Mind Chocolate: Chick Lit

Showing posts with label Chick Lit. Show all posts

Interview with Erynn Mangum

Today we have the hilarious Erynn Mangum as our guest author. Erynn is a proud new mom who writes about quirky characters and coffee...lots of coffee. The first time I read one of her books, my husband walked into the room and laughed at the smirk on my face. Fun stuff. :-)

Erynn, do you have a favorite chocolate indulgence?

I love, love, LOVE homemade chocolate chip cookies. The Charmingly Chocolate Chip Cookies from Trader Joes are the closest to homemade that I've found that you can buy store bought. I also love chocolate milkshakes. :)

Give your own definition of chick lit.

I think chick lit is has changed a little bit over the years. Before, the characters needed to be in their thirties, desperate for love and pretty sarcastic. Now, I think it can encompass different ages, different motives and different voices - as long as it's fun, entertaining and has that twinge of romance!

Do you have any chick lit-like moments from your own life that you could share?

I'm forever putting my foot in my mouth, so awkward moments are pretty much a daily occurrence for me. Sadly.

What about any crazy college Bible study stories?

I was SO lucky to be a part of some amazing college Bible studies - and yes, most of the scenes in my books are usually directly related to some of the ones I lived through! I remember we used to meet at this house that four guys shared and they would roll out huge area rugs right before everyone came over and then roll them back up right after everyone left so they never had to vacuum their carpet. Bleugh!

Do you have any writing quirks?

Oh gosh - I never do the same thing twice. Sometimes I sit on the couch, sometimes I'm at the kitchen table, sometimes at the desk. Sometimes I need coffee, sometimes a chai tea, sometimes just good old fashioned water. Usually I'm wearing sweatpants. I went through a phase where I chewed gum the entire time I was writing and let me tell you, I had enviable jaw muscles.

If you were going to co-author a novel, who would you choose to write with? Why?

Honestly, I don't know that I could co-author a novel. I think I write in such a scattered, unorganized way that I would drive any other writer absolutely insane. Plus, I never know where I'm going to take the story until I'm in the middle of writing it. Such habits do not a good co-author make.

What are one or two of your favorite lit novels from the CBA?

Love Fools Rush In by Janice Thompson - I read that recently and just cracked up. Robin Jones Gunn is always a magical read - I can only read her every so often though because I get so envious of her storytelling abilities!

Where would you go on your dream “research” trip, and would you take anyone with you? Who?

England and Austria. I want to go see where Jane Austen grew up and I want to do the Sound of Music tour. I can think of several really fun storylines that could happen on a Sound of Music tour. :) As far as people I would bring, I'd make it a girls trip and bring my mom, sister, grandma and a couple of my bestest friends.

Also, I think it would be too fun to write a story in Australia and I would definitely want my husband to come with me for that one. After growing up watching Man From Snowy River, I think Australia is such a romantic place!

If you could live in a novel, which one would you choose?

Sheesh! This is a hard question! Can I have multiple lives? I'd pick Pride and Prejudice, but they hadn't discovered deodorant yet, so that might be more of a See And Not Smell place I'd like to live. And I would love to have gone on the road trip in Elvis Takes A Backseat, because seriously - a life-sized statue of Elvis was in the backseat. But I think my top choice would be Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs, because y'all, they had milkshakes falling from the sky.

If you weren’t pursuing writing, is there another dream career you might be chasing?

Every person I've ever talked to who is a photographer is absolutely in love with their job - I think that would be my next choice. Can you imagine a more fun job than capturing all of the priceless moments in people's lives?

Finally, share two pieces of advice—one writing-related and one not.

Writing-related advice: Accept criticism with a critical eye. Everyone is going to have a different thought on where your manuscript should go - listen to the advice that you believe really makes your work better and ignore the advice that changes your vision for the book.

Non-writing-related advice: Don't get distracted while blow drying your hair or you might end up sucking hair into the wrong end of the dryer and that is painful. Be sure to break in the shoes you are planning on wearing during your wedding before your wedding day. Running while holding a bottle of water is harder than it seems, particularly if you've lost the cap to the bottle. I'm full of very important pieces of advice.

Thank you SO much! This was fun!! :)

Thanks for joining us, Erynn!

To learn more about Erynn and her writing, check out her website. She has also graciously offered to give away a copy of Cool Beans, the first book in her Maya Davis series. You can get your name put into the hat up to four times. 1. Tweet this link and let us know. 2. Post this link on your facebook and let us know. 3. Follow our blog. 4. Comment below, telling us about what novel you would choose to live in. Or, well, just comment below. :-)

Change

Tracy and I had finally finished writing and editing Bliss. We were ready and excited to find the perfect publisher for it as we went to a writers’ conference that year. We were going to pitch together for the first time. Nerve-wracking, but much better than facing the editors alone.

But then we received some news that made it more nerve-wracking. Chick lit was supposedly out. A taboo term. The year before, everyone wanted that genre. This time, no one was buying it—they all wanted historical romances instead. So we went to one meeting, smiled, and said we had a light-hearted women’s fiction story.

He smiled and said, “Are you trying to avoid the term ‘chick lit’?”

We had a story we believed in. Full of laughter (at least we cracked ourselves up, and I heard my grandmother got a kick out of it, too) and a meaningful journey about faith and relationships and the true Source of bliss. But the markets had changed. What were we supposed to do with this thing that we loved, believed in, poured our heart into?

The world’s kind of like that, isn’t it? You think you have things figured out and they change. You think you’re trucking along just fine, and suddenly there’s a tree in your path and your life takes an unexpected twist and you don’t know what to do or what lies ahead of you.

Well, you know what? There’s Someone Who never changes. You’ll never go to church one Sunday and find out that God decided to change up the requirements for salvation. He loves you. That will never change. He has a bird’s eye view of your life. He will be there to help you, to hold you, to guide you. He is the I AM. He was, He is, and He will be. Forever.

Interview with Tracy

What is your favorite chocolate indulgence?

This is a hard choice. There are just so many goodies out there! I am going to have to go with my friend Jan Hobbs' chocolate cake. The recipe includes chocolate and coffee. It is delicious! I feel the need to apologize to everyone that it is not available world-wide for their enjoyment. :)

Define chick-lit in your own words.

This is simple. I can do it in one word. Fun! :)

What was the most chick-lit moment in your life?

This is an impossible question to answer. There is no way that I can choose just one. I am a disaster magnent, and I married a man that can find humor in the most dire of circumstances :) I live in a chick-lit novel!

Do you have any writing quirks?

When I get a chance to break away from the chaos that is my life and write I am extremly focused. This is one area where the only quirkiness that can be found is in the characters on the page. If you ask Jenness about this I am sure that she would tell you differently. :)

What is your favorite CBA lit (chick or otherwise) novel?

Okay, these questions are hard. I am getting a headache from all of these choices! I have a strong love affair with books in general. It is difficult to choose favorites. I am going to have to agree with Jenness about Ray Blackston's book Flabbergasted. It is laugh out loud funny.

Where would you go on your dream writing "research" trip, and would you take anyone with you? Who?

I would go to Monaco, and I would take my hubby. Though I must confess that with him along I don't know how much research I would get done...unless my next novel includes lots of romance. :)

If you could live in a novel, which would you choose?

I do live in a novel! :) My life is Bliss. South Florida really is a little slice of heaven right here on earth.

If you were not pursuing writing, what dream career would you be chasing?

I am taking this question literally. I know that this will never, ever happen. It really is a dream in every sense of the word, but I have always secretly (do not laugh!) wanted to own a football team. I love this sport! The skill, detail, and sheer physical demands all come together to create the most magnificant game in the world.

Finally, share two pieces of advice--one writing related and one not.

1. I still have so much to learn that I feel a little awkward handing out advive, but here are my two cents. To become a good writer you have to be vulnerable. You cannot pretend that you know everything. You must be willing to learn from others. You have to put your hard work out there, and accept critiques. It might not always feel like it, but this is a gift. The things that other writers can bring to your craft cannot be detailed in this small space. In short...surround yourself with people who share your passion for words, and learn everything that you can.

2. Be real. Lay the facade aside and be real. We all have issues. There is nothing to be gained by pretending otherwise. However, by being transparent there is much that we can learn from each other. And most importantly from God.

Interview with Jenness

Do you have a favorite chocolate indulgence?

Maybe Lindt truffles? Honestly, when it comes to chocolate, I’m not that picky. I’ll go for the chocolate chips if there’s nothing else around.

Give your own definition of chick lit.

To me, it’s a fun story told about and narrated by a sassy woman with a quirky cast of secondary characters. In a way, it's a coming-of-age tale--with or without a romance thread--where the heroine learns what is truly important in life.

Do you have any chick lit-like moments from your own life that you could share?

I live the klutzy side of chick lit. I don’t wear the stilettos, but I do have some honkin’ shoes. Once on a trip, I took a few books and a single shoe out of my suitcase before my flight in order to keep from paying the overweight baggage fee. It felt a little odd walking around the airport with that lone shoe hanging out of my carry-on…

Do you have any writing quirks?

I have issues with names. I almost always have to go back and change quite a few, because, for some unknown reason, most of my female characters have names ending in “y” or “ie” and my last names tend to be Irish or Scottish.

What are a couple of your favorite lit novels from the CBA?

Two in my long list of favorites are Flabbergasted by Ray Blackston and Miss Match by Erynn Mangum.

Where would you go on your dream “research” trip, and would you take anyone with you? Who?

I don’t have a story for it yet, but send me back to Antigua, Guatemala, and I’m sure I could come up with one. I was there briefly in high school and loved the cobblestone streets, the cathedral ruins, drinking hot chocolate at midnight in a café while someone walked around playing a guitar…Sigh. I would take my husband. If I could get him on a plane.

If you could live in a novel, which one would you choose?

Out of the ones I’ve written, I’d choose Bliss. As much as I love writing suspense, I’d much rather live in a fun, happy world. J Out of the ones I’ve read…how about Secrets by Kristen Heitzmann? I’d love to try Lance’s food and see that house.

If you weren’t pursuing writing, is there another dream career you might be chasing?

My dad restores pianos and furniture. My grandpa restores furniture. My sister-in-law paints. And I love finding unique used furniture to fix up. I think it would be amazing to open a business with my family, building and painting and repurposing things to sell. J

Finally, share two pieces of advice—one writing-related and one not.

1. I say this over and over again, but it’s so important. Find other writers. Join writers’ organizations and critique groups. You need the support and the mentoring they offer. I especially love ACFW and My Book Therapy.

2. The best way (for me, at least), to find the willpower to clean your own house is to find an audio book. If it’s a good enough story, you’ll be looking for extra things to clean so you have an excuse to finish it. J

Mind Chocolate

Interview with Erynn Mangum

Change

Interview with Tracy

Interview with Jenness

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