About the book, from Macmillan:

“Two grooms. One mother of a problem.

Barnett Durang has a secret. No, not THAT secret. His widowed mother has long known he’s gay. The secret is Barnett is getting married. At his mother’s farm. In their small Louisiana town. She just doesn’t know it yet.

It’ll be an intimate affair. Just two hundred or so of the most fabulous folks Barnett is shipping in from the “heathen coasts,” as Mom likes to call them, turning her quiet rescue farm for misfit animals into a most unlikely wedding venue.

But there are forces, both within this modern new family and in the town itself, that really don’t want to see this handsome couple march down the aisle. It’ll be the biggest, gayest event in the town’s history if they can pull it off, and after a glitter-filled week, nothing will ever be the same. Big Gay Wedding is an uplifting book about the power of family and the unconditional love of a mother for her son.”

About the Author, Byron Lane:

“Byron Lane is an author, playwright, and screenwriter.

His latest novel, Big Gay Wedding, is about a family and small town forever changed by a gay marriage. His debut novel, A Star is Bored, is about an uptight celebrity assistant struggling to manage his eccentric movie star boss, inspired in part by Lane’s time as assistant to beloved actress Carrie Fisher. The New York Times Book Review hails: “Wildly funny.” And People magazine raves: “Funny, dishy, deeply affectionate… the force is with him.”

Lane also wrote and co-stars in the play Tilda Swinton Answers An Ad On Craigslist, a comedy hit having sold out runs in New York, Los Angeles, San Francisco, London, and Edinburgh Fringe. It’s been critically praised by The Guardian, British Theatre, and Broadway World which says: “Hysterical… Lane has written a brilliant tour de force.” He wrote and co-stars in Last Will & Testicle, an award-winning web series about his testicular cancer diagnosis. It screened at festivals around the world, was called “fearless” by Cosmopolitan magazine, and featured by NBC Out as a “New York Television Festival Pilots to Put on Your Radar.” He wrote and co-stars in a feature film called Herpes Boy, starring Academy Award winner Octavia Spencer, which won Best Comedy at Comic-Con and an Audience Award from Austin Film Festival. And he wrote and produced a trailer for a series called Gay Divorce, which was a finalist in Project Greenlight’s See Yourself contest.

Lane is a two-time regional Emmy Award winner from his time as a TV News journalist. He’s originally from New Orleans and lives in Palm Springs, California with his husband, best-selling author Steven Rowley, and their rescue dogs, Raindrop and Shirley.”

Why I selected Big Gay Wedding for the January 2024 Giveaway:

• This gnome wanted to start the new year with something fun and joyful (am I trying to manifest what I hope to see more of in 2024? Perhaps…), and this book solidly fits the bill. If some of the scenes in this book don’t have you laughing out loud (ahem, the anatomically correct wedding cake!), then there might be something wrong with you.
• I loved the way Byron brought forward scenes that were both humorous and tender, difficult yet silly, and enraging… but not character-shattering. In this book, Byron shows some magical/ninja-level skills in how he tackles some really difficult subjects (including homophobia and hate crimes) without it feeling like tragedy is being thrust upon all the characters. This book shows characters standing up for themselves and their loved ones with empowerment and agency. It’s a beautiful thing.
• I will forever be thinking about Elaine and Paw-Paw. These two characters brought so much depth to this book – it’s rare to see “side characters” so richly rendered. Honestly, the times I was most emotional as I read this book were the scenes involving these characters. This leads me to…
• Be prepared with some tissues. It’s rare that I sob when reading a book, but the end of this book had me crying. It’s a beautiful and perfect ending, but it will surely tug on all your emotional strings.

And please don’t forget! We are fundraising for book-hiding and book-sharing in 2024! If you can help us, we would be so grateful for your support and donations! (And if you’ve already donated, thank you so much for supporting our work!!!)***

DONATE NOW TO KEEP THE BOOK HIDING GOING IN 2024!