Kristina Riggle's 5 Things I'd Tell the Teen Me

Today's guest: Kristina Riggle Her latest: Keepsake (Out tomorrow- June 26)

Why we love her: In every novel (this is her fourth) she creates characters we care about.

The scoop: What happens when the things we own become more important than the people we love?

Trish isn't perfect. She's divorced and raising two kids—so of course her house isn't pristine. But she's got all the important things right and she's convinced herself that she has it all under control. That is, until the day her youngest son gets hurt and Child Protective Services comes calling. It's at that moment when Trish is forced to consider the one thing she's always hoped wasn't true: that she's living out her mother's life as a compulsive hoarder.

The last person Trish ever wanted to turn to for help is her sister, Mary—meticulous, perfect Mary, whose house is always spotless . . . and who moved away from their mother to live somewhere else, just like Trish's oldest child has. But now, working together to get Trish's disaster of a home into livable shape, two very different sisters are about to uncover more than just piles of junk, as years of secrets, resentments, obsessions, and pain are finally brought into the light.

Our thoughts: Both neat freaks, we were intrigued by this plot. And the book far surpassed our high expectations.

Fun fact: She dabbles in musical theatre!

Giveaway: 5 copies! Just leave a comment and be entered to win. We'll randomly select the winners on Sunday, July 1st after 6PM PST

Where you can read more about Kristina: Facebook, Twitter and her website.

CHICK LIT IS NOT DEAD PRESENTS...KRISTINA RIGGLE'S 5 THINGS I'D TELL THE TEEN ME

First of all, teen-agers know everything, so they don’t listen to anyone, even time-traveling older versions of themselves. Especially an older self, because this older self has given up on current Top 40 music (mostly, Adele excepted) and drives a minivan, and thus would have no street cred at all with Teen Kristina. My husband, when I said this out loud, replied that “If any teen-ager would have listened to an adult version of themselves, it would have been you.” Come to think of it, I did have (for a teen) a healthy respect for authority. To that end…

1) Dear Teen Kristina, stop trying so hard to be perfect all the time. (Hmm. Adult Kristina needs to remember this one, too.) Seriously, if you get a B+ instead of an A- on that test, I promise you the earth will not crack under your feet and swallow you whole. And guess what? Once you’re out of high school, no one gives a rotten egg what your GPA was.

2) Dear Teen Kristina, try lots of different stuff. Yes, I know that you decided at 14 years old to be a journalist and that pursuing journalist-like activities in high school and college is worthy and important. But your single-minded, laser-like focus on this ambition keeps you from other interesting pursuits, like musical theater, or studying Italian abroad. If I told you that eight years after college you would no longer even be using this degree you busted ass for, would you believe me? No? Why are you curled into a fetal position? No, really, it all works out anyway, I promise….

3) Dear Teen Kristina, don’t spend time with people who make you feel like crap. I know, you think it’s your fault for being too sensitive, and if you were only cooler, prettier and more stylish then you wouldn’t feel bad. But you know what? It doesn’t matter why. If you feel bad around certain people, go find other people. You’re actually well liked. No, really. It’s true.

4) Dear Teen Kristina,  boys are attracted to confidence more than physical beauty. Remember when boys flirted with you right after you got your contact lenses, and you thought, “Ah ha, I knew I’d be pretty when I got rid of my glasses.” No, they flirted with you because you felt pretty without your glasses. Teen boys themselves wouldn’t be able to articulate this, but it’s true. I’ve seen it in action. I’ve seen women you would never, ever see on a magazine cover attract guys like electromagnets all because of a sizzling and irresistible confidence. By the way, that magical vision-fixing surgery you dreamed of? It exists, but it’s expensive and you are afraid to let someone laser your eyes. Yes, laser. Anyway, by now you can throw away contact lenses so it doesn’t matter if you lose one.

5) Dear Teen Kristina, college is just as awesome as you think it will be. When you’re not making yourself sick with stress, that is. Remember to enjoy those four years, because you’ll never experience anything like it again. p.s. Pay careful attention to that guy you meet on New Year’s Eve, 1991. Trust me.

Thanks, Kristina!

xoxo,

L&L

Must Have Summer eBooks!

Thank GAWD, Summer is finally here! Awesome spray tan? Check!

Painful yet necessary Bikini wax? Check!

Cool eBooks to read at the beach? CHECK!!!!

We've got the hottest eBooks right here at CLIND for your reading pleasure-and OF COURSE we have copies to give away!  Read on to see what's on Liz & Lisa's iPad this summer....

Construct a Couple by Talli Roland  With a great job at a reputable magazine and a man who's the perfect match, Serenity Holland thinks she's laid the foundation for an ideal London life. When a routine assignment uncovers a shocking secret threatening her boyfriend's company, Serenity decides to leave nothing to chance, taking matters into her own hands. Soon, though, she realises keeping secrets isn't as easy as she thought . . . and the consequences are far worse than she ever imagined.

Sound fab?  We have TWO e-copies to giveaway!  Leave a comment and we'll choose the winners on Sunday June 24th after 6pm PST!  You can also find Talli on Twitter.

The Last Resort by Malena Lott Mojo and fitness guru, Rachel Woods, takes the women through adventures on the magic island to discover their deepest desires and fears. Readers will catch up with characters from Lott's previous novels: Ramona (Dating da Vinci), Taylor (The Stork Reality), Macy (Fixer Upper), Georgia (Life’s a Beach) and get introduced to Kelly, who gets her own novel, Something New, in Fall 2012.

The six women converge at the luxury resort in Maui at a time when their lives are at a crossroads, personally and professionally. From the workaholic Taylor, to the newly-divorced mom with the identity crisis Georgia, to the broken-hearted Kelly, the island helps them find their own mojo for what matters most. And their fearless leader, Rachel, has a secret of her own that set the whole chain of events in motion.

Feeling this novella?  Then leave a comment for your chance to win on of TWO copies!  We'll choose the winners on Sunday June 24th after 6pm PST. You can also find Malena on Twitter.

Thank You For Flying Air Zoe by Erik Atwell Ladies and Gentlemen, the Fasten Seat Belt sign has been turned on, but feel free to ignore it, because sometimes life is best lived on its dizzy edges. Your cruising altitude today will be sky high, and you will be flying at staggering speeds as you travel alongside Zoe Tisdale, former Valley Girl and rock star turned bored butter saleswoman.

On the heels of a brush with mortality, Zoe concludes that she’s been letting time pass her by. Realizing she needs to awaken her life’s tired refrains, Zoe vows to recapture the one chapter of her life that truly mattered to her – her days as drummer for The Flip-Flops, a spirited, sassy all-girl garage band that almost hit the big time back in 1987. But reuniting the band won’t be easy. The girls who were once the whiz kid guitarist, the prom queen bass player, and the hippie lead singer grew up and became women who are now a reclusive dog trainer, a wealthy socialite, and a sociopathic environmentalist. Will Zoe bring the band back together and give The Flip-Flops a second chance at stardom? Is it possible to fully reclaim the urgent energy of youth?

Into it?  Then leave a comment-we ave TWO copies for giveaway!  We'll choose the winners on Sunday, June 24th after 6pm PST. You can also find Erik on Twitter and Facebook.

Lit IT Girl: Debut Author Mia March

Today's IT girl: Mia March Why we love her:  Beyond the fabulous writing, she quotes Bridget Jones and curses (see her interview below).

Her debut: The Meryl Streep Movie Club

The scoop: Two sisters and the cousin they grew up with after a tragedy are summoned home to their family matriarch's inn on the coast of Maine for a shocking announcement. Suddenly, Isabel, June, and Kat are sharing the attic bedroom--and barely speaking. But when innkeeper Lolly asks them to join her and the guests in the parlor for weekly Movie Night--it's Meryl Streep month--they find themselves sharing secrets, talking long into the night--and questioning everything they thought they knew about life, love, and one another.

Each woman sees her complicated life reflected through the magic of cinema: Isabel's husband is having an affair, and an old pact may keep her from what she wants most . . . June has promised her seven-year-old son that she'll somehow find his father, who he's never known . . . and Kat is ambivalent about accepting her lifelong best friend's marriage proposal. Through everything, Lolly has always been there for them, and now Isabel, June, Kat--and Meryl--must be there for her. Finding themselves. Finding each other. Finding a happy ending.

Our thoughts: For the record, we bone out on Meryl too. Plus, we love the title, the cover and the story. The perfect book trifecta!

Fun fact: Mia's working on her next novel is about Brit hottie Colin Firth! Yummee. (Finding Colin Firth will be published in 2013)

Giveaway: 5 copies! Leave a comment and you'll be entered to win one of five copies. We'll randomly select the winners on  Sunday, June 24 after 6pm PST.

Where you can read more about Mia: Facebook, Twitter and her website.

CHICK LIT IS NOT DEAD PRESENTS...LIT IT GIRL: DEBUT AUTHOR MIA MARCH

1.    How many agents did you query before you found "the one"? I queried four, but I had my heart set on one in particular. Her comments about my work, her response time, her approach, her manner, her sense of humor—I knew instinctively that she was The One.

2.    What's a line from your "favorite" rejection letter? “I like Meryl Streep. I just don’t love her this much.” Say what?

3.    What was the hardest part about writing your debut novel? I was overly conscious of some “rules” I’d read about in different craft-of-writing books. Don’t info-dump! No prologue! Lose the backstory! Kill those darlings! Adverb alert! Every time I broke one of these rules, I second-guessed myself. What helped was re-reading some favorite novels that broke these rules wide open. You can do whatever you want in fiction—as long as it works. And what works is very, very, very subjective.

4.    What is the best/worst advice you received while you were trying to break into the book biz? Best advice: Thicken up that skin. Worst advice: You know, I’m happy to report I don’t think I’ve gotten any truly bad advice. Everything I’ve heard or read or been told has provided the ole food for thought and helped me focus on what I think.

5.    How did you celebrate your book deal? Ooh boy, that was a particularly happy day. I drove up to Boothbay Harbor, Maine, where the book is set, about an hour and a half away from where I live, and ate a lobster roll on the very pier where a year earlier I’d stood staring out at the water and the boats, soaking up the setting back when I was working on revisions, dreaming of one day getting that call: We have an offer . . . .  That was the best lobster roll I’ve ever had.

6.    Who is your writer crush? I have a girl crush on Jennifer Weiner, who I think deserves some kind of medal for the way she speaks out loud and proud. I also just love her books and her live Bachelor tweets. My boy writer crush is Neil Gaiman. Watch his recent commencement speech and you’ll know why. Rock star.   7.    If you were stranded on a desert island and could have only one book, what would it be? Such a tough question. Probably the collected works of Shakespeare. But I’d hope to find a tattered copy of Bridget Jones’ Diary under a coconut. I re-read that novel every year and love it all the more. I like you. Very much. Just as you are.   8.    What's on your iPod right now? You’d think I’d be sick of Adele’s 21 by now, but I’m not. I love the whole album, but every few months I have a different favorite song. Right now, I can listen to Turning Tables over and over.

9.    What's your #1 stress reliever? A very long walk, no iPod.   10.    Who/what would you place in the center of the Entertainment Weekly bullseye? Meryl Streep because when a reporter recently asked her if she’d do the sequel to The Devil Wears Prada, she said, “Sure. I’d have to lose the fucking weight, but sure. I’d do it.” LOVE her. (Can I repeat curses on Chick Lit Is Not Dead?)

Um, yeah, Mia, you can fucking curse here!

xoxo,

Liz & Lisa

Jyotsna Sreenivasan's 5 Things I'd Tell the Teen Me

Today's guest: Jyotsna Sreenivasan Her latest: And Laughter Fell From the Sky (out today!) 

Why we love her: She writes a powerful novel about the power of love.

The scoop: Still living at home despite a good career and financial independence, beautiful and sophisticated Rasika has always been the dutiful daughter. With her twenty-sixth birthday fast approaching, she agrees to an arranged marriage, all while trying to hide from her family her occasional dalliances with other men.

Abhay is everything an Indian-American son shouldn't be. Having spent his postcollege years living in a commune, he now hops from one dead-end job to another, brooding over what he really wants to do with his life.

Old family friends, Rasika and Abhay seem to have nothing in common, yet when the two reconnect by chance, sparks immediately fly. Abhay loves Rasika, but he knows her family would never approve. Rasika reluctantly accepts she has feelings for Abhay, but can she turn her back on the family rules she has always tried so hard to live by? The search to find answers takes Abhay and Rasika out of their native Ohio to Oregon and India, where they find that what they have together might just be something worth fighting for.

Our thoughts: A charming debut that we couldn't put down. One of the best books we've read in a long time. 

Fun fact: We read the book because Laura Dave blurbed it. Love her taste in authors. She also turned us on to the fabulous Isabel Gillies.

Giveaway: 5 copies! Just leave a comment and we'll randomly select the winners after 6pm PST on Sunday, June 24.

Where you can read more about Jyotsna: Facebook , Twitter and her website.

CHICK LIT IS NOT DEAD PRESENTS...JYOTSNA SREENIVASAN'S 5 THINGS I'D TELL THE TEEN ME

1. Mom and Dad worked a lot harder to raise you than you’ll ever realize. Maybe it’s a good thing I didn’t realize how hard it is to be a parent, or I’d never have become one! My mom and dad were always there for me, maintaining a stable house and life. It looks easy when someone else is doing it for you!

2. You don’t have to pretend that you have it all together. It’s OK to ask for help. When I was a teen and young adult, I somehow had the idea that seeing a counselor or asking for help was only for people who were really messed up—and I didn’t want to be in that category! So I just muddled through my life, making some good decisions and some bad decisions. I wish I had realized that being human means that none of us has it all together, and that all of us need help at times.

3. Boys are a lot less mature and responsible, and probably a lot less clean, than you think they are. Now that I have a teenaged son, this has become immensely clear to me. . . .

4. Sometimes it’s OK to be angry, to show your anger, and to make sure you get your way. I was a “nice girl” and it was only years later that I realized that my anger came out in passive-aggressive ways. For example, some of those bad decisions I mentioned above were made, I think, mainly to annoy my parents. Instead of just getting angry and getting over it, I made decisions that ended up affecting me for years.

5. God is there for you even though you’re going through your agnostic phase. My parents believe in God, and I was taught to say prayers and to believe in God. I thought this was what everyone did. Then I got to high school and encountered teachers who did not necessarily believe in the existence of God. At that time, this seemed very sophisticated to me. I’m glad now that God was looking out for me even when I didn’t realize it.

Thanks, Jyotsna!

xoxo,

Liz & Lisa

Bianca Zander's 5 Things I'd Tell the Teen Me

Our guest today: Bianca Zander Why we love her: Not only does her debut novel rock, but the 5 things she'd tell her teen self are spot on!

Her latest: The Girl Below

The scoop on it: After ten years in New Zealand, Suki returns to London, to a city that won't let her in. However, a chance visit with Peggy—an old family friend who still lives in the building where she grew up—convinces Suki that there is a way to reconnect with the life she left behind a decade earlier. But the more involved she becomes with Peggy's dysfunctional family, including Peggy's wayward sixteen-year-old grandson, the more Suki finds herself mysteriously slipping back in time—to the night of a party her parents threw in their garden more than twenty years ago, when something happened in an old, long-unused air-raid shelter. . . .

Our thoughts: Want to dive into something a bit deeper at the pool this summer?  Then pick up Bianca's engrossing novel.

Giveaway: FIVE copies!  Leave a comment and we'll choose a winner on Sunday June 24th after 6pm PST.

Fun Fact: Bianca is a Brit but has spent the last two decades in New Zealand!

CHICK LIT IS NOT DEAD PRESENTS...BIANCA ZANDER'S 5 THINGS I'D TELL THE TEEN ME

1. Go easy on the war paint, especially foundation. Later on in life, you will spend a small fortune trying to get your skin to look half as good as it does now, and you will look at photos of yourself in badly applied orange gunk and wince. Instead wear sunscreen, drink water and don’t smoke. Sticking to this theme: the single most beautiful thing in the world is youth. At this point, it’s impossible to comprehend just how beautiful you are simply by virtue of being young, but one day you’ll wish that for even one second you had appreciated what you had, while you still had it.

2. In social situations, don’t waste time feeling embarrassed or self-conscious. Ninety nine percent of the time, people are too absorbed in their own dramas to pay even the slightest bit of attention to yours. Even if your dress is falling off, chances are no one has noticed, and if they have noticed, within seconds their attention will have switched back to its default focus: their own dress.

3. Don’t bother crushing on guys who aren’t interested in you. They will never be interested in you—and no amount of witty puns, sidelong glances or white-girl dance moves will change their minds. The same applies in reverse: if a guy IS interested in you, don’t dismiss him as a psycho until you know that he really is one.

4. What your mother says about guys being only interested in one thing is truer than you can imagine. This is confusing in relation to the last point because occasionally a guy who isn’t interested in you will go to great lengths to have sex with you, and if he does: run a mile. You won’t run a mile, you’ll be pathetically, cringingly grateful but after you have slept with him, he will get dressed in the blink of an eye and the fact that he’s not that into you will hit you like a freight train. Which brings me to point 4b: always use a condom.

5. Despite falling into all the above pitfalls, you will also eventually fall in love, and even though it seems utterly inconceivable, your first love will not be your last. Try to remember this when your first love cheats on you and then dumps you for a trashy-looking slut.

Thanks Bianca!  xoxo, L&L

To read more about Bianca, head on over to Facebook and Twitter!

Claire Cook's 5 Things I'd Tell the Teen Me

Today's guest: Claire Cook Her latest: Wallflower in Bloom

Why we love her: What's not to love? She's a bestselling author of 9 fabulous books (always the perfect summer reads). Not to mention she's super supportive of lil ol' authors trying to make it in the big ol' publishing world. Ahem, like two gals you might know.

The scoop: Deirdre Griffin has a great life; it’s just not her own. She’s the around-the-clock personal assistant to her charismatic, high-maintenance, New Age guru brother, Tag. As the family wallflower, her only worth seems to be as gatekeeper to Tag at his New England seaside compound.

Then Deirdre’s sometime boyfriend informs her that he is marrying another woman, who just happens to be having the baby he told Deirdre he never wanted. While drowning her sorrows in Tag’s expensive vodka, Deirdre decides to use his massive online following to get herself voted on as a last-minute Dancing with the Stars replacement. It’ll get her back in shape, mentally and physically. It might even get her a life of her own. Deirdre’s fifteen minutes of fame have begun.

Our thoughts: As reality TV junkies, we love the idea of a regular gal making it on a show like Dancing with the Stars. C'mon, how great is that?

Giveaway: 5 copies of Wallflower in Bloom (one of them is signed by Claire!). Leave a comment and be entered to win. We'll randomly select the winners on Monday, June 18 after 6PM PST.

Fun fact: Lisa recently got to meet Claire. She's hilarious. And she has great stories about a lot of things-- including John Cusack.

Where you can read more about Claire: Facebook, Twitter and her website.

CHICK LIT IS NOT DEAD PRESENTS...CLAIRE COOK'S 5 THINGS I'D TELL THE TEEN ME

Thank you so much for inviting me to do this, Liz and Lisa! And can I say how excited I was to finally meet Lisa in person on book tour – so much fun hanging out with you, Lisa! xxxxx

1. When people show you their true colors, color yourself convinced the first time. Do not give them three or four or twelve chances to redeem themselves. Do not think that if you were a better friend, you would inspire them to be, too. Skip all the drama that’s sure to follow, and get out now.

2. Always do more than the situation requires. When you do just the bare minimum, that’s what comes back to you. And because so few people do more than they have to do in any given situation, it’s a great way to stand out.

3. Karma is a boomerang. Do nice things for people. Lots of people. One day you will find that the goodwill this has generated over the years is the thing that propels you to where you want to go.

4. Hang around with the quirky people. They’re so much more interesting than the cool people.

5. Life is long. If you don’t write a book by the time you’re twenty, you’re not a failure. You simply need to live your life to find your stories. There’s no rush, and you will have soooo much fun and appreciate it more when it finally happens to you at forty-five. Yeah, I know that sounds ridiculously old, but trust me, it feels different when you get there.

Thanks, Claire!

xoxo,

L&L

7 Seconds in Heaven with...David Klein

Today's guest: David Klein His latest: Clean Break

The scoop: Can you make a clean break from a troubled past 
and start a new life? Four lives intersect when Celeste Vanek leaves her husband, Adam. His compulsive gambling and physical threats have poisoned their marriage and emotionally damaged their young son. Celeste moves to a small rental across town, works to gain financial security, and helps her son navigate his fantasy life. But she quickly finds that starting over is not easy. Adam demands his family back, and things get out of control. Jake, who witnesses a violent struggle between Celeste and her husband, becomes Celeste’s ally and friend, while struggling with his own emotional and ethical issues. Jake carries a history of failed relationships—one of them with Sara, a married and childless police detective who has a private agenda to pursue when a crime is committed that links these four characters together and changes their lives forever.

Our take: You'll love getting lost in this fast-paced, satisfying read.

Giveaway: 5 copies of Clean Break. Leave a comment and be entered to win. We'll randomly select the winners after 6pm PST on Monday, June 18th.

Read more about David Klein: Twitter, Facebook & his website

CHICK LIT IS NOT DEAD PRESENTS...7 SECONDS IN HEAVEN WITH...DAVID KLEIN

1.    In 6th grade I wrote a play that my class performed. It was about a group of wild boys who wanted to kidnap Santa and keep all the presents for themselves. At the end, the boys get caught and are apologetic. But that wasn’t enough. My teacher (nun, Catholic school, so it’s no surprise) changed the ending so that Santa is putting the ringleader over his knee for a good spanking. This was also my first introduction to the editing process.

2.    I’m obsessed with titles and place a lot of importance in them. While writing Clean Break, I floundered through half a dozen drafts and many, many working titles. It wasn’t until I came up with what I felt was the perfect title that the entire novel started to gel. All of the key characters are trying to escape their pasts and get a fresh start on life. Easier said than done. With my first novel, Stash, the opposite occurred. Stash was the first working title I had and it never went away.

3.    I’d love to write for a television series someday. I mean a really compelling drama, like Breaking Bad, The Sopranos, or Mad Men. I like the serial structure of the storytelling, where the characters have broad story arcs over the course of a season or more, yet in any given episode can experience a complete mini-story (storylette?) and transformation.

4.    I got heckled recently at a book group event. This was an event that brought a number of book groups together along with a moderator to discuss my first novel, Stash. A “rogue reader” showed up and blasted me over the content and characters of the novel. Her insults went beyond the book itself and questioned my moral character. The moderator let her run on. I sat there and took it until she wore herself out. 5.    I wonder if I could start a business writing love letters. Long ago, in a far away place, I won over a woman I had a terrible crush on by writing her letters. The real kind, with ink on paper. It took a while, but she finally fell for me. She said I was such a beautiful writer. So I started writing short stories, poems, then novels. The relationship didn’t work out, but she might be the person that made me ambitious about writing.

6.    Mountain bikes are my thing. I’m an avid off-road mountain bike rider. Deep woods. Narrow trails. The more rocks and roots and scary downhills the better. It’s physically demanding and mentally thrilling and a huge stress reliever. It took me several seasons of contusions and bruises before I smartened up and started wearing protective pads on my arms and legs.

7.    My daughter and I are both born on Christmas Day. Thirteen years ago, my daughter gave me the best combined birthday/Christmas present I could ever have. Of course, now she’s learned from some other relatives about the combined birthday/Christmas present swindle. She says it’s worth the shortage to share a birthday with me. Bonus item: my brother, three years older, was also born on Christmas.

Thanks, David!

xoxo,

Liz & Lisa

Jacqueline Sheehan's 5 Things I'd Tell The Teen Me

Our guest today: Jacqueline Sheehan Why we love her: Her writing is poignant and heartfelt!

Her latest: Picture This

The scoop on it: The poignant and unforgettable sequel to the beloved bestseller Lost & Found; a marvelous tale of life-altering surprises and unanticipated guests

Peaks Island, Maine, vibrates with its own special magic, a unique flow to life that knits together the small community that calls it home. The people, the animals, and even the houses have a charm and personality all their own. Just ask Rocky Pelligrino. Devastated by her husband Bob's sudden death, she found hope thanks to a relentlessly loyal black Lab named Cooper. Warm friends and a new job—as the island's animal control warden—have helped Rocky chart a course toward a promising future. She's even ready to try love again with Hill, the gentle and patient archery instructor. And there is an old house haunted by lost love and forgotten secrets that speaks to her soul.

But a phone call from a troubled young woman looking for her biological father shakes Rocky's newfound joy. Could this young girl hold a tendril of the man who was the love of her life? Or could the girl's appearance throw Rocky's world into chaos . . . and shatter her heart again?

Our thoughts: We can't resist the adorable cover and the way Jacqueline builds great characters-pick up a copy!

Giveaway: FIVE copies! Leave a comment and we'll choose a winner on Sunday, June 17th after 6pm PST.

Fun fact: Picture This is a sequel to Jacqueline's bestselling novel, Lost & Found.

CHICK LIT IS NOT DEAD PRESENTS...JACQUELINE SHEEHAN'S 5 THINGS I'D TELL THE TEEN ME

1. You are going to spend a year living in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida and you’ll think it’s the worst year of your life because you’re homesick for New England and your old high school. The new school has sororities and no one asks you to join. The English teacher pulls you out of a deadly boring class after he reads one of your short stories and puts you into an advanced English class. He will tell you to join the newspaper. Listen to him. But you will be so sad that your first essay for the newspaper is called, Santa Claus is Dead. You are going to get better.

2. When the senior boy at the newspaper asks you to the prom, don’t let the lady at the hair salon tease your hair. It will look like a football helmet. You’re going to go swimming in the ocean afterwards anyhow. Skip the hair salon. You have terrific hair.

3. When you get your driver’s license, your mother will let you drive the family VW. Don’t return the car with the gas gauge on empty. This will make your mother awfully ticked off and she is working two jobs to keep the family afloat. Remember that you are all in this together. Thank her for taking such good care of all of you.

4. All those boys leaning against the lockers and staring at the girls in between classes are idiots. One of them will find you on Face Book decades later and confess that they were rating girls on a scale of 1-10. See what I mean about them being idiots?

5. Save your allowance and all your summer job money. When a little company called Apple goes public buy their stock. Buy as much as you can. Better yet, work for them for a few years and say that you’ll take your salary in stock. Trust me on this one.

Thanks Jacqueline! xoxo, L&L

To read more about Jacqueline, head on over to her website or find her on Facebook and Twitter.

Shelley Noble's 5 Things I'd Tell The Teen Me

Our guest today: Shelley Noble Why we love her: Her writing is rich and satisfying!

Her latest: Beach Colors

The scoop: While renowned designer Margaux Sullivan was presenting her highly praised collection during New York City's Fashion Week, her husband was cleaning out their bank account. A week after he disappeared, the bank foreclosed on Margaux's apartment and business.

Suddenly broke, betrayed, and humiliated, Margaux has nowhere else to turn to but home: the small coastal town of Crescent Cove, Connecticut, where she once knew love, joy, and family before she put them behind her on the climb to fame. When she's stopped for speeding by local interim police chief Nick Prescott, Margaux barely remembers the "townie" boy who worshipped her from afar every summer. But Nick is all grown up now, a college professor who gave up his career to care for his orphaned nephew, Connor. Though still vulnerable, Margaux is soon rediscovering the beauty of the shore through young Connor's eyes . . . and, thanks to Nick, finding a forgotten place in her heart that wants to love again.

But as she continues to work on a bold new line that will get her back into the game, Margaux realizes that soon she will have to make the most important, most difficult decision of her life. . . .

Our thoughts: Another great beach read to throw in your bag this summer!

Giveaway: FIVE copies!  Leave a comment and we'll choose a winner on Sunday, June 17th after 6pm PST.

Fun fact: Shelley also writes under the name Shelley Freydont.

CHICK LIT IS NOT DEAD PRESENTS...SHELLY NOBLE'S 5 THINGS I'D TELL THE TEEN ME

1. Your mother is right: pretty is as pretty does.  Those girls who are wearing the latest fad, the ones the boys like, the popular ones? Yeah the ones who are always mean to Tony the nerd? That’s not pretty.  You can wear the designer stuff, but don’t let being popular define you, and don’t let it keep you from being nice to Tony and other nerds . . . like you. And those girls and their boyfriends?  In a few years you won’t remember their names.  (But you might remember Tony.  I just Googled him and he’s turned out pretty darn good.)

2. Your mother is right—and wrong.  Life will probably be more secure if you go to work for the telephone or power company instead of following those iffy dreams. You’ll retire with a pension, but you’ll miss a lot of wonderful things, amazing people from different walks of life, and incredible places throughout the world.  Go for it, security will be waiting if you chose to come back. That’s why they call it security.

3. When things don’t go your way, when someone disappoints you, as they invariably will, when things look bleak, take a step forward, there is good stuff going on out in the world.  And you’ll be one step closer to finding it.

4. Don’t make gagging noises and roll your eyes when someone tells you to follow your dream. They might sound corny, or embarrass you, but listen and remember this. It’s your dream, it deserves to be followed.

5. Do nothing that when you think about it later, makes you writhe with shame.

Miscellany-Okay once I got started I couldn’t stop.  A few more short ones.

• One day there will be easier ways to straighten your hair than coke cans.

• Don’t worry, there really are people besides teachers who like Shakespeare.

• Even people who went to their senior prom don’t remember much about it now.

• When someone tells you you don’t have the talent or the brains or the personality to do something.  Prove them wrong.

Thanks Shelley! xoxo, L&L

To read more about Shelley, head on over to her website or find her on Facebook!

Emma and Nicola's 5 Things I'd Tell The Teen Me

Our guests today: Emma McLaughlin and Nicola Kraus

Why we love them:  Um , maybe because they are our co-authoring IDOLS!  That's all.

Their latest: Between You and Me

The scoop: What happens when you are followed by millions . . . and loved by none?

Twenty-seven-year-old Logan Wade is trying to build a life for herself far from her unhappy childhood in Oklahoma. Until she gets the call that her famous cousin needs a new assistant— an offer she can’t refuse.

Logan hasn’t seen Kelsey in person since their parents separated them as kids; in the meantime, Kelsey Wade has grown into Fortune Magazine’s most powerful celebrity. But their reunion is quickly overshadowed by the toxic dynamic between Kelsey and her parents as Logan discovers that, beneath the glossy façade, the wounds that caused them to be wrenched apart so many years ago have insidiously warped into a show-stopping family business.

As Kelsey tries desperately to break away and grasp at a “real” life, beyond the influence of her parents and managers, she makes one catastrophic misstep after another, and Logan must question if their childhood has left them both too broken to succeed. Logan risks everything to hold on, but when Kelsey unravels in the most horribly public way, Logan finds that she will ultimately have to choose between rescuing the girl she has always protected . . . and saving herself.

Our thoughts: LOVED it with a capital L! Totally delightful. Seriously, grab it for your beach bag RIGHT NOW.

Giveaway: FIVE copies, yo!!!  Leave a comment and we'll choose the winners on Sunday June 17th after 6pm PST.

Fun Fact: Emma and Nicola have a YA novel coming out this summer too (Liz is drooling, she loves her some YA!).   Over You comes out on August 21st, 2012!

CHICK LIT IS NOT DEAD PRESENTS..EMMA AND NICOLA'S 5 THINGS I'D TELL THE TEEN ME

First and foremost, thank you so much to Liz and Lisa for having us back.  We’re so excited to be asked this question! 

The idea of giving our teen selves retroactive support is particularly poignant right now because we’ve spent the last year writing two books exploring the light and dark side of getting advice in those critical formative years.  In our novel, Between You & Me, out June 12^th, we look at two 20-something cousins, Logan and Kelsey Wade, whose parents were always more focused on making one of the girls famous than guiding them into adulthood—with dire and very public consequences. 

Our second book out August 21st, Over You, is about Max Scott, a seventeen year-old break-up coach, who can get anyone over anyone in four weeks—or less.  She is full of spectacular advice (but can’t seem to take her own.)

So, for what it’s worth, here’s what we’d tell our teen selves:

1. Don’t sweat the sex.  Hard to believe but someday but you’ll be married to the same person for years and years and years and it will be impossible to remember when you once had more hormones than a dairy farm.  Don’t let anyone make you feel bad about yourself.   Remember that birthday party Alex Cobb pressed you up against the fish tank and unbuttoned your Betsey Johnson dress all the way down to your waist?  You’re creating memories that will make long afternoons singing Itsy Bitsy Spider to a toddler go faster.

2. The cliché is true.   The hot guys go bald.  They get paunchy.  And the mean girls are sad.  The sad girls get happy.  Because it never came easy so they had to work at it, work on themselves.  Willy Wonka could not right the balance better himself.

3. File these away.  Wear your retainer.  Your credit score is real.  Start a bridesmaid fund NOW—that shit will bankrupt you.  Never sign anything without a lawyer.  When a guy says he isn’t looking for a commitment, that’s what that means.

4. Be kind to yourself.  No one is ever going to be as hard on you as you are.  You can accomplish just as much without a running inner monologue saying, you suck.  You are not too fat.  Your butt is perfect.  You will actually marry a man who wishes it was larger.  You know how much you love the kids you nanny for?  Treat yourself with the same compassion and patience and you’ll be much, much happier.

5. Thank you.  You are doing everything right.  You are transitioning from babysitting into full-time nannying, much to your family’s horror.  You have applied to a horrible college you will hate.  Leading you to transfer to NYU, where you will meet the creative love of your life.  You are embarking on a miserable career path that will suck your will to live until the best idea seems like writing a book with your old friend from college.  Keep it up, girl.  Have faith.  You are failing upwards.

Thanks Girls! xoxo, L&L

To read more about Emma and Nicola, head on over to their website or find them on Facebook and Twitter.

Kate Klise's 5 Things I'd Tell The Teen Me

Our guest today: Kate Klise

Why we love her: Her first book for adults was FUN to read.  TOTAL brain candy, people!

Her latest: In The Bag

The scoop on it: A European vacation. A luggage mix-up. A note from a secret admirer.

Meet two single parents who think they're too busy to date.
And two teenagers who can't stop writing flirty emails.
This is a tale of connections—missed and made—in a universe that seems to have its heart set on reuniting Ms. 6B and Mr. 13C.

In the Bag is a smart and stylish story that explores the old-fashioned art of romance in a modern world, where falling in love can be as risky as checking a bag on an international flight. Buckle your seat belt—it's going to be a bumpy vacation!

Our thoughts: Liz read it in one afternoon-fun and light and a perfect antidote to a hard day!  And the cover is TO DIE FOR.

Giveaway: FIVE copies! Leave a comment and you'll be entered to win-we'll choose the winners Sunday June 10th after 3pm PST.  Good luck!

Fun Fact: Kate lives on a 40 acre farm in the Missouri Ozarks-so cool!

CHICK LIT IS NOT PRESENTS...KATE KLISE'S 5 THINGS I'D TELL THE TEEN ME

1. That D you got in trig? Forget about it. I’ve never needed trigonometry. I’m not even sure what it is. I just know that I felt like a complete failure when I was sixteen and got a D from a math teacher (he was also the baseball coach) who couldn’t be bothered to teach the girls in class. I wish I could tell my sixteen-year-old self that we are not our worst subjects or our biggest mistakes. I also wish I had known back then that this teacher/coach would eventually be fired for watching porn on a school computer. (But hey, he’s not his mistakes either, right?)

2. There are really only three things you need to know in life:reading, basic math skills, and manners. Of the three, good manners probably matter the most. Of course it’s also important to learn how to be alone and happy, how to make and manage your own money, and how to buy a new car without paying more than the sticker price. (Let’s hope I make that mistake only once in life). But if you spend your time learning the big three—reading, basic math skills, and manners—you’ll be able to get yourself out of most pickles.

3. Quit Taking It Personally. I lead a lot of writing workshops in schools. I saw this sign in a school I visited last year. Quit Taking It Personally. Huh? What? Really? You don’t have to take everything (or anything) personally? I wish someone had told me this as a teenager. It would’ve saved me a lot of time and energy

4. When the boys in school throw your hat in the “spit pit” and all begin spitting on it, that means they like you. I learned this at my 30th high school reunion. Wish I’d known the secret language of boys earlier in my life.    

5. Stop complaining about Mom and those letters she insists you write home from college every week. This was my mom’s rule: She would pay my college tuition if I would write home every week for all four years of college. Of course I complained bitterly about the deal. (Note to my younger self: You ungrateful brat.) The truth was, while I learned plenty as an English major at Marquette University, I learned how to write books by writing letters home to my mother every week for four years. So thanks, Mom. I wish I’d known what a gift those letters were—to me.

Thanks Kate! xoxo, L&L

To learn more about Kate, head on over to her website!

Susan Wigg's 5 Things I'd Tell The Teen Me

Our guest today: Susan Wiggs Why we love her: She's fun and sassy! (if you don't believe us, just read her 5 Things below...)

Her latest: Return to Willow Lake-out on August 28th!

Our thoughts: We think you'll love it-there's a reason Susan is a NYT bestselling author!

Giveaway: FIVE bundles of Susan's Lakeshore Chronicle books!  Leave a comment and we'll choose the winners on Sunday June 3rd after 6pm PST.

Fun fact: Susan recently launched a food for thought Facebook app where she shares her favorite recipes!

CHICK LIT IS NOT DEAD PRESENTS: SUSAN WIGG'S 5 THINGS I'D TELL THE TEEN ME

First off, I actually wouldn't tell the teen me anything because the teen me would not have listened. Because she knew everything already. She didn't start being naive and ignorant and in need of advice until she got much older.

However, for the purposes of this exercise, and on the off chance that this girl might have been listening, I offer the following. 

[A bit of backstory: The Teen Me lived overseas, in Brussels and then in Paris (Versailles, actually). Drinking and smoking were legal for kids back then, though we couldn't drive. We were allowed to operate a mobilette (moped) with an engine up to 50cc, although helmets were optional.]

1. Slow down. You do everything too fast. You ski too fast.* You eat and drink too fast. You drive your moped too fast. You're zooming through school too fast. Do you really have to graduate from college two years ahead of all your peers? Why? What's your hurry? You'll get to adulthood in due time, and you'll have the rest of your life to be there. *In the photo below, it's not visible, but there is a cast on your leg which you broke while skiing too fast. See, I told you so.

2. Pay more attention to your parents. I know this seems incredible to you, but they are actually wise and caring individuals who only want the best for you. When, for example, they tell you it is not a good idea to skip school and take the train to Amsterdam for the weekend, they're not trying to destroy your social life, just preserve your innocence a teensy bit longer.

3. Practice your cello more. You've got a talent for it but if you don't practice, it will get rusty and then you won't feel like playing anymore and one day in the future when you're trying to make it as a writer and you're broke, you're going to hock your cello and it's a Juzak and irreplaceable and in the even further future, you're going to wish you still had it. So there.

4. Don't let negative messages deter you from your dreams. People call you Pollyanna and tease you about being relentlessly optimistic, but it's only because they're envious that you have the attitude of a golden retriever, trying again and again and again until you get it right.

5. Oh, and that guy named Dirk? Don't even bother. You'll thank me for that one day. Same goes for that floor length monstrosity you bought at Kensington Market in London for a Jethro Tull concert. Huge mistake, and I have the photos to prove it.

below: Susan with her big brother in Val d'Isere, France, ca 1974; same two people, decades later:

Thanks Susan! xoxo, L&L

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

The Bachelorette: 5 Reasons Why These Dudes Can't Be Dads

Admittedly, I got up on my soapbox when it was officially announced that single mom Emily Maynard was going to be The Bachelorette. (I was not happy about it- I have issues with single moms and dads allowing their children to be on TV--remember when I called shame on you on Bachelor Jason Mesnick?)

Sure, Emily's cute and sweet and got her heart broken by over-therapized yet completely unchanged commitment phobe and very angry Brad Womack, but does she really think she can find a dad for her daughter, Ricky, in just a few weeks? Or maybe the better question is, does she really think these dudes actually can or want to be dads? (With the exception of the two single dads on the show, I think the answer is no. (Even though a couple of them might actually think they do.)

Last night, Jennifer Weiner tweeted it best, Drink every time a guy says he's "ready to be a father." Drink twice if you think he's lying! #bachelorette. And even Jason Biggs got in on the #Bachelorette Twitter action tweeting: I still don't know who half these guys are. And yet, they are on ‪#TheBachelorette‬ , so I know exactly who they are, really. (Side note: he also tweeted about Dolly Parton's camel toe. Gross but hilarious.)

So here, alas, are the five reasons why I say these dudes CANNOT be dads.

1. They think becoming a father to Emily's daughter is "a compromise."  Oy vey. At least Alessandro got kicked off for this ignorant remark (Oh, and turns out if you watched the credits, he admitted to Emily's BFF's that he cheated on a past girlfriend). I guess there is a reality TV show God afterall.

2. They think an egg and a child are the same thing. Yes, Travis, your ostrich egg that you named "Shelly" is the same thing as having a child! Bringing him (or her?) on The Bachelorette proves you can be a father just about as much as one of those crying dolls dissuades teens from having unprotected sex and getting pregnant! But Poor Shelly didn't get a rose (even though his/her "dad" did)...Emily smashed him into itty bitty pieces Humpty Dumpty style. If you ask me, every Bachelorette episode should have an #eggmurder.

3. Instead of playing with kids, they tell Emily not to get fat. Emily The producers brought a boat load of kids to a park to see how the guys would react. Er, dudes, this is your chance to show you like kids?! But instead of pushing them on the swings or sliding with them on the slides like the guys that are actually trying to play the game, gym owner, Ryan,  (who has really. bad. hair. btw) finds Emily and her BFF's and when the conversation turns to weight gain, says it won't be okay with him if Emily gains weight after marriage and something along the lines of, "she'll be loved, but not loved on." Weirdly, her friends seem to have NO reaction to this? (I think any of mine would've kicked him in his unloved parts!) And even worse? Although Emily admits she didn't like that he said that, she still gives him a rose... *sigh*

4. Kids will interrupt you! Kalon (the tall weirdo dude with the glasses) in the course of telling Emily how he always thought his first child would be HIS OWN, scolds her when she interrupts him. He says,"I love it when you talk, but you need to stop interrupting me." Ouch. So, she slaps him, then kicks him off the show, right? WRONG. Although she acknowledges his remark- to camera- not to him- "I like tall, cute and funny, not tall cute and condescending," he still got a rose...I'd hate to see what happens when Emily's sweet daughter interrupts him. Major red flag, Emily.

5. Private concerts, love songs and Dolly Parton will not be the norm. So far, Emily has made a guy help bake cookies for her daughter's soccer game and play with a group of sugar-infused kids. The dudes even had to pass her "BFF test." But how much "real world" experience are these guys getting? And how is Emily really going to know if these guys can swing this fatherhood thing? It's easy to melt into the moment at a private concert when Dolly Parton (and her camel toe) are singing a love song to you, but let's get real here, dudes. It's going to take a lot more than dancing to Dolly to make you a dad.

xoxo,

Lisa

Meg Mitchell Moore's 5 Things I'd Tell the Teen Me

Today's guest: Meg Mitchell Moore Why we love her: Her debut, The Arrivals, (in paperback now) was one of our favorite books of 2012

Her latest: So Far Away (It's out tomorrow- May 29! Pre-order it here. )

The scoop: The lives of a wayward teenager and a lonely archivist are unexpectedly joined through the discovery of an old diary.

Thirteen-year-old Natalie Gallagher is trying to escape: from her parents’ ugly divorce, and from the vicious cyber-bullying of her former best friend. She discovers a dusty old diary in her family’s basement and is inspired to unlock its secrets.

Kathleen Lynch, an archivist at the Massachusetts State Archives, has her own painful secrets: she’s a widow estranged from her only daughter. Natalie’s research brings her to Kathleen, who in Natalie sees traces of the daughter she has lost.

What could the life of an Irish immigrant domestic servant from the 1920s teach them both? In the pages of the diary, they will learn that their fears and frustrations are timeless.

Our thoughts: Meg delivers yet again with this riveting sophomore novel. Definitely an author to watch!

Giveaway: 5 copies! Just leave a comment and be entered to win. We'll randomly select the winners after 6pm EST on Sunday, June 3rd.

Fun fact: No only is Meg's writer crush Elin Hilderbrand, but Meg was lucky enough to get a blurb from Elin for The Arrivals.

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

CHICK LIT IS NOT DEAD PRESENTS...MEG MITCHELL MOORE'S 5 THINGS I'D TELL THE TEEN ME

1. Sunscreen, sunscreen, sunscreen. All those people who tell you not to sit in the sun are right. Pale skin can be beautiful. Baby oil is really only for babies.

2. Drive across the country at least once before you have children. I am about to do for this for the first time as our family takes on a cross-country move. The trip will be rushed, the dog will be cranky and I’ll take the shortest way from point A to point B. Oh, how I had wish I had time to take it slowly and do it right! I want to stop in Midwestern diners and eat pie, drive down little main streets in towns I’ve never heard of, hear ten different accents in a week.

3. Appreciate your parents. I guess this is one of the great paradoxes of the world, but truly you do not understand just how much your parents do for you until you are trying to keep little people happy and fed and turn them into productive members of society. Those things you got in trouble for in high school? You deserved it. At the same time, try hard to remember what all of this feels like so that when your own kids go through it you can empathize.

4. Trust your talent, work your butt off. It took me a long time to trust my abilities to write fiction. Turns out the only thing that separated the people who were doing it from me was that they were willing to work for it and take the necessary risks.

5. Honey, Boy George is gay. Take the pictures down from your locker.

Thanks, Meg!

xoxo,

Liz & Lisa

Kim Izzo's 5 Things I'd Tell the Teen Me

Our guest today: Kim Izzo

Why we love her: Her latest novel is about the original chick lit IT Girl, Jane Austen!

Her latest: The Jane Austen Marriage Manual

The scoop on it: Katherine Shaw—Kate— is happy with her life. She has supportive friends, a glamorous magazine career, and a love of all things Jane Austen. But when she loses her job, her beloved grandmother falls ill and a financial disaster forces a sale on the family home, Kate finds herself facing a crisis that would test even the most stalwart of Austen heroines.

Friends rally round, connecting her to freelance gigs, and presenting her with a birthday gift— title to land in Scotland—that’s about to come in very handy. Turns out that Kate’s first freelance assignment is to test an Austen-inspired theory: in the toughest economic times is a wealthy man the only must-have accessory? What begins as an article turns into an opportunity as Kate—now Lady Kate—jet-sets to Palm Beach, St Moritz and London where, in keeping company with the elite, she meets prospects who make Mr. Darcy look like an amateur. But will rubbing shoulders with men of good fortune ever actually lead her to love? And will Kate be able to choose between Mr. Rich and Mr. Right?

Our thoughts: Whether or not you love Jane Austen, we think you'll dig this book!

Giveaway: FIVE copies! Leave a comment and we'll choose them on Monday May 28th after 6pm PST.

Fun Fact: Kim also co-authored a bestselling etiquette book called The Fabulous Girl's Guide to Decorum.

CHICK LIT IS NOT DEAD PRESENTS...KIM IZZO'S 5 THINGS I'D TELL THE TEEN ME

I loved this idea from the moment it arrived in my inbox. Thank you Lisa and Liz for thinking of me. I really appreciate what you're doing for Chick Lit and women's fiction in general. Read on! 1. Step away from the boy in the rock band! He may be cool, cooler than you (which isn't hard btw), but he's kind of a self-absorbed ass. Instead take a closer look at the geek squad. Not only are they tomorrow's tall, dark and handsome success stories but you actually have something in common with them. And no, not just acne, these boys read and watch real films, not just blockbusters. And they have manners, they want you to like them back so will try harder to be a good boyfriend and they are probably better kissers because they've spent way more time reading about it.

2. Who gives a fig what other people think? So what if you still prefer horses to boys? Boys aren't everything and you'll have a whole lifetime of trying to understand them, so go ahead and spend all weekend and summer holidays mucking out the barn with the other barn girls. Same for wearing your grandmother's perfect 1970s suede and faux fur coat, or her little black dress. Looking quirky or different is actually a good thing and is an expression of who you are. This should have been my mantra as a teenager but  it took years to develop into a life philosophy I can be confident in. Wish I'd believed in it sooner.

3. Do your homework! I coasted through high school, barely studying and giving my homework only a cursory glance. What this taught me was I didn't have to work that hard to achieve things (I got good grades) and I didn't need discipline. Well there's a reason it took my decades to publish a novel! When you want to do anything creative that hasn't a "job" attached to it then you have to make yourself work hard. No one cares if you finish a manuscript or a screenplay or write that song, only you. So it took my a long time to train myself self-discipline.

4. Friends come and go but family is forever. Many times, too many, I would skip family functions or even just quality family time with my mother, grandmother and sisters to hang with friends. This is natural for teens I realize but how many friends from high school are still in my life? Very few! But now that some of my closest family members have passed away I wish I'd spent more time with them.

5. Embrace the six month rule! Kind of like "don't sweat the small stuff" this is a rule my best friend and I came up with and it's in our etiquette book The Fabulous Girl's Guide to Decorum. Basically it means when you're worried or anxious about something that's going on in your life ask yourself how important will the outcome be in six months? A small error at school that means a failed test or trouble with a teacher? It can be made up and will be forgotten in six months! But not studying for your SATs can mean you won't get into the college of your dreams and that affects you long term! This is a useful life philosophy for any age but it's good to get started on it when you're young!

Thanks Kim! xoxo, L&L

To read more about Kim, head on over to Facebook and Twitter or head on over to her website.

Jill Kargman's 5 Things I'd Tell the Teen Me

Today's guest: Jill Kargman Why we love her: She's hilarious (and used lots of curse words in her "5 things" see below!)

Her latest: Rock Star in Seat 3A (out tomorrow- May 22!)

The scoop: It's Hazel's thirtieth birthday and she has everything she's ever wanted: a kickass job, a dream apartment in New York City, and the perfect boyfriend—who's just days away from proposing. Hazel thinks she's happy but isn't quite ready to settle down. So when her most far-fetched fantasy enters the realm of the possible, shouldn't she drop everything to see it through?

The morning after her birthday, Hazel boards a flight to L.A. only to get the surprise of her life. When she's bumped up to first class, extra legroom and free drinks are absolutely the last things on her mind when she catches sight of her seatmate: her all-time biggest celebrity crush, rock star Finn Schiller! Only the night before she'd confessed her infatuation with the gorgeous musician, and her boyfriend joked that she had a free pass if she ever met him. Hazel can't believe fate has actually thrown them together.

Even more unbelievable is that during the flight they genuinely connect. Finn likes her uncensored cursing and wicked sense of humor, and that she's unlike all of his groupies; Hazel likes his killer looks, ripped physique, and soulful music. But what started as a fantasy quickly becomes a real attraction, and after a dream date and taste of the rock-star life with Finn in L.A., Hazel is forced to examine the track her life is on. Indulging in a passionate affair with a rock star seems crazy—but could she ever forgive herself if she walked away from her wildest dream coming true? And is her wildest dream the stuff that happiness is made of?

Our thoughts: It's a must-read for any chick lit-lover. You'll love to escape with this lighthearted and LOL funny rock-n-roll Cinderella fantasy. Plus, who hasn't fantasized about who their seatmate would be on an airplane??

Giveaway: 5 copies! Just leave a comment and we'll randomly select the winners after 6pm PST on Tuesday, May 29th.

Fun fact: She has a writing partner and they've co-authored several novels, including two YA books.

Where you can read more about Jill: Her website.

CHICK LIT IS NOT DEAD PRESENTS...JILL KARGMAN'S 5 THINGS I'D TELL THE TEEN ME

1. It is total bullshit that “these are the best years of your life.” They’re SO NOT! The best is yet to come and do not let anyone make you feel lucky to be young. It’s filled with stress and frustration and waiting to be free in so many ways and I swear it all gets better. Much.

2. Zits clear.

3. You have not yet met all of your bridesmaids. Friendships are tricky when you bond at a young age because often times it’s simply proximity or inertia rather than that organic closeness that comes with growing up and then meeting a parallel kindred spirit rather than just geography class throwing you together. You will meet all kind of incredible women who truly appreciate you for who you are and they will become like sister so don’t let the beeyotches ever be a thorn in your side.

4. It’s so good that you didn’t drink. The partygirls all look like crap now.  And very prescient on the sunblock and tons of water.

5. Love is on the way. Drawn hearts in the margin and romantic stories in your head will one day feel real instead of fantasy. Just hold on tight. There will be douchebags and loneliness and longing so painful you feel like you will barf up your heart, but be patient and most of all, be yourself.

Thanks, Jill!

xoxo, Liz & Lisa

Time Magazine's Mommy War: Can't we all just get along? by Liz

Unless you've been living under a rock for the last week, I'm sure you've seen this recent Time magazine cover asking if you're Mom Enough. I'll admit, when I first laid eyes on it, I was pissed. I posted it to my Facebook page with a snide comment.  I made assumptions about that ridiculously hot mom and wondered how the hell her boobs looked that great after breastfeeding for five thousand years. And I wasn't alone-a social networking and media firestorm over the "right" way to parent raged on the internet. Angry status wars on Facebook.  Twitter debates heard around the world.

But, then I realized something. The executives at Time magazine who orchestrated this whole thing were most likely laughing their asses off and high-fiving each other for inciting another mommy riot-selling a shitload of magazines in the process. And why not?  We make it so easy for them!

You see, the reason this cover pisses us off is not because there's a three-year-old nibbling on his mom's boob, but the way that picture and headline below it make us feel.  If you don't wear your baby in a sling-you suck.  If your boobs aren't providing milk until your kid hits kindergarten, you've failed as a mother.  Only evil mothers let their babies cry it out. And we buy into it, getting defensive and attacking attachment parenting until we're blue in the face. When, in reality, there's nothing wrong with attachment parenting-it just may not be right for you.

And it seems we've forgotten one really important thing: There's more than one way to be a great parent.

The media loves to kick up a good shitstorm between women.  Perfect example?  The classic stay-at-home mom vs working mom debate.  Our instinct is to put one another down in order to feel better about our own choices-that insecurity we all harbor deep down inside that we may not be supermom rearing it's ugly head anytime someone suggests one lifestyle is better than the other.

Personally, I'm tired of seeing mothers fight over what the "right" choices are.  Dr. Phil can solve paternity issues, find long-lost siblings and fix bad marriages in one hour flat, but when he had SAHMs and working moms on his show, the debate was so heated that they had to extend into two hours.  The venom that was spewed and the judgement that was handed down on both sides was disturbing and hard to watch.

Here's a thought: What if we took that energy and supported each other instead?  Or better yet, work on getting right within ourselves so we don't attack each other? And when did the F did mothering turn into a competitive sport?

I choose to work because I enjoy it-and I'm not ashamed to be a working mother.  And I've always felt that if moms make choices that make them happy(as long as it doesn't include cocaine and a bottle of tequila!) that their family will probably be happy too. It was the right decision for me-but that doesn't mean it's the right choice for others. I have great love and respect for the stay-at-home Moms out there and have good friends on both sides of this coin.  And if there's snarky comments or judgment directed my way from others because of how I live my life, I've finally figured out that it has more to do with them than me.

I'm not a perfect mom by any means(and probably the worst girl scout leader EVEH, but that's a whole other blog!), and I know I've made more than my share of mistakes.  I'm just like y'all-I worry that the choices I make today will effect my kids later on. But I hope that I'm teaching them that no one moment, good or bad, defines them as long as they live in the present. And that whether I breastfed until they graduated college or not at all, I love them more than anything in this world. And it's that love for our children that makes us ALL Mom enough.

I want to know what YOU think!  I've got a GREAT prize package for someone! A BUNDLE O' BOOKS! Leave a comment and I'll choose the winner on Monday May 21st after 6pm PST.

xoxo, Liz

Catherine McKenzie's 5 Things I'd Tell The Teen Me

Our guest today: Catherine McKenzie Why we love her: She writes  about things that are hot in pop culture. We love this book because it was inspired by the phenomenon of reality TV shows like The Bachelor. And y'all know how we feel about The Bachelor.

Her latest: Arranged

The scoop on it: Anne Blythe's life couldn't be better. She's got a book contract, a great job and a fabulous BFF. She also seems to have no problem in the men department. Well, if you don't count the fact that although she can hook any man she sets her sights on, those men don't seem to stay on that hook for very long. Anne blames this on her mother, believing she is cursed because she's named after the title character in Anne of Green Gables.

After another bad break-up with a man more in love with himself than with her (she's realizing this is a pattern — falling for tall, dark, handsome and self-absorbed), Anne finds a business card imprinted with her namesake, Blythe & Company: Arrangements made. She assumes it's for a dating service and decides to hang on to it. When her best friend announces her engagement, Anne feels envious and, on a whim, decides to make an appointment with Blythe & Company. But she's shocked to discover that it's not a dating service at all — it's a company that specializes in exclusive, and pricey, arranged marriages. Anne decides to put her reluctance aside after she learns of the company's 95 percent success rate. Anne thinks, why not get some professional help? Women around the world do it all the time.

Before she knows it, Anne is traveling to a Mexican resort where she meets and marries Jack. But will her arranged marriage work out?

Our thoughts: A smart and honest novel about a woman's desperate search for love and marriage as she ends up in one disastrous relationship after the next, this book hit home for us!

Giveaway: FIVE copies! Leave a comment and be entered to win!  We’ll choose the winners Sunday May 20th after 6pm PST.

Fun fact: On top of being an internationally best selling author, Catherine currently practices law. C'mon!

Where you can read more about Catherine: Twitter, Facebook and her website.

CHICK LIT IS NOT DEAD PRESENTS...CATHERINE MCKENZIE'S 5 THINGS I'D TELL THE TEEN ME

1. You're going to publish a novel! More than one! For reals!

2. Do not date that guy. You know the one I mean.

3. Work a little harder at school. They're trying to teach you interesting stuff, if you let them.

4. Get a guitar. Take some lessons. Spend some time in your room practicing. You'll thank me later.

5. Be nicer to your siblings.They'll thank you later.

Thanks, Catherine! xoxo, Liz & Lisa

Zoe Fishman's 5 Things I'd Tell The Teen Me

Our guest today: Zoe Fishman Why we love her: Her writing is insightful and heartfelt!

Her latest: Saving Ruth

The scoop on it: When Ruth returns home to the South for the summer after her freshman year at college, a near tragedy pushes her to uncover family truths and take a good look at the woman she wants to become.

Growing up in Alabama, all Ruth Wasserman wanted was to be a blond Baptist cheerleader. But as a curly-haired Jew with a rampant sweet tooth and a smart mouth, this was an impossible dream. Not helping the situation was her older brother, David—a soccer star whose good looks, smarts, and popularity reigned at school and at home. College provided an escape route and Ruth took it.

Now home for the summer, she's back lifeguarding and coaching alongside David, and although the job is the same, nothing else is. She's a prisoner of her low self-esteem and unhealthy relationship with food, David is closed off and distant in a way he's never been before, and their parents are struggling with the reality of an empty nest. When a near drowning happens on their watch, a storm of repercussions forces Ruth and David to confront long-ignored truths about their town, their family, and themselves.

Our thoughts: Liz devoured it over spring break while sitting by the pool sipping margaritas.  She LOVED it with a capital L! Throw it into your beach bag pronto.

Giveaway: FIVE copies! Leave a comment and be entered to win!  We'll choose the winners Sunday May 20th after 6pm PST.

Fun Fact: Zoe met her husband on the subway after working up the nerve for years to say hello to him. Awwwww....

CHICK LIT IS NOT DEAD PRESENTS...ZOE FISHMAN'S 5 THINGS I'D TELL THE TEEN ME

1.Have a point of view.  It’s okay to have an opinion that’s different from everyone else’s. If you believe strongly in or about something, speak up. Who cares if some people are annoyed, or you ruffle a feather or two? As long as you speak from the heart and are respectful of the other perspective, you’re golden.

2.Leave your hair alone. Your hair is curly. Put down the hair drier, invest in a killer product and let it be. Looking like ZZ Top is not the look.

3.Devote about 85% of the energy you waste obsessing about boys and your weight to reading and writing. Oy. If I had a penny for every journal entry that went on and on about some idiot that treated me like crap or my food ingestion guilt, I would be a very rich woman. Personal enrichment is a much better idea than driving past some guy’s house 16 times on a Saturday afternoon. Not that I ever did that.

4.Raise your hand more in class. Ask questions. If you’re unsure about something, ask! No question is dumb. Well, some questions are dumb, but I happen to know that you are smart enough to know the difference.

5.It’s okay to be vulnerable. You don’t have to be a tough girl all the time. Softness is actually a very endearing quality. Besides, you’re really not fooling the people that know you best.

Thanks Zoe! xoxo, L&L

To read more about Zoe, head on over to her website or find her on Facebook and Twitter.

Josie Brown's 5 Things I'd Tell The Teen Me

Our guest today: Josie Brown Why we love her: She writes about seemingly perfect people and communities that turn out to be not so perfect.

Her latest eBook: The Housewife Assassin's Handbook

The dealio on it: Every housewife wants an alias. Donna Stone* has one, and it happens to be government sanctioned. Oh sure, you need to be ruthless to take on Russian mafia bosses, rogue dictators, and terrorists set on destroying the world. But it takes real killer instincts to survive suburbia. Try juggling the fifth grade phone tree during a shootout with skinhead arms dealers.

Donna’s life wasn’t always this complicated. Five years earlier she was just another woman with two preschoolers, a baby bump, and an adoring husband: Carl, with whom she lived happily ever after in a McMansion in the Orange County, California community of Hilldale. But Donna’s life was changed forever the night she delivered her baby: Carl’s car blew up on the way to the hospital.

Turns out Carl was a “hard man”—an assassin—for the black ops organization known as Acme Industries. The hit on Alex was carried out by the Quorum, a terrorist cell he was tracking. The Quorum’s motto: “Show me the money.” Governments and corporations do as they’re told—or suffer bloody consequences. To protect herself and avenge Carl’s death, Donna joined Acme. Whereas her hostessing skills rival Martha Stewart’s, her marksmanship is second to none.

A good thing, too, because the Quorum has planted a sleeper cell in Hilldale. Acme’s way of flushing out the Quorum is by “bringing Carl back from the dead.” But terrorism makes strange bedfellows--and brings new meaning to that old adage “Honey, I’m home…”

Our thoughts: Fun and sassy, just the way we like it over here!

Giveaway: We have FIVE eCopies!  Just leave a comment by Sunday May 13th at 6pm PST. And for a chance to win a $50 giftcard to the bookstore of your choice, enter The Housewife Assassin Handbook’s Mother’s Day Contest by reading an excerpt here…

Fun Fact: ABC has bought the rights to Josie's novel,  The Secret Lives of Husbands and Wives and will be developing it into a series!

CHICK LIT IS NOT DEAD PRESENTS...JOSIE BROWN'S 5 THINGS I'D TELL THE TEEN ME

1: Listen to your gut. A few years back I ran into an old boyfriend: someone I’d dated for four years, back when I was a mere twentysomething. Back then I thought he was a keeper. Obviously he had other ideas, which is why,  when I walked into his apartment unannounced and found him in bed with someone else,  I gave into the urge to ram his car in a tree.  Warp speed  a decade later: After the shock and awe of seeing each other, we warily played catch up. Of course, by then both of us were married to others, and had children.

 “You told me that you never wanted kids,” he said with a “A-ha!”  tone.

 “I don’t remember that,” was my response. Then it hit me: “In hindsight, I guess what I meant was, ‘I never want to have kids with you.’”

 Your gut tells you when things are right or wrong. He was all wrong for me. Instead I married the right man, and together we share two children who are (to paraphrase Mary Poppins) practically perfect in every way.

2: Do whatever it is that will make you feel great about yourself. Get contacts. Get vajazzled. Straighten your hair. Hell, get a Mohawk, if you want. Confidence is a priceless trait. No one is saying that looking like Lisbeth Salander is going to change your life (okay, maybe looking like her will crossing the street because they think you’re a badass) but if you look fabulous, you feel fabulous, too.

 3. Be a friend—and hang with friends. How do you know if someone is a true friend? You find that answer when the chips are down.

A good friend is someone who loves you even when you’re not at your best: when you’ve been kicked to the curb by the guy in your life, when you’re having a bad hair day, and when everyone else acts as if you’ve got cooties. Being a friend means having the guts to be the same, even when others have lost confidence in your pal.  Having one or two real friends whom you can call when life is mean or slow or awesome, is priceless. Here’s hoping you find them somewhere on your life’s journey.

4. Karma is a bitch, so don’t cross her. If you find it hard to curb the urge to slash and burn on whimsy, inevitably there will be payback. (Cue SFX of evil cackle…) And yes, it will happen when you least expect it. (Hint: Always wear clean underwear.)

5. Never give up on your dreams. Our dreams define us. They are what drive us to be our best selves. If you believe you can accomplish something, you can. I’m not trying to sound like Tony Roberts or the best fortune cookie you ever opened, but I am living proof that if you have the talent and determination to do something, no one can stand in your way.

 Well, maybe one person: YOU.

Thanks Josie! xoxo, L&L

To read more about Josie, head on over to her website or find her on Facebook and Twitter.