Books are food for my soul! Pull up a beach chair and stick your toes in the sand as the Jersey surf rolls in and out, now open your book and let your imagination take you away.

Monday, January 30, 2012

Author Guest Post: Bethany Ramos, Author of 5 Stages of Grief

In association with Chick Lit Plus, Jersey Girl Book Reviews welcomes Bethany Ramos, author of 5 Stages of Grief!




The 411 on Cover Design for a Chick Lit Novel
Bethany Ramos


After you've signed off on your first contract to publish your manuscript, the fun doesn't end there. Of course, you have to be willing to edit and edit again as you hash out changes to your book with your editors. And on top of that, you have to put thought into the cover design that you will use to best represent your book on the shelf. 

At first, I didn't think that cover design for my chick lit novel 5 Stages of Grief would be such a big deal. After all, all I really needed was something fun, cutesy, whimsical, and attractive to all of the women out there, right? 

But, as it turns out, the initial idea that I had for the cover - a high heel with a wedding ring around the stiletto heel - was already taken by a very famous chick lit author, Lauren Weisberger in her novel Chasing Harry Winston. So there went that idea ...

And then the panic started to set in. How was I supposed to choose a cover that best represented my work but was also simple enough not to take away from the book? 

The good news was that I had a trick up my sleeve in the form of my good friend who also happened to be a graphic designer. Since I was working with a smaller publishing house, Black Opal Books, they gave me total freedom over my cover design. I was able to consult with this friend who specialized in cute T-Shirt designs with girly characters that were right up my alley. 

I ultimately went with a sophisticated, sassy, chick lit widow in mourning drinking a cocktail, and I'm glad I did. But in the process of exploring cover design, there were a few important pointers that I picked up:
  • Stick with one main idea. I've noticed that many of the best chick lit authors don't even use a character on their cover, with one example being Lauren Weisberger and the stiletto heel on her book cover. In essence, there's no need to overdo it. If your book theme can be summed up with a single object, like a pair of sunglasses, then that is all that you need for the cover.
  • Take away unnecessary clutter. Think twice about including a backdrop or extra elements in the cover design. I went with a city skyline in the background because my character has a job at a magazine in Denver. 
  • Do your homework. Before you make any final decisions, check out a number of top book covers in your genre to see what readers actually like. And this may also prevent you from unknowingly copying another author, as I found out the hard way.

Bethany Ramos is the author of the chick lit novel 5 Stages of Grief and is under contract to publish her children's book Lions Can't Eat Spaghetti. She also reviews chick lit books on her blog http://chicklit-books.com/ 







BUY THE BOOK: 5 Stages of Grief




5 Stages of Grief by Bethany Ramos



5 Stages of Grief by Bethany Ramos
Published By: Black Opal Books
Release Date: September 12, 2011
Format: Paperback - 374 pages / Kindle 459 KB / Nook 351 KB
ISBN: 1937329100
ASIN: B005MV5R4G
Genre: Chick Lit / Contemporary Romance / Women's Fiction


About The Author:




Bethany Ramos is a chick lit author that is passionate about the fun, witty, and clever dynamic that can be found in a good chick lit novel. Her chick lit novel 5 Stages of Grief was published by Black Opal Books in 2011. She has also written a children's book called Lions Can't Eat Spaghetti that is under contract to be published through 4RV Publishing in 2015.

Bethany works full time as a freelance ghostwriter through Elance.com, specializing in Internet marketing, social media marketing, and SEO. She also co-owns her own website with her husband at The Coffee Bump. Bethany can be reached for further information about her writing services at bethany_ramos83@yahoo.com or follow her on Twitter.



AUTHOR WEBSITE
TWITTER
GOODREADS


BUY THE BOOK: 5 Stages of Grief
AMAZON
BARNES & NOBLE
SMASHWORDS



Disclaimer: At the request of the author and Chick Lit Plus, a Kindle edition of the book was sent, at no cost to me, for my honest review and participation in the virtual book tour event.


Virtual Book Tour Event: On Monday, January 30, 2012, in association with Chick Lit Plus, Bethany Ramos participated in a virtual book tour event with an Author Guest Post on Jersey Girl Book Reviews.
http://jerseygirlbookreviews.blogspot.com/2012/01/author-guest-post-bethany-ramos-author.html



Book Description: 


Danielle thinks that the worst is behind her, but she couldn't have been more wrong ...

As a beauty editor of Denver's hot new High Life magazine, Danielle Starkey didn't have becoming a widow on her do-to list. Then nine months after her husband's death, she discovers he booked a vacation with another woman. Suddenly, Danielle sees Adam's death in a whole new light and has to get over it - for the second time.

Hit with the truth when she least expects it, Danielle brings a fresh, funny, and honest approach to the grieving process as struggles through online dating, stalking her dead husband's mistress, and, hopefully, finding the man of her dreams. With her stubborn and sassy best friend April by her side, Danielle refuses to let sleeping dogs lie. Will she finally face the truth about herself and her marriage? Or will she succumb to one of the five stages of grief?


My Book Review:


What would you do if nine months ago your husband died in a car accident, and you were finally coming to grips with it, just to have to relive it all again? That is what twenty-nine year old widow, Danielle Starkey had to deal with, when a shocking telephone call from a travel agent calls her in regard to a missed romantic vacation to Antigua that her dead husband Adam had made for two, only it wasn't with her, but his mistress! Consumed with anger, grief and an obsessive desire to confront "The Mistress," Danielle plots a way to come face to face with the other woman, and lets her know in a very publicly embarrassing way that the secret is out. What happens next is Danielle's traumatic journey through the 5 Stages of Grief: denial, anger, bargaining, depression and acceptance ... and it isn't an easy journey. Mixed with all the emotions that a person can go through, Danielle tries to come to grips with the reality that her marriage wasn't perfect, while trying to move forward with her life, even trying to find love through online dating. Will Danielle's journey through the 5 Stages of Grief help her close that chapter of her life, and allow a new chapter to begin? Can she ever "trust" another man again, enough to fall in love with him, or will she continue to live in the past?

I thought that the 5 Stages of Grief was an intriguing book to read, it is not the usual chick lit novel that I am used to reading, but I was pleasantly surprised. The storyline was well written, it described a very realistic, sad yet redeeming portrayal of Danielle's journey through each of the 5 Stages of Grief. While the topic of grieving is not an easy one to read about, this story also had its humorous side that lifted the heaviness, and provided a lot of laughter as well. The characters were realistic and fun to get to know, I especially loved following Danielle and her BFF April throughout the book, their antics provided many chuckles, but some tears as well. I even liked reading about the mistress, Cherry James, and enjoyed a snarky snicker when Danielle confronted her. Overall, I think that this novel was worth reading, it provides the reader with an insightful look into the grieving process, but also provides a fun romantic flair to the story as well. For a debut novel, I commend the author on writing a chick lit novel that goes beyond the norm, and I would recommend all chick lit fans to add this book to their TBR list!


RATING: 4 STARS ****





Friday, January 27, 2012

Virtual Book Tour Events: Week of 1/29-2/4/12 ~ 5 Stages of Grief by Bethany Ramos ~ On the Rim of Love by Marie Astor




~ Virtual Book Tour Events for the Week of 1/29-2/4/12 ~



In association with Chick Lit Plus, Jersey Girl Book Reviews is pleased to host the following Virtual Book Tour Event:


5 Stages of Grief by Bethany Ramos


Monday, January 30, 2012 ~ Author Guest Post and Book Review


Book Description: 5 Stages of Grief 


Danielle thinks that the worst is behind her, but she couldn't have been more wrong ...

As a beauty editor of Denver's hot new High Life magazine, Danielle Starkey didn't have becoming a widow on her to-do list. Then nine months after her husband's death, she discovers he booked a vacation with another woman. Suddenly, Danielle sees Adam's death in a whole new light and has to get over it - for the second time. 

Hit with the truth when she least expects it, Danielle brings a fresh, funny, and honest approach to the grieving process as she struggles through online dating, stalking her dead husband's mistress, and, hopefully, finding the man of her dreams. With her stubborn and sassy best friend April by her side, Danielle refuses to let sleeping dogs lie. Will she finally face the truth about herself and her marriage? Or will she succumb to one of the five stages of grief? 






In association with Goddess Fish Promotions, Jersey Girl Book Reviews is pleased to host the following Virtual Book Tour Event:

On the Rim of Love by Marie Astor




Friday, February 3, 2012 ~ Author Guest Post and Book Review


Book Description: On the Rim of Love


Twenty-two-year-old Maggie Robin has been dating the irresistibly good-looking Jeffrey Preston for a year. But when Jeffrey proposes marriage to her a week after her college graduation, Maggie finds herself wondering if she wants to spend the rest of her life married to a workaholic TV show producer. 

Her doubts culminate when during a ski trip to British Columbia she meets Taylor Denton, a handsome, free-spirited big mountain skier. 

Maggie's attraction to Taylor is undeniable, but she is engaged to marry Jeffrey. Will Maggie have the courage to follow her heart?



Marie will be awarding two prizes to randomly drawn commenters during her tour: a sterling silver plum quartz necklace and earring set, and a sterling silver aventurine necklace that were custom designed for the tour. 








Author Guest Post: Natalie Aaron & Marla Schwartz, Authors of Unscripted

In association with Chick Lit Plus, Jersey Girl Book Reviews welcomes Natalie Aaron & Marla Schwartz, authors of Unscripted!




First off, we want to say thanks to Kathleen at Jersey Girl Book Reviews for hosting us on our Chick Lit Plus blog tour!!

When we decided to write Unscripted together, our friends were dubious. They'd cock their heads to the side, squint their eyes and say: "Really? Aren't you worried it will hurt the friendship?" They they would regale us with some horror story of a partnership gone bad: "They had to bring in a lawyer," "They don't speak anymore," "She was bludgeoned with a laptop!" (Okay, fine we made that one up).

While we appreciated the advice, we weren't worried (well, maybe we were slightly worried about the bludgeoning part). We'd been friends a long time, we shared the same sense of humor and we had an identical objective when it came to the book: we needed a fun, creative outlet. We really wanted to write the book and we wanted to write it together.

But we also needed to make sure that it would never jeopardize our friendship. And the only way we could ensure that was to be on the same page with every decision. Sure, that mandate created some lengthy discourse (leading to the occasional postponement of some important matters) but it also guaranteed that neither of us would ever feel ambushed when it came to the book. We hashed out every option - listed the pros and cons and would eventually come to a unanimous decision. And on the rare occasion when we didn't see eye to eye, we'd give in to the person who felt more, er, passionately about the matter.

It took us some time to get started - it was much easier to talk about writing than to actually write. The book lingered in the periphery of our conversations for quite some time until we finally decided to stop watching Buffy reruns and start writing.

We began by brainstorming ideas that we'd like to feature in our story. We dredged up memories of reality nuggets that we'd witnessed over the years (not to mention what our friends had shared with us) and made an enormous list of behind the scenes reality gold. It was juicy, it was bizarre and it was turning our story into a bit of a burn book. And while that was vastly entertaining to us, we were a little worried about those pesky confidentiality agreements we had signed.

So we started fresh - we took inspiration from our stories and gathered the tales of our eager friends and made new lists that wouldn't get any of us sued! Next, we created a rough plot of the book and some basic character traits for our protagonist. We had a beginning and we had an end. Surely all that business in the middle would just work itself out?

So after a prolonged bout of fear-based procrastination, we deciding it was time to actually write the beast. We sat side by side with Marla's laptop and surprisingly the words just danced onto the screen ... it was like magic, it was destiny ... and we finished the entire rough draft in just a week!

Yeah. No. It was torture. We just sat there, waiting for inspiration to strike, trying to figure out how to actually write together. After enduring several of these sessions, we had a couple of pages, but they were terrible. And most importantly - we weren't having any fun. So we stopped for a while, until we finally figured out that we would never finish the book if we kept going at that pace. We knew the only way we could make it work was to outline the book. And not just an overview, but a scene-by-scene breakdown. And once we dedicated ourselves to that - we started having fun again. We met nearly every Saturday for three months and outlined the hell out of the book - we had in-depth character profiles, post-production schedules for the fictional shows and most importantly, a breakdown of every chapter.

We were ready to go! And then disaster struck. On the weekend that we designated "the big write," Marla's computer made a sad face and promptly died, taking three months of our work with it. We're not sure of the events that unfolded that day prior to the crash, but it may have had something to do with a webcam, a magnet and a husband named Matt (Marla's husband to be exact).

It was tragic but at least we had a backup of our work! Oh wait. No we didn't. (We know, we know. Don't rub it in!) So after a massive pity party for three (Matt was the host), we decided to start over. Putting the pieces back together was a rough and slow process but we managed to do it.

From there, we assigned scenes and went off to write happily by ourselves. As our work progressed, we'd send each other our pages, make notes and move on to the next scene. And by the end, we were proud to say that we had actually accomplished our goal - we wrote a book together and had fun doing it.

Do you have any writing partner horror stories you'd like to share? We'd love to hear from you!


AUTHOR WEBSITE
FACEBOOK
TWITTER
GOODREADS - Unscripted
GOODREADS - Natalie Aaron
GOODREADS - Marla Schwartz




BUY THE BOOK: Unscripted




Click on the above link to enter the contest giveaway! Everyone who leaves a comment will be entered to win a $10 Amazon gift card!

If you purchase your copy of Unscripted before January 30 and send your receipt to Samantha@ChickLitPlus.com , you will get five bonus entries!



Unscripted by Natalie Aaron & Marla Schwartz



Unscripted by Natalie Aaron & Marla Schwartz
Published By: Carina Press
Release Date: November 28, 2011
Format: Kindle 532KB / Nook 1MB / 282 Pages
ISBN: 1426892691
ASIN: B005UPRLM0
Genre: Chick Lit / Women's Fiction / Contemporary Romance


About The Authors:




Natalie Aaron was born in Kansas, moved to LA and based solely on her astrological sign, was hired as a PA on commercials and music videos - only confirming what she'd heard about LA was true. Natalie went on to such critically acclaimed shows as Taxicab Confessions, Behind the Music and Movies That Shook the World, where she learned how to coax interviews from reluctant celebrities. Her recent producing credits include The Judds, Ruby, Sweet Home Alabama and Little People, Big World. Natalie lives in LA and hardly ever wonders how she wound up doing this for a living.

Marla Schwartz was born in LA but moved to England to pursue a graduate degree in Medieval Studies. After working as Head Researcher for bot Dreamworks Animation and writer/director Andrew Niccol, she began working as a television producer. Marla's producing credits include Blind Date, Starting Over, Making the Band, Bad Girls Club, Dane Cook's Tourgasm, and Wanted: Ted or Alive, an assignment that required her to screen footage of a deer being shot, gutted and cooked. Marla lives in LA with her husband and daughter, and hardly ever wonders how she wound up doing this for a living.


AUTHOR WEBSITE
FACEBOOK
TWITTER
GOODREADS - Unscripted
GOODREADS - Natalie Aaron
GOODREADS - Marla Schwartz



BUY THE BOOK: Unscripted
AMAZON
BARNES & NOBLE
Itunes



Disclaimer: At the request of the authors and Chick Lit Plus, an Adobe PDF edition of the book was sent, at no cost to me, for my honest review and participation in the virtual book tour event.


Virtual Book Tour Event: On Friday, January 27, 2012, in association with Chick Lit Plus, Natalie Aaron and Marla Schwartz participated in a virtual book tour event with an Author Guest Post on Jersey Girl Book Reviews.
http://jerseygirlbookreviews.blogspot.com/2012/01/author-guest-post-natalie-aaron-marla.html



Unscripted Virtual Book Tour Event Contest Giveaway! Win A $10 Amazon Gift Card!

Click on the above link to enter the contest giveaway! Everyone who leaves a comment will be entered to win a $10 Amazon gift card!

If you purchase your copy of Unscripted before January 30 and send your receipt to Samantha@ChickLitPlus.com , you will get five bonus entries.



Amazon.com Book Description: 


As a producer on a reality dating show, Abby Edwards knows that true love is a myth. Her career and her friends are all she needs. Right?

When her screenwriter ex makes a hit movie based on their relationship, Abby's faults are projected on screens across the country. Suddenly the fact that her job depends on orchestrating hot tub hook-ups doesn't seem so impressive.

Her friends rally to help. Zoe thinks she needs to meet a guy. Stephanie suggests an attitude adjustment. Nancy wants her to gt in touch with her inner Goddess. Abby knows they mean well, but she prefers to focus on her work. Unfortunately, she's already embarrassed herself in front of her new boss, Will Harper, who she would find totally crush-worthy if he wasn't so irritating.

Abby's about to be reminded that life doesn't follow a script - and good things happen when you least expect it ...


My Book Review:


Is love real or is it a myth? This is the question that thirty-two year old Abby Edwards questions while working as a producer on reality TV shows. Abby hasn't gotten over the pain of a failed relationship, and her cynical view of dating is that working in reality TV is the best antidote to dating, it's enough to make you celibate! Abby's friends think that she needs to move on with her life: BFF Zoe likes to set her up on dates, Stephanie likes to keep it real and tell it like it is, and Nancy thinks Abby needs to release her negative energy and focus on the positive. While she loves her friends, Abby sticks to working herself ragged on the reality shows, but along comes a man that just plain makes her go bonkers! Will Harper is Abby's new boss, but they share a past, they worked together eight years ago and she made a total fool of herself in front of him, the only thing is that he doesn't remember her. Between the long hours of producing the reality show and obsessing over Will, Abby can't help but wonder if she is being left behind while all her friends' lives are moving forward. To add to her misery, her ex-boyfriend has a hit screenplay, and it's about their relationship, and it doesn't portray Abby in a good light! Can it get any worse? Her dream has always been to write for television, but can her dream become a reality? Can her attraction for Will lead to a romance, maybe even love? Is it possible to move forward in life like her friends have? Follow Abby's journey of self-discovery in Unscripted!

Unscripted was such a fun book to read! As an admitted reality TV fanatic, I loved that this story centered around the production of reality TV shows. I absolutely loved how the authors utilized their experience in the reality TV industry, and gave their readers an in-depth behind-the-scenes look at what really happens in producing reality shows. The storyline was well written and intriguing, it felt like the authors magically transport their readers into the reality TV world, it is that entertaining! I loved getting to know all of the characters, they were so realistic, each of their individual personalities added so much more depth and appeal to the story as a whole. I have to admit that my favorite characters were Abby and Stephanie. I loved both of them because their cynical and sarcastic outlook are so close to mine, I found myself snickering along with them. Of course I also had some least favorite characters: Zoe the selfish bitch and Lisa the all-around total bitch. I found myself gritting my teeth in annoyance when I was reading their portion of the story. Need I say anymore? There is just one little thing that left me wistful, I wanted to see fireworks between Abby and Will throughout the book, but I don't want to give any spoiler information, so I'll just say that I did love their interactions, but I was left wanting more. *sigh* In any case, I thoroughly enjoyed reading this fast-paced entertaining book. Kudos to the authors on a great debut novel! Chick Lit fans, put Unscripted on your TBR list, it's a must read!



RATING: 4 STARS ****





Monday, January 23, 2012

Author Guest Post: Romi Moondi, Author of Year of the Chick

In association with Chick Lit Plus, Jersey Girl Book Reviews welcomes Romi Moondi, author of Year of the Chick!



The Highs and Lows of "Inspired by Real Life"
Romi Moondi


Hi Kathleen, thanks for the opportunity to post here! I'm going to use my time to talk about my books and how it's tied to real life (and how uncomfortable that can be).

Year of the Chick is about a late-twenties girl in a North American world, whose strict Indian parents want to arrange her in a marriage ASAP.

I wrote this book when I was a late-twenties girl in a North American world, when my strict Indian parents wanted to arrange me in a marriage ASAP.

Hmm.

Today I'm thirty and STILL unmarried (PS: Indian girls age in dog years, which means I'm actually two hundred years old now), so having Year of the Chick out there on every e-book website not to mention out in print is ... simply ... a little bit ... awkward.

Even though my parents could Google me at any time to find out what my book is all about, I don't regret a thing. But beyond speaking my mind and the strong sense of self that results, there's also a heavy price to putting parts of myself into a book.

It's not the heavy price of getting sued, because everything is fictional and only "inspired" by real life (so don't even think about suing me, you mofos), but it's more the risk of making it so personal.

Personal writing means you care about it more, and caring about it more means it's harder not to care if someone hates what you have written.

So far the results have been good, but that's because this book is a new release, and it's only slowly spreading now. My dream for this book is to make it big with tons of sales, and that inevitably means that some people, at some point, will hate it. 

And that won't be the least bit fun.

It will also suck if readers think the character is obnoxious and whiny and unlikeable, because then I'll have to go find a mirror, and take a long hard look at my soul. No actually, cancel that; if readers hate my character I'll convince myself I'm not like that at all in real life. 

Okay good.

As you can see the mental struggle has already begun, and only time will tell how crazy I become from so much "me" in a book.

One thing's for sure though: if you risk nothing, it could mean nothing to no one at all, but if you risk it all ... it could mean everything to many and more. 

And that's a good enough reason to take the risk I did. 

I hope you'll agree, and I hope you'll be inspired by this quest to find love and avoid arranged marriage. 






BUY THE BOOK: Year of the Chick



Click on the above link to enter the contest giveaway! Everyone who leaves a comment will be entered to win a $10 Amazon gift card!

If you purchase your copy of Year of the Chick before February 6 and send your receipt to Samantha@ChickLitPlus.com , you will get five bonus entries!



Year of the Chick by Romi Moondi



Year of the Chick by Romi Moondi
Published By: CreateSpace
Release Date: October 26, 2011(Kindle Edition) / November 29, 2011 (Paperback Edition)
Format: Paperback - 296 pages / Kindle 442KB
ISBN: 1466492066
ASIN: B005 ZY7DG0
Genre: Chick Lit / Contemporary Romance / Women's Fiction


About The Author:






I am Canadian, and here are some strange personal facts:

I wear denim-top-to-bottom in high school (there is a direct inverse relationship between how much denim I wore and how few tongues were launched down my throat at school dances ... or anywhere in high school at all).

I'm continually baffled by that Malaysian baby whose father let him smoke two packs of cigarettes a day. That baby had so many fat rolls, and I thought cigarettes were supposed to be slimming.

I always hated those insufferable couples who would cuddle and make out on the subway ... until I became
half of one. But now I'm back to being none of one so I hate them again.

One thing I love is writing. I wrote the parody The Book of Awful because the original made me angry, I wrote NOT Love Poems for Real Life because I needed to get things out of my system before I finished Year of the Chick, and I wrote Year of the Chick because the realities of being an Indian girl who's living in a "westernized world" simply needed a book like that. And also because of Internet romance; it's an actual thing these days.

Year of the Chick is book one in a trilogy, and book two currently exists in the form of a screenplay. This screenplay made it to the semi-finals or better in five different screenplay competitions in 2011 (more details in the "Info" section of my Facebook page), so I'm confident it will be a worthy sequel to Year of the Chick. I just have to write it into "book" form. With a full-time job. No biggie.


AUTHOR WEBSITE
FACEBOOK
TWITTER
GOODREADS


BUY THE BOOK:
AMAZON
BARNES & NOBLE
SMASHWORDS


Disclaimer: At the request of the author and Chick Lit Plus, a Kindle edition of this book was sent, at no cost to me, for my honest review and participation in the virtual book tour event.


Virtual Book Tour Event: On Monday, January 23, 2012, in association with Chick Lit Plus, Romi Moondi participated in a virtual book tour event with an Author Guest Post on Jersey Girl Book Reviews.
http://jerseygirlbookreviews.blogspot.com/2012/01/author-guest-post-romi-moondi-author-of.html



YEAR OF THE CHICK VIRTUAL BOOK TOUR EVENT CONTEST GIVEAWAY: WIN $10 AMAZON GIFT CARD!

Click on the above link to enter the contest giveaway! Everyone who leaves a comment will be entered to win a $10 Amazon gift card.

If you purchase your copy of Year of the Chick before February 6 and send your receipt to Samantha@ChickLitPlus.com , you will get five bonus entries!



Amazon.com Book Description:


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-browed creeps and everything in between, Romi and her wingmen come up empty time after time. But hope floats again when she meets a fellow writer unexpectedly.

On the Internet.

So it will 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.



My Book Review:


What does a twenty-seven year old Indian-Canadian girl do when her traditionalist Indian parents decide it's time to arrange marriages for her and her older sister? *groan* How does she stop their attempts so she can live a modern western lifestyle? Can she live and love the way she wants, or will her parents win out, and will she be doomed to the dreaded arranged marriage? These are the questions that Romi Narindra ponders in Year of the Chick!

Twenty-seven year old Romi Narindra is an Indian-Canadian girl, and a non-traditionalist when it comes to arranged marriages. Unfortunately, her very strict traditional parents decide that both her older sister, Neema,  and herself will have arranged marriages set up within the year. <*gasp* *groan* *sigh*> While undergoing dinner table interrogations during the Christmas holidays, Romi scrambles to come up with a plan to stop her parents from dooming her to an arranged marriage. She gets a twelve-month reprieve when her parents tell her that she needs to lose twenty pounds before they will look for a suitable Indian husband for her. What happens next is Romi's twelve month odyssey of trying to lose weight and find a man of her own ... sounds simple, no problem ... or so she thought! She names her man-quest "Year of the Chick," and with her friends as her "wingmen," she tries to find men in gyms, clubs, the dreaded friend's arranged dates, and even the Internet hook-up. Nothing seems to be working in her favor, so she takes to writing a blog about her quest and befriends another writer, an English hottie named James, who lives in Barcelona, Spain. Interest and intrigue about a possible romantic hook-up with James, starts out with emails and phone calls, which leads to an obsession that completely dominates her world. With a chance to meet James in New York, will Romi's man-quest and "Year of the Chick" plans come to fruition? Or will she be doomed to go through with her parent's arranged marriage plans?

Year of the Chick was such a fun book to read, there were so many parts of the story that were hysterical that it kept me in stitches. The storyline was well-written and had a realistic feel to it, and it should since the author's life inspired this fictional story. I loved the characters, their individual quirky personalities and fun-loving camaraderie made the story so much fun to follow. I especially loved our heroine Romi, her witty, sarcastic and downright funny personality kept me snickering throughout her twelve-month man-quest. This novel lends a realistic, yet humorous look at traditions, dating and self-discovery. I really enjoyed learning about the Indian culture and traditions, even though I have to admit that I would not want to be on the receiving end of those arranged marriage traditions if I was an Indian daughter. I look forward to reading the other two books to this trilogy, I can just imagine the situations that Romi will find herself in! Chick-Lit fans, this is a must read book, it will keep you laughing and in true Chick-Lit fashion leave you wanting more!


RATING: 4 STARS ****







Friday, January 20, 2012

Virtual Book Tour Events: Week of 1/22-28/12 ~ Year Of The Chick by Romi Moondi ~ Unscripted by Natalie Aaron & Marla Schwartz




~ Virtual Book Tour Events for the Week of 1/22-28/12 ~



In association with Chick Lit Plus, Jersey Girl Book Reviews is pleased to host the following Virtual Book Tour Events:


Year Of The Chick by Romi Moondi



Monday, January 23, 2012 ~ Author Guest Post and Book Review


Book Description: Year Of The Chick


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-browed creeps and everything in between, Romi and her wingmen come up empty time after time. But hope floats again when she meets a fellow writer unexpectedly.

On the Internet.

So it will 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.








Unscripted by Natalie Aaron & Marla Schwartz




Friday, January 27, 2012 ~ Author Guest Post and Book Review


Book Description: Unscripted


As a producer on a reality dating show, Abby Edwards knows that true love is a myth. Her career and her friends are all she needs. Right?

When her screenwriter ex makes a hit movie based on their relationship, Abby's faults are projected on screens across the country. Suddenly the fact that her job depends on orchestrating hot tub hook-ups doesn't seem so impressive. 

Her friends rally to help. Zoe thinks she needs to meet a guy. Stephanie suggests an attitude adjustment. Nancy wants her to get in touch with her inner Goddess. Abby knows they mean well, but she prefers to focus on her work. Unfortunately, she's already embarrassed herself in front of her new boss, Will Harper, who she would find totally crush-worthy if he weren't so irritating.

Abby's about to be reminded that life doesn't follow a script - and good things happen when you least expect it ...





Author Guest Post: Andy Holloman, Author of Shades of Gray

In association with Virtual Book Tour Cafe, Jersey Girl Book Reviews welcomes Andy Holloman, author of Shades of Gray!


May You Live In Exciting Times!
Andy Holloman


I think this quote (can't remember who to attribute it to) is so perfect for the writing/publishing world that writers operate in today. In so many ways, it feels a lot like the "wild west." Here we are with an unprecedented change in an industry brought about by the Internet. The book publishing world is being turned on its head daily.

The "gatekeepers" of the industry (big publishing houses) are seeing their business model sink like Indiana Jones in a quicksand pit. All of their standard methods for generating profits are changing, mainly thanks to the availability of eBooks that can be read on a multitude of electronic devices. I equate this to what the iPod did to the music industry. When it became possible to swap music digitally, the rules that previously governed a large industry changed overnight. 

Book publishing is seeing the same seismic shift. Now small publishers and authors can take control of the process and reach out to the consumer, bypassing the "gatekeepers." More and more books are being sold in digital formats (eBooks) and consumers are finding it cheaper and more convenient to purchase books via online sites like Amazon, B&N, Smashwords, and others. Who wins in this change? The same group that won when the music industry changed -  Consumers. 

Fewer gatekeepers means MORE artists get their material out to the public. Consumers will ultimately decide what they like, how much they will pay, and what format they will choose for reading books. I can't see why anyone would think that print will continue to prosper. It just doesn't sync up with what consumers truly want - cheap, more choices, and convenience. 

Disclaimer: I'm truly a babe in the woods when it comes to predictions about this industry. But I would venture a strong opinion that so are most people that have decades of publishing industry experience. None of us truly know what's coming. But for me, I feel truly blessed to live in these "exciting times." 






BUY THE BOOK: Shades of Gray








Shades of Gray by Andy Holloman



Shades of Gray by Andy Holloman
Published by: Triple J Press
Release Date: November 28, 2011
Format: Paperback - 250 pages / Kindle - 420KB
ISBN: 0615532799
ASIN: B006FZLBF2
Genre: Mystery Suspense Thriller / Contemporary Fiction


About The Author:




Just like the protagonist in my novel, Shades of Gray, I was the owner of a travel agency for 12 years (mostly in the 90's). But this is the only similarity between myself and and John Manning! (I never ventured into the cocaine business, I swear).

I grew up in Greenville, NC and graduated from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill with a degree in Economics. All through high school and college, I was notorious for scribbling out stories and ideas for novels (hey, this was before word processors!) and and always kept them in a top secret shoe box (and the box is so secret that I've been trying to find it for 15 years!).

After college, I fell into the travel industry by accident and was able to grow a travel business into an Inc. 500 company. The agency grew through the use of the Internet and by acquiring three other companies. late in the 1990's , I became familiar with the story of one of my company's clients who was murdered in Durham, NC, and was a suspected drug smuggler. This story and the subsequent downfall of the travel agency industry (and my company) after 9/11, planted a seed in my head that grew into my first published novel, Shades of Gray. I began writing this novel in 2003, shelved after completion in 2006, and revived in 2011 thanks to a great friend from a writers group in Cary, NC.

Today, I live in the Raleigh, NC area. I am the father of three, and have been happily married for 20 years. i enjoy (mostly) attending my kids sporting and school events, supporting the local real estate industry, and watching fine films with my wonderful wife. Whenever possible, I enjoy the beauty of North Carolina's mountains, running, camping, and short walks on the beaches of the Outer Banks (several references to OBX are in my book). I am also an avid reader (time permitting), and a social media goofball. Most evenings I can be found tapping out my next novel, due for release in late 2013. Stay tuned!


AUTHOR WEBSITE
FACEBOOK
TWITTER
GOODREADS


BUY THE BOOK: Shades of Gray
AMAZON
BARNES & NOBLE


Disclaimer: At the request of the author and Virtual Book Tour Cafe, an Adobe PDF version of this book was sent, at no cost to me, for my honest review and participation in the virtual book tour event.


Virtual Book Tour Event: On Friday, January 20, 2012, in association with Virtual Book Tour Cafe, Andy Holloman participated in a virtual book tour event with an Author Guest Post on Jersey Girl Book Reviews.
http://jerseygirlbookreviews.blogspot.com/2012/01/author-guest-post-andy-holloman-author.html


Amazon.com Book Description: 


In the Fall of 2001, John Manning's life is in turmoil. His six-year-old daughter Lucy needs a kidney transplant, and his travel agency is in financial distress because of the 9/11 tragedy. A lapse in his health insurance means he also has to quickly secure funds for his daughter's operation.

Wanda, a client of John's travel agency, is facing similar financial difficulties. Her livelihood as a drug dealer has also been hit hard by increased airport security. As a single parent, she wants to leave her dangerous profession and break free from her drug-lord boss Jamel, but a lack of funds has curtailed attempts to start a new life with her daughter.

Desperate times lead to desperate measures, and John and Wanda form a partnership to smuggle cocaine via cruise ships.

How far should a father go to save his child? Can a man and woman from completely different worlds help each other? Could they fall in love? And who will live to see the Summer of 2002?


My Book Review:


What would you do if you were a single parent, and your child has a life threatening disease that requires a transplant surgery? Would you go to the end of the world to make sure your child was taken care of, even if the means to the end was by doing something illegal? What if you were always the type of person that believed things were either black or white, could you now allow yourself to believe that there are times when you have to walk the fine line, the Shades of Gray? And if you walk that fine line, will everything turn out the way you wanted it to be? Well these are the soul-searching questions that single parent John Manning had to deal with in Shades of Gray.

John Manning is a single parent to a six year-old daughter named Lucy. Life has had its ups and downs for John, but Lucy is his whole life. John owns a travel agency in Raleigh, NC, and since the 9/11 event, the travel industry has taken a major hit, money is not coming in and bills are piling up. To add to the stress of a failing business, John's daughter Lucy is diagnosed with a rare life threatening condition, Juvenile Polycystic Kidney Disease (PKD),  and will need a kidney transplant. He doesn't care what the cost is, he wants the best medical attention for his little girl, the only problem is that due to non-payment, his company's group health insurance policy was cancelled. John submits the payment and the coverage is reinstated, but a change has been made to the major medical coverage, his daughter's medical condition will not be covered by the insurance company, and the kidney transplant will cost several hundred thousand dollars. What does he do now to cover the cost, he can't lose his little girl!

Wanda Johnson is also a single parent to a six-year-old daughter named Tonya. Just like John, Wanda has also had some ups and downs in her life, and the 9/11 event has caused her business to take a major hit as well. Wanda is a drug dealer, and the heightened security at the airports have all but ceased the drug operation that she belongs to in Durham, NC. She had been thinking about getting out of the drug business anyway, but she still needs to collect some more money before she can give her daughter a safer life on the West Coast like she has dreamed about.

John and Wanda's separate worlds collide and bring them together for one simple goal: to get money they both need to get what they want. Can a straight arrow guy who grew up believing everything is either black or white, walk the fine gray line that is Wanda's world? Will Wanda's drug-lord boss foil their plans and seek revenge for working his turf? Can John and Wanda walk away after they secure the money they need? These questions and so much more await you in Shades of Gray!

Shades of Gray is a fast-paced, suspense thriller that will have you sitting on the edge of your seat! This story is so intriguing, I couldn't put the book down, I had to know what was going to happen next. The storyline is well written and so realistic, this could happen in any neighborhood, in any town USA. The characters were well developed, their individual stories and how their lives became intertwined added so much more depth to the overall story. This story took me on an emotional roller coaster ride, there was enough intrigue, suspense and even a bit of heartache, that left me spent at the end of the story! The story has so much to offer, it begs the reader to ponder what they would do if they found themselves in either John or Wanda's situation. The choices made are not always the right ones, but then again, life isn't just black and white ... there are always Shades of Gray in the mix. Kudos to Mr. Holloman on his first novel, this was a wonderful book that will leave suspense fans satisfied, and I look forward to reading more of his books!


RATING: 4 STARS ****







Tuesday, January 17, 2012

Saturation by Jennifer Place



Saturation by Jennifer Place
Published & Sold by: CreateSpace
Release Date: March 22, 2011
Format: Paperback - 480 pages / Kindle - 487KB
ISBN: 1461018129
ASIN: B004TMMW2E
Genre: Memoir


About The Author:




Jennifer Place was born in 1969 in Laguna Beach, California. She is the author of Saturation: A Memoir, and Cat And Caterpillar.


AUTHOR BLOG SITE
TWITTER
GOODREADS


BUY THE BOOK: Saturation
AMAZON
BARNES & NOBLE
SMASHWORDS


Disclaimer: At the request of the author, a Kindle edition of this book was sent, at no cost to me, for my honest review.


Amazon.com Book Description:


The psychological experience of withdrawal the morning after years of drinking four bottles of wine a day, every day, evokes the image of my mind being stretched and warped over an Event Horizon as it's about to be sucked down and through a Black Hole. My withdrawals / delirium tremens (DTs) were terrifying and excruciating.

My story takes the reader through my experiences of late stage alcoholism, two arrests by my new husband of three months, and my subsequent adventures through and between five inpatient treatment centers for alcohol abuse.


My Book Review:


Saturation is a memoir written by Jennifer Place, documenting her very real odyssey of battling alcoholism, dysfunctional family relationships, a toxic marriage to an enabler, and her journey towards self-discovery and sobriety.

This was not an easy story to read, but I admire the realistic, no holds barred, straight talking account that Ms. Place uses to tell her story. As a non-drinker that has had alcoholism affect both sides of my family, Jennifer's account of her bout with alcoholism and struggle to gain sobriety horrified me, I went through a roller coaster ride of emotions as she described her daily drinking habit of four bottles of wine, and the occasional doses of vodka, I just couldn't imagine how the hell she lived to tell her story. I totally got what the title Saturation stands for, she saturated herself with alcohol on a daily basis to get through the withdrawals, and to be able to go about her daily life. My heart breaks for everyone who goes through this on a daily basis, and it just cemented in my mind how horrible a disease alcoholism really is.

Jennifer's struggle to overcome alcoholism was coupled with the dysfunctional relationship that she had with her family, and the toxic marriage to an enabler that she basically hated. Can you just imagine the hell that she was living? In her memoir, she feels that she was a terrible mother, who gave her two sons to their fathers to raise, and she writes that she felt guilt ridden for doing this. I do not agree that she was a bad mother, Jennifer, I applaud you for being a mother who cared enough to allow your sons to grow up in stable home environments, and your greatest gift is that they are both well-adjusted young men. The other thing that I would like to comment on is the family dynamic. While I can understand the author's dysfunctional relationship with her father, I would be remiss if I didn't say that from a family member's standpoint, who had to deal with an alcoholic father's verbal abuse, family members feel helpless as they watch their loved ones go through this terrible disease, and any attempt to help are often met with resistance and verbal attacks which we endure because through all of this, the simple fact is that we love our family member no matter what. As for the toxic short-lived marriage, I am so glad that Jennifer finally took a stand and put that behind her. As long as there is an enabler in the relationship, a person's constant struggle with alcoholism would take precedence over gaining sobriety and maintaining it.

Jennifer's account of the five times that she went through in-patient treatment, and her struggle to maintain sobriety only to relapse each time, demonstrated the reality of alcoholism as an ongoing struggle that a person endures in order to achieve sobriety and maintain it. As I read about each of the five times she was in treatment, I cheered for her, hoping that she would find herself and gain that sobriety. My heart broke each time she relapsed, and when her journey towards sobriety was finally achieved, I rejoiced over the strength that she displayed to finally be able to put that traumatic part of her life behind her.

I would recommend reading Saturation, whether you are addicted to alcohol, or have a loved one that is addicted, as it may provide a sense of reality and hope that alcohol addiction can be overcome and sobriety gained.


RATING: 4 STARS ****