Why I Should Try Really Really Hard not to Hate On Playboy

Because way too many people hate on fabulous publications like Marie-Claire that should in fact be lauded for making essential knowledge and hard-hitting journalism accessible to normal people. (I’m not suggesting that people who read, say, The Economist exclusively aren’t normal, but I wouldn’t want to go bar-hopping with them, would you?)

It’s important – nay, critical – to learn how to deliver a message to your target audience in such a way that said audience will give you the time of day. Lots of people like to complain about the garbage that Hollywood spews out on a regular basis, but when was the last time any of you sat through a whole episode on Meet the Press. Seriously? (Do you even know what I’m talking about?)

It’s not your fault. I can’t sit through that crap even though I care so much about politics I go into an epileptic seizure when an unsuspecting bystander makes the mistake of asking me my opinion on the subject. I’ve always thought that getting informed is crucial to civilized life, but man can it be boring and so damned dry sometimes!

Here’s the thing though: it really doesn’t have to be. Enter Marie-Claire (and yes, sigh, Playboy, which is known for serving respected journalism and literature as a side to its main offering of boobs and butts. Sorry)

Enter, also, authors. There’s a common thread I’ve identified among all the great books I can remember reading lately: Dirty Girls’ Social Club, Ishmael, A Short Story of Nearly Everything. They’ve taught me something. Painlessly.

The first book in this list is a popular women’s fiction novel that tells in very entertaining fashion, the story of six very different American Latinas. It sneaks Knowledge into your unsuspecting brain like Flinstones vitamins into kids’ welcoming mouths. You didn’t ask for knowledge. You asked for a sexy, raunchy, fashion-label-filled story about young(ish) contemporary women, dammit. Instead you learned that Latinas come in many more shades and economic backgrounds than you see on the evening news, that there is such a thing as a Cuban Jew, that Mexican politics are about as relevant to the Dominicans and Puerto Ricans of Boston as Manchester United’s latest victory over Arsenal is to you (i.e. not in the least). And you were completely unsuspecting of this learning until the next time you saw a Latina and caught yourself wondering if she was a Puerto Rican with citizenship rights, a Dominican with none, a Cuban who fled Cuba before Castro had a chance to nationalize her family’s sugar plantation or one whose family was poor and got a house and health care out of the Revolution.

In other words, you became sensitive to the world’s many textures, and it didn’t hurt one bit.

Now, I know that not every magazine needs to be a Marie-Claire. Sometimes you really just want to know what those eleven best-kept sex secrets are (even though you have a sneaky suspicion they highly resemble last month’s six best ways to keep your man happy, but whatever) instead of why women are being hunted and killed in Darfur. And sometimes the latest Kate Husdon blockbuster does more to sooth the soul than a debate about the rise of religious fundamentalism on BBC America.

So, dear readers, when you think to yourself you should really try to get a grasp on the campaign contributions reform bill but can’t get through the boring, jargon-riddled article in The Economist and then feel guilty, pick up a Marie-Claire instead, and be thankful that you can catch up on those pesky human-interest issues Fox News doesn’t like to talk about AND get your fashion fix at the same time.

Or, if you’re a guy, I guess you can pick up a Playboy. It’s better than giving up on the whole getting informed thing.

And for you authors, think about how immortality can be achieved through truth. You don’t have to be writing about Darfur to write true. Just pick up Alisa’s Dirty Girls’ Social Club and you’ll see.

No More Excuses… Well, A Couple More, Actually

Has it really been a month since my last post? Oh, the shame...

I’m not sure if the expression “when it rains, it pours” was just one chronic procrastinator’s explanation as to why he suddenly went from rocking peacefully in a hammock with nothing much to do, to having his head spin with an army of unrelated, all equally urgent tasks suddenly landing in his hereto blissfully empty conscience. I feel like it poured on me, but then again, maybe I did this to myself...

Okay, excuses. Let's see if you forgive me, or if I'm utterly beyond redemption:

1) All Hell breaking loose at work. My uber-serious, responsible, upwardly-mobile DH warned me against making any kind of work-related reference in any of my posts lest I land myself on the opposite side of a defamation suit. (Not that you'd ever want to hear about my day job anyway, trust me). Suffice to say, some careers are not exactly conducive to oodles of writing time and/or the keeping of one's sanity. Then again, see musings on procrastination above.

2) Hard drive crashing. I own a Mac. I thought macs didn't crash. I never thought MY mac would crash. My friends liken me to Carrie Bradshaw because of my abilities to punctuate a sentence properly and identify the correct top to be wearing with this summer's short-shorts. I never thought I would be staring at a pair of blinking, bespectacled eyes before my beloved laptop screen went blank, taking every piece of software and pored-over Word files along with it. A la CB. And no, I did NOT go Ctl+Alt+Delete.

3) Frantic call from agent inquiring as to where the Hell (my expletive, not hers) are the chapters for my next book...

4) Politics. No I'm not American, but I've been following your elections as closely as though I were. The whole thing fascinates me, and I half-wish I could vote (I'm half glad I can't because I wouldn't wish the choice btw Democrats and Republicans on my worst enemy). Just the God issue alone makes me break out into a self-righteous seizure. Judging by this week's Newsweek and Time covers (or is it last weeks'? I live in Moo-moo-moo land, it takes a while for things like food and pertinent information to reach us), God is a hot topic outside of my head as well. Also, I had prepared a very impassioned post after watching Spike Lee's four hour long "When the Levees Broke" documentary but the DH decreed it was too strong for a blog about writing... I listened, though maybe I shouldn't have... our writing is a big part of who we are (which is why we take criticism so badly, right?). I think if you are very reluctant to talk about politics and religion in public, then that's who you are. I happen to think these are the only two topics really worth debating these days because they define the very core of our existence. Not that I value the discussion of the length of the season's hem lines any less (or, say, how far fashion has come in a mere decade than the topic of hemline length is oh-so-passe...), I just think that in today's political landscape, it's very pink-elephant-in-the-living-room-esque to willfully ignore these topics.

And that's where I've been, ladies and gentlemen. As for the lovely pics of Grand Cayman Dona and Wendy suggested I post: we're still in rainy season daa'hlinks! As I stare out the cafe windows right now, I see a large gray cloud pouring its contents over our downtown area (about three streets and a dock) and plodding its way over here.

But I’m here now, so let’s make the best of it!

I’m in that phase of writing a novel right now where you’re so in love with your characters and premise that you think you might just be the next Marian Keyes and you almost see little writing fairies a la Flora, Fauna and Merriweather whipping your laptop keys into a magical frenzy, and all you have to do is sit back and watch the happy little miracle happen.

I wonder how long that’s going to last.

I do credit some of this to a pretty long dry spell where I just sat back and let the story come to me. I don’t think this is advisable, but at least for this book, where the story in its entirety is conjured up from thin air (no handy Cuba memories to fall back on), I think the final work will be the stronger for it.

I'm feeling the vibe of this new book as much more women's fic than traditional chick lit. By that I mean the voice/tone are more subdued, serious, and I'm hoping it's because the themes are deeper, and the protag well-characterized. I'll be finding out soon enough what my editor thinks...

Before I go, I'll leave with with some movie/book recommendations (somehow, in spite of the world crashing down around me lately, I managed to squeeze in lots of reading and movie catching up time. No, I was NOT procrastinating...)

Movies:

1) Water. That's the title. "Water". It's not a very recent one (2004, I think), but it's amazing. It takes place in India in 1938, right around the time Gandhi was making a name for himself, and when child marriages to yucky old perverted men were common practice (lest you think I'm being unfair to Indians, those things happened plenty in the Middle-East in the olden days, in Africa, and yes, in Europe not too too long ago. Samuel de Champlain, the explorer who "civilized" Quebec took a 12 year-old bride when he was in his fifties and brought her back gloves made of native-Americans' skin as a present from the New World... Can you say weirdo?)

Anyhoo, the heroine of this story is an 8 year-old girl who finds out the man she doesn't quite remember marrying died and left her a widow. This is very, very bad as strict Hindu scripture prescribes that widows either hurl themselves into the fire after their dead husbands, live out the rest of their miserable lives in penitence on the fringes of society for being the reason their poor men departed this Earth, or marry their dead husband's younger brother if he has one. Our young protagonist is sent away to an ashram (an institution where widows live secluded from the rest of the world) where she has to adapt to living on one meal a day, having her hair shorn, and begging every once in a while. It sounds like a miserable movie but it's quite uplifting in a strange way. It's also tragic, universal, beautiful and haunting. Favorite scene: after a particularly trying episode, one man asks a dedicated widow how she can keep her faith after so much suffering. Her reply: "I know we're here for a reason." His reply:"Yes. Because when you are sent here [the ashram], that's one less mouth to feed, four less saris a year, one more bed in the house. You're here as a result of an economic decision masquerading as religion."

2) Three Kings. This is another oldie, shot right after Operation Desertstorm, the first Iraqi escapade... (early 1990s) but chillingly relevant today. It follows three screwball soldiers (Clooney, Mark Wahlberg, Ice-Cube) who find a map for treasure Saddam stole from Kuwait in a POW's butt. They want to get the treasure while the army is busy pulling out of Iraq (that's the funny part of the movie) but get caught up in a popular uprising in the process (the not-so-funny part). One of the better, more balanced and honest Hollywood movies about the Middle-East conflict I've seen. And there aren't many of those around, so you really shouldn't miss this one.

Books:

Something Blue - now I've read all the Emily Giffins and I've loved them all. I think this may have been my favorite. Darcy is so much more complex and interesting to follow than mopey Rachel. At least that's my opinion...

Blame It On Paris - just started this one, but it's hilarious so far. Down-home Georgia girl drools over French waiter and manages to ask him out despite quasi-crippling self-deprecating humor and cynicism. Semi-autobiographical (big whoop, so's most chick lit. The shock value here is that this author actually owns up to it...) Bonus: love the descriptions of the city. I miss Paris...

That's it for now chickkies. Will try to post though the priority right now is to get my proposal out for the sequel to FL. But, maybe if you ask me nicely, I'll tell you how I met Orlando Bloom a few weekend ago (yes, words were spoken between us beyond "aren't you Orlando Bloom, drool drool") ...

Where Have All the Sex Jokes Gone? Oh, And On G.W. Bush, The Taliban, and Vogue

I remember a time when the most widely circulated e-mails among my friends and colleagues were of the raunchy joke variety, and perhaps the odd chain mail or two (usually forwarded with an apology and an explanation as to exactly why the sender just couldn’t resist sending us this one).

Nowadays, it seems like every time I open something with an attachment, said attachment contains pictures of someone’s newborn offspring. This used to be pretty exciting. But, (and I say this at the expense of coming off as a cold-hearted biatch with icicles for feelings) not a week goes by these days when one of these doesn’t pop up in my inbox, whether from an old friend I’d lost touch with, a colleague I barely know, and yes, often from close friends or family.

It makes me wonder if we don’t have a baby boom on our hands. Of maybe I’m just at that age when this happens to most people and I’m the stubborn odd gal holding out, or am I officially a withered ol’ curmudgeony childless shrew?

Huh.

While we’re on the topic (again – at least I spared you my latest baby shower rant), I finished Emily Giffin’s Baby Proof last week, and it was the first book in a looong time that I managed to finish in a few sittings. I enjoyed it quite a bit more that Something Borrowed, probably because it felt very timely to me.

It’s also one of those books that’s hard to categorize… the pastel yellow cover with the booties say chick lit, so does the heroine’s honesty as a character, but the tone is quite literary, the writing sparse and unpretentious. I can also see why the Amazon reactions to Claudia Parr, the heroine, were extreme – she’s a complicated character, but isn’t that what real people are like? Is she selfish? A bit… but so is everyone around her. I won’t give away the ending, but this wasn’t a book that left me with the all’s-well-with-the-world feeling that you would expect from ‘fluff’. Again, it just gets me thinking about the whole chick lit debate, and I wonder if maybe it’s time we dropped the label and the kitschy covers. Unless, of course, if the literary world snubs its nose at the likes of above-par women’s fic writers like Emily because, well, who cares about women’s issues when there’s war, environmental disasters, subversion of political rights and so on to worry about, then why waste our breath and energies on ‘women’s issues’?

The cool thing about blogging is that I get to answer my own rhetorical questions (ha ha) and hop on my soapbox whenever I feel like it. Here goes.

Women’s issues are WORLD ISSUES. In addition to representing just over half of the world’s population, women control 80% of household spending (at least in Western countries, who, let’s face it, hold 80% of the world’s wealth anyway). My mind about George W. Bush was made up a long, long time ago, long before he had a chance to offend his first diplomat or tear up his first environmental treaty, when Vogue (yes, the fashion magazine) interviewed him during his first run for presidency. Vogue, being concerned with women’s issues, asked the now American president how, if elected, he was planning to deal with the Taliban’s atrocious treatment of women in Afghanistan, a type of abuse not even closely rivaled by ultra-conservative Saudi Arabia where women can only travel with written permission from the male relatives, and cannot drive automobiles.

The Vogue reporter was not kind in her description of Mr. Bush’s reaction, which pretty much amounted to “Taliban who?”

So yes, while women’s issues can sometimes seem domestic on the surface, they’re a pretty good indication of the inner functioning of a society and what’s wrong with it at a grassroots level.

And The Winner of the Fashionably Late ARC Is...

Before I go any further, it's my great pleasure to announce that the first person to ever get a corrected, spelling-mistake-free and somewhat typeset version of Fashionably Late (one that I have not even seen yet) is... ZARA HEFLIN!!! Wooo hoooo!!!! That's right, neither Turkey nor Iran are Arab countries at their people speak Turkish and Farsi respectively, and the Turkish (via the Ottoman dynasty) rule dominated Arab (and Greek) societies for many, many centuries and Iranians ascribe to Persian culture. Take a bow Zara. I will also take this opportunity to say I was contemplating offering a get-your-name-in-my-next-book prize to go with the ARC, and as fate would have it, the name 'Zara' is ALREADY IN THE WIP!!! How freaky is that? (don't believe me? Check our Dona Sarkar's blog entry last week, and my comment)

I'd also like send out a massive THANK YOU to all the authors who let me interview them for blog week - thank you so much JoAnn, Wendy, Cathy, Shannon and Jane - I will be referring to your inspirational answers every time I get stuck in my own WIP or on the brink of giving up this writing thing altogether. And thanks to all the winners for sending me their mailing addresses (just need yours, Zara)... you'll be hearing from me soon.

And thanks to all the blog readers who took the time to learn a little bit about the cool things about Arabs, and send me their answers to the daily questions. My dream as a young Arab kid growing up in North America was to do something, even if it was the smallest little thing, was to show that facet of my culture that was good and pure, and that made me proud, in an environment that always made me question, or at least have to justify that pride.

There are as many ways of showing your cultural pride as there are people... some of my cousins have taken the activist route, some have assimilated so well into their adopted countries that they wear their Arab identity as some leaders of the Black community in America wish to wear theirs - not as a way to differentiate themselves from the whole, but as a way to explain that making ANY value judgment on the basis of race/ethnicity/culture is NOT ACCEPTABLE, whether that value judgment is good or bad (see the South Park episode about the 'lynching' flag as a fantastic example of this).

I think I'm somewhere in the middle - I want neither to watch from the outside or integrate into the innermost core. One of my favorite depictions of the Jewish culture was 'The Nanny'. No, not all Jews have big hair, nasal voices, and Uncle Marty's. But c'mon... It's funny, and is sorta, kinda true in an endearing, self-deprecating way. Not all Arab women are vain and wear too much make-up and are out to snag the rich Aran husband (in fact I can't say that any of my good Arab girlfriends fall under this category)... But I challenge anyone who thinks this a totally bogus statement to go to a big Arabic Wedding and say it ain't so...

It's funny, not racist to say that you too, are flawed (if you consider gold brocade and too much make-up to be a flaw, of course...) and to resist self-righteousness. It also allows you a margin of authority when you actually do come out and address something more substantial than poor make-up application skills... like an unjust war that has cost tens of thousands (have we made it to 100,000 yet???) of innocent lives. We live in a global village... it's time to think about the cost of conflict not just to our tiny sliver of the world, but how this conflict is going to affect this Earth that we all share.

And so while Fashionably Late is pretty irreverent about lots of topics (fashion, the Lebanese, Cuban-American relations, Communism, accounting...), I hope more than anything else, that you will find it honest, and maybe, just maybe, a little bit eye-opening.

That's all for today folks. Have a great rest of your weekend!

Nadine's Website Promo Blitz Week - LAST DAY!

The end is now upon us (but certainly not the end of my blogging!) and boy do I have a treat for you today.

But first, the answer to yesterday's question... who knew this one would turn out to be the most controversial? One of you faithful blog readers pointed out to me that the name 'Mizrahi' can be traced back to Middle Eastern Jewish communities. How far back, and how much this makes Issac an Arab, I couldn't say... however, it's intersting to note that though there are some very, very old Jewish-Arab familes with roots that run very deep in Middle-Eastern (obviously, what with Jesus et al.). According to the bible, the ethnic division between Arabs and Jews goes back to Issac (Abraham's son with Sarah who went on to found the Jewish community) and Ishmael (Abraham's son with Hagar, who the considers is the first 'Arab'). So if we use the bible as our reference point, then it's pretty safe to say Mizrahi is NOT an Arab. However, seeing as I'm of the opionion that the Bible is the last place one should look to for historical accuracy or questions of ethnicity, I pronouce Mizrahi of some Middle Eastern ancestry (wonder what he would think about that...).

What this means to you, is that you were all entered in the draw, regardless of your answer, and the winner is.... Kristin Brunori! Woo hoo!!! You are the very lucky recipient of a book that will be hitting your local bookstore next January, as well as some nifty Cuban postcards.

Some background on the other designers mentioned: Norma Kamali and Reem Acra are both Arab-American (Reem is based in New York City), while Elie Saab is purely Lebanese... his atelier is actually in Beirut, despite the fact that his creations show up at vitually every red carpet event to come out of Hollywood (especially on Halle Berry).

Onto today's interview...

An author who truly needs no introduction, Jane Green has been regaling us with fish-out-of-water tales on both sides of the Atlantic since chick lit was but a twinkle in the publishing industry’s eye. Jemima J., Jane’s take on the timeless Cinderella tale made it onto my all-time favorite reads list, and her latest, Swapping Lives (Life Swap in the UK) hit the bookshelves in the US in June. Here, for your note-taking pleasure, is a glimpse into the mind of this women’s fiction novelist extraordinaire.

1. What inspires you to write?

Usually something going on in either my life or the lives of people around me. With Jemima I wanted to tackle women's unique relationship with food, which I had always struggled with, and in The Other Woman, I was fascinated by how many women seemed to have awful problems with their mothers-in-law. However, the novels, whilst inspired by real life, are very definitely fiction.

2. How long does it take you to write a novel?

Far longer than it used to. In the old days I could dedicate myself absolutely to writing, but now, with four small children and a busy life, I find that life gets in the way far more. Generally around nine months is about right.

3. Do you have a writing technique beyond getting yourself into your chair and getting it done, or is that pretty much the best way to do it?

Best way to do it. Discipline discipline discipline.

4. How do you deal with writer's block?

See above.

5. What's the biggest myth about being a writer?

I think people would be astonished by how ordinary the life of a bestselling author is. It sounds fantastically glamorous, but most of my days are spent ferrying children back and forth to activities, doing laundry, paying bills etc etc. Twice a year I go on book tour and then do morph into my more glamorous self, but it's not really who I am.

6. In Straight Talking you wrote a chick lit novel before the genre even had a name. The landscape has changed quite a bit since then. What advice would you give to would-be authors eager to break into the genre today?

I would give the same advice to someone wanting to write chick lit as I would to someone wanting to write anything: write what you know, and tell the story you want to tell. Never start a book wanting to please others, or because you think it will be commercially viable. In essence, be true to yourself. The critics of chick lit say it has reached saturation point and is about to die out, but they've been saying that for ten years, and there's still clearly an enormous market for it. Frankly I think there's room for everything in the publishing market today.
7. You've said of your earlier books (Straight Talking, Jemima J) that they mirrored the single-girl-in-London life you were living in your late twenties and early thirties. To have and to Hold, The Other Woman, and most recently Swapping Lives have chronicled (at least in part) the social landmines of privileged small town America, a topic you're well placed to write about since your move across the pond. How do you keep reinventing these themes and characters you know so well to keep your books fresh and engaging?

Thank you for the compliment! I always worry that I'm never going to find inspiration again, but there are always themes that crop up and events that happen around me that seem to inspire me.

8. What are you reading at the moment?

A stack of self-help books. Not like me at all, but have found myself going through an enormously stressful time recently, and they seem to help give me a sense of peace.

9. What was the most fabulously indulgent fashion purchase you ever made?

I have to say I do have a collection of Hermes Birkins which now feel horribly extravagant, but they are classics, and I'll never get rid of them.

10. What's next from Jane Green?

I'm writing something at the moment that has no title yet, but is the story of a group of friend reuniting after one of them dies, but I have to say I have a slight penchant for writing a mystery - not sure why, but I'd like to see if I could do it.

11. And just for the record, what's your upper limit on Fashionably Late-ness? Is two and a half hours pushing it?

Just ever so slightly. I think half an hour would do it. (Really?? Whoopsie...)

12. What was your most memorable fashion faux pas?

Oh God. Do I really have to answer this? (Ha ha, yes you do Jane. I'll go first... acid-washed jeans and peach rhinestone-studded sweatshirt circa fifth grade. Your turn). Going to a day wedding last year, I think in New Jersey, wearing a fabulous and enormous hat. In England we all wear hats to weddings, and a day wedding calls for a suit, but at this one everyone was in sparkly black evening dresses, and these women spent the evening looking at me as if I was completely bonkers. Also, I couldn't take the bloody thing off because I had the most disastrous case of hat-hair underneath. Mortifying!

Thanks Jane!

I’m afraid we’ve come to the end of Nadine’s Website Promo Blitz Week… and I’ve saved my most treasured prize for last. An advance reading copy of Fashionably Late, which are being printed as we speak (sniff, sniff).

And for your final question (a seriously easy one at that...):

Which of the following countries are NOT Arab countries?
a) Iran & Turkey
b) Morocco & Tunisia
c) Egypt & Syria
d)Bahrain & Oman

Best of luck!

Nadine's Website Promo Blitz - Day 4

The end is almost upon us! Wow - it passed so fast... maybe because promo week also coincides with an especially busy period at work for me, but I've managed so far, so maybe I'll treat myself to a mojito tonight... or two (who am I kidding... I'll take any excuse for a mojito, whether deserved or not! Speaking of mojitos, they can be very hit-or-miss, as my editor Paul, who recently tried his first and hated it, can attest. I've just discovered a place here in Cayman which does a fantastic job of them, and if I can twist the bartender's arm, I may just reward you faithful blog readers with a recipe one day...)

But I digress. Without further ado, I bring you the winner of Cathy Yardley's Chick Lit How-to book as well as a critique from your truly... Erin E!!!!! Erin, show thyself and you shall receive your prize.

Yesterday's question was a toughie that even I got wrong the when I did the quiz, so I am absolutely flabbergasted that you all got it right (could it be that I get the cyber equivalent of blasting the answer through a blow horn right into your ears??)

That's right, over 60% of Arab Americans are Christians of various denominations, the most important of which is Catholic. This is exemplified in my novel through Sophie and Jaz, the two major secondary characters, who are Christian. How can this be when most Arabs are Muslim, you ask? There is a very logical is somewhat unscientific explanation... (feel free to skip over the history lesson to straight to our featured author interview, I won't hold it against you, promise).

Well, just like the Puritans of yore escaped to discovered lands so they could establish a society where they wouldn't be the downtrodden minority, so did Christian Arabs (like the famous Khalil Gibran of 'The Prophet' fame) emigrate to North America in the 1800s, where their religion would no longer be an issue as it was in some Arab countries, depending on which way the wind blew (this is a bit of an exaggeration as Muslim Arabs were for the most part very tolerant of their Christian brethren, but I can see some Christians getting nervous every time religious fundamentalism makes a a comeback... which it is these days. This has not always been the case throughout history).

Nowadays, larger numbers of Muslim Arabs are emigrating to North America. When I was a growing up in Montreal, I was one of a handful of Arab Muslim kids in a predominantly Lebanese neighborhood. I counted many more 'Maroun's (a very typical Christian Maronite name) than Mohammeds among my acquaintances. If you went to my old neigborhood now, the picture would be quite different.

So, all this to say, unless the Arab you meet at work, at school, or in the street is wearing a head scarf or is called Mohammed, it's a safe bet they're Christian. Surprised? Thought so. In fact, unless they go out of their way to tell you, most Arab-American/Canadians, whether Muslim, Christian, Druze, or a passionate atheist, are in fact an invisible minority, and you'd never know you were speaking to one. So be nice. But you were going to be nice anyway, right ; )

The history/sociology lesson officially ends here, and we get down to the REAL businesses at hand... today's featured author, fellow Tor/Forge author, Shannon Mckeldon!!!


Shannon holds the honor of being the first humorous women's fiction writer bought by Tor/Forge's Natasha Panza. For those of you who don't know, Tor is an imprint known mostly for their Sci Fi and paranormals, while Forge delves into mainstream fiction. We, Shannon's writer friends, are very anxiously awaiting the release of her debut novel because Shannon is a lovely person and we adore her, and also because the title of her novel totally rocks: Venus Envy. (and it's out for pre-order on Amazon...)

1. What inspires you to write?

I'd have to say it's the love of reading, the love of good books. I've wanted to write since I was in 6th grade and began to see that the short stories I wrote got rave reviews from my teachers. I've sold a few short stories over the years to confessions mags, but my first love is books. Just seeing all the wonderful novels on the shelves and wanting to see my own up there is all the inspiration I need.

2. Do you have a writing routine, if so, what is it?

I really don't have much of a routine. I have arranged my hours at my job to give me three days a week where I'm available to write when my kids are in school. However, too often, I have to work extra and don't get that time in. I'm a bit of a binge-writer, too, I'd say. I can't write in little 5- to 10-minute increments like some writers can. It takes me longer to get into my work, so I write best in long stretches.

3. Have you developed any tricks or self-manipulation techniques to keep your butt in the chair and writing?

Does guilt count? When I go too long without writing--because I am an awful procrastinator--I begin to feel so guilty that I just have to write.

4. What are you reading at the moment?

I've been reading a lot of Harlequin NeXt books lately. I'm reading one now called SUBURBAN SECRETS by Donna Birdsell, and I'm loving it! It's really fun...and funny. I also read a lot of paranormal, which I didn't used to read at all. But, now that I've written what is basically a paranormal romance, I kind of had to figure out what's available in this genre.

5. What's the biggest myth about being a writer?

That it's easy. That you can just "whip out" a full-length book based on an idea you get. It just doesn't work that way. I don't know how many books I've started to write with an idea, and it doesn't pan out because there's not enough to the idea to carry it out. Doesn't mean I can't use the idea elsewhere someday, but it by no means "easy."

6. What advice would you give to budding authors?

Never, ever, ever give up. It might not happen today or tomorrow, or with your 5th or 10th book, but it can't happen at all if you give up. I look back at when I had written my 2nd or 3rd book and how much I wanted to be published back then...but you know, I really don't think I was as ready for it as I thought I was. I am in a much better place now for taking on this career than I was then. So don't give up no matter what. I guess you have to make the decision that you are either going to keep going until you sell because you want it that much and are willing to keep learning until you get it right, or you aren't meant to be a writer in the first place. Harsh, but true. I even had to go through that myself once...making the decision to either be willing to keep going until I sold or just give it up right then and move on to other things in my life. The fact that I couldn't imagine with what else I would fill the gaping whole left behind if I didn't write, was enough to tell me that I was willing to keep trying until I succeeded.

7. What can readers expect from you in the future?

Hopefully I will be working on the next Venus book very soon. Venus ENVY is part of a trilogy, so there will be at least two more books from that. I'd also love to write YA and contemporary romance genres.

8. How long does it take you to write a novel?

You know, that all depends on how well thought out the idea is. VENUS ENVY took me six months AFTER I finally had the idea down pat. I've written books in as short as four months, before, though. Or I've taken much, much longer. And I don't always think that the ones that take longer are necessarily better. :-)

9. Is it harder to start or finish a novel?

Hmmm...I don't know. Sometimes the momentum of beginning a novel propels me
forward. But other times I have a hard time getting started. I do know that a sticky part for me is usually long about the two-thirds to three-quarters point. I've realized after 5 completed novels that it is at that point that my brain is trying to root out what the book is REALLY about. I usually get stuck and feel like I can't move forward anymore, but I've come to trust the process and realize that if I just step back and let it sit a while, I can usually figure out what is trying to come to the surface. And then the end of the book usually comes pretty quickly after that.

10. How did you go about finding an agent and do you think it's necessary to have one?

I think having an agent is pretty important. Especially after seeing the contract I got and realizing that it was like reading Chinese for me. My agent is indispensable for stuff like that. Plus it leaves the writer with the ability to have a writing relationship with their editor and to not have to deal with the sometimes sticky business aspect of things. I found my agent, Deidre Knight, by querying various agents listed by Romance Writers
of America. She took me on based on my 3rd completed book (my first chicklit). We shopped that one and one other around before I finished VENUS ENVY, which is the one that finally sold.

11. How do you deal with writer's block?

I'm not really sure there IS such a thing as writer's block. I tend to think, in my case, that it is sheer laziness that prevents me from writing. And writing isn't always about putting the words on paper. Sometimes it's a mental thing, thinking out the problems, imagining the scenes. I find that when I'm stuck it's because I haven't been mentally going over the book as much as I should. I've been filling my mind with other things, busy work. I find that driving in the car with no radio on and no other distractions really helps me get past any "blocks" I may think I have.

12. We've all heard the adage "write what you know", but some of us have also heard "write what you can imagine". With a novel told from the perspective of a fashion-minded, millennia-old Greek goddess, you've clearly taken the latter nugget of wisdom and run with it. How did you manage to get into character when writing Venus, to figure out what she's like, what she would be thinking, and how she'd react? And how much fun was it write this character?

Venus was a BLAST to write! The whole book started with her and blossomed from there. Okay, really, it started with the title. I was sick of never having good titles and determined to find a great title for a book. Somehow VENUS ENVY popped into my head and I knew I had to write a book for it! So my next step was, "Who is Venus and why does someone envy her?" It wasn't until Venus told me she was really the goddess who had been banished here on Earth by her very unfair, irrational father that all the rest started to fall into place.

Venus was very easy to get into. Not sure why, as I am the most un-fashion-minded person alive. I wouldn't know Prada from Gucci if it was labeled clearly in front of me. But Venus did, so that was all that counted. I kept on my monitor a picture of Portia de Rossi, in a siren red dress, looking all pouty and misunderstood, as my vision of Venus. I really and truly can't explain why she was so easy. She was, by far, the easiest character in the book to hear. I can't wait to write the next book just to see what Venus comes up with next!

Thanks so much for being here Shannon! [insert load, obnoxious applause here]

Alright people, today's prize is really special - Shannon's novel hasn't even hit the shelves yet - I haven't even read it yet - and I'm giving it away. Sigh. Consider yourselves spoilt. To today's very lucky winner goes a copy of this collector's item and I'm also throwing in a set of postcards, direct from Cuba. To clean your palette from the spate of serious questions you've had lately, here's one on a subject near and dear to my heary... fashion! (And though that website will help somewhat, you'll have to google some names here, unless of course Instyle is your version of crack, is it is for me, then this'll be a piece of baclava...) Here's your question, drop me a line via the In Touch page on my website, and you're entered to win:

Which of the following fashion designers is NOT Arab or of Arab origin?

a) Reem Acra
b) Issac Mizrahi
c) Norma Kamali
d) Elie Saab

... on your marks, get set, pick up your Instyles!

Nadine's Website Promo Blitz Week - Day 3

Hump day already... And I've got a MAJOR treat for you aspiring chick lit/humorous women's fictious writers out there... today's featured author, you see (and prizes...) will be of special interest to writers who are breaking into the genre. Back when I was a wide-eyed wannabe writer, armed with nothing but the Shopaholic trilogy as my guide into the world of pink covers and shameless designer name-dropping (yes, in 2002 most people thought chick lit was a brand of bubble gum, not a cutting-edge literary genre), I would have killed for today's featured book. But today's newbies are being spoiled… with not one but two Chick lit writing guides out in one month!

But first, the winners of yesterday's draw: Risha Parker, Chris Ganim, and Sanjay Sirinvas! Congratulations, you've earned yourselves signed copies of one of the following: sMothering, Goaing Coastal and After the Rice (you can e-mail me with your preference, as well as your address please), AND a mini Coco taxi direct from Havana's Calle Tacon.

And well done to all of you who guessed 3,000,000 (judging by the responses this question seemed to be easier than yesterday's...)

And now, onto our interview of the day.

A self-professed writing guide junkie, how could I miss Cathy Yardley’s Will Write For Shoes: How to Write a Chick Lit Novel? Like Jerry Cleaver’s Immediate Fiction, this volume is short on pages but long on useful information. It cuts to the chase of what chick lit is about, gives a little historical perspective on the genre, and has the most useful appendices I’ve ever seen (sample chick lit query letter, synopsis, chick lit friendly agent list, etc…). Just check out the table of contents for yourselves. Cathy is well-placed to be writing about, well, writing since she’s sold to RDI, Duets, Blaze, and has even penned a YA among other things. Here’s a Q&A with the accomplished author.

1. What inspires you to write?

Everything! Although I will say, I usually get a title first, then create the story around it. I love a good title! (Unfortunately, I don't often get to keep the title... but that's another story.)

2. Do you have a writing routine, if so, what is it?

I just had my first child, a son, in July, so my routine is now whenever he's sleeping or I can get my husband or the "Mom squad" (my mother, his mother) to watch the boy!

3. Are you a plotter or a pantster, or a little bit of both?

I am a hard core plotter. In fact, my book covers what I call "Cathy's Insane Plotting Guide." It really does help, though, especially if you're writing to deadline.

4. How long does it take you to write a novel?

It depends. If pressed, I can write a 75k word novel in a month, a 100k word chick lit novel in 3 months. It all comes down to the outline (hence my insane guide.)

5. How do you deal with writer's block?

A lot of meditating, reading books I really love, and reading new books seems to help.

6. What's the biggest myth about being a writer?

That it's fun. It's usually like yanking out your hair, slowly, over the course of hours. Having said that, however, it's a hell of a lot more fun than any other job!

7. Which of your many novels was the most difficult to write? Why?

Couch World was the hardest, I think, because it involved a lot of research into the world of DJ's and it was completely alien to me. Also, I wrote alternating first and third person, so it was a creative challenge as well.

8. What do you think is the biggest mistake new chick lit writers make?

They write something that's only a little bit different than what's out there. Like "It's Bridget Jones' Diary set in Detroit." Granted, that's different... but it's not enough to really set you apart.

9. What advice would you give to budding chick lit authors in this competitive environment?

Take risks, and write something that scares the hell out of you. When I say that, I mean be utterly truthful, to the point where you wonder if you'll scare the neighbors. That's the sort of writing that has juice. Right now, the market's too tight for knock-offs. You've got a much better chance with something daring. It's a perfect time to take advantage of it -- dust off your really "weird" ideas!

10. What kind of attributes do you think make a good chick lit writer? Are they different from those of other genres?

I think that chick lit writers need to have a good sense of humor and a lot of girlfriends to kvetch with. That's the best sort of tone, and the vibe (and support) will help with your writing.

11. Who are some of your favorite authors?

Jennifer Crusie, Mary Janice Davidson, Nancy Warren, Laurel K. Hamilton,
Stephen King, Dean Koontz.

12. What can readers expect from you in the future?

I've got an anthology out now, called COME SEPTEMBER, with a novella about a winemaker (Oooh… looks like wine’s going to be a hot topic in the literary world next year!); in January '07, I've got a Blaze called JACK & JILTED; and in June '07, I've got another Blaze, called ONE NIGHT STANDARDS. I hope you enjoy them!

Thanks Cathy!!!

Cathy has very graciously donated an autographed copy of her latest release Will Write for Shoes: How to Write a Chick Lit Novel, so get those fingers ready to send me the answer to today's question!!!. And just like every fabulous pair of shoes needs a great bag to go along with it, I will be providing a free critique of the first three chapters of the lucky winner’s chick lit (or humorous women’s fiction) novel. I’ll be using the same critique guidelines as those of last year’s Stiletto contest. Here’s your question. As always, you can check out this site if you’re stumped, and then send me your answer via the In Touch page on my website. Good luck!

What percentage of Arab Americans are Christian? (and since you guys said you couldn't find the info on the site, here it is... can't get any easier now!)

a) 5%
b) 35%
c) 45%
d) 63%

Good luck!

Change to Comments Settings

I do apologize for this, but it seems my blog has been set up so that not everyone could comment... this has now been changed and all should work for everyone.

I'm soooo not a techie...

Nadine's Website Promo Blitz Week - Day 2

Thanks to all of you who logged on to my website yesterday and sent me your guesses. I'm hoping you found the link to the Arab American Institute to be, well, fun and educational (did you know so many Arab Americans were into politics, entertainment and activistm? I didn't...)

And the answer to yesterday's daily question is... Demi Moore.

That's right - Selma Hayek is of mixed Mexican and Lebanese origin, Marisa Tomei is Lebanese, while Shannon Elizabeth is of Syrian, Lebanese, French, English, and Cherokee descent. Demi Moore is half Greek. Well done to those of you who guessed right... and there weren't many! Marisa Tomei was the no.1 answer.

Congratulations to Jennifer Collins and Dona Sarkar for winning the draw!!! They'll both be getting mini-paintings (one oil on canvas, one set of matching textured acrylic prints) along with autographed copies of Salsa Goddess.

Onto our author interview of the day...

Wendy French

One of the things I love best about crossing the 'pubbed' threshold is that I get to look back and snicker at my old, delusional, not to mention naïve unpubbed self. Of course, that may have more to do with the fact that I was trying to market the only manuscript I'd ever written and not something that was the product of years of honing my craft, acquiring market savvy, or learning the rules of publication: that there are in fact no rules.

What does this have to do with today's featured author? She's a Canadian (now living in Portland) who likes to set her novels in Canadian cities and pepper them with Canadian references... and some industry folks in their infinite wisdom, though impressed with her work, wondered if perhaps she could, you know, keep the witty banter and sharp observations but perhaps change the setting... to something more American.

Funny, I have a few rejection letters in my own filing cabinets saying something along those lines.

Now I don't know about you, but I like reading about other places, places I may not have been to and discovering them via literature. I also like reading about places I have been to and relishing sweet memories of those settings if only to say: Hey - I've been there!

Luckily for Wendy and her readers, an editor at Forge Books got this, bought her debut novel, sMothering, about a girl who has to contend with her mother moving in with her and the hilarity that ensues. Wendy's latest, After the Rice, deals with an issue we've been hearing lots about lately (one that I've also ranted about) - the pressure on a young, successful 'perfect' married couple to have children. It's a brave book that pokes a finger in gaping hole of our society's current (misguided?) obsession with fertility. Oh, and as if After the Rice weren't controversial enough, it's also set in Victoria, BC.

1. What inspires you to write?

I'm one of those annoying people who always wanted to write. As a little kid, I always wanted to find my own book in a library someday - it seemed terribly exotic. Now that I'm finishing up the fourth book, my inspiration comes from readers much of the time. It helps me write when I receive e-mails from people anxious for the next book.

2. Do you have a writing routine, if so, what is it?

My writing routine is to write when I feel like it. Take that! No, really, I have a day job, so that limits me to evenings and weekends, and I've never been one to force the writing. I produce light, hopefully humorous stuff (my goal is three out-loud laughs for the reader per book), so it's important that I be in the right frame of mind to work on it. If things aren't clicking, I go for a walk, or see a movie to distract myself for a bit, then I can usually get back into writing upon my return. This seems more effective than sitting at my desk, pounding staples into my forehead as penance.

3. Are you a plotter or a pantster?

A pantster? Does that require a belt, or maybe a sash? I'm not a plotter, though I probably should be. I prefer to just start writing and not restrict myself. I really like being surprised by what happens along the way, and I can always go back and make changes when I'm finished a draft.

4. How do you manage to balance writing and the day job?

I don't really know. I've just always had to do it. Lame answer, but there you have it!

5. How long does it take you to write a novel?

About a year to a year and a half. The one I'm finishing right now has taken quite a bit longer than I'd like, due to upheavals in the personal life, but I guess that's the way things go sometimes.

6. What's the biggest myth about being a writer?

This isn't so much a myth as a misconception, but I can't even tell you how many people have told me they want to write a book. Almost all of the time they mean that they would like to HAVE WRITTEN a book. Until you've done it, you can't appreciate the isolation of physically doing it, or the uncertainty of wondering whether anyone will ever publish it. My first book is stashed in a drawer, over 400 pages of "learning experience" that will never be published, but when I finished it, I moved on to the next one. Writing is fueled by a unique combination of optimism and delusion.

7. How do you deal with writer's block?

Beyond the brief walk or movie pause in writing, I don't think I've dealt with writer's block. I do little superstitious things, like whenever I start a newchapter, I type the word "when", because it seems like such a good starting point. I end up deleting it almost every time, but at least I'm not looking at a blank page right off the bat.

8. How receptive have you found American readership towards your choice of
setting?

Two out of three books have been set in the States, and the most recent was set in Victoria, BC. So far, so good on reactions to setting from both sides of the border.

9. Who are some of your favorite authors?

This will be pretty random, but I Like Amy Tan, David Sedaris, Carol Shields, Joe Meno, Patty Friedmann, Jack Hodgins. . .

10. What are you reading at the moment?

I am one of the lucky few who are reading an advance copy of YOUR book, Nadine. That's right, I'm reading Fashionably Late. (ha ha! Thanks Wendy!)

11. What advice would you give to budding authors?

If you really want it, don't give up. It took me 5 years, 3 novels and 137 rejections to get a book deal, but it happened. I'd also recommend Writer's Market as a resource. It was like a bible for me when it came to how to formatting a manuscript, writing a query letter, knowing who to approach, etc.

12. What can readers expect from you in the future?

They can expect a new novel, titled "Full of It" in 2007. Beyond that is top secret (okay, I don't actually know what they should expect beyond that. . .)

Thank you, Wendy, for the great interview, not to mention, giving away autographed copies of one of each of your books! That’s right folks – we’ll be giving away three books today, sMothering, Going Coastal, and After the Rice. And the surprise gift of the day? Mini coco taxis! (Don’t know what these are? Check out the ‘Cuba Si!’’ page on my website)

Now for our educational question of the day:

How many Americans have Arab ancestry?
a) 50,000
b) 750,000
c) 3,000,000
d) 11,000,000

Don’t forget – you can find the answer by browsing this site (this time the answer is pulled directly from the site, so no tricks!) . Good luck

Nadine's Website Promo Blitz Week - Day 1

Finally!!! It's here! The website I have been spending every moment of my spare time working on is now up and running! Yippeee!

In honor of this momentous event, I've been busy busy busy putting together a star-studded lineup of authors who will share with us their thoughts on life, fashion, and the writing process (mainly the writing process) over the next week. AND, every day of Website Promo Blitz Week I'll be giving away a signed copy of the author's latest release AND a surprise gift that's in some way related to my novel, Fashionably Late.

Just in case you think I'm kidding, here's our author lineup:

Monday - JoAnn Hornak, author of Adventures of a Salsa Goddess
Tuesday - Wendy French, author of After the Rice
Wednesday - Cathy Yardley, author of Will Write for Shoes: How to Write a Chick Lit Novel
Thursday - Shannon McKelden, author of the upcoming Venus Envy
And, last but certainly not least... the fabulous Jane Green!!!

Them's the rules: There will be one or more prizes up for grabs every day over the next five days. Winner gets a copy of the featured author's book as well as one of the prizes seen in the picture above. To be eligible for the draw, you have to correctly answer the Daily Question which I will post at the end of the interview. The questions have been designed to be fun and educational (do I sound like a PBS announcer yet??!). No seriously, seeing as the main character in Fashionably Late is a Lebanese North American, I thought it would be fun (and yes, educational) to have a contest designed around this theme. If nothing else, you will come away from this experience with some quirky trivia you can impress friends and colleagues with at your next cocktail party. All the answers are very easily googleable, and, as though that weren't enough, I will tell you exactly which site you can go to to find them. You may have to do five minutes worth of digging when you get there, but it'll be (say it with me now) fun and educational, I promise. You enter the draw by going to the In Touch page on my website and leaving me a message with your answer (and anything else you feel like communicating to me - I'm open). You have one day (ie until the next post goes up early the following morning) to leave me your comment. I'll anounce the winners of the previous draw at around lunchtime everyday. Ery'tin Ay'ry? Good.

Now, without further ado, our first featured author of the week, JoAnn Hornak.


First, the totally delicious cover of JoAnn's debut novel caught my eye (tall, dark & handsome, not to mention light-on-his-feet dude dipping a blonde in a sparkly pink dress). A salsa aficionado myself (caught the bug on my first trip to Cuba), the title sang to me: Adventures of a Salsa Goddess. I picked up the book, dove into the opening paragraph, and didn't come back up for air until my legs started to go numb from standing in the Borders aisle for too long. JoAnn's witty and well-paced novel would sit on the edge of my writing desk and inspire me to keep on writing on those days when I found myself wondering if my life wouldn't be better fulfilled with a full bag of BBQ Lays, my couch, and the full set of Sex and the City DVDs.

A teaser, if you will:

They say a never-married woman over forty has a better chance of winning a million-dollar lottery than getting married. Samantha Jacobs plans to beat the odds...

This New Year's Eve, Samantha Jacobs is finally getting married. Everything
for her fabulous wedding has already been arranged - except for one teensy
detail. She still has to get herself a groom. It's all part of her assignment
for Tres Chic magazine, inspired by her boss's determination to publish
a story proving those nasty statistics wrong. So Samantha is sent to Milwaukee, Wisconsin, statistically the worst city in the world in which to snag a husband - to find herself someone smart, successful, and hunky.

Now this gorgeous 41-year-old Cinderella has just one summer to meet the man of her dreams and fall madly in love. That's fine with her, as long as it isn't with her too young, too poor, too sexy new salsa teacher. Even if he does have all the right moves...

So why did this novel, amongst many set against the magazine publishing world and dealing with marriage angst grab me so much? Besides the quality of the writing, a level of hilarity that had me rolling on the floor clutching my stomach, and hot Latin characters for which I am a huge sucker, it was when JoAnn began delving into the salsa scene in a random North American club that she really nailed it. It didn't matter that the book was set in Milwaukee, it could have been Cubanos in Montreal, or any city for that matter. Salsa has a peculiar kind of grip on some people, becoming a quasi-obsession, an obsession that brings you outside of yourself, makes you skilled at something most people would love to be able to do, infects you with romanticism and carries you to a world of where it's hot and sultry, where "the man is the frame and the woman the picture", if only for a couple of hours a week. And it's a world JoAnn knows very well, something that comes across strongly in her novel.

Though Salsa Goddess was penned a few years ago, it came to light this year that the 1980's Newsweek headline which became gospel to so many women (and perhaps nudged them into some less-than-ideal marriages?...) was in fact completely bogus. A marketing experiment gone horribly wrong. The statistic had misled women everywhere by drawing upon completely irrelevant assumptions (for example, that women would only marry men on average three years older than them, which meant that only a tiny sliver of bachelors out there were considered marriage material), and used a sample population that had an abnormally skewed men-to-women ratio.

Huh. Newsweek issued an apology. Too little, too late, I say. But I digress. Today the salsa goddess herself joins us to talk about writing, dance, and grinding wheat germ in Tanzania...

1. You have a background in law and a few years of globetrotting under your belt. What inspired you to write fiction?

In 1999 I took a one-year unpaid leave of absence from my job as an Assistant District Attorney to volunteer in Tanzania. (I volunteered through a great organization called Visions in Action. Volunteering in a developing country was something I'd wanted to do since college. I was getting burnt out with my job so the timing was right. Luckily, I brought my laptop with me and because there was so little to do at night - no TV, no shopping malls, movie theatres, etc., I started writing by keeping a detailed journal of my daily adventures in Africa. I sent excerpts from my journal to an e-mail list of about 50 people who started passing them on to other people. Soon I was overwhelmed with feedback about how funny my e-mails were and many people asking me if I'd ever thought about being a writer. By the end of the year, I was convinced it was something I needed to try. I went back to the D.A.'s office for one more year and then quit to try my hand at writing. I've never looked back.

2. Do you have a writing routine, if so, what is it?

For Adventures of a Salsa Goddess, I learned that what works for me is to write 1,000 words a day and I write 5 or 6 days a week. Sometimes that 1,000 words came quickly and other days it seemed to take forever. If I stopped at 800 words I would write 1,200 the next day. I was pretty disciplined about it.


3. How long does it take you to write a novel?

Adventures of a Salsa Goddess took a year. My second novel, which is much more complicated, is taking a lot longer. I am not a fast writer.

4. Are you a plotter, a pantster, or a little bit of both?

A little of both. I like to come up with an outline before I start writing but it is not very detailed - maybe a paragraph or two per chapter. I like to see where my imagination takes me while writing and I learn a lot about my characters as I write, not the other way around.

5. What has been the most rewarding aspect of publication for you?

Getting feedback from fellow salsa lovers like you Nadine! (aww, shucks...) It has been really been so rewarding to know that people enjoyed my book and felt they could relate to the salsa scenes. Also, I've been able to encourage many people to finally write that novel they've had stuck in their hearts and heads for years. I was one of those people who thought I could NEVER write a book.

6. What's the biggest myth about being a writer?

That it's glamorous. It's actually a lot of hard work and I've had to learn how to promote myself, something I'm not comfortable with.

7. What advice would you give to budding authors?

Believe in yourself and don't give up. Imagine the cover of your book and don't listen to the people who say you only have a one in a million chance of getting published. And, stick to your writing schedule, whatever that may be, especially on the days when you don't want to write. Get the first draft of your book down on paper and then revise, otherwise you may never get beyond the first chapter.

8. What can readers expect from you in the future?

My second novel is also a romance with a lot of humor but has several main characters, instead of one, and a serious theme running through it about not letting fear stop you from following your heart. And yes, there is some salsa dancing in it although not as much as Salsa Goddess. Also, I just took a wine immersion course in Napa Valley and am thinking of a mystery novel set in the wine world.

9. Who are some of the authors that inspired you when writing Salsa Goddess?

Definitely Jennifer Weiner and Helen Fielding. I especially loved Helen Fielding's spoof on the spy world, Olivia Joules and The Overactive Imagination.

10. In Salsa Goddess, Samantha's relationship with Javier is attacked by her mother and boss because they both view the young roofer-by-day/salsa-stud by night is not worthy of anything beyond a fling. Samantha herself thinks this at times. Do you think society conditions us, even in this day and age, to choose partners within our own social/financial spheres? Do you think this is universal, or something that could change?

I think this kind of social/economic snobbery exists in certain parts of the country. Luckily, in my own family, this couldn't be further than the truth. As for whether this needs to change, I believe that anytime someone limits who they will socialize with or have a romantic relationship with, they are only hurting themselves. There are a lot of very interesting, wonderful people out there who don't have blue blood or a trust fund.

12. How did your love of Latin dancing come about?

Right after I quit the District Attorney's office, a friend invited me to go Swing dancing. I was shocked to find 100 people there, about half men, half women, on a Tuesday night in Milwaukee. I started going every Tuesday until a few weeks later someone told me they were also taking Salsa lessons. I started salsa, instantly fell in love with it and gave up Swing dancing after a couple months.

13. Okay - you knew there would be a desert island question somewhere. Here it is: if you had to be stuck on a desert island with a laptop (one that magically never runs out of power), an iPod loaded with Latin music, or a younger, unmarried Antonio Banderas, which would you choose?

Antonio Banderas, por supuesto! A laptop could get very lonely and we could always hum our tunes as we salsa and tango on the beach under the moonlight and tell each other stories (okay, yes, a little unrealistic and sappy but what did you expect from a romance writer.)

JoAnn has very graciously donated TWO autographed copies of Adventures of a Salsa Goddess to be given away today. And the first set of surprise prizes going to the lucky winner of the draw is... authentic Cuban art!!! I'm giving away the painting of the Plaza de la Catedral as well the set of two mini prints. Both of these were purchased from the Calle Tacon market in Old Havana.

Now, to win one of today's two giveaways, you must correctly answer the following question (if you're stumped, you can find the answer by surfing this very educational - and sometimes surprising - site):

Which of the following actresses is NOT of Arab descent?

a. Shannon Elizabeth
b. Selma Hayek
c. Demi Moore
d. Marisa Tomei

I will be drawing two names amongst those who guess correctly and send me their answers via the In Touch page on my website. You have until the next time I sit at my computer to compose the next post, say 8 am Tuesday morning Cayman Islands (i.e. central) time. Good luck!

Chick Lit and 9/11: To Write or Not to Write?

No I have not dropped off the face of the planet... I'm just drowning a little, in copyedits, in promo, at work, in thinking very very hard about the sequel to Fashionably Late (which thankfully, I've at least started), in the website, and... in planning something VERY exciting for you guys. So stay tuned.

In the meantime, one of my favorite Latina authors, Mary Castillo, raised the question on her blog of: is it time for chick lit to deal with September 11? Or issues like war (which, let's face it, we're having to deal with whether we're political junkies or smother-my-head-in-the-sand types.

I'm going to be very lazy (I prefer to think of it as productive since I'm using this time to work on that VERY EXCITING STUFF I have planned for you...) and post my reply to Mary's question below:

I think what makes chick lit different from literary women's fiction (like, say, the stuff the authors of This Is Not Chick Lit write) is a combination of voice, an up-to-the-minute feel, and optimism.

A forgettable chick lit novel would take an underdeveloped character, give her a superficial issue to deal with, and lots of comedy or fashion angst. Entertaining, but not memorable. I could see people getting tired of too much of this kind of writing.

Then again, a book like some of the Oprah picks of the olden days (think Wally Lamb's She's Come Undone), has very serious, very deep issues, but with none of the chick lit comedy or quirky voice to take the edge off. So you could take an
issue like chronic depression and have Marian Keyes write about it and then
have Wally Lamb write about it, and you'd have two books that deal with a
serious issue, one that's very clearly chick lit and one that's very clearly
NOT. Most people are miserable enough in their own lives that they don't
need more misery. Which is why, methinks, optimistic books like chick lit do
better commercially.

I think it's a lot harder and riskier to write about a tragic theme in a comedic, light tone and make it work, than write about something difficult in a drpressing tone. Which is why Marian Keyes is so amazingly popular (or at least some of her books are). That being said, there are some readers who don't like their chick lit mixed in
with serious topics.... so what's a writer chick to do?

As with most important matters, I don't think there's one answer. I
think it depends. On the quality of the writing, on the readers themselves, on
the political landscape... But if a writer feels she could make it work, I
think she NEEDS to go for it, that readers are ready and waiting
for a 9/11 chick lit that works, not fluff with some 9/11 stuff in it, or a
truly depressing literary piece about 9/11 posing as chick lit.

Any thoughts?

This is going to be a pretty light blogging week seeing as I have guests over (and it’s finally sunny again… whew!) and will be playing tour guide while holding down the day job until next Monday.

In fun news, I won myself a copy of Julie Let’s Dirty Little Lies on Diana's blog today (yaaaayyyy!!!), which I can’t wait to get my hands on.

Today is also the release date of Cathy Yardley’s highly anticipated (at least by me) Will Write for Shoes: How to Write a Chick Lit Novel. Those of you familiar with my Cayman Islands’ lack of instant gratification rants will know that I’ll have to wait at least a week before I can get my hands on the book, but hey, I’ve been salivating after this one for ages now, so what’s another week?

I’m also three chapters away from the end of Emily Giffin’s Something Borrowed which means I get to start Baby Proof soon, a novel I’m absolutely dying to read (among others… like Dirty Little Secrets by Julie Leto; Becoming Latina in 10 Easy Steps by Lara Rios; Cinderella Lopez by Berta Platas; In Between Men by Mary Castillo; Anybody Out There by Marian Keyes; How Nancy Drew Saved My Life, by Lauren LB… and that’s just the chick lit list!!!)

So, do any of you guys feel as guilty about reading when you should be writing as I do, or have you found a way to do a little bit of both without one activity taking over the other?

Exciting (and Stressful) Times in Newbie Novelist’s Life

Okay – the exciting stuff:

a) Got an AWSOME new blurb from Lara Rios, author of Becoming Latine in 10 Easy Steps, as well as her newest, Becoming Americana. I met Lara at both the Chica Lit conference in Miami organized by Alisa Valdes-Rodrigues (who may be going by Alisa Lynn Valdes now…) and again at the nationals in Atlanta where she gave a great presentation about how to take the cliché out of your Latin characters (Lara is Argentine herself so I was very, very nervous she’s find my portrayal of some of the characters in FL clichéd… which makes her glowing quote glow that much brighter). So without further ado, here’s what Lara had to say about Fashionably Late:

Girls just want to have fun! Especially Ali who is tired of pleasing everyone, but herself. This novel has it all: glimpses of Lebanese and Cuban culture, sexy men, fresh, sparkling storytelling, witty and fun dialogue; and a heroine who is so adorable, you want to give her a big hug and tell her everything is going to be okay. Don't miss this delightful novel!

-- Lara Rios, author of BECOMING LATINA IN 10 EASY STEPS

b) I received my copyedits in the mail today…Yawza (this is both exciting and stressful, in case you're wondering about the 'stressful' thing in the header). I think the whole ‘professional’ side of this professional writing thing is finally starting to sink in… lots and lots of strange-looking symbols sprinkled all over my manuscript… meaning I will have to go through this thing with a fine-toothed comb yet again. I knew it was coming, but still… it just feels like time to move on. Like we’re done with this. Sigh. This is actually a good thing as I’d like to come up with some really good discussion questions for the novel, so here’s my chance.

This morning Diana (of Secret Society Girl fame) posted a list of the top 100 romances of all time as asked us how many we’d read. As yours truly hasn’t touched a romance since she was twelve (unless Outlander counts, which I suppose it sort of does), she performed quite pathetically.

T0 make myself feel better, here’s the Guardian’s list of all time best fiction novel. Not romance, ladies and gentlemen, but what we call the Classics. Unfortunately, my performance is still quite pathetic:

Pride & Prejudice – Jane Austen (of course)
Wuthering Heights – Emily Brontë
Madame Bovary – Gustave Flaubert (I think I should get extra points for this since I read it in the original French…)
One Hundred Years of Solitude – Gabriel Garcia Marquez
1984 – George Orwell
Anna Karenina – Leo Tolstoy
1,001 Arabian Nights (okay, didn’t make it through the whole thing but still…)
Edgar Allan Poe’s collected stories (see above…)

Now, I’d like to say that I’ve read a lot of fine fiction that didn’t make it up there, like say, The Plague by Albert Camus, or Palace Walk by Naguib Mahfouz, or even Roots by Alex Haley. I even think that The Chronicles of Narnia and anything by Lucy Maud Montgomery should make it somewhere up there. Goes to show just how subjective these things are (or just how much great literature there is out there?…)

Baby Showers and the Childless Chick

Hola, dear blog readers, and thank you for visiting again even though I’ve left you hanging since last Friday. I do have a couple of excuses, the first being hurricane Ernesto which threatened to hit our shores over the weekend but thankfully did not (southeastern Cuba and Florida weren’t so lucky…). The second one is work related (as in way too much of it for my liking) but you don’t want to hear about that, right? Good, because I’d rather not talk about it. Onwards…

… It’s rare that we here in the Cayman Islands are subject to the social phenomena and general going-ons of the world at large, mostly because we’re a sleepy little island of 50,000 people and don't have much by way of civilization beyond banks, churches, and cruise ships. We get up, go to work, drink ourselves silly out of boredom, pass out on the beach from time to time, and then do the same thing all over again the next day.

But one phenomenon has managed to infiltrate our blissfully uneventful social landscape…the baby craze. Or baby madness, if you prefer to call it (I know I do). Is it just me, or are babies, pregnant bellies, Lexus-level luxury strollers and goofy new dads taking over the world as we know it? In the interests of full disclosure, I confess that I’ve stubbornly resisted all calls to the state of motherhood from nosy family, well-meaning friends, and crushing social pressure. So while you could call me biased, I think once you look at the evidence, from the proliferation of fancy-pants baby showers to the tabloid-fueled Hollywood baby frenzy, you may just agree…

Exhibit A: I attended a baby shower just this weekend. My second of the baby season, and probably not my last. The sex of the yet-unborn child was unknown, so yellow duckies and green froggies abounded. As did the carb-laden pastries, cakes and quiches, but not so much as one ounce of a sour apple martini to take the edge off for the non-expecting amongst us (like, say, yours truly). That same night, I came across a chapter in Emily Giffin’s Something Borrowed where Rachel, the main character was subjected to one such social ritual, and where the sex of the baby was also unknown and where yellow abounded as a result… coincidence? I think not.

Exhibit B: The September issue of Glamour ran a feature article about the disproportionate media focus on Hollywood pregnancies and the effect this has on women with fertility problems and those who simply don’t want kids. Enlightening and timely.

Emily Giffin (Baby Proof) and Wendy French (After the Rice) are two authors I’ve read who delved into what it’s like to be a perfectly happy twosome (or onesome) in a world obsessed with threesome-plus families. And I for one, couldn’t be more grateful. (Actually,if you check out the Amazon reviews for these books, you'll find much vitriolic diatribe aimed not at the books' merits or flaws, but at the LIFE CHOICES of the characters...amazing).

Now, I’m not saying I don’t ever want children – under the right circumstances I might – but just as once upon a time the pendulum swung in favor of the fabulousness of Singletondom and its (implied) carefreeness, maybe these days it’s swinging a little too far the other way. Maybe we as a society need to get on celebrating individual choice as opposed magnifying social trends so as to make it seem like ‘everyone’s doing it so why not you?’

And this, to me, is what makes chick lit so very fabulous – that more than any other popular genre out there, it has celebrated freedom of choice for the average chick and explored all kinds of avenues to pursue that freedom.

This Is SO Cool...

You Are Noon

You are upbeat, ambitious, and never at loss for energy. You have a lot that drives you in life. The desire to be the best, and a secret hope of fame and power. And while you definitely have a Type A personality, you are still fun to be around. You have a ton of charisma and a genuine interest in others. You are adored by many.

What Time Of Day Are You?

Hey Diana, looks like we're both 'noon'. I think Noon rocks. When I first started reading the description I thought my time sounded more like sunrise, but then again, in what universe would a night owl, someone who is consistently late-beyond-redemption and considers sleeping in until 11 am on weekends perfectly normal (what - don't you?) be 'sunrise'? Noon... now that makes sense. And Midnight sounds cool. I wouldn't mind being midnight either... give myself an air of mystery. Then again,who am I kidding?

So, what time of day are you? Tell me tell me tell me!!!

Of Mice and Writers

One of the things I would hear writers say way back when I was as green (in publishing terms) as a Kate Spade store carrier bag was: when you get published, be prepared to have everyone confess from your old high school teacher to the neighborhood paperboy, that they too, given XYZ would have loved to write a novel.

Ha! I scoffed. I’m not sure the people I hang out with enjoy reading anything beyond Yahoo headlines, let alone writing. And of course, like most sound writerly advice I received over the years and ignored, time and experience proved me wrong.

The funniest incident of someone telling me they always wanted to write was an old boss… and not just any boss, my friends, but the boss’s boss… He was in charge of 'exit' interviews and I was, well, exiting. This wasn’t an exchange I was particularly looking forward to, so when the next question out of his mouth after “have you handed in your company pass?” was: “so, is it true you’ve written a book?” I was very relieved. And then very shocked. This pointy-haired (sans the pointy hair) boss didn’t look like he had one creative bone in his entire body (we’re in the stuffy finance world here).

This wasn’t the only time people told me how they too, would love to sit down and write a novel. Which makes me wonder… why didn’t they? What’s the difference between them and us? What makes a person decide to pursue something like writing seriously? I’d say determination, a need to overachieve and a high IQ, but mustn’t my aforementioned boss have all these traits if he managed to get to his position? And he did go into what sort of book he’d like to write, so I assume he read a fair bit as well…

Is it only that our priorities are different, or are we more deluded about our chances of publication, and therefore more likely to take on this crazy idea? There was a great article in the RWR a few months back (maybe years… time stands still on the crazy island) about this experiment about mice swimming towards some island in the middle of a tank of water (bear with me here…there is a point, I promise). It seems that those mice that had been conditioned to believe there was a dry surface somewhere in that tank kept on swimming, while those mice that were never conditioned to believe there was a dry surface for them to swim to just gave up after a while and stopped swimming. And then sank (I wonder if the researchers managed to rescue them in the nick of time…)

… does this make those of us who try and break into the publishing world, armed only with only our fervent desire to succeed, more delusional that society at large?

Alisa has a great post up on her blog about the attributes of gifted people and how they do things that seem nutty to everyone else… like say not only wishing they could write a book, but actually going out and doing it.

What do you think? What separates us actually-writing writers from the just-talking-about-writing masses? What made you do it?

On Lebanon, Bias, and Opinionated Chicks

I wondered about this way back when the idea of a blog was but a spark in my frontal lobes (I don’t want any brainacky science people calling me on my possibly inaccurate use of the term ‘frontal lobe’ okay?)

‘This’ being how much of yourself do you put out there given that we are (most of us anyway) writers and/or readers of humorous fiction aimed at young or young-at-heart women. I decided that, really, no one needs to know how I feel about certain political topics, seeing as many consider chick lit escapist literature and who wants a political debate when you know people would rather read about finding your calling in life/the perfect shoes-and-handbag combo/soulmate who also happens to be a major stud and who you can bring home to your mother…

But then I though about what chick lit means to me, why it struck such a deep chord, and why I continue to seek out quality chick lit even though the genre abounds with less-than-sparkling offerings (given, of course, that what rocks my boat may not do so for the next girl…).

I dig chick lit so much because it’s real. I don’t believe it’s all escapist… just hopeful. Optimistic as opposed to downtrodden. And easy to relate to. On some level, I am Bridget, Becky Bloomwood, or Rachel Walsh even though I’m not British (or thirty), have never sent pleading letters to my banker, nor have I ever ended up in rehab. I’m also not Latina, but Dirty Girls’ Social Club by Alisa Valdes-Rodriguez had just the same effect on me with the added bonus that I learned so much about the nuances of a culture that surrounds us and yet, somehow still eludes many of us. With her groundbreaking novel, Alisa put that culture within our reach and she did this by exploring a topic close to her heart and mind, one she was in a good position to write about. Her blog is a perfect reflection of that voice that made Dirty Girls’ climb the bestseller charts. Alisa is in-your-face and not necessarily nice about telling you just how wrong you are, but she’s smart and relevant, and ultimately, how do you broaden your mind, develop your critical thinking and find out just a little more about the different people who populate the world around you if you don’t listen to writers like Alisa? You don’t have to agree with her, but she speaks out about real issues that affect not only chicas but chicks as well and it behooves us to listen.

Now, this still wasn’t enough to motivate me to put myself out there, subject to every vitriolic stalker (check out Alisa’s Miami stalker who has a whole website dedicated to his hatred of her) who might take offense to my Arab-ness

However, recent world developments conspired against my desire to keep politics out of what is really a blog about writing (or how I’m not writing… oh the shame).

Many of you know I was born in Lebanon. Some of you know that I have family still living in my ancestral home in Beirut, that my Canadian family was on their annual vacation there when the bombs started dropping, after a decade-long hiatus and the kind of rebuilding that would lead a normal, thinking person to believe that the war was indeed over. Some of you might even know that I had considered joining my family in Beirut just weeks before Israel invaded, and that I chose to go to Europe instead.

In reality, I was too cheap to fork over the $2,000 for a high-season ticket, and that I didn’t feel like flying for 18 hours. I figured Beirut would still be there in the spring, when airfare would dip to a more manageable $1000.

To quote a line from the article I’ve linked to, it’s amazing that you can go to sleep in peace and wake up in war.

Most people have been pretty sensitive to the fact that I’m from this area and so directly affected by the events. I haven’t had nearly as many questions about the politics behind the invasion as I have about my family and if they managed to escape unharmed (they did, though only just). Still, I would be shortchanging all my friends in the writing community if I didn’t give them the chance to ask someone who knows something about this conflict whatever they’ve been wondering about. It’s been said that the more news you watch, the more confused you are likely to get, especially if you rely on the same news networks to give some background on the issues. This is largely due to media bias, (and I’m not going to get into exactly which side the media is tilted to…) but since I do happen to be from this area and I do happen to hold an opinion on the subject, I think we should clarify the word ‘bias’ before we go any further.

Everybody’s biased. You know that. Everyone knows that. But if we left it at that, then there’d be no point in debating anything because both sides would be biased and therefore probably molding the truth to suit their arguments. So what we do? There is bias that is born of ignorance, and bias born of experience. It’s incumbent on us, the audience, not on the person making the argument, to try and figure out what kind of bias we’re listening to. It’s easier said than done, I’ll give you that, but unfortunately most of us are too lazy to make any effort to try to understand what’s really going on.

Gone are the days when I would snatch up any opportunity to educate people around me on topics that left them baffled… I would get the standard blank, sometimes skeptical look, followed by a ‘you’re biased’ and a shrug. I think people felt that by asking me my take on things, they’d pretty much done their duty in trying to understand ‘the other side’ and if what I said conflicted with whatever preexisting opinions they held in their heads, then my arguments were automatically relegated to the ‘biased’ bin.

It made me feel like a circus monkey whose purpose was to entertain when I thought I was being asked to educate. I also got tired of having to defend notions that could have been settled had we had an encyclopedia Britannica or access to Google handy.

I’ll say it again: there’s bias born out of ignorance, and bias born out of education. Just ask CNN anchorwoman Christiane Amanpour who, in her interview with Oprah, confessed to feeling guilty for the news media’s attempt to remain neutral when it was clear one side was right and the other was wrong.

Got an opinion? Good. Just make sure you can defend it and defend it well. I don’t care what that opinion is. And if you’re someone listening to this opinion, challenge it. Don’t just take it. You have the tools and the critical thinking needed to decide if this is an opinion worthy enough to add to your arsenal of knowledge, or if you should just listen politely and then empty your mind of that nonsense. Sound tough? Of course. But nothing worthwhile comes easily, including the quest for the truth.

…okay… sloooowly stepping off the soapbox here. But before I go, I’ll leave you with a couple of things: a link to a newspaper article that was printed here in the Cayman Islands about a girl who, like so many other people who flood Lebanon in the summer to visit relatives, went to bed in peace and woke up in war. Her story is that of the tens and tens of thousands who had to find a way out somehow.


Now you’re probably wondering just what my opinions are given this entire lengthy lecture on how much of yourself to put out there. Here’s an amazing clip which has been sending shock waves over the internet for its brutal and unwavering honesty for a few weeks now. Watch it and remember what we talked about…

… and finally, what do you think about chick lit heroines and the world that they inhabit? Do you enjoy reading about characters like those of Alisa VR, unapologetically opinionated and who call attention to racial, political and economic holes in our society (while still maintaining the voice and ‘now’ feel of classic chick lit greats of yore), or do you prefer your protagonists to err more on the side of political correctness?