Hey there happy reader,

I’ve started the process of writing my next book, which means that when I drive around in my car, I let my imagination take hold. The working title (which will probably change as time goes on) is “The Flower Girls.”

It’s about two women who meet in elementary school and become fast friends. Poppie is determined to be a megastar, who, like Madonna or Cher, will be recognizable by just her first name. The other female protagonist is named Cassia, or, as she’ll be known – Cassie.

Poppie is outgoing and fun; Cassie is thoughtful and more private. As we all know, opposites attract, so their bond will run deep.

This is Cassia

Poppie is talented, with a singing voice that gets her recognized, first in school and later in karaoke bars all over New York City. 

But it’s Cassie who is the gifted songwriter, preferring to stay in the background and create the music that Poppie will go on to become famous for. And then, at the height of her success, Poppie betrays Cassie in the worst possible way.

They become estranged, until the day when Poppie is so burned out that she wants to leave her super successful career behind and walk away. But she needs help. And the only person who can do that for her is Cassie – will her oldest friend, the person who knows her best, forgive Poppie’s transgression? Will Cassie come and bail out the one person who broke her heart? And if she does, at what personal cost?

This is a contemporary novel, so there’s not a lot of historical research to do like in “Below the Horizon,” “The Woodcarver’s Secret,” or “The Wick and the Flame.”

However, this book will require some time spent with a magician, as well as a studio session with a musician! While not a romance or a full-out suspense novel, if I get this story right, it should keep you on the edge of your seat for about the last third of it… Sound intriguing? I sure hope so!

And speaking of romance, it’s wedding season! 

My husband and I are invited to a whopping six weddings between now and the fall. Four out of the six are destination events, starting with this weekend in Washington, DC. I do love a wedding… it always leaves me feeling hopeful for the future. I just wish it didn’t involve me packing high heels and Spanx!

I hope that you’re enjoying the beautiful spring skies and blooming flowers. The longer days give us more opportunity to find a shady spot under a tree to read, so give yourself the time to unwind with a book from your TBR list. You deserve it!

Hey there happy reader!

I participated in my first ever promotion with my publisher, Vinci Books, and this is what happened…

My book, “The Beginnings of Us,” skyrocketed to number one in the most crowded category in the Amazon store! 

I could never have imagined this happening, and I owe it all to you, my most loyal readers! Thank you from the bottom of my heart – I can now claim the title of “Amazon Bestseller!”

It’s a pretty big deal. 

I truly have never been able to figure out the algorithm that Amazon uses – quite honestly, I don’t think anyone understands it! But having a book chart so high helps my visibility on the platform and makes Amazon take notice. For now, I’m doing a happy dance!

Happily, my next book, “From Below the Horizon,” is on my editor’s desk (praised be!) and I’m waiting for what I am sure will be one very long revision letter. 

That leaves me time to think about what to write next. I offered up two ideas last week in my newsletter and heard back from so many of you!

There was a clear winner…

I might just write about a mega-popstar who wants to get out of the fast lane, but the people surrounding her – her managers, her publicists, her tour coordinators – don’t want to lose their payday, so they try their best to keep her going on what feels like a never ending, worldwide tour.

When all else fails, she must turn to the only person she can trust, her childhood best friend… the one person in her life who she once betrayed. It’s a work-in-progress, so stay tuned!

For now, I’m trying to catch up on my TBR list. 

I’m currently reading “Yesteryear,” by Caro Claire Burke. It’s the story of a woman, Natalie, who is a social media influencer, living on a farm in Idaho with her picture-perfect family.

She portrays herself as someone who bakes her own bread and tills her own soil, but nothing could be further from the truth. Behind the scenes, she has nannies, assistants, and farm workers making her life look as realistic as possible. Then the unthinkable happens.

She goes to sleep one night and wakes up in the 1800’s, where each day is a challenge and she really does need to learn how to survive. It’s sarcastic and funny, but it’s also a commentary on being careful what you wish for. That’s what I love about reading. There’s nothing better than have an author make you think about all the “what ifs” in life!

Hey there happy reader,

I’m so happy to share a free promotion with you!

From April 15th-19th, the first book of my “Seasons of Us” series, “The Beginning of Us,” is free!

This is the first giveaway I’m doing as a Vinci author, and I’m excited to have this relaunch begin. 

This story will get you thinking about the summer ahead. It’s set in a small-town on Cape Cod and is filled with wonderful and quirky characters who will make you want to head up to Bluff’s Cove and spend a day on the beach!

I know that many of you have already read this book – it was originally titled, “June” and was the first book of my “Gypsy Moth Chronicles” series. It’s been renamed, given a new cover and is in the midst of a relaunch, all courtesy of my publisher!

If you know someone who might like a fun, breezy, beach read, please do this author a solid and share the link with them!

Now that I’ve completed “From Below the Horizon” (or at least am waiting for what I’m sure will be a long and detailed revision letter from my editor!) I’ve started thinking about my next project. 

I’m torn between two different thoughts…

One – I was fascinated with the documentary about Taylor Swift’s Era tour. I like her music but am not a crazy fan, yet the massive production behind those shows was very interesting to me. I am impressed with the thought she puts into every single detail of whatever she does.

As I watched Taylor step out of her limo, fully costumed, and climb into a black box that took her underneath the stage to the lift that would magically bring her in front of the audience, I was struck by an idea: what if she got in the box, but wasn’t there by the time it reached her destination? What if a mega superstar had reached her limit and wanted to get out of the limelight, but didn’t know quite how to do it?

That’s the idea I’m playing with now… a suspense novel about a missing megastar. You would believe that someone SO recognizable would be hard to hide. Or maybe it’s easier than you think!

The other direction I could go? I could work on a sequel to “Question Everything.” So many readers have asked what happens to the baby in the story. Does she know who her father is? Is she safe living up on Cape Cod – are the people who were looking for her gone for good? Does the paparazzi leave her alone? Does Maeve open her own bakery???

Which idea interests you?

Hey there happy reader!

I hope you’ve had a pleasant holiday week! I’m back from California and very happy to have survived the travel woes that have plagued the airports in the last few weeks. My time on the west coast was beautiful – every day was both sunny and warm. Spring is in full bloom there!

This time, we took a quick trip to Lake Arrowhead. 

The thing I find so interesting about Los Angeles is that you can take a ride out of the city for ninety minutes and be fully immersed in nature.

Of course, I never seem to learn to ask, “how long” when my older son says, “let’s go for a hike.” 

Seven miles uphill is his idea of a short, easy walk. It was a pretty view, but sheesh! I’m going to try and remember this in a few months when the entire family will be hitting the road for a vacation…

And now I’m home for a bit. 

I’m about to send “From Below the Horizon” to my editor (finally!) and I’m excited to hear what she thinks. Of course, it’s your opinion that matters most!

I still have some slots available for beta readers. If you’re interested, contact me at hilari.mpp@gmail.com and I’ll fill you in on the details.

Of course, I’m already thinking about what comes next. This will be a very different publishing experience now that I’m represented by Vinci books. I’m excited to see what their cover concept will be… as soon as I have it, I’ll post it here first!

The end of the journey I’ve been on for the last four (!) years with “From Below the Horizon” is bittersweet. 

I’ve lived with this story and these characters for a long time. The women of this book are meaningful to me; they are very much alive in my mind and probably will be for quite a while.

That’s how this process works… I create people who then take shape and become very real to me. I hear their conversations with one another; I am privy to their thoughts. They don’t just disappear for me on that last page. It takes some time to quiet my mind again.

But I already have the outline for my next book ready and its very different… more to come about that very soon!

For now, I plan to take a little break and enjoy the warmer weather ahead. I have a very long list of books I’d like to read, too. It will be nice to let another author tell me their story!

Hey there happy reader!

I’m here to wish you all a joyous holiday… whatever you celebrate!

I’m taking some time to be with my family – you know – cook, clean repeat! I’ll be back with more book news next week!