Author Interview and Book Giveaway: Allison Winn Scotch

Today we have got a real treat! New York Times bestselling author Allison Winn Scotch is here to chat! The paperback release of her NYT bestselling novel, TIME OF MY LIFE, comes out on August 4th, and she's offering readers a chance to win a signed copy!


Now, you may know Allison from her amazing blog, Ask Allison, or perhaps you remember her from my Publisher's Weekly Soapbox column about how important it is for authors to think high concept. Or you might have even seen her on the New York Times bestseller list for her second novel, TIME OF MY LIFE. (And no, we just can't say the New York Times bestseller thing enough. If I were Allison, I'd seriously consider getting a tattoo about it....)

Yes, well. Allison is busying writing bestselling novels, hitting the NYT Bestseller list and writing an influential blog, and yet she STILL has time to visit us and answer some questions!

AND give away a signed copy of the paperback release of TIME OF MY LIFE to boot! How great is that?! So, without further ado, let's hear from Allison:

Tell us about your most recent novel in 25 words or less.

Unhappy stay-at-home mom is haunted by her “what-ifs” and is granted the chance to go back in time and change the future. (If she wants to.) (Sorry, that’s 28 words!)

What are you working on right now?

Toiling on my next book, which is still untitled, or else I’d let you know the fancy name. It sort of flips Time of My Life on its head: a very happy, very fulfilled small-time guidance counselor is granted the unwelcome ability to see into the future and discovers that what she envisions to be the perfect life is actually anything but.

What are you reading right now?

I’m about to dive into Elin Hilderbrand’s newest book, The Castaways. She made a fan out of me with Barefoot, which is one of my all-time favorites, so I always buy her books the first week they come out. I also have Julie Klam’s Please Excuse My Daughter on my nightstand. She’s a friend (and an amazing Twitter-er – go follow her!), and I just know I’m going to love it.

How do you fight writer’s block?

Oh boy, I generally find about 100000000 other things to do rather than write. My ability to procrastinate is legendary. Honestly, I can waste an entire day on the internet doing nothing at all. That said, when I’m in the thick of writing, the only way that I can get around that dreaded blank brain space is...to write. I force myself to sit down and write, period, no matter how painful it is. Often times, once I get going, I discover that I DO have something to say, I just didn’t realize it. On a more technical front, whenever I find my characters up against a wall, I throw some action at them: screw up their lives in some way. The only way to propel a plot forward is to create conflict, so if things are stagnating (both in my imagination and in the book), this is the surest way to amp things back up again.

If your book were to become a movie, who would you cast?

Well, the good news is that Time of My Life actually is being made into a movie! :) The producers have been wonderful in soliciting my opinion and keeping me in the loop, and we’ve discussed probably about seven or so lead actresses. On our short list include Keri Russell, Reese Witherspoon, Jen Garner, Anne Hathaway and a few other wonderful actresses. I think, frankly, that there are a lot of actresses who would be incredible in the role, so I’m always hesitant to play favorites. As far as the guys, I think it depends a lot on who is cast as Jillian, but my personal call for Henry might be Michael Vartan, though again, Patrick Wilson, Mark Ruffalo, Ben Affleck...there’s a long list I could choose from. And for Jackson, you just need one of those hot late-20-something/early 30-something guys: Chris Pine, Bradley Cooper, Scott Speedman, Taylor Kitsch...hmmm, I could go on all day. :)

So could we, Allison. So could we! Thanks so much for stopping by today! We shall now all mentally debate Michael Vartan v. Patrick Wilson and Bradley Cooper v. Chris Pine for the rest of the day....

To enter to win a signed copy of TIME OF MY LIFE, just leave a comment at the bottom of this post. To get another entry, blog about it! OR, to get yet another entry, email five of your friends about this contest (and cc me on the email so that I can account for your extra entry- brenda[at]brendajanowitz[dot]com).

The lucky winners will be announced on August 4th.

Winner, winner, chicken dinner!

Big congrats go out to Alison from alisons-bookmarks.blogspot.com and trishalynn0708 -- these lucky ladies have won copies of Saralee Rosenberg's DEAR NEIGHBOR, DROP DEAD!

Not a winner this time around? That's okay! Tomorrow, we'll be giving away a signed copy of the highly anticipated paperback release of Allison Winn Scotch's TIME OF MY LIFE. So, don't forget to check back here for a chance to win more books!

So what did Lauren Lipton wear?!

So, what did Lauren Lipton end up wearing to her big NYC book signing after all? I know we all voted on it last month, and now Lauren's blogging about it. So head over there and check it out!

United breaks guitars

So, the first thing my husband wants you to know is that he is responsible for 48% of the blog posts you see here. Now, I'm not sure about the math, but my hubby does send me quite a few crazy news stories, to be sure. And, yes, I usually blog about them.

Oh, about 48% of the time.

He recently sent me this awesome story, courtesy of the fine folks over at upgradetravelbetter.com: Seems musician Dave Carroll was traveling on United Airlines, and was horrified to find the baggage handlers tossing guitars around, as he watched, helpless, from the plane. When he arrived at his destination, his guitar was-- wait for it-- broken! Carroll tried to go through various channels over at United in order to get his guitar fixed. But a year later, there was still no resolution.

So, Carroll did what he does best. He wrote a song about it. I just love this, because so often when things like this happen, you're unable to do a thing about it. You try and try to find a solution, but in the end, all you can really do is vent.

But not so if you're a singer-songwriter! If you're like Dave Carroll, you can write a song about it, create a hilarious music video, and then get over 2.5 million hits on You Tube. Nice.

He's posted the entire backstory on his website here. And here's the music video, which I know you're going to love. Enjoy:

Ain't revenge sweet?!

How to Marry a Millionaire

For those of you who love the trash-tastic reality offerings on VH1 as much as I do, Christmas comes early this year!

Everyone's favorite manipulator is back! And better than ever. Yes, bikini-clad Megan from Rock of Love and I Love Money has got her own show, and it'll be out on August 2.

It's called Megan Wants a Millionaire. Straight, to the point-- you've gotta love the title! We get to watch Megan on her quest to marry for money. What could be better?!

There's a preview clip for the show here, which really needs to be seen to be believed. The highlight for me is the fact that one of the millionaires vying for Megan's attention is Sex Toy Dave, who some of you may know from the Millionaire Matchmaker.

So, who do you think should be the next VH1 crazy to get his or her own reality show?!

Mr. Penn goes to Washington

I've been reading about this for a while, but now NY Mag has a whole article on it: Kal Penn has officially forsaken acting, for the time being, and has taken a position in the Obama administration.

He'll be working as Associate Director in the Office of Public Liason, and he's going by his real name instead of his stage name: Kalpen Modi. He says that it's what his real friends call him anyway (um, no one ever told me that I could call him that....), and he never legally changed his name to Kal Penn, it's just a stage name. So, Kalpen it is.

This gig in DC is open ended, and it begs the question: Will he be back for another Harold and Kumar movie?! Yes, I know that government is important, but we're talking about Harold and Kumar here! I'm sure that Obama would agree that laughter is important, too, especially in these trying economic times!

Clearly, the only one who can save the new Harold and Kumar movie (A Very Harold and Kumar Christmas, currently in production) is NPH. Neil Patrick Harris, take it away!

Author interview and book giveaway: Saralee Rosenberg

I'm so delighted today because the lovely Saralee Rosenberg has come to chat! Now, you may recognize her name since we've spoken together so many times in the past. And if you were lucky enough to attend any of these events, you know how unbelievably hilarious Saralee is! (She really missed her calling as a stand-up comic, methinks....)


Today, Saralee's here to answer some of our questions and also give away not one, but TWO signed copies of her latest release: DEAR NEIGHBOR, DROP DEAD. Doesn't the title alone just make you want to pick it up and read it? And, um, maybe leave a copy for your annoying next door neighbor? Ahem. But don't tell them that I told you to do that.

Without further ado, let's hear from Saralee:

Tell us about your most recent novel in 25 words or less.

This is a story of two next door neighbors on Long Island who live to make each other miserable until one day a seventy-year old secret seals their fate forever. Readers have reported chronic laughter and tears. See your doctor if symptoms persist.

When did you first begin writing?

I'm told that I was writing short stories as young as seven or eight-years old, and that I used to have to pay my older sister a quarter to read them. Turns out that she liked them so much, she'd end up giving me the money back, but I have very little recollection of any of this. Still, I do remember having a class clown mentality. Little did I know that some of my earliest material would be the notes I sent to my kids' teachers. They would always tell me that they couldn't wait for me to write to them to explain some mishap or issue because whatever I said would guarantee the laugh of the day (yay- gold star for me!). That inspired me to give comedy writing a try, and my first audience were the members of my local ORT chapter (supporting Jewish causes). They would all tell me how much they enjoyed my monthly columns and would try to guess who I was writing about (never expecting it might be them), and yet I was "fired". Seems I ruffled a few feathers with one column about the neighborhood, but it was the best thing that could have happened. I decided if I was going to be publicly shamed, I might as well get paid for the gig and that's when I started writing novels.

What are you working on right now?

I am so excited about the novel I'm working on right now. I have always loved exploring the mother-daughter relationship as I did my four novels, A LITTLE HELP FROM ABOVE (a dead mother), CLAIRE VOYANT (a stand-in mother), FATE AND MS. FORTUNE (a depressed mother) and DEAR NEIGHBOR, DROP DEAD (two very different mothers). But this story takes this mother-daughter bond to a whole new level of riviting interaction. Here is the story: Seventeen years after a deadbeat mom runs away to become a rockstar/drummer, a hit record makes her rich and gives her hope of reconnecting with her daughter, who is expecting her first baby. It's called BEAT IT! I am so in love with Grace (her mother named her after Grace Slick) and her take on life and love that I have a feeling I'm going to need a literary leash. She is taking me in way different directions than I envisioned. Go Grace!!!!

How do you fight writer’s block?

I'm one of the lucky ones who has never understood the concept of writer's block. I rarely experience it, maybe because I feed my muse M&Ms and chocolate chip cookies. She/he never leaves my side. Ideas generally pour out and the challenge is what to do with all them- figure out which ones are really good and insert here. But not all of this is luck.

I've developed some pretty nifty tricks to keep the ideas flowing, one of which is to do an astrological natal chart for my main characters. Basically I make up a birthdate, do their charts, and find out what they struggle with, what they enjoy, how they think, what worries them- then I turn on the "what if" part of my brain and voila, more ideas. What I love about this technique is that it helps me create three-dimensional characters who seem and speak real. The best compliment I get is when readers tell me how much they could relate. That's when I know I did my job!


Thanks so much for stopping by, Saralee! And thanks for giving away copies of your latest book!

To enter to win a signed copy of DEAR NEIGHBOR, DROP DEAD, just leave a comment at the bottom of this post. To get another entry, blog about it! OR, to get yet another entry, email five of your friends about this contest (and cc me on the email so that I can account for your extra entry- brenda[at]brendajanowitz[dot]com).

The lucky winners will be announced on July 22nd.

Winner, winner, chicken dinner!

Big congrats go out to Quilting Reader and Sphinx63 -- these lucky ladies have won copies of Dan Begley's MS. TAKEN IDENTITY!

Not a winner this time around? That's okay! Next week, we'll be giving away TWO signed copies of Saralee Rosenberg's DEAR NEIGHBOR, DROP DEAD. So, don't forget to check back here for a chance to win more books!

GCC Author interview: Samantha Wilde

You didn't think I'd leave you for the long holiday weekend without some wonderful internet entertainment, now did you?

Today, I've got a great GCC interview all lined up for you: it's Samantha Wilde, who's here to chat about her debut novel, THIS LITTLE MOMMY STAYED HOME. Called "the mother of motherhood novels," it's guaranteed to put a smile on your face!

So, let's go and meet Sam!

Tell us about your most recent novel in 25 words or less.

Joy McGuire, a seemingly normal person with a seemingly normal marriage, has a baby, after which point, nothing is normal again. Not her breasts or her belly or her heart or her marriage. It’s a hilarious, rueful, laugh-out-loud post partum tale about the grueling work of the first nine months of the first baby when change is an urgent necessity that you wish you could run away from.

When did you first begin writing?

I’ve written as long as I can remember. My first book (age 5), I wrote, illustrated and bound. It’s called Forest Dreams, not too bad for a first title.

Where do you find inspiration for your work?

In chocolate. And by being interested in humanity, in people, and in their stories. I love to look at strangers and imagine the whole world they live in that I know nothing about.

What are you reading right now?

I’m reading THE YEAR OF LIVING BIBLICALLY. Very funny. I adore funny books. And funny religious books are especially hard to come by. As a minister, I can’t tell you how much I appreciate them.

Do a quick character study on yourself....

Now, I am a mother. I’m all mothered up and mothered in. My two are one and almost three. I spend my days with them. I’m fascinated by the world of mothering socially, academically, personally. Most of all, I love my children. I’m a book addict, a huge consumer of all things chocolate, a yoga teacher, a minister, have a tiny veggie garden, spend lots of time outside, prefer the country to the city, and walking to running. I will only run if something chases me.

Thanks so much for stopping by, Samantha! Now, on to the Fourth of July barbecues and fireworks! I hope that everyone has a great weekend! See you all next week.

Button, Button

Those of you who read JACK WITH A TWIST know that I'm sort of obsessed with the short story Button, Button by Richard Matheson.

Okay, so maybe you didn't know that I was obsessed, but maybe you recall the story from the book. It comes towards the end, where Brooke is confused about everything, and her dad tells her about it: a couple gets a visit from a man with a box that has a giant red button on top. He tells them that if they push the button, they'll get one million dollars, but someone, somewhere in the world, will die-- someone they don't know....

There was a Twilight Zone episode based on the story, and there's been talk of a horror movie being made out of the short story, and the trailer's finally out! The movie's called The Box, and it looks completely terrifying. And awesome.

Check out the short story and then check out the trailer here on EW's site!

Tonight's the night!

If you're on Long Island, come by to see me tonight! I'll be reading at the Summer Gazebo Reading Series. Grab a lawn chair and meet me there!

The fun begins at 7 p.m. in the park at Schoolhouse Green—bring your picnic basket and lawn chairs! Schoolhouse Green is on Foxhurst Road in Oceanside, just east of Long Beach Road

Hope to see you all there!

GCC Author interview: Sheila Curran

Today we've got a wonderful interview, and I'm not just saying that because this is a lovely member of the fabulous GCC. No, it's because the amazing Sheila Curran is here, and her latest novel, EVERYONE SHE LOVED came out on Monday, and has already broken the Amazon 100!


Gorgeous cover, isn't it?! EVERYONE SHE LOVED is a wise and triumphant novel about powerful bonds among four women who’ve come of age together only to discover that – when it comes to the essentials – life’s little instruction book will always need revising.

So, without further ado, let's hear from Sheila:

Tell us about your most recent novel in 25 words or less.

Old money in the New South, romantic confusion, legal entanglements, and the unbreakable bonds among four women – and a man. Penelope Cameron May’s last wishes set off a riveting story of secrets, suspicion, motherhood, wifehood and sisterhood.

When did you first begin writing?

I was 26. I didn’t publish my first piece until 41 and my first book until 49.

What are you reading right now?

I just finished Maria Doria Russell’s Dreamers of the Day, which I loved. That woman can write. If you’ve not read THE SPARROW, CHILDREN of GOD, or THREAD of GRACE, do not delay!

How do you fight writer’s block?

I force myself into a routine of staring at an empty screen for two hours each morning. Usually I get bored enough to come up with something. The beginning of each book is always the hardest. And I think it’s John Mcphee who said writer’s block is simply another way of saying you’ve not finished your research.

What is your favorite part of writing?

When I finally realize what’s going to happen and I get into the flow. Least favorite? When I can’t figure out what’s going to happen and I sit there thinking I’ll never, ever in a million years, write another word.

What tips would you offer to aspiring writers?

Write at least one bad page a day or sit in front of your computer for at least one hour a day, trying to write.

SUCH great advice. I really agree with all of that wholeheartedly!

Thanks so much for coming by, Sheila! I don't know about the rest of you, but this sounds like exactly what my beach bag needs! So, what are you waiting for? Run out and grab your copy today!!!

It's all a matter of how you look at it.

As a writer, I just think that this AARP ad is so unbelievably cool....

Guest blog and book giveaway: Dan Begley

We've got such a treat today! I'm introducing you to a brand new author on the chick lit scene. Smart and funny, just like all of the chick lit authors you've come to know and love, but this author is a bit different: he's a man!


Yes, today we've got award winning writer and professor Dan Begley here to chat. His debut novel, MS. TAKEN IDENTITY, comes out today, and it's a fabulous read. I was asked to blurb this book, and I really loved it. It's a clever and funny story about learning who you really are and what's important in life.

And what's even more exciting is that Dan will be giving away not just one, but TWO signed copies of the book! Deets on how to enter are at the bottom of this post.

So, without further ado, I give you our guest blogger for today, Dan Begley:

Man! I Feel Like a Woman

When I was a boy, I wanted to be a pro football quarterback. As a teen, my obsession was basketball and the Boston Celtics. In college (when I realized I’d stopped growing and wouldn’t be 6’9”), my interests turned to hockey. So naturally, now that I’m getting a novel published, my chosen genre is…chick lit.

Pardon?

Actually, chick lit and I go back a long way. I read my first chick lit novel when I was in college. I was taking an English Lit survey class, and we were reading Dickens and Joyce and Orwell, among others. Then the professor, a rather staid gentleman, assigned the chick lit novel, unabashedly praising it as one of the best books ever written. Of course, he didn’t use the term “chick lit”; he called it by another name.

Pride and Prejudice.

Yes, that one.

Maybe you’ve read it. Or seen the movie with Keira Knightley (my wife could watch it daily). Or the miniseries with Colin Firth. Or read Helen Fielding’s modern take: Bridget Jones’s Diary. The connection between chick lit and Austen is inescapable. Google the two: 130,000 results.

It seems that Ms. Austen tapped into something both universal and timeless in her delightful novel: romance, fashion, and Love, and the silly things it makes us say and do and feel. In a nutshell, that’s what P and P is about. And, as far as I can tell, that’s what chick lit is about.

Now, I’ve only written one book in the genre, so I’m no expert. There are many other far more talented and insightful (and attractive) practitioners—I won’t name names, but you know these good ladies’ names—and they would be far more qualified to tell you what it is and isn’t.

As for me, I just wanted to write a story about a guy who starts off with his own pride and prejudice about the genre, about the people who read it, and about life itself. He’s not a bad guy; he just has a blind spot. Okay, blind spots. And huge ones.

But in the end, he just wants what every single woman in every single chick lit novel wants: To love, and be loved.

Come to think of it, that’s what we all want, isn’t it? I know I do. And thanks to my wife Robin, I have it.

I’m not sure how women who enjoy chick lit (or women in general) will take to my novel. They may think that it’s making fun of them. If you stop reading after page forty, I can see how you’d think that. But if you hang in there, I think you’ll find that the book is saying something else, entirely.

After all, that’s my name on the cover of a chick lit novel.

And I couldn’t be more proud.

Thanks so much for stopping by, Dan! That post totally makes me want to read your book again!

To enter to win a copy of MS. TAKEN IDENTITY, just leave a comment at the bottom of this post. To get another entry, blog about it! OR, to get yet another entry, email five of your friends about this contest (and cc me on the email so that I can account for your extra entry- brenda[at]brendajanowitz[dot]com).

The lucky winners will be announced on July 6th.

Happy Father's Day!

Happy Father's Day!  I think you all know how I feel about my dad.  If you didn't get a chance to check out my New York Post piece about my dad, just click here! 

And have a great weekend!

We love all of our Gossip Girl hotties equally here

With all of our talk here about Chase Crawford and the casting of Footloose, we've been totally disregarding our other Gossip Girl hotties.

I know. Shame on me.

Variety is reporting that Ed Westwick has been cast in Wuthering Heights. Now, if you watch Gossip Girl, you know that casting Chuck in the Heathcliff role is just so, so delicious. I'm counting on him to be speaking in his native English accent (how much do we love men with accents?! Some people write entire books about it....) and doing what he does best: brooding.

Could there be any more perfect casting?

Winner, winner, chicken dinner!

So, the crowd was really split on what Lauren Lipton should wear to her NYC Barnes and Noble reading tonight! I vote for the sexy black vintage number, for what it's worth, Lauren!

If you're in the NY Metro area, I hope you'll go cheer Lauren on at her NYC reading!

Now, onto our contest winners! Big congrats go out to Jemscout425 and Sue -- these lucky ladies have won copies of Lauren Lipton's MATING RITUALS OF THE NORTH AMERICAN WASP!

Not a winner this time around? That's okay! Next week, we'll be giving away TWO signed copies of Dan Begley's MS. TAKEN IDENTITY. So, don't forget to check back here for a chance to win more books!

It's all right, cause I'm saved by the bell

I now officially love Mark-Paul Gosselaar.  Er, I mean Zack Morris.  

You see, Jimmy Fallon's been trying to organize a Saved by the Bell reunion, and Mark-Paul Gosselaar came onto the show to promote his latest venture, Raising the Bar on TNT, and also to pledge his commitment to a Saved By the Bell reunion.  But, the best part?  He does the entire thing totally in character as Zack Morris.

That's right.  He comes on as Zack Morris.  And then doesn't break character.  Not even once.

I love it when people don't take themselves too seriously.  Now, Gosselaar could have come on the show and just spoken about his latest TV show.  He's an established actor with a new show and some serious acting under his belt (he had a great run on NYPD Blue, if you recall).  But he instead chose to have some fun with the role that got his whole career started.  The result is absolutely hilarious and shows us fans what a good sport he is.  (And how he still looks exactly the same twenty years later!)

Here's the clip on Jimmy Fallon:

New Jersey's where it's at!

And I don't just mean the new season of Real Housewives of New Jersey!

I'll be in New Jersey this Sunday at the BooksNJ2009 Book Fair! If you're in the tri-state area, I'd love to see you there!

Deets are as follows:

Books NJ 2009

Sunday, June 14th
1pm - 5pm

Paramus Public Library
116 East Century Road
Paramus, NJ 07652

I'll be speaking on a fiction panel at 3:30pm, so I hope you'll be able to come by and say hi!

Enter to win a copy of JACK!

Hop on over to Drey's Library today. I'll be doing an interview and then giving away a copy of JACK WITH A TWIST to one lucky winner!

Bust out those lawn chairs!

If you're on Long Island, I'd love to see you! I'll be reading at the Summer Gazebo Reading Series on Monday, June 29th. If you're around, grab a lawn chair and meet me there!

I'm so thrilled, because I'll be reading with fellow authors Ellen Meister, Saralee Rosenberg and Carol Hoenig, moderated by Book Columnist Debbi Honorof. Yes, it's the same group as our Author Tea, so if you missed us there, come see us at the Gazebo! Here are the deets:

LONG ISLAND, NEW YORK:
MONDAY, JUNE 29, 2009
Summer Gazebo Readings Series
sponsored by the Kiwanis Club of Oceanside
7 p.m.
In the park at Schoolhouse Green—bring your picnic basket and lawn chairs!
Schoolhouse Green is on Foxhurst Road in Oceanside, just east of Long Beach Road

Hope to see you all there!

Why can't *I* come up with an invention like this?

First, I boggled your mind with this. It was the mom and baby snuggie, and it was really disturbing for some reason.

But now, I've found this! And, um, I sort of want one.

Most importantly, should Lauren Lipton wear one to her reading?!

Discuss amongst yourselves.

Guest blog and book giveaway: Lauren Lipton

One of the wonderful things about becoming an author is the chance to meet other authors whose work you really respect. I was so thrilled when I met Lauren Lipton last year at Kristin Harmel's book party. We hit it off, and the rest, as they say, is history. Not only is Lauren a great breakfast companion and email buddy, but, oh yeah, she's also an amazing writer!


Her latest, MATING RITUALS OF THE NORTH AMERICAN WASP, is out in bookstores now! It truly is the perfect summer read-- smart, clever and funny. What else could you want in a book?! And we're giving copies away today! Not one, but TWO lucky readers will be getting a copy of Lauren's novel. Deets on how to enter to win are at the bottom of this post.

Lauren's here today to chat about the important issues plaguing women today, and more specifically, women's fiction authors: What to wear....

So without further ado, here's Lauren!

Hi, Brenda, and thanks for the opportunity to guest-blog! I was going to riff for a while here about preppy fashion—a major theme in Mating Rituals of the North American WASP. But as it happens, my random musings have crystallized into a serious question, and the question is this:

What should I wear to my reading?

I thought I'd ask you because of all the reading outfits I've seen, the retro-chic frock you wore to read from Jack With a Twist last summer is hands-down the cutest. I remember it being buttercup-colored to coordinate with your book cover.

The choice was impressive. It has stuck in my mind as I prepare for a reading of WASP later this month.

The problem is, though, that my book is pink and green, and I look hideous in pink and green. In fact, I look hideous in all preppy fashion—the grosgrain, the madras, the seersucker. This is likely because, though I am the daughter of a Rhode Island WASP, my mother ditched her conservative togs the minute I was born and she and my father struck out for Southern California, where everyone was drinking sangria while sporting dresses with airbrushed rainbows and Indian tunics with little round mirrors sewn in. This was the eclectic fashion of my formative years, and though I'm hardly wearing it now, I'm more comfortable in it—or in something black and New Yorkish—than in anything embroidered with tiny ducks.

So my question, to you and your readers, is, how important is it to look the part during a reading? If I wear a WASPy wardrobe, will it look cute, or costumey? Do I go with my slinky vintage black dress (possibly designed by Versace before he was Versace), or do I do Lilly Pulitzer (adorable, but not me)?

Please advise. And you're all invited to my reading, at Barnes & Noble, 82nd and Broadway, on June 17 to see what I chose.

Big thanks to Lauren for stopping by! And now, on to the fun part: the free books! We'll be giving away not one, but TWO copies of Lauren's book.

Since Lauren is in dire need of our help, the contest rules are a bit different this week. You'll have to vote on what Lauren should wear! Leave a comment below with a recommendation on what Lauren should wear and you're entered to win one of TWO copies of MATING RITUALS OF THE NORTH AMERICAN WASP!

Want extra entries? That can be arranged.... Blog about this contest for another entry. Or you can send an email to five friends about this giveaway (don't forget to cc me, brenda[at]brendajanowitz[dot]com!) for TWO additional entries! You must put "Brenda's Blog" somewhere in the email subject heading for your entry to count.

The lucky winners will be announced on June 17th, just in time for Lauren's fabulous Barnes and Noble reading!

Winner, winner, chicken dinner!

Big congrats go out to Gabi 317-- she's won a signed copy of Ellen Meister's THE SMART ONE!

Not a winner this time around? That's okay! Tomorrow, we'll be giving away TWO copies of Lauren Lipton's MATING RITUALS OF THE NORTH AMERICAN WASP. So, don't forget to check back here for a chance to win more books!

GCC Author interview: Judi Fennell

Today we've got a member of the GCC here to chat. It's Judi Fennell, whose debut novel, IN OVER HER HEAD, comes out this week! Publisher's Weekly called this story of a woman and a sexy merman "[a] playful debut... sincere wit." AND it's got a nautical theme, so it's perfect for summer!


Let's, uh, dive in, shall we? (Pun intended.)

Tell us about your most recent novel in 25 words or less.

In Over Her Head is the adventure of a woman who's afraid of the ocean and a Merman.

When did you first begin writing?

I was always telling stories - even before I could write, my imaginary friend Casper the Friendly Ghost made me go in the street on my bicycle when I was 2 1/2. I worked that story to keep myself from getting in trouble. I have my writing from kindergarten and all through school, including Mr. Magickal, the protagonist, defeats the zebra-striped alligator.

Where do you find inspiration for your work?

I love all things fairy tale, especially Disney. I was working on a twist to fairy tales and wanted to do one on The Little Mermaid. To make it my own, I made the guy the mer. Voila, Reel was born.

What are you working on right now?

I'm editing the next two books in the series, Wild Blue Under which comes out in November, and Catch of a Lifetime for February 2010, as well as working on a proposal for the next books in the series.

What are you reading right now?

Linda Wisdom's series about 13 witches. They're a hoot.

How do you fight writer’s block?

I can't afford to have writer's block, but if I do, I find picking up another book helps unlock the creativity. There's something freeing about seeing that another person has pushed through it and made it work.

If your book were to become a movie, who would you cast?

I'd love Matthew McConaughey and Kate Hudson or Sandra Bullock, but if not them, Zac Efron and Anne Hathaway could do a great job.

What is your favorite part of writing?

I love when the story flows out of my fingers and it just takes off without me having to work for it. Least favorite? When it's not working and you have to push through it to get it to work.

What tips would you offer to aspiring writers?

Keep writing and put your work out there for people to critique. Enter contests. Join a critique group. Get feedback and be open to criticism and look at your work from their point of view. Work on craft. Divorce yourself from the emotion attached to it once it's written and be willing to look at the feedback with an eye to make it better. And don't stop writing. Don't give up. The one way to ensure you won't get published is to give up.

How do you usually begin your stories—with a character or with a plot?

Usually I get a line, whether it's dialogue or the opening line, or a situation. Every story begins differently for me, and I write each one differently. One can be written linear, another with a bunch of scenes that I tie together, yet another with the beginning and the end then filling in the middle. Different characters = different story = different manner in writing it.

Do a quick character study on yourself:

A quick character study? Ha. Okay, here ya go: I'm half Irish and half Italian. I'll be your best friend, but don't tick me off. Favorite color is purple, favorite gem is a tie between amethyst and diamonds, love animals, hate spiders. Terrified of what's in the ocean (seeing JAWS at a young age was a mistake).

Thanks so much for stopping by, Judi! We just know your books will make a huge splash! (Sorry, I just can't stop with the puns.....)