Wade Rouse goes for the gold...plus a book giveaway

We are so excited to celebrate the publication of Wade Rouse's novel, That's What Friends are For! Wade has been part of our world for a long time, first as our Go-to-Gay, and later as Viola Shipman, who has given us a lot of great female-centered stories (and some cozy holiday ones). We adore Wade and are so glad to have him back today to talk about all things Golden Girls. Melissa loved That's What Friends are For and calls it "a big-hearted comfort read." Check out her review. Thanks to HarperCollins, we have THREE copies to give away!

Wade Rouse is a #1 internationally bestselling author of 21 books, including his latest novel and first under his own name, That’s What Friends Are For (2026)—a "Golden Girls"-inspired tale already hailed as a most anticipated book by the New York Post. Previously writing under the pen name Viola Shipman to honor his grandmother, Wade’s work has been translated into nearly 30 languages, optioned for film, and featured on NBC’s Today Show, Good Morning America, and in The Washington Post. A finalist for the Goodreads Choice Award in Humor and a former People reporter, Wade holds a master’s in journalism from Northwestern University. When he isn't mentoring aspiring writers or hosting his popular "Wine & Words with Wade" series, he divides his time between Saugatuck, Michigan, and Palm Springs, California. (Bio adapted from Wade's website.)

Visit Wade online:
Website * Facebook * Instagram

Synopsis:
Theodore Copeland has created a fabulous life in the desert oasis of Palm Springs, where he shares a fabulous pink mid-century home with three fabulous friends: Barry, a former actor still clinging to his youth, his hair, and the memory of the dream role that killed his career; Ron, an uprooted Christian from the Midwest with a big heart but no one to give it to; Sid, who, after coming out late in life, has never found love. Teddy is the caustic, unspoken leader of “The Golden Gays”—the foursome’s monthly drag tribute to The Golden Girls. Despite their foibles and bickering, they have turned their golden years into a golden era.

But the harmony of their desert enclave becomes a carousel of emotional baggage when Teddy’s estranged sister, Trudy, shows up on their doorstep, her dramatic teenage granddaughter in tow. While Teddy keeps Trudy at arm’s length, she manages to wheedle her way into the lives of the Golden Gays, until the real reason for her visit is revealed and the secrets they’ve all been keeping from each other unravel faster than a hastily stitched hemline.

A novel that gives thanks to “old” friends, That's What Friends Are For proves that while family may be the tie that binds, it’s the chosen family that truly keeps us together. (Courtesy of Amazon.)

"By turns hilarious, tender, and devastating, Rouse’s novel explores what it means to be the sandwich generation of gays today — caught between those who paved the way for equality, those who are too young to credit them, and a world that seems increasingly hostile." 
— Jodi Picoult, #1 New York Times bestselling author

"Wade Rouse has written the most unabashedly joyful novel you'll read this year, a rip-roaringly funny ode to found family, Palm Springs, drag, and Bea Arthur. But beneath all the wigs and the California sunshine, That’s What Friends are For is also a poignant study of survival--of what it means to persevere in a world hell-bent on bringing you down, and a celebration of the friends who always have our backs." 
— Grant Ginder, author of The People We Hate at the Wedding

Which Golden Girl are you most similar to in personality?
I love this question as so many of us loved The Golden Girls and felt drawn to a certain character, just like we did when we watched Sex and the City or Friends. I am a total Dorothy (who surrounds herself with a lot of Roses, Blanches and Sophias). Like Bea Arthur in the show, I’ve used humor my whole life as a way to make friends and also keep people at a safe distance. And I can give someone a wicked side eye. Humor can unite, bring people in, allow you to make friends; and yet it can also protect you from getting hurt. Dorothy and I have that in common, and yet our wit, sarcasm and good-natured needling are also our deeply personal ways to show love. 

P.S.: My husband Gary is a total Rose (who used to be a total Blanche): Sweet, a caretaker, delightfully daffy yet incredibly wise, and he is always irritatingly, wonderfully positive, the perfect balance to my Dorothy. 

Tell us one of your favorite Golden Girl quotes.
This is a tough one as there are so many, and I use a lot of GG quotes in the novel. My favorite is one that I use at a key moment in the novel that sums up both Teddy (who is similar to Dorothy) and me: “The bottom line is, in life sometimes good things happen, sometimes bad things happen. But, honey, if you don’t take a chance, nothing happens.” 

Backup favorites would be: “Oh, honey, crying is for plain women. Pretty women go shopping.” And: “Do you know how many problems we have solved over a cheesecake at this kitchen table?” Oh, and one more! “Blanche: Dirk's nearly five years younger than I am. Dorothy: In what, Blanche, dog years?”

Which episode(s) of The Golden Girls is/are your favorite(s)?
“Isn’t It Romantic?”, an episode I bring to life in That’s What Friends Are For. It’s about Jean, a gay friend of Dorothy’s who comes to visit following the death of her partner. Jean develops feelings for Rose (Dorothy hasn’t told the women her friend i gay). The episode was very progressive for its treatment of a gay character; neither Jean nor her sexuality were at any points the butt of any jokes in the episode; instead she’s treated with respect. It also features a deeply moving conversation between Dorothy and her mother, Sophia, that I bring to life in the novel and reference in my letter to readers: 
Dorothy: “How would you react if you were told one of your kids were gay?”
Sophia: “Your brother Phil is gay? I knew it! When he was a kid we couldn’t keep him away from those Gladiator movies.”
Dorothy: “Ma, Phil is not gay.”
Sophia: “You mean you’re gay? What, your friend Jean is having some sort of membership drive?”
Dorothy: “Ma, I am not gay. I just wanted to get your reaction.”
Sophia: “I’ll tell you the truth Dorothy, if one of my kids were gay, I wouldn’t love him one bit less. I would wish them all the happiness in the world.”
That episode, in some small way, paved understanding not only for me but also for the acceptance of gay people when we needed it the most. In fact, my mother referenced that episode of The Golden Girls after I came out. 

If you could go back in time and cast yourself as a character on The Golden Girls, who would you be? (I'm talking about a new character here.)
Coco. (And, yes, I know he’s not completely new.) One of the main reasons I wrote this novel was my fascination with the character of Coco in The Golden Girls. Never heard of him? You’re not alone. In the original episode of The Golden Girls, there was a lead character named Coco, who was the women’s openly gay housekeeper and cook. He was removed from the show to make room for Sophia, who got an incredible response from early viewers. Sophia got the fulltime role, and Coco got cut. Some involved with the show blamed the kitchen: It was too small to have five people constantly featured in it, but I ask in the novel: Were audiences ready for a character like Coco? 

So I fictionalize the life of this actor and bring him to life as Barry, who had the role of a lifetime ripped away from him and share the struggle of a man trying to get that fame back his entire career. What must it have been like to be an out, gay actor in a time when Hollywood was still so closeted? What was it like to break the gay ceiling in Hollywood in the 1980s and then be broken by having it all taken away? I’ve never been prouder of bringing a character to life on the page and also bringing recognition back to a forgotten character. 

Who is your favorite regular supporting character on the show?
As a Southern boy at heart (I grew up in the Ozarks), I quite liked “Big Daddy,” Blanche’s father. He was charming and could spin a yarn with the best of my kin. 

What is your favorite Golden Girls item that you own? 
Where do I start? I love my GG Christmas tree ornaments, my GG caftan (which we will be wearing at many stops on my book tour), GG dolls (which are great companions to our Barbie collection), but I’m really in love with my latest GG item: Planters that honor each of the GG characters with a picture and one of their famous quotes. My publicist got me these after visiting Palm Springs for the first time. It was the perfect gift to celebrate the launch of That’s What Friends Are For and for our home in Palm Springs, where the novel is set. PS: I have a line of book-themed merchandise and gifts, including clothing (you customize the size and color) mugs, totes, coasters and buttons that celebrate the novel as well as all things Golden Girls, mid-century modern and Palm Springs fabulousness. Check it out here.

Thanks to Wade for chatting with us and to HarperCollins for sharing his 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 March 8th at midnight EST.

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Book Review: The Last House Party

By Jami Denison

When I was in high school in the eighties, a rumor went around about a popular senior girl: that she’d gone to a party with the football team, gotten drunk, and had sex with all of them. What a scandal! I was a junior, so I never spoke to her directly, but I remember being equally impressed and horrified. I wondered if it was true, but I never wondered if it was rape. We didn’t have the vocabulary back then.  

Today, I would never assume that a seventeen year-old girl would willingly engage in group sex. "Me Too" has given us a new lens to look back on these stories; girls are less likely to keep quiet about football teams and fraternities. 

Kelly Simmons’s latest novel, The Last House Party, reminded me of that girl and those rumors. Taking place in 1983, it’s about a mother who finally learns what happened at a party in her home 10 years ago. Will her curiosity lead to the people she loves the most?

Lily Knight is the mother, and in 1973, she was fighting cancer. Her three teenage daughters took advantage of her illness to run wild. It’s the first thing we learn when we pick up the book, and for that reason, it was hard for me to feel sympathetic toward Jane, Penelope, and Faith. Eventually, the girls acknowledge that they were jerks (with a stronger word), but it takes a while to get there.

The book starts in 1983, and Faith, the youngest at twenty-two, has just announced her engagement. She wants to have the wedding at her parents’ lovely home in upper crust Chestnut Hill, a suburb of Philadelphia. This leads Lily to a cleaning frenzy that results in the discovery of compromising photos of Faith, and a class ring belonging to Jordy, a teenage boy who’d committed suicide. Jane tells Lily that Faith had had a crush on Jordy, and had been devastated by his death—please don’t bring it up to her.

It's not true. The two older sisters reveal that a drunken Faith had been taken advantage of during their last house party, in her own bedroom. The photos were proof. And Jordy’s death was no suicide. As the women try to keep their mother from finding out the truth or telling Faith (she has no memory of the event), Lily becomes friendly with the teenage boy who has just moved next door, who’s heard rumors about the parties that used to happen on the street. 

The book is written in close third-person from Lily, Jane, and Penelope’s points of view. Ironically, Faith, the golden girl around whom the novel revolves, is not a point-of-view character, and seems like a minor character in her own life story. As the women deal with the ramifications of what happened ten years ago, they’re also forced to confront their own casual racism, sexism, and the excuses they’ve made for people in their social circle. 

Amazon has categorized the book as historical fiction due to its 1980s time period (GULP for those of us who grew up then), but it really defies categorization. It has elements of mystery and thriller, but the relationships are truly what is front and central here. The interior monologues are crafted at a level I’ve rarely seen; the setting is meticulously described. The story almost seems secondary.

I did have one quibble; Simmons never really describes exactly what happened the night of the party. She leaves hints and clues, but they don’t quite add up. A Rashoman-style series of flashbacks might have served the story well. 

Thanks to Kelly Simmons for the book in exchange for an honest review.

More by Kelly Simmons:

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Viola Shipman gets into the groove...plus a book giveaway

Today we are thrilled to have Wade Rouse back at CLC to talk about his latest novel, written as Viola Shipman. The Clover Girls published last week and it's such a fun and nostalgic story that you will all enjoy. Check out Melissa's review. Wade's post will make you want to dig out your 80s mix tapes (we know you have at least one) and watch John Hughes films. He has a signed copy of The Clover Girls and some jelly bracelets for one lucky reader!

Wade Rouse is the internationally bestselling author of ten books, which have been translated into nearly 20 languages. Wade chose his grandmother’s name, Viola Shipman, as a pen name to honor the woman whose heirlooms and family stories inspire his fiction.

Wade’s novels include The Charm Bracelet, a 2017 Michigan Notable Book of the Year; The Hope Chest; The Recipe Box, The Summer Cottage, and The Heirloom Garden.

Library Journal writes that Wade has “hit upon the perfect formula to tell heartwarming, intergenerational family stories by weaving together the lives, loves and history of family through cherished heirlooms.” 

Wade's books have been selected multiple times as Must-Reads by NBC’s Today Show, featured in the New York Times and on Chelsea Lately and chosen three times as Indie Next Picks by the nation’s independent booksellers. His writing has appeared in a diverse range of publications and media, including Coastal Living, Time, All Things Considered, People, Good Housekeeping, Salon, Forbes, The Washington Post, Writer’s Digest and Publisher’s Weekly.

Also a noted humorist of four memoirs, Wade was a finalist for the Goodreads Choice Awards in Humor (he lost to Tina Fey) and was named by Writer’s Digest as “The #2 Writer, Dead or Alive, We’d Like to Have Drinks With” (Wade was sandwiched between Ernest Hemingway and Hunter Thompson).

Wade earned his B.A. from Drury University and his master’s in journalism from Northwestern University. He divides his time between Saugatuck, Michigan, and Palm Springs, California, and is also an acclaimed writing teacher who has mentored numerous students to become published authors. (Bio adapted from Viola's website.)

Visit Viola online:
Website * Wade's website * Facebook * Twitter * Instagram

Synopsis:

Elizabeth, Veronica, Rachel and Emily met at Camp Birchwood as girls in 1985, where over four summers they were the Clover Girls—inseparable for those magical few weeks of freedom—until the last summer that pulled them apart. Now approaching middle age, the women are facing challenges they never imagined as teens, struggles with their marriages, their children, their careers, and wondering who it is they see when they look in the mirror.

Then Liz, V, and Rachel each receive a letter from Emily with devastating news. She implores the girls who were once her best friends to reunite at Camp Birchwood one last time, to spend a week together revisiting the dreams they’d put aside and repair the relationships they’d allowed to sour. But the women are not the same idealistic, confident girls who once ruled Camp Birchwood, and perhaps some friendships aren’t meant to last forever… (Courtesy of Amazon.)

The Clover Girls-Word Up!
by Wade Rouse

“How do you explain your childhood to your children? How do you explain what John Hughes movies meant to you growing up? It’s like explaining rotary phones, TV antennas, Walkmans, mood rings, typewriters and handwritten directions. 

They meant everything. And even more now.”

So begins my new novel, The Clover Girls, about four very different girls who meet and become best friends at summer camp in the 1980s. It’s an ode to our forever friends, forgiveness and the fragility of life. It’s also an ode to the 1980s.

I came of age in the 1980s, and I owned it!  If you were an ’80s kid like me and The Clover Girls (Emily, Veronica, Rachel and Liz), then you remember all the fashion do’s and don’ts: Feathered hair (that’s ME in the photo!), permed hair, Aqua Net, popped collars, jelly bracelets and jelly shoes, friendship pins, Drakkar Noir, Love’s Baby Soft, Gunne Sax prom dresses, Jordache and Calvin Kleins, deck shoes, Vans, Dynasty, MTV, The Facts of Life, John Hughes movies, malls, Orange Julius, Chess King, Spencer’s … shall I go on?

But music reigned supreme. It was the soundtrack to my life, just as it is to The Clover Girls, who – as girls and women – have an ’80s song to match every emotion and mood. 

Do you remember making mix tapes? 

I used to spend endless hours in my bedroom – staring at the posters of Rick Springfield and Cyndi Lauper on my wall – creating mine. I made them for friends to play in their own bedrooms, or to blast in their cars. I made them for myself to channel my own happiness, sadness, angst, unrequited love. 

I found an old mix tape while writing The Clover Girls. It was squirreled away in an old crate, along with some high school yearbooks, jelly bracelets, a bunch of friendship pins I used to wear on my shoelaces and buttons I used to wear on my favorite jean jacket. I called a friend and listened to it with her, and I nearly cried listening to Whitney and the Cure. All the teen emotions were still there! 

So I decided to make my own mix tape for The Clover Girls (most of the songs are featured in the book). I know I missed a lot of favorites, but I think it’s pretty darn Pretty in Pink memorable. Here’s mine. 

*"Open Arms"-Journey (I sang it for the longest time, “Oh, now you come to me…with broken arms…!”

*"Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go"- Wham!

*"Holiday"-Madonna

*"Take on Me"-A-ha

*"Total Eclipse of the Heart"-Bonnie Tyler 

*"Walk Like An Egyptian"-The Bangles 

*"Billie Jean"-Michael Jackson 

*"Don’t You (Forget About Me)"-Simple Minds 

*"I Wanna Dance with Somebody"-Whitney Houston

*"Hungry Like the Wolf"-Duran Duran 

*"The Safety Dance"-Men without Hats 

*"Blister in the Sun"-Violent Femmes

*"Addicted to Love"-Robert Palmer 

*"Love Is A Battlefield"-Pat Benatar

*"Word Up"-Cameo

*"Don’t You Want Me?"-The Human League 

*"I Want to Know What Love Is"-Foreigner

*"Don’t Stop Believin’"-Journey

What would your ‘80s mix tape sound like?

BONUS: For everyone who orders a copy of The Clover Girls this week, I will, as a thank-you, mail you a complimentary, personalized bookplate for your copy PLUS some jelly bracelets (to channel the ‘80s nostalgia and to wear while you dance to your jams)! Just email gary [at] violashipman [dot]com. 

I truly hope you love The Clover Girls and that, like a true friendship and the music of the ‘80s, it will remain in your soul forever. 

Thanks to Wade for visiting with us and for sharing Viola's 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 2nd at midnight EST.

Sara and Melissa talk about...Movies

We've been running a column series to get more personal with our readers. This month we're talking about movies.

We're always open to topic suggestions, so please don't hesitate to share those in the comments. We'd also love to know if you can relate to anything we've said or hear your own thoughts on the topic. So don't be shy. :) We look forward to getting to know you as much as we're letting you get to know us. You can find our previous columns here, in case you missed them.

Sara Steven:

My first day of Spring semester at Arizona State University starts today, and one of the “fun” courses I decided to enroll in had been an American Film Musicals class. Given the heavy workload of the other three classes I’m enrolled in, I figured watching musicals wouldn’t be too difficult. I enjoy them immensely, so it wouldn’t be torture, and summarizing or giving my opinion on the dance moves of Fred Astaire or trying to decipher Audrey Hepburn’s quirkiness in My Fair Lady would be a pretty easy task. 

Well, lesson learned: a three credit college course is still a three credit college course. There will be two MLA-formatted papers in my future, as well as a research paper and summaries/reviews of every movie we see this semester--eighteen in total! But, if I had to do it for any genre, I can’t think of a more fun genre. 

The first musical ever for me had been Gigi. It’s still a favorite of mine. My grandmother introduced me to it when I was in elementary school, and to this day, if I ever encounter a dress like the one Leslie Caron wore as Gigi to Maxim’s, it will be mine! 

It’s more than the dress, though. I love all the outfits. I love the Parisian backdrop. I know all of the songs by heart, even now, and just the other day I thought of the legendary Maurice Chevalier remarking on the fact that he’s “glad he’s not young anymore” when I heard my children fighting over something that consequently, didn’t matter too much and would quickly blow over if given another minute or two. 

Gigi opened the door to so many other musicals, and I’ve discovered that while I’ve seen quite a few that are required viewing for my class, there are still quite a few I haven’t seen! 

Some of my favorite film musicals:

Gypsy: Who wouldn’t love Natalie Wood, who goes from tomboy to sexpot while dealing with deep mommy issues with her momager mother?

Mary Poppins: This was a constant while growing up, and I’ve seen it recently after we acquired Disney + for our Roku. While I love Julie Andrews, my favorite character is Bert, played wonderfully by Dick Van Dyke.

The Sound of Music: Another Julie Andrews classic. My favorite song is “So Long, Farewell.”   

Xanadu: Admittedly, it has been nearly four decades since I’ve seen Olivia Newton-John in roller skates. My young parents brought me with them to the movie theater when I was only three, and I can barely remember much of it, other than vibrant colors and the music. I still remember “Magic,” and I get to reacquaint myself with it all this semester, since it’s one of the musicals we’ll be working with.

The Wizard of Oz: I made it a point to watch it every single holiday for several years, when it would air on television.

Grease: Another classic that I have seen several times over the course of my life. Friend and relatives at odd times over the years will break into famous lines and song and phrases, out of the blue. It wasn’t until later in life when I realized what Rizzo meant when she said, “I feel like a defective typewriter. I skipped a period.”    

(Links above are to trailers.)

What are some of your favorite film musicals?

Melissa Amster:

Today I am sharing ten of my favorite movies. Please note that these are just ten movies I love out of many, many more. It's hard to just pick only ten, which is why I don't want to say that these are my only favorites. (Links are to trailers.)

1. Where the Heart Is: I read the book (by Billie Letts) in 1999 and loved it. Then the movie came out in the spring of 2000 and I was excited to see it. The first time, I enjoyed it enough. Then I watched it again when it came out on video (yes, I said video) and fell in love with it. After that, I couldn't stop watching it and it became one of my all time favorite movies. I love James Frain as Forney, with all the curls. 

2. Sing!: I am talking about the film that came out in 1989 (not the animated animal movie). I had read a book called Sing in middle school about a musical competition and someone told me it was a movie, so I knew I just had to watch it. The first time I saw it, I started in the middle where this girl was auditioning for a show by singing "Like a Virgin" really bad. Then I kept watching and knew I had to see it again from the very beginning. After that, I saw it more times than I can even count. I still love it and it makes me smile (and cry) every time I see it. 

3. The Princess Bride: It is inconceivable to me that anyone has NOT seen this movie by now. It's such a classic! Oddly enough, I didn't like it the first time I saw it, when I was eleven years old. I thought some parts were scary. Then I saw it in college and fell in love with it. I watched it all the time and still quote from it a lot. I even have a Westley Funko pop and I read Cary Elwes' movie memoir As You Wish a while back and loved that too. 

4. Girls Just Want to Have Fun: I basically grew up on this movie. My sister and I watched it countless times. We always thought it was hilarious when they were giving everyone invitations to Natalie's party and then all these random people showed up and ruined everything for her. (Natalie was mean to them, so I don't feel guilty about that.) I also thought Jeff was so cute and I was sad that he wasn't in anything else. I will still watch this movie as an adult and I listen to the soundtrack in my car.

5. Dirty Dancing: I fell in love with Dirty Dancing when I first saw it during the summer I turned eleven. I was obsessed after that and watched it all the time. I got the soundtracks, posters, etc. I had such a crush on Patrick Swayze at the time. I still think I look like Jennifer Grey did in that movie. 

6. Wreck-It Ralph: You may be wondering why this is the Disney movie that made it to my list. It's just so funny and clever, with great characters and an interesting plot. I love it every time I see it and I always get teary-eyed at the end. My daughter dressed as Vanellope for Purim one year and I had fun putting together her costume.

7. Ten Things I Hate About You: One of the best teen movies from the nineties. I didn't know what to expect with this one and ended up adoring it the whole way through. I cry every time Kat reads her poem. This was also an introduction to Heath Ledger, who was fabulous as Patrick, not to mention hot! I also enjoyed Bianca's part of the story. 

8. Legally Blonde: Elle Woods was so inspiring to me in this movie and I am not ashamed to admit how much I cried at the end. I also love the Broadway musical version of this movie. Great lines too!

9. 50 First Dates: Find someone who will treat you the way Adam Sandler treats Drew Barrymore in this movie. While it's goofy at times, it's so completely romantic that it's impossible to have dry eyes by the end. 

(Yes, I like movies that make me cry when I least expect them to...)

10. The Shawshank Redemption: Another movie where I'm shocked if someone tells me they haven't seen it yet. I saw it freshman year of college and was so moved by Andy's resolve to escape prison and the lives he impacts while he is there. It's just so well told and the casting is fantastic. I never read the book, but I don't really need to after seeing the movie so many times. 

Tell us about your favorite movies!

Tracy Krimmer takes us back in time....plus a book giveaway

We're pleased to welcome Tracy Krimmer back to CLC today. Her latest novel, The (Un)fortunate Fall published today and it's the second in the Rewind series. While it can be read as a standalone, it may contain spoilers for The Mash-Up Summer (reviewed here). Fortunately, Tracy has an e-book of The Mash-Up Summer for a lucky reader!

Here's what Sara had to say about The (Un)fortunate Fall: “It doesn’t take a fortune teller to predict how incredibly funny and charming The (Un)fortunate Fall is. I appreciated the unconventional manner in which Vivienne finds herself within a new potential romance, but what I love even more are the tight-knit relationships she has with her friends, the kind of friendships we all aspire to have in our own lives.”

In honor of this publication, Tracy has a fun guest post for us about all things nostalgic. 

Tracy Krimmer loves coffee, books, and naps, and not necessarily in that order. She's convinced Drew Barrymore is her best friend--Drew just doesn't know it yet. Besides reading, she loves 80s and 90s music and binge-watching a great show on Netflix or Hulu.

Visit Tracy online:
Website * Facebook * Twitter * Instagram

Synopsis:

Vivienne James loves going to the mall, but she's not there to spend her own money. As a personal shopper and owner of her own business, Exquisite by Viv, she's on the prowl for the latest and greatest items for her most exclusive clientele. When she bumps into Cal McDonald, Vice-President of a local bank, she's intrigued by his smile and charm. But she doesn’t expect him to offer her a job as his personal assistant, especially when an adult toy she purchased for her client comes flying out of her bag.

Vivienne's business means the world to her, but Cal's offer is so tempting. Unsure of what to do, her best friend makes her a paper fortune teller to guide her. The result is a promising future where all her dreams come true. Though she’d rather focus her efforts on individual clients and building a portfolio, Cal’s proposition ticks a lot of boxes and is in line with her fortune teller. It seems like a no-brainer.

But right when Vivienne’s decision is made, her family becomes caught in the middle of a heated political campaign with an unexpected opponent. Everything is falling apart, and Vivienne needs to pull together her life and her family before her business falls apart. Can Vivienne succeed at both or will her fortune teller lead her to ultimate failure? (Courtesy of Amazon.)

Tracy Krimmer’s Top Five Things From the 80s & 90s
If there is anything I love more than a great book, it’s a throwback to the eighties and nineties, which is one reason I love The Goldbergs so much. The ABC show takes us back to 1980-something in every episode. Each time I watch the show, there is always a reminder of those days. I love it. 

I tend to clump the two decades together. I view the eighties and nineties as one in the same. There is so much to love about them both. Honestly, a top-five list of my favorite things from those decades is impossible. I’ll share some of my favorites, but know that the list is more like one-hundred items long! If you follow me on Facebook, I often post some of my favorites.

Jelly Shoes. They were squishy and came in many colors. I loved these shoes and thought they were so cool, and I was, too, for having them. I wasn’t if you haven’t guessed.

Riding my bike everywhere. Wow, have times changed. I’d tell my mom I was going to ride my bike and disappear for hours. That doesn’t happen anymore. 

Magazines. I loved Teen Beat and Bop. In the “old days,” we decorated our rooms by tearing out photos from magazines and hanging them all over the walls! I can still picture Corey Haim on my wall.

Roller Skating. This was one of my favorite things to do with my cousins. My aunt would drop us off for an afternoon of skating. Once I got into high school, I started attending All Night Skates!

The music. Honestly, there is nothing like music from the eighties and early nineties. I was obsessed with Debbie Gibson, New Kids on the Block, and Madonna. I had all their cassette tapes (yes, tapes!)

I could go on and on listing Trapper Keepers, after-school specials, slap bracelets, and more. There was so much to love about that time period. I miss those simpler days. 

I’m in my forties now, and I wonder if the time I grew up in was simpler or just the innocence of childhood makes it seem that way. Either way, whenever I’m feeling overwhelmed by today’s technology, political debates (ahem, arguments), and life in general, I know I can always look back on that time fondly.

Thanks to Tracy for visiting with us and for sharing her 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 November 1st at midnight EST.

Chick Lit Cheerleader: Where's the popcorn?

Introduction by Melissa Amster

I recently saw a post about movies that came out 30 years ago and got all nostalgic. I can't believe Dirty Dancing, The Princess Bride, Adventures in Babysitting, Overboard, and Spaceballs are all included!

Our Chick Lit Cheerleader is here today to make us feel even more nostalgic about movies.

Movies That Shape Us

When I was eight years old, I wanted to be Olivia Newton-John. The hot pants and stilettos she wore in the hit musical Grease might’ve been a little much for me to wear as a second grader, yet I have the blonde hair going for me, which is nice. In the mid 1970’s, that was enough to win the coveted role of Sandy Olsson when playing Rydell High with the girls in my Naperville neighborhood. Some didn’t think that automatically made me Danny Zuko’s girlfriend (point taken), but that’s when I pulled the “I’m older than you so I’m making the rules” clause.  

Movies shape us—the ones we love and ones we loathe. The flicks we quote on cue. The ones we immediately freeze the T.V. on when flipping channels. The ones we wouldn’t watch again if you paid us—cough—Last Action Hero—cough. Since we’re amid awards season, let’s keep the red carpet rolling with the Films Jen Loves from Her First Twenty Years of Life category. Wouldn’t it make a stellar Jeopardy category? Probably more fitting of an SNL sketch. Probably.

• The Natural (1984)- I grew up watching my dad play baseball in a league with his engineering cohorts. A rabid Detroit Tigers fan, my mom made sure I knew coach Sparky Anderson chewed sunflower seeds, not tobacco. And then there’s the movie’s lead, Robert Redford—swoon! He plays an extremely talented player who comes to the game at an age when most are hanging up their cleats. It’s not just about baseball; you’ll find love, mystery, and some dastardly devils as well.  
• Willy Wonka & The Chocolate Factory (1971)- This doesn’t require an explanation, right? It’s chocolate and Gene Wilder magic when a down-on-his-luck yet ever hopeful boy wins the equivalent of the 1971 HGTV dream home and an Undercover Boss career of a lifetime!
• The Accidental Tourist (1988)- Kooky Muriel Pritchett (Gina Davis) woos a travel guide writer (William Hurt) who’s mourning the loss of his son while his marriage unravels. The frailty and strength of these characters has stuck with me for almost 30 years, as well as, “Muriel. Muriel Pritchett. Remember, Muriel Pritchett.”
• Star Wars: Episode IV-A New Hope (1977)- A princess, a Wookiee, a suave yet cocky pilot, and a Jedi-in-training walk into a battle station… Sounds like the beginning of a joke, right? I had never seen anything like this sci-fi, cinematic masterpiece before it premiered in 1977. Let’s talk about badass princesses for a minute—Princess Leia was a rebel in the best way possible and her action figure became my favorite go-to toy, besting Barbie, for a long time. At my house, Leia commanded the Millennium Falcon, not Han Solo. Just saying.  
• The Bad News Bears (1977)- Heh-heh. Beer chugging Coach Buttermaker and his merry band of little leaguers, who swear like sailors, team up to take us out to the ballgame. Don’t tell my parents, but I saw this movie with my cousins when it was released. Even though I’m 46-years-young, they’d be mortified.
• Animal House (1978)- Speaking of movies that would make my mother gasp that I watched with my cousins, let’s add Animal House to the mix. Oh, the tale as old as time of a fraternity trying to escape double-secret probation. My husband has laid down the law with our son, a high school senior, that this movie is a college prerequisite. I’m so proud of his parenting choices…sometimes.    
• Caddyshack (1980)- If you didn’t catch the earlier “Carl” reference about the time he shared space with the Dali Lama, then you just might need to watch Caddyshack. A coming of age, teen-angst comedy starring heavy hitters Chevy Chase, Ted Knight, Rodney Dangerfield, and the iconic Bill Murray—who have their own issues—show us the other side of country club living in the 1980’s. I never ate a Baby Ruth candy bar before seeing this film, and I still maintain that perfect record.  Ew!
• Dumbo (1941) - I sobbed, and I sobbed, and I sobbed the first time I watched Dumbo as a little girl. I still do. Much like Dorothy had the power to leave Oz and return home to Kansas the entire time, Mrs. Jumbo’s baby-mine had the power to fly without Timothy Mouse’s feather. You know that one thing you feel like you can’t accomplish? If Dumbo can fly, you can fly, too!
• St. Elmo’s Fire (1985)- “It’s not easy being me.” If you’ve ever heard me say this phrase, now you know its origin. Recent college graduates attempt to find their place in the world after graduation. In other words, adulting is hard. The ties that bind them are also the same bonds that drive wedges between these friends. And then there’s sweaty, pretty, and timeless Rob Lowe playing the saxophone. It’s a not a bad thing.
• Herbie The Love Bug (1968)- The reason I’ve always wanted a Volkswagen Beetle. The good news is my friend, Nikki, just bought one and I plan on living vicariously through her. This slug bug had heart and soul, plenty of spunk, and seemed to always find a way to fight through the toughest of situations to cross the finish line. A nice transferable sentiment to real-life from reel life.
• Back to The Future (1985)- Who’d a thunk you could make a time machine out of a DeLorean! Michael J. Fox takes the epic journey we’ve all been curious about. If we could travel back in time, what future occurrences might we disrupt in our lives or the lives of others? For better or for worse? “You are my density.”   

It’s difficult for me to keep the list abbreviated yet must for editorial reasons. I’m hoping you’ll chime in with some of your favorites! Mainstream or obscure, I want to hear all about those one-liners you know and love, and the flicks you feel defined a specific time in your life. Remember, what makes us all amazing is our diversity. It’s OK if you don’t have the same passion for Jaws, The Wizard of OZ, Weekend at Bernie’s, or Nightmare on Elm Street that I do. I hope you’ll mention some flicks I’ve forgotten about—my grey matter isn’t what it used to be.

You heard Jen! Please comment about your favorite films. We'd love to hear from you.

Jen Tucker is the author of the funny and true stories, The Day I Wore My Panties Inside Out and The Day I Lost My Shaker of Salt. In September 2012, she had her children's book, Little Pumpkin published as an e-book. She also blogs monthly for Survival for Blondes. She currently lives in Indiana with her husband, three kids and two dogs. You can find her at Twitter, Facebook, her blog and on her website. And in case you missed them. check out her previous Chick Lit Cheerleader posts here.

'80s vs '90s with CLC!

This was such a fun theme that some of us decided to share our lists!

Favorite things about the '80s

Melissa A:

Movies: Soooo many to name...Back to the Future, Dirty Dancing, Ferris Bueller's Day Off, Moving Violations, The Princess Bride, Sing!, Annie, Sixteen Candles, Spaceballs, Little Shop of Horrors, Lucas, Overboard, etc.

V.C. Andrews novels: Some may have originated in the '70s, but I started reading them in the late '80s and couldn't get enough.

Full House: It started in the '80s and went through part of the '90s. I loved having a show where there was a character around my age through whom I could live vicariously. And Uncle Jesse was definitely eye candy!



Music: Madonna, Cyndi Lauper, Michael Jackson, Wham, Billy Joel, Toto, Debbie Gibson, and, of course, New Kids on the Block!

Cabbage Patch Kids: My sister and I had a bunch of them and we would play house.

Melissa S:

Punky Brewster: I used to love this show and couldn't wait for it to come on every week. My favorite part about it was her bedroom! It was so cool and different.



John Hughes movies: Who didn't dream of being a character in one of his movies? The breakfast club always made me excited to be a teenager and get to high school.

Garbage Pail Kids: I had so much fun collecting these when I was in grade school. We would trade them with friends for the ones we still needed and line them all up and laugh at the silly (and gross) names and pictures.

Croonchy Stars cereal: I always loved the Swedish chef from the Muppets and when this cinnamon cereal came out, I would always beg my mom to get it for us!



Herself the Elf doll: I had the record that went along with this whimsical little doll. She was always my favorite and I still say that if I were to have a little girl, her room would be decorated in a Herself the Elf theme.


Jami:

Soap operas: The 1980s were the heyday of ABC soaps. Ryan’s Hope, All My Children, One Life to Live, Edge of the Night, and of course record-breaking General Hospital made it hard to leave your house in the afternoon for most of the decade.

Teen movies: Thanks to John Hughes, the '80s were best known for high-school based gems like Ferris Bueller’s Day Off, The Breakfast Club, Pretty in Pink, and Some Kind of Wonderful. Amy Heckerling’s Fast Times at Ridgemont High also came out in this decade. With no movies like these since, even today’s teenagers can quote Ferris Bueller as well as their parents can.

Madonna-inspired fashion: I couldn’t pull it off, but I admired those who could!

The Washington Redskins: They were in three Super Bowls and won two of them.

Dirty Dancing: My all-time favorite movie. No one puts Baby in a corner. Not even Emily Gilmore.




Favorite things about the '90s

Melissa A:

RENT! Need I say more? "When you're living in America, at the end of the millenium..."



Friends: No matter how much I loved TV in the '90s, Friends was an icon!



Music: Nirvana, Alanis Morissette, Toad the Wet Sprocket, Jewel, Counting Crows, No Doubt, Green Day, Natalie Imbruglia, Collective Soul, Jill Sobule, Better than Ezra, 10,000 Maniacs, Live, Barenaked Ladies, etc. Check out my blog series about the fabulous music from this decade.

Disney animated films: Since teen movies didn't start up again until I was in college, I had Beauty and the Beast, Aladdin, and The Lion King to keep me entertained when I was in high school (and a bit beyond). I also love Hercules and I somewhat count The Little Mermaid since I didn't see it until it came out on VHS in 1990. (These two movies are similar in a lot of ways.)

Bridget Jones's Diary: My introduction to chick lit. I was laughing out loud and getting looks from people when I read it.

Melissa S:

Beverly Hills 90210: My friends and I watched this religiously every Wednesday night and would order pizza and sodas while awaiting the drama that was sure to unfold.



Michael Jordan: Growing up in Chicago, almost everyone was obsessed with him. Enough said.

Alanis Morissette's Jagged Little Pill: This album came out when I was in high school and epitomized the 1990's teenage angst every girl has felt at least once in high school.



Gameboy: I loved playing Tetris on my Gameboy after school.

Christopher Pike's "Remember Me" trilogy: These books drew me in and I couldn't wait to start the next one in the series.

Jami:

AOL: Don’t laugh, but I still have my AOL email address. AOL helped change the internet from something only wonks and professionals used, to the consumer-driven service it is today. I met some of my best friends for the first time online, and keep in touch with everyone I know that way. Those free computer discs will forever have a place in my heart.

Oriole Park at Camden Yards: The retro-looking baseball field opened in 1992 and quickly became a model for every new baseball stadium since. Plus they have crab-topped pretzels.

Y2K mania: Who could forget the fun of living in a year where everyone thought society was going to collapse due to a few lines of computer code that were too short?

If you have about 20 minutes, take a trip back...


The Clinton Administration: Eight years of peace and prosperity, headed by a self-indulgent baby boomer, the wife who’d married beneath her, and the Vice President married to the woman who invented warning labels for record albums. Oh for the days when the biggest thing we had to worry about in politics was a stained blue dress. (Here is our reviewer Denise's post about it.)

Harry Potter: I read mostly adult fiction, but no series has captured my attention the way Harry Potter did-- especially the first three books, which were released in the '90s.

What are some of YOUR favorite things from the '80s and '90s? Did anything on this list stand out to you?