Zibby Mag

“I let the ‘how we get there’ unfold as I go.”

By Diana Tramontano

Josie Silver is the beloved author of Reese’s Book Club selection One Day in December. Two novels and five years later, she’s back with another winter romance, A Winter in New York! Though she’s never visited New York, Silver steeped this story in New York culture, transporting readers to the Lower East Side.

An unashamed romantic, Josie met her husband when she stepped on his foot on his twenty-first birthday, so of course she loves writing witty and emotional romance sagas. She currently lives in a small town in England, where she spends most of her days in her writing cottage, immersed in her stories.

In our author spotlight, Silver dives deeper into her love for romance, challenges non-romance readers, and discusses her experience as an author. Keep reading for more from Silver and check out her episode with Zibby on Moms Don’t Have Time to Read Books for her previous novel, One Night on the Island.

Zibby Mag: We’re huge fans of your books and are so excited for the upcoming release of A Winter in New York! What is your writing process like, and has it changed over time?

Silver: Thank you so much, I’m excited too–the new book nerves never go away! I’d say I’ve honed my writing process over the course of the last decade, or more accurately, I’d say I’ve come to accept that the ‘organized chaos’ approach works best for me. It’s taken me a while to trust the process! I always have the opening scenes of a new book in my head, plus a fair idea of where the story is going to end up, and then I let the ‘how we get there’ unfold as I go. I typically have a couple of pivotal turning points planned out too, but otherwise my approach to each new novel is pretty organic. It used to worry me–I’d see other authors with their plotting spreadsheets and panic, but these days I understand myself well enough to know things will all come together. Plus it’s kind of exciting! I’m never sure what’s going to happen until it actually goes down on paper, so it keeps me on my toes.

What did your research look like for this story? Do you have a special interest in cooking or baking that made you excited to center the story around a chef?

Confession… I’ve never actually been to New York, so research was definitely a challenge in that respect. All I can say is thank goodness for the internet. I’ve pounded the streets of the Lower East Side with as many online walking tour guides as possible, read countless travel blogs and obscure articles about specific smells and places, and I’ve been lucky enough to pick the brains of lots of native New Yorkers. I’m blessed to have a fabulous editor in New York too, so she’s helped me fine-tune the details for authenticity. It’s not the same as actually being there of course, but the next best thing, hopefully. I’ve meandered around New York so many times in my head now, it’s at the top of my bucket list to visit the city and see it for myself.

I’m definitely a foodie and a gelato fan, so writing a book about a chef was a real guilty pleasure! I bake for relaxation and my youngest son is an aspiring chef, so cooking has always been a big part of our family life.

What are you most excited to see readers discover through reading A Winter in New York? Is there something in particular you hope people take away from this book?

When I first thought about writing this book, I went back and watched all of the beloved rom-com movies like When Harry Met Sally, Sleepless in Seattle, and While You Were Sleeping. I viewed them with an eye on analyzing what it was about the stories that really held my attention. I found myself drawn to characters who are willing to take emotional risks and who somehow hang onto hope against the odds. So those were my base notes for Iris. I knew I wanted her to be brave, to be someone who has been tossed around a little by life but held true to the person she is. I hope she’s relatable;she makes mistakes and gets herself into some sticky situations but it’s always with good intentions and other people’s feelings foremost in her mind. It’s a wintery book laced with festive elements, so I really hope readers find some of that warm, movie magic style glow amongst the pages.

What do you think makes a book a romance? Can you share some of your favorite romance tropes?

Romance books (and movies) are all about successfully evoking feelings for me. It’s that intangible thing: the story has to give me butterflies, sweep me up in the words, and really make me root for the relationship. I need to genuinely believe these two people are made for each other.

My favorite romance tropes? I love a good enemies-to-lovers story, and I’m a total sucker for books with a sprinkle of magical realism. I’m loving the current trend for witchy or supernatural rom-coms. I recently read The Love of My Afterlife by Kirsty Greenwood and have been recommending it to everyone as a must-read.

How would you convince non-romance readers to start reading romance?

It’s difficult, isn’t it? There’s definitely an inherent snootiness towards romance, even though it’s the biggest selling genre on the planet! But who doesn’t love love, really?

I’m heartened to see the major streaming networks getting on board with so many romance book-to-screen adaptations–perhaps that’s a way in for non-romance readers, a little bit of reverse engineering. Binge-watched Bridgerton? Loved Happiness for Beginners? Why not give the books a go too, you’re in for a treat!

There’s talk of a movie adaption for One Day In December. How do you feel about this project and seeing your characters come to life on the screen?

I cannot tell you how excited I am by the prospect of seeing One Day in December on screen! It’s planned as a ten-part Netflix series, which is great because it will allow scope for a deep dive into character development. The director, Drake Doremus, is the safest pair of hands I could imagine placing the story into. He’s just so brilliant with emotion and love stories. I already know that audiences are going to adore his take on the book. I’ve seen some early plans, and while obviously I can’t reveal any details yet, what I can say is that I’m in love with his ideas and can already imagine how beautiful it’s going to be when it comes to life on screen. Watching those opening credits is going to be a real pinch-me moment.

What upcoming titles are you excited to read this fall?

Oh, great question! I’m a last-thing-at-night reader, usually on my Kindle as it’s kinder on my tired eyes. I love this time of year: the Halloween books speak straight to my witch-loving heart.

I adore Stephanie Garber, I’m hanging out for A Curse for True Love book 3 of the Once Upon a Broken Heart series. I’ve also just pre-ordered The Unmaking of June Harrow by Adrienne Young. She hooked me last year with Spells for Forgetting.

I’m a big Alix E. Harrow fan too, so I’m eager to read Starling House. Books about rambling old houses are always a tick for me–it’s billed as a gothic re-imagining of Beauty and the Beast, and I’m totally here for it!

Josie Silver is an unabashed romantic who met her husband when she stepped on his foot on his twenty-first birthday. She lives with him, their two sons, and their cats in England. She is the #1 New York Times bestselling author of One Day in December, The Two Lives of Lydia Bird, and One Night on the Island.

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