Girl Talk

Late one night in Chicago, Katie Leimkuehler shared her latest dating horror story with girlfriends.

"I met a guy at a bar and gave him my number at 2 a.m. Then when we went on a date, the first thing he said to me was, 'Thank god you're hot!' "recalls the Westlake native.

Her friends, Melissa Wilson, Jennifer Yih and Kate Clinesmith, laughed and realized that they'd hit upon something. Sure, it may seem like Sex and the City. But their idea to collaborate on a four-book series, dubbed Shy Town Girls (Networlding, $9.97, available through Amazon), was something even Carrie Bradshaw could appreciate.

They decided each woman would write a book about a character she created, while conspiring on storylines. Leimkuehler says her character, Ivy Westin, is a wildcard who helps push the other shy girls out of their comfort zones as they navigate city life.

While the first book — on sale now — focuses on Yih's character, Bobbie Bertucci, the next one will chronicle Westin's drunken confessions and dating mishaps.