FAB Pick - WHITNEY GASKELL

Oh my, oh my! Unless you're in Florida, you're probably coldColdCOLD, but I've got something to warm you up. First though, I need to tell you a little bit about FAB Picks. Chari-Dee and I are going to choose either a fabulous author or book each month to highlight. That will be our Fabulous Author/Book Pick of the Month. We'll have contests, interviews, reviews, and other fun stuff. The author may even drop in to the comments and talk with you guys. You just never know. You saw some of this already with Dee's January FaB Pick, Adios To My Old Life, by Caridad Ferrar. Now, it's my turn!!

I'm so pleased to announce that my FAb Pick is none other than the amazingly talented WHITNEY GASKELL! Whitney is one of the Literary Chicks, so many of you are already familiar with her wonderful sense of humor. She's written a handful of great books, and I'm going to be reviewing a few of them this week. You may remember that one of Whitney's books, Testing Kate, was one of my TOP PICKS OF 2006. Whitney was kind enough to send our December winner, Joan, an autographed copy of Testing Kate, and Joan totally loved it. Now, you've got a few more chances to win autographed copies of Testing Kate, as well as a few of her other books, this week.

This first post was going to be a review of Whitney's first book, Pushing 30. Then I changed my mind. What I really want to do is tell you about why Whitney is my FAb Pick. Then I'll review a few books this week, give a few away (thanks to Whitney!) and finish it all up with an interview. Sound ok?

I found Whitney through the LC. If you haven't been over there, you really should go. That place is always a riot. Whitney is represented by a comfy red chair. Maybe that's what drew me to her posts originally. I love red. And then there's her picture. She just looks NICE, don't you think? She's got a welcoming smile, not too many teeth showing, doesn't look like she's trying to have visual intercourse with the photgrapher. She looks like any one of the moms that I meet at parks, friendly, funny, honest. Basically, she looks like someone that I'd have over for coffee, and you gotta know how much I love my coffee, right? But really, looks can't count for a whole lot if the woman can't write, right? Well, she doesn't have to worry about that.

I didn't choose Whitney as my first FAb Pick because she looks nice. I didn't choose her because her LC posts are always entertaining. I chose her because her books speak to me. Yes, I said they SPEAK to me. As in, "Hey, stupid, this is an important fact, and it directly pertains to your life, so LISTEN UP, will ya?" Ok, well, maybe they aren't all loud and in caps like that, with the exclamation points and all, but you get the point, don't you? Every book I've read of hers, from her debut book (Pushing 30) right up to her newest book (Testing Kate) had truths in it, something that someone said that just smacked me right upside the head and made me take a look at myself, my actions, my thoughts, my feelings, my life. That's the mark of an amazing writer, a FAB Pick, if you will. Plus, when I asked her if she'd put up with me asking questions and bugging her a million times with stupid e-mails, even though she's in the middle of rewrites for TWO different books, she said YES. How cool is that?

So, in honor of Whitney being so FAB, I'm giving away a copy of one of her books (you get to choose which one today!) and Whitney will send you a signed copy of Testing Kate. The winner will be chosen in a random drawing on Wednesday morning, before my next post goes up(around 10amEST), from all comments on THIS POST, that tell me the correct answers to the following questions*:
1. What are the two 'extra' vows that Whitney got from her husband, George?
2. Which 'extra' vow did George break?

Good luck, and Keep Turning Those Pages!!

dee

*hint: You can find the answers to the questions over at the LC. See, I knew I'd find a way to get you over there to read something of Whitney's before the day was over!!