Interview with Cynthia Ellingsen
When did you know writing was for you? It hit me like a handful of glitter in the third grade. My awesome teacher…
The Whole Package by Cynthia Ellingsen
Three friends have lost it all. Doris finds out her husband is having an affair, Cheryl lost her fantastic job, and Jackie is poor after her husband passes away and leaves her with debt. When the three high school friends get together once again, now in their forties, they feel like everything is crashing around them. When they get an idea to reclaim their lives, their independence, and their happiness, it comes in the form of an unexpected business venture- a restaurant. But not just any old restaurant- a place where women can come for a delicious meal with a side of a yummy, half-naked waiter. The Whole Package centers on giving women some eye candy, a little show, and great food. But can the friends make their business succeed, or will their restaurant go bust- along with their friendships?
The Whole Package by Cynthia Ellingsen is a heartfelt story that still provides comedic relief. The idea behind the restaurant is a bit silly and out there, but I thought the ending was pitch perfect. The friendship between the three women is complex yet so utterly truthful. Each character well written and developed, and I enjoyed that they were in a different place in their lives. Doris was watching her marriage crumble and struggling to parent her teenage daughter, Jackie was still mourning her husband but having thoughts about her lawyer and late husband’s best friend, and Cheryl is the single gal that can’t seem to commit. I loved reading about all three of them, and was cheering for each woman to succeed. The middle seemed to lag a bit for me, but I definitely recommend The Whole Package. A delightful read from a new author that clearly has a way with the written word.
[Rating: 4.5]
Guest Post from Cynthia Ellingsen
Chick Lit Plus, thank you so much for hosting me today! I am delighted to talk with you about the writing process for my first book, The Whole Package.
The Whole Package is a story about three women who lose everything. One loses her job, one loses her fortune and one loses her husband. Together, they open the world’s first restaurant exclusively staffed by scantily clad men. Even though this is a comical premise, the story is actually about the strong friendship these three women share.
Because the story I wanted to write was based around three strong distinct female characters, I was faced with the task of creating them. Before I could even get started, I thought a lot about what I wanted from the three of them as a unit. It was important to me that these women were fine interesting and entertaining, as well as the best of friends. Then, I started thinking about what I wanted from them on an individual basis. I wanted characters that women could easily relate to but at the same time were interesting and unique.
Creating a character from scratch has to start somewhere, right? When I was writing the character Jackie, I had no idea where to start. I knew I wanted someone artistic, enigmatic and who was the pack leader, but I know anything about her. Well… I did have a fabulous friend who loved Angel perfume. For some reason, the smell of this perfume made me think of a woman with fluffy blonde hair, who charmed absolutely everyone who met her. Angel perfume. Such a tiny detail. It’s small, but it was more than enough to begin building who Jackie would become.
While a painter might use broad brush strokes to create a painting, I have always found that when I use broad strokes to write, those characters end up well… broad. There is an expression that “God is in the details” and I find that to be especially true when trying to invent a character. It is very hard for me to create a character without knowing the tiny little details about that person.
What do I mean when I say broad brush strokes? A broad brush stroke is like saying, “I want to have a comical best friend in my story.” A broad character trait like comical is not something I have an easy time writing if I don’t know those tiny little details that make up who this comical person is.
In The Whole Package, I think of Doris as a comical character. But the thing that make her so funny to me are the details and aspects of her personality – the things that she likes and dislikes – that make her come to life. For example, when building Doris, I knew that she had a weakness for Godiva chocolates, that her favorite time period was when she played soccer in high school and that finding simple order in a white room or a row of perfectly lined up sweaters brought her joy. Knowing these tiny details about Doris made it much easier to delve into the larger issues that make her she is.
Once I had a grasp on the smaller details, I started to put the puzzle pieces together to create the whole. During this process, I learned that Doris loved Godiva chocolates because she was going through a hard time and found comfort in chocolate. The fact that these chocolates were Godiva served as another clue – Doris clearly had some money if she could purchase premium chocolates instead of something you’d grab at the checkout.
Another piece I paid attention to was the knowledge that Doris also found comfort in a white room and a clean house. Again, comfort. Why did she need so much comfort? Well, that’s when I started to discover that there was a lot going on with Doris. That there was a reason Doris needed all of that comfort. It was because she had lost her mother, was desperately unhappy and living in the past. Oh. And she was married. And that her husband didn’t understand the depression she was going through, which was pushing him away and…
Doris began to develop as a character.
Of course, every writer is different. Ultimately, it’s just a matter of finding what works for you. In the end, there’s really only one thing that matters: that you have fallen in love with your characters. That you’ll miss them when they’re not around every day, telling you their problems. It’s that moment of complete, pure love that means you’re on the right track.
Let me know your writing tips and tricks. Visit me at www.cynthiaellingsen.com
GIVEAWAY: The Whole Package by Cynthia Ellingsen
Life has thrown childhood friends Jackie, Cheryl, and Doris a few curveballs. Widowed and broke, Jackie returns home from an extravagant life in Paris, Doris is reliant on anti-depressants, and Cheryl’s plans for a corporate take-over are replaced with walking papers. But after a drunken night sampling the delights at strip club for women, the ladies stumble upon a genius idea and decide to open up The Whole Package—the world’s first restaurant staffed exclusively by very attractive men. Armed with Jackie’s connections, Doris’ ambition, and Cheryl’s business sense, the ladies set out to make their mark in the world.
With THE WHOLE PACKAGE, Ellingsen effortlessly depicts the many dynamics of friendship and the resilient bond of women and friends who manage to work through hardship and have an outrageous amount of fun.
I have one print copy of The Whole Package by Cynthia Ellingsen for giveaway! To enter, please leave a comment below. The winner will be chosen on Friday, August 5th. Please note this is open to US/Canada residents only. Thank you to Erin with The Penguin Group for sponsoring this giveaway!
Debut Authors and Titles: July/August 2011
Debut Authors and Titles: July/ August 2011
Title: Twenty-eight and a Half Wishes
Author: Denise Grover Swank
Available: July 12, 2011
Synopsis: For Rose Gardner, working at the DMV on a Friday afternoon is bad even before she sees a vision of herself dead. She’s had plenty of visions, usually boring ones like someone’s toilet’s overflowed, but she’s never seen one of herself before. When her overbearing momma winds up murdered on her sofa instead, two things are certain: There isn’t enough hydrogen peroxide in the state of Arkansas to get that stain out, and Rose is the prime suspect.
Rose realizes she’s wasted twenty-four years of living and makes a list on the back of a Wal-Mart receipt: twenty-eight things she wants to accomplish before her vision comes true. She’s well on her way with the help of her next door neighbor Joe, who has no trouble teaching Rose the rules of drinking, but won’t help with number fifteen– do more with a man. Joe’s new to town, but it doesn’t take a vision for Rose to realize he’s got plenty secrets of his own.
Somebody thinks Rose has something they want and they’ll do anything to get it. Her house is broken into, someone else she knows is murdered, and suddenly, dying a virgin in the Fenton County jail isn’t her biggest worry after all.
Title: Idol
Author: Carrie Duffy
Available: August 2011
Synopsis: A hugely entertaining and glamorous debut, perfect for fans of the X-Factor, from an exciting new voice in young women’s fiction. A hugely entertaining and glamorous debut, perfect for fans of the X-Factor, from an exciting new voice in young women’s fiction. Meet Jenna Jonsson and Sadie Laine: two gorgeous, glamorous twenty-somethings fighting to make it to the top of their chosen professions. Beautiful and talented, Jenna is an international pop star, determined to take her career to the next level. And when a chance meeting leads to an opportunity for Jenna to work with world-famous rock band Phoenix, Jenna is quick to agree – although her decision is somewhat influenced by Nick Taylor, the drummer with Phoenix and the most gorgeous man Jenna has ever met…Meanwhile, Sadie is a struggling dancer and a childhood rival of Jenna’s. Ambitious and passionate, she is determined to fulfil her dreams. And a move to Las Vegas yields an unmissable career opportunity and a chance at true love. Jenna and Sadie’s lives are about to collide but will sparks fly? Or will they be able to put the past behind them?
Title: The Whole Package
Author: Cynthia Ellingsen
Available: August 2, 2011
Synopsis: It’s a man’s world-but in this outrageous debut, the girls aren’t playing by the rules.
For lifelong friends Jackie, Cheryl, and Doris, life hasn’t turned out according to plan. But after a drunken night sampling the delights at a strip club for women, the ladies stumble upon an ingenious idea and open up The Whole Package-the world’s first restaurant staffed exclusively by very attractive men. Mixing business with pleasure can be risky, but for these three best friends, getting a little bit outrageous just might be what it takes to make their mark in the world.
In My Mailbox: Week of July 17
In My Mailbox: Week of July 17, 2011
Title: Twang
Author: John Schlimm
Received: From Ann-Marie @ Get Red PR
Synopsis: In TWANG: a novel, former Country Music publicist John Schlimm peels back the industry-crafted cliché of Nashville and its beloved superstars. He takes readers backstage of the sold-out concerts, inside the homes and heads of Nashville’s elite, and introduces them to a side of show business that has yet to be revealed. Readers are whisked away on a wild ride to a provocative and quirky place with fictional characters, who seem strikingly familiar, and who will leave the readers shocked, titillated, laughing, and realizing that the real world of Country Music is far more compelling and scandal-ridden than they could ever have imagined.
Title: One Flight Up
Author: Susan Fales-Hill
Received: From Cristina @ Simon and Schuster
Synopsis: What happens after happily-ever-after fades? Can the answer be found one flight up?
India, Abby, Esme, and Monique have all been friends since their days at Manhattan’s Sibley School for Girls. From the outside, these four women—all grown up now—seem to be living ideal lives, yet each finds herself suddenly craving more.
India Chumley is a whip-smart divorce lawyer who routinely declines the marriage proposals of her charming French boyfriend, Julien. She’s taking the first plunge by moving in with him, but she’s keeping her own apartment—and keeping it a secret from him.
Abby Rosenfeld Adams is an irrepressibly upbeat gallery owner who married her WASP college sweet heart, a passionate but tormented sculptor. When she suspects he is cheating on her, she realizes that perhaps there’s more to life than reassuring her husband of his artistic brilliance.
Esme Sarmiento Talbot is a Colombian Scarlett O’Hara, bored with her proper Connecticut life and her tame, all-American husband. In order to satisfy her sensuality, she escapes to Manhattan and distracts herself with casual encounters.
A card-carrying member of Harlem’s thriving buppie-ocracy and a successful gynecologist, Monique Dawkins-Dubois is married to a powerful but dull financier who barely notices her anymore. When an attractive coworker beckons, Monique can’t help but be flattered.
The most straitlaced of them all, India is dismayed by her friends’ illicit activities. That is, until her ex-fiancé, the love of her life and the destroyer of her heart, reappears in New York— and she finds herself caught between the dependable man she thought was her future and the man she never quite let go of.
Dazzling and sexy, One Flight Up is an irresistible comedic romp through the boardrooms, bedrooms, and ballrooms of Manhattan and Paris.
Title: The Whole Package
Author: Cynthia Ellingsen
Received: From Erin @ Penguin Group
Synopsis: It’s a man’s world-but in this outrageous debut, the girls aren’t playing by the rules.
For lifelong friends Jackie, Cheryl, and Doris, life hasn’t turned out according to plan. But after a drunken night sampling the delights at a strip club for women, the ladies stumble upon an ingenious idea and open up The Whole Package-the world’s first restaurant staffed exclusively by very attractive men. Mixing business with pleasure can be risky, but for these three best friends, getting a little bit outrageous just might be what it takes to make their mark in the world.
