Normally that isn’t a huge accomplishment, but considering I barely have time to brush my teeth these days, getting a book read is a big deal!

It started yesterday at 4:30 am when the dull ache in my abdomen exploded into sleep-depriving pain (a, uh, monthly occurence). I got up, popped four ibuprofen, and went back to bed. It didn’t work. It took thirty minutes for the drugs to kick in. By then I was awake.

I decided to open a book I picked up at the library. I’ve never read the author before. That always worries me. I’m never sure if it’s going to be worth it (thus I generally read the same books by the same authors over and over and over again). But I know that I need to branch out. I need to see what’s out there. I need to make the sacrifice.

It was SO worth it!

Not only did I love the book (which I started and finished yesterday…I don’t have the patience to read a book over the course of a week. I need to know what’s happening NOW!), but I realized something about my writing.

I write chick lit with strong romantic threads.

Okay, so technically I’ve only written one chick lit (my first ms is a little more serious – women’s fiction), but I now recognize that as my style. I see the humor in everything.

That’s what I like about chick lit. The characters have real issues, but they can make you laugh. That’s the only way I got through the 18 months my hubby battled cancer – we laughed and joked as much as we could. (Okay, there were also a lot of donuts, but I’m paying for that now…see Bubble Butt: Take Two). We didn’t try to deny the seriousness of the situation, but we didn’t let it suck the life out of us either.

I see that world-view in chick lit. I like it. I relate to it.

I keep hearing that Christian publishers aren’t buying chick lit right now. Bummer. Does that mean I’m going to switch genres? No way. I like what I write. I write because it makes me happy. I write chick lit because that’s how I live my life – puting humor into ever situation.

Who knows. Maybe there will be a market for more chick lit by the time I’m ready to submit my ms. Even if there isn’t, I’ll keep writing ’em. I might be the only person who has the chance to enjoy them, but I WILL enjoy them 🙂

In the meantime…I’m going to go buy some Christian chick lit and prove to the publishers that there IS a market for them. One book at a time…