New Haven Register (Sunday) (New Haven, CT)
Connecticut upbringing helps inspire Darien author’s novel
In ‘The Wedding Thief,’ a pair of sisters love the same man
“I was at an event some years ago and at every place setting there was a little party favor — a box of conversation starters,” says Mary Simses, who grew up in Darien.
“I opened mine and pulled out a slip of paper that said, ‘Would you rather be the smartest person in the room or the best looking?’ ”
Simses thought it was an interesting question, but didn’t do anything with it for a couple of years. Then it found its way into her idea for a story about two sisters, Sara and Mariel, who love the same man. Sara feels Mariel stole her boyfriend, and has cut off ties with her. Meanwhile, their mother wants them to reconcile.
“I decided to make one sister more brainy than beautiful and the other more beautiful than brainy,” says the bestselling author. One sister is engaged to the man, while the other is about to sabotage the wedding.
Their tale unfolds in her latest novel, “The Wedding Thief,” which she’ll discuss during two virtual talks. One, hosted by Byrd’s Books in Bethel, is Wednes
day, July 29 at 7 p.m. The other, hosted by House of Books in Kent, is Thursday, Aug. 6 at 7 p.m.
Simses, who has worked in magazine publishing and as a corporate attorney, writing short stories “on the side,” is also the author of “The Rules of Love & Grammar” and “The Irresistible Blueberry Bakeshop & Café.” The latter was adapted as “The Irresistible Blueberry Farm” for the Hallmark Movies & Mysteries channel.
While currently a resident of South Florida, Simses enjoys escaping to Connecticut in the summer. She’s also a photography enthusiast and lover of old jazz standards. She shared more via email, including ways in which her Connecticut upbringing influenced “The Wedding Thief,” which is filled with warmth and humor.
“When I was a student at Darien High School, I had a friend with a younger sister. They were a bit like Sara and Mariel because my friend was smart and her sister was gorgeous,” she says. “That’s not to say my friend was unattractive or that her sister wasn’t bright, but the differences were there. They did get along, though, which was good. Anyway, I thought about them when I was coming up with the idea for the book.
“The other thing that came from growing up in Darien was my use of Litchfield County as inspiration for my fictional town of Hampstead. If hadn’t grown up in Darien, or at least somewhere in Connecticut, I probably wouldn’t have known about that area. When I was a kid, my parents liked to go for Sunday afternoon drives and Litchfield County was a great destination for a day trip. So I’ve been familiar with it since my childhood.”
Q:
Prior to the pandemic, book events were often held in person. Have you done many on Zoom?
I’ve only done a few virtual events so far, although I have more planned. I’m getting more used to it as I go, but nothing can take the place of being in a real room with people. For me, the best thing about being a writer is getting to meet my readers. That’s my reward at the end of the long road to publication. But as we don’t have that luxury right now, Zoom and similar internet platforms provide a great alternative, especially because anybody can join in, no matter where they’re located.
A: Q:
What can participants do to have the most fun in this format?
For the audience, I think the way to have the most fun is to send in a question, if the format allows. Raise that issue that was gnawing away at you as you read the book. Ask the author what he or she was thinking about when they wrote that scene
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that really made you laugh — or cry.
Q:
Can you describe how it felt when you sat down to write your first book, compared to how it felt to write this one? (Asking because so many people say they’d love to write a novel, but then don’t have the nerve, or belief in themselves, to get started.)
“The Wedding Thief” is my third book and one thing I know is that it doesn’t get any easier. At least not for me and I’ve heard that from other authors as well. Writing a book requires sitting down and going at it day after day. That never changes. But what has changed is my knowledge of how a book is structured overall, how to weave in plot points, how to advance the story. I know a lot more about that than I did when I was writing “The Irresistible Blueberry Bakeshop & Café.” You can’t help but learn and get better at it as you go along.
For people who want to write a novel, my advice is to start small with short stories of 10 to 20 pages. And to find a writing class if you can. It will help keep you motivated. I never planned on writing a book because I was having fun writing stories. But when I decided to tackle a novel, the experience and confidence I’d gained writing shorter pieces was invaluable.
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