Welcome to Moms Don't Have Time to Read Books with Zivie. I'm the host, Zivie Owens. I am an author. My latest is blank,

pub date March 1st, a novel. I'm also a podcaster, obviously, a publisher, a bookstore owner,

and so much more. If you love books, you're in the right place. In fact,

we call it the Zivieverse, or really, the L.A. Times called it the Zibiverse, and we're going with it.

Go to Zivie Owens.com to learn more and follow me on Instagram at Zivie Owens.

Hi, listeners. Oh my gosh. Today's episode is about blank. In fact, this week is going to be a little bit self-serving because I am so excited to finally have a novel out into the world. And I'm hoping that the collection of episodes coming next will be exciting to you as well. I have different people interviewing me and talking about books and all of that.

I thought that I would start this week off by reading you the first chapter of blank.

If you have not read it on Amazon First Reads and you are waiting to get your copy this Friday, March 1st, I will give you a little preview so you can

get a little bit ahead. Also, if you haven't signed up, I have book events all around the country,

which I know is crazy, but I'm going to try and do it anyway. It kicks off this Thursday night

at the Bedford Playhouse at 7 p.m. with Annabelle Moynihan. So if you live anywhere near Bedford,

New York, there are still some tickets left. Come and do that. Also in New York City on Friday,

I'll be with Ariana Huffington at Girls Right Now, which is a nonprofit and is amazing,

and it helps encourage literacy in younger girls from underprivile backgrounds. So that is Friday. And then Sunday,

I will be at Newtonville Books right across the street from the store at a place called Thistle and Leek,

where I will be in conversation with Hannah Halperin. And I'm going to be signing books all over town.

And then Tuesday, I will be at P&T, knitwear, downtown in New York City. So those are my first few

events. And if you can, come to one of those. And I will keep you updated. Okay, here's a little preview of

blank. Chapter 1. Mom, look, Zoe, are you okay? It was the middle of the night and I had just

woken up to a cell phone being shoved in front of my face. Great. Now I'd never fall back asleep. Well, at least I could start writing early. I told you they were getting together. See, I knew he didn't like me. What time is it? I struggled to sit up in the dark. Look. See his hand on her back? Whose hand? Just look! I fumbled for and grabbed my reading glasses off the stack of books on my bedside table, slid them on, and looked at the Instagram post of two canoodling teens.

When the kids were little, I was sure my sleepless nights would soon be over for good.

Not a chance. At age 15, so we still seem to have no grasp of the distinction between night and day and the fact

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