1--What is the title of your latest release?
EAT POST LIKE
2--What’s the “elevator pitch” for your new book?
EAT POST LIKE is a story about Cassie Brooks, a lawyer who has spent her entire life myopically focused on her career. After her boyfriend dies, she realizes that he has been living a double life, one that she grows more and more curious about.
She accepts an invitation to an all-expenses paid trip to Europe on his behalf and finds herself immersed in a world she was grossly unprepared for. While eating her way through Europe she must confront everything she thought she knew - about her lost love and about herself.
3--How did you decide where your book was going to take place?
EAT POST LIKE is inspired by just a handful of trips I took as a cocktail and spirits writer. I remember sitting in these incredible restaurants, eating once in a life-time meals, and thinking that they would be incredibly visceral scenes for a drama.
Some of the restaurants I’ve visited, and some I still want to visit. Strangely, writing about the ones I haven’t been to yet, brought them to life for me anyway. I had to do so much research about those restaurants, and really imagine what the food tasted like, it really feels like I’ve been there. I hope readers feel the same way.
4--Would you hang out with your protagonist in real life?
Cassie is so much a part of me, that yes, I would love to hang out with her. That said, she’s me from 10-15 years ago. I think I could offer her some sage advice.
Ruby, however, is a character that everyone gravitates towards. She’s so fun, and yet brutally honest - she’s the best friend everyone deserves.
5--What are three words that describe your protagonist?
She’s courageous, adventurous, and torn between two existences.
6--What’s something you learned while writing this book?
That writing a book is hard! Seriously - I have new respect for all books, because writing is truly a labor of love. Authors are superheroes.
7--Do you edit as you draft or wait until you are totally done?
I usually edit a little bit as I go. When I was writing, I would go back a chapter, edit, and then write another chapter. Go back, edit, then write more. In the end, I did quite a few heavy edits of the book as a whole - it was the only real way to understand it as a full work.
8--What’s your favorite foodie indulgence?
Champagne, oysters and caviar.
9--Describe your writing space/office!
As a mother of a young kiddo and a full-time professional, it was extremely difficult to find time to write. I would try to set aside blocks of time to write, but they would always get gobbled up by something else. That said, my best time was at night. I would put my kiddo to sleep, and begrudgingly claw myself away from the warm snuggles, and crawl into an oversized armchair that was my father’s. Laptop on my lap, whiskey within reach, I would write until I couldn’t go any more, which was usually around one or two in the morning. It was not ideal, but sometimes you gotta do what you gotta do to make the dream come true.
10--Who is an author you admire?
Anthony Bourdain. The way he connected food with culture was truly iconic. He inspired me in so many ways, but most of all, to get on that plane, say yes to the opportunity, and let life happen.
11--Is there a book that changed your life?
Love in the Time of Cholera. I remember thinking it was so visceral. It made me long for a love like that.
12--Tell us about when you got “the call.” (when you found out your book was going to be published)/Or, for indie authors, when you decided to self-publish.
I think the surprising moment was when my agent, Steven, pitched the book idea to me. We were working on a cocktail book that required a lot of travel, and Covid had just started to unravel the world. I was sitting in the car about to take my son to the doctor, and Steven asked, “do you know anyone who might be interested in writing a food-forward romance novel?” It was like he read my mind. Doing some sort of romance inspired by food and travel had always been a dream of mine, and when he told me his idea, it was too similar to my life to say no. All the pieces fell into place pretty quickly after that.
13--What’s your favorite genre to read?
Women’s Fiction. I like broad categories because I’m a pretty diverse reader.
14--What’s your favorite movie?
Oh man. My go to answers are Amadeus and Titus. My favorite rom-com is You’ve Got Mail.
15--What is your favorite season?
Answer: I love all of them! I live in the Colorado high country, so every season is terrific. I grew up skiing, so there is a lot to be excited about when the snow starts to fall. I love when the lifts open and you can easily get to the top and see all the awe-inspiring mountain ranges that surround us. Once we get through mud season (April/May), Spring is such a delightful time of re-birth. I love watching the Aluminiums and Irises come up, watching the trees bud and the whole valley explode into shades of green. Summer is phenomenal. I love taking long hikes, bike rides in the mountains with friends and family, or just sitting on the deck with a glass of wine. But fall - fall is something special here. The aspen trees turn bright yellow and orange, making the valley look like it’s made of gold. It’s truly magical.
16--How do you like to celebrate your birthday?
Oysters and Champagne. Always.
17--What’s a recent tv show/movie/book/podcast you highly recommend?
I really enjoyed The Pitt and Paradise.
18--What’s your favorite type of cuisine?
I love Asian flavors - so anything Japanese, Korean, Thai, or Vietnamese. Yum!
19--What do you do when you have free time?
Spend time with my family. My son is 5, and it’s just such a magical time. He’s learning and growing so quickly - I don’t want to miss a second of it.
20--What can readers expect from you next?
I think a cocktail book will be next, building on my experience with Gastronomista and five years of creating editorial content for The Campari Academy. I’ve learned tremendous amounts from some of the best in the industry, and I think it’s time to put it into book form.
Eat Post Like is a heartwarming debut novel of self-discovery, resilience, and the transformative power of food.
Cassie Brooks has her life all figured out.
- Make partner at the prestigious law firm she works at by age 35
- Put in as much work as required to make goal #1 happen
- Spend as much time as possible with her boyfriend, James Colwell
Work might be exhausting, but for now she’s satisfied making good money and enjoying New York City with James. He’s an accountant but has surprisingly eclectic taste in food. Cassie is starting to think he could be the one when her life flips upside down with one call: James has died tragically.
Months into her grief, she uncovers a worn diary belonging to James and stumbles upon a remarkable revelation: James was the mastermind behind the hottest, anonymous foodie account in the city. With detailed food reviews, lists of new restaurants, and a tantalizing plan to involve Cassie, James had been preparing for an adventure of a lifetime.
When Cassie unwittingly accepts a dinner reservation on behalf of James’s viral account, she embarks on a whirlwind journey filled with unforgettable meals and unexpected connections. She goes from endless hours on-call as a lawyer to savoring exquisite pasta in Italy and indulging in the finest French cuisine in Paris.
But as Cassie navigates the demands of being an influencer and embracing her newfound passions, she struggles to find balance. Does she have what it takes to maintain her secret identity while pursuing her own dreams? Can she balance her grief of losing James with the thrilling possibilities that lie ahead?
Women's Fiction Contemporary | Women's Fiction Friendship [Avon, On Sale: June 3, 2025, Paperback / e-Book , ISBN: 9780063307438 / ]
Emily Arden Wells is a partner with the Colorado based architecture firm, Move Matter / Architects, and owns a digital media agency called Five O’Clock Creative, where she has won awards for her photography and food styling. She co-founded the award-winning cocktail and spirits website, Gastronomista.com, and is considered to be one of the first cocktail influencers who has inspired generations of content creators. Her writing has been published in Saveur Magazine, Vanity Fair, Town & Country, Bloomberg Pursuits, among others. She lives in Colorado with her husband and son. Eat Post Like is her first novel.
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