Liz and Lisa's influential stories...plus a book giveaway

Introduction by Melissa Amster

You all probably know by now what a fan-girl I am over Liz Fenton and Lisa Steinke's books. I've met them in person at Book Expos and love how sweet and down-to-earth they are. Their friendship reminds me of what I have with my BFF. We've been friends for almost the same amount of time (25 for them, 30 for us). Also, we both live far apart from each other, but the miles don't matter. 

In the past, their books have covered surreal topics, such as body swapping and time travel. This time around, they've moved their writing in a new direction....suspense. Their latest novel, The Good Widow (reviewed here), takes readers on a trip to Maui in a twisted adventure. Thanks to Goldberg McDuffie, we have THREE copies to give away!

To learn more about what makes Liz and Lisa tick, as well as the history of their friendship, visit them online:
Website 
Facebook 
Twitter 
Instagram 
Pinterest 

Synopsis:
Elementary school teacher Jacqueline “Jacks” Morales’s marriage was far from perfect, but even in its ups and downs it was predictable, familiar. Or at least she thought it was…until two police officers showed up at her door with devastating news. Her husband of eight years, the one who should have been on a business trip to Kansas, had suffered a fatal car accident in Hawaii. And he wasn’t alone.

For Jacks, laying her husband to rest was hard. But it was even harder to think that his final moments belonged to another woman—one who had left behind her own grieving and bewildered fiancé. Nick, just as blindsided by the affair, wants answers. So he suggests that he and Jacks search for the truth together, retracing the doomed lovers’ last days in paradise.

Now, following the twisting path of that fateful road, Jacks is learning that nothing is ever as it seems. Not her marriage. Not her husband. And most certainly not his death…(Courtesy of Goodreads.)

We have both been reading for as long as we can remember. There are so many books that have impacted us, inspired us, challenged us and changed us. Here is a list of the ones that really stand out.

The books that impacted Liz:

*Summer Sisters by Judy Blume

To this day, this amazing novel about friendship remains my all-time favorite. Told in multiple narratives, Blume bridged the gap from adolescence to adult reading seamlessly for me. The friendships she depicted were layered and complicated, just as they are in real life, and continues to inspire the relationships we showcase in our own books.

*Firefly Lane by Kristin Hannah

I remember where I was when I found Firefly Lane. I was on vacation and popped into the B&N in Rancho Mirage, CA. My kids were at that age where they were so cute but incredibly exhausting and I was looking for an easy read while they napped. What I discovered was an amazing tale of a long-term friendship, which reminded me at times of my own with Lisa. I read it again and again until the pages began to fall apart, and still think of it when I'm writing our novels.

*After I Do by Taylor Jenkins Reid

TJR nails the complexities of marriage in this pitch perfect novel. I had been in a writing slump and Taylor's addicting narrative kept me turning the pages and inspired to get back on the computer to finish our own book. And to this day, is the only book I've quoted out loud to my husband. (He totally ignored me, but still!)


The books that impacted Lisa:

*Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing by Judy Blume

I was an avid reader as a child, but it was after finishing this book that I first started dreaming of being an author. The story inspired me to write my first book called, There’s a Jungle in My Closet. That was never published—never even made it out of my spiral notebook. But it was the first of many and I thank Judy Blume for that.

*Eat, Pray, Love by Elizabeth Gilbert

This is the first memoir I’d ever read. And I didn’t just read it once, I read it three times. To date, it’s the only book I’ve read more than twice. As a reader, I connected with the messages in her book and was challenged to be more self-aware. To stop making the same mistakes in relationships, in life. As a writer I was inspired to take more risks, to step outside of my comfort zone.

*Wild by Cheryl Strayed

I was intrigued by all the buzz around this memoir I’d heard everyone from Oprah to my neighbor talking about. I wondered how a story about a woman who’d taken a hike had become watercooler fodder. But once I cracked open the hardback and began reading, it was instantly clear why Cheryl Strayed had captivated the country. Wild is a heart wrenching story that is beautifully written. Her prose inspired me to push my boundaries as a writer—to say more with less words. To work harder to bring readers into the world I was trying to create. To just be better. I’d like to think I am.

A book that impacted both Liz and Lisa:

*Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn

This is the novel that first inspired us to write suspense. After we read Gone Girl, we—like most of the planet—couldn’t stop talking about this book that was so different. That unreliable narrator! That plot! That ending! We started discussing the idea of tackling a new genre. Could we? Would we? The answer was yes! The Good Widow is out on June 1!

Thanks to Liz and Lisa for visiting and to Goldberg McDuffie for sharing their book with our readers.

How to win: Use Rafflecopter to enter the giveaway. If you have any questions, feel free to contact us. If you have trouble using Rafflecopter on our blog, enter the giveaway here. 

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Giveaway ends June 1st at midnight EST.