GUEST POST - DEBUT CHICK LIT AUTHOR SUSIE ORMAN SCHNALL

Can I Get a Little Praise Over Here?

by Susie Orman Schnall

 

Praise feels good. Like warm bubble baths, beaches at sunset, cozy duvet covers. You certainly don’t need any of those things. But they’re all nice to have around once in a while.

Kids get praise all the time: nice goal, great report card, thanks for helping your sister, you’re doing really well in Latin. 

Men get praise all the time: congratulations on the promotion, great performance review, here’s your paycheck, what a great dad you are changing diapers and all! 

Moms? (at least outside of their jobs)… good job on getting your kids to school on time 3 days this week, I like your gym clothes, that pizza you ordered for dinner came so fast, Happy Mother’s Day To A Super Mom! 

I’m not complaining, just explaining. But on a daily basis, moms don’t get many pats on the back. Unless we’re choking.

When I was working full-time, before the birth of my eldest  child who is now 12, I got a lot of praise. Pay raises, positive feedback on client-impressing projects, compliments on my shoes. Maybe I should be ashamed to say that it fed me somehow. But I’m owning that. Sure, I know that I have to accept myself from within and all that other crap. But, again, praise feels good. And for some reason, we moms are supposed to get by without much of it. Kisses and hugs and I love you, Mom’s are really awesome, don’t get me wrong, but I also need that adult affirmation, the feeling you get when you do a job really well. I just don’t get that when I remember to get the soccer team registration and recent photo and health update and commitment-to-bring-orange-slices-on-a-particular-day forms in on time. 

Grace, the main character in my debut novel, On Grace, experiences that, too. Here’s what she has to say as she considers her career options after being a stay-at-home mom for eight years: 

Yes, there is a sense of fulfillment and identity I can only get by engaging in productive and stimulating work that is outside the realm of my children and their school. And there is something affirming about dressing in dry-clean-only clothes and sitting at a desk in an office that’s not in my home. Something that I felt distinctly when I first graduated college and went off to work that first day in an Ann Taylor suit with the good leather work bag my sister bought me for graduation. Sure, after I exhausted the new wardrobe and all its iterations and I got comfortable with my job, that initial feeling faded and then I just became another drone trying to figure out if I’d already worn the navy skirt suit that week, packing myself into an already-packed subway car, trying to be happy with a paycheck that was in no way fair remuneration for all the hard work I did. But I felt important. And feeling important is magnificent. 

I want to feel important again. Unfortunately, I don’t know how many kids have the ability to make their mothers feel that way. Sure, my kids can make me feel proud, and loved, and needed in a way that prickles with pain and pure love at the exact same time. But they don’t make me feel important. 

Which leads me to wonder why it’s so important for me to feel important. Is it the praise I covet? Is it the pat on the back from a person of authority when I do a good job? Well, maybe partly. Mostly? Yes. If I could I would mainline praise. And if I could muster enough of my self-esteem to realize I already am important, whether or not an eight-year-old or a highly respected boss tells me so out loud, then maybe I can finally let myself off the hook and relax for the first time in thirty-nine years. Maybe I can finally stop trying so hard to get everyone else to tell me I’m so damn special and just realize that I am. 

I guess it’s my personal hang-up that I feel like I should be embarrassed to enjoy praise. Maybe some would argue that it’s just fuel for the much maligned ego. But it’s a human need, no? Like shelter and water? Like air? Is there anything truly wrong with enjoying praise? Luckily, as we age, the need for praise lessens. We already know we’re rock stars! 

What do you think about praise?

Author Bio:  Susie Orman Schnall is the author of the enchanting, thought-provoking novel On Grace. She also writes essays, editorial, and endless to-do lists and has been featured in the New York Times, Westchester Magazine, and on Huffington Post Live. When she's not at her desk writing, you can find Susie driving her three adorable boys to and fro, reading just about anything, drinking a kale shake, emailing her husband, or trying to get It All done. And if you can't find her in any of those places, she's probably where her heart sings the loudest: at the top of a mountain.

Book Blurb:  Grace May is truly excited about turning 40 in a few months. And now that her boys are both in school and she has a stimulating new writing job, the next chapter in her life can finally begin. She can't wait to rediscover the intelligent and interesting woman deeply buried under the layers of mother and wife.

But when Grace loses her job and gets unexpected news from her husband and her best friend, life suddenly gets complicated. Grace stands to lose everything: her marriage, her best friend, and her sense of self. By her 40th birthday party, Grace will realize who and what matter most. With laughter. With tears. With grace.

ON GRACE embraces themes that will resonate with women who own at least one pair of Spanx: fidelity, friendship, and finding oneself at 40. Readers love ON GRACE because it's soulful and sweet, sexy and sad, straight up and smart, and, ultimately, quite satisfying.

Buy On Grace:

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Connect with Susie Orman Schnall:

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WHICH IN NEED OF THERAPY HOTTIE IS RIGHT FOR YOU? - QUIZ

The In Need of Therapy anniversary party continues today with a fun, Cosmo-style quiz. In the book, heroine Pilar Alvarez has a romantic dilemma. There are three very different men in her life who might be “the one.” Her mother champions one of these fellas, while her best friend, Sara, roots for another. Who will Pilar pick and can she overcome the obstacles that stand between her and true love?

I’d like to know whose side you’re on in the great ‘Ford vs. Victor vs. Mitch Debate.’ Which of Pilar’s men tickles your fancy? Who would you choose if you were in her sassy wedge espadrilles? Take the quiz below and see which of these hunks rings your bell and snag one of the team buttons below so that you can show your support for your favorite.

1) What’s your idea of the perfect date? 

A) Spending hours in a cozy, little restaurant, enjoying great food, a bottle of wine, and some intimate conversation.

B) Being taken to a salsa club where we shake our groove things to some incredible live music and work our way down the cocktail menu, trying out drinks with names like The Fever or Cherry Velvet Crush.

C) Sharing a pizza and a six-pack, watching a steamy thriller like Basic Instinct or Wild Things, then moving the party to the bedroom. 


2) Who’s your celebrity crush? 

A) Bradley Cooper

B) Hugh Jackman

C) Javier Bardem

 3) You're introducing your new man to the parents, how does he try to impress your mom? 

A) By bringing her a year's supply of Percocet samples.

B) By removing his shirt and doing a quick 100 push-ups.

C) By presenting her with a bottle of the finest champagne, along with a set of Baccarat crystal flutes, and offering a toast to "everlasting beauty." 


4) What color best describes your personality and why? 

A) Red, because it's bold, dramatic and fiery.

B) Orange, because it's vibrant and stimulating

C) Blue, because it's deep, steady, and calming. 


5) What outfit do you feel the hottest in? 

A) Skinny jeans and a sexy halter top.

B) A tailored white blouse, pencil skirt, and heels.

C) A flirty dress, with a short skirt and plunging neckline.


6) You're scoping out the bookshelf at your guy's place. What's he reading?

A) A set of first editions of all the classics, though it's hard to tell if they're for pleasure or show.

B) What bookshelf? The only literature this man has is GQ and a copy of the Sports Illustrated swimsuit issue on his toilet.

C) A mix of academic books and mysteries, all well-worn from so much reading. 


7) Your high school boyfriend was . . . 

A) Best Looking

B) Most Likely to Succeed

C) Biggest Flirt


8) What are your thoughts on marriage and children? 

A) After Mr. Right and I say “I do,” I want to quit my job so that I can stay home and take care of my husband and our three (maybe four) kids.

B) Why tie myself down to one person for life? I’ve got to be free to explore my options, none of which include being saddled with a baby.

C) I’d love to settle down with someone I could have an equal partnership with, someone whose values and goals match up with mine, and hopefully we could add a child or two to the mix. 

9) If you were stranded on a desert island with a man, what’s the first thing you’d like him to do? 

A) Build a sturdy shelter so that we’ll have a safe place to sleep or wait out any bad weather.

B) Fashion a spear out of bamboo and impress me with his manly fish-catching skills.

C) Invite me to go skinny-dipping in the lagoon he finds on the island.


10) What’s the one quality you find most attractive in a potential mate? 

A) Completely devoted to me and willing to prove it with a steady stream of expensive gifts and declarations of love.

B) A good listener who’s supportive and can give helpful advice.

C) Fun to be with. Life is never dull with him around.


Figure Out Your Score! 

1) A = 3  B = 2  C = 1 

2) A = 1  B = 3  C = 2 
3) A = 3  B = 1  C = 2 
4) A = 2  B = 1  C = 3 
5) A = 1  B = 3  C = 2 
6) A = 2  B = 1  C = 3 
7) A = 2  B = 3  C = 1 
8) A = 2  B = 1  C = 3 
9) A = 3  B = 2  C = 1 
10) A = 2  B = 3  C = 1


Who’s Your Perfect INOT Guy?

If your answers were mostly 1s, you are Team Mitch Buchannon! You like ‘em naughty, don’t you? Sexy lifeguard Mitch flirts as easily as he breathes. He’s got confidence and charm in spades, loves the ladies, and will make your heart palpitate whenever he smiles at you. He’s the ideal man for a hot fling, but serious relationships aren’t his thing. Of course, he’s trying to change his player ways with the help of his new therapist, Pilar.

If your answers were mostly 2s, you are Team Victor Liscano! Like Madonna, you are a material girl who likes the finer things in life, and Victor is the man to give those to you. He is a successful restaurateur with a rich family, so money is no object to him. And he loves making big (some might say, “over the top”) romantic gestures, so don’t be surprised when he whisks you off on a hot air balloon ride. Pilar found his neediness and theatrics exhausting, which is why she kicked him to the curb, but she does question this decision when Victor pulls out all the stops to win her back.

If your answers were mostly 3s, you are Team Jonathan Fordham aka “Ford!” Psychiatrist Ford is kind, intelligent, enjoyable to spend time with, and most importantly, he has the dreamiest pair of blue eyes since Brad Pitt. He’s a great doctor who truly cares about his patients, a wonderfully supportive friend, and a loving father. Yes, that’s right he has a precocious young son named Nate, so I hope you like kids! Pilar does and she adores Nate right away. Problem is - Nate has a mom and Ford’s still with her according to the wedding band on his hand. So, this potential Mr. Right is technically unavailable.

Let me know which INOT guy you picked in the poll at the bottom of this post and be sure to download your team button (Shout-out to the wonderfully talented Laura Chapman for creating these fun buttons, along with my fabulous anniversary banner.) If you would be so kind as to post your team button on your blog or share it on Facebook and Twitter to promote the anniversary of In Need of Therapy, I’d be thrilled! You can link the button to the book’s Amazon page or back here to my blog.

Thanks, as always, for all of your support. I’m having such an amazing time celebrating INOT’s anniversary with you. Stay tuned for the Fun, Food, and Family series, which will start next Monday and involve another great giveaway! 

Which INOT hottie do you support?

• Team Mitch
• Team Victor
• Team Ford

Acepoll

More polls: Create you own poll

GUEST POST - CHICK LIT AUTHOR DEE DETARSIO

There’s a Nap for That

by Dee DeTarsio

I’m a Virgo. What can I say? I’m already packed for my vacation in August. I pre-worry, because regular-time worry isn’t good enough.

I’ve passed this tightly wound chromosome to my offspring. I carry Kleenex and granola bars with me at all times. Kleenex, because I inherited that gene from my grandmother, and, granola bars, which are a little something-something I added to that just-in-case DNA. You’re welcome, kids.

They blame ME that they are always the first ones to show up for classes and work, and have all this time to kill! I goggle my eyes at them and allow my mouth to gape in disbelief. “You should try growing up like I had to,” I tell them, wavy lines and doo-doo-doo-doo music appearing on cue. “Four sisters plus one bathroom divided by one mean bus driver (who thought the saying was, ‘time and rides wait for no man’) and you do the math.” I don’t know what exactly would happen if I were to be late for something, and I sure don’t want to find out. Hip Hip Hooray for early birds!

It takes a lot of energy to be so perfect. In my quest for serenity (now!), I found a ground-breaking study from the Mayo Clinic which reports that napping “reduces fatigue.” From this No Kidding, Really? file, also comes claims that naps improve performance and lessen confusion. I always made my kids nap for improved mood, (theirs) and relaxation, (mine).

Call it whatever you want, (but if you call it meditation it sounds a lot better), there’s a nap for that. Anxiety, grumpiness, that three-o’clock afternoon biorhythm crash? Hit the nap app. With Jack Reacher-like precision, I am a napper from way back. I intuitively know when to turn my head before the earring dent sets in my cheek. (How’s that for meditation?)

When I’m not writing, I like to say I’m busy speaking, and cooking, fluent Italian, teaching yoga class and volunteering for the Peace Corps, but none of that would be true. I’m taking my nap. 

Do you nap? Please tell me I’m not alone and enter to win a copy of All My Restless Life to Live.

Thanks, Tracie!!

Dee has generously offered to give away a copy of her Chick Lit novel, ALL MY RESTLESS LIFE TO LIVE, to one lucky winner! (Signed paperback or Kindle e-book to US; Kindle e-book to other countries.) You can enter up to 5 times using the Rafflecopter widget below. The giveaway will end at midnight on Sunday, June 30th, and a winner will be announced on Monday, July 1st.

Author Bio:  Dee DeTarsio is a graduate of The Ohio State University and lives in southern California with her family. (She only goes back to visit Ohio for two days in early October because she is equally scared of tornadoes and getting trapped in a snowstorm.)

If you are having trouble sleeping, please check out her new novel, All My Restless Life to Live! (Oh, wait, that sounds boring!)

Book blurb:  Life is a soap opera, especially for Elle Miller, who writes for one. (Ellen dropped the “n” in her name in hopes of finding a better ending for herself.) When her laptop crashes, she borrows her recently deceased dad’s computer and gets way more than she bargained for.

Elle unravels mysterious communications from his computer, while her mom decides to give Internet dating a try. As Elle tries to save her career at I’d Rather Be Loved with a storyline featuring a trip through Atlantis, she takes a trip to the Emmys, and finds herself in the middle of a romance between a real doctor and a hunk who just plays one on TV. Friends, family, and clues from “the other side” all help Elle figure out the difference between living the good life and living a good life.

Fans of Marian Keyes and Jennifer Weiner will delight in Dee DeTarsio’s sparkling prose and lively dialogue as she takes readers into the heart of women’s lives. Filled with friendship, love, loss, betrayal, and challenges that force her characters to find their place in the universe, Dee’s novels give us that hopefully-ever-after we're searching for.

Buy All My Restless Life to Live:  

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Connect with Dee DeTarsio:

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CHARACTER INTERVIEW BY MIRA HARLON

Today Psycho-Mommy author Mira Harlon is having a little fun interviewing one of the main supporting characters in her book: Richard. You will have to read the book to get the FULL RICHARD EXPERIENCE, and let's just say, he alone is worth buying the book. Richard is a psychologist who specializes in eating disorders, mainly, and works at the University of Pennsylvania with heroine Jess. He's openly gay and has quite a diva attitude. In the opening chapters of the book, you instantly feel the resentment some of the characters have towards Richard because of his kiss-up antics to the head of the department, but by the end of the book they all become fast friends. There are some hysterical Richard plot surprises throughout the book. The following Q&A will give you a little flavor of the one-and-only Richard. If you enjoy this sprinkling of Richard, be sure to check out the book. Psycho-Mommy is 99 cents on Amazon until this Friday, June 21, 2013. 

Mira: So Richard, or should I call you Dr. Rich?

Richard: Honey, you can call me whatever you like … just don’t call me Ricky, KAY?

Mira: OK! I am a little intimidated to meet you in the flesh … you being a celebrity now and all.

Richard: Oh, hush, you sassy thing you! It’s JUST LITTLE OL’ meeeeeee!

Mira: Ok, can you tell us, Dr. Rich, what it’s like being dubbed “the new Dr. Ruth”?

Richard: Well it’s an honor. For years I focused my career as a psychologist on helping individuals with eating disorders, even though I did specialize in both eating disorders and sex therapy. You see, it can be hard to build a practice for a gay man like myself in sex therapy. Did you know I’m gay? A lot of my women followers don’t realize that. Let me just be clear – I AMMMM GAY! Holla! Who’s with me? Seriously, ladies, I’m flattered, but please stop sending me love mail.

Mira:  Well, you can imagine why all the ladies adore you?

Richard:  Yes, yes I know I’ve got it going on, but sorry ladies, Richard don’t play that way. Uh-uh. But I will go shopping with you anytime.

Mira:  For people who don’t know you, can you describe yourself in three words?

Richard: Three words? That would be FAB-U-LOUS!

Mira:  Before becoming a celebrity, when Jess, your colleague got you fired how did you feel?

Richard:  Oh, when she did that, girl, I was like Mount Vesuvius ready to erupt … I had a voodoo doll of Jess-er that I was sticking pins in and boiling on my stove and everything. I was like, “B!tch, you going down!” But I can say that now in the public domain because she’s like my #1 best-ie. We are like this. (crosses fingers into twist)

Mira: Now that you are as you say, “Best-ies” with Jess, what do you think of her husband?

Richard: Oh, Nolan? He is yummy, yummy! I’m talking sugar, and spice AND EVERYTHING NICE! He is a hunky, hunky monkey. He is the whipped cream AND the cherry on top. You know what I’m sayin’?

Mira: I suppose. What kind of father do you think he will be?

Richard:  That boy will be “father of the year”. That hockey stuff he does. I don’t know anything about that sport, but I know he looks hunky-butter-loving in his little hockey outfit.

Mira: Right! OK and what about Simmi’s wedding. Are you going?

Richard: Am I going? Girl, I had my pink tuxedo picked out weeks ago! I am just working on my plus 1. I am hoping to take Anderson Cooper. Can you put in a good word for me?

Mira:  Um, I don’t …. Um …. Sorry I don’t know Anderson.

Richard: “No Probs! I’m going to get my people to call his people.”

Mira: Well I know you are very busy Dr. Richard, thanks so much for taking a few minutes with me today.

Richard: You bet, off to Oprah now!  Tootles!

Book blurb: 

Jessica Reed, a vibrant type-A-psychologist, is the ultimate planner:

• Acceptance to the Ivy League school of her choice … (check!)
• Graduating Summa Cum Laude and securing the ultimate post, as a sought after psychologist at one of the most prestigious hospitals in the world…. (check!)
• Marrying Nolan, the man of her dreams (check!)

All is going according to the plan, UNTIL... is it possible? She’s pregnant right after her honeymoon! But, that’s not part of the plan. There are so many more things that are supposed to happen before babies.Are her dreams to start a private practice or Nolan’s dream to work for the Philadelphia Flyers crushed? 

When Jess finally accepts the obvious, she starts to unravel. Hold on for a wild ride through Jess’s brilliant yet quirky mind as she obsesses about all things pregnancy - morning sickness, weight gain, proper nutrition, kegels, home baby-proofing, pure exhaustion and honing her sexiness (let’s just say it gets a bit awkward.) Along the way Jess’s zany patients, friends, family members and colleagues, manage in ways, both big and small, to contribute to her pregnancy fixations. Does her obsession turn her into “psycho-mommy”? 

With incredible wit and amazing perception into the human psyche, Mira Harlon keeps you coming back for more. This ironic, feel-good read will have you laughing and crying and wondering if we don’t all have a little psycho-mommy in us!

  

Psycho-Mommy is on sale for 99 cents until Friday, June 21, 2013, so grab your copy today!

Buy Psycho-Mommy:

Amazon

Connect with Mira Harlon:

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AUTHOR INTERVIEW - KATE HILTON

Today's special guest on Books by Banister is the fun and fabulous Canadian author Kate Hilton. We connected on Goodreads and discovered that we share a mutual love of Women's Fic and Chick Lit. Kate's publishing journey is such an interesting one that I invited her here to talk about it. Read on to learn more about Kate's debut novel, The Hole in the Middle, which I'm sure you'll all agree looks amazing!

1) Can you give us a brief overview of The Hole in the Middle?

The Hole in the Middle is the story of Sophie Whelan, a working mom approaching her 40^th birthday who begins to wonder about the choices she has made in life and love.  Over the course of a very bad week, she grapples with workplace politics, daycare woes, marital strife and the return of Will Shannon, the great, unresolved romance of her college years.  It’s ‘I Don’t Know How She Does It’ for the ‘This is 40’ generation.

2) What's your favorite quality about your heroine/hero?

I think Sophie has a distinctive voice that stays with the reader.  She’s funny, sharply observant and just a bit neurotic.  I’d like to have dinner with her sometime – she’s great company.

3) What made you want to write The Hole in the Middle? 

I’d wanted to write a novel for years, but I didn’t have a story to tell.  Then, just before my 38^th birthday, the story arrived in the form of a character, Lil Parker.  I couldn’t get her and her fox stole out of my head, and the novel evolved from there. Once I got started, though, I wanted to write a book for women in my own generation (Generation X) who were juggling the demands of work and family.

4) How long did it take you to write The Hole in the Middle? What is your writing process like?

From beginning to end, it took around three years.  Because I’ve had a day job throughout, I’m very disciplined about my writing.  I have time blocked off each week and I’m zealous about preserving it.  I also work from an outline so that I know exactly where I’m going in each chapter. 


5) If Hollywood comes calling and asks you to sign over the movie rights for The Hole in the Middle, who would you like to see play Sophie and Will on the big screen?

I love this question!  Ian Somerhalder for Will, without question.  Sophie?  Drew Barrymore.

6) How do you think of titles?

To be frank, choosing titles is not something that I’m especially good at.  I went through multiple titles for The Hole in the Middle – you can tell me if I got it right in the end!

7) Tell us about your cover art design. How did you come up with the concept? Did you execute it yourself or have a professional do it?

I wanted a crisp, fun, modern look.  I hired a professional designer to help me with it.  True confession: HarperCollins is redoing the cover and the donut is going.  I’m looking forward to seeing what they come up with.

8) The Hole in the Middle was originally self-published, then it was picked up by HarperCollins. Can you tell us more about your journey with this book and do you have any advice for indie authors who'd like to hook up with a publisher?

Like many aspiring writers, I didn’t set out to self-publish.  I began by querying agents in Canada, the U.S. and the U.K. (15-20 of them.)  I had requests for a full manuscript from two of them, which was encouraging, but ultimately the book was rejected.  I started to get interested in the self-publishing phenomenon as a way of building a brand for myself, since it seemed to me that being a completely unknown writer made it almost impossible to get noticed by agents. 

I did my research and launched my book as part of the Amazon KDP program.  I worked hard to promote The Hole in the Middle through social media, and was very excited when I had 12,000 downloads on my first ‘free download’ weekend.  The book found its way into the hands of the fabulous Roberta Rich, author of The Midwife of Venice.  She loved it and contacted me to see if I would mind her showing it to her agent, Beverley Slopen.  (I didn’t mind.)

Beverley signed me and almost immediately sold The Hole in the Middle to HarperCollins Canada, which still feels like a fairy tale to me.

The best advice I can offer aspiring writers is to ignore what is popular.  Don’t write for the market.  Write the book that you want to read.  And then, once you’ve written that book, take a deep breath and put yourself and your work out there.  At the very least, people will be impressed with your courage and you’ll connect with many other aspiring writers who will be an important support network for you.

9) What are your thoughts on love scenes in books? Do you prefer to read/write sweet/romantic encounters between your hero and heroine or spicy ones?

I love them all.  My own writing tends toward the sweet rather than the spicy, but who knows?  Perhaps I have a spicier book in me.

10) What are you working on now?

Right now, I’m doing a few edits to The Hole in the Middle for HarperCollins.  It’s coming out in paper in December.  I haven’t started on my next book yet, but I’m playing with a few ideas.

11) Who are the authors who inspire you?

All authors inspire me.  Writing is a tough business, and sharing your work with the world is a real act of bravery.  Having said that, I’ve been inspired by Lionel Shriver, Jane Austen, Jonathan Franzen, A.S. Byatt, Nora Ephron, Nick Hornby, Kate Atkinson, Helen Fielding and Allison Pearson, among many others.

12) What genres do you like to read? Do you stick to one or are you eclectic in your reading tastes?

My tastes are extremely eclectic.  I read literary fiction and genre fiction in equal measures.  I actually wrote a blog about my reading habits.

13) What was the last book you read that really WOWed you?

I just finished reading The Rosie Project by Graeme Simsion.  The protagonist, Don Tillman, was one of the most engaging and unexpected characters I’ve encountered in a long time. 

14) If you could be plopped down in the middle of any book, which one would it be?

A Discovery of Witches by Deborah Harkness.  I’d love to meet some witches and vampires that you could have an intelligent conversation with.

 

15) If you could invite any five people (living or dead) over for a dinner party, who would they be and why?

1. Jennifer Weiner, because she is so smart and interesting (and right) on issues of women’s fiction and how it is perceived;

2. P.D. James, because she is still producing amazing books in her nineties;

3. Mark Bittman, because he is my food idol and he taught me how to cook with his amazing cookbook, How To Cook Everything (the title says it all);

4.  Allison Pearson, because she was the first person to prove that working mothers were worthy subjects of fiction; and

5.  Tina Fey, because she cracks me up.

Fast and Flirty 

Favorite scent?  Lilac

Favorite color?  Indigo

Favorite food?  Guacamole

Favorite word?  Writer

Favorite article of clothing?  Whatever necklace I just bought on Etsy
Dream vacation spot?  Italy

Favorite time period in history?  Right now

Favorite girls’ night out drink?  Pink champagne

Favorite date night activity?  A long dinner in a quiet restaurant with a good wine list

Favorite song?  Unwritten, Natasha Bedingfield

Celebrity hottie on your laminated list?  Ian Somerhalder

Novel hero crush?  Matthew Clairmont, the sexy and brilliant vampire in A Discovery of Witches

Author Bio:  Kate Hilton has worked in law, higher education, pub­lic relations, fundraising and publishing. She has an English degree from McGill University and a law degree from the Uni­versity of Toronto. She holds down a day job, volunteers for community organizations, raises two boys, cooks, collects art, reads voraciously and likes her husband. In her free time, she writes. On good days, she thinks she might have it all. On bad days, she wants a nap. 

Book Blurb:  Sophie Whelan is the epitome of the modern super woman. When she operates at peak performance, she can cajole balky employees, soothe her cranky children, trouble-shoot career disasters, throw a dinner party for 10, and draft an upbeat Christmas letter—all in the same day.

But as Sophie’s 40th birthday looms, her seamless life reveals disturbing web-like fractures. Conflict with her boss, blossoming jealousy of her husband’s femme fatale business partner, and her feelings of hopeless inadequacy as a mother and daughter, are cracking the edifice of her life.

Rescue may be at hand when Lillian Parker, a wealthy widow who befriended Sophie during her university days, makes Sophie an irresistible offer. Why, then, does Sophie hesitate? The answer is the reappearance of Lillian’s nephew, Will Shannon, the great unresolved love of Sophie’s life. As she remembers the vivid drama of their college romance, Sophie confronts the choices she has made in life and in love and looks for the one answer that has always eluded her: what does she really want?

The Hole in the Middle is a heartbreaking love story, a laugh-out-loud portrayal of the twin demands of work and family, and a fresh take on the hot debate about having it all.

Buy The Hole in the Middle:

Amazon


Connect with Kate Hilton:

Website 

Twitter

Facebook

Goodreads