Tag: Chick lit

Torn Together

Emlyn Chand - Author PhotoAs writers, we sometimes focus on our own craft to the point of ignoring everyone else. This January I’ve felt the burnout from that singularity of purpose and offset the workaholic effects by reading as much as I can. When you’ve been away from the pleasure of reading someone else’s polished prose, the pages of a book can be a relief (especially after the pains of grading undergraduate grammar!).

I’m reviewing Emlyn Chand‘s latest novel, Torn Together this week as part of a blog tour. You may have seen her Inside the Writer’s Studio interview with me a while back. Em is a force of nature both as a writer and entrepreneurial power house as the head of the indie promoter, Novel Publicity. She’s had so much success in marketing authors, commercial publishers using her services as well. Yet, she still finds time to write. This novel is a departure from her children’s and Young Adult novels yet no less passionate or painstaking.

I loved the voice of the heroine, Daly, who is in the thick of the modern woman’s struggle to find her purpose in life and of course, love. Daly’s love interest comes in an unexpected package and her trip to India is at the heart of the story. The dialogue is witty and the banter between the characters believable.I had more than one laugh at the antics of Kashi’s Indian sisters shopping with our heroine. The unexpected ending, however, reminds us that while the search for love is important, the story doesn’t always have a Hollywood finish. That’s all I’ll say without using a spoiler alert.

In honor of the multicultural romance and in case the references to India make you hungry (as they did me) here’s an easy recipe for you to try. Tamarind Fish Curry. I bet Daly and Kashi had many spicy meals like this as their romance heated up!

I loved the dedication at the beginning of the book: “To Hitesh, even though “happily ever after” was never ours to have.” The melancholy tone reminds me of paths from the past that were once so important to me and have seen faded into the mist.

If you like your heroine with heart and your stories mixed with culture and adventure, grab a copy while it’s still at the 99 cent bargain price!Torn Together Cover

 

About the Book – About the Author – Prizes!!!

About the book: Life, love, and an unforgettable trip to India–readers call “Torn Together” an emotional roller coaster ride. What’s all the fuss about? Grab your mother, daughter, sister, or closest friend, and get reading. Make sure to keep a box of Kleenex handy! Get Torn Together through Amazon, Barnes & Noble, or Kobo Books.

About the author: Emlyn Chand emerged from the womb with a fountain pen clutched in her left hand (true story). When she’s not writing, she runs a large book club in Ann Arbor and is the president of author PR firm Novel Publicity. Best known for her Young Adult novels, she is also developing a small, but devoted, following to her children’s book series and is beginning to dabble in other genres as well. Emlyn enjoys connecting with readers and is available via almost every social media site in existence. Visit EmlynChand.com for more info. Don’t forget to say “hi” to her sun conure Ducky! Connect with Emlyn on her website, Facebook, GoodReads, or Twitter.

About the prizes: Who doesn’t love prizes? You could win one of two $50 Amazon gift cards or an autographed copy of Torn Together! Here’s what you need to do…

  1. Enter the Rafflecopter contest
  2. Leave a comment on my blog.

That’s it! One random commenter during this tour will win the first gift card. Visit more blogs for more chances to win–the full list of participating bloggers can be found here. The other two prizes will be given out via Rafflecopter. You can find the contest entry form linked below or on the official Torn Together tour page via Novel Publicity. Good luck!
a Rafflecopter giveaway


Enhanced by Zemanta

Inside the Writer's Studio with Susan Buchanan

Author Susan Buchanan

We’re back in the studio today with writer Susan Buchanan to get the scoop on her latest release.

The Dating Game is her second novel, and published on 2nd Nov 2012. Sign of the Times, her first novel, was published in March 2012. She will shortly start work on her third novel, due for release Spring 2013. She’s a busy woman and clearly someone to tell us more about the business of writing!

 Is there a message in your novel that you want readers to grasp?

Life isn’t always easy. Juggling work, friendships and a social life can be hard. Finding the right person can be difficult. There’s no one right way of doing so. Sometimes even with the best engineered plans, Life has something else in store for you.

 How much of the book is realistic?

All of the book is realistic, although only a few anecdotes are actually taken from any event I have experienced or any trait of anyone I know personally. There are no characters based on people I know. That said, one of the most cringeworthy events in the book actually happened. I wanted to write chick lit without the fluff, so contemporary fiction which reflected people’s everyday lives and the trials and tribulations that befall them, as well as the happy occasions. I like to think of it as chick lit with extra realism.

What was the hardest part of writing your book?

Editing it. I thought it would be easier than last time, as last time Sign of the Times started out at 300K words and was reduced after ten revisions to 120K. Don’t ask!

Anyway, The Dating Game started as 115K and is now around 110K. I learned a lot from last time. But I also learned a lot about proofing and editing my own work before it went out to the professionals, so that required a lot more revisions. As a writer, you constantly notice parts you would like to change, tiny proofing mistakes etc. It is neverending, but one day you have to decide ‘That’s me done with that,’ and move on. Otherwise you would go mad!

 Tell us your latest news.

The Dating Game launched on 2nd November and I will take a few weeks simply marketing it. The launch lasts a week from 2nd-9th Nov.  There is a whole series of events, raffles and competitons. You can win a copy of 1 of 55 ebooks and Amazon vouchers. It’s a huge event and took a lot of co-ordinating. Once the dust settles mid-November, I am going to start planning my third novel. All I can tell you about that at the moment is that it features a male protagonist, a few love interests along the way, several life lessons, plus several key decisions for my main character to make which will seriously impact on his life.

For more on this, best to follow the blog, as I willl post regular updates

www.susancbuchanan.blogspot.co.uk

 Do you have anything specific that you want to say to your readers?

First of all, thanks to those who have read Sign of the Times and shown an interest in my writing. I chose rather a bumper task for my first novel, in integrating the lives of 12 main characters, plus their entourages. The feedback I  have had from readers boosted me to dust off the three chapters I had written of The Dating Game three years ago. I then wrote the rest, buoyed by my readers’ enthusiasm and their wonderful (and sometimes not so wonderful!) reviews.

I also took on board that they loved certain aspects of my writing and I incorporate that into The Dating Game, specifically the section in Barcelona. My third novel will also feature a foreign country, again, because readers told me they particularly enjoyed reading the Italian section of Sign of the Times. They could almost taste the food, see the splendid scenery and ogle the gorgeous men!  I love travelling and have been to many countries. My only difficulty was deciding which one to choose.

I have also enjoyed chatting with readers on Twitter and FB and many now leave me comments on my blog, too, which I love. I hope you enjoy The Dating Game and, all going well, I hope to have a third novel to share with you in the Spring.

Keep with all of Susan’s latest on Twitter or Facebook:
Twitter – @susan_buchanan

 

 

 

Related articles
Enhanced by Zemanta