Lisa Maddock's Blog

As you know, the giveaway has been completed and the free copy sent off. I appreciate all who showed interest in and marked my YA novel Silver Linings as a "to read". I would like to extend an offer of a complimentary copy to a couple of you who would be willing to read and review the book for me (a hard copy for the first three to respond, and then .pdf copies would be available after that).

Feel free to contact me through Goodreads.

Happy reading!

Lisa

This is what I have come up with for the back cover. Is it just me, or is this one of the hardest things to write? How to summarize in so little space?
What has been really fun and extra-special with this new book is working hand-in-hand with my 13-year-old daughter, who knows her way around a computer better than I do, with everything from the story to punctuation and grammar and cover design

Here is the cover text:

“Maybe someone was out to ruin us, just like Nadine said. But why? What did we ever do to anyone?”

I am Lucy Mackensie, fourteen going on ‘exasperated grown-up’. I am sensible. I am not a fan of random senseless uncontrollable… stuff; I have no interest in ridiculous attraction or squishy romantic feelings. But lately that is what life seems to be throwing at me while I long for stability, peace and control.

It seems that someone, somewhere, lately has control over everything in my life… and I have control over nothing. My Minneapolis life is coming apart at its very seams; and I suddenly have no will of my own when it comes to a certain hunky-handsome someone who I have no business… noticing. And so, instead of peace or control, it is all numb fingers, rhinoceroses, aliens, tractor-beam voodoo and heavy elephants….
Welcome to my story and my out-of-control roller coaster life. Better buckle up. (And maybe grab a tissue for some parts.)

Words of wisdom from Nadine Brentwood, a.k.a., my best friend:

“Need I remind you that the world is chock full of posers… a.k.a. hypocrites? If you’re not into it, or whatever, you shouldn’t fake it. It’s not like God is ever fooled. You make a choice and pay the price later, it’s simple. Amazing how many people don’t get that.”

“The answer is not to have everyone else give their money away, but to make sure that there are opportunities for people to make their own money, if they actually want to.”

“You, like many, are holding out for the big dreamy enchilada… Prince Charming with a personality and brain cells, right? We all start out that way, ruined for regular guys by Disney movies from, like, the age of two, holding out for that hunky male main character dude. …Well, my dreamy little friendsy, I’m sorry to wake you, but you attend Pearson Academy. There are no princes, charming or otherwise, to be had. None. Nada. Nil. In fact, let me extend that to the entire metropolitan area.”

Words of wisdom (?) from Mac, a.k.a. my dad:

“Aw, Sweetie, who knows what might have been? Doesn’t matter. What matters is what is, and what is is… huh. I totally lost my train of thought, sorry. I’m starving, do you want to join me for a little drive-up junk food?”

“… what better and bigger trip could there be than an adoring daughter and to feel fairly successful as a dad.”

“Ple-he-hease? I’ll give you a zillion dollars.”

“It’s one thing to burn a bridge, but did I have to use my biggest rocket launcher and blast it to smithereens?”
(Sample quotes from the book.)

Look for my new book to be available in time for Christmas! Geared toward young teen girls, Silver Linings is a story about friendship and that exciting world of first love with a mystery in the background. I am working on the final details, including cover design and text over the next two weeks. Then - I promise to re-emerge into the real world once again! This book has been fairly all-encompassing for over a year now, but a real fun project and (as you writers know) tough to put down, tougher to call finished. Stay tuned!

I have been happily writing (getting a story out of my head and onto the computer) for several days now, following a very busy Christmas season. I was so happy to have gotten my new book (The Bridezilla Who Stole Christmas) out at least close to Christmas so it could be available for gift-giving. (FYI: I have reduced the price on my website, for those who want to read Book 2 or give it as a gift www.teddyandpip.com.)

Teddy and Pip will be back soon in Book 3 of the series, expect some crazy reactions to reading Harry Potter, a change of location, and a new mystery for Molly Jane to solve, lots of fun - stay tuned!

Happy New Year from wintry white MN!
Lisa

The long-awaited sequel of "A Tale of Two Guinea Pigs" is now available on Amazon.com and through my website, www.teddyandpip.com!

A Goodreads giveaway in in the works, just needs approval - so look for that and sign up!

Merry Christmas to all!
Lisa

I got the final word today that the book is ok'ed for printing, so I ordered my copies today. I expect them to be in hand on Tuesday! By then, the book should also be available on Amazon.com. Maybe even sooner. As soon as it is possible, I will do a giveaway for the good folks on Goodreads.com - so keep an eye out!

The editing is done, the A-O-K has been given and the book is now going to press! I promise to have a giveaway set up for the book as soon as possible - so get ready! I will let Goodreads members know as soon as the book is available, but am taking pre-orders right now through my website: www.teddyandpip.com.

Happy Thanksgiving everyone!
Lisa

I am so excited to share my book with you - it should be in your hands within a few days (popped it into the mail this afternoon!) I hope you enjoy the books!
Lisa

“There is no Christmas – at our house
There are no lights and no tree
There is no Christmas – at our house
No Christmas for Teddy and me.” --Pip

“There is no Christmas at our house.
Amelia stole it and shoved it up the chimney.” --Teddy

NO CHRISTMAS?! What is going on in the Fisher’s garage apartment? Where is Christmas? Why does Pip write grumpy songs? Why does Amelia have a phone in her ear all the time? Who is Sunny, and why is Amelia’s sister, Evelyn, around so much? But, most important of all, why, days before Christmas, is Molly in the interrogation chair being questioned about Amelia’s cancelled wedding?

The Best Friends Club gathers to brainstorm; thinking back over several days in order to figure out where things went wrong. Will they be able to save the wedding? Will they be able to bring Christmas to Teddy and Pip?

A Tale of Two Guinea Pigs’ ended with a wedding to look forward to. Though Teddy and Pip were a bit nervous about the concept of their best friends traveling to the moon after the ceremony, they were happy as two talking guinea pigs could be. All was well. Their best friends were all together, and a ‘family they would be’.

They had no idea (and how could they?) that Amelia, the very Amelia who was their best friend, would transform from her quiet writer self into a bride monster called Bridezilla and turn their world upside down all over again.

Molly Jane Fisher, fourth grade detective, finds herself right in the middle of a mystery again. But this time, she truly is an innocent bystander. At least she is pretty sure that this is true. Even if she knew how, she would never have cancelled Amelia and Wally’s wedding. For one thing, she wanted them to get married, for another, she would be in so much trouble, but most important of all--she has no idea how to do such a thing anyway. For some reason, though, Amelia, Mom and that scary sister, Evelyn, believed that Molly had done something to cause all of the chaos. And that bad evidence has landed her in the interrogation chair.

The Bridezilla Who Stole Christmas is a fun story for the Holidays and comes complete with cute talking guinea pigs, new ‘bad guys’, a puzzle to solve, new songs to sing, and plenty of laughs as Teddy and Pip loudly express opinions on everything from cell phones to lack of Christmas to long-standing traditions such as hanging stockings by the fireplace.

Available December 2009. Pre-order on www.teddyandpip.com