Chick Lit Goddess

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

Guest Post

Aven Ellis

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About Aven Ellis: Aven Ellis has been writing fiction since she was sixteen. She studied communications at a large Midwestern university, and after graduation, Aven worked as a reporter for a community newspaper, followed by a stint at a public relations agency.

But writing about city council meetings and restaurant franchises was not as much fun as writing for young women trying to figure out their careers and potential boyfriends. So Aven got herself a job in television that allowed her to write at night.  Connectivity is Aven’s debut novel; Waiting For Prince Harry and Chronicles of a Lincoln Park Fashionista(New Adult romantic comedy) will be published this year.

Aven lives in Dallas with her family. When she is not writing, Aven enjoys shopping, cooking, connecting with friends on social media, and watching any show that features Gordon Ramsay.

**Contact Aven: Website   Facebook   Pinterest   Twitter

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INTERVIEW

Describe yourself in five words: Talker, Creative, Funny, Supportive, Caring

What does being a writer mean to you? It means being able to bring characters and their stories to life. I love it, it is one of my biggest joys in life, to bring life to a character.

Tell us about your book, “Waiting for Prince Harry”: Waiting for Prince Harry is the story of Kylie Reed, a young women who is waiting for the right time to live her dreams: when she’s been at her job longer, when she has more experience, when she’s married…her life is filed away for the future because she’s afraid of the now. But all of that changes when she meets a gorgeous ginger who happens to be even hotter than Prince Harry, her dream crush.

What was your writing/editing/publishing process like? Waiting for Prince Harry was written in about seven months. My publisher knew I was working on it and asked to read it upon completion. Once she read it, I was offered a contract for it. This process has been easier, because I had already been through it before with Connectivity and knew what to expect. But the reader reaction surprised me! They loved Harrison, and loved the hockey angle so much I’m working on another hockey book right now.

Hard/paperbacks or eBooks? Both!

How did you celebrate when “Waiting for Prince Harry” was published? Ha, I was at work all day so there was no big celebration in my cubicle.

Which other authors inspire you? Holly Martin. We’ve become the best of friends and her writing blows me away.

Describe what would be your ideal day: Grabbing a cup of coffee, turning up Spotify, and writing for hours on end. Then getting in a workout and chatting with people on Twitter and then making a healthy dinner while watching any show with Gordon Ramsay in it.

As an author, what is the best advice you’ve been given? Write your brains out, then write some more, and don’t let anyone tell you no.

What is your favorite writing quote? I really don’t have one.

Every writer must have a…: Thick skin. People aren’t always going to love what you write, and they will let you know it!

Can you tell us about any of your upcoming projects? Chronicles of a Lincoln Park Fashionista is going to be released on September 10th, and the companion book to that, Surviving The Rachel, will be released in February 2015. And right now I’m writing a story about one of Harrison Flynn’s teammates in a second hockey story.

GUEST POST

Social Media for Authors

I am by no means an expert on how authors should use social media properly.  In fact, I’m the LAST person that should be talking about this because not only do I not follow “suggested ways to use social media” but I pretty much ignore advice on the topic.

Why, you ask?

Because being a proper business minded author on social media takes all the fun out of it for me. It’s a place to be myself. If you follow me on Twitter, I’ll talk about anything from the Duchess of Cambridge (Love her) to hot hockey players (hello Tyler Seguin) to what workout I did that night (boxing/weight intervals this evening by the way.)

And I have met so many people on Twitter just by doing that-not necessarily by promoting my own books (which I do, of course) but by engaging people in conversations. By being the goofy, fun, neurotic person I am. On my Facebook page, I post hot guys who helped inspire my heroes in my books. Readers got involved and suggested I add Tattoo Tuesday to the rotation, which I did.

On Instagram, I post pics of my other passions: working out and cooking healthy food. So readers get to see that side of my life, and people who follow me for food find out I’m an author. I have loads of pins on Pinterest, and boards for each character in my current and upcoming books.  But I also have pins on my fashion favorites, my TV shows, more recipes than I will ever cook, and hot British actors. Once again, this is all me, Aven Ellis, and people can connect with me on a personal level.

So this is what social media is to me, a place to be myself and meet amazing new people. Is this a marketing approved strategy? Probably not. But am I having fun with a bunch of new friends? Absolutely yes.

And that is what matters most to this author. 🙂

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WaitingforPrinceHarryCoverPic“Waiting For Prince Harry”: Twenty-four-year-old Kylie Reed has always been a rule follower. Organized and cautious to a fault, her dreams for life are often filed away for future use—when she has a house, when she meets her future husband, when she has been at her visual display job at a chic Dallas boutique longer. Kylie always has a reason for living her life in the future, not in the present, and fears not living her life to the fullest and reaching her dream of becoming a fashion designer.

The only exception to rules, of course, would be running away with Prince Harry. But living in Dallas and not knowing Prince Harry make this a non-option.

Or does it?

Because when Kylie accidentally falls into the lap of a gorgeous ginger guy—yes, even more gorgeous than the real Prince Harry—all bets are off. Kylie’s life takes some unexpected twists and turns thanks to this encounter. Could this stranger be the one to show Kylie how to live in the present?

EXCERPT

We get up and step into the store next to our bench, which happens to be a fancy stationery and candle shop.

As soon as the door closes behind us, Harrison moves over to a candle display on a large round table and takes off his sunglasses. He clips them onto the collar of his shirt, while I push mine up on the top of my head. Now we can see each other’s eyes, and Harrison’s green eyes are sparkling at me.

“That’s better,” Harrison says, smiling at me.

“I agree,” I say, smiling back at him.

“Hello, can I help you find anything?” a saleswoman asks.

Harrison looks at her, but then glances back at me. “I think,” he says, “I’ve already found what I need.”

I rest my hand on the edge of the table to keep myself steady, because the way he’s staring at me right now makes me almost dizzy with excitement.

“Oh, wonderful,” the saleswoman says.

“Yes, it is,” Harrison answers, his eyes never leaving mine.

“Well, please let me know if you need anything else,” she says before walking away.

Harrison then looks straight at me. “I do need something else.”

Ooooh, I really love this place where we are right now.

“And what would that be?”

“Well, obviously I need to buy one of these candles now,” Harrison says, picking up a Seda France box.

“Perfect. These are my favorite candles,” I say smartly.

“Are they now?” Harrison says, raising an eyebrow.

Okay. Candle shopping is an extremely hot activity. Who knew?

“Yes,” I say, picking up one to inhale. “Would you care to smell Japanese Quince?”

Harrison nods. I extend the candle toward him and he wraps his hand around mine, so we are both holding the candle.

And any nerve I had left just completely imploded the second his hand wrapped around mine.

“While I see many things I like at this table,” Harrison says, leaning forward to smell Japanese Quince, “there’s one thing in particular, other than this candle, that I need.”

He stands up straight but keeps his hand wrapped over mine.

“What would that be?” I ask softly.

“Dinner with you. At my place. Tonight.”

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**Click HERE to see other stops on Aven’s Chick Lit Plus Blog Tour!

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Kathryn R. Biel

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Kathryn R. Biel: Kathryn Biel hails from Upstate New York and is a spouse and mother of two wonderful and energetic kids. In between being Chief Home Officer and Director of Child Development of the Biel household, she works as a school-based physical therapist. She attended Boston University and received her Doctorate in Physical Therapy from The Sage Colleges. After years of writing countless letters of medical necessity for wheelchairs, finding increasingly creative ways to encourage the government and insurance companies to fund her clients’ needs and writing entertaining annual Christmas letters, she decided to take a shot at writing the kind of novel that she likes to read. Her debut novel, GOOD INTENTIONS, was released in 2013, and her second novel, HOLD HER DOWN was released in 2014. Her musings and rants can also be found on her personal blog, Biel Blather.

**Contact Kathryn: Website

GUEST POST

I’d like to thank Isabella at Chick Lit Goddess for letting me drop by and guest blog. Today, I’m writing about why I write women’s fiction. That answer is easy. It is because I read women’s fiction. That is the genre I most often find myself reading. I particularly enjoy the sub-genre of chick lit (AKA romantic-comedy). When I started writing with my first novel, Good Intentions, I had every intention (no pun intended) of writing a book that would be comparable to a chick-flick movie. I didn’t even know that these genres really existed. With my second novel, Hold Her Down, I specifically went in with a more dramatic and dark feel, knowing that it would place the novel squarely in the women’s fiction category. I was trying a different approach and actively trying to hone my writing craft by changing voice and tone. My third book will be more a of departure into the chick lit sub-genre of women’s fiction. Again, it was a purposeful exercise to try out a different voice and perspective.

Additionally, I write as an escape and as therapy. Sure, I have an overactive imagination, but I write to help me deal with my life. Despite the exterior of anyone’s life, there are often layers upon layers that the outside world never gets to see. There are times that are tougher than others and writing has become the outlet for me to deal with things. I started blogging to help work through some issues, but quickly realized that I cannot really discuss what issues are going on in my life without betraying the confidences of those around me. However, when I write, I can work through some of those issues. It is generally not a literal translation—the mother in Hold Her Down is nothing like my mother. But when I’ve had battles for control, say, in my job, it could translate to Elizabeth’s battles with her mother Agnes.

As some close friends and my beta readers started giving me feedback on Hold Her Down, I realized that my writing is not only therapeutic for me but for my readers as well. Many of my readers have been able to identify strongly with Elizabeth, the main character, and the struggles she faces as she loses her own identity for the sake of her family. As women, I think many of us have the tendency to put ourselves way on the back burner without even realizing it. Reading about someone who is struggling with some of the same issues can be cathartic for the reader. I know, as my characters grow in strength, so do I. I hope the same for my readers!

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HoldHerDownCoverPic**Blurb:Elizabeth Zurlo is lost. She’s a wife, a mother, a teacher, a PTA volunteer—but somewhere along the way, she’s lost herself. Depression and despair can lead to desperate measures and when she is pulled back from the brink of suicide, Elizabeth slowly tries to rebuild her marriage and reclaim her life. Just as she has finally started to put herself back together, a scandalous novel rocks her small town … and costs Elizabeth her social standing, friendships and ultimately, her marriage. However, the man who seemingly destroyed Elizabeth’s life, helps her realize who she is and what she needs to do to become the woman she’s not only capable of being, but the woman she used to be.

**Buy “Hold Her Down”: Amazon   Barnes & Noble   iTunes   Kobo   Smashwords

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**GIVEAWAY**

Along with checking out other stops on Kathryn’s Chick Lit Plus Blog Tours, click HERE to be entered to win a print copy of the book! Please note this is open to US residents only!!

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Three Reasons Why Watching Soap Operas Has Helped My Writing

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For as long as I can remember, I’ve been a huge fan of soap operas. My four favorites were The Young & the Restless (I love Victor and Nikki) and The Bold & the Beautiful (I’ll always think that Ridge and Brooke belong together), along with two others that are no longer on the air, As the World Turns (one word, CarJack), and The Guiding Light (Reva and Josh…soulmates).

Just recently, I found my first short story, which was taken off from a scene from The Bold & the Beautiful. It was about a scene that I’d seen that day (thanks for leaving the TV on, Mom). At that time (all those years ago—we won’t say how many), I was obsessed with the names Brooke and Ridge, so I didn’t change them. While the story wasn’t too bad, it could’ve been so much better if I’d used the following three tips, which I’ve learned from watching soaps:

1: Readers want hot/fantasy guys, but make them real: Ladies, admit it—we all have book boyfriends, right? I know I do! Most of the men in soaps are tall, dark and handsome, have chiseled jaws, and a body you could only fantasize about touching. The truth is that men like that really don’t exist…at least in the “real world.”

As an author, I want my heroes to be the best they can be, which means that what I really want is for them to be the perfect man—like the one who plays on in the soaps. The only problem with this is that I want my readers to be able to relate to the characters in my books, yet still be able to fantasize about them, too.

There are two tricks to this; the first is to make him a nerdy-type who’s really good in bed and has a delightfully charming personality (like James Bond, for example), and the second is to make him a handsome man, but with a quirk or a birthmark (for example, if he’s eating a meal, he eats the foods in alphabetical order, or he has a mole between his eyes…something along those lines).

2: More drama/conflict, the better: Another thing to admit is that we watch soap operas for the storylines (for some reason we’re drawn to know who slept with who, which sister is pregnant with your favorite heroine’s husband’s baby, and who killed Alan Spaulding), so as a writer, adding drama to your storyline is very important. It makes for a page-turner, where most often your reader will be staying up until late into the night reading your book.

One of my most favorite things about being an author is creating drama/conflict for my characters. Whatever the drama/conflict is, be sure that it’s something that can’t be fixed in a few sentences or pages—make your characters fight to solve it, and make your readers curious as to how it ends up.

The trick to this one is to be creative, and think outside the box. If you’re at a loss for ideas for storylines, observe people around you, watch TV (even something you thought you’d never be caught watching), or put yourself in the situations you’d want to be in, and go with it.

3: Watch actions and expressions: One of my biggest issues is writing actions or expressions. As of recently, I’ve learned to watch how soap opera characters closely (this involves everything from gestures, hand placement, nervous habits, etc.). This will help you will draw the reader in, and make them feel emotions about what’s going on with the storyline.

To do this, I encourage you to watch soaps, but one you don’t normally watch—only because you’ll be too busy watching the storyline unfold. But if you can’t do that, put your TV on mute and just watch. If you can you determine what your character is thinking or feeling, then you’re on the right track. Now, go write!

Amanda Brookfield

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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

Laura Chapman

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Author, Laura Chapman: Laura Chapman found a way to mix her love of romance and humor as a women’s fiction author and blogger. A 2008 graduate of the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Laura studied journalism, English and history. She traveled across the United States as a writer/photographer before settling into a career in communications. She also maintains Change the Word, a blog devoted to promoting women’s fiction and documenting her experiences as a writer.

Born and raised in Nebraska – in a city, not on a farm – she is a devoted fan of football, British period drama, writing in bars and her cats, Jane and Bingley.

INTERVIEW

Describe your writing style in five words: Quirky. Humorous. Romantic. Hopeful. Representative. (I hope!)

When did you want to know you wanted to be a writer? I can’t pinpoint a moment. I’ve always loved stories and knew I wanted to tell them. The first book I remember writing was in first grade. It was pretty much a plagiarized version of a Halloween song we sang in music, but it was fully illustrated.

During writing your book, “Hard Hats and Doormats”, describe your writing/editing/publishing process: It was definitely a process. I spent almost two years thinking about the story and developing the characters before I started. Then, I wrote the first 50,000 words during National Novel Writing Month in 2010. I finished the first draft a few months later and went through about four more drafts over the next three years.

During editing I removed and added several scenes, tightened up the text, changed the POV, and gave the story more focus. Some of the edits came from suggestions from beta readers and editors, and others were ones I felt needed changing the longer I spent with the story.

After a couple of years of unsuccessfully querying editors and publishers, I finally found the right home for my story with Marching Ink in August. Publishing went smoothly thanks to Samantha. She guided me through the process and shouldered the heaviest parts of the load. At the same time, she gave me the opportunity to have a voice in everything from the cover design and editing to the marketing and promotion. Working with her was a dream and made this process enjoyable.

Hard/paperbacks or eBooks? I love reading paperbacks when I’m in need of reading for comfort. When I’m reading for work – or back when I did book reviews – I preferred eBooks. For some reason they help me concentrate better. I think I’ll always prefer a physical book to eBooks, but my limited bank account and shelf space disagree.

What inspires you to write? The stories constantly brewing in my head.

Who is your favorite author? I have lots of favorites, but Nora Roberts is the one I admire most. She’s able to meld creativity with efficiency to be highly productive and prolific. I wish I had her dedication and stamina. I also have mad respect for my girl, Jane Austen. The lady was the original women’s fiction writer, and she managed to write timeless pieces that still reach readers more than 200 years later.

Where do you get your ideas for story lines? Everywhere. Sometimes I’ll hear a phrase or see an image that inspires me. The idea for Hard Hats and Doormats started when I saw the jumbled pile of maps, hard hats, steel-toed boots, and flip-flops littering my rental car floor. I do a lot of my heavy thinking while I’m driving and cooking.

What is something about you that people would be surprised to know? In high school I played several musical instruments. The oboe was my main instrument, but I also regularly played saxophone, English horn, piano, and percussion. I spent about half of high school planning to be a music teacher and professional performer.

How has the social media helped your career as an author? It connects me with fellow writers who give me support and readers who can talk books with me.

Coffee or tea? Both. I drink coffee first thing in the morning, or if I need a boost later in the day. Hazelnut is my favorite flavor. I drink tea throughout the rest of the day – usually English breakfast tea. I also have an unhealthy addiction to Diet Dr. Pepper and Diet Pepsi. Basically, my body runs on caffeine, and I’ll feed that need however I must.

What’s the best advice you’ve been given? Treat others the way you’d want them to treat the people who matter most to you. Usually, you want better for your loved ones than you do for yourself, and you should always strive to give your best to others.

What are you working on at the moment? In addition to promoting my debut novel, I have a couple of projects in the pipeline. I’m finishing up a round of edits on my second novel – a modernization of Jane Austen’s Persuasion – and the first draft of my third novel. Both are chick lit with plenty of romance and dry comedy. I also have a list of future project ideas I’m anxiously looking forward to writing.

GUEST POST

Five Dos and Don’ts During the Writing Process

Do: Keep good notes and documentation. Whether you’re a plotter or a pantser, it’s a good idea to keep track of everything you do. That could be keeping a journal or jotting down comments on a Post-it note. It will help you refocus on where you need to pick up next when you have to take breaks. At the same time, it’s a good record to have to keep track of your journey.

Don’t: Feel like you have to stick to your original plan. I’m a plotter by nature, but that doesn’t mean I’m not willing to veer off the path if a better idea comes along. For example, Hard Hats and Doormats contains several scenes I never expected to pen when I carefully outlined the first draft. At the same time, I nixed a few before I even wrote them.

Do: Save and back-up your files. Your computer is one spilled latte away from turning on you. Save your novel to a flash/external/Internet drive – or all of the above. If you think losing a sock is a bummer, imagine losing half of your novel.

Don’t: Spend too much time on social media. I love Facebook and Twitter like crazy, and they serve their purposes. But they’re also one of the biggest distractions out there. Schedule time to devote to your social media platforms and focus on your other tasks the rest of the time. This is easier said than done, but it’s a nice goal to have.

Do: Carry a notebook, pen, or some other writing instrument with you at all times. You never know when inspiration will strike, and you’ll be annoyed or angry with yourself if you forget your beautiful idea, because you couldn’t find a pen.

Don’t: Stay at the party after you’ve outstayed your welcome. Sometimes, we writers fall in love with our characters and hate to say good-bye to them. I’ve heard a few writers mention that you should start your story as late as possible and end it as soon as possible to maximize the impact it has on readers or viewers if you’re a screenwriter or playwright. The ending to Hard Hats and Doormats comes sooner that I thought it would when I sketched out the plot. I cut out the original final scene after the second draft, and I never wrote the epilogue, because it made the story better. That being said, I’ve read and enjoyed many epilogues – there isn’t a hard, fast rule for every story.

Do: Draw inspiration from other sources, like your favorite books, movies and songs. Personally, I feel myself most motivated to write something awesome after I finish reading a beloved book or watching a favorite movie. I get to the end, and I’m like, “I want to do that. I want to write something that leaves someone saying, ‘Hell yeah.’” I also draw a lot of inspiration from music. Not only do I create playlists for each of my books – which I add onto and remove from throughout the process – but I’ll often listen to a song on repeat to help me get through a scene. If I’m writing something sad, a tearjerker will put me in the right mindset. If I need to get through a more technically challenging scene, I stick to instrumental music, because there aren’t any words to distract my thoughts. (I’m listening to “Songs for Sienna” as I’m writing this post.)

Don’t: Be too critical of yourself or others. It’s good to have guidelines and expectations, but everyone needs a break sometimes. The more you stress and worry, the harder – and less enjoyable – the process becomes.

Do: Be kind to the other writers and readers you meet along the way. Pay it forward whenever you can, whether that means beta-reading, participating in a launch party, or offering a friendly word of support. Someday, someone will do the same for you, and it will mean the world.

Don’t: Take yourself – or the process – too seriously. There will be moments for hunkering down and focusing, but make sure you don’t get too focused on the destination that you forget to enjoy the ride. Find something to laugh at – even if it means being the butt of your own joke. I always figure if you can’t laugh at yourself on occasion, you shouldn’t laugh at anything else. If you can keep your sense of humor through the tough moments, you’ll be better when you come out on the other side.

Hard Hats and Doormats“Hard Hats and Doormats” by Laura Chapman

Blurb: Lexi Burke has always been a stickler for following rules and procedures. As a human resources manager for a leading Gulf Coast chemical company, it’s her job to make sure everyone else falls in line, too.

But after losing out on a big promotion–-because her boss sees her as too much of a yes-woman––Lexi adopts a new policy of following her heart instead of the fine print. And her heart knows what it wants: Jason Beaumont, a workplace crush who is off limits based on her previous protocol.While navigating a new romance and interoffice politics, Lexi must find the confidence to stand on her own or face a lifetime of following someone else’s orders.

Who says nice girls have to finish last?

EXCERPT

Chapter One

Alexis Burke @theLexiBurke

Can a person refer to employees as Jackass 1 & 2 in an official report? Asking for a friend. #HRProblems #ThisIsMyLife

The universe keeps telling jokes and I’m the punch line. #IHaveProof

Okay, seriously. When did this become my life? Can I get a mulligan? #ObscureGolfAnalogyForLife

In kindergarten Sunday school, Lexi Burke imagined Hell as a fire-ridden, hate-filled pit below Earth’s surface. On a mighty throne of blackened steel and skulls, Satan preyed on the souls of the damned for eternity.

Twenty years later, she discovered a new version of Hell. It was a windowless conference room on an oil platform off the coast of God-only-knew-where Texas in the middle of May. The devil took form in two men, both middle-aged and madder than a hornets nest. Despite the sweat building on her neck, she shivered.

When did babysitting old guys become my job?

How mad do hornets get, and what does their nest have to do with it?

Where did I come up with that analogy?

Solving those mysteries had to wait. Casting a glance at the figures gathered around the badly chipped table, she considered the situation at hand. The two men, their union reps, and a team of local managers were going yet another round in their verbal sparring without a semblance of resolution. The representatives wanted the men to go back to work. The managers wanted to give them pink slips.

As the HR manager assigned – albeit at last-minute – to the investigation, she wanted to keep everyone from killing each other. Not an easy task, considering the two men under investigation already gave murder their best shot.

According to the initial report, the incident happened over the weekend. The men engaged in a particularly heated discussion about college football. The man to her right apparently took offense to the one on her left using derogatory names to describe his beloved team.

She grimaced at the list of profanities. Three or four of them merited HR intervention on their own. Then again, others struck her as downright creative. Note to self: Use “dag nab ass backwards pile of swamp waste” in a sentence later today.

The fight escalated when Mr. Right expressed his displeasure by raking his broken glass across Lefty’s face. A few days later, the wounds swelled red and blotchy. Her stomach churned when she examined their faces closely.

His opponent fared no better. Lefty managed a couple of solid jabs with a shard from a shattered plate. His cheek and eyebrow were held together with the help of twenty-two stitches.

How did these men still have jobs? Surely trying to kill your co-worker violated the Employee Code of Conduct. But because they had no previous violence on their records, the company’s agreement with the union guaranteed them the right to an investigation – this investigation.

“I told ‘em to back off and leave my Tigers alone,” Idiot Number One shouted. “But he started waving around his God-damned glass. I had to grab hold of something to protect myself. A man’s got a right to defend himself and his pride.”

“What the hell are you talking about, son?” Moron Number Two chimed in. “You were the one bent outta shape in the first place. He’s pissed because my Hogs’ll beat the hell out of this pussy lover’s team next year.”

Hogs? Tigers? Did these men seriously put their jobs and lives on the line over the Arkansas and LSU football teams? Did Lexi have to take team allegiances into consideration when she hired new employees to avoid catastrophe? Were SEC fans this torn up about football year-round?

Will we have full-on riots come September?

She struggled to recall the last two football seasons, but nothing came to mind. In her early days at Gulf America, she’d spent most of her life adjusting to the heavy travel schedule of a field HR representative. Current events, sports, and anything unrelated to HR dealings never entered her mind. She instead concentrated on getting through each day, never mind remembering what happened in the rest of the world.

What kind of fights should she expect when the Big 12 schools in Texas started beating up on each other in the fall?

God help us all.

Pulling her shoulder-length brown hair off her neck, she longed for a breeze. Not the kind from men yelling at each other, but a real, honest-to-God breeze.

She sighed and stared back at her notes. Even if the investigation proved the men deserved firing, she wouldn’t make the decision. Her worthless boss would be using whatever recommendations she gave him.

Dale seldom left his office during the work day. Unless he heard an ice cream truck. Then he raced out the door with a dollar in hand. Why bother leaving for something important–– like his job–– when he had minions like her to do his dirty work in the field? He reserved his energy to sweep in at the end when he took credit and – by all appearances – saved the day.

This time, he didn’t even have the courtesy to make his decision before dawn. In her eagerness to please – the department had a promotion up for grabs – she overlooked the faux pas that sent her straight to hell. Sure the Assistant Regional Director job would be more work, but it came with a healthy salary increase and less travel. And at twenty-four, she’d be the youngest director at headquarters.

The shouts escalated.

Is a promotion worth this?

Another realization hit Lexi like a ton of bricks. Damn, another random metaphor. This dispute would have long-term implications impacting more than her chances of promoting within the company. The safety department would surely ban glass cups and plates from company premises before the end of the week. The idiots had proven breakables were a liability Gulf America would no longer risk.

Out of the corner of her eye, she caught sight of one man knocking his coffee mug to the floor. Damn. Another dish casualty. The shattered mug brought Lexi’s attention back to the present. One of the local managers sent her a silent plea. Clearing her throat, she filled her lungs with the heavy air weighing on her chest.

“Excuse me, gentlemen,” she began, in her sweetest drawl. A Midwesterner by nature and nurture, she spent the past two years cultivating her fake accent. It was useful in tense situations like this one. “I appreciate you sharing your perspectives. I’m sure both of your teams value loyal fans like you. But I need you both to take a few deep breaths and listen to what I say.”

She politely glared at the men. Their chests rose up and down in suppressed fury, but their mouths stayed shut.

“Violence is never the answer. It has no place in the sports arena or at work. Remember, you come from the same conference. Y’all should treat each other with the mutual respect your fine teams deserve.”

She paused for dramatic effect. She used a variation of the speech at least a dozen times in the past month alone. In her experience, a few well-timed beats of silence struck fear into the hearts of men better than a million words.

After giving her words room to settle uncomfortably, she continued. “Y’all need to treat each other respectfully. Not only because you’re co-workers and conference mates, but because you’re both good men with families who depend on you. Consider how you’d want someone to treat the people you love most. That’s how y’all should treat each other.”

The men had the good grace to bow their heads in shame. She mentally patted herself on the back for not flinching when she said “y’all.” Three times. When she moved to Texas after college, she swore she would never pick up the strange jargon.

It only took a month for the Southern slang to find its way into her vocabulary.

Sensing the men had finished their moaning, Lexi nodded at one of the managers to begin his end of the investigation. Leaning back in her chair, she scribbled on a copy of the report. She bored easily when her mind wasn’t constantly engaged. Doodling helped her maintain some focus on a situation without actively paying attention. As an added bonus, writing on paper gave everyone else the illusion she was busy.

On this day, she found paying attention to the investigation exceptionally difficult. Her afternoon meeting back at Corporate Headquarters would determine her future with Gulf America.

She made a note to dust off the training video about respectful language. More than likely, the oil rig’s crew would moan about having to sit through thirty minutes of bad acting. They’d also likely ignore the message, but she had to try.

For the men, she added a few suggestions for her boss to consider. They at least needed anger management counseling. Offering them a buyout in exchange for early retirement would satisfy the union and the company.

With her work done, she turned over her notes to doodle a picture. She drew two donkeys. One held a glass, the other a plate. Leaning back in her chair she admired her work, both the drawing, and the much more relaxed atmosphere in the conference room.

Damn she was good.

**Contact Laura: Website   Blog   Facebook   GoodReads   Twitter

**Click HERE to watch the book trailer of “Hard Hats & Doormats”

**Buy “Hard Hats and Doormats”: Amazon — Print & eBook   Barnes & Noble – eBook   Kobo – eBook   Marching Ink – Print

**Click HERE to enter to win a prize package of Lexi’s favorite things!

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**Click HERE to see more stops on Laura Chapman’s Chick Lit Plus Tours!

Cindy Arora

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About author, Cindy Arora: Cindy Arora was a staff writer at The San Gabriel Valley Tribune, The Orange County Register and Sacramento Magazine. She’s been published in Saveur, Tasting Table, Orange Coast Magazine and Fodor’s. She’s also a mother, a feminist, a whiskey enthusiast, and proud to call herself a Chick Lit author. Heartbreak Cake is her debut novel.

GUEST POST

My Life As A Mom and An Author

Being a mom is tough business, but rewarding. Being a writer is tough business, but also rewarding. Put them together and you get: One really, super, busy but fulfilling life. It’s true!
These days I struggle to find the balance between motherhood, daily life and being a writer. It’s a work-in-progress. That’s for sure. But I do have days where it’s perfect. I meet writing deadlines, my son eats his broccoli, I have a good day at my job, and I even manage to squeeze in a run. But then there are times when my son cries when we drop him off at day care, I skip lunch so I can write instead of going to pick up food, and then not only do I not go for a run, but I end the evening eating a box of crackers while watching The Voice. It happens. I do allow myself to have the tired working mom pity party, but I really just try to be grateful that I have a full life, including a love for writing. That’s often enough to motivate me to get off the couch and back to the business of writing.
It’s not always easy, and I do struggle with trying to find a way to be all that I want to be personally while also being the kind of mom that isn’t distracted, because honestly, there’s nothing better than being present in my son’s world where everything is new and exciting. Thanks to him, I stop and smell the roses, we run around the grass just because, jump into leaf piles and sit and watch the fire trucks come in and out of the firehouse while eating ice cream. I’ve slowed down, and it has actually helped me become a better writer. Now, it’s with the same slow and steady mentality that I head to my computer knowing that as long as I keep writing, I will get to where I want to go.
5 Tips for Writers with Kiddos
1. Squeeze in writing during naps or after the kids go to bed. Even if it’s an hour, it does help keep your head in writing mode.
2. Schedule a writing day for yourself. Let your husband, boyfriend, girlfriend, mother or whatever take your children away for a few hours so you can have a few hours of uninterrupted writing time. Head to your favorite coffee spot or restaurant and make it a date just for you.
3. Be nice to yourself if you don’t write for a few days or a week. It happens; sometimes it’s just too much. Allow yourself the break, but get back to writing as soon as you can.
4.If you need a writing break, maybe you can spend time researching, interviewing or working on character profiles. There’s always different ways to “work” on your writing.
5. Carry a notebook. Sometimes I’ll head to the park or be out running errands with my son and I’ll get an idea for my book. I like to carry a notebook with me so I can jot ideas down. I have even used my camera phone to take photos of buildings or towns that inspire me.
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“Heartbreak Cake” by Cindy Arora
Blurb: Business is sweet for pastry chef Indira Aguilar. Her indie bakery, Cake Pan, is fast becoming the talk of the wedding circuit for its unique take on cakes and homespun creations for the modern bride, garnering national recognition and drawing in celebrity clients. But while her professional life is blossoming, her personal life is crumbling. Indira may have a talent for blending buttercream into bliss, but when it comes to relationships, she’s got a lot to learn. Considering that the love of her life, Josh Oliver, is not only married, but also runs the award-winning pastry department of her fiercest competition, Crystal Cove Resort, Indira puts much more at stake than just her heart when she ends her affair with him. Rumors begin to fly as the small seaside community of Long Beach learns of her secret relationship, and Indira must defend not only her actions, but her wedding business and her reputation while trying to maneuver the choppy heartbreak waters of starting over, finding new love, and facing her past. With the support of friends and family, a fondness for butter, and a determined spirit, Indira may just bake her way back to happiness and possibly into the heart of Crystal Cove’s dishy new chef, Noah. But one thing is certain. Where there’s heartbreak, there must be cake.
**Contact Cindy: Website
**Buy “Heartbreak Cake” on Amazon!   **Add “Heartbreak Cake” to your Goodreads bookshelf!
**To learn more about Cindy’s book, visit her publisher website, Simon and Fig!
**Follow Cindy’s “Heartbreak Cake” tour on Fictionella!
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Alicia de los Reyes

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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.

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“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

Jennifer Zane

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**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.

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**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

1-year Birthday Bash for “The Girl, the Gold Tooth & Everything” by Francine LaSala

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It brings me great pleasure to be part of the 1-year celebration of “The Girl, the Gold Tooth & Everything” by Francine LaSala, which there has been a lot of praise for!

GUEST POST by Francine LaSala

Teamwork and the Indie Author

When I self-published my first novel, Rita Hayworth’s Shoes, I knew everything there was to know about publishing a book. Literally. I had had nearly 20 years of experience in book publishing, after all. I knew I had to launch it at just the right time, that the cover had to be fantastic. What I didn’t realize was that in order to successfully make a self-published effort sing, I needed to make friends–and lots of them.

By the time Diversion Books picked up Rita Hayworth’s Shoes, I still hadn’t learned this lesson. So while I had the support of a publisher now, and I was selling more than the three books per month I had previously sold, I still wasn’t reaching an audience.

Then the most remarkable thing happened. I discovered a world of writers’ groups on Facebook, and it made all the difference. Chicklit Goddesses, in fact, was my first-ever Facebook writing group to join. I noticed in my feed that Meredith Schorr, a fellow New Yorker with whom I’d had a passing non-Facebook association, had joined Chicklit Goddesses, and I checked it out. I asked to join, was graciously welcomed by Isabella and the rest of the ladies in the group, and what a difference that made!

I interacted with people. I asked and answered questions. I made jokes and I made friends. By the time I published The Girl, the Gold Tooth & Everything, I had made a group of writer friends to do fun holiday promotions with. I had a network of supporters who shared my statuses and tweets, and I theirs. I signed up for blog hops and other writer’s groups, where I could reach audiences outside of Chicklit, a category for which I don’t completely fit the mold, but have been lovingly embraced by authors and audiences of this genre anyway. And I have made friends, true and special friends whom I cherish.

None of this has existed in the world of traditional publishing. Though they are starting to catch on. 🙂

When you’re a writer, you’re very isolated. You work in isolation. Chances are, you feel isolated when you talk about what you do with your family and friends who want to support you, but really have no idea what you’re talking about half the time.

When you’re an indie writer, you also have that isolation of not having a publicity-marketing team behind you. As an indie writer, you have to make that team. The great thing about this? Instead of having one or two people backing you up, you have hundreds. It’s a wonderful feeling to support other writers and to be supported by them.

There is no “I” in teamwork, but there is a “we.” There’s also a “wok,” a “meat,” and a “mow.” That’s all nonsense, though. Because the most important thing in teamwork is the friendship, the camaraderie. The sense that we’re all in this together, and we work together to help each other succeed. Call me a Pollyanna, but if you’re an indie author, this is what makes all the difference!

**GIVEAWAY**

Be sure to enter the Goodreads giveaway to win a copy of “The Girl, the Gold Tooth & Everything”

**GET YOUR COPY TODAY**

**From today to November 8th, “The Girl, the Gold Tooth & Everything” is on sale for $0.99!**

FrancineLaSalaPicAbout author, Francine LaSala:

Francine LaSala has written nonfiction on every topic imaginable, from circus freaks to sex, and edited bestselling authors of all genres. She is now actively taking on clients for manuscript evaluations, editing services, copywriting (covers, blurbs, taglines, queries, and more), website and blog creation, and developing kickass social media campaigns. The author of novels Rita Hayworth’s Shoes and The Girl, The Gold Tooth & Everything, and the creator of The “Joy Jar” Project, she lives with her husband and two daughters in New York.

 **Contact Francine: