thoughts on the Year of the Wood Dragon 🐉

plus, a Q&A with author Georgia Clark

happy sunday and Lunar New Year from my beautiful mess of a bedside TBR pile! to celebrate a fresh start to the year for the second time (once is never enough!), last night, I went out to a beautiful dinner with friends. we started in Grammery with drinks at a superb Japanese cocktail bar, Martiny’s, where the inventive menu and warm hospitality blew us away. I ordered a mezcal cocktail with mole spices that exceeded expectations on all fronts. from there, we transitioned to our reservation at Soothr, a Michelin-starred Thai spot serving a special Lunar New Year menu.

over duck buns, noodles, and shrimp swimming in perfectly-balanced curry, we chatted about everything under the sun, from the books we’re reading to our mindsets around dating to financial planning to the podcasts we’re listening to (EXPANDED is now on my list!). we spoke about what we’re calling in for the year and how there’s a fresh energy abuzz. I’m so grateful to be surrounded by women who are invested in self-work and love that even over cocktails on a saturday night, our conversations dip into the realms of manifestation, therapy, reiki, breathwork, and beyond.

but back to Lunar New Year. its timing signifies the end of winter and the beginning of spring and all the new life that will soon blossom, which feels especially resonant right now. additionally, it corresponds to a new cycle in Chinese astrology, which dictates that 2024 will be the Year of the Wood Dragon. I’ve been reading up a fair bit on what the dragon symbolizes (power, nobility, honor, luck, and success) but am even more interested in the wood component. this article, quoted below, helps break it down.

“Every year, a heavenly stem (one of five elements, which fall into the yin or yang category) is paired with an earthly branch (one of the 12 Chinese zodiac animals). This year combines the heavenly stem “Jia” – which represents yang wood – and the earthly branch “Chen” which represents the Dragon. That makes 2024 the Year of the Wood Dragon.”

to get even deeper, I enjoyed this take on how empathy will be critical this year. the wood element is a reminder that being kind and compassionate — and, in turn, focusing on setting a good foundation versus short-term gains — should be done with empathy at our core. as someone who is very focused on 2024 being a foundational year, I’m relishing this message. plus, for my fellow 1993 babies, our Chinese zodiac being a rooster bodes well for us as the dragon’s “secret friend”! find out more about your birth year and how it correlates with the Year of the Dragon with the help of this article.

okay, now that I’m done moonlighting as a Chinese zodiac expert, let’s talk books! there are SO MANY incredible releases happening this spring/summer, and in turn our West Village Book Club chat has been blowing up with book launch events. while the ones I’m listing below are happening in New York, Zibby Owens, Carola Lovering, and Rebecca Serle are bopping around on their respective book tours, so you can catch them in various cities across the US next month. not to mention, they *might* just be making appearances in the sunday series…but I can’t go spilling all my secrets, can I? you’ll just have to keep reading to find out!

where you can find me in March, swooning over some of my favorite authors:

• Tuesday, March 5th: Zibby Owens presents Blank, feat. Jenny Mollen (P&T Knitwear Books & Podcasts: 180 Orchard Street New York, NY 10002) TICKETS HERE

• Tuesday, March 11th: Carola Lovering presents Bye, Baby feat. Karah Preiss (P&T Knitwear Books & Podcasts 180 Orchard Street New York, NY 10002) TICKETS HERE

• Tuesday, March 19th: Rebecca Serle + Lili Anolik: Expiration Dates (The Strand: 828 Broadway 3rd Floor, Rare Book Room New York, NY 10003) TICKET HERE

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meet Georgia Clark

what a treat it was to be connected to writer Georgia Clark by Hannah Orenstein (another future sunday series guest — stay tuned)! I’ve been following Georgia on Instagram and subscriber to her newsletter,

Heartbeat

, for some time, so I couldn’t be more excited to check in with her to talk about her next project. perfect for fans of Emily Henry and Casey McQuiston, her forthcoming novel, MOST WONDERFUL, is a big-hearted, hilarious, and spicy, queer Christmas rom-com that will leave you overflowing with holiday cheer. let’s get into it!

Kayla Douglas: Georgia, can you tell us a bit more about your origin story? Did you always know you wanted to be a writer?

Georgia Clark: I never decided to become a writer. I just always wrote. I was a huge reader as a kid, then, in my 20s, I got into film-making and screenwriting and gallivanting around Sydney’s underground art scene. At 29, I moved to New York City, just for fun. I wrote a book that didn’t sell, then one that did, to an indie press. I sold my first book to a major publisher when I was 33, quit my 9-5, and got on the rollercoaster of being a full-time creative. 

KD: As we approach Valentine’s Day, the art of the rom-com feels especially relevant. What draws you to this genre?

GC: I love the joy, the humor, the sexiness, and the hope. Rom-coms these days are not your grandma’s bodice rippers: they’re smart and modern, and the characters bone.

KD: Tell us about the premise of your forthcoming queer Christmas rom-com, MOST WONDERFUL.

GC: Sure! Here we go: The holidays are fast approaching, and the Belvedere siblings are a mess: Liz, Hollywood showrunner and responsible eldest, is stumped by writer’s block as she struggles with an idea for her hit show’s second season—and her giant crush on its star, Violet Grace, isn’t helping. Birdie, a cash-strapped stand-up comedian who spends more time wooing women than working on new material, gets axed by her manager for missing yet another set. And Rafi, sensitive romantic and the baby golden boy, proposes to his coworker/girlfriend in front of his entire company, only to be turned down by the woman he thought was the love of his life.

Born to three different fathers, the three adult children share one larger-than-life mother: famed actress and singer Babs Belvedere. Seeking direction and some holiday cheer, all three siblings decamp early to their mother’s magnificent estate, Belvedere Inn, located in the snowy, cozy Catskills. Determined to focus on themselves and their work, all three swear off love. But the trio’s best-laid plans are derailed when Liz’s crush arrives from L.A., Birdie meets a cool local artist, and Rafi begins to see his oldest friend in a surprising new light.

Blurbs for MOST Wonderful

"Brimming with hopeful, big-hearted romance, expansive, overlapping love stories, and a cast of lovable, dimensional characters, Most Wonderful is itself the most wonderful.” —Christina Lauren, NYT-best-selling author of The Soulmate Equation.

"With her trademark wit and a lot of heart, Georgia Clark crafts a delightfully original holiday romance that feels like the most wonderful time of the year." —Alison Cochrun, Lambda award-winning author of Kiss Her Once for Me.

KD: How has a passion for telling love stories that extend beyond cis-gendered straight relationships influenced your body of work?

GC: I only write about gay kissing now. It’s freeing and thrilling, and I’m grateful to be able to tell stories that celebrate all different kinds of love.

KD: The writing and editing parts of the process are distinct—some writers enjoy the creativity that comes with ideation more, while others thrive in the polishing phase. Did you gravitate towards one more than the other?

GC: I do really like drafting because it feels very fresh and intimate. First drafts are special and because they’re private; they exist prior to feedback. Just me and the cast, trying stuff out. Seeing and doing a lot of things for the first time, alone. I do really believe in the power of revision, though. It’s very useful to react to early reader feedback, which I got for this book. It’s always exciting to keep elevating the work and perfecting on a line level. I guess I dig it all.

KD: What was different about bringing your latest novel into the world from the experience with your other most recent releases, ISLAND TIME and IT HAD TO BE YOU? What about the process was the same?

GC: Like those books, MOST WONDERFUL is an ensemble rom-com, but there are only three POV characters (my previous books had larger casts). It’s firmly a Christmas rom-com: I tried to deliver on what readers want in that sub-genre specifically. It’s my first time playing with the holidays, and Hollywood royalty, and a remake of Sweet Valley High, and drinking wine in a wine cellar, and charades, and the Black Hearts Club, and kissing in a pantry, and a bed, and a snowstorm.

MOST WONDERFUL is my sexiest novel to date, and maybe my funniest, too. It was my all-time favorite book to write, and I am a little bit nervous but mostly very excited to share it with the world this Fall.

KD: As a book coach and writing teacher, you're part of a thriving community of highly engaged aspiring writers. What advice do you always come back to when coaching writers?

1. The key to a creative career isn’t talent, it’s resilience. Strap in for long haul.

2. There are no shortcuts. Do the work.

3. Elevate other writers, be professional, stay grateful

4. Mute or learn to co-exist with your fear/imposter syndrome/anxiety: it might not ever go away but it cannot dictate how, what, or why you write.

5. Write the book you really really really want to fucking read. Write the book that sets your soul on fire.

KD: Your monthly Substack, Heartbeat, offers writing tips, pop culture recs, and secret peeks into the publishing process. What has been your favorite part of establishing a Substack community?

GC: I truly love connecting with readers and sharing the ups and downs of my publishing journey. I especially love dishing out hard-won writing advice. Last newsletter, I wrote about handling exposition and backstory. My rule is to eliminate or activate (i.e., turn into dialogue) if possible and delay if not. Generally speaking, exposition isn’t as compelling to a reader, especially when a story first starts. Readers first need to be drawn into the story by seeing it unfold in the present moment—for things to happen—before they truly care about everything that happened prior to the “now” of the story.

KD: Tell us about the most recent work of fiction that left you with a book hangover.

GC: I am wholly obsessed with The Prospects by KT Hoffman. It’s an absolutely brilliant rivals-to-lovers set in Portland, Oregon, in the world of minor league baseball. The Prospects is the first rom-com centering a gay trans man, written by a gay trans man, published by a major press, and it’s edited by my editor, Katy Nishimoto. This history-making debut is my dream book — it is just SO sexy and warm and joyful. It’ll be everywhere this April: do not miss this one.

KD: What book is on your TBR that you're most excited to pick up?

GC: I’m really excited for Tia Williams' A Love Song for Ricki Wilde, Emily Henry’s Funny Story, Casey McQuiston’s The Pairing, Christina Lauren’s The Paradise Problem, and Kate Spencer’s One Last Summer.

KD: The Sunday Series was conceptualized as a love letter to my favorite day of the week. If we were with you your neighborhood on Sunday, where would you take us to spend the afternoon?

GC: I live in South Williamsburg, Brooklyn, so we’d meet for a coffee and pastry at Devoción, check out an afternoon movie at Nighthawk cinema (I always get the queso and the Fire Walk With Me cocktail), then stroll along the waterfront to Domino Park for the borough’s best views and a pizza and glass of wine at Robertas.

KD: Where can readers stay tuned to look out for preorder links for MOST WONDERFUL, as well as keep up with all of the other inspiring work you’re doing?

Pre-order links aren’t up yet, but keep an eye out for MOST WONDERFUL this Fall! Stay in touch with me via my Substack embedded below and my Insta (@georgialouclark). I teach a quarterly Romance Workshop you can sign up for at georgiaclark.com, where I also offer book coaching and host a monthly storytelling show at Joe’s Pub called Generation Women.