Interview, Giveaway, & Review: The Truth About Emily by Madi Brown

Good morning my lovely readers. Today I'm happy to announce that Madi Brown, author of the novel The Truth About Emily stopped by Bitches n Prose to answer some of my questions. After our chat about love, shoes, and books, scroll on down to read my review of her book as well as enter to win a $25 Amazon Gift Card from the lovely Madi herself. Welcome, Madi!

Interview:

What inspired you to write The Truth About Emily?
I was inspired by my grandmother Emily, who is now unfortunately deceased. My mom told me that as she was growing up, her mother’s nose was always stuck in a book. As a writer, this tugged at my heart strings, but the fun part is wondering what it was that she read---It could have been have been S & M tales.

Emily writes about fashion in this novel, namely jewelry. What's your favorite piece of jewelry that you own?
It's actually a gold monogram necklace. I love the simplicity of it, but at the same time I know that it was especially crafted for me.

She also has a Louboutin shoe fund (as do I!) If money was no object, what's the one dream fashion piece that you'd buy for your wardrobe?
A Loubie girl after my own heart. Oh, I definitely need to have an embellished Balmain dress in my life. When the occasion presents itself, I need to be a fashion killer.

Of course! I actually told my girlfriend it was perfectly acceptable to propose to me with Louboutins instead of a ring, haha. Now, I'm sure all of us can relate to looking for love in all the wrong places. Can you tell us about your best date? Your worst?
date involved me cooking dinner for the first time for one of my exes. I attempted to make him baked barbeque chicken, corn and basmati rice. Somehow, things weren't coming together for me in the kitchen. It was my nervous energy. I just wanted to show him that I could cook. He wound up coming to the rescue. He added a random can of cling peaches that I had sitting in the cupboard onto the chicken. It was utterly amazing. That’s when he knew he was special.

My worst date was when I began dating a new guy, and my ex popped up. We hadn't been broken up for very long, and I actually apologetically asked the new guy to leave. Ladies, make sure that it’s over with the old boyfriend before you decide to put yourselves out there.

Hollywood executives bang on your door screaming, "Madi! We need to make this into a movie NOW!"- Who do you pick as your dream cast?
I’m going to go with Blake Lively as the lead female (Gossip Girl). She’s a true fashionista,but she still has this down to earth quality that I think an audience would find to be endearing. Male lead---Adam Sandler. You don’t think total babe when you see him, but he’s hella funny and charismatic. The supporting cast includes Katie Holmes and Richard Gere.

Do you listen to music when you write? If you, what songs make up the soundtrack to The Truth About Emily?
Only for a bit, and only when I’m writing love scenes. It would be a mix of Beyonce’s Flawless, Pink’s Just Like a Pill, and Jhene Aiko’s The Worst. It’s a woman’s movement for sure.

In what ways are you like Emily? In what ways are you different? Are any characters based off of people you know?
Emily and I are both go-getters, and we both love love, but it’s got to be the right kind of love because we want to get what we give out. We differ personality-wise in that Emily is a people pleaser. I’m more comfortable in my own skin. Emily’s bestie is loosely based on a relative of mine. Her children call the shots, and she shall remain nameless.

What do you want readers to take away from The Truth About Emily?
I’d like for people to take away that the quest to find love is important, but learning to keep that sh*t is even more important.

It's a girls' night in. What ice cream is being scooped, what movie's on the TV, and what drinks are being poured?
I am a Haagen Dazs girl forever. So, vanilla swiss almond, we’re watching Sex In the City, and we’re sipping on lemon drops and pomegranate martinis.

Oh we would be fast friends. Haagen Dazs & pomegranate is the way to my heart. So Madi, what's next for you? Can you tell us about any upcoming projects?
Well, The Truth About Emily is the first book in a series. Emily’s still complex. She’s got a lot of life to live.

What advice would you give to aspiring writers?
Make sure that your writing isn't a hobby, because there’s lots of hard work involved in becoming a published writer.

What are three beauty tools/fashion pieces that you cannot live without?
My flat iron, my curling iron, and my skinny jeans. Nothing else matters.

Flat iron is number one on my list too. Thanks so much for taking the time to talk with me!

About the Author

Madi Brown is an ambitious relationship blogger (Madibrown.com) by night, and a pencil-skirted, poplin-shirted, admin assistant by day. And though this author finds her main character to be quite relatable, she knows that having it all is a stretch. Duh. Success is self-defined. This is her debut work of contemporary women's fiction.

About the Book:

29-year-old Emily Greene looks the part, but she’s still working on becoming a modern-day woman. Not that she’s one to back down from a challenge, but living as an eternal work-in-progress wasn’t exactly the goal that she had in mind. It’s a harsh but true realization---the idea that that time isn't on her side, and the notion that wanting to have it all, doesn't mean getting it. The verdict is in; with zero prospects for a relationship and a stalled blogging career, Emily has every reason to believe that she’s been living a life too humdrum for her own good.

Making the change won’t be easy. She’ll have to do whatever it takes; start dating like a man, become more selective about which RSVP's she accepts, and work even harder at getting her dream job.The payoff’s huge;a modern twist on a storybook ending, but gains don’t often come without risks. In the here and now Emily just may be forced to choose….It’s got to be one or the other----the profession that she’s always wanted, or the love that she’s never had.

Get The Truth About Emily now from Amazon


Title: The Truth About Emily
Author: Madi Brown
Format: ebook
Pub. Date: August 15th 2014
Source: Madi Brown


★★★★

Four stars.

---

The Truth About Emily is one of those books that just puts a smile on your face. The main character, Emily, is realistic and funny, and just the right amount of quirky. She wants to make more out of her life and find love and success in her career. And as time passes, she needs to learn what she'll sacrifice to have it all, and find out if she can balance the two to make herself happy. As a twenty-something year old girl, I can definitely relate to her. I'm so young and there's so much to do and I want to do ALL of the things but also that's really expensive and exhausting and who am I even? I saw the method to Emily's madness and I liked it- it gave a humorous slant to real life issues and experiences that I'm currently living.

This book will also definitely appeal to those who enjoy fashion and trends. Emily works in the industry writing and blogging about fashion and jewelry. This means you get a nice insight into her world of beauty products, and there's a lot of name dropping when it comes to designers. I liked this aspect for a few reasons. The first is that I blog, and follow beauty blogs, so again it felt relatable. Also, it meant that it was easy to picture the characters and their "looks", because they're all detailed in their descriptions.

I know it's already almost Fall, but this is a great, quick read that I can definitely picture in beach tote bags. If you're a fan of works by Sophie Kinsella or Meg Cabot, then I'd recommend checking this one out. I'd also recommend it to young women, though of course a good book can be appreciated by anyone. Thanks to the author, Madi, who provided me with a copy of her book in exchange for my honest review.

Giveaway:

-This giveaway will run from August 22nd to August 29, 2014
-This giveaway is open to those 13 & older (with permission of course!)
-It is open to anyone over that age who can legally enter, receive, and use their prize.
-One (1) winner will win a $25 (USD) Amazon Gift Card
-This giveaway is sponsored wholly by the author. I am not responsible.
-This giveaway is in no way associated with Facebook, Twitter, Rafflecopter or any other entity.
-Winner will have 48 hours to reply, or a new winner will be chosen. Winner will be chosen using random.org.
-Invalid entries will be removed, so please don't cheat.
-Void where prohibited. Odds will vary. No purchase necessary.
-My opinions are my own. Information will not be stored or sold, and will be used only to contact the winners.

a Rafflecopter giveaway