NEW YORK DIARY

authors in the wild

Hi kittens,

I’m back in Jacksonville after eight intense days in New York and it feel as though I was just hit in the head and I am coming to. Looking around, fuzzy-eyed, wondering what the fuck just happened and reminding myself that I am still alive!

I should have known when my flight was delayed five hours (three of which were spent on the runway getting white wine-buzzed in first class) that it would be a wild trip. I should have known when my flight attendant declared this delay meant we were going to “party” and went around filling the everyone in the cabin’s empty paper cups and playing music from her iPhone that it would be a wild trip. I should have known when I realized I was on the right side of the plane during our descent and I looked down to get a glimpse of my city — realizing I had a bird’s eye view of MSG and the Empire State Building all lit up in orange and electric blue as the Knicks were literally winning game four — that it would be a wild trip.

By the way, I filmed a very amateur, very Delta-cheap-white-wine-buzzed video of that beautiful view, added the suggested audio of “Empire State of Mind,” slapped it up on Instagram without even thinking, and it has garnered over two million views and counting and even got a heart from Andy Cohen. Be damned, overthinking! Be damned, perfect edits! The gritty, random stuff always wins.

Although I’m currently living in Jacksonville with my fiancé, I go back in the city every few weeks to see family, friends, clients, and remind myself of who I am. I can’t imagine a life without New York. I run my literary salon in the city as well, but this time I co-hosted a rooftop cocktail party with Amanda Frances for the authors in our Self-Published program.

Women flew in from the U.K., Canada, and all over the country and it was absolutely epic. We sipped champagne as the sun set and Empire State Building sparkled behind us, talking about our stories, our books, and our lives as writers.

Our Self-Published author Dr. Kimberly Rose Pendleton linked her book to her Instagram for the very first time this night!! (she had been nervous to share the link before but we basically bullied her into it, lol)

Andrea Franco and I met about six years ago when we were both very single, we’re now both very engaged and had to document it!

Our fearless crew of authors. Women who write their truth will change the world!

After the event, Pink Ink Press author E.M. Gallagher grabbed us a handicapped minivan to whisk us away to the after party at fellow Pink Ink Press author Marianna Pease garden suite at The Bowery Hotel.

There we met up with Ava G, Lauren Walsh, Allison Ziggy, and Kat Kilarska where we inhaled three pizzas, danced to Britney Spears, vlogged, got a noise complaint from the front desk, and chain smoked. Well, I didn’t smoke, but I did egg on the smokers to cheers their cigarettes so I could capture this short film:

Of course, the night was not complete without putting my filthy heels into my purse, surely transferring The Plague and other various infectious diseases into the contents of my bag. It’s just a New York Thing.

We named this singular heel Sierra.

New York truly owes me nothing.

The whole trip was spectacular, magical, and overstimulating in the best way. I am inspired beyond belief, ready to get back to work, and so incredibly grateful for the women writers in my world. We are cut from a different cloth; sensitive, creative, and always adventure-ready. We can spin a story from nothing, make each other laugh to the point of tears, and genuinely all want to see each other win. I feel so lucky to say that my clients and authors have become genuine friends.

As I sit here back in Jacksonville, mainlining Essentia and trying to remember what day it is, I am reminded of why I do what I do. It’s more than fancy cocktail parties and New York energy. It’s truly about community. Real women, telling real stories, doing it together. Giving other women permission to be themselves by being ourselves.

Showing up, here on Substack, at a literary salon, on a rooftop, in a handicapped minivan, playing full-out. Not shrinking of lowering our voices, but instead, cranking up the volume. Together.

Now if you will excuse me, I need to unpack Sierra, wash the cigarette smoke from my hair, and hit publish on this post. I love you so much! Please go write something fabulous today.

xx

Cara

PS - If you are vibing with this I really think you’d love my writing community, Hot Girl Writing House. We meet on Zoom 3x a month, and occasionally in person on a rooftop or a hotel suite ;) Get the details and jump in here.