Best Books of the Month: October Edition

Fall is FINALLY here! And so are a bunch of amazing books! We have one copy of each of these awesome novels to give away! Leave a comment to be entered. Contest will close on Sunday, October 19th after 8am PST.

The Way Life Should Be by Christina Baker Kline

The Scoop: Angela can feel the clock ticking. She is single in New York City, stuck in a job she doesn’t want and a life that seems to have, somehow, just happened. She inherited a flair for Italian cooking from her grandmother, but she never seems to have the time for it—these days, her oven holds only sweaters. Tacked to her office bulletin board is a photo from a magazine of a tidy cottage on the coast of Maine—a charming reminder of a life that could be hers, if she could only muster the courage to go after it.

On a hope and a chance, Angela decides to pack it all up and move to Maine, finding the nudge she needs in the dating profile of a handsome sailor who loves dogs and Italian food. But her new home isn’t quite matching up with the fantasy. Far from everything familiar, Angela begins to rebuild her life from the ground up. Working at a local coffeehouse, she begins to discover the pleasures and secrets of her new small-town community and, in the process, realizes there’s really no such thing as the way life should be.

Our thoughts: A Fall Favorite!

Little Mercies by Heather Gudenkauf

The Scoop: Veteran social worker Ellen Moore has seen the worst side of humanity—the vilest acts one person can commit against another. She is a fiercely dedicated children's advocate and a devoted mother and wife. But one blistering summer day, a simple moment of distraction will have repercussions that Ellen could never have imagined, threatening to shatter everything she holds dear, and trapping her between the gears of the system she works for.

Meanwhile, ten-year-old Jenny Briard has been living with her well-meaning but irresponsible father since her mother left them, sleeping on friends' couches and moving in and out of cheap motels. When Jenny suddenly finds herself on her own, she is forced to survive with nothing but a few dollars and her street smarts. The last thing she wants is a social worker, but when Ellen's and Jenny's lives collide, little do they know just how much they can help one another.

A powerful and emotionally charged tale about motherhood and justice, Little Mercies is a searing portrait of the tenuous grasp we have on the things we love the most, and of the ties that unexpectedly bring us together.

Our thoughts: Don't miss this one!

Vintage by Susan Gloss

The Scoop: At Hourglass Vintage in Madison, Wisconsin, every item in the boutique has a story to tell . . . and so do the women who are drawn there.

Violet Turner has always dreamed of owning a shop like Hourglass Vintage. When she is faced with the possibility of losing it, she realizes that, as much as she wants to, she cannot save it alone.

Eighteen-year-old April Morgan is nearly five months along in an unplanned pregnancy when her hasty engagement is broken. When she returns the perfect 1950s wedding dress, she discovers unexpected possibilities and friends who won't let her give up on her dreams. Betrayed by her husband, Amithi Singh begins selling off her old clothes, remnants of her past life. After decades of housekeeping and parenting a daughter who rejects her traditional ways, she fears she has nothing more ahead for her.

An engaging story that beautifully captures the essence of women's friendship and love, Vintage is a charming tale of possibility, of finding renewal and hope when we least expect it.

Our thoughts: We couldn't put it down!

The Banks of Certain Rivers by Jon Harrison

In the lakeside resort town of Port Manitou, Michigan, dedicated teacher and running coach Neil Kazenzakis shoulders responsibilities that would break a lesser man: a tragic accident has left his wife seriously debilitated, he cares for his mother-in-law who suffers from dementia, and he’s raising his teenage son, Chris, on his own. On top of all that, he’s also secretly been seeing Lauren, his mother-in-law’s caregiver.

When Neil breaks up a fight one day after school, he doesn’t give the altercation much thought. He’s got bigger issues on his mind, like the fact that Lauren is ready for a commitment and he has to figure out a way to tell Chris that he’s in a serious relationship with someone other than the boy’s mother. But when an anonymous person uploads a video of the fight to YouTube, the stunning footage suggests Neil assaulted a student. With his job, his family, and his reputation suddenly in jeopardy, Neil must prove his innocence and win back the trust of the entire community—including his son’s.

Our thoughts: A riveting novel that will keep you guessing until the very end!

Woman King by Evette Davis

The Scoop: Nobody who works with superstar political consultant Olivia Shepherd knows that she has supernatural empathic abilities—and that’s just how she likes it. But when she wakes up one morning to find Elsa, an ancient time-walker, standing in her kitchen, Olivia can no longer ignore her gifts or the mystical path that awaits her. Soon she is plunged into the hidden world of powerful “Others” who operate beneath the dense fog of San Francisco.

Drafted to work for the Council, a shadowy organization that controls the fate of humanity, Olivia must decide whether to dedicate herself to its cause. Complicating matters further is Olivia’s new love interest, William, a centuries-old vampire who is far too jaded to take an interest in human affairs. As shocking details from Olivia’s own past emerge and her role in the world begins to take shape, will she rise to the challenge of her destiny?

Our scoop: Looking for something different? THIS!

The Firelight Girls by Kaya McLaren

The Scoop: The summers you spend at summer camp are indelibly etched on your heart. But what happens when the camp you love is about to close? Can you ever really say goodbye to the place that made you who you are?  These are the questions that plagues Ethel, the seventy-year-old former camp director who is nursing a broken heart after losing the love of her life as she now faces the impending closure of the camp on Lake Wenatchee that she called home. It's also a question that inspires change in forty-year-old Shannon, who spent the summers of her youth as a vibrant, capable camp counselor and is now directionless after watching her career implode. And there's Laura, who has lost all intimacy with her husband and doesn't know if she can save what seems to be gone forever.  Finally, Ruby, who betrayed Ethel years ago and hasn't spoken to her since, hopes this will be her chance to make amends. When the four women learn that a homeless teen has been hiding at camp, they realize camp is something much more immediate for all: survival.

And so the three generations of women search for a way to save the place that saved them all, finding in the process a way back to themselves and each other in The Firelight Girls, Kaya McLaren's novel of love and loss, heartbreak and healing.

Our thoughts: We couldn't put this down!

Outrageous Optimist by Lyne Noella

The Scoop: Outrageous Optimist is the story of family, friendship, romance, failure and fresh starts. Lisette Latour shutters her San Francisco marketing agency and returns to Playa Tiempo to regroup after over-investing in Silicon Valley startups. While applying for work, Lisette discovers that her San Diego County hometown has blossomed in her absence, with citizens as creative and unorthodox as those she left behind in San Francisco. An exploding microbrewery scene, a handsome but elusive attorney, clean skies and intrigue beguile Lisette, making it difficult to choose between family and friends in Playa Tiempo and the opportunities and lifestyle of the big city.

Our thoughts: Fun, Fun, FUN!

She Sins At Midnight by Whitney Dineen

The Scoop:  Lila Montgomery, thirty-two-year-old Hollywood assistant extraordinaire, has a secret. On the outside, she’s a hard-working dedicated employee, a good friend, and a loving daughter. But above all else, she’s been raised to be a lady, which of course is why she’s determined to conceal her secret life. If her straight-laced friends and family back home ever discover that she is really the smashing new author of a steamy romance novel, their disapproval would shame her forever! That’s why Lila has chosen to publish her sexy narrative under the nom de plume, Jasmine Sheath. With her fifteenth high school class reunion on the horizon, Lila finds herself at a crossroads. More than anything she wants to go home and see her childhood friends but is embarrassed that she hasn’t accomplished the things she feels she should have by this time in her life; mainly marriage and children.

After another brutal run-in with Melinda Forrester, Oscar nominated actress and client of her boss, Josh Furber, Lila decides that fleeing Hollywood for a month is the best thing for her. Lila packs her bags for her childhood home of Bentley Hills, sure that her friends and family will be the touchstone of normalcy that she so desperately needs. What she doesn't expect is that Melinda will follow her and a tabloid media circus will ensue! Not only does Lila discover that her home is nothing like she remembers, but she meets and falls in love with the very man that inspired the hero in her novel. She Sins at Midnight is full of laugh out loud hi-jinks that will make you never look at Hollywood the same way again! Author, Whitney Dineen, swears that this novel is based purely on fiction and that any characters bearing any resemblance to any celebrities you know are completely and totally fictitious; even though she spent eighteen years in La La Land, with a celebrity client base for her real job…

Our thoughts: A juicy read!

Aunty Lee's Deadly Specials by Ovidia Yu

The scoop: Rosie “Aunty” Lee, the feisty widow, amateur sleuth, and proprietor of Singapore’s best-loved home cooking restaurant, is back in another delectable, witty mystery involving scandal and murder among the city’s elite. Few know more about what goes on in Singapore than Aunty Lee. When a scandal over illegal organ donation involving prominent citizens makes news, she already has a list of suspects. There’s no time to snoop, though—Aunty Lee’s Delights is catering a brunch for local socialites Henry and Mabel Sung at their opulent house. Rumor has it that the Sung’s fortune is in trouble, and Aunty Lee wonders if the gossip is true. But soon after arriving at the Sung’s house, her curiosity turns to suspicion.

Why is a storage house she discovers locked? What is the couple arguing about behind closed doors? Where is the guest of honor who never showed up? Then, Mabel Sung and her son Leonard are found dead. The authorities blame it on Aunty Lee’s special stewed chicken with buah keluak, a local black nut that can be poisonous if cooked improperly. Aunty Lee has never carelessly prepared a dish. She’s certain the deaths are murder—and that they’re somehow linked to the organ donor scandal. To save her business and her reputation, she’s got to prove it—and unmask a dangerous killer whose next victim may just be Aunty Lee.

Our thoughts: Another deliciously scandalous mystery from Ovidia Yu!

Liz & Lisa's Book Club: Never Too Late by Claire Cook

Claire Cook, the bestselling author of eleven novels, has proven time and time again that she can write compelling and entertaining fiction that leaves you wanting more. (Must Love Dogs, anyone?) And now with her latest, Never Too Late: Your Roadmap to Reinvention (Without Getting Lost Along the Way), she's proving that she also excels at writing non-fiction. And not just any type of non-fiction. She has penned a funny, yet informative guide to living the life you actually want to live. (Go to ClaireCook.com to read an excerpt and to download a free workbook.) And we have a copy to give away! Just leave a comment and you’ll be entered to win. Contest closes on October 12th at 8am PST.

The scoop: Claire Cook speaks to real women—our fears and obstacles and hopes and desires—and gives us cutting edge tools to get where we want to go. Bursting with inspiration, insider stories, and practical strategies. Filled with humor, heart, encouragement, and great quotes. Claire Cook shares everything she's learned on her own journey— from writing her first book in her minivan at 45, to walking the red carpet at the Hollywood premiere of Must Love Dogs at 50, to becoming the international bestselling author of eleven novels and a sought after reinvention speaker. You'll hop on a plane with Claire as you figure out the road to your own reinvention. You'll laugh a lot and maybe even shed a few tears as Claire tells her stories and those of other reinventors, and shares her best tips for getting a plan, staying on track, pulling together a support system, building your platform in the age of social networking, dealing with the inevitable ups and downs, overcoming perfectionism, and tuning in to your authentic self to propel you toward your goals.

Our thoughts: A quick read with practical tips for everyone, whether you want a major life overhaul or to make small, but significant changes.

Liz & Lisa's Book Club: Never Too Late by Claire Cook

1. Why did you write NEVER TOO LATE?

Reinvention is pretty much the theme of my books and my life. I wrote my first novel in my minivan at 45. At 50, I walked the red carpet at the Hollywood premiere of the movie adaptation of my second novel, Must Love Dogs, starring Diane Lane and John Cusack.

I’m now the author of 12 books, and wherever I am—on book tour or at speaking engagements or online—reinvention has become the thing that everyone wants to talk me about. And it feels great to be able to tell them that it is truly never too late.

One day it just hit me that even if I kept traveling and traveling, I wasn’t going to meet everyone in person. So I decided it was time to share everything I’ve learned on my own journey that might help other women in theirs. And that’s how Never Too Late, my first nonfiction book after 11 novels, was born

2. Tell us about the concept of the Reinvention Intersection

I think we all have that sweet spot—the place where the life we want to live and our ability interest. For some, the trick is finding it. If you’re one of those people, you’re still trying to figure out what you want to be when you grow up, whether you’re pushing thirty or eighty.

For others, like me, deep down inside you already know what you want, so it’s all about finding the courage to dig up that dream and dust it off.

Over the last decade and a half, I’ve talked to thousands of women hoping to reinvent their lives, and they usually fall into one of these two categories. I try to give tips, strategies and encouragement for both in Never Too Late.

3. We love that this book can be for someone who wants a major life overhaul and also for those who desire small, but substantial changes. After reading this book, what is the next step for a person in either of these categories?

Stop listening to all the reasons you can’t, or shouldn’t do it—whether they come from within or without. Rise above the negativity and take one simple step in the direction you want to go. Then get up the next morning and do it again. And again. And again.

4. What is your advice for someone who has a "buried dream" but also gives herself a million reasons why she shouldn't unearth it?

To recognize that it’s a choice. The difference between me and someone who hasn’t gone after a buried dream is that I finally shook off all the fear and procrastination, and just did it. If you don’t actually write the book, it can’t get published.

Every day your life gives you perfectly legitimate reasons not to go after your dream. We’re all crazy busy. Somebody always needs something. You have to want it enough to do it anyway, and in the book I offer strategies for building your dream into your life.

5. We love how you tie in the fictional books you've written and identify how the characters in your books might also help someone who wants to reinvent herself. Which of your books/characters do you feel is the most inspiring? Or is this impossible to choose?

Thank you! I always feel like the next book/character I write will be my best work. I guess that’s what keeps me motivated enough to do it again. And I love that my readers all have a different favorite. I think it’s usually the one that cuts closest to their own lives, which makes sense because I think one of the reasons we read is to find ourselves.

One of my favorite parts of being a novelist is that I get to live all of my heroines' lives vicariously, but still stay in my own wheelhouse, focused on the thing I do best.

Sarah in Must Love Dogs is a preschool teacher, and in Book 2, Must Love Dogs: New Leash on Life, she takes on a summer consulting gig teaching social skills to twenty-somethings at a video game company. In The Wildwater Walking Club, Noreen is duped by a sorta boyfriend into taking a corporate buyout and gets involved in walking and lavender and clotheslines. In Life's a Beach, Ginger transitions from a series of dead-end sales jobs to making sea glass jewelry while she spends time on a movie set as her nephew's guardian.

In Summer Blowout, the family business is a hair salon, and Bella's reinvention involves staying away from her ex-husband, who has run off with her half-sister, and creating her own personalized makeup kits. March and her daughter go to college at the same time in Multiple Choice and end up with their own radio show.

And on and on! That’s a whole bunch of lives to live without ever leaving your computer!

6. Tell us about the line from your novel, Multiple Choice, "Karma is a boomerang" and how you tie that into this book

Karma is a boomerang is one of the smartest things one of my characters has ever said. In Multiple Choice, it’s a tagline for a crazy New Age radio show, but it’s also one of my favorite sayings.

That some kindness you put out into the world can boomerang back to you is something I believe with all my heart. This is not to say that I go around doing nice things all day long just to get something back. The truth is that sometimes it boomerangs and sometimes it doesn't. But still, whether it comes back to you or not, sprinkling kindness as you go is a great way to walk through the world.

My two best karma is a boomerang stories are both in Never Too Late—how the Must Love Dogs movie happened and how I ended up on the Today show

Read Pink 2014: Beatriz Williams exclusive guest post + 12 book giveaway

This is Penguin Publishing Groups fifth year dedicated to the fight against breast cancer and they will be making a $25,000 donation to The Breast Cancer Research Foundation, regardless of sales. And this year's spokesperson for Read Pink, Beatriz Williams, has written an exclusive guest post just for us! Yay! Plus, if you leave a comment on this post, you can be entered to win all 12 books that have been reissued to help raise money for breast cancer research, including A Hundred Summers, by Beatriz Williams. (The full, amazing list is below).

This contest will close on Sunday, October 5th at 10am PST.

Karen White, The Time Between

Nora Roberts, Sea Swept

JoJo Moyes, The Last Letter from Your Lover

Jennifer Chiaverini, Mrs. Lincoln's Dressmaker

Beatriz Williams, A Hundred Summers

Wendy Wax, While We Were Watching Downton Abbey

Nora Roberts, The Witness

Catherine Anderson, Perfect Timing

Marie Force, I Want to Hold Your Hand

Janet Chapman, Heart of a Hero

Lisa Gardner, MacNamara's Woman

Jane Ann Krentz, Dream Eyes

For more details about the Read Pink initiative and to view a complete list of the participating retail outlets, please visit penguin.com/readpink.

Beatriz Williams' Exclusive Guest Post

On the morning my daughter started kindergarten, I met up with the other mothers in her class for the usual first-day-of-school coffee. One of them was wearing a beautiful Hermès scarf on her head, tied at the nape of her neck, a bit like Grace Kelly taking the air on board an ocean liner. She had spent the summer undergoing treatment for breast cancer.

Until then, I confess, I’d been a little blasé about breast cancer. It was something that happened to other people, wasn’t it? Tragic and untimely, but not personal. But as I watched my friend fight this disease over the next few years—the joyful news of remission, the devastating diagnosis when the malignancy returned—with an almost inhuman dignity and strength, I learned what cancer really meant.

For one thing, life had to go on. Her daughters got up every morning, were fed and went to school, did their homework and their soccer practice. Her husband commuted to his job in New York City. She went to all the school fundraisers, all the picnics and concerts and bingo nights, determined to give her family the most normal life possible, to force away this dark cloud covering the tender years of their childhood. She didn’t want to be the Cancer Mom. She laughed and gave graceful compliments that brightened your entire day. She asked a lot of questions at open house. She joked and chatted outside the classroom, as we waited for the kids to be dismissed. The last time I saw her, she had volunteered for a shift at the book fair. She helped the kids find the books they wanted, and if they didn’t have enough money, she slipped an extra dollar or two in the till and called it even.

When I got the text later in the year, I remember being a little shocked. The final descent had, I think, been steep and sudden. My daughter happened to share a class with hers again that year, and I could only think: Those sweet girls. And they will never have her back, not for weddings or graduations or christenings, not for holidays or vacations or ordinary rainy Saturdays. Not for the first day of school, ever again.

A year and a half later, I took the train into New York City following the fifth grade graduation ceremony, and I ran into the girls’ father on the platform. They were doing well, he said. He had found a wonderful nanny to help out, and last summer he took the girls on a long, wandering camping trip, just the three of them. It was healing, he said. He spent every possible moment with them, involved himself deeply in their lives, carrying on, living. But there was still this hole. A girl was going to start middle school without her mother.

Through organizations like The Breast Cancer Foundation and others, we are making enormous strides in awareness, detection, and treatment of this disease. Today, there are over 2.8 million breast cancer survivors in the United States, and more and more women can face diagnosis with hope instead of despair. But approximately 40,000 women will die of breast cancer this year, and each one leaves behind a hole that can never be filled again: children without a mother, husbands without a wife, parents without a daughter, sisters without a sister. Think of that: forty thousand women. Like me, you probably know and remember one of them.

I am deeply honored to serve as Penguin’s READ PINK spokesperson in 2014, for the sake of all these devastated families left behind, and most especially for my brave and elegant friend Vanessa, who will never be forgotten.

Thanks, Beatriz!

Best books of the month: September edition

Fall is coming (right?) and we love not only bundling up in our sassy sweaters and cute boots, but also curling up with a good book. And this month, we have ELEVEN wonderful reads to share with you. **we have ONE copy of EACH book to give away.  Leave a comment to be entered.  Contest closes September 21 at Noon PST.

Starry Night by Isabel Gillies

The Scoop: Sometimes one night can change everything. On this particular night, Wren and her three best friends are attending a black-tie party at the Metropolitan Museum of Art to celebrate the opening of a major exhibit curated by her father. An enormous wind blasts through the city, making everyone feel that something unexpected and perhaps wonderful will happen.

And for Wren, that something wonderful is Nolan. With his root-beer-brown Michelangelo eyes, Nolan changes the way Wren’s heart beats. In Isabel Gillies's Starry Night, suddenly everything is different. Nothing makes sense except for this boy. What happens to your life when everything changes, even your heart? How much do you give up? How much do you keep?

Our thoughts: Her first YA novel is captivating!

Every Time I Think of You by Tracey Garvis Graves

The Scoop: Thirty-year-old Daisy DiStefano has two people she holds dear: the grandmother who raised her, and her three-year-old son, Elliott. But when Daisy’s grandmother is killed in a seemingly random act of violence, Daisy must take steps to protect herself and her child.

Despite a thriving career in San Francisco, thirty-six-year-old Brooks McClain has returned home to spend what little time his mother has left before she succumbs to the deadly disease that is ravaging her. The seasoned investigative reporter has taken a position with the local newspaper and been on the job less than twenty-four hours when he’s summoned to cover the death of Pauline Thorpe.

Brooks is all business, but the more time he spends with Daisy DiStefano, the more invested he becomes; there’s something about a single mother, a defenseless child, and an unsolved crime that has stirred Brooks’s protective instincts like nothing ever has before.

And when the unthinkable happens, Brooks will do whatever it takes to clear the name of the woman he’s fallen for and the child he’ll protect at any cost.

Romantic and suspenseful, Every Time I Think of You shows how far two people will go to fight for the ones they love, and the life they’ve always imagined.

Our thoughts:  Flawless! Bravo, Tracey!

A Place Called Harmony by Jodi Thomas

The Scoop: Desperate to escape his overbearing father, Patrick McAllen disappears with his bride, heading north to build a new town—discovering strength, honor and true love along the way.

After drinking away the grief from his family’s death, Clint Truman avoids jail by taking a job in North Texas and settling down with a woman he vows to protect but never love—until her quiet compassion slowly breaks his hardened heart wide open…

All Gillian Matheson has ever known is Army life, leaving his true love to be a part-time spouse. But when a wounded Gillian returns home to find her desperately fighting to save their marriage, he’s determined to become the husband she deserves.

Amidst storms, outlaws, and unwelcome relatives, the three couples band together to build a town—and form a bond that breathes life into the place that will forever be called Harmony.

Our thoughts: When we like to "mix things up" with a romance novel, we'd choose Thomas every time! Loved this story!

The Garden of Letters by Alyson Richman

Portofino, Italy, 1943. A young woman steps off a boat in a scenic coastal village. Although she knows how to disappear in a crowd, Elodie is too terrified to slip by the German officers while carrying her poorly forged identity papers. She is frozen until a man she's never met before claims to know her. In desperate need of shelter, Elodie follows him back to his home on the cliffs of Portofino.

Only months before, Elodie Bertolotti was a cello prodigy in Verona, unconcerned with world events. But when Mussolini's Fascist regime strikes her family, Elodie is drawn into the burgeoning resistance movement by Luca, a young and impassioned bookseller. As the occupation looms, she discovers that her unique musical talents, and her courage, have the power to save lives.

In Portofino, young doctor Angelo Rosselli gives the frightened and exhausted girl sanctuary. He is a man with painful secrets of his own, haunted by guilt and remorse. But Elodie's arrival has the power to awaken a sense of hope that Angelo thought was lost to him forever.

Our thoughts: A gorgeous love story!

A Hundred Pieces of Me by Lucy Dillon

The Scoop: Reeling from her recent divorce, Gina Bellamy suddenly finds herself figuring out how to live on her own. Determined to make a fresh start—with her beloved rescue greyhound by her side—Gina knows drastic measures are in order.

First up: throwing away all her possessions except for the one hundred things that mean the most to her. But what items are worth saving? Letters from the only man she’s ever loved? A keepsake of the father she never knew? Or a blue glass vase that perfectly captures the light?

As she lets go of the past, Gina begins to come to terms with what has happened in her life and discovers that seizing the day is sometimes the only thing to do. And when one decides to do just that...magic happens.

Our thoughts: LOVED the premise of this book--only keeping one hundred things and throwing the rest out. How to decide? Dillon nails this book!

Gravity by L.D. Cedergreen

The Scoop: After years of trying unsuccessfully to conceive a child, Gemma Walsh finds her husband in bed with another woman. Unable to face his betrayal, she retreats to Priest Lake where her family owns a small cabin. But Gemma finds that she is not the only one hiding away at the lake to avoid an ugly truth. Andrew Monroe was once an essential part of Gemma’s life but tragedy and misunderstanding shattered their bond, separating them. Now twenty years later, Gemma questions the coincidence of their newly intersected paths as she struggles to resist the sparks that ignite between them. Just when Gemma feels that she has found her second chance at happiness, she is faced with a shocking truth as her reality spirals out of control. She can’t deny the powerful force that brought Andrew back into her life anymore than she can defy the same force that now threatens to pull them apart. An emotionally-charged, heart-rending story that will leave you to question the freedom in truth and the existence of fate in its deepest sense.

Our thoughts: We love stories about fate and this one intrigued us from page one! A perfect story!

 All or Nothing by Kendall Ryan

The Scoop: You’ve met Ben Shaw. Now meet Braydon Kincaid, the devil-may-care male model who nearly stole the show in Working It by New York Times bestselling author Kendall Ryan.

As one of the world’s most sought-after male models, Braydon is no stranger to the finer pleasures in life. The last thing he wants to do is limit himself, especially when it comes to women. His best friend, Ben, might’ve settled down, but Braydon doesn’t want to waste his youth on the messy complications of commitment. He wants fun. He wants easy.

Ellie isn’t looking for a casual relationship, but her tough and sassy personality instantly attracts Braydon, who proposes a “friends with benefits” arrangement. Unable to resist the powerful pull of the charming bad boy, Ellie eventually relents, though she longs for all-consuming love.

As the two spend more time together, Ellie soon realizes that Braydon’s posing skills extend off the runway. His carefully crafted façade masks a secret hurt that he’s reluctant to share with Ellie, even as they embark on a passionate affair that sends them hurtling toward a fate neither expected. Can Ellie risk her heart while she waits for Braydon to let her in, or will she be forced to demand all or nothing?

Our thoughts: A steamy (make that: hot, hot, hot) page-turner!

 After I'm Gone by Laura Lippman

The Scoop: When Felix Brewer meets Bernadette “Bambi” Gottschalk at a Valentine’s Dance in 1959, he charms her with wild promises, some of which he actually keeps. Thanks to his lucrative—if not all legal—businesses, she and their three little girls live in luxury. But on the Fourth of July, 1976, Bambi’s comfortable world implodes when Felix, newly convicted and facing prison, mysteriously vanishes.

Though Bambi has no idea where her husband—or his money—might be, she suspects one woman does: his mistress, Julie. When Julie disappears ten years to the day that Felix went on the lam, everyone assumes she’s left to join her old lover—until her remains are eventually found.

Now, twenty-six years after Julie went missing, Roberto “Sandy” Sanchez, a retired Baltimore detective working cold cases for some extra cash, is investigating her murder. What he discovers is a tangled web stretching over three decades that connects five intriguing women. And at the center is the missing man Felix Brewer.

Somewhere between the secrets and lies connecting past and present, Sandy will find the truth. And when he does, no one will ever be the same.

Our thoughts: Suspenseful and highly, highly entertaining!

 Desire Lines by Christina Baker Kline

The Scoop: On the night of her high school graduation, Kathryn Campbell sits around a bonfire with her four closest friends, including the beautiful but erratic Jennifer.  “I’ll be fine,” Jennifer says, as she walks away from the dying embers and towards the darkness of the woods. She never comes back.

Ten years later, Kathryn has tried to build a life for herself, with a marriage and a career as a journalist, but she still feels the conspicuous void of Jennifer’s disappearance. When her divorce sends her reeling back to the Maine town where she grew up, she finds herself plunged into a sea of memories. With nothing left to lose, she is determined to answer one simple question: What happened to Jennifer Pelletier?

Our thoughts: An utterly absorbing mystery!

Three Story House by Courtney Miller Santo

The scoop: Renovating an historic Memphis house together, three cousins discover that their spectacular failures in love, career, and family provide the foundation for their future happiness in this warm and poignant novel from the author of The Roots of the Olive Tree that is reminiscent of The Postmistress, The Secret Life of Bees, and Kristin Hannah’s novels.

Nearing thirty and trying to avoid the inescapable fact that they have failed to live up to everyone’s expectations and their own aspirations, cousins and childhood best friends Lizzie, Elyse, and Isobel seek respite in an oddly-shaped, three-story house that sits on a bluff sixty feet above the Mississippi.

As they work to restore the almost condemned house, each woman faces uncomfortable truths about their own failings. Lizzie seeks answers to a long-held family secret about her father in her grandmother’s jumble of mementos and the home’s hidden spaces. Elyse’s obsession with an old flame leads her to a harrowing mistake that threatens to destroy her sister’s wedding, and Isobel’s quest for celebrity tempts her to betray confidences in ways that would irreparably damage her two cousins.

Told in three parts from the perspective of each of the women, this sharply observed account of the restoration of a house built out of spite, but filled with memories of love is also an account of friendship and how relying on each other’s insights and strengths provides the women a way to get what they need instead of what they want.

Our thoughts: An engaging story about friendship and facing your fears!

Charlie's Glass Slippers by Holly McQueen

In this delightful, clever spin on Cinderella, Charlie Glass—a heroine as loveable as Cannie Shapiro and Bridget Jones—inherits her father’s shoe empire and snatches up a drop-dead-gorgeous, multi-millionaire Prince Charming. But is he truly the key to her happily ever after?

When Charlie’s beloved father, iconic shoe designer Elroy Glass, dies after a long illness, everyone expects that he’ll leave his business to his glamorous wife and eldest daughters. After all, they’ve been running the company for years. But Elroy surprises everyone from beyond the grave: at the will reading, it’s announced that his fashion empire has been left to Charlie, his youngest—and plumpest—daughter.

Before she can run the company, Charlie decides she needs to make a few changes in her life. After several weeks at a California boot camp, she returns to London a new woman: thinner, blonder, and ready to revitalize the Elroy Glass brand. But as she’ll soon discover, a good esthetician and a killer pair of stilettos can only go so far, and there’s more to reinvention—and running a fashion empire—than meets the eye.

Endlessly entertaining, surprising, and ultimately inspiring, Charlie Glass’s Slippers is a modern-day fairytale about finding your own magic and transforming yourself from within.

Our thoughts: A fun modern day fairy tale. We couldn't get enough!

Liz and Lisa's Book Club: The Good Girl by Mary Kubica

Looking for the next book that EVERYONE is talking about? One filled with suspense that will keep you up at night? Then look no further, ladies, because Mary Kubica hits it out of the park with her debut novel, The Good Girl. And holla! Because we have a copy to give away! Just leave a comment and you'll be entered to win. Contest closes on September 14th at Noon PST.

The Scoop: "I've been following her for the past few days. I know where she buys her groceries, where she has her dry cleaning done, where she works. I don't know the color of her eyes or what they look like when she's scared. But I will."

Born to a prominent Chicago judge and his stifled socialite wife, Mia Dennett moves against the grain as a young inner-city art teacher. One night, Mia enters a bar to meet her on-again, off-again boyfriend. But when he doesn't show, she unwisely leaves with an enigmatic stranger. With his smooth moves and modest wit, at first Colin Thatcher seems like a safe one-night stand. But following Colin home will turn out to be the worst mistake of Mia's life.

Colin's job was to abduct Mia as part of a wild extortion plot and deliver her to his employers. But the plan takes an unexpected turn when Colin suddenly decides to hide Mia in a secluded cabin in rural Minnesota, evading the police and his deadly superiors. Mia's mother, Eve, and detective Gabe Hoffman will stop at nothing to find them, but no one could have predicted the emotional entanglements that eventually cause this family's world to shatter.

An addictively suspenseful and tautly written thriller, The Good Girl is a propulsive debut that reveals how even in the perfect family, nothing is as it seems….

Our thoughts: Just TRY to put this one down--IMPOSSIBLE!

Liz & Lisa's Book Club: The Good Girl by Mary Kubica

1. How did you come up with the idea for THE GOOD GIRL? Did you think of the title?

Before I dive into that question, I wanted to thank you ladies for having me here today. It’s such an honor to be asked to come and chat with you about myself and THE GOOD GIRL.

I came up with the idea for the book shortly after I left my teaching career and decided to stay home and raise my daughter. I was home for the first time ever, in a mostly quiet house save for a tiny infant who slept much of the day. My mind started wandering, and it was then that the ideas for THE GOOD GIRL were formed. I have been writing since I was a young girl, but this was the first novel I was able to write in its entirety, and I knew right away there was something special about this book, something that set it apart from the stories I’d written in my earlier years.

As for the title, that was certainly a collaborative process. We wanted something that put the main character, Mia, at the forefront of this novel. The book is about her, and yet her voice is rarely heard. It was important that the reader knows this is Mia’s story.

2. We read on your blog that you had your publishing deal for 587 days before the book finally hit store shelves. How would you describe the waiting period?

Agony! It felt like a very long time. The offer for THE GOOD GIRL came in December of 2012, and it was July of 2014 before the book was published. Of course that was all very important time, during which the novel got a cover and the much-needed publicity before launch day, but it was hard for me – a generally impatient person – to sit back and wait. During that time, however, I was hard at work on my second novel, which made the time go by more quickly; I was also traveling to conferences to promote THE GOOD GIRL, and on a pre-launch book tour. It was a very exciting time! I see now how important that time was for THE GOOD GIRL, and understand the value of the pre-launch buildup, but as a debut author having no idea of the process, it felt like I’d be waiting forever for launch day! In retrospect, the time went by quite quickly and now, here I am about to embark on the same adventure for book 2.

3. And how would you describe being a published author? What's your biggest tip for aspiring novelists?

This entire process has just been a dream come true for me. The idea that I get to write books for a living is something I’ve always aspired to do – and I can’t believe this is actually classified as a job! My biggest tip for aspiring authors is to keep trying. I received many, many, many rejections before one agent offered to represent THE GOOD GIRL – and that was all it took: one agent. Keep looking until you find that one person who is going to love your work as much as you do.

4.We both have rescue dogs and read that you work at your animal shelter. Can you tell us about that & about your pet(s)? We'd also love to see a pic/pics!

I’m a huge animal fanatic. I’ve been working at the local animal shelter for quite a few years now, and I absolutely love it. These days, I photograph all new arrivals (cats, dogs and the occasional rabbit) for our website, but I’ve done any number of things during my time there, from running a story hour for kids, to offsite events, to cleaning cages, to fostering litters of kittens in my home. It’s a great experience for both myself and my family. One day, I dream of running my own shelter. I’m equally a dog and cat person, though my family started with cats many years ago, and now that 3 more have followed me home from the shelter, it would be a bit crazy to add a dog to the mix. One day we’ll have a dog, but for now we have four cats and any number of fish I manage to keep alive on a given day. I’ve included photos of my kitties. All but the black cat, Einstein, are rescues; the last – a beautiful tortoiseshell named Tabitha – came to live with us after she was diagnosed with liver cancer, and now, ten months later, she’s doing fabulous.

5. Are you working on another novel? If so, can you share any details?

I would love to! I just finished up my second novel: PRETTY BABY. It’s the story of a Chicago mother who encounters a young homeless girl with a baby, waiting beside the train. She becomes quite taken with her, and wants to help her with her plight, but as she does she discovers a dark, hidden past, and begins to see what effect this chance encounter will have on both their lives. As is the case with THE GOOD GIRL, nothing is quite what is seems to be… Look for PRETTY BABY coming in 2015 from Harlequin MIRA.

Thanks so much for having me!

Thanks, Mary! 

Flash Giveaway: A Pinch of Ooh La La by Renee Swindle

Giveaway: ONE copy of A Pinch Of Ooh La La by Renee Swindle! Leave a comment to be entered.  Contest closes on Sept 1st at 8am PST.

The Scoop: Abbey Ross, who runs her own bakery in Oakland, California, is known for her visually stunning wedding cakes. But lately, Abbey’s own love life has become stale. According to her best friend, Bendrix, Abbey’s not the spontaneous young woman she was when they were teenagers listening to the Cure and creating attention-grabbing graffiti. Of course, her failed relationship with a womanizing art forger might have something to do with that. Nevertheless, it’s time for Abbey to step out of the kitchen—and her comfort zone—and Bendrix has even handpicked a man for her to date.

Samuel Howard is everything Abbey’s dreamed of: handsome, successful, and looking to raise a family. But a creamy icing might be needed to hide a problem or two. When Samuel complains about disrespect for the institution of marriage, Abbey’s reminded of her nontraditional family, with thirteen children from various mothers. And when Samuel rails about kids having kids, Abbey thinks of her twenty-year-old sister who’s recently revealed her pregnancy.

Soon Abbey is facing one disaster after another and struggling to make sense of it all. Her search for love has led her down a bitter path, but with the help of her unique family and unwavering friends, she just might find the ooh la la that makes life sweet.

Our thoughts: Perfect for after your kids (finally!) go back to school!

Liz & Lisa's Book Club: Five Days Left by Julie Lawson Timmer

If you are looking for a novel that will grip you from the first sentence and leave you wanting more after you've finished, Five Days Left by Julie Lawson Timmer should be the next book you read. And we are giving away a copy of this fantastic debut novel! Just leave a comment and you'll be entered to win! The contest will close on Thursday, August 21st at 8am PST.

The scoop: Mara Nichols is a successful lawyer, devoted wife, and adoptive mother who has received a life-shattering diagnosis. Scott Coffman, a middle school teacher, has been fostering an eight-year-old boy while the boy’s mother serves a jail sentence. Scott and Mara both have five days left until they must say good-bye to the ones they love the most.

Through their stories, Julie Lawson Timmer explores the individual limits of human endurance and the power of relationships, and shows that sometimes loving someone means holding on, and sometimes it means letting go.

Liz & Lisa's Book Club: Five Days Left by Julie Lawson Timmer

First, thanks for having me! Congratulations to both of you on the success of Your Perfect Life!

1. How did you think of the idea for FIVE DAYS LEFT?

I lost a friend to cancer a few years ago. In the last nine months, she knew she was going to die, and I could not fathom how it was that she could be so brave in facing her last moments with her family. I was knocked flat, really, by what she was going through, and what it must be like for her to know she wouldn’t be there to see her kids grow up. I decided to write about someone dealing with a fatal, incurable disease in order to both explore the feelings my friend might have had and to honor her bravery, and her life. I chose Huntington’s because I didn’t want (or believe I had any right) to write my friend’s story. Five Days Left is not biographical in any sense.

I wanted to give Mara a break from her difficult situation, and adding the online group allowed me to do that. I am actually a member of an anonymous online group and it’s always intrigued me, how we feel so close to each other and share very intimate things, but have never met. When I was casting around in my imagination for an online friend who Mara could become close to, Scott materialized, as did his job as a middle school teacher and coach. I decided to make Scott a limited guardian (similar to a foster parent, though with distinct differences not important here) because I am a stepparent, and the roles are similar--stepparents and temporary guardians care for, make sacrifices for, and deeply love, children whose future isn’t in our control. I wanted to explore the challenges and benefits of that kind of relationship, since I live with those challenges and benefits every day.

2. Was there one particular storyline that was easier/harder to write and why?

This is a good and straightforward question, for which I have a not-so-good or straightforward answer. On one hand, it was definitely harder for me to write Scott’s chapters because those are obviously from a guy’s point of view, and I am a woman. I had to run bits of Scott’s dialogue or inner thought past my husband a few times, to make sure it passed “the guy test”--often it didn’t, and thank goodness for my husband setting me straight! On the other hand, I found Mara’s chapters very challenging because I don’t have Huntington’s and am not an expert on it, but I was obsessive in my intent to portray it accurately. So, while I was writing her chapters, I was constantly worried about whether I was getting the disease right, double checking my research, calling my experts back to run over something another time, etc. In the end, I loved having two story lines because if I was stuck on one, I could simply flip over to the other. And when Mara’s got emotional, I could switch to Scott’s for a bit of a reprieve--something I hope readers will enjoy.

3. This is your debut novel (congrats as you've received high praise!). Can you tell us a little about your journey to publication? 

Thank you very much! My journey to publication was one of premature querying, many mistakes and, finally, a tremendous amount of luck. I wrote a terrible first draft and pitched it (prematurely) at a writer’s conference in the summer of 2011. Those pitches went nowhere but I met some great friends at the conference, and I figured out that the book needed huge revisions.

After the conference, I rewrote the book and queried it. I was extremely lucky to receive a revise and resubmit request (R&R) early on, from an agent who took the time to speak with me about the changes she thought FDL required. She ended up giving me two chances to revise and resubmit, which means she read the book three times--to this day, I remain blown away by her generosity. She ultimately passed, but thanks to her, I had a much more polished manuscript.

However, instead of querying more, I decided in August 2012 to shelve FDL. It had been a year, I had spent hours revising it and had sent almost 100 queries, none of which led to an offer. I was ready to call it a “practice novel” and move on. So, when I received an R&R from Victoria Sanders later that month, I considered not even responding. Thankfully, my husband urged me to sleep on it and reconsider. I did both, and ended up doing another 6-month gut-and-rewrite.

I sent my revision to Victoria at the end of January 2013. She called five days later to offer representation. Twenty-one days after that, she sold it at auction, to Amy Einhorn, who at the time had an imprint at Putnam. After the long slog of revision and rejection, the speed at which I ended up with an agent and a book deal made my head spin.

In fact, my husband and I were on a (rare) kids-free vacation when the interest started coming in from different editors, and the combination of the tropical location, the freedom from kid-related obligations and the all-inclusive nature of the resort (i.e., bubbly flowing 24/7) already made the week feel dreamlike. When we added daily calls with editors to the mix, it became completely surreal, and we spent the week shaking our heads at each other in disbelief. When we finally returned to the cold, snowy, four-teenager reality of our life in Michigan, we kept asking each other, “Did all of that really just happen?”

4. Have you thought about how you would spend your last five days? Or what have you learned from writing this book? 

Oooh, great question! I have definitely thought about this, thanks to my friend and to the hours I spent getting to know Mara. I have absolutely learned some things about myself through writing Mara’s story. What I have learned is that I don’t have a long Bucket List of things I want to do and places I want to see. I appreciate the existence of the Great Wall, for example, but if I never see it, that will be fine with me. What matters to me are the five people I live with--my wonderful husband and our four amazing children. If I had five days left, I would spend them with those five people, telling them how terrific I think they are, and how much of a privilege it has been to spend these years with them, and hugging them every second I could.

5. Are you working on another book? If so, can you share any details?

My second book deals with estranged families, step parenting and the terrible practice of “rehoming,” where people who no longer want their adopted children advertise them on the Internet. As you can imagine, the wrong kind of person can respond to the ad and the children can end up in awful situations. The book is very different from Five Days Left, but as I expect every book I write will do, it raises a lot of “What would you do?” questions, and it explores different forms of “family” and how families get through (or don’t get through) various challenges.

Thanks again for having me!

Thank YOU, Julie!

Best books of the month: August edition

August might be hot (Holy humidity!), but thse books are so COOL that you'll be chilling in no time!  Behold, the best books of August! **we have ONE copy of EACH book to give away.  Leave a comment to be entered.  Contest closes August 17th at Noon PST.

The House We Grew Up In by Lisa Jewell

The Scoop: Meet the Bird family. They live in a simple brick house in a picture-perfect Cotswolds village, with rambling, unkempt gardens stretching just beyond. Pragmatic Meg, dreamy Beth, and tow-headed twins Rory and Rhys all attend the village school and eat home-cooked meals together each night. Everybody in town gushes over the two girls, who share their mother’s apple cheeks and wide smiles. Of the boys, lively, adventurous Rory can stir up trouble, moving through life more easily than little Rhys, his slighter, more sensitive counterpart. Their father is a sweet gangly man, but it’s their mother, Lorelei, a beautiful free spirit with long flowing hair and eyes full of wonder, who spins at the center.

Time flies in those early years when the kids are still young. Lorelei knows that more than anyone, doing her part to freeze time by protecting the precious mementos she collects, filling the house with them day by day. Easter egg foils are her favorite. Craft supplies, too. She insists on hanging every single piece of art ever produced by any of the children, to her husband’s chagrin.

Then one Easter weekend, tragedy occurs. The event is so devastating that, almost imperceptibly, it begins to tear the family apart. Years pass and the children have become adults, found new relationships, and, in Meg's case, created families of their own. Lorelei has become the county’s worst hoarder. She has alienated her husband, her children, and has been living as a recluse for six years. It seems as though they’d never been The Bird Family at all, as if loyalty were never on the table. But then something happens that calls them home, back to the house they grew up in—and to what really happened that Easter weekend so many years ago.

Our thoughts: You won't be able to put this one down--it's fab!

The House on Mermaid Point by Wendy Wax

The Scoop: Maddie, Avery, and Nikki first got to know one another—perhaps all too well—while desperately restoring a beachfront mansion to its former grandeur. Now they’re putting that experience to professional use. But their latest project has presented some challenges they couldn’t have dreamed up in their wildest fantasies—although the house does belong to a man who actually was Maddie’s wildest fantasy once . . .

Rock-and-roll legend “William the Wild” Hightower may be past his prime, estranged from his family, and creatively blocked, but he’s still worshiped by fans—which is why he guards his privacy on his own island in the Florida Keys. He’s not thrilled about letting this crew turn his piece of paradise into a bed-and-breakfast for a reality show . . . though he is intrigued by Maddie. Hard as that is for her to believe as a newly single woman who can barely manage a dog paddle in the dating pool.

But whether it’s an unexpected flirtation with a bona fide rock star, a strained mother-daughter relationship, or a sudden tragedy, these women are in it together. The only thing that might drive them apart is being trapped on a houseboat with one bathroom . . .

Our thoughts: Wendy Wax does it again in this wonderful novel!

Eyes on You by Kate White

The Scoop: After losing her on-air job two years ago, television host Robin Trainer has fought her way back and now she’s hotter than ever. With her new show climbing in the ratings and her first book a bestseller, she’s being dubbed a media double threat.

But suddenly, things begin to go wrong. Small incidents at first: a nasty note left in her purse; her photo shredded. But the obnoxious quickly becomes threatening when the foundation the makeup artist uses burns Robin’s face. It wasn’t an accident—someone had deliberately doctored with the product.

An adversary with a dark agenda wants to hurt Robin, and the clues point to someone she works with every day. While she frantically tries to put the pieces together and unmask this hidden foe, it becomes terrifyingly clear that the person responsible isn’t going to stop until Robin loses everything that matters to her . . . including her life.

Our thoughts: We couldn't put this thriller down!

Driving With The Top Down by Beth Harbison

The Scoop: Colleen Bradley is married with a teenage son, a modest business repurposing and reselling antiques, and longtime fear that she was not her husband’s first choice.  When she decides to take a road trip down the east coast to check out antique auctions for her business, she also has a secret ulterior motive.  Her one-woman mission for peace of mind is thrown slightly off course when sixteen year old Tamara becomes her co-pilot.  The daughter of Colleen’s brother-in-law, Tamara is aware that when people see her as a screw-up, but she knows in her heart that she’s so much more.  She just wishes her father could see it, too.

The already bumpy trip takes another unexpected turn when they stop at the diner that served as Colleen’s college hangout and run into her old friend, Bitty Nolan Camalier.  Clearly distressed, Bitty gives them a story full of holes: angry with her husband, she took off on her own, only to have her car stolen.  Both Colleen and Tamara sense that there’s more that Bitty isn’t sharing, but Colleen offers to give Bitty a ride to Florida.

So one becomes two becomes three as Colleen, Tamara, and Bitty make their way together down the coast.  It’s a road trip fraught with tension as Tamara’s poor choices come back to haunt her and Bitty’s secrets reach a boiling point.  With no one to turn to but each other, these three women might just discover that you can get lost in life but somehow, true friends provide a roadmap to finding what you’re really looking for.

Our thoughts: LOVE Beth and her latest!  A must read!

The Curvy Girls Club by Michele Gorman

The Scoop: When best friends Pixie, Ellie, Katie and Jane become fed up with being judged by the size of their waistbands, they start a club to focus on having fun instead of counting carbs. It soon grows into London’s most popular social club for the calorie-challenged and the women find their lives changing in ways they never imagined.But the club can’t stop real life from getting in the way.

Pixie's husband, Trevor, is a waste of space, a man who thinks an empty laundry basket equals a happy marriage. Jane’s self-esteem is desperate for a makeover while Ellie looks set to sabotage her relationship with “The One”. And when the pounds start falling off Katie, suddenly “having it all” could mean losing what’s most important in a world where thin is the new fat.

Our thoughts: Super, crazy fun!

The Art of Adapting by Cassandra Dunn

The Scoop: In this warm and winning first novel, a recently divorced woman rises to the challenge and experiences the exhilaration of independence with the unlikely help of her brother with Asperger's, who she takes in to help pay the rent.Seven months after her husband leaves her, Lana is still reeling. Being single means she is in charge of every part of her life, and for the first time in nineteen years, she can do things the way she always wanted to do them.

But that also leaves her with all the responsibility. With two teenage children—Byron and Abby, who are each dealing with their own struggles—in a house she can barely afford on her solo salary, her new life is a balancing act made even more complicated when her brother Matt moves in.Matt has Asperger’s syndrome, which makes social situations difficult for him and flexibility and change nearly impossible. He only eats certain foods in a certain order and fixates on minor details. When Lana took him in, he was self-medicating with drugs and alcohol to numb his active mind enough to sleep at night.

Adding Matt’s regimented routine to her already disrupted household seems like the last thing Lana needs, but her brother’s unique attention to detail makes him an invaluable addition to the family: he sees things differently.

Our thoughts: If you loved The Rosie Project, then pick this up for sure!

Early Decision by Lacy Crawford

The Scoop: Working one-on-one with Tiger-mothered, burned-out kids, Anne “the application whisperer” can make Harvard a reality. Early Decision follows five students over one autumn as Anne helps them craft their college essays, cram for the SATs, and perfect the Common Application.

It seems their entire future is on the line—and it is. Though not because of Princeton and Yale. It’s because the process, warped as it is by money, connections, competition, and parental mania, threatens to crush their independence just as adulthood begins.Whether you want to get in or just get out, with wit and heart, Early Decision explodes the secrets of the college admissions race.

Our thoughts: Juicy with a capital J!

Season Of The Dragonflies by Sarah Creech

The Scoop: As beguiling as the novels of Alice Hoffman, Adriana Trigiani, Aimee Bender, and Sarah Addison Allen, Season of the Dragonflies is a story of flowers, sisters, practical magic, old secrets, and new love, set in the Blue Ridge Mountains.

For generations, the Lenore women have manufactured a perfume unlike any other, and guarded the unique and mysterious ingredients. Their perfumery, hidden in the quiet rolling hills of the Blue Ridge Mountains, creates one special elixir that secretly sells for millions of dollars to the world’s most powerful—movie stars, politicians, artists, and CEOs.

The Lenore’s signature perfume is actually the key to their success.Willow, the coolly elegant Lenore family matriarch, is the brains behind the company. Her gorgeous, golden-haired daughter Mya is its heart. Like her foremothers, she can “read” scents and envision their power. Willow’s younger daughter, dark-haired, soulful Lucia, claims no magical touch, nor does she want any part of the family business. She left the mountains years ago to make her own way. But trouble is brewing. Willow is experiencing strange spells of forgetfulness. Mya is plotting a coup. A client is threatening blackmail. And most ominously, the unique flowers used in their perfume are dying.Whoever can save the company will inherit it. Though Mya is the obvious choice, Lucia has begun showing signs of her own special abilities. And her return to the mountains—heralded by a swarm of blue dragonflies—may be the answer they all need.

Our thoughts: Delightful!  Pick it up!

The 5 books that define me by Liz

It's no secret that I lovvvvvve books.  Even as a child, I'd read my favorites over and over until the pages began to disintegrate. There's so many I've adored over the years--too many to count! But there are a few that actually shaped me--that made their way into the soft, sticky bottom of my soul.  Books that not only left a mark, but that also defined a part of my life. I'll show you mine if you show me yours--leave a comment and tell us about the books that defined you and you'll be entered to win a signed copy of Your Perfect Life! (Contest closes on Sunday, July 27th at Noon PST.)

1. Are You My Mother? by P. D. Eastman

The year was 1977. I would sit on the battered red stool every night in the kitchen while my mother expertly put together dinner.  I'd attempt to read Are You My Mother? to her as she gently corrected my mistakes.  And one night, she didn't have to correct me at all. And thirty years later, I read this classic to my own children and encouraged them to sound out the words themselves.

2. Any and every Sweet Valley High book

I don't know about you, but for me, middle school was HELL. But, every day I could escape the mean girls by losing myself in Jessica and Elizabeth's world, whether they were switching identities to take a test (so sneaky!) or getting kidnapped, (Elizabeth! How did you not see that one coming?!) or sneaking off to a party (Jessica!  You dirty whorebag!).  Those Sweet Valley girls always made me forget the drama of my day when I slipped into into theirs.

3. Forever by Judy Blume

Whoa! When my mom brought home the latest Judy Blume, She had no idea she was unknowingly providing me with the twelve-year old equivalent of porn. (Sex! Nakedness! A penis named Ralph! ) I read the book quickly, knowing it was only a matter of time before she realized her mistake and took it away. Once she finally did, I found her hiding place and stole it back, dispersing it efficiently among my friends so they could also discover what the fuss was all about. (And we all agreed that Ralph was a VERY lame penis name!)

4. Summer Sisters by Judy Blume

1998 was an interesting year--I had graduated from college a few years prior but was still trying to find my footing in the real world.  Lisa and I had drifted (Taking a much needed break!) and truth be told, I felt a little lost.  But I found great solace in the pages of Summer Sisters, a touching story of lifetime best friends.  I read it again and again until the bindings began to crumble.  And then I picked up the phone and called my best friends to reconnect.

5. Good in Bed by Jennifer Weiner

When I picked up Good in Bed off the table at Barnes & Noble in 2002, I had no idea I'd discovered something that would touch me in a way that I'd never forget. From the very first page, Cannie Shapiro captivated me--her struggles with her weight, with her ex, with loving herself the way she should was really resonated. It made me laugh. It made me cry. It made me want to write a book of my own one day. And several years later, I did.  #thepowerofbooks

What books shaped your life?  Tell me!

Best Books of the Month: July Edition

Summer is here and so are all the best beach reads! So grab a towel, some sunscreen and one of our July picks!

Grand Central: Original Stories of Postwar Love and Reunion by Karen White, Jenna Blum, Sarah Jio, Melanie Benjamin, Sarah McCoy and Alyson Richman

The Scoop: A war bride awaits the arrival of her GI husband at the platform...A Holocaust survivor works at the Oyster Bar, where a customer reminds him of his late mother...A Hollywood hopeful anticipates her first screen test and a chance at stardom in the Kissing Room...On any particular day, thousands upon thousands of people pass through New York City's Grand Central Terminal, through the whispering gallery, beneath the ceiling of stars, and past the information booth and its beckoning four-faced clock, to whatever destination is calling them. It is a place where people come to say hello and good-bye. And each person has a story to tell.Now, ten bestselling authors inspired by this iconic landmark have created their own stories, set on the same day, just after the end of World War II, in a time of hope, uncertainty, change, and renewal....Featuring stories from: Melanie Benjamin, New York Times bestselling author of The Aviator's Wife Jenna Blum, New York Times bestselling author of Those Who Save Us Amanda Hodgkinson, New York Times bestselling author of 22 Britannia Road Pam Jenoff, bestselling author of The Ambassador's Daughter Sarah Jio, New York Times bestselling author of Blackberry Winter Sarah McCoy, New York Times bestselling author of The Baker's DaughterKristina McMorris, New York Times bestselling author of The Pieces We Keep

Alyson Richman, bestselling author of The Lost Wife Erika Robuck, bestselling author of Call Me Zelda Karen White, New York Times bestselling author of After the Rain With an Introduction by

Kristin Hannah, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Home Front

Our thoughts: Wow!  We were blown away by the talent all in one place!

Giveaway: One Copy!  Leave a comment to be entered.  Contest closes on July 20th at 8am PST.

Mating For Life by Marissa Stapley

The Scoop: Former folk singer Helen Sear was a feminist wild child who proudly disdained monogamy, raising three daughters—each by a different father—largely on her own. Now in her sixties, Helen has fallen in love with a traditional man who desperately wants to marry her. And while she fears losing him, she’s equally afraid of abandoning everything she’s ever stood for if she goes through with it.

Meanwhile, Helen’s youngest daughter, Liane, is in the heady early days of a relationship with her soul mate. But he has an ex-wife and two kids, and her new role as a “step-something” doesn’t come with an instruction manual. Ilsa, an artist, has put her bohemian past behind her and is fervently hoping her second marriage will stick. Yet her world feels like it is slowly shrinking, and her painting is suffering as a result—and she realizes she may need to break free again, even if it means disrupting the lives of her two young children. And then there’s Fiona, the eldest sister, who has worked tirelessly to make her world pristine, yet who still doesn’t feel at peace. When she discovers her husband has been harboring a huge secret, Fiona loses her tenuous grip on happiness and is forced to face some truths about herself that she’d rather keep buried.

Our thoughts: A dazzling debut!

Giveaway: One Copy!  Leave a comment to be entered.  Contest closes on July 20th at 8am PST.

The Wednesday Daughters by Meg Waite Clayton

The Scoop: In the tradition of Kristin Hannah and Karen Joy Fowler, Meg Waite Clayton, bestselling author of The Wednesday Sisters, returns with an enthralling new novel of mothers, daughters, and the secrets and dreams passed down through generations.

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: We promise you won't be able to put this one down!

Giveaway: One Copy!  Leave a comment to be entered.  Contest closes on July 20th at 8am PST.

A Wedding in Provence by Ellen Sussman

The Scoop: When Olivia and Brody drive up to their friend’s idyllic inn—nestled in a valley in the Mediterranean town of Cassis—they know they’ve chosen the perfect spot for their wedding. The ceremony will be held in the lush garden, and the reception will be a small party of only their closest family and friends. But when Olivia and Brody’s guests check in, their peaceful wedding weekend is quickly thrown off balance.

The first to arrive is Nell, Olivia’s oldest daughter from her first marriage. Impulsive and reckless, she invites a complete stranger—an enigmatic man who is both alluring and a bit dangerous—to be her guest at the wedding. The next is Carly, Olivia’s youngest daughter, the responsible and pragmatic one. Away from her demanding job and a strained relationship, she feels an urgent need to cut loose—and for once do something brash and unpredictable. Then there is Jake, Brody’s playboy best man, and Fanny, Brody’s mother, who is coping with the fallout of her own marriage. And in the middle of it all is Olivia, navigating the dramas, joys, and pitfalls of planning a wedding and starting a new life. A delicious, compelling, and utterly enchanting novel, A Wedding in Provence captures the complex and enduring bonds of family, and our boundless faith in love.

Our thoughts: We devoured this delightful read!

Giveaway: One Copy!  Leave a comment to be entered.  Contest closes on July 20th at 8am PST.

Have A Nice Guilt Trip by Lisa Scottoline & Francesca Serritella

The Scoop: Lisa Scottoline and Francesca Serritella are back with another collection of warm and witty stories that will strike a chord with every woman. This four book series is among the best reviewed humor books published today and has been compared to the late greats, Erma Bombeck and Nora Ephron. Booklist raved of the third book in the series, Meet Me At Emotional Baggage Claim,  “readers can count on an ab-toning laugh session, a silly giggle, a sympathetic sigh, and a lump in the throat as life’s moments are rehashed through the keen eyes and wits of this lovable mother-daughter duo.” This fourth volume, Have a Nice Guilt Trip, maintains the same sterling standard of humor and poignancy as Lisa and Francesca continue on the road of life acquiring men and puppies. Ok, to be honest, Lisa is acquiring the puppies, while Francesca is lucky enough to have dates with actual men. They leave it to the listeners to decide which is more desirable and/or or easier to train.

Our thoughts: Fun, fun, FUN to read!

Giveaway: One Copy!  Leave a comment to be entered.  Contest closes on July 20th at 8am PST.

There's also a SUMMER LONG giveaway that you should check out on Lisa's website here >>

It Comes in Waves by Erika Marks

The Scoop: Eighteen years later, now forty-two and a struggling single parent to a rebellious teenage daughter, Claire has put miles between that betrayal and that coast. But when ESPN invites her back to Folly Beach for a documentary on women in surfing, Claire decides it might be the chance she needs to regain control of her life and reacquaint herself with the unsinkable young woman she once was.

But not everything in Folly Beach is as Claire remembers it, most especially her ex-best friend, Jill, who is now widowed and raising her and Foster’s teenage son. An unexpected reunion with Claire will uncover a guilt that Jill has worked hard to bury—and bring to the surface years of unspoken blame.

When Claire crosses paths with a sexy pro-surfer who is as determined to get Claire back on a board as he is to get her in his bed, a chance for healing might not be far behind—or is it too late for two estranged friends to find forgiveness in the place that was once their coastal paradise, where life was spent barefoot and love was as dizzying as the perfect wave...

Our thoughts: Did you say "Sexy Surfer"? We are IN!

Giveaway: One Copy!  Leave a comment to be entered.  Contest closes on July 20th at 8am PST.

What Strange Creatures by Emily Arsenault

The scoop: Scandal, love, family, and murder combine in this gripping literary mystery by critically acclaimed author Emily Arsenault, in which a young academic’s life is turned upside down when her brother is arrested for murder and she must prove his innocence.The Battle siblings are used to disappointment. Seven years, one marriage and divorce, three cats, and a dog later, Theresa still hasn’t finished her dissertation. Instead of a degree, she’s got a houseful of adoring pets and a dead-end copywriting job for a local candle company.Jeff, her so-called genius older brother, doesn’t have it together, either. Creative, and loyal, he’s also aimless in work and love. But his new girlfriend, Kim, a pretty waitress in her twenties, appears smitten.When Theresa agrees to dog-sit Kim’s puggle for a weekend, she has no idea that it is the beginning of a terrifying nightmare that will shatter her quiet world. Soon, Kim’s body will be found in the woods, and Jeff will become the prime suspect.Though the evidence is overwhelming, Theresa knows that her brother is not a cold-blooded murderer. But to clear him she must find out more about Kim. Investigating the dead woman’s past, Theresa uncovers a treacherous secret involving politics, murder, and scandal—and becomes entangled in a potentially dangerous romance. But the deeper she falls into this troubling case, the more it becomes clear that, in trying to save her brother’s life, she may be sacrificing her own.Our thoughts: An engaging mystery!Check out the fabulous trailer for Emily's book here >>

Giveaway: One copy (US). Leave a comment to be entered.  Contest closes on July 20th at 8am PST.

Sweet Water by Christina Baker Kline

The scoop: From the #1 New York Times bestselling author of Orphan Train comes a novel about buried secrets and the redemptive power of forgiveness.

Cassie Simon is a struggling artist living in New York City.  When she receives a call from a magistrate telling her she has inherited sixty acres of land in Sweetwater, Tennessee, from her grandfather, whom she never knew, she takes it as a sign: it’s time for a change.  She moves to the small Southern town where her mother, Ellen, grew up—and where she died tragically when Cassie was three.

From the moment she arrives in Sweetwater, Cassie is overwhelmed by the indelible mark her mother’s memory left behind.  As she delves into the thicket of mystery that surrounds her mother’s death, Cassie begins to discover the desperate measures of which the human heart is capable.

Our thoughts: Captivating. We could not put this book down!

Giveaway: One copy (US). Leave a comment to be entered.  Contest closes on July 20th at 8am PST.

Liz & Lisa's Book Club: Don't Try to Find Me by Holly Brown

If you are looking for the perfect summer read, you've found it! Don't Try to Find Me by Holly Brown is a page-turner that will stay on your mind long after you've finished reading it. If you're a fan of Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn you will definitely love this thriller (out tomorrow, June 8th). And guess what? If you leave a comment on this post, you'll be entered to win a copy! We'll select the winner on July 10th after 8am PST.

The scoop: When a fourteen-year-old runs away, her parents turn to social media to find her—launching a public campaign that will expose their darkest secrets and change their family forever, in this suspenseful and gripping debut for fans of Reconstructing Amelia and Gone Girl.

Don’t try to find me. Though the message on the kitchen white board is written in Marley’s hand, her mother Rachel knows there has to be some other explanation. Marley would never run away.

As the days pass and it sinks in that the impossible has occurred, Rachel and her husband Paul are informed that the police have “limited resources.” If they want their fourteen-year-old daughter back, they will have to find her themselves. Desperation becomes determination when Paul turns to Facebook and Twitter, and launches FindMarley.com.

But Marley isn’t the only one with secrets.

With public exposure comes scrutiny, and when Rachel blows a television interview, the dirty speculation begins. Now, the blogosphere is convinced Rachel is hiding something. It’s not what they think; Rachel would never hurt Marley. Not intentionally, anyway. But when it’s discovered that she’s lied, even to the police, the devoted mother becomes a suspect in Marley’s disappearance.

Is Marley out there somewhere, watching it all happen, or is the truth something far worse?

Liz & Lisa's Book Club: Don't Try to Find Me by Holly Brown

1. Liz & Lisa: Don't Try to Find Me is one of our favorite novels we've read this year. We can't believe this is your debut. Can you tell us a little about your road to publication? How long did it take you to write it, then find an agent, then line up with a publisher?

Holly Brown: Thank you so much!  It feels like I've been living with this book a long time, but it's really only been a couple of years since I first started writing it.  It's gone through a lot of revisions.  Two drafts and eight or nine months in, I found my phenomenal agent, Elisabeth Weed.  Then she gave me feedback for another round of revisions, and there were about three more drafts once I had my editor, Carrie Feron.

I'm lucky to have found such a great team.  I trust their editorial insights, and am grateful that they didn't expect me to have it perfect right out of the gate.  The novel's evolved a lot since I first queried Elisabeth.  There are whole subplots now that didn't exist, and characters who were fairly minor and who turned into major players.

2. L&L: How did you think of the idea for Don't Try to Find Me? And did you come up with the title?

HB: I was driving to work one morning and I happened to catch an interview on NPR.  It was with Tony Loftis, who founded the nonprofit findyourmissingchild.org.  After his daughter ran away, he used his PR background to mount a social media campaign that helped bring her home, and now he's teaching other parents how to do the same.

Once he said that parents need to be careful not to have any skeletons in their closet because it'll all be exposed in the campaign, I had my idea.

My editor actually came up with the title.  My original title was "Unfounded."  I still think it sounds classy and literary, but "Don't Try to Find Me" is a lot grabbier (if grabbier is a word!  Spellcheck hasn't dinged me so I'll stick with it.)

3. L&L: You're also a marriage and family therapist and you have a toddler. How do you balance your therapist job with your author job with your mom job?

HB: I work three 10-hour days practicing therapy (Monday, Wednesday, and Friday).  I don't leave until 9 a.m. so I have some morning time with my daughter (no evening time, alas!)  Then on Tuesdays and Thursdays, we have longer chunks of time together before she goes to preschool.  The balance is as ideal as I can make it for now, though I have to admit, I'm hoping that the book will do well enough to be able to do some rebalancing.  I'm not a particularly materialistic person, but the more money you have, the more control you can have over how you spend your time.  That's an appealing thought.

4. L&L: What are you reading right now?

HB: I'm about to start reading "On Tennis: Five Essays" by David Foster Wallace.  I love his essays in general, and I'm a rabid tennis fan.  So the two together--it's like chocolate and peanut butter.  Or bacon and avocado.  Delicious.  I'm also partway through "Where'd You Go, Bernadette?" by Maria Semple (yes, believe the hype, it's great so far!)

5: L&L: Are you working on another book. If so, can you tell us about it?

HB: My next book, "More Than Anything", is also coming out from Harper/Morrow.  Adrienne wants to become a mother more than anything, and after being the victim of an adoption scam once before, she decides nothing is going to get in her way; with an ambivalent husband tortured by their shared past and a hot 19-year-old birth mother with secrets of her own, what could possibly go wrong?

Thanks, Holly!

Diary of a Debut: 7 fun facts we learned on our book tour + giveaway!

We're baaaack from our book tour. Actually, we each arrived home over a week ago, but we took a much needed mental, physical and social media break (more on that in a minute). And now we're refueled and recharged and ready to share 7 things we learned while "on the road."

(Oh, and because we love you all so much, we're doing a giveaway. Just leave a comment on this post and be entered to win a surprise bundle of 10 books! The contest will close on Saturday, July 5 at 8am PST.)

1. Our readers are effing amazing!

We already knew you guys were amazing, but now we're putting an effing in front of that word because you showed up at our events! Not that we doubted you would want to be there, but we were a little nervous that only our Moms would actually fill the seats. Because everyone is so busy--especially in the summer-- and taking even a couple hours out of your schedule is a lot. So we want to say THANK YOU for putting us on your list of things to do. It means the world. And it also saved us loads of potential embarrassment.

PS:  Not to get too greedy, but while we're on the subject of how amazing you are :), if you've read and liked Your Perfect Life, we would be crazy thankful if you'd post a review on Amazon or on Goodreads. As you all know, positive reviews really, really help! And for those of you who have already done so, THANK YOU.

2. And so are other authors!

We feel so lucky to have so much support from other authors. Not only did they blurb our novel and give us shout outs when our book published, but several of them also participated in events with us and even showed up at them too! It's such a wonderful community of writers and we feel so fortunate to be a part of it. We could never list all of your names, but you know who you are and we love you! xoxo

3. We can talk with our eyes!

Have y'all seen How I Met Your Mother? Those guys have entire conversations with their eyes. And we discovered that we can do it too. Thank gawd! Because we were able to handle some sticky situations with no more than a few words spoken silently between our eyeballs. Like when we were being interviewed and that interviewer seemed to think our book was non-fiction and we had a holy shit how do we save this? mental chat. Or when we were at Rick Springfield's book signing and, at the last minute, we had a subliminal talk about how we should thrust one of our signed books upon him!

4. A slight head tilt can save the day!

We've never taken so many pictures in our lives! And a very smart author friend warned us that you will learn VERY fast how to take a good picture. So, after many, many, many terrible attempts, we finally figured out that a slight tilt of the head toward the person you are standing next to can do wonders for your face in a photo. Although when your eyes are closed and the pic still gets posted, there's no saving that. But at least it won't look like you have seventeen chins! (It feels weird to post a picture of ourselves that we think is good, so just take our word for it, k?)

5. Stick to one cocktail before an event!

We were a little nervous before our first few events, not knowing what to expect. So we might have said yes to a second drink before we were scheduled to "go on." While it definitely loosened us up, we may have been having a little too much fun out there. (We also blame the hand-held microphones that made us feel far more important than we actually are!) Our apologies to a certain someone (Liz's Mom!) we poked fun at for coming in late. We hope we made up for it when we thanked you for bringing 10 people? And a big thanks to the several people who said we should have our own sitcom. (See, it wasn't all bad!)

6. We can survive 3 weeks together!

We have to admit we were pretty worried about spending so much time together. So we took a lot of precautions to help us get through it. We didn't stay together every night, we never spoke or texted or even looked at each other before being caffeinated and we made sure to be as agreeable and flexible as possible. (We learned a lot from the mistakes made at BEA 2013! Remember Diary of a Debut: New York City edition?) And we almost made it all the way through without so much as a disagreement. Until the very last day together when we got into over, what we'll refer to as, "the great soap debate of 2014."  It's a long story but all you need to know is that someone brought someone else Starbucks an hour later and all was right in the world again.

7. We got pretty damn sick of ourselves!

In the weeks surrounding our publication, a lot was going on. And of course we wanted to share it all with you. But it finally got to a point where we couldn't upload one more photo, compose one more tweet or so much as look at our Liz and Lisa author page on Facebook. Enough was enough. We. Had To. Stop. So we took a week off to give us (and you!) a break. And we think it was a good decision, because we can now upload a pic to Instagram without spending 15 minutes debating whether the Amaro or the Sierra filter is best. (We were looking pretty tired there toward the end!)

Thanks again for everything! This has been an amazing journey which would never have been possible without your support!

Guest Post: Taylor Jenkins Reid's advice for After I Do

Happy pub day to one of of favorite authors, Taylor Jenkins Reid! Her latest, After I Do, is a wonderfully insightful look into the pitfalls of marriage, and it's filled with wit. Hands down, one of the best books of 2014!  So of course, we asked her to give us some advice on how to keep the love alive after so many years.  This is what she had to say! (Oh, and go buy After I Do!  Right NOW!)

Taylor Jenkins Reid's advice for After I Do

When I set out to write After I Do, I wanted to put myself in the position of a woman who had allowed her marriage to become stale and dispassionate.

To do this, I took a lens to my own marriage. I started to take a look at the things that my husband and I take for granted from each other, even when things are good. I began paying attention to the habits that, if we were to allow them to fester, might grow into real problems. I tapped into the seemingly benign complacency in my own marriage and took a hard look at how those things might be dangerous in the long run.

Here are the top three things I realized I was taking for granted that I put into the book:

1. My dog used to sleep in the middle of the bed.

I realized that my pit bull had started sleeping in between my husband and I. Gone were the days when I had to sleep touching my husband. Instead, I was happy to let the dog rest in between us. Now, in my defense, there is no greater snuggler than a pit bull. But regardless, once I saw that I had allowed it to happen, I knew it had to stop. So not only did I put a similar thing in the book, but I started making my dog sleep on the side of the bed. I always try to fall asleep touching my husband.

2. I've lost my wallet more times than I can count.

In my vows to my husband, I thanked him for being the kind of man that doesn't get frustrated when I lose my wallet. And over the years, as I've continued losing my wallet, I have gradually started taking for granted that he will be patient about it. I'm pretty sure that if every time I left the house, I had to hear a woman yell, "Oh my God! Where's my wallet?" I'd lose my cool. But he never does.

So I gave that quality to Lauren, and now make an effort to thank my husband every once in a while for always being so cool.

3. Who's going to call the plumber?

My husband is the one that calls people. I do the dishes. I make the bed. I do the laundry. But my husband handles repairmen, dog walkers, vet appointments, and all customer service phone calls, in addition to things like the trash and the yard. I have more than once found myself taking for granted that he will do all of that, and in the same breath, being convinced, "I'm the only one that does any of the work around here."

When Lauren and Ryan start fighting about who was supposed to call the plumber, it came from my realization that I wasn't appreciating all the work my husband does. After that, I started saying thank you more often and tried to stop tallying all of the chores I handled, as if it was a competition.

Ultimately, this is all small stuff. But I'm convinced marriage is small stuff. I'm banking on a happy marriage being made up of small kindnesses every day. So I'm doing my best to protect my marriage by saying thank you and making the dog sleep in the corner. (And using all of this as material.)

Thanks, Taylor!

Tell us--what is YOUR advice for a happy marriage?

Best books of the month: June edition

After an eighteen-month journey, we can’t believe YOUR PERFECT LIFE is finally out. Not to mention it’s in such fabulous company this month!

 1. All Fall Down by Jennifer Weiner (out June 17th)

The scoop: Allison Weiss got her happy ending—a handsome husband, adorable daughter, a job she loves, and the big house in the suburbs. But while waiting in the pediatrician’s office, she opens a magazine to a quiz about addiction and starts to wonder…Is a Percocet at the end of the day really different from a glass of wine? Is it such a bad thing to pop a Vicodin after a brutal Jump & Pump class…or if your husband ignores you?

The pills help her manage the realities of her good-looking life: that her husband is distant, that her daughter is acting out, that her father’s Alzheimer’s is worsening and her mother is barely managing to cope. She tells herself that they let her make it through her days…but what if her increasing drug use, a habit that’s becoming expensive and hard to hide, is turning into her biggest problem of all?

With a sparkling comedic touch and a cast of unforgettable characters, this remarkable story of a woman’s slide into addiction and struggle to find her way back up again is Jennifer Weiner’s most masterful work yet.

Our thoughts: This is her best yet!

Giveaway: ONE copy (US). Just leave a comment to be entered to win. We'll select the winners on Monday, June 23rd after 8am PST.

See Jen on tour >>

2.  The Unexpected Waltz by Kim Wright

The scoop: From the author of the critically acclaimed debut Love in Mid Air comes this moving novel about a middle-aged widow who finds her feet by embracing a new hobby: ballroom dancing.

Kelly Wilder becomes recently widowed from a much older wealthy man with whom she spent her married life doing charity work, building a lovely home, and, as she says, “pretending to be a whole lot more conservative and stupid and nicer than I really am.”

Now, with too much time and money on her hands, Kelly has absolutely no idea what happens next. So on a whim she signs up for a ballroom dancing class, and slowly, step by high-heeled step, begins to rebuild her life with the help of friends old and new: Nik, a young Russian dance teacher who sees the artistic potential she left behind; Carolina, a woman in hospice, anxious to experience a whole lifetime in a few months; and Elyse, Kelly’s girlhood best friend who knows all of her past secrets—including the truth about the man who long ago broke Kelly’s heart.

In the vein of Jennifer Weiner's novels, Unexpected Waltz is a deeply felt story about moving on after loss and finding a new walk—or dance—of life through the power of second chances.

Our thoughts: We've loved Kim since she wrote Love in Mid Air (check that one out too!). This book is a must-add to your summer reading list.

Giveaway: ONE copy (US). Just leave a comment to be entered to win. We'll select the winners on Monday, June 23rd after 8am PST.

3. The Glass Kitchen by Linda Francis Lee

The scoop: Portia Cuthcart never intended to leave Texas. Her dream was to run the Glass Kitchen restaurant her grandmother built decades ago. But after a string of betrayals and the loss of her legacy, Portia is determined to start a new life with her sisters in Manhattan . . . and never cook again. But when she moves into a dilapidated brownstone on the Upper West Side, she meets twelve-year-old Ariel and her widowed father Gabriel, a man with his hands full trying to raise two daughters on his own. Soon, a promise made to her sisters forces Portia back into a world of magical food and swirling emotions, where she must confront everything she has been running from. What seems so simple on the surface is anything but when long-held secrets are revealed, rivalries exposed, and the promise of new love stirs to life like chocolate mixing with cream. The Glass Kitchen is a delicious novel, a tempestuous story of a woman washed up on the shores of Manhattan who discovers that a kitchen—like an island—can be a refuge, if only she has the courage to give in to the pull of love, the power of forgiveness, and accept the complications of what it means to be family.

Our thoughts: The perfect summer escape!

Giveaway: Giveaway: ONE copy (US). Just leave a comment to be entered to win. We'll select the winners on Monday, June 23rd after 8am PST.

4. Save the Date by Mary Kay Andrews

The scoop: A savannah florist is about to score the wedding of a lifetime—one that will solidify her career as the go-to-girl for society nuptials. Ironically, Cara Kryzik doesn't believe in love, even though she creates beautiful flower arrangements to celebrate them. But when the bride goes missing and the wedding is in jeopardy, Cara must find the bride and figure out what she believes in.  Maybe love really does exist outside of fairy tales after all.

Told with Mary Kay Andrews' trademark wit and keen eye for detail, mark your calendars for Save the Date!

Our thoughts: We're not sure what her secret is, but her books just keep getting better!

Giveaway: ONE copy (US). Just leave a comment to be entered to win. We'll select the winners on Monday, June 23rd after 8am PST.

5.  The Never Never Sisters by L. Alison Heller

The scoop:  Marriage counselor Paige Reinhardt is counting down the days to summer, eager to reconnect with her workaholic husband at their cozy rental cottage in the Hamptons. But soon a mysterious crisis at Dave’s work ruins their getaway plans. Paige is still figuring out how to handle the unexplained chill in her marriage when her troubled sister suddenly returns after a two-decade silence. Now, instead of enjoying the lazy summer days along the ocean, Paige is navigating the rocky waters of a forgotten bond with her sister in the sweltering city heat.

As she attempts to dig deeper into Dave’s work troubles and some long-held family secrets, Paige is shocked to discover how little she knows about the people closest to her. This summer, the self-proclaimed relationship expert will grapple with her biggest challenge yet: Is it worth risking your most precious relationships in order to find yourself?

Our thoughts: We just love Alison! She's not only a talented author but a great person! Definitely throw this novel in your beach bag!

Giveaway: ONE copy (US). Just leave a comment to be entered to win. We'll select the winners on Monday, June 23rd after 8am PST.

6. Right Click by Lisa Becker

The scoop: Love. Marriage. Infidelity. Parenthood. Crises of identity. Death. Cupcakes. The themes in Right Click, the third and final installment in the Click series, couldn't be more pressing for this group of friends as they navigate through their 30's. Another six months have passed since we last eavesdropped on the hilarious, poignant and often times inappropriate email adventures of Renee and friends. As the light-hearted, slice of life story continues to unfold, relationships are tested and some need to be set "right" before everyone can find their "happily ever after."

Our thoughts: Love this series! Download to your e-reader and prepare to devour this delicious novel!

Giveaway: ONE e-copy or print copy (US). Just leave a comment to be entered to win. We'll select the winners on Monday, June 23rd after 8am PST.

7. The Scenic Route by Devan Sipher

The scoop:Austin Gittleman is running late, and not just for the seaside wedding he's attending. Austin's an eye doctor, who doesn't see what's in front of him, until he crashes into Naomi Bloom, a pastry chef with a taste for adventure. Naomi believes a straight line isn't always the shortest distance between places -- or people.

Do any two people look at love the same way? Austin and Naomi offer conflicting narrative accounts as they circle each other through a series of miscommunications and missed connections. In The Scenic Route, life is what happens on the way to where you're going. It's unpredictable and sometimes fleeting, but it can be pretty wonderful when you bring the right person along for the ride.

Our thoughts: A man that can write books for women. What more could you ask for?

Giveaway: Giveaway: ONE copy (US). Just leave a comment to be entered to win. We'll select the winners on Monday, June 23rd after 8am PST.

Blog Swap: Ariel and Marybeth of She Reads

We can't think of a better way to celebrate publication day than to host the ladies of one of our favorite book sites--She Reads! And you can find us over at She Reads today chatting with the girls. Yay! We always admired Marybeth and Ariel--like us, they are also authors!  We're so excited that they've agreed to answer all the Qs we've been dying to ask, like how do they do it ALL?!  We must know their secrets!

Marybeth's latest novel is The Bridge Tender.

Here's the scoop: Emily must realize that her dreams didn’t have to die with her first love. When Emily Shaw, a young widow, learns that her late husband's last surprise for her involves returning to Sunset Beach, North Carolina, to realize an old dream of theirs, she reluctantly embarks on a summer of discovery in the midst of grief. There, in the oasis of the beach community, she meets a host of townspeople with their own broken dreams and unexpected situations. As the island citizens divide over the fate of a nostalgic bridge, Emily happens upon a man who just may be the one to restore her faith in dreams, hope, and possibly love.

Our thoughts: UH-mazing!

Ariel's latest novel is The Wife, The Maid and The Mistress.

Here's the scoop: They say behind every great man, there's a woman. In this case, there are three. Stella Crater, the judge's wife, is the picture of propriety draped in long pearls and the latest Chanel. Ritzi, a leggy showgirl with Broadway aspirations, thinks moonlighting in the judge's bed is the quickest way off the chorus line. Maria Simon, the dutiful maid, has the judge to thank for her husband's recent promotion to detective in the NYPD. Meanwhile, Crater is equally indebted to Tammany Hall leaders and the city's most notorious gangster, Owney "The Killer" Madden.

Our thoughts: Juicy with a capital J!

Q & A with Ariel and Marybeth

Liz & Lisa: She Reads is an amazing website, both for readers and bloggers. Tell us what inspired you to start the site. And what's the biggest thing you've learned from it?

Marybeth: We started the site after we noticed that we were often asked by friends for book recommendations. We decided to take what we were already doing one on one and do it on a larger scale via the world wide web. As for the biggest thing we've learned, I think it's that-- as far as the selections go-- we have to look at what will reach the largest cross-section of readers. A lot of thought and intention has to go into each selection, with an eye towards what we've already chosen in regards to theme, setting, age or profession of characters, etc. In other words, it's much more complicated than I think either of us anticipated! We work hard to put a variety of consistently excellent novels in front of readers month after month. And we love doing it.

Ariel: Ah, thanks! As Marybeth said, we were already recommending books to friends and family in real life. And after a while it just made sense to do that on a larger scale. But, for me personally, the biggest thing I've learned from running She Reads all these years is what kind of stories readers respond to. Every month for five years we've had our finger on the pulse of what the average woman is reading. What books they're buying when they're at Target and Costco and Barnes and Noble. And we've listened as they've explained why they love those books. As a writer, that's amazing information to have and it's impacted my own novels in very positive ways.

Liz & Lisa: Besides running an incredibly popular website, you both have 2014 releases. (Ariel's debut, THE WIFE, THE MAID AND THE MISTRESS came out earlier this year, MaryBeth's latest, THE BRIDGE TENDER, released June 3rd).  Not to mention, Ariel has four children and Marybeth has six! You must know your secrets: When do you find the time? And where is your favorite place to write?

Marybeth: *laughing* Where do we find the time? We have no idea. We scramble around trying not to lose our ever-loving minds most of the time. And somehow it all comes together. We marvel that it does and are very thankful. Somehow the words get written, the posts go up, and our families (mostly) gets to eat and wear clean clothes. As for my favorite place to write, we have a covered, screened-in area on our deck. I love to write outside on pretty days. It's good to get away from the house (and the never-ending demands within it), but not have to go very far at the same time.

Ariel: Gosh, you make it sound like we actually know what we're doing. Thank you for that! The truth is that both of us are very good at accomplishing a lot in a very short amount of time. We're good at making the most of white space when it appears on the calendar. And we're good at meeting deadlines, whether self-imposed or external. And honestly, I think those are things motherhood has taught us: show up every day and do the work. Over time that adds up. But when it comes to the actual writing, I usually have to leave the house. I write a lot at night and on the weekends. And I often camp out in local coffee shops for marathon writing sessions.

Liz & Lisa: If y'all could give one piece of advice to aspiring writers, what would it be?

Marybeth: Hang on. You're about to go on a wild ride. It's not going to be like anything you've ever done. In some ways it'll be better than you expect and in some ways, it'll be worse. That's part of the deal. Most importantly, find a good friend to hang on with, one who understands the writing life, and the ride will be ever so much more enjoyable. You can white knuckle it together and laugh like crazy people. That's what Ariel and I do.

Ariel: Write the book that scares you, the one that you are halfway convinced you can't pull off. That's the book that you'll bring your A-game to. And that's the book that readers will respond to.

Liz & Lisa: Tell us what you are both working on right now--we can't wait!

Marybeth: I'm attempting a historical novel. One of those things that used to be on my "I will never" list. You'd think I'd learn to stop saying never.

Ariel: I'm writing another historical novel based on a true event and I can't say much more than that because I've been sworn to secrecy. Also, I'm still at the beginning stages of writing and it feels big and scary and overwhelming and I'm afraid to jinx myself.

Thanks, ladies!

Your Perfect Life has arrived!

OMG OMG OMG! Finally, the day has come! (Are you sick of us yet? Wait, don't answer that!)

We just want to stop for a moment and say THANK YOU.  Each and every one of you has played a part in us getting here today.  We are so grateful for every tweet, every email, every click on the website.  We heart y'all. For reals!

Don't forget we are partying with Jen Lancaster TONIGHT  at 7pm at Aspen Drive Library--701 N. Aspen Drive, Vernon Hills, IL  60061. You must register for this event online here. No worries if you can't make it--we have plenty of other signings too!  Check them all out here.

And you probably heard (because we couldn't stop Facebooking about it yesterday, sorry!), but we had some fun interviews yesterday!

Our first stop was at Windy City Live in Chicago! We had a blast!

And then, we hung with NYT bestselling author Allison Winn Scotch at Book Talk Nation! We LOVE her!  (She's so damn cute!)

Thank you so much for joining on us on this wild ride.  We can't wait to meet you all and hear what you think of Your Perfect Life!

BEA 2014: We came in like a wrecking ball

First, just have to say that our book baby Your Perfect Life will be born in exactly one week. O.M.G.  And we couldn't be more excited! (PS: Have you ordered your copy yet? And have you entered our book club contest? And are you coming to one of our events?) We hope so! And we're giving one lucky reader a bundle of 5 books to celebrate BEA! Just leave a comment here and you'll be entered to win.  US only.  Contest closes on June 8th after 8am PST.

So...we've just barely finished unpacking from our trip to NYC.  But we knew the first thing we needed to do was sit down and tell you all about it--because, you guys, it was SO RAD! (And before we say anymore, we just have to thank GAWD  we learned the lessons we did last year!) But, don't worry, we did still manage to clumsily stumble our way through it, literally tripping over things and making asses out of ourselves all over the place. (Why do they keep inviting us back?!) But, we were in Heaven. And all you little book whores would have been too.  We snagged upcoming titles from Jojo Moyes, Rainbow Rowell, Isabelle Gilles, Jennifer Weiner, Liane Moriarty, just to name a FEW. Our bags were so heavy that *someone* couldn't stop complaining while *someone else* rolled their eyes at her!

And we fulfilled some serious girl crush fantasies by meeting (And I think scaring, a little bit) Jennifer Weiner, Isabelle Gilles, Rainbow Rowell, Liane Moriarty and Catherine McKenzie, among many, many others.  Let's just say we were very, crazy, stalkerish enthusiastic about meeting them!

Oh, and we had our first interview with Shindig, a really cool online hangout!  And we didn't suck!  In fact, there was a rumor that we totally killed it. (We credit the glass of wine we had at lunch prior...)   We may have started that rumor, but still. (No, really, they actually said we did well!)

See? We were perfect little angels, right?

Um, wrong.  We also had a few slip ups, faux pas, and just some  plain ol' wrecking ball behavior.

1. Karma bites Lisa in the ass as Liz looks on

Lisa really wanted to get latest book by Meg Wolitzer. And the line was very long, like wrapping around the block long. She'd stepped out of it to make a phone call, and then she went on a stealth mission to slip back into the aforementioned line.  The only problem?  She came in like a wrecking ball. Liz watched from afar (she's a rule follower!  No cuts!) as Lisa tried to slide in-between the metal post, knocking it over loudly in the process with her hugeass bag, setting off some line-cutting alarm to every BEA staff member within a thirty foot radius (even though she technically wasn't cutting as she had been there before and her "line friends" begrudgingly accepted her back). But somehow she managed to sweet talk her way into keeping the spot (thank you again, line friends!).  And that staff member even came to OUR signing later while on her break! #lemonsintolemonade

2. Twisting Arms

Speaking of the BEA book signings, we may or may not have used them as our recruiting grounds for our own signing .  And by recruit, we mean beg.  And in one case, mildly threaten. But it worked--we had a legit line the entire time!  But no one was so desperate to see us that they knocked over a metal pole.  (Maybe next year?)

A few people that came to the signing might have commented that we "sure had a lot of energy" as they slowly backed away from the table. Did the fact that we were practically foaming at the mouth scare them away?  Or was it the way we screamed HIIIIIII as they approached?  Hey, at least no one can ever say we're apathetic, right?

3. Cute shoes at any costs #blistersbedamned

We made a pact before leaving: we were going to wear our sassy heels no matter what they did to our feet. (In case you haven't been, at BEA, you are on your feet all. day. long. From 7am to 10pm. People actually recommend wearing cross trainers with your skirt! As if!)  And while Liz enjoyed towering over everyone in her four-inch platforms and Lisa ate up all the compliments on her suede pink heels, we could barely walk by Saturday. But Jennifer Weiner said we had cute shoes on.  Totally. Worth. It!

 4. Open mouth, insert foot

Let's be honest here: we don't always say the right thing.  But our foots seemed to be permanently hanging out of our mouths at BEA. Whether Liz was using incorrect grammar in front of the publisher of Atria Books (one of her finest moments!), or Lisa couldn't remember which character she wrote in YPL, we were basically wreaking havoc everywhere we went.  We tell ourselves that's just part of our charm. #denialisaniceplacetolive

5. Okay, maybe we had one fight

But it was really small.  And we really didn't mean to have at dinner it in front of our agent.  And we're sure it's fine that she went to "wash her hands while we work it out" and didn't come back for ten minutes. In our defense, we hadn't eaten all day. And we had ran Amazing Race style to this restaurant that was too good to have an actual sign (wtf with that, anyway), and then drank the bottle of wine that man with the fake italian accent had recommended for us. (It was the least we could do!)

But like we always do, we made up quickly and put in the archives of our friendship, another story to tell, a lesson to be learned.  And the best part?  We're getting better.  We're getting more careful with each other in the way that matters--becoming more delicate with each other's soft spots.  We'll never be perfect, but we're learning.  And to us, that's what perfect looks like. xoxo

What Sarah Jio had to say about Your Perfect Life

We're just back from an incredible time at #BEA14 and have so many stories to tell (look for the post tomorrow.) But one thing we can tell you now is that it was overwhelming to be in the company of so many talented authors. Authors who supported and championed us. Lil' ol' us?! Who said they couldn't wait to read YOUR PERFECT LIFE (out in just eight days--June 10th!). All of the author-to-author love made our hearts melt. And we couldn't be more thankful. We've been fortunate to have received amazing blurbs from many of these very authors. Like New York Times bestselling author, Sarah Jio, whose sixth novel, GOODNIGHT JUNE, was released on May 27th. We absolutely loved it! And she has a seventh book coming out this Fall, THE LOOK OF LOVE. (Does she ever sleep? She can't!)

Sarah had these kind words to say about YOUR PERFECT LIFE:

“I loved this from the very first line (which will go down in history as the funniest, bravest first line ever). Hilarious, honest and truly touching, Liz Fenton and Lisa Steinke are two important new voices in women's fiction who write about life in such a real, relatable way."

Thank you so much, Sarah! To celebrate, we're giving away a copy of GOODNIGHT JUNE. Just leave a comment to be entered to win. The contest closes on Wednesday, June 4th at 8am PST.

Guest Post: Avoiding the Sophomore Slump by Tracey Garvis Graves

It's something you hear about a lot---authors that have a wildly successful debut novel struggle with their second.  And it's something we've experienced too as finshed up our own sophomore effort recently, constantly wondering if The Status of All Things will stand up to Your Perfect Life  when it's released next year.  So we went to our friend and fabulous author Tracey Garvis Graves to get her opinion. (We're also doing a book signing with her on June 11th at 7pm  at Anderson's Naperville, IL! Come join us!)  Her debut, On The Island, took off like a rocket and became a NYT bestseller. For her second novel, she went in a different direction with Covet, this time writing about a woman struggling after her husband loses his job. But her gamble paid off-- Covet was one of our favorite books of the year--heartfelt and amazing!  So we asked her, how the hell did you do that? This is what she had to say:

**we have one copy of Covet to give away.  Leave a comment here to be entered--contest closes June 1st at 8am PST. 

Avoiding the Sophomore Slump by Tracey Garvis Graves

There are two words that every writer loves unequivocally: THE END. I always type these words in all caps because by the time I'm done with a manuscript, I am DONE. At the other end of the spectrum are two words that strike fear into most writers: sophomore slump. Thankfully, I will never have to worry about these two words again because my sophomore novel is now behind me.

Writing your second book is every bit as scary as it seems, especially if your debut novel sold well. On the Island was rejected by every agent who received my query letter, but later went on to spend 9 weeks on the New York Times bestseller list. The rights have been sold to twenty-eight foreign publishers and the book has been optioned by MGM for a feature film. I sold 500,000 copies of the self-published edition and was later picked up by Penguin and offered a two-book publishing deal.

After the dust settled a little, the question everyone wanted the answer to was, "What's next?" I felt every ounce of the weight of my sophomore novel resting firmly on my shoulders; at times, it felt heavier than I could bear. On the Island was the most exciting and fulfilling thing that had ever happened to me as a writer, and the success of my debut novel is something I may never be able to replicate.

I had started writing the book that would become my sophomore novel while I was still querying On the Island. Conventional writing wisdom claimed that the best way to take my mind off of the rejections I'd soon be receiving was to start another book. So I did. The inspiration for Covet came from a real-life event. In the fall of 2008 my husband was in danger of being laid off. He was a valued employee and had been with his company for over fifteen years, but the recession was in full-swing and none of that mattered. I was a stay-at-home-mom at the time so the threat of losing our only source of income weighed heavily on my husband and me. Fortunately, he did not lose his job, but we knew many couples who weren’t so lucky. Most of my books start out as a question, and Covet was no different. I wondered, “What if my husband had lost his job? What if he wasn’t able to find another one? What effect would that have had on an otherwise strong marriage? The answers to those questions became the basis for Covet’s storyline. I just had to know what the outcome would be, and I felt that the premise would be relatable to many women.

I've always loved women's fiction (it's the genre I read the most) and really wanted to try my hand at writing it. I never once thought about whether it was a good idea to switch to women's fiction after writing a contemporary romance novel like On the Island, for several reasons. One, On the Island was still just a manuscript on my hard drive when I began writing Covet and two, I can only write the stories that speak to me the loudest. I didn't think about my audience because in the summer of 2011, I didn't have an audience. But I did feel that there was considerable crossover appeal between women's fiction and contemporary romance, so I immersed myself in writing this new story.

Fast forward two years. I'm gearing up for the publication of my sophomore novel, an event that I never imagined I would be blessed enough to experience. Every single thing was different this time around: format (my debut was self-published as an e-book and trade paperback; my sophomore novel was being released by a major publishing house in e-book and hardcover), genre, price, marketing, etc...In hindsight, there was a very slim chance that my sophomore novel would mirror the performance of my debut, although everyone involved (myself included) certainly hoped it would.

Covet was well-received by several literary review publications: Kirkus and Booklist gave it high marks, and one of the best reviews was written by a man at the New York Journal of Books who said that Covet was "Powerful stuff, honest and brutal." There were readers who reached out to say that I'd written their story. They had walked in Claire's shoes and felt every one of her frustrations and struggles. They fell in love with Daniel and their hearts ached for Chris. But Covet was not On the Island. Unlike writers whose debut novel is the first book in a series, I wrote a new stand-alone novel, about characters who were living very ordinary lives. Covet wasn't a romance novel, although it was widely referred to as one. There was no desert island survival. No sharks, tsunamis, or forbidden love. Some readers were probably thinking, "Hey, what's going on here?"

If I had a time machine I might have gone back and told myself to push Covet a little farther back in the queue. I might have told myself to follow up On the Island with a fast-paced, plot-driven romance novel instead of a quieter, character-based book about married women living in the suburbs and dealing with a variety of issues. But I didn't have a time machine and Covet is a book that means a lot to me. It's a book that spoke to a lot of readers because it was relatable.

I could have chosen not to sign that publishing deal. I could have decided not to write again at all for a while, to ride out the safe and happy wave of On the Island a little longer. I could have chosen to write spin-off books until there were no characters from On the Island left to write about (and I did, in fact, write a companion novella to On the Island called Uncharted, which I wrote after finishing Covet). But frankly, that's not what I wanted to do.  I've always said that I'm not interested in writing the same book over and over again. My favorite authors are those who do not follow a formula, who take risks and aren't afraid to experiment. This is the kind of writer I aspire to be, and I hope to have a very long career, with more titles under my belt than I could have ever imagined.

I've received many wonderful e-mails and Facebook messages about Covet, and they mean the world to me. A few months ago a reader wrote to me and said that she'd borrowed Covet from a friend and had photocopied one of the pages, which she then carried around in her pocket. Her e-mail nearly brought me to tears. My sophomore novel may not have reached as many readers as my debut, but when a reader carries a page of your book around in her pocket, you know that the story did exactly what you hoped it would do. I sent this reader a signed copy of Covet, because I knew she would treasure it the same way I treasured her e-mail.

This is the kind of heartfelt connection that made me realize there's more than one way to measure the success of a sophomore novel. Out of all the books I write during the span of my career, I know my readers will have their favorites as well as a few they might not connect with as strongly, and that's okay. I'll keep writing the stories that speak to me the loudest, knowing that my readers will be there to listen.

Thanks, Tracey!

5 Questions for Sarah Jio + Giveaway!

As many of you know, we hold the fabulous Sarah Jio very near and dear to our hearts--we adore both her and her bestselling novels.  We're so happy that she's hanging out with us today to discuss her latest, Goodnight June. And this one really lives up to it's fabulous cover--we both devoured it in one day and agreed it may be her best so far! And guess what--we have one copy to give away!  Leave a comment to be entered.  Contest closes on June 2nd after 8am PST.

The Scoop: Goodnight Moon by Margaret Wise Brown (Goodnight Songs) is an adored childhood classic, but its real origins are lost to history. In Goodnight June, Sarah Jio offers a suspenseful and heartfelt take on how the “great green room” might have come to be.

June Andersen is professionally successful, but her personal life is marred by unhappiness. Unexpectedly, she is called to settle her great-aunt Ruby’s estate and determine the fate of Bluebird Books, the children’s bookstore Ruby founded in the 1940s. Amidst the store’s papers, June stumbles upon letters between her great-aunt and the late Margaret Wise Brown—and steps into the pages of American literature.

5 Questions for Sarah Jio

1. We love the concept behind GOODNIGHT JUNE. How did you think of the idea? The idea for the novel literally came to me while sitting in the big overstuffed rocking chair in my son's nursery one night. I have three young boys (ages 7, 5, and 3) and used to read each of them Goodnight Moon when they were babies (and even still now!) before bed. My tradition was to read the book, then sit in the chair until they dozed off in their crib. When Colby, my youngest, was a baby, I began getting really curious about the author of Goodnight Moon, Margaret Wise Brown, and what might have been the inspiration for the iconic "great green room". I did some research, and began writing the novel!

2. What other children's books do you read with them/do they love? I remember reading all the old Little Golden Books as a child (the illustrations of 1940s and 1950s life still fascinate me!), and my boys love those too (I mean, who doesn't love Scuffy the Tugboat?!). Now the boys are on to chapter books. They're currently loving The Magic Treehouse series.

3. In this novel, the main character, June, is a runner and so are you. Do you often work out your plot points, character development while running? Or do you leave your writing back at home? Yes! In fact, I plotted out much of this novel on my daily runs. Once I was so distracted with my brainstorming that I tripped on the sidewalk and came home with a bloody knee. (I'm clumsy.) But, injuries aside, I definitely consider running creative time for me. I always come home with great ideas.

4. You have based all of your novels, at least in part, in Seattle. This may be a hard question, but what are your favorite things about the city/how does it inspire your books? I'm so in love with Seattle (as much as I complain about the weather). I grew up here, and it's natural for me to set books in my hometown. I also have found that readers all over the world have a soft spot for Seattle and have come to love my Northwest (specifically, Seattle) settings. While I may vary things in the future, I have yet to lose literary interest in Seattle. In fact, my upcoming novel, THE LOOK OF LOVE (out in November from Penguin/Plume) is basically a love letter to Seattle.

5. THE LOOK OF LOVE is coming out in November. How do you manage to write two books a year, girl??? Your secret, please! I have a mild, and sporadic, case of insomnia, so I write at all hours. Apparently it's genetic as my younger brother does too. He's a computer guy and will often be up at 2:30 or 3:00 coding. I'll sometimes be up at the same time writing a chapter. It's not always fun, but it's one way to get work done! And I really don't have any "rules" for my work, but I do try to write everyday to keep my head in the story; I only start and finish books that are truly haunting me; I drink a lot of coffee (and I mean, A LOT--thank you Nespresso); I sometimes cancel evening plans to write; and I am constantly, and eternally, lusting after the next book idea. I think ultimately it's that very thing that keeps me going...the quest for the next idea.