Friday Update 5/27/11

Well, it's a much brighter Friday than last week, and I'm happy to explain why I was in such a pissy mood I missed my last update.

I had minor surgery on Wednesday, but it was done under general anesthesia at a  hospital, so that skews the whole experience. (I'm a morning caffeine addict and a migraine sufferer so fasting is excruciating for me. Also, I'm a total wuss with zero pain tolerance and very high anxiety about anything medical.)  Anyway, on Friday morning my doctor's office called to tell me I was pushed back on the schedule from 9 am to noon, and that just freaked me the hell out, because I had a terrible experience years ago with surgery that got delayed for hours and hours and hours, and a hospital staff that didn't give a damn how sick I got.

Happy to say the staff at North Shore University Hospital at Manhasset was just the opposite--compassionate, kind, and professional. So it' all behind me and I'm feeling fine.

And now a few updates ...

• In anticipation of my next book, FAREWELL, DOROTHY PARKER, I started a new Facebook page featuring great quotes from the famous wit. People are really enjoying and if you haven't "liked it" yet, I hope you'll do so now. Thanks!

 • And just this week I started a Dorothy Parker Twitter account. It's brand new and could really use some followers.

• THE OTHER LIFE got a glorious review from a blog called Rated Reads. The irony is that the site's raison d'etre is to warn people about "objectionable" material, i.e., sex and bad language. THE OTHER LIFE rated "high," which is just below "dirt." (Seriously!) And yet the book got a rave. Here's an excerpt:

"I found myself drawn into Meister’s book not just by the possibilities of “returning to the road not taken,” but by its beautiful approach to the love between a mother and daughter. Meister addresses heavy issues of grief, loss, love, and difficult decisions in parenting, and does it with aplomb. She gently puts each issue into the mix and stirs with delicacy. I was so drawn into the story and the characters that I devoured the book in two days.

The Other Life is an engaging read, one that strikes deep in the heart."

I love this! Click here to read the whole review.

• Big thanks to Newsday for featuring my Twitter page online and in the paper!

• Thanks, too, to this blogger, for spotlighting THE OTHER LIFE in her Teaser Tuesday

• The second annual BooksNJ, a fun and fabulous literary festival, is coming up on Sunday, June 12. Mark your calendar! It's going to be an awesome day.

• Long Islanders, starting on June 6, you can hear great readings every Monday night at the Summer Gazebo Reading Series at the Schoolhouse Green in Oceanside. I'll be there on July 18 with my pal Carol Hoenig. Click here for more info.

• Thrilled to discover that THE OTHER LIFE has been nominated by the New Atlantic Independent  Booksellers Association for Book of the Year! Check it out.

Have a great Memorial Day weekend ...

No update day

Sorry. Day's off to a bad start. :(

 Maybe tomorrow.

Friday Update, 5/13/11

Happy Friday the 13th! I guess it was bad luck for Blogger (and me) because the whole system was down all morning and I couldn't post my update.

This week I was busy playing catch up with a million and one errands, as I had house guests last week and my schedule has been crammed. But here are a couple of fun things ...

• HUGE thanks to Katrina Denza for posting this smashing review of THE OTHER LIFE!

• So very thrilled to discover THE OTHER LIFE on Robin Kall's list of 7 Great Books for Spring! Delighted to be in such great company.

• Shout-out to Target for the temporary price cut on THE OTHER LIFE. It's a bargain hunter's alert.

There's more going on, but it'll have to wait. Blogger really messed up my schedule, and now I have to dash. Have a great weekend!

Social Media: A fickle lover

Friday Update 5/6/11

My folks are in from Florida, staying with us, so I'm even busier than usual. Right now, it's more about family stuff than work stuff, though I do want to crow about the audiobook version of THE OTHER LIFE, which got selected for a roundup of the best Mother's Day books from Heroes and Heartbreakers. Check it out, and you'll get to hear an audioclip, too.

That's about all I have time for today. If  you want to read about some past posts about my funny folks, check these out ...

The Morty and Helen Show

And Tomorrow is Thursday

The New Old Technology

Special shout-out to my smart, talented and always-surprising wonderkid, who got into the college of his dreams ... and got a merit scholarship!!! What a kid!

A beautiful Mother's Day to all ...

Friday Update 4/29/11

Sorry about going AWOL last week. The kids were off from school and things got hectic. Here's a catch-up ...

• Vacation week was a bit of a bust, as most of us were sick at one point or another. Also, homework! Sheesh. I spent most of my time at the kitchen table helping the kids get through their various projects. The youngest has it the worst. What's with those middle school teachers? Her workload is INSANE. And why do they give all that work over the break? Feels passive-aggressive to me ...

• This week I was very excited to discover that THE OTHER LIFE is on the Austin Public Library's Best Fiction of 2011 list!

• I love the questions Carrie Runnals asked in her Words to Mouth interview. Please pop in and check it out. Also note that she's giving away a free copy of THE OTHER LIFE. To enter the drawing, just leave a comment at the bottom of the interview.

• Writer friends--in case you didn't already see this, Penguin has launched a new workshop site for genre writers. It's called bookcountry.com, and it's free to join.

• Speaking of writing, I've agreed to teach a continuing ed course at Hofstra in the fall. More on that soon. Meanwhile, if you want to see what they're offering this summer, visit ce.hofstra.edu

• There's still time to get a free bookplate for Mother's Day. Just drop me a line and tell me who to make it out to and where to send it. If you're in the U.S., I'll pay the postage.

• I miss Michael Scott already. One of the best characters in the history of television ...

Have a great weekend.

Mother's Day Gift: THE OTHER LIFE

I've been hearing from a lot of folks who are buying THE OTHER LIFE as a Mother's Day gift and want to know how to get a signed copy. This really touches me, because at its essence, this book is about the power and magic of motherhood.

So in honor of Mother's Day, I'm making bookplates available for free. Whether you're buying the book for someone or requesting a copy for yourself, I'm happy to send you a signed, personalized bookplate. These are self-adhesive stickers that can go right into the front of the book. Just drop me a line and let me know:

1. Who to make it out to
and
2. Where to send it


That's it. If you're in the U.S., I'll pay the postage.

THE OTHER LIFE is available at your local bookstore. To buy online, visit any cyber bookseller, such as:
Amazon • Barnes & Noble •  Books-A-Million • Indie Bound • Powell's

Click here to read the BookPage review.

For more information, click here to visit my website, or watch the video:


THE OTHER LIFE by Ellen Meister from Ellen Meister on Vimeo.

Amazon • Barnes & Noble •  Books-A-Million • Indie Bound • Powell's

Friday Update 4/15/11

God, this week blew by in a blur. I guess it's because I lost some time due to being sick. It's kind of like going into suspended animation. But I'm on the mend, so onward. Here's the latest ...

• Huge thanks to the wonderful folks at the Dolphin Bookshop in Port Washington. They hosted a terrific book club event for THE OTHER LIFE on Tuesday, and it drew a smart and engaged crowd. I had a great time! I left behind some signed books ... an inspired idea for Mother's Day!

• Great Reader's Review here from Michele Stefanides!

• I had a lot of fun with the Dear Social Media letter I posted on the Girlfriends Book Club blog this week. Check it out.

• THE OTHER LIFE got a positive review from BookReporter.

• I hope you'll click here to see the review from BookPage.

• Huge thanks to my pal Katrina Denza for scanning and sending this clip from her local NC newspaper:

Have a great weekend!

Dear Social Media, you slut

Read my letter to that fickle lover, Social Media, on the Girlfriends Book Club Blog.

Friday Update 4/8

My big excitement this week was that I  appeared on channel 11 PIX, a popular TV station here in NY. It all happened very fast. On Tuesday I was contacted by someone at CafeMom, who wanted to know if I had a strong opinion on sometimes letting a kid cry it out, versus immediately rushing in every time. It so happens I believe it's vitally important to teach your children they can soothe themselves. And it's a lesson my kids have taught me over and over.

Case in point: When my oldest was a baby, he refused to hold his bottle like other kids his age. I showed him how to do it again and again, but he only dropped it and screamed. I knew he was physically capable of holding it--he just didn't want to.

I thought it was important for him to reach this developmental milestone. So one day I sat him facing me on the floor and put his bottle between us. He screamed and screamed. I kept reassuring him that the bottle was right there if he wanted it. He was  furious! But I just kept telling him it was okay. He could pick up the bottle any time he wanted.

And of course, he did at last. From then on he loved holding his bottle. Letting them cry it out is usually the harder route to take, but the better choice for the child. Anyway, here's the very short segment:

 

Other highlights this week:

• THE OTHER LIFE is on the BookPage list of THE TOP 20 BOOKS OF 2011 (SO FAR). Woot! Please click here to read the BookPage review that got so much attention.

• Last week I told you how thrilled I was that THE OTHER LIFE was selected as April's Book Club Pick by Bookbundlz. This week they posted an interview with me, and I hope you'll check it out.

• Very happy with this review from the Simply Me blog

• Big thanks to Lisa Kudrow for sending a message to her Facebook followers about my NPR interview!

• An extra-special shout-out to Angie Atkinson and the WM Freelance Writers Connection for featuring me on their blog this week!

Have a great weekend ...

The New Old Technology

Phone conversation with Dad ...

DAD: There's an article in the New York Post about the Algonquin Hotel's new cat.
ME: Thanks for the heads up. I'll see if it's online.
DAD: If not, you should run out and get the paper.
ME: Or you can just send me the article.
DAD: How would I do that?
ME: Cut it out of the paper, fold it, put it an envelope and write my address on it.
DAD:
ME:
DAD: I can do that.

Friday Update 4/1/11

No April Fool's jokes today, I promise! Maybe I'm crotchety, but I'm finding them all so tiresome.

Anyway, this is late because I had a doctor's appointment this morning. That might explain the missing funny bone today, but I checked out okay (yay!), so no worries.

Here's the latest:

• Big woot, as THE OTHER LIFE has been selected as the April Book Club Pick by Bookbundlz! http://www.bookbundlz.com/

• Breaking news: I'm going to be an app! If you have an iPhone or an Android, you'll soon be able to view a Skype interview between yours truly and Adam Curry. Stay tuned for more information. (Meanwhile, if you haven't yet downloaded The Big App Show, check it out--it's free.)

• Big thanks to Andrea Cosans at LonelyFriday.org for the great interview.

• Really enjoyed meeting Mary and the gang at the Huntington book club this week! Thanks so much for having me.

• The folks at Murder by 4 invited me to blog about how I got my HBO deal, and I called it WHO DO I HAVE TO KILL? Check it out.

• Mad crazy week and I'm behind on EVERYTHING. So if I owe you a call or an email or whatever, my apologies. Scrambling to catch up ...

Have a great weekend!

Friday Update 3/25/11

Here's the latest ...

• I'm giving away an audiobook over on my Facebook author page. To enter, click here and "like" the page. The rest is self-explanatory.

• THE OTHER LIFE got a sweet shout-out in the Columbus Dispatch.

• And also in the industry trade, Shelf Awareness.

• If you've been on the fence about reading THE OTHER LIFE, please click here to read the prologue and first chapter. I hope it wins you over!

• A new interview was just posted a blog called In the Next Room. Some cool questions about chick lit, HBO and more.

• I'm going to stop here because I have too much work to do, and am just plain cranky over being the object of someone's misdirected right wing rage.

Enjoy your weekend ...

Is it Friday already? The 3/18/11 update ...

Wow. Last Sunday my NPR interview aired and the response knocked me out. I got wonderful emails from friends, family and strangers. Tweeters, bloggers and other kind folks linked the NPR podcast all over the Internet.  And it looks like sales got a big boost. On Sunday morning, THE OTHER LIFE's Amazon ranking was in the 38,000s; by late afternoon it was in the 500s.

Also, I was shocked to discover that Nook sales took off like a rocket. At one point in the day THE OTHER LIFE was the #1 ranked Nook on B&N's "Flying Off the Shelves" page!

Of course, the rest of the week was anticlimactic in comparison, but I'm still thrilled about the interview and the outcome. Huge thanks to NPR's Liane Hansen for the thoughtful, probing questions ... and for the chance to be on her acclaimed Weekend Edition show.

A few other highlights this week ...

• THE OTHER LIFE got an intense and outstanding review from BookPage, a popular industry publication. Here's a sample: "The choices in this novel are heartbreaking, and thoughtfully show the value of a mother’s support, guidance, steadfast love and sacrifices. How Quinn decides she’ll live at the novel’s close and with whom is never obvious, making for a riveting tale of love and choices."  Read the rest here.

• I'm extremely grateful to the Robin Kall for the terrific interview on her Saturday morning radio program, Reading with Robin, broadcast on WHJJ in Rhode Island, and streaming live everywhere. Robin is smart, down-to-earth and a great champion of books. And she has a way of making you feel like an old friend right from the start. I really enjoyed our chat, and will post a link to the podcast when it's available.

• Warmth and thanks to Liz and Lisa at chicklitisnotdead.com for the fun feature, which included a suitably ridiculous photo of me. And a special shout-out to all the wonderful folks who entered the drawing for a free book!

• Hugs and thanks to my sweet and supportive friend, Jill Thomas, for posting a review of THE OTHER LIFE on her blog.

• LonelyFriday.org posted a review that I loved from start of finish. One of my faves! You can read it here.

• Some nice quotes this week. From The Midwest Book Review: "The Other Life" is an exciting and suspenseful novel of choosing ones path in life, highly recommended."  And from the San Francisco Book Review: "This is a gripping tale about choices and self discovery."

• I also love this quote from a blog called Debbie's Book Bag: ""This was an amazing book! Ellen Meister has given readers a book that will touch them to their core ... great for book clubs, mothers and daughters and for those who have issues with their own choices in life. I recommend this one to my readers whole-heartedly. It's contemporary fiction at it's best!"

• I got some kind of a shout-out on the Indie Bestseller List. No, THE OTHER LIFE is not actually ON the list, but it's near it. Sweet to be a "favorite." Click here and scroll down.

• By now even I'm getting sick of myself, so I can only imagine how you must feel. Time to switch gears and give a few shouts for friends ...

     ♦ I don't read much nonfiction, but I'm DYING to read Laura Snyder's THE PHILOSOPHICAL  BREAKFAST CLUB, which is getting outstanding reviews everywhere.

     ♦ Susan Henderson is the featured author at Smith Magazine. Click it and read those few sentences and you'll immediately understand why I adore her so.

     ♦ So thrilled that my pal Michael Palmer is burning up the bestseller lists (again!) with his newest thriller, A HEARTBEAT AWAY.

As heard on NPR ...

Big day yesterday, as my NPR interview with Liane Hansen aired on The Morning Edition. I'm a huge NPR fan, so this was a dream come true.

If you missed it, click here to listen to the podcast.

Friday Update 3/11/11

Whoa ... crazy schedule today. Here's a real fast Friday update:

• RADIO DAYS - It's a big radio weekend for me. Check it out ...

Sunday on NPR
I'm a huge NPR fan and I'm thrilled that you'll get to hear me answer Liane Hansen's probing questions about THE OTHER LIFE this Sunday morning on The Weekend Edition. Click here to find your local station and time.

Or, to hear the program online from 8am - 10am (Eastern time) click here to access a live stream from WNYC.

Saturday on WHJJ
I'm going to be interviewed live on the air by Robin Kall, host of Reading with Robin on WHJJ in Providence, RI. To listen online from anywhere, click here at 7:30 am Eastern time.

Right Now on Texas Public Radio
You can hear me talk about THE OTHER LIFE right now via podcast on Texas Public Radio.

• REVIEWS
Some great reviews of THE OTHER LIFE appeared this week, and I'm thrilled to share them ...

     Reviews from the Heart: 5 out of 5 stars!

    BookNAround "The themes of love and loss are well-drawn and realistic and the ending of the story is really quite perfectly written ... This book would be a fantastic choice for reading groups given its premise and all the issues Meister raises."


    That's What She Read "The Other Life is beautifully written, presenting Quinn's agony with care and accuracy. Ms. Meister does a great job ... "

• OTHER NEWS

Big thanks to The Book End Babes for making THE OTHER LIFE a March pick!

Very excited that my essay on writing appears on the Back Page Column of The San Francisco Book Review. Read it here.



Have a great weekend ... and please don't forget to tune into NPR on Sunday morning!

Essay in San Francisco Book Review

Happy and honored that my essay about writing goals now appears on The Back Page of the San Francisco Book Review.

If you’re like most writers, you spend a lot of time thinking about some elusive writing goal. Whether it’s landing a literary agent, finishing your memoir, publishing a novel or getting your first short story acceptance, it looms like a magnificent finish line. And beyond it, bliss.

Eight years ago, after months of soul-crushing rejections, I got the call writers dream about ...

Read more

Friday Update 3/4

Big thanks to everyone who came to my Barnes & Noble/Carle Place event last night! Great crowd, and though I'm sorry some of you had to stand, I have to admit that SRO is kind of gratifying ... especially since I was worried that no one would show up.

Here's more news ...

• Looks like my NPR interview will air on Sunday, 3/13. More on that soon.

• Nice feature on Newsday.com yesterday. Click here to read the article. (Click here if you can't view it the entire story.)

• Huge thanks to the Girls Just Reading blog for the insightful and interesting interview questions! Please click here to read it.

• Savvy Verse & Wit posted this very thoughtful (and positive) review of THE OTHER LIFE.

• Also thrilled with this wonderful review from Raging Bibliomania.

• Sweet surprise--Sherryl Connelly of the New York Daily News did a roundup of books with a local setting and included THE OTHER LIFE:

click image for larger view

• I loved this feature about the cover art for THE OTHER LIFE on a B&N blog.

• Extra-special Goodreads review from JoAnn Jordan this week, in which she says, "[THE OTHER LIFE] is the most beautiful book I have read in years. "  Read the rest here.

• In Colloquium, Janie Hickok Siess gives an impressively thoughtful and in-depth review of THE OTHER LIFE, saying "It is impossible to put the book down because the story is so unique and the issues Meister explores so multi-layered and fascinating you are compelled to keep reading to see what Quinn will do next .... ‎The exploration of Quinn Braverman's journey to that place of empowerment over her own life is an exhilarating and thoughtful one that lovers of women's fiction should not miss." 


• Debbi Honorof did a wonderful interview with Jodi Picoult in the March issue of Long Island Woman. Check it out!


• Great local coverage in the Syosset Jericho Tribune! Huge thanks to all my friends and relatives who reached out after seeing this. Really appreciate the support. xo


• Overzealous spam filters seem to be snatching my emails from the inboxes of my subscribers, and I can't seem to find a way around that. Frustrating! But you can click here to see my latest newsletter.


Have a great weekend!

Friday Update 2/25

Busy and emotional week here. My darling daughter has been away (sniff) since Sunday. Another family whisked her away on a Disney cruise and she's having the time of her life. When I say the house is quiet without her, I'm not exaggerating. It's like someone hit the mute button.

In other news ...

• Last Friday night was my book launch event for THE OTHER LIFE and I think it's safe to say it was a smashing success. Over 150 people came and it was standing room only. Huge thanks to Book Revue for hosting it, and to everyone who came and bought books. I promised a portion of my proceeds to NSSA (Nassau Suffolk Services for Autism) and I'll be making a nice fat check out today.

Special shout-out to Michael Sammis for rounding up the troops for the event!

• If you want to see the Q & A portion, check this out. The dorky opening is a little embarrassing, but I have to own it ...



• If you missed this event I would LOVE to see you at my next book talk at the Barnes & Noble in Carle Place. It's this Thursday, 3/3 at 7:30. Here's the ad they ran yesterday in Newsday:

• A bit of non-book fun on Wednesday night—my cousin Lisa Kudrow appeared at the Museum of the Moving Image in Astoria to discuss her brilliant show, THE COMEBACK, and we went to see it. She was smart and funny and so engaging. I adore her. Btw, the entire season is available on DVD.  Hilarious ...

• Yesterday was a big day for me, as I went into the Bryant Park studio of NPR to record an interview about THE OTHER LIFE with Liane Hansen of the Weekend Edition. Her questions were intelligent and probing, and I felt good about my answers. I'm a huge NPR fan, so this qualifies as a dream come true. Hope to get an air date soon.

• Another fun thing yesterday was the happy surprise of discovering that Books-A-Million was promoting THE OTHER LIFE on their Facebook page.

• Woke up this morning to a Google alert about an article in the Syosset Jericho Tribune. Nice!

• Here's a very cool interview from The Book Doctors. I love the questions they asked about switching genres, handling rejection and more.

• Shout-out to Ethan for passing his permit test!!! Woooooooooot!

UPDATED TO ADD:
There are now signed copies of THE OTHER LIFE available in New York City at the Penn Plaza Borders and the Barnes & Noble on Fifth Ave. (bet. 45th & 46th), and on Long Island at Book Revue in Huntington and the Barnes & Noble stores in Carle Place, Manhasset and Huntington Station.

Friday Update 2/18/11

Today's my big day--I have my book launch event at Book Revue, and if you're local I hope you'll come. It starts at 7, but for insiders like you there's a wine & cheese reception at 6:30.


I'm so keyed up I've been awake since 4 am, so I might collapse halfway through. But let's hope adrenaline keeps me going.


A lot of reviews, interviews and other things went live this week, so I have much to share. Here goes ...


• Susan Henderson's interview with me on The Nervous Breakdown went live about five minutes ago. She's a brilliant writer and reader, and asked truly provocative questions. I hope you'll read it!


• Whoosh! Pretty spectacular review in The New York Journal of Books.


• If you're not on my mailing list, here's what you missed yesterday.


• I was interviewed by Jennifer Haupt for Psychology Today, and she asked smart, probing questions. Take a look.


• It was a real honor that I got to blog for the Penguin site this week!


• From the Girls Just Reading blog: "If you are looking for a nice light read, this novel isn't it.  If you are looking for a novel that will bring you to tears in the best way possible, this is it."  Read more.

• Nice words from a reviewer who loved the book despite that (sniff) she didn't fall in love with my darling Quinn. "Meister has constructed an exquisite book, one which shows, rather than asks, the “what if” questions in one’s life ... a beautiful look at the love between mothers and their children, healing, loss, and unconditional love." Rundpine review.


• The Best Damn Creative Writing Blog gives the book a "Highly Recommended" and does a fab job with the summary. Read it here.


• Bookworm Baby gives THE OTHER LIFE 5 stars. More here.


• I really love this heartfelt review from Boston Book Bums.


• S. Krishna's Books said, "The Other Life was an engaging read that will leave readers reflecting on their own lives."  See the review here.


• The Lost Entwife says, "I devoured this book, and "The Other Life will make a fantastic book club read and will be on my mind quite a bit in the upcoming days." Read more here.


• Holly Weiss says, "The Other Life is fascinating, original and intriguing. Exploring the complexities of mother/daughter dynamics, the book examines the consequences when that love is put to the ultimate test. If you are longing for invigorating, relevant writing over a broad emotional plane, you will love this book. Be prepared to be touched deeply." You can read the rest of her wonderful review here.


• Lots of love from my darling friend Robin Slick this week. Here's her generous blog entry.


• Speaking of brilliant friends, Susan DiPlacido posted a review so beautiful I nearly wept.


• Yesterday I got to blog for the Girlfriends Book Club and wrote a post called THE CALL or How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love Being in Suspense.

• Nice shout-out today in Newsday with a picture of the book cover. Sweet! The visual isn't online, so if you have the paper, check out page B4.


• One last thing and (gasp!) it's not about me. My pal Michael Palmer's gorgeous new thriller, A HEARTBEAT AWAY is now in stores. I know it's going to tear up the bestseller lists. Don't miss it!