I Need A Little Help From My Friends 🙏
I'll be eternally grateful! 🦃 Plus fun gift suggestions including the best Advent calendar ever!
I’m coming to you a couple of days early this week because, well, I need your help.
Writing a book is a solitary thing for the most part. You sit your butt in the chair and spin a tale, and then when it’s done, suddenly it’s not so solitary. A lot of people have their hands on your book…your beta readers, agent, editor, copyeditor, audio narrator, sales team, publicist, marketing team, booksellers, and finally, your readers.
As an author, I often feel like I’m on the edge of begging: for people to read my books, then to review them (this is literally the best gift for an author), to have them tell others about my crazy little stories. But the last thing I want is to be one of those authors who only posts about their stuff, whose every post on social is an ad or a desperate PLEASE READ MY BOOK sort of thing. No one likes that.
But sometimes you have to ask for a little help. See, my novel was submitted for The Readable Feast award.
The awards are wonderful (and fun to attend…tix are $25), celebrating New England food writers of all stripes, but for the most part, they tend to be cookbook authors. And for this People’s Choice award, I’ve got a bit of an uphill battle in that regard. My book is the only novel in the mix.
And this is where I hope you’ll throw a gal a rope and go vote for In The Garden of Monsters in The Readable Feast awards by Dec 1 for People’s Choice. You can do so as a guest, but you’ll need to register an email for legitimacy. It will take you just a few minutes, and I am throwing SO MUCH GRATITUDE TOWARD YOU in advance!
If you are in the Boston area, the award ceremony is a lot of fun…I went a few years ago when Feast of Sorrow was up for an award. It’s on Wed, Dec. 4th, at 6:15PM at Summer Shack Alewife and tix are $25. This year they are doing a tribute to the celebrated Boston chef, Jasper White. I hope I will see you there!
LOOKING FOR A HOLIDAY GIFT? MY SUGGESTIONS:
The coolest Advent calendar. Publishing expert Jane Friedman suggested in a recent newsletter that this calendar by Jacquie Lawson is the most adorable digital gift you can give, and she’s right. I bought one for several friends and one for myself. The games are cute and I love that you can decorate your Paris apartment! I’m considering getting her Edwardian and Sussex calendars too, because why not?
I love notebooks and planners by Ink & Volt. Their Dashboard helps keep me organized.
Curio Spice Co. is a wonderful shop for all sorts of unique spices and blends. Their subscription box is a perfect gift for the chef in your life.
A Fat Gold olive oil subscription is also a fantastic food gift. I bought my husband one last year and we love getting a tin every quarter and savoring it.
If you love pomegranates (melegrani) and you love Italy, then the famous Florence apothecary Santa Maria Novella now has U.S. outlets (including a shop on Newbury St. in Boston!). I bought their scented terracotta pomegranate and love it. Their Angeli di Firenze perfume is also one of my favorite scents.
ARE YOU SWITCHING UP YOUR SOCIALS?
In my day job, I teach social media, but it’s not as fun as it used to be. Facebook feels bloated and lacks engagement, Instagram overwhelms you with ads and "suggested" posts, and Twitter has become a cesspool. That said, Threads and Bluesky show promise. Threads is user-friendly and integrates seamlessly with Instagram followers, but it struggles with the same engagement challenges as other Meta platforms. Bluesky, on the other hand, is gaining traction. It’s easier to gain followers, engagement is higher, and its tools for blocking and managing interactions are refreshingly effective. If you are using either site, give me a follow! Threads | Bluesky
I also have an author starter pack on Bluesky that can help you easily follow some of my favorite bookish people.
WHAT’S BRINGING ME JOY
When I’m feeling stressed I turn to this cozy little strategy game, Dorf Romantik.
W. K. Haselden’s ‘The Pocket Telephone: When Will it Ring?’ was first published in The Mirror, 1919. Oh how right he was.
This was one of the first AI images I created over a year ago and she still haunts me. She will definitely show up in a future book.
🦃For all my U.S. readers, I’m wishing you and yours a very happy Thanksgiving! 🦃
I’m so grateful for all of you who come along for this ride with me every week and who have read and loved my novels. 🩷
Thanks for Joining Me
If you love food and love Italy, and haven’t read THE CHEF’S SECRET or FEAST OF SORROW, click the links to learn where to buy your copy! And now you can order IN THE GARDEN OF MONSTERS!
You can also follow me here: Website | Instagram | Facebook | Threads | Bluesky
Done! 🍀🐞🌶️
Voted and hope you win! You certainly deserve it :)