Karma Brown is living in the moment...plus a book giveaway

We are always glad to feature Karma Brown's novels, as Come Away with Me made it to Melissa A's 2015 favorites list and she was impressed by the powerful follow-up, The Choices We Make. After reading her latest novel, In This Moment, Melissa A sees Karma on the path to becoming the next Jodi Picoult. See her review to find out why. Lucky for you, Karma has a signed copy to give away!

Karma has always loved the written word. As a kid she could usually be found with her face buried in a book, or writing stories about ice-skating elephants. Now that she’s (mostly) grown up, she’s a bestselling author.

A National Magazine Award winning journalist, Karma has been published in a variety of publications, including SELF, Redbook, Today’s Parent, Best Health, Canadian Living and Chatelaine.

Karma lives just outside Toronto, Canada with her husband, daughter, and a labradoodle named Fred. When not crafting copy or mulling plot lines, she is typically running or working on her downward dog, hanging out with her family, making a mess in the kitchen and checking items off her bucket list. Karma is currently wearing down her laptop’s keyboard writing her next novel.

Visit Karma online:
Website * Facebook * Twitter * Instagram

Synopsis:
Meg Pepper has a fulfilling career and a happy family. Most days she’s able to keep it all together and glide through life. But then, in one unalterable moment, everything changes.

After school pickup one day, she stops her car to wave a teenage boy across the street…just as another car comes hurtling down the road and slams into him.

Meg can’t help but blame herself for her role in this horrific disaster. Full of remorse, she throws herself into helping the boy’s family as he rehabs from his injuries. But the more Meg tries to absolve herself, the more she alienates her own family—and the more she finds herself being drawn to the boy’s father.

Soon Meg’s picture-perfect life is unravelling before her eyes. As the painful secrets she’s been burying bubble dangerously close to the surface, she will have to decide: Can she forgive herself, or will she risk losing everything she holds dear to her heart? (Courtesy of Amazon.)

From Reader to Writer: Imagination, Perseverance, “Always be Learning”

I never planned to become a writer. There was the dream of being a singing duo sensation with my younger sister, despite neither of us being particularly great singers. Then, I imagined a career as a veterinarian, followed not long after by the curious idea of becoming an orthopedic surgeon (math and science are not my forte, I should add). As a teenager I watched Thalia Assuras – a Canadian journalist – deliver the news one evening and that was it; I was going to be a news anchor. That one stuck for a long time, eventually taking me to journalism school where I specialized in broadcasting. A j-school friend even used to refer to me as “Katie,” as in Katie Couric. But in the end I didn’t become a singer, or take care of pets or broken bones, nor did I ever anchor a newscast. Instead, I ended up doing the thing I never imagined: I became a writer.

I’m not sure why writing never occurred to me as a career. After all, I have been a library card-carrying citizen and voracious booklover from the moment I learned to read. I was that kid holed up under the covers with a flashlight and her latest tome, awake long past bedtime to finish just one more chapter. The stacks as my backrest, I would read for hours in the library while my mom grocery shopped. If you give me $100 I will spend it on books before buying anything else. It’s possible I have too many books on my shelf…but only because I’m running out of space to add new ones.

A young woman considering a writing career recently asked what I thought one needed to be successful in this industry. That’s a tricky question, and I’m not sure there’s a good, clean answer (outside of “hard work”), but I offered this: Imagination, perseverance, and an “always be learning” attitude. As well as being a reader first, because if you’ve never cried for a character, laughed at a particularly brilliant piece of dialogue, or had a book hangover, you won’t be able to affect readers in similar ways, no matter how great your prose.

A word on Imagination…
When I was nine I read Natalie Babbitt’s TUCK EVERLASTING, first published in 1975. For those who haven’t read this one, it features 11-year-old Winnie, who meets a curious family – The Tucks – while she’s out exploring the woods near her house, trying to escape her stifling home life. It’s a coming of age story, touching on themes of family, love, loss, death, and immortality (with a hint of fantasy), and it has stayed with me for 35 years and counting. Winnie, who must choose whether or not to drink spring water that will give her immortality, made me question what I would do (at age 9) if faced with a similar choice. I imagined drinking that water, or not … and long after I finished the book my mind continued to spin the “what if…?” questions. (It still does…and I’m still not sure which choice I would have made.)

A word on Perseverance …
Before reading THE IMMORTAL LIFE OF HENRIETTA LACKS by Rebecca Skloot, a science writer, I had no idea who Henrietta Lacks was, or how important her story is to all of us. Henrietta Lacks was a poor, black tobacco farmer who died of cervical cancer in 1951. And the story could have ended there -- Henrietta Lack’s history only relevant to her future family tree -- except that unbeknownst to her (and without her consent) samples of her cells were taken and used in research. Those cells went on to become the first immortal cell line – known as HeLa cells – and have been used in the development of the polio vaccine, for gene mapping, in cancer research, etc. Speaking of perseverance, Skloot spent a decade researching the story of Henrietta Lacks, and tirelessly advocating for the Lacks family. It’s proof that sticking with a story can have an extraordinary impact, and it’s a book I tell everyone they HAVE TO READ.

A word on “Always be learning” …
When I wrote my first novel, which now lives in a folder in my basement, tucked away and gathering dust for eternity, I had no idea what I was doing. I didn’t understand how to craft dialogue, couldn’t explain tension or pacing or character arcs (even though I instinctually understood these things as a lifelong reader), or how to balance what a reader needs to know with what an author longs to share. Appreciating my baby bird author status, I picked up a copy of ON WRITING, by Stephen King. If there’s one book that helped me understand novel writing, it’s this one. Part memoir and part craft book, it’s still my go-to book when I need a refresher and the first book I recommend to anyone hoping to become an author.

Now it’s your turn. Which books have stayed with you, or influenced your life in some way? I’m always adding to my to-be-read list, and will build a new bookshelf if necessary…

Thanks to Karma for sharing her favorite influential books with us and for sharing her own influential book with our readers!

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. 

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Giveaway ends June 4th at midnight EST.

Liz and Lisa's influential stories...plus a book giveaway

Introduction by Melissa Amster

You all probably know by now what a fan-girl I am over Liz Fenton and Lisa Steinke's books. I've met them in person at Book Expos and love how sweet and down-to-earth they are. Their friendship reminds me of what I have with my BFF. We've been friends for almost the same amount of time (25 for them, 30 for us). Also, we both live far apart from each other, but the miles don't matter. 

In the past, their books have covered surreal topics, such as body swapping and time travel. This time around, they've moved their writing in a new direction....suspense. Their latest novel, The Good Widow (reviewed here), takes readers on a trip to Maui in a twisted adventure. Thanks to Goldberg McDuffie, we have THREE copies to give away!

To learn more about what makes Liz and Lisa tick, as well as the history of their friendship, visit them online:
Website 
Facebook 
Twitter 
Instagram 
Pinterest 

Synopsis:
Elementary school teacher Jacqueline “Jacks” Morales’s marriage was far from perfect, but even in its ups and downs it was predictable, familiar. Or at least she thought it was…until two police officers showed up at her door with devastating news. Her husband of eight years, the one who should have been on a business trip to Kansas, had suffered a fatal car accident in Hawaii. And he wasn’t alone.

For Jacks, laying her husband to rest was hard. But it was even harder to think that his final moments belonged to another woman—one who had left behind her own grieving and bewildered fiancé. Nick, just as blindsided by the affair, wants answers. So he suggests that he and Jacks search for the truth together, retracing the doomed lovers’ last days in paradise.

Now, following the twisting path of that fateful road, Jacks is learning that nothing is ever as it seems. Not her marriage. Not her husband. And most certainly not his death…(Courtesy of Goodreads.)

We have both been reading for as long as we can remember. There are so many books that have impacted us, inspired us, challenged us and changed us. Here is a list of the ones that really stand out.

The books that impacted Liz:

*Summer Sisters by Judy Blume

To this day, this amazing novel about friendship remains my all-time favorite. Told in multiple narratives, Blume bridged the gap from adolescence to adult reading seamlessly for me. The friendships she depicted were layered and complicated, just as they are in real life, and continues to inspire the relationships we showcase in our own books.

*Firefly Lane by Kristin Hannah

I remember where I was when I found Firefly Lane. I was on vacation and popped into the B&N in Rancho Mirage, CA. My kids were at that age where they were so cute but incredibly exhausting and I was looking for an easy read while they napped. What I discovered was an amazing tale of a long-term friendship, which reminded me at times of my own with Lisa. I read it again and again until the pages began to fall apart, and still think of it when I'm writing our novels.

*After I Do by Taylor Jenkins Reid

TJR nails the complexities of marriage in this pitch perfect novel. I had been in a writing slump and Taylor's addicting narrative kept me turning the pages and inspired to get back on the computer to finish our own book. And to this day, is the only book I've quoted out loud to my husband. (He totally ignored me, but still!)


The books that impacted Lisa:

*Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing by Judy Blume

I was an avid reader as a child, but it was after finishing this book that I first started dreaming of being an author. The story inspired me to write my first book called, There’s a Jungle in My Closet. That was never published—never even made it out of my spiral notebook. But it was the first of many and I thank Judy Blume for that.

*Eat, Pray, Love by Elizabeth Gilbert

This is the first memoir I’d ever read. And I didn’t just read it once, I read it three times. To date, it’s the only book I’ve read more than twice. As a reader, I connected with the messages in her book and was challenged to be more self-aware. To stop making the same mistakes in relationships, in life. As a writer I was inspired to take more risks, to step outside of my comfort zone.

*Wild by Cheryl Strayed

I was intrigued by all the buzz around this memoir I’d heard everyone from Oprah to my neighbor talking about. I wondered how a story about a woman who’d taken a hike had become watercooler fodder. But once I cracked open the hardback and began reading, it was instantly clear why Cheryl Strayed had captivated the country. Wild is a heart wrenching story that is beautifully written. Her prose inspired me to push my boundaries as a writer—to say more with less words. To work harder to bring readers into the world I was trying to create. To just be better. I’d like to think I am.

A book that impacted both Liz and Lisa:

*Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn

This is the novel that first inspired us to write suspense. After we read Gone Girl, we—like most of the planet—couldn’t stop talking about this book that was so different. That unreliable narrator! That plot! That ending! We started discussing the idea of tackling a new genre. Could we? Would we? The answer was yes! The Good Widow is out on June 1!

Thanks to Liz and Lisa for visiting and to Goldberg McDuffie for sharing their book with our readers.

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. 

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Giveaway ends June 1st at midnight EST.

Em Muslin's favorite escape...plus a special giveaway

Please join us in welcoming Em Muslin to CLC today. She's here to feature her debut novel, Before You Were Mine, and talk about the books that influenced her. And for one lucky reader, she has a $10 Amazon gift card to give away!

Em Muslin has worked in the film and television industry for over 20 years. She first fell in love with reading and writing after experiencing Judith Kerr's When Hitler Stole Pink Rabbit. She hasn't stopped devouring books ever since.

She loves words that capture an experience or emotion in a singular form: her current favourite, describing herself, is nemophilist.

Em's writing career has included developing a script for a stage musical with Tina Turner, and writing a bitter-sweet comedy screenplay, Last Chance Saloon.

Em's writing focuses on the texture of domestic life, relationships, family and the pressures of social convention. Her characters are often fighting to become the hero of their own story, searching for hope, despite the adversities that life inevitably brings.

You can find Em at her website and on Twitter.

Synopsis:
Sometimes hope has a way of changing everything…

Just hours after giving birth, Eli Bell is forced to give up her newborn baby daughter for adoption. Devastated, she tries desperately to rebuild her shattered life.

Then, over thirty years later, Eli catches sight of her daughter. And she knows that she must do everything to find a way back into her life. Even if it means lying…


While her husband Tommy must grow to accept his own part in the events of her early life, he can only try to save her before her obsession with the young woman ruins them both. 

Books that Influenced Me 

The love of stories began, like most people at a very early age. I grew up in a home without a television and surrounded by shelves full of books. I would spend many hours in voluntary solitary confinement curled up under my duvet on whatever adventure I had managed to find at the library that day. Books for me were an escape. They were an extension into a different world. They allowed me to disappear from any difficulties I may be having, and safely hide away with the friends I found on the pages. Books helped me begin to understand the world, my world, and find my identity. They were the lungs that breathed air into my world. They helped me make sense of my place in life and they inspired me, not only to write and read more, but to become the hero of my own story. They taught me to laugh and to love and they taught me to fight when the going got tough. They were the parent that placed their arm around my shoulder and told me never to give up. They were the guiding hand that led me safely down the dark passages when I was too fearful to go alone. Quite simply books moulded me and books made me.

As a young child, I will never forget reading Judith Kerr’s When Hitler Stole Pink Rabbit. Set at the beginning of WWII, it is a story about a young girl called Anna coming to terms with her place in a world where Jews don’t belong. As a Jewish girl, it taught me not only the history of the war, but how a young girl can be brave and survive despite the odds. As I grew up, I moved on to Eli Wiesel’s Night and Primo Levi’s If This Is A Man/The Truce; harrowing true recollections of the holocaust. These are challenging books, but I believe essential reading to anyone – no matter their identity - as they help you understand what is at the heart of humanity and what drives people to act as they do.

Obviously, not all my reading was as heavy as these books. However, they were a fascinating (and often painful) introduction to human nature. Novels such as Rohinton Mistry’s A Fine Balance, Anne Tyler’s Dinner at The Homesick Restaurant, Khaled Hosseini’s The Kite Runner, Elizabeth Strout’s Olive Kitteridge, Jeffrey Euginides' Middlesex, Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie’s Half of a Yellow Sun, Jodi Picoult’s Leaving Time, Julian Barnes’ Levels of Life, Steinbecks’ Pastures of Heaven, Jasmine Warga’s My Heart and Other Black Holes, Joyce Carol Oates’ We Were The Mulvaneys, Anthony Doerr’s All The Light We Cannot See, and many many more, all touched me in different ways. They contain characters who can make you laugh, make you cry, make you think, make you angry. All these characters make you feel something. And that for me is key. These simple words on a page help me emote. They wriggle inside my heart and unpick something that already exists there until my heart bursts with it.

Like music, we can often choose books to suit our mood. It could be the cadence and beauty of the prose, the circumstance the hero finds themselves in, the adversities they face, or simply their sense of humour. These books become our friends.

In my debut novel, Before You Were Mine, the process of writing was similar to how I read. I entered into the psyche of the main character; Eli. I listened to her voice. I thought about what she had to say to me and why. I tried to be her friend and understand her. I hope as readers, you feel able to do the same. That like characters that have put their arms around you, and tell you it is going to be OK, you can do that for her. I hope she touches your heart, like she has touched mine and teaches you something about love, determination and the importance of never losing hope. I hope you become her friend and you in turn hers.

Thanks to Em for visiting with us and sharing a gift card with our readers!

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. 

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Giveaway ends May 29th at midnight EST.

Meet Camille Di Maio's literary friends...plus a book giveaway

We're pleased to have Camille Di Maio here for a visit. Melissa A loved her debut, The Memory of Us (reviewed here), and is excited to start her sophomore novel, Before the Rain Falls. Thanks to Get Red PR, we have one copy to give away!

Camille recently left an award-winning real estate career in San Antonio to become a full-time writer. Along with her husband of 19 years, she home schools their four children. She has a bucket list that is never-ending, and uses her adventures to inspire her writing. She’s lived in Texas, Colorado, Pennsylvania, Virginia, and California, and spends enough time in Hawai’i to feel like a local. She’s traveled to four continents (so far), and met Mother Teresa and Pope John Paul II. She just about fainted when she had a chance to meet her musical idol, Paul McCartney, too. Camille studied political science in college, but found working on actual campaigns much more fun. She overdoses on goodies at farmers markets (justifying them by her support for local bakeries) and belts out Broadway tunes whenever the moment strikes. There’s almost nothing she wouldn’t try, so long as it does’t involve heights, roller skates, or anything illegal. (Bio courtesy of Camille's website.)

Visit Camille online:
Website
Facebook
Twitter
Instagram

Synopsis:
After serving seventy years in prison for the murder of her sister, Eula, Della Lee has finally returned home to the Texas town of Puerto Pesar. She’s free from confinement—and ready to tell her secrets before it’s too late.

She finds a willing audience in journalist Mick Anders, who is reeling after his suspension from a Boston newspaper and in town, reluctantly, to investigate a mysterious portrait of Eula that reportedly sheds tears. He crosses paths with Dr. Paloma Vega, who’s visiting Puerto Pesar with her own mission: to take care of her ailing grandmother and to rescue her rebellious younger sister before something terrible happens. Paloma and Mick have their reasons to be in the hot, parched border town whose name translates as “Port of Regret.” But they don’t anticipate how their lives will be changed forever.

Moving and engrossing, this dual story alternates between Della’s dark ordeals of the 1940s and Paloma and Mick’s present-day search for answers―about roots, family, love, and what is truly important in life. (Synopsis courtesy of Amazon.)

My Books as My Friends

I was the kid with the teeth that earned me the nickname of “Vampire”. The glasses that could have helped you see Haley’s Comet in perfect clarity. The shyness that had me hiding in the library at recess.

In every scenario, I would have chosen books over people. People were fickle, confusing, and often mean. Books were full of adventure, travel, and interesting characters.

I worked my way through all of the Nancy Drews, Bobsey Twins, and Trixie Beldens, so much so that that Sr. Charles Marie, the librarian, called my parents in to discuss her concern that I might have a criminal mind. (Why she didn’t think, instead, that maybe I was destined to be a detective, still baffles me.)

It was in that library in Aurora, Colorado, where I discovered that books held the key to be transported nearly anywhere and where friends were found in the black ink on a white page.
My friends were named Anne (with an E), Pollyanna, and Jane Eyre. I learned something from each of them.

From Anne Shirley of Anne of Green Gables, I learned that an imagination was something to nurture. Anne dreamed big and believed that all things were possible. She bucked social norms and forged her own path. Instead of bowing down to everyone’s expectations, she stayed true to herself and changed the hearts of those around her.

So I dreamed big. I dreamed that I would be a writer even as people told me that it was difficult and the road laced with rejection. They were right. But I dreamed it anyway. And it came true.

From Pollyanna, I learned to play The Glad Game. I developed an attitude of gratitude before that was a popular phrase. If anything unpleasant came my way, I found something in it to be glad about. A red light? I’m glad I didn’t get a green – maybe there would have been an accident up ahead. A thunderstorm cancelled our plans? I glad I’d get the chance to dance in the rain. (Literally. I love to toss off my shoes and run outside and pretend that I’m in some romantic movie scene.) My parents moved us in the middle of my junior year across country from a beloved city to a tiny rural town? Ok. That one was a little tough to get over, but I found my gladness – hitting highway 83 to make monthly trips to Washington, DC, where I eventually met my future husband.

From Jane Eyre, I learned stamina. Despite her love for Mr. Rochester, she ran away from his pleading heart when she discovered that he was already married. It took amazing fortitude to do what she felt was right and she paid a price for it. But she laid groundwork for me to be strong when faced with moral challenges.

There were many others over the years. In fact, in nearly every book I’ve read – and there are hundreds and hundreds and hundreds behind me now – I have learned something from a character or situation that has shaped me. As a person. As a writer.

My new dream is to write characters who have a similar impact to others. To let my books give what I’ve been given.

And who are we kidding? I also dream of living in front of an ocean and having a perpetual supply of guava juice in my refrigerator. Perhaps Anne will be my next door neighbor and we will make cakes that don’t include mice in the batter and dye our hair green.

Until then, I’ll continue to live inside the pages.

Thanks to Camille for visiting with us and to Get Red PR for sharing her book with our readers.

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. 

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Giveaway ends May 23rd at midnight EST.

A toast to Glynis Astie...plus a special giveaway

We're glad to have Glynis Astie back at CLC to promote her fourth book in the French Twist series, French Roast. In honor of our "Books that made an impact" theme, she's here to talk about the special books in her life. She's also giving away an e-book set of her series and a $20 Amazon gift card (two winners will be chosen)!

Glynis never expected in her wildest dreams to be a writer. After thirteen years in the Human Resources Industry, she decided to stay at home with her two amazing sons. Ever in search of a project, she was inspired to write the story of how, in only six short months, she met and married her wonderfully romantic French husband, Sebastien. The end result became her first novel, French Twist.

As this was just the beginning of their epic love story, Glynis continued to chronicle their adventures in the sequel, French Toast, and the final installment in the series, French Fry. After she finished milking her life story for all it was worth, she decided to write straight-up fiction with Gamer Girl, which infused her beloved chick lit with a hint of fantasy. She then realized there were a few ounces left in her real-life French fairy tale, and added French Roast to the mix. She is currently considering writing a prequel to the series, and is therefore questioning her definition of “final installment.”

When Glynis is not writing, she is trying to keep the peace amongst the three men and two cats in her life, finding missing body parts (Lego pieces are small!), supervising a myriad of homework assignments and keeping a tenuous hold on her sanity by consuming whatever chocolate is in the vicinity. 

Visit Glynis at her website, Facebook, Twitter, and Pinterest.

Synopsis of French Roast (may contain spoilers for the other books):
Sydney Durand, the quirky yet lovable heroine of the French Twist series, is back for one final installment in a very special novella.

As the wife of a gorgeous and romantic Frenchman and the mother of the most angelic boy ever, Sydney is living a life of sheer perfection. She’s gone through quite a bit to achieve this charmed life, and now nothing is going to bring her down. Or so she thinks.

Just when Sydney’s happiness is at its height, an unexpected event throws her life into chaos, threatening her happily ever after. With her tight-knit family in danger of falling apart, she suddenly finds herself longing for the days of dating disasters and unsolicited (and embarrassing!) advice from her wise-cracking father. At least those humiliations would be easier to take than the devastation now enveloping her heart.

Will she be able to find the strength her parents have always fought to instill in her, or will she spiral into the void of her always-lurking anxiety? Sydney’s challenge is to survive...or roast...

What I've Learned Through Books

Though I have only been writing for the past few years, I have long held a great love of books. From Curious George to Little House on the Prairie, my childhood was filled with tales of all kinds, each one inspiring me in a different way. I truly believe there is a lesson to be learned from everything and have found books to be exceptional educators. Here are a few of my favorites:

Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen
Besides learning about good old-fashioned romance, there are deeper teachings at play. We all know the importance of pride—taking pride in your work, in your appearance, in yourself as a whole—but we often forget how easily pride can go awry. Not to mention the danger of prejudice. How easy is it to take our preconceived ideas and believe them to be true, when there is actually no basis in fact? (I think of it as a misguided mental shortcut. We have so much thinking to do, it’s natural to want to cut corners somewhere.) Mr. Darcy and Elizabeth were both rather impressive—and amusing—in their delivery of these faults, but thankfully they found some sense in the end.

Anne of Green Gables by L.M. Montgomery
I dove into Anne’s adventures at an early age and was quickly mesmerized by her bravery, her dedication and her cherished belief that each day brought a fresh start. (Fun fact: I used to think I needed red hair to evince these characteristics. For nearly the entirety of the eight book series, if you must know.) I was pretty shy as a kid, so when I was faced with tackling an obstacle, I would do my best to channel my inner Anne. I may not have reached new heights in terms of being fearless, but I was able to explore many things outside of my comfort zone—which was good enough for me. Thank you, Anne!

Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte
When I first read this brilliant work, I thought the world was an insane place. Why would millions of people love a story filled with so much pain and emotional turmoil? What was the lesson in all this chaos? I may have needed a little guidance to understand the reasoning, but in the end, I was able to appreciate the endurance Jane exhibited throughout her challenging life. To have gone through so much difficulty with such strength and grace is something to be celebrated. And definitely something to aspire to in your own life.

Tales of the City by Armistead Maupin
My mother fell in love with San Francisco the late 60s, when she was fortunate enough to spend a few years soaking up the sunshine and the beautiful scenery. I used to love hearing stories from those days, wishing I could have tagged along for her delightful rambles. When I stumbled upon the start of Armistead Maupin’s famed series, I was instantly reminded of my mother’s fun-filled California days. From the very beginning, I was drawn to the world of Michael Tolliver and Mary Ann Singleton—laughing as Michael tried to guide Mary Ann out of her closely-guarded shell and as Mary Ann tried to keep Michael from eradicating his completely. I sent my mother a copy immediately, knowing she would enjoy it as much as I did. She always had an appreciation for different cultures, beliefs and lifestyles and she reveled in the idea that everyone could get along, teaching each other as they went—exactly what the series touted. Our shared love of this series left me with a courageous heart, an open mind and the will to chase my own dreams to California.

Oh the Places You’ll Go! by Dr. Seuss
I have always been a big fan of Dr. Seuss—the rhyming, the addictive rhythm of the words, the delightful illustrations and the heartfelt messages. This book is a pure work of genius in my opinion. How scary can a journey be if Dr. Seuss is giving you a pep talk along the way? All the basics are outlined nicely—you’ll have a lot of choices, you’ll have to work hard, you might get scared, but think of all the amazing things you can do! And most importantly: don’t give up. I’m sure it won’t shock you to learn that I still pull out my battered copy and read through it when I’m thinking of doing something which just happens to scare the crap out of me. Guess what? After my heart-to-heart with the good doctor, I’m all set. Every. Single. Time.

I could go on and on (and on!) about wisdom I have gleaned from a collection of incredible books, but I thought you might appreciate the condensed version—after all, you have your own places to go. (Ha!) Plus, I would really like to hear about how your favorite books have impacted your life. Please fill me in below!

Thanks to Glynis for visiting with us and for sharing such awesome prizes with our readers.

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. 

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Giveaway ends May 21st at midnight EST.

Orly Konig goes the distance...plus a book giveaway

We're pleased to introduce Orly Konig today and feature her debut novel, The Distance Home. Melissa A was thrilled to find out that Orly lives in a neighboring town and hopes to meet her soon. They can talk about the joys of having curly hair in person. She's here to talk about what inspires her to write.

Orly Konig is an escapee from the corporate world where she spent roughly sixteen (cough) years working in the space industry. Now she spends her days chatting up imaginary friends, drinking entirely too much coffee, and negotiating writing space around two over-fed cats.

She is a co-founder and past president of the Women’s Fiction Writers Association, and an active member of Writers In The Storm blog and Tall Poppy Writers.

Visit Orly online:
Website
Facebook
Twitter
Instagram
Pinterest

Thanks to Forge Books, we have one copy of The Distance Home for a lucky reader!

Synopsis:
Sixteen years ago, a tragic accident cost Emma Metz her two best friends—one human and one equine. Now, following her father’s death, Emma has reluctantly returned to the Maryland hometown she’d left under a cloud of guilt.

Sorting through her father’s affairs, Emma uncovers a history of lies tying her broken family to the one place she thought she could never return—her girlhood sanctuary, Jumping Frog Farm.


Emma finds herself drawn back to the stable after all these years. It’s easy to win forgiveness from a horse, but less so from her former friend Jillian, their once strong bond destroyed by secrets and betrayals. But despite Jillian’s cold reception, for the first time in years, Emma feels at home.

To exorcise the past, Emma will have to release her guilt, embrace an uncertain future, and trust again in the healing power of horses.

Orly Konig's The Distance Home is a powerful and sparkling women's fiction debut novel of second chances, friendship, and healing. (Courtesy of Amazon.)

Where the Writing Started

I’ve always been a reader, although I can’t point a finger at one author or book and say, “that’s the one that made me want to write.” I never even imagined myself as a writer growing up and the couple of attempts at creative writing during my school years were far from brilliant.

I wrote plenty of articles for trade publications during my corporate days, but fiction, nah, that was the world I went to when I wanted to escape from the real world.

And yet here I am, celebrating the debut of my first novel.

For me, it wasn’t so much the need to tell a story as a need for an outlet. I’d made the switch from corporate to freelance, and was adjusting to my new world as a mom.

My reading habits had always been quite eclectic but I found myself reading more and more women’s fiction. Those books touched me in a way others didn’t. They were the friends I went to when I felt overwhelmed or unhappy or lost. Through those books, I felt less isolated.

When I started writing on that very first manuscript, it wasn’t with the idea of becoming a published author. I was looking for those “friends.”

There’s a quote I keep close to my computer –
“I write because I don’t know what I think until I read what I say.” – Flannery O’Connor

My characters sort through emotional upheaval. They confront the people who hurt them. They change their lives in 300 pages.

My characters do the things I can’t always do. Through them, I can release the pressure building inside me. The characters I write about don’t speak for me and they don’t deal with the issues I’m going through at that period in my life. But through their emotional journeys, I can release my own fears and heartaches and dreams.

My stories are the family and friends I can’t always open up to. Through them, I can spread my wings. The stories don’t reflect who I am or what I do. But through them I can explore new ways of becoming whole again.

And that’s why I write.

Thanks to Orly for visiting with us and Forge Books for sharing her book with our readers.

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. 

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Giveaway ends May 14th at midnight EST.

Leah Marie Brown has a book to feast upon...plus a special giveaway

We're pleased to have Leah Brown at CLC to kick off International Chick Lit Month. Our theme for this special month is "Books and Their Impact." Leah is here to tell us the book that made an impact on her life and is happy to offer a $20 gift card to Amazon and a free digital download of Faking It, the first book in her It Girls series. Check out the first three books from her series. Her latest installment is Owning It, which you can learn more about below. It can be read as a stand-alone, but may contain spoilers for some of the other characters featured in this series.

Leah is an American writer with a penchant for Paris and all things pink! Before writing novels, she worked as a print journalist for a Pulitzer prize winning newspaper and served in the United States Air Force as a Radio and Television Broadcaster. An avid traveler, she has had adventures and mishaps from London to Tokyo, which she writes about on her blog, On Life, Love & Accidental Adventures, and in her contemporary romantic series, "The It Girls."  In her free time, she likes to watch movies, read, and snap photographs. You can view her photography by clicking on the Adventures tab on her website or by following her on Instagram. She lives in the shadow of Pike's Peak Mountain with her family and shamefully pampered poodles. She loves to hear from readers, so send her a note! Or connect with her on Pinterest, Facebook, and Twitter!

Synopsis:
Delaney Lavender Brooks needs to grow up. At least, according to her parents. After getting evicted from her apartment and wrecking her car, Laney is almost ready to trade in her paintbrushes and surrender to a more sensible 9-to-5 existence. Almost. Until she’s awarded an internship at a prestigious art gallery in Paris. What else can the free-spirited artist do but follow her dreams? Even if her latest attempt at chasing rainbows might cost her a real future . . .


Once in the city of lights, Laney is almost undone by the glaring truth: maybe she isn’t sophisticated or talented enough to make it as an artist—or an independent woman, for that matter. And when she’s hotly pursued by a seductive Frenchman, she has to wonder if she’s about to be a fool for love, too. Soon Laney’s greatest challenge is not proving herself to her parents, but having the courage to live the life—and love—of her dreams...


The Book that "Moved" Me

Reading and traveling are two my favorite pastimes. Both ignite the flame of imagination. Both can have powerful, life-altering effects on a person. Years ago, I read Ernest Hemingway’s A Moveable Feast. It was one of those books that not only sparked my imagination (Oh, to live in a garret room in Paris, surviving on crusty bread and cheap, but delicious wine) and made a powerful, transformative impact on my life.

Fresh from World War I’s killing fields, tall, handsome, and hungry to make his mark in the world, Hemingway arrived in Paris with a new bride and a belief that “the most interesting people in the world lived” in France’s capital. Hemingway arrived in search of La Vie de Bohème.

Did he find it?

The answer can be found in A Moveable Feast, his delicious ode to the City of Lights. Sketches from his life in 1920s Paris include a rainy road trip with his booze-fueled bro, F. Scott Fitzgerald, dining on crusty bread and cheap wine with his new wife, Hadley, and borrowing books from Sylvia Beach’s library cum bookstore, Shakespeare and Company. His period in Paris was his most prolific, personally and professionally. He forged lifelong friendships, wrote dozens of political and lifestyle articles, and soaked in enough of La Vie de Bohème to inspire several novels.

A Moveable Feast inspired a reverence for Ernest Hemingway. I admired his courage. I admired his passion. To leave behind all that is familiar and comfortable, to move to a foreign country and endure hardship, all in an effort to broaden your horizons and perfect your craft. It is so bohemian. So…awesome.

When my publisher asked me to write a fourth It Girls novel, I knew I wanted it to be about a bohemian girl who dabbles in art and music. Laney Brooks, a carefree girl who wears unicorn t-shirts, believes in pixie dust, and doesn’t want to grow up. What better place than Paris to send my bohemian heroine? The unsophisticated hipster with the Lucite sunglasses, the ukulele-strumming free spirit, was sure to find herself in countless comedic situations as she navigated her way through the most sophisticated city in the world. My It Girls novels are about women who gain empowerment and personal-clarity through adventure. Nothing reveals character more than a boundary-pushing adventure (Don’t believe me? Read A Moveable Feast and Owning It and I’ll bet you change your mind).

Laney’s boundaries are definitely pushed in Paris. Along the way, she works in a chic art gallery, sings at an impromptu jam session in the hip Oberkampf district, and, of course, falls in love (Paris does that to a girl, though).

Thanks to Leah for visiting with us and sharing a gift card and e-book with our readers.

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. 

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Giveaway ends May 9th at midnight EST.

Glynis Astie knows how to play the game...plus a book giveaway

Today, Glynis Astie is here to celebrate the publication of her latest novel, Gamer Girl, by taking us into the childhood mind of her main character, Meri. She has THREE 
e-books for some lucky readers!

Glynis was last here in 2014 to talk about the first two books in her "French Twist" series. Since that time, a third book has been added! She is sharing some e-book copies over at our 5000 Likes Giveaway.

This Yoda-obsessed, chocoholic mother-of two can be found at her website, Facebook, and Twitter.

Synopsis: 
Struck by tragedy at an early age, Meri Palmer escaped into the only world she understood. Within the virtual realm of online gaming, she lived a life filled with mythical creatures and thrilling adventures, where she was strong, powerful, clever, and beautiful—everything she believed she wasn't in real life. As the years went by, her desire to cling to her cherished fantasyland only grew stronger.

But when Meri meets Morgan, equal parts gorgeous and goofball, she begins to wonder if the time has finally come to rejoin the so-called real world. Channeling the bravery of her fairy warrior alter ego, Meri slowly lets Morgan beyond the protective walls she’s built around her heart. Just as she finds a comfortable groove in an uncertain world, Morgan succumbs to insecurities of his own, leaving her lost and confused. Through her battle to regain her equilibrium, Meri will discover that even in reality, things aren’t always what they seem.

Will Meri win the battle raging in her heart and summon the will to rescue her knight in shining armor? Or will she give in to the fear and find her game over? (Courtesy of Amazon.)

As a child:
What did your character want to be when they grew up?
Don’t laugh! Meri wanted to be a combination of Cinderella and Tinkerbell. Her dream was to be a fairy warrior/princess who would save the world from evil. Her mother was a Disney fangirl, so when she died, Meri found comfort in SpellBound, a role-playing video game which allowed her to exhibit the bravery she craved in real life. Plus, she got to be a fairy warrior—a general to be exact.

What was something your character found funny?
Meri had a hard childhood, since she lost both of her parents by the time she was eight, but she was never at a loss for laughter because of her feisty grandmother. When explaining to a friend why she was never allowed to have a large Christmas tree, Meri said, “Grams wouldn’t let us get a big one. She said it was bad enough she was allowing a fat man in a red suit to enter her apartment unannounced.”

What was your character's favorite TV show?
Meri was more of a video game girl. Her father had every game system known to man and though he died before she was old enough to play along, he left her journals of all his favorite games. Hence, Meri spent her time navigating Pac-Man, Donkey Kong, Centipede and Galaga. Ooooh! I almost forgot her beloved Atari games—Adventure and Pitfall.

What was your character's favorite food?
It was a toss-up between 50-50 fries and cider doughnuts, which coincidentally are very high on my list of favorite foods. The delicious combination of sweet and savory from the mix of sweet potato fries and regular fries (topped with cinnamon and sugar, please!) versus a moist, buttery doughnut coated in cinnamon and sugar? You can see why Meri would have trouble deciding.

Who was your character's celebrity crush?
Meri didn’t have one. *gasp* But she had a great affinity for both Yoda and Yoshi—which prompted her grandmother to tell her, “You sure like little green guys whose names start with ‘Yo.’” (Grams is such a hoot!)

What was your character's favorite thing to do?
Other than get lost in her favorite virtual world, Meri enjoyed nothing more than spending time with her grandmother and her best friend, Declan. She cherished the little family she had, even if they spent most of their time telling her what to do.

Thanks to Glynis for sharing Meri with us and sharing her book with our readers!

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. 

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Worldwide. Giveaway ends June 5th at midnight EST.

Excerpt and Giveaway: The Summer Escape

In honor of Regression Month, Lily Graham is sharing an excerpt from her novel The Summer Escape. She has an e-book to share with one lucky reader, as well! 

Fairytales and Heroines

This tale from Ria Laburinthos’ childhood is actually the prologue within The Summer Escape, which I thought absolutely fit your theme of regression as it is really takes her back to the time in her life when she is happiest, with her beloved Yaya, who tells her about how she got her name and why she was named after one of the most tragic, yet bravest heroines in history.

Her hands were like old parchment: brown, mottled and thin; yet to my five-year-old eyes they were capable of anything, magic not least among them. Today, they were a domestic symphony rolling out the dough; the flour, like fairy dust, sprinkled on the long, flat marble. Her arms were strong and wiry, and as she kneaded she beguiled me with stories from far away. Stories that conjured wisps of sun-drenched olive groves, plum-coloured wine sipped out of short glasses on cobbled sea-front tavernas, honey drizzled over thick, creamy-white Greek yoghurt, and wild, pink-tinged peaches warm from the sun.
‘Yew kno’ the story of how yew got your name?’ asked Yaya in her heavy Cretan accent. Flour smudged on her soft, brown cheek as she peered down at me, a smile edging the corner of her mouth.
I grinned my gap-toothed grin, perched on the counter, legs swinging, and clutching my latest and most cherished possession, a collection of fairy tales.
‘You named me, Yaya,’ I said. My name was collateral damage from my Greek heritage: I was doomed to walk through life with the rather foreign-sounding name of Ariadne.
‘Yes-a, but do yew kno’ who I named yew after?’ asked Yaya, holding up the index finger on her left hand, which curved ever so slightly at the tip, as if she would lift each vowel along with it in her lyrical burr.
I shook my head, espresso-eyes wide.
‘I named yew after one of the most famous princesses of all-a time, eh… the one who suffered the most-e,’ she said, with a sense of pride about the latter. ‘Unlike these silly princesses from your fairy book.’
My mouth formed an ‘o’ of surprise, my feet paused mid-swing.
‘Why I do this, eh?’ she asked.
I shrugged. She was a bit mad. This wasn’t exactly news. I loved her anyway and maybe a little because of it.
‘Well meli mou, the goddess Ariadne suffered most terribly, and it was her bravery and courage, not her beauty, that made her a hero, which I think-e is what really makes a hero, a hero, no?’
I supposed so. I liked the idea of the girl being the hero, though.
Yaya continued. ‘She was the daughter of a king; a mad Cretan king ’ho ordered a young man named Theseus to enter a maze and kill a wild, monstrous beast that had killed many people before. Knowing that this young man was facing certain death, Ariadne helped ’im escape and they fell in love. Together they fled the kingdom, Ariadne believing that she ’ad found a love that would last-e forever. Only, it wasn’t to be.’
‘Why? What happened?’
‘He left her. He left her sleeping in a cave one-a night, so they say, and he run away.’
I gasped. That was not how the story was supposed to go. ‘What happened to her?’
Yaya looked at me with her beetle-black eyes. ‘Well, there are many different stories, and everyone tells different ones. But for me, the story my own yaya told me is still the best-e. After Theseus left her, Ariadne sank-e into despair, barely able to keep going. Feeling sorry for the woman who had sacrificed everything for this man, Dionysus, a god ’ho knew all about suffering, rescued her, though there are many who would say that in the end, she rescued him too. You see, meli mou, life is never what we think it will be; it’s not always like these stories,’ she said, tapping the green cover, leaving behind a faint film of flour. ‘It can be filled with joy or misfortune, but mostly it’s a mixture like this dough. A real hero is like the bread – rising after it has been beaten.’

Lily Graham has been telling stories since she was a child, starting with her imaginary rabbit, Stephanus, and their adventures in the enchanted peach tree in her garden, which she envisioned as a magical portal to Enid Blyton's Faraway Tree. She's never really got out of the habit of making things up, and still thinks of Stephanus rather fondly.

Her first two novels were Amazon bestsellers, and are being re-published by Bookouture, starting with The Summer Escape, which is out today. (Happy pub day!)

She lives with her husband and her English bulldog, Fudge, and brings her love for the sea and country-living to her fiction.

Visit Lily:
Website/ Blog
Twitter
Facebook


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. 

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Worldwide. Ends May 31st at midnight EST.

Chick Lit Cheerleader: BFFs!

We get Jen two months in a row, as there are some changes ahead. She's here today to talk about her best friend and the fun they had as kids. I'm sure we can all relate!

Friends 'Til the End

If April showers bring May flowers, then I guess it’s still the month of April in Indiana. I’m not sure what the skies look like in your neck of the woods lately, but mine are dreary. I mean March-like grey days, perpetual raindrops falling; overwhelming icky-ness hovers in the air. C’mon summer, where art thou? I’ll tell you where summer is. It’s waiting to announce its arrival on May 20 at 3:30 PM. The last school bell will ring here enticing children and teachers alike to croon the Alice Cooper anthem, School’s Out For Summer. My children’s anticipation for no more pencils and no more books started churning my grey matter as I recalled my own summer vacations. I wanted to share one with you that rose above the others. Mostly because it was the summer I discovered I wanted to be Olivia Newton John; hot pants, hair, red heels, and all.

In 1978, with first grade officially under my belt, I became a Mud Rat. A proud moment for my parents as you can imagine. I joined the swim team at Centennial Beach in Naperville, Illinois where my inner fish could be released. Backstroke, freestyle, relays, Marco Polo—you name it, I loved it. During one early morning drive to practice, a thermos my mom had filled with coffee spilled onto my hand when our chocolate tinted Pontiac LeMans took a corner a little sharper than usual. This left me with second degree burns on my left hand and provided the important sympathy card I cashed in the rest of the summer. I procured it to see Grease in the theater four times, frequent visits to Grandma Gert’s candy shop, and racked up a nice stash of new Barbie dolls.

My best friend, Nancy, lived across the street from me. She loved Bonnie Bell lip gloss and Shawn Cassidy as much as I did. We played hopscotch, ate mac and cheese Mug-O-Lunches, jumped rope until sundown, and caught fireflies after dusk. A lanky blond who pinned her bangs back with barettes, Nancy was the youngest of three in her family. Her older brothers loved KISS, Farrah Fawcett, and torturing us until we tattled or screamed. Both effective ways to catch a break from them when we’d had enough. Being an only child, this concept of torturing siblings for sport was foreign to me.

We’re Capricorn sisters yet I relished being nine days older than Nancy. Being more mature time wise was a big deal when you were seven-years-old. We had our secret jokes, loved collecting Grease movie cards, and couldn’t get enough Fun Dip from the concession stand at her brother’s baseball games.

I remember those times as magical. Cutoff jean shorts and Charlie’s Angels T-shirts. Mosquito bites and pink tinted noses from long days of playing outside. Kool Aid drinking until we could drink no more. Endless summer days without a care in the world, except for parking in front of the TV in time to watch Happy Days.

A year later, when the moving van pulled away from our home overflowing with my family’s belongings, I remember thinking Connecticut was too far away. Too far to drive. Too far to comprehend. Too far from Nancy.

Yet here we are, years later, still the best of friends. We lost touch yet found out we were both attending the same university as undergrads. Years later, we both resided in Indianapolis. Not everyone has the chance to keep their childhood BFF in their life. I know how lucky I am. And as the years tick by, summers seem to breeze through at lightning speed, don’t you think?

As we ready ourselves for the dog days ahead, I encourage you to reflect on some of those precious times. The experiences, great and not so great, that were a part of your childhood. I’m just thankful I can remember them. I have a difficult enough time figuring out why I walk all the way upstairs in my home. The task I was taking on seems to escape me the minute I reach the top of the stairs.

Jen Tucker is the author of the funny and true stories, The Day I Wore My Panties Inside Out and The Day I Lost My Shaker of Salt. In September 2012, she had her children's book, Little Pumpkin published as an e-book. She also blogs monthly for Survival for Blondes. She currently lives in Indiana with her husband, three kids and two dogs. You can find her at Twitter, Facebook, her blog and on her website. And in case you missed them. check out her previous Chick Lit Cheerleader posts here.