Meet....Lindsey Kelk

TODAY AT THE NOVEL CAFÉ…..LINDSEY KELK

I am honoured to welcome Lindsey to the Novel Cafe. I was over the moon when Lindsey, one of my personal favourite authors, agreed to answer some question for the blog.  Huge thank you and congratulations on the publication of I Heart Christmas. 

1. I am a huge fan of the I Heart books. Did you always plan to do a 'series' of books?

Thank you! I did. When I sent the manuscript for I Heart New York to agents, it was with a proposal for Hollywood and Paris so yep, it was always intended to be an ongoing story. I'm a sucker for repeat characters.

2. Did you travel to all the amazing places featured in your books, obviously for research purposes not pleasure ;-) ?

Ha! I did… the whole thing kicked off because I loved New York so much when I went to visit for work. Obviously being able to travel to amazing places and call it work is incredible and while I always have a brilliant time, plenty of work gets done too. Plus I always seem to get sick when I'm away! I was in bed in Hawaii for two days (and I was only there for seven) and I caught a horrible head cold in Italy two weeks ago that I cannot shift. Rubbish.

3. Where did your inspiration come from to create the character of Angela?

I didn't really think about it at the time, I just had all these ideas and feelings that I wanted to put into writing and Angela was the conduit. Initially, we were very similar but now we’ve grown into different people. Plus she is somehow ageing slower than I am which is quite upsetting. Cow.

4. If Angela hit the big screens which actress would you pick for her role? and Alex?

I get asked this a lot and in all honesty, I can’t answer it. Because I write about them so often, they exist so completely in my head, the thought of seeing someone else pretending to be them would be so weird. I sort of feel like, if there was a movie or a TV show, I’d have to stop writing the books. It’s so weird.

5. Your latest book 'About a girl' was released back in the summer. Can you tell us a little about it...

It was and I think it might be my favourite book yet. It’s about a girl called Tess who is very driven and career motivated but when she loses her job, the boy she is in love with and falls out with her flatmate all at the same time, she nicks off to Hawaii and pretends to be someone else. As you do. I'm not doing a very good job of describing it but really it’s a book about what happens when you have a plan and suddenly that plan isn't an option anymore. I think that happens to a lot of girls in their mid-twenties – they think they know where they’re going and then it’s all taken away.

6. Was it hard to create a new series and not include Angela!?

It was and it wasn't. I worry about Tess and Angie being too similar but at the same time, it’s nice to tell a different story, it was the same with The Single Girl’s To-Do List.

7. Your new novel, I heart..Christmas is out soon. Can you tell us a little about it...

November 21st, I'm so excited. And I get to come over and meet people at signings again! It’s about Angela! At Christmas! In New York! Everyone’s back and there’s lots of shit going down. I'm probably going to get laughed at but I feel it’s feminist novel, the book addresses the question ‘can you have it all?’ and looks at what that means. Obviously it is also hilarious.

I Heart Christmas is out now:

8. Are you a Christmas lover?

Yes. Dear god yes.

9. What's next for Lindsey?

The sequel to About a Girl which will be out next summer if I ever write it and then a nap?

Few quick fire questions...

Summer or Winter?

Winter.

Kindle or Book?

Book.

London or New York?

New York. Or London. Or New York. Or London.