In Which I Have Tea And Sell My Novel

This has been one of the most crazed, hectic weeks of my life. Let's rewind, shall we? Last Tuesday, my agent sent out my novel, Laura Lamont's Life in Pictures. It's terribly glamorous, all about a movie star, with most of the action taking place between 1930-1970. There were exciting phone calls from my agent, and everything seemed too good to be true.

So, my husband and I got on a plane to Palm Beach. My mother-in-law (also named Laura, a good omen) had arranged a tea for me with all of her friends, and we met in the Tapestry Room at the Breakers yesterday afternoon.

My mother-in-law's shoes.

I try to coordinate with my book jacket.

We drank champagne.

I table-hopped.

Everyone got a book.

And lots of tiny sandwiches.

Including tiny lobster rolls.

While we were having tea, my husband had $50 fish tacos on the beach. Oh, The Breakers.

The lightbulbs.

Mike wandered around some more. It takes a while to drink tea and champagne and eat little chocolates.

All the while, we were having a grand old time, being serenaded by a pianist, and gabbing up a storm. The ladies left slowly, one by one, until it was only the three of us. Then the phone rang. This is what I looked like when my agent told me the pre-empt offer was on the table.

Readers, I took it.

I couldn't be happier to be with Riverhead. They publish so many of my friends (Julie Klam! Danielle Evans!) and so many writers I admire (Meg Wolitzer! Sarah Vowell!), and those are only a few. I am over the moon.

Yours, dreamily,

Emma