Waking up in The Land of Glitter Tour and Review

TITLE: Waking Up In The Land Of Glitter
AUTHOR: Kathy Cano-Murillo
PUB DATE: March 2010
PAGES: 336

Thank You to Miriam from Hachette for allowing me to be a part of this tour and for allowing me to review this book.

ABOUT THE BOOK:
With glue guns, glitter, twigs, or yarn, the ordinary can become extraordinary . . . especially at La Pachanga. Owned by Estrella “Star” Esteban’s family, the restaurant has a rep for two things: good food and great art. La Pachanga brings people together-even when it looks like they couldn’t be further apart.

One ill-fated evening, Star jeopardizes her family’s business, her relationship with her boyfriend, and her future career. To redeem herself, she agrees to participate in a national craft competition, teaming up with her best friend, Ofelia-a secretly troubled mother whose love for crafting borders on obsession-and local celebrity Chloe Chavez-a determined television personality with more than one skeleton in her professional closet. If these unlikely allies can set aside their differences, they’ll find strength they never knew they had, and learn that friendship, like crafting, is truly an art form.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Kathy Cano-Murillo is a lifelong writer and artist. Her crafts have been carried by hundreds of retailers including Bloomingdales, Target, and Hallmark. She is a former entertainment reporter for The Arizona Republic, and has authored seven books including Crafty Chica’s Guide to Artful Sewing. She is the founder of CraftyChica.com, a wildly popular web site to inspire women to brighten their lives with clever craft ideas. She has a web series on LifetimeTV.com, and can be seen on HGTV and DIY Network.

This is the official site for http://craftychica.com/

MY THOUGHTS:

This is Kathy’s debut novel. I am really looking forward to reading her future books. I also love the cover and I admit the picture doesn’t do the cover justice. The glitter details added to the book cover.

While I was reading this book I have to admit and I don’t know if any one else felt this way but I had the sudden urge to start crafting or doing something creative. Which I have to admit I have started to work on a few things. I guess a confession is going to happen here- I am creative but sometimes in my head its way better then what is actually produced. I think the one thing I can actually say I am good at is cross stitching hands down.

It was really nice to find at the back of the book a glossary of Spanglish (Spanish/English)definitions that were used in the book. Some of them I figured out on my own and others I wasn’t so sure so it was nice to know that.

In the book Star makes a love shrine (which BTW happens to be a actual store name in NYC) and I was curious to what it was and what it ensued thankfully Kathy mentioned what and how to make one. Also in the book the group has to make centerpieces for a national craft event and they decide to make glittered cactus which Kathy tells us how to make one of our own.

The book opens up with Star getting set to be interviewed on tv about a vandalism crime to a mural that has been painted on the family restaurant/art museum but Crafty Chloe. A lady Star doesn’t really like. Within the first few pages we discover who actually spray painted happy faces on the mural and the family and artist are very happy when they discover who did it.

Star is a twenty eight years old and does what she wants, when she wants and lives the life of a typical teenager basically. She lives at home with her parents. She has something good that could possibly be happening in her life but gets scared and ruins it and quickly realizes what she has done and tries to fix it. Can she get what she lost back?

Olfie is her best friend with a crafting addiction. She buys craft supplies like I buy books. Yes we are both addicts. The only thing is Olfie thinks her crafts are the best but in reality they aren’t that good. This is where I think beauty is in the eye of the beholder.

Chloe is a young newscaster who will do anything to matter the cost or how it effects her just as long as she is the best and gets what she wants. She will use and step on anyone who gets in her way. Chloe in reality hates crafts and anything to do with crafts. Before long her secret is revealed and could possibly blow up in her face.

I loved how the bond of friendship was developed and carried on through out the book.

I have to say that once I started reading Waking Up in the Land of Glitter that I was hooked and had to read on to find out what kind of trouble these friends could get into, would they be able to over come all the obstacles that ended up in their way and be able to make all those centerpieces with just the four of them. I found it to be a quick and easy read.

Some Other Bloggers reviewing this book today:
http://www.renees-reads.blogspot.com/
http://www.bookwormygirl.blogspot.com/
http://booksandneedlepoint.blogspot.com/
http://booksiesblog.blogspot.com/
http://www.thedivinemissmommy.com/
http://www.masoncanyon.blogspot.com/