A FEW MINUTES WITH BRENDA GAYLE

Tell us a little about your upcoming release.
My release is a short story, entitled Father of the Bride? It's a contemporary romance set revolving around a wedding in the Caribbean. The heroine or hero are neither the bride nor the groom.

Can you give us a one-sentence synopsis of your book?
She never expected to see her ex again, but at their son's wedding he's father of the bride.

Where did the idea for the book come from?
I read an article about high school sweathearts who reunited later in life. The first line of Father of the Bride? is almost a direct quote from the woman in the article: You are not supposed to meet the love of your life when you're twelve. For some reason that quote stuck with me.

I had just handed in the manuscript for the second book of my contemporary romantic suspense and was looking for a small project as a break before I started working on the third book. My editor, the incomparable Maggie Johnson, told me about a call for submissions The Wild Rose Press had issued for a new digital anthology it was putting together focusing on weddings and older heroines (not necessarily the bride). The story just fell into place.

How long did it take you to write the first draft of your manuscript?
I generally write full-length novels (about 90,000 words). This short story clocks in at about 16,000 words and it took me two weeks to complete the first draft. I then spent a month layering and revising it before submitting it to my editor.

If this were a movie, who would you choose to play your hero and heroine?

The tall blond-haired, blue-eyed,
all American Tim Robbins
would be fantastic as David Parker.

Dana Delany would make
a wonderful Penny Malloy.

Can you tell us something else about your book that might pique readers' interest?
I have difficulty writing a straight-up romance. I'm always looking to add some element of suspense or a twist to surprise the reader. Father of the Bride? is no exception.

Father of the Bride? is currently available for Kindle at http://www.amazon.com/Father-Bride-Dearly-Beloved-ebook/dp/B009M6XO4C and will be released to the rest of the world January 23.

The Wild Rose Press: http://bit.ly/VFKPYL

You can connect with Brenda via her website, Facebook, Twitter, and Goodreads.

AN EXCERPT FROM FATHER OF THE BRIDE?

Hi everyone, I'm back to give you an excerpt for my new contemporary romance short, Father of the Bride?

You are not supposed to meet the love of your life when you’re twelve. Penny Malloy’s world contracted as she caught a glimpse of David Parker across the hotel lobby. She was as in love with him now as she had been when he’d kissed her on the playground of the Sackville Elementary School, forty-one years ago. The fact she hadn’t laid eyes on him in almost a quarter century didn’t seem to matter to her heart. “Damn!”

“Did you say something?” Adam looked down, his brow furrowed with concern.

She shook her head and tried to smile reassuringly. Dear Adam. Her son had no idea she was slowly dying inside. Well, the truth was she’d been slowly dying for twenty-four years, but this weekend was sure to finish her off.

“There they are.” Adam squeezed her hand before releasing it to wave at two people across the lobby. “Chloe. David. We’re over here.”

Penny held her breath as the pair came towards them. Would he say anything to give them away? Of course not. If he hadn’t said anything before, he wasn’t likely to now. Still, it was going to feel awkward to be introduced as strangers. What should she say? Nice to meet you?

Adam hugged Chloe. As he shook David’s hand, Chloe turned to embrace her.

“Mom,” Adam, said, “this is David Parker, Chloe’s dad.”

Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Father-Bride-Dearly-Beloved-ebook/dp/B009M6XO4C
The Wild Rose Press: http://bit.ly/VFKPYL

Brenda Gayle
Real women. Real men. Real romance.
http://www.brendagayle.com

GOOD MORNING & WELCOME

Hi all, I'm Brenda Gayle and I'm so glad you could stop by and help me celebrate the upcoming release of my short story, Father of the Bride? I'm really stoked because this is the first release in the new digital anthology, Dearly Beloved, from The Wild Rose Press.

She never expected to see her ex again, but at their son's wedding he's father of the bride.

For the mother of the groom, a destination wedding at a Caribbean resort should be a joyful occasion, but Penny Malloy doubts her heart will survive the weekend. Her ex-husband is the stepfather of the bride.

As soon as she sees David Parker again, she realizes she loves him as much as she ever did. What started as a fairy tale romance—when twelve-year-old David kissed Penny on the playground—has turned into a demented soap opera: a son who doesn't know his father's identity, and divorced parents pretending to be strangers.

But it's another kiss that reminds them of all they had...and the promise of what could be. Can David and Penny face the past together and declare their feelings? Or are they twenty-four years too late?

Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Father-Bride-Dearly-Beloved-ebook/dp/B009M6XO4C
The Wild Rose Press: http://bit.ly/VFKPYL

I'll pop back later with an excerpt and some fun stuff about the book. In the meantime, I'd love to know your thoughts on love and second chances. Don't we all have "that special someone" in our past that we still wonder about?

You can also connect with Brenda via her website, Facebook, Twitter, and Goodreads.