Chick Lit Goddess

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

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A New Look!

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As you can see, Chick Lit Goddess has a new look, and I’m thrilled to share it with you. Changing its appearance has been an idea of mine for a long time, and now that things have slowed down in my personal life, it has given me a chance to get back to what I love–and that’s everything that has to do with books!

With that said, not only am I writing again, I’m back to featuring authors and their books, along with hosting Goddess Book Tours, so if you want to work together, just contact me, and I’d be happy to start working with you.

Until next time, my friends and followers, I wish you a wonderful rest of your week!

Tracie Banister

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An avid reader and writer, Tracie Banister has been scribbling stories since she was a child, most of them featuring feisty heroines with complicated love lives like her favorite fictional protagonist Scarlett O’Hara.  Her work was first seen on the stage of her elementary school, where her 4th grade class performed an original holiday play that she penned (Like all good divas-in-the-making, she, also, starred in and tried to direct the production.)  Her dreams of authorial success were put on the backburner when she reached adulthood and discovered that she needed a “real” job in order to pay her bills.  Her career as personal assistant to a local entrepreneur lasted for 12 years.  When it ended, Tracie decided to follow her bliss and dedicate herself to writing full-time.  Her debut novel, the Hollywood-themed Blame It on the Fame, was released in January, 2012.  And she’s following that up with the fun summer read, In Need of Therapy.

Q & A with Tracie Banister

Welcome back, Tracie!  Since you last guest appearance, how have you been?  I’ve been busy!  I’ve spent the last six months promoting my first book, Blame It on the Fame, while trying to get my second book, In Need of Therapy, ready for publication.  In the midst of all that, I’ve been working on some new writing projects!

How long did it take to write In Need of Therapy?  About seven months for the actual writing, then another month or so to proofread and fine-tune things.

Which do you prefer, writing, editing, or both?  Why?  I’m the type of writer who edits as I go, so I can’t really separate the two.  It’s all part of the same process for me.  My first draft is pretty close to my final draft.  I never do major rewrites where I have to cut pages or rework a sub-plot.

Where did you get the ideas for this book?  My overactive imagination, as always! 🙂  Truthfully, I have no clue where my ideas come from.  I just start out with a premise, write detailed character bios, then jump into the writing.  The characters come to life on the page, and they lead me where they want to go.  The best bits in all of my books are the things I didn’t plan in advance.

What’s it like in a day of Tracie Banister?  I am awakened every morning at 10 by my houseboy, Fernando, who brings me breakfast in bed (an egg white omelet w/spinach and cheese – very healthy.)  I dictate a chapter or two of my latest novel to my personal assistant while getting my hair and make-up done (by professionals, of course.)  Then, I’m off to meetings with my “team” (publicist, manager, agent, fan club president, et al.)  In the afternoons, I do personal appearances, interviews, etc.  Then, it’s back home to get ready for whatever movie premiere, club opening, or gala I’ve been invited to . . . Oh, wait, did you mean a day in my real life?  Unfortunately, it’s not nearly as much fun as my fantasy life.  In fact, it’s totally unglamorous.  I’m chained to my desk for up to 10 hours a day, 6 days a week (this is why I have carpal tunnel and a twitchy eye!)  My writing “uniform” is a t-shirt, sweats, and fuzzy slippers (I have them in 5 different colors – no lie!)  The only breaks I take during the day are to exercise, do household chores, run errands, or play with my dogs.  Other that that, it’s work, work, and more WORK, and I love it!

After being published, how do you celebrate?  I really don’t do anything special other than have a few “Woohoo!” moments with friends and family.

What do you snack on while working?  I’m not much of a snacker, although I will confess to eating breakfast and lunch at the computer almost every day because I hate taking time away from work to have a meal!  We won’t even discuss all the crumbs that have accumulated in my keyboard!

Tell us your favorite word?  Why?  Serendipity.  It’s a fun word to say!  And I love the meaning: “The accidental discovery of something pleasant, valuable, or useful.”

What or who inspires you?  My mother – she’s always succeeded in life by being kind, hard-working, and determined.  I’ve, also, been very inspired by all the authors I’ve met during the course of my publishing journey.  As a whole, they are a strong, positive, resilient bunch!

Name 5 things that every writer needs?  1) An excellent thesaurus. 2) Lots of multi-colored post-its for jotting down all of your brilliant ideas as they occur to you. 3) A Twitter account – social media is so important in connecting with readers and other writers! 4) Supportive friends and family. 5) CDs, a flash drive, or a memory stick – some place to save all of your work!

What is the best advice you’ve ever been given?  The best advice I ever received was to self-publish and that came from multiple sources.  I was just so worn out from having my work praised by agents and publishers only to be rejected because they didn’t think they could sell Chick Lit/funny women’s fiction anymore.  I was at the point where I probably would have given up writing, but my family and friends all convinced me to give indie publishing a shot and I’m so glad they did!  It’s been such a great experience, and now after all these years people are finally reading my books and giving me such wonderful feedback!  My love of writing has been restored, and I’m excited to find out what the future holds for my career as an author.

What do you have coming up next?  I have three different contemporary Chick Lit novels simmering on the backburner.  I’m just trying to decide which one I want to write next!  Meanwhile, I’m focusing on a novel that I’m calling “Regency Chick Lit” as it’s in the vein of Jane Austen/Georgette Heyer novels with a large cast of characters and lots of romance and comedy.

Additional comments from Tracie:  I had a blast writing In Need of Therapy, so I hope everyone has just as much fun reading it!  I think it’s the perfect summer read to take with you to the pool or beach (and it pairs nicely with a Mojito given that the heroine is part-Cuban! :))

**Visit Tracie at any of the links below:

Books By Banister

Facebook

Twitter

InNeedOfTherapyCoverIn Need of Therapy

Lending a sympathetic ear and dispensing sage words of advice is all part of the job for psychologist Pilar Alvarez, and she’s everything a good therapist should be:  warm, compassionate, supportive.  She listens, she cares, and she has all the answers, but how’s the woman everyone turns to in their hour of need supposed to cope when her own life starts to fall apart?

While working hard to make a success of her recently-opened practice in trendy South Beach, Pilar must also find time to cater to the demands of her boisterous Cuban family, which includes younger sister Izzy, an unemployed, navel-pierced wild child who can’t stay out of trouble, and their mother, a beauty queen turned drama queen who’s equally obsessed with her fading looks and getting Pilar married before it’s “too late.”  Although she’d like to oblige her mother and make a permanent love connection, Pilar’s romantic prospects look grim.  Her cheating ex, who swears that he’s reformed, is stalking her.  A hunky, but strictly off-limits, patient with bad-boy appeal and intimacy issues is making passes.  And the sexy shrink in the suite across the hall has a gold band on his left ring finger.

When a series of personal and professional disasters lead Pilar into the arms of one of her unsuitable suitors, she’s left shaken, confused, and full of self-doubt.  With time running out, she must make sense of her feelings and learn to trust herself again so that she can save her business, her family, and most importantly, her heart.

**Buy the book!

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Amazon UK

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Unlocked

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Book review of “Unlocked”

“Unlocked” by Rachael O’Bryan

This book is about a woman’s relationships with men while working as a tutor in college.  With all the ups and downs of this part in Rebecca’s life, it’s a clear view of how relationships can impact the rest of your life.

With all the intimate details of Rebecca’s life, it reminded me of reading a diary with very little dialog, which I didn’t mind.  The chapters are broken up into little stories and I thought that was a creative way to draw the reader in — I know I was!  The main character, Rebecca, has very low self-esteem, which was sad because I liked her.  With each story and relationship, it seemed to change the way she thought about men and life.  By the end, I was happy for her because she seemed to be content, but unfortunately, I didn’t buy it.  I would have really liked to see more of a change at the end, making her truly evolved in life and in love.  The writing was good and it didn’t drag, but no matter how much I tried to connect with Rebecca, I couldn’t.  Overall, I thought this book was really good.  If you’re looking for a quick read, filled with the ups and downs of relationships, you will really enjoy this book.

I give this book 3 out of 5 stars!

Buy “Unlocked!”

Amazon

Barnes and Noble

Lulu – Paperback

Lulu – ePub

Lulu – PDF

**Click HERE to read a guest post by the author!

Rachael O’Bryan

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Author Bio: Rachael O’Bryan grew up in Louisville, Kentucky. She attended college at Temple University. After college she pursued her law degree, starting off at Tulane University and then graduating at American University. Rachael is a lawyer, but pursues writing in her free time. Besides writing Unlocked, she keeps a blog. Also, on June 1st she launched her own business – an online women’s magazine. The magazine is operated under Rachael Magazine LLC. The self-titled magazine is geared towards professional women in their 20s and 30s that want it all. You can subscribe HERE. When Rachael isn’t working, writing, or running her own business she enjoys reading, traveling, watching The New York Mets. and following the University of Louisville basketball team. She currently resides in New York City.

My Not So Chick Lit Life

In college I worked at a summer program in Louisville, Kentucky called Summerbridge. As I was driving to a work related event with a fellow summer teacher she told me of her desire to have a Carrie Bradshaw type of life in the future – an apartment in New York, a live in boyfriend, etc. She loved the independence and glamour of what was portrayed on HBO at the time. I had never seen Sex and the City at that point; I unfortunately didn’t get HBO in my college dorm. However, I now am the proud owner of the whole series on DVD minus the second movie.

And after watching the most notorious example of a chick lit based series, I see why the life is so appealing. Carrie was able to have an amazing apartment in New York, that prior to becoming a successful author, seemed completely unrealistic. She spent money on the best brands in fashion and took cabs everywhere. She seemed to have this endless money supply, until she really needed it to buy her apartment. Her finances didn’t match her lifestyle and as an aspiring writer and a new New Yorker, those things bother me to no end. I know life in New York doesn’t exist for most people like that and certainly not for me.

I moved here with no job, but was able to after about a week land my first contracting job (which was what I was doing in Washington, DC before I moved). And since moving here I’ve also been working on my writing career through blogging, promoting my book, starting a second book, and launching my online women’s magazine. I do all this from my tiny studio apartment in the East Village after I fit in 40+ hours of work at my day job (that sometimes turns into a night job and weekend job). Not only do all of these things fight for my time and attention, they also fight over my financial resources.

Besides my insane jealousy of the make believe financial situation she had, she also had lots of dates and relationships. Ugh the world of dating is one I can barely navigate, especially in New York. I mean I’m not longing to be broken up with on a post-it note, but if that means that someone is breaking up with me because I had a relationship for awhile than maybe I am wishing for it (I’d prefer the relationship without the break-up though of course). Besides the post-it break up Carrie definitely had lots of ups and downs with the opposite sex, but in the end she got her guy. Big rescued her from that Russian guy she dated (that I was not a fan of ) in my favorite city in the world – Paris.

But with all this said I still find myself tuning into Sex and the City and dreaming of my Carrie Bradshaw life. I don’t need Manolo Blahnik shoes, I’m perfectly happy with my shoes from DSW. I don’t need expensive bags, although a part of me does want to buy a Marc Jacobs bag, but that’s for when I make it big with my writing (hey you have to treat yourself every once in awhile). And I do love my Chanel sunglasses, but I’ve had them for years. So what’s the appeal then you may ask? It’s the same appeal of every other chick lit book – love. Every girl, every person wants love. I haven’t found that type of love yet and it’s always refreshing even if it’s in a TV show to see it happen. As much as her financial/living situation wasn’t realistic in parts of the series, her struggles with love were. The heartaches, the infatuation, the nerves, the over thinking, the happy moments – those are all relatable. However, the one difference between me and Carrie is that I don’t need someone to rescue me in the City of Lights and Love, I need someone to board the plan with me at JFK to go explore the city. I want someone to share my life, not save it, because the hero of my story has always been myself and that’s the way every woman should think. Unless my ideal Mr. Big would like to save me from my law school debt, then save away … I’m joking … mostly … law school wasn’t cheap.

I leave you with my favorite quote from the series by Carrie Bradshaw: “Some people are settling down, some people are settling, and some people refuse to settle for anything less than butterflies.”

**Contact Rachael:

Blog

Rachel Magazine

**Click HERE to read my review of “Unlocked!”

The L.A. Commandments

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Book review of “The L.A. Commandments”

“The L.A. Commandments,” by Gillian Duffy

Desperate to get away from recession in Dublin and their complex families, Joanne and Suzie head to Los Angles, California to start a new life.  They plan on spending days shopping, soaking up the sun on the beach, enjoying the nightlife, and meeting new people.  They set rules for themselves, the most important being “thou shall not fall in love,” but not everything goes according to plan.

Joanne “Jo” and Marc = Not complicated!  There’s little drama (except for at the end), and they seem to be in sync with one another.  At first there isn’t attraction on Jo’s part, but it’s because Marc (who’s part of a band) is shy, doesn’t talk much, and is a fool.  They get over this hump and realize they have more in common than they thought.  They spend countless days and evenings together, sometimes not even leaving the bedroom.  When Marc goes back home to take care of his mom, they stay together through texts, phone calls, and emails, patiently waiting for the day he returns back to L.A.  When he does, it’s like he never left.  Soon after, Marc tells Jo that he has to leave again to go on tour, and asks her to come with him.  Jo is beyond excited to be traveling around with her man.  While at the beginning of the tour, something happens so tragically that Jo goes back home to Dublin.  While Jo’s in Dublin, everything changes.  When she sees a picture of Marc and another woman together, she is shocked, and demands answers!  Who’s to blame for this, and will these two stay together?  I think I’m spoiling it, so you’ll have to read the book!

Suzie and Chris = Complicated! When Suzie meets Chris for the first time, it’s love at first sight – but only on her end.  She often sits at the bar watching (starting at) him while he works.  Most of the time, she’s unable to say a word to him, because she gets tongue-tied.  While Chris notices her, he’s definitely not a one-woman man!  Most everyone tells Suzie he’s not good for her, but she doesn’t listen.  Jo warns her to be careful, but there’s only so much she can do.  On the other hand, there’s Paul, sweet Paul.  He worships the ground Suzie walks on and would like to be with her, but he knows that she only has eyes for Chris.  When Suzie finds something out about Chris, she then sees the light.  But when Suzie realizes she still has some ties to him, she’s devastated and scared, (I wish I could say what happens, but that would spoil it).  After time has passed, Suzie is back in the swing of things and acting like her old self, but could it be to all the time she’s been spending with her “friend” Paul?  Do these two ever become more than friends?

I loved this book!  I loved the characters, and thought they were really well written.  When each chapter ended, I wanted to keep reading because of twists and turns!  And what’s not to love about hot men who speak with accents!  The friendship between Jo and Suzie is so close, that it seems that they could be sisters.  While I don’t have a sister, I have someone like a sister, so I definitely related to this book.  During happy, sad, and devastating times, these girls are there for one another, and that means something to me – it’s one of my favorite parts of why Chick Lit is what it is!

Gillian Duffy has written a very memorable book, one that I loved from start to finish, (I even cried at the end)!

If you’re looking for a book to give to your sister or a girlfriend who is like one, this is the book for you!  It would also make a perfect summer read!

I give this book 5 out of 5 stars!

**Click HERE to read my interview with the author, Gillian Duffy!

Favorable Conditions

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Book review for “Favorable Conditions”

“Favorable Conditions” by Kathleen Kole

She had plans, but things changed.  When divorcee Pat Keegan’s second child goes away to college, she didn’t intend on being alone.  In her perfect life, she’d be embarking on a new journey with her husband.  Instead forty-five year old Pat finds herself living alone in a quiet home all alone.  After a night of letting loose, the next day Pat starts her new journey as a bookstore owner.  She also begins to date Ian, a much younger man who she “runs” into while out for a run.  Many things happen in Pat’s new life – her daughter gets engaged, a younger woman intimidates her, and her relationship is interrupted when her ex-husband shows up, but through it all Pat manages to embrace it, and make the most of her new life.

From start to finish this book was delightfully charming and sweet.  Kathleen Kole has written a book that many can relate to – single mom, new career, and a younger hunk!  While I’m a married woman in my early thirties and have no children, I felt that I could relate to Pat on some levels.  This book was very enjoyable, even funny – especially when Pat dances alone in her home to a blaring Bob Seger.  I was cracking up as she tried to imitate Tom Cruise in Risky Business!

Kathleen has a knack for writing strong-willed characters, such as Pat Keegan.  I found refreshing that the female main character was confidant in herself, and didn’t harp on anything over too much time.  Pat’s love interest, Ian, seemed to be sweet and understanding man, especially when it came to Pat’s worries about their age differences and her children.  These two characters are a match made in heaven.  Some might even say that the conditions for these two are favorable…

After reading this book, I can’t wait to read it again…when I’m in my forties, fifties, and sixties!  Every woman who is in her mid-life should read this book.

I give this book 4 ½ out of 5 stars.

Buy “Favorable Conditions!”

Amazon

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Smashwords

**Read my Q & A with the author HERE

**GIVEAWAYS**

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When one sees the word giveaway and it’s in big and bold letters, this is an attention grabber!  Am I wrong?  I did’t think so!  Yesterday I hosted my first tour and (I think) it went pretty successful.  The author was kind enough to give away two copies of her book.  HERE is my post from yesterday.

This leads me to the point of this blog post.  When an author goes on tour to promote herself and/or her book, by having giveaways on blogs can be one of the biggest ways to help get the word out that there’s a new book that they might like, and maybe become a fan.  I’ve been lucky enough to win three books from authors and books that I didn’t know about — thanks to blog giveaways!  With already known authors (such as Emily Giffin) having them on the blog would be an honor, but they don’t need as much publicity as new and self-published authors.

If you’re an author, how do you promote yourself?  If you’re the blogger, how do you help promote the book or the author?

An Exciting Day: March 12th, 2012

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Many of you know that the number “12” is a very lucky number for me!  This brings me to Monday, March 12th, 2012, which is tomorrow!  As I sit here drinking my white wine, I’m finding it difficult to contain myself.  THIS might help explain why!  Yes, it’s only a book tour, but it’s my first time to be a part of something like this – GO ME!  I have a feeling that this is only a the beginning of what will be a great Monday for me!

How do you plan on spending your Monday?

To end, I’m leaving you with a quote that inspires me — especially on Monday’s!