Flash giveaway: Someday, Someday, Maybe by Lauren Graham

Giveaway: 3 copies of Someday, Someday, Maybe by Lauren Graham The Scoop: From Lauren Graham, the beloved star of Gilmore Girls and Parenthood, comes a witty, charming, and hilariously relatable debut novel about a struggling young actress trying to get ahead―and keep it together―in New York City.

It’s January 1995, and Franny Banks has just six months left of the three-year deadline she set for herself when she came to New York, dreaming of Broadway and doing “important” work. But all she has to show for her efforts so far is a part in an ad for ugly Christmas sweaters, and a gig waiting tables at a comedy club. Her roommates―her best friend Jane, and Dan, an aspiring sci-fi writer―are supportive, yet Franny knows a two-person fan club doesn’t exactly count as success. Everyone tells her she needs a backup plan, and though she can almost picture moving back home and settling down with her perfectly nice ex-boyfriend, she’s not ready to give up on her goal of having a career like her idols Diane Keaton and Meryl Streep. Not just yet. But while she dreams of filling their shoes, in the meantime, she’d happily settle for a speaking part in almost anything—and finding a hair product combination that works.

Everything is riding on the upcoming showcase for her acting class, where she’ll finally have a chance to perform for people who could actually hire her. And she can’t let herself be distracted by James Franklin, a notorious flirt and the most successful actor in her class, even though he’s suddenly started paying attention. Meanwhile, her bank account is rapidly dwindling, her father wants her to come home, and her agent doesn’t return her calls. But for some reason, she keeps believing that she just might get what she came for.

Someday, Someday, Maybe is a story about hopes and dreams, being young in a city, and wanting something deeply, madly, desperately. It’s about finding love, finding yourself, and perhaps most difficult of all in New York City, finding an acting job.

Our thoughts:  Pop this one in your beach bag for sure!

Leave a comment below to be entered to win.  We'll choose the winners on Sunday, April 28th after 8am PST.

2013 Club: Selena Coppock and The New Rules For Blondes

Our guest today: Selena Coppock Why we love her: Her writing is FUN with a capital F!

Her debut: The New Rules For Blondes

The scoop: Writer, comedienne, and full-time Blonde, Selena Coppock offers up adventures, misadventures, and golden-hued nuggets of wisdom in a laugh-out-loud anthem for those of us who really do have more fun.

The modern blonde is savvy, wise, confident, capable, and not afraid to laugh at herself when the occasion calls for it. She knows who she is and is prepared to subvert all stereotypes (although she's not above wielding her golden tresses to her advantage), and knows how to be both classy and a little brassy.

In the way only a Boston-bred New Yorker who once won "Best Hair" in her high school graduating class could, Coppock doles out tongue-in-cheek advice about avoiding hair disasters, the consequences of dating a man who cares a little too much about his own hair product, and so much more in an outrageous essay collection that will have even the staunchest of raven-haired beauties considering a trip to the nearest salon.

Our thoughts: Whether you are blonde or not, you will love this book!

Giveaway: Two copies!  Just leave a comment and you'll be entered.  We'll choose the winners on April 28th after Noon PST.

Fun Fact: She's a comedian too!

Where to read more about Selena: Her website, or Twitter!

CHICK LIT IS NOT DEAD PRESENTS...2013 CLUB: SELENA COPPOCK

DO'S: 3 things every aspiring novelist should do

1. Set Boundaries: I know this sounds really Dr. Phil of me, but it's important to set boundaries to ensure that you have work time, brainstorming time, quiet time to get your writing done.  For some people, it's helpful to be strict about it (for example, I found it useful to reserve my weekends as MY time and I never strayed from that for the 8 months during which I wrote my book) and for other people, it can be looser (for example, I know some people who write 2-3 nights/week but it changes from week to week).

2. Don't Have Too Many Cooks In the Kitchen: Some people might workshop chapters and pieces with writing groups or trusted friends and that's great, but you should trust your personal workflow and for me, that's a pretty solitary venture.  I had a vision for what I wanted my essays to be and, however bonkers, I didn't want to bend from that (until my agent & editor were giving notes).  Don't be afraid to NOT get input from friends--it's YOUR project, you get to be the boss.

3. Seek Different Ways to Get Exposure/Published: As a standup comedian, I have been my own publicist for the entire time I have been performing and I've found that any publicity or press is helpful.  So feel free to cast a wide net--write random blog entries on your personal blog and guest blog on other blogs and perform at storytelling shows (if you're comfortable with that) and go to MeetUp groups of writers and attend literary events--there are SO many different pathways and all of them are "correct."

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

1. Ponder What People Will Think of Your Work: Once my book was sold and I knew it would  be out there in the world, I began to think, "What will people think of this joke?  Will they be offended?  Will so-and-so be upset with me that I said this?" and that is SO  BAD.  My storytelling teacher Margot Leitman used to teach us to write and tell stories as though the people who might be upset are dead.  It's a bit morbid, but it works.  You simply cannot write with a nagging sense of worry weighing on you.  When it comes to the question of "what will people think?" I use the standup response of what you should think of an audience if they don't "get" or like you: F 'em.

2. Think That There's 1 Way You "Should" Write: Tons of people write and sell books while working other jobs.  Some people don't.  There's no 1 way it "should" be done and it doesn't mean that you aren't a "serious writer" (whatever that means) it it's currently a hobby or weekend activity.  We're each on our own path and you do what is right for you, as far as work/life balance.

3. Be Scared to Just Start Typing: I find it best if I start writing (or typing) feverishly and pare down later.  Just get it OUT to start and you can tinker with it later on, but holding yourself back from even commencing is not a productive way to work.

MUST HAVES: 

1. Music that somehow helps you write: I don't know what it is about Arcade Fire, but I found that band to be really good background music for me as I wrote.  That and assorted jazz music.  I logged a lot of hours on Pandora.com while I was writing.

2. Twitter and Instagram are two of my favorite things on my phone right now: I'm a bit of a Luddite, so perhaps Twitter and Instagram are obvious, but I was a (somewhat) late convert to both and now I love them.  It's really fun to see where your friends are and what they are seeing (on Instagram) and twitter is a comedian's dream app--just spout out throwaway jokes and see how many retweets you get.  RIght when Paul Ryan was announced as Romney's running mate I wrote a tweet about Ryan ("Guys: Paul Ryan likes Ayn Rand and Rage Agains the Machine? He's the coolest guy in our 9th grade class!) and it got about 250 retweets, which (sad to say) was one of the most exciting days of my life.  I might need to get out more.

3. There are so many amazing Podcasts out there: and I find them really inspiring, so I've downloaded quite a few to my phone.

LASTS:  

1. Song you listened to on repeat? I tend to beat the heck out of a song (on repeat for weeks) and right now that song is "Catch My Breath" by Kelly Clarkson.  How much does Ms. Clarkson rule? That girl can do NO wrong as far as I'm concerned.  "Catch My Breath" is not only catchy, but the lyrics about "catching my breath, letting it go, turning my cheek for the sake of the show" are something that I find it especially relatable as a performer.

2. Book you read? Recently I've been reading "We Killed: The Rise of Women In American Comedy" by Yael Kohen and "Nasty" by Simon Doonan.

3. Time you laughed? The last time I laughed was this morning with my sister Laurel (also a performer/comedian and Jan on the Toyota commercials) and brother-in-law Bobby Mort (a brilliant writer/actor/comedian)--those two crack me up and you just can't beat family jokes.

HOW MANY?

1. Agents did you query before you found "the one?"I am very fortunate that my agent (Elizabeth Evans with Jean V. Naggar Literary Agency, Inc) is a great friend from college.  I have been writing recaps of "The Bachelor" on my personal blog for years and she sent that along to a wonderful editor at It Books (Stephanie Meyers--now at Mental Floss Magazine) and Stephanie liked my tone and writing and knew what type of book she wanted to buy.  So I was able to get in through the back door somewhat (though my years of blogging and storytelling are really what opened the door for me).

2. Hours do you write per day? I still have a 9-6 job (I'm a book editor for a test prep company) and after a full day of reading and editing manuscript, I really couldn't bear to go home and write, so I gave myself Saturday and Sunday to write all day.  I still write here and there during the week (mostly standup bits, jokes when they come to me) but the bulk of the work on my proposal (3 versions of it) and book was created only on weekends.

3. Hours do you waste online when you should be writing? The online thing is SO hard.  I set certain rules for myself and goals (like if I cranked out a full hour, I was allowed to check Twitter for 5 minutes).  As it got closer to my deadline, I had to disconnect my computer from the WiFi entirely--that helped a LOT!

BESTS:

1. Way to celebrate a book deal? A few cocktails with friends was how I celebrated my book deal and it was lovely.  Then when the book was totally done (after the 8 months of writing the original manuscript and rewrites) I went out for a big, steak dinner with a friend to celebrate.  It's important to stop and toast these milestones so that you savor the entire experience.

2. Trick to overcome writer's block? I find running to be really helpful when trying to organize my thoughts or work through a problematic chapter.  If I'd hit a wall, I'd just put on my sneakers and go run in Prospect Park and usually during that hour of running my brain would sort of work through the blocks and I'd arrive at home with new ideas or a new way to organize a chapter.

 NEXTS:

1. Show you'll DVR? I'm fired up that Mad Men is back, as I love that show and vintage clothing, hair, and make up.  So this season is already programmed on the DVR.  I also can't wait for Netflix to release the newest season of Arrested Development.

2. Book you'll read? Books that I want to read very soon include some new releases written by my friends: The Symptoms of My Insanity by Mindy Raf and Screw Everyone by Ophira Eisenberg.  Those two gals are both hilarious and wonderful and I can't wait to read their books!

3. Book you'll write? Once the dust settles post-New Rules for Blondes release I might explore either a book about dating or a book that's a bit darker than this one.  I'm hopeful that if people enjoy my writing style in The New Rules for Blondes, they might be willing to go a bit darker with me (no pun intended!) and explore topics that are a bit more serious.  Who knows!

Thanks, Selena!

2013 Club: Kimberly McCreight and Reconstructing Amelia

Our guest today: Kimberly McCreight

Why she rocks: Her debut is riveting! Think: Gone Girl

Her debut: Reconstructing Amelia

The scoop on it: In Reconstructing Amelia, the stunning debut novel from Kimberly McCreight, Kate's in the middle of the biggest meeting of her career when she gets the telephone call from Grace Hall, her daughter’s exclusive private school in Park Slope, Brooklyn. Amelia has been suspended, effective immediately, and Kate must come get her daughter—now. But Kate’s stress over leaving work quickly turns to panic when she arrives at the school and finds it surrounded by police officers, fire trucks, and an ambulance. By then it’s already too late for Amelia. And for Kate.

An academic overachiever despondent over getting caught cheating has jumped to her death. At least that’s the story Grace Hall tells Kate. And clouded as she is by her guilt and grief, it is the one she forces herself to believe. Until she gets an anonymous text: She didn’t jump.

Reconstructing Amelia is about secret first loves, old friendships, and an all-girls club steeped in tradition. But, most of all, it’s the story of how far a mother will go to vindicate the memory of a daughter whose life she couldn’t save.

Our thoughts: Could. Not. Put. It. Down.

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

Fun fact: Check out the story of how she became a writer here! (She did everything she could to avoid it!)

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

CHICK LIT IS NOT DEAD PRESENTS...2013 CLUB: KIMBERLY MCCREIGHT

DO'S: 3 things every aspiring novelist should do

First, join a writer’s group or take a class.  Good feedback is critical to making progress as a writer.  But please be sure that it’s a supportive group.  Cutting feedback that isn’t actionable—i.e. burn this, immediately—is worse than no feedback at all.

Secondly, read widely.  Being a great writer starts with being a good reader and that includes everything from classic literature to modern thrillers.  Seeing what other people do and how they do it—and what you like and don’t like—will help you find yourself as a writer.

Finally, keep writing.  For some people, their first novel comes out exactly right, for others it takes practice.  I certainly fell into the later group.  Just because your early efforts don’t pan out doesn’t mean that your next book won’t be a whole lot better.

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

First, don’t chase trends.  Being aware that there exists a marketplace for books is smart, but deciding that you’re going to write Y or Z because A and B were so successful last year is doomed to fail.  First of all, you won’t be able to write anything good if your heart’s not in it.  There’s also a good chance the trend will have already passed by the time you’re done.

Second, don’t take early rejection to heart.  Every novelist gets rejected at one point or another—by an agent or an editor or a critic.  It’s just a part of the process and the best you can hope for is to learn from it.

Finally, don’t ignore thoughtful feedback.  While you don’t want to be derailed by negativity, you don’t want to ignore helpful insights that could be the key to writing a better book next time or making critical revisions now.

MUST HAVES: On your desk? On your Facebook feed? App on your phone?

On my desk are always a Diet Coke and sugarless gum and I consume far too much of both.  Don’t tell my children.  It’s a terrible example.

My friends are the most important things in my Facebook feed, nothing makes me happier than seeing what they’re up to, especially because some of my dearest live way too far away.

The apps I use most are Hopstop for train directions and WeatherBug.  When you spend a lot of time getting around on foot with two kids, you’ve got to be prepared.

LASTS: Song you listened to on repeat? Book you read? Time you laughed?

I actually have a playlist of about twenty of my favorite songs call “Kim’s Edits” and I play the whole thing on repeat.  It’s a really eclectic compilation of songs that I love.  One I did specifically play on repeat a lot was The Weary Kind by Ryan Bingham from the Crazy Heart soundtrack.

One book I read while revising was 11/22/63 by Stephen King.  His talents are so towering that reading him always inspires me to work that much harder.

And luckily my children keep me laughing all the time.  It helps enormously to have that kind of unbridled joy and deep silliness around when you’re writing about dark things!

HOW MANY: Agents did you query before you found "the one?" Hours do you write per day? Hours do you waste online when you should be writing?

My current agent is actually my third.  Because Reconstructing Amelia is my fifth completed manuscript, I probably queried hundreds of agents over the years with other projects before I landed with my current agent.  But I love her and I know she’ll be my last.

I work from 9-5:30, five days a week, though not all of that is working on my latest work in progress.  Sometimes, I’m doing things like this—answering fun questions—and sometimes I’m researching.

And “waste” time online?  I prefer the term research.  Deciding on a whim to spend two hours tracking down that best friend from fourth grade who you haven’t talked to for twenty-five years, that’s got to be research for something, right?

BESTS: Way to celebrate a book deal? Trick to overcome writer's block? Way to think of a book idea?

I think the best way to celebrate a book deal is with your family.  For us, it was such a long road in getting here and everyone—my husband, kids and myself—had to give up so much to make it happen, that all I wanted to do was share it with them.  The actual night it happened, I think we did something exciting like order a pizza from the “fancy” pizza place.  To be honest, the fact that it had happened was thrilling enough.

I think the trick to overcoming writer’s block is to make yourself write for your allotted hours or allotted page count every day even if it’s all a bunch of really crappy stuff.  Eventually, you stop caring and the stakes will feel lower and the words will start flowing again.  And then you can throw out all the garbage you forced out in those lean days.

Newspapers, nonfiction books and magazine articles usually provide the initial spark for most of my stories.

NEXTS: Show you'll DVR? Book you'll read? Book you'll write?

I’m DVRing Mad Men and I’m looking forward with a heavy heart to the end of Breaking Bad.  I’m excited for the new season of The Killing and I love the Walking Dead, even if it does scare the crap out of me.  I’m looking forward to reading Sonya Sotomayor’s biography, My Beloved World, as well as Lawrence Wright’s Going Clear.

On the fiction front, next up is Meg Wolitzer’s The Interestings and Becky Masterman’s debut, Rage Against the Dying.

As for my next book, I’m about three hundred pages into a first draft.  It’s another mystery with a deep emotional center and a character from Reconstructing Amelia even has a supporting role.  I’m very excited about it!

Thanks, Kimberly!

On our Radar by Liz

Lisa and I have been so knee-deep writing our next book that I've barely had time to come up for air!  But when I do--these are the latest things on my radar....

The Millionaire Matchmaker

Oh, how I love that beyotch Patti Stanger! Something about the way she puts those douchey millionaires in their place is addicting.  Yes, I have to try hard to ignore the fact that these gorgeous women would never even so much as glance at these guys unless they were loaded, but either way this is one hour of pure guilty pleasure for me and the hubs. (Shhh...don't tell anyone she watches it with me!) The best part of season 6? Millionairess Hello Kitty returns and redeems herself. (She's the one that gave that guy a hand job under the table...)  The worst part?  The creepy courtship of Patti and her new man. Ewww! Check out a clip below!

The Love Wars by L. Alison Heller

Out on May 7th---don't miss this Devil Wears Prada-esque tale of a divorce lawyer who, after becoming fed up with her insanely rich and spoiled(and just plain insane!) clients, goes against her high-powered boss and clandestinely represents a woman who desperately needs her help. Heller's narrative is a breath of fresh air--fun and quick witted. Delightful from beginning to end!

Hall of Fame--The Script

I'm loving this catchy song by The Script, one of my new favorite bands.  Whether I'm rocking out on the way to school with the kids or writing the latest chapter in our next book--I can't get enough of it!  Check it out!

Isagenix

So I'm doing the Isagennix 30 day cleanse in order to shed a few LBs for an upcoming trip.  And even thought I'm so hungry that I would consider beating your head in for a spicy tuna roll, it's okay.  I've lost 7 lbs int the last 12 days and it's getting a bit easier--the stuff they told me that tastes like "tea"(does NOT taste like tea!) doesn't even make me gag anymore.  This program is also good to cleanse if you have allergies or rashes.  But for me?  I just want to be able to stuff my face with warm brie and baguette in France next month without feeling like all those skinny french assholes are judging me.

#shipmypantscommercial #Kmart #controversy

I know some people have their panties in a wad about this Kmart commercial, but personally, I think it's hilarious.  And a big shout out to Kmart-who is now relevant for the first time in years!  Bravo!

Flash Giveaway! And Then I Found You by Patti Callahan Henry

Giveaway: FIVE copies of And Then I Found You by Patti Callahan Henry The Scoop: Kate Vaughan is no stranger to tough choices. She’s made them before. Now it’s time to do it again.

Kate has a secret, something tucked away in her past. And she’s getting on with her life.  Her business is thriving. She has a strong relationship with her family, and a devoted boyfriend whom she wants to love with all her heart. If Kate had ever made a list, Rowan would fill the imagined boxes of a perfect mate. But she wants more than the perfect on paper relationship; she wants a real and imperfect love. That's why, when Kate discovers the small velvet box hidden in Rowan's drawer, she panics.

It always happens this way. Just when Kate thinks she can love, just when she believes she can conquer the fear, she’s filled with dread. And she wants more than anything to make this feeling go away. But how?

When the mistakes have been made and the running is over, it’s time to face the truth. Kate knows this. She understands that a woman can never undo what can never be undone. Yet, for the first time in her life she also knows that she won’t fully love until she confronts those from her past. It’s time to act.

Can she do it? Can she travel to the place where it all began, to the one who shares her secret? Can the lost ever become found?

And Then I Found You gives new life to the phrase “inspired by a true story.” By traveling back to a painful time in her own family’s history, the author explores the limits of courage, and the price of a selfless act.

Our thoughts: So Intriguing! We loved this one and think you will too.

Leave a comment below to be entered and we'll choose the winners after 6pm on Saturday, April 20th.

Amy Shearn's 5 Firsts and Lasts

Our guest today: Amy Shearn

Why we love her: We dig her fresh narrative!

Her latest: The Mermaid of Brooklyn

The scoop: Formerly an up-and-coming magazine editor, Jenny Lipkin is now your average, stretched-too-thin Brooklyn mom, tackling the challenges of raising two children in a cramped Park Slope walk-up. All she really wants is to survive the sweltering New York summer with a shred of sanity intact. But when her husband, Harry, vanishes one evening, Jenny reaches her breaking point. And in a moment of despair, a split-second decision changes her life forever.

Pulled from the brink by an unexpected ally, Jenny is forced to rethink her ideas about success, motherhood, romance, and relationships. But confronting her inner demons is no easy task. . . .

Our thoughts: Dive in this witty and heartfelt novel this weekend! You won't regret it!

Giveaway: Two copies! Leave a comment and you'll be entered to win--we'll choose the winners on Monday, April 22nd after 8am PST.

Fun Fact: The Mermaid of Brooklyn is a Oprah.Com April book pick!

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

CHICK LIT IS NOT DEAD PRESENTS...AMY SHEARN'S 5 FIRSTS AND LASTS

Kiss

First: Let me just say that Jewish overnight camp in the Wisconsin woods circa 1992 was a heady time. The poignant Extreme ballad “More Than Words” was playing constantly, everywhere, as if piped in from the trees. And finally a boy liked me. I remember thinking I had been waiting forever for a boy to notice me. I was going into eighth grade. Obviously, it had been like MONTHS between the start of puberty and now – what was taking all the boys so long to notice a quiet, awkward, bookish girl who never spoke to them or even really looked at them? But finally this boy LIKED me liked me, and we were sitting outside by the creek and he leaned in and sort of smeared his mouth on my cheek area. Later that night, I was informed by my more streetwise cabin-mates that I was supposed to have turned my head to trickily French him. I was mortified, both at my lack of savvy, and at the idea of French-kissing him. Even though I didn’t really have any opinion whatsoever of this boy, I remember lying awake in my upper bunk aglow with that surreal excitement you get when your life seems to have gotten magical all the sudden.

Last: Tonight at bedtime, my two-year-old son announced he was a cat and then passionately licked my face. Not totally dissimilar to my summer camp kiss, actually. Except that I really, really love this boy.

Book

First: I taught myself to read when I was around 3 by obsessively staring at Mercer Mayer’s Just For You, which I assumed was the most hilarious and yet meaningful work of literature ever. I have a distinct memory of lying on the basement floor of my parent’s house, rubbing my feet over a rough place in the concrete, and having it all click, and realizing, with something like ecstasy, that I could read.

Last: I’ve just begun Jessica Francis Kane’s luminous short story collection This Close. It’s been a while since I read a collection of stories, and it’s such sheer pleasure. She packs tremendous insights into these narrative jewels.

 Risk

First: I have never been a risk-taker, really, so I had to wrack my brain here. I did have a much-cited (literally, almost every time I see my parents) misadventure in fifth grade, when, after watching 3 or 4 other kids do it, I went down the new banana-yellow twisty slide backwards. This was forbidden, and I got caught, and was benched. Benched! This horrifying punishment involved having to sit on a bench for a few minutes. It was my first and last time getting benched at Lincoln Elementary School. And that’s what you get for taking risks. Just kidding. Sort of.

Last: Writing this novel felt like a big risk. As noted above, I’ve always been a bit of a goody-two-shoes, an inveterate conflict avoider. Like every mother, I want to be seen as the perfect mom and wife, because of course I want to be the perfect mom and wife. But that whole parenting situation is just so difficult and fraught – honestly, even if you are a pretty happy mom, which I think I am -- that I wanted to write about how hard it is, taking care of small children and maintaining your sanity and sense of self. I wanted to say the things that all my mom friends say to each other, but that I had never read in a novel. And I wanted to inhabit a character who was trouble and difficult, because I find those characters interesting. But then, you know, you have to deal with people saying things like “I read your book and now I’m so worried about you! Is the main [depressed, manic, cheating] character you?”  Oy.

Hell Ya! Moment

First: The summer I was 20 I backpacked around Europe by myself, and I remember the whole time as one big HELL YA! I was breaking up with my long-time boyfriend, I was proving I was independent and brave, I was seeing the world and meeting people and I spent about $5 the whole time and I know the life-changing college trip is a total cliché but it was truly amazing. I have no idea how I did it. I don’t know that I could handle it now.

Last: My daughter is just starting to read on her own, and every time she reads a sentence or recognizes a word I do a little internal cartwheel. It’s so exciting to watch it all coming together, and to think of all the adventures that await her in library stacks.

Aha! Moment

First: I was probably 7 or 8 the day I was pestering my father while he was trying to write something and he handed me a notebook and said, “Here, you can start your own journal.” I wrote down some pertinent information about my cat, Daisy, and then reread it and enjoyed the process so much that I then wrote some more and then some more and soon I was filling notebooks with stories.

Last: As a mom-blogger, I’ve probably written 15 different essays/articles/blog posts about how moms shouldn’t be so hard on themselves, without truly internalizing this myself. It’s all very easy to say, but then…you know how it goes. Then the other night I realized I was having these crazy bedtime struggles with my 4-year-old for no real reason other than that I felt she ought to go to bed by 8:00pm and that in the back of my mind there was some voice – Super-Nanny, maybe – chiding me for not having enough control to maintain this bedtime. And then for some reason I had a moment when I asked myself if I really cared when she went to bed. If she’s quietly playing with paper dolls at 8, isn’t she maybe just winding down slowly? Since she has a hard time calming down to sleep, shouldn’t I let her do that work to learn how to calm herself down, as the end goal really is to have her know when she’s sleepy and put herself to bed? I realized that if she was busy coloring or something that I didn’t actually care when she went to bed, I just thought I should care, and that I was waging this nightly battle (that inevitably ends with me asleep in the toddler bed alongside her) for no real reason. So we did bath time, tooth-brushing, stories, all the bedtime things, and then I just let her chill out and tell the dog some stories until around 9 she told me she was ready for bed and wow, what a revelation! There’s motherhood in a nutshell: you don’t even realize that by trying to do something The Right Way you’re making yourself miserable. I’m always telling other moms not to be so hard on themselves, not to judge their parenting, to do what feels right. So maybe I should follow my own advice for once.

Thanks, Amy!

Blog of the Month: Booking with Manic

The 411:

Booking with Manic specifically features chick lit, women's fiction, new adult, humor, some self-help and memoir and the occasional dude-lit books. I vary how often I blog. I've been known to do blog-blitzing, where I'll post a book every day for a month (last year I did March Madness and it was CRAZY to keep up with 31 days of blogging and giving away 31 books in a month). I try to feature at least a book a week.

Why do people love Booking with Manic?

Every book featured includes a giveaway and I try to make each post personal and creative - bringing something from the book to connect to real life.

What is unique about Booking with Manic?

To enter to win, the reader has to answer a question that relates to something that has to do with the book -- whether it is something with the themes in the book, the title of the book, etc. For instance, for Meg Donohue's debut, How to Eat a Cupcake, the logical question I asked was "What is your favorite cupcake flavor?" (By the way, Meg's next book, All The Summer Girls is AMAZING!) But what I love the best about my blog and what I think is so unique about it is that since I do ask these personal questions, I feel like I really get to know the Booking with Manic readers, and I also share with them how I would answer the answer I'm asking. I learn stuff about them, and really do get to know them, which I love. It becomes more personal to me.

Where to read more about Booking with Manic:

Facebook and Twitter.

What inspires you?

Right now, honestly, my 11 year old son Luke is inspiring me. He was diagnosed with epilepsy last spring and to watch him just be a kid and know that he's getting through what he's been through -- that is inspiring. I'm so lucky to get to be his mom.

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

Ugh. I really wouldn't want a celebrity. I would want books. But I guess if I had to choose, it would be a toss-up between, and you may laugh, but I'm going to choose Vince Vaughn or Johnny Knoxville. I will probably take Vince though, because Johnny might be too scrawny.

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

What's an 'inanimate' object? I'm seriously going to look that up... Oh, so you mean like not my family members, like an iPhone or something like that... I can live without makeup. I probably could live without my phone. I guess I would have to say my contacts. And pretty soon it's going to be those 'cheater' glasses. I just turned 44. It pains me to say that. Truth hurts.

What books are you adding to your bookshelf this year?

Love this question! Anything and everything written by: Jen Lancaster (Can't wait for her Martha Stewart Tao book!), Emily Giffin, Sarah Pekkanen, Sarah Jio (am waiting for a quiet stretch of time to read The Last Camellia), I'm excited to see this new one Allison Winn Scotch wrote, Covet by Tracey Garvis Graves, Laura Dave needs to come out with a new one, Dina Silver's Finding Bliss, I'd love to know if Sere Prince Halverson has another on its way - I loved The Underside of Joy, Julie Buxbaum - I'm waiting for YOU to publish another, Zoe Fishman needs to write faster... do I sound a bit demanding on the authors I want to have books published?

Thanks, Stephanie!

Alyson Richman's Firsts and Lasts

Today's guest: Alyson Richman Why we love her: She's writes beautifully! Can't wait to read her other novels!

Her book: The Lost Wife

The scoop on it: A rapturous novel of first love in a time of war-from the celebrated author of The Rhythm of Memory and The Last Van Gogh.

In pre-war Prague, the dreams of two young lovers are shattered when they are separated by the Nazi invasion. Then, decades later, thousands of miles away in New York, there's an inescapable glance of recognition between two strangers...

Providence is giving Lenka and Josef one more chance. From the glamorous ease of life in Prague before the Occupation, to the horrors of Nazi Europe, The Lost Wife explores the power of first love, the resilience of the human spirit- and the strength of memory.

Our thoughts: We were sucked in by this engrossing book about love and war!

Giveaway: 5 copies! Just comment to be entered to win. We'll select the winners after 12pm PST on Sunday, April 21st.

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

CHICK LIT IS NOT DEAD PRESENTS...ALYSON RICHMAN'S FIRSTS AND LASTS

KISS:

First Kiss:   My first kiss was on the playground to a boy named Kevin Bisch when I was in the fourth grade.  We were standing in the middle of the grass clippings; he was this lanky kid with great hair, wearing a Doors t-shirt and a pair of wrangler cords.  There must have been some strange fertilizer in the grass that day, because we both ended up being writers.  He's now a screenwriter in LA.  Rumor has it, he's still wearing the same outfit.  Some of us just have an innate sense of style at nine.  Certainly not me!

Last Kiss:  This morning, as I was leaving to take the children to school, I pulled open the shower door and stole one from my husband. He still had shaving cream on his face and a head full of shampoo.

RISK I TOOK:

First Risk I took:   When I was sixteen, I tried out for the boys wrestling team in boarding school.  I was never much of an athlete, but I knew that I'd be good at wrestling since that's how I had to defend myself from my two brothers over the years. To get the full effect of this, you need to imagine that I looked very much like Gumby dressed in a Laura Ashley dress.  I'd change in the girls locker room into my singlet (wearing a turtleneck and tights underneath).  I think I won half my matches due to the sheer shock my appearance gave my competitors.

Last Risk I took:   Every book that I undertake has a certain element of risk.  "The Lost Wife" felt extremely risky for me because writing about the Holocaust is inherently very daunting.  You want to make sure that every aspect of the research is done properly.  For the entire book tour, every time a survivor raised their hand, I was petrified they were going to tell me I had made a mistake in the text regarding some historical detail.  You can't imagine how relieved I was to hear how they instead thanked me for writing the novel.

HELL YA! MOMENT

First Hell ya moment:  It has to be the moment my editor called and told me "The Lost Wife" was a best-seller.   For years, I always thought of myself as the writer who'd be driving around in a van handing out my books to whomever would take them.

Last Hell ya moment: Getting my last book contract.  It's so wonderful to now have the support of Penguin/Berkley for my next two books.  To feel like someone wants to invest in your career, after so many years of hard work, is immensely satisfying.

AHA! MOMENT:

First Aha moment:   With writing, it had to be discovering that what you take out of your drafts is just as important as what you put in.   I always describe my editing process as taking a palette knife and carving out the mud.  For me, writing is very much like painting.  You need to find ways to bring light into an otherwise dense canvas.

Last Aha Moment:  When I was having a nervous breakdown about the first draft of my next book, “Dragonfly,” and I was complaining to my husband all the reasons I was overwhelmed with it.   He looked at me with great sensitivity and said:  "I've been married to you for fifteen years and you say the same thing with EVERY book you write.  It will work out.  You have time.  You can do it."  The boy deserves a medal.

Thanks, Alyson!

Deborah Cloyed's 5 Firsts and Lasts

Today's guest: Deborah Cloyed Why we love her: We've been fans since we read her debut novel, The Summer We Came to Life.

Her latest: What Tears Us Apart

The scoop on it: Love lives in the most dangerous places of the heart.

The real world. That's what Leda desperately seeks when she flees her life of privilege to travel to Kenya. She finds it at a boys'orphanage in the slums of Nairobi. What she doesn't expect is to fall for Ita, the charismatic and thoughtful man who gave up his dreams to offer children a haven in the midst of turmoil.Their love should be enough for one another-it embodies the soul-deep connection both have always craved. But it is threatened by Ita's troubled childhood friend, Chege, a gang leader with whom he shares a complex history. As political unrest reaches a boiling point and the slum erupts in violence, Leda is attacked…and forced to put her trust in Chege, the one person who otherwise inspires anything but.In the aftermath of Leda's rescue, disturbing secrets are exposed, and Leda, Ita and Chege are each left grappling with their own regret and confusion. Their worlds upturned, they must now face the reality that sometimes the most treacherous threat is not the world outside, but the demons within.

Our thoughts: A powerful novel!

Giveaway: Two copies! Just leave a comment to be entered to win. We'll select the winners on Sunday, April 14th after 12pm PST.

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

CHICK LIT IS NOT DEAD PRESENTS...DEBORAH CLOYED'S 5 FIRSTS AND LASTS

KISS

FIRST KISS:  In third grade, a boy named Brant gave me the quintessential piece of paper bearing the Check Boxes of Like (yes or no), and with my affirmation we were officially in puppy love.  Sitting cross-legged on my parents’ living room floor, we put a blanket over our heads so he could peck me on the lips. Then we giggled like maniacs until my Mom came to see what we were up to.

LAST KISS:  I’m an early riser, my boyfriend a night owl.  He kisses me goodnight in the wee hours, to a groggy mmmmm-hmmmm-luvvvvyoutoooo, and I good-morning kiss him first thing in the morning to a similar refrain.  Which I just did.

BOOK YOU READ

FIRST BOOK I READ:  My childhood was a veritable blur of books.  The first one I remember being obsessed with was My Side of the Mountain.  I told my mom I would be living in the backyard from then on.  That she pretended to tolerate.  Cooking acorn pancakes in her kitchen, she did not.

LAST BOOK I READ:  I’m reading The International Bank of Bob, about a travel writer who put $20,000 into Kiva.org, one $25 microloan at a time, then goes to visit loan recipients across the world, including in Kenya (where What Tears Us Apart is set and where I lived before the election violence broke out).  Read this book!  The author performs a soul-searching yet inspirational examination of some of the world’s trickiest problems of poverty and violence.

RISK YOU TOOK

FIRST RISK I TOOK:  If you ask my older brother, I came out of the womb a reckless risk-taker.  I had a disturbing lack of fear of heights, spiders, the dark, claustrophobia, any of the usuals.   My earliest risk-taking memories, all before age five – of breaking my nose on a jungle gym, getting bit by a snake in a creek, falling out of a tree – it’s hard to remember which came first.  My parents put me in gymnastics and the whole family settled in for a lifetime of worry.

LAST RISK I TOOK:  Well, I calmed down a bit after two near-death drowning experiences in Central America (hence my debut book The Summer We Came to Life) in my twenties.  The risks I take now are of the more mundane variety.  Six weeks after foot surgery, I just hobbled up four flights of stairs balancing a tray of two flower vases, two wines glasses, two pizza boxes (don’t judge), and four coffee cups.  Nothing fell and broke, miraculously.  But in retrospect, that was pretty risky.

HELL YA! MOMENT

FIRST HELL YA MOMENT:  Funny but the first thing that springs to mind is when I learned to read.  As in – WHOA. There’s a whole world inside this book, and I can go in it all by myself. Like an empty amusement park.  And since I was a library junkie from age three, I knew it meant endless solo adventures to come.  I could picture it.  Hell ya.

LAST HELL YA MOMENT:  A cozy, snuggly Easter Sunday, with yummy food and good company, topped off by the Game of Thrones premiere?  Hell YA.

AHA! MOMENT

FIRST AHA MOMENT:  Thinking this through, I realize my first aha moment is the same as my first hell ya moment.  Such is life.

LAST AHA MOMENT:  I’ve been banging my head against the wall, working out the plot for my next novel.  Finally, last week sitting on my porch, I had the AHA moment I’d been waiting for.  An AHA that will make this an incredibly fun, eerie, epic book to write.  But that’s all I’m saying… for now.

Thanks, Deborah!

Liza Palmer's 5 Firsts and Lasts

Today's guest: Liza Palmer Why we love her: We've loved Liza since we read Conversations with a Fat Girl

Her latest: Nowhere but Home

The scoop on it: The strategy on the gridiron of Friday Night Lights is nothing compared to the savagery of coming home . . .

Queenie Wake has just been fired from her job as a chef for not allowing a customer to use ketchup . . . again. Now the only place she has to go is North Star, Texas, the hometown she left in disgrace. Maybe things will be different this time around. After all, her mother—notorious for stealing your man, your car, and your rent money—has been dead for years. And Queenie's sister, once the local teenage harlot who fooled around with the town golden boy, is now the mother of the high school football captain.

Queenie's new job, cooking last meals at the nearby prison, is going well . . . at least the inmates don't complain! But apparently small-town Texas has a long memory for bad reputations. And when Queenie bumps into Everett Coburn, the high school sweetheart who broke her heart, she wishes her own memory was a little spottier. But before Queenie takes another chance on love, she'll have to take an even bigger risk: finding a place to call home once and for all.

Our thoughts: We love her witty writing. And this story is the perfect blend of heart and humor.

Giveaway: 2 copies! Just leave a comment and be entered to win. We'll select the winners on Sunday, April 14th after 12pm PST.

Fun fact: Check out her blog where she reveals behind the scenes details about her books (including  the town her latest novel was based on) and her life.

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

CHICK LIT IS NOT DEAD PRESENTS...LIZA PALMER'S 5 FIRSTS AND LASTS

Kiss

My first kiss was probably with some poor unsuspecting neighbor and my most recent kiss was… the same, some poor unsuspecting neighbor.

Book you read

The first books I read were some combination of Miffy at the Zoo, Fletcher and Zenobia, Where the Wild Things Are and Goodnight Moon.

And the last book (play?) I read was Much Ado About Nothing.  (And the Joss Whedon movie version…hello?!  Can it surpass the Italian tanned loveliness of the Branagh version?  WE SHALL SEE.  Here’s what I do now:  Fillion will definitely do better than Keaton as Dogberry.  “Let it be known that I am an ass”… I CAN’T WAIT.)

Risk you took

The first risk I took was my entire childhood.  My Mom has informed me that she should have invested in a ceremonial plaque that saved her preferred seat in the Emergency Room.

The most recent risk I took was ordering the Cobb Salad at the Westside Tavern.  It’s hard to do a good Cobb.  (Verdict?  Loved it.  Highly recommend it.)

Hell ya! moment

My first Hell Ya moment - I actually asked my Mom about this and she said, “What about when you decided not to go to Kindergarten.  Walked in through the front door and right back out the back.”  I asked her what brought me back – what convinced me to stay.  And she said they’d just started this new pilot program where kids could dictate stories and teachers would write them down and make books out of them.  I didn’t know that… very cool to know writing has always been there for me.

My latest Hell Ya moment?   I mean, that Cobb Salad was pretty great, but…  it was probably when Nowhere but Home came in the mail.  The package was on my stoop and I thought maybeeeee – tore it open – and there it was.  I got emotional immediately and I haven’t let it out of my sight since. There’s just nothing like holding that finished book in your hands.  Yes, I’m kind of crying even writing about it.  (NERD)

Aha! moment

My first AHA moment – I mean, you are giving little kids and moreover people’s memories a lot of credit here.  Okay, isn’t a baby’s first AHA moment just Peek-a-Boo?  Oh, there’s my mom!  She’s not gone… wait, she’s gone again!?!?  So, first AHA moment was playing Peek-a-Boo with my Mom.

My most recent was that I just needed to shut up and be happy.  I will over think everything and I realized (after over thinking it, of course) that I was thinking my way right out of pleasure and happiness.  To balance out the instability of publishing and writing, I had to make a concerted effort to take in beauty, get outside and shut my brain off.  Yes, that’s a beautiful sunset.  No, you don’t need to write an entire blog post about it or take a picture of it for Instagram.  Just… enjoy it.

Thanks, Liza!

Flash Giveaway! The Witch of Little Italy by Suzanne Palmieri

Giveaway: Two SIGNED copies of The Witch of Little Italy by Suzanne Palmieri The Scoop: When young Eleanor Amore finds herself pregnant, she returns home to her estranged family in the Bronx, called by “The Sight” they share now growing strong within her. She has only been back once before when she was ten years old during a wonder-filled summer of sun-drenched beaches, laughter and cartwheels. But everyone remembers that summer except her. Eleanor can’t remember anything from before she left the house on her last day there. With her past now coming back to her in flashes, she becomes obsessed with recapturing those memories. Aided by her childhood sweetheart, she learns the secrets still haunting her magical family, secrets buried so deep they no longer know how they began. And, in the process, unlocks a mystery over fifty years old—The Day the Amores Died—and reveals, once and for all, a truth that will either heal or shatter the Amore clan.

Our thoughts: Liz just finished it and LOVED it! It's quirky and magical--perfect poolside reading.

Leave a comment here to be entered!  We'll choose the winners on Friday April 5th after 5pm PST!

7 Seconds in Heaven with Mike Greenberg

Our guest today: Mike Greenberg Why we want to spend 7 Seconds in Heaven with him: Not only does All You Could Ask For rock, but Mike is donating 100% of the proceeds from the book to breast cancer research!

His latest: All You Could Ask For

The Scoop: Brooke has been happily married to her college sweetheart for fifteen years. Even after the C-section, the dog poop, the stomach viruses and the coffee breath, Scott always winks at her in just the right moments. That is why, for her beloved, romantic, successful husband’s fortieth birthday, she is giving him pictures. Of herself. Naked.

Newlywed Samantha learns of her husband’s cheating heart when she finds the goods on his computer.

High-powered career woman Katherine works with heartbreaker Phillip, the man who hurt her early on in her career.

Brooke, Samantha, and Katherine don’t know each other, but their stories are about to intertwine in ways no one could have imagined.

And all three are about to discover the power of friendship to conquer adversity, the satisfaction of unexpected delights, the incredible difference one human being can have on other lives--and that they have all they could ask for, as long as they have each other.

Our thoughts: One of our very favorite books we've read in 2013--Greenberg's writing is insightful and will grab you from the first chapter. Make sure it's next on your TBR list!

Giveaway: FIVE copies! Leave a comment and you'll be entered to win.  We'll choose the winners on Sunday, April 7th after Noon PST.

Fun Fact: Our husbands have crazy man crushes on Mike--he is a hugely popular co-anchor and radio host at ESPN.

Where you can read more about Mike: Facebook and Twitter.

CHICK LIT IS NOT DEAD PRESENTS...7 SECONDS IN HEAVEN WITH MIKE GREENBERG

L&L: How does an ESPN anchor host end up writing *gulp* WOMEN'S FICTION? How are your colleagues there taking the news?

The book was inspired by the real life battle with cancer that my dear friend Heidi Armitage went through in 2009. One minute she was a healthy, vibrant, sexy, fun soccer mom, the next she was a patient. In seven months she was dead. It was the most horrific and unjust thing I have ever seen a family endure. I knew I needed to do something, and so I wrote this book in her honor and am donating all of the author’s proceeds to fund Breast Cancer research. My wife and I formed a foundation called “Heidi’s Angels” and 100 percent of the author’s proceeds from the book will be donated to The V Foundation For Cancer Research in her memory. So, it’s a departure for me, for sure, but in a way it makes all the sense in the world.

L&L: We loved ALL YOU COULD ASK FOR! The narrative for the three women was very insightful.  What women in your life inspired you?

MG: The best advice I received was from my friend Jane Green who told me: If you know your characters they will write themselves. And so each one is based on someone in my life, though distantly, I’m not sure they themselves will recognize that. But their voices, mannerisms, etc, are alive in my head. Again, the stories are completely fictitious, but the voices are real.

L&L: We host a *few* good men here, but CLIND is usually a big ol' lady party!  Tell us why women will love your novel.

MG: Well, I am hopeful that anyone would like it, because I think the subject matter, which is about the power of relationships to transform lives, is universal. But perhaps women are more inclined to be open about those emotions than men are. I hope that men and women will both like it.

L&L: What's your fave book of 2013 so far?

MG: I just finished Tom Wolfe’s Back To Blood, which I liked very much, though it took me forever to get through it. Last night I opened the new Virgil Flowers novel by John Sandford. I love that series.

L&L: Many aspiring authors swing by the site--what advice would you give them?

MG:Don’t give up. This is the third novel I’ve written, neither of the first two ever got published. That was crushing to me, both times. But here I am now and it feels great.

L&L: What's up next for you? More women's fiction?

MG:I am working on my next novel now. It is narrated by a man this time, but I hope it will appeal to women. It is about a guy who feels his marriage is falling apart and in order to figure himself out he needs to go in search of his past, which he has denied all his life. It sounds more dramatic than it is, the whole thing, I hope, is very human and relatable to both women and men.

L&L: Liz's husband listens to your show each morning and has a serious man crush.  He demanded we ask who you believe will win the NBA championship!

MG: I would bet on Miami, for the next three years!

Thanks, Mike!

Sarah Pekkanen's 5 Best Evers and Crazy Awesome Giveaway!

Many of you know that we've loved Sarah Pekkanen since the day she exploded on the publishing scene--her books are some of our all-time faves.  Not to mention she's probably one of the NICEST people you could ever meet!  So we can't just have any ol' giveaway when Sarah is visiting--we've got to have a CRAZY AWESOME one!

The CRAZY AWESOME prize package includes:

- A 50 page manuscript critique by Sarah Pekkanen

- A 30 minute PHONE CALL with Sarah about ins and outs of writing and publishing

-A SIGNED copy of The Best of Us

SO rad, right? We think this prize package is priceless!

To Enter:

1. Post this link: http://tinyurl.com/d2yl8ax to either Twitter or Facebook.  Make sure to tag Sarah! Twitter: @sarahpekkanen Facebook: hit @ and then type Sarah Pekkanen--her fan page will pop up in your post!

2. Include this review with the link: Publisher's Weekly called The Best of Us "A Deeply Enjoyable Page Turner".

3. Come back here and leave a comment telling us where you posted it! You will get one entry for Facebook and one for Twitter. So freakin' easy, right?

But act quickly!  This giveaway closes on THIS THURSDAY, APRIL 4TH at 5pm PST! We will choose a random winner after that. Good luck!

The Scoop on The Best of Us: An all-expense-paid week at a luxury villa in Jamaica—it’s the invitation of a lifetime for a group of old college friends. All four women are desperate not just for a reunion, but for an escape: Tina is drowning under the demands of mothering four young children. Allie is shattered by the news that a genetic illness runs in her family. Savannah is carrying the secret of her husband’s infidelity. And, finally, there’s Pauline, who spares no expense to throw her wealthy husband an unforgettable thirty-fifth birthday celebration, hoping it will gloss over the cracks already splitting apart their new marriage.

Languid hours on a private beach, gourmet dinners, and late nights of drinking kick off an idyllic week for the women and their husbands. But as a powerful hurricane bears down on the island, turmoil swirls inside the villa, forcing each of the women to reevaluate everything she knows about her friends—and herself.

Our thoughts: Our FAVE so far of hers--there's a little something of ourselves in each character and we couldn't put it down.  A MUST READ!

CHICK LIT IS NOT DEAD PRESENTS...SARAH PEKKANEN'S 5 BEST EVERS

BEST BOOK: In Cold Blood by Truman Capote. I first read this book in college, and was stunned by how Capote took a real event - the murder of a Kansas family - and wrote a book that was every bit as seamless and riveting as the best fiction. Capote's genius inspired me to try to write narrative non-fiction myself, and eventually I began working as a reporter in the features department for The Baltimore Sun, spending weeks or even months on a single story, shaping and crafting, learning techniques like foreshadowing and micro-tension. It was terrific training for becoming a novelist!

BEST MOVIE: I love chick-lit flicks, like "Four Weddings and a Funeral" but for some reason one of my all-time favorites is "The Terminator"! Recently I got to read the treatment James Cameron created for the film, and it's an incredible piece of storytelling. The film hews really closely to Cameron's initial vision, but there's one big change I noticed. Instead of the class line, "I'll be back," the script originally has Ah-nold saying, "I'll come back." I guess "I'll be back" sounds more menacing!

BEST SONG:  "I Will Survive" by Gloria Gaynor. Whenever life throws me a curveball - and we all get hit by them now and then, don't we? - something about this song helps get me through. Plus, when life is going well, it's really fun to sing.

BEST LIFE MOMENT:  Each of the three times I held my new babies. There are no words.

BEST PIECE OF ADVICE: Trust your instincts. This actually saved me and my children once: I was at the National Zoo in D.C. early one November morning, and it was nearly deserted. I went into the small reptile house, which was empty, and after we'd been there for a while, I noticed a man coming down the hallway toward us. Instantly I knew he meant to do us harm; my instincts were screaming. But my nice-girl mind tried to talk me out of taking action. "Oh, don't be silly, he just wants to ask you if you know what time it is," I told myself. Luckily, my primal instincts won out over my nice-girl mind. I had my infant in my Baby Bjorn, and I lifted my two-year-old onto my right hip. I couldn't outrun him, so I got ready to fight. When he was within two feet of me, my left arm shot out and I screamed at the top of my lungs, "STOP!" We locked eyes and I let him know with my expression that I would fight him - and win - because he was not going to touch my kids. He turned around and walked away without another word. Later I analyzed why my instincts had issued a warning (my "nice-girl" mind was still trying to tell me I'd overreacted). And I realized he had walked very quickly toward me, down a narrow hallway, without looking at the exhibits in glass cages on either side of him. And just before he reached me, he turned around for a quick look behind him. He wanted to make sure no one else was coming. I'm trying to teach my kids to listen to their inner voice and respect its warning. What's the worst thing that could happen if we're wrong? We'll be embarrassed. But that's a small price to pay, given the alternative. So to all the women reading this: Please, please, please let's vow to trust our instincts, in situations big and small, and keep ourselves safe. They're trying to protect us!

Thanks, Sarah!

Mary Kay McComas's 5 Firsts and Lasts

Today's guest: Mary Kay McComas Why we love her: Her writing is soulful...

Her latest: Something about Sophie

The scoop on it: Answering a call that summons her to a stranger's deathbed, a reluctant Sophie Shepard is too late to hear what he was so anxious to tell her. What was so important that a dying man would think of her in his final moments? With the help of Dr. Drew McCarren, Sophie begins to dig into her past, setting off a chain of events that chills the quiet town of Clearfield, Virginia to its roots.

With part of her wanting nothing more than to put Clearfield behind her and run back home, Sophie knows she won't rest until she discovers the truth. But growing closer to the residents also means uncovering their dark secrets: about the woman who gave her up for adoption, the mysterious part these strangers played, and the life she never knew she nearly had.

Something About Sophie is an unforgettable story about the power of love...and the things people will do, both right and wrong, to protect it.

Our thoughts:  A must read on your Spring Break!

Giveaway: 5 copies. Leave a comment and be entered to win. Winners will be selected on Sunday, April 7th after 12pm PST.

Fun fact: You can read an excerpt of Something About Sophie here.

Where you can read more about Mary Kay: Her website or Facebook.

CHICK LIT IS NOT DEAD PRESENTS...MARY KAY MCCOMAS' 5 FIRSTS AND LASTS

KISS

FIRST: Ugh. My first non-family kiss was an icky wet peck from a boy I didn't really like in 8th grade at our 'Graduation Dance'. We were slow dancing to The Beach Boys' Surfer Girl and to this day whenever I hear it, I get the willies.

LAST: My last kiss was so much better! My husband of 35 years and I kissed this morning before he left for work.

BOOK I READ

My first book was Dick and Jane. I memorized it: See Dick. See Dick and Jane go. See Dick and Jane and Spot. It was a childhood thriller that kept every first grader of my acquaintance on the edge of their seats. It ends well though: See Spot and Puff run and play.

The last book I read was Captain Vorpatril's Alliance by the clever Lois McMaster Bujold. It's the latest in the Vorkosigan Saga series, all of which are wonderful. And they're science fiction, which is incredible because I never read science fiction ... well, not the space alien, neuro-blaster, shuttleport kind. However, the hero of the Bujold books (many of the secondaries, too) define the word 'character' in its every sense and they're laugh out loud funny as well. Strong, distinct personalities and humor ... my kind of book in any dimension.

RISK I TOOK

FIRST: If this refers my first physical risk then there is an old family story of my dad being up high on scaffolding, painting our two story house and sort of keeping an eye on me at age 3 or 4 playing with my dolls on the lawn below. He got called away briefly -- "for 5 minutes" he always said -- and when he came back my pink baby bed was as white as our house and his paintbrush was in the grass beside it ... and not with the paint can, high up on the scaffolding, where he'd left it. My last huge physical risk was having a 9cm aortic aneurysm repaired a few years ago. It sort of put all my other physical risks in perspective.

But I actually think that emotional risks present themselves more often and have higher stakes. My first clear memory is of my first day of first grade and watching my mom drive away without me -- I didn't die on the spot, so I have to imagine that my first risk came shortly after that when I had to figure out how to cope with the teacher and the other kids. I was painfully shy.

LAST: I do, however, have a clearer memory of my last emotional risk which was to apologize to a friend. Not the 'oops, sorry' kind of apology that's mostly just good manners -- but a real act of contrition for being thoughtless and possibly hurting her feelings. I was fairly certain she'd forgive me but still, it wasn't easy.

HELL YA MOMENT

FIRST: I was the third of six kids and while I was never neglected I did sometimes feel a little ... overlooked. But I had this aunt who lived in Seattle and from the time I was about 10 years old she would ask me to come stay with her for a few weeks in the summer -- just me, no one else. I mean, ever. None of my sisters or brothers were ever asked to stay with her, just me. I felt very special and it was more than just a hell ya moment for me. Every year it was an Oh-hell-ya!-I'm-leavin'-and-you-all-have-to-stay-home-to-do-summer-chores! moment.

LAST: I think my most recent hell ya moments have involved my children. A college graduation -- hell ya it was worth the sacrifices. A good solid grownup job -- hell ya, you're ready and hell ya, they're getting the best guy for the job! And hell ya, I'm turning your room into my arts and crafts studio!

AHA MOMENT

I think my first Aha! moment -- the one that made the greatest impression on me anyway -- was when I finally realized that not doing well in school doesn't mean you're not intelligent, it just means your talents are elsewhere.

My latest aha! came a few weeks ago -- though I feel I should have pick up on it years ago. It explains SO much. My friends and I were out shopping -- for purses. I hate to shop, so naturally my more fashion conscious pals are responsible for making sure I'm not so tacky they feel they must sneak off and leave me in the ladies room. So ... purses ... they kept trying to foist these big bulky diaper bag looking things on me and I kept gravitating back to the clutch wallets. Finally, our purse guru stepped in and said, "She'll never carry one that big ... she's too tall." We stared at her. She held out her hands, it was Purse Shopping 101 to her. "She already feels like she takes up more than her fair share of space, a big bag only makes it worse." Well, I don't know if her theory is all that sound but the rest of the afternoon, and since then, I have been so aware that big and tall women tend to carry small to medium sized purses -- and that thin and average to short women carry suit cases. Just watch ....

Thanks Mary Kay!

Nicole Baart's 5 Firsts and Lasts

Sooo excited to debut another brand spankin' new feature!  Now we're asking our favorite authors to share the first and last time they've done--things like risks they've taken or kiss they've shared.  And the answers are JUICY!  so make sure to stay tuned! xoxo, L&L Our guest today: Nicole Baart

Why we love her: We can't put her books down!

Her latest: Sleeping In Eden (Out May 21st!)

The Scoop: On a chilly morning in the Northwest Iowa town of Blackhawk, Dr. Lucas Hudson is filling in for the vacationing coroner on a seemingly open-and-shut suicide case. His own life is crumbling around him, but when he unearths the body of a woman buried in the barn floor beneath the hanging corpse, he realizes this terrible discovery could change everything. . . .

Years before Lucas ever set foot in Blackhawk, Meg Painter met Dylan Reid. It was the summer before high school and the two quickly became inseparable. Although Meg’s older neighbor, Jess, was the safe choice, she couldn’t let go of Dylan no matter how hard she tried.

Caught in a web of jealousy and deceit that spiraled out of control, Meg’s choices in the past ultimately collide with Lucas’s discovery in the present, weaving together a taut story of unspoken secrets and the raw, complex passions of innocence lost.

Our thoughts: We promise you'll race through this thoughtful, intriguing book!

Giveaway: Five SIGNED copies, yo!  Just leave a comment here and you'll be entered.  We'll choose the winners on March 31st after 8am.

Fun Fact: Well, not really a fun fact--but Nicole is another wonderful S&S author caught up in all the B&N/S&S bulls*it going on. So PLEASE support her and this book by posting it and telling your friends!

Where to read more about Nicole: Her website, Facebook and Twitter!

CHICK LIT IS NOT DEAD PRESENTS...NICOLE BAART'S 5 FIRSTS AND LASTS

Kiss

My first kiss was in my best friend’s car. Front seat, people, get your minds out of the gutter. ;-) My best friend was a boy, and I had been in love with him for years. However, that much anticipated first kiss? A little underwhelming. I didn’t know what I was doing and it was sloppy and confusing.

My most recent kiss was a couple of hours ago. The love of my life and my husband of almost fourteen years caught me in the laundry room and we got a bit carried away... At least, until our two-year-old squeezed between us shouting, “Squish me! Squish me!” Nothing like the timing of a toddler.

Book you read

I can’t remember the first book I read, but my earliest memory of a truly gripping read was in fourth grade. My cousin and I had sleepovers nearly every weekend and we loved to lounge on small mountains of pillows and read to each other. One of our first picks was a library paperback called To Catch a Golden Ring. In my memory it’s an Outsiders themed sort of book, with a truly shocking tragedy that gave me nightmares for years. My cousin and I wept over it.

The most recent book I read is The One and Only Ivan by Katherine Applegate. I read it to my boys and we all adored it. I may or may not have cried like a baby and embarrassed my nine-year-old. (Though I think he was blinking back tears, too.)

Risk you took

When I was a little girl, my neighbor and I befriended a widowed farmer who lived down the street. We loved helping him collect eggs and try to catch the wild kittens that were born in the barn. We also loved playing in his haymow, and daring each other to do increasingly wild things (rappel down the side of the barn on a rope, climb the wide slats of the barn as high as we could go, etc.). Stretching the length of the haymow was a beam about five inches wide. At one end, the hay was stacked so high you could climb right onto the beam. At the other end was a 15-20 foot drop onto a wood plank floor. My friend was a gymnast and used to cartwheel across the beam. I was (still am) terrified of heights. But over the course of a summer I conquered my fear and learned to race across the beam full tilt. I was pretty proud of my accomplishment, though I’d never knowingly allow my own children to do something so dangerous!

One of the biggest risks I took recently was dancing in a local fundraiser spin-off of Dancing with the Stars. I was a last-minute add when one of the dancers broke her ankle, so my partner and I started off at a disadvantage. For ten days, we danced every night for at least two hours. I lost almost ten pounds and had blisters over nearly every inch of my feet. It was exhausting and terrifying because I am not the world’s most coordinated person... My rather ironic (and thankfully short-lived) nickname used to be Grace. But it was an absolutely amazing experience and one I wish I could repeat!

Hell ya! moment

I’m sure this isn’t my first Hell ya! moment, but it certainly sticks out in my mind... I wasn’t the most popular girl in my high school by a long shot (think gangly, awkward, Coke-bottle bespeckled girl aka the dorky Taylor Swift protagonist in the “You Belong With Me” video--only not nearly as cute), but my senior year I had a brief but thrilling romance with a gorgeous boy from another school. Gor. Geous. When I walked into my senior prom on his arm it felt like the climax of every classic click flick. I felt gorgeous by association. Of course, I’m probably the only one who remembers it that way!

One of my most recent Hell ya! moments happened when Publishers Weekly reviewed my 2012 release, Far From Here. I have a short wish-list of things I would love to accomplish in my career, and one of them was to receive a starred review from Publishers Weekly. Their anonymous reviews and reputation for sometimes brutal honesty make them a publication that I deeply respect... and kinda fear. But when my agent called to tell me that the review of Far From Here was live, and that it was a starred, featured review, I went a little ballistic. As my son would say, it was beast.

Thanks, Nicole!

Wendy Wax's 5 Best Evers

Our guest today: Wendy Wax Why we love her: Ever since The Accidental Bestseller, we've loved Wendy and her fabulous novels!

Her latest: While We Were Watching Downton Abbey (Out April 2nd!)

The Scoop: When the concierge of The Alexander, a historic Atlanta apartment building, invites his fellow residents to join him for weekly screenings of Downton Abbey, four very different people find themselves connecting with the addictive drama, and—even more unexpectedly—with each other…

Samantha Davis married young and for the wrong reason: the security of old Atlanta money—for herself and for her orphaned brother and sister. She never expected her marriage to be complicated by love and compromised by a shattering family betrayal.

Claire Walker is now an empty nester and struggling author who left her home in the suburbs for the old world charm of The Alexander, and for a new and productive life. But she soon wonders if clinging to old dreams can be more destructive than having no dreams at all.

And then there’s Brooke MacKenzie, a woman in constant battle with her faithless ex-husband. She’s just starting to realize that it’s time to take a deep breath and come to terms with the fact that her life is not the fairy tale she thought it would be.

For Samantha, Claire, Brooke—and Edward, who arranges the weekly gatherings—it will be a season of surprises as they forge a bond that will sustain them through some of life’s hardest moments—all of it reflected in the unfolding drama, comedy, and convergent lives of Downton Abbey.

Our thoughts: Even if you don't watch Downton Abbey, You'll fall in love with this book!

Giveaway: FIVE copies! (US only, please) We'll choose the winners on Sunday March 31 after 10am PST.  Good luck!

Fun fact: Wendy used to host a live radio show in the eighties called Desperate and Dateless!

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

CHICK LIT IS NOT DEAD PRESENTS...WENDY WAX'S 5 BEST EVERS

1. Favorite Song: Sorry, but songs are kind of like M&Ms and Lays Potato Chips for me. I’ve never been able to eat just one, and I don’t know how to pick one favorite song. There have been different ones at different times in my life.

“Stairway to Heaven” – I danced my very first slow dance to this song with a boy I had a major crush on, and I flash back to that moment every time I hear it. I also remember it from my days starting out in radio; it was long enough to leave the control room for a potty break!

Gloria Gaynor’s “I Will Survive” because it’s all about girl power. Disco may be over, but every time I hear it I want to go find all those guys who ‘done me wrong’ and tell them off.

My current favorite is Alicia Keyes’ “This Girl is on Fire” because it’s so powerful and because it’s exactly what I write. Women finding themselves. Discovering just how strong they are. Taking charge of their lives. It doesn’t hurt that it’s the final song played at my Zumba class, which means it’s time to cool down!

2. Favorite book: I have read and loved a lot of books in my day, but I will still give Margaret Mitchell’s Gone with the Wind first place. To be honest I like the first half best—before the war decimates everything and Scarlett throws so much of her life away mooning over Ashley Wilkes who could never make her happy instead of Rhett Butler who totally could. That woman could have eaten Ashley Wilkes for breakfast!

3. Favorite Movie:  Sorry, but I’m going to have to go with Gone with the Wind again. It’s one of the few movies I’ve seen that stayed emotionally true to the book. I used to watch it once a year and still resurrect it on occasion. I fell in love with Clark Gable the first time I saw it and was crushed to discover that he’d already been dead for a really long time (and thus unavailable for dating) by then.

4. Life moment: Hmmm…this is another rough one. Happily there have been a number of them: the birth of both of our sons, the sight of my first published book on a shelf. But I think it would have to be accidentally meeting the stranger who would become my husband on the Carey Bus in New York almost thirty years ago. Partly because when my mother, who was afraid I’d never get married kept asking, “Do you think you’re just going to be walking down the street one day and meet someone you want to marry?” I was finally able to say yes! : )

5. Piece of advice:  I may have said this here before, but I still think it applies. It’s advice I’m trying to follow myself, and that is, ‘Don’t sweat the small stuff!’ So much of what stresses us out and makes us unhappy on a daily basis is really small and unimportant. Unfortunately, we understand this best when the really big stuff happens.

Thanks. Wendy!

Anita Hughes' 5 Best Evers

Today's guest: Anita Hughes Why we love her: Her books provide the best escape--dive in, read and forget!

Her latest: Market Street (Out today!)

The scoop on it: Cassie Blake seems to lead a charmed life as the heiress to Fenton's, San Francisco's most exclusive department store. But when she discovers her husband, Aidan, a handsome UC Berkeley professor, has had an affair with a student, she flees to the comfort of her best friend Alexis's Presidio Heights mansion, where she wonders if she should give their marriage one more chance.

Whether or not she can forgive Aidan is not the only choice Cassie has to make. Cassie's mother is eager to have her oversee the opening of Fenton's new Food Emporium, which Fenton’s hopes will become San Francisco's hottest gourmet shopping destination. Cassie’s true passion has always been food, not fashion, and Cassie suspects her mother might be trying to lure her into the Fenton's fold by entrusting her with such an exciting opportunity. And then there is James, the architect designing the Emporium, who is quietly falling in love with her…

Giveaway: 2 copies! Just leave a comment to be entered to win. We'll select the winners on Sunday, April 1 after 12pm PST.

Fun Fact: She was born in Sydney, Australia!

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

CHICK LIT IS NOT DEAD PRESENTS...ANITA HUGHES' 5 BEST EVERS

BEST BOOK:  Old Sins by Penny Vincenzi. Penny Vinenzi is a British author who writes big fat books that move so fast you open the page and you are lost. I admit to having read Old Sins three times (and all her other books) and I can't wait for her new one.

BEST MOVIE: Les Ripoux starring a young Thierry L'Hermitte. It's a French movie about two detectives and was one of Thierry L'Hermitte's early roles. I admit it wasn't the movie as much as his blue eyes and French accent. He went on to star in Le Divorce with Kate Hudson - another of my favorite movies.  I still remember Les Ripoux and I have probably written at least one  male character who bear a resemblance to the male lead!

BEST SONG: The One by Elton John. I remember listening to it, driving from Santa Cruz to San Francisco with the top down and the Pacific glistening. Every time I hear it I can see myself in that car. It was a time when I had few responsibilities and a lot of dreams.

BEST LIFE MOMENT: When you're married with children it is impossible to pick one moment, but there is a time that stands out in my head. I had just arrived at Bard College and didn't know anyone. I enrolled in a class in 20th century Women's Fiction and the first book was The Group by Mary McCarthy. I remember sitting on the grass reading The Group and suddenly not worrying if I made friends. I was reading a great book and getting to sit around a big oval table discussing it with my professor and other students. I knew I was right where I belonged!

BEST ADVICE: I think you receive advice at different times in your life that really resonates with you. The best advice I've had recently is to write the book you want to read next. I love to travel to gorgeous locations but with children in school I don't get the chance. So I set my books in beautiful settings - Laguna Beach, San Francisco, Lake Como, and it's like taking mini vacations when I write each day - I hope my readers feel the same when they read my books!

Thanks, Anita!

Ellen Sussman's 5 Best Evers

Today's guest: Ellen Sussman Why we love her: She hooked us with her engrossing novel, French Lessons!

Her latest: The Paradise Guest House (Out March 26th!)

The scoop on it: A riveting and poignant novel of one woman’s journey to Bali in search of love, renewal, and a place to call home—perfect for readers of Elizabeth Gilbert’s Eat, Pray, Love and Alex Garland’s The Beach.

It starts as a trip to paradise. Sent on assignment to Bali, Jamie, an American adventure guide, imagines spending weeks exploring the island’s lush jungles and pristine white sand beaches. Yet three days after her arrival, she is caught in Bali’s infamous nightclub bombings, which irreparably change her life and leave her with many unanswered questions.

One year later, haunted by memories, Jamie returns to Bali seeking a sense of closure. Most of all, she hopes to find Gabe, the man who saved her from the attacks. She hasn’t been able to forget his kindness—or the spark between them as he helped her heal. Checking into a cozy guest house for her stay, Jamie meets the kindly owner, who is coping with a painful past of his own, and a young boy who improbably becomes crucial to her search. Jamie has never shied away from a challenge, but a second chance with Gabe presents her with the biggest dilemma of all: whether she’s ready to open her heart.

Our thoughts: Big fans of Eat, Pray, Love, we also loved this novel about a woman searching for love.

Giveaway: 1 signed copy! Just leave a comment and be entered to win. The winner will be selected on Sunday, March 24th after 12pm PST.

Fun fact: You can read an excerpt of The Paradise Guest House here.

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

CHICK LIT IS NOT DEAD PRESENTS...ELLEN SUSSMAN'S 5 BEST EVERS

BEST SONG: Hey Jude. The Beatles. Who else? I was a crazy Beatles fan when I was a kid. I carried Paul’s photo in my wallet and told everyone he was my boyfriend. And then I grew up with them, changing my musical tastes with each of their albums. When Hey Jude came along I was knocked out by it. I played it over and over again until I had it memorized. It still plays in my mind in the middle of the night.

BEST BOOK: This is the hardest one for me. Every year I’ve got a few new best ever books. As a kid it might have been Nine Stories by JD Salinger. Let’s go with that one because it was probably the most influential. I learned so much about writing by reading those stories. And I read them many times, waiting for their secrets to be revealed.

BEST MOVIE: I’m going to cheat a bit here. My husband’s favorite movie is The Usual Suspects. He has watched it so many times that he knows every line by heart. I don’t re-watch movies – I see them once, love them and let them go. So I’ve seen Usual Suspects more than most movies (just to keep him company once in a while) and I’m wowed by it each time. Beside, I’m a little in love with Gabriel Byrne.

BEST LIFE MOMENT: My first day in Paris. Age 33, husband and baby in tow, second baby in the oven. Crazy time to move to Paris but why the hell not. I remember walking down those gorgeous streets, ogling those beautiful people, and thinking: this is my home. I live here.

And it felt like that almost every day for five years.

BEST ADVICE: Go Big or Go Home. A student of mine said that in class; I think I was the only one who had not heard the expression before. In my life I go big. In my writing I wasn’t challenging my characters to go big. So this one became my writing mantra.

Thanks, Ellen!

Jane Green's 5 Best Evers

Today's guest: Jane Green Why we love her:  We've been in love with Jane since Jemima J, one of our all-time favorite books.

Her latest: Family Pictures (Out today!)

The scoop on it: New York Times bestseller Jane Green delivers a riveting novel about two women whose lives intersect when a shocking secret is revealed.

From the author of Another Piece of My Heart comes Family Pictures, the gripping story of two women who live on opposite coasts but whose lives are connected in ways they never could have imagined.  Both women are wives and mothers to children who are about to leave the nest for school.  They're both in their forties and have husbands who travel more than either of them would like.  They are both feeling an emptiness neither had expected.  But when a shocking secret is exposed, their lives are blown apart.  As dark truths from the past reveal themselves, will these two women be able to learn to forgive, for the sake of their children, if not for themselves?

Our thoughts: Jane Green's best novel yet! 

Giveaway: 3 copies! Leave a comment and be entered to win. We'll select the winners On Sunday, March 24 after 12pm PST.

Fun fact: Jane was once our mystery author and made a special video just for us!

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

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

BEST SONG: Go or Go Ahead by Rufus Wainwright. Somewhat obscure, I know, but this was the soundtrack to the freedom I felt after my former marriage ended. I used to drive around the Connecticut countryside in my old pick-up truck, and whenever the terror threatened to strike I'd turn Rufus up loud, and feel a soaring wave of optimism.

BEST BOOK: The ones I turn to again and again when I need to feel comforted and in the company of old friends are the Tales of the City series by Armistead Maupin. It makes me want to live in San Francisco in the 70's and 80's, and failing that, at the very least pack everything up here and go and live in California.

BEST MOVIE: I'm not a huge movie-goer, so anything I mention is likely to be at least ten years-old. I always loved Mr Blandings Builds His Dream House with Cary Grant, and continuing along the theme of dream houses, must have watched Something's Gotta Give at least twenty times in a bid to mimic the interiors of that glorious beach house as closely as I could.

BEST LIFE MOMENT: Marrying for the second time. My first was a huge white wedding, at Claridges, filled with tons of people I barely knew and didn't care much about. My second had 19 people, six of whom were our children. This time I was marrying for all the right reasons instead of all the wrong ones, and it was a tiny, intimate, cosy wedding filled with love and warmth, and all the people we love best in the world.

BEST ADVICE: Trust your instincts. I have always prided myself on having excellent intuition, but sadly common sense or good manners too often got in the way, and I ended up ignoring those initial feelings of distrust or uncertainty, only to have myself proven right in end. One of the great gifts of growing older has been learning to trust that intuition - if someone, something, feels 'wrong', walk away, however ridiculous you think it may be.

Thanks, Jane!

Amy Hatvany's 5 Best Evers

Today's guest: Amy Hatvany Why we love her: She's not only a wonderful author but a lovely person!

Her latest: Heart Like Mine  Out tomorrow! March 19th!

The scoop on it: 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.

Our thoughts: Our favorite yet. It was also the first book we put On Our Radar!

Giveaway: 3 copies. Leave a comment and be entered to win. Winners will be selected this Sunday, March 24th after 12pm PST.

Fun fact: Amy offers great tips for writers on her website.

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

CHICK LIT IS NOT DEAD PRESENTS...AMY HATVANY'S 5 BEST EVERS

Best Song: This is a ridiculously hard one to pin down! Okay, outside of pretty much every single hair band song from the 80’s, I love Pink’s F***kin’ Perfect. The first time I heard the lyrics, they totally choked me up and made me think about how rough I can be on myself and how damaging that is to my psyche. The lyrics also made me think about my own daughters - we sing them at the top of our lungs in the car (swear word and all when we listen to that version – bad mom moment?) because I want so much for them to be inspired and believe deep down in their souls how very perfect they are, flaws and all.

Best Book: I thought this would be the most difficult to answer, but then I realized that it has to be Elizabeth Berg’s TALK BEFORE SLEEP. It is the book I read when I was twenty-four, stuck in a horrible, boring job, completely unsure of whether or not I had what it takes to write a novel. It is a spare and poignant story – her style spoke to my heart and I thought, “This is the kind of book I want to write.” Emotional, affecting, full of simple truths. I am proud to have a signed first edition, and it is my go-to read when I’m struggling and need to be reminded of how much I love what I do.

Best Movie: I think “Juno” is one of the most smartly-written, brilliantly-acted films I’ve seen in years. The characterizations and dialogue were just so perfect, the relationships and struggles completely authentic. I love it.

Best Life Moment: This is going to sound totally cheesy, but honestly, it was the day I married my second (and FINAL!) husband. We had a party in my mom’s backyard where we just happened to get married – it was relaxed, easy, and I don’t think I’ve ever felt so right about a decision in my entire life. Our children were part of the ceremony (we had a Bouncy House!), and at the end of the day, my niece took a video recording of Stephan and I dancing and singing “I’m a Little Teapot” together  like the total goofballs we are. (I think we did it on a dare, and I’ve never laughed so hard.) He is truly my partner in every sense of the word.

Best Advice: This is one I’m likely going to have to keep re-learning for the rest of my life, but it’s so, so true: “What other people think of me is none of my business.” When I was younger, I tried to please everyone – I couldn’t stand it if a person thought poorly of me (whether it was for good reason or not) and I would do everything in my power to try and change their mind. It was exhausting…and pretty pointless.

After going through some fairly rough circumstances in my life, where there were so many people judging me and trying to tear me down that I wasn’t sure I would make it to the other side, I realized something very simple – I cannot control what other people think of me. Their perceptions, their beliefs systems are just that – THEIRS. The only thing I can control is what kind of person I am and how I choose to treat people. Their response to me is totally up to them.

Thanks, Amy!