Dear readers,

 

We're two weeks away from the launch of Before We Say Goodbye. You can preorder it on Amazon for Kindle, paperback, hardback, and audio here. If you prefer to purchase somewhere other than Amazon, you can find it on Bookshop.org here. Of course, any of your lovely local shops will have it or can bring it in.

 

This is absolutely the fave of all my books, as it came from the depths of me. I feel Otis Till in my bones, and it was such an honor to explore what led him to become the grapefather of Red Mountain. As most of you know, he's the winemaker protagonist from my series, The Red Mountain Chronicles, and this was my chance to tell his origin story.

 

I had a couple of things on my mind as I wove this book into existence. One, this would be my Pillars of the Earth but set in the modern-day wine world. And it did indeed become my longest work to date, a proper saga. We follow Otis all the way from age sixteen to sixty, from California to Washington State. During the writing, I felt connected to my inner Ken Follett, who was such an inspiration to me in my early years.

 

Secondly, I wrote this book for me. Of course, I wrote it for you too. (I kind of need you, if we're being honest.) What I mean is that I wrote the book I would want to read and didn't let any outside forces steer me, no consideration of what the market might like or how the book would be received. It was just me and my mind and heart playing make-believe, having the time of my life.

 

It's a deep one, folks, and it'll to hit you right in the heart. I'd bet on a few tears, but don't worry, I'll put you back together again by the end. 

 

Save September 16th at 4 p.m. EST for a book launch party on Substack. 

 

Click here to add to your calendar. You'll need to sign up for Substack and download the app on your phone or iPad to watch. If all that's too confusing, I'll try to share the video later--depending on how it goes. 

 

(As you've noticed, I'm a big Substack fan. I just adore the other writers hanging out there.)

Moving on, what a weekend on Peaks Island here in Maine. My fam and I enjoyed a superb performance by two members of one of my favorite bands of all time, the great Irish traditionalist group Solas. 

 

We even got to hang with them some. The first thing I told Mick McAuley and John Doyle: “I've written so many of my books listening to your albums on repeat.” Now I'm going to send them copies of my new one to complete the circle. How beautiful this world is!

Please take a moment to check out my latest writing essay on Substack, in which I dangerously compare coming up with new stories to babymaking. Click here to read.

 

I'm having a ball writing about my craft on this newish platform. Next week, I'll talk in specifics about the seeds of my next story. My idea in this series of essays is to capture a year in the life of a writer, so I'll break down what's happening every week or two as I bring my stories to life. Yes, I sense a craft book developing!

Lastly, I have a lovely book for you! I'm only halfway through, but it's such a gem, my first Adriana Trigiani book. The View from Lake Como captures the Italian-American experience perfectly, and I'm in awe of her storytelling prowess. 

 

Apparently, she's a filmmaker, scriptwriter, writer of over twenty novels, and a playwright, and it shows. I'm highly entertained. In fact, she makes me belly laugh sometimes. Most importantly, she has me caring about the characters in a big way, and that's no easy task!

 

Okay, amigos. I best get back to relaxing. My dev edits for the Bologna book land Friday, so only a few more days left of kicking back. My to-be-read pile won't read itself.

 

By the way, my current publisher, Lake Union, just notified me that they've officially sold one-million copies of the books I've done with them. Thank you, readers!!! My younger self wouldn't have ever believed it.

P.S. Please forgive me if I don't respond to your emails. Know that I joyfully read each one. Your notes keep me going, but I best put my energy into meeting the next deadline. Thanks for understanding.

Catch up on old newsletters here.