The Accidental Bestseller

Jul 20, 2012 Cassandra rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: secular-fiction

Thoughts as of page 123 - a bit of language, some foreplay between married couples, interesting story but hard to follow as there are several similar points of view. All the women are writers and it's hard to tell them apart based on just their names. It takes me a couple pages to figure out which character is narrating now.

Thoughts as of the end - Have you ever looked into a mirror and seen the reflection of another mirror, thus giving you an infinite view of yourself fading into the distance?...more

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Nov 21, 2010 Meredith rated it 3 of 5 stars

A friend is defined as: a person attached to another by feelings of affection or personal regard. This is the story of 4 writers who have forged a bond of friendship through their experiences of being a writer. Wax takes you on an emotional journey with each of these writers, Kendall, Tanya, Mallory and Faye, and asks the questions that plagues friendships every day. Are we really as close as we think we are? Are we true friends? Will they be there for me? The Accidental Bestseller appeared to b...more A friend is defined as: a person attached to another by feelings of affection or personal regard. This is the story of 4 writers who have forged a bond of friendship through their experiences of being a writer. Wax takes you on an emotional journey with each of these writers, Kendall, Tanya, Mallory and Faye, and asks the questions that plagues friendships every day. Are we really as close as we think we are? Are we true friends? Will they be there for me? The Accidental Bestseller appeared to be a story about friendship and inside view into the publishing industry, allowing the reader to see the brutality of that world. However, what this book truly showed was relationships and how they change our lives on a daily basis.

Meet Kendall, she's a mediocre writer whose editor wants her gone. Kendall is up for a writing award and is hoping that if she wins she'll survive another day in the publishing industry, but if she loses...
Kendall's world falls apart around her after the awards ceremony and she's left with trying to find herself in the midst of the rubble. Who can she turn to? Who can she trust?

New York times Best Selling Author Mallory St James is one of Kendall's closest friends, they met 10 years ago at a writing conference, and have been critique partners since then. Through their bond of writing they have become what they consider to be friends. However, Mallory keeps a huge part of herself hidden from the world and from her closest friends. Will this secret destroy their friendships?

Tanya Mason is a young mother of 2 with an alcoholic mother and is a writer for a "harlequinesque" publisher. She's finding her niche in this publishing powerhouse and she is hoping that she'll be able to write full time and not have to work 2 jobs plus write. Her goal is to make her daughter's lives better than how she was raised. Tanya doesn't have any secrets, and she's pretty open about who she is, but she doesn't trust anyone who offers her help. Her issue is that she is too self reliant.

Finally there is Faye Truett, her husband is a well known TV Evangelist and she is the author of inspirational fiction. Faye has been keeping a secret from everyone for over 20 years, and this is a secret that could destroy her husbands blooming church and it's a secret she won't even share with her friends. Once Faye's secret is revealed will she ever be forgiven?

These women come together to help Kendall meet the deadline on her latest book as her life appears to be spinning out of control. They decide to each help Kendall write a part of this book, and since the publisher already told Kendall that this was her final book just a contractual obligation that there is no harm in helping her finish. It won't matter if they each breach their contracts and ghost write a portion of the story about 4 writers who meet at a writing conference and become friends, because it is destined for a quick burial at the hands of it's editor. It's the case of art imitating life, and each woman feels compelled to tell the truth of their lives guised as fiction. It's the journey of these four women that makes this book have a heart, but it's also full of secrets and lies, and the heart of the story barely shines through all the muck.

The Accidental Bestseller is a great book for discussion because there are so many aspects that are worthy of discussion, but I don't think if I wouldn't have read this for a book discussion that I would have enjoyed it as much. (less)

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Nov 09, 2010 Jackye rated it 5 of 5 stars

This was a book I wanted to read late and night and first thing in the morning. I finished it in 4 days.

The book is about 4 women writers - all who face a crisis in their life and the book they write together to help one of the women make her deadline. The book they write is actually the book you are reading - kind of like looking in a mirror and seeing another mirror and another and another....

Kendall is the one who can;t meet her deadline - she loses a book award, her contract is not renewed...more

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Oct 09, 2010 Jessica Lawlor rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: read-in-2010

The Accidental Bestseller tells the story of four writers and best friends. The story opens in NYC at a writers conference where author Kendall Aim’s is up for the prestigious Zelda award. She is counting on this award to boost her career and give her a renewed sense of purpose in writing.

by Mallory St. James, a NY Times best selling author, is secretly struggling with writing her next book and her relationship with her husband. Faye Truett, an inspirational writer with a televangelist husband h...more The Accidental Bestseller tells the story of four writers and best friends. The story opens in NYC at a writers conference where author Kendall Aim’s is up for the prestigious Zelda award. She is counting on this award to boost her career and give her a renewed sense of purpose in writing.

by Mallory St. James, a NY Times best selling author, is secretly struggling with writing her next book and her relationship with her husband. Faye Truett, an inspirational writer with a televangelist husband has a secret that she can’t share with anyone– especially her husband. Tanya Mason, a single mother of two works two jobs, plus writing just to make ends meet.

Their unlikely friendships blossomed years earlier at a similar writers conference. Since then, the four women have been there for each other through thick and thin, writing struggles and personal crises.

They once again come together when Kendall loses the prestigious writing award, is faced with a looming deadline from a publishing house that can’t wait to drop her and to make matters even worse- she has just found out her husband is cheating on her. Mallory, Faye and Tanya join Kendall at her mountain house to brainstorm the novel that she desperately doesn’t want to write. They come up with the brilliant idea to help Kendall by collaborating and writing the book together. Little do they know, the book is about to become a bestseller creating lots of trouble for each of the women along the way.

I absolutely LOVED this book. I’ve been reading a lot of YA lately and while I love YA, it was nice and refreshing to pick up this women’s fiction book and jump into the world of grown women and their struggles.

The friendship between these four women is dynamic. Each woman is different, but their friendship is strong. I loved learning about each woman’s life and how they got to where they are in their careers. I especially liked seeing them come together to help Kendall and I enjoyed scenes where they brainstormed ideas and collaborated on writing.

This book gives you an insiders peek at the cutthroat world of publishing. Several scenes depict Kendall’s evil and grump editor and her young wide-eyed and hopeful assistant. Readers will get to hear a little more about how a publishing house runs and how only the popular authors get a choice in their book covers or how their book is marketed. A board room scene of an editor presenting a book she wants the house to take on proves extremely interesting as we hear how and why a book will be chosen, what creates excitement at a publishing house and the process from idea to bookshelf.

While this book is fiction, it sheds a lot of light on the publishing industry. While I’d like to hope that the world of publishing is a little bit nicer than what Wendy Wax portrays in this book, I can’t be sure until I get there, right?

Author Wendy Wax will be the first person to tell you that this is the ideal beach read. In fact, she is having a little contest- take a picture of yourself reading the book on the beach and send it in to win a beach bag of books.(less)

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Aug 10, 2010 Jacqie rated it 2 of 5 stars

I picked this up for a light, fluffy, change of pace. The premise is that a midlist author fails to win an award at the same time that her publishing house is dropping her and her husband is leaving her. Don't think those are spoilers, since they all happen early in the book. Now she and her friends must rally together to create a new book and pull her out of her slump. The friends were interesting, but not compelling. The main character entirely falling to pieces for a week, not showering, not...more

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Aug 01, 2010 Cara Bristol rated it 4 of 5 stars

Just after she fails to win an award, the publisher of midlist author Kendall Aims informs her they're dropping her, and her husband announces he's leaving her for another woman. With her career and marriage on the skids, she goes into a tailspin, unable to face producing an entire manuscript she's still contracted to produce. Her three friends rally to the rescue, each volunteering to ghostwrite a portion of the manuscript, knowing that the publisher will bury it and it will die in obscurity. F...more

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Feb 26, 2010 Jenny rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: read-in-2010

Like many readers and writers, I have always enjoyed reading books ABOUT books and reading and writing. And especially with all the excited talk about BEA and the book blog con coming up I thought it would be fun to read a book about a group of friends who meet up at a writing conference and then work on writing a book together!

In Wendy Wax's novel, The Accidental Bestseller, four writer friends start out at an awards ceremony hoping that one of their foursome will win the coveted writing award....more Like many readers and writers, I have always enjoyed reading books ABOUT books and reading and writing. And especially with all the excited talk about BEA and the book blog con coming up I thought it would be fun to read a book about a group of friends who meet up at a writing conference and then work on writing a book together!

In Wendy Wax's novel, The Accidental Bestseller, four writer friends start out at an awards ceremony hoping that one of their foursome will win the coveted writing award. The backstory is that these friends initially met at a writing conference and became great friends 10 years ago. Unfortunately, in the current day, each of the women is dealing with their own issues. Mallory is a famous best-selling author who turns out book after book even though it means ignoring everything else in her life. I pictured her in my head as the Danielle Steele of the group. Then there's Tanya who is as Southern as southern can be. She uses her writing for a romance imprint as a third job to make extra money. Faye Truett writes Christian Fiction and is the wife of a famous televangelist. Kendall, the main character, writes the more run-of-the-mill books and hasn't written anything especially successful. In fact, her publisher has decided to end her contract once they get her last book. Even then they don't plan on doing much to promote her last book. Complicating matters, Kendall learns her husband is cheating on her and plans on selling their home. Kendall then escapes to the mountains of North Carolina where she tries to write her last book, cope with her husband's infidelities, and keep all of this away from her children who are away at college.

These four women have a fiercely supportive friendship so when Kendall is too devastated and engulfed in her sorrows to write her next book, the three other women chip in and help her. In fact, each of these women has a secret she's been keeping and they each decide to hide these secrets in the work of fiction they create for Kendall. The biggest secret of all, of course, is that all these women collaborated on the book that will have only Kendall's name on it. Little do they know how immediately popular this book will become, how their secrets will come out, and what they'll learn about each other. Their friendships will be tested in more than one way as they deal with learning these truths and sharing credit for the book.

The Accidental Bestseller was a fun glimpse into the lives of writers and the publishing industry. Some scenes take place in the publisher's office and we see the different things that go into publishing and marketing a book. While I, personally, have always wanted to be a writer and was interested in their day-to-day work, I was also intrigued by the job of the editor's assistant as I think working in publishing would be fun too. The editor that's assigned to Kendall is a mean, unhappy woman very reminiscent of Miranda Priestley from Devil Wears Prada. I related to her assistant's character and found that situation to be funny (but only because I wasn't in it!)

It was interesting to read a book about 4 women writers who are together writing a book about 4 women writers working on a book together.... still with me? Have you ever stood in a room that had a mirror in front of you and a mirror in back of you and notice that the reflection of you in the mirror is repeated over and over for infinity? Or have you looked at a picture of a person holding a picture of a person holding a picture etc. for infinity? That's sort of how this book was. I imagine that much of the writers' experiences were that of the authors as were the hopes and dreams they had too. Some of what happens in the book (starting with how the book absolutely takes off the way it does) is unrealistic. But that's okay in a book to sometimes have that because that's what makes it fun. Just because I highly doubt much of the subsequent scenarios would never happen in real life doesn't mean I didn't smile and laugh and find myself immersed in the story. The only other gripe I do have to mention is that some of the characters were such caricatures to me. I can see where the author may have done this in order to separate each of the four women from each other, but at first it was a little annoying. The editor of Kendall's book, who I mentioned above, was also a stereotypical soulless boss but then it was easier to relate to her assistant.

I worried that these big secrets that were going to come out were going to be anticlimactic. But when they were finally revealed I felt satisfied, and the secrets did add to the storyline. I enjoyed seeing how each of these revealed truths played themselves out afterward and how everything was resolved.

In all, I thought this was a fun read about 4 women in the writing/publishing industry who inadvertently reveal their innermost secrets to the world and cope with the effects of this. The only thing I want to be sure to add, though, is that much of this doesn't happen until the last quarter of the book. Much of the novel is about the friendship of the 4 women and how they are coping with things that are already going on from the beginning of the book. (less)

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Feb 07, 2010 Grace rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: fiction, read-in-2010

Wendy Wax's "The Accidental Bestseller" is a novel about friendship and the craft of writing. It is the story of four writers: Kendall, Mallory, Faye, and Tanya who met a decade ago at a writers' conference. They become fast friends over their common goals and watch each achieve various levels of writing success: Tanya still works as a waitress at a diner and as a laundromat attendant while churning out pages at night for her agent while Mallory produced 13 books in ten years and is a New York T...more Wendy Wax's "The Accidental Bestseller" is a novel about friendship and the craft of writing. It is the story of four writers: Kendall, Mallory, Faye, and Tanya who met a decade ago at a writers' conference. They become fast friends over their common goals and watch each achieve various levels of writing success: Tanya still works as a waitress at a diner and as a laundromat attendant while churning out pages at night for her agent while Mallory produced 13 books in ten years and is a New York Times' Best Seller.

Kendall is the main character of the group. Her life spiraled out of control within days: she lost an important award, her publishing house dumps her but still requires her to write the last contractually obligated novel, and her husband leaves her for a younger woman. Faced with the looming deadline for her manuscript and an unhealthy desire to strap a tool belt around her waist and fix everything in her mountain home that she fled to to avoid her husband, her friends come to her rescue and get the crazy idea to write parts of the book for her.

You guessed it: Kendall's book would be loosely based on their friendships and each woman would write the chapters about "herself." Here is where the novel, as well as Kendall's novel, goes down the proverbial drain for me. Kendall's novel is about four friends, one of whom has a looming deadline and a life in shambles so the three other friends write parts of the book for her.

And they didn't think anyone would figure it out! *facepalm*

I enjoyed the character and plot development Wendy Wax intricately weaved together over the course of the 400 page novel. She is a talented writer who can create deep characters and maintain several subplots without losing the reader. This type of book is a feat in and of itself and I believe that Wendy Wax deserves kudos for maintaining a the five points of view (the four aforementioned friends and Lucy, the editorial assistant at Kendall's publishing house). But, I think she could have done a much better job at coming up with the plot for the book they collectively wrote. It made the whole book predictable and automatically guaranteed to wrap up nicely with a happily ever after at the end. Sure, most mainstream fiction geared toward women will end up happily ever after, but it's nice to feel uncertain about that for a good portion of the book. The conflict was too cliched and contrived to not end up happily ever after. That is the only issue with the book, but it is a big issue and is why I only rated it two stars.(less)

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Jul 13, 2009 Rebecca rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: own

One day, four aspiring writers met at a writer’s conference. Coming from four very different worlds, these women form the unlikeliest of alliances in the dog-eat-dog world of publishing. Ten years later, Mallory St. James is a workaholic sophisticate, Tanya Mason a single mother working three jobs to support her two children, Faye Truett the wife of well-known televangelist ‘Pastor Steve’, and Kendall Aims a struggling mid-list author with a rocky marriage and empty-nest syndrome. But more than...more One day, four aspiring writers met at a writer’s conference. Coming from four very different worlds, these women form the unlikeliest of alliances in the dog-eat-dog world of publishing. Ten years later, Mallory St. James is a workaholic sophisticate, Tanya Mason a single mother working three jobs to support her two children, Faye Truett the wife of well-known televangelist ‘Pastor Steve’, and Kendall Aims a struggling mid-list author with a rocky marriage and empty-nest syndrome. But more than any of this, they are best friends.

When Kendall’s life starts to careen out of control (missing out on what could be a career-saving award, being informed that her publishing contract will not be renewed after she completes the last book she owes, and finally, finding out that her husband is having an affair), it is her friends who barge through her defences to help put her back together again. The four decide to write Kendall’s last book together, writing what they know – the behind-the-scene world of publishing. The base the story in their own lives, each writing the voice and life of one of four aspiring writers. It’s unlikely the book of a dropped author will garner much attention, so what’s the harm, right?

However, Sticks and Stones turns out to be a huge success, an ‘accidental’ bestseller in fact. But now these women must face what they have written – not only as separate writers secretly writing under Kendall’s name, but the secrets they have revealed in composing their ‘fictional’ characters. Perhaps these best friends don’t know each other as well as they think they do.

Once I picked this book up, I didn’t put it back down. The Accidental Bestseller was a fascinating look into the world of publishing, where author Wendy Wax has cleverly shown a realistic – yet ever humorous – presentation of the creative process, from the author’s first scribbled notes right through to a bookseller putting it on the shelves.

But more than all of this, it was the story of four amazing women and the friendship they shared – the ups, the downs, the lies and the laughs. These are four women who were so real, so believable, as they put their lives’ stories down on the page. I felt sympathy for them, I laughed with them, and I cheered them on whenever I could; these were women I would want to be friends with. 4/5(less)

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Jun 16, 2009 Lauren rated it 4 of 5 stars

The Accidental Bestseller is a great book from start to finish. Wendy Wax’s novel is a light and enjoyable read that focuses deeply on four writer friends. While some authors struggle with giving one main character depth, Wax is able to get up close and intimate with her four, strong female heroines.

Kendall, Mallory, Faye, and Tanya are all published authors in different locations, with varying degrees of success. Above all else, the four are close friends. The book begins with Kendall’s falt...more The Accidental Bestseller is a great book from start to finish. Wendy Wax’s novel is a light and enjoyable read that focuses deeply on four writer friends. While some authors struggle with giving one main character depth, Wax is able to get up close and intimate with her four, strong female heroines.

Kendall, Mallory, Faye, and Tanya are all published authors in different locations, with varying degrees of success. Above all else, the four are close friends. The book begins with Kendall’s faltering career and leads into to the demise of her marriage. As all of these piles up, Kendall decides to flee to her mountain home and shut off reality. Luckily for Kendall, her friends all decide to come to her aid. In the mountain, they devise an outlandish plan to save Kendall’s career. No one expected their plan to work, but when it did the results are truly amazing.

Unlike her friends, Kendall’s writing career is faltering, about to be dropped by her publisher, she owes them one more novel. The problem is, Kendall is avoiding writing out of the fear that she has lost her gift and out of the fear about what she has to face in her own life. Kendall’s friends agree to act as ghostwriters and help her meet her deadline. Each will write chapters for their respective characters. Characters that they choose to model after themselves. Secrets and all. When the news breaks about the collaboration, their worlds are torn apart, considering Kendall is the only one listed as the author and Mallory, Faye, and Tanya all work for different publishing houses. Not to mention that potential marriage ending and personal revelations that are exposed as a result of the novels astonishing success. The four fictional characters are quickly matched to their respective very real authors. Kendall, Mallory, Faye, and Tanya must fight through bad press, hurt spouses, and angry agents. As a result of the unwanted attention and success the four women learn much about each other and themselves.

Wendy Wax does a marvelous job of keeping the four women’s stories separate, yet fluidly interchanged. By giving each their own respective chapters, Wax is able to keep their lives and the various people in them, clear and relatable. There is no story confusion even after new people are introduced in. I have read plenty of books before with multiple main characters that were impossible to keep story lines straight. This is not the case here. Kendall, Mallory, Faye and Tanya, all maintain their individuality, and their dignity, even when deep dark secrets are revealed as a result of their brilliant plan. This is a great story about writing, friendship, knowing who you are, and adapting to change.
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Jul 18, 2012 Vira Cla rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: novel, favorites

I think a book which tells about a writer's story is never boring. Every writer has own background or history for why not only how to write.

The Accidental Bestseller bacaan ringan yang terlalu tebal (tapi ketebalannya tentu wajar utk ukuran 'perbukuan' di Amerika). Saya menghabiskan tiga hari utk membacanya sampai tamat. Ceritanya seru, penuh konflik dari masing2 keempat tokoh utama. Tokoh2 pembantu lainnya juga mewarnai cerita menjadi lebih menegangkan. Well, buku ini layak baca, setidaknya ba...more I think a book which tells about a writer's story is never boring. Every writer has own background or history for why not only how to write.

The Accidental Bestseller bacaan ringan yang terlalu tebal (tapi ketebalannya tentu wajar utk ukuran 'perbukuan' di Amerika). Saya menghabiskan tiga hari utk membacanya sampai tamat. Ceritanya seru, penuh konflik dari masing2 keempat tokoh utama. Tokoh2 pembantu lainnya juga mewarnai cerita menjadi lebih menegangkan. Well, buku ini layak baca, setidaknya bagi penulis yg sedang berusaha mencapai jenjang karir kepenulisan (seperti saya, hahaha).

Banyak aspek yang diceritakan; dari hubungan kekeluargaan, persahabatan, dan dunia penerbitan yang ditampilkan cukup kejam. Rasanya, ini buku yang komplit yang bisa menggambarkan hampir segala2nya ttg kehidupan. Tak percaya?

Kendall Aims: penulis biasa yang akan didepak oleh penerbitnya; menghadapi kenyataan suaminya berselingkuh; tetap menjaga perasaan anak2nya yang masih kuliah; bergantung pada sahabat2nya; dan berusaha bangkit dari keterpurukannya itu. So human, right?!

Mallory St.James: penulis laris New York Times; menyimpan masa lalu yang kelam--bahkan dari suaminya dan menghadapi kenyataan masa lalu kelam itu terungkap ke publik di saat ia di puncak karir dan hubungan dengan suaminya yang sedang runyam.

Faye Truett: penulis inspirasi; istri seorang pastor terkenal yg punya kerajaan rohani lewat pertelevisian; mempunyai anak dan cucu; dan menyimpan rahasia bahwa ia juga seorang penulis dengan nama samaran untuk cerita2 erotis. How to handle a life like that?! Bahkan sahabat2nya tak mengetahui hal itu. Sometimes, life is about the courage to tell the truth.

Tanya Manson: penulis cukup laris sbg tulang belakang keuangan keluarganya yang berantakan; suami yang meninggalkannya; ibu yang pemabuk dan tak membantu; anak-anak yg butuh perhatian; dan takut bergantung pada orang lain hingga ia tak berani menerima cinta pria lain karena takut kecewa lagi.

Jane Jansen: seorang editor yang gagal menjadi penulis; sangat sinis pada penulis2nya. Tentang dendam?! What a life!

Lacy Samuels: asisten editor dengan hati yang besar. Selalu ada malaikat penolong dalam tiap kehidupan.

Sangat seru membaca kisah-kisah mereka dan bagaimana rahasia terungkap ke publik dan menjadi skandal hingga meretakkan persahatan mereka.

Tiap bab juga disisipi kutipan-kutipan tentang kepenulisan fiksi dari penulis-penulis ternama. Well, buku ini memang mengesankan, pantas saja mendapatkan penghargaan Romance Writers of America 2010. (less)

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Jan 04, 2011 Jennifer Jensen (Literally Jen) rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: from-paperback-swap

Kendall Aimes: Her husband has been cheating on her, her women's lit publishing house is about to drop her, and she just can't seem to catch a break. She has one last book to write to fulfill her contract, but doesn't have the will to sit down and write it.

Tanya Mason: A single mother of 2, she works two jobs in addition to writing romance novels. Though she writes happily ever after tales, she won't let herself experience one, even though the perfect man is trying to convince her otherwise. Her...more Kendall Aimes: Her husband has been cheating on her, her women's lit publishing house is about to drop her, and she just can't seem to catch a break. She has one last book to write to fulfill her contract, but doesn't have the will to sit down and write it.

Tanya Mason: A single mother of 2, she works two jobs in addition to writing romance novels. Though she writes happily ever after tales, she won't let herself experience one, even though the perfect man is trying to convince her otherwise. Her career is promising, but it's still not enough to keep her afloat.

Mallory St. James: Elegant and aloof, Mallory is a write-a-holic who commits herself to completing 20 pages a day. Writing is her life, but Mallory just can't seem to find the inspiration and drive she once had. She's desperately in need of a break, but won't even stop to spend some time with her husband Chris, who is missing her something fierce.

Faye Truett: The wife of a TV evangelist, she writes inspirational romance novels and appears to be the perfect wife. But Faye is keeping a secret that could ruin everything that she and her husband built from the ground up.

These 4 incredible women, who have very different backgrounds, have been the best of friends for 10 years since they met one another at a writing conference. They have always been there for one another, and it's Kendall who needs their help now.

After discovering that her husband has been having an affair and that her publisher and editor have given up on her, Kendall doesn't know how she will be able to finish the one last book she owes them. But Tanya, Mallory, and Faye come through for her, each joining her at her mountainside home and cheerleading her to put words to paper.

Kendall's deadline is fast approaching, and the 4 friends decide to team up together and each write 100 pages of the novel that is to be "Sticks and Stones". Though the novel is fiction, each writer puts more truth into their words than her close friends realize. Never dreaming that their collaboration would become a NYT Bestseller, the women make a pact to keep the truth about what they have done buried. If they're found out, it would jeopardize not only their writing careers, but also their relationships with those they hold closest to their hearts.

The Accidental Bestseller is a truly fascinating insider's look into the scary world of publishing. As an aspiring writer, I was horrified by certain aspects of this book, and I couldn't put it down until I reached the very last page and hopefully a silver lining.

The four main characters are delightfully written, each with a voice that could stand all on its own. The story of their friendship was in itself wonderful, but each of them had a side story that was just as fun to read. These ladies could have walked right off the pages and into my living room, they felt so real.

The secondary cast of characters had story lines and backgrounds that were just as appealing, and I wish that Wendy Wax had spent a bit more time wrapping up Lacy Samuels' story, especially her ties with Cash Simpson.

On the outside it might look like just another beach read, but there's plenty of good stuff in here that would make for awesome book club discussion.
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Mar 25, 2011 Jack rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: fiction, chick-lit, 03-march-11

I have never been comfortable steering off my course. I like fantasy and I like the world of which only fantasy could offer. But, I’m glad I did or else I wouldn’t have found myself pinned on a book that was fiction but so far off from my fantasy world. The Accidental Bestseller, the title alone was enough to make me giggle silly. How can anyone be an accidental bestseller in the first place? I sure don’t know the answer to that and I doubt I ever will, seeing that I have no part in the publishi...more I have never been comfortable steering off my course. I like fantasy and I like the world of which only fantasy could offer. But, I’m glad I did or else I wouldn’t have found myself pinned on a book that was fiction but so far off from my fantasy world. The Accidental Bestseller, the title alone was enough to make me giggle silly. How can anyone be an accidental bestseller in the first place? I sure don’t know the answer to that and I doubt I ever will, seeing that I have no part in the publishing world. Of course, the name of the author did manage to make me grin; Wendy Wax and my thoughts travel to that Bertie Botts Every Flavoured Beans – Ear Wax, how could I ever forget? Still, if I have to sum the book in one word, exciting would fit nicely. It was also more; it was comforting, disconcerting, and warm and felt easy. Easy as in it was easy to love the characters and root for one if not every one of them for their own very happy endings.

From compulsion to erratic behaviour to deeply hidden secrets, Wendy Wax had managed to simply made it breathtakingly unexpected, yet she basically delivered enough hints to make you guess as you go and prove you’re right. Needless to say, it did not take a rocket scientist to notice the not-so-subtle hints given. Honestly, if you missed them you could probably get hit by an anvil and still feel the world is right side up. It can’t be easy, writing about four different characters each with their own set of troubles and enough screen time, added to that, make the character extremely different to a fault, throw in friendship, a dash of secrets and a mountain load of real world. Thinking about it alone sent me into a panic and if I had known the mess it was going to unfold, I would steer away and never look back at the book ever again.

I didn’t know. I’m glad that I didn’t because for the first time in my life, I could look at a book in an unbiased way and let the author tell me a story of which caught my interest. Wendy Wax had crafted such a beautifully written story about not only friendship, but hardship, triumph, fear, and other things of which we know but usually never give a second look or just murmured our disagreement in silence. From the broken writer; Kendall to a writer with a past; Mallory on to a writer who’s truth could hurt; Faye to ravaged by life to a point believing was difficult; Tanya, Wendy Wax managed to make all of their voices heard without missing a beat. It was a wonderful read and certainly had made me think twice about ever pursuing a career in writing.(less)

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Jun 21, 2009 Violet Crush rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: i-own

Reading this book was like reading a book within a book or reading about how the book was written. Well, kind of. Confused? Keep reading.

It’s a story about 4 friends, their happiness, their loss, their struggles, but most of all their friendship. Four women, Mallory, Tanya, Kendall and Faye meet in a writer’s conference 10 years ago when they were just aspiring writers. 10 years later each is successful in her own right. But even though they have been friends for so long they have things they ha...more Reading this book was like reading a book within a book or reading about how the book was written. Well, kind of. Confused? Keep reading.

It’s a story about 4 friends, their happiness, their loss, their struggles, but most of all their friendship. Four women, Mallory, Tanya, Kendall and Faye meet in a writer’s conference 10 years ago when they were just aspiring writers. 10 years later each is successful in her own right. But even though they have been friends for so long they have things they have hidden from each other and other people closest to them.

Mallory is a New York Times bestselling author but as far as her life is concerned, she is a closed book. She has a compulsion of completing at least 20 pages of writing everyday no matter what. Tanya works 2 jobs, has 2 girls, is a single mother and in spite of being an author of multiple books, the income isn’t enough to support her family. She has always been so independent and the people in her life have disappointed her to the extent that she afraid of relying on anyone again. Faye is the wife of a Pastor and a famous evangelist. She writes inspirational fiction, but underneath all that happiness and success is a secret which will have the power to destroy her as well as her husband’s career.

Finally we come to Kendall. She is the connecting thread between all the individual stories. When her husband of 25 years leaves her for another woman and her career is going down the drains, her friends help her out in the time of need. What results is a book, Sticks and Stones, which had Kendall’s name on it but is ghost written by all her friends. It’s a book about 4 writers who are friends just like they are. As they write their own parts, they struggle with how much to reveal and how much to hide. Finally they end up writing about their deepest secrets, something they haven’t shared with their friends or even family.

When the book becomes a Bestseller, the scrutiny and analyzing that comes with it threatens to destroy their careers and their friendship.

What I liked most about the book was how it handled the individual characters as well as their impact on each other without confusing the reader. There are these 4 friends that are central to the story, but there is also an editor, the editor’s assistant Lacy, besides their spouses, love interests, children and grandchildren. Before reading the book I wondered about how Ms. Wax would keep everything clear and smooth flowing. But all I can say is that the execution is flawless. The publishing process, the life of a writer and the inside tidbits of a publishing house mentioned in the book are fascinating.

The process of writing a book, struggling through it all, making it to the bestseller’s list intermingled with the stories of triumphs and tribulations of four best friends and writers was entertaining, exciting, and unputdownable.

I would especially say that I LOVED the ending, everything neatly wrapped up with an upbeat or happy note, just as I like it.

Highly Recommended.

Rating: 4.5 out of 5

Initially reviewed at http://violetcrush.wordpress.com/2009...
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Jan 06, 2011 Karalee rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: fiction-general, women-s-fiction

This is the first book I've read by this author. It centers on 4 women authors who met at the beginning of their careers and act as a support and critique network for each other as their careers progress. One of them, Kendall Aims, is in personal and professional crisis and she retires to her mountaintop home to attempt to write a book that will resurrect her career. When she is stuck, her three friends swoop and in and they secretly collaborate on a book that incorporates real details of all fo...more

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Nov 29, 2009 Laurel-Rain rated it 5 of 5 stars

Four aspiring writers who met at a writers' conference maintain their friendship several years later. Their individual writing careers are varied, but problems of one kind or another plague each of them.

Mallory St. James has "bestseller" status, but she has hit a glitch. Writer's block. Kendall Aims has failed to win an award that would have made a difference, and her publisher is dumping her. And so is her husband. But she has to write one more book, in the midst of the chaos of her life. Tany...more

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Sep 26, 2012 Judy Collins rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: favorites

Loved it! I have read Wendy's newer books (Ocean Drive and Ten Beach Road-which I enjoyed); however, missed this one –so purchased on NOOK and could not put it down. I lived in Atlanta for 17 yrs, so always nice to hear from Atlanta author - read about the familiar places and things in the area and North Georgia (which I love the mountains) as it definitely gets the creative juices flowing as loved Dillard, Clayton, Highlands, Cashiers and Big Canoe.

Wendy has a way of bringing BFFs to a new lev...more

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Oct 20, 2011 Larissa Reinhart rated it 4 of 5 stars

Anyone who loves reading, writing or is curious about the world of publishing will enjoy THE ACCIDENTAL BESTSELLER. The story follows Kendall, a women's fiction writer whose professional and personal life crashes but rebuilds with the help of her three writer friends: Mallory, a NY Times Best-seller, Faye, an inspirational romance writer, and Tanya, a serial romance writer.

Wendy Wax cleverly weaves the four writer's personal stories within another story about the friends writing a book about the...more

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Jun 12, 2011 Janet Ott rated it 4 of 5 stars

This was a surprisingly good book. I picked it up at the library because the back cover blurb looked intriguing. I figured it was good trash for summer reading. But the plot has some quirky twists and turns that make it quite wonderful, and the characters are well developed and strong. The four (actually five - one develops as the book goes along) women who are the protagonists are flawed, working through some tough issues, and pull together to help each other out. When one's career is heading o...more

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Jun 19, 2011 Laura rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: book-club, 2011, all-time-faves

I read this book for a chick lit book club. I wasn't sure exactly what to expect when I started the book and even was hesitant about the story a few chapters in. The book tells the story of four friends and a book editor, all through third person narration. As someone who generally reads first person narration stories - this was confusing at first for me.

As the story progressed, I found myself more and more interested in reading the book. With most books that I cannot put down, there is some asp...more

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Jun 10, 2010 Beth rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I found myself completely falling in love with this book before the end of the first chapter. Much as the book that's written in the book, it gives you a glimpse into the inner world of authorship and publishing. But ultimately it's about friendship with others and with yourself. I don't always feel actually sad when I finish a book, but with this one I did. I felt like these women were people I could be friends with - and also each felt like some aspect of me. While I am not specifically any on...more

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May 15, 2011 Ruth rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Kendall Aims met three other writers years ago and they have supported each other through the struggles that writers face. They join together at the yearly WINC conference where they fully expect Kendall to win the coveted Zelda award. Her friend Mallory is set to present the award and as the winner is announced Kendall's world begins to spin out of control.

The book is interesting enough to keep you reading to see what happens next, however, what you are thinking will happen is what indeed does...more

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Jun 10, 2011 Cathy rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: chick-lit, ebook, friendship, library, publishing-magazines, writing, working-girl

Fantastic novel! I really couldn't have asked for anything more in this book. This was a tale of four writer friends, each at differnet stages in her writing career and each with a secret that they hold so deeply and so dearly to their heart, they don't dare share it with anyone, including each other. That is until one day when one of the women, Kendall, is in desperate need of their other three women's help and they come to her aid in the form of collaborating on a story so that she can meet he...more

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Dec 31, 2010 Crystal rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2010

The concept of this book pulled me in from the start – a book about authors writing a book about authors! As a reader who is also interested in the industry, the insight from inside was both fascinating and valuable: I don’t think I’ll ever romanticize the idea of becoming an author again after reading this fictionalized account of what it takes to become published.

The four major characters in this novel feel like friends to the reader from early on. Mallory is that person that has everything so...more

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Jul 01, 2009 Elena rated it 4 of 5 stars

The Accidental Bestseller by Wendy Wax caught my eye because it is about writers in the publishing world. The basic plot centers around three friends coming to the rescue of Kendall who has just been dropped by her publisher. Her three female author friends ghostwrite her book with her, some of them feeling free to write about their innermost secrets. It has a meta fiction feel since it is fiction novel about writing fiction. It is told through several viewpoints but in the third person, and I f...more

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Aug 13, 2012 Toto66 rated it 3 of 5 stars

Read one of her books that I liked so thought I would try another. Always in the market for a new (to me) author. I liked the book in that I felt it gave an insight into the world of publishing. But I thought the whole premise of the book was far-fetched and didn't ring true to me. Kendall, the author in trouble, was just a mess and I had trouble summoning up any respect for her. In real life someone might fall apart as she did but in fiction I would have liked her to have a little more backbone...more

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May 30, 2011 Erin rated it 4 of 5 stars

I LOVED this book! I didn't know what to expect when I picked it up because I had never read anything by this author before. I was pleasantly surprised as to how much I liked this book and couldn't put it down. I loved the storyline about how four friends went through the ups and downs of the writing and publishing world together. I also like how Wax wrote the chapters as each of the character's viewpoints. Also, the quotes that Wax used at the beginning of each chapter were great, they gave an...more

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Feb 17, 2012 Melissa rated it 3 of 5 stars

I liked the Tanya character which is the only reason I gave it 3 stars. The idea of the book was a bit precious- a story about 4 writers who help one of them by writing their true stories from their viewpoints- in a story about 4 writers from their personal viewpoints. There isn't enough backstory about either Faye or Mallory to explain why they behaved as they did. Someone would be devastated by their parent's suicide- but too shameful to tell husband? And why would her readers care that much t...more

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Jul 07, 2010 Lisa rated it 3 of 5 stars

This was sort of a strange book. It was about four friends--all writers--who met at one of those Writer's Conferences. One was struggling to write her last book under contract for her current publisher. So it turns into a book about four friends--all writers--who write a book about four friends--all writers--who each take a character and write it from their point of view. There's also the subplot about the evil editor (taken straight from the script of "The Devil Wears Prada") and her new assist...more

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Jun 20, 2010 Maria K. rated it 3 of 5 stars

On advice from a Costco shopper, I decided to purchase this book. This shopper claimed to know Karen White - another author who wrote "praise" for The Accidental Bestseller and if I understood said shopper, is a friend of Wendy Wax. So even tho I didn't know this shopper from Adam, I decided to give it a try. I was pleasantly surprised - it was good. The premise wasn't all that alluring, but as I continued to read the characters became enticing and the plot engaging. I read it quickly and was sa...more

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