Chick Lit Goddess

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Seasons

October Guest Blogger: Caroline Fardig

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Why I Love Fall

Fall is my favorite season for many reasons—it’s finally not sweltering outside anymore, the trees burst with color, and Halloween parties abound!

I much prefer Halloween to Christmas.  December gets way too hectic, and there always seems to be no time to actually enjoy the season.  Preparing for Halloween, on the other hand, isn’t nearly as time-consuming, which makes the preparations all the more fun because they’re not rushed.  My daughter and I had tons of fun making several creepy Pinterest Halloween projects together this year.Another reason I love fall is because we have a Halloween party every year at our house.  We rent bounce houses, decorate everything, set out yard games, make a bonfire complete with hot dogs and s’mores, and of course have a costume contest!  It’s a huge event, and this year we had 75 kids, plus many of their parents stayed for the fun as well.  Needless to say, I got smart and invested in a port-a-potty after an unfortunate toilet-overflow issue last year.

Another reason I love fall is because we have a Halloween party every year at our house.  We rent bounce houses, decorate everything, set out yard games, make a bonfire complete with hot dogs and s’mores, and of course have a costume contest!  It’s a huge event, and this year we had 75 kids, plus many of their parents stayed for the fun as well.  Needless to say, I got smart and invested in a port-a-potty after an unfortunate toilet-overflow issue last year.

After the party, we always get a much-needed couple of days off when Fall Break rolls around the next weekend.  This year we went to Louisville, Kentucky, where we got to take in Dracula at the Actors Theater—it was amazing, and perfect for a scary evening of fun!

On to the next weekend, where I got to clown around—literally.  Friends of mine always throw a party with a Haunted Trail, which my husband and I are always excited to be a part of.  This year’s theme was “Creepy Carnival,” so of course we all dressed up as clowns and jumped out at unsuspecting groups taking the scary trail through the woods.  A timely theme given the viral clown sightings lately.And last but not least, we finish up the month with the big day itself.  My little hometown goes all out, and every year we and a thousand or so of our friends line the town square for safe trick-or-treating put on by the local businesses.  You see everyone you know there, and the kids come away with bags heavy with candy.  A great end to my favorite month.  (I love this part so much, I included a similar celebration in THAT OLD BLACK MAGIC, Book 2 in the Lizzie Hart Mysteries series—it’s a perfect Halloween read!)

And last but not least, we finish up the month with the big day itself.  My little hometown goes all out, and every year we and a thousand or so of our friends line the town square for safe trick-or-treating put on by the local businesses.  You see everyone you know there, and the kids come away with bags heavy with candy.  A great end to my favorite month.  (I love this part so much, I included a similar celebration in THAT OLD BLACK MAGIC, Book 2 in the Lizzie Hart Mysteries series—it’s a perfect Halloween read!)

**Click HERE to find out more  about Caroline and her books!

October Guest Blogger: Sarah Louise Smith

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My Perfect Fall Day 

Firstly, thank you to Isabella, the ultimate Chick Lit Goddess, for having me on her blog for this awesome ‘Fall’ themed month. Here in the UK, we call ‘Fall’ Autumn, but I always prefer the American term, myself 🙂

My perfect fall day involves my dogs; you see they love to walk – it’s their favourite thing, right up there with eating, cuddles, sleeping and playing. And autumn… fall… is the perfect time to go for a walk. The leaves are so beautiful at this time of year; especially in my local woods. Reds, oranges, yellows, golds… I’ve been lucky enough to visit NYC, Niagara Falls, and Washington DC in autumn too, and it was just so, so lovely – so many gorgeous colours.

So, step one on my perfect fall day: dog walk, probably through my local woods. There’s really tall trees there, and with even just a little sunshine, it’s wonderful.

Next, I would come home and have a nice cup of hot chocolate (Cadbury’s, preferably), and sit down with my Kindle to read whatever Chick Lit I’m into that day. Right now I’m reading Dream a Little Dream by Giovanna Fletcher; it’s very good.

I’d stop for lunch; maybe some pumpkin soup – I LOVE pumpkin… you know what, I’ve never tried pumpkin pie (I think we seriously need to start a Thanksgiving tradition in the UK, but that’s a whole different topic) … with some rustic bread. I love keeping warm when the weather is turning.

Next, I would sit down and write – invigorated from my walk, and inspired from my reading – and work on my next book.

I guess my perfect fall dinner would be something warm too, maybe I’d go to a traditional British pub, and have a vegetarian lasagne – followed by a hot comforting pudding! …and a nice glass of red wine.

Fall is probably my favourite time of year; between the gorgeous leaves, the fun of Halloween and Christmas plans starting to get underway … and the fact that it’s cool, but not too cold yet. You can enjoy a little outdoors time without freezing your butt off 🙂

Thanks again to Isabella for having me over to talk about my Perfect Fall Day, that was fun!If you’d like to read more of my writing, head over to my website and check out my blog, my books, and sign up to my mailing list…

If you’d like to read more of my writing, head over to my website and check out my blog, my books, and sign up to my mailing list…www.sarahlouisesmith.com

About the author: Sarah Louise Smith is a chick-lit writer, completely in love with that feel-good factor you get from romantic comedy novels (and movies!). She’s British, an animal lover, and likes to travel around the world while eating good food, reading good books and dreaming up her next novel.

**Books by Sarah, with one on the way:

Amy & Zach – about an English girl who meets an American guy and they both tell a lie or two…

Izzy’s Cold Feet – Izzy is about to get married, but she’s not sure she’s with the right man…

Independent Jenny – what would you do if your husband cheated on you?

The Truth About Ellen – it’s only natural to pretend you’re not a fan when you meet your celeb crush, right?

…and coming soon, Unrequited Alice – about a bridesmaid in love with the groom…

**Contact Sarah: Amazon   Amazon.co.uk

 

Guest Post/Feature: Laura Chapman

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To my dear, beloved Fall,

Hey, it’s me, Laura. Again. I hope you aren’t getting tired of hearing me say it, because I love you, I truly do, and I’m not sure I could ever stop singing your praises.

I love your sights. My hometown and state never look more gorgeous than they do on a clear (or, let’s be real, even stormy) autumn day.  And I’ll never forget just how gorgeous New England was in the fall when those leaves change color. (It’s like nature putting on a new, limited engagement performance once a year.)

I love that it’s the only time of year when I feel halfway outdoorsy. Raking leaves is the only yard work I can handle. You only have to do it once or twice a season, and it makes for gorgeous photos. Plus, I think we can all agree that mowing and shoveling suck, and Fall, you don’t force me to do either. Oh, and how about traipsing through pumpkin patches and plucking apples from trees? That’s all the nature I could ever need. (And probably the most I can handle, if we’re being totally honest.)

I love the fruits of those outdoor adventures. Apple butter, apple pie, apple crisp, apple muffins, apple donuts, apple fritters. Pumpkin pie, pumpkin bread, pumpkin pancake, pumpkin lattes. Don’t even get me started on everything you can do with squash for easy, but totally fancy seeming, meals. Seriously, nothing dresses up a salad like some sliced acorn squash. And there have to be a million ways to decorate with pumpkins, corn husks, and baskets of mums. Oh–and pumpkin painting! Every time I break out the paint brushes and acrylics to have my way with you, I feel like I’m the greatest thing to happen to art since Michelangelo got his hands on the Sistine Chapel. (Who doesn’t love to feel like they’re a legendary artist once a year?)

I love pumpkin beers and hard ciders. And, Fall, now that you’re here, it means stouts are just around the corner. Now that it’s sweater weather, I can drink as much of these tasty beverages as I want with zero guilt. (It’s not like anyone will see me in anything but clothing that resembles burlap sacks until spring.) Speaking of clothes…

I love getting dressed up for you. The boots! The scarves! The sweaters! The sweater dresses! The leggings! The jeans! I think we can all agree my fashion sense thrives under your autumnal influence. (Plus, burgundy and browns are fabulous with my complexion.)

I love the way the air gets chilly enough at night that I can burrow deep under my covers. Bingley usually curls up next to me to stay warm, which is one of my favorite things. (I’m not too proud to admit that I’m willing to force this sign of affection from my cat. He’s just too sweet and independent to resist.)

I love that you give me football–one of the only things I love as much as you. From my Nebraska Cornhuskers to the Green Bay Packers, football gives me more drama and excitement than a year of soap operas. (And it also reunites me with the candidates for future Mr. Laura Chapman, like Aaron Rodgers, Clay Matthews, Eddie Lacy, Jordy Nelson, and Ha-Ha Clinto-Dix. I don’t care if they aren’t on the market. It could still happen.)

Yes, fall, we’ve built a beautiful life together. I’ll continue to cherish you while you’re here. And once you’re gone for the year, well, don’t be a stranger for too long.

With the deepest love and devotion, your faithful companion,

Laura

**New from Laura Chapman, the third installment of her fantasy football romantic comedy Queen of the League series . . .

After rushing to the altar and moving across the country, Harper Duquaine (or is it MacLaughlin, now?) is in uncharted territory. What once seemed like a promising opportunity to advance her husband’s career while giving her some much-needed independence and adventure has proven to be a bust. By the time fall rolls around again, she’s back in a boring job by day and overstocking her inventory of crocheted scarves by night. Not even the prospect of a new football season holds much excitement.

At least that’s what she thought. Harper suddenly finds herself the manager of not one but two fantasy football teams—each with its own set of drama. Between the added pressure of her new marriage, an unexpected career prospect, and the hiccups created by people from her past and present worlds, Harper quickly finds herself going from bored to overwhelmed.

Can she hold up under the pressure, or will Harper learn the hard way that the turf isn’t always greener on the other field?

Buy it Now
Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Kobo | iBooks

*** BARGAIN ALERT *** To celebrate the new release, for a limited time, you can pick up the first two stories in the series for only 99 cents each. EBooks First & Goal and Going for Two are available for only 99 cents each. ***

In Laura Chapman’s Queen of the League series, Harper Duquaine joins a fantasy football league to prove she can hang with the guys. Only problem: she doesn’t know a sleeper from a keeper (or any of the other lingo thrown her way). Her competitive streak soon emerges, and she catches the interest of her top two competitors. With a slew of conflicting advice in her real and fantasy worlds, Harper must figure out how to play the game and come out a winner.

First & Goal
 
Going for Two
About the author:  Laura Chapman is the author of First & Goal, Going for Two, Three & Out, and The Marrying Type.  Her holiday novellas Making Christmas and What Happens at Midnight will be released on November 8, and are now available for pre-order. A native Nebraskan, she loves football, Netflix marathons, and her cats, Jane and Bingley. Connect with her online on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube and on her website at www.laurachapmanbooks.com.

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**Click HERE to enter the Rafflecopter giveaway!

October Guest Blogger: Josephine Thomas

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Why I Love Halloween

It’s the most wonderful time of the year, and I’m not referring to Christmas. Anyone who knows me, knows that I’m a huge Halloween fan; it’s my favorite holiday out of all of them. I love the cool weather, the candy, the costumes, and last but not least, the scary movies.

Growing up, I loved Halloween because it was the one day you could be someone else for a day and just let loose. Now that I’m older, I love Halloween because it brings out the silly side in people. And as crazy as the world has gotten, we all could use a fun holiday to bring out our inner child.

Being a film student, I was often required to watch films that wasn’t in my preferred genre, which just so happen to include horror films. But after seeing movies such as The Shining, Rosemary’s Baby, Night of the Living Dead (the 1968 version), and my personal favorite, The Omen; I fell in love with the genre, and now horror films are my go to films.

Here are my top 5 reasons of why I love Halloween, in no particular order:

  1. Getting to dress up in a costume of my choice
  2. Scary movies
  3. Passing out Halloween candy
  4. Candy Corn m&ms
  5. NaNoWriMo Eve

About the author:  Josie Ann is a native of a small town in southern Louisiana. At the age of eighteen, she began taking online college courses, where she received her degree in Writing for Film and Television. She relishes in reading, hanging out with her family, pigging out on junk food, and creating stories people can relate to. Her debut novel, Sliding into Love, is set to be released in 2017.

October Guest Blogger: Janet Eve Josselyn

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Why I Hate Halloween

There’s a lot to like about Halloween if you like candy, gore, sexy nurses and death. But I’m not a big fan of the Halloween tradition.

I love seeing the costumes, though, especially on toddlers. Who doesn’t like a toddler dressed as a lion or a cop? You don’t get to see that any other time of the year.

But there are way too many sexy nurses, sexy princesses, sexy Miley Cyrus’s, sexy teachers and just plain sexy teenage girls. The boys, on the other hand, tend to favor costumes that would be accompanied by a fair amount of weaponry. As the mother of a boy, I can attest to the male desire to wield a weapon or two and Halloween is one of the few days out of the year when that’s considered normal, out in public.

By far the most popular costumes every year are the ones featuring blood, guts, gore and death. Bare skulls, arrows going through heads, swords going through bodies, axes dripping in fake blood – it’s all so hideous and creepy and violent. I do like the ghosts, though. The little toddler ghosts.

I’m not a fan of candy either but I hand it out with wild abandon on Halloween. Nobody wants to be given an apple or a box of dried out raisins on Halloween. I don’t want to end up with a bowl of candy sitting in my kitchen so if you come to my house around 9:00 in the evening, I will invert the bowl into your bag and then turn out all of the outside lights and be done with it for another year.

Possibly the most objectionable part of Halloween, however, is the underlying message that if you don’t cough up the treats something bad will happen to your house and it may involve toilet paper. Toilet paper clinging to your tree branches will take forever to blow off, especially if it rains. So it’s basically extortion and the price is candy.

I guess it could be worse!

About the author: Janet Eve Josselyn is a graduate of Colby College, Harvard Graduate School of Design and Boston College Law School. She is a blogger for The Huffington Post and has published one novel, Thin Rich Bitches. She enjoys collecting advanced degrees and not using the knowledge for monetary gain. To her credit, she is remarkably optimistic despite her obvious shortcomings and lack of talent.

Contact Janet: Facebook Twitter

 

 

October Guest Blogger: Martha Reynolds

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MY FAVORITE MEMORY OF FALL

It might seem strange that the scent of decaying leaves would be pleasant. Memorable. But scent is a funny thing, the way it triggers the remembrance of long-ago days.

We lived in a house at the end of a long driveway. The house was set way back from the road, which was actually a highway. Not the kind of highway you think of today, but a major route that stretches from Cape Cod to California. Trucks rumbled by all day, so it made sense to build a home far back from that road.

My sisters and I didn’t have neighbor kids to play with (there was an elderly couple on one side – I remember the man always scowling), so we found our own fun. When October rolled around, there were leaves – so many leaves! Oak and maple trees surrounded the property, and on Saturdays my dad raked all morning. We may have tried to help, but I’m sure we didn’t. Still, once the leaves were raked into a big pile on the far corner of the driveway, pushed against the high stone wall, it was time to jump.

Normally, we couldn’t jump from the stone wall to the driveway – it was a drop of about five feet, too high for me at five and my sister at seven. But the leaves provided a cushion – and we’d bury ourselves in the pile, trying to hide from each other, and from my father. What fun! Well, until it was time to burn the pile down.

Back then, leaf-burning was permitted, because, for the most part, people were careful. My father burned small portions of the pile at a time, never leaving it unattended, and never letting us get too close. I was fascinated, and still am, but it’s a rare sight these days to see anyone burning leaves. Still, once in a while, when the weather is warm enough for an open car window, I catch a whiff and am transported back in time. And it warms my heart.

About the author: Martha Reynolds is the author of six novels, including the Amazon bestsellers Chocolate for Breakfast and Bits of Broken Glass. Her writing has appeared in Magnificat magazine and her very short poem was read by journalist Connie Schultz during NPR’s Tell Me More poetry challenge. She and her husband live in Rhode Island, never far from the ocean.