Dana Bate's 5 BEST EVERS

Our guest today: Dana Bate Why we love her: Her writing is sweet and savory!

Her latest: The Girl's Guide to Love and Supper Clubs (out Feb. 5th!)

The scoop: Hannah Sugarman seems to have it all. She works for an influential think tank in Washington, D.C., lives in a swanky apartment with her high-achieving boyfriend, and is poised for an academic career just like her parents. The only problem is that Hannah doesn't want any of it. What she wants is much simpler: to cook.

When her relationship collapses, Hannah seizes the chance to do what she's always loved and launches an underground supper club out of her new landlord's town house. Though her delicious dishes become the talk of the town, her secret venture is highly problematic, given that it is not, technically speaking, legal. She also conveniently forgets to tell her landlord she has been using his place while he is out of town.

On top of that, Hannah faces various romantic prospects that leave her guessing and confused, parents who don't support cooking as a career, and her own fears of taking a risk and charting her own path. A charming romantic comedy, The Girls' Guide to Love and Supper Clubs is a story about finding yourself, fulfilling your dreams, and falling in love along the way.

Our thoughts: She had us from page one--a charming tale that we think you'll love.

Giveaway: FIVE copies!  Leave a comment and we'll choose the winners on February 4rd after 8am.

Fun Fact: Another Smarty Pants alert!  Dana studied molecular bio physics at YALE.  You go, girl!

Where you read more about Dana: Her website, Facebook and Twitter.

CHICK LIT IS NOT DEAD PRESENTS...DANA BATE'S 5 BEST EVERS

1. BEST SONG: Oh, boy. This is a tough on. For me, music and experience are so intertwined that my “best” song depends on what mood I’m in and what past experience the song conjures up. Radiohead and Elliott Smith basically got me through the sophomore slump in college, so songs like “Karma Police” and “Pitseleh” will always hold special places in my heart. My husband and I danced to Frank Sinatra’s “The Way You Look Tonight” at our wedding, so that song always brings a smile to my face. I am physically incapable of keeping silent if “Bohemian Rhapsody” and “Don’t Stop Believing” come on the radio – a sing-a-long is 100 percent required. And if you were to put me and a bunch of my college friends in a room and blast R. Kelly’s “Ignition”? Let me tell you – all hell would break loose.

2. BEST BOOK 1984. I read this book well over a decade ago (closer to two…), but its story and message have stayed with me. The book made me think about the role and power of government in an entirely new way. I remember reading the scene where Winston and Julia get caught by the Thought Police and not being able to put the book down, even though it was close to midnight and I had school the next day.

3. BEST MOVIE:  It’s a Wonderful Life. I watch this movie every year and love everything about it – the characters, the message, the actors. The movie manages to strike the perfect balance of hope, sentimentality, and humor.  And when George Bailey’s brother Harry makes that toast at the very end? Forget it. I cry like a baby, every time.

4. BEST LIFE MOMENT: My wedding. I wasn’t one of those brides who’d been dreaming about her wedding since she was five. Frankly, I went through a period where I thought I’d never get married at all. Even once I was engaged, I cared more about having an amazing marriage than having an amazing wedding. But the night was truly magical. Me and the man I love, surrounded by our closest friends and family? Pure bliss.

*Word on the street has it that holding your child in your arms for the first time often supersedes – or at least equals – this moment. Talk to me in a month and a half, and I’ll let you know ;-).

5.BEST PIECE OF ADVICE: “Persistence pays off.” One of my high school teachers used this phrase all the time – often shortening it to PPO – and it’s some of the best advice I’ve ever received. Without persistence, I wouldn’t have landed my first job or written my first book, and I certainly wouldn’t have found an agent or a publisher. And if my husband hadn’t kept emailing me to convince me to go on a date with him…well, let’s just say we’re both happy he did.

Thanks Dana!  xoxo, L&L

Jen Lancaster's 5 BEST EVERS

Our guest today: Jen Lancaster! Why we love her: The question should be, how can you NOT love her?! She is SASSY and so are her books.

Her latest: Here I Go Again

The scoop: Twenty years after ruling the halls of her suburban Chicago high school, Lissy Ryder doesn’t understand why her glory days ended. Back then, she was worshipped...beloved...feared. Present day, not so much. She’s been pink-slipped from her high-paying job, dumped by her husband and kicked out of her condo. Now, at thirty-seven, she’s struggling to start a business out of her parents’ garage and sleeping under the hair-band posters in her old bedroom.

Lissy finally realizes karma is the only bitch bigger than she was. Her present is miserable because of her past. But it’s not like she can go back in time and change who she was...or can she?

Our thoughts: This one is our FAVE of Jen's so far.  It's Back To The Future meets Mean Girls and we promise you are going to devour every word. LOVED it!

Giveaway: FIVE copies, yo!  Leave a comment and we'll choose winners after February 4th at 8am.

Fun fact: Want to meet Jen in person?  She might be coming your way on her book tour--check out the dates here.

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

CHICK LIT IS NOT DEAD PRESENTS...JEN LANCASTER'S FIVE BEST EVERS

1. BEST SONG– I’m mercurial when it comes to music.  I’ll get into a mode and a handful of songs will suddenly become my Best Evers before quickly fading back into oblivion.  (Ahem, Taylor Swift.  Ahem.)  Right now I’m obsessed with 80s metal.  In Here I Go Again, heroine - and I use that term loosely - Lissy Ryder is a closet fan of all things Whitesnake, which is so far removed from the new wave/alternative music I lived for back in the day.  To get into Lissy’s character, I required a YouTube-based rock education.   Often, my husband would walk past my office, incredulous to hear Pantera coming out of my speakers.

Turns out, the more I listened to old metal, the more I came to appreciate the power behind it.  I defy anyone to not be moved watching Metallica doing Enter Sandman live in Moscow in 1991 in front of 100,000  screaming Russians.  So, I feel like I’ve discovered the entirely new universe, particularly the hair metal genre.  Some of my new (old) favorites include Whitesnake, Def Leppard, and Motley Crue.  Plus, I’m so tickled by the reaction I get from hipsters every time I pull up in my sweet convertible, wearing soccer-mom Capris, a ponytail, and pearls, with Rock You Like a Hurricane cranked up to eleven.  They look at their vintage Schwinns and skinny jeans, all, “My life is a lie.”  (Thus, my work here is done.)

2. BEST BOOK– Again, mercurial.  Right now I’m obsessed with J. K. Rowling’s The Casual Vacancy, which is just as brilliant as the Harry Potter novels, in an entirely dissimilar way.  I didn’t realize exactly how different it would be until I got to a part about a miserable teenage boy and I thought to myself, “Wait a minute… wizards don’t wank!”  I have so much additional respect for Rowling after reading this book.  She took everything she learned about creating a magical universe and used it to breathe life into her version of the sleepy little town of Pagford.  I’m bowled over by her prowess in crafting so many distinct, complex characters.  I’m in awe of her bravery for working against the archetype of pure evil and pure good like she did in Harry Potter.  Every character is layered and nuanced and imperfect.  Are any of them likable?  Generally, no, and that’s part of this quiet book’s subtle genius.  And spoiler alert?  She’s not afraid to eschew the happy ending.  The Casual Vacancy isn’t for everyone, especially for those yearning for a grown up version of Hogwarts.  But for me?  It’s my Best Ever for 2012.

3. BEST MOVIE– Do I even need to mention that my favorites change depending on my mood?  My perennial must-watch-each-time-they’re-on films score pretty high on the cheese-o-meter, e.g. Day After Tomorrow, The Hot Chick (and really, anything with Rob Schneider), 13 Going on 30, MIB, Independence Day, and The Incredible Mr. Limpet (wherein Don Knotts is a cartoon fish who helps the US win WWII in the Pacific Theater), so I’m probably not the Best Ever person to ask.  I saw Oscar nominated Beasts of the Southern Wild last winter and I left the theater completely confused, thinking to myself, “So, the earth is sick, the little girl eats dog food, the rains come down and they have to sail around a motorized bathtub, and then she visits her mom on Prostitute Island.  I don’t get it.”  I guess I prefer to do my thinking while reading.  In movies, Will Smith + alien invaders + quirky sidekick = Best Ever.

4. BEST LIFE MOMENT– The first time I realized that I wouldn’t have to go back to temping while trying to make it as an author.  I had an event at the Chicago Barnes & Noble where I’d also signed my first two books.  Each time, I had twenty to thirty people attend, which was outstanding.  There’s nothing worse than having a book signing where no one comes.  Trust me on this one.  So when I walked in the store, I noticed that there was no one in the area where the event was always held and I was disappointed.  Not surprised, having had it happen before, but bummed nonetheless.  But then the event coordinator spotted me and brought me upstairs to where two hundred and fifty women were waiting.  I was astounded and humbled.  A week later, my memoir Such a Pretty Fat not only hit the New York Times bestseller list, but stayed there for most of the summer, and that’s when I knew I was finally done fetching coffee and making copies.

5. BEST PIECE OF ADVICE – The minute you stop being fixated on looking cool is the minute your entire world changes for the better.  Whatever you pursue in life, do it because it makes you happy, and not because you want to post an impressive Facebook status update.  There’s no shame in loving cheesy music or opting for onion rings over escargot, if that’s what you want in the moment.  Generally, people are too self-absorbed to even notice your efforts, so you may as well do what you like.  Ultimately, the only opinion that really matters is your own.

Thanks, Jen! xoxo, L&L

Alyssa Goodnight's 5 BEST EVERS

Our guest today: Alyssa Goodnight Why we love her: We adore her Jane Austen AWESOMENESS.

Her latest: Austensibly Ordinary

The scoop: Cate Kendall is no stranger to daydreams of brooding men and fancy parties--after all, she teaches one of her beloved Jane Austen novels in her English classes every year. But as for romance or adventure in her own life, the highlight of most weeks is Scrabble with her cute coworker, Ethan, and he draws the line at witty banter. But Cate is ready for a change. When she finds a mysterious journal that seems to have a link to the soul of the great Jane Austen herself, she knows it's her chance. And she grabs on with both hands...

Before she knows it, Cate has invented an alter ego with an attitude, attended some seriously chic soirees, and gotten tangled up with a delicious mystery man. And she's uncovered enough unexpected secrets about Ethan that her Scrabble partner has taken to brooding looks and unfathomable silences. It's a positively Austenite predicament, and Cate is sure she'll land in hot water and heartbreak--but maybe not with Jane herself to guide her...

Our thoughts: Crawl under the covers and dive into this one-you'll love it!

Giveaway: FIVE copies!  Leave a comment here and you'll be entered.  We'll choose the winners after Sunday January 27th at 3pm PST.

Fun Fact: Check out her best life moment below--but WARNING!  It may make you hate on what your hubs did (or didn't do!) for your birthday last year.

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

CHICK LIT IS NOT DEAD PRESENTS...ALYSSA GOODNIGHT'S 5 BEST EVERS

BEST SONG:  "Right Back Where We Started From" by Maxine Nightingale  This song never fails to put me in a good mood, and I admit to breaking out in a little impromptu boogie every time I hear it.  (The name Maxine Nightingale gives me a little burst of happiness too.)

BEST BOOK: Before last summer, I think I would have said This Rough Magic by Mary Stewart, which is a classic romantic suspense from the 60's and my favorite comfort read.  But this summer, I read Code Name Verity by Elizabeth Wein and was blown away.  This book is historical and important and intense and heart-wrenching.  My heart was in my throat through at least half of it.  I've never read anything quite like it, and I have every expectation that memories of it will stay with me for a long time to come.

BEST MOVIE: This one is really tough for me, because there are movies that I will watch over and over and over again, but faced with this question, I'm not convinced that I'd really consider them 'Best Movie' material.  I mean, that's a serious accolade.  I think that if pressed, I would have to say The Lord of the Rings trilogy.  Yes, I know it was three movies, but it's one story!  They broke it into three movies as a concession to the limitations of the human bladder.  I'm typically not a big fantasy fan, but there is just something magnificent about that story: the quest, the heroism, the battles, the humor...  It is simply epic.  (It has its share of hotties too.)

BEST PIECE OF ADVICE:  "Don't forget to be awesome!"  I first saw this as a poster/piece of artwork on Pinterest and immediately pinned it, thinking, that about sums it up, doesn't it.  Since then, I've seen it in various other incarnations and decided that it sums up all the other bits of advice quite nicely.  The big thing to remember while you're busy being awesome: It doesn't matter that no one else may be convinced of your awesomeness.  They'll figure it out eventually.  I love this sentiment so much that I recently created a framed reminder for myself to sit on my office desk.  I've (only somewhat jokingly) suggested that my two boys tap the frame everyday from now on.

BEST LIFE MOMENT: The moment it became clear that that my husband had pulled off my crazy 40th birthday wish.  I'd wished for a flash mob--not one I was dancing in, mind you, just one to watch.  And I got one!  I walked into our local Main Event, thinking I was going to play a round or two of birthday laser tag (which I LOVE) with a couple of friends, and instead a really impressive group of friends was lurking, in jeans and black t-shirts, waiting for me to arrive.

Getting over the initial shock, I was pressed into a front-row seat as Thriller was pumped out of the intercom system and everyone slid into rows.  It was an impressive, unbelievable thrill to watch as my friends hunched and twitched to that cult favorite.  And the surprises just kept coming!  As the songs changed and dancers switched in and out, my sons, along with clips from Muppets grumps Statler and Waldorf, commentated, and snapshot photos of my life were displayed on screen.  It was AMAZING.  They even managed to include me for a couple of dances, including, crazily enough, All the Single Ladies.  It was epic, and I will never forget it.  My husband never fails to impress.

Thanks Alyssa!  xoxo, L&L

Belinda Jones' 5 BEST EVERS

Today's guest: Belinda Jones Why we love her: Her books (she's written 11!) are so much fun!

Her latest: Winter Wonderland

The scoop on it: Imagine waking up in a snow globe...That's how travel journalist Krista feels when she arrives in magical Quebec to report on Canada's glittering Winter Carnival. Over ten sub-zero days Krista's formerly frozen heart begins to melt as she discovers an enchanting world of ice palaces, husky dog-sledding and maple-syrup treats galore. And then she meets Jacques, a man as handsome and rugged as he is mysterious...The two share a secret that could bond them forever, but can they find a way to break through the protective layers around their hearts to warm up this winter wonderland? ...let the snow-spangled adventure begin The irresistibly gorgeous new novel from Belinda Jones will completely melt your heart, perfect for those looking to escape in an exhilarating, romantic story with a little extra magic. Fans of Lindsey Kelk, Milly Johnson and Carole Matthews will love Belinda Jones's unique blend of humour, adventure and delectable romance.

Our thoughts: The perfect love story to warm your heart on a cold winter day! It's no surprise that her book has been shortlisted for Romantic Comedy novel of the year by the Romantic Novelists' Association! (Congrats, Belinda!)

Giveway: FIVE *signed* COPIES of the UK version (same book, slightly different, but just as fabulous cover). Just leave a comment & be entered to win. We'll select the winners on Sunday, January

Fun fact: You can read the first chapter of Winter Wonderland.

Where you can read more about Belinda: Her website, Facebook and Twitter.

CHICK LIT IS NOT DEAD PRESENTS...BELINDA JONES' 5 BEST EVERS

BEST SONG: I'm typically a fan of the smoothie retro-crooners - Frank, Doris, Dean et al. I have my car radio station constantly tuned to the music of the Forties. And yet... my favourite song is Jump by Van Halen!! It's very much about the associated memory and how it makes me feel: My best friend Emily and I were in Paris on vacation and ended up in some dark'n'divey basement club. The song came on, we climbed up onto a platform, danced wildly and then joined hands and decided to take the chorus literally. Only Emily jumped a lot higher than me, hit her head on the ceiling and fell unconscious to the floor. Now of course this is a fonder memory for me than her, but what it is symbolic of to me is that daring leap you take when you are young. I felt a cautious side in me developing as I got older and I don't like it! Whenever I have a big decision coming up or I have to do something that makes me quake in my boots I crank up that song and tell myself, 'Might as well jump!'

BEST BOOK: The Lost Continent - Travels in Small Town America by Bill Bryson. For me if you have Travel and Humour in a book, I'm in heaven. And nobody does that better than Bill Bryson. This book inspired my own pilgrimage - On The Road To Mr Right - A Search for the American Dream Guy - which is my only non-fiction title. The freakiest aspect - it made the Sunday Times Top 10 list the same week Bill Bryson had another hit book out so I was actually in the same chart as my hero for a brief pinch-me moment. Still can't believe it!

BEST MOVIE: Thelma & Louise. This movie, for me, has everything - humour, drama, love, action, two redheads and a great soundtrack. I remember coming out of the movie theatre in Brighton on a high - I went straight to the nearest liquor store to buy a Wild Turkey miniature so I could feel like Thelma and then sat on the pebble beach, looking out to sea and promising myself I would one day take a road trip across that dusty red terrain. I actually visited Canyonlands, Utah on the 10th Anniversary of the movie for a magazine article and then drove through again, coincidentally, on the 20th Anniversary when I was relocating from California to be with my new husband in Virginia. We're getting to favourite advice in a minute but I have to quote Louise's sage drawl here: 'You get what you settle for!' Wise words!

BEST LIFE MOMENT: The first time I took my dog Bodie to the beach. He was picked up as a stray in South Central and when I rescued him from Pryor's Planet (run by Richard Pryor's wife Jennifer who does a fantastic job!) I was told, 'He loves to run!' So we drove from LA to Hendry's Beach in Santa Barbara and I let him loose. The pure joy I got from seeing him bound and frolic and then startle at the waves, and then give swimming a go - little chin up in the air, slightly panicked look on his face - and then shake it off and do it all again, was THE BEST. His eyes were so bright, his grin so enormous, my heart nearly burst! And every time we go, now to a beach in Virginia, it's THE BEST all over again.

BEST ADVICE:

'Better to regret the things you've done than the things you haven't!' My life may be peppered with shameful, cringe-making moments that turn my cheeks pomegranate pink just to think of them but I am unburdened with a list of things I wish I'd tried but didn't have the nerve. As Sophia Loren confirms, 'Mistakes are part of the dues one pays for a full life.' Never let potential embarrassment stand in your way. She who dares wins! You get the idea!! The other quote I reference most frequently is Edmund Burke's, 'The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing.' I think this is true in every day life. It's important to speak up and stand up for what is right. It may palpitate your heart but it's very empowering!

 Thanks, Belinda! xoxo, Liz & Lisa

Jess Riley's 5 BEST EVERS

Our guest today: Jess Riley Why we love her: Her writing has some bite to it--it's sharp and sassy.

Her latest: All The Lonely People

The scoop: WANTED: a whole new family to share holidays with. Please have a good heart and be a thoughtful, polite person. No sociopaths, no pedophiles, no fans of the Kardashians. We're not weirdos, I promise. I love old Steve Martin movies, new Steve Martin banjo tunes, Indian food, and reruns of Bob Ross painting happy little trees. So if you're looking for something other than the typical family dysfunction this Christmas, drop us a line." After losing her beloved mother to cancer, 37-year-old Jaime Collins must confront the ugly fact that she and her siblings don't actually like one another. At all. Fueled by grief and an epic argument at Thanksgiving dinner, Jaime decides to 'divorce' her siblings and posts an ad on Craigslist for a new family for Christmas. What happens next is a heartwarming, funny, and surprising journey to forgiveness and healing. Is blood really thicker than water? And how far do we have to go to find our way back home again? Dedicated to anyone who has ever wanted to unfriend a relative on Facebook, ALL THE LONELY PEOPLE is about family: those you make ... and those you make peace with.

Our thoughts: We think you'll love this novel about a seriously dysfunctional family--it will make you feel better about your own!

Giveaway: FIVE copies!  Leave a comment here and you'll be entered to win!  We'll choose the winners after 3pm PST on Sunday, January 20th.

Fun Fact: In college, Jess worked briefly at a medium-security men’s prison, which inspired her next novel.

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

CHICK LIT IS NOT DEAD PRESENTS...JESS RILEY'S 5 BEST EVERS

Best Song: If you’re someone I just met in real life, I’ll probably tell you I listen to The Middle East, or The Avett Brothers, or Grace Potter and the Nocturnals. And much of my iPod is indeed devoted to these artists. But when I’m driving alone in my car, what do I crank up and sing along to? “Say it Isn’t So” by The Outfield. “The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald” by Gordon Lightfoot. “Save a Prayer” by Duran Duran. Anything by Journey. Even “Master of Puppets” by Metallica, which I was belting out just the other day. Basically anything that would make you instinctively turn the volume way, way down when you pull up to a stoplight. Maybe when I turn 40 in a few years I won’t care so much what strangers in crosswalks and other cars think of my taste in music, but for now, I just don’t want to deal with the weird looks. (But here’s something: will I still listen to songs like Iron Maiden’s “Run to the Hills” when I’m 60? Or will I listen to The Black Keys on the oldies station?)

Best Book: Here I will list the books I read in 2012 that inspired dramatic emotional reactions:

Made this old cynic sob uncontrollably: Labor Day by Joyce Maynard

Made me laugh out loud on nearly every page: Bossypants by Tina Fey

Made me insanely jealous, because I wish I could write like that: Attachments by Rainbow Rowell

Made me wish I had a better attention span so I would actually read it: The Art of Fielding, by Chad Harbach

Best Movie: I love a very specific kind of sappy movie, and It’s a Wonderful Life meets the mark, hands-down.  Funny, quirky, corny, with a surprising dark edge that ultimately leads you to a happy ending and positive message.* I watch it every Christmas and have to pretend I’m not actually crying at the end every time.  *This also happens to be the tone I try to strike in my own writing, except without all the “Hee-haws!” and insinuation that life as a spinster librarian is about the worst end you could meet.

Best Life Moment: I LOVE hearing from readers—nothing is more gratifying, but another author recently said that in answer to this question and I don’t want to copy her … so I’m going to go with the nostalgic golden years of my childhood, when my mom and I lived with my grandparents inside a state park on the shores of Lake Michigan. I was trying to soothe my five-year-old nephew to sleep the other night, and this is what I told him about living with my grandparents when I was his age, in a soft, gentle voice: “Some of my aunts and uncles still lived at home, so there was never a shortage of people to read to me or play with. There would be epic badminton games on the lawn, and when cousins came to visit we’d build sandcastles on the beach. Grandma would take me for long walks through the woods, and in summer I fell asleep listening to the waves washing onto the dunes, hearing the whippoorwills cooing in the trees. The air smelled like wild raspberries and majestic white pines, and—”

Nephew, interrupting, sleepy but wired from the Little Debbie oatmeal pie he’d eaten before bed: “Did you know … that the largest state in South America is … BRAZIL!?”

Best Advice: Never rollerskate backward in a skirt, and never get a perm at Cost Cutters. Also, quitters always win (if you’re quitting smoking and negative thinking patterns).

Thanks, Jess!  xoxo, L&L

Beth Kendrick's 5 BEST EVERS

Our guest today: Beth Kendrick Why we love her: Her books are exactly what you need to get into your 2013 groove!

Her latest project: Her book, Nearlyweds, has been into a TV movie airing on the Hallmark Channel January 12th at 9pm EST/8 CST!

The scoop: They've had the white dresses and the fancy receptions. But now that the honeymoon's over, Stella, Casey, and Erin have each had to face some hard truths about the men they've married and the lives they've chosen. So when the news breaks that the pastor who presided over their weddings failed to file a few critical pieces of paper, none of these newlyweds are rushing down to the courthouse to legalize their vows. Instead, the brides share their hopes, disappointments, and secrets while grappling with that pivotal question: Should they stay or should they go?

Our thoughts: We loved the book and will be glued to the TV on January 12th!

Giveaway:  THREE signed copies of Nearlyweds.

Fun fact: Watch the TV movie trailer for Nearlyweds here.

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

CHICK LIT IS NOT DEAD PRESENTS...BETH KENDRICK'S 5 BEST EVERS

1. BEST SONG: This is a tough call, but let me just say this: The best song to blast in your office and dance to when nobody’s watching is “Freedom 90” by George Michael. Always and forever.

2. BEST MOVIE: Ferris Bueller’s Day Off. This film is perfection from beginning to end. It’s hilarious, it’s brilliant, it’s poignant. I still covet Sloane Peterson’s fringed white leather jacket. And it has a great message: “Life moves pretty fast. If you don’t stop and look around once in a while, you could miss it.” (See also: Best Advice Ever)

3. BEST BOOK: Where the Red Fern Grows by Wilson Rawls. If you’re a dog lover, you’ll understand. Pass the Kleenex.

4. BEST MOMENT:  I cannot lie--going to Vancouver to hang out on the “Nearlyweds” film set was pretty damn awesome. My college roommate/BFF came with me, and we got to sit in canvas director’s chairs and watch real people speaking lines and acting out scenes that I had dreamed up in my twisted little mind. Bonus: hot, shirtless men kept walking up to chat with us. (We picked a great day to visit the set!) The screenwriter, cast, and production team did an incredible job, and the movie is really charming and funny. Naomi Judd plays the diabolical mother-in-law and she owned that role!  Mind = blown.

5. BEST ADVICE:  Do not back up--severe tire damage.  I have found this to be true in both the literal and metaphorical sense.

Thanks Beth!  xoxo, L&L

Jennifer Coburn's 5 BEST EVERS

Today's guest: Jennifer Coburn Why we love her: She's a writing machine. Every time we turn around, she's written another hilarious and entertaining novel! You go, girl!

Her latest: Brownie Points

The scoop on it: Sometimes that’s the way the Thin Mints crumble... When Lisa Taylor and her family move from San Francisco to the suburban paradise of Los Corderos, they know their family won’t fit in perfectly. They’re the only interracial family in the neighborhood. Lisa is a snarky sculptor. And 13-year-old Logan is gay. After Logan is repeatedly bullied at school, he finds his niche in an unusual place – his twin sister’s Girl Scout troop. When he tries to join, the organization refuses, so the boy sues for gender discrimination and sets off a firestorm of national media coverage. This only makes matters worse between Logan and his father, a macho firefighter who is already struggling with his son’s sexual orientation. Adding to the strife is Lisa’s increasing distaste for Junta Moms who wish each other “Namaste” while rigging school elections and stealing each other’s husbands. Join the Taylors on their hilarious journey as they face the fight of their lives and, in the process, discover what it means to be a family.

Our thoughts: Loved it. So much fun!

Giveaway: 5 COPIES! Just leave a comment to be entered to win. Winners will be selected after 3pm PST on Sunday, January 6th.

Fun fact: Jennifer's novel, Reinventing Mona is free on Kindle until Sunday, January 6th!

Where you can read more about Jennifer: Her website, Twitter and Facebook.

CHICK LIT IS NOT DEAD PRESENTS...JENNIFER COBURN'S 5 BEST EVERS

Best Song: This is a tough one because I have so many memories associated with music. My father was a lyricist and used to sing “Wild World” to me when I was a little girl. He died when I was 19 years old, so this Cat Stevens song will forever break my heart (in a good way). I can never hear any Simon & Garfunkel song without remembering my trip to Florence with my then-11-year-old daughter, Katie because every night at the steps of the Uffizi Gallery we held hands and listened to a couple singing these classics. But my all-time favorite would have to be the Beatles’ “In My Life.” The music is so simple, the lyrics so nostalgic. I love the sentiment: In our lives we meet so many people and experience so much. In the end, we love them all.

Best Book: Another toughie because I always think what I am currently reading is my favorite book ever. (If I don’t feel that way by page 50, I move on to another.) I am in the middle of Charity Shumway’s Ten Girls to Watch and loving every page. But last week I was reading Jenny Lawson’s Let’s Pretend This Never Happened and I swore her genius memoir was the best book I ever read. Before that I finished Jen Lancaster’s latest side-splitter Jeneration X and guess what? Best ever!

Best Movie: Finally an easy question! Any movie where Ben Affleck takes off his shirt is an instant favorite. But seriously, I loved Argo because I was on the edge of my seat the entire two hours even though I knew exactly how it ended. That is masterful filmmaking.  Close second is Crash. Also great: Moneyball, Shawshank Redemption and Hoop Dreams.

Best Life Moment: I love getting mail and Facebook messages from readers, so an intensely gratifying moment was when I got a note from an Emergency Room nurse who thanked me because, after a particularly rough day, my book made her laugh. Anyone who says chick-lit is irrelevant should keep in mind that there is an important place in the world for lighthearted, humorous escape.

Best Advice: Don’t compare your insides with other people’s outsides.  Other people may look like they’ve got it all together, but you have no idea what they’ve been through (or may currently be going through). You can’t see their doubts, fears and insecurities. I recently met a woman who was the picture of perfection: successful, poised and gorgeous. I was having a day when everything was going wrong.  I asked the woman what her secret was, and she didn’t miss a beat. “I’m heavily medicated,” she said, then proceeded to tell me about her battle with depression.

Thanks, Jennifer! xoxo, Liz & lisa

Allison Winn Scotch's 5 BEST EVERS

Today's guest: Allison Winn Scotch Why we love her: Y'all know we've loved her for years--since the day Lisa stumbled upon her book, Time of My Life, in Barnes and Noble.

Her latest: The Song Remains the Same (Out in paperback today!)

The scoop on it: She’s a wife, a sister, a daughter…but she remembers nothing. Now she must ask herself who she is and choose which stories—and storytellers—to trust. One of only two survivors of a plane crash, Nell Slattery wakes up in the hospital with no memory of it, or who she is, or was. Now she must piece together both body and mind with the help of family and friends who have their own agendas. Although Nell can’t remember all that came before, something just doesn’t sit right with the versions of her history given by her mother, her sister, and her husband.

Desperate for a key to unlock her past, she filters through photos, art, music, and stories, hoping that something will jog her memory, and soon, in tiny bits and pieces, Nell starts remembering. . . .

Our thoughts: One of Lisa's favorite books of the year was even better the second time around.

Fun fact: Today marks the 6th time Allison has been a guest on CLIND!

Giveaway: FIVE copies! Just leave a comment and be entered to win. We'll select the winners on Sunday, January 6th after 3PM PST.

CHICK LIT IS NOT DEAD PRESENTS...ALLISON WINN SCOTCH'S 5 BEST EVERS

BEST SONG: Nope, can't do it. Music is my muse, and my "best song" depends on whatever is happening in my life at that particular moment, at that particular emotional need. That said, I think my go-to answer for this, simply because it will never NOT be one of my greatest songs ever, is Read My Mind by The Killers. Everything about the song resonates with me: the beat, the melody, Brandon Flowers' voice, the haunting but uplifting lyrics about perseverance and finding a better life…I don't know. It's just…brilliant. And sometimes it makes me cry and sometimes, it's the background music for a long run. Any time, any situation, it's basically perfect.

BEST BOOK: Oh lord. I can't choose a best book. Seriously. There are too many influences, too many beloved chapters. How about if instead, I offer my best books (that I read) of 2012? My three favorites were WILD (a raw, gorgeous, searing memoir), THE FAULT IN OUR STARS (I cannot say enough good things about the genius and emotional poignancy of this book), and BEAUTIFUL RUINS (so clever and creative, and I admired the heck out of what the author pulled off because I don't think I could have done the same thing).

BEST MOVIE: I am a huge pop culture fan, so this is hard for me. I know it's a bit of a cliché, but I'm going to go with Love, Actually. From a writer's perspective, I find the movie genius: the way that all of the plot threads both stand alone and weave together.  And then, from a romantic's perspective, I love the honest, hilarious, touching exploration of love in all its different forms. I don't think I'll ever tire of watching Colin Firth jump into the lake full of eels or Hugh Grant singing Christmas carols to little kids or Andrew Lincoln exposing his inner-feelings on flash cards. It's all just perfect.

BEST MOMENT: Ooh, toughie. Of course, I want to say the birth of my kids or marrying my husband, but honestly, the first thing that comes to mind is turning 30. Which was quite a few years ago. But I remember my parents called me and said, "Wow, can you believe that you're 30? Are you overwhelmed with it?" Or something like that. And I said, "No, actually, I feel like I've earned it. Like I'm finally an adult and that everything that I've done so far has led up to here." My 20s were tumultuous in the way that one's 20s often are – trying to figure out my relationships, my career, all of that. By the time I hit 30, I felt like I had a certain peace with everything, all of the choices I'd made, all of the wrong turns I'd taken. It was sort of this really gratifying moment: okay, I'm here, it's great, I'm happy, exhale.

BEST ADVICE: Don't Quit. Growing up with the last name of "Winn," my father's go-to line was "What's your last name?" What he meant by that is actually the verb version of my last name: win. It wasn't that he expected us to win all the time, but he did expect us to carry ourselves like winners, which translated to the fact that we kept going, we didn't quit, and we always tried our best even if we really, really didn't want to. Now that I'm long past childhood, this message has served me well: in the book world (when my first manuscript didn't sell or when sales from my debut weren't what I wanted and I had to regroup to figure out how to sell my second book) or even in my marriage (when the relationship ebbs into the more difficult moments that long marriages inevitably face). Don't quit. Keep going. There's a lot of wisdom in that simple advice. Quitting never feels good in the long-term, but finding that you have the strength to come out on top – not necessarily victorious but still in a better place than you imagined – is the best reward possible.

Thanks, Allison! Happy New Year, everyone! xoxo, Liz & Lisa

Megan Caldwell's 5 Best Evers

Today's guest: Megan Caldwell Why we love her: Her writing is smart!

Her latest: Vanity Fare: A novel of lattes, literature and love

The scoop on it: Molly Hagan is overwhelmed. Her husband left her for a younger, blonder woman; her six-year-old son is questioning her authority, and now so is she. In order to pay her Brooklyn rent and keep her son supplied with Pokémon and Legos, not to mention food and clothing, she has to get a job—fast.

So when an old friend offers Molly a freelance position copywriting for a new bakery, finding romance is just about the last thing on her mind. But the sexy British pastry chef who's heading up the bakery has other thoughts. And then so does Molly, when she meets the chef's intimidating business partner—who also happens to have a secret that might prevent Molly from getting her own happily ever after.

Our thoughts: LOVED, loved, loved. Best book to give us a jump start into the New Year.

Giveaway: FIVE copies. Just leave a comment and be entered to win. We'll select the winners after 3pm on Sunday, December 30th

Where to read more about Megan: Her website

CHICK LIT IS NOT DEAD PRESENTS...5 BEST EVERS (Of Megan's choosing!)

1. BEST HAIR PRODUCT You know those quizzes they ask in women’s magazines where they ask what one beauty product you’d take to a desert island with you? (Like there’s someone to impress there, but whatever.) I would not hesitate a moment, I would take Kiehl’s Silk Groom for my hair. I use this every single day, and I seriously panic if I am close to running out. I really hate wispy, fluffy hair (on me, at least) and the Silk Groom calms it down so I am not fluffy in the slightest. Thank goodness.

2. BEST HISTORICAL MINISERIES: There are a surprising amount of entrants to this category, and I think I might have seen every one. But my favorite, the one that makes my heart ache and skip and flutter every single time I watch it, is North and South, starring Richard Armitage and some lady with big eyes. Armitage has the smokiest, deepest, most luscious voice ever, and he’s tall, and plays such a stubborn alpha male who gets completely thunderstruck when he falls in love. SWOON.

3. BEST NOIR FILM: I love noir, which I know is odd given that I love romance novels so much (Spoiler: Noirs do not have happy endings). One of the most brilliant ones of all time is Double Indemnity, based on a book by James M. Cain and starring Barbara Stanwyck and Fred MacMurray. It’s a brilliant plot filled with so many double-crosses it’s got hatchmarks, and the performances are excellent.

4. Most HANDSOMEST MAN EVER: It’s not really a controversial choice, given that he is the world’s first male supermodel, but British model David Gandy is by far the most gorgeous man I’ve ever seen. Dark hair, blue eyes, height, that body, a scowl, and I’m gone. I can lose 20 minutes at a stretch falling down the Gandy hole, which is when you google image David Gandy and emerge, blinking and lust-crazed, some time later.

5. BEST BRONTE SISTER BOOK: Jane Eyre. I think Jane Eyre began my love of first-person narrative, a chicklit convention, and I wrote Vanity Fare in first person because any other viewpoint just didn’t work. I strongly identified with the plain, unobtrusive Jane who fell in love—and was loved back with fervor—with Mr. Rochester, one of the first Alpha male heroes I ever met. Their dialogue, their courtship, her rescue of him, her strength in resisting him—again, swoon.

Thanks, Megan!

xoxo, Liz & Lisa

Josie Brown's 5 BEST EVERS

Our guest today: Josie Brown Why we love her: She is one sassy lady!

Her latest: Totlandia: The Onesies

The Scoop: The Pacific Heights Moms & Tots Club is the most exclusive children’s playgroup in all of San Francisco. For the city’s ultra-competitive elite, the club’s ten annual spots are the ultimate parenting prize.

But not everyone is PHM&TC material. The club’s founder, Bettina Connaught Cross, adheres to strict membership rules: Moms only. No single parents or working mothers allowed. Membership is an arduous commitment. And there’s no room in the club for scandal, bad behavior, or imperfection…from tots or their moms.

In a world of power and prestige, no one has more than Bettina. And as every mom in Pacific Heights knows, you simply cannot cross her. But this year’s admissions process is more rigorous than ever, pitting prospective members against each other to prove their mettle.

But four of the six candidates vying for the remaining four slots have a secret that would knock them out of the running. Jade is a former stripper and porn actress, who has been absent for most of her son’s life. Jillian’s husband cleaned out their joint accounts and left her for his pregnant assistant. Ally never even had a husband—just a sperm donor—and she’s hiding a high-ranking corporate job. And Lorna fears that her son may have special needs… just the excuse her sister-in-law, Bettina, needs to deny her entry to the club.

Can these hopeful moms keep up appearances long enough to outlast the competition? Or will their chances—and their private lives—go up in flames?

Our thoughts: The perfect gift for your favorite Mom this holiday season!

Giveaway: FIVE eCopies! Leave a comment and we'll choose winners on Sunday, December 9th after 3pm.

Fun Fact: Josie's novel, Secrets Lives of Husbands and Wives, has been optioned by NBC!

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

CHICK LIT IS NOT DEAD PRESENTS...JOSIE BROWN'S 5 BEST EVERS

1. BEST SONG: I’m very old school! “If I Fell” from the Beatles and “Stop in the Name of Love” from the Supremes. Both are about heartache, and so singable, right?

2. BEST BOOK: Gone With the Wind, by Margaret Mitchell. I read it thirteen times, before I reached the age of sixteen. Part of my devotion has to do with the fact that its author is from my home town of Atlanta. (FYI: as is Kathryn Stockett, who wrote The Help, and I assume will inspire new generations of writers and readers.)

The scope of this saga of unrequited love – over a generation, and through a major war – seemed to me to be the ultimate love story. Frankly, it still does. Nothing comes close!  The heroine, Scarlett O’Hara, envisions herself in love with a man who is promised to another, and never really showed her anything other than flirtatious lust. Only in the last chapter does she realize she has just lost the love of her ideal mate: Rhett Butler, who loves her, despite the tests of time, place and circumstance, which strip away all the gentility in which she was born and bred.

Again, unrequited love.

3. BEST MOVIE: Down and Out in Beverly Hills, with Richard Dreyfus, Bette Midler, and Nick Nolte.

I love the first because of its sly humor and perfect dialogue, and a great plot. An upheaval takes place in the Beverly Hills mansion of a wealthy family when  a homeless man, trying to commit suicide in their pool, is saved by the Dave Whiteman, the owner of the mansion. Despite being a giving father and successful businessman, Dave feel s he’s taken for granted by his wife, and ignored by his children: a daughter who he worries is anorexic, and a son who is in the closet. Every member of the family wants to believe that the bum from the pool has some wisdom to dispense. Not. Finding out the truth is part of the fun.

4. BEST MOMENT: When I delivered my first child: my son.  Pregnancy is an experience. Motherhood is a whole other life. It is a great journey, and a wonderful challenge, to have someone dependent on you for the first twelve years of their lives, then grow away from you, only to realize your love and faith in them won’t be matched by anyone else…until they find their soul mate.

5. BEST ADVICE: For everyone, it is to open your mind, and your heart. Those who close themselves off to new people, new places, new experiences, and of course new ideas. Life is a journey.  Enjoy every step of the way.

Thanks, Josie! xoxo, L&L

Tammara Webber's 5 BEST EVERS

Today's guest: Tammara Webber Why we love her: She nails this "new adult" genre perfectly but will still appeal to a wide audience of readers.

Her latest: Easy

The scoop on it:  A girl who believes trust can be misplaced, promises are made to be broken, and loyalty is an illusion. A boy who believes truth is relative, lies can mask unbearable pain, and guilt is eternal. Will what they find in each other validate their conclusions, or disprove them all?

When Jacqueline follows her longtime boyfriend to the college of his choice, the last thing she expects is a breakup two months into sophomore year. After two weeks in shock, she wakes up to her new reality: she's single, attending a state university instead of a music conservatory, ignored by her former circle of friends, and failing a class for the first time in her life.

Leaving a party alone, Jacqueline is assaulted by her ex's frat brother. Rescued by a stranger who seems to be in the right place at the right time, she wants nothing more than to forget the attack and that night--but her savior, Lucas, sits on the back row of her econ class, sketching in a notebook and staring at her. Her friends nominate him to be the perfect rebound.

When her attacker turns stalker, Jacqueline has a choice: crumple in defeat or learn to fight back. Lucas remains protective, but he's hiding secrets of his own. Suddenly appearances are everything, and knowing who to trust is anything but easy.

Our thoughts: Her characters are sympathetic and the love story in will resonate with women of all ages.

Fun fact: She originally self published Easy as an ebook and it spent several weeks on the New York Times bestseller list. Then Penguin snapped it up and released it in paperback.

Giveaway: FIVE copies!  Just leave a comment and be entered to win. We'll select the winners this Sunday after 3pm PST.

Where you can read more about Tammara: Her website, Facebook and Twitter.

CHICK LIT IS NOT DEAD PRESENTS...TAMMARA WEBBER'S 5 BEST EVERS

1. BEST BOOK: In my late twenties, I vowed to read every classic novel I could swallow. Some went down more easily than others, of course; Dostoevsky nearly killed me. But every Jane Austen novel was a treat, and Pride and Prejudice was the best of them all. My husband commented, “That’s probably been used to death, though,” and I agreed that undoubtedly, it had – for good reason. For thousands of readers over two centuries (fun fact: the birth date of P&P was January 28, 1813), this story has embodied the quintessential romance, and Darcy has been the definitive brooding hero – a beta guy with an alpha center, which for all of his superiority or reserve will not stay put in the presence of one particular girl.

2. BEST MOVIE: The most-lauded Norah Ephron/Meg Ryan pairings are When Harry Met Sally and Sleepless in Seattle. These are both wonderful films, but for me, it’s You’ve Got Mail. My fondness for it traces back to the Darcy appeal – the guy who cannot help but be enchanted with the last person he should find fascinating. I don’t care how dated it is (A dial-up modem! With sound! Almost quaint?) or what the flaws are, I love this movie. I tear up and sigh every single time when he says, “…how about some coffee or, you know, drinks or dinner or a movie… for as long as we both shall live?”

3. BEST SONG: I’m not musical – in the sense that I’ve never been able to create music, but the compositions of others often affect me profoundly. It’s difficult to narrow to one song, because different songs fit different moods, but I connect to Alanis Morissette’s That I Would Be Good at such a deep level that I don’t have to be in the mood for it – it will pull me into the mood. When the album came out, almost fifteen years ago, I was having a tough time personally. Lots of internal questions and anxiety about who I was and what I was meant to do. Lots of self-doubt. This song didn’t answer those concerns – but it helped me define the fears that caused them. I started writing again that year.

4. BEST ADVICE: Indirect advice, in the form of a quote: “You’re never too old to be what you might have been.” (George Eliot) Mary Anne Evans didn’t let her age or gender stop her from reinventing herself as a novelist in the middle of the nineteenth century. Using a male nom de plume – George Eliot – she published her first novel the year she turned forty. I took her advice as though it was meant for me, and I’m always happy to pass it on to anyone who needs it.

5. BEST LIFE MOMENT: This has to be my husband’s and my first kiss, because it was the most spontaneously romantic thing that ever happened to me. Paul and I had been friends for a year. We were close friends – the type who hug goodbye when parting. Except this one time, we hugged, heads turned simultaneously, mouths lined up, and for no reason and with no warning – we were kissing. I don’t mean like “peck” and then “Oh, jeez, heh-heh, what was that?” I mean flat-out full-body-contact, “I will have you right here! Oh wait. It’s daylight and we’re in public. Ahem.” We were 16 and 17, and at school. He was my ex-boyfriend’s best friend. The first thing he said after was, “Why’d we do that?” Still clinging to him (because my legs were jelly, and also I was too mortified to look him in the eye), I mumbled, “I don’t know.” Little did we know the metamorphic shift our lives took with that one impulsive lip-lock – though given our ages at the time, that’s just as well. We celebrate the date every year.  (Want to read the full story of this romantic first kiss?  Head over to Tammara’s blog here.)

Thanks, Tammara! xoxo, Liz & Lisa

Sere Prince Halverson's 5 BEST EVERS

Today's guest: Sere Prince Halverson Why we love her: She's a beautiful writer who inspires us to up our game.

Her latest: The Underside of Joy (Now available in paperback!)

The scoop on it: To Ella Beene, happiness means living in the Northern California river town of Elbow, California, with her husband Joe and his two young children. But one summer day Joe drowns, leaving Ella alone with Annie and Zach—until his ex-wife, Paige, shows up at the funeral. For three years, Ella believed that Paige had selfishly abandoned her family. Yet—as the custody fight between mother and stepmother ensues—Ella realizes there may be more to the story than Joe ever revealed.

The Underside of Joy is not a fairy-tale version of step-motherhood, pitting good against evil, but a captivating story of two women who both claim to be the mother of the same two children.

Our thoughts: A riveting debut novel that kept us guessing all the way until the end.

Giveaway: FIVE copies. Just leave a comment to be entered. We'll select the winners this Sunday after 3pm PST.

Fun fact: Contest alert! Win a picnic for your bookclub! Just contact Sere by January 7th. Click here for the deets!

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

CHICK LIT IS NOT DEAD PRESENTS...SERE PRINCE HALVERSON'S 5 BEST EVERS

BEST SONG: I know you all understand this: I have hundreds of favorite songs. So on this day, at this moment, I’ll say that my favorite song is…(drawing from a hat)…”2000 Miles” by The Pretenders. Reminds me of a road trip to Washington with my sons.

BEST BOOK: Same caveat as above. Today, my best book is The Poisonwood Bible by Barbara Kingsolver. Or maybe Bel Canto by Ann Patchett. Or maybe…

BEST MOVIE: I also have many favorite movies, but my all-time favorite, the one I’ve seen a bazillion times and never get tired of, the one that makes me break out in song and break out in tears (yes, watching it with me is an experience in of itself) is The Sound of Music. It was the first movie I ever saw. I was four years old. I remember getting dressed up for a special night with my parents while my little sister stayed home with the babysitter. I remember a red velvet curtain and sitting between my parents in big plush seats. And I remember crying at the end, saying, “I want to go with Maria and the kids.” Ha! That must have made my parents feel great. I love this movie so much that it even worked its way into The Underside of Joy.

BEST MOMENT: I’m not just saying this because it’s the expected answer: The moment I became a mother. I was in a traditional hospital with a traditional doctor, but he asked me, right before my son was born (though I didn’t know if he was a son or a daughter at the time), if I wanted to help deliver him. I reached down and pulled him onto my stomach. I looked down into his squished, pure angel face and fell in love. I said, “Hello sweet baby. You’re so beautiful, but are you a boy or a girl?” Because I’d delivered him, the doctor hadn’t held him up and declared, “It’s a boy!” We had to turn him over and check for the evidence ourselves.

BEST ADVICE: “You can have it all. You just can’t have it all at once.” This came from a dear family friend who’s like a very cool aunt and wise big sister wrapped up into one. Sully grew up in the fifties and early sixties and was considered “a career woman” who married later. She gave me this advice in the mid-nineties. I’d married young and had a couple of little kids at that time and was sort of floundering in my career and going through a divorce.

But I know lots of women who have great careers and marriages while their kids are little. It’s not just about that. It’s about the ins and outs and ups and downs, the phases of life, and how there’s always something challenging or missing and there’s always something miraculous going on too. She was advising me to not miss the miraculous while pining for the missing piece. Because the missing piece could very well show up later down the road, but the miracle at hand will soon only be a memory.

It goes something like this: The kids fill my life and heart to overflowing but I have no me time. I have tons of me time but I miss the kids. The bank account is fine but the relationship is not. The relationship is wonderful but work is not. The house is a mess and everyone’s coming over. The house is clean! Hey, where is everybody? The childhood dream finally comes true. But my dad doesn’t live to see it happen.

But when I look at the whole sprawling miraculous picture? It’s all there. My dad is there, big as life itself. And so are his grandkids, in all their different glorious ages, and me in all mine.

Liz and Lisa, thanks so much for having me on your wonderful blog. So appreciated!

Thank YOU! xoxo, Liz & Lisa

Lisa Genova's 5 BEST EVERS

Today's guest: Lisa Genova Her latest: Love Anthony

Why we love it: She writes about autism beautifully. And her heartwarming novel reminds us of what's important: family.

The scoop on it: I’m always hearing about how my brain doesn’t work right. . . . But it doesn’t feel broken to me.

Olivia Donatelli’s dream of a “normal” life shattered when her son, Anthony, was diagnosed with autism at age three. Understanding the world from his perspective felt bewildering, nearly impossible. He didn’t speak. He hated to be touched. He almost never made eye contact. And just as Olivia was starting to realize that happiness and autism could coexist, Anthony died.Now she’s alone in a cottage on Nantucket, separated from her husband, desperate to understand the meaning of her son’s short life, when a chance encounter with another woman facing her own loss brings Anthony alive again for Olivia in a most unexpected way.Beth Ellis’s entire life changed with a simple note: “I’m sleeping with Jimmy.”

Fourteen years of marriage. Three beautiful daughters. Yet even before her husband’s affair, she had never felt so alone. Heartbroken, she finds the pieces of the vivacious, creative person she used to be packed away in a box in her attic. For the first time in years, she uncaps her pen, takes a deep breath, and begins to write. The young but exuberant voice that emerges onto the page is a balm to the turmoil within her, a new beginning, and an astonishing bridge back to herself.In a piercing story about motherhood, autism, and love, New York Times bestselling author Lisa Genova offers us two unforgettable women on the verge of change and the irrepressible young boy whose unique wisdom helps them both find the courage to move on.

Our thoughts: Lisa Genova is a beautiful writer. You will love this book!

Giveaway: FIVE copies! Just leave a comment and be entered to win. We'll randomly select the winners this Sunday after 3pm PST.

Fun fact: Watch Lisa talk about Love Anthony here.

CHICK LIT IS NOT DEAD PRESENTS...LISA GENOVA'S 5 BEST EVERS

BEST SONG: There are way too many!  Anything by Paul Simon and Ani DiFranco. My recent favorite song is “Stars and Meteors” by Sarah Swain.

BEST MOVIE: My favorite movie is probably Before Sunset starring Ethan Hawke and Julie Delpy, directed by Richard Linklater.  It’s about regret and love and real connection.  The dialogue is incredibly smart, it’s gorgeously shot, and the acting blows me away.  Many of the scenes are done in one long shot (from the perspective of one camera without cutting away) which gives the film an immediacy and intimacy that I love.

BEST BOOK: The Man Who Mistook His Wife for a Hat by Oliver Sacks.  This was the book that initially inspired my passion for neuroscience.  I went on to earn a Ph.D. in neuroscience from Harvard 10 years after I first read this book.  The neurological conditions and diseases presented in this collection of true stories are fascinating, but what hit me the most with Dr. Sack’s writing was the compassion and humanity contained within his descriptions of each patient. He says, “In examining disease, we gain wisdom about anatomy and physiology and biology.  In examining the person with disease, we gain wisdom about life.”  This singular quote has guided every book I’ve written so far.

BEST LIFE MOMENT: The day I met my husband.  I was instantly attracted to him, but what I remember most is a peace that settled over me.  I actually felt these words--he is part of whatever was next for you.  I felt chills—and butterflies.

BEST PIECE OF ADVICE: After my first marriage fell apart, I was a divorced, unemployed single mother (my daughter was 3).  I should’ve gone back to work as a strategy consultant for biotechnology and pharmaceutical companies. Or even back to brain research.  I’d loved my job (I quit when my daughter was born to be home with her), I was good at it, it paid well, and it came with health benefits.  It was the responsible, sane decision.  But, along with the heartbreak of the divorce came the idea that this was an opportunity to start over, that I was facing the possibility of something new.  I’d started asking myself questions:  What do I want my life to look like now?  Why do I have to go back to my old job?  If I could do anything I wanted to do, what would that be?

I was sitting in my aunt’s living room with two of my five aunts when I asked this question aloud for the first time:

“Should I go back to work, or should I write a novel instead?”

Without hesitating, they both said, “Write the novel!”

Best advice of my life.  And of course, if we generalize, the advice is this:  Go for your dreams!  Do it now!

Thank you, Aunt Laurie and Aunt Mary!

And thank you, Lisa! xoxo, Liz & Lisa

Lee Adam's 5 BEST EVERS

Our guest today: Lee Adams Why we love her: Her writing makes us smile!

Her latest: Strawberry Wine

The scoop: Ten years have passed since Tanya Smith's last summer at Laurel Lake-the summer of Marie. Today Tanya is a confident, successful music promoter-a far cry from the naïve seventeen-year-old who showed up at the lake full of rosy notions of first love, lifelong friendships, and evenings spent sipping strawberry wine on the shore. That September changed everything, and as far as Tanya is concerned, there's no going back. That is, until a mysterious phone call from Marie's lawyer brings Tanya face to face with the past. Suddenly she finds herself returning to Laurel Lake and to everything she left behind there. Will the dark secret that haunts the lake break her heart all over again? Or will Marie's legacy be the key that unlocks the future Tanya gave up on ten long years ago?

Our thoughts: You'll be thankful for this one!

Giveaway: FIVE copies!  Leave a comment and you'll be entered to win.  We'll choose a winner after November 25th after 3pm PST.

Fun fact: Lee writes about living organ donation in her book Strawberry Wine.  In July of 2007, Lee donated her kidney to her sister’s husband.  She has since become an advocate for organ donation as a means to save lives.  Both Lee and her brother-in-law are doing well.

Where you can read more about Lee: Her website and Facebook.

CHICK LIT IS NOT DEAD PRESENTS...LEE ADAM'S 5 BEST EVERS

1. BEST SONG:  This is hard because I work in the music industry and love country music.  Especially Willie Nelson!  However, my husband and my “song” for the last 23+ years has been “American Pie” by Don McLean.  We were on our honeymoon in St. Croix in 1989 and had joined a group of 8 people also vacationing at our resort.  We’d had a bit too many rum punches and were singing crazy songs and someone yelled “American Pie” but none of us could remember how it started.  We were loudly trying to figure it out when a 60+ year old woman turned around and stated rather adamantly “A LONG LONG TIME AGO.”  That started a week long ordeal of making every guitar player in St. Croix play “American Pie.”  Now whenever we hear it, my husband and I call each other and crank it up.  Aside from that, the song is a beautiful way to honor the untimely loss of three talented men, Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens, and The Big Bopper, who contributed so much in such a short period of time.  To this day I don’t understand all the lyrics, but I truly love the song!  I had the pleasure of working a tribute project on Buddy Holly called Not Fade Away on Decca Records.  It further enhanced my appreciation of his music and talent.

2. BEST BOOK: Torn between two and not sure I can choose just one.  As an avid reader, some books stay with you.  Two books that have stayed with me are Ken Follett’s “Pillars of the Earth” and Jodi Picoult’s “The Pact.”

“Pillars of the Earth” is about the building of a cathedral in the fictional town of Kingsbridge, England. It is set in the middle of the 12th century, primarily during the Anarchy.  This sounds so incredibly boring and every time I tell someone about the book I realize how awful it sounds.  However, Follett does an amazing job of character building and you become incredibly invested in them. You root for their love stories, for their strength, their tenacity, and their resolve to overcome adversity in a very difficult time in history.  I had convinced a guy to read it and he emailed me complaining, tongue in cheek, that it was a chick book because of all the love stories. As a reader, there is nothing more powerful then when a writer makes you feel like the characters are your family and friends, and you grieve the end of the book.  I was very happy, a decade later, to read his sequel!

Jodi Picoult’s “The Pact” has haunted me since I read it many years ago.  It’s the story of young, teenage love.  It is the scariest kind of love because you aren’t prepared for it, don’t know how to negotiate it, and every part of it feels like the best or worst moment ever.  You are too young to realize that “this too shall pass” and you are either the happiest you have ever been, or in pain that you believe will never go away.  Picoult negotiates through a devastating tragedy that comes from a teenage love story and makes us realize that we need to pay attention to our children as they experience their first crush, their first love, their first sexual encounter.  It’s a haunting novel, like so many of hers are.

3. BEST MOVIE: One of my all-time favorite “go-to movies” to get me through a bad day is “Love Actually.”  I love the British humor, but most importantly, I enjoy the multiple love stories.  The opening starts with Hugh Grant’s monologue as the movie shows everyday people greeting each other at London’s Heathrow airport.  I think it’s one of the most eloquent statements on love I’ve ever heard in a movie, especially a comedy.  Whenever I get gloomy with the state of the world, I think about the arrivals gate at Heathrow Airport. General opinions starting to make out that we live in a world of hatred and greed, but I don't see that. It seems to me that love is everywhere. Often it's not particularly dignified or newsworthy, but it's always there - fathers and sons, mothers and daughters, husbands and wives, boyfriends, girlfriends, old friends. When the planes hit the Twin Towers, as far as I know none of the phone calls from the people on board were messages of hate or revenge - they were all messages of love. If you look for it, I've got a sneaking suspicion love actually is all around.  And this is why Chick Lit will never die!  Love doesn’t need to be dignified, or include famous people, or only pretty people.  Love is all around us, and who doesn’t enjoy a good love story!?

4. BEST MOMENT: It’s so hard to choose one!  I was honored to be at the births of my niece and nephew.  My wedding day certainly comes to mind. The day I accepted Christ.  But a life altering day for me was July 11, 2007 when I walked into the University Of Maryland Medical Center (perhaps with some Xanax still coursing through my veins) and donated my left kidney to my brother-in-law.  My reason for doing it was not just to save his life, but to give my 5 year old niece and 8 year old nephew a chance to grow up knowing their dad.  That day changed my life for the better and I knew I’d never be the same.

5. BEST ADVICE: Well, my mom always told me to never put anything in writing that I didn’t want read in court.  And I still feel its excellent advice!  But going deeper…find something that you are passionate about, and then find a way to serve other people with that passion.  Whether it’s feeding the hungry; curing a disease; caring for children or the elderly; or writing a book.  When you follow your passion, and put it to work helping others, it’s a win-win situation and you can’t go wrong.  A passion not followed is a dream not followed.  And it’s never too late to follow your dreams.

Thanks Lee! xoxo, L&L

Beth Orsoff's 5 BEST EVERS

Our guest today: Beth Orsoff Why we love her: She's one sassy girl!

Her latest: Vlad All Over

The scoop: Gwen Andersen loves being a schoolteacher, but she isn’t exactly raking in the big bucks. With her bank account shrinking by the minute, she needs a well-paying summer job if she’s going to hold onto the childhood home she inherited from her parents. So when the father of one of her students asks her to fill in as his au pair for the summer, she knows she should be thrilled. Alexander Romanescu is loaded, and Gwen adores his daughter Isabella. Plus, they’re planning to spend the vacation at their ancestral estate—in Romania!

And yet Gwen can’t shake the nagging feeling that saying yes to this man could lead to more than she bargained for. She knows so little about him—and the idea of spending six weeks in the land of Dracula and Vlad the Impaler is more than a little creepy. But the legends of Romania will be the least of her concerns if she doesn’t make some money…fast. And so Gwen says yes: yes to the job, yes to a European excursion…and yes to a summer that will change her path forever.

Our thoughts: Fun, fun, FUN!

Giveaway: FIVE copies! Leave a comment and you'll be entered to win. We'll choose a winner after 3pm PST on November 25th.

Fun Fact: See her "best life moment" below!

Where to read more about Beth: Her website or Facebook.

CHICK LIT IS NOT DEAD PRESENTS...BETH ORSOFF'S 5 BEST EVERS

1. BEST SONG:  I’m going to have to step out of character here and cheat a little bit on this one (and I’m generally a play-by-the-rules kind of gal, so this really is out of character for me).  I can’t choose one song, but I can tell you that one thing my husband and I love to do is watch those “Top 100” shows on VH1.  My favorite would have to be “Top 100 Songs of the 80s” because (dating myself here) that encompasses my high school and college years and I often associate those songs with a memory.  Now if you asked me to immediately name all the songs I couldn’t name more than a few without looking up the list on the internet, but when I’m watching the show I only have to hear a few bars before I immediately recognize the song and starting singing along (yeah, I’m one of those—that’s why these shows are best watched in the privacy of one’s living room).  “100 Greatest One Hit Wonders of the 80s” is a good one too because then you get to find out what happened to the artists as well.  Occasionally it’s something terrible and then I feel really awful for the person, but more often than not they’re either still working in the music business, often in another capacity, or they’ve made a good life for themselves doing something else.  Then I get to satisfy my curiosity and take a walk down memory lane.

2. BEST MOVIE:  This is a really tough one for me because I’m a huge movie fan.  In fact, I can never use “favorite movie” as my security question because I can’t trust myself to remember which one I picked that day (identity thieves take note).  But if you held a gun to my head and forced me to choose it would have to be “When Harry Met Sally.”  I not only love, love, love this movie, but it’s also the first movie my husband and I ever watched together, which was many, many years before we married—but that’s a whole other story!  I love “When Harry Met Sally” so much that I watch it every year on either New Year’s Eve or New Year’s Day.  And every year it makes me crave Mallomars (I’m not sure I agree with Harry that they’re the greatest cookie of all time, but they’re definitely in the Top Three).  This movie is so fabulous that I can quote every line of dialogue.  Seriously.  If you’ve never seen this film, correct this injustice immediately.

3. BEST BOOK:  Another one of those impossible to choose only one questions.  Because I love reading and writing chick lit I have to pick “Bridget Jones’s Diary,” which is not only hysterically funny, but is also partially responsible for my trying my hand at chick lit in the first place.  But I also love “Gone with the Wind” (book and movie).  Normally I will always read the book before I see the movie because once I’ve seen the movie I don’t have the patience to go back and read the book since I already know the whole story.  Not so with “Gone With the Wind.”  That book is amazing.  “Scarlett O’Hara was not beautiful, but men seldom realized it when caught by her charm . . .”  Is that not a great first line?  I think so.  And then there’s “Beach Music” by Pat Conroy—so lyrical.  I listened to this one as an audiobook and sometimes the words were so beautiful I had to rewind and listen to them again.  And “A Tree Grows in Brooklyn.”  I listened to this one as an audiobook too and one day while driving to work I got caught in construction traffic and it took me an extra hour to get to the office.  Normally I would’ve been flipping out, but that morning I couldn’t have cared less because it meant I had an extra hour to read that extraordinary book.  Really, it’s impossible to choose just one.

4. BEST PIECE OF ADVICE:  Stop caring what other people think.  Admittedly this is a hard one.  But if you can pull it off, if you can truly let go of other people’s expectations and opinions and pre-conceived notions about who you are and what you do and how you should be living your life, it’s possible to be a much happier person.

5. BEST LIFE MOMENT:  I’ll let you all in on a little secret:  I’m eight months pregnant with my first child.  So I’m kind of hoping my best life memory is yet to come.

Congrats Beth! xoxo, L&L

Rachel Bertsche's 5 BEST EVERS

Today's guest: Rachel Bertsche Why we love her: She's hilarious!

Her memoir: MWF Seeking BFF

The scoop on it: When Rachel Bertsche first moves to Chicago, she’s thrilled to finally share a zip code, let alone an apartment, with her boyfriend. But shortly after getting married, Bertsche realizes that her new life is missing one thing: friends. Sure, she has plenty of BFFs—in New York and San Francisco and Boston and Washington, D.C. Still, in her adopted hometown, there’s no one to call at the last minute for girl talk over brunch or a reality-TV marathon over a bottle of wine. Taking matters into her own hands, Bertsche develops a plan: She’ll go on fifty-two friend-dates, one per week for a year, in hopes of meeting her new Best Friend Forever.

In her thought-provoking, uproarious memoir, Bertsche blends the story of her girl-dates (whom she meets everywhere from improv class to friend rental websites) with the latest social research to examine how difficult—and hilariously awkward—it is to make new friends as an adult. In a time when women will happily announce they need a man but are embarrassed to admit they need a BFF, Bertsche uncovers the reality that no matter how great your love life is, you’ve gotta have friends.

Our thoughts: Lisa went through the same thing when she moved to Chicago to be with her boyfriend (now husband). And Lisa also went on a lot of "woman dates" in search of a new "local" BFF. You will love this book about trying to make friends later in life. It's not easy!

Giveaway: FIVE COPIES! Just leave a comment and be entered to win. We'll pick the winners after 3pm PST on Sunday, November 18th.

Fun fact: She's worked for O, The Oprah Magazine and has written for tons of publications including Marie Claire. Oh and there's also the bit about her piece on vibrators that made it onto Howard Stern. But you'll have to ask her about that!

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

CHICK LIT IS NOT DEAD PRESENTS...RACHEL BERTSCHE'S 5 BEST EVERS

1. BEST BOOK: The Things They Carried by Tim O’Brien. I read it in a high school English class and was so struck by it that it became my go-to answer to this question. I recently re-read it to be sure it still deserves the title of Favorite Book Ever, and it does. I’m not someone who usually loves war stories, but The Things They Carried is ultimately about story-telling in general, and it’s so beautiful. (Need to mention my other, second place, favorite books ever: Little Women, Harry Potter—the whole series—Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close, A Prayer for Owen Meany and Zeitoun.)

2. BEST SONG: My husband and I were recently in a cab and the radio was playing and every other song that came on I said, “This is my favorite song!” I said it often enough that I actually heard the cab driver laugh at me.  My iTunes is a mixture of pop music, Broadway showtunes, country and Glee covers. I know, it’s kind of embarrassing. There are some old classics in there too, but I’m the one who is too shy to use her ipod as the playlist when there is a party because I have no cool indie tastes. I’ve usually not even heard of anyone labeled “cool” or “indie.”  I can say that my favorite album of all time is Paul Simon’s Graceland. (Counting Crow’s August and Everything After and Lauryn Hill’s The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill get honorable mentions). And my favorite radio station is Sirius radio’s “90s on 9.” Duh.

3. BEST MOVIE: Oh gosh. So many, again.  For a long time my answer was My Cousin Vinny.  I can quote pretty much the whole thing (“No! The defense is wrong!” I love Maria Tomei.) Lately every time Knocked Up is on TV (a lot) I can’t turn it off. Or School of Rock. But I think today, overall, my favorite movie is Spellbound, a brilliant and hilarious and touching documentary about kids in the national spelling bee.

4. BEST LIFE MOMENT: This is such a cliché answer, but it’s true: My wedding. My husband and I met in college and the combination of getting to marry him after being together for eight years and having almost all the people I love most in the world in one room…that’s kind of the best ever.

5. BEST PIECE OF ADVICE: Don’t wish your life away. My grandfather used to say it to my mom, my mom told me, and I recently passed it on to my Little Brother (not biological, but through Big Brothers Big Sisters, an amazing mentoring program). I heard my Little Bro say it recently—I think he forgot I was the one who mentioned that advice in the first place—and I realized what an important  and sticky lesson it is. I’m always waiting for the next thing, getting frustrated that time won’t pass faster so I can get to another milestone. That’s no way to live. My Little Brother, who is 11, is always saying “I wish I was 16 so I could drive” or “I wish I was 18 so I could vote” and all I can think is how great it would be to be 11 again! So, yeah. Don’t wish your life away.

Thanks, Rachel! xoxo, Liz & Lisa

Heather McElhatton's 5 BEST EVERS

Today's guest: Heather McElhatton Why we love her: We first fell for her when we read her novel, Pretty Little Mistakes and have been fans ever since

Her latest: Jennifer Johnson is Sick of Being Married

The scoop on it: Sometimes tying the knot just means getting strangled

Not too long ago, Jennifer Johnson was stuck in a cubicle, lovelorn and addicted to Cinnabon frosting. Now she's married to her Prince Charming—the handsome, wealthy son of a midwestern department-store magnate. But the grass on this too-manicured other side is not as green as she'd thought.

After a honeymoon from hell at a gated Christian resort in the Virgin Islands—bought and paid for by the in-laws and complete with alcohol-free drinks, curfews, and Satan-free yoga—Jennifer is beginning to have her doubts about the whole "happily-ever-after" thing. Soon she finds herself organizing Valentine's Day abstinence dances with her mother-in-law's church committee and dining with the ladies of the country club, who have their own theories about how to hold on to their men.

Is this really all there is to married life?

Our thoughts: A LOL story to which we can all relate!

Giveaway: FIVE copies! Just leave a comment to be entered to win. Winners will be selected after 3pm PST on Sunday, November 18th.

Fun fact: Her first novel, Pretty Little Mistakes is an adult choose-your-own-adventure!

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

CHICK LIT IS NOT DEAD PRESENTS...HEATHER MCELHATTON'S 5 BEST EVERS

1. BEST SONG: "Don't Rain on My Parade" by Barbara Streisand. Fabulous song from the movie, “Hello Dolly.” I listen to it anytime I'm mad at someone or I’m just down.

2. BEST MOVIE: "Auntie Mame." It's a 1950's movie starring Rosalind Russell and it's about a wildly wonderful woman who 's strong, smart, inventive and excels at living life on her own terms and inb her own very original way, her motto: "Life is a banquet and some poor suckers are starving to death!"

3. BEST BOOK: My father’s thesaurus. A red leather-bound edition of March’s Thesaurus, published in 1925. The soft pages are filled with handwritten notes, poem fragments and even a partial grocery list. I love this book because inside resides all books. All books that were ever or ever will be written. All you have to do is string the pearls and the pearly-words are all lined up like soldiers waiting to be called to duty. The book is filled with lovely memories, besides my fathers notes and my own are artifacts of old. Pressed in between the cotton paper pages are faded flower petals, paper bookmarks, old notecards, ripped theater stubs and there’s a large moth in there that  I killed one night when it persisted in fluttering on the page I was trying to read. I killed him by flomping the heavy  book shut. (NOTE: I didn’t want to kill the moth. At all. I turned off the lights, opened the window, and asked it to leave several times, shooing it away with my hands but in the end my deadline won the battle, I had to get my pages finished and I needed the thesaurus to do this. I always use it when I’m writing, I lug it around with me everywhere. So the moth had to go. I felt very sorry afterwards and decided I would leave him there pressed between the pages, as a memorial bookmark. Later I wrote, “I did not want to kill this moth....” in the margins beside is decimated corpse. Interestingly, his brief life ended in between “Protocol” and “Proverb.”)

4. BEST PIECE OF ADVICE: My father told me “Always carry a knife, always have plenty of cash on hand and always wear sturdy shoes that you can run in.”  I’ve followed this advice all my adult life, to the letter. Another favorite piece of advice came from my mother, who said: “Honey, it takes two people to write a book. One to write it and one to shoot him when it’s done.”   Unfortunately, I have not followed this advice very often, opting instead to struggle with ending my novels in my own time, rather than allow a shadowy doppleganger to explode my head and shoot me with a book-ending-bullet. I will admit though, at times it might’ve been helpful. Lastly, my friend Lilly Cardenas supplied me with a real gem last year. She told me:  “You want it? You got it. Go get it.”

5. BEST LIFE MOMENT: The moment I received that first phone call from Harpercollins and I was told that they wanted to publish my book....that was an amazing moment. I was at Ikea shopping for a Wok, which I’d found and was carrying around with me as I wandered, completely lost, through an endless menagerie of room displays....complete living rooms, dining rooms, kitchens...all decorated to resemble actual rooms in real houses, the sets detailed and complete with open magazines on the coffee tables, shoes lined up in closets, an apple and gleaming paring knife resting on a wooden slicing board in the kitchen.  I was just wondering if a person could hide and live in Ikea undetected, using the various room displays to eat, sleep and read in.... when my phone rang and a lovely voice on the other end said, “Heather McElhatton? This is Alison Callahan at Harpercollins. I have to tell you I’m in love with your book and I want to publish it, but first I need to know if you’re willing to write more of them.”

What? I stood there speechless, holding my Wok as the world whipped around me. I couldn’t hear the woman on the other end of the phone anymore...I was having a mini-seizure/heart attack/muscle cramp/orgasm-spasm and could no longer hear, think or speak. Then someone bumped into me and I snapped out of my daze. I hurried into a nearby office set with a large executive desk, a rolling wingback chair, several green bankers lamps and a wrap-around wall of bookcases, filled with empty books. (Irony!) I commandeered the room as if I was actually in my office at home and  quickly pushed an end table next in front of the executive office’s door, so no one could come in.  I sat down at the desk and said, “Alison? Could you repeat what you just said? I couldn’t quite hear you...”

Thanks, Heather! xoxo, Liz & Lisa

Marian Vere's 5 BEST EVERS

Our guest today: Marian Vere Why we love her: Her writing is fun AND she's a self-proclaimed carb lover!

Her latest: Once Upon A Second Chance

The scoop: Julia's life seemed to be falling perfectly into place. She had burgeoning job prospects in the finance industry, an exciting life in New York City, and a wonderful fiancé, Nick Kerkley, who she was totally in love with. Nick however, while being completely devoted to Julia, did not have the career potential or financial stability to be worthy of someone like her -- or at least that's what she came to convince herself. Hesitantly, Julia ended the relationship, forcing herself to believe it would all be for the best. Little did she know, that one decision would lead both their lives to spiral away from each other, only to converge again. What happens to your fairytale when you let someone else wave the magic wand? Will your dreams of love and enchantment still come true, or will your 'happily ever after' pass by without you?

Our thoughts: A fun and frothy read!

Giveaway: FIVE copies!  Leave a comment and you'll be entered to win!  We'll choose the winners after 3pm PST on Sunday November 18th.

Fun Fact: Liz gave a blurb for Once Upon A Second Chance. Check it out on the front cover!

CHICK LIT IS NOT DEAD PRESENTS...MARIAN VERE'S 5 BEST EVERS

1. BEST SONG: This one is going to have to be two-fold. The music degree in me says ‘Do Not Go Gentle Into That Good Night’ by Elliot Del Borgo, based on the poem by Dylan Thomas of the same name.

The rest of me is going to kick it old school. ‘Your Wildest Dreams’ by The Moody Blues, ‘Uptown Girl’ by Billy Joel, and ‘We Belong’ by Pat Benetar are my three fallbacks that can always lift my spirits. (Scoff if you’d like, but I bet you’re humming one right now, aren’t you?)

2. BEST BOOK: Jane Eyre. What can I say, I’m a sucker for a romance, and this has to be one of the best of all time. It has everything(not the least of which is two average-looking protagonists, something more romantic stories could do with), it will always be relevant, and never fails to make me happy.

3. BEST MOVIE: Oh, that’s hard, as it really depends on the mood I’m in. The Scarlet Pimpernel(1982), Moulin Rouge, and Somewhere in Time are some of my favorites. And while I love a romance, I am also a huge Disney fan and have seen pretty much every animated movie they have ever released. But then who doesn’t like a little Toy Story now and then?

4. BEST LIFE MOMENT: Skipping the obvious (marriage, children, etc.), I have to go with walking with my now husband on his birthday about five years ago. There was really nothing all that special about the evening itself, but we took a walk that evening around a small lake that had both a beach and a boardwalk on it. It was so nice, and for some reason, that evening has always stuck out in my mind.

5. BEST ADVICE: “My goal in life is to live forever. So far, so good.” Okay, I know that’s more of a quote, but it reminds us if we take it one day at a time, nothing is impossible.

Thanks Marian! xoxo, L&L

Stephanie McAfee's 5 BEST EVERS

Today's guest: Stephanie McAfee Why we love her: Two words: Ace Jones

Her latest: Happily Ever Madder: Misadventures of a Mad Fat Girl

The scoop on it: Diary of a Mad Fat Girl’s plus-sized spitfire Graciela “Ace” Jones returns in a hilarious new adventure from New York Times bestselling author Stephanie McAfee.

Ace has left the tiny Mississippi town of Bugtussle for the palm fronds and mojitos of Pelican Cove, Florida. She’s finally opening her long-dreamed-of art gallery, is kick-starting a life with her fiancé, Mason, and has vowed to leave her straight-talking, sassy ways behind her. From now on, she’s going to be as sweet as sugar. Unfortunately, something comes along to sour her plans.

That something is Mrs. Lenore Kennashaw and her coterie of crones. They’re a bunch of snippy, snarky, and just plain mean ’ol ladies who aren’t quite as smart or rich as they’d like to think they are. But that doesn’t stop them from treating everyone else like second-class citizens. And when Ace inadvertently takes some of the steam from Mrs. Kennashaw’s stride, she becomes their #1 enemy. But with the support of a new group of fabulous friends, as well as her friends from Bugtussle—and her always-faithful chiweenie Buster Loo—Ace will find a way to make it, even if she has to throw some weight around…

Our thoughts: We hope she continues writing about Ace Jones. She's so much fun. (We hear there's another book coming in June..)

Giveaway: FIVE COPIES! Just leave a comment to be entered to win and we'll select the winners after 3pm PST on Monday, November 11.

Fun fact: She self-published her debut novel, Diary of a Mad Fat Girl as an e-book and made the NYT and USA Today bestseller lists where it stayed there for nine weeks straight!

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

Where you can read more about Ace: Follow her on Twitter.

CHICK LIT IS NOT DEAD PRESENTS...STEPHANIE MCAFEE'S 5 BEST EVERS 1. BEST SONG: Roll On by Kid Rock. It’s the official theme song of my life. Plus I have a thing for Kid Rock.

2. BEST BOOK: It’s a tie between The Bourne Identity, The Bourne Supremacy, and The Bourne Ultimatum. What can I say? I’m a fan of Robert Ludlum.

3. BEST MOVIE: It’s a tie between Ocean’s 11, Ocean’s 12, and Ocean’s 13. What can I say? I’m a fan of that whole entire freakin’ cast.

4. LIFE MOMENT: Well, I have a three year old so, of course, it would be the day he was born. Coming in second would be the day I found out Diary of a Mad Fat Girl (my little rag-tag self-published version) was on the New York Times and USA Today Bestseller Lists.

5. BEST ADVICE: “You might be happy for two months or you might be happy for twenty years. Either way, that’s time you’ll spend being happy.” Relationship advice from my uncle Mike (AKA Dr. Raines) in 2005. I married the guy we were talking about. That was nearly seven years ago and I’m still pretty happy. I guess we can chalk that up as good advice.

Thanks, Stephanie! xoxo, Liz & Lisa

Roberta Gately's 5 BEST EVERS

Our guest today: Roberta Gately Why we love her: Her debut, Lipstick in Afghanistan, was AWESOME.

Her latest: The Bracelet

The scoop: Newly heartbroken and searching for purpose in her life, Abby Monroe is determined to make her mark as a UN worker in one of the world’s most unstable cities: Peshawar, Pakistan. But after witnessing the brutal murder of a woman thrown from a building, she is haunted by the memory of an intricate and sparkling bracelet that adorned the victim’s wrist.

At a local women’s shelter, Abby meets former sex slaves who have miraculously escaped their captors. As she gains the girls’ trust and documents their horrifying accounts of unspeakable pain and betrayal, she joins forces with a dashing New York Times reporter who believes he can incriminate the shadowy leader of the vicious human trafficking ring. Inspired by the women’s remarkable bravery—and the mysterious reappearance of the bracelet— the duo traces evidence that spreads from remote villages of South Asia to the most powerful corners of the West, risking their lives to offer a voice to the countless innocents in bondage.

Our thoughts: One of our FAVES of 2012.  It's got it all--timely issues, mystery and a little love story.  We promise you'll devour it!

Giveaway: 5 Copies(Sorry, US only!).  Leave a comment and you'll be entered to win!  We'll choose the winners November 11th after 3pm PST.

Fun fact: She knows what she's talking about, yo! A nurse, humanitarian aid worker, and writer, Roberta has served in 3rd world war zones ranging from Africa to Afghanistan.

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

CHICK LIT IS NOT DEAD PRESENTS...ROBERTA GATELY'S 5 BEST EVERS

1. BEST SONG:  “Somewhere” from West Side Story – a song about finding your place and your purpose amidst the angst and chaos of life.  I just love the hopefulness it conveys, the sense that we are all one, and that everything will be okay.

2. BEST BOOK: I don’t think I could ever choose just one.  My first favorite was “The Secret Garden” by Frances Hodgson Burnett.  As a little girl, I read it over and over, and as an adult, I have a copy on my bookshelf and another always ready to give to another budding young reader.   As an adult – my favorite  - “To Kill A Mockingbird” – the story, the characters, the scenes – are all so deftly drawn, each time I read it, I find something new to love.

3. BEST MOVIE: I love old movies and when I first saw “An Affair To Remember” with Cary Grant and Deborah Kerr, I was hooked.  To do this day, it is my feel  good movie, my refuge from a harried world.  I know every line in the movie and I still cry at the end.

4. LIFE MOMENT: Each time, I work with refugees in one remote spot or another, I am humbled and grateful to be allowed into their world, and when I’ve helped to save a life or make things better in a place where some days, it seems there will never be anything better, my heart soars with the pure joy of it.  Though I’ll never be rich, and I will always be counting my pennies, when a refugee child whose days have been filled with hunger and disease and hopelessness, smiles at me, I am the richest person I know.

5. BEST ADVICE: Appreciate everything – the good and the bad.  Every moment makes us who we are and someday, we’ll look back and cherish even the memory of that too tight, too sparkly, sequined dress (what was I thinking?), and the man who loved me in it.

Thanks Roberta! xoxo, L&L