Catherine McKenzie's 5 BEST EVERS

Today's guest: Catherine McKenzie Why we love her: She writes hilarious and smart novels that make us think.

Her latest: Forgotten

The scoop on it: Emma Tupper is a dedicated lawyer with a bright future. But when she takes a month-long leave of absence to go on an African vacation, she ends up facing unexpected consequences. After she falls ill and spends six months trapped in a remote village thanks to a devastating earthquake, Emma returns home to discover that her friends, boyfriend, and colleagues thought she was dead—and that her life has moved on without her.

As she struggles to re-create her old life, throwing herself into solving a big case for a client and trying to reclaim her beloved apartment from the handsome photographer who assumed her lease, everyone around her thinks she should take the opportunity to change. But is she willing to sacrifice her job, her relationships, and everything else she worked so hard to build?

In Forgotten, Catherine McKenzie tweaks a classic tale of discovering who we really are when everything that brings meaning to our lives is lost.

Our thoughts: From the time we read the premise, we were intrigued. Forgotten turned out to be even better than it sounded. It's now one of our favorite Catherine McKenzie novels!

Giveaway: FIVE copies. Just leave a comment and be entered to win. We'll select the winners after 3pm on Sunday, October 28th.

Fun fact: Catherine is also a lawyer!

Where you can read more about Catherine: Facebook, Twitter and her website.

CHICK LIT IS NOT DEAD PRESENTS...CATHERINE MCKENZIE'S 5 BEST EVERS

If you’ve read High Fidelity—and if you haven’t how come? It’s awesome—you’ll understand when I say that being asked to choose my favorite anything makes me feel like Rob Gordon trying to pick his top five songs of all time. I love so many songs, books, movies etc. that it’s hard to pick just one. So, with that being said, here are …

CATHERINE MCKENZIE’S TOP FIVE BOOKS, SONGS, MOVIES, LIFE MOMENTS AND ADVICE, WHICH MAY NOT BE HER TOP FIVE TOMORROW.

1. Favorite Book—Jeez. This is really hard. But I’ve said Pride and Prejudice before, so I’ll stick to that. I came to this book relatively late in life—I was one of those Jane-Austen-What’s-All-the-Fuss people. Then I saw Colin Firth and Jennifer Ehle in the BBC version of the book (2nd runner up in favorite movie category), and I fell in love. After having read the book, it became clear that it was one of those perfect book-to-movie adaptations (as is High Fidelity—see, this is hard!), and that I had long misjudged Ms. Austen. I went on to read all her books, including the unfinished ones, and I read them about once a year.

2. Favorite Song—Oh boy. This one is even harder. Seriously. I can’t choose. So here is some of my favorite music to write by: Bob Dylan’s Biograph, Sarah Harmer’s You Were Here, MoZella’s Belle Isle, Eric Hutchison’s Sounds Like This, Matt Nathanson’s Live at the Point (awesome and hilarious). I tend to queue up one of these albums, or sometimes just one song, and play it over and over while I write. It helps me create a rhythm.

3. Favorite Movie—Did I mention this was hard? I think I’ll pick Bull Durham. I can pretty much quote it from beginning to end, and it makes excellent Movie Night viewing.

4. Life Moment—mmm, personal. But a pretty good one was when I got the call about getting my first book deal. And the funny thing? I couldn’t get anyone on the phone to tell them, which is exactly what happens to the main character in Arranged, a scene I wrote before I got my book deal. Do I have magical powers?

5. Piece of Advice—This one’s easy: Make time for the things you love. People always ask me how I have time to practice law and write books. It’s complicated, but simple really: you make time for the things you love. Don’t you? If not, please start doing so immediately.

Thanks, Catherine!

xoxo,

Liz & Lisa

Lit IT Girl: Debut author Jessica Grose

Our latest Lit IT Girl: Jessica Grose Why we love her: It's the best feeling when we fall in love with a new author's voice and even though we've just discovered her, cannot wait to read what she writes next. No pressure, Jessica!

Her debut: Sad Desk Salad (Out today!)

The scoop on it: As a writer for Chick Habit, an increasingly popular women's website, Alex Lyons gets paid to be a bitch. She's churning out several posts a day, and she saves her juiciest ones for blog prime time, when working women eat their sad desk salads in their offices. Alex tells herself she's fulfilling her dream of being a professional writer; so what if it means being glued to her couch and her laptop from six a.m. to six p.m., scouring the web in search of the next big celebrity scandal? Since Chick Habit's parent company keeps close tabs on page views, Alex knows her job is always at risk.

So when an anonymous tipster sends her the year's most salacious story—a politico's squeaky-clean Ivy League daughter caught in a very R-rated activity—it's a no-brainer. But is Alex really willing to ruin the girl's life by igniting the next Internet feeding frenzy? And what she doesn't yet realize is how this big scoop is about to send her own life spiraling out of control.

Our thoughts: It's smart, funny and juicy--we loved getting that insider feel about the celebrity world! (You know we're celebrity gossip whores!)

Giveaway: FIVE copies. Leave a comment to be entered to win and we'll select the winners on Monday, October 8th after 3pm PST

Fun fact: Congrats to Jessica! She's going to have a baby! See below...

Where you can read more about Jess: Twitter, Facebook and her website.

CHICK LIT IS NOT DEAD PRESENTS...LIT IT GIRL: DEBUT AUTHOR JESSICA GROSE

1. How many agents did you query before you found "the one"? I was phenomenally lucky to find my beloved agent Elisabeth Weed in my first round of looking. When I was a senior in college, I wrote a series for Salon.com that caught the eye of a young editor at Random House. I was totally green, and so that editor was kind enough to introduce me to some agents who might be interested in my work. If memory serves, I emailed five or six of them, ended up meeting with three, one of whom was Elisabeth. It was so clear that she got me in ways that the others didn't, and I've been with her for over nine years now.

2. What's a line from your "favorite" rejection letter? I wish I could remember! I think I have a mental block about them in the interest of self-preservation. I do remember a pseudo-boyfriend once telling me in a break-up email that I was too neurotic and dramatic for him. I guess that is my "favorite"?

3. What was the hardest part about writing your debut novel? Trying to see the process as a learning experience no matter what the outcome was. When I was about half way through, I started panicking—what if I've devoted all this time to writing this and it never sees the light of day? What if it's actually terrible and no one will tell me? I needed to teach myself to feel good about finishing it, regardless of whether or not I sold it.

4. What is the best advice you received while you were trying to break into the book biz? Find readers who give you feedback that you trust. My book got about 45 times better after I had three exceedingly generous colleagues read the first draft and give me notes. I am so ridiculously grateful to them for their time and care.

5. How did you celebrate your book deal? I bought a pair of stupidly expensive Rag & Bone boots that I had been coveting for six months. And I went out to a fancy dinner with my husband.

6. Who is your writer crush? Oh my god, I have a new one every week. Zadie Smith is the one that comes to mind first. She's so smart and talented and foxy. My parents gave me White Teeth as a high school graduation present and Smith just continues to wow me in both fiction and non-fiction. Her recent profile of Jay-Z is one of my favorites of the year. I hadn't heard of Gillian Flynn before reading Gone Girl, and now I am obsessed with her. Same goes for Maria Semple—I read Where'd You Go, Bernadette in one day over Labor Day weekend and just think Semple is so hilarious and bright.

7. If you were stranded on a desert island and could have only one book, what would it be? The book I've probably read the most is Marion Meade's fabulous biography of Dorothy Parker, What Fresh Hell Is This? I love literary biographies and Parker is a heroine of mine. I know it's kind of an odd choice—I bet most people choose fiction--but I find Parker's life story and the relationship to her work endlessly fascinating, somewhat inspiring (and more than a little sad).

8. What's on your iPod right now? My latest downloads are the new albums from The Divine Fits and The Walkmen. Both could be described as "dad rock."

9. What's your #1 stress reliever? Usually I would say running. But since I am 7 months pregnant and running is...comical, my #1 stress reliever is napping.

10. Who/what would you place in the center of the Entertainment Weekly bullseye? I just saw the movie Bachelorette and Lizzy Caplan can do no wrong with me.

Thanks, Jess!

xoxo,

Liz & Lisa

Emma & Nicola's Top 5 Reads for the Heartbroken

Today's guests: Emma McLaughlin & Nicola Kraus Why we love them: Hello, Nanny Diaries anyone?

Their latest: Over You

The scoop on it: When seventeen-year-old Max Scott got her heart broken she didn't just sit at home sobbing into her ice cream and obsessing over her ex, Hugo's, latest Facebook postings. Well, actually she did. But she also decided that no girl should have to be tortured like that, so she read through all the psych books, Oprah transcripts, and historical precedents she could get her hands on and came up with a foolproof program to get over being dumped.

These days, Max is the go-to guru for heartbroken high-school girls all over NYC. But when Hugo shows up in her neighborhood, suddenly Max is so busy trying to avoid her own ex that she isn't able to help anyone else with theirs. As Hugo invades her life all over again, Max's carefully controlled world starts to unravel. With her clients' hearts hanging in the balance, Max will have to do the seemingly impossible: get over her ex once and for all.

Our thoughts: Loved. Who hasn't had her heart stepped on, crushed and then thrown away? I think we all wish we could've hired someone to help us get over him. (Liz definitely could've used some assistance--more than once-- when Lisa was bawling over some jerk while clad in her fattest of fat pants!)

Giveaway:FIVE copies! Just leave a comment and be entered to win. We'll select the winners after 3PM PST on Tuesday, October 2nd.

Fun fact: Ever wondered where they write their books? Check out their workspace.

Where you can read more about Emma & Nicola: Facebook, Twitter and their website.

CHICK LIT IS NOT DEAD PRESENTS..EMMA & NICOLA'S TOP 5 READS FOR THE HEARTBROKEN

We’re so happy to be back—did you guys have a great summer?  Did you miss us?  No, you’re not having déjà vu.  Yes, we did just have a novel, Between You And Me, out in June, but we have another book out!  Over You is the story of Max Scott, a seventeen year-old breakup coach who can get any girl over any guy in four weeks or less.  And she’ll keep you from texting a picture of your boobs to your ex while she’s at it.  She is our fantasy ideal of who would be standing over you at the moment of impact, handing you chocolate and a stiff something, disabling your Twitter, and directing all your phone calls to his number into her inbox.

And, what’s even cooler is that Estee Lauder has made an Over You Look, available exclusively at Nordstrom nation-wide.  We will be visiting a different store every weekend.  Check out our website (www.emmaandnicola.com) to see when we’ll be in your area and come say hi and tell us your worst break-up story.  We’ve been there and that’s why we invented Max!

XO, Nicola & Emma

Okay, here are our Top Five Books to Read When You’ve Been Dumped:

1.    Heartburn by Nora Ephron is a classic for so many reasons.  Not only is it charming, funny and peppered with mouth-watering recipes, this novel—which we consider the original Chic Lit—was made into an amazing film starring a young Meryl Streep, with a killer soundtrack by Carly Simon.  It delivers one of the most accurate portrayals of how the female brain works through the misery of a slow-kill rejection as the protagonist realizes that she can take control back by letting go and moving on.  Entertaining and comforting!

2.    It Happens Every Day by Isabel Gillies is her endearingly honest book about the four months in her life between having what she thought was the perfect marriage and being legally separated.  She beautifully narrates the shocking experience with such humor you feel like you’re sitting across from a friend you love, hearing her catch you up on the break-up to end all break-ups.  Even though you know where the story is going it’s a total page-turner.

3.    Radical Acceptance by Tara Brach.  This isn’t a novel.  But it can transform your relationship with suffering.  Tara lived in a Buddhist monastery for years until she had an epiphany and left.  She became a PhD in psychology and then she merged her Buddhist scholarship with her knowledge of how the brain works and holds trauma.  The combination is a unique—and radical—worldview.

4.    A Woman of Substance by Barbara Taylor Bradford is an awesomely juicy read.  An oldy but goody about a woman who works as a maid for a grand aristocratic family.  She has an affair with the son, gets pregnant and he disavows her and the child.  She is left destitute in post-war London.  But he grossly underestimates her and by the end of her life she owns his ass.  If you love Downton Abbey (and who doesn’t?) you will LOVE this.

5.    No list like this would be complete without Eat Pray Love.  If you are that one person on the planet who hasn’t read it yet treat yourself.

Thanks, Emma & Nicola! xoxo,

L&L

7 Seconds in Heaven with Andrew Shaffer

Today's guest: Andrew Shaffer (a.k.a. Fanny Merkin) Why we love him: He's written a laugh-out-loud funny parody of Fifty Shades of Grey. (And y'all know we don't toss around the LOL's lightly!)

His latest: Fifty Shames of Earl Grey

The scoop on it: Young, arrogant, tycoon Earl Grey seduces the naïve coed Anna Steal with his overpowering good looks and staggering amounts of money, but will she be able to get past his fifty shames, including shopping at Walmart on Saturdays, bondage with handcuffs, and his love of BDSM (Bards, Dragons, Sorcery, and Magick)? Or will his dark secrets and constant smirking drive her over the edge?

Our thoughts: Sometimes it's just about having a good and naughty laugh. Jennifer Weiner said, "Filthy, Disgusting, I loved every word." Our thoughts exactly.

Giveaway: FIVE copies. Just leave a comment and be entered to win. We'll select the winners on Monday, September 24th after 3pm PST.

Where you can read more about Andrew: Twitter and his website.

CHICK LIT IS NOT DEAD PRESENTS...SEVEN SECONDS IN HEAVEN WITH... ANDREW SHAFFER

Liz & Lisa: We know it was because you were reviewing it, but are you one of the only men to admit to reading this book? Do you think there area lot of closeted male 50 Shades readers out there?

Andrew Shaffer: From what I've seen, 50 Shades is almost exclusively a female phenomenon. Whether they love or hate the book, it's a shared cultural experience for many women—something that's increasingly rare in the fractured entertainment landscape. Most guys don't understand it, and I think that's fine.

I actually warn men not to read 50 Shades, for a couple of reasons. If this is their first romance or erotica novel, they will walk away with a skewed perception of romance genre. There are other books I would recommend they read first. The other issue is that some guys read the books and think, "Does my wife/girlfriend want me to act like this? Does she want me to do this in the bedroom?" The answer: Yes. No. Maybe. Why not ask her what she enjoys about the books, and what she wants in the bedroom?

L&L: Why did you decide to write the parody?

AS: While I was live-tweeting my reading of 50 Shades of Grey, I joked that I would create a publishing wormhole by writing 50 Shades fanfic. I started to serialize a 50 Shades "fanfic"/parody on my blog, EvilReads.com, as a joke at first. After 50 Shades of Grey sold for seven figures to Random House, it suddenly became, "How fast can I write an actual full-length parody and get it to my agent?"

L&L: We read that you wrote the manuscript in 10 days. True?

AS: Yes—I had to get the manuscript to my agent quickly, because no one knew how long 50 Shades would remain "hot." (Obviously a lot longer than anyone anticipated!) After it sold, though, I worked closely with my editor at Da Capo Press to get the book into shape. The editing took about two or three months. While other self-published parodies began to appear during this time, I'm glad we spent the time we did to put out the best book possible.

L&L: What was your favorite part of 50 Shades of Grey? Least favorite part?

AS: The sex scenes were well-written. I know that sounds like a typical "guy" answer—but you could just tell how much work James put into those scenes when compared to the rest of the series. By her own admission, she researched BDSM online to ensure it was authentic...but she couldn't check with any college student about the details of college life in 2011? Anastasia is a college senior who has never had an e-mail address, which is just absurd. Little stuff like that got under my skin as a reader.

L&L: You have three twitter handles. We can barely tweet with the one we have. How do you juggle?

AS: I have a couple dozen, actually, but who's counting? Only a few have ever really "taken off." I mainly tweet personal stuff from @andrewtshaffer and publishing world stuff from @evilwylie these days. Twitter is fun, especially for a freelance writer: it's the water cooler. I don't have real-world co-workers, so Twitter fills that hole in my life. The deeper emotional and spiritual holes, though? Not so much help with those.

L&L: The opening line of the book is our favorite. What's your favorite line from the book?

AS: "I've already seen him at what I figured was the depth of his shame, buying a Nickelback CD. Do I want to know how deep his perversions go?"

L&L: Because we couldn't not ask, do you think Ryan Gosling should play Christian Grey? If not, who...

AS: After seeing Gosling in Drive with that hammer, I could totally see him playing Christian Grey, flogger in hand. "Hey, girl...laters."

Thanks, Andrew!

xoxo,

L&L

Jody Gehrman's 5 Things I'd Tell The Teen Me

Our guest today: Jody Gehrman Why we love her: Her words leap off the page! So. Much. Fun!

Her latest: Audrey's Guide to Witchcraft

The Scoop: Falling in Love, baking a magical cake, fighting an evil necromancer—it’s all in a day’s work for Audrey Oliver, seventeen-year-old witch-in-training. When her mother goes missing and her twenty-one-year-old witchy cousin shows up out of the blue, Audrey knows something’s gone horribly, dangerously wrong. Now it’s up to her to get her own magical powers up to speed before everyone she loves is destroyed by the sorcerer intricately connected to her mother’s secret past.

Our thoughts: Liz, our YA/New Adult whore, er, we mean expert, LOVED LOVED LOVED it.   Perfect Halloween reading! And priced at 2.99, there's no reason not to download it right now! Seriously, Jody, when is the next installment coming?

Giveaway: FIVE copies! Leave a comment and you'll be entered. We'll choose the winners on Sunday, September 16th after 6pm PST.

Fun Fact: Jody's YA novel, Babe in Boyland was recently optioned by Disney!

Where you can read more about Jody: Her website, or Twitter.

CHICK LIT IS NOT DEAD PRESENTS...JODY GEHRMAN'S 5 THINGS I'D TELL THE TEEN ME

1. Embrace Your Weirdness: You won't fool anyone by trying to pass as "normal," and if you flaunt your own freakiness it may seem kind of cool someday.

2. True Love is Not a Myth: Despite the many divorces you'll witness and the cynical phases you'll pass through, know this: Your dude is out there, and he's amazing. Plus he cooks, so don't worry if you're not a mini Martha Stewart.

3. Dreaminess is Not a Crime: In fact, someday people will pay you to dream up stories for them. Score!

4. Your Parents Are Awesome: Sure, you'll go through your "my parents messed me up" phase, but really, they're incredible. And they work hard to ensure your happiness, so hug them often.

5. Art Matters: You kind of know this already, but cling to it. Again and again, art will save your life.

Thanks Jody! xoxo, L&L

Lit IT Girl: Debut author Allie Kingsley

Today's guest: Allie Kingsley Why we love her: We love discovering fabulous new authors!

Her debut: The Liar, The Bitch and The Wardrobe

The scoop on it: If you’re going to step on people on your way to the top, you might as well do it in stilettos . . .

. . . Or so she’s been told. Lucy Butler, former wallflower, lands her dream job working for her idol, world-famous fashion photographer Stefano Lepres. But in a world where getting doused in coffee for not getting the order right is the new normal, she isn’t getting any closer to her ideal of being behind the camera herself.

Then a superstar actress generously takes Lucy under her wing and teaches her the ways of the rich and famous—treating her to racks of designer clothes and introducing her to a life of private planes and penthouse suites. Soon Lucy is dating a rock star, attending the hottest Hollywood parties, and dressing the part.

Lost in the luxury, she loses sight of the things that once mattered most. It’s going to take a hard blow from the high life to send Lucy back to the real life she always wanted.

Our thoughts on it: LOVED this book loosely based on Allie's own real-life experiences in Hollywood. So juicy! You will love it too!

Giveaway: FIVE COPIES. Leave a comment and be entered to win. We'll select the winners after 3PM PST on Monday, September 10th.

Fun fact: Allie's book is the first ever where the characters have been professionally styled.

Where you can read more about Allie: Twitter, Hello Giggles and Facebook.

CHICK LIT IS NOT DEAD PRESENTS...LIT IT GIRL: DEBUT AUTHOR ALLIE KINGSLEY

1. How many agents did you query before you found "the one"? I was days away from signing with the second agent that I queried not because I felt he was 'the one' but because he was very good on paper and well known in publishing. Then, I happened to have met my agent by chance through an acquaintance. She is also very good at what she does but furthermore, we had a connection and our faith in each other was instinctive and mutual from the start. Things got a little dramatic when I made the (right) choice to go with my (awesome) agent. It was very much like The Notebook. Except it was all done sans pin curls. And via e-mail.

2. What's a line from your "favorite" rejection letter? I know that it's not the type of rejection letter that you're referring to, but my favorite line comes from my Mother. She begged of me last year, "Please don't count on this book-thing happening. Please get a real job..." When she said it, once the sting subsided, it was as if she threw a can of kerosene onto my little bonfire. It was the obvious choice to quote her on my dedication page.

3. What was the hardest part about writing your debut novel?  Being a starving artist at thirty is not a good look. In order to give the novel my full attention, I made it my full-time job which made me my own full-time unpaid intern. I made so many sacrifices to keep it moving, ie; sold my coveted black patent peep-toe Louboutins on ebay to cover bills (moment of silence), slept on my friends couches for weeks at a time - countless times - to sublet my apartment, at one point lived on a $5 a day budget in one of the most expensive cities in the world - all while watching my friends excel at their jobs and missing out while they got to do lavish, exciting things. The hardest part about it was not knowing for certain whether it would pay off in the end or not. Everyone in my life thought that I was insane taking the risk. And you know what? It was totally worth it.

4. What is the best/worst advice you received while you were trying to break into the book biz? The best advice came from my best friend. She said to me on a regular basis: "Keep your head down", meaning don't look behind you and don't look ten steps ahead either - focus on right where you are in that moment and address what needs to be done today to get you to tomorrow. To this day, I remind myself daily to 'keep my head down' because all of the excitement ahead can feel very overwhelming, daunting even and the best and only thing one can do is to remain present.

5. How did you celebrate your book deal? Lots of champagne. Jumped into a pool fully clothed. Got a Penguin tattoo on my forearm. In that order... I think.

6. Who is your writer crush? Hank Moody.

7. If you were stranded on a desert island and could have only one book, what would it be? How to Build A Sailboat Out of Desert Island Material For Dummies

8. What's on your iPod right now? The Doors, Britney Spears, Rolling Stones, Fiona Apple, White Stripes, Jay-Z.  I'm a fan of the random shuffle.

9. What's your #1 stress reliever? The best way I know how to quiet my mind chatter is to plug into a loud playlist and walk around aimlessly, whether along the beach or about the streets of NYC. Well that and black tar heroin.

10. Who/what would you place in the center of the Entertainment Weekly bullseye? My book. And Jesus.

Thanks, Allie! xoxo,

Liz & Lisa

Jane Porter's 5 Things I'd Tell the Teen Me

Today's guest: Jane Porter Why we love her: Her novels, Flirting with Forty and She's Gone Country are two of our faves!

Her latest: The Good Woman (Out today: September 4th.)

The scoop on it: Is it possible to leave it all behind? The firstborn of a large Irish-American family, Meg Brennan Roberts is a successful publicist, faithful wife, and doting mother who prides herself on always making the right decisions. But years of being “the good woman” have taken a toll and though her winery career thrives, Meg feels burned out and empty, and more disconnected than ever from her increasingly distant husband. Lonely and disheartened, she attends the London Wine Fair with her boss, ruggedly handsome vintner, Chad Hallahan. It’s here, alone together in an exotic city, far from “real” life, that Chad confesses his long-standing desire for Meg.

Overwhelmed, flattered, and desperately confused, Meg returns home, only to suddenly question every choice she’s ever made, especially that of her marriage. For Meg, something’s got to give, and for once in her life she flees her responsibilities—but with consequences as reckless and irreversible as they are liberating. Now she must decide whether being the person everyone needs is worth losing the woman she was meant to be.

Read chapter one and two here.

Our thoughts: Engaging and heartfelt, we hated to reach the final page. But there's good news: This is the first book of three!

Giveaway: FIVE copies! Leave a comment and be entered to win. We'll pick the winners after 3pm PST on Monday, September 10th.

Fun fact: Jane also writes romance novels.

Where you can read more about Jane: Twitter, Facebook, her blog and her website.

CHICK LIT IS NOT DEAD PRESENTS...JANE PORTER'S 5 THINGS I'D TELL THE TEEN ME

(NOTE: Photo of Jane as a teen also included! She looks exactly the same!)

1. You are not fat and you do not have a big butt.  In fact, your thighs and butt are the smallest now they will ever be so stop obsessing about your body and enjoy the fact that it doesn’t jiggle and ache.   And while we’re discussing your body, lets talk about something that’s a little nit picky but its been bothering me for awhile:  Please, please stop using flesh colored Clearasil.  It doesn’t look natural and its not invisible and it its obvious you’re trying to cover up a pimple.   You’re not hiding anything, you’re just making the zit look worse.

2. Jane, Jane, Jane...you’re a swimmer, not a cheer leader, a book worm, not a model.  The football players don’t dig you and you’re never going to be popular.  But that’s okay.  It’s okay to not be popular.  In fact, being unpopular will prove to be very good for you.  It will a) give you stories for the future, and b) help you push yourself harder, dream bigger, and take greater risks because you’ve got something to prove, and you can, because you’re not constantly worrying about what the popular crowd thinks.

3. Those guys that seemed so hot in high school?   A little secret, teen Jane: they’re not so hot later.   Sure, they look great now to your 16 year old eyes because they hit puberty earlier than others, and have been shaving since they were thirteen, but those skinny, short, nerdy guys you don’t even notice right now?  They change.  They become the real heartbreakers.  They’re the hunks of the future, as well as the brainy, cool mavericks who transform the world as we know it.

4. To have the life you want to have, to get to where you want to go, you’re going to have to fight hard.  You’re going to have to work hard.  Really hard.  There will be a lot of obstacles in the way, and a lot of naysayers telling you that you’re wrong, and you can’t succeed, but they don’t know you, Jane.   I do, though, and I’m going to tell you something that’s really important: gird yourself.  Be prepared to take some hard hits on the way.  The hits won’t feel good, but they won’t destroy you.  Some hits will hurt more than others, and you might fall down and cry, but you’re tough.  You’re strong.  Get up.  Shake yourself off.   And keep going.  As long as you’re resilient and tenacious you really can do anything.  You can be anyone you want to be.  It’s your life.  It’s your dream.  Fight for it.  Always.

5. Lastly, Jane, you don’t have to please everyone.  In fact, you don’t have to please anyone as long as you’re happy with you.  (Hard to believe when you’re a pleaser, but it’s true).   But how to be happy with yourself?  Stop apologizing for being yourself.   There’s nothing wrong with you.  Sure, you’re geeky and emotional and socially awkward, but that’s part of your charm.   It’s who you are, and your real friends accept the real you.  So stop looking outward for truth, and those answers you think everyone has.  (They don’t...at least, they don’t have the answers you want for you.)  It’s time you realized you have the answers already.  They’re there in your head, and your heart, and lucky you, it’s a good heart.   And it’s a heart that needs to be protected.  So protect yourself, and your heart, and be the person you want to be because that’s the only way you’ll ever be happy.  Loving yourself will allow you to love everyone else and you’ll have the happy ever after you’ve always wanted.

Thanks, Jane! xoxo,

Liz & Lisa

Author photo credit: Kira Stewart Photography

Lit IT Girl: Debut Author Kristyn Kusek Lewis

Our latest Lit IT Girl: Kristyn Kusek-Lewis Why we love her: Her writing is heartfelt and real.

Her debut: How Lucky You Are (September 4th!)

The scoop on it: An engaging and moving novel about three women struggling to keep their longstanding friendship alive. Waverly, who's always been the group's anchor, runs a cozy bakery but worries each month about her mounting debt. Kate is married to a man who's on track to be the next governor of Virginia, but the larger questions brewing in their future are unsettling her. Stay-at-home mom Amy has a perfect life on paper, but as the horrific secret she's keeping from her friends threatens to reveal itself, she panics.

As life's pressures build all around them, Waverly knows she has some big decisions to make. In doing so, she will discover that the lines between loyalty and betrayal can become blurred, happy endings aren't always clear-cut, and sometimes you have to risk everything to gain the life you deserve.

Our thoughts: As lifelong friends, we loved and appreciated this heartwarming and authentic story about the complexities of female friendship.  (Side note: We also love the charming cover!)

Giveaway: FIVE copies. Leave a comment and be entered to win. We'll select the winners on September 10th after 3pm PST.

Fun fact: Before writing her novel, Kristyn was a writer and editor for many major magazines including Glamour.

Where to read more about Kristyn: Facebook, Twitter and her website. 

CHICK LIT IS NOT DEAD PRESENTS...LIT IT GIRL: DEBUT AUTHOR KRISTYN KUSEK LEWIS


1. How many agents did you query before you found "the one"? About 25. I made a massive list of agents by finding out who reps authors I love, surfing sites like AgentQuery, and, in a couple of cases, asking for referrals from author friends. The whole process took about six months. I’ll never forget getting the voicemail from my agent saying that she loved my book and would like to represent me. It was a moment that I’d dreamt about for years.

2. What's a line from your "favorite" rejection letter? I wish that I had a good, juicy story but my rejections were actually pretty standard “thanks, but no thanks” letters, and in the cases where agents asked to read the manuscript and ultimately declined, they sent some surprisingly lovely letters. It’s of course a bummer to get a rejection but I just kept reminding myself of Stephen King’s famous story about how, when he was first starting out, he got so many rejections that he hung them on a wall with a metal stake.

3. What was the hardest part about writing your debut novel? Not knowing whether I’d eventually sell it. I took a break from magazine writing, the career I’ve had for the past fifteen years, to focus on the book and I definitely had days when I wondered if I was wasting my time. I’d already written another novel and scrapped it because I just wasn’t in love with it, and I really wanted this one to work. I was ready.

4. What is the best/worst advice you received while you were trying to break into the book biz? I didn’t get any horrible advice but the best that I got was to take the “long view.” In other words, don’t let the day-to-day stuff get in the way of what you ultimately want out of a writing career. This is a business that is completely subjective and constantly changing, and you can’t get yourself down if you have one bad day of writing or get a single rejection or bad review. There are always going to be highs and lows.

5. How did you celebrate your book deal? Champagne, of course! But I’d just had my second child three months earlier so I’m fairly certain that I had a glass and promptly fell asleep on the couch. Glamorous, I know.

6. Who is your writer crush?
 There are so many! Right now, I’d say Gillian Flynn. I’m reading Gone Girl and it is blowing my mind that she managed to write something that is simultaneously smart, funny, and terrifying. But my ultimate is Nora Ephron. In my twenties, I lived a few blocks from her building in New York and there were so many times when I wished I could just pop in and hang out with her. She managed to write about relationships in such a smart yet relatable way.

7. 
If you were stranded on a desert island and could have only one book, what would it be? Only one?! Probably Bird by Bird by Anne Lamott. Unoriginal, yes, but there’s good reason why that book makes every “best books about writing” list, and her advice about life in general is just so terrifically down to earth.

8. What's on your iPod right now? A bizarre mix of music—Willie Nelson, Jay Z, Mary J. Blige, The Band, Beyonce, that Taio Cruz “Dynamite” song, Dolly Parton, Fugazi, Led Zeppelin. And “Dora the Explorer Party Favorites,” of course (my daughters are 4 and 2).

9. What's your #1 stress reliever? Running. My dad was a big runner and I spent a good part of my early childhood standing on the sidelines of various road races, passing out orange slices to the runners. It definitely rubbed off. That said, I’m a sucker for a spa treatment.

10. Who/what would you place in the center of the Entertainment Weekly bullseye? Can I say the entire Bravo network? My addiction to their lineup is embarrassing—I just can’t get enough of those damn “Housewives.”

Thanks, Kristyn!

xoxo,

Liz & Lisa

Back to School eBook LOVE!

Where did summer go?  Damn, we still have SO many fantastic beach reads sitting in our bag! We had a feeling you might have the back-to-school blues, so we thought we'd cheer y'all up with a little eBook love.  Because, who doesn't love a good eBook, right?  *yells into megaphone* RIGHT?

We've got four that we think you'll love, and are giving away a few of each to get your school year started off right.  Leave a comment and you'll be entered to win.  Have a preference?  Let us know that too!

BACK TO SCHOOL eBOOK LOVE!

Bleak: A Novel by Lynn Messina A smart, funny take on the Charles Dickens classic BLEAK HOUSE—for anyone who’s ever held on to a dream just a little too long.

New York writer Ricki Carstone knows the odds of Hollywood actually turning her debut novel, Jarndyce and Jarndyce, into a movie are slim. But Moxie Bernard, the most famous teen on the planet, has signed on to star in the option. Plus, the producer is throwing her a super fabulous party in Hollywood (with Moxie!) to celebrate the relaunch of her book with a younger, sexier cover. Maybe it will happen after all.

Quitting her dead-end paralegal job to move out to Los Angeles and keep an eye on the project, Ricki meets a handsome out-of-work actor who encourages her to try her hand at screenwriting, and an experienced screenwriter who is willing to help her for a fee, which only starts out small. And then there's her cute neighbor Simon, who thinks her new friends are just taking advantage of her. Will Ricki ever see her name in lights and make it big in Hollywood?

You can read more about Lynn at her website.

Giveaway: TWO copies!  Leave a comment to be entered to win.  Winners will be chosen Monday, September 3rd after 6pm PST.

Breaking The Rules by Cat Lavoie When twenty-seven year old Roxy Rule’s best friend and roommate accepts a glamorous new job overseas, she expects their relationship to continue as it’s always been—carefree and easy—until they share a heart-stopping kiss moments before his departure. Overcome with mixed emotions, she fights the urge to over analyze the situation and resumes back to her normal life in New York City, working for an intolerable boss at a dead end job, creeping further and further away from her own dreams of becoming a professional chef.

While things become more complicated between her and Ollie, Roxy is sure that nothing can come between two lifelong best friends—not even mild jealousy over a thriving career or a silly little kiss that meant nothing. In fact, it was such a meaningless and forgettable kiss that she convinces herself that it’s not even worth mentioning to her fiancé, although it is all she can think about.

Roxy’s already topsy-turvy life only gets more complicated when her sisters Steffi and Izzie suddenly become her roommates. Steffi is six months into a pregnancy she refuses to discuss and Izzie is in the throes of a premature midlife crisis. Roxy tries to take control of her career, her love life and her sisters – but can she really handle it all? And can the Rule family keep it together – or break under the pressure?

To read more about Cat, head on her to her website.

Giveaway: TWO copies!  Leave a comment to be entered to win.  Winners will be chosen Monday, September 3rd after 6pm PST.

Haole Wood by Dee DeTarsio  When San Diego weathercaster, Jaswinder Park, is mysteriously summoned to the island of Maui in Hawaii to help her grandmother, she ends up losing her job. This fair-haired, light-skinned foreigner, called haole by the natives, decides to stay in Maui for a couple of days until she can figure out what to do with her life. She realizes that her quick trip to Maui may not be all she’s hoping for when:

-She has to bail her Hawaiian/Korean grandmother out of jail for possession of pakalolo.

-The only thing she can understand her grandmother say is: “Not that.”

-She can’t decide which hurts worse, her sunburn, hangover, or memories of the night before.

-She’s labeled the “Liquor Licker” on the front page of the Maui News in a photo that shows her doing a shot of tequila with a hunky Hawaiian who’s been found dead.

-It seems she’s had orgasms that have lasted longer than her career.

-She scrapes the bottom of the barrel to find her guardian angel.

Beautiful fabric found in her grandmother’s closet unfolds a future for Jaswinder as she designs sensuous silky wraps called sunshminas that provide sun protection. She tries for a Hollywood connection, but her company, Haole Wood, has some growing pains. From trying to find a killer, to selling her sunshminas, to lusting after Dr. Jac, the island dermatologist, to trying to ignore her so-called guardian angel, can Jaswinder learn to embrace the island way of life? Aloha!

Great news!  Haole Wood is FREE on Amazon for the next FIVE days starting today! So EVERYONE can get a free copy!  Woo hoo! You can read more about Dee at her website.

Picture Perfect by Lucie Simone For Lauren Tate, a high-powered TV producer, sex, lies, and scandal make for a great movie-of-the-week, but when she becomes the target of a smear campaign, even the most salacious of Hollywood’s tales can’t compare to her real life drama. With her soon-to-be-ex-husband leading the effort to sully her reputation, and her former assistant threatening to snatch her hard-earned position at Timeless Television out of her hands, Lauren’s perfectly planned life quickly begins to unravel at the seams.

Clawing her way back to the top of the TV food chain is no easy task, especially in an industry where backstabbing is a sport and gossip is a fulltime business. But Lauren learns just how cutthroat showbiz can truly be when the hottest scandal in Tinsel Town turns deadly and the Hollywood hunk who’s stolen her heart is missing in action. Can she salvage her career, her reputation, and her love life? Or will Hollywood be the death of her?

You can read more about Lucie at her website.

Giveaway: TWO copies!  Leave a comment to be entered to win.  Winners will be chosen Monday, September 3rd after 6pm PST.

Thanks! xoxo, L&L

Laura Lippman's 5 Things I'd Tell the Teen Me

Today's guest: Laura Lippman Why we love her: She's simply the best.

Her latest: And When She Was Good

The scoop on it: When Hector Lewis told his daughter that she had a nothing face, it was just another bit of tossed-off cruelty from a man who specialized in harsh words and harsher deeds. But twenty years later, Heloise considers it a blessing to be a person who knows how to avoid attention. In the comfortable suburb where she lives, she's just a mom, the youngish widow with a forgettable job who somehow never misses a soccer game or a school play. In the state capitol, she's the redheaded lobbyist with a good cause and a mediocre track record.

But in discreet hotel rooms throughout the area, she's the woman of your dreams—if you can afford her hourly fee.

For more than a decade, Heloise has believed she is safe. She has created a rigidly compartmentalized life, maintaining no real friendships, trusting few confidantes. Only now her secret life, a life she was forced to build after the legitimate world turned its back on her, is under siege. Her once oblivious accountant is asking loaded questions. Her longtime protector is hinting at new, mysterious dangers. Her employees can't be trusted. One county over, another so-called suburban madam has been found dead in her car, a suicide. Or is it?

Nothing is as it seems as Heloise faces a midlife crisis with much higher stakes than most will ever know.

And then she learns that her son's father might be released from prison, which is problematic because he doesn't know he has a son. The killer and former pimp also doesn't realize that he's serving a life sentence because Heloise betrayed him. But he's clearly beginning to suspect that Heloise has been holding something back all these years.

With no formal education, no real family, and no friends, Heloise has to remake her life—again. Disappearing will be the easy part. She's done it before and she can do it again. A new name and a new place aren't hard to come by if you know the right people. The trick will be living long enough to start a new life.

Our thoughts: She made us care about a suburban madam. That takes serious talent!

Giveaway: FIVE COPIES. Just leave a comment and be entered to win. We'll select the winners after 3pm PST on Monday, August 27th.

Fun fact: She wrote her first SEVEN books while working full time at The (Baltimore) Sun.

Where you can read more about Laura: Facebook and her website.

CHICK LIT IS NOT DEAD PRESENTS...LAURA LIPPMAN'S 5 THINGS I'D TELL THE TEEN ME

1. Stop dieting. Stop right now. Read about mindful eating (Geneen Roth and Martha Beck). Read Susie Orbach's "Fat is a Feminist Issue." Read Caitlin Moran's "How to be a Woman." Sorry to pile on so much homework, but you'll need all this and more. Eat exactly what you want to eat, when you want to eat and stop when you are full and you really will end up at a healthy weight. Do not describe food as "bad." Do not describe your own eating habits as "bad." Do not say "I hate my [fill in the blank]." Do not say anything about your body that you would not say to a beloved. Listen to it. Learn to identify physical hunger, ponder the emotional hunger when you recognize it, try to figure out what it really means. Wanting more is the human condition.

2. Practice being a gracious loser because you're going to get lots of opportunities to trot this skill out. Besides, if you know how to lose graciously, you'll also know how to win graciously.

3. Learn to take a compliment. It goes like this: "Thank you." Not -- "Oh, it wasn't really much of anything, anyone could have done it." Not -- "Well, the others who worked on the project deserve credit, too." Or, even: "I made so many mistakes at first and I really screwed up and I thought I would never finish." Again, this is how you do it. "Thank you."

4. Find a physical activity that you love, preferably one that takes you outside, and do it. Long, slow walks count.

5. Resist the urge to be cruel to others. Years later, of everything you have done, nothing will horrify you more than the tossed-off sarcasm you wielded against others like a weapon. Put it on paper. Keep notes. Use it against imaginary foes. Because, in the end, almost all your foes are imaginary.

Thanks, Laura!

xoxo,

Liz & Lisa

Photo credit: Jan Cobb

Fiona Neill's 5 Things I'd Tell the Teen Me

Today's guest: Fiona Neill Why we love her:  She's written a standout book, one that will stick with us for a long time.

Her latest: What the Nanny Saw

The scoop on it: It’s the summer of 2008. For the past decade Nick and Bryony Skinner and their four children have ridden high on the economic boom, but their luck is about to run out. Suddenly, the privileged family finds itself at the center of a financial scandal: their Central London house is besieged by the press, Nick disappears, and Bryony and the children become virtual prisoners in their own home. And Ali, their trusted nanny, watches it all. As the babysitter, she brings a unique insider-outsider perspective to the family, seeing far more than even the family itself is capable of. But when a reporter with a personal connection to the story comes asking her for the inside scoop, will Ali remain loyal to the family who never saw her as anything other than the help? Or will she tell her side?

Our thoughts: It's a novel that demands your full attention- in a good way. It's incredibly well-written, the scenes so realistic that you can envision yourself smack in the middle of the story.

Giveaway: FIVE copies! Just leave a comment and be entered to win. We'll select the winners after 3pm on Monday, August 27th.

Fun fact: Her first novel, The Secret Life of a Slummy Mummy has been optioned to be a TV series in the US.

Where you can read more about Fiona Neill: Her website.

CHICK LIT IS NOT DEAD PRESENTS...FIONA NEILL'S 5 THINGS I'D TELL THE TEEN ME

1. Wear a bikini. Youth is lovely, beautiful and effortless so make the most of it. I look back at photos of myself as a teenager and can’t believe how critical I was about my appearance. Teenagers have wonderful bodies in all shapes and sizes. Appreciate it and don’t over-analyze tiny flaws. And be kind to your hair. I had a perm. It looked terrible and required too much upkeep.

2. Parents are mostly right. ‘You’re wearing too much make-up.’ ‘Thirteen is too young to see the Sex Pistols live, even if it might be their last concert.’ ‘I’m picking you up at midnight even if the party is meant to end at 3am.’ ‘Your grandfather’s long johns are not a good look.’  I grew up on a remote farm in rural East England with fairly strict Scottish parents. My friend’s parents were all very laissez faire and Bohemian and I resented the way my parents interfered in my life. I now realize that they prevented me from developing many of the vices that have plagued the lives of some of my contemporaries. They also made me work in the holidays from a young age, which engendered a good work ethic.

3. Don’t burn your diaries. Sometime in my late teens I re-read the diaries I had assiduously kept on a daily basis since I was eleven and decided to destroy them. Obviously they were a testimony to the mood swings and utter self-absorption of adolescence and had no literary value. But now that I have teenage children and am writing teenage characters in my novels, I wish that could read through them to remind myself how it all felt. I would like to pick up the threads of who I was then to see how it impacted on who I am and what I do now.

4. Don’t give up sport. This isn’t post-Olympic euphoria. Until I was sixteen, I played sport six days a week at school. Then when I had the choice to give up, I abandoned it in a fit of pique and stopped taking regular exercise for the next two decades. It has taken me years to make the association between exercise and emotional and physical wellbeing and I wish someone had pointed this out for me before I became a couch potato. Now I am fitter than I have been since I was eighteen.

5. Stop obsessing over Mark Robbins (not his real name). Your friends are right. He is taking up too much headspace and you would be much better off reading even more books, playing sport, writing about subjects other than him in your diary and wondering if your saggy knees (I know) might be putting him off making a move.  He is now a very over-weight, bald middle-aged man who sells industrial storage space.  Don’t waste time on people who don’t make you feel good about yourself and sidetrack you from the things that you are really interested in.

Thanks, Fiona! xoxo,

Liz & Lisa

How to Be a Woman's Caitlin Moran: Giveaway and excerpt

Today's guest: Caitlin Moran Why we love her: She's been called the UK version of Tina Fey and we couldn't agree more. So, what's not to love?

Her latest: How to Be a Woman

The scoop on it:  Though they have the vote and the Pill and haven't been burned as witches since 1727, life isn't exactly a stroll down the catwalk for modern women. They are beset by uncertainties and questions: Why are they supposed to get Brazilians? Why do bras hurt? Why the incessant talk about babies? And do men secretly hate them?

Caitlin Moran interweaves provocative observations on women's lives with laugh-out-loud funny scenes from her own, from the riot of adolescence to her development as a writer, wife, and mother. With rapier wit, Moran slices right to the truth—whether it's about the workplace, strip clubs, love, fat, abortion, popular entertainment, or children—to jump-start a new conversation about feminism.

With humor, insight, and verve, How To Be a Woman lays bare the reasons why female rights and empowerment are essential issues not only for women today but also for society itself.

Our thoughts: Witty and funny, it's a book for every woman!

Giveaway: FIVE copies! Leave a comment and be entered to win. We'll select the winners after 3pm on Monday, August 27, 2012.

Fun Fact: She's the oldest of eight children!

Where you can read more about Caitlin: Twitter and her website.

CHICK LIT IS NOT DEAD PRESENTS...AN EXCERPT FROM HOW TO BE A WOMAN

I have no idea what to wear to a strip club. It’s one of the biggest wardrobe crises of my life.

“What are you wearing?” I ask Vicky on the phone.

“Skirt. Cardigan,” Vicky says, lighting a fag.

“What shoes?”

“Boots. Low heel.”

“Oh, I was going to wear boots, low heel, too,” I say. “We can both wear boots, low heel. That’s good. We’ll be matchy.” Then a bad thought occurs to me. “Actually, maybe we shouldn’t both wear boots, low heel,” I say. “If we look too matchy, people might think we’re an act. You know. Like a lesbian act. And try and touch us.”

“No one would believe you’re a lesbian,” Vicky sighs. “You’d make a terrible lesbian.”

“I wouldn’t!” I say indignantly. This offends my can-do nature.

“If I wanted, I could be a great lesbian!”

“No, you couldn’t,” Vicky says. “You’re offensively heterosexual. You fancy Father Christmas. By no stretch of the imagination could Father Christmas be construed to have Sapphic androgyny. He wears Wellington boots indoors.”

I can’t believe Vicky is doubting my ability to be a lesbian, if I really wanted to be. She’s seen how versatile I can be on a night out. Once, when we went to Bournemouth, we blagged our way backstage of a theater and convinced the star of the show—a legendary sitcom actor—that we were prostitutes, just to see his reaction. He said, “Blimey!” in a very edifying manner. My capabilities are endless. She doesn’t know what she’s talking about.

“Maybe I’ll wear sneakers, instead,” I say.

Vicky has asked me if I want to join her for a night out at Spearmint Rhino, on Tottenham Court Road. It’s the year 2000, and strip clubs—for so long regarded as the holding pen for the last few sad, sweaty fucks on earth—have become acceptable again.

In Britain, the mid-nineties have been all about the rediscovery of the British working class’s monochrome tropes—pubs, greyhound racing, anoraks, football in the park, bacon sandwiches, “birds”—and strip clubs come under this heading. “Ladettes” now enjoy a night out in the classier strip clubs of the metropolis. Various Spice Girls have been pictured in strip clubs, smoking cigars and cheering the acts on. Titty-bars are being marketed as an exciting, marginally loucher version of the Groucho Club—just somewhere for anyone who liked to start a night out at 1 a.m.

Partly out of journalistic hunger to cover the phenomenon, and partly because newspaper editors are invariably excited by pictures of female hacks in a strip club, the Evening Standard has asked Vicky to go spend an evening in the Rhino in order to see what all the fuss is about.

“It’s against every single one of my feminist principles. These are arenas of abuse,” I said when she called.

“The manager is giving us complimentary champagne all night,” Vicky said.

“I will meet you there at 9 p.m.,” I said, with all the dignity I could muster.

Thanks, Caitlin!

xoxo,

Liz & Lisa

Mary Carter's 5 Things I'd Tell the Teen Me

Todays' guest: Mary Carter Why we love her: Although she's written several novels, this is the first we've read. We always love discovering an author we adore and can't wait to read more from.

Her latest: The Things I Do For You

The scoop on it: After years of supporting her husband Brad's generally ill-fated career ventures, Bailey Jordan has a job and a life she loves, working as a high profile real estate agent in Manhattan. Things are wonderful, and she's ready to start a family. Everything changes when Brad is involved in a car crash and dies for thirteen minutes. Previously an agnostic, Brad comes back to life on a mission. Unbeknownst to his wife, he buys a lighthouse on the Hudson River and plans to turn it into a bed and breakfast. Bailey reluctantly joins him, but she's overwhelmed by business stresses, eclectic guests, and strange rumours. And as Brad's behaviour grows increasingly erratic, she must find a way to get him to come back down to earth if their marriage is to survive...

Our thoughts: We're always suckers for a good love story. This was sweet, heartfelt and hit home.

Giveaway:5 copies! Just leave a comment and be entered to win. We'll randomly select the winners after 3PM PST on Sunday, August 12.

Fun fact: Mary has started, The Writers’ Den, on the Upper West Side of Manhattan where she will be teaching the exact writing course that helped her write and publish her first novel. Aspiring writers in the New York City area can go to to this website for more information.

Where you can read more about Mary: Her website.

CHICK LIT IS NOT DEAD PRESENTS...MARY CARTER'S 5 THINGS I'D TELL THE TEEN ME

1. Don’t put more effort into a boy than he is putting into you I wasted a lot of time chasing boys, concentrating all of my energy on whichever one I had a crush on, putting a higher value on them than I did myself. It not only doesn’t work, the guy you think is so wonderful often disappoints. If he likes you, you can bet he’ll return your calls, be interested in your dreams and goals, and treat you like you treat him. Be happy and confident, let boys be the icing on the cake.

2. You are not fat I would give anything for the body I had back in high school. Problem was, I didn’t appreciate it then either. I thought I was fat. I hated my thighs. I would go on fad diets, and stay up nights before vacations exercising. Taking care of your body is one thing, obsessing over it is another. Crazy thing is? It usually has nothing to do with what you really look like. If you can get it out of your head, you’ll be much happier.

3. Doing a little bit every day adds up to a lot more than cramming it in all at once I used to wait until the last minute to do most things: practice piano, write that essay or report that was due the next day, even exercise. Now, as an author with deadlines, I realize the time I spend every day working on my projects gets me a lot further at the end of the year than procrastinating until it’s do or die. Take writing for example: One page a day equals the first draft of a novel at the end of a year. A little bit really does add up to a lot.

4. Don’t quit the saxophone or piano I played both growing up, then just drifted away from them after high school. I’d give anything now to be able to whip out my saxophone while waiting for the subway and serenade the commuters. Or have a few gigs a week in little clubs in the village. Or tinkle the ivories on the side. If you have a talent like that, don’t let it slip away! May seem like drudgery now, but some day it will be way cool.

5. Cherish your family My mom and I fought a lot when I was a teenager. Our temperaments were too similar. I remember one screaming match before school where I yelled: “You’re acting like my mother!” There was a pause, then she said quietly, “I am your mother.” It made us both crack up. These days my mother is my best friend and has been the one person who has always had my back. At times, we tend to treat those we love the most the worst.  Once in awhile step back and realize they really are on your side, even when they’re driving you crazy.

Thanks, Mary!

xoxo,

Liz & Lisa

Erin Duffy's 5 Do's and a Do-Over

Today's guest: Erin Duffy Why we love her: She wrote one of the juiciest books of 2012. Speaking of...

Her latest: Bond Girl (Out in paperback now!)

The scoop on it: While other little girls were fantasizing about becoming doctors or lawyers, Alex Garrett dreamed of conquering the high-powered world of Wall Street. Now she's grown and determined to make it big in bond sales at Cromwell Pierce, one of the Street's most esteemed brokerage firms. Though she's prepared to fight her way into an elitist boys' club, she starts out small, relegated to a kiddie-size folding chair with her new moniker, "Girlie," inscribed in Wite-Out across the back.

Always keeping her eyes on the prize (and ignoring her friends' pleas for her to quit), Alex quickly learns how to roll with the punches, rising from lowly analyst to slightly-less-lowly associate in no time. Suddenly she's being addressed by her real name, and the boys' club has transformed into forty older brothers . . . and one possible boyfriend. But then the apocalypse hits, and Alex is faced with the most difficult choice of her life: to stick with Cromwell Pierce as it teeters on the brink of disaster . . . or to kick off her Jimmy Choos and go running for higher ground.

Our thoughts: We loved it just as much the second time around. Click here for our thoughts when we hosted her on our site when Bond Girl was released in hardback. (Then add even more gushing and oohing and ahhing!)

Giveaway: 5 copies of the paperback! Leave a comment and be entered to win. We'll randomly select the winners after 3pm PST on Sunday, August 5.

Fun Fact: Duffy used to work on Wall Street and wrote Bond Girl after being laid off after a decade long career. Way to make a come back!

Where you can read more about Erin: Facebook

CHICK LIT IS NOT DEAD PRESENTS...ERIN DUFFY'S 5 DO'S AND A DO-OVER

Well this is a first for me! It’s not often that I get a forum to blog about Dos and Do Overs, mostly because no one seems to ever really care what I think about, well, anything. Typically, when I give my thoughts to friends or family I’m greeted with polite smiles, not-so-polite eye rolls, and then I’m entirely ignored. It’s hard for me to be surprised by this, because Lord knows, I never really take my own advice, either, so I guess I can’t blame them.  I will say though, that I’m beginning to wish that I could sit down with the younger version of me and smack her in the face before imparting these brief words of wisdom. Writing Bond Girl has been an amazing experience, proven by the fact that I get to be on Chick Lit Is Not Dead! I don’t know that writing it makes me qualified in any way whatsoever to give my thoughts to other people, so I promise if you all want to skip over this entry, I’ll forgive you. But, as I’m trying to think more positively these days, I’ll at the very least give it a whirl. In no particular order, here they are!

1. DO save your money. I’m thirty-four now and I wish I had been a bit more frugal in my twenties then I was. Here’s the thing about recessions: you don’t really appreciate what the word means until you live through one. Maybe you lose your job, or maybe you take a pay cut, or maybe you watch friends struggle to find work month after brutally long paycheck free month, but whatever is, you realize you’re your money can dry up fast! I myself have yet to find my money tree (but I’m still looking, really hard, and I’ll report back if I find one), and I want to kill the younger, dumber Erin for taking a steady paycheck for granted. If I had gotten up a little earlier and had time to take the subway to work instead of a cab over the years, I’d have more money saved and maybe wouldn’t worry quite as much about having to move home to my parents to avoid paying rent. Basement living isn’t really my thing. And at thirty-four, if I’m going to cohabitate with someone,  I really prefer it not be with my mother. No offense, Mom.

2. DO think long and hard about dating guys who already have loads of baggage in their twenties. Relationships are hard enough when both people’s crazy quotients are within the realm of reason. I can’t tell you how many girls I know who invested years of their lives with guys who due to any number of unfortunate life events, were simply too crazy to possibly be considered good dating material. I can’t think of a single instance in this case where things ended well, or where the girl wasn’t left saying to herself, “what was I thinking?” The answer is, she wasn’t, (and in the interest of being honest, yes, ladies, I’m one of them), so this one I would like to stress. I’d put this whole paragraph in capital letters to prove that point but then it would look like I was screaming at you.

3. DO spend quality time with your girlfriends. One of the worst parts about getting older, aside from wrinkles, sagging boobs, and a slowing metabolism, is that your friends will inevitably get married, move away, have babies, and begin their own busy lives. It becomes harder and harder as time goes by and life gets in the way to maintain those all important female ties. Sometimes, it seems easier to let weeks go by without checking in, but thanks to facebook, emails, texts, and various other forms of electronic communication, it’s infinitely easier than it used to be. You will need your girlfriends at times in your life, and when you do, make sure you know where to find them.

4. DO take time to take care of yourself. It’s so easy to get caught up jobs, families, friends, ect that we can forget to take a few minutes to make ourselves presentable to the outside world.  I once went an entire week running around like such a lunatic that I actually managed to go four days without brushing my hair and the resulting self-loathing was strong enough to crush an elephant. Now, let me be clear here, no one is talking about being Marcia Brady and brushing your hair 100 strokes a day while gazing fondly at your appearance in the mirror, but a multitude of sins can be cured with a hairbrush and a hot shower.  If nothing else, it will help your mental state to know that worst case scenario, if you do end up in the emergency room somewhere, your mom will be proud to know that you are, in fact, wearing clean underwear.

5. DO take some chances in life. I worked in finance for twelve years before I published Bond Girl, and sure, there are days that I am terrified that switching careers was maybe a bad idea. The truth is, if you don’t at least try new things, and work hard at something that you love, you’ll never know what you are capable of achieving. No one is saying to start walking tightropes over highways or swallowing fire or anything, but a few well thought out risks in life will make you a braver, and I’ve found, happier person. And hey, if things don’t work out, you probably will at least have some really funny stories to tell your kids one day.

And last but not least, here is my do over…drum roll, please? Thank you.

DO NOT beat yourself up over every mistake you make. There are enough people in this world who will relish the chance to make you feel like an idiot at every possible opportunity. You don’t need to join them, they’ll do just fine without you, trust me. I wish I had been a little easier on myself at certain times over the last few years, and didn’t punish myself whenever I failed to do something perfectly. (Or at least, as close to perfect as I can possibly be. The truth is, I’ve accepted the sad reality that perfection is something that will elude me for the rest of my days on this earth.) I don’t care what Dr. Oz or anyone else says, ladies, if you ask me, sometimes it’s okay to lie on your couch, eat pizza, and watch bad reality TV for eighteen hours a day. Think of it like a reboot for your system. I think there’d be a lot less neurotic people running around out there if they would just take a day to chill out!

Well, it seems that that’s all the time we have for today. Thanks so much ladies for letting me blog today, I hope you enjoyed it as much as I did! I have to run, there’s a Real Housewives of New Jersey marathon starting, and my pizza just got here.

Xoxoxoxo

Erin

Thanks, Erin!

xoxo,

L&L

Kathleen McCleary's 5 Things I'd Tell the Teen Me

Today's guest: Kathleen McCleary Why we love her:  Her writing is honest and heartfelt. We've all been where her characters have been. We love that we can relate.

Her latest: A Simple Thing

The scoop on it: When Susannah Delaney discovers her young son is being bullied and her adolescent daughter is spinning out of control, she moves them to remote, rustic Sounder Island to live for a year. A simple island existence—with no computers or electricity and only a one-room schoolhouse—is just what her over scheduled East Coast kids need to learn what's really important in life. But the move threatens her marriage to the man she's loved since childhood, and her very sense of self.

For Betty Pavalak, who moved to Sounder to save her own troubled marriage, the island has been a haven for fifty years. But Betty also knows the guilt of living with choices made long ago and actions that cannot be undone. The unlikely friendship between Susannah and Betty ignites a journey of self-discovery for both women and brings them both home to what they love most. A Simple Thing moves beyond friendship, children, and marriages to look deeply into what it means to love and forgive—yourself.

Our thoughts: A moving story about friendship and forgiveness.

Giveaway: FIVE copies! Just leave a comment and be entered to win. We'll randomly select the winners on Sunday, August 5 after 3PM PST.

Fun fact: At age 12 she was briefly considered for the lead role in “The Exorcist,” until her mother found out what the movie was about. (Her mom had a friend who was a casting agent.)


Where you can read more about Kathleen: Twitter, Facebook or her website.

CHICK LIT IS NOT DEAD PRESENTS...5 THINGS I'D TELL THE TEEN ME

1. No one is really paying that much attention. Do you know how self-conscious you feel? How shy? Let it go. Really. Everyone around you is busy thinking their own thoughts and worrying about the minutiae of their own lives. They don’t notice your pimples (well, okay, maybe that one giant one in the middle of your forehead) or your bad hair days or your bowlegs or that stupid thing you said at a party three weeks ago. And if they do notice all that stuff and tell you about it, they’re not worth your notice. Let them go.

2. Hang on to that friend. Your girlfriend across the street, the one you share most things with, including your biggest crushes, a love of Motown music, and your first taste of alcohol? She’s a keeper. She’ll be the maid of honor in your wedding; you’ll care for her oldest daughter while she’s in the hospital giving birth to baby number two, she’ll cry with you when your father dies, and you’ll still laugh so hard every time you get together that your face hurts. Friends like that don’t come along too often. When you run across one, hang on to her as though your life depends on it. Someday, it will.

3. You get better with age. I’m not kidding. That baby fat will drop away. You’ll lose those chubby cheeks and that awkward way of standing with both arms crossed over your stomach (which believe me, is flatter than you think). You’ll figure out that you are at least as smart as everyone else. You won’t be afraid to express your opinions, to admit it when you’re wrong, or to apologize. You’ll be great at things you never dreamed you’d be good at, like soothing a fussy baby and writing and doing handstands (no kidding!). You’ll learn to love your body for what it can do, and not hate it for what it doesn’t look like. You’ll laugh more easily and without self-consciousness. You’ll understand with your whole being how important it is to be kind. You’ll understand that this is what true beauty is about.

4. It’s okay to be a book nerd. Keep reading. I know you spend a lot of time alone in the library. You know what? One day, you’re going to write books that will sit on those shelves. It’s your little shot at immortality. Grab it.

5. You are worthy. Of attention, of respect, of love, of understanding, of forgiveness—from yourself most of all. You’re a keeper, too. Take care of yourself. Be kind.

Thanks, Kathleen!

xoxo,

Liz & Lisa

Liz & Lisa's 5 Things I'd Tell My Teen Me with SWEET VALLEY HIGH giveaway!

We are LOVING the teen me feature.  Maybe it's because we met in high school. Or maybe it's because there's so much we WISH we had known back then.(Like to just say no to MC Hammer pants...) Liz is feeling especially reminiscent lately, having just moved back to her hometown last week-one mile away from Lisa's dad and a handful of houses away from her own mom!So when got the chance to do a super cool giveaway with one of our teen faves, Sweet Valley High, we figured it was finally time to give our teen selves some serious advice. If you leave a comment, you'll be entered to win one of FIVE copies of the ENTIRE series of Sweet Valley Confidential-a new six part e-series! We'll choose the winners on Sunday, August 5th, after 6pm PST.

Here's the scoop on SVH:From Francine Pascal, creator of the bestselling SWEET VALLEY HIGH series and author of the NY Times bestselling SWEET VALLEY CONFIDENTIAL, comes the continuing adventures of beautiful blonde twins Jessica and Elizabeth Wakefield in an exciting new six-part e-serial, THE SWEET LIFE.The first novella-length episode – THE SWEET LIFE #1 – begins three years after the events of Sweet Valley Confidential; Elizabeth and Jessica Wakefield are back in Sweet Valley and inseparable once more. Things are looking up for both twins: Elizabeth is a star reporter at the LA Tribune with a popular blog, and Jessica’s PR career is on the fast-track. But while the professional lives of the Wakefield sisters are secure, their personal lives may be in jeopardy. Jessica, now a mother, finds that managing parenthood, marriage, and a job is harder than she expected, while Elizabeth and Bruce must face a scandal that could strengthen their bond…or tear them apart for ever.Meanwhile, life goes on in Sweet Valley. Families are made, hearts are broken, and…Lila Fowler is a reality TV star? Some things never change.Sound good?  Then don't forget to leave a comment for your chance to win!  We'd love to hear what advice you'd give YOUR teen self!

CHICK LIT IS NOT DEAD PRESENTS...LIZ & LISA'S 5 THINGS I'D TELL THE TEEN ME

LIZ'S

 

1. Like yourself and others will follow suit. This is a tough one. But something I wish someone had told my shoulder-pad wearing self-it would have saved me YEARS of angst. Admittedly, I still hate myself sometimes(last night I told my husband that my arms looked like those huge slabs of meat that hang at the butcher shop), but at least I'm self-aware of it now, so that's progress, right?

2. Forgive often. Trust me on this one.  Holding onto that anger will only make things worse-there's a freedom in letting go of the past and moving forward that can bring true happiness.  P.S. don't forget to forgive YOURSELF often too-we all make mistakes, girlfrin'.  Time to move on!

3. Be nice to your Mother. Gawd, I was a horrible bitch to my poor mom.  Thankfully, I got the chance to make it right later in life.  But, time is precious and you never know if you'll have that luxury, so tell your Mom TODAY how much you love her, even if she did embarrass the shit out of you last week at the mall.  That woman shoved your big, fat head out of her va-jay-jay, so show some respect!

4. Pluck your eyebrows. Please. Why the HELL did no one mention this to me until I was TWENTY-TWO years old?  I'm ITALIAN for God's sake. It was BAD. (the picture above is photographic evidence.)

5. Stop trying to grow up so fast. Seriously, it's not all that it's cracked up to be.  Take time to be a kid-wear those Mickey Mouse ears at Disneyland and have pillow fights with your girlfriends.  There will be plenty of time to have grown-up issues. Until then, have fun going to the mall, making  s'mores and eating whatever the hell you want without gaining a pound!

LISA'S

1. Journal the hell out of this time in your life. At the very least, it will be good fodder later- especially when you decide you want to write novels. (Yes, it happens!)

2. Don't get that spiral perm. Don't use Sun-In. Don't use a crimping iron. Your hair is beautiful as it is- au natural. Trust me, you'll spend thousands of dollars later trying to get it to look just like it does right now.

3. Don't wear high-waisted shorts or jeans. Ask for help in purchasing a decent bra when your boobs grow from an "A" to a "D" in one summer (Yes, it happens!). Burn all of your boxy t-shirts. If for no other reason, do these things so your husband doesn't get the chance to find the pictures during a move and mercilessly make fun of you for months-years even.

4. Date, date, date. (Did I mention date?) WAIT until you get married to have that long long-term relationship. Before then, have all the fun you can dating different people. Have many relationships. Figure out who you are and what type of man you're most compatible with. Although you're going to fall in love- a lot- which is a good thing if you ask me, you don't want to fall in love and stay with that person for a long time. You won't end up marrying him. Trust me.

5. Learn to spend time alone (to be okay being alone). Somewhere along the way, I figured out that it's nice to be able to see a movie by yourself, have lunch by yourself, hang at home by yourself. Being comfortable being with just you. And this might not make much sense to you now, but  it will serve you well later to not need someone else to fill up that space, but rather to find people to compliment it.

xoxo, L&L

Steena Holmes's 5 Things I'd Tell the Teen Me

Our guest today: Steena Holmes Why we love her: Her passions are chocolate and writing-how can we not love her?!

Her latest: Finding Emma

The Scoop: A child torn from the arms of loving parents, a relationship torn apart from loss...

Megan sees her daughter Emma everywhere. She's the little girl standing in the supermarket, the child waiting for the swings at the playground, the girl with ice cream dripping down her face. But it's never Emma.

Because Emma's been missing for two years.

Unable to handle the constant heartache of all the false sightings, Megan's husband threatens to walk away unless Megan can agree to accept Emma is gone. Megan's life and marriage is crumbling all around her and she realizes she may have to do the thing she dreads most: move on.

When Megan takes a photo of a little girl with an elderly couple at the town fair, she believes it to be her missing daughter. Unable to let go, she sets in motion a sequence of events that could destroy both families lives.

Our thoughts: A thoughtful summer read we think you'll enjoy!

Giveaway: FIVE Copies-US only.  Leave a comment and you'll be entered to win!  We'll choose the winners on Sunday, August 5th.

Fun Fact: Steena is afraid of heights and can't stand for anyone to touch her nose!

CHICK LIT IS NOT DEAD PRESENTS...STEENA HOLMES'S 5 THINGS I'D TELL THE TEEN ME

1. Fries with gravy might be the best food you’ve ever tasted- but it’s not the only food. Be adventurous. It’s okay to try new things and like them. And don’t eat those chocolate covered ants - no dare is worth it.

2. Boys make better friends than boyfriends. Trust me. Yes, have fun and enjoy yourself, but not every boy who takes you on a hike is trust worthy. And - if they try to pick you up at your friends funeral and won’t take no for an answer - run the other way. RUN. Don’t walk.

3. Best friends are worth their weight in gold. Don’t ever diss your girlfriends for a boy. Remember walking down the middle of the street at 2am giggling while singing “I’m a little tea pot” and you weren’t drunk just happy? Cherish that memory and that friend. Don’t ever let her go cause you will regret it. Trust me on this. The few girlfriends you have are worth more than any boy that comes your way.

4. Your parents aren’t perfect, but they love you. They do understand what you are going through and no, they aren’t being bullies. They just love you. And no, they don’t love your brother more, it just seems that way, but appearances can be deceiving. Think of it this way -- you’re much stronger than your brother - they trust you to get through life on your own two feet. That doesn’t mean they love you less, it just means they trust you more.

5. It’s okay to love yourself. Really, it is. You are beautiful. You have the most gorgeous blue eyes and a curvaceous body most girls secretly dream of having. Accept it. Your chest is never going to get smaller and your waist will get bigger but some day you’ll realize just how awesome that is.

Thanks Steena! xoxo, L&L

Jessica Park's 5 Things I'd Tell The Teen Me

Our guest today: Jessica Park Why we love her:  She's freakin' fierce-kicking ass and taking names.  Not to mention the fact that she's funny as hell.

Her latest: Flat Out Love

The scoop: Something is seriously off in the Watkins home. And Julie Seagle, college freshman, small-town Ohio transplant, and the newest resident of this Boston house, is determined to get to the bottom of it. When Julie's off-campus housing falls through, her mother's old college roommate, Erin Watkins, invites her to move in. The parents, Erin and Roger, are welcoming, but emotionally distant and academically driven to eccentric extremes. The middle child, Matt, is an MIT tech geek with a sweet side ... and the social skills of a spool of USB cable. The youngest, Celeste, is a frighteningly bright but freakishly fastidious 13-year-old who hauls around a life-sized cardboard cutout of her oldest brother almost everywhere she goes.

And there's that oldest brother, Finn: funny, gorgeous, smart, sensitive, almost emotionally available. Geographically? Definitely unavailable. That's because Finn is traveling the world and surfacing only for random Facebook chats, e-mails, and status updates. Before long, through late-night exchanges of disembodied text, he begins to stir something tender and silly and maybe even a little bit sexy in Julie's suddenly lonesome soul.

To Julie, the emotionally scrambled members of the Watkins family add up to something that ... well ... doesn't quite add up. Not until she forces a buried secret to the surface, eliciting a dramatic confrontation that threatens to tear the fragile Watkins family apart, does she get her answer.

Our thoughts: Another great YA novel that adults will love too!  Pick it up today!

Giveaway: FIVE Smashwords e-copies!  Just leave a comment here and you'll be entered to win-we'll choose the winners after 6pm EST on Sunday July 29th.

Fun fact: Flat out Love hit the NYT ebook bestseller list recently after Jessica was featured on Amazon.  A true inspiration to all self-pubbers!

Where to read more about Jessica: her website, Facebook and Twitter.

CHICK LIT IS NOT DEAD PRESENTS...JESSICA PARK'S 5 THINGS I'D TELL THE TEEN ME

1. All those boys who seem so hot and desirable in high school are not the boys you should be crushing on. The super popular, gorgeous, girls-hanging-all-over-them guys who are not paying attention to you? This is their heyday.  Screw ‘em. Don’t waste your time getting caught up in hype. Ignore what the media tells you is boyfriend material because you are probably missing out on some pretty spectacular guys.

2. Along those same lines, stop worrying about what you look like. Enough with the self-loathing because you don’t have a 95 lb. body, huge boobs, and a perfect ass. You are beautiful just as you are. If your classmates don’t see that, brush it off. Wait until you get out of high school and you can create an amazing world for yourself. You have no control over who you are stuck with in math class, but high school is only high school. There are beautiful people who will come into your life.

3. Friendships can last forever. Friendships can also die a horrible death. It happens. You might screw up and get dumped by your bestie. If a friend isn’t willing to work something out with you, you don’t need that friend.

OR, maybe there is someone in your life who is simply exhausting and awful. You have the right to weed people out of your life. We put so much pressure on ourselves to stay loyal to friends no matter what, and there’s no reason for that. Sometimes it’s healthier to let people go.

Friends and relationships come in and out of our lives. It’s okay. That’s just how the world works. When we lose one connection, another takes its place. So mourn and be sad, but don’t drown in it.

4. Don’t be a slave to fashion trends. You will be severely traumatized later in life when you look at photographs of yourself in which you’re wearing a v-neck Gap sweater BACKWARDS with pegged acid-washed jeans and giant socks under your high-top sneakers. Seriously. You knew that you looked stupid and you did it anyway.

Wear what you want, not what you’re told to want. But don’t forget that you’ll have to look at yourself twenty years later.

5. You will fall in love, you will get your heart splintered into hideous little shards. It will hurt like all hell.

Most importantly, you will recover. It doesn’t feel like it in the moment, but there will come a day when you want to do something other than eat vats of ice cream and sob on the floor of the bathtub. I promise you. Don’t let the heartache stop you from falling in love again.

Thanks Jessica! xoxo, L&L

Kitty Pilgrim's 5 Things I'd Tell the Teen Me

Today's guest: Kitty Pilgrim Why we love her: She's an incredible talent we wish we'd discovered sooner!

Her latest: The Stolen Chalice

The scoop on it: The black-tie gala at the Metropolitan Museum of Art promises to be a star-studded evening. Cordelia Stapleton and John Sinclair have flown in from Alexandria, Egypt, to help celebrate ancient Greek, Roman, and Egyptian culture with New York’s elite. The influential crowd of artists, collectors, scientists, and New York society dine and dance at the museum’s historic Temple of Dendur, unaware that terrorists are planning to attack. Fortunately, museum security and police stop the terrorists, but the evening is a disaster.

The next morning, Cordelia and Sinclair learn that an art theft ring struck New York while they were at the museum. All over the city, pieces of Egyptian art have been stolen. Ted VerPlanck—a pillar of New York society whom Cordelia met the night before—discovers that his penthouse apartment was robbed and the legendary Sardonyx Cup, an ancient Egyptian chalice, is missing. Ted asks John Sinclair to help him recover his precious artifact.

Despite Cordelia’s objections, Sinclair calls on his old flame the Egyptologist Dr. Holly Graham to help find the chalice. They discover the stolen art is being sold on the black market to fund an international terrorist group. The group’s leader, a sinister Egyptian anarchist, and his aristocratic British partner, Lady Xandra Sommerset, are planning a biological-weapon attack to topple the major governments of the world.

Aided by British and American security forces, Sinclair sets out to find the missing art, which holds clues to where and when the attack will take place. Pieces of stolen art are scattered around the world. The action moves from a sprawling ranch in Jackson Hole, Wyoming, to a castle on Scotland’s rugged coastline, a beautiful two-hundred-foot yacht in the Mediterranean, the mysterious canals of Venice, the premier beach resort of Sharm el-Sheikh, and ultimately Cairo. Romance sizzles as Sinclair, Cordelia, and Holly Graham are caught in a love triangle, distracted by their emotions, and unknowingly moving closer to mortal danger.

Superstition and science meet head-on. And one question remains unanswered—does the Sardonyx Cup have special powers?

Our thoughts: So unlike anything else we've read in a while- we found this novel completely refreshing!

Giveaway: FIVE copies! Just leave a comment and be entered to win- we'll randomly select the winners on Sunday, July 29 after 3pm PST.

Fun fact: Before becoming an author, Kitty was an anchor and journalist for CNN.

Where you can read more about Kitty: Twitter, Facebook and her website.

CHICK LIT IS NOT DEAD PRESENTS...KITTY PILGRIM'S 5 THINGS I'D TELL THE TEEN ME

1. Don’t worry about your personal style – It develops as you go. For many women, a lot of time goes into figuring out “who am I?” in terms of style.  For me, the love of ultra feminine things– tea parties and tutus, seemed to contrast with the explorer who wanted to ride elephants though jungles and don arctic gear. Over the years I learned there is room for both without having to undergo a personality morph.  Don’t limit yourself to one style.  Let your personal flair develop naturally.

2. Wing it!  It seems a lot of time and effort goes into being in the “right field” or in the “right school”.  Too much time is spent on strategizing with the goal of finding the optimal situation.  But in reality there are many ways to succeed.  Most of the famous and accomplished women did not have a “game plan”.  (Madam Curie, Gertrude Bell, Eleanor Roosevelt) They simply followed their instincts and interests with their full energy, and ended up being luminaries in their fields.

3. Seek out people who are different from you.  If you run with a pack of clones, how will you really know what you think and what is group-think? Seek out new people, new cultures, new places and you will grow in experience as well as confidence.

4. Don’t exercise.  (I’m joking -sort of!) Don’t destroy your soul with mind-numbing exercises with the intent of dropping down a dress size. Of course you shouldn’t be a couch potato. Be active!  But do stimulating things that also feed your brain and sense of adventure. Take a walk through a new neighborhood, a museum or a new city – more fun than a treadmill.  Swim at the beach, ski a new trail, bike with a friend, or learn to do the tango. Do interesting things that you enjoy and you will always be fit.

5. Breeze past the negative  - Don’t take negative comments to heart.  Forget the snide school lunchroom comments about your big feet, your crooked nose, or stringy hair.   As a teenager I took too many critical comments seriously.  Your life is not up for review by others. Plug your ears, and look out at the world and dream of what you want to accomplish.

Thanks, Kitty! xoxo,

L&L

Joy Castro's 5 Things I'd Tell the Teen Me

Our guest today: Joy Castro Why we love her: We love discovering a new, talented author!

Her latest: Hell or High Water 

The scoop on it: Nola Céspedes, an ambitious young reporter at the Times-Picayune, finally catches a break: an assignment to write her first full-length feature. While investigating her story, she also becomes fixated on the search for a missing tourist in the French Quarter. As Nola’s work leads her into a violent criminal underworld, she’s forced to face disturbing truths from her own past and is confronted with the question: In the aftermath of devastation, who is responsible for rebuilding what's been broken?

Vividly rendered in razor-sharp prose, this haunting thriller is a riveting journey of trust betrayed—and the courageous struggle to rebuild. Fast-paced, atmospheric, and with a knockout twist, Hell or High Water features an unforgettable heroine as fascinating and multilayered as New Orleans itself.

Our thoughts: We were completely engrossed in this thriller & loved that it was set in New Orleans.

Giveaway: FIVE copies! We'll randomly select the winners on Sunday, July 22 after 3pm PST.

Fun Fact: She also writes memoirs, short fiction and  poetry.

Where you can read more about Joy: Twitter, Facebook and her website.

CHICK LIT IS NOT DEAD PRESENTS...JOY CASTRO'S 5 THINGS I'D TELL THE TEEN  ME

1. It was not about you.  I came from a rocky background that included domestic violence, poverty, prison, cultish fundamentalist religion, child abuse and neglect, and eleven different homes by the time I was fourteen.  When I was a kid, I thought the lack of care meant something about my worth.  It took a long time to realize otherwise.

2. A boy cannot provide the love you need.  Nor can anyone or anything else.  Not friends, not the praise of teachers, not a bottle, and not a drug.  “You save yourself or you remain unsaved,” writes Alice Sebold in her memoir Lucky, and she’s right.

3. Having a baby at 20 will not end your dreams.  It will give you new ones.  Your son’s wonderment at the world will reawaken your own, and his sweet innocence will help you see what you yourself must have been like as a child, instead of what you were told you were.  Later in life, you’ll be a foster mother to a damaged teenage girl, and you’ll know how to make a difference.

4. Not all men cheat.  Just because your father was a serial philanderer doesn’t mean that all men are.  Your husband won’t be, and even though it will be hard to trust him, it will be worth it.  You’ll have a long, happy marriage that will be both more difficult and more beautiful than anything you could have imagined.  Happy endings are real.

5. Have more fun.  Relax.   You’re right to believe in education and hard work; they’ll be your ticket out of poverty and dysfunction.  But when you work too hard for too long, life loses its joy.  Notice the beauty around you.  Take time to just be.  Hope and imagination are the most powerful forces in the world.  Believe.  Trust.

Thanks, Joy!

xoxo,

L&L