We're city girls. No doubt about it. That doesn't mean that we don't love a nice vacay out in the sticks every once in a while. But if we're more than five miles away from a Starbucks for more than a few days it can get ugly.
So when we saw Susan McCorkindale's 500 Acres and No Place to Hide, we had a feeling it would be hilarious. She's a city girl and former Family Circle marketing director who picked up and moved to a beef cattle farm in the middle of Virginia! 500 acres is the follow up to her first memoir, Confessions of a Counterfeit Farm Girl. And we can happily tell you that both are hilarious-a fun read for sure!
Here's the scoop: It's been four years since Susan's husband dragged her kicking and screaming from their comfortable, big city East Coast life to a farm in Virginia cattle country. Susan's adjusting as best she can, which isn't easy considering she's been known to wear Manolos in manure. She'll never be a real farm girl, but as readers will see from her side- splitting confessions, she's faking it just fine.
Sound up your alley? Great-we have FIVE copies to give away! Just leave a comment here and we'll enter you to win. We'll choose the winner Sunday, August 14th after 6pm PST. Note: This contest is open to US residents only.
CHICK LIT IS NOT DEAD PRESENTS...SUSAN McCORKINDALE'S 5 DO'S AND A DO-OVER
5 DO'S
1. Laugh. If you can't fix it, kill it, cure it, or eradicate it from the face of the earth, you can laugh at it. And you should. It helps. It heals. It makes the whole "life's a bitch" thing more bearable. Trust me on this.
2. Love. Never miss the chance to tell someone you love them. Your mom, your kids, your spouse, the hair stylist who fixed the dye job you did yourself, the friend who de-skunked your dog so you wouldn't come home to it after a long day at the hospital. Life is short. If you love someone, tell them.
3. Listen. The little voice telling you to buy the shoes and the bag, get the Goth black manicure, and learn to ride a horse? That's the one to listen to. You can always take the shoes and the bag back, the polish will last ten days tops, and as long as the little voice isn't suggesting your ride bareback (and if it is, I suggest you stop putting Bailey's in your breakfast coffee), go for it.
4. Leap. Maybe you've always wanted to see the Amalfi coast or try stand-up comedy. Maybe you're itching to ditch your corporate gig to run a tiki bar or write the great American novel. It doesn't matter what you want to do, just that you do it. Don't wait for the time to be right, for someone else to give you permission, or for all the pieces to be in place. The stars will never be a hundred percent aligned so leap, as the saying goes, and build your wings on the way down.
5. Let go. Anger, guilt, resentment, perfectionism, and shame are all crippling, soul-sucking emotions. Forgive others. Forgive yourself. And for Pete's sake, stop trying to be perfect. Flaws are the new black. Pass it on.
DO-OVER:
Not laughing, loving, listening, leaping, and letting go sooner. It took my husband's illness and subsequent death to make me realize how little time we really have, and how crucial it is to be present and thankful for each moment. I don't regret not getting to this point sooner (particularly since regret is one of those aforementioned soul-sucking, crippling emotions I urge all of us to kiss off). I'm just happy to be here now.
Thanks Susan! xo, L&L
To read more about Susan, head on over to her website or find her on Twitter and Facebook.