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Jennifer Coburn

We’ll Always Have Paris

April 1, 2014 Leave a Comment

We'llAlwaysHaveParisCoverPic

“We’ll Always Have Paris” by Jennifer Coburn

Blurb: Jennifer Coburn has always been terrified of dying young. It’s the reason she drops everything each summer on a quest to travel through twelve European countries with her daughter, Katie, before it’s too late. Even though her husband can’t join them, even though she’s nervous about the journey, and even though she’s perfectly healthy, she spends three to four weeks a year jamming Katie’s mental photo album with memories. In this heartwearming generational love story, Jennifer reveals how their adventures helped relinquish her fear of dying…for the sake of living.

* * * * *

My Review: After reading “Tales from the Crib” by Jennifer Coburn, I was a huge fan, and have been ever since. Naturally, I was excited to start “We’ll Alway Have Paris.” Right away, Jennifer’s writing captured me, and sometimes I felt like I was on traveling along with them. I loved how Jennifer and Katie talked to each other, and found their honesty toward each other to be refreshing.

I liked “We’ll Always Have Paris,” but this one just didn’t get me like other books by Jennifer Coburn usually do. In ways of a book, I really wished I could have got more out of it, but didn’t. I really, really wanted to like it, but nothing seemed to really happen, and I found it to be more like a journal.

If you’re one who likes traveling memoirs, then I highly recommend “We’ll Always Have Paris.”

I give “We’ll Always Have Paris” 3 1/2  stars.

* * * * *

“I’m profoundly in love with Jennifer Coburn’s memoir We’ll Always Have Paris!  From Coburn’s picture-perfect travelogue to her hilarious observations, she’s woven together a powerful narrative with a heartfelt and thoughtful examination of what truly makes a family.  I was enthralled from the very first page and I cannot recommend this book highly enough.  I want to read this again, tell all my friends about it… and then renew my passport.” –Jen Lancaster, NY Times best-selling author of Bitter is the New Black, Here I Go Again, and the Tao of Martha.

* * * * *

Excerpt:

Katie and I found the Shakespeare & Company Booksellers on the Left Bank across the river from Notre Dame. On la Rue Bucherie, at the edge of the Latin Quarter, stood a seventeenth-century monastery that housed Europe’s largest collection of English language books for sale.

New and used books lined every wall, cluttered and haphazardly organized. A mirrored wall included photos of authors who had visited, including Henry Miller, Anaïs Nin, and Allen Ginsberg. A cat snuggled in the corner under a corkboard listing literary events and readings. It was a cozy haven that made me long for a pot of tea and a thunderstorm.

Painted over a threshold of the three-story bibliophilic heaven were the words “Be not inhospitable to strangers, lest they be angels in disguise.” Discreetly placed in the landscape was evidence that Shakespeare & Company lived this philosophy. Small cots, bedrolls, pillows, and backpacks were tucked between bookshelves.

“Do people sleep here?” eight-year-old Katie asked the clerk, a young woman with Bettie Page bangs, a vintage dress, and Doc Marten Mary Janes. I imagined her name was something like Prudence or Cleo.

In a posh British accent, Cleo explained that travelers were welcome to sleep at the bookstore if they worked a few hours during the day. These guests were endearingly called “Tumbleweeds” and could stay anywhere from a few nights to several months.

Tapping on her computer, Cleo continued, “Or, if you’re a writer, you can stay as our guest in the studio.”

“My mom’s a writer!” Katie exclaimed, standing on the toes of her white sandals. “Google her.”

Katie’s face begged for the sleepover.

Fear of dying young isn’t an altogether bad thing. Sometimes it makes you try what you might otherwise delay. I found myself agreeing to Katie’s requests, justifying that my indulgence would solidify fond memories.

“Check-in is at midnight,” Cleo told us before returning to her work.

At the appointed hour, Katie and I sat on a bench next to a half-dozen disaffected youth with pierced faces and unnaturally black hair. Their stained canvas backpacks sported logos of bands with names like Blistered Anus.

“Ouch,” Katie commented to a fellow Tumbleweed.

“They’re crap since they lost their drummer,” he returned in a sweet English accent.

In her pigtails and Bedazzled tank top, Katie shrugged. “That can happen.” She had absolutely no idea about how a change of musician could affect a group, but pursed her lips as though she’d been through it a few times herself. I admired her immediate acceptance of and connection to life around her.

Another mother and her young daughter knocked on the locked door apologizing for being late for check-in. Looking like characters from Les Miserables, the mother and barefoot Cosette explained they lost track of time in the Bastille Day festivities.

As we were shown to the Writer’s Studio, I had three thoughts about spending the night in the same bed where Henry James slept. One, they hadn’t changed the sheets since. Two, Katie’s bed was actually a yoga mat on top of a door that was resting on two file cabinets. These cabinets, I should add, were not of equal height. And three, Andy Griffith looked awfully young on that box of Ritz crackers in the corner.

A tornado of gnats came from the water spigot. Our window did not open more than a few inches. The room was situated directly above a row of trash receptacles.

Katie squealed with delight, “We have a view of Notre Dame!”

I, on the other hand, just smelled hot garbage. “Don’t touch a thing!” I warned Katie.

“Isn’t this the best, Mommy?”

* * * * *

**If people pre-order the book any time before April 8th, through any book seller, I will donate my royalties from the first thousand books to the American Cancer Society. Click HERE to pre-order “We’ll Always Have Paris” on Amazon!

Jen-with-tree**Contact Jennifer:

Website   Facebook   Twitter

 

Filed Under: Book Review, We'll Always Have Paris Tagged With: Books, Chick-Lit, Jennifer Coburn, Memiors, Mother and daughter adventures, Traveling, We'll Always Have Paris, Women's Fiction

Field of Schemes

May 8, 2013 Leave a Comment

Book review of “Field of Schemes”

FieldofSchemesCoverPic

“Field of Schemes” by Jennifer Coburn

Book Description:

Let the games begin! Newly widowed Claire Emmett leaves Los Angeles so she and her eleven-year-old daughter, Rachel, can have a fresh start in the picture-perfect suburb of Santa Bella, California. But the simple, quiet life she seeks is nowhere to be found in the town where soccer is king and parents are far, far too involved in children’s sports. When Rachel is scouted for an elite travel team, Claire is sucked into a world of high drama, backstabbing and deceit. The team manager plots a Wall Street-style hostile takeover. Parents sabotage players, serve as sports agents, and trade sexual favors for playtime. Off the field, Claire must navigate the brave new world of the suburbs and build a life that doesn’t revolve around kids’ sports. Nothing is simple in Santa Bella, though. Claire’s neighbor is an outrageous flirt. She stumbles upon some dark secrets and unwittingly becomes the target of a very powerful enemy. As Rachel’s team moves to the State Cup championship, Claire must develop a game plan of her own. It’s time for her to fight back and show her daughter what it means to be a soccer mom who plays to win when it matters most.

My Review:

I was excited to receive a copy of “Field of Schemes” because I’m a huge fan of Jennifer Coburn.  She has the ability to create wonderful and funny characters who you won’t forget, and Claire in “Field of Schemes” was no different.  Being a recent widow and single mother, I felt sorry for her and was curious as to see how she handled her daughter playing soccer.

While I never played sports, my brother played soccer as a kid, and I remember seeing how parents can be when it comes to wanting to be the best team.  The actions of a few soccer parents was very well written, especially the soccer dads.  Without giving any spoilers, Claire’s attraction for her next-door neighbor intrigued me, and liked who she ended up with, though thought the ending came on a little too fast for them .  I wondered also what Rachel thought of her mom’s new relationship.  I would have liked to have seen a little more interaction between Claire and her daughter, but thought that she was doing the best she could.  My favorite parts were the conversations between Claire and her mother-in-law.

Some parts in this book I felt lagged “Field of Schemes” was a good book.  I’m not a mom, but if you’re looking for a cute mom-lit you would enjoy “Field of Schemes.”

I give this book 3 1/2 stars.

Filed Under: Book Review, Field of Schemes Tagged With: Books, Field of Schemes, Jennifer Coburn

Jennifer Coburn

January 19, 2012 1 Comment

I’m honored to have Jennifer Coburn as a guest on Chick Lit Goddess!  After reading “Tales From The Crib” and loving it, she is my new favorite author!  As I am a Chick Lit Writer in the making, this talented and kind woman is a true inspiration.  Once anyone reads just one of her books, you will want to continue on with the others — I know I do!

Can you tell us a little bit about yourself?   I’m a native New Yorker living in San Diego with my husband and 14-year-old daughter.  I love nothing more than a good story – whether it is told at a dinner party, in a book, on stage or on screen.  I also love traveling with my daughter, which is always like experiencing a good story in real-time.

Did you always know you wanted to be a writer?   I’ve always loved writing, but never really though it was something I could do as a career, so I went the sensible route and got a “real” job.  Even there, I found ways to incorporate writing, but it was always about politics or social issues.  I enjoyed that immensely, but really found my own voice while I was on my (12-year!) maternity leave.   It was then when I let myself start writing from the heart instead of just the head.

What’s it like in a day of Jennifer Coburn?   Crazy.  Two years ago I returned to work as the director of communications at the non-profit agency I left when my daughter was born.  I leave at three o’clock to drive a carpool, shuttle Katie to activities and then write articles and novels from 7 PM to midnight.  Some days I get to the gym, but no often enough.

How long does it take you to write a book?   The fastest one was Tales From the Crib, which took four months to complete.  Reinventing Mona took nearly a year.

Which do you prefer, Kindle or paper books?   As a reader, I really like the feeling of a book in my hands.  I tried the kindle once and it was fine, but I’m a very late adopter of technology.  (I just learned how to program contacts into my cell phone.)  As a writer, I prefer ebooks.  Kindle and nook have provided a place for readers to access some of my older books that are no longer in print, so for that, I am eternally grateful.

What do you love and hate about the writing process?   I love seeing how a story unfolds.  I always think I know the story I’m going to tell, but it inevitably changes along the way and I really enjoy that experience.  In my first novel, The Wife of Reilly, I realized three chapters before the end that if I finished the book the way I’d outlined, my character would have learned nothing.  I really enjoy getting to know characters and figuring out what they need to become a fuller, more self-actualized person.

Do you have any advice for new writers?   Have a rejection ritual – something you do every time you get bad news from an agent or an editor (or a bad review).   I used to set a stopwatch for 15 minutes of hard-core grieving, then I’d drive to the Hotel Del Coronado and sip a cup of tea in the lobby.  Something about being in this luxurious setting made me feel successful.  It was the emotional boost I needed to return to writing.

How do you come up with the titles of your book?   Authors actually do not have final say on their titles; it is the publisher.  I was very lucky that my publisher let me name three out of four of my books.  The Wife of Reilly and Tales From the Crib just came to me before I’d even started writing them.  Calling my second book Reinventing Mona occurred to me after I’d finished it.  And The Queen Gene was a compromise title.  I wanted to call it Tales From the New Crib because it is a sequel to Tales, but my publisher did not go for it.  I suggested Family Haunts because there’s a comical paranormal element, but my publisher wanted the title to focus on the mother-daughter relationship.  They suggested a title I did not care for at all, so I put out an emergency email asking friends for suggestions.  My friend, Vince Hall came up with The Queen Gene, which my publisher (thankfully) accepted.

Are any of your characters based on any people you know?   Yes, quite a few, especially in Tales From the Crib and The Queen Gene.  I gave my eighty something Aunt Bernice the manuscript to review before it was published and she insisted that I call the characters based on her and her sister by their real names.  (I had originally changed Bernice and Rita to Beatrice and Rena.  Slick, huh?)  I told her that I was working on a sequel and the characters would be doing things neither she nor Rita would ever consider, such as going to a strip club and getting a bikini wax.  She insisted on the change, and was a great sport when I wrote about her character giving weekly “Snatch Reports.”

Who or what inspires you?   People who have been through the shitter, never gave up.  I love hearing about an actor who couldn’t get an audition last year, and twelve months later is winning an Oscar.  Those stories always bring tears to my eyes.

Do you ever suffer from writer’s block?  If so, how do you handle it?   I convince myself that the story is already written, and that I am just the person charged with getting it on paper.  So if I’m blocked, I tell myself that the next part of the story is out there waiting for me to find it.  (I realize this sounds a bit airy fairy, but it helps take the pressure off me, so what the heck.)  I go for a walk or grab a bite to eat and inevitably, while I’m out of my house, I see or hear something that fills in the story gap.

Can you tell us anything about any upcoming projects you’re working on right now?   I just finished a book called Brownie Points, which is a comedy told from the POV the mother of a 13-year-old boy who wants to join the Girl Scouts.  When the organization refuses, the boy sues for gender discrimination, setting off a firestorm of national media coverage.   I had a lot of fun writing about this.

**Jennifer loves to hear from her readers:

Jennifer’s website

Jennifer’s Facebook page

Tweet Jennifer

**Click HERE to read my review for Tales From The Crib!

Filed Under: Jennifer Coburn Tagged With: Book Reviews, Books, Chick-Lit, Images, Isabella, Jennifer Coburn, Link, Mom-Lit, Random, Romance Books, Tales From The Crib, Writing

Tales From The Crib

January 19, 2012

Book Review for “Tales From The Crib”

“Tales From The Crib,” by Jennifer Coburn

What would you do if your husband blurts out that he wants a divorce, right before you’re about to tell him that you’re pregnant?  When Lucy tells her husband she’s expecting, Jack reconsider his offer – and wants to stay married, but only as friends, so that they can raise their child together.  While Lucy isn’t in favor of this arrangement, she still loves her husband, so she decides to take him up on his offer for one year.  A lot can happen in a year, especially while still living together.  Will they both find someone else to be with, or will they bond over the pregnancy and baby, and come back to one another, and have the family they always wanted to?

When Jennifer Coburn emailed me a couple of days after Christmas asking me to review her book, “Tales From The Crib,” I was so excited because I had heard very good things about it, and I liked the storyline.

Right from the start, I was hooked on this hilarious and heartwarming book.  I loved that Jennifer’s book begins right in the middle of the action, and not once did I get bored with it along the way.  I think this is why it was such a page-turner.  After Lucy agrees to his insane idea, I was surprised at how well they got along, (even with Jack’s new woman in tow).  One thing I liked a lot was that while Lucy could have pushed Jack away, not giving her “marriage” one last chance, I thought it was really sweet how it showed that these two really loved one another.  In the mix of wonderful characters, Lucy’s vivacious mother and spunky aunts were so funny, that they all had me laughing out loud, (so much that my husband even commented on how much I was laughing).

One might think that from the title and cover, this book is all about the baby, but it’s not.  While I am a wife and not yet a mother (but hope to be someday), I was surprised about how much I loved and could relate to Lucy.  “Tales From The Crib” is a beautifully written book about family and relationships.  Through the ups and downs, each relationship seemed to grow stronger, which I found very refreshing.

I highly recommend this book to anyone who would love to read a fast-paced, fun-loving, delightful Chick Lit!  I promise, you will not be disappointed when you read “Tales From The Crib!”

I give this book 4 out of 5 stars!

**Click HERE to read my Guest Interview with Jennifer!

Filed Under: Book Review Tagged With: Book Reviews, Books, Chick-Lit, Guest Author, Images, Jennifer Coburn, Link, Mom-Lit, Random, Romance Books, Tales From The Crib, Writing

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