My Friend Lisa

I have a friend named Lisa.

She is "wicked smaht" (that's how we say it in Boston) and is a Dr. of neuroscience.

She is also very down to earth and is just like many of us multi-tasking moms.

I also nanny for this friend Lisa's children.

This friend Lisa, happens to be a famous author. She has been launched into mega stardom in the past 2 years from her first book, Still Alice.

Lisa's second book, Left Neglected was released on Tuesday. It has already created so much buzz that it should hit the NYTimes best seller list by next week. Lisa's website for the book and her calendar of events is located here and she has started a blog to write about her book tour that will bring her around the country and to Australia (in May!).

The book is phenomenal! What was really cool, was watching her craft it along the way and having her print me out a chapter as she finished one. We were whooping and hollering when these two quotes came in one day this fall.....

"The journey Lisa Genova takes us on in LEFT NEGLECTED is a personal one, for any woman who's ever had to make a business call while driving to day care, or who finishes a full day's work at a high-powered job only to start the second shift as a mom: sometimes, we literally need a shock to the system to remember what matters the most in life. Remember how you couldn't put down STILL ALICE? Well, clear your schedule - because you're going to feel the same way."

--Jodi Picoult, NYT bestselling author of HOUSE RULES and SING YOU HOME

“Lisa Genova is the Michael Crichton of brain science. What she proved with STILL ALICE, she proves again with LEFT NEGLECTED. This is huge, powerful human drama at its elegant best."

--Jacquelyn Mitchard, author of The Deep End of the Ocean

Right? Who gets quotes from Jodi Picoult and compared to Michael Crichton?! Yup, my friend Lisa, that's who.

She has graciously given me two audio books to give away. I'll even have her sign them for you. All you have to do to enter is comment here by the end of the day Thursday, January 13th. You can get an extra entry if you "follow" her book tour blog, just leave me another comment saying that you did! 

For you Boston followers, Lisa will be at Barnes and Noble in Framingham tonight at 7 and at Borders (Boyalston ST) tomorrow at 2. Oh, did I tell you that if you walk into any Borders for the month of January, you will bump right into Lisa's book because it is the BOOK OF THE MONTH! 

Cheese! We Have a Winner!

Thanks all for playing in my giveaway of Chris Seufert's book:


I love how you really thought of what you would want to see when if and when you come to Cape Cod. Maybe I should send your answers to the Tourism Board. I am sure they would put me on large posters, since many of you wanted to see me :)

I did the random generator thingy (it was pretty cool) and the number 40 was chosen! All in all, I was pretty psyched to see 40 comments under one post! CJ snuck in right before the midnight hour with his comment:

I would want to see a lighthouse as I'm standing with my feet in the Atlantic ocean. Thanks for the chance to win such a beautiful book.

Chris' book is available at Amazon if you want to see some of his beautiful photographs!
Thank-you all for playing!!!!

Say Cheese! It's a Giveaway!

So my friend Chris

is officially published!!

He is a fabulous photographer and has snapped many pictures all over Cape Cod and Nantucket and Martha's Vineyard. There are pictures from the early morning, the middle of the night, middle of the day and from an airplane. The photos in this book encompass the feeling and beauty of Cape Cod.

And because Chris is a great guy, he has given me one of his books (signed!) to giveaway!!!

Just leave me a comment on this post finishing this sentence...

If I came to Cape Cod, I definitely would want to see ___________________.

I will use the handy random number generator thing to pick a winner, therefore I am not judging your answers, just wanted to make you think a little. You have till next Wed the 14th!!

Got Vacation?

It's the dog days of summer or maybe those are at the end of July? Either way, it's hot.

People have flooded to Cape Cod for their annual summer vacations. The beaches are crowded, the drinks are flowing and every few feet you see a cute sundress. I know why people come here. It is a beautiful place. There are beaches, golf courses, fine dining, seafood, ice-cream, fun shops and great places to stay. The people that live here year round do indeed enjoy those things too, but we are not on vacation. There is still laundry to be done, camps, carting kids to playdates, cleaning the house, making dinner, work, you get the picture. Every summer I like to leave for a few days here and there and visit my favorite state of Maine. More about that next week.

Anyway, I am in the vacation giving mood, so I thought my first GIVEAWAY was in order!

What do you have to do? Just leave a comment on this post by Sun. July 20 at 6 pm EST about your favorite place to vacation. It doesn't have to be a summer vacation place, it can be for anytime, anywhere.

What does the winner get? I will have 3 winners. The first name drawn will be the grand prize, the second name drawn the medium prize and the third name drawn a little prize(something from the Chatham Candy Manor). Let me assure you that they will be cool, not tacky things from Cape Cod that I like. Of course I have good taste. Yeah, you'll just have to trust me on that one.

OK, I am excited and I hope you are too! This gives me an excuse to go downtown and go shopping! B and K just informed me that they are going to help me pick out the prizes. Don't worry, I will steer them away from the squirt guns and tacky magnets.

Let's hear about your favorite vacation spots now!