Lit IT Girl: Debut Author Aidan Donnelley Rowley

Okay, so this is Lisa talking. I have a MAJOR girl crush/writer crush/mom-to-be crush on Aidan Donnelley Rowley. It was when I discovered her website and started reading her intelligent, humorous and very candid blogs, that the girl crush began. Then her debut novel,  Life After Yes was published. And that was it. There was no turning back. I was head over heels. (Aidan, I promise you that I am in no way a stalker type-I blame my pregnancy!) And then she started sharing stories on her blog of being pregnant with her third baby. And being the total first time prego sap that I am, have loved following along with her journey. Hence the the mom-to-be crush. Not surprisingly, when I shared Life After Yes with Liz, she also felt mad love for this incredibly talented author. And we knew we had to ask her to be our guest here at Chick Lit Is Not Dead. And she said yes.  She's here today telling us everything from how she got her first agent to her GNO drink of choice...

But first, Life After Yes begins: "I'm choking. I can't breath. The air's as thick as cream and smells like peanut oil. Everything is White. I begin to see shapes: the smooth surface under my elbows, the big box in front of me with the soft blog, my own trembling hands. I'm in my office but there are no windows or doors. Just walls." (Talk about a first page that draws you in!) Life After Yes is the story of Quinn O'Malley, a  young attorney, who, after losing her father, finds herself at a crossroads in her life. Her boyfriend wants to get married and whisks her off to Paris to propose. But Quinn's not so sure. It's a fabulous story of life and love in chaos. 

And five of you will get the chance to win a copy! Just leave a comment and we'll randomly select the winners on Thursday.

CHICK LIT IS NOT DEAD PRESENTS: LIT IT GIRL AIDAN DONNELLEY ROWLEY:

1. How many agents did you query before you found "the one"? I queried fifteen (maybe twenty?) agents before securing representation for Life After Yes. After weathering several rejections, I was preparing to send out a second wave of letters when I received a request for a partial submission. Soon after, I submitted the entirety of the manuscript. And then, shortly after, an offer! Just recently, after much thought and soul-searching, I signed with a wonderful new agent, Brettne Bloom of Kneerim & Williams. I am thrilled to be working with her now on my second novel.

2. What was your rock bottom moment during the process? Just a few months after polishing Life After Yes and sending out my first slew of queries, my father died of cancer. This also happened to be a time when I was receiving several rejections from agents I’d approached. Needless to say, it was a rotten period of my life. I decided to put my writing dreams on hold to take time to grieve and to take care of myself (I was five months pregnant with my second daughter). Two weeks after I lost Dad, I got an offer for representation for Life After Yes.

3. How long did it take to write your book? I wrote my book on and off for more than three years. There were large chunks of time in which I did no writing at all (my first pregnancy is a prime example; I think I spent twenty hours per day sleeping and/or ordering obscure and ultimately useless baby items online!), but I always came back to my pages, often with a fresh eye and focus.

4. What did you do to celebrate your book deal? This might sound odd, but I don’t remember many details! It was right before Christmas and I had a newborn at home and I think I was still struggling from sleeplessness and postnatal mental mush. I am sure I had a few celebratory cocktails that evening!

5. Knowing what you know now about publishing your first novel, what would you have done differently? I would have stressed a bit less and enjoyed a bit more. I look back at certain stages – the title search, the cover search, the quest for blurbs – and I can literally taste the anxiety I felt then. I realize now that so much of the publishing process is out of the author’s control and we should surrender a bit to its ebbs and flows. Publishing a book is in its own right an immense and incomparable privilege; I wish I had been able to keep this critical bit of perspective throughout.

6. Who is your writer crush? This is a tricky one because there are so many fabulous writers out there these days. Among many others though, I love Claire Messud, Elizabeth Strout, and Jhumpa Lahiri. I adore reading and swooning over the words and worlds of fellow authors.

7. What's your biggest distraction or vice while writing? My two little girls are by far by biggest (and best) distraction. I feel so lucky to have the flexibility to write when I want, but the problem is that it is very hard for me to not spend time with my girls given the choice. I do not stick to a fixed writing schedule, and I’m trying to be better about self-discipline, but it’s tough. Now that I am pregnant with number three (another girl!), I fear that my ambitions for increased productivity are a bit laughable.

8. GNO drink of choice? Easy! Pinot Grigio. This was one purely autobiographical element of Life After Yes. Quinn, my protagonist, loves her Pinot Grigio. I like to think I have my consumption habits better under control than my fictional friend, but I do like to indulge. I have not had a sip of Pinot in twenty-two weeks and I miss it. Just a little.

9. Favorite trashy TV show? Recently, I have been craving trashy television and watching it every single night before bed. My poor husband is not thrilled with this. I blame my current viewing habits on the pregnancy and tell myself that there must be something redeeming about these programs (some kind of existential protein or iron?) that I am missing in my life. Lately, I have been quite loyal to the Kardashians and our nation’s sundry Real Housewives. I do worry that I am exposing my unborn child to a symphony of utter junk, but I try to make up for it by blasting classical music while writing.

10. What celeb would you love to have a Twitter war with? Perhaps inconsistent with my above answer, but I do not even know what celebs are on Twitter! I have no problem savoring the celebrity weeklies (religiously) and checking various gossip blogs, but I have not (yet) explored the celebrity angles and avenues on Twitter. I am not even sure what a “Twitter war” is, but it sounds intriguing!

Thanks, Aidan! xoxo, L&L

For more information about the lovely and talented Aidan Donnelley Rowley, check out her website, find her on Facebook and follow her on Twitter.

Lit IT Girl: Debut Author Eve Marie Mont

We've been loving all the fantastic books about dogs lately.  From Stay by Allie Larkin to You Had Me At Woof by Julie Klam we've been in doggy heaven.  And this week is no exception!  Today, the fabulous Eve Marie Mont, debut author of Free to a Good Home, is hanging out with us here at  CLIND. And let's just say, she's definitely Lit IT Girl material! In Free to a Good Home, Noelle Ryan works as a veterinary technician at a New England animal shelter, helping pets find the perfect homes. If only it were as easy to find the same thing for herself. After discovering that she can’t have children—and watching her marriage fall apart after a shocking revelation by her husband—Noelle feels as forlorn and abandoned as the strays she rescues.

We enjoyed Free to a Good Home and think you will too.  It's funny and touching at the same time-no doubt the reason we finished it in record time!

And now you have a chance to win this fabulous book. Just leave a comment and you'll be entered to win one of FIVE copies.  So. Freakin'. Easy!

SO... read on to discover more about the fantastic Eve-we think you'll enjoy her answers as much as we do! (Anyone who makes a Dawson's Creek reference is a friend of ours for life!)

CHICK LIT IS NOT DEAD PRESENTS:  LIT IT GIRL, EVE MARIE MONT!

1. How many agents did you query before you found "the one"? I wrote a novel before Free to a Good Home that never got published, and I probably queried over 50 agents for that one. My search for representation for this book was a little more focused, hovering around the 30 mark. After six months of nibbles and rejections, I followed up with a handful of agents who hadn’t responded yet, and one of them said my manuscript must have gotten lost in their vetting system. So I sent it to her again, she read it, loved it, helped me revise, then signed me on at Kimberly Cameron & Associates. Her name is April Eberhardt, and she’s a pro!

2. What was your rock bottom moment during the process? My earlier novel was ultimately rejected by every agent I sent it to. One small publisher requested the full manuscript, and I spent two months with my fingers crossed, hope and anxiety coursing through my veins. Finally, the editor wrote me a letter saying they couldn’t publish my book because my characters drank too much, and the love interest was not “sufficiently paramount” in the heroine’s life. In hindsight, they probably weren’t the right publisher for me, but it was a crushing moment all the same.

3. How long did it take to write your book? Because Free to a Good Home was my second book, I didn’t obsess about it quite as much as the first. It took me about a year to write the book, then my agent and I revised it for two months to get it polished for editors.

4. What did you do to celebrate your book deal? My husband bought me a bottle of champagne and St. Germaine, and we went to our favorite BYOB and ordered every course on the menu. On my release day, we went on a field trip to local bookstores where my husband took dorky pictures of me holding my book.

5. Knowing what you know now about publishing your first novel, what would you have done differently? I’m an introvert by nature, so I’m still unsure about social networking. When I first got my book deal, I started a website, Facebook page, and blog without really knowing how to utilize them. Looking back, I wish I’d found a mentor who could have guided me through the process. I also wish someone had given me the magical formula for getting a book blurb!

6. Who is your writer crush? Right now, probably Jonathan Tropper. His books are so smart and funny, but there’s tons of heart there. My brooding high school self would have said Neil Gaiman. Oh, and Elizabeth Berg is still my all-time favorite.

7. What's your biggest distraction or vice while writing? Often when I’m writing, my dog will lie next to me and lean her head against my arm while I’m trying to type. Book blogs also suck considerable time. And Goodreads—love that site!

8. GNO drink of choice? My standby is a gin and tonic, but if it’s a special occasion, I’ll ask for a White Cosmo. If the bartender doesn’t know how to make it, it’s Grey Goose vodka, white cranberry juice, St. Germaine, and a splash of lime. Tastes like lychee fruit!

9. Favorite trashy TV show? Definitely Vampire Diaries. My husband totally makes fun of me for this because I am so not a vampire junkie in general. I only read the first Twilight book, never watched an episode of True Blood, and didn’t read Anne Rice, even when everybody and her grandmother were reading Anne Rice. But there’s something about Vampire Diaries that makes me giddy. I like to think it’s not just that every character is ridiculously good-looking. Incidentally, one of the writers, Kevin Williamson, also wrote Dawson’s Creek, a guilty pleasure of mine ten years ago. He’s brilliant at playing with the audience’s allegiance to the characters—I never know who to root for from week to week.

10.  What celeb would you love to have a Twitter war with? My brother set me up a Twitter account just before my book came out, but it remains sadly neglected. I’m not much of a fighter by nature, but one of my feistier characters would love to have a go at the guy who called Laurie Halse Anderson’s Speak pornography.

Thanks Eve! xo, Liz & Lisa

To read more about Eve, head on over to her website.  Or you can also find her on Facebook!

Writing Wednesday: Rejection Shmejection By Liz & Lisa

It can be more brutal than being dumped by your boyfriend. More disappointing than being passed over for your dream promotion. And even more humiliating than being stood up by a blind date...

We're talking about literary agent rejection.

We're no strangers to rejection.  When you choose to put yourself out there each and every week by, well, writing about your life on a blog, you learn to roll with the punches.  So we thought that sending out a one page query for our pride and joy, The D Word, would be a walk in the park.  I mean, c'mon, who could resist us, right?

Um, apparently, more than a few people.

But as many of you who've sailed the uncharted waters of the publishing world know all too well, the "um, thanks but no thanks" letter from a prospective agent can sting a bit, reminding you a little of that "it's not you, it's me" email that you received from that guy you once dated.

And when we receive responses addressed to Mr. Fenton and Mr. Steinke (yup, it's actually happened), we try to find the humor in it. We just shake our heads and wonder how they got a hold of those pictures from our 1998 "Ellen" hair phase. Or maybe it was the brown-braided belt/polo shirt/penny loafers pics?  What was going on with the 90's and manly fashion anyway?

But we digress. The thing is, whether they get our gender right or not, it's still a big N-O. See you later. Get outta here.  Stick to your day job (well for Liz anyway- Lisa, um, doesn't exactly have one).

But you can't let the N-O's get you down. Because as Lisa says to Liz whenever one of our dream agents breaks her heart into tiny little pieces (yep, she's the sensitive one) with a form rejection letter no less, We only need one person to say yes.

One person who knows that Chick Lit isn't Dead.

One person who thinks The D Word is fabulous.

One person to realize that we got it goin' on like DONKEY KONG! (What does that mean anyway?)

Just like dating, it's all about timing, chemistry and forming a connection. We're just praying that we'll find an agent faster than we found our spouses because Liz doesn't think she can go through that sh*t again.  (Although a prospective agent wouldn't just *forget* to show up to her college graduation party, right?)

But until we find "the one", we're wearing our most fashionable bulletproof armor and having fun. And the reality is, we haven't been at this very long.  And we're such perfectionists (and by "we", we mean Lisa) that even a handful of "no's" can seem like too many.

So, for now, we wait on pins and needles for our query to be plucked out of our fave agent's inbox, our partials to be adored and our credentials to be considered.  And don't quote us (we don't want to jinx it!), but we have a feeling that our YES man or woman is right around the corner. Wish us luck!

Do you have a query rejection story? Please share. Misery loves company!

xoxo, Liz & Lisa