Jenny Colgan's 5 Firsts & Lasts

Today's guest: Jenny Colgan Why we love her: She's a new find for us but we're big fans already. We're only sad we didn't discover her sooner. Next up, we read her other 11+ novels!

Her latest: Meet Me at the Cupcake Cafe (Out July 2nd!)

The scoop on it: A sweet and satisfying novel of how delicious it is to discover your dreams

Issy Randall can bake. No, Issy can create stunning, mouthwateringly divine cakes. After a childhood spent in her beloved Grampa Joe's bakery, she has undoubtedly inherited his talent. She's much better at baking than she is a filing so when she's laid off from her desk job, Issy decides to open her own little café. But she soon learns that her piece-of-cake plan will take all of her courage and confectionary talent to avert disaster.

Funny and sharp, Meet Me at the Cupcake Café is about how life might not always taste like you expect, but there's always room for dessert!

Our thoughts: We devoured this delicious novel. It's the perfect book to read over your July 4th holiday!

Giveaway: TWO copies! (Us/Canada) Just leave a comment to be entered to win. We'll select the winners on Sunday, June 30th after 3pm PST.

Fun fact: You'll discover a yummy recipe at the beginning of every chapter in Meet Me at the Cupcake Cafe! Read chapter one here!

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

CHICK LIT IS NOT DEAD PRESENTS...JENNY COLGAN'S 5 FIRSTS & LASTS

KISS

First Kiss: In a monastery, believe it or not. I went to a catholic school, which had the dreadful idea of taking us teenagers away with catholic boys from other schools for 'religious retreats' in the summertime. Obviously, the inevitable happened.

Last Kiss: Last night my husband took me out to dinner then we went down to the beach to have ice cream as the sun was setting. That was pretty nice.

BOOK I READ

First Book: My first memories of reading are Frances the Badger. I've read her books to my own children, she's wonderful and can certainly turn a song. The first book I ever read by myself obsessively over and over was Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. Again, with my own children the effect is extraordinary, they wrest it out of your hands. It also has that wonderful poem about throwing out your tv and filling your house with books- 'and after, each and every kid/ will love you more for what you did'.

Last Book: I am reading and thoroughly enjoying Tigers in Red Weather by Liza Klaussmann and am just about to start Sisterhood. I think Curtis Sittenfeld is marvelous!

RISK I TOOK

First Risk I Took: I went to Edinburgh University, instead of the local college my parents preferred where I could live with my grandmother. Edinburgh was far off, exotic, and I met people from all over the world instead of just people from my old school. I went a year early, completely on my own, at 16, and it was a real eye-opener.

Last Risk I Took: Ignoring the weather forecast this morning for a run along the beach. I would have achieved roughly the same effect from just jumping into the sea. I kept saying to the children, oh, it's going to clear up, but my four year old insisted on wearing her mackintosh and wellingtons, the full caboodle. She was right and I was wrong. Mind you, in my experience four year olds will wear wellies at any opportunity.

 AHA! MOMENT

First “Aha!” Moment: When I was 15 or 16 my parents, for whatever reason, let me go to a touring production of The Rocky Horror Show with a friend. I grew up in a very small, insular town where I never felt like I fitted in (I realize now of course that this is not in the least unusual).

Anyway, we got to the little local theatre where I'd seen Christmas shows and summer variety and nothing else, and there were all these people dressed up as freaks in fishnets. They had the umbrellas and the rice and they knew all the funny responses. And I was like, oh my God, all these people are different! And funny! And they live in my town! It gave me just so much hope, that there were people out there who weren't purely concerned with makeup and fighting (the two main pursuits at my horrible high school).

Last “Aha!” Moment: For my New Year's resolution I started accompanying on the piano my friend who took up the clarinet after a twelve year break from it. It's such a pleasure to play with him when we're getting it right. This is, I should add, not terribly often.

HELL YA! MOMENT

First “Hell yeah!” Moment: A relationship ended in my early twenties so I did what you're supposed to, and took an evening class. I chose stand-up comedy. The first time I made everyone laugh changed my entire life in an instant. I was rubbish on stage, but unbeknownst to me apparently I could write funny, and that changed everything.

Last “Hell yeah!” Moment: Ha, this is an American website, so excellent, I can say it. My last novel, Welcome to Rosie Hopkins' Sweetshop of Dreams (to be released in the US in 2014!), won two prizes this year: Best Romantic Comedy and overall Romantic Novel of the Year. I'm British so if we win an award we have to kind of mumble and say oh, no, well, they probably made a mistake, and I’m going to hide it in the toilet. But this is an American site so I can say HELL YEAH! It was brilliant, I was totally thrilled, and here it was! http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-22559105

Thanks, Jenny!

Kitty Pilgrim's 5 Firsts & Lasts

Today's guest: Kitty Pilgrim Why we love her: We love the way she writes. Her novels are exciting, engaging and memorable!

Her latest: The Stolen Chalice (Out in paperback now!)

The scoop on it:  What links an antique treasure to a sinister group of terrorists? CNN veteran Kitty Pilgrim sweeps us into the glamorous international art world, as lovely oceanographer Cordelia Stapleton and urbane archaeologist John Sinclair return in a perilous new quest.

When Cordelia and Sinclair attend a star-studded gala at the New York Metropolitan Museum, they anticipate merely a pleasurable evening. But as the elite dine and dance in the centuries-old Temple of Dendur, terrorists are planning a deadly assault. The attack is foiled, but it distracts from a massive heist of Egyptian art treasures around the city—among them the fabulous Sardonyx Cup.

The millionaire owner asks Sinclair for help retrieving it, and to Cordelia’s distress, her lover also recruits his old flame, Egyptologist Holly Graham. From a sprawling Wyoming ranch to a Scottish castle, the mysterious canals of Venice, and to Egypt itself, the search leads them to plans for a deadly bio-weapon attack. But could the chalice itself have special powers? Science and the supernatural collide as romantic tension sizzles. And now the three are moving into mortal danger. . . .

Our thoughts: We loved it just as much in paperback as we did the first time around.

Giveaway: Two SIGNED copies! Just leave a comment to be entered to win. We'll select the winners on Sunday, June 30th after 3pm PST.

Fun fact: Check out the trailer for The Stolen Chalice here!

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

CHICK LIT IS NOT DEAD PRESENTS...KITTY PILGRIM'S 5 FIRSTS & LASTS

KISS

First: He was a beast.  And I mean it, bad breath, messy hair, unruly manner, horrible manners at the table.  George would take food off your plate without asking.  His mouth was just awful, spitty, revolting.  He’d been eyeing me all through the meal with a sort of hungry neediness I found pathetic.  His affection was unrequited.  I never really liked him very much at all.  It was just the two of us, alone in the kitchen.  I had just finished a piece of pizza and was enjoying the last delicious bite when it came, an unexpected, unsolicited smack on the mouth, the pink tongue lapping up all the sauce on my lips.  I howled at the invasion.  The sheer effrontery of it all. ( I was two years old.  He was a yellow Labrador retriever.  You didn’t think I would tell you about my first real kiss, did you? That is entirely too sacred.)

Last: My son Beau.  All through childhood he was the baby that clung the longest, kissed with the fierce intensity.  Now, an elegant young man, six foot five, 100 percent rock and roll musician, with a cool swagger, he usually pops a quick one on the side of my head as he leaves.  It’s almost as if he were ashamed to be caught in anything so sentimental.  Last Sunday night, we had dinner and were talking about this and that.  He checked his cell phone for texts and then told me he had to go.  An hour or so is all I get these days and I’m grateful for it.  At the door he suddenly reached down and hugged me so hard my feet left the ground, then he planted a kiss on top of my head, the pressure of it was unexpectedly tender.  “By mom,” he said and left me with tears in my eyes.  They grow up so fast.

RISK I TOOK

First Risk I took: It was a really big risk. Monumental. After I graduated from college I suddenly got a contract to work in Japan.  Back then, living overseas was pre-cell phone, pre-internet.  Moving to Asia on the other side of the world.  The only real way to communicate was by letter.  Even making a phone call required making an appointment with an international operator.  But despite not knowing the language, having nowhere to live, no friends, family, and a host of other uncertainties I hopped on a plane and headed off to Tokyo.  I was so nervous, I don’t think I slept a wink in the plane.  Landing in Tokyo was like going to another planet.  I’d never seen anything like it. But I’ve never regretted taking the leap.

Last Risk: I wrote my first novel The Explorer’s Code as a lark when I was an anchor at CNN.  It was just for my own amusement, to keep me entertained on the train commute home.  I spun a fantasy that started at a gala in Monaco and romped through all the elegant watering holes of Europe. Then I added a dollop of good old-fashioned Victoria polar exploration, and a Russian bad guy or two.   It amused me a lot, and I passed it along to an agent.  He told me that it would be a best seller, (he was right) to quit my anchor job at the news network and become a novelist.  And that is exactly what I did.  Never a regret.  I am having the time of my life.

BOOK I READ

First: When I was a baby, my parents used to put books at the bottom of my crib so when I woke up, I would crawl down there and read for a while until everyone else in the house woke up.  I clearly remember doing that.   But my first heart pounding, oh-my- goodness-book obsession was reading the Adventures of Sherlock Holmes in the third grade.  I was absolutely enthralled, and immediately started writing my own series in a marble copybook, with myself as Sherlock’s helper.

Last: I am reading a series of books for the Nantucket Book Festival, all of them incredible.  I will moderate a panel with these incredible authors, all of whom have written about far away places.  So I am deep in the middle of a series of four books: Alex Gilvarry, From the Memoirs of a Non Enemy Combatant. Madeline Miller, The Song of Achilles No Violet Bulawayo, We Need New Names Vaddey Rather, In the Shadow of the Bayan.

AH-HA! MOMENT

First: I remember in school being distressed over why I didn’t fit in. I was tall (5 11” ) in the 8th grade, skinny, not terribly popular, bookish and shy.  I was not allowed to watch television, so conversations about TV shows and pop culture went entirely over my head.  I didn’t know anything about popular music, movie stars, or much of anything that was relevant in my pre-teen world.  Everyone else seemed so cool, and I was not.   One day, decades later, when I was anchoring the news I realized that the dynamic had reversed.   I was sitting there at the anchor desk, on television, the first to know all about world events, telling everyone else.  I think being so out of the loop in my childhood drove me to find out more about the world.   (And my children were certainly allowed to watch television. )

Last Ah ha moment: I was having dinner with my sons in Williamsburg Brooklyn and feeling very cool.  Here we were at the epicenter of hipness, and I was dining with two fabulously handsome young men: one who is a photographer, the other who is a rock musician.  I was feeling quite smug about my middle-aged coolness, reading over the menu.  My son Beau said  “Mom you should have anything you want.  Don’t worry about your diet.”  I thanked him, thinking he was referring to my still slender figure and the effortless way I have been able to maintain my weight.  My smugness was short lived.  He added in a clueless fashion, “At your age, you don’t have to worry about what you look like.”   You are never really cool to your children.

HELL- YA! MOMENT

First: I was always very adventurous and athletic.  Most of my activities were individual sports, skating, riding, skiing, swimming.  By the time I was fifteen I was quite an athlete.   One winter my friends and I were going skiing, and I was nervous about whether I would be able to keep up.  There were a lot of boys along on the trip and I was anxious lest I be left behind on the slope.  We all started off, and I pushed myself to ski well that day, taking each mogul well, and pushing on, not noticing how the others were doing on the slope.  It was a difficult vertical drop and required my entire concentration.  When I got to the bottom, I looked around.  I was the first to arrive at the lodge.  A guy I had a crush on skied up a few minutes later, winded and chagrined.  “You are a fantastic skier,” he said, impressed.  At that moment I knew I would never let gender prevent me from excelling in any endeavor.

Last: Last week I got my diving certification.  It had been a long process of over a year because of bad luck, bad timing and a host of other problems.   I wanted to learn how to dive to better write my character, Cordelia Stapleton, an oceanographer.  If I couldn’t dive, how would I describe her adventures to my readers?  Last year, my scuba pool course had gone well, but when I went out to the open water dive, the conditions were awful.  I had to abandon the effort.   I tried several times and each effort had to be abandoned because of difficult conditions or equipment problems.  I was getting terribly frustrated about the whole thing, but kept trying.  Finally last week I went down and fulfilled all the requirements to become a certified diver.  Now let the adventures begin!

Thanks, Kitty!

What's in Liz & Lisa's Beach Bag? + Flash Giveaway!

We don't know about you, but we love on summer! It's all about warm weather, cool cocktails and  fabulous fiction! So what are we reading this month? Check out the five books we couldn't put down. And if you leave a comment about what book you're excited to devour on your next trip to the shore, you'll be and be entered to win 5 mystery books for your own pool tote! We'll select the winner on Wednesday, June 19th after 3pm PST.) Happy Reading!

Faking It by Cora Cormack

The scoop: Mackenzie "Max" Miller has a problem. Her parents have arrived in town for a surprise visit, and if they see her dyed hair, tattoos, and piercings, they just might disown her. Even worse, they’re expecting to meet a nice wholesome boyfriend, not a guy named Mace who has a neck tattoo and plays in a band. All her lies are about to come crashing down around her, but then she meets Cade.

Cade moved to Philadelphia to act and to leave his problems behind in Texas. So far though, he’s kept the problems and had very little opportunity to take the stage. When Max approaches him in a coffee shop with a crazy request to pretend to be her boyfriend, he agrees to play the part. But when Cade plays the role a little too well, they’re forced to keep the ruse going. And the more they fake the relationship, the more real it begins to feel.

Our thoughts: We love us some new adult! And this novel is so much fun!

Revenge Wears Prada: The Devil Returns by Lauren Weisberger

The scoop: Almost a decade has passed since Andy Sachs quit the job “a million girls would die for” working for Miranda Priestly at Runway magazine—a dream that turned out to be a nightmare. Andy and Emily, her former nemesis and co-assistant, have since joined forces to start a highend bridal magazine. The Plunge has quickly become required reading for the young and stylish. Now they get to call all the shots: Andy writes and travels to her heart’s content; Emily plans parties and secures advertising like a seasoned pro. Even better, Andy has met the love of her life. Max Harrison, scion of a storied media family, is confident, successful, and drop-dead gorgeous. Their wedding will be splashed across all the society pages as their friends and family gather to toast the glowing couple. Andy Sachs is on top of the world. But karma’s a bitch. The morning of her wedding, Andy can’t shake the past. And when she discovers a secret letter with crushing implications, her wedding-day jitters turn to cold dread. Andy realizes that nothing—not her husband, nor her beloved career—is as it seems. She never suspected that her efforts to build a bright new life would lead her back to the darkness she barely escaped ten years ago—and directly into the path of the devil herself...

Our thoughts: Such a satisfying sequel!

Crazy Rich Asians by Kevin Kwan

Crazy Rich Asians is the outrageously funny debut novel about three super-rich, pedigreed Chinese families and the gossip, backbiting, and scheming that occurs when the heir to one of the most massive fortunes in Asia brings home his ABC (American-born Chinese) girlfriend to the wedding of the season. When Rachel Chu agrees to spend the summer in Singapore with her boyfriend, Nicholas Young, she envisions a humble family home, long drives to explore the island, and quality time with the man she might one day marry. What she doesn't know is that Nick's family home happens to look like a palace, that she'll ride in more private planes than cars, and that with one of Asia's most eligible bachelors on her arm, Rachel might as well have a target on her back. Initiated into a world of dynastic splendor beyond imagination, Rachel meets Astrid, the It Girl of Singapore society; Eddie, whose family practically lives in the pages of the Hong Kong socialite magazines; and Eleanor, Nick's formidable mother, a woman who has very strong feelings about who her son should--and should not--marry. Uproarious, addictive, and filled with jaw-dropping opulence, Crazy Rich Asians is an insider's look at the Asian JetSet; a perfect depiction of the clash between old money and new money; between Overseas Chinese and Mainland Chinese; and a fabulous novel about what it means to be young, in love, and gloriously, crazily rich.

Our thoughts: Sassy, smart and funny, it's all the good things you've heard and more.

The First Affair by Emma McLaughlin and Nicola Kraus

Following college, Jamie McAllister wins a prestigious internship at the White House that she has no idea will irrevocably alter her life. An unexpected flirtation with the handsome and charismatic Gregory Rutland quickly leads to an emotional relationship she is ill equipped to handle at twenty-two. Each time she tries to extricate herself Greg is unable to find the strength to let her go. Meanwhile, the opposing party mobilizes to annihilate his presidency by any means necessary.

As Gregs conflicting desires drive her to the breaking point, Jamie cant help but reveal intimate details to those closest to her. But she must have unburdened herself to the wrong personbecause within a matter of weeks Jamie finds herself, and everyone she loves, facing highly calculated destruction at the hands of Gregs political enemies.

With her every mistake dragged out for the world to judge, Jamie has to endure an unprecedented trial in the court of public opinion with the fate of the President, his party, and the country at stake.

Now, years later, can the woman infamously known as the girl in the blue dress make sense of this affair, and the trauma it wrought, for the world and for herself?

Our thoughts: Such an engrossing story! OMG, you must read! (PS: We know this doesn't come out until August 27th, but we were lucky enough to get an advanced reader copy and just had to talk about it right now!)

All My Restless Life to Live by Dee DeTarsio

The scoop: Life is a soap opera in All My Restless Life to Live, especially for Elle Miller, who writes for one. (Ellen dropped the “n” in her name in hopes of finding a better ending for herself.) When her laptop crashed, she borrowed her dead dad’s computer and got more than she bargained for. As Elle comes to terms with her father’s death, she’s busy unraveling mysterious communications from his computer. From dealing with her mom, who has decided to give Internet dating a try, to saving her career at I’d Rather Be Loved, with a storyline featuring a trip through Atlantis, to a trip to the Emmys, Elle also finds herself in the middle of a romance between a real doctor and a hunk who just plays one on TV. Friends, family, and clues from “the other side” all help Elle figure out the difference between living the good life and living a good life. Hint: The universe always gives us clues.

Our thoughts: We're big fans of Dee's books! And this is definitely our favorite yet.

Jessica Anya Blau's 5 Firsts & Lasts

Today's guest: Jessica Anya Blau Why we love her: We literally bumped into her at the Harper Collins party when we were in NYC for BEA. And when she told us about her latest novel, we were immediately intrigued and started reading it on the plane ride home!

Her latest: The Wonder Bread Summer

The scoop on it: In The Wonder Bread Summer, loosely based on Alice in Wonderland, 20-year-old Allie Dodgson has adventures that rival those Alice had down the rabbit hole. Or those of Weeds’ Nancy Botwin.

Allison is working at a dress shop to help pay for college. The dress shop turns out to be a front for drug dealers. And Allison ends up on the run—with a Wonder Bread bag full of cocaine.

With a hit man after her, Allison wants the help of her parents. But there’s a problem: Her mom took off when Allison was eight; her dad moves so often Allison that doesn’t even have his phone number….

Set in 1980s California, The Wonder Bread Summer is a wickedly funny and fresh caper that’s sure to please fans of Christopher Moore, Carl Hiaasen, and Marcy Dermansky.

Our thoughts:  We could not put this book down. A hilarious summer read! (Plus: Doesn't it have like the best cover ever?)

Giveaway: Two SIGNED copies! Just leave a comment to be entered to win. We'll select the winners on Sunday, June 16th after 12PM PST.

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

CHICK LIT IS NOT DEAD PRESENTS...JESSICA ANYA BLAU'S 5 FIRSTS & LASTS

Kiss

First: I come from a kissy family so certainly I was kissed a lot as a kid. My great-grandmother didn’t speak English (that I had ever heard) and she laid some pretty terrifying kisses on me as she spit out a guttural Yiddish. But my first romantic kiss was when Scott Carpenter said, “Jessica, come here, I want to tell you something.” We were standing at the top of a hill on the cul de sac where I lived. It was a bright sunny day and the sidewalk was chalky clean. Scott leaned in and kissed me quickly on the tip of my nose. I think he was aiming for my lips but missed. Then he turned and ran as fast as he could down the hill and away from me. Matt B. was the first boy who French kissed me and it was a messy affair. There was drool sliding down my neck.

Last: My husband thirty seconds ago just before he walked out of the room.  He’s a kiss-when-you-enter, kiss-when-you-exit kind of guy.

Book I read

The first book I read to myself was a French counting book. On each page was a number with a play on the pronunciation of the word. On the page for the number four it said QUATRE and there was a picture of a cat (the reader was supposed to pronounce quatre as CAT). And on the page for the number five it said CINQ and there was a picture of the cat sinking in a tank of water (cinq was to be pronounced SANK). I loved that book. The next book I remember reading is Madeleine by Ludwig Bemelmans.

The last book I read was Cheryl Strayed’s WILD.  I’m probably the last person on the planet to read it. I can’t wait to see the movie.  Nick Hornby wrote the script and I’m a huge Hornby fan (as well as a Strayed fan, too, now!).

Risk I Took

First: I was a pretty fearful and quiet kid and until around age seven, I preferred to hang out with my mother and read books (she read for hours each day—not to me, beside me) than hang out with kids. So my first real risk was probably when I agreed to sleep over at the neighbor girl’s house when I was five. It was a long, miserable night. We shared a bed and she tortured me by making horse whiney noises with her face an inch from mine. I couldn’t wait to go home.

Last: Every day that I sit down to write, I feel like I’m taking a risk. I’m risking failure, humiliation, rejection, time-wasting, revealing how stupidy-dumb-dumb I am, etc.  I write in spite of these risks. Yet, still, all the perils of this occupation occur to me each time I open my computer.

Aha! Moment

First: When I was a little kid I didn’t understand children. I thought the things they wanted to do weren’t interesting. I liked reading, I liked quietly mothering my dolls, and I liked having tea with the old lady who lived across the street.  Then my family moved to California and I discovered friends who were fun, exciting and imaginative. I suddenly realized that it could be great to hang out with people my age.

Last: Wow, I feel like I have Aha! moments every day. Today I had one when I was wearing a white shirt with a blue and white polka dot bra. (I was rushing this morning when I got dressed and didn’t realize the bra showed through until I was out of the house.) It was a hot day so I thought I could pretend it was a bathing suit and that I was coming from the pool (this pretending was going on in my head since the general public wasn’t discussing the polka dot bra with me!). Then, around six, I met a couple friends at the neighborhood pool.  My one friend said, “Why are you wearing a polka dot bra under that white shirt?” I asked her if it didn’t just look like I was wearing a bathing suit. She said it looked like I was wearing a polka dot bra. And I thought, “Aha! I’ve fooled no one and I just look like an idiot!”

Hell ya! Moment

My first Hell ya! moment was probably when I fell in love repeatedly in sixth grade. The entire class was falling in love and switching up boyfriends weekly.  The whole love stuff was pretty fun and exciting and I remember thinking a version of Hell Ya! when the class went to sleep away camp and my friends and I spent all our energy maneuvering for hand holding or kissing.

My last Hell ya! moment was about thirty minutes ago when my daughter handed me an award she got for a short film she made. She worked really hard on that film (writing it, storyboarding, casting it, shooting it, editing it) and Hell Ya! she deserved that award!

Thanks, Jessica!

Flash Giveaway! Jen Lancaster's The Tao of Martha

Giveaway: TWO copies of The Tao of Martha: My Year of LIVING; Or, Why I'm Never Getting All of That Glitter off of the Dog The scoop: One would think that with Jen Lancaster’s impressive list of bestselling self-improvement memoirs—Bitter Is the New Black; Bright Lights, Big Ass; Such a Pretty Fat; Pretty in Plaid; My Fair Lazy; and Jeneration X—that she would have it all together by now.

One would be wrong.Jen’s still a little rough around the edges. Suffice it to say, she’s no Martha Stewart. And that is exactly why Jen is going to Martha up and live her life according to the advice of America’s overachieving older sister—the woman who turns lemons into lavender-infused lemonade.By immersing herself in Martha’s media empire, Jen will embark on a yearlong quest to take herself, her house, her husband (and maybe even her pets) to the next level—from closet organization to craft making, from party planning to kitchen prep.

Maybe Jen can go four days without giving herself food poisoning if she follows Martha’s dictates on proper storage....Maybe she can grow closer to her girlfriends by taking up their boring-ass hobbies like knitting and sewing.…Maybe she can finally rid her workout clothes of meatball stains by using Martha’s laundry tips.… Maybe she can create a more meaningful anniversary celebration than just getting drunk in the pool with her husband....again. And maybe, just maybe, she’ll discover that the key to happiness does, in fact, lie in Martha’s perfectly arranged cupboards and artfully displayed charcuterie platters.

Or maybe not.

Our thoughts: HILARIOUS. Absolutely loved, loved, loved! And are now inspired to do something domestic (SANS glitter!).

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

Leave a comment to be entered. The winners will be chosen on Wednesday, June 12th after 8am PST.

7 Questions for the author of No Bake Makery + Giveaway!

Today's guest: Cristina Suarez Krumsick Why we love her: She shows us how to make delicious desserts without turning on the oven--doesn't get much better than that!

Her book: No Bake Makery: More than 80 Two-Bite Treats Made with Lovin', not an Oven

The scoop on it: What's the easiest way to make delicious and adorable desserts? Without an oven!

That's NO BAKE MAKERY-all of the fun, but none of the fuss. These creative, two-bite treats of all kinds are impossible for anyone to resist-on any occasion. In addition to tips for perfecting your technique, ideas for decorating, and sidebar recipes, Cristina Suarez Krumsick serves up simple step-by-step instructions for her favorite no-bakems, from Cinnamon & Spice Bark, Bite o' Joe Truffles, and Key Lime Pie to Mintamelon Pops, Applesauce Cake, Fluffy Cracker Cookies, and beyond!

They're all cute. They're all bursting with flavor. And you don't need an oven to make any of them.

Our thoughts: Two words: De. Licious. Or maybe that's just one. :)

Fun fact: She launched the No Bake Makery from her apartment in Brooklyn.

Giveaway: TWO copies! Just leave a comment to be entered. We'll select the winners on Sunday, June 9th after 12 pm PST.

Where you can read more about the No Bake Makery: Facebook, Twitter and Cristina's website.

CHICK LIT IS NOT DEAD PRESENTS...7 QUESTIONS FOR CRISTINA SUAREZ KRUMSICK

L&L: We love the cover of your book, what's the story behind it?

CSK: I really wanted to cover to have a retro feel because the book has a lot of recipes that are twists on throwback goodies. On the other hand, I wanted it to have a cute edge too because all the treats are just that (I think so anyway!). I think the black and white and pops of color, chocolate hearts and props really do the trick. In terms of selecting the treats for the cover shot, we did a bunch of brainstorming on what would best represent the book. We wanted people to say “Those are so cute and look yummy! Wait, I can no-bake that?”

L&L: Out of all of your no bake yummy treats, do you have a favorite?

CSK: Mmmm hard question! I really love the icebox cakes. They are so easy make your own and practically impossible to mess up! I also love the no-bake brownies. These are basically fudge with cookie crumbs. They set into this fudge brownie consistency. I have literally had to make them in front of people to prove that they aren’t baked! It’s awesome.

L&L: You say you choose not to bake because it's more fun and gives more flexibility, but do you ever, gulp, bake? Or would that be like cheating on your no bake treats?

CSK: I use the oven for savory food all time. I love slow cooking pork, roasting chicken, veggies, you name it. The oven is great for savory food because you don’t need to be so precise. Baking on the other hand…totally opposite scenario. So, I really barely bake sweets.

And when I do it’s usually out of a box and I kinda do feel like it’s cheating! I am pretty transparent about it though! On instagram I usually hashtag #yesbake.

L&L: What's it like to be a publicist for a major publishing house and to now be on the other side of the publicity with your cook book?

CSK: It’s awesome and challenging at the same time! You would think after sitting in so many greenrooms and talking to so many editors and producers about book coverage for my authors, I would be totally collected about my own publicity. But nope, I get super nervous about all of it! Being behind the scenes is fun and challenging. Being in front is scary and exciting!

I think walking both lines has made my work stronger and better for sure.

L&L: What no bake treats are you recommending for summer?

I have a whole chapter on cold treats that are just perfect for hot weather. I have this recipe for banana ice cream that is SO yummy, refreshing and easy. It’s one of my faves.

L&L: When you're not wearing your publicity hat or no baking, what do you like to do?

CSK: Reading! I am big fiction reader and I am so lucky to work with some of the best.  I also love yoga, running, and just hanging with people I love.

L&L: What books will be in your beach bag this summer?

CSK: So many! To start…Golden Boy by Abigail Tarttelin, Revenge Wears Prada by Lauren Weisberger and Lean In by Sheryl Sandberg. Well rounded, huh?

Thanks, Cristina!

Photo credit: Jeremy Krumsick

Claire Cook's 5 Firsts & Lasts

Today's guest: Claire Cook Why we love her: Not only is she one of our favorite authors, but we just love her--she's incredibly kind & supportive!

Her latest: Time Flies (Out June 11th!)

The scoop on it: Years ago, Melanie followed her husband, Kurt, from the New England beach town where their two young sons were thriving to the suburbs of Atlanta. She’s carved out a life as a successful metal sculptor, but when Kurt leaves her for another woman, having the tools to cut up their marriage bed is small consolation. She’s old enough to know that high school reunions are often a big disappointment, but when her best friend makes her buy a ticket and an old flame gets in touch to see whether she’ll be going, she fantasizes that returning to her past might help her find her future…until her driving phobia resurfaces and threatens to hold her back from the adventure of a lifetime. Time Flies is an epic road trip filled with fun, heartbreak, and friendship, and explores what it takes to conquer your worst fears…so you can start living your future.

Our thoughts: A summer must-read, you will love this escape!

Giveaway: 1 signed copy! Just leave a comment to be entered to win. We'll select the winner on Sunday, June 9th after 3 pm PST.

Fun fact: You have until midnight on June 10th to enter the TIME FLIES Sweepstakes! You and one of your oldest and dearest friends could win an all-expense-paid weekend including airfare at the amazing Lake Austin Spa Resort in Austin, Texas July 26-28 - worth over $4,500! You'll get a chance to reunite with your friend, relax, and attend a party with Claire! Enter on Facebook or at ClaireCook.com.

Where you can read more about Claire: Her website, Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest. And catch one of her Time Flies book tour events.

CHICK LIT IS NOT DEAD PRESENTS...CLAIRE COOK'S 5 FIRSTS & LASTS

1. Kiss

First: We were six. I was a good girl, all about impressing the nuns, which in parochial school basically meant posture, penmanship, and memorization. And then I discovered the lure of the bad boy. We kissed and I think he knocked out one of my front teeth, though I'm pretty sure these were two separate incidents.

Last: My husband and I just received a notice from the IRS saying we'd underpaid our taxes by an amount of money so big that I can’t even type it. I mean, we were seriously going to lose everything we owned. Major, major panic. I scanned and emailed all ten pages of the notice to our accountant at 8:30 at night, and he emailed back about five minutes later saying that it was a mistake. "We don't have to move in with our kids!" my husband and I yelled. And then we kissed.

2. Risk I took

First: My father had taken the training wheels off my bike. My sole training wheel-less experience at that point had been going back and forth across the driveway with him casually resting one hand on the back wheel. But we’d just moved and I wanted to impress my new friend who lived at the very top of the street. So I walked my two-wheeler up the steep hill to her house. When it was time to leave, I thought I’d just ride until I was out of sight, and then jump off and walk my bike the rest of the way home. I could picture it so clearly in my mind, which to this day I still find is the curse of having the brain of a novelist. Things got out of control pretty quickly, further complicated by the fact that I couldn’t find the brakes. Wipeout!

Last: After two decades living in a little beach town between Boston and Cape Cod, my husband and I sold our 1890 Victorian, got rid of almost everything we owned, and moved to the suburbs of Atlanta. Every day is a new adventure, and it’s been great to shake things up.

3. Book I read

First: The Nancy Drew Mysteries were the first books that I fell completely in love with. I can remember telling myself I’d go to sleep after I finished this chapter, but I just couldn’t do it, and would have to keep reading into the night.

Last: The last book I read was my eleventh novel, right before I sent it off to my literary agent. It’s such an odd thing to read your own manuscript at this stage, because you’re so close that you just can’t tell what works and what doesn’t. And you’re on pins and needles waiting for the verdict, doing productive things like trying to come up with Plan B for your life if you find out that between novel #10 and #11 you’ve somehow forgotten how to write.

4. Hell ya! moment

First: Maybe not the first, but the one I’ll never forget is walking the red carpet at the Must Love Dogs premiere and doing thirty-five interviews with everyone from Access Hollywood to Extra. It was the year I turned fifty, and in that moment I knew that midlife could totally rock.

Last: When our 1890 Victorian sold in two weeks. (I give full credit to the home stager heroine of my novel, Best Staged Plans, for the quick sale in a down market!)

5. Aha! Moment

First: I had my first story published in the Sunday newspaper when I was six. It was about Hot Dog, our family dachshund, even though we really had a beagle at the time. I loved the attention. I loved that I’d discovered a way to make things up and not get in trouble.

Last: I should probably pretend this one came from a loftier place, but the truth is it came from American Idol. Keith Urban quoted some music producer as saying, “When you have a hit, you have a hit. But when you have an audience, you have a career.” I think it’s so, so true for authors, and I’m incredibly grateful to my readers, my audience, for giving me the gift of my career.

Thanks, Claire!

Flash Giveaway! J. Courtney Sullivan's The Engagements

Giveaway: ONE signed copy of The Engagements by J. Courtney Sullivan The scoop: From the New York Times bestselling author of Commencement and Maine comes a gorgeous, sprawling novel about marriage—about those who marry in a white heat of passion, those who marry for partnership and comfort, and those who live together, love each other, and have absolutely no intention of ruining it all with a wedding.

Evelyn has been married to her husband for forty years—forty years since he slipped off her first wedding ring and put his own in its place. Delphine has seen both sides of love—the ecstatic, glorious highs of seduction, and the bitter, spiteful fury that descends when it’s over. James, a paramedic who works the night shift, knows his wife’s family thinks she could have done better; while Kate, partnered with Dan for a decade, has seen every kind of wedding—beach weddings, backyard weddings, castle weddings—and has vowed never, ever, to have one of her own.

As these lives and marriages unfold in surprising ways, we meet Frances Gerety, a young advertising copywriter in 1947. Frances is working on the De Beers campaign and she needs a signature line, so, one night before bed, she scribbles a phrase on a scrap of paper: “A Diamond Is Forever.” And that line changes everything.

A rich, layered, exhilarating novel spanning nearly a hundred years, The Engagements captures four wholly unique marriages, while tracing the story of diamonds in America, and the way—for better or for worse—these glittering stones have come to symbolize our deepest hopes for everlasting love.

Release date: June 11th

Our thoughts: Her best novel yet!

Where you can read more about J. Courtney Sullivan: Her website, Facebook and Twitter.

Leave a comment to be entered.  We’ll choose the winners on Wednesday, June 5th after 8 am PST.

Lindy DeKoven's 5 Firsts & Lasts

Today's guest: Lindy DeKoven Why we love her: We loved this juicy debut! Can't wait for her next.

Her novel: Primetime Princess

The scoop on it: Alexa Ross is Vice President of Comedy Development at Hawkeye Broadcasting System. Years ago she worked as an assistant to the sex crazed and obnoxious Jerry Kellner. Jerry fired Alexa for not submitting to his graceless sexual advances. They’ve not spoken since. That is until Alexa is forced to hire Kellner as a member of her staff. Alexa is now her old boss’ boss.

The highest-ranking female executive at the network, Alexa struggles to survive in an old fashioned boys’ club where thoughtless sexual harassment is part of the daily working environment. It’s a culture that Jerry, who has never met a bodacious ta-ta he didn’t want, navigates with ease.

Jerry refuses to acknowledge Alexa’s authority, undermining her at every turn while cozying up to the corporate brass clearly angling to jump over her and get appointed network president, putting him in direct competition with Alexa for the top spot.

Meanwhile Alexa tries to maintain a promising relationship with Gordon Harrison, a sixth grade teacher at the school where Alexa volunteers as a tutor. Gordon supports her dream to shatter the glass ceiling but he, along with her two best girlfriends, are concerned about the sacrifices she’s making and the person she’s becoming.

The drama occurs over the course of one TV development season. The competition to get better shows than Jerry and win the brass ring on the new schedule forces Alexa to a breaking point.

Ultimately, she’s faced with a decision that will not only impact her own future, but that of generations of women to come.

Our thoughts: Her debut novel has been called "deliciously scandalous" and we couldn't agree more! Perfect poolside reading!

Giveaway: TWO copies! Just leave a comment to be entered to win. We'll select the winners on Sunday, June 2nd after 3PM PST.

Fun fact: She was Executive Vice President of Movies and Miniseries for NBC Entertainment and NBC Productions so she might just know a thing or two about what her character goes through. *wink wink*

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

CHICK LIT IS NOT DEAD PRESENTS...LINDY DEKOVEN'S 5 FIRSTS & LASTS

KISS

First: My husband believes my first kiss was with him under the lemon tree in the backyard of his home. So in order to preserve that memory (or fantasy) I’m going to stick with that.

Last: This occurred two seconds ago from my dog, Eddie, who can’t seem to give me enough kisses. Although it’s almost dinner time. So I’m not sure if this is about his undying love for me, or his desire to just eat.

BOOK I READ

First: Caps For Sale by Esphyr Slobodkina. Does anyone remember this book? It continues to resonate with me because I’ve worn so many hats and peddled so many ideas. I often feel like the main character with a bunch of hats stacked on top of his head.

Last: I just finished Lean In by Sheryl Sandberg. Frankly, any woman who wants to help other women is a great woman in my book. (Literally and figuratively!) So I applaud her efforts.

RISK I TOOK

First: Like Alexa Ross, the character in my book Primetime Princess, who takes a chance on Gordon Harrison, I took a risk and married my husband. I’m happy to say its turned out pretty well. However, because there’s so much curiosity about who Jerry Kellner is based on, my husband would like the world to know that Gordon isn’t based on him.

Last: Bought an orange dress, not the usual black, and despite a healthy layer of Spanx, pray that Sunkist doesn’t slap a sticker on me. Frankly, I think this is a bigger risk than the one mentioned above.

AHA! MOMENT

First: That I had the discipline to not read emails, waste time on Facebook and Twitter, or distract myself with the latest car chase. Instead I focused on writing a book and finished it. Latest Aha Moment: That there comes a time in one’s life where one cannot eat like she once did when she was a teenager. Waaa!!

HELL YA! MOMENT

First: I set my sights on one publishing agent and when she agreed to represent me, I felt like I had won the lottery. And I did because she always has my back.

Last: When Chick Lit Is Not Dead asked me to write this post. I managed to write the whole thing without eating one single M&M. (A shout-out to Alexa’s stress meds.) A hellava hell ya moment.

Thanks, Lindy!

Flash Giveaway: Beth Hoffman's Looking for Me

Giveaway: TWO copies of Beth Hoffman's Looking for Me (Out today!) The scoop: A Southern novel of family and antiques from the bestselling author of the beloved Saving CeeCee Honeycutt

Beth Hoffman’s bestselling debut, Saving CeeCee Honeycutt, won admirers and acclaim with its heartwarming story and cast of unforgettable characters. Now her unique flair for evocative settings and richly drawn Southern personalities shines in her compelling new novel, Looking for Me.

Teddi Overman found her life’s passion for furniture in a broken-down chair left on the side of the road in rural Kentucky. She learns to turn other people’s castoffs into beautifully restored antiques, and eventually finds a way to open her own shop in Charleston. There, Teddi builds a life for herself as unexpected and quirky as the customers who visit her shop.  Though Teddi is surrounded by remarkable friends and finds love in the most surprising way, nothing can alleviate the haunting uncertainty she’s felt in the years since her brother Josh’s mysterious disappearance. When signs emerge that Josh might still be alive, Teddi is drawn home to Kentucky.  It’s a journey that could help her come to terms with her shattered family—and to find herself at last.  But first she must decide what to let go of and what to keep.

Looking for Me brilliantly melds together themes of family, hope, loss, and a mature once-in-a-lifetime kind of love. The result is a tremendously moving story that is destined to make bestselling author Beth Hoffman a novelist to whom readers will return again and again as they have with Adriana Trigiani, Fannie Flagg, and Joshilyn Jackson.

Our thoughts: A brilliantly written novel about family secrets.

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

Leave a comment to be entered.  We’ll choose the winners on Thursday, May 30th after 12 PM PST.

Flash Giveaway: Erika Robuck's Call Me Zelda

Giveaway: TWO copies (US only) of Erika Robuck's Call Me Zelda

The scoop:  Everything in the ward seemed different now, and I no longer felt its calming presence. The Fitzgeralds stirred something in me that had been dormant for a long time, and I was not prepared to face it....   From New York to Paris, Scott and Zelda Fitzgerald reigned as king and queen of the Jazz Age, seeming to float on champagne bubbles above the mundane cares of the world. But to those who truly knew them, the endless parties were only a distraction from their inner turmoil, and from a love that united them with a scorching intensity.

When Zelda is committed to a Baltimore psychiatric clinic in 1932, vacillating between lucidity and madness in her struggle to forge an identity separate from her husband, the famous writer, she finds a sympathetic friend in her nurse, Anna Howard. Held captive by her own tragic past, Anna is increasingly drawn into the Fitzgeralds’ tumultuous relationship. As she becomes privy to Zelda’s most intimate confessions, written in a secret memoir meant only for her, Anna begins to wonder which Fitzgerald is the true genius. But in taking ever greater emotional risks to save Zelda, Anna may end up paying a far higher price than she intended....

Our thoughts: We don't know about you, but we've been in "Gatsby mode" lately and this book couldn't have come at a more perfect time! You will love it!

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

We'll choose the winners this Saturday, May 25th after 3pm PST. Good luck!

Meg Donohue's 5 Firsts & Lasts

Today's guest: Meg Donohue Why we love her: We crowned her a Lit IT Girl after reading her sparkling debut, How to Eat a Cupcake.

Her latest: All the Summer Girls

The scoop on it: In Philadelphia, good girl Kate is dumped by her fiancé the day she learns she is pregnant with his child. In New York City, beautiful stay-at-home mom Vanessa finds herself obsessively searching the Internet for news of an old flame. And in San Francisco, Dani, the wild child and aspiring writer who can’t seem to put down a book—or a cocktail—long enough to open her laptop, has just been fired… again.

In an effort to regroup, Kate, Vanessa, and Dani retreat to the New Jersey beach town where they once spent their summers. Emboldened by the seductive cadences of the shore, the women begin to realize just how much their lives, and friendships, have been shaped by the choices they made one fateful night on the beach eight years earlier—and the secrets that only now threaten to surface.

Our thoughts: You know we're suckers for any novel that tackles the complicated bonds between female friends. Meg handles this flawlessly in this book. We highly recommend you add this book to your beach bag this summer!

Giveaway: TWO copies. Just leave a comment to be entered to win and we'll choose the winners on Sunday, May 26th after 12 PM PST.

Fun fact: You can read the first two chapters here!

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

CHICK LIT IS NOT DEAD PRESENTS...MEG DONOHUE'S 5 FIRSTS & LASTS

KISS

First:  Surely my first kiss was from my mother or father in the moments after my birth. Did you expect something steamy? A good Philly girl never kisses and tells!

Last: Well, okay, maybe just this once: After a week of not kissing for fear of passing the flu to my husband, I am finally healthy and we shared a sweet kiss without the specter of plague attached. I hope.

BOOK I READ

First: It’s not the first book I read, but I remember being particularly enthralled by Bridge to Terabithia by Katherine Paterson. I don’t recall the story, but I know I thought it was beautiful and very sad. I wonder if that was one of the first times I enjoyed the experience of reading something that made me sad? It seems like a monumental, and mature, moment in one’s life as a reader. (I just went online to read the summary of Bridge to Terabithia, and got something—ahem—stuck in my eye. So turns out I’m still carrying around a little seed of sadness planted by this book twenty-five years ago.)

Last: Speaking of beautiful and sad, the last book I read was Life After Life by Kate Atkinson. This book haunted my dreams over the course of time that I read it. I found it to be quite devastating, in part because Atkinson’s characters are so vivid and whole.

RISK I TOOK

First: I think some of the earliest risks I took were with humor. Being funny takes guts—you put yourself out there, and hope your sense of humor will resonate with others too. Sometimes there’s nothing scarier for a kid than just opening her mouth and speaking; fear of rejection can be a muzzle. Looking back, I realize that the jokes that fell flat (and there have been many over the years) were actually confidence builders. The world didn’t end when I swung and missed. I learned to laugh at myself and the cricket-filled dead air that follows an unsuccessful stab at humor, and that ability to laugh, shrug, and move on has served me well.

Last: My last big risk was when All the Summer Girls was published. I spend a long span of time working on a book in private; releasing it into the public sphere is both scary and exciting.

HELL YA! MOMENT

First: When I was in graduate school for creative writing, the Gettysburg Review published one of my short stories. It was the first time I was paid for my fiction, and the story attracted the attention of a couple of agents. I remember feeling very much like it was the start of my dream coming true. I was right, if only in that the experience gave me the confidence to continue believing in myself. Last: In April, my husband and I left our kids with his parents and went to Palm Springs for my birthday. We read for hours in the sun, swam, hiked, ate delicious food, and had Bellinis every morning. It was glorious. Hell ya!

AHA! MOMENT

First: During a back-to-school shopping trip with my mom when I was in middle school, she asked if I cared what brand my clothes were. The truth was that I did care about the brand of my clothes—I wanted to be cool, sue me!—but just my mom asking the question was enough to remind me that the coolest kids are the ones that march to the beat of their own drum, the ones that do things their own way, in pursuit of their own brand of happiness. Her question has served as a bit of a touchstone over the years.

Last: I’m in the early stages of working on my third book, and while I have had the general story arc in mind for a while, it has taken some time to feel like I have a handle on the important details that take a story from an idea to a novel. Lately, I’ve had a few breakthroughs, my protagonist is revealing herself, and many of the more intricate plot points are finally coming together and taking shape. I’m excited!

Thanks, Meg!

Jamie Brenner's 5 Firsts and Lasts

Our guest: Jamie Brenner Why we love her: Her novel immediately sucked us in.

Her latest: The Gin Lovers

The scoop on it: What price would you pay for happiness? For Charlotte, freedom from her marriage might be the one thing she can’t afford.

It’s 1925, and the Victorian era with its confining morals is all but dead. Unfortunately, for New York socialite Charlotte Delacorte, the scandalous flapper revolution is little more than a headline in the tabloids. Living with her rigid and controlling husband William, her Fifth Avenue townhouse is a gilded cage. But when William’s rebellious younger sister, the beautiful and brash Mae, comes to live with them after the death of their mother, Charlotte finds entrée to a world beyond her wildest dreams – and a handsome and mysterious stranger whom she imagines is as confident in the bedroom as he is behind the bar of his forbidden speakeasy.

Soon, Charlotte realizes that nothing is as it seems. Secrets are kept and discovered, loves are lost and found, and Charlotte is finds herself on the brink of losing everything — or having it all.

Our thoughts: Love that it has that "Downton Abbey" feel to it! With a whole lotta sexy mixed in!

Giveaway: Two copies! Just leave a comment to be entered to win and we'll select the winners after 12pm PST on Sunday, May 19th.

Fun fact: Jamie Also writes under the pen name Logan Belle!

Where you can read more about Jamie: Her website, Twitter and Facebook!

CHICK LIT IS NOT DEAD PRESENTS...JAMIE BRENNER'S 5 FIRSTS AND LASTS

KISS

First: It was September 13, 1985. Yes, I know the exact date because the MTV Video awards were on. It happened at my house. I was standing with my “boyfriend” in the kitchen next to the dishwashing machine. I could hear Dire Straits on the tv in the other room. I couldn’t even enjoy the moment because I kept wondering if my braces were bothering him.

Last: This morning, with my fiancé. My last, my best, my always.

BOOK I READ

First: Amazing question. I don’t know the exact first book I ever read. I remember reading books in first grade and my teacher telling me they were books for fourth graders. It was the first thing I ever took pride in. The first specific books I remember reading were the Frank L. Baum Wizard of Oz books and the Nancy Drew series.

Last: The Island by Elin Hilderbrand. I devoured it. My next will be one by her, too. I just have to decide between her slew of bestsellers!

RISK I TOOK

First: I wanted bangs but my mother said no. So I cut them myself. I got punished and the bangs looked terrible. I’m just thankful that even though the end results were bad, it didn’t stop me from taking more risks!

Last: Quitting my job to write novels full time. Only slightly more terrifying than the  moment when the scissors cut into my six year old hair.

HELL YA! MOMENT

First: April 6, 1986. The boy I’d liked since 7th grade asked me out.

Last: The day I saw a copy of my first novel, Blue Angel.  My publisher sent me a box of advance copies. I showed it off like a newborn baby. And then I put it on my bookshelf next to Judith Krantz.

AHA! MOMENT

First: The boy who asked me out told me he loved me. I was fifteen, and I realized that I was going to have a “life” after all. Things didn’t only happen in books and movies.

Last: When my fiancé kissed me for the first time. I realized that I could still feel fifteen again.

Thanks, Jamie!

The 2013 Club: Amy Sue Nathan and The Glass Wives

Our guest today: Amy Sue Nathan

Why she rocks: We can't believe this is her debut novel! Can't wait for her next book! (Which sounds juicy, btw. Details below!)

Her debut: The Glass Wives (Out May 14th!)

The scoop on it: Evie and Nicole Glass share a last name. They also shared a husband.

When a tragic car accident ends the life of Richard Glass, it also upends the lives of Evie and Nicole, and their children. There’s no love lost between the widow and the ex. In fact, Evie sees a silver lining in all this heartache—the chance to rid herself of Nicole once and for all.  But Evie wasn’t counting on her children’s bond with their baby half-brother, and she wasn’t counting on Nicole’s desperate need to hang on to the threads of family, no matter how frayed. Strapped for cash, Evie cautiously agrees to share living expenses—and her home—with Nicole and the baby. But when Evie suspects that Nicole is determined to rearrange more than her kitchen, Evie must decide who she can trust. More than that, she must ask: what makes a family?

Our thoughts: We loved this book about the complexities of friendship! A must-read!

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

Fun fact: She hosts the popular Women's Fiction Writers blog! (In all her spare time!)

Where you can read more about Amy Sue: Twitter, Facebook, Pinterest and her website.

CHICK LIT IS NOT DEAD PRESENTS...2013 CLUB: AMY SUE NATHAN

DO'S: 3 things every aspiring novelist should do

1. First, believe in yourself and your story. If you don’t, chances are you won’t be able to convince anyone else to believe in it either.

2. Second, remember that kind criticism is your friend. It’s not easy (nor is the first “should”) but it’s essential.

3. Third, take a break when you need a break. I’m a big believer in letting things simmer and stew. When I’m stuck I don’t sit in front of the computer, I walk away from it. That seems to always allow me to find the answers to my plot or character issues or to get reinspired.

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

1. First and foremost, ignore the naysayers. That means if someone rolls his or her eyes when you say you’re writing a book, or seems disinterested in your ambition, cross ‘em off your list. At least for a while.

2. Next, do not compare yourself or your book to others. I’m still working on that one.

3. Last but not least, don’t forget that what works for one writer doesn’t always work for another. Do what works for you.

MUST HAVES:

1. On your desk? I have learned to always have a drink on my desk, otherwise I tend to forget to get up and drink. That means coffee, water, sugar-free lemonade, or if I’m working at night, it could be wine!

2. On your Facebook feed?   On my Facebook feed I always follow my writer friends. They inspire me.

3. App on your phone? The app on my phone I can’t do without is weather. It’s very important for me to know the temperature in many different cities. Tell me where you live and I’ll add it to my list.

LASTS:

1. Song you listened to on repeat? Confession time: I rarely listen to music.

2. Book you read? But the last book I read was THE LIFE LIST by Lori Nelson Spielman, which comes out July 9th. It was fabulous and I read it in less than two days!

3. Time you laughed? The last time I laughed was a few minutes ago when one of my dogs poked her nose in front of the computer. She wants to know why you don’t want HER to answer questions.

HOW MANY:

1. Agents did you query before you found "the one?" In total I queried 116 and my agent was somewhere in the middle.

2. Hours do you write per day? I don’t write every day, but when I do, it’s hours and hours and hours. I’m an all or nothing kind of writer.

3. Hours do you waste online when you should be writing?  Online hours are wasted? I don’t think so! Okay, maybe. Sometimes. Okay—way too many.

BESTS:

1. Way to celebrate a book deal? My best friend of thirty-three years is flying out to celebrate with me. My son will be home from college and my daughter is staying home from school.  We are having a small launch party to celebrate that night, but the big event will be at my local library a few weeks later.  I think all of those things make it “the best” for me!

2. Trick to overcome writer's block? My trick for overcoming writers block is to block out writing. I walk away, do something else, forget about the issue or problem.  The muse is displeased when ignored. Ta-dah! Problem solved.

3. Way to think of a book idea? Ideas come to me. I pretty much have nothing to do with them, except I write them down immediately so I don’t forget, which I’m apt to do.

NEXTS:

1. Show you'll DVR? I’m embarrassed how many shows I DVR. I love TV and I love documentaries. My DVR runneth over.

2. Book you'll read? Right now I’m re-reading THE THIRD SON by Julie Wu.

3. Book you'll write? The book I’m writing now is about a blogger, but not just any blogger.  This woman misrepresents herself. Okay, she lies. It’s a story about those big life lies, what makes people tell them and what has to happen to compel someone to come clean and deal with the consequences. It’s also about the perils of getting lost in an online life at the expense of a real life.  I also have two more books in the hopper.  I have no idea what a hopper is, by the way, but that is definitely where my books are waiting for me and they’re pounding to get out.

Thanks, Amy!

7 Seconds in Heaven with...Jon Harrison

Our guest today: Jon Harrison

Why we want to spend 7 Seconds in Heaven with him: We love a man who can not only write about love but do it well.

His latest: The Banks of Certain Rivers

The scoop on it: Neil Kazenzakis is barely holding his life together: ever since an accident left his wife profoundly disabled, he's been doing his best as a single dad and popular high school teacher. He's also been dealing with Lauren Downey, his sort-of girlfriend of the past two years who's pushing for a commitment—and for Neil to finally tell his son Christopher about their secret relationship.

Neil's carefully balanced world begins to fall apart when some questionable footage of him is anonymously posted to YouTube...just as Chris learns about Lauren in the worst possible way. Doubting his own recollection of the events in the online video as he's threatened with the loss of his job and the ability to care for his wife, Neil must find a way to prove the truth to his family, his community, and himself as he struggles to regain the splintered trust of his son.

Heartbreaking, poignant, and written with devastating humor and warmth, The Banks of Certain Rivers is a shattering story of memory, loss, and just how far a man will go to show the people closest to him the meaning of love.

Our thoughts: Warning: This book is unputdownable.

Giveaway: One e-copy. Just leave a comment to be entered to win. We'll select the winner on Sunday, May 12th after 12pm PST.

Fun fact: The fabulous Catherine McKenzie told us about Jon. Thanks, Catherine!

Where you can read more about Jon: Facebook,Twitter and his website.

CHICK LIT IS NOT DEAD PRESENTS...7 SECONDS IN HEAVEN WITH...JON HARRISON

1. Liz & Lisa: What’s your favorite book and why? Jon Harrison: There are so many. If I had to pick one novel, I'd say The Sun Also Rises. For all the ugly behavior of its characters, it's really the spring from which all modern fiction flows. I can go back to Raymond Carver's collected poems again and again. Ditto for St. Augustine's Confessions.

2. L&L: What’s the best thing about living in the Rockies? JH: We get all four seasons, sometimes in the same day. Also, the views can be pretty great.

3. L&L: What do you love about running? Does it help your writing? JH: It's nice to be reminded that there can be something just as painful as writing, and that's running. The great thing about it, though, is that after a run I actually feel good instead of filled with the usual dread and self-doubt. So it's a nice break from my writing routine.

4. L&L: Where’s your favorite place to write? JH: I have a wobbly table in my loft on which there are marked-up manuscript pages, sticky note pads, a brass barometer, a volcanic rock from Mt. Fuji, a baseball signed by Fritz Peterson, a faded Mystery Science Theater 3000 mug filled with pens and sharpies, and my laptop. That's my favorite place to write.

5. L&L: What are you reading right now? JH: A fantastic book called The Rider by the Dutch novelist Tim Krabbé. On the surface it's a spare, tight story about a bike race, each kilometer in the race taking a page in the novel, but really it's a profound trip inside this guy's head that blows me away each time I read it.

6. L&L: Where did the inspiration for The Banks of Certain Rivers come from? JH: A while back there was a thing in the news where a bicyclist in New York City was charged with assault for aggressively charging toward a cop. As it turned out, some tourists had filmed the whole thing, and the cop had actually run out into the street and knocked the guy off his bike. It got me thinking about how, with cameras everywhere, things are so thoroughly documented now, and how easily that could be manipulated.

7. L&L: What’s your biggest pet peeve? JH: People who make a big show of writing in coffee shops.

Thanks, Jon!

2013 Club: Andrea Lochen and The Repeat Year

Our guest today: Andrea Lochen

Why she rocks:  You'll be hooked on this debut novel from page one.

Her debut: The Repeat Year (Out today!)

The scoop on it: Everyone has days, weeks, even months they wish they could do over—but what about an entire year? After living through the worst twelve months of her life, intensive care nurse Olive Watson is given a second chance to relive her past and attempt to discover where she went wrong…

After a year of hardships, including a messy breakup with her longtime boyfriend Phil, the prospect of her mother’s remarriage, and heartbreaking patient losses at the hospital, Olive is ready to start fresh. But when she wakes up in her ex-boyfriend’s bed on New Year’s Day 2011—a day she has already lived—Olive’s world is turned upside down.

Shouldering a year of memories that no one else can recall, even Olive begins to question herself—until she discovers that she is not alone. Upon crossing paths with Sherry Witan, an experienced “repeater,” Olive learns that she has the chance to rewrite her future. Given the opportunity of a lifetime, Olive has to decide what she really wants. Should she make different choices, or accept her life as she knows it, flaws and all?

Our thoughts: We loved this story of what you do when you actually get a second chance.

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

Fun fact: Read an excerpt of The Repeat Year here.

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

CHICK LIT IS NOT DEAD PRESENTS...2013 CLUB: ANDREA LOCHEN

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

1) Learn how to take constructive criticism

2) Find a writing community

3) Say yes to new and interesting opportunities—the more you live, the more you’ll have to write about!

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

1) Fall so in love with your first draft that you’re unwilling to make any changes

2) Take rejection personally (especially from the people who clearly don’t “get” your book)

3) Make all your characters aspiring writers

3. MUST HAVES: On your desk? A yummy scented candle from Anthropologie, several to-do lists, and a drawerful of my favorite candy (Chewy Spree are my guilty pleasure while writing).

On your Facebook feed?  Grammar jokes, pictures of ridiculously cute animals and babies, updates from my favorite authors.

App on your phone?  I’m embarrassed to admit that I’m probably the last person in the country without a smart phone, except perhaps, my grandfather.  We’ll see how much longer I can hold out on this trend!

4. LASTS: Song you listened to on repeat? Taylor Swift’s “Holy Ground”

Book you read? John Green’s The Fault in Our Stars, which is even better than all its hype!

Time you laughed? I teach creative writing at a university, and my friend recently shared a Tumblr blog with me called “My Life as a College Professor.”  It cracked me up because it’s so true in a totally irreverent way!  It points out professors’ pet peeves, embarrassing moments, little victories, and major failures using hilarious animated GIFs.

5. HOW MANY: Agents did you query before you found "the one?"  More than I care to admit, but Stephany Evans was worth the wait!

Hours do you write per day?  I don’t write every day, but when I do, it’s for a solid chunk of six or seven hours.

Hours do you waste online when you should be writing?  My ratio of hours spent writing versus online dallying is probably 3:1 on a good day and 1:3 on a bad day.

6. BESTS: Way to celebrate a book deal? With my first book deal, I danced around the living room and called everyone I knew.  Then my husband suggested we go out for dinner anywhere I wanted.  I chose Pizza Hut.  True story!  (What can I say?  I love their pizza!)

Trick to overcome writer's block? Taking a long walk, preferably along Lake Mendota in Madison, Wisconsin, but anywhere scenic and solitary will do.

Way to think of a book idea?  I tend to come up with the novel premise first and initially have no idea what it means or who the characters will be.  Therefore, I play the “what if?” game a lot.  In the case of The Repeat Year, my question was, what if a person was given a chance to do-over a year of her life?

7. NEXTS: Show you'll DVR? Downton Abbey; I can’t believe I have to wait until January 2014 for Season 4.  Maybe I’ll have to move to England before then, so I can watch it sooner!

Book you'll read? This is Paradise, a collection of short stories about Hawai'i that debuts this July.  It’s written by my dear friend, Kristiana Kahakauwila, who’s extraordinarily talented.

Book you'll write?  My second novel doesn’t have an official title yet, but it’s about a young single mother who discovers one summer that she can see her four-year-old son’s imaginary friends.

Thanks, Andrea!

Beth Kendrick's 5 Firsts and Lasts

Today's guest: Beth Kendrick Why we love her: Her books remind us of summer--so fun and entertaining.

Her latest: The Week Before the Wedding (Out tomorrow: May 7th!)

The scoop on it: After enduring a chaotic childhood, Emily McKellips yearns for a drama-free life, complete with a white picket fence. Her dreams are about to come true: She has a stellar career, a gorgeous house, and a fiancé any woman would die for. But as friends and family arrive in picturesque Valentine, Vermont, for her wedding, an uninvited guest shows up.

Ryan is Emily’s first husband from a disastrous starter marriage. They wed on a whim, only to discover that combustible chemistry couldn’t ensure a happily ever after. But Ryan is no longer the headstrong boy she left behind. He’s now a successful film producer who just happens to be scouting a resort in Valentine with his adorable retriever in tow.

As the bridesmaids revolt and the mothers of the bride and groom do battle, Emily is surprised to discover new sides of both her ex and her fiancé. She thought she had life and love all figured out, but the next seven days might change her mind—and her heart.

Our thoughts: Loved! Throw this novel in your bag when you take your next vacay!

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

Fun fact: You can read an excerpt of The Week Before the Wedding here.

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

CHICK LIT IS NOT DEAD PRESENTS...BETH KENDRICK'S 5 FIRSTS AND LASTS

1. Kiss:

First: The actual boy next door. Very sweet and adorable. We were four years old, and we made a solemn vow that someday, we would wed.  This vow lasted right up until we were placed in different kindergarten classes.

Last : My oafish red rescue dog, Friday. He pounced on me while I was trying to do sit-ups this morning and slobbered all over my forehead. (Cue Katy Perry: I kissed a dog and I liked it…)

2. Risk you took:

First: After growing up in New England, I decided to head off to a liberal arts college in Minnesota because--wait for the dazzling brilliance of my 17-year-old brain at work here--I wanted to see the Northern Lights. Yep. That was the rock-solid foundation upon which I based my future. And it’s all worked out beautifully, so I regret nothing!

(Fun fact: I finally did see the aurora borealis two weeks before graduation. Had to wait four years, but it was worth it.)

(Fun fact #2: The steamy opening scene of The Week Before the Wedding is actually set at that college in Minnesota. There are these underground tunnels connecting the dormitories, and even though they’re now sealed up and forbidden to students, the hero and heroine sneak in there and…oops, I’ve said too much already!)

Last: I just started working a on a new book. (It’s kind of a spin-off of The Week Before the Wedding; the heroine’s bridesmaid was so fun and irrepressible that my editor and I decided she needed her own story.) Every time I turn in a book, I vow that it will be my last, that now I will shape up and do something “practical” with my life…and then I open a new Word file and start another chapter one. I don’t have a problem, okay? I CAN STOP ANY TIME I WANT.

3. Book you read:

First:  My childhood favorite was Muncus Agruncus, a Bad Little Mouse, and as the title suggests, it’s about a mouse who wreaks havoc on someone’s clean and orderly home.  He floods the bathtub, trashes the dollhouse, tromps through a birthday cake. He’s a renegade rodent who lives by his own rules and escapes to safety at the end. He does what he wants!  I still have the book, I still read it with my kid, and it’s still awesome.

Last: Right now, I’m in the middle of Data: A Love Story by Amy Webb. It’s the funny, fascinating memoir of a tech-savvy journalist who was fed up with the horrors of online dating and figured out strategies to “game” the system so she could search out—and attract—the most compatible prospects. So interesting from a cultural, psychological, and mathematical perspective.

4. Hell ya! moment:

First: There are a lot of these, but one that stands out was buying my first house and finally getting a dog after years of living in apartments with no-pet policies. I scoured Petfinder.com until I found the perfect little terrier named Murphy (it was not unlike online dating, actually). I got to snuggle him on the sofa, I got to train him and take him to the park…and I got to pay his exorbitant surgery bills when it turned out he had a shattered hip from his previous life on the streets. Adulthood rules!

Last: During a recent trip to Disneyland, I went on a rollercoaster that goes upside-down. Normally, I’m loath to commit to anything scarier than the spinning teacups, so this was a big deal. (Full confession: I did it because my preschooler dared me to.) And I loved it!

5. Aha! Moment:

First: I was on a V.C. Andrews kick in middle school (who wasn’t?) and one of the other classroom moms warned my mother that she shouldn’t allow me to read Flowers in the Attic. On the drive home, my mom said, “I’m not into censorship”, and assured me that I was old enough to choose my own reading material. That was a lightbulb moment for me; I realized that language has power, and that my mother trusted me with that power. What I read has an effect on me. What I write might have an effect on somebody else. Use language thoughtfully and responsibly.

Last: My kickboxing instructor recently told the class, “You’ve gotta learn how to take a hit”, and I think this applies to writing and to most areas of life, really.  Getting punched in the face now and then is inevitable.  You can’t duck every jab. The important thing is to figure out how to absorb the blow and pick yourself up, over and over.

Thanks, Beth!

Marci Nault's 5 Firsts and Lasts

Today's guest: Marci Nault Why we love her: We love the way she writes about friendship and love and everything in between!

Her latest: The Lake House (Out May 7th!)

The scoop: Achingly tender, yet filled with laughter, The Lake House brings to life the wide range of human emotions and the difficult journey from heartbreak to healing.

VICTORIA ROSE. Fifty years before, a group of teenage friends promised each other never to leave their idyllic lakeside town. But the call of Hollywood and a bigger life was too strong for Victoria . . . and she alone broke that pledge. Now she has come home, intent on making peace with her demons, even if her former friends shut her out. Haunted by tragedy, she longs to find solace with her childhood sweetheart, but even this tender man may be unable to forgive and forget.

HEATHER BREGMAN. At twenty-eight, after years as a globe-trotting columnist, she’s abandoned her controlling fiancé and their glamorous city life to build one on her own terms. Lulled by a Victorian house and a gorgeous locale, she’s determined to make the little community her home. But the residents, fearful of change and outsiders, will stop at nothing to sabotage her dreams of lakeside tranquility.As Victoria and Heather become unlikely friends, their mutual struggle to find acceptance—with their neighbors and in their own hearts—explores the chance events that shape a community and offer the opportunity to start again.

Our thoughts: A wonderful summer read!

Fun fact: Marci Nault is also the creator of 101 Dreams Come True, a website about going after your “bucket list.” On the site visitors can follow along as Marci accomplishes items on her list and documents her journey.

Giveaway: Two copies! Just leave a comment and be entered to win. We'll select the winners on Sunday, May 5th after 12pm PST.

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

CHICK LIT IS NOT DEAD PRESENTS...MARCI NAULT'S 5 FIRSTS AND LASTS

1. Kiss

My first kisses were on the kindergarten bus. Every morning my mother would braid my long, blonde hair that reached the back of my knees. When I stepped onto the bus the boys would tug on my braids and then pull me into their seats and kiss me. I would push them away and say, “I hate your guts!” My mother always worried I wouldn’t be invited to the prom because by then I would’ve told every boy in my class how much I hated him.

In the end the hair proved useful. I had my mother put my hair in two ponytails with three braids on each side. When the boys tried to grab me I spun around really fast and smacked them with my hair.

This wasn’t exactly my last kiss, but it’s a better story. I was at Carnival in Rio stuck in the subway (long story). Hordes of people were dancing and singing while moving past me.

Then all of a sudden the most beautiful man I’d ever seen walked right up to me, told me I was beautiful, dipped me back and kissed me full on the mouth. (It turns out that this is a Carnival tradition.) He lifted me back up, took my hand and placed it on his bare, fit chest and said, “My heart beats for you.” I looked down at his gorgeous body; his tight buns shown off in black, boxer brief type swim trunks, and admired the Brazilian male form. Along with the sexy boxers was a pink tutu around his hips, a fluffy pink bikini on his chest and a tiny pink tiara in his thick, black hair. (Yes, costumes and drag are also a Carnival tradition.)

2. Book you read

Green Eggs and Ham was the first book I ever read on my own. I was four and so proud that I could read. I’ve had my nose in a book ever since.

The last book I read was Gone Girl and though I loved it, I was upset with the ending – great discussion piece though. Read it for yourself and decide.

3. Risk you took

First Risk I ever took was when I was fourteen and my brother took me rappelling. I was terrified of heights and was a bit of a momma’s girl. I remember leaning back, having to actually sit in mid-air trusting the harness and rope, while looking down the 120-foot drop. I was terrified, but then I was zipping down and bouncing off the rocks having the time of my life. After that I became addicted to taking risks.

The last time I took a risk was deciding to drive in Rio de Janeiro. I was starting a two-month trip through South America right after Christmas 2012 and didn’t realize that Rio was one of the biggest destinations for New Years. The hotels were all booked, and the closest place I could find in my price range was a four-hour drive south of Rio in a coastal town called Ubatuba.

Driving in Rio wasn’t recommended, but what else could I do? Within fifteen minutes of being on the road I began to feel like I was in a video game with cars weaving, beeping, and speeding while people crossed the highways dropping fruit. I became lost and the only thing I could do was wait until I found a large gas station to ask for directions.

At the station, the men were shocked that I was driving alone. Four of them tried to help me by playing charades (I didn’t know any Portuguese). Somehow I found my way and the next day I was sitting on a beach, drinking coconut water and staring at gorgeous men playing volleyball. (Brazilian men are some of the most beautiful in the world.)

4. Hell ya moment

My first Hell ya moment was when I decided to take volleyball lessons. I was so horrible at this sport that guys would push me off the court at backyard barbecues in order to keep the ball away from me. Embarrassed and tired of being pushed around I took an after dark course at the local high school. When I returned the following summer to play with my friends I jumped up and spiked the ball (well as strong as I could put it down at that time) right between two of the guys that had shoved me off the court.

My last Hell Ya moment: I run an online bridal boutique www.Elegantbridaldesigns.com and I went to a wholesaler show with really exclusive lines that tend to stick their noses up at online stores. I was determined to get what I needed from the show so instead of feeling like I didn’t belong I pretended that they needed me more than I needed them. I walked away with the three new distributors I wanted. Fake it till you make it.

5. Aha moment

I was in Yosemite for the first time and had climbed the rocks of one of the popular waterfalls to get away from the crowds below. I had a pool of water all to myself and a view of the entire valley. I stood feeling the mist from the waterfall and the wind from the valley and thought, “This world is awesome. I want to see it all.” From then on I was addicted to travel.

My last Aha Moment was at the Adult Nationals Figure Skating Competition in Scottsdale, AZ in April. I was about to perform for five judges and a huge crowd, and my nerves were getting the best of me. I kept thinking about everything that could go wrong and how badly I might perform. I had a chat in my head and said, “You love to skate. Go out and have fun and forget about being perfect. Skate for the love of it.”

My friends all said that I had the cheesiest smile on my face that lit up the arena as I neared the end of my program. I let go of the expectations and just lived for the moment and took the bronze medal.

I’m trying to take this attitude into my writing and life.

Thanks, Marci!

Kristin Hannah Flash Giveaway!

Giveaway: 1 hardcover and 1 audio book copy of Fly Away

The scoop: Once, a long time ago, I walked down a night-darkened road called Firefly Lane, all alone, on the worst night of my life, and I found a kindred spirit. That was our beginning. More than thirty years ago. TullyandKate. You and me against the world. Best friends forever. But stories end, don’t they? You lose the people you love and you have to find a way to go on. . . .

Tully Hart has always been larger than life, a woman fueled by big dreams and driven by memories of a painful past. She thinks she can overcome anything until her best friend, Kate Ryan, dies. Tully tries to fulfill her deathbed promise to Kate---to be there for Kate’s children---but Tully knows nothing about family or motherhood or taking care of people.

Sixteen-year-old Marah Ryan is devastated by her mother’s death. Her father, Johnny, strives to hold the family together, but even with his best efforts, Marah becomes unreachable in her grief. Nothing and no one seems to matter to her . . . until she falls in love with a young man who makes her smile again and leads her into his dangerous, shadowy world.

Dorothy Hart---the woman who once called herself Cloud---is at the center of Tully’s tragic past. She repeatedly abandoned her daughter, Tully, as a child, but now she comes back, drawn to her daughter’s side at a time when Tully is most alone. At long last, Dorothy must face her darkest fear: Only by revealing the ugly secrets of her past can she hope to become the mother her daughter needs.

A single, tragic choice and a middle-of-the-night phone call will bring these women together and set them on a poignant, powerful journey of redemption. Each has lost her way, and they will need each one another---and maybe a miracle---to transform their lives.

An emotionally complex, heart-wrenching novel about love, motherhood, loss, and new beginnings, Fly Away reminds us that where there is life, there is hope, and where there is love, there is forgiveness. Told with her trademark powerful storytelling and illuminating prose, Kristin Hannah reveals why she is one of the most beloved writers of our day.

Our thoughts: Firefly Lane is one of our favorite books. So we loved diving back into that world again and reading more about Tully!

Just leave a comment to be entered to win! We'll choose the winners on Sunday, May 5th after 12pm PST.

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

Jennifer Weiner's The Next Best Thing + Giveaway!

Today's author: Jennifer Weiner Why she rocks: Um, she's Jennifer Weiner + she's not afraid to speak her mind.

Her latest: The Next Best Thing (Out in paperback April 30th!)

The scoop on it: At three years old, Ruth Saunders miraculously survives the car crash that takes her parents’ lives on the icy Massachusetts Turnpike. Her eccentric grandmother, who comes out of Florida retirement to care for young Ruth, nurtures her through years of surgeries, feeding her home-cooked meals, dispensing irreverent wisdom, and telling Ruth she’s beautiful, even though her scars will stay with her forever.

After college, Ruth pursues her dream of writing to Hollywood, heading west with her grandmother in tow, hoping to make it big in the world of TV. After years of failure and a badly broken heart, Ruth gets The Call—her show has been green-lit.

But Ruth’s happy ending is only the beginning, as she struggles with how television gets made: terrified (and terrifying) executives and actresses with their eyes on bigger prizes than Ruthie’s show. Add in an unrequited crush on the man who has been her mentor. Add to that her grandmother’s impending nuptials, and Ruth’s big break might just break her.

A rollicking ride on the Hollywood roller coaster, The Next Best Thing is a heartfelt story about a young woman searching for her own happily-ever-after in the land where dreams come true.

Our thoughts: Loved it just as much the second time around!

Fun fact: Want to see Jennifer Weiner in person? She's going on a paperback book tour--see if she'll be near you.

Giveaway: One SIGNED copy. Just leave a comment and be entered to win. We'll select the winner after 12 pm PST on Sunday, April 28th.