Hello! I am pleased to welcome Jessica Gordon, author of Becoming Mrs. Walsh, to this blog for a guest post where she will talk about books and author that inspire her to write. Please visit her tour page on CLP Blog Tours for more information and a chance to win a $20 Amazon gift card!
I think chick-lit authors, books, and readers as a community greatly inspire me. The chick-lit genre has really grown, it's not just martinis and stilletos. Authors are putting out great books that really make you think about love, life, commitment, friends, family. There are so many topics covered and they are covered in a light-hearted fast-paced way. In particular, I think Sophie Kinsella of Shopaholic fame is excellent at capturing comedic situations. She has relatable characters that are interesting and make you laugh.
To me, it is so important that my books are interesting and relatable. I want people to think about the characters well after they read the book. If you are going to spend time with a book, you want it to leave a lasting impression. As a writer, I really want my readers to be entertained. Writers at their hearts are story tellers. So it is not only important to tell a great story, but to tell it in a way that is clearly written and easy to imagine. The reading experience should be one that is fun and memorable.
Book Excerpt:
“Drew, why didn’t you wake me?” Shoshana asked as she looked at her bedside clock. It was 9:45 a.m. and she had to be ready in 15 minutes.
“I figured you’d want to sleep as long as you could before the alarm,” Drew said.
“My alarm! Did it even go off? I didn’t hear anything.”
“I kept hitting snooze; you like to sleep late on Saturdays.”
She glared at her fiancé. “Yes, normally! But not when I have to be with your family all day!”
“It’s just the girls,” Drew said.
“Please, your sisters-in-law are not like normal ‘girls;’ it’s like a beauty pageant slash couture fashion show,” Shoshana said as she sprung up from bed.
She sped walked into the bathroom and began brushing her teeth with fervor.
“I guess you’d better get your crown ready,” Drew said and winked at her.
“I don’t even think I have enough time to shower!” Shoshana protested between mouthfuls of toothpaste foam.
“Why do you have to shower?”
Shoshana spit into the sink. “Are you serious?” She marched out of the bathroom and looked at him incredulously.
“Yeah, your hair looks fine, you don’t seem dirty,” Drew said with a shrug.
“Drew! Your sisters-in-law have perfect hair.”
“Stop, you’re making yourself crazy.” Drew walked into the bathroom to shave.
“Forget it, there’s no time to shower,” Shoshana yelled after him.
“Sounds good,” Drew said barely listening.
Shoshana rummaged through her closet. She threw on a black cotton dress and black flip-flops. She figured black was a chic-enough color and it would hide any sweat marks. It was August in Washington, D.C., which meant, it was hot.
“I’ll wear black and then I’ll fit in—”
“Why do they bother you so much?” Drew asked as Shoshana emerged from the closet.
Shoshana stopped and looked at him. “It’s not that they bother me.”
“What is it then?”
“I can’t really describe it.”
“They’re nice, they mean well, I really don’t get it,” Drew said as he buttoned his shirt.
“You wouldn’t get it, you’re a guy. They’re gorgeous and they’re well-dressed, always. And by the way—I’ve never seen them without makeup. They’re not human.”
Book Excerpt:
“Drew, why didn’t you wake me?” Shoshana asked as she looked at her bedside clock. It was 9:45 a.m. and she had to be ready in 15 minutes.
“I figured you’d want to sleep as long as you could before the alarm,” Drew said.
“My alarm! Did it even go off? I didn’t hear anything.”
“I kept hitting snooze; you like to sleep late on Saturdays.”
She glared at her fiancé. “Yes, normally! But not when I have to be with your family all day!”
“It’s just the girls,” Drew said.
“Please, your sisters-in-law are not like normal ‘girls;’ it’s like a beauty pageant slash couture fashion show,” Shoshana said as she sprung up from bed.
She sped walked into the bathroom and began brushing her teeth with fervor.
“I guess you’d better get your crown ready,” Drew said and winked at her.
“I don’t even think I have enough time to shower!” Shoshana protested between mouthfuls of toothpaste foam.
“Why do you have to shower?”
Shoshana spit into the sink. “Are you serious?” She marched out of the bathroom and looked at him incredulously.
“Yeah, your hair looks fine, you don’t seem dirty,” Drew said with a shrug.
“Drew! Your sisters-in-law have perfect hair.”
“Stop, you’re making yourself crazy.” Drew walked into the bathroom to shave.
“Forget it, there’s no time to shower,” Shoshana yelled after him.
“Sounds good,” Drew said barely listening.
Shoshana rummaged through her closet. She threw on a black cotton dress and black flip-flops. She figured black was a chic-enough color and it would hide any sweat marks. It was August in Washington, D.C., which meant, it was hot.
“I’ll wear black and then I’ll fit in—”
“Why do they bother you so much?” Drew asked as Shoshana emerged from the closet.
Shoshana stopped and looked at him. “It’s not that they bother me.”
“What is it then?”
“I can’t really describe it.”
“They’re nice, they mean well, I really don’t get it,” Drew said as he buttoned his shirt.
“You wouldn’t get it, you’re a guy. They’re gorgeous and they’re well-dressed, always. And by the way—I’ve never seen them without makeup. They’re not human.”
Synopsis:
Shoshana Thompson is 26 years old, miles from home, and engaged to be married into one of Washington D.C.'s wealthiest families. Andrew Walsh, her fiancé, is Shoshana's vision of the perfect man. Throughout their engagement, she becomes enamored with his privileged lifestyle.
While Shoshana navigates the tricky world of in-laws and societal wedding planning, she desperately tries to ignore her growing feelings for another man. She knows that exploring this love will threaten her existence as a Walsh. But, when she discovers the feelings may not be one-sided, she knows things are about to get a lot more complicated, especially because this man is absolutely off-limits. Becoming Mrs. Walsh is a story of relationships and the richly layered complexity of family, in-laws, and love.
Author Bio:
Jessica Gordon is a Johns Hopkins University alumna for both her undergraduate and graduate degrees. She received her bachelor's degree in liberal arts from the Writing Seminars program and her master's degree in communications.
After working in the corporate world for several years, Jessica decided to return to her first love: creative writing. Jessica takes her readers to the prominent Washington, D.C. area where her characters navigate through the complex world of family, in-laws, and love.
Jessica lives in Washington, D.C. with her husband. This is her first novel.
For more information on the book, check out www.jessica-gordon.com. Jessica can be reached at any time: jessica@jessica-gordon.com.
Connect with Jessica: Website, Facebook, Goodreads, Twitter
Buy the Book!
Amazon:
http://www.amazon.com/Becoming-Mrs-Walsh-ebook/dp/B009O3NO9I/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1357616042&sr=8-1&keywords=becoming+mrs+walsh
Barnes & Noble:
http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/becoming-mrs-walsh-jessica-gordon/1113576054?ean=2940044984059
Apple: Available in iBookstore accessed through iPad and iPhone
Smashwords includes (Sony Reader, Kobo, and most e-reading apps including Stanza, Aldiko, Adobe Digital Editions): http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/243474
**Everyone who leaves a comment Jessica’s tour page will be entered to win a $20 Amazon gift card! Anyone who purchases their copy of Becoming Mrs. Walsh before February 11 and sends their receipt to Samantha (at) ChickLitPlus (dot) com, will get five bonus entries.** Visit CLP Blog Tours for more information.
Thanks for hosting me today! So much fun!
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