Winners of "The Baby Planner"

To pick our winners, we assigned a number to each entry and then asked Josie Brown to choose the winning numbers. Here is her response:

How about 15, 56 and 82?

Congrats to PoCoKat, Jonita and Lisa!

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 again to everyone for participating and to Josie for her entertaining blog post and for giving away the books through CLC.

Don't forget about our current giveaway:
"Sweet Valley Confidential" by Francine Pascal (or a shirt)
US/Canada only
Ends April 3rd at midnight EST

Winning Wednesday--March 30th

I will only be posting giveaways on this blog from now on. If you have a giveaway that ends before Wednesday of a given week, please feel free to post it at Chick Lit Central on Facebook. You're also welcome to contact me about any giveaways you would like to have listed. (Chick Lit only, please, unless it is for a gift card or book related device.)
Finally, I am no longer going to seek out contests to post. If they happen to show up in my Facebook or Twitter news feed or on my blog reader, I'll be sure to post them. If you think I won't see your contest, please send it to me so I can include it in this blog.
Thank you!

New giveaways:

"Sweet Valley Confidential" by Francine Pascal

* Chick Lit Central
US/Canada only
Ends April 3rd at midnight EST

* Chick Lit is Not Dead
Ends on Friday at 6 pm PST

"Recovery" by Alexandrea Weis
So Many Books, So Little Time So Here's Mine
Ends April 3rd at 10 pm PST

"Georgia's Kitchen" by Jenny Nelson
The Write Stuff
US only
Ends April 3rd

"The Map of True Places" by Brunonia Barry
Free Book Friday
Ends tomorrow at midnight

"The Baby Planner" by Josie Brown
Luxury Reading
US Only
Ends April 15th at midnight (Same time as taxes!)

"Born Under a Lucky Moon" by Dana Precious
The Book Connection
US/Canada only
Ends April 3rd at 11:59 pm EST

"Drinking Closer to Home" by Jessica Anya Blau
Confessions of a Real Librarian
Ends April 7th

"The Four Ms. Bradwells" by Meg Waite Clayton
A Cozy Reader's Corner
US/Canada only
Ends Friday

"Ms. Scarlet's School of Patternless Sewing" & "Waking Up in the Land of Glitter" by Kathy Cano-Murillo A Cozy Reader's Corner
US/Canada only
Ends April 3rd

"Letters From Home" by Kristina McMorris
A Cozy Reader's Corner
US/Canada only
Ends April 3rd

"I Love the 80's" by Megan Crane
Mom Lit (Join the group to participate)
Ends tomorrow

Previously posted (still going on):

"Born Under a Lucky Moon" by Dana Precious
A Bookworm's World
US/Canada only
Ends April 30th at 6pm EST


"The Midwife's Confession" by Diane Chamberlain
BookTrib
US/Canada only
Ends today

"The Four Ms. Bradwells" by Meg Waite Clayton
Booking Mama
US/Canada only
Ends April 4th at 11:59pm EST

$100 e-gift card to the bookstore of your choice!
Book Blogger, Author and Publisher Giveaways
Ends April 26th

The Blogiversary Box of Books
A Bookworm's World
Ends April 16th at 6pm EST

A Dynamic Story Writing Contest
So Many Books, So Little Time So Here's Mine
Ends April 4th at 10 pm PST


"The Bird House" by Kelly Simmons
Peeking Between the Pages
US/Canada only, no PO Boxes
Ends April 2nd

"Skip a Beat with Sarah" Sweepstakes
Sarah Pekkanen's Facebook page
US only
Ends July 31st at 12:59 am EST
New winner announced bi-weekly on Mondays.

"Letters from Home" by Kristina McMorris
Redlady's Reading Room
US/Canada only
Ends tomorrow

Three Year Blogiversary with Giveaway
Peeking Between the Pages--Visit the blog to see the details, 3 different chances to win!
Ends April 2nd

"Miss Scarlet's School of Patternless Sewing" and "Waking Up in the Land of Glitter" by Kathy Cano-Murillo
A Bookworm's World
US/Canada only, no PO Boxes
Ends April 2nd at 6 pm EST

Manic Mommy's March Madness Book a Day Giveaway!
Manic Mommy...See blog post for more details
US/Canada only
Every day in March...ends March 31st

"Best Staged Plans" by Claire Cook
Claire Cook's Facebook Page
Like this page and tell all your friends to like it too. Then tell her that Chick Lit Central sent you.
Ends when the page reaches 3500 fans

"The Frog Prince" by Jane Porter and other goodies
Jane Porter
Ends today

Help Kaira Rouda get 800 fans, win "Here, Home, Hope" and Dogeared Jewels and Gifts Karma Necklace
Kaira Rouda Books on Facebook
Ends when this page reaches 800 fans

Interview with Francine Pascal and book (and shirt) giveaway

**Giveaway is now closed**

For many of us, our love of Chick Lit started with the Sweet Valley High series. Well for those of you that have been missing Jessica and Elizabeth Wakefield, they’re back! Thanks to Ann-Marie Nieves from St. Martin's Press, we got to chat with author Francine Pascal just as her newest Sweet Valley book is hitting the shelves. We here at CLC are so happy that she stopped by and can’t wait to read “Sweet Valley Confidential: Ten Years Later!"

St. Martin's Press is giving away two books and one Sweet Valley T-shirt to some lucky readers in the US or Canada.

For more information on "Sweet Valley Confidential," visit the website and follow on Facebook and Twitter.

MP: What was your inspiration for writing the SVH series?
FP: Probably my own high school years. Remembering the excitement of that first independence, of running your own life at last. And then I just knew Sweet Valley High would have great appeal to everyone making her way through adolescence.

MP: What is your usual writing routine?
FP: I write four pages a day excluding weekends, holidays, dentist appointments and lunch dates.


MP: How do you like to spend your time when you are not writing?
FP: I love to read and I’m lucky enough to live in the middle of New York City and can walk everywhere. I love to play poker and see movies and go to the theater.

MA: Were any of the stories in SVH written based on personal experiences?
FP: All stories had a bit of me in them because “The more things change, the more they stay the same.”

MA: Do you feel that the stories in SVH could still be applicable to teenagers today, or have you considered updating some of the books to apply to their interests?
FP: I think those stories apply today as well as twenty something years ago. Even though Sweet Valley took place before Facebook, Twitter and smart phones the experiences the characters go through are timeless:

heartbreak, love, tragedy, triumph...they never go away. And you can’t hide those things behind the mask of technology. I'd say that most readers would still relate to all of the characters; because let's face it: everyone knows a Todd and a Lila!

MA: Did you ever feel like siding with Jessica or Elizabeth or have you remained non-partial all these years?
FP: What a great question! Usually I am asked if I, myself, am more of an Elizabeth or a Jessica; to which I always respond: I'm an Elizabeth with some Jessica Tendencies so in most cases I did side with Elizabeth. That is not to say I don’t love Jessica. Ninety percent of the stories would exist with her.

MA: Which secondary character did you have the most fun writing about?
FP: That would definitely be Lila Fowler. She was just outrageous and totally spoiled. It was fun living in Lila's head! Unlike Jessica, she had no saving graces.

MP: Do you always know how a story will end before you start writing, or do you change the ending as the story unfolds?
FP: I know pretty much how it will end, but big changes happen as I write it and I allow them and sometimes they take me to totally unexpected places.

MP: I read that you split your time between New York and the South of France, what are your favorite things about each place?
FP: It’s the difference between city living and country living. France is very special and it’s always a challenge to live in another country, especially if that country is as magnificent as France. I’m in the south where the artists went for the beautiful colors. But I love New York where you have everything and don’t need a car to enjoy it. Both places have their wonderful aspects, but if I had to choose I would take New York. I’m a city girl at heart. And it is in my home country.

MA: What is your favorite memory from high school?
FP: The excitement of working on the school newspaper. Like Elizabeth I wrote the gossip column and got dumped in the pool when I was discovered.

Special thanks to Francine for answering all our questions and to Ann-Marie from St. Martin's Press for facilitating the interview and providing the books and shirt for the giveaway.


How to win "Sweet Valley Confidential" (or a shirt):
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 if you can receive messages there.)

1. Please tell us: When you were in high school were you more like Jessica or Elizabeth?
2. Please tell us: Which secondary SVH character is your favorite? (Ex. Lila, Bruce, Enid, etc.)
3. Follow this blog and post a comment saying you are a follower (if you already follow, that's fine too).
4. Post this contest on Facebook or Twitter or in your blog, and leave a comment saying where you've posted it.
5. Join Chick Lit Central on Facebook. (If you're already a member, let us know that too.)


US/Canada only. Giveaway ends Sunday, April 3rd at midnight EST

For another chance to win this book, visit Chick Lit is Not Dead. Ends Friday at 6 pm PST.

Winners of "Night Road"

To find the winners, we assigned a number to each entry and then asked the Custom Random Number Generator to choose the winning numbers.

Congrats to:

4-Lacey
33-Amber
58-Sheena

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.

Thanks again to Kristin Hannah for a lovely interview and to Wiley Saichek (AuthorsOnTheWeb) for providing the books for the giveaway.

Quite a few of you mentioned that Francine Pascal was your favorite author when you were growing up. Well...she's going to be at CLC tomorrow and we have some copies of "Sweet Valley Confidential" to give away!

Book Review: Why I Love Singlehood

By Melissa Amster

I have not been single in almost 10 years, but I do recall enjoying my single days, which is why the title of Elisa Lorello and Sarah Girrell's book spoke to me right away. While I love being married and wouldn't trade it for the world, I also respect women who enjoy being single, even when they are still hoping to meet Mr. Right. Likewise, I respect women who, like myself, still find ways to be individuals while in a committed relationship. This is the philosophy at the core of "Why I Love Singlehood."

After a long relationship comes to an end, Eva (pronounced as Ava) writes a blog about why she enjoys being single. And she has a lot to enjoy, being the owner of a coffee shop and having a fun-loving circle of friends who visit her shop every day. However, seeing her ex-boyfriend in a new relationship sets her into a tailspin and she starts to evaluate whether or not she really wants to be single after all.

I really enjoyed reading this novel. Eva has a strong voice throughout and is easy to relate to, whether or not the reader is single. I liked seeing the different dynamics played out between Eva and her friends, family members, love interests, etc. The use of description made it easy to visualize people, places and events. There were a lot of pop culture references, which I always enjoy seeing in a novel. It was written in a humorous way but still had a lot of heart and left the reader with something to think about in the long run.

The one criticism I had was really minor, but something that annoys me in any book. The authors chose to wait several chapters before sharing the pronunciation of Eva's name. I was thinking that she went by Eva, as the way it was spelled. However, she reveals during a date that it is pronounced "Ava" instead. That threw me off because I kept flipping back and forth with how I said her name in my mind afterward. I wish they had spelled it the way it sounded or shared the pronunciation in the beginning of the novel. It didn't affect how much I enjoyed the novel overall, but it was something that could have been easily taken care of right away. (It's like letting me think a character is blond based on the cover art and then telling me she's a brunette halfway through the story, altering my mental picture of her.)

Overall, it was a great story that anyone can appreciate, regardless of their dating or marital status. It was extremely well-written and easy to follow along. Given that I am not as good with staying on top of e-books as I am hand-held books, and the fact that my household just increased by one member over the last month, it took me a lot longer to read this novel than I had hoped. However, I was able to easily pick up where I left off, even if I went days or weeks between chapters. I hope Ms. Lorello and Ms. Girrell will team up on more books in the future. I really liked their writing style and I highly recommend "Why I Love Singlehood."

Josie Brown is back and she has a new book to give away!

**Giveaway is now closed**

Happy Spring Chick Lit Lovers! Lucky for us, author Josie Brown has stopped by CLC to charm us with her wit and offer some practical advice. I’m sure most of you remember our interview last fall with Josie about her last book, “Secret Lives of Husbands and Wives” and today she is back talking about her latest novel, “The Baby Planner”.

Josie has even provided us with a sneak peek of the book (and possibly a $100 gift card), set to hit shelves in early April. She also has three signed copies of "The Baby Planner" to give away to some lucky readers in the US or Canada. We hope you will all enjoy reading her guest post and enter to win! We love when the wonderful Josie comes to visit us here at CLC!
Happy Reading
xo M&M


What Not to say to a Pregnant Husband
By Josie Brown

One of the greatest moments in a new mommy’s life is when she gets to tell the man whose child she is carrying the big news.
I’ve been blessed in that I got to deliver that message twice.
Neither time did The Hub faint, which is good, because he’s bigger than me, and I can’t imagine having the task of breaking his fall.
His face was a kaleidoscope of emotions: shock, joy, fear, pride, fear again, a smidge of denial….
I’m glad report that the default setting was joy, as it should be.
But let’s face it: for whatever reason, “the big news” is not always great news to all guys. In fact, in my latest novel, THE BABY PLANNER, my heroine, Katie Johnson has to deal with her own husband’s reticence on the issue of having children. Her way of coping is to channel her energies into her clueless clients’ mama dramas. Lots of fun, as you’ll find that out when you pick up your own copy.
In regard to my own pregnant pauses, I was very lucky in the fact that The Hub was into every aspect of my pregnancy. He loved going to the doctor with me, teared up at the sonogram, and made sure I was cosseted and cuddled in every way…
He even found a button-down shirt made of the same material as one of my pregnancy tops.
That’s when his pals pulled him aside and said: “Um…Dude…you’re taking this a bit too far.”
Okay, yeah, maybe that was a BIT much.
That leads me to four things you shouldn’t say, when you have the great fortune of meeting a soon-to-be dad who is still in shock and awe over his new role:
1: “Just think: he’ll be just like you were, in your teens.”
2: “It’s a girl? How sweet…until she discovers boys. THEN you’ll have your hands full..”
3: “Have you started saving for college? No? Haven’t you figured out how much that will cost, by the time he turns eighteen?”
4: “What if she looks like you?”
That leads me to the best thing you could say to this guy, who’s got his whole future—and that of his new little family—ahead of him:
“You are the luckiest man alive.”

Enjoy this excerpt of my book! And after you read it, enter my contest for a chance to win a $100 gift card to your favorite bookstore.
--Josie Brown, author of THE BABY PLANNER
(Simon & Schuster/Gallery Books; in bookstores April 5, 2011)

Thanks again to Josie for visiting us again and sharing her blog post with everyone, as well as providing the books for our giveaway!

Follow Josie on Facebook and Twitter.
Check out her website and blog.


How to win "The Baby Planner":
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 if you can receive messages there.)

1. Please tell us: How did your significant other react to the news that you were pregnant? (Or how did someone you are close with share news of their pregnancy with you?)
2. Please tell us: What do you look forward to the most about Spring?
3. Follow this blog and post a comment saying you are a follower (if you already follow, that's fine too).
4. Post this contest on Facebook or Twitter or in your blog, and leave a comment saying where you've posted it.
5. Join Chick Lit Central on Facebook. (If you're already a member, let us know that too.)

US/Canada only. Giveaway ends Tuesday, March 29th at midnight EST

Winning Wednesday--March 23rd

I will only be posting giveaways on this blog from now on. If you have a giveaway that ends before Wednesday of a given week, please feel free to post it at Chick Lit Central on Facebook. You're also welcome to contact me about any giveaways you would like to have listed. (Chick Lit only, please, unless it is for a gift card or book related device.)
Finally, I am no longer going to seek out contests to post. If they happen to show up in my Facebook or Twitter news feed or on my blog reader, I'll be sure to post them. If you think I won't see your contest, please send it to me so I can include it in this blog.
Thank you!

New giveaways:

"Night Road" by Kristin Hannah
Chick Lit Central
US/Canada only
Ends March 27th at midnight EST

Birthday Giveaway
Chick Lit Plus
US only
Ends March 24th

"Born Under a Lucky Moon" by Dana Precious
A Bookworm's World
US/Canada only
Ends April 30th at 6pm EST


"The Midwife's Confession" by Diane Chamberlain
BookTrib
US/Canada only
Ends March 30th

"The Four Ms. Bradwells" by Meg Waite Clayton
Booking Mama
US/Canada only
Ends April 4th at 11:59pm EST

"I Love the 80's" by Megan Crane
Chick Lit is Not Dead
Ends tomorrow at 6pm EST

$100 e-gift card to the bookstore of your choice!
Book Blogger, Author and Publisher Giveaways
Ends April 26th

The Blogiversary Box of Books
A Bookworm's World
Ends April 16th at 6pm EST

Previously posted (still going on):

A Dynamic Story Writing Contest
So Many Books, So Little Time So Here's Mine
Ends April 4th at 10 pm PST


"The Bird House" by Kelly Simmons
Peeking Between the Pages
US/Canada only, no PO Boxes
Ends April 2nd

"Skip a Beat with Sarah" Sweepstakes
Sarah Pekkanen's Facebook page
US only
Ends July 31st at 12:59 am EST
New winner announced bi-weekly on Mondays.

"Letters from Home" by Kristina McMorris
Redlady's Reading Room
US/Canada only
Ends March 31st

Three Year Blogiversary with Giveaway
Peeking Between the Pages--Visit the blog to see the details, 3 different chances to win!
Ends April 2nd

"Born Under a Lucky Moon" by Dana Precious
Woman's Day
Ends March 27th

"Miss Scarlet's School of Patternless Sewing" and "Waking Up in the Land of Glitter" by Kathy Cano-Murillo

* Books and Needlepoint
US/Canada only, no PO Boxes
Ends March 28th at midnight CST

* A Bookworm's World
US/Canada only, no PO Boxes
Ends April 2nd at 6 pm EST

Manic Mommy's March Madness Book a Day Giveaway!
Manic Mommy...See blog post for more details
US/Canada only
Every day in March...ends March 31st

"Best Staged Plans" by Claire Cook
Claire Cook's Facebook Page
Like this page and tell all your friends to like it too. Then tell her that Chick Lit Central sent you.
Ends when the page reaches 3500 fans

"These Things Hidden" by Heather Gudenkauf
I am a Reader, Not a Writer
US/Canada only
Ends March 25th

"The Frog Prince" by Jane Porter and other goodies
Jane Porter
Ends March 30th

Help Kaira Rouda get 800 fans, win "Here, Home, Hope" and Dogeared Jewels and Gifts Karma Necklace
Kaira Rouda Books on Facebook
Ends when this page reaches 800 fans