Is anything better than free books?

💌 It’s Me, Hi, I’m the Problem It’s Me

Does anyone else find that sometimes the smaller the task the harder it is to complete? Can I finish copy edits of an entire 90,000 word book on time? Absolutely. Can I make myself sit down for all of ten minutes to shout about the books and happy things I love? Not always.

So while I humbly admit it’s been a month since I sent this supposedly bi-weekly newsletter, I’m going to make it up to you by giving away two books I’m obsessed with. More about that below, but basically all you have to do is reply Giveaway to this email. That’s pretty happy, right?

📚 What I’m Reading (and giving away)

One of the best parts of being an author is that you often get to read books early. In the case of these two books, I was very lucky to read them early, but it also meant I’ve been waiting so long to get to shout about them! And because I love them and you, I’m giving away a copy of each. All you have to do is reply to this email with the word Giveaway and you are entered. Easy! Fun!

A bit about both of them: The Bridge Back to You is a book about two former lovers and the restaurant that brings them back together. It’s achy, it’s beautiful, and if you love books with food this one has it in spades! The Fortune Flip is a poignant reminder that luck isn’t something to rely on, but people certainly can be. It’s also a perfect slice of New York City in a book! I adored it.

🍴 What I’m Cooking Up

I had the pleasure of cooking for a crowd at the wonderful Tucson Festival of Books a few weeks ago - we made the apricot ricotta olive oil cake and the shrimp tartare with burrata from The Slow Burn. Both feel like the perfect recipes to dip your toe into the brighter cooking that comes with this time of year, so I hope you’ll give them a try. Even though we may not have the produce to go along with it (sorry asparagus, but you’re not ready), there’s hope in the air. Similarly, nothing has felt more like the moment to me than Sheldon Simeon’s new cookbook Ohana Style, which is a burst of Hawaiian sunshine to all your gatherings.

💛 Happy News

I really love long-term friendship stories, and a recent real life one made me smile. A group of men in 1994, formed an A-Z club where they travel to a new place alphabetically every year. After 32 years they’re complete! It’s a good reminder that sometimes you need to put a challenge or ritual into goals—and, of course, to make time for friendship.

I also was really enjoying this revelation from a comedian about the lyrics of the Circle of Life from the Lion King. But apparently this story got even more entertaining because now the writer has sued the comedian and he’s using that to be even funnier. So if you want a doozy of an entertaining ride with a lot of humor, you can read the whole saga.

Also, someone stole 12 tons of KitKat bars and honestly, what an elite crime.

✨ Thanks for being here!

I am so grateful I get to send out this little missive of joy into the world. If you want more of my writing, my most recent book is The Slow Burn and you can get signed copies from The Strand, or order it in paperback, audio, e-book or on KU.

I hope some happy books give you a little joy this week!

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