June is off to a gentle start. The Vineyard is open for business, but the Island still feels empty relative to how it will be two weeks from now. You can still get parking in town and go grocery shopping on Saturday and find a table at a coffee shop. I’m seeing my local friends one last time before we go to ground and summer hosting duties commence.

This letter is catching me on staycation, and I’m grateful for the pause. The first five months of this year have been a push to get my book out the door. I just handed in the most recent draft on Friday, and for the first time in two years I’m starting to think about what comes next. Many of the authors I find inspiring churn books out once or even twice a year. It fills me with admiration because every time I write a book, I’m convinced I’ll never love again.

There’s so much in our discourse about how familiarity breeds contempt, but honestly I’ve always found familiarity to be a potent aphrodisiac. There’s no way a person I’m meeting for the first time can hold a candle to someone I’ve been with or know. It’s sort of like this writing new characters after being in a foxhole with one project for a couple years.

After my first book, I solicited a lot of advice on how to approach my second. I got a range of feedback. One person who told me that every writer has one book in them that they write over and over again (I’m still not sure if I agree with this). Another told me that it always starts with the female character (this turned out to not be true of my next project). A third told me “just write something richer than Ursa” which really got in my head. I couldn’t imagine ever loving another book as much as Songs in Ursa Major. I knew as I was writing Ursa that it was a singular experience, and I was absolutely right.

Into the Blue could not have been more different. Not one part that book happened on my schedule, or with any of the ease of its older sibling. It came out too slow, too long, too unwieldy. But I loved it so fiercely. Its slowness made me feel safe enough to write after being numb for a few years post Covid, post Ursa, post a lot of things. Its length was an expression of the distance I had to travel to be ready to be vulnerable in public again. And its unwieldiness was a reflection of the pure joy and radical freedom I experienced while writing it.

The version I just handed in is so sleek and streamlined compared to its earliest incarnations and that has been the work of many loving hands, who could feel what this book wanted to be and who were all holding a different piece of the puzzle. In retrospect, it seems to me that my second book came out this way specifically to help me find these people, and I’m so grateful that it did.

Now, as I begin to turn towards the future, I’m not soliciting anyone’s advice. The truth is, I suspect it’s going to happen a little differently each time. I can feel myself reaching for the next place developmentally, though, one where maybe it doesn’t have to be quite this hard, where there’s room in my heart to love some more characters, to trust that their specialness to others is not dependent on their uniqueness to me. I’m not quite there yet, but I want to be.

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Updates

Weather: We’re in the 60s and it’s a good time, particularly if you enjoy pollen.

Currently Reading: I’m still working on Tower of Dawn, but will pause that to dive into my absolutely mouthwatering vacation TBR, which includes Silver Elite, Problematic Summer Romance, Atmosphere, Great, Big, Beautiful Life, and Conform. More to come on all of these, to be sure.

Currently Watching: Guys, we are on the last three episodes of Midsomer Murders. I assume the series ends by us meeting our untimely end, because how could we go on without this show?

The writing is a relatively short part of a books life—akin to early childhood, or the scrolling text in Star Wars. Most books that go on to be published spend the majority of their long existences as printer-ready files on a production manager’s hard drive or as specimens lodged deep in the Library of Congress—unique and unchanging. Finished. Fixed.

I am on the precipice of this with INTO THE BLUE, four weeks away from copy-editing. This will mark the beginning of the book’s journey into the publication process, and the end of its journey with me.

It’s a strange moment. Bittersweet. The characters and I are in our last private conversation. I know the end is coming, but I don’t believe it yet. I don’t know what to compare this to. Sometimes, it’s Sam Mussabini giving Harold Abrahams his charm before the big race. Other times, it’s lying in bed with someone I know is leaving. Really, it’s the dawning unreality that sending E.T. home will mean saying goodbye—triumphant and sad, whole and empty.

In all these cases, there’s a feeling of being dwarfed by my creation. I have poured myself into this book. I saved nothing for the swim home. There has not been one thing I was unwilling to try, to cut, to mend, to sacrifice for the good of this project. And it’s very one sided. I desperately love this strange little document that has no idea I exist and cannot love me back. That won’t remember me when it becomes a book, then a file, then a fossil in the Library of Congress.

But I will remember it. Not because I wrote it, but because it made me tell more truth than I ever have before, and it’s impossible to do that and end up the same person you were when you started.

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Updates

Weather: Glorious. All the windows are open right now. Please don’t rob me.

Currently Reading: While revising, I’ve returned to Throne of Glass, living in dread of the day I finish Empire of Storms and am relegated to 1,000 pages of Chaol. *shiver*

Currently Watching: Still Midsomer Murders. Winter is the Sargent now, so we’re nearing the end, one quirky small-town death at a time.

Editing: Romantasy Sex Checks goes on sale on Tuesday. It’s been a while since I’ve written a gift product I love this much. Click below to learn more :)

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Books I Read Last Month

I tore through QUICKSILVER, which. Wow. I loved this book. The magic system felt so organic and intuitive, and Saeris is honest and strong and fun to embody. And the MOUTH on Kingfisher!! Their first kiss was so good, I actually put down the book to pre-order Brimstone. If you’re pro heightened fae senses, you will love this. If you enjoy couples who “drink” from each other, this one’s for you. My “drinking” interest plateaus at loss-of-control-neck-bite, and I liked this, if that helps you. There were twists and turns I did not see coming, but also some tropes that were just…exactly what I wanted. The end is numinous and meta in ways that nurished my Piscean soul. Two words: vampire fae. Highly recommend.

Speaking of drinking from each other, I also read A KINGDOM OF VENOM AND VOWS, which I ordered because I’d seen it on a bunch of roundups and heard it was super hot. I did not realize it was book 3 in the series until I started, and then I just kept going, which…I’m sure was not what the author intended. The builds are such an important part of these stories, and I definitely shortchanged myself by cutting straight to the payoff. So yeah, drinking from each other and mating sex without getting to know the characters is not the same as drinking and mating sex after hundreds of pages of tension. WHO KNEW. I didn’t mean to read two vampire-y books in a row, but sometimes that’s how the blood splatters. The world building in this one was lighter than in Quicksilver if that sways you one way or the other (although not as light as it seemed coming on on book 3…).

What are YOU reading? Tell me about it, stud.

Until next time…

xx

Emma

And all of a sudden, it’s April. Are daffodils weeds? They grow like them, obstinate yellow everywhere. We are bright and we are HERE. Aries season in a plant.

Chipmunks are back on offer and several times a day, the shadow of a hawk or turkey vulture consumes my yard in a way that makes me think of Moonstruck. “Who died?”

This works for me. It’s one less rodent trying to turn my Jeep into a motel. Twice a week, I pop the hood to spray Mighty Mint: Rodent Vehicle Protection on the engine. I’m pretty sure it’s just toothpaste and water, but the packaging is so official I continue to obey.

April is a month of high holy days. Passover! Easter! And, my personal favorite: Independent Bookstore Day!

One of the best things about living in a small community is developing a relationship with local booksellers. As an author, indies wield untold power. No one can crush you faster than an indie bookseller blinking without recognition as they tell you your book is not in stock while heavily implying that it never was. Emily Henry has a great passage about this in Beach Read. It’s soul crushing.

Conversely, if an indie gets behind you, they can extend the life of your book…for years. I’m fortunate to have two incredible booksellers on Island who continue to champion Songs in Ursa Major like it’s a new release.

Bunch of Grapes in Vineyard Haven is what you picture when you picture a bookshop on an island; magical, cozy, and eclectic. It’s the first place I was ever recognized as a writer (fun fact, it’s also the storefront that inspired Widow’s Peak). They have a really cute kitten named Bookmark, and Molly is a brilliant bookseller, who does a phenomenal job catering to a hungry and diverse readership that balloons 10x every summer.

Edgartown Books is my hometown bookstore; it’s where I waited in line for Harry Potters to be released at midnight. Matt is one of the best in the business and is incredibly knowledgeable about pretty much every book ever sold. You can talk to him about Percy Jackson (which I have read!) and A Little Life (which I have not!) in the same conversation. They have a super dreamy café in back for reading and people watching—it’s a little slice of heaven.

Both are worth a follow (click the names above)—and if you happen to be looking for a signed copy of Songs in Ursa Major, both currently have stock.

Updates

Weather: Temperamental. Wellies and baseball caps. Some freakish, possibly sentient fog. It’s warm enough that I’m starting to pull ticks off Freddie (boo).

Currently Reading: Bittersweet by Susan Cain and Quicksilver by Callie Hart

Currently Watching: still Midsomer Murders (the John years) and March Madness

Editing: see below re: Prose to the People

Books I Read Last Month

Light light light Fourth Wing spoilers, otherwise you should be good.

THE EMPYREAN SERIES: For context, I am a huge Rebecca Yarros fan. These books make me grin so hard I sometimes have to stop to take face breaks. That said, this was my third time reading Fourth Wing, but my first since reading the sequels, and I found myself having some feelings I didn’t want to have—namely certain bargains and certain signets I now know about made me feel extremely self-conscious for Violet when I wanted to be breathless. But so it goes. In the words of Cadet Two-Rs-in-Sorrengail Sorrengail herself, my love is not fickle, and Fourth Wing is still one of my favorite builds of all time. Onyx Storm has overtaken Iron Flame as my second favorite in the series. Professor Xaddy seems to be garnering mixed reviews, but I was really into the mat scene! It’s Jasper/ Alice training montage vibes in the best way. Read if you want to be swept off your feet/ turned into a literary sea wife, tearfully awaiting the next installment.

THE WEDDING PEOPLE: In a market that likes to delineate between books that talk about feelings and books that give you feelings, this book is defiantly both, and I love it. It’s propulsive and wise and really funny—think Ottessa Moshfegh meets Elin Hildebrand. Read if you want something that’s cathartic and sensuous, but won’t turn you into a sea wife.

MARGO’S GOT MONEY TROUBLE: This was my second Rufi Thorpe book, and I just love her. She has such a delicious appreciation of kitsch, and her writing makes even the tackiest chrome siding look like gold. And she is so, so, so funny! I guffawed at this book—both at the scenes and some of the lines. The characters are super lovable, particularly Margo and her dad, Jinx, though everyone gets a little moment of pathos. Made for Love meets Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow. Read if you want to laugh and also get really mad a few times, and you have an interest in the intersection of art and identity.

WHEN THE MOON HATCHED: So fun. Like the first four Throne of Glass books distilled into a super serum and so very sexy it hardly bothered me that I had to learn new words for things like day (dae) and night (slumber). I fell into this book—Raeve comes fully programmed on how to fight/stab/read, which is refreshing. The magic in this universe is very cool/ apropos of Avatar the Last Airbender in ways that make it sing (This is an in-world joke, FYI). Read if you want immersive and steamy and poignant. Will definitely turn you into a sea wife.

Upcoming Releases

Two titles I love are publishing this month. The first, I got to work on, the second, I devoured. I’ll be posting more about them as their birthday’s arrive, but in the meantime, you can click on the images below to investigate/ pre-order.

Advanced Praise for PROSE TO THE PEOPLE: “Through vivid photography, interviews, and essays, this work—part-travelogue and part-manifesto—helps us fall in love with the places that have centered Black literature as a form of resistance.”—Elle

Advanced Praise for SUCH A GOOD MOM: “With a plot that moves as swiftly as the currents off Martha's Vineyard, Such a Good Mom is a rollicking fun mystery that makes one point abundantly clear: the only thing harder than motherhood is knowing who to trust. A twisty ride that's not to be missed.” – Jamie Day

I love mail. I love your handwriting. Drop me a postcard, I’ll send you one back.

Until next time—

xx

Emma

What is it about oldests and advice? Is it that we have a captive audience from day one? Or is our helpfulness all just a projection? Oh, is life scary and confusing…for you? Here, I’ll explain it.

I’ve been deep in the world of my second book for just about two years, which for me means I’m living real quiet. No unnecessary distractions, no drama. I want to give myself synesthesia, I’m so bored. I want my pulse so low I could be mistaken for a corpse. Outside of work, everything good and new is going to this other world, to these flawed, fascinating, horny people in my head. And I…am not there. It’s sort of like the traveller in Star Trek—in order to get these people where they’re going, I need to disappear.

I turned in the latest revision last week. We’re not done yet, but the massive creative push is starting to taper—I can tell, because today on my walk, the voice in my head was actually my own. An advicey, oldest’s voice. Lots of shoulds. Should order probiotics. Should send in the taxes. Should pick up again with the newsletter.

So. Bossy.

If you subscribe to this, you’re probably a writer or a creative or a blood relative or we’ve seen each other cry or throw up or both. You might have taken one of my classes on query craft or editing. You might be an agent or author I work with. You might have read a book I edited or one I wrote. If so, hi—thank you for being here.

If you’re new or just curious, nice to meet you. I’m an Executive Editor at Clarkson Potter and a novelist. I live on Martha’s Vineyard year-round with my sweet husband and his slutty little glasses and our loud dog who barks at everyone but us.

Per above re: corpse pulse, there’s not always a lot of news, per se, but I do have thoughts. These past few years have been a real journey, creatively. My central question remains the same: how do we as artists keep on keeping on, but I have some new answers. Writing your second book is very different from writing your first —I want to talk about that. Selling it is a wild ride—I can talk about that, too.

I’ll also give updates on projects I’m working from both the editor and author sides of my desk. And probably updates on what I’m reading and watching.

And anything else you want to know about—see above re: oldests and advice.

So let’s do this. Once a month. Fun! Intriguing. Will this be the year I actually deal with our hydrangeas? Which books are going to end up doing well and why? Will Tower of Dawn ever get better? Will Nancy ever nail Ned in “Nancy x Ned,” my Nancy Drew fan fic (currently 11 pages long and her skirt has only just come off)?

Let’s find out.

xx

Emma

Updates

Weather: It is bitterly cold here, which I’m mostly dealing with by hoarding Newman’s Pineapple Salsa and Lime Tostitos. It’s a sense memory exercise that helps me remember what sun feels like.

Reading: I don’t read new work while I’m writing, so I’m basically on literary Rumspringa atm. I kicked off with DEEP END by Ali Hazelwood, which was just delightful. I’m now rereading all of Empyrean to refresh before ONYX STORM. From there, who knows! No recommendations allowed. No homework on Rumpsringa.

Watching: Midsommer Murders, the Tom years. I will actually go into sepsis if I reengage with high octane reading material and prestige television at the same time. Baby steps.

Editing: Two projects I worked on just published in Jan and they are both stunning—click on the photos to learn more <3

Send Emma a Question

This house came with a Kent wood burning stove, which, like the rest of my appliances, is from 1997. We got it cleaned last spring, and ever since, I’ve been messing around with fire making.

Here’s is what I’ve learned so far:

+ Open all the vents. Fires need air.

+ It is not necessary to make a torch out of newspaper and shine it into every corner of the stove/ chimney like a tomb raider, but it will not hurt.

+ It is okay to cheat in fire making. Use a lot of kindling and newspaper in the beginning.

+ Never under any circumstances should you use a Duraflame in your stove.

+ Start with small logs and let them burn with all the vents open until they are completely incinerated.

+ When in doubt if a log has completely burned or has just been lightly toasted, bash it with a poker.

+ It is ideal to have a bed of glowing embers (“coals”) that is somewhere over 100 degrees to create a chain-lighting situation.

+ When opening the door to add more logs, open it slowly.

+ When the fire is bright, that is not the time to add more logs. Add more logs when it is glowing red.

+ Do not pile logs onto existing burning red logs. Instead, bash existing red logs into coal bed, then add logs on top.

+ Once coal bed is achieved, you should refuel at 2-3 logs at a time. The more you open the door, the more you risk losing the fire.

+ There is no art to log stacking in a wood burning stove. Just shove ‘em in there and shut the door.

+ The more air, the hotter and brighter the fire. Also the faster it will go out.

+ The less air, the more “efficient” the fire. “Efficient” fires can stay around 100 degrees for a long time without refueling, five hours I’ve found so far, but I am also new at this.

+ It’s important to figure out where your vent is, because this way you can control the airflow of the fire without opening and closing the door.

+ Sometimes it happens that you think your fire is hot enough, but it’s not so the logs start to smolder. If you open the door a little, often it will light. Per above, fires need air.

+ Sometimes it happens that you open the door to give your fire air, and it only relights when you shut the door again. Air is mysterious.

+ Not all logs are seasoned equally. Some logs will light at a lower temperature, while others need more heat to take. See above, on cheating.

+ Fires are salvageable, even when they seem like they have gone out. Newspaper and air will fix most of your problems.

+ When you finish with your fire, leave some of the cinders—fires light easier atop a bed of ash.

May all of your fires burn bright this week!

xx