About Me

My photo
I am an avid reader, animal lover, devourer of guacamole, storyteller and the author of An Unexpected Obsession, A Dose of Reality, Witch Way, A Coven by Christmas, Love Spells, Summer Solstice (coming soon), Flirting With Death, Flirting With Murder and the rest of the upcoming Assassins Anonymous series. I attended Arizona State University (go Sun Devils!) and make my home in the Valley of the Sun with my husband and three pampered pets. I like to discuss everything funny, sexy, sassy and absurd. But mostly I like to talk about books... and shoes... and outrageously expensive purses... and Chanel sunglasses ...oooh, and anything sparkly... or fluffy! So, come on in and let's chat!

Friday, May 11, 2012

Chick Lit Author Blog Hop 2012 - The Love Triangle



Even in Chick Lit, two-timing is practically a four letter word. But a love triangle, ah, now that's just good, juicy dessert for the brain! I believe my addiction to this concept started about a decade ago when I got hooked on the Stephanie Plum series by Janet Evanovich. JE makes the love triangle a treat I simply can't deny myself (solidly team Ranger here). I've been giving a lot of thought to why I enjoy this scenario so much and have come to a startling conclusion. (Okay, it's not exactly earth shattering, but it's pretty good.) There is no such thing as the perfect man. Nope, he simply doesn't exist. There is only perfection in the eye of the beholder... hence, the love triangle.

When two men are fighting (knowingly, or more often, unknowingly) for the affection of a woman, it gives us a chance to reflect on not so much the ideal, but what we can live with for the rest of our lives. Do we want a strong, handsome brute who will drag us to his cave and have his way with us? (Yes, please). Or is that quiet, shy, cerebrally sexy nerd who woos us with emotions and depth the man we want? (Oh, yeah, a little of that, too).

So the love triangle gives us a glimpse into two distinctly different versions of maleness while challenging us with making a choice of what's really important. There has been much discussion lately over the phenomenon of 50 Shades of Grey (and, really, if you're looking for an adult fantasy read after Twilight, I'd personally recommend An Unexpected Obsession ;-) *end of shameless plug*) and the idea of mommy porn. I know, you're thinking, "What does this have to do with Chick Lit and Love Triangles?" I'm getting there...

A few fabulously snarky and dead-on commentators have pointed out that true mommy porn is watching your significant other *insert most despised chore here*. For me, it's the laundry. If my hubs would ever deign to do one load from start to finish I would surely be transported to a tantric state of wanting non-stop sex for the next decade. But I don't want to read about it.

Nix the true mommy porn and we're back to the delicious dis-dat-deli (I'll take a little bit of dis with a large side of dat). Great Chick Lit transports us into the life of the heroine and allows us to judge her choices and options from that lovely 30,000 foot viewpoint. (And, oh how I love to judge these fictional others from the privacy of my own snarky mind). What would we do in her shoes given our personal life experiences? (you know you have an opinion). If we had the chance, would we go back and risk forever with the bad boy who made our heart race as fast and loud as the engine on his Harley? Or, do we wish we would have forgone the dangerous path and chosen the slow and steady beau who made our heart pitter-patter with his talk of family and white picket fences?

Sometimes the choice isn't always so extreme, but the excitement and nail-biting of the decision still makes us fly through the pages to see what the outcome will be. Chick Lit is the wonderful outlet for these fantasies where our heroines don't need to have bodacious ta-tas and be able to cook a gourmet meal after working a twenty hour day at the law office where she makes a seven-figure salary and yet still caters to every whimsical fantasy of her man. Not just no, but HELL NO.

In Chick Lit we get to meet women who we relate to in fun, frustrating, quirky and fantastical ways - Where dating two (or more? hmmm) men isn't taboo but a necessary evil along the road to bliss. Hopefully the love triangle will never go away because reading about them is just too much fun!

So, how do you feel about a love triangle? Ever had the uncomfortable pleasure of experiencing one for yourself? In fiction, do you always root for the boy-next-door or the boy-your-mama-warned-you-about? Leave a comment below with your name and email address and you'll be entered to win a copy of my e-book, Flirting with Death, where Kayla is stuck between wanting the man her conscience tells her she should and the dangerous criminal her heart can't forget.


BOOK BLURB:
Is there a twelve-step program for recovering assassins?

Kayla McKenna is a covert assassin—and she likes it. After her father was murdered by terrorists, she was consumed by the need for retribution. But landing her dream job as a CIA assassin turns out to be merely a stepping stone in her plot to avenge the heartaches of the past... and present. One botched mission earns Kayla a burn notice, a bullet hole and a one-way ticket back to suburbia. Banished to her childhood stomping grounds with a meddling, shopping-addicted mother intent on grandkids, three overprotective cop brothers, a sexy criminal who can’t decide whether he wants to shoot her or date her, and a new boyfriend even her family loves, Kayla may finally get the chance to find out what really matters in life.

That is, if living a "normal" life doesn’t kill her first.

With a delicious combination of mystery, suspense, romance, edgy chick-lit, and a dash of paranormal, the first installment of the new Assassins Anonymous series is a wickedly fun treat.
~~~~~~~~~~

For a chance to win the Chick Lit Author Blog Hop Grand Prize of a $150 Sephora gift card, simply do the following:

1) Collect all 34 of the secret words (you will find a secret word in each of the blog posts on the hop.)  The word will be italicized, so it will be easy to locate.
2) Submit your list of 34 secret words to CLABlogHop@aol.com before midnight on Sunday, May 20th and you will be entered into the Grand Prize Drawing! 

The Grand Prize winner will be announced on Monday, May 21st, and the $150 Sephora gift card can be redeemed online, or at any Sephora store in the US.

*Chick Lit Author Blog Hop contests are open to residents of the United States only.
 Please see the top of the sidebar to the right of this post (beneath the Chick Lit Authors Blog Hop 2012 badge) for a Linky list with all 34 participating authors/blogs. You will have an opportunity to win a different e-book at each blog hop stop. Good luck and happy reading!

50 comments:

  1. Never done the love triangle the closest I came was I was dating a guy when I met hubby and I dumped the guy almost immediately after meeting him even though hubby hugged and ran and didn't ask me out for a month it worked out in the end!
    Good boy or bad boy depends on the book and how it's written but I tend to go for the bad boy b/c in books they have a side you know is sweet!

    Thanks for doing the hop!
    <3 Tobi
    tobihelton at gmail dot com

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hi Tobi,

      Agreed, the bad boys tend to have a mushy center (at least in fiction)! Thanks for participating in the hop!

      ~Heidi

      Delete
  2. Flirting with Death sounds like such a great read! I love hops. I find so many new authors and books. I would go with the bad boy. I love them so much :)
    Rhonda D
    slinkydennis@yahoo.com

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks, Rhonda! And thanks for participating in the hop! Yeah, love me some bad boys, too ;-)

      ~Heidi

      Delete
  3. Thanks for the contest.

    brn2shop9
    brn2shop9 at gmail dot com

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. You're very welcome! And thanks for entering :-)

      ~Heidi

      Delete
  4. The bad boy or the good boy. Both have their charm and downfalls, but a bit of both, please! And that's the best part of chick lit. We can have BOTH!

    As for a personal love triangle. Let's just say nabbing my husband wasn't a walk in the park. Maybe there's a chick lit story in that....

    Thanks for the blog hop!
    -Savannah Page
    info[at]savannahpage[.]com

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Savannah,

      Definitely a bit of both! Thanks for stopping by and... write that story!!!

      ~Heidi

      Delete
    2. Hi Heidi!
      Thank you for participating in this awesome blog hop. Been a blast! I'm working on my 2nd chick lit novel right now, the sequel to When Girlfriends Break Hearts, and maybe, just maybe, a few love triangle elements will come into play. ;) (What's a saucy chick lit without a little spice, right?) Have a great weekend!!

      Delete
  5. I love a good love triangle!!! :)

    Bethanyscruggs[at]gmail[dot]com

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Me too, Bethany! Thanks for stopping by!

      ~Heidi

      Delete
  6. Love triangles can be great fun, but they can be painful to read - see Bella, Edward, and that other boy.

    CariBellaCreations at gmail dot com

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hi Cari-Bella,

      What other boy? There was someone else in that story? ;-) Thanks for stopping by!

      ~Heidi

      Delete
  7. Ooooo, it sounds so juicy!! Love triangles can be fun. Sometimes I route for the good boy... but other times I can't help but route for the bad!

    Thanks for being part of the hop!! :)

    Lisa @ Lost in Literature
    llongi717 (at) yahoo (dot) com

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hi Lisa,

      Thanks for participating! And the best part about a juicy love triangle is we get to write the winner in the best light possible, making him an easy choice ;-).

      ~Heidi

      Delete
  8. LOVE the love triangle! Great juiciness! Thanks for being a part of the hop!
    Theresa Crowell
    theresacrowell(at)msn(dot)com

    ReplyDelete
  9. Thanks for doing this, its fun!
    Pinksapphire118 at gmail .com

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hi Tonya,

      Glad you're enjoying it! I know that I'm having a blast!!! Thanks for stopping by :-)

      ~Heidi

      Delete
  10. Chicklit is about choice. The possibility of two men from which to choose. That's chicklit. pwriter1(at)yahoo(dot)com

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks, Patricia! Have fun on the hop!!!

      ~Heidi

      Delete
  11. I root for both types of males and although I haven't had the pleasure of taking on more than one man it is def on my bucket list ;)

    sionedkla@gmail.com

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Get to it, Kassandra ;-). Happy hopping!

      ~Heidi

      Delete
  12. I am not to big on triangles in a book, but it really depends on how good the book is. Thanks for doing the hop.

    gatormaryd(at)yahoo(dot)com

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hi Mary,

      Thanks for participating! Tons of fun reads!

      ~Heidi

      Delete
  13. thanks for participating in the hop! I love finding new authors to add to my TBR list. I actually have "Flirting with Death" in my Kindle waiting to be read.

    mimirose41209 at hotmail dot com

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hi Mimirose!

      "I actually have "Flirting with Death" in my Kindle waiting to be read."

      Woot-Woot! Enjoy it!!! And thanks for stopping by (If you're the winner, you can choose one of my other books, or wait for the second in the series to be released). Thanks for stopping by!

      ~Heidi

      Delete
  14. Allyson
    I loved your blog, I agree 100%!! For me though it would be if my hubby would clean up behind himself;) Thanks for being in the hop, I love finding new authors.
    allysonbrann06 at yahoo dot com

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hi Allyson,

      I'd take that, too! Thanks for joining the hop!!!

      ~Heidi

      Delete
  15. Enjoyed your post. lol.
    sidne @ rdg.rendezvous@gmail.com

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks, Sidne! I appreciate you stopping by!!! Enjoy the hop!

      ~Heidi

      Delete
  16. The closest triangle I was ever involved with was an Isosceles. If it came to a choice, I'd like to believe I'd go for the bad boy criminal type just for the excitement, but it would probably end badly, just like my geometry class.

    abcdsherman at gmail dot com

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Ugh, math? I am no bueno at math:-(. I happen to be drawn to rebels myself (it's my nerdism rebelling). Thanks for stopping by!

      ~Heidi

      Delete
  17. I'm loving reading everyone else's posts.

    Thanks for hitting the love-triangle angle. There's nothing like a good battle for the heroine!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hi Caitie! I know! This hop is a blast. I need to start leaving comments, but I get too excited to read the next post! (Oh, and I'm kinda lazy, too ;-) LOL!)

      ~Heidi

      Delete
  18. Heidi - I love me a good triangle! I also cracked up at "dis-dat-deli" - I guess who wouldn't order from that deli?

    P.S. Maybe this blog will inspire husband to do laundry ;)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hi Natalie!

      I won't hold my breath - but I can fantasize! Thanks for taking the time to leave a comment... I need to go back and do the same now that I've spent and entire day hopping (why in the heck didn't I just do it at the same time? Mental deficiency?)!

      ~Heidi

      Delete
  19. looking forward to winning a FREE Chick Lit e-book! i have seem to become a book whore lately!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Join the club! ;-). But please stop back by and leave your name and email address so you can be entered. Thanks!

      ~Heidi

      Delete
  20. I'm new to you from the hop, but loved your post! And am totally team boy-next-door... :)

    kly(dot)327(at)gmail.com

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hi Kristen,

      Welcome to the hop! It really is too much fun, isn't it? I married the boy-next-door, but in fiction I'm a sucker for the bad boy... hmmm ;-).

      ~Heidi

      Delete
  21. To me love triangles are always interesting or exciting to read in a chick lit or any genre. It gives others the opportunity to glimpse into a whirlwind love fantasy. In fiction, I always have a hard time trying to pick one guy. They both have an infinite amount of reason why you’re crazy about them. I have actually been in one complicated and uncomfortable love triangle around 2 years ago between the boyfriend I had at the time and my best guy friend. I wish it would have been like a crazy whirlwind love triangle from a chick lit novel.

    ReplyDelete
  22. Aren't love triangles THE reason we read chic lit???
    Thank you for participating inthe hop.
    Jen

    ReplyDelete
  23. I'm so glad you participated in the blog hop because I love your blog! You're so funny. :)

    I've actually been in 2 love triangles, but they were baby ones because I was a teenager. Both times I picked the cute boy next door and I'm lucky I did because we've been married for (almost) 4 years now. I think that that's why I have a soft spot for boys next door in chick lit. haha.

    Anyways, thanks for doing the hop and I hope I win your book because I would love to read it. :)

    ocbride (at) gmail (dot) com

    ReplyDelete
  24. I always fall for the boy next door types.

    ReplyDelete
  25. Yes, I've been in a love triangle and it wasn't fun and didn't turn out very nicely. I was a single mom dating a guy that I didn't think was going anywhere in life. My daughter's father came back into the picture and wanted the perfect family. I, of course, fell for it. I didn't know how to break up with the other guy, but it seems I didn't have to. I called him by my daughter's father's name. BIG NO NO!! I never heard from him again.

    ReplyDelete
  26. Love triangles are exciting to read. I always root for the bad boy. They are exciting and still have a soft side. Thanks for the giveaway.

    ReplyDelete
  27. Love a good triangle. I don't have a specific type; depends on what the author does with the character. But the heroine has to make a decision at some point! I don't like when they drag on too long.

    ReplyDelete
  28. Great blog post! I agree that a good love triangle always makes a novel. Recalling my younger days before I met my husband (the nice, good, hard-working boy next door), I was faced with a little love triangle of my own--and you're right-- it was fun! The bad boy-but oh so devilishly cute bartender-who played mind games and flirted mercilously vs the sweet-former high school crush who came back and looked even cuter-hockey player-called me princess boy. In the end, I picked the nice boy because the bad boy just wanted to play games. :)

    ReplyDelete
  29. This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.

    ReplyDelete