Entertainment Tips: The Sound of Broken Glass

Like my characters’ home, our house has open-door hospitality, and like Duncan and Gemma, I much prefer informal to formal entertaining. (In only one book has Gemma given a formal dinner party, and she nearly had a nervous breakdown… although it did turn out beautifully.) I keep a wine fridge filled with reds, whites, and bubbly, a well-stocked bar, and plenty of “instant hors d’oeuvres”; olives, Marcona almonds, hummus, good cheeses. I’m quite the amateur mixologist—my specialty (the latest variation) is a cocktail made with good gin, fresh-squeezed orange and lime juice, Lillet blonde vermouth, Creole Shrubb orange liqueur, and pomegranate juice, served over ice and topped with sparkling water, or if I’m feeling really festive, champagne or Proseco.

But my top priority is that my guests should feel comfortable, and that laughter and conversation flow as easily as the wine.