We chat with author Lindsey Kelk about her latest book release On A Night Like This, along with writing, inspiration, and more!
Hi, Lindsey! Can you tell our readers a bit about yourself?
Sure! I’m a British writer, living in LA, who loves reading, writing, drinking tea, petting cats (my own and other peoples), beauty and professional wrestling. The last two, so much so that I co-host podcasts on the subjects, Full Coverage and Tights and Fights. You can guess which is about which.
What do you hope for 2022 to bring and have you set any goals?
I do love to set a good goal. For me, this year is very much about trying new things. I have a ton of ideas and projects I want to get off the ground but obviously I’m still writing my romcoms! Too many ideas, not enough time…
When did you first discover your love for writing?
I started writing my own stories when I was very young. My mum taught me and my brother to read before we started school so I was a little ahead of the rest of my class. Thankfully, my teacher encouraged me to spend my extra time reading which turned into writing and I’d already written my first series of books by the time I was six. I cannot comment on the quality but they were about a superhero teddy bear called Tellina whose archnemesis was a witch teddybear and Tellina eventually hung up her cape when she got pregnant with triplets. The eighties were a wild time.
Quick lightning round! Tell us the first book you ever remember reading, the one that made you want to become an author, and one that you can’t stop thinking about!
One of the first books I remember reading on my own was a book called Setting Up Home in Willowtree Cottage which was a picture book about a goose, a rabbit and an owl who all moved in together but the rabbit and the owl left the goose to do all the work and eventually she got annoyed and stopped doing it. I did not learn the lesson they were trying to teach me because I tried it on my husband who never cleans the bathtub and now we just have a filthy bathtub.
There wasn’t a specific book that planted the seed but reading Bridget Jones’s diary made me want to write that kind of book.
A book I can’t stop thinking about is Luster by Raven Leilani. Loved it.
Your new novel, On a Night Like This, is out now! If you could only describe it in five words, what would they be?
Funny, uplifting, relatable, romantic shenanigans
What can readers expect?
Funny, uplifting, relatable, romantic shenanigans. No, really, On a Night Like This is a Cinderella story but it’s more about finding yourself than finding Mr Right, even if he does make an appearance. Fran is someone who is very lost and confused and I think we’ve all felt like that at some point in our lives. The story takes her on an adventure where she gets to make choices for herself, whether to stay the course and live her life for other people or change her future. Also, I swear it’s funny.
Where did the inspiration for On a Night Like This come from?
The original inspiration came from the part of the story most people think is fictional! A friend of a friend told me a story about a very famous person who abandoned their team on an island while tey were on vacation on a yacht. I thought that was a brilliant jumping off point for a romcom but it actually grew into the friendship storyline of the book which is one of my favourite parts.
Can you tell us a bit about the challenges you faced while writing and how you were able to overcome them?
ON a Night Like This was entirely written during the early pandemic months in 2020 so it was extremely challenging. It’s hard to find a lighthearted, uplifting vibe when you have no idea what’s going on in the world and can’t even say hi to your neighbours. It took a couple of months of false (and depressing) starts to get going but eventually the romcom part of my brain kicked in and I was determined to make the book as positive and funny as possible to counteract the real world.
Were there any favourite moments or characters you really enjoyed writing or exploring?
Honestly, all of them, which is so rare! It was good for me to write the stuff about Fran and her mum as that felt very personal and cathartic but I also loved writing the friendship between Fran and Juliette, two women who desperately needed each other but didn’t even know it. That was a lot of fun. And obviously, who wouldn’t enjoy writing about luxury hotels and yachts and VIP balls? It was a dream.
What do you love about the romance genre?
I love to write about the world as it could be. We all deserve love, we all deserve respect and support and people who care about us and will lift us up. It’s been amazing to watch the industry move in that direction over the last few years – whether it’s diversity and representation or even just heroes with actual emotional intelligence, the romance community by and large feels like a good place to be.
What’s next for you?
Right now I’m finishing up my November 2022 title, The Christmas Wish, and then it’s on to one or two secret projects!
Lastly, do you have any book recommendations for our readers?
I could go all day – anything by Mhairi McFarlane or Lia Louis, Insatiable by Daisy Buchanan (and her upcoming Careering is great too) for modern romance. I’m not usually much of a thriller reader but there are so many incredible women writing at the moment, it’s impossible not to be. I love Andrea Bartz, Leah Konen and Rachel Hawkins.
