The Best Of April
A few things that have delighted me lately.
I planted peonies last year. It was too late in the season to get anything but one anemic bloom. And then I forgot all about them until the first shoots began poking through the ground six weeks ago. But now my front flowerbeds are a riot of pink and yellow and I cannot explain how much happiness this brings me! It has been raining here the last few days so I went out this morning and cut a few blooms and now the heavy heads of sodden peonies are gracing my kitchen island.
This is the exact reason I took up gardening when my last hobby became my job. It is good for the soul to have a thing we do simply for the joy of it.
In that spirit, I thought I would share a few things that have delighted me lately.
What I Cannot Comprehend:
The Frozen River has sold a million copies.
Think of it like this: you heat up a cast iron skillet on the stove and when it’s screaming hot you drop a bit of water into the pan. And that water goes skittering around the pan until—poof!—it evaporates. That is my brain trying to hold onto the reality that one million people have traded their time and their money for my story. I am so grateful I could cry. I have cried—numerous times.
It’s the kind of thing that happens to other writers. But now it has happened to me and I humbled and grateful and more than a little stunned. I might not ever be the same.
When I say a million thanks, I mean it in the most literal sense possible. Thank you, thank you, thank you!
What I’ve Been Reading:
Patti Callahan Henry has a new book out. The Story She Left Behind is wonderful and clever and has a fantastic mystery at it’s heart. I love Patti and I love her books! Susannah Kearsley—another longtime favorite author—also released a new book this spring. The King’s Messenger is my favorite kind of book. It’s a return to the thing she does best: a historical mystery with a central love story and a bit of magical realism. And speaking of magical realism, Upon A Starlit Tide by Kell Woods was a great, fun read. It was a clever mashup of The Little Mermaid and Cinderella, but for grownups. And she absolutely sticks the landing. If you enjoy fantasy, you’ll enjoy that one.
I’m currently in the middle of The Cuckoo’s Calling by Robert Galbraith and I think I’ve found a new series to sink into for a while. It’s smart and witty and I’m all in. Golly, I love a good British whodunnit.
Up next is Sunrise on the Reaping, the new Hunger Games book. It’s Haymitch’s story and I was so excited that I preordered it the second it was available, but my 16-year-old stole it the day it arrived. He’s been reading a chapter every night before bed and I don’t have the heart to steal it back from him.
Every day before I start writing, I read a bit of nonfiction that inspires me. Just a few pages each of Adorning the Dark by Andrew Peterson, Deep Work by Cal Newport, and On Writing by Stephen King. Each of them has saved my brain in a way.
I’ve read all three books before but returning to these sources of inspiration is really helping me get my book written at the moment. Rule number one of writing: do the thing that works!
What I’m Watching:
The final season of 1923 came out a couple of months ago. I love the Yellowstone universe. Love it. But man, Taylor Sheridan doesn’t pull his punches. As a writer I respect that immensely. As a viewer, it’s a gut punch. So far the season is fantastic, but not for the faint of heart. I have two episodes left and accidentally heard a few spoilers so now I feel paralyzed. To finish? Or not? If I don’t finish watching it means the story doesn’t end, right? And if the story doesn’t end, then no characters I love can die.
My husband celebrated a big birthday recently and I did have plans. Excellent plans. I thought ahead and made arrangements and then at the last minute all those well-made plans disintegrated. So we took a hard left and went out for dinner with the boys, then we saw The Accountant 2 in theaters. Listen, I love a good bang-bang-shoot-em-up movie and this one did not disappoint. (Tell me you live in a house with five men without telling me you live in a house with five men). We enjoyed it thoroughly. Highly recommended. More please.
What I’m Listening To:
I’m currently in my Sea Shanty era. Happens when you spend over a year writing a pirate novel. Nathan Evans is my go-to shantyman right now. His song Wellerman, is great fun.
And to get me in the ole’ Irish storytelling mode, I’ve also been listening to Rose Betts. Her music is lovely. In particular I really enjoy Irish Eyes, There Is No Ship, and Save Me A Seat.
What I’m Excited About:
The Westing Game sequel is headed our way! I first read that novel in sixth grade and I adored it. I still think about Turtle Wexler and Sunset Towers and the riddle that Sam Westing had her running in circles to solve. Author Ellen Raskin died in 1984 but her estate has just revealed that there is a sequel that she had almost completed before her death. Her daughter, Susan, has spent the last few years getting it ready so that it can be finished by a collaborator. (Me! I volunteer as tribute!) It will be released on the 50th anniversary of The Westing Game’s publication, which also happens to be Raskin’s 100th birthday. Well played, Ellen, well played.
What I’ve Purchased (and loved) With My Own Cash Money:
This lipstick in shade BetÃse. Here’s the hill I die on: this is the best brand of lipstick on earth. And this particular shade is a buildable version of my own lip color. I have thrown away every other lipstick I owned. I also like it in Mon Cheri.
This shirt. It is delightfully feminine and well priced. The quality is fantastic. I am certain it will be my go-to this spring and summer. This is my third purchase from Easy Clothes and I’ve loved every item. I also own this shirt and these pants which felt like a risk but I adore them. All good Mother’s Day gifts.
My first Whoop band. I had a FitBit for years but then Google bought FitBit and I didn’t want them to have any more of my information than they already had. Also, I found that FitBit wasn’t very consistent. Sometimes it wouldn’t record my sleep score at all. And since that’s the piece of information I need most, I changed devices. My verdict: if you like fitness and sleep tracking, Whoop is great.
What’s Up Next:
We’ll be back to our Writing Series this week with a deep dive on crafting imagery in your fiction.
Congratulations on selling a million copies of The Frozen River. That's amazing! 🎉
I love your books and this newsletter, however, if you sold 1 million copies of The Frozen River, maybe you could think about making this free, not asking for paid subscriptions. It would be just a small thing.