Our guest today: Kim Barnouin

Why we love her: She’s sassy and knows how to eat right–what’s not to love?!

Her latest: Skinny Bitch in Love

The scoop: Clementine Cooper is a born vegan, com­mitted in every way to the healthy lifestyle she was raised with on her father’s organic farm. But how bad could a little butter be? Bad enough to get the ambitious and talented sous chef fired when an influential food critic discovers dairy in Clem’s butternut squash ravioli with garlic sage sauce. Though she was sabotaged by a backstab­bing coworker, Clem finds herself unceremo­niously blackballed from every vegan kitchen in L.A.

Like any vegan chef worth her salt, however, Clem knows how to turn lemons into delicious, cruelty-free lemonade cupcakes. She launches the Skinny Bitch Cooking School in hopes of soon opening her own café in an empty space near her apartment. But on the first day of class, sexy millionaire restaurateur Zach Jeffries puts a fork in her idea with his own plans for the space—a steakhouse. Clem is livid. For a carnivore, Zach is more complicated than she anticipated. He’s also a very good kisser. But could dating one of the most eligible bachelors in the city—and a meat-eater—be as bad for Clem as high-fructose corn syrup? Shouldn’t she fall instead for a man who seems to be her perfect match in every way—like Alexander Orr, a very cute, very sweet vegan chef?

Our thoughts: Fun, fun FUN! Whether you are a foodie or not, you’ll be charmed by this one.

Giveaway: One copy! (US Only!)  Leave  comment and you’ll be entered to win!  We’ll choose the winners after 3pm PST on June 23rd.

Fun fact: Kim is the co-author of the mega NYT bestselling Skinny Bitch books.

Where you can read more about Kim: Her website, Facebook,  Twitter or Pinterest.

CHICK LIT IS NOT DEAD PRESENTS…KIM BARNOUIN’S 5 FIRSTS AND LASTS

Kiss

First: I was in 6th grade and I had such a crush on a boy named John. We were outside one day and I ran up and kissed him really quick on the lips then ran home! He eventually broke my heart and started “going out” with another girl.

Last: I kissed my husband of ten years, last night to say goodnight. It would have been a morning kiss but he had to be at work really early this morning and our son was in ourbed and he didn’t want to wake us up.

Book

First: My mom used to read Winnie the Pooh to me every night when I was little. It was my favorite book for many years. We would read the book in my bed until I fell asleep,as a parent now I’m sure my mom was so sick of reading the same book night after night!

Last: The Shack by William P. Young. It was given to me a few years ago and I had noidea what it was about. It totally shocked me, not only because it wasn’t what I wasexpecting but because it was such a fantastic book. The story is so heartbreaking and beautiful at the same time. It will always be one of my favorites.

Risk

First: I was probably 15 years old when I got a huge Mohawk. It was in the 80′s when everyone was into Madonna and Wham!, and here I was all in black with a blackMohawk. It was risky in my suburban town in Maryland, there weren’t many people looking like that. I didn’t care what people thought of me, I was just going through my
own crazy rebellious phase.

Last: Doing a fiction book! I’m not known for fiction so it was a risk doing something new. I just had a feeling that it was time to do something different. I guess I take a risk each time I write a new book, because you never know what’s going to be well received and what isn’t.

Hell ya Moment

First: I was about 19 years old and I was modeling part time. I was doing a pretty big fashion show in Washington D.C and I remember walking out on the runway in a black sequined dress and seeing tons of people watching me. It was a pretty big high, I felt like the bomb at that moment. Especially after coming off the Mohawk phase!

Last: A few months ago my son won an award at school for creativity. I was in the auditorium taking pictures and he didn’t know I was there. When they called his name Iwas a slobbering mess, and he stood up there in front of everyone looking at his award in disbelief. I was like, “yeah, that’s my boy”!

Aha Moment

First: A number of years ago I read the book Real Magic by Wayne Dyer. I remember being completely floored by what he was saying, it is basically about the power to achieve our dreams and to live the life we really want to live. No one had ever told me before that I could do or be anything I wanted. It all clicked for me and ever since then
magic started happening in my own life.

Last: I was about to turn 40 and I had heard many women talk about how things really changed for them in their 40′s, that it was a really great time in their lives, etc. I was skeptical. Then one day when I was 41 it hit me, I totally got what those women were talking about. I had been feeling such freedom for the past few years, in the sense of
being comfortable with who I was as a woman, and in my marriage and life in general. I don’t have any of those old hang ups I had in my 20′s and 30′s. I’m not saying I have it all figured out, but I just feel so much better in my own skin than I ever have in my life.

Thanks, Kim!

Our guest: Barbara Delinksy

Why we love her: Her books never disappoint!

Her latest: Sweet Salt Air

The Scoop: Charlotte and Nicole were once the best of friends, spending summers together in Nicole’s coastal island house off of Maine. But many years, and many secrets, have kept the women apart. A successful travel writer, single Charlotte lives on the road, while Nicole, a food blogger, keeps house in Philadelphia with her surgeon-husband, Julian. When Nicole is commissioned to write a book about island food, she invites her old friend Charlotte back to Quinnipeague, for a final summer, to help. Outgoing and passionate, Charlotte has a gift for talking to people and making friends, and Nicole could use her expertise for interviews with locals. Missing a genuine connection, Charlotte agrees.

But what both women don’t know is that they are each holding something back that may change their lives forever. For Nicole, what comes to light could destroy her marriage, but it could also save her husband. For Charlotte, the truth could cost her Nicole’s friendship, but could also free her to love again. And her chance may lie with a reclusive local man, with a heart to soothe and troubles of his own.

Our thoughts: REALLY great–and we love the cover too!

Giveaway: TWO copies!  Leave a comment and we’ll choose the winners on June 23rd after 3pm PST.

Fun Fact:  Barbara has NINETEEN NYT bestsellers under her belt–WOW!

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

CHICK LIT IS NOT DEAD PRESENTS…BARBARA DELINSKY’S 5 FIRSTS AND LASTS

KISS

First:  His name was Paul, we were dancing in a darkened basement to “The Twelfth of Never” (Johnny Mathis), and he wasn’t the greatest kisser.  Or so I learned.  Which leads me to the following.

Last:  My husband.  This morning.  He knows what he’s doing.

BOOK YOU READ

First:  Make Way For Ducklings by Robert McCloskey – at least, that’s the first one I remember.  Hey, I’m from Boston.  What more can I say?

Last:  I just reread F. Scott Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby in advance of seeing the movie. Starting it, I felt it was unnecessarily dense.  I kept hearing my editor say, “Spit it out, say what you want without getting lost in the words.”  Then I started to love getting lost in Fitzgerald’s words.  I just finished it, and I’m haunted by the tragedy of these characters’ lives.

RISK YOU TOOK

First:  Daring to write a book.  Actually no, that wasn’t the risk.  The risk was daring to send the book I’d written to New York.  It wasn’t easy.  My book is my baby.  What if I send it to strangers who cut it to bits?

Last:  Switching from PC to Mac.  Nothing about technology is intuitive to me.  Sorry, but my mind just works a different way.  But I needed a new computer and my web designer swore by his iMac.  I told myself that I could do it, and a dozen migraines later, I have!

HELL YA! MOMENT

First:  My childhood wasn’t terribly happy, not the least of it being social misery in high school.  So when I started college, I chose a new name.  From freshman orientation on, I wasn’t Barbara, I was Bobbi.  I felt like a different person, acted like a different person.  Hell ya!  I was reborn.  Those college years were phenomenally happy for me.  The funniest thing, of course, was being home over vacations, having college friends call on the phone. and hearing my dad say, “Bobbi?  Who?”

Last:  Several weeks ago, grandparents’ visiting day was held at my grandkids’ school.  What to wear?  I mean, most of the other guests would be dressed like, well, grandparents.  I didn’t want to look outlandish by comparison.  But I do like my purple nail polish.  And my leopard leggings.  And the feather in my hair.  Hell ya!  This is the me my grandkids know.

Thanks, Barbara!

Faking It by Cora Cormack

Revenge Wears Prada: The Devil Returns by Lauren Weisberger

The scoop: Almost a decade has passed since Andy Sachs quit the job “a million girls would die for” working for Miranda Priestly at Runway magazine—a dream that turned out to be a nightmare. Andy and Emily, her former nemesis and co-assistant, have since joined forces to start a highend bridal magazine. The Plunge has quickly become required reading for the young and stylish. Now they get to call all the shots: Andy writes and travels to her heart’s content; Emily plans parties and secures advertising like a seasoned pro. Even better, Andy has met the love of her life. Max Harrison, scion of a storied media family, is confident, successful, and drop-dead gorgeous. Their wedding will be splashed across all the society pages as their friends and family gather to toast the glowing couple. Andy Sachs is on top of the world. But karma’s a bitch. The morning of her wedding, Andy can’t shake the past. And when she discovers a secret letter with crushing implications, her wedding-day jitters turn to cold dread. Andy realizes that nothing—not her husband, nor her beloved career—is as it seems. She never suspected that her efforts to build a bright new life would lead her back to the darkness she barely escaped ten years ago—and directly into the path of the devil herself…

Our thoughts: Such a satisfying sequel!

Crazy Rich Asians by Kevin Kwan

Crazy Rich Asians is the outrageously funny debut novel about three super-rich, pedigreed Chinese families and the gossip, backbiting, and scheming that occurs when the heir to one of the most massive fortunes in Asia brings home his ABC (American-born Chinese) girlfriend to the wedding of the season.
When Rachel Chu agrees to spend the summer in Singapore with her boyfriend, Nicholas Young, she envisions a humble family home, long drives to explore the island, and quality time with the man she might one day marry. What she doesn’t know is that Nick’s family home happens to look like a palace, that she’ll ride in more private planes than cars, and that with one of Asia’s most eligible bachelors on her arm, Rachel might as well have a target on her back. Initiated into a world of dynastic splendor beyond imagination, Rachel meets Astrid, the It Girl of Singapore society; Eddie, whose family practically lives in the pages of the Hong Kong socialite magazines; and Eleanor, Nick’s formidable mother, a woman who has very strong feelings about who her son should–and should not–marry. Uproarious, addictive, and filled with jaw-dropping opulence, Crazy Rich Asians is an insider’s look at the Asian JetSet; a perfect depiction of the clash between old money and new money; between Overseas Chinese and Mainland Chinese; and a fabulous novel about what it means to be young, in love, and gloriously, crazily rich.

Our thoughts: Sassy, smart and funny, it’s all the good things you’ve heard and more.

The First Affair by Emma McLaughlin and Nicola Kraus

Following college, Jamie McAllister wins a prestigious internship at the White House that she has no idea will irrevocably alter her life. An unexpected flirtation with the handsome and charismatic Gregory Rutland quickly leads to an emotional relationship she is ill equipped to handle at twenty-two. Each time she tries to extricate herself Greg is unable to find the strength to let her go. Meanwhile, the opposing party mobilizes to annihilate his presidency by any means necessary.

As Gregs conflicting desires drive her to the breaking point, Jamie cant help but reveal intimate details to those closest to her. But she must have unburdened herself to the wrong personbecause within a matter of weeks Jamie finds herself, and everyone she loves, facing highly calculated destruction at the hands of Gregs political enemies.

With her every mistake dragged out for the world to judge, Jamie has to endure an unprecedented trial in the court of public opinion with the fate of the President, his party, and the country at stake.

Now, years later, can the woman infamously known as the girl in the blue dress make sense of this affair, and the trauma it wrought, for the world and for herself?

Our thoughts: Such an engrossing story! OMG, you must read! (PS: We know this doesn’t come out until August 27th, but we were lucky enough to get an advanced reader copy and just had to talk about it right now!)

All My Restless Life to Live by Dee DeTarsio

The scoop: Life is a soap opera in All My Restless Life to Live, especially for Elle Miller, who writes for one. (Ellen dropped the “n” in her name in hopes of finding a better ending for herself.) When her laptop crashed, she borrowed her dead dad’s computer and got more than she bargained for. As Elle comes to terms with her father’s death, she’s busy unraveling mysterious communications from his computer. From dealing with her mom, who has decided to give Internet dating a try, to saving her career at I’d Rather Be Loved, with a storyline featuring a trip through Atlantis, to a trip to the Emmys, Elle also finds herself in the middle of a romance between a real doctor and a hunk who just plays one on TV. Friends, family, and clues from “the other side” all help Elle figure out the difference between living the good life and living a good life. Hint: The universe always gives us clues.

Our thoughts: We’re big fans of Dee’s books! And this is definitely our favorite yet.

Today’s guest:

Why we love her: We literally bumped into her at the Harper Collins party when we were in NYC for BEA. And when she told us about her latest novel, we were immediately intrigued and started reading it on the plane ride home!

Her latest: The Wonder Bread Summer

The scoop on it: In The Wonder Bread Summer, loosely based on Alice in Wonderland, 20-year-old Allie Dodgson has adventures that rival those Alice had down the rabbit hole. Or those of Weeds’ Nancy Botwin.

Allison is working at a dress shop to help pay for college. The dress shop turns out to be a front for drug dealers. And Allison ends up on the run—with a Wonder Bread bag full of cocaine.

With a hit man after her, Allison wants the help of her parents. But there’s a problem: Her mom took off when Allison was eight; her dad moves so often Allison that doesn’t even have his phone number….

Set in 1980s California, The Wonder Bread Summer is a wickedly funny and fresh caper that’s sure to please fans of Christopher Moore, Carl Hiaasen, and Marcy Dermansky.

Our thoughts:  We could not put this book down. A hilarious summer read! (Plus: Doesn’t it have like the best cover ever?)

Giveaway: Two SIGNED copies! Just leave a comment to be entered to win. We’ll select the winners on Sunday, June 16th after 12PM PST.

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

CHICK LIT IS NOT DEAD PRESENTS…JESSICA ANYA BLAU’S 5 FIRSTS & LASTS

Kiss

First: I come from a kissy family so certainly I was kissed a lot as a kid. My great-grandmother didn’t speak English (that I had ever heard) and she laid some pretty terrifying kisses on me as she spit out a guttural Yiddish. But my first romantic kiss was when Scott Carpenter said, “Jessica, come here, I want to tell you something.” We were standing at the top of a hill on the cul de sac where I lived. It was a bright sunny day and the sidewalk was chalky clean. Scott leaned in and kissed me quickly on the tip of my nose. I think he was aiming for my lips but missed. Then he turned and ran as fast as he could down the hill and away from me. Matt B. was the first boy who French kissed me and it was a messy affair. There was drool sliding down my neck.

Last: My husband thirty seconds ago just before he walked out of the room.  He’s a kiss-when-you-enter, kiss-when-you-exit kind of guy.

Book I read

The first book I read to myself was a French counting book. On each page was a number with a play on the pronunciation of the word. On the page for the number four it said QUATRE and there was a picture of a cat (the reader was supposed to pronounce quatre as CAT). And on the page for the number five it said CINQ and there was a picture of the cat sinking in a tank of water (cinq was to be pronounced SANK). I loved that book. The next book I remember reading is Madeleine by Ludwig Bemelmans.

The last book I read was Cheryl Strayed’s WILD.  I’m probably the last person on the planet to read it. I can’t wait to see the movie.  Nick Hornby wrote the script and I’m a huge Hornby fan (as well as a Strayed fan, too, now!).

Risk I Took

First: I was a pretty fearful and quiet kid and until around age seven, I preferred to hang out with my mother and read books (she read for hours each day—not to me, beside me) than hang out with kids. So my first real risk was probably when I agreed to sleep over at the neighbor girl’s house when I was five. It was a long, miserable night. We shared a bed and she tortured me by making horse whiney noises with her face an inch from mine. I couldn’t wait to go home.

Last: Every day that I sit down to write, I feel like I’m taking a risk. I’m risking failure, humiliation, rejection, time-wasting, revealing how stupidy-dumb-dumb I am, etc.  I write in spite of these risks. Yet, still, all the perils of this occupation occur to me each time I open my computer.

Aha! Moment

First: When I was a little kid I didn’t understand children. I thought the things they wanted to do weren’t interesting. I liked reading, I liked quietly mothering my dolls, and I liked having tea with the old lady who lived across the street.  Then my family moved to California and I discovered friends who were fun, exciting and imaginative. I suddenly realized that it could be great to hang out with people my age.

Last: Wow, I feel like I have Aha! moments every day. Today I had one when I was wearing a white shirt with a blue and white polka dot bra. (I was rushing this morning when I got dressed and didn’t realize the bra showed through until I was out of the house.) It was a hot day so I thought I could pretend it was a bathing suit and that I was coming from the pool (this pretending was going on in my head since the general public wasn’t discussing the polka dot bra with me!). Then, around six, I met a couple friends at the neighborhood pool.  My one friend said, “Why are you wearing a polka dot bra under that white shirt?” I asked her if it didn’t just look like I was wearing a bathing suit. She said it looked like I was wearing a polka dot bra. And I thought, “Aha! I’ve fooled no one and I just look like an idiot!”

Hell ya! Moment

My first Hell ya! moment was probably when I fell in love repeatedly in sixth grade. The entire class was falling in love and switching up boyfriends weekly.  The whole love stuff was pretty fun and exciting and I remember thinking a version of Hell Ya! when the class went to sleep away camp and my friends and I spent all our energy maneuvering for hand holding or kissing.

My last Hell ya! moment was about thirty minutes ago when my daughter handed me an award she got for a short film she made. She worked really hard on that film (writing it, storyboarding, casting it, shooting it, editing it) and Hell Ya! she deserved that award!

Thanks, Jessica!

Our guest today: Sally Koslow

Why we love her: Her writing is insightful!

Her latest: The Widow Waltz

The scoop: Georgia Waltz has things many people only dream of: a plush Manhattan apartment overlooking Central Park, a Hamptons beach house, valuable jewels and art, two bright daughters, and a husband she adores, even after decades of marriage. It’s only when Ben suddenly drops dead from a massive coronary while training for the New York City Marathon that Georgia discovers her husband—a successful lawyer—has left them nearly penniless. Their wonderland was built on lies.

As the family attorney scours emptied bank accounts, Georgia must not only look for a way to support her family, she needs to face the revelation that Ben was not the perfect husband he appeared to be, just as her daughters—now ensconced back at home with secrets of their own—have to accept that they may not be returning to their lives in Paris and at Stanford subsidized by the Bank of Mom and Dad. As she uncovers hidden resilience, Georgia’s sudden midlife shift forces her to consider who she is and what she truly values. That Georgia may also find new love in the land of Spanx and stretch marks surprises everyone—most of all, her.

Our thoughts: We couldn’t put it down!

Giveaway: ONE copy! Leave a comment and we’ll choose a winner after 3pm PST on Sunday June 16th.

Fun Fact: Sally’s experience working with at the short-lived Rosie magazine inspired her first novel, Little Pink Slips.

Where to read more about Sally: Her website, Facebook or Twitter.

CHICK LIT IS NOT DEAD PRESENTS…SALLY KOSLOW’S 5 FIRSTS AND LASTS

Kiss

First: Mark and I were 13, at summer camp in northern Wisconsin. A few times over the session the counselors would declare that after taps, there would be a “night walk.” This meant that a boy could ask you to this prom-worthy event. Mark and I strolled around the campgrounds, swatting away mosquitos and reeking of insect repellant as The Twelfth of Never and Moon River blared from the loudspeakers. He kissed me in front of the lake. The slippery tongue was a shock.

Last: This morning when my husband left for work. Robby and I met in college, and have practically grown up together. When I look at him, I see a19-year-old hippie, not a handsome man with silvery sideburns in a Hermes tie.

Risk

First: After I graduated from college I wanted a job on a magazine. Unaware that Conde Nast was the ooh-la-la of publishers, I had the audacity to apply there and landed an entry-level position at Mademoiselle. This meant moving from the Midwest to New York City. A friend who’d lived in Manhattan decided to bail, so I took her apartment, not knowing it was in a rough neighborhood, muggers right and left. The first day of work I figured out to get to the office by bus, but I had no clue how to get home. I am grateful to have been gullible enough to do these things at 21 and start what turned out to be a long, satisfying run in magazines.

Last: My agent heard me riff about the challenges of raising young adult children and suggested that I write a book about it–nobody else was reporting on this subject, and she found it interesting. I was skeptical. I saw myself as a novelist—I’d written three novels in six years, although I’d written dozens of magazine articles. Still each one of them was only about 3000 words long. Books are about 100,000 words long, and for this topic, I’d need to uncover hundreds of baby boomer parents and their drifting offspring and convince them to prattle on about frustrations, worries and disappointments. Plus I’d need to charm interview subjects to allow me to use their real names in the book. Daunting. I rose to the challenge, however, and wrote a hybrid of reporting and memoir that was published last year and has recently been released as a paperback, Slouching Toward Adulthood: How to Let Go So Your Kids Can Grow Up. The best part? NBC found the book funny and apt and has optioned it for a TV series. This is a lot like buying a lottery ticket. I am not holding my breath.

Book You Read

First: As a four- and five-year-old, I poured over my Golden Books for the pictures, because I couldn’t read. In grade school I loved the Betsy, Tacy and Tib series by Maud Hart Lovelace; Peter Pan; and volume D of our encyclopedia, with its photographs of dogs as well as “Dolls of the World.” But my favorite was The Secret Garden, which wet my appetite for Jane Eyre, Rebecca and Wuthering Heights when I was a teenager.

Last: Claire Messud’s The Woman Upstairs is one of my year’s favorites. It fully engaged me. Nora Eldridge, the main character and “woman upstairs,” her term for what we used to call a harmless spinster, becomes beguiled by one of her third-grade students and his worldly parents. The language is rich and contemporary, at turns savagely funny and touching, and the ending broke my heart.

Hell Ya

First: I was a kid whom adults exhorted to “smile!” Hell was being forced to call my mother’s friends and ask them to buy Camp Fire Girls candy. So in ninth grade, I was terrified about having to take Speech, where a wry and gifted teacher coached us on how to address a group. To my shock, when I stood in front of the podium, a bolder me emerged–perhaps this is the way an actress feels—and I became the class star. This may be the most practical class I ever took. I’ve had little further media training, yet feel comfortable speaking in front of a group of any size or on television, which I’ve had to do extensively, both as the editor of magazines and as an author. I realized you shouldn’t make assumptions about your capabilities. Let yourself be surprised.

Last: The concept for my second novel came to me at a long funeral for a neighbor I barely knew. By the time I’d left the service, I’d decided to write a novel called The Late, Lamented Molly Marx, which begins with Molly being able to observe who attended her funeral, which I’ve always thought is a fantasy many of us share. This book went on to become a Target Book Club pick and a bestseller in Germany, which yielded my first royalty check. How do you say hell ya in German?

Aha Moment

First: I went east to college, all the way from North Dakota to Wisconsin, where students from the east coast so impressed me with their sophistication that much of the confidence I’d known as a high school student—editor of the school paper, blah blah—evaporated. Still, masochistic as it may seem, after graduation I decided to New York City and got a job at a magazine. Once I worked in that field I grew to consider my Midwestern roots as an advantage, because most magazines readers are not from Manhattan: they are women like those I knew from childhood. I also didn’t take me long to realize that while many New Yorkers have a certain amount of bluster, they are a lot less “sophisticated,” then I’d originally thought. Many can be shockingly provincial.

Last: I felt born to be a magazine editor, so much so that when I lost a great job and then another, both under circumstances that struck me as crazy and unjust, I melted into a puddle of nothing. Joining a writing workshop allowed me to channel my righteous indignation and look at my situation objectively. What I saw was funny. I, a girl from Fargo, became a top editor in New York City, only to lose her job to a batty celebrity. It’s a ridiculous plot line, even if it’s true, but with a big helping of hubris I used it to write a novel inspired by my own misfortune. This became my debut novel, Little Pink Slips. I want to puke when I hear spiritual porn like “when life gives you lemons, make lemonade” but I’ve learned that no one has only career-path that plays to their strengths.

Thanks, Sally!

Our guest today: Liane Moriarty

Why we love her: Her books are BRILLIANT!  And funny!

Her latest: The Hypnotist’s Love Story

The Scoop: Ellen O’Farrell is an expert when it comes to human frailties. She’s a hypnotherapist who helps her clients deal with everything from addictions to life-long phobias. So when she falls in love with a man who is being stalked by his ex-girlfriend she’s more intrigued than frightened. What makes a supposedly smart, professional woman behave this way? She’d love to meet her!

What she doesn’t know is that she already has. Saskia has been masquerading as a client, and their lives are set to collide in ways Ellen could never have predicted.

Our thoughts: LOVED this one and could not turn the pages fast enough! Pick it up!

Giveaway: TWO copies! (US only) Leave a comment and you’ll be entered to win.  We’ll choose the winners after 3pm on June 23rd.

Fun fact: Liane is an Aussie!

Where to read more about Liane: Her website and Facebook.

CHICK LIT IS NOT DEAD PRESENTS…LIANE MORIARTY’S 5 FIRSTS AND LASTS

Kiss

First: In a public telephone box with a six foot, sixteen year old Polish boy.  He was calling his Mum to come and pick us up from the railway station.  It blew my good little catholic girl mind.

Last: On my three year old daughter’s forehead. I’d just dropped her off at preschool, and she was already busy, chatting to her friends, her hands deep in some brown clay.  It didn’t blow my mind, but it was very lovely, so thank you for making me remember it.

Book

First: I have no idea, so I’ll pick one at random and say The Magic Faraway Tree by Enid Blyton. I can’t wait to read it with my own children and rediscover all those wonderful characters: Moonface, the Saucepan Man, Silky, and the slide! The slide through the centre of the tree! You sat on a cushion! For some reason I was particularly taken with the idea of the cushions. So comfy!  Actually, I recently tried to tell my son about the Magic Faraway Tree and the slide and the cushions and the magical lands at the top of the tree but he got that patient, kindly look he gets when I’m being boring or crazy.

Last: Life after Life by Kate Atkinson. I absolutely loved everything about it. She’s a genius.

Risk

First: It must have been the moment I used a piece of furniture to haul myself up to a standing position and decided to just…let go. Each time I see a child do that for the first time, I think it must be the most incredible feeling to suddenly be upright and feel your body behaving in such a different way. Like learning to fly.

Last: When I reversed out of my driveway this afternoon to pick my son up from school. Reversing is always risky for me. The last time I took my car to the smash repairers, the boss called all his boys out of the workshop just to see my car. I’m proud to say there wasn’t a single undamaged panel. Today’s risk paid off, just a tiny clip of one side-mirror.

Hell ya moment

First: My mother always tells me one of her favourite memories is walking through a shopping centre with me and my father, after they’d just bought me my first ever pair of shoes.  The shoes were bright red. I was holding my parents’ hands and kept nearly toppling over because I was bent so far forward to examine my enthralling new shoes. Presumably I was thinking: Hell ya, they look good!  I’m still quite partial to red shoes.

Last: Seeing my five year old son score his first goal at soccer. You should have seen it. Seriously. The skill.  The pure athleticism.  The razor sharp concentration.  I did that whole undignified arm-flinging, shrieking, running-around-in-circle thing, as if he’d just won an Olympic medal. And then there was the little self-conscious smile he gave me and his Dad on the sideline. I’ll treasure that memory, in the same way Mum treasures the red shoes memory.

Aha Moment

First: It must have been my first taste of chocolate.  I don’t actually remember it, but I always remember the delirious, revelatory expression on my daughter’s face when she tried it for the first time: Aha. This is what they should be feeding me. This is what I like. Not that other stuff. This. Only this.

Last: I’d never had any interest in golf, but some friends recently convinced me to take lessons. “Aha,” I thought when I first heard that satisfying thwack of my club against the golf ball and saw it soar through the air and on to the green. “This I why people love it.”  And then, just a few minutes later, when I kept hacking away and missing, “Aha. This is why people say golf is a good way to ruin a nice walk.”

Giveaway: TWO copies of The Tao of Martha: My Year of LIVING; Or, Why I’m Never Getting All of That Glitter off of the Dog

The scoop: One would think that with Jen Lancaster’s impressive list of bestselling self-improvement memoirs—Bitter Is the New Black; Bright Lights, Big Ass; Such a Pretty Fat; Pretty in Plaid; My Fair Lazy; and Jeneration X—that she would have it all together by now.

Our thoughts: HILARIOUS. Absolutely loved, loved, loved! And are now inspired to do something domestic (SANS glitter!).

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

Leave a comment to be entered. The winners will be chosen on Wednesday, June 12th after 8am PST.

Today’s guest: Cristina Suarez Krumsick

Why we love her: She shows us how to make delicious desserts without turning on the oven–doesn’t get much better than that!

Her book: No Bake Makery: More than 80 Two-Bite Treats Made with Lovin’, not an Oven

The scoop on it: What’s the easiest way to make delicious and adorable desserts? Without an oven!

That’s NO BAKE MAKERY-all of the fun, but none of the fuss. These creative, two-bite treats of all kinds are impossible for anyone to resist-on any occasion. In addition to tips for perfecting your technique, ideas for decorating, and sidebar recipes, Cristina Suarez Krumsick serves up simple step-by-step instructions for her favorite no-bakems, from Cinnamon & Spice Bark, Bite o’ Joe Truffles, and Key Lime Pie to Mintamelon Pops, Applesauce Cake, Fluffy Cracker Cookies, and beyond!

They’re all cute. They’re all bursting with flavor. And you don’t need an oven to make any of them.

Our thoughts: Two words: De. Licious. Or maybe that’s just one. :)

Fun fact: She launched the No Bake Makery from her apartment in Brooklyn.

Giveaway: TWO copies! Just leave a comment to be entered. We’ll select the winners on Sunday, June 9th after 12 pm PST.

Where you can read more about the No Bake Makery: Facebook, Twitter and Cristina’s website.

CHICK LIT IS NOT DEAD PRESENTS…7 QUESTIONS FOR CRISTINA SUAREZ KRUMSICK

L&L: We love the cover of your book, what’s the story behind it?

CSK: I really wanted to cover to have a retro feel because the book has a lot of recipes that are twists on throwback goodies. On the other hand, I wanted it to have a cute edge too because all the treats are just that (I think so anyway!). I think the black and white and pops of color, chocolate hearts and props really do the trick. In terms of selecting the treats for the cover shot, we did a bunch of brainstorming on what would best represent the book. We wanted people to say “Those are so cute and look yummy! Wait, I can no-bake that?”

L&L: Out of all of your no bake yummy treats, do you have a favorite?

CSK: Mmmm hard question! I really love the icebox cakes. They are so easy make your own and practically impossible to mess up! I also love the no-bake brownies. These are basically fudge with cookie crumbs. They set into this fudge brownie consistency. I have literally had to make them in front of people to prove that they aren’t baked! It’s awesome.

L&L: You say you choose not to bake because it’s more fun and gives more flexibility, but do you ever, gulp, bake? Or would that be like cheating on your no bake treats?

CSK: I use the oven for savory food all time. I love slow cooking pork, roasting chicken, veggies, you name it. The oven is great for savory food because you don’t need to be so precise. Baking on the other hand…totally opposite scenario. So, I really barely bake sweets.

And when I do it’s usually out of a box and I kinda do feel like it’s cheating! I am pretty transparent about it though! On instagram I usually hashtag #yesbake.

L&L: What’s it like to be a publicist for a major publishing house and to now be on the other side of the publicity with your cook book?

CSK: It’s awesome and challenging at the same time! You would think after sitting in so many greenrooms and talking to so many editors and producers about book coverage for my authors, I would be totally collected about my own publicity. But nope, I get super nervous about all of it! Being behind the scenes is fun and challenging. Being in front is scary and exciting!

I think walking both lines has made my work stronger and better for sure.

L&L: What no bake treats are you recommending for summer?

I have a whole chapter on cold treats that are just perfect for hot weather. I have this recipe for banana ice cream that is SO yummy, refreshing and easy. It’s one of my faves.

L&L: When you’re not wearing your publicity hat or no baking, what do you like to do?

CSK: Reading! I am big fiction reader and I am so lucky to work with some of the best.  I also love yoga, running, and just hanging with people I love.

L&L: What books will be in your beach bag this summer?

CSK: So many! To start…Golden Boy by Abigail Tarttelin, Revenge Wears Prada by Lauren Weisberger and Lean In by Sheryl Sandberg. Well rounded, huh?

Thanks, Cristina!

Photo credit: Jeremy Krumsick

Today’s guest: Claire Cook

Why we love her: Not only is she one of our favorite authors, but we just love her–she’s incredibly kind & supportive!

Her latest: Time Flies (Out June 11th!)

The scoop on it: Years ago, Melanie followed her husband, Kurt, from the New England beach town where their two young sons were thriving to the suburbs of Atlanta. She’s carved out a life as a successful metal sculptor, but when Kurt leaves her for another woman, having the tools to cut up their marriage bed is small consolation. She’s old enough to know that high school reunions are often a big disappointment, but when her best friend makes her buy a ticket and an old flame gets in touch to see whether she’ll be going, she fantasizes that returning to her past might help her find her future…until her driving phobia resurfaces and threatens to hold her back from the adventure of a lifetime. Time Flies is an epic road trip filled with fun, heartbreak, and friendship, and explores what it takes to conquer your worst fears…so you can start living your future.

Our thoughts: A summer must-read, you will love this escape!

Giveaway: 1 signed copy! Just leave a comment to be entered to win. We’ll select the winner on Sunday, June 9th after 3 pm PST.

Fun fact: You have until midnight on June 10th to enter the TIME FLIES Sweepstakes! You and one of your oldest and dearest friends could win an all-expense-paid weekend including airfare at the amazing Lake Austin Spa Resort in Austin, Texas July 26-28 – worth over $4,500! You’ll get a chance to reunite with your friend, relax, and attend a party with Claire! Enter on Facebook or at ClaireCook.com.

Where you can read more about Claire: Her website, Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest. And catch one of her Time Flies book tour events.

CHICK LIT IS NOT DEAD PRESENTS…CLAIRE COOK’S 5 FIRSTS & LASTS

1. Kiss

First: We were six. I was a good girl, all about impressing the nuns, which in parochial school basically meant posture, penmanship, and memorization. And then I discovered the lure of the bad boy. We kissed and I think he knocked out one of my front teeth, though I’m pretty sure these were two separate incidents.

Last: My husband and I just received a notice from the IRS saying we’d underpaid our taxes by an amount of money so big that I can’t even type it. I mean, we were seriously going to lose everything we owned. Major, major panic. I scanned and emailed all ten pages of the notice to our accountant at 8:30 at night, and he emailed back about five minutes later saying that it was a mistake. “We don’t have to move in with our kids!” my husband and I yelled. And then we kissed.

2. Risk I took

First: My father had taken the training wheels off my bike. My sole training wheel-less experience at that point had been going back and forth across the driveway with him casually resting one hand on the back wheel. But we’d just moved and I wanted to impress my new friend who lived at the very top of the street. So I walked my two-wheeler up the steep hill to her house. When it was time to leave, I thought I’d just ride until I was out of sight, and then jump off and walk my bike the rest of the way home. I could picture it so clearly in my mind, which to this day I still find is the curse of having the brain of a novelist. Things got out of control pretty quickly, further complicated by the fact that I couldn’t find the brakes. Wipeout!

Last: After two decades living in a little beach town between Boston and Cape Cod, my husband and I sold our 1890 Victorian, got rid of almost everything we owned, and moved to the suburbs of Atlanta. Every day is a new adventure, and it’s been great to shake things up.

3. Book I read

First: The Nancy Drew Mysteries were the first books that I fell completely in love with. I can remember telling myself I’d go to sleep after I finished this chapter, but I just couldn’t do it, and would have to keep reading into the night.

Last: The last book I read was my eleventh novel, right before I sent it off to my literary agent. It’s such an odd thing to read your own manuscript at this stage, because you’re so close that you just can’t tell what works and what doesn’t. And you’re on pins and needles waiting for the verdict, doing productive things like trying to come up with Plan B for your life if you find out that between novel #10 and #11 you’ve somehow forgotten how to write.

4. Hell ya! moment

First: Maybe not the first, but the one I’ll never forget is walking the red carpet at the Must Love Dogs premiere and doing thirty-five interviews with everyone from Access Hollywood to Extra. It was the year I turned fifty, and in that moment I knew that midlife could totally rock.

Last: When our 1890 Victorian sold in two weeks. (I give full credit to the home stager heroine of my novel, Best Staged Plans, for the quick sale in a down market!)

5. Aha! Moment

First: I had my first story published in the Sunday newspaper when I was six. It was about Hot Dog, our family dachshund, even though we really had a beagle at the time. I loved the attention. I loved that I’d discovered a way to make things up and not get in trouble.

Last: I should probably pretend this one came from a loftier place, but the truth is it came from American Idol. Keith Urban quoted some music producer as saying, “When you have a hit, you have a hit. But when you have an audience, you have a career.” I think it’s so, so true for authors, and I’m incredibly grateful to my readers, my audience, for giving me the gift of my career.

Thanks, Claire!

But after finally meeting our editor and agent in person (for the best lunch ever), not to mention countless authors, publicists and bloggers that we’ve known *virtually* for years, it began to sink in. Holy Shit.  This is actually happening!  And in case you were wondering, everyone we met was sweet, smart and fun as hell!

With Emma McLaughlin & Nicola Kraus & our dream editor, Greer Hendricks

L&L with Sarah Jio and our fabulous agent, Elisabeth Weed

So yes.  BEA was great.  The food?  Fantastic! (Can we just take a moment of silence for the quinoa hush puppies we had at Market Table.) The cab drivers? Freakin’ friendly! (Even the one who crashed into another taxi while driving Lisa to the airport!)  The only problem?  Us. We acted like an old married couple.  And not that really cute old couple holding hands on a park bench.  We’re talking about the one that’s nitpicking the shit out of each other at the table next to you at dinner.

Even though we email, text and talk on the phone more than a couple of tweens, we, ahem, don’t actually spend that much face time together now that we live two thousand miles apart.  So to throw us together for 24 hours a day, five days straight? Let’s just say we *may* have experienced some growing pains…

We thought we knew everything about each other, but much like the characters in our novel, we discovered that there are always things you don’t know about even your closest friend. We learned who can’t so much as string three words together until she’s hit Starbucks, who doesn’t give a shit about sightseeing, who wanted every last New York City trinket and who has a strange humming problem (long story…). We discovered how to “take a meeting” together, who’s better at hailing a cab (Lisa!) and who always carries snacks in her purse (Liz!)  But most importantly, we found out how to not only be better co-authors, but much better friends.  The thing is, any long friendship is going to have it’s ups and downs. You are going to argue about things.  But what we learned from this experience is that it’s how you move on from a disagreement that defines the strength of your sisterhood. (Or at least that’s what we’re telling ourselves so we don’t feel bad about the girl fight we had over a copy of Meg Wolitzer’s The Interestings–another long story!)

So, here are the top 5 things we learned about each other.  And we’d love to hear your thoughts on friendship too.  Leave a comment and you’ll be entered to win five of the books we were lucky enough to get at BEA: The Interestings by Meg Wolitzer (of course!), Morning Glory by Sarah Jio, Walking Disaster by Jamie McGuire, A Hundred Summers by Beatriz Williams and The Husband’s Secret by Liane Moriarty.  We’ll choose the winner on Sunday June 9th after 3pm PST. Good luck!

5 Things Liz & Lisa learned about each other

With our new BF, the Penguin penguin!

1. We both like to be in control of things. Now this is not exactly news–we’ve always been Type A. But we’d never seen this uber-control freak side of each other before. (We blame our nerves!) Whether it was navigating the way to a restaurant on one of our iPhones (someone may have physically grabbed the other’s cell (and claimed she could follow the blinking dot better!) or deciding how to respond to an email (and we quote, “the word start sounds so much better than begin“…) we learned we are definitely two beyotches who each like things done HER way. Funny how we can write and edit a book together, yet can’t agree on which direction is Northeast.

2. We got first date jitters again. We were seriously acting like a couple of school girls before meeting our editor and agent in person for the first time.  Picture one of those sequences in a romcom where the girls try on a thousand outfits to the tune of some glorious 80′s tune. That was us–acting like we were going on a first date, our palms sweaty and our hearts beating hard as we arrived at the restaurant AN HOUR early so we could have a glass of wine to calm our nerves. And although one of us over-talked, one of us under-talked and neither of us could eat the glorious food that was put in front of us, the lunch still somehow went better than great!

3. Liz can make everyone on a busy NYC street corner stop and stare

Lisa wasn’t paying attention and stepped off the curb, excited to cross the street and get to Market Table to have dinner. After a day of being on our feet for 12 plus hours, she was hungry! So, no, she didn’t see the cab barreling her way. But, yes, she did stop in her tracks at the sound of Liz’s very firm and loud “Liiiiiissssa!” And she wasn’t the only one who froze. Liz is solely responsible for silencing a small section of New York City for several seconds. That’s got to be some kind of world record. (Thanks for saving my life, Liz! xoxo)

4. We have a shared superpower. This just in! We have developed a superpower since the last time we saw each other. (Cue dramatic music!) We can now talk to each other without opening our mouths or even moving our hands. We can have an entire conversation with our eyes. And believe us, there was a whole lot of eye talkin’ going on last week! Whether one of us was warning the other to shut the hell up or to just say an effing word already, we’re excited to have this new skill. It will definitely come in handy on the book tour!

5. Neither of us is perfect. And that’s more than okay. Our week in NYC together was a learning experience in so many ways.  Not only as business partners, but as friends.  As self-proclaimed control freaks/perfectionists, it’s sometimes hard to take a step back and realize you haven’t been the friend/wife/mom you wanted to be. That sometimes we forget to tell the people we love most all the things that make them great.  But it’s in those tough moments that we all have a great opportunity to move forward, to take our relationships to the next level. To realize that we don’t have to be perfect to be loved or even liked. So for that, we are thankful.  (We’re also grateful that we’ll have separate hotel rooms next year, but that’s another very long story…)

xoxo