DRIVING SIDEWAYS by Jess Riley

WINNER ANNOUNCED!

Congratulations to:

DOMESTICATED GAL!

Please contact me with your name and mailing address so you can receive your copy of

Driving Sideways!

But, readers, don't despair!

Jess was thrilled with the interest in her book and sent me this note:

For anyone who doesn't win (but picks up a copy of Driving Sideways anyway), I would love to send them a signed bookplate. Just drop me a line at jess(at)jessriley.com!

See, I told you Jess was AWESOME!

Book: Driving Sideways

Author: Jess Riley

Winner: DOMESTICATED GAL
Website: Jess Riley

Full disclosure: Jess is a real live friend of mine, but I met her because of books and the love I have for books. She completely ROCKS, and I just love her to death. We live in different states, but if we didn't, I would spend as much time with her as I could. I've written about the times we have had together on my blog a TON. I just did a search and she's EVERYWHERE.

If you have some time on your hands and you follow the link above, you will not only find stories about Jess Riley, but I know many of you came here via Jen Lancaster (and thank you so much for doing so), and there are posts about nights out with Jen there too on that link, and other fun authors who will be featured here this month, including Eileen Cook and Jenny Gardiner.

(Seriously, it's Friday, if you're at work and have nothing to do, spend some time scrolling through that WHOLE link above -- you'll find out a ton about Jess, and some more great authors, including some night-time fun with Jen Lancaster and photos too! Plus there are cute pics of my kids from when they were younger and cuter!)

But Jess is a dear, dear friend, talented author and you'll definitely want to check her out! My kids love her, Mr. Manic loves her. You would love her too. She's AWE-FRICK-en-SOME. And a hilariously heart-felt incredible writer too. And we're crossing fingers she may have some fun book news soon for her fans!

I read Driving Sideways a couple of years ago, so I'm giving you my review that I wrote on Amazon right after I read it. It's about a girl with kidney disease who goes on a roadtrip in search of ... well, that's where I'll stop, because you've got to find out what she's looking for, right? Anyway, here's what I put on Amazon:

I finished Driving Sideways today, and when I got to the last line, I felt like there was a lesson learned and that there was a bit of hope passed along to all those who suffer from PKD, a disease I did not know much about. The main character, Leigh, was never "Oh woe is me" and "I feel so sorry for myself, I should just lie in bed and wait to die."

NO! She had received a beautiful gift by being the recipient of an organ donor, and was going to now live life to its fullest, and that she did.

Through Leigh's physical, emotional, spiritual, and literal (road-trip) journey, the reader meets a cast of characters that will have you laughing as well as wondering throughout the book what is going to happen--all the way till the very end. And I even found myself crying on page 311, feeling for what Leigh has just been through, and wanting more for her, but feeling she would be OK.

I came away extremely satisfied, and with a sense of peace really when I finished reading. I closed the book and sat for a moment, just being with Leigh, wondering where her life would take her next, for surely, there are still some great things ahead for her, a woman who shares a spirit that illuninates when faced with such adversity in life.

I truly hope this book brings awareness to those unaware of this terrible disease and I'm grateful to Jess Riley for bringing it to the forefront, while also bringing us a heartwarming beautiful tale of a woman whose hopefulness shines through and through.

Since I have read Driving Sideways, I have met a very close friend who gave her 14-year-old son her kidney and I look at her every day and think WOW, YOU GAVE YOUR SON YOUR KIDNEY! Not that that has anything to do with Jess's awesome book, but well, it kind of does because I think about what my friend did for her son, and I think about Jess's book, and the two are connected. It's an amazing gift, organ donation. Go sign the back of your driver's license. Oh, and speaking of driver's licenses, here's a funny story about when I got my license when we moved from Chicago to Scottsdale just nine months ago ... about how I lied on my driver's license. It's pretty funny.

* * * *

You're figuring out how this is working now huh? I'm loving your creative comments and am reading them ALL! Keep commenting, and all those who do will qualify to win Driving Sideways! I’ll draw the winner on March 6 (always TWO days after I post the daily book, unless it’s a weekend, I may allow for more time), and I will post the winner’s name at the TOP of this post, in the highlighted area.

Come back and read about each book every day in March. Choose the books you'd like to win. Enter for any or ALL the books. Each entry will count as an entry toward the grand prize of winning ALL 31+ books at the end of the month. You can win the book of the day and still qualify to win ALL the books at the end of the month!

PLEASE be specific with your name in the comment section, and IF YOUR NAME is listed as the winner, you must email me at stephanieelliot@gmail.com in order to claim your prize. Email me with your full name and address so I can have your book(s) sent to you.

Thanks, and GOOD LUCK! And come back tomorrow to see what book I’ll be giving away then too!

It’s MaNiC MoMMy’s March Madness Book-A-Day Giveaway! Read ALL the Rules and Details Here!

Sorry, only U.S. and Canadian residents only!

ALL THE LONELY PEOPLE by Jess Riley

 

All the Lonely People
By Jess Riley

Jess Riley is a real life friend of mine and she's got a new book out just in time for the holidays, and let me tell you, if you're looking for a last-minute holiday gift, THIS IS a great book to buy. Here is my personal amazon 5-star review of ALL THE LONELY PEOPLE: 

If you have a family and have EVER celebrated a holiday, ALL THE LONELY PEOPLE is a must-read! (So that means EVERYONE, right!) Who here does not have a semi-dysfunctional or completely dysfunctional family? I loved this book for so many reasons, especially because I could identify with the characters. Having a less-than-perfect family - not wanting to spend time with them, yet loving them just the same. My heart broke for Jaime's struggle with infertility, as well as her need to find the perfect family.

What you will find when you read ALL THE LONELY PEOPLE is that you're only as lonely as you choose to be. If you surround yourself with caring people, it doesn't matter if you're related by blood or by common interests, (even if that happens to be common loneliness!) as long as you enjoy who you're with (and don't answer ads from psychos!).

Jess Riley won me over with her Target breakout debut Driving Sideways. She's done it again with this charming, "heart-hilarious-warming" book that will have you laughing and possibly even tearing up a bit. Maybe, just maybe, you'll want to call up your family to apologize for some of the rotten things you've said or done over the years. 

Here's the back-of-the-book blurb:

"WANTED: a whole new family to share holidays with. Please have a good heart and be a thoughtful, polite person. No sociopaths, no pedophiles, no fans of the Kardashians. We're not weirdos, I promise. I love old Steve Martin movies, new Steve Martin banjo tunes, Indian food, and reruns of Bob Ross painting happy little trees. So if you're looking for something other than the typical family dysfunction this Christmas, drop us a line." After losing her beloved mother to cancer, 37-year-old Jaime Collins must confront the ugly fact that she and her siblings don't actually like one another. At all. Fueled by grief and an epic argument at Thanksgiving dinner, Jaime decides to 'divorce' her siblings and posts an ad on Craigslist for a new family for Christmas. What happens next is a heartwarming, funny, and surprising journey to forgiveness and healing. Is blood really thicker than water? And how far do we have to go to find our way back home again? Dedicated to anyone who has ever wanted to unfriend a relative on Facebook, ALL THE LONELY PEOPLE is about family: those you make ... and those you make peace with. 

If you'd like to win a copy of ALL THE LONELY PEOPLE (your choice — paperback or e-reader version), leave a comment on a funny holiday story. I remember the time my sister almost knocked my mom in the head with the turkey leg at Thanksgiving — yes, we too, are a dysfunctional family!

To double your chances at winning ALL THE LONELY PEOPLE, check out Chick Lit Central's post about Jess' book here: http://www.chicklitcentral.com/2012/12/jess-riley-knows-how-to-light-up-room.html

NEW TO BOOKING WITH MANIC?  

If you're new to Booking with Manic, thank you for stopping by! We love new readers! Some notes - If you're entering to win a book, please use an identifying name and it's usually a great idea to include an email, which I will never give out to anyone else. You can only enter once please. You'll need to check back here in about a week or so to see if you've won the book -- I will highlight the winner's name at the top of this post, or tell you where you can find the winner's name at the top of this post. Most books are supplied directly through publishers, publicists and the authors. Winners will receive books directly from the publisher or author within 3 weeks from the time you provide me with your address, unless I send you the book (sometimes I will). Sorry, but we can only ship to U.S. and Canada so if you're from another country, thank you for coming by to read and discover new authors, but we can't send you a book. Any questions on how I run the blog or suggestions on who you would like to see featured, please email me at stephanieelliot@gmail.com. Thank you for your support!

Jess Riley Sleeps Over!

So this is gonna be a quickie because we’re heading off to our 105th graduation party of the season, and don’t get me wrong, I love me a graduation party! I do! It’s fun to look at all the taut and lean 18-year-olds who know more than they’ll ever know in their lives, and to wonder how in the hell those girls get away with wearing those outfits, and do their mothers know they go out to parties without panties on? So much fun!

Wednesday was great! Except for starters when Jess and I headed downtown with plans to arrive early to meet her brother and have a leisurely dinner prior to her reading. Because, stupid me, as I mentioned, am geographically a dumbass, and well, I took the wrong way, but helloooo! I was following a sign that said CHICAGO!

It should have been a sign that said “TAKE THIS LONGER AND MORE TRAFFIC-CONGESTED WAY TO CHICAGO.”

It took us one hour and forty-five minutes to get to our destination, which left us with exactly 18 minutes before Jess’s reading was to start.



And yeah, about twenty minutes before we arrived, my Low Fuel Light went on.

See:



But I told Jess that was all part of my devious plan to make sure to get her mind off track of her nerves about reading. It was all part of a plan I tell you! And actually, it was all Swishy’s fault because had she joined us, she could have driven us there safely while I backseat-drove like I did when we drove through tornadoes to get to Jess’s book launch party back in June. Damn her. All Swishy’s fault!

We finally get there, and of course, I have to pee. When I get out of the bathroom, there’s Stacey Ballis, and Jen Lancaster and it’s like a fun author party! Kristabella arrives with her very fun and animated friend Jessica, who tells a great “vomit-in-your-own-hand-while-driving” story. I was quite bummed not to be able to share my “vomit-on-the-hotel-wall-and-see-the-lady-cleaning-it-the-next-day-on-our-way-out” story, but anyway … (It’s in the archives, I think … September of 2005 or 2006).

And The Book Cellar is a great place—they have wine and cheese, so we order wine and cheese and hummus plates and hang out and listen to some really interesting local authors read from their books, and while they were all great, of course, they saved the best for last ... Ms. Jess Riley!

And she ROCKED!

She read from her NEXT novel, which I am ENTHRALLED with right now and so excited to be getting a sneak peek of the whole shebang! Let’s just say it’s an awesome love story IN JAIL with characters so real you cannot believe it. I don’t even know how to put into words how amazing it is. ALREADY. SO AMAZING. If it were a pre-order on AMAZON, I’d tell you to order it now, but Jess is very modest and hasn’t even shared it with her agent yet. Note to Jess: GET THIS BOOK OUT INTO THE WORLD ALREADY!

Wonder what Jess would do if I auctioned off a copy here on Manic Mommy … KIDDING JESS! I wouldn’t do that!

So, after the reading, we’re all sitting around drinking more wine and scrounging the leftovers from Jess’s grilled cheese plate. Stacey begins to talk about her people, and I’m thinking these are people she works with or a club she belongs to and I ask, “Your people? You have people? Who are your people? I want people!”

Everyone looks at me like I’ve got four eyeballs and six nostrils …

“The Jews,” she said.

Oh! I want ME some people too!

I guess growing up Catholic and then turning Lutheran didn’t afford me any people. That bummed me out a little bit.

Then we decide that splitting the last half of Jess’s uneaten, congealed and cold grilled cheese in thirds was not going to cut it as dinner so we decide to go to Fiddleheads, but I kept calling it Fiddlebutts; I don’t know why, but it just sounded better.

But before we head out, two really cute tall blond girls come in and are talking with Jen Lancaster, and it turns out their names are Katie and Lindsay Austin, and they claim to be crazy author stalker chicks, and I immediately feel a kindred love for them because I TOO AM A CRAZY AUTHOR STALKER CHICK (Just ask Jennifer Weiner, Emily Giffin, Julie Buxbaum, Stephanie Klein, Jen Lancaster, Stacey Ballis … the list, well, it continues).

(See: Cute Stalker Girls!)


So, Jen is as gracious and kind as you think she is in all of her books and she invites the girls to come with us and so the whole crew, including Jess’s poor brother (not poor in the sense of monetary poor, but poor because he’s surrounded by all these women who are gabbing like they’ve never chatted with other women before poor) … anyway, we all head out for dinner, and we have a great time talking about Spanish cheese, French cheese, and how I never ate an olive but I took one for the team for Jen, but I still don’t like ‘em, and we talk about fruitcakes from Steve Carral’s dad, and mini-frogs that find their way onto necks, and littleneck clams which I thought were really clams that had little necks but Stacey clarified to me that Little Neck was maybe a location?

Good times, these author events, I tell you!

Good times.


So then, it was time to go and we’re outside and I’m bidding farewells to KB who heads in one direction and then say goodbye to Jen and Stacey and everyone looks at me like I’m insane and they remind me that I parked IN THE SAME LOT AS THEY DID.

Not only can I not find my way into the city of Chicago, I can also NOT find my way into the lot where I parked my car after two glasses of wine which, to be noted, I had drunk three hours prior.

I beg Jess’s brother to let me take him home cuz he’s adorable I know he’ll be able to get me headed in the right direction home, and also he’ll be able to find me a gas station since I’m still on E.

This conversation ensues on our way to find a gas station:

Jess: "I remember when I was dating Beave and he was on E …"

Jess’s brother, clearly shocked & freaked out at this news: "He was on E! How’d he get E in Campbell’s Port?!?!"

Jess and I both BUST OUT LAUGHING because NO we are not talking DRUGS … we are talking her boyfriend from Campbell’s Port was on E as in EMPTY. NO GAS in the car E!
EMPTY!

Jess: "And we would rummage through the seats in the car to find change to pay for our gas."

Yes folks, we were talking about paying for the price of a gallon of gas, and not how to score hard-core, mind-altering drugs!

And then Jess makes a comment about my boobs looking big and her brother has to confirm the comment and I’m like, “OK, am I in the car with MY OWN FREAKING SIBLINGS OR WHAT?”

And I absolutely love it! (The fact that my boobs look big, and also that I love Jess and her bro so much they feel like siblings to me!)

After filling up the tank and paying $148 for gas, we get Jess’s brother home safely and we then find our way back to my safe suburban bubble.

The next morning, we decide I’m gonna play Jess’s publicist and we call a couple Barnes & Nobles and I let them know that I have Jess Riley with me and we’re making some stops at the local bookstores and Jess would love to come in and sign their copies of Driving Sideways. One store employee proudly told us that they’ve sold a couple this week and had to order more but to please come in and sign the ones they still had. I loved being Jess’s PR gal and wish we had all day long to do this. The kiddies had fun too! See:



Anyway, this, in a nutshell was a recap of yet another great Authorpalooza! Check out the fabulous reads from Jen Lancaster, Stacey Ballis and Jess Riley, and maybe Manic Mommy someday!

Peace Up and thanks for reading! A special thanks to those of you who came by from Jennsylvania too! Oh, and big news for later this weekend -- tomorrow I hunt down my dream man ... yes, I will be at the American Idol tour and in search of Michael Johns! I just envision him singing on stage, and looking directly into MY eyes:

If I can't have you, I don't want nobody baby!

Quite the "Spry" Evening

Don't mean to leave you hanging, but well, I don't even know if famed author of the upcoming novel, Driving Sideways, Jess Riley, is still alive!??!!? Quite possibly we may have the makings of the sequel to Misery??

Here's an abbreviated update, or check in with Swishy, as she's got more of the scoop anyway.

Some highlights to the evening:

Started out with Swish getting lost to my place, then other awesome surprise guest arriving, none other than, well, I already told you up there, didn't I? JESS RILEY! And gosh, I do hope she's alive! Jess?!?!?! Please, be alive!

The last time the three of us were together, this is what happened.

So, we had some wine and cheese and crackers at my place cuz THAT'S HOW I ROLL!

Then we all did that sorority sister thing trying to find outfits to wear and I ended up with shoes I wasn’t happy with but then I was happy cuz at the bar, a girl came up to me and said, “Hey, I like those shoes!” That’s like such a good karma thing. They are like cloggy leopardy, zebra-y, tiger shoes, and really, I shouldn’t have been wearing them out, but once I got the ‘shoe compliment’ I was OK with it.

Previous to going to the bar, we all had agreed we wanted to see this FABULOUS movie, so we did:


And I was bawling, and Jess was rubbing my shoulder during it making sure I was OK. How sweet was that!

Then we went to dinner and had our drinks. Can you guess which one is mine?

And that's when the moral dilemmas we had to contend with entered into the evening, and went straight out the window. We had to ask ourselves at that point, WWJD when the conversation turned to girl-on-girl lap dances... we decided good old Jesus had left the building and Lucifer was now at the party.

NOOOOOOOOOO! We didn't GET lap dances. We were JUST discussing them! Keep in mind, we are authors. THESE are things authors talk about! Well, officially, Jess is the only author to date, but Swish and I will be someday soon. If nothing else, we've got notebooks full of our times together!

This is a lipstick touch-up:


Next up, we went to see some band of doctor rockers. Yeah, we don't get it either. But we figured if they were a bunch of doctors pretending to be a bunch of rockers, we could be a bunch of writer / bloggers pretending to be a bunch of groupies so I guess it all makes sense.



They are called Ed whom Swish nicknamed Erectile Dysfunction and we threw Blue Little Pills up on stage at them (and sorry Swish if I stole your joke, cuz I do have to give that one to Swish, cuz that's hers... she coined that one)... so, that wasn't all that great. I mean, it was, because we were like the YOUNGEST people in the WHOLE place, but we were also the only NON surgically enhanced people in that place, so we could only determine the doctors were plastic surgeons! Then we met up with fellow blogger Kristabella who reminds me of me, so obviously, she is very cool and fun and nice to be around, and her pal Darcie, who just happens to be a new neighbor of mine, and a teacher, who fortunately for her she will not have to ever teach the Manic kids!

And then, because I have this effect on men when Swishy is in town, the sparks flew. I don’t know what it is about me, but I emit this sort of elixir that from whence it comes from me, it attracts men to Swishy!!! Because seriously, whenever Swishy is in town, I help her to meet men! I know! I am her Wingman! I am her Makeout Muse! It has nothing to do with the fact that she is beautiful and charming and fun and sincere and that she alone emits a beauty that draws men to her like bees to nectar!

But, I have to also stop here for a moment to let everyone know just how equally beautiful Jess Riley is. Unfortunately, for all the men in the world, both Jess and I are passionately, madly, irrevocably in love…

NO, FOLKS! NOT WITH EACH OTHER! Although I do find her attractive… I just mean we are both married! So, sadly, we are OFF THE MARKET!

So seriously, like within THREE minutes of walking into a new bar, after leaving erectile dysfunction--heh heh TOTAL PUN INTENDED--these CHARMING men come through and one of them speaks to Swish, and she does her cute giggle, hair flip, flirt thing that girls on the make do. Not that she’s on the make, mind you. It’s just that I don’t have any of those moves of course, so I watch, with envy.

Then they walk away, then they come back, and then we spend the whole night talking with these charming men who, would you believe are LAW STUDENTS FROM NEW YORK!!! What a score! And of all the women in the bar, they chose US to talk to all night long! And they were so charming and nice and kind, they even bought drinks. You do not find young men in bars these days willing to buy women--even women with large rocks on their hands--drinks in bars. But yes, these guys knew how to roll!

Two guys in particular were very fun and sweet, unlike their other friends, like one who was nicknamed Neanderthal Date-Rape Boy, who was just flat-out mean. I totally tried to get the him drawn into conversation because I like to engage people, and he seemed bored that his friends were paying my friends attention. I like to learn about the nuances of people. I like to learn what makes them tick. So, back to NDRB… I just wanted to know why he was so angry. I asked him, “Why are you so angry? What happened in your childhood to make you so angry?” He didn’t tell me. Instead, he flat out told me, “You’re a three. Definitely a three.”

So I asked him, “OK, so I’m a three at 10:00. Do you think I will be a 10 at 3:00?”

The dude didn’t even LAUGH AT THAT? What kind of person is that? How angry of a person is that?

Anyway, back to our fun boys, who I won’t name, because I know they may or may not have very high profile fathers, who may or may not be lawyers, who are definitely NOT doctors, who may or may not live in Burr Ridge, who may or may not be hockey players for De Paul U, who may or may not be “connected,” who may or may not like the number 44, who may or may not have ever had sex with a 40-year-old thong-wearer in Fort Lauderdale, who may or may not smoke Parliament cigarettes, who may or may not be “spry,” but who most definitely were very fun –Thanks to “F” and “J” for such a fun night—and even though we know you were not ‘completely’ honest with us all night long, we harbor no ill will. Because you know everyone tells a few white lies, right?

Boys, just promise us one thing—you’ll ask the girls your age to be honest when it comes to that topic we openly discussed, OK? Because, you all know for sure that they are LYING TO YOU TOO!

Oh, I forgot one of the most important parts… the night wasn’t a complete loss for me as I did get picked up by a hottie too… but since I’m married, I had to turn the poor guy down:

Sneak Peak at Jess Riley

A sneak peak at one of my BEST Writer Pals EVER HERE! Take a minute to read this great article about Jess Riley, her new book, and what it took her to get freaking published already! I met Jess when she first got her book deal, TWO FREAKING YEARS AGO, and her book is FINALLY coming out NEXT WEEK. What a long, strange trip it's been, but it's finally here, and I know Jess is in a corner somewhere sucking her thumb, scared to death, petting her adorable pup Daisy, shaking like a leaf, hoping the world loves her book, cuz she's just that kind of modest!

The world will LOVE her book!

And not to worry, I'll be giving away her book, Driving Sideways, the week of May 26.

And if you're a Target shopper (and who isn't?!?!!?), you'll be seeing her book there as a BREAK OUT NOVEL in June, all over their shelves! Check out Jess' hilarious blog at Riley's Rambling.

Love you Jess, and am SOOOO excited for you! And see, Tukey loves Jess too! He has excellent taste in women, and in literary selections!

MANDATORY RELEASE by Jess Riley

Mandatory Release

Jess Riley

I'm thrilled to have Jess Riley on the blog today with her amazing novel Mandatory Release. The novel takes place in prison, and the main character is a very interesting guy who spends his days strapped in a wheelchair. When his high school crush walks through the doors of the prison — NO, not as a new inmate! — as a teacher — he feels as life might not exactly be over.

Here is the book's synopsis:

"With appeal for fans of Jonathan Tropper, Tom Perrotta, and Laurie Notaro, this snarky mashup of Girls and Oz is so painfully honest you might think you're reading a memoir--except the author isn't a smartass guy in a wheelchair who works in a prison."  

Recently paralyzed in a car accident, thirty-year-old Graham Finch spends his days trying to rehabilitate a caseload of unruly inmates and his nights on one bad date after another, attempting to rehabilitate his heart-- 

--until his high school crush Drew Daniels walks through the prison gates one hot summer morning. On the run from a painful past that's nearly crushed her faith in love, Drew is a new teacher at Lakeside Correctional. Graham, smitten all over again, tries to redirect his unrequited feelings. But when your heart keeps looking back, it's not easy to turn it forward. 

Amidst escalating violence at work, Drew is forced to confront her secrets, find a way to forgive old sins, and learn how to listen to her heart and her head when it comes to men. Graham must also learn to make peace with his own past. Together they realize that if you're going to save yourself, sometimes the best way to do it is by saving someone else first. If only finding their way to one another was easier than working with convicted felons.

Loaded with twisted humor and pathos, Mandatory Release is a darkly comic look at friendship, forgiveness, and love. A story about broken people putting themselves back together. People who learn that no matter what you lock up--a person, a secret, or your heart--sooner or later, everything must be released. 

And Jess's THESE THREE THINGS:

1) Mandatory Release mainly focuses on relationships between the characters, but we do shine a light on where they work, since it helps shape the plot. Many of my inmate characters and anecdotes are based on "real" inmates I knew when I worked as a teaching assistant at a medium-security prison in college. I was mentored by an amazing teacher, and after I left, she sent me a Thank You card signed by many of the inmates I worked with. (Attached.) My husband removed last names from the scan to protect the not-so-innocent. :)  

2) It's true, my parents did meet in prison! My mother was a secretary at the time, my father a Unit Sergeant. This made dinner-time conversation VERY interesting in my youth. I still remember my Dad bringing home props he used when he gave staff trainings. One was a giant display suitcase, like the kind a traveling salesman might use, full of confiscated shanks and shivs! 

3) I've been working on this novel for fourteen years, though it's been through so many edits it only bears a ghost of a resemblance to the first draft. The original title was THE COOL SIDE OF THE PILLOW, and Graham wasn't even a character in it. Now he's the central protagonist in MANDATORY RELEASE, and one of my favorite characters to write, ever.

I love Jess and her books for many reasons -- she doesn't sugar-coat it. You don't read about cutesy-pie stuff and glitter and high heels. Don't get me wrong -- that's great when you're in the mood for glitter and lipstick and high heels. And it's not like her books are down-and-dirty, but yes, they are gritty and real. That's the way I like to describe them. The women are women. The men are men. Jess can write a male character to sound like a man. I love that about her. This book has depth and heart. You will laugh out loud, and you might even cry. You'll get to know Graham and his wheelchair. You'll delight in Drew and feel for her and what's she's been through. You'll even come to like the prisoners. In the end, you'll feel like you've spent some time in prison with some really nice people but didn't have to eat the slop that's served there.

So, if you'd like to win a copy of Mandatory Release, let's see… if you ever had to go to prison, what item would you most want to take with you? I'd have to say I would take my laptop! Tell me what you would take, and you could win a copy of Mandatory Release!

Check the previous post to see what else is coming your way this summer - I'm going to try to be a lot better about posting on the blog and getting fabulous books to you!  

New here?

If you're new to Booking with Manic, thank you for stopping by! We love new readers! Some notes - If you're entering to win a book, please leave a comment on this post and use an identifying name when commenting. It's usually a great idea to include an email, which I will never give out to anyone else. You can only enter once please. You'll need to check back here in a few days to see if you've won the book -- I will either list the winner in a new post OR highlight the winner's name at the top of this post, or tell you where you can find the winner's name at the top of this post. I do NOT personally contact the winners. It is YOUR responsibility to come back to see if you've won. Most books are supplied directly through publishers, publicists and the authors. Winners will receive books directly from the publisher or author within 3 weeks from the time you provide me with your address, unless I send you the book (sometimes I will). Sorry, but we can only ship to U.S. and Canada so if you're from another country, thank you for coming by to read and discover new authors, but we can't send you a book. Any questions on how I run the blog or suggestions on who you would like to see featured, please email me at stephanieelliot[at]gmail.com. Thank you for your support!

Road Trippin’ with Jess Riley

You know how taking a road trip can be so much fun? You pack your bags, grab a shitola-load of snacks, the best tunes E V E R, turn ‘em up sooo loud, and just hit the open road? Well, that’s what we’re talking about here on Manic Mommy today! Fun road trips! Cuz this week, my pal Jess Riley has her debut book out, Driving Sideways, and in honor of it FINALLY arriving, we’re giving away two copies! Currently, one of them is signed. Currently, one of them is NOT signed, but I shall rectify that situation, and NO, that does NOT mean I will plagiarize her name. I will get it signed FOR THE WINNER.

I’ve taken a few exciting road trips in my day. Like the one when I drove from NIU to Daytona Beach with my girlfriends in a bus with about 50 other drunk students freshman year of college, and I let a guy shave my legs in the back of the bus and then made out furiously with him. (Stever, where are YOU? I still have a thing for you, you hottie boy with the long hair who later in the semester LICKED MY EYEBALL—SO HOT!—and yeah, for the record, after he shaved my legs on the bus, WITH shaving cream, and AFTER we made out in the back of the bus, the bus made a pit stop, he got off the bus and yakked his brains out.)

So memorable.

But yeah, that one in particular comes to mind.

Or the next year’s trip, same destination, different bus, same crew of drunk co-eds headed to Daytona, and I was loaded BEFORE we get on the bus, because we girls thought it would be a riot to do shots and drink beers while we waited for the bus to arrive. So I’m throwing UP before the bus takes off for a 24-hour non-stop road trip (granted, come on, the bus was LATE!), and here I was already nicknamed “PUKER” by all the passengers, and called that the whole week. I guess it beats some of the other names they could have called me.

So, yeah.

The next year we decided NOT to take the bus to Daytona and instead drove down to Florida; six of us gals in a Jeepy sort of car. And yeah, we broke down on the way to Daytona, and yeah, I got a speeding ticket at 4 a.m. on the way home from Daytona.

Not fun. But boy, the memories will last ya a lifetime.

There are other more mature, grown-up road trips like the time when Mr. Manic and I drove with the three kids from Philadelphia to Tampa straight through 18 hours when Tukey was just four months old and we were on such a mission to get there, that when Tukey crapped his diaper, we wouldn’t even stop to change him. Instead, I’d whip him out of his car seat, fling him onto the top of the cooler, and change him right there as Mr. Manic sped down the highway. Looking back, because now that I’m in my late thirties mid-thirties, I find I am maturing nicely and can deal with “looking back” on perspective and can understand the stupid, idiotic, asinine things I used to do error of my ways. It’s all a part of maturing and growing up.

But road trips offer us a chance to do this. And Jess's book, Driving Sideways, takes a great look at a woman who has a second chance at life, literally, and she’s taking it by the balls I tell ya! She is grabbing her world by the kahonas and living it large and in charge and doing things she never thought she could!

And it all starts with a road trip!

So, if you want to read Jess’s awesome debut, and I know ya do, and if you want a chance to win a copy of it here, simply leave a comment with a story about a road trip you have taken. It can be an amusing story that will enlighten or make us laugh, or vomit, or spit out my Pool Boy (you know, that summertime concoction I love: champagne, cranberry and pineapple on ice with a slice of lime—because summer officially starts at the Manic house TOMORROW!). It can be a story that’ll make us pee our pants or crap in our capris it’s so funny. You choose. You tell it!

And Jess is choosing the winners so make it a good one! Good luck, and happy road tripping! I cannot wait to hear what you all come up with!

Peace UP!

Part II -- Wizard of OSH KOSH by GOSH!

Grab a double of whatever you're drinking. It's a long one. You've been warned:

When we last left our traveling trio, they had bid farewell to the Windy City.

At precisely 3:12 p.m.--


Little did they know they were moving straight into the scene from Wizard of Oz where they expected cows to swarm across the darkened cloud-encrusted sky on their way to Osh Kosh by Gosh to see Ms. Jess Riley for her debut book launch party.

This is the part of the weekend events that Mr. Manic had coined, "Aggressive."

What does a six-year-old do when his mother tells him for the 20th time that she doesn't think it's a good idea for him to go outside and play in the backyard because it's all muddy and it might rain?

Of course! The kid goes outside to play in the backyard where it's all muddy and it might rain.

Case in point with Mr. Manic beating the proverbial "dead-aggressive-plan" horse into the ground. No way in hell I was going to say, "You're right honey, it's too aggressive. We won't go." Unless of course I would have had the sense to check the weather and KNOWN they were doing a remake of The Wizard of Oz on 94W to Osh Kosh.

So, the traveling trio set off for Wisconsin on a three-hour tour. Snacks were packed (animal crackers, pretzels, Diet Coke, mini-twizzlers, M&Ms) and we were off.

The rain started immediately. Actually, no it didn't. The traffic started first. For about an hour. THEN the rain started immediately. But our spirits would not be wrecked! After all, we were warriors! We were on a Road Trip out to pay homage to our great friend Jess, who just happen to write an incredible book on the very same topic--A ROAD TRIP, oh and kidney disease, which, speaking of, we might actually have to check out Trish Ryan's kidneys cuz I think they're like the size of a medicine dropper. (Wait, do we have two or one kidney?)

Seriously, I thought I had a pee problem! We would be in the car and at first, she and I were on a united front. Swish is a camel by the way and can go weeks without urinating, so Trish and I were like, "OK, majority rules, when we have to pee, you have to stop." That was the plan, but then like every six and a half minutes, Trish had to go!

So, to get Trish off the pee trail, Swish and I would ask her to rate how badly she had to pee, and at times, I felt like a coy mother trying to coax her child into just hanging on for a few more exits...

"Trish! Tell me again how you and your husband met!"

"Show me some pictures from your book launch party, Trish!"

"Tell me again about how you dated a guy who decided he wanted to bat for the other team!"

"Let's search for out-of-state license plates!"

ANYTHING to get her mind off having to go pee!

I really don't understand how the urge came to her so much, what with all the rain pounding the car, swivelling us from one lane to another, causing us to hydroplane ever so gently now and then? But we were closing in on the land of imperilous and treacherous rainstorms with about six tornadoes thrown in there for good measure.

It's Raining!



It's Sunny!



We're So Happy it's Sunny!



One Side of the Street:



The Other Side of the Street:



Can You Spot the Rainbow?



We finally arrive! Jess is so excited to see us, as we are of her! And lo and behold, the MINUTE we park, all rain stops! It stops for the WHOLE time we are there with Jess. She has that effect on people. She is full of sunshine and cheerfulness!



Jess's adorable newphew and sister:


Surprise! We're Here! A half-hour earlier, I texted Jess and said, "We're not making it out of Chicago." Am I stealthy or what?







The party was great, although we missed the free booze reading and earlier festivities, it was still awesome to see Jess, and since we arrived so late, things were winding down and we did get to spend some one-on-three time with Jess!

And then, we were off, back into the car, and yes, THE SECOND we left Jess, the skies opened up, and greeted us with, "Hey, you idiots are back in the car! Let's throw some tornadoes your way! And while we're at it, we'll make the rain so stinking heavy, we'll get you lost and land you in Fond Du Lac, just for shits and grins!"

And so, they did. And we drove, and drove, and drove, and to keep things light, we decided to do some really Road Trippy things and played, "I'm going on a road trip and I'm bringing..."

Here's our list: avocado, bananas, condoms, dildo, ex-lax, highlighter, indigestion medication, jamba juice, kickball, looooootion, masterbation devices (plural), nailfile, opthalmologist's number, pantyliners, queen-comma-drag, razor, shaving cream, Trish Ryan, underwear, my vagina, a wheelchair, x-ray, yoga instructor and a Zenith TV. Those supplies will get us far on Survivor Island, ya think?

We finally find the highway, and as we're driving along, the tension is high. We're all a little stressed in our own little quiet worlds and I'm shoving Twizzler niblets down my throat like this might be the last food I'll ever eat, and do you know how hard it is to digest those things?

We come across a particularly iconic billboard, an anti-abortion one saying CHOOSE LIFE. I scream in the car, above the thunder and rainstorm: "I CHOOSE LIFE! PLEASE DEAR GOD, I CHOOSE LIFE TODAY!"



We just wanted to be back to where we didn't have to be so scared anymore. It sucked.

So, later, the rain kept coming, and the tension was high! I mean high. Consider this. Swish and I love each other. LOVE like probably without sounding too gay, if we were opposite sex or gay, we would be like soulmatey, that's how good we get along, BUT, also consider this. No matter how much you love someone, throw in a stressful, tension-induced car ride, some tornadoes, a long-freaking day, exhaustion, a terrible 'back-seat' driver sitting in the front passenger seat (ahem ... me), someone a decade older who thinks she's a know-it-all (ahem ... me again), when really it's the younger one who is way well more prepared to face what life throws at her and is so much more independent despite her young age, and well, then, there might be some, shall we say, conflict.

So yes, the first ever Swishy and Manic "not-quite-a-quarrel-or-disagreement-but-more-along-the-lines-of-if-I-could-throw-your-ass-outta-this-car-I-would" situation evolved. Her throwing ME out, not the other way around.

I could sense it. Because I'm good at sensing these things. Swishy started chewing her hair; I tried to make cheery small talk. Trish sat in the back seat probably wishing the eye of the tornado would sweep down and take us all from this misery.

But, we perservered, and got back to Chicago, in three pieces (one piece for each of us). And after we dropped Trish off, Swish and I communicated like we were normal adults, got everything squared away, and went to bed. This being 1:00 am.

The whole journey took 10 hours. Eight-and-a-half in the car with rain pelting. One-and-a-half spent with Jess. Since we got back to Chicago alive, it was totally all worth it, no matter how aggressive the plan was!

Here's my HAPPY HAPPY Bed!



Yes, there's more...

Next morning, my cell phone rings, it's Mr. Manic.

"Hello?" I mutter.

"You alive?" he asks.

"No, this is her answering machine. She's dead. Of course I'm alive! There is nothing too aggressive for moi!"

He was off to take Ajers, Diva and Tukey to the Sox game!

I jumped into the shower while Swish slept and when I got out of the bathroom, Swish was gone! My first thought was she decided enough was enough and bagged it, left town. ENOUGH MANIC! But fortunately, she had only gone down to the lobby and hadn't deserted me.

Because today was Day 2 ONLY of our aggressive weekend, can you believe it, and we were going to see Trish Ryan IN ACTION at a writer's panel for memoirists!

Before Trish's panel, Swish and I headed over to see Elizabeth Berg who read from her latest book: The Day I Ate Whatever I Wanted: And Other Small Acts of Liberation.

Also at this panel was, Elizabeth Crane, who I was not familiar with, but am now a fan, who read from You Must Be This Happy to Enter.

Then we headed over to Trish's panel, and I don't have any photos of this because I was her personal publicist and used HER camera to take shots during the panel. I have not read He Loves Me, He Loves Me Not: A Memoir of Finding Faith, Hope, and Happily Ever After yet, but am very much looking forward to it, especially now that I know some of the behind-the-scenes "what-is-said-on-this-10-hour-car-ride-stays-in-this-10-hour-car-ride" stuff in Trish's life.

She's had an amazing journey to finding Mr. Right and Wonderful, and credits Jesus without being preachy or freaky, and I am envious of her relationship with Him. I think not many people have what she does, and it's something she truly cherishes. Trish is an incredible person, so much fun, and I'm so glad that she is now a real-live friend!

And then, our last of the author fest took us to new author, Sloane Crosley, who wrote I Was Told There'd Be Cake. Cute, witty, charmingly snarky without trying to be makes Sloane the one to watch! Her book is a bunch of essays, including one she read from about how she baked her boss a cookie in the likeness of her head and gave it to her as a sort of peace offering. The boss gave it to her daughter, and the daughter promptly puked. Great stories.

After Sloane read a bit and the discussion was over, Swish high-tailed it out of there to pick up a copy of the book. I followed her.

"I got the last one!" she claimed.

I could not let my weekend end on a note like this! Fortunately, a volunteer suggested to me that there was one book left at the table where Sloane would be signing books, so I rushed in, grabbed it and met Swishy back at the cash register where we both did a happy, "we got the last two books" dance!

Couldn't have ended our first experience at Chicago's Printers Row Book Fair any better than that. Oh wait, yes it could be better... maybe someday she and I will be guest speakers on a panel talking about the books we will someday publish. One can dream right? Cuz that's not too aggressive of a plan now is it???

One last picture at lunch before we bid farewell to Trish on Sunday. Of course, we had to have our cute and funny waiter, Ryan, join us for the photo!


As a recap, here are some of the great books you might want to check out, and some that I didn't have a chance to mention:

I Was Told There'd Be Cake

He Loves Me, He Loves Me Not: A Memoir of Finding Faith, Hope, and Happily Ever After

You Must Be This Happy to Enter

The Day I Ate Whatever I Wanted: And Other Small Acts of Liberation

Belong to Me: A Novel

Driving Sideways: A Novel

Moose: A Memoir of Fat Camp

Such a Pretty Fat: One Narcissist's Quest To Discover if Her Life Makes Her Ass Look Big, Or Why Pie is Not The Answer

The Rest of Her Life

The Heroines: A Novel

All the Way Home: Building a Family in a Falling-Down House

My Maggie

Too Much Time On My Hands

I got a present in the mail today from Jess Riley and a great card where she writes about how she's glad we're friends (A real author is HAPPY to be friends with ME!) And that she knows I'll be a published author someday! How awesome is THAT! That's the kind of stuff that keeps me going! So thanks so much Jess!

She recently wrote about how her husband mentioned she has no upper lip and according to her gift to me, I guess she thinks EVERYBODY has no upper lip. Well, I have an upper lip. Mine just happens to need a shave, according to Tukey this a.m. when he announced to me, "You need to shave" as he pointed to my upper lip. I then informed him that girls do not shave their faces.

Anyway, Jess sent me this cool lip stuff called Sexy MotherPucker!

It's tingly! It's got fun slogans all over it like:

Lip Size Found Crucial for Sexual Attraction!

and...

Scientists Confirm: Size Matters! (Duh. Like you need a scientist for that. Just get out a tape measure, right Spry-Man?)

and...

Fuller Lips Attract Men More!

Fool Your Lips into Looking and Feeling Fuller without Plastic Surgery!

If only I could fool my ass into fitting into some smaller pants I'd be golden!

So, what do you think I did right after I suited up my three kids and sent them outside to find the nearest flagpole to go lick?

Sure, my house is a disaster. I have garland strewn all over the place. Wrapping paper bits everywhere, Christmas cards and tissue paper, receipts and ornaments, boxes ... you know, I should just take a picture to give you the visual of how Manic Mommy REALLY lives:

Looking into the living room:
At the bottom of the stairs:
In the dining room:
From upstairs, full view of the disaster:

Instead of cleaning and decorating and wrapping Christmas gifts and preparing for the neighborhood Cookie Exchange I am hosting here in one week for 30 women, what am I doing?

I am doing a scientific experiment with Sexy MotherPucker Lip Gloss to see if my lips will plump and make me more sexually attractive to men.

Because I'm all about trying things for the good of science, right? And yes, of course I documented it. But when I took the before photos, I felt like Nora Ephron and her book, I Feel Bad About My Neck cuz I looked at the photos and I really did feel bad about my neck which made me sad because when that book first came out I remember thinking, "Good God, who in the world feels bad about their neck. Butts, thighs, stomachs, yes, but a neck? Come on already!" Well, I now feel bad about my neck. I'm getting old and I don't like it! So I "scarfed" it up for the photo shoot.

Before:




After:






Final Experiment Analysis:

The product makes my lips tingle for a while.

It tastes kinda yummy.

The color, called Nude, is subtle but nice.

The model on the package looks a lot like Lucille Ball.

The product does plump up my lips a little.

I should probably stop bleaching the hairs on my upper lip and consider waxing or even lasering the hairs off.

Jess Riley is a thoughtful gift-giver!

Mr. Manic is not home right now to be amped up by my sexiness so I'll just have to apply more later.

I'm still wearing this scarf and am kind of hot, temperature-wise, not sexy-wise, unless you're looking at my amped up lip-plumpness.

My house is still a disaster and my kids have not yet eaten.

I feel bad about my neck.