About a month ago, a friend told me about the trend of getting books bedazzled. Um, what?! I was like, yes please!

Her daughter had recently started a bedazzling business (because yes, what ten year old doesn’t start her own small business these days?!), and she offered to bedazzled my books.

Yesssssss!

But I couldn’t keep all of this fabulousness to myself. SO, in the coming weeks, I’ll be doing giveaways of bedazzled copies of my books. Hop over to Instagram now and enter to win a sparkly copy of THE GRACE KELLY DRESS!

And keep following me on Instagram to find out about each new book giveaway as it lands. Winner for THE GRACE KELLY DRESS giveaway will be announced on Friday, and then I’ll be giving away a copy of THE LIZ TAYLOR RING next!

Besos, Bisous, Baci,

Brenda

Gosh, that was aggressive. What I meant to say was: I’ll be appearing at the Gold Coast Book Fair on Long Island this Sunday, and I’ll have galleys for THE INTROVERT’S GUIDE TO KISSING IN EUROPE to give away! I’ll be on two panels:

SUNDAY, MAY 17, 12:30
YA Panel with Jen Calonita and Lyssa Mia Smith
Downtown Oyster Bay, Long Island, NY
Siren’s Cove
Map of the Book Fair

SUNDAY, MAY 17, 2pm
ON BEING JEWISH NOW panel discussion
Moderated by Zibby Owens, in conversation with David Kaufman and Jane Rosen
Downtown Oyster Bay, Long Island, NY
Gold Coast Forum
Map of the Book Fair

Can’t make it this weekend? That’s okay!

I’m moderating the launch of Emily Giffin’s new novel, LOVE YOU MORE, on July 7th! Get your tickets here.

TUESDAY, JULY 7, 7pm
In conversation with Emily Giffin for the launch of her new novel, LOVE YOU MORE
Long Island LitFest
Vanderbilt Museum, Centerport, NY

The tickets include a copy of Emily’s new book!

And then, of course, I’ll be launching my debut Young Adult novel in August. It publishes on August 18th, so stay tuned for details on where I’ll be appearing and when. Don’t forget to pre-order your copy!

Hope to see you soon!

Besos, Bisous, Baci,
Brenda

So cute, right? Now you see why I’m so excited!!

I’m running a giveaway over on Instagram. Hop over there to find out how to enter (it’s easy, I promise!)

Good luck!!

Besos, Bisous, Baci,

Brenda

There’s nothing more exciting than the first event you do for a new book, and I’ll be starting the promo for this book in style!

This Thursday at 8pm, I’ll be taking over the Yallwest account to be in conversation with Darianne— we’ll talk about her debut novel, 72 HOURS OF YOU (which, spoiler alert: I loved!), and my debut YA, THE INTROVERT’S GUIDE TO KISSING IN EUROPE.

Click here to start following Yallwest. It happens live this Thursday at 8pm EST/ 5pm PST.

Hope to see you there!

Besos, Bisous, Baci,
Brenda

One of the best parts of being an author is having super-talented author friends. Writers are all voracious readers, and there’s nothing better than reading something wonderful by someone who you really like!

This week, let’s get to know the fabulous Kieran Scott!

Meet Kieran!

Kieran is got a lot going on lately. This August, she’s got a YA novel coming out, under her alter ego, Emma Harrison, called FALLING INTO YOU. It’s total Gilmore Girl vibes and I need it in my eyeballs right now.

And this September, she’s publishing THE GETAWAY, a tense mystery that’s for her adult readers. A friends weekend getaway, mysterious secrets being revealed, and a hurricane? Sign me up.

Let’s get into it!

Let’s have Kieran share all of her secrets…

1. Tell me what you’re working on!

So many things! My primary project right now is a mystery/thriller with the working title IMMEDIATE OCCUPANCY, which is about a down-on-her luck single mom who is finding creative ways to make ends meet. That’s about all I can say for now! I’ve got an outline and about 5000 words, so things may change. And I’m guessing the title will probably change before it’s published as well. I’m also writing a YA enemies-to-lovers romance titled BETTER THAN YOU about two valedictorian candidates who fall for each other. There are some other irons in the fire. Nothing ready for primetime yet, but I’ll keep you posted!

2. What inspires you?

I’m most inspired by people and their stories. Every time I meet someone new I learn a little something more about the world through their eyes, which is fascinating. People can be so myopic. Like “If I can do this, why can’t everyone?” Guess what? There are SO MANY REASONS. Not only does listening to people’s stories inspire me, but it reminds me of how unique and special I am. WIN WIN!

3. Tell us about your writing process.

I always, always start with a very detailed outline. If I come up with dialogue while writing the outline, it goes in. If I think a character is wearing something specific in a scene, it goes in. I’ve been known to write outlines that were upwards of 20 pages, but that’s because this is where my hardest work goes in. If I have a very solid, detailed outline, then writing the first draft can be a breeze. It’s not always a breeze, but it CAN be. Doing the hard work in the beginning means that I can enjoy the rest of the process a lot more.

4. For me, when I start a book, it always begins with character. How does a book begin for you?

Same! Sometimes characters come to me fully formed and sometimes I do have an inkling of a story and then create the character that might work best within that story. But I think all good plots come from personal wants, needs, conflicts and challenges. So it’s important to know what my protagonist(s) really want from the very beginning and then put as many obstacles as I can think of in front of them so they have to find interesting and exciting ways to get there.

5. I always say that I’m a writer because I can’t not write. What do you think makes you a writer?

I agree. I’ve been writing fiction since I was in kindergarten. When I have an idea, I MUST get it out on paper (or in Word, really). Most of the time, I find writing fun, but even when the writing gets hard, it’s at least rewarding. Even writing 200 words can make me feel accomplished. I think I was born to be a writer and I’m so blessed that I figured that out at a young age.

Thank you for joining us, Kieran!

Don’t forget to order her books asap! Get FALLING INTO YOU and THE GETAWAY wherever you like to buy books!

And a little more bookish news…

They’ll be announcing the lineup for the Gold Coast Book Fair this week, but here’s a little spoiler for you: I’ll be appearing on Sunday, May 17th. I’ll be moderating a YA panel at 12:30, and then I’m a panelist on the ON BEING JEWISH NOW panel, moderated by the fabulous Zibby Owens at 2pm.

Hope to see you there!

Besos, Bisous, Baci,
Brenda

I’ve written books inspired by Grace Kelly, Elizabeth Taylor, and Audrey Hepburn and I’ve been obsessed with these stars my entire life. I love seeing pics of these lovelies together. Grace Kelly and Elizabeth Taylor were friends— there are tons of pics of them together, each one more delicious than the last. (Did someone say conga line at Elizabeth’s 40th birthday party?!) At the end of THE LIZ TAYLOR RING and THE AUDREY HEPBURN ESTATE, I have a section where I detail all of the Easter eggs that I included in the book, pages and pages worth. The product of years of research.

So, why hadn’t I found this photo of Grace and Audrey sitting side by side ever before?

I couldn’t figure out why, but I didn’t care. I quickly posted the photo to my Instagram page, with the caption: Icons.

After I posted the pic, Grace Influential, the platform created by the Princess Grace Foundation who generously championed my novel, THE GRACE KELLY DRESS, reached out and told me why I’d never seen this image before. It’s because the image was created by AI.

I immediately took the photo down, but the damage was done. The photo had already gotten thousands of views, generated tons of comments. How could I have so easily fallen into this trap? Why did I so easily doubt myself, my years of research, and assume that I’d missed something? I’m a former lawyer. I’m good at research! So, why was I so willing to doubt my own eyes? My own memory?

There’s something about these AI generated images and posts. They seem real. And in this distracted attention-deficit economy, it’s easy to take something at face value and move on.

It’s left me shaken. If I was so easily fooled about something that I knew in my gut I'd researched, then what else can I be fooled about? Of course, this only happened because I posted the photo so quickly and didn’t take the time to think about it. I got excited about a topic that I love, and I never want to lose that joy. I still want to be the sort of person who gets gleeful about the things I love.

So, I’m not going to be too hard on myself— I was duped, but it won’t happen again.

(At least I don’t think it will.)

Besos, Bisous, Baci,
Brenda

Here in New York, we’re about to begin Spring Break. Our break usually coincides with Passover and Easter, so I’m wishing you a Happy Passover and/or Happy Easter and/or Happy whatever it is you celebrate! (And celebrating the release of Taylor Swift’s Elizabeth Taylor video is an acceptable answer here— more on that below.)

My family celebrates Passover, and some of you may know that I wrote a book centered around a Passover Seder. But, of course, you don’t have to be Jewish to enjoy it. It’s really a book about family, holiday, and how we all break apart and come back together. I’ve had readers email me to say that it reminded them a lot of their Christmas dinners! You can read an excerpt of it here. (But just a word of warning— this excerpt will not remind you of your Christmas dinner, since this excerpt is about sex.)

And if you haven’t read the essay I wrote about that time I got ready to host my first ever Passover Seder, but ended up in the hospital with a concussion instead, you can read it here.

Elizabeth Taylor!

Anyone else excited about Taylor Swift’s release of the Elizabeth Taylor music video? (Raises hand furiously) If you haven’t seen it yet, it’s a mashup of some of Elizabeth Taylor’s most iconic roles.

And if you’re looking for more Liz Taylor love, check out my seventh novel, THE LIZ TAYLOR RING!

Whatever it is that you celebrate in the coming weeks, I hope you have a wonderful time!

Besos, Bisous, Baci,
Brenda

It’s the most wonderful time of the year! Okay, no, it’s not Christmas yet— it’s time for amazing book sales!

First up, we’ve got the Barnes and Noble pre-order sale! It’s a great chance for you to get a copy of THE INTROVERT’S GUIDE TO KISSING IN EUROPE at 25% off! Sale ends today, so hop over there now!

And while you’re at it, here’s what’s in MY pre-order cart at Barnes and Noble:

Jillian Cantor, The May House

Jen Calonita, Practically Magic, YA

Kristy Woodson Harvey, Summer State of Mind

Emily Giffin, Love You More

Jillian Cantor (yes again), The Season of Light and Darkness, YA

Mary Kay Andrews, Road Trip

Allison Winn Scotch, The Insomniacs

Annabel Monaghan, Dolly All The Time

Kristin Harmel, Meet Me in Paris

Not a Barnes and Noble customer? No problem! Target is also running their fabulous “Buy Two, Get One Book Free” sale. I love this sale— it’s a great chance to stock up at great prices.

What great books have I forgotten?

Don’t forget to hop over to Goodreads to enter the giveaway for THE INTROVERT’S GUIDE TO KISSING IN EUROPE!

Besos, Bisous, Baci,
Brenda

Hi readers—

Are you on Goodreads? They’re hosting a giveaway right now for THE INTROVERT’S GUIDE TO KISSING IN EUROPE! Head on over to enter to win.

It’s my debut Young Adult title, and here’s a sneak peek on what it’s about:

13 Little Blue Envelopes meets Love and Gelato in this YA coming-of-age romance about Emily, who takes a gap year in Europe to learn about life, love, and working through grief—while following in her grandmother’s footsteps.

Everything in Emily Tannenbaum’s life is going according to plan. Graduate high school as valedictorian? Check. Gain admission to Dartmouth? Check. Decide to pause everything to embark on a gap year adventure abroad? Wait, what?

Ever since her sister died, Emily has done everything in her power to be the good girl, the safe girl, the one her parents don’t have to worry about. She’s worked hard, she’s studied, she’s attended school-approved functions.

But when her grandmother, a former member of the famous Flower Sisters music duo, proposes that Emily take time off to follow the European tour the Flower Sisters took in 1966, Emily impulsively jumps at the chance as a way to embrace the messy and unexpected parts of life.

As she travels from Spain to Sweden with stops in Paris and Rome along the way, Emily begins to experience all that life has to offer. She deals with pickpockets, dances the night away, has her heart broken, and learns more about herself and where she came from than she ever could have imagined.

I hope you'll all love it-- it's a book with crossover appeal, which means that moms can read it with their daughters, grandmothers can read it with their granddaughters. Even though it's a Young Adult novel, that doesn't mean that adults won't love it, too. After all, we all deserve a little getaway to Europe this summer, don't we?

Besos, Bisous, Baci,
Brenda

Hi readers!

You may have noticed things look a little different here. I’ve moved my mailing list over to Substack. I hope you like it. (I hope I did it correctly….)

I’m writing with a few bits of lovely news. I’ll be appearing in two different panels at the Gold Coast Book Fair here on Long Island. Come by- I’d love to see you!

The Book Fair takes place Saturday, May 16 and Sunday May 17. I’ll be on two different panels at the Book Fair. I’m moderating a panel of Young Adult authors, since my debut Young Adult novel will be publishing this August. I’ll also be participating on panel moderated by Zibby Owens for the essay collection, ON BEING JEWISH NOW. (If you haven’t read it yet, I wrote about baking challah!) More details on the Book Fair to come soon…

And some more lovely ON BEING JEWISH NOW news, my essay was selected as one of the pieces to be performed in a live stage show! Tickets are on sale now. I will be attending the April 19th Zoom production, so look for me in the crowd!

Don’t forget to add THE INTROVERT’S GUIDE TO KISSING IN EUROPE to your Goodreads and to pre-order it today!

Goodreads * Disney Books * Amazon * Barnes and Noble * Target * Bookshop * Walmart * Kobo * Google

Besos, Bisous, Baci,
Brenda