Cindy Arora's Blog, page 7
January 29, 2014
What’s Cooking in my Kitchen!
I moved the last month. New place, New year, New stuff. You know how it goes.
Which also means I am distracted with home decor, organizing and weekly trips to Home Goods, Cost Plus and the local Vintage Mart, so much so I am delayed in “real work” stuff! (apologies to my editor in advance!)
I don’t know about you, but moving can be hard.
Especially when it changes everything about your world. I moved 9 miles away from my old place, but it feels like a 100 miles away. I have to shop at a new supermarket, find a dry cleaners, discover new running routes, new doughnut shop, coffee spots and parks for me and my son to head out to over the weekend.
Yeah, moving can make you frazzled, because it’s not just new digs. It feels like a whole new chapter in your life, which can be scary and exciting.
This is why I know I am nesting with all the decorating, baking and cooking I’ve been doing. Moving has thrown me off my routine, which can often be a good thing, but also can make you feel lost. For a while, anyway. Last night, after tucking in my little guy, I popped some popcorn, watched a few episodes of Breaking Bad, Season 3 (love you Jesse!) and looked around at my new place that will hopefully soon feel like home.
I’m always on the hunt for great new recipes, so go ahead and take a look at my Pinterest page and see What’s Cooking in my Kitchen!
Up next in my kitchen: Cheesecake in A Jar recipe from Thistlewood Farm. Gorgeous!
January 21, 2014
Reading Really IS Sexy
Last month, in the middle of the holidays, my lovely friend Jennifer Standley asked for a copy of HEARTBREAK CAKE for a photo shoot she was doing for her awesome lingerie line Georgia J Intimates. If you are looking for sexy, comfortable, girly, romantic and stylish lingerie, this is it!
It’s made in LA and by a woman who understand that girls like to be comfortable and sexy. Her new Valentine’s 2014 line is adorable https://www.facebook.com/?ref=logo#!/pages/Georgia-J-Intimates/356075281163554.
I gotta say, I’m thrilled that her model is taking a reading break with a copy of my book. 
January 16, 2014
Cupcakes, Ex-Boyfriends & Zoey Everwood
EDITOR: We are chatting with Zoey Everwood, the heroine from Cat Lavoie’s second novel ZOEY & THE MOMENT OF ZEN who shared what she’s eating, writing and loving these days.
Thanks for stopping by Zoey! (Please send a hello to Cat for us!)
EATING Cupcakes! Is there anything better? I’m not much of a cook, but there’s nothing I love more than trying a new cupcake recipe. My absolute favorite part is the frosting—I could eat an entire tub of vanilla-almond buttercream. When I’m not overdosing on sugar, I love the fresh spring rolls from this little Vietnamese restaurant close to my coffee shop. My boyfriend and I (ummm… ex-boyfriend, I’m still not used to calling him that) used to go there all the time. They have the most amazing noodle soups. And now I’m hungry again!
READING My friend Owen is an English Literature student so he’s always telling me about the books he has to read for his classes. When he found out I hadn’t read Pride & Prejudice, he ran out and bought me a copy… and a pile of other novels he thought I should read. I don’t think I have enough of a lifetime to get through them all. Right now I’m taking a break from fiction and reading business books because I want to expand the coffee shop soon. Maybe. If I can get my aunt Nessa to agree with my plans.
LOVING Is it bad if I say I love my coffee shop? Despite all the stress that comes with owning and managing a business, Everwood’s Coffee Shop feels more like home than my own apartment. One of my first memories is sitting behind the counter and watching my parents work. They died when I was five years old but I always feel like a little part of them is still alive when I’m in the shop. And, of course, we have the best coffee in Messina, Connecticut. You should drop by the next time you’re in town!
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Cat Lavoie was born in the small town of Jonquière in Québec, Canada. At the age of nineteen, she packed up her things (mostly books) and moved to the big city of Montreal where she currently lives with her tempestuous cat Abbie–who is both adorable and quite possibly evil.
An incurable Anglophile since her university days where she studied English Literature, she can often be found daydreaming about her next trip to London. Since she’s an expert at the art of procrastination, Cat is easily distracted by cooking and home improvement shows–even though she’s not particularly good at either.
Cat grew up watching soap operas and legal dramas and–had she not decided to be a claims analyst by day and write chick lit by night–she would have probably become a designer suit-wearing lawyer. Or a character on All My Children (which is what she really wanted to be when she was twelve).
Cat is not sure whether she’s a geek or a nerd–and is afraid she might be both.
Cat blogs about the writing life and posts adorable pictures of Abbie over at the Catenabi Chronicles. Come say hello at: www.CatLavoie.com and follow @Catenabi on Twitter.
Connect with Cat!
Website: http://www.CatLavoie.com
Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/Catenabi
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/CatLavoieAuthor
January 10, 2014
A Cookbook for Chick Lit Lovers! Cookies not included ….
EDITOR: I have an expansive cookbook collection, everything from Cooking with Bacon to Desserts in a Jar can be found in my kitchen. Recently, I added The Chick Lit Cookbook by new author Alicia de los Reyes, who has taken her experience as a writing teacher, journalist and Chick Lit addict to create this easy-to-follow guide with tables, graphs, writing prompts and some recipes for the perfect Chick Lit.
Seemed like an interesting addition to my cookbook collection!
Alicia joined me recently to share what she’s Eating, Writing & Loving!
EATING I am (wishing I were) eating molasses ginger gems from Not Martha! The recipe is super easy–no rolling or cookie-pressing or decorating–and the cookies are so festive. I make them even when it’s not Christmastime. I am also eating too many cupcakes from Cupcake Royale, my all-time favorite cupcake shop in Seattle (so far…). I’ve always preferred homemade cupcakes but Cupcake Royale’s are amazing–dense, sweet, and never dry!!
WRITING I am so excited to see my first ebook, The Chick Lit Cookbook: A Guide to Writing Your Novel in 30 Minutes a Day, in “print” online. I love reading chick lit and I love writing, and this guide was so much fun to put on paper. I wrote it while I was between jobs and getting ready to move across the country. Every morning, I got up and indulged myself in writing a few pages of this guide. It was such a nice break from the other newspaper writing and projects I was working on.
And of course, it’s totally gratifying reading your words once they’ve been all polished up and edited. My editor (and best friend), Kelly Rizzetta of KMR Publishing, did an awesome job. I’m looking forward to reading what my readers come up with–new chick lit heroines, fun plot lines, new settings!
LOVING I’m loving my new city, Seattle! My husband Andrew and I moved out here in July and we are having fun exploring the city’s many neighborhoods, delicious restaurants, and amazing parks (the other day I saw a seal while I was out running!). I’m also loving my black cat, Mitzi, who we adopted over the summer. She’s really into hunting pretend birds. I haven’t had a pet since I brought “Wormy” the worm to preschool (where he won an award for shyest pet), and now all I do is babble in my “cat voice” to her.
The Chick Lit Cookbook at Smashwords: https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/374647
The Chick Lit Cookbook at Amazon: http://amzn.to/19mtd0h
Book website: chicklitcookbook.tumblr.com
On Twitter: @likesoatmeal
Alicia de los Reyes drew on ten years of chick lit addiction to compose The Chick Lit Cookbook: A Guide to Writing Your Novel in 30 Minutes a Day. Originally from Fair Haven, N.J., Alicia is now freelance writer and teacher in Seattle where she lives with her husband, Andrew Quinton, and their cat, Mitzi. Follow her on Twitter @likesoatmeal
January 7, 2014
EAT~WRITE~LOVE with KATE HILTON
I stumbled upon a blurb about Kate Hilton’s new book The Hole in the Middle and instantly realized that this was going on to my reading list for 2014! Sounds like such a great read about balancing work, love & life.
I chatted with Kate about what she’s Eating,Writing and Loving these days!
EATING: I live in Toronto, and at this time of the year, winter has settled in for a nice, long stay. Consequently, after a couple of seasons of neglect, I’m rekindling my relationship with my braising pot. A few years ago, a friend gave me Molly Stevens’ incredible cookbook, All About Braising. Among other exceptional recipes, there is a recipe in here for red-wine braised short ribs with rosemary and porcini mushrooms. This recipe may just be the reason that I’m still married after 13 years. It’s that good.
WRITING/READING: My first book, The Hole in the Middle, came out so quickly that I really haven’t started my second book yet. When I wroteThe Hole in the Middle, I could only work on it for three hours every Sunday, squeezing it into a busy life that included full-time work and parenting two boys. I’m hoping to write the next book under more relaxed circumstances. At the moment, my writing time is taken up with promotional pieces (like this blog), but there’s an upside: I don’t read nearly as much when I’m writing intensely. Right now, I’m going through several books a week, which is an absolute joy. I just finished Mad About The Boy, which despite the bad press I absolutely loved. There are few comic writers as gifted as Helen Fielding. I revere her.
LOVING: I’m loving my home office. This month I’m transitioning to a consulting business after many years of working for a large university. I have a beautiful, tranquil office in my house, which is where I wrote The Hole in the Middle. Since I live in a house full of boys, I treasure having a little space that belongs only to me (no ninjas or light sabers allowed). Perhaps that’s why I chose hot pink for the back wall.
Author Bio:
Kate Hilton has worked in law, higher education, public relations, fundraising and publishing. She has an English degree from McGill University and a law degree from the University of Toronto. She holds down a day job, volunteers for community organizations, raises two boys, cooks, collects art, reads voraciously and likes her husband. In her free time, she writes. On good days, she thinks she might have it all. On bad days, she wants a nap.
The Hole in the Middle is Kate’s first book. Kate is represented by Beverley Slopen of the Beverley Slopen Literary Agency in Toronto.
Connect with Kate!
Website: www.katehilton.com
Blog: www.katehilton.com
Goodreads author page:https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/4342012.Kate_Hilton
Whelan is the epitome of the modern superwoman. When she operates at peak performance, she can cajole balky employees, soothehercranky children, troubleshoot career disasters, throw a dinner party for ten and draft an upbeat Christmas letter — all in the same day.
But as Sophie’s fortieth birthday looms, her seamless life reveals disturbing web-like fractures. Conflict with her boss, blossoming jealousy of her husband’s femme fatale business partner and her feelings of hopeless inadequacy as a mother and daughter are cracking the edifice of her life.
Rescue may be at hand when Lillian Parker, a wealthy widow who befriended Sophie during her university days, makes Sophie an irresistible offer. Why, then, does Sophie hesitate? The answer is the reappearance of Lillian’s nephew, Will Shannon, the great unresolved love of Sophie’s life. As she remembers the vivid drama of their college romance, Sophie confronts the choices she has made in life and in love and looks for the one answer that has always eluded her: what does she really want?
The Hole in the Middle is a heartbreaking love story, a laugh-out loud portrayal of the twin demands of work and family and a fresh take on the hot debate about having it all
December 7, 2013
They’ve Arrived!
I love my Kindle.
I was resistant at first, swearing that I could never give up the feel of a paperback in my hands. You see I was a newspaper woman, someone who still loved to read the news and hear the crinkle of paper as I turned the page. I would never switch! Ever.
Welllll, I got a Kindle for Christmas from my dad a few years ago and I was smitten. I mean, here was a portable, electric book that carried all my books and made it impossibly easy to buy any book I wanted, when I wanted it. Instant gratification was one-click-away and it’s a beautiful (and dangerous) thing for the shopaholic book nerd.
But boy is there something about a paperback that just makes you feel that special, warm and fuzzy feeling inside! I just picked up a box of books from my publisher Simon & Fig and I am thrilled to finally hold HEARTBREAK CAKE in my hands.
If you live in the Los Angeles and Orange County area, paperbacks will be available at a location near you. I will be adding a Where to Buy tab in the next week, so please stay tuned.
Don’t forget, I have bookmarks that I’d be happy to send if you email me me at paprgrrl@gmail.com. Thanks! Happy Saturday!
November 29, 2013
HAVE YOURSELF A CHICKLIT CHRISTMAS … GIVEAWAY!
It’s the day after Thanksgiving. Someone already gave me the finger at the supermarket, my inbox is crammed with Black Friday specials and I just ate lunch while listening to Michael Buble sing “Silent Night.” Alas! The holidays are here!
So, before I sit down to a slice of leftover pumpkin pie, I wanted to let everyone know that I am part of the Chick Lit Christmas Giveaway 2013 that includes 29 books from authors all over the globe! 29 new authors to discover, 29 paperbacks to add to your collection and 29 different ways to escape for a few hours into the fun and frolic of a good book!
All you have to do is sign up and wait for our big announcement on Christmas Eve. It’s that easy! Now if only holiday shopping was …
Happy (Chick Lit) Holidays everyone!
And to all my new readers, thank you for visiting my blog! please email me with any questions paprgrrl@gmail.com
November 19, 2013
Christmas at Mulberry Inn
With all the excitement over Heartbreak Cake, I haven’t had a chance to talk about the release of the holiday anthology Merry & Bright that I am also lucky to be a part of this season.
I wrote a short story called “Christmas at Mulberry Inn” that touches on Christmas, friendship, new beginnings, budding romance and plenty of holiday pie!
The anthology was put together and edited by publisher Simon & Fig and I’m joined with talented coauthors Isabella Louise Anderson, Laura Chapman, Lauren Clark, Libby Mercer, and Nancy Scrofano. Check it out for a cozy holiday romance that’s a great way to get into the season.
The setting for my short story is Murphys, a charming Gold Country town tucked away in the leafy Sierra Nevada Foothills. I got to discover this part of California when I lived in Stockton and spent a lot of my weekends heading out on day trips all over Calaveras County. I was lucky to have these small towns just an hour drive away from me.
Murphys is a historical gem. It’s beautiful, feels like you jumped into a Mark Twain story and has a really eclectic food scene with interesting menus and innovative chefs that create a big city dining scene in a small town. Oh and did I mention the wineries? Yes, lots of cute spots for sipping on big reds.
It’s a great place to spend the holidays and an even better place to fall in love. I hope you get a chance to discover it through Merry & Bright this holiday season.
Happy Reading!
November 6, 2013
It’s a Novel!
The week before I gave birth to my son, I found myself worrying relentlessly about what would happen after he arrived.
Would I be a good mom?
Will I ever figure out how to swaddle?
How will I juggle being a mom and a career woman?
The truth is the minute I saw his smushy little face, all of those worries and questions just disappeared as we all began to make our way to our new lives as becoming a little family.
As I get closer to the publication date of my forthcoming novel HEARTBREAK CAKE, I’ve been thinking a lot about the process of starting to write a book and actually finishing it, going through edits and now coming up on finally having it published. It feels a lot like I’m giving birth to another baby, just this time it’s in e-book format!
It was not easy trying to finish the book after my son was born.
I was a nervous new mom, but I was also still a writer. A writer who had made a commitment to meet a personal deadline and even though I knew it would be a lot easier to stop writing. I knew I couldn’t. Truthfully a lot of things went ignored to keep going, mainly laundry, dishes, sleep and a lot of personal time. Any moments I wasn’t spending with my son or at work, I was writing. I would write in front of the television, write while he was napping, write when I was eating , write at work, write on my breaks and when my son’s father forced me to take ME TIME, I’d head to my favorite coffeehouse and just keep writing.
There’s a lot to writing a book, it ain’t over after THE END, which is what I discovered after I submitted it to my publisher. The end is actually just the beginning.
But now that I’m a little over a week away from publication, I am so happy I stuck to my guns and got it done.
My son just turned 2, he loves hot chocolate and Belgian Waffles. And I can finally say that HEARTBREAK CAKE is being officially released on November 15th. It took a while from start to finish, but here we are.
Make sure to head over to my Facebook page to stay informed on any new updates and release information. I have lots to do with an upcoming book blog tour hosted by Fictionella and I’m putting together a Los Angeles book signing event at my sisters home decor shop Boho Upcycle.
Looking forward to show everyone my new baby! It’s a novel!
If you have any questions on HEARTBREAK CAKE, feel free to email me at paprgrrl@gmail.com
Thanks!
September 2, 2013
Summer Musings
I was at the mall this morning with my son. It’s what one does when it’s 102 degrees outside but you have a two-year old who wants to play. You strap’em in and head out to the land of Auntie Em Pretzels, ice-cold lemonade and Nordstrom’s! It’s a win for everyone.
Labor Day signals the end of summer, although technically it doesn’t actually end until September 22nd. But while I was out strolling at the mall, there’s no denying that the world is ready for the arrival for fall.
I saw a lot of pumpkin in the window displays of stores this morning. Pumpkin candles, pumpkin lotion, pumpkin onesies for babies and of course the true signal of the arrival of fall is Starbucks launch of its Pumpkin Spice Latte.
It’s happening people, fall is just a leaf peep away.
But wait a minute, wait a minute. Before we say goodbye to summer, I wanted to just share some of the highlights from our summer. We didn’t get to do a family vacation this year, because of my new job, but hopefully next year I will be able to make it happen. But we did have a lot of fun in town. There was lots of swimming, an overnight writer’s retreat in Ojai for yours truly, baking, cooking, movie nights, popcorn noshing and beach days. I’m grateful for it all and look forward to the next few months that will inlcude the lauch of my book Heartbreak Cake. Hurray! In the meantime, enjoy the last days of summer, it’s been a great one.
xo, Cindy Arora
Writer’s Retreat in Ojai
Baking
Beach time and family time!
Lots of preparing for my forthcoming release of Heartbreak Cake
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