My annual holiday lunch with adored author pal (and former Cosmo colleague) John Searles—at our beloved spot, Brasserie Cognac
WISHING YOU A WONDERFUL HOLIDAY SEASON!
I’m keeping this newsletter as short as possible because I know your to-do list is probably overflowing right now. I hope you have some terrific plans ahead with friends and family—and that you also find plenty of chances to curl up with a book and savor that particular kind of quiet December days and nights seem to bring.
We’re spending the last week of December in Pennsylvania, where I’ll be making (and serving) fried chicken on Christmas Day. Hey, I married a Kentucky guy many years ago, and he can never get enough. On December 31 my husband and I will head to the amazing country Uruguay, where we live each winter.
Though I plan to thoroughly relish the holiday season, I’ll be busy with work, too. I’m just finishing up my 2027 psychological thriller and getting ready to begin promoting I CAME BACK FOR YOU, which will be available on March 1. I’m thrilled that early reviews are calling this novel—about a mother’s desperate search for the truth—“utterly compelling,”“haunting,” and “unputdownable.” Which brings me to…
IT’S A PERFECT TIME TO PRE-ORDER I CAME BACK FOR YOU
If you think you’ll read I CAME BACK FOR YOU—and I very much hope you will as it’s one of the books I’m proudest of—pre-ordering now would mean a tremendous amount to me. Pre-orders really matter in the publishing world because they signal excitement to the publisher, and that makes a big difference.
You can order from your favorite bookseller, but here are a few links for convenience:
To pre-order I CAME BACK FOR YOU, click one of the links below:
Amazon ~ Barnes&Noble ~ Books-A-Million ~ Target ~ Bookshop
PRE-ORDER $$ BONUS FOR KINDLE READERS
The Kindle edition of I CAME BACK FOR YOU is currently available for only $3.99. Yes—only $3.99. And if you’re a Kindle Unlimited subscriber, you can order it for free.
WHAT I’M READING
Just the Nicest Couple Mary Kubica
I found Mary Kubica’s debut novel, The Good Girl, to be a riveting and refreshingly unique psychological thriller, and I’ve been a fan ever since. I just got around to reading her 2023 suspense novel, and wow—she had me from page one. One author blurb calls it “rich with detail and a mounting, almost suffocating sense of dread,” and I couldn’t agree more. There were moments when I had to put the book down because I seriously couldn’t handle the tension. But soon enough, I was diving back in, completely addicted.
WHAT I’M WATCHING
Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mistery (Netflix)
I liked the first movie in this series, couldn’t even get through the second, but I’d heard the latest installment was very good—and it is—at least to me. There’s Daniel Craig (always lovely to set eyes on) and the rest of the cast includes Glenn Close, Mila Kunis, and a slightly goofy but appealing Josh O’Connor, who played Prince Charles in one season of The Crown.
WHAT I’M COOKING
A crazy good salad!
One day, during my time running Cosmopolitan, Goldie Hawn called and asked to spend an hour with me in my office. She was toying with the idea of writing a screenplay about being an editor-in-chief. She was funny, warm, and absolutely charming, and within minutes, it was easy to see why her kids and her decades-long romantic partner, Kurt Russell seemed to adore her.
That screenplay apparently never got off the ground (too bad, right?), but I took something wonderful away from that meeting. Goldie mentioned that Sunday night at her house was always pasta night—with friends often added to the mix. I remember thinking what a brilliant idea that was: it was not only a terrific family ritual, but it also meant that one night a week required only minimum advance meal planning.
Though I don’t usually steal ideas from celebrities (okay, maybe once some hairstyle inspiration), Sunday night immediately became pasta night at my house, too—and it’s been that way for nearly two decades. I usually make marinara or pesto sauce, or, if I’m feeling decadent, I’ll go for fettuccine Alfredo. But every once in a while, especially in winter, I cook up some penne alla vodka. The generous amount of cream in the sauce makes it perfect comfort food when it’s chilly out, and the vodka—with the alcohol burned off, of course—adds a nice kick.
There’s only one recipe I ever use: this easy, reliable one from Giada De Laurentiis. Sorry for the not great photo!
All the best and until next time,
