It is my pleasure to welcome author Jenny Holiday to Book Reviews & More by Kathy.
Kathy: Can you tell us a little about your new release?
Jenny: One and Only is book 1 in the Bridesmaids Behaving Badly series. The series is about a group of friends who are disgruntled bridesmaids in each other’s weddings. But then they each find their happily-ever-after along the way—they fall like dominos! In One and Only, Jane, who is a buttoned-up young-adult novelist who prefers to experience emotions through her characters rather than in real life, is assigned to babysit the groom’s bad-boy brother in the weeks leading up to the wedding. And you can guess the rest!
Kathy: One and Only is a romantic comedy. Does the humor in the novel mirror the “real” you? Do you find it more difficult to write humorous or serious scenes?
Jenny: I think it does! I think I have the same deadpan sort of humor that the heroines of the series do (or at least, people seem to tell me that). I find humorous moments much easier to write than serious moments or moments of high emotion. (I don’t really think of humorous “scenes” per se as my kind of humor tends to me more baked into the book and more about voice rather than about “funny scenes” per se.) I think this probably comes from my stoic Minnesota upbringing. We are not an overly expressive people!
Kathy: What is your inspiration for the Bridesmaids Behaving Badly series?
Jenny: I started thinking about how weddings have gotten so out of control. Being a bridesmaid used to mean throwing a shower, hosting a bachelorette party that consisted of a night on the town, and then showing up in your ugly dress that cost a couple hundred bucks. But it’s like there has been wedding inflation! These days, you have to go to and/or host a billion associated events that stretch out over weeks, the bachelorette has to be a destination party…and your ugly dress costs eight hundred bucks. One the one hand, being a bridesmaid is the greatest honor a friend can bestow on you. But on the other, it’s a total pain in the ass. I think there’s humor in that disconnect, and in the way we as bridesmaids sometimes watch our previously sane friends come a bit unhinged as they flirt with bridezilla-ism.
Kathy: Do you have a favorite book or author you like to recommend? Do you have a comfort read?
Jenny: It’s hard to pick just one. Right now I’m really into KJ Charles, who writes male/male historicals—specifically her Society of Gentlemen series. As for comfort reads, I know I’m in the minority here, but I’m not really a re-reader. My comfort activity is more falling down YouTube rabbit holes. My “comfort topics” are military members returning to surprise their loved ones or for flash mob proposals. (Go and search for those, and I’ll see you in about a month when you reemerge. Sorry in advance.)
Kathy: If you weren’t a writer, what would you be?
Jenny: It’s pretty hard to imagine anything else. My former day-job career was always as a writer, but in non-profits. I’ve never done anything else! If writing was off the table, I would probably be a professor. (But not a happy one—I fled academia for a reason!)
Kathy: What project(s) are you currently working on?
I’m still writing some of the Bridesmaids books—there will be three novels and novella by the time the series is done. I also have an as-yet-untitled male/male reimagining of Jane Austen’s Persuasion coming out in the fall of 2018 as part of Riptide Publishing’s Classics Queered series. It’s set in a down-at-heels Finger Lakes town and opens with Hero #1’s family winery, which has been foreclosed, being bought by the sister of Hero #2.
Kathy: Ohhh, I am intrigued by your Riptide Publishing project! And I am looking forward to the Bridesmaids release, too.
Thank you so much for joining us today!
Title: One and Only by Jenny Holiday
Bridesmaids Behaving Badly Series Book One
Publisher: Forever
Genre: Contemporary, Romance
Length: 369 pages
Summary:
In this laugh-out-loud romantic comedy, USA Today bestselling author Jenny Holiday proves that when opposites attract, sparks fly.
Miss Responsibility meets Mr. Reckless
With her bridezilla friend on a DIY project rampage, bridesmaid Jane Denning will do anything to escape – even if it means babysitting the groom’s troublemaker brother before the wedding. It should be a piece of cake, except the “cake” is a sarcastic former soldier who is 100% wicked hotness and absolutely off-limits.
Cameron MacKinnon is ready to let loose after returning from his deployment. But first he’ll have to sweet talk the ultra-responsible Jane into taking a walk on the wild side. Turns out, riling her up is the best time he’s had in years. But what happens when the fun and games start to turn into something real?
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Purchase Links: Amazon * B&N * Google Play * iTunes * Kobo
Author Bio
Jenny Holiday is a USA Today bestselling author who started writing at age nine when her awesome fourth-grade teacher gave her a notebook and told her to start writing some stories. That first batch featured mass murderers on the loose, alien invasions, and hauntings. (Looking back, she’s amazed no one sent her to a shrink.) She’s been writing ever since. After a detour to get a PhD in geography, she worked as a professional writer, producing everything from speeches to magazine articles. Later, her tastes having evolved from alien invasions to happily-ever-afters, she tried her hand at romance. She lives in London, Ontario, with her family.
Author Links: Website * Facebook * Twitter * Goodreads
Giveaway
I am giving away TWO PRINT Copies of One and Only (US Addresses ONLY). To enter today’s contest for all three PRINT books, fill out the form below. PLEASE NOTE: Contest is open to US mailing address ONLY. Contest ends 5 PM mountain time Monday March 5th.
CONTEST OVER
The books for this giveaway were generously provided by Forever Publishing. Winners will be selected by random.org. Forever will mail the prize to the winners. not responsible for lost or misdirected packages.
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