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Girlfriend Cyber Circuit present Elizabeth Lenhard
It's another Girl(friend) Friday and Elizabeth Lenhard is joining us in the beauty shop! Elizabeth is the author of CHICKS WITH STICKS, (KnitWise,) the third book in a trilogy of novels about four cool, Chicagoan knitty grrrls. The first books in the trilogy are CHICKS WITH STICKS, (It's a purl thing), and CHICKS WITH STICKS, (Knit two together.)
Welcome, Elizabeth! Grab some coffee, get comfy in the beautician’s chair, and let’s get down to the gossip.
First off, when’s the last time you’ve treated yourself to a manicure?
I'm more of a pedi girl myself. I can't maintain a manicure for more than a day. The last pedicure I remember getting was, oh my, a year ago! When a friend was in town for Thanksgiving. I really need to pamper myself more! Thanks for the wake-up call, girlfriend!
I need a wake up call myself! You don't want to see my feet. ;) Okay, what’s the most regrettable hairstyle you’ve ever had? Any mullets? Rat tails?
I did a layered thing when I was thirteen right before I left for summer camp where there was no electricity. Not even for hair dryers!!! Tragic. I looked like a lion all summer.
What hair styling product can you not live without?
Depends on the season. Straightening stuff in the winter and curly stuff in the summer. My hair is wavy so it goes either way.
Ever had a major hair or salon disaster?
I have dark, Brooke Shieldsish eyebrows and--during the 80s when we all did our damndest to make ourselves look kind of awful, it seems--I had streaky blond hair. So I decided to lighten my eyebrows to match my hair. They went scarily yellow! So then we darkened them to a medium brown, which was okay. But then my original dark eyebrow hairs started growing back in, making for a tiger-striped kind of look. Not. Attractive.
What beauty product can you not live without?
Clinique lipstick in a shade called Amber Glass.
How long have you been with your current stylist and what are your appointment conversations like—chatty and personal, or quiet and professional?
I've been with Joi since I moved to Atlanta in 2004. We're definitely chatty and personal. We dish about people we know and people we don't and about real estate and about relationships . . . wow, I didn't realize how chatty we were! Joi also did my hair for my wedding in 2005 and you know, if you like your wedding hair (which I did) you're basically indebted to your stylist for life!!!
What kind of hairstyle did you have in high school?
Well, there was that layered thing. And then I got rid of the layers by cutting it short. That was a brief disaster. Then as I grew my hair out, I got a perm! Which is usually a disaster but in this case wasn't. It was a cute, ringletty bob (if I do say so) and I kept that going until I went to college, when I could no longer afford perms or blond highlights (see above) so grew it all out and went straightish and long, which was probably for the best and pretty much what I still have today (though it's red now. )
Wait . . . a perm you liked? That's a Shop Talk first.
In my novel, the ladies have fun answering the “Hypothetical Questions of the Week” from their favorite tabloid. So here are some for you:
HQ #1: For one day, time travel is a reality and you have the opportunity to visit any famous deceased author you want. Who do you pick?
Oscar Wilde. We'd banter.
HQ #2: You magically find a $100.00 bill in your box of cereal. In what frivolous way would you spend it?
I'd take some girlfriends out for a decadent lunch.
HQ #3: TV execs are offering you a spot on a new reality show for writers. Do you say yes? If so, how would you be portrayed? (i.e. the boss, whiner, bore, paranoid-wreck, etc.?)
No way! Honey, I've watched enough Project Runway/Top Chef/Top Model to know that nobody's safe on those shows. I'd probably be the one who's always crying because I miss my baby.
HQ #4: You’re a big-time celebrity who just had a baby. If you were competing for the most bizarre celebrity baby name, what would it be?
How about Animé? Animé Crimefighter, of course.
HQ #5: Paparazzi are stalking you, looking for shots of odd things authors do while writing. What do they catch you doing, hmm?
I make a lot of faces while I write. I grimace and grin and frown--emoting on behalf of my characters. I feel myself doing it sometimes and feel like a dork, but I'm powerless to stop.
HQ #6: You’ve been locked in a bank vault with that guy from The Twilight Zone, so you finally have time to read! What’s the first book you crack open? (And don’t worry—no one stepped on your glasses.)
This happened to me recently! I wasn't in a bank vault but I WAS two hours early for a two hour plane flight and I was traveling ALONE for the first time since having a baby 18 months ago. I read non-stop. It was bliss!!!! I read Sara Zarr's "Story of a Girl" and it was so worthy of my one opportunity to read for four hours straight. Loved it.
HQ #7: If I asked the members of your critique group who you’re most like when critiquing manuscripts, would they choose Randy Jackson, Paula Abdul or Simon Cowell?
I'm not in a critique group. And I actually don't watch American Idol,* so I don't know anything about about those judges. Other than the fact that Paula's unhinged and Simon's mean, right? I'd like to think I'm neither mean or unhinged. Usually.
* I'm not being hoity-toity. It's just when I want to watch trash reality TV, I go for Top Model rather than Idol. I guess I'd rather watch pretty young things humiliate themselves than wannabe rock stars.
HQ #8: iTunes has invited you to submit a Celebrity Playlist of all your favorite songs. What tunes are your top picks?
Do most people actually KNOW the names of songs? I know band names and SOME album names, but when it comes to my favorite songs, it's usually, "Oh you know, the one that goes 'Doo-doo-duh-duh-doo-doo.'"
HQ #9: If you followed the career path you chose for yourself in high school, what would you be doing for a living now?
I'd be a therapist.
HQ #10: If you could go back in time and make changes to any of your published books, would you? If so, which one and why?
No. I try not to read my books closely after they're published. A girl's gotta move on.
The Lightening Round—no more than two words per answer!
Do you . . .
Outline or wing it? Outline.
Talk about works-in-progress, or keep your trap shut? Both.
Sell by proposal or completed draft? Proposal.
Love to edit or cringe at the thought? Love it. Well, like it.
Prefer writing a new book or marketing the old? New book.
Write better at home or in a coffee shop? Home.
Read your released book or no, I’ve read it enough? See above.
And finally, what’s your favorite . . .
Time to write? Afternoon.
Movie? I have too many to pick a favorite. Seriously, how can you pick just one?!?
Book? Ditto.
Author? And again.
Song? Sorry. Same story.
Pair of shoes? At the moment, a pair of black Mary Janes. They're kind of chunky, but not clunky. You can dress 'em up or down. They have panache.
Guiltiest pleasure? Eating Junior Mints at a great movie, snuggled up with my husband. Although, hmm, that's not so guilty. But all the truly guilty pleasures are probably unpublishable. ;-)
Line from a movie? You had me at hel--JUST KIDDING!
Thanks for stopping by Elizabeth! Kiss little Animé for me, and if you do find a hundred in your box of cereal? I'm available for that lunch. ;)
And for everyone else, here's the full dirt on Elizabeth and her CHICKS WITH STICKS series!
“Chicks with Sticks reminded me of The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants, but in this book, the girls don’t need magical pants to get what they want . . . they make their OWN magic! I can’t recommend this fun read enough. I know you’re going to love it.”
– Meg Cabot, author of The Princess Diaries series and Jinx
CHICKS WITH STICKS (KNITWISE)
Elizabeth Lenhard’s trilogy of witty, knitty novels concludes with Chicks with Sticks (KnitWise).
The Chicks trilogy began in 2005 with Chicks with Sticks (It’s a purl thing) (Dutton). Fifteen-year-old Scottie lives in a cool, Chicago loft, goes to a progressive-to-the-point-of-wacky private school—and she’s miserable. Her former best friend, trust-fund princess Amanda, is just that—her former best friend—and her mom has become an It girl in Chicago’s art world. Meanwhile, Scottie just wants to blend in.
Then she discovers knitting, and it’s as if she’s been thrown a cashmerino lifeline. Soon Scottie and Amanda find themselves hanging at their local yarn store, bound together by a yen for yarn and a hunger for friendship. They make two more knitty friends: Bella, a new age yoga goddess, and Tay, an indie tomboy with “anger issues” in the wake of her parents’ divorce. The friends’ stitches and their relationships become so intertwined that it’s hard to remember which came first: the girls or the purls.
Chicks #2, Chicks with Sticks (Knit two together), could be called the Chicks’ boy book. At sixteen, Scottie is finally smitten and thrilled to have her first boyfriend—or does she? Amanda’s heart is broken when she wakes up one day and finds that she’s a trophy girlfriend. Tay wonders if her b.f.—an adorable basketball player who knits on the side—is a cling-on. And Bella swears off boys altogether. Drama ensues—all, of course, to the tune of the girls’ click-clacking needles.
And now, there’s Chicks with Sticks (KnitWise). For Scottie, Amanda, Bella, and Tay, life in Chicago has been all about seeking shelter. They’ve found it in their firelit stitch ’n bitch at Joe Coffee; in the halls of their quirky private school; in the arms of boyfriends—and always in the comfort of the friendship that bonds them together.
But now the Chicks are staring down the end of high school and it's time to contemplate life beyond the protective web of their knitty ensemble. Will the stresses of college applications and service projects, debutante balls and long-distance loves, mean the end of the Chicks? Or can this unlikely foursome bind-off the happy ending that only true friendship can craft?
The Chicks with Sticks books aren’t just for crafty types (though each book does include several original knitting patterns and projects). They’re for anyone juggling the works-in-progress that are friendship, first love, and surviving high school; for anyone who’s ever found friends in the most unlikely place—or wanted to. Sometimes you just need some string and sticks—with some full-fat hot chocolate on the side—to get you there.
About the author…
Elizabeth Lenhard grew up in Atlanta and studied English and creative writing at the University of Michigan. She’s been a features reporter for the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, a contributing dining critic for Chicago magazine, and the author of more than thirty series books for teens and children. Elizabeth lives with her husband and daughter in Atlanta. Now that the Chicks are college-bound, she’s assuaging her empty nest syndrome with lots and lots of knitting.
Elizabeth's Website . . . Blog . . . and MySpace Page!
HAVE A GREAT WEEKEND!
Welcome, Elizabeth! Grab some coffee, get comfy in the beautician’s chair, and let’s get down to the gossip.
First off, when’s the last time you’ve treated yourself to a manicure?
I'm more of a pedi girl myself. I can't maintain a manicure for more than a day. The last pedicure I remember getting was, oh my, a year ago! When a friend was in town for Thanksgiving. I really need to pamper myself more! Thanks for the wake-up call, girlfriend!
I need a wake up call myself! You don't want to see my feet. ;) Okay, what’s the most regrettable hairstyle you’ve ever had? Any mullets? Rat tails?
I did a layered thing when I was thirteen right before I left for summer camp where there was no electricity. Not even for hair dryers!!! Tragic. I looked like a lion all summer.
What hair styling product can you not live without?
Depends on the season. Straightening stuff in the winter and curly stuff in the summer. My hair is wavy so it goes either way.
Ever had a major hair or salon disaster?
I have dark, Brooke Shieldsish eyebrows and--during the 80s when we all did our damndest to make ourselves look kind of awful, it seems--I had streaky blond hair. So I decided to lighten my eyebrows to match my hair. They went scarily yellow! So then we darkened them to a medium brown, which was okay. But then my original dark eyebrow hairs started growing back in, making for a tiger-striped kind of look. Not. Attractive.
What beauty product can you not live without?
Clinique lipstick in a shade called Amber Glass.
How long have you been with your current stylist and what are your appointment conversations like—chatty and personal, or quiet and professional?
I've been with Joi since I moved to Atlanta in 2004. We're definitely chatty and personal. We dish about people we know and people we don't and about real estate and about relationships . . . wow, I didn't realize how chatty we were! Joi also did my hair for my wedding in 2005 and you know, if you like your wedding hair (which I did) you're basically indebted to your stylist for life!!!
What kind of hairstyle did you have in high school?
Well, there was that layered thing. And then I got rid of the layers by cutting it short. That was a brief disaster. Then as I grew my hair out, I got a perm! Which is usually a disaster but in this case wasn't. It was a cute, ringletty bob (if I do say so) and I kept that going until I went to college, when I could no longer afford perms or blond highlights (see above) so grew it all out and went straightish and long, which was probably for the best and pretty much what I still have today (though it's red now. )
Wait . . . a perm you liked? That's a Shop Talk first.
In my novel, the ladies have fun answering the “Hypothetical Questions of the Week” from their favorite tabloid. So here are some for you:
HQ #1: For one day, time travel is a reality and you have the opportunity to visit any famous deceased author you want. Who do you pick?
Oscar Wilde. We'd banter.
HQ #2: You magically find a $100.00 bill in your box of cereal. In what frivolous way would you spend it?
I'd take some girlfriends out for a decadent lunch.
HQ #3: TV execs are offering you a spot on a new reality show for writers. Do you say yes? If so, how would you be portrayed? (i.e. the boss, whiner, bore, paranoid-wreck, etc.?)
No way! Honey, I've watched enough Project Runway/Top Chef/Top Model to know that nobody's safe on those shows. I'd probably be the one who's always crying because I miss my baby.
HQ #4: You’re a big-time celebrity who just had a baby. If you were competing for the most bizarre celebrity baby name, what would it be?
How about Animé? Animé Crimefighter, of course.
HQ #5: Paparazzi are stalking you, looking for shots of odd things authors do while writing. What do they catch you doing, hmm?
I make a lot of faces while I write. I grimace and grin and frown--emoting on behalf of my characters. I feel myself doing it sometimes and feel like a dork, but I'm powerless to stop.
HQ #6: You’ve been locked in a bank vault with that guy from The Twilight Zone, so you finally have time to read! What’s the first book you crack open? (And don’t worry—no one stepped on your glasses.)
This happened to me recently! I wasn't in a bank vault but I WAS two hours early for a two hour plane flight and I was traveling ALONE for the first time since having a baby 18 months ago. I read non-stop. It was bliss!!!! I read Sara Zarr's "Story of a Girl" and it was so worthy of my one opportunity to read for four hours straight. Loved it.
HQ #7: If I asked the members of your critique group who you’re most like when critiquing manuscripts, would they choose Randy Jackson, Paula Abdul or Simon Cowell?
I'm not in a critique group. And I actually don't watch American Idol,* so I don't know anything about about those judges. Other than the fact that Paula's unhinged and Simon's mean, right? I'd like to think I'm neither mean or unhinged. Usually.
* I'm not being hoity-toity. It's just when I want to watch trash reality TV, I go for Top Model rather than Idol. I guess I'd rather watch pretty young things humiliate themselves than wannabe rock stars.
HQ #8: iTunes has invited you to submit a Celebrity Playlist of all your favorite songs. What tunes are your top picks?
Do most people actually KNOW the names of songs? I know band names and SOME album names, but when it comes to my favorite songs, it's usually, "Oh you know, the one that goes 'Doo-doo-duh-duh-doo-doo.'"
HQ #9: If you followed the career path you chose for yourself in high school, what would you be doing for a living now?
I'd be a therapist.
HQ #10: If you could go back in time and make changes to any of your published books, would you? If so, which one and why?
No. I try not to read my books closely after they're published. A girl's gotta move on.
The Lightening Round—no more than two words per answer!
Do you . . .
Outline or wing it? Outline.
Talk about works-in-progress, or keep your trap shut? Both.
Sell by proposal or completed draft? Proposal.
Love to edit or cringe at the thought? Love it. Well, like it.
Prefer writing a new book or marketing the old? New book.
Write better at home or in a coffee shop? Home.
Read your released book or no, I’ve read it enough? See above.
And finally, what’s your favorite . . .
Time to write? Afternoon.
Movie? I have too many to pick a favorite. Seriously, how can you pick just one?!?
Book? Ditto.
Author? And again.
Song? Sorry. Same story.
Pair of shoes? At the moment, a pair of black Mary Janes. They're kind of chunky, but not clunky. You can dress 'em up or down. They have panache.
Guiltiest pleasure? Eating Junior Mints at a great movie, snuggled up with my husband. Although, hmm, that's not so guilty. But all the truly guilty pleasures are probably unpublishable. ;-)
Line from a movie? You had me at hel--JUST KIDDING!
Thanks for stopping by Elizabeth! Kiss little Animé for me, and if you do find a hundred in your box of cereal? I'm available for that lunch. ;)
And for everyone else, here's the full dirt on Elizabeth and her CHICKS WITH STICKS series!
“Chicks with Sticks reminded me of The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants, but in this book, the girls don’t need magical pants to get what they want . . . they make their OWN magic! I can’t recommend this fun read enough. I know you’re going to love it.”
– Meg Cabot, author of The Princess Diaries series and Jinx
CHICKS WITH STICKS (KNITWISE)
Elizabeth Lenhard’s trilogy of witty, knitty novels concludes with Chicks with Sticks (KnitWise).
The Chicks trilogy began in 2005 with Chicks with Sticks (It’s a purl thing) (Dutton). Fifteen-year-old Scottie lives in a cool, Chicago loft, goes to a progressive-to-the-point-of-wacky private school—and she’s miserable. Her former best friend, trust-fund princess Amanda, is just that—her former best friend—and her mom has become an It girl in Chicago’s art world. Meanwhile, Scottie just wants to blend in.
Then she discovers knitting, and it’s as if she’s been thrown a cashmerino lifeline. Soon Scottie and Amanda find themselves hanging at their local yarn store, bound together by a yen for yarn and a hunger for friendship. They make two more knitty friends: Bella, a new age yoga goddess, and Tay, an indie tomboy with “anger issues” in the wake of her parents’ divorce. The friends’ stitches and their relationships become so intertwined that it’s hard to remember which came first: the girls or the purls.
Chicks #2, Chicks with Sticks (Knit two together), could be called the Chicks’ boy book. At sixteen, Scottie is finally smitten and thrilled to have her first boyfriend—or does she? Amanda’s heart is broken when she wakes up one day and finds that she’s a trophy girlfriend. Tay wonders if her b.f.—an adorable basketball player who knits on the side—is a cling-on. And Bella swears off boys altogether. Drama ensues—all, of course, to the tune of the girls’ click-clacking needles.
And now, there’s Chicks with Sticks (KnitWise). For Scottie, Amanda, Bella, and Tay, life in Chicago has been all about seeking shelter. They’ve found it in their firelit stitch ’n bitch at Joe Coffee; in the halls of their quirky private school; in the arms of boyfriends—and always in the comfort of the friendship that bonds them together.
But now the Chicks are staring down the end of high school and it's time to contemplate life beyond the protective web of their knitty ensemble. Will the stresses of college applications and service projects, debutante balls and long-distance loves, mean the end of the Chicks? Or can this unlikely foursome bind-off the happy ending that only true friendship can craft?
The Chicks with Sticks books aren’t just for crafty types (though each book does include several original knitting patterns and projects). They’re for anyone juggling the works-in-progress that are friendship, first love, and surviving high school; for anyone who’s ever found friends in the most unlikely place—or wanted to. Sometimes you just need some string and sticks—with some full-fat hot chocolate on the side—to get you there.
About the author…
Elizabeth Lenhard grew up in Atlanta and studied English and creative writing at the University of Michigan. She’s been a features reporter for the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, a contributing dining critic for Chicago magazine, and the author of more than thirty series books for teens and children. Elizabeth lives with her husband and daughter in Atlanta. Now that the Chicks are college-bound, she’s assuaging her empty nest syndrome with lots and lots of knitting.
Elizabeth's Website . . . Blog . . . and MySpace Page!
HAVE A GREAT WEEKEND!
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