Chick Lit Goddess

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

Romance Books

Cleaning & Organizing…

4 Comments

Over a year ago the hubby and I moved back into our newly renovated home, and it’s beautiful.  We’ve had fun organizing and playing with (and in) the new parts of the house, but never really opened back up the old part, making it into one home — until recently.  Our front door was blue to begin with, and we wanted a change.  We sanded for a few hours, then stopped, letting it go not very pretty for a long time.  Just this past weekend, we finished…and it’s so pretty!  The paint color we ended up with is called “Stolen Kiss,” (perfect name, don’t ya’ think?).  After the door was finished, we started (cleaning out, throwing out/away and organizing) the rest of the house.  Our first task was our “reading room,” (A.K.A. “where we put everything else”).  Step-by-step through our organization, we made huge progress — and still are!  In the past four days, we’ve bought five of these bookshelves from Office Depot, each under $50 dollars!  Now, comes the fun part!  My amazing, handsome, loving and funny husband brought home a barcode scanner, (yes, like from the stores) and we’ve scanned almost every book in our house and put them on our new shelves so we can record every book we have in our house.  (I swear, he has a way to do everything!)  While it’s been quite and eye-opening experience to see all the books I have in their place, it’s mind-boggling of what to do with them.  I have so many different type of books that it seems more like a bookstore than a home, but I’m okay with that because I love bookstores — ha, ha!

How do you suggest putting the books in order?

Gillian Duffy

1 Comment

Tell us about yourself. Who is Gillian Duffy?   Hi Everyone.  I’m Gillian, I’m from Dublin, I’m the author of The LA Commandments, and I’m studying English and History in St. Patrick’s College, Dublin.  Reading, writing, film, and music pretty much sum me up.

Did you always know you wanted to be a writer?   No, not always, but I’ve always loved stories.  When I was younger my mam brought me to the cinema almost every weekend and bought me lots of books (George’s Marvellous Medicine was my favourite), so storytelling has always been a big part of my life.  I wrote some poetry when I was a teenager (that’s probably best kept at the bottom of the drawer forever), but I didn’t begin writing seriously until the end of 2008 following a trip to Los Angeles.

How long did it take you to write your first book?   I finished the first draft of The LA Commandments really quickly (once I started I didn’t stop), but with rewrites and edits it probably took about eight months in total, spread over a couple of years.  When I finished the first draft I moved on to my next novel almost straight away, so I didn’t begin rewriting The LA Commandments until late 2010 and it was published in August 2011.

How did you celebrate when it was published?   After the launch I went for a meal with my family and friends. I couldn’t believe that my book had been published (I still can’t sometimes).  It takes a while to sink in.

What inspired “The LA Commandments?”   In 2008 I went on a family holiday to California, and my time in Los Angeles inspired the novel.  We stayed in Hermosa Beach and Santa Monica during our stay, two of the main locations in the book, and I enjoyed it so much that it motivated me to begin writing again.  It’s one of my favourite places and I hope to revisit next year.

What was the writing process like for you?   Plot and character development are my favourite parts of the process, but editing can sometimes be tough. You become so attached to your work that it can be difficult to be objective. Thankfully we have editors for that impartial view.

If this were turned into a movie, who would you want to play the main characters?   A movie – wouldn’t that be brilliant.  How about Kristin Stewart for Jo, Zac Efron for Marc, Emma Stone for Suzie, and Eddie Redmayne for Paul.  They would have to be able to deliver a convincing Irish accent or some re-writing would be on the cards.

Will there be a sequel?  I have no plans for one at the moment, but who knows?

Which authors inspire you?  I’ve just finished my second year in college, so I’ve been reading writers like Joyce, Conrad, Wilde, Plath, and Moore.  Joe Dunthorne, Claire Keegan, and Sean O’Reilly are some contemporary writers that I really admire.

The Gift by Danielle Steel is one of my favourite books from the women’s fiction genre.  I remember reading it when I was about eighteen on a beach in Cyprus, and the characters and plot stayed with me for a long time after I’d finished.  That’s my sign of a good book.

Do you have any stories about how people react when you tell them you’re an author?   Not really, I’m afraid.  Irish people are generally laid back, so there hasn’t been any overzealous kissing, hugging, or screaming.  All my family and friends are very supportive, though (in a passive kind of way).

What is the best advice that you’ve been given?   Just be yourself and write what comes naturally.

Are you working on anything now? If so, can you share a little bit with us?   I’m working on my second novel at the moment, which should be published in September.  It’s a suspense/thriller also set in California.  Let’s hope that you’ll like it.

**Contact Gillian:

Facebook

Twitter

**Buy “The L.A. Commandments” on Amazon!

**Click HERE to read my 5-start review of “The L.A. Commandments!”

Janet Eve Josselyn

2 Comments

Author Bio: Janet Eve Josselyn graduated from Colby College, Harvard University Graduate School of Design, and Boston College Law School.  She toiled for years as a litigator in Boston at a law firm that is no longer still in business.  Prior to her meteoric rise in the law, Janet worked as an architect in Boston, designing some pretty hideous buildings that have probably been torn down by now.  She has published one novel, Thin Rich Bitches, and has written numerous articles for publications in the US (including MORE Magazine) and in the UK (including People of Few Words).  Janet, her husband, son, and large black dog currently reside in an unnamed suburb of Boston where she will be able to count her friends on one hand soon after publication of Thin Rich Bitches.

Five Reasons Why Reading Chick-Lit Can Make You Look Younger and Thinner

One thing that diet pill manufacturers don’t want you to know is that reading chick-lit can make you look younger and thinner for a lot less money.  With your nose buried in a good chick-lit book, you won’t be making any new wrinkles worrying about your narcissistic boss, your child’s pathetic math grade or the husband’s penchant for not flushing the toilet.  And there is no need to be scared reading a litany of horrific descriptions of bodily functions that could cease if you indulge in the product.  Just read, and enjoy.  No need to call 9-1-1 because you are unable to breathe or speak.  Like that would do any good anyway, if you are unable to breathe or speak.  That is about as funny as the lawyers for the diet pill companies ever get.

Secondly, you can feel real, guilt-free joy when the fictional narcissistic boyfriend contracts something yucky after engaging in a frolic with a woman who is not his girlfriend.  Not only is that wanton woman a real piece of (fictional) work, but we can afflict her with any nasty personal habit we want to at the drop of a hat if we are the author.  And we can also remind the boyfriend about the consequences of behaving like a fictional bad boy.  So much fun!  Fictional stuff can’t run afoul of any state or federal laws, so the guilt-free joy really is anxiety-free and thus wrinkle-free.

Thirdly, reading chick-lit can make you look younger and thinner because if you are parked on the sofa or curled-up on the bed reading chick-lit, you are not exposing your skin to the harmful rays of the sun. No need to debate the merits of SPF 30 versus SPF 100.  That’s a no-brainer.

Reading chick-lit is also satisfying and calorie-free (unless you dragged the giant bag of M&M’s that you bought from Costco (allegedly for the husband) to the sofa to enjoy as you read the chick-lit)).

Lastly, if you are reading chick-lit, most likely you are not driving the husband’s car and ignoring the flashing oil light moments before seizing the engine which is very loud and smoky and stressful and expensive and pisses the husband off, causing stress and angst and wrinkles and other stuff that definitely ages a wife.  Trust me on that one . . . . . !

**Contact Janet:

Send a message or post a comment on her Facebook page!

Email her at: janetjosselyn100@gmail.com

**Click HERE to read my review of “Thin Rich Bitches”

Thin Rich Bitches

1 Comment

Book review of “Thin Rich Bitches”

“Thin Rich Bitches”

Pippin Snowe’s husband cheated on her, so she’s decide to move to dilapidated farmhouse with her young son.  She gets a job, renovating kitchens for very wealthy women, and even being told to park her car with “the help” does.  When she realizes she wants a change (what’s one more, right?), she opens a country club for dogs, coming full circle in her life!

When I was approached by the author to review her book, Thin Rich Bitches, the title had Chick Lit written all over it, so I gladly accepted.  From the first page to the last, I was hooked on this book!  Through all of its twists and turns, it kept my interested and rooting for Pippin!  It was very funny and uplifting, and the characters were enjoyable.  While I couldn’t relate to Pippin’s situation of a cheating husband and a mother, I enjoyed her and admired here for her positive attitude.  There was a little too much design talk, but it was very well explained and needed.  (I would love to say more, but I don’t want to spoil — read the book yourself!)  The author’s writing also has to be commended!  She has a true gift!

I give this book 4 out of 5 stars!

**Click HERE to read a guest post by the author!

Taking Shots

2 Comments

Book Review for “Taking Shots”

“Taking Shots” by Toni Aleo

Photographer, Elli Fisher, loves hockey – it’s practically what she lives for.  When given the chance to take pictures of her favorite team, the Nashville Assassins, she gladly jumps at the chance!  That’s when she finally meets her long-time crush and captain of the team, Shea Adler, #6.  There is immediate attraction between them from day one, though Ellie doesn’t get why because she doesn’t think she’s his type.  Shea Adler is known for having one night stands with big-boobed blond women, and isn’t supposed to be falling for overweight and very insecure girls like herself.  Once she realizes how persistent Shea is, her confidence grows and grows, only after he breaks every wall that she hides behind and after a lot of work, but Shea doesn’t give up on her – thanks to the sometimes help of Ellie’s best friend Harper, who is also dating an Assassin, and Grace, Shea’s sister.

I loved this book!  Toni Aleo has written a book I will never forget.  “Taking Shots” was such a delight to read.  From beginning to end, I was keeping my fingers crossed for Ellie and Shea.  Not only were these two great as a couple, they were great characters individually who had their own storyline with friends and family.  I loved how the book was written from his and her POV.  I thought it was done very well – and loved how it switched just when I wanted to know that the other was thinking, and the sex scenes were hot!  While it was long and words were repeated quite often, I couldn’t put it down.  If you’re looking for a cute read with a happy ever after ending, then you’ll love this book!

I give this book 5 out of 5 stars!

About the author:

My name is Toni Aleo!
I am a wife, mother, and hopeless romantic.
I have been told I have anger issues, but I think it’s cause of my intense love for hockey!
I am the biggest Shea Weber fan ever, and can be found during hockey season with my nose pressed against the Bridgestone Arena’s glass, watching my Nashville Predators play!
When my nose isn’t pressed against the glass, I enjoy going to my husband and son’s hockey games, my daughters dance competition, hanging with my best friends, taking pictures, and reading the latest romance novel.
I love things that sparkle, I love the color pink, and did I mention I love hockey?
I hope to hear from you on here, my Facebook, or my twitter! Thank you so much!

Contact Toni:

Blog

Facebook

Twitter

Buy “Taking Shots!”

Amazon

Barnes and Noble

Lulu

Buy her other Assassins book, “Trying To Score!”

Amazon

Barnes and Noble

Lulu

Do You Like Your Characters?

6 Comments

Have you ever been in the writing or editing process and haven’t liked you main (or any) characters?  Well, beginning to strongly dislike my Hero.  I’m in the editing process of my first book and I’m wanting to delete him all together.  He’s the main Hero, so this means creating a new character — maybe even a guy with a heart towards his pregnant girlfriend and the baby he helped to create!

Let me explain:

Nathan really is a nice guy.  His girlfriend is pregnant and he doesn’t want to be a father.  She wants to keep it, but he had major daddy issues.  His dad wasn’t there for him, so he’s afraid of repeating the pattern.  While he love Lucy (my Heroine), being a father part of the plan.  Lucy prepares to become a mother on her own and she’s okay with that decision.

Nice guy, right?  Ha!  I know that this might be a realty for some, but this guy is a jerk!  He’s a handsome jerk, one that could easily be described as an innocent Christian Grey of “50 Shades of Grey.”  When I wrote this two years ago, the only conflict I could think of was pregnancy because I didn’t want to write about love triangles.  (I have before in a book that I didn’t finish, but might continue with that sometime in the future).  Maybe I don’t like Nathan because I have trouble writing from a male POV!

::::::Sigh::::::

Have you ever written a book, then want to get rid of a character because you don’t like him or her?  What do you do to get your characters likable?

It’s Fun Friday: My Top 5 Favorite Chick Lit Sites

4 Comments

Ah, Friday!  It’s nice to see you!

If you love the Chick Lit genre and are trying to find a fun and reliable site, the following might help.  I have paid close attention their dedication to their site and what they say about Chick Lit.  Through their blog posts, comments, guests and reviews, it is clear why the following are on my list of the top 5!

#5: Chick Lit Club Connect

#4: The Chick Lit Bee

#3: Chick Lit & Wine

#2: Chick Lit Central

#1: Chick Lit Plus

I also wanted to share THIS link from the Accredited Online Colleges if you’d like more valid Chick Lit sites!  You’ll see that I’m #9 on that list!  How cool is that?!

Anyway, it’s been a busy week and I’m very excited for the upcoming weekend!  I plan on continuing to read a book for review.  I will also be starting a book for a CLP blog tour that I’ll be taking part of in a few weeks.  Editing is another thing I’ll be working on, and I hope to get a good chuck of that out of the way.

I wish you a very happy Friday and hope you all have a wonderful weekend!

Why I Love Helping New Authors!

2 Comments

Hey, y’all!  The week is almost over — yay!

Part of what I do is promote new authors, (come see my GUESTS and BOOK REVIEWS).  I love doing this, especially for new authors who have written a Chick Lit!  It’s a growing genre so by promoting new authors, it can only increase its growth!  With each guest and book review, I find new appreciation for these books.  Not only does the published author inspire me, their book gives me confidence to keep on going with my own journey!

I’d love your thoughts on this topic.  If you promote new authors, why do you do it?  What do you enjoy most?