Have Yourself a ‘Mary’ Little Christmas: Free Kindle Download WORTH LYING FOR

The holiday laughs are on us – everybody can use a little extra Christmas cheer, right? When we sell our millionth copy we’ll buy you a drink. Until then, it’s a Mary Minke kindle free 4 all! (But only until Dec. 28.) Spread the word: it’s the book Worth Lying For 🙂

Goodreads Lists that Contain WORTH LYING FOR

Found this to be interesting: Lists That Contain Worth Lying For by Lisa Cheney & Lisa Craig.  “Best of Litttle-Known Authors” & “Best Unknown Books.” Assuming our rankings will continue to shuffle around the listopia playground, we hope they meet many other nice books. 😉

Our Beautiful Distraction

Loathe though we are to confess it, The Lisas have been slacking off this summer. Having a book out in the wilds of the free market means stats to obsess over, publicity opportunities to conquer, and lovely new reviews to enjoy, like this one from Chick Lit Central: The Blog!

To change Lisa & Lisa Write a Book to Lisa & Lisa Write Many, Many Books, the Lisas have Three Main Objectives to accomplish this summer:

• Not die of heat-stroke (although 1Lisa’s father is convinced artists are more successful in death).
• Challenge ourselves and each other to specific goals.  Discovering how many brownies we can eat in one sitting is a laudable exercise, but we feel we have mined this to its very depths.  Time to focus on writing. Starting with a two woman focus group on how many cookies should be awarded for each page written.
• Not give in to our many distractions which include, but are in no way limited to: auctions, ebay, free cell, facebook, Words with Friends (vocabulary enriching as it may be), garage sales, hockey free agency signings, take-out menus, and a dangerous case of phone addiction.

Our 12-step program begins as soon as we get off the phone.

Happiness is but a Paper Cut Away

Once the impetuous Lisas come up with a master plan, they implement it in less time than it takes an ice cream sandwich to melt on a hot day. They know this because onelisa was eating an ice cream sandwich as she pushed the button to create the first Worth Lying For promotional freebie when last we blogged.

After thousands of free downloads, there were also sales. Worth hit #29 on Amazon in the Domestic Life sub-category of Women’s Fiction. We also sneaked into triple digits overall, reaching Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #966 Paid in Kindle Store. And 966 is hotter than it might seem at first glance since there are hundreds of thousands of books on Amazon. (Gosh, could we have said Amazon more times in that paragraph? What else could we add? Amazon Basin? Amazon River? Amazon Rain Forest?)

Reviews like this one from Sara at chicklitplus.com put big smiles on our faces and are enormously encouraging as we forge ahead in the Amazonian (sorry, we couldn’t resist) jungle that is indie publishing. And we’re happy to report we are just days away from launching the print edition of Worth. So if you are a reader who prefers the feel of old fashioned paper and ink on your hands you’re in luck. Our cover artist, Danielle Sellers, did a bang-up job and we’re itching to hit the “publish” button. Or maybe we’re itchy because we stumbled on some poison ivy in the jungle of indie publishing. Hand us some calamine lotion and a machete–we’re pushing through!

Excuse Us While We Indulge in a Polite Midwestern Rant

Thelisas are nothing if not polite. This is in large part because our mothers, The Judys, would have it no other way.

It is also because we were cursed to be born in Michigan. Now Michigan is a fine state, in fact, probably Michigan Lisa’s favorite state in the Union. With dunes, lakes, fields, forests, it is a fantastic place. And much like our Canadian cousins to the north/east, the people are super nice. (With a few notable exceptions.) Therein lies our problem–the damned niceness.

Tell those of us stuck in the middle the stupidest, most asinine thing (‘Henry’s a vegan so his waste makes great fertilizer – enjoy that tomato’), and in shock and horror we will muster up a cheery, “How interesting!” This is Midwestern code for: That is worthy of a restraining order you asshat, but I am simply too kind to say so. This is very much *unlike* our fellow Americans on the coasts of New England & Cal-i-forn-I.A. They suffer no fools. We understand that they look down upon us, pity us. We pity us too.

Right about now, a few people who know us well are thinking, “Dear Heavens, these women are completely deluded if they think they are nice, conformable ladies.” Chief among these scoffers would be our husbands, John and Mark (hereafter collectively known as Mohn.) Silly Mohn, unfortunately for you, gentle Midwesterners such as ourselves feel comfortable letting loose in our own homes, but in front of strangers and acquaintances we plaster on a smiling grimace and use the “I” word.

But thelisas are ready to claw, kick, cheat and lie our way to the top of something, anything, and our innate niceness is not going to get in our way. Nice guys finish last. We’ve blogged about our sinful nature, we’ve written about our book character’s sins; we’re willing to go so far as to run for office if that’s what it will take to be taken seriously. Don’t make us run for office.

In the meantime we’re going to attempt to get Worth Lying For to the top of the free book list–and beyond–by featuring it exclusively with amazon for the time being. So remember, no matter how many reviews a book may get, its author/s always appreciate one more. It’s up to you to keep our badasses off the streets, out of jail and up to our eyeballs in interesting sh*t. (Our apologies to The Judys.)

Contentment is Complicated, Will You Settle for World Domination?

What is success? Is it possible to be successful in Small Town USA? Obviously it’s possible to come from nowhere and make it big. But by definition, is it possible to be successful in the worldly sense–rich, powerful, famous, experienced, respected–and never leave podunk-ville?

Our heroine in Worth Lying For, Mary Minke, is a Midwestern matron with modest expectations. All she really ever wanted out of life was to be comfortably middle-class, generally appreciated and personally fulfilled. She’s willing to work hard, play fair, make sacrifices. And still she gets no respect–until… she breaks the rules.

There is a scene in the 1994 Arnold Schwarzenegger/Jamie Lee Curtis movie, True Lies, where Helen Tasker (Jamie Lee), does not yet know her husband Harry (Arnold) is a spy, and she is taken blindfolded by him into an interrogation room. She’s been hooking up with a shady used-car dealer, Simon, (Bill Paxton) who’s been posing as a spy as a way to pick up women. A shocked and heartbroken Harry is trying to determine what made his wife stray.

Her response to why she was willing to run off to Paris with sleaze-bag Simon is classic desperate housewife:

I wanted to do something outrageous, and it felt really good, to be needed, and to be trusted. It’s just there’s so much I want to do with this life and it feels that I haven’t done any of it. You know, the sand is running out of the hourglass, and I want to look back and say, ‘see? I did that, that was me! I was reckless and I was wild, and I *ucking did it.’

Helen later goes on to team up with her hero-husband and together the two save the world, one sexy mission at a time. The movie is an action-packed thriller.

Since we’re talking domination here, (and not the Fifty Shades of Grey sort, writing along those steamy lines has us blushing and stammering), we are throwing off the bondage of our mild Midwestern personas. The heorines of our works-in-progress are similarly intelligent, intrepid women with one major advantage over beleaguered Mary Minke: they have money in the bank.

In future posts we’ll introduce you to Gina, a 52-year-old romance author and mother of three, married to Nils Magusson, a rising NHL hockey coach. Gina has been skating on smooth ice–hunky husband, happy family, dream home. But things are about to get astronomically better. And a whole lot worse. Can Gina and Nils stay on the same team, or has their relationship been nothing more than Hot Stuff on Thin Ice?

Then there’s 49-year-old Kathleen Townsend, a successful businesswoman, widowed less than two years. Busily running a non-profit foundation and planning her daughter’s wedding, the last thing Kathleen expects is a romance of her own (or is it lust?). And she certainly dosen’t expect it to take the form of Gilbert Strong, a man fifteen years her junior. That’s not the only challenge the two must reconcile. Not by a long shot. …He’s also the bride-to-be’s fiance’s uncle.

Of these two new hen-lit characters, Gina and Kathleen, who intrigues you most? Whose storyline should we offer up next?

A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to a Chick Lit Author Blog Hop Contest Winner…

***UPDATE** Congrats to ebook winners Patricia W. & ‘sionedkia’ and grand prize winner Tiffany White.

…We got so excited to announce our Worth Lying For ebook contest winner that we (ahem, *I*) jumped the gun. Our portion of the contest doesn’t officially end until midnight (EST) tonight, Sunday, May 20. SO…good news! To be fair, we’ll be picking two winners. That’s right, Patricia W. is our Sunday morning winner and there’s still a chance if you commented — or leave a comment today — YOU can be an ebook winner too. See post below for all the details and good luck!

Chick Lit Author Blog Hop Book Giveaway and Gift Card Contest!

***UPDATE*** Congrats to ebook winners Patricia W. & ‘sionedkia’ and grand prize winner Tiffany White.

We’re pleased this week to take part in a blog hop contest sponsored by Tracie Banister, of Books by Banister. The post below contains a “secret” italicized word (*not a book title). Find it, then collect a secret word from each of the other fabulous Chick Lit Blog Hop particpants, and you can qualify for a girly, pampering prize: a $150 Sephora gift card. Leave us a comment and we will select one name at random to win an ebook copy of Worth Lying For (*if you’ve already ordered/read our book, thank you – and please comment anyway; we’ll find you a “worthy” prize). Read on for more details.

A Natural Progression from Chick-to-Hen Lit

I grew up reading romances. I adored the vicarious thrill of living through the hero and heroine’s progress, from fiery arguments to first kiss. I still do. But somewhere along the way, a little book was published. You may have heard of it: Bridget Jones’s Diary. In a flash the publishing world was delirious with chick lit fever. And I reveled in the humor and sheer fun of it all.

Despite the publishing industry’s desire to replicate Bridget Jones, I am not suggesting that the books I devoured were cookie-cutter copies. I have found great diversity in voice, style and quality among chick lit authors–just as with any literary form. In fact, the books I ended up loving the most did not have the young main characters in glamorous (or semi-glamorous) city jobs that are most often associated with the genre. I fell hardest for the sub-set of chick lit often called hen-lit, matron or mum lit, with its quirky characters and quaint village settings.

Living in the United States, I found it difficult to get my hands on all the hen lit I wanted. I could see book after neon-covered book popping up on the web-sites of UK booksellers, but not making it to the States to be published. I ordered titles online and organized visits to book shops on trips to Canada. I still remember the satisfyingly heavy weight of the two large book bags I lugged out of the World’s Biggest Bookstore in Toronto a few years ago.

When TOL (The Other Lisa) suggested we write a book featuring a middle-aged woman living in a small town who just happens to abscond with a big bag of drug money, I immediately envisioned the final copy in a glowing pink or purple cover–an American hen lit book ready to rub shoulders and share a glass of wine with my British favorites, such as Hens Dancing by Raffaella Barker, The Only Boy For Me by Gil McNeil and Every Woman For Herself by Trisha Ashley. I hope our book, Worth Lying For, gives its readers the hours of entertainment and genuine laughter these books have given me.

So let’s review the Blog Hop Contest instructions: Look in the post above for the italicized word (hint, it’s hyphenated), then follow this link to the LIST of blog posts of the other contributing authors. Collect all 34 secret words and submit them to CLABlogHop@aol.com  by Sunday, May 20 to be eligible to win the Grand Prize $150 Sephora gift card. Happy chick-litting & good luck!

• Contests open to residents of the United States only.

Red Hot Indie Chicks Host Lisa Cheney and Lisa Craig

Find us today guest blogging for fabulous author Sibel Hodge!

Is Chick Lit worth lying for?

And have all your questions about the Lisas answered as another fab author, Melanie surani, interviews us in her blog.

Worth Lying For: A Novel

It’s official, Worth Lying For is now on sale. Check it out and please spread the word!

Did you know? Reviews are love letters to your favorite author. We print them out and put them under our pillows at night. Even the ‘Dear John’ ones. Writers are a lonely bunch. 😉