Friday, February 8, 2013

Megan Caldwell is the "fare"-est of them all...plus a book giveaway

**Giveaway is now closed**

We don't know about you, but the idea of combining books and chocolate chip cookies is a dream come true for us! So the cover of Megan Caldwell's latest novel (her first using this last name), Vanity Fare, is definitely enticing to us! And who can go wrong with a story involving a bakery? You know she's going to be mentioning some other tasty treats!

Megan Caldwell grew up in a remote town in New Hampshire where she devoured every book of fiction in her well-read parents' library. (Sounds like a good fit for our site!) An English literature major at Barnard College with double minors in political science and religion, Megan wrote and edited reviews for a music industry magazine for fifteen years. Eventually, she became editor-in-chief and went on to develop conference programs for the industry. Now she is the community manager for Heroes and Heartbreakers, a romance novel website, where she blogs daily, as Megan Frampton, about the fiction she reads. She lives in Brooklyn with her husband and son.

Megan can be found at her website, Facebook and  Twitter.

Thanks to HarperCollins we have FIVE copies of Vanity Fare for some lucky US readers.

In three sentences tell us why we should read Vanity Fare.
Molly, the heroine, is not perfect, but she is snarky. She’s got great friends, a good sense of humor, and some foxy guys to look at. Plus....food!

Where and when do you prefer to do your writing?
I write after work, from about 5:30-whenever I have to feed my husband and son. I work in a small room upstairs in my house, inconveniently far away from where the hot tea is kept.

If you gave one of your characters an opportunity to speak for themselves, what would they say?
Molly has had her say all throughout Vanity Fare, so she has to be quiet now. Simon, one of the foxy guys Molly has chasing her, might offer some guidelines for how best to admire his fantastic good looks. In a Powerpoint presentation.

If Vanity Fare were made into a movie, whom would you cast in the lead roles?
Simon could be played by Hugh Dancy, Nick by Richard Armitage (w/an American accent), whereas Molly could be played by Maggie Gyllenhaal or Tina Fey.

Funniest thing that happened to you recently:
This is a hard one! Most of the funny things that happen to me are things I write for my characters. The real-life funny things involve the spillage of hot beverages and my son, who’s 13, being a wiseass.

Where would you like to travel and why?
London. For the accents, the beer, and the chance to buy Doc Martens.

Biggest addiction/vice?
British accents, beer, and books.

Are there any authors that have grasped your interest recently and why?
I read for work (I community manage a romance novel site), so I am constantly reading. My most recent read is Darynda Jones’s Third Grave Dead Ahead, which is an urban fantasy with the Grim Reaper as its lead character. Charley Davidson, the Reaper in question, is unbelievably snarky and smartass, and I love her.

Thanks to Megan for visiting with us and to HarperCollins for sharing her book with our readers.

How to win Vanity Fare:
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 funniest thing that has happened to you recently?
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.


US only. Giveaway ends February 13th at midnight EST.

21 comments:

TinaB said...

I'd love to win a copy! I follow u on fb and pinterest!
Brannanflooring@aol.com

Book Mama said...

The funniest thing that happened to me was falling down in the snow while walking out to the mailbox. YIKES!

I follow this blog.

I posted this contest on my FB page :)

I'm a member of CLC on FB

I added a few friends to the CLC site too :)

mengel2(at)nycap(dot)rr(dot)com

Lauren McCormick said...

While I know my life is full of funny things happening, because i do laugh and giggle a lot, I can't seem to come up with one to share at the moment. I apologize.
I am looking forward to reading this book and winning it would be excellent!
I follow CLC blog, on Facebook and Pinterest, also by email.
I will share on Facebook.
itzhunicAThotmailDOTcom

Lisamarie said...

I agree..what a great combination chocolate chip cookies & books. Love the cover...Can't wait to read about Molly.

I'm a CLC blog follower, CLC member on FB, Twitter & Pinterst.

Sue G. said...

1. I was at the high school basketball game (where my girls cheer) and the game was getting intense. I started blowing bubbles with my gum and one time I blow the gum right out of my mouth two rows down. At least it didn't hit any one and everyone around me saw!

2. I follow this blog.

4. I'm a fan on facebook.

Thanks for the chance to win.

suegaluska (at) yahoo (dot) com

Maureen said...

I left my sister's bathroom with toilet paper attached to my foot.
I follow on GFC - Maureen
twitter - @MaureenCE
tweet: https://twitter.com/MaureenCE/status/299989352841367552
mce1011 AT aol DOT com

Jessica said...

1. This is something kinda funny that I did yesterday. I told this guy I would get him an Asiago bagel from Panera Bread. I went there and saw they had Asiago Cheese bagels but I didn't get him one b/c he just said 'asiago' and I thought it was the wrong thing. I was so stupid and didn't realize asiago is a type of cheese. He probably thinks I'm so dumb, haha.
2. I follow this blog through GFC.
3. I tweeted this. https://twitter.com/xxpaperhearts/status/299990689675083776
4. I'm a member of Chick Lit Central on facebook.
5. I follow through twitter and pinterest.

Thanks!
-Jessica M
walkingcorpse11@hotmail.com

Nova said...

Funniest thing recently was me yelling upstairs for one of my boys; and I didn't know that he had stepped outside! he opened the door and scared me so bad I jumped.
sparkle40175@hotmail.com
I follow CLC blog by email.
I follow CLC blog with GFC.
I follow CLC on pinterest.
I liked CLC on facebook.

Mrs Mommy Booknerd said...

Funniest thing that happened lately was when I slipped in the ice and instead if falling I did this storage dance like thing....funniest part was A LOT of people was it and clapped!

I follow here, Facebook, Pinterest

Mrsmommybooknerdsbookreviews at gmail dot com

pascale said...

funniest thing: had a conversation with my husband and he was not here.. snuck out?
love fiction and food: my absolute favorite.
I love and follow this blog and a member on FB
pascale.poitras@verizon.net

bn100 said...

Nothing funny recently happened.

I follow the blog.

bn100candg(at)hotmail(dot)com

Margay Leah Justice said...

I haven't really had anything funny happen to me lately.

I follow this blog.

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

A third grader asked me if I was Nicki Minaj! Clearly I look nothing like Nicki Minaj so it made me laugh so hard!

I'm a follower on CLC, GFC, FB and twitter.

missamberljohnson at gmail dot com

Linda Kish said...

I would love to read this book.

Nothing funny as happened to me lately.

I am a GFC follower

lkish77123 at gmail dot com

karenk said...

thanks for the chance to read this wonderful story.

i'm a follower, too

karenk
kmkuka at yahoo dot com

Unknown said...

This isn't recent, but funny nonetheless. When my daughter was potty training a couple of months ago, she locked herself in the bathroom. After asking repeatedly if she needed any help, she said, "For crying out loud, I'm fine!" She repeats a lot of what we say. We have to watch what we say around her!

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

bjoneill@hotmail.com

rubynreba said...

The funniest thing was when I woke up in the night last night and my cat was under the covers with me. She has never done this and it kind of scared me!

I am a follower.

Facebook friend.

pbclark(at)netins(dot)net

Erica said...

Not exactly funny but here goes ... I came back Sunday evening from the weekend away to find I'd locked one of my 3 cats in the closet.Luckily he was fine but obviously bored because the other cats had some of their toy mice under the door.

I follow the blog, also by email FB and twitter.

wordywon at gmail dot com

Lisamarie said...

I agree..what a great combination chocolate chip cookies & books. Love the cover...Can't wait to read about Molly.

I'm a CLC blog follower, CLC member on FB, Twitter & Pinterst.
tropicalsunlover05(at)yahoo(dot)com

Jeryl M. said...

Funny things happen around here almost every day. The funniest thing that happened recently was that in addition to Mommy, Daddy, her big sister and all the kids in her class, my younger daughter made Valentine's for our cat and for each of her two fish.

I am a subscriber.

I am a Facebook fan.

I am a Twitter and Pinterest follower.

jeryl.marcus@gmail.com

Melissa said...

Thanks for participating and making us laugh with your funny stories!

Thanks also to Megan for visiting with us and HarperCollins for sharing "Vanity Fare" with our winners.

Random.org has chosen from all entries with contact info.

Congrats to:

28 - Nova

23- Jessica

38 - pascale

53 - karenk

64 - rubynreba