Chick Lit Goddess

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Writing the Right Way

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Grammar.  Is it really that hard to write grammatically correct?  The answer should be no, but for some people, the answer is yes.  When one is reading something and it isn’t written smoothly, it might be hard for the reader to understand what the writer is trying to relay, (a period, comma, or an apostrophe in the wrong place can change the meaning of what is meant to be said.  Misspelled words can be a problem too, (ex. Right vs. Write and To, Too, Two).

Now, I know that I’m not 100% perfect when it comes to my grammar, but I at least try to make my writing seem smooth, and easy for the reader.

Often times, when I read someone’s work, and they haven’t put the time and effort into their grammar, it really irritates me.  Sometimes, it make me wonder if they even care about their work.  Yes, writing is hard work (coming up with a story, creating characters, inserting conflict…), but isn’t using grammar part of the writing process too?

A great website that explains grammar perfectly, is http://theoatmeal.com/.  I love two of their posters, http://theoatmeal.com/comics/misspelling and http://theoatmeal.com/comics/apostrophe.

My advice, if you want to be a writer and want to have something published, be sure that your grammar is great, and learn it if you don’t know it already.  Oh, and this is key — many publishers will automatically put your work in the “slush” pile if you do not write correctly.

I Write Chick-Lit Because…

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Before I explain why I want to be a Chick-Lit writer, let me give you the definition.  According to http://www.dictionary.com, Chick-Lit is “a genre of fiction concentrating on young working women and their emotional lives.

I’ve read several genres of books — mystery, biographies, non-fiction, YA, romance, and of course, the sub-genre of romance, Chick-Lit.  I don’t really remember my first “woman’s fiction” as they sometimes call it, but the earliest I do remember is reading “Bad Boys,” by the late Olivia Goldsmith.  Right away, I could relate to the Heroine, on more levels than one.  It was an easy read, fun, and I was sad when the book ended.  (Just maybe, like her book “The First Wives’ Club,” it will be turned into a movie).  After I read “Bad Boys,” I was on a hunt to find other similar books.  At the time though, Chick-Lit was only slowly emerging, so it was difficult to find good authors, but when I finally did, I found two — Emily Giffin and Jennifer Weiner.  I have come to love these two amazing writers, and find myself lost in their stories.  I think that their styles are very much alike, though very distinct in their own ways: Emily Giffin’s stories are the books with the happy ending…and everything ends how you want it to.  With Jennifer Weiner’s stories, there is still the happy ending, but I feel that at the end, her books send some sort of message.

Now, onto why I write Chick-Lit…Have you ever just wanted to write you “biography” or re-write your early/mid adult life, but not want anyone to know that it’s your story?  As a woman in my late twenties, I’m writing a story, Second Thoughts of the Sexless Fiancée. In some parts, certain instances and feelings are written. Another reason I’m writing Chick-Lit is because I’m writing what I know…life in my twenties/thirties.

I would love to entertain readers of all ages, and have them enjoy my stories.

My goal is to write a bestseller Chick-Lit and have it be turned into a movie…wish me luck!

Distractions When Writing! (Oh, I did something stupid tonight!)

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For about the past week or so, I haven’t really focused on Second Thoughts of the Sexless Fiancée as I want to, and I think I know why — it’s all because of being distracted way too easily!  Yes, it might be the excitement of the renovation process (YEA), annoying E-mail alerts that are invading my inbox, Thorndike crying (yes, I mean crying), the phone ringing, I’m either too hot or too cold, and worse of all, I have a brain fart and have no idea what my characters want to say or do.  These are only a few reasons why I can’t get motivated to write and I don’t even know where to start!  I have read, taken, and have tried my best at trying to stay focused, but nothing has worked, but I’m hoping to change that, and so far, since March, I have — thanks to the classes at GWW. (That reminds me of the stupid thing I did tonight, but I’ll get to that later).

Anyway, in search of really good advice, I decided to Google “distractions when writing.”  On the 9th (sad, I know) result, I finally found a very well written article.  I didn’t feel like the writer was like, “sit there until you come up with something to write” “train yourself to focus,” “don’t take breaks – they’re bad…,” and the list goes on.  Along with what he writer said to not do, he gave examples, which seem to make sense.  Here is the article: http://writetodone.com/2008/01/09/how-to-write-without-distractions/.  All 10 of these tactics, seems pretty reasonable, so I’m eager to get started!

So…I’m sure you’re wondering what stupid thing I did was, aren’t you?  Well, last night, I signed up for Fiction Advanced.  That begins on September 8th, and ends on November 17th.  I was cool with just that, because of all that is going on right now (a few very exciting things), I thought that would be enough…but then tonight, I was in the Lounge with some great and inspiring ladies, and one amazing instructor, and I found out that there is a Romance Advanced class, and…yep, I signed up.  That class begins on October 6th, and ends on December 15th.  Oh, yay, for overlapping!  After I took a breath and calmed down, only after realizing what I had done, I feel like I’m more energized in my writing than I have been, though really it never stopped, but merely came to a slow speed.  In all honesty with myself, I truly believe that if I continue on with thee GWW classes, I will maybe have a completed manuscript, and then comes the fun part — writing a query letter!

The Past, The Present & Future of these Things We Call Books

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When I was a kid, one of my favorite smells was the smell of a book.  There was nothing like it, and there still isn’t, but times are changing, and though I must admit that some pretty cool stuff has been and probably will be invented, I’m going to miss flipping the pages when I read my children a bedtime story.

From the original hard back Golden Books, The Berenstain Bears, The Baby-Sitter’s Club series, and numerous Judy Blume classics, time has changed, and so has the way books are made.  There are no longer the hard back covers of the Golden Books, The baby-sitter’s are grown ups and probably have their own kids, and these days, children don’t know who Stan and Jan Berenstain and Judy Blume are.  I always had a book in my hand, and often, got made fun of by my brother, but I treasure each and every book I’ve ever read.  (If only I knew exactly how many!)

Right now I feel that we are at the end of paper and at the beginning of reading books on computers, iPhones, Blackberry’s, Kindles…oh, and don’t forget about the Nook.  (Now, don’t get me wrong, I have a Kindle, and love it, but as a book lover, it’s hard to call my Kindle a book!)  Every single time we turn around, something new has been created for us, but is this a good thing?  I understand that by making books electronically, it is and will be cheaper, but will that make books obsolete.  Right now, according to http://www.dictionary.com, the word book means, “a written or printed work of fiction or nonfiction, usually on sheets of paper fastened or bound together within covers.”  When technology gets tighter grip on books, what will the new definition?

Until I need a power cord to “open” my book, I will do just fine with flipping the pages!

A Day of Playing Catch Up!

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So, today’s been quite a day.  (I still can’t believe that I stayed up until 3:00 in the morning, though I did absolutely nothing except for dream about the day I sell a book).  After a few errands in the morning, and a good lunch, I finally caught up on some class stuff, and wrote a comment on the lecture question, and then wrote a critique.  (Yes, it sounds like I didn’t do much of anything, but it takes a lot of work to write).  Tonight, I will finish reading the lecture and organize my GWW notebook, and hopefully take some notes over the first two Booth’s that I have submitted, and lastly, maybe it will be a “Cosabella Night,” and I’ll get inspired.

Tomorrow, I’m hoping to continue writing in the earlier part of the day, and then I look forward to joining the ladies in the Lounge, while drinking a glass of Mommy’s Time Out…

“Second Thoughts of the Sexless Fiancee” — Rough Sketch

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by

Isabella Louise Anderson

(Chick-Lit)

Rough Sketch

Flap Copy:

Lucy Harper is very sexually deprived.  Second Thoughts of the Sexless Fiancée is a story about an engaged woman who must make a choice about which is more important to her, love or sex.    Her fiancé, Jackson Montgomery, has excuse after excuse as to why they don’t make love anymore, which is beginning to frustrate Lucy.  (Even her parents are having more sex than her).  When Lucy meets the wedding coordinator’s assistant/son, she is shocked at who it is – a man who has only walked past her, who sends chills up her spine, arousing her imagination.  Nathan Drake makes her need for sex even stronger.  Over time, their attraction grows, but since she is engaged, and no actions are taken…until Jackson admits that he’s gay, and is in love with his business partner, Bradley.  After Lucy cancels her wedding, she runs into Nathan, and they begin a steamy affair, though the newness wears off, and Lucy’s desires aren’t being met, like she hoped.  Nathan begins to help Lucy really find out who the real Lucy is, but in order to spend a lifetime with Nathan, will she get the help she needs, or choose to confront the childhood demons that she has suppressed?

Cast:

Lucy Harper: Lucy Harper is a woman, who works as a personal assistant, for her mother, doing the day-to-day things, which might include going grocery shopping, running errands, scheduling and cancelling appointments and gift wrapping, only to name a few.  On most days, during the most mundane daily tasks, Lucy’s mind is on the sex that she isn’t getting.

Jackson Montgomery: Jackson Montgomery is Vice President of a real estate business in Dallas.  He’s under a lot of pressure, but is trying to hide it so that he doesn’t stress Lucy out before their wedding.  He loves Lucy, but isn’t as horny as she is.  He truly feels bad for not pleasing her, but, wishes she would get off his back about it, so that the guilt of the secret he’s hiding doesn’t make him feel even more guilty than he already does.

Nathan Drake: Nathan Drake is the assistant, and son of the wedding coordinator, Marcy Drake.  He’s a single guy, who is known as a “party guy” and “a player,” but when he finds the right woman (Lucy), he vows to change drastically to win her heart.  He does have his good points too, he’s honest to everyone, loveable, and hungry…especially for Lucy!

Bradley Simms: Jackson’s love interest, who is also his work partner.

Deidra Montgomery: Deidra Montgomery is Jackson’s mother.

Catherine Harper: Catherine Harper is Lucy’s mother.  She was a stay-at-home mom to her only daughter, and loved every minute of it.  She is a very respectable woman, and never has anything bad to say about anyone.  Catherine thrives on making her family her number one priority.  These days, her marriage (to Martin) is better it’s ever has been, and so is her sex life –she’s even been known to experiment with things that she was ashamed to think about, back in the day.

Martin Harper: Martin Harper is Lucy’s father.

World: Not everybody gets what they want in this sexless cruel world.  Lucy grew up as the baby of the family, so she is used to getting whatever she wants, but she’s with Jackson, who rarely gives her exactly what she wants – sex.  Is the grass really greener when you’re on someone else’s lawn?

POV: This story is from the heroine’s first person POV.

Music: With or Without You by U2.  The song title and some of the lyrics relate to how the Heroine feels about sex with Jackson – she can do it with or without (him).

My Writing Life

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So, I’m currently on this amazing journey of writing what will be my first book.  It’s a sub-genre of Romance, a Chick-Lit.  With five Gotham Writers’ Workshop classes behind me, I have an am, gaining the confidence to keep working as hard as I can, because this (writing a book), is what I want to do.  I’ve never been so sure of myself (except for the time I accepted my husband’s proposal).

With the love and support from my family, I know I that my pseudonym, Isabella Louise Anderson, will achieve anything she wants to!

RELEASE BLITZ: “The Best Moments” by Elena Monroe

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Title: The Best Moments
Series: The Amherst Sinners #2
Author: Elena Monroe
Genre: Bully Romance
Release Date: August 20, 2019



Blurb

SAINT
College turned out to be my first everything.
Love.
Sex.
Heartbreak.
Betrayal.
Giving up and running home wasn’t an option.
My life was stained by absentee parents, a night of regret still haunting me, and living so controlled I barely felt anything, but white knuckles before I met Oliver. 
Least he was a stain I wore proudly.
One pretty face made me feel everything.
For that, all I wanted was to save Oliver from his past more than myself.
Isn’t that what unconditional love is?

SINNER
College was supposed to be my second chance.
I was working on my third.
I broke her heart in record time.
Everyone leaves and no one ever comes back. I knew that best. Even Layla.
The guilt of another regret weighted too heavy. So heavy, I invited my demons back in to soften the blow.
I added more mistakes to my bad reputation.
Everyone was right about me.
It was never my demons, she was never the cure, and I’m simply a pretty face with an ugly past.



Purchase Links

AMAZON US / UK / CA / AU

Free in Kindle Unlimited





Also Available


99c for a VERY limited time!

AMAZON US / UK / CA / AU

Free in Kindle Unlimited





Author Bio

Elena Monroe grew up in Florida scribbling down stories from a very young age. These stories were really just wavy lines filling the paper, but she knew each word, each emotion, each character’s name, and there was no tricking her into forgetting what each line signified. Just like her unconventional way of writing as a toddler Elena is setting her own rules and just telling stories.

Much like her debut novel, The Best Years, life certainly imitated art. Transplanting from the South to the East Coast, Elena currently lives in Connecticut with her soon to be husband, reformed bad boy.

Find her on her social media through Twitter at @elenamonroe, Instagram at @elenamonroewrites, Facebook at @elenamonroewrites, and more!


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