Chique Blog Tour Invitation

WOW! Women On Writing announces Barbara Conelli's blog tour!

Blog Tour Dates:
June 25 - August 24, 2012
 
You're invited! Meet Barb and her fabulous blog hostesses.
Dear ,

Are you ready to fall in love? Sometimes love means looking past the obvious to find the truth . . .

 

And it's as true with places as it is with people. At first glance, we see the persona; if we look deeper we find the heart. 

 

In Chique Secrets of Dolce Amore Barbara Conelli shares with us the heart of Milan, a city that leads a double life. While on the outside chique and progressive, this magical city has secrets few people know about--and Barbara would like to share them with you. Travel with us to a place that has been breathing love for centuries

 

Get ready to be inspired! Barbara is such a breath of fresh air. In today's interview, she tells us why she decided to write books about Italy, what it means to be a "Chiquenist," and how she developed such a zest for life! 

Chique Prizes! Stop by The Muffin today for an interview and comment for a chance to win a prize pack, pictured right. The winner will receive: signed copies of Barbara's books, Chique Secrets of Dolce Amore and Chique Secrets of Dolce Vita, plus a Chique T-Shirt and a Journal for all of your travel notes ($70 value)! For an extra entry, link to the post on Twitter with the hashtag #ChiqueBook. The giveaway contest closes this Thursday, June 28 at 11:59 PM, PST. We will announce the winner in the comments section the following day, Friday, June 29.

Barbara is also hosting two special contests with prizes! An essay contest and one where you learn Italian. More on that below!

Bloggers: If you'd like to host Barbara on your blog, or another WOW author, please e-mail us with your request, or simply reply to this e-mail. Be sure to check out our Upcoming Tours section below.

 

Authors: If you'd like to schedule a tour for yourself, please reply to this e-mail. We look forward to hearing from you! 

Join us for an Italian summer!

~ Robyn, Angela, and Jodi ~ (Your Hostesses)

 

 

  Meet Barb
 
Barbara Conelli

Barbara Conelli is an internationally published bestselling author, seasoned travel writer specializing in Italy, and Chiquenist on the mission to bring Fantastic Fearless Feminine Fun into women's lives. In her charming, delightful and humorous Chique Books filled with Italian passion, Barb invites women to explore Italy from the comfort of their home with elegance, grace and style, encouraging them to live their own Dolce Vita no matter where they are in the world.   

An entertaining storyteller, Barb has a unique ability to capture the magical atmosphere of the places she writes about. Through the pages of her books, Barb takes your hand and guides you through the irresistible beauty, captivating secrets, unrepeatable spell and fugitive moments of Italy. She makes them come alive easily and spontaneously, and her writing is like a magic carpet that carries you to Italy and back in the blink of an eye. She introduces you to fascinating women who have created the face of Italy, lifts the shroud of their mysteries, and reveals adorable places off the beaten track where the authentic Italian heart hasn't stopped beating.


Find out more about Barb by visiting her online:

 About Chique Secrets of Dolce Amore    

     

Chique Secrets of Dolce Amore Chique Secrets of Dolce Amore      

by Barbara Conelli

  

Fascinating, enthralling and seductive travel and life tales about unexpected encounters with the capricious, unpredictable and extravagant city of Milan, its glamorous feminine secrets, the everyday magic of its dreamy streets, the passionate romance of its elegant hideaways, and the sweet Italian art of delightfully falling in love with your life wherever you go.

When we talk about "the city of love," most of us immediately think of Paris, Venice, Rome or another famous metropolis whose romantic stories we know from movies and novels. But to Barbara Conelli, none of them are the real city of love. To the author, love doesn't mean passionate gestures, big promises of eternal devotion, ardent embraces, torrid kisses, or stormy arguments followed by even stormier reconciliations.

To the author, love means something completely different and much simpler. The smell of morning cappuccino and fresh pannetone at Pasticceria Marchesi. A brisk stroll through the awakening city and sensual curves of gold shadows on the wet paving of Via della Spiga. Joyful shouts of bohemian artists and their graceful muses at Fornace Curti. A crispy panzerotto savored in the company of cantankerous pigeons on the piazzetta of San Fedele. Old furniture stores in narrow streets and adorable trinkets she can never resist. The tinkling of a tram from 1929 with uncomfortable wooden seats and a hundred-year-old conductor. Sublime flamingos and peevish peacocks in an emerald-green garden that has never been owned by anyone. Remote nooks and crannies whose secrets have been revealed only to her and the few ghosts with aristocratic hearts who appear in them from time to time. Visionary dreams, inextinguishable hopes, the desire to live, the courage to create, the strength to grow.

To the author, love means all this and much more. This and much more is what she receives from the city that makes you fall in love a hundred times a day, breaking your heart over and over again, only to make it beat faster five minutes later. Milan. Barbara's city of love. The city she has adored since the year dot because i t's just like her: it has dozens of faces, it laughs and cries at the same time, it's vain, unpredictable, and you never know what mood it wakes up with.

Join Barbara Conelli and submerge yourself in the secrets of this magical city that has been breathing love for centuries. Love that is dignified, childish, creative, treacherous, passionate, painful, forgiving, crazy, insane, unbridled, endless, fleeting, unfaithful, platonic, carnal, hateful, desperate, volatile, conceited, and divine. The kind of love whose chalice you quickly drain, so that on the next corner, you can reach for another one, even more delicious and intoxicating.


Paperback: 158 pages
Publisher: Flagrans Press (April 30, 2012)
ISBN-10: 0982600437
ISBN-13: 978-0982600436
Twitter Hashtag: #ChiqueBook

 

Chique Secrets of Dolce Amore is available in both print and Kindle at Amazon. Enjoy the Special Tour Price of 99 cents and download your copy today! Tour price will be good through August 24, 2012.  

 


 Summer in Italy CONTESTS!  

We're off to Italy to celebrate Barbara Conelli's book, but first we need to learn a little Italian . . .

Learn Italian (and win a prize!)
Every Tuesday and Thursday from now through August 23, 2012, you can learn a new Italian word!

Chique Leather Wallet Visit Barbara's blog (http://barbaraconelliblog.com/) every Tuesday and Thursday to see and hear a new Italian word. At the end of the tour put all the words together into a phrase and enter it at Barbara's blog site here: http://www.barbaraconelli.com/findthephrase.htm. One winner will be drawn from those with the correct phrase. Prize is a Chique Leather Wallet ($26.99 value)!

Contest is open internationally. Words will be posted along with an audio link. Winner will be announced Thursday, August 23, 2012.

Join us on Twitter @WOWBlogTour for reminders.

Next, we should plan what we want to do while in Italy . . .

Essay Contest
If I lived in Italy I would . . .

Chique Kindle Sleeve Have you ever dreamed of living in Italy? Studying art, photographing ancient structures, being a train ride away from historic European sites? Maybe your idea of bliss is to own a flower market or bakery on a little cobblestone road. What would you do if you lived in Italy? You'll never do it if you can't dream it, so pick up that quill and start writing!

Your essay should be as long as you need it to be to express yourself! Submit your essays at the Essay Contest Page on Barbara's blog: http://www.barbaraconelli.com/essaycontest.htm. One winner will be chosen to receive a Chique Kindle Sleeve ($26.99 value)!

Entries are due no later than Monday, August 20, 2012. Winner to be announced on Barbara's blog and via @WOWBlogTour on Friday, August 24, 2012. Open internationally.

Are you ready? Then put on your Borsalino and let's have some fun!

 

 Let's Kick Off the Blog Tour!
 
Want to ask Barbara a question? Stop by The Muffin today, and also Join in on her Q & A on BlogTalk Radio! We have two upcoming dates--you ask the questions and Barbara records the show! Simply submit your questions prior to the show. It all happens on Chique Show: http://www.barbaraconelli.com/radio.htm

For questions on writing and publishing, submit questions at http://www.barbaraconelli.com/writingandpublishing.htm before July 20, 2012.

For questions on travel and Italy, submit questions at http://www.barbaraconelli.com/italyandtravel.htm before August 17, 2012.

Then tune in on those dates to listen to the show. One winner will be chosen from each session to win a special prize. Details below in the tour dates section.

Everybody wins! Each person leaving a comment or question at any stop along the tour receives a downloadable gift bag!

Gift bag consists of:
  • Chique Virtual Tour: The Secret Gems of Italy Every Woman Must Know
  • 1st five chapters of Chique Secrets of Dolce Vita
  • 1st five chapters of Chique Secrets of Dolce Amore
  • Chique Blog Tour Special Gift (Only for the tour!) E-Book: The Most Romantic Chique Places to Fall in Love in (and with) Milan

-----
 
June 25 @ The Muffin! - Today! 

Stop by The Muffin for an interview with the lovely Barbara Conelli, and enter to win a prize pack!

http://muffin.wow-womenonwriting.com/

 

June 26 @ Jamie Richardson 

Learn to shut up your dream poopers with Barbara Conelli. Enter to win a Chique T-Shirt! 

http://www.jamieannerichardson.com/

June 27 @ Jennifer Greenleaf: Maine Author
Barbara Conelli talks about Writer's Success: What Does It Mean, Really? Jennifer shares her review of Chique Secrets of Dolce Amore.
http://jennifergreenleaf.com/

June 28 @ Margo Dill's Read These Books and Use Them
Barbara Conelli shows us how to play the "What-If" game. Comment to win a Chique Journal!
http://margodill.com/blog/

July 2 @ Misadventures with Andi
Barbara Conelli tells us all about chique restaurants you must visit in Milan.
http://www.misadventureswithandi.com/

July 4 @ Dianna's Writing Den
Learn more about Barbara Conelli at today's interview. Comment to win a Chique Journal.
http://diannaswritingden.com/

July 9 @ Thoughts in Progress
Barbara Conelli shares why failure and mistakes are the best thing that can happen to you.
http://www.masoncanyon.blogspot.com/

July 11 @ All Things Audry
Learn how to love your life like an Italian with Barbara Conelli
http://www.allthingsaudry.blogspot.com/

July 13 @ CMash Loves to Read
Mmm . . . Espresso, Cappuccino, Macchiato . . . Barbara Conelli spills the beans on everything you want to know about Italian coffee. Enjoy a book review of Chique Secrets of Dolce Amore by a fellow Italian. Join the discussion for a chance to win a Chique Totebag!
 http://cmashlovestoread.com/

July 16 @ All Things Jill Elizabeth
Writing your book is only half the battle--does the word "Marketing" make your stomach churn? Barbara Conelli is here to help! Enter to win a copy of Chique Secrets of Dolce Amore.
http://blog.jill-elizabeth.com/

July 20 @ Barbara Conelli's Blog
It's a Q & A on Barbara Conelli's blog and you are asking the questions!
Just go to Barbara's blog (http://www.barbaraconelli.com/writingandpublishing.htm) before July 20 and leave your questions on travel writing, writing in general, or Indie publishing. The pre-recorded Q & A session will be posted on July 20. One winner will be chosen from all those leaving questions. The winner will be announced at the end of the session. Prize is a signed copy of Chique Secrets of Dolce Amore.
http://www.barbaraconelli.com/radio.htm

July 31 @ Tweedle Dee & Tweedle Dave
Step into your power as a writer and a woman with Barbara Conelli. Also, enjoy a review of Chique Secrets of Dolce Amore.
http://tweedling.com/

August 1 @ I Was Just Thinking...
Forget dull goal setting, discover the power of juicy intentions with Barbara Conelli. Enjoy a review of Chique Secrets of Dolce Amore and enter to win a print copy!
http://bellewoodfarm.blogspot.com/

August 2 @ Woman on the Edge of Reality
Join us for the Thursday Throng, an in-depth interview with Barbara Conelli and book review. We'll be giving away a print copy of Chique Secrets of Dolce Amore!
http://womanontheedgeofreality.com/

August 8 @ Refresh with Dawn Herring
Dawn shares her review of Chique Secrets of Dolce Amore and hosts a giveaway for a .pdf copy.
http://journalwriter.blogspot.com/

August 14 @ Cathy C. Hall
Barbara Conelli shares three out-of-the-box ways to market your writing. Enter to win a Chique Mug!
 http://cathychall.wordpress.com/

August 15 @ Women's Memoirs
Learn five powerful spiritual practices for women writers with Barbara Conelli. Enter to win a Chique Tote Bag!
http://womensmemoirs.com/

Aug 17 @ Barbara Conelli's Blog
It's a Q & A on Barbara Conelli's blog and you are asking the questions!
Just go to Barbara's blog (http://www.barbaraconelli.com/italyandtravel.htm) before August 17 and leave your questions on Italy or travel. The pre-recorded Q & A session will be posted on August 17. One winner will be chosen from all those leaving questions. The winner will be announced at the end of the session. Prize is a signed copy of Chique Secrets of Dolce Amore.
 http://www.barbaraconelli.com/radio.htm

August 23 @ Women's Memoirs
Marketing is the focus of this interview today with the ladies at Women's Memoirs and Barbara Conelli. Come by, connect, and comment.
http://womensmemoirs.com/

August 24 @ Reviews by Molly
Not all of us can travel-Barbara shares how to dream your Italian dream without leaving your home. Enter to win a Chique Mug!
http://www.reviewsbymolly.com/

  

We may have more dates to come, so be sure to check out our Events Calendar HERE.  

  Participate in a Mass-Blogging Event!

If you have a blog, consider participating in a mass blogging event. These are fun-filled blog-hopping days where everyone blogs about a certain topic. Topics include everything from writing about family relationships to your favorite recipe. Your blog would be featured on The Muffin and sister blogs. Join the fun!

Check out our upcoming mass blogging events:

----------

"To me, Italy is Chique Because . . ."

Date: August 1

For this mass-blogging event we have a writing prompt! Each participant's post will begin with "To me, Italy is chique because..."

Need ideas? No problem! Barbara Conelli will be touring with her book Chique Secrets of Dolce Amore from June 25 - August 24, so just follow along on Twitter @WOWBlogTour for links to fun facts and virtual tour of Italy.

We will launch our mass blogging day on The Muffin with a guest post by Barbara Conelli. All participants will be listed by blog name and url (linked).

Contact: Please contact Robyn [email protected] for more details (including prize information) and to join in the fun!


Want to host one of our touring authors?

WOW! Women On Writing Blog Excellence AwardUpcoming Author Tours: If you have a blog or website and would like to host one of our authors below, we are still accepting a few choice blogs to participate in our Partnership Program.

Come and join the fun! Please email Jodi & Robyn at
[email protected] and put "Blog Tour Partnership" in the subject line. Please tell us the author you are interested in and your available dates. We'll get back to you with the details if you are accepted. We look forward to hearing from you!

Content for your blog: All of our touring authors are available for interviews, or they will provide a guest post on a topic related to the writing process or their book.

 

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

 

Love Comes LaterTour Dates: July 30, 2012 - August 24, 2012


Title: Love Comes Later

Author: Mohanalakshmi Rajakumar

Genre: Literary Fiction

  

Synopsis:
A modern quest for the right to pursue love and happiness, even when it comes in an unconventional package.

Identities are tested and boundaries are questioned as the main characters, Hind, Abdulla, and Kavitha struggle for the right to establish a culture of their own despite their various conservative upbringing. Against the shifting backdrop of Doha, Qatar where she grew up, and London, England where she pursues a graduate degree, Hind is granted a temporary reprieve from her impending marriage to Abdulla, her cousin. Little does anyone suspect that the presence of Kavitha, her Indian-American roommate, could shake the carefully constructed future for the engaged cousins. Torn between loyalties to Hind and a growing attraction to Abdulla, Kavitha must choose between friendship and a burgeoning love.

  

Participate!  Please  email us with "Blog Tour Partnership" in the subject line and your available dates. We schedule 2-3 stops per week from July 30 - August 24. You will receive a copy of Love Comes Later by Mohana Rajakumar. We look forward to hearing from you!

-----
Mohana
About the Author:   

Mohanalakshmi Rajakumar is a writer who has lived in Qatar since 2005. She has a PhD from the University of Florida with a focus on gender and postcolonial theory. Her dissertation project was published as Haram in the Harem (Peter Lang, 2009), a literary analysis of the works of three Muslim women authors in India, Algeria, and Pakistan. She is the creator and co-editor of five books in the Qatar Narratives series, as well as the Qatari Voices anthology which features essays by Qataris on modern life in Doha (Bloomsbury Qatar Foundation Publishing, 2010). Her research has been published in numerous journals and anthologies.  

 

She was the Associate Editor of Vox, a fashion and lifestyle magazine based in Doha and a winner of the She Writes We Love New Novelists competition.She has been a regular contributor for Variety Arabia, AudioFile Magazine, Explore Qatar, Woman Today, The Woman, Writers and Artists Yearbook, QatarClick, Expat Arrivals, Speak Without Interruption and Qatar Explorer. She hosted two seasons of the Cover to Cover book show on Qatar Foundation Radio.  

 

Currently Mohana is working on a collection of essays related to her experiences as a female South Asian American living in the Arabian Gulf and a novel based in Qatar. She believes words can help us understand ourselves and others. Catch up on her latest via her blog http://www.mohanalakshmi.com/
 

 

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------


 

Until My Soul Gets It Right  

Tour Dates: September 18, 2012 - October 12, 2012


Title: Until My Soul Gets It Right (The Bibliophiles - Book Two)

Author: Karen Wojcik Berner

Genre: Fiction

  

Synopsis:
The ladies (and man) of the Bibliophiles Book Club are back! This time the spotlight is on Catherine. Catherine Elbert has never been good at making decisions, whether it was choosing an ice cream flavor as a child or figuring out what she wanted to be when she grew up. The only thing Catherine knew for sure was there had to be more to her life than being stuck on her family's farm. 

 

So Catherine became enamored with the complete opposite of the flat farmlands of Burkesville, Wisconsin--the ocean, lobsters, and rugged coast of Portland, Oregon. Despite her parents' threat to disown her and her brothers' bets on how many days until she comes home Catherine heads for Peaks Island, off the coast of Portland.

 

She is finally free. Or so she thought. What Catherine forgot was that you can't run away from yourself!  

 

Participate!  Please  email us with "Blog Tour Partnership" in the subject line and your available dates. We schedule 2-3 stops per week from September 18 - October 12. You will receive a copy of Until My Soul Gets It Right by Karen Berner. We look forward to hearing from you!

-----
Karen Berner
About the Author:   

Karen Wojcik Berner grew up on the outskirts of Chicago. After graduating from Dominican University with degrees in English with a writing concentration and communications, she worked as a magazine editor, public relations coordinator and freelance writer. A two-time Folio Magazine Ozzie Award for Excellence in Magazine Editorial and Design winner, her work has appeared in countless newspapers and magazines.

 

She lives in the Chicago suburbs with her family while working on her Bibliophile Series. Until My Soul Gets It Right is the second book in the series. 
 


Author's website: www.karenberner.com

 

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------


 

 

How to Blog a Book Tour Dates: October 16, 2012 - November 9, 2012


Title: How to Blog a Book

Author: Nina Amir 

Genre: Writing How-To 

  

Synopsis:
The first-ever guide to writing and publishing a saleable nonfiction book based on blog content. This comprehensive resource guides you through the process of developing targeted blog content that will increase your chances of publication and maximize your visibility as an author.

Participate! 
Please  email us with "Blog Tour Partnership" in the subject line and your available dates. We schedule 2-3 stops per week from October 16 - November 9. You will receive a copy of How to Blog a Book by Nina Amir. We look forward to hearing from you!


-----
Nina Amir
About the Author:   

Nina Amir is a nonfiction editor, book proposal consultant, and writing coach with more than 33 years of experience in the publishing field. She is the founder of Write Nonfiction in November, a yearly writing challenge, and the author of four blogs, including Write Nonfiction NOW! and How to Blog a Book.  

Author's website: http://www.ninaamir.com/

 

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------


 

 Ready to go touring?

We hope you join us on this chique adventure for Barbara Conelli's latest book, Chique Secrets of Dolce Amore.

Stop by The Muffin today and meet Barb! Comment for a chance to win a prize pack of Chique gifts!

 

XXOO,

Robyn, Angela, Jodi & Team WOW!

WOW! Women On Writing    

 

Keep up with the touring authors and find out about book giveaways here:  

http://twitter.com/#!/WOWBlogTour   

 

Follow us on Twitter

Like us on Facebook

Writing Classes & Workshops

http://wow-womenonwriting.com/WOWclasses.html 

 

Quarterly Flash Fiction Contest

http://www.wow-womenonwriting.com/contest.php 

 

Freelance Writing Job Board

http://jobs.wow-womenonwriting.com/ 

 

The Muffin

http://muffin.wow-womenonwriting.com/

 

Writer's Digest 101 Best Sites for Writers 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012