I'm speaking at George Washington University March 8th

George Washington University is having a symposium on chicklit-Monday March 8th-for faculty and other employees. The symposium consists of a book swap, a lecture by one of the GWU professors, and a discussion about writing chicklit with me! Erica set it up and asked if I'd speak; thank you, Erica!

I'm planning to talk about this blog www.girlclassified.blogspot.com , my website www.girlclassified.com, how I wrote Girl: Classified, the Golden Heart Awards, and the process of getting published.

As part of the discussion on how I wrote Girl: Classified, I'm going to touch on the advantages of keeping a detailed outline of the novel as you're writing. I never got writer's blog while crafting Girl: Classified because anytime I had an idea about the storyline, I'd add it into my outline. Then anytime I sat down to write, I'd just work off the outline.

I can't wait to speak about this topic. This is the first time that I've been asked to talk as an "authority" on chicklit, and it's pretty exciting!

First Love at Its Best - Pure Chicklit Yuminess!

Jen, it's high time I did a book recommendation for you since you usually like the exact same books as me. You're a true chicklit connoisseur. So I'm recommending a pure, true chicklit book for you. I loved this one, and have read/listened to it on audio book multiple times.

The book is Dedication by Emma McLaughlin and Nicola Kraus. They're the same authors who wrote the Nanny Diaries.

So Dedication is about a girl whose first love went on to later become a Justin Timberlake-esque music superstar. All of his songs contain veiled lyrics about their relationship. He abandoned her and his band on prom night, never to be heard from again--until they heard his first song on the radio. The main character vows to take revenge on him, make him regret leaving her, and make him pay royalties to the old band who he left in the lurch and whose songs he stole. This book is about the girl finally facing him after ten years.

American Wife

Colleen, since you'd already read Water for Elephants, I have another book recommendation for you. It's called American Wife by Curtis Sittenfeld. It's the fictional story of Laura Bush. It never says her name, and they've changed the facts just a little bit, so they can't be sued. But it's the story of her growing up, how she killed her boyfriend, and how she ended up married the future president. Then it goes into her life as the perfect wife--only once disagreeing publicly about her husband's international politics. I thought this book was utterly fascinating. I didn't like Sittenfeld's first book, but I loved this one.

The War of the Roses Was a Historical Event

Did you know that the War of the Roses was an actual historical event? It occurred in England around Edward IV's time. The house of Lancaster (red rose) and the house of York (white rose) caused a massive civil war in England by pitting two sons against each other for the throne and creating a real-life Romeo and Juliet. Those people who favored Edward and the Yorks wore a white rose on their collars and those who favored the Lancasters wrote a red rose. Elizabeth Woodville, of the House of Lancaster, married reigning King Edward IV of the House of York in secret. They married for love, but they hoped to bring peace between the warring families at the same time. Instead, they could not bring the families to agree on a rightful king, and Edward is driven into excile. Elizabeth hides in the Tower of London.

During this time, one of England's greatest mysteries occurred as well. Elizabeth and Edward had two sons, one of them destined to be the next king. They are cared for by their uncle, at Elizabeth and Edward's dismay, and end up "missing". To this day historians know that the boys went with their uncle into the Tower of London, but they do not know what happened next. Neither of the boys were able to take the crown.

On a trip to England this year, we visited York, and wouldn't you know...their bridges and buildings still had white roses etched and painted in their sides. It seems the story lives even to this day...

Kat, you said that you were interested in historical fiction, and do I have a book for you! My recommendation is The White Queen by Philippa Gregory. It's the story of the War of the Roses and Elizabeth Woodville.

Carrie's recommendation "Chesapeake" by James Michener

Happy New Year!

The New Year's book recommendation today is in honor of Carrie T., who spent part of New Year's Eve with us. We hung out at her and Matt's house, drinking nutty coffee, laughing about Jennifer Lopez' one piece on Dick's Rockin New Year's Eve (I hope skintight one pieces don't become a fashion trend now), and eating homemade caramel popcorn that Amanda concocted. As always strangely happens at parties, the guys and girls segregated to different rooms. I have no idea what the boys talked about (cards? poker? girls?), but one of the things the girls discussed was books.

Carrie said that she was interested in books on the Chesapeake Bay, and she asked for two for the holidays. Little Swimmers and another title that I can't remember. So my recommendation for her is "Chesapeake" by James A. Michener. It's fiction, and waaaaayyyy long, but Carrie, I think you'll like it. I read it for a class in college, and I thought it would be boring--but it wasn't at all. It weaves together a bunch of stories over time and ends up giving the history of the bay.

So Happy New Year, Carrie. And let me know if you've already read this book. If so, what did you think?

Book Recommendation for Bridgid C. - Cassandra French's Finishing School for Boys

Hi Bridgid! My book recommendation for you is "Cassandra French's Finishing School for Boys" by Eric Garcia. This is probably the most outlandish and funniest book I've ever read. It's chicklit with a major twist. And it's chicklit written by a guy...very different. So I picked this one for you because I thought you'd enjoy the humor in this book and because the main character doesn't put up with any BS from men! In fact she finds a very "creative" way to teach men good manners. :)