❤author: Jamie Lynn Braziel Interview and Giveaway!

❤ I'm thrilled to welcome author, Jamie Lynn Braziel at ¡Miraculous! today. Jamie, will you please share a short bio with us?

Number cruncher by day, author by night. I live in north Texas and work in the accounting department of a bank. When not working, I like to spend time with family and friends, reading, and writing stories, of course.

❤ Tell us about Declaring Spinsterhood and what inspired you to write it.

My novel was inspired by a Thanksgiving afternoon of good-natured teasing by my family concerning my single status. I decided to use that inspiration and write my novel during NaNoWriMo, and I met that goal. Then after looking at all the options I decided to publish the book myself. Out of the blue, I was contacted by AmazonEncore. They wanted to acquire the rights to the novel, and they made an offer I couldn't refuse. It's been a great experience working with them. The novel itself is about a 30-year-old woman who has such disastrous experiences with dating that she decides to give up and be an old maid; however, her family, especially her mother, isn't about to let that happen.

❤ How did you arrive at writing chick-lit? Is there any other genre you'd like to tackle in the future?

I wanted to write a tongue-in-cheek kind of novel, and chick-lit lends itself very well to that style of writing. Knowing me, I'll probably try to tackle most genres, and already have, except perhaps science fiction. Not really my cup of tea.

❤ How much of your actual life gets written into your fictional stories?

My life certainly influences my writing in some ways, but not much of my life is included in my writing.

❤ What are your biggest motivations for writing?

My biggest motivation for writing is to entertain myself and others.

❤ I'll bet you'll never get bored of it, then! Writing needs to be fun first. Can you honestly say being an author is your ideal job? Do you ever sometimes wish you hadn't begun a writing career?

Actually, I think being a librarian or acquisitions editor would be the ideal job. I'm an avid reader and would love to spend most of the day doing just that. I'll admit there are times when it's hard such as when someone doesn't like your book for whatever reason. However, everything else makes it worthwhile.

❤ Well put! How would you describe your writing style/tone?

Tongue-in-cheek comedy, certainly not all serious.

❤ Give aspiring writers a piece of advice you wish you had known before getting published.

You don't have to be signed by a big publishing company in order to succeed as an author.

❤ I definitely agree. Who are some authors you idolize?

I love Daphne du Maurier and Barbara Michaels. Their writing never fails to give me chills.

❤ What's a question you always want to be asked during interviews? How would you answer it?

I love it when people ask how I feel about e-books. I absolutely love this trend. I was a somewhat early Kindle adopter, and it never leaves my sight. I believe this trend will truly revolutionize publishing.

❤ What's the most interesting comment you have ever received about Declaring Spinsterhood?

I love that people have such extreme reactions to Emma's mother. She certainly elicits the most colorful comments.

❤ She is quite a character! What's next for you, Jamie? 

I've already started preliminary work on the next novel, which may be more serious in tone. It will deal with the fairytale of love and marriage that all women are told their entire lives. 

❤ Where can you be found on the web?

I have a website, but the best place to find me on the web is Facebook and Twitter. Readers can also send me an email at jamie@jamielynnbraziel.com as well.

❤ Thank you for being here today, Jamie! It was a pleasure getting to know you and your books better :) Everyone, be sure to check out my review of Declaring Spinsterhood too.

Giveaway!

Thanks to Little Bird Publicity, I have one print copy of Declaring Spinsterhood up for grabs. To enter, all you have to do is tell me:

Have you ever been so frustrated by the pressure to commit, you've thought about declaring spinsterhood? In two words, hell no. Guys may be a pain in the ass sometimes, but I love 'em too much to give them up. 

Be sure to leave your email address with your comment so I know who to contact you when you win. No email; no entry! This giveaway is open to US readers only, and will end on August 6th, 2011 at midnight (your time).

As a reminder, following my blog is NOT required, but it is much appreciated!

Good luck!!!

♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥: Declaring Spinsterhood by Jamie Lynn Braziel

Declaring Spinsterhood
Jamie Lynn Braziel

Release Date: May 3rd, 2011

Publisher: AmazonEncore

Page Count: 227

Source: Complimentary copy provided by Little Bird Publicity in exchange for an honest and unbiased review (thank you!)

Emma Bailey is fed up with the dating scene, and if she hears her mother nag one more time about getting married... well, she's had it, and she wants everyone to know it. In a moment of clarity (or insanity?), she announces to the world that she will never marry.

No husband and no kids, no worries about diapers, driving lessons, or divorce. Her friends are there for her, but they're also involved in their own lives and loves, so off she goes into a world of casual dating. But what happens when the avowed spinster, the woman who has supposedly tucked her heart into a safe little space, suddenly realizes that her best friend, Brian, means more than a casual relationship?

Jamie Lynn Braziel's Declaring Spinsterhood delivers with this enjoyable romp through dating, friendship, and passion.

What Stephanie Thinks: Braziel's debut is a comedic, light, and relatable summer read I adore. The pickle Emma gets herself into makes me laugh and wince at the same time. Granted, the situation is a bit dramatic, but it still makes for great chick-lit! And fiction isn't supposed to 100% realistic anyway; readers always long for the happy ending she gets.

The plot flows deliciously. Even though it is highly predictable, I held onto the book because it was fun to read. Even the secondary issues, not including Emma and Brian's complicated relationship, are predictable, but they're still fun all the same. Emma's voice is klutzy (like me!) and entertaining, but also shamelessly truthful. She is both a cynic and a hopeless romantic, which makes for a likable protagonist. What I don't like is how immature she is. The way she acts towards her parents and her friends establishes a rather whiney, grumpy teenager persona, rather than the thirty-year-old unmarried loner she is. But I guess that's what makes her a bit of an odd ball; overall, I appreciated her and her cute humor.

Another problem I have is with her relationship with Brian, her supposed best friend. Halfway into the book, Emma suddenly admits to having feelings for him; a lot of these feelings seem to be yielded because of the fact that he is always there for her, and that he is breathtakingly handsome. This is a bit confusing because Brian has always had Emma's back, and I assume he's always been attractive, so why is she just now beginning to like him? Either way, the manner in which they act towards each other tells me they never were "just friends" to begin with. Do just friends sleep together (in the same bed) and kiss each other just for show? I don't do that with my guy friends.

Emma acts indecisive, also; her declared spinsterhood doesn't last long, and as expected, she ends up with her best-friend-who-she never-considered-boyfriend-material-until-he-is-unavailable. Despite these little annoying quirks Braziel doesn't clear up within the novel, I really enjoyed this easy, breezy book. It is surprisingly entertaining and hits close to home in terms of the search for true love and satisfaction.

Stephanie Loves: "He sighed in exasperation. 'If you keep finding something wrong with every man you date, you'll never get married.' He wagged his finger at me. 'Only one man walked on water, Emma, and that was Jesus.' The old adage. 'He's not available, so I suggest you find someone else.'"

Radical Rating: 9 hearts: Loved it! This book has a spot on my favorites shelf. ♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥