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! 

Chick Lit Author Blog Hop 2012 May 14-20, Join The Online Party!

Chick Lit Author Blog Hop 2012 (May is International Chick Lit Month) runs May 14 - May 20 and includes 34 authors sharing Chick Lit-centric posts on their blogs, complete with a secret word, a grand prize and a chance to win e-books! More info on this great online party later today!

I am excited to be part of this first year event! Come back on Monday, leave a comment and you might win a copy of my book! Also, I'll show you where to go to meet 34 other writers where you might win e-books and a grand prize!

Follow My New Blog On My Crazy Life With Dogs!

How goofy is this?

I "heart" life. (If I were better with a computer there would be a little red heart instead of the word in print!)

I am a true romantic, but not in the traditional sense. I am in love with life. I was in love with my husband and then he died. It took a book, a pack of dogs, a small town, an antique shop, a vintage Corvette, a writer's guild, a book club, a critique group, a little cheap sex, and the best people I could meet to fill the hole in my heart.

I am a crumudgeon at dating, and probably provoke my bad dates, so they become worse. It is a game for me. I need a good piece for a blog post, meet a guy who hopes to land a good piece, and the evening is doomed, except I leave with something to write about. I'd like to think it could be more, but if you've tried the online dating sites, you'd cheer on my own bad behavior.

Someone pointed out to me at a book club meeting, where we got off the subject of the book we were dissecting, and started talking about men, that I sounded like a 'snot' when I date.

"You are absolutely right!" I toasted her with my wine glass. She nailed me. I am the world's worst date and have learned to except that fact. I want a life, not a mate. I'd even like a friend with benefits, but that appears to be an oxymoron.

My dating life has slowed down now. I've created a world no man wants to enter. I sleep with dogs, five to be exact. Even in a king size bed there is hardly room for another body. And no body is going to move my dogs. My bedside table is full of milk bones instead of condoms. At night, before I turn out the lights, I look at my sweet pack and sigh. They are sprawled out all around me, kissing each other good night. How cute is that?

I write about romance in daily life. If you look closely when you step through your door to the outside world, life is brimming with possibilities. Anything can happen if you are in tune with the universe. That is why I 'heart' life.

My new ramblings are posted on my new blog, http://barbarabarthcrazylifewithdogs.blogspot.com/

Come say hello! I'll pop in here from time to time, but you will find me at my crazy life with dogs blogspot most days!

The Unfaithful Widow On The Balancing Act Blog!

Via "The Balancing Act" Facebook Page. Go Like them! And watch the show "The Balancing Act" on Lifetime TV, weekdays at 7 am.

Ever feel like you’re the one always doing the talking?

The Unfaithful Widow can relate, in her recent blog, “I Have Been Talking Too Much!”.

Click on the blog link above and read my latest post on The Balancing Act. I am the CEO of Life on Mondays!

The Unfaithful Widow, Latest Post On 'The Balancing Act' Lifetime TV Blog!

This Christmas

My big decision this year is how late to stay open at my shop on Christmas Eve. I have no one to spend Christmas Eve with, so spending it at the shop is a great option. If I pushed, I could make plans. But this year I feel like winging it. This is my fourth Christmas as a widow and each year brings something different. Each Christmas leaves an impression unlike the year before.


My husband died in May. In December there were so many old memories, but I was grabbing at life as quickly as I could, and Christmas brought magic, not tears. No I didn't go see family. For twenty-five years we trecked to North Carolina for Christmas with his mother, back to the house for a day, then a trip down to see my mother in Florida, for New Year's Eve. Two dogs went with us. Packing them in the van was the hardest. Bigger dogs needed room. I'd make a platform in front of the seats with luggage covered in traveling quilts. Both dogs could stretch out looking ahead, fresh air hitting them from the front, keeping the dog puke factor down. Going over a huge mountain top meant one of the two would most likely get car sick. They loved the holidays and travel. I loved having them with us. My husband hated dog puke in the van.

The first Christmas on my own, I still had my two dogs. We stayed home. Mother and mother-in-law had their own plans. I refused to travel. I had lunch with my bff on Christmas day. She is a trained chef - now that was a Christmas dinner to remember. At seven I had a date. I tried dating too soon after my husband died. I wrote about it in my book. But I needed to be out in life to accept my new life alone. I met my date at the only local pub open on Christmas night. We drank coffee and talked about everything. His remark to me, which sums up how well I dated then, "Oh Barbara, Barbara, what are we going to do with you?" Somehow my husband got me, but no other male has since. But all and all, it was a lovely Christmas. We jumped in his huge black truck and went on a tour of lights in the surrounding neighborhoods. The evening ended with us eating pancakes at The Waffle House at 10 PM. He dropped me back at my car and I swear I heard him yell, "Merry Christmas to all, and to all a good night", as he waved goodbye and disappeared into the night. We did not go out again, but he was my own Santa sharing Christmas memories to brighten my night.

My second Christmas, it was time for family. I flew my mother up from Florida and we hugged and laughed around the Christmas tree. By now the dogs had changed, as one had left me for dog heaven, but I had adopted three rescue dogs. So we had four dogs to make it a rollicking holiday. Friends came to visit, Each had a dog for their lap. They all loved my mother. Late at night she and I relaxed in our jammies and watched romantic Christmas movies. A Christmas full of love with my mother by my side.

Last Christmas I have trouble remembering. I had just signed a lease to open a shop the day after I launched my one and only copy of an online dog magazine. My dog number had grown to six. I didn't travel. I didn't date. I did see my bff. But I spent a quiet holiday, content with my dogs, sitting by the Christmas tree, making plans to open my storefront in January. My not being able to remember the details tells me two things, it was quiet and I accepted being on my own at the holidays. It was unremarkable in one way, and very remarkable in another. I was comfortable in my own skin being in my home with my dogs on Christmas.

This Christmas, I am the laziest of all. My shop is brimming with decorations. My house is a bit lackluster for the holidays.

I am in the Christmas spirit. You can't have a shop full of twinkling lights and customers coming in wishing you "Merry Christmas" and "Happy Holidays" without catching the merriment. I have a tree decorated for the "Festival of Trees" for charity. I slip little trinkets to folks who come in the shop with their children. "Take a small ornament from the tree. It's free!" I like to watch the kids trying to decide which they like best. So Christmas at my shop is in full swing.

At home, I have a small silver tinsel tree with tiny white lights that sparkle in the dark. A few of my favorite artist crafted angels sit on my mantel. There are no other decorations, there are no presents under the little tree. I watch my Christmas movies snuggled with five dogs (I lost my old girl this year). There is no big hoopla. No road trips. I have a shop to manage and this is the busiest of times for it.

My shop has brought an unexpected gift this year. New friends. I still don't have a customer base to bring in cash sales, but I am rich in friendships now. That is something money can't buy. Perhaps that is what I love best about my shop and why I work hard to keep it. The people I meet fill me with comfort and joy. I am having Christmas dinner with a new single girlfriend this week. (Single friends are hard to come by when you have spent most of your adult life as a couple). Another friend has invited me to Christmas brunch with her family. I will see my bff later on Christmas day.

So much money has gone into my shop this year, I am not worrying about spending it on presents. I have freed myself from the need to spend money on gifts that no one really wants. We've all talked about that, and are good with it. What I am giving this year is love. I think that is a gift that is needed daily, not just for the holiday season. I will call my family and friends and tell them, "I love you!" We'll talk about memories past and look towards the future.

My shop will be open Christmas Eve as late as it needs to be. I don't expect a last minute customer to run in to buy a gift, but it is possible someone will be visiting the square, alone, trying to fill time on a holiday that is full of families. I've been there myself. A new friend at Christmas is the best gift of all. When I lock the door and head home, five dogs will be anxious to see me. I will feed them and starting calling my loved ones! I'll start with my mother. "I love you!" Then my cell will be busy all night.

Check out the post on The Balancing Act and leave a comment if you wish! http://www.thebalancingact.com/blogs/2011/12/19/this-christmas/

Wishing all of you a happy and safe holiday!  Hugs, Barbara

Its Time To Write A New Book! Thanks to The Balancing Act, I Am Getting My Act Together!

I write every day. I post blogs in various places. I talk about pulling them together into a new book. My brain spins trying to decide what to do first and how/where to go. A recent segment on The Balancing Act, Lifetime Television's morning show for women, has given me an answer and a bit of a challenge!

Sarah Gilbert, Lulu Press, was interviewed on The Balancing Act about creating personal books for friends and families. You can see the interview and read more about Lulu Press by clicking here.

Lulu.com, founded in 2002, is the leading self-publishing company in the industry with 1.1 million creators and 20,000 titles added to their collection each month. They provide anyone with the ability to publish print books, eBooks, mini-books, photo books, calendars, cookbooks and travel books. This means personalizing custom books or even calendars for the holidays.

I like the idea of a small personal book that I can share with my friends and family. Something to have fun with, rather than the ordeal of trying to piece together my next masterpiece! Although Lulu offers those services too.

Stay tuned and I will take you step by step on my journey with Lulu Press.

Interested in joining me? Do your own personal book with Lulu Press, e-mail me with your book info and I'll share it here!

Let's get creative and have some fun with Lulu!

Visit Lulu Press on Facebook and become a fan! 27,381 fans can't be wrong! Look for coupons and special offers with Lulu on Facebook.

A few of the services Lulu offers in addition to helping you self-pubish your book!

"Awkward Family Pet Photos", In Book Stores Today

I received a review copy of this book and it is a must have for pet lovers! Available today in bookstores!

I grew up with many odd animals, not just cats and dogs! "Awkward Family Pet Photos" brought back memories that made me smile!

The website is as wonderful as the book! Check it out  http://awkwardfamilypetphotos.com/

Run, don't walk, to your nearest book store! "Awkward Family Pet Photos", the funniest pet book you'll see this season, is available today. This book will steal the hearts of all animal lovers. “Awkward Family Pet Photos” is a must have book for anyone who loves their pets. It is mostly a book of outrageous photos of pets and their owners, mixed in with text and stories about some of the pet photos.

You know me. I must write one of the only widow blogs that constantly features dogs! My dogs rescued me, I like to say. Pets are a vital part of any family and are with you through the good times and help you through the bad. I sleep with my five. When you find a man who finds that a plus, call me! The photo below gave me hope!



Maybe this is the guy for me?
One of the few black and white photos in book.
Pet Noir.


As a pet owner myself I am as guilty as the next at dressing my dogs up for special occasions. My chihuahua wears a bunny suit at Easter, my female dogs pose in vintage hats, and my late German Shepherd looked fabulous in a fedora. I love taking photos of my dogs.

The late Mr. Jake. He could wear a hat!

We take for granted that our pets love these antics as much as we do. This book proves that most likely they do. Every page is chock full of color photographs of all kinds of pets. We all think of dogs and cats in family photos, this book goes way beyond the normal family pet, to include some extremely unusual critters that just don’t come to mind when you say “pet”. Yet each photo demonstrates the love of the owner for its special animal.

At first glance at this book, my head started to spin. There are so many photos it is overwhelming. This book is a bit kitschy with its brightly dazzling high gloss color images. Each page is chock full of images so that you can’t just flip through the book and toss it aside as a pretty coffee table book. The more you look at the pages and photographs, the more you see and the more you laugh. I love that this book will take time to ingest. I have many animal books that I’ve looked at and put away to browse through later. You can’t do that with “Awkward Family Pet Photos”, because you want to go back again and again to see what you’ve missed!

The chapters cover dogs, cats, birds, exotic pets, farm animals, family portraits, and holidays with pets. I was very captivated with some of the exotic photos, which included a couple who met while walking their sugar gliders (this actually reminded me of my mother, who had two sugar gliders. I never knew about sugar gliders until mom rescued the pair from a young man), the woman with a opossum in her hair (my old high school boyfriend and I shared two pet opossums, he'd bring his when he visited me and my female Opie), and the family portrait with the snake intertwined around everyone’s head (remember that 7 ft indigo snake, mom, that left mites on all the kids?). The book made me smile and brought back memories of my childhood with a mother who loved exotic animals more than cats and dogs. She has two cats now, but that is another story!

Photo from book. Is that a pet Tiger?

My favorite chapter, however, is the last on Awkward Pets, catching some animals in mighty strange positions! The sweetest in that category is the “bum sniffer” where the dog is sniffing a baby’s butt.

The humor in this book is as amazing as the photos. I went online to check the book out further, and found a YouTube video with a young woman reading the book and laughing so hard she kept tripping from room to room as she flipped through the book. You will laugh your bum off too when you start reading this charming, funny look at life with animals.

Kudos to Mike Bender and Doug Chernack for coming up with a winner! The book is available today in bookstores. If you love animals you owe it to yourself to buy several copies of this book. You will want to keep yours and it will make the perfect holiday gift for your favorite pet lovers.

My own awkward pet moment! That's Princess from The Flying Feathers, featured several times at my shop. I used this photo on a dating site with the heading, Dating Is For The Birds. Wonder why no one contacted me?

Do yourself a big favor! Buy a copy of this charming book today. Check your local book store or buy online with the link on the book website!

Now, excuse me, gotta run. I am inspired to go torture the dogs and take some photos of them wearing the new cowboy hats I purchased for my shop!  Yippee-ki-yay!