Tuesday, March 20, 2012

Sharing some friendly laughs with Rowan Coleman, plus a book giveaway

**Giveaway is now closed**

We are glad to have Rowan Coleman back here to talk about friendship. She was here right before she got married back in 2010 and now she's here right before she's about to give birth to twins. We just catch her at all the right moments! Rowan is best known for "The Accidental Mother" and its sequel, "The Accidental Family." Her latest novel is "Lessons in Laughing Out Loud" (reviewed here), which gives some new perspectives on motherhood and family.

Thanks to Gallery Books, we have TWO copies of "Lessons in Laughing Out Loud" for some lucky US readers.

You can find Rowan on Facebook, Twitter and her website.

Favorite song about friendship:
My favorite song about friendship is really not about friendship, its called "Motorcycle Emptiness" by the Welsh rock band, The Manic Street Preachers. It always makes me think of a road trip that my best friend and I took when were in our twenties, on the search of an 'epiphany' and we played and played and sang and sang this song at the top of our voices for a week solid.

Favorite book about friendship:
Is it wrong to say on of my own books? My first novel (not yet published in the states), "Growing Up Twice," is an homage to my best friends, who have stood by me through thick and thin, its really a love story about friendship.

How did you meet your best friend?
I've known my best friend since we were about six, but we didn't really bond until we were fifteen, at which point we became so inseparable that we even wore the same outfits at the same time!

Friend you've known the longest without meeting in person:
Oh good question....I know a lot of writers and readers who I've had the pleasure of meeting online and have yet to meet in person. I suppose that a particular reader who found me back in the days of MySpace, would be the longest serving online friendship that has yet to make it into real life!

Who would play your best friend in the movie of your life?
Joan Cusack. She's got the kind of quirky down to earth funny, strong, caring, clever personality of my best friend. Also I really want to meet her brother.

Favorite inside joke with a friend:
When I was at university my friend was dating a boy who was a terrible dancer. We nicknamed him Ken-Can't-Dance - even though his name was Stephen...of course it was inevitable that one day I called him Ken to his face....we didn't see him around much after that.

Other chick lit author you'd want to be best friends with:
I'm lucky enough to be good friends with a lot of chick lit authors, but I wold love to go out with Marian Keyes. I'm a huge admirer of her and her work, and have never met her in person yet. And she seems so lovely!

The nicest thing your best friend has ever done for you:
I was living about 300 miles away from home when my first proper relationship broke up. I called my best friend and she got straight in the car and drove all night to come and fetch me home.

Favorite destination for a girls weekend/trip:
I had the best hen week EVER in Las Vegas. Its a crazy place.

What do you enjoy doing with friends the most?
Talking and laughing. No one makes me gasp for breath laugh as much as my women friends do.


Special thanks to Rowan for this friendly chat, especially as she has other things on her mind at the moment. Thanks also to Gallery Books for sharing "Lessons in Laughing Out Loud" with our readers.

How to win "Lessons in Laughing Out Loud":
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 last thing you laughed about with a friend? (Or share a favorite inside joke.)
2. Follow this blog and post a comment saying you are a follower (if you already follow, that's fine too).
3. Post this contest on Facebook or Twitter or in your blog, and leave a comment saying where you've posted it.
4. Join Chick Lit Central on Facebook. Edit settings if you don't want to receive a lot of messages at your e-mail account. Please read our posting guidelines as well. (If you're already a member, let us know that too.)
5. Add a friend to our Facebook group. (Tell us who you added.) Be sure to remind them to edit their settings.

US only. Giveaway ends March 25th at midnight EST.


18 comments:

Marthalynn said...

She sounds like she'd be a fun friend! Especially the matching outfits ;)

I'm laughing a lot, but honestly I think my toddler makes me laugh more than any of my friends do!

I'm a follower.

marthalynn16 at gmail

Elissa said...

The last thing I laughed about with a friend was this lame guy I used to date. he has hideous fashion sense, is arrogant and looks like a hobbitt and he keeps coming back in my life.

I follow this blog

I also am friends on FB.

elissadotbullardatgmail.com

Kritters Ramblings said...

I just put this book on my wishlist!

I just laughed with a friend about a first date she just recently went on.

kdurham2@gmail.com
i am a fan on facebook
i follow via gfc

Jeryl M. said...

I would like to read this book.

jeryl.marcus@gmail.com

Jeryl M. said...

I can't remember the last thing I laughed about with a friend but we always seem to laugh about the things our husbands say and di

I am a subscriber.

I am a Facebook fan.

jeryl.marcus@gmail.com

Lucie Simone said...

I am lucky to share many laughs with my friends. But yesterday, I was telling a friend how my cat would park his behind on my desk right in front of my computer screen when he wanted attention. She said he was just letting me know when it was time to take a break because he truly has my best interests at heart. LOL.

I follow on FB & Twitter & will post this to both.

Lalucie at sbcglobal.net

BRN2SHOP9 said...

The last thing I laughed about was that I bought a nut mix to bring to a different friends house. The friend is completely certifiable. Didn't even realize it when I bought it. Another friend pointed it out and we cracked up!

I follow via gfc, twitter and facebook.

brn2shop9 at aol.com

Nina said...

Love the cover of the book! Perfect chick-lit cover! :)
And the last thing I laughed about with a friend...probably was about how excited I got over a new "16 & Pregnant: Where Are They Now" being on tonight...I can't help myself!! ;)
nina565(at)aol(dot)com

Maureen said...

We laughed about our crazy families.
I follow on GFC
Tweet: https://twitter.com/#!/MaureenCE/status/182208282138644480
mce1011 AT aol DOT com

Kristen said...

Most recently? That her toddler/my goddaughter recently discovered how much fun it is to draw on yourself with markers. Whoops!

I follow with FB and email!

kly(dot)327(at)gmail.com

Linda Kish said...

It's not funny to anyone but my sister and me but she always said she was the same height as I am. I told her to get measured at the doctor's office which she did, with her shoes on of course. It still made her shorter than I am by an inch. She had met a guy online. She asked me if I knew what his nickname for her was and I quickly responded 'shorty'. I thought it was so funny. She laughed too because it was such a fast response. You had to be there.

lkish77123 at gmail dot com

bn100 said...

Very nice interview. We laughed about the weather and how it was sunny where I was and very cold where she was.

I follow the blog.

Thanks for the giveaway.

bn100candg(at)hotmail(dot)com

Booksnyc said...

I love this cover!

I recently laughed with one of my college friends about how we were going to storm our other friends wedding because she claimed she wanted to elope with no one else there and we weren't having it! Maybe you had to be there . . . but we couldn't stop laughing at the mental picture we created!

Thanks for hosting this giveaway: booksncity (at) gmail (dot) com

I am a follower

jennyjend said...

I love Rowan Colemans work!

I am a follower of Chick lit central

I am also friends on FB

jmndowning@gmail.com

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

The last thing I laughed about with a friend is this weird accent thing we do. It's a cross between Borat and... ok, well I think it's full on Borat. It's hilarious! (to us, and probably only us)

I'm a follower!

I'm a fan on FB!

amber_johnson2004 at yahoo dot com

Erica said...

The last thing I laughed about with a friend was about a crazy co-worker. Almost mean but not quite ... you had to be there I guess.

I am a follower.

wordywon AT gmail DOT com

karenk said...

thanks for the chance to read this fabulous novel

i'm a follower, too

karenk
kmkuka at yahoo dot com

Susan @ The Book Bag said...

When my best friend, my sister and I were about 11 or 12, years and years ago, I was trying to put a sheet on a bed and was getting frustrated. What I meant to yell out was 'dumb bottom sheet' but what came out was 'dumb bum s**t'. (we were not supposed to say 'that' word!) We laughed so hard that day and now all one of has to do is say that phrase again and we just lose it! :^)

I am a GFC follower and follow on FB.

suzebomb(at)gmail.com