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Lisa Becker is the author of Click: An Online Love Story.  She dropped by the virtual offices to introduce herself and discuss her book. 

Manga Maniac Cafe] Describe yourself in 140 characters or less.

[Lisa Becker] About me: Mom, wife, writer, college professor, PR professional, Girl Scout troop leader, chauffeur, referee, cook, house cleaner…and exhausted!

[Manga Maniac Cafe] Can you tell us a little about Click?

[Lisa Becker] Click: An Online Love Story follows the dating (mis)adventures of Renee Greene, who is fast approaching her 30th birthday and finding herself not married, not dating, without even a prospect or a house full of cats. She reluctantly joins her best guy pal on a journey to find love online in Los Angeles. The story unfolds through a series of emails between Renee and her best friends (anal retentive Mark, the overly-judgmental Ashley and the overly-sexed Shelley), as well as the gentlemen suitors she meets online. From the guy who starts every story with "My buddies and I were out drinking one night," to the egotistical “B-list” celebrity looking for someone to stroke his ego, Renee endures her share of hilarious and heinous cyber dates. Fraught with BCC’s, FWD’s and inadvertent Reply to All’s, readers will root for Renee to "click" with the right man.

[Manga Maniac Cafe] How did you come up with the concept and the characters for the story?

[Lisa Becker] My husband and I met online on a popular dating website. After we married, I was recalling some of the hilarious experiences that I had with both traditional and online dating.  I decided to capture some of them in writing and from there, a novel emerged.  Click is loosely based on my real-life dating experiences, as well as stories friends have shared with me.  In some cases, things are written as they actually occurred. Other scenarios are exaggerated for entertainment value or comedic affect. And some scenarios are completely fictionalized. I really did go out on a date with someone I met online who started every story (no joke!) with “My buddies and I were out drinking last night.” But, the happy ending is real.  Steve and I have been happily married for nine years and have two amazing daughters.

[Manga Maniac Cafe] What three words best describe Renee?

[Lisa Becker] Romantic, loyal and modest

[Manga Maniac Cafe] If Renee had a theme song, what would it be?

[Lisa Becker] Renee’s theme song would be “Live is All-Around” by Paul Williams. Most people know it as the theme song to the Mary Tyler Moore Show. Renee is a spirited, independent, capable young woman who is “Gonna make it after all” in both her professional and personal life.

[Manga Maniac Cafe] What are your greatest creative influences?

[Lisa Becker] · Ms. Griffith, my high school English teacher, who encouraged me to write and share my work – for better or worse.

· Charles Rosen, one of the producers of the original Beverly Hills 90210 and the subject of an interview I conducted for an alumni magazine article. He gave me some of the BEST advice I’ve ever received: "Don’t fall in love with your words, because somebody above will probably change them."

· Matthew Beaumont, author of e, who inspired me with his narrative style, which I thought would work really well for the story I wanted to tell about the online dating world.

· Herb & Sheila Willet, my amazing parents, who offered endless love and support in all of the choices I’ve made in my life. I only hope I can show my children the same level of respect as they mature and decide their courses in life.

[Manga Maniac Cafe] What three things do you need in order to write?

[Lisa Becker] 1. Chocolate! No joke, I eat chocolate. If I’m stuck on a certain section or not feeling motivated to write, I give myself little chocolate incentives to get past the blockage. Judging by my thighs, I had some serious problems writing this book.

2. The television on in the background. When I first started writing, I was obsessed with Law & Order reruns. Now, I can’t seem to get enough of NCIS. I guess there’s a part of me that likes to see justice served.

3. Inspiration. I need to have a story that I not only want to tell, but feel as though I can tell in a compelling and entertaining way.

[Manga Maniac Cafe] What is the last book that you read that knocked your socks off?

[Lisa Becker] Several months ago, I read Michael Pollan’s nonfiction book, In Defense of Food, which examines the western diet and its effect on our health. His advice is simple: “Eat food. Not too much. Mostly plants.” That, coupled with a viewing of a documentary called Forks Over Knives, which examines how many degenerative diseases can be controlled or reversed with a whole food, plant based diet, changed my life. I’m now six months into being a vegetarian and have never felt better.

[Manga Maniac Cafe] If you had to pick one book that turned you on to reading, which would it be?

[Lisa Becker] I remember always reading and having books around in my house. And, one of my favorite books as a child was Last of the Really Great Whangdoodles by Julie (Andrews) Edwards. I bought a copy several years ago for my nephew and he recently gave it back to me so I could give it to my daughters when they get older. It’s a wonderful, fanciful story and I still smile when I imagine the Whangdoodle who has a daisy on his sweet tooth.

[Manga Maniac Cafe] What do you like to do when you aren’t writing?

[Lisa Becker] When I’m not writing, I enjoy spending time with my family and friends. As mentioned, I’ve recently become a vegetarian, so I’m always on the hunt for new and interesting recipes. And I’ve recently taken up painting. Needless to say, there’s never a dull moment around here.

[Manga Maniac Cafe] How can readers connect with you?

[Lisa Becker] I have a Facebook page here set up for Click: An Online Love Story. And I’ve been asked numerous times when the sequel is coming out. I’m thrilled people are feeling invested in the characters and want to know more. With each positive review and reader comment, I get more and more motivated to continue writing. I’m wrapping up the sequel, Double Click that picks up six months later. I hope people will be excited to see where Renee and her friends are in their lives.

[Manga Maniac Cafe] Thank you!

You can purchase Click from your favorite bookseller or by clicking the widget below.  Available in both print and digital.

Thanks to Sourcebooks, I have a copy of Wendy Holden’s Marrying Up  to give to one lucky reader!  Check out the information below about Marrying Up and fill out the widget  to enter for a chance to win!

Description:

As women around the world watched Will and Kate walk down the aisle, many of them were plotting how they could find their own prince charming.

Razor-sharp in its wit and as fresh as newlywed royals, Marrying Up (ISBN 9781402270673, Sourcebooks Landmark, Fiction, Trade Paperback, $14.99 U.S., Aug 2012) by Wendy Holden reveals how sometimes a rags-to-riches story can rip a girl to shreds—and how sometimes the crown on your head can nearly crush you.

Only a title, a mansion, and a family tiara will do for a scheming social climber like Alexa, and she will go to great lengths to get it.  Starting by befriending clueless aristocrat Florrie, who fills her life with parties, texting, and, above all, champagne, means that the grandest doors swing open and the prince of her dreams is within reach. But has Florrie’s mother, the formidable Lady Annabel, figured out Alexa’s intentions already?

Meanwhile, beautiful but penniless archaeology student Polly has found herself in love after a chance meeting with a dark-eyed stranger named Max. However, Max is hiding a big secret, a secret that could ultimately ruin any chance of him and Polly living happily ever after. 

About the Author

Wendy Holden (UK) was a journalist for the Sunday Times, Tatler, and The Mail on Sunday before becoming a full-time author. She has now published nine novels, all top 10 bestsellers in the UK. Her novels include Beautiful People, Farm Fatale, and Filthy Rich and feature sassy humor with a great cast of characters. For more information, please visit: www.officialwendyholden.com.

Giveaway Time!!

Entering is easy! Just fill out the widget below, and make sure to answer this question: Who is  America’s Royal Couple?  Is it old time favorite Brangelina? Or perhaps the new comers Kim Kardashian & Kanye West, aka Kimye?  Go ahead and chime in with your choice!  US and Canadian shipping addresses only, please.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Robin Gold is the author of Once Upon A List, her latest release from Avon Impulse.  Robin dropped by the virtual offices recently to chat about her book.

[Manga Maniac Cafe] Describe yourself in 140 characters or less.

[Robin Gold] I’m an author, theatre geek, bicycle fanatic, funny girl, family girl, drama queen, cheeseburger lover, neat freak, hopeless romantic, former New Yorker, who still believes in “happily ever after” and doesn’t know what the heck 140 characters looks like.

[Manga Maniac Cafe] Can you tell us a little about Once Upon A List?

[Robin Gold] Never in her wildest dreams did Clara Black imagine she’d fly to Vegas just to eat at America’s biggest buffet, or that she’d be digging holes in her mother’s backyard to unearth her brother’s screechy plastic recorder. But if that’s what it takes to get past the car accident that changed her life . . . she’ll do what she must.

Eight months after losing her fiancé just before their wedding, Clara still can’t seem to escape her fog of sorrow. On a visit to her childhood home, she encounters her fifth-grade time capsule and a very special bucket list written by her ten-year-old self. When she impulsively fulfills one item, Clara finds that revisiting the woman she thought she’d become may just be her way out of grief and back to life. With Milk Dud the one-eared wonder dog, her zany but loving family, and an unexpected someone from her past by her side, Clara discovers that sometimes life’s unplanned moments are the sweetest, and sometimes the only bridge to your future is your past.

[Manga Maniac Cafe] How did you come up with the concept and the characters for the story?

[Robin Gold] I’ve always been fascinated by time capsules. Every time I hear about one, my mind inevitably wanders to how cool it would be to uncover a time capsule of my own. I kept having this recurring idea of what would happen if this relic from the past could somehow completely alter the future? From there, my mind just went to town and voila! A book concept was born! I wanted the main characters to be part of a very close, tight-knit family. And I knew from the beginning that I wanted to see my heroine, Clara, start at a low point and rise to a thrilling high point as a direct result of the capsule.

[Manga Maniac Cafe] What was the most challenging aspect of writing the book?

[Robin Gold] Dealing with a tough subject such as death in a manner that is more lighthearted while still conveying a sincere depth of loss and emotion was a huge challenge. I learned that “heavy yet humorous” is not always a simple combo platter to cook up.

[Manga Maniac Cafe] What three words best describe Clara?

[Robin Gold] She’s a fighter.

[Manga Maniac Cafe] What are three things Milk Dud would never ever eat?

[Robin Gold] Considering he eagerly licks vomit off a boot, I think it’s safe to say that Milk Dud will eat anything (and everything!).

[Manga Maniac Cafe] What is Clara’s single most prized possession?

[Robin Gold] A framed photograph of her and her dad resting in a hammock that was taken when she was just a tiny baby.

[Manga Maniac Cafe] I really love dogs, so I have to ask – what is Milk Dud’s single most prized possession?

[Robin Gold] Milk Dud had a rough life before he was adopted by Clara. He doesn’t really care about possessions. But he loves Clara more than anything in this world!

[Manga Maniac Cafe] What are your greatest creative influences?

[Robin Gold] I tend to draw upon experiences that I have in real life – the people I enco

May Contain Spoilers

From Amazon:

Review:

When I was given the opportunity to review Busted in Bollywood, I jumped at the chance.  First, I am interested in Entangled Publishing, and I wasn’t very familiar with their titles, so I thought this would be a good way to see what they have to offer (I’ve read several of their titles now, and overall, I have enjoyed all of them).  Second, I love Indian food and Bollywood videos, so when I learned that the heroine goes to Mumbai, I was eager to dive into the story.  It was an additional bonus when I also discovered that I have snapped up several of Nicola Marsh’s Harlequin titles at the Borders close-out sale, so I was interested to start reading her books.  I am glad that I don’t have to backtrack too far now, because I was able to add much of her backlist to my TBR already!

Shari has allowed herself to be talked into a hare-brained scheme to help her BFF Rita get out of the marriage her traditional Indian parents have arranged for her.  Being a traditional Indian when it comes to her parents’ demands, Rita doesn’t want to shame them by breaking off the engagement herself.  Instead, she sweet-talks Shari into going to India in her place, meeting her undoubtedly boring intended, and painlessly turning him down.  Since Shari’s life is on the skids and she is wandering aimlessly from day to day after the breakup with her boyfriend, a change of scenery sounds wonderfully adventurous to her.   After some initial reservations, she allows herself to be packed up and put on an airplane without much resistance.

When we are first introduced to Shari, her life really is a mess.  She is homeless and jobless, thanks to her lying snake of a boss, and she’s having a hard time getting over him.  Even though he was cheating on his wife and their relationship was pretty much at his convenience.  Shari was so sure he was going to leave his wife, so it came as a blow to her to learn that the wife was pregnant.  So much for the promised divorce so that they could stop sneaking around behind everyone’s back. To learn that he was just playing her all along is a bitter pill for Shari.  Losing the apartment he owned and her job at his law firm were just the icing on the cake.  In the blink of an eye, her entire world came tumbling down around her.

While I didn’t feel a whole lot of sympa

Author: Sarah Bird
Publisher: Pocket
Genre: Chick Lit
ISBN: 978-1-4391-2308-9
Pages: 336
Price: $15.00

Author’s website
Buy it at Amazon

Blythe Young is recently divorced, broke, and running from the IRS. When she finds herself at Seneca House, the tenement house she lived in while at college, she turns to the only friend she knows she still has left. But although Millie Ott is still the sweet woman Blythe remembers, Blythe has changed, and Millie isn’t quite as trusting of Blythe’s conniving ways as she used to be.

Blythe has come a long way since her trailer park upbringing, and she’s determined to stay in the Austin society she married into, even though she no longer bears the right last name. If that means lying, cheating, and playing one socialite against the other, she’s willing to do it. But her game comes to a halt at Seneca House.

Suddenly, Blythe finds herself making visits to homeless men in the park and street teens who are desperate for direction. And in the process of helping these people, she finds herself, albeit reluctantly. Although she never quite reforms, Blythe learns to use her scheming ways to everyone’s best advantage.

In How Perfect Is That, Sarah Bird shows us the other side of high society. Blythe is a difficult woman to relate to, if you’ve always lived on the right side of the law, yet she’s endearing in her own way. While we may not relate to her struggles to fit into the right circles, most women experience desperation at some point in their lives, and we never know what sacrifices we’d be willing to make to survive. Ultimately, Blythe faces her debt to society and attempts to repay it with some good. Now, how perfect is that?

Reviewer: Alice Berger

Summertime has translated into more reading than writing for this blogger. A few posts ago the topic was high-concept YA novels, and this will be a brief discussion on one of them. "I'd tell you I loved you, but then I'd have to kill you," by Ally Carter, has an intriguing concept—the students at the 'Gallagher Academy for exceptional young women' are actually pursuing rigorous academic and field training to become spies. The secretive academy is off-limits to outsiders, and even the town in which it is situated has no idea of its nature. In addition to normal studies, the high school level girls learn to be fluent in up to fourteen languages, and are trained in covert operations, including the use of lethal force on adversaries. This would be an ambitious set of plot elements for any writer to keep in play while selecting and pursuing a story conflict and resolution. It could be addressed seriously, or perhaps as a spoof. Carter seems to have alighted somewhere in between. The story is nicely written, often humorous (Gallagher graduates were responsible for inventing such useful spy materials as 'Velcro' and duck-tape, and some national heroes—e.g. Amelia Earhart—are revealed as graduates). But the basic storyline is about Cammie, the girl protagonist, falling in love with a lower middle class boy from the nearby town. Now, all the esoteric spy elements can be dealt with as points of intrigue, and not treated too strenuously, while a straightforward, universal appeal, romance story is told. A fun, chick-lit story.