It's that time again! We've been thrilled to host some amazing authors on Chick Lit is Not Dead this year, and we've loved learning 25 new things about each and every one of them. We hope you have too! This time around we're featuring fabuloso author Christa Ann Banister, whose titles AROUND THE WORLD IN 80 DATES and BLESSED ARE THE MEDDLERS follow travel writer Sydney Alexander on her quest to find love and happiness. Sassy and fun, Banister's books will make you laugh out loud! She's currently working on her third novel, TUESDAY NIGHTS IN ITALIA. We can't wait!
And as always, we were thrilled to discover that Christa shares our love for fried calamari and the ultimate Chick Lit novel, BRIDGET JONES DIARY. And Liz was pleasantly surprised that she's not the only one who turns to pasta when she's feeling down!
Without further adieu....
Chick Lit is Not Dead presents.... The 25 things Liz & Lisa want to know about author Christa Ann Banister
1. Inside my purse, you'll discover: Several shades of Mac lipgloss, whatever book I'm reading at the moment, Orbit soft mint gum, vanilla hand sanitizer, my ancient Motorola cell phone and my fraying-even-more-by-the-day wallet
2. My secret talent is: Making a mean marinara sauce
3. If stranded on an island, the five things I could not live without are: My hubby, sunscreen, Bert's Beeswax, Diet Coke and a good book.
4. On my nightstand you'll find: A few books I'm reading, Juicy Couture body lotion and my watch
5. When I grew up, I wanted to be: A sportswriter. Or Judy Blume.
6. My worst job: I've had some doozies, but the real low point was telemarketing for a carpet cleaning company. Not only was everyone in the room smoking while they worked (not fun when you're majorly allergic to ciggy smoke), but my script was so badly written I couldn't get through it without laughing. I lasted only 30 minutes before making my great escape during the first break.
7. My comfort food: Pasta or ice cream
8. The location where I write: My home office or the local Starbucks
9. Three songs on my IPOD's most played list: Ray LaMontagne's "Trouble," Josh Rouse's "Winter in the Hamptons" and Ryan Adam's "Nuclear"
10. If I was on the cover of US Weekly, my headline would read: Yep, It's a Slow, Slow News Week: Relatively Unknown Author Auditions for Third "Twilight" Flick and is Laughed Off the Set. But Rob Pattinson Thought She Showed Promise
11. The three books that make me think of my childhood: Green Eggs and Ham by Dr. Seuss, Ramona the Pest by Beverly Cleary and Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing by Judy Blume
12. My favorite Chick Flick: Anything with Hugh Grant in it
13. My favorite Chick Lit book: Terribly unoriginal I know, but Bridget Jones' Diary still makes me laugh
14. My "must see" TV: "LOST," "The Office," "Castle" and my cooking shows on Food Network—"Everyday Italian" and "Barefoot Contessa."
15. My Starbucks order: A grande, non-fat caramel macchiato (hot in the fall and winter and iced in the spring and summer)
16. My favorite curse word: Arse
17. My celebrity man crush: Jude Law in The Holiday
18. My celebrity girl crush: Lauren Graham or Rachael Ray
19. My writer crush: F. Scott Fitzgerald
20. My last meal before execution: Fried calamari to start...then penne alla vodka with some really great ciabatta bread dipped in olive oil and balsamic vinegar and tiramisu and cappuccino for dessert
21. Three words to summarize my book: Authentic, romantic, sassy
22. It took me 6 months to write my book.
23. My book's original title: Confessions of a Serial Dater
24. Right now, I'm working on: My usual rotation of music, movie reviews and magazine features. And I'm also working on a new novel that's a bit of a departure for me—women's ensemble fiction.
25. Chick Lit is alive & kicking because: Every girl wants her own happy-ever-after ending. And until that happens, well, we all need some great clothes, even better friends and lots of laughs, right?
For more on the wonderful Christa Banister, head on over to www.christabanister.com, check out her blog Hey There, It's Christa or follow her on Twitter.
xoxo, Liz & Lisa