What's on Lisa Rinna's bucket list?

Okay, so we think Lisa Rinna may have it all.  Actress, boutique owner, NYT bestselling author and married to hottie Harry Hamlin!  They've even got their own reality show, Harry Loves Lisa. What's not to like, right? Her first non-fiction book, Rinnavation, encouraged us all to look better, feel better, live better, even love better! (Which btw, sounds pretty good right now as Liz sits here writing this post while bleary-eyed in sweats...)  And there must have been others who felt like her-it made the NYT bestseller list! Now Lisa's making her fiction debut with Starlit-and we think it's a lot of fun!  Glamorous parties, flashing lights, red carpets-Tally jones has worked hard to join Hollywood's A list.  She finally gets her break replacing veteran diva Susie Sheppard on a nightime soap opera, ratings skyrocket and she earns an Emmy nomination.  But celebrity has a dark side too.  Tally's financial advisor makes off with her savings and her celeb boyfriend's kinky sexploits and paparazzi baiting have Tally wondering why there isn't a better leading man in her life.

Filled with colorful characters, Hollywood insider details and scandalous backstabbing, Starlit combines the fun of Days of Our Lives, Melrose Place and US Weekly into one titillating Hollywood drama.

Sound good?  Then leave a comment to be entered to win-we have FIVE copies to give away. We'll choose the winner on Friday 12/3 after 6pm PST.

And read on to discover what's on Lisa's bucket list! (And if she figures out how to make #5 happen, we hope she shares her secret!)

CHICK LIT IS NOT DEAD PRESENTS:  WHAT'S ON LISA RINNA'S BUCKET LIST?

1. Have dinner with Warren Buffet.

2. Live in Italy for a time.

3. Go around the world in 80 weeks.

4. Have enough $$$ to give millions and millions and millions to Charity- and not even feel it! :)

5. To be able to eat anything I want and never gain a pound :)

Thanks Lisa!  xo, L&L

To read more about Lisa, head on over to her website.  Or you can also find her on Facebook and Twitter.

25 Things Liz & Lisa want to know about Beth Harbison

We make no secret of the fact we have MAJUH crushes on a few, select, Chick Lit writers! So imagine how starstruck we've been when so many of our absolute fav's have candidly answered our hard-hitting questions in our 25 Things Liz And Lisa Want To Know series! So far, we've learned that Megan Crane once worked as a customer service rep, that Allison Winn Scotch's secret talent is singing and Jennifer Weiner crushes on Sarah Silverman. Emily Giffin revealed that she can't live without Starbucks and Sarah Pekkanen admitted she's done some of her writing at a table at Chuck E  Cheese!

And now we're proud to add another incredibly talented and funny Chick Lit author into the 25 Qs mix! (Anyone who calls Chick Lit the "beaujolais Nouveau of literature" is our kind of gal!)  Most recently, BETH HARBISON absolutely rocked our socks with HOPE IN A JAR. (Lisa devoured it in one day and immediately told Liz to stop everything she was doing and read it too!)  People Magazine called it Chick Lit with heart and soul and we couldn't agree more. Beth's previous books, SHOE ADDICTS ANONYMOUS, SECRETS OF A SHOE ADDICT and her contribution to the collection of short stories, AFTERBIRTH (stories you won't read in PARENTS magazine), are all must-reads too!

We're excited to announce that we have FIVE copies of Beth's latest book, HOPE IN A JAR, to give away! To become the proud owner of this fabulous novel, all you have to do is become a fan of Chicklitisnotdead.com on Facebook and leave a comment about the beauty product you absolutely cannot live without. (Lisa can't leave the house without putting Laura Mercier Secret Concealer on the set of "luggage under her eyes" and Liz isn't human until she slathers Dermalogica Super Rich Repair on her "lizard-like skin!")

So, without further adieu...*Cue drum roll*

Chick Lit is Not Dead presents.... 25 Things Liz and Lisa want to know about Beth Harbison!

1.  Inside my purse, you'll discover: credit cards, Nars Dolce Vita lipstick, one of those little magnifying glasses with a light that I can never find when I need it, gum, a broken MAC compact, a stun gun.

2.  My secret talent is: roller skating

3.  If stranded on an island, the five things I could not live without are: soap, sunscreen, my Kindle, wireless internet, and, I don't know, some sort of boat?

4.  On my nightstand you'll find: water from last night, Lego, a book I haven't read, a People Magazine I'm halfway through, and ear plugs so I don't have to kill my husband for snoring and keeping me up.

5.  When I grew up, I wanted to be: famous!  Like, a famous actress, revered by all.  What happened?!

6.  My worst job: at an office where they didn't appear to need me so there was never anything to do except TRY to look busy, which was nearly impossible -- it was a banner day when someone wanted filing done.

7.  My comfort food: macaroni and cheese with a crispy Ritz top.

8.  The location where I write: my office at home.

9.  Three songs on my IPOD's most played list: Careful (Guster), Viva la Vida (Coldplay), Party in the USA (Miley Cyrus) (don't judge me!)

10. If I was on the cover of US Weekly , my headline would read: Writer Discovers Stun Gun Cure for Husband's Snoring and Restless Legs.

11. The three books that make me think of my childhood: The Little Broomstick by Mary Stewart; Now We Are Six by A.A. Milne; any Trixie Belden book.

12. My favorite Chick Flick: French Kiss or Only You (Robert Downey Jr. one)

13. My favorite Chick Lit book: Twenties Girl, Sophie Kinsella

14. My "must see" TV: Real Housewives of absolutely anywhere; True Blood; The Office

15. My Starbucks order: this time of year it's the Caramel Apple Cider

16. My favorite curse word: Fuck

17. My celebrity man crush: Jon Bon Jovi.  Man, I need a new one.

18. My celebrity girl crush: Paula Deen

19. My writer crush: Quinn Cummings

20. My last meal before execution: Icebox Cake (Nabisco famous chocolate wafers and whipped cream)

21. Three words to summarize my book: Friends, 80's, men

22. It took me ______to write my book: 6-7 months

23. My book's original title: it was always HOPE IN A JAR

24. Right now, I'm working on: ONE TEQUILA SHOT AWAY (from Making a Mix Tape and Driving Past His House)

25. Chick Lit is alive & kicking because: it is the beaujolais Nouveau of literature - fresh, new, always current, meant to intoxicate not to make you think or cry, though sometimes it does all three.

To read even more about the awesome Beth Harbison, head on over to www.bethharbison.com!

xoxo

Team Blonde or Team Brunette? By Lisa

I have a girl crush on Fergie. The post-blonde Fergie, that is.

The *brunette* Fergie.

Fergie wasn't even a blip on my girl crush radar when she was blonde (except when I'd see a picture of her in US Weekly, on the arm of her tall drink of man water, Josh Duhamel).

Before I continue, let us take a Josh Duhamel moment. Ahhhhhhhh.

So I suppose I haven't payed much attention to the blonde Fergie because if I'm going to kiss a girl, I'd prefer she be a brunette one.

The "new" and if I may, "improved" Fergie caught my eye on the A.I. finale. As she was dancing and singing with The Black Eyed Peas to "Boom Boom Pow", I began to see her in a new way. What was it? Why was I so drawn to her performance? I mean, the song was catchy, but I was NOT looking at will.i.am!

Then it hit me.

It was the hair. She was brunette-a-licious! (Sorry, couldn't resist.)

I immediately texted Matt who texted back, "Who?" (Guess he's into blondes :) )

Then I had a radical thought.

Maybe I'd switch teams and dye my hair brown too!

And it wouldn't be the first time...

Ok, so I'm going to lose a little bit of my blonde cred with all my blondie homies out there, but it's time to admit that I did cross over--once.

I dyed my hair brown. And I liked it.

I felt sexier. Edgier. Good different.

Back then, I was pretty daring with my 'dos. I had stripes, (yes, stripes--AT Liz's wedding) I had The Rachel, (which unfortunately looked a lot more like The Carol Brady) and The Gwyneth.  But my personal favorite was The Rocky. I bleached my hair white, cut it as short as Brigitte Nielsen in Rocky IV and spent all my time with a friend with even shorter hair.  Needless to say, most people thought we were a really cute lesbian couple! (Note to self: probably not a good way to meet men! Or women who look like Fergie!)

So, after I "went brown", I felt like "the evil twin", "the bad girl" and "the mysterious stranger" all wrapped up into one!  There was something about the new color that made me feel daring- and gave me 'tude. I went out to clubs! I wore red lipstick! I even bought black leather pants! (Even when I had stripes in my hair, my wildest outfit was  mom jeans and a half-top. So this was big for me!)

And now, more years than I want to admit later...after playing it safe with my long, blonde hair, (with the exception of a few daring moments when I "cut layers"-ooooh!)... I thought I was ready to take another walk on the dark side.

And it was time to tell someone my plan!

In hindsight, I guess it shouldn't have been one of my blonde friends. And this particular blondie *who shall remain nameless * (but you know who you are!!! ), gasped in horror at my idea! (Talk about a buzz kill...)

BLONDE NAMELESS FRIEND: No way! You're a blonde and you will remain true to your *cough* roots!

ME: But...lots of blondes do it. Jessica Simpson. Cameron Diaz. Nicole Richie...

BLONDE NAMELESS FRIEND: And are any of them still brunette?

ME: Point taken. Ugh.

My dreams of channeling my inner Fergie deflated, I went home and looked in the mirror.  Going brown would be fun for a couple of weeks, but the process of getting back to blonde would f***ing suck.  I wasn't going to look as good in black (the only color I own!) and would I really have as much fun? (I'm over 35 now, I can't afford to take chances!)

So in the end, I decided NOT to dye (Special shout out to nameless blonde friend-- I hope you're f***ing happy!)

Because at the end of the day, you can take the blonde out of the girl, but you can't take the girl out of the blonde.

xoxo