What’s on Stacey Ballis’s Bucket List?

Can you believe it's almost Christmas?  Time has just flown by this year.  And one thing we've noticed?  So many fabulous books this year about food. (Maybe we're all looking for a little comfort?) Some of our fave books this year have made us hungry-books by Melissa Senate, Jenny Nelson and Jennifer Ross.  And now we have another book about food that we adore: Good Enough To Eat by Stacey Ballis.  And we're ecstatic that she's sharing her bucket list with us too! Former lawyer Melanie Hoffman lost half her body weight and opened a gourmet take-out cafe specializing in health and delicious food.  then her husband left her for a woman twice her size. When she's blinded by a financial crisis, Melanie reaches out to a quirky roomate with tons of baggage and becomes involved in a budding romance with a local documentary film maker. 

Soon Melanie realizes that her weight loss was just the beginning of an amazing journey that will transform her life from the inside out.  With relatable characters and genuine warmth, we think you'll find Good Enough To Eat as delicious as we did-it would make a wonderful Christmas gift for that hard-to-buy-for girl on your list!

And we have FIVE copies to give away to you!  Just leave a comment and you'll be entered to win!  We'll choose the winners after Friday at 6pm PST.

And we have a feeling Stacey's bucket list will have you running out to get your own copy of Good Enough to Eat.  Read on to see why we heart her!

CHICK LIT IS NOT DEAD PRESENTS: WHAT'S ON STACEY BALLIS'S BUCKET LIST?

I’m really very lucky, especially since the things that has topped this list for the past decade were to find and fall in love with the man I am supposed to spend the rest of my life with, but last year he finally showed up, so I got to bump these up to the top!

 1.  Make my agent a very wealthy man.  It’s rude to wish for such things for oneself, you know, but if I am making him rich, I am also doing okay work-wise.

2.  Publish a cookbook.    Not a purely recipe book, but a really lovely book of stories and anecdotes and entertaining tricks and tips with plenty of gorgeous photos and recipes.  There are 40 pages of recipes in the back of my new book Good Enough to Eat, but that has only whetted my appetite for a real cookbook project.

3.  Get to my top five travel destinations.  I have long wanted to see Prague, Barcelona, Casablanca, Venice, and Berlin.  Lucky for me, they are all on my boyfriend’s list too, so hopefully we will  make time to go there together.

4.   Start playing music again.  I played trumpet, mostly jazz, for about fifteen years, but put the horn down during grad school and never picked it back up.  Not sure if I want to start back with the trumpet or try a whole new instrument, but it would be great to get back into music. 

5.  Own my building.  I have lived in my apartment for 17 years.  The building is a wonderful 1906 Victorian Greystone with three units.  My landlord and I have an agreement, when he is ready to let go of the building, he will sell it to me.  I am very patient, and don’t care when it happens, I just can’t wait for the day it is mine….especially since once I own it, then I can do some of the home improvement projects not possible as a renter. 

Thanks Stacey!  xo, L&L

To read more about Stacey's five novels, head on over to her website or her blog.  Or you can find her on Facebook and Twitter too!

Also, there’s still time to leave a comment here  to be entered in Liz & Lisa’s Favorite Holiday Things giveaway for your chance to win a Blackberry Curve, A Sony eReader and so much more! And don’t forget to “like” our Facebook page too!  It ends this Friday so don't wait!

Maternity Monday: Prego meltdowns-the best of 2010

So...blame it on prego brain or call it revisionist history, but I can't remember what my personality was like before I got pregnant.  Although I'm pretty sure I wasn't that emotional. Didn't cry that much. Didn't get that angry. Definitely didn't have that many meltdowns! Dare I go so far as to describe my pre-prego self as mostly calm, cool and collected? I mean, don't get me wrong, I definitely had my moments. But since becoming pregnant, woah, child! I've learned that I have the capacity to be one freakin' hot mess prego.

So in honor of my third trimester, here are three prego meltdowns that I'm not particularly proud of (in no particular order):

The Delivery Boy Destruction: Don't mess with a hungry prego!

I'd like to preface this by saying: Dear Mr. delivery guy of sub sandwich shop that shall remain nameless, if you are out there, I am very sorry for what you had to go through and if I could take it back, I would... Long story short, forty-five minutes after placing my order for a veggie sub, this hungry prego was pacing on her front porch, frantically searching for the headlights of the delivery truck. By the time the sub sandwich showed up (it took an hour and 15 minutes!), I'd officially lost my mind. Eyes bulging, hormones raging, face beat red, I called the manager from the delivery guy's phone and argued that he should give the sub to me for free. The manager said no so I held the delivery guy's phone hostage and said I wouldn't return it until he gave me my free sub. The poor guy just stared at me as if he was witnessing an exorcism. As my head spun around on my neck, I had visions of grabbing the sub, locking my front door and eating the sandwich in a heated rush before the prego police showed up to revoke my prego card and throw me in the loony bin. The hubs gently grabbed the delivery guy's phone from my hand and sent him on his way with the sub. As I watched the delivery truck disappear down the street and big wet tears fell down my cheeks, I knew it was one of the lowest points of my prego career.

Mint Chip Meltdown: Don't ef with a prego's cravings

Let's just say that since I've been with child, I've been rather territorial about certain food. And when the hubs polished off the last few spoonfuls of my beloved mint chip ice cream, you would've thought he'd told me I looked fat in my maternity pants. As I clutched the empty Breyer's ice cream container for dear life and thought about licking the remaining mint chip clumps off the lid, I began sobbing hysterically. Hubs offered to go to the store and get more but I stomped out of the kitchen like a five-year-old child throwing a temper tantrum and refused to let him go. I knew I was being ridiculous but I couldn't stop myself or the tears from flowing. I cried myself to sleep, wondering if the hubs would still love me in the morning. (He did.)

Christmas Card Catastrophe: humor the prego's neuroses

It was a few weeks before Thanksgiving. And you'd think I would've been worried about the fifteen family members I was having over, who was making the stuffing or if the turkey was going to be large enough for me (and everyone else). Nope. I was obsessing about our Christmas cards. I was nearly eight months pregnant and it dawned on me that if I gave birth a few weeks early, I'd *gasp*, never get my holiday cards out on time.  I knew I couldn't sleep that night until the cards were handled. As I hopped on Shutterfly and began desperately uploading photos and arranging them in the holiday card template, all hubs could do was roll his eyes.  He tried to be the voice of reason, explaining that we had plenty of time, but I couldn't stop. I was like a mad woman, determined to get the cards out not one minute later than December 1. And I made it! Well, until I came up 25 cards short and had to do a re-order. And we won't even get into what my mood was after that. *I'm sure you can take an educated guess*

xoxo,

Lisa, a.k.a, "hot mess prego"

Breaking and Entering by Liz

That Monday started out like any other day.  My daughter and I ran out to run a few errands for an hour.  I was sipping on my green iced tea from Starbucks.   I thought about sneaking over to buy that cute scarf I had been eyeing at Loehmanns.   But then I came home.

It took a minute to process the empty space where our TV used to sit and the broken pieces of my side door sitting on the floor. And as I grabbed my daughter by the hand and ran back into the garage and into the safety of my car, I just couldn’t get over the fact that we had been robbed.  That shit only happened to other people, right?

Later, as we walked through and took inventory of our house, I mentally took an inventory of my feelings.  Knowing that someone had been watching, waiting for us to leave left me speechless.  The fact that they had taken my beloved Macbook and every piece of jewelry that I owned besides the wedding ring I had been wearing seemed like a side note.  Because in reality, they had taken so much more. 

They had stolen my sense of well-being in a neighborhood I had felt safe in for years.  There were a ton of things I could have done to make their job so much harder. But my misguided belief that those types of things didn’t happen in my community basically handed them my belongings on a silver platter. 

After that day, the world looked a little different.  The dark corners seemed a bit scarier, the noises that went bump in the night felt a bit louder.  It reminded me of the time right after I had my daughter, when all the many things in the world I had to protect her from overwhelmed and terrified me.  I felt pangs of that same fear now.

But like with all bad things that happen, a silver lining appears if you’re willing to look for it. Like the fact that I’m highly allergic to almost all of my jewelry and wasn’t able to wear it anyway. And after the break-in, the hubs gave the green light on getting a big ass dog, something I had been begging for. (Although this wasn’t how I planned to get my way! I swear!)

 And from the moment we found Sasha at the shelter and brought her home, we were in love with her.   And we thought she loved us too. 

 Until that bitch ran away. 

She ran past me like a bolt of lightning when I opened the door and took off immediately to the busiest road (of course!), where one step off the sidewak would turn her into doggy kibble. 

 I dropped my purse and phone in the driveway and sprinted after her in my paper flip-flops(I had just come from a man-pedi with extra massage!) About a half-mile into my chase, I ditched those shitty paper shoes and started running barefoot.  But it was to no avail.  She wouldn’t come to me, and now that I was aware that I lived in the kind of neighborhood that gets robbed, I knew I had better hightail it back to my Loius Vuitton pronto. 

So my out-of-shape ass sprinted Amazing Race style all the way back.  Tears in my eyes, I grabbed my purse and keys.  How the f*ck was I going to explain to the kids that Mommy lost the dog?  The only damn dog we had looked at that hadn't thought the kids were Scooby snacks?  How were we going to find another one? And what the hell was wrong with her anyway?  I bought that bitch a seventy dollar bed and massaged her paws! So now a homeless rescue dog was too good for us?  WTF? And why hadn’t I started that P90x I bought from that creepy guy on Craig’s List last month?  I was heaving  and coughing like I was about to have a heart attack. (And I have the broken blood vessel in my eye to prove it!)

 I had told myself that I wouldn’t let the robbery make me feel like everything was going wrong, but this whole dog breakout thing was going to seriously hamper those efforts.

 I began to back out the driveway, ready to comb the neighborhood. I still had a few hours to find her before the kids got home.  Then I heard a honk and saw a car pull up behind me.  Jumping out, I immediately saw Sasha smiling in the backseat.  The sight of me chasing my dog down the street in paper shoes had compelled this woman, this angel, to stop what she was doing and follow us.  When I gave up and turned back to get my car, she continued following Sasha until she could coax her into the car.  This time, being watched and followed had been a blessing.  I don’t know what I more thankful for: the fact that she had brought the dog we had fallen in love with home or that this one act of kindness made the world look bright again.

 The moral of my story?  The next time you have a chance to help someone out-do it.  You have no idea the incredible impact your one small act can have on another.  Oh, and use your deadbolt! I wish I had.

Also, there's still plenty of time to leave a comment here  to be entered in Liz & Lisa's Favorite Holiday Things giveaway for your chance to win a Blackberry Curve, A Sony eReader and so much more! And don't forget to "like" our Facebook page too!

xoxo, Liz

What's on Tori Spelling's Bucket List?

Since the days of 90210 (the original, not the copy!) we've been fans of Tori Spelling.  She was Donna Martin, need we say more? And now that we're all grown up (well...sort of!) we have a new appreciation for her as an author. First there the New York Times bestseller,  sTORI telling which we gobbled up with a spoon (loved the inside scoop on Shannen Doherty and tales from the set of 90210) then there was Mommywood (which also topped the NYT bestseller list) and now there's her latest, Uncharted TerriTori. In Uncharted TerriTori, Tori is again incredibly open and candid as she writes about everything from media scrutiny over her weight and marriage to Dean McDermott to her controversial relationship with Dean's ex-wife to her unfolding reconciliation with her mother, Candy Spelling. And we loved every single page.

And you can win ONE of FOUR copies of Uncharted TerriTori by simply leaving a comment on this post. And on Friday, we'll randomly select the winners! Good luck!

And now CHICK LIT IS NOT DEAD PRESENTS...WHAT'S ON TORI SPELLING'S BUCKET LIST?

1. Go for sushi in Japan

2. Go antique shopping in throughout France

3. Own a farm

4. Go to Bali with Dean

5. Take the kids on a safari

To find out more about Tori Spelling, follow her on Twitter. And if you haven't already, be sure to check out her reality show Tori & Dean: Home Sweet Hollywood.

Thanks, Tori!

xoxo,

Liz & Lisa

What's on Maria Geraci's Bucket list?

Tis' the season for great books! Case in point: Maria Geraci's The Boyfriend of the Month Club is available tomorrow! And we're here to tell you that it's a perfect escape after you've run yourself ragged with all your holiday shopping. We're thrilled that she's sharing her bucket list with us today! The Boyfriend of the Month Club is Maria's third book-and it's a fun, sassy read we think you'll love. At thirty, Grace O'Bryan has dated every loser in Daytona Beach. After the ultimate date-from-hell, Grace decides to turn her dwindling book club into a Boyfriend of the Month Club, where women can discuss the eligible men in their community. Where are the real life twenty-first century versions of literary heroes such as Heathcliff and Mr. Darcy?

Could it be successful and handsome Brandon Farrell, who is willing to overlook his disastrous first date with Grace and offers financial help for her parents' failing Florida gift shop? Or maybe sexy dentist Joe Rosenblum, who's great with a smile but not so great at commitment? Unfortunately, like books, men cannot always be judged by their covers...

Click here to pre-order The Boyfriend of the Month Club!

Sounds great, right? It is! And we have FIVE copies to give away to you guys. You know the drill-just leave a comment and you're entered. We'll choose the winners on Thursday night after 6pm PST.

And also, don't forget to head on over to our Favorite Things Holiday Giveaway-we have FABULOUS prizes- a Blackberry, a Sony eReader and so much more!

CHICK LIT IS NOT DEAD PRESENTS: WHAT'S ON MARIA GERACI'S BUCKET LIST?

First, I want to thank Liz and Lisa for having me here today. Thanks, ladies! I also want to say that this Bucket List thing is really hard. For one thing, I have no intentions of kicking the bucket. Ever. But, I guess if I have to think about the things I’d most want to do before I… you know, do that thing that I’m not ever going to do, then this would be it.

1. After giving this some consideration, the first thing I’d like to do is take all my money and go to a third world country and feed orphans. But that would be a big fat lie. That would be my Catholic guilt talking, because the real first thing on my list would be getting the girls lifted. And yes, I mean those girls. I’ve breast fed three babies. It’s not pretty. Just once before I die I’d like to see them point north again (My husband might appreciate it too).

2. I want to spend a summer at the beach. Just me and Charlie (that’s my 13 year old, 100 lb mutt). I would write all day, walk on the beach in the evening, then drink wine and read books and watch movies at night. My husband and kids can come visit on the weekends (maybe). Oh, and it’s got to be Diane Keaton’s house from the movie “Something’s Gotta Give.” No other house will do.

3. Learn to cuss in Italian. I don’t need to know the whole language. Just the important words.

4. Do a huge family reunion. We’ve tried, but someone is always missing.

5. Put on a killer dress, get my hair and make up professionally done, go to the awards show and thank the academy. It doesn’t matter which academy or what I’m thanking them for. Any will do.

Thanks Maria! xo, L&L

To read more about Maria, check out her website or find her on Facebook.

Liz & Lisa's Favorite Things Holiday Giveaway!

It's that time of year again. Christmas carols are playing on the radio, tree farms have popped up everywhere and, let's face it, we're all thinking about what we want for the holidays.   We thought we'd help you out with that this year and share some of our favorite things with you.  Think Blackberries (not the fruit), eReaders and video cameras, to name a few. But because we're feelin' the holiday spirit in a BIG way, we figured we'd do more than share. How about if  we channel Oprah and GIVE our favorite things to you? (*cue applause, hysterical cheering & maybe someone can even faint?*)

All you have to do to be entered in Liz & Lisa's Favorite Things Holiday Giveaway contest- and possibly win one of our favorite things below- is LEAVE A COMMENT HERE and like us on Facebook. And if you are a new fan, let us know in the comment that you leave here!  We love making new friends.

But here's the BONUS: If you refer someone to leave a comment here on our site and they mention your name in their comment and tell us that they "liked" us on Facebook, you will be entered again! There's no limit on the number of entries so refer away! The contest will run for over two weeks and we'll choose the randomly selected winners on Friday, December 17th after 9:00 p.m. EST, when the contest closes.

And now... drum roll please..

CHICK LIT IS NOT DEAD PRESENTS: Liz and Lisa's favorite things of 2010

#1 The Blackberry Curve Because, what can we say, we're texting, Facebook & chatter box whores! And what better way to keep up to date than with this fabulous Blackberry?

Master your everyday with the Blackberry Curve 3G smartphone from Verizon Wireless.  Available in Fuchsia (pictured here), this smartphone is BlackBerry6 ready.  Make your everyday easier with features like 3G speed, real-time BBM chats, GPS, Wi-Fi, apps, multimedia, and more. We have one to give away to you! -A $399 value. Follow Blackberry on Facebook and Twitter.

#2 Sony eReader Because we love to swing both ways. Don't tell our paperbacks and hardcovers that we cheat on them sometimes!

The new Reader Pocket Edition is an ultra-portable, entry-level eBook reader with a five-inch full touch screen and a smart, lightweight design that’s easy to slip into a purse or jacket pocket for convenient, on-the-go reading. It is available in chic colors, including silver and pink – we have the pink one to giveaway! It is the thinnest, lightest and most stylish reader available today and is perfect for any reader on the go. And we have one to give away to you!- A $179.99 value! Follow Sony electronics on Facebook and Twitter.

#3 DXG high-def video camcorder Because we love taking video in style- and how can you go wrong with this adorable camera?

The Kensington 720p HD Camcorder is part of the Luxe Collection that combines high-definition technology and style in one camcorder that is hip, hot and haute. The Kensington 720p HD Camcorder comes in a red plaid pattern that is inspired by the latest trend in fashion that will complement anyone's taste and style. And it even comes with a matching luxury case to store your camcorder! Records high-definition video, captures still pictures up to 8MP image resolution and features a large and bright 3.0" TFT screen. So whether you're on the runway, on the street, in a party or out and about the city, capturing life in high-definition is always in style.

It’s the must-have Techcessory of the season featured on The View and ABC News, the Luxe Collection marries fashion with the latest digital camcorder technology, creating the perfect gadget for stylish moms, trend-setting teens, and fashionistas of any age.

And we have one to give away to you! - Retail value, $149.99. Find DXG on Twitter and Facebook.

#4 HollyBeth’s Organic SkinCare Basket Finally!  Something that will moisturize Liz's crazy dry lizard skin and keep Lisa's skin soft in the dead of winter.

HollyBeth's Natural Luxury is an Atlanta-based, USDA certified organic skin and body care line designed to soothe, pamper and nourish you from head to toe. The gift basket includes all of HollyBeth's best products: Chamomile and Rosemary Facial Cleanser, Rose and Geranium Facial Toner, Rose and Geranium Moisturizer, Grits and Honey Exfoliating Scrub, Eye Cream, Clary Sage Body Wash, Citrus Body Cream, Lavender Hand Cream, and the most luxurious product of all: the Hair and Body Silk. And for your home, HollyBeth's vanilla peppermint SHINE candle is perfect for the holiday season.

And this SkinCare basket can be yours- a $270 value! You can find HollyBeth's on Facebook and Twitter.

#5 Ann Roth Designer Shoes Because we're suckers for a fabulous shoe-and we love on these!

Launched in the spring of 2006, Ann Roth Shoes are luxury for the sole –and favored by one of our all-time fave authors, Emily Giffin. Featuring elegant heels, wedges and boots characterized by classic silhouettes with modern details, each pair is lovingly made in Spain by expert craftsmen. So many collections, so little time!

And we have a $200 gift certificate toward the pair of your dreams! Find Ann Roth shoes on Facebook and Twitter.

#6 McCall Wilder Holiday Dress for Girl Because we LOVE this line of clothing! So adorable!

McCall Wilder designs couture kids’ clothing  - all garments are heirloom quality; all sewn and embroidered by a dedicated team of talented seamstresses in the Atlanta area.  McCall Wilder Designs include a range of special occasion clothing – baptisms, wedding attire and holiday – as well as layette and casual clothing for children up to size 16.

McCall Wilder Designs clothing features unmatched attention to detail, including the use of exquisite, sustainable fabrics and delicate hand embroideries which are the centerpiece of our line of custom and ready-to-wear clothing. Unique features include hand work, including satin-stitched monograms, feather-stitching and bullion embroidery. All clothing is hand made in the USA from the finest natural and sustainable fabrics.

And, we have one McCall Wilder beautiful holiday outfit to give away – it could be custom or from her ready-to-wear selection, up to $150! Find McCall Wilder Designs on Facebook.

#7 Tikatok: Publish your child's own stories as a real book Because Liz is trying to get her kid's foot in the door of the publishing industry early! What a fantastic gift!

Looking for a unique, personalized gift for friends and family this year?  How about your child’s own original stories and artwork captured in a professionally-bound hardcover or paperback book for less than $20?

Tikatok, a Barnes & Noble company, is a fun, interactive online tool that inspires children to create and publish their very own books. You can order the book as a professionally-published hardcover or softcover, or email it to friends and family for the holidays.  Add a dedication and photo and you have a personalized gift created in minutes. Give as a present or display proudly on bookshelves.

And we have a $25 gift card to give away so you can make your own book! Find Tikatok on Facebook and Twitter.

#8 Crumbs Bake Shop Because nothing satisfies Lisa's prego cravings like these!

CRUMBS Bake Shop Holiday Collection Taste Pack features an assortment of six festive flavors for the Holiday Season including Peppermint Hot Cocoa, Gingerbread, Squiggle (red/green versions included), White Hot Chocolate, Christmas Good Guy and Christmas Sprinkle Mix (chocolate vanilla versions included). DELISH! Find Crumbs on Facebook and Twitter.

And we have a one holiday assortment(valued at $24) to give away!

#9 Basket of books Because no holiday list would be complete without a basket of books from some of our favorite authors!

Curl up with a good book by the fire this holiday season.  We've got novels by Jillian Cantor, Jenny McCarthy, Tim Gunn, Sarah Pekkanen, Jean Kwok and more!

Hope you enjoy our favorite things.  Happy holidays! xoxo, L&L

What's on Lisa Rinna's bucket list?

Okay, so we think Lisa Rinna may have it all.  Actress, boutique owner, NYT bestselling author and married to hottie Harry Hamlin!  They've even got their own reality show, Harry Loves Lisa. What's not to like, right? Her first non-fiction book, Rinnavation, encouraged us all to look better, feel better, live better, even love better! (Which btw, sounds pretty good right now as Liz sits here writing this post while bleary-eyed in sweats...)  And there must have been others who felt like her-it made the NYT bestseller list! Now Lisa's making her fiction debut with Starlit-and we think it's a lot of fun!  Glamorous parties, flashing lights, red carpets-Tally jones has worked hard to join Hollywood's A list.  She finally gets her break replacing veteran diva Susie Sheppard on a nightime soap opera, ratings skyrocket and she earns an Emmy nomination.  But celebrity has a dark side too.  Tally's financial advisor makes off with her savings and her celeb boyfriend's kinky sexploits and paparazzi baiting have Tally wondering why there isn't a better leading man in her life.

Filled with colorful characters, Hollywood insider details and scandalous backstabbing, Starlit combines the fun of Days of Our Lives, Melrose Place and US Weekly into one titillating Hollywood drama.

Sound good?  Then leave a comment to be entered to win-we have FIVE copies to give away. We'll choose the winner on Friday 12/3 after 6pm PST.

And read on to discover what's on Lisa's bucket list! (And if she figures out how to make #5 happen, we hope she shares her secret!)

CHICK LIT IS NOT DEAD PRESENTS:  WHAT'S ON LISA RINNA'S BUCKET LIST?

1. Have dinner with Warren Buffet.

2. Live in Italy for a time.

3. Go around the world in 80 weeks.

4. Have enough $$$ to give millions and millions and millions to Charity- and not even feel it! :)

5. To be able to eat anything I want and never gain a pound :)

Thanks Lisa!  xo, L&L

To read more about Lisa, head on over to her website.  Or you can also find her on Facebook and Twitter.

5 Things Liz & Lisa didn't know about Jessica Seinfeld

As we've mentioned before, Liz has a hard time being Top Chef of her own kitchen.  Or at least she did until she picked up Deceptively Delicious by Jessica Seinfeld one day in a desperate attempt to get her kids to eat something other than pasta with butter.   And no one was more surprised than her when the kids not only ate the recipes she made from there but actually asked for more! And they had no idea that Liz had pureed veggies into each recipe.  So when Jessica's new recipe book, Double Delicious, came out-Liz had to have it!  And once again, Jessica came through with kid-friendly recipes with pureed veggies hidden in every bite! And today we're excited to have Jessica share 5 things we didn't know about her.  And guess what?  We've got THREE copies OF DOUBLE DELICIOUS to give away!  You know the drill-just leave a comment and you'll be entered to win!  We'll announce the winners Sunday November 27th after 6pm EST.

CHICK LIT IS NOT DEAD PRESENTS: 5 THINGS LIZ & LISA DIDN'T KNOW ABOUT JESSICA SEINFELD

1. My favorite appliance in the kitchen is the food processor- because you can make soups and purees and I think it’s one of those things if you don’t’ have time to chop you can quickly do it in a food processor. You can make great pasta sauce or pesto which is a great meal to always keep in your fridge for veggies or pasta.

My 5 favorite kitchen gadgets I can’t live without:

• A meat thermometer

• A zester

• A kitchen timer

• A cutting board

• And a great knife that feels good in my hand

2. I teamed up with Target for a new baby clothes line that benefits charity. The clothing line, designed by Petit Trésor for Target, is the second in a series of three that I'm debuting through a one-year, charitable-focused partnership with Target. In addition to affordable prices, 10% of each sale goes to support my non-profit Baby Buggy, a New York City-based organization I founded in 2001 that provides clothing and gear to families in need.

Over the years, I have been approached to take the Baby Buggy Brand into product but I didn’t want to do it unless it was helpful or meaningful in some way. Target is the master at making things feel and look like luxury but keeps them affordable. The new line is the most luxurious feeling cotton – sleepers and bibs and basic stuff – a really gift-able collection palette with price point between $2.99 and $16.99. I love it!

3. My family and Jerry’s are all eating together this year so I’m cooking for about 30 people. Traditionally my mom will help and we’ll serve my Grandma’s turnips, made every year and not eaten by one person, but we have to do it though. There will be kids screaming, someone will be fighting and the kids will be running all around. We’ll have turkey, apple pie (I love that) and pumpkin pie. I’m doing a whole thing on my website about Thanksgiving – how to make the simplest Thanksgiving. (Here’s the video to make the Turkey and Gravy, including recipe and tips and the video to show you how: http://www.doitdelicious.com/recipes/make_it/roast_turkey_and_gravy)

4. We love Italy. We also love Colorado and going skiing. My daughter broke her leg skiing three  years ago, so now I live in terror. We love to travel though and would love to travel around and see the world with our kids when they are older.

5. My favorite mom moment? All the times where parents have sent me an email or stopped me at school and mentioned to me something nice my kids have done for their children.  Recently a mom stopped me at school and said, “Your daughter was so nice to my daughter when it was her first day of school and welcomed her warmly.” I love that.

Thanks Jessica! xo, L&L

To read more about Jessica, head on over to her website or find her on Facebook.

Lit IT Girl: Debut Author Aidan Donnelley Rowley

Okay, so this is Lisa talking. I have a MAJOR girl crush/writer crush/mom-to-be crush on Aidan Donnelley Rowley. It was when I discovered her website and started reading her intelligent, humorous and very candid blogs, that the girl crush began. Then her debut novel,  Life After Yes was published. And that was it. There was no turning back. I was head over heels. (Aidan, I promise you that I am in no way a stalker type-I blame my pregnancy!) And then she started sharing stories on her blog of being pregnant with her third baby. And being the total first time prego sap that I am, have loved following along with her journey. Hence the the mom-to-be crush. Not surprisingly, when I shared Life After Yes with Liz, she also felt mad love for this incredibly talented author. And we knew we had to ask her to be our guest here at Chick Lit Is Not Dead. And she said yes.  She's here today telling us everything from how she got her first agent to her GNO drink of choice...

But first, Life After Yes begins: "I'm choking. I can't breath. The air's as thick as cream and smells like peanut oil. Everything is White. I begin to see shapes: the smooth surface under my elbows, the big box in front of me with the soft blog, my own trembling hands. I'm in my office but there are no windows or doors. Just walls." (Talk about a first page that draws you in!) Life After Yes is the story of Quinn O'Malley, a  young attorney, who, after losing her father, finds herself at a crossroads in her life. Her boyfriend wants to get married and whisks her off to Paris to propose. But Quinn's not so sure. It's a fabulous story of life and love in chaos. 

And five of you will get the chance to win a copy! Just leave a comment and we'll randomly select the winners on Thursday.

CHICK LIT IS NOT DEAD PRESENTS: LIT IT GIRL AIDAN DONNELLEY ROWLEY:

1. How many agents did you query before you found "the one"? I queried fifteen (maybe twenty?) agents before securing representation for Life After Yes. After weathering several rejections, I was preparing to send out a second wave of letters when I received a request for a partial submission. Soon after, I submitted the entirety of the manuscript. And then, shortly after, an offer! Just recently, after much thought and soul-searching, I signed with a wonderful new agent, Brettne Bloom of Kneerim & Williams. I am thrilled to be working with her now on my second novel.

2. What was your rock bottom moment during the process? Just a few months after polishing Life After Yes and sending out my first slew of queries, my father died of cancer. This also happened to be a time when I was receiving several rejections from agents I’d approached. Needless to say, it was a rotten period of my life. I decided to put my writing dreams on hold to take time to grieve and to take care of myself (I was five months pregnant with my second daughter). Two weeks after I lost Dad, I got an offer for representation for Life After Yes.

3. How long did it take to write your book? I wrote my book on and off for more than three years. There were large chunks of time in which I did no writing at all (my first pregnancy is a prime example; I think I spent twenty hours per day sleeping and/or ordering obscure and ultimately useless baby items online!), but I always came back to my pages, often with a fresh eye and focus.

4. What did you do to celebrate your book deal? This might sound odd, but I don’t remember many details! It was right before Christmas and I had a newborn at home and I think I was still struggling from sleeplessness and postnatal mental mush. I am sure I had a few celebratory cocktails that evening!

5. Knowing what you know now about publishing your first novel, what would you have done differently? I would have stressed a bit less and enjoyed a bit more. I look back at certain stages – the title search, the cover search, the quest for blurbs – and I can literally taste the anxiety I felt then. I realize now that so much of the publishing process is out of the author’s control and we should surrender a bit to its ebbs and flows. Publishing a book is in its own right an immense and incomparable privilege; I wish I had been able to keep this critical bit of perspective throughout.

6. Who is your writer crush? This is a tricky one because there are so many fabulous writers out there these days. Among many others though, I love Claire Messud, Elizabeth Strout, and Jhumpa Lahiri. I adore reading and swooning over the words and worlds of fellow authors.

7. What's your biggest distraction or vice while writing? My two little girls are by far by biggest (and best) distraction. I feel so lucky to have the flexibility to write when I want, but the problem is that it is very hard for me to not spend time with my girls given the choice. I do not stick to a fixed writing schedule, and I’m trying to be better about self-discipline, but it’s tough. Now that I am pregnant with number three (another girl!), I fear that my ambitions for increased productivity are a bit laughable.

8. GNO drink of choice? Easy! Pinot Grigio. This was one purely autobiographical element of Life After Yes. Quinn, my protagonist, loves her Pinot Grigio. I like to think I have my consumption habits better under control than my fictional friend, but I do like to indulge. I have not had a sip of Pinot in twenty-two weeks and I miss it. Just a little.

9. Favorite trashy TV show? Recently, I have been craving trashy television and watching it every single night before bed. My poor husband is not thrilled with this. I blame my current viewing habits on the pregnancy and tell myself that there must be something redeeming about these programs (some kind of existential protein or iron?) that I am missing in my life. Lately, I have been quite loyal to the Kardashians and our nation’s sundry Real Housewives. I do worry that I am exposing my unborn child to a symphony of utter junk, but I try to make up for it by blasting classical music while writing.

10. What celeb would you love to have a Twitter war with? Perhaps inconsistent with my above answer, but I do not even know what celebs are on Twitter! I have no problem savoring the celebrity weeklies (religiously) and checking various gossip blogs, but I have not (yet) explored the celebrity angles and avenues on Twitter. I am not even sure what a “Twitter war” is, but it sounds intriguing!

Thanks, Aidan! xoxo, L&L

For more information about the lovely and talented Aidan Donnelley Rowley, check out her website, find her on Facebook and follow her on Twitter.

Writing Wednesday: Agent Advice from Jason Allen Ashlock

During our agent search over the past few months, we've had out ups and downs.  In fact, as we mentioned a few weeks ago, sometimes we think our manuscript might be giving us camel toe.  So we decided it was time to get some advice from one of our favorite agents-the fabulous Jason Allen Ashlock, Principal and Managing Partner of Movable Type Literary Group.  He also represents Robert Rave- author of Waxed and one of our favorite chick lit authors.  And you know what we say-a man who loves chick lit is the perfect man! *swoon* Besides being a top literary agent, Jason is also very savvy when it comes to social media.  Because of that, we thought he'd be the perfect choice to answer all the Qs you're dying to ask. (And don't worry-we did ask if he's accepting queries!)  So read on to understand how important social media is to an author, if you should mention your blog in your query and if eBooks are good or evil.

1.  How important do you feel social media is to a book launch? Does it make a difference whether you are an established or debut author?

Social media is only important to a book launch if it's been important to an author's identity and community-building plan for months, or years, in advance of that launch. Otherwise, it's useless. Social media's great redeeming value--through all the hype and falsity and fabrication--is that it allows anyone with enough patience and a thoughtful enough filter to engage directly with the people who care about the same things he or she cares about. Never in history has it been possible for an author, in a global way, to reach out and find his or her reader. But it's not broadcasting. People don't gather around a twitter feed like they once did a gameshow after dinner. It's narrowcasting; focusing on topics, individuals, trends that align with one's own interests and genre, and engaging constantly, regularly, deeply in conversation with those who seem to awaken to the same ideas, stories, habits, etc. that you do. It takes a long time to find those people. It takes even longer to build a relationship with them. It takes even longer to build any kind of influence in their lives. And it takes even longer to be a person around which other people gather to learn or be entertained. Social media isn't a launch strategy. It's a life strategy or it's nothing at all.

2. Regarding queries: Do you think authors should mention their online presence?  Is it a factor when deciding on whether to not to represent them? Because of the nature of Movable Type's efforts, I'm not so interested in working with authors who don't already have some kind of awareness of what it means to be engaged online; I want to work with authors who are endlessly curious and humble and fascinated by what's possible now. So in short, yes, it's important, in my context, to know if a writer is driven to make the most of the tools at their disposal to identify, awaken, and engage with their audience online. That said, a lot of what I do is simply education: talking to writers about how to chart their path on the Web, and how to make it work for them, in their unique context--I don't expect writers to be gurus, only to be willing to dedicate themselves to becoming more effective in their efforts. As for mentioning it in queries, I think it's the least of your worries. It's expected now that everyone has a blog or a Website or at very least a Facebook and Twitter account. I don't think we want to add yet another obligatory line to everyone's query letters in which they're forced to say "I'm active online in this or that way." On the other hand, if you're blog is getting steady traffic, and you can demonstrate that the traffic has developed into some kind of community that circles around you and your content--then you've got something. And you should certainly include it. But it's not common for an author's online presence to be significant enough to be a gamechanger, pushing an agent toward representation. (On the other hand, there have been authors whose disastrous web presence made me shy away from them immediately.)

3. Ebooks?  Totally awesome or the end of publishing as we know it?

Both! Publishing as we have known it--or as our older siblings knew it, or as our parents knew it--is gone, or will be shortly. And that is okay. For years the price of books has been artificially inflated, pricing many out of the market for books in general, or at least for new release hardcovers. Simultaneously, our consumption habits have changed, determined in large part by new technology, and fewer people carry around a book--their hands are full with a phone and a computer bag. Ebooks, boasting their low price point and hosted on increasingly impressive handheld devices, welcome back to Bookland many who wouldn't have found their way otherwise. And those of us who have lived in Bookland all our lives are given a chance to consume more quickly, and if new interactive features in ebooks find their way into the mainstream, more socially. The pricing and format issues that have dominated the conversation about ebooks thus far will be worked out--those are passing (though pressing) matters. The bigger issue is this: for students, teachers, casual readers, addicted readers, upmarket, downmarket, middlemarket readers and everyone else, in a relatively short amount of time you will have--through Amazon, B&N, Borders, Google Editions, Kobo, or WhateverIsNext--millions of the world's books available for purchase and consumption at any time of day or night. That, to use your phrase, it totally awesome. (And, to connect your queries, if #1 is done well, #3 is your best friend)

4. For our aspiring authors: What are you looking for right now?  Are you accepting queries?

Always looking for new writers. I handle very little fiction, and most of that is super commercial (think: chicklit or zombie novels). But our agency is growing. Rachel's looking for upmarket fiction. A new agent (look for next week's announcement) will be looking for YA/MG. Craig is developing a lot of really thoughtful upmarket non-fiction and memoir. I'm really all over the place. Of the 40 deals we've done since our launch in February of 2009, 32 are non-fiction, so that's clearly where my interests lie. But I'll look at anything and listen to anybody if they have a truly interesting, original idea, and have a passionate way of presenting themselves and their material. Because above all, I want to represent authors, not books. I want to stand beside a talented writer for as long as we're both in the business. So a good idea is of interest, but an unforgettable personality and a drive to find a community is nearly as important.

Thank so much Jason! xo, L&L

To read more about Jason, visit his website or click here follow him on Twitter.

What's on Abby Drake's Bucket List?

There's something special about the sisterly bond.  Which is probably why some of the best books have been about sisters. (Think The Opposite Of Me by Sarah Pekkanen and In Her Shoes by Jennifer Weiner)  In fact, we explored the sister dynamic in our first novel, I'll Have Who She's Having.  So when we came across The Secrets Sisters Keep by Abby Drake, we just knew it was going to be good.  I mean, c'mon- sister and secrets?  What's not to like? The Secrets Sisters Keep follows the four Dalton sisters, who have more than their fair share of secrets.  There's Ellie, the eldest, who tends to their Uncle Edward rather than living out her dreams.  Then there's Amanda, the Park Avenue snob whose husband just left her for a bikini waxer.  Babe's a movie star beauty and Carleen is a middle class mom who quilts cloth pocketbooks for fun!  When their quirky Uncle Edward decided to throw a seventy-fifth birthday party and then wanders off, it leaves the sisters to not only face their past, but one another.  Will these ladies ever be able to confront their long-buried past and be sisters again?

Sound good? (HINT: It is!) Leave a comment and you'll be entered to win your own copy-we have FIVE to give away!  We'll choose the winners on Thursday night after 9pm EST.  Good luck!

Abby Drake is also the author of Good Little Wives and Perfect Little Ladies-we're thrilled that she's sharing her bucket list with us today!  Read on to discover who her famous ancestors are and where she'd love to spend the winter.

CHICK LIT IS NOT DEAD PRESENTS: WHAT'S ON ABBY DRAKE'S BUCKET LIST?

1. Become a Grandmother. Boy or girl, one or ten or twenty! I understand I really have no say in this matter, but I would really, really love this! Babies are such wonderful, sweet little beings who hold all sorts of possibilities for love and hope and stories not yet written. Besides, my friends are having all the fun.

2. Go back to Paris; explore England. I guess that should count as two things in my bucket. J I would love to spend delicious time at the Paris museums and at Montmartre; I would also like to adventure down into the famous city sewers. As for England, ah, Oxford is my favorite, but I’m eager to discover the Lake Country and all the places and their people in between. Perhaps you’ve figured out that I’ve watched a lot of reruns of Inspectors Morse and Lewis and All Creatures Great and Small.

3. Get a Master’s degree. I’ve started, stopped, started, stopped, etc. I hate that sometimes life gets in the way of learning!

4. Finally untangle my Mayflower ancestry. Okay, so we have just about everything except the elusive marriage certificate between Isaac and Elizabeth in 1801. We know they had nine kids. Oh, yes, and we still need to address the issue of Orville and Nettie and the bigamy. Hmm. And how did great-great Grandpa get that wooden leg? Imagine the novels – not to mention the reality TV shows – that Mayflower descendants could have conjured.

5. Spend a winter on Martha’s Vineyard. I long to be where the loudest things I hear for months are soft seagull cries and muted buoy bells; where I can spend countless hours in the libraries that are packed with books of island life and lore; where I can walk along deserted beaches and watch a purple sandpiper or two; where a crock of chowder at the “Newes from America” pub will warm me through the night; where I can write. And write. Hey! Maybe my grandchildren will come to visit me!

Thanks Abby! xo, L&L

She's baaack! Author of How To Tell A Woman By Her Handbag

Recently, we were visited by someone here at Chick Lit Is Not Dead that got people talking...and thinking... about what their purse said about them. (Turns out, Lisa's Louis pegs her as a loyal friend who likes to take charge and Liz's black oversized bag means she's unpretentious and hardworking.) And if you remember, we didn't reveal whose handbag was whose... And now, back by popular demand, is Kathyrn Eisman, author of How To Tell A Woman By Her Handbag! And she will be giving a FREE handbag reading to one of you today AND has an exciting contest for you to enter involving Barnes and Noble (more on that in a minute).

But first, she's sharing information about a very important charity- www.tabletotable.org, a community-based food rescue program that collects prepared and perishable food that would have otherwise been wasted and delivers it to organizations that serve the hungry. In 2009, they delivered enough food for more than 6 million meals! And for every handbag reading purchased by you, Kathryn will donate a percentage to charity. Just head over to Kathryn's website, click on "services" and the drop down menu will take you to "personal readings" and then to "handbag reading." And don't forget to mention Chick Lit Is Not Dead!

Okay, so back to the freebie and contest we mentioned. First, for one lucky person who leaves a comment here AND shares this post the most on Facebook and Twitter between now and Wednesday at 8:00 p.m. Eastern Standard Time, you will win a free handbag reading! Just make sure to tag @chicklitisnotdead.com and @KathrynEisman (on Facebook) and @Lizandlisa and @KathrynEisman (on Twitter)! The winner will be announced on Thursday morning!

And if you go to Barnes and Noble and take a picture of yourself with a copy of Kathryn's book, How To Tell A Woman By Her Handbag in one hand and your handbag in the other and post it on your  Facebook wall or Twitter feed and tag Kathryn, she'll send you a personalized, signed note describing what type of purse-onality you have! How great is that?!

But at the very least, please take a second and check out www.tabletotable.org. It's a great way to help someone in need this holiday season!

xoxo,

Liz & Lisa

Frizzy Lizzy by Liz

I have a confession to make. I used to be a frizzy Lizzy.  Born with a head of hair that would make a brillo pad blush, I spent most of my childhood searching for a style that didn't make my hair look like I just stepped out of a convertible.  Or stuck my finger in a light socket. And being that the only way to straight iron your hair in those days was to actually iron it,  I knew that long silky locks were just not meant to be. I learned at a early age that my hair was never going to dry properly without chemical intervention-so I became a complete perm whore by fourth grade. That's right-every three months in the eighties(and few in the nineties-don't judge) you could find me at the hair salon getting that stinky ass solution poured into my scalp.  Because if I couldn't have the smooth, straight hair I desired, ridiculously tight poodle curls came in a close second.

But here's the thing: I love straight hair.  Love it.  I love it more than that extra half-hour of sleep I don't get because I have to blow dry and burn my hair into submission each day.  And I'd rather walk on hot coals than leave my straight iron at home when we travel.

Soon I realized that my love for straight hair was consuming me-I would plan each day around whether the hair needed to be blow dried and coiffed. How long did the hair need?  Excuse me, I need to jump in the shower RIGHT NOW or the hair will never be ready in time!

Needless to say, I had become f*cking consumed with my do'.

So when I learned of the Brazilian Blowout, a new straightening treatment, it seemed too good to be true.  Straight hair EVERY DAY?  It actually DRIES STRAIGHT? It could turn even the most high maintenance bitch into a wash and go girl?

I had to have it.

And let me tell you-it love at first site.  All of a sudden I went from a type A hair control freak to a carefree girl without a hair care in the world.

Thirty minutes to get ready?  No problem, make it twenty!

Getting my hair wet at the the pool?  Who's up for an underwater game of Marco Polo?

90% humidity? No problemo!

And the hubs couldn't believe the change in my hair attitude either.  Instead of mapping out the hair's schedule, I'd sit on the couch and relax.  My hair care became the easiest part of my day.  I was a slave to the hair no more!

Um, until the hubs found out how much it cost.

That's right. I *may* have left out the $200-$300 dollars I had been dropping every twelve weeks to keep the hair under control.  Which would probably not have been a big deal except for the fact that unless I wanted to go for silver foxette look, I also needed my color done every six weeks. So when he told me that I needed to relax(pun intended) on how often I was getting the Brazilian, like any addict, I was very unhappy. But because I had made a commitment to cut expenses and go cash only until the end of the year(a whole other blog in itself!), I knew I had to enter straight hair rehab ASAP.

So now I'm back to scheduling life around the hair again.  And explaining to my mother-in-law over and over again why I don't care to dive in her pool head first.  It's fine-but I'd be lying if I didn't tell you that I miss my wash and go hair so much that it hurts sometimes.  That I think about the Brazilian more than any one person probably should.  And that the minute we lift this bullshit "cash only" experiment we have going on, I'll be the first in line at the salon. See you there!

How about you?  Do you struggle with "the hair"?  Leave a comment and you'll be entered to win one of THREE copies of Pat Benatar's Between a Heart and a Rock Place: A Memoir!

xo, Liz

Lit IT Girl: Debut Author Eve Marie Mont

We've been loving all the fantastic books about dogs lately.  From Stay by Allie Larkin to You Had Me At Woof by Julie Klam we've been in doggy heaven.  And this week is no exception!  Today, the fabulous Eve Marie Mont, debut author of Free to a Good Home, is hanging out with us here at  CLIND. And let's just say, she's definitely Lit IT Girl material! In Free to a Good Home, Noelle Ryan works as a veterinary technician at a New England animal shelter, helping pets find the perfect homes. If only it were as easy to find the same thing for herself. After discovering that she can’t have children—and watching her marriage fall apart after a shocking revelation by her husband—Noelle feels as forlorn and abandoned as the strays she rescues.

We enjoyed Free to a Good Home and think you will too.  It's funny and touching at the same time-no doubt the reason we finished it in record time!

And now you have a chance to win this fabulous book. Just leave a comment and you'll be entered to win one of FIVE copies.  So. Freakin'. Easy!

SO... read on to discover more about the fantastic Eve-we think you'll enjoy her answers as much as we do! (Anyone who makes a Dawson's Creek reference is a friend of ours for life!)

CHICK LIT IS NOT DEAD PRESENTS:  LIT IT GIRL, EVE MARIE MONT!

1. How many agents did you query before you found "the one"? I wrote a novel before Free to a Good Home that never got published, and I probably queried over 50 agents for that one. My search for representation for this book was a little more focused, hovering around the 30 mark. After six months of nibbles and rejections, I followed up with a handful of agents who hadn’t responded yet, and one of them said my manuscript must have gotten lost in their vetting system. So I sent it to her again, she read it, loved it, helped me revise, then signed me on at Kimberly Cameron & Associates. Her name is April Eberhardt, and she’s a pro!

2. What was your rock bottom moment during the process? My earlier novel was ultimately rejected by every agent I sent it to. One small publisher requested the full manuscript, and I spent two months with my fingers crossed, hope and anxiety coursing through my veins. Finally, the editor wrote me a letter saying they couldn’t publish my book because my characters drank too much, and the love interest was not “sufficiently paramount” in the heroine’s life. In hindsight, they probably weren’t the right publisher for me, but it was a crushing moment all the same.

3. How long did it take to write your book? Because Free to a Good Home was my second book, I didn’t obsess about it quite as much as the first. It took me about a year to write the book, then my agent and I revised it for two months to get it polished for editors.

4. What did you do to celebrate your book deal? My husband bought me a bottle of champagne and St. Germaine, and we went to our favorite BYOB and ordered every course on the menu. On my release day, we went on a field trip to local bookstores where my husband took dorky pictures of me holding my book.

5. Knowing what you know now about publishing your first novel, what would you have done differently? I’m an introvert by nature, so I’m still unsure about social networking. When I first got my book deal, I started a website, Facebook page, and blog without really knowing how to utilize them. Looking back, I wish I’d found a mentor who could have guided me through the process. I also wish someone had given me the magical formula for getting a book blurb!

6. Who is your writer crush? Right now, probably Jonathan Tropper. His books are so smart and funny, but there’s tons of heart there. My brooding high school self would have said Neil Gaiman. Oh, and Elizabeth Berg is still my all-time favorite.

7. What's your biggest distraction or vice while writing? Often when I’m writing, my dog will lie next to me and lean her head against my arm while I’m trying to type. Book blogs also suck considerable time. And Goodreads—love that site!

8. GNO drink of choice? My standby is a gin and tonic, but if it’s a special occasion, I’ll ask for a White Cosmo. If the bartender doesn’t know how to make it, it’s Grey Goose vodka, white cranberry juice, St. Germaine, and a splash of lime. Tastes like lychee fruit!

9. Favorite trashy TV show? Definitely Vampire Diaries. My husband totally makes fun of me for this because I am so not a vampire junkie in general. I only read the first Twilight book, never watched an episode of True Blood, and didn’t read Anne Rice, even when everybody and her grandmother were reading Anne Rice. But there’s something about Vampire Diaries that makes me giddy. I like to think it’s not just that every character is ridiculously good-looking. Incidentally, one of the writers, Kevin Williamson, also wrote Dawson’s Creek, a guilty pleasure of mine ten years ago. He’s brilliant at playing with the audience’s allegiance to the characters—I never know who to root for from week to week.

10.  What celeb would you love to have a Twitter war with? My brother set me up a Twitter account just before my book came out, but it remains sadly neglected. I’m not much of a fighter by nature, but one of my feistier characters would love to have a go at the guy who called Laurie Halse Anderson’s Speak pornography.

Thanks Eve! xo, Liz & Lisa

To read more about Eve, head on over to her website.  Or you can also find her on Facebook!

What's on Julie Klam's Bucket List?

If the cover alone isn't enough to make you want to read this book, let us tell you more. You Had Me At Woof by Julie Klam is touching, funny, emotional (Lisa might have shed more than a few tears) and downright charming. And beware, this memoir is so engaging that by the end, you're going to want a Boston terrier all your own (even though Lisa's almost eight months prego, she is seriously considering rescuing one!). AND, they just announced that You Had Me at Woof made the NYT bestseller list! Woo hoo! Julie was thirty, single and wondering if she'd ever meet the man she could spend the rest of her life with. And then she met him...although he didn't look at all like what she'd expected. For starters, he had four legs... His name was Otto and he turned out to be one dog in a line of many that taught Julie the secrets of love, health and happiness. (Oh and in case you were wondering, Julie end up finding that husband too!)

And five of you will win a copy of You Had Me At Woof! Just leave a comment and we'll randomly select a winner Friday night!

Now we'll let you read Julie's bucket list. (We love it- especially the Jennifer Aniston part!)

CHICK LIT IS NOT DEAD PRESENTS: WHAT'S ON JULIE KLAM'S BUCKET LIST?

1. Meet Jennifer Aniston-not in a stalky creepy way, more like a she wants to be my friend way and so we go have lunch and walk around Barney’s and everyone says, “Oh wow, is that Jennifer Aniston and her personal manicurist?”

2. Get an iPhone- I know it’s not such a big stretch but I feel like I’ve been waiting a long time for Verizon to get the iPhone. Should I say get an iPhone in Egypt? Is that better?

3. Go to Tahiti- I think the plane trip is really long but I would love to be in Tahiti and drink something out of a coconut. I don’t want a long flight though so it would have to be after the Star Trek transporters are put into use.

4. Get hair extensions – my hair is long but not LOOONG and I would like it to be LOOONG. I’ve had it pretty long but it was really scraggly so I think extensions would be neater. Also in  the hair category one of those Brazilian hair things that makes your hair not be frizzy (though I don’t want the one the New York Times says has poison in it, I don’t want to die for unfrizzy hair)

5. Live in an apartment with an outdoor space – I wish I had a way to let my dogs out without walking them down to the street. I don’t quite know how this would work – a terrace with Astroturf? Hmm, yes.  And maybe a little putting green.

To find out more about the incredibly talented Julie Klam and her memoir, check out her website, follow her on Twitter and Facebook and definitely watch the book trailer!

xoxo,

Liz & Lisa

Maternity Monday: Open Letter To The Third Trimester

Dear Third Trimester, Don't take this the wrong way, but I'm f***ing over you, dude!

Oh how I'm missing the second trimester. He was so kind to me- making me feel all glowy and cute and sassy. Sometimes I daydream, remembering the days of no hip pain and being able to breathe. You know, the little things... I know you're just doing your job and getting me to my delivery date, but you should know that I'm just not that into you.

Thanks to you, I might as well cancel my gym membership and join Curves. The other day a seventy-five year old woman broke a sweat power-walking on the treadmill next to me while I could hardly move one foot in front of the other.

But to be fair, perhaps you shouldn't shoulder all of the blame-- maybe the the second trimester could've warned me that YOU were coming. I was in such a blissful state full of energy and excitement that when you showed up, I felt like I was hit over the head with a giant box of Pampers.

Faster than you can say "heartburn" I would've prepared myself for your arrival. Because just like clockwork, the day you showed up on the scene, my skin began to break out, all I wanted to eat was chocolate, I began waddling like a duck and sleep became non-existent. In fact, it was one morning- about 2:30 a.m. that I had the idea to write this letter to you. I was peeing- yet again- and overcome with frustration- tired of spending more sleeping hours on the toilet than in my bed. Why couldn't you just let me sleep through the night once? And spare me your excuse that you and mother nature are working together to prepare me for what's to come. Whatevs. You and I both know you could give me a night here and there and nobody would get hurt.

And do you really find it necessary that I still randomly hurl? Sometimes I feel like you're getting some sick and twisted pleasure out of this. Like you and the first trimester are in cahoots because you're jealous of my relationship with the second trimester?!

Can we cut some sort of deal here? Like if I agree to stop trashing you on my blog you won't seal my fate and make me spend the last few weeks of my pregnancy sleeping in a chair or worse, standing up?! (I have a friend you did that to!) Or maybe you'll spare me swollen ankles? Or give me a night off from heart burn?

Well, Third Trimester, it looks like either way, we've got eight weeks and six days until the estimated delivery date. So I call a truce. Despite my rants, I've loved being prego (yes, I'm one of those women) and think there's been nothing else in my life this amazing (sorry, honey, but I promise our wedding day was a close second *wink* *wink*). So if you're unwilling to make a deal, I'll suck it up and power on. Because, honestly, I can handle this. I really can. Because in the end, no matter what happens in the next two months (and I realize it could get ugly), the day my baby is born you'll be a distant memory (at least I pray you will).

Best,

Lisa

**Calling all moms, moms-to-be or men/women with an opinion: Leave a comment here and be entered to win a copy of Baby Love by Norah O'Donnell and Chef Geoff Tracy. We'll randomly select the winner on Wednesday! **

What's on Jillian Cantor's bucket list?

It's no secret that we love books here at CLIND-and we feel so lucky to get to read so many from such talented authors. Even better, then we get to share them with you!  So when we come across a book we really, really love, we get pretty freakin' excited.  Because we know if we love it, then many of our you will too.  And who doesn't want to fall in love with a great book? So when we recently read Jillian Cantor's The Transformation of Things, (due out next Tuesday November 2nd!) we knew that we just HAD to have her on the site.  Jillian is the author of two YA novels and this was her fist foray into women's fiction-we think she hit it out of the park!

In The Transformation of things, Jennifer Levenworth has a headache-a great big pounding headache.  When her husband, a judge, is indicted on bribery charges, everything in her privileged lifestyle starts to fall apart. And something very odd is going on-Jennifer doesn't feel quite right and all of her thoughts are not her own. Suddenly, she's able to have insight to her family and friend's innermost secrets.  Unable to determine why or how it's happening, she begins to wonder what's really going on-with her friends, with her life and with her husband.  And she'll soon discover that her headache was more than just a bad day.

Thought provoking and engaging, The Transformation of Things hits the prefect pitch on the reality of love, marriage and children.  You'll be turning the pages as fast as you can to see if Jennifer can discover what's really going on in her life and ultimately transform herself.  It will have you thinking about it long after you read the last page. (Just ask Liz-she woke up in the middle of the night and was STILL thinking about it!)  So do yourself a favor and pre-order it here!

And we have FIVE copies to give away also!  Just leave a comment and you'll be entered.  We'll pick the winners on Friday night.

And we think you'll dig Jillian's bucket list too!  In fact, Liz was surprised to discover that her's is almost identical to Jillian's. So now she's crushing on her even more than before. (Is that even possible?) Read on to discover if some of these things are on your bucket list!

CHICK LIT IS NOT DEAD PRESENTS: WHAT'S ON JILLIAN CANTOR'S BUCKET LIST?

1. Live in a house near the beach: This is one of those things that my best friend from kindergarten and I promised we’d do together when we were adults. Actually, we wanted matching next-door beach houses, and we planned on hanging out in each other’s kitchens drinking coffee together every morning while our kids played. Currently we live thousands of miles apart, not that close to any beaches. But we still mention those matching beach houses almost every time we talk on the phone.

2. Adopt a child: I am a mom to two amazing children who I gave birth to, but I’ve always had the feeling that I’d also like to adopt at least one child, too a la Angelina and Brad. It’s one of those things I always say I would want to do if I had more time/money/the patience to deal with the process of it all.

3. Learn to bake an edible looking cake: This is one of those things that no matter how hard I try, I can’t seem to do, like the character Lisa in The Transformation of Things. My cakes always collapse, turn out lopsided, or just generally look like a mess. Yes, I’m the mom with the bakery-bought birthday cakes, every single year. I’d love to learn to bake things that people actually wanted to eat, or at least, wouldn’t laugh at.

4. Help Someone in a Profound Way: I’d like to have an Oprah moment with someone, where I’m able to give a person something he/she always wanted but couldn’t get: a car, a vacation, a reunion with a long lost love, etc. Actually, I’d really like to have a foundation where I got to give these things repeatedly to lots of people.

5. Run a race: I’ve never been a runner. I was always that kid in school who used to dread running the mile and who ended up in last place, coughing, panting, and feeling like I was going to puke. Recently, I’ve been running on the elliptical a lot, and I even went so far as to go jogging outside last week. I’d love to be able to train for, run, and finish a race of some substantial distance

To read more about Jillian, head on over to her website.  Or catch up with her on Facebook and Twitter.

Writing Wednesday: Does This Manuscript Make My Ass Look Fat?

When we first decided to put pen to paper (or rather, fingers to keyboard) and actually write a novel, never in our wildest imagination did we think we would end up here.  Having a blast writing this blog, interviewing authors that we idolize and, um, even tweeting!(Although, admittedly, we still aren't the tweepiest tweeps...)  And we never thought that our search for a literary agent was going to be more difficult and take longer than birthing a child.  Well, maybe that makes sense because The D Word has kind of become our baby... But sometimes it feels like breaking into the publishing industry is like trying to get in the hottest club on Saturday night.  We wait, wait, and then wait some more for our turn to get in, just to have the bouncer tell us that our outfit just isn't right.  That it just didn't hit the right note. They just don't feel connected to our outfit. So we say whateveh, that's just fine, the next club will LOVE this damn outfit. Because it's the kind of outfit you just can't stop looking at and never want to take off. In fact, all the other people who have seen this outfit said it's even better than the last!

But the bouncer at the second club tells us that he had really been hoping to like our outfit better than he did. That it just didn't live up to the brief glimpse of cleavage we gave him while in line. Oh, but we shouldn't be discouraged because he thinks we're very talented at putting outfits together.  And if we ever want to show him another outfit, he'll be happy to tell us whether or not we look fat in it.

Undaunted, we make our way to yet another club.  This club was recommended to us by people who wear really, really great outfits all the time.  We always LOVE their outfits.  But this line never seems to move and we aren't sure if they even saw our outfit?  Oh wait- maybe leaving us in line is their way of telling us that our ass looks huge without actually having to *say* it.

Hold on! Is that a celebrity we see breezing past the velvet ropes?  Because from here, her outfit doesn't look that great-our outfit looks way better than that.  In fact, she looks like a hot mess!  Well, maybe they think people will want to see her outfit no matter what. Her outfit will probably be on the Today show and Regis and Kelly next week. *sigh*

We're not gonna lie, some days we just feel like taking that damn outfit back and building a new one from scratch.  That even though we believe in and are proud of our outfit, maybe the dressing room mirrors had played tricks on us.  What had looked fabulous in the store now felt out of style when being given the once over by the powers that be. I mean, how many times could we be told that people just don't buy those kind of outfits anymore?  Which is odd to hear anyway, because we see people buying those outfits everyday. Interesting. Very interesting.

But what we've learned is that you just have to get your ass out of bed each morning, put on that freakin' outfit and strut around like you are America's Next Top Model. Because at the end of the day, even if our outfit isn't perfect, even if it gives us camel toe, there must be at least ONE bouncer with a camel toe fettish out there that will be willing to let us into his club.

What about you guys?  What are your thoughts on the agent search? Leave a comment and tell us!

xo, L&L

What's on Melissa Senate's bucket list?

Do y'all have an author that you can always count on?  You know, someone whose books always deliver on the goods?  The kind of author that has you waiting in anticipation for their next novel as soon as you finish their last?  Well, we have quite a few-and we're thrilled to have one of them sharing their bucket list today. The fabulous Melissa Senate! We first discovered Melissa when we read the best seller See Jane Date and have loved all her books since. (She's written TEN!) Liz chose The Secret of Joy as a hot summer beach read over at Sheknows.com a few months ago.  So when Melissa's latest, The Love Goddess' Cooking School arrived on our doorstep, we couldn't wait to dive into it! It comes out TOMORROW-click here to pre-order!

The Love Goddess' Cooking School is a charming story about love, family and discovery.  When thirty-year-old Holly Maguire inherits her Nonna's Camilla's Cucinotta, an Italian cooking school, twelve of the sixteen students immediately drop out. And who could blame them? Holly's grandmother was a seventy-five-old love goddess whose secret sauces had aphrodisiac properties and whose kitchen table fortune telling often came true.  Holly couldn't tell fortunes and wasn't much of a cook, but her determination to keep her grandmother's legacy alive motivates her to teach the class anyway.  Armed with Camilla's hand-scrawled recipe book, Holly and her students create their own recipes for happiness.

Melissa's delicious writing will have you craving the delectable dishes served up each chapter and keep you hungry for more of her heartfelt narrative.  Touching and a bit nostalgic, The Love Goddess' Cooking School is perfect way to reflect on why you loved your grandparents so much. (Liz *might* have shed a few tears about her own Italian nonna while reading...)

And guess what?  We have FIVE copies to give away!  Just leave a comment and we'll randomly choose the winners on Wednesday night!

And it's no surprise that we adored Melissa's bucket list too.  Read on to find out why!

CHICK LIT IS NOT DEAD PRESENTS:  WHAT'S ON MELISSA SENATE'S BUCKET LIST?

1.  A year in Italy—from the cities to the countryside, learning the beautiful language, taking regional cooking classes, staring in wonder at the frescoes in the Vatican museums, eating outrageously good pasta, sipping cappuccino at a tiny café table and writing.

2.  A tour of the American west. I want to see the red rocks of Utah. The Grand Canyon. A real cowboy. I want to taste some serious chili.

3.  A visit to my childhood homes. I moved often as a kid, and I’d like to go back to those old neighborhoods and see what I remember, what it evokes. I lived in the Bronx, New York till I was 8 and vividly remember the courtyard of my apartment building, where some mean old lady used to pour pots of cold water on the loud kids (I was very loud) from her fourth floor window. I’d like to visit my elementary school in Flushing, Queens, where my love of writing was sparked and nurtured. I’d like to find the spot in that little park in Fair Lawn, New Jersey, where I had my first kiss in junior high school.

4.  Tom Petty in concert. Yes, Tom Petty! I dare anyone to look at my beloved Tom on the cover of Damn the Torpedoes and tell me he’s not beautiful. I want to hear/watch him sing American Girl and Refugee and Don’t Do Me Like That and my favorite Here Comes My Girl from my front row seat.

5.  A world tour. I’m dying to see Spain and Latvia (I’m half Latvian and only time I’ve ever heard anyone else say they were Latvian was on the TV show Seinfeld, so it’s time to see/meet some others) and Australia and everything in between.

Thanks Melissa!  xo, L&L

To read more about Melissa, head on over to her website or click here to follow her on Twitter.

5 Things Liz & Lisa Didn't Know about...Penelope J. Stokes

It's hard to believe that The Book of Peach is the first novel by Penelope J. Stokes that we've read. (She's written nine others-and that's just the fiction!)

The Book of Peach is the heartwarming, funny and equal parts sentimental novel about Peach, a former beauty queen who defiantly walked out of her mother's Mississippi home twenty some odd years ago, bound and determined never to return. How did that work out for her? Well...not exactly as planned. After a divorce, she's now back at home heartbroken and frustrated. Not a good combo if you ask Peach. To escape from living under her mother's judgmental eye yet again (and under strict orders by her therapist) she begins to journal about her life. She finds a back booth in the Heartbreak Cafe (also the title of Stokes' prior novel) where she meets some very unlikely friends. And she learns a lesson that we can all relate to-before you can move forward, you have to embrace your past.

And five of you can win a copy! Just leave a comment and you'll be entered to win this women's fiction novel that makes you want to start a fire, curl up next to it and read from page one straight through to the end. (As usual, winners will be randomly selected.)

So now, without further adieu...5 Things Liz & Lisa didn't know about...Penelope J. Stokes

1. I’m older than I look, and younger than I feel. . .My publicity photo, of course, was taken in the early years of the twentieth century, just shortly after the development of color film. It is my own personal version of The Picture of Dorian Gray, in reverse–the photo never changes, while I get older by the day. But there’s an upside: I keep my privacy intact, because no one ever recognizes me in public places.

2. And speaking of privacy and public places. . .I’m an introvert. Truly. While my other writer friends flit from bookstore to bookstore, introducing themselves to managers and setting up book signings and appearances, I hide in the stacks behind towering shelves of books by dead writers. If I have a role to play–if I’m asked to speak to fifty people (or five hundred), I’m just fine. No hesitation there, no butterflies. I’ll have them eating out of the palm of my hand. But I’m absolutely no good at self-promotion.

I’ve never told my publicist this ugly truth about myself. Writers are supposed to be self-motivated little mini-me versions of Facebook, always publicizing the newest book. I was dragged onto Facebook by well-meaning friends who insisted that I had to have a fan page.

And yes, it’s the same Dorian Gray picture on Facebook.

3. And speaking of Facebook. . .I’m thinking of introducing a bill to Congress making it illegal to use facebook as a verb. As in, “I’m doing a little facebooking today.”

Yikes. Who teaches these kids, anyway?

Double yikes. I’m channeling my mother. That’s exactly the sentence she would have used. In fact, that’s exactly the sentence she did use, about nine hundred thousand times during my formative years.

4. And speaking of my mother. . .Yes, some of the details in my novel, The Book of Peach, were experiences that hark back to my own childhood.

No, I won’t tell you which ones. It’s more fun to speculate, to make up a backstory that has little or no relation to the so-called truth. Knock yourself out.

5. And speaking of childhoods. . .My father was a social worker, a weekend fisherman, and a profoundly creative soul who entertained us all with tales that grew with every telling. He had no compunction whatsoever about elaborating a story to suit his audience or his purposes. He called it storytelling. My mother called it lying.

Actually, my mother called it prevaricating. She was an English teacher. I was the only child in kindergarten who could spell, pronounce, and conjugate the verb to prevaricate without hesitation. My mother’s part in my literary upbringing was to read Edgar Allan Poe to me for bedtime stories.

My friends say that explains a lot.

Penelope, where have you been all of our lives? We love your book and you! And we can't wait to read all of your other novels!

xoxo, Liz & Lisa

To learn more about the incredibly talented Penelope J. Stokes, become a fan on Facebook. And to buy The Book of Peach, click here.