How many tacos do we think I'm going to eat in three days in Austin?
Friends, The Proposal is out in just five days and I'm both excited and terrified. As you read this, I'm on my way to Texas for the Texas Book Festival in Austin, and I can't wait and not JUST because of all of the tacos I'm going to eat (Nicole Chung -- who will also be there for her amazing book, All You Can Ever Know -- and I have been plotting our taco strategy all week). If you're coming to the festival, I hope I get to meet you! There are so many great authors going to be there, and I'm feeling like a huge fangirl about even seeing some of them from a distance. I'll be on panels both Saturday and Sunday; Saturday at 11:30 am with Alyssa Cole, Sophie Jordan, and Cydney Rax, and on Sunday at 1:30 pm with Alyssa Cole (both panels are in Capitol Extension Room 2.030). There will be signings after both panels, and both The Wedding Date and The Proposal will be for sale!
And then Monday October 29th,, I'm in Houston at Blue Willow Bookshop at 7pm! Tuesday, October 30th -- PUB DAY! -- I'm back in Oakland at East Bay Booksellers, and Thursday, November 1st, I'll be in San Francisco at Books, Inc. in the Marina in conversation with Daniel Mallory Ortberg. Saturday, November 3rd, I'll be down in L.A. at The Ripped Bodice in Culver City. I hope I get to see lots of you at these events!
Here is my recommendation for all of you this week: get your flu shots! I tend to always get one, because a) I got the swine flu ten years ago and was sick for three weeks and never want to have to do that again, and b) I have too many friends with babies to put them at risk. But I feel a lot more urgency about them after last flu season. It was an awful one, with a lot of people getting sick and being hospitalized for the flu, and one of them was my dad, who in all respects is much healthier than I am. He was in the hospital for two weeks, and it was very scary, and while he's okay now, I don't want anyone to have to go through that. Also, just practically, thank goodness he has good health insurance and could afford to be off work for six weeks; a sickness like that could be disastrous for many people I know. So please if you can at all afford the shot (which is usually around $30 or less, even without insurance), please do, for your health and the health of those around you.
My book rec for you for this week will hopefully tide you over until you get your hands on The Proposal, because it's three books in one: Ruby Lang's Practice Perfect Series. All three of these books (Acute Reactions, Hard Knocks, and Clean Breaks) are so sharp, and sexy, and smart, and fun, and if you haven't read Ruby's books before, you're going to have a great time reading these, and it's a STEAL that you can get them for less than $3 for all three books. Also, Ruby was one of the first people I told I was working on a romance novel (I still remember how nervous I was to send her that email!), and she's been so wonderful and supportive in this whole journey, and her feedback has been invaluable for all three of my books (the two that are actual books and the one that is still a Word document). If you like my books, you'll like hers too.
I have not cooked a thing in over a week (a looming deadline for one book with another book about to come out will do that), but I'm excited to have a small window in my travels next week so I can be at home in time to start a batch of vanilla extract. Granted, it isn't cooking, but I make some every year around this time, and then it's ready for all of the holiday baking I do. (Also I stress cleaned out my pantry at 7:40 this morning, which made me remember I bought a bunch of vanilla beans for this purpose last month, thank you, September Jasmine). All you need is lots of vanilla beans, some very cheap vodka, a big glass jar with a tight fitting lid, and plenty of time. You can buy vanilla beans lots of places online, some grocery stores, and also at baking and specialty stores.
Homemade Vanilla Extract
10-12 vanilla beans
16 ounces vodka
Cut the vanilla beans lengthwise, but keep each bean connected at one end. Put all of the beans in your glass jar (if they're too long for the jar, cut in half crosswise first), and then pour in the vodka. Put the lid on, shake it like a Polaroid picture, and put the jar in a cool, dark place for three weeks to two months. Shake it every time you think about it. Double/triple/quadruple and make this for holiday gifts!
Have a great weekend!
Jasmine
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