Q: We were shocked to hear that you wrote this book without ever actually having been to New York, especially since you capture the spirit and the vibrancy of the city so perfectly! What references did you use to create the city?
A: Ideally, I’d love to have visited New York, but this story actually started out life set in the UK. It relocated to the United States as I started to get words down on paper and realized it would work so much better if I moved it to New York City, by which time I was on deadline and needed to stay put with the story.
Not having been to the specific locations in the story put me on the back foot; all I can say is thank goodness for the internet! I spent countless hours watching New York walking tours, talking to friends, and reading travel blogs for individual experiences. I’m lucky to have a fabulous U.S. editor too. I knew she’d be on hand to go through it with a red pen to make sure the details were accurate and authentic.
All those hours of research and immersion have left me more desperate than ever to experience New York for myself soon, and I’ll be sure to time my visit to coincide with the San Gennaro Feast that Bobby takes Iris to at the beginning of the story!
Q: Iris and Vivien are huge romcom fans （as are many of us!）—are you a big fan as well? What romantic movies are your favorites?
A: Am I a huge romcom fan? Oh, absolutely and emphatically yes! I loved being able to include Moonstruck in the story as it’s one of my all-time favorite movies, but if pushed, I think I might choose Crazy, Stupid, Love as my ultimate favorite romcom.
But then…Bridget Jones’s Diary will always have my heart, Four Weddings and a Funeral is a must-watch at least once a year, and Christmas just isn’t Christmas without The Holiday, is it?
Q: All of your novels feature characters who not only go on relationship journeys, but on personal journeys as well—it’s one of the things readers love most about your books! Why do you think you are drawn to writing characters who are struggling with larger themes like grief or self-acceptance or healing as they find love?
A: Great question! I guess because I’ve been married for a fair while and we have teenage kids, life is often complicated and messy and sprawling. It’s not all date nights and flowers, it’s busy and hilarious and sometimes heartbreaking, and I find that comes out on the page whether I plan things that way or not. I find real joy in writing ensemble casts, especially multi-generational characters and families. It’s just real life, isn’t it? Romance doesn’t happen in isolation, it’s influenced and shaped by all of the other important people in our lives. I like to lean into that to deepen and enrich the story.
Q: What does your writing process look like? Are you an author who likes a lot of structure to your writing days, or an author who writes whenever the mood strikes?
A: I would love to say I’m organized, that I make charts and plans and tick off my days in a methodical manner, but I’m afraid that’s not how I work best. I tend to go fairly steady and slow in the beginning stages of a manuscript, gather pace as I hit the middle, and then write really intensively toward the end. It’s not an easy way to do it—I find the later stages stressful, but in an exhilarating way I strangely kind of love!
I’ve learned to accept that this is the process that works for me and not to give myself grief over it.
Q: And last but not least, we’d be remiss if we didn’t ask who your dream cast would be if A Winter in New York was made into a classic romcom movie! Is there anyone that comes to mind?
A: Ah! This question is the one I love and loathe the most! I often dream-cast characters in my head as I write—I find it helps with dialogue to have a specific person I can imagine delivering the lines, down to their mannerisms and the way their body moves. Strangely though, I haven’t nailed it down for this book. I can see them all, but they’re not fully formed—I’m sort of side-eyeing them in my head all the time. I can see Iris’s blunt cut bangs, the way Gio’s shirt skims his body when he turns to the machine to make coffee, and the bounce of Sophia’s curls as she moves. I see the jauntiness of Felipe’s walk and the slightness of Bella’s hands, and the cloud of expensive perfume that envelops the room whenever Maria walks in. I just can’t see their faces. It’s a fun game though, isn’t it!
Questions and Topics for Discussion
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1. What did you think of Iris and Gio’s initial meet-cute at the bookstore? Has there ever been a book in your life that you’d have fended off a stranger in order to get ahold of? If so, what was it?
2. The first real relationship Iris forms after moving to New York is with Bobby, her best friend/neighbor/boss. Have you ever had a friend like that, who has helped pick you up when you were down?
3. We soon come to learn of the secret gelato recipe that Iris’s mother passed down to her, and their tradition of eating it from pink melamine bowls, often while watching old New York–set movies. What family recipes or family traditions have been passed down in your family?
4. New York City is its very own character in this novel, especially the neighborhood of Little Italy. Did the setting make you want to visit the city? If you’ve visited before, did it make you want to return?
5. What did you think of Iris’s plan once she realizes where her mother’s gelato recipe must have come from? Do you agree that it’s the most sensitive way to handle the special circumstances? Why or why not?
6. As we come to know the Belottis, we learn that they are lively and loving and absolutely wonderful—did you also wish you could have spent time with them at the holidays or at the gelato shop?
7. Both Iris and Gio have reasons that they have avoided relationships and opening up to new people—what was the moment that you started to see this changing for them? What do you think was the first moment they really started to trust each other?
8. The Monday Night Motel is a space that Gio and Iris created just for themselves, to be a little bubble of escape from the world. Have you ever created a space or ritual like that for yourself, with or without a partner? If not, what would you want your ideal little escape to be?
9. How did you feel when Santo issued his stern request to Iris? Could you see where he was coming from, or do you think he should have been happy for Iris and Gio and been more understanding instead?
10. What did you think about the climax of the novel, when all of our characters come together in one big scene? Did you laugh or cry? Were you angry or happy? Or did you feel all of those things by turn?
11. By the end of the novel, we’ve seen Iris and Gio go on personal journeys as well as a journey together. What did you think of their character and relationship arcs? Do you think they are stronger for it?
A Very New York Must-Watch RomCom List …
INSPIRED BY IRIS AND HER mother’s tradition of watching New York–set romcoms, we’ve curated the ultimate watchlist for every kind of romcom lover!
For those who like their romcoms a little more vintage, we’ve got some oldies but goodies:
Barefoot in the Park
That Touch of Mink
Sabrina
An Affair to Remember
Breakfast at Tiffany’s
For the strongest Iris and Vivien vibes, we’ve got their favorite romcoms:
When Harry Met Sally