My return to Amalfi…the launch of 24 Hours in Italy…Fan Expo…and more!

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It would be oh-so-easy to drown my keyboard in the pumpkin-spice-flavoured tears that gather in my upper face-holes when I think about how summer is truly over, but instead I’ll look back on the summer that was, the summer that included: a dreamy escape to Amalfi, the launch of 24 Hours in Italy (my follow up to 24 Hours in Paris—both of which are in bookstores now)—and so much more!

La dolce vita

What better way to celebrate the launch of my second traditionally-published book, than on the Amalfi Coast where it takes place? she said, via Whatsapp, to her Paris besties back in Feb, hoping their schedules would allow it.

The scheduling all worked out (with some glorious time in Paris too), and how did it feel to be back in Amalfi after almost six years? I mean, my god! I got to trace the steps of Mira and Jake’s adventures—inspired by coastal memories imprinted in my mind, eat that amazing lemon pesto pasta again (free recipe included in the book!)…it was a dream that exceeded every expectation, even faster than the pizza and pasta that would’ve exceeded the boundaries of my vacation wardrobe, had the wardrobe items not been billowy and/or elasticized.

Here are some snaps that illustrate just how grateful I felt about it all (though my occasional resting-bitch-face may suggest otherwise).

24 Hours in Italy made its way into bookstores!

When it comes to achieving dreams and creative milestones, I am the worst at sitting in it, enjoying it, and appreciating it. I am that type-A Aries monster who always wants to do more and achieve more and evaluate more and judge more and course-correct more.

Somewhere within that mania of this latest book launch, I was proud of what I’d achieved, things like the back-to-back starred reviews I mentioned in my last post, things like finally getting on a list this time, things like getting readers to actually try the lemon pesto recipe for themselves…what a journey. I was also proud that I’d written the series that I myself would want to read, with the armchair travel energy so representative of my passion, and the tropes that never felt like selling out, because they represented scenes and dialogue that always felt authentic to me.

Seeing a second book in bookstores and signing copies and having it on featured walls and end caps would’ve seemed unimaginable to the old me, from those times when I was rejected by over a hundred literary agents, and later when I embarked on that wild and aggressive self-publishing journey, and later still, when I lived through extended periods of being unsure of my goals.

Now that these milestone moments are here (for a fortunate second time), I often struggle to fully step inside this unlikely magical turn of events™. It’s here, and yet it’s out of my grasp in a way, and sometimes (often), I don’t know how to truly feel it. Just thought I’d be honest about that. I hope later, in quieter moments, I’ll be able to feel it more.

Fan Expo and being in my extroverted wheelhouse

At the end of August, I had the chance to do a panel and a book signing at Fan Expo Canada. I love doing panels. Truly, put me on every panel and let me talk my face off (if you know me in real life, you know I relish any chance to talk my face off).

Our romance panel was packed, and over ONE HUNDRED people had to be turned away—a stunning stat I won’t soon forget. I also won’t forget how it felt to be there, because unlike what I mentioned above, about my struggle to feel the author-y things, I don’t ever struggle to be in the moment at panels and book signings. Maybe that’s the good part about being a type-A Aries (and probably a 7 on the extrovert scale).

I mean…these photos say it all. Me, in my wheelhouse, wanting to chat with all of you about my books.

The best book club meetup ever!

Right before my book launched (while I was still in Amalfi and existing on a bloodstream made of limoncello spritz), The Book Wardrobe, a charming indie bookshop in Streetsville, reached out to me to ask if I’d be able to attend their next book club meetup—as 24 Hours in Italy was their book club pick for August.

I jumped at the chance to have an in-person book club meetup at an independent bookstore, but I never imagined how magical it would be. From how quickly it sold out, to the cannoli and espresso drinks made-to-order, it was the perfect way to spend a Saturday morning.

When the actual book club meeting began, and the enthusiastic readers shared their fascinating and thought-provoking feelings about the book, it went from a perfect morning to a deeply meaningful one—and I definitely got emotional when Carmela—who runs the shop—gave a passionate speech about why she chose my book, and why my words matter.

More of my thoughts are in this IG caption, but in short: a magical day I was able to feel to the fullest. Thank you

(Also, check out The Book Wardrobe in-person or shop from their website—we need indie bookstores to thrive!)

Coming very soon: Meet me at the Toronto International Festival of Authors!

Yes, it’s September, which means that #TIFA is coming soon. And what is that, you ask? Only a huge author festival I’d long wished to be a part of! And now, it’s almost here.

On September 23rd, I’ll be taking part in TWO free events that I hope you’ll check out—and 24 Hours in Italy will be for sale on site at the Indigo pop-up shop, how convenient!

You can find more event details on my Festival of Authors author page—hope to see you there!

So much is next, and it’s fairly uncertain and risky!

How did we go from magical and exciting to uncertain and risky?

Well here’s the thing: I am outlining my next book, and I have no idea what the hell is going to happen with it.

My future would’ve been a lot more clear if I’d written a third in the 24 Hours series, a.k.a. if I’d…you know, branded myself in the way that authors are encouraged to do.

Instead, I made a decision to say goodbye to Mira and Jake, and embark on something totally new. That decision made me sad in some ways, because I love Mira and Jake. I’ve also been missing them a lot, and will definitely have to re-read my book when I have time—and will of course keep manifesting to see them on screen some day, partially for me, and partially because more than a few readers have let me know they are waiting (im)patiently for that. I feel you on that. Me too!

Without Mira and Jake or any concrete plans for my next move, I started from square one and developed a brand new idea, and…I am so fucking excited about it.

I’ll come back here later to share more about my journey with this whole new story, but first, I have to tackle the metric ton of work that is ahead…(the outline, the draft, the editing, the full-time copywriting job that takes up most of the hours when I’d like to do be doing those things, oh my!)

Whatever happens, I know I won’t look back and say “you should’ve just done that third 24 Hours book, dummy, it would’ve been easier,” because…if I’m going to be a career author (which is my goal), I want to keep progressing and evolving as an artist, otherwise what’s the point of any of this?

So yeah, stay tuned for my chronicles of choosing chaos by making life more difficult for myself—which, I have to say, is very on-brand for an Aries who needs to calm down.

Toodles!

24 Hours in Italy will be out soon (!) + other thoughts

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Despite being notoriously bad at keeping up with my blog in recent years (to the tune of one post per year, eeek), this time it’s only been three months between posts, which is sure to delight *checks notes* all seven of my readers! Yes, this is all for you.

While this update won’t be as long as my other recaps, I simply had to pop in on this rainy Sunday in June, a gloomy day that seemed so fit for blogging—and for looking ahead as well, with my second book release less than six weeks away!

Another book, another freakin’ starred review!

Is this author thing all a dream? It seems like it, and it seemed like it even more when the second book in my 24 Hours series received a Publishers Weekly starred review, just like the first book:

Last year, when 24 Hours in Paris received a starred review from a trade publication it was extra special, after having begun my career as a self-published author who wouldn’t have been eligible for opportunities like that. It also meant a lot as an author with a South Asian background, since the industry still has some ways to go when it comes to representation.

But that was last year.

This year? Those feelings only deepened, when 24 Hours in Italy received a starred review as well. My editor and I always believed this book was special, we just knew it in our bones, but it didn’t seem likely that a follow-up book would get a starred review like the first. So we put it out of our minds. And then it happened, a moment that validated the difficult journey of writing another adventure for Mira and Jake, one that could live up to the first—and one that would be the ending they deserve, because there won’t be a third book in this series, at least not with my name on it, no sir. Why? Because I want to go out on a high note, so this series doesn’t become like one of those shows that doesn’t know when to end.

Speaking of the difficult journey, in my last post I touched on the challenge of writing 24 Hours in Italy, and I’ll sum it up now by saying that the only way I was able to create the intensity needed in 24 Hours in Italy was by opening up the Pandora’s box of my own nostalgia, and pouring some of those emotions into the fictional events of this book. I guess that’s what writers mean when they describe the act of opening a vein and bleeding the words into life. It’s quite the metaphorical sacrifice, and frankly I would rather sacrifice a goat than open up the wounds of old pain.

On the other hand, if opening up old wounds can make me some money, cut me open and let’s cash those checks!

You’ll have to judge for yourself how serious I was in making either of the preceding two statements, but what I can confirm is that no goats were harmed in the making of this book. I can also confirm that this special book is incredibly near and dear to my heart, and I can’t wait to hear what readers think.

Speaking of readers…

Some avid book bloggers and bookstagrammers have already read advance copies of 24 Hours in Italy, and hearing some of those first reactions has been uplifting, to say the least. Here’s one of my favourite reactions so far, and I can’t wait to hear what other readers think when the book comes out on July 18th. Seriously, you’re the reason I get to do this, and for that, I’m truly grateful.

And then The Word on the Street Festival happened!

Once the final proofs of 24 Hours in Italy left my hands and I had a chance to revel in the starred review, I found myself drowning in the combination of personal life demands and ad copywriting day job demands. I finally emerged on May 27th for a grand and auspicious day: getting to speak on a panel and do a book signing at Toronto’s The Word on the Street Festival!

I probably sound like a broken record by now, but this was another of those things that I’d always dreamed of doing, but it had never been possible when I was a self-published author (maybe it’s possible these days for self-published authors—I hope so!). It was truly amazing to get so many positive reactions at the romance panel, to meet so many readers and book bloggers, and to sell so many copies of 24 Hours in Paris! What a great day.

What’s next

I told you I’d be keeping this short (also, I love how my version of short is still like 700+ words), but I’ll probably be back in another few months (or maybe sooner!), to tell you all about the experience of launching 24 Hours in Italy (July 18th)! Until then, here are a few handy points, whether you know a little, a lot, or nothing about my journey and this book series:

–24 Hours in Paris is available in e-book and paperback format online or in bookstores, so if you haven’t read about Mira and Jake—the very opposite co-workers who fall for each other during a whirlwind 24 hours in Paris—now’s your chance (I’ll share a catch-all link below). This book is also like a virtual tour of Paris with real locations, so it kind of doubles as a travel guide if you’ve ever thought about taking a trip.

–24 Hours in Italy will be out on July 18th! This second-chance romance on the Amalfi Coast brings back Mira and Jake, but if you haven’t read the first book and are eager to escape to Amalfi, fear not, as the book begins with a quick recap to catch you up! Until July 18th, you can preorder the book from pretty much any bookstore, and preorders are immensely helpful to authors, as they indicate demand to retailers which encourages them to order more books.

-Whether you’re interested in the first book right now or preordering the second, all of the handy “buy” links are here, along with links to reviews, Spotify soundtracks for each book, and more.

Okay, ciao for now (already getting in Italy mode), and if you want more day-to-day updates, follow me on Instagram (username: romimoondi)!

Time flies—and the next book comes out July 18th!

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It is well known that I neglect my blog, but in a world where people make money off of showing their feet on OnlyFans, blog posts aren’t exactly integral to the cultural discourse. A.k.a. I assume you all have been doing just fine without my long-form presence.

But what about me? Have I been doing fine with so many pent up meandering rambles running circles in my over-active mind? Hardly. And so here, in rambling long-form mode, is a summary of what’s been going on since my first traditionally-published book, 24 Hours in Paris, released last May!

I went to Italy to get inspired for my next book, 24 Hours in Italy

Most of 24 Hours in Italy takes place on the Amalfi Coast, but there are also some chapters that transpire in Rome and Tuscany, so going back there this past July for the first time since the pandemic was A: inspiring, and B: hopefully a tax write-off?

I did my first Indigo bookstore signing in my home town!

Having a book signing for 24 Hours in Paris at Canada’s biggest bookstore chain in my home town of Kitchener, Ontario was definitely one of those “you’re not just self-published anymore, Dorothy” moments. It was also so nice to meet enthusiastic readers (one of whom drove up from half an hour away), as well as catch up with a few pals from high school. Overall, as someone who was a sarcastic nerd—weird combo, I know—in high school and spent lunch hours hanging out in the library, this was one of those moments of feeling, well…equally uncool and awkward, but an author version of that! Livin’ the dream.

I capped off the summer by having my first virtual book club, with an amazing group of enthusiastic readers—a couple of whom dressed up and had Zoom backgrounds of Paris! I look forward to doing more of those in the future—hit me up if you ever want me to join!

I had to write a sequel draft that wasn’t garbage

Even though 24 Hours in Italy can be read as a standalone if you so choose—as the book will kick off with a handy one-page recap of 24 Hours in Paris (think of it as a streaming series style trailer ala “here’s what you missed”)—the book is technically a follow up, bringing back our love interests Mira and Jake, for a second-chance romance that takes place two years after 24 Hours in Paris. In other words, this is their dramatic part II, and so, as I started drafting it, the sequel boogeyman’s voice loomed large with every turn of the page:

-Are you writing trash, Romi? This is probably trash. Ohhh, you got a starred review from Publishers Weekly on the first book? Cool, get ready for a stank-ass poop review on this one.

As if the sequel boogeyman wasn’t enough, I was trying to write it all on late nights and weekends, with my full-time ad copywriting day job rudely in the way of my ambitions. Soon after, I got Covid, which set me back even further. It was the best of times, and the best of times, is that how the saying goes? (To give context to that sentence, I was voted “most sarcastic” in high school…)

In the end, I completed what I felt was a decent draft with a lean word count, which was how I did it with the first book too (as I usually add 8K to 12K words in rewrites). And so, at long last, I could breathe—luckily just in time for an adventure in New York City…

I did a panel and book signing at NYC Comic Con!

My love for New York is well documented on this blog, and for the first time since 2018, I was able to return for a whirlwind 28 hours, to do a panel and book signing at Comic Con (Thanks, Wattpad)! Not only was this another one of those self-pub-to-trad-pub crossover milestones, but I also got to travel with another Toronto author from my publisher. It took mere hours for us to become author BFFs, and in the five months since, that bond has only strengthened. So cheers to that!

I had to finish the structural rewrite/got to go to LA for my publisher’s annual conference!

After New York, I had a brief period of time with a normal human schedule, and then, soon after, the editorial letter for 24 Hours in Italy landed in my inbox.

I unfortunately thrive on the pressure of procrastination, so I hadn’t gotten very far into the rewrite, before it was already time to pack fun outfits and jet off to LA for my publisher’s annual conference!

I’ve attended Wattpad’s WattCon before, but this was the biggest one yet, and I had a blast. Not only did I get to speak on a panel that went spectacularly well (attendees were coming up to us with kind words all day), but my book 24 Hours in Paris (which was on sale at the conference) sold out in three hours. And then of course, there was so much bonding with fellow authors during the mixers and events. Yay!

I stayed in LA for a few extra days to catch up with friends and be that basic bitch who goes to Tower Bar to see celebrities. I saw Oscar winner Eddie Redmayne while I was there, so…mission accomplished, I guess, but next time, I wouldn’t mind accidentally bumping into Jacob Elordi, knocking his drink over (again, accidentally), and then kindly helping him dry off. Ahem.

At the airport and on the flight home, I finally worked on more rewrites for 24 Hours in Italy, and then fully dug in and finished by the deadline—just in time to put up the tree and catch up with friends! On that note: December is always the month with the most fancy hangouts and the most glasses of bubbly, which also means the most hangovers, but I handled them like a champ, and even made it out at 10am the next day for an excursion after one of them (readiness for the day at 10am pictured here. Yes. I was proud).

I had to do obsessive line edits to make the book truly sing

Line edits landed in my inbox just before the holidays, but I was kind of relieved, because while most people unplug between Christmas and New Years, for me it was a chance to finally focus my energy on diving into Microsoft Word and making those sentences sing.

By the time I finished, I knew in my heart that even though I love 24 Hours in Paris, 24 Hours in Italy is even better. When I had this realization, I cried. And had champagne. PS: here’s another look at the book cover. Doesn’t it feel like you’re right in Amalfi? Shout out to the cover artist Elliot Caroll.

I got to go to Canada’s biggest librarian conference!

Most recently (in February), I was invited to do a book signing at my first librarian conference—and Canada’s biggest one, OLASC! Shout out to my publisher (and the magician who runs our PR) who was able to get me a spot, and shout out to librarians, who I’d already suspected and now know, are some of the nicest people on earth.

24 Hours in Italy is complete

A few weeks ago, I added all my comments to the copy edits, and made a lot of final obsessive changes—as my type A self couldn’t help but do. Last week, it was all approved. A.k.a. aside from a final proofread pass, 24 Hours in Italy is now finished, and just 4.5 months away from hitting bookstores (July 18th)!

It’s difficult to summarize how all of that feels. For two books, I have been deeply attached to Mira and Jake, and I already feel a big hole in my heart at the thought of letting them go. I could’ve given them a third book, but I knew that their story would have the most impact if it concluded after book two—I hope you will feel the same.

The book will be going up on NetGalley next week, a chance for book bloggers, bookstagrammers, and booktokers to request an advance copy for review. I hope many of you love it as much as I do (I said “many” and not “all”, because of course art is subjective, and some of you will think it’s trash! And that’s okay! Such is the artist’s journey. I wouldn’t trade it for anything).

What’s next?

In the next 4.5 months, I’ll be fairly busy with the combination of my full-time job + the part-time job of doing social media marketing for my book. I don’t have to do as much marketing as I’ll be doing, but because I started off as self-published and am used to doing tons of my own marketing, and because I’m an author with a South Asian background in a world where there are not enough of them, I’ll be doing everything I can possibly think of to give the book more exposure—in a hopefully fun, authentic, and non-annoying way. TBD if I end up being insufferable!

I’ll also start thinking about what I’d like to write next, and hopefully write the draft for my next book. The possibilities are endless, but I don’t mind taking a bit of time to figure out what’s next. So far, I have a Word document where I’m slowly adding new ideas as I think of them. Many of them will wind up being trash.

In the meantime…

If you’re new to my work and are looking for a travel romance escape, you can pick up a copy of 24 Hours in Paris here. If you don’t trust me and think the reading experience will be trash, you can read the Publishers Weekly starred review of the book here. If you read the starred review and then read the book and still think it’s trash, that’s all part of the risk you take when consuming subjective art. I didn’t invent the rules, I’m just playing the game (but I really do believe the book is enjoyable)!

If you’ve already read 24 Hours in Paris and enjoyed it, A: thank you, and B: a quick review on Amazon Canada or Amazon US would be most helpful, as it gives the book great exposure, and will help generate interest for 24 Hours in Italy.

If you’re excited about 24 Hours in Italy, you can read the first four chapters for free here, and you can also preorder a copy here—which is rather convenient, because then, on release day (or sometimes a day or two before), the book will arrive on your doorstep for your reading pleasure. Preorders also go a long way in showing retailers that there’s interest for the book, which encourages them to support the book and order more copies, which then helps more customers find it, and then maybe more of them will buy it and review it…and thus completes the book launch success loop.

Okay, it’s Friday night, there’s a blizzard raging outside, and I was/am buzzed on red wine while writing the final half of this post. I hope you enjoyed it!

PS: if you’d like to stay on top of all my book and life updates, the best place to do it is by following me on Instagram here.

Too-da-loo!

One Month Since the 24 Hours in Paris Book Launch (a.k.a. the best day!)

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I was supposed to talk about my recent trip to Paris in this post (the second Parisian jaunt in six weeks), because that’s what I declared the last time I blogged. What I didn’t realize, was how much the actual book launch day and the weeks that followed would entail. So let’s re-live it all together!

(And I’ll definitely talk about Paris next time—especially since I found a new magical spot I can’t wait to share with you all…)

The magical book launch day

Around ten years ago, after showing up at a few Indigo bookstore events in a row, I told the Director of Events (who’d now begun to recognize me as a bookish fangirl), that one day, I would go from being a self-published author, to having my name grace the shelves of Canada’s famous Indigo and Chapters locations.

On May 10, 2022, that day arrived for myself and my rom com 24 Hours in Paris (along with the book hitting the bookshelves of libraries, Barnes & Noble stores in the US, and even some independent bookstores across North America).

It almost sounds trite to say don’t give up on your dreams, but that was the one consistent thing over the last ten years: to keep on writing in whatever form, to put in the work, to not lose the joy, to always daydream, and to always remember that amazing things could happen.

On that day of May 10th, amazing things did happen, and thank you to everyone involved.

I’m the book club pick of a hit daytime talk show!

The amazingness didn’t stop, because on launch day, I also learned that 24 Hours in Paris is the official June book club pick of Canada’s hit daytime talk show, The Social!!! Here’s a video of the live announcement on TV and the voiceover of my reaction—I basically (and naturally) freaked out.

The delightful and opinionated hosts of The Social will be sharing their thoughts on 24 Hours in Paris live on air in late June—and no, I’m not freaking out at all. You can follow my social media for more details as it gets closer, along with my eventual reaction (links: my Instagram/my Twitter/my Facebook page/my TikTok).

As a final note on this topic, I got to make a little video appearance on the show’s social media accounts this week, letting followers know they can share their thoughts on the book using #TheSocialChapter hashtag. You can do that too, and here’s the link to the Instagram video if you’d like to (I trust that you can find the Twitter and Facebook links on your own, as this blog post is giving me link fatigue *collapses onto the floor and stares blankly at the ceiling*).

Oh right: THERE’S A SEQUEL!

In all my talk about the book launch, I neglected to inform you that a week before the launch of 24 Hours in Paris, the official announcement came out: the sequel, 24 Hours in Italy is in progress, and it’ll be in bookstores across North America in August 2023!!!

The sequel will be a continuation of the saga of Mira and Jake, and if you’ve read 24 Hours in Paris, I hope you’re as excited about that as I am! If you haven’t yet read 24 Hours in Paris, I will gently remind you that it received a Publishers Weekly starred review, it was selected as the Publishers Weekly #1 Summer Romance Read pick for 2022, and it is also a goddamn freakin’ delight (a not-biased statement at all)! Here is a convenient summary of where you can buy the book: all the pertinent links.

What happens to a book after it launches?

This is a very good question, and one that I found myself wondering after my massive “book launch to-do list” disappeared into the ether once May 10th, 2022 came and went. I certainly still have full-time copywriting and sequel writing/editing to keep me extremely busy, but what becomes of my trad debut baby, 24 Hours in Paris?

(Just a casual shot of my book next to the print edition of the Publishers Weekly magazine that contains the book’s starred review—very casual and not emotional at all!)

Since launch, so many of you have been amazing when it comes to picking up a copy of the book, tagging me in your book photos (which I love and hope you’ll keep doing), reading the book, and sharing your thoughts on social media; thank you for all of that!! Your actions have certainly helped kick things off in a positive way, and the talk show book club breakdown in late June will hopefully build momentum even more.

Still, it takes a lot for a book to be successful, and even more still when the book has a POC lead, and you’re trying to succeed in an industry that up until recently, hadn’t been very welcoming to diverse books at all (whilst pretending it was only acting that way because no one wanted to buy them).

When you add all of that to my upbringing as a child of South Asian immigrants who felt a constant pressure to achieve (which is still engrained in my brain to this day), I find myself feeling extremely challenged, when it comes to accepting how little control I truly have, over how this whole thing will play out.

You might even say that I find myself feeling unhinged, but I’m thinking that’s a very relatable feeling amongst debut authors who are one month in, amirite? Furthermore, if a debut author becomes unhinged and falls, but no one’s around to hear it, did it even happen?

Tell a friend, leave a review, and next step: world domination

Yes, the next step in my plan is world domination, or iconic bestseller status, or whatever you want to call it. Hmm…does that seem outlandish? Especially after this recent article revealed that out of the over 3.2 million books that BookScan tracked in 2021, less than 1% sold over 5,000 copies?

Outlandish indeed!

But here’s the thing: it probably seemed outlandish when ten years ago, after over 100 literary agent rejections, I self-published and boldly declared that one day, I would wind up in bookstores anyway.

And here I am.

So onto my next outlandish dream: once 24 Hours in Paris becomes an inevitable hit (with your word of mouth and Amazon reviews—which are extremely crucial and which you can quickly write on the Amazon Canada and Amazon US book pages, depending on where you’re located—thank you in advance!), I hereby declare that my whirlwind rom com very much belongs on screen.

In fact, I see 24 Hours in Paris as a half-hour streaming series, following by a season 2 which will focus on 24 Hours in Italy. This bold and outlandish declaration is such a source of passion, that I used my screenwriting background to casually write a pilot and an episode two script in my oodles of free time (laughs sweatily). You can read them here and here.

I know, the outlandishness is getting out of control, and you can make fun of me if you want, but the way I see it, if I’m not to be bold and outlandish now, then when? Like even if reincarnation is real, what if I return in my next life as a mealworm? Mealworms can’t write books or screenplays! They might not even have eyes!!

Therefore, there is no time like the present to boldly follow your dreams, don’t ya think?

I feel vindicated. Until next time…

The Return to Paris, the Starred Review, an Upcoming Book Launch…and More!

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Less than a month ago, I was strolling the streets of Paris once again, after two and a half years away. Needless to say, I am grateful to be able to travel again, grateful to be here, and just in general, I am trying not to take things for granted anymore (especially with everything going on in the world).

Paris, je t’aime

When I arrived in Paris after all that time away, my two best friends who live in France were waiting for me at the airport, and let me just say—when I hugged them tight and my eyes got misty, the ugliness of Charles De Gaulle Terminal 2A melted away, replaced with the vivid brushstrokes of raw and unfiltered joy.

The funny thing was, this trip wasn’t even about Paris at all. We’d planned the trip as a getaway to Sicily, our first jaunt together as the three musketeers. But would I pass on the chance to fly in and out of Paris, and spend a few days in the city that has my heart? Of course-fucking-not.

I will write about Sicily another time (and I still have to write about the wondrous time that was had in Puglia in 2019, and in Slovenia the year before that), but for now I can confirm that Paris is as glorious as ever, fresh croissant are as flaky (and chewy) as ever, “wine on a terrace” life continues to thrive (thank god), and walking 20,000+ steps a day still feels normal and essential when in Paris (although I had to stop at the foot of Sacré Coeur on the second day in Paris by mid afternoon, to apply a bandage to a bourgeoning blister). I can also confirm that leaning on the bridge at the Seine River at night, and watching the Eiffel Tower sparkle while you’re arm-in-arm with your BFF, is still as glorious as ever. It simply never gets old.

There are also those hilarious and unexpected moments—which still seem to occur despite this being my ninth time in Paris—and this latest one happened in Montmartre, after a long walk, a lot of stairs, and an intense need for a late afternoon drink on a terrace. It happened across the pedestrian street, where in plain view (and full earshot), a Frenchman with an accordion seated by the curb, was full on shouting expletives at the woman at a table just a few feet away. She, meanwhile, was smoking her cig and muttering some things, not giving a shit at all. From what we could surmise, she had said something to provoke him—not that it should excuse his aggressive outburst. She probably called out his terrible music (justified), and when the waiter in his crisp white shirt and black apron arrived on the scene to break things up, he actually, kind of…didn’t break up anything at all. He seemed as disengaged as the woman, staying on theme of giving very little shits, despite the fact that a rowdy situation was unfolding at his literal workplace. It’s France, you guys. Needless to say, the curbside cobblestoned theatre made every sip of my drink taste better, and every laugh between myself and my pals even louder. I love Paris.

Here are some photos from my whirlwind return to beautiful Paris (with a second return just a few weeks away—more on that in the next edition).

Less than 3 weeks until the launch of 24 Hours in Paris!

Meanwhile, I have a novel about Paris that will be releasing online and in bookstores in less than three weeks, so now’s a good time to talk about the many (many!) things that have happened since I last wrote about the book deal.

The starred review a.k.a. holy shit

The first thing—which shocked me and filled me with joy—was receiving not only a Publishers Weekly starred review for 24 Hours in Paris, but a review so positive, it blew my mind and the minds of multiple people on my team who have worked in the traditional publishing industry for years. If you’ve been following this blog for a while, you know that I come from the self-published world, so to receive a review like that for my traditionally published debut? It made me feel like I wasn’t wrong for believing in myself for all those years when I was a self-published party of one (and it made me grateful for the people in my life who always believed in me too). Here’s a link to the review and you can also read it below:

The physical book a.k.a. also holy shit

Receiving my author copies and getting to hold the book in my hands—the result of 86,000 words written, structurally-edited, line-edited (twice), copy-edited, and proofread within nine months with a full-time copywriting job to boot—well…it was a monumental thing. It also closely aligned with my birthday, so naturally I had to celebrate.

Preorders (and no rest for the type-A dreamers)

It would’ve been great to be like “I got a starred review, I’m launching a book in a month, time to chill out and bask in my success, suckas!”, but anyone who knows anything about publishing knows you have to scrape and claw to find success in an extremely saturated market, even when you’re traditionally published. You also probably know that the traditional publishing industry has historically ignored POC writers, and even though efforts are being made to fix that, the industry is still years behind other mediums like streaming services, which are finally giving more POC-led artistic endeavours a chance (which has resulted in the opportunity to binge-watch some of the best and most memorable shows in recent years with POC characters and creators at the forefront—see that, industries? You’ve been missing out!)

As a POC author with a novel that is led by a POC protagonist, I feel immense pressure not to fuck this up. I’ve spent over a decade trying to make my mark in writing books, and I finally have the chance to be on a broader stage, to have the kind of exposure I never would’ve had as a self-published author. With this opportunity before me, I don’t want my book release to barely make a dent and be quickly forgotten. I don’t want to fail and then give ammo to the ones in powerful positions, the ones who still wrongly believe that “diversity doesn’t sell.” I want the book that I wrote from my heart—the one that doesn’t use POC characters as tokens, but rather as complex people with hopes and flaws and desires and dreams (because hello—we are human beings too)—to be successful!

No pressure, right?

For the reasons above, my mind won’t rest, nor will my colour-coded marketing content calendar that I continually update in Google Sheets, even though I know my publisher is helping me too. I have lost my mind.

The good thing is, all the thinking and planning and communication has resulted in a good level of social engagement, and even some conversion into preorder sales, which are another new aspect I didn’t experience in the solo self-publishing world.

I’m told that preorders are very important, to drum up demand and help bookstores—and libraries—see that your book is an exciting story, a cool-ass thing they should be stocking up on ASAP. I can’t control every aspect of this preorder thing, but thank you to the many on social media who have preordered my book thus far. It is very appreciated, and if you haven’t had a chance to preorder 24 Hours in Paris but are interested in doing so (or would like to order another copy for a friend), all of the purchase links are here.

A first podcast interview and hating my voice

I mean…the subheading pretty much sums it up. It was an absolute thrill to be invited on This Podcast Needs a Title, for an amazing talk about publishing, random stuff like Jurassic Park and Seinfeld, and of course my upcoming book. It was such a thrill, in fact, that I’m not even embarrassed to share the link (which contains my ridiculous Canadian voice that kind of sounds like a 1990s valley girl). You can listen to episode 21 on Apple Podcasts or Spotify.

Just when I thought the starred review was the pinnacle…

So…every year, the Publishers Weekly staff decides on their “Best Books Summer Reads 2022” list. Somehow…me, just the debut author girl from the self-published world, was the TOP FREAKIN’ ROMANCE PICK OUT OF ONLY FIVE ROMANCE BOOKS CHOSEN! This happened two days ago. I’m still buzzing about it. You can see the list here, and here’s what they said about why it’s a great summer read.

And to be exact: two weeks and four days ’til the book launch (yes, I’m counting)

I’m tired, but it’s the glorious tiredness of watching a lifelong dream take shape. In the next two weeks and four days (as of midnight), I’ll be keeping my head above water at the full-time copywriting gig, sharing sneak peeks and tidbits about the book on Twitter/Instagram/TikTok (you can find me on all those channels at the username “romimoondi”), and finally, on May 10th (a.k.a. release day), I will be giving myself a moment to take a break, soak it all in, and ENJOY IT.

Until then, follow along on social media, and thanks for coming by and reading this blog, this thing that in the world now ruled by Gen Z, feels as archaic as Fred Flintstone ordering a brontosaurus burger (at the drive-in he arrived at by peddling his stone-made car with his fucking bare feet. Young people scare me).

More to come after the launch!

À bientôt,