There she is.

Book update!

What’s next?

Well, I turned in the first draft of book 2 a couple of weeks ago. My beta readers have been very enthusiastic so far, so let’s hope my editors are too. Writing book 2 was a total joy; I had the story completely mapped out before I started and the whole thing flowed absolutely beautifully. I wrote book 1 chronologically, until the climax, which I wrote second to last. Although I wrote book 2 out of order, I again saved the climactic scenes until second to last, and in both cases, only wrote the very last chapter after the entire rest of the book was drafted.

And book 3? After quite a lot of back and forth with myself about the plot, I’ve outlined the whole thing and have written the first chapter. Even before I’d settled on the plot itself, I knew exactly how book 3 would open: “Excuse me, but have you seen a moose about?” And now it does.

Elsewhere

Books, a tv show, and birds.

84 Charing Cross Road, Helene Hanff. I can’t believe I’ve gone all this time - all these years!! - without reading this book. D’yknow that thing where you start reading something and immediately feel yourself falling in love with it? This is one of those books. It’s hilarious and it will make you cry. New York-based author Helene Hanff spent 20 years corresponding with a small used bookstore on Charing Cross Road in London; this is that correspondence. You must then immediately read the sequel/follow-up, The Duchess of Bloomsbury Street. Then give copies to everyone you know, and write a letter to someone you love.

Party Down. Youo’ve probably never heard of Party Down, a two-season sitcom from 2009, about struggling actors who moonlight as caterers for an, erm, not very nice catering company. You have absolutely heard of many of the actors/writers/directors/producers, however - I don’t want to spoil the rogue’s gallery of creators who are involved in this show, but you will recongnise them all. Party Down has the almost nihilistic darkness of It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia but so much more heart and soul; you love the characters even if you’re laughing at them, and you ache for them no matter how ridiculous they are. It’s dark stuff but worth seeking out… especially because the cast and crew reunited in 2022 for a third season, which we just watched. And it’s as funny and dark and lovely and, in a weird way, as affirming as the two early seasons. And, as great as everyone on the show is - there’s not a weak link in the cast - it is an object lesson in how unbelievably brilliant Jane Lynch is. She left the show early when she was cast on Glee and it was never quite the same without her. (A problem Only Murders In The Building has also struggled with!)

The Holidays: struggling to find the perfect gift for the bird-lover in your life? There’s a birdsong advent calendar! Yes, we’ve just given one to a friend, and yes, she’s sung its praises already. (Sung!) I’m a relatively recent convert to advent calendars, as the only ones around when I was a kid had chocolate in them and my mom, always worried about my teeth, refused to indulge. But as a parent myself, now, I’ve decided I’m fine with them. A little present every day? What’s not to love?

Just One More Thing…

Preorders!

You don’t need me to tell you how important pre-orders are; everyone says it all the time! So here are some nice links instead.

• US: Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and The Ripped Bodice

• UK: Amazon, Waterstones, and Blackwells

• Goodreads Giveaway (US only) - they’re doing a proof giveaway on Goodreads for about eleven more days. Go enter!

Wait, you didn’t think I’d sign off without dropping a factoid, did you?

Okay, so you know that albatrosses are big, right? Like, famously big? They also basically don’t, you know, land. They can cover nearly a thousand km a day just by floating around on the air currents above the sea. And they pair up for life, with mated couples developing singular courtship dances that are unique to the two of them. That’s right; every albatross couple has its very own dance. And when one albatross dies… that dance is lost forever.

Until next time,

Amy x