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Paula McLain''s December 2020 ...
Paula McLain October 2020 News...
Welcome to Paula McLain''s New...

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December 2020

Dear Readers,

Can you believe we''re at the tail end of this whirlwind year? Cheers to that! I know the holidays will look different for most of you this year. They certainly will for me. But remember this: Monday is the Winter Solstice and after that, the light lingers a little longer every day. I for one will be toasting to that with my Pomegranate Whiskey Sour recipe, shared at the bottom of this email if you'd like to join me?

In this newsletter you''ll find many exciting updates and details about a very special holiday giveaway that ends Monday night, which you should enter! And as always, there''s some inspiration to warm your soul.

Wishing you a cozy, safe holiday with much relaxation and a bright, hopeful New Year!

With Love,
Paula

MODERN LOVE PODCAST

On December 16th, an essay that I wrote in 2007 - before I''d even published a novel! - received new life on the New York Times Modern Love Podcast. It''s centered around the holidays, jumping from my foster care upbringing to the December I spent selling Christmas trees out of a shed, to my married life with young children - the happiest of endings, or so I believed then.

You can listen to the episode, here, which includes an interview with yours truly at the end. I talk love, success, my childhood, and coming into my own. If you prefer to read the essay, you can do so, here.

Graphic by Brian Ria for The New York Times

AUDIBLE ORIGINAL SHORT STORY

On December 17, an Audible Original short story that I wrote "Something Cannot Die" was released! It''s read by the wonderful Cynthia Nixon and portrays Georgia O'Keeffe, torn between the city that made her and the desert that promises to set her free.

You can listen to it, here.

NATURE, GEORGIA O''KEEFE, & WHEN THE STARS GO DARK

The natural world has always been my escape, clearing my head and replenishing my energy. My connection to nature is one of the ways I inhabited the mind of Georgia O''Keefe while working on this story - through our shared love for all that''s wild and unfathomable. Once you read When the Stars Go Dark, my novel out April 13th, 2021, you might notice that my protagonist, Detective Anna Hart, also relies on nature as medicine, the thing that returns her to herself. I hope that this holiday season, even if you can''t gather with family, you can retreat to the woods or the beach or the park. Sometimes even one short walk can ground you in the world and break through even the bleakest moments of winter.

Pre-order WHEN THE STARS GO DARK

GIVEAWAY

I''m hosting a special holiday giveaway on my Facebook and Instagram accounts! Two lucky winners will each receive a net galley of my forthcoming novel, When the Stars Go Dark, and a copy of The Paris Wife. This way you can begin reading When the Stars Go Dark immediately and, if you like, I can inscribe The Paris Wife and send it to one of your loved ones as a special holiday gift. Or, I''ll inscribe it to YOU!

Click here, to enter on Instagram.

Click here, to enter on Facebook.

Giveaway closes Monday night. Good luck!

RECIPE

Pomegranate whiskey sour - just the right color for the holidays!

.2 oz bourbon or rye whiskey
.1 oz pomegranate molasses*
.1/2 oz simple syrup
.1/2 oz lemon juice

Shake well in a cocktail shaker with plenty of ice and serve over ice or straight up in a coupe glass.

To make pomegranate molasses, simmer 4 cups pomegranate juice, 1/4 cup of sugar and 2 tbs lemon juice for one hour on low heat until reduced to 1-1/2 cups. Will thicken as it cools. Refrigerate unused portion and use your imagination with the rest.

HOW TO SURVIVE WINTER

I asked people on Instagram and Facebook how they get through/enjoy the icy months and here are some of my favorite tips. Thank you for sharing!!

"When I take down the holiday decor, I make sure to replace it with something- snow houses and snowmen make January a little less gloomy " (from @isabel_edmiston)
"Winter is not my favorite, so I stick to taking walks in the morning or evening. I find that the world becomes so calm and quiet when it snows, which is why it probably helps me process my thoughts when I'm outside. Otherwise I spend time at home, baking, reading, writing and listening to music" (from @sejlawrites)
"Remind yourself...cold hard winters are good for keeping bugs populations down next spring" (from @bmbracht)
"Snow pants, good boots and determination." (from karensandstrom)

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October 2020

Dear Readers,

My birthday falls in October, and my kids and I made my favorite german chocolate cake to celebrate, which I just had to share with you! As the sun lingers less each day, and the pandemic rolls on, we need small pleasures, and all the joy we can get. So without further adieu, here''s the yummy coconut-pecan frosting recipe I swear by, my latest book news, my family''s upcoming Halloween plans, and a few words of inspiration to warm the soul.

Stay safe and inspired!

With Love,

Paula

GIVEAWAY

As a little treat for my faithful fans, I''m collaborating with Goodreads to host a giveaway. Fifteen lucky readers will win a physical galley of WHEN THE STARS GO DARK. The giveaway is open October 29th to November 28th. Click here for more details.

Preorder Now

STORIES FROM SUFFRAGETTE CITY

On October 27th Stories from Suffragette City was published. I''m so proud to be part of this collection of short stories illuminating one historic day in the extraordinary journey of womens'' fight for the vote -- and to be alongside so many wonderful writers! I haven''t written a story in many, many years but I found myself getting completely swept up in the inner life of the woman at the center "Thylacine," as she wrestles with finding the courage to join the suffrage march and also face whether it's a life she can believe in. Here''s to courage in all of its many forms, to making voting history, and to MJ Rose and Fiona Davis for masterminding this special book!

Order Now

WRITING/INSPIRATION CORNER

"When Van Gogh was a young man in his early twenties, he was in London studying to be a clergyman. He had no thought of being an artist at all. He sat in his cheap little room writing a letter to his younger brother in Holland, whom he loved very much. He looked out his window at a watery twilight, a thin lamppost, a star, and he said in his letter something like this: ''It is so beautiful I must show you how it looks.'' And then on his cheap ruled note paper, he made the most beautiful, tender, little drawing of it.

.the moment I read Van Gogh''s letter I knew what art was, and the creative impulse. It is a feeling of love and enthusiasm for something, and in a direct, simple, passionate and true way, you try to show this beauty in things to others, by drawing it."

? Brenda Ueland, from If You Want to Write: A Book About Art, Independence and Spirit

Brenda Ueland is one of my creative muses and we both share October as our birthday month. She was born in Minneapolis on October 24, 1891, and was a journalist, editor, and freelance writer devoted to promoting the creative spirit in herself and others. She lived by two rules, to tell the truth, and to not do anything she didn't want to. I'll share two more manifestos from her extraordinary book that I find beyond inspiring:

"The only way to find your true self is by recklessness and freedom."

"The only way to become a better writer is to become a better person."

Order Ueland''s Book Here

RECIPE

Although german chocolate cake is specific and delicious, I like to try different kinds of chocolate cake to go with this recipe--including chocolate fudge and devil''s food--but the frosting is what makes this cake authentic and special...Thanks to Southern Living for printing this recipe for "Coconut Pecan Frosting." I don''t take credit for inventing but I do for devouring!

Ingredients:
2 cups chopped pecans or walnuts
1 (12-oz.) can evaporated milk
1 1/2 cups sugar
3/4 cups butter
6 egg yolks, lightly beaten
2 - 2 1/2 cups sweetened flaked coconut
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Directions
1) Preheat oven to 350?. Bake pecans in a single layer in a shallow pan 8 to 10 minutes or until toasted and fragrant, stirring halfway through. Cool completely (about 20 minutes).
2) Meanwhile, cook evaporated milk, sugar, butter, and egg yolks in a heavy 3-qt. saucepan over medium heat, stirring constantly, 3 to 4 minutes or until butter melts and sugar dissolves. Cook, stirring constantly, 12 to 14 minutes or until mixture becomes a light caramel color, is bubbling, and reaches a pudding-like thickness.
3) Remove pan from heat; stir in coconut, vanilla, and pecans. Transfer mixture to a bowl. Let stand, stirring occasionally, 45 minutes or until cooled and spreading consistency.

See the recipe in Southern Living, here.

HALLOWEEN

Finally, I can''t let October pass without mentioning Halloween. When my son Connor was four and five, we lived in rural Vermont without television service. Every day, after pre-school and then kindergarten, he would get to watch a small part of a movie--and his pick was always the same: Tim Burton''s The Nightmare Before Christmas. He was so obsessed with it, he named our cat Zero, after Jack Skellington''s ghost dog. I still have all of those songs stitched into my memory. My younger two have also taken up Jack Skellington as a personal hero and can quote most of the film verbatim. This year since there won''t be trick-or-treating, we''re going to stay in, watch The Nightmare Before Christmas AGAIN, and make our own caramel corn. Stay safe and warm--and Happy Halloween!

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SEPTEMBER 2020

Dear Readers,

Welcome to my newsletter! Some of you may be scratching your heads, wondering when you might have opted in to hear from me. I've had a sign-up button on my website for years but somehow am only now getting around to finally launching this. C'est la vie, the swirlingly chaotic vie!

I plan to use these letters to connect and check in with you, sharing my latest news and upcoming events. Because I want these letters to be personal as well, I'll also be sharing things that have been inspiring me, including recipes I've been loving, book recommendations, writing tips, giveaways, and more! If this doesn't appeal to you, you may unsubscribe by scrolling to the bottom of this email and clicking "unsubscribe from this list."

Stay safe and inspired!

With Love,

Paula

WHEN THE STARS GO DARK

I couldn't be more excited to announce that my new novel, When the Stars Go Dark, will be published by Ballantine Books on April 13th, 2021. Writing this book has been like hitching a ride on a dark and dazzling whirlwind. It's a dramatic departure from the intimate, female-centered historical fiction I've been publishing for the last ten years, but once the tendril of an idea rooted itself in my mind, I couldn't shake it. I've written enough now to know that once you get that magical tingle you must follow it. Though the world of the book isn't historical, it's very much a "Paula McLain" novel just the same, with a fascinating, bold and resilient heroine at its center, and a storyline that wouldn't let me go. I hope you'll watch for it in the spring, and love it as much as I loved writing it!

From the New York Times bestselling author of The Paris Wife comes an atmospheric novel of intertwined destinies and heart-wrenching suspense: A detective hiding away from the world. A series of disappearances that reach into her past. Can solving them help her heal?

Anna Hart is a seasoned missing persons detective in San Francisco with far too much knowledge of the darkest side of human nature. When overwhelming tragedy strikes her personal life, Anna, desperate and numb, flees to the Northern California village of Mendocino to grieve. She lived there as a child with her beloved foster parents, and now she believes it might be the only place left for her. Yet the day she arrives, she learns a local teenage girl has gone missing. The crime feels frighteningly reminiscent of the most crucial time in Anna''s childhood, when the unsolved murder of a young girl touched Mendocino and changed the community forever. As past and present collide, Anna realizes that she has been led to this moment. The most difficult lessons of her life have given her insight into how victims come into contact with violent predators. As Anna becomes obsessed with the missing girl, she must accept that true courage means getting out of her own way and learning to let others in.

Weaving together actual cases of missing persons, trauma theory, and a hint of the metaphysical, this propulsive and deeply affecting novel tells a story of fate, necessary redemption, and what it takes, when the worst happens, to reclaim our lives--and our faith in one another.

Preorder Now

INSPIRATION CORNER

I'm always seeking moments of inspiration. When a friend shared this poem with me the other day, it reminded me that poems can ground as well as connect us to something larger. Elegiac yet hopeful, and Merwin is one of my favorite poets. When I was a young girl and the world around me felt troubling and uncertain, nature served as my refuge. It still does. I spent a lot of time working on the descriptions of the natural world in When the Stars Go Dark, tapping into my poetry roots to do so. Did you know that I received an MFA in Poetry from the University of Michigan years ago?

WRITING TIP

Don't spend a lot of time wishing you were a different kind of writer than you actually are! Or wondering if you'd be more efficient or productive or successful if you had different writing habits. I spent years struggling with one of my own worst habits, which is that I seem to need to write and rewrite and re-rewrite the beginning of a novel before I can push through and come to trust the voice and the world. It's wildly inefficient and frustrating yet it's my process. It's how I write a book. I have friends who write meticulously on notecards. Others who use storyboards. And still others who write on yellow legal pads in the bathtub. And that's them. And I'm me. And you're you. You're an original and your habits, like your gifts, have come to you honestly. Why not make use of them and find a way to do your work? Happy writing!

BOOK RECS

My two favorite books of September are wildly different, and yet I can''t recommend them passionately enough.

When Things Fall Apart by Pema Ch?dr?n is a meditation on how to stay afloat when life feels most erratic and unsettling. Ch?dr?n is an ordained nun and celebrated Buddhist teacher, as well as a wise and beautiful writer. This book has already saved me over and over. I don't know what I'd do without it!

A small excerpt from the book: "Things falling apart is a kind of testing and also a kind of healing. We think that the point is to pass the test or overcome the problem, but the truth is that things don't really get solved. They come together and they fall apart. Then they come together again and fall apart again. It's just like that. The healing comes from letting there be room for all of this to happen: room for grief, for relief, for misery, for joy."

The Exiles by Christina Baker Kline serves as a literary escape, telling the story of three English convicts and an orphaned aboriginal girl in 19th-century Australia. It sheds light on a fascinating piece of history. I absolutely loved it (and even blurbed for the front cover!).

A few lines I loved: "When you cut down a tree, you can tell how old it is by the rings inside. The more rings, the sturdier the tree. So . . . I imagine I'm a tree. And every moment that mattered to me, or person I loved, is a ring."

RECIPE

As summer nears its end, might I recommend a favorite cocktail of mine to help you savor these lovely but shortening days? One of the ways I once supported myself while trying to write was as a bartender. I think of mixing and inventing drinks-and cooking too-as a creative outlet! Here's how you make a "Paula McLain Peach Whiskey Sour:"

Ingredients
? ? cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
? ? cup water
? ? - 1 cup sugar (depending on how sweet the peaches are)
? 3 large ripe peaches skinned and roughly chopped. You can also use thawed and drained frozen peaches, though the flavor tends not to be as "peachy"
? ? - 1 cup whiskey, bourbon or rye. I prefer Bulleit Rye, which cuts the sweetness of the fruit syrup well and blends beautifully
? A few handfuls of ice
? Seltzer (optional)
? Fresh mint and sliced fresh peaches for garnish

Instructions
1. Roughly chop peaches then add to saucepan with sugar and water. Simmer on low for 10 minutes until peaches are soft and sugar is dissolved. Mash peaches with a potato masher or the back of a fork gently to release the juices. Off the heat, add lemon juice. Set aside to cool completely.
2. Strain syrup with fine sieve. It depends on how large your peaches are, but you should have about 2? cups of syrup. Chill before using, if possible. Save peach puree left in sieve and stir into yogurt or blend in a smoothie.
3. Pour syrup and whiskey into a pitcher and stir well.
4. Divide stirred mixture into lowball or old-fashioned glasses filled with ice. Top with a splash of seltzer if you like your cocktails a little more effervescent. Stir well and garnish with fresh sliced peaches and fresh mint.
5. NOTE: If you like a shaken cocktail, add ice to cocktail shaker and about ? cup of syrup per drink you plan to serve. Shake well and strain over ice or into a chilled up glass. Feel free to adjust the alcohol ratios to your taste. Also, the peach syrup makes a delicious mocktail added to seltzer over ice. Enjoy!

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December 2020

MODERN LOVE PODCAST

AUDIBLE ORIGINAL SHORT STORY

NATURE, GEORGIA O''KEEFE, & WHEN THE STARS GO DARK

GIVEAWAY

RECIPE

HOW TO SURVIVE WINTER

October 2020

Dear Readers,

Paula

GIVEAWAY

STORIES FROM SUFFRAGETTE CITY

WRITING/INSPIRATION CORNER

RECIPE

HALLOWEEN

SEPTEMBER 2020

Dear Readers,

Paula

WHEN THE STARS GO DARK

INSPIRATION CORNER

WRITING TIP

BOOK RECS

RECIPE

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