Happy 2nd Birthday Chick Lit Plus!
I am a bad, bad girl. I forgot a very special birthday- the 2nd birthday of Chick Lit Plus! Man, I felt like such a…
Most Intriguing Concept Nominees
The nominees for Best Novel with the most Intriguing Concept:
The One That I Want by Allison Winn Scotch
Tuesday Tells it Slant by Holly Christine
The Lies We Told by Diane Chamberlain
Espressologist by Kristina Springer
Bulletproof Mascara by Bethany Maines
Please vote for your favorite by commenting below. Everyone who votes is entered to win!
Best Tear Jerker Nominees
The nominees for Best Tear-Jerker Novel:
Firefly Lane by Kristin Hannah
Promises to Keep by Jane Green
The Opposite of Me by Sarah Pekkanen
The Lies We Told by Diane Chamberlain
On Folly Beach by Karen White
Please vote for your favorite by commenting below. Everyone who votes is entered to win!
The Lies We Told by Diane Chamberlain
Maya and Rebecca Ward are two sisters who share a special bond. Both doctors, the girls witnessed the murder of their parents when they were young, an incident that has shaped the rest of their lives. Maya, the younger sister, works as a pediatric orthopedist, married to Adam, yet another doctor. The couple has hit a hard point in their marriage, as Maya has suffered through multiple miscarriages. Rebecca is a free-spirited risk-taker, working for Doctors International Disaster Aid, which takes her all over the world helping people after disaster strikes. She has no interest in settling down and starting a family like her sister.
When hurricanes devastate North Carolina, Rebecca is one of the first on the scene. She convinces Adam to join her in the rescue and relief mission, and after seeing all the children in need, Adam convinces Maya to join them. While Maya prefers her clean hospital and safe house over a ravaged city, sleeping in tents, and little food, she thinks her marriage will be helped if she joins her husband and sister. But when Maya’s helicopter goes down, everyone aboard is assumed dead. Rebecca and Adam are devastated over the loss of Maya- and turn to each for consolation.
The Lies We Told by Diane Chamberlain is a deeply complicated story of family, betrayal, and forgiveness. The changing point of views between the sisters offer an intimidate look at each of their stories on their parents murder and other past events that has led them to their adult lives. I found this novel to be a page-turner, unable to put it down for chapters at a time. My heart ached for all the characters involved, and Chamberlain’s writing was beautiful and well researched. I was truly transported to the hurricane ravaged North Carolina, and felt that I could walk in the characters’ shoes. If only it weren’t for the ending, this novel would receive a 5 star rating. The last five chapters had my interest for a good hour, I had to see how the characters resolved the many problems they faced, and I was disappointed. I won’t ruin the ending for anybody, but I am curious to see if any other readers had the same reaction I did. Overall, I would recommend The Lies We Told, but be prepared for the ending to leave you unsatisfied.
Interview with Diane Chamberlain
Q: What gave you the inspiration and drive to start writing?
A. My Dad was a school principal who brought home books for us every week. I read so much that I began narrating my own life in my head. “Diane reluctantly got out of bed, dragged herself to the bathroom and brushed her teeth.” I had an unstoppable imagination and began writing my own little books when I was twelve and I haven’t stopped since.
Q: What part of writing would you say is the most difficult?
A. For me, the hardest part is fitting the pieces of the plot puzzle together. My stories are always so complex that I often write myself into a corner. That first draft, as I figure out how to make what happens engrossing and believable yet at the same time surprising, is my biggest challenge.
Q: You used to run a private psychotherapy clinic. What did you most enjoy about going to work every day there?
A. I worked primarily with teenagers and they were a joy. As a teen myself, I spent a few years in therapy and I felt a kinship with my clients. I loved knowing that I was able to help them the way I’d been helped.
Q: How do your degrees in social work tie in with your novels?
A. Being a social worker gave me insight into what makes people tick. More than anything, though, as a social worker I was a witness to how strong and resilient people can be in the face of crisis and trauma. I borrow those characteristics to use in my novels. I like my characters to ultimately triumph over their problems, but that’s only possible if they have something tough to overcome.
Q: Your first book, Private Relations, won a RITA award for Best Single Title Contemporary Novel. How did you celebrate that achievement?
A. That was such a high for me! Private Relations was not a typical book to win the RITA and I was shocked and thrilled. While sitting at the table waiting for the winners to be announced, I’d taken off my shoes and I was so surprised when my name was called that I forgot to put them back on. I went up on stage and received the RITA from Jude Devereau in bare feet. (There’s a picture on the Gallery page of my website). The RWA conference was held in San Francisco, so my then-husband and I celebrated with a trip down the coast to Big Sur, one of my favorite places.
Q: What do you hope readers take away from your books?
A. More than anything, I hope they will be entertained. I love hearing that someone stayed up all night to finish one of my books. If they feel inspired and touched by my characters, that’s a bonus.
Q: You have been diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis, which can make typing extremely difficult. I’ve read you sometimes rely on voice recognition to get your writing onto paper. How amazing is it to be able to use this technology?
A. I’m very fortunate that I rarely have to use voice recognition now. The medications for RA have improved to the extent that I can usually type all day long without a problem. I’m glad, though, to know that technology still exists and of course I have it installed on my computer. I did write two books using voice recognition entirely. It’s both wonderful and annoying, because it makes a lot of mistakes as it tries to make sense of what you say. One of my favorite voice recognition mistakes is this: I said “The feeling was quick and unbidden, but welcome nonetheless,” and the voice recognition program typed “Panasonic’s business decisions upset its chicken’s contraceptives.” You can see the problem!
Q: I just received your latest book, The Lies We Told. Just from the synopsis I am already hooked. Where did the plot idea revolving around the two sisters lives come from?
A. I usually start with a situation in mind, and that was the case with The Lies We Told. The situation was that a woman is presumed dead and while her husband and sister grieve for her, they develop a very close relationship, ultimately falling in love, not knowing that their sister and wife is still alive. With that basic idea in mind, I then came up with the storyline that would create those circumstances. In this case, I made all three characters doctors working with a relief agency after a hurricane.
Q: How do you enjoy your ‘me-time?’
A. We have an oceanfront condominium on the North Carolina coast. Although we rent it out during the summer, we enjoy it off and on the rest of the year. I feel rejuvenated when I go there. I love spending time on the beach with my dogs. Just being near the water lifts me up.
Q: What would be your best advice for aspiring writers?
A. Don’t give up, but make sure your writing is the very best it can be before you try to get an agent or a publisher. I think too many writers these days rush their work to publication before it’s ready and then wonder why it’s rejected. I write five drafts of my book before my editor sees it, and another draft after she and I discuss revisions. Get feedback from trusted, honest readers to help you hone your story and polish your work.
Q: What would be your dream vacation?
A. A month in a villa in Tuscany with a group of friends, all of whom love to cook! I’d have my work-in-progress with me, of course. I’m happiest when I have a project, even on vacation.
In My Mailbox: Week of May 17
In My Mailbox: Week of May 17th
Title: The Lies We Told
Author: Diane Chamberlain
Received: From Diane Chamberlain
Synopsis: Maya and Rebecca Ward are both accomplished physicians, but that’s where the sisters’ similarities end. As teenagers, they witnessed their parents’ murder, but it was Rebecca who saved Maya from becoming another of the gunman’s victims. The tragedy left Maya cautious and timid, settling for a sedate medical practice with her husband, Adam, while Rebecca became the risk taker.
After a devastating hurricane hits the coast of North Carolina, Rebecca and Adam urge Maya to join them in the relief effort. To please her husband, Maya finally agrees. She loses herself in the care and transport of victims, but when her helicopter crashes into raging floodwaters, there appear to be no survivors.
Forced to accept Maya is gone, Rebecca and Adam turn to one another—first for comfort, then in passion—unaware that, miles from civilization, Maya is injured and trapped with strangers she’s not certain she can trust. Away from the sister who has always been there to save her, now Maya must find the courage to save herself—unaware that the life she knew has changed forever.
Title: The Sky is Everywhere
Author: Jandy Nelson
Received: From Jandy Nelson
Synopsis: When her fiery older sister Bailey dies, the air is sucked from Lennie’s world. Torn from the safety of her sister’s shadow, she finds herself taking centre stage of her own life and, despite a nonexistent history with boys, suddenly she’s struggling to balance two. First there’s Toby. But what kind of girl falls for her dead sister’s boyfriend? Then there’s Joe, the new boy in town, with a jaw-dropping grin. But how dare Lennie feel joy so soon? It doesn’t seem right that anything good can come out of Bailey’s death- does it?
