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.

Mommy Monday: The Art of saying NO by Liz

Repeat after me: Just say no.  Just say no.  Just say no. I'm not sure when I realized that I was a total people pleaser.  It might have been in second grade when I became the teacher's pet.  Or maybe in college when I just couldn't stand to have anybody be angry with me.  Or when, after overextending myself AGAIN recently, my husband informed me that it was time to become friends with the word NO.

But the thing is, I don't like saying NO.  And not just because there's some freaky people pleaser living inside me that probably needs therapy, but because I really DO want to try to do it all. (or at least pretend that I can!) But with two kids, a full-time job and my writing endeavors, adding much else can send me over the edge faster than you can say Lindsay Lohan.

But don't worry, when it comes to my kids, I serve out plenty of the N-O.  For some reason, the people pleaser in me doesn't care if they get mad at me.  Or maybe deep down inside I know that if I don't say NO to them now, I'll pay dearly for it later. But for just about anything else, I'm a complete YES whore.

My college sorority needs an advisor? Sure!  I'm sure that the hour drive to get to campus for events will be worth reliving my glory days, right?

Girl Scout troop needs a co-leader? Sure! Even though I can't control my two children, I'm sure getting fifteen five-year old's to listen to me will be no problemo.  Just don't ask me to sew on any patches.

And it's not just over-volunteering that I have a problem with.  I just dread telling people NO in general-and I have the magazine subscriptions and coupon books and cookie dough to prove it.  It's so bad that Lisa had to have a NO intervention with me recently.  And don't tell anyone, but sometimes she gives me a script on how to say No.  She's my NO coach!

And she's right.  Because often I find myself saying yes to things I shouldn't and over scheduling the sh*t out of myself.  And then sometimes I have to say yes and then NO, which is even worse than just having the balls to say NO in the first place.  So because of that, I've been trying to get my NO on for the last month.  And although I sweated my ass off when I wrote my first NO email, it felt liberating to take control back of my own life.

Need a late night pickup from the airport? Hell to the NO!

You just need one more subscription to win that trip to Europe? No can do!  I've had enough O Magazine to last me a lifetime.

Want me to upgrade my Amex account? No F'ing way-I don't care how cool your concierge service looks!

So as you can see, I'm slowly learning the art of saying no.  But I don't want to go too far in the other direction.  I'll always want to be someone that people can count on when they need something.  Because, like any friend, I really do want to help them if I can.  And I'll never be able to pass someone with  cardboard sign without throwing a couple bucks their way.  But maybe now I'll be better at saying no to the things that ultimately take away from the things that matter most.  And maybe, just maybe, I'll find that elusive balance that I'm seeking. (Yeah right!  But a girl can dream, right?)

How about you? Do you have trouble saying NO?  Leave a comment and you'll be entered to win a copy of  the bestselling Chelsea Chelsea Bang Bang by Chelsea Handler!  We'll pick the winners on Wednesday night. xo, Liz

Exclamation Point Whore By Lisa

If you met me, you'd probably definitely never describe me as happy go lucky or bubbly. But if you were to read one of my emails, you'd think you were corresponding with Suzie f***ing Sunshine!

And it's all because of the exclamation point!

Somewhere along the line, I couldn't write a freakin' email without one. And then it was two. And then, before I knew it, I'd officially become an exclamation point whore.

I couldn't stop.

An email just didn't seem complete without one five of them.

A sentence seemed flat and boring without one punctuating it.

I feared the recipient of my email wouldn't understand my excitement if the email didn't include a. String. Of. Them.

I was addicted.

I felt that the exclamation point was the only way I could get my, well, point across.

But then there were some comments about my very excited emails from those who shall remain nameless (hint: Liz wasn't one of said commenters- she's a total exclamation whore too!) and I was forced to take a long, hard look at my use of a punctuation tool that had grown to become, um, a friend. (Note to reader: I really wanted to put an exclamation point at the end of that last email, but I didn't...)

Was it professional? How many were too many? Could I substitute a smiley face or was that even worse? (more on that in a minute.)

And I tried, I really tried to leave them out of my emails. But at this point, typing them was practically second nature.

So before pushing send, I would attempt to edit. Which could stay and which should go?  But I never felt I could get it right. I needed my exclamation points!!! All of them!!! Damnit!!!

But in an effort to curb my habit, I started to use this guy: :)

But he couldn't replace my beloved exclamation point. Smiley just seemed childish and second best. So I dumped him (but keep him on the back burner just in case) and went back to my first love.

But I will tell you that the situation has improved. I'm not as much of a whore anymore. In fact, I only used 14 in this post (and some of them were deliberately for dramatic purposes) and believe me, I could've used many, many more!

Leave a comment today and you'll be entered to win an advanced reader copy of The Love Goddess' Cooking School by Melissa Senate (in stores October 26th) AND The Brightest Star in the Sky by Marian Keyes. Let me know if you also blatantly abuse any form of punctuation. Tell me I'm not alone :)

xoxo,

Lisa

What's on Sally Koslow's Bucket List?

It's just about that time of year again.  You know, when you can curl up by the fire with a blanket and read the latest offering from your favorite author. Or if you live in Southern California like Liz does, it might just be more like a tank top and a light throw.  But still, you get the point.  There's no better way to spend a lazy Sunday than with a great book. Which is exactly why we're so excited to have Sally Koslow revealing her bucket list.  As the former Editor in Chief at both McCalls and Lifetime, we loved her fictional take on the magazine publishing world in her debut, Little Pink Slips. (Which was reportedly about her experience working with Rosie O'Donnell!  Juicy stuff!)  So when Sally's latest, With Friends Like These, arrived at our doorstep, we were looking forward to losing ourselves in Sally's smart and sassy narrative.

With Friends Like These follows four friends who meet in the early nineties and become fast friends, despite the fact that they have little in common.  A decade later, their bonds are still strong but they are each struggling with their own issues and discover that sometimes the right decisions are the hardest to make, especially when it comes to old friends and loyalties. With Friends Like These is a fun and sassy read that may also hit an emotional bull's eye for anyone that's ever been less than a perfect friend.

Sound interesting?  Well, you're in luck because we have FIVE copies to give away.  All you have to do is leave a comment and you're entered!  We'll choose the winners on Thursday evening.

So, without further adieu, read on to discover what things the lovely and talented Sally Koslow is dying to do. (pun intended...)

CHICK LIT IS NOT DEAD PRESENTS: WHAT'S ON SALLY KOSLOW'S BUCKET LIST?

1. Put all my pictures, including the ones languishing in my computer, into leather albums so my epitaph can be “Please let me read one more page” instead of “She never archived her 3000 photos.”

2. Get to the 937 novels I haven’t read in my well-thumbed 1001 Books You Must Read Before You Die.

3. Road trip! Bad Sally has let her license become ossified. After I’ve conquered my fear of driving, I’ll take a cross-country drive whose centerpiece will be the Grand Canyon.

4. Write a rom-com screenplay.

5. Vacation together with my husband, sons and their gorgeous ladies in Italy. Or the south of France. Not picky as long as there’s sunshine, wine and excellent grub.

Thanks so much Sally! xo, L&L

To read more about Sally, head on over to her website. Or you can  find her on Facebook and Twitter too!

What's On Janelle Brown's Bucket List?

We've been reading fiends over the past few months- in search of books that make us happy, that engage us and resonate with us long after we've finished reading them. And that's exactly what happened when we found Janelle Brown's latest novel. This Is Where We Live is set against a backdrop of hard economic times as we follow a young married couple, Claudia and Jeremy through ups (they're aspiring artists, both on the verge of making it) and downs (Jeremy's manipulative ex appears on the scene AND they can't pay their bills). When their inability to pay their mortgage starts to crush the possibility of realizing their dreams, they begin to question their future. It's a book that makes you think, that reminds you what's important and challenges you.

And three of you will win a copy! Just leave a comment and we'll randomly select the winner tomorrow night.

And, btw, if you haven't had a chance to check out Janelle Brown's brilliant debut novel, All We Ever Wanted Was Everything, definitely put it on your TBR list! Liz had already read and loved it, but Lisa hadn't. And after devouring All We Ever Wanted Was Everything, Lisa snatched up Liz's copy and was again in awe of Janelle's talent.

We could go on and on, but we'll stop gushing and let you read Janelle Brown's bucket list. That just like her writing, is inspiring.

Janelle Brown's Bucket List:

1) Go to Africa. When I was 20 years old, my parents took me on a safari in Botswana, Zambia and Zimbabwe, and it was one of the most incredible experiences of my life. Watching hippos play and listening to lions roaring at night outside my tent and drinking sundowner G&T: Paradise. Been dreaming of returning ever since.

2) Learn to speak Spanish. It's ridiculous that I live in Los Angeles– and in a neighborhood with a strong Mexican population to boot-  and my year-old child speaks more Spanish than I do. (I learned German in high school, which turned out to be a fairly useless language in my everyday life.)  2b) Learn how to roll my "r's" – a necessity skill for Spanish, and one I have never mastered.

3) Eat at The French Laundry. It's the best restaurant in America (or so the critics say), up in Napa. A foodie paradise. Actually, let's amend this to: Eat at the five best restaurants in the world. Why settle for just one?

4) Read all the great French and Russian authors. I've never read War and Peace, nor Remembrance of Things Past. This shames me.

5) Visit the bottom of the ocean in a submarine. I'm too chicken to scuba dive (even snorkeling makes me panicky), but I'm fascinated by the ocean. I would love to see the ocean floor close up without having to, you know, swim with sharks and eels and octopi.

To learn more about the talented Janelle Brown, visit her website and follow her on Twitter.

Thanks, Janelle!

xoxo,

Liz & Lisa

What's on Adena Halpern's Bucket List?

For us, there's almost nothing we like better than discovering a new author.  And when we find out that author has already written three books? We just *might* jump up and down like giddy schoolgirls.  *just maybe*

So when the fantastically talented Laura Dave told us about Adena Halpern and her latest novel, 29, we snatched up a copy immediately. And we found it funny, engaging and sweet (the perfect combo).  After finishing this page-turner with the perfect cover in just two days (and seriously wanting more!), it's exciting to know that we will get more because 29 and another of Halpern's novels, The Ten Best Days of My Life have been optioned by 20th Century Fox to be made into movies.  In fact, Amy Adams (Lisa has a major girl crush on her) is set to play the lead in The Ten Best Days of my Life!

In 29, Ellie Jerome is a young-at-heart seventy-five-year old who's done just about everything to stay young.  On her birthday, she wishes to be 29 again for just one day and wakes up the next morning to discover she's morphed into her gorgeous twenty-nine-year old self!  The sheer joy of being young again prompts Ellie to consider living her life all over-even if it means she'd have to leave all of her loved ones behind.  We think you will love 29- a story that reminds us why we all should live our life without regrets. And if you leave a comment, you'll be entered to win one of FIVE copies.  We'll randomly select the winners on Thursday night.

And you know what else we love?  Adena's bucket list!  Like 29, it's fun and sassy and left us wanting more.  We loved that she wants to pay it forward and set up a couple that gets married (Like Adena, Lisa met her husband through a mutual friend who set them up!) and that she wants to change someone's life.

CHICK LIT IS NOT DEAD PRESENTS: WHATS ON ADENA HALPERN'S BUCKET LIST?

1. Have Mr. Valentino design a gown for me. I don’t care if I have no place to wear it, I’ll wear it to the supermarket.  I’ll be the best-dressed woman in the frozen foods section.

2. Change/save someone’s life. Of course I’ve volunteered my time and given money to those in need, but one of these days I’m going to do something huge.  I want to be one of those people who offer to pay a stranger’s college education or buys them a house or pays off all their debts.  That’s something I’m definitely going to do one day.

3. Get a sandwich named after me. Though my husband thinks it should be ham on rye, heavy on the ham (hardy har har), I think it should be something more ladylike, dainty, like a tea sandwich with watercress and smear of cream cheese… and a spicy pickle for flavor. 

4.  Set up two people on a date who eventually get married. That’s actually a pay it forward thing.  A mutual friend set up my husband and me on a blind date. We’ve been married for three blissful years.  I’d call our friend every day and thank him, but he’d think I was crazy.  I think extending his good deed to someone else is the best way of repaying him.

5. Receive an award. I never win anything.  One year I won the Oscar pool between my friends and I. You would have thought I won an actual Oscar I started heaving with elephant tears, literally heaving.  I wouldn’t be picky about my award either.  Any old award is fine.  I’ll accept it in my Valentino gown!

Thanks Adena! xo, L&L

To find out more about Adena and her latest novel, 29, head on over to her website.  You can also buy 29 here.

Wedding Photo No No By Lisa

I have to admit, My wedding day was pretty damn perfect.(Thank GAWD considering all the time I spent planning it!) And even though there was a crazy rainstorm that rivaled a monsoon just the day before,  I woke up to bright blue sunny skies on the big day. (All my praying to the Universe paid off!)

I had planned every detail- from "hiring" the perfect MOH to picking the color of the frosting on the mini cupcakes. But I wasn't obsessed, I swear! In fact, for a Type-A'er, I was strangely laid back. There may have been a minor panic attack when our ceremony didn't start exactly at 2:00,(Sorry about that Liz!) but other than that, I was just happy to be getting married. And I was so relieved that, after months of research, I'd found the perfect photographer that would capture the moments I'd look back on for years. Because I really needed someone who would get me my "money shot" on the beach (pictured left). Okay, so *maybe* I was a little obsessed about that too...

So you'd think by now I would  have moved mountains to be surrounded by my  fabulous wedding pictures that say so much about the best day of my life....

Um, not so much.

So I scoffed at the idea of having the photographer make me a "wedding album" because I thought I would have mine done in the day after the honeymoon. Right? I was chapter photographer in our sorority! I was organized. I didn't need help...

Well, it's been seven months and two days (but who's counting) since I said "I do" and I still don't have a single wedding photo adorning my wall or taking up real estate on the front of the refrigerator, let alone a coffee mug or mouse pad. I guess I can now be grouped with the people who have thousands of photos sitting on their digital camera and, gulp, never print them out! (In my defense, I did manage to get mine downloaded to iPhoto...)

I realize I've been a little busy being a newlywed and being pregnant and all, but I've been telling myself I'll get to it since the day I received the link from the photographer. But one month lead to another month and before I knew it, I was six months pregnant, seven months married and wedding photo-less.

Well lucky for me, Snapfish came to the rescue. Snapfish is celebrating September Photo Book Month and helped me complete my wedding album. (Here's a link to my photobook!) It took about ten minutes to create an 8x8, 20 page book. All I had to do was upload the photos and they made the book for me!  They have a variety of photobooks from 8x11 custom cover books to 12x12 signature photo books and even 2x3 mini books. And today, one of you will win a $50 gift certificate to make your own book! Just leave a comment and we'll randomly select the winner Friday night.

So thank you, Snapfish, for helping me correct my wedding photo no no and helping me make a photo book of my special day. Now I just have to get some pictures in some frames...Maybe they can help me with that too?

xoxo,

Lisa

Play Nooky with Liz & Lisa

We were thrilled when so many of you flipped for Liz & Lisa this past summer.  Y'all were amazing- we reached our goal of 1000 new "likes" on our Chick Lit is not Dead Facebook fan page in record time and named not one but TWO top fans who each received a YEAR OF BOOKS.  You heard that right.  So not only did we give a away a bangin' Flip Slide HD camera, we also gifted two very deserving fans with TWELVE books from authors we've had on the site in 2010.  Not to mention our Friday book giveaway. And being the complete giveaway whores that we are, we loved every minute of it! Which is why we're about to do it again!

Only this time, instead of flipping for us, we're hoping that you, your Facebook friends and your Twitterverse will come play Nooky with us. That's right, as soon as we hit 3530 "likes" on our Facebook page, we'll be randomly choosing one lucky fan to win, a B&N Nook- our favorite ereader!

And there will be a lot of other ways to win too. We'll also still be giving away a book each "Nooky Friday" and will be crowning yet another "Top Fan"!

And the best part of all?  It's so damn easy to win!  Want to know how?

Just give us your friends.

Your Facebook friends that is. All you have to do is “encourage” (you know… bribe, force or even threaten) your Facebook friends to “like” our Facebook page. Just one little click of the mouse. Because our little hearts flutter each time someone hits that little like button. (I know, we have issues...)

So…for every 1,000 people who click that “like” box (with the thumbs up sign) located on the top of our fan page, we will enter them and you (you’re automatically entered if you’re already a fan) to win a B&N Nook (retails for $149). Named "One of the Ten Best Gadgets" in 2010 by Us News & World Report, it will be the ultimate stocking stuffer this holiday season. And with it’s built-in wireless connection, you can download over a million titles in less than 60 seconds! (How’s that for instant gratification?) When we hit our goal, we'll randomly select a winner. Once the winner is announced, he or she will have ten days to claim the Nook!

Here’s how you can help us get from 2530 to 3530 fans (That’s the magic number!):

1. On Facebook and haven't "liked" us yet yet?  It’s okay, we’re not judging.  Just click here or on the Facebook icon located on the upper right side of this page (right below the “connect with us” banner).

2. Suggest the chicklitisnotdead.com page to your friends on Facebook.  How?  By clicking “suggest to friends” underneath our Liz & Lisa coffee cup photo located on our Facebook fan page.  It’s the easiest way to personally ask people to come on over and join the fun.  And it just takes a minute!

3. Go to your Facebook profile page. In the status box, write an “encouraging” message asking your friends to become a fan of our Chicklitisnotdead.com page on Facebook. Make sure to tag chicklitisnotdead.com in your status update. (In case you don’t know, to “tag”, you simply type @ and then chicklitisnotdead.com and chicklitisnotdead.com will come up as a live link in blue.)

3. Be sure to tell your friends that in exchange for simply “liking” us, they have a chance to win a Nook. Because, let’s be honest, everyone wants to know what’s in it for them! And who doesn’t want to win something?

4. And for you overachievers (you know who you are!) you can always tweet a link to our Facebook page as well. Be sure to include our handle @Lizandlisa because we’ll be watching and looking for our top fan (more on that in a minute).

And don’t forget that we’re planning a giveaway every Friday. If you’re on Twitter, RT any of our “Nookie Fridays” tweets and/or tag us in your Facebook status and you’ll be entered to win the prize we’re giving away that day.  This Friday, we’re giving out a copy of Seven Year Switch by Claire Cook.

And last, but definitely not least, we’re also honoring our top fan. The fan that goes above and beyond to help us reach our goal. We’ll announce that winner after we reach our goal. And, don’t worry, there will be another fantabulous prize for that person too.

So let’s get tagging and tweeting so we can give this Nook away!  We were blown away by your support during our Flip for Liz & Lisa campaign.  You have no idea how much we appreciate all of you.  Thank you so much!  Now can you please do it again? =)

xoxo, Liz & Lisa

Birthday Discombobulation by Liz

I've always had a love/hate relationship with my birthday.  Love the anticipation, hate the possible letdown.  And even though I'm not one of those people that needs a huge celebration each year,  I still always dread the inevitable birthday discombobulation. From the L&L  dictionary:

Birthday Discombobulation(birth-day dis-come-bob-you-lay-shun) The heightened sensitivity that one's birthday won't be the best day of the year.  Usually associated with erratic behavior, tears and possible temper tantrums.  Can be intensified by "milestone" birthdays.

C'mon, admit it-you've all had this at least a few times. Especially as more birthday candles keep mysteriously appearing on your cake each year. (How am I thirty-seven already? And when did all these damn wrinkles show up?)  For me, Birthday Discombobulation (or BD as I like to call it), usually starts a few weeks before the big day.  And it's often triggered because the Type A'er in me really, really wants to be in control  what we do that night.  Which should work out fine, right?

Well it would, except for the fact that there's a super secret sensitive beyotch lurking inside me that wants my husband to:

A) Read my mind about what I'd like to do.

B) Then plan it exactly the way I would.

And most importantly:

C) Buy me a gift that I didn't ask for but have always secretly wanted (mind reading also comes in handy here...).

Should be a piece of cake, right?  Um, no.  Not really.  The reality is that many of us make it impossible for our significant others to succeed in pleasing us on our birthdays.  In fact, last year, I had a MAJUH BD meltdown over a necklace (long story!  But you can read about it here).

And the lesson learned from that fiasco?  If you want to have a fabulous birthday, you need to cut the people around you a bit of slack. Well, okay, maybe that's what I should have learned. Because, here we are, less than one week from my bday, and I can feel the BD trying to take hold of me again. And I.  Must. Fight. It. Off.

They say self-awareness is the first step.  And now that I know this sh*t is about to take over my birthday again, I've developed a four-step BD avoidance plan.

Step One: Tell the hubs where I want to go to dinner that night. You know, somewhere fun, but not too loud, but not too quiet, that is really chic, but also not too expensive.  Somewhere with enough beautiful people to make me feel cool about being there, but not  so hawt that I feel fat and old. Oh, and no, I don't have anywhere specific in mind. See? I made it easy.

Step Two: Upgrade from birthday happy hour with the girls to full night GNO.  Well, okay, maybe my super fabulous friends put this into effect.  But either way, birthday GNO is the BEST! Say it with me: G-N-O, G-N-O!

Step Three: Fly your best friend in. Well, okay, maybe Lisa is already flying in that day for something else. But I'm going to pretend it's just for me.

Step Four: Realizing what a complete ass I sound like when whining about BD. And the fact that my husband practically needs a Xanax prescription each September to get through this time?  Not cool.  (In my defense, I do RAD stuff for his birthday every year!  So at least I'm not a BD hypocrite.)

Now I'm clearly ready for birthday success, right?  The first hurdle?  This coming weekend with the hubs. And I can just feel that THIS will be the year that I conquer BD.  And if for some reason I don't, well, I'll drown it in Grey Goose.

And since it's almost my birthday, I feel like giving something away.  How about two signed copies of our debut, I'll Have Who She's Having? It just won best debut novel over at Chick Lit Plus! Leave a comment here to enter and I'll choose a name on Friday night.

And to all my fellow Libra's, here's to BD-free birthdays!

xoxo, Liz

Maternity Monday: Nesting In Overdrive!

I had heard this thing called "nesting" happens to you when you get pregnant. And I figured I wouldn't be immune- being somewhat of a *cough* *cough* anal retentive control freak anyway. But I (or I think I can safely speak for my husband) never in my wildest dreams imagined that it would hit me so hard and fast. Let's just say before I nested this past weekend, I'd never cleaned an oven... It all started innocently enough, when I woke up at 5:30 a.m. and announced to no one in particular (although the hubs probably wished he could've avoided my speech as it was Saturday morning) that I'd be making Thanksgiving dinner- that night. I dragged my big belly self out of bed and went into the kitchen to take inventory. But it was then that I noticed how raunchy and unsightly the inside of our refrigerator was. How had I let it get so bad?

Before I knew it, those long rubber ill-fitting yellow gloves were out and the cleaning frenzy was on like Donkey Kong. Once I figured out how to get in position to actually be able to clean (turns out one can sit rather easily on a child's step stool!).  I went off. Scrubbing and scouring and simultaneously gagging at certain unidentifiable stains and spots I found lurking within (I'll spare you the details).

And the refrigerator then led to the stove. How? I have no freakin' clue. But when my own scrubbing and scouring weren't enough to tackle it, I popped on something called the "self cleaning" button. Who knew? And then I moved on to the baseboards. Yes, baseboards. I haphazardly squatted and ran my duster along the edges while making a mental note to paint them. How did they get so dirty? And non-white?

I was a site as I frenetically moved from corner to closet to under every surface including the couch (ahhhh) and cleaned like I'd never cleaned before. I was like Molly Maid on crack as I mopped and vacuumed and removed rugs and window shades to be professionally cleaned. I was like Superman with X Ray vision as I noticed dust that I'm quite confident the non-prego human eye could not discern.

Midway through my cleaning frenzy, I started to freak out that I was harming the baby by inhaling cleaning products, so I made a trip across town to Target to get "green" everything. I was truly out of control.

But I marched on until exhaustion took hold (I'm proud to report I cleaned the entire house before I had to call it quits) and it was time to make that Thanksgiving dinner. Yes, I made it. Even after all that. The mashed potatoes were from scratch but the stuffing was from a box. And the pumpkin soup, well, let's just say it wasn't a big hit. And turkey? Well, that didn't happen either. But I was still happy with my poor man's "prego" Thanksgiving. And the fact that the house was spotless. In fact, we could've eaten that dinner off the kitchen floor- had I been able to get my pregnant self down there, that is.

So ladies.. please leave a comment- tell me I'm not alone! (Even if you're lying!) And be entered for a chance to win a $25 Target gift card!

xoxo

What's on Belinda Carlisle's Bucket List?

When we heard that beloved Go-Go's front woman Belinda Carlisle was writing a tell-all book, we nearly squealed with glee. And when we found out that she'd be sharing her bucket list with CLIND, we channeled our inner GoGo and danced around the room to We've Got the Beat. (C'mon you know you would too!) I mean, what self-respecting child of the 80s didn't worship the Go-Go's?  To us, they defined a generation and were our first foray into "rock" music and fashion (Liz STILL listens to their Beauty and The Beat weekly on her iPod!).  And although we weren't quite able to pull off leg warmers and fluorescent belts the way those girls could, at least we were trying to get our inner "mod" on.

Belinda's memoir, Lips Unsealed, is filled with all the wild stories that her fans are dying to hear.  Stories about the band's crazy days on tour with bands like The Police and Madness and the fabulous parties and people to whom the Go-Go's had exclusive access.  But more than that, this candid memoir reveals the gritty flip side to the glitz, as Belinda shares her private struggles with abusive relationships, weight and self-esteem, plus a thirty-year battle with drug and alcohol addiction.  It's also a love letter to her lifelong friendships with the other member of the Go-Go's and to her son and husband, who led Belinda to sobriety.  We have a feeling that you won't be able to put it down!

And...we have THREE copies to give away to lucky readers.  Just leave a comment and you'll be entered to win!  We'll choose the winners on Monday evening.

But for now, read on to discover the top five things Belinda has on her Bucket List! (Hint: She loves to travel!)

CHICK LIT IS NOT DEAD PRESENTS: WHAT'S ON BELINDA CARLISLE'S BUCKET LIST?

1.  Four-wheel driving in the uyuni desert in Southwest Bolivia

2.  To travel on the Siberian Express

3. Trek to Mt. Everest base camp

4. Do 10 days of Vipassana (silent meditation) in Rishikesh, India

5. See Tiahuanaco and Lake Titicaca

Thanks Belinda!  L&L

To read more on Belinda, head on over to her Facebook page or follow her on Twitter!

What’s on Beth Kendrick’s Bucket List?

With the kids heading back to school and leaves beginning to fall off the trees, there's no denying it any longer-Summer is OVUH!  And while we love Fall (Liz is SO ready to bust out her new black jeggings!), we're lamenting the end of  "beach read season".  Which is sort of strange since we didn't make to the beach as much as we would have liked and when we did, had zero time to read! But rest assured, we still read plenty of light and fun books we LOVED this summer.  One of them? Second Time Around by the lovely Beth Kendrick- her seventh novel. When a group of old college friends inherit a million dollar windfall, it gives them the second chance to live out the dreams they left behind to pursue more practical things after graduation.  Almost overnight, a professor, a bartender, a copywriter and an administrative assistant reinvent themselves as a novelist, an event planner, a pastry chef, and a bed-and-breakfast owner.  Fun and entertaining, Second Time Around is a perfect escape after a long week. We loved it!

So it's no surprise that we loved Beth's bucket list too!  We're happy to discover that we're not the only ones who secretly dream of being a surf goddess or are fixated by The September issue.  But don't take our word for it-check out Beth's list for yourself!

AND...we have FIVE copies of Second Time Around to give away! Just leave a comment and you'll be entered to win! We'll pick the winners on Thursday night.

CHICK LIT IS NOT DEAD PRESENTS: BETH KENDRICK'S BUCKET LIST

1. Learn to Surf I took one lesson five years ago and I want more!

2. Acquire matching bedroom furniture When my husband and I first bought our house, this was at the top of our to-do list. But somehow, between re-plumbing the bathrooms, installing new windows and battling the freakishly resilient weeds in the backyard, we lost sight of our goal.

We just celebrated our seventh wedding anniversary and our bedroom is still a hodge-podge of battered antiques, IKEA castoffs, and random piles of books (mine) and half-empty water glasses (his). I’m not even going to get into the curtain situation. (Of course, it goes without saying that my toddler’s bedroom is straight out of a Pottery Barn Kids photo shoot. So wrong.)

3.  Watch the Chicago Cubs win the World Series Actually, I would like to be the Cubs’ starting pitcher for the final game in the series, but I would settle for watching from the bleacher seats. Go Cubbies!

4. Visit Cinque Terre When I was a headstrong lass of 20, I spent a semester in Florence, Italy. While there, I had the opportunity to take a day trip to Cinque Terre, which is a cluster of seaside towns that is supposed to be breathtaking and picturesque and basically a Merchant Ivory film all rolled up with sunshine and gelato.

I wouldn’t know.

I turned down the chance to see it so that I could hole up in my bedroom and work on my grad school applications.

(Bangs head against desk.)

My reasoning was that I’d go see it next time I was in Italy. You know, because it’s always so easy to traipse off to Europe whenever the mood strikes you.

(More head banging. Ow.)

Also on my must-see list: Ayers Rock in Australia, the Northern Lights in Alaska, and the legendary underground jail cell at Disneyland. (Rumor has it that when you get your mug shot snapped, you stand on a pair of painted Donald Duck feet. I’m dying to see it. Yes, I’m eleven years old.)

5. Go shopping with Grace Coddington (the creative director of American Vogue) I just watched the documentary The September Issue, which follows Anna Wintour and her editorial staff as they prepare Vogue’s most important issue of the year, and I have a total girl-crush on Ms. Coddington. She seems funny, spirited, and brilliant--the kind of person who makes high fashion playful and accessible instead of intimidating and exclusionary.

Plus, I need a fashion intervention. Badly. The great thing about being a writer is that I work at home, in ratty old yoga pants if I so desire. The not-so-great thing is, my leaving-the-house wardrobe has been whittled down to a scant 4 or 5 outfits consisting of boring black shirts, dark denim, and flip flops. While the idea of jazzing things up with bright belts and statement necklaces and bad-ass boots appeals, I find excursions to malls to be overwhelming and stressful. (It does not help that I have the aforementioned toddler singing “Help Me, Rhonda” at ear-shattering decibels while I browse the racks.)

The time has come to call in a professional. I want Ms. Coddington to take me under her wing and school me on mixing textures and tell me whether someone with my body type should be caught dead in skinny jeans. If Vogue ever decides to do a feature on author makeovers, I’m first in line. Call me, Grace!

Thanks so much Beth! xo, L&L

To learn more about the fabulous Beth Kendrick, head on over to her website and be sure to check out her Facebook page.

Mommy Monday: Deceptively Delicious? by Liz

I've always believed that, like wild animals, small children can smell fear from a mile away. And I'm not talking about the fear of flying or clowns or being terrified that I'll have a muffin top when I wear my favorite jeans.  I'm talking about the fear that the kids won't eat what I make for dinner.

And the more I fear, the less they eat.  It's like they can smell my desperation, my insane desire for them to enjoy whatever I've been slaving over in the kitchen.  That they'll say "Yummy Mommy!" rather than "Eww, this tastes like poo poo!"

I never questioned my cooking skills before I inadvertently became a contestant on Top Chef: Mommy Edition.  In fact, the Italian in me could be quite cocky when it came my abilities in the kitchen.  But when my kids turned three and became mini food critics, I began to wonder if I had what it takes to please their picky palettes.

That's why, in a moment of desperation, I purchased Deceptively Delicious by  Jessica Seinfeld (Jerry's wife) last week.  Lured in by the promise of happy mealtimes, I bought into the theory that pureeing veggies and hiding them in a bowl of pasta or grilled cheese was the way to go.  That if I forced encouraged my five-year-old to help prepare the meals she might be more likely to eat them.

And, being the Type A'er I am, I threw myself into Project "Eat your damn food!" with abandon.  Jessica was kind enough to let me know all of the kitchen items I was missing and gently scolded me in her book for not using whole wheat flour and breadcrumbs.  And after a very expensive trip to Whole Foods, I too was ready to grind every vegetable in the house into oblivion. It was so easy! she declared.  She and Jerry puree very Sunday evening after they put their perfect children to bed while watching Seinfeld reruns! Okay, maybe not the last part.

But after spending THREE hours in the kitchen pureeing my ass off, I started to think Jessica had misled me a bit.  That maybe she didn't realize that I'd be working in a small galley kitchen with a old cuisinart rather than a ginormous space filled with Viking appliances, sub-zero refrigeration and a Magic Bullet.  Or that I'd actually be the one doing it. (C'mon, does this beyotch really want me to believe she doesn't have even a part-time chef?)

But I was determined.  And after bagging and marking and dating each and every bag, I was ready to conquer my kid's eating habits.  Because if Jessica Seinfeld could get her kids to eat tofu nuggets with broccoli puree secretly hidden in it, then DAMNIT, so could I!

But as tasty as those tofu nuggets sounded(not!), I decided to start with the tortilla cigars.  Because anything with cream cheese and cheddar cheese in a tortilla couldn't be that bad, right?  Even WITH the yellow squash and carrot puree hidden deep within.

I was giddy with anticipation (or maybe just delirious from working in a hot kitchen for three hours) when I took the cigars out of the oven.  I  had tasted them and they were damn good- you would never know that there was secret nutritional value lurking inside. And after initially turning their noses up at something new like they usually do, I was able to threaten them with time out lovingly convince them to take a bite.

And guess what?  I didn't hear the word "disgusting" uttered the entire meal.  Although my five-year-old did declare halfway through that she didn't like them as much as she originally thought. But I didn't care.  I decided then and there that it had all been worth it.  That it really didn't matter if Jessica and Jerry Seinfeld had never pureed a sweet potato in their life or if they had a housekeeper that cleaned up the ridiculous mess that pureeing made.  Because my children ate something new and liked it.

And I believe that my daughter was more willing to try it because she had helped in the kitchen.  Like she finally knew what it felt like to work your ass off only to have your children do their best Gordan Ramsey impersonation.

So one small victory for mom.  I'm moving on to butter noodles with yellow squash and chicken soup with cauliflower next.  From now on, instead of smelling fear, my little animals with breathe in my deceptively delicious creations. And whether Jessica sits on the couch reading US Weekly while her housekeeper slaves away or if she has a date each Sunday night with her Magic Bullet, it doesn't really matter.  Because for one night, I was Top Chef of my own kitchen again.

xoxo, Liz

5 Things Liz & Lisa didn’t know about Sweet Valley High!

Back in the 80's there were a few things you could always count on-that Lisa would be wearing high tops and a jean jacket and that Liz would have a big, fat scrunchy in her hair.  Oh, and that we'd both have our noses in the latest SVH book! The Sweet Valley High series had it all back then. Liz used to dream about naughty Bruce Patman(Is that where she developed her bad boy infatuation?), while Lisa was more of a Todd Wilkins kind of girl.  We giggled as they switched identities to mess with people and held our breath when Elizabeth was kidnapped. (We always did love the dramz...)

Long story short, we loved it!  In fact, we may go as far to even say that SVH was our first foray into chick lit.  And look how that turned out!

So imagine our excitement when we discovered that the fantabulous Francine Pascal was writing a sequel to our beloved Sweet Valley High. Fast forward ten years and beloved identical twins Jessica and Elizabeth Wakefield are back and all grown up, dealing with the complicated adult world of love, careers, betrayal, and sisterhood in Sweet Valley Confidential (St. Martin’s Press), due out in March 2011.

We're dying to know if Liz is on the corporate fast track or if Jess has become a hot mess.  If Liz has become a total Facebook whore or if Jess is addicted to You Tube. And we're not the only ones, even blogger Perez Hilton is excited to see what these beyotches have been up to!!

And exclusive to Chick Lit is not Dead readers, Francine was nice enough to give us a little refresher course in all things Sweet Valley in preparation for the sequel.  We also have THREE SETS of Team Liz/Team Jess T-shirts to give away to five lucky readers. Just leave a comment and we'll pick the winners on Friday night.

5 Things You Didn’t Know About Elizabeth and Jessica back at Sweet Valley High, by Francine Pascal

I wrote Sweet Valley Confidential for my fans who after all this time, are still curious to know what has become of the twins and their friends. I was curious myself. These characters were so close to me for years and I found that I wanted to delve into their reality as adults and discover who they turned out to be. Just like the people we went to high-school with there is a curiosity about where they are now and what they’re doing. I wanted to give my fans the opportunity to visit Sweet Valley one more time.

1. Elizabeth and Jessica Wakefield were perfect size six twins, identical in every way—the same honey-and-sunshine hair, the same aquamarine eyes and a perfect, even feature.  The exception was that Liz’s face often wore a concerned expression in contract to Jess’ look of playful triumph.  Both mirrored who they really were.  Elizabeth worried too much and Jessica not enough.

2. Four minutes older than Jessica, Elizabeth seemed years ahead in maturity and she was more sensible, thoughtful and always there for the friend in need or the underdog. Additionally, she was organized, controlled and studious.  The perfect sister who sometimes bemoaned the fact that couldn’t let go and have a little more fun. She was always covering up for her sister and sometimes not so willingly.  Her constant defense of Jessica caused her to have more than a few fights off screen with her equally perfect boyfriend, Todd.

3. Jessica was the most popular girl at Sweet Valley High. As head cheerleader, she dated all the hot boys and most of the bad ones, too, and probably defined the term “frenemy.”  Jessica was adventurous, always looking for the next big one, sometimes even scaring herself.  Enviable in many ways, Jessica was a risk-taker with a “come hither” quality that fascinated.  But sometimes it fascinated the wrong people and then she had to run to her sister for help.

4.  Both girls had the advantage of fabulous looks. Jessica certainly made more use of them than Elizabeth. But it helped both of them. Always more career-oriented, Elizabeth loved writing for the school newspaper, The Oracle. Even in high school she knew she wanted to be a journalist. Jessica was obsessed with fashion, glamor and social status and had no idea what she would become.  Sometimes she worried about that, but then she would find a new boyfriend and all was well again.

5.  While both girls had many friends, Enid Rollins was Elizabeth’s best friend and Lila Fowler was Jessica’s. Liz was a one guy girl and that guy was always Todd Wilkins. And, as far as she was concerned, it would always be that way.  As for Jessica, she dated just about every popular guy including Bill Chase, Ken Mathews and, of course, Bruce Patman and was always looking for the next one.  Sometimes she wondered if she would ever find the right one and be able to stop looking.

Click here to "like" SVH on Facebook. Want a sneak peak of Chapter One release of 2011’s most anticipated book? Visit SweetValleyTenYearsLater.com.

xoxo, Liz & Lisa

Writing Wednesday with Allison Winn Scotch: The Agent Hunt-How long is TOO Long?

As many as you know, we've been on the agent hunt for the last couple of months.  And while things seem to be going pretty well (keep your fingers crossed!), we've often been asked the question: How long is TOO long to hunt for an agent? And who better to answer that question than NYT Bestselling author Allison Winn Scotch?  After all, she answers Qs like this one every day on her fantastic Ask Allison blog and she's a must-follow on Twitter. And, well, because we totally crush on her and are dying to hear her expert opinion!

So please welcome the lovely and talented Allison to Chick Lit is not Dead!  (Oh, and don't forget to check out her latest novel, The One That I Want! You'll love it!)

The Agent Hunt: How Long Is Too Long?

How long should it take to get an agent? Is there a certain point when an author should move on to writing another ms?

This is such a personal question and one that doesn’t have an exact answer to it, but I’ll give it my best shot. I’d say that on average, most authors who land agents end up querying between, say, 35-70. Which obviously is a huge, huge range. Some get lucky (and by lucky, I don’t mean actual luck involved – they’ve done their homework and also have a good manuscript), and land one much sooner. Some will query up to 100. Some won’t stop until they’ve queried every last agent they can possibly dream of. But in general (again, with no hard figures to back this up), I’d say that up to about 70 is average. For my initial query hunt, I probably went through about 40. When that agent and I parted ways, I was much better-informed about the process and also had a much stronger manuscript, so I think I only went out to about 15.

So how do you know when to throw in the towel? Again, I’m not ever going to tell someone specifically to throw in the towel, but I do think you reach a point when you have to accept that it may not happen for this manuscript. It’s not a failure, it’s a learning process, and I can almost promise you that your next manuscript will be stronger. So just when do you hit that wall? I’d say when you’ve gotten little positive feedback about the manuscript, when you really haven’t gotten many viable bites or interest, when you’ve exhausted nearly all of the agents to whom you’d be well-matched (remember, a bad agent is worse than no agent at all)...well, if all of these things have happened, and you’re still unrepresented, I’d say move on.

I think it’s really easy to keep going for the sake of it, but that’s not what’s going to be best for your career and your book. It’s a very, very emotional thing – accepting that this book might never be published, but again, try to look at it as a learning process rather than a failure. That’s what I did when my first manuscript (with that first agent) never sold. I realized that I had a wonderful opportunity to go out there and write something better. So I did. Eventually, with a new agent, that manuscript sold at a 4-way auction, and to this day, I’m grateful that I wrote the initial ms that never sold: it taught me how to be a better writer, and the agent query process taught me a lot about what I’m looking for in an agent.

Last words of advice: please be sure to do A LOT of research so you’re actually querying the right people. Look in the acknowledgment section of books that are similar to yours. Sign up for Publishers Marketplace. Check out Agent Query. The more you know, the smoother your agent hunt will go. Also, please, please, please be sure that your manuscript is ready to actually be read by the pros. This means that your first draft IS NOT the one to query with. Your fifth might be. Finally, hone your query letter to best represent your voice and spark some interest. There are some good ones floating around on the web to serve as examples.

With all of these things, I’m hopeful that you won’t hit 70-100 queries and still come up short. Good luck!

Thanks so much Allison!  xo, L&L