🏰 AUTHOR INTERVIEW: 'Big & Fabulous: The Life and Times of Brenda Cankles' Randi Sherman

Randi M Sherman is the award winning author of humorous fiction books.

With an eye for detail, an ear for well-tuned dialogue and an incredible grasp of the obvious, all honed while performing stand-up comedy in Los Angeles and improvisational theater in San Francisco, Sherman adds just enough bawdiness to deliver character-driven contemporary novels that will have the reader laughing, thinking and connecting with the characters in her books.

A native Californian, Randi makes her home in California's wine country. Trying her hand at country living Randi describes herself the Eva Gabor of the Sonoma/Napa area.

Randi earned a Bachelor of Science Degree from Chapman University.

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About the Book:

Title: BIG & FABULOUS, THE LIFE AND TIMES OF BRENDA CANKLES
Author: Randi Sherman
Publisher: Friesen Press
Pages: 282
Genre: Humor Fiction

The time for BIG & Fabulous, The Life and Times of Brenda Cankles is now! The emphasis is on positive body image, Big & Fabulous is a truly entertaining story that’s strongly written, funny, insightful and bitingly smart. Inside it’s covers, readers will find no shortage of acidly hilarious accounts of the highs and lows of living life inside a big and fabulous body.

Imperfect, impervious and improving Brenda Cankles is an unlikely heroine. Unfazed by the enduring censure of society, she is determined to realize the fabulous life that she has always believed is her destiny.

Brenda’s story – written in unflinching first person – is utterly unvarnished. Here, find a fantastically real person, sometimes struggling to fit in, but mostly giving the rest of the world the mother-lovin’ bird. From her clunky childhood, through her stumbling yet optimistic adolescence to her full figured and unapologetic emergence into adulthood. Brenda is a special brand of warrior. She is big, bold and beautiful. While the quirky cast of characters who surround her is eternally insistent that Brenda live her life in the background and fit into society’s mold, she will have none of it.

Author, Randi Sherman’s experience as a stand-up comedienne is evident as she delivers, BIG & Fabulous, The Life and Times of Brenda Cankles, the hilarious, often laugh-out-loud novel about the inner most thoughts Brenda Cankles, a very real character who is confident and brave enough to expect the world to accept her on her terms.

BIG & Fabulous, The Life and Times of Brenda Cankles is Sherman’s fifth novel, her fourth THE LOBBY has won 17 Awards for Humor and General Fiction.

Watch the book trailer at YouTube.

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As a book bloggin’ and book luvin’ Princess, I’m always curious to find out how authors got the ideas for their books.  How did you come up with the idea for your book?

Hello and thank you for the questions.

When another book of mine, The Lobby, had just been released a friend  asked me what I was going to work on next. When I said that I had always wanted to write a book called, Yes, You Butt Does Look Big, she asked what I was waiting for. Although, I wasn’t sure what the book was going to be about, I started writing it that same day. You see, I let my books and characters evolve. I let them tell me what direction to take as they develop. During that process then title changed and Brenda Cankles came to life. Voila! Big & Fabulous, The Life and Times of Brenda Cankles was created.

Can you tell us what your book is about?

Big & Fabulous, The Life and Times of Brenda Cankles is about an unlikely heroine. Imperfect, impervious and improving, Brenda Cankles is unfazed by the enduring censure of society and is determined to realize the fabulous life that she has always believed is her destiny.

Can you tell us a little about the main characters of your book?

Brenda Cankles, the main character in Big & Fabulous is a plus size woman and her story is about living her life on her own terms not based on society’s reaction to her or fitting into a pre-determined stereotype. Brenda’s size is really a metaphor. She could have had any trait, physical, emotional, economical that society labels and judges. Brenda’s story is about a woman without any special powers, can overcome society’s censure using only her positive and healthy self-image. I wrote Brenda to be a new brand of warrior. She is a big, strong, bold and beautiful character. I fell in love with her.

If you could tell your younger writing self anything, what would that be?

Never apologize for being a dreamer. Follow your dreams no matter what anyone thinks you should be doing. Be the most interesting person in the room.

What would you say is one of your interesting writing quirks?

As I write it, I read dialogue aloud and act out movement to make sure that it flows and is realistic.

Do you hear from your readers?  What do they say?

Readers have contacted me to tell me that they either related to my characters or that they are the characters. There are hundreds of characters passing thru the lobby of an upscale hotel in my fourth novel, The Lobby. Family, friends, readers and strangers are convinced that one character or another is based on their lives or experiences. With my latest novel, Big & Fabulous, The Life and Times of Brenda Cankles, readers and reviewers believe that Brenda Cankles is a real person.

What is the toughest criticism given to you as an author?

Criticism usually comes from people who don’t understand satire or enjoy the genre. Truthfully, warranted or not, criticism bothers me and it’s all tough.

What has been the best accomplishment?

Being brave enough to follow my dream is my biggest accomplishment. It’s very fulfilling. I feel like I can do anything.

Do you Google yourself?

I google myself all of the time. It’s almost a diagnosable condition. There is probably some help-group out there for it. I’m usually looking for reviews and press releases.

How many unpublished and half-finished books do you have?

It seems like I am always working on new stories and ideas. Some are more developed than others. I have a desk drawer filled with sticky notes, torn pieces of paper and notebooks and a computer file filled with chapters and ideas “in the works.” Right now I do have a few that are getting more attention than others. So the answer to your question about how many un-finished books I have: A drawer-ful.

Do you have anything specific that you would like to say to your readers?

Sit back, relax and enjoy. I’ll drive.