Hey: It's Your Turn to Host!
My Debut Book is Available for Pre-Order; the Countdown to Pub Day Begins!
Hey Party People!
I am extra excited to be writing to you today. As many of you know, I’ve spent the past three years working on my debut home entertaining book. It’s called Your Turn to Host: A Guide to Great Parties & Gatherings.
Pre-order is available now, so I can finally tell you more about it!
Your Turn to Host gives you my entire playbook for shaping events with a perspective, planning with budgets and timelines, sending invites, guiding conversations, tending to your guests needs, and so much more. We start our journey building the casual “just come over” confidence of a host and expand to buzzy holidays and momentous gatherings by the end. Along the way, we will define and refine hosting rituals that you can use to create your own moments of togetherness.
How It All Came Together
First, the last 10 years. Before I tell you more about the last few years working on this book, I want to zoom out and talk about the last 10. In 2016, I moved to Harlem and was working in television. I was surrounded by people all the time, but I often felt alone and in need of somewhere to belong. I decided to create that space. My love of food, parties and dining communally, fueled the start of To Be Hosted, my supper club that would eventually grow to a full-service event company. Hosting dinner parties, and house parties, and telling my friends to “just come over” is how I started building deeper relationships. It’s how I learned new things, tried new things, and built genuine community through shared memory making.
When I looked back at all the dinners and parties (and dinners that became parties), I realized that this time was not frivolous, it was fruitful. The conversations diversified my perspective. Their camaraderie gave me confidence. Even the conflict, expanded my empathy. I decided that documenting my approach to events and hosting rituals was the best way I could meaningfully help others change their lives, too.
On the past 3 years. Writing a book was one of the hardest things I’ve done so far. I was learning a completely new industry, developing my voice, organizing parties and photoshoots, and doing it all on a shoestring budget. It stretched my patience, tested my stamina, and made me question things about myself that I had never questioned before. I found my resolve to keep going and growing because I genuinely believe I have techniques and ideas that can help people improve their social lives. So I kept writing, shooting, (and reshooting), leaning on my friends and fellow creatives to make something really, really special and useful.
A Rallying Cry for this Moment
More than ever we are talking about feeling lonely, missing third spaces, going analog, staying whimsical, and standing together in the face of adversity. One solution is to host. To invite people over for Sunday supper. To rally a crew for game night. To organize the next potluck. To throw something on the grill!
Togetherness often needs a leader; a host. That’s where you come in. (Yes, you!) Everyone can host. Everyone should host. I wrote this book to help you do it (and to help you do it thoughtfully, joyfully, and often). And I wrote this book to start a movement. The more people we have confidently gathering friends, family members, neighbors (and strangers), the stronger our communities will be. Are you with me?
Pre-order. Pre-order. Pre-order.
For the next 4 months, I’ll be counting down to my pub day on June 9th, and I hope you will support my work by pre-ordering my book! Pre-orders shows retailers who carry the book that there is real interest in the topic. It also encourages those retailers to stock up on more copies, making it easier for even more people to discover my work.
You can pre-order Your Turn to Host on Amazon, Barnes & Nobles, or at Bookshop (where orders support local book stores)! And all pre-orders at BEM Books & More and Kitchen Arts & Letters will come signed!
***BONUS*** Email a screenshot of your pre-order receipt to me at hello@whileentertaining.com and I will give you a complimentary upgrade to While Entertaining’s newsletter for one full year — providing access to all my paid posts and my full post archive!
I am so appreciative of your support! I’ve poured all my love into this project, and I cannot wait for it to be out in the world and at your home for all your hosting needs!
With gratitude,
