Liz and Lisa are the perfect pair...plus a book giveaway

Photo by Debbie Friedrich

Not only do Liz Fenton and Lisa Steinke have their own book blog (formerly known as Chick Lit is Not Dead), they also wrote three novels together! Their debut with Atria Books, Your Perfect Life, is publishing on June 10th and we're excited to have them here to talk more about it. This Freaky Friday meets chick lit piece of decadent reading has cemented a spot on my 2014 favorites list!

Liz and Lisa have been an inspiration to me when I was first starting this blog. Shortly after getting it underway, I started to connect with them online and they're both really nice! They're available to speak to book clubs about Your Perfect Life, so sign up to have them Skype with yours for a chance to win TEN copies of one of their favorite books from 2014! (US/Canada only. Ends 6/24.) Speaking of giveaways, Atria has one copy of Your Perfect Life for a lucky reader in the US or Canada!

As a way to celebrate the publication of their latest novel, Liz and Lisa have been doing a Pictures of Perfection challenge. They'd love for you to participate and share pictures of what you think is "perfection." Check out the ones they've posted so far and follow them on Instragram. Aside from their blog, you can also find them on Facebook and Twitter.

I got to meet this dynamic duo at Book Expo America last week and they are even more amazing in person. Their close friendship just radiates off of them. They're so sweet and energetic. And they even helped me get in to meet another author we all like. It was funny to hear them talk about their author crushes because they're on my author crush list.

Do you each handle certain aspects of the writing process, such as each taking on a character and writing that part vs. one of you writing and the other editing?
Liz & Lisa: We alternate chapters when we write. YOUR PERFECT LIFE is a dual narrative, told from the point of view of the two main characters, Rachel, a stay at home mom with two fiery teenagers and an oops baby and Casey, a single, on-air host for an entertainment television show. Liz wrote Casey and Lisa wrote Rachel. After one of us writes a chapter, we send it to the other and she edits it, then sends it back. By the time we get to the end of the book, we can’t be sure who wrote what! But we prefer it that way—we feel it’s the best way to blend of our voices.

Which authors have been your biggest inspirations for writing your novels?
Liz & Lisa: This is a tough one! We could never list everyone. Judy Blume was very influential for both of us growing up. We also admire Jen Lancaster, Jen Weiner, Emily Giffin and Sarah Pekkanen.

Who would you cast as Rachel and Casey in a movie version of Your Perfect Life?
Liz & Lisa: We love this question and have spent a lot of time thinking about it. In fact, when we write, we often daydream about who would be playing our beloved characters on the silver screen. Although there are many great actors out there, we think Elizabeth Banks would nail it as Casey and Jennifer Garner would make the perfect Rachel.

For the "30 Day Pictures of Perfection Challenge," what photo has spoken to you the most out of the ones you have posted?
This has been more fun than we could have imagined. We love exploring this same concept that we address in our novel, that there is no perfect life, perfect anything.
Liz: I posted a picture of my son hugging our dog while we were traveling. I was missing him so much and this reminded me that his day was just perfect as he laid there with his best friend.
Lisa: Mine also involves my dog—what a shock! It’s a shot of my husband riding in the backseat with her right after we adopted her. That snapshot showed that in a span of just an hour, her life was going to drastically change for the better, and so was ours.

If the two of you traded lives for a day, what would be the biggest challenge for each of you?
Liz: Chasing around an active toddler for sure! It's been a while and I'm out of practice! I think my patience would vanish around lunchtime. Oh--and the Chicago weather. I'm spoiled here in San Diego!
Lisa: Taking care of her many animals, juggling her kids’ sporting events, working a full- time day job and keeping her kale alive! Yes, she grows Kale too! #makesitlooksoeasybutIknowitsnot

What, in your opinion, would be the ultimate "perfect day?"
Liz: A no-phone or email, full family day at the beach or pool with a great book. In this day and age, it's become almost impossible to become unreachable. I'd love a day where my only distraction is how often I need to put sunscreen on my lily-white skin!
Lisa: I’d sleep in past 7am. Then I’d have my (imaginary) personal chef prepare me breakfast while I sipped on French Press coffee. Then, I’d work out for a full, uninterrupted hour. After, I’d wake up my toddler who would still be sleeping (ha!) and the rest of my family and we’d all go to downtown Chicago and enjoy a sunny day strolling along Lake Michigan.

Special thanks to Liz and Lisa for chatting with us and to Atria for sharing their book with our readers.


~Introduction and interview by Melissa Amster


How to win: Use Rafflecopter to enter the giveaway. If you have any questions, feel free to contact us.

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US/Canada only. Giveaway ends June 8th at midnight EST.