~ By Melina Kantor

Hello Chick Lit Fans!

Happy Friday.

This week, the major buzz in the book world is the BookExpo America (BEA) conference.

Wish you could have gone? Well, I do too.

But here are some highlights:

Leave us a comment and let us know what you think about Jennifer Weiner’s thoughts on blogging.

And if you were lucky enough to attend the conference, let us know how it went.

See you next week!

Melina writes contemporary women’s fiction with a pinch of oregano and a dash of chutzpah. She loves to travel and enjoys turning her adventures into research and inspiration for her writing. This summer, she and her dog will be moving from Brooklyn to Jerusalem. You can visit her at http://melinakantor.com.

~ By Melina Kantor      

Well, dear Chick Lit Fans, what can I say. This hasn’t exactly been a drama free week.

Have you heard the complaints about a certain author’s lack of complaints? Yes, I’m talking about Jennifer Weiner.

Check this out:

Yeah. . .

(Thank you to lovely chapter member Kwana Jackson for the video.)

Also, there’s a really interesting post on Heroes and Heartbreakers about world building in contemporary romance. Yes, we chick lit / contemporary romance writers have worlds to build too!

Lastly, anyone out there doing NaNoWriMo? If so, I’ll leave you with this treat:

Write on!

Melina writes contemporary women’s fiction with a pinch of oregano and a dash of chutzpah. She just returned from a two month trip to Crete and Israel, where she visited  family and friends did her best to turn her travels into research and inspiration for her writing. You can visit her at http://melinakantor.com.

~ By Melina Kantor

Happy Friday!

And Happy April! Here’s hoping none of you have been fooled (at least too badly)!

As always, we’re back with our chick lit roundup to kick off the weekend:

Jennifer Weiner made the news again this week. No, she doesn’t have another book out. It’s her famous tweets about the bachelor that got the attention of Time Magazine!

Emily Giffin also made the news, with further proof of the power of the chick lit community. On April 12th, she’ll be participating in the Chick Lit Lavender Luncheon which will raise funds for children suffering from cancer. Nice going, Emily.

And, last but not least, Jessica and Elizabeth Wakefield (that’s right, the twins of Sweet Valley High fame who, for many, were our first exposure to the concept of the chick lit heroine) are back! But you probably already know that. What do you think about this? Will you be spending the weekend devouring the new book? Let us know!

(Thanks to Deb McIntyre for the link!)

Have a great weekend!

Melina writes contemporary women’s fiction with a pinch of oregano and a dash of chutzpah. By day, she is an elementary school computer teacher. You can visit her athttp://melinakantor.com.

~ By Melina Kantor

Hi Everybody, and welcome to another weekend.

Anyone else exhausted and perhaps feeling like this?

Well, maybe it’s time for a break to hear about what’s happening in the world of chick lit.

Here you go!

News:

This week, best-selling author Jennifer Weiner was a guest of honor at the Library Foundation’s “Book and Author Luncheon.” Not surprisingly, readers showed up with with stacks of books for her to sign and listen to her humorous speech about her love of reading and the importance of libraries.

In an interview regarding the event, Jennifer Weiner shared her thoughts on writing and what she thinks of the term “chick lit.”

Regardless of Jennifer Weiner’s opinion on the term “chick lit,” the fact that the Library Foundation invited a chick lit author to support their cause is definitely proof that the genre is alive and strong.

Speaking of the term “chick lit. . .”

An article in The Utne Reader describes the genre as, “You know, those ubiquitous novels with pastel-colored dust jackets bearing whimsically retro images of cocktail glasses, trendy purses, and spiky heels,” and goes on to claim that, “The genre is wildly successful — and that, oddly enough, is the problem.”

What “problem,” you ask? The term or the books themselves? Both. It seems some authors don’t want their work classified as chick lit. According to Jenny Colgan who’s quoted in the article, “‘Chick lit is a deliberately condescending term they use to rubbish us all. If they called it slut lit it couldn’t be more insulting.’”

But wait! Before you get angry, take comfort in this:

But today the genre stands as a lucrative niche in an otherwise struggling fiction industry. ‘The mega authors — John Grisham, Michael Crichton, Tom Clancy — all have had a fall-off in sales,’ Sessalee Hensley, fiction buyer for Barnes & Noble, told ABCNEWS.com’s Heather Cabot (Aug. 30, 2003). ‘But the chick lit is growing, and growing exponentially.

Hmm. What do you think? Read the article, then leave a comment and let us know.

Writing Inspiration:

Tired of the debate over the term “chick lit?” No problem. This video, filmed by Barbara Vey of Publishers Weekly, explores the definition of “women’s fiction.”

Enjoy!

Have a great weekend!

Melina writes contemporary women’s fiction with a pinch of oregano and a dash of chutzpah. By day, she is an elementary school computer teacher. You can visit her athttp://melinakantor.com.