Catching a chick flick with Victoria Van Tiem...plus a giveaway

Chick flicks and chick lit go hand-in-hand. So many movies have been made from chick lit novels such as Bridget Jones's Diary, The Devil Wears Prada, Something Borrowed, Confessions of a Shopaholic, and In Her Shoes. We know more will be made in the future and I love casting each book I read, in hopes that Hollywood will be paying attention. A while back, Melissa P. and I talked about some of our favorite chick flicks, as well as which chick lit novels should be considered for the big screen.

So when Victoria Van Tiem came to us about her debut novel, Love Like the Movies, which features situations from various chick flicks, we were instantly sold!

In this irresistible romantic romp, movie fanatic Kensington Shaw is thrown into love—Hollywood-style—when her gorgeous ex presents a series of big screen challenges to win back her heart.

What girl wouldn’t want to experience the Pretty Woman shopping scene? It’s number two on the list. Or, try the lift from Dirty Dancing? It’s number five. One list, ten romantic movie moments, and a handful of shenanigans later, Kenzi has to wonder . . . should she marry the man her family loves, or risk everything for a love like the movies? (Synopsis courtesy of Goodreads.)

Victoria Van Tiem is an American author, as well as an artist, black belt, mom of two, wife of one, and resident caretaker of her family zoo—including their beloved, pot-bellied pig, Pobby. You can find her at her website, Facebook and Twitter.

We're thrilled to have Victoria here on her pub day to talk about--what else--chick flicks! She even has an e-book of Love Like the Movies for a lucky US reader.

If Love Like the Movies was made into a movie itself, who would you cast in the lead roles?
Great question! When writing this, my muse for Shane was a combination of a younger Hugh Dancy and James Marsden. They both have that wonderful disheveled hair, just blend James’s feral smile with Hugh’s speech mannerisms and you have my Shane. Bradley was always a blond and broad Paul Walker, Tonya has to be a young Judy Greer type, and Kensington? I never really had a muse because she’s you, the reader, and hopefully the story is experienced as if you’re in her head. But right, casting for a movie… I do love Emma Stone. Think she’d do it?

Do you feel like the style of chick flicks has changed from the 80s to the 90s to now?
In general, they have. In the 80s we had Say Anything, Sixteen Candles, and Dirty Dancing. They were focused more on teens and young adults. The 90s gave us Sleepless in Seattle and You’ve Got Mail. The stories grew up with older leads and adult situations such as divorce and single parenthood. Now? It’s a wide gamut. Love Actually crosses many generations. One thing that hasn’t changed is the Rom-Com formula. It works. To quote LOVE LIKE THE MOVIES, “It’s the magic of boy meets girl, the angst of catch and release, the serendipity of meant-to-be. It doesn’t matter if a romantic comedy follows a predictable course, we respond because it’s rooted in truth.” And the truth is, well, regardless of the age of our hero and heroine, love is funny.

What is the most chick flick-like romantic thing your husband has done for you?
Oh my gosh, you’re gonna get me in trouble! When we were dating, he invited me in after dinner, and inside, taking up an entire wall in his apartment, was my digital painting. He had printed it out and tiled it together. Now, this was before people had home computers and printers, so I thought it was really cool. Plus, it showed he got me, and this actually inspired a scene in LOVE LIKE THE MOVIES between Shane and Kensington.

What chick flick is most like your life?
Wow, yeah, my life tends to fall somewhere between Bridget Jones's Diary and Confessions of a Shopaholic.

What is your favorite soundtrack from a chick flick?
Sleepless in Seattle would be solid first with Jimmy Durante’s "As Time Goes By," Louis Armstrong, Nat King Cole, and Harry Connick, Jr with "A Wink and a Smile." This soundtrack helped carry the entire movie. Loved it.

What chick lit novel would make a great chick flick?
Can I say LOVE LIKE THE MOVIES? Yeah, I have to say LOVE LIKE THE MOVIES. And I’d be a complete loopy mess on set, just like Honey in Notting Hill when she meets Anna Scott, Julia Roberts’ character. When Honey meets her, she says, "Oh God, this is one of those key moments in life, when it’s possible you can be really, genuinely cool, and I’m failing 100%." That’d be me, and, just like Honey, I’d probably follow everyone into the loo.

Special thanks to Victoria for visiting with us today and for sharing her book with our readers.

~Introduction and interview by Melissa Amster

How to win: Use Rafflecopter to enter the giveaway. If you have any questions, feel free to contact us.

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E-book giveaway is US only and ends March 2nd at midnight EST.