer to one question asked by her crush cost her a chance at a relationship after she spots him a few years later in a different city. In the second story, “He Better Not Touch My Doughnuts,” she shares her experiences dealing with trust in a friendship. In the third story, “Big Brother (Sometimes),” Rebecca shares her love for her quasi-big brother, but also admits that she could never truly let go of any doubts surrounding their friendship. In the following story, “The Truth Does Set You Free,” Rebecca discusses her relationship with a guy she had a crush on for quite awhile until she finally gives their friendship an honest review. The next story, “A Necessary Goodbye,” discusses naturally letting a friendship go. That story is followed by “The Perfect Imperfect Person to Love,” where Rebecca shares her deep love and commitment to a friend she fell for and her struggle to let go. “The Best Player on the Team,” is a story about Rebecca’s friendship with one of the football players that she admired on and off the field. Next is the story, “Words Can Hurt,” which discusses the pain of being there for someone and then realizing he may never have appreciated her. And finally, “Good Guys Always Finish Last” is a story where Rebecca realizes that there are decent guys out there, and sometimes they get overlooked.
Title: Dancing Naked in Dixie
Author: Lauren Clark
Received: Via CLP Blog Tours
Synopsis: Travel writer Julia Sullivan lives life in fast-forward. She jet sets to Europe and the Caribbean with barely a moment to blink or sleep. But too many mishaps and missed deadlines have Julia on the verge of being fired.
With a stern warning, and unemployment looming, she’s offered one last chance to rescue her career. Julia embarks on an unlikely journey to the ‘Heart of Dixie’—Eufaula, Alabama—home to magnificent mansions, sweet tea, and the annual Pilgrimage.
Julia arrives, soon charmed by the lovely city and her handsome host, but her stay is marred by a shocking discovery. Can Julia’s story save her career, Eufaula, and the annual Pilgrimage?
Title: The Ghost of Lily Painter
Author: Caitlin Davies
Received: Unsolicited, Random House UK
Synopsis: The first time Annie Sweet sees 43 Stanley Road, the Victorian house is so perfect she almost feels as though it has chosen her. She longs to move in, but with her husband increasingly distant, and her daughter wrapped up in her friends, Annie is left alone to mull over the past. Soon she becomes consumed by the house and everyone who has lived there before her, especially a young chorus girl called Lily Painter. As Annie delves further into Lily’s past she discovers a dark episode of two notorious baby farmers. Until Annie solves the mystery at the heart of the scandal, the ghost of Lily Painter will never be able to rest.

Title: I Couldn’t Love You More
Author: Jillian Medoff
Received: Amy @KMSPR
Synopsis: Which child would you save? A decision no parent can even fathom.

Eliot Gordon would do anything for her family. A 38-year-old working mother, she lives an ordinary but fulfilling life in suburban Atlanta with her partner, Grant Delaney, and their three daughters. The two older girls are actually Eliot’s stepdaughters, a distinction she is reluctant to make as she valiantly attempts to maintain a safe, happy household . . .

Then Finn Montgomery, Eliot’s long-lost first love, appears, triggering a shocking chain of events that culminates in a split-second decision that will haunt her beloved family forever. How Eliot survives-and what she loses in the process-is a story that will resonate with anyone who has ever loved a child. With hilarious honesty, wrenching depth, and a knockout twist, I COULDN’T LOVE YOU MORE illuminates the unbreakable bonds of family and reveals the lengths we’ll go to save each other, even as we can’t save ourselves.

April 22, 2012
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Surprise Me! by Nancy Goodman
Chick Lit Review

Surprise Me! by Nancy Goodman

Debut novel Surprise Me! by Nancy Goodman is an entertaining novel that follows main character Genie Burn and her chaotic life. The never-ending struggles that Genie face are entertaining to say the least … whether it be woeful dating issues, personal fears and holdups, binge/emotional eating, or simple everyday issues- Genie handles each issue with a fresh sense of humor and honesty. It isn’t too often that I find a book that I can relate to when it comes to dieting issues, but for some reason, I found Genie so appealing and real.

Nancy has struck gold with her first novel and I am so delighted that I got to be an early reader of this one. There are so many things that I enjoyed about Surprise Me! … but I think most of all, I really enjoyed Genie’s can-do-attitude. She is faced with dilemma after dilemma and never once failed to amaze me with her witty humor and her honest approach to living a life that she really wanted. I feel that as a reader, I’m often faced with books that deal with these issues in such a depressing, woe-is-me type of approach, and Nancy Goodman does a wonderful job at making you feel at peace with yourself.

April 20, 2012
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Charming Tuesday: A Beauty Favorite & Giveaway
Chick Lit Plus

Charming Tuesday: A Beauty Favorite & Giveaway

Chick Lit Plus is kicking off a fabulous new feature called “Charming Tuesday” on our website. Every Tuesday, we will choose a beauty product and narrow down our absolute favorites, often times featuring a giveaway of one (or two) of our beauty “must-have’s”. So, check back every Tuesday to see which products make the cut.

Charming Tuesday Product Of The Week: Conditioner

Samantha’s Must-Have:

I really found a winner when I bought Herbal Essences None of Your Frizzness Conditioner. I purchased the conditioner separately the first time, but have since bought the shampoo as well and think they are both fabulous. I’ve always been a big fan of Herbal Essences, but this conditioner really had me excited the first time I bought it. It smelled wonderful (though I haven’t run into a HE product that hasn’t) went on easy and really did make my hair frizz free. With so many products out there that boast results that I never see, I was thrilled that this one really worked. I definitely recommend Herbal Essences, and especially None of Your Frizzness if you deal with frizzy hair.

Sara’s Must-Have:

I have very, very thin hair … so most of the time, I don’t even use a conditioner because it really weighs my hair down. But, whenever I feel like my hair needs the extra moisture, my go-to conditioner is Aussie’s Moist 3 Minute Miracle. This product has been a long standing favorite of mine for YEARS (and my mom has also used it for as long as I can remember too). Now, what makes the 3 Minute Miracle so…miraculous you ask? Well, in my opinion, it is in the Australian aloe and jojoba oil that it contains. So, if you’ve been swimming in chlorine, dying your hair too frequently, or just need a deep conditioner …. give this bad boy a try! I promise you won’t regret it.

Chick Lit Plus will be giving away one Moist 3 Minute Miracle Deep Conditioner. Please leave a comment below and tell us what your all-time favorite conditioner is and we will select a winner at random by 6:00AM Friday Morning. Good luck!

April 17, 2012
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The Particular Sadness of Lemon Cake by Aimee Bender
Chick Lit Review

The Particular Sadness of Lemon Cake by Aimee Bender

The Particular Sadness of Lemon Cake by Aimee Bender follows young Rose Edelstein, whom at the age of nine, believes that she tastes something a little peculiar in her mother’s homemade lemon cake with chocolate icing. She reluctantly swallows it down, but realizes shortly after that she possesses the unique talent of being able to taste the emotions of whoever prepares her food. From that day forward, Rose has the unwanted insight into other people’s secret emotional lives. We also learn soon after that her brother and father both possess odd gifts as well, and that together they form an interesting trio with a magical twist.

I thoroughly enjoyed the whimsical tale about Rose. At first, I had a hard time wrapping myself around the book and the magical prose, but eventually I adjusted and was able to truly appreciate it. I think Aimee Bender does such a wonderful job at hiding what is really going on … and I think that adds to the enchantment of the tale. There are so many directions that Bender could have taken with this book, but I think she does an exceptional job at examining a family with some serious issues, spinning it on its heels, and creating a magical world in which the characters reside. Overall, I would recommend this book for anyone who is looking for something a little different.

[Rating: 3.5/5]

April 16, 2012
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In My Mailbox: Week of April 15
Chick Lit Plus

In My Mailbox: Week of April 15

In My Mailbox: Week of April 15

In Samantha’s Mailbox:

Title: One Breath Away
Author: Heather Gudenkauf
Received: From Kate @ Media Muscle
Synopsis: One School, one gunman, your child. One Breath Away is the story of one harrowing event seen through the eyes of five very different narrators. Nearing retirement, Evelyn Oliver has been teaching for forty three years and believes that she has seen it all until the safety of her classroom is compromised by a man with a grudge. When her school goes into lockdown all thirteen year old Augie Baker can think about is getting to her little brother. Instead she comes face to face with the intruder and quickly understands that she may be the only one who can save her brother, his classmates and his teacher. Holly Baker, Augie’s mother, lies miles away in an Arizona hospital recovering from a terrible accident, and can only wait helplessly while the horrors of the day unfold at her children’s school. Will Thwaite, Augie’s grandfather and pillar of the community, upon hearing of the siege at the school realizes that he may have lost the opportunity to repair his fragile relationships with his daughter and granddaughter. Police Officer Meg Barrett, the only woman on the small Broken Branch police force, has responded to domestic abuse calls, exploding meth labs, hunting and drunk driving accidents. She prides herself in being impervious to the emotion and heartache that often accompany her chosen profession, but nothing prepares her for the potential devastation this one lone man could have on her community and on her own future. As the minutes pass relentlessly, the hidden fears and grudges of the small town are revealed as the people of Broken Branch race to uncover the identity of the stranger who holds their children hostage.

Title: Prosper in Love
Author: Deborah Michael
Received: From Erin @ Penguin Group
Synopsis: A good marriage lasts forever…until it doesn’t.

From the start, Lynn and Jamie Prosper were one of those couples who seem meant to be—so content with each other that they barely notice the rest of the world nodding approvingly at their wedded bliss. But sometimes, even in the very best of marriages, all it takes is a mischievous outsider to bring the perfect couple toppling off the top of the wedding cake…
True, Jamie has been working so hard and traveling so much as a young lawyer that he hardly has enough energy to show his devotion. Not that Lynn, a junior museum curator, has any reason to question it. But when Lynn’s old college friend turns up at a cocktail party, chinks in their marriage’s previously unassailable armor start to show.
Suddenly, without meaning to, Lynn and Jamie have both acquired divorce lawyers. And those benevolent onlookers—meddling in-laws and competitive friends alike—eagerly bear witness to each new misstep. Is love really enough to make a marriage last?

In Sara’s Mailbox:

Title: I Never Promised You A Goodie Bag
Author: Jennifer Gilbert
Received: Angela Marzan
Synopsis: When Jennifer Gilbert was just a year out of college, a twenty-two-year-old fresh-faced young woman looking forward to a bright future, someone tried to cut her life short in the most violent way. But she survived, and not wanting this traumatic event to define her life, she buried it deep within and never spoke of it again.
She bravely launched a fabulous career in New York as an event planner, designing lavish parties and fairy-tale weddings. Determined to help others celebrate and enjoy life’s greatest moments, she was convinced she’d never again feel joy herself. Yet it was these weddings, anniversaries, and holiday parties, showered with all her love and attention through those silent, scary years, that slowly brought her back to life.
Always the calm in the event-planning storm—she could fix a ripped wedding dress, solve the problem of an undelivered wedding cake in the nick of time, and move a party with two days’ notice when disaster struck—there was no crisis that she couldn’t turn into a professional triumph. Somewhere along the way, she felt a stirring in her heart and began yearning for more than just standing on the sidelines living vicariously through other people’s lives. She fell in love, had her heart broken a few times, and then one day she found true love in a place so surprising that it literally knocked her out of her chair.
As Gilbert learned over and over again, no one’s entitled to an easy road, and some people’s roads are bumpier than others. But survive each twist and turn she does—sometimes with tears, sometimes with laughter, and often with both.
Warm, wise, alternately painful and funny, I Never Promised You a Goodie Bag is an inspiring memoir of survival, renewal, and transformation. It’s a tale about learning to let go and be happy after years of faking it, proving that while we can’t always control what happens to us, we can control who we become. And instead of anticipating our present in a goodie bag at the end of an event, we realize our presence at every event is the real gift.
Title: Yesterday’s News
Author: Kajsa Ingemarsson
Received: Sarah @Smith Publicity
Synopsis: Yesterday’s News begins with Agnes, a small-town girl lost in a sea of woe in big city Stockholm. She’s been fired by an abusive boss, dumped by an unfaithful boyfriend and victimized by her own optimism. Agnes is depressed, despondent and ready for a change. But as the nature of change dictates, Agnes has no idea how wild a ride she’s in for – nor how complete her transformation will be.

April 15, 2012
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In My Mailbox: Week of April 8
Chick Lit Plus

In My Mailbox: Week of April 8

In Samantha’s Mailbox:

Title: The Divorced Lady’s Companion to Living in Italy

Author: Catherine McNamara

Received: From Catherine McNamara

Synopsis: Marilyn Wade, half-Hungarian divorcée and mother of unflinching teens, moves to Milan to remap her womanhood. Rumour had it that Marilyn s old icon Jean Harper met her Milanese lover on a singles trip to Macchu Pichu and went to Italy to bear their love child. But sexy glamorous Milan is about as unfeeling as a Prada bag. The streets are full of mile-high models, immigrants and remarkable men in suits. Who will she meet as she acquires a taste for grappa-laced espresso in bars and learns Italian in a room with George Clooney? Marilyn s entanglements involve punishing grammar lessons with a virile agronomist, stolen D&G heels and kisses with astonishing views, a kinky Hong Kong benefactor and a stirring love scene set in Venice. All this as she moves towards a dodgy Italian nirvana with lederhosen and a spread in Hello! magazine. Will Marilyn ever find herself and a way to conjugate Italian verbs? A non-cautionary tale for mothers of teenagers, late bloomers and lovers of the cocktail hour.

Title: BaSatai: Outside In

Author: Suzan Battah

Received: Via CLP Blog Tours

Synopsis: Seventeen year old, Armani Radnelaq a full blooded BaSatai is plagued by a curse in her blood. A curse created from hate and designed to break the divide between two parallel worlds of Earth and H-trae when Armani’s blood is spilled in attack and she dies.

S’teuqoubs have been travelling back and forth across the divide for centuries without trouble. The BaSatai and Guardians monitoring activity and enforcing rules to ensure peace and harmony but if the divide splits and opens, a much greater number of supernatural S’teuqoubs will filter into earth destroying equilibrium which the BaSatai and Guardians will be unable to control. Humanity and the BaSatai will suffer and perish. The parallel divide must remain secure at all costs.

Armani has remained hidden on earth with her adopted father Elijah since her birth. She has been raised in the human way and fights her natural instinct to evolve into a BaSatai. The BaSatai in her requires her to evolve and shift, use her powers and strength. Yet Armani is freaked out by the need to shift. She smokes, has a bad attitude, must deal with aggressive bullies and control her natural BaSatai instinct. Her Guardian with BaSatai Warriors are coming for her. She refuses to accept her fate and doesn’t believe any BaSatai should die to protect her.

The blood curse maturing in her veins makes her a target for her enemies. Her Guardian Karhl and an elite BasSatai Warrior Rafael are the first to arrive and prepare her for her crossing over. Her attraction to Rafael complicates her purpose to stay on earth even more. They both insist she fall into line and follow their lead but she is not ready to leave earth just yet…

Title: Cinnamon Roll Murder

Author: Joanne Fluke

Received: Unsolicited, Kensington

Synopsis: When Hannah Swensen hears that the Cinnamon Roll Six jazz band will be playing at a festival in Lake Eden, Minnesota, she bakes up a supply of their namesake confections to welcome them. But tragedy strikes when their tour bus overturns on its way into town. And keyboard player Buddy Neiman’s minor injuries turn deadly serious when someone plunges surgical scissors into his chest…Turns out, Buddy Neiman isn’t the victim’s real name. In fact, no one is really sure who he is. Hannah’s investigation digs up a few local suspects. There is Doctor Bev, who seems to know more about “Buddy” than she’s willing to admit. And Devon, an aspiring keyboard player who may have had a fatal case of jealousy. Hannah isn’t sure how she’ll unravel the mystery, but one thing’s for sure: there’s nothing sweeter than bringing a killer to justice…

Title: The Runaway Actress

Author: Victoria Connelly

Received: Unsolicited, Avon Books

Synopsis: When the stresses of being an A-list actress get too much for her, Connie Gordon decides to escape to a tiny Scottish village. But little does she realise that whilst Lochnabrae might be quiet, it’s far from sleepy…
The latest charming novel from chick-lit’s answer to Richard Curtis.

Beautiful, rich, famous – and seriously stressed, actress Connie Gordon is ready for a change. Deciding to accept an invitation from her fan club in Scotland, Connie kisses goodbye to her ex-boyfriends, stalkers and double-crossing agents, and prepares herself for complete relaxation.

But swapping the Hollywood Hills for the Highlands of Scotland doesn’t make for the easiest of transitions and, when she meets local playwright, Alastair McInnes, who’s sworn he’ll never become involved with another actress again, sparks fly, and the sleepy village of Lochnabrae will never be the same again.

The Runaway Actress is a romantic comedy about friends, fans and family, and finding a place that you can call home.

In Sara’s Mailbox:

Title: + One

Author: Brian Baleno

Received: Brian Baleno

Synopsis: In + One, Brian Baleno has rendered in vivid contours and colors the age-old human struggle between love and work, a conflict made all the more acute when one happens to love one’s work, as well as one’s romantic partner. Jake, our protagonist, finds himself wedged into an impossible predicament, and what endures most within the reader—besides the sheer, smooth skill of the language—is this man’s valiant attempt to navigate between the Scylla and Charybdis of his existence. This novel will stand as an emblem for all those whose life course takes them down the road less traveled, a road not meant only for couples.

Title: Surprise Me

Author: Nancy Goodman

Received: Aaron Goldfarb

Synopsis: “Surprise Me!” is not your typical chick lit. Though it is a novel about a woman, Genie Burns, who runs a company that plans surprise parties for people even as she struggles to find Mr. Right amongst three suitors, at the crux of the book is the story of Genie’s emotional eating issues and how she overcomes them.

April 8, 2012
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The Break-Up Test by Rose McClelland
Chick Lit Review

The Break-Up Test by Rose McClelland

The Break-Up Test by Rose McClelland is a sweet, heartwarming story about love and its many faces. The story introduces us to the three main characters early on: Amy, Beth, and Sarah. All three are good looking, smart, kind, and intelligent women with one thing in common – rotten taste in men. They each have their own story and problem to deal with. Amy is strictly used as a booty-call. Beth is desperate. And Sarah is sleeping with a committed man – kind of. Upon hearing about their disastrous dating lives, mutual friend Jamie creates a list of items called “The Break-Up Test” that he feels will bring three girls better success with love. Will they clean up their acts? Will The Break-Up Test cure their dating woes? Only time will tell, but many dating adventures await them in the mean time.

I absolutely adored The Break-Up Test and found it endearingly heartfelt. The writing was witty and humorous and I thought that Rose McClelland created very realistic dating scenarios that many women (and some men) deal with on a daily basis- now if only we all had someone like Jamie come along and cure our dating woes. Speaking of Jamie, he was by far my favorite character. I found him sweet and charming … a modern day Romeo and I absolutely loved the way Rose handled his love interest. Overall, the story is sweet and I really enjoyed it. I would recommend it to anyone looking for a light read with some humor.

April 6, 2012
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The Cinderella Blues by Obren Bokich
Chick Lit Review

The Cinderella Blues by Obren Bokich

The Cinderella Blues by Obren Bokich tells the story of Kat, a charming yet hopeless romantic, who is imaginative in a very endearing way. The story follows her as she juggles both her miserable job and the search for her true “Prince Charming”. She ventures through the dating scene with optimism and stumbles a few times, but ultimately learns to trust herself and her heart and in doing so, she realizes that she may end up with her happy ending (in more ways than one) after all.

I thoroughly enjoyed The Cinderella Blues and found it delightfully heartfelt and witty. I think Bokich did a wonderful job at creating a character that most women can identify with, as well as life situations that many of us experience ourselves. Being single in a city like LA is a task in itself, and I think Kat does so in a very realistic and charming way. I absolutely adored the relationships that Kat has throughout the book, especially the one with Cooper- whom I think is a heart throb in his own right! Overall, this book was a joy to read and I found myself laughing out loud at several parts. A great book to share with your girlfriends!

April 5, 2012
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