So y’all know how much I love Barry Blackberry.  In fact, I just about died when I went into radio silence for 48 hours earlier this year.  And although I know they say absence makes the heart grow fonder, I found myself dreaming of another after my Barry came back to me.

For some reason I just couldn’t get Droid off my mind.

And it wasn’t fair really.  Barry had always been there for me with lightning fast email and an easy to use typepad-I could practically text with my eyes closed! He was solid and dependable, the kind of phone that wouldn’t ever let me down.

That’s why, at first, I attempted to ignore Droid’s cool apps and incredibly fast internet.  And I tried not to look when the person next to me was watching the latest cool YouTube video on him.  I’m fine with Barry.  I don’t some trendy phone.  Barry’s always been there in good times and bad.  Show some loyalty damnit!

And I swear, I didn’t mean to drop Barry in the parking lot that day.  And what was I supposed to do when it was clear I needed a new phone?  I was due for an upgrade, right?  When the lovely Verizon salesperson asked me what phone I wanted, I meant to say Blackberry, I really did.  But for some reason the word DROID came out of my mouth.

And thus began the most frustrating 24 hours of my life.

I was practically drooling by the time when I got Droid home. I couldn’t wait to have some alone time with him.  That’s when I discovered that my other electronic boyfriend wasn’t happy at all with my new purchase.  That’s right.  Mac and Droid hated each other immediately.  Mac didn’t want to give up his contacts or update his calendar for Droid.  Clearly, he had more loyalty to Barry Blackberry than I had realized. But after three agonizing hours of negotiations, I finally found a way for them to share their information.  But neither of them seemed pleased about it.

The next morning, Droid and I were quarreling again, this time over email.  Droid didn’t think it was necessary to put any history in my email replies.  I, on the other hand, felt this was VERY important. And let’s just say Lisa was less than thrilled with this new development and I became tired of receiving a What does this mean!  or WTF are you replying to! response to every reply.  And don’t even get me started on my inability to form a cohesive sentence on that touchscreen or the creepy way it would say “DROID” when I got a text message. (Seriously! How freakin’ narcissistic can you be?)

That’s when I knew Droid had to go.

Part of me was sad.  I had barely had time to use my new Yelp app or Facebook to my heart’s content.  But I only needed 24 hours to convince me that I had made a huge mistake letting Barry go and I knew one thing for sure. I had to get Barry Blackberry back asap.

I sped to the nearest Verizon store, hoping to find a way to beg for Barry’s forgiveness.  To tell him that I’d gladly take his internet speed and poor selection of apps over that fancy schamcy Droid.  That Droid had made me feel all of my thirty-six years. That I’d do just about anything to see that little star letting me know I had email again.

But like the class act he is, Barry took my betrayal like a man.  In fact, he even introduced me to his hunky older brother Storm.  He felt like his push screen would really make me happy.  And as usual, he was right-it did!

So I’m happy to say Barry and I are back together. Even Mac seemed pleased that he had his old buddy around to share information with.  And while I may still get a little butterfly in my stomach everytime I see Droid, I know now that looks can be deceiving.  Barry Blackberry has my heart forever!

Or at least until Verizon gets the iPhone.

©2010 Chick Lit Is Not Dead. All Rights Reserved.

I’m having an affair. It’s sordid and naughty but not at all clandestine. In fact, my husband knows all about it. He downright hates it, but he’s given in to my demands and lets me have my boyfriend. He even lets him share a bed with us…

I never meant for it to happen. But I fell deeply and madly in love with my body pillow. It’s sick and twisted, but it’s true. And I blame it all on Liz.

When I first became prego, Liz told me if I did nothing else during the next ten months, I needed to get my ass down to Bed Bath & Beyond and buy a body pillow. I laughed. That naive, never been pregnant before laugh and asked her why on Earth I’d need such a thing.  Just trust me on this. You’re going to need it.

Ironically, it was my husband who bought BP for me. The first trimester was rough. I was constantly nauseous. Food was my enemy. And already plagued with neck problems before pregnancy, sleep became almost impossible. And the hubs wanted to be there for me. He was a true superstar. Was there anything he could do for me? Anything?

Well, you could get me a body pillow.

A what?

A body pillow. You know those really, really long pillows? Oh and by the way, I’m under strict orders from Liz to get it soon.

When he first brought BP home,  I eyed him suspiciously.  It was not love at first sight.

What am I supposed to do with it? It’s bigger than I am! I cried to Liz.

Wrap your body around it. You’ll figure it out. *Dial tone*

So I did. I wrapped my legs around it. Draped my arms over it and squeezed. And I fell into a deep, peaceful sleep (if you don’t count the 7 times I got up to go to the bathroom.) The next morning, I discovered Matt clear on the other side of the bed, hanging onto the edge for dear life. The body pillow and I smack in the middle, blissfully in love.

That was the beginning of my husband’s war with BP. And understandably so. I would never tolerate a life-sized piece of cotton stuffed with cotton stealing my husband from me. I can barely handle when, after weeks of watching me selfishly channel surf, he finally gets to pick the TV line up and hungrily fondles the remote.

I’ve since found BP shoved under the bed, coverless and naked shivering in the laundry room and suffocating between a pair of bed sheets in the hall closet. And even though I hate that my lover and my husband can’t get along, I guess I can understand why. The hubs has taken a major backseat to BP…

At night, do I wrap my arms around my husband and cuddle close? Um, no. I reach for BP instead.

Guess who gets smacked in the face with BP every time I groggily fling him aside and amble out of bed to pee? (*Sorry honey for the time his zipper scratched your face*)

And when it comes to laundry, BP’s cover goes straight to the front of the line.  Even if that means the hubs has to wait to get his ONLY decent pair of athletic socks cleaned in time for his next flag football game. Play barefoot I say, because I have a hot date with a clean BP while you’re out playing weekend warrior.

And even though BP could never replace my husband (well maybe on the very coldest of nights), I do cherish our time together. And I wonder if after my pregnancy is over, he’ll still want me the way I’ll still want him. Or will he move onto some other prego chick? *sigh* Maybe it will be for the best if he does dump me for another round-bellied bimbo. I’m not sure the hubs would let this “threesome” go on for very much longer anyway.

xoxo, Lisa

©2010 Chick Lit Is Not Dead. All Rights Reserved.

Have you ever decided to take a leap of faith?  And when you did, have you ever fallen flat on your face?

When we spontaneously decided to sell our house this past Spring, we had champagne wishes and caviar dreams.  But six months later, we were still waiting for our happy ending…

It all seemed like such a great idea in the beginning.  Let’s sell the house that we’ve painstakingly remodeled for the past seven years. Yeah!  And then, let’s move into a RENTAL!  Because I’m sure we’ll be able to find a quaint little beach cottage to lease that will welcome with open arms our two hyper kids, two drooling dogs and stinky guinea pigs, right?

Um, maybe.  But we could worry about that later.  First, we needed to sell our house in this sh*tty market.  So after a weekend of stripping it of any defining picture(God forbid the prospective buyers see what we look like!) and shoving our closets full of anything that dared to reside on ANY surface, it was on like Donkey Kong.

I mean, who would be able to resist our hardwood floors and custom paint?  Our tiled yard with timed lights in the planter?  We had NO DOUBT that buyers would be in a bidding war faster than you could say Donald Trump.  Which is probably why we refused to listen when the local agent told us to list 30k lower than we did.  What did he know, right?

Um, apparently ALOT. Or at least a lot more than we did.

And by the time we finally swallowed our pride and lowered the price, it was too late.  We had already popped our proverbial cherry in the local market. Our listing had desperation written all over it and we were subjected to ridiculously lowball offers.  We were so OVUH!

And no amount of St. Joseph prayers, running horses pictures(don’t ask), or bowls of lemons could get our house-selling mojo going.  It. Was. Depressing.  Not to mention a huge pain in the ass to make the time each morning to both straighten my hair AND leave the house looking show-worthy with two kids under six. And did I mention that frizzy hair makes me cranky?

So after six months, we finally decided to throw in the towel. And I’m not gonna lie, the Type- A girl in me felt like a failure.  But as much as I had daydreamed of renting a little beach cottage and giving up the responsibility of home ownership, I also felt relieved to stay.  Or at the very least, to be able to have a damn picture of my kids on display and leave a dish in the sink occasionally!

But in the end, this control freak realized that some things in life are just out of your hands.  So, instead,  I’ve decided to focus on all the things I WON’T MISS about being on the market:

• Keeping my house looking like a f*cking museum.  You know it’s bad when you beg your five-year-old to watch another episode of Spongebob so she won’t pull out crayons and messy paints to make you a picture. *bad mommy*

• The feedback.  For some reason I took it personally when they hated on my galley kitchen or dogged my floorplan.  Why didn’t they just go ahead and tell me that my ass looked fat in those jeans too?

• The lovely agents who bring their clients back unannounced at 8pm to get “one last look” at the granite in our kitchen.  Because we always have everything under control at bath time, right? *cue VERY awkward twenty minutes involving naked children*

• The ego-bruising realization that no one thinks the ginormous surf mural in my daughter’s room is half as rad as I do. Um, hello!  Pink Surfboards!  What’s not to like?

• Open houses. For some reason, it bothers me that half the neighborhood has walked through my house. Like my house is some dirty slut with an STD that no one wanted. Like we’re the herpes house or something.

• The crazy paranoia.  I can’t tell you how many times I got to work and SWORE that I’d left my Hanky Pankys on my bedroom floor.  Hmmm…on second thought, maybe that would have made the house more appealing!

xoxo, Liz

©2010 Chick Lit Is Not Dead. All Rights Reserved.

Have you ever wondered what your handbag says about you? Did you know that the kind of purse you carry is directly linked to your personality (or “purse-onality” as bestselling author Kathryn Eisman calls it)? Maybe your bag of choice pegs you as a drama queen, self-indulgent or a people pleaser. Well, Kathryn can tell you with frightening accuracy what kind of person you are based solely on the purse you throw over your shoulder, clutch in your hand or lug into the office every morning.

She’s written the incredibly fun and very insightful  How To Tell A Woman By Her Handbag. (She’s also the author of How To Tell A Man By His Shoes. We could probably all learn a lot from this one too, ladies!)

And you know we were dying to know what our purses revealed about us. So we emailed Kathryn a picture of each of our handbags, but did not tell her which purse was Liz’s and which was Lisa’s. Let’s just say the results were dead-on! (remember that “frightening accuracy” remark above?)

Liz's purse

Black Bag:

This person is unpretentious and hard working. They have a slightly rebellious nature and don’t like to be told what to do (nor do they need to be because they are so very capable). Even though they come across as very strong, they are very sensitive and live in their head. The stay away from competitive women because they are already so hard on themselves that anyone one else adding more pressure on them would just be a pain in the backside.

They can be very tough on themselves and should give themselves a few more pats on the back. They like to feel empowered and like an ‘equal’ in a relationship- but it’s very important that they let a man look after them from time to time. As I say in the book, “asking for help is a fundamental part of being self sufficient”.

Lisa's purse

The Louis Vuitton Bag:

They are essentially a romantic and even a little idealistic. Some may call them a ‘dreamer’ but they’ve actually got their head firmly screwed on. She likes to take charge and is not a wall flower by any stretch of the imagination. She loves to have a good time and their greatest fear is living an ordinary life (by this they mean emotionally neutral and without the highs and lows of life). They are a very loyal friend and have high expectations of others from friendship (because they give a lot of themselves, they also demand a lot of their closest friends).

Playful and up for a laugh…sometimes life has offered them the odd ‘reality check’ and while it’s a lot to take for someone like this…ultimately they know that all good and bad things are good…because through them is emotional growth (something they are passionate about). This girl looks like she’s playing by the rules, but makes them up along the way.

And here’s what she said we have in common: Both are go-getters and are more practical than they realize. They are both multitaskers- although the black has slightly more on her plate of late. They are warm and friendly, but both of them are the type of people that get better the more you know them. They seem very open, but in truth they don’t share everything with the world, and are essentially quite private (although they may never admit this).

And today, we have FIVE COPIES of How To Tell A Woman By Her Handbag to give away! Just leave a comment here and you’ll be entered to win. And we’ll randomly select the winners this Thursday! Good luck!

And now, here’s 5 1/2 THINGS LIZ & LISA DIDN’T KNOW ABOUT KATHRYN EISMAN….

1)      I FREAK PEOPLE OUT WHEN I DO “HANDBAG READINGS”. I have the uncanny ability to read someone’s personality (or as I say Purse-onality)  just by looking at the handbag they’re carrying. Whenever people hear about the title of my book, they immediately ask for a “bag reading”. Now, some 4,000 readings later, I can honestly say that I’ve never been wrong. I’ve done it in business meetings, on dates, at dinner parties and on live TV (like NBC’s TODAY Show). Each time- people quietly freak out because I can see things like; where they went to school, what they’re like in a relationship, if they were an only child, and what their greatest passions are. Often, I freak myself out with how accurate they are!

2)      I’M AN AUSSIE- I moved to New York at the age of 21 on a whim and never went home. I actually grew up on the beautiful beaches in Sydney, Australia and visit home over the holiday season to escape the northern hemisphere winter when Sydney it at its blue skied and crystal water best. I am now based in West Hollywood, CA and absolutely adore living here. But at the end of the day I’ve got a very self deprecating Australian sense of humor, which basically means I’m constantly making fun of myself!

3)      I’M AN “ANCHOR WOMAN” BY TRADE- I was the on-air features reporter for NBC in New York for nearly four years and had my own daily entertainment show in Australia. I’ve had the privilege of interviewing everyone from President Clinton to Sarah Jessica Parker, George Clooney to Mayor Rudy Giuliani, Cameron Diaz to Daniel Craig. The best part of being a reporter is visiting other people’s lives and discovering what makes them tick, and what obstacles they’ve had to overcome. That access has helped me better understand people in general and has really helped me research my books.

4)      I STARTED OUT IN A BIKINI- I started modeling in Australia at 17 years of age and was constantly booked on swimsuit and lingerie jobs. I always had a bikini in my bag to run off to castings between classes. It was a fun and crazy time because there I was walking down a catwalk at Fashion Week in designer bra and panties, when I hadn’t even been see in that level of undress by my own mother! You learn to sort of disconnect from your body in order to protect yourself. Now I am a “big sister” and the ambassador for SISTER2sister, a charity that mentors at risk teenage girls. It’s really important for me to make sure teenage girls have someone they can talk to, because I remember the feeling of being trapped somewhere between being a girl and a woman.

5)       I’M ON A MISSION- I believe people reveal themselves in details. We’re not the grand declarations of who we say we are, we’re certainly not what we tell the men in our lives- we‘re the little details that we don’t think anyone will notice;  our  bags and shoes, the way we hold ourselves, how we answer the phone. My mission is to help other women break these unspoken codes and see the world through a fresh perspective.

5 1/2) I AM OBSESSED WITH MY MAINE COON KITTEN- I recently adopted Samson from a shelter but before I met him I was NOT a cat person at all! Now I spend way too much time snuggling with him, instead of writing my next book. He sits and snoozes all day on my lap (and sometimes on my head) and at night he’s a little devil – but it’s love. He grows bigger everyday and will probably be over 20 pounds of pure mischief when he’s fully grown…I can’t wait!

To get your own handbag reading, check out Kathryn’s website! And to order a copy of How To Tell A Woman By Her Handbag, click here.

xoxo,

Liz & Lisa

©2010 Chick Lit Is Not Dead. All Rights Reserved.

When we got our mitts on an advanced reader copy of She’s Gone Country (debuts today- buy a copy here!) it was love at first read. *Sigh* There’s just something about the way Jane writes that makes us feel like we’re sitting right there in the scene. (And that’s saying a lot because it’s hard to keep our focus for long- especially Liz who can often have the attention span of a gnat!)

We’ve been a huge fan of Jane Porter since Flirting With Forty and were excited to crack open her latest. She’s Gone Country is the story of former Sports Illustrated model, Shey Darcy, who moves back home to Texas with her three teenage sons after her husband tells her he’s in love with someone else. Enter Shey’s ex-crush, sexy Dane Kelly (don’t you just love these names?) a national bull riding champ (Lisa pictures a Tim McGraw type–ooh, ahh!) and the drama begins to unfold. It’s a beautifully written, compelling story about a mother trying to do her best raising her sons after divorce while also trying to figure out what she deserves in life.

She’s Gone Country makes you want to buy some cowboy boots and head down to Texas… or at the very least, a country western bar for some two steppin’!  In fact, Jane’s running an amazing contest for those who want to experience their inner cowgirl- yee haw! Click here for the fun deets!

And for some lucky commenters, we also have 5 copies of She’s Gone Country to give away! Y’all (y’all seems appropriate considering the book) know the drill. We’ll randomly select the winners this Wednesday! Now, here’s Jane!

5 Things on Jane Porter’s Bucket List….

I’m a travel junkie. It’s my poison. I literally work so I can plan my next
trip and so everything on my bucket list is related to a new travel
adventure. So the top 5 on that bucket list would be–

1) Go to Morocco!

Spend a month exploring Morocco from the coast to the cities to the Atlas
Mountains. I’ve written 5 romances set in Morocco so actually going there
would be heaven.

2) Visit Dubai.

Another place I’ve used as a setting that I’d love to visit in real life.
How does reality compare to my sheikh inspired fantasies? Could I even
afford to the hotels? And where are those great shopping deals?

3) Do a luxury African safari

I spent a year living in South Africa at 17 and studied African lit while
attending UCLA so Africa is definitely in my blood. I’d love to go to
Botswana, Zambia or South Africa for one of those decadent Out of Africa type
safaris where they set up tents and you eat by candlelight with real china
and crystal. I’d wear wonderful khaki clothing that would make me look like
Katherine Hepburn and then at night slip into a lovely chiffon like dress
that would catch on the thorn bushes. I know, I know not very eco travel
friendly but I love the idea of finally being interesting and glamorous.

4) Take one of those round-the-world cruises that last 180 days with my man.

In all honesty I don’t think my surfer guy would enjoy being cooped up with
me on a cruise ship in a small cabin (or even a large cabin) for 18 days much
less 180, but I love being on a ship at sea and picture myself sitting on the
deck wrapped in something or other (soggy beach towel?) reading great fiction
and fascinating biographies while taking in the fresh salt air.

5) Greece – all of it

I want it all. A month in an Athens apartment. A couple weeks sailing from
island to island, and then a couple weeks on different islands to really
understand the country and the culture. And because I have a wonderful guy,
I’m not looking for another, but what is a bucket list without one lustful
thought? If I’m actually going to embrace all of Greece, I’d really like to
have a gorgeous Greek male in his prime, that’s blessed with broad shoulders,
thick dark hair (on his head, not his back) who gives me the slow, smoldering
once over. Ah, heaven.

And that’s my bucket list. Rather sad because there’s no mountain climbing
involved, no heli-skiing, or sweating in a hot yoga hut. I’m not trying to
learn a foreign language or come up with a cure or make the world a better
place. I’m just spoiling me. Not at all altruistic but it is my list and
heck, it all sounds really really fun.

It sounds fun to us too, Jane. (And if it makes you feel any better, our bucket lists would be all about spoiling ourselves too!)

To find out more about the fabulous Jane Porter, visit her website, and follow her on Twitter and Facebook.

xoxo,

Liz & Lisa

©2010 Chick Lit Is Not Dead. All Rights Reserved.

We love us some Rowan Coleman. Not only is she a fabulous and talented writer, but she’s fun, nice and down to Earth (as you’ll see in her bucket list below). We’ve read and loved all of her books. The Accidental Family, Mommy By Mistake, Another Mother’s Life and The Accidental Mother. And now, she’s written her fifth novel, The Home For Broken Hearts (pre-order it here) and we were lucky enough to get an advanced reader copy of it! It’s a heartwarming story of Ellen Wood, a young widow and mother to an eleven-year-old son who opens her Victorian home to three lodgers when she finds herself on the brink of bankruptcy. And one of her three new “roommates” turns out to be a younger man… And as typical with Rowan Coleman’s books, The Home For Broken Hearts is moving and deeply insightful.

And we have 5 copies to give away! Just leave a comment here and be entered to win. The winners will be randomly selected this Friday evening! Good luck!

Now, without further adieu, here’s Rowan’s bucket list…

1) Dance a tango in Argentina. I love dancing, I love the sexy sultry Argentinian tango, and would LOVE to master that skill one day, preferably in the arms of some swarthy hunk.

2) Live by the sea. It might be because we Brits are an island nation, but for some reason I only ever really feel at home when I can hear the sound of waves breaking on the shore. Work and children have meant that so far its never been practical to re-locate to my beloved Cornwall, find a cliff top cottage some where remote and gaze out at the Atlantic Ocean whilst writing my book – but one day.

3) See an Elephant in the wild. To go on Safari actually and see all the wonderful, rare creatures in their natural habitat. I especially love elephants and I think to see them at home would probably bring me to tears.

4)Drive a fast car. I only got my license four years ago and since then I have been driving a very sensible little Citroen. I love my little car but one day I’d like to have the skill and confidence to drive a very fast car down a very bendy mountain road!

5) Marry my childhood sweetheart, a promise I wrote in my diary in 1987. I fell in love when I was twelve years old with the boy of my dreams, who sat in the row in front of me in class. After three years of not being able to talk to him or look him in the eye I finally realised he loved me back!  Life conspired to keep us apart for the next twenty-five years, but the way we felt about each other never changed.  Finally we are together, have a baby son and in a few weeks time will be married!

To find out more about the incredible Rowan Coleman, visit her website or follow her on Facebook!

Thanks, Rowan!

xoxo, L&L

©2010 Chick Lit Is Not Dead. All Rights Reserved.

Since becoming pregnant (I’m 20 weeks!), some of my television watching choices have been more than slightly affected. Let’s just say there’s certain television programming that I cannot watch and have to stay very far away from. (I’ll spare you the details!) Instead, I’d rather focus on the shows my big belly self wants to lounge on the couch and watch.  Basically anything prego, hot man or DIY related!

1. Bethenny Getting Married? Confession: When Bethenney was on The Real Houswives of New York City, she kind of bugged me. I have no idea why, with all the drama queens on that show, she stood out. But then something happened. She got her own show and I immediately saw her in a different light. She got pregnant right around the time I found out I was pregnant. And I felt strangely bonded to her. I’m “older”, she’s “older”. I got married later, she got married later. In fact, we both had whirlwind years- marrying and and getting pregnant within months. I think she’s one of those people you either love or hate- but I absolutely love her. I love her zingy one liners and direct approach with people like her lovable, albeit often clueless intern. And I’ll admit that maybe I’ve become a little obsessed- searching for an hour the other day to find the exact stroller she had on the show!

2.Mad Men Since entering my second trimester, I’ve dreamed about Don Draper (John Hamm), um, more times than I’d like to admit (it’s almost embarrassing- almost!). They said “certain hormones” would finally kick in and boy, have they evuh! In the form of having the major hots for one dark and sexy leading man on one of my all-time favorite shows. Now ladies, if you haven’t tuned into Mad Men- if for no other reason than to scope out Mr. Draper, you’re seriously missing out! But even beyond this sexy drink of water (okay, I need to stop!) the show is fabulous! It’s some of the most brilliant writing on television. Not to mention the mean girl crush I have on another series regular, Joan Harris, (Christina Hendricks) because, well, she just has curves in all the right places! I actually didn’t discover this show until last year and was immediately hooked. I quickly rented all the seasons until I caught up. And I recommend you do too! But beware, between all the drinking (on the job!) and sexing (with everyone and anyone) the show makes you want to be naughty! (Or maybe it’s just me- the drink deprived, hormone surging prego?)

3. DIY Network There’s Garage Mahal, Kitchen Impossible and Bathtastic to name just a few. I’m such a die-hard fan that I even watch Man Caves. There’s something about the idea that I can lay my own tile that gets my juices flowing.  I blame my obsession with DIY on my pregnancy. I’m nesting, right? Isn’t that what pregos do? I feel so empowered by being able to “do it myself” that I’m planning to paint the nursery, install a closet organizer and put together the crib by. my. self. Because if the dude from Turf Wars says I can, then I can.  Right?

xoxo, Lisa

©2010 Chick Lit Is Not Dead. All Rights Reserved.

We knew when one of our favorite authors and people, Beth Harbison, called Robert Rave’s second novel, Waxed, “Charming and hilarious…the perfect summer read and a ton of fun,” that we had to check it out. And not surprisingly, Beth was right. Robert’s writing is sassy, funny and overall brilliant. And the cover of his book is beyond! 

Waxed is the story of three relationship-challenged sisters who work at New York’s hottest waxing salon. There’s big sis, Carolina, who owns the salon and is caught in a love triangle. Then there’s middle sis, Anna, who reluctantly joins the workforce after her divorce. And there’s Sofia, a newlywed who doesn’t know if she wants the domestic life or the night life. We loved this story about how some women will do anything to look the part. (Um, I think we can all relate ladies! Need we discuss our last Brazilian bikini wax or the endless hours spent getting weaved, plucked and otherwise prodded?) But what we really boned out on was that a story like this was written by a man!

And five of you will be the lucky winners of a copy of Waxed. Just leave a comment and your name will be entered. We’ll randomly select the winners this Thursday!

After reading and loving Waxed, we knew Robert Rave would be perfect for our 7 Seconds in Heaven feature. He’s a talented writer, funny and, well, easy on the eyes! And we were so right about him! In fact, he had us at Money Can’t Buy You Class!

So without further adieu, we’ll let you spend 7 Seconds in Heaven with Robert Rave!

1. Quickest way to make me smile? Mention the words “satchels of gold” or start singing “Money Can’t Buy You Class” and we’ll be fast friends.  I admit it.  I’m addicted to the The Real Houswives of New York and all of its craziness. Don’t get me wrong, I like high-brow cinema, literature and music too, but sometimes there’s nothing better than a little junk food
television.

2. I was raised as a Midwestern “meat and potatoes” guy.  However, within the last couple years I’ve become vegetarian and now I’m pretty much vegan.  I’m not hardcore, but I’m pretty good.  My parents are beside themselves about this.  They think I’ve lost my mind and are completely baffled as to how I could give up a nice steak or cheeseburger.  Theyhave told me repeatedly that it’s time I move out of California and back to the Midwest or at the very least to New York City where I lived for nine years.

3. I have a crazy sweet tooth.  Cakes, cookies, and desserts are my thing.  However, now those sweet-treats are (mostly) vegan.  I make frequent trips to Babycakes bakery for their cupcakes and chocolate-chip cookie sandwiches.  They are seriously incredible—you would never know that they are vegan.  When I feel really inspired, I make their chocolate chip cookies at home.  However, I end up giving most of them away because if left at my house, I will eat every last one.

4. Because of my love of baked goods, you’ll also find me religiously attending Barry’s Bootcamp to work off every last crumb.  It’s probably one of the best workouts that I’ve ever done.  I’ve completely changed my body because of it.  I also have the most random ideas for novels while I’m working out there so I feel like I’m multi-tasking.

5. I have two French Bulldogs that act as my Xanax. I gave them old men names because it totally suits their personalities.  My older dog was named after one of the characters from The Golden Girls.  Completely and utterly embarrassing, I know.

6. I really want to be a Dad. Wow. It’s like I suddenly went from a light-hearted Q&A to filling out a match.com questionnaire. But it is true. It’s one of those things that has really been playing on my mind a lot lately.  I think I would be okay if it didn’t happen for me, but I still like to imagine the possibility.

7. Next up for me is a non-fiction book from St. Martin’s in the fall of 2011. The
title keeps changing so become a fan on Facebook or follow me on Twitter to learn more about it.  Right now, I’m writing the outline for a series of books that I’m so beyond excited about I can’t even tell you. I don’t want to say anymore—but I love it.

To find out more about Robert Rave, visit his website and follow him on Facebook. And don’t forget to buy Waxed here!

Thanks so much, Robert!

xoxo,

L&L

©2010 Chick Lit Is Not Dead. All Rights Reserved.

We’ve been huge fans of Lauren Weisberger since The Devil Wears Prada. In fact, it’s one of Lisa’s all-time favorite books (and movies- LOVE Meryl Streep!). And when we got our hot little hands on the advanced reader copy of Lauren Weisberger’s latest novel, Last Night At Chateau Marmont (out tomorrow- Tuesday, August 17th- order here) we devoured it quickly, comparing notes along the way about how much we were loving on it. (We think it’s her best since Prada.)

The premise is juicy and intriguing. Married for 5 years, Brooke and Julian Alter live a busy, albeit private life. Brooke works two jobs to support Julian’s dream of making it in the music business. When he finally hits it big and goes from no one to someone literally overnight, they go from spending quiet nights on the couch in their sweatpants to becoming regulars in the gossip pages of the rag mag, Last Night. While Julian catapults to fame, his album tops the charts, he appears on The Today Show and the cover of Vanity Fair and hangs out with Jon Bon Jovi, Brooke starts to question it all. Especially when Julian’s schedule prevents him from being home more than one night here and there. Even the rag mags publish reports that there’s trouble in paradise. You know the saying, be careful what you wish for? Well this is what Brooke worked two jobs for and this is what Julian’s been waiting for, but is it the right thing?

And three of you will be the lucky winners of Lauren’s fourth novel, Last Night At Chateau Marmont! Just leave a comment and be entered to win (US and Canada only- sorry- please don’t hate us) and we’ll randomly select the winners on Wednesday!

And now here’s Lauren W’s BUCKET LIST…

(In no particular order)

1.  Dye my hair red. Not strawberry blonde, not brunette with “amber” highlights—RED.  I bring it up every time I visit the salon, and every single time my colorist reminds me red hair needs to be touched up every three weeks.  At which point I gasp, sigh, and say “maybe someday.”

2.  Learn another language. Actually, scratch that.  How about “magically wake up one day just knowing another language?”  The actual learning part is the bummer, but I’d give anything to step off the plane and just understand what was happening around me.  Top contenders are Hebrew and Italian because Israel and Italy are my two favorite countries.

3.  Own a Bernese mountain dog. This is not to say that I don’t worship my two nine-pound Maltese, because I do (Mitzy and Stella, if you’re reading this, you’re my favorite girls in the whole wide world).  But every time I see one of those hulking, furry, friendly beasts, I literally drop to my knees and make out it.

4.  Visit Antarctica, Ethiopia, and Mali for the penguins, food, and music festival, respectively. These are my top three destinations, but anywhere far-flung and nearly impossible to reach would do the trick.

5.  Get a four-handed massage. I stare at this on every spa menu in every hotel I visit.  Can you even imagine anything more blissful than not one but two therapists rubbing your back in unison?  I’m dozing off just thinking about it….

To read more about the fabulous Lauren Weisberger, you can follow her blog or catch up with her on Facebook.

Thanks, Lauren!

xoxo,

L&L

©2010 Chick Lit Is Not Dead. All Rights Reserved.

Every now and again, we like to detour off our normal reading path and go, gulp, more dramatic and serious (but still with a humorous tone of course). And when we read the rave reviews for Alice Eve Cohen’s memoir, What I Thought I Knew, that Oprah called “darkly hilarious”, we knew we had to snatch up a copy and dive in. And with Lisa being pregnant, she wants to read about all things baby. So Alice’s memoir about her surprise pregnancy at the age of forty-four definitely intrigued her (and made her feel a little better about having her first child at the, er, not so young age of thirty-seven).

The story: After her divorce, Alice was engaged to a great guy and raising her adopted daughter when she started experiencing strange symptoms. She was diagnosed with an abdominal tumor and rushed in for an emergency CAT scan that revealed the real cause- she was six months pregnant! But this was only the beginning of many pregnancy related shockers that were all the more difficult to deal with since she hadn’t received prenatal care and didn’t have insurance coverage for her high risk pregnancy. As she tried to wrap her head around what’s happening and friends and doctors drown her with advice about ethics, she makes lists called, “What I Know.” The best part about this book, as many who have read it agree, is that you feel as if you’re reading a diary as Alice skillfully uses humor to tell what could otherwise be a very dark story.

And if you leave a comment today, you’ll be entered to win one of five copies of her memoir that People Magazine calls “a gripping story about one of the most wrenching decisions a woman can face.”

And now Alice is here! Revealing 5 things that aren’t in her fantastic memoir…

Credit: Janet Charles Photography

1.     There were two Alice E. Cohen’s in my graduating class at Princeton—Alice Eve Cohen and Alice Elizabeth Cohen. I secretly worried that the University admitted me by accident, intending to admit only the other Alice E. Cohen.

2.     In what must have been a previous life, I was part of a band called Music for Homemade Instruments. We built instruments from found objects—pots and pans, cardboard tubes, conduit pipes, you name it—and performed anywhere we were invited to play, including street fairs, National Public Radio, roof tops, and The Smithsonian Institution.

3. I’ve just been hired for an unusual job. My cousin is donating her collection of forty Pre-Columbian flutes to the American Museum of Natural History, and she has asked me to play them for a video the museum will be filming. I know how to play these instruments from my previous life as an ancient Aztec princess. One of the flutes is called the Terror Flute…It was played during ritual sacrifices of ancient Aztec princesses.

4. In another previous life, I wrote for the Nickelodeon television show, Are You Afraid of the Dark?—sort of a Twilight Zone scary show for kids. I didn’t tell the producer that I’m a total wimp, that I’m utterly petrified of horror in any medium, and that the Are You Afraid of the Dark episodes he asked me to watch terrified me. My first published book was an Are You Afraid of the Dark? novel. Until my memoir was published last year, Amazon classified me as a “children’s horror writer.”

5.     In my present life, I’m a card-carrying member of the United Auto Workers, which is very strange, since I don’t own a car and barely know how change a tire. But the UAW unionized the part-time faculty at The New School, where I teach playwriting and solo theatre. So if you want your car to learn how to write plays and perform monologues, just call on me!

To learn more about Alice Eve Cohen, visit her website at website or follow her on Facebook.

xoxo,

L&L

©2010 Chick Lit Is Not Dead. All Rights Reserved.