Finding Faith After the Party
A book born from loss, reconnection, and a “Queen Esther moment.”
It’s release day for After the Party. It has been a long ride since I first heard about the need for a book like this on Jonah Platt’s podcast, and I had my “Queen Esther moment” when I realized I could write it.
I knew it was a detour from my “lane,” the fictional work I’d been writing. But I thought with my ability to research and write, I could do it. I also felt a powerful motivation after the events of October 7, 2023. I felt connected to my religion in a way I’d hadn’t felt for quite a long time.
My religious observance tapered off as my mother’s health declined. I no longer took her to services, or out to dinner to celebrate holidays. After she died, I continued to attend Yizkor memorial services after Yom Kippur for years, because I no longer had a synagogue membership and that was the only service that didn’t require tickets.
Then after Covid hit, Temple Sinai began broadcasting services on YouTube, and I continued watching sporadically, on the anniversaries of my parents’ Yahrzeits. I followed some channels provided by other synagogues, listened to performances by Jewish a cappella artists, and caught a few videos of Jewish comedians.
(I heard this group perform at Temple Sinai and loved them.)
When things came back to normal, my connections continued to fray. The last time I went to Temple Sinai, for my father’s Yahrzeit in January, security was so tight that the guard wanted to check me against the membership list, and only let me in when I remembered the name of the synagogue secretary.
After the Party became my tether to my religion. I kept discovering new ideas and making connections, and the book grew. I gobbled up podcasts and YouTube videos, books and newsletters. Now that the book is out, I’ll move into publicity mode, trying to get it reviewed and hopefully signing up some talks at local synagogues and JCCs.
But what else is new, you might ask? I’ve pivoted back to romance. Kind of a nice palate cleanser after so much non-fiction in my brain! Two MM romances in the works, both with tentative titles. This is what I’m considering for the first one:
Driven Together: An opposites-attract, high-octane Formula 1 romance
Driven Together: Two men, one circuit, and a love worth risking everything
I have a solid first draft of this book, and need some time to work on a second draft before I send it to my editor. It’s another globe-trotting romance like The Big Race, following the European circuit of Formula 1 Race.
The second is another romance, this time focused on threats to a male K-pop group. Aidan and Liam of the Have Body, Will Guard series are hired to protect them on a tour from Cannes to Paris, London to Sao Paulo. I’m thinking Center Stage, Center Heart for it—but still need to work on a subtitle.
I’ve been learning a lot about K-pop, and here’s what the guy in the center does.
“Watch the formations. Jin’s not always doing the flashiest moves—Tae has the tricks, Haneul has the power. But Jin’s placement, his timing, the way he draws the eye and then redirects it—he makes the whole picture work. That’s what a center does. They’re the keystone.”
Never fear, golden retriever lovers! The response to last year’s Death at the Dog Park was so strong that Joanna Campbell Slan and I have put together another joint venture, out in two weeks. Santa and the Slay Dogs contains a holiday-themed golden novella and another dog cozy from Joanna Campbell Slan.
And finally, I’m working through a third draft of Dog’s Kitchen after feedback from my editor. I hope to have that one out in December. Yesenia Ubeda Goldstein of Dog Grant Me, about an intersession course on food of the Cuban diaspora, returns to Friar Lake as the associate producer of a cooking show in which chefs compete to make the best dishes that can be shared between judges and their canine companions. Lots of doggies to wrangle in that one!
With love and gratitude,
Neil
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