🏰 Book Bloggin' Princess Interviews Rani St. Pucchi, author of Your Body, Your Style


Thirty years ago, Rani St. Pucchi took the bridal world by storm, despite having no formal training in fashion. She is an award winning couture fashion designer and founder of the world-renowned bridal house St. Pucchi. A passionate and dynamic entrepreneur who launched her global empire in the United States in 1985, Rani’s vision was to create an avant-garde bridal and evening couture line with modern styling and classic details. That vision has been realized today.

Renowned for infusing her creations with touches of magnificently colored jewels, exquisite hand embroidery, delicate beading and sparkling crystals on the finest silks and laces, these inspired designs with innovative draping evoke the timeless elegance every woman desires. As one of the foremost designers to introduce exotic silk fabrics and hand embroidery, Rani is applauded for being a pioneer in bringing color to the United States bridal scene, having learned that white does not flatter everyone.

Rani has been recognized and nominated on multiple occasions for her design talent and won numerous awards as a Style Innovator. In addition, she has been honored with the Best Bridal Designer Award at the prestigious Chicago Apparel Center’s DEBI Awards (Distinctive Excellence in Bridal Industry).

Rani is famous for designing the wedding dress worn by “Phoebe” as she captured the hearts of millions when she said “I Do” in a unique St. Pucchi Lilac corset bodice A-line gown on the finale of the hit television show Friends. 

Her range of avant-garde designs are worn by the world’s most discerning brides, including celebrities and style icons such as New York Giants’ player Aaron Ross’ wife, Olympic gold medalist Sanya Richards; Dallas Cowboys’ quarterback Tony Romo’s wife Candice Crawford; Actress Tara Reid; Jason Priestley’s wife Naomi Lowde; actress Candice Cameron and Grammy Award winning country music singer Alison Krauss, who donned a specially designed Chantilly lace and silk gown at the Country Music Awards.

Rani has enjoyed much media attention. Her signature designs have been recognized in high profile media such as Entertainment Tonight, Harper’s Bazaar, WWD, Town and Country, Bride’s, Cosmopolitan Brides, Inside Weddings, Martha Stewart Weddings and The Knot.

Rani’s real passion other than the world of design is to help women who have suffered abuse and those who are struggling to find themselves. On her quest to empower women to be their best selves, she is passionate about helping them find their voice through building their self-confidence. She believes that confidence must start with a woman’s love and acceptance of her body.

Renowned for her savvy knowledge of a woman’s form and fit, Rani is eager to share her knowledge of more than three decades with all women so they can make better styling choices. In addition to the book you are reading now, Rani is the author of four upcoming books: The SoulMate Checklist: Key Questions To help You Choose Your Perfect Partner; Seven Types of Men To Avoid: Recognizing Relationship Red Flags; Designing with Heart: A to Z Guide to Bridal Designing; and Unveiling: A Celebrity Fashion Designer’s Story, a Memoir of her Life Journey.

Born and raised in Bangkok, Thailand, Rani now happily lives in Los Angeles, California.


WEB & SOCIAL LINKS:

WEBSITE | TWITTER | FACEBOOK | YOUTUBE


About the Book:

Rani St. Pucchi, a trend-setting designer whose designs have been recognized in Entertainment Tonight, Harper’s Bazaar, WWD, Town and Country, Bride’s, Cosmopolitan Bride, Martha Stewart Weddings and The Knot, can help define the style that flatters you most no matter what age or stage of life you are in or what your body type is.

Women from all over the world have clamored to have a private consultation with Rani so they may benefit from her expertise and regain their self-confidence and shine.

In Your Body, Your Style, Rani shares with you her knowledge of the female form and guides you to find simple solutions to your most pressing body concerns. The focus is on you — and how you can make yourself more confident and appealing in almost every situation — simply by making a few changes and different choices in planning your wardrobe.  

Once you embrace your unique attributes and dissolve your bad relationship with your body, you’ll be amazed to find how irresistible you are to others!

This simple and friendly guide reveals:

* What clothes and silhouettes are best for your specific body type
* Simple techniques to determine which colors flatter you most
* Solutions to common lingerie issues and the importance of fit
* The one dress that is a chameleon, and how to transform it into different looks
* How to travel stress free by planning your wardrobe well
* 101 styling secrets, professional tricks and fashion tips

RANI ST. PUCCHI  is an award-winning fashion designer, an author and relationship expert. She is a regular contributor to The Huffington Post.

PURCHASING LINKS:

AMAZON   *   B&N

Q: Where did you come up with the idea to write your book?

After more than 30 years as an award-winning designer and founder of the world-renowned Bridal house St. Pucchi I took a sabbatical to write my books. Writing had always been my passion and as an English major this was a natural transition. I had so much to say that I felt I could serve the world better by spreading my knowledge thru words. And so, my first book Your Body, Your Style: Simple Tips on Dressing to Flatter Your Body Type was born.

Q: How hard was it to write a book like this and do you have any tips that you could pass on which would make the journey easier for other writers?

As any writer and author will tell you, the first book can be the most challenging one. Editing, and re-writing several times even, to make sure that our readers will understand is key. Most information exists in our heads and, as in fashion, much of the lingo is so second nature to us designers and those in the fashion industry that we tend to forget that the general audience, for the most part, is clueless about what we may be referring to. So I suggest that after you’ve written your book, have a few of your friends read it to make sure that everything is clear and easy to follow.


Q: Who is your publisher and how did you find them or did you self-publish?

Koehler Books is my publisher. I discovered them when I was looking thru my options of getting my book formatted.

Q: Is there anything that surprised you about getting your first book published?

Yes, it has been such a learning curve. I’ve discovered that writing is only a small part of getting your book published. Marketing your book and getting it on everyone’s radar is where most of your energy goes.

Q: What other books are you working on and when will they be published?

My next book, The SoulMate Checklist, will be released on November 15th, 2016. Other books that I am working on are Your Body, Your Bridal Style; 7 Types of Men to Avoid; and my memoir, Unveiling: A Celebrity Fashion Designer’s Story. All three books are scheduled for release in 2017.

Q: What’s one fact about your book that would surprise people?

That if they knew the simple tricks on how to dress their body in ways that will enhance their best assets and camouflage areas they feel uncomfortable about, their self-confidence will sky rocket!

Q: Finally, what message are you trying to get across with your book?

The message I would like to get across is that every relationship starts with an individual’s relationship to self. That loving your body is the first step and the key to having an amazing life with your partner, as well as how you show up in the world.




🏰 Book Review: Traveling for Love by Becky Due

Title: Traveling for Love: Searching for Self, Hoping for Love
Author: Becky Due
Publisher: Telemachus Press
Pages: 178
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1937698173
ISBN-13: 978-1937698171


 Book Blurb:

Amanda’s life is suddenly turned upside down when her husband tells her he wants a divorce. She realizes she no longer knows who she is – her life revolved around her husband. At age 40, she finds herself divorced, childless, living in an apartment with a roommate, with little education and no career path. Can Amanda heal her pain and find love again? Will she find the career of her dreams? When will Amanda realize that she deserves to be happy?

My Review:

After being dumped by her husband, Amanda goes on a self-love journey.  She encounters various men in her life along the way and each one enables her to make one more step toward the right direction of learning who she is.  All are important in some aspect – but she doesn’t know this until the end.  I loved how Becky Due handled writing Amanda’s personality.  I really hate when some women are portrayed as victims even when they are.  I love a strong woman and I believe that Amanda was a very strong woman. I could tell so as I was reading it even though at times she had her doubts about herself and that’s what prompted her to take cruises.  By herself.

Let’s talk about Nick, her husband and soon to be ex as the story progresses.  He could kiss a frog for all I cared.  But he’s typical of a lot of men unfortunately.  These are men who only care about themselves.  When he wants to do something, he expects his wife to do it with him but when she wants to do something, it’s like “Go ahead with your friends.  Have fun.”  Man that makes my blood boil.  So lesson here to be learned is that there are men out there who do have the same likes you do, the trick is to find them.

The next man in Amanda’s life, I’m not sure if I liked him either.  Sam.  He wouldn’t ever talk about his personal life.  It was like he had some deep secret.  And all the guy wanted to do was have sex.  But, the sex was great according to Amanda who loved this new lifestyle of being able to finally do what she wanted and when she wanted with no strings attached.  She was getting close to Sam, then something happened but I don’t want to give it away.

The next guy was a guy she met on a cruise ship.  He seemed nice enough but there was something about him I didn’t think he was right for Amanda, but the next guy after that, I really liked him even though he did a few things that made you think he might not be right for her as well.

Amanda tended to pick guys who seemed to have hangups about the girlfriend thing until she finally…well I can’t give that away, can I?

You’ll have to read this book; it’s about one woman’s journey to find herself. 

I give this book 4 Princess Wands!




🏰 Book Feature: Marriage: The Secret To Rebuilding Trust, Intimacy, and Connection In Your Marriage by Karen Johnson

Title: Marriage: The Secret to Rebuilding Trust, Intimacy, and Connection In Your Marriage
Author: Karen Johnson
Genre: Fiction
Publisher: Independent
Pages:36

Do you want to fix your marriage?


Yes- You can. This book contains proven and simple steps to teach you how to fix your marriage

By the end of this book, I am going to make sure that you are happy about your marriage.

Marriage is an achievement, but also a challenge. This is a frightening time for couples because we are living in a time when more than half of all first marriages ends in divorce; 60 percent of second marriages fail. What makes the numbers even more daunting is that nobody seems to understand why our marriages have become so fragile.

This book will guide you on the path toward a harmonious and long-lasting relationship. We aren’t simply going to talk about the definition of marriage, but its truths behind the beautiful façade of a wedding of two seemingly happy couple and some other complexities of it as well. Being a spouse is not an easy job. Your job is not only to maintain the relationship but also have to keep your partner interested. Karen Johnson will reveal her proven methods to show you how to stay in love—starting today.

What People Are Saying:
"This book is something not only for married couples but for people who are planning to go there or are afraid of committing. I think this book is a great guidance for any relationships." -Amazon Customer

"This is an interesting guide about marriage condition. well written and easy to understand." -Amazon Customer

Here Is A Preview Of What You'll Learn...

  • What Marriage is Really About?
  • What Causes Conflicts in a Marriage
  • Why Argument in a Marriage is Inevitable
  • How to Stay Together Despite the Arguments
  • The Importance of Communication in Every Marriage
  • Much, much more!


Take action today and download this book for a limited time discount of only $0.99!

🏰 Book Feature: Here Comes the Bride by Alexandra Ivy

Title: Here Comes the Bride
Author: Alexandra Ivy
Publisher: Lyrical Press
Genre: Historical Romance
Format: Ecopy 

A BRIDE FOR LORD BRASLEIGH 

Philip Marrow, Lord Brasleigh, must marry off his troublesome ward, Miss Bella Howe. But determined to wed for love, Bella has run away, and Philip must track her down. Since he has never met her, he plans to play the rogue and scare her back to London. He never expects to ignite an overwhelming passion . . . or find a lady who fights fire with a clever scheme all her own . . .

A BRIDE FOR LORD WICKTON Barth Juston, Earl of Wickton, assumes a woman would be grateful to accept an arranged marriage with him. What a shock that beautiful Isa Lawford is not! In fact, she insists she prefers someone else! Now this overconfident lord is about to enter the most perilous battle of all: a fight for a woman’s heart . . .

A BRIDE FOR LORD CHALLMOND Simon Townsled, Lord Challmond, is off to his Devonshire country estate, where he is sure to be safe from feminine wiles. But he doesn't count on feisty do-gooder Miss Claire Blakewell—who is as determined to march down the aisle as he is to avoid it . . .

🏰 Book Feature: Pop Star by Meredith Michelle

Title: Pop Star
Author: Meredith Michelle
Publisher: Lyrical Shine
Genre: Romance
Format: Ecopy 

CHOOSE HOW FAR YOU WANT TO GO . . .

You are Honey Noble, this month’s Rock N Roll Magazine cover star, with a platinum debut album and swarms of devoted “Honey Bees.” Life has never been sweeter—or crazier, as you juggle a cross-country tour (traveling on your luxury Airstream tour bus), a clothing line, fabulous endorsements, and a relationship with gorgeous former boy-bander, Crispin Hershey.

But rumors are swirling about Crispin’s flirtation with pop’s bad girl, Trixie Sheer. And life on tour is opening up all kinds of intriguing possibilities for you, too . . .

Do you snoop into Crispin’s phone to discover the truth about Trixie? Will a night in Vegas lead to a quickie wedding, a gambling debt, or a rehab stint? Should you enjoy a fling with a sizzling backup dancer or reconnect with Han Lee, your Korean pop star ex—or is your soul mate someone closer to home?

Every choice has a juicy consequence, and the potential for steamy fun, fulfillment, tabloid scandal . . . or even a fatal misstep. The choice is yours . . .

 

MEET THE AUTHOR

Star Struck is Meredith Michelle’s debut and is the first in the Pick Your Own Plot Bedventures series. It combines her lifelong fascination with celebrity culture and her childhood love of the Choose Your Own Adventure series. Meredith has been an avid writer since her youth, penning plays, poetry and short stories. She is a native and current resident of the Washington, DC area, where she lives with her husband and three children.