Love, Friendship, & Backstabbing.

Love, Friendship, & Backstabbing.

By Lisa Daily

Love & Friendship:

Have you ever had your life get so crazy that it feels like you're struggling to breathe?

It's been a little crazy around my house lately.  Really crazy, in fact.

My fellow tarts, being the wonderful women they are, have graciously allowed me to give up my spot on the blog, so that I can focus more of my brain cells on the round-the-clock chaos at my house.

For this, I am grateful.

I am also grateful for the opportunity to blog here at the Lipstick Chronicles --I've had a fabulous time with all of you, and I will miss you very much.  I've never seen such a fantastic group of backbloggers anywhere.

I am also truly honored that you, the Tarts, asked me to blog with you in the first place.  You are wonderful, prolific, gifted writers -- and I am so thankful to know you all.

And in that spirit of friendship, love and kindness, I am going to use my very last post as a Regular Tart to introduce my very good friend Eileen Cook, who has a smart, funny book coming out this week. 

Eileen Cook and I met Sarah on the very same day.  Eileen & I were camped out on a hotel lobby couch after wandering around the RWA conference in San Francisco.  I was disappointed, because the one author I was dying to meet wasn't at her signing table.

I took a book anyway.  (As you all know, Tart books make lovely gifts.)

Ten minutes later, Sarah Strohmeyer plops down on the couch next to me, ticked off about being late to her signing.  (She'd been blogging.)  Eileen and I sympathized, and the three of us begin to joke around.

Sarah looks at the coffee table, points to The Sleeping Beauty Proposal and says, "Hey, that's my book."

I say something witty like, "Ohmigod.  You're the one author I was dying to meet."

The three of us gab for an hour or two, discover a mutual obsession with the movie Idiocracy, and Sarah tells us a story about the time Bill Clinton attempted to make a move.

It's always great when authors turn out to be as cool and interesting as their books.

Anyway, it felt like a full-circle kind of moment that this was my last official blog, and that Eileen has a YA book coming out this week called Getting Revenge on Lauren Wood.

Popularity is the best revenge.
In the final weeks of eighth grade, Lauren Wood made a choice. She betrayed her best friend, Helen, in a manner so publicly humiliating that Helen had to move to a new town just to save face. Ditching Helen was worth it, though, because Lauren started high school as one of the It Girls--and now, at the start of her senior year, she's the cheerleading captain, the quarterback's girlfriend, and the undisputed queen bee. Lauren has everything she's ever wanted, and she has forgotten all about her ex-best friend.

But Helen could never forget Lauren. After three years of obsessing, she's moving back to her old town. She has a new name and a new look, but she hasn't dropped her old grudges. She has a detailed plan to bring down her former BFF by taking away everything that's ever been important to Lauren—starting with her boyfriend.

Lisa:  Have you ever sought revenge like a character in the book?

Eileen:

Obviously, due to legal implications there is no way I’m going to admit to anything.  If you crossed me earlier in life and now that you’ve read the book you’re wondering if what happened with your favorite pair of jeans maybe wasn’t an accident… well, I can neither confirm nor deny anything.

What should be clear is that people shouldn’t mess with us writer types. We’re a lethal combination of overly sensitive and creative. Our imaginations are capable of creating entire new worlds, people, and futures. Coming up with a way to mess someone up is practically easy. Luckily, we’re typically satisfied to have those that cross us have their brains sucked out of their nostrils by hungry zombies on the page and don’t need to take our revenge into the real world.

I actually prefer fictional revenge. You’re highly unlikely to get jail time for fiction. Plus, it can be really hard to find a hungry zombie when you need one. They’re highly unreliable. For me, writing has always been a cathartic way to deal with strong emotions: anger, passion, despair. There’s a release that comes with letting those thoughts that we normally keep locked down, tucked away from public viewing, out for some free time. On the page, unlike life you want to constantly increase conflict. You push your characters to the breaking point to show that even what seemed imaginable can be survived.

Writing allows us to put old demons to bed. (I like to picture them in footie jammies) We’re able to play things out on the page and let them go. Writers don’t need to live in the past, because we can live in any world we can imagine.  And we can imagine better than just about anyone.

Lisa:  Did you get to keep that custom made "not a Barbie doll" on the cover of your book?

Eileen:

Tragically, no.  The doll currently resides on a shelf in my editor's office.  Interesting trivia: the doll came with lace thong panties.  This makes me suspect publishing companies are not the typical buyers of custom dolls.

Lisa:  Do you think Sarah would be perfectly justified in exacting some sort of revenge on a certain ex-President?

Eileen:

Well, she should definitely write him into her next book.  And maybe make him bald. Fictional revenge really is the best.  You can go so much larger, or imply smaller, as the case may be.

Lisa:  Thanks for being here today, and best of luck with your terrific book.

Eileen:

Thanks for having me!

Getting Revenge on Lauren Wood is in bookstores Tuesday, Jan 5.

Comments

[William Simon]

Lisa, you made me laugh out loud pre-coffee! And that, as anyone will tell you, is an achievement!

Take care, and stop by once in a while..:) We'll all be keeping a good thought for you and yours, that things settle down, or at least slow down, a little....:)

[Kathy Sweeney]

Lisa - please don't be a stranger here! We'll miss your blogs but hope to see you in the comments! And when you have time and want to write a blog - please let us know.

Thanks for introducing us to a great new author - welcome Eileen and all the best with your new book.

Meahwhile, this is perhaps the worst morning of the year for anyone still on a school calendar. ARRGGHHH.

[Lisa Daily]

Hi William,

Thanks so much :-)

You all have been fantastic!

XO,

Lisa

[Lisa Daily]

Kathy,

Absolutely -- I couldn't give you guys up completely.

:-)

Thanks for everything and hugs to Hank -- she's fantastic :-)

XO,

Lisa

[Holly Gault]

Thanks Lisa. We don't want you to disappear, please come back frequently.
I know Eileen from the Cherries, Jenny Crusie's fan group -- I think. So hard to remember.

Have we ever heard Sarah's story of getting hit on by BC? I don't remember it.

[Harley]

Eileen, that image of demons in footie pajamas is one I am adopting forever.And I wonder -- am I too old for your book? Because I want it.

Lisa, my Alternate Monday sister, I will miss you. But you're doing the right thing. And you're in no danger of becoming a stranger.

[Tom]

Come back often, Lisa. Best wishes with the homefront. It can be exhausting.

As for The Former Prez . . . I mean, really, people, cut the guy some slack. He's only human and, jeez, we're talkin' Sarah. Empires have fallen, or so I've been told . . .

Happy Monday (unless you have other plans).

[Alan P.]

One of the things being a long time Elaine fan has taught me is not to piss off a mystery writer. You will end up dead (at least in fiction). I told someone about the "small dicked pedophile" http://www.brendan-nyhan.com/blog/2006/12/michael_crichto.html and what happens when you piss off writers.

Lisa, I enjoyed 15 minutes of shame and hope you will be able to drop a post from time to time.

[judy merrill larsen]

Good luck, Lisa. I'll join the others in saying we'll miss you!

[Karen in Ohio]

Lisa, we'll miss you! Lauren, your book sounds delish. I wish there had been great books like this when I was a kid, but alas, Nancy Drew and Beany Malone were about it, and they couldn't have said or done anything racy if their lives had depended on it.

Hijack:

The Bloggies awards voting is open:

http://2010.bloggies.com/

Just sayin'.

[Karen in Ohio]

Oh, crud. Not Lauren; I meant Eileen.

More coffee, please!

[Sarah]

Ah, you guys are just what I need on a Monday morning (still on deadline.) Yeah, that BC story's a good one. I'm sure I've told it - if not, lemme know and I'll share it tomorrow.

Lisa, you're not going anywhere. You've always got friends here and you've injected so much life into this blog. Thanks!

As for Eileen - this woman's a hoot! Funny, smart, insightful, knowledgeable. Can't wait to read her not-a-Barbie-on-the-cover book.

Revenge. Sweet, sweet revenge.

Eileen - I may be hitting you up for a blurb so watch out.

[William Simon]

A former Politician "making a move" on Sarah simply demonstrates the man's impeccable taste in women..:) Her rejection, of course, shows HER impeccable taste in men...:)

Make him bald? (shrug) Okay, in fiction at least, he'll have a little Class and Style...:)

[Laura (in PA)]

Hmmm. I commented on a whole nother blog this morning. Perhaps in my desire to avoid coming back to work, I entered some parallel universe.

Anyway, great (and funny) blog, Lisa. We'll miss you.

[Karen in Ohio]

Apropos of our diet talk yesterday, Grist.org has this chilling article on the awful things done to fast food beef patties today. Read this, and you'll never want to stop for a quick hamburger again:

http://www.grist.org/article/2009-12-31-meat-wagon-ammonia-burger/

[Laura (in PA)]

I'm not a fan of fast food, thank God.

And Eileen, that not-a-Barbie cover totally rocks.

[Lisa Daily]

Thanks Sarah,

I'll definitely be back :-)

Laura, everybody -- that means a lot to me, thanks :-)

XO,

Lisa

[nancy martin]

Wasn't Shelley Winter some diabolical character in a movie Come Back, Little Sheba? I've got her voice stuck in my head when I say, "Come back soon, Lisa!"

[Eileen Cook]

I believe one is never too old for a good tale of revenge and bitchery.

Lisa- I am honored you would take me on as your last post. I suspect you will be missed greatly because you are both charming, witty and you have your own margarita machine.

Sarah- you can totally hit me up for a blurb anytime because I think you rock. I've pretty much spun our one time meeting into making it sound like we're total BFF's.

[Elaine Viets]

Eileen, your book sounds fascinating -- and we never get out of high school, no matter how old we are. Can't wait to read it.
Lisa, we will miss you. As Kathy said, please don't be a stranger.

[Lisa Daily]

Harley,my Alt. Monday sister, I'll miss you too. :-)

Thanks Nancy & Elaine --XO, XO

Eileen, aww you're sweet. You get first pour on the next batch.

Lisa

[Maryann Miller]

Thanks for the intro to a new author - for me - and a book that sounds delightful. I love YA fiction and this one should be great.

Good luck with all that you have going on with your life and your writing, Lisa. I look forward to the occasional guest post to hear how things are going.

[Hank Phillippi Ryan]

Hey Lisa! If I say how intimidating (and flattering ) it is to be asked to fill your shoes here,I know us well enough to predict that'll just get us off on same tangent talking about shoes.

I remember when WE first met--we shared a couple of panels on TV at RT--and I felt as if I had known you for years. I've been a fan of yours ever since, both in bookstores and here at the blog. You've been amazing as the other half of Harley! And I will think of you every Monday. Do keep us posted on what's new and wonderful in your life.

(Now hey, sister, when are you going to come over and tell me the secret passwords and stuff?)

[Laraine]

Breathe, Lisa, breathe. Sorry to hear of the chaos and consequences thereof, but I hope that your decisions (such as, sadly, leaving TLC Tart responsibilities) will all result in the restoration of peace, tranquility and order, especially for your peace of mind and focus! Will miss reading your clever work here, but I join the others in hoping you'll come around periodically. So, welcome to Hank. Also, like others, I love the not-a-Barbie cover on Eileen's new book.

[Wholesale Handbags]

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