1. I never wanted to write a tell-all memoir. When I lived in London, I started a blog about food. Gradually, I began weaving in lessons about love. But I was sneaky, not revealing that my posts about my favorite high-street hot chocolate, for instance, were really about a guy I was dating. It was all smoke and mirrors. Eventually, I realized that if I wanted to write a good book, I had to get naked—literally.
Craving London
2. When I was in my early 20s, Jackie Kennedy was my idol. I coiffed my hair into a wavy bob, wore A-line dresses, studied French, and became skilled in the art of writing thank-you letters.
3. I was 22 when I had my first kiss. And it drove me crazy. I had so many crushes before that never materialized. I kept wondering what was wrong with me. I’m still not sure.
4. My most memorable meal ever was in Florence. At La Giostra restaurant over a decade ago. I’ve recommended the place countless times, and everyone who takes my advice is always so grateful for the tip. I have to go back to see if it’s still as good.
5. I was once a supermarket secret shopper. While working for a classical radio station in Florida, one of our advertising clients was a cookie company. They sent me into the cookie (biscuit) aisle with several 100-dollar bills. My task: to give money to shoppers who put the cookie brand into their shopping carts. Not many did, so I started picking people at random. I felt like Santa Claus.
6. I baked gluten-free cakes for a health-food store. After I graduated from Le Cordon Bleu in London, I tried running a baking business from my Kensington flat. I would transport the cakes myself—on foot—boxes stacked one over the other so I could barely see over the top. I soon realized writing was much easier, and more lucrative.
7. I have a five-year-old son who speaks three languages. English, Spanish, and French. His father and I separated when he was a baby, so he gets Spanish immersion with me and French immersion with his dad. It was an unexpected silver lining of divorce. I’m still trying to learn French.
8. I have a cat named Peppa. My son named her after the pig. But I’m not a cat person, or at least I don’t think I am. She’s a gorgeous ragdoll cat that sheds like a fur machine. I got her when my son was two years old and was vacationing with his father in France. Maybe I am a cat person.
9. Last summer, the three of us spent a month in Paris. My ex and I rented separate apartments, and our son went back in forth. It was marvelous, especially in light of 2020. And it was a huge period of growth for me, since I was still trying to accept the idea that we were no longer the “ideal” family unit I had always longed for.
10. I always try to find Jupiter and Saturn on a clear night. I got into astronomy this year through one of my son’s books. Looking up gives me newfound perspective and keeps me connected to the magic and mystery of life. There’s so much we don’t know and breathtaking beauty everywhere we look.
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I am shy by nature and sharing bits of myself, just as I am doing here, invariably makes my heart race and my palms sweat. I much prefer to hide behind the characters in my books. They are far more interesting than I will ever be... to read more click HERE
