Our New Literary Society, A Delicious Summer Cocktail, and a Travel Journal

You're Invited! The Kopp Sisters Literary Society is HERE

I have some news! I've persuaded my publisher to print 50 extra advance copies of the next novel so that I can send them to avid readers (maybe that's you!) who want to help us spread the word about the series.

Don't we look like a fun group?
 

If you're a passionate reader who likes to review books online, post about books on social media, and generally kick up a fuss about books you love (and, uh, particularly the Kopp Sisters books),  You do not have to be a social media superstar! If you're reading this, I really want you to join. We only have 50 slots, so hurry up! 

THIS Is Our Summer Cocktail

Have you ever heard of an Italian cocktail called the Sgroppino? Can you even pronounce Sgroppino?

Doesn't matter--it's delicious and ridiculously simple. Here's a recipe for four drinks. I should clarify that these four drinks are not all for you. Invite some friends over.

12    ounces lemon sorbet (a pint carton is 16 oz)
8    ounces prosecco (or other sparkling wine)
2    ounces vodka
A splash of limoncello, if you have it (optional)
Mint leaves or lemon peel for garnish

Scoop the sorbet into a large metal bowl. Add one-half of the Prosecco and whisk it around until the sorbet is melted. Whisk in the vodka and remaining Prosecco, along with a little limoncello if you feel like it.

Drink immediately, or pour into a jar and place in the freezer until ready to drink. (Note: I like to give it a little time in the freezer regardless.) Add mint leaves as a garnish.

Thanks to vivianadalpozzo for the inspiration.

Are You Paralyzed by Book Block?

Who knew that this was a thing? 

According to the UK's Reading Agency, (yes, they have something called a Reading Agency in England, should we all move there now?) 35 million Brits are stuck reading a book that they hate but nonetheless are too polite to put down, which prevents them from moving on to a book they might actually enjoy.

54 percent of survey respondents said they've been stuck for three months on a book they don't like but are determined to struggle through.

Folks, I am here to tell you: Every book has its reader. That reader does not have to be you. If you're suffering from book block, pass that book on to the next reader, and pick up something you'll enjoy. Life is short.

June Must Be Free Books Month, Because Here Are Two More Giveaways.

So many giveaways this month! Win some free stuff, why don't you?

Miss Kopp's Midnight Confessions and another new book I love, Who Is Vera Kelly? This is a fun, twisty, feminine spy thriller and a wonderful period piece that will take you on a trip to Buenos Aires you'll not soon forget. Plus, swag, of course. 

And over at Reading Group Choices, you can win a copy of Girl Waits with Gun for everybody in your book club! (If you win, I will totally Skype with your book club.)

Who Should Play the Kopps on TV? Y'all Had Some Crazy Answers

Thanks to everyone who wrote in last month when I asked who should play the Kopps in the upcoming TV series. A few of my favorite answers, along with my thoughts:

Debbie from Lynwood says: "Jane Lynch, Gwendoline Christie or Tilda Swinton as Constance, Jody Foster as Norma, Miley Cyrus as Fleurette"  WOW that would be quite a show!

Danielle from Little Rock says: "Famke Jessen- Constance; Dot-Marie Jones- Norma; Elle Fanning- Fluerette" I loved this one because I had to look up all three actresses--and I totally agree!

Mary from Mayview says: "I don't know, but they should be "real," not just (or even) pretty." I am so with you on this! 

I also love Miranda Hart for Constance. Nobody mentioned one of my favorites for Norma: Mary Lynn Rajskub. I also love Alex Borstein for Norma, but she's a little busy right now with The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel.

When they actually do get around to casting the show, you will be the first to know!

Are You Going on Vacation? Take a Journal.

If you follow me on Instagram, you know that I love to sketch and paint. I was not born with any particular talent for art--I've been taking classes for 15 years. (Come to think of it, I should be a lot better after all this time!) 

But before I took a single class, I started making travel journals that included lots of writing and a few silly little pictures. It started in 2004, when I went to Ecuador to research Flower Confidential. Quito was such an extraordinary city that my husband and I felt we had to do something to capture our memories. So we bought a cheap little notebook, wrote down our strangest and most interesting experiences, and drew silly little pictures.

That journal is among my most prized possessions. If the house was on fire, it's one of the first things I'd grab.

A travel journal is also a wonderful way to fill in some of those slow moments on a vacation--waiting for a train, waiting for a table, taking a break on a park bench. And anyone who's with you can write something --that's part of the experience.

Today my travel journals are mostly art and not as many words. But just this last weekend, in Florida, I had only a few minutes to draw the scene on the beach. It didn't turn out very well--I was getting eaten alive by little sand fleas and was eager to get out of there--but I filled the page with words and I think it looks pretty great.

So here are three pages from travel journals over the years (Ecuador in 2004, Cuba in 2015, and Florida last weekend) that are truly not impressive works of art. If I can do it, you can, too. And your travel kit could be as simple, cheap, and lightweight as what I've put in the fourth picture.

If you'd like to see the art supplies I travel with today, and get links to the online sketching classes I've taken, go here.

Am I Coming to Your Hometown?

If so, I would love to meet you in person--and I will have a present for you. It's just a small token of my affection, but it's something I'll only be giving to people on this list. So come up and introduce yourself, and tell me that you  subscribe to this newsletter!

New Orleans, LA: June 23 American Library Association 
Mackinac Island, MI: Aug 26-28 The Grand Garden Show
Ridgewood NJ: Sept 17 Ridgewood Public Library
Spokane, WA: Sept. 27 Spokane Is Reading
Florence, OR: Sept. 28 Florence Festival of Books

Updated tour dates can always be found on my website. Please confirm details with the venue before you head out.

Are You Good at Saying No? I'm Not.

That's why I can't stop thinking about this idea:  If it's not a "Hell, yes!" it's a "no." I realize that we can't live our whole lives by this principle--could you imagine if you said no to every work and family obligation that didn't inspire a "Hell, yes!" response? The laundry would never get done! Your taxes would never get done!

Still. It's an interesting idea, and I pass it along for what it's worth.

Are You Saying "Hell, yes!" to the next Kopp novel?

Would you like to read the fourth installment of the Kopp Sisters' adventures? Well, you'll have to wait until September, but you can pre-order it now everywhere books are sold. That would make my publisher very happy, because pre-orders are important.

If you do, I will send you a signed bookplate and enter you in a contest to win some cool stuff.

Read all about it here.

What Are You Reading?

Speaking of book block--do you ever read Stephen King? For a long time I stayed away, thinking his books were just too terrifying for me. But then I realized: For about the first three-quarters of most King novels, they're not all that terrifying. Many of them tend to be really interesting, somewhat dark and spooky but not terrifying, and are very much anchored in real life and a real situation any of us might find ourselves in.

Then, as he nears the end, he seems to remember, "Oh yeah, I'm Stephen King. I'm supposed to turn this thing into some kind of supernatural bloodbath."

That's when I stop reading. See? You can quit a book before you're finished.

My cousin recommended Duma Key, about an artist whose paintings seem to have some wonderful but terrifying power. It is a delightful, thrilling, and (believe it or not) heartfelt novel about a man struggling to put his life together after a terrible accident. It's a quick escapist read and I loved it. Also, I have no idea how it ends.

What about you? Join me on Facebook or Goodreads or Litsy and tell me what you're into these days!