Today's guest: Jennifer Coburn
Why we love her: She's a writing machine. Every time we turn around, she's written another hilarious and entertaining novel! You go, girl!
Her latest: Brownie Points
The scoop on it: Sometimes that’s the way the Thin Mints crumble... When Lisa Taylor and her family move from San Francisco to the suburban paradise of Los Corderos, they know their family won’t fit in perfectly. They’re the only interracial family in the neighborhood. Lisa is a snarky sculptor. And 13-year-old Logan is gay. After Logan is repeatedly bullied at school, he finds his niche in an unusual place – his twin sister’s Girl Scout troop. When he tries to join, the organization refuses, so the boy sues for gender discrimination and sets off a firestorm of national media coverage. This only makes matters worse between Logan and his father, a macho firefighter who is already struggling with his son’s sexual orientation. Adding to the strife is Lisa’s increasing distaste for Junta Moms who wish each other “Namaste” while rigging school elections and stealing each other’s husbands. Join the Taylors on their hilarious journey as they face the fight of their lives and, in the process, discover what it means to be a family.
Our thoughts: Loved it. So much fun!
Giveaway: 5 COPIES! Just leave a comment to be entered to win. Winners will be selected after 3pm PST on Sunday, January 6th.
Fun fact: Jennifer's novel, Reinventing Mona is free on Kindle until Sunday, January 6th!
Where you can read more about Jennifer: Her website, Twitter and Facebook.
CHICK LIT IS NOT DEAD PRESENTS...JENNIFER COBURN'S 5 BEST EVERS
Best Song: This is a tough one because I have so many memories associated with music. My father was a lyricist and used to sing “Wild World” to me when I was a little girl. He died when I was 19 years old, so this Cat Stevens song will forever break my heart (in a good way). I can never hear any Simon & Garfunkel song without remembering my trip to Florence with my then-11-year-old daughter, Katie because every night at the steps of the Uffizi Gallery we held hands and listened to a couple singing these classics. But my all-time favorite would have to be the Beatles’ “In My Life.” The music is so simple, the lyrics so nostalgic. I love the sentiment: In our lives we meet so many people and experience so much. In the end, we love them all.
Best Book: Another toughie because I always think what I am currently reading is my favorite book ever. (If I don’t feel that way by page 50, I move on to another.) I am in the middle of Charity Shumway’s Ten Girls to Watch and loving every page. But last week I was reading Jenny Lawson’s Let’s Pretend This Never Happened and I swore her genius memoir was the best book I ever read. Before that I finished Jen Lancaster’s latest side-splitter Jeneration X and guess what? Best ever!
Best Movie: Finally an easy question! Any movie where Ben Affleck takes off his shirt is an instant favorite. But seriously, I loved Argo because I was on the edge of my seat the entire two hours even though I knew exactly how it ended. That is masterful filmmaking. Close second is Crash. Also great: Moneyball, Shawshank Redemption and Hoop Dreams.
Best Life Moment: I love getting mail and Facebook messages from readers, so an intensely gratifying moment was when I got a note from an Emergency Room nurse who thanked me because, after a particularly rough day, my book made her laugh. Anyone who says chick-lit is irrelevant should keep in mind that there is an important place in the world for lighthearted, humorous escape.
Best Advice: Don’t compare your insides with other people’s outsides. Other people may look like they’ve got it all together, but you have no idea what they’ve been through (or may currently be going through). You can’t see their doubts, fears and insecurities. I recently met a woman who was the picture of perfection: successful, poised and gorgeous. I was having a day when everything was going wrong. I asked the woman what her secret was, and she didn’t miss a beat. “I’m heavily medicated,” she said, then proceeded to tell me about her battle with depression.
Thanks, Jennifer! xoxo, Liz & lisa