And Now It's Free Books!
Thursday, July 23, 2009 
Hurrah! My paperbacks arrived yesterday and to celebrate, I want to give a few away. :) We did this when the hardcover came out, and everyone had so much fun with it that we're doing it again. So here's the dealio - as many of you probably know, Time of My Life (have I mentioned it's out in paperback on August 4th?) is the story of one woman's what-ifs, what if she'd made different choices, how different would her life have been?
And so, to that end, to enter into this contest, post your own what-if below. Please be sure to include your email address or your Twitter handle or some way that I can contact you should you win. I'll be running this through the end of the day next Tuesday, so will announce the winners on Wednesday...which means that you'll likely have your copy BEFORE they're available in stores. (I know, I know, I can hear the anticipation from here.) :)
So, post your own what-if, and I will choose my favorite three. And because I am super nice, I'll also choose two people at random, just in case they're totally content with every last choice they've ever made but still want a copy of the book. :) (So if you don't have a what-if, leave your name, email, etc.) So that is FIVE books that I'm giving away! And once the book is launched, there will be several other giveaways at book blogs - I'll post them when they go live.
Have at it! In fact, have the time of your lives. (Okay, I couldn't resist.)
Reader Comments (91)
What if you opened a new box of your favorite cereal, only to find it was a completely different kind cereal inside!
@EricaBailey
What if your parents had never met? jpetroroy@gmail.com
What if every passenger had a first class seat and a first class meal and every flight attendant worked an empty flight, would we then be happy?
I'm getting married in October & I am so excited but can't help thinking - what if I'd waited longer to get engaged, what if we had then broken up - would I have met someone else who would make me happier? What if I'm making a mistake?
What if I'd become a flight attendant in my 20's, instead of my 50's?
What if you could pick any age to stop getting older but once you you picked your age that was the age you remained at forever!!
My "what if" is this: What if I didn't get pregnant at seventeen? But I know the answer already.
I would be in college, having the time of my life. I would most likely be married to the "other" boy--the one who would have married me back in high school. My next nail appointment and my English final would be the most of my worries. But if this were true, I wouldn't have the sweetest thing life gave me: my son. And frankly, everything else just isn't worth as much.
What if you grew up in a completely different family -- say if you're an only child, you became an identical twin in a huge, rowdy, loud family -- and how would that change the person you are today?
What if I didn't put in my 2 weeks notice last Friday to a job that I don't love? Would I live the rest of my life always sitting, waiting, wishing?
@caroltranners
What if I hadn't ever given my one night stand the time of day? I wouldn't be married to my soulmate!
What if I had never left London after my college semester overseas had been completed? Would I have found my dream job and dream man instead of coming home to get a useless degree, get downsized, and become down on my luck? @sagepage
What if I had decided to settle for the wrong guy when I was 23 years old? @mwwatters
My blog was thought up on this premise, what if? It's www.mylifeofwhatifs.com and it started as "What if I hadn't quit my job last November to take a chance on myself and follow my dreams?" I am now a freelance writer, blogger, and starting my own business. I am more passionate about my work than ever before and I have more time with my family. The answer to that what if is that I would still be completely miserable with no passion or creativity in my life, and that's no way for me to live.
@swanngirlz
What if....
-My fathers parents had not died tragically when he was a teenager. His father... cirrhosis of the liver, his mother... suicide—back when bipolar disorder was treated with shock therapy.
-My mothers parents had not lived tragically. She suffered from her fathers physical abuse and abuse caused by her mothers mental illness... multiple personality disorder and paranoia.... she died old, ill, and angry.
....would it change the imprint on my life?
What if I studied more, practiced my guitar more and didn't get married so young? At 42, I still don't think I would know myself any better.....
What if I hadn't broken my hand at the NHL camp I attended? Instead of wasting away in the Minor League's, I could have been on the rise in the "Show"
I was dating two guys named Mike at the same time in my early twenties. (My family named them Mike1 and Mike2) I ending up breaking up with Mike1 and marrying Mike2...what if I had chose Mike1 instead?
What if I had never gone to law school? Would I ever have had the guts to quit the corporate world to live the life I am leading now? Or would I have always wished for a more "high-powered" life?
What if that one time you decided to say Yes, instead of No?
@stephensoto
What if I hadn't had that dream about you-know-who. Would I still be wondering "what if?"
What if I had worn deodorant that morning? @julietries
What if I never left London? And lived the European fantasy forever waking up every morning to the clip-clop sound of the Changing of the Guard and working my posh job at Liberty of London. Traveling and hitting all the hip clubs until 2am. Why must Student Visa's expire?
@Mikolleen
What if there were a training manual, a competency test, and regular recertifications required to be a parent? @tml
What if my childhood had been idyllic instead of challenging?
What if...
...I hadn't moved away from home right out of high school?
...I had attended the Art Institute of Chicago as intended?
...I had never started working at the drug store where I met my husband?
...I had decided not to have children nine years apart?