Writes-And-Wrongs

FIFTEEN MINUTES OF SHAME by Lisa Daily

2008-04-03T01:12:00.003-05:00

Got the book and the press material on this first novel by columnist and dating coach Lisa Daily, and although I haven't finished it yet, I can already tell it's going to be a fun read! Looks like the press agrees, too:

USA WEEKEND columnist Dennie Hughes said, "I laughed, I cried, I cringed, I cheered. Fifteen Minutes of Shame is a dream of a read."

PUBLISHERS WEEKLY said,"delivers some surprising depth and a heroine with heart to root for."

PINK MAGAZINE said, "memorable and wickedly funny"

Click Here To Order

Here's a bit about Lisa: Lisa Daily is a real-life TV dating expert on DAYTIME, a nationally-syndicated morning show, and bestselling author of Stop Getting Dumped!She's a syndicated relationships columist, popular media guest seen everywhere from Entertainment Tonight to iVillage Live and quoted everywhere from USA Today to Cosmopolitan, and appears as a real-life "date doctor" on the HITCH movie DVD starring Will Smith. For more information on Lisa, www.lisadaily.com

As for the book ...

What happens when America’s favorite dating expert finds out on national television that her husband is cheating on her? Darby Vaughn’s fifteen minutes of fame quickly becomes fifteen minutes of shame when the story of her divorce is splashed across supermarket tabloids. If Darby takes her philandering husband back, her career will be over. If she doesn’t, she’ll lose the only man she’s ever loved. As she rebuilds her life with help from her girlfriends, Darby has to make some tough choices, but she stays true to her heart every step of the way.

And Lisa was kind enough to answer my "touring author questions" -

HOW WOULD YOU DESCRIBE YOUR TYPICAL “WRITING DAY”?

On Tuesdays and Thursdays I usually had down to Siesta Key beach with my laptop and work until my battery dies. I’m hoping the Law of Attraction will kick in soon and I’ll be able to afford a house on one of the Keys. I am grateful that I get to write at the beach…The rest of the week, I start writing at 9 (after the kids go to school,) and I’m done by 3 (when it’s time to pick up the kids.) On Fridays I do the TV show, so I usually don’t get much writing done. If I were a hermit, I’d work all night and sleep till noon.

DO YOU RECALL THE KERNEL OF INSPIRATION FOR THIS BOOK?

When my dating advice book, STOP GETTING DUMPED was released, a really prominent dating expert was going through a nasty divorce, and she was just getting creamed in the media. I was both terrified and completely sympathetic – I kept thinking how awful it would be to go through the worst time of your life with everyone in the world watching, commenting, laughing as you go down. I also thought it would make an interesting novel.

PICK A CHARACTER IN THE BOOK AND TELL US WHAT TRAIT YOU SHARE (OR COME CLOSEST TO SHARING) WITH THAT CHARACTER. I’m a lot like Darby, the main character. She’s a funny, somewhat klutzy dating expert who wants to see everybody get a little piece of happily ever after. The trait we share is that we both tend to trust our brains over our hearts.

IF YOU WERE STUCK ON A DESERT ISLAND, WOULD YOU RATHER HAVE A MAGICAL TRUNK THAT GAVE YOU LIMITLESS BOOKS TO READ, OR A LIMITLESS SUPPLY OF PAPER ON WHICH TO WRITE?

Tough choice. Paper (as long as I had something to write with) but it would break my heart not to have any books.

If you could throw in a cabana boy, a lounge chair and a magic daiquiri machine, I might change my answer.

BEER OR WINE? Wine. Champagne always feels like a celebration.

CHOCOLATE OR VANILLA? Chocolate, baby. With chocolate sauce and chocolate chips and chocolate sprinkles.

WHAT’S YOUR ALL-TIME FAVORITE BOOK?

So many, so many. I love different writers for different things. My favorite book of all time would be Pat Conroy’s Beach Music.

Happy reading!!

I'm on the radio right now!

2008-04-01T09:59:00.002-05:00

I've been unable to access my blog prior to now, so I apologize for the late notice, but I'm on the radio right now, and until about 11 CST.

check here: http://www.internetvoicesradio.com

Check out Julie Leto's chapters on Plot Monkey!!!!

2008-03-24T17:58:00.000-05:00

My friend Julie Leto is giving quite a present to readers! SIX chapters from her new release, PHANTOM PLEASURES. Be sure to check it out ... AND check out the dateline. Austin, Texas. I mean, hey. YA gotta go give it a looksee!!!!

Plot Monkeys: "Hello, Plotmonkey readers! And to all the new readers linking here from the sites and blogs of my generous friends, WELCOME! It’s a party in the jungle!

This week starts something very exciting…every day, I will be posting a chapter from my book PHANTOM PLEASURES, which is officially released next week on April 1. That’s seven chapters! (Okay, six chapters and a prologue…but let’s not quibble.)"

Just melting your heart!

2008-03-23T20:28:00.001-05:00

So we're at dinner, and Isabella keeps asking "why" (the universal curse of four year olds). After answering approximately 9 billion "why" questions, I finally said, "Is 'why' your favorite word?"

"No, Mommy."

"No? Well, what is?"

"I love you."

Let's all say it together .... awwwwwwwww

Nice new Carpe Demon Review!

2008-03-17T23:23:00.000-05:00

Carpe Demon: Adventures of a Demon-Hunting Soccer Mom Book 1 | Kelley: "Classic Kenner humor is evident on every page in Kate’s sassy personality. I’ve come to enjoy that facet of much of Julie’s work and always look forward to what direction it will go in each book."

Yes, I've been MIA these last few weeks (dual spring breaks here -- one for dh and one for the kids; even with homeschooling, the Kiddo-In-Speech has break!). This was a nice thing to open my email to.

In other news, I'm hard at work on TAINTED. Counting down to the release in 2009, marking the start of a whole new series. I love Lily, and I think those of you who love Kate will love her, too.

February in Texas

2008-02-18T01:05:00.004-06:00

We went to The Domain today -- an outdoor mall that transports you to LA or NYC with Michael Kors, Barneys, Juicy Couture ... and apparently beach weather.

Yupper, it's the middle of winter, and here's what the girls begged to do while we were at the mall:

Beach Read!

2008-02-14T13:20:00.003-06:00

Order here!

This just in ....

THESE BOOTS WERE MADE FOR STOMPING was chosen as a SOUTH
JERSEY MOM's Chick Lit Pick 2008 Beach Read.

How cool is that?

Three fun stories from me, Jade Lee & Marianne Mancusi. Mine is a Protector story (i.e., the superheroes from the Aphrodite series)!

AND THIS JUST IN .... THESE BOOTS WERE MADE FOR STOMPING was chosen to be a Fresh Pick
at Fresh Fiction. WHOO HOO!

HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY

2008-02-13T22:07:00.003-06:00

Love and kisses to all!

Check out the sweet cards the girls made for the various grandparents. (The fingers are bent into the ASL sign for "I love you.") And, um, Isabella's hand isn't really that elongated, but she was VERY proud of herself for tracing her own hand.

LWB Fundraiser - Update

2008-02-13T10:30:00.004-06:00

Just got word that one of the kiddoes that the 2006 fundraiser is not only doing great, but he's found his family! Hopefully the process will go smoothly and he'll be home soon. Here are some pics ... isn't he a cutie?

And here's some more news about another little boy who is "in foster care and apparently is thriving in his family. He is described as energetic and outgoing. He can walk and call to his "Nai Nai". He likes to visit the neighbors and to say goodbye when people are leaving the house." He sounds (and looks) so precious!

From Russia With Love ...

2008-02-11T20:52:00.001-06:00

Oh yeah! Got a box from my agent today, and in it I found the Russian edition of The Prada Paradox (thus completing my set), along with a cool red cover with a devious-looking black cat. Took me a minute to realize it's Carpe Demon. Looks sweet!

I love foreign editions. Wish I could read 'em!

GCC Tour: Don’t Get It Twisted by Paula Chase

2008-02-11T01:05:00.001-06:00

Click Here To Order

Meet Paula Chase -- this week's GCC touring author!

“So, wait…this writing thing actually doesn’t get easier?” author Paula Chase asks. “If I’d known that I would have taken up a much easier profession like shark wrestling.” {{Oh, yes! I'm so with Paula on that ... }} And compared to living in the minds of a clique of six teenagers, shark wrestling really may be easier.

In Don’t Get It Twisted, the sequel to her debut, So Not The Drama, Chase gives readers a peek into the Del Rio Bay clique’s foray into dating, while also dipping her toe into the issue of student athletics and cheating. Using humor and earnest insight, Chase continues the story of Mina Mooney and her mixed bag of friends.

The Buzz on Don’t Get It Twisted & The Del Rio Bay Clique Series

“Surprisingly real and deep…well worth reading.” – Teens Read Too

“Excellent for showing friendship that crosses racial and social boundaries.” – YA Books Central

“Don’t Get It Twisted, is another winner.” – Urban Reviews

About Paula
Author, Paula Chase has written for Girls Life, Sweet 16 and Baltimore Magazine, among others. In addition to her background in corporate communications and public relations, she founded the Committed Black Women, a youth mentoring program for 14-17 year old girls. Her Del Rio Bay Clique series helped launch Kensington Books YA line and joins a burgeoning number of YA books targeted to multi-culti suburbanite teens. Chase calls her brand of teen literature, Hip Lit, a nod to the diversity spawned by the MTV-watching, 106 & Park-ing, pop culture hungry hip hop generation. The author lives in Maryland with her husband and two daughters. Learn more about the series and author at www.paulachasehyman.com

Paula's answers to my GCC Questions:

HOW WOULD YOU DESCRIBE YOUR TYPICAL “WRITING DAY”? It changes with every single book. This time around, it’s writing around 8 or 9 on the lap top surrounded by my family interrupting every few minutes. They did that anyway when I went into the office so I’m just saving them the trouble. My goal is to write two hours a day, that way anything I write beyond that is gravy.

DO YOU RECALL THE KERNEL OF INSPIRATION FOR THIS BOOK? I actually wrote it immediately after the first book – five years ago. So not really. I just remember that the story was still flowing, in my mind, once I closed out book #1 so I started Don’t Get It Twisted.

PICK A CHARACTER IN THE BOOK AND TELL US WHAT TRAIT YOU SHARE (OR COME CLOSEST TO SHARING) WITH THAT CHARACTER. My main character Mina has the interest of two guys in this book. And it pretty much makes her a basket case. That is so me! When I was a teenager and even in my 20’s I was never good at dating more than one guy. Every time I’d try the casual, seeing more than one guy thing it blew up in my face. I’m simply unable to switch that quickly emotionally. So I’d be with guy #1 and we’d be having a good time. Then guy #2 might call later and I’d snap at him, annoyed because I hadn’t flicked the lever to be in the mood to talk to him. It’s like I’d pick a fight, not purposely, but it ended up that way. Juggling guys never worked out for me.

IF YOU WERE STUCK ON A DESERT ISLAND , WOULD YOU RATHER HAVE A MAGICAL TRUNK THAT GAVE YOU LIMITLESS BOOKS TO READ, OR A LIMITLESS SUPPLY OF PAPER ON WHICH TO WRITE? If I also have a couple of pens on hand, I’ll choose the paper. I get so frustrated when a story idea comes to me and I can’t capture it. I mean, I get seriously irritated and snappy. I don’t want anyone talking to me until I’ve written down at least the concept. So I can imagine being on this island with no paper and simply spiraling into madness.

BEER OR WINE? Wine. I’m a Merlot gal.

CHOCOLATE OR VANILLA? Vanilla. That’s so plain Jane isn’t it? But vanilla has lots of flavor.

WHAT’S YOUR ALL-TIME FAVORITE BOOK? I’m prone to “obsessions.” There’s no one favorite anything for me. Instead, I go through bouts of obsession with one book, movie, song or another. Today, my all-time favorite book is Time Line by Michael Crichton. That book really swept me into it. Now, ask me this same question tomorrow and the answer will be completely different.

Chocolate: It's a Good Thing

2008-02-09T23:00:00.000-06:00

You haven't lived until you watch a four year old enjoy her very first chocolate milkshake.

Trust me on that:

When we first adopted Isabella, she disdained both chocolate and ice cream. Ah, how things can change in a year!

And if the vid doesn't show up, it's also available here: http://gallery.mac.com/juliekenner#gallery

Shark Bait -- trying again

2008-02-09T22:45:00.000-06:00

Well, dang, and double dang. Apparently, some folks can see the picture and some can't.

I uploaded it to my web gallery, so if you're dying to know what I saw when I got home (look in the water), visit here, then click the image to make it bigger:

http://gallery.mac.com/juliekenner#100008

Shark Bait?

2008-02-09T02:13:00.001-06:00

Took the kidlets to Disneyland, the beach, LA and the San Bernadino mountains over Christmas (more stories to come), but when I got back home I noticed something ...

There I was, snapping photos of the kids romping in the surf, and I never noticed a thing. Not until I came home and made this picture my screensaver. Click on it and make it bigger. Do you see what I see?

GCC Tour - EARTHLY PLEASURES by Karen Neches

2008-02-07T13:26:00.000-06:00

”Karen Neches' Earthly Pleasures is a rare treat. I laughed from the first page and cried in all the right places. Do yourself a favor and curl up with this book. Heaven knows, you won't be sorry!" -- Julie Kenner

I'm so excited to be touring Karen and her book, EARTHLY PLEASURES, as I had the supreme privilege of reading it back when it was still in galleys. Loved it, and I'm sure you will too! Check it out.

In Earthly Pleasures (Simon and Schuster, February 2008, $14) great love can transcend the dimensions, narrowing the vast difference between Heaven and Earth.

Advance Praise for Earthly Pleasures:

"What a treat! Earthly Pleasures more than lives up to its name. I was glued to the pages of this delightful little gem of a novel, and wish it could have been twice as long!"
-- Megan Crane, author of Frenemies

”Karen Neches' Earthly Pleasures is a rare treat. I laughed from the first page and cried in all the right places. Do yourself a favor and curl up with this book. Heaven knows, you won't be sorry!"
--Julie Kenner, author of Demons Are Forever

"Equally hilarious and poignant, Earthly Pleasures is a little powerhouse of a novel about love, life...and what comes next."
--Melissa Senate, author of See Jane Date and Love You to Death
"Karen Neches’s novel is an intriguing love story with a rare combination of both wit and depth. In her fresh voice Neches gives us an innovative version of heaven where the one true thing still remains: love that transcends both time and space."

--Patti Callahan Henry, National bestselling novelist of Between the Tides

“Earthly Pleasures is more than just a novel. It's a dream, a calling, a divine trip from which you won't want to come home. I loved it!—Valerie Frankel, author of I Take This Man and Hex and the Single Girl.

About the Author

Karen Neches was single for over twenty years. She used to tell people she was in the “hospice stage” of being single as she never expected to recover. Then at the age of forty-three she finally met her soul mate. Earthly Pleasures is dedicated to him. She maintains a web site at www.karenneches.com
Neches also writes under the name Karin Gillespie and is the nationally bestselling author of The Sweet Potato Queen’s First Big-Ass Novel with Jill Conner Browne and three novels in the critically acclaimed Bottom Dollar Girl series. She’s founder of the virtual tour The Girlfriend Circuit as well as the grog for Southern authors A Good Blog is Hard to Find. She is a former lifestyle columnist for the Augusta Chronicle.

Here are Karen's answers to my GCC questions!

HOW WOULD YOU DESCRIBE YOUR TYPICAL “WRITING DAY”?

Type a sentence, check email, eat chocolate, repeat

DO YOU RECALL THE KERNEL OF INSPIRATION FOR THIS BOOK?

I had this sudden thought: Lovely Bones meets Bridget Jones. , I was so excited, I felt like I’d discovered how to turn rocks into gold. Then I spoke with a publicist who said, “What a horrific notion.” Too late. I was already 70,000 words in. My agent hated it. My editor wanted to use it for kindling. I almost gave up on it. I cursed the novel many times but now it’s my favorite.

PICK A CHARACTER IN THE BOOK AND TELL US WHAT TRAIT YOU SHARE (OR COME CLOSEST TO SHARING) WITH THAT CHARACTER.
My character, Skyem who is a greeter in Heaven, longs for a deep connection with people and I could say the same about myself.

IF YOU WERE STUCK ON A DESERT ISLAND, WOULD YOU RATHER HAVE A MAGICAL TRUNK THAT GAVE YOU LIMITLESS BOOKS TO READ, OR A LIMITLESS SUPPLY OF PAPER ON WHICH TO WRITE?
Limitless paper.

BEER OR WINE?

wine

CHOCOLATE OR VANILLA?

chocolate

WHAT’S YOUR ALL-TIME FAVORITE BOOK?
The Secret History by Donna Tartt

MY NEW WEBSITE!

2008-02-04T23:03:00.000-06:00

Oh yeah! Oh yeah! I got a new website, and it's soooo pretty!

Go give it a look-see!

I've joined the Kindle Klub ...

2008-02-03T23:09:00.000-06:00

Well, folks. I did it. I bought a Kindle (paying a premium since those puppies aren't shipping). My review: worth every penny. Already, I'm able to read more than I have before (I don't think it's just the newness!) Plus, I'm reading more new (NYT blog and the WSJ).

I uploaded an audiobook, but haven't tried it out (other than to test it), but the book reading is great. I still wish it had a built in light -- would love to read in bed, and the recommended book light is too bulky for a small purse.

The cover gets bad reviews on Amazon, but I think it's perfect.

Another nice feature for v. 2 would be a button to put it into screensaver mode, so that you can close and strap the book cover w/o accidentally hitting the next page bar. {edited: ha! there is such a button. Good job Kindle dudes.}

But all minor things.

I love the KindleNowNow feature: send a question and they send back an answer. Pretty cool stuff!

And I've downloaded a billion books (give or take) from ManyBooks.net, which has put Gutenburg.org books in Kindle format.

5 enthusiastic novels from me!

Isn't he a cutie!

2008-01-02T18:02:00.000-06:00

Here's a photo of Qiao, one of the kids being helped by the money we raised with the 2006 Love Without Boundaries auction I organized. Thanks everyone for helping!

GCC Tour - The

2007-12-21T10:34:00.001-06:00

Yay! I'm touring the paperback edition of one of my favorite writer's books: Melissa Senate's Theodora Twist.

Order the book!

“Senate sets up a tantalizing premise and the plot is equally entertaining.” –Publisher’s Weekly

“Theodora Twist has sugar and spice and everything nice. I loved it!”
–Sarah Mlynowski, bestselling author of Spells and Sleeping Bags

“A fun read!”
–Teen People magazine

You’re sixteen. A high school junior. A major teen celebrity like Blake Lively or Amanda Duff or Vanessa Hudgens moves into your house for a month and shares your bedroom, your friends, your clothes, your school. Your entire life. And it’s all caught on camera, for all of America to see. This is what happens to Emily Fine in Melissa Senate’s debut young adult novel, THEODORA TWIST (Delacorte Press). One day she’s ordinary nobody Emily Fine, practically invisible to everyone (including her own mother) and the next, she’s roommates with teen idol Theodora Twist and co-star of a TV reality show.

Theodora Twist is Hollywood’s hottest young actress—the girl everyone wants to be. Producers court her, tabloids love her, fans mob her, and US Weekly has covered every catfight with her co-stars, her ongoing feud with her mother, her yo-yo dieting, and her threesome with two Hollywood it-boys. Needless to say, Theodora doesn’t have the best reputation around.

So when Theodora’s publicity team decides to clean up her act with a reality show called Theodora Twist—Just a Regular Teen!, they send Theodora back to her hometown to live with Emily’s family for a month. Theodora has to do everything Emily does: attend high school, care about grades, friends, boys, the prom, zits (as though Theodora has ever had one). And a very unlikely friendship is formed.

Read an excerpt at Random House Teens (RandomHouse.com/teens) and visit Melissa’s website at MelissaSenate.com

Here are Melissa's answers to my GCC questions:

HOW WOULD YOU DESCRIBE YOUR TYPICAL “WRITING DAY”?: Now that my son is in kindergarten, I have set hours to work that don’t require paying a fortune. Love that. I reread the last two chapters of my WIP, then go from there, usually getting a scene down and the bare bones of the next two.

DO YOU RECALL THE KERNEL OF INSPIRATION FOR THIS BOOK?: I was mindlessly watching MTV or VH1 and caught a show about Christina Aguilera visiting her hometown, camera crew capturing her every move. The next morning I woke up with the idea for Theodora Twist, about a teen movie queen with a seriously bad reputation who is forced back to her hometown to film a reality TV show about how she’s really just a regular teen. (She’s not!)

PICK A CHARACTER IN THE BOOK AND TELL US WHAT TRAIT YOU SHARE (OR COME CLOSEST TO SHARING) WITH THAT CHARACTER.: No matter what else you can call her, Theodora has a good heart. I’d like to think I do too.

IF YOU WERE STUCK ON A DESERT ISLAND, WOULD YOU RATHER HAVE A MAGICAL TRUNK THAT GAVE YOU LIMITLESS BOOKS TO READ, OR A LIMITLESS SUPPLY OF PAPER ON WHICH TO WRITE?: Limitless books to read. I can make up my own stories in my head, but I can’t make up other people’s.

BEER OR WINE?: Red wine.

CHOCOLATE OR VANILLA?: Chocolate!

WHAT’S YOUR ALL-TIME FAVORITE BOOK? I have so many, but the one I’ve loved the longest is Anne of Green Gables.

About Melissa

Melissa Senate is the author of several novels for adults, including the bestseller See Jane Date, which was made into a TV movie. Before becoming a writer, Melissa was a New York City book editor and worked on many teen novels. She now lives on the southern coast of Maine, where outside her door is foot of fresh snow.

Snowflakes, books, and crunching the numbers!

2007-12-05T21:18:00.000-06:00

I've been planning ever since Day One of this school year to update this blog regularly. As you can see, I've fallen a bit down on the job. Ahem.

But I did want to post a recent update, and leave the rest to the mercy of New Year's Resolutions.

Catherine read 61 books in November (yay!) which was her stated goal for getting her ReadIt! pizza. So we'll be having a pizza lunch sometime next week. (In truth, she read more. Those are the ones she remembered to tell me about so that I'd mark them on my list.) A mix of chapter books and easier readers.

Yesterday, Isabella and Catherine made snowflakes out of pipe cleaners, string, and supersaturated Borax. They turned out great. My advice would be to use as wide a jar as possible. The crystals form b/w the jar and the flake, and I had to pry it loose! Here's a link to the instructions if you want to try it yourself.

Oh, and our big news! Catherine is done with first grade math! We're moving on to Level 2A in Singapore Math, having completed Level 1A and 1B (along with Alpha in Math-U-See). Catherine's very proud of herself, and I'm proud of her, too. We've spent a lot of time working on the word problems in particular, and she's really developed a sense of how to think in mathematical terms.

As for Isabella, she's doing so great! Her speech is coming along nicely, and she "reads" (i.e., carries a book around) all the time. She's doing great at counting (though she skips "six" all the time ... poor Mr. Six!). Both girls are taking piano, and are doing great!

That's enough for now. Next homeschool post will be more in depth ... and with pictures!

"He gave his life for tourism ..."

2007-12-03T20:38:00.000-06:00

So ...

we've been doing Egypt, and Catherine read a book on King Tut. I got on line, found out the Tut exhibit is coming to Dallas next year, reserved slots, and then showed the girls the material on the web. They thought it was very cool.

And then ...

I remembered Steve Martin's King Tut, so I searched YouTube and found it.

Who would have thought two little girls, ages 6 and 4, would be sooooo enamored. Isabella has (for two days now) come over and over into my study making the sign for silly and pointing to the television. Needless to say, they are enraptured. And dancing "Egyptian" too.

In case you don't remember it (or are just too dang young) here you go:

Thanks, Steve Martin, for making my week. Not to mention entertaining my kids and supplementing our classical education with a mixture of whimsy, retro, and pop culture!

GCC Tour: CHICKS WITH STICKS (KNITWISE) - Elizabeth Lenhard

2007-12-02T09:11:00.000-06:00

Touring today is Elizabeth Lenhard's CHICKS WITH STICKS (KNITWISE), a new novel in her popular trilogy. (And the timing is perfect, since at the park the other day, I met a woman knitting with circular needles, and I was bowled-over impressed!)

At any rate, the Chicks trilogy began in 2005 with Chicks with Sticks (It’s a purl thing) (Dutton). Fifteen-year-old Scottie lives in a cool, Chicago loft, goes to a progressive-to-the-point-of-wacky private school—and she’s miserable. Her former best friend, trust-fund princess Amanda, is just that—her former best friend—and her mom has become an It girl in Chicago’s art world. Meanwhile, Scottie just wants to blend in.

Then she discovers knitting, and it’s as if she’s been thrown a cashmerino lifeline. Soon Scottie and Amanda find themselves hanging at their local yarn store, bound together by a yen for yarn and a hunger for friendship. They make two more knitty friends: Bella, a new age yoga goddess, and Tay, an indie tomboy with “anger issues” in the wake of her parents’ divorce. The friends’ stitches and their relationships become so intertwined that it’s hard to remember which came first: the girls or the purls.

Chicks #2, Chicks with Sticks (Knit two together), could be called the Chicks’ boy book. At sixteen, Scottie is finally smitten and thrilled to have her first boyfriend—or does she? Amanda’s heart is broken when she wakes up one day and finds that she’s a trophy girlfriend. Tay wonders if her b.f.—an adorable basketball player who knits on the side—is a cling-on. And Bella swears off boys altogether. Drama ensues—all, of course, to the tune of the girls’ click-clacking needles.

And now, there’s Chicks with Sticks (KnitWise). For Scottie, Amanda, Bella, and Tay, life in Chicago has been all about seeking shelter. They’ve found it in their firelit stitch ’n bitch at Joe Coffee; in the halls of their quirky private school; in the arms of boyfriends—and always in the comfort of the friendship that bonds them together.

But now the Chicks are staring down the end of high school and it's time to contemplate life beyond the protective web of their knitty ensemble. Will the stresses of college applications and service projects, debutante balls and long-distance loves, mean the end of the Chicks? Or can this unlikely foursome bind-off the happy ending that only true friendship can craft?

The Chicks with Sticks books aren’t just for crafty types (though each book does include several original knitting patterns and projects). They’re for anyone juggling the works-in-progress that are friendship, first love, and surviving high school; for anyone who’s ever found friends in the most unlikely place—or wanted to. Sometimes you just need some string and sticks—with some full-fat hot chocolate on the side—to get you there.

You can order the book HERE

Elizabeth's answers to my GCC questions:

HOW WOULD YOU DESCRIBE YOUR TYPICAL “WRITING DAY”?
I take care of my daughter from wake-up time (6:30ish) until my mother, aka "granny nanny," arrives (11:30ish) and go into the office and shut the door. I then realize I'm exhausted from all the momming, so I ease into things with some e-mailing, blogging, and blog-reading. I rarely get rolling before the clock strikes noon, but then I try to work until around 5, with occasional breaks for cuddling with the baby and chatting with my mom. It's a longer, messier work day than it would be if I went somewhere "off-site" and just FOCUSED for several hours, but apparently, I don't have the discipline for that kind of work day!

DO YOU RECALL THE KERNEL OF INSPIRATION FOR THIS BOOK? I must admit, my editor was the one who came up with the concept of a knitter grrrl novel. But I came up with the setting and characters as an ode to a life I'd just left behind. Only a couple months before I started writing the first Chicks book, "Chicks with Sticks (It's a purl thing)" I'd moved away from Chicago and a really great, tight-knit group of girlfriends. None of the characters are directly based on these friends, but the sweet, silly, familial vibe of our friendship definitely inspired the Chicks.

PICK A CHARACTER IN THE BOOK AND TELL US WHAT TRAIT YOU SHARE (OR COME CLOSEST TO SHARING) WITH THAT CHARACTER. Scottie (the main character in the quartet of Chicks) is closer to my teenage self than my current one. We both have/had a tendency to brood and to go a bit overboard with new obsessions, like knitting or boys.

IF YOU WERE STUCK ON A DESERT ISLAND, WOULD YOU RATHER HAVE A MAGICAL TRUNK THAT GAVE YOU LIMITLESS BOOKS TO READ, OR A LIMITLESS SUPPLY OF PAPER ON WHICH TO WRITE?
Books! Without them, frankly, I'd curl up and die. And, though I guess writers shouldn't admit this, I can't say the same about writing.

BEER OR WINE? Wine (red)

CHOCOLATE OR VANILLA? chocolate

WHAT’S YOUR ALL-TIME FAVORITE BOOK? All time!?! That's too much pressure. I cannot choose. But ONE of my faves is "Feast of Love" by Charles Baxter.

More about the author…

Elizabeth Lenhard grew up in Atlanta and studied English and creative writing at the University of Michigan. She’s been a features reporter for the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, a contributing dining critic for Chicago magazine, and the author of more than thirty series books for teens and children. Elizabeth lives with her husband and daughter in Atlanta. Now that the Chicks are college-bound, she’s assuaging her empty nest syndrome with lots and lots of knitting. Visit her online at http://elizabethlenhard.com/http://elizabethlenhard.com/ or at her blog at http://elizabethlenhard.typepad.com/

A Reading Machine ...

2007-11-15T21:01:00.000-06:00

Catherine is, in her own words, a "reading machine." And Don and I couldn't be happier. She LOVES to read. Anything and everything. Getting her to go to sleep at night is torture, since she wants to sit up and read. Really, what could make a mom happier????

Her current favorites are the Bailey School Kids books (she still loves Magic Tree House, but BSK has outpaced the time-traveling duo). What I love, is that she'll pick up science and history books and simply read to read. (And even better, Isabella "reads," too. They'll lock themselves up for hours with books -- though usually we have a meltdown in the end when Isabella's stamina fails to match her sister's. But such is life.)

We've signed up for the Pizza Hut Book It program, and in October, C hit her 50 book goal and got her free pizza. Encouraged, she upped her monthly goal for November to 61. Per Mommy Rules, these have to be books that she remembers to tell me she's read. (And I'm lenient with the easy ones; I figure for every early reader she reads, she's also read a chapter book).

Here's the list we made of the October books:

1.Vacation Under The Volcano
2. Amelia Bedelia's Family Album
3. Pinky and Rex and the Bully
4. Twister on Tuesday
5. Dolls of Danger
6. Sleeping Beauty
7. Winter of the Ice Wizard
8. Louis Braille bio
9. Angels Don't know karate
10. The Cat that Sat
11. The Hungry Thing
12. Clifford's Happy Mother's Day
13. Fossil Fever
14. Amelia Bedelia Helps Out
15. What a Bad Dream
16. Night Animals
17. Absolutely Lucy
18. Greek Myths
19. Amelia Bedelia, Bookworm
20. Scrambled Eggs Super
21. A Pet For Us
22. Septimus Bean and His Amazing Machine
23. Tikki Tikki Tembo
24. Vampires Don't Wear Polka Dots
25. Why Do Cats Meow
26. Gilgamesh the King
27. The Shape of Me.
28. Mermaids Don't Run Track
29-32. Four Halloween books, the titles of which I forgot to note.
33. Kitten's First Full Moon
34. Goodnight Sweet Butterflies
35. Don't Forget to Come Back
36. Werewolves Don't Go To Summer Camp.
37. Leprachauns Don't Play Basketball
38. The Big Green Pocketbook
39. Ollie the Stomper
40. Dinosaur
41. The Mission of Addition
42. Insects are My Life
43. The Last Quest of Gilgamesh
44. Much Bigger than Martin
45. Baby Mickey Toys
46. Play Ball Baby Minnie
47. Baby Minnie's Treat
48. Baby Goofy Catches a Fish
49. Humpty Dumpty
50. Duck For President
51. Tigers at Twilight
52. Ghosts Don't Eat Potato Chips

Way to go, Catherine!

(And for the record, she's now had number the October personal pan pizza ... and it was a big, big hit!)

One year ...

2007-10-31T23:05:00.001-05:00

Hard to believe that exactly one year ago today (discounting the international time difference!) we adopted Isabella.

Here she is in China on "gotcha" day, October 30:

Who would have thought that scared little girl would grow to be the little Wonder Girl who went trick-or-treating through the neighborhood tonight, happily shouting "Happy Halloween" and "trick or treat" and checking her bag for her favorite candies?

Or the little girl who performed in her first piano recital 11 days ago.

Or who has learned that we don't say "yucky" at the dinner table, but instead say "no, thank you."

A little girl with boundless energy, a sweet heart, an amazing sense of rhythm, and a wicked sense of humor. A little girl who loves her big sister and her mommy and daddy and her grandma and Nana and all our kitties. Oh, and who loves penguins and duckies, too!

Here she is from just a few weeks ago (because today's pictures won't download) --

We love you, too, Isabella!

Wow. A book club visit ... Wow.

2007-10-30T22:13:00.000-05:00

I had absolutely the best time visiting with a local book club that picked Carpe Demon as their monthly book, and then invited me to speak.

Not only were they a really fun group of women, but when I walked in the door, I noticed a bunch of spritzer bottles on the breakfast bar, each tagged "holy water." That was interesting enough, but then I saw the dip (with 5 carrots sticking up, with almonds as "fingernails"!) and the garbage bags taped over the window in the breakfast area! And ... yes, the piece de la resistance ... a dummy wrapped in garbage bags and shoved into the pantry!

Such fun and sooo creative.

Thanks, y'all! I had a great time!