Nav Social Menu

    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Twitter

Chick Lit Goddess

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

  • Home
  • About Isabella
    • Books
  • Blog
  • Reviews
    • Contact/Review Policy
  • Tips for Writers
  • Skip to secondary menu
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer

Guest Interview

Author Feature: Tracy Krimmer

August 13, 2015 2 Comments

TracyKrimmerPic

About author, Tracy Krimmer: Tracy’s love of writing began at nine years old. She wrote stories about aliens at school, machines that did homework for you, and penguins. Now she pens books and short stories about romance. She loves to read a great book, whether it be romance or science fiction, or any genre in between, or pop popcorn and catch up on her favorite TV shows or movies. She’s been known to crush a candy or two as well. Her first romance novel, Pieces of it All, released in May 2014 followed in December with Caching In, a romance mixed with the hobby of geocaching. She also has written several short stories. Find her online at www.tracykrimmer.com, Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/KrimmerAuthor or Twitter at http://www.twitter.com/tkrimms.

* * * * *

AUTHOR INTERVIEW

Describe yourself in five words: Motivated, Weird, Short, Loyal, Sarcastic

You knew you were a writer when…: I was nine years old. I fell in love with writing stories and poems.

Salty or sweet? I like both separate – never together. I’m not a sea salt on chocolate fan!

What is your writing/editing/publishing process like? A hot mess! My first draft is always horrible. I refer to it as an extended outline! I write the first draft and then go back and practically rewrite the entire thing. My editing process drives me nuts and people walk on eggshells around me while I’m in that process. I need silence to edit. Total silence.

What must an author have with them at all times? Something to record ideas on, whether it’s a pen and paper or a smartphone with a notes app. And coffee.

How do you come up your book titles? Usually I start with a title. The title pops into my head and the rest just follows.

Hard/paperbacks or eBooks? Both. I love taking physical books on vacation with me. Ebooks are awesome because I can carry them with me all the time!

What are you reading right now? As I write this in July, an ARC of Chalk Lines & Lipstick by Ophelia London, which released on August 11.

Do you have any writing rituals? A clean house and coffee. The house must be picked up with nothing on the floor or clutter on the tables!

What do you want your readers to take away from your books? Whatever they want. I write my books and hope people enjoy what they read and want to read more. I don’t have hidden themes I wish they would take away. With Jay Walking, my new release, I do hope women learn to love their bodies and people want to get fit, but if they don’t take that and just think, “Hey, I just read a fun book!” then that’s enough for me!

What’s the best advice you’ve ever been given? Head down and write. Don’t focus on what others are doing. It’s easy to get caught up in everyone else’s success.

What are you working on right now? Another Pastime Pursuits novel. This will tell the story of Kate, a character from Caching In.

* * * * *

JayWalkingCoverPic

Blurb: Chelsea Wyatt, a single mom trying to build a life for her and her son, is sick of the body she sees in the mirror. A daily diet of Cookie Crisp cereal is not doing wonders for her mood or her figure, and it’s time for a change. Setting out to get fit, she commits herself to a daily walking plan, forcing herself to give up her all-sugar and carb diet, a difficult task at her donut obsessed job.

But her plan goes sideways when a stumble on the ice puts her in the arms of Jay, an attractive young man out on a run. They grab coffee together, and Chelsea finds herself thinking about him long after their short meeting. The thought of dating again hadn’t crossed her mind in years, and she doesn’t even know if Jay is available, or if he would be interested in her despite her unfit body.



Just when she has a handle on her new routine, her past catches up with her, throwing her blossoming relationship with Jay and the rest of her life into chaos. Can Chelsea hold onto the people she loves most, or will a wrong turn set her up for failure?

* * * * *

JayWalkingTourBanner

**Get your copy of “Jay Walking” now!: Amazon   Barnes & Noble   iBooks   Kobo

* * * * *

**GIVEAWAY**

**Click HERE to enter to win a signed paperback copy of CACHING IN & a Wilson Headband (US ONLY)

* * * * *

**A note from Tracy: I participated in a short story anthology this summer. Pick up the FREE anthology, Girls of Summer, here: http://goo.gl/7As8nd.

Filed Under: Jay Walking Tagged With: Books, Chick Lit & Wine, Chick-Lit, Giveaway, Guest Interview, Jay Walking, Love, Tracy Krimmer, Women's Fiction

Beth Hoffman

May 2, 2014 2 Comments

BethHoffmanPic

About author, Beth Hoffman:  Beth Hoffman is the internationally bestselling author of Looking for Me and Saving CeeCee Honeycutt. Before beginning her writing career, she was president and co-owner of an interior design studio. Beth lives, along with her husband and their four-legged fur-kids, in a historic Queen Anne home in Kentucky. Her interests include the rescue of abandoned and abused animals, nature conservancy, birding, historic preservation, and antiquing.

Thoughts On Writing – with New York Times bestselling author Beth Hoffman

When you begin a novel do you follow an outline? Every writer has his/her own method, and what works for one would be disastrous for another. I never construct an outline. Once I have personality sketches of the main characters and a general idea of what kind of journeys and obstacles will be encountered, I’m ready to dive in and write. For me, the only way creative alchemy can occur is when I get out of the way and give my characters freedom to come alive on the page.

What advice would you give aspiring authors? Don’t wait for the muse to show up. Just write. Write every day. The muse will come and go, but without discipline you’ll just be spinning your wheels. Reading is vital. When we saturate our minds with all sorts of imagery, dialogue, and storylines, our imaginations remain fertile and sharp. Once you’ve reached the finish line of your manuscript’s final edit, you’re still not done. Let your work sit for at least a week and then read the story out loud. This is one of the best ways I’ve found to pick up any bumps that need smoothing. And finally, get rid of the adverbs!

What is your favorite part of the writing process? I especially enjoy crafting characters and dialogue. There’s something magical about hearing the voices of my characters in my mind. I know it sounds crazy, but I even enjoy editing. It’s a lot like ironing: the thought of it is daunting, but the end result is always worth the effort.

You left a successful interior design career in order to write. Any regrets? It’s the most empowering decision I’ve ever made. Though I loved design and always will, it knew it was time for me to reach for my long-held dream of writing a novel. Sometimes we just have to take an empty-handed leap into the void. And even if my dream to write didn’t pan out in a positive way, I’m not inclined to harbor regrets. I try to view my experiences (the good and the not-so good) as required classes in the University of Life.

**Contact Beth: Website   Facebook   Twitter

LookingForMeCoverPic

“Looking for Me” by Beth Hoffman

A Southern novel of family and antiques from the bestselling author of the beloved Saving CeeCee Honeycutt

Beth Hoffman’s bestselling debut, Saving CeeCee Honeycutt, won admirers and acclaim with its heartwarming story and cast of unforgettable characters. Now her unique flair for evocative settings and richly drawn Southern personalities shines in her compelling new novel, Looking for Me.

Teddi Overman found her life’s passion for furniture in a broken-down chair left on the side of the road in rural Kentucky. She learns to turn other people’s castoffs into beautifully restored antiques, and eventually finds a way to open her own shop in Charleston. There, Teddi builds a life for herself as unexpected and quirky as the customers who visit her shop. Though Teddi is surrounded by remarkable friends and finds love in the most surprising way, nothing can alleviate the haunting uncertainty she’s felt in the years since her brother Josh’s mysterious disappearance. When signs emerge that Josh might still be alive, Teddi is drawn home to Kentucky. It’s a journey that could help her come to terms with her shattered family—and to find herself at last. But first she must decide what to let go of and what to keep.

Looking for Me brilliantly melds together themes of family, hope, loss, and a mature once-in-a-lifetime kind of love. The result is a tremendously moving story that is destined to make bestselling author Beth Hoffman a novelist to whom readers will return again and again as they have with Adriana Trigiani, Fannie Flagg, and Joshilyn Jackson.

Filed Under: Beth Hoffman Tagged With: Beth Hoffman, Books, Chick-Lit, Guest Interview, Looking for Me, Women's Ficion

Isabella Louise Anderson

March 15, 2014 Leave a Comment

BioPic

About author, Isabella Louise Anderson: Isabella grew up with a book in her hand, and to this day nothing has changed. She is a member of the Romance Writers of America and has been featured on several blogs. While Isabella doesn’t blog a lot, she focuses her time on featuring other writers, along with writing and editing.

Isabella Louise Anderson created Chick Lit Goddess to share the love of the following genres: Chick Lit, Contemporary Romance, Romance, and Romantic Comedies!  She loves featuring authors and their books.

She lives in Dallas with her husband and cat. She enjoys spicy Mexican food and drinking margaritas, and can be found spending time with family and friends, cheering on the Texas Rangers, and reading.

Isabella’s short story, Meet Me Under the Mistletoe, was featured in Simon & Fig’s Christmas anthology, Merry & Bright, in November 2013. The Right Design is her first novel.

**Contact Isabella: Email   Author Website   Chick Lit Goddess   Facebook   Goodreads   Pinterest   Twitter

INTERVIEW

Describe yourself in five words: Creative, determined, fun, loving, and stubborn.

How long have you been writing? Since I was eight or nine. Writing has always been a huge part of my life, so I’m very thankful to have a had a huge support team behind me, who encouraged me to start living my dream as an author.

How did you celebrate publishing “The Right Design”? It was quite an emotional day. After banging my head on the bed over and over (afraid of failure), I finally managed to press the “publish” button on Amazon, Barnes and Noble, and Kobo. The hubby handed me a glass of champagne, and I cried. Since “The Right Design” is my first novel, it was quite exciting after I finally calmed down. It’s definitely a feeling that I could get used to…:)

Between writing, editing, and publishing, which is your favorite? Definitely the editing. While it was very hard at times, I loved the challenge.

Hard/paperbacks or eBooks? Both! While I carry my iPad with me everywhere I go (thank goodness for oversized purses), I find it convenient to carry a hard/paperback, too…especially when I’m traveling. (Apparently, flight attendants aren’t too fond of allowing you to read on your iPad when taking off or landing.)

Being a published author makes you feel…: Complete!

What is your favorite writer quote? “Writing is a lonely job. Having someone who believes in you makes a lot of difference. They don’t have to make speeches. Just believing is usually enough,” by Stephen King.

Every author must have a…: patience and motivation!

What website(s) do you frequent the most? Chick Lit Plus, Oxford Dictionaries, and Thesarus.com

What is your favorite word? Cilantro.

What’s the best advice you’ve been given? While it’s easier said than done, the words “just keep writing” are true. No matter how bad a draft can be, just getting it down is the first step.

Can you tell us about any upcoming projects: I just finished the second draft of “Cards From Khloe’s Flower Shop.” It’s about a woman (Khloe) who owns a florist looking for love, and takes orders from four other characters: a cheating husband (Richard) who can’t decide between his devoted wife and his mistress, an older woman (Gabriella) who finds love online after her husband dies, a middle-aged woman (Connie) who sends herself flowers at work each week, claiming that their from an imaginary boyfriend only to gain attention from her co-workers, and a young man (Curtis) who dates a health-obsessed nut, only to find himself falling in love with Khloe.

* * * * *

isabellaanderson_therightdesign_ebook_final

“The Right Design” by Isabella Louise Anderson

Blurb: Interior designer Carrie Newman could not have envisioned a more perfect life for herself. She had a great job doing what she loved, wonderful friends, and a close relationship with her sister and brother-in-law. Add in an amazing man who she’d hoped would soon become her husband, and her life was perfect. Until one devastating decision ruins her relationship and changes the course of her life.

Determined to make a new start, Carrie leaves Texas and heads to Palm Beach to pick up the pieces of her shattered and broken life. The last thing she expects is to find herself attracted to her first client at her new job—Brad Larson, who has proven himself time and time again to be cad.

But there’s something beneath the surface of Brad’s arrogant exterior that keeps her craving more of him—something almost sweet that Carrie can’t seem to resist.

Is Carrie ready to take another chance on romance? And will this new design of her life prove to be the right one…?

**Buy “The Right Design”: Amazon   Barnes & Noble   Kobo

EXCERPT:

Carrie Newman’s day started out like any other, only there were presents involved. After showering and dressing, she came out of the bathroom and found Roger sitting on the bed, handsomely dressed in a white dress shirt and blue pinstripe slacks. His still-wet hair from the shower was slicked back, and his expensive cologne smelled of a combination of sweet flowers and fresh lemons. In his manicured, but masculine hands, he held a little blue box—the kind most women fantasize about receiving at least once in their lifetime.

Is Roger about to propose? With a pounding heart, she sat down beside him and pointed to the box. “What’s that?” she asked, trying to make her voice sound casual.

“Oh, just a little something to let you know how much I love you and how special you are to me. Happy sixth anniversary, babe.”

Carrie blushed at his sweet sentiment and tried to control her trembling hands as she tugged eagerly at the gift’s white ribbon. Inside the box was a black velvet one. When she opened it, round diamond earrings sparkled against the satin cushion.

“They’re beautiful,” she said softly, trying her best to hide the disappointment in her voice, wondering if he’d forgotten that she preferred princess cuts. In her mind, she replayed many conversations about what kinds of jewelry she favored, but she knew that Roger hadn’t always been good with shopping. For her birthday one year, he had bought her a pony (yes, a real one) because that’s what she’d jokingly said she wanted. Really, round-cut diamonds?

“Aren’t you going to put them on?” Roger asked, sounding impatient, as he nudged her and playfully pouted.

“Oh, yes, sorry.” She took off her favorite silver dangles, and replaced them with Roger’s diamonds. “Well, how do they look?” She tried to force a smile.

“Beautiful on you.” His eyes danced, and he smiled proudly as if he’d just given her the gift of a lifetime.

Carrie walked to the bathroom to see how the earrings looked on her, assuming the worst. When she saw herself in the mirror, her jaw almost dropped. Taking a closer look, she held her ear closer to the mirror and admired the earring’s sparkling beauty. Completely caught off-guard, she took a step back again to see the full effect, her eyes widened with approval as the large diamonds shone off her oval face, brightening her fair complexion. “Wow,” she whispered.

Roger snuck up behind her and wrapped his arms around her. “If you don’t like them, I can replace them.”

Carrie turned around and put a finger to his soft lips. “They’re perfect. I love them, and I love you.” She stood on her tiptoes, draped her arms around his neck, and kissed him passionately. Tasting mint on his lips, she smiled when she felt his tongue start toying with hers, and she pulled him closer.

“My meeting got canceled,” he said, grabbing her waist and lifting her onto their black onyx marble bathroom counter with two individual sinks. “How about we start the day off right?”

While Carrie wanted nothing more than to spend the morning making love to him, she couldn’t. She needed to get to work because she had planned on leaving early to come home and surprise Roger. “I can’t, love, I really can’t.” She pushed Roger’s hand away right as he began fingering the top button of her red blouse. “I promise I’ll make tonight worth the wait.”

“You’d better.” Roger gave her another quick kiss, and then released her.

After they finished getting ready, Carrie kissed her boyfriend of six years goodbye and left for work. “Have a good day,” she said.

“Oh, believe me, I will.”

After the twenty-minute drive to work, she smiled into the rear-view mirror to once again admire her new earrings. As Carrie made her way to her office, she drew quite a bit of attention from her co-workers, thanks to the glistening baubles adorning her ears.

“Carrie, those are beautiful!” Mary Ann, her co-worker, gasped, bringing her hand to her lips. Though there was a twenty-five-year age gap between the two of them, they’d become friends the instant they’d met.

“Thank you. Roger gave them to me this morning. Today’s our six-year anniversary.”

“Oh, that’s right.” Mary Ann snapped her fingers. “Happy anniversary. I can’t believe I forgot. I’m sure you two will have a very memorable celebration.” She wiggled her eyebrows.

Carrie laughed. “That’s the plan for tonight,” she said to Mary Ann and continued down the hall to her office.

Carrie had been at Sawyer Design & Associates, a highly acclaimed firm in Dallas, for three years. She was offered the job right after graduating from Syracuse University with a degree in architecture, and only a year’s experience as an intern. Design being a passion of hers since childhood, she had grown up designing and drawing homes and buildings. In college, she’d helped her friends organize and decorate their dorm rooms, coordinating their bedroom furnishings and accessories. By landing her dream job, she couldn’t have asked for more and everyone at the design firm complimented Carrie on her great sense of style. Just last month, she finished designing the interior for the home of her city’s major league pitcher, who had received a recommendation from Roger, whose firm represented several athletes. Since then, she’d received many inquiries from several major league wives.

As she sat down at her desk, a picture of her and Roger on New Year’s Eve caught her eye, and she grinned at the memory. Her sister, Sara, had taken the photo of them kissing at midnight only months ago. Of all the pictures that they had posed for over the past six years, it was her favorite. When Carrie’s office phone buzzed, it shook her out of a daze, and signaled that her day at work had officially begun.

By eleven-thirty, Carrie had met with two potential clients, but before she could deal with her growling stomach, she had to meet with her boss, Renee Phillips. “Knock, knock,” said Carrie, tapping lightly on Renee’s door that was only halfway shut.

“Carrie, please come in.” She gestured to a seat in front of her desk.

“You wanted to see me?” Carrie sat down in one of the matching white Parsons chairs.

“Yes, I did. How’s everything going?” Renee leaned back and crossed her arms.

“Really well.” Carrie nodded, wondering what Renee was getting at.

“That’s good. And your projects, how do you feel about them?”

As Carrie started chewing her lip, she said, “I feel good, and, as you know, I recently completed the Moreland & Hamilton, and Swann projects.”

Renee’s eyes widened and she smiled. “Yes, and they were both beautiful. Are you aware that Mr. Moreland and Mr. Hamilton called me to commend your work? You did a wonderful job, Carrie. I’m very proud of you.”

With a sigh, she relaxed in her chair. Wow! “Thank you.” She’d worked hard on those projects, sometimes not leaving the office until well after midnight. It’s times like these that make the job worth it, she thought to herself.

“Carrie, Don Sawyer is leaving the company.”

Reeling back in shock, Carrie said, “Really?”

“Yes. It seems that he’s trading swatches and designs for bait and hooks. He is officially retiring in a few weeks.”

Carrie had worked with Don a few times but didn’t know him that well, except that he seemed to be a kind man who smiled a lot and was well-liked in the firm.

“I asked you in here because I’d like for you to consider a partner position. I’m nominating you as a candidate.”

Carrie blinked furiously before she practically jumped out of the chair. “Renee, I don’t know what to say. Thank you. Thank you very much.”

Renee smiled brightly. “Well, you’ve earned your due here. Nothing’s set in stone yet and this is only a nomination, but you’ve got my vote. Congratulations!”

After the meeting concluded with a handshake and a hug, Carrie quickly walked to her office and tried to call Roger at work to share her news. But he didn’t pick up his private line or his cell, and she didn’t bother leaving any messages, thinking that maybe it was better to tell him in person anyway.

*****

To celebrate, Mary Ann took her to lunch and they toasted Carrie’s nomination with a glass of champagne. Only one glass wouldn’t hurt, she thought. Besides, if she was going to go through with what she’d planned for Roger, the liquid courage would be helpful.

After lunch, Mary Ann signaled for the check. “So,” she started, reaching into her purse. “Do you think Roger’s going to propose tonight?”

Nearly choking on her last bit of champagne, Carrie shook her head. “Well, we’ve talked about it and I wish he would, but we’ve been together so long, I feel married to him already. I don’t need a piece of paper to make it official.” She traced the outline of her new earrings with the tips of her fingers. “Besides, I already have my diamonds.”

Mary Ann shook her head and laughed as she signed the check. “You’re more patient than I’d be. That’s why two years after George and I had started dating, I told him it was now or never.” She looked at the simple gold band on her left hand. “And we’ve been together for over twenty years now.” Taking a sip of her drink, she continued, “Roger really must think you’re a saint. Most women would push the marriage topic until he put a ring on that bare finger, especially since you two have been together for so long. He’s a very handsome man, Carrie.”

“Believe me, I know.” Carrie thought back to how sexy he’d looked when they’d made love the night before. She loved how Roger’s handsome body hovered over hers in the dim light, how his face had lit up as he pleasured her.

“Does he know how good his life is?” Mary Ann stood up and Carrie followed. “Most men would kill for that kind of life.”

“Oh, Roger knows,” she giggled. “Believe me, he knows.”

When they went back to the office, Carrie started counting down the two hours she had left, when her office phone rang and Roger’s name flashed on the screen.

“Hey, handsome.”

“How’s my beautiful girl?”

“Great, but busy as ever. Oh, and I have some wonderful news.” She twisted the phone cord, thinking of all the surprises that she had in store for Roger.

“Do you care to share?”

“I want to tell you in person.”

“Okay, sounds good. Hey, is there a chance of you getting off early? I need to see you.”

“I’m sorry, love, I’m so busy.” She tried to make her voice sound tense and overwhelmed with work.

All Roger said was, “Okay,” his voice sounding low and let down.

“Babe, like I told you this morning, I promise I’ll make it up to you.”

“Okay,” he repeated. “Don’t forget that we have seven o’clock dinner reservations at Patetico’s.”

“I can’t wait. I’ll meet you home at six-thirty?”

“See you then.”

“Roger, I love you.”

“I love you more,” he said, and then hung up.

When four o’clock came around, Carrie was out the door and headed to Neiman’s to pick up the necessities. She’d finally got enough guts to make one of Roger’s fantasies come true—for her to seduce him wearing nothing but heels, a negligee, and a trench coat. This, by far, wasn’t high on her fantasy list, but since she’d had a glass of champagne at lunch, she felt more relaxed with the idea. In the lingerie department, she tried on four negligees. They all fit nicely against the toned body she’d worked hard for. Carrie settled for a black baby-doll gown made of silk, edged with lace.

Negligee, check.

In the jacket department of the store, Carrie picked a bright red trench coat that reminded her of the movie Dick Tracy.

Trench coat, check.

She’d wear the same sexy Alexander McQueens she had on, so she didn’t bother shopping for shoes.

Heels, check.

Now that Carrie was prepared, she drove home to set the mood for Roger’s arrival. She’d have candles, champagne, and strawberries with whipped cream (which she had already bought and hidden outside in their garage refrigerator) waiting for him for when he walked through the door. Carrie hadn’t forgotten even the smallest detail in creating the perfect evening and couldn’t wait to see Roger’s face when he saw that his fantasy had become a reality.

As she made her way down their street, Carrie blinked twice, confused and a little disappointed to see Roger’s car already in the driveway. She looked at the clock on her dashboard, noticing that he wasn’t due home yet.

Quick, think of something, she thought, turning off the car, contemplating what to do. She glanced down the left side of the street and the right, then into the rear-view mirror. When all was clear, Carrie quickly took off her clothes, including her red lace thong, slipped on the negligee, and then the coat. She applied lip gloss and pinched her cheeks, giving herself a hint of more color. After a deep breath, Carrie felt ready. It was show time.

She got out of the car and didn’t bother to lock it, afraid her car alarm signal would ruin the surprise. Carrie hurried up the steps, slipped her key in the door, and twisted the knob. When she pushed the door open, her heart raced with anxiety and excitement, until she heard moans coming from inside the house.

Carrie stopped in the doorway of the kitchen, not believing what she saw. Roger had a redheaded woman bent over the island in their kitchen and was screwing her from behind. As she watched Roger and the other woman together, her blood turned cold and her mouth went dry. She stood frozen with rage and anger, not knowing what to do. Her keys left her hand and clashed loudly, hitting the marble floor. Instantly, Roger and the woman stopped in their tracks and looked at Carrie.

“Carrie!” Roger yelped in shock as his eyes oozed with guilt. Pulling out of the other woman like he was on fire, he reached for his jeans that lay carelessly on their wooden table and struggled to put them on. “Wh-what are you doing here?”

Carrie glared at him, sending daggers into his eyes. Trying to ignore the other woman who stood against their countertop with crossed legs and hands folded over her breasts, Carrie began yelling at Roger as she forced herself not to cry. “What am I doing here? This is my home, too! But if you must know, I came here to surprise you.”

He let out a heavy sigh and closed his eyes. Moments later, he walked closer to Carrie and tried to reach for her hand, but she jumped. “This is not what you think it is.”

“Don’t you dare touch me!” Carrie cocked her head toward him and placed her hands on her hips, in disbelief. “Explain this, Roger. Who the hell is that tart, and why is she still here?” Carrie narrowed her eyes at the woman.

“I’m not a tart,” the young coquette (who looked barely twenty) chimed in with a Spanish accent.

“Roger, you’d better start talking!” Above feeling angry and hurt, her heart raced, and she tried to swallow the bile that had risen from her stomach. She wanted answers and wanted them now.

Instead of saying or doing anything, Roger stood there with his head hung down and tail between his legs, looking like his body had been caught in another woman’s cookie jar. Finally, his mouth opened but nothing came out.

“You have nothing to say? I gave you everything you ever wanted, served to you on a silver platter. I was there for you when your parents died. I stood by your side when your siblings didn’t give a damn during your cancer scare.” She took a breath while tears began to cloud her eyes. She waited for any sign of explanation, but he had none. “Happy freakin’ anniversary, Roger.” Carrie picked up her keys and ran out of their house without taking anything, sickened that the past six years had been nothing but a lie.

Filed Under: Isabella, The Right Design Tagged With: Books, Chick-Lit, Excerpt, Florida, Guest Interview, Isabella Louise Anderson, Palm Beach, The Right Design, Women's Fiction

Kim Gruenenfelder

March 12, 2014 Leave a Comment

KimGruenenfelderPic

About author, Kim Gruenenfelder: Kim Gruenenfelder lives in Los Angeles with her husband and son, and continues to avoid anything even remotely resembling a real job. In addition to her books A Total Waste of Makeup, Misery Loves Cabernet, There’s Cake in My Future, and her newest, Keep Calm and Carry a Big Drink, she has written feature film screenplays, episodic teleplays and two stage plays.

INTERVIEW

When did you start writing? I officially started writing when I was 20 years old, and working for the gameshow Jeopardy!. They were doing a teen tournament, and the writers on staff were all in their 30s and 40s and I thought a little out of touch with what teens knew. So I asked the producer of the show if I could write a few categories. He said yes, and I loved it and officially joined the writing staff a few months later. My first category was “Boys”. (Things haven’t changed much.)

Have you always wanted to be an author? Nope. I started writing screenplays while I worked at Jeopardy!, and had enough success with those to get to leave that show and write full time. But frequently in Hollywood, you sell a script and have a job, then no one ever shoots it. After awhile it got hard on my ego to never have anything to show for my career. After I had my son, I decided to take a little time off to write a novel. The book was “A Total Waste of Makeup”, and it was just my take on turning 30. It sold very well (I was very lucky), and suddenly I had a new career.

What is the writing/editing/publishing process like for you? Wow. Those are 3 totally different categories. When I wrote “Makeup”, I wrote whatever I wanted, then got an agent, rewrote it based on her notes, then sold it to St. Martin’s. My editor didn’t have many notes. However, for my next three books, “Misery Loves Cabernet”, “There’s Cake in my Future” and “Keep Calm and Carry a Big Drink” I spent month pitching ideas for books, many of which were rejected. Once an idea was approved, I would write a first draft, which my editor gave notes on, then write a second draft.

The publishing process is all about other people doing their jobs – I mostly get to sit back and watch. My editor oversees the design of the cover, done by an artist I don’t know. A proofreader makes sure the copy looks good (I also proofread the final copy twice). The marketing people get me into bookstores, and my publicist (Hi Nick!) gets me into publications like yours so that I sell more books. Publishing the book itself is a team effort which actually has very little to do with me. And I am very lucky to have such talented people doing that part.

Do you prefer the term “chick lit” or “women’s fiction”? I am trying to get the term “Romantic Comedy fiction” to gain some traction. My husband made up the term to describe to men what I do for a living. I don’t mind “chicklit” though: I even defended it on a TV show recently. I also don’t mind “Women’s Fiction”, but the term is so general, and includes so many types of books – everything from erotic fiction (which is nothing like what I write) to comical fiction. So I prefer chicklit or Romantic Comedy lit, because the terms are more specific.

Which author inspires you? I’m going to cheat and give you two answers, because they inspire me for different reasons:

Shakespeare. I love all things Shakespeare. Okay, not Titus Andronicus, but everything else. I can just open his collected works and pick a comedy to read, and it makes my world a better place.

Charles Dickens (as a work in progress). Years ago, my father gave me a copy of a rough draft of Dickens’ “A Christmas Carol”, which includes all of his notes scribbled all over the pages as he was working on his final draft. I am inspired by it, because even a great author like him clearly had days when he thought, “What am I doing? Is this even good?”

How do you come up with the titles of your books? Back in college, my roommates and I used the expression “A Total Waste of Makeup” to refer to really bad dates. When I wrote that book, I used it as a working title, just assuming someone else would have already used it. Turned out, no one had. I originally called “Misery Loves Cabernet” “A Total Waste of New Lingerie”, since it is a sequel to “Makeup”, but my editor didn’t love it, so I came up with a bunch of alternate titles, and she burst out laughing when I said, “Misery Loves Cabernet”. Getting someone to burst out laughing is always my goal.

“There’s Cake in my Future” was actually suggested to me by Jennifer Enderlin, an editor at St. Martin’s, and I loved it. “Keep Calm and Carry a Big Drink” was inspired one night when I threw out on Facebook that I needed a title. My friend Janet DiVincenzio started the “Keep Calm and” part, and my agent, Kim Whalen, finished it with “Carry a Big Drink”.

I loved There’s Cake In My Future! Where did you get the idea for that book, and who was your favorite character to write? My friend Dorothy went to a cake pull, and told me all about how the bride tried to rig the cake for the guests. She suggested I write a book about that. I thought the idea of the bride trying to rig the cake, then screwing it up, was a fun comedy of errors. I liked writing all of the characters: by making Nic a stepmom, I was able to jump into the stage of motherhood I was in at the time (still am actually), which is the driving all over town getting your kid to school and after school activities, dealing with shopping trips for random things like poster board and a jester’s hat (I didn’t include that specific story, but yes, one afternoon I had to track down a jester’s hat, which my son announced he needed the next morning for school. It was already 4:00. Fortunately, I live in L.A., and tracked down a costume shop open until 7, but jeez…) Seema was fun because I got to go back in time to when I had a huge crush on my friend, and Mel was fun because I could go back in time and laugh at all the disastrous plans I had back when I was actively trying to find a man.

In Keep Calm and Carry a Big Drink you wrote the book from Mel’s POV. What made you decide to pick her character? I actually started writing “Keep Calm” the same way I wrote “Cake”: with all three women speaking from chapter to chapter. But I soon realized that Nic’s story was a little boring: people don’t really want to read about changing diapers. Seema’s story was about the struggles of the first year of marriage, when fantasy becomes reality and your Prince Charming becomes the guy who can’t do a dish or pick up his socks. And while I liked that, I decided I could include her as a secondary character and still keep those struggles in the book. Mel was really the only one who did not yet have her happy ending, so she quickly became the person I wanted to write about.

Every author must have a…:

Screw Loose.

Okay, I mentioned this question to some writer friends, and they wanted to add a few:

Wine rack. — Bart Baker, Honeymoon with Harry

Trust fund. – Quinn Cummings, Notes from the Underwire: Adventures from my Awkward and Lovely Life

And a corkscrew. – Back to Bart Baker

From your first to your latest release, can you see a difference in your writing? I don’t notice a difference in my writing per se, although I guess I use less of my real life now. My first book “A Total Waste of Makeup” was pretty autobiographical, particularly the family stuff (I even used some of my family’s real names: for example, my mom and dad are named Carol and Ed.) The characters of my later books are in completely made up situations.

What is the best advice you’ve ever been given? In terms of writing: “Unapologetically write for women.” Years ago, while writing screenplays, I was trying to imitate the male action writers at the time, including a friend of mine who was quite successful. I was imitating him poorly (although he was nice enough never to say that.) So one night he asked me, “What do you want to write?” And I said, “I want to write female characters for women.” And he said, “So do that. Unapologetically write for women.” The conversation was longer, but ever since then I have unapologetically written for women. I hope men like it too, but that’s not my goal. Also, I no longer try to imitate anyone else. I throw it out there, and people either like it or hate it, but at least it’s all mine.

What are you working on right now? I just finished a TV pilot of “Makeup”, and am about to start a new book. Will keep you posted.

**An additional comment from Kim: Please buy my books! I’m not qualified to do anything else!

**Contact Kim: Email   Website   Facebook   Twitter

* * * * *

**Books by Kim Gruenenfelder**

TotalWasteOfMakeupCoverPic
A Total Waste of Makeup
MiseryLovesCabernetCoverPic
Misery Loves Cabernet
TheresCakeinMyFuture
There’s Cake in My Future

**Click HERE to read my review of “There’s Cake in My Future”

BigDrinkCoverPic
Keep Calm and Carry a Big Drink

Filed Under: Kim Gruenenfelder Tagged With: A Total Waste of Makeup, Authors, Books, Chick-Lit, Guest Interview, Kim Gruenenfelder, Misery Loves Cabernet, Women's Fiction

Michelle Lam

February 11, 2014 2 Comments

MichelleLamPic

About author, Michelle Lam: Michelle is an author from a small town in Manitoba, Canada. She is a part-time stay-at-home-mom of two young kids, and a part-time English teacher for a rowdy group of 6th graders. She writes at night when the rest of the world (mostly her household, really) is sleeping. She has travelled in Thailand and Indonesia and currently lives in Vietnam. She loves to read, try new restaurants, and spend time with friends and family.

INTERVIEW

Describe yourself in five words: quirky, fun, adventurous, passionate… can “chocolate-lover” count?

Tell us about your book, “The Accidental Prophetess”: It’s a book about a woman named Natalie Richards (27). She gets fired over a dish soap ad, complains about her boss, and finds herself abducted, whisked to an underground facility, and proclaimed to be a long-lost prophet destined to save the world. The book is light-hearted, fast-paced and all around hilarious. Oh, and there’s a touch of romance, too.

What was the writing/editing/publishing process like for you? Honestly, I’ve loved it all. Most people say they love writing but hate the rest, but that hasn’t been true for me. I sometimes have to pretend to be an alternate identity in order to edit effectively, but talking aloud to your laptop is always improved with a fake accent, so what’s to worry about?

How did you celebrate your book being published? I danced around the house for a few minutes, then spent the next few days drastically alternating between elation (published! PUBLISHED!) to downright fear (What if my Grandma reads this and sees the word “hooha?”).

How did you come up with the title? I remember thinking about how odd it would be for someone to be telling the future without realizing they were doing it. I mean, how would they know? Would they ever find out? Who would tell them? Unless there was a secret society monitoring all communications…

Coffee or tea? Tea.

If your book were to be turned into a movie, who would you want to play the leading roles? Elisha Cuthbert would be Natalie. Chad Michael Murray would be Ethan. Channing Tatum would be Marc.

How has social media helped your career? I’m on Facebook, Twitter, and Goodreads. I also have a blog. It’s great to develop a network of friends, fans, and like-minded people. I am learning so much from those who have gone before me, and I find it encouraging to hear what people have to say about my work.

What’s the best advice you’ve been given? Once you’re done your novel, set it aside and work on something else for at least a month. Then come back to it and edit ruthlessly.

Where is your favorite place to write? On my laptop sitting crosslegged on my bed. I have a desk, but I rarely use it.

Every author must have a…: Every author must have an idea. It all starts with an idea. Beyond that, having a never-say-die attitude and a big bag of M&Ms helps.

What are you working on right now? Right now I’m working hard on launching The Accidental Prophetess. As soon as it goes out, I’ll be back to writing again. I’ve got a lot of ideas bouncing around my brain and I’m excited about getting back to creating.

**Contact Michelle: Blog   Facebook   Twitter

TheAccidentalProphetess**Buy “The Accidental Prophetess”

Barnes & Noble   iTunes   Kobo   Smashwords

Filed Under: Michelle Lam Tagged With: Books, Chick-Lit, Guest Interview, Michelle Lam, The Accidental Prophetess, Women's Fiction

Amanda Brookfield

February 5, 2014 Leave a Comment

AmandaPreciousPic

About author, Amanda Brookfield: I have two elder sisters and a twin brother who is a lot quieter than me and with much longer legs. Our Dad was in the Foreign Office so we spent our childhood living in far-flung places like Shanghai and Stockholm. In fact, until the age of 32 I had never spent more than 3 years under the same roof. It’s left me with the opposite of ‘itchy feet’ – I like roots!

I fell in love with writing aged 11 when our English homework was to write a ghost story and I had my first taste of the thrill of being able to make it all up! My story was read out to the class for being so original so I knew I was onto something. Studying English at Oxford was, quite literally, a dream come true, but then real life got in the way (ie the need to pay bills) and I embarked on a career in advertising, climbing the greasy pole for four years, helping sell things like washing-powder, cold remedies and computers.

At 25, I got the chance to go and live in Argentina. I left advertising, set myself up as a freelance journalist and wrote my first novel, ‘Alice Alone’ which was published to critical acclaim in the UK and the USA in 1989. I haven’t stopped, or looked back, since.

I am now published by Penguin. At the last count I had produced fifteen novels and two sons. There will be no more offspring, but lots of books I hope.

GUEST INTERVIEW

Describe yourself in five words: Romantic. Energetic. Fun. Talkative. Sensitive.

What is your writing/editing/publishing process like? Long! I write a little bit every day, but beginning always by re-writing what I wrote the day before, so ‘progress’ can be extremely slow.  Gradually a first draft builds. Then I read through and re-write the draft.  That takes about 3 months.  Then I do a final re-write – which has been known to take anything from one week to five months.

Coffee or tea? BOTH: Tea to wake-up.  Coffee to stay awake.  Tea to wind down.

What gave you the inspiration for “Relative Love”? My own family, which is huge and messy, but wired through with love.

Hard/paperbacks or eBooks? For me personally, I prefer to hold a ‘real’ book in my hands.  It is a tactile relationship.  I like the solidity of a book, the way it smells, the way it ‘ages’ both during the course of reading and then on my shelves.  I also love the way an old book is a trigger for memories of where I was and what was going on in my life when I read it.  In this way all the books on my shelves are like old friends, each containing  a potted history of me and my journey through the world.

Describe your typical day: My alarm goes at 7.30am.  I hate waking up.  I go back to bed with tea and the newspapers, until….until a sense of personal disgrace persuades me (usually around 8.45) that it is time to get serious.  I need a measure of ‘order’ around me in order to work well, but if I am not careful I get sucked into writing emails instead of fiction.

I always stop for lunch – something sensible but with chocolate to follow– and do the Times Crossword while I eat.  It refreshes my brain to think cryptically. The afternoon is harder.  I am less sharp.  But on a good day I will manage another two hours writing.  I switch off with gentle jogs round the park opposite my house, singing (I am in several choirs) and eating out with friends.  I love a night in front of the TV too.  I always have a glass of wine, but never more than two if I am working the next day.

Do you have a favorite book you’ve written? If so, what is it? I am not just saying this but…Relative Love is my favourite book!  I grew so attached to the characters and their ordeals.  That is why I wrote a sequel.  In fact, one day I would love to turn it into a trilogy.

If you could meet any author, who would it be? If we are talking ANY author (as in, including the deceased!) I would have to say George Eliot, just so I could ask her about her wonderful and complex novel ‘Middlemarch’ – whether she planned it all from the start, or whether it just flowed…

If we are talking a ‘living’ author then I would love to meet Elizabeth Strout.  All four of her books have blown me away – such warmth, such intelligence, such story-telling, I adore her work.

When writing, do you prefer noise or silence in the background? Absolute silence.

What’s your favorite word? What an impossible question!  I love so many many words….So here are a few: Cherish. Forlorn. Kerfuffle.

Do you have any 2014 writing goals? My writing goal for 2014 is to finish the book I have been working on for the last two years.  I have told my agent there will be a manuscript for her to read by July…

Can you tell us about any upcoming projects? The book I hope soon to finish is about two sisters, their strange and difficult childhood and how that impacts on them as adults.  It is a book about identity and the difficulties of holding onto love through suffering.

After that I plan to take a 6 month sabbatical – a writer has to ‘live’ life in order to be able to write about it! – and then turn my hand to writing a third story about the Harrison family.

**Additional comments by Amanda: “Reading makes us feel less alone.  I love the idea of my characters entering and filling other people’s lives.”

GUEST POST

FIRST LOVE

It’s corny to say a book can change your life, but it can.  It happened to me when I read E M Forster’s Howards End at the age of sixteen.  I had always enjoyed English.  Reading stories, grappling with ideas rather than facts – choosing Literature as a subject for my sixth form had been a no-brainer.  My main love however, was drama.  I had even been toying with the idea of becoming an actress.  Reading Shakespeare and Edward Albee in the classroom, my hand was always first up in the hope of being selected for a part.  I had got through a good number of novels by then too – classics by Dickens and Hardy (on the school syllabus) and anything off my parents’ shelves that looked promisingly racy (Nabokov, Murdoch, Amis) – but Howards End was the first book which utterly, totally, from the first word to the very last, STOLE MY HEART.

You could say (at the risk of even greater corn) that I fell in love….not with the Schlegel sisters themselves of course, or poor Leonard Bast, or the Wilcoxes (ballsy and noisy apart from the first, elusive, mystical Mrs Wilcox,) or even the beautiful, spiritually-infused bricks and mortar of Howards End itself.  And I certainly entertained no private passion for E M Forster, who was famously gay and somewhat forlorn and even a little seedy when it came to his own quests for fulfilment beyond the business of writing.  No, what engaged me from that memorable opening line – ‘One may as well begin with Helen’s letters to her sister’ – was Forster’s story and the truths that rang out from it.  I had read great narratives and I had read worthy sentiments, but it wasn’t until Howards End that I experienced the power emanating from a perfect fusion of the two.

My sixth form copy of the book is trampled with biro, most of it simply marvelling at the sanity, the wisdom, the humour, the breath-taking perceptions, rather than offering any helpful pointers towards constructing a well-argued essay.  But as I came to see, the real ingenuity lay in how Forster had woven all those component parts together, binding them with his trademark, effortless imagery and a page-turner of a story that still makes me laugh out loud just as often as I reach for the Kleenex.  Wow.  Such simple ingredients, such a magnificent concoction; small wonder that by the second page my sixteen-year-old attitude had shifted from a lazy interest to something more akin to awe.

Thirty years on and every time I return to the book it gives me goose-bumps, for being so powerfully true and for resonating with the clunk of my sixteen year old intellect, making its first lurching move into a new world. First Love gets you like that, changing your life, grabbing you in the gut, never letting go.

RelativeLoveCoverPic**Contact Amanda:

Email   Website   Facebook   Twitter

Filed Under: Amanda Brookfield Tagged With: Amanda Brookfield, Books, Chick-Lit, Guest Interview, Guest Post, Relative Love, Women's Fiction

Kristina Knight

January 27, 2014 1 Comment

KristinaKnightGuestPic2

About author, Kristina Knight: Once upon a time, Kristina Knight spent her days running from car crash to fire to meetings with local police–no, she wasn’t a troublemaker, she was a journalist. Her career took her all over the United States, writing about everything from a serial killer’s capture to the National Finals Rodeo. Along the way she found her very own Knight in Shining Cowboy Boots and an abiding love for romance novels. Kristina writes contemporary romance with a smattering of sass, sex and (of course) drama, and she loves hearing from readers. And just like the characters from her favorite books, she’s living her own happily ever after.

INTERVIEW

Welcome back! How have you been? Waves to Isabella! I’ve been great! It’s so good to be back at CLG – thanks for having me!

Tell us about your book, “The Saint’s Devilish Deal”: Saint is a reunion romance, set in sunny Puerto Vallarta. Saint and Esme got everything wrong the first time around, mostly because they didn’t trust one another. Now, they’ve been tasked with saving Esme’s aunts vacation villa…but they still don’t trust one another. So, sparks! And some making up. 🙂

What’s on your desk? Too much stuff! But, a few of the highlights – a green alien flashlight, a half-eaten bag of dry-roasted almonds, a neon orange croc keychain and a bag of cough drops – cherry flavored!

Where did you get your ideas for your book? My ideas come from all over the place, but for Saint, it all started when I was watching a surfing competition on TV. Those guys are amazing and I wondered what would happen if a surfer got caught up with a Type A, business woman…and it all snowballed from there.

If you could meet one author who would it be? Nora Roberts. She …I’m just in awe of her.

What was the most fun part about writing “The Saint’s Devilish Deal”? The research! I wrote this book in the dead of winter with snow up to the eaves. So escaping into tropical Mexico every day was awesome!

Describe your typical day: Get the kiddo off to school around 8, deal with email/social media/phone calls until noon and then write write write until the bus comes home. Then it’s off to gymnastics or swimming and a harried dinner and bedtime stories and maybe a little quality time with RadioMan (husband) and then some more writing…and hitting the pillow around midnight only to get up at 6 to do it all again.

What is the best advice for someone who wants to write a book? Put your heart into your work. Because if you don’t love your characters, readers won’t, either.

Hard/paperbacks or eBooks? All of the above, depending on the moment!

What is your favorite inspirational quote? You can’t edit a blank page. Nora Roberts said that – and it is so true!

Do you have any writing goals for 2014? I do! I have a trilogy coming out in the spring and summer, so I’ll be doing the usual promo stuff. And I’ve just started a new book, I have 4 slated to write this year so I’m going to be super-busy.

Can you tell us anything about your upcoming projects? I have a sequel to Saint in the works, telling his brother’s story. Tobias is the opposite of Santiago – total alpha male, all about business…and he’s wrapped up in a woman who is his perfect match. Of course, he thinks he needs to fix her… 🙂 And then I just started a new project centering on a trio of cowboy brothers – who are just to yummy! Can’t wait to dive into their stories.

TheSaint'sDevilishDealCoverPic

“The Saint’s Devilish Deal” by Kristina Knight

Blurb: Esmerelda Quinn has been looking for a place to belong since her parents were killed in a car crash when she was young. The closest thing to home has always been Aunt Constance’s villa in Puerto Vallarta, so after a string of dead-end hotellier jobs, she’s coming home to run the villa.

Santiago Cruz has called the villa home for as long as he can remember. In between surfing events, Constance has always had a room for him. Color him surprised when Constance decides to retire – and leaves a joint interest in the villa to both Santiago and Esme.

Esme isn’t thrilled to share ownership of the villa with the youngest Cruz brother – especially when she learns Santiago’s brother has been after the villa for years. But Santiago has grown up while she’s been away at school and soon she finds herself falling for the rich boy down the hall.

**Contact Kristina: Email – Kristina@kristinaknightauthor.com   Website   Blog   Facebook   Twitter

Filed Under: Kristina Knight Tagged With: Blurb, Books, Guest Interview, Kristina Knight, Romance, The Saint's Devilish Deal, Women's Fiction

Alicia de los Reyes

January 13, 2014 Leave a Comment

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA

About author, Alicia de los Reyes: Alicia de los Reyes drew on ten years of chick lit addiction to compose The Chick Lit Cookbook. Originally from Fair Haven, N.J., Alicia is now freelance writer and teacher in Seattle where she lives with her husband, Andrew Quinton, and their cat, Mitzi.

GUEST INTERVIEW

Describe yourself in five words: Loves writing, cupcakes, running, traveling.

How long have you been writing? Since I could write!

Hard/paperbacks or eBooks? Oooh…this is tough. I love paperbacks  but ebooks are so easy to buy! Call it a tie?

What is your writing/editing/publishing process like? First, I just wake up, sit down and write—that’s the fun part. Then, I coerce my friends into reading my drafts and giving me comments. I have to really force myself to revise (something you can read all about in my next ebook, Suck It Up and Revise!). I published my first ebook with my friend Kelly of KMR Publishing, and I am also sending out queries to agents for other fiction and nonfiction projects that I am working on. I believe in both traditional publishing and self/new publishing tracks. It’s an exciting (and terrifying) time to be a writer!

Who is your favorite author? My favorite author of all time is Betty Smith, author of A Tree Grows in Brooklyn. My favorite chick lit author is Sophie Kinsella.

Coffee or tea? Coffee and chai tea.

Who or what inspires you? All the books I have ever read + travel to new places, near or far.

Every author must have a…: ritual for writing. When you sit down to write, you should put on your writer hat, whatever that means for you.

How has social media helped your career? It has given me connections to other writers and readers, and introduced me to the incredibly fun and welcoming chick lit blogosphere!

What is something about yourself that would surprise most people? I am obsessed with mummies.

What’s the best advice you’ve been given? This year, it was “Don’t give up before you’ve started,” from Erika Lyremark’s Think Like a Stripper (great ebook!).

Can you tell us about any of your upcoming projects? I’m working on another writing guide called Suck It Up and Revise—pretty self-explanatory! I’m also hosting a write-a-long on the book blog (chicklitcookbook.tumblr.com) where you can literally watch me write a novel using The Chick Lit Cookbook and write your own at the same time.

GUEST POST

How I Came Up with “The Chick Lit Cookbook”

Hi, I’m Alicia de los Reyes, author of The Chick Lit Cookbook: A Guide to Writing Your Novel in 30 Minutes a Day, and I’m here to tell you about how I came up with the crazy idea to write an ebook about writing chick lit.

In the winter of 2011, I was in the midst of researching my thesis for my writing program at the University of New Hampshire. My thesis was a narrative nonfiction manuscript about spending a year in an evangelical church, and I was doing lots of interesting reading, watching and interviewing—it was intense. I was tired of being so darn serious. Plus, it was winter in New Hampshire, and one of our snowiest yet. I cross-country skied out my front door a few times.

The weather, the work, and the serious writing all combined to make me long for an escape. I picked up a few of my old favorite chick lit novels. I reread Sophie Kinsella’s The Undomestic Goddess, one of my all-time favorites, and Bridget Jones’ Diary. I remembered how darn funny they were and how fast I could eat them up. Reading chick lit was like eating a candy bar, and goodness, did I love it.

One chilly night, my fiancé (now husband) and I were getting ready to meet some friends at the Barley Pub, a bar that is now (tragically) closed where they had a totally awesome trivia night. Our job was to get there early to secure a table.

Somewhere between the stacks of pink and white chick lit paperbacks and the piles of notes and printouts, I had a brainstorm: I could research chick lit. I had read tons of it (I’m addicted to Sophie Kinsella/Madeleine Wickham in particular) and I loved writing. Wouldn’t it be a fun project to write about chick lit?

I told Andrew about my idea. “Bring your notebook to the bar!” he said.

“Really?” I asked. I’d never written in a bar before. I didn’t want our friends to think I was a freak (too late!).

“Go for it.” Andrew knows that when I get an idea, I have to run with it. I didn’t want this one to fall by the wayside.

So I outlined the first couple of chapters of The Chick Lit Cookbook at a grody table beneath the dim lighting of the Barley Pub while drinking whatever the draught on special was. It was as fun as it sounds. A few months (ok…more than a year) later, I called my friend Kelly Rizzetta of KMR Publishing and the rest is history.

Cover_CLCB_2 (1)_150x150_p1

“The Chick Lit Cook Book” by Alicia De los Reyes

Book Blurb:

You’ve said it a dozen times before: If only you had the chance, you would write a chick lit novel. But between job, boyfriend, kids, school — life — you just can’t find the time.

The Chick Lit Cookbook: A Guide to Writing Your Novel in 30 Minutes a Day is the solution. This fun, cupcake-themed guide will take you from start to finish of your first draft. In 13 chapters, each with a short exercise that will get you writing now, you will learn how to create the perfect main character, her ideal love interest, a world for her to live in and an adventure that will draw in readers. You will outline your entire first draft — and then you will write it.

The Chick Lit Cookbook is a beginner’s guide to writing funny, snappy, sucks-you-into-the-story prose about modern women, life and love. It is full of tips and techniques, prompts and pep talks that will spark your imagination and inspire you to put pen to paper. The exercises can be done while sitting on the bus, waiting at the doctor’s office, or talking on the phone with your mother-in-law. This book will show you that you can and will write a chick lit novel.

Whether you’ve been wishing for years that you could write chick lit or are a brand-new fan of Bridget Jones and Becky Bloomwood, you owe it to yourself to pick up this guide. The Chick Lit Cookbook will prove to you that writing a novel can be fun and easy — it’s just like baking cupcakes!

Chapter 1

GETTING STARTED: THE VERY, VERY BEGINNING

Chick lit arrived when I was about 12 years old. Helen Fielding’s Bridget Jones’s Diary took America by storm, and I caught myself happily under a rain cloud. I carried it with me in my backpack and read it on the school bus and between classes. Then I discovered Sophie Kinsella and hid Confessions of a Shopaholic in my textbook during history class. I found Patricia Cabot and Melissa Bank. I read Emily Barr and Emily Giffin. One night, I read Marian Keyes until 6 a.m.

I was in love.

Chick lit is entertaining, funny, smart fiction about women in their 20s and 30s looking for love and fulfillment. Good chick lit will draw me in so far that I’ll start to see books with hovery pink halos around them, topped with speech bubbles yelling, “PICK ME UP!” I will skip dinner and lunch for these books, ignore my friends and significant other, and stay up past my bedtime to find out if Bridget and Mark Darcy ever get past their shenanigans and kiss at the end. Of course, I know they will … but what if they don’t?

Now, 15 years after I first discovered it, chick lit isn’t a guilty pleasure for me — it is simply a pleasure. I do not feel bad about the quantity of pages I’ve devoured. Chick lit is to me what football is to my husband: As much as you will give me, I will consume.

I, the girl who read Shopaholic Takes Manhattan between classes, grew up to become a writer and a writing teacher. I spend my time thinking of ways to explain the basics of good writing to students of every stripe, from middle school to college. I analyze texts for a living. It took longer than you might expect for me to apply my English class skills to chick lit, but one day, I realized that chick lit novels have a few basic elements anyone can use to make up her own stories, and that I could share these with other would-be writers.

You don’t need to be a practiced, published author to write a chick lit novel. Sophie Kinsella worked in the financial realm before publishing her first novel, The Tennis Party. Emily Giffin earned a J.D. and worked as a lawyer before writing Something Borrowed. Marian Keyes is another law student-turned-writer. Bridget Jones started out as a character in Helen Fielding’s newspaper column.

To write a chick lit novel, you just need to love chick lit. To be clear, I’m not talking about Fabio-on-the-cover, bodice-ripping, 50-shades-of-anything paperbacks. I’m talking about novels with entertaining storylines and characters who are flawed but funny — and, yes, who occasionally romp in the bedroom or kiss in the park. Chick lit is the romantic comedy of books. It can be thoughtful, provocative or just plain fun.

If you have never read a chick lit novel, I urge you to put this book down immediately and find one. I wrote this guide while (re-)reading volume after pink-covered volume. To me, chick lit novels are like candy: I devour them. Thus, this guide is rife with examples and references — usually drawn from the most popular writers, with a few less well known, equally successful ones mixed in. If you haven’t read every single title I reference, never fear: You will still understand what I’m talking about. But, if you have read them, you’ll have a slew of models to look at.

The purpose of this guide is to explain the chick lit novel and give you tools to write one. This volume is not here to help you publish your novel — but if you already have a draft, it may help you find holes in it. It will give you confidence and permission to put that inkling of an idea on paper and turn it into a full-fledged manuscript.

This book is meant to be a guide. It offers a basic framework that applies to many — though certainly not all — chick lit novels. It explains how character is important to story, and how different characters tend to come with different storylines. It will help you brainstorm your own character and plot. Then, it will help you sit down and write.

Each chapter is a self-contained lesson that ends with an exercise you can complete to help you design your first draft. It will prompt you to think of ideas you might not have considered and force you to write something down. Each lesson builds on the last to give you a completed outline and character descriptions, as well as tools to write.

Think of this guide as your cookbook for composing a chick lit novel. I’ll walk you through the writing process step by step, just as if I were teaching you the recipe for my favorite treat: a batch of frosted cupcakes. You will start with the basic ingredients, mix them together, decorate them and present a sugary, delicious treat to the world.

And it will be fun! I wrote this guide to make the process of composing a novel as enjoyable as the finished product. Even if you don’t love baking cupcakes as much as I do, you will love creating your main character and a world for her to adventure in.

EXERCISE 1: GATHER YOUR EQUIPMENT

Every baker knows that to achieve quality cupcakes, you have to use the right equipment. In order to get the most out of this guide, you’re going to need a mixing bowl — in this case, a writer’s notebook. This can be any notebook you like, but it should be dedicated to your future chick lit novel. It can be cute, pink and hardcover, or it can be a flimsy spiral notebook — whatever will get you excited to pick it up and pour in ideas. You will be doing a lot of prewriting, list-making and brainstorming, so if you choose to use a notebook, make sure it is big enough to spread out words, sentences and paragraphs. I write in plain spiral notebooks, but occasionally I branch out into pretty, diary-sized journals. Go to a stationery shop and browse the options, then choose one that inspires you. Buy a set of good new pens (or dig up some nice sharp pencils).

Or, if you prefer, open up a file in your favorite word-processing software — even a note-taking app on your smartphone. You can do these exercises anywhere: on the bus, in line at the post office, or while talking to your mother-in-law on the phone. Make it official and save the document in a folder called “Novel.”

Now, get ready to write!

**Contact Alicia de los Reyes:

Author page   Book website   Twitter

Filed Under: Alicia de los Reyes Tagged With: Alicia de los Reyes, Excerpt, Guest Interview, Guest Post, How-to, The Chick Lit Cookbook, Women's Fiction

Jennifer Zane

December 16, 2013 Leave a Comment

**About author, Jennifer Zane: Jennifer Zane has lived all over the country–from Georgia to Maryland, New York to Colorado, including an exciting five years in Montana. Her time in Big Sky country was the basis for this book. When she’s not writing, she savors the insanity of raising two boys, is figuring out how many meals she can make with a pressure cooker, and teaches a pretty mean karate class. She currently lives with her family in Colorado.

INTERVIEW

Describe your writing style in five words: Funny, inventive, zany, sarcastic, witty

Coffee or tea? Coffee in the am is required. Tea with dessert. Sadly, no caffeine (either coffee OR tea) after 3pm.

What is the writing/editing/publishing process like for you? (Write, revisit, rewrite, share with my critique partners, rewrite) repeat until done. Beta readers, rewrite, then editor. Publishing is a biggie and I could write two pages, so I’ll stop now.

Hard/paperbacks or eBooks? I love going to the library so I love a real book. I love for my kids to pick out a real book as well. But, I love my ereader for travel and for all the free books you can download and collect.

Who or what inspires your writing? Everyone around me. My kids always have an experience everyone can relate to. Friends who let something silly slip out. My dad ate sardines right from the can over Thanksgiving and my entire house smelled like roadkill for hours. That’s going in the next book, no question.

How do you come up with the titles of your books? Gnome On The Range was fairly easy since the garden gnome plays the central plot point of the story. It takes place in Montana so it was a given. As for the others, there’s mayhem in all so I wanted the titles to be playful and fun. Lighthearted, but with a hint of what’s inside.

Every writer must have a…: an ability to type VERY fast. I’m a speed typer. My kids are stunned at how fast my fingers can go. If I had to hunt and peck all the time I’d still be on book 1.

How did you celebrate when your first book was published? My critique group had a dessert potluck. It launched over the Christmas holiday so we were a little behind. It was fairly anticlimactic because when you hit that publish button, no fireworks go off. I think I thought they would!

What is something about yourself that people would be surprised to know? I stubbed my middle toe on some table leg or something and didn’t realize I’d broken the top little toe knuckle. It healed funny and fused so that that little toe knuckle doesn’t bend anymore when I curl my toes. So my middle toe stays out. It’s possible for me to give you the ‘finger’ with my right foot. Not many people can do that!

What time of day do you work best? The minute the school bus picks up the kids and then for the next 6.5 hours.

What is the best advice you’ve been given? Go with your gut. It’s always right.

Can you tell us about any of your upcoming projects? I’m very excited to have Liar, Liar, Hearts On Fire come out on 1/16/14.

GUEST POST

Liar, Liar, Hearts On Fire
Cast Of Characters

Violet Miller- 1st grade teacher, identical twin of Veronica. Single. Looking for Mr. Right but, so far, only found a bunch of Mr. Wrongs.

Mike Ostranski- Podiatrist and Bozeman’s most eligible bachelor (due to the fact that he’s a ginger-haired, super-sized hottie). Feeling the pressure to provide his mother with a grandchild.

Goldie West- Owner of Goldilocks, Bozeman’s adult store. #1 meddler in the lives of everyone around her, especially those who are single. Wreaks havoc on a daily basis; especially generous with her gift boxes of sex toys (as seen in Gnome On The Range, Plumb Crazy and Mischief Under The Mistletoe)

Jane West- Goldie’s daughter-in-law and heroine in Gnome On The Range. Engaged to Ty Strickland (hot fireman hero of Gnome On The Range). Works at Goldilocks.

Zach West- Jane’s young son who bought George the Gnome at a garage sale (in Gnome On The Range) and is slightly obsessed with his little ceramic friend.

Mrs. O– aka- Claudine Ostranski. Mike’s mother. Retired karate instructor on a do-or-die mission to have her son married and giving her grandchildren.

Mr. O- Mike’s dad. Has a helmet of white hair. Quiet, likes Alaskan wildlife.

Banks, Trish and Alex- Mike’s cousin, wife and young son. Banker, lawyer and Kindergartner.

Uncle Bob– aka- Jubal Early. Mike’s uncle, retired Air Force man stationed at Elmendorf in Alaska. Biggest Civil War buff in his time-zone.

Jean-Luc and Marc- Uncle Bob’s identical twin (yes, a very attractive coincidence) nephews on his ex-wife’s side. Very French, very hot and very interested in Violet. Neither speak a word of English. Have a very strong penchant for sharing.

Susan- Psycho woman with perfect breasts who lives next door to Uncle Bob. ‘Interested in Mike’ would be a serious understatement.

Veronica Miller- Violet’s identical twin sister. Works part-time for Goldie, runs her own plumbing business. Heroine in Plumb Crazy.

LiarLiarHeartsOnFireCoverPic

**Blurb of “Liar, Liar, Hearts on Fire”:

Violet Miller is a teacher savoring her summer break until she’s been called in as emergency reinforcements—of the dating kind. She volunteers to help an old flame by pretending to be his girlfriend. In Alaska. At a family reunion. Since the guy is a handsome, lumberjack-sized doctor she’s never quite forgotten, faking a relationship won’t be hard work.

Mike Ostranski is a desperate man on vacation. His mother wants grandchildren and sees a crazy Alaskan woman as a candidate for daughter-in-law. Mike needs Violet by his side to deflect the lady’s advances.

A week in Alaska as boyfriend and girlfriend should be easy for them. They grew up together, even had a brief fling. What could go wrong?

Everything.

**Want a sneak peek at the first chapter of “Liar, Liar, Hearts on Fire”? Jennifer will share it with subscribers only, so be sure to sign up for her newsletter! Click HERE to sign up!

**”Liar, Liar, Hearts on Fire” comes on on January 16th, 2014, but click HERE to read early reviews on Goodreads!

**Contact Jennifer Zane: Email: jennifer@jenniferzane.com   Website   Facebook   Twitter

Filed Under: Jennifer Zane Tagged With: Authors, Books, Chick-Lit, Guest Interview, Guest Post, Hearts on Fire, Jennifer Zane, Liar, Women's Fiction

  • Page 1
  • Page 2
  • Page 3
  • …
  • Page 7
  • Next Page »

Primary Sidebar

Recent Features

BOOK FEATURE: “A Jingle Valley Wedding” by Martha Reynolds

COVER REVEAL: “Then You Happened” by K. Bromberg

COVER REVEAL: “Love at The Bluebird” by Aurora Rose Reynolds and Jessica Marin

Chick Lit Chat HQ’s Wicked Good Hop

BOOK FEATURE: “Let It Be Me” by Laura Chapman

See More

Footer

For inquiries

Click HERE to email us now!

Follow Us

  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Twitter

Copyright © 2023 · Studio Mommy Themes · Custom Scene Images

Copyright © 2023 · Adore Me on Genesis Framework · Powered by WordPress.com. · Log in

 

Loading Comments...