We chat with New York Times bestselling author Stacy Willingham about her latest release Only If You’re Lucky, which is a tantalising thriller about the nature of friendship and belonging, about loyalty, envy, and betrayal.
Hi, Stacy! Can you tell our readers a bit about yourself?
Hello! I’m Stacy, a full-time author living in Charleston, South Carolina with my husband, Britt, and beloved Labradoodle, Mako. I write psychological thrillers for a living, and in my free time, I love to read, cook, travel and soak up living life on the water.
When did you first discover your love for writing and stories?
I’ve known I’ve wanted to be a writer from as early as I can recall. I started writing little books and short stories when I was about six years old; I graduated to journalism as a teenager, then got into copywriting as an adult, before eventually finding my way back to fiction in my early twenties. I grew up with parents who valued stories and instilled a love of reading in me from a very young age, so it’s all I’ve ever known. I’ve always loved it and I’m very lucky.
With it being the new year, are you setting any goals or resolutions for 2024?
This year, I’ve set the intention of trying to be a little kinder to myself. I care a lot about my career and creative endeavors and I’ve worked really hard to get to where I am today, but as with anything you care immensely about, it comes with an enormous amount of pressure. A little bit of pressure is a good thing, it’s motivating, but too much pressure is counterproductive. In 2024, I want to work on trusting myself a little more, being easier on myself when things don’t go as planned, and focusing on simply enjoying my creative process instead of worrying about how the finished product will be received.
Your latest novel, Only If You’re Lucky, is out January 16th! If you could only describe it in five words, what would they be?
Dark, tantalizing, nostalgic, twisty, thought-provoking.
What can readers expect?
Only If You’re Lucky is a college campus mystery that explores how the murder of a fraternity boy ends up fracturing the friendship of the four girls living in the house next door, especially once one of those girls goes missing. It’s a character-driven novel with a lot of hidden clues and details; nobody is quite as they seem, and everybody has something to hide. Readers can expect a southern college setting inspired by a true place with a story that culminates in a handful of twists I hope they won’t see coming.
Where did the inspiration for Only If You’re Lucky come from?
Only If You’re Lucky was a bit of a different book for me because the inspiration mostly came from the setting. Instead of starting with a plot or character, which is what I usually do, I started with a house—specifically, the house I lived in when I was in college. It was a quirky old place with a lot of eccentric details; it was also owned by a fraternity, which means that the boys living next door were our landlords. I always thought that was an interesting detail that would be fun to explore in fiction, so I built the story around the setting itself.
Another piece of inspiration came from reading about the cult at Sarah Lawrence college. I was really interested in how a bunch of college-aged kids living together in a house off-campus could turn into such a dark and insulated bubble; I also find it both fascinating and terrifying that if any group of kids happened to fall under the spell of the wrong person, horrible things could happen without anybody really knowing about it. Only If You’re Lucky is not, by any means, a cult book, but the roommates do have some cult-like tendencies, and their ringleader, Lucy, is as charming and enigmatic as a cult leader would be.
Were there any moments or characters you really enjoyed writing or exploring?
I loved creating Lucy, the roommate’s ringleader. She was actually inspired by a line in a Beatles song, which is why readers will find Beatles references scattered throughout the entire story. Lucy is honestly one of my favorite characters I’ve ever created; she’s multifaceted and flawed, but she wears such a mask of indifference, on the surface, she seems to have it all figured out. I think everyone could recognize a Lucy in their life, and writing her was just a blast. I also loved writing the ending of this one. Endings can often be frustrating to get just right, but I’ve always found this one to be my perfect blend of dark and satisfying and I wouldn’t change a thing.
Quick lightning round! Tell us:
- The first book you ever remember reading: The Witches by Roald Dahl
- The one that made you want to become an author: In Cold Blood by Truman Capote
- The one that you can’t stop thinking about: If We Were Villains by M.L. Rio.
What’s next for you?
I’m about to embark on my book tour for Only If You’re Lucky, which is very fun, and I’m always working on my next book! I’m about halfway done with the first draft of my fourth thriller, which will be out sometime in 2025. I still have a long way to go with this one, but it’s in that exciting stage of endless possibility—I can’t wait to see where it goes!
Lastly, are there any 2024 book releases that you’re looking forward to?
There are so many good books coming out in 2024! I’ve been lucky enough to read quite a few already, including SHE’S NOT SORRY by Mary Kubica, THE HEIRESS by Rachel Hawkins and A TALENT FOR MURDER by Peter Swanson, all of which I know thriller readers will adore. I’m also excited to read EVERYONE WHO CAN FORGIVE ME IS DEAD by Jenny Hollander and MURDER ROAD by Simone St. James.
