AUTHORPALOOZA GUEST POST & GIVEAWAY - SAVANNAH PAGE

This giveaway is now CLOSED!  Congratulations to Tobi Helton, the winner of Savannah Page's Chick Lit novel, WHEN GIRLFRIENDS BREAK HEARTS, and thanks to everyone who left a comment!

Hello there Chick Lit enthusiasts! Thanks for stopping by the fabulous Blog and Authorpalooza special hosted by the even more fabulous Chick Lit author, Tracie Banister. Now before you dive into your latest girly read I’ve got a question for you. (And, if you answer you could win an ebook copy of my latest novel, WHEN GIRLFRIENDS BREAK HEARTS!) So here’s my question (and guest blog post for Tracie’s Authorpalooza):

What is a girlfriend?

Is she the best mate from grade school with whom you have dished the juiciest of your childhood secrets? The girl who promises to never tell anyone that you forged your mom’s signature on that failed math test in fifth grade?

Is she that bestie who knows exactly how you take your coffee? And on a down-in-the-dumps-day brings you that caffeinated concoction just the way you like it, despite her constant warnings against the loads of saccharine syrups and hydrogenated creams you insist on adding? (And do you let her nutritionally chide you because she’s your bestie and is only trying to look out for you?)

Is she the friend who tells you everything will be alright when the going gets tough? And that she doesn’t blame you because obviously you’re right? 

Is she that friend who says everything will get better, even though you did make a mistake? And does she at some point tell you to pull your head out of you-know-where when you keep griping about how unfair love and life are?

Is she the girl who comes to your rescue when you madly dig through your oversized, faux designer bag to find your subway pass and fling out onto the ground your jumbo tampons during your search? Does she discretely stash the unmentionables back into your bag, acting as if nothing of the sort happened? (At least not until you’re back home in front of the tube watching reruns of Sex and the City over glasses of Merlot laughing hysterically about the day’s faux pas.)

Is she the woman who knows that you still can’t quite get over the lost love of your life, even though you’ve sworn to everyone you’ve moved on? And is she the woman who tells you that she understands…because she, too, can’t quite let go of her lost love?

For me, each girlfriend of mine offers a unique friendship and bond. We promise we’re there for each other and whether that means helping hide the flying tampons, or simply lending an ear when one needs to vent about how wretched the new supervisor at work is, my girlfriends are pieces of my life’s puzzle that fit just right. You know what I mean? 

Whether I’m talking about my childhood friend from the days of the merry-go-round at recess, my college roommate, or my sister, my network of girlfriends and the friendships we develop over the years are really fabulous relationships.

I was inspired and struck with amazement one day (I’m pretty sure it was in the shower as that’s where 90% of my good ideas come from) by how my girlfriends and I are all such great friends, despite (or maybe because of) how different we are from one another. How can a band of diverse women with such varied personalities be such good friends?

Obviously all of us have quite a lot in common with one another as we were initially attracted to each other and became friends for a reason. But we’re all pretty different in terms of our personalities, our likes and dislikes, our political and religious opinions, our life aspirations, our pasts, our paths…yet we’re all dear girlfriends through thick and thin. Thinking about just how amazing it is to have such dear friends no matter how alike or how different we may be, was the inspiration I stumbled upon before starting my WHEN GIRLFRIENDS … book series.

My recent novel and debut chick lit,  WHEN GIRLFRIENDS BREAK HEARTS, is the first in what I’m predicting to be a series of 6 or 7 novels where the subject matter is just that: girlfriends and their friendships. The girlfriends I’ve created in my recent novel are absolutely pivotal in one another’s lives, and for different reasons and in various ways, just like my own band of girlfriends. Perhaps like yours, too! And they’re just as diverse a group. These girlfriends are each other’s Lucy and Ethel, and sometimes each other’s Jekyll and Hyde. (We all have those sides, who are we kidding?)

I wanted to write a series of novels about girlfriends who became dear companions in college, and are still friends years later. Novels about girlfriends experiencing their trials and tribulations together and in their daily lives, their ah-ha moments, their relationships, their hallmarks, their dark times… And I wanted to share how their friendships play into all of it. To show just how special and important girlfriends are in life, no matter how similar or how different everyone might be. Your girlfriends are your girlfriends for your very own reasons, and that kind of bond—that beautiful kind of relationship—needs to be celebrated!

If you get a chance to pick up  WHEN GIRLFRIENDS BREAK HEARTS you’ll find all sorts of friendships among the girlfriends. Friendships that entail one girl taking in another because of a sour breakup with a not-so-cool boyfriend. And friendships that, though the women may not take their friendship beyond the yoga room, still mean something very special to each other. 

I hope you enjoy the first installment in my WHEN GIRLFRIENDS … series and thank you for checking it out. To close, here’s a little “virtual toast” to all of our best mates, BFFs, soul sisters, and every fab female in our lives…to all of our girlfriends, “Here’s lookin’ at you, girl!”

Tracie, Thank you for inviting me to be a guest blogger for your Authorpalooza. I’ve enjoyed getting to form our own friendship through the interwebs and this fun world of indie author-ing. It’s been a pleasure to guest blog and I’m excited to see where this Chick Lit wagon will take us! :) Best of luck with your current and upcoming novels!

Would you like to WIN a copy of  WHEN GIRLFRIENDS BREAK HEARTS for your Kindle? Savannah Page is giving away one free Kindle ebook to anyone who leaves a comment below and answers the question: What is a girlfriend? Don’t forget to include your name and email address so you can receive the ebook if you win!  Drawing will take place on Thursday, July 5th, so get your comments in by midnight on Wednesday, July 4th.  

Thank you so much for participating in Authorpalooza, Savannah!  You are a delight!  I wish you great success with WHEN GIRLFRIENDS BREAK HEARTS and I look forward to seeing what you write next!

Book blurb:

A novel about the bonds of friendship, the power of forgiveness, and the lessons you learn when you let go.

Sophie Wharton doesn’t like losing control, especially of her life. She’s always been the girl who’s kept it together—the girl with a charming boyfriend, a lively social life, and plans to start her own bakery. Life is great for Sophie a few years out of college in Seattle…or so she thinks.

Then a series of events start to turn Sophie’s perfectly ordered world upside down.

After three years, her boyfriend suddenly decides to call it quits. Her close camaraderie of girlfriends is starting to fall apart. Secrets are exposed. And when she thinks things couldn’t get any worse, Sophie learns that one of her friends is fighting a devastating battle.

Now living with her best friend Claire, Sophie struggles with learning to forgive or forget those who break hearts, while trying to accept that there are some situations she cannot control. But is there still a light at the end of the tunnel? Can a girl find the “good” in the “bad”?

This is a heartfelt story about what happens when friendships take different paths and when life doesn’t exactly go according to plan. It’s a story about betrayal, forgiveness, acceptance, and letting go. About what happens when girlfriends break hearts.

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