Today I have the lovely Cari Kamm on the blog with a guest post to celebrate the release of her new novel, For Internal Use Only. I read her first novel, Fake Perfect Me, and really enjoyed it (you can check out the review here) so I'm excited to get the chance to read this one. Have fun with this guest post and stay tuned for my review of this novel!
Chick Lit is more than just a pretty face. This is why I don’t judge a book by its pink cover. Chick Lit might be a quick read, light-hearted, and simply entertaining. But Chick Lit can spotlight characters with real issues that women face such as heartbreak, addiction, sibling & friend rivalry, negative body image & eating disorders, and even infidelity. In my latest novel, For Internal Use Only, the topic is the desire to find true love. In other words; living your fairy tale.
Life inspires me to create a character. This character leads
me to produce the outline of the story I have in mind. Then over several
months, I begin to realize where the characters are taking me. When a theme
moves me, I sketch out an outline breaking down Act I, II & III and write
up descriptions of the characters. Then, I just write. I
don’t look back. I don’t reread. I would say it’s a crappy first draft and then
I spend months on revising – editing – revising – editing.
Writing isn’t my job. It’s my daily habit. I begin first
thing in the morning. I make coffee and hit the keys. Writing is my big morning
stretch. I write from anywhere, anytime, and on anything. A notebook, a
cocktail napkin, or even taking a photo of a person, place or thing that
inspired me. I take a lot of photos to capture details that I want to write
about later and add into a scene or character description. I love being
surrounded by music, strangers, voices… simply just life. Throughout my own
daily life, a moment may capture me and I think, “Wow... my character would eat
that, do that, say that, adore that.”
I write a lot in New York City and also on my family’s ranch
in West Virginia. Traveling pushes me as a writer in my descriptions. For
example, in my first novel, Fake Perfect Me, the scenes in Italy where Isabella
Reynolds is enjoying a creamy burratta in Rome... I wrote that scene while
doing that exact thing. In my latest novel, For Internal Use Only, I was a
passenger in a car on a major interstate in Atlanta writing a similar scene
with my protagonist Chloe.
The plot, the characters, and the setting are all inspired
from my daily life once I’ve created a character. I don’t go searching for
inspiration, I prefer to bump into the unexpected beauty of life. Whether it is
spotting a shadow, hearing a whistle, or walking through dog poop on the street
because I was distracted with a scene idea (It’s
happened!).
In November 2012, I participated in National Novel Writing Month
and completed my third book. It’s my first romance novel! While traveling in
Costa Rica last year, I had a dream, the theme for this new novel. I woke up at
5:00 a.m. and scribbled every memory of it that I could. I hope to release it
later this year.
About the Author
Cari Kamm has worked in the beauty industry for over a
decade, building brands, working behind the scenes, and even selling her own
skin care line. She has a master’s in clinical nutrition from New York
University. Kamm currently works in corporate social media management with
clients in the beauty, fashion, and restaurant industries. Living in New York
City with her mutt Schmutz, Kamm loves finding inspiration in the most
unexpected places, being a novelist, and convincing her fiancé that ordering takeout
and making dinner reservations are equal to cooking. More information can be
found on her website, CariKamm.com. To check out the book trailer, click here: http://tinyurl.com/bdr7bfn.
I just want to congratulate Cari Kamm on the publication of her second novel AND on the great job she's done marketing this book. This is the way to do a book tour!
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