Happy December! I swear the moment the calendar page turns, my brain goes into holiday mode. Although truth be told...this year, I've been fully immersed since July...daydreaming of snow, twinkling lights, nostalgic once-a-year foods…the whole nine yards.

Or should I say – all eight candles?

My writer BFF Amanda Usen and I had started brainstorming a Hanukkah romance series a couple years ago. This mainly consisted of throwing out “punny” titles, dreaming up quirky meet-cute scenarios, and drinking lots of rocket fuel courtesy of our friend Amy’s magical Nespresso machine she always brings on writer retreats.

At some point, “what if?” became “why not?” and we began drafting our stories.

Inspired by the epic NYC music cruises my friend Jake has hosted for years, I crafted a fun spin on the traditional Jewish singles party: The Matzo Baller. Picture an over-the-top party boat, cruising around Manhattan for 8 hours on the first night of Hanukkah and you get the picture.

Amanda began mixing “Challah-Day”-themed drinks and a dinner menu and suddenly, we had music, booze and enough latkes to sail us right into a fun and flirty holiday series about eight friends who have become “found family” – a trope we both absolutely love.

Eight friends. Eight books. The first two released today – and they are spoiler-free, take place simultaneously, and can be read in either order!

I hope you will add THE HANUKKAH HOOK-UP and THE DREIDEL DO-OVER to your TBR stack and your holiday wish list this season!