Victoria Van Tiem is one to RAVE about...plus a book giveaway

We're pleased to have Victoria Van Tiem back at CLC today. She was here in 2014 to talk about chick flicks, and now she's all about the 80s. Since it's fashion, style, and beauty month here, she's talking about what that was like for her in the 80s. We're definitely experiencing some shopping mall deja vu.

Victoria Van Tiem (pronounced 'team') is an international author of romantic comedy and dramedy novels, a former gallery owner and creative director with a background in brand development. She lives just outside of Indianapolis on a small hobby farm with her husband and two teenage boys.

Her second novel, Holding Out for a Hero (we dare you to not get that song in your head), was published on January 14th in the US & UK with a FREE prequel short available on wattpad (and you'll have another song from the Footloose soundtrack in your head). Her debut, Love Like the Movies (reviewed here), is available internationally. You can find Victoria at her website, Facebook, and Twitter.

Victoria has one e-book and one paperback of Holding Out for a Hero for some lucky readers anywhere in the world!

US cover, left; UK cover, right

Synopsis:
Their love survived the 80s. She wished she hadn't.

A funny, bitter-sweet romantic dramedy set to an 80's soundtrack that proves first love never truly dies.

Libby London fell in love with the 80s, came of age in the 90s, and in the 21st Century is coming completely apart. Her New York fashion sensibility is more 'vintage tragedy' than 'retro babe' and might just be what's holding her back in all matters of life and love...

At least that's what her well-meaning friends think. They've staged an #80sIntervention determined to bring Libby bang up-to-date, but how do you move forward when the one you love holds you in the past? Between her dreaded birthday party, friend's madcap ambush, and being forced to relocate her Pretty in Pink resale thrift shop, Libby's at the end of her rope. If her therapist isn't quick, it could be a literal one. (Courtesy of Amazon.)


What is the oldest piece of clothing you own?
I had to really think about this . . . My wedding dress is 20 this February, and I do have a faux mink coat of my mother’s that I keep for sentiment, but nothing from the 80s survived to currently reside in my closet. Oh, except … I have one pair of dressy ankle length culottes that I still have (not from 80s though- maybe 90s when they came back into fashion?) I absolutely love them. They’re dressy without fuss, fit well, and I feel tall wearing them and at 5’2’ that’s a BIG deal. Wish I still had those brown ones… and I have no idea what I’m doing in the photo, maybe a ninja style kick? The split skirts actually first appeared in the mid-to late-19th century Victorian Era and were developed for horseback riding and gardening. They’ve made an appearance in almost every decade since with slight stylistic moderations. In the 80s, they were all about the wide stripes and wild prints.

What is your favorite fashion trend from the '80s?
The same. Gaucho pants and Culottes. A more modern version in classic colors just came out again, so I was quick to grab a few because once they’re out of trend, they disappear and are hard to find. Oh, and denim overalls. The style changes, but they’re a classic. In the 80’s we had paint splattered ones we wore with huge hair scarves and netted gloves like Madonna.

What was your favorite outfit to wear in the '80s?
A denim ruffle skirt. I had one in white too, but the denim was my favorite. These came back around again recently, not that I would wear them now! LOL. I think I had the exact one in the photo, only mine was one layer shorter.

Where was your favorite place to buy clothes in the '80s?
Oh, we shopped at 5-7-9 and RAVE. Trendy teen affordable fashion for sure.

Which brand of cosmetics do you use most often?
In the 80s we all used Bonnie Bell Lip Smackers in metal tins and Hard Candy nail polish. We stored them in Caboodles cases. But now? I float between the typical stuff of L’Oréal and Revlon. I do like Drew Barrymore’s FLOWER brand as well.

What is your favorite movie that features fashion or beauty?
Pretty in Pink for the 80s (Andy had her own fashion sense for sure), and Clueless. More recently… The Devil Wears Prada (Can I have her wardrobe please?), Confessions of a Shopaholic, Coco before Chanel, and the classic, Breakfast at Tiffany’s.

More from Victoria:
I lived and loved the 80s, even though so much of the fashion was cringe worthy, it was fun. And although I wouldn’t think of wearing most of the styles today (even the newly introduced ones) my heroine in HOLDING OUT FOR A HERO, can’t seem to stop! She’s absolutely stuck in 80s fashion. There’s a song called "1985" from Bowling For Soup that talks about such a woman who’s best years were in the 80s so she refused to let them go. That started me thinking, why? What had happened to that woman? That question led me to create Libby, and the 80s Intervention came from that. Although the story’s filled with 80s fun, it deals with some deeper issues and I truly hope you enjoy Libby’s Healing journey into the 21st Century.

Thanks to Victoria for visiting with us and sharing her book with our readers.

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.

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Open worldwide. Giveaway ends January 24th at midnight EST.