True Love Way by Nancy Scrofano.
Audience/Genre : Women/Fiction, Chick lit.
Publication : April 20th 2012 by Simon & Fig.

Marlo Spencer relishes all things retro. Old TV shows, classic movies, and even the collectible lunch boxes to go with them. In fact, she's quite cozy in her Malibu apartment, surrounded by her treasured knick-knacks and vintage memorabilia. It's her best friend, Nik, who doesn't get her fascination with all that "old junk," as he calls it. He especially doesn't understand why she's so keen to get back to their hometown of Napa when her high school sweetheart, Josh, suddenly returns after twelve years in Paris and nary a single phone call, eager to reunite with her. So, when Marlo heads up north to wine country to rekindle her relationship with Josh, Nik tags along, claiming he was already planning to visit his sister, Savannah, Marlo's gal pal. Once they reach Napa, however, dreams of a blissful reunion are shattered as old secrets and past betrayals are revealed, leaving an unsuspecting Marlo to pick up the pieces. Can she forgive and forget, or will true love find a different path to her heart?

I'm happy to have Nancy Scrofano, author of True Love Way here at the blog today. Read on to check out her guest post and enter to win a paperback copy of her book!

Chick Lit Is Predictable… And That’s Why We Love It

Chick lit is often criticized for being too predictable because it’s obvious, from early in the book, who the heroine will be romantically involved with at the end of the story. She will go through many obstacles, and there may be times when the reader isn’t totally sure who she will choose, but a happy ending is always a guarantee. This is why some dislike chick lit, but the true chick lit fans love it for the same reason. Yes, the readers may guess who the heroine will end up with, but they don’t know exactly how she will get there. That’s the best part—the journey.

What’s wrong with a comfort read? That’s the appeal of chick lit. It’s like watching your favorite film or TV show over and over again because you know how it will end, and you love it because of that. In my novel, True Love Way, main character Marlo Spencer adores classic TV shows and classic films. She says, “One of the many things I loved about old TV shows was that they never changed. You could count on your favorite characters to be there and to say and do the same things. They never left you unless you chose to turn the TV off. You could always count on them.” Readers can always count on chick lit for humor, fun, and romance. Even if we know that the main character will get the guy and find her own happiness by the end, we still root for her because we want to see her grow and change and have entertaining adventures along the way. The thrill of chick lit is finding out how the main character will achieve her goals because, despite the predictability, each story is unique.

Some of the reviews for True Love Way refer to it as, “predictable,” and when I first read them, I took it as a negative criticism. I thought, Of course it’s predictable. It’s a romantic comedy! I wondered why the reviewers felt the need to point that out, and I began to dislike the word predictable. But then I realized something. Predictable is a good thing. It means that I’m writing chick lit the way it should be written and that I’m staying true to the genre. No one wants to read chick lit that has a completely off-the-wall story with an even more off-base ending. And they certainly aren’t looking for something extremely dramatic, or violent, or mysterious. If they were, they would be reading books in other genres.

Donna at Girl Who Reads summed it up nicely: “True Love Way is your predictable chick lit: The love triangle-ish story line was quickly identified by all but the main character. However, this was not a negative. Instead, there was something comforting about knowing how the story would play out. There were enough unique nuggets hidden within to keep your interest.”

I write chick lit that I enjoy, and I hope that it appeals to readers, too. I’ve learned to take reviews with a grain of salt, and I’ve also learned that being predictable is a positive, not a negative. I think Marlo would agree.

Giveaway Terms and Conditions :

• Giveaway is US/Canada Only.
  
• The author/publisher is responsible to ensure that the winner gets the book.
  
• Winner has 36 hours to respond or a new one will be picked.
  
• Giveaway ends on 12th, September, 2012.

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Marlo Spencer relishes all things retro. Old TV shows, classic movies, and even the collectible lunch boxes to go with them. In fact, she’s quite cozy in her Malibu apartment, surrounded by her treasured knick-knacks and vintage memorabilia. It’s her best friend, Nik, who doesn’t get her fascination with all that “old junk,” as he calls it. He especially doesn’t understand why she’s so keen to get back to their hometown of Napa when her high school sweetheart, Josh, suddenly returns after twelve years in Paris and nary a single phone call, eager to reunite with her. So, when Marlo heads up north to wine country to rekindle her relationship with Josh, Nik tags along, claiming he was already planning to visit his sister, Savannah, Marlo’s gal pal. Once they reach Napa, however, dreams of a blissful reunion are shattered as old secrets and past betrayals are revealed, leaving an unsuspecting Marlo to pick up the pieces. Can she forgive and forget, or will true love find a different path to her heart?

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