20 Questions with Author Donna Joy Usher

February 1, 2013 The Chick Lit Bee

Born in Brisbane, Donna is
now a dentist by day and
writer by night. When not
doing either of those things,
she likes spending time
with her husband and two
little dogs, fishing & camping,
motorbike riding, traveling,
drinking wine & eating
chocolate. Donna lives on the
New South Wales Central Coast.

Tara Babcock awakes the morning after

her 30th birthday with a hangover that

could kill an elephant - and the knowledge

she is still no closer to achieving closure

on her marriage breakup. Things go from

bad to worse when she discovers that,

not only is her ex-husband engaged to

her cousin - Tash, the woman he left her

for - but that Jake is also running for Lord

Major of Sydney. Desperate to leave the

destructive relationship behind and with

nothing to lose, she decides- with

encouragement from her three best

friends - to follow the dubious advice

from a magazine article, Closure in Seven

Easy Steps. The Seven Steps to Closure

follows Tara on her sometimes

disastrous - always hilarious - path

to achieve the seemingly impossible.

Kindle or Nook?

Kindle

iPhone or BlackBerry?

iPhone

Coke or Pepsi?

If I had to drink one of them, I would choose Coke.

Coffee or tea?

Both – coffee in the morning and tea at night.

Ice cream or frozen yogurt?

Baskin Robbins Chocolate Peanut Butter ice-cream.

Flats or heels?

Flats

Facebook or Twitter?

Twitter

Call or text message?

Text

Favorite song right now?

"50 Ways to Say Goodbye" by Train

Celebrity crush?

Daniel Craig

Movie you saw recently?

Breaking Dawn Part 2

Favorite television show right now?

Homeland

Favorite snack food?

Red Rock Deli Sea Salt Chips

Your most overused word or phrase?

(According to my husband) I’m sorry, which part of that didn’t you understand?

Your hidden talent?

Getting strangers up on the dance floor.

Your biggest pet peeve?

Being in a confined space with someone else’s screaming child.

Favorite activity when you’re not writing?

Stand up paddle boarding

Favorite authors?

Marian Keyes, Stephenie Meyer, Janet Evanovich, Jim Butcher, Kristy Berridge, Rachel Amphlett

Favorite books?

Dresden File Series and the Twilight Series

Comment heard most often from your readers?

I laughed out loud.

Thanks, Donna!

20 Questions with Author Kate Moretti

January 18, 2013 The Chick Lit Bee

Ice cream or frozen yogurt? Ice cream

Coke or Pepsi? Diet Coke

Coffee or tea? Coffee!

Facebook or Twitter? Facebook

Flats or heels? I like heels better because I'm girly, but I wear flats more because I'm lazy.

Kindle or Nook? Kindle

Call or text message? Call - I like to hear people laugh. LOL is so.... blech.

Favorite authors? Augusten Burroughs, Micheal Connelly, Richard North Patterson, Jodi Piccoult, Anita Shreve, Toni Morrison... I could go on.

iPhone or BlackBerry? iPhone

Favorite song? My all time favorite song is Blackbird by The Beatles (although the Glee version is beautiful).

Celebrity crush? Bradley Cooper (swoon!)

Movie you saw recently? The Grinch

Favorite television show right now? Modern Family

Favorite snack food? Cookies

Your most overused word or phrase? "You know" - I say it constantly in conversation.

Your biggest pet peeve? Disingenuity

Favorite activity when you’re not writing? Reading and a long time ago, cooking. But writing has negated all free time.

Favorite books? Rebecca, Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil, The Pilot's Wife, She's Come Undone

Your hidden talent? I can hear a song and figure it out on the piano. Not perfectly, but for the most part the melody and chords fall in the right place. I always wish I had developed it.

Comment heard most often from your readers? "I couldn't put it down!"

Thanks, Kate!

____________________________________________________

20 Questions with Author Meredith Schorr

January 11, 2013 The Chick Lit Bee

Kindle or Nook? Kindle

iPhone or BlackBerry? Neither! I have an Android

Coke or Pepsi? I very rarely drink soda, but when I do: Ginger Ale

Coffee or tea? Coffee

Ice cream or frozen yogurt? Ice cream!

Flats or heels? Heels, but not too high or I will surely wipe out!

Facebook or Twitter? Twitter. Far less potential for stalking ;)

Call or text message? Text message. I know how horrible that sounds, but unless I haven’t spoken to someone in a while, I really hate talking on the phone.

Favorite song right now? Payphone by Maroon 5

Celebrity crush? Adam Levine (Do you sense a theme?)

Movie you saw recently? Argo

Favorite television show right now? Fringe

Favorite snack food? Twizzlers, like Walter Bishop on Fringe!

Your most overused word or phrase? Do I look fat?

Your hidden talent? None - I make all of my talents public, of course!

Your biggest pet peeve? People who never put down their phones. Not to walk up or down a flight of stairs or to cross the street; not when the plane is taking off or the train is moving; not at the dinner table. NEVER.

Favorite activity when you’re not writing? Depending upon my energy level - reading or running

Favorite authors? Sophie Kinsella, Emily Giffin, Adena Halpern and Julie Buxbaum are the more “well-known” favorites, but new favorites include Talli Roland and Denise Grover Swank.

Favorite books? There are so many of those, but here are a few: The Lovely Bones, Something Borrowed, The Hunger Games, Attachments, Save as Draft, Skipping a Beat

Comment heard most often from your readers? That my characters are extremely relatable and “real.”

Thank you, Meredith!

________________________________________________

20 Questions with Author Rangeley Wallace

December 12, 2012 The Chick Lit Bee

Favorite activity when you’re not writing? Getting outside: walking, biking, and swimming, and, of course, reading.
Favorite authors? Too many to name, but John Updike, Walker Percy, Michael Chabon, Barbara Kingsolver are high on my list.
Favorite books? To Kill a Mockingbird, Big Fish (by my brother), The Moviegoer, Wonder Boys.
Kindle or Nook? Kindle
iPhone or BlackBerry? iPhone

Marilee is a confident law professional in a
small Southern town that her family has
occupied for generations, and is leading a
charmed life until, pregnant with their second
child, she faces an absent husband and
loses a coveted job that would have given
her financial stability. Now she's finding
that everything she believed to be solid in
her life is sliding away at the same time,
placing her on a roller-coaster ride that will
challenge her beliefs, assumptions,
and comfortable life.

Favorite song right now? Stubborn Love by the Lumineers (which also is in the running for the title of my next book!
Coke or Pepsi? (Diet) Coke
Your most overused word or phrase? Seriously (according to my husband and children who mock me whenever I say it.)
Coffee or tea? Coffee
Celebrity crush? Edward Burns
Movie you saw recently? I watched The Big Chill again (after many years, still a great movie).
Favorite television show right now? Nashville
Ice cream or frozen yogurt? Ice cream
Flats or heels? Flats
Facebook or Twitter? Twitter
Call or text message? Text
Favorite snack food? Trail mix with M&Ms
Your hidden talent? I can still do the splits.
Your biggest pet peeve? People who don’t write thank you notes after I send a gift (even an e-mail).
Comment heard most often from your readers? That the book kept them reading late into the night (which I love to hear!)

Thanks, Rangeley!

20 Questions with Author Sibel Hodge

January 3, 2012 The Chick Lit Bee

Sibel Hodge's first novel, Fourteen Days Later, was short listed for the Harry Bowling Prize 2008 and received a highly commended by the Yeovil Literary Prize 2009. It is a romantic comedy with a unique infusion of British and Turkish Cypriot culture. Sibel's latest novel, The Baby Trap, is based on her own experiences with infertility. She is also a qualified personal trainer, sports and massage therapist, and writes freelance feature articles on health, fitness, and lifestyle. She has dual British/Turkish Cypriot nationality, dividing her time between Hertfordshire and North Cyprus.

Sibel joins us today to answer our 20 Questions. Enjoy!

Kindle or Nook? Kindle

iPhone or BlackBerry? BlackBerry

Coke or Pepsi? I haven't had either for years but it used to be Coke.

Coffee or tea? In a naughty mood, ice coffee. In a good mood, green tea.

Ice cream or frozen yogurt? Ice cream.

Flats or heels? Flats (lurrrrrve my Uggs, they're so comfy!)

Facebook or Twitter? Facebook.

Call or text message? Text - unless I need a big girlie chat, then it's phone!

Favorite song right now? Number 1 by Tinchy Stryder and NDubz.

Celebrity crush? I had the biggest one on Paul Weller when I was younger. I had about a million posters of him in my bedroom (OK, slight exaggeration) that I used to kiss all the time!

Last movie you saw? Memoirs of a Geisha - I think it's one of the few books turned into films that is actually as good as the book.

Favorite television show right now? I only watch TV in the winter, and even then I'm usually working, so I don't get to see much. Anything on National Geographic Wild would be my fave, probably.

Favorite snack food? Nuts

Your most overused word or phrase? Omigod! My hubby would say something else, but I can't repeat that here!

Your hidden talent? Pole dancing - although I'm still learning, so I wear a crash helmet.

Your biggest pet peeve? Hubby when he's in a bored mood.

Favorite activity when you’re not writing? Swimming, reading, yoga, chillaxing with a DVD, and drinking wine.

Favorite authors? Oh, there are so many! Janet Evanovich, Sophie Kinsella, Lee Child, Ian Rankin, Harlan Coben - I could be here all day!

Favorite books? My fave ever would have to be To Kill a Mockingbird.

Comment heard most often from your readers? I kept getting funny looks when I read your book in public because I was laughing so much.

For more information about Sibel and her books, please visit her website and connect with her on Facebook and Twitter.