Lisa Roecker's Blog, page 40

#MysteryGuest REVEALED

If this is the first you're hearing about #mysteryguest click here and here to learn more.
6:40 PM: Laura calls Lisa.                Laura: I don't want to drive alone.                Lisa: Me neither.                Laura: I'm scared.                 Lisa: Me too.                Laura: There's a 95% chance that I don't recognize this person.                Lisa: Make that 99%.                Laura: Marriot parking lot in 20?                Lisa: Done.
7:08 PM in Laura's car.                Lisa: OMG, what if the mystery guest is wearing a scary mask?                Laura: Let's just turn around and go home. I'm getting an ulcer.
7:27 PM in Laura's car.                Lisa: How does my outfit look?                Laura: Fine, I guess.                Lisa: OMG, why did I make such a big deal about my outfit when I have no clothes?                Laura: I don't know, but you totally freed me up to wear Uggs. No one will be looking at me.                Lisa: I hate you.
7:34 PM approaching the restaurant.               Laura: OMG, I think I'm going to puke.               Lisa: You go in first.               Laura: No! You go first! You're the oldest. It's like your job to be first.               Lisa: I hate you.
7:35 PM entering the restaurant, table of author friends spotted.               Laura: *awkward smile*               Lisa: *nervous laughter*               Laura: OMG IT'S VICTORIA SCHWAB! WE TOTALLY KNOW HER!               Lisa: *relieved laughter*
7:36 PM - 10:08 PMTons and tons of awesome book gossip and author blabbing and pizza and Diet Coke and V's famous cookies!!! It was the best night EVER and we have the pic to prove it.
The only question is...who will the next #mysteryguest be???? We're extending an official invitation to all of you. Next time it's Chelsea, Scott and Leah's turn to enjoy the hot seat!

Time Suck Breakdown

It all began when @LeahClifford sent us a message about a mysterious someone flying into Cleveland for a visit. So really, it's Leah's fault we wasted our night trying to solve a mystery as opposed to writing. Here's how it all went down:

32 minutes: Search weeks worth of Twitter feeds for clues regarding #mysteryguest.

26 minutes: Talk about findings, mainly who hasn't tweeted for a few hours because they were potentially on a flight.

7 minutes: Check StatCounter and wonder who Googled us from San Diego.

47 minutes: Talk about who might have Googled us from San Diego. Front runner is Lisa's brother-in-law.

3 minutes: Write desperate email in an attempt to bribe #mysteryguest's identity out of book club attendees.

19 minutes: Develop plan to pit @LeahClifford and @scott_tracey against one another and pretend like we've discovered #mysteryguest's identity.

1 minute: Implement plan.

4 minutes: Plan backfires when Lisa tweets that she's "adjusted her outfit" in regards to #mysteryguest whose identity is still completely unknown to us.

13 minutes: Worry that #mysteryguest now thinks Lisa has a crush on him/her.

45 minutes: Laugh about #mysteryguest thinking Lisa has a crush on him/her.

6 minutes: Complain that we should be writing.

Can't wait to finally meet this mysterious guest tonight. Happy Friday everyone!

Bookinistas: Books we're dying to get our grubby little paws on

Anna and the French Kiss

Anna was looking forward to her senior year in Atlanta, where she has a great job, a loyal best friend, and a crush on the verge of becoming more. So she's less than thrilled about being shipped off to boarding school in Paris--until she meets Etienne St. Clair. Smart, charming, beautiful, Etienne has it all . . . including a serious girlfriend.


But in the City of Light, wishes have a way of coming true. Will a year of romantic near-misses end with their long-awaited French kiss?

This is right up our alley.


Divergent

One choice


One choice decides your friends, defines your beliefs, and determines your loyalties . . . forever.

Or, one choice can transform you.

A little birdie told us this was better than Hunger Games. Yup.


Like Mandarin

It's hard finding beauty in the badlands of Washokey, Wyoming, but 14-year-old Grace Carpenter knows it's not her mother's pageant obsessions, or the cowboy dances adored by her small-town classmates. True beauty is wild-girl Mandarin Ramey: 17, shameless and utterly carefree. Grace would give anything to be like Mandarin.


When they're united for a project, they form an unlikely, explosive friendship, packed with nights spent skinny-dipping in the canal, liberating the town's animal-head trophies, and searching for someplace magic. Grace plays along when Mandarin suggests they run away together. Blame it on the crazy-making wildwinds plaguing their badlands town.

Because all too soon, Grace discovers Mandarin's unique beauty hides a girl who's troubled, broken, and even dangerous. And no matter how hard Grace fights to keep the magic, no friendship can withstand betrayal.

We will forever remember this Bookinista review by Michelle Hodkin. Success! We so want to read this book now and are waiting patiently for it to show up in our mailbox.

The Pull of Gravity

While Nick Gardner's family is falling apart, his best friend, Scooter, is dying from a freak disease. The Scoot's final wish is that Nick and their quirky classmate, Jaycee Amato, deliver a prized first-edition copy of Of Mice and Men to the Scoot's father. There's just one problem: the Scoot's father walked out years ago and hasn't been heard from since. So, guided by Steinbeck's life lessons, and with only the vaguest of plans, Nick and Jaycee set off to find him.

Love the title, love the premise, want the book.


Clearly we've got a raging case of booklust. Hopefully Santa is taking notes!

P.S. Don't forget to check out what the other Bookanistas are up to this week...


Kirsten Hubbard celebrates JOHN BELUSHI IS DEAD and THE MOCKINGBIRDSElana Johnson gives a little love to JOEY FLY 2: PRIVATE EYEBeth Revis chimes in on CHIMELisa and Laura Roecker rave about BOOKS THEY'RE DYING TO READCarolina Valdez Miller looks ahead to JANUARY RELEASES

Christmas Came Early

And look what Santa left us this year!

That's right....

LIAR SOCIETY ARCs are here!!!

Too bad they came just a little too late for Oprah to put them on her Favorite Things List....

You're getting a Liar Society ARC! And you're getting a Liar Society ARC! YOU'RE ALL GETTING A LIAR SOCIETY ARC!!!

*cue someone's head exploding*

Sadly, we don't have enough to pull an Oprah and give everyone a copy. But there will definitely be a few copies floating around the blogosphere AND there's still time to vote in our cover contest and win The Liar Society ARC AND a bunch of other totally bad ass books.

Of course, you know what printed books mean, right? Yeah, people are actually going to be reading our book. If you need us, we'll be in the fetal position until mid-2012.

XOXO,
L&L

Tell the Truth Tuesday

1. Snow days aren't nearly as fun when you're a mom.

2. We've spent approximately 12 of the past 24 hours working on our book trailer for The Liar Society. We think we're finally done and now we're waiting for someone to call me with an Oscar nomination. Any minute now....

3. Everyone in my house wore their pajamas all day. What? It was a snow day! Getting dressed is totally optional.

4. Tell the Truth Tuesday is my favorite blog post of the week because Simon always writes something completely inappropriate in the comments that makes me laugh my ass off.

5. I'm reading TIGHTER by Adele Griffin, but I might have to put it down for a couple days because my husband is going out of town and I won't be able to sleep at night.

I'll be refreshing the comments all day long. I'm dying to hear what your truths are this Tuesday.

Winter Wallop

Thanks to the snow-pocalypse that is currently hovering over Ohio, I can't watch TV without feeling like it's the end of the world. And since I feel like it's the end of the world, I can't write. And since I can't write, I've been reading "articles" on UsWeekly, thumbing through magazines to find a pic to bring to the salon on Tuesday (barring they don't close permanently because of the snow) and Christmas shopping online (because according to Hollie Strano, we're going to be snowed in indefinitely).
There's nothing meteorologists love more than a storm system (and throwing around words like "wallop," "batter," "threat") and nothing I love more than an excuse.
So, sit back, grab a blanket and a cup of tea and enjoy. Thanks to the Northeast Ohio Snow Storm Blog, you can get up-to-date information about the storm. It's like you live here!

Giving Back Is the New Black

I'm not going to lie, it's been a rough week for me. I'm desperately trying to figure out how to balance three kids and a fledgeling writing career on 5 hours of sleep a night. As a result I'm prone to wandering around town running errands in yoga pants and Uggs with zero make-up and eyes so red I could be an albino.

It ain't pretty.
To add insult to injury, stuff keeps going wrong. All those Christmas pictures I was stressing out over? Lost 'em when I loaded them to my Mac because I had no memory left. Packages that were supposed to arrive days ago, still haven't shown up. Husbands that were supposed to get home at 6 PM get stuck in freak snowstorms and walk through the door at 9:45 PM. Workouts that are supposed to relieve stress are cut short by one 14 pound child who REALLY wants to eat and doesn't like bottles.
I'm not going to lie, I'm a kind of a train wreck.
And Wednesday was no exception. I have about 2 hours while the kids are in preschool to run errands, write, hit the gym, and pretend that I'm not slowly losing my mind due to sleep deprivation. This Wednesday I was stuck going to the National Tire and Battery to get my car battery checked. Just what I felt like doing during my two hours of me time.
So I walk in with Ben who immediately poops his brains out and I'm told it's going to be a half hour before they can get to my car. I'm left with choosing between a stinky baby or a car that may or may not break down in 25 degree whether while I'm schlepping around 3 kids.
I opted for door #1. Stinky baby for the win.
I sat in there, bouncing the baby seat, half asleep in a hard plastic chair trying to pretend like my crying baby didn't stink to high heaven. I waited almost exactly 30 minutes till the nice man at the desk called my name.
I walked up there prepared for the worst. I probably needed a new alternator or at the very least a new battery. I definitely wasn't expecting to get out of there for less than $200. The guy patiently explained that it wasn't my battery that was failing, it was the radiator. Apparently it was low on some type of fluid so they added more and I was good to go. When I asked him how much I owed him, he just smiled and said there was no charge. Editorial note from Laura: this may or may not be a free service they offer to every customer. But I like the idea of a random act of kindness too. In fact, my first year teaching, I created a Random Act of Kindess Club. Yep...
I was sort of floored. I mean, when's the last time you had a complimentary service? Especially at a car repair shop. My shock must have shown because he laughed and told me to have a Merry Christmas. Now I'm sure replacing radiator fluid isn't a big deal, but it was the best news I'd had in a long time, so I decided to pay it forward.
My next stop was Target and my plan was simple. I'd buy a $15 gift card and hand it to the first person I saw who was walking in the door as I was walking out. As I was leaving the store I handed a random girl a $15 gift card and told her that someone did something nice for me that morning and I was paying it forward. She smiled so big that her face practically split in half and told me to have a blessed day. Editorial note from Laura: Lisa told me this story the day it happened and suggested we pay-it-forward. How terrible is it that I've been wracking my brain ever since and nothing seems good enough? The Hershey Kisses we used to leave on kids' desks when I was teaching is small-time.
It felt so good to do something randomly nice for a stranger and I'm sort of hoping that she was inspired to do something nice for someone else that day. Maybe the guy at the repair shop started a tiny little wave of good deeds that will spread some cheer this holiday season. Who knows, maybe a few of you will be inspired to do the same thing. Maybe you'll make someone's day by returning a grocery cart or paying for someone's coffee.
Maybe this year giving back is the new black. Editorial note from Laura: It's on.

Bookinistas: PERSONAL DEMONS

Today we're thrilled to announce another Guestanista post by Kylie Rush, Matt Rush's fabulous daughter. Kylie is *gasp* an actual young adult and she has an incredible perspective. Enjoy!
Here's what the back cover has to say:
If you had to choose between Heaven and Hell, which would it be?
Are you sure about that...?

Frannie Cavanaugh is a good Catholic girl with a wicked streak. She's spent years keeping everyone at a distance--even her closest friends--and it seems her senior year will be more of the same...until Luc Cain enrolls in her class. No one knows where he came from, but Frannie can't seem to stay away from him. What she doesn't know is that Luc works in Acquisitions--for Hell--and she possesses a unique skill set that has the king of Hell tingling with anticipation. All Luc has to do is get her to sin, and he's as tempting as they come. Frannie doesn't stand a chance.
Unfortunately for Luc, Heaven has other plans, and the angel, Gabe, is going to do whatever it takes to make sure that Luc doesn't get what he came for. And it isn't long before they find themselves fighting for more than just her soul.
But if Luc fails, there will be Hell to pay...for all of them.
Kylie's Take:
Lisa Desrochers tells an intriguing tale in Personal Demons. Teen readers (especially the females) will identify with Frannie, the protagonist, from the get go. Being the only member in her large Catholic family to ever be expelled from school makes her just enough of an anti goody-goody to not be boring. She also suffers from chronic boy issues, which I can relate to.
Frannie is pursued by two boys … who aren't actually boys. Lucifer and Gabriel are out for her soul, but they also want her affection. This keeps the story interesting for girls who like all different kinds of guys. Bad boys, knights in shining armor, silly rockers, and everything in between.
Boys, friends, the difference between right and wrong and being popular, changes, guilt, and the hell we know as high school all come together in this beautifully written novel of love, religion, and finding who you are.
Personal Demons will certainly tag your soul!

Um...how cute is Kylie? There is absolutely no way we could ever match this!
Check out what the other Bookinistas are up to this week.

Christine Fonseca and Elana Johnson recommend THE WRITERS GUIDE TO PSYCHOLOGYShannon Messenger raves about DESIRES OF THE DEAD and gives away the ARCMegan Miranda gushes about REVOLUTIONBethany Wiggins and Carolina Valdez Miller praise ANNA AND THE FRENCH KISS

All we want for Christmas...

The Regulator's head is about to explode because Lisa keeps sending her gift requests. Apparently she can't make up her mind. She wants riding boots, then Uggs, then yoga pants--the ones that will give her six-pack abs.

Ever since we were playing around with Polyvore for Kate, I've wanted to chuck my entire wardrobe out the window.

So here are a few of our top holiday picks this year. Too bad our husbands don't read the blog.

1. Riding Boots. It's no secret that fashion makes its way around to Cleveland approximately 2 years after NYC and 10 years after Europe, but we like them and we want them.

2. Miracle Yoga/Dress Pants. Guaranteed six-pack abs. End of story.

3. But...if those don't work, there's always this.

4. Stella and Dot Charm Necklace. We're digging the gold leaf, letter charm and birthstone. So pretty!

5. Fingerless Gloves. We're cold blooded gals forever layering sweatshirts, socks and jackets to keep warm. Heat is expensive. These are not.

6. New Uggs. See number 5.

7. And, of course, this. And this. And this too.

8. Finally, 1 Sleeping Baby. Or a six hour stretch. We'll take what we can get.

What's on your list this year?

All I want for Christmas...

The Regulator's head is about to explode because Lisa keeps sending her gift requests. Apparently she can't make up her mind. She wants riding boots, then Uggs, then yoga pants--the ones that will give her six-pack abs.

Ever since we were playing around with Polyvore for Kate, I've wanted to chuck my entire wardrobe out the window.

So here are a few of our top holiday picks this year. Too bad our husbands don't read the blog.

1. Riding Boots. It's no secret that fashion makes its way around to Cleveland approximately 2 years after NYC and 10 years after Europe, but we like them and we want them.

2. Miracle Yoga/Dress Pants. Guaranteed six-pack abs. End of story.

3. But...if those don't work, there's always this.

4. Stella and Dot Charm Necklace. We're digging the gold leaf, letter charm and birthstone. So pretty!

5. Fingerless Gloves. We're cold blooded gals forever borrowing sweatshirts, socks and jackets at to keep warm. Heat is expensive. These are not.

6. New Uggs. See number 5.

7. And, of course, this. And this. And this too.

8. Finally, 1 Sleeping Baby. Or a six hour stretch. We'll take what we can get.

What's on your list this year?