we carried a tree home yesterday
also the AFVOC auction is open! & book updates!
Hi, pals. I have zero idea how it’s December already but here we are! We got our Christmas tree last night, by which I mean we walked to Whole Foods and then up onto the roof, where we selected a tree from all the other bundled-up trees, and then my husband carried it the quarter mile or so home and up two flights of stairs into our living room. 🎄 It’s not decorated yet but it was such a simple joy to wake up this morning and smell its piney scent.
It’s also COLD, which I was fully not prepared for (and especially was not prepared for Tuesday morning, when it was time to send the kiddos to school in 27-degree weather but their winter coats were chilling in the baggage office at BWI 😭 holiday travel lolsob) … but I suppose that means it’s the perfect time to curl up under a blanket and read?
Speaking of, a few things I’ve read lately:
📕 I just finished reading Intermezzo by Sally Rooney (yes, I’m a sucker for a buzzy book), and while it is not my favorite Sally Rooney (Normal People forever), I have been having dreams about chess for days now, so I guess it’s gotten under my skin?
📕 I also just finished (read: absolutely inhaled) an early copy of Creep by Emma Van Straaten which is WILD and I loved it. Imagine if Joe Goldberg was a self-loathing British woman and then add in some lyrical, mesmerizing writing. Look for this one on February 25!
📕 Not long ago I read a novella called Big Fan by Alexandra Romanoff. It’s fun and smart and sexy, and if you need to read about some elections involving successful progressive candidates (hello! right here!), this is the book for you!
It’s time once again for the Authors for Voices of Color Auction supporting We Need Diverse Books! Click on the banner above to visit the auction site, where you can bid on items like:
✨ Author Chats: Virtual AMA chats with authors to discuss their books or answer behind-the-scenes questions (great for book clubs!)
✨ Singed/Annotated Books: Special copies of books — including advanced copies, special editions, or books that have been signed and/or annotated by the author
✨ Writing Critiques: Connect with publishing professionals such as authors, literary agents, and editors for feedback on manuscripts or query letters
I’m offering a 50-page manuscript critique and signed copies of my books — head over to the auction site to bid on my item! Bidding closes on Tuesday, December 10, at 9 pm ET, so keep an eye on items you want to win!
Speaking of my manuscript critiquing: I’m opening my books to a very limited number of coaching clients in January. Specifically, I’m offering a few slots of the Mini Blueprint (a tool to help you get clear on your story) for only $99 and one full manuscript (up to 90K words) critique for $850.
Finally, a quick book update!
💕 I finished reviewing the copy edits for Both Things Are True last month, and, wow, do I not know how to use a hyphen! I basically placed punctuation by vibe, which apparently does not mesh with the Chicago Manual of Style. (No, seriously, most of my punctuation rules are ingrained from my brief stint as the executive editor of the Journal of Criminal Law and Criminology, which uses the Texas Law Review Manual on Style and Usage and the Bluebook, neither of which are very applicable to modern fiction.)
🖤 I finished the draft of Sisterhood Above All and sent it out to some writer friends with the very professional subject line of “ahhhhhhhhh here is the manuscript.” (Read the extended “h” as an existential scream, if that wasn’t clear.) Now if Word will stop crashing long enough for me to clean up the draft, I’ll send it to the rest of the Sisterhood team so we can keep the wheels turning on this one!
That’s it for now! Happy Wednesday, stay warm wherever you are! xo