Veronica Carrera's Amazing Life

Today we are pleased to welcome Veronica Carrera to CLC. She has written a fascinating and inspiring memoir called 140 Miles of Life. She's here to tell us all about it today!

Veronica holds a B.A. in French from Brigham Young University and an M.B.A. from Cornell’s Johnson Graduate School of Management, where she was honored as “The 2015 Best Executive EMBA.” She recently completed the Inner M.B.A. (conscious leadership program) at New York University and is currently pursuing a Life Coaching certification with Jay Shetty. (Bio courtesy of Veronica's website.)

Visit Veronica online:

Website * Twitter * Instagram

Synopsis:

All hell breaks loose the moment Veronica Carrera, a leader in the Mormon church, falls in love with a fellow female student at Brigham Young University. Battling her innate feelings, the devout missionary confesses her temptations to the Bishop in a futile attempt to hold tight to her spiritual home.

After her church shuns her, a shocked Veronica embarks on the toughest one-day endurance race in the world to reclaim her power, inadvertently beginning a much more important, internal journey of healing and self-love.

Veronica’s story of triumphing over adversity, not only offers hope and inspiration for readers to discover true inner wisdom and acceptance but may save lives! (Courtesy of Amazon.)

”Veronica's deeply touching and personal story is an apotheosis of profound triumph over heart wrenching adversity - not only a triumph of personal power, but also a triumph of love, a triumph of her huge and beautiful human heart, and ultimately a triumph of the soul. As she demonstrates the breathtaking courage it takes to say yes to walk the true path of love and transformation, her story will leave you thoroughly inspired and connected to your own greatest humanity. I couldn't put this book down.” 

--Seneca Moore, PhD, Founder and Coach at Optimity Coaching & Collaborative

“140 Miles Of life by exemplary Veronica Carrera is a truly well-written book, packed with life lessons and wisdom gems. This is an incredibly engaging read in which you will find yourself moved and inspired by Veronica's journey. This book is about RESILIENCE and COURAGE. No matter what your life circumstances are, you always have the freedom to choose LOVE over anything else. I loved this book and every true seeker will love it also. Thank you, Veronica for your sacred YES and for being an embodiment of light in this World.” 

--Paola Castro. Spiritual Coach, Author & Speaker

In one sentence, what was the road to publishing like for you?
I was participating in an international speech competition with a speech titled “140 Miles of Life.”  Afterwards some people from the audience asked me if I had ever thought about writing a book. At that point, I hadn’t; but that thought stayed with me. When my grandma died five years ago, it broke my heart wide open and I decided that this was the moment to start writing. I was ready to go deep into my heart and find the unknown jewels of wisdom hidden underneath my pain. 
 
It took me about three years to finish the book. I would write for a few months and then I would pause for weeks or months as it was challenging to revisit certain moments of my life and maintain the cadence.  However, I had an amazing mentor, Gay Walley. Gay is a very successful author, and she gave me some great advice from the beginning. 

When I finished the book, within a few months, a publishing firm picked it up and decided to publish it within three months.  Even though I had been revising and editing my work along the way, now, I had just a few weeks to fully revise it so that it could be ready to be published. Those few weeks were very busy because I work during the day as a sales leader for LinkedIn, but every day as soon as I was done with work, I would spend hours reading my manuscript and editing my final work.  Everything happened so fast, but it felt amazing to see how everything unfolded.  Writing this book became my life’s purpose. 
 
 

Ironman Run- Half Ironman CT race

What were the biggest rewards and biggest challenges with writing your memoir?
The biggest reward was that I wasn’t sure I was a good writer before I started writing the book. Like everything else in life, you just have to get started to find your gift.

As I was writing, I realized that something powerful was being created through the storytelling in my book and how important the message was that I had to share. At times as I was writing, it felt as if I was receiving a download -- meaning the ideas, thoughts and essence of the message would flow through my mind with ease. There were many instances when I would start writing in the evening and I would not be able to stop until 3am. It was exhilarating! 

The challenge initially was that I had a few important themes to tell within this one book. Particularly, I was trying to figure out how to weave different human rights issues in this one story and I wasn’t sure how to put it all together. It took me a few months until I realized I could use the Ironman Race, the longest one-day-endurance triathlon in the world, as a metaphor for the different stories and connect it all together. I personally think that it all came together so well, and it made the book more fun and interesting to read.  If you read the Amazon reviews, many people have written that they could not put the book down and they finished it in two days. 

If 140 Miles of Life had a soundtrack, what songs would be on it?
"Hold My Hand" by Nessi Gomes

What is one piece of advice you'd give to someone who wanted to do the Ironman race?
It takes dedication, discipline and commitment. There is no other way.  I think that for someone who wants to do this arduous race for the first time, it is best if you join a triathlon Ironman team. 

Who was your role model when you were growing up?
My mom, Victoria Mendez, and my grandma, Maria Valencia. They were powerful women. I write about them in my book. You will read in my book why they empowered me to be the person I am today. 

What is a message you'd like to send to yourself in five years from now?
The message that I will like to send myself five years from now is that I can be happy and that I can have it all. Also that I am worthy of being happy. Finally, that no matter what trials we have gone through in life, we can always re-write our stories. We are the creators of our dreams. 

Thanks to Veronica for chatting with us and to PR for Writers and Filmmakers for facilitating this interview.

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Book Review: The Magnolia Palace

By Melissa Amster

Eight months since losing her mother in the Spanish flu outbreak of 1919, twenty-one-year-old Lillian Carter's life has completely fallen apart. For the past six years, under the moniker Angelica, Lillian was one of the most sought-after artists' models in New York City, with statues based on her figure gracing landmarks from the Plaza Hotel to the Brooklyn Bridge. But with her mother gone, a grieving Lillian is rudderless and desperate—the work has dried up and a looming scandal has left her entirely without a safe haven. So when she stumbles upon an employment opportunity at the Frick mansion—a building that, ironically, bears her own visage—Lillian jumps at the chance. But the longer she works as a private secretary to the imperious and demanding Helen Frick, the daughter and heiress of industrialist and art patron Henry Clay Frick, the more deeply her life gets intertwined with that of the family—pulling her into a tangled web of romantic trysts, stolen jewels, and family drama that runs so deep, the stakes just may be life or death.

Nearly fifty years later, mod English model Veronica Weber has her own chance to make her career—and with it, earn the money she needs to support her family back home—within the walls of the former Frick residence, now converted into one of New York City's most impressive museums. But when she—along with a charming intern/budding art curator named Joshua—is dismissed from the Vogue shoot taking place at the Frick Collection, she chances upon a series of hidden messages in the museum: messages that will lead her and Joshua on a hunt that could not only solve Veronica's financial woes, but could finally reveal the truth behind a decades-old murder in the infamous Frick family. (Synopsis courtesy of Amazon.)

The Magnolia Palace is the third novel I have read by Fiona Davis and my favorite of hers so far. It was really well-told and I learned a lot about the Frick family, as I knew nothing about them until now. I loved both Lillian and Veronica. Their narratives were compelling and captivating. Helen was so feisty and I felt bad for her, while admiring her at the same time. Of course, she could be infuriating too! The descriptions really brought the story to life. It was easy to get caught up in everything that was going on and there was a mystery element that I enjoyed trying to figure out. 

I felt like the story went on a little too long at the end and could have been wrapped up a different way, but it was still great overall. 

This novel is perfect for fans of Susan Meissner, Camille Di Maio, and Renee Rosen.

Movie casting suggestions:
Lillian: Madison Lintz
Veronica: Ella Purnell
Helen: Alana Haim
Mr. Danforth: Luke Kleintank
Joshua: Kamil McFadden
Mr. Frick: Xander Berkeley
Mr. Graham: Eric Nelsen 

Thanks to Dutton for the book in exchange for an honest review.

More by Fiona Davis:

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What's in the (e)mail

Melissa:
The Matchmaker's Gift by Lynda Cohen Loigman from St. Martin's Press (print)
The Bodyguard by Katherine Center from St. Martin's Press (print)
The Next Thing You Know by Jessica Strawser from St. Martin's Press (print)
His & Hers by Alice Feeney from Flatiron (print, won from Goodreads)

Closer to Okay by Amy Watson from Alcove Press (NetGalley)

The Lost Girls of Willowbrook by/from Ellen Marie Wiseman (print)

The Moments Between Dreams by Judith F. Brenner from Greenleaf (NetGalley)

Butterfly Sisters by/from Jenny Hale (print)

Flirting with Fifty by Jane Porter from Berkley (NetGalley)

A Thousand Miles by Bridget Morrissey from Berkley (NetGalley)

Not Exactly What I Had in Mind by Kate Brook from Random House (print)

No Funny Business by Amanda Aksel from Berkley (NetGalley)

Lark & Kasim Start a Revolution by Kacen Callender from Abrams (NetGalley)

The School for German Brides by Aimie K. Runyan from William Morrow (print)

See You Yesterday by Rachel Lynn Solomon from Simon and Schuster (NetGalley)

A Hundred Other Girls by Iman Hariri-Kia from Sourcebooks (NetGalley)

A Novel Obsession by Caitlin Barasch from Dutton (NetGalley)

Smells Like Tween Spirit by Laurie Gelman from Henry Holt (NetGalley)

The Bartender's Cure by Wesley Straton from Flatiron (NetGalley)

Count Your Lucky Stars by Alexandria Bellefleur from Avon (NetGalley)

True Biz by Sara Novic from Random House (NetGalley)

The Boardwalk Bookshop by Susan Mallery from Harlequin (NetGalley)

Houston, We Have a Problema by Gwendolyn Zepeda from Hachette (print)

Sara:

Bad Penny by Michele Gorman from Rachel's Random Resources (ebook)

The Serial Killer's Girl by L.H. Stacey from Rachel's Random Resources (NetGalley)

The Night Shift by Natalka Burian from SparkPoint Studio (NetGalley)

Jami:

Some of it Was Real by Nan Fischer from Berkley (NetGalley)

We Lie Here by Rachel Howzell Hall from SparkPoint (NetGalley)

The Making of Her by Bernadette Jiwa from Dutton (NetGalley)

Stay Awake by Megan Goldin from St. Martin's Press (NetGalley)

The Swell by Allie Reynolds from Putnam (NetGalley)

Marisa:

The No-Show by Beth O'Leary from Berkley (ebook)

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Book Review: Anything Could Happen

By Becky Gulc

‘For Lara and her daughter Eliza, it has always been just the two of them. But when Eliza turns eighteen and wants to connect with her father, Lara is forced to admit a secret that she has been keeping from her daughter her whole life.

Eliza needs answers – and so does Lara. Their journey to the truth will take them on a road trip across England, and eventually to New York, where it all began. Dreams might have been broken and opportunities missed, but there are still surprises in store…

Anything Could Happen is a warm, wise, funny and uplifting novel about love, second chances and the unexpected and extraordinary paths life can take us down’. (Courtesy of Lucy Diamond's website.)

I love a Lucy Diamond novel but it’s been a while since I read one, I decided it’s been way too long, so I got hold of her latest novel, Anything Could Happen. I was reminded of how much I enjoy Lucy’s writing. I was quickly engrossed in the story and engaged with the three central characters of Lara, Ben and Eliza. 

Lara and Ben meet fleetingly in New York, there’s an instant connection and chemistry that means it has to be more meaningful than a one-night only situation doesn’t it? With a bit of a gap before their next encounter, only time will tell. 

This is everything I wanted in a novel at this time, it was an easy-to-read, thoughtful, emotional, and hopeful novel with character at its core. What I enjoyed about the novel was that it’s very mature, and felt realistic in its approach to the events that unfold with Eliza. The characters have morals and this is no easy situation to navigate. Sometimes there doesn’t need to be a ‘baddy’, and this is a well-crafted novel that simply doesn’t need one. Even though it’s hard to imagine being in this situation personally, it was still relatable and there were many aspects of the story that will resonate with people about the different paths we could have taken in life. It tugs at the heartstrings. 

I loved the characters all individually and the dynamics between them and how these develop through the story. Throw in a couple of trips to New York and it was a thoroughly pleasant read. I can’t wait for the next novel from Lucy.

More by Lucy Diamond:

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Book Review: One Italian Summer

When Katy’s mother dies, she is left reeling. Carol wasn’t just Katy’s mom, but her best friend and first phone call. She had all the answers and now, when Katy needs her the most, she is gone. To make matters worse, their planned mother-daughter trip of a lifetime looms: to Positano, the magical town where Carol spent the summer right before she met Katy’s father. Katy has been waiting years for Carol to take her, and now she is faced with embarking on the adventure alone.

But as soon as she steps foot on the Amalfi Coast, Katy begins to feel her mother’s spirit. Buoyed by the stunning waters, beautiful cliffsides, delightful residents, and, of course, delectable food, Katy feels herself coming back to life.

And then Carol appears—in the flesh, healthy, sun-tanned, and thirty years old. Katy doesn’t understand what is happening, or how—all she can focus on is that she has somehow, impossibly, gotten her mother back. Over the course of one Italian summer, Katy gets to know Carol, not as her mother, but as the young woman before her. She is not exactly who Katy imagined she might be, however, and soon Katy must reconcile the mother who knew everything with the young woman who does not yet have a clue.

Rebecca Serle’s next great love story is here, and this time it’s between a mother and a daughter. With her signature “heartbreaking, redemptive, and authentic” (Jamie Ford, New York Times bestselling author) prose, Serle has crafted a transcendent novel about how we move on after loss, and how the people we love never truly leave us. (Synopsis courtesy of Amazon.)

Melissa Amster:

I wanted to read One Italian Summer because I enjoyed In Five Years, there was a surreal element, and the cover is so enticing. If you're looking for an amazing overseas armchair adventure where you can imagine eating delicious food all day long, then pick this one up!

The descriptions in this novel definitely transported me overseas to a place I've never actually been. I could feel it all come to life in front of me. I liked that the focus of this story was more about a mother and daughter relationship, even though there were some romantic scenes outside of that. It felt like I was taking a vacation inside my head while reading this novel. It also had some elements that reminded me of This is Us. I liked the location aspect of this novel the most.

While the story was interesting overall, it didn't really move me like I was expecting it to. Katy was always waffling on her decisions, even when a big revelation happened. I understand how Carol felt about some things, but she could have gone about them in different ways. 

Since no two readers are alike, I encourage you to pick this one up and see what you think. 

Movie casting suggestions:

Katy: Emily Ratajkowski

Carol (younger version): Billie Lourd

Eric: Logan Lerman

Adam: Brant Daugherty

Nika: Matilda De Angelis

Marco: Rhys Coiro

Becky Gulc:

Somehow I agreed to review this novel without fully absorbing the premise, that this is a book about someone recently bereaved by the loss of their mother. When I read the synopsis and the opening chapters, I wondered whether I’d manage to get through this novel, I lost my precious mum last year and I didn’t know if it would be painful and too close to home. Carol wasn’t just Katy’s mum, but her best friend too...it all resonated so much with me. ‘I cannot yet conceive of a world without her, what that will look like, who I am in her absence’. Poignant words that really tapped into how grief feels. But how did I get on?

Firstly, any book which starts with a quote by Lorelai Gilmore is a winner for me. Whilst the book deals with new and profound grief, it still managed to be an escapist and enjoyable one for me. Soon Katy is on the trip to Italy she was always meant to take with her mother, and I felt I was there with her. When Carol appears ‘for real’ as her younger self right there in Positano, a village on the Amalfi Coast, the book becomes lighter, hopeful, and fun, even if a tad bizarre! I don’t generally enjoy any kind of time travel in books but this worked and I thought it was beautifully done the way Katy and Carol got to know each other in a different way.

We know early on Katy is going through some marriage difficulties and there is a whole aspect of the story related to this. Again, this was weaved in well and felt realistic in the sense of the plot as it unfolded. The star of the show is Italy, Positano, the amazing trips Katy and Carol take, the hotels... I had such a strong sense of place throughout the trip and had vivid images of what this place might be like to visit. I want to visit! 

Whilst emotional at times, I truly enjoyed this novel and would definitely be keen to read other novels by Rebecca. 

Thanks to Atria and Quercus for the book in exchange for an honest review.

More by Rebecca Serle:

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Sara and Melissa Talk About...Wonderful Women

We've been running a column series (for two years now!) to get more personal with our readers. International Women's Day was yesterday, but we wanted to honor it today by talking about women we admire.

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:                                                                                                                                The other day, my husband and I were talking about the movie Charlotte’s Web–the original cartoon version from 1973. It is one of my favorites, and I watched it so often that I knew all of the lines and songs by heart. At the time, I didn’t know who Debbie Reynolds was. I only knew of her by the sound of her voice as she portrayed Charlotte, a wise angelic spider who watched over Wilber the pig and did everything she could, even at the cost of her own life, in order to save him. It would be several years later when my father bonded with me over his Westerns and I’d get to see Debbie Reynolds in human form as Lilith Prescott in How the West Was Won. I joke now on how I’d been held hostage during the screening of those movies, hidden away within our living room, the VHS player emitting a barely there squeak as the wheels turned from within it. But the truth was, I look back at those moments fondly. My dad introduced me to many of the greats; women who often pushed beyond the boundaries of what was acceptable or womanly behavior, in order to pave the way or at times shape and influence how a woman could and would think or act or behave, often from the silver screen. 

I participated in a film course recently while attending ASU, and one of the movies I watched and analyzed was Singin’ in the Rain. Reynolds was only nineteen when she worked on the film. She didn’t know how to dance–yet she worked tirelessly in order to learn, often ending practice sessions with bloody feet. She’s quoted as saying, “Singin’ in the Rain and childbirth were the two hardest things I ever had to do in my life,” and I don’t doubt that. It amazes me that someone so young could rise up to the challenge because she didn’t want to let anyone down, or to fail. She didn’t want to be judged by her age, lack of skill, or not to be taken seriously due to not having as much of an impressive resume as her counterparts in the film. I can’t even imagine what that experience must have been like for her.

Maureen O’Hara is another performer who I admired and looked up to in my childhood, and beyond. For her, art imitated life. The characters she embodied were often fiery spirits who pressed back against conventional behaviors that dictated how women were meant to behave. From what I’ve read, she was that way off-screen, too. I first saw her in The Parent Trap (1961), and later in The Quiet Man, another movie my father had introduced me to. In her personal life, O’Hara had been a tomboy–playing soccer, climbing trees, later developing into a beautiful, talented woman who wouldn’t let anyone get away with anything–as she would say, someone who “gave as good as she got.” It’s rumored that she had run-ins with director John Ford during filming of The Quiet Man; during one scene when the wind whipped around making it difficult to see, due to her long red hair, he told her to “Open her damn eyes,” and she replied: “What would a bald-headed son of a bitch like you know about hair lashing across his eyeballs?” 

One of the most controversial and complicated women I admire is Mae West. I had discovered her during my late teen years, learning about her penchant for speaking her mind and bucking censorship, a move that often landed her in jail. For a woman in the 1920s who had written, directed, and produced a show aptly named “Sex,” what could be expected? But she didn’t care. It appeared to fuel her–the judgment, the condemnation. She would often turn the tables in order to make others think and second-guess the double standards that were in place for men and for women. She was known for her bawdy demeanor and double entendre lines, like, “There are no good girls gone wrong - just bad girls found out,” and “When I’m good, I’m very good, but when I’m bad, I’m better,” and then there’s one of her most famous quotes: “It’s not the men in your life that matters, it’s the life in your men.” In some ways, she was a pioneer for women’s rights–the right to be who they want to be, to say what they want to say, and to live life the way they see fit, in whatever manner that may be. 

All three women influenced culture and genre in their own ways, influencing the decades they performed in, wrote books in, and later professed in while giving interviews, opening the door into allowing even a little more space and room for women to breathe and just…be.

Melissa Amster:                                                                                                                        There are a lot of women I admire for various reasons, but for purposes of today's post, I am focusing on a select group...authors. Before I even started this blog, female authors were a big part of my bookish life. As I was growing up, I had Judy Blume, Ann M. Martin, Francine Pascal, S.E. Hinton, and V.C. Andrews (until her books were taken over by a male ghostwriter), just to name a few. As an adult, I started getting into chick lit with Bridget Jones's Diary and then Marian Keyes, Jennifer Weiner, and Jane Green. Later on, Jodi Picoult, Sophie Kinsella, and Emily Giffin joined the mix. 

When I started my blog, it was definitely focused on novels written by female authors. Little did I know that I would form connections with so many amazing authors over these past twelve (gasp!) years. Sarah Pekkanen was the first author to contact me out of the blue and offer me a chance to read her incredible debut novel, The Opposite of Me. I also got to connect with authors I've admired after reading even just one of their novels. I've met many in person and they are so friendly and down-to-earth. When I went to Kristin Hannah's book signing a few years ago, she even hugged me! I've invited authors to speak with my book club, as well as my friend's book club (that I join whenever an author I know is speaking). 

With Kristin Hannah, February 2018

I love seeing female authors support each other. They promote other authors' books to their readers and go to their events. It's like an online sisterhood. Speaking of which, my first year going to Book Expo, I was invited to a party later in the evening where a bunch of authors I had connected with were getting together in one place. It was like going to a reunion, of sorts. It felt so natural to hang out in person after all the connecting we've done online. There are still some authors I adore whom I have yet to meet in person, but I hope to make that happen one of these days. (One of them told me she'll be out my way this summer, so I am looking forward to that.) 

Female authors don't get taken seriously in the same way that male authors do, and I know Jodi Picoult and Jennifer Weiner have done a lot to push back against that. While I like some male authors, my shelves are definitely dominated by all the female authors I love, and I wouldn't have it any other way!

Tell us about the women you admire.

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Libby Hubscher tells it like it is...plus a book giveaway

We're pleased to welcome Libby Hubscher to CLC. Her latest novel, If You Ask Me, released yesterday. It sounds like a charming story and the cover is a lot of fun too. Thanks to Berkley, we have one copy for a lucky reader!

Libby Hubscher is an author and scientist. She studied biology at Bowdoin College in Brunswick, Maine, and holds a doctor of philosophy degree in molecular toxicology from North Carolina State University. Her work has appeared online and in textbooks, scientific journals, and literary journals. Her short story "The Unwelcome Guest" was long-listed for the Wigleaf Top 50 in 2018. She lives in North Carolina with her husband, two young children, and a menagerie of pets.

Visit Libby online:
Website * Facebook * Twitter * Instagram

Synopsis:
Violet Covington pens Dear Sweetie, the most popular advice column in the state of North Carolina. She has an answer for how to politely handle any difficult situation…until she discovers her husband, Sam, has been cheating on her. Furious and out of sensible solutions, Violet leaves her filter at the door and turns to her column to air her own frustrations. The new, brutally honest Dear Sweetie goes viral, sending more shock waves through Violet’s life. When she burns Sam’s belongings in a front-yard, late-night bonfire, a smoking-hot firefighter named Dez shows up to douse the flames, and an unexpected fling quickly shows potential to become something longer lasting.

A lot of people want to see the old polished Violet return—including her boss, who finds her unpredictability hard to manage, and Sam, who’s begging for another chance. But Dez appreciates Violet just the way she is—in fact, he can’t get enough of her. The right answers don’t come easily when Violet finds herself at her own personal crossroads. But maybe, by getting real, Violet can write her own happy ending.

“I gasped, I ground my teeth, and I cheered along with Violet as she gathered the smashed pieces of her life and used them to build something better than before.”
—Jesse Q. Sutanto, author of Dial A for Aunties
 
"Full of southern charm and self-discovery. Libby Hubscher brings a light touch to heavy emotions in this witty novel about starting over in life and in love."
—Virginia Kantra, author of Beth & Amy
 
“A funny, feminist, feel-good novel about making mistakes, asking for advice, and writing your own happy ending. I laughed and I cried—this novel is an absolute joy!”
—Freya Sampson, author of The Last Chance Library

If you had to summarize If You Ask Me in two lines, what would you say?
An advice columnist has a bit of a breakdown after her marriage falls apart, burns her husband’s belongings in the street, and rises from the ashes with a firefighter by her side.

What is a favorite compliment you have received on your writing?
I know we’re supposed to stay away from Goodreads, but I’ll forever be so grateful by the reader who wrote “Oh this book. This magnificent, heartbreaking, heart-rebuilding book” about Meet Me in Paradise. For me, that breaking apart and putting back together is exactly why I write.

How is Violet similar to or different from you?
Like Violet, I sometimes wear makeup as armor. If I’m wearing a lot, I’m either struggling emotionally or ready for battle. I suppose the other traits that Violet and I share are not being super comfortable with being vulnerable and feeling nervous about being judged. We’re different though--there’s no way I’m riding the tower of doom.

Who would you cast in the movie version of If You Ask Me?
This is harder than I expected! For Violet, I think I’d cast Brittany Snow. Dez was always a hybrid version of Channing Tatum and Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson – maybe Channing…I feel like he would show up with croissants. 

What is your current guilty pleasure?
Inventing Anna on Netflix was a fascinating car wreck of a show that I could not stop watching. Oh, also maraschino cherries. When my family gets milkshakes, which I can’t eat because dairy, they save them for me, and I rinse them off and will eat them all. They make me feel like a kid again. 

What is the last photo you took and the story behind it?
The last photo I took was a picture of A Brush with Love by the fabulous Mazey Eddings in front of my favorite wallpapered wall in my office to celebrate her release day. I had five minutes between work meetings and really should’ve polished my nails, but I’m trying to embrace joy and imperfection these days.

What is the best advice you have ever received?
When I was about ready to have my daughter, my friend told me to always remember that everything is temporary. It’s true with things like colic and it’s true with life. The good moments are fleeting, so revel in them. And the awful ones, the ones that wring you out and make you feel like throwing in your own towel, they don’t last forever either.

Thanks to Libby for chatting with us and to Berkley 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 March 15th at midnight EST.

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