Sunshine in the City
From the moment Mom and I decided to go to Paris, our plan was simple: no plans, no shopping. No lines for the world’s best macaron or must-see exhibits. We strolled right past the gorgeous storefronts and did not formally tour the architectural masterpieces. We aimed to appreciate Paris in our own way, letting the city lead us.
Our approach led to some late-night adventures. We grabbed tickets for whatever was available, staying up for late showings. We caught the 10:55 pm screening of Back to Black at the Ciné Cité Les Halles, and enjoyed the midnight show at The Crazy Horse. On our last night, we didn’t leave the Moulin Rouge until after 1 am.
The trip reminded me of the joy of improvisation, and its spirit also infused the writing of my first dark romance, Strike and Burn (out Jan 2025, Berkley Books), co-authored with Julie Buxbaum under our alter-ego Taylor Hutton. Right from the start, we set some non-rules: work on the manuscript for only an hour a day and stop if it stopped being fun. Spoiler: it never did. The result? A book we love and a blazing hot cover to match!
As much as I love setting goals, the strange and surprising paths I take to find a story is what being a writer means to me. This month, The Favor, a novel born from a very different process, is out in paperback. Big thanks to Sourcebooks for reimagining the cover, capturing the story of unlikely friends tested when one decides to have a baby for the other. I’m thrilled for new readers to discover it!
