I am so happy to be able to share news that I have definitely been waiting for since Buns arrival onto the scene in 2017. Alice Clayton is back with new tales to tell!

Well, maybe listen to, at least at first. That’s right, her first foray back into writing will make its debut as an Audible exclusive listen! Fans of Ms. Clayton may find this cover most interesting, because it definitely hints that this new story is all about a couple we thought we had read the last of…

Check out the cover and see what you think…

I KNOW that font and style probably have all the Cocktail series fans screaming. And One More Round definitely has a drink connotation to it. That’s right, we’ve got a new story in the Cocktail world, featuring the two characters who started it all, Caroline and Simon.

You’re probably wondering what this story is all about, and you’re in luck. Here is the synopsis for One More Round. See what Caroline and Simon are up to!

Simon and Caroline have it all. A gorgeous restored Victorian house in Sausalito, flourishing careers, an eternal spark for each other, and a cat with more attitude than is legal in the state of California.

So what’s plaguing the couple of the century? They’ve got everything anyone could wish for, except…a family.

After several close calls, Simon and Caroline are coming to terms with the idea that being parents might not be in the cards for them. They’ve been married five years, and they’re realizing it may just be the two of them, forever. Which is ok, right?

Caroline is considering a major career change, Simon is working more than ever, things are falling into place, without a baby rattle.

But just when you think your life is set, the universe gives you a…twist.

Come back in for one more round with Simon and Caroline.

If you’ve been missing Alice Clayton and her magnificent writing in your life for the past couple of years, you are most certainly not alone. I have missed her witty heroines and endearingly funny stories so much. I am so glad to know that Alice Clayton is coming back with new material, and I definitely had a few questions that I’m happy to say she agreed to answer. Read on for what Alice Clayton has been up to during her hiatus, and what we can expect to see next!

A few questions for Alice Clayton

First of all, let me just say how excited I am to hear you have a new story coming out! You disappeared from the scene a few years ago, after the completion of the Hudson Valley series book, Buns. What prompted you to take some time away? What have you been up to in your time away from publishing? Hoarding away story ideas or tackling life’s latest twists and turns?

Thank you! It’s wonderful to be back, dipping my toe back into this world so to speak! I really did disappear, didn’t I? I think for me, I had hit a wall creatively, the election in 2016 really took a toll on me emotionally, and I just needed some time to power down for a bit. I had been on a bit of a treadmill for awhile, and so many things were happening. We bought a new house, planned a wedding, got married, and finished a book and released a book, all within the same 6 months….it was crazy! And by the time December of 2016 rolled around, I was mush. I circled the laptop for months, plenty of ideas, but just couldn’t get any real words down. So I took a breath, and took a step back, and took a big old break. But now I’m back!

Learn any new skills? Travel anywhere cool (before COVID-19, of course)?

This year I’ve traveled around my block, several thousand times. I wish I could say that I learned a new skill, I had plans to learn French. That absolutely did not happen, but I did make a chicken pot pie casserole with a french puff pastry top, does that count?

This snippet of your newest story has me so very excited. What made you revisit Simon & Caroline?

I never had any plans to come back to this world, they had their fairy tale ending and it was done and dusted. But then after a few years, especially with me being out on semi-permanent hiatus/writers block island, they started to marinate in the back of my mind again. And since I had been away so long, I thought it might be nice to spend some time with some old friends, which they really feel like to me.

Any hints or nudges you want to throw our way about future books/series we can look forward to?

Hmm, let’s see. St. Louis. Library. Hawaii. Hip. Cater waiter. Paint. Turret. Shakespeare in the Park. First and last.

Are your previous series completed permanently/for the moment, or do you have plans to continue writing more books in the Hudson Valley or Redhead series?

I have no plans to write any more in the Redhead or Hudson Valley world. Please see my above answer about how I was never going to write about Simon and Caroline either…

And a few quick ‘lightning round-esque’ questions if you are up for them!

Last book you read (and loved!)? I did a quarantine reread of The Fever Series by Karen Marie Moning and good god damned it’s still amazing.
Last movie you watched? Good Will Hunting
Last TV show you binge-watched? Currently rewatching Game of Thrones and for the first time, Below Deck Mediterranean.

Thank you SO much, Alice, for answering our questions and giving us a few tidbits to dream about until we hear about your next project!

And last, but certainly never least, how about an audio clip of the new book, huh? Keep scrolling for a clip of One More Round, Alice Clayton’s brand new and totally final (probably) entry into the Cocktail series. We get to hear from Simon’s perspective!

Listen to a ‘One More Round’ audio excerpt

Buy your audiobook copy now on Audible! And for those not so audiobook inclined, the paperback and ebook versions of One More Round will be available 12/22/2020, and you can pre-order the kindle copy on Amazon right now!