Lydia Netzer is a rising star...plus a book giveaway

Photo by Katie Weeks

**Giveaway is now closed**


Today we welcome Lydia Netzer and her debut novel SHINE SHINE SHINE. Lydia was born in Detroit and was educated in the Midwest. She lives in Virginia with her two home-schooled children and mathmaking husband. When she isn't teaching, blogging, or drafting her second novel, she writes songs and plays guitar in a rock band, The Virginia Janes. Talk about fitting in with this month's theme right?!?

Thanks to St. Martin's Press, we have FIVE copies of "Shine Shine Shine" to give away to some lucky readers anywhere in the US and/or Canada.

Visit Lydia at her website, blog, Facebook and Twitter pages.

Favorite genre of music:
My favorite music is girl rock -- I love P.J. Harvey, Throwing Muses, Kirsty MacColl, and The Muffs! More recently I am enthralled by Imogen Heap, Dar Williams, Missy Higgins.

Favorite duet:
I love "Come What May," sung by Ewan MacGregor and Nicole Kidman from the movie Moulin Rouge. I love the simple transparency of the words, the mad abandon with which they sing it, and everything about it.

Song you danced to first at your wedding:
There was no dancing at my wedding! My fundamentalist parents would have had some sort of nervous breakdown. Had we danced to a song, it would have been "Noah's Dove" by 10,000 Maniacs. Because we were like in love and stuff.

Song you would sing at karaoke (even if forced):
My go-to song for karaoke is "Don't Cry For Me Argentina," Madonna's version, and I don't have to be forced.

Favorite music video (from any time period):
Best music video of all time, by far, is "Man-Size" by P.J. Harvey. Right about 1:10, she begins to school the world on how to rock.

Favorite country song:
My favorite country song is "Until Now" as performed by River Phoenix in the movie The Thing Called Love. This movie also had Samantha Mathis, Sandra Bullock, and Dermot Mulroney. Why has no one ever seen it? The version of this song that's on the soundtrack is crap. But the version in the movie, for some reason, is gorgeous.

Favorite Broadway song:
Okay, this is completely unreasonable and only connected to memories that are attached to playing pit orchestra for this musical, but I have to say it's "I'll Never Say No To You" from The Unsinkable Molly Brown. Thinking more rationally, I'd have to say "I Am The Model of a Modern Major-General" from The Pirates of Penzance. Yes, that's much the better answer.

What song are you proud to know all the lyrics to?
Well, I don't know all the lyrics to "Modern Major-General," that's for sure! Probably I'm proudest I can sing "Here and Now" by Letters to Cleo (another great karaoke choice, by the way). I also used to dress just like that in the 90s! Cut offs and black tights, boots, ponytails, the works.

Special thanks to Lydia for rocking our world and to St. Martin's Press for sharing "Shine Shine Shine" with our readers.

How to win "Shine Shine Shine":
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 favorite song from a Broadway musical?
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 5th at midnight EST.