Have an enchanting day and happy reading!
by Courtney Elliott
Published : November 7th 2012
Publisher : Senzuri Books
Summary : Ally Nichols is fed up with constantly putting herself out there to only be rejected again and again. After her most recent failure, she comes up with a solution. She decides to start modeling her love life after all of the big screen’s most recognizable love stories. Hilarity, heartbreak, mishaps and mayhem ensue. She hopes that maybe one of them actually figured out the secret to true love. The only problem: no one ever told her that sometimes your Hollywood Happy Ending is where you least expect to find it.
Book Excerpts
Book Excerpt #1
The Chick Flick Project's PROLOGUE
No strings attached is always a bad idea. I repeat, ALWAYS a bad idea. It never works out, and the only thing to come out of it is the end of whatever friendship you may have had prior. Now, don’t get all excited and think this is going to be some sweet sentimental story. It isn’t. I was in a no strings attached relationship, and you know what? He didn’t realize he loved me. No, instead he freaked out and moved to Colorado.
I tell you, I am really starting to dislike Hollywood. Not the city so much, just the ideas they put in people’s heads. You know, the whole meet the amazing guy in the random location. You two continue to run into each other totally by coincidence. Then the two of you decide it must be fate so you decide to date. Then BAM, you are in a rom-com and destined to live happily ever after with the totally hot muscled up man of your dreams. Unless you’re Meg Ryan; then you get Tom Hanks or Billy Crystal. Poor girl, although she did get Hugh Jackman in one; that must have been nice for her.
Okay, so by now you must be wondering what you’re reading. I mean, I already said I didn’t get the Hollywood Ending so you’re not listening to the story of what happened with the “Thunder from Down Under”, despite the fact that we broke up, he can keep his well suited nickname.
Anyway, this also is not a diary, so what is it? Well, it’s an experiment; a study really for my own personal reasons...okay, so it’s an assignment from my editor for my column. Alright, since you are now officially part of my experiment on account of I’m telling you everything I am discovering, I should tell you a little more information. Name: My name is Allison Vera Nichols. My middle name came from my lovely grandmother. Just thought you should know before you start making fun. It was not my decision, but I carry it proudly. It’s a historical name.
Age: I am 23 years old. My birthday is sometime in November. Since we are not on a close personal basis, you don’t need to know more than that. Job:I work for Why Me? Magazine. I have my own column called “Today With Ally”. Before you judge, I was not the least bit creative when it came to naming my column, and this was my six year old cousin’s suggestion. I refuse to change it based solely on my morals. I love my cousin.
Relationship Status: Now here is where it gets interesting. Okay, so not really. As I’m sure you have already guessed, I am currently single. If I weren’t, this experiment would be a very bad idea. My last relationship was “Thunder from Down Under”. His real name was Beau, and he was beautiful. I know that might not seem like the right word to describe a guy, but it was truth. He also happened to be not only “well equipped”, but he also knew exactly how to use it. Hence the stripper name. He was 22. Yes, younger than me, but only by a year. I suppose you are wondering why Beau and I did not work out. The truth? I caught him in quite a few compromised positions with quite a few of my female relatives, and my step-uncle, Rick. Aunt Gayle and I did not see that one coming.
I think that’s about all for me. So now, the good part: the experiment.
I am going to live my life by the chick flicks. I will place myself in the same kind of situations as several popular leading ladies, and see how well chick flicks work in real life. Each one will last one month unless this actually works. I can probably tell you right now, this will not end well. I do not see myself kissing some handsome man as the camera pans slowly away from us. I’m saying this because I don’t want you to get your hopes up. If this ends badly, I don’t want you blaming me.
I don't want you saying, “Oh there’s a week of my life gone by, and I’ll never get it back.” Or, “What garbage, she ended up alone.” And even, “What kind of stupid romance book is this?” I mean it; don’t. Just stay with me, and who knows, maybe you will come out of this with a new outlook on your own love life. Well here goes…
Book Excerpt #2
CHAPTER ONE: I’VE GOT WHAT?!?
Okay, this one should be easy, which is why that’s where we are starting. In case you have never seen the movie, You’ve Got Mail, then here you go: The Original: It is about a young woman (played by the ever lovely, Meg Ryan) who owns a small bookstore. Soon her business is threatened when the rich man on the block (played by the kind of in some way handsome, Tom Hanks) brings his totally awesome big store to right around the corner. Now all the while in person these two bicker about how he is destroying her business, and he’s so mean.
(*SPOILER ALERT*)
However, the tables are turned when, come to find out, her email lover is none other than Mr. Big Shot Books. Needless to say, everyone gets a happy ending.
The Experiment: I’m not exactly high on funds, so I will have to skip the step of opening my own bookstore, and waiting for a big shot to come in and open one too. This leaves really only one step: getting an email lover.
In today’s society, love lives are pretty much ruled by social networking. I mean, today alone I have seen about 30 ads on TV about finding my perfect match. The easiest way to do this would be to start a Facebook account. Now I know this might make things a little different, but it’s close enough. I will not add a photo because otherwise there isn’t that mystery of who I could be talking to. I mean, I would know ahead of time if I was talking to big shot book man if he had a picture.
Book Excerpt #3
CHAPTER TWO: HOW TO LOSE A GUY IN 10 SECONDS
Day 1:
Tonight was one word: FAILURE. There was not a single man at the bar tonight. Okay, scratch that, I mean, you can’t actually believe in this city that a single guy was not at the bar. There were, but the only one that was even moderately attractive was not a batter for my team. At least that’s what I gathered from our short conversation.
Me: Hello.
Non Batter: Hi.
Me: My name is Rachel. (no real names, still) Non Batter: Barry.
Me: Oh, it’s nice to meet you.
Non Batter Barry: You too, I like your shoes. Me: Oh, these old things?
Non Batter Barry: Is that from the new Prada line? Me: Oh, um, I don’t know.
Non Batter Barry: They look like them. Oh, I just love Prada, they are fabulous. Me: (as I realize Barry likes the same thing as me, and this will not work) Oh. Non Batter Barry: So, where did you get them?
Me: Actually, I should go, I have um a gay…um a date. You have a good night.
I can see the look on his face as I leave. He was not pleased by my escape. I don’t blame him, I was insulted for him. Other than Non Batter Barry, the club was virtually guyless. I think he had a few more on his team, and then there was the bartender. He was cute, but I saw a nose ring, and I’m not really big on that. This is terrible.
Day 2:
I am skipping my dinner with the fam tonight in the hopes of meeting My Matthew. Does that make me a bad person? Okay, you can’t answer that. I am doing this all for you anyway so you have something to keep you entertained. If I didn’t skip the family dinner tonight then Project B might as well just end here, because I know for certain that I am not meeting My Matthew there. So wish me the best of luck in my
---
It is approximately 11:30 at night, and I am typing as quickly as I can on my phone while this is all still fresh on my mind. Right now, My Matthew is in his bathroom. Can you believe it? I actually found someone. This is going very well, Day 2, and I have already found My Matthew. Experiment B has officially kicked off and oh, he is coming out, I have to go.
The Chick Flick Project's PROLOGUE
No strings attached is always a bad idea. I repeat, ALWAYS a bad idea. It never works out, and the only thing to come out of it is the end of whatever friendship you may have had prior. Now, don’t get all excited and think this is going to be some sweet sentimental story. It isn’t. I was in a no strings attached relationship, and you know what? He didn’t realize he loved me. No, instead he freaked out and moved to Colorado.
I tell you, I am really starting to dislike Hollywood. Not the city so much, just the ideas they put in people’s heads. You know, the whole meet the amazing guy in the random location. You two continue to run into each other totally by coincidence. Then the two of you decide it must be fate so you decide to date. Then BAM, you are in a rom-com and destined to live happily ever after with the totally hot muscled up man of your dreams. Unless you’re Meg Ryan; then you get Tom Hanks or Billy Crystal. Poor girl, although she did get Hugh Jackman in one; that must have been nice for her.
Okay, so by now you must be wondering what you’re reading. I mean, I already said I didn’t get the Hollywood Ending so you’re not listening to the story of what happened with the “Thunder from Down Under”, despite the fact that we broke up, he can keep his well suited nickname.
Anyway, this also is not a diary, so what is it? Well, it’s an experiment; a study really for my own personal reasons...okay, so it’s an assignment from my editor for my column. Alright, since you are now officially part of my experiment on account of I’m telling you everything I am discovering, I should tell you a little more information. Name: My name is Allison Vera Nichols. My middle name came from my lovely grandmother. Just thought you should know before you start making fun. It was not my decision, but I carry it proudly. It’s a historical name.
Age: I am 23 years old. My birthday is sometime in November. Since we are not on a close personal basis, you don’t need to know more than that. Job:I work for Why Me? Magazine. I have my own column called “Today With Ally”. Before you judge, I was not the least bit creative when it came to naming my column, and this was my six year old cousin’s suggestion. I refuse to change it based solely on my morals. I love my cousin.
Relationship Status: Now here is where it gets interesting. Okay, so not really. As I’m sure you have already guessed, I am currently single. If I weren’t, this experiment would be a very bad idea. My last relationship was “Thunder from Down Under”. His real name was Beau, and he was beautiful. I know that might not seem like the right word to describe a guy, but it was truth. He also happened to be not only “well equipped”, but he also knew exactly how to use it. Hence the stripper name. He was 22. Yes, younger than me, but only by a year. I suppose you are wondering why Beau and I did not work out. The truth? I caught him in quite a few compromised positions with quite a few of my female relatives, and my step-uncle, Rick. Aunt Gayle and I did not see that one coming.
I think that’s about all for me. So now, the good part: the experiment.
I am going to live my life by the chick flicks. I will place myself in the same kind of situations as several popular leading ladies, and see how well chick flicks work in real life. Each one will last one month unless this actually works. I can probably tell you right now, this will not end well. I do not see myself kissing some handsome man as the camera pans slowly away from us. I’m saying this because I don’t want you to get your hopes up. If this ends badly, I don’t want you blaming me.
I don't want you saying, “Oh there’s a week of my life gone by, and I’ll never get it back.” Or, “What garbage, she ended up alone.” And even, “What kind of stupid romance book is this?” I mean it; don’t. Just stay with me, and who knows, maybe you will come out of this with a new outlook on your own love life. Well here goes…
Book Excerpt #2
CHAPTER ONE: I’VE GOT WHAT?!?
Okay, this one should be easy, which is why that’s where we are starting. In case you have never seen the movie, You’ve Got Mail, then here you go: The Original: It is about a young woman (played by the ever lovely, Meg Ryan) who owns a small bookstore. Soon her business is threatened when the rich man on the block (played by the kind of in some way handsome, Tom Hanks) brings his totally awesome big store to right around the corner. Now all the while in person these two bicker about how he is destroying her business, and he’s so mean.
(*SPOILER ALERT*)
However, the tables are turned when, come to find out, her email lover is none other than Mr. Big Shot Books. Needless to say, everyone gets a happy ending.
The Experiment: I’m not exactly high on funds, so I will have to skip the step of opening my own bookstore, and waiting for a big shot to come in and open one too. This leaves really only one step: getting an email lover.
In today’s society, love lives are pretty much ruled by social networking. I mean, today alone I have seen about 30 ads on TV about finding my perfect match. The easiest way to do this would be to start a Facebook account. Now I know this might make things a little different, but it’s close enough. I will not add a photo because otherwise there isn’t that mystery of who I could be talking to. I mean, I would know ahead of time if I was talking to big shot book man if he had a picture.
Book Excerpt #3
CHAPTER TWO: HOW TO LOSE A GUY IN 10 SECONDS
Day 1:
Tonight was one word: FAILURE. There was not a single man at the bar tonight. Okay, scratch that, I mean, you can’t actually believe in this city that a single guy was not at the bar. There were, but the only one that was even moderately attractive was not a batter for my team. At least that’s what I gathered from our short conversation.
Me: Hello.
Non Batter: Hi.
Me: My name is Rachel. (no real names, still) Non Batter: Barry.
Me: Oh, it’s nice to meet you.
Non Batter Barry: You too, I like your shoes. Me: Oh, these old things?
Non Batter Barry: Is that from the new Prada line? Me: Oh, um, I don’t know.
Non Batter Barry: They look like them. Oh, I just love Prada, they are fabulous. Me: (as I realize Barry likes the same thing as me, and this will not work) Oh. Non Batter Barry: So, where did you get them?
Me: Actually, I should go, I have um a gay…um a date. You have a good night.
I can see the look on his face as I leave. He was not pleased by my escape. I don’t blame him, I was insulted for him. Other than Non Batter Barry, the club was virtually guyless. I think he had a few more on his team, and then there was the bartender. He was cute, but I saw a nose ring, and I’m not really big on that. This is terrible.
Day 2:
I am skipping my dinner with the fam tonight in the hopes of meeting My Matthew. Does that make me a bad person? Okay, you can’t answer that. I am doing this all for you anyway so you have something to keep you entertained. If I didn’t skip the family dinner tonight then Project B might as well just end here, because I know for certain that I am not meeting My Matthew there. So wish me the best of luck in my
---
It is approximately 11:30 at night, and I am typing as quickly as I can on my phone while this is all still fresh on my mind. Right now, My Matthew is in his bathroom. Can you believe it? I actually found someone. This is going very well, Day 2, and I have already found My Matthew. Experiment B has officially kicked off and oh, he is coming out, I have to go.
Buy the Book
About the Author
Courtney Elliott
Courtney Elliott lives in a small town in Texas called Cleburne. She has been writing stories since she was eight years old. She's an easy person to get along with. She loves making jokes, most of which are self deprecating. She's not ashamed of who she is therefore not afraid to be herself. She may be young, but does not believe age should be a factor, her writing should speak for itself.
I did everything on the giveaway but when it came for me to follow the publisher, it said the user didn't exist :-/
ReplyDeleteThanks so much for letting me know. It's been fixed. :)
DeleteI am currently reading Nothing to Hide by J. Mark Bertrand
ReplyDeleteI would like to thank you so much for a fantastic book giveaway, that i would love to have the oportunity of reading! I am currently reading a book in the chick-lit genre called 'Surfing in Stilettoes' by Carol E Wyer, that is a fantastic read and is the prequel to 'Mini Skirts and Laughter Lines'.
ReplyDeleteThank you for this chance. x
Email: lfountain1(at)hotmail(dot)co(dot)uk
GFC Follower: lfountain1
I am currently reading a short story called A Boyfriend Before Christmas. Very cute so far.
ReplyDelete