Guest Bloggers-Liz Fenton and Lisa Steinke

Join us for our book signing of "I'll Have Who She's Having" July 25th. at 4:00 pm at Metropolis Books, with Laura Dave author of "The Divorce Party"

Chick Lit is Not Dead
By Liz Fenton & Lisa Steinke, co-authors of the chick lit book “I’ll Have Who She’s Having” and the blog http://www.chicklitisnotdead.com/

Do you remember the first time you fell in love with Chick Lit? We do.

It was love at first site. She was stiletto-wearing and sassy; always pretty in pink or playfully yellow, images of martinis and long legs graced her covers. She was given the best spot on the bookshelves and gave women an escape from their own hectic lives into fun and fashionable worlds complete with endless happy endings. We were crushing on her in a major way. Chick Lit was the most popular girl in school.

And then all of a sudden she wasn't.

Or as Heidi Klum would say, "One day you're IN and the next day, you're OUT."

Chick Lit's popularity was ultimately the death of her. Because when the market became over-saturated with a bunch of copycats with predictable plots and cardboard characters, she was catapulted down to the D-list faster than you could say Tara Reid. She was accused of lacking substance, of being insulting to women's intelligence and being *gasp* cliche'.

Poor Chick Lit became such an outcast in the publishing world that she couldn't even be called by her own name anymore. Apparently, if she stood any chance of transforming from unbound manuscript to sleek, published novel, she had to be disguised as Women's Fiction. And even then, the odds of her becoming Homecoming Queen again were pretty damn slim.

Aspiring novelists querying agents needed to beware. Titles that conjured images of stiletto covers were shunned; the mention of designer purses was literary suicide; and if the protagonist was *gulp* a quirky, single girl with dreams of meeting Mr. Right, the manuscript was sent off to die a quick death.

Chick Lit was pronounced dead, gone well before her time thanks to overexposure. And her writers and readers put on their black designer dresses and went into mourning.

Her headline in the gossip columns would have read: From It Girl to Out Girl or One Too Many Knock-offs Sealed Her Fate!

But like any former A-lister, we knew she'd make a come back. (If Hugh Grant could do it, so could she!) She just had to wait for her moment and seize it.

And the time is now! Here's why we say Chick Lit is not only back in fashion, but she's going to be on the scene for a while.

She's our much-needed fantasy thinking about the crashing stock market and the record high unemployment rate hurts our heads. So instead of watching the nightly news, we'd rather pop open the book with a stick figure drinking a martini on the cover and give our brains the night off. If you can't take a real vacation, at least give your brain one! Let your biggest worry be over whether Jane Q Single Gal gets to marry Joe Q Bachelor; whether frenemies can become friend-ly; if it's a bad idea to get a manny. Let her wrap your ending up in a nice red bow and don't feel guilty about it for one second!

She's a cheap date
Even though hard economic times have caused most of us to slash our budgets (Tarjay is so the new Nordys), Chick Lit is still making it into our shopping carts. She's like that friend who talks you out of your buyer's remorse. She reminds you that it's OK to spend money on things that make you feel better. In fact, she thinks it's the American way! And even though a lot of us can't justify buying that Louis Vuitton purse or getting that $200 haircut anymore, Chick Lit still gives a frugal girl some bang for her buck. If you get her in paperback, she's only about $12. 95. This seems like an awesome price considering how often she makes us laugh, cry or even SOL (snort out loud!). And BTW, Chick Lit is always up on the latest trends. And if she says cheap is the new chic, we believe her.

She's Secure in her Stilettos
Chick Lit is proud of who she is. She makes no apologies for drinking Cosmos or wearing designer skinny jeans. She's never going to make the argument that she should win the Pulitzer or that she's invented cold fusion. And she definitely doesn't think a book should require a thesaurus while reading. She loves a good rom-com too and couldn't be happier that her cousin, Chick Flick, is back on the red carpet again too.

So to the literary snobs of the world, it's time to face the truth. Chick Lit is back and better than ever. And she's back now for the very reason she exploded onto the literary scene in the first place. No good woman can resist well-written books with relatable characters, high fashion and happy endings.

So say it loud and proud (*channels Ty Pennington and yells into megaphone*): CHICK LIT IS NOT DEAD!

xoxo, Liz & Lisa

http://www.chicklitisnotdead.com/

Saturday July 18th. 4:00 pm- Poet Andrea Scarpino

Andrea Scarpino's new chapbook The Grove Behind was published by Finishing Line Press this year. She received my MFA in Creative Writing from Ohio State University in 2005. Since then, she has worked at OSU’s Nisonger Center supporting transitional programming for people with disabilities, taught with the Institute for Reading Development, and was a jill-of-all-trades at Red Hen Press.She currently teaches in the English Department at Cal State University, Dominguez Hills and in The Union Institute and University Cohort Ph.D. Program in Interdisciplinary Studies. A longtime activist, she has worked for presidential campaigns, voter registration drives, anti-war movements, feminist campaigns and environmental organizations.

July 9th. 7:00 pm -The Sky Rained Heroes

Meet author Frederick LaCroix Thursday, July 9th (700 PM) Art Walk

During World War II in the Philippines, an American pilot receives a slain Japanese officer’s Imperial battle flag. Years later, the pilot’s son, Frederick E. LaCroix, inherits the flag, which, coupled with his father’s wartime correspondence, propels him on a six-year journey across eastern Asia to find the dead officer’s family and return the flag. The Sky Rained Heroes details the emotional true stories of these two soldiers and the diverse paths that led them to their fatal meeting. For over twenty years, Frederick E. LaCroix, has lived in and traveled throughout Asia, where he works to develop poor communities, expand rural electrification, and create new economic and educational opportunities.

Lunchtime with Business Guru Thembisa Mshaka

Spend Your Lunchtime with Business Guru and Motivation Speaker Thembisa S. Myshaka
Tuesday June 30th. 12:30 pm

There is a great mystique about the entertainment industry and a fervent desire in many to be part of it. But what many women don't realize is that most entertainment career guides are written from the point of view of the male executive, or are filled with industry and legal jargon-making them difficult to read and understand. Now, in PUT YOUR DREAMS FIRST, Thembisa Mshaka uses her 15 years of experience in the music industry to expose the hidden truths that women need to know as they aspire toward entertainment careers, such as how to avoid compromising one's self-respect and the little-known fact that women run a large part of the business. This highly informative guide is for every woman wanting to know how to navigate the entertainment superhighway and find that job of a lifetime. A cornerstone of integrity and stability in a highly competitive business, Thembisa has worked for over 17 years in service to the entertainment industry, spanning the areas of touring and management, magazine publishing, recorded music and technology, advertising, music supervision for film, voice over and most recently, television in her role as the Telly Award-winning Copy Director for BET Networks. The former GAVIN rap editor has also written for Honey, essence.com, LAUNCH, and served as contributing editor for The Hotness.com and BLAZE. A native of Los Angeles, Thembisa is an alumna of Mills College in Oakland, California. She now resides in the Bedford-Stuyvesant neighborhood of Brooklyn with her husband and son.

Thriller Author-Andie Ryan Sat June 20th. 4:00 pm

Andie Ryan is a Wall Street insider with more than twenty years of risk oversight experience at major financial services firms in New York and San Francisco. She has held senior management roles in internal audit and compliance functions, most recently as Managing Director. A Berkeley native, she now lives in New York City. Shakedown is her first novel.

June 13th. 4:00 pm-Anthony Parnell

The 7 Laws of Stress Management is a workbook designed to challenge readers to commit to writing and self-exploration on a daily basis as a means to effectively managing stress. A variety of writing exercises are presented throughout the book to assist readers in identifying key areas of stress and in implementing a written stress management plan. Additionally, The 7 Laws of Stress Management identifies seven laws or guidelines for maintaining balance in one's personal and professional life. Stress is a daily challenge confronted by all individuals in their personal and professional lives. The 7 Laws of Stress Management is an excellent tool for empowering individuals to be proactive in developing and implementing daily habits of living (a lifestyle) that fosters growth, balance and well-being. It provides a roadmap for consistently addressing the needs of one's mind, body, and spirit.
Anthony D. Parnell is the Founder and President of New Thought Management, Inc. a company that specializes in management consulting services and empowerment workshops for individuals, businesses and non-profit organizations. He is the author of four publications entitled, The 7 Laws of Stress Management: Life-Changing Strategies for Maintaining Balance in your Personal and Professional Life, Healing through Writing: A Journaling Guide to Emotional & Spiritual Growth, Mind Games and In Search of Soul. A native of Akron, Ohio, Anthony D. Parnell is a graduate of the State University of West Georgia, Clark Atlanta University's Graduate School of Social Work and has studied at the Universidad of Salamanca in Salamanca, Spain.

Guy Fieri Signing cookbooks for the store

Here is a photo of Guy Fieri signing cookbooks for our store. He was in town to film an episode of Diners, Drive ins and Dives at the Nickel Diner. http://www.5cdiner.com/