Today I’m delighted to revisit my interview with Lucy Mitchell which was first posted in August 2019. On the morning of her 40th birthday Lucy decided to follow her dream of writing books and her debut novel Instructions For Falling In Love Again was published to rave reviews. As I’ve read it, I can fully endorse them and I’m looking forward to reading her current work in progress.
Over to Lucy:
I’ve always enjoyed writing funny stuff and my mum still has the letters I used to write to her when I was at university and turned aspects of my student life into a comedy. When I am not writing I am a romantic book blogger so I get to read, review and cry over other romance books.
I live in a house with two teenagers, an over excited Labrador, a gang of unruly cats and a rugby mad Welsh husband.
Which five pieces of music/songs would you include in the soundtrack to your life and why?
Whitney Houston. ‘I Wanna Dance With Somebody’ – I spent my childhood and teenage years dancing (badly) at the local youth club, at parties, school dance competitions and on Leeds nightclub dance floors. In my head I was like someone from the 80’s TV show Fame. In reality things were very different. I now dance in front of my teenage daughters and they just shake their heads in dismay.
Roxette. ‘The Look’ – this song makes me smile now, although back in 1988 it made me cry / wail. I walked into a hair salon with my mum and demanded the hairdresser make me look like the female singer out of Roxette. At 13 I didn’t understand that whereas the female singer from Roxette had a face suited for a very short cut, my face needed a LOT of hair to frame it. There were a lot of tears!
Cher. ‘Believe’ – I love Cher and have spent a lot of my life believing.
Evanescence. ‘Bring Me to Life’ – the song of my forties. I am having my own little revolution and doing things I never would have dreamed of doing years ago.
Bonnie Tyler. ‘Holding Out For a Hero’ – my husband and my dog are my heroes.
What five things (apart from family and friends) would you find it hard to live without.
Coffee. My daughters have learnt that on a shopping trip it is best to buy Mum a coffee at the start as it puts her in a good mood, and they get more stuff!
Cake. My cake addiction is not something I want to stop.
The dog walking fields at the bottom of my street. All my best ideas come from a dog walk.
Writing. I am crazy about writing. My head is crammed full of characters and we all have a giggle during my day to day life.
Netflix. Sometimes I need to lie on the sofa in comfy clothes and binge watch Netflix.
Give five pieces of advice to your younger self?
The stories in your head will not go away.
Don’t delete the space rom-com you wrote when you were pregnant. You will spend years wishing you’d not deleted it, as it was so bad it would have brought an instant smile to your face on dark days.
Your dog phobia is in your mind. Be brave and get over it! Or, wait till a gorgeous Labrador bounds into your life at forty-four and turns your world upside down.
In child birth you do have to push, and your face has to go red. Don’t wait for an irritated mid-wife to tell you this.
Sadly, your hair will not get darker, your nose will not get smaller and your skin will not get used to the sun.
Tell us five things that most people don’t know about you
I have three unruly cats as well as a dog.
I originate from Leeds so a Northern lass!
I have a nasty M&S Jelly Baby addiction.
I struggle with parking a car.
I am a light-weight drinker and I’m always sick!
Tell us five things you’d still like to do or achieve.
To write more books!
To get more Labradors.
To jump out of a plane
To do a stand-up comedy act.
To go to Vegas with my girl friends!
Lucy’s Books
(NB This post features Affiliate links from which I earn a small commission on qualifying purchases)
Instructions For Falling In Love Again
Lonely widow, Pippa, discovers a collection of notebooks full of her late husband, Dan’s humorous advice on how to live without him. Pippa’s notebook is red and contains his detailed instructions on how to fall in love again.
After fifteen years of marriage and three children, Dan believed he knew Pippa better than anyone else and was perfectly placed to give her his guidance when it came to matters of the heart.
From fashion advice to how she should act on a first date, Dan had all romantic bases covered. He had even given her suggestions on who to avoid and who to date.
Reluctant to follow Dan’s advice, Pippa enters the world of dating. She embarks on a comedy journey of self-discovery, with the help of her children and two best friends.
However, it isn’t long before Pippa is struggling to ignore Dan’s advice.
Jill's Book Cafe 