I Discovered the Secret to Time Travel
Plus: Some fun news about THE OTHER LATA, my new novel!
Yes, I’ve discovered the secret to time travel. And while I’d love to say it literally gives me the ability, in the words of Cher, to “turn back time,”1 it actually does transport me to the past in a simple yet powerful way.
In 2023, I started a ritual of selecting one song per week that I think best reflects my experiences of that time. Sometimes it was a song linked to a significant experience, other times it was a song that reflected my mood or a new song I discovered and loved.
At the end of the year, I had 52 songs, which I turned into a playlist. And it has become one of my favorite playlists to listen to, especially when played on shuffle.
With some of the selections, I’ll immediately hear them and be transported to a specific moment in time, and the memory will come flooding back, along with the emotions I felt then.
But this playlist can also become a fun game: I’ll hear a song and try to piece together why I chose it, and which week it is linked to. And then when I do remember, I find myself time traveling in the most pleasant kind of way.
Knowing I’ll select a song at the end of every week makes me more mindful and present as I go through each day, attuned to when a song hits me at a level I’ll want to remember in the future.
I continued the tradition last year (although haven’t had the time to turn it into a playlist!), and having so much fun with this year’s selections. It’s nice to know I’ll have at least one positive record of what I’ll remember about 2025.
If you’re interested, you can check out my beloved 2023 playlist here. And if this idea resonated with you, it’s never to late to start one! It could even be for a shorter period of time, such as a vacation, birthday or wedding month, etc. If you’re inspired to create one, please let me know.
THE OTHER LATA book events + more!
My third novel, The Other Lata, comes out April 1, and I’m excited to share that I’ll be doing some book events to celebrate the release!
Brooklyn: Romance in Full Color: A Holi Celebration at The Ripped Bodice, March 20 at 7 pm
New York: The Other Lata book launch at Yu & Me Bookstore, in conversation with the Kirstin Chen (Counterfeit), April 3 at 7 pm
Los Angeles: Los Angeles Times Festival of Books, panelist on “Journey to the HEA: Tackling Big Topics in Romance,” Saturday, April 26 at 4:30 pm; signing at The Ripped Bodice booth, Sunday, April 27 at 3:30 pm
San Francisco: Book Passage at the Ferry Building in-store event, in conversation with Erin Carlson (No Crying in Baseball), April 28 at 5:30-6:30 pm
Pittsburgh: Greater Pittsburgh Festival of Books, May 31
You can preorder from Yu & Me to receive a signed, personalized copy and some fun swag. And there are a few more yet to be announced, so if you’re interested, I’ll be sharing more in the coming weeks.
I’ve also started receiving my first book reviews, and Kirkus says it is “a fun, high society thriller,” and Booklist calls it “a fun, wild ride.” (You’ll notice the key word here is *fun* 😊)
I’m also taking part in Reedsy’s virtual event, “Novel Revision: Going Beyond the First Draft.” It takes place May 4 from 11 am - 3 pm EST, and I’ll be one of the panelists on “How I Finished My Novel.” Click here to learn more and sign up.
My recent work
Over at Ministry of Pop Culture, I recently published:
And the Award for Best Actress Goes to…My interview with Variety’s chief correspondent Daniel D’Addario about his hilarious debut novel, The Talent
Celebrities, Stop Taking Our Jobs! My impassioned, “flames on the side of my face” take on why all these celebrity-hosted TV recap podcasts signify a worrisome trend
And, for what it’s worth…
Considering the state of the world, if you want to know what it feels like to promote a book in 2025, (who has a new novel out in June!) absolutely nailed it.
Thanks for reading! And wishing you warmer, brighter days ahead now that we’ve entered springtime.
Actually, based on this recent performance of “If I Can Turn Back Time” during the SNL50 anniversary concert, Cher has indeed learned the secret of time travel. She looks amazing!
Ah thanks so much for sharing my post (and book)!
Love it!