Jamie Brenner has something to celebrate...plus a book giveaway

Photo by Laura Boyd

We're told not to judge a book by its cover, but in the case of Jamie Brenner's latest novel, The Wedding Sisters (St. Martin's Press, June 6, 2016), we feel justified in doing so. The colors are so welcoming and we just want to see what little gifts are in store! Lucky for you, Jamie has SIX copies to give away!

Jamie Brenner spent over a dozen years in book publishing as a publicist, scout, and agent before realizing that she couldn't work in the world of books without at least trying to write one herself. Her previous novels include the historical The Gin Lovers, named by Fresh Fiction as one of the Top Thirteen Books to read in 2013. She grew up in the suburbs of Philadelphia and today lives in Manhattan with her husband and two daughters. Visit Jamie at her website, Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

Synopsis:
Meryl Becker is living a mother's dream. The oldest of her three beautiful daughters, Meg, is engaged to a wonderful man from one of the country's most prominent families. Of course, Meryl wants to give Meg the perfect wedding. Who wouldn't? But when her two younger daughters, Amy and Jo, also become engaged to celebrated bachelors, Meryl has to admit that three weddings is more than she and her husband, Hugh, can realistically afford.

The solution? A triple wedding! At first, it's a tough sell to the girls, and juggling three sets of future in-laws is a logistical nightmare. But when Hugh loses his teaching job, and Meryl's aging mother suddenly moves in with them, a triple wedding is the only way to get all three sisters down the aisle. When the grand plan becomes public, the onslaught of media attention adds to Meryl's mounting pressure. Suddenly, appearances are everything - and she will do whatever it takes to keep the wedding on track as money gets tight, her mother starts acting nutty, and her own thirty year marriage starts to unravel.

In the weeks leading up to the nuptials, secrets are revealed, passions ignite, and surprising revelations show Meryl and her daughters the true meaning of love, marriage and family. Jamie Brenner's The Wedding Sisters invites readers to the most unpredictable wedding of the year. (Courtesy of Amazon.)


How did you decide to write Chick Lit?
I really think the types of stories we write choose us. Chick lit is something I’ve always loved, always sought out. I read all sorts of books from genre fiction to literary novels, but chick lit is my true north. I remember when I had my second baby and I was sleep deprived and had no time to read and then someone gave me a novel by a new author, “you have to read this!” and it was Emily Giffin’s Something Borrowed -- and it was just what I needed. I read it in one day and I felt like okay, I’m still me. I wanted to write books like that for other readers.

In one sentence, what was the road to publishing like?
The road to publishing was long (very long!), full of surprises, and thrilling.

Do you base characters on yourself?
I don’t base characters on myself but I think a little of my fears and passions and dreams make their way into my characters. It’s unavoidable.

If The Wedding Sisters was made into a movie, who would you cast in the main roles?
Love this question (don’t we all?). For Meryl, the mom, I imagine Diane Keaton or Meryl Streep, even though they are both technically older than the mom character. For the three sisters, I imagine Caitlin Fitzgerald as the oldest (She played the oldest daughter in It’s Complicated), Allison Williams (Girls) as the middle, and Lily James (Cinderella, Downton Abbey) as the youngest. I can’t cast the men. When it comes to male actors, I’m stuck in a time warp. I refuse to accept that Harrison Ford and Jack Nicholson are no longer leading men.

What is the most memorable wedding you ever attended?
Aside from my own, it was the wedding of my best friend from high school. The ceremony was in Ojai California, beautifully set against the mountains. Very hot. Then, for the party, we moved to a sort of barn setting. And, in the most awesome nod to our teenage years in the 80s, she had the band Men At Work perform. The speeches and toasts were very touching. The night was fun but imbued with meaning -- it was just a everything a wedding should be.

What is the last movie you saw that you would recommend others to see?
In keeping with the wedding theme, I just caught a movie on HBO called 27 Dresses starring Katherine Heigl, James Marsden, and Ed Burns. It’s about a woman who’s always the bridesmaid and never the bride, and this is fine with her -- until her sister becomes engaged to the man she is secretly in love with. If you’re looking for something light and fun, it’s worth checking out.

Thanks to Jamie for visiting with us and sharing her book with our readers.

How to win: Use Rafflecopter to enter the giveaway. If you have any questions, feel free to contact us. If you have trouble using Rafflecopter on our blog, enter the giveaway here. 



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Giveaway ends June 7th at midnight EST.