Cat Lavoie has the purr-fect story....plus a special giveaway

She calls her cat "tempestuous" in a recent blog post. At first this makes me laugh...then I look at my cat and sigh because I completely understand why she says that. By now you’re probably wondering more about today's visitor.

I'm pleased to introduce the one and only Cat Lavoie, who is the author of such Chick Lit staples such as Breaking the Rules, Zoey & the Moment of Zen, and now Peri In Progress. Though Cat lives in Montreal, Canada she spends quite a bit of time dreaming about her next travels to London.


Today, we are happy to have her pop by Chick Lit Central for a visit. Please give a warm welcome to Cat Lavoie!

Cat has a $10 Amazon gift card for a lucky reader anywhere in the world.

Visit Cat at her website, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Pinterest.

Synopsis of Peri in Progress:
You know what they say about best-laid plans…

After a disastrous thirty-first birthday party where she gets stood-up by a man she isn’t supposed to be dating, Peri McKenna decides it’s time to change what hasn’t been working—which is pretty much everything. Her love life is going nowhere fast, she’s bored to tears by a job that makes her the office pariah, and the lifelong junk food addiction that used to be somewhat quirky is now positively problematic. To top it all off, her newly-purchased home is falling apart and wishful thinking hasn’t done much to fix the leaky roof.

It’s time be an adult now that she’s officially ‘thirty-something.’
But when the first step of Peri’s self-improvement plan backfires, she starts to wonder if change might be overrated.

Enter Milo Preston, an up-and-coming chef who’s in town to take over a local restaurant. When Peri and Milo begin working together, she finds it hard to ignore his easy charm and captivating emerald-green eyes. Since Milo is her best friend’s estranged brother, Peri has to keep reminding herself that he is completely off-limits. As they grow closer, Milo introduces Peri to new foods, the joy (and pain) of jogging, and makes her think her luck might finally be turning.

But when the past catches up with them, Peri finds herself back at square one. Will she be able to sort herself out—or will the roof cave in on her once and for all? (Courtesy of Cat's website.)

How has your writing evolved with each novel you've written?
After I finished writing my first book, I was convinced I'd never be able to write another. And then I did—but I was sure that book would be my last. (It wasn't.) Now that I've started writing my fourth book, I'm more confident in myself and my writing and (hopefully) this newfound confidence makes my writing and my stories stronger.

Right now you write Chick Lit. If you were to try writing for a different type of genre, which one would it be?
If I ever stepped away from Chick Lit for a little while, I’d love to write a thriller—something that keeps the reader guessing until the very last page.


What is the most difficult part of the writing process for you and why?

Every part of the writing process can be challenging at times, but I always dread hitting The Wall when writing my first draft. It usually happens around the mid-way mark. I seem to lose all faith in my story and my characters and I can't see the light at the end of the tunnel. Thankfully, it's just a temporary blip and I know that things will eventually fall into place if I just keep writing.

Which three things symbolize the winter season for you?
*Marathons. No, not that kind of marathon—I'm more of a Netflix marathon kind of girl. I usually take a few extra days off from the Day Job during the holiday break to focus on doing the things I love: writing, reading, and catching on all the good TV I've missed during the last few months.

*Slow-Cookers. I'm very enthusiastic about food and cooking, but I'm not very talented in the kitchen. That's why I love finding good slow cooker recipes (thank you, Pinterest!) because there's nothing better than coming in from the cold and having your entire apartment smell like simmering awesomeness.

*Warm scarves and mittens. I'm one of those weird people who enjoy winter way more than summer. I don't mind the cold and snow unless it gets a little too extreme—and then I'll start dreaming about living in a place where it's fall year-round! 


Sky diving: yes or no?
Nope! Sky diving combines three of my greatest fears: heights, falling, and flying. I prefer to keep my feet on the ground at all times.

How do you escape from the craziness of day-to-day life?

Apart from reading and writing, I unwind by watching TV.
I also like taking silly pictures of my cat, Abbie, and posting them all over social media.

Thanks to Cat for visiting with us and sharing an Amazon gift card with our readers.

~Introduction and interview by Tracey Meyers


How to win: Use Rafflecopter to enter the giveaway. If you have any questions, feel free to contact us. If you have trouble using Rafflecopter on our blog, enter the giveaway here.

a Rafflecopter giveaway



Worldwide. Giveaway ends December 7th at midnight EST.