Thursday, August 27, 2015

Elisabeth Egan's "Glamour"-ous life...plus a book giveaway

I can’t remember the last time I read Glamour magazine. This may seem like a truly random statement to be starting out the beginning of an introduction, but it really isn’t, since our guest author today is the Books Editor at Glamour.

In addition to Glamour, Elisabeth Egan’s essays and book reviews have appeared in other publications such as Self, O, People, Publishers Weekly, Huffington Post and Chicago Tribune…. just to name a few. Today, she is celebrating the release of her debut novel, A Window Opens. Elisabeth lives in New Jersey with her family. You can find her at her website, Facebook, and Twitter.

So, without further ado, please give a warm Chick Lit Central welcome to Elisabeth Egan.

Thanks to BookSparks, we have one copy of A Window Opens for a lucky US reader. 

Check out a review by our Author Liaison, Cindy Roesel.

How did being the Books Editor at Glamour magazine impact your writing as an author? 
My job at Glamour made me aware of exactly how many books are published every year. On good days, this gave me hope that mine would be published, too. In low moments, I’d look at the stacks of galleys on my desk and the piles of envelopes waiting to be opened and I felt like I was staring down a long tunnel. Luckily, I’m surrounded by smart, fun colleagues who are the perfect antidote to lonely days of writing—when you’re in my office, it’s hard to feel discouraged for long.

Where does the inspiration for your writing come from? 
From my own life, mostly. Not always from my own experiences, but from conversations I’ve overheard, people I’ve observed at the grocery store, situations I’m curious about. For instance, I grew up near the Thomas Edison Museum and I’ve always loved his mad genius ways—so I had my main character’s mother work at the museum in A Window Opens. This gave me an excuse to learn a little more. For instance, did you know that Edison proposed to his first wife by Morse Code?

What are three things you always have with you when you write? 
My laptop, my red earbuds and (depending on the time of day) a cup of coffee, a can of seltzer or a glass of wine. I used to eat gummy bears but had to cut back.

If money were’t an issue and you had 48 hours to do whatever you wanted, what would you do? 
I’d plan a whirlwind family trip to the Grand Canyon with my family. The itinerary would include hiking, horseback riding, napping on a warm rock and reading. If my personality weren’t an issue, we’d camp under the stars; but in reality, we’d bunk in a luxurious lodge with delicious food and high-end bedding. The soundtrack would be James Taylor meets the Indigo Girls meets 10,000 Maniacs and nobody would make fun of me for listening to music from another century.

What are your three favorite memories from the summer of 2015? 
The time I took a moonlit stroll on the beach with my sister; the time I stayed at the pool until it closed; the time we finished shipping the September issue and I fell asleep on the front porch after dinner.

My all-time favorite meal is: 
Sushi with chocolate cake for dessert.

Thanks to Elisabeth for visiting with us and BookSparks for sharing her book with our readers as part of their 2015 Summer Reading Challenge (#SRC2015).

~Introduction and interview by Tracey Meyers

How to win: Use Rafflecopter to enter the giveaway. If you have any questions, feel free to contact us. If you have trouble using Rafflecopter on our blog, enter the giveaway here.

a Rafflecopter giveaway


US only. Giveaway ends September 1st at midnight EST.

27 comments:

Janine said...

My favorite meal is a tie between Italian and seafood

Unknown said...

Filet, roasted veggies and Caesar salad! Love Glamour Magazine and can't wait to read this book. I've heard so many good things about it.

Patricia said...

Either homemade gnocchi (made by my Italian grandmother) or paella (made by my Spanish grandmother).

Unknown said...

Comfort meal is meatloaf, mashed potatoes with gravy, and corn. Fancy meal is sauteed scallops, rare prime rib, (my version of surf and turf) and salad with bleu cheese dressing.

Suburban prep said...

I like stuffed shells with spinach . I love a tomato mozzarella salad before hand and some creme brulee for dessert.

Liz Parker said...

That's a tough question. Mushroom pizza is one of my fave quick meals but chicken marsala is also one of myf avorites.

jpetroroy said...

Spaghetti and meatballs.

AiringMyLaundry said...

It depends on my mood: sometimes I want a big plate of pasta. Other times I want fried chicken.

bn100 said...

pizza

Grandma Cootie said...

Always pizza, but nachos is a close second.

Anonymous said...

I love eggplant parmigiana.

Suzy

Anonymous said...

Thanksgiving meal with the turkey and everything else that goes with the traditional meal.

Anita Yancey said...

My favorite meal is spaghetti and meat balls.

Jennifer said...

Pizza or some type of pasta with lots of cheese.

Rita Wray said...

My favorite meal is a roast, potatoes and green beans.

StephTheBookworm said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
StephTheBookworm said...

My favorite meal is Alfredo!

susieqlaw said...

Spaghetti

Melissa Seng said...

lasagna!

Terri. said...

Chicken Fettuccine Alfredo with broccoli. OMG! YUM!!

Carol Fragale Brill said...

all-time fav is a family tradition we call Baked Macaroni-pasta, pepperoni, 3 cheeses, mini-meatballs- YUM, my grandmothers recipe...I blogged about it at http://www.4broadminds.blogspot.com/2011/12/meatball-wars-and-other-holiday.html

Anonymous said...

Loved her 'dream vacation' lol great post!

&my fav meal is authentic fettuccine Alfredo! YUM.

TinaB said...

My fave meal is Thanksgiving....turkey, dressing, mac & cheese, green beans, pumpkin pie!

Unknown said...

Prime Rib!!!

Jackie Bouchard said...

Great interview. Yum - sushi and chocolate cake would be good, but my fave is pizza (my hubby makes killer pizza) and ice cream for dessert!

Bonnie K. said...

That's tough. I love many dishes of many different regions. I would have to say a favorite of both my husband and mine would be beef stroganoff although I have cooked it using venison.

bluedawn95864 at gmail dot com

traveler said...

A Mediterranean meal, Italian . saubleb(at)gmail(dot)com