My latest psychological thriller, MOTHER OF THE BRIDE, follows the story of Lizzie and her whirlwind romance with Owen as she gets swept along with plans for her dream wedding. But when her overbearing mother gets involved, Lizzie’s nerves turn to fear. It was only last year that she found her mother’s wedding corsage lying beside the dead body of her sister’s fiancé on their wedding day, and she’s terrified the same fate will befall Owen.
Author Samantha Hayes
With a wedding at the core of this book, it’s no surprise that writing it made me reflect on my own ceremony many years ago. Here are seven things about my ‘big day’ that readers might find interesting.
1) I got married at the bottom of a mountain in Brisbane, Australia. Brisbane has many beautiful parks and natural areas, so we booked a marriage celebrant and, rather than opting for an expensive wedding venue, we chose a beautiful nature reserve by a river to tie the knot.
2) Instead of a traditional wedding dress, I wore a colourful beach sarong tied around my waist, and my friend, who was over from England, leant me her top as ‘something borrowed’.
3) Our wedding budget was virtually non-existent, so my five-year-old niece at the time picked some wildflowers for my bouquet. And I wore a ‘stolen’ rose from a neighbour’s garden in my hair!
4) Instead of a huge party of guests that we couldn’t afford to feed, we invited a handful of my (now ex-) husband’s family who lived locally – in total, seven adults, two children and a baby! Sadly, with my family twelve thousand miles away, none were able to attend – but my best friend from school who I’ve known since I was eight happened to be visiting, and she was my witness.
5) Feeding our little gathering was easy on the outdoor barbecues dotted around Queensland’s parks. Hot dogs and salads served on paper plates with cheap wine from a box made for a fine banquet! My then sister-in-law brought along a cake.
6) Our honeymoon was a road trip. The day after we were married, we packed up our station wagon with all our belongings, handed back the keys on our rented flat and set off on our honeymoon – a 2000km drive to Melbourne via the beautiful coastal route. We spread the journey over a week and stopped at some stunning spots along the way.
7) Our first home in Melbourne after our wedding was a borrowed remote beach cabin, which we couldn’t initially find in the dark when we arrived – and the electricity was off! But the next day, we awoke to find ourselves near a beautiful sandy beach on the Mornington Peninsula and surrounded by eucalyptus trees. It felt like a fine start to married life.
Author Bio:
Samantha Hayes grew up in a creative family where her love of writing began as a child. Samantha has written eight thrillers in total, including the bestselling Until You’re Mine. The Independent said “fantastically written and very tense” while Good Housekeeping said “Her believable psychological thrillers are completely gripping.” Samantha’s books are published in 22 languages at the last count.
When not writing, Samantha loves to cook, go to the gym, see friends and drink nice wine. She is also studying for a degree in psychotherapy. She has three grown-up children and lives in Warwickshire.
Follow Samantha Here: Website Facebook Instagram Twitter
The Book
Book Description:
My mother is obsessed with every detail of my wedding – controlling my dress, my ring, my happiness. But when the day finally comes, will she really let me go? Last year, my sister’s fiancé was murdered on his wedding day. And I found my mother’s corsage next to his body…
I’m beaming as I walk down the aisle, but my smile masks a prickling fear, even though this is supposed to be the happiest day of my life.
My husband-to-be, Owen, is everything to me, with his sandy hair and sparkling blue eyes. He keeps telling me it will all be fine. I pray he’s right as I slip a gold band onto his finger with trembling hands.
Please let me be wrong about what my mother did. Please let Owen be safe.
But when the priest asks if anyone objects, I turn to look at my mother. Her eyes are icy beneath the brim of her hat, and she’s staring right at me.
Is my husband’s life in danger? Or is it mine…?
A page-turning, addictive psychological thriller from an Amazon no. 1 bestseller with twists that will have your head spinning until the very end. Fans of The Housemaid, The Family Upstairs and The Perfect Marriage will be absolutely gripped!
Samantha Hayes latest book: Mother of the Bride, publishes on 26th March 2024