Monday, June 27, 2011

Meet Sibel Hodge, Chicklit Author of Four Winning Novels

My name is Sibel Hodge and I’m a chicklit author!

I was standing up when I said that so should I duck now and wait for the squidgy tomatoes to be thrown at me? I know some of you lovely readers might appreciate a hefty dose of chicklit, but there are still a lot of chicklit-haters out there! Why? Haven’t got a clue, to be honest, because if you think about it, chicklit has been around for years. Just look at Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen! It was possibly one the first romantic comedies - yep, that’s right, Jane Austen wrote chicklit!

And since chicklit and fun go hand in hand, I thought I’d show you my take on this amazing genre!

May was the inaugural International Chicklit Month, and I had the pleasure of hosting a fabtastic giveaway of chicklit books on my blog. All people had to do to enter was leave a comment saying exactly what they love about chicklit. And this is where the fun part comes in!

Here are a few quotes from the comments:

“I can be sitting here reading a book, laughing out loud, snickering, and more, and I could try to explain to my hubby what is so funny, and he just doesn't get it!!!”

“Why do I like chick lit? Because it offers realistic characters, intriguing settings, and often, a good dose of humor”

“Reading a chicklit novel is like having a gossip session with a girl friend, and that is a guilty pleasure we all need to have once in a while.”


“Why do I read chick lit? Because chick lit is fun :) A light reading which makes you smile and sometimes upset”

“Rather like having an enormous box of chocolates that I can dip into at will - or even scoff the lot with no guilt feelings.”

“We all need a bit of light hearted fun in our lives! There is nothing wrong with a bit of daydreaming. This is why I like chicklit :o) xx”

“I especially enjoy reading about strong women who make their way in men's professions and have fun while their at it.”

“Other times I'm laughing my face off enjoying the great adventures and interesting situations that some of the characters get themselves into.”

“What I love about it is the attitude, that it's all about a woman's journey, but more in a fun, personal way than say women's fiction”

“It is fun, light hearted escapism”

Notice the common theme in all of them? Yes, the F word (no, not THAT F word!) - Fun!

So what exactly is chicklit?

Well, the chicklit genre is so diverse, encompassing all the issues that modern women face. And it’s so much more than killer-shoes and pink covers! It can be sad, happy, kick-ass, fun, comic, scary, inspiring, heart-warming, intriguing, romantic, raunchy, sassy, full of attitude, quirky, tear-jerking. It covers real problems that women go through on a daily basis so it can never die!

But I think the main theme of chicklit is that it often contains humor, sarcasm, wit, and a fantabulous dose of fun. They are also often told in a more personal and confiding tone. Imagine having a natter with your best mate while indulging in a big dose of chocolate. Think of it as a calorie free indulgence! And these are the things that set it apart from purely romance or women’s fiction.

Nowadays there are sub genres such as mommy lit, mystery lit, even lad lit! So whatever type of story you’re looking for there will be loads of chicklit books to suit you.

Authors in the chicklit genre include people like Sophie Kinsella, Marian Keyes, Beth Orsoff, LC Evans. Oh, yeah, and little old moi!

So, girls and guys, if you do wanna have fun…reach for the chicklit!

~*~ 

Bio:

Sibel Hodge has dual British/Turkish Cypriot nationality, dividing her time between Hertfordshire and North Cyprus. She is a qualified personal trainer, sports and massage therapist, and writes freelance feature articles on health, fitness, and various lifetyle subjects. Prior to this, she also worked for Hertfordshire Constabulary for ten years.

Her first novel, Fourteen Days Later, was short listed for the Harry Bowling Prize 2008 and received a highly commended by the Yeovil Literary Prize 2009. It is a romantic comedy with a unique infusion of British and Turkish Cypriot culture. Written in a similar style to Sophie Kinsella and Marian Keyes, Fourteen Days Later is My Big Fat Greek Wedding meets Bridget Jones. My Perfect Wedding is the sequel to Fourteen Days Later, although it can be read as a standalone novel.

The Fashion Police was a runner up in the Chapter One Promotions Novel Competition 2010 and nominated Best Novel with Romantic Elements 2010 by The Romance Reviews. It is a screwball comedy-mystery, combining murder and mayhem with romance and chick-lit, and the first in a series featuring feisty, larger-than-life insurance investigator, Amber Fox. Written in a similar style to Janet Evanovich and Myron Bolitar, The Fashion Police is Stephanie Plum meets Harlan Coben. Be Careful What You Wish For is the second Amber Fox Mystery.

~*~

Blurb for Be Careful What You Wish For:

For fans of Janet Evanovich, Kate Johnson, and Gemma Halliday...

Armed with cool sarcasm and uncontrollable hair, feisty insurance investigator Amber Fox is back in a new mystery combining murder and mayhem with romance and chicklit…

Three deaths.
A safety deposit box robbery.
The boxing heavyweight champion of the world.

Somehow, they’re all related, and Amber has to solve a four year old crime to find out why.

As she stumbles across a trail of dead bodies and a web of lies spanning both sides of the social divide, it’s starting to get personal. Someone thinks Amber’s poking her nose in where it’s not wanted, sparking off a game of fox and mouse – only this time, Amber’s the mouse.

Amber’s forced to take refuge in the home of her ex-fiancĂ©, Brad Beckett, and now it’s not just the case that’s hotting up. So is the bedroom…

All Levi Carter wanted to be was the boxing heavyweight champion of the world, but at what cost?

All Carl Thomas wanted was to be rich, but would his greed be his downfall?

All Brad Beckett wants is to get Amber back, but there’s a reason for the ex word.

Be careful what you wish for…you might just get it.

~*~

Reviews:

"I was hooked in this book from beginning to end. This is a very well written book that has humour and romance." Geeky Girl Books

"If you like Janet Evanovich’s Stephanie Plum I think you will really like Amber Fox - I know I do." Martha's Bookshelf

"Amber Fox was hilarious with her tough as nails outer persona and her hysterical one-liners that were frequently laugh out loud funny.

I definately recommend picking this book up!!" The Caffeinated Diva reads...

"Be Careful What You Wish For is a sharp, fast-paced story with intrigue, evil, romance, and humor. Amber Fox is the kind of strong lead female character with a great sarcastic wit that I love to read." To Read, Perchance to Dream

~*~

Links:

Ebook:

Amazon.com
Amazon.co.uk
Smashwords
B&N Nook

Paperback: Amazon.com

Author website
Author blog
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