Thursday, May 15, 2014

*Throwback Thursday* French Twist Truth: Bluey's Style

Are you ready for Throwback Thursday, y'all? We aren't throwing back very far, just to my first book blog post EVER - from March of this year.  Let me refresh your memory...
 

One of the fun things about writing a true story (with just a little judicious editing) is delving into the details and sharing what is real and what is not real.  And for those real items, perhaps sharing a little photographic evidence…

The description of my husband’s attire the night that I met him is absolutely true, right down to the blue sunglasses:

It was not just that he was handsome; he had style!  Style like none I had ever seen before.  He was at least six feet tall and was wearing, I kid you not, a pale blue suit, complete with matching pale blue sweater underneath.  He had accented this ensemble with a large silver chain, massively spiked dark hair, a perfectly sculpted goatee and, wait for it, pale blue sunglasses.  Clearly this guy took coordination to a whole new level. It was immediately obvious that he was either gay, not from this country or both.  If he turned out to be gay, all the better.   A new friend with great hair and makeup tips was always a good thing.  

(Excerpt from French Twist by Glynis Astie, Copyright 2013.)

Unfortunately, I was not able to snap a photo that night (cell phones with cameras were not as common back in 2001.)  I do; however, have a photo of him wearing his amazing pale blue suit on a later occasion.  As an added bonus, he had had a shaving “accident” that night and is completely devoid of his beautifully sculpted goatee.  I have not yet been granted permission to post this precious pic, but I am working on it!  Tune in next week to see if I am successful.  :)


Fast forward two months and I have been granted permission to post the photo as long as I implement one small change.  Can you guess what he requested?



Now you have finally caught a glimpse of the amazing blue suit my husband was wearing the night that I met him. He was truly a sight to be seen! The aforementioned shaving accident and resulting baby face was simply too much for him to share with the world. I give him props for sharing the suit! I hope that you enjoyed the photographic revelation. :)



Tuesday, May 13, 2014

BookBuzz 2014: A Fangirl’s Dream


I can barely contain my excitement to attend BookBuzz 2014 in New York City!!! The opportunity to mix and mingle with a group of very talented authors and fabulous readers is such a treat. Though I am certainly not a stranger to being a fangirl when it comes to authors of women’s fiction, the role of author is brand spanking new to me. I have been a published author for less than a year and feel like I haven’t a clue what I’m doing yet. I have been most fortunate to have met an incredible group of chick lit authors and it all began just three short months ago with my first Twitter friend, Samantha Stroh Bailey. I had no idea when our conversation string started of the many ways that she would change my life.

Samantha immediately offered a great deal of sage advice and invited me to join a chick lit Facebook group where I met a number of other welcoming authors. I was overwhelmed by the camaraderie of the group and by how quickly I was assimilated. Navigating the new role of author is rather daunting and knowing that you are not alone makes a world of difference. When you find yourself overwhelmed by the blank computer screen in front of you, by the ridiculously large number of advertising options available to you or even by the breadth of social media, you have a support group to turn to.

Within my first month of hard core social media participation, I had “cyber” met hundreds of authors, but I was always drawn back to my chick lit Facebook groups. Every day I found myself fascinated by the community that they had formed and by the myriad of things that I learned from them. I slowly found the courage to participate in the discussions and found my confidence growing by the day.

And the best part? Not only have I discovered an abundance of really talented chick lit and women’s fiction authors, but also I have made some good friends. Just the other day, I had the pleasure of meeting THE Meredith Schorr! I kept reminding myself to be cool as I chatted with the very talented author of Just Friends With Benefits, A State of Jane and Blogger Girl. It may surprise you to hear this, but I can be a total dork. If you don’t believe me, please feel free to read my books. My heroine, Sydney Bennett, is most definitely my alter ego.

Due to my adventures in social media over the last few months, I have been lucky enough to have read an abundance of engrossing books and I couldn’t be happier. I feel both inspired and humbled by the fabulous books that these amazing women have written. I may be an author now, but the fangirl is very much alive and well. The arrival of BookBuzz 2014 means that I get to meet many of these outstanding authors in person!!! Francine LaSala, Cat Lavoie, Lydia Laceby, oh my! And I will FINALLY meet Samantha Stroh Bailey, the woman who started it all for this rather, um, eccentric author.

Are you jealous? No need to be! Simply visit this link, RSVP and prepare to have an awesome time!  Hope to see you there!

Friday, May 9, 2014

Five Chick Lit Characters I'd Love to be for a Week

With so many gifted Chick Lit writers in our midst, there are a plethora of really fun female characters to follow. But, what if you could actually choose to trade places with one (or FIVE) for a week? How much fun would that be? I thought long and hard about it and chose five very special characters to trade identities with. Although, I feel a little badly about sticking them with my rambunctious boys for a week, but that which does not kill you makes you stronger!

Here are my picks:

Julia Dorning– Thirty-Two Going On Spinster by Becky Monson

Poor Julia is stuck in a rut – she hates her job, lives with her parents and thinks that she is going to be alone for the rest of her life. But she is sweet, funny and after a little floundering, she figures out that she was meant to be a baker extraordinaire. I totally want to bake for a living! The descriptions of her creations were mouthwatering and I found myself wondering about her recipes and ingredients.  Not to mention that I would own a thriving bakery, have a really fun supporting staff and one of the cutest regular customers in the world. It is an added bonus that the delicious Jared would also be my boyfriend.

Lisa Flyte– She Likes It Rough by GVR Corcillo

Lisa was the victim of a horrific accident (involving the collapse of a fast food drive through on her car!!!), but she came out of her coma with a large sum of money and the resolve to conquer her myriad of fears. She has the best of intentions and pursues a number of hair brained schemes at warp speed.  How much fun would it be to be that impetuous? And to have all kinds of crazy adventures?  I am a total scaredy-cat, so I need the same kind of training that she had. I want to be BRAVE! And to have my teacher be the smoldering Jack makes it that much better!

Laurel Hastings– Blame it on The Fame by Tracie Banister

Laurel had a successful career as an actress, but fell victim to the pressure of Hollywood and her life was suddenly taken over by panic attacks.  After years spent raising her family, she heals and is able to return to the game. Yes, it was a tough ride, but she recovers well. I would be a classic beauty, with a good heart and tremendous talent as an actress!  Unfortunately, I would then find out that my best friend has been having an affair with my seemingly devoted husband and have a minor relapse.  My life would definitely be troubled, but I would have the satisfaction of telling off my ex-best friend, dumping off my weak husband and then the world would be my oyster! I would get to have three wonderful kids, make fabulous movies and hang out with glamorous movie stars. Maybe I could even meet George Clooney!

Cate Sanders– What Would Oprah Do? by Erin Emerson

Admittedly, Cate is a little lost. She is let go from her marketing job and realizes that she hasn’t been happy with her professional life in years.  She then spends the next few months watching her savings dwindle while she tries to start a series of business, which are all dismal failures. But, if I were Cate, I would also have a network of supportive friends, including my fabulous sister and the new addition a gorgeous gay man who inspires me. I would also have a treasured friendship with Vivian, a lovely woman in her eighties who would take me under her wing and teach me the wonders of gardening.  I most definitely have a BROWN thumb and kill all plants that come into contact with me. Seriously, I cannot even look at them without their leaves going a little limp. I would love to be able to spend my days in a big beautiful garden, with the sun shining down on me as I contemplate the meaning of life. Because even though I am as old as I am, sometimes I feel like I still need to figure out what I want to be when I grow up. 

Roxy Rule– Breaking the Rules by Cat Lavoie

Roxy’s life is a little bit…complicated. She has a less than ideal relationship with her fiancĂ©, is bored with her professional life and has to put up with the extremely bitchy girlfriend of her life-long best friend, Ollie. But there are still a ton of things that I would enjoy about being Roxy!  First of all, I would have the coolest name EVER. I would get to share a very steamy kiss with Ollie, on whom I have a MAJOR crush.  (Can you hear my heart palpitations???) I would also have a group of devoted and hilarious friends. And eventually, I would part ways with my lackluster fiancĂ©, finally fall in love with my gorgeous best friend and find my way to a fabulous new career as a successful chef. What more could I ask for?

Monday, May 5, 2014

CELEBRATING INTERNATIONAL CHICK LIT MONTH WITH A 99 CENT E-BOOK SALE


May is finally here! The weather's warming up, your cute new bathing suit's all ready to go, and you've got the kitchen stocked with fixins for your favorite fruity cocktails. The only thing missing is the perfect book to read while you're soaking up some Vitamin D at the beach or pool. Good thing May is also International Chick Lit Month! To celebrate, some of the genre's funniest and most talented authors are offering their lighthearted, romantic reads for $0.99 each! So, load up your eReader and slather on the sunscreen, because your new book boyfriends are waiting for you under the umbrella . . .

This sale will last through Mother's Day on May 11th! 

Find all 26 of the Chick Lit books that are on sale on Pinterest or click on the Amazon links below:


A Heat of the Moment Thing by Maggie Le Page
A Questionable Friendship by Samantha March
Blogger Girl by Meredith Schorr
Breaking the Rules by Cat Lavoie
Dangled Carat by Hilary Grossman
Divine Moves by Ellyn Oaksmith
Exactly Where They'd Fall by Laura Rae Amos
For the Love of Cupcakes by Anita Kushwaha
French Twist by Glynis Astie
Good Intentions by Kathryn Biel
Hard Hats and Doormats by Laura Chapman
Here, Home, Hope by Kaira Rouda
In Need of Therapy by Tracie Banister
Let's Be Frank by Brea Brown
Lila's Choice by Laura Brown
Mail-Order Groom by Cindy Flores Martinez
Mr Right and Other Mongrels by Monique McDonell
Open My Eyes by Jennifer Collin
Reframing Emma by Missy Kierstead
Speaking of Love by Ophelia London
Tear Stained Beaches by Courtney Giardina
The Accidental Prophetess by Michelle Lam
The Bad Girls' Club by Kathryn O'Halloran
Whiskey and Gumdrops by Jean Oram