Winners of "The Publicist"

To find our winners, we assigned a number to each entry (from only the entries with contact info) and asked random.org to choose FIVE numbers.

Congrats to....
25 - Lauren McCormick
18 - Kristina Springer
6 - Cozy in Texas
49 - The Every Free Chance Reader
68 - Nova

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 for participating and telling us your favorite rare or exotic animal!

Thanks to Christina for a lovely interview and for sharing her book with our winners.

Check out our latest giveaways and also enter ones from other blogs and websites on our giveaways page.

Books of the Week: January 21st

Thanks for checking out Books of the Week! There are nine of us and we can't keep up with the many review requests we receive, even though we'd love to read everything sent our way. Therefore, we have decided to give some books their time in the spotlight and introduce you to them through this new blog feature. We will be featuring two books a week. We hope you will take the time to check these books out. (Click the titles to find them on Amazon.) If you read them and want to write a guest blogger review for us, please e-mail us and we'll be glad to work with you!

Authors: Please see our current review policy for more information about the Books of the Week feature.
Thank you.

Diners, Dives and Dead Ends
By Terri L. Austin

As a struggling waitress and part-time college student, Rose Strickland’s life is stalled in the slow lane. But when her close friend, Axton, disappears, Rose suddenly finds herself serving up more than hot coffee and flapjacks. Now she’s hashing it out with sexy bad guys and scrambling to find clues in a race to save Axton before his time runs out.

With her anime-loving bestie, her septuagenarian boss, and pair of IT wise men along for the ride, Rose discovers political corruption, illegal gambling, and shady corporations. She’s gone from zero to sixty and quickly learns when you’re speeding down the fast lane, it’s easy to crash and burn.

Diners, Dives and Dead Ends is $0.99 on Kindle.

Terri L. Austin can be found on Facebook and Twitter.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The Lady is a Champ
By Carol Polis

The 1970s were a time of great upheaval for women. There was Roe v. Wade and the Equal Rights Amendment. There were Gloria Steinem, Billie Jean King, Golda Meir, and Carol Polis. Who is Carol Polis? In 1971, Carol Polis married a part-time professional boxing referee. Within two years, she went from being a squeamish spectator to a professional boxing judge the first woman ever to do so. As luck would have it, not only was this period the golden age of women's rights, it was also the golden age of boxing. Carol Polis had a ringside seat for all of it. Sometimes she was the main event. From cutting her teeth on three-round undercard fights at the gritty Blue Horizon in Philadelphia to finding herself at the center of a riot at Madison Square Garden; from being schooled in Joe Frazier s sweat drenched gym on North Broad Street to officiating in a Don King tournament and being investigated by the FBI; from following the careers of local fighters like Boogaloo Watts and Willie the Worm Monroe to becoming a personal guest of Muhammad Ali; from speaking at the nearby Rotary Club to appearing as a contestant on What's My Line and To Tell the Truth; five-foot-one, 115-pound Carol Polis, for better or for worse, was treated as an ambassador for all women, a novelty, and even a misfit.

Polis was bound by none of these labels. First and foremost, Carol Polis was a mom. When her marriage breaks up in 1977, Polis' life becomes more a matter of survival than knockouts. It is while keeping a roof over her kids heads and later raising her grandson that Polis earns her heavyweight belt. The ultimate challenge, it turns out, comes not from attaining stature as a world class sports figure but from becoming a world class juggler. Carol Polis outdistances the 70s. Then the 80s and 90s, eventually officiating at a staggering twenty-seven title fights in nine countries. Like the era she leaves behind, she leaves the uncomfortable title of women's libber in the dust. Polis is, rather, an accidental pioneer someone who attains greatness not by seeking celebrity or confrontation but rather by being herself. The Lady Is a Champ is a sports story that will inspire women and a woman's story that will floor boxing fans.

Carol Polis can be found on Facebook and Twitter.

Book Review: A Wedding in Great Neck

By Gail Allison

When most people think of weddings, they have visions of big white poofy dresses, bouquets being tossed, and tears of joy. You know…bride-centered, super-happy wedding thoughts. But what about everyone else who is also affected by the nuptials? What about the older sister (who isn’t as self-assured as everyone would like to think she is) having to fuss over her adored younger sister (again), while maintaining a façade of calm in front of her ex-husband and her moody teenaged daughter? What about the bride’s father, coming back and being forced to revisit his failed marriage to the bride’s mother while having to bear witness to the extravagant generosity of her second husband? What about the niece, slowly learning who she is as a woman, but wanting to stand strong in her moral values, learning that the bride’s husband-to-be is a smolderingly gorgeous ex-Israeli fighter pilot?

Angelica, the darling of the Silverstein clan, is getting married. Four generations of Silversteins will be coming together to celebrate the marriage, and everyone is bringing along all of their baggage. Angelica is determined to have a day that goes exactly to plan, but will the family’s issues and ideas trip up her finely tuned day? Angelica has always gotten exactly what she wants, how she wants it, but will today be the day that the family finally goes to pieces on her?

This book was spot-on in its approach of all the different (and far-reaching!) effects that one wedding day can have. The spectrum of emotion and constant evolution of feelings is not only explored in-depth, but is turned from one character to another with such smoothness that you feel almost intrusive at times. You know these people’s deepest thoughts. You know their dark secrets. You can see past the façade, but you can also completely empathize with their choices thus far.

Ms. McDonough does an amazing job of smoothly drawing the reader into the controlled chaos that is a wedding. She lets the reader become a silent witness to the pieces of the puzzle that no one else sees, and does such a spectacular job of letting the reader in on secrets that you feel like double-checking yourself and making sure that you didn’t spill the beans when someone else finds out what’s going on. She writes every character with such tenderness and empathy that you can absolutely find the humanity in every one, and really start to think about how one person’s careless actions can have a lasting ripple effect.

A Wedding In Great Neck was a nice, easy read that has definitely stuck with me after I turned the last page. I’m looking forward to reading this one again and have already recommended it to a few friends. I’m also planning to look for Ms McDonough’s other novels. If they’re written even half as well as this one, that’s definitely an investment that is guaranteed to pay off in the end.

Thanks to Penguin for the book in exchange for an honest review.

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Winners of "eloves me, eloves me not"

To find our winners, we assigned a number to each entry (from only the entries with contact info) and asked random.org to choose THREE numbers.

Congrats to....
7-Kristen (kly.327), paperback
19-susieqlaw, e-book
68-Nova, e-book


Here is a message from L.A. Johannesson:
There’s a tail wagging in thanks to the Chick Lit Central ‘chicks’ for all their support in giving eloves me, eloves me not some early exposure to eager chick lit readers like you. I’m grateful for the opportunity to share my novel with those who enjoy this genre as I do.

A heartfelt ‘thank you’ goes out to all of you who participated in the giveaway. Regardless of whether you win one of the three copies of the book or not, I hope you know how much I appreciate your interest and participation.

I sincerely hope that each of you gets the chance to meet Dylan, Kayte, Chloe and the whole ensemble of characters created to tell this story and that they provide you with a few laughs, some points to ponder and a few hours of entertainment.

If you do read the book, I’d love to know your thoughts on it. A review on any of the major book sites is certainly welcome, but so is an email a tweet or a facebook message, so don’t be shy.

In honour of Dylan, consider doing something nice for an animal today.

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 for participating and telling us your favorite animal from a chick lit novel!

Thanks to L.A. for a lovely interview and for sharing her book with our winners.

Check out our latest giveaways and also enter ones from other blogs and websites on our giveaways page.

What's in the mail...plus a giveaway

**Giveaway is now closed**
Melissa:

Market Street by/from Anita Hughes (Amy got this too.)



You're Still the One by Cathy Lamb, Mary Carter, Janet Dailey and Elizabeth Bass from Kensington

Sophie's Run by/from Nicky Wells (e-book)



The Typewriter Girl by Alison Atlee from Gallery Books (Simon and Schuster)

A Perfect Proposal by Katie Fforde from St. Martin's Press



Maid for Me, Too by/from Kat Lieu (e-book; 99 cents for a limited time)

Always the Designer, Never the Bride by Sandra D. Bricker (e-book; free from Amazon at time of purchase)




Stiletto Safari by Kate Metz (e-book; free from Amazon at time of purchase)

Made for Two by Karen Lenfestey (e-novella, free from Amazon at time of purchase)




Amy:

The Best of Us by Sarah Pekkanen form Simon & Schuster

The Last Camellia by Sarah Jio from Penguin Group (Melissa A. also got this.)




What the Dog Ate by/from Jackie Bouchard  (e-book; 99 cents for a limited time)

Calling Me Home by Julie Kibler from St. Martin's Press




Tracey:

Work For Hire by/from Margo Karasek




Becky:

Love from Both Sides by Nick Spalding from Hodder & Stoughton




The Case of the Missing Boyfriend by Nick Alexander from Atlantic Books (Corvus)

The Love Book by Fiona O'Brien from Hodder & Stoughton




What could be in YOUR mail:

Tor and Forge Books has TWO copies of The Love Dog by Elsa Watson for some lucky US and/or Canada readers!

How to win The Love Dog:
Please tell us a touching personal story about any kind of animal or pet. (Did a pet save your life? Were they there when you needed them most? Did you see an animal do a kind or heroic act for someone else? Anything goes here!)

If you don't have a story like this, tell us about one you heard from the news.

One entry per person. Please include your e-mail address or another way to reach you if you win. Entries without any form of contact info will NOT be counted.

US/Canada only. Giveaway ends January 23rd at midnight EST.

Guest Book Review: This Is How I Save My Life

By Sara Steven

What would you do (and how far would you go) in order to save your life?

In Amy Scher’s debut autobiographical novel, This Is How I Save My Life, she asks that very question, detailing her battle with Chronic Lyme Disease and the many health issues that come from it. A good friend of mine is currently living with Lyme Disease, which made me all the more eager to read this book. I wanted to learn as much as I could, to better understand the complex intricacies of such a little known disease.

Amy shares with us excerpts from her personal blog, taking us on an emotional and spiritual journey from her diagnosis, to seeking salvation in India. She discovers the power of embryonic stem cells, a much debated and controversial form of treatment for Lyme Disease, and yet she pushes through those boundaries anyway. I felt as though I was right there with her during her treatments, seated bravely in the dusty rooms at the Indian hospital, praying for a miracle and hoping for the best.

She decides that there is more to healing than simply the physical. In many ways, Amy feels she has found herself through her medical journey. There is an element of self-healing that plays a very important role. As she puts it: “I now realize that the actual stem cell treatment has become a smaller part of my story than I ever imagined. In the end, it was not necessarily the cure, but the catalyst for my ultimate healing.”

While I enjoyed the book, I think I would have preferred less blog entry posts from the past, and more recent writings from Amy. There is a clinical point of view to this book, yet it provides the reader with an in depth description of what one goes through when dealing with Lyme Disease, not just the symptoms but also the treatments for it. I definitely recommend this book to anyone who is currently living with chronic illness, knows someone who is, or to anyone who is in the market for a very inspirational story. I will pass this book along to my friend, confident she will find a wealth of information and knowledge to help her with her own personal journey.

“When life kicks your ass, kick back.” – Amy B. Scher

Thanks to BookSparks PR for the book in exchange for an honest review. For more information about Amy Scher and her book, visit her website and check out the trailer while you're there.

Sara Steven is a wife and stay-at-home mother of two rambunctious boys in Bellevue, NE. When she’s not running marathons, getting certified in group fitness instruction, or working on her novel, she takes a break and opens up a good book (or turns on her Nook). Find her at her blog.

More books like this:

Bree Housley is woman's best friend and has a book to give away

Introduction by 
Melissa Amster

**Giveaway is now closed**

Having a best friend is one of the most important things in the world...at least I feel that way. My best friend and I have so much history together and no matter how often we disagree about things, we also have each others' backs. We know exactly what will make the other laugh out loud. I can't imagine life without my best friend. Unfortunately for Bree Housley, life without her best friend became a reality. Bree and her best friend Shelly were inseparable since fourth grade (Think "TullyandKate" from Firefly Lane). Their friendship survived almost everything until the unthinkable happened...Shelly passed away at the age of 25, due to complications from Preeclampsia. In order to keep Shelly's memory and legacy going strong, Bree and her sister spent a year doing crazy things that Shelly would have done, like giving Valentines to strangers or singing at a karaoke bar. And to document the year, she wrote a book, We Hope You Like This Song. Shelly's "deathiversary" was on January 16th, so the timing for having Bree here is oddly, but nicely, coincidental. In honor of her deathiversary, Bree recently posted a bunch of photos of Shelly on her Facebook page and invited people to share pictures of themselves and their best friends.

Bree is a freelance writer who grew up in Walcott, Iowa (a.k.a. the World's Largest Truckstop). She now lives in Chicago, where she spends most of her free time drinking cocktails with friends or sitting in sweatpants and watching movies with her husband and their dog. And for the record, she is not named after a French cheese. And she is not Jen Lancaster's long lost twin, even though they look alike. She's here today to talk about her best friend AND man's best friend.

We, at Chick Lit Central, hope you like this book. Bree even has one copy to share with a lucky reader in the US or Canada!

You can find Bree at Facebook, Twitter and her website (which also has her blog).

Check out her book trailer (we dare you not to cry):



Since you wrote a memoir, what is one piece of advice you have for others who would like to write their own memoir?
Go for it with all your guts. Don’t sugarcoat the ugly stuff or worry that someone might remember things differently. It’s your story. No one else’s. People know that when they see your name as the author. Sure, you might have to include an apology to your mom in the epilogue for using the f-bomb, but you’ll end up with a much richer, more impactful story if you put it all out there.

What was your favorite activity that you did to keep your best friend's memory alive?
My favorite activity was the “resolution” that spoke most directly to who Shelly was. We called it “the social butterfly.” My sister and I had to make five friends in one week. Saying “hi” to a stranger wasn’t enough. We had to learn one thing about them and also snap a picture with our new stranger-friend. Have you ever asked someone you barely know to pose in a picture with you? Yeah, I didn’t think so. Weird.

I’m quite introverted so I had to approach my day differently. Instead of plugging my ears with headphones and keeping my eyes on the ground, I made eye contact with people. I realized that every person I shared the sidewalk with was a new opportunity to connect. I’m sure I freaked some people out, but in the end I got some photos I’ll always treasure.

Describe your writing style in three words.
Unfiltered. Imperfect. Friend-y.

What did you do to celebrate when your book was published?
I exhaled. And then I put on my headphones, listened to my favorite Stuart Davis album, and walked to the grocery store for some Ben & Jerry’s Late Night Snack.

When I received the first physical copy of the book, I took it to the cemetery and read the prologue to Shelly. It only seemed right to celebrate with the person who inspired me in the first place.

Tell me the funniest thing your dog did recently.
We were at my in-laws house over the summer and everyone was out in the pool. Our dog, Willie, was hanging out on the edge, checking things out. He leaned so far toward the pool that all 75 pounds of him splashed in without warning. He freaked.out. My sister-in-law was the closest so she sprang into action by hoisting him back onto land. Willie was so ashamed that he ran and hid in the bushes. It was such a human emotion. Adorable.

What is your favorite thing about having a dog?
I spent a lot of hours in my basement office working on my memoir. I oftentimes worked from 9 PM – 3 AM so I could also work my day job. Willie made me feel like I had a friend in the room during those hours…but he didn’t distract me with cocktails and chitchat like my human friends would. Perfect writing partner!

If you were to give advice to someone getting their first dog, what would you tell them?
I like to say I “married into” my dog so I’m definitely still learning. My husband, Eric, rescued Willie from a shelter a couple years before we met. Sometimes when I look at his sweet eyes, it makes me sad that he could’ve been killed if Eric waited just a few days. So my advice would be to visit animal shelters before making a decision. Why not save a dog’s life if you can? (Cue the sad McLachlan music.)

Who is your favorite pet on a TV series?
Was Alf considered a pet? If not, I’d have to say Digby from Pushing Daisies. The show didn’t last long, but my passion for the relationship between Digby and sexy pie-maker Ned burns on, always. If you aren’t familiar with the show, Ned had a special power where he could bring the dead back to life with a simple touch. He first discovered this as a little boy when Digby was hit by a car. But here’s the kicker, if Ned touches the person/animal a second time, they drop dead again forever. So poor Ned could never touch Digby or pet him, but he found other ways to show his canine BFF love.

Special thanks to Bree for visiting with us and sharing her book with our readers.


How to win We Hope You Like This Song:

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. Since this book is about best friends and it's still pet/animal month, please tell us: If your (human) best friend were to be any kind of animal, what kind would they be and why?
2. Follow this blog and post a comment saying you are a follower (if you already follow, that's fine too).
3. Post this contest on Facebook or Twitter or in your blog, and leave a comment saying where you've posted it.
4. Join Chick Lit Central on Facebook. Edit settings if you don't want to receive a lot of messages at your e-mail account. Please read our posting guidelines as well. (If you're already a member, let us know that too.)
5. Follow us on Twitter and/or Pinterest.
6. Add a friend to our Facebook group. (Tell us who you added.) Be sure to remind them to edit their settings.

US/Canada only. Giveaway ends January 23rd at midnight EST.