Coming Attractions

So, here’s the deal: I’m writing another novel.

Now, you might be thinking: why? (If you’ve read Archer & Bell and Gresham Park, I hope that’s not your first thought, but I digress.) And the answer to that is simple: because I’m the kind of masochist who enjoys spending innumerable hours of precious free time engaged in a frustrating and entirely uncompensated endeavor. Well, maybe not entirely uncompensated; I do get the satisfaction of calling myself a writer, and of knowing that occasionally, another person is reading the very words that came out of my brain. That is super cool.

Which brings me to the point of this post.

As a self-published author, the most frustrating experience is the feeling that your work is getting lost in a sea of other books, waiting to find its audience – which may never actually materialize. Amazon is a great platform for getting your stuff out there, but maybe not so great for building an audience out of thin air. On the other hand, this blog has an audience … the problem being, it’s not necessarily an audience that’s interested in (a) books, and (b) my books. I know some of you are book lovers, but that’s obviously not what brought you here in the first place. So I have been reluctant to rely too much on the blog as a platform for spreading the word about my writing, especially in a monetized context. And then, I had an idea.

What if, instead of going the same old Amazon publishing route for my new novel, I publish it here – in a free, weekly serial format? Of course, I need to figure out how to actually do that, but I trust that my crack IT team (aka dear husband) will be able to make it happen. So I’m asking you (and especially those of you who have bought my previous books): would you be interested in something like that? The formatting of each chapter is likely to be less fancy than the e-copy that would be available on Amazon, and you’d be getting the story in pieces. On the plus side, it will be free, and I promise to keep the blog business as usual otherwise. Tell me all your thoughts, gently if you please.

To help you decide, if you’re on the fence about the whole idea, here’s a little taste of what you can expect to read (most likely starting in August):

London, 1948 – in a world not entirely unlike this one …

When Kate Seever finds herself unexpectedly out of a job, she loses no time in looking for other employment. For a young woman in Kate’s position – unmarried and not independently wealthy – it is a practical necessity. But for a young woman of Kate’s disposition, it is also an opportunity. Despite an unwavering belief in the supremacy of reason and order, she harbours a secret – and not so rational – penchant for the sort of adventure apt to turn a person’s life upside down. The position of governess at Ushant Hall – a ruinous pile in the middle of a bleak, windswept moor, miles away from London – does not seem promising but, to her friends’ consternation, Kate decides that it is precisely the sort of challenge she enjoys tackling. Besides, it is merely a temporary engagement; what could possible go wrong in three months?

The answer, it turns out, is plenty. At Ushant Hall, the ancient seat of the reclusive Blackthorne family, Kate quickly discovers that she may have gotten more than she’d bargained for; it will take a rigorous exercise of her wits to manage the peculiar inhabitants of the house, including the strangely antagonistic caretaker, the taciturn groundskeeper, and the preternaturally precocious pupil she had been hired to instruct. Most of all, it is the master of Ushant Hall himself – the aloof, haughty, distractingly handsome Rufus Blackthorne – who proves to be the most difficult challenge of all. And then, of course, there is the question that no one seems to want to answer: just what, exactly, is hidden in the attic?

Obviously, if there is minimal interest in a weekly serial, I probably won’t go to the trouble of trying to set up a corner of the blog to accommodate it, and we’ll just pretend this whole conversation never happened. But if you are even a little bit intrigued, let me know and let’s make it happen!

May Flowers

Dress, Nanette Lepore (thrifted); blazer, J. Crew (via consignment); shoes, Stuart Weitzman (thrifted)
Dress, Nanette Lepore (thrifted); blazer, J. Crew (via consignment); shoes, Stuart Weitzman (thrifted)

I wore this outfit for (Orthodox) Easter Sunday, which was also coincidentally the first day of May. And a beautiful day at that, so it felt appropriate to bust out my thrifted Nanette Lepore floral eyelet dress. The details are very pretty, especially for a $7 score:

close-up on eyelet
close-up on eyelet
Necklace, Old Navy
Necklace, Old Navy

I paired it with my lightweight J. Crew Liberty print blazer, and my thrifted Stuart Weitzman peep toes. I always forget that brown goes well with navy, and then have an “a ha” moment when I realize it all over again. It’s a good option while the Hunt For Navy Shoes continues. I won’t lie though — part way through the day (which involved two separate family get-togethers, a bunch of running around, and even a thrifting trip), I switched to flats. I’m all about the illusion of mile long legs — thanks, platform heels — but I’m also a big fan of comfort. Hashtag: no shame in my flats game.

the view from the side
the view from the side
the beginning of summer?
the beginning of summer?

Risky Business

Blazer, Zara (swap); dress, Anthropologie (thrifted); shoes, Stuart Weitzman; necklace, Swarovski; bag, Marc Jacobs
Blazer, Zara (swap); dress, Anthropologie (thrifted); shoes, Stuart Weitzman; necklace, Swarovski; bag, Marc Jacobs

Before you go and get any ideas, the risk I’m talking about here has to do with thrifting clothes that require substantial alterations. I’ll come back to that in a minute. First, let’s talk about the outfit in general terms. I wore this for a client conference, where I had to make a presentation, take part in a networking lunch, and then host a client reception. It was a long, exhausting day, and I had to look good for all of it — professional and polished but not boring.

I think this outfit hit all the marks. It has a classic, elegant silhouette, an appropriate neckline and hem length, and a lovely print for some visual interest. The shoes are the most comfortable pair of heels I own, perfect for hours of standing around. The bag is big — the better to carry my huge conference binder and other materials — and not too fancy; I need to be able to toss it around without worrying about it. All together, my standard professional conference package.

worth the risk
worth the risk
lacy details
lacy details

Ok, let’s go back to the risky bit. As I mentioned earlier in the week, I thrifted this Yoana Baraschi dress for $11 because I loved how it looked. Only one small problem: it was a size 14. I am not a size 14. I knew it would take a significant amount of alterations to make it fit. Normally, I don’t advocate buying clothes that need a ton of tailoring (or, ideally, any at all). But I figured it was … wait for it … worth the risk in this case because the price was so low; even with a substantial amount set aside for alterations, it was still cheaper than buying it on eBay, for example. So I took the plunge.

Luckily, I had just gotten a recommendation for a new tailor, who turned out to be fantastic. For $50, she slimmed down the sides of the dress, as well as the back, and took up the sleeves at the shoulder. The dress fits like a glove, you guys! It is basically a new, made-to-measure dress now, and I couldn’t be happier. I know $50 is quite a bit, but for the amount of work involved and the result, I think it was money well spent.

million dollar outfit (for under $60)
million dollar outfit (for only $60)