1--What is the title of your latest release?
BEST MEN
2--What’s the “elevator pitch” for your new book?
BEST MEN is a romantic comedy about a gay guy named Max Moody who’s a 34-year-old hopeless romantic living in New York City. His world is turned upside down when his bestie, Paige, tells him that she’s getting married and wants Max to be her man of honor. Max quietly spins out of control because he’d always thought he would get married before the serial dater and life of the party, Paige. Then Max meets the man of honor on the groom’s side - an impossibly handsome and charming gay guy named Chasten. Even though Max and Chasten are both gay, they’re polar opposites. Max is introverted, Midwestern and can’t stand Madonna or the word “brunch,” while Chasten is wildly outgoing, East Coaster and worships Taylor Swift and fashion. The two really don’t like each other at first but learn to get along for the sake of Paige’s wedding and eventually a romance blooms between them.
3--How did you decide where your book was going to take place?
I’ve lived in New York for several years and wanted to express the range of emotions I felt when I first discovered the nooks and crannies of the city, as well as the surrounding areas, including the Hamptons and Fire Island. Writing BEST MEN during the peak of the pandemic also gave me a chance to escape my house and pretend I was going to all these amazing places, parties, and events. Hopefully readers will appreciate the escapist joy as well.
4--Would you hang out with your protagonist in real life?
I would totally hang out with Max in real life. He’s not perfect, which makes him relatable, awkward, fun, and funny. But I’d make sure he knows he’s not just my Gay Best Friend. You’re so much more than that, Max!
5--What are three words that describe your protagonist?
Romantic. Midwestern. Self-deprecating. (Technically, four words.)
6--What’s something you learned while writing this book?
Readers are now more than ever open to romantic comedies that feature underrepresented characters. As a writer, I’ve learned that the more specific I can make my characters, their backgrounds, and their emotional journey, the more universally relatable they become. And I also learned that while writing a book, daily naps are essential.
7--Do you edit as you draft or wait until you are totally done?
A little of both. If I feel a sentence I’m working on doesn’t have the right rhythm, I’ll rewrite it until it works. But generally, I like a good “vomit draft” that I can get on the page and reach the end before I go back and start editing from the beginning. Then when I start editing, I’m like, “Yikes, who wrote this?! I need to fix this!”
8--What’s your favorite foodie indulgence?
For comfort food, a gourmet cheeseburger, fries and a chocolate milkshake. Or if we’re talking fancy, one of those sixteen course tasting menus created by some world-renowned molecular gastronomist where you have dinner for four hours and then you’re full for a week and a half.
9--Describe your writing space/office!
I write inside a cozy, quiet room inside my home with a comfy chair and just the right lighting. I’ll bring in a revolving line of salty, savory, or sugary snacks and plenty of water throughout the day. And a morning latte.
10--Who is an author you admire?
Dave Eggers. His work is so varied with such unique stories that are often filled with humor. He also started one of my favorite literary magazines/websites and several non-profit schools around the country that teach kids how to write. I mean, the guy’s a saint.
11--Is there a book that changed your life?
It’s weird to say because it’s a collection of short stories written in Middle English, but when I read The Canterbury Tales in high school, it blew my mind. It opened up characters, stories and worlds that I had never imagined. Lord of the Flies had the same impact around the same time.
12--Tell us about when you got “the call.” (when you found out your book was going to be published)/Or, for indie authors, when you decided to self-publish.
There was a bidding war between multiple publishing houses for twenty-four hours and it resulted in a two-book deal. I’ve never been so excited in my life. The day it happened, I jumped for joy and did a little embarrassing dance around the kitchen. Hopefully, this was not caught on camera.
13--What’s your favorite genre to read?
It’s a tie between rom-coms, thrillers, and mysteries. For guilty pleasure reading, I love a good celebrity memoir, which I credit my mom for turning me onto at an early age. Ask me anything about Katharine Hepburn.
14--What’s your favorite movie?
Harold and Maude. It’s a perfect dark comedy with a very unique friendship at the center of the story, by one of my favorite directors of all time, Hal Ashby. It also has the most amazing soundtrack by Cat Stevens.
15--What is your favorite season?
Fall. It’s time to wash away the summer, pull on a sweater and start drinking hot apple cider while watching scary movies before Halloween.
16--How do you like to celebrate your birthday?
Chocolate cake. Chocolate cake. Chocolate cake. That is my number one priority. Also, good friends and family celebrating over a delicious dinner. But that dinner should consist of chocolate cake followed by chocolate cake with some after-dinner chocolate cake.
17--What’s a recent tv show/movie/book/podcast you highly recommend?
Severance is a great, super original thriller TV series that keeps you on the edge of your seat and has just the right amount of quirky humor. My favorite movie of this year is a tie between Banshees of Inisherin and Triangle of Sadness. Banshees is like this weird, darkly funny fable and Triangle is a rock-solid satire with the best third act and ending in a movie I’ve seen in a long time. My favorite book that I recently read is Book Lovers by Emily Henry. I highly recommend all of her books for pure rom-com joy. And for podcasts, I just started getting into Fly on the Wall with Dana Carvey and David Spade. Lots of juicy SNL stories with major LOLs.
18--What’s your favorite type of cuisine?
Italian for the win. Really any kind of pasta in any kind of sauce with a generous amount of freshly grated parmesan cheese. In fact, keep the cheese flowing. More. Keep going…
19--What do you do when you have free time?
I’ll go on a long walk with my partner and our dog along the Hudson River or a forest preserve or beach somewhere outside of the city. When I have extra free time, I also love to plan and cook a good elaborate dinner and then watch all the movies.
20--What can readers expect from you next?
My next book is another rom-com. This one is about two guys in a rocky relationship who go on a trip together for a very specific reason (no spoilers). Oh, and hopefully readers can see a couple of my screenplays, which are currently in development, on the big screen soon, too.
When two best men in a wedding party fall for each other, they realize love isn’t a piece of cake in this hilarious and heartfelt romantic comedy debut by screenwriter Sidney Karger.
Max Moody thought he had everything figured out. He’s trying to live his best life in New York City and has the best friend a gay guy could ask for: Paige. She and Max grew up next door to each other in the suburbs of Chicago. She can light up any party. She finishes his sentences. She’s always a reliable splunch (they don’t like to use the word brunch) partner. But then Max’s whole world is turned upside down when Paige suddenly announces some huge news: she’s engaged and wants Max to be her man of honor. Max was always the romantic one who imagined he would get married before the unpredictable Paige and is shocked to hear she’s ready to settle down. But it turns out there’s not just one new man in Paige’s life—there are two.
There's the groom, Austin, who’s a perfectly nice guy. Then there's his charming, fun and ridiculously handsome gay younger brother, Chasten, who is Austin's best man. As Paige’s wedding draws closer, Max, the introverted Midwesterner, and Chasten, the social butterfly East Coaster, realize they’re like oil and water. Yet they still have to figure out how to coexist in Paige’s life while not making her wedding festivities all about them. But can the tiny romantic spark between these two very different guys transform their best man supporting roles into the leading best men in each other’s lives?
Romance Comedy | LGBTQ [Berkley, On Sale: May 2, 2023, Trade Paperback / e-Book, ISBN: 9780593439487 / eISBN: 9780593439494]
Sidney Karger is screenwriter, novelist and director.
His original screenplay “Fantasy Camp” sold in a competitive bidding situation to STX Entertainment and has Jennifer Garner attached to star, directed by Abby Kohn & Marc Silverstein. Sid has written feature screenplays for Legendary Entertainment, Stampede Ventures, StoryFace Productions, Josh Gad and has adapted a Dave Eggers middle school novel. His screenplays have been featured on the annual Black List of the best screenplays in Hollywood and The Hit List twice. Sid’s short film “Daddy,” a comedy about a gay dude giving birth, won the first ever HBO LGBT Short Film Competition, premiered on HBO and screened at film festivals worldwide.
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