Chick Lit Goddess

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Finding Lucas

Chick Lit Goddess’s Five Favorite Reads in 2013!

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I planned to read 32 books this year, but I ended up reading 34. While I read most of them for reviews and only a few for pleasure, overall, it was a great year. I’ve fallen in love with new authors and their books. With the exception of #4, it was the first time I’d read anything by the author, and it won’t be my last!

Chick Lit Goddess’s five favorite books of 2013!

::5::

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Ladies’ Night by Mary Kay Andrews

::4::

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Double Click by Lisa Becker

::3::

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Always Something There to Remind Me by Beth Harbison

::2::

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Becoming Mrs. Walsh by Jessica Gordon

…Now, for my #1 pick…

It was hard to narrow it down to my favorite book of 2013, there was just no way I could pick so I had to make it a tie. The following two books were AMAZING! Not only is the writing witty, the characters and story lines are unforgettable. If you’re looking for a feel-good, quick and fun read, the following two, then I know you’ll love Blogger Girl by Meredith Schorr and Finding Lucas by Samantha Stroh Bailey.

……….1……….

Blogger Girl by Meredith SchorrBloggerGirlCover

FindingLucasCover Finding Lucas by Samantha Stroh Bailey

*****

I’m looking forward to the new year. In 2014, my fist book will be published, I’ll be featuring several authors and books, along with a lot more!

From my family to yours, I wish you a very Happy New Year!

~~Isabella Louise Anderson~~

Thanks To Technology, Are More or Less Books Sold?

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If you’re like me, you look around your surroundings (where it be an airport, a doctor’s office, the beach, etc.) and take note of what other people are reading. Well, a few days ago, I was at the nail salon and I observed something. With classic love songs being played in the background and my fake nails were being put on, I saw a lot of other women around with their iPads and iPhones, swiping pages. This leads me to think they were reading. Well, what book was it? Was it something along the lines of “Fifty Shades of Grey” that they wanted to hide, or was it more tame, like a wonderful summer read I recommend, “Finding Lucas” by Samantha Stroh Bailey? Nobody knew that I was reading “In Need of Therapy” by Tracie Banister, which had me laughing out loud.

This led me to observe something else. While word of mouth is good for book sales, how much does seeing a book matter? Being a visual person, I think it means a lot. I like to see where pages have been turned down and bookmarks between pages because it makes me think it’s a good book, so they kept going, at least that’s what most people I know do. I’m most likely to go buy a new book if I see someone reading it, and of course, because of the cover. For me, covers really so sell, but how do I see the pretty cover if they’re reading on an eReader?

Don’t get me wrong, I love technology a lot, especially its convince. I can be anywhere and be reading! How cool is that?! Does the fact that you can  buy books with just one button, or since so many people are self-publishing and sell their books for low-cost, truly matter anymore?

Part of me thinks that books will be obsolete, which saddens me. I still have my .99 cent 1981 version of Cinderella, which was the year I was born. To me, that’s priceless, but these days, kids don’t know what a paper book is. I could go on and on about how much I think it’s important for kids to read “real” books, but these days “real” books are iBooks/eBooks.

I want your opinion. Thanks to technology, are more or less books sold?

Finding Lucas

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Book review of “Finding Lucas”

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“Finding Lucas” by Samantha Stroh Bailey

Book Description:

Can you ever really go back to the past?

After five long years of living with Derek, her former bad-boy-turned-metrosexual boyfriend, Jamie Ross finally reaches her breaking point. She’s had enough of his sneering disdain for her second hand wardrobe, unusual family and low-paying job as the associate producer of Chicago’s sleaziest daytime talk show. When her new boss plans a segment on reuniting lost loves, Jamie remembers Lucas, her first love and the boy she’d lost ten years earlier. Spurred on by her gang of quirky friends, Jamie goes on a hilarious, disastrous and life changing hunt to track Lucas down. But are some loves best left behind?

My Review:

“Finding Lucas” has been on my TBR list for quite a while, so between reading reviews for Chick Lit Plus Blog Tours, I decided to start the book I’ve heard so much about.

I love how the book started out where we get a clear image of Jamie and Derek’s relationship. (Wow, what a jerk, and his mother…what a witch!) Once Jamie ended it (thank goodness), a sigh of relief rushed over me, thankful that she was finally free from both of them. It seemed that Jamie was already on her way out before the reader met them, which explained why she didn’t really miss him, especially since she was with him for so long.

When Jamie begins to be friends with her new boss, Andrew, while working together on the show of finding lost loves, I liked their friendly and, sometimes, flirty banter. I was focused more on her journey of finding Lucas, and wondered why she didn’t tell him about being on the show herself, but at the end, I’m so glad she didn’t. (No, I’m not going to spoil it for you). One thing I really liked, and appreciated, was the friendship Jamie has with her family. I was laughing when Andrew met her mother and her partner, and her sister. That was hysterical. I could only imagine being a fly on the wall when her mother’s partner gives him a back massage. While the loving family is filled with quite a gene pool, it was obvious how much they all care for each other.

Jamie’s journey of finding Lucas is quite a funny one and I couldn’t put it down, even though I was reading two other books along with this one. I laughed and cried, but the best part was the ending. I was surprised how it ended, but that’s what I liked the most of “Finding Lucas.” It is interesting to wonder what happened to our long-lost loves, and when we see them, hoping to get another chance, we all wonder what we’ll do and say in that moment. Why I won’t say if Jamie found Lucas, I do think she ended up with the right man. 🙂

I would recommend this book to anyone who wonders what happened to or wonders where their long-lost love is, and it would make for a wonderful book for a day at the beach. This was my first book by Samantha Stroh Bailey, and I know it won’t be my last!

I give “Finding Lucas” 5 stars!

**Click HERE to learn more about Samantha Stroh Bailey, read my interview with the author!

Samantha Stroh Bailey

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About author, Samantha Stroh Bailey:  Samantha has been a writer ever since she could pick up a pen. In fact, she even sent her first manuscript, Freddy the Flame, to publishers when she was ten years old. Sadly, it was rejected, but a lifelong passion to write was born.

After 15 years of teaching ESL to adults, including at the University of Toronto, she decided to live her dreams of being a fulltime writer and editor. Now the owner of Perfect Pen Communications, she not only gets to write novels, but also writes and edits for magazines, websites, businesses, students and other authors. Her work has appeared in Now Magazine, The Village Post, Oxford University Press, Abilities Magazine, on mommyish.com and many other publications. Samantha also has a Master of Education in Applied Linguistics that looks really nice on her wall. Okay, in a box in her basement. She lives in Toronto with her husband and two children. Finding Lucas is her first novel.

Samantha loves to hear from readers! Connect with her!
Blog: http://samanthastrohbailey.blogspot.ca/
Twitter: @perfectpen

INTERVIEW

Describe yourself in five sentences:  Ridiculously tiny, I am five feet tall with my hair up and my six year old son is now gaining on me. I am afraid of heights, snakes, thunder and not accomplishing everything I want to. People often call me a fireball because I have enough energy to power a small city, and I love nothing more than spending time with my friends and family. I and warm, gushy and talkative, but I am also a good listener who people know they can trust.

Salty or sweet?  Salty!

You knew you were a writer when…:  As a little girl, I created characters who were nicer to me than the kids at school.

What are you reading right now?  I’m just finishing Saving Saffron Sweeting by Pauline Wiles. I adore the mix of American and British vernacular, and the story is funny, heartwarming and addictive. I love it!

A typical day for you involves…:  Waking up early, kissing my kids and husband, making breakfast and lunches, getting the kids ready for school, making more coffee and opening my laptop. I check my emails, sales ranks for Finding Lucas, connect with my online world and start writing and editing for my clients. I also spend at least an hour a day if I can revising my WIP.

How did you come up with the title of “Finding Lucas”?  I actually find it very hard to think of great titles, but that one just came to me.

Who is your favorite author?  I have so many favorites who have inspired me to write. At the top of my list are: Jennifer Weiner, Marian Keyes, Sophie Kinsella, Eileen Goudge, Ernest Hemingway, Jill Mansell, Jane Fallon…the list goes on and on. I have also come to admire and respect the talent of so many of the Goddesses.

What is the writing/editing/publishing process like for you?  Long.  🙂  I usually come up with my plot ideas late at night and I’m a very organic writer. I need to get a good chunk of the story from my head onto the paper before I can even think about editing. And, as a professional editor, it is very hard for me not to constantly edit myself. Once I have the gist of the story, I then go back and edit. Write more. Edit. Once I feel I have a story ready for my incredible beta readers, I send it, wanting them to tear it apart. I go back and revise and edit and then send it to an editor for a thorough look. Then I edit it again. And again.

A writer must have…:  Confidence.

Where is your favorite place to write?  My kitchen/office. Above my desk, there is a wall filled with my kids’ drawings.

Hard/paperbacks or eBooks?  If you’d asked me this a year ago, I would have said paperbacks all the way. But since publishing on Amazon and Kobo, I have become quite attached to my e-reader. Nothing can beat the smell of a new book and the feeling of turning the pages, but taking my ereader everywhere with me, even in a diaper bag, is fantastic.

Can you tell us about any of your upcoming projects?  I’m working on Everything But, my second novel, which is contemporary women’s fiction. It’s about a woman who risks her marriage and closest friendship to have the baby she never thought she wanted. It’s a story that I hope will resonate with anyone who has ever struggled to have a child.

**Additional comments by Samantha:  Thank you so much for having me, Isabella. When I found the Chick Lit Goddesses, I met the warmest, kindest and most supportive group of authors. I have an amazing family and the bestest of friends, but no one but a writer can truly understand what writing and publishing is like. I am so grateful to you for founding the group.

FindingLucasCover**Buy “Finding Lucas”:

Amazon – eBook   Amazon – Paperback   Kobo

**Contact Samantha!:

Blog   Business Website   Facebook – Author Page

Goodreads   Twitter

Holiday Treats for Chick Lit Lovers

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In the spirit of coming together for the holidays, eight popular Chick Lit authors are “partying it up” with a shared promotion for book lovers! That means eight fun and fizzy e-books, each priced at $3.99 or less, that are packed with plenty of laughs and romance to keep you entertained on those long winter nights! And if you’d like to gift one of these books to a Chick Lit fan, we’ve got you covered with your choice of paperbacks!

Which books are featured in this festive promo?

Finding Lucas by Samantha Stroh Bailey – Daytime talk show producer Jamie Ross is beyond fed up with her toxic bad boy turned metrosexual boyfriend. Spurred on by her gang of quirky friends, she goes on a hilarious, at-times disastrous, and totally life-changing hunt to track down the “one who got away.” But are some loves best left behind? E-book and paperback available on Amazon.

In Need of Therapy by Tracie Banister – Handling the problems of hysterical hypochondriacs, lovelorn neurotics, and compulsive man whores is all in a day’s work for super-shrink Pilar Alvarez. But can she deal with her crazy Cuban family, a trio of unsuitable suitors, and a threat to her practice without ending up on the couch herself? E-book available on Amazonand Barnes & Noble; paperback available on Amazon.

What the Dog Ate by Jackie Bouchard – Discovering what her dog ate turns Maggie Baxter’s world upside down. With her chocolate Lab, Kona, as her guide, can Maggie forego her overly analytical ways to find a new life filled with tail-wagging joy? E-book available on Amazon,Barnes & Noble, and iTunes; paperback available on Amazon and Barnes & Noble.

The Girl, the Gold Tooth, & Everything by Francine LaSala – Suburban housewife Mina, beaten-down and struggling with amnesia, starts getting her memory and her mojo back. But she soon learns everything has a price in this fast-paced, richly layered, and darkly humorous satire! E-book and paperback available on Amazon and Barnes & Noble.

Breaking the Rules by Cat Lavoie – When Roxy Rule shares a passionate kiss with her lifelong best friend, she must come to terms with her feelings for him while dealing with two sisters in full crisis mode, a boss who makes her want to stab herself with a letter opener and a fiancé who can’t wait to walk down the aisle. Can she keep it together–or will she break under the pressure? E-book available on Amazon, Kobo, and Barnes & Noble; paperback available on Amazon.

Fashioning a Romance by Libby Mercer – Devastatingly handsome and deliciously weird, John Harrington is the man of Caitlyn Taylor’s dreams… and her nightmares. She has no use for a womanizer like him, and dodges his advances like a pro. But when they end up in Paristogether, Caitlyn feels her resolve begin to slip. How will she ever be able to resist the irresistible in the most romantic city in the world? E-book available on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and Kobo.

A State of Jane by Meredith Schorr – Jane Frank is newly single after nine years and looking for a second chance at love. But when she dives head first into the NYC dating scene and finds it infested with flakes who are interested today and gone tomorrow, it may be time for Jane to turn the tables! E-book available on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and iTunes; paperback available on Amazon and Barnes & Noble.

Picture Perfect by Lucie Simone – Lauren Tate’s perfectly planned life quickly unravels at the seams when a smear campaign threatens her career as a top TV executive, but she learns just how cutthroat showbiz can truly be when the hottest scandal in Tinsel Town turns deadly and the Hollywood hunk who’s stolen her heart goes missing. E-book available on Amazon; paperback available on Amazon and Barnes & Noble.