Love Bytes says welcome to Lily Morton who is joining us today for her new release “On Circus Lane”.
Check out the Q & A Lily did for our readers!
RELEASE TOUR incl Interview & Excerpt:
On Circus Lane by Lily Morton
EXCLUSIVE Q&A WITH THE AUTHOR:Do you prefer writing dialogue, action, or sex scenes?
Definitely dialogue. My books feature a lot of it and especially the snarky kind. It’s such a valuable tool to get readers engaged with the characters, and very helpful if you’re writing exposition. A character can explain a situation much better with lively dialogue than a long page of exposition.
If On Circus Lane were adapted into a film, who would be your dream cast for the main characters?
Tom would be Max Irons. I watched Condor before I started writing the book and he’s the perfect Tom. On the surface, Tom’s the popular boy who you might think is superficial, but underneath he’s also strong, kind, and very astute.
My inspiration for Bee was the model, Simon Nessman. I’ve only seen his photos, but he has Bee’s looks, and his air of slight naivety and vulnerability. Bee is someone who’s very clever in his chosen subject. He was a child prodigy in maths but that’s mostly all he’s ever known, and so he lacks understanding of people and social situations which is why he gravitates towards the sociable and confident Tom.
Do you listen to music while writing? What are some songs that were on your writing playlist for On Circus Lane?
I always listen to music when I write. I can’t stand silence which is rather unusual for a former librarian. I make a playlist for every book and it’s part of my preparation to get in the mood for that particular story. Circus Lane is a Christmas book so there’s a lot of Christmas music on there, which made it an unusual experience for my family because I was playing Christmas music in August. One of my favourites is still “Last Christmas”. It’s on the playlist of every holiday story I write.
Is there a scene in On Circus Lane that you’re really proud of? Why?
I absolutely love the last chapter. It’s the closest I’ll ever get to writing a Christmas movie as Tom makes his way through a snowy London on Christmas Day to get his man. It was actually the first scene I saw in my head before I wrote the book, and it was so clear and warm and funny. Sometimes scenes are like films that play for me, and this one had Darlene Love’s “All Alone on Christmas” accompanying it. So, if anyone is reading On Circus Lane and gets to the last chapter, put on some Darlene and have her as your soundtrack.
How do you spend your time when you’re not writing/working?
We have a Jack Russell terrier called Eddie who has a lot of energy, so we walk him a lot. We’ll go out into the country and walk for miles before stopping for lunch at a pub and I love that chance to get out of my head and talk to my husband. We also both love music and go to a lot of gigs. I’m always on the lookout for who’s playing. Last year, I think my favourite was Gary Numan. We saw him at a little club in Nottingham and it was unreal. He was so good. I also read a lot. It’s the way I wind down.
From bestselling author Lily Morton comes a festive romantic comedy about enemies to lovers and the magic of Christmas.
Length: 70,000 words
Series: The Wright Brothers, book 1
Genre: contemporary
Tropes: Holiday Romance, Enemies to Lovers, Forced Proximity
Trigger/Content Warnings: Description of child neglect but it’s off page and happened years ago
BLURB
The first time Bee Bannister met Tom Wright, he couldn’t stand him.
Everything about the man aggravated him—his perfect hair and body, his confident arrogance, and the way he looked straight through Bee.
Which is why it’s such an unpleasant shock to find that he’ll be sharing space with him while on a Christmas holiday with friends in Scotland.
However, as the days fly by and snowy Edinburgh begins to work its magic on him, Bee discovers that sometimes first impressions can be very misleading. Tom is kind and funny, and somehow, rather than looking through Bee, he actually sees and likes all of him.
The two men grow closer, but will Bee follow his heart or his head when the holiday ends? And can relationships that start so badly ever lead to love?
This is the first book in the Wright Brothers series
Mariah Carey is fully embracing her time in the festive spotlight, as “All I Want for Christmas Is You” pumps out over the pub speakers. Even so, she’s barely managing to compete with the noise of party revellers. It’s one week before Christmas, and everyone seems to be throwing their all into the festive cheer.
I relax back in my chair and lift my drink to my mouth while idly looking around the converted Victorian warehouse. The bar is part of a big chain, and opened only last year. The heavy use of company colours in the space makes it look like an uneasy mash-up between Christmas and their annual general meeting. However, even their version of corporate holiday chic can’t stop the happy atmosphere.
A red-headed man leans over the bar, watching me with a sultry expression. I drop him a wink, and he brightens and immediately makes his way over.
“Hi,” he says.
I smile at him. “Hey.”
“Fancy a drink?” he asks, coming closer and gifting me a waft of his expensive cologne.
I look him up and down. “I’d love one. Rum and Coke, please.”
Smiling, he wanders over to join the huge queue.
My best friend heaves a heavy sigh next to me.
“What’s up with you?” I ask.
Ivy grimaces at me. “Well, look at you. It’s just not fair.”
“My combination of looks and brains?”
She rolls her eyes. “And your modesty. Don’t ever forget that.” I laugh, and she nudges me. “I can’t believe you. You only looked at each other once, and now you’ve pulled. Meanwhile, I can’t even get a bloke to give me a second glance.”
I drain my glass. “You’d have loads of blokes giving you third and fourth glances, but they don’t fit in with your marital timetable.”
“I told you. I don’t want casual one-night shags anymore. I’ve been there and done that, and now I want someone to spend the next fifty years with.”
“That’s alarmingly precise. What happens if he lasts beyond the time scale? Will he wake up and find you’ve chucked him in the dustbin?”
She grimaces. “I just want a bloke with a few years of monogamy in his tank. I know you don’t understand.”
“I don’t. I just want a man who’s capable of maintaining an erection for twenty minutes.”
There’s a sudden silence at the table next to us where a group of women wearing sparkly veils have been celebrating a hen party. Either that, or they’re contemplating entering a nunnery. They look at me and then immediately hoot and holler.
I grin at them, and Ivy rolls her eyes. She says, gloomily, “Good luck with your Erection Plan.”
“Is that a thing?” I ask, amused.
“By midnight, most of the men in here will be drooping like a daffodil on Mothering Sunday.”
Lily lives in sunny England with her husband and two children, all of whom claim that they haven’t had a proper conversation with her since she bought her first Kindle.
She has spent her life with her head full of daydreams and decided one day to just sit down and start writing about them. In the process she discovered that she actually loved writing, because how else could she get to spend her time with hot, funny men!
She loves chocolate and Baileys and the best of all creations – chocolate Baileys! Her lifetime’s ambition is to have a bath in peace without being shouted by one of her family.
Wonderful! Can’t wait to read this.