We chat with author Lindsay Lovise about Never Spar With A Viscount, which is the third installment in the Secret Society of Governess Spies and follows Ivy, who has no interest in a husband, but has been handed an assignment by The Dove (the head of female spy ring) to investigate a mystery plaguing the women of London. What starts out as a simple ruse, fake a courtship with the Lord she works for, spirals into a deeper mystery and real feelings.
Hi, Lindsay! Welcome back! How have you been since we last spoke for the release of Never Blow A Kiss?
I’ve been doing great, thanks for asking! I’ve been keeping busy with writing and reading and trying to make sourdough recipes.
Your latest novel, Never Spar with a Viscount, is out now! If you could only describe it in five words, what would they be?
Grumpy, sunshine, sparring, mystery, fake-dating
What can readers expect?
Readers can expect a governess spy to fall in love while simultaneously unraveling a dastardly plot. This one was extra fun to write because it’s my first ever fake-dating book, which honestly is probably my favorite trope besides enemies to lovers. Ivy is the governess for the eight little half-sisters of Viscount Brackley, who’s just been recalled from Prussia to take up the title. (Ivy also runs secret self-defense classes for women in the evenings.) The Dove thinks the grumpy viscount may be involved with the hysteria sweeping London, so Ivy’s tasked with uncovering the truth all while sticking close to the viscount as his fake love interest.
Where did the inspiration for Never Spar with a Viscount come from?
I won’t go into too much depth about this because it gives away the ending, but the mystery is based on a real issue at the time. I was also inspired by the preferred killing method of a serial murderer in the Victorian era. (That sounds so creepy–sorry.)
Were there any moments or characters you really enjoyed writing or exploring?
I loved writing Viscount Brackley, who’s cranky on the outside but caring on the inside. He’s also the first titled character I’ve written, so that was an extra challenge to navigate.
Did you face any challenges whilst writing? How did you overcome them?
At some point, about ¾ through every manuscript, I think it’s terrible and boring and disjointed. My one tried-and-true method to overcome this is to give myself permission to write absolute garbage the first round. Or, as my second-grade teacher called it, the “sloppy copy.” Jodi Picoult once said, “I may write garbage, but you can always edit garbage. You can’t edit a blank page.” I’ve never found anything to be truer.
Never Spar with a Viscount marks your fifth published novel. What are some of the key lessons you’ve learned since your debut?
This is such a great question. I’ve often heard that writers have to have a thick skin in this industry, but publishing and sharing my books with readers required me to develop different coping skills than those I used when being rejected by agents. I had plenty of dark days and doubt when submitting to agents, but putting my book into the world opened me up to a whole new level of scrutiny. Writing (and art in general) is so personal and such a labor of love that it’s hard to tell how much of *me* seeps into the book, and that can make criticism feel personal when it’s not. I had to learn how to accept this new and strange relationship with my book once it no longer belonged solely to me. I’m also very careful to keep out of reader spaces, especially onces that might have negative reviews. I learned a really important lesson about that early on, with my debut book. After twelve years of writing every spare moment and a heartbreaking number of rejections, my book was finally coming out! I was so excited to see if people liked it, and the first ever review was two stars. I spiraled and was basically like, “Oh, this is why it took me so long to get published. I suck.” It was bad. Then three days later I got my first trade review—and it was starred. The whiplash was a valuable lesson for me. I can’t please everyone, and I shouldn’t try. I can only write the best books that I can write, and hope that it resonates with some readers and gives them joy.
What’s next for you?
My debut YA book, Gingerbread Bones, is coming out in August. It’s about a group of badly-behaved teens who are sent into the woods to film a reality TV show and quickly learn they’re not alone. I also have two more YA books coming out, but I can’t share much about those yet.
Lastly, what books are you looking forward to picking up this year?
There are so many good books coming out! I’m a sucker for anything Elizabeth O’Roark writes, so any and all books that she’s publishing. Naina Kumar’s Just a Highland Fling, Betty Chang’s Frankie Lu’s Summer of No Regrets, Katherine Quinn’s Golden Huntress, and so many more. Basically all the authors I follow on my Instagram who are releasing books this year.
