Lisa McCubbin Hill's Blog

I’m thrilled that so many book clubs are reading BETTY FORD: First Lady, Women’s Advocate, Survivor, Trailblazer and many have asked for some Book Club Discussion Questions. So… here you go!

I’d love to hear from you if your book club is reading Betty Ford. Send your photos and questions to me on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram!

BOOK CLUB DISCUSSION QUESTIONS

What did you learn about Betty Ford that you didn’t know before?
Did you enjoy the book?
How did Betty’s story make you feel?
Were there any phases in Betty’s life to which you could particularly relate?
Do you think you would enjoy being First Lady (or First Gentleman)?
Did Betty’s story make you think differently about the role of the First Lady?
Most of us have been touched in some way by alcoholism and/or drug addiction. What did you think about the way the Ford family handled Betty’s addiction to alcohol and prescription drugs? Could you relate?
Have you ever been involved in an intervention?
Melania Trump once said that she would be a “traditional” First Lady like Betty Ford or Jacqueline Kennedy. Do you think Betty Ford was “traditional”?
Share a favorite quote from the book.
Would you read another book by this author? Why or why not?
Was there anything you wish the author had delved into more deeply?
Did this book change your previous perception of President Ford and Betty Ford? If so, in what way?
What would you say is Betty Ford’s most important legacy?

The post Betty Ford Book Club Discussion Questions appeared first on Lisa McCubbin.

It will go down as one of the most successful undercover operations of 2020. The surprise 88th birthday party for my partner, coauthor,  and legendary Secret Service Agent Clint Hill.

THE RUSE

Clint thought that he and I were going to dinner at one of our favorite local restaurants. I’d told him we had seven o’clock reservations, but before that, we were invited for cocktails with another couple at my parents’ new residence, which Clint hadn’t yet seen. Meanwhile, our next door neighbor Vicki had offered to have our dog Dazzle over for a playdate with his bestie Enzo.

We left promptly at 4:45 and had a lovely time catching up with my parents and friends Telly Hoimes and B.V. Vaughn. The plan was for us to depart at 6:15, head back to collect Dazzle and take him out for a quick pee, and then go out to dinner. Unbeknownst to me, Clint had called the restaurant a few hours earlier to check if they were serving his favorite dish—cassoulet—that night. Fortunately, he didn’t give his name, or he would have found out that we did not actually have a reservation.

THE PREPARATION

Meanwhile, there was a manic flurry of activity at our house as the caterers, a bartender, and thirty-four friends were sneaking into our home, just minutes after we left. Paige Peterson and Wendy Miller were moving furniture, pulling serving dishes and fondue pots out of the cupboards, and lighting candles, while my sister Stephanie and her husband were greeting guests, taking coats, and handing out RayBan style sunglasses. Steve John had prepared a music playlist of Sinatra tunes and was syncing his phone with the Sonos system. Jessica Miller had created a fabulous (and mouth waveringly delicious) James Bond themed cake with a caricature of a Secret Service agent holding a gun in one hand and Clint’s signature Campari cocktail—The Clint—in a tall glass in the other.

In order to get Clint into the house, I told him that Vicki had already brought Dazzle back to our place, so no need to collect him. I furtively texted Paige:  ON OUR WAY. I chatted with Clint the short walk back to our house, my stomach swirling in a frenzy of anticipation. I could tell he didn’t have a clue. As we turned the corner toward our front door, I was pleasantly surprised to see that no one was arriving late—the guests had been told to arrive between 5:45 and 6:00.

Wendy Miller and Paige Peterson

John Lamar poses by Clint’s portrait.

THE SURPRISE

My heart was beating as Clint turned the key into the lock. Being the gentleman he is, he always opens the door and allows me to walk in first. So in I walked. I could hear someone whisper “Shhh.” Clint walked in behind me. He told us later that he was concerned when Dazzle wasn’t waiting for us at the door wagging his tail. And then he saw a pair of shoes down the hall. His immediate thought was that we were being burglarized.

Clint is shocked to see dozens of friends yelling Surprise!

One of our friends, Mike Rowe, later commented, “I hoped he wasn’t carrying a gun.”  Fortunately not.

And then Clint saw lots of shoes and lots of people and in that moment, they yelled “Surprise!” and started singing Happy Birthday to you…

Clint was in complete shock. We had pulled it off! Surprised the Secret Service Agent. I could see in his face that he was overwhelmed with joy, even though he was really struggling to keep his emotions in check.

“I can’t believe it,” he said, his eyes on the verge of, but not quite, welling up with tears. As he looked around at all the friends who had dropped everything to celebrate his 88th birthday, his shock turned into an enormous smile. There were hugs and handshakes, and then the party began.

Clint, Lisa, Mike Rowe

We feasted on crab cakes, filet of beef on crostini, shrimp cocktail, asparagus with aoli dip, peanut chicken skewers, bread and veggies with cheese fondue, wine, champagne, cocktails, and of course that amazing birthday cake. The room was buzzing with conversation and laughter and every time I glanced at Clint, he had a huge smile on his face.

One of my guests remarked that the sign of a good party was that no one wanted to leave. Well, then, it was a darn good party. It was after midnight when the last guests finally bid goodbye.

THE VERDICT

“It was perfect,” Clint said. I was thrilled I was able to pull it off. And so grateful that he truly enjoyed it. As I said in my toast, We are all here because we love you, and we are blessed to know you.

It was a great party celebrating a truly great man.

For more about the party, check out Mike Rowe’s take on Instagram and Facebook. And Clint’s version of events on his Facebook and Instagram.

 

 

 

The post Happy 88th Birthday, Clint Hill! appeared first on Lisa McCubbin.

Thanks to Patricia Chadwick for this complimentary review of BETTY FORD. I hope you’ll take her advice and make Betty one of your summer reads!

Sometimes a book resonates with its reader in a special way. That can happen for an array of reasons – perhaps it stirs something deep inside, or it informs in a new way, or maybe it brings back memories, or it could be something else entirely. I had that sense of something special when I recently read Lisa McCubbin’s:

Betty Ford: First Lady, Women’s Advocate, Survivor, Trailblazer.

The Prologue was jarring, in fact searing, and almost uncomfortable to read. But it was clear that it was meant to shock because it followed a Foreword by Susan Ford Bales, (Betty Ford’s own daughter) who wrote, “…this is the story of Betty Ford, told with honesty, compassion, and candor.” Read more at:

PatriciaChadwick.com

The post Recommended Summer Read: Betty Ford by Lisa McCubbin appeared first on Lisa McCubbin.

Is your Book Club reading BETTY FORD: First Lady, Women’s Advocate, Survivor, Trailblazer? I’d love to Skype in during your discussion. You can ask me anything. . . and I’ll probably have a few questions for you too!

I love connecting with readers and hearing what you liked most about the book, what surprised you, or how you could relate to Betty. What did you learn that you didn’t know? Did you realize she was such a spitfire? Can you even imagine being thrust into the role of First Lady–literally, almost overnight.

Were you surprised to learn the backstory behind the founding of the Betty Ford Center?

Everyone is talking about how timely Betty Ford’s story is and indeed it is astonishing that the issues she spoke out about are just as relevant today: women are still marching for equal rights; women are still dying from breast cancer (although the survival rate has improved drastically since 1974 when Betty was diagnosed); and addiction to opioids has become a national crisis.

COMMON QUESTIONS

Some of the most common questions I get are:

What made you decide to write about Betty Ford?

How long did it take to write the book?

What did your research entail?

What does the Ford family think about the book?

What surprised you most about Betty Ford as you were writing about her life?

CONTACT INFO

The great thing about Skype is that even if I’m traveling, I can Skype from my hotel room. We just need to coordinate our schedules and let the conversation begin! Email me: Lisa@LisaMcCubbin.com

I look forward to (virtually) meeting you!

 

 

The post I Want to Skype Your Book Club! appeared first on Lisa McCubbin.

My latest book, the first in-depth biography of BETTY FORD, was released Tuesday, 9/11/18  and I’m thrilled with all the wonderful reviews.

Publishers Weekly gives BETTY FORD: First Lady, Women’s Advocate, Survivor, Trailblazer a starred review, listing it among “exceptional books out this week!”

“In this meticulously researched and delightful biography, [Lisa] McCubbin skillfully chronicles the life of former first lady Betty Ford both in and out of the White House. Read the full review here.

The Wall Street Journal calls Betty Ford a “Number-One First Lady” with an “inspirational survivor story.” The book shows that her most enduring legacy may be to have helped destigmatize the twin scourges of cancer and drug-and-alcohol addiction. Read the full review here.

Tonya Francisco of WGN-TV loved Betty Ford’s “fascinating” story noting that she didn’t know anything about this amazing woman other than that she had started the world-famous Betty Ford Center. Watch the interview here.

LeighAnn Towne of Fox Morning Mix in Grand Rapids said she isn’t much of a reader, but once she started flipping through the book, now she can’t put it down. Watch the interview here. 

Cokie Roberts–who I greatly admire and was a friend of Betty Ford’s–writes in the Washington Post that the biography is celebratory: “Here we meet a brave beautiful and bright woman…and as first lady, she learned that her voice mattered.”

Have you read it yet? I’d love to hear what you think. Please write me at Lisa@LisaMcCubbin.com and post your reviews on Amazon and Goodreads!

BETTY FORD: First Lady, Women’s Advocate, Survivor, Trailblazer is on sale now, at bookstores nationwide.

 

 

The post BETTY FORD book is here! appeared first on Lisa McCubbin.

Today would be Jackie Kennedy’s 89th birthday. She’s been gone twenty-four years, and yet she remains an icon of fashion, elegance, and timeless beauty.

I didn’t know her, but through my books with Secret Service agent Clint Hill, I’ve had the great privilege to get a rare glimpse into who she really was—the woman inside that public persona. Jackie Kennedy was a devoted mother and loving wife. A skilled equestrian, tennis player, and waterskier.

Fluent in French, Spanish, and Italian. She loved history, art, and photography. She loved animals–dogs, horses, cats, all animals–and she couldn’t stand to see them harmed.

One day, Agent Hill was driving down a country dirt road in Middleburg, Virginia with Mrs. Kennedy in the right front seat.  As they came around a corner, a turtle was trodding across the road. The turtle’s brown shell camouflaged into the dirt road and Hill saw it a moment too late. Crack. Crunch. 

Mrs. Kennedy was horrified. “Oh, Mr. Hill! What have you done?” She was truly upset by the turtle’s sudden tragic demise and from then on, Hill watched out much more vigilantly for living creatures that might cross their path.

As first lady, Jackie Kennedy was America’s best ambassador. She was beloved by people around the world, and effortlessly charmed foreign leaders.

During a 1961 visit to Paris, Jackie Kennedy did something that to this day is almost unfathomable: she convinced the French government to remove the Mona Lisa from the Louvre and send it to the United States to hang in the National Gallery for a temporary exhibit.

One thing about the former first lady that might surprise many was that she had a bawdy sense of humor. Yes, Jackie Kennedy was a bit naughty.

As we wrote in Mrs. Kennedy and Me, during her 1962 trip to India, she bought some art prints of Kama Sutra poses. She had them framed, and hung them prominently—not in the bedroom—but the dining room. Talk about a conversation starter!

Clint once told me she would have liked me. I know I would have liked her.

Happy Birthday, Jackie.

 

The post Jackie Kennedy would be 89 Today appeared first on Lisa McCubbin.

Betty Ford: First Lady, Women’s Advocate, Survivor, Trailblazer
Lisa McCubbin. Gallery, $28 (432p) ISBN 978-1-5011-6468-2

In this meticulously researched and delightful biography, McCubbin (Mrs. Kennedy and Me) skillfully chronicles the life of former first lady Betty Ford, both in and out of the White House. Born Elizabeth Ann Bloomer in 1918, Betty—the youngest of three kids and the only girl—was raised largely in Grand Rapids, Mich. After performance school in Bennington, Vt., “Betty felt like she had been ‘born to dance,’ ” writes McCubbin, and in 1936 she moved to New York City where she studied with the Martha Graham Dance Company.

She returned home and in 1942 married William G. Warren, who worked in [his] father’s insurance company, but divorced in 1947. The following year she met and married Gerald Ford Jr., who in 1974 became the 38th president of the U.S. In Washington, D.C., the Fords raised three sons and a daughter—and after an old dance injury flared up, Betty became addicted to painkillers and alcohol. Her decision to publicly share her story, McCubbin explains, led to the 1982 opening of the Betty Ford Center in Southern California, and her openness about her diagnosis with and recovery from breast cancer allowed a generation of women to speak about a disease once viewed as shameful.

McCubbin writes with great tact and sensitivity in this insightful and beautifully told look into the life of one of the most public and admired first ladies. (Sept.)

*A Publishers Weekly starred review denotes a “book of outstanding quality.”

The post Publishers Weekly Starred Review of BETTY FORD appeared first on Lisa McCubbin.

To celebrate what would have been Betty Ford’s 100th birthday, the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Museum in Grand Rapids, Michigan has opened a beautiful temporary exhibit aptly titled, “In Step with Betty Ford.”

Temporary exhibit runs until January 6, 2019.

I had the great honor of being at the ribbon cutting ceremony on April 10, along with Susan Ford Bales and many other members of the Ford family.

If your travels take you anywhere near Grand Rapids this summer, I highly suggest this be one of your must-sees. Having spent the past two years researching and writing about Betty Ford for my upcoming book BETTY FORD: First Lady, Women’s Advocate, Survivor, Trailblazer, it was wonderful to see how the curators have culled through their vast archives to showcase Betty’s life from childhood and aspiring dancer in Grand Rapids, her marriage to Jerry Ford, motherhood, life as a Congressman’s wife in Washington, to suddenly becoming First Lady in the wake of political scandal.  The exhibit also showcases how, after the White House, she made the courageous decision to go public with her addiction to prescription drugs and alcohol, and eventually founded the world-renowned Betty Ford Center. What a life! And what a legacy.

Items on display in “In Step with Betty Ford” exhibit.

 

Walking through Betty Ford’s amazing life on display at the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Museum.

Susan Ford Bales in front of a replica of the Fords’ family home in Alexandria, VA prior to moving to the White House.

“In Step with Betty Ford” items on display.

The post In Step with Betty Ford at 100 appeared first on Lisa McCubbin.

Now available, a complete set of Secret Service agent Clint Hill‘s New York Times bestselling books–autographed by Clint Hill and Lisa McCubbin.

Hardcover editions signed by the authors WHILE SUPPLIES LAST.

Five Presidents: My Extraordinary Journey with Eisenhower, Kennedy, Johnson, Nixon, and Ford 
Five Days in November 
Mrs. Kennedy and Me

Complete set: $95.00 includes tax and shipping*.

To Order Autographed Books:

Make check payable to:  Hill McCubbin LLC

Complete set: $95.00

Send personalization instructions and check to:

Hill McCubbin LLC

6 Beach Road #99

Tiburon, CA 94920

Please allow 2-3 weeks for delivery.

*U.S. addresses only

About the Authors

Clint Hill is best known as the Secret Service agent who jumped on the back of the presidential limousine in Dallas, Texas on 11/22/63 in an effort to save President John F. Kennedy from assassination. His first-hand account of the assassination of JFK is an important piece of history–that could only be told by someone who was there.

Lisa McCubbin is an award-winning journalist and co-author of Clint Hill’s extraordinary memoirs.

FAQ

Can I order just one book or do I need to order all three?

This offer is only for the complete set of three books.

Can I order more than one set?

Yes, you may order as many complete sets as you want. While supplies last.

Will Clint Hill personalize the books?

Yes, Clint Hill will personally inscribe the books as you request.

Your question not answered here?

Send an email to Lisa McCubbin:  Lisa@LisaMcCubbin.com

 

 

The post CLINT HILL AUTOGRAPHED BOOKS appeared first on Lisa McCubbin.

Now available, a complete set of Secret Service agent Clint Hill‘s New York Times bestselling books–autographed by Clint Hill and Lisa McCubbin.

Hardcover editions signed by the authors WHILE SUPPLIES LAST.

Five Presidents: My Extraordinary Journey with Eisenhower, Kennedy, Johnson, Nixon, and Ford 
Five Days in November 
Mrs. Kennedy and Me

Complete set: $95.00 includes tax and shipping*.

 

To Order Autographed Books:

Make check payable to:  Hill McCubbin LLC

Complete set: $95.00

Send personalization instructions and check to:

Hill McCubbin LLC

6 Beach Road #99

Tiburon, CA 94920

Please allow 2-3 weeks for delivery.

*U.S. addresses only

About the Authors

Clint Hill is best known as the Secret Service agent who jumped on the back of the presidential limousine in Dallas, Texas on 11/22/63 in an effort to save President John F. Kennedy from assassination. His first-hand account of the assassination of JFK is an important piece of history–that could only be told by someone who was there.

Lisa McCubbin is an award-winning journalist and co-author of Clint Hill’s extraordinary memoirs.

FAQ

Can I order just one book or do I need to order all three?

This offer is only for the complete set of three books.

Can I order more than one set?

Yes, you may order as many complete sets as you want. While supplies last.

Will Clint Hill personalize the books?

Yes, Clint Hill will personally inscribe the books as you request.

Your question not answered here?

Send an email to Lisa McCubbin:  Lisa@LisaMcCubbin.com