Guest Post: Lauren Clark

This week I reviewed Lauren Clark's second novel Dancing Naked in Dixie for the CLP blog tour (check out the review here if you missed it). Lauren was kind enough to provide a guest post for Books Etc. In the post she gives us a play list for her novel! There are some great songs in here and I hope you enjoy the list as I did :) 

Dancing Naked in Dixie Top Ten Playlist

There's nothing like a little music to get a party started, and there's plenty to celebrate in Dancing Naked in Dixie.

From sultry slow-burns to five-alarm infernos, there's a song for every situation in the story--and I think that my Top Ten fits perfectly! So, grab this playlist, turn up the volume, and cozy up with a copy of Dancing Naked in Dixie to enjoy this countdown of seductive, heart-pounding, pulse-racing, blood-pumping songs.

DIXIE TOP TEN Playlist

1. Montgomery Gentry - My Town - Showcases the true pride people feel about their hometown. This song is so raw, honest, and heartfelt.

2. Zac Brown Band - Chicken Fried - There is nothing like the harmony on this song and the funky, funny lyrics that explain what Southerners love about the South.

3. Thompson Square - Are You Gonna Kiss Me or Not? - Another great song by a girl-guy duo. It's all about the heady anticipation of a first kiss -- great stuff!  Thompson Square has toured with Macon, Georgia's Jason Aldean.                                                                                                                                       

4. Sugarland a/Matt Nathanson - Run - Did you see this video from the 2011 CMA Awards? Amazing performance, amazing song. Great Chemistry between MN and Jennifer Nettles.

You turn, turn, turn, turning me on


Like a slow fire burn 


I know that it's wrong


Still I run, run, run, run right into you


5. Lady Antebellum - Just a Kiss - This makes me think about Shug and Julia ... with her leaving to go back to New York ... and both of them wrestling with admitting that they are "right" for each other.

6. The Band Perry - All Your Life - Everyone's heard "If I Die Young," but All Your Life is all about what people do for love. So romantic. The lyrics talk about "I don't want the whole world ... I just want to be the only girl you love all your life."

7. Blake Shelton - Drink On It - Okay, I included this one because Blake Shelton is awfully cute and I loved hearing him joke around on The Voice. The lyrics are adorable and have that sexy suggestion of getting together ... later.

8. Keith Urban - Somebody Like You­ - I had a hard time choosing from all of his great songs. I've seen Keith Urban in concert and he is so talented.

9. Jason Aldean & Kelly Clarkson - Don't You Want to Stay - I've loved Jason Aldean since he came onto the music scene a few years ago. He's best known for his country-rock songs, but his ballads are lovely and ache with feeling. Kelly Clarkson, of course, has a fabulous voice. Performed at the 2012 CMAs.

10. Lynyrd Skynard - Sweet Home Alabama - You can't get any better Southern Rock than this. You just can't.

What do you think? Any other great Southern songs to include on the DIXIE soundtrack?

Chick Lit Plus Blog Tour: Dancing Naked in Dixie

Welcome to a stop on the CLP Blog Tour for Dancing Naked in Dixie by Lauren Clark! I read Clark's first novel Stay Tuned awhile ago for another CLP Tour and really enjoyed it (see my review of that one here) so I was eager to sign up for this tour. Clark did not disappoint and delivered another enjoyable novel.

Here's what this book is all about:

Travel writer Julia Sullivan lives life in fast-forward. She jet sets to Europe and the Caribbean with barely a moment to blink or sleep. But too many mishaps and missed deadlines have Julia on the verge of being fired. 
With a stern warning, and unemployment looming, she's offered one last chance to rescue her career. Julia embarks on an unlikely journey to the ‘Heart of Dixie’—Eufaula, Alabama—home to magnificent mansions, sweet tea, and the annual Pilgrimage.
Julia arrives, soon charmed by the lovely city and her handsome host, but her stay is marred by a shocking discovery. Can Julia's story save her career, Eufaula, and the annual Pilgrimage?

This was the first of two books that I've read recently that featured a travel writer (the second you'll hear about later this month). Do you think the universe is trying to tell me something? Nah. I doubt it. :) So even though it wasn't a sign to switch careers, I love reading about travel writers. They seem to always have some sort of commitment issue that needs to be worked out and it allows for lots of pretty scenery along the way.

I think I needed more romance in this book. The focus of the book wasn't the love story but I think I needed just a bit more of a relationship between Julia and Shug. I knew they'd end up together but there weren't enough of those little moments for me. Or maybe it was that a situation came up that put his girlfriend out of the picture...it wasn't that he "chose" Julia as much as he liked her and then his girlfriend was conveniently out of the way. Sorry - it's hard to explain that without giving too much away!

My favourite part of this book was reading about Julia's journey. Her boss seems to know just what she needs to figure stuff out - even though he sort of has his own agenda. She's so unstable at the beginning of the book yet she doesn't quite realize that. It takes the wonderful folk in Eufaula to show her how to get back to solid ground.

Overall, I liked Dancing Naked in Dixie but I didn't love it. Have you ever read a book and wondered if you should have left it for a later date because you just weren't feeling it but knew you would normally enjoy it immensely? OK, that might just be me but that's how I felt about this one. I think many chick lit lovers would really like this one so I encourage you to pick up Lauren Clark's latest and find out for yourself. Check back on Friday when I have a guest post from Lauren!

Happy reading :)