Wednesday, June 16, 2021

Sara and Melissa Talk About...A Day in Our Lives

We've been running a column series to get more personal with our readers. This month, we're sharing what a day in each of our lives is like. As you can see, we don't only write book reviews. ;)

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.

Melissa Amster:                                                                                          My daily routine has changed a lot over the past year. It used to involve getting my kids to school, either by car or by waiting for the bus, and then driving to work. I'd pick one of them up from school in the evening, as well. Then there was dinner, relaxation time, and the usual bedtime routines. 

Back then, I got up at 5:45 a.m. to get started on my day, since I always exercise in the morning. The pandemic has afforded me an extra hour of sleep, so I now get up at 6:45 a.m. to exercise. Sometimes later, depending on my husband's schedule. I either do the treadmill first and then a workout video with my daughter or vice versa. Then I get my daughter breakfast and get my sons out of bed. This is around 8:00 am now. Sometimes I have to do the treadmill after making sure everyone is up and having breakfast. 

After that is all settled and I've freshened up and gotten dressed, I have breakfast. Most days, it's Special K vanilla almond, but sometimes I treat myself to a bagel with butter and strawberry jam. Then I work on blog stuff and any other housekeeping needs, before I start on the other work I am now doing. A year ago, I was still working from home for the non-profit job I held for over ten years. However, the pandemic changed that plan too, but now I'm dipping my toes into the publishing industry, gaining some new experiences along the way.

On some mornings or afternoons, I am either ordering groceries through Instacart or going to the store. Around 12:30 p.m., I usually have my standard lunch of a salad, fruit, and a granola bar. Then I get lunch for my daughter. My sons usually make their own lunch or snack a lot throughout the day. In the evening, either my husband or I will make dinner for everyone. On Mondays, we have meat leftovers from Shabbat. Tuesday through Thursday is usually dairy items. Friday, we have meat once again for a new Shabbat meal. After dinner, it's usually relaxation time, most of it spent watching TV (most recently Love, Victor, Manifest, The Bold Type, and Workin' Moms). Then I get my daughter settled into bed, as my sons end up going to bed a lot later and don't need to be tucked in anymore. I spend the rest of the evening getting more blog stuff done or replying to e-mails before going to bed myself. 

The only night that is different is Friday, for Shabbat. We don't have dinner until later in the evening, after I have lit candles and my husband has finished his prayers. We spend time talking and joking around, as well as relaxing and reading. We also will play board games, but usually that happens more on Saturday.  

There you have it, a day in my life. It's pretty standard, but I'm glad I could give you a glimpse! I'm hoping we'll get out a bit more this summer and shake up our routines!


Sara Steven:                                                                                                                                           
Lately, the patterns in my days have been pretty similar to one another, given an upcoming move for my family later this year. It feels like we’re spending a lot of time on packing, staging, and taking boxes and other household items to our storage unit. It’s like the movie Groundhog Day over here--only with packing paper and tape. 
There have been a few breaks from monotony, though. Like the virtual writer’s conference I recently attended through the Martha’s Vineyard Institute of Creative Writing, and an evening spent with baby goats and an alpaca that silently judges everyone, by way of Goat Yoga. My ten-year old is on the swim team again through our local YMCA, and had his first meet of the season on Saturday.

My sons at Goat Yoga

The writer’s conference was an amazing opportunity and a valuable tool in getting back into the habit of writing again, and Goat Yoga with my family was so much fun. And I loved seeing my little guy in the water again, after a year break from competing. But none of it is a typical day for me. My days (like today) usually go a little something like this:

5:30 a.m.--I wake up. Even if I don’t want to. The Arizona sun is unforgiving and is full-blown bright around this time of the morning. I usually do a little reading to get me going in the mornings; my latest read is Ruthless Women by Melanie Blake. I’m really enjoying it. 
   
6:30 a.m.--If I’m to do any running outside, it has to be an early morning thing. After I water my plants and get myself ready, I’m off to San Tan Regional Park for a trail run. I’ve got my Osprey water pack on my back, along with a phone in my hand and headphones plugged into it, so I can listen to a mix of tunes while I’m pounding dirt, rock, and gravel.

9:00 a.m.--check Facebook/Email/Twitter.

9:30 a.m. --I pick up the house if it needs it, take care of my cat and dog, and if the kids are up, I make sure to get things rolling on their breakfast. I like to watch my guilty pleasure shows while I do what needs to be done around the house, like laundry, dishes, etc., and today it was Extreme Sisters. What a crazy show!

10:00 a.m. (ish)--Packing. Since we’re moving, I’ve been working on getting a lot out of the house and into our storage unit, so we can stage the house for sale. Today’s target was an area of the house that’s been designated for the kids, and their bathroom, too. 

Noon--Lunch time with the kids and husband, who works from home. 

After lunch, it’s back to packing. But this time, I’ve enlisted the help of the teenager to work on his room. There are so many loose papers, change, Lego pieces and bottle caps he’s managed to collect and hold onto...I’m not sure why. 

3:00 p.m.--I sit down to work on my “A Day in the Life” post. 

Later this afternoon, I’ll try to do a little yoga; it’s something I work on daily, in order to stretch out and relax before making dinner. Sometimes I make the kids do yoga, or make dinner with me. I might watch another show. It will probably be the recent episode of 90 Day Fiance: Happily Ever After.    

After the sun goes down, we usually take the boys out for a bike ride, or we’ll go for a walk. And, I usually try to get some reading in before bed, which is almost always before 10pm, because I can’t seem to stay up past that time anymore. Nearly every day, I also take the time to reply to Melissa--we have a long-standing message we send back and forth to one another. I think I “talk” to her more than I talk to anyone else!

Even though it feels like Groundhog Day right now, it’s the calm before the storm for me. Soon, I’ll start my full time class load at Arizona State University for the fall semester, with five courses to contend with. So for now, I’ll take the redundancy!

What is a day in your life like? Tell us in the comments!

Excerpt: Blue Hawaiian

The first rule of serving as the maid of honor at your perfect sister’s destination wedding? 

No mistakes. The second rule? No drama.

For Jess Chavez, a week in Maui is hardly a dream vacation—not when her sister expects her to be the perfect maid of honor. Not only does Jess have to fake perfection, but she can’t let anyone know she’s unemployed and barely scraping by. Above all, she needs to steer clear of Connor Blackwood, the sexy groomsman who broke her heart five years ago.

A family wedding offers Connor the ideal opportunity to convince everyone he’s no longer an irresponsible playboy. If they see he’s changed, they might support his decision to leave the family winery and strike out on his own. With so much at stake, the last thing he needs is an alluring distraction like Jess.

When Jess and Connor end up together, exploring the island’s lush, tropical beauty, the sparks between them become impossible to ignore. Throwing caution to the wind, they decide to make their own rules.

Five days of passion. No strings. No tears. No promises.

What could possibly go wrong?

Purchase Links:
Amazon UK * Amazon US 

Excerpt:

Former lovers Jess and Connor are spending a week in Maui, attending a family wedding between Jess’s sister, Gabi, and Connor’s cousin, Marc. On their first day at the resort, they join the wedding party for a group outing to the beach to go snorkeling. Though Jess still resents Connor for the way he ghosted her after their breakup, she finds him hard to resist. 


Jess had no idea how long she’d been immersed in her own undersea paradise, but when she stood up to clean out her mask, Connor was standing next to her. His nearness made her self-conscious, especially since she was wearing the world’s smallest bikini. 


“What are you doing here?” she asked.


“Just wanted a little quiet. Did you get your luggage yet?” 


“Hardly. I’ll be lucky if it arrives before the wedding.” 


His gaze was bold, traveling over every inch of her body. “Then where’d you get the bikini?”


Pushing past the urge to duck back into the water, she placed her hands on her hips, putting her barely covered curves on full display. If Connor wanted an eyeful, she’d give him one. “It was a gift from Gabi. Do you like it?”


His approval shouldn’t matter. But she was gratified when he gave her a wicked smile that made her toes curl. “Definitely. Gabi has excellent taste.” He took a few steps closer. “Just a warning. You might want to keep an eye out for sharks. Maui’s known for them.”


Ice water shot through her veins. “Sharks? Gabi didn’t mention sharks.” She scanned the horizon. “Shouldn’t there be signs up?” She was about to wade back to the beach, but Connor caught her arm. The sensation sent tingles through her.


“Kidding. I wanted to see if you were still scared of them.”


She smacked him in the chest. “You bastard. If I’m afraid of sharks, it’s because you forced me to watch Jaws.” She lifted her hand to smack him again, but he grabbed her wrist and held it tight. She stumbled, and he steadied her with his other hand. They were inches apart, and she was more aware of his physical presence than ever. She swallowed, torn between enjoying his touch and putting some distance between them.


“Jaws is a classic,” he said. “Every movie buff needs to watch it at least once.”


“But you told me sharks had been sighted at Big Bear Lake. It was beyond cruel.”


He chuckled. “It was a freshwater lake in the mountains. Zero chance of a shark attack.”


She’d forgotten how much she loved his laugh. Or how much she enjoyed teasing him. “At least I didn’t freak out and claim a rogue grizzly was rooting through our garbage like you did that summer.”


“Hey, it was pitch-dark outside. And it sounded like a bear.”


She gave him a huge eyeroll. “It was a raccoon, you big dork. You had bears on the brain after we watched The Revenant. Worst movie choice ever.”


“I had to put it on my bucket list. Leo won an Oscar for that movie.”


The sparks between them made Jess’s pulse race. She licked her lips, tasting salt water, only to find Connor staring at her unashamedly, as if he wanted to claim those lips for himself. She forced herself to pull away and take a few steps back before she did something stupid, like kiss him. 



Carla Luna writes contemporary romance with a dollop of humor and a pinch of spice. A former archaeologist, she still dreams of traveling to far-off places and channels that wanderlust into the settings of her stories. When she’s not writing, she works in a spice emporium where she gets paid to discuss food and share her favorite recipes. Her passions include Broadway musicals, baking, whimsical office supplies, and pop culture podcasts. Though she has roots in Los Angeles and Victoria, B.C., she currently resides in Wisconsin with her family and her spoiled Siberian cat.

Visit Carla online:
Website * Facebook * Twitter * Instagram

Visit all the stops on Carla's blog tour:


Tuesday, June 15, 2021

Spotlight and Giveaway: Very Sincerely Yours

Introduction by Melissa Amster

I love Kerry Winfrey's rom com novels. Both Waiting for Tom Hanks and Not Like the Movies were on my favorites lists for the past two years. Somehow I was late to the game with hearing about her latest, Very Sincerely Yours, but I was thrilled to get my hands on a digital copy and have added it to my Kindle queue. I am very excited to read it soon! The cover is so cute too. Thanks to Berkley, we have one print copy for a lucky reader!

Teddy Phillips never thought she would still be spending every day surrounded by toys at almost thirty years old. But working at a vintage toy store is pretty much all she has going on in her life after being unceremoniously dumped by her longtime boyfriend. The one joy that she has kept is her not-so-guilty pleasure: Everett’s Place, a local children’s show hosted by Everett St. James, a man whom Teddy finds very soothing . . . and, okay, cute.

Teddy finds the courage to write to him, feeling slightly like one of the children who write to him on his show. He always gives sound advice and seems like he has everything figured out—and he pretty much does: Everett has a great support system, wonderful friends, and his dream job. But there is still that persistent feeling in the back of his mind that something is missing.

When a woman named Theodora starts writing to Everett, he is drawn to her honesty and vulnerability. They continue writing to each other, all the while living their lives without meeting. When their worlds collide, however, they must both let go of their fears and figure out what they truly want—and if the future they want includes each other.

Photo by Alex Winfrey
Kerry Winfrey writes romantic comedies for adults and teens. She is the author of Love and Other Alien Experiences, Things Jolie Needs to Do Before She Bites It, Waiting for Tom Hanks, and Not Like the Movies. When she’s not writing, she’s likely baking yet another pie or watching far too many romantic comedies. She lives with her husband, son, and dog in the middle of Ohio.

Visit Kerry online:
Website * Facebook * Twitter * Instagram

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 20th at midnight EST.

Monday, June 14, 2021

Book Review: A Summer to Remember

By Sara Steven

For thirty-year-old Frankie Simon, selling movie memorabilia in the shop she opened with her late mother on Hollywood Boulevard is more than just her livelihood--it's an enduring connection to the only family she has ever known. But when a mysterious package arrives containing a photograph of her mother and famous movie stars Glory Cartwright and her husband at a coastal film festival the year before Frankie's birth, her life begins to unravel in ways unimaginable.

What begins is a journey along a path revealing buried family secrets, betrayals between lovers, bonds between friends. And for Frankie, as the past unlocks the present, the chance to learn that memories define who we are, and that they can show us the meaning of home and the magic of true love. (Synopsis courtesy of Goodreads)

A Summer to Remember combines two of my favorite elements within a story: mystery, and silver screen Hollywood. Told from two different perspectives, that of Frankie’s as well as Louise, a former friend of Glory’s, pieces of the mysterious puzzle begin to take shape and click into place, particularly for Frankie, in discovering where she comes from.

For most of her life, Frankie’s mother had kept much of her past in secret. It isn’t until the photograph of her mother and Glory Cartwright, that Frankie makes it her mission to travel to Cape Cod, as a means of seeing if she can pick up on clues or find more information that will lead to answers. I really loved how the storyline kept me guessing, right up until the very end. Who was Frankie’s mother, and who was Glory? And how does Louise and her own life play into all of it? It felt like the backstories of all involved were perfectly weaved together, leading into eventual answers for Frankie, for better or for worse.

Glory reflected the perfect screen star from the 70s. The flashbacks Louise provides helped to round out the story even more, and it was neat to see the progression of the types of social lives and norms that were considered acceptable for that era, to the present, when Frankie learns how so many of the rules on how a woman should behave or the goals and dreams she should want for her life had been pushed beyond the limits, even then. She’s searching for answers, trying to find more of a family lifeline, but there were undercurrents of girl power, too. 

As the synopsis indicates, Frankie also finds herself in a potential love situation with Glory’s son, Gabe. But Gabe has a lot of trust issues, and so does Frankie, so seeing how that all played out was interesting, too. The whole experience with A Summer to Remember was unique and touching, a much-deserved five-star experience.

Thanks to St. Martin's Press for the book in exchange for an honest review.

Friday, June 11, 2021

Book Review: Waiting to Begin



By Sara Steven

1984. Bessie is a confident sixteen-year-old girl with the world at her feet, dreaming of what life will bring and what she’ll bring to this life. Then everything comes crashing down. Her bright and trusting smile is lost, banished by shame—and a secret she’ll carry with her for the rest of her life.

2021. The last thirty-seven years have not been easy for Bess. At fifty-three she is visibly weary, and her marriage to Mario is in tatters. Watching her son in newlywed bliss—the hope, the trust, the joy—Bess knows it is time to face her own demons, and try to save her relationship. But she’ll have to throw off the burden of shame if she is to honour that sixteen-year-old girl whose dreams lie frozen in time.

Can Bess face her past, finally come clean to Mario, and claim the love she has longed to fully experience all these years? (Synopsis courtesy of Goodreads)

Waiting to Begin felt like a slow burn into chaos. At first, we’re given two different viewpoints from Bess; who she’d been at the age of sixteen, and who she is now. Sixteen-year-old Bessie is eager to grab life by both hands and live it to the fullest, certain of her future. Fifty-three-year old Bess is sitting within complacency, and it’s not unexpected to see someone middle-aged and wondering what happened to the last few decades of their life. Yet, I could feel an undercurrent of something sinister stirring beneath the surface of it all, just waiting for the bomb to hit. And, when it hits, it hits hard.

It’s astonishing how events from our past can dictate who we become in the future, and that is obvious here. Bess has been trying to find a way to live some sort of normalcy, carrying around not only the secrets from her youth, but memories that have led to what could be considered as post traumatic stress disorder. I really felt for Bess, considering that so much of what she’s gone through and dealt with was during a time when there weren’t many outlets in seeking out guidance or solace. Like a ripple effect, it extends out to nearly everyone in her life, destroying family, friends, and herself.

About three fourths of the way through, during a pretty epic scene between Bess and Mario, I couldn’t help but feel emotional over witnessing a relationship that had appeared to be so strong, but as Mario points out at one point, he’d fallen for someone else. The Bess he was allowed to see, is not the person he’s married to. I don’t think I’ve ever wanted a couple to stay together as much as I rooted for Bess and Mario. 

I felt drawn to the characters within Waiting to Begin. Whether Bess and Mario, or Bess and her children, or Bess and her childhood friends--they were all written in such a way that you instantly feel as though they exist in reality, and I wanted nothing but the best for all of them. The deep-rooted connections made the scenes stand out, and I wanted to see what would happen for Bess, if she could truly be honest with herself and with those who love her, giving her the chance to finally move on. This was a moving five-star experience!

Thanks to Rachel's Random Resources for the book in exchange for an honest review.

Purchase Links:
Amazon US * Amazon UK

Amanda Prowse is an International Bestselling author whose twenty seven novels and seven novellas have been published in dozens of languages around the world. Published by Lake Union, Amanda is the most prolific writer of bestselling contemporary fiction in the UK today; her titles also consistently score the highest online review approval ratings across several genres. Her books, including the chart topping No.1 titles What Have I Done?, Perfect Daughter, My Husband's Wife, The Girl in the Corner, The Things I Know, and The Day She Came Back have sold millions of copies across the globe.

A popular TV and radio personality, Amanda is a regular panelist on Channel 5's 'The Jeremy Vine Show' and numerous daytime ITV programmes. She also makes countless guest appearances on BBC national independent Radio stations including LBC and Talk FM, where she is well known for her insightful observations and her infectious humour. Described by the Daily Mail as 'The queen of family drama' Amanda's novel, A Mother's Story won the coveted Sainsbury's eBook of the year Award while Perfect Daughter was selected as a World Book Night title in 2016.

Amanda's ambition is to create stories that keep people from turning the bedside lamp off at night, great characters that ensure you take every step with them and tales that fill your head so you can't possibly read another book until the memory fades...

Visit Amanda online:
Website * Facebook * Twitter * Instagram

Praise for Amanda Prowse:

'A powerful and emotional work of fiction' - Piers Morgan

'Deeply moving and emotional, Amanda Prowse handles her explosive subjects with delicate skill' - Daily Mail

'Uplifting and positive, but you will still need a box of tissues' - Hello!

'A gut-wrenching and absolutely brilliant read' - The Irish Sun

'You'll fall in love with this...' - Cosmopolitan

'Deeply moving and eye opening. Powerful and emotional drama that packs a real punch.' - Heat

'Magical' - Now magazine

Visit all the stops on Amanda's blog tour:


Thursday, June 10, 2021

Ellie Pilcher is down to Earth

Today we are pleased to welcome Ellie Pilcher to CLC. Sara really enjoyed her debut novel, What Planet Can I Blame This On?, and recently reviewed it at Amazon. We enjoyed learning more about Ellie and her book, and she has a favorite TV series in common with both Sara and Melissa.


Ellie Pilcher is a writer based in South London. She works in book publishing and is a freelance journalist regularly featured on BBC Radio 5 Live, The Telegraph, Huffington Post, and many others. She also runs a Careers, Books and Lifestyle blog called EllesBellesNotebook, and is a public speaker on topics including social media, zero waste lifestyle and career growth.

Visit Ellie online:


Synopsis:
The stars are not in position - and Krystal Baker is determined to make them fall in line.

It's Krystal's 29th birthday. This year:

· Her boyfriend finally proposed after six years of dating (only for her to find out he cheated on her for five and a half of them)

· She landed her dream job as a writer at Craze magazine (which swiftly fell into administration)

· She moved into her dream flat overlooking the city (just for the pipes to explode making the place unliveable)

As she mourns everything wrong in her life, her best friend mutters the dreaded words: Saturn Return. The time in a woman's life where Saturn returns to the position it was in on the day of their birth, 29.5 years ago, and, according to legend, everything falls apart. Krystal has never bought into astrology but maybe it's time to re-evaluate - because if the stars got her into this mess, they can get her out of it. And she only has six months to make things right.

Loaded with crystals, horoscopes, tarot cards and a carefully aligned chakra or two, Krystal's determined to have her life back on track by the time Saturn returns. No longer shall she brand herself a 'human disaster' because this time it's not her fault, it's written in the treacherous stars.

It's Krystal versus the universe in a fight for her future that she's determined to win. (Courtesy of Amazon.)

‘Fresh, fun and fascinating from an exciting new talent’
~Bella Osborne, author of Meet Me at Pebble Beach

‘It’s fresh, wise, and hugely funny and real – a celebration of that tricky late twenties stage when you reckon you should have it all figured out – but definitely haven’t … I loved it!’
~Fiona Gibson, author of The Dog Share

‘Delightful, fun and full of laugh-out-loud moments’
~Gillian Harvey, author of Perfect on Paper

In one sentence, tell us what your road to publishing was like.
A bit like ordering an Uber and getting a rocket: unexpected, a little bumpy and surprisingly fast-paced
 
How are you similar to Krystal?
I would say not at all, but my family members who have read the book said pretty much 90% the same. I’m very dramatic and incredibly stubborn like Krystal but thankfully I’m a little less obsessive and less reliant on other people. 
 
If What Planet Can I Blame This On? were made into a movie, who would you cast in the leading roles?
I love this question, mostly because when I write my stories it’s like watching a movie unfold in my head. For me, I saw someone like Florence Pugh as Krystal (Amy from Little Women), and I imagined Emma Corrin (Diana from The Crown) as Tina. Paige was more complicated, I had Sandra Oh (Eve in Killing Eve) and Samira Wiley (Moira in The Handmaid’s Tale) in my head when I was writing her but they’re not the right actors, but the right style of actor. Oh, and Paul Mescal for Ryan (Connell from Normal People) what I can say… the Irish accent! 
 
Which TV series are you currently binge watching?
I’m currently re-watching The Bold Type on Netflix. It is my all-time favourite series about three women working in the magazine industry in New York City. The friendships, the career goals and the drama is everything. 
 
What is your astrological sign and how fitting is it to your personality?
I am a Gemini, through and through. Although my Moon and Rising Sign are both in Sagittarius. According to my birth chart I’m very self-expressive and curious, and supposedly witty – useful since I’m writing comedy! – not to mention a people pleaser and generally not-boring. So far, my birth chart has reflected my real-life personality to a T.
 
What is something you have learned about yourself during the pandemic?

I do not do well with boredom. I read over 100 books, wrote two novels, moved flats, decorated said-new flat, started an event series, hosted a hen do (twice!) and organised a wedding reception… lockdown was very productive for me. 

Thanks to Ellie for visiting with us and to Hodder for coordinating the interview.

Wednesday, June 9, 2021

Spotlight: Pack Up the Moon

Every month, a letter. That's what Lauren decides to leave her husband when she finds out she's dying. Each month, she gives Josh a letter containing a task to help him face this first year without her, leading him on a heartrending, beautiful, often humorous journey to find happiness again in this new novel from the New York Times bestselling author Kristan Higgins.

Joshua and Lauren are the perfect couple. Newly married, they're wildly in love, each on a successful and rewarding career path. Then Lauren is diagnosed with a terminal illness. 

As Lauren's disease progresses, Joshua struggles to make the most of the time he has left with his wife and to come to terms with his future--a future without the only woman he's ever loved. He's so consumed with finding a way to avoid the inevitable ending that he never imagines his life after Lauren.

But Lauren has a plan to keep her husband moving forward. A plan hidden in the letters she leaves him. In those letters, one for every month in the year after her death, Lauren leads Joshua on a journey through pain, anger, and denial. It's a journey that will take Joshua from his attempt at a dinner party for family and friends to getting rid of their bed...from a visit with a psychic medium to a kiss with a woman who isn't Lauren. As his grief makes room for laughter and new relationships, Joshua learns Lauren's most valuable lesson: The path to happiness doesn't follow a straight line. 

Sometimes heartbreaking, often funny, and always uplifting, this novel from New York Times bestselling author Kristan Higgins illuminates how life's greatest joys are often hiding in plain sight.

Pack Up the Moon can be purchased here.

Photo by Declan Keenan

Kristan Higgins is the New York Times, USA TODAY, Wall Street Journal, and Publishers Weekly bestselling author of 19 novels, which have been translated into more than two dozen languages and sold millions of copies worldwide. Her books have received dozens of awards and accolades, including starred reviews from Kirkus, The New York Journal of Books, Publishers Weekly, Library Journal, People, and Booklist. Her books regularly appear on the lists for best novels of the year. Kristan is also a cohost of the Crappy Friends podcast, which discusses the often complex dynamics of female friendships, with her friend and fellow writer, Joss Dey.

The proud descendant of a butcher and a laundress, Kristan lives in Connecticut with her heroic firefighter husband. They own several badly behaved pets and are often visited by their entertaining and long-lashed children. (Bio courtesy of Kristan's website.)

Visit Kristan online:
Website * Facebook * Twitter * Instagram