Today we have Maria Geraci, author of A Girl Like You, visiting Peeking Between the Pages with a guest post. A Girl Like You which released on August 7 sounds like a really good summer read – something to pack in your bag to go to the beach or enjoy out on the deck. I have to admit I like pretty pink covers like this one too – I’m girly like that. I’ll give you some information on the book and author below as well as a giveaway but for now enjoy Maria’s guest post…
First off, thank you to Darlene for inviting me to guest blog here today!
A few months ago I was at my local writers’ meeting where I read aloud the first chapter to my work-in-progress in order to get a critique. Normally, I don’t let anyone read my rough drafts until they’ve been smoothed out a bit but I wanted some feedback on my new story idea. I was more than a little surprised when one of the writers present called me out on my opening. You see, my main character mentions that the first thing she notices about a person is their shoes. And while there’s nothing terribly wrong with that, the thing is, I write chick lit. And let’s face it, chick lit has gotten a bum rap.
Most people associate chick lit with single girls living in the big city obsessed with their Manolo Bahliks. But chick lit is so much more than that, and most times it’s not even that at all. Yes, sometimes our female protagonists live in a big city, such as my main character, Emma, in A Girl Like You. But a lot of the action in the novel occurs in Emma’s small fictional hometown of Catfish Cove, Florida. And while Emma doesn’t mind donning a nice pair of stilettos, that certainly isn’t the focus of her life. She’s a regular girl who works hard at her job, struggles with her self-image, and wouldn’t mind finding a nice guy to settle down with.
My novels are about woman, and the relationships in their lives, and trying to make the world a better place for themselves and others. They’re about family and friendship and love. And yes, occasionally, there might be a mention of shoes. But it’s not even the tiniest bit of importance in my stories. So, needless to say, I cut out most of that shoe bit from my work-in-progress.
_________________________
Thanks so much for being here at the blog today Maria and for this guest post! I agree that chick lit gets a bum rap and I don’t know why. I enjoy reading it mixed in with all my other reading. I find it to be a great escape from everyday life and it never fails to cheer me up when I read it. I look forward to reading your novel soon.
________________________
About A Girl Like You (from Maria’s website)
What if you found out you were the ugly friend?
Emma Frazier is smart, hardworking, and loves her job as a journalist for a Florida lifestyle magazine. Emma knows she’s no great beauty, but she’s pretty certain she has a shot with her handsome new boss, Ben Gallagher—until Emma overhears a mutual acquaintance refer to her as the “ugly friend.” In an effort to reclaim her battered self-esteem, Emma decides to impress Ben at work by promising an exclusive interview with NASCAR legend, Trip Monroe.
Emma and Trip went to high school together and although it’s been fourteen years since they’ve spoken, Emma is certain she can score an interview with the elusive super star.https://peekingbetweenthepages.com/wp-admin/post-new.php But connecting with Trip turns out to be harder than Emma imagined. Her quest for the interview leads her back to her tiny hometown of Catfish Cove, where old secrets and a new romantic interest shake up Emma’s views on life and teach her that maybe the key to finding true love is as simple as accepting yourself for the person you were always meant to be.
Read an excerpt
Buy at: Amazon.com, Amazon.ca, B&N and Indiebound
About Maria Geraci (from Maria’s website)
Maria Geraci was born in Havana, Cuba, and raised on Florida’s Space Coast. Her love of books started with the classic, Little Women (a book she read so often growing up, she could probably quote). She writes contemporary romance and women’s fiction with a happy ending. The Portland Book Review called her novel, The Boyfriend of the Month Club, “immensely sexy, immensely satisfying and humorous.” Her fourth novel, A Girl Like You, will be released August, 2012 by Berkley, Penguin USA.
Maria’s website
Find Maria on Facebook
Follow Maria on Twitter
Maria on Goodreads
GIVEAWAY DETAILS (US only)
I have one copy of A Girl Like You by Maria Geraci to share with my US readers. To enter…
- For 1 entry leave me a comment entering the giveaway.
- For 2 entries, follow my blog. Let me know if you already do as well so I can pass the extra entry on to you as well.
- For 3 entries, blog or tweet this giveaway.
This giveaway is open to US residents only (no PO boxes) and I will draw for the winner on Saturday, August 25/12. Good luck!
I’m reading this book right now and I’m really enjoying it! Thanks for the guest post 🙂
I enjoyed the author post today, Dar and Maria! I read A Girl Like You (review scheduled for Sept. 3) last week and enjoyed it so much that I bought Maria Geraci’s backlist! Looking forward to reading them. Don’t enter me in the giveaway.
What a great guest post! After reading Mary’s comment, I really want to read this book! Thanks for the giveaway!
I subscribe in Google Reader.
The cover does pop, doesn’t it? I think Emma’s story sounds great, would love to read it. Thanks!
I am a GFC follower.
thanks for this great giveaway and post. I am an e-mail subscriber.
Love to read this great book. I subscribe via e-mail.
I love hearing the author’s perspective. It adds to the whole reading experience.
I follow on GFC (mamie316) and by email.
I love the theme of this book! I follow GFC, email, And I Tweeted!
https://mobile.twitter.com/#!/Roxiesmother/status/233959641812434945
Thanks!
This sounds like a very interesting story. One that I would love to read.
lkish77123 at gmail dot com
I am a GFC follower
lkish77123 at gmail dot com
Sounds like a fun read for the summer. Thanks for the giveaway!
-email subscriber, GFC follower, Facebook follower
mtakala1 AT yahoo DOT com
The ugly friend…ouch! I’d like to read this. Thanks for the chance to win. I’m a follower.
nanze55 at hotmail dot com
book sound like fun.I am blogger follower and twitter follower at rhondareads will tweet.
thanks for the chance to win this book
Gale Nelson gfc
pgan427@yahoo.com
This is on my to read list. I would love to win a copy. Thanks for the chance to win.
Oops! Forgot to mention that I already follow Peeking Between the Pages.
I’ve also tweeted this giveaway and shared it on facebook.
I love chick lit!
I follow via email and gfc.
Tweeted but my phone won’t copy URL. @lag32583
I’d love a chance to read this thanks!
I’m a follower thanks
I would love to enter. Thank you!
Entering contest, thanks for the giveaway!
GFC follower-joann
This sounds like a great beach read!!
It looks like a good story.
I follow on GFC
tweet: https://twitter.com/MaureenCE/status/235014485159596032
There is nothing wrong with writing a book about women and for women, and I think labeling every such book as chicklit is not always the right thing to do. So, if the mention of shoes got cut out, I am at least glad that she stuck to her guns and wrote the story that was inside her.
Please include me in the giveaway, Dar!
zibilee(at)figearo(dot)net
This sounds like a good read. Thanks for the chance to win!
GFC Follower – Emily Drake
how sad that anyone has to be the ugly one
pjames330 at aol dot com
gfc follower
pjames330 at aol dot com
https://twitter.com/pj436/status/235154874927570946
This book sounds really great. I really like the characters of Emma and Trip and hope they get together in the book. Please enter me. Thanks!
ayancey(at)dishmail(dot)net
I follow on GFC as Anita Yancey.
ayancey(at)dishmail(dot)net
I tweeted about the giveaway.
Twitter Name:@Anita Yancey
ayancey(at)dishmail(dot)net
I’ve heard wonderful things about this book!
I’m a follower.
Thanks for the chance to win. I follow via gfc and email, also tweeted.
please add me thank you for the chance
tammyjackson75@yahoo.com
Really enoyed this post and it sounds like a great read
GFC follower-Jolene and Family
tweeted- https://twitter.com/joleneallcock/status/238780660549054465
june111(at)att(dot)net
It looks like a great story.
I follow on GFC
tweet: https://twitter.com/MaureenCE/status/239008815088013312
Thanks for the great read, I can’t wait to get it. I’m a follower & I tweeted.https://twitter.com/Dyniy/status/239476110369366016
Thanks for the chance to win & give Sammy a hug for me. 😉