Fairytale of New York: Download Your Happily Ever After

     If you follow my blog, you might know that I’m a sucker for a good happy ending. And for me, what comes to mind first when I think of those happily ever after moments? Fairy tales. What a wonderful surprise I came across today, then, when I opened up my Twitter page to find that Miranda Dickinson’s debut novel, Fairytale of New York is now available for FREE (no catch!) on select e-book websites.

     My personal favorite ebook site where I’ve found it and it's easy to read the books on my desktop or upload to my iPod Touch is Kobo Books.

     Read more about Miranda Dickinson on her web page at www.miranda-dickinson.com, follow her on her blog at http://www.coffeeandroses.blogspot.com/. Finally,catch the reviews on this and Miranda Dickinson's other novels a two more of my personal favorite web sites:

Goodreads:

http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/6649757-fairytale-of-new-york

The Chick Lit Club:

http://chicklitclub.com/authorsd.html#mirandadickinson

The Wickedly Wicked Life of Women: From Classic Lit to Chick Lit

     While I’ve been working on a novel for NaNoWriMO, I’ve found myself doing research on evil mothers and evil women, in general in literature. What is it about fairy tales, fiction and chick lit that readers love a good female villain? Some people call them strong, diabolical or jealous and probably, most recently, “bitch” captures all these words into one modern meaning of the femme fatale. Just for fun, I thought I’d compile a liset of all the Evil Women who we love to hate (and some we’ve even grown to love) from Grimm’s Fairy Tales to contemporary Chick Lit:

Wicked Witch of the West - The Wizard of Oz by Frank Baum

The Stepmother – Hansel & Gretel; Cinderella; Snow White all by Brothers Grimm

Maleficient – Sleeping Beauty by Phillip Margolin

Lady MacBeth – MacBeth by William Shakespeare

Goneril & Regan – King Lear by William Shakespeare

Nurse Ratched – One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest by Ken Kesey

Corinne Dollanganger – Flowers in the Attic by V.C. Andrews

Cruella de Vil ¬– 101 Dalmatians by Dodie Smith

Queen of Hearts – Alice in Wonderland ¬by Lewis Carroll

Miss Trunchbull – Matilda by Roald Dahl

Miranda Priestley – The Devil Wears of Prada by Lauren Weisberger*

Vivian Grant – Because She Can by Bridie Clark*

Mrs. X –The Nanny Diaries & The Nanny Returns by Emma McLaughlin & Nicola Kraus*

Sidra DeSimon – How to Sleep with a Movie Star by Kristin Harmel*

*Chick Lit “Evil at Work” characters adapted from the Chick Lit Club, Retrieved at http://chicklitclub.com/top10evilatwork.html on November 19, 2010

     Fascinated by the concept of the evil female villain, myself, I am working on adding my own femme fatale to the growing list of chick lit antagonists. Taking key components from many varieties of the story of Cinderella and modern elements of chick lit and contemporary fiction, I hope one day Ms. Marguerite of The Cinderella Complex will one day make it on one of the lists. She is an evil woman, not unlike the evil stepmothers of preceding literature who antagonizes my leading heroine at every step of her journey to independence.

Who did I forget? Let me know. I’d love to hear it! Post your favorite evil women from chick lit or anywhere in the media.

See Jane Write: 30 Days of Plotting, Typing, Writing and NaNoWriMo-ing?

I'm taking a little break (I'm sure you may have noticed) from writing in my blog. Be sure to check out any of the past book reviews, links, blog posts or any of the great sister sites I love to read and follow on the right.

Wish me luck....This is my very first year attempting to NaNoWriMo. That's 30 Days and Nights of Writing and writing and writing...and, you get it. Hence, the break from my blog. I'm trying to write a rough (very rough) draft of a chick lit manuscript by November 30. It's a race against the clock as I up my word count. Goal: 50,000 and a completed (NOT finished) novel in the chick lit fiction genre.

Here I am at Day 15, halfway there and I miss blogging so I just thought I'd check in.  I might not be blogging but I'm still reading, writing, listening to, dreaming and breathing chick lit (Okay that might be going a little too far!) So check back December 1st (okay, maybe December 2nd to give my little typing fingers a rest!) for more Chick Lit Reviews and Blog Posts, Ideas and Thoughts on Writing, Fun Links for all the Chick Lit you wanna know.

In the meantime, I thought I'd share a great offer I found on Twitter today. If any of you have dreams of writing, check out this great link from Women on Writing to get three FREE ebook copies of these helpful books on writing: http://womensmemoirs.com/free-ebooks/:

“Writing in Five: Prompts to Get You Moving”

“Journaling Essentials: Everything You Need to Know to Start and Keep a Journal”

 “Top 10 Reasons to Write Your Memoir” (Bonus: Extra Writing Prompts)

Don't Forget MAY 2011 is CHICK LIT INTERNATIONAL MONTH joining the United States' Chick Lit is Not Dead, Australia's Chick Lit Club and Britain's Novelicious....."Because Every Woman Deserves Her Happy Ending"...

I Heart Hollywood: Chick Lit Goes to the Movies

          Ah, Chick Flicks + Chick Lit Ficiton = some really good movie watching!! Helen Fielding brought Chick Lit to the big screen in 2001 with a cinematized Bridget Jones. The Devil Wears Prada by Lauren Weisberger’s was a huge hit in 2006 with an even bigger cast. In the summer of 2010 Julia Roberts stole the scene in Elizabeth Gilbert’s Eat Pray Love.

          Go to the Screen Scene at the Chick Lit Club for all the latest in gossip, rumors and in-production chick lit flicks based on the chick lit novels you loved and adored! One of my favorites I’ve been looking forward to ever since reading it back in December 2009 is none other than Emily Giffin’s Something Borrowed. Ginner Goodwin and Kate Hudson star as best friends who are sleeping with the same guy who’s supposed to be getting married to one of them in this book-made-into-movie slated for release some time in 2011. Other favorites still awaiting production, screen writing or that have just been rumored to be picked up and dusted off their library shelves and reformatted for the big screen include Sophie Kinsella’s Can You Keep a Secret and The Undomestic Goddess, Enchanted, Inc by Shanna Swendson (one of my personal series faves about a girl in NY who discovers magic is real but that she is immune to it), another story about the “other woman”, Jane Fallon’s Getting Rid of Matthew, politico-daughter and chick lit author, Kristin Gire might see her first novel Sammy Hill in big lights, Lauren Conrad’s LA Candy – I can’t wait to see who will play Jane Roberts if LC is determined to stay behind-the-scenes -, Beth Harbison’s debut Shoe Addicts Anonymous which depicts the lives of four young woman who meet at the intersection of their passion for well-made, high-heeled footwear and so many more.

          If you are a fan of chick lit, now is a great time to hit the movies. What movie are you waiting for to come out most?? What chick lit book would you like to see turned into a movie? If you could choose the cast for any chick lit book made into a Hollywood premiere, who would you choose and why?

The Summer of Chick Lit and Me

     If you read my blog or are a member of any book groups on Goodreads, you may know that I am a bit of a Goodreads junkie (Self-proclaimed, of course – I have never been good about denying things – I’m like one of those people who wears my expression all over my face.) I recently joined a new group called, Book Blog Networking, and it is turning into one of my favorite groups on GR. It is a wonderful networking tool. It provides access to limitless book review blogs. I have met some really great people who share the same interests in reading and blogs as me; and finally, the network is a great place to sound off ideas, troubleshoot technical problems and get help and advice on any other aspect of blogging that might pop up. It has also inspired me to create a second blog and to be more diligent about posting on my original blog.


     This summer I am participating in (yet another) reading challenge with the GR group, Red Dress Ink Fans; and although I am off to a slow start (with nothing but a poor excuse), my goal is to post the books I read and write a review for each one as I cross them off my TBR list. The current challenge is what I consider a “Reading Scavenger Hunt”. You must find books that fit into various categories and after you’ve used a book for one category, you cannot double up and count it for another category. For example, the first book I read is going to be part of a three (3) book series for a 25 point task that correspond with a City, State, and Country. I just finished listening to the unabridged audio book of All-American Girl by Meg Cabot (country), am currently reading the paperback, I Heart New York Lindsey Kelk and I plan to either read Hollywood Car Wash by Lori Culwell or listen to Intimate Adventures of a London Call Girl by Belle du Jour to round out the category.

     Below you can see the book covers of all the books on my reading challenge list, each corresponding with a specific category. If you are dying to read a review for one of the books on my list, please let me know and I will prioritize it on my TBR list this summer. (Sometimes I have a hard time choosing which one to read next because to me (of course) they all look great! So really, you’d be doing me a favor by making a request. Thanks so much. And, enjoy!

     All-American Girl is the first in a two-book series by Meg Cabot, narrated by Ariadne Myers, that follows Samantha Madison as she comes of age in the Presidential setting of Washington, D.C. Samantha is in high-school who has a passion for drawing and her sister’s boyfriend, Jack. As much as she loves art, she despises Susan Boone’s drawing classes, which she has been mandated to take since being caught charging students at John Adams Preparatory High for her celebrity caricatures. One day when Samantha decides she’s going to skip SB’s art class, she stands in a crowd to watch as a parade takes place in the heart of DC’s political arena. She notices an odd-looking man listening to Billy Joel’s Uptown Girl on repeat, and before she even has time to think about what she’s doing, Samantha finds herself jumping in the middle of a bullet from Mr. Uptown Girl and Mr. President, himself. Her courage and bravery catapult her into the spotlight (that and a broken arm that brings her to a local hospital) and Sam becomes an overnight celebrity. Everyone knows her name and everyone wants to be her friend – kids at school even start dressing in all black just like her. She never could have imagined life like this and now she must grow up and learn about relationships, love, family, the way of the world, and a little bit of politics in front of the public eye. Will everyone find out that she has a huge crush on her sister’s boyfriend? Will everyone start idolizing Gwen Stefani and become fascinated with art and drawing? Finally, what about David, he president’s son? Could Samantha be developing feelings for him? As her art teacher so eloquently puts, hear what happens when Samantha learns the difference between “seeing and knowing” and “hearing and listening” in this YA audio book. Ariadne Myers, who has put the voice to many YA audio books, by other Chick Lit authors such as Sarah Mlynowski, does an excellent job creating a different tone for each character in Meg Cabot’s All-American Girl. From “rebel” Jack, teen queen and big sister, Lucy to Presidential hunk and artist, David and of course, the red-headed, average, middle child Samantha and all the characters in between, Myers creates a believable world of young adult life in Washington, DC.

     I can’t wait to listen to what happens in the sequel, Ready or Not.

     Rating: 3 out of 5 STARS.

The Importance of Being A Character: Revealing Personality through Action & Relationships in Chick Lit

As a psychology major I am constantly studying people – the way they think, the way they behave, the way they talk (and they way they don’t think, don’t behave and don’t talk) and who they are in relationship to other people. Perhaps that is why I am so attracted to the Chick Lit genre as it has been said before that “Chick lit is also a truly fascinating character study”. Every time I read one of Emily Giffin’s books, I am in awe of the depth with which she describes each character. Even greater than I am inspired by the depth of each character, I am more inspired by the way she brings life to each one, whether they are the lead heroine or the token stand-in character sitting on a bus. When I read her books, I find myself thinking about the characters when I’m not reading, wondering what they are doing, how they are feeling after, say, their husband just cheated on them, or their ex-boyfriend just contacted them out of the blue, and I have to remind myself that hey, it’s just a book - these are merely characters in a piece of fiction (a very moving piece of fiction mind you, but, nonetheless they are not real.) For the characters to blur the line of reality, to me, that shows great talent on the part of the author.

It was no surprise to me, then, when I read the line, “The single most important element of your chick-lit novel is your main character.” What readers love about chick-lit is that the heroine is them — but with more attitude, more courage, or maybe just more shoes. She is Everywoman, with quirks and problems that are believable yet larger than life. She’s confident yet insecure. Smart but naive. Loveable yet flawed.

How you create her your main character will depend largely on who you are and whom you’ve come into contact with in your life.” But “As long as the characters live and breathe, not an awful lot need happen. Don’t get too complex.” ~ Freya North

Emily Giffin has been quoted as saying something similar – that not a whole lot happens between the beginning and end of her books, but the character growth and relationships that are drawn out in her stories are incredible.

“The trick to making your characters sound different is to bury yourself really deeply in their head. Become them. Think like they would thinks. Speak like they would speak. Use words they would use. Today we're going to focus on using POV to make your characters stand out from each other.” ~ Stephanie Rowe

I love this quote because it reminds me of what I’ve heard from many authors, including one of my most favorites, Emily Giffin. I heard Ms. Giffin say in an interview after the audio version of Love the One You’re With, that before she even thinks about putting pen to paper (or fingers to keyboard), she spends much time (months even!) getting to know her characters. I have heard other authors mimic similar advice, saying that before they begin writing, they know their characters inside and out. They know what their characters will be wearing on Tuesday, eating for breakfast on Thursday and where they will be going out Friday night better than they know their own plans! For me, this is something to aspire to as a “wannabe” chick lit writer. So far, as I work on writing my first Chick Lit novel, I have followed a wonderful outline (because in addition to my love for post-it notes, I love to be organized) from See Jane Write: A Girl’s Guide to Writing Chick Lit by Sarah Mlynowski and Farrin Jacobs:

Character Sketch

Answer the following questions about your characters:

Name     
Age
Physical description
Education
Five words that describe her personality
Her dream job, or dream life
Where does she work? Is she good at her job? Why? Or why not?
Things that annoy her
Her bad habits
What people like about her
Her roadblocks to happiness
The person she should trust most (and why)
Her dream guy
The person she trusts most (and why)
The worst day of her life
Before the book began, the best day of her life
What she does to relax

I’ve included some of my own questions/categories as I’ve moved along in my quest to “Get to Know My Characters.” For instance, I added “Birthday and Zodiac Sign Traits & Qualities”, “How She Met the Lead Character/Relationship to Main Character”. The list of questions, fill-in-the-blanks and other data you can gather about your character is virtually endless.


Other great advice I’ve received about characters - You don’t want your characters to be carbon copies of anyone, including yourself, for that matter. Think about it: There can only be one Dorothy from the Wizard of Oz, one Elle Woods from Legally Blonde, one Beauty from Beauty and the Beast and the list goes on. Another pitfall of the “carbon copy” character – you don’t want your character to fall into any one stereotype or become a cliché. Especially in chick lit, many “type” characters have been overly cast and done to death. Some examples include the gay friend, the evil boss, the overbearing mother and the bubbly and near-perfect best friend. Here is a list from the Chick Lit Club’s Top Ten unforgettable (and unmistakable) Characters:

1. Bridget Jones - Helen Fielding

She makes you laugh, cringe and cheer. No woman sums up the life of a chain-smoking, social-drinking, weight-watching singleton better than Bridget.

2. Rebecca Bloomwood - Sophie Kinsella

Who wouldn't love this whirlwind with maxed-out credit cards? And the best bit is we can follow the Shopaholic's antics through five books.

3. Miranda Priestley - Lauren Weisberger

The female villain of The Devil Wears Prada is cruel, rude and overdemanding, and of course, exquisitely dressed. She'll definitely make you feel better about your own boss.

4. Walsh sisters - Marian Keyes

These Irish sisters have certainly added a few grey hairs to their parents' heads - there's Claire whose husband left on the day their baby was born; Rachel whose fondness for recreational drugs led her to a rehab clinic; Maggie who left her husband to head for LA; Anna who gets badly injured and Helen who never seems to be in work.

5. Tracie Martin - Alison Kervin

She may not be quite Posh Spice but Tracie is Queen of the WAGs in our book. Who else perfects the WAG look of orange skin, yellow hair, indecently short skirts and tower-high heels - while still being a charming, yet somewhat, clueless character.

6. Rose Feller - Jennifer Weiner

Apart from sharing a shoe size, attorney Rose is so unlike her wild sister Maggie. But in In Her Shoes, Rose learns to live a different type of life.

7. Rosie Dunne - Cecelia Ahern
From a naughty schoolgirl passing notes in class to a single mother trying to forge a career, we are with Rosie through several decades of her life and pray she'll get together with her soulmate in Where Rainbows End/Love, Rosie

8. Rachel White and Darcy Rhode - Emily Giffin

These best friends fall out over the same man but in Something Borrowed, then Something Blue your sympathies will swing between the pair.

9. Jemima Jones - Jane Green
You'll be right behind Jemima J as she undergoes her transformation to look like her altered after photo.

10. Kettle sisters (Cat, Lyn and Gemma) - Liane Moriarty
Right from the opening restaurant fight, the triplets of Three Wishes will leave a lasting impression.


In my journey to create a few (im)perfect characters of my own, I have learned that characters can be revealed in a variety of ways. Like the study of people in psychology, you can learn so much about characters through dialogue, action and relationships with other characters in novels.

Use dialogue to show your character — “A gushy person might say “darling” a lot, an older person will speak differently from a younger person. When a man doesn’t say much it adds to his mystique.” ~ Fiona Walker

1. Dialogue should be brief.

2. It should add to the reader’s present knowledge.

3. It should eliminate the routine exchanges of ordinary conversation.

4. It should convey a sense of spontaneity but eliminate the repetitiveness of real talk.

5. It should keep the story moving forward.

6. It should be revelatory of the speaker’s character, both directly and indirectly.

7. It should show the relationships among people.

-Elizabeth Bowen

As I read and observe the writing of other great authors, I’ve learned that the best practice behind character writing is to avoid giving all information and background through pure description (yawn!). For example, I just finished reading The Bachelorette Party by Karen McCullah Lutz (co-writer of Legally Blonde and 10 Things I Hate About You, among many other screenplays) and I was in awe of the information that came out about each character through the short chapters that made up this 256 page novel. Never before had I read an author who made such excellent use of every inch of paper she had! Despite the brevity of print, with each passing page, full of dialogue and (even more) action, I found myself getting more than acquainted with every character. While I had a hard time keeping track of the characters on page 5, by page 100 I could tell you exactly what type of woman Jane was versus Betsey, Marci, Kim, Helen, Skinny, Snotty or Zadie. An excellent piece of advice, however, Don’t force your character(s) to behave a certain way simply because that’s what you need her to do to make the story move from point A to point Hopeful Ending. If it doesn’t feel true, you may need to rework that particular plot point. The Bachelorette Party took on a life its own and despite some of the incredulous events that occurred, the fast pace action was highly entertaining and kept me interested, invigorated and eager tot urn the page. I know for me, that is the type of book I want to write – one where readers say, “Wow, I hope there is a sequel”; “I hope we get to find out what happens next in [insert main character’s name here]’s life”; or “I hope this book is turned into a movie”.

Finally, every character in a story must relate to the protagonist in some way (otherwise, there is no point for their existence in the plot). One great way of keeping track of your own story is to make a family tree, connecting each character to the main character and then (if applicable) to each other. Through their relationships, each and every character has the opportunity to reveal something new about the story’s heroine (or hero). For example, the antagonist is often what drives the heroine forward, leading to the story’s climax. *I have heard that making the Antagonist multidimensional is just as important as creating a well-rounded main character. Look at Gregory Maguire’s books – they are all built on a classic fairy tale, but told for the perspective of the evil nemesis, like the Wicked Witch off the West in Maguire’s Wicked or Confessions of an Ugly Stepsister’s Iris. Other key relationships in fiction include the “foil”, who has the ability to bring out the main character’s best and worst qualities. In Shopaholic and Sister, Becky Bloomwoods’s newfound sister turns out to be a great character addition to the series, adding more depth to the Shopaholic that we already love and know so much about. Through their relationship, we, as readers, are able to see many more sides to Becky, some more noble than others. In fact, each character who crosses Becky’s path reveals something different about the Shopaholic. Between her husband to be, Luke Brandon, best friend, Suze, parents and even bill collector, Derek Smeath, we learn so much about Becky, from being an adorable, loving, naïve, and innocent financial editor who hates her job to the manipulative, scheming, smart and funny woman who will do anything to maintain her addiction to coordinating shoes and handbags and clothes. It is the whole mess of traits, qualities and imperfections that made me intrigued to read more…and more and more…and with one blockbuster movie already under her belt, the success of Sophie Kinsella’s Shopaholic series moves onto its 7th novel, due later this year.

All in all, you want to make sure to create likable characters. While chick lit is edgy and has been called “fiction with attitude,” the main character needs to be likable. Making her too strong may turn off an agent or editor, and you’ll receive a rejection notice. As I already mentioned with the success of one character, Becky Bloomwood, a long series was born with movie rights and no end in sight. That is my dream - To create a character that draws the attention of so many that it has them begging for more. To give you another example, I recently finished two two-book series by Brenda Janowitz, starring character Brooke Miller, and separately, Kristen Gore’s political chick lit series with hilarious (and hypochondriac) heroine, Sammy Joyce. I was so in love with the series that so far I have emailed Ms. Janowitz to see if she had any thoughts for a future novel with Miss Modern, Brooke Miller and I am still searching for a way to contact Ms. Gore to see if there is any chance for a political sequel for the zany Sammy Joyce.

Who are some of the characters who have moved you? I know for me, a general rule of thumb, if I can remember the character’s name and most of the predicaments that made up the story’s plot, it was most likely a story I would love to read a sequel – and a character I would like to emulate in my own work. What tricks, tactics or techniques do you use or write by to flush out your characters? Please share any (and every) thing with me in the comments section related to character mapping, creating or just your love of a certain character!

The Chick Lit Writer Wears Prada: Exploring the Various Subgenres of Chick Lit

When Chick Lit first began, it was a fairly small genre within the realm of Literature & Fiction, some even considering it a subgenre of Romance Fiction. Most authors, publishers and readers will tell you that it all started with a quirky, smart and funny heroine named, Bridget Jones. Readers and writers alike, loved her and couldn't get enough....and as they say, "The rest is history." 

Over time, Chick lit has had many ups and downs. It made huge gains in noterity in the new millenimum with series by authors Sophie Kinsella, Marian Keyes, Emily Giffin, Lauren Weisberger and Candace Bushnell. TV Shows like Sex and The City and movies like Clueless were popular, showcasing shoes, clothes and shopping and the fabuolous lives of a whole new kind of woman, who was capable of doing anything and everything and always looking her best while doing it. From there, more and more publishers caught on to this new brand of women's fiction. Meg Cabot, Sarah Mlynowski, Jane Green, Katie Fforde, Cecelia Ahern, Sheila O'Flanagan, Carole Matthews, Wendy Markham, Emma McLaughlin & Nicola Kraus, Jennifer Weiner, Jennifer Crusie, Jen Lancaster and so many more countless smart, funny, witty and talented female writers came on board. Movies began being made from the popular books of some of my favorite authors, including (but defintely not limited to) Legally Blonde, The Devil Wears Prada, The Nanny Diaries, P.S. I Love You, Confessions of a Shopaholic.

As I write, filming of one of my favorite books of all time, Something Borrowed by Emily Giffin is going on in SOHO, New York City.

The genre had become so big, in fact, that US publishing company and Romance genre giant, Harlequin Publishers created their a subdivison dedicated solely to Chick Lit, called Red Dress Ink. Soon enough, UK's Headline Publishing Group launched a similar publication company called Little Black Dress. Unfortunately, for Chick Lit lovers, like myself, Red Dress Ink called it quits in late 2008 but the genre still lives on! (Just ask Lisa Steinke and Liz Fenton, authors of I'll Have What She's Having, of the aptly titled website www.chicklitisnotdead.com!)

Over the past decade plus Chick Lit has morphed, been revamped and changed right along with the women of the time and it has spawned countless subgenres within the subgenre of Chick Lit itself! We now have:

Mom & Baby Lit

Hollywood & Glamour Lit

Fashionista Lit

Bride/Wedding Lit

Working Girl Lit

Single City Girl Lit

Hen Lit

Sister Lit

Multicultural Lit

Christian/Inspirational Lit
Mystery/Suspense Lit
Paanormal/Fantasy/Magic Lit
Dieting/Big Girl Lit
Recession Lit
and even, Lad Lit!

Check out some of the "Top Tens" of the genres. (Adapted from some of my favorite resources for everything Chick Lit, the Chick Lit Club and Chick Lit Books.)

WEDDING/BRIDE LIT

1. Shopaholic Ties the Knot - Sophie Kinsella

Only Rebecca Bloomwood could find herself organising two weddings on either side of the Atlantic.

2. Diary of a Mad Bride - Laura Wolf

Amy Thomas swore she'd never become an out-of-control bride, driving her nearest and dearest nuts with her demands. So why, now that she's engaged to Stephen and has a huge list of to-dos to get through, are people avoiding her.

3. Whose Wedding is it Anyway? - Melissa Senate

Who would turn down an offer for a $100,000 wedding in exchange for featuring in a bridal magazine? But Eloise Manfred soon discovers there's no such thing as a free wedding.

4. Hitched - Zoe Barnes

Gemma and Rory want a small wedding but when the parents start hijacking the arrangements, the couple decide to work hard to finance it themselves. The only hitch is they work so hard they start drifting apart.

5. Lucy Sullivan is Getting Married - Marian Keyes

The only bride-to-be to make this list without actually knowing who the groom is. But the tarot card reader swears that Lucy is getting married this year.

6. The Best Day of Someone Else's Life - Kerry Reichs
Vi is about to be bridesmaid three times over - and then attend more than a dozen other weddings.
7. Tales From a Hen Weekend - Olivia Ryan

What secret is Katie keeping as she heads off to Dublin for her hen weekend?

8. Amanda's Wedding - Jenny Colgan
A nasty bride who doesn't deserve her Scottish laird. And bridesmaids Mel and Fran are going all out to sabatoge Amanda's wedding.
9. I Do (But I Don't) - Cara Lockwood

The madcap world of weddings from the viewpoint of wedding planner Lauren Crandell.

10. The Bachelorette Party - Karen McCullah Lutz
After Zadie Roberts is left at the altar, she's not that enthusiastic about her best friend Grey marrying her cousin, Helen. But someone's gotta rev up the bachelorette party.

SISTER, SISTER LIT:

1. In Her Shoes - Jennifer Weiner

Sisters Rose and Maggie Feller may think they have nothing in common except their shoe size.

2. Three Wishes - Liane Moriarty
Follow a tumultuous year in the life of the Kettle triplets.

3. Those Faraday Girls - Monica McInerney

Four sisters help their youngest sister bring up her baby - until an incident tears them apart.

4. A Tale of Two Sisters - Anna Maxted

When Lizbet unexpectedly falls pregnant, her sister Cassie, desperate to have her own baby, finds it difficult to deal with the news.

5. The Other Woman's Shoes - Adele Parks

Martha has strived hard to create the perfect home for her husband and kids, while sister Eliza lives a carefree life. What happens when change means they may experience life in the other's shoes?

6. One-Hit Wonder - Lisa Jewell

When former pop singer Bea dies, it's left to her half-sister Ana to collect her belongings and uncover what became of her life.

7. Each Way Bet - Ilsa Evans

The Broadhurst sisters, Jill and Emily, decide to trade places with one another for a day.

8. The Alphabet Sisters - Monica McInerney

Childhood singing stars Anna, Bett and Carrie Quinlan haven't spoken for years. Then their grandmother calls them back together for her 80th birthday.

9. Shopaholic & Sister - Sophie Kinsella

How could Becky's long-lost half-sister Jess hate shopping, shoes and spending?

10. Special Delivery - Zoe Barnes

Ally realises her older sister Miranda's life isn't as perfect as she thought when she asks her to be a surrogate mum.

FASHIONISTA LIT

1. The Devil Wears Prada - Lauren Weisberger

Miranda Priestly is the boss-from-hell at Runway magazine where staff need to fit sample sizes and strut around in killer heels. About $1 million worth of designer clothing, including Prada, was showcased in the movie.

2. Fashionistas - Lynn Messina

A tale of an uprising against an unpopular Fashionista editor and dressing Jesus mannequins in designer frocks.

3. The Fashion Pack - Marion Hume

Life from the front row of the international fashion weeks, as seen by three editors of top fashion magazine Joy.

4. Handbags and Gladrags - Maggie Alderson

A magazine fashion stylist keeps herself sane on the fashion week circuit by embarking on an affair with a catwalk photographer.

5. Some Like it Haute - Julie K.L Dam

A style writer chases a reclusive designer after suffering a humiliating tangle with a model at a Chanel show.

6. Bergdorf Blondes - Plum Sykes

The glam world of Park Avenue princesses whose must-have accessory is a rich fiancé.

7. She's Got Issues - Stephanie Lessing

Gotta love a character who aspires to be shoe editor.

8. Shopaholic series - Sophie Kinsella

From the opening pursuit of a Denny and George scarf to investing her baby's future in Tiffany rings and a handbag website, Rebecca Bloomwood knows there's no fashion gain without financial pain.

9. The Favours and Fortunes of Katie Castle - Rebecca Campbell

Katie ends up in a sweatshop after losing her job with fashion designer Penny Moss. But her eye for design saves the day.

10. Elegance - Kathleen Tessaro

Lovers of vintage clothing will appreciate this character transforming herself with the help of a 1960s style bible.

FANTASY/PARANORMAL/MAGIC LIT

1. Girl’s Guide to Witchcraft – Mindy Klasky

Good-girl Jane Madison, neither has a shot in hell of coming true -- until the day she finds she is capable of magic, has a warder and whole new life.

2. Truly, Madly (Lucy Valentine Series #1) – Heather Webber

Meet Lucy Valentine; sassy, fabulously original…and psychic.

3. Undead and Unwed (Undead Series #1) – Mary Janice Davidson

Meet Elizabeth (Betsy) Taylor who wakes up “undead” – in a coffin. After a few startling discoveries, she realizes that she is not only a vampire, but an extraordinary one with superhuman powers.

4. Enchanted, Inc. – Shanna Swendson

Meet Katie Chandler, a small town girl from Texas who is introduced to a world of magic, spells and creatures.

5. Charmed & Dangerous – Candace Havens

What do you get when you mix a witch, a warlock, a Sheik, a bunch of bad guys, tons of spells, and plenty of laughs?

6. Sex and the Single Ghost – Tawny Taylor

It’s a story about a girl named Claire who has sat in “Purgatory”, which is sort of like a version of the Afterlife, or Heaven.

7. The Diva’s Guide To Selling Your Soul - Kathleen O’Reilly

This novel is about a heroine, once a size 14 with lumpy thighs, a mediocre life and job, and miserable, who sells her soul to the devil in exchange for beauty, powers, wealth and fame.

8. Dating Can Be Deadly – Wendy Roberts

Meet Tabitha blessed (or is it cursed?) with the gift of clairvoyance, who sees visions of horrible things to come.

More Sub Genres…..

Hollywood Lit – Celebrity and glamour lit; LA Candy by Lauren Conrad; The Year of living Famously by Laura Caldwell; Mim Warner’s Lost Her Cool by Lynn Messina; Everyone Worth Knowing by Lauren Weisberger; The Truth About Diamonds by Nicole Richie; Model Incorporated by Carol Alt; Star by Pamela Anderson; Secrets of the Hollywood Girls Club by Maggie Marr

Mom & Baby Lit/Yummy Mummy Lit – Mothers, Pregnancy, Family, Babies; Baby Proof by Emily Giffin; The Yummy Mummy by Polly Williams; Luscious Lemon by Heather Swain; Notes from the Underbelly by Risa Green; Tales from the Crib by Jennifer Coburn; Gucci Gucci Coo by Sue Margolis; Mad Mom To-Be by Laura Wolf; The Thin Pink Line by Lauren Baratz Logsted

Lad Lit – Like its female counterpart, this includes a male heroine and subject matter; About a Boy; High Fidelity; How to be Good; Fever Pitch by Nick Hornby; Anything by Eric Jerome Dickey (Drive Me Crazy; Sister Sister; Naughty or Nice; Mistakes Men Make by Byron Harmon; Mr. Commitment by Mike Gaya

Inspirational/Christian/Church Lit – Incorporates religious beliefs; Christianity, Baptism, Judaism, etc; Dreaming in Black and White by Laura Jensen Walker; What a Girl Wants by Kristin Billerbeck; Emily Ever After by Anne Dayton and Mary Vanderbilt; Anything by Lori Copeland;

Multicultural Lit – Alisa Valdes-Rodrigues is probably the most famous of this ethnic genre and many more to come; Hot Tamara by Mary Castillo; Bollywood Confidential by Sonia Singh; Goddess for Hire by Sonia Singh; Imaginary Men by Anjali Banerjee

Mystery/Suspense Chick Lit – Janet Evanovich’s Stephanie Plum series, Kyra Davis’ Sophie Katz series, Laura Caldwell’s Izzy McNeil series; Bulletproof Mascara by Bethany Maines;

Dieting/Big Girl Lit – With Jennifer Weiner’s Good In Bed came the rise of this now very popular sub-genre; Liza Palmer’s Conversations with the Fat Girl and Jen Lancaster’s Bright Lights, Big Ass and Such a Pretty Fat; The Next Big Thing by Joanna Edwards; Size 14 is Not Fat by Meg Cabot;



Recession Lit – Think Shopaholic Series gone awry, a more realistic and modern look at life as a single woman in our financial times; The Penny Pinchers Club by Sarah Strohmyer; The Hedge Fund Wives by Tatiana Boncampagni; Social Lives by Wendy Walker; The Ex-Mrs. Hedgefund by Jill Kargman; Confessions of a Reluctant Recessionista by Amy Silver; The Sister Diaries by Karen Quinn; Save Karyn: One Shopaholic’s Journey to Debt and Back by Karyn Bosnak


City Girl Lit – Citizen Girl by Emma McLaughlin and Nicola Kraus; Unbecoming Behavior by Stephanie Rowe; The Journal of Mortifying Moments by Robyn Harding; If Andy Warhol Had A Girlfriend by Alison Pace; Bundle of Joy by Ariella Papa; See Jane Date by Melissa Senate; Couch World by Cathy Yardley

Irish Lit – Anything by Marian Keyes; Cecelia Ahern; Cathy Kelly; Sheila O’Flanagan; Kate Thomspon; Patricia Scanlon; Deidre Purcell; Sarah Webb;


And of Course; British Lit - Anything by Sophie Kinsella/Madeleine Wickham; Katie Fforde; Lindsey Kelk (though she is also a big NYC fan); Allison Rushby; Louise Bagshawe; Robyn Sisman; Gemma Townley; Helen Fielding.



What I am intrigued to find out from all the Chick Lit lovers, fans, writers, readers and ladies out there is what Chick Lit Sub Genre is your favorite and why? What Subgenre(s) do you think is/are missing? If you were to write a Chick Lit book, which subgenre would you choose to write it in? Why? Finally if you are a write, how do you choose which subgenre to write in? Or do you just let your story flow and wherever it fits, it fits!?



Please share anything relevant to Chick Lit writing here at Writer Wednesday’s. And if you have a topic that you want to learn about, know more about or contribute to, I want to hear from you.