past, present, future: *new* Chinese name seal reveal
+ UK book news!
📺 Bad Sisters: If Sharon Horgan writes it, I will watch it. (I also loved Catastrophe.) Bad Sisters is a TV show based on a Flemish series that follows the five Garvey sisters who live in Dublin. After one of the sister’s abusive, controlling husband dies, the sisters find themselves at the center of a life insurance investigation. The timeline of the back and forth between the Before and After of the husband’s death is done so well, and near the end of the season we were on the edge of our seats shouting out guesses at the TV about what really happened. It’s gripping and twisty.
🧀 Roth Moody Blue Cheese: ‘Tis the season for cheese platters (though this is a celebration I partake in all year round). I’m all about soft, spreadable cheeses right now, and it’s only recently that I started adding fig jam into the mix. Throw a fistful of sourdough crackers onto the plate and it’s a good day/night.
📕 My *NEW* Chinese name seal: Because you’re subscribed to my newsletter (thank you!), you get the first look at my new seal for 2024! I’m very excited about it. I love the idea of having a unique name seal for each book because as I—and my writing—evolve, so can these name seals that reflect that, in a way. I was thrilled to work with Karen Tseng again (who carved my original seal). I love how the lantern is floating up in front of the full moon with the two butterflies attached by the Red Thread of Fate looping around it. It’s whimsical while still being rooted in tradition—my name is written in an ancient font used by various seal carvers in the past. 😍
These seals are somewhat inspired by the themes in my books, while also being classic enough to stand on their own. I adore how this turned out, and will always be impressed by how Karen was able to capture the intricateness of this carving. The butterfly details! The loopy string! The font! It’s incredibly impressive, what she does. I’ve stamped a couple of books to test it out, and they look beautiful!
For some context, seal carving is a traditional art form that originated in China. They're used on documents, banking paperwork, and artwork, but they're also art in their own right. These seals contain my Chinese name, so when I stamp your book, it's another version of my official signature. ❤️
Pre-order Red String Theory: I will be stamping copies of both books with this seal (so you could theoretically have a copy of Lunar Love with the original seal, and a copy with the 2024 seal!). You can order Red String Theory from Parnassus Books. If you do so, you’ll get your book signed and stamped, personalized and doodled if you’d like, and you’ll receive the pre-order goodies (a 5x7 art card, a 3x3 patch sticker of the FATE Mission, and an exclusive excerpt).
Last call for my 2023 stamp! If you want a copy of Lunar Love with its *original* stamp, you can order from Parnassus Books who has freshly signed and stamped (and doodled) copies!
✈️ Red String Theory is going to the UK! This thrills me to no end. In the event you wanted a UK copy, here’s where you can pre-order them. It’ll be out on January 9, 2024!
📚 Red String Theory launch party: If you’re in Nashville on January 9, I’ll be having my launch party at Parnassus Books. I’ll be in convo with my friend and stellar writer, Jenna Levine. It’s going to be so fun!
🌴 Steamy Lit Con: I’m very excited to see so many of you at Steamy Lit Con in California in August! This event is happening August 2-3, 2024.
There’s still another event to be announced…stay tuned…
Thank you, thank you, thank you for all of your support and excitement! I can’t wait for you to meet Rooney and Jack so soon.
From me to you, in the present,
Lauren
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I love the new stamp!!!