Best Upcoming Fiction Awards 2013 Winners.(Soon To Be A Page)

Every book you see is every book I liked and loved.

This contest was announced on the 21st of June, deadlines for entry submission was on the 31st of August. September 30th was the appointed time to announce the results but I had gained admission to college and I was a bit snowed under from preparation through lectures. I am happy to finally announce that, "Yay, I present to you your winners!"

*Included is my judging MO*

A little Bio on the Contest:

THEN WE WANT YOU!!
Chick-lit Pad is holding a competition for the best upcoming release, in the "Chick-Lit/Women's Fiction" genre.

Genre's that qualify are:
* General Chick-Lit
* Contemporary Romance
* Comedic Romance

The best of the lot will be listed
permanently on our site, with reviews.

However the winner, will win the
Spotlight and be featured as the Best Upcoming Fiction.

Deadline: 31st August 2013
Announcing winners on 30th September 2013.

For more enquiries, contact us by email

Many shall enter, the best will win.

Yes, you heard me say THE BEST, but I sat for days thinking, "Hmm... should I choose one Winner, or should I relay all these winning entries to them because they are all FAB!!!"

It took me weeks to decide on these. Over THIRTY ENTRIES (actually thirty-two) and by these methods I arrived at my winning entries.

1. I checkedoff all the blurbs of the entries that didn't reel me in. (Which brought down my work to Twenty-five ).

2. I checkedoff books upon fifteen percent completion didn't reel me in (Most of them just weren't funny enough so I got easily bored) Which brought me down to Eleven entries.

3. I further moved on to my review principle-the THIRTY PERCENT principle. Like the above, it left me with only EIGHT of the best Chick-lit.

But I couldn't handle eight. I loved them all to pieces. But then I only wanted one winner...

4. So my brutal fifty percent left me with FOUR.

5. One book with so much humor but a predictable story-line which I needed no help from a psychic to prescient dropped down at hundred percent.

6.

After a hundred, by then I loved almost these books, and wanted to see what happened in their end, so I made the attempt to finish all then decide the winning entry later.

But, when I was done with all three, I just couldn't choose. So... I gave up...

In no particular order, my winning entries for the 2013 Best Upcoming Fiction contest:

Quanie Miller's debut It Ain't Easy Being Jazzy stole my heart with it's excessive humor and amazing story-line as well as its unique chickroine Click here for my review. Quanie's debut will be out for purchase on October Fifteenth. She will be touring thanks to Chick-Lit Plus and the buzz on this upcoming fresh, totally different author would begin. Honestly can't wait. But stay tuned for the buy links and a Five Reasons You Should Purchase It Ain't Easy Being Jazzy post scheduled for it's release date.

Blogger Girl By Meredith Schorr was fantastic. Perhaps the reason why I was nuts about this book was because for the first time, it felt good not reading about a glamorous chick with a glamorous job in fashion, one who writes a relationship column, or has the job a million girls would die for in a hip magazine. Click here for my review. Click here to purchase.

One reason Sylvia Ashby's debut won its way to my list (and heart) was because of it's unique story-line. It's always amazing when an author combines a relatable heroine and a not-done-before story-line and makes a zinging delicious debut about it. Click here for my review. Click here to purchase.

There you have it. The winning entries of Chick-Lit Pad's Best Upcoming Fiction. Thanks to all the authors who sent their entries, wishing you success in all your endeavours.

And to all winners, let's get tumblers, pop one too many Dom bottles and let's celebrate your success. Can't wait for your next titles. To all the debut authors, Sylvia Ashby and Quanie Miller, way to go!!! Meredith Schorr, I already told you if I don't see a sequel to Blogger Girl (where Kimberly gets famous for penning "Blogger Girl" itself and getting famous and being invited to the Today Show... let's just say, I will create a "Shouldn't Blogger Girl Deserve A Sequel" thread on any platform online.

Anticipating a bigger and better contest Next Year. To inquire about this contest send me an email and drop a few kisses as subscription (that normally catches my eye)

Cheers,

Kobby.

Book Review:Pot Love By Sylvia Ashby

Blurb: Ashley Burkе, a twenty-six years old International News presenter at an obscure regional channel, is your average next-door girl. She lives with her boyfriend, loves her work and secretly fancies her boss.

When Ashley loses it all through no fault of her own, well, apart from snogging her boss in the loo and getting caught by his fiancée, she needs to act fast to find a new job before rumours spread that she’s been fired. A lucrative vacancy comes her way–hosting a small spot in a popular day-time TV programme – but there is a catch. The job is a cookery spot and Ashley can’t cook to save her life.

Her winding roads take her from Chichester, to London and all the way to Sardinia, to find her way back to what she has lost. But not without breaking a few eggs along the way and taking а few falls.

Can learning to cook burn your heart? Is change inherently bad or can it bring happiness too? And can you befriend people and things you have a grudge with, in order to carry on?

——————————————

'Corinn, is the camera the only thing that’s been stolen?’

‘Yes.’

‘They haven’t taken your wallet, ID, phone?’

‘No. Why would they?’

‘Because they have a lot more value than an ancient camera.’ I hear how my words sound and back track. ‘No offence, I’m sure the camera must have been very special but…’

‘They’ve taken only the camera, because the pictures were in it.’

‘What pictures?’

‘The one I took of Jennifer Lopez snogging Kate Moss in a café'

—————————————

A fine debut. Sylvia Ashby wows readers with an excellent story line and fantastic doses of romance.

Ashley's on the brink of professional success being an International Newscaster, having the perfect boyfriend (who pays no heed to her work-related rants) except she's not secured about her job having only twenty seconds of airtime and dealing with her nemesis, Amanda, who's lead of Local news and has more than enough time on air. But more than enough isn't enough for Amanda as she wants Ashley's...('time' is an understatement) seconds.

Amanda is out to get Ashley's seconds, but is oblivious Ashley's secretly snogging her fiancé. And Ashley hates being the other woman, but it isn't long (a week or so) before Amanda finds out. Then it takes less than twenty-four hours for Ashley to be without a job...

After lots of weeks of moping, losing her boyfriend and her usual joie de vivre, she lands an interview to be the host of a cooking show. But she's terrible and highly clumsy at it-cooking, not presenting-after one incident of closely setting her kitchen on fire in an attempt to crack an egg for an omelet. Luckily she's called in for test-shooting in the new year, and with only twenty-two days to gain some culinary skills Ashley has to act fast before she faces the new year unemployed without a boyfriend, a mother who's known for I-Told-You-Sos and her local audiences finding out she's lost her job.

You should follow Ashley's journey as she tours the finest Italian restaurants in London and Italy with the help of sexy chef, Giacomo, sharpening her culinary skills.

Add burns, scalds, cuts and sultry kisses, then you have a recipe for pasta

I liked the story-line of this book. It's unique. I got reeled in right when I read the blurb. A newscaster loses her job, terribly clumsy, hasn't made a perfect omelet all her life without putting herself in danger, gains a job on one of the popular cooking shows and has to learn to cook in a fortnight plus a few days. A star to the story-line.

Such a relatable heroine. Day in and day out, the chick-lit genre is plagued with chickroineswho do not posses any culinary prowess or don't know the basics to make a meal. I am guessing what's being portrayed a lot is what happens in reality the most, so I am sure you women out there who can't fix something for yourselves and fail terribly to every time you make an attempt would sympathize with Ashley and even love her in the process.

I was nuts for the other characters in this book. From Vedhika the stylist (who I secretly adored than the main character), to her mum, to Francesca and even the characters I detested so much (Amanda and James). I loved reading about each and everyone of them (and that's a shocker since this book was written in first person).-A star to the characters.

Although I liked this book and would totally recommend it to anyone who's a clumsy cook, I really would have loved it if it was light and fluffy. With such a story-line, I wanted the humor to be raised above lip-twitching levels and more to laughing-out-loud heights. A few plot complications could have also made this book a five star read. I am honestly not against books with a smooth rhythmic plot complications but I would have loved it if there were so many twists and turns.

Overall, it's not bad for a debut, the romance/chemistry between our leads was fantastic and the vivid description of destinations throughout the journey from Finchley to London to Cagilari, Italy. Though it lacked consistent humor, that didn't prevent me from reading till the end-and what a fulfilling end it was. It had a great story line and was penned beautifully, all I wanted was a lot more to laugh at since most books over here that get five stars were because they were hundred percent laugh-out-loud reads.

My rating: Four stars.

Sylvia Ashby's zingy and deliciously entertaining debut is available on...(click image to purchase)

I recommend Pot Love for anyone in the mood for chick-lit with mild humor and lots of romance. If you also adore a great story-line which's unique you could also pick this up. Or perhaps you are fascinated by the world of TV, Pot Love gives in depth knowledge of the not—necessarily glitz, but—glam life of TV. This title is for you if you've been thinking recently of taking a little (—or however you decide to define it—)food trip touring the finest cuisines from London, Italy or maybe all Europe.

My work not done here. Off to post my reviews on Goodreads as well as Amazon.