Monday Mayhem – Holly G in the house!

I’m messin’ with Texas, so my friend Holly Gilliatt was kind enough to step up and keep you all entertained in my absence. Her new release, ‘Til St. Patrick’s Day is atop my TBR pile. She’s talking about girlfriends – a topic near and dear to my heart. Please give her a warm welcome. I miss you all!

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Thanks so much, Margaret, for letting me hog your blog today! First of all, I want to say that I LOVED your books Commitment and Contentment. So I’m a little star struck that I’m actually on your blog. J

I know in the book world, we need to categorize what our writing is, but to me that can sometimes limit readers that would otherwise enjoy it. I suppose my new release, ’TIL ST. PATRICK’S DAY, is technically women’s fiction, some might call it chick lit…but in my mind, it’s in the vein of a good romantic comedy. You know, the kind of movie that makes you laugh along the way and root for a happily-ever-after. And in my opinion, most good romantic comedies are as much about the friendships as the romance.

When I write female friends, I have to confess that it’s a piece of cake. That’s because I’ve been lucky enough in my life to experience some amazing friendships. I absolutely love my family, but I also love my three best friends that I consider my hand-picked family.

Have you ever met someone and knew within an instant that you were going to be good friends? That’s how it was with my friend, Angie. With her welcoming smile, warm brown eyes and easy laugh—I think it only took about two days of working together as bank tellers to know she would become my best friend. That was more than twenty years, millions of laughs, hundreds of tears and countless hugs ago. We’ve shared relationship disasters, weddings, job problems, pregnancies to each of our three kids (but she had to showoff and have all three babies at once!), and our deepest, most intimate thoughts. And when things go awry in your life, that’s when you find out what true friendship really is. Whether it was taking off work early to drive me and my newborn to rent the only available breast pump in the area as I panicked (!), or being there with me as my oncologist delivered the worst news of my life…she’s there for the fun times, but helps carry me through the bad ones. I wish everyone could have an Angie in their lives.

Then there are my friends Kara and Leigh. Sometimes good things come out of bad experiences, and that is how the three of us came to be best friends. We worked together in a hostile environment that gave us a shared sense of having made it through the trenches together. At times, it was akin to working in a war zone, and as we emerged on the other side, beautiful friendships blossomed. We first bonded over drinks and inside stories that only the three of us can truly appreciate. But soon enough, it was about the friendship instead of the war. The wonderful thing is that as lousy as the job situation had been, it allowed the three of us to meet, and I doubt if our lives would have ever crossed paths otherwise. But now I can’t begin to imagine my life without them and the laughter and love they have filled me with.

In ’TIL ST. PATRICK’S DAY you’ll see the importance of having a sisterhood as they navigate their relationships with their boyfriends, husbands and potential partners. And I hope you’ll laugh and maybe even get teary-eyed along the way—as any good romantic comedy should make you do.

 

If you’d like to watch a trailer for ’TIL ST. PATRICK’S DAY, click here:

http://animoto.com/play/05FrnC06NsNzx6g04wOwIw

Here is a blurb:

For three best friends, one winter will change everything.

Chronically optimistic Jayne is surprised she’s still single at twenty-eight. But as always for Jayne, there’s hope. This time his name is Gray—a successful, gorgeous marketing VP that she can’t believe is going out with her. She’s never given up on the belief that the right man for her is out there, somewhere. Maybe Gray could be the one…if she just works hard enough to make it happen.

Her cynical friend Karen is suspicious of Jayne’s new guy with his model looks and over-inflated ego. She’s concerned for Jayne, but has her own relationship to worry about. Not that anything’s wrong with her boyfriend. He’s actually perfect for her, which is why she’s terrified. Not sure she can ever fully trust a man again, she considers bailing on yet another relationship.

Claudia is always there for her friends, no matter what they’re going through. She mothers them like the children she craves to have, relieved she’s no longer navigating the dating world. Happily married, Claudia can’t wait until the day her husband finally agrees it’s time to start a family.

‘Til St. Patrick’s Day is a novel exploring the depths of friendship and what happens when love doesn’t go according to plan.

You can buy my book at your favorite online retailer!

TMP Bookstore

Amazon

Barnes & Noble

 

And if I haven’t bored you too much, here is more about me and my other books:

www.hollygilliatt.com