"The Brightest Star in the Sky" is in paperback and we're doing a HUGE giveaway!

**Giveaway is now over**

We are huge fans of Marian Keyes. She is the reason we bonded over chick lit in the first place! Therefore, we are excited to share with you that her latest novel "The Brightest Star in the Sky" was released in paperback yesterday and thanks to Louise Braverman of Penguin Books, we have TEN copies to give to some lucky readers in the US!

Here is a summary of the novel:
What could the occupants of 66 Star Street have in common that would attract the undivided attention of a sharp-witted and intuitive otherworldly spirit? On the ground floor are newlyweds Maeve and Matt, struggling to overcome a traumatic incident that has threatened their storybook romance, while two flights up lives Katie, a hard-working PR manager for a struggling music label. A refreshing update on Bridget Jones, she’s just turned 40 and, although her social calendar is booked solid and she’s snagged an impressive, wealthy man, she questions her life’s purpose. Meanwhile Lydia, a snarky young cab-driver who lives on the middle floor with two Polish roommates who alternately fear and lust after her, must deal with her mother’s failing health. Jemima, an older psychic, is cohabitating peaceably with her dog Grunge, and seems the most attune to the spirit’s presence. As the spirit narrates, Jemima’s peaceful existence is sent into upheaval with the arrival of her handsome adopted son Fionn, in town to film a gardening show. Fionn promptly commandeers her apartment as a home base for his enthusiastic and determined courtship of every woman he encounters—Maeve and Katie first among them. Though to date, the residents have done little more than say hello in the hall, a series of events soon unfold that challenge the group and ultimately, force them to bond together to lend a neighborly hand.

THE BRIGHTEST STAR IN THE SKY is a refreshing, funny, heart-warming drama with a compelling and vast cast of authentically rendered characters that will charm and delight all who meet them. Keyes, whose earthy novels have made her an international phenomenon, delivers another satisfying story that charms with its wit and surprises with its depth.

While we haven't yet had the pleasure of chatting directly with Ms. Keyes, Penguin Books did get to interview her and we wanted to share some of what they discussed.

Q: You are a mega international bestselling author with over 22 million books in print. How do you feel about your American audience? While the book is set in Ireland, it transcends continents and could be any metropolitan city, from New York, to LA to Atlanta. In what ways do you think readers everywhere can relate to your characters and stories?

I love my American audience—they’re so passionate and enthusiastic—and think they really “get’ me. In one way, I think they love the specific “Irishness” of my work; there are so many Americans of Irish descent that I find they enjoy that link to their heritage. In that regard, I think the warmth and humor and sense of family is what they enjoy the most. However, on the other hand, the stories I tell are universal and transcend nationhood. The odd thing was that I used to think that I was unique, that no-one had the feelings and thoughts and emotions that I had. Nevertheless, I took a big risk and invested Claire, the character in my first novel Watermelon, with many of my ‘unique’ features—and discovered that I wasn’t so unique after all. In fact, being so honest struck a huge chord with readers and they found it hugely comforting to discover that they weren’t the only person, for example, to feel jealous when their best friend lost 10 pounds. So, almost by accident, I discovered that human beings are pretty much the same the world over.

Q: The Irish are known for their great story telling abilities. Where do you see yourself in this tradition?

In one way, I feel part of an age-old tradition that goes back generations—my mother is a hugely gifted storyteller, with an innate sense of narrative arc, how to play out a plot etc. And she came from a remote part of Ireland where storytelling was the only form of entertainment (no electricity meant no TV!) However, in another way, I feel very much part of the new Ireland, particularly an Ireland where women have come of age and finally found their voice, where we feel that our lives matter and are interesting. I feel very lucky to be the age I am and am very grateful to 2 other writers in particular who paved the way—Edna O’Brien and Maeve Binchy.

Q: Each character of the book has a distinctly different personality and life, yet they all come together so well. How did you come up with these characters? Are there shades of anyone you know in real life?

Characterization is very very important to me as a writer. I explore emotional landscapes and that can only be done effectively if the characters are believable and likeable. So I put a huge amount of work into creating my characters. However, I would never “lift” an entire person from real life and put them in a novel, I think that would be a terrible abuse of power. But long before I was a writer, I was always fascinated by people, by the gap between the self we present to the outside world and our “real” self. So I think on a subconscious level, I’m constantly taking notes when I’m with people. I think I seek out what makes each person unique and it all goes into a database in my head so that when I’m ready to start work on a new character, I have hundreds of different characteristics to call on. But it’s definitely a case of trial and error, building a character—I give them a trait, it doesn’t work, I remove the trait and try another one…


Q: Though the novel can be lighthearted and funny, you also deal with some difficult issue—depression, alcoholism, and worse. Where does this serious side come from? How do you weave it so well into your story?

It definitely comes from me. I’ve suffered from depression and alcoholism (I’ve been in recovery for some time) in my life, yet I’ve always used humor as a survival mechanism, so it’s a natural extension for that personal duality to leak into my work. Also, I always want to write a story with substance, but that can be painful—both to read and to write. So, after a spell of writing about the dark stuff, it becomes automatic to move to the light.

Q: You have had an interesting life: you were a lawyer, among other things first. When did you decide to become a writer and why? What is your writing regimen like?

I call myself an “accidental novelist.” I didn’t start writing until I was 30 (at the time it felt ancient, now it seems terribly young) —I didn’t even know I wanted to write and it was desperation that triggered the desire. As I mentioned earlier, I’m a recovering alcoholic. At the age of 30 I was in the throes of active alcoholism and had constant thoughts of suicide. I felt entirely hopeless. My life was becoming smaller and smaller and I could see no way out. One afternoon I read a short story in a magazine and it was fun and quirky and a voice inside me said, “I’d like to do that.” There and then I wrote my first short story. In retrospect, I think it was an attempt to hold onto myself, to stop myself from disappearing entirely. 4 months later, I ended up in rehab and when I came out, sober, writing was still waiting for me. At the time I had a full-time job, which I gave up after 3 years. Now I’m a full-time writer and—to my initial disappointment—writing is pretty much Monday to Friday, 9 to 5.


Now we want to share with you our top three favorite characters from Ms. Keyes' novels.

Melissa A:

1. Lucy Sullivan ("Lucy Sullivan is Getting Married"): She's like a Bridget Jones in some ways and is very fun and lovable, while also being able to admit her weaknesses. I could see myself hanging out with her.

2. Helen Walsh ("Watermelon" and the other Walsh sister novels): She's the only Walsh sister who doesn't have her own novel and I hope that she will get that someday. She's crazy and hilarious and I could see her getting herself into and out of some scrapes were she to be the star of her own novel.

3. Lydia ("The Brightest Star..."). I love how tough she is, but also how her vulnerability shines through. She is the most fascinating character from this novel, even though the rest also have interesting stories. Lydia just stands out from the crowd.

Melissa P:
1. Helen Walsh: She is a riot and everything she says or does either offends someone or gets her into trouble!

2. Rachel Walsh: She is so out of touch with reality and I literally laughed the whole way through "Rachel's Holiday".

3. Hands down, Mrs. Walsh (a.k.a. "Mum"). She's hilarious. Everything out of her mouth cracks me up!

How to win "The Brightest Star in the Sky": Tell us who your favorite character is from a Marian Keyes novel and why. If you have never read a Marian Keyes novel, then tell us instead which one you'd want to read first. Please include your e-mail address or another way to reach you.

US only. No PO Boxes. Ends August 1st at midnight EST.