Thursday, June 23, 2011

Interview with Erica Negi and book giveaway

**Giveaway is now closed**

Our final debut novelist visiting CLC this week is Erica Negi! (She won't be the last this summer though!) To be fair, she did write and illustrate a book called "My Little Sister Penny" when she was a kid. It was a huge hit with her parents. This time, she has a bigger audience with whom to share her first chick lit novel, "My Life in Loubies." She even has one copy to offer to a lucky reader in the US or Canada! And who can resist a novel about romance...and shoes! The cover makes us think of "Sex and the City," which has us interested in what's inside!

See what she has to say today, and then follow her on Facebook and Twitter!

MP: What is your usual writing routine?
EN: I usually write in the afternoon or late at night. Either way, it is right before or just after my chaotic mornings, which include a workout and a coffee date with my three year old son. (On a side note, my son drinks milk during the "coffee" date).
I like to write during these times because I am not on "mommy duty" and free to let my mind wander. I don't have any rituals per se, but I find that I work best in silence. I wrote My Life in Loubies in my home office, aka my sanctuary! It's a beautiful, toy-free room with bookshelves and a terrace, a place to zone out from the norm. But when I needed a "change of scenery," I headed over to a local coffee house. I write on my computer, on my iPad and on good-old looseleaf paper!

MP: How do you spend your time when you are not writing?
EN: I love spending time with my family. We have one son and I adore watching him grow into an inquisitive toddler. He keeps my feet moving and my mind working at all times! I am also a room mother at his preschool, which keeps me very busy during the year. As for hobbies, I love to workout, read and shop. But my guilty pleasure is tweeting! I love to connect with my readers and "twitter friends." You can find me at http://www.twitter.com/MyLifeInLoubies and, I tweet back!

MP: What was your biggest challenge while writing My Life in Loubies?
EN: SPOILER ALERT: I struggled with humanizing the Vanessa that I knew existed below the designer labels. It took a great deal of time, patience and writing exercises to humanize her to a point where readers might not feel bad relating to her, sympathizing with her or even giggling with her. It was during the content editing stage where I found myself struggling, but at the same moment this "struggle" up'd the ante, forcing me as a writer to see eye-to-eye with my protagonist.

MA: If "My Life in Loubies" were made into a movie, who would you cast for lead roles?
EN: Vanessa: Leighton Meester or maybe Rachel Bilson?
Emily: Isla Fisher or Emily Blunt?
Ethan: Orlando Bloom
Carmen: a Jimmy Smits type of character?

MA: What do you consider the perfect shoes for a night out?
EN: I am assuming that we are talking about a night out on the town and not the family nights out that I now know, where a tantrum-free dinner is like winning the World Series! So, on a night on the town, I would have to say the Christian Louboutin Satin & Lace Slingbacks. And on a family night, ballet flats are my first choice!

MA: What is your favorite all-time children's book?
EN: It is so tough, almost unfair to choose one, but "all-time," I would have to say "Corduroy." And now looking back, it makes complete sense: a cute bear in a department store!

MA: What is the biggest fashion faux-pas you have ever made?
EN: Crocs. I purchased a pair awhile ago for in-flight purposes during an overseas flight. Yeah, big mistake. They are solely--no pun intended--for kids, like my son.

MA: What is your favorite store?
EN: I am a huge fan of Neiman Marcus, Saks and Intermix for the must-haves, but I love shopping at local boutiques! I would say that at the moment one of my favorite boutiques is Lola Rouge in Newport Beach. And, I am also a huge Lululemon fan! For everything else, I head to Target!

MP: If you could travel anywhere, where would you go and why?
EN: Rue du Faubourg Saint-Honoré! My favorite street in the world! I love Paris, from the lush gardens to the history to of course, the shopping. I don't think I can ever be done with Paris! Plus, I was a French major.

MP: If you were not a writer, what would your ideal job be?
EN: I would definitely be teaching reading to children. I have a Reading Specialist credential along with my other teaching certifications which would enable me to teach and assess reading skills. One of the best moments of my life was watching a student read for the first time!

Special thanks to Erica for chatting with us and for offering the book for the giveaway.

How to win "My Life in Loubies":
Please comment below with your e-mail address.
(Please note: Entries without an e-mail address will NOT be counted. You can use AT and DOT to avoid spam. Or provide a link to your facebook page or blog if you can receive messages there.)

Bonus entries (can be listed all in one post):
1. Please tell us: What is the biggest fashion faux-pas you have ever made?
2. Follow this blog and post a comment saying you are a follower (if you already follow, that's fine too).
3. Follow Erica Negi on Facebook and Twitter. Let us know your name on either/both.
4. Post this contest on Facebook or Twitter or in your blog, and leave a comment saying where you've posted it.
5. Join Chick Lit Central on Facebook. Edit settings if you don't want to receive a lot of messages at your e-mail account. (If you're already a member, let us know that too.)
6. Add a friend to our Facebook group. (Tell us who you added.) Be sure to remind them to edit their settings.

US/Canada only. Giveaway ends June 28th at midnight EST.

49 comments:

Jeryl M. said...

I would like to win.

jeryl.marcus@gmail.com

Jeryl M. said...

The biggest fashion faux pas I can remember making is wearing before Memorial Day and after Labor Day.

I am a follower of this blog.

I am a Facebook fan of Chick Lit central and of Erica Negi.

jeryl.marcus@gmail.com

Amber @ A Little Pink in the Cornfields said...

amber_johnson2004 at yahoo dot com

I'm a follower here, on FB and Twitter. :)

Kat said...

I'm starting to realize that a lot of chick lit is centred around clothes and shoes in some way... and I have no interest in designer labels... hmmm... :)

ladykathryn@rogers.com

Kat said...

Let's not talk about all the fashion faux-pas I've committed... I don't follow fashion rules; I wear what I want when I want. :)

ladykathryn@rogers.com

Kat said...

I am a follower of the blog through GFC.

ladykathryn@rogers.com

Kat said...

I am now following Erica Negi on facebook (Kathryn Hamilton).

ladykathryn@rogers.com

Kat said...

Posted on facebook

ladykathryn@rogers.com

Kat said...

Member of CLC

ladykathryn@rogers.com

Kritters Ramblings said...

When I was younger, i loved wearing the jean shorts with the bottom rolled up once or twice.

I am a follower of the blog!
I am a member of the facebook group.

kdurham2@gmail.com

Nina said...

Love the cover of this book, and the Corduroy shout-out! :) Speaking of, let's use that as my fashion faux pas! Corduroy! All year round! Oh boyyyy. :D

Alison said...

Sounds like a wonderful read. Can't wait.
alison.fees@gmail.com

Alison said...

Let's just say that the 80's and early 90's were a terrible fashion time for me LOL.

I follow the blog and the GFC and Facebook.

alison.fees@gmail.com

BRN2SHOP9 said...

i don't really pay attention to fashion so I have no idea if I have made a faux

BRN2SHOP9 said...

i follow via facebook

BRN2SHOP9 said...

i follow via gfc

Jo said...

I am a fashion faux paux, I love mixing prints, wearing bright colors and merging different fashion styles.

itsonlyjc AT hotmail DOT com

Jennifer said...

I would love a chance to read this book for free!

I am a follower of Erica on Twitter
jenn_jen_d
I am a fan of CLC on FB
and I posted the contest on Twitter and FB

jmndowning@gmail.com

Kim W. said...

Sounds like a great book!

kewalker1972@gmail.com

1. Fashion faux pas: in the 80's, wearing my bright neon green STIR-UP pants (ugh!) with an off-the-shoulder neon green & black checkered shirt and HUGE neon green earrings. Can you say OMG?

2. I am a follower of this blog

3. I now follow Erica on Facebook (my Facebook name is Kim Walker)

4. I have posted this contest on Facebook

5. I already follow CLC on Facebook

kewalker1972@gmail.com

jennysararyan said...

I'm all for figuring out how to humanize unlikeable fiction characters. If only we could do that for some Real Life characters, as well!

jennysryanATgmailDOTcom

Linda Kish said...

I would love to read this book.

lkish77123 at gmail dot com

Linda Kish said...

Biggest fashion faux fas....mom jeans.

lkish77123 at gmail dot com

Tiffany Drew said...

Ok, I may have shaved the under half of my head once. I also may have worn some pink and white striped pants. They also would have been tight rolled (so lame) had I been able to figure out how to do it lol.

jaidahsmommy(at)comcast(dot)net

Tiffany Drew said...

GFC follower Tiffany Drew

jaidahsmommy(at)comcast(dot)net

Tiffany Drew said...

I'm a Facebook member :)

jaidahsmommy(at)comcast(dot)net

Tiffany Drew said...

I follow Erica on Facebook as Tiffany Drew

jaidahsmommy(at)comcast(dot)net

Tiffany Drew said...

I follow Erica on Twitter as @enterthedrew

jaidahsmommy(at)comcast(dot)net

karenk said...

thanks for the chance to read this novel...i love the simplicity of the cover, too :)

karenk
kmkuka at yahoo dot com

faithspage said...

hot pink pants and teal top

i follow on gfc
follow CLC on fb

kyfaithw at aol dot com

Annie said...

i would like to win.

jewel2@comcast.net

i follow you on twitter

Literary Chanteuse said...

Biggest fashion faux pas oh boy. Heels with a t-shirt and sweatpants. Pretty bad I know! It was a night after clubbing....yeah you don't want to know. lol! Thanks for the giveaway!

Margaret
singitm@hotmail.com

Literary Chanteuse said...

I'm a GFC Follower

Margaret
singitm@hotmail.com

shanaelyse said...

This looks like a fun read!

1. My biggest fashion faux pas definitely occurred in the 80's, probably involving Day-Glo colors...
2. I follow you on GFC (username--shanaelyse@gmail.com
3.I like you on FB!

shanaelyse
shanaelyse@gmail.com

Krystal Lynn said...

Apparently some people think it unacceptable to wear sweats and hoodies outside of the house. That's news to me! I wear sweats EVERYWHERE. Mine are Victoria's Secret Pink brand though so they at least come in cute colors and flattering shapes. But in a night class at my college, one where half the girls there were in comfy clothes, one of the women said it was horrible to see girls out on the street wearing sweatpants and she just couldn't believe anyone would leave the house that way. I don't know if this is a common belief but I gotta say, I don't care!

Krystal Lynn said...

Whoops, forgot to mention: Blog follower, group member and invited friend Kay Tyler to facebook group. =)

miss_kris_11ATyahooDOTcom

Ann Summerville said...

I love getting to know authors. Thanks for posting.
Ann
cozyintexas@yahoo.com

PoCoKat said...

Fashion faux pas: my husband commented on my wearing yoga capris in public yesterday...oh my.

littleone AT shaw DOT ca

PoCoKat said...

GFC follower

littleone AT shaw DOT ca

PoCoKat said...

Belong to Chick Lit Central on FB

littleone AT shaw DOt ca

maria said...

This book looks so good!!

billiondollarprincesss@hotmail.com

Bob C. said...

My biggest faux pas would be wearing argyle socks and matching suit to a formal affair...just kidding. I do like Erica's FB page.

yak_flavored_popsicle@yahoo.com

StereoQueenBee said...

1. Please tell us: What is the biggest fashion faux-pas you have ever made?

I want to say I haven't? LOL

2. Follow this blog and post a comment saying you are a follower (if you already follow, that's fine too).

Already follow

3. Follow Erica Negi on Facebook and Twitter. Let us know your name on either/both.

FB Sabrina-Kate Eryou
Twitter stereoqueenbee

4. Post this contest on Facebook or Twitter or in your blog, and leave a comment saying where you've posted it.

FB & Twitter

5. Join Chick Lit Central on Facebook. Edit settings if you don't want to receive a lot of messages at your e-mail account. (If you're already a member, let us know that too.)

Already a member

queenofcrunk at gmail dot com

abbeautycall said...

I would love to win.

My email is abbeautycall@gmail.com

abbeautycall said...

I would lov to win.

my email is abbeautycall@gmail.com

as u knw i'm a follower on FB and twitter. luv luv chick lit books.

Nancye said...

GFC Follower

nancyecdavis AT bellsouth DOT net

Nancye said...

My biggest fashion faux-pas was stirrup pants. OMG!!

nancyecdavis AT bellsouth DOT net

Nancye said...

I follow Erica Negi on Twitter and Facebook

nancyecdavis AT bellsouth DOT net

Nancye said...

I follow you on Facebook

nancyecdavis AT bellsouth DOT net

Nancye said...

Tweet! Tweet!
@NancyeDavis

http://twitter.com/#!/NancyeDavis/status/85911308112896000

nancyecdavis AT bellsouth DOT net