Chick Lit Author Blog Hop 2012 * Chick Lit Memoirs

The Fun Starts Now!

At the bottom of my post are all the instructions you need to enter in a grand prize drawing and meet all the participating authors for a chance to win an e-book on their sites!

Thanks Tracie Banister for such a lovely way to connect with Chick Lit authors!

Please note: leave your comments right below the list of authors. This post runs closely with the post last Wednesday and some comments have been left there. I'll include them in the drawing if I can't repost here!

Chick Lit Memoirs

I am a dog hoarder. Most people who know me would agree on that simple fact. I have five dogs. I’d have more, but my seven-pound Chihuahua, Chloe, stomped her tiny paw on my chest one night after she caught me up on Petfinder.com again. She is the Alpha and demands the attention. I think I heard her squeak, “Enough!”

“The Unfaithful Widow” is full of dog rescue stories. It is my tail tale of the first year after my husband died. “I’d like to think I’ve rescued dogs the truth is they have rescued me.” How many times have I said that? Chloe came in as the P.S. on the bottom of the last page. She was not the last dog to enter my front door. Two more followed her. I adopted five dogs in nine months. If I wasn’t so old were younger, I could have had a baby.

The dogs, and a pack of great girlfriends, turn a widow story into a breezy chick lit memoir. I’d like to think my readers feel like they are sitting at my kitchen table, sharing secrets, and drinking Margaritas a nice cup of tea.

One of my favorite reviews came from Helen Ross, an Australian children’s author, poet, and writer. “ ‘The Unfaithful Widow’ would make a lovely movie – a little in the vein of ‘Bridget Jones’s Diary’, offering hope to those in similar situations, or to just get out there and give life a go; it should appeal to both men and women.” She also called me “naughty” and “cheeky”. I’ll love her forever for that!

Hello Hollywood, are you listening?

I have a soft spot for shelter dogs. They teach us that love can mend a broken heart, that it is possible to trust again, and how to live in the moment. If you see me face down in my yard, don't call 911, I am just smelling a blade of grass.

Chloe is my fashionsita. She rules the house in a polka dot dress with the ruffle flying high above her butt. Her favorite gift is a new outfit. She is a real bitch cute dog. She's the kind of a gal that would sneak a cigarette from my Coach purse if either of us smoked.

I am working on a new memoir about my crazy life with dogs. Try dating with a pack of hounds at home. My bedside table is full of milk bones instead of condoms books. The last date I had ran out the front door crying he had a headache. I thought that was my excuse!

Chick lit is considered the epitome of a lighthearted beach read, but most chick lit writing has a firm grasp on situations and issues women face in daily life. Non-fiction memoirs, written in a hip, just us girls style, can take a grave situation, make it intimate and fun, and give the reader something to compare her own life experiences with. Some memoirs take on a more serious tone, but the feeling of camaraderie is present so the reader and author connect in a personal way.

On my bucket list of chick lit memoirs with a bit of 'hair of the dog' to read are:

• “Rex in the City” by Lee Harrington. 
• “Dreaming in Libro” by Louise Bernikow
• “You Had Me At Woof” by Julie Klam

Five dogs have killed off my dating life but I now have time to read! My Saturday night special is a great chick lit memoir, a pack of hounds to snuggle with, and a bottle of Jack Black diet coke.

I dream my perfect man will come along, a second chance at love again,  and that he will be a veterinarian. That will be a memoir with a kick ass up your heels ending!

Do you have a dog that plays havoc on your love life? Leave a comment below with your name and e-mail address and you will be entered to win a copy of my memoir "The Unfaithful Widow". The winner can choose between a free Kindle download or a paperback book.

For a chance to win the Chick Lit Author Blog Hop Grand Prize of a $150 Sephora gift card, simply do the following:

• Collect all 34 of the secret words (you will find a secret word in each of the blog posts on the hop.) The word will be italicized, so it will be easy to locate. A hint for my secret word, it is in the line that links to Helen Ross and is in blush red.

• Submit your list of 34 secret words to mailto:CLABlogHop@aol.combefore midnight on Sunday, May 20th and you will be entered into the Grand Prize Drawing! 
• The Grand Prize winner will be announced on Monday, May 21st, and the $150 Sephora gift card can be redeemed online, or at any Sephora store in the US.
• Chick Lit Author Blog Hop contests are open to residents of the United States only.

Please see the list below for a Linky list of all 34 participating authors/blogs. Find the secret word in each blog and enter to win an e-book with each author. It's that simple and fun!