Our guest today: Ellen Hopkins
Why we love her: Her novels are honest, relevant and gripping!
Her latest: Triangles
The scoop on it: Three female friends face midlife crises in a no-holds-barred exploration of sex, marriage, and the fragility of life. Holly: Filled with regret for being a stay-at-home mom, she sheds sixty pounds and loses herself in the world of extramarital sex. Will it bring the fulfillment she is searching for? Andrea: A single mom and avowed celibate, she watches her friend Holly’s meltdown with a mixture of concern and contempt. Holly is throwing away what Andrea has spent her whole life searching for—a committed relationship with a decent guy. So what if Andrea picks up Holly’s castaway husband? Marissa: She has more than her fair share of challenges—a gay, rebellious teenage son, a terminally ill daughter, and a husband who buries himself in his work rather than face the facts. As one woman’s marriage unravels, another’s rekindles. As one woman’s family comes apart at the seams, another’s reconfigures into something bigger and better. In this story of connections and disconnections, one woman’s up is another one’s down, and all of them will learn the meaning of friendship, betrayal, and forgiveness.
Unflinchingly honest, emotionally powerful, surprisingly erotic, Triangles is the ultimate page-turner. Hopkins’s gorgeous, expertly honed poetic verse perfectly captures the inner lives of her characters. Sometimes it happens like that. Sometimes you just get lost.Get lost in the world of Triangles, where the lives of three unforgettable women intersect, and where there are no easy answers.
Our thoughts: Um, hello, you had us at EROTIC.
Giveaway: FIVE copies! Leave a comment and you'll be entered to win. We'll choose the winners on Sunday, July 1st after 6pm PST.
Fun fact: This is Ellen's first adult novel-she's a NYT bestselling YA author!
CHICK LIT IS NOT DEAD PRESENTS...ELLEN HOPKINS'S 5 THINGS I'D TELL THE TEEN ME
Want to see a pic of Ellen's teen self? Click here!
1. Embrace your inner rebel. She’ll insist on claiming you anyway, and in the future people will respect the uniqueness of you. Conventions suffocate, and the things that make you different are integral to the voice you’re developing right now, even though you don’t realize it. Be brave. Live large. Speak loudly. Your opinions matter.
2. Play the field. Love usually makes sex better, because love equals trust. But don’t tie yourself down too early. Have fun while you’re young. There’s plenty of time to settle down and have kids. Children—and commitment—are easier when your partying days are behind you. And while it’s okay to give your heart away, make sure you’re giving it to the right man.
3. Spend more time with your parents. Because you were adopted by an older couple, you will lose both of them early—your father when you’re 16; your mom when you’re 32. Listen to their stories. In fact, write them down, not only so there’s a record of them, but also so you can draw inspiration from them. Create special days that will become happy memories.
4. Keep exercising. You tend to start programs, get in great shape, then slack off enough so the next time you start a program it’s harder than the time before. The older you get, the more difficult it is to motivate yourself to begin again. So stay with the habit. You always feel better when you do. Hint: The “slide” always begins around Thanksgiving.
5. That poetry you’re writing? Safeguard it, or you’ll lose it, and one day you just might like to look at it again. Not only that but, believe it or not, a lot of other people would like to see it, too. And all those naysayers who’ll tell you it’s impossible to make a living as a writer, let alone a poet? The last laugh will most definitely be on them.
Thanks Ellen! xoxo, L&L
To read more about Ellen, head on over to her website or find her on Facebook and Twitter.