Interview and Excerpt: Sparkle by Cara Alwill Leyba
Thanks to Cara Alwill Leyba for stopping by with a Q&A and excerpt from Sparkle. Please visit her tour page on CLP Blog Tours for more information and a giveaway!
**Interview**
When did you know writing was for you?I was always fascinated with writing. From the time I was young enough to write my first story, I became obsessed with describing things in detail and using words to convey my thoughts.
How would you describe your books?Engaging, down to earth, and motivating.
Why was Sparkle a book you wanted to write?I wanted to write a book that I felt women needed. I tired of all these books that were meant to help us, but always made us wind up feeling badly. Sparkle is the total opposite. It’s meant to leave you feeling good. It’s meant to make you feel like you’re enough. Because at the end of the day, isn’t that what everyone wants?
What are two pieces of advice you find yourself handing out frequently? Don’t stop, and keep going. J
How would you say someone becomes a life coach? What are things you have to study?I highly recommend going through a certification program like I did. There’s so much to learn about the technique of coaching. It’s so different than therapy. Once you’ve mastered the skills, then you really need to practice to get the experience. It’s a lot of work, but the moment someone tells you that you’ve changed their lives, it’s all worth it.
What is the hardest part of the writing process for you?Getting started. I’ll do anything to avoid sitting down to the computer! Clean, shop, cook, paint – you name it. But once I’m there, and I’m in the swing of things, there’s no other place I’d rather be.
What is some of the best financial advice you would give?Don’t buy it unless you love it! Try to really think about your purchases. I used to be a total shopaholic but then realized there are so many other things I can be putting my money toward that have a greater impact.
What are your favorite genres to read?I love humorous women’s fiction and narrative non-fiction.
What do you want readers to take away from your story?I want them to feel like everything is possible.
How important do you think social media is for authors these days?SO important! Connecting with my readers is the most important thing to me, and Twitter and Facebook have made that possible.
What would be your advice to aspiring writers?Keep going. Practice, practice, practice. The more you write, the better you get. Take cla
**Excerpt**
Taken from Chapter 2: Uncork Your Best SelfCara Alwill LeybaChasing our passions and figuring out what makes us sparkle is crucial, but we can’t get there if we aren’t confident. And as women, we have mastered the art of being professionally critical of ourselves. From crash diets and plastic surgery to wrinkle creams and colonics, we’ve done it all and then some. We’ve read books on why men like bitches, and strived to be more of a bitch. We’ve read articles on why we should stop eating bread to lose weight, and we’ve stopped eating bread (and, God, wasn’t that hard?) We’re constantly being told that we should look younger, be skinnier, have fuller lips, act a certain way to obtain the job we think we should have, and we’ve bo
**Everyone who leaves a comment on Cara's tour page will be entered to win a $10 Amazon gift card! Anyone who purchases their copy of Sparkle before January 7 and sends their receipt to Samantha (at) ChickLitPlus (dot) com, will get five bonus entries.**
Author Bio:
Cara Alwill Leyba is a best selling author, and certified life and wellness coach from New York City who empowers women to live their most effervescent lives and celebrate themselves. She encourages women to indulge in the things that make them happy, and swears that every woman can live a "champagne life," no matter how busy she is or how tight her budget.
Her blog, The Champagne Diet, boasts a following of thousands of loyal readers and has been featured in Glamour, Shape, Cafe Mom, Daily Mail UK, MSN Australia, AOL UK Lifestyle, and a host of other publications worldwide. Cara's writing has been featured in The Huffington Post, xJane, Mind Body Green, MTV News, and many other sites.
Cara regularly appears on the “Ask Dr. Fritz” radio show on WWRL New York, where she helps host Dr. Fritz answer questions from callers about love, career, family, relationships and more. She also hosts her own lifestyle and wellness show, "Uncork Your Best Self" on Blog Talk Radio.
Cara's first book, SPARKLE, became an immediate #1 bestseller on Amazon in both the Happiness and Self-Esteem categories upon hours of its release. She celebrated the release of her book with a book signing in New York City this past fall.
When she’s not popping bubbly, blogging, or working with her coaching clients, Cara spends her days leading a digital advertising team at MTV Networks. She lives in Brooklyn, New York with her husband and dog-child. For more on Cara visit www.LiveCreateSparkle.com
Connect with Cara!
Cara's website: www.LiveCreateSparkle.com
Cara's blog: www.TheChampagneDiet.com
Want to learn how to sparkle? Join Cara's "Sparkling Start" workshop next month and kick off 2013 in glittering, shimmering style! http://www.livecreatesparkle.com/group-workshops.html
Buy the Book!
Amazon
**Interview**
When did you know writing was for you?I was always fascinated with writing. From the time I was young enough to write my first story, I became obsessed with describing things in detail and using words to convey my thoughts.
How would you describe your books?Engaging, down to earth, and motivating.
Why was Sparkle a book you wanted to write?I wanted to write a book that I felt women needed. I tired of all these books that were meant to help us, but always made us wind up feeling badly. Sparkle is the total opposite. It’s meant to leave you feeling good. It’s meant to make you feel like you’re enough. Because at the end of the day, isn’t that what everyone wants?
What are two pieces of advice you find yourself handing out frequently? Don’t stop, and keep going. J
How would you say someone becomes a life coach? What are things you have to study?I highly recommend going through a certification program like I did. There’s so much to learn about the technique of coaching. It’s so different than therapy. Once you’ve mastered the skills, then you really need to practice to get the experience. It’s a lot of work, but the moment someone tells you that you’ve changed their lives, it’s all worth it.
What is the hardest part of the writing process for you?Getting started. I’ll do anything to avoid sitting down to the computer! Clean, shop, cook, paint – you name it. But once I’m there, and I’m in the swing of things, there’s no other place I’d rather be.
What is some of the best financial advice you would give?Don’t buy it unless you love it! Try to really think about your purchases. I used to be a total shopaholic but then realized there are so many other things I can be putting my money toward that have a greater impact.
What are your favorite genres to read?I love humorous women’s fiction and narrative non-fiction.
What do you want readers to take away from your story?I want them to feel like everything is possible.
How important do you think social media is for authors these days?SO important! Connecting with my readers is the most important thing to me, and Twitter and Facebook have made that possible.
What would be your advice to aspiring writers?Keep going. Practice, practice, practice. The more you write, the better you get. Take cla
**Excerpt**
Taken from Chapter 2: Uncork Your Best SelfCara Alwill LeybaChasing our passions and figuring out what makes us sparkle is crucial, but we can’t get there if we aren’t confident. And as women, we have mastered the art of being professionally critical of ourselves. From crash diets and plastic surgery to wrinkle creams and colonics, we’ve done it all and then some. We’ve read books on why men like bitches, and strived to be more of a bitch. We’ve read articles on why we should stop eating bread to lose weight, and we’ve stopped eating bread (and, God, wasn’t that hard?) We’re constantly being told that we should look younger, be skinnier, have fuller lips, act a certain way to obtain the job we think we should have, and we’ve bo
**Everyone who leaves a comment on Cara's tour page will be entered to win a $10 Amazon gift card! Anyone who purchases their copy of Sparkle before January 7 and sends their receipt to Samantha (at) ChickLitPlus (dot) com, will get five bonus entries.**
Author Bio:
Cara Alwill Leyba is a best selling author, and certified life and wellness coach from New York City who empowers women to live their most effervescent lives and celebrate themselves. She encourages women to indulge in the things that make them happy, and swears that every woman can live a "champagne life," no matter how busy she is or how tight her budget.
Her blog, The Champagne Diet, boasts a following of thousands of loyal readers and has been featured in Glamour, Shape, Cafe Mom, Daily Mail UK, MSN Australia, AOL UK Lifestyle, and a host of other publications worldwide. Cara's writing has been featured in The Huffington Post, xJane, Mind Body Green, MTV News, and many other sites.
Cara regularly appears on the “Ask Dr. Fritz” radio show on WWRL New York, where she helps host Dr. Fritz answer questions from callers about love, career, family, relationships and more. She also hosts her own lifestyle and wellness show, "Uncork Your Best Self" on Blog Talk Radio.
Cara's first book, SPARKLE, became an immediate #1 bestseller on Amazon in both the Happiness and Self-Esteem categories upon hours of its release. She celebrated the release of her book with a book signing in New York City this past fall.
When she’s not popping bubbly, blogging, or working with her coaching clients, Cara spends her days leading a digital advertising team at MTV Networks. She lives in Brooklyn, New York with her husband and dog-child. For more on Cara visit www.LiveCreateSparkle.com
Connect with Cara!
Cara's website: www.LiveCreateSparkle.com
Cara's blog: www.TheChampagneDiet.com
Want to learn how to sparkle? Join Cara's "Sparkling Start" workshop next month and kick off 2013 in glittering, shimmering style! http://www.livecreatesparkle.com/group-workshops.html
Buy the Book!
Amazon
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