I’m so pleased to have author Erin Brady participate in my Celebration of Chick Lit tour as my inaugural guest author. Erin’s novel The Shopping Swap is one of my favorites and I love her writing so much that I asked her to be one of the first readers of Novelista Girl. Find out why she loves chick lit so much below. 

I have a serious confession to make and here it is: I have an uncontrollable obsession. Some even call it an addiction.  It’s like trying to ignore a craving for chocolate or fighting an insatiable need to binge watch a favorite television show (Downton Abbey anyone?) or even resisting the strong urge to shop (ever wandered aimlessly down the aisles of Target?  I know I have).

My addiction is insatiable and always leaves me wanting more.  It keeps me up late into the wee hours of the night.  I can’t sleep. I can’t stop talking about it and, even worse, I can’t stop writing about it!  And before you take a guess, no, it’s not that (get your mind out of the gutter, thank you very much).

I am addicted to chick lit!  I know, I know, I’m not the only one.  In fact, I am one of many devoted fans out there who devour chick lit books, romantic movies, tear-jerking soap operas, etc…, like I devour a pint of my favorite ice cream (mint chocolate chip).  But in my case, I can’t seem to stop (case in point: empty ice cream cartons).

I squeal with glee at pastel colored book covers, just like a teenager would when she bumps into her crush.  I light up like a firefly with anticipation when I read the first line of a chick lit book.  I do so because I know that I’m about to embark on a wonderful adventure with interesting characters and situations I can relate to and, most importantly, laugh at!

But what is it that I love most about chick lit?  Can you guess?  And no, it’s not that again!  Really, your mind does wander.   It’s the idea of “falling in love.”  I wait for the swoon worthy moment when the author introduces the leading man to her heroine and I sigh because I know what’s coming (cue the eye-roll).  They will inevitably fall in love . . . despite the obstacles, the misunderstandings, the jealous ex.  Even as they resist the tension building up between them.  Even as they ignore the sexual chemistry (yes, I am finally going there).  Even as they banter back and forth like two tennis pros in a championship match.  I know they will wind up together in the end and I’ll get my “happily ever after.”

Some people say that “chick lit is dead,” but I don’t buy it for one minute.  It’s like saying “love is dead” and who would honestly believe that?  Not me, that’s for sure!  As long as I live and breathe (much heavier when I try my hand at exercising), I will always be a sucker for an epic romance.  I, for one, would never give up on the idea of love.  Life would be so depressing if I did.  I mean, Jane Austen certainly didn’t give up on it and if anyone had a reason to do so, well, she did.   I shudder to think of a world without a Darcy and his Elizabeth!

No, as far as I’m concerned, I’m still and always will be, a believer.  In fact, love is the main reason I became a chick lit writer and I wear that badge proudly; out in the open for everyone to see!

So yes, I have an addiction (craving, urge, need), but it’s one I don’t intend to give up anytime soon!  I’m embracing it.  In fact, I think I’ll organize a parade in honor of it.  Maybe, even try for a national holiday.  Imagine, a whole day off curled up with my books. There’s a nice thought.

So next time anyone tells me I’m addicted to chick lit, I will smile with smug satisfaction and say thank you!  It’s the best compliment anyone can give me!

Now, where’s my box of chocolate, the new Downton Abbey episode, that link to the sample shoe sale, and the latest Sophie Kinsella book?

Meredith: Wear that chick lit-author badge with pride, sister!

 

Biography:

 

Erin Brady is a self-confessed romantic comedy addict who hopes to never find a cure. She spends countless hours re-reading Pride and Prejudice and admits to never getting tired of Darcy’s britches. She loves watching rom-com movies because, when it comes down to it, she can’t get enough of the “girl meets boy and falls in love” stories. Most importantly, she loves to laugh and finds humor in everything from washing dishes to singing karaoke off key!

 

Ms. Brady writes chick lit novels and enjoys every minute of it. All of her novels follow the lives of women who, mindfully or not, end up pursuing their dreams while making mistakes and learning to laugh (and fall in love) along the way. Erin admits that her inspiration for her characters often comes from her own circle of friends, despite her friends’ protests otherwise.

 

Currently, Erin Brady has published five novels: And The Winner Is, Shopping Swap, Holiday Gig, One Last Blind Date and The Twelve-Step Plan.

 

www.erinbradyauthor.com

amazon.com/author/erinbrady

 

 

 

 

 

NOVELISTA GIRL – January 6, 2016:

Readers first met sassy Kimberly Long in Blogger Girl, and now the feisty New Yorker is back in a sequel packed with quick wit, friendship, heartache, and, of course, romance.

Kim runs the most popular chick lit book blog on the web, loves playing house with her sexy lawyer boyfriend, Nicholas, and is finally pursuing her lifelong dream to become a published author. At first glance, her life is five-pink-champagne-flutes worthy. 

 But is there more to the story than meets the eye?

 After hearing the phrase “chick lit is dead” more times than she’s read Bridget Jones’s Diary, Kim is driven to desperate measures, seeking advice from up-and-coming chick lit author, Hannah Marshak, her high school nemesis and resident “mean girl.” As if Kim doesn’t have enough on her plate balancing her secretarial duties with her blog Pastel Is the New Black, shrugging off the growing pile of agent rejections, and keeping her best friend from turning green over Kim’s budding friendship with Hannah, Nicholas is so blinded by his career ambitions, he doesn’t see that their home sweet home could use more than a dash of sugar. 

 This is the year when all of Kim’s dreams—professional and romantic—are supposed to come true, but will the story have a happily ever after, or will Kim end up unpublished and all alone?

 This novel can be read as a sequel or as a standalone and is best accompanied by a cocktail, preferably a pink one.