You know Lyla Payne is one of our very most favoritist authors–we her! So of course we jumped at the chance to kick of the tour for her awesome holiday book, <em>Mistletoe and Mr. Right. Lyla stopped by to chat with us about her latest title:
***INTERVIEW***
Ah, you torturers! Let’s do this thing:
Mistletoe and Mr. Right: Uptight Jessica springs ill-advised surprise on Irish boyfriend, finds love.
Sleigh Bells and Second Chances: Christina confronts past lover, estranged father during London Christmas.
I really loved writing the scenes set in Ireland. I took a trip to the little, tiny town where Mistletoe is set, Fanore, two summers ago and just fell in love with the backdrop and the people. It was such a privilege to get to return there through the story.
Ha, I guess I kind of answered that already. Mistletoe was easier for me, since like I said, I’d recently visited Fanore when I wrote it. I’ve never been to London proper, only to Wimbledon, so Sleigh Bells took more work. Luckily, in this day and age we have Google Maps, Google Earth, and all kinds of photographs to reference online. In addition, Bloomsbury has a wealth of UK-dwellers to check the manuscript and make sure I didn’t make any Yankee mistakes.
As friends, so I’d be sure to point out their good qualities first. Jessica can put people off, because she comes off as uptight and overly controlling, but as you get to know her you’ll see that comes from a place of fear. She hasn’t had the best childhood and exerting control over her life and future is something that makes her feel less anxious. At heart, she’s a caring girl who, like all of us at her age, is figuring out what love looks like to her.
As for Christina, she appears to have it all together, but her pieces are taped together and barely holding. She used to visit her father in London every summer, but she hasn’t been back since he—and a boy who’s now one of the most famous musicians in Britain—broke her heart. She’s dreading her return, but passionate enough about her future and career to set aside her feelings…at least, she hopes she is.
At first glance, Jessica appears to be the stronger of the two, but I don’t think that’s the case.
Grady is a rugged and loyal farmhand with street smarts and a smart mouth that endeared me to him right away. My favorite thing about Grady is how he’s always there for Jessica without being pushy—exactly the kind of guy she needs to allow her to open up about her past.
Cary is the front man for Britain’s hottest rock band…and maybe that’s all I need to say! I can do better, though—he’s a romantic who believes that his first love was meant to be his last, and he’s not afraid to pour out his feelings in person or in his swoon-worthy lyrics. Not if it means winning Christina back.
Hmm, that’s a really good question! I think I would introduce Cedric—the keyboardist from Sleigh Bells & Second Chances to this badass little conservationist from my Lowcountry Mystery series. Jenna has a serious, nerdy job but she’s not a serious, nerdy girl, and I think she would be delighted if I delivered a hot British musician to her South Carolina front door.
Sensitive, Sarcastic, Loyal
Maybe that I didn’t always want to be a writer? I wanted to go to medical school until I had to face the fact that I could never tackle all of the math requirements, and then I went through an acting phase before finding screenwriting, and eventually segueing into novels.
Oh my god, Me Before You. I’m going to be a hot mess, but so will everyone else in the theatre.
Not going to lie, I swoon pretty hard for Caesarion from my recent release, Return Once More. Adam from the If I Stay books slays me. Robb Stark. Mr. Darcy (of course). I could go on.
I’m always working on something new! I recently released a friendship/thriller called Secrets Don’t Make Friends that I’m super pumped for people to read. It’s about two roommates who hate each other, and what happens after they accidentally kill one of their (abusive) boyfriends and hide the body. Super fun, emotional story.
After that, I hope to be working on the sequel to Return Once More!
Which of my characters I would be friends with and why? (If I had to pick ONE, Ruby Cotton from By Referral Only) Maybe? I don’t know – your questions are so good!
Thank you for having me! I hope that you love the holiday novellas and check out some of my other stuff out there! Happy Holidays!
***About Lyla Payne***
Lyla Payne is the USA Today bestselling author of the Whitman University series, the Lowcountry Ghost books, and the holiday novella Mistletoe and Mr. Right. She graduated from Texas Christian University with a degree in film but no desire to tackle Hollywood, and made it through three quarters of an M.A. in ancient history before writing took over. She lives in the Midwest with her two dogs, two cats, and the characters in her head.
***About the Book***
Mistletoe and Mr. Right by Lyla Payne Published by Bloomsbury USA Childrens on October 6, 2015
Genres: Contemporary Romance, New Adult
Pages: 368
Goodreads Buy the Book
In "Mistletoe and Mr. Right," Jessica (not Jessie) takes a flying leap and follows her boyfriend home for the holidays for Christmas break, sure that Ireland will provide the perfect backdrop to the beginning of their happily ever after. But it turns out his family--and his gorgeous ex-girlfriend--don't feel the same way, and the only person making the trip worthwhile is the local farmhand, who has a way of showing up when Jessica needs him most . . . and least.
The holiday hijinks continue in "Sleigh Bells and Second Chances," when Jessica's best friend makes her own way across the pond! Christina Lake does not want to be away at Christmas, but it's her duty to babysit one of London's hottest bands at their last-minute concert on Christmas Eve . . . even though she had a fling with Cary, the band's lead singer, that never officially ended. Now forced to reconnect, Christina is starting to think that maybe London is exactly where she's supposed to be to get the perfect New Year's kiss--at least until she finds out that he's been lying the whole time. Can Cary find a way to prove himself before the clock strikes twelve? Or will the New Year ring in a new romance?
Lyla Payne wraps up two perfect holiday novellas, ties them with a ribbon of romance, and tops them with a light dusting of snow. Perfect to curl up with under the tree. Just add hot cocoa!
***Giveaway***
What do you think, pretties? Are you super excited for this fun read?
Omg I’ve always wanted to read this ! 🙂
This sounds adorable. I visited Ireland back in 2009 and it was one of favorite vacations. What a beautiful country!
Great post!! This book sounds good, I’m loving the cover!!
interesting interview
Wow! Part of it occurs in Ireland? I must read it! Thanks for the wonderful interview!