Funny how times flies when (a) you’re having fun or (b) you’re mired in a once-in-a-generation pandemic. Hard though it is to believe, it’s been nearly a year since The Paris Hours was published – which means it’s almost time for the paperback to make its way out into the world and into the hands (we all hope) a new …
Funny How Time Slips Away
I recently read a wonderful book, Becoming Duchess Goldblatt. It’s a memoir, written anonymously, about a writer who assumes the guise of a fictional character, Duchess Goldblatt, on Twitter. Twitter was made for Duchess Goldblatt; Duchess Goldblatt was (quite literally) made for Twitter. She is warm, arch, strikingly original, and extremely funny. Her tweets betray a deliciously skewed way of looking …
The Morning After
So, that was fun. The Paris Hours went out into the world yesterday, and while it wasn’t the launch day that anyone had anticipated, it was full of joy. First of all, a massive thank you to everyone who was so kind to write and send their good wishes. I’m so sorry I haven’t been able to respond to everyone quite …
Finishing The Hat
Sitting here in my kitchen, early in the morning on publication day, there is much to contemplate. The Paris Hours arrives into the world today. I’ve done this enough times to know that even in ordinary circumstances, publication day can be something of an anticlimax. This day that has been emblazoned on your psyche for months finally arrives – and, incredibly, life …
Roto-Rooter Man as Heavy-Handed Metaphor
Six years ago today, the sewer pipe in our basement burst. The Roto-Rooter guy walked up the stairs and told us it was bad. “You’re not going to be able to flush a toilet or turn on a tap,” he told us. My partner Alex and I looked at each other. We remained calm. We told the guy we were getting married …
Housebound Unbound This Thursday at 7:00 p.m.!
Just a quick reminder that I’ll be appearing with the brilliant Whitney Scharer and Meg Waite Clayton at 7:00 p.m. CST this Thursday, April 30, on the next virtual event for the Unbound Book Festival. We’ll be talking all things historical fiction, including the knotty question of how much license authors should give themselves when writing about real people and …
Virtual launch party!
Well, COVID-19 did for pretty much all of our careful planning to launch this book, with my entire tour being canceled, but we won’t let this damn virus stop us completely. Rather than gathering as planned at Skylark Bookshop, we’ll be holding a virtual launch party at 7:00 p.m. (CST) on Tuesday, May 5. And, as a huge, glittering silver …
Area Man in Box-Opening Scene
It’s now pretty much obligatory to film yourself holding your new book in your hands for the first time. This is my seventh novel; the thrill really never, ever gets old. There are so many physical iterations of a book – typed manuscript; bound uncorrected proofs; galleys; and then this. See each for the first time is exciting. But none is …
April Newsletter
First of all, and most importantly, I hope that this finds you and your loved ones well. This month’s newsletter was supposed to be all about the build-up to the publication of The Paris Hours in May. I had lots of good news to share: the book had received really quite lovely reviews from Publishers Weekly and Booklist. It was chosen as an Indie …
The Paris Hours hits the Indie Next List!
Good news in difficult times, Part 2. I’m very pleased to announce that THE PARIS HOURS has been chosen for May’s Indie Next List. Every month independent booksellers from across the country nominate their favorite reads being published that month, and the top selections make it on to the list. You probably all know how I feel about independent booksellers. They …