Friday, June 12, 2009

Blog Tour- Secrets to Happiness

I just finished reading Secrets to Happiness by Sarah Dunn.

From the inside flap:

Holly Frick has just endured the worst kind of breakup: the kind where you're still in love with the person leaving you. While her wounds are still dangerously close to the surface, her happily married best friend confesses over a bottle of wine that she is this close to having an affair. And another woman asks Holly for advice about her love life--with one of Holly's exes!

Holly decides that if everyone around her can take pleasure wherever they find it, so will she. As any self-respecting thirtyish New York woman would do, she brings two males into her life: a flawed but endearing dog, and a good-natured, much younger lover. She's soon entangled in a web of emails, chance meetings, and misguided good intentions and must forge an entirely new path to Nirvana.

From the author of The Big Love, Secrets to Happiness is a big-hearted, knife-sharp, hilariously entertaining story about the perils of love and friendship, sex and betrayal--and a thoroughly modern take on our struggle to be happy.

I enjoyed reading this story. I could definitely identify with Holly, especially about her ex, but I feel that she lacked warmth. I didn't like the character of Amanda at all. She is supposed to be Holly's best friend but I felt she was almost dismissive and condescending to her. I'm not so sure I liked the ending either. But even through all of that, I still liked the book. I liked the side story of some of the other characters in the story such as Spence and Betsy and Lucas sounded adorable. I look forward to reading Sarah Dunn's other book, The Big Love.

I gave this book a rating of 3/5.

About The Author



Sarah Dunn has moved from Los Angeles to New York five times, and from New York back to Los Angeles four times, which means, at the moment, she is happily residing in New York. Her first novel, The Big Love, has been translated into 23 languages. Visit her website at http://sarahdunnbooks.com/ .



A Q&A With Sarah Dunn



How was the process of writing Secrets to Happiness different from that of your first novel, The Big Love?
Well, it was much more pleasant. That’s the main thing. I really enjoyed writing this book, and all of those things happened that novelists always talk about, the characters started talking and taking over the story. I never had the slightest idea how it would end. I keep a big cork board on the wall in my office, and I was always re-arranging the scenes in the first half of the book, moving my three-by-five cards around – a lot of procrastinating, really, involving bright magic markers and such – but the entire right side was just empty cork for a very long time. When I started out, I wanted to write a longer book than The Big Love, because everybody was telling me they read my entire book on a single airplane flight, and I was starting to get a little offended. I thought it would be good to write something that took a little longer for people to finish. I think they did something with the font or something, because this one reads just as fast.


What aspects of Holly’s character would you say you identify with most—or least?
I love to give advice. I always have. And about 80 percent of the advice I give is great, but unfortunately the other 20 percent is horrible. I mean, ruin-your-life horrible. And I never know which is which, and I argue for both kinds with equal certainty. And, like Holly, I do tend to meddle, and I suppose I have a dash of the rigidity that she has. My sister read the book and sent me an email that said, “Who was the twenty-two year old? Was there a twenty-two year old?” Sadly, there was not.

Holly has written a book loosely based on her relationship with Spence. As an author, do you often crib material from your own relationships? Are there characters in Secrets to Happiness that are based on real people?

Let me just say, it’s a dangerous thing to be my friend. But some of my friends now want to show up in a book, and they like to pick out the little parts that they know are based on them. For example, my friend Jill always insists on sharing a changing room with me. I have no idea why she does this. She has a lot of sisters, I guess. She also encourages/forces me to buy expensive things that I never end up wearing, and so when Jill got to that scene in the book about Amanda, she knew the scene was based on her. I’ve found that it’s easier to base a character on someone you meet for a few minutes at a cocktail party than on someone you’ve known a long time, because then your subconscious just takes those fleeting details and plays with them until the character comes alive.

Chester and Panty are both adorable sounding dogs. Do you have a dog? Brain tumor-free, I hope….
I don’t have a dog. I have a new baby, and a fat, ill-behaved cat, and a dog would probably throw me over the edge. I had a sad experience with a cat around the time I was writing Secrets and that influenced the shape of the Chester story. It was one of those things where, as a writer, you use the feelings but not the facts.


Secrets to Happiness is a very “New York” story. Do you think this story could have taken place elsewhere? Is finding happiness in New York City particularly challenging, do you think?
One character in the book, Lonnie, says that New Yorkers suffer from ‘excessive ego demands’, and I think that’s true. New York City, I contend, actively conspires against happiness. There are a lot of other things you can get easily – stimulation and excitement and a very good bagel come to mind – but ordinary things are hard. Daily life can become a competitive sport. Honestly, just listening to myself, what the heck am I doing here? Maybe it’s time to move!

Holly spends a Sunday afternoon in The Strand bookstore, but she has to set herself some time and money restrictions before she enters. Are books a favorite indulgence for you, too?
I’m in a bookstore, I’d say, four times a week. I love bookstores, although one thing nobody tells you is that publishing a book can ruin bookstores for you for a while. In that entire sea of books, maybe, maybe you’ll find one or two copies of something you spent several years of your life creating. Or none! But I consider myself a book buyer, not just a reader, so I’ve had to get over that. My father used to take my sister and me to a bookstore once a week, and we each got to pick out two books. Now, all these years later, I’d say I’m still averaging two new books a week.

You recently had a baby boy. How has that affected your writing life?
Writing used to be the hardest thing I did in a day, but now it’s the easiest. I have a nanny most days until 1:30, and, let me tell you, sitting in Starbucks for a few hours every morning, thinking your own thoughts, putting them down on paper – suddenly, that’s paradise! How is it that I used to complain about this? Then I go home and I’m covered in spit up for seven hours. Come to think of it, I’m more or less covered in spit up at Starbucks too, but I really can’t blame that on Harry.

What are you working on next?
I’ve got a new novel brewing. There might be some Hollywood stuff thrown in to pay the bills. I just finished a pilot for NBC called George & Hilly which was really fun to write. I will say, there’s nothing like writing a novel. It is a pretty satisfying enterprise, over all.

Other Sites To Visit About Secrets to Happiness and Sarah Dunn:

Reading group guide
Open Book Widget
Sarah Dunn’s Books for Bed Rest and Rainy Afternoons



Visit these other blogs on the Blog Tour:


http://nevernotreading.blogspot.com/
http://www.writeforareader.blogspot.com/
http://www.acircleofbooks.blogspot.com/
http://abookishmom.blogspot.com
http://bfishreads.blogspot.com/
http://zensanity.blogspot.com/
http://scribevibe.blogspot.com/
http://thereviewfromhere.wordpress.com/
http://www.iheartmonster.com
http://peekingbetweenthepages.blogspot.com/
http://hiddenplace.wordpress.com/
http://books-movies-chinesefood.blogspot.com/
http://thisbookforfree.com/
http://bookopolis.blogspot.com/
http://mindingspot.blogspot.com/
http://www.amberstults.com/
http://bookingmama.blogspot.com/
http://confessionsofaromancebookaddict.wordpress.com/
http://bookslovejessicamarie.blogspot.com
http://chikune.com/blog
http://luanne-abookwormsworld.blogspot.com/
http://www.foreigncircuslibrary.blogspot.com/
http://cafeofdreams.blogspot.com/
http://www.squidoo.com/bookcase
http://www.readingwithmonie.com/
http://enroutetolife.blogspot.com/
http://www.bookthoughtsbylisa.blogspot.com/
http://cindysloveofbooks.blogspot.com/
http://danys-san.blogspot.com
http://www.myspace.com/darbyscloset
http://epicrat.blogspot.com/
http://thetometraveller.blogspot.com/
http://jennsbookshelf.blogspot.com/
http://www.linussblanket.com
http://dreyslibrary.blogspot.com/
http://wendisbookcorner.blogspot.com/
http://booksiesblog.blogspot.com/
http://savvyverseandwit.blogspot.com/
http://bookinwithbingo.blogspot.com
http://everydayiwritethebook.typepad.com
http://booksandneedlepoint.blogspot.com
http://www.bookwormygirl.blogspot.com

I have one copy of Secrets to Happiness to give away:

HOW TO ENTER:
+1 Post a comment saying that you would like to be entered (make sure to leave your e-mail address or your comment won't count!)
+1 Post about the contest on your blog and leave the link in your comment
+1 Become a follower (or if you already follow me, let me know!)
~~For each thing that you do, please leave a separate comment or you will only be entered once!!
~~The contest will end on Friday June 19th at 11:59pm
~~This contest is open to US and Canada only, no PO Boxes.
Thanks to Miriam at Hachette Book Group for setting this up!

25 comments:

  1. I'd love to be entered. I've been reading a lot about this book and it sounds like a great summer read. Plus, I love the cover! Great interview too!

    melacan at hotmail dto com

    ReplyDelete
  2. Follower

    melacan at hotmail dto com

    ReplyDelete
  3. No need to enter me. Just stopping by on the Tour. I feel that Holly lacked warmth also.

    ReplyDelete
  4. This one sounds good - something I'd enjoy please count me in
    msboatgal at aol.com

    ReplyDelete
  5. I would like to enter.

    bjhopper(at)me(dot)com

    ReplyDelete
  6. Already a follower

    bjhopper(at)me(dot)com

    ReplyDelete
  7. I'd love a chance to read this book, and I adore the cover :) Thanks for the chance.
    unforgetable_dreamer_always(at)hotmail.com

    ReplyDelete
  8. I'm a follower thanks.
    unforgetable_dreamer_always(at)hotmail.com

    ReplyDelete
  9. Hi! No need to enter me; just posted at Win A Book.

    ReplyDelete
  10. I've been hearing alot about this one, count me in! tWarner419@aol.com

    ReplyDelete
  11. Looks like a good read, please enter me into this drawing.

    Thanks for hosting this giveaway.
    jake.lsewhere[at]gmail.com

    ReplyDelete
  12. Count me in the contest!

    pookie0331[at]gmail.com

    ReplyDelete
  13. I really want this one!

    Jac8604@hotmail.com

    ReplyDelete
  14. I'd like to be entered in your giveaway. Thanks. jessica(at)fan(dot)com

    ReplyDelete
  15. I would love to be entered - this looks like a fun book. And I will judge Amanda's worth as a best friend when I read it!
    Thank you for the giveaway :)
    hurdler4eva(at)gmail(dot)com

    ReplyDelete
  16. I follow!
    Thank you for the giveaway :)
    hurdler4eva(at)gmail(dot)com

    ReplyDelete
  17. I would love to read this, I've been hearing great things about it!

    marielay@gmail.com

    ReplyDelete
  18. I am a follower.

    marielay@gmail.com

    ReplyDelete
  19. Please include me in your giveaway.
    Thanks
    Carlene
    iluvreading(at)Verizon.net

    ReplyDelete
  20. I am a follower.
    Thanks
    Carlene
    iluvreading(at)Verizon.net

    ReplyDelete
  21. Please enter me. Thanks!

    tiffanyak1986(at)hotmail(dot)com

    ReplyDelete
  22. Please enter me :)

    lavery328 at yahoo dot com

    ReplyDelete
  23. Thanks for the giveaway. If you are interested I am giving away Obama's Blackberry on my site.

    Thanks

    chocolateandcroissants at yahoo dot com

    ReplyDelete