It's hard to believe that title. That we're going into the third year that this horrible virus has had a hold on our world.
I'm pleased to announce that my book, FEAST OF SORROW, will be published by Touchstone Books, an imprint of Simon and Schuster, in the spring/summer of 2017!
This fantastic news is one that leaves me strangely devoid of words. It's impossible to describe the elation I feel, the excitement about the future, and the relief that my book has found such validation. The world of publishing is a tumultuous one and I had steeled myself for ongoing rejection and potentially a need to self-publish. I have always believed in the story but to convince agents and publishers that a book will be worth its salt is another story indeed.
I had a lot of good help to get me to this point. I began writing this book because I was inspired by research on my thesis at UMass Boston and the classes I was teaching on creativity at Grub Street. There I met my extra fabulous writing group, the Salt + Radish Writers. I had the help of a professional editor, Steven Bauer, at Hollow Tree Literary to do early edits on the book. I had many readers who gave me sage advice on what was working and what wasn't. My husband, Joe, helped me work through countless plot problems and was supportive of every little thing along the way. I also had the good fortune to sign with a magic agent, Amaryah Orenstein at GO Literary who led me to Touchstone and my new editor, Etinosa Agbonlahor.
FEAST OF SORROW is an imagined retelling of the story of Marcus Gavius Apicius, a wealthy Roman who was a real person that lived in the first century during the time of Caesar August and Tiberius. He was a celebrated gourmand whose name graces the oldest known cookbook. Many of the recipes and techniques in that 2,000+-year-old book still live on today. FEAST OF SORROW is full of food and feasts, love and loss and the glamour and grit of ancient Rome. I can't wait til the day when I can hold the book in my hands!
Thank you to all my friends, both local and virtual, who believed in me and my story.
