Special Author Interview & Contest - Lisa Becker, Author of Click: An Online Love Story

I am so excited to have Lisa Becker, author of Click: An Online Love Story on my blog today. I hope you enjoy getting to know a little more about her and her new novel in the interview I got to do with her. Enjoy and check out a giveaway opportunity at the end of the interview for your very own e-copy of Click!

Q: I read that Click is loosely based on your actual adventures in online dating (of course exaggerated for entertainment purposes). How did you decide what and how much to fictionalize? Was it difficult to maintain the anonymity of your experiences or did you feel open to writing anything and everything?

LB: Well, a true lady never kisses and tells.  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, as you say, for entertainment value or comedic affect.  And some scenarios are completely fictionalized.  The ultimate goal was to create a fun read for anyone who has ever had a bad date, been in love, been dumped, or is searching for "the one."  But, the happy ending is real.  I met my husband online.  We've been happily married for about eight years and have two amazing daughters - ages 6 and 4. 

Q. Since being on the online dating scene at one point yourself, do you have any advice for those who have yet to try it? Would you recommend it to others?

LB: I’ve said many times before, if it happened for me, there’s hope for you.  I’m a big fan of online dating and find it to be a useful tool for young professionals who are busy working and finding it difficult to make the right connection at the gym, bar, coffee shop, or grocery aisle.  People today are “married” to their cell phones and laptops, so I say why not use that technology to really get married, right?

Q.  Can you share a bit of your own “online love story” about how you met your husband?

LB: After a week of emails, followed by a week of phone calls, my now-husband and I met for our first date - a traditional dinner and movie outing.  Even before I opened the door to greet him, I knew he was "the one."  Considering he lived 30 miles away, I'm not certain our paths would have typically crossed.  But after 11 years together - including eight years of marriage (which in Los Angeles is apparently no small feat!) and two beautiful daughters, I have no doubt he is my soul mate. 

Q. I feel like more and more authors are expanding on the creativity of the writing process and combining it with the wave of technology to create stories in alternative formats. What made you decide to write a novel entirely in email format?

LB: Many years ago, I read a book called e by Matthew Beaumont which tells the story of a fictitious ad agency vying for a big account, with the story all told in emails.  I thought that narrative style would work really well for the story I wanted to tell about the online dating world.  It was a modern way of storytelling that fit the topic and the times. 

Q. Do you have a certain routine to your writing? A daily schedule? A favorite room, place, writing tool or anything else?

LB: I started writing the book after my husband and I married but before we had kids.  Then I had to take a break from writing due to the rigors of motherhood.  But I had always told myself – even as a little girl – that I would write a book one day.  So, I made the commitment to finish the book.  I wrote in the mornings while the girls were at school or at night after they went to sleep.  I made it a goal to write – even if only for a half hour – every day. 

Q. Do you have any advice for wannabe writers out there?

LB: Much like the other author advice that I’ve read before, I would say to: (1) write what you know; and (2) make a commitment to write every day.  

Q. What do you do when you’re not writing?

LB: In addition to writing Click, I wear many different hats.  I’m a full time mom and wife to the best family ever; part time public relations professional for an international PR firm; part time professor of public relations courses at a state university in California; and I’m bringing to market a children’s education product that I’ve invented.  Needless to say, there’s never a dull moment around here. 

Q. What do you love most about being a novelist? Least?

LB: The best part of this process has been the enthusiastic response from readers and reviewers who are enjoying this light, fun story.  I would say the most challenging part has been finding the time to support the book in the way I would like to spread the word about it.  So, I’m really appreciative of opportunities like this one.  Thank you.

Q. I absolutely love the design of your cover with the entangled computer mice shaped like hearts! More and more authors are choosing to go the self-publishing route in the age of e-books and the vast array of self-publishing services available online.  What advice do you have for others who might be considering the self-publishing route?

LB: Thank you!  I think the designer really captured the essence of the book.  I explored the traditional publishing route and got feedback from multiple literary agents. One in particular explained the current economic state of the publishing industry to me. Due to the large investment to edit, produce, distribute and market a work by an unknown author, many large publishers won’t take the risk. Self-publishing is a way to get your work out there.

I'm also reminded of some advice I was once given. I had interviewed Charles Rosen, one of the producers of the original Beverly Hills 90210, for an alumni magazine article while I was in graduate school. And I'll never forget what he told me, "Don't fall in love with your words, because somebody above will probably change them." One of the great benefits of self-publishing is that you can really take control of the process.

Q. What is something that most people wouldn't necessarily know about you (that you would be willing to share here, of course!)?

LB: Here are five random facts about me:

1. I've never had a cup of coffee in my life...ever!
2. I make the most amazing jalapeno artichoke dip, but won't share the recipe with anyone; it's my secret.
3. I went on a 10-course zip line in Costa Rica (and screamed the entire time!)
4. I've always wanted to learn to professionally decorate cakes.
5. To Kill a Mockingbird is both my favorite book and movie.

 Want a sneak peek at the first 20 pages of Click? Check it out HERE! Click will be going on tour from July 4th through July 17th on Chick Lit Plus blog tours. "Click" here for specific blogs and dates. Also, please check back at Lip Gloss and Literature in July for my own review of Click: An Online Love Story. A Big thank yo8u to Lisa Becker for stopping by my blog, participating in an interview and offering readers a chance to win their own copy of Click. TO WIN YOUR VERY OWN E-BOOK COPY OF CLICK: AN ONLINE LOVE STORY, SIMPLY COMMENT ON THIS POST BY SUNDAY, JUNE 12th, 2011 AND A WINNER WILL BE CHOSEN VIA RANDOM.ORG AND ANNOUNCED THE FOLLOWING DAY. GOOD LUCK!!

Putting On My Lip Gloss: Can A Book Blogger Be a Reviewer and An Author??

      I love Emily’s Reading Room. It is one of my favorite resources for blogger tips, tools, book reviews and various giveaways and promotions. I came across her blog one day searching for a way to create a progress bar to provide a visual for my status in various reading challenges I participate in through the year. Emily’s Reading Room provided the “how-to” in a simplified, orderly fashion that helped me succeed in creating what I wanted on my own blog. I have followed her posts ever since, finding more and more helpful hints on how to improve my blog in addition to the numerous, applicable and creative posts.  

Thus, when I opened my daily email from Emily’s Reading Room, I found it as no surprise then to find a post so in tune with what I am doing and so moving that it begged for a special response. 

I never even thought to ask myself this question from the vantage point posed by Emily’s Reading Room. Honestly, the only thing I ever thought about the two roles crossing over was a matter of time – as in how can I properly budget my time to write a book if I’m spending all my free time writing for my blog? Emily’s Reading Room wanted to investigate what readers thought about bloggers who review books and also aspire to write their own book should they pen a negative review? Would this negatively affect other authors opinions of them or their future in publishing?

From Blogger Confidential: Bloggers As Aspiring Authors

from Emily’s Reading Room, posted on March 8, 2011

Some of the more memorable quotes (in my opinion!)

“I think if I was an aspiring author, I would never write a negative review again…”~ Andye from http://www.readingteen.net/

“…honesty should be appreciated….” ~ Adele from http://www.persnicketysnark.com/

“…I don’t think anyone should stay away from writing or blogging because they’re afraid…” ~ Angie from http://angieville.blogspot.com/

…”If you write reviews that attack the author or publisher, you might have a problem.” ~ Sara from http://thehidingspot.blogspot.com/

“…the book industry, while being a small pond, is a big enough pond that this probably isn’t an issue.” ~ Trish from http://www.heylady.net/

For the full article and all the comments and replies, go to:

http://emilysreadingroom.blogspot.com/2011/03/blogger-confidential-bloggers-as.html

            As an aspiring author and book blogger, myself, you might imagine which stance I took towards this topic. I absolutely, 100%, think it is possible to do both book reviewing and writing. However, I am not closed-minded to those who feel strongly that there is no room or too much controversy surrounding the enmeshment of the two roles.

Like I said previously, my main thoughts on the whole subject involve the issue of time and how it might affect the quality of one’s work, both as a reviewer and as an author. First off, I think it takes a certain amount of responsibility to even begin to manage one’s time to make room for the two activities, and an even greater sense of obligation to one’s craft to make sure the time budgeted adheres to the quality and at times, quantity of output. When I first started blogging, I really felt like I had to make a choice between one or the other; either I was going to spend my extra hours and minutes writing posts, articles and book reviews or I would spend every 15-minute interval of time I could steal away working towards a first draft of my novel. I worked like this for a long time either blogging everyday or writing for my novel. In less than a year, I realized that this manner of thinking was not conducive to either my success as a blogger or an aspiring author. For all the time I spent blogging, I was losing time working on my novel and vice versa. As more and more time passed, it got to be past the point of no return as far as continuing to write my novel’s first draft, but I was having so much fun posting book reviews, meeting new people, finding ways to improve my blog and gain more traffic and hey, reading, after all is research for writing, is it not? When November 2010 came around it had been a long time since I’d worked on my story so I vowed to use NaNoWriMo, a month long effort to produce 50,000 words or 175-pages of a first draft, as my motivation to get back into writing; but just as my novel writing fell by the wayside when I was blogging, so too did my blogging fall short (read: became nonexistent) when I was focused on NaNoWriMo.

Since then, I have adopted a less black and white view of my role as both book blogger and aspiring author and I even started to think that my writing in both areas might actually go hand in hand more than I once realized.

Why shouldn’t I host a book blog while simultaneously writing a novel? For one, as a book reviewer, I feel like I am constantly evaluating books based on their plot, theme, characters, fluidity, etc. whether because someone asked me to, I wanted to or the book simply motivated me to. Through reading and reviewing I am constantly learning more about the types of books I like, what draws me to them, how I want to write my own and more. I am able to pick up on grammatical and stylistic choices. I can see where my writing falls short compared to that of published authors, where i need to improve on my limitations and hone the skills I do have as a writer. Overall, I get a firsthand glance at “how the pros do it”. From a business perspective, book blogging has been a fantastic tool in networking for me. Not only have I been exposed to more and more books and authors for the sake of reading the latest releases (and some oldies but goodies) but I have also had the great pleasure of meeting authors who I probably never would have known had I not created my own book blog and these authors have become the best resources as I go through my own experiences and journey towards becoming a writer.     

So now that my eyes have been opened a little wider to the various perspectives on book blogging and becoming a writer, what do you think about it? Are you a book blogger and aspiring author like myself? Do you think there is room for the two simultaneously in a person’s life or do you think it’s too controversial to take on both roles? What else do you think about the subject?

Thanks to Emily’s Reading Room for broaching this subject. You’re great post really got me thinking today and it’s one I’ll be looking back on frequently.

To visit Emily’s Reading Room for her post on Bloggers As Aspiring Authors visit:

http://emilysreadingroom.blogspot.com/2011/03/blogger-confidential-bloggers-as.html

Or visit her homepage for the latest posts on her blog:

http://emilysreadingroom.blogspot.com/

Putting on My Lip Gloss is a series of blog posts that represent my personal thoughts, ideas and general ramblings related to chick lit reading and writing. Every day is an inspiration – I never know where my next post is going to come from, but when it does, I always feel like putting on my lip gloss! Thanks for reading.

Once Upon a Drama: Writing an Unforgettable Chick Lit Novel

     I realize (and profusely apologize) that I have not written a Writer’s Wednesday post in some time. Not to make excuses, but I just wrapped up school for the summer, it’s been Annual Budget and Start of Repair time at work and finally, my fiancé and I just adopted a baby, feral kitten (who, every time I open my laptop, feels the need to walk all over the keyboard, either changing the current webpage I’m on or writing all kinds of gobbledy-gook on the page). But anyways, I missed my blog. I missed writing, reviewing and especially, reading the feedback from loyal readers like you.

     I just finished an excellent novel (and my first) by author Jane Fallon called Getting Rid of Matthew. Although it was about the darker side of marriage, elaborating on the topic of affairs, lovers, wives and best friends who may not always be who they seem, it was a thoroughly enjoyable, exciting and entertaining story. The dramatic flair with which this story was written and narrated in made for a highly enjoyable and memorable read. (And the older I get, the less room there seems to be in my brain for things like books and movies so if I can remember mundane details weeks or months later, then I figure it must have been authored more than proficiently.)

     Anyways, it got me to thinking about my own writing process and writing in general and how authors must have to use certain techniques and tactics to truly engage their readers in the dialogue, plot and tone of their stories. Wouldn’t it be wonderful if there were a few choice or exact ingredients that someone could tell you to use to create a Bestselling Chick Lit Novel that went all the way to #1 on the New York Times Book Charts and then Sony came along to request the rights to make a movie out of it starring Brad Pitt or Angelina Jolie? Unfortunately and luckily all at once, there is no set recipe for success in writing or producing a book. I say unfortunately, because if there were such a recipe, anyone and everyone who wanted to write a book could do so with great ease. From a similar vantage point, I say luckily, because without such a recipe to write a bestselling book, the whole process and creation of your novel becomes such a wondrous accomplishment that no one can take away from you, being unique to you and you, alone.

     For example, Jane Fallon took a risk with Getting Rid of Matthew by depicting the classic dilemma of an illicit love triangle from the perspective of a mistress who doesn’t want her lover once he leaves his wife (for her, no less!). Not only does this unique plot twist engage the reader a thousand times more so than the usual drama of the married man who won’t ever leave his wife for his lover, but this is only the beginning of the risky plot layers that unfold. First, married and successful business man, Matthew shows up on the doorstep of his mistress, Helen. Despite the fact that she’d been begging him for four years prior to leave his wife for her, she had finally reached a place in her life where she was “all set” with him and so when he shows up with all his belongings in tow, Helen is speechless, to say the least. The guilt at being the reason for his pending divorce is enough to drive Helen mad and at least to keep her from denying Matthew a place to stay. The story continues as Helen develops elaborate scheme after elaborate scheme in her attempt to be rid of Matthew once and for all. In the midst of her zany efforts, she loses her job (as well as the respect of her coworkers), befriends Matthew’s wife and falls in love with his son. While trying to juggle all the (secret) parts of her life and be rid of Matthew in the least hurtful way possible, Helen somehow manages to find herself in the midst of this wondrous little mess she’s made for herself. All in all, Jane Fallon took an expected premise to a chick lit novel and turned it upside down and inside out, making for an unpredictable, roller coaster ride of emotions, friendship, love, marriage, affairs and of course, ensuing hilarity. I was utterly fulfilled by the story’s end and sadly disappointed to say goodbye to the trio that brought life to this chick lit novel.

     What kinds of elements do you hope for or look for in a chick lit novel (or any novel for that matter) that give it that extra edge of mystery, drama, seduction, excitement or something else that makes a novel outstanding? Is it something about the climax or the climactic build up? Is it some sense of dramatic flair? What makes one plot or one character stand above the rest? Share with me and everyone else here!