It’s International Chick Lit Month and guess what? I have something special for you. To kick off this month of celebrating books that make us laugh, love, and cry, I’ve lined up several chick lit authors who knock my socks off to share what they love about the genre of chick lit as well as some extra fun for readers.
Today the fabulous Canadian-turned-Brit, Talli Roland, author of Build a Man and The Pollyanna Plan (among several others) is here to chat about chick lit romance and what she loves about it. (If you haven’t given Talli a shot, download a free copy of her novella The Miracle at the Museum of Broken Hearts–I love how she turns around broken hearts and dream believers into a happily ever after. Awww. As well, you’ll LOVE The Pollyanna Plan which includes the point of view from a very hunky, sweet, but wounded hero–you can win your own copy!)
Win an eCopy of The Pollyanna Plan! (And check out her other fun reads as well.)
And before you go today, be sure to leave a comment after the interview below as Talli is giving away two ecopies of The Pollyanna Plan to commenters (I’m reading it right now and it is FABuLOUS). Read on to find out how you could win!
Interview with Author Talli Roland
Jean/The Lovebug Blog: When were you first introduced to chick lit or romance? Who was your first chick lit or romance love?
Talli Roland: I didn’t identify it as chick lit at the time, but the first author I came across was Sophie Kinsella and the Shopaholic series. I loved that Becky was fallible yet lovable, and that she was trying hard to find her way in the world.
Jean: What do you enjoy most about writing chick lit?
Talli: I really like that the genre focuses on a woman’s growth and development through actions of her own, and not necessarily because of a relationship, like typical romances. Chick lit is often degraded as high heels and shopping, and while there’s nothing wrong with those elements, it can also address more serious issues in a light-hearted way, too.
Jean:Chick lit is best known for to-die-for shoes, career traumas & drama, handsome heroes, and best friends. In what ways does your own life resemble chick lit right now?
Talli:Um . . . given I have a four-month-old baby, not much – unless the drama involves a screaming child! The genre is evolving to include more elements than the stereotypical ones, though, and I think that’s a great thing. Women aren’t just chocolate and cupcakes, and there’s no reason why chick lit can’t reflect the diversity of their lives. Tweet this!
Jean: When you write the happily-ever-after scenes in your books do you ever get the heart gooshies? (Those weird tingles and ooey-gooey patters in your chest?) Which of your happily ever after scenes is your favourite?
Talli:To be completely honest, I’d prefer not to always wrap up everything with a happy ending. I’m a fan of ambiguous endings! Whenever I’ve tried to end a novel on an uncertain note, though, I’ve received a huge thumbs-down from critique partners and beta readers. I do like the ending of The Pollyanna Plan, though. I won’t give anything away, but it does conclude on a positive note!
Jean: In your new book (which readers can WIN!) The Pollyanna Plan, the heroine Emma changes the way she looks at life in hopes of turning her life around–and finding true love. Have you ever changed the way you looked at life with great (or not-so-great) results?
Talli: I have! After a few years of toiling in the corporate world, I became very disillusioned with the thought of working to live. I quit my job, sold my car and possessions, and moved to Poland to teach English. It was a bit crazy, but I’m so glad I took the plunge. I never went back to the corporate life again!
Win The Pollyanna Plan by commenting below! Don’t miss out on this great read! (And check out her other fun reads.)
More about Chick Lit Author Talli Roland
Talli Roland writes fun, romantic fiction. Born and raised in Canada, Talli now lives in London, where she savours the great cultural life (coffee and wine).
Despite training as a journalist, Talli soon found she preferred making up her own stories–complete with happy endings. Talli’s debut novel The Hating Game was short-listed for Best Romantic Read at the UK’s Festival of Romance, while her second, Watching Willow Watts, was selected as an Amazon Customer Favourite. Her novels have also been chosen as top books of the year by industry review websites and have been bestsellers in Britain and the United States. The Pollyanna Plan is her latest release.
How to Win a Free eCopy of The Pollyanna Plan by Talli Roland
Want to WIN an ecopy of The Pollyanna Plan? (It is a FANTASTIC read that will have your heart aching for Emma and Will.) Here’s how to win a copy for your ereading device:
Backstory:
Emma, a “realist,” tries living like a Pollyanna–seeing the positive in everything–and her whole life literally changes. When she gets scared by the sunshine and roses point of view, and realizing that it isn’t the end-all, be-all, she discovers that somewhere along the way she’s changed and she can’t go back to Gloomy Pants Realist either. The old Emma has changed and is gone. You know, the phrase… you can never go back? Without giving too much away, that’s what’s happened to Emma.
If you think about it, it happens every day. We change. We can’t go back. Here’s the question we’d love to hear your answer to: Have you ever tried to go ‘back’ and found you couldn’t? What happened? (It can be small or big!) Tell us about it below and win! (Every story is an entry to win!) Giveaway is open until Monday, May 20th at 9PMish Mountain Time here in ol’ Canada.
THE GIVEAWAY IS NOW CLOSED. WINNERS BY RANDOM DRAW WERE EVELYN AND SIMI. CONGRATULATIONS! I HOPE YOU ENJOY THE POLLYANNA PLAN AS MUCH AS I DID. THE WINNERS WILL BE NOTIFIED BY EMAIL AND IF YOU DIDN’T WIN, YOU CAN PICK UP A COPY AT AMAZON.COM–IT’S ON SALE!!!! 🙂
And thank you for offering my lovely readers two copies of your book, Talli. It’s such a fun read about changing the way you think to open up your world so you can receive what you really need (and want).
I’ll go first in sharing a story about not being able to go back.
I have a ton of them from my growing up years but the most marked turn was when I was 18. I went and travelled Europe with friends for a month after high school. When I got back, I moved from the farm where I grew up and worked alongside my parents, to the mountains where I worked as a ski instructor at a major resort and crammed myself into an overpriced, tiny apartment with roommates from all over the world.
After the ski season was over (and 200 days of skiing!) I went back to the farm before I headed to university. Those four months… Oh man. My parents and I fought enough I got kicked out of the house–we’d always got along before then–I argued my case for a raise as well as a bonus like other employees received and I got back together with my boyfriend from high school. But none of it was me any longer. I’d changed. Things could not go back to how they were.
And so I went to university in the fall and kept on the new path I had laid out for myself. And I loved every second of it. It was a really difficult summer for me but it was worth it in the end. I like who I am and what I am doing and I’m much stronger for having gone through that summer. (As gamers call it–I leveled up a few times!) As well, my parents and I have returned to having a really strong bond.
You know… thinking about this… I’m a lot like Emma from The Pollyanna Plan!
Thanks for stopping by, Jemi. I love how she used the setting and places that the characters live in The Pollyanna Plan. Their settings become a reflection of who they are. Priceless!
The book looks like so much fun! I’m glad that chick lit is expanding beyond its traditional subjects- although who doesn’t love shoes and chocolate.
My story is less dramatic than Jeans. I went into every relationship I had like a starry eyed Cinderella expecting a prince. I finally ended up dating a jerk. He wasn’t abusive or anything, just ecckk. He was so condescending. I remember finally realizing I was more powerful than he was but I had to own it. After that I had a much more adult perspective in relationships, seeing the real person instead of their potential.
I am from Canada too and I’ve been here since 2000. I last went home about 9 years ago and found everything had changed so much. It made me really sad for my old life. Not that I wanted thtpat back but that it had moved on without me. I haven’t been home since and I’m not really sure I would go back again…
I adore Talli and would really really love to win the book! Xxxx
Isn’t going home again so… weird? When I lived out on the farm it seemed as though nothing ever changed. The first few years I was away and came back for visits it seemed like everything was always changing. Even my relationships with friends were different because our daily happenings as a source of reference were different. So crazy! Nothing changes until you leave! (Or so it seems.) 😀
So many times I feel people think about the past or things they had and wish they could go back. We all have ever changing lives and going back isn’t something we should do – along with looking back. We used to have a ton of stuff – a very large home packed full. We were hit by the recession a few years back and forced to liquidate most of it. During the time I felt our life was over – I worked so hard the last few years to try to get all of the stuff, only to realize when I started buying some of the items again, I no longer wanted them – they were clutter. For several years I wanted to go back, strived to go back and once given the opportunity, made the choice not to.
That’s a beautiful story, Carol. I’m sorry you were hit by hard times, but it sounds as though it has left you with more room in your life for new things.
Well put about how our lives are ever changing. Thank you for sharing your story.
Fun interview, girls…and OH HOW I LOVE CHICK LIT!! If I ever wander from YA it’s going to be right to the chick lit market.
I’m not sure that this is what you were looking for, but I’ve had a lot of fun/memorable experiences with…alcohol. HA!! Try as you might, you can never repeat that one 4th of July camping trip where a neighboring camper came running through your camp screaming for someone named David. Under different circumstances, (sober) you’d threaten to kill that kid for running through your site at midnight–but that night it was hysterical. *reminiscent sigh*
Thanks, Christina, for stopping by. Talli’s story is great in how she flipped around a character and made Emma’s tough situations into something wonderful. I think that’s part of why I connected with it.
Being new to the writer world, I’ve not had the opportunity to read an of Talli’s books, so if I won a copy I’d be SO delighted! 😀 The only chick lit I’ve ever heard of was like what you’d said…shoes, city girls, maybe a little shallow…but cute stories. I never have tried chick lit because I didn’t think I’d be able to relate to it since I’me not really obsessed with buying purses or shoes. Talli’s books sound like something I might actually be able to relate to.
As far as a story about not being able to go back….
I went to a farm that I used to board my horse in the summers when I was in high school. The man that owned the farm had died, but we got to talk to his wife which was like a second mom to me then. It was so sad walking around the barn knowing that all the horses were gone and that he was gone. He was such a spark of energy my whole life. When he was diagnosed with Parkinson’s and then Alzheimer’s, I couldn’t bring myself to go to see him because I knew it would taint the memories I had of him when he was healthy. I felt like it was so selfish of me. But to this day when I think of him, I see that spark in those dark brown eyes of a new idea he would think of or him hugging me around my shoulders when he saw me getting out of my car to come and ride my horse.
Suzanne, I think you’d really enjoy The Pollyanna Plan. You’ll laugh and cry and cheer for Emma moving forward.
Your story is definitely a story of not being able to go back. That would be so hard to go through as a teen. In a way it is a state of mourning when someone close to you becomes seriously ill. I’m glad you have many fond memories.
Thanks for the giveaway. The book sounds exciting. Is it open for international readers too? I’m from India. I would love to win and read it. I love chick-lits.
Maybe it’ll sound silly but for last 2-3 years, I was wishing if I could go back to my childhood again. Life seemed so simple then. No worries. Parents were taking care of me like I was their little princess, their top-most priority. A caring mom. A loving father. Who wants more? But now I miss their soothing words. I can’t express myself to them that I want to be loved again, to be hold again, to be told that if I ask for the moon, they’ll give me the moon even. After stepping into the real practical world, I now know that even though our parents love us the most in the whole world, even though they wish all the obstacles in our path should face them instead of us, they are unable to do that. It breaks their hearts that their kids are suffering but still you’ll find them supporting you whenever you need them, holding your hands to take your pain away. I feel shy to express my love for them but in my heart, they are my one and only God.
Simi, that is a beautiful story and so well expressed. It is difficult going out in the world when we’re used to protection of our parents. And yes, because the books are ebooks this is open to international readers. 🙂 Thanks for sharing your story.
Thank you so much for hosting me today, Jean!
And thank you for offering my lovely readers two copies of your book, Talli. It’s such a fun read about changing the way you think to open up your world so you can receive what you really need (and want).
I’ll go first in sharing a story about not being able to go back.
I have a ton of them from my growing up years but the most marked turn was when I was 18. I went and travelled Europe with friends for a month after high school. When I got back, I moved from the farm where I grew up and worked alongside my parents, to the mountains where I worked as a ski instructor at a major resort and crammed myself into an overpriced, tiny apartment with roommates from all over the world.
After the ski season was over (and 200 days of skiing!) I went back to the farm before I headed to university. Those four months… Oh man. My parents and I fought enough I got kicked out of the house–we’d always got along before then–I argued my case for a raise as well as a bonus like other employees received and I got back together with my boyfriend from high school. But none of it was me any longer. I’d changed. Things could not go back to how they were.
And so I went to university in the fall and kept on the new path I had laid out for myself. And I loved every second of it. It was a really difficult summer for me but it was worth it in the end. I like who I am and what I am doing and I’m much stronger for having gone through that summer. (As gamers call it–I leveled up a few times!) As well, my parents and I have returned to having a really strong bond.
You know… thinking about this… I’m a lot like Emma from The Pollyanna Plan!
YAY! 2 of my favourite people in the same place!!! 🙂
I love Talli’s writing – her characters are awesome and the situations they get themselves into are priceless!!
Thanks for stopping by, Jemi. I love how she used the setting and places that the characters live in The Pollyanna Plan. Their settings become a reflection of who they are. Priceless!
The book looks like so much fun! I’m glad that chick lit is expanding beyond its traditional subjects- although who doesn’t love shoes and chocolate.
My story is less dramatic than Jeans. I went into every relationship I had like a starry eyed Cinderella expecting a prince. I finally ended up dating a jerk. He wasn’t abusive or anything, just ecckk. He was so condescending. I remember finally realizing I was more powerful than he was but I had to own it. After that I had a much more adult perspective in relationships, seeing the real person instead of their potential.
Evelyn, that sounds like one of those internal changes that goes ‘ping!’ inside and you get a sudden insight into who you are.
And yes, I love chocolate too!
I am from Canada too and I’ve been here since 2000. I last went home about 9 years ago and found everything had changed so much. It made me really sad for my old life. Not that I wanted thtpat back but that it had moved on without me. I haven’t been home since and I’m not really sure I would go back again…
I adore Talli and would really really love to win the book! Xxxx
Thanks for your story, Trish.
Isn’t going home again so… weird? When I lived out on the farm it seemed as though nothing ever changed. The first few years I was away and came back for visits it seemed like everything was always changing. Even my relationships with friends were different because our daily happenings as a source of reference were different. So crazy! Nothing changes until you leave! (Or so it seems.) 😀
So many times I feel people think about the past or things they had and wish they could go back. We all have ever changing lives and going back isn’t something we should do – along with looking back. We used to have a ton of stuff – a very large home packed full. We were hit by the recession a few years back and forced to liquidate most of it. During the time I felt our life was over – I worked so hard the last few years to try to get all of the stuff, only to realize when I started buying some of the items again, I no longer wanted them – they were clutter. For several years I wanted to go back, strived to go back and once given the opportunity, made the choice not to.
That’s a beautiful story, Carol. I’m sorry you were hit by hard times, but it sounds as though it has left you with more room in your life for new things.
Well put about how our lives are ever changing. Thank you for sharing your story.
Fun interview, girls…and OH HOW I LOVE CHICK LIT!! If I ever wander from YA it’s going to be right to the chick lit market.
I’m not sure that this is what you were looking for, but I’ve had a lot of fun/memorable experiences with…alcohol. HA!! Try as you might, you can never repeat that one 4th of July camping trip where a neighboring camper came running through your camp screaming for someone named David. Under different circumstances, (sober) you’d threaten to kill that kid for running through your site at midnight–but that night it was hysterical. *reminiscent sigh*
Too funny, Bethany! Apparently David couldn’t go back to his campsite. 😉
Wonderful story! I love how you’ve taken things that are tough and made something into it.
Thanks, Christina, for stopping by. Talli’s story is great in how she flipped around a character and made Emma’s tough situations into something wonderful. I think that’s part of why I connected with it.
Being new to the writer world, I’ve not had the opportunity to read an of Talli’s books, so if I won a copy I’d be SO delighted! 😀 The only chick lit I’ve ever heard of was like what you’d said…shoes, city girls, maybe a little shallow…but cute stories. I never have tried chick lit because I didn’t think I’d be able to relate to it since I’me not really obsessed with buying purses or shoes. Talli’s books sound like something I might actually be able to relate to.
As far as a story about not being able to go back….
I went to a farm that I used to board my horse in the summers when I was in high school. The man that owned the farm had died, but we got to talk to his wife which was like a second mom to me then. It was so sad walking around the barn knowing that all the horses were gone and that he was gone. He was such a spark of energy my whole life. When he was diagnosed with Parkinson’s and then Alzheimer’s, I couldn’t bring myself to go to see him because I knew it would taint the memories I had of him when he was healthy. I felt like it was so selfish of me. But to this day when I think of him, I see that spark in those dark brown eyes of a new idea he would think of or him hugging me around my shoulders when he saw me getting out of my car to come and ride my horse.
Suzanne, I think you’d really enjoy The Pollyanna Plan. You’ll laugh and cry and cheer for Emma moving forward.
Your story is definitely a story of not being able to go back. That would be so hard to go through as a teen. In a way it is a state of mourning when someone close to you becomes seriously ill. I’m glad you have many fond memories.
Thanks for the giveaway. The book sounds exciting. Is it open for international readers too? I’m from India. I would love to win and read it. I love chick-lits.
Maybe it’ll sound silly but for last 2-3 years, I was wishing if I could go back to my childhood again. Life seemed so simple then. No worries. Parents were taking care of me like I was their little princess, their top-most priority. A caring mom. A loving father. Who wants more? But now I miss their soothing words. I can’t express myself to them that I want to be loved again, to be hold again, to be told that if I ask for the moon, they’ll give me the moon even. After stepping into the real practical world, I now know that even though our parents love us the most in the whole world, even though they wish all the obstacles in our path should face them instead of us, they are unable to do that. It breaks their hearts that their kids are suffering but still you’ll find them supporting you whenever you need them, holding your hands to take your pain away. I feel shy to express my love for them but in my heart, they are my one and only God.
Simi, that is a beautiful story and so well expressed. It is difficult going out in the world when we’re used to protection of our parents. And yes, because the books are ebooks this is open to international readers. 🙂 Thanks for sharing your story.
This giveaway is now closed. Stay tuned to find out who won!!
Just popped in to say thanks for highlighting Talli’s journey into chick lit.
Thanks for stopping in, Cat! (Cat writes amazing short stories and is working on some new projects that everyone will LOVE! Go, Cat!)
That was a fun interview!
Thanks! I’m glad you enjoyed it.