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The Girl The Gold Tooth & Everything

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

November 3, 2013 9 Comments

TGTGT&EBanner

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:
Website   Blog   Facebook   Twitter   Goodreads (Profile)   Goodreads (Book)   Diversion Books   The Joy Jar Project

Filed Under: The Girl, the Gold Tooth & Everything Tagged With: 1-year book birthday, Francine LaSala, Giveaway, Guest Post, The Girl The Gold Tooth & Everything

Francine LaSala

March 4, 2013 8 Comments

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About author, Francine LaSala:  Francine LaSala has written nonfiction on every topic imaginable, from circus freaks to sex, and edited bestselling authors of all genres through her company, Francine LaSala Productions. The author of novels Rita Hayworth’s Shoes and The Girl, The Gold Tooth & Everything, she lives with her husband and two daughters in New York. Drop her a line at francine@francinelasala.com.

GUEST INTERVIEW

Tell us about your books, “The Girl, the Gold Tooth & Everything” and “Rita Hayworth’s Shoes”:  I’m that annoying kind of writer traditional publishers don’t trust because I can’t seem to write in one genre. Rita Hayworth’s Shoes is a quirky screwball rom-com, centering around a pair of “magical,” life-changing secondhand shoes. The Girl, the Gold Tooth & Everything is more of a kooky psychological drama/light mystery about a woman with amnesia lost in her suburban housewife life who, upon getting a gold dental crown, starts remembering things… So I guess they are alike in that they are both sort of wacky and involve objects that help the protagonists find themselves, and change perspective and destiny, etc., etc. But are completely different in the way they get there. 🙂

What is your favorite word?  Starts with an F, ends with a K. (Hint: It’s not flask, though that’s not a bad one either.)

How do you come up with titles of your books?  They come to me. Sometimes I need to start writing a while to get the title, which eventually pops out of the material. Sometimes I know the title and start from there. That was the case with both Rita Hayworth’s Shoes and The Girl, the Gold Tooth & Everything. Each started with an experience that sparked a title, and then Blamo! Books! (Well, maybe it took a bit longer than that, but you get it.) If I don’t have a title, it’s impossible for me to know a book. Which I guess is part of the reason I have so many WIPs floating around. (The other reasons being my severe A.D.D. and raising small children…)

Which other authors would you like to meet?  Christopher Moore tops the list these days! But in reality, many of the authors I’d like to meet are all right there in your Chicklit Goddess Facebook group. I feel like I know so many of the ladies so well from our daily interactions, but how cool would it be to raise a glass and rage together! (Well, maybe not “rage,” but whatever grown-up goddesses do for fun…)

Who or what inspires you?  Life inspires me. There are so many things that happen every day, large and small, that are just magnificent. You have to look for them–you can’t expect them jump in front of you like an old friend at the mall or something. You really have to be scanning for them. Sort of like stalker I guess. But truly, there’s just so much out there that inspires! When you look at the world with a writer’s eye, the question really becomes “What doesn’t inspire you.”

Name three things that must every writer have:  1. A burning desire to tell and share amazing stories. 2. A thick skin to guard and protect you when others don’t believe your stories are quite so amazing. 3. An editor to help show you the distinction between what you think is amazing and how your expression of such amazingness may or may not be working.

What is your favorite part of the writing/editing/publishing process?  I love the whole process–when it’s working. When it isn’t, I hate the whole process. In all seriousness though, I love the writing. When it’s flowing, when I feel like I’ve really “hit it,” there’s no greater feeling in the world! (As a side note, I’ve been enjoying the marketing process much more now that it’s become more of a shared, “team” endeavor.)

What are you reading?  Right now, I am reading Cindy Roesel’s Viewer Discretion Advised, as well as a horror novella by Douglas Clegg, and the galley for Patti Callahan Henry’s new novel, And Then I Found You, coming out this April. (Did I mention the A.D.D.?)

If you’re not working, what you doing?  Drinking. (Ha! Just kidding. But it would be boring to admit I’m pretty much always working. Even when drinking…)

What time of day do you seem to work the best?  My most productive time: 4am to 7am. I’m fresh from (maybe not quite enough) sleep, and the mayhem has not yet descended in my house.

Hard/paperbacks or eBooks?  I always thought I’d be hardcover / paperback girl forever, until I got a  Kindle this past Christmas. I’m almost embarrassed to admit how quickly I was converted… I think I’ll always love to have my most special books in non-digital formats, but the ebook thing really appeals to my “anti-clutter/simplify life” side.

Can you tell us about any of your upcoming projects?  Too many projects, too little time!

  • A women’s fiction, multi-generational “fractured” romance that’s still sort of kooky but runs a little darker than my usual fare.
  • A trilogy of absurd “fairy tale” novellas, in collaboration with my husband (who’s actually not a bad writer for an architect).
  • A steamy erotic novel about a trophy wife who takes a break from that life at a reputably raunchy resort.
  • An as-yet-untitled and therefore in-limbo series about ancient party nymphs living in modern times.
  • A novel / screenplay / TV treatment (which will it be?) about college roommates who end up living together again in their 40s…

No wonder I can’t get anything done!

GUEST POST

Write What You Know

It’s unlikely that I’m ever going to write a sci-fi novel about time-traveling part-humans living at a space station on Jupiter. Even less likely that I’ll ever set a story in the Wild West. It may be cliché, but I definitely like to write about what I know. And then, of course, turn it on its ear…

Rita Hayworth’s Shoes comes from a point in my life when my heart (and self-esteem) were shattered by not one, but two relationships combusting over a short period of time. One was long-term and stale (like the relationship between David and Amy). The other was more of a flash-burn. In any case, I really did buy a pair of expensive shoes and did sort of make a wish that with that purchase, things might turn around for me…

The Girl, the Gold Tooth & Everything was born out of my own identity struggles with marriage and motherhood; with being a freelance writer, which many mistook for being a “free” writer when the economy tanked; with looking to “self-help” to try to help myself get my feet back on the ground. I also do have gold dental crown I never asked for and don’t want, but that’s besides the point!

So yes, I do build my fiction from life. I do sometimes I put into my stories the pain and confusion, the joy and the bliss I have felt. I steal snippets of friends’ and foes’ best lines and build dialogs around them. I create scenes inspired by my awkward times and my most wonderful moments.

I guess what I’m trying to say is that in any story, elements can be lifted right from the writer’s own experience, and there really isn’t anything wrong with that. Whether these experiences become foundation or flourish really depends on the writer and the story.

As for my recent experiences, I’m certainly not going to write a book about going to the grocery store. But I might write a scene about something unusual happening in a grocery store. Who knows–maybe part-human time travelers from Jupiter will land in the produce aisle and surprise my protagonist du jour, a woman in search of a fresh head of broccoli (and, underneath that banal quest, her life’s purpose), then everything will change for her…

And maybe not. I guess the point is that sometimes to make life bearable and understandable, and maybe a little more interesting, we writers sometimes steal from what we know and then switch the elements around and re-decorate them before we slap them down on a page. For me, the best part is being surprised with how it all gets re-expressed and turns out in the end. Life is definitely not like that. What do you think?

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Click the links to buy Francine’s books!

Rita Hayworth’s Shoes

and

The Girl, the Gold Tooth & Everything

**Contact Francine!:  Website  Blog  Facebook  Facebook Group: “The Joy Jar Project”  Twitter

Filed Under: Francine LaSala Tagged With: Books, Chick-Lit, Francine LaSala, Guest Interview, Guest Post, Rita Hayworth's Shoes, The Girl, The Girl The Gold Tooth & Everything, Writing

Holiday Treats for Chick Lit Lovers

December 4, 2012 8 Comments

HTFCLL

In the spirit of coming together for the holidays, eight popular Chick Lit authors are “partying it up” with a shared promotion for book lovers! That means eight fun and fizzy e-books, each priced at $3.99 or less, that are packed with plenty of laughs and romance to keep you entertained on those long winter nights! And if you’d like to gift one of these books to a Chick Lit fan, we’ve got you covered with your choice of paperbacks!

Which books are featured in this festive promo?

Finding Lucas by Samantha Stroh Bailey – Daytime talk show producer Jamie Ross is beyond fed up with her toxic bad boy turned metrosexual boyfriend. Spurred on by her gang of quirky friends, she goes on a hilarious, at-times disastrous, and totally life-changing hunt to track down the “one who got away.” But are some loves best left behind? E-book and paperback available on Amazon.

In Need of Therapy by Tracie Banister – Handling the problems of hysterical hypochondriacs, lovelorn neurotics, and compulsive man whores is all in a day’s work for super-shrink Pilar Alvarez. But can she deal with her crazy Cuban family, a trio of unsuitable suitors, and a threat to her practice without ending up on the couch herself? E-book available on Amazonand Barnes & Noble; paperback available on Amazon.

What the Dog Ate by Jackie Bouchard – Discovering what her dog ate turns Maggie Baxter’s world upside down. With her chocolate Lab, Kona, as her guide, can Maggie forego her overly analytical ways to find a new life filled with tail-wagging joy? E-book available on Amazon,Barnes & Noble, and iTunes; paperback available on Amazon and Barnes & Noble.

The Girl, the Gold Tooth, & Everything by Francine LaSala – Suburban housewife Mina, beaten-down and struggling with amnesia, starts getting her memory and her mojo back. But she soon learns everything has a price in this fast-paced, richly layered, and darkly humorous satire! E-book and paperback available on Amazon and Barnes & Noble.

Breaking the Rules by Cat Lavoie – When Roxy Rule shares a passionate kiss with her lifelong best friend, she must come to terms with her feelings for him while dealing with two sisters in full crisis mode, a boss who makes her want to stab herself with a letter opener and a fiancé who can’t wait to walk down the aisle. Can she keep it together–or will she break under the pressure? E-book available on Amazon, Kobo, and Barnes & Noble; paperback available on Amazon.

Fashioning a Romance by Libby Mercer – Devastatingly handsome and deliciously weird, John Harrington is the man of Caitlyn Taylor’s dreams… and her nightmares. She has no use for a womanizer like him, and dodges his advances like a pro. But when they end up in Paristogether, Caitlyn feels her resolve begin to slip. How will she ever be able to resist the irresistible in the most romantic city in the world? E-book available on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and Kobo.

A State of Jane by Meredith Schorr – Jane Frank is newly single after nine years and looking for a second chance at love. But when she dives head first into the NYC dating scene and finds it infested with flakes who are interested today and gone tomorrow, it may be time for Jane to turn the tables! E-book available on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and iTunes; paperback available on Amazon and Barnes & Noble.

Picture Perfect by Lucie Simone – Lauren Tate’s perfectly planned life quickly unravels at the seams when a smear campaign threatens her career as a top TV executive, but she learns just how cutthroat showbiz can truly be when the hottest scandal in Tinsel Town turns deadly and the Hollywood hunk who’s stolen her heart goes missing. E-book available on Amazon; paperback available on Amazon and Barnes & Noble.

Filed Under: Isabella Tagged With: A State of Jane, Breaking the Rules, Cat Lavoie, Fashioning a Romance, Finding Lucas, Francine LaSala, Holiday Treats for Chick Lit Lovers, In Need of Therapy, Jackie Bouchard, Libby Mercer, Lucie Simone, Meredith Schorr, Picture Perfect, Samantha Stroh Bailey, The Girl The Gold Tooth & Everything, Tracie Banister, What the Dog Ate

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