Glynis Astie is an independent woman...plus a special giveaway

Today we welcome Glynis Astie back to CLC to celebrate the publication of her latest novel, Girls' Night Out. The title may sound familiar because of a book that came out this summer. However, Glynis' version is not a thriller. It's more like the classic chick lit that inspired our blog to begin with. Glynis is here to help us close out Disney and Fairy Tale month and she has an e-book and a set of cocktail glasses to give away!

Glynis Astie never expected in her wildest dreams to be a writer. After thirteen years in the Human Resources Industry, she decided to stay at home with her two amazing sons. Ever in search of a project, she was inspired to write the story of how, in only six short months, she met and married her wonderfully romantic French husband, Sebastien. The end result became her first novel, French Twist.

As this was just the beginning of their epic love story, Glynis continued to chronicle their adventures in the sequel, French Toast, and the final installment in the series, French Fry. After she finished milking her life story for all it was worth, she decided to write straight-up fiction with Gamer Girl, which infused her beloved chick lit with a hint of fantasy. She then realized there were a few ounces left in her real-life French fairy tale, and added French Roast to the mix. She is currently considering writing a prequel to the series, and is therefore questioning her definition of “final installment.”

When Glynis is not writing, she is trying to keep the peace amongst the three men and two cats in her life, finding missing body parts (Lego pieces are small!), supervising a myriad of homework assignments and keeping a tenuous hold on her sanity by consuming whatever chocolate is in the vicinity. (Bio courtesy of Glynis' website.)

Visit Glynis online:
Website * Facebook * Twitter * Pinterest

Synopsis:
Jayne, Amanda and Holly have been through everything together. From triumph and heartache to panic and pure bliss, these girls have lived, learned and always had each other’s backs. With the arrival of adulthood, their daily gossip gatherings have dwindled to monthly margarita mixers, making girls’ night out absolutely integral to their survival. Problems with work, men and anything else under the sun now have to be broken down in a few inebriated hours.

Jayne is determined to become a respected news anchor or die trying. After enduring grueling schedules, humiliating assignments like the Great Herring Shortage of 2018 and her snobby mother’s continued insistence that life as a socialite is a much better option for a woman of her “age and abilities,” she is this close to reaching her goal. If only she weren’t so distracted by her insufferable new boss’ smoldering eyes…

Amanda thinks she has it all. She earns the big bucks, has an amazing fiancé and an attitude that just won’t quit. But when an unexpected event throws her life off course, she feels shaken to the red soles of her designer stilettos. Will her battle to regain her former equilibrium be too much for the girls and Countess Cherry Bomb, Amanda’s drag queen bestie, to handle?

Holly is lost. She’s tried every career from animal taming to human resources, but nothing seems to fit. After her latest round of bad decisions, she returns to her small hometown in Connecticut to try to figure out what to do next. If she could just stop pining over the boy next door—and keep her pushy friends out of her love life—she would have a real chance of getting her act together.

With a new year ahead of them, these girls are determined to conquer the world. Will they rise to the occasion or crumble in defeat? One thing’s for sure, their girls’ nights are going to be full of surprises!

When I first considered the question of which Disney character is most like me, I wondered if I would find a suitable answer because I am, quite frankly, a total dork. When I think of Disney characters, my mind immediately goes to the princesses—their beauty, their grace, their intelligence…you see where I’m going with this. But as I perused the pages of a friend’s princess book, the answer came to me. Merida!

Picture from Disney Wiki

Granted, I look NOTHING like her and I have no archery skills to speak of, but I felt an immediate kinship with her. Why, you ask? Well, Merida is impetuous, independent, wicked smart, passionate, Brave (hee!) and, let’s face it, pretty darn awkward. Many times my impetuous nature has gotten me into situations where my passion and bravery have needed to take over—with a small assist from their sidekicks, intelligence and humor. Did I make it through the situations unscathed? Yes. Did I come through without embarrassing myself? Absolutely not. But you can’t have everything! You know what they say—that which does not kill you (as in death by embarrassment) makes you stronger.

Also, Merida and I spent the early portions of our lives without companions, with our interests engaged elsewhere. I was a bit of a wallflower when I was younger, so I didn’t really start dating until after I had graduated college. By then I had a lot of catching up to do, which wasn’t helped by the aforementioned awkward personality. I did get some really good stories for my first book though! As the years went by, most of my girlfriends got married while I focused on my career. (It may have taken me a little while to figure out what I wanted to do with my life.) I wasn’t thrilled to be alone, but it didn’t mean the end of my world either. I had things to do! And then, one day, this amazing Frenchman walked into my life. I knew immediately that I wanted to get to know him better, so I approached him and started a conversation which lasted the whole night. We had our first date the next day and five weeks later, I asked him to marry me! That crazy impetuous nature of mine struck again! I’m happy to report that sixteen years later, we are still happily married.

But wait, there’s more! I, like Merida, am very outgoing, rather stubborn and um, as my boys frequently tell me, LOUD. I often start conversations with strangers, stop to talk to anyone I know while we’re running around town, have very definite opinions on everything—which I readily share—and will always yell my head off when my sons are playing sports or, you know, performing in band concerts. I’m just so excited to see them having fun! What can I say? I’m spreading the joy.

While I’m thrilled to share many admirable qualities with Merida, there are a few things which have escaped my grasp. I really wish I had her athletic nature and her awesome curly red hair. I guess I’ll just have to make do with my two left feet and my shiny brown hair. Life goes on!

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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Giveaway ends December 2nd at midnight EST.