Sisters in Writing...

I have recently met some new fellow moms/writers on the website SheWrites. 

I feel so fortunate to be sharing the journey with these two debut novelists, Lori Tharps and Ilie Ruby and just wanted to take a moment to shout out their books:

Lori Tharps

Though Lori has other publishing credits to her name ("Hair Story" and "Kinky Gazpacho") "Substitute Me" is her first novel. It has been called "The Nanny Diaries" meets "The Help". We recently met up and swapped novels since ours both released the same day (Aug 24). Lori is a professor of journalism at Temple, has an interesting resumé that includes work in publicity for some big names, living abroad in Spain, and is mom to two boys around the same age as Hayden and Max--you can imagine we had so much to talk about that we were still hanging around the Barnes and Noble parking lot at midnight. We take each other's promo cards to events and I have had lots of people curious about "Substitute Me". 

Brief summary:

Set in modern-day Brooklyn, Kate and Zora are women who could be friends, but are inhibited by their own issues of culture, race and power—Zora is nanny to executive Kate’s baby and 'Substitute Me', the title of the ad Kate places to find a nanny, takes on a whole new meaning in this domestic drama. The meals in this book will make you hungry and the questions it raises are food for thought.

Lori and I are in the process of putting together an event where mothers of young kids  can attend a kid-friendly play place and have a conversation about books with us as moms and writers.

Ilie Ruby is another writer with credits to her name, but the recently released "The Language of Trees" is her first novel. I'll confess I haven't read it yet as I have been in full-on CHOSEN release mode and it's birthday week at the Hoffstead, but the reviews are all raves and make me want to dive in as soon as I get a moment. 

Ilie was also recently reviewed in USA Today-- find that story here

Ilie and I have found so many parallels in our lives that it is creepy. Born a day apart, mothers of three, both fell in love in Grand Cayman, connected to Honduras, and she is book-touring with her kids as well. 

We are hoping to do an event that highlights the new novelist, hands-on moms who write and parent, who take the kids on tour, who are rocking the reviews...

I'll keep you posted on when and where this might be happening. Or send me an email if you want to host this event--promises to be lots of fun. 

In the meantime, please check out the websites of these two new friends:

http://loritharps.com/

http://www.ilieruby.com/