Diary of a Debut: NYC edition & giveaway!

So we have to admit that this whole "having your book published" thing hadn't quite sunk in until we met up in NYC for BookExpo America.  Yes, we'd talked about our publishing deal incessantly. But with the release date of our novel, Your Perfect Life, still a year off, it felt like a dream that we might wake up from, but didn't want to. (Like that one Liz had about Chris Pine the other night! *swoon*) But after finally meeting our editor and agent in person (for the best lunch ever), not to mention countless authors, publicists and bloggers that we've known *virtually* for years, it began to sink in. Holy Shit.  This is actually happening!  And in case you were wondering, everyone we met was sweet, smart and fun as hell!

So yes.  BEA was great.  The food?  Fantastic! (Can we just take a moment of silence for the quinoa hush puppies we had at Market Table.) The cab drivers? Freakin' friendly! (Even the one who crashed into another taxi while driving Lisa to the airport!)  The only problem?  Us. We acted like an old married couple.  And not that really cute old couple holding hands on a park bench.  We're talking about the one that's nitpicking the shit out of each other at the table next to you at dinner.

Even though we email, text and talk on the phone more than a couple of tweens, we, ahem, don't actually spend that much face time together now that we live two thousand miles apart.  So to throw us together for 24 hours a day, five days straight? Let's just say we *may* have experienced some growing pains...

We thought we knew everything about each other, but much like the characters in our novel, we discovered that there are always things you don't know about even your closest friend. We learned who can't so much as string three words together until she's hit Starbucks, who doesn't give a shit about sightseeing, who wanted every last New York City trinket and who has a strange humming problem (long story...). We discovered how to "take a meeting" together, who's better at hailing a cab (Lisa!) and who always carries snacks in her purse (Liz!)  But most importantly, we found out how to not only be better co-authors, but much better friends.  The thing is, any long friendship is going to have it's ups and downs. You are going to argue about things.  But what we learned from this experience is that it's how you move on from a disagreement that defines the strength of your sisterhood. (Or at least that's what we're telling ourselves so we don't feel bad about the girl fight we had over a copy of Meg Wolitzer's The Interestings--another long story!)

So, here are the top 5 things we learned about each other.  And we'd love to hear your thoughts on friendship too.  Leave a comment and you'll be entered to win five of the books we were lucky enough to get at BEA: The Interestings by Meg Wolitzer (of course!), Morning Glory by Sarah Jio, Walking Disaster by Jamie McGuire, A Hundred Summers by Beatriz Williams and The Husband's Secret by Liane Moriarty.  We'll choose the winner on Sunday June 9th after 3pm PST. Good luck!

5 Things Liz & Lisa learned about each other

1. We both like to be in control of things. Now this is not exactly news--we've always been Type A. But we'd never seen this uber-control freak side of each other before. (We blame our nerves!) Whether it was navigating the way to a restaurant on one of our iPhones (someone may have physically grabbed the other's cell (and claimed she could follow the blinking dot better!) or deciding how to respond to an email (and we quote, "the word start sounds so much better than begin"...) we learned we are definitely two beyotches who each like things done HER way. Funny how we can write and edit a book together, yet can't agree on which direction is Northeast.

2. We got first date jitters again. We were seriously acting like a couple of school girls before meeting our editor and agent in person for the first time.  Picture one of those sequences in a romcom where the girls try on a thousand outfits to the tune of some glorious 80's tune. That was us--acting like we were going on a first date, our palms sweaty and our hearts beating hard as we arrived at the restaurant AN HOUR early so we could have a glass of wine to calm our nerves. And although one of us over-talked, one of us under-talked and neither of us could eat the glorious food that was put in front of us, the lunch still somehow went better than great!

3. Liz can make everyone on a busy NYC street corner stop and stare

Lisa wasn't paying attention and stepped off the curb, excited to cross the street and get to Market Table to have dinner. After a day of being on our feet for 12 plus hours, she was hungry! So, no, she didn't see the cab barreling her way. But, yes, she did stop in her tracks at the sound of Liz's very firm and loud "Liiiiiissssa!" And she wasn't the only one who froze. Liz is solely responsible for silencing a small section of New York City for several seconds. That's got to be some kind of world record. (Thanks for saving my life, Liz! xoxo)

4. We have a shared superpower. This just in! We have developed a superpower since the last time we saw each other. (Cue dramatic music!) We can now talk to each other without opening our mouths or even moving our hands. We can have an entire conversation with our eyes. And believe us, there was a whole lot of eye talkin' going on last week! Whether one of us was warning the other to shut the hell up or to just say an effing word already, we're excited to have this new skill. It will definitely come in handy on the book tour!

5. Neither of us is perfect. And that's more than okay. Our week in NYC together was a learning experience in so many ways.  Not only as business partners, but as friends.  As self-proclaimed control freaks/perfectionists, it's sometimes hard to take a step back and realize you haven't been the friend/wife/mom you wanted to be. That sometimes we forget to tell the people we love most all the things that make them great.  But it's in those tough moments that we all have a great opportunity to move forward, to take our relationships to the next level. To realize that we don't have to be perfect to be loved or even liked. So for that, we are thankful.  (We're also grateful that we'll have separate hotel rooms next year, but that's another very long story...)

xoxo

Sarah Jio's 5 Firsts and Lasts

Our guest today: Sarah Jio Why we love her: Not only do we love all her novels, she's really cute. And nice. And funny too! (Girl crush alert!)

Her latest: The Last Camellia

The Scoop: On the eve of the Second World War, the last surviving specimen of a camellia plant known as the Middlebury Pink lies secreted away on an English country estate. Flora, an amateur American botanist, is contracted by an international ring of flower thieves to infiltrate the household and acquire the coveted bloom. Her search is at once brightened by new love and threatened by her discovery of a series of ghastly crimes. More than half a century later, garden designer Addison takes up residence at the manor, now owned by the family of her husband, Rex. The couple’s shared passion for mysteries is fueled by the enchanting camellia orchard and an old gardener’s notebook. Yet its pages hint at dark acts ingeniously concealed. If the danger that Flora once faced remains very much alive, will Addison share her fate?

Our thoughts: Loved it. Our fave so far!  This is a perfect gift for a friend, or better yet, to yourself!

Giveaway: One SIGNED copy.  Leave a comment and you'll be entered to win.  We'll choose the winners on June 2nd after 3pm PST.

Fun fact: Sarah's last novel, Blackberry Winter, hit the New York Times bestseller list!

Where to read more about Sarah: Her website, Facebook and Twitter.

CHICK LIT IS NOT DEAD PRESENTS...SARAH JIO'S 5 FIRSTS AND LASTS

KISS:

First: His name was Andrew. I was in 8th grade. He asked me to a movie, and the only way I was able to go, was because I convinced my parents it was a group thing (true, sort of). But it was a date. My first date. And it would also be my first kiss (a girl just has a hunch about these things). This frightened me. Andrew kept his eyes on me during the entire movie. I could feel his gaze on my cheek, burning into me like a laser beam, and I just kept eating red licorice because, basically, I was afraid of what might happen if I didn't. I mean, how does one kiss a boy?? At some point during the movie, Andrew whispered, "you sure like licorice, don't you?" (Romantic, I know.) When I couldn't stomach any more licorice, he made his move. The kiss was … a little disappointing. He had braces. I had a stomachache. Basically, it cured me of boys for a few months.

Last: Tonight! My four-year-old son, Russell, just ran into my office and said, "mama, I'd like to give you a double kiss!" It ended up being a kiss on the cheek and a kiss on the nose. Russell kisses are the best!

RISK YOU TOOK:

First: Around the age of 7, inspired by an episode of the Smurfs (of course), I tied a pillowcase onto a stick and packed it with all the essentials (bubble gum, stuffed animals) and proceeded to "run away". I made it about three blocks away from home before turning back, when I realized that this was not my smartest move.

Last: Going nanny-less! I have three boys, six and under. Life is wild here, and I have a LOT of writing deadlines. Obviously, I need childcare help, right? We experimented with babysitters and nannies for a while, but honestly, it just wasn't working for me. I tried to work outside the home, but I missed my boys. Then, in my home office, I'd hear them crying outside my door. After many months of trying to make it work with a nanny, I decided to take a huge risk and just be on duty all day, every day. That's right: Zilch childcare. I write two books a year for Penguin, so this is mildly insane, I know. But it's working. I'm mom by day (with an occasional chapter or two or magazine article written during nap hour) and then writer by night. I usually have a glass of wine with my husband, after kids are in bed (we believe in early bedtimes here), and then it's writing time! I actually look forward to this after long days doing art projects, playing legos and changing diapers. In short: What I've realized is that no one solution works for every mother. I'd love to be the type of person who could make the nanny thing work, but I'm not. (At least not right now.) I am much happier when I can be mom during the day, and writer at night. They are only young once, and my job is flexible enough to make this work. Semi-work. (Which doesn't mean I am not tired and grumpy, or that the house is sparkling clean—it's not.) I don't always have the perfect balance, but it's working now. Sort of. But, believe me, I'm looking forward to 2016—the year that all of my boys will be in full-time school and I will once again work like a regular person!

BOOK YOU READ:

First: Oh goodness, I don't remember the exact book (though I wish I did!). But, I'll tell you about a book I read as a child that I am on the hunt to find—to this day. Every week, my mom would take us to the library, and I remember checking out a series of early reader books, the first of which was titled something like "Primrose Patty." This is only the memory of my 8 year-year-old self (aka, unreliable), and as a result, I have not been able to find the book, which I assume is out of print. But, I remember LOVING these books as a girl. I adored the flower connection, and the primroses, and honestly, I think I will do something with primroses in a future novel because of this book! It left an imprint on my brain.

Last: I just picked up a copy of Christina Baker Kline's ORPHAN TRAIN, and if my kids will let me, I hope to finish this weekend.

HELL YA! MOMENT

First: (Can I just say, this is such a fun category!) OK, my first hell ya moment was cutting off my very long dirty blond hair to a short pixie and dying it platinum blonde. I know! I did this when I was 16. I paid for the cut and color at a fancy salon (not cheap) with my babysitting money. When I came home, my parents' jaws dropped. And I got equal reactions the next day at school. But I loved that I did this. I loved that I could be bold enough to make such a dramatic change and own it. Honestly, looking back, short hair wasn't my BEST look, but I'm proud that I had the guts to do it. (And of course, it was right after a breakup with a boy!)

Last: Running my first 10K! I love to run, but I'm not a competitive or a particularly long-distance racer. (Read: I won't be running a marathon anytime soon, and am happiest keeping my 4-times-weekly jogs to about 2-3 miles: bliss.) But I signed up for a 10K with my dad last year, and I although it kicked my butt, I finished (without passing out). I felt pretty awesome for weeks later. I thought about running a half-marathon for about 2.5 seconds, but then came to my senses.

AHA MOMENT

First: I probably had plenty of aha moments prior to this date, but one of the most transformative moments for me came after college when a close friendship of mine crumbled into a million ugly pieces. While my life was going well, this friend could not be happy for my successes (a new husband, new house, new job, etc.). She was there for me when I was down, but she couldn't be happy for me when I was … happy. What I took from this experience is a reminder that it's surprising easy to be there for someone who is in a difficult place (in other words, "my life is fine, but I can pat the back of someone who is going through a rough time), and yet it is much harder to cheer for someone who is achieving her dreams. True friendship transcends all of that. Look back on the history of your friendships and it's likely that the truest friend are the ones who could be happy for you when you were experiencing your greatest successes. I think it's a test of character, and friendship, to watch a pal experience crazy success/dreams-come-true and still cheer for her even when things aren't so peachy in your own life. If you have a friend like this in your own life, or you are one, xoxoxo.

Last: I have what I call a blessing and a curse: an overabundance of novel ideas. (I writer friend of mine calls this a chronic disease, and I agree!) I've learned over the years, in my sea of new ideas, to only stick with the ones that keep me up at night and haunt me by day. The theory here is that if a novel-in-progress can't excite me, as the writer, I can't expect it to do the same for a reader. Sometimes I'll get to chapter three, four or six before I realize that it's just not working. And, though it's painful, I'll ditch the work-in-progress. My rule-of-thumb is to only continue on with projects that I'm 100 percent into. Obviously, no project will be exciting all the time (after all, writing is work), but if, after a bit of time, it fails to grab me, I'm done. Onto the next idea!

Thanks Sarah! 

Click to win signed books by Sarah Jio, Jane Porter and Anita Hughes!

Helloooooo CLINDers!

We hope 2012 has been treating you well.  We can't begin to tell you how excited we are for 2013-we'll be doing lots of new and exciting things in anticipation of The Toast, as well interviewing a ton of kick-ass authors.  And you know what that means-- a sh*tload of giveaways!

We know many of you come to us through our Facebook page.  However, recently, Facebook has changed some policies and wants pages like ours to PAY them to ensure our posts make it into your FB feed!  This isn't a hoax. (Trust us, we wish it was!)

Wondering why you saw this post come through your feed? We gave in and paid them this one time, and we feel so dirty about it.  *hangs head in shame*

But never fear, there is a way you can make sure you get our notifications in your feed.  And if you're kind enough to do that, we'll make sure not to post a bunch of BS stuff into it, mmmmkay?

To ensure CLIND is in your FB feed:

1. Go to CLIND's Facebook page.

2. Click on the box that says "Liked"

3. Make sure  "Show in news feed" and "Get notifications" have checks next to them.  If they don't, click them.

4. Come back and leave a comment here and let us know you did it. You'll be entered to win a SIGNED copy of either Sarah Jio's Blackberry Winter, Anita Hughes' Monarch Beach or Jane Porter's The Good Woman. We have one copy of each and we will choose winners next Sunday, November 25th after 3pm PST.

Sooo freakin' easy, right?

Thanks so much for helping us out.  We just want to make sure you're in the know, because we have some cool sh*t coming up in 2013, including a COMPLETE website makeover.  Don't miss out, yo!

xoxo, L&L

Sarah Jio's 5 BEST EVERS

We are so excited to have our friend and incredibly talented author, Sarah Jio, kick off our brand spankin' new feature today! We'll be asking authors about their "Best Evers" and the why behind them.  And don't be afraid to chime in with yours too! Our guest today: Sarah Jio

Why we love her: We fell in love with her debut, The Violets of March, and have been girl crushin' ever since!

Her latest: Blackberry Winter

The scoop: Seattle, 1933. Single mother Vera Ray kisses her three-year-old son, Daniel, goodnight and departs to work the night-shift at a local hotel. She emerges to discover that a May-Day snow has blanketed the city, and that her son has vanished. Outside, she finds his beloved teddy bear lying face-down on an icy street, the snow covering up any trace of his tracks, or the perpetrator's.

Seattle, 2010. Seattle Herald reporter Claire Aldridge, assigned to cover the May 1 "blackberry winter" storm and its twin, learns of the unsolved abduction and vows to unearth the truth. In the process, she finds that she and Vera may be linked in unexpected ways...

Our thoughts: Sarah does a beautiful job of weaving mystery into this thrilling tale. And we loved every page of it.  What are you waiting for-go grab a copy!

Giveaway: FIVE copies!  Leave a comment and you'll be entered to win.  We'll choose the winners after 3pm PST on Tuesday, October 2nd. Good luck! Remember, our giveaways are US/Canada only.  Thanks!

Fun Fact: Sarah rented a houseboat to write her next book.  Check out the pictures here!

Where you can learn more about Sarah: Her website, Facebook and Twitter.

CHICK LIT IS NOT DEAD PRESENTS...SARAH JIO'S BEST EVERS

Song: I have so many songs that are meaningful to me because of their significance at various times in my life, but a favorite would have to be something from U2, and it would probably have to be "I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For." I love the intro to this song, and I love how it tells a story of always being excited about what's around the corner in life, and the message to keep moving forward to be your best self and to accomplish new things. It's an incredible challenge, actually. (On a side note, if I ever make it into the big time, I want to make a significant contribution to Bono's One foundation--which is especially focused on improving the lives and health of the impoverished in Africa--and I would not be sad if he wanted to thank me by playing a teensy tiny, improvisational acoustic concert in my backyard for my closest family and friends. A girl can dream, right?) On that note, I also love, love, love "Here's to Life" by the great Shirley Horn. She sings, "I've had my share, I've drank my fill, and even though I'm satisfied, I'm hungry still, to see what's down another road, beyond a hill, and do it all again. … I've learned that all you give is all you get, so give it all you've got … So here's to life, and every joy it brings. So here's to life, to dreamers and their dreams…" When I'm 90 years old, I want to feel this way. I want to look back on my life and think, "yes, that was absolutely awesome." And then I want to put on some great shoes, and go out to a great restaurant, have a glass of wine and savor another amazing day.

Book: Maeve Binchy passed away recently, and honestly, the news hit me pretty hard. I began reading her books in high school and they resonated with me then, and now. I always look back on those reading experiences and credit her with teaching me so much about character development, story, plot and heart. She was a one-and-only. And her books "Tara Road" and "Quentins" will always be on my favorite list.

Movie: Absolutely and positively "Sleepless in Seattle." I'm going to tear up here, as Nora Ephron, the amazing woman who wrote the screenplay, also recently passed away. (Which means that I've lost two of my icons this year.) I think I was in junior high when I first saw this movie, and it was spellbinding for me—not only because I grew up in a community right outside of Seattle, but because of the beautiful love story of hope after great loss. I watch it every year, and it always has the same effect on me: wow. In some ways, it inspired the direction of my fifth novel, recently sold to Penguin, which takes place on a houseboat in Seattle. My husband, very generously, offered to rent me a houseboat on Lake Union in Seattle (just across the water from the actual houseboat where 'Sleepless' was filmed) as my writing "office" until New Year's, where I can sneak away and work on the novel. I'm loving it!

Life Moment: Wow, such an important question, and one that has many answers, so I will cheat and give you a mini-movie: The day I met my husband, and the day I married him; the day my first baby was born; the day that my grandfather died; the day I learned that my ovarian cyst was not cancerous; the day my son's blood test for leukemia came back negative; the day I stepped foot in Paris for the first time, all alone; the day I bought my first house; the day I walked into a bookstore and found my first novel on a shelf.

Piece of Advice: There are many mottos and words of wisdom that ring true for me, but in my writing life, I've learned to live by this very important principle (so, aspiring writers, this one's for you!): I'm a big idea person and am always (always!) coming up with a new novel idea (it's a blessing and a curse), but I learned a long time ago to only stick with a works-in-progress that a.) haunt me by day, and b.) keep me up at night. A story can be good, or it can be really, really good. And I've learned to differentiate the two by how much my characters grab me. If they just aren't, then I move on to another project. My reasoning is this: If a story can't hold my interest wholly and completely than I can never expect it to capture my readers in the same way. I truly take this to heart in my daily writing life, and I've given up on many novel starts for this very reason.

Thanks Sarah! xoxo, L&L

Sarah Jio's 5 Loves and a Dud

Happy Holidays!  We can't believe this is our final author post of 2011.  And just in case you were wondering, we saved the best for last! Loyal visitors of CLIND probably already know that we crush HARD on Sarah Jio.  We loved her debut earlier this year, The Violets of March(Lisa has it on her Best Books of 2011 list!) and we were VERY excited to get our hands on her latest, The Bungalow. (out on Tuesday, December 27th so be sure to pre-order TODAY!)  And to our delight, it was just as wonderful as we'd thought it would be. Romance with a bit of mystery and hot men in uniform equals YUM!

It's been chosen as a Pulpwood Queen book club pick, a Target “Recommended Read” and a Kroger featured title for January. And her third novel is on the way! Blackberry Winter will be published on September 27, 2012.

We think Sarah's pretty easy to crush on. Not only is she a fabulous author and so freakin' adorable, she also writes the popular health and fitness blog Vitamin G  over at Glamour.com.  C'mon, admit it, you're crushing a little bit on her too!  So you understand our excitement when she agreed to share her 5 Loves and a Dud with us. (PS, We TOTALLY agree with her dud!)

So here's the dealio on The Bungalow: In the summer of 1942, twenty-one-year-old Anne Calloway, newly engaged, sets off to serve in the Army Nurse Corps on the Pacific island of Bora-Bora. More exhilarated by the adventure of a lifetime than she ever was by her predictable fiancé, she is drawn to a mysterious soldier named Westry, and their friendship soon blossoms into hues as deep as the hibiscus flowers native to the island. Under the thatched roof of an abandoned beach bungalow, the two share a private world-until they witness a gruesome crime, Westry is suddenly redeployed, and the idyll vanishes into the winds of war.

A timeless story of enduring passion, The Bungalow chronicles Anne's determination to discover the truth about the twin losses-of life, and of love-that have haunted her for seventy years.

Sounds delish, right?  Then you'll be thrilled to discover we have FIVE copies to give away!  Just leave a comment here and be entered to win, we'll choose the winners after Monday, December 26th at 6pm PST.

CHICK LIT IS NOT DEAD PRESENTS...SARAH JIO'S 5 LOVES AND A DUD

1. Nespresso. Last Christmas, my husband got me a Nespresso coffee machine, and I have to tell you, honestly, that it has changed my life. Too strong of words? Let me explain: I’m a mom to three little boys (all under the age of 5), and I am chronically sleep-deprived. A double Americano made with perfect shots of espresso is what I think about first thing in the morning when the baby wakes me up at the crack of dawn, and it’s also the thing I reach for in the afternoons when I need to get 10 pages of my next novel during naptime. My secret weapon is definitely Nespresso. And my pod of choice right now is Indriya.

2. Running. For years, I couldn’t understand why anyone in their right mind would want to run. Then, shortly after my second baby arrived, desperate for a little peace and quiet, I laced up my running shoes and went for a jog. I sputtered and panted—and I think I actually tripped and fell on my hands and knees on the sidewalk—but a funny thing happened: I kind of loved it. It wasn’t until the sixth or seventh time out that I could actually run a whole mile without stopping. Now, a few years, and one more baby, later, I run every day, usually about three miles (four if I’m feeling it). Running has proven to be the single most effective fitness tool for me (I’ve whittled myself down to, almost, my wedding-day weight) and it’s also done amazing things for my creativity in fiction. I’ve imagined new novel titles, thought up entire plot twists and turns and solved character problems while running. I always take my Blackberry with me (in a black Lululemon fanny pack—don’t judge!) so I can send myself emails when a particularly good idea strikes.

3. Jazz. There’s a little jazz station here in Seattle called 88.5 KPLU FM. This station is always on in my house. They don't play any of that modern, elevator-esqu jazz, just the real stuff—old standards and new classics, from Ella to Diana Krall. In fact, music has been a huge inspiration in my novels. The Violets of March was partially inspired by the song “The Waters of March” by the late Susanna McCorkle (a gorgeous, gorgeous song that haunts me), and my third novel, Blackberry Winter, was inspired by the song—you guessed it--Blackberry Winter by the gorgeous singer Hilary Kole. I can’t wait to tell you more about this novel—coming September 27, 2012!

4. The Ergo Baby Carrier.  I’m sort of an old fashioned mama. I like to keep my kids close, bake a lot of cookies, and be the one to kiss their owies. My boys, who are now 5, 3, and 11 months old have spent the majority of their first years snuggled up next to me in the Ergo baby carrier contraption. After putting my back out wearing the Baby Bjorn with my first baby, the Ergo (which is a lot more, you guessed it, “ergonomic”) saved my life. It’s comfy and snuggly, and I have the fondest memories of going about life with my little guys strapped to my chest in a perma-hug position. I’m getting a little sad thinking about the day (coming soon) when my youngest boy won’t fit in the Ergo anymore (sniffle, sniffle).

5. My garden. We live in Seattle, and our city backyard isn’t huge, but I’ve packed it with all kinds of plants that I love: a Japanese maple that my husband got me one Mother’s Day that turns the most stunning shade of orange; a rose bush that I transplanted from the home I grew up in just before my parents sold the house (I have never smelled a rose so fragrant); an unruly herb garden that gives me more sage, mint, oregano and chives than I can ever use; a row of lavender that attracts the most amazing hummingbirds; a fig tree that, every year without fail, produces exactly one fig (we’re thinking about having a party this summer to celebrate our lonely fig). Any vegetables I try to plant, my rascally golden retriever eats (during plum season, she snacks on two Italian plums every morning, and leaves the pits on the deck right before coming back inside.) Anyway, my garden is a source of joy, peace and inspiration to me (in fact, it’s where I first discovered the little purple wood violets that inspired The Violets of March)!

DUD Married men who don’t wear wedding rings: Sorry, but this really annoys me! If you love her, then put a ring on it!

Thanks so much Sarah! xoxo, L&L

To read more about Sarah, head on over to her website or find her on Facebook and Twitter.

Best books of 2011 by Lisa

Like Liz mentioned in her best books of 2011 post, we read a f*ckload of books this year. And deciding which books made our favorites list was almost harder than deciding which movie Ryan Gosling looked hottest in this year. (For the record, after careful consideration, I've decided on Crazy, Stupid Love.) And even though it has NOTHING to do with this post...

Now back to our regularly scheduled programming...

One more little thing before I get to my list o' books...what kind of end-of year post would this be without another AWESOME giveaway? (Liz gave away ten yesterday so of course I will too!)  Just leave a comment and you'll be entered to win a BUNDLE O' BOOKS that includes novels from Meg Mitchell Moore to Kristin Hannah to Jackie Collins to Meg Cabot!  Check out the picture below to see all TEN books the winner will receive. We'll choose the winners on Monday December 26th after 6pm PST.

So without further adieu, here's my list.  And don't forget to tell me what YOUR fave novels of 2011 were!

LISA'S TOP BOOKS OF 2011

1. The Arrivals by Meg Mitchell Moore You know that feeling you get when a book sucks you in so hard and so fast that you think about the story and the characters when you're not even reading it? That's what happened to me when I devoured Meg Mitchell Moore's debut novel. I found her book about what happens when all of the children come back home to their parent's house at the same time so engaging and powerful that it resonated with me long after I finished reading it. So much so, that I knew it would make this list long before I ever officially created it. The Arrivals makes the perfect gift for any book lover who likes to dive in and barely come up for air until she's reached the last page. (PS: It also has one of my favorite covers of the year.)

2.  A Year and Six Seconds: A Love Story by Isabel Gillies  When I wrote about Isabel Gillies just last month, I was crushing hard. Swooning. In love. All of the above. And let's just say, the crush has only deepened since. (I've re-read the book since writing that post and have to say it was even better the second time.) It's a beautifully written true story about the deep pain and loss of heartbreak and divorce and the deep resilience and sense of humor of love. Ladies, if you haven't yet read this memoir, treat yourself to a copy this Christmas.

3. The Violets of March by Sarah Jio  We named Sarah Jio our Lit IT Girl for a reason. I was so engrossed in this novel about riding a high for ten years and then having to start over that I could not put this debut novel down. And when I say couldn't put it down, that's not an exaggeration. I carried it with me everywhere and, at one point, was reading it while feeding my daughter. This novel makes a perfect gift for anyone who loves a good mystery and a good love story all rolled into one. (And BTW, Sarah Jio isn't done wowing us for 2011, she has a second fabulous novel, The Bungalow, coming out on December 27th. Yes, two in one year! Be looking for her 5 Loves and a Dud and, of course, a chance to win one of 5 copies of The Bungalow later this week!)

4. It's Hard Not to Hate You by Valerie Frankel   In a nutshell, I had a baby at the beginning of this year so I needed a damn good laugh (or a thousand million!).  And with this memoir, the hilarious Valerie Frankel may have just given me the best baby gift of all (sorry, Mom!) In a nutshell, after a health crisis and unlocking years of pent up rage, Frankel discovers that your Bitchy Twin might just be your funniest, most valuable and honest ally. One of the funniest books I read all year (and that's sayin' a lot because there a lot that had me laughing), there was no question this book was going to make my list. Put it in the stocking of anyone who needs a good, healthy LOL.

5. If You Were Here by Jen Lancaster  When one of my favorite authors of all time made her fiction debut, I felt like one of those crazy people that lines up for the latest Apple gadget or to try out for American Idol. I might as well have stayed up all night and slept in the rain on the sidewalk as I waited for this book to come out. And once I got my little mitts on it, I was over 'da moon (me and her million other fans!). It's a story that asks- can your marriage survive a DIY renovation? It follows Amish-zombie-teen- romance author Mia and her husband Mac (and their pets) as they go through the  funny-process of buying and renovating their first home in the Chicago suburbs that John Hughes’s movies made famous...and a lot more! The John Hughes references alone make this novel a must-read!

And one biography pic!

Y'all may not have known that, in addition to being a memoir whore, I'm also a biography whore!

Steve Jobs by Walter Isaacson. In a word, fascinating.

xoxo,

Lisa

Lit IT Girl: Debut Author Sarah Jio

Girl Crush Alert!  We're so excited that our latest Lit IT Girl pub day is finally here!  Because we read an ARC of Sarah Jio's fantastic debut a few months ago and have been crushin' on her bigtime ever since.  And Sarah is also a successful freelance writer-she is the health and fitness blogger at Glamour.com! We're thrilled she's accepted out Lit IT Girl crown, and we have a feeling she's going to rock it better than Kate Middleton! Already in it's THIRD printing before it's release, The Violets of March(out tomorrow, Tuesday April 26th) is women's fiction at it's best: a fun escape with a dash of mystery and a spoonful of romance.  We raced through this enchanting novel and think that you will too!

In The Violets of March, A heartbroken woman stumbled upon a diary and steps into the life of its anonymous author.

In her twenties, Emily Wilson was on top of the world: she had a bestselling novel, a husband plucked from the pages of GQ, and a one-way ticket to happily ever after.  Ten years later, the tide has turned on Emily's good fortune. So when her great-aunt Bee invites her to spend the month of March on Bainbridge Island in Washington State, Emily accepts, longing to be healed by the sea. Researching her next book, Emily discovers a red velvet diary, dated 1943, whose contents reveal startling connections to her own life.

Trust us on this one-you will enjoy this book!  And we have FIVE copies to give away!  You know the drill-just leave a comment and you'll be entered to win!  We'll choose the winners on Wednesday night after 6pm PST.

CHICK LIT IS NOT DEAD PRESENTS: SARAH JIO: LIT IT GIRL

1. How many agents did you query before you found "the one"? My agent story is an unusual one. I had been working with a great, established NYC agency, but after my agent left to pursue another career outside of publishing, I decided to take the leap and find a new agent, rather that work with her replacement, who had little experience with women’s fiction. I’m so glad I decided to take that scary risk and look for new representation, because it led me to Elisabeth Weed, my agent extraordinaire, who I believe has a bit of magic in her fingertips. And, I got lucky and didn’t have to do a big search. A magazine writer friend of mine, Allison Winn Scotch, kindly introduced me to Elisabeth, and I knew she was a great fit for me. We worked together to make THE VIOLETS OF MARCH sing, and then she sold it in less than a week at auction. I know writers who are uncertain about and unhappy with their agents, and I just feel so fortunate to work with someone who is so talented, hardworking and genuinely fun and enjoyable to collaborate with.

2. What was your rock bottom moment during the process? Every writer will tell you that editing a book can be painful and grueling. After I began working with my agent, she provided detailed edit notes and suggestions about how to improve my novel. The work I had to do was substantial and required a lot of rethinking of characters, plot and execution. There were a few times that, honestly, I stared at my computer screen and thought ‘how the heck am I going to do this? I better just throw in the towel right now.’ But I kept at it because I believed in the story and in my dream of publishing a book. I’m so glad I didn’t give up on myself!

3. How long did it take to write your book? Initially, I wrote the first draft very quickly—as in a few months. But the editing process took close to a year.

4. What did you do to celebrate your book deal? Nothing special, which sounds really lame, I know. But I had two young children at the time (I have three now), and going out and doing something big wasn’t an option. But, I do have a funny story about my German book deal (VIOLETS will be coming out this fall from Heyne, a division of Random House in Germany). I got an email on my Blackberry from my agent while I was on the cereal aisle at Trader Joes. I had a 3 year old in the back of the shopping cart, and a 1 year old in the front, and I scrolled through the email on my phone frantically to read the details of the deal. I nearly passed out with excitement right in front of the instant oatmeal. I think I threw a bottle of good wine in the cart to take home for that night (but you know Trader Joes—nothing too fancy!).

5. Knowing what you know now about publishing your first novel, what would you have done differently? Yikes, I don’t know. I’m still learning so much, and I feel so fortunate that—so far—things have gone very well. I adore my editor, my agent, my book’s cover, and I’m proud of the story inside the cover. There’s so much about publishing that is out of the author’s control, however, and I’m learning to roll with the punches.

6. What's your biggest distraction or vice while writing? Facebook, Twitter, repeat.

7. Who is your writer crush? Camille Noe Pagan, who, coincidentally, is also a debut author! Her book, The Art of Forgetting, is out in June from Dutton. Funny thing, Camille and I share an agent and an editor. We’re also the same age, write for the same magazines, and were just pregnant at the same time. Clearly, she’s my East Coast twin. And I adore her for encouraging me and supporting me through the pre-publication process. I also happen to think she’s a phenomenal writer.

8. GNO drink of choice? Dirty martini. Extra dirty. Extra olives.

9. Favorite trashy TV show? The Bachelor and The Bachelorette. It’s a shameless Monday night ritual—the one night I do not write.

10. What celeb would you love to have a Twitter war with? Hilarious question. A Twitter war with any celeb would scare my pants off, I’m afraid. I’m a little shy. But I’ll just say that a back-and-forth with Charlie Sheen would sure be interesting, wouldn’t it? I’d stop short of calling myself a rock star from Venus, though.

Want to read more about the fabulous Sarah Jio?  Head on over to her website or find her on Facebook and Twitter!

Thanks Sarah! xoxo, L&L

Mommy Monday: An extra hour a day away keeps the b*tchface away

So far, I'm loving 2011.  I'm ROCKING those damn bangs like nobody's business and Lisa's bundle of joy arrived late last week. (More details from Lisa to come later this month-so all I'll say is that both Mom and baby are healthy and gorgeous!)  The Bears are heading to the playoffs(this makes the hubs happy) and I've already lost those annoying Wii-induced 5 pounds that were giving me the worst muffin top EVEH. And we all know that it's freakin' IMPOSSIBLE to rock jeans with boots when you have muffin top. So how did I lose them so quickly you ask?  Did I finally open up the P90X?  Did I decide to take the stairs?  Did I get swine flu?  Nope.  I lost the weight the old-fashioned way.

Stress.

Don't worry-it's not the things are going terrible and I can't eat stress.  It's more like I'm so busy that I can't breathe or text or eat stress.  I knew 2011 was going to be crazy but it still knocked the wind out of me last week.  I found myself wishing for just one more hour in the day to get things done.  And when I fell into bed Friday night, I began daydreaming about what I would do with that hour.  Oh, the things I would get done! I would be so much nicer!  So relaxed!  Because let's face it: An extra hour a day would keep the bitchface away. You know, that secret bitchface that lives inside all of us?  Don't even try to pretend like you don't have one.

And here it is, so just in case I actually ever get that extra hour-I'll be ready!  Or maybe I'll just play Wii. (Damn you Grandma and Grandpa for buying the kids that time suck!)

If I had an extra hour a day, I would....

1. Get a mani-pedi with extra massage. I'd even finally let them draw that flower on my toenail they're always bugging me about.

2. Pour a huge glass of wine and watch the latest The Millionaire Matchmaker . (Did any of you see the one recently with the PR millionairess that looked like a crayola exploded on her face and the gold digger?  Dude! You. Must. Watch.)

3. Put on super cute workout clothes and pretend I was going to the gym and then find something else to do instead. Because it's the thought that counts, right?

4. Take my new dog to an animal psychic. Because I just have to know why that bitch keeps running away.  She went from a cold animal shelter and horrible mange to belly rubs, treats, walks and two kids that worship the ground she walks on. I don't know how to convey to her that it's not getting any better than this.

5. Tackle my TBR pile. Oh Vey.  Super Mario Brothers has really set me behind on this one. But I have three ARCS that I'm excited to read in the next two weeks- Best Kept Secret by Amy Hatvany(out in July), The Violets of March by Sarah Jio(out April 27th) and Here, Home, Hope by Kaira Rouda(out in May).  Oh, and speaking of ARCS, you're going to LOVE Sarah Pekkanan's Skipping A Beat(due February 22).  I read it one day last month-I laughed, I cried, I loved it. Do yourself a favor and pre-order it.  And Leave a comment here to win an ARC of Sarah Jio's The Violets of March!

6. Read the stack of Entertainment Weeklys sitting on my desk. Because drooling over Jake Gyllenhaal half-naked on the cover is not actually considered reading.

7. Learn how to bake. Because I'm tired of my daughter saying, Oh, Mommy! when I pull lopsided, burnt cookies out of the oven.

8. Shop by myself. I don't care where.  Although for some reason I find Target very relaxing(until I get to the cash register and realized I've spent $200 and bought NOTHING I actually need).

9. Have happy hour with the girls. Because an hour with good friends, a Grey Goose dirty martini and an onion ring stack can make just about any problem melt away.

10. Have a conversation with my hubs that has nothing to do with snot, poop, time out, or Wii. Is that really too much to ask? And if I got an another hour, I might actually kiss him with some tongue.  In fact-let's declare 2011 the year of the married make-out session! All I need is a shot of tequila to help me forget about all the other things I should be doing instead and I'm in!

What would YOU do with your extra hour? Leave a comment and you'll be entered to win an ARC of Sarah Jio's upcoming debut, The Violets of March.  I'll pick the winners on Wednesday night after 6pm PST.  Good luck!

xoxo, Liz