Bookwriting Archive

April 30, 2008

Today Show Appearance

I was a guest on the Today Show* yesterday morning, and my segment is now available online, if you'd like to see me demo my Pear and Chocolate Cake-Tart, a recipe taken from Clotilde's Edible Adventures in Paris. (This was my second time on the show; read about last year's segment here.) * The Today Show is a national television show that's broa...

"Today Show Appearance" continues »

April 22, 2008

Clotilde's Edible Adventures in Paris

It is with unmitigated joy that I announce the release of my new book today! Clotilde's Edible Adventures in Paris is a book on Paris restaurants and food shops, in which I share recommendations for my favorite spots -- everything from neo bistros and salons de thé to bakeries, outdoor markets, wine shops, and much, much more, as they say -- pl...

"Clotilde's Edible Adventures in Paris" continues »

June 25, 2007

On Meeting Jude Law

Okay. Now that I have your undivided attention, let me tell you a bit about my trip to London last week, for the official launch of the British edition of my cookbook. Said launch was hosted at the French Institute in South Kensington, and catered for by my publisher herself, who prepared a few recipes from the book -- the Zucchini Carpaccio, th...

"On Meeting Jude Law" continues »

May 31, 2007

More Notes from the Book Tour

Where were we? Ah, yes: last time we spoke, I had just arrived in Seattle. I am now home, tired but happy, and I thought I would share a few more thoughts and highlights from the final week of my US book tour, between Seattle and San Francisco. Sharpie. In under two weeks, I managed to go from not knowing what a Sharpie was -- this brand of mark...

"More Notes from the Book Tour" continues »

May 21, 2007

Notes from the Book Tour

I am writing this post from above the clouds, somewhere between Chicago and Seattle*. I am about halfway through my book tour, and because I'm all for sharing the behind-the-scenes details, I thought I would tell you a bit about the life of a touring author. Media escorts. In each city that I visit, a media escort has been hired to accompany me:...

"Notes from the Book Tour" continues »

May 15, 2007

The Shortest 3 1/2 Minutes of my Life

As some of you have already reported, my cookbook was featured on the Today Show* this morning -- you can view the segment online. This was my very first television experience, and it was a fun, fascinating, and rather nerve-racking one: I'll admit I didn't sleep so well the night before, and the jetlag can't have helped. But the segment was so ...

"The Shortest 3 1/2 Minutes of my Life" continues »

April 25, 2007

Book Signing Events

Spring has sprung, the publication date of my cookbook is getting closer by the minute, and my book tour, too, although I can't think too much about it because I have so many things to get done before I leave (buy new dress, write new book), it is making my head spin. The list of book tour events is still being fine-tuned and a few more will be ...

"Book Signing Events" continues »

February 16, 2007

Book Update, Part VII

If you have been keeping an eye on the moblog, you may have noticed that I have just taken a lightning trip to NYC. The main reasons for this trip were to brunch with Adam in Brooklyn and to buy a mosquito helicopter for Maxence, but I also managed to squeeze in a series of meetings and work sessions with my publicist, to prepare for the upcomi...

"Book Update, Part VII" continues »

November 6, 2006

Chocolate & Zucchini: Daily Adventures in a Parisian Kitchen

[Click here to enlarge.] As those of you who subscribe to the C&Z newsletter already know, my upcoming cookbook is now available for pre-order on Amazon (and on Amazon.fr, too). It feels quite peculiar to see it there, as does each step that leads to the book's release* and makes it more real: I have seen the production schedule, I have gone ov...

"Chocolate & Zucchini: Daily Adventures in a Parisian Kitchen" continues »

August 7, 2006

Book Update, Part VI: What Happens Next?

Last time I mentioned my book was two months ago, when I wrote to say I had completed and delivered the manuscript. But what happens once the bird leaves the nest? The process is no doubt different from one publisher to the next and from one book to the next, but what I can offer is a glimpse into what the past few weeks have held for me. First ...

"Book Update, Part VI: What Happens Next?" continues »

June 2, 2006

Book Update, Part V: Done!

I am very pleased to announce that as of yesterday, 9:07 pm, the manuscript of my book has officially left my hands, landing just a few seconds later on my editor's desk, 3,635 miles away. The moment I hit "send", my heart thumping audibly, I drew a deep breath, climbed down from the bar stool on which I was sitting, and walked to the fridge to r...

"Book Update, Part V: Done!" continues »

March 13, 2006

Book Update, Part IV: Food Photography

This is Episode IV of my Book Update series, in which I share some behind-the-scenes aspects of my cookbook and the writing thereof, an activity that occupies roughly 99% of my waking and sleeping thoughts. And today kids, the topic will be: food photography. (Read the first three installments of the series, dealing with the book deal, the recip...

"Book Update, Part IV: Food Photography" continues »

January 30, 2006

Book Update, Part III: Recipe Testing

This is the third episode of my Book Update series, in which I share the ins and outs of writing a cookbook -- or at least the way I'm tackling it. (You can read the first two parts about The Book Deal and The Recipes.) Back in late July, when the sun was shining bright and the air was crisp with elation and hope and the workmen had not yet ador...

"Book Update, Part III: Recipe Testing" continues »

December 5, 2005

Book Update, Part II: The Recipes

As some of you already know, I am currently working on my first cookbook. This is both an exciting and agonizing endeavor, and while many resources can be found out there -- books, blogs and websites -- to learn more about writing novels and books in general*, I haven't found many** that will hold your hand through the specific process of writing...

"Book Update, Part II: The Recipes" continues »

November 21, 2005

Book Update, Part I: The Book Deal

Since I officially announced a few weeks ago that there was a C&Z book in the works, I have received quite a few emails asking me for more details. I would hate to spoil the surprise, but I can share a few facts: it will be a book with stories and recipes, a book that you can cook from but also read, curled up on the couch with a mug of tea (or c...

"Book Update, Part I: The Book Deal" continues »