Chick Lit Goddess

...because every author wants to feel like a goddess!

Authors

Explaining the New Look on Chick Lit Goddess..and Exciting Updates!

5 Comments

Hello, Family, Friends and Followers!

Before I explain why Chick Lit Goddess has a new look, let me share two exciting news!

  • The anthology, in which my short story is part of, has a name! It is: Merry & Bright! Isn’t that cute? Later this week, I will be sharing a cover reveal for it later next week and have to say that I love it! I’m in the final stage of looking it over once more, before I send it to the editor next week! Yay!
  • As for my book, The Right Design, I’m working with an amazing woman who’s doing my cover art for the book. On Monday morning, I received several concepts and loved them all in their own way, but a certain three or four stick out to me. My husband could see that I’m weighing my options, so he taped them to the refrigerator. Now each time I’m in the kitchen, I find myself staring at them. Hopefully, I will have a cover to share with you in the upcoming weeks! P.S. Scarlett Rugers, I can’t thank you enough! For those of you who are wondering when it’s going to be published, I’m working on yet another round of edits and plan on publishing it in January! Yes, that’s only months away, and I’m so excited! (I would have it published in December, but why not start the year off the right way?) 😉

Now, back to explaining the Chick Lit Goddess change facelift…Since I will be a published author soon, I’ve decided to start using this site as a feature page for writers and authors. Whether it’s an interview with, and a guest post by the author, or sharing blurbs, chapter teases, and cover reveals, this is where all that will be shared. In the next few weeks, I will be working on getting my author website set up, and of course, I’ll share it with you all! 🙂

A Giveaway and Interview with Carolyn Ridder Aspenson

1 Comment

photo

About author, Carolyn Ridder Aspenson: Carolyn Ridder Aspenson is the author of two novels, Unfinished Business An Angela Panther Novel and Unbreakable Bonds An Angela Panther Novel, both of the chick-lit and paranormal genres.

Carolyn wrote her first novel, Unfinished Business shortly after her mother died. She felt the need to let the world know a little about the woman who drove her absolutely crazy but loved her with an intensity unknown to normal people. While some of the book is loosely based on events surrounding her mother’s death, the author swears she’ll never tell if she really did bury her mother illegally.

An avid fitness buff, Carolyn writes a monthly health and fitness column for Northside Woman Magazine. She also writes several freelance articles monthly for various Atlanta area media outlets including the Forsyth Herald, the Milton Herald, The Revue and News, The Johns Creek Herald, Countyline Magazine and many Internet publications. She’s written notebooks full of great story ideas from the entertaining people she’s met as a journalist. If you know one of them, don’t mention her books to them, just in case.

Carolyn has written hundreds of guest blog posts ranging from humorous to serious about varying aspects of parenthood and marriage. She considers herself an expert at not being an expert parent and works to spread her lack of expertise far and wide.

Dogs and recently cats too, are Carolyn’s preferred companions. She loves their loyalty, unconditional love and inability to talk in a language of which she understands.

A native of Indiana, Carolyn called the northwest Chicago suburbs home for over eighteen years but because she hates the way snow sounds when she walks on it, has spent the last sixteen living in the Atlanta suburbs with her husband, son, two dogs and a cat. Her two daughters live close by.

One day she plans to retire to a peaceful home with a fantastic view of something other than her neighbor’s house with a plethora of rescue animals by her side. Oh, and her husband too.

INTERVIEW

Welcome back, Carolyn! What have you been up to since your first appearance? I’ve been busy! I’m finishing up the second book in my Angela Panther series and hope to have that out in late November. I’ve also started a short story with a holiday theme that will be included in a book with several other great authors. That’s going to be available around mid-December for a holiday release. It’s going to be only on E-book through Amazon but will be free for part of that time, too so that’s great! There are several wonderful authors involved along with a team of professionals for editing and cover design. I’m excited about that.

How do people react when they find out you’re an author? I actually have a hard time telling people that and usually say something like, “I’m a writer but I’m only self published”. They tell me that a writer is a writer and it doesn’t matter who publishes the book! They think it’s wonderful and I feel like a braggart, which I know I’m not but I still feel silly. I’m trying to adjust to it all!

What author do you admire the most and what (if anything) have you learned from them? I really admire Robert Parker, who wrote the Spenser PI series. He passed away a few years ago and I still feel that loss. He is the ‘grandfather of the PI novel’ in many respects but for me, I admired his writing. He said so much with so few words and I work hard to be that way, too. He was much better at it than I am but of course he wrote over a million books so I guess he got it down. I’m a  little late to the game.

Salty or sweet? I’m starting to realize that both together are a pretty darn good combination but if that’s not available, I’m going for the chocolate first. I’ve recently given up sugar (again) so it’s been a rough few days but I do feel better physically. No whites either so no flour, bread, pasta, etc. Once I’m over the emotional part of it all, I’ll feel much better.

What so far has been your biggest accomplishment as an author? Getting the first book done. I wasn’t sure I’d actually complete it and I’m glad I did. I wanted to complete it but it was an emotional rollercoaster for me and at times I just had to step away and repair my heart. It was a very close to home story for me, with Fran being a slightly (just slightly) exaggerated version of my mother.

Describe your perfect day: I have a few different ones. First a ‘professional’ one where I’ve got my to-do list and I get it done and am on a writing role whether it’s for my books or my freelance writing gigs. A ‘personal’ perfect day would be one spent with my family when (a miracle would happen) and no one bickers or whines. Ha! That only happens when everyone is asleep!

Every writer must have a…: cheerleader to keep them moving forward when they feel like they want to quit. That’s my husband for me. He has total faith in my writing and thinks I’m the greatest thing since sliced bread. Hard not to want to continue when I know he sees great things in me.

What is your favorite quote? It’s actually a song lyric from Van Halen, during the Sammy Hagar years (I preferred those years for sure!) In their song, “Right Now”, which I consider to be my theme song, they say, “Right now it’s your tomorrow, right now it’s everything”. That helps me not put off things I should or could do today, to live my life and not worry about that past and not let the things that could bother me bother me. It doesn’t always work but I try to be that way as much as possible. Try being the most important word in that sentence.

How has the social media helped your career? I’m not sure yet. I’m still trying to figure that out. I can say that it’s helped me connect with a lot of authors who I’ve learned a great deal from and all of them I met because of you, so I’m especially grateful to you for that!

What do you want readers to take away from your books? I want readers to walk away having felt different emotions. I want them to feel satisfied. I don’t want them to think too deep or analyze too much. I just want them to be able to put my books down having been able to feel emotions.

Can you tell us about any of your upcoming projects? Whoops. I did above because I’m excited! I’ve got a few other things in the ‘pot’ though that I’m working on. I’m going to be publishing some novellas in the next few months as a way to get more of my writing out. None of them are focused on my series yet but I’m considering a short on Fran. Just not sure. I will be writing more traditional chick lit books (starting with the novellas) and am considering tackling a cosy mystery. I just need to figure out a way to add more hours into my day.

Unfinished Business**Contact Carolyn:

Email: carolynridderaspenson@gmail.com   Website   Facebook   Twitter

**ENTER A GIVEAWAY**

PRIZE: 2 (two) winners get an eBook copy of “Unfinished Business”

Click HERE to enter the Rafflecopter giveaway!

Good luck!

Beth Albright

5 Comments

BethAlbrightPic

About author, Beth Albright:  After knowing Beth Albright for just a few short seconds you are sure to learn she is from Alabama. No, its not the lilt of magnolia you can still catch in her voice, or even the way she lovingly describes her undying love for her famous alma mater’s football champions. She will tell you she loves Tuscaloosa, even after living quite literally all over the country. Though Beth has had a remarkable career, from New York City to Hollywood, and all points in between, she has never forgotten where she came from…and what she loves. That’s why when it came time to write, Beth had no choice but to write about Tuscaloosa and The University of Alabama, and all the quirky people she still calls family, though some do not actually share her bloodline!

Beth Albright has always been a storyteller. After spending nearly 15 years in talk radio, as a talk show host, playing the part of a principal character on the soap opera, DAYS OF OUR LIVES, owning her own acting school and children’s theater, and raising a son who was a nationally ranked figure skater, Beth has decided to return to her roots; storytelling. When she was in the sixth grade, her teacher gave her the floor every Friday to tell her stories. See, Beth was a talker, a future talk show host in the making, and she was telling stories so much that her teacher couldn’t teach. The teacher told 12 year old Beth if she would begin writing her stories down, she would be allowed time to share those stories with the class. And she’s been writing, AND talking ever since. Beth has interviewed Bob Hope, Oprah Winfrey, Betty White, Wolfgang Puck and George Burns live from the Chinese Theatre, as well as numerous other celebrities, and authors. Then Beth became a principal character on Days of Our Lives. But through all of the excitement of talk shows and soap operas, Beth loved telling stories to her audience the most. With a degree in Journalism from her beloved University of Alabama, She remains true to her roots and has never forgotten where she comes from. Born and raised in Tuscaloosa, “My grandfather was the play by play announcer for the Crimson Tide in the 50s!” Beth will proudly tell you.   She is a down homespun girl, although she currently lives in San Francisco with her TV producer husband and her brilliant son. But her heart is always in Alabama. She has just completed new series, The Sassy Belles.

INTERVIEW

People would be surprised to know that you…:  Were a drummer in your high school marching band!

What is the writing/editing/publishing process like for you?  I like the writing process best of the three. The editing is always hard for me. My husband has always told me I am “raw footage” So I know even in life, I give too much information, too many details. So I need editing. But it is really hard to decipher what is necessary and what isn’t. So it can be painful. The publishing part is great…I can just sit back and wait for the “BIRTHday”

Every writer must have a…: Sense of humor!  If I couldn’t laugh at myself and some of the things I write before revising, I couldn’t survive! And in the tough times, my lap kitty is an absolute necessity. Of course my family is my rock and they put up with a lot too! But seriously, with being able to laugh, it would all be impossible.

Tell us about your “Belles” series:  I love these women! This is a group of women who live in Tuscaloosa. They consist of Blake, our narrator, her mother Kitty, her spit-fire grandmother, Meridee, her best friend, Vivi, and her ex-step sister-arch-nemesis, Dallas. Think of this group as a “Sex and The City Meets Steel Magnolias” group! They are smart, sexy and hilarious. And as I say in The Sassy Belles. “ We take care of each other, we stand our ground, and we do it in high heels, big hair and lots of lipstick.” They love college football as does everyone in Tuscaloosa so University of Alabama football, the Crimson Tide, is a big part of the series too. Blake is an attorney and she really has her work cut out for her in the series. The main point of this series is to say ANYONE can be a Sassy Belle: any age, any size, any color. It’s all about attitude and taking care of your “sisters”.

Where is your dream place to write?  I am a romantic at heart, so I love a comfy chair and a fireplace. Anything in nature is always good too…a place with an ocean view or a lush forest view is perfect too.

What is your favorite word?  Well, my son’s name is brooks so of course that is number one! But I love the word, tapestry…because it helps us feel the layers upon which I like to write. Stardust is great too, as we all possess a little to add to the tapestry.

Hard/paperback or eBooks?  And don’t forget, audiobooks! I love them all. To me they are just different mediums in which to share my stories. Personally I like the trade paperback, perfect to stick in my purse. But I am old-fashioned and still do buy the hardbacks too.

What do you want your readers to take away from reading your books?  Fun and a major sense of sisterhood. Plus to know it’s never to late to LIVE. Meridee turns 80 at the end of book one and throws herself a Hollywood Nights themed party complete with shirtless men carrying her in on a Persian cot! Readers are telling me they are laughing out loud through the books! We need that right now. We ALWAYS need laughter.

You’ve had the pleasure of interviewing celebrities, who was your favorite and why?  Oh, what a tough question! I have so many favorites! Oprah really stands out. She makes you feel like you’ve known her and she is your new BFF! I loved the icons, George Burns, Betty White and Bob Hope. They were full of fun and advice. I interviewed all The Golden Girls and really hit it off with Rue McClanahan. There are seriously just too many to pick just one…but I did just LOVE Oprah!

How has the social media helped your career?  I seriously don’t know how anyone could make it as a writer these days without social media. I know I have my Facebook base, then my books page, then twitter to help me get the word out about blogs, reviews, and contests too. I feel it is the reason we got such a huge bounce with The Sassy Belles! It has remained an Amazon bestseller since the first week. But I did a lot of Facebook advertising and lots of tweeting too! I think it is paying off.

What is the best advice you’ve been given?  My mom always says, “Keep you eye on the ball” and that helps. I tend to be a worrier so I start thinking about everything all at once. She reminds me, one thing at a time and keep your eye on the ball. Also my mother has been wonderful as a motivator and cheerleader too. If I dreamed a big dream, she never laughed, she’d say, “Ok, what do we need to do to make that happen?” So most all my great advice comes from my mother! “If someone else can do it, then you can too”

Can you tell us about any upcoming projects?  My book is currently being packaged to pitch as a TV show! So fingers crossed, we’ll see! Also, I am busy writing a new Sassy Belle series. New Belles, and the original ones too, all taking place in Tuscaloosa at an INN the girls will open!

SassyBellesPic

GUEST POST

Songs of the Deep South

They say you write what you know and for me there is no truer statement. I know the Deep South. I have a love for it that pulses deep in my veins. My legacy is thick with my alma mater, the University of Alabama too, as my grandfather was the “voice” of the Crimson Tide in the 1950s. I am a southerner to the bone, though I have lived all over the country.

My Love Affair With Tuscaloosa Alabama

The South is like nowhere else on Earth.  I learned this lesson the hard way; by leaving. I have lived in New York City, Los Angeles California, and nearly everywhere in between. From both coasts, two of the Great Lakes, and the land locked mid-west and even the deserts of Phoenix, I have called them all home over the last 30 years. And I stay in the perpetual suspended state of HOMESICK for Tuscaloosa, Alabama.

When I was 10 years old we moved to Oklahoma. And while I loved it there and made life long friends during my four years there, I was, even then, perpetually homesick, grieving away for my familiar surroundings of the misty liquid sunsets on the Warrior River and the rich history of The University of Alabama campus. Tuscaloosa is a pre-Civil War town, with much of the architecture dating long before the War Between the States.  Old antebellum homes still stand watching over the city from one end of it to the other.

The kudzu creeps and crawls over everything standing still. Summers were miserable if you were measuring it by the humidity. With sticky skin and frizzy hair was the way I spent them.  But I wouldn’t trade them for anything.  Slow and happy and sweaty.  Red cheeks coming in from long bike rides on half paved /dirt roads, slamming screen doors and window unit air conditioners. And beauty pageants, complete with crowns and banners pinned from shoulder to hip across the front of your beaded gown, Tuscaloosa is made up of so many things, even when I’m not there I can see it, feel it, and taste it. So I wanted to be there. Writing was the way I could.

Life was easier in a small town down south. All the neighbors watch out for each other and everyone’s kids were like your own. The men are still chivalrous and the women still act like ladies, with make-up done to perfection and a string of pearls. That may be my favorite part—well next to the food!

The Deep South is special. It’s unique in all the most perfect ways.  I feel I am an authority on this because I have been able to compare it to, well, almost everywhere. I actually left my soap opera, Days of Our Lives in LA as a principle character and drove across the country, pregnant, with morning sickness that lasted all day, to make sure my only baby was born at HOME…Tuscaloosa! In typical Belle fashion, I didn’t pack light either. It took two cars! Halfway there, around El Paso, Texas, my husband actually had the nerve to say, “We really don’t HAVE to go have the baby in Alabama, do we?” I nearly burst into tears and called my mother– and a divorce lawyer—just as any southern belle in a crisis does! Luckily, I calmed down by the time we crossed The Mighty Mississippi.

And then there’s Alabama football. You have never seen anything like Game-Day in Tuscaloosa! The crowds under the largest tent city on the quad, everyone cooking out, the smell of barbequed pork in the air, the students dressed up in sundresses and bow ties. You KNOW you’re in the south! And when Sweet Home Alabama is played over the loud speakers, everyone stops in their tracks and sings along! It’s a priceless feeling.

In Tuscaloosa you can still sit out on a summer’s night and talk to your neighbors or on your front porch telling stories on a glider swing while a million lightening bugs glitter in the front yard under a gillion stars.  And when someone ” has passed” a line of traffic will form on your street of folks with covered dishes. You’ll have more pound cake and potato salad than you’ll know what to do with! And at least 30 boxes of Krispy Kreme doughnuts! Everyone who shows up on your doorstep to offer condolences will have a box of the delicious confections!

Tuscaloosa has it’s own special brand of Small Town America. It is in the HEART OF DIXIE, being in Alabama. It is a classy place with mostly classy people. And Southern Hospitality seems to have gotten its very definition from here.  Every “Hey Y’all,” and  “fixin’ to” is inside my spirit and when I am home it shines a little brighter.

When I come home it’s like I never left.  I am hugged and kissed and loved. I go out with my friends and see my Mother and eat like I have been starving in a desert. I have. For the SOUTH… and its way.

When it came time to write, of course, I would write about the place I love most, my hometown in the Deep South. My heart is always in Dixie.

Maybe I can always go home, because truth be told, I never really left.

WeddingBellesPic

BethAlbrightPic**Contact Beth:

The Sassy Belles   Email: Beth@thesassyBelles.com   Facebook   Twitter

Pauline Wiles

11 Comments

PaulineWilesPic

About author, Pauline Wiles:  British by birth, Pauline Wiles moved to California eight years ago and, apart from a yearning for afternoon tea and historic homes, has never looked back. Her first novel, Saving Saffron Sweeting, was published in spring 2013. When not writing, she can be found getting the steps wrong in a zumba class or calculating how many miles she has to run to justify an extra piece of cake. Her ambition is to sell enough books to cover the cost of flying herself and a reader to London for tea.

GUEST POST

The Five Stages of Dealing with Bad Reviews

I’m not for one moment suggesting that receiving bad reviews is equivalent to losing a loved one. However, I have noticed a tendency in myself and others to progress through certain stages when our precious writing is cruelly criticised. It occurred to me that, just as grief often has five stages, so too does our journey through the dark valley of negative reviews.

1. Denial

This is the stage where you can’t quite believe the words you’re seeing on your screen. You gasp, look away, peek through your fingers, search for the missing “only joking – I loved this book.” You double check the review is meant for you, and wonder if the reviewer simply pasted their comments in the wrong place.

You go away and eat half a pint of ice cream, convinced there must be some terrible mistake. Your insides feel like they’ve been scooped out, too.

2. Anger

Nope, you find the reviewer is definitely talking about your book and he/she definitely hated it. How dare they? Do they simply dislike this whole genre?  Didn’t they “get” that a certain character was supposed to be ironic? They obviously didn’t read it carefully enough.  They clearly don’t appreciate good storytelling. What right do they have to point out one tiny typo in your whole book, when they’ve spelled 3 words wrong in their single paragraph?

In a minor fury, you begin googling this person, looking for their photo, their other reviews, their Twitter indiscretions and other evidence of an exceptionally low IQ. You entertain graphic fantasies of getting even.

3. Bargaining

For the wounded author, this is a dangerous phase. I’m assuming you resist the temptation to discover where your reviewer lives and show up with a bucket full of stink-bombs. Instead, you begin to craft your written response to the arrogant twit who tore your precious book to shreds. You spend a whole day’s writing time composing the most bitingly sarcastic prose you’ve ever penned. In your rebuttal, you defend your genre, grammar, antagonist, protagonist, plot and possibly your proofreader. You correct every erroneous assumption your reviewer has made, and make a detailed account of every single point where they missed the, err, point.

Do not, whatever you do, post this response anywhere public. If you must, share it with a close writer friend and wallow in their certain sympathy. Then, proceed straight to the freezer, eat the remaining half pint of ice cream, and await stage 4.

4. Depression

With great weariness and reluctance, you begin to wonder if your reviewer is right. Maybe your protagonist is irrational and unlikeable. Maybe your use of the past-perfect is pathetic. Maybe your plot was lame. Maybe your six months spent on beta reading, editing and proofreading was slapdash. Maybe… you should just forget this writing lark and go back to your wearisome day job. You should have known you’d never be any good at this.

Don’t panic, dear writer. Dig out a few reviews from people who loved your book. You’re almost ready for stage 5.

5. Acceptance

A little time has passed. In the interim, you’ve also received some positive feedback, and you are now able to see your persecutor’s review as just-one-opinion. You know your books can’t possibly appeal to everyone, you take comfort and strength from the readers who love you, and maybe, just maybe, you identified a constructive nugget in the harsh words you received.  Your skin is a fraction thicker, you accept that criticism goes with the job, and you are ready to continue your writing. Recalling the emotions you felt, you begin to craft a scene where your heroine receives a painful shock. In the midst of her horror, you type a nice line about her feeling like she’s been hollowed out with an ice cream scoop.

Pat yourself on the back: not only have you survived a bad review, you’ve harnessed its power and turned it into something useful in your next book. Now, take a break to go and buy groceries. Something tells me you’re all out of ice cream.

SavingSaffronSweeting**Contact Pauline:

Website   Email: paulinewiles@gmail.com   Facebook   Goodreads   Twitter

**Click HERE to buy “Saving Saffron Sweeting” on Amazon!

Chick Lit is Alive and Kicking!

18 Comments

KCARC

I’ve not written a blog post in quite a while, so thank you to my followers for being patient with me.  In the meantime, I hope you have enjoyed my posts about featured authors and books.

I’m proud to say that I am a huge fan of the Chick Lit genre.  Without the following authors, I wouldn’t have been inspired to be the Chick Lit Goddess.  For this, I say thank you to Olivia Goldsmith, Jane Green, Jennifer Weiner, Meg Cabot, Candace Bushnell, Jane Porter, and of course, Emily Giffin, for inspiring me.

Through my Chick Lit Goddesses Facebook group, I found something that really made me mad, mad being the nice way of saying it.  On Monday there was an article on The Atlantic written by Emily Matchar titled “Chick Lit Is Dead, Long Live Farm Lit.”  Stemming from the numerous comments on the FB page, I was curious, so I clicked the link and began to read.  Without explaining the article word-by-word, I’m going to share the following sentences that really had me livid.

  • Well I have news. Yes, chick lit is dead (or dying, at least). But in its place, we now have a new genre. Call it “farm lit.”
  • Thanks to the economy, picket fences and scruffy farm hands have replaced stilettos and cute i-bankers in literature aimed at women. (This was the subtitle.)
  • So many of chick lit’s tropes—stilettos! Fighting for your big break in journalism! Cute i-bankers! The hottest new nightclub in the Meatpacking District!—were part of a boomtime economy. These days, we’re mostly wearing flats, journalism is breathing its last gasps, we’d rather throw i-bankers in jail than date them, and cupcake baking seems a lot more fun (and cheaper!) than clubbing.

First off, what the hell is “farm lit?”  I even Googled it, then laughed to myself when no definition was given.  Just because a city girl runs off to a small town doesn’t make it “farm lit.”  In my third book, Somewhere Down in Texas, which I’m still writing, it is about a big city girl who goes back home to Texas, but does that make it “farm lit”?  No!  To me, it doesn’t matter where the setting is.  In Kristina Knight’s books, there are strong elements of country girls and I consider them to be Chick Lit.

Has Chick Lit changed overtime?  Yes, but that doesn’t mean the genre has disappeared.  If anything, I think it’s grown more popular because of modern times.  We want someone to relate to us, so what do we do?  Pick up a Chick Lit.  Have you ever read a Chick Lit and after finishing it, said, “Geez, that’s my life?”  I know I have!  Think how many Chick Lit books Jennifer Weiner and Emily Giffin have written.  How many times have they been at top of the charts?  Between the two of them, they’ve written 18 books, and I don’t seem them stopping soon.

After taking a long sigh, I did some research on the author of The Atlantic article.  Emily Matchar seems to be very opinionated, black and white writer, who sees no shades of grey.  On her website, it said that she went to Harvard.  Now, I’m not saying she was in a library the entire time and didn’t have fun, but the way she bashed the Chick Lit genre so bad, it seems that way.  By the title of her book, which is coming out soon, Homeward Bound seems like it would be a great fit for women in the 1950’s.  There is nothing wrong with, as the quote says on her site, the  “new domesticity” – the re-embrace of all kinds of old-fashioned domestic skills, like canning, bread-baking, knitting, chicken-raising, etc.,” but times have changed.  Women are in the workforce, so what’s wrong with taking a breath and running to the country for a getaway, or even an extended stay?  Nothing!

I want to let Emily Matchar know that Chick Lit is alive and kicking, so “farm lit,” is dead!

I’d love to hear what you have to say, so please leave a comment!

Sarka-Jonae Miller

3 Comments

SarkaPic

About author Saraka-Jonae Miller:  Sárka-Jonae is a novelist and a health and fitness writer. She has more than 4,000 articles published online and in print, and is a graduate of the S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications at Syracuse University.

Before writing full-time, Sárka-Jonae was a personal fitness trainer and massage therapist. In her free time, Sárka-Jonae likes to do flash mobs and find her way into music video shoots. She has appeared in the Michael Jackson videos “Hold My Hand” with Akon and “Hollywood Tonight.” She also practices kung fu and yoga.

Sárka-Jonae is an avid traveler. She has visited Costa Rica, Canada, England, Mexico, and Paradise Island. She has also been to France and Thailand researching her next books.

She lives in San Diego with two cats and two dogs, all rescues. She is a huge animal lover and has been vegan for 14 years, ever since she learned of the horrific torture that factory farms inflict on defenseless farm animals.

GUEST INTERVIEW

Describe your writing style in one word:  Hilarious

Who or what inspires you?  Reading good books, books that make me laugh or learn a universal truth, inspires me the most.

How did you come up with the title of your book, “Between Boyfriends?”  I always thought the expression “between jobs” was funny. When I was thinking about the relationship status of my character, I realized that “single” didn’t quite fit. She lived her life attached to someone or between boyfriends.

What is your favorite letter of the alphabet?  S

What is a typical day like for you?  Write almost all day, eat a little while writing more, and if I’m lucky have some free time to read.

Hard/paperback or eBooks?  I love eBooks. I always said I preferred hard books until I got an ereader.

What about writing do you love the most?  Writing something that I know will entertain people.

You’ve traveled for research of you book, what was the experience like?  I traveled to research my next book, the sequel to Between Boyfriends. I went to Thailand for a month and loved it. Then, I went back for another month and loved it even more.

What is your favorite quote?  “Write drunk. Edit sober.”

If you weren’t a writer what would you be?  An editor. I do love editing.

What, so far, has been the most memorable achievement in your career?  Getting to #3 on Amazon’s humor best seller lists for humor books and humor ebooks was pretty exciting. Getting asked to submit my manuscript for publication with a small press was pretty exciting too. I’m still waiting to hear back from them.

Can you tell us about any of your upcoming projects?  Absolutely! I’m hard at work on the Between Boyfriends sequel. Jan, my main character, visits Thailand to learn Thai massage at the world famous Wat Pho in Bangko, the birthplace of Thai massage. She gets a chance to experience being truly alone, which is difficult but also an incredible opportunity to continue growing as a person.

***

BetweenBoyfriendsCoverPic**Blurb about “Between Boyfriends”:

At first glance, twenty-one-year-old Jan Weston has it all: a gorgeous boyfriend, fun friends, and wealthy parents who take care of all those pesky credit card bills.

Then her boyfriend dumps her, her friendships fall apart, and her parents cut her off. Suddenly without money, without a man, and without a plan, it’s time for Jan to grow up. Determined to get her life back on track, Jan decides it’s time to make it on her own. Can she find her way as a single lady in San Diego?

Can she fix her friendships, her job prospects, and her hair? And can she keep her vow that she’ll never date again, even after she meets a guy who just might be perfect for her?

BETWEEN BOYFRIENDS is a sexy, hilarious story of living life, finding love, and growing up… but not necessarily in that order.

**Contact Sarka:  Blog   Website   Facebook   Twitter

Lilian Roberts

Leave a Comment

LilianRobertsPicture

About author, Lilian Roberts:  Lilian was born the second of two daughters in Athens, Greece. She came to the U.S. to study during the amazing years of the late 1960s and early 70s. This was a time without personal computers, Internet, e-mail, iPads, and iPhones. The U.S. was deeply involved in the Vietnam War, and the anti-war student protests turned bloody and violent spreading across colleges and university campuses. It was a time of patched and embroidered blue jeans, tie-dyed fabrics, wet t-shirt contests, Woodstock, mood rings, pot, and hot pants.

College, marriage, the corporate world, and a beloved daughter kept Lilian’s writing on the back burner for many years. It wasn’t until later on in life that she decided to sit in front of the computer and finally put her thoughts on paper.

Lilian lives in Atlanta, Georgia. She is blessed with a wonderful and supportive family, and circle of friends who have encouraged her along the way and have tremendous faith in her journey.

INTERVIEW

You knew you were a writer when…:  I knew I wanted to be a writer from a very young age. I kept a diary and noted everything that happened in my life and in the world around me. This was not just keeping a diary, this was a real obsession on my part. The crazy thing is that I wrote every day, and now I have drawers of diaries that have been dormant for years. I loved reading, and I bought books, a lot of books and worried that I will never find the time to read them all, so I took speed reading and I was pleased to find out that most of the time I could get through a book in one day.

What was the writing/editing/publishing process like for you?  The writing was easy. I knew what I wanted to write about and how I wanted to say it. The editing however was an eye opener. I found out that the manuscript was too familiar to me and no matter how many times I looked at it, I skipped over a lot of errors. I found a good editor that looked at the ms with a fresh eye and made significant revisions to the content. Self publishing was quite easy.

Sweet or salty?  Sweet

Who or what inspires your writing?  My mother knew how much I loved to write. I preferred to stay home and write or read even as a young girl. I set writing as one of my life’s goals, but other priorities climbed to the top of the list. My mother kept reminding me not to give up and to keep after my dream because nobody was going to make it come true, but me.

How has the social media helped your career?  Social media helped me find several people that have become quite important in my life. I have received great advise from  successful authors. I have found great proofreaders and editors that make it easy to get a clean manuscript and get it published. Social media has given me a way to advertise my book to many people that might want to read it, and has provided me with useful feedback.

How did you celebrate your first book being published?  My first book was published on my husband’s birthday and our daughter was visiting from out of town with her husband. When the book arrived from Amazon I cried. I was happy but I was also sad. I had just lost my mother and she never got to see my dream come true. It was an inexplicable mixture of emotions.

What are you reading right now?  I am reading The Girl Who Played With Fire by Stieg Larsson.

Where would be your ideal writing location?  In the south of France by the ocean.

How do you come up with the title of your books?  I write the book first, and then I pick the title to fit the emotion related to content.

What must a writer have with them at all times?  Paper and pencil, or anything that would work as a note pad.

If you could meet any other author who would it be?  Jane Austen

Can you tell us about any of your upcoming projects?  I am working on the Immortal Rapture series. I have written 9 books but I have only published 3. I am working on cleaning up the other books and have them published later this year and next year. I have also started working on a historical romance novel. from Amazon I cried. I was happy but I was also sad. I had just lost my mother and she never got to see my dream come true. It was an inexplicable mixture of emotions.

**Contact Lilian!:  Website   Facebook   Twitter

Pageflex Persona [document: PRS0000031_00005]

ImmortalPassion

ArielleBook2Cover

Tear Stained Beaches

2 Comments

TearStainedBeachesCoverPic

Tear Stained Beaches by Courtney Giardina

Book blurb:  Haylie Julian wants nothing more than to put her crumbling marriage back together. Chase used to be a fun-loving, light hearted husband who had lately become an overworked attorney obsessed with climbing the corporate ladder.  It isn’t long before Haylie starts waking up next to a man she barely knows. His secretive phone calls and late nights at the office leave her feeling alone and afraid of what he might be hiding.  Ignoring his continuous pleas to just leave well enough alone, she continues to dig for answers and discovers a heartbreaking truth.

Struggling with what she has just learned, Haylie sets off to a quaint little North Carolina beach town to decide if her marriage can survive. It isn’t long after she arrives that her world is once again turned upside down as Chase’s secret stares her right in the face.

Tear Stained Beaches explores what happens when a marriage isn’t the happily-ever-after you thought it was. Can trust be rebuilt? Can a wife forgive the ultimate betrayal?

*****

Preface

I’m not sure what it was that night. Lying in bed tossing and turning, I wasn’t able to sleep. My head was spinning with all sorts of thoughts, and my heart raced at the very fact any one of them could be true. He had been texting often lately; much more than ever before. His phone never seemed to leave his side and you could see the panic on his face every time it was within my grasp. His business trips became more frequent. Yes, work was busy, but how often does a lawyer need to travel when they’re only licensed to practice in one state?

I kept telling myself that I was being paranoid, that he wasn’t like my exes. After all, he wasn’t the high school boyfriend who shattered my heart into pieces; he was my husband of five years. The most trusting man I had ever met. There’s no way the man who proposed in a quaint little bed and breakfast, after drawing me a bath and ordering in room service, would do anything to intentionally hurt me. I must have been crazy to think that.

I tried my best to smile and drew the covers up to my chin, telling myself to relax. He was just a dedicated working-man. A man who worked hard for the house we had, the life we lived and the luxury cars that sat in the driveway.

I closed my eyes, and our Jamaican honeymoon came to life. What an amazing time we had that week. It rained for most of it, but those were the best parts. No one was hogging the Jacuzzi when it was pouring, so we saw our chance and took it. Hell, we were wet anyway, so the rain didn’t bother us. I actually found it romantic. Every evening, at sunset, we headed down to the deserted end of the beach and took pictures of the starfish that hung close to shore. The last memory before falling asleep was of myself: bright orange starfish in hand, turning my head toward the camera, smiling and in love.

It was almost two in the morning when I woke to the door squeaking open. I kept my eyes closed, listening to him move around in the darkness. After a few moments, he lifted the covers to crawl in. He nudged closer to me and wrapped his arm around my waist. I took a deep breath and paused. My eyes shot open as a tear slowly rolled down my cheek. I stared straight ahead, careful not to move and betray that I was awake. A shiver ran up my arm where his hand rested. I lay there, staring into space, my gaze lingering, almost as intense as the smell of her perfume.

Chapter 1

I let the tear fall onto my pillow. He’d never come home with the smell of perfume before. Nor had he ever been out past midnight. Where could he have possibly been until two in the morning? I refused to move, I couldn’t let him see me like this. There was no way I could explain myself, and throwing around accusations when I had nothing to back it up seemed useless. I listened to the clock tick for what seemed like hours. Actually I’m pretty sure it was. I was making myself sick just thinking about what he would say in the morning. Was he really out with just a friend? Or was there another woman? What did she look like and did she know about me? Was she taller than me, skinnier than me, prettier than me? My head was spinning. This was not happening. There’s no way that my husband was having an affair. He knew how strongly I felt about adultery. The mere thought of it made my skin crawl.

I told myself I was being ridiculous, that I was overreacting. But now, now I didn’t know anything anymore. Never before had I woken in the middle of the night to roll over and find my husband not there, only to have him stumble in the early morning hours.  The second hand seemed to move slower and slower. Every time I thought I’d actually been able to sleep, I’d look at the clock and not even five minutes would have passed. I lay there, wide-awake, in his arms, praying quietly that my intuition was just out of whack. It was every wife’s worst nightmare. The one thing they all fear, and it was possible I was living in the middle of it.

I’m not sure what time it was when I finally fell asleep, but I jumped up at the sound of the alarm clock at 7am. He slowly unwrapped his arm from me and reached over to turn it off. Even with his lack of a full-night’s sleep, Chase had no problem waking up. I, on the other hand, was completely exhausted. My eyes were so heavy; I kept them closed as long as I could. Begging for just a few extra seconds back of the sleep I’d lost.

“Good morning beautiful,” he said.

I rolled over onto my back and smiled. When I finally opened my eyes, his were looking back at me. I wanted to cry. Thinking of those eyes looking at any one else the way they looked at me broke my heart. He kissed my forehead and rolled out of bed, grabbing his cell phone from the night stand before heading into the bathroom to get ready.

“Late night huh?” I asked.

“Very late, sorry about that. Alex called me when I was finished with my meeting. Said he needed to talk. I guess he’s having some trouble at home. So we went out to Happy Jack’s for a couple drinks and just got carried away. I hope I didn’t wake you.”

“I think I heard your car pull in, but must have fallen asleep before you even came in,” I lied.

I tried to push all the awful thoughts to the back of my mind. After all, it is possible there was a simple answer to the perfume, and he really could have gotten caught up in an innocent conversation with a friend. I know it’s happened to me when I’ve gone out with my girlfriends. Time just gets away from you. At least that’s what I kept telling myself as I watched him button up his blue striped shirt and khaki shorts.

“Going golfing I presume?”

“You know me so well.” He laughed as he walked over, leaned in and kissed me goodbye. I watched him walk out the door.

There was no way I was going back to bed, so I headed to the kitchen to make some breakfast. I pulled the frying pan out of the cupboard under the island and lit up the gas cook top to make an omelet. Once the eggs started to cook, my mind wandered. I could see her vividly; a ghost made real by my insecurity. She was blond, tall, with hazel eyes. Then, my height, about  5’3” with the same short brown curly hair I had. It wasn’t that I thought I wasn’t attractive enough for Chase, but if he was really having an affair, there must be something I was lacking. Maybe she liked to talk about football or cars. Maybe she could make him laugh more than I did. Was she better in bed? I probably could’ve driven myself crazy thinking of scenarios. My poor omelet received the brunt of my frustration as these thoughts pummeled my mind. I used the spatula to poke it to death. It didn’t really matter anyway; at that point I had lost my appetite. I banged the frying pan on the side of the trash can and let the eggs fall in.

There was only one thing in life that could calm me down in moments like this: running. I used the alone time on the open road to clear my head. Now seemed like a good time to find some tranquility, so I dressed in my workout gear and headed out the door. The music on my iPhone was turned up, but I couldn’t drown out the horrible thoughts that screamed in my head. I ran fast, pushed hard. Not because I was running towards anything; I was running away. Away from a life that had become so intertwined with doubt that I didn’t know what truth I could hold onto anymore. I felt the sun graze my face as I sped further and further from it all. The only negative part about running was that at some point I knew I’d have to stop. I’d have to turn around and go back. And whatever troubles had haunted me when I left, would be waiting upon my return.

*****

CourtneyGiardinaPic**About author, Courtney Giardina:  Courtney Giardina has always had a creative streak and a wild imagination. She has been fascinated by writing and the entertainment industry since she was a kid. Courtney grew up dancing, cheerleading and playing piano before she turned to writing as her creative outlet.  She won an award for her writing in elementary school and wrote countless poems, songs and short stories.

Courtney was born and raised just outside of Rochester, NY. In 2012, she moved to Charlotte, NC and has been focusing on finally doing all the things she said she would do “someday.”  After making a New Year’s Resolution in 2012 to write her first novel, Courtney completed Tear Stained Beaches after 9 months of long nights and wearing out the delete button on her keyboard. It was published by Take Two Publishing in February 2013. She has also started acting and has appeared in 3 short films in the Charlotte, NC area. She has a passion for health and fitness and enjoys living a very healthy lifestyle.

**Contact Courtney:

Website   Facebook   Twitter

  • **Buy “Teared Stained Beaches” on Amazon!

The Next Big Thing: Authors Tagging Authors!

18 Comments

Happy Friday, everyone!  Whew!  It’s been a long time since I’ve really blogged and I’ve missed it, and my followers!  Thank you for being patient with me the last few weeks, but it’s been quite a busy time in my work and personal life.  The good thing is that my office is almost finished, so I’ll be a lot more focused hopefully by the end of this month, (YAY!).

And now for something exciting…

Last Friday I was tagged by Jackie Bouchard of Pooch Smooches as part of a blog going around, called “The Next Big Thing.”  It was a pleasure being tagged along with other wonderful authors.  Below are the questions that are given to each other, along with my answers.  While some of them were difficult to answer because I’m (very) shy and don’t like to talk about myself or my books, I had wonderful advice given to me by the ladies of a Facebook group that I started, Chick Lit Goddesses.  We’d love to have you!

What is the working title of your book?  Right now I’m working on edits for my books, “Redefined Dreams” and “The Right Design.”

Where did the idea come from for the book?  I began writing “Redefined Dreams” while taking a creative writing class at Gotham Writers’ Workshop.  One assignment was to start a story with “The window…”  I had no direction at first for it, but I was a newlywed and still had wedding stuff on my mind, so the beginning story was easy, but then the characters started to “speak” to me and soon my characters came to life, as well as a story!

“The Right Design,” it was the beginning of October when I decided that I would participate in NaNoWriMo (National Novel Writing Month).  When I sat down to write this book on that first day of November, I knew I wanted my Heroine to be very different from the MC in my first book, but had no clue whatsoever what this book would be about, but that changed very quickly.  I wrote this book as if I were the main character, so I guess you could say that I wrote the book about a life I have/had/wish I had and in some ways, want.  For those of you that know me, I bet you’d be surprised, though only three people have read this book, (one of my closest male friends, my mom and my editor)!

What genre does your book fall under?  Both of my books are a mix of Chick Lit/Romance

Which actors would you choose to play your characters in a movie rendition?  I love this question!  My dream is to write a book and have it turned into a movie, even if it’s on Lifetime, (only without Leann Rimes and Eddie Cibrian — if you don’t know the story, HERE is a summary).  For “Redefined Dreams,” I’d have to say that Ashley Williams or Gennifer Goodwin would play Lucy, Eric Dane would play Jackson, and Nathan would played by Channing Tatum.  For “The Right Design,” I would have Katherine Heigl play Carrie, Sandra Bullock to play Sara, Harry Connic Jr. would play Roger, and either Matt Bomer or Colin Egglesfield would play Brad.

What is the one-sentence synopsis of your book?  What a great question!  “Redefined Dreams” — Have you ever been engaged to a man who turns out to be gay, but you get over it by falling in love with your ex-wedding coordinator’s son, only to end up pregnant with his baby?  “The Right Design” — What’s a better way to get over your cheating ex-boyfrind than to move to new city, only to be tempted by your client and not able to act on it because of the rules you’ve set for yourself, until he makes the first move?

Will your book be self-published or represented by an agency?  I’m still deciding.  There are both positives and negatives about each choice, but there is one I’m leaning towards and that’s to self-publish!

How long did it take you to write the first draft of your manuscript?  “Redefined Dreams” took me a full year, March of 2010 to March of 2011.  “The Right Design” took me 30 days in November of 2011!  (Participating in NaNoWriMo was one of the best decisions I’ve ever made).

What other books would you compare this story to within your genre?  I’d love for my books to be compared to Emily Giffin’s “Something Blue” and “Something Borrowed.”  Those books are why I wanted to be an author in the first place.  She’s an inspiration!  I think that Emily is the most talented and beloved author in the Chick Lit genre.

Who or What inspired you to write this book?  Like I mentioned before, Emily Giffin is an inspiration, but my husband inspired me write books one and two.  He’s a constant motivator and pushes me to achieve what I think I can’t do, but knows I can.  (Thank you, hubby!)

What else about your book might pique the reader’s interest?  My books aren’t just to entertain, but I want my readers to feel like they can relate to my main Heroine and/or the struggle she’s in.  While I write for pleasure, I love to write for others who can finish my book and say, “Wow, that was great,” and the character and/or story sticks with them.

I was only supposed to tag 5, but I have so many awesome author friends that I wanted to include, so I tagged 6.  Next Friday, the 26th, they will have answered the questions and tagged  more authors, and so on.  Be sure to check stay tuned and see who they tag!

Wendy Ely

Elke Feuer

Kristina Knight

Francine LaSala

Sharon Moore

Samantha Robey