Lisa Roe makes family baggage worth carrying...plus a book giveaway

Credit: Jordan M. Roe

We're excited to have Lisa Roe here today to talk about her latest novel, Big & Lily. It sounds like such an interesting story and it is getting rave reviews from authors we love. We hope you will check out our interview with Lisa, as it was a lot of fun. There's even a tie to our interview from earlier this week, so see if you can find that. Thanks to Harper Perennial, we have THREE copies to give away!

Lisa Roe graduated from the S. I. Newhouse School of Public Communications at Syracuse University and spent many years as an advertising creative director and copywriter in New York City before she accepted the tougher job of stay-at-home mom and turned to writing fiction—mostly to entertain her kids, but then to tell her own stories. A classic first born, reluctant empty nester, and Dr. Doolittle wannabe, Lisa lives in New Jersey with her husband, David and three incorrigible dogs. Big & Lily is her second novel.

Visit Lisa online:
Website * Facebook * Instagram

Synopsis:
The Ackerman sisters couldn’t be more different. Big is the glue to her family – the person everyone depends on – but she’s struggling to keep it all together with her retired husband, senior mother, and adult children all under one roof. Her younger sister Lily seems to have it all – a charming and successful business owner with a loving husband.

But when Lily finds out her husband cheated on her with one of their employees, her “perfect” life falls apart. Shocked and overwhelmed, Lily does the only thing that makes sense to her – she runs away from it all. She signs up for an Alaskan adventure and gives Big no choice but to join her.

Arriving in Alaska alongside a group of strangers, Big and Lily quickly realize they are unprepared for a week in the wilderness as they navigate freezing rivers, unmarked trails, and more than one near-death experience.

A trip that was supposed to be a comforting escape from their lives back home in suburban New Jersey quickly becomes a far more meaningful experience. The defenses they’ve used to protect themselves begin to crumble, and they’re forced to face everything they’ve spent decades avoiding: resentment, regret, envy, and the terrifying possibility that the other one’s life might not be as easy as it looks.

"You will devour this delicious novel like you might a bag of trail mix in the outback. It's sweet. It's salty. It's everything you need as a reader to keep you nourished." 

— Steven Rowley, New York Times bestselling author of The Guncle

"A heartwarming, fast-paced story, Big & Lily follows two sisters whose thrilling—and at times perilous—adventure in the wilds of Alaska teaches them everything they need to know about what really matters in life." 

— Amy Poeppel, bestselling author of Far And Away

“Big & Lily is a hilarious thrill ride that had me doubling over in stitches. Wildly entertaining, heartfelt, and powerful—this story grabs hold of you and hangs with you well after the last page.”  

— Annie Cathryn, multi-award-winning author of The Friendship Breakup

What is a favorite compliment you've received on your writing?
I’ve been so grateful to have received some lovely comments from readers. It means the world to me when someone says they relate to a specific character in one of my books, because not only are my characters like family to me, but there is a little piece of me in each of them. 

I must say though, I just received the compliment of a lifetime when a reader, who recently discovered my debut novel, Welcome to the Neighborhood wrote, “If Tina Fey doesn’t option this, I’ll be shocked!” It doesn’t get much better than that! 

Which character is more similar to you, Big or Lily?
Let’s just say that Bridget and I have a lot in common. As the eldest of four, I’m the stereotypical Big Sister with all the classic traits: in-charge, organized, goal-oriented, and reliable, with a skosh of perfectionism and a dash of anxiety. While my two younger sisters are nothing like Lily, I do take the responsibility of mother henning them very seriously, whether they like it or not. 

If Big & Lily was made into a movie, who would you cast in the lead roles?
Speaking of Tina Fey… 

I always cast my books before I start them. And nine times out of ten, the lead is Tina Fey! (Now you can understand the pure delight I felt in hearing that reader’s comment!) Tina would make the perfect Bridget aka Big (are you listening, Tina?) She could easily handle the Big Sister who wants to kill her younger sib but is still willing to die for her any day of the week (and almost does in the book!) For Lily, I picture Jennifer Lawerence. She’s beautiful, sharp witted and smart—the perfect baby sister. 

What is the last book you read that you would recommend?
I recently read and blurbed Maddie Dawson’s upcoming novel, Set Your Life on Fire. It’s the story of two strangers who take an unplanned trip across the country, with different reasons to reach their destination quickly, and how their lives change during their travels. I’m a huge Maddie fan, always delighted with her engaging voice, her irrepressible characters, and her quirky take on love and romance. Unfortunately, readers are going to have to wait until November 10th—although it is up for preorder now. 

What is a question you would want someone to ask you?
So far, with all the questions I’ve been asked about Big & Lily, surprisingly no one has brought up the fox in the book. I’d love to talk about not only my obsession with woodland creatures, foxes in particular, but about the lore of crossing paths with a fox who can, and I paraphrase, help you make decisions and changes and find your path when you are lost, all important themes in Big & Lily. 

What is something you had a good laugh about recently?

I’m afraid to admit that I’m someone who cracks up at stupid Instagram reels and memes of dogs being weird and people falling down and mom stand-up comics and My Therapist says jokes. I forward them to my bestie and wait for her to respond with a hahahahhaha or LOL or ROFL and then send one back. And so forth, and so on, ad infinitum…

Thanks to Lisa for chatting with us and Harper Perennial for sharing her book with our readers.

How to win: Use KingSumo to enter the giveaway. If you have trouble using KingSumo on our blog, enter the giveaway here. If you are still having issues, please contact us.

Giveaway ends August 18th at midnight EST.

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