Meant to Be

When Lauren Pizza was thirteen, she died. Caught under a small sailboat, she struggled to reach the surface, only to find that what she thought was up was actually down . . . and that’s all she remembers. Ever since being resuscitated by two strangers, Pizza has felt a presence in her life from the spirit world. Is it crazy? Maybe. Her family sure thinks so.

Growing up the youngest, and sometimes forgotten, of five in Little Falls, New Jersey, Pizza continues to live the typical life “down the shore” after her accident. She survives high school (barely), goes to college in Dayton, Ohio (which she might have thought was in Florida when she applied), and is ready to settle down with her “perfect” Kennedy-esque boyfriend in Jersey—until she wakes up.

Suddenly free and single, Pizza relies on intuition (and perhaps a few signs) and finds herself a job in the city, a grungy apartment in the West Village, and waits for Prince Charming. When he finally arrives, she doesn’t recognize him: he drives a red Ferrari, sure, but he has hair like Howard Stern and wears more gold chains than Mr. T.

Meant to Be is the story of a blue-collar Jersey girl swept off her feet by an unconventional millionaire, thrust into an entirely new world, where she makes plenty of mistakes and sometimes feels like “I’m from the Jersey Shore” is stapled to her forehead.

With humor, gratitude, and trademark Jersey spunk, Lauren tells it like it is: the highs, the lows, the bad twists, the good advice from unlikely places, and the times she wished she could disappear. Underneath the designer clothes and private jets, she’s still the same Jersey Girl who took the D train and lived on Snapple. And she wouldn’t have it any other way.

Lauren Pizza was born in Paterson, New Jersey and raised in Little Falls. She graduated from University of Dayton. She is the founder and creator of Laridan Productions, which offers a wide array of services to aspiring artists and entrepreneurs. She and her husband, Joe, share the facilities of the family's healthcare group, PharmSphere LLC, which has several locations both in the USA and the EU. Lauren also hosts a web show called “So Tell Me.”

Along with her company, Lauren is involved in helping and supporting several medical care organizations, including The Forum Children’s Foundation and the World Health Organization, as well as several acting organizations, such as The Actor’s Fund, The MusiCares Program, The Acting Company, and The Drama League. Other organizations include The American Cancer Society, The Boys and Girls Club of NYC, International Burn Advocates Network, and Gilda’s Club.

Lauren is also a nominee for the Ellis Island Medal of Honor 2014. She resides in Palm Beach, Florida, and Franklin Lakes, New Jersey.

"Though perhaps 'meant to be,' this memoir is a pop-culture hybrid. Is it about an exhausted mom raising some spirited but good-hearted kids? Yes, indeed. But we’re near the Jersey shore with a Jersey girl here, and the book jacket helps cover that angle (from the rear, one notes) with a swim-suited blonde. And rounding out the book’s genetic raison d’être is the author’s psychic gift, partially bestowed by a near drowning at age 13. The big twist here comes from Pizza’s marrying into big, big money, which supplies more original escapades, such as spending millions on a house that turns out to be haunted; having her photo taken with such luminaries as Bill Clinton, George Bush, and Tom Hanks; and being embarrassed by name-dropping Robert De Niro to someone who is better positioned to name-drop Robert De Niro. In 46 rib-poking, good-natured chapters, Pizza shares how there are 'other things in life to worry about besides business and money' and that learning to be open to the unexpected 'can lead to great things.'" —Booklist

"The Lauren Pizza in this book is the Lauren Pizza I’ve met: funny, direct, more spiritual than I am sure many people see her as being, and full of whatever goes beyond joie de vivre. She not only is funny and engaging, but profound and deeply reflective. A memorable book from a striking and memorable woman.” — Judith Light

"Meant to Be is a rollicking read! Lauren Pizza's feisty wit has arrived on the literary scene as today's Irma Bombeck meets Nora Ephron. She's a welcome breath of fresh, funny air!" — Martin Levin

"If laughter is the best medicine, this book should require a prescription. I laughed so hard my husband thought I was having an epileptic fit. Pizza’s wicked sense of humor makes magic out of the ordinary and makes the extraordinary downright ridiculous." – Charity Gaye Finnestad, author of Hollywood in Heels

"Fierce and fabulous for sure, Lauren takes readers on a Jersey Girl journey they won't soon forget! From a life-changing experience down-the-shore, to cocktailing with Clooney, Lauren's Garden State story is the real deal." — Marie Moss and Barri Leiner Grant, authors of JERSEY GIRLS: The Fierce & The Fabulous

"Lauren Pizza's Meant to Be is moving, uplifting, fast-paced, and hilarious. I laughed with Lauren as she unfolded a fearless, distinctively female story. This woman is going to make waves in the world!" — Willa Shalit, co-producer of The Vagina Monologues

"Lauren Pizza's wonderful memoir of love and life lifted my spirit and kept me turning page after page filled with fabulous adventures. Meant to Be is a sure hit!" — Stewart F. Lane, producer of Broadway's Romeo and Juliet