Why Susan McBride would wear silver shoes with a little black dress...plus a book giveaway

**Giveaway is now closed**

Today our good friend Susan McBride, author of "The Cougar Club" (and many other great books), has returned to CLC with a guest post about her latest book "Little Black Dress" (released tomorrow and reviewed here) and the power of magical clothing. Here at CLC, we adore Susan and jump at the chance to feature her on our site. For those of you that are new and haven't yet had the pleasure of "meeting" her, we are sure that you will all love her as much as we do!

As a special treat to some lucky readers in the US and Canada, Susan is offering three signed copies of "Little Black Dress!"

Visit Susan on Facebook and her blogs, The Stiletto Gang and Girlfriends Book Club.

Fashionable Magic

When I think of a quintessential fashion “must-have,” a little black dress pops right into my head. From early on, my mother taught me that every woman needs to have one in her closet. “It will take you through all of life’s events,” she remarked, and I believed her. I’ve always owned at least one LBD, which became my eternal go-to gear for a graduation dinner, a cocktail party, or even a funeral. Although my current model has a row of buttons up the back that likes to come undone when I do anything but sit, which has led to some interesting, less than magical situations.

In "Little Black Dress," my second women’s fiction book, a vintage black dress with mystical powers falls into the hands of two sisters, Anna and Evie, in small-town Missouri. As the dress shows its wearer glimpses of her future, you can imagine the kinds of upheaval it causes. Instead of Anna marrying a man her parents find perfectly suitable, she disappears, leaving Evie to pick up the pieces…and to don the black dress herself. Like Anna, what she sees changes her life forever. Coco Chanel once said, “A woman without a little black dress has no future,” and in the case of "Little Black Dress," truer words were never spoken.

But back to that far-from-magical LBD in my closet. I’ve been on the hunt for a new one (or two) to wear while I do book promotion. How nice it would be if I had a mystical LBD like the one in my novel, which fits each woman who wears it, no matter her shape or size. Not so sure that I’d want to see flashes of my future every time I put it on; but perhaps that would come in handy on occasion (especially if it warned me about bad situations like the robot from Lost in Space: “Danger, Will Robinson!”).

Fashion and books truly go together like peanut butter and jelly. So much of chick lit is synonymous with designer clothing, handbags, and shoes. But what about novels that have magical fashion imbedded in their stories?

Like the pair of jeans in "The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants." Found at a second-hand store, this denim is hardly ordinary. Not only does it fit four very different girls, but it helps them through rough patches in their lives. It connects them and is entirely symbolic of their friendship, weathering rough times and travel. Who wouldn’t want to own a pair of jeans like that?

Then there’s the Invisibility Cloak in the Harry Potter novels. It had once belonged to Harry’s father, James, and was given to him mysteriously on a Christmas morning (it’s got to be from Dumbledore, don’t you think?). Harry uses it to uncover mysteries, about what’s going on at Hogwarts and from his own past. I can definitely see how an Invisibility Cloak would come in handy! You could get into movies and concerts for free, fly without a ticket (and avoid TSA pat-downs!), listen in on conversations, or watch the hockey game from the players’ bench (that one came from my husband). Ah, the list is endless!

But perhaps my favorite magical fashion accessories are Dorothy’s silver shoes in "The Wonderful Wizard of Oz" (changed to ruby slippers for the movie). Not only are they pretty and sparkly; but, just by clicking the heels together, you can transport yourself home (or somewhere else, I guess, say if you wanted to go to France rather than back to Kansas). What fun it would be to put on those silver shoes, tap your heels, and pop into your favorite restaurant! Or visit a friend in a faraway place! It would totally out-style a transporter from Star Trek.

Hmm, I wonder if I can order Dorothy’s shoes, Harry’s cloak, the Sisterhood’s jeans, and the magical little black dress online? If I could, I’d be good to go!

Thanks to Susan for bringing magic into our lives and for sharing her book for our giveaway.

How to win "Little Black Dress":
Please comment below with your e-mail address.
(Please note: Entries without an e-mail address will NOT be counted. You can use AT and DOT to avoid spam. Or provide a link to your facebook page or blog if you can receive messages there.)

Bonus entries (can be listed all in one post):
1. Please tell us: What is your "go-to" piece of clothing, outfit, or accessory?
2. Follow this blog and post a comment saying you are a follower (if you already follow, that's fine too).
3. Post this contest on Facebook or Twitter or in your blog, and leave a comment saying where you've posted it.
4. Join Chick Lit Central on Facebook. Edit settings if you don't want to receive a lot of messages at your e-mail account. Please read our posting guidelines, as well. (If you're already a member, let us know that too.)
5. Add a friend to our Facebook group. (Tell us who you added.) Be sure to remind them to edit their settings.

US/Canada only. Giveaway ends August 28th at midnight EST.

A Novel Review also has a copy of this book to give away. (US only. Ends 8/30.)