Author Interview: Rachel Schurig

It's my final stop on the CLP Blog Tour for In Search of a Love Story by Rachel Schurig. I've already reviewed the novel (loved it!) and Rachel has given us a great guest post on why she loves writing chick lit. Today I give you an interview with Rachel herself! I hope you like it!

Favourite movie?

Probably the Emma Thompson/Kate Winslet version of Sense and Sensibility. I think I've seen that movie a hundred times.

Favourite author/book?

Jane Austen is definitely my favorite author. I like just about all of her novels, but would have to choose Pride and Prejudice as my favorite. I want to find my own Mr. Darcy!

Favourite (or dream) travel destination?

There are so many places I still want to see! My favorite place that I've been able to visit already is probably Edinburgh, Scotland. It’s so beautiful there!

Favourite indulgence (food to eat, store to shop in, etc.)?

A nice big bowl of pasta and a glass of wine. And a piece of chocolate for dessert!

How did you come up with the idea for In Search of a Love Story?

I'm a big fan of all things romance—movies, books, you name it. I wanted to write a story about a girl who learns about love from all of the romance stuff I like so much.

What do you like about writing a series?

I feel like you really get a chance to get to know your characters over a series. I love returning to the same world I've created to see where else I can take it.

What advice would you give to aspiring authors?

Read as much as you can. Write as much as you can. Practice, practice, practice. Lots of people want to write but the only way to make it happen is to sit down and do it. I promise you won’t regret it!

Are you an outliner or a write by the seat of your pants author?

I do some of both. I make a general outline then sit down and see where the story and the characters want to go.

Have you always wanted to be a writer?

Yes I have. I went through a long stretch where I stopped writing because I didn't think I could ever make it. I'm so glad I gave myself a chance!

What is your favourite and least favourite thing about being an author?

My favorite thing is getting lost in the story. Sometimes when I'm writing I completely forget where I am and what I'm doing. I love that feeling of being completely immersed in the book. I also LOVE talking to readers. Nothing makes me happier! My least favorite thing is the polishing process. Doing those nitpicky edits and working on the book’s synopsis drives me crazy!

Thanks so much for having me!

Connect with Rachel!

Visit Rachel at http://rachelschurig.com

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Guest Post: Rachel Schurig

Earlier this week I reviewed the fabulous novel In Search of a Love Story by Rachel Schurig for a CLP Blog Tour. (Missed my review? You can check it out here.) I am happy to announce that Rachel is here today with a great guest post! When looking into what else Rachel had written I realized I wanted to know: Why chick lit? What makes this her favourite genre to read and write? I hope you all enjoy this post. I definitely did!

Ever since I first read Bridget Jones’ Diary I've been pretty much addicted to chick lit. I will seriously read just about any chick lit novel I can get my hands on. I'm a serious reader who loves collecting books to re-read over and over again. My home office has four bookcases with one whole bookcase is dedicated to chick lit. Some of my favorite authors and favorite books are chick lit. I think it was a pretty natural transition for me to start writing in the genre as well.

So, what is chick lit, anyhow? I can’t tell you how often I'm asked that question by people unfamiliar with the genre. If you ask five authors that same question, chances are you’ll get five different answers. I keep it simple when describing chick lit. In my mind, chick lit is any novel with a strong female protagonist, a strong romantic element, and a humorous and/or light feel. The biggest difference, in my humble opinion, between chick lit and straight romance is that chick lit focuses primarily on the protagonist and her journey whereas a romance novel focuses more on the romance element. A chick lit book is more likely to deal with issues relating to the main character’s career, her family, and her relationships. I think there’s a misconception that all chick lit is completely fluffy and candy-coated with an overabundance of stilettos and shopping. While I like shoes and shopping as much as the next person, I think there’s definitely room in chick lit to deal with more serious subjects.

Marian Keyes, author of such chick lit classics as Watermelon and This Charming Man, is one of my favorite authors, and she definitely doesn't stick to the light and fluffy. She tackles issues like domestic violence, drug addiction, alcoholism, cheating, and infertility. Emily Giffin (Something Borrowed, Where We Belong) has written about infidelity and teenage pregnancy. Harriet Evans (Happily Ever After, I Remember You), has addressed such complicated issues as alcoholism and abortion. But each of these authors, and many others like them, somehow manage to write about these issues in a way that is both humorous and fun. To me, that is the mark of a good chick lit read.

I remember reading Bridget Jones’s Diary the first time and thinking, this is how my friends talk. Helen Fielding gave Bridget such a strong voice; she felt like a girl I knew, a girl I would want to hang out with. She felt like me. I think that’s what brings me back to the genre again and again; the relate-ability. Chick lit is generally told with a very strong narrative voice. A good author can bring you right into the protagonist’s head. You know how she feels about her life, about her friends, about her romantic experiences. Before long, she starts to feel like a friend.

That’s what I always try to accomplish in my books. I look to create a mix of light-heartedness, humor, and struggle to succeed for the main character. In my new book, In Search of a Love Story, Emily Donovan is searching for love with the help of her friends. She’s also struggling to find success in her career, deal with the lingering effects of the loss of her mother, and, perhaps most importantly, find her own voice. My hope is that I've created a character that people can relate to, and a story that’s enjoyable to read. Because really, isn't that what chick lit is all about?

CLP Blog Tour: In Search of a Love Story

Thanks for stopping by my tour stop for In Search of a Love Story by Rachel Schurig. I was so intrigued by this book when I first heard of the CLP Blog Tour that I immediately signed up. I am so glad I did because I really enjoyed this book!

Here's the synopsis:

Emily Donovan doesn't have a romantic bone in her body.
At least, that's what her friends Ryan and Ashley keep telling her. They're convinced her bad luck with men is directly related to her life-long lack of interest in all things romantic. When Emily’s latest relationship crashes and burns, she decides to go along with her friends' plans for a romance research project. Sure, the idea that she'll have better luck if she learns about the great romances of literature and film seems a little silly, but Emily figures it can’t hurt.
In no time at all, Emily finds herself buried under a mountain of romance novels, chick flicks, and sappy love songs, hopeful that her hard work will pay off with true love. When she meets Greg, Ashley and Ryan are convinced she's found prince charming—after all, he's rich, handsome, and totally into Emily. What more could she want? And why does it seem that her friend Elliot isn't exactly happy for her?
Faced with misunderstandings, miscommunications, and a seemingly endless string of missteps, she is nevertheless determined to give true love a try. In doing so, Emily will eventually find that true romance, the kind that lasts, has little to do with stereotypes or clichés, and everything to do with finding out what's in her own heart.

I. Loved. This. Book. The plot, the characters, the way the story flowed. Just loved everything. I'll start my gushing with the story itself. It might sound like a novel you have read before, but Schurig wrote something that was fresh, interesting, and well paced. I'm a chick flick watching, romance(ish) book reading kind of girl but I definitely don't think of myself as romantic (in fact, my boyfriend had a really entertaining conversation with his co-worker about that fact just the other week) so I could see the humour and potential in this story. Was the ending kind of predictable? Sure, but that didn't bother me one bit.

Emily was a fabulous character. I want her to be my friend! She was smart, funny, down to earth, and just flawed enough to make her immensely likeable (no one likes reading about a picture perfect heroine). I loved that her job was so important to her and that Schurig made sure that came across in the story. She may not have the best taste in guys to start (Greg was just so smarmy and controlling and just...ugh) but we get to see her change and it was a wonderful evolution to read.

I felt like I was experiencing everything right along with Emily. Except when it came to Elliot. Why couldn't she see how he felt about her? Hello!?! And also Greg...blergh. As mentioned above, I was not a fan and I was yelling at Emily to wake up and realize she was better off without him! It also helped that Schurig created some excellent secondary characters. Emily's friends all filled important roles - no nonsense BFF from childhood, new girlfriend from college, gay male friend, and good guy friend - and I loved reading about them too. I know this book is part of a series so I wondered if Ashley (college friend) and Chris (guy friend), a sweet couple, will be the focus of book two. Or maybe it would be about Brooke (friend from childhood). Checking out the links for this book led me to see that book two is called An Unexpected Love Story. And, go me, it's about Brooke.

Rachel Schruig has a Three Girls series and I will definitely check those out now that I've read and loved In Search of a Love Story. I will also be reading the above mentioned An Unexpected Love Story and the third book in the series, An (Almost) Perfect Love Story (second round of applause required - it's about Ashley and Chris). In case you haven't been able to figure it out, I'll come right out and say it - I definitely recommend this novel. I adored it and think other chick lit lovers will enjoy it as well. It's cute, smart, and fun. What more can you ask for? Stay tuned over the next couple of days as I'll have a guest post from Rachel as well as a Q&A post for your reading pleasure!

Happy reading :)