Blog Tour de Troops! Review: ‘Office Politics’ by Sharon Gerlach

I’m so excited to be a review stop on the Blog Tour de Troops!  If you haven’t stopped by their webpage to see what it is all about, make sure you do so.  Not only can you earn tons of free e-books just by leaving blog comments, but you will be entered into a drawing for a Kindle.  But that’s not even the best part!  For every e-book you earn, one is donated to the American troops serving our country abroad. What a great cause!

Now for the review!

“Malaria is nothing a good dose of quinine can’t handle. Or so thinks Frannie Freeman when her vile office manager Malia—aka Malaria—marries their boss Sam, whom Frannie has loved for years. When Sam suddenly confides that he believes he was roofied the night of his surprise Las Vegas wedding, it seems too good to be true. And it isn’t long before she realizes that’s exactly what it is.

Now, faced with letting Sam go forever or fighting for her heart’s desire, Frannie prepares for battle with a woman’s three best weapons — a loyal heart, a willingness to fight dirty, and the strongest margarita money can buy.”  (Amazon description)

 

I’m so excited to be a review stop on the Blog Tour de Troops!  If you haven’t stopped by their webpage to see what it is all about, make sure you do so.  Not only can you earn tons of free e-books just by leaving blog comments, but you will be entered into a drawing for a Kindle.  But that’s not even the best part!  For every e-book you earn, one is donated to the American troops serving our country abroad. 

Now for the review!

Office Politics by Sharon Gerlach is the first in her Harper & Lyttle series, fun and romantic tales set in a software company in Los Angeles.  Anyone who has ever worked in an office setting will be able to relate to these characters and the crazy characters they have to work with.  Think of the TV show The Office, only from a female perspective and with a strong romantic plot.  

Adding to the humor, Frannie Freeman is one of those people who accidents are always happening too...usually involving some form of humiliation witnessed by The Suits from the executive offices.  Okay, so maybe in real life all of this would never happen to just one person, but the humor lies in that you can totally see this happening! 

The love story is nice, but predictable.  That’s okay though, because both Frannie and Sam are great characters.  Frannie is a fun combination of competent business woman and a total mess.  Sam is the boss who wears suits everyday and expertly navigates the treacherous waters of management, but he is also a truly decent guy.  It would have been easy for his affair with Frannie, his subordinate, to come across as sleazy, but somehow it doesn’t feel that way at all.  I loved the scene where he goes to Frannie after his mother dies.  It’s a short scene with little action, but the subtlety of the emotion is wonderful. 

The ending wraps up a little too neatly, but overall, I reading this book was entertaining and satisfying.  I definitely plan to check out the next in the series The Secret Dreams of Sarah-Jane Quinn. 

Overall I give Office Politics...

Plot - 4 bookmarks

Character Development - 5 bookmarks

Love Story - 4 bookmarks

Dream Cast (otherwise known as who I pictured while reading) - Anne Hathaway (Frannie), Henry Cavil (Sam), Lizzy Caplan (Malaria), Marley Shelton (Gretchen), Emma Stone (Morgan), Kerry Washington (Stella), Cam Gigandi (Eric), Rupert Grint (Stewart)

Office Politics can be purchased at Smashwords or Amazon.  To learn more about the author, Sharon Gerlach, I encourage you to visit her blog at http://sharongerlach.wordpress.com/.  

Author Spotlight: Denise Grover Swank

I'm so excited to host author Denise Grover Swank on my blog today!  I have gotten to know Denise on Twitter and I can attest she is smart, witty and soooooo nice.  Her new book Twenty-Eight and a Half Wishes is available now.  

JLR :  As all aspiring authors know, writing the novel is the easy part—getting published is where the real work comes in.  Tell us about your road to publication.  Is there anything you would have done differently?

DS:  Actually, no. I did everything right, according to publishing standards.  I had critique partners. I joined a writers group. I spent lots and lots of hours writing and editing and editing and editing... you get the picture. ;-) I've queried three projects now, came close to getting an agent with two. The publishing market is rapidly changing and publisher's lists are shrinking.  Some really great books are going to slip through the cracks. Twenty-Eight and a Half Wishes is one of them.

JLR:  So much of book promotion today is done through blog tours.  Tell us about your blog touring experience so far.

DS: This is my second blog tour. The first was a lot of fun because my friends were excited about my book release and offered to be part of it. The beauty of Amazon and Barnes & Noble ebooks is you get pretty much real time sales numbers so you can try to gauge what is effective and what isn't. By far the best promotion so far has been positive book reviews from book reviewers. 

JLR:  There is so much advice given by authors about the writing process.  What type of writing routine do you have?  Are you a planner or a figure-it-out-as-you-go type writer?  Any tips you want to share?

DS:  I'm a combination of both. I usually have a general outline/flow chart I try to follow, but I let the characters lead me through the story and they often change things a bit (or a lot.) I think that's the key, to know your characters and trust them. My other books have more thriller elements and I often put my characters in a situation and let them loose. I know where they end up, but I usually have no idea how they get there. It's not uncommon for me to start whining, "How are we going to get out of this?" LOL

JLR:  I’ve always felt that to be a good writer you must first be a good reader.  What types of books do you read and how have they influenced your writing?

DS:  I read EVERYTHING-- except for non-fiction. I read that only when I have to.  I love paranormal romances (Shannon K. Butcher), some magical realism (Sarah Addison Allen) humorous mysteries (Janet Evanovich and Jennifer Crusie) young adult (mostly paranormal) paranormal thrillers (Steven King and Dean Koonz) Even middle grade (Rick Riordan's Percy Jackson.)  I used to just read for the sake of reading, but now I'm paying attention to elements of the story, the sentence structure, etc. I try to learn from everything I read. 

JLR:  There has been a lot of talk this year about traditional print books giving way to e-books.  For example, publishing powerhouse, Dorchester, announced that they were getting out of the mass market paperback market altogether in favor of e-publishing.  What affect for you think this will have on authors and readers going forward? 

DS:  I sincerely believe the shift to electronic will continue to grow but that print books will still exist. But I can see a future where debut and mid-list authors might publish electronically first, establish themselves and build a fan base, then the traditional publishers will be willing to take a risk. 

JLR:  What are three things that your fans would be surprised to find out about you?

DS:  First is that I have no sense of smell. I never remember being able to smell so I've never really thought much of it and don't mention it often. In fact, my kids tend to forget and start to say "smell this... oh yeah." Second is that I have six children and I'm a single mom.  My oldest child is twenty-four and my youngest is four. My oldest three are biological and my youngest three are adopted from China and Vietnam. And third, hmm... this is hard. Maybe the third is that I don't sleep much. I do a lot of my writing at night after my kids go to bed, so I'm often up until 2 or 3 am writing. And up at 7 during the school year.

 JLR:  Are you involved in any other projects aside from your novel writing? 

DS:  I like to garden, mostly flowers. And I love to travel which is hard to do with all of my children, but we still try. But honestly, I spend a lot of time writing or reading.

JLR:  Where can readers go to purchase Twenty-Eight and a Half Wishes?

DS:  Twenty-Eight and a Half Wishes is available in both print and ebooks at Amazon and Barnes & Noble. And other ebook formats are available at Smashwords.

Author Spotlight: Britney Bronte + GIVEAWAY!!!

Today I have the pleasure in welcoming author British author Britney Bronte to my blog!  Britney's new book Do Not Lick the Phones delves into the humorous world of television psychics.  Not only is Britney a fabulous writer, but she is also kind.  She is donating all proceeds from the sale of this book to help clean up the damage done to London in the recent riots.  Normally, I try not to push sales to hard, but $3.99 will not only buy to an entertaining e-book, but it will help return London to order.  

JLR:  With advancements in technology, self-publishing novels has gotten a million times easier and more affordable.  What made you decide to self-publish, and how has that process been working for you?

BB:  It was an experiment for me. I have had work published by more traditional methods via agent, publisher, paper format, my real name, all very successful. But for Do Not Lick The Phones I didn’t want to wait and go through a long process with no guarantees at the end. There’s a message lurking under the farce and romance, and I wanted it out there quickly.  It has taught me not to be sniffy about e-publishing. I’m delighted that the book has reached so many more people than I expected.

JLR:  As all aspiring authors know, writing the novel is the easy part—getting published is where the real work comes in.  Tell us about your road to publication.  Is there anything you would have done differently?

BB:  Hah! Formatting, proof-checking, these are real headaches. Thankfully someone else did all that kind of thing for me. Looking back, I would probably have organized the blog tour before publication.

JLR:  There is so much advice given by authors about the writing process.  What type of writing routine do you have?  Are you a planner or a figure-it-out-as-you-go type writer?  Any tips you want to share?

BB:  I can’t plan. The moment I set a plan in stone, it’s as though the story’s done and over for me. Instead, I tend to just keep writing, scrawl it all out, get it done, leave it to stew, then go back and cut to pieces/insert plot. Having said that, Do Not Lick The Phones was written much more episodically.

The only tip I can give is the one everybody repeats: Just Keep Writing. One of the most frustrated authors I know is constantly going on to his blog to write about writing. He writes the word count, he writes lyrically about his writing block and his frustrations in writing, If he just shut up and got on with it, he’d have written War and Peace by now.

JLR:  Yeah, I know the type!  I’ve always felt that to be a good writer you must first be a good reader.  What types of books do you read and how have they influenced your writing?

BB:  I’ll read the back of a cereal packet if it’s in front of me! My heroine and I share certain things in common; we both love the Narnia books by C.S. Lewis.  I also love J.R.R. Tolkein, Philip Pullman, The Bronte sisters – of course! – and the grandmother of  chicklit, Mighty Miss Jane Austen.

JLR:  They say good reading habits are developed at an early age.  Have you always been a reader?  Can you pin-point a particular book or author who solidified your love of reading?

BB:  My parents say I was crawling all over dad’s newspapers before I could speak. They’re convinced I was trying to read. I had the most fantastic book of nursery rhymes and I remember being completely enchanted by Maurice Sendak’s ‘Where The Wild Things Are.’ When I started to write, words spilled out just the way they are now. It has always been a natural part of me. I am more myself when I write than when I do anything else. These words you’re seeing are as much the real me as a photo, perhaps more.

JLR:  In the past year or two, e-publishing has soared in popularity.  What made you decide to publish in e-book format?  Do you worry that you won’t achieve as much success as you might in traditional print?

BB:  It occurred to me to consider e-publishing when I realized I had read more blogs than books over the last two years. I love the tangible reality of a book you hold in your hands, but in terms of sales success I can’t complain about the way things are going.

JLR:  What are three things that your fans would be surprised to find out about you?

BB:  1) I have been floored by Mexican midget wrestlers. It was a humbling experience, as if seeing myself in Lycra wasn’t bad enough.

2) I’m one of those popular people who not only likes to hear the same song repeated, but plays the same bit of the same song over and over again. How my neighbours love me!

3) My day job is as a TV presenter. Britney Bronte is a pseudonym I use to protect myself and my loved ones from the controversy around  Do Not Lick The Phones. Death threats and other craziness, I’ve had them all, but I’ve also received many messages of laughter and approval. I would never have expected such extreme reactions to my first chick lit novel, and I am very grateful to all my fans for their support. Thank you!

JLR:  Where can readers go to learn more about your work?

BB:  http://do-not-lick-the-phones.org/

JLR:  Where can readers go to purchase Do Not Lick the Phones?

BB:  http://www.amazon.co.uk/Do-Not-Lick-Phones-ebook/dp/B004TH07KS

JLR:  Thank you so much for joining us Britney!  I love what you are doing for the city of London!

Don't stop reading yet!!!!  

As a special treat, Britney has agreed to donate copies of Do Not Lick the Phones to three lucky readers.  (pdf & mobi formats)  To enter, leave a comment below discussing any experience you might have had with a psychic.  Please leave your email address so I can notify the winners!!!!  


+ 3 extra entries if you tweet about the giveaway and leave me the link!!!  (Each entrant may only win once, but the extra entries will increase your chances.)  Open internationally!!!!!!!!!!  Entries must be received by midnight (central time) Friday, August 19th.  

Review, Interview & GIVEAWAY! 'Click: An Online Love Story' by Lisa Becker

Today's Author Spotlight is on Lisa Becker, whose novel Click: An Online Love Story takes the reader through the ups and downs of online dating.  As a special treat, Lisa has agreed to give THREE e-book copies away to our readers.  See below for details!!

Review: 

When I first picked up Click and saw that it was written entirely in email format, I was afraid that I wouldn’t be able to get into it.  People generally don’t write very formally or creatively in email.  I was concerned that the email format would fail if the emails didn’t sound authentic.  This can also make characterization difficult.  Thankfully, author Lisa Becker pulled the novel off wonderfully!

As Renee Greene approaches her 30^th birthday, her friend Mark convinces her enter the world of online dating.  Click chronicles a year of bad dates, fabulous friendships and a new love.  Something I loved about this book is that I could relate to the characters.  (I think I actually might know some of these people.  J)  Becker is able to infuse plenty of personality in each of the friends, making them distinct and memorable.  I wish we would have gotten a little more of Mark though.  I thought since he was the one who convinced Renee to start online dating, that he would have played a more central role in the story.  It didn’t take long before her sex-obsessed friend Shelley swoops in to steal the show.  Shelley was cool and everything, but I kept wondering what Mark was up to. 

As far as the dating itself, Renee meets the usual cast of characters; the dude just out for sex, the partier, the name-dropping D-list celebrity.  The ending was a bit predictable, but overall, Click was a fun summer read. 

Overall, I give Click…

Plot – 3 ½ bookmarks

Character development – 4 bookmarks

Love story – 4 bookmarks

Dream cast (otherwise known as who I pictured while reading) – Anne Hathaway (Renee), Lizzy Caplan (Shelley), Emily Blunt (Ashley), Andrew Garfield (Mark), Henry Cavil (Ethan)

Meet the Author:

JLR:  Thank you, Lisa, for joining me on my blog today!  As all aspiring authors know, writing the novel is the easy part—getting published is where the real work comes in.  Tell us about your road to publication.  Is there anything you would have done differently?

LB:  I explored the traditional publishing route and got feedback from multiple literary agents. One in particular explained the current economic state of the publishing industry to me. Due to the large investment to edit, produce, distribute and market a work by an unknown author, many large publishers won’t take the risk. Self-publishing is a way to get your work out there.   I'm also reminded of some advice I was once given. I had interviewed Charles Rosen, one of the producers of the original Beverly Hills 90210, for an alumni magazine article while I was in graduate school. And I'll never forget what he told me, "Don't fall in love with your words, because somebody above will probably change them." One of the great benefits of self-publishing is that you can really take control of the process.

JLR:  So much of book promotion today is done through blog tours.  Tell us about your blog touring experience.

LB:  It’s been great so far.  I’ve been energized and motivated by the experience as bloggers are taking an interest in the book, enjoying it, recommending it, etc.  The feedback and enthusiasm has been so positive, I’ve started writing notes for a sequel, tentatively titled Double Click.  I would love to incorporate reader feedback.  So, if someone has an idea of what they would like to see happen next for Renee, Shelley, Ashley or Mark, please stop by the Facebook fan site and post suggestions. 

JLR:  There is so much advice given by authors about the writing process.  What type of writing routine do you have?  Are you a planner or a figure-it-out-as-you-go type writer?  Any tips you want to share?

LB:  I started writing the book after my husband and I married but before we had kids.  Then I had to take a break from writing due to the rigors of motherhood.  But I had always told myself – even as a little girl – that I would write a book one day.  So, I made the commitment to finish the book.  I wrote in the mornings while the girls were at school or at night after they went to sleep.  I made it a goal to write – even if only for a half hour – every day. 

JLR:  How have you been able to balance your writing with your day job and your family responsibilities?  What sacrifices have you had to make?

LB:  In addition to writing Click, I wear many different hats.  I’m a full time mom and wife to the best family ever; part time public relations professional for an international PR firm; part time professor of public relations courses at a state university in California; and I’m bringing to market a children’s education product that I’ve invented.  Needless to say, there’s never a dull moment around here.  But, as mentioned above, it was always on my “bucket list” to write a book, so I just committed to doing it.  I think the biggest sacrifice has been sleep.

JLR:  I’ve always felt that to be a good writer you must first be a good reader.  What types of books do you read and how have they influenced your writing?

LB:  I love to read.  Always have.  Always will.  My favorite genre is chick lit, which is probably why I felt compelled to write a novel the way that I did.  Sadly, I’ve been so busy writing my book, I haven’t had much time to read lately.  But, I’ve got a vacation planned this summer and top of my list is The Help by Kathryn Stockett.  I’m hoping to finish it before seeing the movie.

JLR:  Do you feel it’s necessary to read a lot in order to be a good writer?  Why?

LB:  I do believe that reading a lot can help someone become a stronger writer.  Reading other works can help you to identify interesting narratives, teach character development techniques or inspire a storyline or plot.  For example, many years ago, I read a book called e by Matthew Beaumont which tells the story of a fictitious ad agency vying for a big account, with the story all told in emails.  I thought that narrative style would work really well for the story I wanted to tell about the online dating world.  It was a modern way of storytelling that fit the topic and the times. 

JLR:  They say good reading habits are developed at an early age.  Have you always been a reader?  Can you pin-point a particular book or author who solidified your love of reading?

LB:  I remember always reading and having books around in my house.  And, one of my favorite books as a child was Last of the Really Great Whangdoodles by Julie (Andrews) Edwards.  I bought a copy several years ago for my nephew and he recently gave it back to me so I could give it to my daughters when they get older.  It’s a wonderful, fanciful story and I still smile when I imagine the Whangdoodle who has a daisy on his sweet tooth. 

JLR:  I’m always a sucker for a good love story.  Who is your favorite fictional couple of all time?

LB:  I don’t think it gets any better than Rick and Elsa from Casablanca.  It’s such a beautiful story of love, regret, tragedy and sacrifice. 

JLR:  What are three things that your fans would be surprised to find out about you?

LB:  1. I've never had a cup of coffee in my life...ever!

2. I make the most amazing jalapeno artichoke dip, but won't share the recipe with anyone; it's my secret.
3. I've always wanted to learn to professionally decorate cakes and once I finish writing the Click sequel, I intend to do just that. 

JLR:  Where can readers go to purchase CLICK AN ONLINE LOVE STORY?

LB:  Click: An Online Love Story is available in print and Kindle versions on Amazon.  E-reader versions are also available on Barnes & Noble, iTunes, Kobo and other online bookseller sites.  

Giveaway!!!!!!!!!!!

Lisa has offered to giveaway copies of Click to three lucky readers.  All you have to do it leave a comment below.  Tell us about your experiences or thoughts on online dating.  If you have never tried it, would you under the right circumstances?  Don't forget to leave me your email address!  Winners will be drawn on this Friday.  :)   

Review: VERY VALENTINE by Adriana Trigiani

Thirty-three year old, Valentine Roncalli, is a third generation Italian-American and cobbler in her family’s shoe making business located in Greenwich Village.  After a failed relationship, she moved in to the apartment above the shop with her grandmother.  Being the only signal sister in a close-knit family, Valentine is constantly reminded that she is drifting, destined to become a spinster.

When her grandmother opens the business books, she discovers the business which she thought of as her future is on the brink of bankruptcy.  Her older brother Alfred wants to sell the business and the building and send their grandmother to live in a retirement community in Jersey, something that her grandmother would hate.  Valentine takes it upon herself to drag the business into the future.

Roman is an Italian-American chef who owns his own restaurant in Little Italy.  From the moment he first laid eyes on Valentine, he was smitten.  When Roman & Valentine are together, the chemistry is magic, but can two busy business owners make a relationship enough of a priority to make it work?  When Valentine travels to Italy on business, she is faced with temptations and harsh realities. 

The thing I liked best about this book was the sense of humor.  The opening scene at Valentine’s sister’s wedding is hilarious!  I also enjoyed learning about the shoe making business.  In many ways, it’s a lost art form. 

My main criticism, and it’s a small one, is that I got really bored with the overly detailed descriptions of people’s clothes.  Okay, I get that Valentine is a designer and she would be looking at people’s feet a lot, but do we really need to know every article of clothing being worn by everyone in the room?  Less is more is all I’m saying. 

Overall, I give VERY VALENTINE…

Plot – 3 bookmarks

Character Development – 3 ½ bookmarks

Love Story – 3 bookmark

Humor – 4 bookmarks

Dream Cast (otherwise known as who I pictured while reading) – Lana Parrilla (Valentine), Jeffrey Dean Morgan (Roman), Vincent Spano (Gianluca), Carla Gallo (Jaclyn), Edie Falco (Mike/Mom), Paul Sorvino (Dad), Henry Silva (Dominic)

Review: UNDOMESTIC GODDESS by Sophie Kinsella

Samantha Sweeting is a 29 year old London lawyer who is on the verge of partnership in a prestigious firm when a gigantic mistake derails her career.  Samantha fleas the office in a panic and ends up hopping a train to the country.  Half-drunk and suffering from a colossal headache, Samantha approaches a large home to ask for help.  The nouveau riche woman who answers assumes Samantha is there to interview for the housekeeping position.  Before Samantha knows it, she is hired.  The problem is, she doesn’t know how to do even basic house work and the extent of her cooking ability is being able to put the kettle on for tea.  Unable to face going back to London where she is the joke of the legal community, Samantha decides to make the best out of it and set her intelligence and ambition toward mastering the domestic arts. 

What this book loses in predictability, it makes up for in humor and heart.  My favorite books are those that can be entertaining while at the same time making a comment about a greater issue.  So many people are married to their careers and don’t even realize that life is passing them by.  This is not a book pitting career women against house wives; rather it is about finding a work/life balance in your life. 

Overall, I give Undomestic Goddess…

Plot – 3 bookmarks

Character Development – 4 bookmarks (Kinsella takes stereotypical characters & infuses them with heart.)

Humor – 4 ½ bookmarks

Love Story – 3 bookmarks

Dream Cast (otherwise known as who I pictured while reading)- Emily Blunt (Samantha), Tom Hardy (Nathaniel), Christine Barabski (Trish), Helen Mirren (Iris), Jude Law (Guy)