And the story changed again.... by Brenda Janowitz

One summer, when I was single, Grandma Dorothy informed me that she would be renting a house in the Hamptons. No more of these silly share houses I was doing with my friends each summer. They were getting me nowhere (read: still single and over thirty). Instead, I was to stay with her and she would help me meet someone. The only problem with this scenario was that I was sure she’d meet a man before I did. She had sparkling crystal blue eyes and a killer figure. My own hazel eyes and good birthing hips were no match for her easy glamour and style.

When she found out that a Hamptons summer rental costs more than the gross national product of some countries, the idea sort of fell apart. But it gave me an idea—what if a young woman spent the summer out in the glamorous Hamptons with her even more glamorous grandmother?

The idea for my third novel was born.  It would be called RECIPE FOR A HAPPY LIFE, and it would feature an impossibly glamorous grandmother and her not-as-glamorous granddaughter.

Both of my own grandmothers really inspired me to come up with the character of Vivienne, the glamorous widow six times over. Neither was a widow six times over, but both of my grandmothers were very glamorous ladies. When I think of my childhood memories, I’m not likely to picture them in aprons baking cookies. I picture them in evening gowns.

I began to write.  My first two novels would be classified as “chick lit,” which is to say they’re smart, funny novels with heart about a single girl living in the city. And that’s exactly what I was at the time. But just as I’ve grown up, my writing has grown up, too.

RECIPE FOR A HAPPY LIFE is different from my first two novels in so many ways. In my first two books, I was really focused on writing a funny story. The sort of book that would make you embarrass yourself in the subway from laughing (I’ve gotten that email from numerous readers and it makes me smile each time someone tells me that!). The sort of book that could make you forget your problems for an afternoon (two different people read my second novel while getting chemo and told me that it helped them to keep a smile on their faces through an awful situation). The sort of book that’s just meant to be read on a plane, or a bus, or a beach (you could also read them on a subway, on a train, or by a lake. I don’t discriminate.).

With RECIPE FOR A HAPPY LIFE, I was looking to do something different. Something more grown up. Something deeper. The idea for the book—a granddaughter and her grandmother out in the Hamptons for the summer—was originally played for laughs. Much was made of the fact that the grandmother meets a man before her granddaughter does.  But the book changed.

I did the first major overhaul of the novel while I was pregnant with my first son. Everything was different for me—I was changing as a person, my voice was changing, and so, too, did this novel. I began thinking more deeply about the ties that bind mothers and children, grandmothers and grandchildren. How we hurt each other. How we can forgive. What that means.

When I was six months pregnant and almost finished writing the book, my mother was rushed to the hospital for emergency open-heart surgery. It was the most harrowing 24 hour period of my life (until I had kids, but that’s another story entirely), and even though my mother made a full recovery, it took me a long time to recover myself. It was the same time that I was writing a death scene for RECIPE and it was impossible to write. I was still so scared from almost losing my mother. I wrote it quickly, tried to get through it quickly, and one of my first readers, author Lynda Curnyn, called me out on it. She told me that this wasn’t the time to write a death scene. I needed time away from it. I needed to heal. I needed to process.

She was right. It took me another year until I was able to get the scene right. And the book changed again.

RECIPE became another book entirely, and I’m happy about that.  I’m always happy to follow the story, see where characters lead me, get lost in the craft of writing.




I’m the author of SCOT ON THE ROCKS, JACK WITH A TWIST, RECIPE FOR A HAPPY LIFE, and THE LONELY HEARTS CLUB.  My short story, HOLLYWOOD PUNCH, will be released on September 2nd.


My work’s also appeared in the New York Post and Publisher’s Weekly. You can find me at brendajanowitz.com or on Twitter at @BrendaJanowitz.

BOOK GIVEAWAY: To self-publish or not to self-publish, that is the question by Brenda Janowitz

THIS CONTEST IS NOW CLOSED. CONGRATS TO NIRUKA FOR WINNING!!

There's been so much talk these days about self-publishing.  Haven't heard about it?  Well, you can check it out here or here.  And it's something I've been thinking about for a while.  Ever since my imprint closed (RIP, Red Dress Ink!!) and I got the rights back to my first two novels, I've been thinking: what do I do now?!

Last summer, I sold my third novel in a two-book deal to St. Martin's, so there wasn't much time to think about it.  My third novel, RECIPE FOR A HAPPY LIFE, comes out July 2nd and in anticipation of the launch, I've decided to do something I never thought I'd do.

I'm going to release SCOT ON THE ROCKS and JACK WITH A TWIST myself.  Now, I know what you're thinking-- it's easy to do since the books were already acquired, edited, and then copyedited to within an inch of their life.  And you'd be right.  The books are ready to go.  I read over them and made a few tiny tweaks here and there, but the truth is, all I really had to do was to format them for e-readers, get new covers and then hit "publish."  Easy as that.

So, I reached out to the fabulous Malena Lott over at Athena Buzz (seriously, how gorgeous are her covers?!) and voila!, she created an amazing new cover for SCOT!!

And man, do I love this new cover!  I think it really conveys the sense of fun and romance that are the heart of the book.  I'll be publishing SCOT sometime this week (with JACK to follow closely on its heels) and I'm really excited about this new journey!

So, tell me about your thoughts on self-publishing.  Are you for it?  Against it?  Have you tried it yourself?  I want to hear everything!!

Leave a comment below and be entered to win a free Kindle copy of SCOT ON THE ROCKS!!  Winners will be announced next Thursday, May 9th.  Leave your email addy so I know where to reach you!

I’m the author of SCOT ON THE ROCKS and JACK WITH A TWIST, now in the process of being re-released by yours truly. My third novel, RECIPE FOR A HAPPY LIFE, will be published by St. Martin's on July 2, 2013. My work’s also appeared in the New York Post and Publisher’s Weekly. You can find me at brendajanowitz.com or on Twitter at @BrendaJanowitz.

What's your story? (And a free book giveaway!) By Brenda Janowitz

SCOT ON THE ROCKS

THANKS SO MUCH TO EVERYONE FOR ENTERING THE CONTEST!  WE HAD SO MANY GREAT ENTRIES THAT I DECIDED TO PICK TWO WINNERS!  DRUM ROLL PLEASE....  CONGRATS TO LAURA KAY AND DEBBIE H!  EMAIL ME TO CLAIM YOUR PRIZE.  AND THANK YOU AGAIN TO EVERYONE FOR COMMENTING.


One of the most common things that published authors get asked about is how we come up with ideas for our stories.  The other is how they can get free copies of our books.  Generally, I'm pretty open with the advice about writing, less so with free copies of my books, but today I'm doing a book giveaway!  Yippee!!  Deets are at the bottom of this blog post.

But back to the book ideas.  For me, it always starts with a tiny germ of the truth, and then I let my imagination run wild from there.

When I was invited to my ex-boyfriend’s wedding, my life slowly but surely began to resemble some of my favorite chick lit novels, and I said to myself, ‘I’ve just gotta start writing this stuff down…'

So, I did!  And it became my first novel, SCOT ON THE ROCKS, which is subtitled: How I survived my ex-boyfriend's wedding with my dignity ever-so-slightly intact.

JACK WITH A TWIST

When I finished SCOT ON THE ROCKS, I knew that Brooke’s story had to continue.  Since both she and her love interest Jack are lawyers, I thought it would be so much fun to pit them against each other in the courtroom… all while planning their fairy-tale wedding.  Thus, the idea for JACK WITH A TWIST was born!

But writing a book is more than just coming up with your idea.  You then have to write 300 pages, and for most writers, that's the rub.  I always say that everyone has at least one book in them, but most people will never sit down to actually write a full manuscript.

To get myself started, I took a writing class, which really armed me with the tools that I'd need to write a full length novel.  Lots of people can write, but you need to learn the rules if you want to actually write a book.  Most recently, I discovered Alex Sokoloff's Screenwriting Tricks for Authors, which has become my Bible, along with her blog, The Dark Salon.  I used to think I knew a lot about three act structure and how to structure a novel, but Alex breaks down three act structure even further-- into eight distinct sequences-- and just by reading her story breakdowns, I've learned more about story structure then I did in any of the classes I've ever taken before or any of the books I've read combined.

Are you one of those people who's got a book idea in you but just hasn't sat down to write it yet?  Post your book idea in the comments below and be entered to win a copy of my novel, JACK WITH A TWIST!  I'll select the winner on June 1st, so check back on this blog entry and I'll announce the winner here.  (Don't forget to leave me your email address or some way to contact you in case you are the lucky winner!)


I’m the author of Scot on the Rocks and Jack with a Twist.  My work’s also appeared in the New York Post and Publisher’s Weekly.  You can find me at brendajanowitz.com.

Legal eagles

This cycle we're doing two really exciting things:  we're talking about our journey to becoming writers, and we're also giving away free books!  What could be better than free books?!  Especially during the holiday season.  Just leave a comment on this post and you'll be entered to win a signed copy of my novel, Jack with a Twist.  (Signed for you or for a friend, if you'd like to give it as a gift!)

The question I’m most often asked about being a writer is how I made the transition from lawyer to published author.  People want to know why so many authors were lawyers first.  There’s Emily Giffin, Lisa Scottoline and the Girlfriends Book Club’s very own Maggie Marr, just to name a few.

There are lots of answers to this question—there’s the discipline that it takes to be a lawyer that translates really well into being an author.  Sit in front of a computer screen for hours upon hours? No problem! Work in your isolated office by yourself for days on end? Just part of the job. And then there’s the ability to work with the partners or senior lawyers. After you’ve had a scary partner mark your brief up with red pen (and quite possibly yell at you about it), working with an editor who’s only trying to make your manuscript even better is a piece of cake.

But for me, the truth is, I’ve always been a writer. Even as a little girl, I’d make up stories and write them down. My love of writing is the reason I became a lawyer in the first place—trying to find a career where I could write full time. I practiced at a large law firm and also did a federal clerkship, but I just couldn’t find the perfect niche for myself in law. Even while I’d been practicing law, I’d find thinking about these fictional stories that I wanted to write.

My debut novel

I began working on my first novel while I was still working full time. The first step in becoming a published author was to take a writing class. Before that, I was really writing without a net, not knowing anything about story structure or how to really craft a novel. A friend of mine suggested a writing class and I scoffed. “I know how to write,” I told her. “I know you know how to write,” she told me, “but don’t you want to learn the rules?”

It was a real a-ha moment for me. I immediately enrolled in a writing class and, armed with the basics of character, story structure, and story elements, began writing like crazy. I wrote whenever I could. Instead of renting a movie on a rainy night, I would just sit and write. If I was able to take a lunch break, I’d be there in the coffee shop, writing. If a friend was late in meeting me for dinner, I’d be at the bar, pen and pad in hand. And buses and subways? I’d always be there, head down, scribbling away furiously.

My second novel

Once I had completed my manuscript and edited it to a polished gem, it was time to find an agent. There was a lot of rejection at first (and I mean A LOT), but then I met Mollie Glick from the Jean V. Naggar Literary Agency (she’s now with Foundry Literary + Media). It was an instant connection and I immediately knew that I wanted her to represent me. Mollie then took it from there and found the perfect home for my book with Selina McLemore at Red Dress Ink. Selina offered me a two book deal, and the rest, as they say, is history!

Two novels under my belt, I’m now working on my third. I don’t even miss law one little bit! Who are your favorite lawyers-turned-authors?

Anyone else out there who started in one career only to abandon it and start another?  How did you do it?

Just leave a comment on this blog post and you'll be entered to win a signed copy of Jack with a Twist.  Don't forget to give me your contact info so that I can reach you if you've won.  Good luck and happy holidays!

Well read

First, let me say that it’s so wonderful to be here! It’s been amazing to be a part of the Girlfriends Cyber Circuit, and I’m so thrilled that we’ve now grown into the Girlfriends Book Club!

By way of introduction, I'm Brenda Janowitz, a former lawyer-turned-writer. I'm the author of Scot on the Rocks and Jack with a Twist. My work has also appeared in the New York Post and Publisher's Weekly.

Nice to meet you! And thank you for coming to read me here. Double thanks if you're coming here from my personal blog (the oh-so-cleverly titled 'Brenda's Blog.' My creativity had clearly run out that day....).

So, I suppose since we’ve renamed ourselves, there’s only one thing to do here: discuss books! This summer, I’ve read some wonderful ones so far.

I started the summer with Emily Giffin’s Heart of the Matter. It’s about two women: single mother Valerie, whose son gets injured in an accident at a sleepover party (thus ensuring that my son will never ever ever be allowed out of the house—ever), and married stay-at-home mom Tessa, whose husband is the doctor called in to help Valerie’s son. Fair warning: there is quite a lot of detail about Valerie’s son’s injury, much of which I found hard to read, but Emily does relationships so well that by the time you get into this novel, you’ll be glad you pushed through all of that.

As is the usual in an Emily Giffin novel, complications ensue and relationships begin to change, challenging what the characters think about their current lots in life; what’s wrong and what’s right.

What I love about Emily’s novels is how they always make you think. After I finished the novel, my cousin and I had a long discussion about Tessa and Valerie’s choices, about what we would have done if we’d been in their shoes, and about the nature of marriage and forgiveness.

Allison Winn Scotch’s latest, The One That I Want, will make you think, but for altogether different reasons.


As with Allison’s last novel, Time of My Life, this novel has a time-travel element to it, which I adore. But you needn’t be a sci-fi lover to pick up this book—it’s women’s fiction at its best. When protagonist Tilly Farmer bumps into an old friend-turned-psychic, she is given the power to see the future. The only problem is that Tilly thought she had the perfect life, and these glimpses into the future are not at all what she expects.

Allison’s books are always total page-turners for me. I can never put them down—I’m always completely absorbed by her characters and the situations they find themselves in. The stories are great, but as with Emily Giffin’s novels, they always leave me thinking. Would I want to see the future? What if I saw something I didn’t like? Does anyone truly have the perfect life?

But it wasn’t all brand new hardcover books on my nightstand this summer. I also picked up Katie Crouch’s Girls in Trucks, which had been on my bookshelf for months.


I loved it. Pure and simple, I thought it was great. I didn’t think it was a novel; it felt more like a collection of short stories that were tied together, a la Melissa Bank’s The Girls Guide to Hunting and Fishing, but that was part of its charm.

In Girls in Trucks, we follow Southern debutante Sarah Walters from her childhood cotillion classes straight through to her life as a thirty-something single woman living in New York City. It was equal parts sad and funny, but always compelling and beautifully written. In fact, if you are a writer yourself, I’d say that this book is a must read.

And as for the books that will be closing out the summer for me? Ayelet Waldman’s Red Hook Road (she’s made us wait for a new book for so long—I can hardly wait to crack this one open!) and Jennifer Egan’s A Visit From the Goon Squad. I heard Egan read from this book on Wednesday night, and she was fabulous.

What are you all reading this summer?