Spotlight & Giveaway: My Ex-Best Friend’s Wedding by Wendy Wax

Posted May 30th, 2019 by in Blog, Spotlight / 36 comments

Today it is my pleasure to Welcome author Wendy Wax to HJ!
Spotlight&Giveaway

Hi Wendy and welcome to HJ! We’re so excited to chat with you about your new release, My Ex-Best Friend’s Wedding!

 

To start off, can you please tell us a little bit about this book?:

Like all of my novels My Ex-Best Friend’s Wedding explores family relationships and the kinds of friendship that get us through the toughest times. It revolves around Lauren Jameson and Brianna Williams who met in Kindergarten and believed that being born on the same day made them ‘sisters,’ and Kendra Jameson, the woman who mothered them both.
 

Please share your favorite lines or quote(s) from this book:

Kendra’s opening prologue begins with this line:

“What can I say about the wedding dress? I can tell you it’s been in my family for generations. That after all these years it’s still beautiful. And what happened the day I wore it wasn’t the dress’s fault.”

Bree and Lauren dream of being writers from the time they learn how to read. It was fun sharing an insider’s look at what it is to be a traditionally published author today.

When the story begins Bree owns an independent bookstore on the Outer Banks and is still trying to finish a novel she’s been working on for fifteen years. Lauren lives in New York City and has become the ‘Queen of Beach Reads.’ She shares an observation that I’ve occasionally admitted at live appearances:

“Writing is not the glamorous profession people think it is. In fact, authors spend long periods of time alone, unwashed, and on deadline.”

 

What inspired this book?

It was inspired by a wedding dress that’s been worn by generations of family brides (even though I didn’t get to wear it!) A portrait of my aunt in this dress hung over my grandmother’s bed and is included in the dedication.

Less happily, this book was also inspired by an important friendship that fell apart and was never repaired.

 

How did you ‘get to know’ your main characters? Did they ever surprise you?

I’m a character driven writer so, for me, everything begins with the characters.

I spend time up front trying to envision who they are, what matters to them, and how they will evolve and grow in the course of the story. I also give thought to how they are connected.

But these things often change as the story progresses because my understanding of them grows with each page and scene that I write. It takes time (and page count) to get a true feel for how they will react in a given scene or situation.

Sometimes if I’m not sure where I’m going with a scene, I’ll put the characters on the page and start free writing dialogue. It’s a way of tapping in to things that my subconscious may have already figured out and neglected to tell me.

Sometimes this confirms where I thought I was going. Other times it opens up new possibilities.

Yes, this means I’m a ‘pantser’ — someone who writes by the seat of their pants. It’s taken a lot of years and books to finally accept that I am not the plotter and planner I pretended to be. Making peace with your process is a journey in itself.

 

What was your favorite scene to write?

The man Kendra left at the altar and from whom she’s kept a major secret shows up without warning forty years later. This is her initial reaction:

“I wonder if it’s possible to summon someone simply by dreaming or thinking about them. But if that were true, he would have been here years ago.

I step back from the window so I can’t be seen, but I can’t stop looking at him. His dark hair is threaded with silver and there’s not as much of it as there used to be. But he’s still tall. And he’s still absurdly handsome. His taste in clothes has definitely improved.

The last time I saw him he was wearing an ill-chosen powder blue tuxedo. And I was wearing THE DRESS.”

 

What was the most difficult scene to write?

I tend to avoid conflict and unpleasantness as much as possible in my real life and have been known to try to allow my characters to do the same. (Fortunately, my critique partners always call me on this.)

This is part of a scene in which Bree and Lauren finally confront one of the issues that tore them apart.

“You’re always in the right, aren’t you? Everyone else is at fault. We’re supposed to stand in line and beg your forgiveness.” Bree shakes her head. She’s angry, but I hear the sadness, too. “I have some experience with your inability to grant it.”

“Is that right?”

Brianna’s face is still scrunched up and forlorn. Once again she’s the victim. The one other people abandon and treat badly. “I didn’t go to New York with you. I chose another path. It’s not like I ruined your life.”

I blink. The anger that’s been simmering so close to the surface boils over. Bree is not the only one who’s ever been a victim. “You went back on a lifelong promise. A shared dream. And…” I stop.

“And what? You always act like it was some great, awful hardship,” she says. “It’s not like you didn’t come out the winner here. What could have possibly been so terrible?”

Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.
 

Would you say this book showcases your writing style or is it a departure for you?

My stories focus on important friendships and family relationships. I deal with serious subjects like death, divorce, illness, bankruptcy, betrayal. I just think Mary Poppins had it right; a spoonful of humor helps the harsh realities go down.

I’m always attempting to dig as deeply as possible while taking an intentionally lighter tone. Booklist once referred to my novels as ‘beach reads with substance.’ I’ve always taken that as a compliment.

So, yes, while every book and cast of characters is different, My Ex-Best Friend’s Wedding is very much what I’m known for.

 

What do you want people to take away from reading this book?

I’ve just started working on a novel due out in early 2021. All I know so far is that there will probably be a few female characters involved… : )

 

Thanks for blogging at HJ!

 

Giveaway: Paperback copy of MY EX-BEST FRIEND’S WEDDING by Wendy Wax

 

To enter Giveaway: Please complete the Rafflecopter form and Post a comment to this Q: Where the wedding in this story will take place is just one of many issues that arise. There was a time when a beach wedding was unusual. Now you hear about wedding themes from Star Wars to Disney to Harry Potter. What was the oddest themed wedding you ever attended?

 
a Rafflecopter giveaway

 
 

Book Info:

A wedding dress passed down through generations unravels the tangled threads of three women’s lives in a novel of friendship, family, and forgiveness from the USA Today bestselling author of Ten Beach Road.

Prized and stored away for safekeeping, the timeless ivory wedding dress, with its scooped neck and cleverly fitted bodice, sits gently folded in its box, whispering of Happily Ever Afters. To Kendra, Brianna, and Lauren it’s a reminder of what could have been, the promise of a fairy tale, and a friendship torn apart. But as Kendra knows firsthand: it wasn’t the dress’s fault.

Once closer than sisters, Lauren and Bree have grown up and grown apart, allowing broken promises and unfulfilled dreams to destroy their friendship. A successful author, Lauren returns home to the Outer Banks, fiancé in tow, to claim the dress she never thought she’d wear. While Bree, a bookstore owner, grapples with the realities of life after you marry the handsome prince. As the former best friends wrestle with their uncertain futures, they are both certain of one thing: some betrayals can never be forgiven.

Now on the eve of her daughter Lauren’s wedding, Kendra struggles with a secret she’s kept for far too long. And vows to make sure the dress will finally bring Lauren and Bree back together—knowing they’ll need each other to survive the coming storm.
 
 
 

Meet the Author:

USA Today bestselling author Wendy Wax is heralded for her contemporary women’s fiction exploring friendship, loyalty, self-discovery and the seemingly insurmountable challenges life sometimes presents.

Born in St. Petersburg, Florida, Wendy grew up on St. Pete Beach within spitting distance of the Gulf of Mexico. Appropriately enough, Wendy attended Sunshine Elementary School where recess and art class sometimes took place on the beach, and the highlight of every school year was the annual fish broil. Not surprisingly, some of her favorite Florida beaches were destined to become settings for her bestselling fiction, including her “Ten Beach Road” novels, TEN BEACH ROAD, OCEAN BEACH, THE HOUSE ON MERMAID POINT, SUNSHINE BEACH, ONE GOOD THING, and BEST BEACH EVER.

Wendy’s writing has been highly praised. The Atlanta Journal-Constitution says she “writes with breezy wit and keen insight into family relations.” Her books have been featured in national publications such as USA Today, Ladies Home Journal and Woman’s World, and at online book sites such as On a Clear Day I Can Read Forever, Luxury Reading, Book Reporter, Night Owl Reviews and Fresh Fiction.

Wendy loves to hear from her readers! You can reach her at [email protected].

 

 

 

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36 Responses to “Spotlight & Giveaway: My Ex-Best Friend’s Wedding by Wendy Wax”

  1. Melanie Bowers

    Haven’t been to any odd weddings. My friend wore cowboy boots under her wedding dress though

    • Merry

      The oddest wedding I attended was seeing the bride arrive by a horse drawn carriage with a princess theme and after the vows the couple drove away in a monster truck.

  3. holdenj

    I haven’t really been to any themed weddings, but we did attend one where the bride was barefoot.

  5. janinecatmom

    I haven’t been to any theme weddings. I prefer more traditional. But, I did hear of one FB friend that had a teenage mutant ninja turtle theme wedding. The little characters were on her cake and she had green in her hair.

  7. Cheryl Hastings

    My niece and her wife had a Harry Potter themed wedding 5 years ago. It was so fun and the time and effort they put in the decorations was mind blowing!

  9. Glenda M

    I’ve not been to a themed wedding but I’ve been to several that embraced the culture one of the couple grew up with. The most recent one the bride called India lite because it was only one day not several. I also attended a Great Gatsby reception held on a different day than the wedding where most of us wore 20s style clothes.

  10. laurieg72

    I guess I’m either too old or been blessed to have missed the crazy themed wedding phase. I’ve been to several Christmas themed weddings and numerous park and beach weddings.

  13. noraadrienne

    We don’t do crazy destination wedding. Just crossing from NY into NJ for my niece’s wedding was destination enough. I have four grown and married children with TEN grandchildren. We stayed at a Marriot miles from the venue over the Sabbath.. This had to be handled with the same planning as D Day. No thanks, you want us in Bora Bora or some other off the books place…. I’ll send a check.

  15. Angel

    One wedding I attended was in a hallway at a local bar, and the rest of the wedding was drinking and dancing the night away.

  16. Jennifer Huelsebusch

    I really haven’t been to any strange themed weddings …….yet!!

  18. Jana Leah

    I’ve never been to an odd themed wedding. The closest one to a unique wedding I’ve been to was in someone’s backyard. It was very relaxed & simple. It was also the funnest wedding I’ve been to.

  19. Julie Franckowiak

    I can’t think of any weddings with odd themes that I’ve gone to- plenty of odd couples though!

  20. SusieQ

    No odd theme, just a party that was in place of the wedding since the groom cheated at the bachelor party. I was actually friends with the groom, since he had paid for the caterer we went and ate the food and hung out. While I was disappointed that he cheated, I was glad he didn’t lie and go through with a wedding he wasn’t ready for.

  24. eawells

    I didn’t attend but saw pictures of a wedding where the bride and groom dressed as Star War characters (Princess Leia & Hans Solo) and their dog, carrying the ring was Chewbacca. LOL.

  26. rkcjmomma

    Havent been to a weird wedding or even a theme one!! Seen on tv a day of the dead one thats weird for a wedding

  27. Nicole (Nicky) Ortiz

    I have only been to traditional weddings
    Thanks for the chance!

  31. Banana cake

    The last wedding I went to was held at some campgrounds on a lake. They rented the whole campgrounds for the weekend. I just went to the dinner Friday night and the wedding and reception the next day, too many relatives I’d rather not spend time with and the food was all vegan.

  32. tlcmom582

    My son’t wedding wasn’t themed, but he walked out to music from The Office and the bride walked out to music from Jurassic Park.

  35. Eileen Shankle

    I walked down the aisle to two friends playing Stairway To Heaven on their guitars. Not really a theme, but different back in the 70’s!
    My daughter had a beach wedding in Key West in July. It was 108 degrees. The reception was on the patio at the Doubletree,and the minute the DJ played the last song (Last Dance-which her and her BFF who are in a band together sang), everyone jumped into the pool with their $80 hairdos!