Author Interview/Giveaway: Lisa Becker - Click: An Online Love Story

Happy Saturday morning, people! I have something fabulous for you all. Recently, author Lisa Becker provided me with an ebook copy of her novel, Click: An Online Love Story. I read it in one morning and seriously enjoyed it. It's deliciously humorous and completely relatable to anyone who has attempted the ever-changing dating world. It's told completely by emails back and forth among friends, and it's easy to devour. The gracious author also agreed to an interview, and we had a little fun. Check out the interview, and find out the details of a giveaway below! But first, read a little more about her novel:

• Pub. Date: April 26, 2011
• Publisher: CreateSpace
• Format: Paperback 286pp
• Genre: Adult contemporary
• Age range: Adult
• ISBN-13: 9781460922637
• ISBN: 1460922638

Goodreads description:
Fast approaching her 30th birthday and finding herself not married, not dating, and without even a prospect or a house full of cats, Renee Greene, the heroine of Click: An Online Love Story, reluctantly joins her best guy pal on a journey to find love online in Los Angeles. The story unfolds through a series of emails between Renee and her best friends (anal-compulsive Mark, the overly-judgmental Ashley and the over-sexed Shelley) as well as the gentlemen suitors she meets online. From the guy who starts every story with "My buddies and I were out drinking one night," to the egotistical "B" celebrity looking for someone to stroke his ego, Renee endures her share of hilarious and heinous cyber dates. Fraught with BCC's, FWD's and inadvertent Reply to All's, readers will root for Renee to "click" with the right man.

My review:
What a fun book! Composed entirely of emails back and forth among friends and an online dating service, this is the story of Renee and her journey to love. Even with the email theme, it didn't really feel forced, like details had to be thrown in there to help the reader make sense of the goings on. It flowed nicely, progressed smoothly, and the pace was just right. The story is fun and upbeat. The characters really have their own voices and are definitely different people. You can tell the differences among characters even through the email format. I laughed and felt for Renee! Very fun book!

What I liked:

• The emails. It's such a different and unique way to tell a story!
  
• The characters. Renee is a nice girl but she grows and learns from her experiences. Mark is her go to guy-friend. Shelley is oversexed and hilarious! Her nicknames are the best!
• The different guys. All of Renee's potential dates are certainly interesting in their own way. They definitely cover a wide range of people and can definitely induce memories of your own dating days!
• Ashley vs. Shelley. They go back and forth, and it's so funny!
  

What I didn't like:

• Like I said, Shelley is oversexed. While I mostly enjoyed her comments, it sometimes felt a little overboard. I still love her though!
• Mark's character never completely developed like I wanted to see. And I was sad that they made fun of his sorting and thoroughness.. haha.

Bottom Line: Feel-good chick-lit type romance that will take you back to your dating days! Definitely try this one out!

Rating:

4/5 book sharks!


Interview with author Lisa Becker

Mickey @ imabookshark: For those who aren’t familiar with you, please tell us a little bit about yourself.

Lisa Becker:I’m a full time mom and wife to the best family ever; part time public relations professional for an international PR firm; part time professor of public relations courses at a state university in California; and I’m bringing to market a children’s education product that I’ve invented. Somehow in between all of that, I managed to write a novel. Needless to say, there’s never a dull moment around here.

M@I: Your book, Click: An Online Love Story, consists entirely of email communication. What inspired this format?

LB:Years ago, I read a book called e by Matthew Beaumont which tells the story of a fictitious ad agency vying for a big account, with the story all told in emails. I thought that narrative style would work really well for the story I wanted to tell about the online dating world. It was a modern way of storytelling that fit the topic and the times.


M@I: Definitely a modern way to tell the story! A lot of couples meet on the internet these days. Even my boyfriend and I met on Myspace back in the day. Is there any truth or experience behind Click for you?

LB: Well, a true lady never kisses and tells. My husband and I met online on a popular dating website. After we married, I was recalling some of the hilarious experiences that I had with both traditional and online dating. I decided to capture some of them in writing and from there, a novel emerged. Click is loosely based on my real-life dating experiences, as well as stories friends have shared with me. In some cases, things are written as they actually occurred. Other scenarios are exaggerated for entertainment value or comedic affect. And some scenarios are completely fictionalized. I really did go out on a date with someone I met online who started every story (no joke!) with “My buddies and I were out drinking last night.” The ultimate goal was to create a fun read for anyone who has ever had a bad date, been in love, been dumped, or is searching for "the one." But, the happy ending is real. Steve and I have been happily married for eight years and have two amazing daughters - ages 6 and 4.

M@I: I love happy endings! So glad to hear it :o) Moving on, I do have to thank you for making your characters normal English speaking people. How much did it pain you to write the text-speak character, the potential date for Renee?

LB: HA! I did have trouble with the serial texter. In order to write some of his messages, I needed to look up “text speak” online.

M@I: Meg Cabot also has written a series of books using emails as a way of telling the story. Is she at all an influence on your work as an author?

LB: I’m not familiar with her work, but will definitely check it out. As mentioned, Matthew Beaumont’s e was really a big influence on me.

M@I: I'll have to read that one! Do you think you’ll write another book in the same style? Perhaps a sequel to Click?

LB: Since Click was published, I’ve been asked numerous times when the sequel is coming out. I’m thrilled people are feeling invested in the characters and want to know more. With each positive review and reader comment on the Facebook fan site, I get more and more motivated to continue writing. Due to the feedback so far, I have started working on a sequel, Double Click that picks up a year and a half later. I hope people will be excited to see where Renee and her friends are in their lives.

M@I: Yay!! I know I cannot wait for that one! What made you write Shelley as such an oversexed woman? Don’t get me wrong, I enjoyed her dirty comments! She’s just a bold character.

LB: I think everyone needs a friend like Shelley, who is confident, brash, outrageous and wholly unapologetic for her choices. She was so fun to write. While she is a fictional character, some of her traits were drawn from people in my life. Her hilarious habit of giving nicknames to her “man du jour” was inspired by a childhood friend of mine who had a nickname for a guy in college that she admired from across the dorm cafeteria. She called him Maverick because he looked like Tom Cruise in Top Gun. Much like Shelley, she is a self-confident, gorgeous, lovely gal and it wasn't long before they met and dated for a spell.

M@I: Oh that cracks me up! Next: do you think it’s possible to forgive and forget when facing a situation like your big shocker? *no spoilers here*

LB: Forgiving and forgetting are two different things. In general, I think the ability to forgive is based on both the severity of the act and the level of atonement taken to remedy things. Forgetting is sometimes more difficult, especially when a constant reminder is out there. In the case of my book’s “big shocker” as you put it, I haven’t experienced the same thing. But, I think given the history of the characters and level of emotion involved, the ability to forgive rings true.

M@I: I know what you mean. So, how long did it take you to write and review this novel?

LB: I started writing the book after my husband and I married but before we had kids. Then I had to take a break from writing due to the rigors of motherhood. If I combine all of the time it took to write and review, I would guess about a year.

M@I: Okay, enough shop talk. What’s your favorite animal?

LB: A hippopotamus. Not sure why, but I’ve loved them ever since I was a little girl.

M@I: Awesome answer! If you could be any celebrity, who would you be?

LB: I have a fondness for Anne Hathaway. I think she’s talented, beautiful and very classy.

M@I: Awww I love her. :o) What’s your favorite kind of music to listen to? Do you listen while writing?

LB: My favorite band is The Beatles and, if it’s my choice, I’m usually listening to 80’s tunes or alternative rock. But, with two girls ages 6 and 4, I’m most often listening to princess songs and Disney movie show tunes. I don’t listen to music while I write; instead I have the TV on in the background.

M@I: TV is good for background noise! Where’s your favorite vacation spot?

LB: Lizard Island off the eastern coast of Australia right on the Great Barrier Reef. It’s a private, exclusive island with only a small number of guests allowed at once. My husband and I honeymooned there. It was glorious.

M@I: That does sound glorious! If you could pick anyone to narrate an audio version of your novel, who would you choose?

LB: Anny Hathaway. I’m nothing if not consistent.

M@I: I would love to listen to a book read by her! What’s your favorite fast food restaurant? Why? Least favorite?

LB: In-N-Out Burger. They have amazing chocolate shakes. For those on the Western side of the U.S. who’ve experienced In-N-Out, you know it’s true. My least favorite would have to be Chipotle. I seem to get indigestion every time I eat there. Hey, you asked!

M@I: Mmmm In-N-Out!! Thank you!

LB: No, thank you!

Check Lisa and her book out on her Facebook page!

Giveaway Alert!!!

Lisa is courteously providing the blog with an ebook copy of her novel to give away to you wonderful folks! Here are the deets on how to win:

• Leave a comment with your name and email address/twitter handle and you're entered.
• Leave a separate comment for one extra entry if you tweet about the interview/giveaway. Please include direct link.
• Must be 16 or older.
  
• International since it's an ebook!!!
  
• You don't have to be a follower, but it's appreciated of course!
• Ends at 11:59 PM PST on Saturday, 8/6/11.
  
• Winners will be picked with random.org.
• Questions? Email me at imabookshark AT yahoo DOT com!

Good luck!!