Just before the holidays I finished my third book, a Civil War novel about Caroline Ferriday’s great grandmother Jane Eliza Woolsey and her eight children, three of which were nurses during the war. While I was finishing the book I collected ornaments to decorate my Civil War-era tree, one of the many things I did to get in the mood for the period and help it come alive. Christmas trees were a new thing during that time and blown glass ornaments had not yet caught on widely in this country, so people decorated their tabletop trees with handmade objects and garlands, small gifts and even political badges and flags.

Each year we do a holiday celebration at Caroline’s house, the Bellamy-Ferriday House and Garden, in Bethlehem, Connecticut and we’re talking about a Civil War Christmas next year, in advance of this book. Can’t wait. By then I’ll have collected a whole tree full of ornaments.

Last year I asked my son to put together a video featuring some of the many Lilac Girls bookclubs that helped make the book a success. (The complete photo collection is on my website under bookclubs.) As I get ready to go on tour in March for the Lost Roses paperback (pub date March 3rd) I thought it would be a nice time to share that video. Lost Roses readers have continued the creative bookclub tradition, as you can see below, but I wanted to say thank you to all the bookclubs who so graciously spread the word and put both books on the map. I’m eternally grateful and will share the Lost Roses tour schedule as soon as I have it. Can’t wait to get out and see everyone in March!

I’m a huge ELLE Magazine fan and was excited to write my take on red lipstick for ELLE. Hope you enjoy all five authors’ takes on statement lips! To read the whole article pick up the February ELLE–it’s a great one this month, filled with spring fashion.

Had a wonderful time in Seattle for the American Library Association 2019 midwinter meeting. Not only is Seattle such a fun city, the Penguin-Random House staff took such good care of us (the wonderful Kelly Coyle-Crivelli and Sydney Czech, above) and it was so much fun sharing Lost Roses with librarians. But the highlight was sitting alongside my fellow PRH authors: Jayson Greene, Steven Rowley (above) and Blake Crouch (sadly, Chuck Wendig was sick and couldn’t make it.) It was fascinating listening to them share the stories of their books—all coming soon. I’ve included a little info about their books below. All sure to be incredible reads.

RECURSION by Blake Crouch    Pub date June 11   “All across the country, people are waking up to lives different from the ones they fell asleep to. Are they suffering from False Memory Syndrome, a mysterious new disease that afflicts people with vivid memories of a life they never lived? Or something more sinister?”  Cant wait to dig into this mind-bending thriller I know will keep me up nights turning pages.

‘THE EDITOR by Steven Rowley    Pub date April 2nd.  “From the bestselling author of the fabulous Lily and the Octopus comes a novel about a struggling writer who gets his big break, with a little help from the most famous woman in America.” Hearing the charming and relentlessly funny Steven Rowley share anecdotes about this novel about Jackie O. sent it straight to the top of my TBR pile.

ONCE MORE WE SEE STARS by Jayson Greene   Pub date May 14   Cheryl Strayed’s lovely quote says it best about this exquisite debut novel:  “A gripping and beautiful book about the power of love and loss in the face of unimaginable loss.” In one sitting I finished this beautifully written account of two parents’ devastating loss and the hope it ultimately ushers in.  So uplifting and inspiring.