Writing

Jenn Flynn-Shon

April 18, 2013 3 Comments

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GUEST POST by JENN FLYNN-SHON

Creating Romantic Suspense: How to Bring Romance and Suspense Together

Think about the last romantic comedy (RomCom) you watched or read. Funny, light, uplifting and despite the very bad thing that happens between them, the girl usually always gets the boy in the end. Now, consider a favorite thriller be it in print or on the screen. Dark, tense and fraught with danger the main character sometimes dodges death several times before the end. What could these seemingly different genres have in common?

While some might scoff and say there’s nothing similar about a RomCom and a Thriller I beg to differ. Both of these genres use drama and tension to capture the essence of the heart of the main characters. As a writer of Romantic Suspense – a genre that blends Romance and Suspense seamlessly – I had to find an effective way to incorporate both. So how did I achieve it? I used the drama within the storyline of the main characters to turn the genres into ideal bedfellows. Pun intended.

Let’s first look at RomCom but remove Comedy from the equation so all that’s left is the Romance. In Romance there is always a grand and sweeping love story and something over the top occurs which pushes characters worlds apart yet forces them together. This is done as a device so they can discover what they really wanted all along was to be together. Most of the time Romance has a happily ever after (HEA) ending with the lead characters riding off into the sunset. But HEA sunset rides are a stark difference to how a thriller might end.

Because of this I had to remove the scariest parts of thriller but keep a healthy dose of tension while my main characters were on the run in my novella Reckless Abandon. By taking out the chilling edge of a thriller, but maintaining its frenetic pace, you’ll come away with Suspense. This was the exact feeling I was going for – chase scenes, tracking clues to solve a mystery and dangerous moments which thrust my main characters Shaw and JJ closer together.

Did I mention that JJ was Shaw’s first love? Someone she was engaged to over twenty years ago but hasn’t seen since she left him behind in Phoenix to pursue a Writing career in New York City?

A pair like this with bitter feelings for the past but who have grown in leaps and bounds over two decades are suddenly tossed into close quarters on a potentially life-threatening manhunt across the country. This story is ripe for a little residual romance to bubble up to the emotionally heightened surface.

The trick is how to balance the propulsion of the plot – the suspense – with the obvious attraction without them ending up making out in every other scene. Because that wouldn’t be real enough to be believable. Oh, did I also mention that Shaw is married and that the manhunt is to find her missing husband, Danny?

Right there is where tension comes into play in Reckless Abandon. When morality and ethics meet the place where the heart and head are divided is exactly how to keep Shaw and JJ together yet apart. He’s spiteful over her leaving so long ago but it isn’t a feeling he’s held onto over the years, it’s only something that hits him upon seeing her again. She’s nervous to call him but after witnessing a murder in her home – of a cop no less! – she suspects dirty police involvement in her husband’s disappearance and JJ is a Private Investigator who can help her in her desperate time of need. He’s the only one she can really trust.

I think it helped the believability of the growing fondness between Shaw and JJ that they had history. They were already intimately familiar with each other from years prior and that established the attraction no matter how hard they tried to deny it to each other or themselves. And being forced into life-threatening danger heightens emotions. In this case, all of their feelings are intensified.

So the real question is – do Shaw and JJ give in to the mounting sense of urgency to consummate the attraction that’s increasing between them or do they find Danny before they have the chance?

JennFlynn-ShonPic About author, Jenn Flynn-Shon

Hi, my name is Jenn Flynn-Shon and I’m the Author of two books (Ripple the Twine, Reckless Abandon), a Chapbook (Trying for the Moon), multiple Zines, and Randomness and Lunacy (a digital-journal blog).

I’ve been writing since age eleven and began penning fiction by age thirteen. My first publication was a poem published under a pen name in Bop Magazine in 1989. Since then I’ve had articles and interviews published online and in print.

I’m a two-time winning participant in National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo) (2009, 2010), an active member of the Scottsdale Society of Women Writers and Arizona Authors Association.

When I make time to relax I love to hang out with my husband at our home in Phoenix, AZ, explore the country on road trips, watch my Boston sports teams, share laughs with friends and family, and read everything from blogs to novels. I make a point to write daily, and I’m a shameless self-promoter.

**Buy “Reckless Abandon” on Amazon!

**Contact Jenn!: Blog Jenn Flynn-Shon on Amazon Ripple the Twine Writesy Facebook Goodreads Twitter

**Click HERE to check out other stops on Jenn’s Chick Lit Plus Blog Tours!

Ellie Campbell

April 12, 2013 1 Comment

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About author, Ellie Campbell: Who is Ellie Campbell? Actually ‘Ellie’ is two people – sisters and co-authors Pam Burks and Lorraine Campbell. We are from Scotland, born in Inverness, raised in Edinburgh and then as teens moved with the family to Bognor Regis, the South Coast of England – quite a culture shock since it was two years before people deciphered our accents. Not being overly academic (or realizing that university would be four years of drinking and partying, judging by our dissolute friends) we took our meager high school typing skills and jumped into the workforce. Lorraine started writing short stories while working for literary agent, now bestselling author, Carol Smith, followed by a stint at Woman magazine. Pam returned to England after spending time in San Francisco, Australia and a year-long, round-the-world trip home, got married and raised three children. Travel must be in the blood because not long after Pam settled down, Lorraine took off for South and Central America and never really returned to the UK, except for visits. She lived in France for a few years, volunteered in an orphanage in Guatemala and ended up working as a charter cook on a boat in Honduras where she met her husband. They now live on a small Colorado farm with three horses, four chickens, five cats and a dog, while Pam is in Reigate, a country town in Surrey, working part-time in college, and cracking the whip whenever she feels her big sister and writing partner is slacking off.

INTERVIEW

What made you two want to write a book together?

Pam: Lorraine and I have always been close, being the youngest of four sisters, sharing a passion for horses, and seeing a lot of each other when we both lived in London. I started selling short stories when Lorraine was traveling and when she settled in Boulder, Colorado, I’d often email her my latest piece of fiction. Since she was writing too, it was natural for us to talk about the things we were working on or, when we were stuck, to ask for input. Turned out we were both planning to write a novel about the ‘sister thing’, wanting to use some of our experiences growing up, especially our eccentric and very funny mother (sadly deceased) and all the joys and pains of being a family of four girls, eternally bickering and making up. It seemed natural somehow to write it together – that way we didn’t look like one was copying the other! “How to Survive Your Sisters” was our first published novel and we were thrilled to be able to share the publishing journey together.

Coffee or tea?

Pam: Tea. Always. If I drink coffee I have to eat biscuits. I always feel tea is better for me, more refreshing. Although I’ll go out for a latte and it’s a bit of a treat.

Lorraine: Depends. At breakfast – especially if we go out for it – definitely coffee. American restaurants can’t make tea. They give you tepid microwaved water and a teabag – ugh! If we have a pot of coffee brewing at home I’ll work my way through that and then switch to tea. I blame my mother for my caffeine addiction. She used to wake us up with a cup of milky tea laden with sugar. Funny thing is I hated coffee until I started my first menial office job and then it became the bright spot in a long boring day.

Walk us through what the writing/editing/publishing process was like:

Lorraine: Well, we squabbled our way through the first novel… no, not really, it was surprisingly easy. We’d agree the basic story, plan out chapters and then each write a scene and send it to the other one – who would then make alterations and edits as they saw fit and send it back. And so on. In a way we were constantly editing and then when it was finished we had a really long book and had to go back and make drastic cuts. When we started sending it to agents, we were lucky enough that a new agent, Caroline Hardman, liked it and agreed to take us on. She confessed we’d be her first ever clients – she’s got hugely successful since – and we confessed Ellie Campbell didn’t really exist. Arrow Books offered us a two-book contract, we got the same in Germany, Italy and Serbia. It was all hugely exciting, especially since Pam and I got to do the publicity stuff – radio interviews and book signings – together. Being somewhat cowardly, it was nice to have the moral support.

Who or what inspires you to write?

Pam: In the case of our new book, Looking for La La, it was a heavily lipsticked postcard that arrived through my door, proclaiming – surprisingly enough – passionate love for my husband. It was exactly as happens to Cathy in the opening chapter. However, unlike Cathy, instead of running frenziedly around town, looking for suspects and alienating all her nearest and dearest (including a murderous and unexpected opponent) I wrote it off as a bad joke. It did however spark the idea of writing a funny book about marriage and motherhood several years down the line after the honeymoon has worn off. And I did get a little extra satisfaction from imagining La La reading it.

Lorraine: I might add that Pam and I are natural storytellers, get us started and we can go on and on…and on and on… We must inherit it from our mother who had a wealth of funny anecdotes and a warped sense of humor. She’d be telling a story about my father falling down a flight of stairs and getting knocked out cold and she’d be incoherent and crying because she was laughing so hard.

If you could be on one reality TV show, what would it be?

Pam: Britain’s Got Talent. It’s a show that anyone of any age or any talent can enter. Last year it was won by a dancing dog. There’s all sorts that enter, group dancers, single dancers, singers, strippers, the lot! I’d bring my dog along – a border terrier. She probably wouldn’t do anything, but I could let her have her moment of fame.

Lorraine: Dancing With The Stars. I’d get super-skinny and incredibly fit, I could indulge in my Fred Astaire/Ginger Rogers fantasies, and all the friends who used to laugh at my moves in our disco-dancing days would watch it and marvel.

Tell us one thing that most people don’t know:

Pam: That just like, Jen in When Good Friends Go Bad, I entered a stock car race with absolutely no prior experience, and in less than two laps I had crashed into a post and written off the car.

Lorraine: That I have studied different forms of energy healing and even practiced professionally a tiny bit. My first ever client, a sweet lady in pink twinset and pearls, showed up accompanied by her tall, dark husband who was wearing a flowered dress, lipstick, make-up, and heels. Halfway through our session my client jumped up, ran to the bathroom and vomited profusely, before returning and meekly climbing back on to the massage table. It was an interesting experience, I think, for all concerned and I decided shortly afterwards that I’d better stick to writing.

How long did it take to write the first draft of “Looking for La La”?

Pam: Probably about 6 months from start to finish. It was one of those inspired books that almost seemed to write itself. After that though there were plenty of rewrites and alterations. We made changes to the storyline, beefed up the murder mystery, took out huge chunks to make it move faster.

What was the easiest part about writing the book, and what was the hardest?

Pam: We really enjoyed writing from Cathy’s viewpoint and following a single character. In so many ways, it was simpler than our other two novels in which we were writing in the third person, balancing four characters, all with their own individual stories. Plus Cathy’s world was so familiar and fun.

Lorraine: The hardest part was cutting. We took out at least two of our much-loved characters and a whole subplot that we realized was fun but not essential to the story. It made the book better in the end, but sometimes it’s painful to let go, even though we’ve learned that usually, as far as novel writing is concerned, less is more.

How did you celebrate the publication of “Looking for “La La”?

Pam: I booked a Spa. In the novel Cathy is treated to a Spa day by her friends. It sounded wonderful, so I thought once the book was out that I would go myself with a good friend of mine. We’re going in the next couple of weeks.

Lorraine: I bought myself a Kindle Fire. Between writing, the horse training course I’m taking, volunteering at horse sanctuaries to practice techniques, and taking care of my own animals, the only chance I have to read is in bed. And then my husband wants the light out right away. So now with my Kindle I can actually read books again without it bothering him.

What are you reading right now?

Pam: I hardly have time to read anything, but I’ve just smuggled a book out of my friend’s house, which is “Up the Junction” written by Nell Dunn. It is quite an old book and it was made into a film, but the dialogue is great and you can dip in and dip out of it.

Lorraine: I just finished ‘Love The One You’re With’ by Emily Giffin, managed to read most of it on a plane to Indianapolis and home. I plan to start ‘Yours Truly’ by Kirsty Greenwood. Just as soon as I can find my new Kindle. Which is probably buried under the papers on my desk.

If you had to do it all again, would you, and what advice would you give to yourself knowing what you do now?

Lorraine: Yes, I would do it all again. I think we had a fantastic childhood, some amazing experiences, incredible luck. I loved working in publishing. I loved backpacking. I loved living in LA for two years and also in France. I loved sailing. In many ways my life seems to fall into distinct segments that feel like a dream now. Advice – well, I felt very shy and deeply insecure in my late teens and twenties. I would tell myself to be bolder and not worry about what people thought of me. It took traveling alone to break me out of my shell. But even the bad stuff contributed to the person I am today. And my life is pretty good.

Pam: I have loved the journey so far, especially my writing career. It was amazing travelling around the world when I was younger, seeing all these amazing countries – living out in Australia and America. But I am deeply happy now settled in England with my wonderful family. I have few regrets as everything that happens turns you into the person you are, good and bad. I wish I’d spent more time with my parents, as they both died too young and I wished I’d started my writing career earlier I guess. Advice to myself would probably be not to have worried so much about things that never happen. Celebrate the positive, disregard the negative! Life is too short to sweat the small stuff.

Do either of you have an upcoming project, whether it be together or separate?

Pam: We have just finished our fourth novel together, Million Dollar Question: a story of two women, strangers to each other, whose lives are overturned by an outrageous stroke of fortune – good and bad – on the same day. At the moment it is with our agent, Caroline Hardman at Hardman and Swainson. As for the book after that, well, it remains to be seen. There may be a sequel to Looking For La La one day – Cathy is the kind of character you hate to leave behind.

**Additional comments by Ellie Campbell: Lorraine and Pam: Yes, we’d like to thank you, Isabella, for inviting us to be interviewed on Chicklit Goddess. It’s been fun answering your questions and maybe we can come back and do a guest post some day. Also just to say to all your lovely readers out there, to please contact us. We love hearing from everyone out there and we do answer all our messages.

**Buy Looking for La La on Amazon!

**Contact Ellie Campbell:

Email:

chicklitsisters@gmail.com

Chicklit Sisters Facebook Twitter

**Other books by Ellie Campbell**

When Good Friends Go Bad

How To Survive Your Sisters

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Patricia Mann

April 9, 2013 4 Comments

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About author, Patricia Mann: Patricia Mann grew up in New York and moved to California when she was fourteen. She is a professor of communication studies in Los Angeles and lives with her husband, their two kids, and a silly old dog. Patricia loves to be outside – running, hiking, biking, or walking. Reading has always been a one of her greatest passions.

INTERVIEW

You knew you were a writer when…? I was seven years old and I couldn’t get enough of writing so my second grade teacher allowed me to write my autobiography for extra credit. I have it right here on my desk for inspiration. It’s pretty cool – with a hard cover decorated in something that looks like 70s psychedelic wallpaper.

Hard/paperbacks or eBooks? The smell and feel of a paperback that I can’t put down is something I’ll always love and need. But recently, I’ve discovered the pleasure of reading on my iPad right before bed, in a darkened room, all tucked in, with the light conveniently provided for me.

You write under a pseudonym. How did you come up with the name? My dear friend Corie, brilliant author of the book Orfan, and I were sitting in a coffee shop. She peppered me with questions about people from my past and places that were significant to me, and we came up with the name together. If I were to be more specific, I might give myself away. 🙂

How has the social media helped you in your career as a writer? I started blogging a few months before my book was published, which helped me build a following and engage people in an honest conversation about the themes in my novel – marriage, parenting, sex, the temptation of infidelity, body image, careers, friendships, family, and much more. I also love to tweet and play on Facebook! The supportive community of authors I’ve become a part of online is something I cherish more than I ever could have imagined.

Who are your top three favorite authors? This is so hard! I have so many favorites, but I’ll just say the first three that come to mind: Marion Zimmer Bradley (Mists of Avalon is my favorite book), Barbara Kingsolver, Maya Angelou.

Walk us through your experience of the writing/editing/publishing process: I was happy being a wife, mother, and professor, but I’ve always been someone who needs to be doing a million things and needs new and exciting experiences. So I joined a weekly novel writing group and went along chapter by chapter, getting valuable feedback from the group members. I didn’t initially intend for the book to be about an affair between a professor and her former student, but that was somehow the story that came out. After four years in the group, I felt the book was finished. Though it all started as more of a hobby, positive feedback from readers made me think the book had a shot. I queried agents and attended writing conferences praying for someone to take me on. No such luck. I established a few connections and there were hints at possibly working with me if I changed some things about the book, but in the end, I wanted to be true to my story and myself, even if it would never be published. I gave up on the book completely for four years. Then my friend Corie, who always believed in my book, introduced me to her indie publisher. I realized that was the route for me and began to dust off the book (the computer file, really). I was shocked by how much work it still needed. I spent many hours editing and finding inconsistencies that needed to be fixed. I was blessed to have several friends read and help me edit. My publisher was very helpful in teaching me what I needed to know to get the book out there and spread the word. It has been quite the adventure since the book was released on 1/3/13! I wrote a blog post about the whole process and the miraculous things that happened along the way, in case anyone is interested: http://www.patriciamann.me/thank-you/

What is your favorite word? Love (cheesy, but true)

If your book were turned into a movie, who would you want to play the parts? Beth would be Kate Winslet or Jenna Fischer, Dave would be Justin Timberlake, and Rick would be Matt Damon.

Coffee or tea? Depends on how tired I am. Love them both.

What is the best advice you’ve been given? YOLO – my kids say it all the time. Trying to take more risks since I’m the second half of the game now.

If you could be on one reality TV show, what would it be? I would make up my own reality show where I get to hang out with Oprah!

Can you tell us about any of your upcoming projects? I’m writing a sequel to my novel, Is This All There Is? and also working on a chick lit book co-authored with my mom, who is a nurse and has incredible stories about what goes on in a hospital.

IsThisAllThereIsCoverPic **Is This All There Is? will be on sale for 99 cents from April 4th to April 11th!

**Click HERE to watch the Is This All There Is? book trailer!

**Buy the book: Amazon Barnes & Noble

**Contact Patricia Mann: Website/Blog Facebook Fan Page Facebook Friend Page Twitter

BOOK FEATURE: CHOCOLATE FONDUE

April 2, 2013 3 Comments

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“Chocolate Fondue” by Martha Reynolds

Words from the author about Chocolate Fondue: CHOCOLATE FONDUE is a sequel to my debut novel, CHOCOLATE FOR BREAKFAST; however, I’ve written it to stand alone. That is, it’s not necessary to have read the first book to read the second. It picks up where the first book leaves off – Bernadette Maguire has returned to Switzerland with her aunt for a much-needed vacation, and she’s come face to face with a young man she believes to be the son she gave up for adoption twenty-three years earlier. While she’s convinced of his identity, she doesn’t know whether she should reveal herself to him. The matter is complicated by another hotel employee, who discovers the truth and has her own intentions.

Blurb: Twenty-three years ago, Bernie Maguire, a young student in Switzerland, delivered a son. Giving him up for adoption was the right decision, she knew, but Bernie always wondered about the boy who was now a young man.

Back in Fribourg, Switzerland for vacation, Bernie is stunned when she sees the man she knows is her son. Now she must decide whether to identify herself to him and hope for a connection, or say nothing and leave the young man to live his life. The matter is complicated by a hotel employee who discovers the truth, and who intends to get in the way of Bernie’s plans.

CHOCOLATE FONDUE is the sequel to Martha Reynolds’s award-winning debut novel, CHOCOLATE FOR BREAKFAST, available online at Amazon.

**Buy Chocolate Fondue!

MarthaReynoldsB&W **Contact Martha:

Email: MarthaCFE@gmail.com Facebook Facebook: Author page Goodreads Twitter

**Additional comments by the author: I’m so grateful to the Chick Lit Goddesses for support, encouragement, retweets (!), and hand-holding. There is no better group of writers anywhere! Also – this book is available at Amazon as an e-book, but a print version will be available within a few weeks.

From the Authors of 8 Slices of Cake

March 21, 2013 1 Comment

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Interview with the authors “8 Slices of Cake”

Where inspired co-writing “8 Slices of Cake?”

Monica: I was thrilled to be asked by author Melanie Toye to contribute to “8 Slices of Cake,” and I was excited to try writing fiction for a change.

Lisa: Some idiot in this group I belong to suckered me into it. They decided it was a great idea. I go along with any idea someone has, because you never know who might turn out to be a genius.

Brenda: As far as I know this was all Melanie Toye’s idea. I just went along for the ride.

Yvonne: The idea was the brain-child of Melanie Toye. She cooked up the co-writing idea and then, through brainstorming, the setting of the book and the title came about.

Meadow: I was inspired to join the project by my mother, Paige Bleu, who was already involved in writing it with her other friends.

Melanie: As creator of our author promotion group, I wanted to bring together our different writing genre’s and style and came up with the idea that we all write a short story together. The writers were keen and ideas bubbled with excitement from everyone, on what the theme of the stories should focus on and that’s how 8 Slices of Cake was created. It may have been my idea but without the effort from everyone, 8 Slices of Cake wouldn’t be as awesome as it is now.

Paige: My chapter was inspired by a combination of things including personal experience, friends stories and some fiction.

Tell us about the book:

Monica: “8 Slices of Cake” is a romance anthology. The short stories all revolve around the same wedding. The characters all know or know of groom Michael and bride Ava, and they all experience — or cope with — adventures in love. Michael and Ava serve a fancy 8-tier wedding cake at the reception, and each short story references one of the flavors.

Paula: It’s a viewpoint story from different guests at the same wedding.

Lisa: It’s about a wedding from different authors. Some things are the same and other trivial items are different allowing each story to have a flavor of its own. Then each author chose a cake flavor to feature.

Brenda: 8 Slices of Cake is an Anthology created by 8 girls from all around the world. Australia, Chicago, Ireland etc. This book is was published just in time for Valentine ’s Day. There are 8 short stories. The common thread is a wedding and an 8 tiered cake. That is where the title comes from. Each story has its own cake recipe. Every writer had picked their favorite cake. The two things we all share in common is the love of writing and of course, cake. Each story is in our own unique style. 8 Slices of Cake will make for a fun read about marriage, divorce, romance, dating, failed relationships, and maybe even finding everlasting love.

Meadow: The book is a story about love of all shades, portraying a wedding from different points of view.

Paige: The book, in my opinion, is a fabulous way of merging different points of view, writing styles, and the personalities of 8 unique woman with one common thread and story.

Yvonne: 8 Slices of Cake is a romantic eBook. We each wrote a short story about two or more characters attending Ava and Michael’s wedding, at which there would be an 8-tiered cake. Each author chose her favourite cake for her characters and included a recipe for the cake. Californian author, Brenda Perlin, created the name, and Southern Belle author, Lisa Day, created the cover image. Along with Melanie, Lisa and Brenda, the other 5 stories are written by Yvonne McEvaddy from Ireland, Paula Mills from the U.K., Paige Bleu and her daughter Meadow Bleu from Washington and Monica Lee from Illinois.

In the collection, as well as the bride and groom, you will meet Melissa who is plagued by a bad memory of a wedding, Lisa, a woman who dislikes weddings, Lilly the best friend of the groom, who wishes she were more, Brooklyn a woman who found her way out of a bad marriage, Chantelle and Olivia who go to the wedding as single girls and find love and possibilities where they were not expecting to find them, the unavailable Beth, lovable uncle Rufus and two of the women in his life, Hope and Georgia.

We are comparing this book to the movie “Love Actually,” as there are 8 individual stories linked by the wedding of Ava and Michael and of course the 8-tiered cake.

How do you know each other?

Melanie: Most of us met through LinkedIn and then we came together through the Author Promotion Group. I met Paula Mills, taking our children to the library and immediately we bonded and discovered we both loved to write.

Lisa: Most of us met through Linkedin. Then we moved to Facebook while there, eight of us seemed to have a similar outlook about branding and marketing ideas. So we formed a small second group to prefect our ideas.

Paula: I literally bumped into Melanie Toye one day. We bonded over our passion of writing and a refreshing and honest conversation about how scared we were to be first time mums.

Brenda: I personally met everyone in an author group on Facebook sometime last year. It has been a great experience. I love these girls and they just happen to be super talented.

Yvonne: We made initial contact on LinkedIn and became great friends through the author promotion group that Mel Toye set up on Facebook.

Paige: We are involved in some online networking groups like Linkedin. We have become a close group and thought it would be a fun experience to do something together. And it was!

Monica: The eight authors, most of them independent, became acquainted through social media.

Meadow: The glorious world of social networking!

Describe the writing/editing/publishing process:

Lisa: Some of us used pen and paper. Some used the computer. I being the oldest used chisel and rock. When finished we compared the rough drafts and pulled some events from others stories into our final drafts. Then we all dumped them into Ms Mel Toye’s lap to straighten out.

Paula: For me, I argue a lot in my head. The creative V the attention to detail freak. I spin my ideas, bulk it out with the narrative and add the scenes later. I can see it all in my head and I take myself to the moment, each scene and character. Editing, I try and leave until the end. But I never do. Ten spaces forward and eight back. Don’t look to my method for inspiration – It’s cruel.

Monica: For “Habits to Break,” my offering in “8 Slices of Cake,” I brainstormed my theme first, and settled on a story about good habits and bad habits, and how they affect ones lives and loves. Hope is a young divorcee, modelled roughly after a younger me. Aunt Georgia is a recent widow, and I tried to imbue her with the wisdom I hope I have someday. The man they have in common? Uncle Rufus, a thrice-married smoker who enthusiastically embraces life and all its ups and downs. After I wrote the first draft, I ran it by a couple of beta readers: my husband, my mother and my sister, who suggested some small improvements in description and clarification. The creativity came from describing what heretofore existed only in my mind.

Paige: The writing process reminded me of a ’round robin’ writing circle. A lot of passing each others stories back and forth to make sure that even though they were all different, there was some consistency in the story.

Brenda: Writing the story was a bit of a challenge for me because I am not used to writing fiction. I had to stretch a bit as a writer. When in doubt, I go to John Emil Augustine who wrote ‘Love Seen From Hell’. He is brilliant and always helps me out. Also, Yvonne McEvaddy gave me some really good advice. If you are not open to criticism you won’t grow as a writer or as a person. The entire process seemed to go down as smoothly as a fresh piece of red velvet cake!!!

Melanie: We had one month to write, edit and publish to release 8 Slices of Cake in times for Valentine’s Day. Everyone was really excited and didn’t waste time in getting it altogether. Some of the writers edited another writers work and then I proof-read all of them and structured them into a position that fit within the entire story. Our recipe writer pulled out at the last minute, but everyone pitched in to source their own cakes recipes and images to add something special and unique to 8 Slices of Cake. We self-published onto Smashwords, which was an easy process as everyone had the formatting guidelines to follow for submission of their story.

Yvonne: We each agreed to write a short story centered on two characters attending the wedding, to first self-edit, and then edit someone else’s story. We then sent all of the stories to Mel for publishing.

Meadow: Writing is the fun part, editing can be as well… publishing? I’d ask one of the more experienced ladies about that.

What was the most difficult part of creating “8 Slices of Cake?”

Lisa: It’s Cake man. Ever try to write about cake and not crave it.

Melanie: For me it was preparing the table of contents. I don’t know why but the linking and formatting just didn’t seem to work, once it was published. I tried numerous times. Then took the time to really read the instructions after the tenth time and it worked!

Paula: Not being able to scene set and having no idea, where I was.

Yvonne: I had immense fun in the creation of the book. I think Mel had the most difficult part, which was collaborating and publishing the whole thing.

Brenda: Writing about an 8 tiered cake without getting to eat any.

Meadow: Coordination.

Monica: All the stories share the same reception, but each of us writes only a sliver about it. It all had to fit together logically, and in the end, I think it does.

Paige: For my chapter, being that I was the ‘Bride & Groom’, the challenge was trying to include a little piece of each of the 7 other authors details. I needed them all to be represented for continuity.

Chocolate or vanilla?

Lisa: YES. Chocolate and vanilla will be just fine. Thank you.

Paula: Chocolate.

Brenda: Without question, chocolate!

Yvonne: Chocolate, without a doubt, unless being served with chocolate fudge cake, and then its vanilla.

Melanie: Chocolate! I love chocolate. Yvonne chose chocolate for her favour of cake, so I chose my next favourite – Caramel Indulgence.

Meadow: Personally, I’m a chocolate girl.

Monica: Vanilla. Top quality, high-fat vanilla.

Paige: Oh definitely chocolate. Hands down…I’m a chocolate girl!

Are any of the stories in this anthology based on reality?

Meadow: Not that I’m aware of.

Melanie: My story of Olivia and Chantelle is 100% fiction. But I do feel every woman reading 8 Slices of Cake would be able to connect with at least one character’s story amongst these 8 short stories.

Lisa: Actually yes, But I’ll never tell. Well. I really would be if I was threatened and then there’s that nasty gag order in place.

Paula: For me, it’s always a moment in time, a feeling, a reaction; I do draw upon that experience, in everything I do. Elements. I cannot write with passion without my elements.

Paige: Parts of my chapter were…but I’ll never tell which!!

Yvonne: Chocolate Heaven is a work of fiction, although I did draw on my own experience of missing my dad at weddings.

Brenda: I don’t know about any of the other stories but a good portion of my story, Red Velvet was from real life. I just had to add lib a bit.

Monica: My story is completely fictional. Little parts are based on my personal experience. After I read everyone else’s, I wondered if I should have written a science fiction bit, but it’s probably good I didn’t.

If this book were a movie, who would play the parts?

Melanie: Eva Mendes would play Chantelle, coming across as a snob with wealth yet really underneath it, she just wants to be loved. Olivia the woman who is easy to be walked over and believes in the fairy tale of romance, would be played by Taylor Swift.

Paula: Ryan Gosling is Tom I am sure.

Lisa: What a silly question. Why actors and actresses of course.

Brenda: For my story, Brooklyn should be played by Sandra Bullock and without a doubt Bo should be played by Richard Gere. Gerard could be played by John Travolta.

Yvonne: Anna Kendrick would play Melissa, and Zac Efron would play David.

Monica: Jennifer Lawrence plays Hope, Harrison Ford plays Rufus and Sela Ward plays Georgia.

Meadow: I’d like to see fresh new actors play the parts. Who wants their story to be tainted by preconceived notions?

Paige: Hard to say for each character, there are way too many. Ava, the bride, would probably be played by Drew Barrymore or Blake Lively.

How did you all agree on the title?

Yvonne: Hmm, not sure, I think when we agreed on setting the book at a wedding we just got talking about wedding cakes and our favourite flavours.

Paula: I am very diplomatic and went with the idea given to me.

Lisa: Brenda Perlin the big baby, threatened to leave the group if we didn’t use her Idea. Of course, after she paid me five dollars it was easy to vote for her.

Paige: We tossed ideas around, discussed, joked, then took votes. All of the ladies in this project were so amazing, it was really easy to find compromises. Everyone was open and willing to contribute ideas.

Melanie: Once we decided it was to be a wedding theme, we were all throwing in ideas and it was Brenda’s that made the cut!

Brenda: We racked our brains.

Meadow: Magically

Monica: I love the title! It says “sweet,” “short stories” and “slice of life” all at the same time.

What is the most memorable wedding you’ve been to?

Melanie: Can I say my own!! The beach wedding was absolutely perfect. Nothing unplanned went haywire! Just a beautiful day, filled with love.

Paula: Mine.

Lisa: My first one. My second one. My third one and my last one.

Paige: My oldest sisters. They were wed in a backyard wearing matching T-shirts, then we had a barbeque. It was really comfortable and fun.

Brenda: I would have to say my own. I was such a silly bride.

While I was greeting all the guests I realized I should have been locked away in a room so I wouldn’t see my future husband until I was walking down the aisle. While the ceremony was taking place I felt like I was doing stand up. I thought I needed to entertain everyone there. During dinner, I must have eaten close to ten rolls. I am the only bride I know that actually ate her entire meal.

Yvonne: My own. I have a kaleidoscope of memories from that day, and all of them involve smiling and dancing. It was a recession-friendly wedding, before the Celtic Tiger drove everyone and everything mad. We were young and in love and kept everything simple, because the important thing was us getting to spend the rest of our lives together, and as long as we got to do that, we were living a fairytale.

Meadow: Hmmm, haven’t been to many.

Monica: When the former CEO of a company I used to work for got married, she had the wedding in a convention center, she wore three dresses throughout the afternoon and evening, guests were served two entrees (fish AND steak), and I left feeling like I had been one to receive the gift, instead of the couple. It was an extravagant experience.

Can you give us any tips to co-writing?

Paula: Don’t think about it too much, use your creative energy to spur yourself on and worry about the detail at the end and don’t panic about the other writers being better than you!

Melanie: Be organized from the get go, be clear. One big email instead of several small ones is best. Find a fun group of writers that you have respect for and enjoy their writing style before you start.

Lisa: Keep a bottle of wine handy. Yes cheap wine is Ok too.

Meadow: Check your email and make sure to get back to your partners ASAP. I wasn’t too good at that.

Brenda: Stay true to yourself and don’t let yourself get intimidated or doubt your talent.

Monica: Be flexible. It’s fiction after all.

Paige: Communication is key. It is also vitally important to have one person be in charge so there is no confusion. We were incredibly lucky to have Mel Toye as our ‘fearless leader’. She was completely amazing, kept everyone organized and on task, and did a tremendous amount of extra work. She made the whole process painless and fun.

Do you have plans for another collaboration?

Paula: Yes, another one is on the cards. I hope.

Lisa: How would I know I just do as they tell me. Its better like…let the old lady know so she embarrasses us.

Meadow: Hmmm, maybe.

Yvonne: Nothing definite, but watch this space.

Monica: I’m always open to opportunities.

Paige: I definitely hope we do. We’ve tossed the idea around. It really was fun.

Brenda: That is up to Melanie. She is full of ideas. With her I am inclined to say “yes.”

Melanie: You will just have to wait and see. 😉

**Additional Comments: As you can tell from the above answers, we are all different people, living different lives, with different outlooks on life. And this is what has created such unique and interesting stories that combine 8 Slices of Cake. It is a must read.

**ABOUT THE AUTHORS**

Meadow Bleu: Meadow Bleu is an Indie-Author, currently working on publishing her first collection of poetry-‘Swallow the Sun’, due to be released by fall of 2013, in which she attempts to shine a light on the more dismal side of life, not popularly addressed in poetry. With an off-beat rhythm and a drop of her soul in each word she writes, Meadow reflects emotion rather than events, giving her work a unique feel. As a college student raised under the wing of her mother Paige Bleu, also an author, Meadow is stepping up to share her love of literature with the rest of the world.

**Contact: Facebook

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Yvonne McEvaddy: Yvonne McEvaddy lives and works in co. Galway, Ireland. She is the author of two novels, Passion Killer, available on smashwords.com, amazon.com, and amazon.co.uk, and Shadows of the Dead, available on amazon.com and amazon.co.uk. She is currently working on her third novel, Thief of Hearts. Yvonne has been longlisted in the Over the Edge New Writer of the Year competition.

Yvonne has been dabbling in the written word since early childhood, having decided at the age of 5, when she read her first Enid Blyton book, that she wanted to be a writer. Her summer holidays were often spent writing adventures in the remaining pages of her school copybooks. When not writing she was daydreaming about her books being available in her local bookstores, a dream which has recently come true.

She was first published under her maiden name, Yvonne Gaughan, at the age of 17 when she won a Western Health Board competition to have her essay published in 100 Natural Highs.

Also as Yvonne Gaughan, in college she was a member of the Mystic Poets’ Society and had two poems published in their collaboration, Mystic Spirits.

Yvonne McEvaddy is a member of the Javawriters, who have recently published Infusions, a collaboration of their work.

She took part in the first ever short story compiled by tweets, along with well known crime writers Val McDermid, Mark Billingham and Martyn Waites. The story is entitled First Stop: Revenge and can be found at: https://twitter.com/eastcoaststory.

**Contact: Blog Website Facebook Twitter Book Trailer for Passion Killer Book Trailer for Shadows of the Dead

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Melanie Toye: Melanie Toye is chasing her dreams in becoming an International Best Selling Author. Melanie is also a freelance writer and Mother who loves to inspire everyone to chase their dreams in life. Melanie loves to share her art of writing and creating stories to all those who love to read. Melanie lives in Australia with her husband, son and two dogs.

Books by Melanie include a fictional women’s read, ‘Entice Me’. Entice Me is a journey that explores life changing events that forces each woman to rediscover themselves and what they are seeking from life. Meltdowns, break-ups, love and laughter make Entice Me into an entertaining read. Entice Me can be purchased from Smashwords here https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/234817.

Other e-books written by Melanie include:

‘Kids, write your own stories’ which hosts 26 Creative Writing Activities for ages 8 +. Let your child create a story where anything can happen. This e-book is purely to inspire and excite children to take a step out of the technicalities and rules of writing. As they write freely letting their imagination guide them. Kids, write your own stories can be purchased from Smashwords here https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/256231.

‘Annabelle’s Angels’ is a sweet a sweet story about a young girl who can see angels. A great story that will show your child how magical a world can be, when one believes in the power of angels. Annabelle’s Angels can be purchased from Smashwords here https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/255635.

‘Activities for Babies’ is another classic example of Melanie’s creativity in the home. With a young son of her own, Melanie created an e-book for babies aged 6 months +. The activities included use items around the home that will surely give your baby a giggle and a new platform for exploration and learning. http://www.amazon.com/Activities-Babies-When-enough-ebook/dp/B00961P0XG

The next big novel release by Melanie is Destiny Lane, a fantasy novel that will take readers on a journey of living in a world where the mind creates what you want at the moment you want it. Let your imagination fly.

Make sure you become a fan of M-Toye on Facebook to read more about what great reads she is working on and recommend these great reads to all of your friends and social clubs. http://www.facebook.com/pages/M-Toye/146863872056871?fref=ts

**Contact: Blog Email: Melanie.toye@hotmail.com Facebook Twitter Book Trailer for Entice Me

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Brenda Perlin: I live in Orange County, California. I have spent most of my working life in the physical fitness arena. I love the gratification that comes with helping people achieve their fitness goals and I love the fulfillment that comes with having a healthy body.

I moved from the Los Angeles area where I was raised to Orange County in the Spring of 2005. During that time I was a housewife with a couple of dogs. Now I am not. Instead I am writing my adventures for all to read.

**Contact: Blog Website Email: homewreckerthebook@gmail.com Facebook Twitter Book Trailer

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Paula Mills: Born and raised in the depths of quintessential English countryside, I decided at nineteen, to lumber a backpack and off I stomped; as far from the rapeseed fields of home as I could get . I headed to the Australian Outback and talked myself up into a job as a Jillaroo on a remote Sheep Station. I learnt two things. Firstly the harsh reality of a sometimes cruel and dust ridden landscape. Secondly, there is nothing quite like a cold beer and true mate ship, to get you through. I fell in love with the red dirt and on returning to the UK, I left a piece of my own heart behind. Ten years later, the fate boomerang threw me back down under, and Australia is now my home; with my gorgeous husband and daughter. I write for the love of writing, I love (and I am proud to be known as) a Chick Lit writer and reader. Like the rest of my peers, I fit in the have to do list, the want to do list, and the wish I had the time for me list , in between raising a happy family and all the little trip hazard stuff life throws at us.

**Contact: Blog Facebook Twitter

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Lisa Day: Lisa Day hails from the southern part of the United States. She went from Northern flower the Southern belle years ago and swears she will never go north of the Mason-Dixon line again. She hates cold weather.

She was always an avid reader went the mood hit. At times years would go by and she’d not touch a book. Then she would bring home bags full and read at times three books a day for months. However it wasn’t until she retired that she found an interest in writing. Her stories can be intense and yet there must be a happy ever ending.

**Contact: Blog Blog #2 Website Facebook Twitter

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Monica Lee: Monica Lee, a personal historian, blogger and writer, has been a daily newspaper reporter and marketing executive. “8 Slices of Cake” is her first foray into romantic fiction, though she’s lived romantic (and unromantic) reality. She is the author of“The Percussionist’s Wife: A Memoir of Sex, Crime & Betrayal,” the true story of her first marriage to a man accused of a sex crime with one of his drum line students. She’s now working on a prequel which fictionalizes her coming of age in a small Minnesota town in the early ‘80s. She lives in northern Illinois with her second husband, the love of her life.

**Contact: Blog Website Facebook Twitter

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Paige Bleu: Paige Bleu is an Indie-Author, currently working on publishing and promoting her supernatural, fantasy series-‘The Ameryn Chronicles’. Volume 1-‘Finding Summerland’-became available in July 2012. This is the first officially published work of Paige’s, who was a ghost writer previously, as well as many other things! Paige is on her own journey of self discovery…learning the ropes of marketing, social networking, and self publishing simultaneously. She shares the experience with followers through blogging…candidly dishing over the perils of juggling work, life, and her passion for writing. Her style is unconventional and unique, reflecting her own eclectic, ‘free bird’ personality.

Right now Paige is working on the second installment of the ‘Ameryn’ series, ‘LivEternal’. Future projects include another young adult, paranormal series, as well as a few short stories and memoirs. Beyond that could be anything…that’s the beauty of being an Indie-Author…you never know what might come next!

**Contact: Blog Website Email: paigebleu@gmail.com Facebook Twitter Book Trailer

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Click HERE to see this interview in more in the online magazine, Imagine This, which is brought to you by Melanie Toye!

Francine LaSala

March 4, 2013 8 Comments

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?

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

Cari Kamm

February 25, 2013 Leave a Comment

About author, Cari Kamm: Cari Kamm has worked in the beauty industry for over a decade, building brands, working behind the scenes, and even selling her own skin care line. She has a master’s in clinical nutrition from New York University. Kamm currently works in corporate social media management with clients in the beauty, fashion, and restaurant industries. Living in New York City with her mutt Schmutz, Kamm loves finding inspiration in the most unexpected places, being a novelist, and convincing her fiancé that ordering takeout and making dinner reservations are equal to cooking.

**Contact Cari: Cari Kamm Facebook Twitter

GUEST POST

“Cari’s Writing Life: The Past, Present, and Future”

I connected with writing in my late twenties. I’ve always been a storyteller or that person that loved to entertain and make my friends and family laugh. It’s a characteristic I get from my father. In my early twenties, I started keeping travel journals. I moved to New York City at the age of twenty-two to attend NYU for graduate school with a goal to take advantage of JFK International airport. Growing up in a small town in West Virginia, I was eager to explore the world and wanted to document it all.

I decided to write professionally when I was twenty-eight and craving inspiration at a specific point in my life. Here I was in such an electric city, living and loving everything, even a shadow. However, there was still something missing in my life. There was a void. So… I researched new hobbies from cooking (high burn risk), painting (too messy), volunteer opportunities, and new career paths. I ended up taking a creative writing class with Mediabistro and it changed my life. I quickly learned that the void was passion . . . to write stories. The class challenged me, made me insecure, and sparked my spirit. The workshop assignments got me writing in class and at home. Sometimes, I would come home from a late dinner or having cocktails with friends and find myself writing until 3:00 a.m. Eight months later, I had a manuscript, my first novel–Fake Perfect Me.

Writing isn’t a job. It’s a habit. I begin first thing in the morning. Before anything can shift my mood or motivation, I make coffee and hit the keys. Writing is my morning stretch. I write from anywhere, anytime, and on anything. A notebook, a cocktail napkin, or even taking a photo of a person, place or thing that inspired me. I love being surrounded by music, strangers, voices… simply just life. When a theme moves me, I sketch out an outline breaking down Act I, II & III and write up descriptions of the characters I have in mind. Then, I just write. I don’t look back. I don’t reread. I would say it’s a crappy first draft and then I spend months on revising – editing – revising – editing.

My favorite part of the writing process is creating the outline of the story I have in mind. Then several months down the road realizing where the characters actually took me while reading the story they created. For the past two years, I’ve done just that. My second novel, For Internal Use Only, was released on February 14, 2013. Completing the book was the best birthday gift I could have given myself.

In November 2012, I had participated in National Novel Writing month and completed my third book. It’s my first romance novel! My 80-year-old Italian grandma will be thrilled. I always caught her reading books with Fabio decorated covers. I hope to release this novel later this year.

Writing has taught me one of the most important lessons. If I could go back in time and tell my younger self one thing, it would be that . . . ‘You grow more from criticism than you do from compliments.’

**Click HERE to see the trailer of “For Internal Use Only!”

Shelly Hickman

February 14, 2013 Leave a Comment

About author, Shelly Hickman: I have been married for twenty-two years to my best buddy and we have three kids. A teenage boy who I adore, but rarely see, a tween girl who is lovably goofy, and a 21-year-old angel daughter who died from leukemia when she was eight. I’m a middle school computer teacher, who recently has been using her summers to write. I have enjoyed writing since high school, but it’s never been a consistent practice for me. It has dropped in and out of my life, and I’m hoping this time it stays for good. (Smiles)

INTERVIEW

Describe yourself in five sentences: I love to laugh. I value my friends. I like to give people the benefit of the doubt, probably even when I shouldn’t. The older I get, the less tolerant I am of people who are mean or rude. I hate to exercise.

Tell us about your book, “Believe” and “Somewhere Between Black and White”: “Believe” was my first book. I started writing it after my daughter’s first bout with cancer. At the time I was very into the power of thought and positive attitude and all that, because my daughter had overcome this life-threatening disease. The tone of “Believe” reflected that mindset at first, though the story was unfinished. Then my daughter relapsed and ultimately lost her battle. I was confused, hurt, angry, and lost. I went back to the story to work through all that. It was my expression of all the questions and frustrations I had. The story is not meant to provide answers to any of those questions, because I’m not sure we’ll ever have them. Instead it’s meant to convey a message of renewal, and reassurance that happiness can be found again after enduring such a loss.

Throughout the story, I tried to include little hints that explained the book’s ending, this idea that maybe prayers are always answered, but at times in ways we don’t see. However, reading reviews, I realize it may have been too understated for some. It’s difficult to find that perfect balance of getting your message across without beating your reader over the head with it.

“Somewhere Between Black and White” is a little bit harder to explain. Basically, I wanted to take a look at our tendencies to judge others for their choices. The story is a romance, but it’s not meant to be the main gist. It’s more of a backdrop for looking at the character, Sophie, and how she assesses others. She meets Sam, who becomes her grounding point because he’s so collected and non-judgmental. She constantly struggles with her urge to look at things as black or white, instead of acknowledging there are often many shades in between. It’s kind of a mesh of romance, humor, family drama, and even some bits about Buddhism thrown in. See why it’s hard to summarize?

What is your favorite word? Hmm, I’ve never really thought about a favorite word. I guess it would have to be Starbucks.

Are your characters based off anyone you know? The minor characters usually are, but not the main characters. Rachel in “Believe” is loosely based on me, just because of her struggle with faith, but she is way more outspoken and blunt than I’ll ever be.

Which other authors would you like to meet? Unfortunately, two of them are gone: Erma Bombeck and Nora Ephron. I would also like to meet Richard Bach.

How did you celebrate when your first book was published? I don’t remember. I’m not sure I did. All I remember was when I told my husband someone was going to publish my book, he said I needed to make enough money to buy him a monster truck. Yeah… that hasn’t happened.

What are you reading right now? “I Feel Bad About My Neck” by Nora Ephron

Hard/paperback or eBooks? eBooks, of course!

Where is your favorite place to write? Once or twice I sat in a Borders (before they went out of business) and wrote. That would be my ideal place, in a bookstore sipping on some coffee, but it never happens.

What is the best advice you’ve been given? This advice wasn’t given to me by anyone specifically, but it’s one that we always hear, and that’s to live for today. None of us know what our future holds, so why spend time stressing about it? And we can’t change our past; we can only learn from it. Be here now. It’s not an easy thing to do, but great advice.

When writing, what is your favorite thing to snack on? Dark chocolate M&Ms!

Can you tell us about any upcoming projects? I’m not working on anything at the moment, but have a few ideas floating around. You know how on sitcoms we always see the fairly average Joe with the hot wife? (According to Jim, Everybody Loves Raymond, Modern Family). I’ve often wondered why we never see the opposite. How come we never see the average Jane with a hot guy? I thought it might be fun to write something based on that idea. Still mulling it over. Maybe this summer’s project.

**Additional comments: I want to thank you, Isabella, for hosting me on your blog. I appreciate your kindness and positive attitude you’ve shared with me throughout my communications with you. This has been a great experience.

**Contact Shelly!:

Shelly Hickman

Facebook

Twitter

**Click HERE to watch the trailer of “Somewhere Between Black and White!”

Chick Lit becomes Chick Flick

December 21, 2012 1 Comment

MEDIA RELEASE: FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Call out for movie producers…

Big ticket movie producers you will not want to miss the opportunity to fund the next big chick flick film from novel, Entice Me. Women will flock to the movie doors as they see the cast list in this incredible masterpiece.

Entice Me is the next chick lit novel to hit the e-reading devices and leave the readers wanting more. With a light, entertaining read, know that Entice Me pushes the boundaries of chick lit and provides not only the romantic hotness that we all know and love through various relationships and flings. It explores the realms of the work life and career struggles placed on women who want the high-powered positions and those who just want to break-free from the daily grind. As well as the emotional and physical havoc a stressful and challenging work environment can play. And a novel wouldn’t be fabulous without the superficial, scheming and stunning woman that will plot at every chance she gets to destroy any one who gets in her way.

Entice Me not only has a great story line and dramatic events that will have you guessing throughout but the fiction novel also includes a message entwined to chase the life you always dreamed of. You will be left feeling you can conquer anything after reading Entice Me.

Possible actor choices to play in this chick flick movie include:

Piper Perabo, a great choice to play Miranda who is a recruitment consultant forced to create more balance in her life.

Crystal Lucy would suit the anxiety stricken Louise and Grace, a free spirit who aims to help Miranda find balance in her life would be well played by Emma Stone.

For the male leads:

The upcoming Dean Geyer and his chiselled body and romantic aroma would be the perfect match to play Mr Perfect.

Maximilian Befort a young German actor who speaks fluent in English and French and has got that European demeanour that matches French lover Grant would be ideal.

George Clooney, the hottest man on the planet would suit well to play the character, Ray, who is a secret romantic / workaholic / typical male who hides his emotions.

Jake Gyllenhaal would star as Mike the lovable but unpredictable husband who is lost in his unstable surroundings.

And the actor who would play the crazy woman who is a nasty piece of work will have to endure a serious audition process to be the best meanest and materialistic woman that hosts a façade of sweetness.

With a great cast and plot you will not want to miss this soon to be fabulous chick flick movie. Movie producers send your bid to author Melanie Toye at melanie.toye@hotmail.com.

Print **Click HERE to watch a trailer of “Entice Me!”

**Read a free sample of “Entice Me!”

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**Contact Melanie at any of the below links!:

Email: melanie.toye@gmail.com

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