Archive for August 3rd, 2010

Chick Flick Tuesday highlights the best chick flicks in the movie world as well as bringing you news on upcoming chick flick releases as well as letting you all know about which chick lit books are being made into chick flick movies!

This week takes us back 7 years to 2003, and the film Maid in Manhattan. I know most people dislike Jennifer Lopez but I really love her in this film and think it’s such a sweet one to watch, and very heart-warming! Lopez plays the loveable Marisa, a single mum working as a cleaner at a hotel when a case of mistaken identity leads her to fall in love with someone who she is way out of her league. The film also stars the late Natasha Richardson as an eccentric guest at the hotel, and she gives a great performance. Overall, it’s a fun and sweet watch, and the little boy that plays Lopez’s son is super adorable too! I love it!

“Marisa Ventura is a single mother born and bred in the boroughs of New York City, who works as a maid in a first-class Manhattan hotel. In a case of mistaken identity, Marisa meets Christopher Marshall (Ralph Fiennes), the heir to a political dynasty, who believes that she is a guest at the hotel. Fate throws the unlikely pair together for a magical night of romance. But when Marisa’s true identity is revealed, the two find that they are worlds apart, even though the distance separating them is just a subway ride away. Can they find a way to overcome their differences and live happily ever after?”

I recently got the chance to read Irish author Claudia Carroll’s latest book Personally, I Blame My Fairy Godmother (which I’ll be reviewing tomorrow) and we were also offered the chance to interview Claudia. Here it is in all of its glory and I hope you enjoy reading it (I know I did - the answer about her book titles is hilarious!).

1. Tell us about your latest book ‘Personally I Blame My Fairy Godmother’ in your own words.

The inspiration for PERSONALLY, I BLAME MY FAIRY GODMOTHER came from of all things, the global recession and economic downturn. I read about people my age losing their homes and suddenly being forced to move back in with family. The Boomerang Generation, as they’re known. Then I thought of that quote from Harold Pinter; ‘Home is the one place, when you go there, they have to take you in.’

So I thought; imagine a modern day fairy tale gone wrong; Cinderella backwards. Where you have a heroine who starts out with her heart’s desire, a fabulous career, a palatial home to live in and a guy she supposes to be Prince Charming. Then in one fell swoop, she loses her job and the whole house of cards fast collapses on top of her, leaving her homeless, jobless and dumped. So she has no choice but to move back in with her Stepmother and two Stepsisters, who hate the very sight of her…………

2. Are you currently working on your next novel? Can you tell us anything about it?

My new novel is called WILL YOU STILL LOVE ME TOMORROW? And here’s a sneak preview;

Imagine only ever having dated one person your entire life. Hard to do, isn’t it? Yet that’s what happened Annie and Dan; they’re true soul-mates who’ve been blissfully happy together, ever since they were fifteen years old. But flash forward twenty years and it’s a very different story. Now they’re both mid-thirties, sitting across the kitchen table from each other and…well……. wondering where the spark went. So when Annie is offered her dream job which means her moving away for a full year, what do they do? Torture themselves with the long-distance relationship thing which everyone knows never works or…… maybe give themselves a year off? A marriage sabbatical. One full year of not being married. Free to date anyone they want, with no recriminations, no guilt, and no hard feelings. Cue a love within marriage story about two people who don’t know how good they really have it, until they decide to take a year off.

For bad behaviour, that is.

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Book videos seem to be becoming more popular these days, and although I’m not a huge fan of book trailers, I do enjoy it when authors make a video and discuss their books. Wendy Holden has made a video, discussing her new book Gallery Girl (out on August 19th, which we’ll be reviewing soon) and she also reads an extract from the book! Enjoy!