Liz Fichera's Craving Perfect, Houseparty and I've Got A Tumblr Page

Tumblr. I caved, I got a page. DenizBevan.tumblr.com. Still not completely sure how to do what I'd like to do - how do I link my blog to it? How do I find images and videos I'd like to share without losing hours out of my life? How do I keep it writing-related and not filled with cats and Tolkien's art? That's where the background came from; this drawing from 1915:


Read Liz Fichera's upcoming release, Craving Perfect last week! Take a peek at the trailer.


"Grace Mills craves being perfect almost as much as she craves raspberry scones. In fact, her life would be perfect if only she could lose ten more pounds, if only the pastry café she co-owns with her sister would turn a profit, if only the hottest guy at the gym would look her way...

And then "if only" comes true. Grace is suddenly straddling two lives: an alternate reality where she's a size two, weathergirl celebrity and being chased by the hot guy. Only Mr. Gorgeous isn't very nice, and she doesn't get to eat...anything, much less bake!

In her other life, she's starting to realize her sister is less than happy running the family café, and hunky Carlos, the gym's janitor, seems to have a secret crush on her. Maybe there's more to him than meets the eye...

Grace is living two lives and it's beginning to cost her. Is there a way to pick one...that's perfect?"

Grace Mills craves being perfect, but I like her fine just the way she is. I don't think I've read a chick lit since I read Talli Roland's wonderful The Hating Game, and it was very exciting to jump back into the genre with Craving Perfect, a sweet tale of love and difficult choices. Of course, I was rooting for Grace and Carlos right from their first date, but the story keeps you guessing what will happen right to the end. Grace has to survive a lot before she learns what's best for her, and a few times I was actually biting my finger, worried about what would happen and whether she'd manage to pull herself out of the tricky situations she'd landed in.

All the elements are there - romance, a dash of fantasy, recipes for yummy desserts, two believable characters the reader can easily relate to... Pre-order Craving Perfect here!

This review will be crossposted at a later date on the site where I have another new review, of Don't Quote Me by Charlie Kramer, up; The One Hundred Romances blog. If you're an author of romance, send us your books for review!

And if you're an author of anything, why not leap into our next houseparty? Yes, it's back! Here's a rundown for those of you that missed the last few:

What is a writers' houseparty? (A hilarious no-holds-barred writing event)

When was the last one? (Real time: October 2010; Party time: June 1493)

What good does it do? (Helps you get to know your characters, write in unexpected situations, have fun!)

Which other houseparties have I missed? What haven't you missed? Australian outback farm, 1914; Scottish ceilidh, 1691; Hallowe'en, 2007; The Doctor Is In therapy sessions, 2009; The Washing of the Lions, April 1675 (London, the court of Charles II); Armageddon and Skiing in New Zealand, 2009; London, during the Blitz; Cherry Hill, Georgia, 2008; and Constantinople, 1493. That last one was hosted by my Rosa!

I hear this one starts on Friday and is being held at the Mall at the End of Time. What is that?
So very excited to explore the world that Ron Wodaski's set up for our characters!

(And, a propos of nothing, here's another tumblr page, on images from children's books)

Comments

Zan Marie said…
House Party! Yeah! I can't wait. BTW, I'm bringing a new character to this one. I've never written a scene with him in it, but he's chatting up a storm. I've already learned so much about him, that I think I'll be enchanted. Hope you are, too, Deniz. ; )
Anonymous said…
It always so satisfying when you finish a good read, but I also feel slightly bereft, too. Thanks for the review :O)
Deniz Bevan said…
I can't wait to meet him, Zan Marie! Still struggling to decide who I should bring. I wrote the beginning of Rosa and Baha's and imagined how Austin's would play out, but... Still need to decide on which villain is coming...

Thanks for coming by Madeleine!
Anonymous said…
So glad you enjoyed Craving Perfect, Deniz! Thanks for posting!

Houseparty?! I must investigate further. That sounds too intriguing.
Houseparty? Sounds good.

Thanks for sharing Perfect Craving with us, I will add it to my tbr list. I never bothered with Chick Lit until Talli Roland's The Hating Game, and now I love them.
Jill W. said…
Yay houseparties!

I'm pretty excited. First I was feeling pretty shy, but now I'm just curious and interested. [g] Thanks for the extra links to the other houseparty info -- I'll do some reading.

I'm really not sure how that whole tumblr thing works. I follow my friend's tumblr though.

Tolkien and cats...what, again, is wrong with that? [g]
Deniz Bevan said…
Hi Liz, Glynis and Jill - I'd urge you to come by the houseparty! You can jump in and play if you want, or just read as if the story was unfolding before you. It's always a rollicking good time.
Jemi Fraser said…
You're a brave one for joining Tumbler - it's so hard to fit all the time in as it is! Good luck and have fun with it :)

Thanks for the review - Craving perfect sounds like a great read!
Deniz Bevan said…
I know Jemi, as if I needed another distraction! But tumblr seems effortless - no deadlines, no real need to concentrate on platform or followers. Just a way to put images and daydreams onto a public file...
Susan Fields said…
Cravig Perfect sounds great! The only chick lit I've ever read was The Hating Game, and I really enjoyed that!
Deniz Bevan said…
Same as you Susan, I don't normally read in that genre (can't stand the Shopaholic series!) but this story was fun and drew me in right away!
Nas said…
Houseparty? I do need to get out more!

I enjoyed reading Craving Perfect as well! It was an entertaining story,
Deniz Bevan said…
Come visit tomorrow, Nas! Party starts tomorrow :-)