5 Do' and a Do-over

Liz & Lisa's 5 Do's and a Do-Over

So we're quickly figuring out that writing these features is a lot harder than we'd thought it would be- but it's been a lot of fun! Don't forget that it's not too late to enter The D Word HUGE ASS giveaway! .

Here's how the contest will work-It's simple!
  • Buy The D Word(only 2.99!) and email us the receipt at  Lizandlisa@chicklitisnotdead.com to receive an entry to the contest. There is no limit on the number of entries. Every copy of The D Word purchased= one entry.

All receipts must be received by TUESDAY JUNE 21st at MIDNIGHT PST and this contest open to US/Canada only.

Click HERE to see all the FAB prizes you could win. (Hint: IPAD2!)

CHICK LIT IS NOT DEAD PRESENTS...LIZ & LISA'S 5 DO'S AND A DO-OVER

DO-Liz

DO treat yourself to good spray tan every once in a while. Besides the fact that I think the super-hot spray tan girl was totally judging my boobs, this was a great experience! It gave me a little more swagger in my step for the next 7-10 days.   Maybe your indulgence is a hot-stone massage, keratin hair treatment or a mani-pedi with extra massage.  Whatever it is, just remember to take time out of your incredibly busy life to do something nice for yourself every once in a while.

DO forgive others and yourself often. Being angry takes so much energy!  People often tease me that I never stay mad for long and it's true-forgiving the people you're upset with and moving on is the best gift you can give yourself.  Holding on to it is unhealthy and can be destructive.  And don't forget to forgive yourself too!  We all make mistakes, some small, some HUGE, but just remember that tomorrow is a new day.

DO-Lisa

DO realize the power of a teammate in friendships, in partners, in business, in life. I am so lucky to be able to write books with my BFF. But our working relationship would never be a success if we weren't a team. And the same can be said for my marriage. And with my other close relationships. Because, let's face it, we don't always get along and we don't always agree, but we should always be willing to hear each other out, give each other the benefit of the doubt and have each other's back. Bottom line: you don't always have to be on the same page, but you DO have to be on the same side.  That's being a teammate. And if you can get that part down, the rest is smooth sailing.

DO live in the moment. DO appreciate what you have. DO be present. DO be happy. This is probably what I have to work on the most. Constantly doing what I call "pushing the re-set button" and promising myself yet again that I'll stay present, that I won't get caught up in negativity and won't let toxic people and frustrating situations get the best of me. And instead of letting my mind wander to what's wrong, keeping it focused on the positive that's right in front of me. There's a magnet on my refrigerator with a quote from Eleanor Roosevelt: Yesterday is history, Tomorrow is mystery, Today is a gift.

DO-Liz & Lisa Do remember it's never too late to pursue your dream We may have talked for TEN years about writing a book, but we finally did it. It may have taken one of us threatening the other and there may have been some man-handling involved but once we put finger to keyboard, the words flowed and we wondered why we'd waited as long as we did.  So never think that you can't.  Because you can!

LIZ AND LISA'S DO-OVER

This one is tough.  We'd love to say that we have no regrets, but c'mon, let's face it, we grew up in some fashionably unforgiving times.  In fact, we think we'll just present photographic evidence of what should NEVER be repeated.  And yes, that is US in the pictures.

xoxo, Liz & Lisa

Sweet Valley High's Francine Pascal's 5 Do's and a Do-over

Are YOU ready to take a trip down memory lane with Sweet Vally Confidential: 10 Years Later?  We've been chomping at the bit to find out what Liz and Jess (and hottie, Porche driving Bruce Patman) have been up to all these years!  Ah, the nostalgia!  It's intoxicating! Well, the waiting is over because Sweet Valley Confidential: Ten Years Later is available TODAY. Now you can finally return to the idyllic Sweet Valley, home of the phenomenally successful book series and franchise. Iconic and beloved identical twins Jessica and Elizabeth Wakefield are back and all grown up, dealing with the complicated adult world of love, careers, betrayal, and sisterhood.

But seriously, what have those beyotches been up to???!!!

In lieu of that information, we have SVH creator and author Francine Pascal sharing her 5 Do's and a Do-over with us today.  And GUESS WHAT? We have TWO copies to give away-just leave a comment and you'll be entered to win.  That's as easy as Jessica used to be back in the day...(Sorry couldn't resist-we were always Team Liz!)  We'll choose the winners on Friday night after 6pm PST.

CHICK LIT IS NOT DEAD PRESENTS: FRANCINE PASCAL'S 5 DO'S AND A DO-OVER

5 DO'S

1.  Best thing I ever did was to have three children. And lucky for me, they were girls. Nothing like having the fun of your own Sex and the City friends. People who love you, understand you, laugh with you and forgive your mistakes. Of course, you have to wait a bit until they outgrow the awfulness of those teenage years. But it's worth the wait.

2.  Second best thing: Pick up and leave the country after my husband died. I went to France where I knew no one and not a word beyond Merci. It saved my life and gave me my favorite book, If Wishes Were Horses (aka La Villa).

3.  Third best thing: Understanding that ideas were my forte. The first good idea was My Mother Was Never a Kid about a girl who can't get along with her mother and through some time warp goes back to her mother's childhood and becomes her mother's best friend. This was 1974 before all those other movies and books using that same idea. And then I came up with Fearless about a girl born without the fear gene. I made that up and it turned out to be sort of true. And of course, Sweet Valley High.

4.  The fourth important DO is not to stop writing. As long as I have ideas and a computer, I will continue.

5.   But the real winner was to not go into acting. I know now that I would have been a terrible actor. I found that out when I recorded the epilogue for Sweet Valley Confidential-Ten Years Later. I was reading my own words and I was awful, totally without talent.

DO-OVER

I wish I wrote for Saturday Night Live.

 

Thanks Francine!  xoxo, L&L

Want to read more about SVH?  Head on over to their website or find what Liz and Jess are up to on Facebook and Twitter!