Interview & Giveaway with Melissa Francis

Today's guest: Melissa Francis Her book: Diary of a Stage Mother's Daughter

The scoop on it: The Glass Castle meets The Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mother in this dazzlingly honest and provocative family memoir by former child actress and current Fox Business Network anchor Melissa Francis.

When Melissa Francis was eight years old, she won the role of lifetime: playing Cassandra Cooper Ingalls, the little girl who was adopted with her brother (played by young Jason Bateman) by the Ingalls family on the world’s most famous primetime soap opera, Little House on the Prairie. Despite her age, she was already a veteran actress, living a charmed life, moving from one Hollywood set to the next. But behind the scenes, her success was fueled by the pride, pressure, and sometimes grinding cruelty of her stage mother, as fame and a mother’s ambition pushed her older sister deeper into the shadows.

Diary of a Stage Mother’s Daughter is a fascinating account of life as a child star in the 1980’s, and also a startling tale of a family under the care of a highly neurotic, dangerously competitive “tiger mother.” But perhaps most importantly, now that Melissa has two sons of her own, it’s a meditation on motherhood, and the value of pushing your children: how hard should you push a child to succeed, and at what point does your help turn into harm?

Our thoughts: Completely. Riveted.

Giveaway: 5 copies! Just leave a comment and be entered to win. We'll select the winners on Sunday, February 24th after 12pm PST.

Where you can read more about Melissa: Her website, and follow her on Facebook and Twitter.

CHICK LIT IS NOT DEAD PRESENTS...AN INTERVIEW WITH MELISSA FRANCIS

1. Liz & Lisa: Why did you decide to write this memoir?

Melissa Francis: I started writing Diary of A Stage Mother's Daughter when the book Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mother reached critical mass. The idea of parents emulating that model really terrified me. It actually brought me to tears. It was hard for me to get the book and read through it in its entirety because I am the product of an extreme version of a tiger mom. In writing my memoir, I wanted to warn parents that that unrelenting form of parenting may make some children disciplined, focused achievers. As the author herself says, if you ride children hard early, you don't have to come down on them later. But with some kids, as you learn with my story, it can be wildly destructive and truly rob them of them of their confidence, sending them into a spiral of despair. There is no formula about how to be a parent, and when you see this exemplified as in Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mother, it doesn't necessarily work. Because all kids are unique individuals, it can be extremely dangerous.

2. L&L: What do you want people to learn from your book?

MF: I'd love for anyone who reads the book to feel that they can learn from a challenged past and whatever has happened to them, and then choose to have a joyous future. I hope that readers realize that a troubled past or a difficult childhood are experiences to draw and grow from later. You know what not to do when you grow up, or you know how you want to live differently. As long as you grab hold of it and take the right lessons out of it, you can decide how to control your own life and your own destiny. You can choose to be happy -- you can choose to have a new life. It is never too late, no matter how old you are. This is the point I make make in the very last scene of the book, where I see a woman I work with crumple into tears -- this incredible, gorgeous, successful woman with a family of her own -- and her mother just reduced her to tears. I said to her, as delicately as I could, "You can be free of that. You're an adult, and it's your choice now." You can choose to be happy and to be joyful and to have a different life. It's not easy, but it's better than the alternative, and within our control.

3. L&L: Do you have a favorite line or passage from your book?

MF: "The texture and color of my love for all three of them has proven to me that I can love, even though I was not ultimately loved myself. It doesn't matter what's come before if I can let go and try to do better. That truth was awakening. My own family is a new beginning."This passage comes at the very end of the book. I cried when I wrote it, and I still cry every time I read the words. I was afraid to have children for so long, because I wasn't sure I could be a better mother. My husband gave me the courage to hope. My family is my joy. And when people ask me why I would show my warts to the world (and they ask all the time), I say that I've broken the cycle and found real happiness, I sincerely want to help anyone else do the same. It is worth it.

4. L&L: As a mom, what have you learned from this experience that helps you be a better parent? (Tell us more about avoiding the "one size fits all, pressure-packed approach that you write about.)

MF: It took me a long time to process and figure out how to parent differently, but the number one lesson was, just because you were parented in a way that didn't work out doesn't mean you have to repeat the same behavior. You also don't have to be afraid to be a parent yourself, which I certainly was for a very long time. I would never tell someone how to parent, but I would suggest that every child is born unique and needs a different approach. Tiger Mothering is extremely dangerous as my story demonstrates. I have two young sons, two and five years old, who respond completely differently to the same type of praise or discipline. They are just hardwired differently. As I have watched them from day one, before I even had a chance to have any impact on them, they were different kids. You can't change that. I think my mom wanted to make both my sister and me into performers and achievers, and my sister wasn't built for that. She had her own fantastic qualities, and, if someone had taken the time to get to know her, could have fleshed out what she would be special and successful at. You have to help children bring out what's best about them and help them manage what's difficult about their own personalities and the way that they were born. Every child has a different path to happiness, and as parents it is our job to help them find their own way.

L&L: What memoir(s) are you reading now?

MF: Not surprisingly, my favorite memoir of all time is the Glass Castle by Jeannette Walls. I've read it so many times for courage and inspiration. We have so much in common: reporting on others as a way to shift the focus from our own lives, a past that is painful but has so much value. Hota Kotb has been a wonderful supporter and I just bought her new book, Ten Years Later. I'm heading on vacation next week and can't wait to start that.

Thanks, Melissa!

Blog of the Month: Chick Lit Central

Welcome to our latest feature, Blog of the Month!  Each month we'll be showcasing one of our favorite sites so you can get to know them better.  Kicking it off?  Chick Lit Central, which was launched in May of 2010!

The 411:

Melissa Amster first started Chick Lit Central as a Facebook group to discuss chick lit novels with women all over the world. She saw book blogs doing reviews and interviews, so she decided to add that aspect. As soon as she did, Sarah Pekkanen offered her debut novel, The Opposite of Me, for review. Soon, she was meeting authors (Allie Larkin’s interview was the first one ever) and running giveaways. Since then, the group has expanded to include two partners (Amy and Melissa P.), five associate reviewers and a promotional associate. We’ve reached over 940 followers at the blog and are still growing!

Why do people love CLC?

It’s very friendly. We love books, authors, readers, etc. We don’t compete with other chick lit blogs and try to share the love whenever possible. It’s truly a place to celebrate chick lit!

What is unique about CLC?

We give shout outs to books, even when we don’t have the time to review each and every novel or feature each and every author. We have Books of the Week, which we’re starting to phase out and just added a BookShelf page. We also do theme months and share information about ourselves from time to time, in relation to the theme.

Where to read more about CLC:

Twitter, Facebook, Pinterest and Goodreads

What inspires you?

Amy: Wow, now this is a tough question because many many things do.  One that comes to mind right off the bat is seeing female business women make it to the top, especially successful women entrepreneurs. For example, Jennifer Gilbert, the author of I NEVER PROMISED YOU A GOODIE BAG, besides having to deal with a life shattering struggle, made it all the way to the top, and has her own event planning company, Save The Date. Another example is Alli Webb, founder of The Dry Bar. If you live near one of these salons, you have to book yourself an appointment. They specialize in blow drys. You will look fantastic after your service. There are many salons across the country and more keep coming. Alli was on The Katie Show in an episode featuring successful women entrepreneurs.

Melissa A: I agree with Amy about seeing women who have achieved their dreams/goals. I love reading stories about entrepreneurial women.

Melissa P: Many things inspire me from day to day. I would have to say though that the main sources of inspiration for me are music, dance, nature, and travel. There have been many times while writing that I hear a song and it inspires an entire scene and drives the feeling and emotion behind it.

If you were stranded on an island, what celebrity would you want to be with you?

Amy: Really? Just one???? Sorry, but I have three: Of course the gorgeous and sexy Rob Lowe. Steve Martin. If you're stranded on an island you need some laughter right? Last, but not least, Meryl Streep...she doesn't need any particular reason.

Melissa A: I’m a big fan of How I Met Your Mother and I adore Jason Segel (Marshall). However, I don’t think my husband would be too happy with an arrangement involving me being alone with him. Therefore, I think Cobie Smulders (Robin) and I would have a blast and instantly become friends. I also don’t think Neil Patrick Harris (Barney) would be much of a threat. We could sing show tunes and he’d make me laugh.

Melissa P: Easy. Derek Jeter. Need I say more?

What's one inanimate object you can't live without?

Amy: Have to pick two again: books and lip balm.

Melissa A: My laptop. It has my PC Kindle, photos, videos, etc. Basically, it’s my life. I go ballistic when it’s not working!

Melissa P: This is a tie between my iPhone and my laptop. They both do essentially the same things just on a different scale. As long as I can listen to music, write, and FaceTime with my loved ones, I don't need anything else.

What books are you adding to your bookshelf this year?

Amy: You ready for a huge list?  The Comfort of Lies by Randy Susan Meyers, The Last Camellia by Sarah Jio, Market Street by Anita Hughes, Why Can't I Be You by Allie Larkin, Family Pictures by Jane Green, The Best of Us by Sarah Pekkanen, J'Adore Paris by Isabelle LaFleche, A Hundred Summers by Beatriz Williams, All The Summer Girls by Meg Donohue, Looking For Me by Beth Hoffman, and of course Jennifer Weiner's next book.

Melissa A: Too many!!! I am so excited to already have Family Pictures by Jane Green, The Best of Us by Sarah Pekkanen and The Last Camellia by Sarah Jio. I ordered Jodi Picoult’s latest novel and will get that later this month. I’m also looking forward to purchasing Khaled Hosseini’s next novel as I loved his previous two. Also, most of the books on Amy’s list.

Melissa P: Anything by Jane Green, Elin Hilderbrand, Sophie Kinsella, or Marian Keyes to name a few...the list is endless!!!

Thanks Ladies!  xoxo, L&L

Cari Kamm's 5 Best Evers

Today's guest: Cari Kamm Her latest: For Internal Use Only

The scoop on it: Chloe Kassidy has just been accepted into one of Manhattan's most exclusive art exhibits, Love Through Light. However, with her singular dedication to her career, she soon realizes that in sacrificing her personal life, she has never been in love. A hopeless romantic who is terrified of heartbreak, Chloe begins to enlist the help of her circle of friends to learn about love through their very different stories and experiences.

In Chloe's emotional rollercoaster to having the greatest love story ever told, she'll learn that like her photography she must use the negatives in life to develop and prove that she's a strong woman who found her way to love through light.

Inspired by the notion that women grow up with ideas of true love and destiny, For Internal Use Only approaches those ideas with a decidedly twenty-first century viewpoint. A humorous love story with an edgy and dramatic twist, For Internal Use Only is a vastly entertaining novel that gives each of us a new fairy tale to look forward to: our own.

Our thoughts: We love books with a love story! You'll be hooked immediately as you follow along with Chloe on her funny and emotional journey to understand love.

Giveaway: 2 e-copies. Just leave a comment to be entered to win. We'll select the winners after 12pm PST on Sunday, February 24th.

Where you can read more about Cari: Twitter, Facebook and her Website.

CHICK LIT IS NOT DEAD PRESENTS...CARI KAMM'S 5 BEST EVERS

BEST SONG: This is a tough one. The only way for me to decide was to check my iTunes account and view my ‘top 25 most played’ list. These are my top four:

Gravity – Sara Bareilles

Cocoon – Jack Johnson

She left on a Monday – Bic Runga

By Your Side – Sade

These songs are often played on repeat for hours!

BEST BOOK: Sophie Kinsella Can you Keep a Secret? inspired me to write. Mark Nepo The book of Awakening. Nepo calls it, "a book to help people meet their days and inhabit their lives.” I’ve read this book for the past three years. Each day has a designated read. This book keeps my perspective in check. It’s definitely a life changer!

BEST MOVIE: I’m a huge fan of romantic comedies. Pretty Woman, Serendipity, When Harry Met Sally and Love Actually are on the top of that list. But, I’m going to go with Big Fish. The main theme in Big Fish is reconciliation. The film is full of color. It inspired me. It reminded me what it’s like to be a child again and to believe in fairytales. A great reminder that our imagination has endless possibilities!

Some of my favorites quotes from Big Fish:

Young Ed Bloom: Now I may not have much, but I have more determination then any man you’re ever likely to meet.

Karl: I don’t want to eat you. I just get so hungry. I’m just too big.

Young Ed Bloom: Has it ever occurred to you that maybe you’re not too big? That maybe this place is just too small?

Will Bloom: A man tells his stories so many times that he becomes the stories. They live on after him, and in that way he becomes immortal.

Young Ed Bloom: You don’t know me, but my name’s Edward Bloom… And I love you.

Will Bloom: [to Ed] You’re like Santa Claus and the Easter Bunny combined – just as charming, and just as fake.

BEST LIFE MOMENT: Saying Yes. I moved to New York City twelve years ago and immediately connected to a special area in Central Park called Literary Walk. It’s the only straight line in the park, lined with American elm trees and decorated with statues of prominent writers such as Robert Burns and Sir Walter Scott. I had no idea I would be a writer one day and that this landmark would mean more to me today than it did twelve years ago. It’s now a meaningful spot that I will never forget for the rest of my days. On January 27, 2013, I walked there proudly with my new novel in hand, ‘For Internal Use Only,’ and my boyfriend to take a picture with my book. I walked into the park as a proud author and walked out as his fiancé. It was a sparkling moment with all things love.

BEST ADVICE: “Your time is limited, don’t waste it living someone else’s life. Don’t be trapped by dogma, which is living the result of other people’s thinking. Don’t let the noise of other’s opinion drowned your own inner voice. And most important, have the courage to follow your heart and intuition, they somehow already know what you truly want to become. Everything else is secondary.” – Steve Jobs

Thanks, Cari!

Books & Bites

Confession:  We love books.  And you know what else we love?  FOOD.  Combine the two?  HEAVEN.

So when our fave authors Sarah Jio and Camille Noe Pagan created the Facebook page Books & Bites, we just knew it would become one of favorite guilty pleasures. They take incredible books and pair them with fantastic recipes--complete awesomeness, right? RIGHT.

We're thrilled that Sarah and Camille are sharing one of their pairings with us today.  Read on to see why we're so in love!

Sarah & Camille's Books & Bites

I had the privilege of reading Helene Gremillion's THE CONFIDANT months before it was published here in the U.S. Already a bestseller in France, with rights sold to other countries, her editor at Penguin reached out to my editor to see if I'd be interested in reading it. When I read about the book's plot, I said absolutely yes. First of all, it's set in France (have I mentioned that I'm a bit of a francophile?), and it's a love story rooted in history, with a plot that flips between the 1970s and 1940s.

And the romance, oh the romance. While the stories I write and tend to gravitate toward are more of the PG variety (sorry, no Fifty Shades sizzle-factor!), this book does get a little steamy (warning for anyone who's shy about love scenes!). Yes, I blushed a little, but I also found myself so engrossed with the characters and their often tragic storylines. Funnily enough, I picked up the book to read on a family trip to Disneyland, and ended up skipping the rides one afternoon so I could order room service at our hotel and finish (while my husband took the boys out to the park!).

I'm pairing this book with a classic French dessert called a clafoutis. Don't be intimidated, because it's so easy to make! I've been making clafoutis for years, and I love making them with whatever fruit is in season (I've used pears, strawberries, blueberries, apricots and plums over the years). For Valentine's Day, I thought this raspberry clafoutis from Food & Wine looked delicious (frozen raspberries can be subbed for fresh).  Click here for the recipe.

Enjoy and happy reading!

Sarah Jio is the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of Blackberry Winter, The Bungalow, and The Violets of March, which was a Library Journal Best Book of 2011. Her fourth novel, The Last Camellia, will be out in May, and her fifth, set on a houseboat in Seattle, will be published in November. Her books have been sold for translation in 19 countries. To learn more about Sarah, visit www.sarahjio.com or find her on Facebook: www.facebook.com/sarahjioauthor.

Camille Noe Pagán is the author of the novel THE ART OF FORGETTING (Penguin) and a journalist whose work has appeared in Allure, Forbes.com, O: The Oprah Magazine, PARADE, SELF and many others. She lives in Ann Arbor.

Jackie Collins' 5 Best Evers

Our guest today: Jackie Collins Why we love her: She is sexy and SASSY!

Her latest: The Power Trip

The scoop: A luxurious yacht in the Sea of Cortez, a birthday cruise for one of the world’s most beautiful women and an invitation no one can refuse.   The Power Trip—take it if you dare.

From Hollywood icon and mega-seller Jackie Collins comes a thrilling new novel, The Power Trip, set on a state of the art luxury yacht off the coast of Cabo San Lucas.  A tropical getaway with a cast of global power-hungry elites turns sour when they find out maybe they don't control as much of the world as they thought . . .

In The Power Trip you will meet Aleksandr Kasianenko, a billionaire Russian oligarch, as he sets sail on The Bianca. You’ll meet his sexy supermodel girlfriend, whom The Bianca is named after, and five dynamic, powerful, and famous couples invited on the yacht’s maiden voyage: Hammond Patterson, a driven Senator, and his lovely but unhappy wife, Sierra; Cliff Baxter, a charming, never-married movie star, and his ex-waitress girlfriend, Lori; Taye Sherwin, a famous black UK footballer and his interior designer wife, Ashley; Luca Perez, a male Latin singing sensation with his older decadent English boyfriend, Jeromy; and Flynn, a maverick journalist with his Asian renegade female friend, Xuan.

You will also meet Russian mobster, Sergei Zukov, a man with a grudge against Aleksandr. And Sergei’s Mexican beauty queen girlfriend, Ina, whose brother, Cruz, is a master pirate with orders to hold The Bianca and its illustrious rota of guests for ransom.

Our thoughts: We can never resist Jackie's books, and The Power Trip is no exception!

Giveaway: FIVE copies!  Just leave a comment and you'll be entered to win!  We'll choose the winners after Noon PST on Sunday, February 17th.

Fun Fact: Want to discover Jackie's favorite recipes?  Click here!

CHICK LIT IS NOT DEAD PRESENTS...JACKIE COLLINS 5 BEST EVERS

BEST SONG: What's Going On by Marvin Gaye. What a voice! What a man!

BEST MOVIE: ARGO. A brilliant edge-of-your-seat movie.

BEST BOOK:  The Godfather by Mario Puzo. Strong, sexy and gritty.

BEST LIFE MOMENT:  The birth of my three daughters. Magical!

BEST ADVICE: If you want to be a writer stop talking about it and just do it!

2013 Club: Julie Kibler and Calling Me Home

Our guest today: Julie Kibler Why she rocks: She's a fantastic writer & she has great advice! (See below!)

Her debut: Calling Me Home Out today! February 12, 2013!

The scoop on it: Eighty-nine-year-old Isabelle McAllister has a favor to ask her hairdresser Dorrie Curtis. It's a big one. Isabelle wants Dorrie, a black single mom in her thirties, to drop everything to drive her from her home in Arlington, Texas, to a funeral in Cincinnati. With no clear explanation why. Tomorrow.

Dorrie, fleeing problems of her own and curious whether she can unlock the secrets of Isabelle's guarded past, scarcely hesitates before agreeing, not knowing it will be a journey that changes both their lives.

Over the years, Dorrie and Isabelle have developed more than just a business relationship. They are friends. But Dorrie, fretting over the new man in her life and her teenage son's irresponsible choices, still wonders why Isabelle chose her.

Isabelle confesses that, as a willful teen in 1930s Kentucky, she fell deeply in love with Robert Prewitt, a would-be doctor and the black son of her family's housekeeper--in a town where blacks weren't allowed after dark. The tale of their forbidden relationship and its tragic consequences makes it clear Dorrie and Isabelle are headed for a gathering of the utmost importance and that the history of Isabelle's first and greatest love just might help Dorrie find her own way.

Our thoughts: Beautifully written and incredibly touching, we loved this story. Read an excerpt here

Giveaway: FIVE COPIES. Just leave a comment and be entered to win. We'll select the winners on Sunday, February, 17th after 3pm PST.

Fun fact: Julie also writes for Book Pregnant, a group of debut writers who talk about what to expect when you're expecting a book!

Where you can read more about Julie: Her website, Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest and Goodreads. (Girlfriend is social media covered!)

CHICK LIT IS NOT DEAD PRESENTS...2013 CLUB: JULIE KIBLER

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

1. Take your time! It's amazing how quickly it passes.Not selling the first book you write doesn't mean you'll never sell a book. Trust me on that. Starting my first (unpublished) manuscript feels like yesterday now.
2. Be generous with your time and energy while you're aspiring. Your generosity will be returned to you exponentially when you are launching your first novel! (Host authors on your blog, attend their signing events, buy their books!)
3. Realize that your novel is not the only thing on everyone else's mind—even if it's ALL you can think about. Life goes on around you. Try to join in as often as you can. Living leads to better writing. I have this lesson on repeat.

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

1. Assume you already know everything you need to know about writing. It leaves egg on your face.
2. Compare yourself with other aspiring novelists or published authors. Your journey will never, ever look like theirs or play out in the same way. Comparison is the sure road to killing your self-confidence, little by little. So easy to say, so hard to do...
3. As tempting and easy as it is with the technology available today, don't surround yourself only with other novelists. When your book releases, you'll wish you knew a lot of everyday readers, too. (Thankfully, I think I did ok with this!)

MUST HAVES:

On your desk? Suave Advanced Therapy Hand lotion. I am an addict. Truly.

On your Facebook feed? Family news. It's amazing how much more I know about my family, especially those who live far away, now that there's Facebook. Things that don't come up in phone conversations often appear in my newsfeed. I am watching my little nieces who live more than 2,000 miles away grow up there! I love it!

App on your phone? Ebook apps—Nook, Kindle, Overdrive, etc. I do about 80% of my reading on my iPhone.

LASTS:

Song you listened to on repeat? "Horses"/Dala (www.dalagirls.com) I missed hearing this group live by a few minutes at the Rocky Mountain Folks Fest a few years ago and have regretted it since.

Book you read? I'm always juggling about four these days. Last one I finished is The Promise, by Ann Weisgarber, an advance readers' edition from Pan Macmillan, my UK publisher.

Time you laughed? I hope I laugh every single day. My clever youngest daughter makes me laugh every day, especially. Last full-on belly laugh? When I was talking to a close friend after I had my first newspaper interview last week, and told her how I forgot the name of one of my minor characters from Calling Me Home. It wasn't funny at the time, but if you don't laugh about things like that, how do you survive?

HOW MANY:

Agents did you query before you found "the one?" I was very lucky with Calling Me Home. I queried maybe five agents, but Elisabeth Weed was my first choice from the get go. I queried her first with the previous manuscript, too. And she's the best, as is her foreign rights agent, Jenny Meyer.

Hours I write per day: I am a burst writer. I write like crazy when I'm in the midst of a burst. I beat myself up a lot when I'm not. If I'm writing consistently in one of those bursts, it's usually from about 11 p.m. until 3 a.m. I'm the worst night owl you'll never know.

Hours I waste online when I should be writing: Most of them. Yeah.

BESTS:

Way to celebrate a book deal: Chocolate dessert and a peach Bellini. And maybe a thick, juicy steak … Yeah, definitely that. I remember now.

Trick to overcome writer's block: I ask my character, "WHAT do you WANT?" before I go to bed. I can't do this if I need to wake up early, because that voice generally haunts me all night. I'm exhausted the next morning, but I usually know what they want, and that's the key to a good story.

Way to think of a book idea: For me, it tends to happen in the midst of an everyday conversation. Something I hear sets my heart and brain racing, and I'm off and running.

NEXTS:

Show you'll DVR? Can you believe I don't own a DVR? We have basic cable. If I could DVR, it would be Parenthood, though the season is over now. I love that show.

Book you'll read? A manuscript from a dear friend who is seeking her first blurbs. I've already peeked at the first few chapters, and I know once I start, I'm in for the duration.

Book you'll write? I could tell you but then I'd have to think of another one, because once I start talking about them, they seem to lose their magic.

Thanks, Julie!

Diary of a Debut: What happened to IHWSH and The D Word? And 5 Self Pub Do's and Don'ts.

As you may have noticed, we are pretty much still jumping up and down about selling The Toast to Atria late last year-We can't WAIT until early 2014 when it comes out.  But, for those of you that have been with us since the beginning, you may be wondering, what the hell happened to our first two books,  I’ll Have Who She’s Having and The D Word?

The answer is complicated.

While we love our first two novels, we made the decision to shelve them.  Many of you that have followed our VERY LONG writing journey know that traditional publishing was always the goal for us. (Thank you, btw, for listening to us bitch about it for the past four years!)

We queried both IHWSH and The D Word long and hard, enduring more rejection letters than we care to admit.  Like so many manuscripts, they just weren’t the right book at the right time that made in front of the right person. And let’s face it, there’s always a fair amount of luck involved too!

So we grudgingly made the choice to self publish them after trying in vain to get an agent. And the books did….okay.  Mostly well reviewed but not as much traction as we would like for the financial investment we had put into them. (We’ll get to what we think we did wrong later so you can learn from our mistakes…) It was then we decided to write another manuscript and we made an agreement it was traditional publishing or BUST, damnit!

We aren't dogging self publishing at all.  It takes incredible drive and talent to be successful when self pubbing your novel and there are some AWESOME authors out there. (Dina Silver and Dee Detarsio come to mind.) Many have done so well both critically and financially that they've been picked up by traditional houses, like Jamie McGuire, Jessica Park, and of course, EL James.  But for us, we wanted it old school.

So, for now, IHWSH and The D Word are resting comfortably on Liz’s hard drive.  We hope one day they’ll see the light of day again(especially IHWSH—it’s campy and fun and inappropriate and we love it!)  But we’re honest enough with ourselves to know that they would both probably need some TLC to be traditionally published—our writing had definitely grown with each book and we’ve had to learn from the many writing mistakes (so much overwriting! Too many super long flashbacks!  Telling, not showing!) we made in the first two to get where we are today.

We hope y’all understand. From our experience, neither the self or traditional publication paths are perfect, but you just have the make the best choices for yourself and hope they work out. xo

Are you thinking about self pubbing?  We’ve put together a list of Do and Don’ts.  And we’d love to hear what you think too!

Liz & Lisa's top 5 Self Pub Do's and Don'ts (aka all the ways we effed up when we did it.)

1. DON’T forget to edit, and then edit some more, and then hire someone to edit your manuscript.

From both an author and book blogger viewpoint, this is the BIGGEST problem we see.  We had both IHWSH and The D Word manuscripts professionally edited but there were STILL embarrassing typos.  It doesn't mean the editor didn't do a great job, but we're dealing with humans and it's nearly impossible to make it perfect.  But typos are distracting to the reader and make you look unprofessional, so just edit the shit out your ms and then go back and edit some more. And then hire someone to edit it before you hit the publish button on Amazon.

For those of you querying agents and publishers: Consider sending the ms out for a grammar and developmental edit before hitting the query circuit.  Not only will your manuscript look great, they can help you fix plot holes or inconsistencies in the story.  We hired Emily Heckman to edit The Toast, and her notes were INCREDIBLY helpful--worth every penny!

2. Choose your early readers wisely

Make sure to choose people that will give thoughtful, honest feedback.  It's really great to have your girlfriends read your manuscript, but if all they're going to say is "I LOVE it!!!" without any specific notes, it really doesn't do much except inflate your ego. Choose people that are hugely supportive(no haters please!) that will take the time to think through your plot points and have the balls to tell you that your heroine is actually a heinous, unlikable bitch. (Happened to us with IHWSH! And they were right!)

It may sting a bit, but good, honest feedback can make or break your book.  We let everyone in the world read our first two and then had to decide which feedback to incorporate--it ended up pulling us into a lot of different directions.  While writing The Toast, we chose only three people who we felt would provide fantastic, critical notes.  And you know what?  Those notes SAVED the book.  True story.

3. Write an AWESOME pitch

Okay, let us put our book blogger hats on for a minute: PLEASE write a great pitch.  PLEASE include all the links.  PLEASE research the sites before you send a personalized pitch to them. PLEASE check out this post. Your book is never going to get off the ground with great word of mouth, so make sure to get it in from of the right people.

Having trouble writing something short but sweet??  Your story might be too complicated.  We've started writing the pitch before the book, just to make sure we've got a concept we could pitch it in thirty seconds in a elevator, if need be. (You never know when that might come in handy!)

4. Become a social media whore.

Get your mind out of the gutter!  We don't mean you should write back those strange foreign men that send Facebook messages asking if they can make friendship with you.  We're just saying you need to devote some time each day to promoting yourself online and building a following. And don't forget--it's not just about Facebook and Twitter anymore.  Now you've got to give Instagram, Pinterest, Goodreads and many other sites some lovin' too.

5. Don't get discouraged!

Not gonna lie-we got discouraged and wallowed in some really good wine over the fact that we didn't become eBook millionaires overnight.  And it probably affected the effort we put into promoting our books and the end results we saw.  So remember to be realistic when making goals and don't give up--it takes time for the word to spread!  Just keep the faith in your book, and yourself.  And hey-when you become the next EL James, just don't forget about us!

Randy Susan Meyers' 5 Best Evers

Today's guest: Randy Susan Meyers

Why we love her: She's a thoughtful and talented author and we're already anxious for her next novel.

Her latest: The Comfort of Lies (February 12th)

The scoop on it: Five years ago, Tia fell into obsessive love with a man she could never have. Married, and the father of two boys, Nathan was unavailable in every way. When she became pregnant, he disappeared, and she gave up her baby for adoption.

Five years ago, Caroline, a dedicated pathologist, reluctantly adopted a baby to please her husband. She prayed her misgivings would disappear; instead, she’s questioning whether she’s cut out for the role of wife and mother.

Five years ago, Juliette considered her life ideal: she had a solid marriage, two beautiful young sons, and a thriving business. Then she discovered Nathan’s affair. He promised he’d never stray again, and she trusted him.

But when Juliette intercepts a letter to her husband from Tia that contains pictures of a child with a deep resemblance to her husband, her world crumbles once more. How could Nathan deny his daughter? And if he’s kept this a secret from her, what else is he hiding? Desperate for the truth, Juliette goes in search of the little girl. And before long, the three women and Nathan are on a collision course with consequences that none of them could have predicted.

Riveting and arresting, The Comfort of Lies explores the collateral damage of infidelity and the dark, private struggles many of us experience but rarely reveal.

Our thoughts: A captivating novel. A complicated story. Complex characters. We were engaged from the moment we cracked open the book.

Giveaway: TWO copies. Just leave a comment & be entered to win. We'll select the winners after 3pm PST on Sunday, February 10th.

Fun fact: There's an inspirational page on Randy's website for aspiring writers.

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

CHICK LIT IS NOT DEAD PRESENTS...RANDY SUSAN MEYERS' 5 BEST EVERS

BEST SONG: The more relationships in my rear view, the more I organize my exes according to the sad-song scale: heartbreak song men . . . liar-song men . . . didn’t-mean- to-hurt you-but-oops-I-did song men. Maybe it’s a litmus test of my personality, but though I now know the wisdom of loving a happy-love-song man, I sure do love a great love-gone-wrong song.

In The Comfort of Lies, pile-ups in the intersections of infidelity, adoption, marriage, parenthood and careers create perfect storms for desolate love music.  I gathered a playlist eponymous of the particular sadness or strength of each character, and, of course, each rang in a past love nightmare of my own—thus creating a personal blues loop, allowing me to fall down the rabbit hole of melancholia, making me ever more grateful that I ultimately smartened up and married a non-sad song man. In the course, I found perhaps the most gut-wrenching sad-song I ever heard.  Perhaps I listened to Ayo’s “Down On My Knees” fifty times during one particular revision. I don’t think I’ve ever heard the triangulation of love quite so plaintive and naked as in this, now favorite, song.

On the other end of the scale, from the perfect-love-moment songs, nothing beats “Come Rain or Come Shine” sung by the great Ray Charles. It’s ‘our song’ and it’s the one I listened to in a loop of stunned-new-love when I met my husband.

BEST BOOK: As reading is close to breathing for me, this is a tough category--but there are two books by a single author that come to mind, so let’s call them twins and include them both. Before and After by Rosellen Brown asks what if your love of your child collides with your moral code—which side will you fall on? And what if this internal battle is also a battle with your husband—the father of your son. Brown does a brilliant job turning the prism of the family to catch the light bending with each character. Tender Mercies breaks your heart, and it breaks it without adornment or fancy footwork. The story of a man who severely injures his wife through an accident of bravado, told from his point of view, explores with the brightest of lights the inside of a marriage after tragedy.

BEST MOVIE: Examining the top four from which I chose (Terms of Endearment, Slap Shot, Schindler’s List, and The Princess Bride) I see how I flip from genre to genre: where is the connective tissue here?) Picking one, I’ll say Schindler’s List.

I was asked by a Holocaust survivor to attend the Boston premiere of this movie. The invitation-only audience was largely made up of survivors and their family. When the curtain closed on this powerful film, the audience was silent but for the sobs. No one stood for at least fifteen minutes. The ability of a filmmaker to use the medium to completely capture an audience, while also bearing witness to history, has no better example than Steven Spielberg.

BEST MOMENT: In the movie of my life, watching kids dance the ‘Electric Slide’ to “Electric Boogie” at Thompson’s Island, a small island off Boston’s shore, was a moment of unmitigated joy. For three years I co-ran an event that brought over 1,000 children together (by bus and boat,) from every neighborhood in Boston—an extraordinarily diverse event for a sometimes over-boundaried city. At the time, the song and dance was gaining traction and when it came up on the loudspeaker (at this huge meadow) kids ranging from ages 7-17 came from everywhere on the field and slipped into lines. There had been no instructions, no exhortations to come dance—it simply happened. The adults followed the Pied Piper children. As though we were part of some spectacular version of West Side Story everyone came together in a magical dance, and unlike the movie, it was only followed by love and laughter.

I only wish smartphones were around then—because it would have ended up on Youtube and the kids could have seen themselves.

BEST ADVICE:  If my children follow any advice that I hold close, I hope it is this: Treat others according to the highest standards to which you want to hold yourself, not based on how they treat you.

When my grandmother was 97, I asked her what she would consider the most important piece of advice. “Be nice,” she said. You can’t argue with that, right?

Thanks, Randy!

24 Hours: DIY or bust!

24 HOURS is our newest feature! We'll be stepping outside of our comfort zones for a full day & hopefully live to write about it! Here's the story of my first foray into the world of the crafties...(PS: I survived!)

Something came over me as I began to plan my daughter's 2nd Sesame Street-themed birthday party. I wasn't going to call that bakery from last year. Forget shopping at my go-tos (Party City or Target) to get all of the fixins.

I was overcome with the idea that I was going to bake and decorate the cupcakes myself. I planned to hand craft all of the decorations. I was on a mission to not only make all of the appetizers but to design them. (Think: Elmo inspired cruditee.)

*Cue record scratch* And make sure the sound is really, really loud.

I'm not a DIY'er.

I'm the girl who relies on fabulous, dream-like wonderlands such as The Container Store to tell me what to do. I buy things with no assembly required. I conceptualize ideas and ask others far more talented to execute.

So WTF was going on here?

A couple of things. A) I wanted to do it for this new 24 HOURS feature! 2) I had to make up for my PARTY FOUL(s) at my daughter's 1st birthday party. (She burned her finger on a lit candle and refused to eat or smash her expensive designer smash cake.)

So there I was, hour one of 24, on Pinterest researching how to make Big Bird out of pineapple and I started to get excited. I can do this, I thought. I think I can, I think I can. And the funniest thing happened, I did. But not without trial and error of course. I did a dry run of the cupcake prep which wasn't without complications. I needed to make sure that they not only tasted good (and that there were no choking hazards for the littles--ended up swapping peanut M&Ms for plain for Elmo's nose! Ha!) but I also wanted to coax  my non-sugar-eating daughter into trying a plain cupcake, thinking by party time when it was decorated to look like Elmo, she'd eat it and make me look like a rockstar in front of our guests. (No such luck.  Goldfish won out #momfailyetagain.)

But the party was still a major success (if I do say so me-self). Here are the pictures to prove that even the most non-DIY girl has a little (or a lot) of DIY in her. And for those of you who don't think you have an inner-Do-it-yourself-er in there, you should give it a try. Tap into it. You might be surprised what you discover about yourself and your (not so) secret helper (details on that below)! (Click on each photo to get a close-up.)

On our Radar

Liz here--I'm so excited to debut our latest feature, On Our Radar, where we'll be dishing on the things we're loving right now--anything from a TV show to music to lipstick.  Because when we love something, we want you to know about it! And hopefully, you'll join in the fun and tell us what you heart at the moment too!

On Liz's Radar

1. Nashville

No, not the city!  The TV show! To be honest, the first episode was just so-so.  But thank GAWD I stuck with it because it's my new favorite --Connie Britton is awesome and Hayden Panettiere has such a perfect country drawl that I've forgotten that she was ever a cheerleader that saved the world.  But what makes it really stand out is not just all the pretty people(hello, hot boys with cute accents and guitars!) and fun drama, but the MUSIC.  It's RAD.  And downloadable from iTunes--I've written most of our new book so far while listening to When The Right One Comes Along. Want to get in the action?  You can watch full episodes at ABC.com. FOR FREE!

2. Heart Like Mine by Amy Hatvany

Okay,  so here's the deal.  I'm an emotional robot and don't like to cry.  EVER.  But, damnit, I can never pass up Amy's emotionally fulfilling books.  So, there I am, reading the ARC of Heart Like Mine, ignoring my husband and children, turning the pages as fast as I can, devouring every word.  And then I felt some liquid substance started coming out of my eyes and I'm like WTF!  (*Maybe* they were tears. *Maybe* even major waterworks.  But let's just keep that between us--I have a rep to protect!)  But you know what?  It was worth it to have a good cry over Heart Like Mine--it's THAT good.  Do yourself a favor and pre-order it. (Out March 19th!)

Here's what it's about: Thirty-six-year-old Grace McAllister never longed for children. But when she meets Victor Hansen, a handsome, charismatic divorced restaurateur who is father to Max and Ava, Grace decides that, for the right man, she could learn to be an excellent part-time stepmom. After all, the kids live with their mother, Kelli. How hard could it be?

At thirteen, Ava Hansen is mature beyond her years. Since her parents’ divorce, she has been taking care of her emotionally unstable mother and her little brother—she pays the bills, does the laundry, and never complains because she loves her mama more than anyone. And while her father’s new girlfriend is nice enough, Ava still holds out hope that her parents will get back together and that they’ll be a family again. But only days after Victor and Grace get engaged, Kelli dies suddenly under mysterious circumstances—and soon, Grace and Ava discover that there was much more to Kelli’s life than either ever knew.

3. Neuma Hair Products

You may or may not know this, but I have some FRIZZY ASS hair.  It's never been a wash and go situation over here. My thick, horsey mane is hard to control! My hairdresser(is it still okay to call them that?) turned me on to Neuma last month and I am IN LOVE. I want to MAKE OUT with this stuff.  My hair behaves itself.  It looks shiny!  And most importantly, I don't have it wash it nearly as often. (Don't judge me!  Straightening that mane is a pain in the ass!) So, to my fellow frizzy-haired sisters,  run, don't walk down to your salon and pick this up.

4. The Funeral by Band of Horses

I know I already mentioned I'm loving the music on Nashville.  But here's another song that I've had on repeat for some time.  I heard it randomly and used my Shazam app to identify it. (Btw, how awesome is Shazam, right?)  I tend to lean towards sweet sounding, guitar playing women, but I fell in love with this tune form a few good men.  I've listened to it so often that my kids scream, Mommy No!, whenever it starts playing in the car.  Seriously?  After all the Radio Disney torture I've endured, I think they can indulge me.

Take a listen.  What do you think?

5. #TaylorSwiftBacklash?

Have you seen it start?  The Taylor Swift backlash? She didn't seem too happy when Adele whipped her ass for Best Song at The Golden Globes.  Then she and that boy bander broke up.(They all look the same to me?) And then Michael J Fox (seriously? You know it's bad when Alex P Keaton is taking shots at you!) made some nasty comments about her. Just sayin', it seems like the tide is turning.  Personally, I don't have anything against her, except for the fact that I'm force fed her ridiculously catchy tunes every day on the way to school. (Damn you again Radio Disney!)  But, for her sake, I hope she comes up with some non-break up songs on her next album.

#getsomenewmaterialTaylor

Jane Porter's 5 Best Evers

Today's guest: Jane Porter Why we love her:  Jane has written some of our all-time faves, including She's Gone Country & Flirting with Forty!  And we felt she was the perfect author to help us celebrate CLIND'S 4th birthday! (PS: As a part of our celebration, don't forget to enter our CONTEST to win ANY 4 books of your choice!)

Her latest: The Good Daughter (The second book in her Brennan Sisters series.) Out today! Happy pub day, Jane!

The scoop on it: Love was given to all, except herself . . . Kit Brennan has always been the most grounded of her sisters. A Catholic school English teacher for seventeen years and a constant giver, her decisions have been sound—just not very satisfying. Her fortieth birthday is right around the corner, causing Kit to consider some wilder notions, like skipping right past the love and marriage to raising a child all by herself . . .

A girls’ weekend away is just the reprieve Kit needs from school, Mr. Wrongs, and life-changing decisions. It’s there that she meets a man who’s dangerous; a man who challenges who she thought she was, or rather should be. Kit wants to indulge herself this once, but with one of her students in crisis and the weight of her family’s burdens weighing heavy on her heart, Kit isn’t sure if now is the time to let her own desires take flight . . .

Our thoughts: Loving this series! Jane has such an incredible talent for creating characters we fall in love with.

Giveaway: A copy of The Good Daughter and The Good Woman--both SIGNED by Jane! Plus, a $5 Starbux gift card & some yummy chocolates. Good books +caffeine +chocolate= perfection! Just leave a comment to be entered to win. We'll select the winners on Sunday, February 10th after 3pm PST.

Fun fact: She also writes romance novels! She's a super star!

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

CHICK LIT IS NOT DEAD PRESENTS...JANE PORTER'S 5 BEST EVERS

MY ALL-TIME BEST, MUST DANCE-TO-IT SONG: Play That Funky Music by Wild Cherry.  This is the song I must dance to.  My surfer guy does not dance, but when this song comes on, I must get down....and groovy.  I will dance with anyone I can to make sure I’m moving.  (A close second for best dance is Brick House by Commodores...).  I feel fifteen when I hear it, and in my mind I look hot when I’m shaking everything.  My kids say I’m just embarrassing myself but that’s just their opinion.

MY BESTEST FAVORITE AUTHOR is Jane Austen.  Yes, I know, I’m not original.  But  I do love comfort reads and I love Austen’s characters and stories.  My favorite re-invented Jane Austen is Georgette Heyer.  And she might not be taught as part of the classics, but she wrote a lot more books than Austen, which means I have a lot more gorgeous stories to get lost in, and sigh over, and daydream about.

MY BEST EVER TOOL TO HELP ME WRITE is a lit candle.  I like vanilla, pear, melon, and mango for writing.  I will burn the candle all day—for as long as I’m writing and it makes my office smell really good and keeps me relaxed.

MY BEST EVER ALBUM: It would probably be a toss up between U2’s Joshua Tree and Meatloaf’s Bat Out of Hell.  I struggle between being spiritual and evolved and corny and emotional as hell.  Usually corny and emotional wins out.  I was born with a massive soft spot on my head that’s not gone away.  Family and close friends know if you can survive my prickly exterior, I’m a total mush head....crave good, kind people who are funny, but ultimately champions of the underdog.

BEST EVER MOMENT IN REAL LIFE: It would probably be the news that I was pregnant with my first son.  All three of my kids are either IVF or ART, and have taken years of fertility treatments, shots, appointments, hope, faith , $$ and pain, and discovering I was pregnant with Jake—I was at school, in the middle of teaching my 7^th grade class—just blew me away.  Learning I was pregnant with the other two was great, but then I ‘expected’ to get pregnant.  The first time was so new and experimental that I was in a fog of joy for days.

Thanks, Jane!

Welcome to the Brand Spankin' New Chick Lit is Not Dead!

Extreme Makeover: CLIND!

Do you like it? (Please, say you do!)

Happy 4th birthday to Chick Lit Is Not Dead!

It's been a roller coaster ride these past four years, and we've loved every minute of it.  And you know what else we love?  YOU GUYS.  Y'all are the best.  Without you, well, we'd just be two lameass girls talking to ourselves.

And it's not just a new look here at CLIND--we've got all kinds of new features too!  Of course, we'll still be interviewing all of your favorite authors and whoring it up with giveaways, but we'll also be talking some shit and taking you with us on our (still very surreal) road to publication.  In our new feature, On Our Radar, we'll tell you what we're loving at the moment--anything from books to movies to twitter hashtags. We'll also be tackling something outside of our comfort zone for 24 HOURS (think: no nagging or no technology!). Remember Liz vs. Lisa and  On The Soapbox?  They're baccckkkk! And that's not all! We'll be checking in with some of our favorite websites with our new Blog of the Month feature. And, last but not least, we'll keep you in the loop on our writing drama with Diary of a Debut.

Other fun things to check out?  If you scroll down, you'll find some inspirational quotes we love. And we've detailed our L&L history and found some old pics that we've posted over at the About Liz & Lisa page.  We've also streamlined our submissions process--make sure you check out the Contact if you want your book or blog profiled on CLIND.

Thankful....

We'd like to give a HUGE shout out to our web designers, Betsy Cohen and her team at Positive Element.  It's not an understatement to say we were HUGE pains in the asses(Who knew it was so hard to choose a font?) to work with on this redesign and they couldn't have been more patient, understanding or professional.  Thank you!

Also, we want to thank YOU.  Who knew, four years ago, when we didn't even understand how to log onto WordPress properly or what the hell a SEO search was, that we'd be here today? It's all because of YOU.  YOU make this fun for us.

Of course there's a COOL giveaway...duh!

To celebrate our fourth year, we're giving away FOUR books.  But not random books.  FOUR books off YOUR wish list. If you win, you'll send us a list of ANY four you'd like and we'll order them for you.  HOW RAD IS THAT?

But to enter, we need you to do a little somethin' somethin' for us.  See all those social media icons up top?  We'll give you one entry for EACH site where you follow us.  Just leave a comment and let us know where you're giving us the love. Got it?  Follow us at Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest and Instagram--that is FOUR entries! If you already follow us on any of these sites, just tell us that in the comments and you'll still be entered!  Haven't clicked follow yet?  Then get your booty over there! (pretty please!)

We'll choose the lucky winner after February 10th at noon PST.

So, are you ready to raise a toast? *clinks glasses*  Here's to a freakin' awesome 2013! 

Ali McNamara book giveaway!

Hi, y'all. T.G.I.F! We're excited to share a great giveaway with you! Today's featured author: Ali McNamara

Why we love her: Reading her books feels like curling up on the couch and watching your favorite rom-com.

Her latest: From Notting Hill With Love Actually

The scoop: She was a girl, standing in front of a boy...Movie fanatic Scarlett O'Brien dreams of a life as glamorous and romantic as all the big screen flicks she worships. When a chance house-sitting job in iconic Notting Hill comes along, she knows living in one of her favorite movie settings is an opportunity too good to pass up.

Leaving behind her skeptical friends, family, and fiance, Scarlett heads to London and finds herself thrust into the lead role of her very own romantic comedy. But can real life ever be just like the movies? Larger-than-life new friends, a handsome but irksome new neighbor, and a mystery from her past may prove to Scarlett that living her life like a RomCom is more complicated than she thought!

Our thoughts: What's not to love about this entertaining novel that reminds us of all the romantic comedies we love?

Giveaway: 5 copies! Just leave a comment, sharing your favorite romantic comedy, and you'll be entered to win. We'll select the winners after 3pm PST on Sunday, February 3rd.

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

xoxo, Liz & Lisa

Polly Williams' 5 BEST EVERS

Today's guest: Polly Williams Why we love her: Her writing is smart and funny--the perfect combo for books, and all things really.

Her latest: Afterwife

The scoop on it: Sophie Brady is a force of nature—funny, beautiful, and devoted to all the people in her life—even in death. After a traffic accident cuts her life tragically short, Sophie finds herself attending her own funeral (on time, no less) and watching the reactions of those she holds most dear.

Sophie’s darling, gorgeous husband Ollie is heartbroken, trying to father their young son while working out how to use the washing machine. Furthermore, he’s absolutely clueless about his new status as most eligible bachelor in the neighborhood. Sophie is determined to help her husband find love again, with the right sort of woman, of course.

Luckily, she’s not the only one looking out for Ollie. Her best friend Jenny is ignoring her own pain by helping him navigate the murky waters of widower-hood. But as she grows closer to Sophie’s husband, Jenny unearths secrets that make her question how well she knew her friend, and where the line between loyalty and love ends…

Our thoughts: Hilarious. A page-turner. The best break from the mayhem of everyday life.

Giveaway: FIVE copies. Just leave a comment & be entered to win. We'll pick the winners after 3pm PST on Sunday, February 3rd.

Fun fact: Her debut bestseller was titled The Rise and Fall of the Yummy Mummy. Such a great title!

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

CHICK LIT IS NOT DEAD PRESENTS...POLLY WILLIAMS' 5 BEST EVERS

BEST SONG: Harvest Moon by Neil Young. A song that features in Afterwife - it is played at my heroine’s funeral! I’d like to go out to it too actually. Listening to Harvest Moon makes me think of a bonfire on a warm starry night, friends, wine and acoustic guitars. Heaven.

BEST MOVIE: I think it must be the soppy romantic in me but my favorite movie is A Room With a View, based on the wonderful EM Forster novel, starring Helena Bonham Carter. It’s really quite dated now but somehow it satisfies on a deep level. Everything comes right in the end. Love and passion triumph. The rightful order is restored.

BEST BOOK: The Corrections by Jonathan Franzen is one of my all time favourite reads – I loved every word - although I do adore poetry too and dip in and out of it quite regularly. I particularly love the poetry of Elizabeth Bishop. She had an artist’s eye, a scalpel-sharp pen.

BEST LIFE MOMENT: I think it has to be the birth of my first child. He came almost seven weeks early. It was all quite traumatic but I was so overwhelmed with relief that he was born healthy, and awe-struck that I’d created another human being, however tiny. He’s nine now and not much smaller than me but I remember his birth like it was yesterday.

BEST ADVICE: Collette’s ‘What a wonderful life I’ve had! I only wish I’d realized it sooner.’ It always reminds me to be grateful for the small things. That life itself is the gift. In other words, you’re a long time dead, honey!

Thanks, Polly!

xoxo, Liz & Lisa

Photo credit: Lucy Johnstone

Darien Gee's 5 BEST EVERS

Today's guest: Darien Gee Why we love her: We fell in love with her book, Friendship Bread, and plan to devour anything else she writes--ever.

Her latest: The Avalon Ladies Scrapbooking Society

The scoop on it: Welcome to Avalon, Illinois, Pop. 4,243. At Madeline’s Tea Salon, the cozy hub of the Avalon community, local residents scrapbook their memories and make new ones. But across town, other Avalonians are struggling to free themselves of the past: Isabel Kidd is fixing up her ramshackle house while sorting through the complications of her late husband’s affair. Ava Catalina is mourning the love of her life and helping her young son grow up without his father. Local plumber Yvonne Tate is smart, beautiful, and new to Avalon, but finds that despite a decade of living life on her own terms, the past has a way of catching up—no matter where she goes. And Frances Latham, mother to a boisterous brood of boys, eagerly anticipates the arrival of a little girl from China—unprepared for the emotional roller coaster of foreign adoption.

Enter Bettie Shelton, the irascible founder of the Avalon Ladies Scrapbooking Society. Under Bettie’s guidance, even the most reluctant of Avalon’s residents come to terms with their past and make bold decisions about their future. But when the group receives unexpected news about their steadfast leader, they must pull together to create something truly memorable.

By turns humorous, wise, and deeply moving, The Avalon Ladies Scrapbooking Society is a luminous reminder that the things we hold most dear will last a lifetime.

Our thoughts: A charming novel we couldn't put down. We simply love the way she writes!

Giveaway: FIVE copies (US only). Just leave a comment & be entered to win. We'll select the winners after 3pm PST on February 3rd.

Fun fact: You might also know Darien as Mia King, the author of more fabulous books!

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

CHICK LIT IS NOT DEAD PRESENTS...DARIEN GEE'S 5 BEST EVERS

BEST SONG: Love Song by Sara Bareilles. I loved the song the first moment I heard it, but it was the video of her listening to her song playing on the radio for the first time (you can do a search on YouTube) that really did me in. I think she’s a great songwriter and artist.

BEST BOOK: She’s Come Undone by Wally Lamb, which really taught me about great characters, great plot, great writing. It was a book that really spoke to readers, and it changed the way I viewed literary and commercial novels.

BEST MOVIE: Baby Boom starring Diane Keaton and written/directed by Nancy Meyer. I have a lot of respect for both of them, actress and writer. My novels, especially my Mia King work, follows in the same vein. I would follow Nancy Meyer to the ends of the earth (Something’s Gotta Give is another favorite).

BEST LIFE MOMENT: My third child was born at home. My first birth had been a Cesarean section, and there’s not a lot of respect for natural birth after a surgical birth. I’m also a chicken when it comes to pain and obviously there are no meds with a home birth. So this was a game changer for me on a lot of levels, the least of which was that I really learned to trust myself, my body and my own instincts.

BEST PIECE OF ADVICE: “Deciding what not to do is as important as deciding what to do.” Steve Jobs. I think this is especially great advice for women, who are consummate multi-taskers. Just because we can do something doesn't mean that we should, and learning to deliberately choose where we put our time, energy and heart can make the difference between happiness and unhappiness, success and failure.

Thanks, Darien! xoxo, Liz & Lisa

Dana Bate's 5 BEST EVERS

Our guest today: Dana Bate Why we love her: Her writing is sweet and savory!

Her latest: The Girl's Guide to Love and Supper Clubs (out Feb. 5th!)

The scoop: Hannah Sugarman seems to have it all. She works for an influential think tank in Washington, D.C., lives in a swanky apartment with her high-achieving boyfriend, and is poised for an academic career just like her parents. The only problem is that Hannah doesn't want any of it. What she wants is much simpler: to cook.

When her relationship collapses, Hannah seizes the chance to do what she's always loved and launches an underground supper club out of her new landlord's town house. Though her delicious dishes become the talk of the town, her secret venture is highly problematic, given that it is not, technically speaking, legal. She also conveniently forgets to tell her landlord she has been using his place while he is out of town.

On top of that, Hannah faces various romantic prospects that leave her guessing and confused, parents who don't support cooking as a career, and her own fears of taking a risk and charting her own path. A charming romantic comedy, The Girls' Guide to Love and Supper Clubs is a story about finding yourself, fulfilling your dreams, and falling in love along the way.

Our thoughts: She had us from page one--a charming tale that we think you'll love.

Giveaway: FIVE copies!  Leave a comment and we'll choose the winners on February 4rd after 8am.

Fun Fact: Another Smarty Pants alert!  Dana studied molecular bio physics at YALE.  You go, girl!

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

CHICK LIT IS NOT DEAD PRESENTS...DANA BATE'S 5 BEST EVERS

1. BEST SONG: Oh, boy. This is a tough on. For me, music and experience are so intertwined that my “best” song depends on what mood I’m in and what past experience the song conjures up. Radiohead and Elliott Smith basically got me through the sophomore slump in college, so songs like “Karma Police” and “Pitseleh” will always hold special places in my heart. My husband and I danced to Frank Sinatra’s “The Way You Look Tonight” at our wedding, so that song always brings a smile to my face. I am physically incapable of keeping silent if “Bohemian Rhapsody” and “Don’t Stop Believing” come on the radio – a sing-a-long is 100 percent required. And if you were to put me and a bunch of my college friends in a room and blast R. Kelly’s “Ignition”? Let me tell you – all hell would break loose.

2. BEST BOOK 1984. I read this book well over a decade ago (closer to two…), but its story and message have stayed with me. The book made me think about the role and power of government in an entirely new way. I remember reading the scene where Winston and Julia get caught by the Thought Police and not being able to put the book down, even though it was close to midnight and I had school the next day.

3. BEST MOVIE:  It’s a Wonderful Life. I watch this movie every year and love everything about it – the characters, the message, the actors. The movie manages to strike the perfect balance of hope, sentimentality, and humor.  And when George Bailey’s brother Harry makes that toast at the very end? Forget it. I cry like a baby, every time.

4. BEST LIFE MOMENT: My wedding. I wasn’t one of those brides who’d been dreaming about her wedding since she was five. Frankly, I went through a period where I thought I’d never get married at all. Even once I was engaged, I cared more about having an amazing marriage than having an amazing wedding. But the night was truly magical. Me and the man I love, surrounded by our closest friends and family? Pure bliss.

*Word on the street has it that holding your child in your arms for the first time often supersedes – or at least equals – this moment. Talk to me in a month and a half, and I’ll let you know ;-).

5.BEST PIECE OF ADVICE: “Persistence pays off.” One of my high school teachers used this phrase all the time – often shortening it to PPO – and it’s some of the best advice I’ve ever received. Without persistence, I wouldn’t have landed my first job or written my first book, and I certainly wouldn’t have found an agent or a publisher. And if my husband hadn’t kept emailing me to convince me to go on a date with him…well, let’s just say we’re both happy he did.

Thanks Dana!  xoxo, L&L

Jen Lancaster's 5 BEST EVERS

Our guest today: Jen Lancaster! Why we love her: The question should be, how can you NOT love her?! She is SASSY and so are her books.

Her latest: Here I Go Again

The scoop: Twenty years after ruling the halls of her suburban Chicago high school, Lissy Ryder doesn’t understand why her glory days ended. Back then, she was worshipped...beloved...feared. Present day, not so much. She’s been pink-slipped from her high-paying job, dumped by her husband and kicked out of her condo. Now, at thirty-seven, she’s struggling to start a business out of her parents’ garage and sleeping under the hair-band posters in her old bedroom.

Lissy finally realizes karma is the only bitch bigger than she was. Her present is miserable because of her past. But it’s not like she can go back in time and change who she was...or can she?

Our thoughts: This one is our FAVE of Jen's so far.  It's Back To The Future meets Mean Girls and we promise you are going to devour every word. LOVED it!

Giveaway: FIVE copies, yo!  Leave a comment and we'll choose winners after February 4th at 8am.

Fun fact: Want to meet Jen in person?  She might be coming your way on her book tour--check out the dates here.

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

CHICK LIT IS NOT DEAD PRESENTS...JEN LANCASTER'S FIVE BEST EVERS

1. BEST SONG– I’m mercurial when it comes to music.  I’ll get into a mode and a handful of songs will suddenly become my Best Evers before quickly fading back into oblivion.  (Ahem, Taylor Swift.  Ahem.)  Right now I’m obsessed with 80s metal.  In Here I Go Again, heroine - and I use that term loosely - Lissy Ryder is a closet fan of all things Whitesnake, which is so far removed from the new wave/alternative music I lived for back in the day.  To get into Lissy’s character, I required a YouTube-based rock education.   Often, my husband would walk past my office, incredulous to hear Pantera coming out of my speakers.

Turns out, the more I listened to old metal, the more I came to appreciate the power behind it.  I defy anyone to not be moved watching Metallica doing Enter Sandman live in Moscow in 1991 in front of 100,000  screaming Russians.  So, I feel like I’ve discovered the entirely new universe, particularly the hair metal genre.  Some of my new (old) favorites include Whitesnake, Def Leppard, and Motley Crue.  Plus, I’m so tickled by the reaction I get from hipsters every time I pull up in my sweet convertible, wearing soccer-mom Capris, a ponytail, and pearls, with Rock You Like a Hurricane cranked up to eleven.  They look at their vintage Schwinns and skinny jeans, all, “My life is a lie.”  (Thus, my work here is done.)

2. BEST BOOK– Again, mercurial.  Right now I’m obsessed with J. K. Rowling’s The Casual Vacancy, which is just as brilliant as the Harry Potter novels, in an entirely dissimilar way.  I didn’t realize exactly how different it would be until I got to a part about a miserable teenage boy and I thought to myself, “Wait a minute… wizards don’t wank!”  I have so much additional respect for Rowling after reading this book.  She took everything she learned about creating a magical universe and used it to breathe life into her version of the sleepy little town of Pagford.  I’m bowled over by her prowess in crafting so many distinct, complex characters.  I’m in awe of her bravery for working against the archetype of pure evil and pure good like she did in Harry Potter.  Every character is layered and nuanced and imperfect.  Are any of them likable?  Generally, no, and that’s part of this quiet book’s subtle genius.  And spoiler alert?  She’s not afraid to eschew the happy ending.  The Casual Vacancy isn’t for everyone, especially for those yearning for a grown up version of Hogwarts.  But for me?  It’s my Best Ever for 2012.

3. BEST MOVIE– Do I even need to mention that my favorites change depending on my mood?  My perennial must-watch-each-time-they’re-on films score pretty high on the cheese-o-meter, e.g. Day After Tomorrow, The Hot Chick (and really, anything with Rob Schneider), 13 Going on 30, MIB, Independence Day, and The Incredible Mr. Limpet (wherein Don Knotts is a cartoon fish who helps the US win WWII in the Pacific Theater), so I’m probably not the Best Ever person to ask.  I saw Oscar nominated Beasts of the Southern Wild last winter and I left the theater completely confused, thinking to myself, “So, the earth is sick, the little girl eats dog food, the rains come down and they have to sail around a motorized bathtub, and then she visits her mom on Prostitute Island.  I don’t get it.”  I guess I prefer to do my thinking while reading.  In movies, Will Smith + alien invaders + quirky sidekick = Best Ever.

4. BEST LIFE MOMENT– The first time I realized that I wouldn’t have to go back to temping while trying to make it as an author.  I had an event at the Chicago Barnes & Noble where I’d also signed my first two books.  Each time, I had twenty to thirty people attend, which was outstanding.  There’s nothing worse than having a book signing where no one comes.  Trust me on this one.  So when I walked in the store, I noticed that there was no one in the area where the event was always held and I was disappointed.  Not surprised, having had it happen before, but bummed nonetheless.  But then the event coordinator spotted me and brought me upstairs to where two hundred and fifty women were waiting.  I was astounded and humbled.  A week later, my memoir Such a Pretty Fat not only hit the New York Times bestseller list, but stayed there for most of the summer, and that’s when I knew I was finally done fetching coffee and making copies.

5. BEST PIECE OF ADVICE – The minute you stop being fixated on looking cool is the minute your entire world changes for the better.  Whatever you pursue in life, do it because it makes you happy, and not because you want to post an impressive Facebook status update.  There’s no shame in loving cheesy music or opting for onion rings over escargot, if that’s what you want in the moment.  Generally, people are too self-absorbed to even notice your efforts, so you may as well do what you like.  Ultimately, the only opinion that really matters is your own.

Thanks, Jen! xoxo, L&L

2013 Club: Alison Atlee and The Typewriter Girl

Our guest today: Alison Atlee Why she rocks:  A true talent, Atlee's writing captivated us!

Her debut: The Typewriter Girl (Out tomorrow--January 29th)

The scoop on it: When Betsey disembarks from the London train in the seaside resort of Idensea, all she owns is a small valise and a canary in a cage. After attempting to forge a letter of reference she knew would be denied her, Betsey has been fired from the typing pool of her previous employer. Her vigorous protest left one man wounded, another jilted, and her character permanently besmirched. Now, without money or a reference for her promised job, the future looks even bleaker than the debacle behind her. But her life is about to change . . . because a young Welshman on the railroad quay, waiting for another woman, is the one man willing to believe in her.

Mr. Jones is inept in matters of love, but a genius at things mechanical. In Idensea, he has constructed a glittering pier that astounds the wealthy tourists. And in Betsey, he recognizes the ideal tour manager for the Idensea Pier & Pleasure Building Company. After a lifetime of guarding her secrets and breaking the rules, Betsey becomes a force to be reckoned with. Now she faces a challenge of another sort: not only to outrun her sins, but also to surrender to the reckless tides of love...

Our thoughts: A refreshing debut, we were completely in love with Betsey!

Giveaway: FIVE copies. Just leave a comment to be entered to win. We'll select the winners after 3pm PST on Monday, February 3rd.

Fun fact: Alison has fun ways to involve her in your book club.

Where you can read more about Alison: Her website, Twitter, Pinterest & Facebook.

CHICK LIT IS NOT DEAD PRESENTS...2013 CLUB: ALISON ATLEE

DO'S: 3 things every aspiring novelist should do...Find a schedule you can live with, not just aspire to. Find ways to mark and celebrate your progress. Find friends who also write.

DON'TS: 3 things every aspiring novelist shouldn't do...Wait for the perfect time. Wait until everyone in your life approves. Wait while you learn everything about your story/genre/querying/the publishing business.

MUST HAVES: On your desk? Nothing in particular. Just not nothing.

On your Facebook feed? I’m too much of a newbie there. Recommendations, please!

App on your phone? Audible audiobooks.

LASTS: Song you listened to on repeat? The soundtrack for Pan’s Labyrinth.

Book you read?  If we can count audiobooks, I just finished Thief of Time by Terry Pratchett. It’s 26^th in the series, but my first Discworld novel, and boy, was I confused for the first hundred “pages”!  Ended up loving it, though, and Stephen Briggs’ narration is stunning. I’m practicing his stilted interpretation of The Auditors for my own amusement.

Time you laughed? During a meeting. Someone made a Freudian slip that really wasn’t all that hilarious, but it turned into a Pez-dispenser-on-the-knee moment for my friend and me.

HOW MANY: Agents did you query before you found "the one?" About seven for The Typewriter Girl.

Hours do you write per day? Two weekdays, six weekends.

Hours do you waste online when you should be writing? No idea. I don’t have broadband, so even legitimate reasons to be online feel like a waste of time...

BESTS: Way to celebrate a book deal? Road trip! A dear friend and I went to see Oprah at an O magazine event.

Trick to overcome writer's block? I change physical positions to jog an idea—stand if I’m sitting, move to a new spot, make false eyelashes out of Post-it notes. Whatever. As for serious writer’s block, I’m not sure there’s a trick as much as a journey that’s going to be different for everyone.

Way to think of a book idea? Do housework with public radio playing in the background.

NEXTS: Show you'll DVR? Downton Abbey

 Book you'll read? Hallucinations, by Oliver Sacks

 Book you'll write? “The Oliver Sacks book is research,” she replied coyly.

Thanks, Alison! xoxo, Liz & Lisa

Alyssa Goodnight's 5 BEST EVERS

Our guest today: Alyssa Goodnight Why we love her: We adore her Jane Austen AWESOMENESS.

Her latest: Austensibly Ordinary

The scoop: Cate Kendall is no stranger to daydreams of brooding men and fancy parties--after all, she teaches one of her beloved Jane Austen novels in her English classes every year. But as for romance or adventure in her own life, the highlight of most weeks is Scrabble with her cute coworker, Ethan, and he draws the line at witty banter. But Cate is ready for a change. When she finds a mysterious journal that seems to have a link to the soul of the great Jane Austen herself, she knows it's her chance. And she grabs on with both hands...

Before she knows it, Cate has invented an alter ego with an attitude, attended some seriously chic soirees, and gotten tangled up with a delicious mystery man. And she's uncovered enough unexpected secrets about Ethan that her Scrabble partner has taken to brooding looks and unfathomable silences. It's a positively Austenite predicament, and Cate is sure she'll land in hot water and heartbreak--but maybe not with Jane herself to guide her...

Our thoughts: Crawl under the covers and dive into this one-you'll love it!

Giveaway: FIVE copies!  Leave a comment here and you'll be entered.  We'll choose the winners after Sunday January 27th at 3pm PST.

Fun Fact: Check out her best life moment below--but WARNING!  It may make you hate on what your hubs did (or didn't do!) for your birthday last year.

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

CHICK LIT IS NOT DEAD PRESENTS...ALYSSA GOODNIGHT'S 5 BEST EVERS

BEST SONG:  "Right Back Where We Started From" by Maxine Nightingale  This song never fails to put me in a good mood, and I admit to breaking out in a little impromptu boogie every time I hear it.  (The name Maxine Nightingale gives me a little burst of happiness too.)

BEST BOOK: Before last summer, I think I would have said This Rough Magic by Mary Stewart, which is a classic romantic suspense from the 60's and my favorite comfort read.  But this summer, I read Code Name Verity by Elizabeth Wein and was blown away.  This book is historical and important and intense and heart-wrenching.  My heart was in my throat through at least half of it.  I've never read anything quite like it, and I have every expectation that memories of it will stay with me for a long time to come.

BEST MOVIE: This one is really tough for me, because there are movies that I will watch over and over and over again, but faced with this question, I'm not convinced that I'd really consider them 'Best Movie' material.  I mean, that's a serious accolade.  I think that if pressed, I would have to say The Lord of the Rings trilogy.  Yes, I know it was three movies, but it's one story!  They broke it into three movies as a concession to the limitations of the human bladder.  I'm typically not a big fantasy fan, but there is just something magnificent about that story: the quest, the heroism, the battles, the humor...  It is simply epic.  (It has its share of hotties too.)

BEST PIECE OF ADVICE:  "Don't forget to be awesome!"  I first saw this as a poster/piece of artwork on Pinterest and immediately pinned it, thinking, that about sums it up, doesn't it.  Since then, I've seen it in various other incarnations and decided that it sums up all the other bits of advice quite nicely.  The big thing to remember while you're busy being awesome: It doesn't matter that no one else may be convinced of your awesomeness.  They'll figure it out eventually.  I love this sentiment so much that I recently created a framed reminder for myself to sit on my office desk.  I've (only somewhat jokingly) suggested that my two boys tap the frame everyday from now on.

BEST LIFE MOMENT: The moment it became clear that that my husband had pulled off my crazy 40th birthday wish.  I'd wished for a flash mob--not one I was dancing in, mind you, just one to watch.  And I got one!  I walked into our local Main Event, thinking I was going to play a round or two of birthday laser tag (which I LOVE) with a couple of friends, and instead a really impressive group of friends was lurking, in jeans and black t-shirts, waiting for me to arrive.

Getting over the initial shock, I was pressed into a front-row seat as Thriller was pumped out of the intercom system and everyone slid into rows.  It was an impressive, unbelievable thrill to watch as my friends hunched and twitched to that cult favorite.  And the surprises just kept coming!  As the songs changed and dancers switched in and out, my sons, along with clips from Muppets grumps Statler and Waldorf, commentated, and snapshot photos of my life were displayed on screen.  It was AMAZING.  They even managed to include me for a couple of dances, including, crazily enough, All the Single Ladies.  It was epic, and I will never forget it.  My husband never fails to impress.

Thanks Alyssa!  xoxo, L&L

Belinda Jones' 5 BEST EVERS

Today's guest: Belinda Jones Why we love her: Her books (she's written 11!) are so much fun!

Her latest: Winter Wonderland

The scoop on it: Imagine waking up in a snow globe...That's how travel journalist Krista feels when she arrives in magical Quebec to report on Canada's glittering Winter Carnival. Over ten sub-zero days Krista's formerly frozen heart begins to melt as she discovers an enchanting world of ice palaces, husky dog-sledding and maple-syrup treats galore. And then she meets Jacques, a man as handsome and rugged as he is mysterious...The two share a secret that could bond them forever, but can they find a way to break through the protective layers around their hearts to warm up this winter wonderland? ...let the snow-spangled adventure begin The irresistibly gorgeous new novel from Belinda Jones will completely melt your heart, perfect for those looking to escape in an exhilarating, romantic story with a little extra magic. Fans of Lindsey Kelk, Milly Johnson and Carole Matthews will love Belinda Jones's unique blend of humour, adventure and delectable romance.

Our thoughts: The perfect love story to warm your heart on a cold winter day! It's no surprise that her book has been shortlisted for Romantic Comedy novel of the year by the Romantic Novelists' Association! (Congrats, Belinda!)

Giveway: FIVE *signed* COPIES of the UK version (same book, slightly different, but just as fabulous cover). Just leave a comment & be entered to win. We'll select the winners on Sunday, January

Fun fact: You can read the first chapter of Winter Wonderland.

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

CHICK LIT IS NOT DEAD PRESENTS...BELINDA JONES' 5 BEST EVERS

BEST SONG: I'm typically a fan of the smoothie retro-crooners - Frank, Doris, Dean et al. I have my car radio station constantly tuned to the music of the Forties. And yet... my favourite song is Jump by Van Halen!! It's very much about the associated memory and how it makes me feel: My best friend Emily and I were in Paris on vacation and ended up in some dark'n'divey basement club. The song came on, we climbed up onto a platform, danced wildly and then joined hands and decided to take the chorus literally. Only Emily jumped a lot higher than me, hit her head on the ceiling and fell unconscious to the floor. Now of course this is a fonder memory for me than her, but what it is symbolic of to me is that daring leap you take when you are young. I felt a cautious side in me developing as I got older and I don't like it! Whenever I have a big decision coming up or I have to do something that makes me quake in my boots I crank up that song and tell myself, 'Might as well jump!'

BEST BOOK: The Lost Continent - Travels in Small Town America by Bill Bryson. For me if you have Travel and Humour in a book, I'm in heaven. And nobody does that better than Bill Bryson. This book inspired my own pilgrimage - On The Road To Mr Right - A Search for the American Dream Guy - which is my only non-fiction title. The freakiest aspect - it made the Sunday Times Top 10 list the same week Bill Bryson had another hit book out so I was actually in the same chart as my hero for a brief pinch-me moment. Still can't believe it!

BEST MOVIE: Thelma & Louise. This movie, for me, has everything - humour, drama, love, action, two redheads and a great soundtrack. I remember coming out of the movie theatre in Brighton on a high - I went straight to the nearest liquor store to buy a Wild Turkey miniature so I could feel like Thelma and then sat on the pebble beach, looking out to sea and promising myself I would one day take a road trip across that dusty red terrain. I actually visited Canyonlands, Utah on the 10th Anniversary of the movie for a magazine article and then drove through again, coincidentally, on the 20th Anniversary when I was relocating from California to be with my new husband in Virginia. We're getting to favourite advice in a minute but I have to quote Louise's sage drawl here: 'You get what you settle for!' Wise words!

BEST LIFE MOMENT: The first time I took my dog Bodie to the beach. He was picked up as a stray in South Central and when I rescued him from Pryor's Planet (run by Richard Pryor's wife Jennifer who does a fantastic job!) I was told, 'He loves to run!' So we drove from LA to Hendry's Beach in Santa Barbara and I let him loose. The pure joy I got from seeing him bound and frolic and then startle at the waves, and then give swimming a go - little chin up in the air, slightly panicked look on his face - and then shake it off and do it all again, was THE BEST. His eyes were so bright, his grin so enormous, my heart nearly burst! And every time we go, now to a beach in Virginia, it's THE BEST all over again.

BEST ADVICE:

'Better to regret the things you've done than the things you haven't!' My life may be peppered with shameful, cringe-making moments that turn my cheeks pomegranate pink just to think of them but I am unburdened with a list of things I wish I'd tried but didn't have the nerve. As Sophia Loren confirms, 'Mistakes are part of the dues one pays for a full life.' Never let potential embarrassment stand in your way. She who dares wins! You get the idea!! The other quote I reference most frequently is Edmund Burke's, 'The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing.' I think this is true in every day life. It's important to speak up and stand up for what is right. It may palpitate your heart but it's very empowering!

 Thanks, Belinda! xoxo, Liz & Lisa