BEST FRIENDS FOREVER

Five Things Liz & Lisa didn't know about...Sarah Pekkanen

We've made no secret about the fact that we LOVE Sarah Pekkanen. Her debut novel, The Opposite of Me, will be published by Washington Square Press, an imprint of Simon & Schuster, next week.  But before it hits bookstores, she's holding a Sarah Spike Day with a big raffle for everyone who pre-orders her book this Wednesday, March 3. So, what's in it for you if you pre-order The Opposite of Me on 3/3?  Here are the raffle prizes:

  • A gift bag containing five hot new Simon & Schuster releases
  • Five high-end, cotton t-shirts from Heart Threads Clothing (www.heartthreadsclothing.com). You pick the size, color and secret message printed on the inside of your shirt and worn close to your heart. Five winners!
  • A 30-minute phone consultation with Sarah, in which she'll explain, step-by-step, how she got signed by a literary agent and publisher. This will include an editorial critique of your manuscript of up to 40 pages. If you're not interested in writing a novel, you can gift this prize to anyone you choose.
  • This last prize is one a character in her book, Lindsey, would especially like:  A $35 gift certificate to MAC cosmetics (Lindsey is a fan of their eyeshadow) and a gorgeous red bustier from Affinitas Intimates. It would probably look best on a woman, but we won't pass judgment if the guys want to win it!

If you want to be entered in Sarah's raffle, here’s what to do:

1) On Wednesday, March 3, order The Opposite of Me online from places including Amazon.com, BarnesandNoble.com or Powells.com. If you buy more than one book, you’ll get more than one chance to win.

2) Email your receipt within 24 hours to this address: sarah@sarahpekkanen.com and make sure to put CONTEST as the subject line.

3) Wait to hear if you are one of the winners!

Now for the even bigger news…#1 New York Times bestseller Jennifer Weiner, author of seven blockbusters including Best Friends Forever and In Her Shoes, which was made into a major motion picture staring Cameron Diaz, is supporting The Opposite of Me by holding an extraordinary giveaway of her own! Please visit Jen’s website for the details of how she is giving a free, autographed copy of one of her books to everyone who orders The Opposite of Me!

Remember, these are separate giveaways. So you can enter Sarah's raffle, or Jen’s giveaway, or both! The possibilities are endless!

If you’d like to read the first chapter of The Opposite of Me, a Redbook magazine book club pick, it’s on Sarah's website, www.sarahpekkanen.com. And trust us, it's as good as everyone is saying it is!

And just when you thought things couldn't get ANY better, we also asked Sarah to share five things we didn't know about her.  And, if it's even possible, we think we love her even more after reading them!  We think you will too.

Five Things Liz and Lisa didn't know about...Sarah Pekkanen!

1. I was rejected as a contestant on Wheel of Fortune, despite the fact that I have a Rain Man-like ability to solve puzzles with no letters showing. I’m still bitter; I really wanted to spin that wheel!

2. I wrote part of The Opposite of Me at Chuck E. Cheese. I’ve got three young boys, so I bring my laptop with me wherever I go and squeeze in snatches of writing time. I’ve got this system down at Chuck E.’s: I keep all the tokens on my table and my kids have to come to me every time they need one. So they’re checking in every couple of minutes, and in the meantime, I’m pecking away on my laptop.

3. The Opposite of Me isn’t even the slightest bit autobiographical. The first thing people ask me when they hear the premise of my book – it’s the story of twin sisters who are complete opposites – is whether I’m a twin. Nope; I don’t even have a sister. But I've always been intrigued by the complex relationships my friends have with their sisters, so I tried to make the relationship of my main characters, Lindsey and Alex, as juicy and competitive and loving and tangled as possible. I've heard about twins who are so close that they create their own language, and can feel each other's pain from miles away - but I wondered what would happen to twins who were completely different. What if two sisters had nothing in common, but were constantly being compared? How would that shape their relationship?

4. I started writing books when I was a kid. A few years ago, my niece discovered an old letter I’d written on Raggedy Ann stationery asking a publisher when my book, titled, “Miscellaneous Tales and Poems” would be published. I carry that letter with me every time I go to New York to meet with my publisher, as a reminder that dreams really do come true. Well, at least some dreams. Brad Pitt has yet to show up on my doorstep wearing nothing but a toolbelt and a knowing smile and asking me if I need anything fixed. So maybe it’s only G-rated dreams that come true.

5. When I'm not writing, I love to run marathons and study Latin and organize the clothes in my closet by color and season. Naw, not really. I watch reality TV and eat too much chocolate and worry if my butt looks fat in my favorite jeans.

To read more about Sarah, head on over to  www.sarahpekkanen.com or become a fan on Facebook.

xoxo, Liz & Lisa

25 things Liz & Lisa want to know about Jennifer Weiner

jw-author-photo We are ecstatic that Jennifer Weiner has agreed to share her innermost secrets here at Chick Lit Is Not Dead.  Well, maybe not her innermost secrets, but we were thrilled to discover little nuggets about her. And it turns out, we share a love for the same television shows and all appreciate the word "douchebag"!  We love this woman! In fact, GOOD IN BED is one of Liz's all-time favorite books, and Lisa has read THE GUY NOT TAKEN more times than she can count.

Jennifer is the author of many fabulous Chick Lit novels including her much-anticipated new book, BEST FRIENDS FOREVER, available in just a couple weeks! We can tell from the title alone that we are going to LOVE it! Gee, we wonder why?

After her debut novel GOOD IN BED (2001); came IN HER SHOES (2002) which was turned into a major motion picture starring Cameron Diaz, Toni Collette and Shirley MacLaine; then LITTLE EARTHQUAKES (2004); GOODNIGHT NOBODY (2005); the short story collection THE GUY NOT TAKEN (2006); and CERTAIN GIRLS (2008), the sequel to GOOD IN BED. And because of all her awesomeness, there are more than 11 million copies of her books in print in 36 countries. Kind of makes us want to learn another language...

So give us a drum roll please...CHICK LIT IS NOT DEAD PRESENTS: 25 things Liz & Lisa want to know about Jennifer Weiner!

1.  Inside my purse, you'll discover: My glasses, cinnamon gum, a stray pacifier for the baby.

2.  My secret talent is: nothing I’d want to see in print!

3.  If stranded on an island, the five things I could not live without are: Prescription sunglasses, Blackberry, Carmex lip balm, my Kindle (yes, I know it’s going to kill publishing, but can’t live without it), my Kindle power cord and…wait, is there power on this island?

4.  On my nightstand you'll find: About a dozen books I’m either reading or re-reading; my Kindle, a framed picture of my older daughter (she’s six) from her first birthday.

5.  When I grew up, I wanted to be: A writer! How ‘bout that?

6.  My worst job: When I was sixteen, I worked at a really fancy (well, for suburban Connecticut it was really fancy) restaurant. My job was to walk through the tables with a wicker basket over my arm, offering diners fresh-baked biscuits and raspberry jam. I was the biscuit girl.

7.  My comfort food: Shortbread cookies, chocolate-chip cookies, linzer tarts, garlic-lemon roast chicken with mashed potatoes…and biscuits. Yes, I still love biscuits!

8.  The location where I write: Neighborhood coffee shops and cafes, my closet when I’m home

9.  Three songs on my IPOD's most played list: “You Found Me” by The Fray, “Wore Me Down” by Rachael Yamagata, the “Glee” version of “Don’t Stop Believin’”

10. If I was on the cover of US Weekly, my headline would read: “Jen’s Secret Heartache?” (If I were on the cover of Us Weekly, I can only assume it would be because someone confused me with Jennifer Aniston. In which case the headline could very well be “Jen Lets Herself Go.”)

11. The three books that make me think of my childhood:A Tree Grows in Brooklyn, Little Women, Blubber

12. My favorite Chick Flick: “Working Girl.” Has Harrison Ford ever been hotter? I could watch it every day.

13. My favorite Chick Lit book: An oldie but a goodie: SHEILA LEVINE IS DEAD AND LIVING IN NEW YORK

14. My "must see" TV: How much time have you got? Lost, Grey’s, So You Think You Can Dance, American Idol, Top Chef, Project Runway, How I Met Your Mother and How Do You Solve a Problem Like Maria

15. My Starbucks order: Calm tea in the winter, venti iced decaf with room for milk in the summer (and isn’t “Room for Milk” a great potential book title?)

16. My favorite curse word: Douchebag

17. My celebrity man crush: Alan Rickman. Shutup

18. My celebrity girl crush: Sarah Silverman

19. My writer crush: Tom Perrotta

20. My last meal before execution: Clearly, I would demand to be taken to an all-you-can-eat buffet…and then I’d just say, “Sorry, not done yet.” They’d never be able to kill me!

21. Three words to summarize my book: Great big heart

22. It took me _____  to write my book. Unspeakable quantities of dark chocolate and baked goods

23. My book's original title: It was always BFF!

24. Right now, I'm working on: Packing up the girls for our jaunt to Cape Cod

25. Chick Lit is alive & kicking because: women never get tired of reading about funny, familiar, relatable characters trying to make sense of their lives.

We can't wait to read BEST FRIENDS FOREVER, available on July 14th! Click here to pre-order your copy.  And to find out even more about the divine Jennifer Weiner, head on over to www.jenniferweiner.com.

xoxo,

Liz & Lisa