With the fabulous NYLA team – Sarah Younger, Nancy Yost, me, Mélanie, Amy Rosenbaum, and Natanya Wheeler.

Three weeks until the release of Gilded Deceit! Mélanie and I just got back from a very fun trip to New York. I went to meet with the team at NYLA. We had a great visit (pictured above) and did some very productive strategizing about Gilded Deceit and future books and novellas in the series. Emails and phone calls are great, but it’s always wonderful to sit down with everyone in the same room and share ideas. Mélanie also told them about the stories she’s making up!

Here, in photos, are some highlights from the rest of our trip – lots of research inspiration and good times with friends!

New York Shopping at Columbus Circle

Mélanie really wanted to have dinner at Center Bar – she was fascinated by the piano and loved listening. She asked me how the pianist knew which notes to play.

We both love Belvedere Castle in Central Park.

The Metropolitan Museum is fabulous for research. This 1823 façade is in the American Wing, but I imagined we were walking into Malcolm and Suzanne’s house in Berkeley Square.

Lovely dinner with friends at Cesca, a favorite restaurant of ours.

“Home sweet hotel,” as Mélanie says, at the Milburn.

Brunch in Wonderland at Alice’s Teacup.

Dinner with some new friends we acquired on the trip.

I asked Mélanie what she wanted to do our last day in NY and she said “go back to the castle.”

Lunch at Isabella’s, one of our favorite NY restaurants, before we flew home.