Claire Bidwell Smith

The last few days have been a whirlwind. It’s been so much fun being back in Chicago, especially staying downtown. On Wednesday I visited my old neighborhood, rode the train up to Lincoln Square and got to pop into my favorite prenatal yoga class. Then I soaked up my last night of solo traveling with Read more…

As of a few hours ago I’m in Chicago. Perched on the 12th floor of my downtown hotel room. A bland and muted news program flickers on the television set, a little pile of M&Ms from the minibar sits next to me on the desk, and there is a generally stunning view outside the window. Read more…

So much has been going on lately and it’s been hard to keep up. Most of it just has to do with juggling my normal life as a pregnant mom with all these books events and publicity. It’s a lot. I’m faring pretty well though. To illustrate, here are a jumble of thoughts, images & Read more…

I arrived home from New York yesterday afternoon, haggard and harried. In case you’re wondering if any of this book tour stuff is going to my head, rest assured that being a pregnant mom keeps me quite humbled, exhausted, and often too covered in vomit to get wrapped up in swank hotels and room service. Read more…

I’m leaving early tomorrow morning for NYC where I’ll be in publishing meetings all week. I’m feeling a bit frantic today — trying to get a million things done this afternoon during Vera’s nap and then more appointments and then trick-or-treating this evening. Our neighborhood should be really fun tonight and we’re looking forward to Read more…

I got home from Sedona last night and felt that same euphoric feeling of gratitude as I drove through the San Bernadina Mountains, through Riverside, and past downtown Los Angeles, that I did four months ago when Greg and I moved here. Sedona was incredible. Not only was it visually stunning, but it was simply Read more…

I’m in Sedona, Arizona with my editor from Penguin. I’m doing some research for my next book and she thought she’d come along for the ride. We drove out here from Los Angeles yesterday. Eight hours has never gone by so fast in my life. I think we talked about books the WHOLE time. It Read more…

I have been bursting to share this news for the last week or so: Australian publisher Text has officially acquired the rights to THE RULES OF INHERITANCE and will be publishing the book next year. In addition to putting out the book, they’re bringing me to Australia for a book tour. The people at Text Read more…

It’s Tuesday morning and I’m alone in the house, about to dive into a morning of writing. I can’t even tell you how exciting this is. For the last three months, ever since we arrived in Los Angeles, I’ve been out the door with Vera by 8:30AM, going to the playground or running errands, so Read more…

I’m in Chicago right now, typing this out in my friend’s downtown loft apartment while Bug sleeps behind the next wall. Greg just landed in Los Angeles and is headed home to Topanga, to a week of solitude while Vera and I have a girl party in Chicago and then attend my friend Ashley’s wedding Read more…