Live from CLC, it's Kaya McLaren.... plus a special giveaway

Introduction by Gail Allison

**Giveaway is now closed**

Kaya McLaren lives a deliberate life: one that lets her pursue her dreams, yet stay grounded.  She knows that yes, life can be beautiful, but she also knows that it can be torturous, difficult, and every last one of us will experience all of that.  Ms McLaren finds inspiration and strength from everything around her.  Everything around us is always changing, all the time, and she understands and embraces the fact that in order to pick ourselves up and carry on we can’t fight the change, but we need to learn to change right along with it.  She’s familiar with change:  she has been a model, worked at a health store and at Dairy Queen, and worked on archaeology contracts.  She has lived in a tipi, in a house with no insulation, and in a delightful little cabin on the edge of the Snoqualmie valley.  All of this has come together to inspire her to the point where she now has three fantastic novels under her belt, her latest being How I Came to Sparkle Again (reviewed here). We’re so excited she could take some time out for us today.

Kaya is here today to talk about her favorite TV shows. Thanks to AuthorsOnTheWeb, we have a copy of How I Came to Sparkle Again for one of our readers in the US or Canada. In addition, Kaya has a pair of gloves and Ghirardelli hot chocolate for one lucky reader in the US or Canada.

You can find Kaya at her website, Facebook and Twitter.

Favorite TV Show from the 80’s:
Does Saturday Night Live count? Oh, what a funny cast… Jan Hooks, Victoria Jackson, Eddie Murphy, Nora Dunn, Billy Crystal, Dana Carvey, Phil Hartman, Mike Myers, Kevin Nealon, Chris Farley, David Spade, Jon Lovitz, and Dennis Miller… Legends.

Favorite Cartoon Series:
I’m a purist—Looney Tunes. To this day, when I’m in a meeting or somewhere I don’t want to be, sometimes I just start thinking about Bugs Bunny in The Barber of Seville. It’s my good place. When he gives Elmer a scalp massage with his feet, it just looks like it would feel so good.

TV Show I felt was cancelled too soon:
A few years ago I really loved Men on Trees about a writer in Alaska, and October Road. I was so sad when they were axed.

TV Show that is most like my life:
Northern Exposure—where I’m having conversations with friends about lucid dreaming one moment, and target shooting the next. I loved that show.

TV show that is a guilty pleasure for me:
Revenge. I don’t do fear well, so I end up wide awake for hours and dragging the next day. I should not watch it. I should not. And yet I can’t stop.

Funniest commercial I’ve seen recently:
The Republican National Convention. It’s that part about how fiscally responsible they are with their unfunded war and tax cuts for the rich. Does it get funnier than that?

Episode of a show that made me cry the most:
I can’t think of one episode in particular, but Parenthood is a show that often moves me. I cried just last night when one of the characters was getting diagnosed with breast cancer. Each time I watch it, I just marvel at the phenomenal writing, directing, and acting. Beautiful, beautiful, beautiful.

What TV series would you like to see do a musical episode?
Rock Center with Brian Williams.

Special thanks to Kaya for chatting with us and sharing gloves and hot chocolate and AuthorsOnTheWeb for sharing How I Came to Sparkle Again with our readers.
  
How to win How I Came to Sparkle Again OR gloves and Ghirardelli hot chocolate:
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 TV show do you feel was cancelled way too soon?
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. Follow us on Twitter and/or Pinterest.
6. 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 November 4th at midnight EST.