Liz Alterman
Writer, Editor, Storyteller
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You Shouldn't Have Done That
"You Shouldn’t Have Done That by Liz Alterman is a fast-paced thriller about close friends and how far a mother will go to protect her child. Jane and Ivy have been best friends since their sons Brad and Cal were in kindergarten, and now the young men are living together in a Wyoming ski resort. When only one of them returns from a ski trip, the two families lives begin to unravel. This is a super twisty tale, with fascinating, multi-layered and dysfunctional characters, most with dark secrets. I raced through the pages and thoroughly enjoyed the multiple points of view along with the intense shocks, particularly the ones towards the end. A must-read for all thriller lovers!" ― Miranda Rijks, author of Violets Are Blue
Jane Whitaker and Ivy Chapman have been best friends for twenty years - ever since their sons Cal and Brad attended the same preschool.
But their close bond is severely tested when their now adult sons go skiing together in Wyoming and only one returns.
Where is Cal Whitaker and why didn’t Brad Chapman report him missing? With growing fears for Cal's safety, his family begins to suspect Brad knows a lot more than he's saying.
Friendship turns to suspicion and then to open hostility when Cal's sister Emerson posts an online appeal that ignites a vicious crusade against Brad.
As decades-old loyalties crumble, Jane and Ivy find themselves on opposite sides of a deadly divide. How far will each mother go to protect her family? And what happens when saving one son means destroying the other?
You Shouldn’t Have Done That – the gripping psychological thriller perfect for fans of Lisa Jewell, Liane Moriarty, and Sally Hepworth.
Claire Casey's Had Enough
Available June 3, 2025
"Liz Alterman’s Claire Casey’s Had Enough is a hilarious and heartwarming romcom that captivated me from the first page. With sharp wit and relatable characters, Alterman masterfully explores love, nostalgia, and the complexities of midlife, with a fresh voice. A delightful read that will leave you laughing and reflecting long after the final chapter!" ― Ann Garvin, USA Today bestselling author
"Charming and unexpected, Claire Casey’s Had Enough is the story of a harried wife and mother who must decide if her former flame is a footnote - or her future. Liz Alterman has a true talent for writing all-too-relatable characters and the challenges midlife can throw our way ."― Camille Pagán, bestselling author of Good for You
Back in the day, Claire had dreams. She was going to be somebody! Now a forty-something mom of three (four if you count her husband!), drowning in laundry and PTA chores, with a job she can't stand, she's finally had enough . . . A hilarious, heartwarming mom-com, perfect for fans of Sophie Kinsella and Fiona Gibson.
Claire Casey has reached her breaking point. For years, she's juggled it all: kids, husband, career, and a never-ending list of responsibilities. But when the man who's supposed to be her partner - who promised he wouldn't let his phone die and would pick her up from the airport - completely forgets about her, Claire snaps.
It's the final straw. Claire is done. And so are they.
Sort of . . . maybe. (It's not easy saying goodbye to sixteen years of marriage, ok!)
Still, Claire's determined to reclaim her life. She's tired of being the overworked, worn-out mom in her forties. She wants to be hopeful, vivacious Claire again.
Attending her college reunion reconnects her with former flame, Alex. And while flirting with him over email is innocent, his invitation to meet for drinks at a swanky hotel is not!
As Claire begins to rediscover the woman she was, she's forced to confront the harsh reality that recapturing her sense of self could blow up her marriage . . . Now Claire must decide: risk the unknown or rebuild the life she has, flaws and all?
Told over the course of a day in the life of this relatable heroine, Claire Casey's Had Enough is a laugh-out-loud mom-com that readers will adore!
The House on Cold Creek Lane
When Laurel and Rob West move into their new home, it feels like the fresh start the couple needs. But Laurel can't shake her old feelings of anxiety. Is there's something people aren't telling her about this house . . .
Corey Sutton is trying to outrun her past. Recently divorced and reeling from a devastating loss, she moves into her widowed mother's condo in Florida. Everyone says she just needs time to recover and rebuild . . . but is Corey beyond saving? She wants answers. And there's very little she won't do to get them.
Though Laurel and Corey have never met, the women have something in common, and if they're not careful, it may just destroy them both . . .
Sad Sacked
The last person Liz Alterman expects to hear from during her Thanksgiving prep is her husband, Rich. He never calls from his job at a busy Manhattan newsroom. And he never will again, because he's just been laid off. Two months later, Liz is downsized, too.
At first, Rich is enchanted with his new leisurely lifestyle. But when he's still unemployed six months later, his euphoric mood devolves into depression and despair. It falls to Liz to figure out how to support their family of five and keep up appearances in their well-to-do suburb, where even nannies drive the latest model Lexus.
Sad Sacked blends the wit of Nora Ephron’s Heartburn with the madcap hilarity of Maria Semple’s Where’d You Go, Bernadette to expose the pressure on women to put on a happy face even as their world falls apart. In Liz Alterman’s gifted hands, we laugh until we cry about what happens when the bottom drops out.
The Perfect Neighborhood
"Liz Alterman is a masterful storyteller and The Perfect Neighborhood is a devour-in-one-sitting read.”
—May Cobb, author of The Hunting Wives
When actress and model Allison Langley leaves her former rockstar husband, Christopher, in the middle of the night, it’s all her Oak Hill neighbors can talk about. The gossip comes to an abrupt halt when five-year-old Billy Barnes goes missing on his walk home from kindergarten.
Billy’s mother, Rachel, blames herself for being at work and letting her only child walk alone. Cassidy, Billy’s teenage babysitter, was also late to arrive on the afternoon he disappeared and blames herself for his disappearance.
As the clock ticks down, police are unable to find any trace of Billy, forcing Rachel to ponder the enemies she’s made in their well-off suburb. Could it be one of her neighbors who stole her son? Would they abduct Billy to hurt her? How easy would it be to take a child while the parents or nannies are distracted?
He'll Be Waiting
When Tess Porter agrees to pick up her boyfriend’s college pal at the airport on a snowy December night, she has no idea she’s about to embark on the most dangerous ride of her life.
Two days later, the 17-year-old wakes up in a hospital with broken bones, unable to remember how she got there. Her parents are acting strange, and neither James, her boyfriend, nor her best friend, Izzy, has visited.
As she struggles to physically recover, Tess wrestles with haunting questions: What happened? Will her memory ever return? And what if she’s better off not recalling any of it?
Upcoming Events
'New Jersey Novelists, New Jersey Novels' panel
Saturday, April 26, 12:30 p.m.
Montclair State University
Local Author Day
Saturday, May 10, 1:30 to 4 p.m.
Celebrating the launch of Claire Casey's Had Enough
with Shannon Russell,
author of
Start Your Second Act: How to Change Careers, Launch a Business, and Create Your Best Life
June 8, 3 p.m.
The Book House
Long Branch, N J
Check back for updates.
Humor + Essays
McSweeney’s
The New York Times
Jane Friedman.com
Jellyfish Review
Next Avenue
Anthology
Contact
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I love connecting with readers! I'm happy to join your book club discussion by Zoom, Google Meet, Skype, or in-person if you live near Morris County, NJ.
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