Guest Post: Kathleen Kole

Welcome back for another stop on the CLP Blog Tour for Kathleen Kole's novel Tales from the Laundry Pile. I reviewed the enjoyable novel on Monday (the review is here if you missed it) and today Kathleen is here with a fabulous guest post. As I mentioned in my review, I was looking forward to seeing what characters from previous novels would pop up in this one so I wanted to know if the cameos were always a planned thing or if the characters just demanded more attention. I loved this post and I hope you do, too! 

Cameos... The Who, What, Where, When and How

Who:
When I wrote my first novel, I must admit I didn’t have the thought of allowing my characters to have cameos in later books.  I was writing that story, so that was where my thoughts centered.

What:
It was in my second novel, Dollars to Donuts, that the idea of allowing my characters to have cameos began to blossom.  I had become very fond of them and it seemed only right to allow them to flit in here and there in following Boxwood Hills based novels, adding their charms where applicable.

Where:
In my next book, Favorable Conditions, the first cameos came to light.  The story was a perfect fit for a certain vivacious twosome to story-hop, as well as a few other characters my readers would recognize (no spoilers!).

When:
All of that being said, I can assure you I chose who comes and goes in each novel.  My characters are “very good listeners” and do what they’re told! Haha!

How:
As for how I choose who, what and/or where a character might make a cameo, that depends completely on the story at hand.  As each new novel is created and the Boxwood Hills universe expands, former characters and their lives and personalities just fit in where they would naturally be.  Sounds odd, I’ll admit, but hopefully that makes sense.

So, there we have it.  The who, what, where, when and how my characters find their way into each other’s stories.  The Boxwood Hills universe is alive and well in my thoughts and nothing brings me more joy than to continue to write new tales and introduce my readers to more and more of the residents and their stories.

That being said, I sincerely hope Claire’s story in Tales from the Laundry Pile is embraced with as much kindness and openheartedness as have my other three.  I am blessed beyond measure to have such fantastic, loyal readers.

Thank you, Kaley, for allowing me the privilege of writing this guest post and thank you for doing me the honor of being a part of the blog tour.  Your support throughout my journey has been stellar and means more than words can say.
xxx

Blogger note: *blushes* 

CLP Blog Tour: Tales from the Laundry Pile

I couldn't be happier to be kicking off the CLP Blog Tour for Kathleen Kole's novel Tales from the Laundry Pile. I've read and enjoyed all of Kole's previous novels and I'm happy to say that I really liked her latest as well!

Here's the synopsis:

Claire Jamieson has moved back home to Boxwood Hills... And, she's not alone. Trailing behind her overworked laundry basket is her husband and their energetic twin boys.
Claire had always thought that once she'd left the nest, she'd never return. Now that she has, she's wondering what type of bird that makes her... Cuckoo?
When she has a moment to pause and catch her breath, she'll let you know.

I was really looking forward to the fact that this book would be set in Boxwood Hills because I was sure characters from previous novels would make appearances. Happily, I was right! Claire becomes good friends with Jessica (from Dollars to Donuts) and Thomas (who, I believe, appears in a couple of books) plays a hilarious role in the story. I couldn't wait for Thomas and Josephine (Claire's mom) to meet because I knew the result would be amusing. I also loved all the scenes with Thomas and Claire's twin boys. He's such a rough-around-the-edges character that it was sweet and funny to read as he interacted with four and a half year old boys.

I felt like I was constantly giggling throughout this novel. There were so many scenes that were ridiculous (in a good way) and had me laughing out loud. That being said...the novel was all fun and games. Claire had a lot of issues to work through that all stem from needing to be perfect and have everything in order. She has an incredibly judgemental mother in law (ugh, that woman drove me up the wall. I wished I could give her a talking to on behalf of Claire.) and her own mother appears to be flighty and unconcerned about appearances and consequences. Claire had a great support system though. Jake seems like a fabulous husband and father and Jessica turned out to be an amazing friend. I have to say, though, that it was sometimes hard to read about how uptight Claire was in the beginning. Maybe it's because I just couldn't understand how she'd demand perfection when she has twin boys. This was a minor issue though and I really liked reading about how Claire changed herself for the better.

Tales from the Laundry Pile was a really enjoyable read. It's not my favourite of Kathleen Kole's (that honour goes to Favorable Conditions) but I still liked reading it. Check back on Thursday when Kathleen stops by with a great guest post!

Happy reading :)

O Canada!

Happy Canada Day to all my lovely Canadian readers!

In honour of our country's birth I've decided to do a (very) little round up of some Canadian authors because, as Indigo puts it on their Pinterest board, the world needs more Canada.

Whenever anyone asks me about Canadian literature my first answer is always Anne of Green Gables by Lucy Maud Montgomery. I adore Anne. In fact, I even had an Anne doll when I was growing up...and a picture...and bookmark...and little ceramic container with her straw hat as the lid...and...well, the list could go on and on. If I remember correctly, there was one summer when I was in my very early teens when I decided to read every single Anne book in one summer (that's 8 books in all, by the by). What can I say? The little red headed orphan grabbed me and I loved reading about her. I've seen the movie with Megan Follows numerous times and I've even seen a play. Sadly, I have yet to get to Prince Edward Island to see Green Gables but it's on my unofficial bucket list.

A more current Canadian author I'm absolutely in love with is Catherine McKenzie. She's written three novels so far - Spin, Arranged, and Forgotten (links lead to my reviews). Her books don't necessarily take place in Canada but the fact that she's from this great country (Montreal, to be precise) is pretty fantastic. Her books are now released in the US as well so American readers can now enjoy the awesomeness that are McKenzie's novels.

Through my blogging and challenge participation I've come across two fabulous Canadian chick lit authors - Kathleen Kole and Heather Wardell. My favourite of Kole's is definitely her latest - Favorable Conditions (review is here) and I haven't read a Wardell novel that I haven't liked. I am eagerly awaiting what both wonderful ladies come up with next.

There are so many other Canadian authors out there but I admit that I have not read nearly enough Canadian literature. Perhaps I'll make it a Canada Day Resolution to read more novels by authors from this great country. :)

I hope you all have a wonderful Canada Day (or Sunday for those of you who aren't celebrating this particular holiday) filled with reading, sun, and fireworks.

Armchair BEA: Best of 2012

Design Credit:
Emily's Reading Room

It's Day 2 of Armchair BEA!

Today we're sharing either some of our favourite books so far this year, and/or the books being promoted at BEA that we hope will end up among our favourites for the year. I decided to focus on seven books I've read this year (and not necessarily ones that were published in 2012) that I've really enjoyed. "Why seven?" you ask? Because 5 was too few and 10 was too many. :)

A visual representation of some of my faves!

Blank Slate Kate - Heather Wardell. Published November 2011. Read January 2012. Review.
Heather Wardell never ever disappoints. This is one of her latest novels and was full of excellent twists and turns and was a wonderful story. Think The Vow but better!

I've Got Your Number - Sophie Kinsella. Published February 2012. Read February 2012. Review.
While I didn't LOVE Kinsella's latest novel, I still enjoyed reading it. It was amusing and cute and I had fun diving into it.

The D Word - Liz Fenton and Lisa Steinke. Published May 2011. Read March 2012. Review.
The ladies at Chick Lit is not Dead are not only great bloggers but excellent authors as well. Good story, multiple perspectives, and an all around great novel.

Favorable Conditions - Kathleen Kole. Published December 2011. Read March 2012. Review.
This is Kole's third novel and by far my favourite of the three. I loved it because it was written in such a way that I was able to connect with the main character even though she was at a completely different stage in life (divorced and with two kids in college). Great read.

How to Eat a Cupcake - Meg Donohue. Published March 2012. Read March 2012. Review (for Novel Escapes).
How can you go wrong with a title like that? Answer: you can't. This book was fantastic and had a much deeper storyline that one may expect from a sweet title like this. Definitely a must read.

Forgotten- Catherine McKenzie. Published May 2012. Read April 2012. Review.
Catherine McKenzie is one of my favourite authors so I was anxiously awaiting her third novel. It didn't disappoint! Interesting and unique storyline and great characters. I'm hoping for a sequel that focuses on the main character's best friend!

The Tall Book: A Celebration of Life from on High - Arianne Cohen. Published June 2009. Read April 2012. Review.
I was drawn to this one because I'm 6'. I wasn't sure what to expect but I ended up getting an amusing and informative look into the world of talls. I thoroughly enjoyed reading it and encourage all my fellow talls to read it as well!

Fun observation: 3 of the 7 authors are Canadian! (Wardell, Kole, and McKenzie) I'm a proud Canuck and love finding amazing Canadian authors.

Hope you enjoyed the glimpse into some of the great books I've read this year. Make sure you head on over to the main link up page to check out all the other posts! Come back tomorrow for another Armchair BEA post - a positive "real life" experience with books.

Author Post: Kathleen Kole

Welcome to another stop on the CLP blog tour for Kathleen Kole's novel Favorable Conditions. I reviewed it earlier in the week and absolutely loved it (you can check out the review here).

Kathleen was kind enough to write a post for Books Etc. that talks a little bit about what made her decide to finally start focusing on her writing. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did!

The catalyst to my taking the plunge and paddling toward becoming a published author.

I believe the catalyst that prompted me to finally take the plunge and give this writer/author path a “go” was a simple one:  Timing.  And by that I mean, I’d come to a point in my life where circumstances had lined up in a manner that allowed for the time and attention I would have to give to this journey. 


What were those circumstances?  First, and most importantly, my young family was no longer quite so young.  As a stay-at-home Mom, that was a big deal.  I actually had a solid pocket of my day where I could focus upon my novel/s and not feel I was taking time and attention away from where it was more needed.  Again, a big deal. 


And, second, I believe within that sweet spot of timing I hit a “now or never” moment.  I knew I had the dream to create my own novels and it was time to find out if I could.  I felt I’d had enough life and learning under my belt to have something to say and it was time to find out if the dream was one worth pursuing...  Or time to move on and discover other goals and dreams. 


I’m grateful every day that I gave it a “go” and found out.  Now I’m just traveling the path and enjoying the moments; present minded and present focused. 
------------------------ 
A quick thank you, Kaley, for inviting me to add a guest post to your blog.  As well, a smile of gratitude for giving of your time to my latest book/blog tour.  Cheers!

Chick Lit Plus Blog Tour: Favorable Conditions

I'm getting right back into the swing of things and have a great book to review for you all. Since I've read  Kathleen Kole's  first two novels (Breaking Even reviewed here and Dollars to Donuts reviewed here) I eagerly signed up for the Chick Lit Plus organized blog tour for Kole's latest - Favorable Conditions. I enjoyed her other books but I LOVED this one and I think you will too!

Here's what the novel is all about, courtesy of Goodreads:

Can you imagine being forty-five, your last child has moved on to college and the time is ripe for you to blaze a new trail into your future? Pat Keegan can. Well, except for the tiny detail that all her preconceived notions about how that future was going to shape up are completely out the window.  

Join Pat as she jumps feet first back into the world outside her door, takes on a new business venture, is pursued by a much younger man and has to muddle her way through more emotions that she knew she had - all to finally attain her goal of rediscovering who she is and what she wants from the next phase of her life.

I was actually a little surprised that I ended up loving this novel of Kole's instead of her others. That may sound a little strange but bear with me as I try to explain... Since I'm a twenty-something year old I tend to relate more to characters who are not yet married and don't have kids. That's not to say that I don't like reading about women who are married with older children, because I do, it's just that it's rare for me to love those books and characters. Can you follow that? My point is that I loved reading about Pat even though she's at a totally different stage in her life than I am. 


We meet Pat at a pretty low point in her life. She's newly divorced, her beloved dog passed away not long after the separation, and she now has a very empty nest. We get just enough of a taste of the depressing nature of Pat's situation before Kole smartly and quickly starts to turn things around. A chance encounter with a real estate board results in a new business venture (side note: this is the second book I've in recent months that has a main character who owns a bookstore...is the universe trying to tell me something or do I just want to think that it's telling me something...? :) hehe) and things start to go well from there. Kole even seemed to know precisely the right moment to introduce Ian, the love interest. Their meeting and first few encounters are sweet, funny, and darn near perfect. I loved reading about their romance and learning more about their relationship, bumps and all.


To those of you who have read Kole's other novels - did you catch the fact that some of the characters from those books made cameos? I absolutely loved that. It wasn't too obvious and it adds a little bit of fun for those people who have read Breaking Even and Dollars to Donuts. 


This book had me laughing out loud at numerous parts. One memorable scene involved Pat's college freshman daughter coming home unannounced and finding Pat and Ian in a...well...compromising position. I burst out laughing as I read this part and could not stop. After the giggles subsided I started feeling so bad for all parties - can you imagine that happening to you? Eek. Still, it made for one hilarious scene.


Pat has an amazing support system of friends who are there for her every step of the way. They are not only great friends to her but they are excellent supporting characters for the novel. Gerry and Travis provide tons of comic relief and Pat's best friend Melanie is just amazing. She's the best friend every girl wants - fiercely loyal, lots of fun, and willing to do almost anything to make sure her friend is happy (including buying the world's most adorable kitten). I would love to be part of their group...except for the small issue that I'm about 20 years younger than most of them... :)


Overall, I loved Favorable Conditions. So much so, that I need to look into purchasing a hard copy (I read this on on my Kobo) for my mom because I think she'll love it too. For you readers out there who are like me and in your 20s and think you might not enjoy this one because you won't relate to the main character - give this book a shot. Trust me. You will not be disappointed. 


Happy reading :)

Just Finished: Dollars to Donuts

Calling all donut and chick lit lovers! :) I've just recently finished Dollars to Donuts by the lovely Kathleen Kole. I'd like to thank her for sending along a copy for me to read. I enjoyed Breaking Even (you can read my review  here) so I was looking forward to her newest novel.

Here's the synopsis from Goodreads:

Take one newspaper columnist; move her from the anonymity of her home city to a sleepy, small town; add a dollop of nosey, suspicious and just plain odd neighbors; a dash of mystery in the form of a stained garbage can and a rodent and, finally, a large pinch of unsettling attraction to a virtual stranger and you’ll find yourself with a recipe that imitates April Patterson’s life.

Sound strange? It is.

April Patterson had no idea that when she decided to follow the path of family and love, she would find herself an unwitting player in an eyebrow raising cul-de-sac mystery, grasping for her privacy as she plays “Dodge the Neighbor” and being forced to examine her relationship motives ... all before she had unpacked her last box!

Taking a deep breath, and a large bite into a comforting donut, April consoles herself with the knowledge that it will all work out. It always does ... doesn’t it?

I have to be totally honest and let you all know that I didn't love this one as much as I had hoped. Don't get me wrong, I was still entertained by the hijinks April and her friends got up to but there seemed to be a little something lacking in this one for me. I found that the relationship issue April has was too similar to the one Penny had in Breaking Even. I don't think I would have minded the issues so much (girl is in steady relationship, new and shiny boy comes along, she toys with a potentially bad idea, all is resolved) if it hadn't been so much like what Penny went through. I also found the turmoil and craziness with the neighbours seemed a little too separate from the rest of the novel - didn't quite flow for me.

All that being said, I was still invested in April's life and desperately wanted her to figure out her life. She seemed to be so stuck and I was rooting for her to decide what she should do to make herself happy. While the ending may not have been what I had chosen myself, I still find that it is completely right. I guess that's why Kole is the author and I am not :) Some people  may not appreciate it but I think Kole did what was right for her characters. And I have to brag about the fact that I saw the one part of the ending coming. Yes, I know I'm being vague again but you'll just have to read the book to find out what I'm talking about!

I really loved that April and Jessica, her older sister, were so close. I'm quite close with my own sister so it was great to see a true sibling friendship in a book. It was very realistic which I appreciated. I would love to know more about her life before the start of Dollars to Donuts. Perhaps a prequel? :)

Overall, I enjoyed reading Dollars to Donuts and I think other chick lit lovers would enjoy it as well. In fact, check out the home page for the Chick Lit Plus organized blog tour and you'll see many other reviews as well. This was a fun read and I'm looking forward to what Kathleen Kole comes out with next!

Happy reading :)

Just Finished: "Breaking Even"

Breaking Even by Kathleen Kole was a book I heard about through a Chick Lit Plus organized blog tour. Since I missed out on both those tours, I decided to take matters into my own hands and bought it for my Kobo so I could read it too! (This isn't the first book that I've read because of a tour CLP organized. This was also why I decided to give Click: An Online Love Story a shot. You can read my review of that novel here.) I'm glad I decided to get this book because I really enjoyed it.

Here's the synopsis from Goodreads:

Meet Penelope Whittaker. A sensible, do things the right way, soon-to-be-married accountant. Penelope is engaged to the wonderful, kind and caring Ben Miller ... a man she has known forever. Enter Single Dad. While on a school run, Penelope accidentally locks her keys in her car. A seemingly boring event, until she is offered aid by a very handsome (hubba, hubba) and personable Single Dad. Shaken by the encounter, or, more to the point, shaken by her reaction to the encounter, Penelope tries to put it where it belongs: on a shelf marked "Chance Encounters". Life has different plans.

This was one of those books that had me laughing out loud in some parts and cringing in others. I particularly enjoyed the scene where Cameron (Penny's young nephew) meets Scott (aka Single Dad). Cameron was so incredibly protective and made it clear to Scott that Auntie Pen was with Uncle Ben. Absolutely adorable. I was reading this part at the gym while working out and I'm sure people were looking at me strangely as I giggled at the imagery of a young boy giving a grown man the evil eye.

As for cringing...there were times when I wanted to smack Pen upside the head for being so silly and not listening to her friends. There's a reason the two women, Kris and Renee, were her closest friends - and not just because they're going to be her sisters-in-law. They know Penelope and Ben and can see the potential problems that will come from talking to Single Dad. Unfortunately, Penny can't see these problems and ignores their warnings. She also chooses to bottle up her issues instead of discussing them with Ben. The poor guy is left worrying about what he's done and what's going on with his fiance.

Even though Penelope is toying with the idea of starting an affair with Single Dad (whether she realizes it consciously or not), it is easy to relate to her and understand what she's going through. I found myself rooting for her and Ben and hoping that Kole would give me the ending I really wanted. (And no, I'm not going to tell you what the ending was. Read it yourself to find out!) Her friends are a fantastic support system and a good model for what marriage is really like (I'm assuming as I'm nowhere near marriage myself). I liked that Kris and Renee had their own lives and their stories were woven into Penny's while not overtaking the main plot.

Overall, I really enjoyed reading this book and think many others would too. It's a fun read with great characters. For Kindle readers, you can buy the book here, Kobo users check out the book here, and for all the non-ereader readers a paperback can be purchased too. I think it's worth a buy and when you're done reading Breaking Even you should make sure to check out her Kole's next novel Dollars to Donuts. I'm looking forward to reading it myself!

Happy reading :)