Chick Lit Love

Calling All Followers

2011-10-07T20:23:00.000+01:00

Dear All,

Firstly, thank you for visiting me here at Chick Lit Love. I have come to realise that right now, I simply don't have time to maintain two blogs in the way I'd like to. So I'm sad to say that for the moment, I am pressing the pause button on Chick Lit Love

Secondly - Please come and find me at my other home, where I shall continue to post daily. Give me a few weeks and I should be doing my RFW short stories on there every Friday instead of here.

Finally - Please do come and follow me at Daily Dodo, I'll be very glad to see you all there

All the best
Laura xxx

AW(O)L

2011-09-17T08:14:00.000+01:00

Hello lovely people.

I'm just here to leave a note to let you all know that I'm going to be completely missing from the blogosphere until the beginning of October.

I'll miss you all for a couple of weeks, but I've got a huge catwalk show that I'm compereing at the end of the month and I'm also powering through my first set of re-writes for Welly-Booty-Goodness

Have a great couple of weeks

I'll be back with pictures

Laura xxx

Lunch Date: RFW Short Story

2011-09-09T21:22:00.000+01:00

400 Words : FCA

‘But I didn’t order anything,’ Mia grumbled, staring at the little brown package.

‘It’s got your name on it, someone must have ordered you lunch – please just sign for it, my van’s blocking the high street!’ The delivery man thrust the packet onto her desk, rammed his little machine at her and practically forced a signature from her before scuttling back out of the shop.

Mia sighed. She hated Fridays on the shop floor. It was always so busy that she didn’t dare take a proper break, leaving her hapless young member of staff fighting the market day shoppers. She tended to just ram in some stale sarnies whilst stood in the shop’s ratty little kitchen. But she certainly didn’t ever bother ordering in from any of these over-priced gourmet snacks companies. What was wrong with lumpy corned-beef sandwiches?

Waving at the girl behind the counter, she nipped out into the kitchen and stared at the offending pack in front of her. Perhaps it was just a gimmick to get the company trade. Fine – it would make a good pudding. Flicking on the kettle, she took a knife, sliced through the seal and lifted the lid.

No nuts. No dried fruit or chocolate. Just a walky-talky. A walky-talky that was talking to her.

‘Come in?! Come in?!”

Mia’s eyebrows shot up. ‘What the…’

‘Mia? Come in?’

Mia reached into the box and gingerly lifted the gadget. On its side was a button with a hand-written sticker that read ‘press me’. She pressed the button.

‘Who… erm… hullo?’ she stuttered

‘Leave the shop. Turn left and straight left again.’

Mia pressed her button again. ‘Why? Who is this?’

No reply.

She marched back onto the shop-floor.

‘Do you know anything about this?!” she demanded, interrupting her member of staff mid sales-patter.

The girl shook her head, staring at the walky-talky, wide eyed.

‘What’s taking you so long?’ demanded the little gadget.

Mia shot out of the shop. Turned left and left again, into a little cobbled alleyway. At the end of which stood a little picnic table. As there was no one and nothing else to look at, she approached the table slowly. It was set for two – gingham table cloth, cakes, pastries and crusty bread and butter. On one plate sat a card marked ‘Mia’. The other was empty.

Her walky-talky crackled again. ‘Just getting the wine. Take a seat.’

************************

See you next week,

Laura x

P.S click on the pic for more RFW stories or to join in the fun!

Oh, That Tuesday Feeling

2011-09-06T21:25:00.002+01:00

Hello lovelies...
Gosh, is it Tuesday again? After finishing my first draft just a week ago, I have just got to the end of my first read-through, spellcheck and formatting. So, again I am here with a lame excuse... because I haven't had any time to read a book... I have no review.

I'm very sorry, once again, for changing the posting here... but I'm on such a tight deadline to get my first draft to my two crit-parteners that I'm not going to be able to post reviews until it is done.

However, do keep your eyes peeled up here for news of the Festival Of Romance, and hopefully som interviews with the organisers and the authors attending.

Catch you very soon,
And Sorry!

I'll leave you with this little vid to help you smile :)

Heart-Stopper : RFW short story

2011-09-02T22:48:00.001+01:00

It’s a bit like when you trip, and although you don’t fall, the mad surge of adrenaline coursing through your veins makes every inch of skin prickle and your face flush. That’s what it feels like when you first make eye contact with a new crush.

Unfortunately, my eyes met with Sammy’s at a tricky moment. Okay, tricky is too light a term for it. My eyes met Sammy’s just as the cameras began to roll and I was about to let the country know that we had just gone to war. So ‘tricky’ doesn’t really cover it at all… ‘disastrous’ is possibly more along the right lines.

See, the world might have been going to war, but in that shared glance with a random stranger at the other side of the TV studio, I understood that every inch of solitary confinement in my apartment, every shitty little TV meal on a tray and every lonely late night was gone.

Auburn hair, raked back in agitation, was already dropping over his brow. His lips were parted, as if in expectation of a silent wail at the tragic news about to go live around the country. His moth-eaten wooly jumper, crumpled chinos and five o’clock shadow made it clear that he had been here all night too, ready for the moment when we all played our part.

But, like I said, just as the cameras rolled, and I was live on thousands of screens all over the world, I plunged into the chocolate depths of his desperate eyes and my heart stopped. I think his did too – at least, he dropped his coffee…

As luck would have it, I regained the power of speech for long enough to give the address. I was praised for my ‘real’ and ‘shell-shocked’ delivery of such awful news. No one needs to know… at least no one but Sammy.

Word Count: 316: FCA

Laura x

P.s. Click on the pic to read more RFWers work!

Finished!!!

2011-08-30T13:28:00.001+01:00

Hello my lovelies!
I promise to be back later on today with my Chick Lit Library Review... I just wanted to share a little bit of news with you...

I just finished my first draft of my first chick-lit novel, Welly-Booty-Goodness :)

I'm sooooo fired up on caffeine and there's no one else in the house, so I'm directing it out at you guys (sorry :))

See you later,
Laura xxx

ed. note... since writing this I've decided that perhaps I've written enough for a few days - check back on Thursday for the review :)

Watching Willow Watts by Talli Roland

2011-08-23T16:02:00.001+01:00

Hi everyone - an exciting aside from ChickLitLibrary Review this week. Talli Roland's new novel, Watching Willow Watts is out on Kindle as of the 14th of September, and the paperback version will be available on Amazon in November (pre-order now.) And I have been lucky enough to be sent a review copy - so here's my take on things...

Watching Willow Watts by Talli Roland

Willow Watts has managed to drop the reigns on her life, moving from her budding dream-career as an up-and-coming florist in London to living back with her newly widowed father in Belcherton, Britain’s ugliest village. Willow battles to save her father’s shop from bankruptcy, whilst simultaneously preventing him from knowing anything about it. Suddenly, the answer seems to drop right into her lap when a you-tube video of her (shockingly bad) impersonation of Marilyn Monroe goes viral. As the world convenes on Belcherton, clamouring to see the ‘New Marilyn’, Willow is faced with a choice – let it all die down, or embrace this new identity, give the world what it seems to want and laugh all the way to the bank.

Just as Willow begins to get to grips with her new reality, a blast from the past appears, reminding her that maybe being herself wasn’t such a bad gig after all.

Set in a superbly drawn take on an English-idyll-gone-bad, Watching Willow Watts is full of characters to fall in love with, and is ultimately a love letter to individuality.

Talli Roland has just taken her ‘debut novelist’ badge, given it some points and a lot of glitter and entered herself as a star into the ‘chick lit hall of fame’. Watching Willow Watts will have you glued to a cast of loveable characters, and a plot that will have you giggling in the corner – an addictively sweet read.

So, on that note, I'll say goodbye 'till Friday - and go get yourself a copy of Watching Willow Watts as soon as is humanly possible. To keep up to date with Talli and her launch plans, nip over to her blog.

Cheers, Laura x

New Horizons - RFW

2011-08-19T22:28:00.002+01:00

“Kerri, will you? Please say yes!” Al was staring at her with puppy dog eyes, waiting on her every word.

“Al, come on… I dunno…”

“What? What don’t you know. It’ll be perfect. Me and you together, everyday. Sharing everything. I thought it was what you wanted!”

Kerri sighed and tapped her foot on the floor irritably. Yes, she wanted this. She was desperate to say yes, but she didn’t just want to give another piece of her self away so soon.

“Al. Look. The last few days have been huge for me. For us. I can’t decide straight away.”

“What do you mean, huge?”

“In case you forgot, you asked me to marry you yesterday.”

“And?”

“And I said yes!”

“So?”

“For goodness sake Al. We’re getting married. I’m carrying your child. Now you want me to be a partner in your business?”

Al shrugged. “Of course, you’re the second best architect I know.”

Kerri felt the bile rise in her throat. “Who’s the first?”

“Me you dope!”

Kerri snorted, this was exactly why she was marrying him... he could always make her laugh, and he'd worked his magic again.

“Well, when you put it like that… fine. I’ll do it.”

WC:188: MPA

To read more RFW work, click on the pic!

see you Tuesday

Laura x

ChickLitLibrary Review

2011-08-16T16:16:00.000+01:00

One Dance in Paris by Julia Holden

Well, I have to say folks, I landed on my feet with my first choice for Chick Lit Library Review. Julia Holden is not an author I’ve ever read before, and have only briefly encountered her name. I picked up this book because it was sat next to one of Jenny Cogan’s… and what a nice surprise I had in store…

One Dance In Paris follows the story of long-legged, small-busted, awkward Linda Stone – down in the mouth inhabitant of Somerville, Massachusetts. Her mother having died before she was even two years old, Linda doesn’t remember her. But worse than that – she resents her. Now, at the age of 27, she receives a package that sends her on a voyage of discovery. Whisked along with her as she learns her mother was far from a dowdy housewife, we are danced through the realities of being an international showgirl. And as Linda learns a new respect for her mother and the power behind the barely there, shocking trappings that came with her title, we see the wounds in Linda’s character heal before our very eyes.

Once I climbed over the slightly slow start, in which I struggled to decide if I wanted to spend time with this plain-talking main character, I was hooked. Her voice is stark, funny and not afraid to deal with sticky issues head on, meaning that both romantic highs and personal lows are dealt with in the same pithy, depreciating manner. This creates a humorous, pacey read, which caused me several extremely late nights. Over all, this book is a breath of fresh air: for once this is not a story about a girl getting to know herself. This is a story about a girl who knows herself well, doesn’t like herself one bit, but through the story grows to love herself for exactly who she is.

See you soon

Laura x

Confused - RomanticFridayWriters

2011-08-12T20:08:00.000+01:00

“I can’t do this.” Rob stared intently at the restaurant floor.

Lilly felt a cube of ice slide down into her stomach. This wasn’t what this evening was meant to be. This was meant to be him and her, finally talking things through and making a go of their on-off, five year relationship. She raised an eyebrow, and glared at Rob. There was no way she was going to let him off the hook easily this time.

“Can’t do what?” she spat, trying to harden her heart to the sight of his hands, trembling on the expensive table-cloth. Coward.

“This constant maybe, maybe not. Are we? Aren’t we?”

“Great. Thanks Rob, that’s just great.” Bloody arse-hole. He could at least have the decency to end it quickly, properly and in private.

“No, wait. You don’t understand.” Rob glanced up at her. He was sheet white, his skin glistening. “I can’t bare the thought of sharing you with someone…”

“There wasn’t anyone, how many times do I have to say that?”

“…I can’t share you so I think it’s best if I… if we… just…”

“You son of a bitch.” Lilly’s knife clattered onto her plate.

“So you don’t…?” Rob looked on the verge of tears.

“Don’t what?” Lilly rose to her feet just as Rob slid from his chair and onto his knees.

“Don’t… want to... Lilly, marry me. Please. I don’t want to lose you again. I can’t lose you again!”

Hope you enjoyed this snippet - to read more RFWs work, click on the pic

New Weekly Column

2011-08-09T18:02:00.000+01:00

Hello Chick-Lit Lovers!

Please mark this as the official re-start of my poor, very lapsed little blog. I apologise for my very sporadic postings, but I now promise you at least two a week - Tuesdays will be Chick-Lit-Library - a review of whatever chick-lit I have managed to pick up at my local library, which should make it a little bit random - just the way I like it. On Fridays, I'll be back joining the ranks of 'Romantic Friday Writers', whose wonderful work I've missed a lot over the past few weeks.

Finally, just to let you know that I am going to be adding a Google 'Support' button to this blog. This is so that if there are any super-generous souls that fancy donating a few pence towards getting me to the 'Festival of Romance' in October, they can do. I really hope that this doesn't offend anyone, but desperation is desperation (and unfortunately, my previously mentioned shoe collection was imaginary!) What you will get out of this however, is a collection of interviews and articles filmed and written at the conference which I will share with you on here. Any money over and above the ticket and travel costs will go straight to charity.

So, I'll see you on Friday for a little RFW, and next Tuesday for a review of "One Dance in Paris" by Julia Holden.
See you soon
Laura x

Read Romance? Write Romance?...

2011-08-06T21:17:00.000+01:00

Woo! seriously. WOO! I saw that the gorgeous Talli Rolland was speaking here in October. And now I'm trying to figure out a cunning plan to get me the dosh to secure me a ticket to one of the Romance 'Go-To' events of the year... Hmmm... sell shoe collection (no way!)... must try harder!

Anyhow, you have to take a gander at this fantastic event, and you'll see why I'm in such a tizzy.
See you soon
Laura x

I'm back!

2011-07-05T14:43:00.002+01:00

Hi everyone...
Sorry about the 2 weeks desertion. Life took over for a while and I just had to let it. But I'm back, and looking forward to some chick-lit shaped mayhem :)

So here's the question for today: how important is the book's title to whether or not you pick it up and read it?

See you Friday for some RFW fiction
Lx

Blog Holiday

2011-06-19T16:53:00.000+01:00

Hi all,
Just to say that I will be on a brief holiday from blogging until the end of the month. Look forward to seeing you all in July.
Laura x

Forgotten - RomanticFridayWriters

2011-06-10T21:49:00.002+01:00

It’s a smell that I haven’t come across in five years. Okay, five years, seven months and three days to be precise. I glance around, searching the crowd. What am I searching for? Who am I hoping to catch a glimpse of?

It gets right the way into the centre of my mind, nudging, coaxing the seed that has lain dormant for all this time. A memory of the flash of leaf green eyes across a table, a memory of the hammering of my heart against my ribcage, threatening to tear through the white silk of my wedding dress.

It was the smell of fresh air. Of mountains and moss and earth. I thought that I’d managed to forget, but here it was again, unlocking the memory, a memory that plagued me for a whole year before losing me my husband.

I remember the rustle of the silk as I followed that scent out of the room. The feel of the cold white tiles of the rest room floor through the back of my dress and on my bare thighs. The knowledge that I had just found my true love, and he wasn’t the man I had said yes to at the altar. He was the man whose weight was pinning me down, whose hair was tickling my cheekbone, who smelled of the moors and whose name I didn’t know.

My world froze at that moment and gently disintegrated without him there. Without ever knowing his name.

And yet, here was the memory, not forgotten after all. It’s the smell of fresh air. Of mountains and moss and earth. And suddenly he’s here in front of me.

P.S to read more RomanticFridayWriter's work, click on the image above

Who's Reading What?

2011-06-07T20:47:00.000+01:00

Hello Chick Lit Lovers.
So what are you all up to your necks in, reading-wise?
I've been having a great chick lit marathon recently.
There's been The Hating Game by Talli Roland, Meet Me At The Cupcake Cafe by Jenny Colgan, and now I'm halfway through The Brightest Star In The Sky by Marian Keys. It's fab by the way - or at least up till page 150 (that's where I'm at so far)

So, share? What have you been loving (or not, of course!)
See you Friday for the next Romantic Friday Writers challenge
Laura x

What’s In A Name?

2011-05-31T12:29:00.001+01:00

As you all know (or will do in two seconds), it’s the start of BuNoWriMo tomorrow. Check here if you have no clue about what that is, but in a nutshell, June is Novel Writing Month hosted by the Burrowers. Write the first draft of a novel in June, minimum 50,000 words. Simples. (*cough, splutter*) These guys are not super-strict, and rebels are welcome. But I am a good girl, so am going whole-hog.

My prep, until this morning, had consisted of clearing my work-space and popping a hopeful word counter in my sidebar.

This morning I went into a café with my laptop. An hour (and three lattes later) I came out trembling, with a 1700 word plot saved away. Phew. Thank goodness for that. I have a rough story, I have a hero, I have a setting…

What I don’t have is my HEROINE’S NAME… and this is where you guys come in.

I need a name for my feisty heroine. I want something fairly simple, fairly typically English sounding, but not too wet, if you know what I mean…

Please help! I can never name my heroines… Or I can, but I’m always stuck in a rut of the same 3-5 names, and I’d like something different for a change

Leave me a comment, and I’ll chose at the end of today or first thing in the morning… If you can’t think of one, leave me your middle name and I’ll steal that!

Thankyouthankyouthankyou!

Lxxx

P.S yup – this is on both of my blogs to get the maximum amount of name entries… sorry to you wonderful people who follow me on both

RomanticFridayWriters - Glitz and Glamour

2011-05-27T21:31:00.002+01:00

The box was covered in dark navy velvet. As he moved towards her, the warm glow from the chandeliers glinted off of the subtle gold lettering etched onto the lid. There was no mistaking what was inside it. It was one of those boxes. Not the kind that harboured a diamond chip or splinter. Oh no, this was the kind that housed real diamonds. Usually several carats. She swallowed hard.

She’d always pictured herself ending up with a man like this; tall, broad shouldered. Rugged. He was definitely rugged. A shiver ran down her spine. He looked so perfect in his crumpled linen suit. The moment was here. As he came to a halt in front of her, she could barely breathe.

His overly tousled hair and slightly shaking hands were the only hint of his deeply buried nerves. His eyes caught hers, and she gazed, allowing herself to plunge into the warm, velvet depths. Without looking away, he gently flipped open the lid of the box.

She couldn’t help it. She glanced down. There it was. Set in a wide platinum band, the most stunning diamond she’d ever seen, with the light from the chandelier multiplied a thousand times, reflecting off of every facet.

“Please…?” he asked, his voice ragged with nerves.

Her heart melted for him. He cleared his throat and tried again.

“…she said ‘no’… my fiancé…uh, girlfriend... Can I get a refund on this?”

“Bear with me, sir. I will need to get authorization from my manager.”

If you fancy reading more Romantic Friday Writing by some fab story-tellers, or want to join us, click on the image above.

2011-05-24T19:27:00.001+01:00

Today I have been tagged mightily… once by Francine, once by Madeleine and once by Michael. So here goes…

1. Do you think you're hot?

Only after strenuous exercise

2. Upload a picture or wallpaper you're using at the moment. This is my desktop wallpaper

3. When was the last time you ate chicken meat?

Sunday night. Himself made it to make me feel better. Aahhhh! (it worked. That man is an angel!)

4. The song you listened to recently: Sing along… promise!

5. What were you thinking as you were doing this?

How come that choc-ice was so damn cold?! (I’m a bit blond under the red hair!)

6. Do you have nicknames? What are they?

Bambrey Bush (if anyone knows what one of these is, do tell!)

Her Majesty (what can you do?!)

7. Tag 3 other bloggers so they can answer these questions:

I love loads of you guys, and I know that this has circulated A LOT! So I’m not going to name names this time – please feel free to answer should the urge take you!

See you on Friday for some Glitz and Glamour :)

RomanticFridayWriters - Lost

2011-05-20T21:26:00.001+01:00

She looked into his eyes, searching for something. It wasn’t there.

“Lilly? It’s me. Lilly.”

You who? Cropped dark hair, green eyes. A little scar just under the left one.

“Do you remember what happened?”

Yes. I was shopping with… with. A man? That couldn’t be right.

“You were out with Jo. You had an accident.” She noted the tremor in his voice.

Jo. My brother. 5 years old. No, that can’t be right either…

“Lilly… He saved you. He…” the green eyes were weeping.

Hang on, my brother? He is married, two daughters. A man. Her Jo. She smiled, pleased with this piece of the puzzle.

“The bus, Lilly. Its brakes failed. He pushed you out of the way.” The man was sobbing at her side. He reached out for her hand. “It killed him Lilly.”

Don’t. Just stop. Jo! “Where’s Jo!!!” She screamed, her voice high and hoarse.

“Lilly, please don’t my love.”

My love? The green eyes look haunted through their thick glaze of tears.

“I almost lost you. I couldn’t live without you, the boys couldn’t live without you!”

The boys? My boys. “Where are my boys? Who are you?”

“Your husband. I’m your husband. They’re with your parents. They said that this could happen. Take your time.”

Time. Jo. We were late. We were running. I rushed ahead – he pushed me and I fell. A sharp pain. Metal, tarmac. “JO!”

“Lilly, he’s gone. It killed him. I’m so sorry .”

The green eyes are on her again. And there it is, the flicker of a memory. “Luke? You’re older. Where am I?”

“Do you remember what happened?”

Yes. I was shopping with… with. A man? That couldn’t be right.

“You were out with Jo. You had an accident.”

To read more RomantiFridayWriters' pieces or to join in yourself, please click on the image above.

Stuff and Rubbish

2011-05-19T22:13:00.000+01:00

As you will have probably noticed... hero week hasn't been very heroic, and for this I apologise. Life crept up and bit me on the buttocks.

I will do hero week in the very near future, but for a little while, I am going to have to limit my input here...

I will be posting here every Tuesday - a review or general chick lit post, and every Friday for the RomanticFridayWriters.

Sorry my lovely followers. If you want a daily dose of me (nutters!) I'm also over at Daily Dodo.
See you tomorrow

Laura x

My Hero's Top 5 Traits

2011-05-17T21:47:00.000+01:00

Okay… The hero… (sound of cracking knuckles and wracking of brains…)

The truth is, that in chick lit, the hero is often a left as a shadow of a character in the reader’s imagination.

Recently when I asked an author to mention their favourite hero, they were at a complete loss to mention one in particular, and couldn’t for the life of them remember any names.

Shock, horror… for the hundreds of chick lit tomes that I have read over the years, I realized that I am the same. But there are certain things that I always root for in a hero. Here are my top five traits…

He has to be funny. Any man unafraid of humour is good in my book.
He has to be good looking, but not necessarily in a conventional way – I’m looking for a cheeky smile, a quirky look, gorgeous eyes…
A man who will go the extra mile to win his girl, but not with any firm knowledge that he will succeed. He just has to show her that that’s how he feels, whatever the outcome.
I like a passionate man – no dweebs please!
Someone who lets / encourages his heroine be the best version of herself – but does not shy away when the worst version rears her (realistic) head occasionally!

What traits do you look for in your chick lit men? Do tell!

See you tomorrow

Blog Tag by L'Aussie

2011-05-17T21:33:00.000+01:00

I've been blog-tagged by L'Aussie, and promised to play along - but when I checked it out, I have just answered these questions over at Daily Dodo this last week - so here they are for you if you are a Chick Lit Love only reader!

If you could go back in time and relive one moment, what would it be? The moment Himself first reached out and held my hand. It must have only been one or two seconds. Dry and warm. The most forbidden, but most memorable moment of my life.

If you could go back in time and change one thing, what would it be? The flowers on his door-step at 2a.m. were a BAD idea.

What movie/TV character do you most resemble in personality?See, I’d love to say Amelie, but I’m not sure I know me well enough to answer this one…

If you could push one person off a cliff and get away with it, who would it be? Jack Black. Sorry! It just slipped out…

Name one habit you want to change in yourself: Compulsive messiness

Describe yourself in one word: scatty

Describe the person who named you in this meme in one word: Exciting

Why do you blog? Answer in one sentence: To gain a rhythm to my newly woken-up creative bug, whilst allowing it to bug others too!

I hereby tag three other bloggers...

Alex J. Cavanaugh

Jen at Unedited

Li at Flash Fiction

TAG!!!

Hero Week

2011-05-15T20:25:00.000+01:00

This week is all about the supporting character – the Hero.

He’s often left under developed – or is so over developed as to be unbelievable

That said, there have been heroes over the years that I have fallen deeply in love with, and you know what they say about true love lasting a lifetime?!

We’ll take a look at what works, what doesn’t, what the hero’s role in chick lit really is, and a roll call of our favorites.

Come back Tuesday for the first installment.

See you then

Laura x

RomanticFridayWriters – Dire Moment - Flash Fiction

2011-05-13T22:35:00.002+01:00

Lou caught a glimpse of herself in a shop window. Her cheeks were flushed and her hair tousled. It had been the most incredible night. She could still feel the warmth radiating through her pores, pouring her smugness into the early morning street.

Her handbag vibrated, her phone wrenching her attention away from her own intoxicating reflection. She glanced at the screen. Dan. Her husband of just a month. Heart doing flips, and a fresh wash of colour entering her cheeks, she answered with a honeyed greeting.

“Stranger,” she purred.

“Had a good night did we?”

“Don’t you know it!” her heart was doing a drum-roll against her ribcage at the mere memory. Champagne. Hot Breath. Skin on skin. A trail of warmth.

“So when are you coming back?” he demanded, voice taut.

“I’ve only just left!”

“Yes, but I need you.”

“You’ll just have to wait…” her voice was coy, a little tremor the only indication of her vulnerability.

Lou hesitated. Could she?

“Dan, I know I said yesterday that I’d only be here a day, but I’m going to have to stay here a little while longer… I met some… contacts last night at the party. I want to follow them up. I’m sorry babe, but I’ll be back in a couple of days,” her hand was slick with sweat against the plastic of the phone.

“Yeah, you need to build up your contacts. I would say that I missed you, but that seems a bit pointless, doesn’t it?” His voice was at breaking point.

"It’s only a few days, sorry babe.” She stared back at her reflection in the window, watching the light of adventure in her eyes. She wanted more of what she got last night. More of him…

“Well, get back soon. There are papers you need to sign.”

“What papers,” she was distracted, wanting to get on, get showered, get back.

“Check your call register from last night – you’ll guess what kind of papers. Hurry home. Good bye, Lou.” The line went dead.

Flicking through the menus on her phone, Lou found the call register. No missed calls from the office, or home, or the publishing house.

Then she saw it. Outgoing call. 10.37p.m. Home. 26 mins. She’d been with him. Champagne. Hot Breath. Skin on skin. A trail of warmth. And realized that Dan had heard everything.

Laura x

To read more / join RomanticFridayWriters- click on the image above and check out the list!

Book@Bathtime Review: Meet Me at the Cupcake Café by Jenny Colgan

2011-05-10T18:58:00.001+01:00

B@B heart rating:4.5 / 5

Jenny Colgan has a lot to answer for. She was the first to turn my head chick lit-wards when I snagged a free copy of ‘Where Have All The Boys Gone” on the front of a magazine. And that was it – I was hooked. So yes Jenny, I blame you for the amount of pastels covers on my bookshelf!

Meet Me At The Cupcake Café is a delicious read. It may, on the surface be about sugar-coated girlyness, but this is a book that deals with a bit more than that- class division, single parenthood, chronic illness, career/life balance, biological body-clocks and most of all, having the guts to follow a dream. But ultimately, these are served up in a very tasty package.

Issy Randall is a main character I loved to read about, felt protective towards, and rooted for even when she was being… well, a bit dense! Her friends are well-rounded and (mostly) lovable characters with enough quirk to keep you interested. And the men? Almost as tasty as the cupcakes.

Negatives? I was hungry the entire time I was reading it…

All in all, a warmhearted read which caused sleep deprivation due to its unputdownableness. Go and buy it!

See you soon

Laura x

What The Week Has In Store

2011-05-09T22:47:00.002+01:00

Happy Monday! Just thought I’d pop in to say hi and lay out my plans for the week ahead.

Tuesday evening, I’ll be posting a review of Jenny Colgan’s “Meet Me At The Cupcake Café” Be there or be... a tomato.

Friday, check here for the very first of the Romantic Friday Writer posts. This week’s prompt is ‘Dire Moments’ – to join in the fun and read more about this exciting new excitement go here. Seriously. Can't. Wait!!!

Sunday come back to check out what next week has in store (hint – very tasty!)

See you tomorrow

Laura x

Shoes Maketh The Man

2011-05-07T22:59:00.000+01:00

Here’s the last of this week’s writing games. Sorry it’s a little late this evening – I’ve been out gallivanting!

First impressions are so important- but sometimes, undesirable footwear can really ruin the moment. Write a short scene where your heroine meets the soon-to-be love of her life for the first time – but he just happens to be wearing a pair of the following:

Cowboy boots

Open toed sandals

Muddy wellington boots

High heels

Trainers that are three sizes too small

Just socks – outside in the rain

Describe where the meeting takes place- but try to avoid the obvious. If it helps- start the dialogue with the line “Er- I can explain!”

Hope you’ve enjoyed them,

Laura x

Join The Plots

2011-05-06T19:24:00.000+01:00

A great trick for coming up with new and interesting storylines is to take events out of their normal chronological order.

For example, a proposal doesn’t have to happen before a wedding. The heroine could have just been swept away by other people’s expectations. She may never have actually said “yes”. But now she finds herself standing at the altar with 200 friends and family packed into a tiny country church – with absolutely no idea how things got so out of hand. Maybe she should never have agreed to go on the ‘honeymoon’ holiday of a lifetime the month before.

Joining plots together in seemingly unlikely ways can open up all sorts of story possibilities. Create as many different storylines as you can by joining up the following six plot points in any order. Remember – don’t think chronologically!

First Kiss

Third Kiss

What did I do last night?

I’m trying to sleep!

Too little, too late

Trust me

See you tomorrow for the last game!

No More Little Miss Nice

2011-05-05T21:21:00.000+01:00

Let's face it, nice people make pretty boring characters. As readers, the characters we love the most tend to be those we actually love to hate - people that are rude and thoughtless and selfish and stupid and arrogant and petty and shortsighted and jealous and greedy - but turn out to have a heart of gold in the end!

Create an absolutely monstrous heroine using some- or all- of the attributes mentioned above- and sit yourself next to them at a dinner party. Give them a name, a description and a brief background, then, in as few lines of dialogue as possible, have them reveal their true horror!

Tee hee!
Lxxx

The Big ‘Buts’ Game

2011-05-04T19:44:00.000+01:00

You can see it coming a mile off – but a good excuse is always worth waiting for and can be a pivotal point in a story. The biggest ‘but’ of all of course is the legendary ‘I love you, but…’

Think of 3 different excuses to follow the ‘but’, but importantly, try to give each excuse a context. For example, is the speaker being absolutely honest? Are they under duress? Are they joking? Are they answering a direct question? If so, what was it? Is she speaking to him or is he speaking to her? Is their answer a surprise, expected or suspected?

For each excuse, write a sentence or two about the possible consequences.

Let me know how you get on an where this takes you…

Laura x

The Fridge Game

2011-05-03T08:40:00.000+01:00

Good morning, and welcome to our week of chick lit writing games… here’s your first task…

The fridge game is a simple but effective exercise for developing characters and story lines quickly.

It may seem unlikely – but the contents of someone’s fridge can tell you a lot about them- and their life – past, present and future.

Here’s how it works. For each fridge scenario try and think of 3 possible explanations…

For Example:

Everything in the fridge has gone off.

1. Our heroine’s jet setting lifestyle means that she hasn’t been back to her flat in weeks. Ugh! Maybe it would be easier just to buy a new one?

2. Our heroine has just left her boyfriend. New flat, new start – but the place is a mess. Who can she borrow some rubber gloves from before she tackles the fridge?

3. This is definitely the last straw. She knew letting her boyfriend house-sit was a bad idea – and whose dress is that on the floor?

Get the idea? Try these:

· The fridge is empty- except for a single bottle of vintage champagne.

· Hidden in the back of the icebox is a small, ring-sized box.

· A slightly dishevelled wedding bouquet vies for space with the low fat yogurt and processed cheese slices.

· The word ‘Sorry’ is spelt out on the door with fridge magnets.

Hope you enjoy playing this –let me know how you get on.

See you tomorrow

Laura x

A Wowee Award Moment

2011-05-02T18:52:00.000+01:00

Hi everyone. Two things to shout to the rooftops today…

1. It is International Chick Lit Month! Very, very exciting me thinks!

By way of celebration, this week Tuesday to Saturday I shall be bringing you a daily chick lit writing game courtesy of the ever wonderful Jules Preston. Get ready to breathe some fun into your WIP

2. The lovely Christine at The Imagination Station has given me this fab award… for which I am truly chuffed.

I need to pass this on to 5 worthy bloggers… and today I’m going to be choosing some suitably fiery ladies…

The ladies at http://chocolateandspiceromance.blogspot.com

Fifi at http://www.fififlowers.com

Francine at Romancing The Blog

Stephanie http://thewriterscocoon.blogspot.com/

Talli Rolland

Go, visit and get inspired!

That’s it for now, see you all tomorrow

Talli's Top Tip 5 and Competition Winner!!!

2011-04-30T20:21:00.001+01:00

Evening lovelies! Hope you have all had a fantastic Saturday... here's Talli's fifth and final top tip.

And in my humble opinion, that's the best tip out there! Thank you so much to the lovely Talli for this week's tips - it's been a pleasure!

And.... Drum roll... The winner of the signed copy of The Hating Game is Karen from Get On With It
Well done Karen! I'll email you shortly to get your delivery details.
Thank you so much everyone for your great entries and all your support here over the past couple of weeks - I hope to bring you more excitement very soon!

Have a great weekend and be sure to nip over to Daily Dodo tomorrow to catch my May Day Giveaway.
Lxxx

Talli's Top Tip 4 and Comp LAST FEW HOURS!!!

2011-04-29T21:28:00.000+01:00

Happy royal wedding day! And if you have had enough of the whole thing already, then you're not looking at this fantastic event for all the potential chick lit plots lurking in the day - my brain has been in overdrive (as have my telly watching skills...)

To help you get that new plot under way, here's Talli's fourth and penultimate tip...

And I'm pleased to say that Talli has been graced by the Blogger Gods an is back at her original blog here... thank you for any prayers said!

And a final reminder... today is the last day you can enter the competition to win a signed copy of Talli's first novel "The Hating Game". To enter, go here, watch the video and comment on the post. I said the closing date was the 29/04/11 but any entry made by the time I get back from work tomorrow (about 21 hours) will be entered...

See you tomorrow
Laura x

Talli's Top Tip 3

2011-04-28T21:25:00.000+01:00

Happy Thursday.... and on the eve of a very British, very old fashioned love story (of course I'm talking about the Royal "I dos" tomorrow) I bring you Talli's next top tip - (I really like this one :))

If you'd like to visit Talli, I'm sad to relate that she's having some serious Blogger issues today, so go here to visit her at her temporary home and show her some love whilst she (hopefully) gets some helpful guys to... help her!

Love Laura x

Talli Top Tip 2

2011-04-27T18:51:00.001+01:00

Here's the much awaited (or at least since yesterday :) tip number 2

It's a good point well made isn't it... there's nothing worse than a long, drawn-out, turgid chick lit book. That said, there's also nothing worse than a complete air-brained bimbo of a read. Vapid=bad!

So what keeps you engrossed and turning those pages?

See you tomorrow
Laura x

Talli Rolland Tips Week

2011-04-26T19:44:00.000+01:00

Hi everyone!

I've found that most chick lit readers I've met are also writers or aspiring writers as well. As you know, I met Talli Roland recently, and grilled her thoroughly. During this grilling, she very kindly let me film her Top 5 Tips for aspiring chick-lit writers (obviously, these can apply to other writers too!)

So for the rest of the week, there will be a Top Tip posted every day - today until Saturday. Because I'm good to you like that :) So here's the first -

The first book that initially springs to mind as having made very full use of this top tip for me is Emily Giffin's "Something Borrowed", what does everyone else think?

For you writers out there, how do you go about working conflict into your manuscripts - I for one have struggled with this in the past, allowing my characters the pleasure of a very comfortable ride.
Not. Any. More!

Hope you enjoyed this post and I'll see you again tomorrow
Laura x

Your Top Three

2011-04-24T17:29:00.000+01:00

Let’s play Desert Island Chick Lit.

You are lucky enough to get stranded on a gorgeous tropical island, which just happens to have a cocktail bar and lots of stunning eye-candy pottering around (well, don’t want to deprive you, do I!). The one thing that you don’t have access to is any fresh chick lit... but you managed to salvage just three of your top chick lit books before you were left alone... what are they?

My top three classics to get stuck with for all eternity in a sun-drenched paradise currently stand as follows...

“Where Have All The Boys Gone” by Jenny Colgan – a hero to melt your heart

“Going Dutch” by Katie Fforde – two heroins to get behind

“Pride and Prejudice” by Jane Austen (it is chick lit, so don’t lynch me! It’s just a good vintage)

I chose these three as they have already stood up to multiple multiple readings already, and I’ve enjoyed them every single time. The last on the list of course is a great starting point for many other modern chick lit tales – which I can tell myself if I finally get bored of the other two, which I doubt.

So, what are your 3 to get stranded with?

Have a lovely weekend and come back Tuesday for Talli Roland’s first top tip for wannabe chick lit authors (that’s me then :))

See you then

Lxxx

Talli Roland Book@Bathtime Interview

2011-04-19T11:17:00.000+01:00

Good morning chick lit lovers! It's lovely and sunny here, but if you are under a cloud, take a peep at my second interview with Talli Roland and learn a bit more about her writing process... it'll brighten up your day...

Don't forget to enter my giveaway to win a signed copy of The Hating Game here. Competition closes 29/4/11

If you can't wait that long for a copy - you can get it here.

And don't forget to pop over and say hi to Talli here.

Happy Tuesday and see you soon
Lx

Re-Launch and Giveaway!!!

2011-04-17T17:36:00.004+01:00

Welcome to my snazzy, newly- re-launched site for all things Chick Lit. This week I had the honour of meeting the fabulous Talli Roland - and here she is with details of my re-launch giveaway...

And let me just add... this copy of "The Hating Game" has been SIGNED! Woop woop!!!

To enter simply...
- follow this blog and...
- submit your answer to the question by commenting on this post...
- by 29/4/11

I'm happy to send the prize anywhere in the world

Keep popping back this week to catch more of Talli, as she gives us her first Top Tip for aspiring chick-lit writers, and we have a more in-depth interview about her writing process.

In the mean time, don't miss a bit more of Talli over at Daily Dodo

See you soon guys
Laura x

News and Coming Soon

2011-04-12T11:40:00.000+01:00

Hello chic lit lovers, how are you all today?

This is a very quick post to tell you that this site will be RELAUNCHED at the beginning of May - if not a little sooner.

We will be having an exciting GIVEAWAY...
There will be a fab film interview with the amazing TALLI ROLAND...
There will be author's tips... reviews... virtual cake...

Keep your eyes peeled for the announcement here and at http://dailydodo.blogspot.com

Loving you lots, till then
Laura x

A Job For Bob?

2009-04-11T21:43:00.001+01:00

A quick rant... All you chick lit authors, would you please be a little more original with your choice of career path for your leading ladies. I’m getting a tad sick of the following...

1. Lawyers
2. Financial journalists
3. PR girls
4. Random unidentified hard nose bitch-boss types
5. PR girls
6. Media Types
7. Publishing Types
8. PR girls...

Need I continue? Just because most of you have come from one or several of the above backgrounds, aren’t you meant to have fabulous imaginations? Isn’t that your current job?

Applause to...
Katie Fforde – in Going Dutch she gives us an antique restorer
and...
Chris Manby – in Girl Meets Ape we get an ape expert
... well at least it’s original!

The Chick Lit Formula?

2009-03-12T21:15:00.000Z

There is a very common snide remark that chick lit haters enjoying bandying around –‘chick lit is formulaic’ - and is therefore shit. They don’t usually verbalise that second bit, but they may as well and save us from the ‘holier than thou’ glowering and attempts at blinding us with their dazzling literary knowledge that borders on genius – (self-confessed-genius that is)

Tell me one thing though, what is so bad about having a formula? When you think of it, all life-supporting things have a formula. Water – H20... Sponge cake – 6 oz self-raising flour, 3 eggs, 6 oz caster sugar, 6 oz butter... chick lit – good question...

Yes, chick lit is a life-supporting necessity. And yes, I do believe there is a formula that makes it what it is. There are certain elements that it must contain in order for it to be what it says on the tin (who wants to open a tin of peach slices to be confronted with what looks disturbingly like cat food?)

1. The heroine(s) needs to be female.
2. There must be some kind of romantic plot / sub-plot
3. There should be a happy / hopeful ending
4. The heroine must develop in some way throughout the book

I know there are probably a lot more essential elements... As with all good scientists, I have momentary brain freeze and would be grateful for any suggestions to add to the list.

Of course, there’s nothing to say that your sponge cake wouldn’t be greatly enhanced by a few currents or even a cherry here and there. And as for a glass of water – well there was this fantastic discovery called TEA – which is exactly where I’m off to now.
Goodnight.

Shopaholic: Novel vs Film

2009-03-07T19:33:00.000Z

I’ve finished the book. And I really enjoyed it. It was funny and quirky and had a good dollop of wanting to shout at the Becky for being such a bloody idiot... just like you want to shout at yourself sometimes. I cowered and squirmed and blushed in shared bouts of shame. I wouldn’t have said no to a bit more of a romantic build-up between the love-birds - when they got together, I really wasn’t that fussed. The rom definitely came second to the com part of the book. To be honest, I was busily rooting for one of the other characters to have his wicked way with the heroine all along anyway.

I know on a previous post I mentioned briefly that I enjoyed the film, had a good laugh at it and thought that it had a very nice plot with good, strong characters. But I really have to ask – other than the same(ish) title shared by the book and the film, are there any other common features at all? Becky was portrayed brilliantly by Isla Fisher, though if anything she was more endearing and a lot less deceitful that in the book. I certainly cared more about her. The hero was a completely different character, the parents were completely different characters (as was their relationship with Becky) and Luke was a different animal entirely!
As for the plot in the film – well, were there any common points between the two other than both being about a shopaholic? I don’t think so...

So to sum up, I really enjoyed both the film and the book. But one as an adaptation of the other... I don’t think so somehow. If the film had come out under a completely different name, other than the occasional brief flash of deja vu, I don’t think I would have realised that there was a connection between the two.

Top 5 Heroes

2009-03-03T20:29:00.000Z

This was going to be a list of my top ten men - but that felt a bit fickle, so I've whittled it down... speaking of fickle, this list will tend to change on a week to week basis! Here you go - my current countdown to wibbly knees...

5. Mark Darcy - from "Bridget Jones' Diary" by Helen Fielding
He's slightly grumpy. Which is good. And if he can deal with Bridget, there's some hope for the rest of us. Not sure about the pants-folding habit though...

4. Tom - from "Going Dutch" by Katie Fforde.
Playful, scruffy and a lot of trouble - well you just would, wouldn't you?!

3. Jon - from "Remember me?" by Sophie Kinsella.
A slightly scruffy creative who has the knack of cracking through the ice-covered exterior of his leading lady.

2. Harry - from "Where have all the boys gone?" by Jenny Colgan.
This one struts around being grumpy and outdoorsy and has a lovely dog... and is a complete softy when it comes down to it... what more could a girl ask for?

1. Mr Darcy - I'm sorry, really I am, but that wet shirt still holds me in it's sway. Ms Austen knew what we ladies like best...

Just to cap it off, I'd like to offer up my absolute worst hero to date. I think this one's a real stinker - it's Guy from "Girl Meets Ape" by Chris Manby. Here's a man who has all the makings of a fantastic romantic hero, but he just doesn't deliver. His get up and go obviously must have got up and decided to take a gap year and got lost somewhere along the way. One word - wet!

Yet Another Confession

2009-03-01T21:31:00.000Z

This seems to be the place that I make my embarrassing public confessions. Here's the worst so far - I haven't actually ever read any of the books in Sophie Kinsella's "Shopaholic" series.... phew... that's better, it's like the weight of the world has just fallen from my shoulders! I know for a self confessed chick lit fanatic, what I have just said is rather shocking. The thing is is that I couldn't bare to read about a character's struggle with shopping and money. I just couldn't - it's one of the most anxiety inducing subjects in the world, and though I'm sure that the books are as hilarious and well written as all her others, just haven't managed to develop the mind-set that money issues could be the back drop for escapist romance and comedy, at least that was the case until last Tuesday when I took myself to see the film version starring Isla Fisher - and now I can't wait to get my paws on the first of the books.

Not many films make me laugh out loud in a semi-deserted cinema, but this one managed to even before it started. Deciding to make a girly pilgrimage to the cinema on my own during my sacred day off from work, I realised that I could buy as much popcorn and coke as I wanted to without the usual colorie-enduced guilt-trip (I mean, who was there to witness it?!) Getting up the stairs with said bucket of popcorn in one hand, bucket of coke in the other and wallet tucked uncomfortably under my arm without spillage, droppage or any other misshap was a feat I was mightily proud of. Until I reached the pimply-faced youth who wanted to check my ticket. Which was in my wallet... wedged under my arm. There was nothing for it- I went down on one knee so that I could put everything down and get at my ticket. After much rummaging, out it came, and I thrust it triumphantly at the guy. He was looking decidedly uncomfortable and his mates were collapsing in fits of giggles in the corner. There was only one way to deal with this - as I handed him the ticket, still on bended knee, the words "please say yes!!!" came out of my mouth. Poor guy, I'm sure he's still getting over it, I know his mates are, I'm sure one of them wet himself.

Anyhow. Once ensconsed in seat, nibbles at the ready, I had a good look around only to realise that it was only me in the entire place. Then another solo female pottered in. The lights went down, and just as adds got under way, a lone male in a baseball cap skulked in, head bowed. He very quickly found a seat and sat as low down as he could get. I instantly started giggling, and to be honest with you, didn't stop for the rest of the film. There were some fantastic snort-your-popcorn moments in it. The one thing I would say though is it isn't one for the faint hearted. If you happen to be in the dire financial straights, this film will only serve to keep you sweating throughout!

So, give me a few days and I'll let you know how I think the film compared to the book. What does everyone else think?
Catch you soon
Laura x

Brain Invasion by Renee Zellweger...

2009-02-24T19:59:00.000Z

Hello. Do excuse me if this is rambling, but I'm in that fuzzy head stage that hits just after gorging on the delights of a chick lit novel for almost an entire day. In the words of Bridget-

"Argor... Gah... Baaaaaa" (If you don't believe me, look on almost any page...)

Yes, I come to you fresh from my battered copy of "Bridget Jones: the edge of reason" - saved from the confines of a charity shop bargain bin - can't let the godmother of chick lit lie in such a place!

Now, I love Bridget Jones, both the first and second book - Helen Fielding's voice was fresh and quirky when originally published, and it still is because no matter how many people have attempted to emulate her style, they never quite get her tone right. Of course the books have aged, and I think being in diary form has made this more apparent. For example when Bridget is talking about the death of Princess Diana and describing the mass mourning going on around her - well it's bound to put a date on it really isn't it? Although it doesn't feel that long ago to most of us, I reckon there will be younger readers who will get to this part and feel distanced from the characters, it being a rather cruel age-check! On the other hand, I can still fully identify with Bridget's complete neuroses about pretty much everything... and from the amount of female chatter I'm subjected to on a daily basis, I reckon that it's not just me. Bridget's character will remain relevant for generations because she is a public magnification of the bits that we slightly mad females would much rather keep to ourselves and our diaries!

One thing that gets my goat (whose name is Percival), is that Bridget is actually a fairly smart character in the books. She has her moments of style and grace (I can't think of any right now, but I'm sure that they are there!) However, I feel that Renee Zellweger's version of Bridget in the films was hammed up and missed some of the subtle nuances that make her a likable character - moments of style and true vulnerability. In fact, I don't really like Bridget in the films, I think she's a bit of an annoying, whiney twit. And the problem is that she keeps invading my imagination as I read the books.

Renee Zellweger - get thee gone! - Oh and naughty little film borrower who swiped these films from me about a year ago... you know who you are... please feel free to keep them! I want the good old Bridge back...
Lx

Who are you, where am I and what have you done with my brain?!

2009-02-23T20:50:00.000Z

Three very good questions, and I realised that in my first post I went off on a rant and didn't really give anyone any clue what this is all about about. Other than chick lit. And that's a given really. So - let me introduce myself and enlighten you all a little...

I am Laura. Definitely a Laura - as I so proudly declared to my mum at the age of three - "I'm not a fuman, I'm a Laura!" So that's that bit cleared up. Some random facts that make up this particular Laura are
1. I live in Devon
2. I am allergic to raw tomatoes (they knock me out - great when my other half fancies some peace and quiet!)
3. I love chick lit
4. I'm very very very untidy
5. I work in fashion
6. I'm a fluent welsh speaker
7. I love chick lit
8. I love to dance (especially tango)
9. I had a childhood crush on David Bowie
10. I love chick lit...

Where you are is my brand-spanking new blog dedicated to all things chick lit, to include chick flicks. There will be news on up-and-coming releases, reviews on whatever I have had my nose buried in recently (to include old favourites saved from charity shop bargain bins) and book/film comparison - I mean can any of us really believe that Becky Bloomwood is going to come alive on screen quite as well as she did in our imaginations- I don't know, but I hope to be able to report back in the next few days on that one!

And finally - I don't have your brain - have you checked down the side of the sofa? It'll probably be next to the fluff covered, soggy Malteser you dropped last Tuesday...

Catch you soon
Laura x

PS please please please feel free to leave comments or send review / article requests - I like a challenge!

Hello Chick Lit Lovers

2009-02-21T21:32:00.000Z

I have a guilty secret. I absolutely love chick lit! Wherever I go, be it town or country, park or hotel, work or play, I have a pastel coloured book secreted about my person somewhere. And boy do people give me a hard time for it. I am used to filthy glances from absolute strangers on planes, trains, boats and any other method of public transport you could possibly dream of. Believe me, if I could get to work on the back of a yak - my chick lit and I would have been shot daggers at by both the high-brow bloke on the neighbouring beast and the stiletto heeled harridan walking in the opposite direction . Even at home, my poor long-suffering house mate gets her own back for shoddy oven-cleaning and my general clinical untidiness by sneering as often as possible at my ever expanding chick-lit hoard.

But you know what - I don't care. I love nothing more than to lose myself in someone else's story - and preferably that someone else is a little bit like me, only bigger, bolder and preferably a bit barmier. So what that it gets a bit silly at times. Silliness is a very underrated pass-time.

So here's to you miseries who have been sending me the evils - clear off! I know you're just jealous and are actually very bored of your broadsheets and worthy tomes. But honestly - you don't want to be here. Really. This is a place for those of us who love our chick lit, and very proudly can't get enough of it.

OR... if you can't beat us, join us - I recommend beginning with 'Bridget Jones's Diary' by Helen Fielding, after all, you may as well begin at the beginning...

Enjoy!
Lx