Today, I've got a guest blog from Alesia Holliday, author of Nice Girls Finish First!



Enjoy:

So one day I was thinking about today’s woman, as I often do, considering that I write funny books about the everyday (and not so everyday!) things we all go through, and I was wondering about that perpetual dilemma – the Myth of the Nice Girl.

Somehow, through a peculiar evolution of the professional environment, women today are finally recognized (mostly) as equally competent, ambitious, and dedicated as men in the workforce. (We’ll leave the “we have to work smarter and harder” argument aside for now.) But yet, we have an added burden: we have to be NICE.

Now, this isn’t really tough for most women, most of the time. We were raised to be nice. That’s what little girls do, right? “Play nice!” “Be nice!” Except, well, there are times when you can’t be all that nice . . . Boyfriend cheating? Kick him to the curb! Um, in a nice way? Opposing counsel trying underhanded tactics? Notify the judge and get him sanctioned! Er, nicely?

The idea of a character who is very ambitious and a great person, but a little bit of a tough chick on the surface, really intrigued me. And I had the perfect character in Kirby Green, newly-hired exec at the Whips and Lace Co. She’d pretty much stolen every scene she was in in AMERICAN IDLE (Double RITA finalist, how cool is that??). Then I wanted to compare and contrast Kirby with a character who was so nice that she was in danger of becoming a doormat. Brianna sprang to life. My good friend who is an opera singer (no, really!) provided some great background for her. Then I set the two of them loose to play on the pages – each helping the other learn something about life, and about herself. That’s how NICE GIRLS FINISH FIRST was born.

Can we be successful as women today and still retain some of that niceness that was so valued in earlier years? I think so. But nice doesn’t mean dumb, and today’s nice girls DO finish first. They might just have to kick a little ass along the way.

Nicely.

Thanks for helping me celebrate the release of my second novel!! – Alesia Holliday

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And the book's getting awesome reviews, too!

With the quirky characters and sometimes laugh-out-loud madcap moments that Holliday is known for, Nice Girls Finish First is a completely enjoyable read. It's intriguing to be able to see both sides of the coin: a girl who is too nice and a girl who is too mean. There is also a romantic side plot to both girls' stories that I loved. . . I really couldn't find anything about this novel I didn't enjoy. Overall, I highly recommend this novel for some good, solid, romantic summer reading. . . I'm looking forward to seeing what this author comes up with next!
-- Rian Montgomery, www.chicklitbooks.com

NICE GIRLS FINISH FIRST is a hoot! This book is funny, entertaining, and heartwarming -- a well-written, fast-paced story all wrapped inside one little bookcover. . . NICE GIRLS FINISH FIRST is a top-notch story for a summer beach read, and one not to be missed.

-- Diana Risso Romance Reviews Today
Readers will need to adapt to the changing first person perspective, but once accomplished will appreciate this fine insightful look at two women trying to make it. Interestingly, Kirby’s bullying management style sounds much like the Bolden school of supervision. Both females seem real especially their ambitions, goals, and concerns. Alesia Holliday provides a refreshing reading experience in NICE GIRLS FINISH FIRST- just ask Kirby.

-- Harriet Klausner, Amazon.com Top Reviewer
Nice Girls Finish First is the perfect story for you to toss into your beach bag and enjoy on a lazy summer day. Alesia Holliday draws you in to the lives of madcap characters and makes you laugh as Kirby finds out that you don’t have to be on guard all the time, and Brianna finds out that saying “NO” once in a while doesn’t make you a bad person. Will Kirby win the double dog dare? Will Brianna find her natural diva within? Pick up a copy of Nice Girls Finish First and find out if they do.
-- Lydia Funneman, Writers Unlimited

Be sure to check it out!!