Guest Blogger: Malena Lott

I am so glad to welcome (again!) author Malena Lott to Booking Mama! Ms. Lott has been a frequent contributor to my blog and even ran a contest here a few months ago to name the pig character in her new book THE FIXER UPPER.

Today, she has written a very interesting guest post about her new book and "girl power." I hope you enjoy it as much as I did. And, make sure you check out Ms. Lott's new FIXER UPPER contest (details at the bottom of this post) where you have the chance to win a Starbucks mug, a and gift card, a calendar, a philosophie pink luggage tag, a LUXE cherry blossoms spa set and the Courtyard Hounds CD.

Are you Dust Bowl Tough?

As an author, we give our characters problems - called conflict - to resolve and grow. We drag our characters through the mud, and in the case of Macy Baxter in my third novel, Fixer Upper, she's literally getting in the mud with the pigs. While she was raised as a "good girl," on her 35th birthday, she's had enough with being at the bottom of her husband's priority list and doing what everyone else thinks she should. She leaves the posh life in Georgia right in the middle of her husband's campaign for U.S. Senate, to help fix up the farmhouse and handle the family businesses after her father's passing in Oklahoma. The book gave me the great opportunity to explore what I love most - girl power - and how women get through tough times.

In my novel, her family's vineyard and winery is called Dust Bowl, (which you may remember was a big reason people left Oklahoma for California to start a better life.) People who lived through the Dust Bowl in 1930 (also called the Dirty Thirties) had to deal with drought and famine and of course, the Great Depression. Tough times. As wives and mothers, we are called to persevere and go through our own droughts in life, including bad relationships, whether that's with our mates, family members or friends.

It can be tough to stand up for what we believe in and "be heard." It could mean making a big change, like severing a relationship, moving to another town, switching careers or challenging someone. In Fixer Upper, Macy not only sticks up for what she wants in her marriage, but confronts some problems from her past and even takes on the crooked mayor when no one else will. Just like real life, she gets by with a little help from her friends.

To celebrate the launch of Fixer Upper, I'm hosting a special contest each month. In January, the prize package includes a RENEW Starbucks mug, a $10 Starbucks gift card, a Paradise Beaches calendar, a philosophie pink luggage tag, a LUXE cherry blossoms spa set and the Courtyard Hounds CD. ($45 value) To be eligible to enter, just forward me your receipt of the purchase of Fixer Upper from Amazon or Smashwords.com to malenalott (at) me (dot) com by January 31st. The winner will be announced on my website on Feb. 1st.

Stay DUST BOWL TOUGH, ladies!