The Girly Book Blog Hop: Lovable Secondary Character

Aunt Madge from True Love Way by Nancy Scrofano

In my debut novel, True Love Way, twenty-nine-year-old main character, Marlo, has a special bond with her great aunt Madge, who is about to turn ninety years old. Even though they both go by nicknames, Marlo was named after Madge. They both share the full name Margaret. Marlo and Madge are two peas in a pod, despite their huge age gap. Since Marlo has always felt like she should have grown up in the forties or fifties, she relates really well to Madge, who actually was a young woman during that era. Marlo and Madge are kindred spirits, and Marlo often seeks advice from Madge. Typically in chick lit, a sidekick or confidante to the protagonist is a best friend of a similar age, but I wanted to explore a different kind of friendship and companionship. Marlo does have a best friend who is the same age, but she is more of a main character rather than a secondary character. And she doesn’t quite compare to Marlo’s wise, trustworthy, sincere, lovable aunt.

The character Madge was inspired by my two grandmothers. Some actual aspects of their personalities are represented in Madge. For example, Madge’s extraordinary energy for someone of her age is inspired by my grandma who is nearing one hundred years old. In the novel, I mention that Madge reads the newspaper from cover to cover every day, which is something that my grandma does. The first time readers are introduced to Madge, Marlo and her best friend, Nik, arrive at Madge’s house where big band music is blaring. My other grandma loves big bands, and when I was growing up, she always had oldies playing loudly whenever I went to visit her. She still loves classic music, and just the other day, she was telling me about how she used to only pay a quarter to see Frank Sinatra in concert. Imagine that!

I love all my characters, but Madge has a special place in my heart. Readers connect with her, too. Here are some of their comments:

“I really loved Aunt Madge…” – Cheryl at Cheryl’s Book Nook

“I absolutely adored Marlo’s great aunt, Margaret, and that Marlo and Nik had such a lovely relationship with her…” – Lydia at Novel Escapes

“I especially liked Aunt Madge and thought that her backstory was as endearing as her personality. Although Marlo and her friends were the main characters, Aunt Madge was truly the most significant, for she connected the past to the present with her ‘timeless’ love story. She was the uniting force that tied the story together.”  – Gina

“I fell in love with Marlo and her friends and especially her Aunt Madge.” – Lucie Simone, author of Hollywood Ending and Picture Perfect
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Editor’s Pick: Last-Minute Love

Nancy’s Must-Read Choice: Last-Minute Love by Romi Moondi

Romi Narindra is back in the sequel to Year of the Chick. This time, she’s still looking for love, but determined not to try too hard. She goes with her best friend, Laura, and Laura’s boyfriend, Dave, to New York City on what she calls a “no-man trip,” where she plans to have all the fun she can as a single woman.  But her plans are foiled when she meets Dave’s friend, Erik. Despite the fact that Erik is only working in the city temporarily and has a serious girlfriend at home in Denmark, he and Romi really hit it off. But Romi still thinks of her Internet guy, James, often and can’t seem to let him go, even though she only met him once in person, and he still lives thousands of miles away. After the unsuccessful “no-man trip” since she did, in fact, meet a man, Romi goes back to her life in Toronto where she is forced to help with her bridezilla sister’s wedding. On top of that, she hates her corporate job, and she’s working on self-publishing her debut novel, much to her traditional Indian parents’ chagrin. Trying to figure it all out, Romi continues her journey…

I absolutely loved Year of the Chick (so much that it made my top ten chick lit books list), so I was really excited to read Last-Minute Love, and it didn’t disappoint. As I read the sequel, I was still rooting for Romi and hoping that James would come back into the picture somehow. He doesn’t have a very big role in this book, but it is a humorous look at where Romi’s life is now, and it is definitely full of charm. I’m glad that this is a series because it’s great to keep up with Romi, one of my favorite characters. I wasn’t a huge fan of Erik’s and kept hoping that he wouldn’t reappear, but I was happy to see Romi follow her heart and make the “grand gesture” like Cleopatra, who she loves so much. Romi has grown up a bit from the first book to the second, which is a natural character progression. She’s learning from all her experiences and improving herself and her life, making her easy to relate to and admirable. And through it all, her trademark sense of humor remains intact. Last-Minute Love is a page-turner with plenty of laugh-out-loud moments. Chick lit fans should add this series to their to-read lists. I can’t wait to find out what happens next!

Romi Moondi is a Canadian independent author. Her work includes The Book of Awful, NOT Love Poems for Real Life, Year of the Chick: Beginnings, Year of the Chick, and Last-Minute Love. For more information, visit Romi’s blog and connect with her on Facebook and Twitter.
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Letter from the Editor: Reviews

Hi everyone!

I'm writing this to let you know that The Chick Lit Bee will not post book reviews anymore. I've given this a lot of thought and decided that this is the best thing for our blog, for authors, and for readers. Instead of reviews, I'm going to post "Book of the Day" features with the synopsis and cover. This way, readers can decide for themselves if they are interested in reading a book or not. I think every book deserves a chance and deserves exposure, and every book has an audience. I still think book reviews are important, but they are no longer the focus of this blog. I want to help promote as much chick lit as I can here. I'm also going to post "Editor's Pick" and "Contributor's Pick" features where we will share what we loved about books we chose to read and why they are our favorites. 

Authors: If you have sent us your book for review, you will still be featured as a "Book of the Day," but please be patient. I have a huge list of review requests, but I will try my best to feature one of these books every day. 

The Chick Lit Bee will now focus on author interviews, short stories, guest posts, giveaways, contests, and other fun features. This site will continue to be a positive, encouraging, and uplifting place for authors and readers. 

Thank you for reading and supporting The Chick Lit Bee. I really appreciate your interest and all your lovely comments. I enjoy interacting with such a wonderful community of people who share my love for chick lit. 

Have a great weekend!

Nancy