Everybody Rise

Last month, I had the privilege to meet the author of Everybody Rise. A group of us were invited to a fun afternoon of DryBar followed by tea at the Plaza where we had the opportunity to ask questions and learn a bit more about the book!

I’ve met a few authors in the past and gone to book signings, but this was such an intimate day. Stephanie Clifford is a reporter for the New York Times; Everybody Rise is her first novel.

It took me a little bit to get into the book, however, once I got through the first chapter I really had a hard time putting it down. Everybody Rise follows Evelyn as she paves her way in Manhattan, and more importantly, as she climbs her way into the ultimate NYC social circle. There are moments where it’s painful to read as Evelyn racks up credit card debt and spins herself into a tricky web of lies. (Think: Jenny Humphrey from Gossip Girl if she were 26 and from Baltimore.)

If you’re looking for a fun read with an interesting plot and even more interesting characters, I really recommend the book! The book is finally available, so definitely order it. (Don’t give up after the first chapter if you’re not into yet. It took me a little bit to get used to the characters and then I was squeezing in extra reading time every day until I finished it!)

I also wanted to share my favorite takeaways from meeting Stephanie. I’m always interested in hearing about how writers work and what their processes are. She recommend to not wait for the right time to write… She always thought she’d need a six month sabbatical with a cabin in the woods and then realized that wasn’t realistic. She wrote the entire book while working AND while raising a baby! She set up a dedicated work space and would write every day from 6-8am before heading into to work. Even if she didn’t write (couldn’t or didn’t feel like), she would sit there. Oh, and she recommends starting with a good outline– something she didn’t do and realized she should have a little too late in the game. You can tweet with Stephanie here!