Chick Lit Central: The Blog!

What's in the mail today?

2012-03-02T10:00:00.000-05:00

Melissa A:

From HarperCollins:

From Penguin:

e-books:

From Sapphire Star Publishing:

Amy got this too!

From Jennifer Coburn:

Free from Amazon:

Amy:

From Random House:

Melissa A and Cindy got this too!

e-book:

From Mary Vensel White:

From Josie Brown:

Still 99 cents for Kindle!

Becky:

From Hodder and Stoughton:

From Choc Lit:

They also sent a yummy chocolate bunny. :)

From Pan MacMillan:

Books of the Week-March 1st

2012-03-01T11:00:00.000-05:00

"Blue Straggler"
By Kathy Lynn Harris

Bailey Miller is “disconnected” from the cluster of her rural south Texas family. She has never quite fit in and now in her early 30s, she finds herself struggling with inner turmoil and a series of bad choices in her life. She's drinking too much (even for a member of her family), has a penchant to eat spoonfuls of Cool Whip, works in a job that bores her beyond description and can’t keep a relationship longer than it takes for milk to expire in her fridge. Even with the help of her two outspoken friends, Texas gal Idamarie and her quirky college pal Rudy, she’s having a hard time.

So she packs up her Honda and heads out of Texas in search of herself and answers to secrets from her great-grandmother’s past. The novel takes readers on a journey from San Antonio, Texas, to a small mountain town in Colorado and back again, as Bailey uncovers not only the secrets of her great-grandmother’s life, but also some painful secrets of her own. All while finding love along the way.

If you have ever wondered why you got stuck with the family you did, what you are doing with your job and your life, or had a sudden desire to run off to the mountains, sit back and join Bailey for this laugh-out-loud, yet poignant ride.

Follow Kathy Lynn Harris on Facebook and Twitter.

*Anyone who 'Likes' the "Blue Straggler" Facebook page by March 3rd is entered to win a $25 Amazon Gift Card!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Sugarfiend"
By Caroline Burau

In the middle of her latest of a lifetime of doomed diet attempts – cutting sugar cold turkey – Estelle decides to quit quitting for good, pack her bags, and lose herself on a 7-day Caribbean cruise. As a ship full of wary passengers ducks for cover, Estelle wages her own personal war against moderation. But the consequences land her in the belly of the beast: broke, alone, and forced to take a job as –- of all things -- a detox consultant for the ship.

Is Skinny the answer to Happy? Is Sweet ‘n Low the new black? Is that Denise Austin chick...for real? No, no, and yes . . . oddly. But for a Sugarfiend, it’s not the destination that matters, it’s all the cupcakes you get to eat along the way.

You can find Caroline Burau on Facebook and Twitter.

Welcome to the carnival....featuring a very special "Carny"

2012-03-01T09:00:00.000-05:00

First, to get in the mood, listen to "Carnival" by Natalie Merchant.

Natalie Merchant - Carnival
- Watch more Videos at Vodpod.

Now that you're in the mood for a carnival, we're here to reveal the cover of Brooke Moss' new novel, "Carny," which will be published in July by InkSpell. Feast your eyes....

Two people from opposite worlds, one unforgettable kiss. You can't judge a carny by its cover.

At a town fair on the coast of Oregon, handsome Native American carny, Vincent Youngblood, bestows an unforgettable kiss on shy, awkward teenager, Charlotte Davenport. Then disappears without another word, leaving her baffled and enamored.

Ten years later, Charlotte is still living in the small fishing town of Astoria, while being trained to--reluctantly--take over for her philandering hotelier father when he retires. After all, who else will do it? Her two perfect sisters are busy being married to their flawless husbands and having cookie cutter children, while Charlotte remains single, childless, and every bit as mousy as she was a decade ago.

As Charlotte struggles to climb out from underneath her judgmental parents thumb, the carnival rolls back into town, and Charlotte finds herself face to face with Vin again. He's back to run his father's carnival, walking away from a promising career in medicine he started in Chicago. Will her biased and judgmental family accept her relationship with a man who is not only a Native American, but works as a carny for a living? And what unsavory secrets bind the well-educated and seemingly superlative Vin to that ramshackle carnival? After all, you can’t judge a carny by its cover.

While we're still in the carnival spirit, Cindy and Melissa A. want to share some carnival memories.

Cindy:
As a teenager, I used to look forward to the carnival rolling into town every summer. My girlfriends and I would go there every night to ride the rides, eat the tacky food and waste money on games that were impossible to win. But the best part was checking out the carny guys, who all seemed so mysterious and sinister to us. We wouldn't actually talk to them, but we were so intrigued.

Melissa A:
When I was a kid, I loved going on all the rides at the carnivals. The more stomach lurching, the better. Then I became an adult and suddenly the rides were too much for me to handle. However, the carousel was always tame and trustworthy. There was one time I went to a carnival with my husband (at the time, he was my fiance) and we wanted the ride the carousel. We had given the carny our tickets and were ready to ride on those glorious horses when we were informed that we were too big for this ride and needed to sit on the benches that do nothing. I was so livid and it was too late to get off the ride at that point. I think it was a rather cheap or poorly made carousel, because I haven't encountered that problem since, as you can see here....

Making friends with Ashley Ream, plus a book giveaway

2012-03-01T08:30:00.000-05:00

This March is "Friendship Month" at Chick Lit Central. To kick it off on the very first day of the month, we have Ashley Ream, debut author of "Losing Clementine," here to talk about friendship with us. Ashley Ream's first job was working for a newspaper when she was 16 years old. After working in newsrooms across Missouri, Florida and Texas, she decided to pursue fiction. She currently lives in Los Angeles, where she works at a nonprofit and is finishing her next novel. "Losing Clementine" is about a woman who has resolved to kill herself in 30 days. Her "To Do" list is long but manageable. She must secure the means to end her life and tie up any loose ends she’s been avoiding. She begins by throwing her teapot out the window, and a countdown to her final days ensues.

Thanks to HarperCollins, we have a copy of "Losing Clementine" for one lucky reader in the US.

You can find Ashley at her website, as well as on Facebook and Twitter. Time to make a new friend!

Chick lit main character you'd want to be best friends with:
Lily Ivory from Juliet Blackwell's witchcraft series. (HEXES AND HEMLINES is the most recent title.) Lily owns a vintage clothing store (which I love) in San Francisco (which I also love) and reminds me a lot of Juliet (who is a friend of mine.) What more could you ask for?

How did you meet your best friend?
My friend Janice and I were assigned to be roommates our freshman year of college. Of all the nonsmokers who requested that particularly dorm, our names fell alphabetically to one another. More than a decade later, she's still assigned to me.

Favorite memory shared with your best friend:
We're still making memories. I don't think my favorite has happened yet, but there was a trip to Key West back in our college days.

Favorite destination for a girls weekend/trip:
There's a particular beach house in Ventura, California that my girlfriend rented for her 40th birthday. It has a wrap-around porch, windows that open to the sound of the surf and an oyster shack just a short walk down the sand. The oyster seller is also the oyster farmer, and we brought home a fresh sack to eat with glasses of champagne.

Was there ever a time where you thought you knew a friend but it turned out you didn't know them at all?
Yes, but in really wonderful ways. I have friends who are artists, writers, geneticists, television directors, nonprofit leaders, professors. Incredible, amazing, inspiring women. Frequently, one of them will do something that knocks my socks off, and I have to re-learn just what powerful, brilliant women they are because it's even better than I thought.

What do you enjoy doing with friends the most?
Laughing and opening bottles of wine.

The nicest thing your best friend has ever done for you:
The thing my girlfriends and I all do for each other is clap the loudest and break one another's falls. Again and again. It's the best support system.

Favorite movie about friendship:
Mystic Pizza (I can't help myself.)

Three words to describe your best friend:
There's a whole group of us. I'd say: smart, talented, independent.

Favorite place to hang out with your friends:
On the couch with our shoes off.

Special thanks to Ashley for her friendly answers and to HarperCollins for sharing "Losing Clementine" with our readers.

How to win "Losing Clementine":
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: How did you meet your best friend?
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. 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 March 6th at midnight EST.

Winners of "Bond Girl"

2012-02-29T14:03:00.002-05:00

To find our winners, we assigned a number to each entry and had Random.org choose five numbers.

Congrats to:

9-meandmom
36-Cassandra (Book and Movie Dimension Blogger)
78-Erica (wordywon)
80-karenk
89-Kristilyn (Reading in Winter)

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 for all your romantic movie recommendations.
Thanks to Erin for a lovely interview and to HarperCollins for sharing "Bond Girl" with our winners.

More giveaways to enter! All are worldwide!

700 Follower Giveaway
Ends 3/1 at midnight EST

"Summer Daydreams" by Carole Matthews
Ends 3/5 at midnight EST

"Valentine Delights: Be Mine" by Jen Daiker (e-book)
Ends 3/4 at midnight EST

Blogs of the week

2012-02-29T11:00:00.001-05:00

Reader:

Vegetarian at LARGE

Mari, also known as "Heavy Hedonist" is an atheist, an animal lover, and a fan of soup. She may also be known as Exploding Mary, or The Exploding Mary Collection, who writes songs, novels, stories and poetry. Currently, Kenmore NY is where she calls home, with a Star Wars supergeek and a ragamuffin cat for company...their circa 1969 bathroom is famous on Facebook. She also has a makeup-over-40 blog called Aging Ophelia.

You can find her on Facebook.

Author:

Chicki Brown

She is a published fiction author who loves G-d, treasures her family and friends and spends her free time reading, as well as enjoying her music collection. Her latest novel, "Ain't Nothing Like the Real Thing" is available for $2.99 in Kindle format.

You can find her on Facebook and Twitter.

Winners of Carol Mason's books and "The Underside of Joy"

2012-02-28T15:06:00.000-05:00

To find the winners of Carol Mason's books and "The Underside of Joy," we assigned each entry a number (one entry per person for Carol's books) and had Random.org pick four numbers.

Congrats to...

"The Love Market": Lilian (6)
"Send Me a Lover": Na (18)
"The Secrets of Married Women": Kim W. (17)

*and*

"The Underside of Joy": Paula (41)

Here is a message from Carol Mason:
Thanks to Chick Lit Central for the fun opportunity to post. Readers, I recently re-released all three of my novels as Amazon e-books. I was thinking of a way to really make my sales count for something so I decided that for the month of March I will donate 50% of the net proceeds of my e-books to the breast cancer foundation. If you'd like to join in with your support, you can purchase any of my e-books on Amazon for $2.99 - "The Love Market," "Send Me A Lover" or "The Secrets of Married Women" - then just email me through my website with proof of purchase. I'll post an update there at the end of March!

Here's a message from Seré Prince Halverson:
Thanks to Chick Lit Central for generously hosting this giveaway, and to all of you who entered! I so appreciate your interest in "The Underside of Joy." I've been writing for many years, but this is my first published novel. It means a great deal to me to know it' s getting into the hands of readers. Congratulations to the winner! I sincerely hope you enjoy the novel.

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 to Seré and Carol for visiting Chick Lit Central and sharing their thoughts with us.
Thanks to Penguin and KMSPR for sharing "The Underside of Joy" with our winner.
Thanks again to Carol for sharing her books with our winners.

Don't miss out on our current giveaways:

700 Follower Giveaway
Ends 3/1 at midnight EST

"Summer Daydreams" by Carole Matthews
Ends 3/5 at midnight EST

"Valentine Delights: Be Mine" by Jen Daiker (e-book)
Ends 3/4 at midnight EST

"Bond Girl" by Erin Duffy
US/Canada only
Ends 2/28 at midnight EST

Daydreaming of romance with Carole Matthews, plus a book giveaway

2012-02-28T08:30:00.000-05:00

Introduction by Cindy Roesel

Welcome the 2012 Romance Novelist’s Association Romantic Comedy of the Year Nominee, Carole Matthews, who was nominated for her novel "Wrapped Up in You!"

Carole Matthews can do it all. She’s written over twenty novels in over fifteen years. More than three-and a-half million copies have been sold world-wide in thirty countries. She’s able to wear sleeveless blouses because she has incredible shoulders, and well-toned arms.

And if this isn’t too much, she’s bakes. You have to check out her website, she often posts the most fabulous cupcakes which she not only whips up, but decorates like a pastry chef.

And Carole Matthews has a new novel, "Summer Daydreams," coming out in May (currently available for Kindle though), but we get to visit with her here at Chick Lit Central first. YEAH!

Have you ever dreamed of doing something more with your life? In "Summer Daydreams," Nell wonders if it’s possible to have it all. She’s a juggling a job and her personal life but gets the opportunity to live her dream. If you want to learn more about what happens, you can enter to win a copy right here! Carole has one to give to a lucky reader anywhere in the world!

If you want to know more about Carole, you can find her on Facebook and Twitter.

Favorite chick lit novel couple:
Bridget Jones and Mark Darcy. The ultimate chick lit couple!

Favorite romantic movie:
Four Weddings and A Funeral. I think has to be my favourite. I love all of the British romcoms - Notting Hill, Love Actually, Bridget Jones’s Diary. Basically, anything scripted by Richard Curtis.

Favorite romantic song:
Everything by Mary J Blige. Music is really important to me and I always listen to music while I’m writing. I find song lyrics very inspiring. I particularly like listening to George Michael, Prefab Sprout and Vampire Weekend. A bit of Michael Buble never goes amiss either

Favorite place to go on a date:
On a picnic, anywhere sunny. Sometimes we’ll just have a picnic in our living room if the weather is awful - well, I do live in Britain! We just put a blanket on the floor, have all kinds of lovely picnic food and, of course, some fizz! Can’t beat it.

Most memorable date:
Afternoon tea at the Ritz Hotel in London. Such a romantic thing to do. The setting is beautiful, the tea is first class, very gentile and there’s a pianist plays throughout the afternoon. We went for my birthday last year and it was wonderful. Everyone really dresses up and the women all put on their finery and men have to wear suit and tie. It instantly turns the occasion into something very special.

Guy you would date from a chick lit novel:
I think my hero, Dominic, from my last book WRAPPED UP IN YOU would have to be on the list. He’s a Masaai warrior and quite unusual for a hero. He’d be wonderful to spend time with though. I’d also like a date with Daniel Cleaver from "Bridget Jones’s Diary." I do like a bad boy!

Favorite Valentine's Day memory:
My partner, Lovely Kev, took me to a lovely hotel in the Cotswolds in England which is home to The Pudding Club. We stayed in their chocolate suite and it was divine.

Best movie kiss:
Hmm. So many of them! I think I’ll plump for Hugh Grant and Julia Roberts in Notting Hill.

Special thanks to Carole for visiting with us and sharing "Summer Daydreams" with our readers.

How to win "Summer Daydreams":
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: Who is (or was) your favorite celebrity couple?
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. Add a friend to our Facebook group. (Tell us who you added.) Be sure to remind them to edit their settings.

Giveaway ends March 5th at midnight EST.

Book Review: Saved by Cake

2012-02-28T08:00:00.000-05:00

By Becky Gulc

Good things come to those who wait in terms of Marian Keyes' novels; I love her work and am delighted she’s felt well enough to share newsletters twice this year already. Your fans are still here, Marian! As well as a new novel due for release in the Autumn, "Mercy Close," she has just released a baking book, "Saved by Cake." No it’s not a novel but to be honest I doubt many of you mind, we could not resist covering this!

"Saved by Cake" is aimed at baking novices, the same as Marian was not long ago. Within the book Marian writes about how learning to bake has helped her in her efforts to live with depression. One day in the midst of a dark period in her life, Marian had a sudden urge to make her friend a birthday cake, even though she didn’t own a single piece of baking equipment. That was it then, she was hooked.

‘Since then I’ve gone on to acquire cookie cutters in the shape of cars, hearts, circles, flowers, fairy wings, stars, owls, moose, bats, beer mugs, football boots, rabid dogs, gangrenous legs, rotten teeth...and still I want more.’

The book opens with a very honest account of depression: ‘To be perfectly blunt about it, my choice sometimes is: I can kill myself or I can make a dozen cupcakes. Right so, I’ll do the cupcakes and I can kill myself tomorrow.’

It’s sad to read at times, enlightening, but it never fails to shine with Marian’s witty humour. I own a lot of baking books and even though I cherish them I often don’t pay much attention to anything other than the recipes themselves, with this one you’ll want to read every word if you’re a fan of Marian’s.

The book is full of mouth watering recipes, with sections for classics, cupcakes, cheesecakes, and chocolate...to name just a few. I felt the only way to provide an informed review of the recipes themselves was to test drive one of them, so last night I made the ‘No Bake Ginger and Lime Cheesecake’. I found the recipe straightforward to follow and even though I regularly bake (but by no means am I a technical baker) the language was fine and I enjoyed the way Marian’s words guide you through in a friendly and informed way. So how did it turn out? See below!

How did it taste? Lovely, even if I do say so myself! So refreshing with all the lime in it. I was giddy with excitement at how sparkly the topping was too, it looked very special indeed, although my picture doesn’t get across just how sparkly it was. That’s a plus point too, all the recipes look so tasty and colourful, and I love the fact Marian uses edible glitter freely (or ‘non-toxic’ glitter as I was told to say in a shop once!) and various other sparkly gems.

I liked the fact that Marian guides you through the recipes and emphasises things that she’s tripped up on when fine tuning the recipes. She answers questions within the book I’ve often asked myself, e.g. if I only have salted butter in the house but a recipe requires unsalted do I have to go running to the shop or will it taste funny? You don’t often get that in recipe books, it’s almost expected you know these seemingly little things.

As for the look of the book...beautiful and girly. It’s pink, bright and inviting. There’s also, pretty much, an accompanying picture for each recipe, I don’t know about anyone else but I often never end up making recipes when you can’t see what you’re aiming for, so I do like that about this book.

This is a book that will sit proudly amongst my other baking books and I know that soon enough it will be splodged just like the rest as it will be put to good use. For anyone who enjoys baking (you really don’t have to be new to baking to enjoy this) and anyone who loves Marian’s humour this is a real treat of a book. Happy baking!

Also by Marian Keyes:

Winners of "The Angel at No. 33"

2012-02-27T16:05:00.000-05:00

To find our winners, we assigned a number to each entry and had random.org choose TEN numbers.

Congrats to:
6-Kritter
12-Melissa's Eclectic Bookshelf
39-Marybelle
43-Bonnie Y.
59-Anjana Vasan
62-Jel
71-Margaret
73-Sheena
79-Jilleen
101-Lucie Simone

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. Congrats to Kritter of Kritters Ramblings on recently becoming engaged! (And now she'll have a book to read during wedding preparations.)
Thanks to Polly for a lovely interview and to Headline UK for their generosity!

Don't forget to enter these giveaways!

700 Follower Giveaway
Ends 3/1 at midnight EST

"Valentine Delights: Be Mine" by Jen Daiker (e-book)
Ends 3/4 at midnight EST

"Bond Girl" by Erin Duffy
US/Canada only
Ends 2/28 at midnight EST

"The Love Market," "Send Me a Lover" or "The Secrets of Married Women" by Carol Mason
North America
Ends TONIGHT at midnight EST

"The Underside of Joy" by Sere Prince Halverson
US only
Ends TONIGHT at midnight EST

Jen Daiker is all about romance and she has an e-book to give away!

2012-02-27T08:30:00.005-05:00

Today, we welcome Jennifer Daiker. Jen is a Houston-based writer, and when she’s not engrossed in her laptop she can be found enjoying the latest episode of The Real Housewives. She also spends her days devouring great reads, and having strange conversations with her two cats and overly patient husband. Thanks to a dream of trying every profession, she put pen to paper and realized while writing, a person truly can have it all.

She has one e-book of "Valentine Delights: Be Mine" (which contains her short story, "Latte Love") to give to a lucky reader anywhere in the world!

Visit Jen at her blog, Twitter, Facebook and Still Moments Publishing.

Favorite chick lit novel couple:
Heath and Annabelle from "Match Me If You Can" by Susan Elizabeth Phillips.

Favorite couple from a TV series:
Jess and Nick from "New Girl" (even though they're not a couple... yet).

Favorite romantic song:
"Somewhere Only We Know" by Keane (it's a special one with my hubby and I).

Favorite place to go on a date:
The Drive-In.

How you met your spouse:
Worked together.

Tell us about your marriage proposal:
I'd just jumped out of the shower, hair damp, body wrapped in a towel, and my husband beckoned me. I walked out to a wall of colored printing paper blocking me from the living room with a poem attached. Needless to say I cried...and he was down on one knee, teary-eyed too.

Guy you would date from a chick lit novel:
Dan Calebow from "It Had To Be You" by Susan Elizabeth Phillips.

Favorite Valentine's Day memory:
The year I had rose petals in my bathtub... any year that happens will be labeled my favorite.

Best movie kiss:
The Notebook... rain, water, and Ryan Gosling. Yum, yum, yum.

Special thanks to Jen for sharing her romantic favorites and her e-book!

How to win "Valentine Delights: Be Mine":

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. Tell us about your marriage proposal. (If you're not engaged or married, tell us about your favorite proposal that you either witnessed or saw on a TV show or movie.)
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. Add a friend to our Facebook group. (Tell us who you added.) Be sure to remind them to edit their settings.

Giveaway ends March 4th at midnight EST.

What's in the mail today?

2012-02-24T11:00:00.000-05:00

Melissa A:

From Carole Matthews:

Carole will be at CLC next week to talk about romance and do a giveaway for this novel!

From HarperCollins UK:

e-books:

Free deals on Amazon:

Becky:

From FMcM:

From Transworld:

From HarperCollins UK:

"One Night Only" by Sue Welfare

Book Review: Four of a Kind

2012-02-24T08:00:00.000-05:00

By Melissa Amster

There's something so "delicious" about a story where women have secrets. It allows the reader to eavesdrop into their lives and escape for a few hours at a time. When I found out that "Four of a Kind," by Valerie Frankel, was about four women who exchange secrets with each other, I knew I had to check it out!

Alicia, Bess, Robin and Carla are the four members of the diversity committee at their childrens' upscale private school. However, instead of planning events, they decide to play poker and make it interesting by putting their secrets on the table. Alicia's marriage is on the rocks and all she can think about is her attractive colleague. Bess is stuck in the middle of trying to please her mother and her teenage daughter. Robin knows who her daughter's real father is, but her daughter has no idea. And Carla is caught between doing what's best for her family and following her dream. These women's lives are followed throughout the year and their secrets are the glue that holds them together when everything else is falling apart around them.

This is the first time I've read a novel by Valerie Frankel, so I didn't know what to expect. I was swept up into the lives of all four women as soon as they started revealing truths about themselves. The dialogue and banter was snappy and humorous, while also staying true to a natural flow. They all had real problems and even if I couldn't relate to them, I still felt like I could be friends with them anyway. The story had a "Desperate Housewives" feel to it, minus the murder mystery. It had the same flair that has kept me watching the show since the first season. Ms. Frankel had a great use of description, which allowed me to visualize people and places throughout. I liked how realistic the interactions felt between the women, as well as those with people in their lives. I found myself hoping things would work out for them and was satisfied with how things ended up for each of them.

I did have some concerns though. The first was with the language, which got pretty vulgar at times. After a while, I didn't notice the vulgarity as much or it tapered off, but I felt like in the beginning they were just using words for male anatomy over and over again. I wasn't offended, but I could see how someone else might be. Also, I know absolutely nothing about how to play poker, especially Texas Hold 'Em. While I appreciated that Ms. Frankel included a guide and some terminology at the end, I didn't know about it until I was finished and even then it was over my head. I would have appreciated a bookmark that had pictures of each of the types of winning hands and that it would also show what pocket cards and river cards were. I also thought there were way too many play-on-words involving cards or poker moves. (Ex. "She laid all her cards out on the table and didn't fold," referring to something in one of the character's personal lives.)

Overall, this was an engaging story and I had a genuine interest in what was happening in everyone's lives. I loved how the women took a genuine interest in each others' lives, as well. If you're looking for a fun story about female friendship, juicy secrets and sex, then "Four of a Kind" is the novel for you!

More by Valerie Frankel:

Books of the Week-February 23rd

2012-02-23T11:00:00.000-05:00

Thanks for checking out our newest feature...Books of the Week! There are six 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. Starting this week, we will feature twobooks 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: We will let you know whether or not we'll be able to review your book upon your request, and hope you'll be interested in this feature as an alternative.

"Year of the Chick"
By Romi Moondi

An awkward family homecoming at Christmas.

A humiliating public weigh-in, with two judging parents as the audience.

The announcement of a deadline for arranged marriage doom.

And that's just the first two chapters.

In "Year of the Chick," Romi Narindra must find love before her parents find her a husband. This is a difficult task in a world where self-consciousness is at an all-time high, and dating experience at an all-time low.

Severely lacking in seductive skills and uninspired by her corporate job, Romi turns to what she loves, by writing about her quest to find love on her brand new blog.

From whiskey-breath scum bags to uni-brow creeps and everything in between, Romi and her wingmen come up empty time after time. Just when giving up seems like the thing to do, she meets a fellow writer unexpectedly.

On the Internet.

So will it be arranged marriage doom, or an Internet affair that's not as creepy as "To Catch a Predator"?

Time will tell in the "Year of the Chick," a twelve-month quest to find love.

Tick-tock.

You can find Romi Moondi on Facebook and Twitter.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"Tallis' Third Tune"
By Ellen L. Ekstrom

Alice Martin discovers herself in a quaint English shop. Iconic historical figures appear no sooner than she thinks of them; they come and go, offering advice – unwanted, but always interesting. While there, Alice learns that she can change definitive moments in her history, to correct mistakes made in two important relationships: with her first love, Quinn Radcliffe, a sensitive classical musician destined for the concert halls of the world, and with Donovan Trist, a charming archeologist with New England blue-blood and expensive scotch in his veins. Each has a hold on Alice, and what she is compelled to undertake begins a momentous and sometimes painful journey. Throughout her travels, Alice is linked to love by a melody, the luminous and evocative Fantasia on a Theme by Thomas Tallis. As she seeks answers and happiness, Alice knows one thing is for certain – this is not a trip to Wonderland, but deep into her heart and soul.

You can find Ellen L. Ekstrom on Facebook and Twitter.

Amy and Cindy share their thoughts on romance

2012-02-23T10:00:00.000-05:00

This week, Amy and Cindy are talking about their experiences with love and romance. Their stories are sweet and we hope you will enjoy reading them!

Amy:

The first couple of times I went down to meet Jason’s parents, in the town he grew up in, we passed a billboard advertising a jewelry store and it said “Amy, Will You Marry Me?” in fake looking graffiti. We found it funny every time we passed it.

Before Jason proposed, he and his father gave me a bunch of black and white family photos to look through. You would think this is odd right? The next thing I knew there was a doctored photograph from the billboard reading “Amy Lazarus, will you marry me?” Jason and his father took a picture of the billboard and inserted my last name!

At first I thought it was a joke because both Jason and his father are big jokesters. When I realized that neither of them were moving and then when Jason pulled out the ring box I knew this was not a joke. Words can't even begin to describe how happy and excited I was!

The happy couple

Cindy:

This Valentine’s Day my ex-husband and I would have been celebrating our 19th wedding anniversary. Instead, we've been divorced for thirteen years, and back together for six. Did you follow that? Lord knows, it's taken me some time to figure it out.

We’ve just gone through a tough time following his mom passing away after a long illness. It wasn’t easy, but we were by each other’s side strong and silent when appropriate but always lovingly. The bottom line is I’m blessed to be in a relationship with my soul mate, even if we’re no longer married.

Five years ago, I fell into a coma and he was my advocate and helped me rehabilitate so that counts for the through sickness and in health thing even without a ring on my left hand.

Sure we’ve have issues, we’re divorced, but more importantly, we’re there for the other no matter what. What I’ve learned together and apart is we’ve grown to experience unconditional love. It’s a different, perhaps a higher level of love. It’s not about romance, gifts and flights of fancy. It takes work, but it’s worth the result. I’m truly at home and at peace when I’m with my Ken.

Bonding over romantic stuff with Erin Duffy, plus a book giveaway

2012-02-23T08:30:00.000-05:00

**Giveaway is now closed**

Today we have the debut author of "Bond Girl," Erin Duffy, here to chat about romance. A 2000 graduate of Georgetown University, Erin has spent over ten years in fixed income sales on Wall Street. Her experiences inspired this novel, which allowed her to put her B.A. in English to good use. (The writers of "Avenue Q" won't be too happy with her though! See here for more details.)

Thanks to HarperCollins, we have FIVE copies of "Bond Girl" for some lucky readers in the US and Canada.

You can find Erin on Facebook.

Favorite date in a novel: 
There’s an impromptu date between Alex and Andy in “The Devil Wears Prada” that I love because it’s nothing fancy. After Andy’s first brutal week at work her boyfriend shows up at her apartment with an impromptu fast food picnic complete with burgers, candles, and cheap wine and they eat it on garbage bags on the floor. It was sweet and thoughtful and proved that not everything needs to be some big grand gesture. Sometimes, the simplest things are the best. I’d take that over some big stuffy dinner in a restaurant, gladly.

Favorite romantic movie: 
The Holiday. I could watch this movie for twenty-four straight hours and never tire of it. I love how it’s a story about romance through heartbreak, and how both couples were unconventional and had geographical obstacles to overcome. Plus, Cameron Diaz’s wardrobe in that movie was insane.

Favorite couple from a TV series: 
I’m sorry, I seriously think Ross and Rachel from Friends were just great. I think a lot of times couples start as friends so it was very realistic. Plus, it wasn’t easy most of the time, and they fought like cats and dogs, but still you had to root for them. I like that the road for them being together was not only filled with bumps, but with giant potholes.

Favorite romantic song:
Lady Antebellum’s "Need You Now," which is a bit depressing probably, but I love the sentiment. Actually, now that I think about it, I’m noticing a pattern here. I seem to like romantic things that have some embedded tragic element to them. I should probably examine that.

Most memorable date:
Well that depends if you want memorable for a good reason or a bad one? This is going to make me sound pathetic, but last Valentines Day, I played pool for a few hours and then had dinner and went home to play cards. Yes, it’s not exactly romantic, but it was a ton of fun and the date lasted the entire day. I think that is one that I will remember for good reasons.

Guy you would date from a chick lit novel: 
I know it might seem strange, but I kind of love Mark Darcy from Bridget Jones’ Diary. He’s a little square, but he’s smart, successful, cute, and oddly thoughtful. He’s solid, and that I think is the type of guy you want to date. Nice guys don’t always have to finish last! You can keep Daniel Cleaver!

Best movie kiss:
Does it get any better than Scarlet O’Hara and Rhett Butler in Gone with the Wind? (There’s that tragic theme again). The classics never die.

Favorite Valentine's Day candy:
It’s hard to go wrong with chocolate. Has anyone ever been disappointed by a box of Godiva? It’s fool proof.

Special thanks to Erin for indulging our sweet tooth and to HarperCollins for sharing "Bond Girl" with our readers.

How to win "Bond Girl":
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: What is your favorite romantic movie?
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. 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 February 28th at midnight EST.

Book Review: The Stag and Hen Weekend

2012-02-23T08:00:00.000-05:00

By Becky Gulc

"One couple. Two weekends. And you’re invited to both." And you really are with Mike Gayle’s latest novel, "The Stag and Hen Weekend." This is the story of Phil and Helen, a couple in their thirties who’ve been together for years. After many an unaccepted marriage proposal, they’re finally engaged and soon approaching what should be the happiest day of their lives. Before they do, they have to get through their respective stag and hen weekends, a doddle right?

This book is unique in that it’s divided into two separate stories. The reader can choose to join Phil and his friends on the stag do in Amsterdam first....or they can opt to join Helen and her friends on the spa break in a grand country house in the Peak District first, take your pick! It’s very cleverly written so that you can read one half without anything integral being given away which would spoil your enjoyment of the other half. I loved the premise of this book, and I loved the bright cover(s), I wanted to dive straight in.

I decided to go on the Stag do first, and I say ‘go on’ because I did feel like I was in Amsterdam with them. Phil is instantly likeable, a good man who loves Helen with all his heart, the problem is he’s not completely convinced Helen feels the same. I enjoyed the pace of Phil’s story, the escapism to Amsterdam, the escapades, which were comical at times. The story acknowledged there is more to Amsterdam than the stereotypical legal highs and prostitution, as someone who visited Amsterdam on a trip round Europe once I enjoyed being transported back to places like Vondelpark.

As part of Phil’s story a woman who he and Helen both have an important connection with emerges, and Phil finds himself having to spend time with her over the weekend to try and get some of his longstanding questions answered which could have implications for his future. If I was one of Phil’s friends, I wouldn’t have been very happy with the amount of time he spends away from the other stags if I’d forked out for the trip, but I guess it was key for the story development!

I also enjoyed Helen’s hen do although it didn’t feel as much fun as Amsterdam. That could have been related to having read Phil’s story first; I didn’t think I would like Helen even though he adores her. Thankfully I was wrong; I did find Helen a likeable character and her best friend Yaz too. The appearance of Aiden, Helen’s celebrity DJ ex, causes no end of problems. He’s the one who hurt her so many years ago she questions whether she ever really got over him. This creates some interesting twists along the way. I thought Helen’s story really picked up towards the end, I was frustrated with her at points and felt like I’d been led up the garden path a bit in terms of getting to know a character, but without wanting to say too much I was satisfied with the ending, and I did shed a few tears.

The fact that you can read either one of the stories first means that Mike obviously had a challenge on his hands not to give the ending away when you’re midway through. I finished Phil’s story thinking, now what? I was convinced there must be a separate section in the middle for reading after both stories which would tie everything up. There wasn’t. Both endings are a little ambiguous and it’s left up to the reader to decide what they think happens next. Whilst some people might find that extremely frustrating, and I did a little bit, overall I enjoyed the experience of reading the two separate stories enough to accept this. And if the ending is in my head, it can be whatever I want it to be! Mind you, I’d be intrigued to see if the characters crop up in another of Mike’s novels. There are also a few inter-connected characters and stories between the two different parties which makes the stories all the more interesting when you read the each part, again this is cleverly done so nothing gets spoilt in my opinion. My only real criticism is that there were a few typos that could have been avoided.

Overall I really enjoyed this book and I think the fact that it was in a different format to the norm made a difference. I wouldn’t hesitate to pick up another Mike Gayle book.

Whilst I’m here, I thought I’d share this little trailer for the novel that’s on Mike Gayle's blog. I always find it interesting to see how books are being newly promoted nowadays and I quite like it!

You might also like:

Winners of The Cupcake Club books and "The Yoga Club"

2012-02-22T19:00:00.000-05:00

To find our winners, we assigned a number to each entry and had random.org choose four numbers.

For "Sugar Rush," it chose 94. Congrats to faithspage!
For "Sweet Stuff," it chose 62. Congrats to Poof...books!
For "The Yoga Club," it chose 9 and 39. Congrats to Marthalynn and Anjana Vasan!

Here's a message from Donna Kauffman:
Thank you, Chick Lit Central for having me as a guest. It was a blast reading everyone’s responses. Lots of walks down Memory Lane, seeing what everyone was posting as their favorite romantic song. (And my iTunes playlist just got longer!) For those of you who give my new Cupcake Club series a try, I sincerely hope you enjoy your trip to Sugarberry island, and the time spent with the cupcake baking ladies...and the men who intrigue them, frustrate them, but, somehow, ultimately win them over. And congratulations to the lucky winners of the giveaway! Happy reading, everyone. Bon apetit, Cupcakes!

Here's a message from Cooper Lawrence:
I am beyond grateful that I was one of the lucky few who have been chosen by the wonderful team at Chick Lit Central. As a new novelist, you wonder how your book will be received and whether anyone will really be interested in reading it in the first place. So, it’s a complete thrill when I hear back from those who’ve read and enjoyed "The Yoga Club;" nothing gives me greater joy than to know there are those willing to take a chance on an unknown author and that chance has paid off.

Chick Lit is a genre that introduces us to new friends and is designed specifically for who we are as women and what we want to read about. It gives us community. I am incredibly indebted to Chick Lit Central for being the doyenne of that community.

Congratulations if you’ve won a copy of "The Yoga Club." I hope you have fun reading it and that Coco, CJ, Olivia and Bailey make you laugh! A really big thank you for participating in the giveaway, showing interest, and, most of all, taking time out of your busy schedule to spend time with fun new literature. Namaste.

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 to Donna and Cooper for their lovely interviews about love.
Thanks to Kensington and Simon and Schuster for sharing the books with our winners!

Check out these giveaways!

700 Follower Giveaway
Ends 3/1 at midnight EST

"The Love Market," "Send Me a Lover" or "The Secrets of Married Women" by Carol Mason
North America
Ends 2/27 at midnight EST

"The Underside of Joy" by Sere Prince Halverson
US only
Ends 2/27 at midnight EST

"The Angel at No. 33" by Polly Williams
Ends 2/26 at midnight EST

Winners of "The Last Blind Date"

2012-02-22T14:56:00.004-05:00

Everyone who entered this giveaway wins a copy! Congrats!

See the comments at the original post to find out who was in this lucky mix!

Here's a message from Linda Yellin:
Sending a big chocolate-covered thank you to all my chick lit lovers who won copies of "The Last Blind Date." Loved your Valentine’s Day stories! I spend ridiculous amounts of time worrying about publishing with a last name at the end of the alphabet. I figure by the time anyone gets to the ‘Y’ section of the bookstore they’ve already bought two other books and gone home. But making up another last name just feels wrong. “Hello, I’m Linda Yellin. No wait! I mean Linda Aabba.” So Yellin it is, and Linda Yellin is mega-pleased that my memoir landed in your hands.

Thank you Chick Lit Central for making it possible in such a delightful happy way!

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 sharing your Valentine's Day stories. Sometimes it really pays off to comment on our posts. ;) Thanks to Linda for an entertaining interview and Simon and Schuster for such a generous giveaway!

Don't miss out on these giveaways!

700 Follower Giveaway
Ends 3/1 at midnight EST

"The Love Market," "Send Me a Lover" or "The Secrets of Married Women" by Carol Mason
North America
Ends 2/27 at midnight EST

"The Underside of Joy" by Sere Prince Halverson
US only
Ends 2/27 at midnight EST

"The Angel at No. 33" by Polly Williams
Ends 2/26 at midnight EST

Blogs of the week

2012-02-22T11:00:00.004-05:00

Our recent feature is "Blogs of the Week." Each week, we feature a reader blog (which was sent to us) and an author blog (which could either be sent to us, or we'd pick one at random). Please check out the blogs we are sharing. We're sure the bloggers would love some friendly comments on their posts or a follow. Important: We are no longer taking submissions for blogs, as we are trying to phase out this feature. Thank you for participating and sharing your blogs with us, as well as visiting the blogs that have been shown here.

Important: We are no longer taking submissions for blogs, as we are trying to phase out this feature. Thank you for participating and sharing your blogs with us, as well as visiting the blogs that have been shown here.

Reader:

Melissa's Eclectic Bookshelf

We always love having Melissas at Chick Lit Central and this one is no exception! She's a 30-something Vegetarian, Nature Lover, Animal Lover, Book Lover, Blogger & Reviewer. She lives in central New Jersey with her fiance and two cats. Melissa fell in love with books at an early age and loves to curl up with a cup of tea, her cats and almost anything printed that I can lay her hands upon. She loves almost all genres and will read almost anything that catches her interest. When she's not blogging, she's working her 9 to 5 job or photographing the beautiful things in nature. Her personal blog is called Melissa's Meanderings. You can also find her at Facebook and Twitter.

Author:

Shimmers in the Darkness

Mary Vensel White was born in Los Angeles and raised in Lancaster, California. She graduated from the University of Denver and lived for five years in Chicago, where she completed an MA in English at DePaul University. She lives in southern California with her husband, four children and two badly trained dogs in a chaotic but happy home. Her husband is an attorney and she is the mom with a book or laptop at the little league game, soccer field or dance studio.

"The Qualities of Wood" is her first novel (available at $1.99 for Kindle). Mary is currently at work on a second, set again in the Midwest, a place that lives and flourishes in her imagination despite her current sunny surroundings. She is also working on a collection of interrelated stories, a method of writing which the esteemed women of her book club refuse to acknowledge as a novel. Watch for news about these two projects.

You can find Mary on Facebook and Twitter.

Keeping the magic alive with Carol Mason, plus a book giveaway

2012-02-22T08:30:00.000-05:00

**Giveaway is now closed**

In honor of romance month and "The Love Market" being released as a Kindle e-book, Carol Mason has come back to share her thoughts about love. She was here in August and we're glad to have her here again!

Carol Mason is the author of "The Love Market," "Send Me A Lover" and "The Secrets of Married Women" all recently re-released as Kindle E books. She is giving all THREE books away in paperback to some lucky readers (one book per reader) anywhere in North America.

You can find Carol at her website, Facebook and Twitter.

Falling in love is easy. Staying in love is harder.
Confessions of a Women's Fiction Novelist.

I was travelling with my husband in Italy. We were dining in an authentic Roman restaurant when I noticed that seated at the next table was the most handsome man I’ve ever seen. As though magnetically drawn by the heat of my gaze, his eyes met mine, and for several moments neither one of us could look away. As silent fireworks went off between us for the duration of dinner, I caught myself wondering what might have been if I had been single.

Four years later, I still remember the effect he had on me. I was even going to pen a novel inspired by his face. Perhaps another “what if” that would appeal to women much like me – happily married, generally content with life, able to count their blessings, but not immune to the occasional escape fantasy – a fleeting window onto life without him.

In fiction, this is hardly unchartered territory. How it’s handled is what separates the real fluff from the real stuff. There was a time when women’s fiction was mostly about single girls searching for Mr Right, as though achieving that goal were an end, instead of a beginning in itself. When I began writing my first novel, "The Secrets of Married Women," I wanted to explore the marriages of three best friends with the kind of brutal, and often amusing scrutiny and honesty that Candace Bushnell did with "Sex and the City." I wanted to make the point that the universal quest for romance lives in all of us whether we are single or married. We are all on different paths to the same destination. Even though social scientists say that romance lasts between 18 months and 3 years, a secret part of us wants it to last forever. Nobody truly aspires to be in a relationship that needs to be worked at. And when we find ourselves having to put up a little effort to keep the magic alive, it’s an easy leap from there to wondering if less work would have been required with some other person – perhaps my handsome Italian. After all, the intensity of our attraction was huge, and we’ve all been led to believe that true love requires this; that our love story should be as epic as humanly possible - with a latent promise that, if you start out head over heels in love, your relationship will be stronger in the long run. Yet experts tell us that living compatibly together can happen whether or not you found the person who set off all those firecrackers in you, and put you off your bowl of spaghetti carbonara, the instant you looked at him. Quite a change from what a lot of romantic fiction has suggested over the years: that it’ll never work out if we marry the short guy.

At some point in our lives many of us feel the need to swim against the current whether in our jobs or relationships. We become bored of bobbing along, and need to experience the rip tide of change and adventure. Married women apparently fantasize about having their freedom again – even temporarily – more than any other thing. Yet, marriage is supposed to be forever. And even if it’s not, it usually starts out with the right intention. So when we are in a relationship – generally a very good one, one in which we have invested every cell of our being, one-hundred percent – perhaps we have to be content with changing, if not our partners, then our outlook.
Valentine’s Day isn’t long gone, and apparently more people join Ashley Madison – an Internet dating site for marrieds looking to cheat - on February 15 than at any other time of the year. I have friends who belittle romance and loathe Valentine’s Day. Usually those whose husbands would rather buy the family dog a heart-shaped cookie with its name written on in carob, than make a romantic gesture toward their wife. Others boast of the grand gifts they’ve received from their partner, on a mission to “best” you in the marital department. I have friends who can’t find anything romantic, or even positive, in their relationships and want out. And others who would not hesitate to say that they would marry the same person all over again – which, notwithstanding the flirtation with the handsome Italian – would be me.

The way I see it is, we chose what - and who - we chose in life for reasons we sometimes may forget, especially when it feels convenient to forget them. If it wasn’t a bad choice, then there’s a good chance that it was the right choice. Mr Right doesn’t have to be reduced to Mr Good Enough. He is Mr. Right in All the Ways that Really Matter.

Whether this is romantic enough, often enough, is a bit like having a honking slice of triple-layered red velvet cake and bemoaning its lack of creamy vanilla frosting.

Post script: When the handsome Italian got up to leave, he was tiny. I’ve seen taller pepper mills. I could have taken him on a date in my pocket. So I’ll believe what I’ve been told over the years: we’d never have stood a chance.

Special thanks to Carol for visiting with us again and sharing her books with our readers!

How to win one of Carol Mason's books: Tell us which celebrity you fantasize about the most these days. Please include your e-mail address or another way to contact you if you should win. One entry per person.

North America only. Giveaway ends February 27th at midnight EST.

Joining the 700 club with a giveaway!

2012-02-21T12:00:00.000-05:00

No, not that 700 club! We're talking about the club for blogs with 700 followers! We're thrilled that you have helped us reach this monumental occasion with all your enthusiasm, participation, interest in our posts, shares on Facebook and Twitter, etc. We wouldn't reach this point without you!!! So we're having a special giveaway in YOUR honor!

Enjoy a virtual cupcake to help us celebrate!

Rules for this giveaway:
1. Open WORLDWIDE
2. You have until March 1st at midnight EST to enter....**UPDATE** We're extending it to March 4th at midnight EST. :)
3. Tell us what you'd like to see more of at CLC and leave us an e-mail address or another way to reach you.
4. Only one entry per person.
5. You must be a follower of our blog to enter. Please let us know how you follow us and what name you use in order to qualify. (It's not too late to follow us, so please do so if you haven't already.)

Good luck!

Seré Prince Halverson shares the "joys" of love and has a book to give away

2012-02-21T08:30:00.001-05:00

**Giveaway is now closed**

Today we welcome debut author, Seré Prince Halverson, and her novel "The Underside of Joy" (reviewed here). Seré worked as a copywriter and creative director for 20 years while she wrote fiction and raised kids. She and her husband have four grown children, and live in Northern California.

Thanks to Penguin and KMSPR, we have one copy of "The Underside of Joy" to giveaway to a lucky reader anywhere in the US.

You can find Seré at her website, blog and on Facebook.

Favorite date in a novel:
My dear friend, Elle Newmark, wrote two gorgeous date scenes in her novel "The Sandalwood Tree." One involves a couple in the 1940s and a moon dial. The other takes place in India, and includes a Victorian woman waiting in the dark, a Sikh arriving on horseback, and a small chest filled with silk moths. Not your average dinner and a movie.

Favorite romantic movie:
Love Actually. And When Harry Met Sally. And Children of a Lesser God. And Stranger Than Fiction. And Il Postino. And...and...and...

Favorite couple from a TV series:
I’m loving all the couples on Parenthood right now.

Favorite romantic song:
"In My Life" by The Beatles

Most memorable date:
The first time my husband took me camping. He made this delicious dinner—stuffed pork tenderloin and ravioli with a pepper cream sauce, a salad, even dessert. It worked. The next year, all the kids came so the ambience was a bit different. But he still makes me amazing dinners on a regular basis.

How you met your spouse:
This is a fun one. Stan and I met in 8th grade history class. I was the new girl and immediately developed a big crush on him but he already had a following, which included more than a few pretty blonde cheerleaders. I didn’t get to really know him well until our senior year, and he asked me to the homecoming dance. We both wrote in our yearbooks that it was one of the best nights we’d ever had, but there was one of those weird high school miscommunications and we didn’t go out again, though we remained really good in-crush friends.

Flash forward to our 10-year high school reunion. We were both married to other people. We introduced our spouses, talked a bit, and went on our unmarried-to-each-other way.

Flash forward to our 20-year high school reunion. We’d both been divorced for three years. We both had two kids. We were the last to leave the reunion. At the picnic the next day, I brought my boys. Stan, smart guy that he is, horsed around with them, and later helped me tuck them into the car, so we could make the 10-hour drive back to San Diego. As we were leaving, my youngest, who was eight, said, “Mommy? You gotta maewwy that guy.” I told him that protocol required that guy to call me and ask me on a date first. And I reminded my son that Mommy wasn’t going to get married again. But when we got home, the phone was already ringing like blessed church bells.

Favorite moment from your wedding:
Oh, this is easy, though it will be another long answer to a short question. When I was a kid, living on the Puget Sound in Seattle, my mom taught me about wishing rocks. They’re rocks with an unbroken circle of white. Close your eyes, make a wish, and throw the rock into the water. When Stan and I were first getting reacquainted, we were walking along the beach (sorry for the cliché) and I told him about wishing rocks. So he started collecting them for me, and by the time we got married four years later, we had a boatload.

I wrote up a story (how unusual of me!) about our family and the rocks and printed it up on cards. We even had a circle of six wishing rocks(each circle on the rock part of the bigger circle) on our wedding invitation. The guests received wishing rocks when they arrived. We got married in a big circle, our four kids beside us, and family and friends around a beautiful pond on my sister-in-law’s property. At one point in the ceremony, everyone made a wish for us and threw their rocks into the pond. I wasn’t sure how it would go, but it was such a poignant, lovely moment—we felt all those unbroken circles and good wishes from our loved ones as the rocks splashed into the water.

Guy you would date from a chick lit novel:
Mark Darcy from Bridget Jones’ Diary. The Colin Firth version.

Favorite Valentine's Day memory:
This isn’t romantic, but it’s sweet. I remember making homemade Valentines with my boys when they were little. They were all boy, but they loved art projects, and the messier the better. We went all out with the white doilies and red paper and Victorian stickers. They put their hearts and souls into them and were so proud to take them to school. Now they’re big college guys, but they’re still sweet.

Best movie kiss:
There are too many. I cannot pick one. I tried, but I have to leave this one blank. If it had only been a multiple-choice question...

Special thanks to Seré for her long, but lovely answers to our questions and to Dutton for sharing "The Underside of Joy" with a lucky reader.

How to win "The Underside of Joy":
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: What is your most memorable date?
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. 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 February 27th at midnight EST.

Polly Williams is an "Angel" of Love, plus a book giveaway

2012-02-20T08:30:00.000-05:00

Introduction by Gail Allison

**Giveaway is now closed**

Today we introduce Polly Williams and her latest novel "The Angel at No. 33." In 2006, Polly Williams’ debut novel, "The Rise and Fall of a Yummy Mummy" hit the shelves, and she’s written a book a year (!) since. Before becoming a successful author, she studied English Literature and language at Manchester University. After leaving University, her first real job was editing and launching her own fashion magazine (!!). She has also worked for numerous other magazines, including In Style. When she became pregnant, she thought to herself, "I’m going to do it! I’m going to take an early maternity leave and write The Book!"...and then her son arrived six weeks early. Luckily, this turn of events inspired her to write about the myth of the "yummy mummy," which launched her career as an author.

Thanks to Headline we have TEN copies of "The Angel at No. 33" to give away to some lucky readers anywhere in the world.

Visit Polly at her website, Facebook and Twitter pages.

Favorite date in a novel:
One of my recent favourites is the wonderful scene in Jojo Moyes' book, "Me Before You." It's not so much a formal date, but all the more romantic for it. It takes place on holiday in Mauritius during a tropical storm and the electricity between the characters surges too. Brilliantly written. I cried.

Favorite couple from a TV series:
The best couple on TV recently were the Danish prime minister Birgitte Nyborg and husband Philip in the political thriller, Borgen, but only when their marriage was on track! Sadly it all goes horribly down hill during the series, but in the beginning they are this very sexy, domesticated married couple, who keep getting caught by the kids trying to have nookie (as opposed to falling asleep on the sofa or fighting over the remote control.)

Favorite romantic song:
"Harvest Moon" by Neil Young. Makes me cry every time. I referenced it quite a lot in my new novel, "The Angel at No. 33." It is played at the dead heroine's funeral. 'Because I'm still in love with you, I want to see you dance again.' Shivers up the spine stuff.

Most memorable date:
It would have to be with my husband. Soho House, ten years ago. We just clicked. I was pregnant five months later!

Guy you would date from a chick lit novel:
I'd date Ollie from "The Angel at No. 33." He's gorgeous, creative, kind, sexy and being newly widowed, available!

Favorite Valentine's Day memory:
I'm a sucker for flowers. I absolutely love them. And my husband does good flowers. My favourites are cornflowers.

Best movie kiss:
When Harry Met Sally.

Favorite romantic gesture:
A lie in! I have three young - very noisy - children and being brought toast and tea in bed by my husband is my idea of heaven.

Special thanks to Polly for giving us a glimpse into her romantic mind and to Headline for sharing "The Angel at No. 33" with our winners.

How to win "The Angel at No. 33":
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: What is your favorite romantic gesture (either experienced or something you'd really like to have happen)?
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. Add a friend to our Facebook group. (Tell us who you added.) Be sure to remind them to edit their settings.

Giveaway ends February 26th at midnight EST. (Don't wait till the Oscar for best picture is announced though!)

C is for Cookie...and Chick Lit :)

2012-02-17T14:00:00.000-05:00

We received the "Smart Cookie" blog award from Silvy at Books are my life. I guess we were "smart" to feature her blog this week in "Blogs of the Week." Thanks, Silvy!

Here are the rules:
1) Thank the award giver and add a link to their blog.
2) Share some interesting facts on anything.
3) Pass the award to other "Smart Cookies".

Interesting facts about chick lit:

Origins of the term
"Chick" is an American slang term for a young woman and "lit" is short for "literature". The phrase "chick lit" is analogous to the term chick flick.

The term appeared in print as early as 1988 as college slang for a course titled "female literary tradition." In 1995, Cris Mazza and Jeffrey DeShell used the term as an ironic title for their edited anthology Chick Lit: Postfeminist Fiction. The genre was defined as a type of post-feminist or second-wave feminism that went beyond female-as-victim to include fiction that covered the breadth of female experiences, including love, courtship and gender. The collection emphasized experimental work, including violent, perverse and sexual themes. James Wolcott's 1996 article in The New Yorker, "Hear Me Purr", co-opted the term "chick lit" to proscribe what he called the trend of "girlishness" evident in the writing of female newspaper columnists at that time. Works such as Helen Fielding's Bridget Jones's Diary and Candace Bushnell's Sex and the City are examples of such work that helped establish contemporary connotations of the term. The success of Bridget Jones and Sex and the City in book form established chick lit as an important trend in publishing. The Girls' Guide to Hunting and Fishing by Melissa Bank are regarded as one of the first chick lit works to originate as a novel (actually a collection of stories), though the term "chick lit" was in common use at the time of its publication (1999). Serena Mackesy's The Temp appeared in the same year.

Publishers continue to push the sub-genre because of its viability as a sales tactic. Various other terms have been coined as variant in attempts to attach themselves to the perceived marketability of the work. Publishers Weekly editor Sara Nelson suggested in 2008 that the definition of what's considered to be within the genre of chick lit has become more accomplished and "grown up".

From Ask.com

Here are the nominees:
1. The Review Girl
2. I am a Reader, Not a Writer
3. Chick Lit Advocates
4. Book End Babes
5. The Hungry Bibliophile

Congratulations!!!

Book Review: Stay Tuned

2012-02-17T11:00:00.000-05:00

By Melissa Amster

Ever since I started watching "How I Met Your Mother," broadcast journalism has become even more interesting to me. (Robin from HIMYM is an anchorwoman and it's been fun to watch her journey so far, as well as see what happens in a news studio when the cameras are off.) Therefore, when I heard that "Stay Tuned," by Lauren Clark, was all about a news reporter, I was excited to read it. And it definitely helped that the main character's name is Melissa.

Melissa Moore is a producer for WSGA news in Macon, Georgia. Not only is it stressful to chase stories and get the best footage possible, but she also has to deal with a crazy anchorwoman, her mother’s dementia and her husband’s physical and emotional distance. When chaos erupts between the two anchors, Melissa has to step in, which brings on a whole new level of stress to her world, especially when a handsome anchorman is added into the mix. She has to soon decide if she really has what it takes to be in front of the camera instead of behind the scenes.

I enjoyed reading “Stay Tuned.” It was fast-paced and had a lot of action and drama going on. Melissa reminded me of myself and not only because of her name. She was an interesting protagonist and I felt connected to her throughout the story. The supporting characters also added a lot of intrigue to the story and I enjoyed reading about her interactions with them. Ms. Clark added even more to my interest in broadcast journalism, as I enjoyed seeing what went on behind the scenes. It made me want to see “Broadcast News,” (which came out when I was too young to appreciate it). I enjoyed the descriptions she used, as I was easily able to visualize everything going on.

What concerned me was a lack of political correctness. I noticed that Ms. Clark gave some people “dialects,” which could be seen as offensive to those of a similar race or ethnicity that was being portrayed. Sometimes I felt like the chapters ended a bit too abruptly, where I felt there was room to add more to what was happening. I also thought things came together a little too perfectly in the end, even though I was emotionally involved by that point and happy with the outcome of all the events.

Overall, I really enjoyed reading “Stay Tuned.” It was entertaining throughout. I don’t get to use my Kindle for PC as often as I get to pick up an actual book, but this story made my breakfast time more exciting and I couldn’t wait to see what would happen next.

You might also like:

What's in the mail today?

2012-02-17T08:00:00.000-05:00

Melissa A:

From St. Martin's Press:

From HarperCollins:

e-books:

Won this from Sárka-Jonae Miller:

It is currently $2.99 for Kindle.

Free V-day promotion from Gemma Halliday:

It is currently $1.49 for Kindle.

From Josie Brown:

It is currently 99 cents for Kindle. You also could try winning it from Josie Brown, as she's giving away free e-books daily between now and Oscars night. Check out her website for more info!

Free deals on Amazon:

Books of the Week-February 16th

2012-02-16T11:00:00.005-05:00

Talking romance with Cooper Lawrence's "friends," plus a book giveaway

2012-02-16T08:30:00.000-05:00

**Giveaway is now closed**

Today we introduce debut author Cooper Lawrence and her debut fiction novel, "The Yoga Club."

Cooper Lawrence is an accomplished radio veteran who has been in radio for almost twenty years. Currently she can be heard as part of The Big Show with Scott & Todd on WPLJ in New York. Before joining WPLJ Cooper had been hosting her own nationally syndicated radio show aptly named The Cooper Lawrence Show. On TV she was the co-host of the VH1 'Celebreality' show Confessions of a Teen Idol and spent two years as the relationship expert on The Tyra Banks Show. She has also been a guest on many other shows including CBS’ The Early Show, The Today Show, The O'Reilly Factor, The Insider and Entertainment Tonight. Cooper has been featured in a slew of print articles, among them being in The New York Times, Chicago Tribune, SELF and Family Circle. Her previous novels include “The Cult of Celebrity: What our Fascination with the Stars Reveals About Us,” “The Cult of Perfection: Making Peace with Your Inner Overachiever,” “The Fixer Upper Man: Turn Mr. Maybe Into Mr. Right,” “Been There, Done That, Kept the Jewelry” and “CosmoGIRL's All About Guys.” Cooper has a master’s degree in developmental psychology and is working hard to finish her PhD. She currently lives in Manhattan with her 96 pound puppy Marconi. Cooper is here to introduce us to some new friends from "The Yoga Club" to talk about romance.

Thanks to Simon and Schuster we have TWO copies of "The Yoga Club" to give away to some lucky readers anywhere in the US.

You can visit Cooper at her website, Facebook and Twitter.

I've written so many books about real-world relationships (and celebrity drama), that I thought it would be fun to finally get to tell a story in which all the relationships wind up the way I want. But instead of doing all the talking myself, I thought I'd invite a few friends to help me: meet Coco, CJ, Bailey and Olivia, stars of THE YOGA CLUB! Coco's made her fortune as the inventor and promoter of Butt-B-Gone, the country’s leading cellulite cream; CJ's the out-and-proud son of a Connecticut senator; Bailey's an entertainment reporter who's all too ready to take a personal interest in her stories, wink wink; and Olivia's a single mom with echolalia (a disorder where you compulsively echo unusual sounds around you). Thanks for having all of us, Chick Lit Central!

Favorite chick lit novel couple:
Olivia: This has to be the chick lit classic couple of Bridget Jones and Mark Darcy! Some days when I’m feeling a little awkward, I ask myself, “What would Bridget do?”

Favorite romantic song:
Coco: It’s new, but it’s already shot to the top of my iPod playlist: Gavin DeGraw’s "Not Over You." My husband, Sam, and I were going through a rough patch recently, and I thought it might just be me and the 96-pound puppy going solo after that, but we worked it out and are tighter than ever. I could never be over him!

Favorite place to go on a date:
Olivia: First dates aren’t always easy when you have echolalia, like I do. They’re nerve-wracking enough without worrying that I could burst out into siren noises or a nearby mother’s shouts for her kids! So my perfect place for a date? The Greenwich Public Library!

Best movie kiss:
Bailey: I’m a child of the ‘80s, and as far as I’m concerned, it doesn’t get better than Molly Ringwald kissing Jake on the table at the end of Sixteen Candles. I’m not going to settle down until I find the guy who kisses me like that!

Guy you would date from a chick lit novel:
Coco: My favorite chick lit paramour du jour is Henry from Carol Wolper’s new book, "Anne of Hollywood." I love this book because it’s a retelling of the Anne Boleyn story, but set in the equally sinister world of Hollywood! Anne pursues her Henry with passion and focus, just like I do everything. Plus, I loved "The Cigarette Girl," Wolper’s previous book, so I knew I’d love this one too.

Best TV series kiss:
Coco: I have two (because why limit yourself to one kiss?): The first is when Roseanne kisses Sharon (Mariel Hemingway) on Roseanne. Not necessarily because of how hot the kiss was, but because of the balls it took for Roseanne Barr to get that kiss on the air! I have to respect such aself-made powerful businesswoman. My second favorite kiss might be a cliché, but y’all can bite me: Ross and Rachel finally sharing a kiss on Friends. Phoebe said it best: “He’s her lobster!”

Special thanks to Cooper and her friends for visiting with us today and to Simon and Schuster for sharing "The Yoga Club" with our readers!

How to win "The Yoga Club":
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: Who is your favorite couple from a chick lit novel?
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. 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 February 21st at midnight EST.

Blogs of the week

2012-02-15T11:00:00.003-05:00

Donna Kauffman adds sweetness to our day and has books to give away!

2012-02-15T08:20:00.000-05:00

**Giveaway is now closed**

Today we have Donna Kauffman visiting us to celebrate romance month. USA Today bestselling author, Donna Kauffman, is a RITA finalist, who has seen her books reviewed in venues ranging from Kirkus Reviews and Library Journal to Entertainment Weekly and Cosmopolitan. The author of over 50 books, she has won the National Readers Choice award, a PRISM award as well as numerous awards from Romantic Times. She lives just outside of DC in the lovely Virginia countryside, where she is presently keeping stock in all things flour, eggs & butter for her hands-on research for her Cupcake Club series.

Thanks to Kensington, we have a copy of "Sugar Rush" and a copy of "Sweet Stuff" to give to some lucky winners in the US and Canada! (They are two separate stories.)

To learn more about Donna visit her at her website, blog, Facebook and Twitter pages.

Favorite chick lit novel couple:
I guess it would have to be Bridget Jones and Mark Darcy, because they were my first. And a girl never forgets her first. :)

Favorite romantic movie:
Desk Set with Katherine Hepburn and Spencer Tracy. A little known film that I watch every Christmas. Clever banter, adorable quirkiness from both leads, and a great ending. Boop boop a doop. :) Another quirky/funny favorite is The Truth About Cats & Dogs.

Favorite couple from a TV series:
So, so many to choose from. One of my all time faves - this will SO date me -- but I loved McMillan & Wife with Rock Hudson and Susan Saint James. Loved that they showed how a married couple could still be sexy, funny, in love, and make you tune in every week to see what would happen next. I wish more writers of scripted television would look back at some of those old shows and see how well committed relationships/marriages can work in episodic television. Hart to Hart with Robert Wagner and Stephanie Powers was another. More of those, please!

Favorite romantic song:
"At Last," by the incomparable Etta James. Evocative and timeless.

Most memorable date:
Believe it or not, it was a blind date. We were supposed to meet for lunch, standard blind date easy-escape-if-needed fare. He texted me an hour before we were set to meet and asked if I’d be game to go on a picnic, and if so, to meet him at Wegmans (grocery store to die for), casual flip flops, shorts, tee was the mandate. I was intrigued, so said yes. He was easy to spot. 6’5”, blond, in flip flops, board shorts, knee brace. We wandered the aisles, picking out stuff for our picnic (it’s amazing what you can learn about a person while food shopping!) already laughing and having a good time. (Yes, he paid. :) I took the Big Risk and drove out into the countryside with him (he was a divorced father of four and we had to move copious sports gear in the back of his SUV to make room for the haul of delectables we had picked out...something about a suburban soccer dad wearing a knee brace from recent kids-volleyball-coaching-injury surgery didn’t scream Danger Danger. At the very least, I could out run him. :) We drove west toward the mountains, talking...laughing, no destination In mind other than somewhere along Skyline Drive. As we drove through a small Civil War town to get gas, he spotted this very old, historic looking restaurant tucked away on the edge of town. He glanced at me and said, "You want to check it out?" So we did. We were dressed a bit casually for the place, but what the hell...we were feeling bold. And we ended up having the most delightful, truly historically prepared meal, served to us by the proprietess herself, who regaled us with stories of all the interesting and famous folk who had stopped (and stayed) in the centuries old inn/restaurant and gave us a wonderful tour of the place. We ended up wandering around town afterward, poking in and around all the old shops. And....we never did get to that picnic. That ended up being an equally memorable second date. Lesson? Never underestimate suburban soccer dads. Just sayin. :)

Favorite place to go on a date:
Well, a picnic comes to mind.

Guy you would date from a chick lit novel:
Luke Brandon from Sophie Kinsella’s Shopaholic series. Dreamy, funny, supportive, and a killer British accent. What’s not to love?

Best movie kiss:
There have been many, but the one that leapt immediately to mind was in Last of the Mohicans. Under that waterfall? With an incredibly hot Daniel Day Lewis heatedly swearing, "I will find you!" I mean....what more do you want?

Best TV series kiss:
So many to choose from over the years, but there were two great ones just this past season. Will & Alicia in that elevator on The Good Wife(pass me a fan, will you?)...and, hands down my personal favorite...Castle & Beckett on Castle. Swoon. Nathan, honey? Forget her. Call me.

Special thanks to Donna for sharing some sweet stuff and to Kensington for sharing the books with our readers.

How to win "Sugar Rush" or "Sweet Stuff":
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: What is your favorite romantic song?
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. 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 February 21st at midnight EST

Winners of "Outside the Lines"

2012-02-14T12:05:00.003-05:00

To find our winners, we assigned a number to each entry (one entry per person) and had random.org choose three numbers. It picked 18, 42 and 58

Congrats to Amy (Aimala127), rubynreba and Krystal!

Here is a message from Amy Hatvany:
I am so grateful for your interest in OUTSIDE THE LINES, and grateful also, for the lovely staff at Chicklit Central for giving me the opportunity to connect with you as readers! My first two novels came out before the dawn of social media, and what a gift it is, now, to interact with all of you. I grew exceptionally fond of my characters in this novel, perhaps more so than with any other. I loved their personality quirks and the meaningful relationships they shared. Toward the end, I found it difficult to let them go. But now, knowing that I’m passing them on to you makes it all that much easier. I sincerely hope you enjoy this book as much as I enjoyed writing it! Happy reading, and congratulations!

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, to Amy for talking romance with us and to Atria Books for sharing "Outside the Lines" with our winners.

Don't miss out on these giveaways:

"The Last Blind Date" by Linda Yellin
US only
Ends 2/20 at midnight EST

E-voucher for "Holly's Inbox" or "Holly's Inbox: Scandal in the City" by Holly Denham
Ends 2/19 at midnight EST

"Kissed in Paris" by Juliette Sobanet
Ends 2/15 at midnight EST

"Spin" by Catherine McKenzie
US/Canada only
Ends TONIGHT at midnight EST

Gail and Becky talk romance for Valentine's Day

2012-02-14T11:00:00.000-05:00

Some of our review associates are helping us celebrate Valentine's Day by talking about what they think is romantic. Check out what they have to share!

Gail:

Favorite chick lit novel couple:
Bridget Jones and Mark Darcy

Favorite romantic movie:
Love, Actually

Favorite romantic song:
"Love Like Crazy" by Lee Brice

Favorite place to go on a date:
The gun range (yikes...is the red on my neck showing?)

Gail on vacation with her husband
(those are his feet!)

Favorite moment from your wedding:
When my Grandpa declared that the photographer was “doing it wrong”, and kicked him out from behind his camera. Grandpa pretended to take over, and the photographer played along and showed Grandpa how to take a picture with his fancy camera, so one of our photos from the big day is actually one that my Grandpa took!!

Guy you would date from a chick lit novel:
Ranger from the Janet Evanovich books

Favorite Valentine's Day memory:
My husband was going to be out of town, so he hid some really nice bath products from me, and on Valentine’s evening (while I was very busy feeling sorry for myself), he phoned to apologize that he was away, and told me where to look to find my present. Adorable!

Best TV kiss:
When Chase kissed the little girl with cancer on House. (Season 2, episode 2 for those of you who follow the series)

Becky:

Favorite date in a novel:
For pure amusement I enjoyed the dates Mona went on in Dee Ernst's "Better Off Without Him." Very cringe-worthy but comical.

Favorite couple from a TV series:
Carrie and Mr Big, closely followed by Charlotte and Harry! I could never tire of watching Sex and the City, and even though I've seen them all so many times I always cry at the moment when Big finds Carrie in the hotel in Paris, when she looks up and cries so do I!

Favorite romantic song:
Roberta Flack, "The First Time (Ever I Saw Your Face)." Actually, I now prefer this version by Matt Cardle who won UK's X Factor, talk about goosebumps!

Guy you would date from a chick lit novel:
Matt Jones from Cally Taylor's "Home for Christmas" based on my recent reads. He thinks he's a bad person when he's really not, he has a heart, he's gorgeous, manly, he protects Beth's modesty when she accidentally flashes her pants at him!

Favorite romantic gesture:
Not flowers or chocolate; I prefer to be made a cup of tea or hot chocolate, the little things.

Best TV series kiss:
I'd say Michael and Sara's first kiss on Prison Break, it was a long time coming! And I would love to have been her!

Favorite V-day candy:
Cadbury's chocolate, any kind of!

Favorite romantic movie: Vanilla Sky. One of my top 5 favourite films of all time, love the chemistry between David and Sofia, and it's another one I'll cry at no matter how many times I see it. "I'll see you in another life, when we are both cats." Tom Cruise gets the look of love perfectly right, suppose it helped that they did end up as a real life couple afterwards!

Linda Yellin is our funny Valentine and she has a book to give away!

2012-02-14T08:30:00.000-05:00

Introduction by Gail Allison

**Giveaway is now closed**

Linda Yellin (her real first name is Melinda, but she decided as a child that sounded too uptight and prissy), started her career as an author writing catalog copy for the Sears catalog. Like many glamorous and successful authors before her (probably), she was assigned to write copy for electric can openers and fluorescent light fixtures. She fought her way up in the copywriting world penning ads for Betty Crocker Stir n’ Frost, before landing a freelance (code for no dental benefits) gig with Young & Rubicam. Her first book is called “Such A Lovely Couple,” and most recently, she has written her new memoir “The Last Blind Date.” It’s available from all booksellers....and from us! Thanks to Simon and Schuster, we have TEN copies for some lucky US readers.

If you want to get to know Linda a little more, check out this video

Visit Linda at her website, Facebook and Twitter.

Favorite chick lit novel couple:
Rachel and Dex in “Something Borrowed.” Moral dilemmas aside, I can’t wait for Rachel to get her man.

Favorite romantic movie:
“And Now My Love” (French...so already it’s romantic.)

Favorite romantic song:
It’s an old one. Barbra Streisand sings it at the end of “Funny Girl.” "Oh my man I love him so...he’ll never know...oh my life is just despair when he’s not there." Geez come to think of it, it reeks of low self-esteem. But I love it. Maybe because it’s the only romantic song I can sing on key.

Favorite place to go on a date:
Anywhere but a bowling alley. I took bowling for a gym credit in college and got a D.

Favorite moment from your wedding:
I was standing at the top of the aisle ready to make my big here-comes-the-bride entrance, except Randy was facing toward the Rabbi. I guess he didn’t get the memo that he was supposed to be watching for the lady in the white dress. Just as I’m wondering what should I do – head on down and hope he’s not surprised when I show up,or wait it out until he turns around – I see my mother lean over, tap Randy on the shoulder, and point.

Favorite Valentine's Day memory:
A scavenger hunt. I hid twelve Hershey’s kisses around the apartment…each one attached to a special treat. i.e. backrub...sexy shower. Randy found all those kisses in record time.

Best movie kiss:
Anytime you find yourself going: “Kiss him already!” And anytime there’s pouring rain. So gotta go with “Breakfast At Tiffany’s.”

Favorite romantic gesture:
Sir Walter Raleigh tossing his coat over the puddle for Queen Elizabeth. Although it might have been better for his dry cleaners than it was for Elizabeth.

Special thanks to Linda for making us laugh and say "awww" at the same time and to Simon and Schuster for sharing "The Last Blind Date" with our readers!

How to win "The Last Blind Date":
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: What is your favorite Valentine's Day memory?
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. 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 February 20th at midnight EST.

Winner of "Julia's Child"

2012-02-13T17:12:00.000-05:00

To find our winners, we assigned a number to each entry (one entry per person) and had random.org choose one number. It picked 11.

Congrats to Cindy!

Here's a message from Sarah Pinneo:
"Julia's Child" is a story about one woman's yearning to share her work with the world. It's a Cinderella story for the modern era, and it isn't too big a stretch to say that all debut fiction authors feel, at times, as if they could use a little love from a fairy godmother. I'm so grateful to everyone at Chick Lit Central for helping me spread the word about my book, and I'm so grateful to readers who entered to win. Thank you all!

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, to Sarah for sharing her romantic favorites and to KMSPR and Penguin for sharing "Julia's Child" with our winner!

For other chances to win this novel, visit:

The Book Chick
US only
Ends tomorrow

Sorta Crunchy
US only
Ends 2/15

Chick Lit Reviews and News
US only
Ends 2/17

Ali's Bookshelf
US only
Ends 2/17

MaNic MoMMy
US only
Ends 2/18

The Review Stew
US only
Ends 2/19

More chances to win books:

E-voucher for "Holly's Inbox" or "Holly's Inbox: Scandal in the City" by Holly Denham
Ends 2/19 at midnight EST

"Kissed in Paris" by Juliette Sobanet
Ends 2/15 at midnight EST

"Spin" by Catherine McKenzie
US/Canada only
Ends 2/14 at midnight EST

"Outside the Lines" by Amy Hatvany
US only
Ends TONIGHT at midnight EST

Breaking up the Holly Denham way...plus an e-voucher giveaway!

2012-02-13T08:30:00.000-05:00

**Giveaway is now closed**

While Valentine's Day is mostly about love and romance, this may not apply to all of our readers. For some fun and laughs, we have Holly Denham here to share "Jason's Amazing Break Up Guide" from "Holly's Inbox: Scandal in the City." Entertainment Weekly called "Holly's Inbox" "The Next Bridget Jones!" If you like stories written in e-mail format, you'll definitely love Holly's books! Check out her website and visit her on Facebook and Twitter! As a special bonus, she has an e-voucher for a lucky reader anywhere in the world to purchase "Holly's Inbox" or "Holly's Inbox: Scandal in the City!"

From Holly

To Jason

That’s definitely not possible.

From Jason

To Holly

It is with:

JASON’S AMAZING BREAK UP GUIDE

Do you love your partner, but just can’t carry on?

Can’t think of hurting them – so want THEM to break up with YOU?

These simple steps will guarantee a guilt free break up.

(ps I’m starting it this week, if it goes well I might try and market it)

WEEK 1

Be smelly, the smellier the better. Make sure when he walks in that room that he wishes he had died – cheat if you have to, cat food is particularly repellent; keep an open sachet in your pocket

Be physically repulsive, from rotting teeth to a new horrifying taste in clothes. Put fake sweat patches under the arms, let your hair grow long and out of shape, don’t shave anywhere

Develop a taste for the unusual. Leave whips, chains and strange looking sexual contraptions everywhere. Begin wearing a dog lead at home and sometimes bark during sex

Take up the violin

WEEK 2

Giggle nervously when he’s around, stutter shake and dribble. Be waiting for him by the door, grinning. Keep tabs on him, ask where he is all the time, even when he’s with you. Explain it’s just because you love him so much

Be horrible to live with, wait until he’s in the bathroom before you run in there and use the toilet. Eat everything that doesn’t agree with your digestive system, burp, fart, leave your pants on the floor

Use the last of the household products without replacing them

Develop a hacking cough and put a spittoon by your bed

Take up the clarinet

WEEK 3

Play with matches a lot

Buy an air horn and press it regularly, buy bangers and explode them in the garden every Sunday afternoon

Find religion; begin quoting from the Bible during arguments. When you win an argument, pummel the air and scream 10 points for the Grrrrangers (or your surname)

Whenever he talks, slap your knees to an imaginary drum beat, wear your trousers up high to reveal odd socks, wear your pants on top of your trousers

Always wear odd socks

Exercise. Buy an exercise bike, work out at home, in spandex, in front of him, while he’s on the phone, watch him closely

Admire everyone else, tell him you wished you could only be as sexy as they are. Tell him every day you’re so lucky to be with him. Get caught sniffing his underwear

WEEK 4

Say ‘lovin it’ and ‘defo’ in every sentence.

Creep up on him and explode balloons behind his head regularly, then lie on the floor belly laughing afterwards

Accumulate a list of the oldest jokes ever, begin telling them when you’re at dinner parties. Repeat one in particular all the time

Leave black muck stains around the bath rim. Get caught sniffing his shoes

Walk dirt through the house

Puke in bed at night and pee yourself in the morning

Pick your teeth with your toe-nail clippings

WEEK 5

Freshen your socks by stretching them over the cold drinks cans in the fridge

Paint his portrait once a week, badly, and insist on hanging it in the gallery you’ve created in the hall, just of him

Get caught putting pins in a doll, keep petrol in canisters under the bed. When someone comes on the TV you like, pinch your nipples and growl

Rearrange everything in the cupboards in alphabetical order, and put labels on everything in the fridge which you’ve bought with MINE written on them

Spend the evenings polishing the doorknobs and scream in pain when he uses them without gloves. Sit around the house in rubber shorts.

MONDAY

Subject: Unknown

From UnknownAngel101@yahoo.co.uk

To Holly

And the Lord said “secrets are the undoing of the soul’

Special thanks to Holly for sharing this excerpt with us and for sharing an e-voucher for one of her novels with one of our lucky readers!

How to win an e-voucher for "Holly's Inbox" or "Holly's Inbox: Scandal in the City":
Just tell us what would be a deal breaker to you or cause you to break up with someone. Please include your e-mail address or a way to contact you if you should win. One entry per person.

Giveaway ends February 19th at midnight EST

What's in the mail today? Plus a giveaway!

2012-02-10T10:00:00.000-05:00

**Giveaway is now closed**

Melissa A:

From Kelley & Hall

From Maureen Lipinski:

From HarperCollins:

e-book:

Free from Amazon:

Gail:

From Gregory Allen:

"Patchwork of Me"

No pictures or purchasing information available at this time.

Becky:

From Transworld Publishers:

"Three Women" by Marita Conlon-McKenna

Amy:

e-books:

From Stephanie Elliot:

Melissa A. got this too. It's 99 cents for Kindle!

From Jackie Pilossoph:

From Juliette Sobanet:

Now something for your virtual mailbox!

Thanks to Juliette Sobanet, we have THREE e-books of "Kissed in Paris" to give to some lucky readers anywhere in the world! Juliette can be found at her website, as well as Facebook and Twitter.

How to win "Kissed in Paris":
Tell us the story behind your first kiss. Please include an e-mail address or another way to reach you if you win. One entry per person.

Giveaway ends February 15th at midnight EST

Book Review: The Underside of Joy

2012-02-10T08:00:00.002-05:00

By Cindy Roesel

I was emotionally exhausted after reading Seré Prince Halverson’s debut novel, THE UNDERSIDE OF JOY. It took all of my being to read what I can only describe as an "emotional rollercoaster." It’s been a while since I’ve read a novel that’s had me arguing with myself over what I would do, and still not be sure.

Ella Beene leaves an unhappy, childless marriage in San Diego and heads up the coast to Northern California, where she met Joe Capozzi. His wife, Paige walked out on him several months earlier, leaving him with a three-year-old daughter and a four-month-old son. They fall in love, and Joe's children, Annie and Zach, become Ella's. This is the family she’s been longing for.

Joe's dreams of being a photojournalist ended when it became necessary for him to take over the family grocery store. He still loves to take pictures and one morning he sets out for the beach to do just that. This time, he doesn't come back. A rogue wave catches him and pulls him under.

After three years of marriage, Ella thought she knew everything she needed to know about Joe. But Joe took secrets with him and left unfinished business behind. When Paige shows up at his funeral and makes it clear that she wants her children, Ella is devastated. Paige says she had suffered from postpartum depression and, fearing that she would harm the children, left to seek help. She insists that she sent letters to Joe and the children - letters that Ella never saw. The custody battle takes unexpected turns.

Reading THE UNDERSIDE OF JOY is a marvelous experience. It’s as if when one is reading the narrative, they're listening to a wonderful lyrical sonata ebb and flow as the grief, heartache and healing of the relationships finally find resolution. I feel privileged to have been given Ms. Halverson’s novel to review. It’s amazing to realize this is her first book. We can only imagine what wonderful work is ahead.

You can find Seré Prince Halverson on Facebook and at her website.

You might also like:

Winners of "Love on Landing" and "The Cell Phone Lot"

2012-02-09T15:45:00.000-05:00

To find our winners, we assigned a number to each entry (one entry per person) and had random.org choose three numbers.

For "The Cell Phone Lot," it chose 7 and 9. Congrats to Kat and karenk!

For "Love on Landing," it chose 36. Congrats to meandmom!

Here's a message from Heather Thurmeier:
Thank you so much to everyone who came out and commented. A huge thank you to everyone at Chick Lit Central for having me here. I had so much fun answering your questions and I'm thrilled to have met some new readers who have the same book-boyfriend! ;) Be sure to stay in touch by stopping by my website or by tweeting with me on twitter. I'm always available to chat books with you. Happy reading!

Here's a message from Stephanie Elliot:
Congrats to the winners of "The Cell Phone Lot!" I'll be sending your e-books to you shortly! Thanks to the Melissas and Amy for putting together such an amazing site for wonderful books and authors! I love checking out all the great books and authors you host all of the time! Also it was awesome to be a part of Chick Lit Central! Hope to be on again when I have a full-length novel out sometime in the future!

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 to Stephanie for her inspiring guest post, to Heather for a lovely interview and to both ladies for sharing their books with our winners.

"The Cell Phone Lot" is available on Kindle for 99 cents. You can also now purchase "Love on Landing" on Kindle.

Check out our latest giveaways:

"Spin" by Catherine McKenzie
US/Canada only
Ends 2/14 at midnight EST

"Outside the Lines" by Amy Hatvany
US only
Ends 2/13 at midnight EST

"Julia's Child" by Sarah Pinneo
US only
Ends 2/12 at midnight EST

Winners of "Home Front"

2012-02-09T11:15:00.000-05:00

To find our winners, we assigned a number to each entry (one entry per person) and had random.org choose three numbers. It picked 13, 20 and 62.

Congrats to Carole, Leela and Kym!

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. It seems like Noah and Allie's kiss in "The Notebook" is the most popular of all movie kisses amongst our group!
Thanks to Kristin for talking romance with us and to Wunderkind PR for sharing "Home Front" with our winners.

Don't miss out on our latest giveaways:

"Spin" by Catherine McKenzie
US/Canada only
Ends 2/14 at midnight EST

"Outside the Lines" by Amy Hatvany
US only
Ends 2/13 at midnight EST

"Julia's Child" by Sarah Pinneo
US only
Ends 2/12 at midnight EST

Books of the Week-February 9th

2012-02-09T11:00:00.004-05:00

Thanks for checking out our newest feature...Books of the Week! There are six 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. Starting this week, we will feature 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: We will let you know whether or not we'll be able to review your book upon your request, and hope you'll be interested in this feature as an alternative.

"The Will of Venus"
By Cynthia Robinson

Livia has overcome the ghosts of her Southern childhood by driving herself to become a successful Manhattan chef. Her sister Danae has selected a different path, building her world on the foundation of her striking beauty.

But Danae's perfect life is crumbling: her ambitions for a career in theater or movies have long been abandoned, her husband is straying and tiny wrinkles have begun to appear. She concludes that the only solution--unless something truly magical occurs--is to end her life on her 40th birthday.

Livia, aware of her sister's morbid fascination with suicide, intends to use her culinary talents, along with a bit of witchcraft provided by her friend, an aspiring santera, to rescue Danae from herself. But other events are moving to converge on the fateful evening of Danae's birthday celebration.

It's currently 99 cents for Kindle!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"Doughnuts for Amy"
By John Malik

Doughnuts for Amy is a tender, compassionate and emotional story of romance, redemption and retirement in the best tradition of modern romantic fiction. The story takes place at Woodmont, an upscale retirement community on the north side of Greenville, in the upstate of South Carolina. Nick St. Germaine, Woodmont’s Executive Chef is struggling emotionally as he approaches the second anniversary of the death of his wife, Robin. Unable to handle the business of running their successful restaurant, the Stone Avenue Tavern, Nick sells the restaurant then drops out of the public eye. He spends a year bonding with his son, Theo, as they try to come to terms with Robin’s death. When Woodmont’s Chef suddenly falls ill, Jack Carrollton, Woodmont’s developer seeks out Nick and asks him to take over the enormous kitchen. Beset by nightmares and challenged by his son to move forward one day at a time, Nick believes he is doing that, but just barely. Nick takes solace in early morning workouts at his gym, long runs and even longer hours in Woodmont’s kitchen. Things change when Amy Sommers, a nurse with little knowledge of the food & beverage business, becomes the new Director of Woodmont. Nick is quick to show his disdain for Amy, so much so that she comes close to showing Nick the door her first day on the job but eventually, Amy earns his respect. As Amy begins to manage the many facets of Woodmont, she soon realizes her greatest challenge lies in the broken heart of Nick St. Germaine.

Filled with delectable food, endearing octogenarians, a few quirky cooks and of course a delicious scene in which Chef Nick makes a certain fried pastry, Doughnuts for Amy is a six course tasting menu of fork-tender romance that will have you asking “what’s for dessert?”

You can find "Doughnuts for Amy" on Facebook and John Malik on Twitter.

Those three words

2012-02-09T10:00:00.000-05:00

By Melissa Amster

I talk a lot about the first time my husband and I met, which was 10 years ago as of this past week. I also have talked about our proposal, which was on a cruise ship. What I haven't talked about is how he first said those three words. I was watching "90210" the other night and there was this really sweet moment between two of the characters involving those three words. It made me think about the first time my husband said them to me.

When I first got into a relationship with my husband, I made it clear that I did not want him to say those three words unless he absolutely meant them. Once they're out there, they can't be taken back. I wanted it to mean something to both of us. There was one time when we were goofing around and he said those three words on accident. I immediately was all "don't say it unless you mean it!" He apologized and said they just slipped out and I let him off the hook that time.

The first weekend we spent entirely together was blissful. It was toward the end of February and my favorite a capella group was performing at Northwestern University. We went to the show and met up with the guy who introduced us. That was also the first time I introduced him to one of my friends. (I had been keeping him to myself for a few weeks.) He got to meet my friend Adam, who was performing in the a capella group. I had known Adam since I was a kid, so I was glad he got to meet someone who was already becoming special to me. As an added bonus, my husband also got to meet one of my girlfriends when we went to a bar that evening. The next night, that same girlfriend invited us to meet up with her and some other friends in Chinatown. We spent the whole ride on the "L" being all enamored with each other. The dinner was a lot of fun and then we got to spend some more time gazing into each other's eyes on the way back. This whole time, I wanted to say those three words to him, but after a bad experience a couple of years prior, I decided to wait. I didn't want to worry about him saying them just because I did or not saying them at all and withdrawing from me altogether.

On Sunday afternoon, we went out for lunch and then took a walk around my favorite parks. (A park I used to go to all the time when I was living in a nearby neighborhood.) As we were walking, we were joking around and saying silly lines from movies. There was one from "Dumb and Dumber" that we were trying to imitate, where one of the guys says "I like you a lot" in a funny voice. Then he said "I love you a lot" in that same voice. Again, I told him not to say it if he didn't mean it. However, this time he looked at me earnestly and told me that he meant it. I had been wanting to tell him those three words too and I finally did, as well. For the rest of the day, I still felt like those three words were surreal and wasn't sure how to believe them.

That evening, I went bowling with my league. When that was over, I went to his place. As soon as I got in, he led me to the bathroom and showed me how he had made me a bubble bath, complete with candles and relaxing music. He also emphasized once again that I was the girl he loved.

Ten years, marriage, two major interstate moves and three kids later, we still love each other like we did when we first met. We say those three words all the time without a second thought, but I can still feel the meaning behind them.

At our wedding, March 2004

At Nationals game, August 2011

The Go-To Gay....on Valentine's Day

2012-02-09T08:30:00.000-05:00

From left to right: Gary, their friend Suzanne, Wade

Wade Rouse was here back in November to share a "dude's" perspective on chick lit. We liked him so much (Amy was even lucky enough to meet him in person last year) that we invited him back again for a monthly column called "The Go-To Gay." After all, without gay guys, a lot of our chick lit heroines would be missing out on some awesome best friends! This month, Wade is sharing why gay guys make the best dates for Valentine's Day.

The writings of bestselling humorist Wade Rouse – called “wise, witty and wicked” by USA Today and the lovechild of Erma Bombeck and David Sedaris – have been featured multiple times on NBC’s Today Show as well as on Chelsea Lately on E! and People.com. His latest memoir, "It’s All Relative: 2 Families, 3 Dogs, 34 Holidays and 50 Boxes of Wine," just launched in paperback February 1st from Broadway, and he is creator and editor of the humorous dog anthology, "I’m Not the Biggest Bitch in This Relationship: Hilarious, Heartwarming Tales about Man’s Best from America’s Favorite Humorists" (NAL). The book features a Foreword by Chelsea Handler’s dog, Chunk, essays by such beloved chick lit authors as Jane Green, and 50 percent of the book’s net royalties go to the Humane Society of the United States. For more, visit his website, or friend him on Facebook or Twitter.

"Valentine’s Gay"

My partner, Gary, and I keep two separate calendars, one work and one social.
Our social calendar is filled with dates with our many “gurlfriends,” our besties who want to spend QT with us to try a new coffee spot, hip restaurant, or simply dish.
“We wish our husbands were more like you!” our gurls often lament sometime in the course of our date.
That got me thinking as we approach Valentine’s Day: Do gay boys (“GBs” in future references) make better dates? Would you rather spend a night with your husband or your gusband (gay husband)? Is our great date history myth or reality?
Let me lend some perspective:
The first Valentine’s Day I celebrated with my partner, Gary, with whom I’ve now been with 16 years, I made the tragic error of turning to my married, straight fraternity brothers from college for romantic advice. I was recently out and very inexperienced with dating.
“OK, dude, here’s the inside scoop,” one my best friends, who was recently married, explained to me over beers. “I never buy my wife perfume, because it will conflict with her phermones, or something stupid like that. I never buy her clothes, because I’ll get her an 8, and she’ll be all, ‘What makes you think I wear an 8? Do you think I’m that big? Are you even attracted to me?’So what I always do is take her to her favorite restaurant, like Applebee’s, and I always give her a sexy gift, like lingerie. In a small. She loves it. I love it. It’s a win-win. Just play it cool. Be quiet and mysterious.”
I left our brotherly beer bash totally confused, kind of like when I see a Coen Brothers movie. Still, being new to the whole relationship game, I listened and made reservations to Gary’s favorite restaurant in the city. I wrapped Gary’s gift in shiny paper and dropped it off before our dinner so it could be “specially delivered.”
Despite all the planning, the evening unfolded awkwardly, like a cheap card table. Although the restaurant was romantic, I acted like Clint Eastwood all night. There were awkward pauses in the conversation, and none of the spark that accompanied our time together. Still, when the waiter brought over the dessert cart, with my gift, as instructed, already positioned in the middle of the tarts and brulees, Gary gasped.
I looked around the restaurant. People had stopped eating, and were staring, transfixed, women nudging their husbands in that irritated manner which seemed to imply, “Thanks for the wrist corsage, you jackass. Leave it to the gays to always do it right!”
What amazing gift had this amazing man purchased for his sweetheart?A ring?An island getaway?
Suddenly, I felt this overwhelming pressure – like the emergency door on a plane had suddenly been thrown open mid-flight over the Atlantic.
Gary furiously untied my bow and unwrapped the tissue paper – dotted with hearts. And then he pulled out a three-pack of Hane’s underwear.
“Hane’s?” Gary finally gasped, fuming, very loudly. “Hane’s Her Ways?! Are you kidding me? You got me … underwear?”
He yanked a sticker off the plastic bag. I had forgotten to remove the price tag.
“They’re boxer briefs,” I purred, trying to sound turned on. “In black. Your favorites. And they’re very sexy.”
“Hanes ARE NOT SEXY!” he began yelling, standing up, knocking his chair over, “What this says to me is that you are the type of man who will buy me a vaccuum for Christmas, and a robe on my birthday.
“You are not romantic!” Gary screamed, throwing his pack of underwear into my lap. “No, I take that back! You are not even … human! What happened to Wade?!”
And then he left. To a smattering of applause.
What had gone so wrong, despite, of course, the Hane’s horror, I fumed in my head as we drove silently home.
The next morning, I met one of my best girl friends for coffee and talked about our Valentine’s dinners, which had unfolded, eerily, the same.
“You know it’s not really about the gift, Wade,” she said to me.
“Really?”
“OK, it kinda is,” she laughed, “but it’s more than that, too. It’s about the date: The dinner, the conversation, the romance, the little things. My husband loves me, and I love him more than anything, but I don’t always get the emotional depth, honesty and resonance that you and Gary share. I don’t get the fun that you and I have when we go out. Just be yourself from now on.”
That’s when it hit me: I wasn’t being myself. I wasn’t being romantic. I was being a practical romantic. I was acting like my dad, who often got my mother a trash compactor or dishwasher for her birthday or Christmas. I don’t mean to stereotype men – gay or straight – but there are some commonalities that unite most straight males: They often don’t enjoy intimate conversations. They can be bad sharers. Some don’t love to dance, laugh, and compliment as much as the GBs.
Most gay men, on the other hand, listen. Intently. We offer advice. We are romantic. We are fun. We compliment. And when we do, we mean it. Wear a great pair of heels, and we’ll notice. Trying a new lipstick color? We’ll gush.
Why? We pay attention. The reason is that we don’t take anything for granted. We celebrate life. Oftentimes, it’s because many of us went through difficult times in our lives: We were worried we might not make friends, or we were fearful our families might turn their backs on us. Most of us fought like heck to find partners with whom to share our lives. Thus, we give back to those who love us unconditionally – friends, family, partners – a torrent of spirit, a heaping dose of our unfiltered, unedited selves.
I believe we do make better dates, if for any other reason than that we realize life is short and can often be very difficult, so we need to celebrate – in a big way – with those we love. For lack of a better phrase: Life is too rich to go cheap, to be all Hane’s.

So, ladies, pass this advice on to your men: Although the National Retail Federation estimates that – even in a recession – the average man will spend over $135 on gifts for his sweetheart, tell your husbands to act a little more like your gusbands. Tell them it’s OK to be romantic, to celebrate you, to talk, and laugh. Tell them it’s OK to gush, to compliment, and to cherish your alone time together. If they do, congratulations. If they don’t, be honest.
Go ahead, of course, and enjoy your Valentine’s gifts. I mean, I went ahead and bought Gary a trip to the Caribbean to make up for my Hane’s hell.
And then, the next day call your gusband for lunch and tell him how it went. And if you don’t have a gusband, email me or Gary, and we’ll share an e-date to remember.

Thanks to Wade and Gary for being our "gusbands!" We look forward to having Wade back in March to talk about friendship and share his latest memoir, "It's All Relative," with some lucky readers.

Book Review: Julia's Child

2012-02-09T08:00:00.000-05:00

By Melissa Amster

It's not often that I find myself able to relate to a character because of some common bonds. However, I think Sarah Pinneo must have been spying on my life when she wrote "Julia's Child." Well, that's probably an exaggeration, but a few things really hit close to home.

Julia Bailey is a mompreneur (a mom entrepreneur) who runs an organic baby and toddler food company aptly named Julia's Child. On the business front, there is a lot of food to cook, huge decisions to make, worrying about her business partner's needs, and lots of "schlepping." On the home front, there are her two young sons, her supportive husband, her attractive babysitter and some annoying neighbors. When Julia's Child has the opportunity to make it big, Julia has to decide what is most important to her and balance that with the needs of everyone else in her life.

As I said before, Julia is a character with whom I was able to relate instantly! While I don't know much about organic foods and how they're made, I keep Kosher and have to worry about the foods I shop for from that end of the spectrum. Her arguments with her mother about organic food reminded me of arguments with my mother over Kosher food. Julia and I are both working mothers (we both have two sons, but I also have a daughter) who have to balance out our professional and personal lives. I feel bad whenever I can't make it to something at either of my sons' schools even though I try my hardest. Julia felt bad about not being able to spend more time with her sons, especially when they made it clear how much they needed her. Her business reminded me of how much time I put into running a blog. I know her business is there to turn a profit, but they both require a large time investment to run smoothly.

"Julia's Child" was an enjoyable read from start to finish. As you may know, I love stories about entrepreneurial women and this definitely fit the bill. All the characters were very diverse and easy to distinguish from one another. Her kids, especially Wylie, sounded adorable. They added a lot of comic relief to the story. I found myself rooting for her when things went well and getting frustrated for her when they didn't. She was a very sympathetic character, even if we had nothing in common. The location descriptions were great, as I could easily visualize wherever Julia went throughout the story. Although I don't have much interest in organic foods, Ms. Pinneo made it all sound so interesting. I especially love that she included a lot of recipes. I hope to make some, even though I'll probably have to adapt some for Kosher reasons.

I did have a few concerns though. There seemed to be some parts of the story that were left open-ended. I wanted the situations to be resolved more than they actually were. For instance, there were some people who were introduced toward the middle of the story. Then they disappeared and nothing was ever answered about why they were there in the first place. Not that I wanted more conflict for Julia, but it would have been interesting to incorporate them into some sort of conflict that happened later in the story. It also seemed to end almost abruptly, even though there was an epilogue. I also felt like there never was a clear age set for Julia. It was alluded to at the end that she may have been in her mid-30's, but earlier in the story, it sounded like she grew up throughout most of the 1970's. It was hard to picture her without a specific age attached. Finally, the amount of stress Julia was put through seemed insanely overwhelming at times. Almost like "too bad to be true." However, Julia seemed so stoic through most of the crises. Maybe that was just her personality, but if I had been in her shoes, I would have been throwing things all over the place and yelling my head off. It was like Ms. Pinneo kept adding to a tower of stress and I was just waiting for Julia to topple over along with the tower.

Overall, I really liked "Julia's Child." It was a lighthearted and interesting story and I would definitely recommend it. I think it's eye-opening to what working mothers go through, while also remaining fun and endearing.

Thanks to Penguin and KMSPR for sending the book in exchange for an honest review. Sarah Pinneo visited CLC earlier this week and our giveaway is going on until February 12th. (US only.)

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Blogs of the week

2012-02-08T11:00:00.000-05:00

Reader:

Froggie - One frog's distinct voice on the world around her

She's just your average person looking for their place in the world. This is where she chronicles her journey, and the adventures that she has along the way. She talks about her day-to-day experiences, asks a lot of questions, shares her thoughts on life and explores various happenings going on in the world around us.

Froggie will also be seen more around CLC in the coming months. She's helping us with some social media and blog stuff and will be a guest blogger on occasion. She already wrote posts for us about meeting Rachel Bertsche and her love for Tori Spelling's memoirs. If you haven't seen these yet, you definitely should check them out!

You can find Froggie on Twitter. And thanks to Froggie, we found out about our author blog for this week!

Author:

The Bloggess

Jenny Lawson writes for Good Mom/Bad Mom on the Houston Chronicle, but needed an uncensored space to say the f-word and talk about ninjas, so she started this blog. She also writes a satirical sex column, as well as a parenting column that will make you wish you’d decided to just stick with dogs. She also spends a lot of time tweeting. Her first book (which is non-fiction, but looks fabulously funny), "Let's Pretend This Never Happened (A Mostly True Memoir)" will be available in mid-April. She lives with her husband, daughter and three cats named Posey, Rolly and Ferris Mewler, one of whom she can balance on her head (if not all three).

You can find Jenny on Facebook and Twitter.

"Spin" is new to the US and we're doing a giveaway!

2012-02-08T08:30:00.001-05:00

**Giveaway is now closed**

Canada has given the US Barenaked Ladies, Alanis Morissette, Jim Carrey, "Degrassi High" and now....Catherine McKenzie!

In honor of the release of "Spin" in the US this week, we are re-posting Melissa A's review from last year and HarperCollins is giving away one copy to a lucky reader in the US or Canada!

Review of "Spin"
By Melissa Amster

After falling in love with "Arranged" by Catherine McKenzie, I received an opportunity to review "Spin" and jumped on it! I had heard only good things about it and had a feeling I would enjoy it for that reason. This novel has definitely lived up to its "hype."

Kate Sandford just lost her dream job working for a music magazine by showing up to the interview drunk from her 30th birthday celebration. Her behavior at the interview has instead made her the perfect candidate to follow the latest "It Girl" to rehab and report to a gossip magazine with an insider's viewpoint. If she is successful, she'll be able to get the music magazine job she wanted originally. However, Kate doesn't bank on the effect rehab will have on her own life, as well as what her dream opportunity will do to the friendships she has fostered, especially with this "It Girl."

The last good book I read about rehab, prior to this one, was "Rachel's Holiday" by Marian Keyes. I think that if you liked that book, you will definitely like "Spin." The first thing that stuck out for me was all the pop culture references. I'm a huge pop culture "geek," so it was fun to see what Ms. McKenzie would come up with next. I love that she quoted one of my favorite lines from "The Princess Bride" and also talked about some Christopher Guest mockumentary films (oddly enough, he was also in TPB). At the end, she includes a playlist based on the songs mentioned in each chapter. Next was the realistic dialogue and a main character with whom it was extremely easy to relate and connect. The supporting characters were all unique and a lot of fun to read about. Saundra, the counselor at rehab, especially stuck out with her dog obsession. I also liked the romantic sub-plot and how the tension built up throughout the story. Come to think of it, there wasn't anything I didn't like!

I highly suggest checking out "Spin" and making it a best seller, the way Ms. McKenzie strives to help other books become best sellers.

How to win "Spin":
Read this excerpt and then tell us what part stood out for you the most.
Please include your e-mail address or another way to reach you if you win. One entry per person.

US/Canada only. Giveaway ends February 14th at midnight EST

Guest Blogger Book Review: Spying in High Heels

2012-02-08T08:00:00.000-05:00

By Michelle Drodge

Just when you thought you’d read the best of the best in terms of chick lit, you stumble upon a book that is not only hilarious, but adds a bold twist to the traditional boy-meets-girl love story.

"Spying in High Heels" by Gemma Halliday introduces Maddie Springer, who is not only late, but late. She was late to meet Richard, her lawyer boyfriend for lunch, but also needing-to-buy-a-pregnancy-test late. But after arriving at his office for their lunch date, she witnessed Richard coming out of a meeting with a look of concern, accompanied by another guy, who had a hard look and a lot of tattoos. Richard cancels their date and she leaves, only to stop into see her friend Dana, her nymphomaniac aerobics instructor/actress best friend, at the gym to tell her about her predicament. On the way home, she buys the pregnancy test and promises to take it once she tells Richard he could be a Daddy. This becomes a promise that would come back to haunt her.

Richard disappears that very day with no warning. No call, no text, no email. And after a thorough search of his apartment, and an encounter with the tattoo guy, she finds out tattoo guy is a cop and Richard is under investigation for embezzlement. This launches Maddie into a frenzy, desperate to locate Richard before Ramirez does (stopping only to design some Strawberry Shortcake sandals to keep her job as a children’s shoe designer), to warn him about the charges against him, but also to get to the bottom of the shady things she discovers along the way, including a condom wrapper in his desk drawer at work.

Unfortunately, it’s not as easy as Maddie initially thought, because the people she was depending on for answers suddenly start dropping off like flies. Maddie finds herself teaming up with Dana to weave deeper through the web of lies that Richard has created. She gets so involved that she becomes the next target for the killer who desperately does not want their secret to be known.

As the opener to Gemma Halliday’s High Heels series, this book definitely leaves you wanting more. Gemma’s relaxed writing style makes you feel like you’re having a conversation with your own best friend, and her observations about her supposed pregnancy that appear throughout the novel are enough to keep you giggling while turning the pages. At no point did I feel that her voice was forced because the novel had such a great flow. This is the first real ‘killer fiction’ novel that I had enjoyed to this extent. The characters are so well formed you feel as if you know them personally, and the contrast between them is well balanced to bring the degree of hilarity to a whole new level.

This book is one that I could not put down. The best part is that just when you think the case is solved after the climax of the book, you run into a cliffhanger that leads you into the second book. Anyone who enjoys a light-hearted, easy read will definitely be entertained by not only "Spying in High Heels," but the entire High Heels series.

Michelle Drodge is 26 and lives in a small town north of Toronto in Canada with her husband and two year-old daughter. She works at a pharmaceutical distribution company during the day, but moonlights as an aspiring writer after her daughter goes to sleep. One day she hopes to see her own book on the shelf alongside her favourite Chick Lit authors!

More by Gemma Halliday:

Winners of "Beautiful Disaster"

2012-02-07T10:45:00.000-05:00

To find our winners, we assigned a number to each entry (one entry per person) and had random.org choose two numbers. It picked 21 and 46

Congrats to Jonita and Nina (nina565)!

Here's a message from Laura Spinella:
Thank you to everyone who stopped by Chick Lit Central to leave a comment! I was thrilled by so many enthusiast responses to titling my next novel! For now, I will be going with THE IT FACTOR, though as everyone in publishing knows, the “house” has the last word! In the meantime, the winners of BEAUTIFUL DISASTER have a most appropriate Valentine’s Day read on the way! As a debut novelist, I’ve learned so much during the past year. Without a doubt, sites like Chick Lit Central have been the most important! Their ability and willingness and promote authors such as myself is key and I truly appreciate the support! Thank you again to everyone at Chick Lit Central and I hope the winners of BEAUTIFUL DISASTER enjoy the read!!

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. Your votes for the title definitely had an impact on Laura's choice. Thanks to Laura for a wonderful interview and to Penguin for sharing "Beautiful Disaster" with our winners.

Don't miss out on our latest giveaways:

"Outside the Lines" by Amy Hatvany
US only
Ends 2/13 at midnight EST

"Julia's Child" by Sarah Pinneo
US only
Ends 2/12 at midnight EST

"The Cell Phone Lot" by Stephanie Elliot (e-novella)
Ends 2/8 at midnight EST

"Love on Landing" by Heather Thurmeier (e-book)
Ends 2/8 at midnight EST

"Home Front" by Kristin Hannah
US/Canada only
Ends TONIGHT at midnight EST

Amy Hatvany speaks the language of love and has a new book to give away!

2012-02-07T08:30:00.001-05:00

**Giveaway is now closed**

A big congrats goes out to Amy Hatvany and her novel "Outside The Lines" (reviewed here) whose pub day is TODAY! Born in Seattle, Amy is the youngest of three children. She graduated with a degree in sociology from Western Washington University in 1994. Her career plans changed when she realized most sociologists are unemployed. In 1998 after pursuing several jobs, including decorating wedding cakes (YUM), she decided to take the plunge and start writing books. Amy's first two books, "The Kind of Love that Saves You," and "The Language of Sisters," under her previous last name "Yurk." Amy's third novel, the fabulous "Best Kept Secret" (reviewed here) was published in 2009. When Amy is not writing you can find her cooking and indulging in some reality shows. Amy lives with her husband Stephan, her three children, Scarlett, Miles and Anna, and her two black lab mutts. Kenda and Dolcé.
Thanks to Atria Books, we have THREE copies to give away to some lucky readers anywhere in the US.

To learn more about Amy visit her website, Facebook and Twitter pages.

Favorite Valentine's Day memory:
I was in third grade with a huge crush on a freckled, red-headed boy named Kelly. I made him a gigantic peanut butter cookie and wrapped it in foil, poking his name and a heart with a toothpick on the top. On Valentine’s Day, it took everything in me to give it to him on the playground, and when I did, he blushed furiously, but then told me he liked me, too! It was my first experience of many where I captured a man’s heart through his stomach.

Tell us how you met your husband:
On a dare from one of my girlfriends, I posted an ad on Craigslist (it was free, which appealed to my limited finances at the time, and this was before it got all weird and dangerous), and he was one of the two dates I went on as a result. We were married two years later, and affectionately refer to our meeting place as “Bargain Basement Match.com!”

Favorite date in a novel:
In Little Earthquakes, by Jennifer Weiner, when her character Becky, cooks dinner for her first date with the man who would eventually become her husband and feeds it to him. So, funny, touching, sweet, and romantic!

Favorite romantic movie:
Wow, that’s a tough one! I’m a total sap - just ask my husband - and love so many! I think a film that didn’t get nearly enough publicity was Definitely Maybe, with Ryan Reynolds. No, not just because of his abs - it was his amazing chemistry with Isla Fischer. The dialogue was smart and funny; I especially liked how the story tracked their friendship as it developed over the years. Their relationship seemed very authentic and these two flawed people eventually found their way to each other. Bonus that his character is a single dad to the sassy and charming Abigail Breslin. So good!!!

Favorite couple from a TV series:
Hands down, no contest, Jamie and Paul, from Mad About You. I miss that show so much - really one of the truest portrayals of what a marriage actually looks like when two people are dear friends above anything else. I swear the theme song plays in the background of our house.

Best movie kiss:
I have to go popular on this one - Ryan Gosling and Rachel McAdams in The Notebook - their kiss in the rain. Swoon!!!

Tell us your dream date:
A trip to Lowe’s with my husband and an unlimited spending allowance! Seriously, I love me a home store, and one of the first things I did with my husband was help him pick out some new light fixtures for his house. It was such a great date - I think we grabbed a hot dog on the way out - wandering the aisles, dreaming of everything I’d buy to put in my dream house. The only thing that would have made it better was actually having the money to get everything I wanted!

Favorite moment from your wedding:
I can’t just pick one, so here are two! When my mother was walking me down the ramp of her deck (we got married in her amazingly lush backyard) and I started crying as I saw my husband waiting for me. She leaned over and, completely out of character, whispered in my ear, “Just think about all the good sex you’ll get to have!” So instead of crying, I bust out laughing.

Another moment - after the reception and most of our guests had gone, my husband and I stood up in front of our nieces, nephew and kids and sang “I’m a Little Teapot,” complete with dance routine. (No, we weren’t drunk - we are just the goofiest people on the planet.) My oldest niece had a camcorder running, so I’m sure it’ll be used against us someday.

Special thanks to Amy for putting a little romance into our day and to Atria Books for sharing "Outside the Lines" with some lucky readers.

How to win "Outside the Lines":
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: Who is your favorite couple from a TV series?
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. 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 February 13th at midnight EST.
For more chances to win, visit Chick Lit is Not Dead and enter by February 12th. (US/Canada only)

Book Review: Confessions of a Karaoke Queen

2012-02-07T08:00:00.000-05:00

By Becky Gulc

This is the debut novel by 'Ella Kingsley,' or at least her debut novel in the chick lit genre. Ella Kingsley is actually a pseudonym for an established author, we just don’t know who!

"Confessions of a Karaoke Queen" has a bright pink cover with a glitter ball and lights getting you in the mood for a fun, light, girly read, which is exactly what this book delivers!

The story centres on Maddie Mulhern, a woman in her mid-twenties who is newly dumped by Lawrence, who is quite frankly full of himself. He ends their relationship because she’s holding him back and he wants to be a star! Maddie has a so-so job, but it’s far from being the managerial job for which she’s been aiming. However, she soon receives an opportunity to find out exactly how good her management skills are. Bring in pop duo "Pineapple Mist," stars of the 1980s, a.k.a. Maddie’s slightly embarrassing parents. The pair now spends their time running a karaoke bar called Sing it Back, but with the opportunity to go on a three-month 1980s tour overseas they suddenly leave the bar in Maddie’s hands. The problem? Maddie hates karaoke.

Maddie soon learns just how much the bar is struggling to survive, and with encouragement and support from the loyal staff members they decide things need to change. Without the funding to make any changes themselves, they spot the following announcement:

‘Tooth and Nail TV is looking for the UK’s Next Big Reality TV Sensation. Don’t attract hundreds at the weekend, attract millions!’

Surely signing up for a reality TV programme will be exactly what the club and people working there need? Not quite. Maddie soon finds that there’s more to Evan, the executive producer, than meets the eye. And when she clicks with the delicious Nick, the show director, surely it’s too good to be true? And why is Lawrence suddenly declaring his love for Maddie? She soon finds herself in a complete mess, questioning everyone, feeling like she’s letting down the people she cares about; dreading what her oblivious parents are going to come back to after their tour.

I enjoyed the range of characters in this book, from Loaf the eccentric loner to Jaz and her guinea pig sidekick, Andre. I would have liked to have seen a bit more of Loaf towards the closing chapters of the novel. Although I liked Maddie, I found her to be very naive and gullible, to the point of being annoying sometimes. One example is her keeping her real name a closely guarded secret (something much longer than Maddie!), yet telling Nick what this is the second time they really have a conversation or ‘date’, just seemed a bit unrealistic to me even if she really liked him. Maddie is also lacking self-esteem for even talking to Lawrence again; she never even liked him that much in the first place, this making a possible reunion just sheer silliness to the reader! As the story was told in first person narrative, I wonder if having different narrators such as Jaz or Lou, her best friend would have made a difference to the feel of this story by breaking it up a bit.

The constant references to 80’s and early 90’s pop culture were a lot of fun and brought back some great memories (I’d completely forgotten Big magazine existed but I loved it!). The only niggle I had was whether Maddie as a 25 year-old would really have the same memories of some of the popular culture items referenced, if the book is set in the present day she would have been very young, for example, to have had an interest in Scott and Charlene’s wedding on Neighbours, whereas for my age (bit older!) it completely fitted with what I was into in the late 80’s. Maybe we should assume her parents being 80’s stars influenced this however.

I think the pace worked well in moving the story forward and there was enough going on to make you not want to put the book down, particularly in the first few chapters. I did feel that towards the end I couldn’t take some of the characters such as Evan seriously, which was a little disappointing. Overall, however, I did really enjoy this book and I think others will too if they accept it as a light read; and if you grew up in the 80’s you may very well love the references too! There are also some great comical moments in this book. As a fan of reality TV, I also enjoyed that the workings of such a programme was a focus of this novel.

You might also like:

Winner of "I've Got Your Number"

2012-02-06T12:13:00.000-05:00

To find our winners, we assigned a number to each entry (one entry per person) and had random.org choose one number. It picked 36.

Congrats to Erica (wordywon)!

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. Your stories made us want to get a Jumping to Conclusions mat (like the one in "Office Space"). Thanks to Transworld UK for sharing the book with our winner.

Don't forget about our latest giveaways:

"Julia's Child" by Sarah Pinneo
US only
Ends 2/12 at midnight EST

"The Cell Phone Lot" by Stephanie Elliot (e-novella)
Ends 2/8 at midnight EST

"Love on Landing" by Heather Thurmeier (e-book)
Ends 2/8 at midnight EST

"Home Front" by Kristin Hannah
US/Canada only
Ends 2/7 at midnight EST

The Glory of Tori

2012-02-06T12:00:00.000-05:00

Guest post by Tracey Meyers

I have two confessions:

Confession Number One: I have read all of Tori Spelling's memoirs. Yep, that's right! I've read "sTORI Telling," "Mommywood," and "Uncharted TerriTORI."

Confession Number Two: Not only have I read all of these books, but I also like them!

Phew! So glad I got that off my chest!

In some ways, saying I am making "confessions" is more of a joke than anything else, and in some ways not. If you don't "get" Tori Spelling than I just outed myself to you BIG TIME! If you do, than you understand that I am one of the many of others who just adore this one-of-a-kind actress/entrepreneur/mother/wife.... well, you get the point! Either way, in 2009 I liked her just enough to purchase a mp3 version of "sTORI Telling" using a credit I had received as part of an Audible.com trial membership. At first I did wonder how good of a writer she was. As a friend of mine said to me after I told her about this book review, "Tori Spelling has published books? I didn’t know she could write." Yep, that’s what I wondered at first too. (Sorry, Tori!) I also wondered what this "privileged princess" could possibly have to say that would make me feel as though she was just like you and me. However, it was a FREE purchase so I figured I'd take the gamble.

I started "reading" "sTORI Telling" on a sunny June day back in 2009 as I took my regular Saturday afternoon walk. I figured listening to an audio book would be a nice change and this particular one was the only one I had loaded on my iPod. I'm glad it was. My walk lasted about two and a half hours that afternoon, but it didn't feel that way. The whole time I was listening to Tori, and it was if she was walking right next to me. I distinctly recall at one point looking at the 2 mile marker on the path I was taking and trying to decide if I was going to turn around, or keep on going. It didn't take me long to make my decision -- I wanted to continue listening to "sTORI Telling" so I kept on going.

It didn't take me long to finish the book -- about 2.5 walks to be exact. I remember coming to the end and thinking, "That's it???" I was sad as I felt as though I had just made a new friend whom I wasn't ready to say goodbye too. Even though I promptly acquire both "Mommywood" and "Uncharted TerriTori" after their releases, I didn't read them right away. There were other things going on in my life that took my attention away from reading. However, I still intended to pay a visit to my friend Tori as soon as I could. Those visits with Tori were completed this past December. As with "sTORI Telling," I was sad to see my visit come to an end.

So what is it about these books that inspire me to tell the world that they also need to get on the Tori Spelling bandwagon? It's simple -- she is in fact like you and me. I know it sounds cliché, but it's true. When she talked about her experience getting the evil spirits lifted from her life, it made me think of the energy healing experience I had and was too embarrassed to admit to others. Furthermore, it made me begin to wonder if maybe I should go see a Vodou Priestess just in case I had some evil spirits of my own hanging around and needed a cleansing, as well. There are many other ups and downs Tori has experienced which I could relate to -- family drama, men drama and friend drama. Chapter after chapter, I found myself nodding in agreement with all she was saying.

Surely the people passing me on the walking trail, or on the streets of where ever I was thought I was a bit odd for this, however I didn't care because I, like Tori, am my own special person with my own special personality. Oh, personality! That is another thing that kept me coming back for more Tori's stories. Each and every one of these books exudes with Tori's own unique personality and style. From the book jackets that are very Tori-esque, to her tongue and cheek humor that jumps right out at you -- you just can't not pay attention to her memoirs!

After reading her fantastic memoirs, I have not only developed a greater appreciation for her as a performer, businesswoman, mother and wife, but also as a human being. I know she is a celebrity and shouldn't expect totally privacy as she is her commodity, but on the flip side I can understand why Tori, as person, would get aggravated by the media who pry into all aspects of her life. I felt for her when she talked about her struggles to keep her pregnancies private until she and her family were ready to announce them. Amongst my many stories she shared was the one about a Paparazzi, with whom she had apparently established a balanced relationship, offering to help her carry into her home some items from her car because it was a lot for just one person.

It would be cool to meet Tori Spelling one day. Once I got over being star-struck (because I totally would be) I could see us having a coffee and chatting about ... well, a lot of things. I'd probably ask her a lot of questions about the farm she has in her backyard as I'm interested the urban farming movement and one day would, at the very least, like to raise chickens. More realistically, I imagine if she were to write another memoir, I'd meet her at one of the local book signings. (Btw Tori - Hint, hint! Wink, wink! Nudge, nudge!) Until that day, I will share in her life journey through her reality show, "Home Sweet Hollywood."

If anything has come out of reading these books, it's that I have a greater appreciation for who Tori Spelling is. I believe she is a magnificent role model for all women. She has not only shown me that she is in fact "just like you and me," she has also shown me that you can achieve your dreams no matter what they are -- and you can do it with your own special style.

Tracey Meyers lives in the Chicago suburbs and enjoys photography, running, roller derby, knitting and, of course, blogging. She is currently helping us with social media and blog stuff, so you may be seeing her around more often.You can find her at her personal blog.

Sarah Pinneo serves up a dish of love and has a book to give away!

2012-02-06T08:30:00.013-05:00

**Giveaway is now closed**

Today we welcome debut author Sarah Pinneo and her novel, "Julia's Child," which was just released on January 31st. Sarah Pinneo worked in finance for more than a decade before making the transition from breadwinner to bread slicer. Her first book was published by Clarkson Potter/Random House in 2007. She holds a degree in economics from Yale University. Sarah has lived in Grand Rapids, MI, New York City, Ludlow, Vermont and now Hanover, NH where the occasional moose or black bear is spotted in her back yard.

Thanks to Penguin and KMSPR, we have one copy to give away to a lucky reader anywhere in the US.

Visit Sarah at her website, Twitter and Facebook pages.

(Author photo credit: Michael Lake)

Favorite romantic movie:
I'm a sucker for Working Girl, which probably only shows my age. But who can resist Melanie Griffith accidentally telling the man she's meant to interview the next day that "I have a head for business and a bod for sin. Is there anything wrong with that?"

Favorite couple from a TV series:

CJ and Danny on The West Wing. You know, I never realized this before, but I find an exciting workplace to be incredibly sexy. I met my husband at work, too. On a trading floor.

Most memorable date:

As our first date, my (future) husband and I had agreed to go to a crowded, preppy mixer at The Yale Club. But at the last minute he led me to McSorley's Ale House instead, (established 1854) where we talked only to each other. And drank a lot of McSorley's Ale.

Tell us about your marriage proposal:

It was my 27th birthday, and I found the ring inside a tortilla from our favorite Mexican restaurant. You have to give him points for originality.

Favorite place to go on a date:
One of the reasons I write about food is that I’ve had the good fortune to go to some really amazing restaurants. I was married at the Gramercy Tavern, in their tiny private room. And—this is a little embarrassing—I went into labor for my second child while dining at Thomas Keller’s Per Se. They still have a copy of my birth announcement taped up to the kitchen wall.

Guy you would date from a chick lit novel:
Easy! The “Harvard Hottie” from The Nanny Diaries.

Best TV series kiss:
I’m a little hung up on Downton Abbey these days, and I loved the scene when Cousin Matthew kissed Lady Mary over sandwiches in the dining room. But… does he still love Mary? Or will her heart be forever broken? And what will she wear on the next episode. I can’t wait to know.

Special thanks to Sarah for sharing her special memories with us and to Penguin and KMSPR for sharing "Julia's Child" with our readers.

How to win "Julia's Child":
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: What is your favorite place to go on a date?
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. 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 February 12th at midnight EST.

Book Review: Outside the Lines

2012-02-06T08:00:00.000-05:00

By Amy Bromberg

If you had a parent that was constantly unreliable and then one day disappears altogether, would you spend your precious time searching for them? This is exactly what Eden does, and ends up encountering on the way much more than she ever expected to.

When Eden was ten years old she found her father, David, bleeding out on the bathroom floor. The suicide attempt led to her parents’ divorce, and David all but vanished from Eden’s life. Since childhood, she has heard from him only rarely, just enough to know he’s been living on the streets and struggling with mental illness. But lately, there has been no word at all.Now in her thirties, Eden decides to go look for her father, so she can forgive him at last, and finally move forward. When her search uncovers other painful truths—not only the secrets her mother has kept from her, but also the agonizing question of whether David, after all these years, even wants to be found—Eden is forced to decide just how far she’ll go in the name of love. (Synopsis courtesy of Amazon.com.)

"Outside the Lines" is an amazingly powerful and emotional novel. It visits intense issues, such as the dynamics of family relationships, coping with a parent who suffers from mental illness, fears of abandonment and the boundaries of love. There are many details I’d like to share but because this is a review (not a “book” of the review), I will choose the few that touched me the most.

Before David tries to commit suicide, there are multiple times he walks out on Eden and her mother. Unlike her mother, Eden always tries to see the good in her father, because she truly believes he’s a gentle and good-hearted man. She knows deep down inside he will get better, and be the daddy he used to be. But he keeps proving her wrong. What a heavy burden for a child to carry. And having to witness shameful glances from neighbors, and hear from friends that because of her dad’s behavior and issues, their moms won’t let them play together anymore. Unfortunately we see this often in today’s society, a child being robbed from a happy childhood, because of a strained family issue, that they have nothing to do with. It’s unfair that children have to suffer because of their parents actions.

Because Eden’s father abandoned her at a young age, she has trust and intimacy issues. But that all changes when Eden starts volunteering at the homeless shelter and meets Jack. I admire Eden for taking a chance on learning to love again.

"Outside the Lines" is a diamond in the rough that touched me deeply. It is a spellbinding story filled with romance, heartache, love, tenderness and compassion. If I were Amy’s publicist, I would work my tail off in trying to get this movie rights because it would make an unbelievable Oscar-worthy film.

Amy Hatvany is visiting CLC tomorrow and some lucky US readers have a chance to win a copy of this amazing novel!

You might also like:

What's in the mail today?

2012-02-03T12:00:00.000-05:00

Amy:

From Random House:

Melissa A got this too.

Melissa A:

From Penguin Books:

From the BookSparks PR groupies program:

e-books:

Free on Amazon:

Becky:

From Penguin UK:

From HarperCollins UK:

"The Great Escape" by Fiona Gibson

From Transworld Publishers:

Book Review: The Very Picture of You

2012-02-02T13:43:00.000-05:00

By Melissa Amster

I have to admit that I am not really interested in much that has to do with art. I have gone to The Art Institute (Chicago) and been bored to tears. So knowing that "The Very Picture of You" was about a portrait artist didn't initially sell me on the story idea. However, I loved Isabel Wolff's previous novel, "A Vintage Affair," after going into it with about the same level of interest and coming out with an enchanting story. And I heard other people highly recommend "The Very Picture of You," so I knew I had to give it a fair chance. Once again, I fell in love with the beautiful story that Ms. Wolff wove through the pages.

Gabriella "Ella" Graham is a portrait artist in London, commissioned by famous people, as well as family, friends and others in the nearby area who wish to be immortalized on canvas. When a recent commission turns out to be her sister's fiance, Nate, Ella dreads having to work with him after overhearing a rude sounding phone conversation. Then all the cards are put on the table and suddenly Ella sees him in a different light that could mean trouble for her and her family. Another person causing trouble for her family, or so she thinks, is her father who abandoned her at a young age. Between her newfound affection for Nate and trying to find out the truth about her father from her elusive mother, Ella also learns a lot from her other sitters, as their secrets force her to confront her own even further than before.

I absolutely loved "The Very Picture of You." Ms. Wolff creates such strong characterizations for everyone she puts on her pages, making Ella a sympathetic character and allowing readers to get to know everyone in her life really well and sympathize with them, as well. There was so much life in this novel and every story Ella heard from her sitters added to the vibrancy, making the black and white pages even more colorful than her portraits. Even though art doesn't interest me all that much, Ms. Wolff made it sound interesting through Ella's voice. The romantic storylines were complex and full of surprise twists. I had a hard time putting down this book, as I wanted to know more of what was going to happen and try to figure out everyone's secrets.

The only thing that didn't really work for me was that I had a hard time believing how everyone could just confess their deepest, darkest secrets to Ella just because she was painting their portrait. She may as well have been a priest in a confession booth. Everyone was so tight-lipped and all of a sudden their truths come out when Ella paints their picture. She's only part of their lives for about 12 hours and they seem to hold back a lot before completely spilling their stories to her. It almost seems too good to be true. I would have found it amusing if Ella was secretly a writer, using their stories for her novels. Maybe Ms. Wolff can work with that idea for her next novel. Aside from that, there were a few minor mistakes that should have been caught before going to print.

I highly recommend "The Very Picture of You" to anyone who wants an intriguing story told in such a lovely way that you almost forget you're actually reading a book and instead feel like a part of all the characters' lives.

More by Isabel Wolff:

Books of the Week-February 2nd

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Thanks for checking out our newest feature...Books of the Week! There are six 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. Starting this week, we will feature 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: We will let you know whether or not we'll be able to review your book upon your request, and hope you'll be interested in this feature as an alternative.

"Liar's Guide to True Love"
By Wendy Chen

Wedding planner Cassandra Hanley is in the business of making other people's dreams come true. But for some reason, whenever she meets a potential mate of her own, she finds herself telling little (and not so little) white lies. She's not trying to sabotage her relationships on purpose: as a people pleaser, she just naturally tells men what she thinks they want to hear.

When Cassandra meets Nick, she's determined to be herself this time—until she learns he abhors weddings. So she recasts herself as an advertising exec, and now she's scrambling to cover up the lie...with more lies.

Into the tangled web wanders Cassandra's college sweetheart, Kevin. Kevin, the one man who knows the real Cassandra, and loves her anyway. Could he have been The One all along?

Torn between the past and the present, Cassandra is about to learn that you can't plan the perfect life the way you can plan the perfect wedding.

You can find Wendy Chen on Facebook and Twitter.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"The Company She Keeps"
By Barbara Kellyn

Talk about taking your work home with you...

For better or worse, Harper Bukoski is married to her dream job at a small marketing agency. Thanks to the mismanagement of its morally-lax owners, it's on the brink of disaster. Despite the dysfunction around her--including a nagging suspicion that the clueless new account rep is her boss’s mistress- Harper clings to the hope that her loyalty and diligence will keep the office on an even keel.

But the tightly-wound workaholic goes into a tailspin upon meeting Jed Sanderson, whose account is keeping the agency afloat. Harper is troubled by her undeniable attraction to a man with three potential dealbreakers stacked against him: he’s a client; he’s a recently-divorced father of three, and (the doozy!) he’s buddies with her disapproving boss. If Harper listens to her head, she might miss out on something extraordinary with Jed. But if she follows her heart, she risks imploding her career and bringing down the entire agency along with it.

You can find Barbara Kellyn on Facebook and Twitter.

Stephanie Elliot "Cells" us on her e-novella and has some to give away!

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Introduction by Melissa Amster

**Giveaway is now closed**

I met Stephanie Elliot back in 2010. I don't even remember the circumstances that brought us together, but suddenly we were talking about books and having a blast doing so! Her blog, MaNiC MoMMy (est. 2004), is one of the inspirations behind why I started Chick Lit Central in the first place. If you haven't visited it yet, go there NOW and enter her amazing giveaways. (She's also the inspiration behind why we come up with thought provoking bonus questions.) You can learn a lot about what makes her tick, as well. Stephanie and I both used to live in the Chicago suburbs and then we both moved to other parts of the country. So, she knows what it's like to live in a new place and have to start all over again. Lucky for her, she gets to hang out with Melissa P. (And Melissa P. is equally lucky in that regard.) Amy bonded with her over books right away when they also met through the blogosphere!

Stephanie Elliot is a writer, editor and blogger who has worked, written, or edited for many places, including bettyconfidential.com, babyzone.com, parents.com, kaboose.com, Pregnancy, The Philadelphia Inquirer and Parents Express. She is also a Real Moms Guide blogger. Stephanie is a real mom to three really great kids and one very understanding and cool hubby. Her full-length novel, "Before the Beginning," is currently on submission with editors. She has lived in Tampa, Chicago, Philadelphia, Chicago again, and now Scottsdale.

Stephanie has written her first e-book novella, "The Cell Phone Lot," and we're excited to share it with you, along with her guest post about taking risks. She's also giving away two e-book copies to some lucky readers anywhere in the world.

Friend her on Facebook or tweet her on Twitter. You can also visit her newly updated website!

Taking Risks. In Falling in Love & In Publishing

"The Cell Phone Lot" is my debut novella – a short story eBook (65 pages to be exact) about two people who randomly meet in the cell phone lot at the airport. Grant is there to pick up a woman he’s been corresponding with online, and they’re finally meeting in person. Bridge is there to pick up her sister who’s just been dumped by her boyfriend. Two random people who would have never met otherwise meet at a time that’s totally inconvenient for the both of them.

Will they take a risk and fall in love? That’s why you need to read this little story to find out! And at just 99 cents on amazon.com, that’s cheaper than ANYTHING you can buy practically anywhere these days!

I took a risk 22 years ago when I met my husband. Twenty-two years ago to the day in fact. On February 2, 1990, I met Scott in a bar in college. We were attracted to each other that very first night we met. We ended up sharing a table, a pizza, a dance, and later, many kisses. Now we’ve shared over half our lives and we have three awesome kids together. And all because I took a risk with him when we first started dating.

After two weeks of hanging out, Scott suddenly stopped calling me. It was right around Valentine’s Day and I wondered if it was because he didn’t know if he should do something “Valentine-y” for me – after all, we had only been ‘hanging out’ for a couple of weeks. Maybe that’s why he stopped calling.

Well, I didn’t want that. I liked him too much. So after waiting it out, after moping around that he didn’t call me over the Valentine holiday, I took a risk. I called him. And then we saw each other that night. And, aside from one nasty little break-up a year later when he needed to “put the relationship on the back-burner,” we’ve been together ever since.
And I owe it all to the risk I took in calling him.

I may be taking a risk in this publishing endeavor too, but in all things in life, if you want something, you have to make it happen. I wrote this little story and wanted to share it with people. I have an agent, and a full-length book I wrote is on submission with editors currently. I have no idea if that one will see the light of day. I would love for it to be sold to editors, to be published traditionally. That’s my ultimate goal.

But in the meantime, I thought I’d take a risk and put "The Cell Phone Lot" out there. I’m testing the waters with the self-publishing eBook thing. I’ve never done this before, and so far it’s fun, and there are tons of awesome people out there in the author/writer/publishing/book reviewer/blogging world who are willing to help spread the word for people like me. It’s really cool, and I’m very grateful.

Life is all about risks, and taking chances. Who knows what will happen? Who knows what will happen with this little story about two people meeting at the most inconvenient time in their lives. Who knows what will happen when you see that cute guy in the bar? Who knows what will happen if you let that novel free that you’ve had in that drawer for far too many years? Who knows what will happen if you sit down to your computer and type that first sentence to the novel you’ve always wanted to write?

Who knows what happens unless you take a risk and make it happen.

You only know what will happen if you don’t do anything. Nothing.

So take those risks in life because it’s so much more fun than sitting there wondering, “What if?”

Thanks for stopping by to learn a little bit about "The Cell Phone Lot." And thanks to both Melissas and Amy for hosting me on Chick Lit Central! I’d love to give away two eBook copies of "The Cell Phone Lot" here. Leave a comment here describing a risk you’ve taken or a risk you would like to take. Also, you can also stop by MaNiC MoMMy to enter to win, as well!

Special thanks to Stephanie for sharing her guest post with us and her e-book with our readers!
**When entering our giveaway here, please leave an e-mail address or another way to contact you if you should win.**

Giveaway ends February 8th at midnight EST

Heather Thurmeier shares her passion and her e-book!

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Introduction by Gail Allison

**Giveaway is now closed**

She’s found what she loves, and it shows in her work. Heather Thurmeier is a full-time stay at home mom, who has found her passion in writing. Her husband is her biggest fan, and eagerly (proven by the dust and coffee stains) proofs her pages for her. Heather was born and raised on the prairies of Canada, and now resides in New York with her husband, 2 children, and a King Charles Spaniel named Indy. Her newest book, "Love on Landing," the second of the Meadow Ridge Romance series (but separate from the first of the series, "Love and Lattes") was released on January 28th.

Heather has one e-copy of "Love on Landing" to give away to a lucky reader anywhere in the world.

You can find Heather at her website, as well as Facebook and Twitter.

Favorite date in a novel:
In "The Notebook," when Noah takes Ally out on the rowboat and all the swans surround the boat. *sigh* So sweet, secluded and romantic.

Favorite chick lit novel couple:
Tough choice, but I’m going to have to go with Becky Bloomwood and Luke Brandon from "Confessions of a Shopaholic." I loved these two and how they come together despite their fundamental differences.

Favorite romantic movie:

I currently have a ton of favorites so picking one is just too hard. I’ll just pick two instead…

P.S. I Love You and Crazy, Stupid Love.

Most memorable date:

My hubs and I went to Paris ten years ago. (Where did the time go?!) One evening after sight-seeing all day, we stopped in at this little pizza place we just happened to wander by that looked and smelled tasty. We ordered a pizza, and a bottle of wine (since hubs didn’t want to order by the glass), and sat at our tiny table surrounded by Parisians. The pizza was delicious, the wine was gone and the world around us faded away into a blur of white noise and French words we didn’t understand. It’s one of my favorite memories of our week in Paris. Tali’s dinner with Gavin in LOVE ON LANDING was definitely inspired by that night—although what Gavin and Tali did after that dinner is completely fictional...yep, com-plete-ly… No really… Stop looking at me like that! ;)

Favorite Valentine's Day candy:

Chocolate! Absolutely, without question. It doesn’t even have to be fancy, expensive chocolate to make me happy. Hubs could bring home an Almond Joy and I’d be thrilled. Although he shouldn’t…

Favorite Valentine's Day memory:

Any Valentine’s Day that hubs is home. We’re not really big Valentine’s Day people. We don’t often make a huge deal out of it. But we’ve had a few where hubs has been away for work, and those are definitely ones I haven’t liked. Now when I get him home for Valentine’s Day, I’m very content cuddling on the couch, sipping strawberry, lime margaritas and nibbling on a box of assorted chocolates. Nom, nom, nom.

Best TV show kiss:

I’m a big fan of the TV show, "Friends," and Ross and Rachel’s relationship. There’s one episode where you think they’re just never going to work out. They’re fighting in Central Perk and Rachel kicks him out into the rain and locks all the deadbolts on the door. We think Ross is gone for good, but then he comes back and it’s clear what’s going to happen. Rachel fights with the locks, trying to get the door open. And just when we can’t stand the tension any more, she finally frees that last bottom lock and the door opens. Ross comes in from the rain and kisses her exactly how I’d been yelling at the TV for him to do the entire season. *happy sigh*

Guy you would date from a chick lit novel:

Gerry from "P.S. I Love You" (played by Gerard Butler in the movie. What’s not to love about a sexy man with an accent? Yum.)

Noah from "The Notebook" (played by Ryan Gosling in the movie. Need I say more?)

Special thanks to Heather for making us swoon and for sharing her e-book with a lucky reader.

How to win "Love on Landing":
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: Which guy would you date from a chick lit novel?
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. Add a friend to our Facebook group. (Tell us who you added.) Be sure to remind them to edit their settings.

Giveaway ends February 8th at midnight EST.

Winners of "MWF Seeking BFF"

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To find our winners, we assigned a number to each entry and had random.org choose two numbers. It picked 12 and 18.

Congrats to Pinchbuggies and Cassandra!

Here's a message from Rachel Bertsche:
Thanks to Chick Lit Central for hosting "MWF Seeking BFF," and to all of you who entered the contest! I'm so thrilled you're interested in the book. In talking to readers, I've learned that everyone can relate to the trouble of making new friends--whether it's because you've moved to a new city, or you've had a falling out with your bestie, or you've recently retired and have more time on your hands. Hearing that your book is touching readers is what writers dream of, so thank you all. Congratulations to the winners, and if you didn't win I hope you'll consider picking up a copy of "MWF Seeking BFF." Happy reading!

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. Your comments were truly heartwarming and we hope you will show them to your BFFs sometime! Thanks to Rachel for making us want to be her BFF and to Random House for sharing the books with our winners.

Make sure to enter our latest giveaways:

"Home Front" by Kristin Hannah
US/Canada only
Ends 2/7 at midnight EST

"I've Got Your Number" by Sophie Kinsella
Ends 2/5 at midnight EST

"Beautiful Disaster" by Laura Spinella
US/Canada only
Ends 2/5 at midnight EST

"The Guys' Guy's Guide to Love" by Robert Manni
US/Canada only
Ends 2/1 at midnight EST