Listen Up! Ellen Byerumm on Writing Strong Women Blog Talk Radio

Any mystery-loving fashionista worth her salt should know Ellen Byerrum’s Crimes of Fashion mysteries are just as exciting as a Kate Spade sample sale! Her crime-solving protagonist, Lacey Smithsonian, always finds herself entangled in a murder mystery while chasing down leads for stories about toe cleavage and the return of legwarmers. Even though she abhors pink (my signature color!), this girl has a knack for fashion and never hesitates to chase down murderous fiends – even in four-inch Jimmy Choos!

Want to know more about this fabulous vintage couture-clad protagonist? Well tune in to Sylvia Dickey Smith’s Writing Strong Women Blog Talk Radio Show this Monday at 1 p.m.  Who’s your favorite strong female character?

Review: Downward Dog, Upward Fog by Meryl Davids Landau

I have to confess, I have very little interest in yoga.  I couldn’t tell you the difference between a downward dog and an upward cat, but all my friends love this alternate form of exercise, so it must be somewhat effective. They all try to get me to join in on the fun, but I’d so much rather hit the trails at Town Lake than pretzel myself into uncomfortable poses in a sweaty room full of strangers.  For the life of me, I can’t figure out what all the hype is about. Why would you rather do the splits on a little rubber mat than go for a nice little jog in the great outdoors? Can you really get a real workout by staying in one place? And what’s the deal with all the mind, body and soul mumbo jumbo? 

When the author contacted me about this book, I figured this would be a good opportunity to broaden my spiritual – and cardiovascular – horizons.  I’m so glad she did because I now have a whole new perspective on yoga and the people who love it. Now don’t get me wrong, I’m not signing up for a yoga class just yet, but I do have some newfound appreciation for the people who love the art of deep breathing and downward dogging.  

The story begins when 33-year-old Lorna Crawford is struck by a spiritual crisis while sipping cosmos at the local bar with her gossipy gal pals.  Suddenly she loses her desire to toss back drinks and play the “let’s make fun of the people around us” game.  You know the type, right? The group of girls who snicker at unfortunate “fashion victims” at trendy bars. The ones who whisper rude remarks just loud enough for their targeted victims to hear.  Who could blame Lorna for wanting to bail?

Fortunately Lorna’s sister, Anna (aka Angelica), is a minister who can help her find a new spiritual path. With Anna’s guidance, she stocks up on new age books and dabbles into the mysterious realm of yoga. Just before she can master the sitting lotus, she signs up for a silent yoga retreat with her new best friend and yoga aficionado, Janelle.  Sure, a yoga retreat sounds like a nice break from the trappings of modern-day life, but this one requires no caffeine, no meat, no boozy drinks and no electronics…did I mention NO CAFFEINE?!?! Ouch, my head hurts just thinking about it.

Along the way, she gains a posse of yoga friends who just love, love, love organic salads, green tea, and meditating.  Pretty hardcore, right? Well hey, to each their own. When all of life’s stressors come to a head, Lorna gains strength from her friends and the healing powers of yoga. From a high stress corporate job, to calculating coworkers, to a workaholic boyfriend to a nightmare of a mom, this girl has a lot on her plate. But through yoga and “sujaling” she gradually learns how to look at her adversaries in a whole new light.

Now here’s where the book gets really interesting. I’m not sure if I’m a believer in yoga or rhythmic chanting, but I am a HUGE believer in positive psychology. Right after college I read the Divine Wisdom of Florence Doval Shin to gain confidence before entering the “real world” and it all made perfect sense. Just like Lorna, I was able to get through some tough situations by visualizing good outcomes and blocking negative thinking.  If your motto is “expect the worst, hope for the best,” you may think differently after reading up on positive psychology.  Trust me, I’m no Pollyanna, but I do know negative thinking leads to self-sabotage. 

Overall this book is worth checking out – even if you’re not interested in yoga or religion.  Part women’s fiction, part self-help, this book is both entertaining and enlightening.  I can’t say that Lorna’s spiritual journey inspired me to sign up for yoga, but I did learn a few things about myself that I’d like to change. I can say that I wholeheartedly agree with the book’s underlying messages: Be compassionate toward others, abandon judgments and kill your enemies with kindness.  At the risk of sounding corny, I have to say that if everyone read this book with an open mind, the world would be a better place.  I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: Get it, read it, share it!

Five Things I Love About the Hunger Games

Let me start off by saying dystopian fantasies or other grim variations of doomsday fiction have absolutely no appeal to me whatsoever. So when all my friends and bookish cyber buddies pleaded with me to read the Hunger Games, I stubbornly held my ground.  There’s no way I could enjoy a dystopian action-adventure story set in the ruins of what used to be North America, right? Wrong! My curiosity finally got the best of me – and before I knew it I was sucked into Suzanne Collins’ mesmerizing world of warriors, gamemakers, mutations and tender teenage romance.

If you’re not privy to the premise of the Hunger Games (which I doubt if this post caught your eye), here’s the gist: Post-apocalyptic North America is divided into 12 districts ruled by a barbaric government located at the Capitol. Our fearless protagonist, Katniss Everdeen, lives on the seams of District 12, a wasteland of hunger, disease and death. To keep the districts from revolting against the system, the Capitol forces two random children from each district to fight to the death in the annual Hunger Games. When Katniss’ little sister is picked in the annual lottery to fight as a “tribute” in the games, she volunteers to take her place. Like lambs to the slaughter, the 24 tributes are dumped in a treacherous arena, where they must kill off all their competitors to win the crown. The winner gets a lifetime of luxury and celebrity. The action is filmed and broadcast to the entire world.

Now on to the hard part. How can I even attempt to review such an amazing rollercoaster ride of action, adventure, survival, courage and symbolism galore?  I think I’ll take the easy way out and break down my top five reasons for loving this book.

1. It’s brutal:  Even though this is classified as young adult, this book is just as violent as a Stephen King novel. I wasn’t expecting  graphic scenes like the teenage girl getting stung to death by an angry swarm of lethal hornets. The bloody battles between the desperate young warriors were strangely hypnotic. What’s really disturbing is that I kind of felt like one of the voyeuristic gamemakers as I enjoyed the action unfolding in the arena of death.

2. Boy drama:  This wouldn’t be a young adult novel without a love triangle, now would it? Don’t get me wrong, the lovey dovey stuff takes a backseat to the action and adventure. But there’s a hint of a budding romance between our fearless warrior and her best friend/hunting buddy, Gale. And then there’s Peeta, the strapping blond boy selected as the second tribute in District 12. Even though the end game is to be the last one standing, the pair team up and what unravels is a perplexing love story. I’m not sure what’s going to happen in the next book, but I’ll tell you right now I’m on Team Peeta!

3. The girl power: To say Katniss is bad-ass would be an understatement. As the sole provider for her baby sister and invalid mother, she illegally hunts wild game and scavenges the dingy streets of District 12 for scraps. She’s so awesome – she could put Robin Hood to shame with her excellent marksmanship. No matter what comes her way, she maintains a stoic demeanor and never reveals her soft underbelly. What I really love about this girl is that she’s the only one with any balls to challenge the Capitol. When they try to throw her a curveball, she shows them she’s not just another piece in their stupid game!

4. The villains: My god – how freaking awful are those Machiavellian gamemakers? There’s something very unsettling about this ruling class of evil overlords who live in luxury while the majority of their fellow citizens are feeding off of tree bark and boiled peppermint leaves.  Stripped of all humanity, these decadent bastards get their kicks by watching live-stream videos of starving children slitting each other’s throats. Wow…just wow.

5. The movie: I rarely ever say this, but the movie did a bang-up job bringing the book to life. The cinematography, the colors and costumes, the casting – all brilliant! I couldn’t imagine anyone other than the talented Jennifer Lawrence playing Catniss. She was fierce in Winter’s Bone and was just as intense in The Hunger Games. I also really liked Josh Hutcherson as Peeta. With his chiseled jaw and soulful eyes, he really hit the mark as the handsome and kindhearted “boy with the bread.” Plus I think he’s kind of a cutie patootie. As for Gale, I was hoping they’d cast someone a little less pretty. Overall it was really well done – not as good as the book – but very entertaining nonetheless.

OK Hunger Games fans, what do you think? Did the movie do the book justice? What do you love most about this trilogy?

Q&A with Kimberly S. Lin, Author of “Recession Proof”

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again – I’m so glad I started this book blog!!! Otherwise I would have overlooked Kimberly S. Lin’s debut novel, “Recession Proof.” From page one, I was lured into Helen’s plight as an overworked, underappreciated corporate career girl. Trapped in a thankless job and a loveless relationship, she knows her only shot at happiness is to abandon the status quo.  Is she brave enough to finally call her own shots and pursue her dream of becoming a writer? You’ll have to read the book to find out!

Much like her main character,  Kimberly S. Lin worked as a financial analyst but always dreamed of becoming a writer. She was kind enough to chat with Chick Lit Café about her connection with Helen, her new magazine venture, and why you should never push your passions aside and settle for less.

How did you go from financial analyst to women’s fiction novelist?

The two basically overlapped. I was writing my novel in my spare time before and after work. I usually woke up at 3:30 a.m. to write, get into work at 9 a.m. and then maybe wrote a little bit at 11 p.m. I think my best work comes at odd hours of the day. Also there’s something about being awake while everyone else is asleep that is incredibly calming.

I published in June 2011 and in a stroke of fate, was laid off 4 months later. Logistically, I’ve been rather fortunate. Having the unemployment income has been very helpful. It’s given me a full year to focus on building my business at Minted Magazine. But since it’s in its start-up phase, it’s definitely not generating a full-time income in any way. I’ve also been blessed with a very understanding and supportive family, including a wonderful and talented boyfriend. And honestly, I couldn’t do it without my business partner, Shirley Lau. Achieving your dreams takes a village. The hardest and scariest decision to date has been taking that first step and deciding to forgo looking for a job in finance that would have given me stability and instead, pursue what really makes me fulfilled. Also, I have never once regretted the time I spent in finance. It definitely comes in handy as an entrepreneur.

Beyond that, my journey so far has taken an incredible amount of discipline and patience. We are trained in our society to have everything right away. However building a business or a brand takes an incredible amount of time. I wake up everyday and grind it out and most of the time for no visible financial gain. Moreover, start-up hours are no joke. I have never worked so hard at anything in my life but I do wake up and go to bed everyday completely at peace with my decision and proud of myself. It is truly a matter of having faith that hard work, perseverance and talent will eventually get you to the finish line.

 Would you say that you and Helen have shared similar experiences?

Absolutely. I think many people have the same experiences as Helen. Everyone has experienced the fears of not knowing what they really want to do in life and whether or not a relationship is truly right. Most importantly, everyone has settled and been a little disappointed by life. In writing Helen and in writing all my characters, I do create psychological, familial and societal reasons for why they do the things they do. So for Helen, the underlying reason was her dysfunctional family upbringing, which was very different from my own upbringing. The only experience that I share with Helen is that I worked at a hedge fund so I wrote what I knew. But it just so happens that it works well because it fits in with the whole recession/finance theme.

“Recession Proof” is full of secondary characters, who is one that you’d like to spend an
afternoon with and why?

Sophie, of course. I love me some Sophie. And how can you not? She’s hysterical and inappropriate— two things I value and treat in the highest regard.

If you’re book ever hit the big screen, who would you like to see playing Helen?

Anna Kendrick from Up in the Air. 

What message do you hope readers will take away from your book?

The message that I want to communicate in all of my work, including Recession Proof, is that you don’t have to settle. Settling is a choice and so is not settling. Pursuing your dreams is a rocky road but it’s completely worth it.

Can you describe your writing process?

Booze and multiple cuddle sessions with my dog. I’m not completely joking. This is always a hard question to answer because I don’t really have one. I just know that I start with a topic I feel very passionate about and that my work is very character and dialogue driven.

What’s the most important piece of advice you could give an aspiring novelist?

You can read my comprehensive advice here. However, the most important thing is to have online presence. That means, get yourself a Facebook as an author, a namesake website, a Twitter, a Google+, be on fine blogs like this one…etc. Basically Google yourself and you should take up the entire first page. Recognize the fact that you are a brand. Then, of course, write a great book.

 Finally, can you tell us a little bit about what readers can expect from you next?

The Spring Issue of Minted Magazine should be out by the time this post publishes, so definitely check it out! It’s AMAZING. The magazine has taken over my life and I am forever stuck on Chapter 13 of my second book, Thirty-Something.

Want to know more about this fabulous new author? Visit her website here. Go here for my review of her book.

Listen Up! Joni B. Cole on Writing Strong Women Blog Talk Radio

Joni Cole , author of Another Bad Dog Book: Tales of Life, Love, and Neurotic Human Behavior, will discuss her book and her approach to writing strong women today at 1 p.m. on Sylvia Dickey Smith’s Writing Strong Women Blog Talk Radio Show!

From Sylvia’s blog: She also taught writing for years, and has a book out for writers (Toxic Feedback: Helping Writers Survive and Thrive). About writing strong women, Joni says:

“I write strong women because they’re the most interesting! But of course even the strongest women have quirks, flaws, insecurities, and neuroses. Those are the things that often test their strength, sometimes as much as external challenges. In my book of personal essays “Another Bad Dog Book: Tales of Life, Love, and Neurotic Human Behavior” I write about times when I find myself in funny but also heartfelt situations–dealing with issues related to my aging parents, losing a best friend to suicide,  feeling insecure as a writer or parent. But in each essay, I don’t just outline the struggles inherent in these difficult situations, but also the opportunities for insight and triumph and even humor.

For more about this fabulous radio show, visit this website. Read my review for Joni’s memoir, “Another Bad Dog Book” here.

Review: Recession Proof by Kimberly S. Lin

To say Helen is unhappy would be an understatement. She works 15-hour days at a high-stress financial job, where she struggles to stay afloat under a ridiculous workload.  As the only female financial analyst at her firm, she knows her boss is doing everything in his power to replace her with another smooth-talking good ol’ boy. When his patronizing lectures about her substandard productivity get worse with each passing day, she knows it’s only a matter of time until she’s standing in the dreaded unemployment line.

After a bad day of work (which is pretty much every day) she seeks comfort from her longtime boyfriend, Mark. But sadly, he’d rather play video games and go bowling with his douchebag friends than spend quality time with his girlfriend. For six long years, Helen has been trapped in a dead-end relationship with a man she doesn’t even love. Unwilling to own up to her true feelings, she convinces herself they’re meant to be together. They’ve stuck it out this long, so why rock the boat?

On the cusp of turning 30, Helen still has no idea who she is and how to live her life on her own terms. Since she was a kid she always wanted to be a writer, but her dream fell flat when her father warned her of the uncertainty of writing jobs. Desperate for her father’s praise, she decided to pursue a stable, lucrative career in finance. Although she appears to be right on track, her life is spiraling out of control.

Thankfully she has her best friend, Sophie, to turn to when times get tough. I absolutely adore this character, probably because she reminds me of my own BFF! Smart, sassy and honest (sometimes to a fault), Sophie offers comfort and comic relief when Helen needs it the most. Even though she’s rich, gorgeous and engaged to the perfect man, it’s impossible to hate her. OK, maybe I hate her just a tad for having the ability to eat whatever she wants without gaining weight! Unlike Helen’s own sister, who only cares about keeping up with the Jones’ in her posh Orange County neighborhood, Sophie is there to pick up the pieces when everything falls apart. They say blood is thicker than water, but I think that’s a bunch of crap. True best friends will have your back – no matter what.

When her problems inevitably come to a head, Helen realizes her only chance at happiness is to finally call her own shots.  And if that means going against her father’s wishes and  putting her relationship with Mark out of its misery, so be it! Determined to pursue a writing career, she takes on a pro bono job at a local travel magazine and steadily builds upon her portfolio. Even though she’s not making any money, she loves writing. And for the first time in years, she’s on the verge of finding happiness.  But yet there are still a few kinks she needs to work out, especially in the love department.  When Mr. Perfect comes along, she makes a slew of self-sabotaging mistakes.  I don’t want to give away any spoilers, so I’ll stop right here. You’ll just have to read the book to get to the good stuff. Trust me, it’s well worth your time.

Overall, this is a fun and engaging character-driven read. This talented new author proves her understanding of women’s relationships with a style that’s both snappy and heartfelt. Women will absolutely recognize themselves and their friendships on the pages. Fans of Emily Griffin, Jennifer Weiner and Jane Green will enjoy this introspective, sharply realistic and tenderly humorous novel. Don’t get comfortable because you won’t be able to put it down!

Short & Sweet Sunday: The Hollow by Jessica Verday

In honor of Sunday – a day I reserve for reading and lollygagging – I bring you a short and sweet book review! For more of my “Short & Sweet” reviews, go here.  

The gist:  (From Goodreads) After the death of her best friend, Abbey feels abandoned and alone. She tries distracting herself by creating perfumes, but true distraction comes in the form of Caspian, the “total hottie” she meets in the Sleepy Hollow cemetery. Abbey quickly falls head over heels in love with Caspian, although she struggles with his mysterious and elusive demeanor. Just as things seem like they are back to normal, Abbey makes two discoveries: she finds Kristen’s secret diary that reveals she was hiding something from Abbey, and she learns Caspian’s true identity. On the verge of a breakdown, Abbey’s world slowly begins to unravel when she realizes Sleepy Hollow may hold more truth than legend.

Why I read it: I’m a HUGE fan of Washington Irving’s Legend of Sleepy Hollow, so any book or movie that touches on this Halloweenie masterpiece really sparks my interest. How could I resist a gothic mystery involving a creepy cemetery, an alluring ghost boy and the headless horseman?!? It’s like this book was tailor made just for me!

The perks: Despite its many flaws, this is a fun little Halloween read. The new spin on the legend of the headless horseman is entertaining…although Washington Irving is most likely rolling around in his grave. I liked the spooky atmospheric graveyard, where Abbey would spend her days reminiscing about the good times she had with her best friend. Apparently the two weirdos liked to hang out at Washignton Irving’s grave, where they would tell ghost stories about the Headless Horseman and giggle about boys.

The drawbacks: The love connection between Abbey and Caspian seemed forced. I can’t put my finger on it, but I just didn’t feel the heat radiating off of these two star-crossed lovers. They’re just so nice and sweet and polite …yawn. I don’t mean to sound harsh, but it felt like the author wasn’t really feeling it, but she had to fuse them together to appease her swoony teenage readers. While I’m at it, I should also add that the editor should have been more heavy-handed with the red pen. The story would have moved along at a much quicker pace if it wasn’t bogged down with superfluous details about Abbey’s day-to-day motions like mixing scents, organizing her uncle’s office or working on a science fair project. As for the mystery, Abbey’s obsession with Caspian eclipses her interest in her friend’s disappearance. If you’re looking for clues and red-herrings you won’t find them in this book.

This book is best pared with: A steaming mug of apple cider and a glowing jack-o-lantern. I know it’s crazy to be thinking of Halloween in April, but what can I say?  I’ll say it loud, I’m a Halloween freak and I’m proud!

Soundtrack pick: Paramore–Haunted

Overall: To quote Randy Jackson: It was just OK for me, dog. I’m not itching to jump right into the next book, but I’ll probably get around to it. The author really didn’t crack open the case of the missing best friend until the very last chapter, so I’m hoping she’ll get down to business in the next book. Plus I want to figure out what the heck is going on with Caspian’s inexplicable link to the Headless Horseman!