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Thursday, December 20, 2012

Samantha March has your ticket to holiday fun...plus a book giveaway

 **Giveaway is now closed**

Today we welcome Samatha March and her second novel The Green Ticket. Samantha March is an author, editor, publisher, blogger, and all around book lover. She runs the popular book/women’s lifestyle blog ChickLitPlus, which keeps her bookshelf stocked with the latest reads and up-to-date on all things health, fitness, fashion, and celebrity related. In 2011, she launched her independent publishing company Marching Ink and her debut novel Destined to Fail. When she isn’t reading, writing, or blogging, you can find her cheering for the Green Bay Packers.

You can find Samantha on Facebook, Twitter, at Chick Lit Plus (her blog), Goodreads and her website

Thanks to Samantha we have TWO e-copies of The Green Ticket to give away to some lucky readers anywhere in the world.

How did you get into the world of blogging and eventually create Chick Lit Plus? And then what made you decide to become a writer?
They are all connected actually. When I finally decided to do something about my writing (being an author was a goal I gave myself at age nine) I followed my mom’s advice: It’s not what you know, it’s who you know. I thought making some connections in the industry would be valuable, so I decided to start a book blog. Chick Lit Plus was started in October 2009, and I definitely made some great connections! I had a great support group around me that was full of encouragement, advice, and plenty of authors to bounce questions off of when I finally finished my debut DESTINED TO FAIL. My road would have been a lot longer and more challenging if I didn’t have CLP, and I firmly believe that.

Where do you get your ideas from for your novels?
From real life. DESTINED TO FAIL was slightly based on my life, and THE GREEN TICKET has elements from my life, friends’ life, and acquaintances stories that I’ve heard. I love being in places where I can just listen – from a friend’s house to the hairdressers. You never know what you’ll hear and how you can turn that into a novel.

If The Green Ticket were made into a movie, who would you cast in the lead roles?
Fun! For Alex, I would say Emma Stone – as a red head of course! I think Julianne Hough would make a cute Lila. For Hannah, maybe one of the Fanning sisters. It would be fun to see Alyson Hannigan as Allie. And if he was an actor, I would have to Tim Tebow would make a mighty fan Henry ;)

Can you share any writing advice?
The biggest one is just to write – everyday if you can. And that doesn’t have to be for a book. Write in a journal, write a blog post, write an email!

How do you celebrate the holidays? Any family traditions?
Our holiday’s can be a bit tricky, as I live in Iowa with my fiancé and my family is stationed in North Carolina. If it works out (ie – plane tickets aren’t crazy expensive) we travel there for a few days, but usually we celebrate with my fiancé’s family, who also lives in Iowa. My favorite tradition that we started is find the pickle – love the name! My mother-in-law hides a pickle ornament in the Christmas tree, and us six kids have to search for it. The one who finds it wins a prize. I won last year, and received a candy dish with a big ole bag of jelly beans in it!

What is your favorite thing to eat during the holiday season?
Everything? I love turkey and I am really getting into cheesecake lately!

What is your favorite holiday movie?
ELF!

Do you have any new year's resolutions? If so can you share two?
Ooh, let’s see. My first will be to eat better. We are planning on buying a house next year and hopefully it will have a nice big kitchen so I can enjoy cooking meals. Another would be to make sure I get “Samantha time.” Running a business on top of working a full-time job can be stressful, and I want to make sure I get enough time to just relax once it a while.

Thanks to Samantha for chatting with us and sharing her book with our readers.


How to win The Green Ticket:
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 your favorite thing to eat during the holiday season?
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. Follow us on Twitter and/or Pinterest.
6. Add a friend to our Facebook group. (Tell us who you added.) Be sure to remind them to edit their settings.


Giveaway ends December 26th at midnight EST

Chick Lit is Not Dead is also doing a giveaway for this novel. (Ends 12/23.)

28 comments:

  1. Great writing advice!

    I love to eat all the different homemade Christmas cookies!

    I follow

    marthalynn16 at gmail

    ReplyDelete
  2. I love eating Povitica at Christmas time. It is crazy hard and time consuming to make so I literally only get it once a year!

    dawndennis66611 at yahoo dot com

    ReplyDelete
  3. Chocolate cake. Sometimes it'll even be those Christmas log cakes.

    Cambonified(at)yahoo(dot)com

    ReplyDelete
  4. Eating...I can't think about it. I MUST NOT INDULGE! lol

    bridgett_gx@yahoo.com

    ReplyDelete
  5. 1. Green bean casserole! I only like the way my mom makes it. Normally I hate canned green beans but they taste so good in this casserole.
    2. I follow this blog through GFC.
    3. I tweeted this. https://twitter.com/xxpaperhearts/status/281837627466973184
    4. I'm a member of Chick Lit Central on facebook.
    5. I follow through twitter and pinterest. twitter username= xxpaperhearts

    Thanks!
    -Jessica M
    walkingcorpse11@hotmail.com

    ReplyDelete
  6. I love eating candy canes.

    gfc follower

    Skk25@aol.com

    ReplyDelete
  7. My favorite things to eat during the holidays are sweet potatoes (made the unhealthy way!) and green bean casserole!

    I follow on Twitter, GFC and FB.
    missamberljohnson at gmail dot com

    ReplyDelete
  8. 1. My fave thing to eat. There are so many things, but one of my faves are rolls that my Aunt Judy makes. People actually stuff extras in their coat pockets when they leave!
    2. I follow the blog on Google
    3. retweeted link tinyurl.com/cvxvger

    4. i am a member on facebook
    5. and follow on Twitter

    jacadams at yahoo.com

    ReplyDelete
  9. It is definitely my Christmas fudge!

    I follow on FB, email and Twitter.

    mryward(at)yahoo(dot)com

    ReplyDelete
  10. sparkle40175@hotmail.com
    I follow blog by email & GFC.
    I follow CLC on facebook.
    I follow CLC on pinterest.
    I love to eat cookies we make, especially chocolate pinwheels .

    ReplyDelete

  11. Anything gingerbread!

    I follow the webpage and through twitter, and am also a member on the facebook page:)

    wapneski@yahoo.com

    ReplyDelete
  12. I love me some cherry cream cheese pies. Delicious!
    I follow on facebook @jstarr09 and twitter @jstarr09

    ReplyDelete

  13. 1. Box of chocolates

    2. Already Follow

    4. Already Joined

    5. Follow on Twitter

    k_duncan21@yahoo.com

    ReplyDelete
  14. I love eating sugar cookies and fudge during the holidays.

    I am follower via email

    Follow on Twitter
    Follow on FB (Fan)
    Follow on Piniterest

    Jill at Seaside Book Nook

    Seasidebooknook at yahoo dot com

    ReplyDelete
  15. I am one of the few who really likes fruitcake. It's a once a year thing thankfully.

    I follow by email, GFC, twitter, FB.

    wordywon at gmail dot com

    ReplyDelete
  16. Like Erica, I like fruitcake.

    I am a GFC follower

    lkish77123 at gmail dot com

    ReplyDelete
  17. This sounds like an intriguing book. I have seen quite a few good reviews. Happy Holidays!
    -favorite food around Holidays, apple pie with ice cream
    -email subscriber
    -Facebook fan
    mtakala1 AT yahoo DOT com

    ReplyDelete
  18. Well my fav food to eat during Holidays would be...ANY FOOD really!!! LOL. Well ok, mostly cake and cookies..homemade. MMMMMM, can't wait!

    Happy Holidays guys and have a great and prosperous New Year:)

    I'm a GFC and twitter follower
    e-mail: love2slim(AT)yahoo(DOT)com

    Thank you Samantha for this awesome giveaway, I can't wait to read your book, this one as well as "Destined to Fall" cause I've heard great things about it..and thank you Chicklit central for being so awesome..as always:)

    ReplyDelete
  19. I love the fruit. It's Summer here in Australia, so we have all the mangoes, cherries, peaches etc.

    GFC & FB: Mary Preston

    marypres(AT)gmail(DOT)com

    ReplyDelete
  20. Gingerbread. Love it!

    -blog follower
    -tweeted
    -member of CLC group on fb
    -follower on twitter & pinterest

    Margaret
    singitm(at)hotmail(dot)com

    ReplyDelete
  21. Nice inspiration for the book.

    I like to eat chocolate chip cookies.

    I follow the blog.

    bn100candg(at)hotmail(dot)com

    ReplyDelete
  22. Nice inspiration for the book.

    I like to eat chocolate chip cookies.

    I follow the blog.

    bn100candg(at)hotmail(dot)com

    ReplyDelete
  23. I love to eat my cutout cookies and pretzels with caramel melted inside, the perfect combo of salty and sweet!

    I follow the blog
    I'm a member of CLC on Facebook
    I follow on twitter

    Bjoneill@hotmail.com

    ReplyDelete
  24. I love eating candy canes.

    I follow via gfc, twitter and facebook.

    brn2shop9@aol.com

    ReplyDelete
  25. I love pecan pie. Delicious!

    sendsusanmail AT gmail DOT COM

    I follow the CLC blog, Facebook, and twitter.

    I tweet this contest at susieqlaw.

    I am in the USA.

    ReplyDelete
  26. Oh my goodness what don't I like to eat is the better question to ask!! LOL I'm a sucker for any sweets! I could skip meals and eat sweets all day! Christmas is a great time when special treats are made!! Chex Mix with white chocolate smothered over it!! I'm there!!
    I follow CLC in email blog and Pinterest
    I'm in the USA
    itzhunic@hotmailDOTcom
    As always I deeply appreciate the generosity of authors doing giveaways!! TY TY
    Lauren

    ReplyDelete
  27. My favorite thing to eat frosted sugar cookies.

    I am a GFC Follower.

    Like you on facebook.

    pbclark(at)netins(dot)net

    ReplyDelete