I feel like I’ve been counting off the days forever, but release day has finally arrived! My new novel WHILE WE WERE WATCHING DOWNTON ABBEY is now on sale and out in the world! You can find it online, in bookstores, at Target and as they say, “wherever books are sold!”

This book grew out of my love for (and, okay, addiction to) Julian Fellowes’ wonderful Edwardian drama. It’s the story of four people—three very different women and their building’s British concierge—who meet through Downton Abbey viewing parties and forge unexpected bonds that sustain them through some of life’s toughest moments.

It’s apparently one of the first books ever written about fans of a television series, and I think Downton Abbey viewers will definitely identify. But you don’t need to have watched a single episode to enjoy this story because it’s first and foremost an interweaving of four individual journeys of self-discovery and getting by with a little help from our friends. You can expect a healthy dose of humor, too, because although I deal with weighty subjects and life altering situations, I believe, as the sage and tune-worthy Mary Poppins did, that a spoonful of humor helps the harsh realities go down.

The early reviews for WHILE WE WERE WATCHING DOWNTOWN ABBEY have been great and lots of fun book events are planned. Plus you can enter Woman’s World magazine’s WHILE WE WERE WATCHING DOWNTON ABBEY giveaway to win a trip for two to England and a tour of Highclere Castle, the “real” Downton Abbey. Boy, do I wish I could enter!

Most of all I hope you’ll enjoy meeting and reading about Samantha, Claire, Brooke and Edward as much as I enjoyed writing about them. I look forward to hearing what you think!