The Unexpected Praise

Believe it or not I was going to write a blog about toe jam today. Surprisingly, I had about a million things to say on the topic, especially in light of the fact that I've been hunting down nasty smells wherever I go and have been suspecting random feet to be the culprit - the latest incident being cleared as a "butter" accident in the backseat of my mother's car, but I digress ...
Today I write a blog about unexpected praise instead, much to the delight of those of you screwing up your faces in horror at the initially proposed post. I now wander through the tides of mutual admiration with a fellow author, hand in hand as he compares me to Wonder Woman and comments on my witty repertoire. Oh yes. Since reading this entirely too flattering post I have been like the cat that caught the canary, licking my whiskered chops and fanning my flushed flesh after reading several paragraphs of author love.
Naturally it made me think, "Am I truly this awesome?"
The cheerleader in me was lifting her pom poms screaming Y. E. S - Yes! The pessimist in me was shaking her head and wondering, why the hell this fellow author would give a damn about my review of his book?
*wipes nervous sweat from brow* luckily I rated him well. Orders for super secret ninjas and Mexican hit men have been put on the back burner for now. And although I don't truly believe for a second that a bad review would've earned me a ... wait, I think I hear someone cocking a shotgun outside my window.
Kidding.
But, the sincerity of such a post made me realise how often our sometimes cavalier words can be valued or condemned by others. Of course I still think I talk a lot of sh#$t ninety percent of the time but I always try to ensure that the ten percent you do understand via my writing and Aussie slang is honest, fair and constructive. To have my opinions valued so highly was both an honor and an ever present responsibility I'd like to uphold for future authors and their reviews. Thanks, John Hundley - it's nice to be regarded as a professional in my field with views that inspire and incite compliments like "Berridge is a babe".
So in the true spirit of unexpected praise, I'd like to do a shout out to a few fellow authors that both inspire me with their writing,  their motivation to succeed and naturally, the super dooper nice things they say about me.
Ps - I'm not kidding about that guy outside my window, he now has a shotgun in one hand, a samurai sword in the other and a one eyed-cat staring me down with a switchblade in claw. Where does the agency find these miscreants?
Pps - you can check out the blog in question here

AUTHOR LOVE

John Hundley - The Draculata Nest & The Dragon of Doughton Park

Madison Daniel - Ember & Downpour

Donna Usher - The Seven Steps to Closure
TG Ayer - Dead Radiance & Dead Embers
James Garcia Jnr - Dance on Fire & Flashpoint

Chick Lit Plus Blog Tour - Donna Joy Usher

Today I have the fabulous Donna Joy Usher stopping by my blog as part of her international blog tour for her latest release novel "The Seven Steps to Closure". 
I have persuaded Donna to answer twenty random, silly but sometimes serious questions to delve a little deeper into the mind of this illustrious chick lit author! So please read on and  take a look at the previous review I compiled some months ago when I first got my hands on this great little number.

Kristy :)


Describe your novel in twenty words or less.

With help from her friends, 30 year old Tara goes on a quest to find closure on her failed marriage.
Haha – I did it! *Am jumping around the living room high fiving myself*

What were some of the biggest obstacles that you had to overcome while writing?

The Seven Steps to Closure is my debut novel, so I’m guessing I was plagued by the normal confidence problems of an inexperienced author. Probably convincing myself that what I was writing was interesting enough to make it worthwhile finishing was the hardest part.

Are you also a reader, and if so, what’s your preferred genre?

I’m an avid reader – as you’ll find out in question 15, and although I do love chick lit I also adore fantasy and horror.  The series I am currently working on is YA urban fantasy.

If you could have dinner with one person dead or alive, who would it be and why?

I’ve had a good, hard, 5 minute think about this and I would have to say Angelina Jolie. I really admire her as a philanthropist and humanitarian and I think she would be fascinating to talk to. Plus I’d be hoping hubby Brad might stick his head in to say hi.

Do you have any weird little habits that get you in the writing mood—downing a bottle of wine, eating an entire bar of chocolate, fornicating on a porch swing?

Geez – now you’ve got me thinking about porch swings. Maybe I should buy one? But until I give that a try I would have to say that I love nothing more than sipping a glass of Malborough Sav Blanc while I write in the evening. Ice-cream has also been known to do it for me and chocolate and a hot cup of tea works well. Okay - as long as it’s yummy I’m eating it while I write.

What sets your book apart from others in the same genre?

I think a lot of chick lit novels leave you with the impression that you can’t be happy without a partner, and that marriage is the be all and end all to life. My book is more about my protagonist, Tara, finding herself. Don’t get me wrong, there is some romance in there for her, but she realises along her journey that she has to be able to be happy by herself. I think that is an important message to take home.

Okay, so I bet you secretly hate one of the characters in your novel. Who is it and why?

No secret here – I despise her ex-husband Jake. He’s a downright, dirty, manipulating bastard. I hate those sorts of people.

You’re on death row and it’s your last meal. What will you choose to eat?

Okay – death row – so no need to worry about weight gain or food intolerances.
I’d start with some excellent salty blue cheese and crackers, before moving onto an entrée of seafood risotto with fresh parmesan, served with a bottle of savvy B. (I mean I am about to die, I may as well die happy.) Then for main I’d have a rack of lamb with roast vegetables and a bottle of Claire Valley Cabernet Sauvignon. I’d finish up with my special home-made caramel ice-cream topped with freshly roasted, salted macadamias served with a botrytis dessert wine. 
After that I’d be so full and drunk that I probably wouldn’t even notice my own demise. 

Tell us three crazy things about yourself that you wish no one else knew (I promise I won’t post this … but I lie).

When I was a small child I used to eat sand. I don’t know why – it just tasted good.
If I’ve had visitors staying for a while, when they leave I like to do a nude run throughout the house.
In winter I dress my dogs in fluffy pink jumpers – it keeps them warm and me amused.

Are you a scruncher or a folder? (Yes, this is a toilet paper question)

I’m a fruncher. I start out by folding the length of paper in half, then into quarters, but by then I’m out of time so I just scrunch it and use it like that.

If you had to pick one song to be the soundtrack to your novel, what would it be and why?

‘50 Ways to Say Goodbye’ by Train. I love this song so much, and it’s about having trouble saying goodbye and moving on, which sums up Tara at the start of the novel.

Do you have any future projects lined up that you want to tell us about?

Yep – I’ve just finished writing book 2 in The War Faery Series. I’m pretty excited about this as I love fantasy and it is so much fun to write. Plus I’ve started my next chick lit novel, Cocoa and Chanel, which will also slip into the crime genre.

E-book or paperback, what’s your preference?

I used to be hard core paperback until I got my kindle – now I love e-books. It’s fantastic not to have to lug around 10 books whenever I go on holidays. And as much as I have always enjoyed holding a book and turning the pages, the convenience of my kindle totally overrides that pleasure.

What books or authors have most influenced your writing style?

Marian Keyes and Janet Evanovich made me want to write chick lit. I love the edginess of Janet Evanovich’s books and Marian Keyes’ characters always have so much depth. I’ve also read the Twilight Series a number of times trying to analyse what makes Stephenie Meyers writing so compelling. 

15.          If you were stuck on a deserted Island would you choose:
a)            A total hottie to keep you company over the lonely nights ahead.
b)            A solar powered Kindle with limitless reading potential.
c)            Tom Hanks and Wilson to help get your ass off the Island.

Geez – Hard call…. I’d really like to say a) a total hottie, and make myself sound really exciting, but I’ve been working so hard lately I’d actually pay to be shipwrecked on a deserted island with b) a solar powered kindle with limitless reading potential.

Where can we find you?

Blog/Website: You can find me at www.DonnaJoyUsher.com
Twitter: @DonnaJoyUsher
Facebook: Donna Joy Usher - The Author

Who has been your biggest support on your writing journey, and please, feel free to add my name here …

I’m not brown nosing here but you have been, and continue to be, one of my biggest supports. My Mum would have to be my number one fan though, and she is a huge support always reading my blogs and guest posts before I publish them.

What is one of your favourite scenes from your novel? Feel free to provide a small excerpt to entice the readers.

Hmmmm, there are so many scenes I love in my book - I still get emotional whenever I read the ending,  and there are so many places I still laugh. Here I’ll give you a snippet that won’t spoil the story for you.

(Excerpt)
Ahhhh, the joys of clothes shopping: the smell of the leather shoes, the feel of the fabrics under my fingertips, the sight of my dimpled white ass glowing in the fluorescent lighting. I was a vision to behold in the outfit I had just squeezed into. It had taken me a good five minutes to get the pants up. I had struggled and jumped up and down in the dressing room, until the sales assistant - hearing the moaning and groaning - had come to the door to see if I was all right. 
'I'm just great,' I said in my best now-piss-off-and-leave-me-alone voice.
'How does it look?' asked Elaine brightly, from the other side of the door.
'Fine and dandy, if you like muffin tops.'
'How bad can it be?'
'You have no idea.'
'Are you ready to show me?'
'Promise not to laugh.'
‘You know I can’t promise that,’ she said.
I undid the lock and opened the door just enough to give one of Elaine's eyes access to the disaster in the change room.
'Oh dear,' she said on viewing the pants. 
 I had pulled them up as far as possible but the zip was only one inch long. I mean seriously how were you meant to wear these? 
Exactly what body shape had they been designed for? 
'Jump up and down,' she said.
I jumped about five centimetres off the ground a couple of times. I could feel the part of me flowing over the top of the waistband wobbling on when the rest of me had stopped. It was disconcerting.
'Bend over.’ Elaine was obviously curious as to how far we could push the limits of the shiny, disco club material. I bent over as far as I could without ripping open the back of the pants, which was not very far. When I stood back up, a small amount of pubic hair popped over the top of the pants. I saw Elaine's eyebrows shoot up as she started giggling.
Unfortunately the shop assistant chose that exact moment to join Elaine, and pulled open the door to get a better look. I squealed in horror and held both hands over the offending tuft of hair. Elaine was doing her darndest not to laugh out loud. Her eyes were filled with barely suppressed mirth and her face was turning as red as mine felt. She probably would have made it, if the sales assistant hadn't chosen that precise moment to say, 'Mmmm. They look quite nice.'

If you had to cast your characters, who would you reconcile to play their parts?

This was a hard one but here goes:
Tara – Kristen Wiig (Annie from Bridesmaids)
Jake – Derek Shepard (Mc Dreamy) - he’s got the correct look for this part.
Matt – Without a doubt Daniel Craig - more because I’d like to stalk him on the film set than any other reason. Yummy!
Elaine – Wendi McLendon-Covey (Rita from Bridesmaids)
Dinah – Emily Blunt (The Adjustment Bureau)
Natalie – Katherine Heigl
Tash – Malin Akerman 

Any last words? (feel free to write Kristy Berridge is super awesome right here)

I just want to thank you for hosting me on your blog, even though I know this is not your normal genre. And I want to let your readers know that if they buy a copy of my book during the tour - it’s only $3.99 on kindle - to make sure they send a copy of their receipt to ChickLitPlus.com for five chances in a draw to win a $25 amazon card. There’s two to be won.

Follow Friday #46

Happy Friday everyone!

Yes, it’s that time of week again where bloggers unite to participate in the Follow Friday venture. The idea behind #FF is to promote traffic to your own blog, make new friends with other like-minded bloggers and discuss new and interesting topics each week.

Participating is simple. First you need to follow my blog because I’m totally awesome, then you can follow me on Twitter @kristyberridge (actually you don’t have to do this, it’s wishful thinking), but do follow my blog or assassins will get you …

Then you must follow our illustrious hosts Rachel of http://www.parajunkee.com/ and Alison of http://www.alisoncanread.com/ If you want more details on how to enter your own blog in the follow and hop, all directions are on their webpages

Now, once you’ve followed, check out my answer to this week’s questions and don’t forget to leave a comment so I can do the right thing and follow you back!

This week's question: When you step out of your USUAL genre what do you like to read? Best books in that genre?

My answer: Well, I must admit that I never really step outside the supernatural genre. There's just something pretty special about diving into the world of horror and make believe. I never seem to get sick of vampires, werewolves, magic, angels or demons - probably why I write books paying tribute to my passion.

So, with that being said, the most recent jaunt outside my comfort zone was immersing myself in the world of ChickLit - books about romance, girl talk, shopping and moral dilemmas. Think Sex in the City!

And, I've recently read an author's debut novel called "The Seven Steps to Closure" by Donna Joy Usher. With quite a few laugh out loud moments and an endearing protagonist, I can honestly say I thoroughly enjoyed this ChickLit jaunt. You can read my review here!

Follow Friday #36

Happy Friday everyone!

Yes, it’s that time of week again where bloggers unite to participate in the Follow Friday venture. The idea behind #FF is to promote traffic to your own blog, make new friends with other like-minded bloggers and discuss new and interesting topics each week.

Participating is simple. First you need to follow my blog because I’m totally awesome, then you can follow me on Twitter @kristyberridge (actually you don’t have to do this, it’s wishful thinking), but do follow my blog or assassins will get you …

Then you must follow our illustrious hosts Rachel of http://www.parajunkee.com/ and Alison of http://www.alisoncanread.com/ If you want more details on how to enter your own blog in the follow and hop, all directions are on their webpages

Now, once you’ve followed, check out my answer to this week’s questions and don’t forget to leave a comment so I can do the right thing and follow you back!

This week's question: Jumping genres: Ever pick up a book from a genre you usually don't like and loved it? Tell us about it and why you picked it up in the first place.

My answer: Ooh, this is a fantastic question because litterally just finished reading two books that I would never ordinarily pick up. One of them is a Chick-Lit story called 'The Seven Steps to Closure' by Donna Joy Usher which I have recently reviewed here. And the other was Fifty Shades of Grey which I also strangely enjoyed. I will have a review of that one posted early next week.

So why did I pick them up? Well, I don't actually have great reasons. I was reccommended The Seven Steps to Closure and I thought, give it a go, and with Fifty Shades of Grey I wanted to see what all the bloody fuss was about. 
It clearly just goes to show that sometimes it's a good idea to step outside of your comfort zone and try something new. You never can tell when something fabulous is going to jump out at you from the page!


Happy Friday!


Kristy :)

Book Review: The Seven Steps to Closure by Donna Joy Usher

Let me just start off by saying that I don't usually do Chick-Lit. I've never been really interested in girly dramas, boy bantering, and the inevitable over-discussed shopping sprees. I'm a supernatural fiction fan all the way - horror, suspense, a smattering of romance, and of course, vampires! So, when the Seven Steps to Closure was recommended to me by a friend, I thought to myself. Come on, woman, be brave, try something new, particularly in light of the good press it's so far receiving.
Alas, I downloaded this little bargain from kindle for $2.99 and sat back with a dubious expression undoubtedly planted across my face. But, as I was slowly woven into the world of Tara Babcock and her endearing friends, I found myself, shall we say ... hooked.
Yes, imagine my surprise as I laughed continuously at this seemingly disastrous protagonist, her psychologically deranged pets, and her saddened yet eternally optimistic view of her less than perfect dating experiences.
Let me lay it out for you quickly. Tara Babcock has had a rough year. Her philandering husband is out of the picture but her heart persists on dragging its ventricles, unable to obtain closure. Cue three very different, yet well-meaning friends and you have Tara with a new mission - obtaining the seven steps to closure thanks to an elaborate article in a gossip magazine. Get a new haircut, get a new wardrobe, start a new hobby, have meaningless sex (yes, you heard me), travel to an exotic destination, have meaningful sex (yes, you heard me twice), and obtain closure.
It all sounds pretty straight forward, doesn't it? Not with Tara at the helm.
Needless to say the author cleverly explores Tara's progress through each chapter, shaping the character into the disastrous but endearing creature that makes you smile at every witty one-liner and inevitable upset. Flanked by a smartly interwoven sub-plot pertaining to each individual friend and you have more than just a story surrounding one desperate woman's journey to leave the past behind. Throw in a trip to India and all the idiosyncrasies that come with stolen shoes, crazy bandits, Dehli Belly, and ... meaningful sex - you have yourself a very entertaining little novel.
My only criticism is that sometimes the protagonist does highlight a little too much background information on elements that do not necessarily add to the story, simply slow it down. There was also a small lack of interchanging expressions and emotions from character interaction, but this in no way dimmed my enjoyment of this novel. From a self-published author I am extremely impressed by the attention to detail and the clear passion shown in research and character development. Overall, I can honestly say that I loved this book and will probably read more from this author in the future.
I will happily give it five fangs for surprising the hell out of me and proving me wrong about chick-lit!


Synopsis:
Tara Babcock awakes the morning after her thirtieth birthday with a hangover that could kill an elephant, and the knowledge she is still no closer to achieving closure on her marriage break up. Things go from bad to worse when she discovers that, not only is her ex-husband engaged to her cousin - Tash, the woman her left her for - but that Jake is also running for the Lord Mayor of Sydney.
Desperate to leave the destructive relationship behind and with nothing else to lose, she decides, with the encouragement of her three best friends, to follow the dubious advice from a magazine article - closure in seven easy steps.


Kristy :)