Hi {{ subscriber.firstName | default('Friends') }},
Welcome to winter in Miami! This is truly the most spectacular time of year in the south--despite the traffic and crowds--and I'm using this time as inspiration for book eight. Yup. This is the week I begin working on a very detailed synopsis of my next novel, working title, The Fairy Tale. Wish me luck!
The last few weeks have been full. That includes belly and heart. I hope everyone had a fabulous Thanksgiving. This was the first year we ordered our entire feast from
Whole Foods, and it was excellent. For someone who loves in-home holiday cooking, everything was delicious and fresh. I highly recommend.
Our twins turned twenty-three this month. With one in Miami, and one in NYC, it marked only the second time in their lives that they spent their birthdays apart. When a book event presented itself in Brooklyn that same day, I quickly said yes, and Bear and I divided and conquered.
I don't love New York. I prefer open spaces to the concrete jungle, lots of trees and grass, but it's undoubtedly a festive time of year to visit. The streets were packed with holiday tourists--not too cold--and
Sally Koslow took me on a tour of the gorgeous windows and to see the tree at Rockefeller Center. Author friends are truly the best friends. I lunched with my agent, Jane, discussing all things books, and attended a special event at
Zibby Owens' featuring authors
Jessica Grose and
Yael Schonbrun.
Before arriving in New York, I nudged my son numerous times to make dinner reservations. Yeah. Good luck with that. So when it came time to meet, everything was booked, and we ended up eating dinner at packed restaurant bars. But here's the thing. Bars are so much fun and the best place to meet people! We met the kindest folks from
Carrot Fertility. They invited us to their happy hour the following day! Then we met the gals at
KL & Sam, a full-service design studio in Fairfield, CT.
After meeting all these charming people, I was left to wonder if there's a book in here. People We Meet at The Bar. Catchy. I like it. Though not more than every one of these new “friends" joining in Happy Birthday when the bartender brought my son cake and a candle. What more could someone wish for? Living in a glittery, bustling city, strangers who become friends, dinner with mom (!), and the expectation that comes with a new year.
Do you have any stranger on the train stories? Meet-ups at the bar? Any interactions that led to something meaningful? I can't begin to tell you how many people we have met by chance that turned into lifelong, close friends. Share your story or what you wish for in 2023, and you'll be entered to win this month's giveaway. In the spirit of gratitude and books and readers and friends, I'll be giving away a Kindle Paperwhite (8GB, 6.8" display). US only. One random winner picked January 3, 2023.
Sure, I came home to a husband with the flu. And Bear's not the best patient. Oops. Did I say that out loud? While I played nurse, I read
Kerry Lonsdale's final installment in the
No More series in ONE DAY. Oh. How. I. Miss. Lucas. And. Shlioh. You'll just have to add
No More Secrets to your TBR when it releases March 14, 2023. For another lucky winner, I'll be sending you the complete series (all three books after 3/14/23, US ONLY). And maybe if my friend Kerry sees this, she'll agree to sign them for you. Right, Kerry?
We remembered our beloved mother and grandmother on December 10. My mom was an incredible woman, and after ten years gone, it's still hard to process. Check out my
Instagram post on what I find to be the toughest part. Maybe you can relate?
2023 is upon us. The years keep flying past. I'm grateful to each and every one of you for reading my work, for replying to these newsletters, and trusting me with your moving stories. I'm looking forward to sharing more with you in the coming year!
