Lucie Simone

Younger, Thinner, Blonder

Have you ever wondered what it’s like to have everything? Tanya Travis doesn’t have to. As host of TV show ‘The Truth With Tanya Travis,’ she lives a life of glamour, luxury and public adulation while solving the problems of Britain’s great unwashed each day on her show.

However, things are not all they seem and Tanya’s life of designer kitchens, Prada handbags and myriad TV awards is as difficult behind the scenes as those of her TV show guests. A victim of her own success, Tanya is hounded by the press, constantly reading headlines about her own life looks, and body. But when she reads stories about her partner’s weakness for young blondes and there’s trouble at work, Tanya’s carefully constructed celebrity life starts to come apart at the seams.

With her relationship in crisis, her cellulite on overdrive and her career on the line, Tanya may have to take up the offer of prime time exposure with a desperate gaggle of C-List wannabes. Billed as a show ‘where good celebrities go bad,’ ‘Celebrity Spa Trek’ is a reality programme like no other – but can Tanya take on the lack of hot water, starvation, exhaustion and sheer showbiz bitchiness of a celebrity trek through the Himalayas?

A sharp, witty novel about our celebrity obsessed culture from the author of bestselling Fat Girls and Fairy Cakes.

My Thoughts:
I simply adored Sue Watson’s debut, Fat Girls & Fairy Cakes, so I’d been eagerly awaiting her next book for what seemed like a century! And I was beyond thrilled when my Kindle copy finally arrived in my inbox a few weeks ago. So much so that I abandoned another book in order to dive right in to Sue’s new tale. You know when you fall in love with a debut author and you’re biting your nails with anticipation as they work on the second? It’s almost like needing to feed an addiction. And my expectations for book 2 are always so great that sometimes I’m let down when they don’t live up to my high standards. Thankfully, that was not the case with Younger, Thinner, Blonder. From the first page, I was sucked into Tanya Travis’ celebrity life, and like a reality TV show junkie, I simply could not get enough. I was Tanya’s biggest fan (aside from her foul-mouthed cleaner/P.A., Astrid), and following her on her journey from “Daytime Darling” to C-list celeb was both incredibly hilarious and even a little heartbreaking at times. Sue Watson has a fabulously funny voice and a gift for crafting comedic scenes that’ll have you guffawing so loudly that her books are almost dangerous to read in public places. A library for instance? Only for those who’ve mastered the silent laugh! But there’s more to Tanya Travis’ story than a spoiled celebrity on the verge of extinction. She’s also harboring a pain so deep it will bring tears to your eyes. Honestly, while I was reading in jury duty one day, I could not stop the flow of tears, doing my best to mop them up with my sleeve as my fellow almost-jurors banged away on their laptops and watched movies on their smartphones. And Ms. Watson really knows how to tug at your heart and keep you in suspense as you hope and pray and beg for a happy ending for our embattled heroine. But I don’t dare give anything away. All I can say is READ IT! If you’re anything like me (and if you follow my blog, I’m guessing that you are), you’ll love every page of it.

About the Author:     

Sue Watson was a journalist on women’s magazines and national newspapers before leaving it all behind for a career in TV. As a producer with the BBC she worked on garden makeovers, kitchen takeovers and daytime sofas – all the time making copious notes so that one day she might escape to the country and turn it all into a book. For more about Sue, please visit her blog.

 

I’m excited to have the fabulously funny and super talented Cat Lavoie on the blog today. I absolutely adored her debut, Breaking the Rules, so I was all too thrilled to get my hands on her second book, Zoey & the Moment of Zen. You can read my review here. And without further ado, here’s Cat!

Q: In Zoey & the Moment of Zen, Zoey is sent off to a Wellness retreat in Mexico against her will. What kind of research did you do to capture the authenticity of the place? Did you spend any time at a similar resort, whether or not it was against your will?

A. No, I never spent time at a Wellness retreat, but I did—willingly—go to Puerto Vallerta, Mexico after a bad breakup. Unfortunately, I got food poisoning and spent a day in the hospital. That’s where the idea for this novel was born.

Q: Zoey has a strong affection for coffee that probably rivals her obsession with Braden. Are you a coffee connoisseur, as well? Do you have a favorite bean?

A. No, I’m definitely not a coffee connoisseur—but I do love a good Cinnamon Dolce Latte from Starbucks. I’m a very casual coffee drinker and, recently, I’ve been trying to give it up completely and stick to tea. Zoey would not approve!

Q: Both your heroine, Zoey, and you (famously) have a cat. Do you ever fear you will become the neighborhood crazy cat lady? I believe it is too late for me as I have 3! But seriously, does Abbie inspire you creatively, or do you find it hard to write with a cat on your lap.

A. It’s too late for me too—crazy cat ladies unite! Abbie is such a handful and it can be hard to write when she’s meowing for attention or food—or sleeping on my notebooks and keyboard. But she’s such a lovely distraction and she definitely helps my creativity. When I started blogging (years ago) I had a feature called Weekly Dose of Abbie Cuteness where all I did was post adorable pics of her. I should start that up again!

Q: What is your writing method? Are you a plotter or a pantser?

A. I’d like to be a pantser and just let the story shape itself along the way, but I’m a plotter. I can’t write if I don’t know where I’m headed—which means I can be in the ‘outlining stage’ of a novel for a really long time.

Q: Do you have any writing rituals to help set the mood before sitting down at the keyboard?

A. The television needs to be on—even if I’m not watching it. (And it’s almost always tuned to the Food Network.)

Q: What was your first car and how old were you when you got it?

A. I don’t drive—mainly because I live in a city that has pretty efficient public transport. But if I do get my driver’s license someday, I hope to buy my dream car, a red Mini Cooper.

Q: What is your favorite holiday and why?

A. I’ve been to London twice and I’d go back in a heartbeat. I love the city—the people, the history, the amazing fish & chips—and I feel like there’s so much more of the city I need to explore.

Q: Who was your first celebrity crush and why?

A. Michael E. Knight, who played the character of Tad Martin on All My Children. He was so handsome and charming. I remember writing his name on my notebooks at school and taping every episode. My television addiction began at a very young age.

Q: What was the first concert you went to?

A. It was an outdoor festival called Edgefest. Collective Soul was the headlining act. I remember the awesome music—and all the sunburns I got from standing in the sun all day. But it was worth it!

Q: If you could give just one piece of advice to your 16-year-old self, what would it be?

A. Keep writing—it will all make sense eventually.

The Story Behind the Story

Hello, everyone! Zoey here. Cat has asked me to write quite a few of these posts since the beginning of her blog tour. I’m not sure I’m happy about that. I’ve got a business to run and I’m extremely busy. People need their coffee and baked goods. But I have to admit that this post is pretty cool—it’s all about the trip that inspired my story!

Poor Cat. It all started with a broken heart. (I’ve been there.) She hadn’t planned on taking a vacation that year—especially not to Mexico. Cat is definitely not a fan of the sun and the beach. Like me, she’d much rather visit museums and explore little shops off the beaten path. But when relatives extended the invitation to go stay with them in Puerto Vallarta, she decided that it was time to stop moping and have an adventure. But first, she needed to pack up her bathing suit and beach towel.

Of course, Abbie wanted to come along:

After a bumpy flight, she finally landed in Mexico and immediately regretted wearing jeans and a cardigan. But even the threat of a heat stroke couldn’t distract her from the breathtaking sights. The beach! Palm trees! Hmmm… those palm trees look exactly like the ones on the cover of Zoey & the Moment of Zen!

 
For the first few days, everything was lovely—but since this is Cat we’re talking about, something had to happen! I swear that girl has the worst luck. This time, bad luck came in the form of a tall glass of icy water. Not bottled water like all the brochures warn you to stick to. Oh, no. Tap water. (Between you and me, she should have been drinking iced coffee.)

Now, this is where it gets really interesting—for me, not for Cat. Because while the aforementioned bad luck magnet was hooked up to an IV, I came into her life as her mind was wandering. (I’m sneaky that way.) And even though she was still writing about Roxy and Ollie from Breaking the Rules, we talked about me and the adventures I’d be having in Puerto Vallarta. Spoiler alert: I do not get food poisoning.

But even though a bunch of not-so-fun stuff happened during her vacation, I am insanely jealous of Cat because—somewhere along the way—she got to do THIS:

I really need to convince her to write another book about me so I can go swimming with dolphins too.
So now that you know the story behind the story, I need to get back to work. Something tells me I’ll be daydreaming about dolphin kisses all day!

Cat Lavoie lives in Montreal, Canada with her tempestuous cat, Abbie. Her debut novel, Breaking the Rules, was published in August 2012 by Marching Ink. If Cat isn’t reading or writing, she’s most likely watching too much TV or daydreaming about her next trip to London.

To find out more about Cat and her books, please visit www.CatLavoie.com

Connect with Cat!

Website: http://www.CatLavoie.com

Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/Catenabi

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/CatLavoieAuthor

Buy the Book!

Barnes & Noble

Kobo

Amazon

Marching Ink

Zoey & the Moment of Zen

When coffee shop owner Zoey Everwood takes her obsession with ex-boyfriend Braden too far, everyone—except Zoey—is convinced a bit of fun in the sun at the Moment of Zen Wellness Resort will help her get over him once and for all.

But Zoey’s relaxing vacation turns out to be anything but peaceful when she meets Shane Lawson, a resort guest who bears a striking resemblance to Braden. And things get even more complicated when the resort’s owner starts spilling secrets about Zoey’s aunt Nessa, the woman who raised her. Add a snarky Wellness Coordinator and Nate Holmes—Shane’s grumpy friend—to the mix, and you’ve got the recipe for a perfect tropical storm.

When Zoey comes back home with a new husband instead of tacky souvenirs, she must convince everyone she hasn’t completely lost her mind. As Zoey and Shane struggle to keep the magic alive outside the resort, Zoey discovers that she isn’t the only one having trouble letting go of the past. And when Nate drops a bombshell that changes everything, Zoey must decide if the old saying is true—what happens at the Moment of Zen stays at the Moment of Zen.

My Thoughts:
I like to think I know a thing or two about zen. I am a yoga teacher, after all. And I’ve been to more than a few yoga retreats where bliss is served up morning, noon, and night. But more importantly, I chose to go to those retreats. Zoey, on the other hand, is forced to spend some time at a wellness center in Mexico after obsessing far too long over her ex-boyfriend. I have to say I really laughed at Zoey’s experience with a snooty Zen-master determined to get her caffeine-swilling butt to yoga class. It made me nostalgic for my early days practicing yoga where I struggled to stay upright almost as much as Zoey. But this novel is much more than Zoey’s foray into a Downward Dog lifestyle. It’s also about a broken heart and the ways in which we try to cope with lost love. There were times I cringed at Zoey’s choices (breaking into her ex’s emails for example), but I could understand her actions. I may have even done something similar a decade or so ago. (But that’s another story). Cat Lavoie has a fabulous Chick Lit voice that draws you in and keeps you turning the pages. And Zoey is a charming, yet flawed heroine that you just can’t help but cheer for. She’s not perfect, and that’s what makes her so real and so likeable. She drinks too much coffee, eats cupcakes for breakfast, and marries her ex-boyfriend’s doppelganger on a whim. Who hasn’t done that? Er…well, maybe not all of that. And as Zoey struggles to settle into married life under the disapproving glare of her aunt and best friend, you really feel the emotional tug-of-war right along with her. Lavoie is really a very talented author and in her second novel, she offers up a query: Is finding a new love really enough to get over an old love? You will have to read it to find out!

Zoey & the Moment of Zen

Excerpt

Busted.

“Who?” Dar asks, following his stare. I’m shocked he wasn’t able to tell her telepathically. 

“It’s Braden. He’s sitting over by the window. What are the odds?”

Dar narrows her eyes at me. “Yeah, Zoey. What are the odds that of all the restaurants in Connecticut, you and your ex both end up in the same hot spot.” The way she uses air quotes to emphasize hot spot makes it clear she doesn’t believe my story about celebrities lining up to get into this place.

I consider lying to her again, but I know that Dar has already seen right through me. “Not very big,” I say, shrugging my shoulders. A quick glance over at Braden’s table tells me he is completely oblivious to the commotion. What else is new?

“Please tell me you didn’t listen to his voicemail again?”

I can’t bear to look at Dar so I search Dex’s face to know if there’s any chance we might start laughing about this. But he’s looking at me with something horrifying in his eyes. Is that pity? I turn away from him and face Dar’s accusing stare. “Yes, I did. But it’s not my fault. I was calling to check my messages and I accidently dialed his number. Remember when we bought our cell phones together and our phone numbers ended up being just a few digits apart?” 

Dex signals the waitress for the check and I see a thin blonde woman walking towards Braden’s table. Even though I can’t hear her from where I’m sitting, I just know she’s the owner of the chirpy voice who’s been leaving him all those flirty messages. She smiles and Braden gets up to help her with her chair. 

Dar rolls her eyes. “Even if I believed that you dialed his number by mistake, which I totally don’t, it doesn’t explain why you entered his password and listened to his messages.” 

“Can we go home now?” I ask, grabbing my purse. I’ve seen what I wanted to see. And now I can’t un-see it. 

“Aren’t you going to talk to him?” 

Dex puts his hand on Dar’s arm. “Sweetie, please. Let’s just go.”

“No, we’re here now. Go talk to him.”

I shake my head. “If he talks to me I’ll be civil, but I’m not going to go out of my way.” I instantly regret my words when I see Dar’s face cloud over.

“Of course not. But you’re willing to access his voicemail, listen to his messages, and make us drive forty-five minutes just to stare at him from across the room. It’s been almost a year since you broke up, Zoey. Shouldn’t you be over him by now?”

The million-dollar question. Yes, it’s been almost a year. I’m reminded of that every time I see the sparkling diamond on Dar’s ring finger or when she and Dex talk about their fairy-tale wedding and their plans for their upcoming first anniversary. How could I forget their magical day is also the day Braden broke up with me? Or, rather, it was the day he decided he didn’t want to end up like Dar and Dex.  

“I know,” I say, getting up and running after Dar who’s already heading for the exit. “I’m sorry.” I take one last look at Braden and the mystery lady with the designer jeans and shiny, bouncy hair. They’re gazing at each other as if they’re the only ones in the room. My heart sinks right down to the floor.

About the Author:

Cat Lavoie lives in Montreal, Canada with her tempestuous cat, Abbie. Her debut novel, Breaking the Rules, was published in August 2012 by Marching Ink. If Cat isn’t reading or writing, she’s most likely watching too much TV or daydreaming about her next trip to London.

To find out more about Cat and her books, please visit www.CatLavoie.com

Connect with Cat!

Website: http://www.CatLavoie.com

Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/Catenabi

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/CatLavoieAuthor

Buy the Book!

Barnes & Noble

Kobo

Amazon

Marching Ink

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Well, it may not be Black Friday, but it’s still Cyber Monday here in Los Angeles, and have I got a deal for you! We’ve got an outstanding collection of 29 independent Chick Lit books up for grabs for one lucky winner! And this one is tailor-made for you die hard print fans because we’re giving away paperback copies. Practically unheard of! Just think how lovely your bookshelf will look with this amazing array of colorful reads staring back at you. I bet it’s gotten lonely lately since you got your Kindle, too. So, get your entries in pronto. You just might find yourself the proud owner of enough fabulous Chick Lit to keep you entertained until Christmas 2014!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Heartbreak Cake

Business is sweet for pastry chef Indira Aguilar. Her indie bakery, Cake Pan, is fast becoming the talk of the wedding circuit for its unique take on cakes and homespun creations for the modern bride, garnering national recognition and drawing in celebrity clients. But while her professional life is blossoming, her personal life is crumbling.

Indira may have a talent for blending buttercream into bliss, but when it comes to relationships, she’s got a lot to learn. Considering that the love of her life, Josh Oliver, is not only married, but also runs the award-winning pastry department of her fiercest competition, Crystal Cove Resort, Indira puts much more at stake than just her heart when she ends her affair with him.

Rumors begin to fly as the small seaside community of Long Beach learns of her secret relationship, and Indira must defend not only her actions, but her wedding business and her reputation while trying to maneuver the choppy heartbreak waters of starting over, finding new love, and facing her past. With the support of friends and family, a fondness for butter, and a determined spirit, Indira may just bake her way back to happiness and possibly into the heart of Crystal Cove’s dishy new chef, Noah. But one thing is certain. Where there’s heartbreak, there must be cake.

My Thoughts

What could be better than cake after a heartbreak? More cake! This book is a delight from beginning to end with a kick butt heroine who is a master at baking, but a brilliant flop when it comes to relationships. I fell in love with Indira the moment I met her, and I was cheering for her the whole way through the book. And the food. Oh my gawd. I was drooling over my iPad while reading, and probably put on 10 pounds thanks to Ms. Arora’s beautiful descriptions of so many delicious dishes that I just *had* to start eating a cupcake a day. Yes, this book will drive you to eat! And maybe even bake! But beyond the scrumptious desserts is a story of a girl looking for true love. And while she might not make all the best decisions when it comes to her love life, you can bet that her actions all come straight from the heart. If you’ve ever had a broken heart, you will adore this story of a girl learning how to mend hers with good friends, family, fun, lots of butter, and maybe even a new sweetie. One that won’t just leave her with crumbs…Definitely a must read for Chick Lit fans everywhere and anyone who loves a juicy tale with funny characters, witty dialogue and enough frosting to induce a sugar coma.

About the Author

Cindy Arora was a staff writer at The San Gabriel Valley Tribune, The Orange County Register and Sacramento Magazine. She’s been published in Saveur, Tasting Table, Orange Coast Magazine and Fodor’s. She’s also mama to an adorable little boy, a feminist, a whiskey enthusiast, and proud to call herself a Chick Lit author. Heartbreak Cake is her debut novel. To learn more about Cindy, please visit her website.