Chick Lit and Chocolate in DC

By Melissa Amster

**Giveaway is now closed**

Last night, I attended an event in Georgetown, at BCBG MaxAzria. It was to check out the store's fall clothing line and meet two chick lit novelists from the DC area (From left to right in the picture, Sarah Pekkanen and Beth Harbison) while snacking on chocolate and drinking champagne.

Originally, they wanted us to buy tickets to attend the event. These tickets were $25 each, but there was the promise of a swag bag worth $175. I bought a ticket and then received an e-mail that the host of the event was unable to make it and wouldn't be bringing the swag bags, but all ticket buyers would get a refund. And I am so glad I am getting that refund.

While it was great to chat with Sarah Pekkanen again and finally have her sign my copy of "Skipping a Beat" and while it was nice to meet Beth Harbison for the first time and have her sign my copies of "Shoe Addicts Anonymous," the event was not worth $25. First of all, there was no semblance of organization to the event. The people working at the store didn't even seem to know what was going on and made us feel like we were invading on their territory. I was also under the impression that the authors would be doing a speech or presentation, but it was just a lot of casual mingling. No one provided copies of the books for the authors to sell and sign, so Sarah went to Barnes and Noble and bought a few copies of Beth's latest book to have available.

While it was nice that they had the champagne and (Godiva) chocolates they promised, they also served little desserts from Target (or a grocery store), even though Georgetown Cupcakes was down the street! I found the desserts to be amusing more than anything else, again validating why I'm glad I got the refund. When I got home, I found out that the host will be sending swag bags to people who bought tickets, just for showing interest. If that happens, I will gladly tell you about what is in them.

The positives of this event were that I wasn't stuck in the city for a long amount of time, given that I don't like to go home late on the train. The casualness of the event allowed me to talk to whomever I wanted, get some pictures and leave. Aside from Beth and Sarah, I also got to meet two other really cool women. First I met Dana Bate, who will be publishing a book next spring. Her book will definitely be a hit amongst foodies and chick lit fans, based on what she described. (There are also elements of Judaism, which scores brownie points for me.) She is very nice and I enjoyed talking with her about books and other topics. (And I will figure out why she looks so familiar if it takes me all year!) Next, I met Kristin Durham, a.k.a. Kritter. She has a great blog called Kritters Ramblings, where she reviews a lot of books (mostly chick lit). She is very nice, as is her mom (who was also at the event). She opened my eyes to the diverse amount of tastes in books out there. What works for one reader doesn't always work for another, which is why we present such a variety of books here at CLC. Finally, I confirmed for myself once again why I love living in DC. After the event, I was walking to get back to my train and there was such a "laid back" feeling in the atmosphere. The city is beautiful and historic in so many ways and I'm proud to be associated with it for almost two years now!

In the future, if someone wants to host a chick lit event in a specific city, they should invite all chick lit authors in or around that city. They should also allow time and space for the authors to talk about themselves and their books or even to have a panel where people can do a question and answer session. They should also do it in a bookstore where there is more space allotted for such events. This type of event didn't have the same kind of feel in a clothes store. Even a shoe store would be more fitting since Beth wrote some books about shoes.

Speaking of which...I have a copy of "Shoe Addicts Anonymous," signed by Beth Harbison, to give to a lucky reader. And because I feel bad about all these US only giveaways, I'm making this one international! Just tell me what author you'd like to meet in person and include your e-mail address or some other way to contact you easily. Good luck! (Giveaway ends August 2nd at midnight EST.)

With the lovely literary ladies from DC!

With Kristin from Kritters Ramblings