Lori Nelson Spielman's 5 Firsts & Lasts

Today's guest: Lori Nelson Spielman Why we love her: The premise of her book is so unique! We loved reading every page.

Her latest: The Life List

The scoop: In this utterly charming debut—perfect for fans of Cecelia Ahern’s P.S., I Love You and Allison Winn Scotch’s Time of My Life—one woman sets out to complete her old list of childhood goals, and finds that her lifelong dreams lead her down a path she never expects.

1. Go to Paris 2. Have a baby, maybe two 3. Fall in love

Brett Bohlinger seems to have it all: a plum job, a spacious loft, an irresistibly handsome boyfriend. All in all, a charmed life. That is, until her beloved mother passes away, leaving behind a will with one big stipulation: In order to receive her inheritance, Brett must first complete the life list of goals she’d written when she was a naïve girl of fourteen. Grief-stricken, Brett can barely make sense of her mother’s decision—her childhood dreams don’t resemble her ambitions at age thirty-four in the slightest. Some seem impossible. How can she possibly have a relationship with a father who died seven years ago? Other goals (Be an awesome teacher!) would require her to reinvent her entire future. As Brett reluctantly embarks on a perplexing journey in search of her adolescent dreams, one thing becomes clear. Sometimes life’s sweetest gifts can be found in the most unexpected places.

Our thoughts: Who doesn't have a bucket list? We loved this charming debut about a woman learns valuable lessons while accomplishing hers.

Giveaway: Two copies! Just leave a comment to be entered to win. We'll select the winners on Sunday, August 11th after 12pm PST.

Fun fact: The film option for the book has already been purchased!

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

CHICK LIT IS NOT DEAD PRESENTS...LORI NELSON SPIELMAN'S 5 FIRSTS & LASTS KISS

First: I was a late bloomer, and horrified that I might be ‘sweet sixteen and never been kissed’. Lucky for me, Nick Nicol (yes, the same boy from the book!) saved me from that mortifying plight. He pulled me aside at a party and planted an unexpected kiss on my lips. Then he walked away. It’s the only time in my life I remember actually feeing dizzy from something that didn’t spin.

Last: My husband. This morning. Nice.

BOOK I READ

First: The first chapter book I fell in love with was The Boxcar Children, by Gertrude Chandler Warner. My third grade teacher read it to our class, and I was completely and utterly captivated.

Last: I just finished The Glass Wives, by Amy Sue Nathan. It’s terrific. The premise is so fresh—an ex-wife takes in her husband’s new wife and child after he dies.

RISK I TOOK

First: As a teen, I was pretty mischievous, but I don’t think I’ll go there! My biggest risk ever, one that I struggled most with, was saying goodbye to a wonderful man who loved me. The feelings just weren’t there. He was the Herbert in my life, if you’ve read The Life List, the man I wish I could have loved.

Last: My latest risk involves live, on-air radio interviews—I’m someone who is terrified of public speaking! Just as I was beginning to breathe during these 15-minute segments, crisis hit. Yesterday, I called into the station three minutes prior to the show, as instructed, and received that annoying message telling me my call could not be completed as dialed. What?! Long story short, I was given the wrong area code! I finally connected with about 90 seconds remaining in the show. The host was ticked, I was a wreck, and my cred was completely shot. So much for that PR blitz!

HELL YA! MOMENT

First: In high school I was voted Best Personality, basically, the equivalent of Miss Congeniality in a beauty contest. Some might prefer the title of Best Body or Prettiest Eyes. But me? I said, “Hell ya!”

Last: Last winter, I approached a local bookseller about doing a book event in July. She was skeptical, saying debut authors don’t draw much of a crowd, it’ll be summer and everybody’s on vacation, yada yada yada. Two days ago, I had the event. It was their biggest debut crowd ever, 100+ people, standing room only. They sold out of books at both their stores. Hell ya!

AHA! MOMENT

First: Several years ago I heard Anderson Cooper say that his mother, Gloria Vanderbilt, advised him, “Follow your bliss.” This little phrase resonated with me. I immediately thought of my writing, and vowed to follow Gloria’s advice—and my bliss.

Last: Author Julianna Baggott offered this tip to debut authors: “You are not your book.” Since then, I’ve tried to call The Life List “the book” rather than “my book”. Whether it’s wildly successful or withers on the shelf, I am neither a superstar nor a failure.

Thanks, Lori!

Brenda Janowitz's 5 Do's and a Do-Over

Our guest today: Brenda Janowitz Why we love her: Check out her answers below--how can you not love her?

Her latest: Recipe For a Happy Life

The scoop: Hannah Goodman doesn't grow up like most kids on the Upper East side. Her mother, Gray, is an award-winning photojournalist with little time for the banalities of child-rearing, and when she's not jetting off to follow the latest scoop, she's camped out at the Hotel Chelsea. The closest thing Hannah's got to a traditional matriarch is her grandmother—a glamorous widow six times over with a sprawling Hampton’s estate. But Gray is determined that her daughter resist the siren song of the trust fund set, and make her own way in the world. So Hannah does just that—becoming a successful lawyer in New York City, and dating a handsome musician. Hannah has it all, or so it seems, until one hot June day the carefully constructed pieces of her life break apart. When she throws it all in and seeks solace at her grandmother's estate, she discovers that where happiness is concerned, you don’t have to stick to the recipe.

Our thoughts: You'll be very HAPPY if you treat yourself to this charming novel.

Giveaway: Two SIGNED copies!  Just leave a comment ans you'll be entered to win!  We'll choose the winners after 8am on August 3rd.

Fun Fact: Smarty Pants alert!  Brenda is also an esteemed attorney!

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

CHICK LIT IS NOT DEAD PRESENTS....BRENDA JANOWITZ'S 5 DO'S AND A DO-OVER

I’m so thrilled to be here!!  I’ve been following your site for a while now, but I just needed a new book (ahem) so that I could come on and chat!

It’s been five years (five years!) since my last book came out, and I’m so delighted that RECIPE FOR A HAPPY LIFE is finally on bookshelves.  A lot of people have asked me about the title.  They want to know if it has anything to do with cooking (it does not), or if I can tell them the secret to a happy life (I can try).

As I imagined the grandmother character and the advice she would give to her granddaughter, I wanted her to be non-judgmental and focused solely on her granddaughter’s happiness.  The phrase “that’s not the recipe for a happy life” just came to me, and so it became something that Vivienne says to her granddaughter often. 

Since one of the themes of the book is finding happiness, it was a perfect fit for the title.  And I think it encourages a dialogue—what is the recipe for a happy life?  How can we find it?  Did any of the characters in the book find it?  Can we choose to be happy?  I’ve spent hours debating with friends the question of whether or not we can choose happiness.  (I think we can.)

With that, here are my 5 Do’s and a Do over: Happiness Edition

DO:  Choose to be happy.  You can either approach the day with a big smile or in anger.  Choose the smile. For me, I think that happiness is a choice. Yes, there are major life events that make choosing happiness impossible at times. When my mother had emergency open heart surgery, there was no happiness to be found until I knew she would be okay.  But what I’m talking about is regular day-to-day life. You can either be doing your work, at the supermarket, or picking up your kids with a smile on your face, or you can choose not to make the conscious effort to be happy. When the day gets you down, you can either get angry or laugh it off.

I’ve noticed that when I approach the day with a big smile on my face, it encourages me to be happier. And it makes those around me happier.

DO'S

DO:  Find the things that will make you happy. Writing for me isn’t something I like to do—it’s something I need to do.  Writing is the way I figure out what I think of the world, the way I process things.

About a year ago, I was talking about some personal problems I was having to an old friend of mine (you know that sort of friend you’ve known since you were 18 years old?) and she listened and then asked: have you been writing?  And I had to admit it to myself and to her—I had not.  I told her so, and she looked back at me, no judgments, and simply nodded her head.

Writers need to write.  And when you’re nurturing yourself, allowing yourself to do the thing that you need to do, that always makes you happier.

What’s the thing that you need to do that makes you happy?

DO:  Laugh a lot. I laugh all the time.  Always have.  When I was in nursery school, my teacher told my mother that there was something wrong with me because all I ever did was laugh.  My mother promptly had that teacher fired.

And I’ve never stopped laughing.  Why not?  I always try to find the humor in everything.

DO:  Treasure wonderful friends and family. It’s so hard to find special people in your life.  When you do, grab on and don’t let go.  Nurture the important relationships in your life.  As I get older, I realize how important friends and family are.

DO:  Enjoy the tiny moments in life. So often we’re looking for that big thing.  When I get that promotion, I’ll be happy.  When I finally get married, I’ll be happy.  When I get my book deal, I’ll be happy.

What I’m suggesting is that we embrace the little moments—really soaking in that adorably crooked smile your hubby or boyfriend or crush gives you for no good reason, taking in the moment when your child does something adorable, appreciating that friend who buys you a cupcake one day just because.  It doesn’t have to be anything big—just appreciating life’s little victories, life’s tiniest moments of happy is important.  So, the next time someone complements your outfit out of nowhere, or you see a really beautiful flower, or the cashier lets you use an expired coupon, reflect on it for a second and remember: you have to enjoy the happy moments, no matter how itty-bitty.

DO OVER

It’s so easy to look back at mistakes you’ve made and beat yourself up over it, isn’t it?  Well, I say: look forward.  Sure, learn from those mistakes, but never dwell on them.  Say your apologies and then move on.

After the lesson’s learned, the only important thing is to move forward knowing that you’re smarter and stronger from the experience.  You’ll do better next time.  (And if not, the time after that!)

Thanks, Brenda!

Flash Giveaway: Kissing My Old Life Au Revoir by Eliza Watson

Giveaway: TWO copies of Kissing My Old Life Au Revoir by Eliza Watson The Scoop: Event planner Samantha Hunter is prepared for a few challenges when escorting a group of good ole boy beer distributors to Paris, the city of haute cuisine and fine wines. However, she doesn’t foresee being passed up for a promotion because she is too professional and doesn’t knock back beers with her clients. Her focus soon switches from landing the well-deserved promotion to finding her free-spirited sister, who lives in Paris and has disappeared, leaving behind family secrets to be uncovered. A sexy puppeteer helps Samantha search for clues to her sister’s whereabouts and teaches her to embrace her inner child. And a funeral-crashing psychic demonstrates the importance of living life to the fullest. It takes Samantha’s life spiraling out of control for her to finally get a life.

Our thoughts: She had us at sexy puppeteer! A fun read for sure.

Leave a comment here and you'll be entered to win.  We'll choose the winners after 8am on Sunday, August 4th.

2013 Club: Taylor Jenkins Reid's Forever Interrupted

Today's guest: Taylor Jenkins Reid Why we love her: When we heard Sarah Pekkanen raving, we knew Taylor Jenkins Reid had to be good. And, of course she is! Just read this book, you'll understand.

Her debut: Forever, Interrupted

The scoop: “Have you ever heard of supernovas? They shine brighter than anything else in the sky and then fade out really quickly, a short burst of extraordinary energy. I like to think you and Ben were like that . . . in that short time, you had more passion than some people have in a lifetime.”

Elsie Porter is an average twentysomething and yet what happens to her is anything but ordinary. On a rainy New Year’s Day, she heads out to pick up a pizza for one. She isn’t expecting to see anyone else in the shop, much less the adorable and charming Ben Ross. Their chemistry is instant and electric. Ben cannot even wait twenty-four hours before asking to see her again. Within weeks, the two are head over heels in love. By May, they’ve eloped.

Only nine days later, Ben is out riding his bike when he is hit by a truck and killed on impact. Elsie hears the sirens outside her apartment, but by the time she gets downstairs, he has already been whisked off to the emergency room. At the hospital, she must face Susan, the mother-in-law she has never met—and who doesn’t even know Elsie exists.

Interweaving Elsie and Ben’s charmed romance with Elsie and Susan’s healing process, Forever, Interrupted will remind you that there’s more than one way to find a happy ending.

Our thoughts: We fell in love with this love story.

Giveaway: Two copies. Just leave a comment to be entered to win. The winners will be chosen on Sunday, July 28th after 3pm PST.

Fun fact: Taylor signed a two book deal with Atria and has a second book coming out in the Summer of 2014. It's called After I Do. She also has a dog named Rabbit. Love that!

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

CHICK LIT IS NOT DEAD PRESENTS...2013 CLUB: TAYLOR REID'S FOREVER INTERRUPTED

1. DO’S: 3 things every aspiring novelist should do

Read books, write books, and perfect the art of talking about yourself. You have to know what's being written about in order to figure out what you want to add, you have to train yourself to be a great writer, and then, once you have a book to sell, you have to sell it yourself to agents and, eventually, readers!

2. DON’TS: 3 things every aspiring novelist shouldn’t do

Take it Personally. Take it Personally. Take it Personally. It's worth stating three times because it is the most important thing to do and yet, the very, very hardest.

3. MUST HAVES: On your desk?

Iced Tea. Always.

On your Facebook feed?

Life! My Facebook news feed is where people tell me all about their day to day life and writing is nothing if not learning about life. So much inspiration (and needed distractions) there.

App on your phone? Instagram. I spend so much time communicating with words that it's nice to see people using pictures to do the work.

4. LASTS: Song you listened to on repeat?

I don't know exactly but you can bet it was by Beyonce.

Book you read? Sisterland by Curtis Sittenfeld. Loved it as I knew I would.

Time you laughed? I laugh so often it's hard to remember. I think that's a good sign.

5. HOW MANY: Agents did you query before you found “the one?”

I think I queried 22 people. I remember I had a little list with all of their names and codes for how they responded. I was very excited to put an exclamation point by Carly Watters' name. Hours do you write per day? Hours do you waste online when you should be writing? When I'm actively writing a book, I write 3-5,000 words a day. Sometimes that takes four hours. Sometimes it takes ten. If it takes ten, it's usually because I spent six wasting time online.

6. BESTS: Way to celebrate a book deal?

A nice dinner on the beach in Malibu.

Trick to overcome writer’s block?

I'm inclined to believe it doesn't actually exist. When I don't know what to write, I just give myself permission to write terribly, knowing I'll probably delete it. But once your fingers start moving, and you get the bad ideas out, usually the good ideas come forward. Way to think of a book idea? I tend to start with a small feeling or philosophy I want to explore and then grow out from there. It's always a great moment when you see a scene in your head, make a book idea out of it, start writing that book, and finally get to that scene that was the seed for the book in the first place.

7. NEXTS: Show you’ll DVR?

I'm very excited about Breaking Bad coming back in August. And in September, all the good network stuff is returning! Scandal, Nashville, and New Girl, my DVR awaits your premieres.

Book you’ll read? J. Courtney Sullivan's The Engagements. So excited to start.

Book you’ll write? My second book for Atria is finished. It's called After I Do and it's about a married couple that decides they need to take some time apart. I'm sitting down this week to start a third book and see where it takes me!

Thanks, Taylor!

Flash Giveaway! Sylvia Day's Entwined With You

Giveaway: Two copies of Entwined With You The scoop: The worldwide phenomenon continues as Eva and Gideon face the demons of their pasts, and accept the consequences of their obsessive desires...

From the moment I first met Gideon Cross, I recognized something in him that I needed. Something I couldn't resist. I saw the dangerous and damaged soul inside--so much like my own. I was drawn to it. I needed him as surely as I needed my heart to beat.

No one knows how much he risked for me. How much I'd been threatened, or just how dark and desperate the shadow of our pasts would become.

Entwined by our secrets, we tried to defy the odds. We made our own rules and surrendered completely to the exquisite power of possession...

Our thoughts: It's getting hot in here--in a good way! If you want to "mix things up" on your bookshelf (and maybe other places too, wink, wink), add a little Sylvia Day!

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

Leave a comment to be entered. The winners will be chosen on Sunday, July 21 after 12pm PST.

Jess McConkey's 5 Firsts and Lasts

Our guest today: Jess McConkey Why we love her: You may not know this, but we love a book with some good ol' mystery in it!

Her latest: The Widows of Braxton County

The Scoop: Family secrets can bind and destroy.

Kate is ready to put her nomadic, city-dwelling past behind her when she marries Joe Krause and moves with him to the Iowa farm that has been in his family for more than 140 years. But life on the farm isn't quite as idyllic as she'd hoped. It's filled with chores, judgmental neighbors, and her mother-in-law, who—unbeknownst to Kate until after the wedding—will be living with them.

As Kate struggles to find her place in the small farming community, she begins to realize that her husband and his family are not who she thought they were. According to town gossip, the Krause family harbors a long-kept secret about a mysterious death that haunts Kate as a dangerous, unexplainable chain of events begins.

Our thoughts: Tired of the same ol' same ol'?  Then pick up this mystery!

Giveaway: One SIGNED copy!  Leave a comment and you'll be entered to win!  We'll choose the winners after 8am on Sunday, July 28th.

Fun Fact: Jess also writes books as Shirley Damsgaard!

Where you can read more about Jess: Facebook!

CHICK LIT IS NOT DEAD PRESENTS...JESS MCCONKEY'S 5 FIRSTS AND LASTS

Kiss

First: As I recall, it happened in the neighbor boy’s sandbox when I was approximately 5 years old and was the result of a dare issued by his sister. Always one to rise to a challenge, I planted one on his rather gritty cheek. He yelled “Yuck!” and promptly left the sandbox. So much for my first experience at romance.

Last: I’ve been single for a number of years, so unless I count the peck on the cheek from my five year old grandson, I’m sorry to say that I can’t remember!!

Book read

First: My mother always read Little Golden Books to me so I’m sure my first book was one of those. However my favorite book as a child was THE LITTLE RABBIT WHO WANTED RED WINGS by Carolyn Sherwin Bailey. Many people now say that book discourages children from being individuals, but that isn’t the message that I remember…the message I received was about the importance of being yourself, of accepting who and what you are. Must’ve stuck because that’s basically what every book I’ve ever written is about too!

Last: My taste in reading is all over the board, so as long as a story has a good plot, spunky protagonists, and snappy dialogue, I’m in!! I recently finished The Maggie MacKay: Magical Tracker Series by Kate Danley and really enjoyed it. Another favorite recently read is the latest in Ruth Downie’s Medicus Series--SEMPER FIDELIS: A NOVEL OF THE ROMAN EMPIRE (MEDICUS). Great mystery series about a doctor serving in Rome’s Legions and stationed in Britannia in 122A.D.

Risk Taken

First: Since my life’s philosophy has always been “Damn the torpedoes, full speed ahead,” it’s hard to say what the first risk was. I do recall the time, as a preschooler, I climbed to the top of my swing set just to see if I could do it then being too scared to climb down. My mother finally heard me screaming and rushed out to rescue me. Then there was the time I rode my pony up the loading chute to see if he’d fit…What can I say?? I’ve often thought an appropriate epitaph for me would be “It seemed like a good idea at the time!”

Last: Going camping with my family over the 4^th of July weekend. That might not seem like much of a risk, but it involved six children ranging in the age from 3 to 15 years old; sparklers (several articles of clothing now have burn holes in them courtesy of the three year old who thought he’d see what would happen if he touched someone with a lit sparkler); and four dogs. We were the family no one wanted next to them!

Aha moment

First: Do not put a Shetland pony into a loading chute without dismounting first. (See response to first risk taken.) Unfortunately the “aha moment” came a bit too late and I successfully trapped myself and the horse in the chute. (He was so fat that my legs were pinned against the side of the chute.) Once again it was Mom to the rescue and, except for a few tears, neither child nor horse were damaged in the operation.

Last: The last “aha” moment involved five grandchildren, the tip of a Star Wars light saber, a knife, and a bottle of dish soap. It seems one of my 11 year-old grandsons has inherited my curiosity and decided to see if his finger (the middle one…of course) would fit into the broken end of a light saber. It did…quite well. In fact, so well that I thought it was going to take a trip to the emergency room in order to remove it. The “aha” moment came when I thought of the dish soap. Unfortunately the end was closed so it was necessary to saw off the tip as the other four children gathered round, staring intently. They were no doubt wondering if Grandma was going to get the tip of the finger as well as the tip of the light saber, and if she did, they didn’t want to miss it. The story ends well…the tip was removed (the saber, not the finger) and soap was squirted into the remainder of the tube. A few wiggles later, and voila, the offending object slid off.

Hell ya moment

First: I’m sure there were others before this, but the most memorable “hell ya” moment came when I received author copies of my first book. Fist pumping and a happy dance were also involved.

Last: Not to be redundant…but receiving author copies of this book! But I’m cooler now and don’t dance around the house.

Thanks, Jess!

Make new friends: One is silver and the other gold

Married female seeks meaningful local friendship.  Must Facebook appropriately, text banter effectively, caffeinate properly, proudly watch reality TV and never EVER drink white zinfandel. I promise to listen to your stories with large quantities of head nods, be honest but kind, and never, ever ask why you look so tired. I enjoy happy hours at sunset, being snarky and ignoring my children while chatting on the phone. References provided upon request.

Friends.  For many of us, it's what makes the world go round.  I've often prided myself on the tenure and quality of my friendships. Forever friends, Mom friends, couple friends--no matter what we were doing, spending time with these women always felt like a soft worn-in blanket-warm and comforting.

So when we moved to San Diego to be closer to my family last year, I wasn't really concerned. I mean, Lisa lives thousands of miles away and our friendship has endured. This was only an hour's drive from most of our friends!

And yes, many of them have slept soundly in our new guesthouse.  We have driven back up there. It's been really fun.  And I'm literally six houses away from my mom now--with whom I'm very close. (Even though she really likes to control everything , ahem, I mean, give me really valuable advice all the time...)But I've come to a realization: I need to make some freakin' friends that I'm NOT related to that live within a ten mile radius. And then I came to another realization:  It's damn hard to make new friends as an adult!

Being the new girl on the block ain't easy--I've caught myself several times trying to convince people that I'm not some friendless whorebag.  My best friend lives in Chicago!  And I have other friends too! Look, here's a picture! Look how much fun we were having in Vegas last month! I might as well wear a sign that reads: DON'T WORRY, I'M NOT A LOSER. Or maybe I should carry recommendation letters that attest to my pure heart and vodka drinking prowess? (Lisa, can you write one please?)

Last month, I was sitting in Starbucks when these two woman sat at the table next to me.  I didn't think much of them until they proceeded to have THE BEST SHIT TALKING SESSION EVER. I mean, these ladies were on fire, full on hand gestures, giggling, even a high-fiving at one point. And as I stared at my unsweetened green iced tea and tried to magically turn it into a glass of cabernet, it clicked for me:  I really missed having local girlfriends to meet up with.

Sure, I could call up my girls in my old hood.  But between our conflicting schedules and commute time, it might be 2014 before we can get together.  And yes, we still talk shit via text and email, but every once in a while a girl needs some face time to discuss who's being a jackass on Facebook this week. (Yes, if you post weirdly vague status updates or slutty bathroom mirror selfies, we'll be talking about you!)

It's not that I haven't met some really cool people down here, I certainly have. But I realize that the kind of friendships I'm looking for don't happen overnight--someone who knows your heart, someone who you can truly let your guard down with. But at least I've finally figured out who can handle an F bomb (after a few awkward moments), who to call in a pinch to carpool and who always has a welcoming smile at drop off. I haven't pulled the trigger and asked any of them out on a date--like lunch or coffee or happy hour--because what if they say no? What if my inappropriate comments (And there are so many!) make them squirm?  What if they think I'm that working mom who never has time to volunteer in the classroom? (I totally am!) What if they don't drink wine or Starbucks? (Then it's not going to work out anyway...)

I often hide behind the fact that I'm incredibly busy, that between my full-time sales job and the travel that comes along with it, my writing and my family, there's just not much time left over.  And it's true--most days I feel like I'm drinking from a fire hose that won't turn off. But maybe regardless of all that, I still need to make time for myself--and to make a little room in my life for some new GFs.  Even though it may be a little awkward at first, they'll feel like a comfy soft blanket before I know it. Right?  (This is where you just nod and say, RIGHT!)

I want to hear about your experiences making friends later in life! Was it hard?  Easy?  Painful?

Dina Silver's 5 Things I'd Tell The Teen Me

Our guest today: Dina Silver Why we love her: We love her sweet, sassy narrative! (and so will you!)

Her latest: Finding Bliss

The Scoop: Chloe Carlyle has always longed for the perfect family.

Growing up with an alcoholic single mother, she has seen her share of heartbreak and disappointment, and is striving to build a new legacy for herself. After graduating from college, she takes a job working as a summer girl for the Reeds—a wealthy, accomplished family that personifies her American dream. Her summer takes an unexpected turn when the Reeds’ eldest son, Tyler, the star quarterback for Notre Dame, shows up and turns her life upside down.

An ambitious young woman with a wry sense of humor, Chloe never imagined herself as the type to succumb to the looks and charms of the hometown hero, but she falls hard for Tyler, and is devastated when they part ways at the end of the summer. As she heads off to law school, Chloe tries to convince herself this was just a fling, but she can’t quite get over him. It’s not until Tyler contacts her out of the blue late one winter night that everything changes.

After doing everything in her power to build the perfect life, Chloe soon learns that there are things beyond her control. She must draw on inner reserves of strength as her life takes unpredictable—and sometimes heartbreaking—twists and turns, and she finds herself faced with decisions she never thought she’d have to make. Poignant, heartfelt, and emotional, Finding Bliss is a reminder that you don’t have to live a fairytale life in order to have a happy ending.

Our thoughts: Dina delivers again with this one--make sure to pick it up!

Giveaway: One SIGNED copy!  Leave a comment here and we'll choose a winner after July 28th at 8am.

Fun Fact: Dina is a huge Bon Jovi fan! (And so are we!)

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

CHICK LIT IS NOT DEAD PRESENTS...DINA SILVER'S 5 THINGS I'D TELL THE TEEN ME

1. Misery loves company, yet she’s not a very good hostess. As a general rule, if someone is being bitchy, it’s because they’re not happy with themselves. Miserable people will try to bring you down so that they can feel better about themselves and rejoice in the fact that they’re not alone. Don’t join their party.

2. One day people will be walking around with cameras in their hands at all times, posting pictures and videos of your every move for the world to see. Be grateful you’re growing up in the ‘80s when you can still get away with shit.

3. If he wants to talk to you, he’ll call you. Guys are simple, they’re not nearly as interested in playing games as we are. If he likes you, you’ll know it. Same thing goes for if he doesn’t.

4. You’re young...have fun!!! Enjoy this time when the biggest decision you have is where to meet your friends for brunch on Sunday.

5. Be kind to everyone. This will come back to you in spades. Years later when you walk into an interview, you never know who’ll be sitting behind the desk.

6. You think you’ve got great girlfriends now, just wait until you get to college.

7. Be prepared to regret the following:

--Royal blue eyeliner.

--Parachute pants.

--Covering your lips with concealer then applying pink frosted L’Oreal lipgloss over         them.

--Aussie scrunch hair spray.

--Bangs.

8. Lastly, don’t be such a stubborn control freak, over-achiever. If someone asks you for “5 Things,” don’t give them 8.

 Thanks, Dina!

What's in Liz & Lisa's Beach bag?

July is finally here! As we get ready to head out on vacation this month, we're stuffing our kindles and beach bags with TONS of fab books.  Because nothing makes us crankier than when we have nothing to read!  Here's what we're excited about this month:

Freud's Mistress by Karen Mack and Jennifer Kaufman

The Scoop: A page-turning novel inspired by the true-life love affair between Sigmund Freud and his sister-in-law.

It is fin-de-siècle Vienna and Minna Bernays, an overeducated lady’s companion with a sharp, wry wit, is abruptly fired, yet again, from her position. She finds herself out on the street and out of options. In 1895, the city may be aswirl with avant-garde artists and revolutionary ideas, yet a woman’s only hope for security is still marriage. But Minna is unwilling to settle. Out of desperation, she turns to her sister, Martha, for help.

Martha has her own problems—six young children and an absent, disinterested husband who happens to be Sigmund Freud. At this time, Freud is a struggling professor, all but shunned by his peers and under attack for his theories, most of which center around sexual impulses. And while Martha is shocked and repulsed by her husband’s “pornographic” work, Minna is fascinated.

Minna is everything Martha is not—intellectually curious, engaging, and passionate. She and Freud embark on what is at first simply an intellectual courtship, yet something deeper is brewing beneath the surface, something Minna cannot escape.

In this sweeping tale of love, loyalty, and betrayal—between a husband and a wife, between sisters—fact and fiction seamlessly blend together, creating a compelling portrait of an unforgettable woman and her struggle to reconcile her love for her sister with her obsessive desire for her sister’s husband, the mythic father of psychoanalysis.

Our thoughts: Looking for something a little different from your usual fare? Then pick up this beautifully written book.

Mandatory Release by Jess Riley

The Scoop: Recently paralyzed in a car accident, thirty-year-old Graham Finch spends his days trying to rehabilitate a caseload of unruly inmates and his nights on one bad date after another, attempting to rehabilitate his heart—

—until his high school crush Drew Daniels walks through the prison gates one hot summer morning. On the run from a painful past that’s nearly crushed her faith in love, Drew is a new teacher at Lakeside Correctional. Graham, smitten all over again, tries to redirect his unrequited feelings. But when your heart keeps looking back, it's not easy to turn it forward.

Amidst escalating violence at work, Drew is forced to confront her secrets, find a way to forgive old sins, and learn how to listen to her heart and her head when it comes to men. Graham must also learn to make peace with his own past. Together they realize that if you’re going to save yourself, sometimes the best way to do it is by saving someone else first. If only finding their way to one another was easier than working with convicted felons.

Our thoughts: We loved this hilarious read!

The Husband's Secret by Liane Moriarty

The Scoop: Imagine that your husband wrote you a letter, to be opened after his death. Imagine, too, that the letter contains his deepest, darkest secret—something with the potential to destroy not just the life you built together, but the lives of others as well. Imagine, then, that you stumble across that letter while your husband is still very much alive. . . . Cecilia Fitzpatrick has achieved it all—she’s an incredibly successful businesswoman, a pillar of her small community, and a devoted wife and mother. Her life is as orderly and spotless as her home. But that letter is about to change everything, and not just for her: Rachel and Tess barely know Cecilia—or each other—but they too are about to feel the earth-shattering repercussions of her husband’s secret.

Acclaimed author Liane Moriarty has written a gripping, thought-provoking novel about how well it is really possible to know our spouses—and, ultimately, ourselves.

Our thoughts: Liane is one of our fave authors, and this one is one of her best--pick it up July 30th!

Down and Out in Bugtussle: The Mad Fat Road to Happiness by Stephanie McAfee

The Scoop: When her dream life in Florida with her now-ex-fiancé goes south, so does Ace — she moves back home to Bugtussle, Mississippi, and into her late Gramma Jones' little house. But even though her best friends, Lilly and Chloe, are thrilled that she's returned home, not everything is smooth sailing. Ace wants her job back as art teacher at the high school, but the beautiful Cameron Becker has no plans to relinquish that position. Although Ace wants to run Miss Becker out of town, she accepts a job as a substitute teacher. On top of her job woes, Ace's friends keep setting her up on blind dates when all she really wants is for people to stop meddling in her love life.

In her quest to find inner peace, Ace takes up gardening and discovers old love letters in her grandmother's well-worn gardening book. With her faithful chiweenie, Buster Loo, by her side, Ace is determined to get to the bottom of her Gramma's secret life, all while hoping her own doesn't implode.

Our thoughts: You'll feel anything but down and out while reading this!

Table For Seven by Whitney Gaskell

The Scoop: On New Year’s Eve, Fran and Will Parrish host a dinner party, serving their friends a gourmet feast. The night is such a success that the group decides to form a monthly dinner party club. But what starts as an excuse to enjoy the company of fellow foodies ends up having lasting repercussions on each member of the Table for Seven Dinner Party Club.

Fran and Will face the possibility that their comfortable marriage may not be as infallible as they once thought. Audrey has to figure out how to move on and start a new life after the untimely death of her young husband. Perfectionist Jaime suspects that her husband, Mark, might be having an affair. Coop, a flirtatious bachelor who never commits to a third date, is blindsided when he falls in love for the first time. Leland, a widower, is a wise counselor and firm believer that bacon makes everything taste better.

Over the course of a year, against a backdrop of mouthwatering meals, relationships are forged, marriages are tested, and the members of the Table for Seven Dinner Party Club find their lives forever changed.

Our thoughts: Delightful!  Pick up a copy for you vacay today!

Anton Disclafani's 5 Firsts & Lasts

Today's guest: Anton Disclafani Why we love her: Her narrative is addicting, her debut novel is CAPTIVATING.

Her debut: The Yonahlossee Riding Camp for Girls

The scoop: It is 1930, the midst of the Great Depression. After her mysterious role in a family tragedy, passionate, strong-willed Thea Atwell, age fifteen, has been cast out of her Florida home, exiled to an equestrienne boarding school for Southern debutantes. High in the Blue Ridge Mountains, with its complex social strata ordered by money, beauty, and girls’ friendships, the Yonahlossee Riding Camp for Girls is a far remove from the free-roaming, dreamlike childhood Thea shared with her twin brother on their family’s citrus farm—a world now partially shattered. As Thea grapples with her responsibility for the events of the past year that led her here, she finds herself enmeshed in a new order, one that will change her sense of what is possible for herself, her family, her country.

Our thoughts: Top book of 2013 for sure--whether you love, hate or totally judge Thea, you won't be able to put this one down.  An Absolute MUST READ. 

Giveaway: Two copies. Just leave a comment and be entered to win. We'll select the winners on Sunday, July 14th after 3pm PST.

Fun fact: She currently teaches creative writing at Washington University.

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

CHICK LIT IS NOT DEAD PRESENTS...ANTON DISCLAFANI'S 5 FIRSTS & LASTS

1. KISS

First:  A red head (the first and last time I ever kissed a red head.)

Last:  My husband (I hope I can say that for the rest of my life.)

2. BOOK YOU READ

First:  Charlotte’s Web is the first book I can remember reading by myself and loving, in second grade.  My parents, eager to get me reading for life, paid me 10 cents a chapter.  They stopped paying me, but sometimes I think of how much money I could have accumulated if they hadn’t!

Last:  Belle Cora, by Philip Marguiles (it’s out this January).  It’s long, and totally engrossing.  It felt like Deadwood (one of my favorite TV shows) come to life.

3. RISK I TOOK

First:  Hmm…I was a pretty shy, reserved child, so everything I did felt like a necessary risk.  I remember being particularly scared of the first day of school each year.  It’s still a relief, when September comes around, to know I don’t ever have to go through that again.

Last:  Riding a gigantic horse.  I rode all throughout childhood and adolescence, and then I started again a year ago.  I’m much more aware of how far I am from the ground this time around.

4. HELL YA! MOMENT

First:  Convincing my mom to buy me the neon pink skirt from Limited, Too, and wearing it to school in second grade.  I was so proud.

Last:  Running three miles without stopping.  I have a love/hate relationship with running, and it took me forever to build up to that distance.  I’m a master at convincing myself not to exercise, so tricking myself into actually doing it feels great.

5. AHA! MOMENT

First:  at 16, walking into a grocery store with my filthy riding clothes on--I was working at a barn that summer. I was so tired I didn't care if people noticed...and, to my surprise, nobody batted an eye. I was pretty shy as a child, and that was the first time I realized that NO ONE cared. It was pretty liberating.

Last: getting on a horse again after ten years. It was scary and amazing and thrilling all at once.

Thanks, Anton!

Meg Waite Clayton's 5 Things I'd Tell the Teen Me

Today's guest: Meg Waite Clayton Why we love her: Her writing draws us in from page one.

Her latest: The Wednesday Daughters (Out July 16th!)

The scoop: It is early evening when Hope Tantry arrives at the small cottage in England’s pastoral Lake District where her mother, Ally, spent the last years of her life. Ally—one of a close-knit group of women who called themselves the Wednesday Sisters—had used the cottage as a writer’s retreat while she worked on her unpublished biography of Beatrix Potter, yet Hope knows little about her mother’s time there. Traveling with Hope are friends Anna Page and Julie, first introduced as little girls in The Wednesday Sisters, now grown women grappling with issues of a different era. They’ve come to help Hope sort through her mother’s personal effects, yet what they find is a tangled family history—one steeped in Lake District lore.

Hope finds a stack of Ally’s old notebooks tucked away in a hidden drawer, all written in a mysterious code. As she, Julie, and Anna Page try to decipher Ally’s writings—the reason for their encryption, their possible connection to the Potter manuscript—they are forced to confront their own personal struggles: Hope’s doubts about her marriage, Julie’s grief over losing her twin sister, Anna Page’s fear of commitment in relationships. And as the real reason for Ally’s stay in England comes to light, Hope, Julie, and Anna Page reach a new understanding about the enduring bonds of family, the unwavering strength of love, and the inescapable pull of the past.

Our thoughts: A layered and rich novel, we love this follow-up to The Wednesday Sisters!

Giveaway: ONE copy. Just leave a comment to be entered to win. We'll select the winner on Sunday, July 14th at 3pm PST.

Fun fact: Check out this special pre-order offer!

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

CHICK LIT IS NOT DEAD PRESENTS...MEG WAITE CLAYTON'S 5 THINGS I'D TELL THE TEEN ME

1. Embrace Your Brains.

Smart girls are sexy, at least to the right kind of guy. And who wants the wrong kind? But more importantly, who you are is going to be a lot more important to you than who your date is—or if it isn’t you are in big trouble.

But while you’re at it, check out that guy sitting next to you in honors math. In twenty years, he’s going to look a whole lot better than some of those jocks, and be much better company. Honestly, he’s a better bet for the prom, too.

 2. Success Starts with Being Willing to Fail.

There is some possibility your mom and dad are already telling you this, but all that Catholic girls-are-meant-to-be-perfect stuff is getting in the way. Perfect is boring, and while success is nice, safe success is nothing compared to taking risks. If you want to be every thing you were meant to be, giving up worrying about failing and reach. It might feel sort of like driving too fast, but you know you like that too.

3. Appreciate Your Neck.

There are so many parts of you that are that you’re missing as you’re appling the benzoil peroxide. I’m sorry to report that the acne is not ever going away. Seriously. You have a beautiful neck.

4. Don’t Ever Think You Can’t.

See #2 above. You won't know how much you can do until you try.

 5. Make Sure “The One” Will Do His Share of the Laundry.

You hate doing laundry already. What makes you think you’re going to like doing twice as much? Any guy who respects you is going to want to do his share of the drudge work. Don’t settle for less.

Thanks, Meg!

Mia March's 5 Firsts and Lasts

Our guest today: Mia March Why we love her: Her books hit all the right notes.

Her latest: Finding Colin Firth

The scoop: After losing her job and leaving her beloved husband, journalist Gemma Hendricks is sure that scoring an interview with Colin Firth will save her career and marriage. Yet a heart-tugging local story about women, family ties, love, and loss captures her heart— and changes everything. The story concerns Bea Crane, a floundering twenty-two-year-old who learns in a deathbed confession letter that she was adopted at birth. Bea is in Boothbay Harbor to surreptitiously observe her biological mother, Veronica Russo—something of a legend in town—who Bea might not be ready to meet after all. Veronica, a thirty-eight-year-old diner waitress famous for her “healing” pies, has come home to Maine to face her past. But when she’s hired as an extra on the bustling movie set, she wonders if she is hiding from the truth . . . and perhaps the opportunity of a real-life Mr. Darcy.

These three women will discover more than they ever imagined in this coastal Maine town, buzzing with hopes of Colin Firth. Even the conjecture of his arrival inspires daydreams, amplifies complicated lives, and gives incentive to find their own romantic endings

Our thoughts: LOVED it just as much as Mia's delightful debut, The Meryl Streep Movie Club!

Giveaway: TWO copies-just leave a comment to be entered--we 'll choose the winners after 3pm PST on July 14th.

Where to read more about Mia: Facebook and Twitter

CHICK LIT IS NOT DEAD PRESENTS...MIA MARCH'S 5 FIRSTS AND LASTS

KISS

First kiss: For two summers in a row at my sleepaway camp, I had a very serious crush on a tall, skinny boy named Milo who played the drums in the camp band. Finally, the summer I turned 13, he asked me to the ice cream social and leaned over and kissed me on the lips while waiting for our butter pecan cones (both picked same flavor, which I of course thought meant we were destined for each other). It happened so fast I almost missed it, so I kissed him. A counselor came over wagging her finger at us, but we sneaked in a few more over the next hour. A nice memory. I have no idea what became of Milo.

Last kiss: I recently adopted an adorable beagle mix with the cutest face ever, so I kissed her on the snout just moments ago. I kiss her velvety ears all the time too.

BOOK

First book: The first book I remember reading is Caps for Sale: A Tale of a Peddler, Some Monkeys and Their Monkey Business by Esphyr Slobodkina. I loved those tsking monkeys in the trees. When my son was very little, he’d ask for that book every night at bedtime and couldn’t wait to get the pages with the naughty monkeys.

Last book: I just started The Engagements by J. Courtney Sullivan. The story of how the slogan Diamonds Are Forever came about it is so fascinating!

RISK

First risk: The first real risky move I made involved moving from New York City to Maine almost ten years ago. A city of eight million to a town of eight thousand. I wasn’t sure what small town life would be like, but turns out I love it and was meant for white picket fences all along. Or maybe just now.

Last risk: This does not sound all that risky, but adopting a dog (as a first time dog owner) from a local shelter scared the beehoosus out of me. As a cat person, I didn’t know anything about dogs except that they barked and required potty walks. But one look at that precious beagle’s face at the shelter, and I fell in love. She was so mellow and gentle and sweet! Three months later, it’s as if she was always with us. She may be the only dog (and beagle) who rarely barks.

HELL YA MOMENT

First: When I typed The End on the last page of my debut novel. I felt electric.

Last: Is it too boring that it involves piecrust? I’d been working on my homemade piecrust for a while and something was always meh about it until recently. Frozen butter is the key to the hell ya forkful.

AHA MOMENT

First: I was twelve and read Wuthering Heights for English class. Oh, Catherine and Heathcliff! That book started my love of reading the classics—and my love of brooding heroes. In my twenties I went on vacation to England and walked the very moors where the Bronte sisters dreamed up their novels. Those moors and those sisters inspired me to write.

Last: I know I sound obsessed with my sweet little dog (okay, I am), but who knew that having a dog would be this wonderful? (Everyone but me, apparently.) Walking her 4 times a day gives me open space to stop and smell the blue hydrangeas (abundant here in Maine) and contemplate story ideas and plot points. As I type right now, she’s curled up next to me, her chin on my thigh.

Thanks, Mia!

2013 Club:Jessica Brockmole's Letters from Skye

Today's guest: Jessica Brockmole Why we love her: She has written a captivating debut and we are already anticipating her next!

Her debut: Letters from Skye (Out today!)

The scoop: A sweeping story told in letters, spanning two continents and two world wars, Jessica Brockmole’s atmospheric debut novel captures the indelible ways that people fall in love, and celebrates the power of the written word to stir the heart.

March 1912: Twenty-four-year-old Elspeth Dunn, a published poet, has never seen the world beyond her home on Scotland’s remote Isle of Skye. So she is astonished when her first fan letter arrives, from a college student, David Graham, in far-away America. As the two strike up a correspondence—sharing their favorite books, wildest hopes, and deepest secrets—their exchanges blossom into friendship, and eventually into love. But as World War I engulfs Europe and David volunteers as an ambulance driver on the Western front, Elspeth can only wait for him on Skye, hoping he’ll survive.

June 1940: At the start of World War II, Elspeth’s daughter, Margaret, has fallen for a pilot in the Royal Air Force. Her mother warns her against seeking love in wartime, an admonition Margaret doesn’t understand. Then, after a bomb rocks Elspeth’s house, and letters that were hidden in a wall come raining down, Elspeth disappears. Only a single letter remains as a clue to Elspeth’s whereabouts. As Margaret sets out to discover where her mother has gone, she must also face the truth of what happened to her family long ago.

Our thoughts: As not only authors but best friends who live two thousand miles apart, we appreciate the power of the written word. Letters from Skye, told entirely through letters, is a powerful story of love and loss.

Giveaway: 3 copies! (One of them is signed!) Just leave a comment to be entered to win. We'll select the winners on Sunday, July 14th after 3pm PST

Fun fact: Lisa met Jessica last night at a book signing and it made her love the novel even more.

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

CHICK LIT IS NOT DEAD PRESENTS...2013 CLUB: JESSICA BROCKMOLE'S LETTERS FROM SKYE

1. DO'S: 3 things every aspiring novelist should do

Trust, innovate, and listen. Trust in your own passion, then use that passion to fuel writing that makes your heart sing. Listen to those writers who went before you, as their encouragement and advice are invaluable.

2. DON'TS: 3 things every aspiring novelist shouldn't do

Doubt, imitate, give up. Don’t stop believing in yourself or thinking that you have to write to a certain formula. Persevere!

3. MUST HAVES: On your desk?

Stacks of all the research books for my current project. Even if I’m not reading them, I like to surround myself with the history.

On your Facebook feed?

All of my writing friends. To see their news, from publishing deals to the excitement of finishing a draft, inspires me!

App on your phone?

Twitter. Some of the best history stuff is posted before I wake up, and I catch up while doing my morning elliptical.

4. LASTS: Song you listened to on repeat?

Damien Rice’s The Blower’s Daughter. Never fails to pull emotion from me while writing.

Book you read?

The crisply excellent The Vanishing Act of Esme Lennox by Maggie O’Farrell.

Time you laughed?

My kids make me laugh all the time. Do I have to pick just one?

5. HOW MANY: Agents did you query before you found "the one?"

I sent 180 queries out over the course of three books, before I signed with the fabulous Courtney Miller-Callihan of Sanford J. Greenburger Associates.

Hours do you write per day? Hours do you waste online when you should be writing?

When I find myself doing more of the latter than the former, I give my social media passwords to my critique partner for safekeeping. I do my writing while the kids are off at school, and at night after everyone is in bed.

6. BESTS: Way to celebrate a book deal?

Sleeping in and then going out for the most heavenly lemon ricotta pancakes at a local restaurant. Oh, and bouncing a lot!

Trick to overcome writer's block?

I don’t believe in writer’s block (I don’t want to give myself an out), but when I’m frustrating myself through an idea, I change location and I keep moving. Running, driving, pacing a circle through my kitchen.

Way to think of a book idea?

I am always thinking of book ideas, unfortunately. A footnote in a history book, a dropped storyline on a TV show, a mused “what-if,” all get jotted on index cards and tucked into a drawer. When I’m ready to start a new project, I take all of the cards out and see which ideas fall together to make a book.

7. NEXTS: Show you'll DVR?

I love shows with smart writing and, at times, a healthy dose of irreverence. The next thing I’ll DVR will be one of the shows on USA.

Book you'll read?

I have Julie Kibler’s Calling Me Home up next on my Nook. Excited to read it!

Book you'll write?

I’m currently working on a book coming out with Ballantine next summer. Set before and during WWI, it centers around a pair of artists and how the war changes their budding relationship and the world of beauty they once knew.

Thanks, Jessica!

Flash Giveaway! Beth Harbison's Chose the Wrong Guy, Gave Him the Wrong Finger

Giveaway: One print and two audio copies of Chose the Wrong Guy, Gave Him the Wrong Finger (Out today!) The scoop: Ten years ago, Quinn Barton was on her way to the altar to marry Burke Morrison, her high school sweetheart, when something derailed her. Rather, someone derailed her—the Best Man who at the last minute begged her to reconsider the marriage. He told her that Burke had been cheating on her. For a long time. Quinn, stunned, hurt, and confused, struggled with the obligation of fulfilling her guests’ expectations—providing a wedding—and running for her life.

She chose running. With the Best Man. Who happened to be Burke’s brother, Frank.

That relationship didn’t work either. How could it, when Quinn had been engaged to, in love with, Frank’s brother? Quinn opted for neither, and, instead, spends the next seventeen years working in her family’s Middleburg, Virginia, bridal shop, Talk of the Gown, where she subconsciously does penance for the disservice she did to marriage.

But when the two men return to town for another wedding, old anger, hurt, and passion resurface. Just because you’ve traded the good guy for the bad guy for no guy doesn’t mean you have to stay away from love for the rest of your life, does it? Told with Beth Harbison's flair for humor and heart, Chose the Wrong Guy will keep you guessing and make you believe in the possibilities of love.

Our thoughts: Funny and highly entertaining--in both the book and audio format--definitely read or listen to this novel when you're at the pool this summer!

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

Leave a comment to be entered. The winners will be chosen on Thursday, July 11th after 8am PST.

Shelley Noble's 5 Firsts & Lasts

Today's guest: Shelley Noble Why we love her: She writes the perfect beach reads!

Her latest: Stargazey Point (Out July 9th!)

The scoop on it: Devastated by tragedy during her last project, documentarian Abbie Sinclair seeks refuge with three octogenarian siblings, who live in a looming plantation house at the edge of the world.

South Carolina’s Stargazey Point used to be a popular family beach resort, but the beaches have eroded, most of the businesses have closed, and the crowds have gone. It's the perfect place to hide from the rest of world.

But hiding is harder than she thought it would be. There's a wise Gullah woman who seems to see into Abbie's soul, and an intriguing man on a quest to bring Stargazey Point back to life.

Our thoughts: Loved this story about friendship and starting over.

You should also read Stargazey Nights, the prequel e-novela to Stargazey Point.

Fun fact: Shelley also writes mysteries under the name Shelley Freydont.

Giveaway: Two copies. Just leave a comment to be entered to win. We'll select the winners on Sunday, July 14th after 3pm PST.

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

CHICK LIT IS NOT DEAD PRESENTS...SHELLEY NOBLE'S 5 FIRSTS & LASTS

Kiss

First: My first kiss was in the cloak room of first grade.  We had just finished Rhythm Band.  I remember because he got to play the triangle and I only had to be happy with the wooden sticks. We’d put our instruments away and had been sent row by row to the get our sweaters and jackets for the playground.  It was fairly dark in the clock room. And I’ll never know whether he actually meant to kiss my cheek, tell me a secret, or what, because as he leaned forward, I turned my head. And our faces bashed together. Luckily it didn’t break someone’s nose.  I should have guessed then that the road to love doesn’t always go as expected.

Last: My last kiss was a twofer. Both my children live across two rivers in Queens and Brooklyn.  They came out to Jersey this past week, both in the same week! And they both kissed me when I dropped them off at the train station to return home.  A perfect culmination of the week.

Book I read

First: My grandmother was pen pals with a lady in England, who always sent me a book for special occasions.  Once when she came for a visit, she also introduced me to toasted pound cake and jam sandwiches.  Yum.  One of the books was a small, beautifully illustrated Sleeping Beauty, the other favorite was the Teddy Bear’s Picnic. They’re both still on my bookshelf!

Last: I just finished The Firebird by Susannah Kearsley. I usually order her books from Canada the minute they’re available, but this year I was so busy with deadlines (yay!) that I didn’t get it until it was available here.  I drove to the bookstore to buy the trade paperback because she always writes the kind of book I want to hold in my hand, read and reread and look at on my bookshelf.

Risk I took

First: I’m not sure whether I actually remember this, or whether it was a bit of exaggeration or a cautionary tale.  But when I was three I would pull a chair over to the refrigerator, climb up so I could open the door, climb down, move the chair closer, then climb up again and steal the butter, which I ate by the stick while still standing on the chair.  Did I think I wouldn’t be caught?

Last: As it turns out, I’m in the middle of a risk taking opportunity.  I’ve been living in the perfect apartment for the last five years.  Now the landlord is selling the house and I’m not loving the new owner.  So I thought, hmm.  Empty nest, work at home,  I could go just about anywhere that I can afford. Uh.  Now what? I’ve been waffling between the town next door, going “down the shore” as we say in Jersey for going to the beach, or even  putting my furniture in storage and taking a year to try different places.  While also keeping a pretty hefty writing schedule?  Maybe the last choice might be more of a pipe dream than an acceptable risk.  I let you know how it turns out.

Aha! Moment

First: My first serious aha moment was the night I arrived at college.  I’m from the south, had always been extremely shy, was seen and not heard, sometimes not seen.  I was very comfortable making up stories in my head.  I also had a very soft southern accent.  I was sitting next to a man (who was not from the south) on the plane and I realized as I talked to him, that I was beginning to sound like him.  By the end of the flight I had changed my accent.  And as I stepped off that plane I realized that if I could change the way I talked, I probably could convince people I wasn’t shy. I could make myself whatever I wanted to be. I’m happy to say I didn’t turn into a con artist but have been a college teacher, a professional dancer and a published author. Every day is a reinvention.

Last: A successful day for me is a lot of a little aha moments. It means I’m paying attention not just going through the day. The kernel of an idea, a blue sky overhead, when I decide not to yell a gypsy curse at the guy who cut me off in the intersection. A few of those each day are enough to make me stop and realize, Wow, how cool is this?

Hell Ya! Moment

First: Before I became an author  I was a professional dancer and toured with several dance companies.  I remember one performance with Twyla Tharp, I think it was Buenos Aires, we were on stage taking our final curtain call.  Bows are taken in full stage light. The “house” lights are dark, so you can only see a few rows of audience.  You listen and feel the response for how much they liked the performance—or not.  But that night, to thunderous applause, the theatre turned on the house lights.  A thousand people, dressed to the nines, were on their feet clapping. They glittered more than we did.  There we were face to face with our own success. There’s nothing like that kind of rush.  Of course we still had to come back and perform again the next day and the next.  But it was definitely a hell ya moment I’ll never forget.

Last: My Hell Ya moment was when my agent and editor both emailed me to say that Beach Colors, my last summer’s women’s fiction, had made the New York Times ebook best seller list. Picture Whoopi Goldberg when she learns she’s the real Santa in the movie Call Me Claus.  It was a hell ya, cool dude, yo mamma moment all rolled into one.

Thanks, Shelley!

Janis Thomas's 5 Firsts and Lasts

Our guest today: Janis Thomas Why we love her: Her writing has sass and style!

Her latest: Sweet Nothings

The Scoop:  Life’s sweetest moments happen when you least expect them . . .

When Ruby McMillan’s husband announces one morning that he’s dumping her for another woman, she’s unable to decide which indignity stings the most: the dissolution of their eighteen-year marriage or the deflation of her white-chocolate soufflé with raspberry Grand Marnier sauce. Without a good-bye to their two teenaged children, Walter leaves Ruby to cope with her ruined dessert, an unpaid mortgage, and her failing bakery.

With only royal icing holding her together, Ruby still manages to pick herself up and move on, subsidizing her income with an extra job as a baking instructor, getting a “my-husband’s-gone” makeover, and even flirting with her gorgeous mortgage broker, Jacob Salt. For as long as she can remember, Ruby has done what’s practical, eschewing far-fetched dreams and true love in favor of stability. But suddenly single again at the age of forty-four, she’s beginning to discover that life is most delicious when you stop following a recipe and just live.

Our thoughts: Holiday weekend reading FOR SURE!

Giveaway: TWO copies! Just leave a comment and you'll be entered to win.  We'll choose the winners on Sunday July 6th after 3pm.

Fun Fact: Janis is multi-talented--she has written 50 songs!

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

CHICK LIT IS NOT DEAD PRESENTS...JANIS THOMAS'S 5 FIRSTS AND LASTS

KISS

FIRST: My first kiss happened on the day of my first wedding. Okay, let me clarify. My first wedding took place in the girls’ bathroom of Anderson Elementary School when I was five years old. I married John Boat that fine morning. He later moved away and I was left to raise our Madam Alexandra dolls all by myself.

LAST: I just gave my daughter a smattering of kisses on her freckled seven-year-old nose. And before that, my husband—or, uh, second husband if you count John Boat—gave me a peck on the cheek as he left for work.

Yes, I know. Bo-ring! See, now, if you’d asked me what my hottest kiss was, I could tell you a wonderful story that involved a restaurant basement and an industrial-strength juicer. Oh well…

BOOK I READ

FIRST: There is no way I can remember my first book but I do remember the first book that affected me in a cathartic way, and that was The Secret Garden. My mother and I read it together when I was about six.

LAST: My friends and I started a book club this year, which I have wanted to do for ages. There are only four of us, but we still manage to make it a party. Although some of the books have been rather difficult to get through, it’s fun to try new things, and I’m reading books I would never choose for myself. Our book this month is Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern (I’m loving it).

RISK I TOOK

FIRST: The first major risk I took was when I moved to New York City right after I graduated from college. I’d lived in Southern California my whole life and I wanted to see how other people lived, to experience different cultures and different ways of life. It should be noted that my first night living in Manhattan, I came face to face with a canine-sized cockroach and a man peeing into the gutter. (It’s a helluva town!) But despite my less than spectacular introduction, the next eleven years were amazing.

LAST: Last risk I took? Um…I’m thinking. I jumped out of a plane…fifteen years ago. What real risks have I taken since then? A few months ago I auditioned for a televised baking competition, but that was more of a lark to publicize my first book, Something New. I recently purchased a PADI certification course for scuba-diving. (And if you saw me in a wet suit, you’d understand just how much of a risk this is.) So although I haven’t actually taken the risk yet, I will be in the near future. Can I count that?

AHA MOMENT

FIRST: My first Aha Moment was probably in fourth grade when I played Dorothy in The Wizard of Oz. Being on the stage and pretending to be someone else and sweeping the audience away into the land of the imagination was an amazing feeling. It’s the same feeling I get with writing.

LAST: I don’t want to sound maudlin, but my last Aha Moment came at my mom’s funeral just three weeks ago today. She was an amazing woman who lived life to the fullest. She touched every person she met and had admirers all over the globe. She loved fully and passionately. She traveled and saw more places than most people dream of. I’ve always been aware of how blessed I am to have had her as my mother. And as I sat in the chapel and listened to my family talk about Mom, as I watched the photo montage we’d put together, I realized that I want to be just like her. I want to smile and laugh as much as she did, see the world with my children, as she did, and touch people with generosity and kindness, as she did. I also realized that life is short, so I better get on it!

HELL YA MOMENT

FIRST: In eighth grade, I was invited to the annual awards banquet. I figured that meant I might be winning an award, right? Wrong. All I got was a silly little pin for getting straight A’s throughout middle school. Whoopee. I spent three hours watching many of my peers nab various awards while I sat waiting, hoping, wishing my name would be called. It wasn’t. Fast forward four years. I was invited to my high school awards banquet. After having an unpleasant flashback which had nothing to do with rubber chicken, I told my teacher I wouldn’t be attending. She gave me a scathing glare and said, “Oh, yes you will be attending.” And I did. And not to sound immodest, but that night, I spent more time out of my seat than in it. It was a very fun and heady experience. Of course, the next day, I was just me again.

LAST: My most recent Hell Ya moment was last month at my daughter’s second grade play. My daughter was one of the leads, Freida the Frog. She was awesome. Moms occasionally find themselves wondering why they ever had kids in the first place. But seeing my daughter on that stage, singing and dancing her heart out, cracking the audience up with her comic timing, I was proud beyond words. “Hell Ya, that’s my girl!” (And also, I was comforted by the thought that if she makes a fortune on the stage and screen, she’ll be able to take good care of me in my old age. Which is the answer to the question of why we have kids, no?)

Thanks, Janis! 

2013 Club: Mary Simses' The Irresistible Blueberry Bakeshop & Cafe

Today's guest: Mary Simses Why we love her: This debut is sweet and charming!

Her debut: The Irresistible Blueberry Bakeshop & Cafe' (Out July 9th!)

The scoop: A high-powered Manhattan attorney finds love, purpose, and the promise of a simpler life in her grandmother's hometown.

Ellen Branford is going to fulfill her grandmother's dying wish--to find the hometown boy she once loved, and give him her last letter. Ellen leaves Manhattan and her Kennedy-esque fiance for Beacon, Maine. What should be a one-day trip is quickly complicated when she almost drowns in the chilly bay and is saved by a local carpenter. The rescue turns Ellen into something of a local celebrity, which may or may not help her unravel the past her grandmother labored to keep hidden. As she learns about her grandmother and herself, it becomes clear that a 24-hour visit to Beacon may never be enough. THE IRRESISTIBLE BLUEBERRY BAKESHOP & CAFE is a warm and delicious debut about the power of a simpler life.

Our thoughts: A delicious debut you'll devour! (Say that three times fast!)

Giveaway: TWO copies! Just leave a comment to be entered. We'll select the winners on Sunday, July 7th after 12pm PST.

Fun fact: You can read the first chapter of The Irresistible Blueberry Bakeshop & Cafe here!

Where you can read more about Mary: Her website, Facebook and Goodreads. 

CHICK LIT IS NOT DEAD PRESENTS...2013 CLUB: MARY SIMSES' THE IRRESISTIBLE BLUEBERRY BAKESHOP & CAFE

DO'S: 3 things every aspiring novelist should do

Start small. I think writing short stories is the best way to get started. Most novelists have done this, including me. Writing a good short story forces you to create and develop a character and take a plot from the beginning to the end in a few pages. It’s also a lot less daunting than writing an entire novel.

Find a fiction writing class and/or writer’s group in your area. What you can learn from others about voice, plot structure, character development, and general story-telling mechanics is invaluable. And other writers can provide so much inspiration. I got back into fiction writing, after a long hiatus, by taking an evening class at a university. That was what really got me going and was probably the most important thing I did.

Write things down – ideas for stories, bits of conversation you overhear, interesting situations you learn of, character names you come up with. Keep a little booklet where you can jot down notes and put it on your bedside table at night. It’s too easy to forget things if they’re not written down.

DON'TS: 3 things every aspiring novelist shouldn't do

Don’t think the fact that you have a regular job means you can’t be a writer. And don’t use that as an excuse not to write. Write whenever you can – at night, on weekends, early in the morning, on busses, on airplanes, on jet skis (well, maybe not on jet skis . . .).

Don’t fall so in love with your words that you can’t be a ruthless editor. It’s important to be able to let go and cut excess verbiage, knowing it’s for the good of the story. Whether it’s legal writing or fiction writing, I’ve found that if I can put the work away for a little while, I can come back to it later with fresh eyes and the will to get rid of what’s not necessary.

Don’t keep your work in a drawer. If you want to get it published, you’ve got to get it out there, whether it’s a short story you’d like to place with a literary magazine or a novel you hope to have accepted by a major book publisher. Novel and Short Story Writer’s Market is a good source of information on fiction markets, agents, and contests. I found it very helpful when I was trying to get short stories published.

MUST HAVES: On your desk? On your Facebook feed? App on your phone?

My writing desk is very small because it’s just a laptop table for my tiny Sony laptop. Although I have a home office, I never write there – that’s where I pay bills and do other more mundane things. I prefer to write in the bedroom, in a nook that has two big windows and a lot of light. I typically have a cup of tea or a cold drink handy, and one of our cats is usually lying near my feet – or in my lap with his paws dangerously close to the keyboard, which sometimes makes for very interesting prose.

Facebook feed. I like to get information on what authors and musicians I admire are doing. Other than that, I’m just happy looking at the photos of graduations, birthday parties, vacations, and dogs-and-cats-doing-cute-things that come in.

Phone apps. Scrabble –I love to play the computer; Shazam – for those emergencies when I can’t identify a piece of music I like; and Pandora – for music in general. I also like to open my Little Piano every now and then and attempt to belt out a tune on its miniscule keys, although it’s tough without sharps and flats. (I used to play the real thing, full-sized and with all eighty-eight keys.)

LASTS: Song you listened to on repeat? Book you read? Time you laughed?

“It Could Happen to You,” performed by Diana Krall. I could put just about anything of hers on repeat – forever. Sultry voice, amazing pianist, and she does all of the old jazz standards I love.

Last Book I read: Hemingway’s Girl. A sweet novel, historical fiction.

Last time I laughed: In the car with my fifteen-year-old daughter and her friends. I began imitating the music they like (which I don’t like), they thought it was funny (you never know, with teenagers), and we all started cracking up.

HOW MANY: Agents did you query before you found "the one?" Hours do you write per day? Hours do you waste online when you should be writing?

Agents: I was very lucky, and mean very lucky here. The author, James Patterson, who is a friend of mine, read my manuscript. He liked it, gave me some wonderful suggestions, and then took the final manuscript to his publisher, Little, Brown, with the caveat that although there was, of course, no guarantee they would publish it, at least they would read it. They did end up deciding to publish it, which was wonderful news. Although I don’t currently have an agent, I may look for one for my next book.

Hours I write: My days aren’t consistent so it’s hard to say. I try to write every day, at least for a little while, but on some days I don’t write at all and on others I write for hours. When I’m not writing, I feel as though I should be writing – not because I feel guilty but because I enjoy doing it so much.

Hours wasted online: I don’t waste too much time on line. Once or twice a week I post things on my author Facebook page, including photographs I’ve taken. (Like my character, Ellen, I’m a inveterate shutterbug.) I keep up with email and I do sometimes surf the net but it’s usually for research on something I’m writing about. Usually.

BESTS: Way to celebrate a book deal? Trick to overcome writer's block? Way to think of a book idea?

Celebrate a book deal: My husband and I celebrated my book deal by having dinner and a great bottle of wine at a restaurant we love. A good friend and author advised me to celebrate all of the little milestones along the way – from getting the book accepted to finishing the edits to receiving the galleys to returning the galleys to receiving the final copies. She said that because the process is so long, by the time the carton of books finally arrives at your front door it’s almost anti-climactic, and that celebrating along the way is really important. Did I do that? Well, a little bit. Probably not enough. It’s good advice though.

Trick to overcome writer’s block: Brainstorm with someone who can give you fresh ideas. Do something other than write – let your mind go on holiday for a while. That’s usually when I’m able to resolve a problem I’m having or when something that’s been muddled begins to gel.

Way to think of a book idea: Eavesdrop on peoples’ conversations, read the newspaper, listen to the radio, look through magazines. Write historical fiction about someone whose life you think was interesting. There are a zillion stories out there.

NEXTS: Show you'll DVR? Book you'll read? Book you'll write?

The HBO show, “Family Tree,” which I think is hysterical. I’m a big fan of Christopher Guest. I love his humor. And I’ve been working with a genealogist on a family tree project myself so I can relate to it. I’ll also DVR Downton Abbey when it comes back on just because it’s such great eye candy.

Book I’ll read –  Atonement by Ian McEwan. Although I’ve read a few of his other books I’ve not yet read that one. I’d also like to reread The Deptford Trilogy by Robertson Davies, one of my favorite authors.

Book I’ll write – I’m working on a book about a woman who goes to visit her parents at their family home on the Connecticut  coast and must come to terms with some unfinished business in her past.

Thanks, Mary!

Tracey Garvis Graves's 5 Firsts and Lasts

Our guest today: Tracey Garvis-Graves Why we love her: Her debut, On the Island was fantastic!  And we fell even more in love when we met her last month at BEA.

Her latest:  Uncharted-An On the Island novella! (only 2.99!!!)

The Scoop: When twenty-three-year-old dot-com millionaire Owen Sparks walked away from his charmed life, he had one goal in mind: get as far away as possible from the people who resented his success, or had their hand out for a piece of it. A remote uncharted island halfway around the world seemed like a perfectly logical place to get away from it all.

Calia Reed wasn't part of Owen's plans. The beautiful British girl—on holiday in the Maldives with her brother, James—made Owen wonder if getting away from it all might be a lot more enjoyable with a carefree girl who didn't know anything about the life he left behind.

But Owen had no idea how much his carefully detailed plans would go awry. Nor did he realize that a decision he made would have such a catastrophic effect on two passengers who boarded a plane in Chicago.

And when Owen shows up at Anna and T.J.'s door with an incredible story to tell, everyone involved will learn just how much their lives are intertwined.

Our thoughts: We can't WAIT to read catch up with TJ and Anna!  SO excited!

Fun fact: On the Island was picked up by Penguin after it's incredible self publication sales!

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

CHICK LIT IS NOT DEAD PRESENTS...TRACEY GARVIS GRAVES 5 FIRSTS AND LASTS

KISS

FIRST-My 7^th grade boyfriend and I embarked on the world’s longest kissing session when we were at a party. Neither of us really knew what we were doing or that we could take a break to come up for air. I mostly remember worrying that I might pass out from lack of oxygen.

LAST -My dog caught me unaware and slipped me the tongue about an hour ago. I’m embarrassed to admit that this happens frequently. Thankfully I also receive daily kisses from my kids and my husband.

BOOK I READ

FIRST-The first book I can remember reading – and loving – is The Monster at the End of This Book. You can probably imagine my delight the first time I read it to my own children.

LAST-The last book I read was The Interestings by Meg Wolitzer. I am not a huge literary fiction reader, but this book blew me away. The writing is simply gorgeous. I had the pleasure of meeting Meg when I was in New York for BEA. I may have frightened her with my fangirling.

RISK I TOOK

FIRST-I have always been very risk-averse. I have a fearless twin sister who was always the first to try new things, whether it was swimming in the deep end or learning how to drive a car. I have always been the cautious, careful, non-daredevil twin. However, when I wrote On the Island I took a huge risk because the main characters have a thirteen year age difference, and it’s the woman who’s older. She’s also the younger male character’s tutor. I really wanted to write a desert island book, and I knew that I wanted to put two people on an island – two people who should never be together – and see if I could convince the readers to not only fall in love with them as individual characters, but also root for them to be together. I was very, very lucky that readers embraced Anna and T.J. the way they did because it could have easily gone the other way.

LAST-My most recent risk involves following up a contemporary romance novel with a book that fits more solidly in the women’s fiction category. It’s tempting as a writer to write a book that is similar to the one that came before it. It’s safe. It’s comfortable. You know your readers will probably embrace it because you’re giving them more of something they already like. But Covet became the story I just had to tell because it was the one I couldn’t get out of my head.

I know my readers are probably expecting another love story like Anna and T.J.’s, but Covet is about a married couple who live in the suburbs. I remember back in late 2008 when the recession was in full-swing. I was a stay-at-home-mom at the time and my husband was in real danger of being laid off. He works in commercial real estate and it would have been very hard for him to find another job. We were extremely fortunate because he was able to keep his job, but this experience is what gave me the spark of an idea for Covet: What if my husband had lost his job and been out of work for an extended period of time? What might have happened to an otherwise strong marriage if an outside event like this had upset the status quo? I wrote the book to find out the answers to these questions.

HELL YA! MOMENT

FIRST-I have two of them. The first was when my agent informed me that On the Island made the New York Times bestseller list. It was late on a Wednesday night and my kids were in bed and my husband wasn’t home. I was overcome with excitement and there was no one I could share the news with, so I excitedly announced the news to my dog, Chloe. That’s probably why she kisses me all the time. I also e-mailed my dad and stepmom, and I used lots of exclamation points. The second truly surreal moment came when I sold over 100,000 copies of the self-published version of On the Island in one month.

LAST-There have been several recent reviews of Covet where the reviewer really understood what I wanted to do with this book. Covet is a book that I think many women can relate to, because it’s about marriage and family and the struggles and triumphs within. The characters are very human. It’s wonderful knowing that my intentions for this book are being realized, and that I was able to successfully transfer them to the page.

AHA! MOMENT

FIRST-A friend invited me to a psychic party about fifteen years ago. It was just for fun and I enjoyed hearing the psychic’s predictions. I saw this same psychic a few more times and even hosted my own party, which was a big hit. But one time she really floored me by saying she thought it would be a good idea for me to write a book someday. She didn’t give me any details other than to say, “I think once the kids are a little older you’ll just want something for yourself.” This was about ten or eleven years ago, and I kind of forgot about it. Fast forward to 2011. I was working full-time and in the final revision stage of On the Island.  I had been spreading myself pretty thin and I was exhausted. My husband was gently chastising me and saying that I was going to get sick if I didn’t slow down a bit. I ranted and raved about how I was so close to being done and so happy that I was about to accomplish my goal of writing a novel. I wanted him to know how much it meant to me so I turned to him and said, “I just want something for myself!” It was then that I remembered that those had been the psychic’s exact words, and my aha! moment came when I realized that it’s okay to want something outside of marriage and children that’s just for you. Who wouldn’t want that?

LAST-This one is fairly recent. In the last year I’ve focused so intently on my deadlines that I’ve let a few important things fall by the wayside, including exercise, regular social activity (just try getting me out of the house when I have a book due), and time to let my brain re-charge by letting my mind wander. My goal is to achieve a better balance because even though writing brings me great joy, there are many other things that make me happy, too. I’m also starting to learn the power of saying “no” when it needs to be said.

Thanks, Tracey!

2013 Club: Holly Robinson's The Wishing Hill

Our guest today: Holly Robinson Why we love her: It's always delightful to discover a wonderful new author!

Her debut: The Wishing Hill

The scoop: What if everything you knew about your life was wrong?

Years ago, Juliet Clark gave up her life in California to follow the man she loved to Mexico and pursue her dream of being an artist. Now her marriage is over, and she’s alone, selling watercolors to tourists on the Puerto Vallarta boardwalk.

When her brother asks her to come home to wintery New England and care for their ailing mother, a flamboyant actress with a storied past, Juliet goes reluctantly. She and her self-absorbed mother have always clashed. Plus, nobody back home knows about her divorce—or the fact that she’s pregnant and her ex-husband is not the father.

Juliet intends to get her mother back on her feet and return to Mexico fast, but nothing goes as planned. Instead she meets a man who makes her question every choice and reawakens her spirit, even as she is being drawn into a long-running feud between her mother and a reclusive neighbor. Little does she know that these relationships hold the key to shocking secrets about her family and herself that have been hiding in plain sight.…

Our thoughts: We think you'll really connect with this heartfelt novel.

Giveaway: 3 copies! Just leave a comment and you'll be entered to win.  We'll choose the winners after 3pm on Sunday, July 7th.

Fun Fact: Another reason to never give up--it took Holly 25 years to sell a novel. And now here she is!  Congrats!

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

CHICK LIT IS NOT DEAD PRESENTS...2013 CLUB: HOLLY ROBINSON'S THE WISHING HILL

DO'S: 3 things every aspiring novelist should do

1. Read everything, even the science fiction your nerd husband gives you.  You never know where you'll find inspiration.

2. Listen more than you talk, especially at family gatherings where your great aunt Betty is telling that story about her brother's broken heart or in restaurants where people are making a scene.  Stories are everywhere, waiting for you to capture them in your net.

3. Believe in yourself enough to give your writing the time it deserves.  You are in charge of your schedule, and only you have the power to schedule writing into your day.  That means paying for day care to write fiction, people!  You're definitely worth it!

DON'TS: 3 things every aspiring novelist shouldn't do

1. Write the stories that you would want to read, not the stories that you think will sell.  Your passion will shine through on the page only if you put your heart into the words.

2. Don't bother being jealous.  As in all of life, there will always be writers smarter and more successful than you are—and others who will never make it as far as you have right now.

3. Don't write anywhere near the kitchen. Too tempting to eat, sweep or do dishes.

MUST HAVES: On your desk? On your Facebook feed? App on your phone?

On your desk:  An iPod with headphones to shut out the noise in the library or the kids fighting in the living room, a small but essential package of dark chocolate-covered almonds to dole out every paragraph or every chapter as needed, and a thermos of tea or coffee.

Leave your Internet disabled if possible and lock your phone in your car.

LASTS: Song you listened to on repeat? Book you read? Time you laughed?

The last song I listened to on repeat was Pink and Nate Ruess singing “Just Give Me a Reason” because it captures the uncertainties of love as well as any novel.

The last book I read was Lily King's brilliant FATHER OF THE RAIN; King writes about love—love of a daughter for a father, a man for his wife, a woman for a man, a sister for a brother—better than any other contemporary author.

And the last time I laughed?  Just a minute ago, when my cat rolled over and fell off my desk, then looked insulted in that way only cats can.

HOW MANY: Agents did you query before you found "the one?" Hours do you write per day? Hours do you waste online when you should be writing?

I was fortunate to find a wonderful agent through one of my graduate school classmates.  He has represented me for twenty years—through many magazine articles and nonfiction books; my own memoir, THE GERBIL FARMER'S DAUGHTER; celebrity memoir ghost writing projects; and now, finally, a novel, after having five of them rejected!  (See: I beat both of you!)

Because I make a living as a writer, I write nearly all day, or at least until I get interrupted by my children needing a ride or the dog begging for a walk.  Or maybe it's the other way around:  children begging, dog needing.  Whatever.  Since I spent many years as a single mom writing around the edges of my life, I'm not much of a time waster if I have a deadline.  I know the value of an hour!

BESTS: Way to celebrate a book deal? Trick to overcome writer's block? Way to think of a book idea?

I celebrated my last book deal in a way I hope to do with all of my books:  with a party for all of the friends and family members who helped me along the way!

Book ideas come to me from everywhere. The universe is always trying to give writers book ideas.  The trick is finding one that wakes your creative muse and keeps her sitting on your shoulder and yammering in your ear until you've finished writing it!

NEXTS: Show you'll DVR? Book you'll write?

My husband and I are deep into Game of Thrones.  (Remember that I'm married to a nerd!)  I also am a fanatic fan of reality shows like American Idol and So You Think You Can Dance, mainly because they make me feel better about my rejections.  At least I don't have to write for my life on national TV!

The book I'm working on now, BEACH PLUM ISLAND, is a novel about three sisters searching for a brother they never knew they had until their dying father told them he existed—it's due out in April 2014 with NAL/Penguin.

Thanks, Holly! 

Flash Giveaway! Wendy Francis' Three Good Things

Giveaway: Three SIGNED copies of Three Good Things The scoop: ELLEN McCLARETY, a recent divorcée, has opened a new bake shop in her small Midwestern town, hoping to turn her life around by dedicating herself to the traditional Danish pastry called kringle. She is no longer saddled by her ne’er-do-well husband, but the past still haunts her—sometimes by showing up on her doorstep. Her younger sister, Lanie, is a successful divorce attorney with a baby at home. But Lanie is beginning to feel that her perfect life is not as perfect as it seems. Both women long for the guidance of their mother, who died years ago but left them with lasting memories of her love and a wonderful piece of advice: “At the end of every day, you can always think of three good things that happened.”

Ellen and Lanie are as close as two sisters can be, until one begins keeping a secret that could forever change both their lives. Wearing her big Midwestern heart proudly on her sleeve, Wendy Francis skillfully illuminates the emotional lives of two women with humor and compassion, weaving a story destined to be shared with a friend, a mother, or a sister.

Our thoughts: Loved this funny and heartfelt novel about sisters!

Where you can read more about Wendy: Her website.

Leave a comment to be entered. The winners will be chosen on Sunday, June 30th after 8am PST.