Author Interview: The Wedding Letters by Jason Wright

Welcome to Author Jason Wright. I loved his book The Christmas Jar. In fact we now have a "Christmas Jar" sitting in our bedroom that we have been filling all year long.

Jason is here to promote his new book The Wedding Letters which gets released tomorrow!

Bio:

Jason Wright was raised in Charlottesville, Virginia. He is a regular contributor on Fox News, offering political commentary on the presidential race and serves as founder and managing director of the widely read political destination, PoliticalDerby.com. Jason enjoys volunteering and has created a literary program dedicated to creative writing for middle school students in the central Virginia area.
Jason's first book, The James Miracle, was released in 2004; in 2005 he penned the national bestseller Christmas Jars and in September 2007 released New York Times bestseller The Wednesday Letters.
Jason fell in love with Virginias Shenandoah Valley while researching the area for The Wednesday Letters, and with the enthusiastic blessing of his wife, Kodi, he recently relocated their family to the historic town of Woodstock. A sign on their door reads, Friends welcome. Family by appointment only.

Interview:
If you were stranded on a desert island what 3 things would you want with you?

Gummy bears, gummy worms and a boat made of gummy!

If you could travel in a Time Machine would you go back to the past or into the future?
To the past! I'd love to be there when the Founding Fathers worked their magic.

What is one book everyone should read?
The Kite Runner.

If you could meet one person who has died who would you choose?
Thomas Jefferson.

What is your favorite thing to eat for breakfast?
Smoothie.

One food you would never eat?
Okra. (Yikes!)

Skittles or M&Ms?
This is a tricky one, because it's based on mood. But after much thought (too much, frankly!) I'd go Skittles.

Please tell us in one sentence only, why we should read your book.
The book will remind you of the magic of the handwritten letters and make you want to create your own book of Wedding Letters.

What inspired you to want to become a writer?

Greg Orr, a well-known, award-winning poet, visited my high school English class in 1987. I knew that day I'd one day write for a living.

Is there a song you could list as the theme song for your book or any of your characters?

Marry Me, by Cherie Call. She actually wrote it specifically for the book. It's gorgeous!

What's one piece of advice you would give aspiring authors?

Write, write, write, don't give up, write, write and write. One more tip? Don't up. One more? Write!

What is your favorite Quote?

"Be a duck."

Can you see yourself in any of your characters?
Most definitely. I see a little of myself in most of my characters, but more so in Malcolm than any other. (Malcolm is the lead in The Wednesday Letters and a supporting player in the new sequel, The Wedding Letters.)

Hidden talent?
I can flip my eyelids inside out without actually my eyelids. It's a real crowd-pleaser!

Favorite Food?
Tacos.

Favorite Candy?
See first question!

What movie and/or book are you looking forward to this year?
Moneyball.

Nickname?
Fletch.

If you were a bird, which one would you be?
Big bird.

How did you celebrate the sale of your first book?

Dinner at the Rainforest Café in Tysons Corner, VA.

Finish the sentence- one book I wish I had written is….

The Nine Lessons, by Kevin Milne

Favorite places to travel?
NYC

In your wildest dreams, which author would you love to co-author a book with?
Mitch Albom.

The Wedding Letters:

More than half-a-million readers are waiting for this sequel! Jason F. Wright's New York Times bestseller The Wednesday Letters introduced us to Jack and Laurel Cooper and Jack's tradition of writing letters to his wife every Wednesday of their married lives. But the love story didn't end there. When Jack and Laurel's grandson, Noah Cooper, bumps into Rachel, it's love at first sight—at least for Noah. Rachel isn't so sure. But Noah's charm pays off, and after they become engaged, Noah introduces his bride-to-be to another Cooper family tradition—the wedding letters. Family and friends of the happy couple are invited to send letters of advice on love, life, and happiness. However, when a dark secret from Rachel's past surfaces, will Noah's parents, Malcolm and Rain, be able to help save the wedding from disaster? And what about the scrapbook of wedding letters that have already been gathered for Noah and Rachel? Could a letter really provide the answer that will bring Rachel back? Readers are sure to laugh and cry, gasp and cheer for two hearts that were meant to be one.

The Wedding Letters will be released September 27, 2011 by Shadow Mountain Publishing.

Christmas Book Review: The Christmas Jars by Jason F. Wright

Where had it come from? Whose money was it? Was I to spend it? Save it? Pass it on to someone more needy? Above all else, why was I chosen? Certainly there were others, countless others, more needy than me...

Her reporter's intuition insisted that a remarkable story was on the verge of the front page.

Newspaper reporter Hope Jensen uncovers the remarkable secret behind the "Christmas Jars", glass jars filled with coins and bills anonymously left for people in need. But along the way, Hope discovers much more than the origin of the jars. When some unexpected news sets off a chain reaction of kindness, Hope's greatest Christmas Eve wish comes true.

The Christmas Jars by Jason F. Wright is a heartwarming Christmas story. More than once I had tears in my eyes while reading the touching book.

Focusing on giving during Christmas instead of getting, I loved the message of this story. I admit it does fit somewhere on far side of the unbelievability scale and is a little sappy. However read as a feel good, remind me what Christmas is all about reason, this is a great holiday book.

I'm thinking we'll start a Christmas Jar of our own this year.

Content: Clean

Rating: 4 Stars

Source: Library

Book Review: Recovering Charles by Jason F. Wright

Luke Millward is a man who does not know he is lost. His girlfriend loves him, his career is going well, and every night he falls asleep knowing that his life is good and meaningful. Only when the past reveals its twisted smile in a phone call and a disconnected voice asks him to come find his father in post-Katrina New Orleans is Luke compelled to find out what kind of man he truly is.

This was the pick for my Book Group this month.  I listened to the audio version of this book and found myself pulled into the story.

Recovering Charles takes place in the weeks following Hurricane Katrina.  Luke has been estranged from his alcoholic father for quite some time but finds himself in New Orleans searching for his father in the aftermath of Katrina.

This book brought insights into the reality of what life was like for those who didn't evacuate and chose for various reasons to remain in New Orleans.  This book portrayed feeling and emotions that I never clued into while watching the news coverage of Katrina.  I connected with characters in this novel who were dealing with the subjects of forgiveness, death, alcholism, love and loss.

Jason has written several other books including The Wednesday Letters & The Christmas Jars that I'm going to check out and read.

Content: Clean

Rating 4.5 Stars

Source: Library