Introducing Bee Themed Minis

We would like to introduce a new feature to The Chick Lit Bee. Bee Themed Minis are small parts of a fictional short story. We’ll add to the story weekly and we are also asking that you comment on each part and let us know how you think the story should continue. Your idea could make it into our story. How fun is that?! It’s sort of like a chick lit version of Mad Libs. Hopefully, we can all collaborate on a story and the end result will be a cohesive story that has involved our contributors and readers. Without further ado, here’s our first installment.

Bee Cool
Part 1 of A Gussie Willows Story
Written by Nancy

"Just iced tea for now, please. Thanks so much," I told the waitress. "I’m waiting for someone."
"Aren’t we all," she replied, frowning.

My name is Augustine Willows. My friends and family call me Gussie. Not only did I really dislike my name, I disliked it even more when people called me Gus. I tried convincing people who insisted upon using a nickname to call me August or Tina, but those never seemed to stick. Imagine always feeling like the butt of a joke when people said your name. It definitely didn’t do wonders for self-esteem.

I was sitting on the patio of a small café near Market Street in San Francisco waiting for my friend Kayla Darren. She texted me while I was at work and told me to meet her for lunch because she desperately needed to talk. I couldn’t imagine what could be so urgent but it did make me a bit nervous. Kayla and I had been friends since she walked into our 7^th grade math class. One of the "popular" kids thought it would be funny to trip her. What a little brat! While everyone pointed and laughed, I walked over and picked up the notebook that had flown from her hands. I noticed that it was covered with pictures of Leonardo DiCaprio. We became friends instantly, of course. After college, I got a job as an assistant for the event planning group at a large hotel downtown and Kayla got her first teaching job. While I put up with filing, answering phones, and running errands, Kayla babysat educated 5^th grade kids.

I tried to remain calm, cool, and collected while I people watched and admired the neighborhood’s historic charm. I was drinking the tea that I received from Debbie Downer The Waitress and soaking up the sun that had just peeked through the clouds when I finally saw Kayla walking toward my table. I immediately noticed the black mascara tears streaking her usually flawless complexion. Uh-oh.

In Defense of Chick Lit

What Chick Lit Is and What It Is Not

Recently, when I mentioned to someone that I am writing a chick lit novel, this person responded with, "Is chick lit even literature?" Instead of taking offense to that, I chose to point out that chick lit should be taken seriously, despite what critics say or how it is perceived in the media. However, I quickly realized that a lot of questions and misconceptions were coming my way about chick lit and what it actually is. "Aren’t those just books about shoes?" "All they talk about are breakups and fashion." "Chick lit, chick flicks, it’s all the same…boring and mindless." In doing research for this blog, I came across several articles that denounce chick lit, saying that it has no merit and that some authors are mistakenly labeled as being part of a non-existent genre that is passe and all fluff, at best. Like anyone who strongly believes in chick lit and greatly admires the work that has been done in this genre (yes, it’s a genre or rather a sub-genre of women’s fiction) so far, I got annoyed. It is one thing to like different types of books. That is completely understandable. We are not all the same and we like to read different kinds of stories. However, it is another thing, a totally inappropriate thing, to belittle and mock novels that have been labeled as chick lit. I wonder if people who criticize chick lit have even read enough of it to form such negative opinions. Perhaps all they see are some of the bright, colorful covers and immediately assume that it is nothing more than books filled with shopping tips and advice on how to get over a breakup. Admittedly, some books may have those elements but they also have so much more. These stories provide humor, support, hot topics, romance, and entertainment to readers. Authors have the ability to connect with readers through these stories and show readers, with the words on each page, that they are not alone. These stories are mainly for women by women. I do not see the harm in putting these books into one genre where readers can find stories that they can relate to. Issues that women face are depicted with humor, humility, joy, sadness, and triumph through chick lit.

Chick is slang for woman. Are critics really that offended by slang? Slang is all around us in our vocabulary everyday. Chick lit is basically the same as saying woman lit. Literature is the production of book-related work and the body of work on a particular subject. Chick lit is literature for, about, and by women. The point here is that people should not get hung up on labels. So what if a book is considered chick lit? Why is that negative? It isn’t. Does a label alter the actual work in any way? No. The writing speaks for itself. People and things are labeled and categorized constantly but labels and categorizations do not change their existence. What do authors really have to lose by being in a category of chick lit authors? Nothing. They are part of a group of intelligent, thoughtful, creative writers. They are part of a group that understands love for dialogue and developing characters. They are part of a group that understands the issues women face. They are part of a group of those who have been given the gift of being able to write about these issues in a way that speaks to readers. The novels in the chick lit genre should represent a united front of strength and courage among women. They should not be torn apart or dismissed by critics who are too focused on the name of the genre.

I also want to address what chick lit is not. Chick lit is not the mindless ramblings of scorned women. It is not stupid, dumb, idiotic, or boring. It is not meant to change the world but it is meant to change people, affect attitudes and moods through entertainment. It is not only about fashion. It is not about superficial, unrealistic characters but rather characters who remind us of our close friends and family.

Bottom line: chick lit is a collection of novels that deal with topics women are interested in by showing character transformations through uplifting stories. That’s my definition and I’m sticking to it. If people do not want to read these books, then that is their choice. My only request is that critics base their opinions on knowledge of the genre and on the author’s ability to tell a story. They should forget about those two little words and evaluate the writing for what it is and how it makes them feel. The genre is constantly changing and evolving as new authors are welcomed into it. Chick lit is a genuine form of entertainment and should be treated as such, just like other forms of media. For a few hundred pages, let it take you on an adventure and try to enjoy the ride.

Nancy 

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How do you feel about chick lit and the way it is perceived? What do you think of Nancy's thoughts on this topic? Let us know!

"You look beautiful, by the way."

Hi everyone!

When people talk about chick lit and read it, they often focus on the leading lady, the female main character that keeps the story moving. She is usually easy to relate to and has a lot of fun quirks. She goes through several changes throughout the novel and readers either like or dislike who she becomes at the end. Most of the time, other characters get overlooked. What about the leading man? Since this is chick lit, the "chick" is emphasized the most. However, not today. Today I am dedicating this post to the men in chick lit. This is for the male characters that we love or love to hate. The leading man of the day is Wyatt Hayes IV from Bridie Clark's The Overnight Socialite. This particular story is a modern retelling of Pygmalion. Wyatt believes that he can transform any woman into a socialite and sets out to prove this by convincing Lucy, an ordinary girl who is down on her luck, to be part of his project. Wyatt is an interesting character because he is not an ordinary leading man with a typical career that has been written about in many novels. Instead, Wyatt is an anthropologist and he is secretly writing a book about Lucy as he observes her during her social transformation. He is completely oblivious to his own personal transformation that is occurring as he develops a relationship with Lucy. He is an endearing character who unknowingly becomes the subject of his own experiment. Wyatt has some of the best lines in the book, which is somewhat common for male main characters and secondary characters. Readers do not necessarily want other characters to steal the show from the female main character but they do want them to have active, meaningful roles. The Overnight Socialite is as much Lucy's story as it is Wyatt's story. I'll wrap this up with an instruction from Wyatt to Lucy. "You're not Britney Spears. You need to learn how to get out of a car without flashing an entire city block. Try it again." 

Who are your favorite male characters in chick lit? Let us know!

xo, Nancy

Book Review: The Icing on the Cupcake

Nancy’s Review of The Icing on the Cupcake by Jennifer Ross

Ballantine Books, an imprint of The Random House Publishing Group, published The Icing on the Cupcake by Jennifer Ross in April of this year. This is the third novel from Ross, who wrote her previous novels under the pen name JC Conklin. The Icing on the Cupcake tells the story of Ansley Waller, a young Texan woman who is dumped by her fiancé. Ansley must reevaluate her life and decides to leave Dallas for New York to live with her estranged grandmother, Vivian. While Ansley works toward opening her own cupcake shop in an unfamiliar city, Vivian must deal with unfinished financial business left behind by her late husband. These women rely on baking to help them overcome life’s obstacles.

Ansley is introduced as a snobby girl who is disliked by most of her sorority sisters at Baylor University. When her fiancé dumps her because she is horribly mean to others, she realizes that she must change her attitude if she wants to succeed in anything. Ansley gets some initial tough love from Vivian when she arrives in New York, which sets her on the path to discovering who she is and the right way to interact with others. Vivian is a strong willed woman who harbors secrets and regrets that have consumed her for many years. As she gets to know Ansley, she increasingly hopes she will get a chance to reunite with her own daughter, Hattie. Vivian and Ansley form a believable bond but lack communication with each other despite living in the same house. The Dallas lifestyle is described in significant detail. It is important to know what kind of background Ansley comes from to understand the magnitude of her decisions in New York. Other notable characters are Ansley’s ex-fiancé Parish, Ansley’s sorority sister Patty, Ansley’s new friend Dot, Vivian’s daughter Hattie, and Vivian’s financial advisor Thad.

The Icing on the Cupcake is an enjoyable, quick read. The cupcake recipes at the end of each chapter are great additions to the book. They allow readers to see exactly what Ansley and Vivian are up to. Cupcake lovers and foodies alike will find these recipes useful and will take an interest in reading about the ups and downs of opening a cupcake shop.

For more information about Ross and to read her blog you can visit http://www.theicingonthecupcake.net. You can also follow her on Twitter @cupcakeauthor. The Icing on the Cupcake can be purchased at all major bookstores or online by visiting What We're Reading. To learn more about other books published by Ballantine Books you can visit http://www.ballantinebooks.com.
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What do you think of this review? Do you want to read The Icing on the Cupcake? Have you read it or read Ross's other books? Let us know!

Beeloved Book of the Year

Hello all!

Since it is the first day of September, I started thinking about how fast this year is going by and about all of the chick lit I have read so far. I want to share with you a little bit about an absolutely fantastic book that I highly recommend. Kelly, Elise, and I read Twenties Girl by Sophie Kinsella a couple of months ago and we all loved it. It is one of the best books of the year and really captures what is so special about chick lit. In Twenties Girl, Lara Lington is visited by the spirit of her great aunt Sadie and her life is turned upside down in the best way possible. Even though Lara and Sadie don't agree on everything, they encourage each other and form such a strong friendship through a series of wild adventures. Lara learns a lot from Sadie and readers will too. This book is British chick lit at its finest. It will definitely make you laugh and cry. We all thoroughly enjoyed it and it is our pick for Beeloved Book of the Year. If you have read it or decide to read it, let us know your thoughts.

xo, Nancy