Lucy Keeling – Just Friends for Now
I am delighted today to welcome Lucy Keeling to my blog. Lucy is an author writing fun, sexy, stories all with happily ever afters. When she’s not typing at the kitchen table, she says she’s kept busy arranging and then re-arranging to see her friends for the occasional spot of day drinking. Lucy’s new book Just Friends for Now is out now.
Lucy has just written the fourth and final book in a Romantic Comedy series, the first of which was Runner-Up in Choc Lit’s ‘Search for a Star’ competition. This story has become her romantic comedy debut ‘Just a Boy Friend’. The second book in the series ‘Just Friends’ has been described as ‘unputdownable’ and ‘A fabulous will they, won’t they love story with moments of hilarity sprinkled throughout’ and the third, ‘Just Friends in Vegas’ finally reveals what Mya does for a living. The final friend to have their story told is Paige, ‘Just Friends for Now’ is now out.
Welcome Lucy to my blog, I’m happy and sad about it in equal measures. This is another great book but it does wrap up the Friends series. Do you want to tell us a little about it?
Just friends for now . . . but what about later?
Bar owner Paige’s mojo is broken. She’s eternally single and there’s a new Instagrammable bottomless brunch spot in town that’s threatening to steal her regulars.
But she can’t deny that there’s just something about competitor Melanie and her prim and proper librarian look.
There’s no denying the chemistry. But Melanie should be her rival, not her friend. And definitely not anything else.
But when they’re thrown together to work on a local art project, Paige might find that being just friends is going to be trickier than she imagined . . .
I don’t think it’s a spoiler to say with Paige’s story and relationship. Paige has always has the ability – is that the right word to help her friends with her intuition and foresight. A really useful talent to have. The book starts with her questioning whether she’s lost this ability/superpower. If you could have one superpower what would it be?
Oh my days what a question. I would really love the ability to pause time. I could pause time at night to get extra sleep. I could pause time when I need to meet a deadline or if I”m in the middle of writing all the words and don’t quite want to stop. What about you?
Okay, and one character trait you wish you could lose.
Oh erm there are plenty. I tend to vacillate between extremes sometimes. For example, being all chill and relax believing I’ve all the time in the world, to suddenly rushing around the house like a Tasmanian Devil. Maybe that’s the Gemini in me, but I know that my family would probably appreciate a slightly less chaotic approach to leaving the house. Again if I could pause time then this wouldn’t be an issue hahaha.
Take me through a Mimosa.
A Mimosa is one of the more simple cocktails, it’s Prosecco and Fresh Orange juice, I think that’s why it tends to be a brunchy type drink.
I used to be a Marguerita girl, what would your favourite cocktail be?
Oh I adore cocktails. I’m not very good at drinking the grown up stuff. Despite several attempts I still can’t drink red wine. But if I can drink a fruity drink and not taste any alcohol then fab! I think my favourite are Daquiris and Pornstart Martinis. However I will always and I mean always end the night with a brew 🙂
Disney plus – You’ve only got enough time to watch one film, what would it be?
This is an easy answer – Tangled.
You’ve handled the diverse relationship in this book very sensitively, inclusion is something I feel passionately about and creating an environment where people feel they can be their own authentic selves and won’t be judged. In this book you have created a great support network for Paige and Melanie. How did you find this book to write?
Thank you it’s something i feel strongly about too. I want my stories to include the people that are around me. Paige was a pivotal character in this series and absolutely deserving of an HEA. As for writing it, I adored it.l I am a little nervous but i am with every book of mine that gets published. I still can’t believe that people read them, and enjoy them.
Graffiti or Street Art?
Both – I think anyone with any inch of artist talent is incredible and I’m very jealous.
This is another favourite subject of mine. I’m not the greatest artist in the world and should never be left in charge of a can of spray paint, but imagine your local council is having an arts festival and you’ve been awarded a site, so faced with a blank wall and a suitcase full of cans, what are you planning to depict?
Oh my days – well I’m really fortunate that I don’t live too far away from Manchester so I can see the amazing artistry on the walls there. As for my own style I’m not sure. But I think it would be very colourful.
What is a normal writing day like for you?
I don’t have one lol. I wish I did. But a writing day for me starts at 6am when I get up and get to my day job. I finish that and grab the kids from school or activity clubs. Then it’s dinner, bedtime for the kids and finally by about 7.30pm if I’m lucky and not too tired I’ll sit at my desk and try to write some words haha. What’s yours like?
You say this is the last in the friends series. So what next from the Lucy Keeling library?
Well I’ve had an idea for another series but it’s very early days. I’m just messing around with the first story now just to see if it’s strong enough to be a full novel. I don’t think I’ll ever stop writing. I don’t think I could so I’m sure there will be something more in the future.
Thank you so much for stopping by today, Lucy, it’s been really great chatting to you.
Book links:
Amazon: https://bit.ly/43n0AMd
Goodreads: https://bit.ly/43qGvoi