My Books – Page 2 – Mary Simses

The Wedding Thief – Coming July 2020

I’m very excited about the cover of my new novel, The Wedding Thief, and the lovely blurb written by James Patterson. The book is being published by Little, Brown and will be out in July of 2020. The story is about two sisters in love with the same man. One is about to marry him; the other is about to sabotage the wedding. Imagine the possibilities …. It’s not the book I originally planned to write, though. In fact, I was several months into working on a completely different novel when I decided it wasn’t coming together the way I wanted it to. So I shelved it and began something new, which turned out to be The Wedding Thief.

November 15, 2019

At the Miami Book Fair 2017

I had a great time at the 2017 Miami Book Fair, talking about my latest novel, The Rules of Love & Grammar, and sharing a panel with Elin Hilderbrand (left), whose latest novel is The Identicals, and Alisyn Camerota (middle), co-anchor of CNN’s New Day and author of the debut novel, Amanda Wakes Up. The panel, called “Finding Yourself,” was aptly named, as the main characters in all of the novels are trying to find their place in the world. I felt it especially relevant to me, as it took many years for me to find my way to the career I really love, which is being an author.

November 21, 2017

At Bookcon 2017

I had a wonderful time signing books at this year’s bookcon in New York City. It’s great to talk to so many readers and be in a place where everybody has one love in common – books!

June 4, 2017

From Novel to Movie

The Irresistible Blueberry Farm, the movie based on my first novel, The Irresistible Blueberry Bakeshop & Café premiered October 2, 2016 on the Hallmark Movies & Mysteries Channel. The movie stars Alison Sweeney (who is also one of the executive producers), Shirley Jones, Marc Blucas, and Kavan Smith. It will air four more times on the Hallmark M&M Channel. To see more information about the movie, please click here.

October 3, 2016

Blueberry Farm Movie Airs Oct. 2

The Irresistible Blueberry Farm, a movie based on my first novel, The Irresistible Blueberry Bakeshop & Café, will air Sunday, October 2 on the Hallmark Movies & Mysteries Channel. Alison Sweeney, Carolyn Jones, Mark Blucas, and Kavan Smith star. The movie will also be shown on Tuesday, October 4 at 7:00 p.m.; Thursday, October 6 at 2:00 p.m.; Monday, October 17 at 5:00 p.m.; and Wednesday, October 19 at 8:00 p.m. Click here for a preview: The Irresistible Blueberry Farm Preview

September 25, 2016

On the Set of “Irresistible Blueberry”

This is the story of the incredible two days I spent this week on the set of The Irresistible Blueberry Farm, the Hallmark Chanel movie based on my first novel, The Irresistible Blueberry Bakeshop & Café. The movie will be aired October 2, 2016 on the Hallmark Movies and Mysteries Channel. On Monday morning, one of the drivers took me from my hotel in Vancouver, Canada to the first filming location of the day. I arrived at this pretty yellow house in the town of Brackendale. In the movie, this is the house in Beacon, Maine, where Ruth, grandmother of the main character, Ellen, grew up.

I went inside and got to meet the incredibly talented Alison Sweeney, who is fantastic as Ellen and who is also one of the executive producers of the movie. Alie and I had talked by phone and had emailed, but this was our first meeting. She had read my novel, loved it, and wanted to

August 12, 2016

Blueberry Cafe to Become a Movie!

I’ve just inked a deal with Crown Media for a Hallmark Channel movie of my first novel, The Irresistible Blueberry Bakeshop & Café. Alison Sweeney will star and produce. They are already into pre-production, and filming will begin this month in Vancouver, Canada. I’m hoping to fly out there and watch the filming for a couple of days. Unfortunately, it’s taking place during a time when I already have a lot of travel going on with my family. That said, this is a once-in-a-lifetime experience, so I’ll have to figure it out somehow. What an odd (but fun!) feeling it will be to see and hear people act out the parts of characters I’ve dreamed up.

July 15, 2016

Where, Exactly, Is Dorset?

If you’re looking for the town of Dorset, Connecticut on a map, you won’t find it. When I wrote my first novel, The Irresistible Blueberry Bakeshop & Café, I decided to create my own town of Beacon, Maine. Although Beacon was inspired by real towns I’d seen in Maine over the years, I took bits and pieces from several places, added a hefty dose of imagination, and came up with the final setting.

I used a similar approach to create Dorset in The Rules of Love & Grammar. I grew up in Darien, Connecticut, so writing about the state where I spent most of my life was fun. In creating the adolescent backstory for the main character, Grace Hammond, I spent a lot of time reflecting on my own teen years. There’s something very comforting about going back to Darien and seeing stores and businesses that were there when I was a kid and that are still there today. This is a big thing for

June 7, 2016

My New Novel is Out!

The Rules of Love & Grammar, published by Little, Brown & Company, is in bookstores as of today and can also be ordered from online book sellers. I can hardly believe it. The process of having a book published, once you turn in your manuscript, seems about as long as the gestation period of an elephant. Well, maybe not quite that long, but close. There are so many steps to be dealt with, and as an author you’re involved in a number of them – reviewing changes suggested by your editor and making the ones you feel will strengthen the story (most of them in my case), reviewing the questions and proposed

June 1, 2016

Good Housekeeping’s Summer Reads

Guess what book Good Housekeeping has included in the “Summer Reads” section of its June 2016 issue? Yes, The Rules of Love & Grammar. Calling it a nostalgic romance, the review says, “You’ll laugh and even tear up.”

May 18, 2016