Since we ask you lots of fun questions in order to enter to win our giveaways, we thought we'd take the time to answer some of the questions we posted. Why should you have to do all the work, right? We also posted where we got the questions, so you could look back on some interviews you may have missed the first time around. Feel free to comment on anything that stands out for you or that you have in common with us.
Melissa A:
1. Who is your favorite celebrity with the name Melissa? (From Melissa Senate interview, 10/25/10)
I definitely have to go with Melissa McCarthy after seeing "Bridesmaids." She stole the show! She was hilarious and she also came off as completely genuine at the same time!
2. What movie should everyone see at least once in their life? (From Marilyn Brant interview, 9/27/1o)
"When Harry Met Sally" is definitely a moral imperative. So is "The Shawshank Redemption." I made a list of movies in my personal blog a while back. Check it out.
3. What is your favorite thing about the country/province/state/city where you live? (From Janet Skeslien Charles interview, 9/8/10)
I love the DC area. It's not as fast paced as NYC. It has a "just right" feel. I am not a history buff, but I love knowing that lots of history was made so close to where I live. I also wrote a blog post about what I love best about living in Maryland.
4. Who are your favorite country singers or what is your favorite country song? (From Jane Porter interview, 8/25/10)
I love Lady Antebellum. They have such a great sound. They had me at "Need You Now" and then kept me interested with all their other songs. I also love Rascal Flatts, Dixie Chicks, SHeDaisy, Martina McBride, Brad Paisley and Carrie Underwood...just to name a few!
5. What is your longest friendship? (From Susan McBride interview, 8/12/10)
Aside from Melissa P, you mean? :) (She and I do go way back, but we lost some time after we both moved out of our neighborhood.) Seriously, I've had a best friend since birth. Our parents met in lamaze class and then hung out all the time. We were instant friends. Our families would go on vacation together all the time. Later on, we got married 6 months apart and both sets of our sons were born close in time to one another. We don't catch up as often as we could, but we know we always have a connection.
6. What is the cutest or funniest thing you've heard a child say (your own or someone else's)? (From Maureen Lipinski interview, 7/19/10)
My kids say lots of funny things. So hard to choose just one. However, my favorite was when my younger son (who was almost 3 at the time) was playing his guitar and telling me I couldn't sing along because he had a guitar and I didn't. So I said "Well, where do you think you got the guitar from?" He replied back with "Target!" I had to forgive his sassiness for making me laugh so hard.
7. What is your favorite Michael Jackson song? (From Sarah Pekkanen interview, 7/8/10. We originally met on 6/25, which was the one year anniversary of MJ's passing. It's now been almost 2 years.)So many to choose from. On his "Thriller" album, which will always be my favorite, I would have to go with "PYT (Pretty Young Thing)." I like it even more now than I did back then. I also like "The Way You Make Me Feel."
8. What is/was your favorite thing about being single? (From Elisa Lorello and Sarah Girrell guest post, 2/14/11)
I think it was when I took improv comedy classes. It was fun to spend a lot of time in the city while I lived in the suburbs and I met some interesting people that way. It also helped build my confidence. I met my husband a few months after my last session of classes and didn't really go to the city as much after that. It was a good trade off, but I'm glad I got to take the classes when I did.
9. Who is your favorite love interest in any novel you have read? (From Shana Mahaffey guest post, 2/28/11)
Seeing that I just finished "What Alice Forgot" by Liane Moriarty, I keep thinking of Alice's husband, Nick. I love how Alice talks about when they first met and all their good times together. He sounds so down to earth and romantic. I like that Ms. Moriarty gives him realistic flaws too. I'm reading "Here, Home, Hope" by Kaira Rouda now and I love Kelly's husband, Patrick, too. He reminds me of my husband.
I also love the guys in Sue Margolis' novels. Mainly because they know how to "satisfy" a woman, but they also seem genuinely sweet and I'd probably enjoy going on a date with any of them.
10. What is your favorite trend or fad from the 80's? (From Megan Crane interview, 3/15/11)
I was a kid in the 80's (still in junior high by the end), so most of the trends were from my youth. I loved wearing charm necklaces, gummy bracelets, banana clips, pulling my jeans tight around my ankles under slouch socks, wearing anything in neon colors, big dangly earrings, etc.
Melissa P:
1. What is your favorite Jane Green book? (From Jane Green interview, 7/5/10)
Jane Green is my favorite author (she was my intro to chick lit!), so I had to answer this one. My favorite of her many wonderful books is “The Beach House”. I felt like I was there with Nan, Daphne, and all of the other characters. I loved how descriptive it was and how I could picture the Island in all it’s beauty.
2. What is your favorite city in the world to visit? (From Isabelle Lafleche interview, 7/26/10)
My favorite city to visit is Paris. As much as I love NYC, there is just something about being in Paris that makes you feel as if you are constantly walking around inside of a storybook or on the set of a movie. It’s surreal. I love the food, the culture, the architecture, the romance, and the people were always wonderful to me. I know there is a stereotype that all the French are rude, but I didn’t experience that in any way. In fact it was the complete opposite! Many locals befriended us and showed us around, taking us to wonderful little hidden bookstores and amazing cafés.
3. If you could choose a celebrity to interview, who would you pick and what's one question you would ask them? (From Josie Brown interview, 9/14/10)
I would interview Ellen Degeneres and ask her if she would please be my best friend! No seriously, I LOVE her and think that all she does for charity, those in need, and young talent is amazing. She is so kind to everyone and I love that she is a champion for the anti-bullying campaign.
4. What would you be most interested in lecturing about at a university? (From Anne Fortier interview, 11/15/10)
I would love to teach writing at a university or dance (specifically ballet). I would also love to lecture about dance history. I have too many interests to choose just one! I am actually tossing around the idea of going back to school to get my masters and teach college.
5. Who would play you in a movie about your life? (From Frances Lefkowitz interview, 1/19/11)
This is a fun question and I don’t think I have just ONE answer! I think my first choice would be Lauren Graham (but as her character Lorelai from Gilmore girls because our personalities are literally the same). Based off of looks, I get Kate Walsh and Maggie Gyllenhaal all the time, so if Lauren/Lorelai wasn’t available I would choose one of them.
6. What is your guilty pleasure? (From Lindsey Kelk interview, 2/1/11)
My guilty pleasure is lying by the pool and reading a book. I love that I can do that almost year round in Arizona! My other guilty pleasure would be taking early evening walks, I can only really enjoy them from October until early June, so I cherish the months that I can get outside and breathe the fresh air.
7. What is your biggest dream? (From Cathleen Holst guest post , 2/23/11)
My biggest dream is to have my first book published and to move to New York City. My husband was born and raised in New York and still has family back there, so it would be nice to go back east for a while. Plus, it’s New York…nuff said.
8. What is one thing from the 80's that you wish were still around today? (From Megan Crane interview, 3/15/11)
I wish the “Herself the Elf” doll and record were still around! If I ever have a little girl, I am ordering a doll off of eBay and decorating her whole room around it!
9. Who was your favorite author when you were growing up? (From Kristin Hannah interview, 3/22/11)
My favorite author when I was growing up was Julie Andrews. I read the book “Mandy” over and over again. I STILL love that book and bought a copy for my 9 year-old niece last year.
10. What is your favorite memory from a past birthday? (From Jen Lancaster interview, 5/9/11)
This is a tough one because I have been lucky enough to have some amazing birthdays! I think my favorite birthday from when I was younger was my 11th birthday. My parents took my sister and me to Colorado to ride horses through the mountains. My birthday is in October so the scenery was absolutely gorgeous. The Aspen trees had all started to turn and the air was crisp and clean. I will never forget that trip, what a wonderful gift for a little girl.
Now that you've read all this, if you want to know anything else about us, post a question in the comments and then we can do another joint blog post like this sometime in the future. :) Have fun with it!
Thursday, June 16, 2011
Wednesday, June 15, 2011
Making FRIENDS with Holly Chamberlin this SUMMER...plus a book giveaway!
By Melissa Patafio**Giveaway is now closed**
Holly Chamberlin, author of "Summer Friends" (pub date 6/28), is visiting us at Chick Lit Central today! The New York City gal graciously took some time to chat with us about how she likes to spend her down time, getting through writer's block, and how she ended up in Maine. Read on to find out more about Holly and we hope you will enjoy "meeting" her as much as we did!
Holly is giving away a copy of the newly re-issued "The Summer of Us" (complete with interview and reading group guide) and a copy of "Summer Friends" (complete with interview and reading group guide, as well) as a pair to one lucky reader in the US or Canada.
If you like what you read today, visit her on Facebook and Twitter. You can also check out her blog.
What is your usual writing routine?
My writing routine isn’t set in stone, though sometimes I think that it should be. Generally, the first hours of the day involve kitty care, kitchen clean up, other daily household chores, and then checking email and reading the news online. Only then do I turn to work, which on any given day can involve research, editing, and writing. Some days include a nap; after this break I seem to be super productive for a solid hour or two. I refuse to work in the evenings. Working from home requires the setting of boundaries between the business and the personal life. And then there are the days when any sort of writing schedule is disrupted by, say, a doctor’s appointment or a visit from an out-of-town friend or family member. It can be hard to get back into a productive routine, even when the disruption is a pleasant one. One day ‘off’ can prove disastrous.
How do you like to spend your time when you are not writing?
When I’m not writing – i.e., working – I read, watch certain television shows (I’m currently into AUCTION HUNTERS and am addicted to FAMILY GUY, THE OFFICE, and SEINFELD), keep the three storey house in order (no mean feat), and read some more. The most important thing I do when both working and not working, is spend quality time with my cats. I am typing these answers with one hand as I’m holding Cyrus on my lap with the other.
Do you ever suffer from "writer's block"? If so, how do you remedy it?
Writer’s block is all too real. In my experience, the only way to hold back the panic is to read as much as possible until the block crumbles. If words keep pouring into my brain, eventually some of them will form themselves into thoughts appropriate to my story and force themselves out through my fingers. Weird.
If you could travel anywhere in the world, where would you go and why?
I don’t like to travel anymore, for a variety of reasons, but if those reasons didn’t exist and I had lots of money, I would go back to Ireland and Rome, finally explore England and Scotland, and visit Vienna.
If you were not a writer, what would you do?
If I weren’t a writer and an editor, I would love to be a painter. As it is, I can’t draw a straight line so maybe I would be a professor of European painting or English history. When I was little, I wanted to be an archaeologist when I grew up, but later realized I couldn’t have long nails on a dig so that dream went bust.
If "Summer Friends" were made into a movie, who would you like to see in the lead roles?
Tough question. I love Michelle Williams, so maybe she could play a college aged Maggie. Otherwise, I’d leave casting decisions to the experts. If there were a role for Colin Firth, however, I would beg for him to be hired.
You grew up in New York and then moved to Boston, so how did you end up in Portland, Maine?
The short answer to how a New York City gal ended up in Maine is – love. I left NY in 1996 to marry Stephen, who lived in Boston. In 2003, we moved to Maine. Life is full of surprises! Now, my New York City gal mother lives down the block from us. She still doesn’t quite know how that happened.
What was the biggest challenge you faced while writing "Summer Friends"?
This is an interesting question because for reasons I still can’t entirely understand I had a terribly tough time writing SUMMER FRIENDS. I spent what seemed like endless hours rewriting every single line and often despaired at being able to produce a coherent story. A friend suggested that maybe it wasn’t the right time for me to be telling that particular story, which idea gave me pause. I still don’t know the reasons behind my distress, but my editor thinks that SUMMER FRIENDS is the best book yet so . . .
Do you always know how a story will end when you start writing it? Or does the ending change as you go?
Yes, I always know how the story will end, but what I don’t know, in spite of plotting and outlining ahead of time, is exactly how that ending will come about. The characters reveal themselves to me as I write and so their stories change and develop. Evolution or creation is a hard process to describe.
What songs are on your playlist right now?
I don’t have an iPod, so I don’t have an actual playlist. I like blues and jazz, the music of Frank Sinatra, Madeleine Peyroux, Jane Monheit, Diana Krall, Amy Winehouse, Adele, and other singers and musicians like them. I have little idea about what’s going on in the world of rock, rap, pop, etc.
Thanks again to Holly for chatting with us today and for giving away her books at CLC!
How to win "The Summer of Us" and "Summer Friends":
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: Would you ever (or have you ever) relocated for love? (Or, why do you live in your current city/state/province?)
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. (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.
More by Holly Chamberlin:
Holly Chamberlin, author of "Summer Friends" (pub date 6/28), is visiting us at Chick Lit Central today! The New York City gal graciously took some time to chat with us about how she likes to spend her down time, getting through writer's block, and how she ended up in Maine. Read on to find out more about Holly and we hope you will enjoy "meeting" her as much as we did!
Holly is giving away a copy of the newly re-issued "The Summer of Us" (complete with interview and reading group guide) and a copy of "Summer Friends" (complete with interview and reading group guide, as well) as a pair to one lucky reader in the US or Canada.
If you like what you read today, visit her on Facebook and Twitter. You can also check out her blog.
What is your usual writing routine?
My writing routine isn’t set in stone, though sometimes I think that it should be. Generally, the first hours of the day involve kitty care, kitchen clean up, other daily household chores, and then checking email and reading the news online. Only then do I turn to work, which on any given day can involve research, editing, and writing. Some days include a nap; after this break I seem to be super productive for a solid hour or two. I refuse to work in the evenings. Working from home requires the setting of boundaries between the business and the personal life. And then there are the days when any sort of writing schedule is disrupted by, say, a doctor’s appointment or a visit from an out-of-town friend or family member. It can be hard to get back into a productive routine, even when the disruption is a pleasant one. One day ‘off’ can prove disastrous.
How do you like to spend your time when you are not writing?
When I’m not writing – i.e., working – I read, watch certain television shows (I’m currently into AUCTION HUNTERS and am addicted to FAMILY GUY, THE OFFICE, and SEINFELD), keep the three storey house in order (no mean feat), and read some more. The most important thing I do when both working and not working, is spend quality time with my cats. I am typing these answers with one hand as I’m holding Cyrus on my lap with the other.
Do you ever suffer from "writer's block"? If so, how do you remedy it?
Writer’s block is all too real. In my experience, the only way to hold back the panic is to read as much as possible until the block crumbles. If words keep pouring into my brain, eventually some of them will form themselves into thoughts appropriate to my story and force themselves out through my fingers. Weird.
If you could travel anywhere in the world, where would you go and why?
I don’t like to travel anymore, for a variety of reasons, but if those reasons didn’t exist and I had lots of money, I would go back to Ireland and Rome, finally explore England and Scotland, and visit Vienna.
If you were not a writer, what would you do?
If I weren’t a writer and an editor, I would love to be a painter. As it is, I can’t draw a straight line so maybe I would be a professor of European painting or English history. When I was little, I wanted to be an archaeologist when I grew up, but later realized I couldn’t have long nails on a dig so that dream went bust.
If "Summer Friends" were made into a movie, who would you like to see in the lead roles?
Tough question. I love Michelle Williams, so maybe she could play a college aged Maggie. Otherwise, I’d leave casting decisions to the experts. If there were a role for Colin Firth, however, I would beg for him to be hired.
You grew up in New York and then moved to Boston, so how did you end up in Portland, Maine?
The short answer to how a New York City gal ended up in Maine is – love. I left NY in 1996 to marry Stephen, who lived in Boston. In 2003, we moved to Maine. Life is full of surprises! Now, my New York City gal mother lives down the block from us. She still doesn’t quite know how that happened.
What was the biggest challenge you faced while writing "Summer Friends"?
This is an interesting question because for reasons I still can’t entirely understand I had a terribly tough time writing SUMMER FRIENDS. I spent what seemed like endless hours rewriting every single line and often despaired at being able to produce a coherent story. A friend suggested that maybe it wasn’t the right time for me to be telling that particular story, which idea gave me pause. I still don’t know the reasons behind my distress, but my editor thinks that SUMMER FRIENDS is the best book yet so . . .
Do you always know how a story will end when you start writing it? Or does the ending change as you go?
Yes, I always know how the story will end, but what I don’t know, in spite of plotting and outlining ahead of time, is exactly how that ending will come about. The characters reveal themselves to me as I write and so their stories change and develop. Evolution or creation is a hard process to describe.
What songs are on your playlist right now?
I don’t have an iPod, so I don’t have an actual playlist. I like blues and jazz, the music of Frank Sinatra, Madeleine Peyroux, Jane Monheit, Diana Krall, Amy Winehouse, Adele, and other singers and musicians like them. I have little idea about what’s going on in the world of rock, rap, pop, etc.
Thanks again to Holly for chatting with us today and for giving away her books at CLC!
How to win "The Summer of Us" and "Summer Friends":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: Would you ever (or have you ever) relocated for love? (Or, why do you live in your current city/state/province?)
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. (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/Canada only. Giveaway ends June 21st (First day of summer) at midnight EST.
More by Holly Chamberlin:
Tuesday, June 14, 2011
Winners of "Maid of Honor" and "The Single Girl's To-Do List"
To find our winners, we assigned a number to each entry and asked the authors to pick a number at random. However, only Jillian Conley came back with a number ("14 is my lucky number." :) ) For the Lindsey Kelk book, we used the Custom Random Number Generator. (We got 34.)
Reminder: If you have won a book, you have about 48 hours to claim it by sending your contact information. (You will be e-mailed if you have won, as well.) After that time, a new winner will be picked.
Thanks to everyone who participated!
Congrats to....
Winner of "Maid of Honor"
14-Nina (Nina565)
Winner of "The Single Girl's To-Do List"
34-RivkaBelle
Thanks to everyone who participated!
Thanks also to Jillian and Lindsey for visiting our blog and for offering the books for the giveaway!
Don't forget about our current giveaway:
US only
Ends 6/19 at midnight EST
Coming tomorrow: Holly Chamberlin, with a set of books to give away!
Monday, June 13, 2011
"Listening Closely" to Arlene Romoff...plus a book giveaway
By Melissa Amster**Giveaway is now closed**
I found "Listening Closely: A Journey to Bilateral Hearing" on LibraryThing as part of an early reviewers request list. It is a memoir of a woman who lost her hearing at a young age and then got bilateral cochlear implants. I was immediately intrigued, as I have a son who wears a cochlear implant and I was awaiting a hearing test for my daughter. I found the woman on Facebook and contacted her. I was equally fascinated by what she had to say and enjoyed e-mailing with her. This remarkable woman is Arlene Romoff, president of the Hearing Loss Association of New Jersey. She's here to tell you lovely listeners about her experiences with hearing loss and cochlear implants and how they have shaped her life and the way she views the world. I'm interested in reading her book for personal reasons, but also because it sounds amazing and eye-opening for anyone who has never been in Arlene's shoes.
And here's your chance to read it, as Donna Spurlock of Charlesbridge is giving away five copies of "Listening Closely" to some lucky readers in the US.
To learn more about Arlene, visit her on Facebook and Twitter. You can also check out her blog.
How did you decide to write a book about your experiences with hearing loss and receiving cochlear implants?
I could probably write another book answering this question! When I started to lose my hearing in my late teen years, it was a bewildering experience – that even a mild to moderate hearing loss could impact my life so much. I decided that if I was going to lose my hearing, at least something good should come of it. That’s why I became active in advocacy for people with hearing loss, and that’s also been the rationale for writing about my hearing loss and cochlear implant experiences – essentially to make people understand hearing loss and what a miracle cochlear implants are, allowing the deaf to hear. People found my first book, "Hear Again – Back to Life with a Cochlear Implant," very helpful - so helpful, in fact, that I was often asked when I was going to write a second book. Ten years later, when I knew I would be pursuing bilateral cochlear implants, I began to write again – the objective, once again, was to shine light on hearing loss in a way that people could relate to: walking along with me on this journey.
Like with Alice Eve Cohen's memoir ("What I Thought I Knew"), the Jewish high holidays and spirituality also feature prominently for you when it comes to your hearing loss and implantation. Please elaborate on this.
I could write another book about this subject, too – and I may! There is a spiritual component that runs through "Listening Closely" – I don’t focus on it because I wanted the book to resonate with people of all beliefs. But there were many “coincidences” during my hearing loss journey – occurrences that were “too perfect” or “ironic” to ignore – that always seemed to alert me to “pay attention, Arlene!” For example, my second cochlear implant was activated between Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur, so I heard the final shofar blast with two ears on Yom Kippur – definitely a “pay attention” moment! There are other spiritual connections to be discovered in the book if one is looking for them, but for readers who may not share this perspective, the book is still about the wonder of being returned to a world of sound.
What was the first recognizable sound you heard after being hooked up with your implants?
My husband came to the activation of my cochlear implants, so his voice was the first sound I heard. Beyond that, it’s always about the little things that people with normal hearing take for granted – like the directional signal, or footsteps, or keys jingling. Any particular sound isn’t that significant – it’s that the world has
come alive again.
Did getting implants have any social ramifications between yourself and others who chose not to get implants (or those who are rooted in the Deaf culture)?
Ahh – the Deaf culture question. There are people who are born deaf whose main communication mode is sign language, and can only communicate directly with other sign language users. Usually, they’ve never heard a significant amount of sound, so don’t really know what they’re missing - but they cherish their ability to communicate within their Deaf community. I can empathize with that basic human need to communicate with other human beings. In contrast, I grew up with normal hearing, and didn’t know anyone who used sign language, so I naturally wanted to communicate once again with my friends and family, and the larger hearing world. Even though I, too, am deaf, I function as a hearing person and need an interpreter to communicate with sign language users.
There are also people who could benefit from cochlear implants, but have chosen not to get them. I’ve found that they usually don’t know enough about them, and also don’t realize how much they are missing. I’ve heard from many people who have told me that my books gave them the information and courage to move forward and get a cochlear implant. It’s interesting how well people with hearing loss can relate to one another – and that includes children and teenagers, too.
How closely does the implant sound compare with what you heard before you lost your hearing?
Most hearing people want to know that and the answer is that cochlear implants do usually sound normal – eventually. At first, there is an adaptation period, as the brain and nerves get used to being stimulated and figure out how to process the sound coming in. Hearing with cochlear implants is a “brain thing,” and the brain eventually makes sense of the information it is being given.
What was your journey to publishing like?
“Journey” is a good word! While I was working on this second book, I began showing my writing to some audiologists and colleagues, to make sure that it was technically accurate, and also to gain some emotional support as my journey progressed. I received emphatic encouragement to “please keep writing!” Evidently, what I was describing – what I call “on beyond the testing booth” – was giving important perspectives to these professionals, to the extent that they felt it was important new information that needed to be heard. From there, it gained the attention of the publisher who had handled the distribution of my first book – and the rest, as they say, is history.
If someone were to write an autobiography about a powerful experience of their own, what would be your advice?
Find your own voice – and then find a point of view. Make notes, not just about events, but about your thoughts and emotions. Then start connecting the dots until there’s not just a story, but a reason for it to be told.
Do you have plans to write any more books? If so, who would be your intended audience?
I sense that my latest book will somehow lead me to another topic to write about. I don’t know what that is yet! Part of the process is interacting with my book fans – it is so invigorating to know that people want to read what I write. If there’s another book in me, it will find the page eventually.
What is the strangest question you've received regarding your cochlear implant?
One person wanted to know why I didn’t just learn sign language instead of getting a cochlear implant. This may not sound so “strange” to a hearing person, but it was shocking to me that this person did not understand the enormous limitations of deafness that sign language can’t possibly address. I told her to try to imagine getting through her day without hearing or understanding the people she was going to encounter – and also be attuned to how much she relied on sound cues to function. Hearing loss is the most misunderstood of disabilities, and its impact is typically underestimated.
Do you have any vacations planned for this summer or the rest of this year? If so, where to? I’m planning to do some book presentations and book signings – and while that’s not exactly a vacation, it is an adventure – seeing new places, meeting new people, sharing ideas, and always taking pictures! I’m assembling a picture gallery of book fans holding "Listening Closely," and I can’t wait to add more!
Thanks again to Arlene for speaking with us about her experiences and to Donna from Charlesbridge for providing the books for the giveaway.
How to win "Listening Closely":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: If you were to lose your hearing tomorrow, what sounds would you miss the most?
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. (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 June 19th at midnight EST.
More by Arlene Romoff:
Saturday, June 11, 2011
The latest in e-books
Bestselling Author Alisa Dana Steinberg is starting a new hysterical eBook series and the first eBook "Rantalicious: Spring has Sprung" has just come out at Amazon.com for only 99-cents!
In case you missed this the first time it was posted, it's not too late to get your hands on the latest novel by Liz and Lisa of Chick Lit is Not Dead.
Not only is "Husband and Wife" by Leah Stewart out on paperback, but now it's in e-book format, as well!
If you haven't read "The Transformation of Things" by Jillian Cantor, now is your chance!
Update-6/12/11
I posted about this on the Facebook group page, but was kindly reminded (in a comment), that I should post here too. And don't forget to read "The Chocolate Lover's Club" first!
Have a sweet tooth yet? Then check out the latest e-book from Marilyn Brant!
She also has "According to Jane" as an e-book for the same low price of $2.99!
In case you missed this the first time it was posted, it's not too late to get your hands on the latest novel by Liz and Lisa of Chick Lit is Not Dead.
Not only is "Husband and Wife" by Leah Stewart out on paperback, but now it's in e-book format, as well!
If you haven't read "The Transformation of Things" by Jillian Cantor, now is your chance!
Update-6/12/11
I posted about this on the Facebook group page, but was kindly reminded (in a comment), that I should post here too. And don't forget to read "The Chocolate Lover's Club" first!
Have a sweet tooth yet? Then check out the latest e-book from Marilyn Brant!
She also has "According to Jane" as an e-book for the same low price of $2.99!
Can't believe we left this one off the first time too. Hope Josie can forgive us!
Book Review: What Alice Forgot
By Melissa Amster
When I first read the premise for "What Alice Forgot" by Liane Moriarty, I thought it would be like "Remember Me?" by Sophie Kinsella. In part, a good thing, as I enjoyed "Remember Me?" but I also worried that it would lack in originality, as a result. However, "What Alice Forgot" blew that novel, along with many other great novels, out of the water.
Alice Love wakes up on the floor of a gym one morning and realizes she is ten years older than she last remembers. She also believes she is pregnant with her first child, even though she now has three kids for whom she doesn't remember giving birth. And things are supposed to be in their honeymoon stages with her husband, but she finds out that her marriage is not doing too well. As she tries to remember what happened and piece her life back together, more surprises show up along the way. She has to navigate 2008 in the body of a 39 year-old, but with her mind stuck ten years in the past. It leads to new realizations that shake her to her core and allow her to make new decisions regarding the path her life is taking.
I was completely drawn into the story from the very first page and it didn't let go of me, even as I finished. It reminded me of "Click" and "13 Going on 30" (two movies about future time travel that I enjoy). However, it wasn't actually about time travel. It had that feel though. I kept wondering if Alice was going to wake up back in good old 1998, realizing it was all just a dream. What I liked was that Alice wasn't the only one narrating the story. There are two other perspectives, told in the form of letters to people that are even more secondary (the reader never sees the people being addressed in these letters). Given that Alice had amnesia, she was rendered an unreliable narrator. Having the other narrators there kept the story grounded and allowed the reader to trust what Ms. Moriarty was trying to present. I also liked that since Alice was stuck in a mind-frame of ten years prior, she allowed a lot of room to create various stories for her characters and also described in great detail about Alice's life when she was starting out in her marriage, before kids came along. All the characters were interesting to read about, as they had such diverse and distinct personalities and were easy to visualize.
What didn't work so well was Ms. Moriarty's gestational math calculations. She had stated that Alice's baby was due in August of 1999. However, Alice is supposedly first pregnant in 1998. She last remembers being 14 weeks pregnant. Even if it were at the end of December, there's no way she could carry the baby until August without being extremely overdue. Maybe there was a typo somewhere? Otherwise, it didn't make sense and trying to figure out what her due date should have been was distracting me from some enjoyment of the story. The second factor is something I recently discussed in my review of "The Baby Planner" by Josie Brown, in regards to audience sensitivity. There are parts in the story that immediately disqualified me from recommending it to certain audiences (in this case, those prone to infertility or multiple miscarriages). Aside from that, the ending felt a little rushed, but that's just me wishing Ms. Moriarty would have fleshed it out for another hundred pages or so because I just wanted more to happen.
Overall, I absolutely loved "What Alice Forgot." It was an amazing story that I won't be "forgetting" for a long time. (I even had a dream about it!) It made me think a lot about how I see my own life, through my eyes and through the eyes of people I reconnected with after being out of contact for a long period of time. It also made me think about what I cherish most from my relationship with my husband, as well as my kids. I rank it up there with "She's Come Undone" (Wally Lamb) on my all time favorites list. I even ordered one of Ms. Moriarty's other books already. It was extremely well-written (aside from the math issue) and had such heart and soul that it's impossible not to fall in love with.
When I first read the premise for "What Alice Forgot" by Liane Moriarty, I thought it would be like "Remember Me?" by Sophie Kinsella. In part, a good thing, as I enjoyed "Remember Me?" but I also worried that it would lack in originality, as a result. However, "What Alice Forgot" blew that novel, along with many other great novels, out of the water.Alice Love wakes up on the floor of a gym one morning and realizes she is ten years older than she last remembers. She also believes she is pregnant with her first child, even though she now has three kids for whom she doesn't remember giving birth. And things are supposed to be in their honeymoon stages with her husband, but she finds out that her marriage is not doing too well. As she tries to remember what happened and piece her life back together, more surprises show up along the way. She has to navigate 2008 in the body of a 39 year-old, but with her mind stuck ten years in the past. It leads to new realizations that shake her to her core and allow her to make new decisions regarding the path her life is taking.
I was completely drawn into the story from the very first page and it didn't let go of me, even as I finished. It reminded me of "Click" and "13 Going on 30" (two movies about future time travel that I enjoy). However, it wasn't actually about time travel. It had that feel though. I kept wondering if Alice was going to wake up back in good old 1998, realizing it was all just a dream. What I liked was that Alice wasn't the only one narrating the story. There are two other perspectives, told in the form of letters to people that are even more secondary (the reader never sees the people being addressed in these letters). Given that Alice had amnesia, she was rendered an unreliable narrator. Having the other narrators there kept the story grounded and allowed the reader to trust what Ms. Moriarty was trying to present. I also liked that since Alice was stuck in a mind-frame of ten years prior, she allowed a lot of room to create various stories for her characters and also described in great detail about Alice's life when she was starting out in her marriage, before kids came along. All the characters were interesting to read about, as they had such diverse and distinct personalities and were easy to visualize.
What didn't work so well was Ms. Moriarty's gestational math calculations. She had stated that Alice's baby was due in August of 1999. However, Alice is supposedly first pregnant in 1998. She last remembers being 14 weeks pregnant. Even if it were at the end of December, there's no way she could carry the baby until August without being extremely overdue. Maybe there was a typo somewhere? Otherwise, it didn't make sense and trying to figure out what her due date should have been was distracting me from some enjoyment of the story. The second factor is something I recently discussed in my review of "The Baby Planner" by Josie Brown, in regards to audience sensitivity. There are parts in the story that immediately disqualified me from recommending it to certain audiences (in this case, those prone to infertility or multiple miscarriages). Aside from that, the ending felt a little rushed, but that's just me wishing Ms. Moriarty would have fleshed it out for another hundred pages or so because I just wanted more to happen.
Overall, I absolutely loved "What Alice Forgot." It was an amazing story that I won't be "forgetting" for a long time. (I even had a dream about it!) It made me think a lot about how I see my own life, through my eyes and through the eyes of people I reconnected with after being out of contact for a long period of time. It also made me think about what I cherish most from my relationship with my husband, as well as my kids. I rank it up there with "She's Come Undone" (Wally Lamb) on my all time favorites list. I even ordered one of Ms. Moriarty's other books already. It was extremely well-written (aside from the math issue) and had such heart and soul that it's impossible not to fall in love with.
Tuesday, June 7, 2011
Winner of "The Taming of the Bastard"
To find our winner, Melissa A. assigned a number to each entry and Melissa P. (without looking, obviously) chose one number at random...50
Congrats to Michelle (missmichb), who got to meet Frank Sinatra!
Reminder: If you have won a book, you have about 48 hours to claim it by sending your contact information. (You will be e-mailed if you have won, as well.) After that time, a new winner will be picked.
Thanks to everyone who participated!
Thanks also to LA Dale for talking to us about life Down Under and for supplying a copy of her book for the giveaway.
Don't miss these giveaways:
"Maid of Honor" by Jillian Conley
US/Canada only
Ends 6/12 at midnight EST
"The Single Girl's To-Do List" by Lindsey Kelk
Ends 6/13 at midnight EST
Congrats to Michelle (missmichb), who got to meet Frank Sinatra!
Reminder: If you have won a book, you have about 48 hours to claim it by sending your contact information. (You will be e-mailed if you have won, as well.) After that time, a new winner will be picked.
Thanks to everyone who participated!
Thanks also to LA Dale for talking to us about life Down Under and for supplying a copy of her book for the giveaway.
Don't miss these giveaways:
"Maid of Honor" by Jillian Conley
US/Canada only
Ends 6/12 at midnight EST
"The Single Girl's To-Do List" by Lindsey Kelk
Ends 6/13 at midnight EST
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