Category: Cozies

Teaser Tuesdays (1) – Teeth: Vampire Tales

On By Bubble Bubble Books and TroubleIn Cozies2 Comments

Sometimes it’s fun being a tease! And what better way to spice up a boring ol’ Tuesday than by highlighting a scintillating passage from a spooky book? For my first Teaser Tuesday blurb, I bring you an intriguing little snippet from Jeffrey Ford’s uber-creepy vampire tale  Sit the Dead,  page 212.

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Here’s how it works:

• Grab your current read
• Open to a random page
• Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
• BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
• Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

 My teaser:

Luke looked through the open doors and down the aisle before him, past the rows of darkened pews, to the altar – white marble, crowded with statues, and holding the candlelit coffin of Gracie.  

He took a deep breath and moved toward the light.

Whoa there…did I just hear a strange noise outside my window? I better double-check those door locks and sleep with my Hello Kitty nightlight tonight!

A Q&A with Cathy Lubenski, Author of Trashy Chic

On By Bubble Bubble Books and TroubleIn Cozies5 Comments

If you’re a fan of fast-paced mysteries, colorful characters and whip-smart humor, look no further than Cathy Lubenski’s fabulous new Bertie Mallowan mystery series! In her debut novel “Trashy Chic,” Bertie, a disgruntled lifestyle reporter,  is thrust into a tangled web of murder and mayhem when the man she interviewed for a fluff piece is found dead in the foyer of his family mansion.

Chock full of thrills, chills and a whole lot of sass – this is a whodunit like no other! Read the post below for the full review.

This talented new author was kind to “sit down” with Chick Lit Café to talk about her literary alter ego, the transition from reporter to author, her writing process, and what’s up next! 

Welcome Cathy! What made you want to write a mystery series about a crime-solving reporter? 

Hi! Honestly? My mother was ill and I knew I might have to quit working and help take care of her. I’d need some income and a book seemed like the best way to go! 

Unfortunately, she died, but then I faced layoff as the newspaper industry took a backseat to the Internet and, again, a book seemed like the best way to generate some income, especially since I already had one started. They say write about what you know, and since I’d been a journalist for over 25 years, that was the way I went.

Back when you were a reporter, did you ever find yourself in the middle of a mystery?

The only mystery I can recall was how I could find a way to eat more doughnuts off the snack table without anyone knowing it was me gobbling them down. 

I got a big kick out of Bertie’s antics, like the pranks she played on her editor, and the creative lies she concocted. Were some of her misdeeds inspired by your own behavior? 

Bertie is mostly me, especially the part about walking miles a day to avoid management types – so true. Because I went out of my way (literally) so I wouldn’t have to talk to them I never needed to make up creative lies. However, that part of the book represents what I WANTED to do. 

What is the writing process like for you? Can you sit down anywhere and write? 

Oh, lord: I’m terrible about writing. I have to force myself to do it. After 25 years of doing it as a living it’s hard for me to look at it as other than drudgery. I keep searching for hints about getting motivated and setting up a schedule, but none of them work. I work best on a deadline and there aren’t any daily deadlines for a book. 

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

Just get it down on paper (or computer) and don’t worry about you’re writing. It’s a first draft and you’re going to have to go back and rewrite anyway. The important thing is getting it DONE. I tried to write romance novels about 20 years ago but I never got past the first chapter because I wanted that chapter to be perfect before I went on to the next. No, no, no, it doesn’t work that way – you’ll never finish.

Can you give me a sneek peek into what lies in store for Bertie in the next installment of your mystery series? 

In “Snarky Park” (due out this fall), a man falls dead at Bertie’s feet at a high-society party and that leads her to an environmental group, “The End Justifies the Green,” where she shovels compost and sticks her nose into matters that don’t concern her, as usual. 

Is there anything else you’d like to add? 

Although my books are published the traditional way, I really encourage anyone out there who’s having problems getting published to go the e-publishing route – it’s definitely the future of our industry. 

About the author: Cathy Lubenski Phillips spent more than 25 years in the newspaper industry and has plenty of scars from dueling with pesky editors to show for it. She survived with her sanity relatively intact and has continued writing for pleasure. This is her first book featuring reporter Bertie Mallowan, but not her last. She lives with her husband, Ed Phillips, aka Phil, and her Jack Russell terrier, Pica, in Carlsbad, California. Her son, Michael Lubenski, and brother, Bill Mora, live in Ellwood City, Pa., her hometown.

She says: “Moving to California after a life spent mostly in a small town in the Rust Belt rocked my sensibilities. I mean, who wears shorts and flip-flops to a wedding, for God’s sake? And why are they called swap meets, not flea markets? After 15 years here, I’m still in culture shock. Fortunately, I was able to use my wobbly grasp on my marbles for good: ‘Trashy Chic’ is the result. “

Trashy Chic by Cathy Lubenski

On By Bubble Bubble Books and TroubleIn Cozies4 Comments

There’s no doubt investigative reporters make the best detectives. They’re nosey, they’re ballsy, and they’ll stop at nothing to chase down a lead. But sadly, in this digital age, the Woodwards and Bernsteins are falling to the wayside as more and more readers are turning to short online blurbs for their daily news.

Cathy Lubenski, a veteran reporter for the San Diego Union-Tribune, is all too familiar with the sad state of journalism. Her main character, Bertie Mallowan also happens to be a journalist for a Southern California daily, and is struggling to stay afloat in a rapidly shrinking industry.

Much like Lacey Smithsonian (the crackerjack fashion reporter in the Crimes of Fashions mysteries), Bertie has a passion for hard news, but she’s stuck writing fluff. But just when she couldn’t bear to write one more piece about overpriced home décor, she stumbles upon a mystery that could put her back on the front page.

It all begins when Bertie interviews Robert Bellingham, the CEO of a multimillion-dollar luxury items empire,  just days before his murder.  With inside information about Bellingham’s twisted family, she’s thrust into the middle of a big story.

Things get complicated when Bertie encounters a slew suspects with ample motives to knock off the king of unnecessary high-end crap. Who stood the most to gain from Bellingham’s death? Let’s take a look at some of our suspects:

Robert “R2” Bellingham II: A pudgy little man with serious anxiety and resentment issues. Did he knock off his own father to take control of the empire? Why was he hauling a big bag filled with hair into his father’s corporate office?

Gardener: Living up to his name, this suspicious character tends the Bellingham mansion’s gardens. With his smoldering good looks, he can have any woman he wants, even Bellingham Jr.’s trophy wife. What’s the story behind his anger management problem? And why were his shoes splattered with blood at the scene of the crime?

Lester Lomax: Gardener’s lawyer. After a scary encounter at a bar, Bertie finds out the hard way that this sleazeball is more than capable of cold-blooded murder. Did he help his client orchestrate the perfect crime? And is he the dark shadow lurking outside Bertie’s window at night?

Delia Bellingham: R2’s philandering trophy wife. This little tart has a twisted agenda for sleeping around with the mansion’s gardener. Did she railroad her boy-toy to get her hands on the family fortune?

Bella Bellingham: The black sheep of the Bellingham family. Shunned from the family mansion, she spends her days locked up in her shabby apartment cooking weird luxury-item concoctions. She seems obsessed with her inventions…perhaps a little too obsessed.  

Gigi Bellingham: Bellingham’s wife. Obsessed with money, Botox and social status, she’s used to living the good life. It’s no secret her husband would rather hop into bed with a bimbo du jour than have sex with his own wife.  But did his womanizing ways finally set her off on a murderous rampage?

The tightly-plotted mystery is great, but what I really love most about this book is the humor. There were some scenes that had me laughing out loud, like when Bertie hid a cricket in her editor’s office just to mess with her. I also enjoyed the part when her boss reprimanded her for making rude faces. To make him go away, she told him that the grimacing was a result of a chronic flatulence disorder – LOL! 

Overall, this is one fine mystery laced with humor, romance and fabulous characters. I instantly liked Bertie, probably because she’s obsessed with chocolate moon pies, hates her alarm clock, and makes terrible mistakes in the love department. I’m also a big fan of Bertie’s best friend, a former zookeeper who runs a high-class dog obedience school and kennel. Much like my own best friend, she won’t hesitate to come to Bertie’s rescue – even if it means putting herself in mortal danger.

This talented new author can really tell a story that gets you to know and love the characters. I will be watching and waiting for the next installment in this fabulous new series! Keep ‘em coming Cathy!

My Book Boyfriend (3): Aiden Wallace from A Werewolf in Manhattan

On By Bubble Bubble Books and TroubleIn CoziesLeave a comment

Yay it’s hump day – and you know what that means! It’s time to shine the spotlight on my literary hottie of the week! For this week’s My Book Boyfriend, I bring you Aiden Wallace, the scrumdillyumptious male lead in Vicki Lewis Thompson’s cute little paranormal romance A Werewolf in Manhattan. What’s My Book Boyfriend, you ask? Well it’s a weekly meme created by Missie over at the Unread Reader that allows giggly book bloggers such as myself to match their literary crushes with a hot celebrities.

While reading this book, I couldn’t help but picture Victor Webster, the guy who played Vic Donovan in the Lifetime Movie adaptation of Killer Hair. Confession – I picture this ridiculously good looking man in pretty much every romance involving a tall, dark and handsome bad boy.

The gist: Emma Gavin writes about werewolves, but that doesn’t mean she believes in them-not until a pack of real-life New York weres decide to investigate the striking accuracy of her “fiction.” When Aiden Wallace, son and heir of the pack leader, tries to sniff out Emma’s potential informant, he discovers something even more dangerous – an undeniable attraction to her.

Description: Tall, dark and mysterious with broad shoulders that fill out his custom-made suit without the benefit of padding. He has the chiseled jawline of a shaving commercial model, a strong nose and a high forehead. Thick hair the color of chocolate and eyes the shade of warm caramel.

My collection of swoon-worthy quotes:

“Wanting her was dangerous. She was not of his kind, and if she learned what he was, she could put the pack at risk. Yet desire waylaid him each time he caught her scent.”

“When confronted with the powerful aphrodisiac that was Emma’s essence, he struggled to remember his own name. The more he allowed himself to succumb to that heady feeling, the more complicated the problem became.”

“He gave thanks that he had command of a man’s body, as well as the form of a wolf. Without a man’s body, he wouldn’t be able to savor this prelude, this dance of mouths that taunted them both with what was to come.”

“I’ve fought it with every breath in my body, Emma, but I can’t fight it anymore. I love you . And because I do, I must give you the choice to walk away. I want what’s best for you.”

A Q&A with Ashley Hope Pérez, Author of “The Knife and the Butterfly”

On By Bubble Bubble Books and TroubleIn Cozies3 Comments

Inspired by her teaching experience at Chávez High School in Houston,  Ashley Hope Pérez writes about disadvantaged teens struggling to meet their obligations at home and follow their dreams. However her newest book  The Knife and the Butterfly is about the students she didn’t get to teach, the ones who slipped through the cracks in the system or dropped out of school.

The protagonist, Salvadoran Martín “Azael” Arevalo is one of those fallen students. The story unfolds when Azael wakes up in a locked cell after a gang fight in a Houston park. Unable to piece together the events that landed him behind bars, yet again, he realizes that something is not right.

Things get really weird when he’s assigned to secretly observe another imprisoned teen named Alexis “Lexi” Allen. Despite their personality clash, the two troubled teens soon find themselves inexplicably linked in this gritty paranormal thrill ride.

This up-and-coming young adult author was kind enough to chat with Chick Lit Cafe about how she learned the inner workings of street gangs, the connection between teens and the paranormal, and how she surprised herself with a twist ending.

How did you come up with the title “The Knife and the Butterfly”?

Massive confession: the series of articles that initially inspired the novel—run by The Houston Chronicle back in 2006—was titled “The Butterfly and the Knife.” Luckily for me, there’s no copyright on titles! I switched the order of the knife and the butterfly in the title after an astute reader pointed out that male readers would be more likely to pick up a book with a title that begins with “knife” rather than “butterfly.”

The duality expressed in the title was a focusing one for me as I wrote. As I say in my author’s note for the novel, I wanted to show Azael and Lexi’s world as much more than a patchwork of crime and violence. In addition to the very real threat of their circumstances and the danger of poor choices, I tried to capture these two teens’ vulnerability and their potential for redemption.

What made you decide to dabble in the realm of paranormal fiction?

It wasn’t as simple as a decision, exactly. Yes, there is a “paranormal twist” to The Knife and the Butterfly, but much of the novel (say 90 percent) is occupied with the gritty world Lexi and Azael live in on the fringe of mainstream society in Houston. The paranormal was a bit of a surprise to me, too.

That is to say, I didn’t set out to incorporate paranormal elements in my novel; they became necessary for me to change the rules of my characters’ world just enough so that they could make different decisions… so they could have the second chances that are built into the system for many middle-class teens.

You mentioned that you even surprised yourself with the twist at the end. How did this come about?

The ending developed unexpectedly out of exploratory writing I was doing about Azael’s street art. This whole thread—Azael and his relationship to spray paint and the walls of his city—was a challenge for me. I am very much a rule follower, so it took me a lot of effort to rethink graffiti as “street art” and to come to understand what it meant to Azael to write right on the faces of the structures around him.

Anyway, I was writing about Azael’s thoughts as he was drawing, and then all of sudden I was writing the ending. And once it was there on the page—and I knew it was the ending—it was the only possibility that felt right to me. It went through plenty of revision and development, but the thrust of the final part of the book didn’t change. I embraced it with its paranormal baggage.

Why do you think young readers are so enthralled by the paranormal?  

You’d think I’d have an ironclad thesis after teaching a course on vampire literature for two semesters, but to be honest, I’m not sure. Within YA, I tend to shelve myself alongside contemporary realists, not fantasy writers. Still, if I were to hazard a guess, I’d say the paranormal provides novel ways of thinking through and dramatizing teen (and human) issues. In fact, one of my favorite student papers interpreted one vampire in literature as an eternal adolescent.

 How did you familiarize yourself with inner-city gangs? 

Because Crazy Crew is a “home-grown” Houston gang, details related to it came mostly from news coverage and other local sources. MS-13 (La Mara Salvatrucha), on the other hand, is an international gang that has been described by some as “the world’s most dangerous gang.” I did extensive reading about MS-13, including many first-person accounts, but I focused on the particulars of the gang’s activity in Houston, which are generally not quite as extreme as what you might see in the heart of Central America.

For both gangs, I needed to learn specifics: their hand signs, the “rules” of initiation and involvement, linguistic patterns and so on. I would never want to trivialize or glamorize gang involvement, but at the same time I think some media portrayals are a bit exaggerated and fail to capture the nuances of actual teens’ experiences. For example, readers will notice that—contrary to most Hollywood portrayals of gang violence—there’s not a single gun involved in the fight that opens The Knife and the Butterfly. This is pretty consistent with the two gangs portrayed. I’ve found that when I ground my writing in particulars, a lot of stereotypes fall away.

The story is primarily narrated from the point of view of Azael. How were you able to capture the language of a poor teenage gang member in Houston?

You found a very nice way to ask something that some teen readers, upon meeting me, put a lot more bluntly: “How did YOU write THIS?” They pick up immediately on the fact that I am not someone who, in conversation, would describe a package of Cheetos as “spicy-as-fuck” (Azael’s words). How, then, can such words come out of my pen?

A lot of it was shameless cribbing from what I heard kids in Houston say, both in the hallways of the high school where I used to teach and in the taquerías and hangouts of working-class neighborhoods. I spent a good amount of time in the areas where the novel is set (mainly the Montrose area and a run-down stretch of Bellfort). I also paid attention to the language used in the interviews I read and would sometimes mimic patterns of phrasing.

Now, in terms of emotional truth in Azael’s language, I chalk that up to a willingness to imagine experiences and ways of seeing that are unlike my own. I recently heard Lionel Shriver talk here in Paris, and she said that for her, writing from a male point of view is not the big leap; the big leap is getting inside another head, period, and discovering those individual particularities, the quirks of mind inside the many big things we have in common. I agree, and I think you could substitute “poor” and “gang member” for “male” and still find the notion to be true.

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

I’d love readers to leave the pages of The Knife and the Butterfly with a sense that second chances aren’t doled out equally. And I hope that they will feel a bit more urgency about being a positive presence for those who, as far as they had thought before, don’t even deserve to be redeemed.

 What are you working on now?

I’m knee-deep in a very messy first draft of a historical novel set in 1930s East Texas, near where I grew up. There’s an explosion, an interracial romance, a pair of twins, and a significant shoe. That’s all I can say without transgressing certain foolish writerly superstitions.

Want to know more about this talented new author? Check out her debut novel What Can’t Wait. Read the Q&A here.

Stay Tuned by Lauren Clark

On By Bubble Bubble Books and TroubleIn Cozies10 Comments

In my line of work, I spend a good chunk of my time at the local news station watching the morning anchors effortlessly chat with professors about their research on live TV. It looks like a lot of fun, but sometimes I wonder how they can stay on point when they’re feeling down in the dumps.  Isn’t it amazing that these people can slap on a smile and look like a million bucks every day of the week?

So when Lauren Clark, a former news anchor and producer, contacted me about her debut novel Stay Tuned, I couldn’t wait to get a peek inside the fascinating world of broadcast journalism. 

The story centers around Mellissa Moore, a frenzied newsroom producer with a plethora of problems at work and at home. Not only does she have to continuously keep two anchors from slashing each other’s throats on the air, she also has to figure out what’s going on with her absentee husband who suspiciously spends his nights and weekends “working.”

Just when life couldn’t get more hectic, two longtime anchors get fired after a fistfight breaks out on the ten o’ clock news.  Unwilling to let WSGA go down on her watch, Melissa slaps on a coat of lipstick and wraps up the last remaining minutes of the evening news. Little did she know, her demanding boss liked her performance and decided to make her fill in as the evening news anchor until the next hotshot diva comes along.

With a shabby wardrobe and no on-camera experience, Melissa is overwhelmed to say the least. And when she tries to seek encouragement from her husband, his only concern is whether she can still pick up his dress shirts at the dry cleaners. What the hell?!?! I have to say, I got really pissed off at this up-tight workaholic throughout most of the book. How could he ignore his wife when she’s clearly drowning in her work? How could he leave her those crappy Post-it notes instead of picking up the phone or actually talking to her in person?

I really enjoyed the part when Melissa took her husband’s credit card and bought herself some much-needed ensembles. With her mousy hair and ill-fitting mom jeans, I figured she’d encounter a “Pretty Woman” dilemma at the high-end boutique. But lucky for her, the shop girl instantly took her under her wing and hooked her up with a whole new wardrobe.  I don’t want to give too much away, so I’m just going to say that this chance encounter led to a something truly great at the end of the book.

There’s a lot of sisterhood bonding in this book, which I really love. No matter what, Melissa’s best friend was there to offer support and encouragement.  And with a mother suffering the ravages of Alzheimer’s disease, a daughter off to college and a husband who just doesn’t seem to give a flip, she needs her best friend more than ever.

This first-time author has a real knack for character development, which in my opinion is the mark of a gifted writer. I was instantly enamored by Melissa’s good-hearted personality. Even when her husband acts like a total rat, she fights the urge to jump into an affair with her mega-hot co-anchor.  And rather than focusing on sensationalized headlines, she takes advantage of the limelight by promoting social good. Wouldn’t it be great if all newscasters had pure intentions? There certainly wouldn’t be anymore headlines about Kim Kardashian creeping into our morning news shows. That, my friends, would be a beautiful thing.

I do have one bone to pick with the author. My shins are killing me and it’s all her fault! I like to read during my morning workouts, and when I reached the last couple of chapters, I couldn’t put the book down. Before I knew it, I burned more than 800 calories on the bike!

Overall, this is an emotionally powerful story chock-full of real characters, real issues, and real thrills. Fans of Kristin Hannah, Jennifer Weiner and Ann Brashares are sure to enjoy this one. I look forward to reading her next novel, Dancing Naked in Dixie!

Short & Sweet Sundays: How to Party with a Killer Vampire by Penny Warner

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Hooray for Sundays! In honor of this blissful day, I bring you a short and sweet review of Penny Warner’s How to Party With a Killer Vampire.

The gist: Presley Parker is an up-and-coming party planner for San Francisco’s A-list community. She’s what I would call the J.B. Fletcher of party planning. Whenever she makes an appearance at a black-tie affair, somebody inevitably drops dead.  This can be bad for business, so she must resolve the mystery before more partygoers are permanently knocked off the guest list! The mystery begins when a parkour athlete is found dead in the local cemetery, which just happens to be the venue for Pressley’s next big shindig. In case you’re not privy to this new-wave sport, it involves bouncing and flipping off of buildings and stairwells with no shoes. Weird, I know. 

Things go from bad to worse when Pressley stumbles upon the body of a party-crashing celebrity reporter at a lavish movie wrap-up party in a spooky graveyard. In true Murder She Wrote fashion, the murder takes place right after a heated argument between a big-time producer and the wannabe Perez Hilton.  Of course the producer is the most obvious suspect, but there’s plenty of shady characters with ample motives to knock off the reporter. Could it be the scandalous Hollywood starlet who’s desperately trying to keep her skeletons in the closet? Did her protective celebrity boyfriend resort to murder to keep their affair a secret? Or is it the crazy gun-toting cemetery groundskeeper? You’ll have to read the book to find out!

The love interest: Now this is interesting, the leading man in this series is an ex-cop turned crime-scene cleaner. Okay, so maybe a man who comes home smelling like entrails isn’t exactly a turn-on, but this guy is H-O-T and he can be downright resourceful when Presley needs to hunt down clues.

Most unique aspects: Although this is a fun and frothy mystery series, the author touches on two heavy-duty issues: ADHD and Alzheimer’s disease.  This is the first time I’ve ever encountered a main character in a chick lit novel with ADHD. Considering that millions of Americans (the Facebook generation especially) struggle to focus on a single topic for longer than a millisecond, ADHD is indeed an interesting element to weave into a story.  

The mother/daughter dynamic in this story is also very touching. Presley’s mother, a former party-planner and Hollywood socialite, has an acute case of Alzheimer’s disease. A big chunk of Presley’s party planning commission goes toward her mother’s ultra-expensive rest home.  Pretty depressing right? Wrong! The mom actually has a nice little life at the old folks’ home, which she considers to be a posh resort. Plus her dear daughter takes her out on “adventures” whenever she’s hosting glitzy red-carpet affairs. The mom makes a great sidekick, even though she tends to wander off when Presley is interrogating suspects.  

Added bonuses: Each chapter opens with a fun little party-planning tip for vampire-infused fiestas. Plus, Pricilla’s mom provides readers with some cool nuggets of information about the history of San Francisco. Here’s my favorite tip:

“Make your next Ladies’ Night a Vampire Party with a romantic twist to celebrate a birthday girl, bachelorette, or bride-to-be. Fill the room with black and red balloons, scented candles, and posters of Edward and Jacob from the Twilight series. Then have a vampire stripper make a surprise appearance.”

This book is best paired with: A champaign cocktail and leopard-printed fuzzy slippers.

Overall: If you like cozy mysteries with a lot of sass, great dialogue and a plot that flies – you’ll love this charming series. Presley is an endearing heroine and her rollicking adventures around San Francisco are entertaining. This is my first Party-Planning Mystery – and it certainly won’t be the last! I’m looking forward to the next book set in California’s wine country!

In My Mailbox

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I hitched a ride on two blog tours and am so excited to start reading these books! On March 11, I’ll post a review for Ellen Byerrum’s newest installment in the Crimes of Fashion mystery series, Death on Heels. I’m especially interested in this book because Lacey Smithsonian is going back to her hometown in Sagebrush, Colorado. I can’t wait to see how she’s going to infuse her vintage ensembles with cowgirl flare!  Thank you Samantha, of Chick Lit Pus, for inviting me on the blog tour!

I’m also posting a review for Kimberly Lin’s debut novel, Recession Proof, on April 2. I’ve read nothing but stellar reviews about this book from my fellow bloggers, so I’m sure I’m going to love it.  I’m interested to see Helen’s journey from successful financial analyst to up-and-coming writer. Like Eat, Pray, Love, this is one personal transformation story that will probably make me think twice about getting too comfy with my station in life. Amanda over at Chick Lit = The New Black was kind enough to invite me along on the blog tour. Thanks, girl!

In My Mailbox is a weekly meme hosted by the Story Siren.

Death on Heels: A Crime of Fashion Mystery by Ellen Byerrum

Synapsis: When Washington, D.C., fashion reporter Lacey Smithsonian’s former boyfriend, cattle rancher Cole Tucker, is arrested for murder, she digs her cowboy boots out of her closet and flies to his defense. She is certain of his innocence-until he abducts her during a daring courthouse escape…

Recession Proof by Kimberly Lin

Synapsis: Sometimes going after what you want is the hardest thing you will ever do… Meet Helen. Smart, successful and obliviously trapped. For the past six years, Helen has given her life and her heart to her cushy corporate finance job and to Mark without question. However as the Recession sweeps the Nation, she is one of many left unemployed and with the burning question of what does she really want in life.

The Guys’ Guy’s Guide to Love by Robert Manni

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Let me start off by saying, I’m so happy I started this book blog! Before Chick Lit Café came along, I stuck to my usual playlist of authors. Now as authors and publicists are offering review copies, I have more opportunities to sample some super cool books by up-and-coming authors. And I must say, Robert Manni’s  The Guys’ Guy’s Guide to Love is one of the most provocative books I’ve encountered in a while.

The story centers around two hotshot admen, Max Hallyday and his toxic friend Roger Fox. Both of these conventionally handsome single men are struggling to stay afloat in their pressure-cooker jobs, which entail scoring billionaire clients and lucrative ad campaigns. Hungry for power, sex and money – Roger stops at nothing to get ahead – even if it means sneaking around with his best friend’s ex and billionaire client.

When Max finds out about Roger’s dirty deeds, he decides to write a column warning the women of New York City about the seedy underworld of womanizing men. To gather material for his column, Max interrogates Roger about his dirty sexcapades and uncovers some disturbing yet hilarious pieces of “advice.” Here are a couple of snippets from the twisted mind of Roger Fox.

On online dating: “Every king needs a queen and there are thousands of ladies-in-waiting online. Those dating sites are the ultimate distribution system for female talent. Where else can you sit at home scratching your nuts, plinking at your laptop and scoring dates with women? It’s like fishing in well stocked trout ponds in early spring. And it’s always springtime online.”

On being an equal-opportunity man whore: “I like all women, but it helps if they’re stacked…All races, creeds, and colors are welcome in Roger’s world. And if they wax, they get a check-plus.”

OK, so you’re probably asking, “where’s the romance?” Don’t worry ladies, there is indeed a sweet little love story folded in this salacious tale of sex and greed. Max and his ex-girlfriend, Cassidy Goodson, have what I like to call a “Harry Met Sally” relationship, in which they pretend to be platonic buddies while denying their sexual attraction toward one another. Cassidy is your typical girl-next-door type, and her father (Max’s former boss) is a good-natured adman with solid ethics and a heart of gold. I don’t’ want to give anything away, so you’ll just have to read the book to see which path Max chooses to take when he reaches a crossroads in work and in love!

As much as I hate to admit it, of all the complex characters in this book, the one that truly fascinates me is Roger. When he was first introduced, I immediately despised the sexist bastard. My god – this man is like the great white shark of the dating world. Even when he doesn’t crave sex, he’ll bag a babe just out of sheer boredom. So from the get-go, I knew that there was no way in hell this guy could redeem himself. But then again, that’s what I thought about Ebenezer Scrooge before his visit with the ghost of Christmas future. This guy would stop at nothing to get ahead – even if it meant sabotaging his best friend or knocking boots with an emotionally vulnerable client who could make or break his career at a top advertising firm. Oh and don’t even get me started on how he preys upon women in the online dating scene – wow! As with all villains, I knew he would eventually get his just desserts – and I couldn’t’ wait to relish in his pain. But wouldn’t you know, that jerk tugged at my heartstrings the moment his troubles caught up with him.

I’ve always harbored disdain for the Rogers of the world. They’re handsome, they’re slick, they’re over-privileged, and they can make women (stupid ones, I might add) fall to their knees with just a wink and a smile. But after reading this book, I got to thinking…am I wrongfully stereotyping these guys?  Perhaps a lot of those scumbags I see at the bar (typically wearing head-to-toe Ed Hardy) are filling a void in their heart with cheap women and mindless sex. Either way, I’m so freaking glad I’m married!

Overall, Manni did a fine job divulging the mindset of single guys on the prowl. But don’t be fooled, this book  isn’t all about scandalous shenanigans and cutthroat power play. This is also a story about self-discovery, hope and redemption. So if you’re looking for a fun, sexy romp in the city with some substance, check this one out. Fans of Sex in the City and Mad Men are sure to be entertained. Wouldn’t this make a great HBO series?!?  Please tell me there’s going to be a sequel!

 

The Unlist by Robert Manni

 5 SIMPLE QUESTIONS TO FIND OUT IF HE’S ‘THE ONE’

Dating can be like business. You get it. I learned this sitting across the table from a cadre of new dates and being grilled like a king salmon. The endless questions from their “list” were fired in succession to determine if I had potential to become “The One.” In business we call this “qualifying” a sale. In a marketplace where time is money, it’s mission critical to quickly get to the heart of prospects and potential issues.

Like Max Hallyday, the main character in my debut novel, THE GUYS’ GUY’S GUIDE TO LOVE, I will function as your representative “guy’s guy” to help ferret out the truth about men. Here are my questions designed to get you the 411 on a new guy. I call this, my “unlist”.

THE UNLIST- OR FIVE SIMPLE QUESTIONS THAT GET YOU A CLEAR SENSE OF A MAN. (Note, I’m not suggesting that you prosecute the poor guy the moment he sits down. He’s not automatically on trial for stealing goodies and breaking hearts. Take things slow and easy, and listen carefully to his answers, or lack of answers, which will both reveal his DNA):

1-    What does he want to do? This is code for finding out if he’s a man with a plan. Women tend to poke around this area, but usually ask the same qualifiers like if he is working and where. I can still hear the wheels inside their heads calculating my bank potential although it did not necessarily reveal that much about my character. A job may tell you what a man does, and in most cases, if he is not fully employed the evening wraps up fairly quickly. But I suggest that the focus be on determining if the man has a dream. Men with dreams tend to make things happen. Unfortunately, many ladies that I met for the first time only seemed interested in dreams that had come true, not the journey itself. That’s too bad because in this guys’ guy’s opinion, it’s the journey more than the arrival that can reveal a man’s character. Bottom line, if he has a stated goal, check plus. If he doesn’t know, hmmm…you’ll have to poke around a bit more to see if he has any ambition. And if he doesn’t, you may want to move on unless he smiles like Clooney and has a Swiss bank account and a house in Mustique.

2-    So, what’s his plan? Dreams make a great start, but in this conscious world, you need a plan for grabbing that prize. When I decided I wanted to – make that – had to write novels, I kept my day job and gave myself ten years to hone my craft and get published. Fortunately, I’m right on schedule, but this was a real test of my character and it would have been easy to fold and place the manuscript in the drawer. But that’s who I am.  But many women I met while I struggled to land a literary agent checked their phones and said goodnight once they found out where I was in the process of making my dream come true. That’s okay because that also let me know who they were. And I did have a plan and I was not only willing to discuss it, I looked forward to it because it was my passion.  Yay, me.

3-    What’s his timing? With time our most valuable commodity, it is critical to set guideposts for reaching milestones on the journey forward. I know writers who have been working on their manuscripts for 15 years. They may be on to something special, but as the pages pile up, the days of our lives are crossed off of the calendar. I am a grinder and grinders set goals and find the time to grind. If you write five pages a day, you can complete a three hundred-page draft in two months. Not easy, but with discipline writers learn to become prolific. The point is that you probably want a man who is realistic about getting things done. That way he has lots of time for you.

4-    What have been his greatest challenges and victories? This will give you a real sense of character and what’s important to him. If he has not been tested, that may be a red flag. He may be soft. Or he may be filthy rich. And his greatest victories may tell you what makes him tick. Was winning the fifty-yard dash in third grade really that important or was it the time he rescued the puppy from the burning home or raised all of that money for charity when he competed in a triathlon? You get the idea.

5-    Ask him what’s next? This will let you know if he is for real. We live in the now so you need to make sure he’s engaged in his life and not meandering or waiting to find out if the Giants make the playoffs before he decides his next move. You probably want a guy who is fun, but determined. He’s called a guy’s guy and there’s one out there just for you if you know how to qualify your prospect.

ARE YOU PREPARED TO ASK THE RIGHT QUESTIONS THAT WILL GET YOU  THE MAN YOU WANT?

About the author: Robert Manni is President of advertising agency Agent16 in midtown Manhattan. For the past two decades he has watched, played and succeeded in Madison Avenue’s relentlessly changing game. A true devotee of New York City, Robert is inspired by and remains in awe of its people, energy, attitude, and romantic backdrop. He is a world traveler, Reiki Master and teacher, certified advanced clinical Master Hypnotist, graduate of the Jose Silva Method/Life System, NYC Marathoner, and a bona fide ‘Guy’s Guy’ who somehow survived twenty years of single life in the big city.

Short and Sweet Sundays: Death Comes to Pembereley by P.D. James

On By Bubble Bubble Books and TroubleIn Cozies3 Comments

Sundays are a day of rest. So in honor of this one day of the week when I can legitimately loaf around in my Garfield jammies in front of the DVR, I bring you this new feature that I like to call “Short and Sweet Sundays.” This is a fun way for me to write up a quick and dirty book blog without getting too overambitious.

The gist: Happily married and blessed with two perfect children, the Darcys are the picture of domestic bliss. But all is threatened when the Darcy’s and their dinner guests see a runaway chaise barreling toward the front door on a dark and stormy night. Lo and behold, Elizabeth’s estranged sister, Lydia, topples out of the coach screaming that her husband has been murdered.  Colonel Fitzwilliam (a pompous family friend and relative) and Darcy go to investigate in Pemberley’s wild woods and find the body of Wickham’s friend, Captain Denny. They also find Wickham covered in blood screaming, “He’s dead – my one and only friend is dead and it’s my fault!”

Anyone who’s read Pride and Prejudice knows Whickham is a gold-digging scoundrel, but could he really be capable of cold-blooded murder? What caused Captain Denny to run deep into the Pemberley woods on a cold, blustery night? And Why did Colonel Fitzwilliam suddenly decide to take a solitary late night ride the night of the murder?

The pros: P.D. James clearly knows how to write historical fiction. She expertly captures the stodgy language and the genteel English mannerisms.  She clearly did her homework on old timey police work, which can be interesting for those who like procedural thrillers. And – oh my god – this author is 91 years old! I give her mad props for maintaining a spot on the New York Times bestsellers list.

The cons: Let me start off by saying that I am by no means a Jane Austen purist. That said, I have to admit I had quite a few hangups with this mystery. For one, it didn’t feel like a mystery at all – a courtroom drama perhaps – but not a classic whodunit.  I was expecting our beloved Elizabeth Darcy to put on her gumshoes and crack the case, yet she barely had a role in this book at all. The inquest was tedious. Plus I had to force myself to concentrate on all the long-winded descriptions of characters and convoluted backstories.  Listening to this on audiobook proved to be a big challenge!

Thoughts on character development:  Those devoted to Jane Austen would probably agree that Elizabeth Darcy is one of the most dynamic female leads in literary history. She’s beautiful, smart, sharp-tongued and fiercely independent. Her love-hate relationship with Darcy in Pride and Prejudice had hopeless romantics like me totally enthralled. But in this book, she’ a shadow of the girl she once was. In fact, she’s dull.  Rather than speaking her mind and taking risks to find the killer, she spends her time fretting about appearances and making sure the Pemberley Estate is in order. Boring!

Why I chose this book: I seem to be going through a Jane Austen phase, so the timing of a post-Pride and Prejudice mystery couldn’t have been better. Plus the cover is really cool!

This book is best paired with: A very quiet room and a spot of peppermint tea.

Would I read another book by this author?
Eh…probably not.