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

Reality TV

The Marrying Type

February 24, 2015 1 Comment

TheMarryingTypeCoverPic

“The Marrying Type” by Laura Chapman

About “The Marrying Type”: Always the wedding planner, never a bride, Elliot Lynch is famous for orchestrating the splashiest weddings in Charleston, South Carolina. When her father’s sloppy management practices leave them on the brink of bankruptcy, Elliot will do whatever it takes to save the family business. When asked to appear on “The Marrying Type,” a reality TV show about the people behind the scenes as couples exchange I dos, she says yes to the invasion of privacy (and the hefty paycheck that comes with it).

With a camera crew capturing every detail of her life, Elliot faces her most challenging contract yet: planning a wedding where her ex is involved in every part of the process. Add in a lazy assistant, liquor-loving bridesmaid, and rival planner encroaching on her turf, and Elliot’s wedding season goes from high-end to high-stress.

Forced to confront her past, Elliot must live out her troubled present on national TV if she has any hope of saving her future.

**Buy “The Marrying Type”: Amazon   Barnes & Noble   Kobo   Marching Ink

**Other book links for “The Marrying Type”: Goodreads   YouTube

* * * * *

GUEST POST

“Second Times a Charm?” by Laura Chapman

Like dating, each new book you write offers valuable experience that you can use the next time around.

When I wrote my first novel, Hard Hats and Doormats, I’d toyed with the idea of telling the story of a young human resources manager trying to fit into a very grownup world while still trying to understand what adulthood meant. When November 1, 2010, rolled around, and I saw friends posting updates on Facebook about how they were participating in National Novel Writing Month, I decided I might as well give it a try. I’ve always a little too competitive for my own good. I spent that evening creating a rough outline of the book and went to work. Progress was slow, because like my main character, I too was traveling a lot for work and not quite sure what being 24 meant. I still felt like a college student a lot of the time, but my student loan, mounting bills, and professional responsibilities begged to differ.

I was well behind reaching the 50,000-word goal when I decided to take off a few days from work the week of Thanksgiving. I had a little bit of vacation time I had to use or lose, and it seemed like this was as good of a time as any. During the last week and a half of NaNoWriMo, I wrote between 4,000 and 5,000 words a day, determined to reach my goal on November 30. When I did, with just a few hours to spare, I cried. It was such an exciting and overwhelming experience to realize I could and did write 50,000 words in a month. It took me a few more months to finish the first draft of the book and years to revise.

Writing my second book was a vastly different experience. I knew a month before November 1, 2011, that I was going to write The Marrying Type. Figuring I was an old veteran by this point, I carefully outlined my novel and had a game plan for crossing the 50,000-word mark by November 30. Working alongside a couple of local friends who were also participating in NaNoWriMo, I met my goal two days early. Now I really felt like a pro.

But once again, it took me a couple of months to finish that first draft. And while I was happy just like the first time, I wasn’t as excited. This time, I understood a little bit better just how much work was going to be involved if I wanted to publish this book. Even then, I still didn’t have a full clue of just what the next few years would entail.

While writing the first draft of my second book was a faster experience than the first time around, and I better understood had to build tension and tell a story, I still had a lot to learn. Like with book one, book two went through round after round of edits and drafts before becoming the book it is today.

Perhaps the greatest lesson book two taught me was that no matter how many times you set out to write a novel, it is always going to take a lot of work. It isn’t going to be as easy as you might imagine. You’re almost always going to have to part with a scene or character you liked to make your story stronger. And no matter how hard you try, you will always have to go back and fix typos or change plot elements.

The ups and downs of writing my first two novels ultimately paid off. While they took more time than I’d ever imagined, I was able to produce two novelettes with relative ease after going through this experience. And though I struggled to write the first draft of my third novel, the experiences of books one and two taught me that it was okay to basically scrap everything and start over. Which is what I ended up doing, and my last attempt at the first draft took record time. I’m currently editing that book, and I’m happy to say that it is in much better shape than my first two books at this stage in the game. It’s not perfect, but I can see my growth as a writer, which is a great reward.

* * * * *

Laura_Chapman_Mug

**About author, Laura Chapman:

Laura Chapman is the author of The Marrying Type, Hard Hats and Doormats and the Autumn and Tuck series, which appear in Merry & Bright and A Kind of Mad Courage. A native Nebraskan, she loves football, Netflix marathons, and her cats, Jane and Bingley. Until she fulfills her dream of landing a British husband or becoming a Disney princess, you can find her in a bar penning her next novel.

**Contact Laura:

Website   Blog   Facebook   Goodreads   Instagram   Twitter

Filed Under: The Marrying Type Tagged With: Author Guest Post, Books, Chick-Lit, Laura Chapman, Marriage, Reality TV, Release Day, Romance, The Marrying Type, Women's Fiction

My Thoughts on The Bachelor: Season 17

March 12, 2013 1 Comment

Insert a guy who has a body that was made for TV who claims to be searching his wife, a lot of dramatic women and the rose that always lingers, and you’ve got season seventeen of The Bachelor.

I’ve never really been that girlie kind of woman who watches shows like The Bachelor or The Bachelorette.  Okay, yes, I did watch the one with Trista and Ryan (who are still together, by the way), but the show wasn’t believable back then, nor do I feel it is now.  Could it all be a fantasy?  Yes, quite possibly.  We only get to see what the cameras show us, which makes for better drama, quite a bit of viewer judgements (both good and bad), and of course, the feeling of being let on by The Bachelor or The Bachelorette.

When I was young, I wanted the fairytale, and I still do, but in order to have that and what the show doesn’t show is that couples have to work 100%/100% each day on their relationship.  If there were one thing about these shows is to show the couples working on their relationship instead of gallivanting around the country like two teens on spring break.  I’m not saying to take all the lovey-dovey stuff out, but make it more of a reality, hence isn’t that supposed to be “reality TV?”

And so, last night.  Oh, boy…

**SPOILERS AHEAD**

When Emily dumped Sean, I felt sorry for him.  While I liked Arie and Jeff who Emily picked in the end (but supposedly they’re not together anymore), it was obvious to me that he took the process very seriously and why not?  Okay, I was hooked, so I began watching Sean’s season, hoping that he’d find the love of his life.

After the first episode, Tierra was my favorite pick.  She certainly did have a “sparkle” about her.  When Sean gave her the first rose before knowing her for five minutes, I thought that she might be the one, however, that changed shortly afterward.  Falling down stairs (some think on purpose), jumping in freezing water and expecting Sean to dote after you and cause drama amongst the other women in the house, just didn’t work for her.  I’m glad that Sean finally saw through her and sent her home.  I guess it’s a good thing because in the episode of “The Women Tell All,” she’s engaged now to a guy who she claimed “they needed time away from each other.”  Hmm…

And then there’s Des, the wedding planner.  I loved her from the beginning.  She’s cute, fun and she looked like she belonged with Sean…but unfortunately, he sent her home.  I’d still love to know the reason, but I’m guessing that it has something to do with her brother.  I know I’d be upset with him for how he treated Sean.  Though there is good news, people — Des is the new Bachelorette, which begins this May!  Who’s going to be watching?  I know I will be!

Lindsay Yenter was the favorite between the final two.  She seemed the more genuine woman and more the Sean-type.  They didn’t seem fake and I liked her morals.  While she came out of the limo in a wedding dress and got drunk the first night, she quickly redeemed herself, but unfortunately not well enough to win Sean’s heart.  As I was watching the episode last night I was amazed at how classy and mature she acted when Sean told her that he wasn’t picking her.  I would have said the same thing…well, okay, I might have been a little more boisterous.  I also thought it was cool how she stopped and took off her shoes as she made her way back to the car walking away from Sean.  You go girl!  I like Lindsay Yenter and wish her the best of luck in life and in love!

And then there’s Catherine Giudici, the winner.  I never saw what he liked so much about her.  She seemed very immature and she brings Sean down with him.  She stayed under the radar for most of the show, but maybe that was what Sean wanted, a normal girl without a lot of drama…but I don’t see it that way.  Did Sean pick her because she didn’t want to leave him the night before the proposal?  I think so.  He seems like such a caretaker and wants to give, so I’m thinking that he let Lindsay go because he knew she can handle being without him.  She’s a survivor and Catherine’s not.  Hmm, just a thought…

I’d love to hear what y’all think of this!

Happy Monday, folks!

Filed Under: Isabella Tagged With: Catherine Giudici, Entertainment, Lindsay Yenter, Love, Reality TV, Romance, Sean Lowe, The Bachelor, The Bachelorette, TV

It’s Fun Friday

October 7, 2011 1 Comment

Kim Kardashian

It’s Kim Kardashian’s wedding weekend — again!  No, her marriage to Kris Humphries hasn’t ended…yet.  For a four-hour and two-day event (Sunday and Monday night) on E!, the people who weren’t invited to their more than lavish and extravagant wedding get to see it!

While most people find her to be the most annoying and spoiled celebrity, I like her, but it wasn’t always this way.  Before I began to watch Keeping Up With The Kardashians, I made it a point to pass right by them (the whole Kardashian/Jenner clan), not even giving them a second thought.  I was more interested in celebs like Jennifer Aniston and Steve Carell.  One day last year I was sick in bed and wanted to watch something that I didn’t care about.  Perfect!  I couldn’t stop watching the drama that this family created and I was in luck because I stumbled upon an all-day marathon.

Kourtney, Khloe & Kim

It’s sad, I know, but I do keep up with the Kardashians.  The show is my favorite guilty pleasure and I’m not afraid to admit it.  (If you haven’t watched it and like reality TV, I guarantee you’ll like it).

Kim & Kris

Anyway, back to Kim and Kris…

This weekend she’s guaranteed to be making a lot of money and why shouldn’t she?  After all, her wedding to Kris is the United States’ Royal Wedding, that’s at least what I heard.  I understand the point of making money by promoting herself, but I think her wedding should be something that she shouldn’t be making money on.  It seems like just another show that she’s on, which kind of makes me think that celebs really do get engaged/married/divorced to promote something; I find this very sad.

In conclusion, I do wish Kim and Kris a lifetime of love and happiness.

Filed Under: Fun Friday, Isabella Tagged With: Celebs, Chick-Lit, Friday, Gossip, Images, Isabella, Kim Kardashian, Link, Reality TV, TV, Wedding

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...