Lucy Keeling and I met in 2019 when we were both finalists in the Choc-Lit Search for A Star Competition and since then I’ve loved reading all of her fabulous books – and I look forward to reading many more.
Just Friends For Now is the fourth book in her Friends Series. It’s out now, and I thought it would nice to ask her about it. Here she is:
Tell us about the book:
This book is the fourth and final book in my Friends series. It’s time for Paige’s story and her happily ever after except she doesn’t start off all that happy. She’s grumpy and feeling a little bit sorry for herself. Melanie is a new bar owner working down the street and though they start off a little frosty towards each other it’s not long before they are working together on a community art project and are finding each other to be more than a little bit distracting.
It’s part of a series – can you explain more about that?
I’m so excited for this series and so sad that it’s over. I think the best thing about this series and certainly the thing I get the most positive comments about, are the friendships that are written within it. They are there for each other, whether it’s healing from hangovers or major life changes, they are there for each other, And it’s gorgeous!
When you began writing the first Just Friends book did you have the series all planned out?
Yep sort of. But not completely. I knew that the four friends were each going to have their own story. I knew that Polly and Bailey in ‘Just Friends’ were going to be a thing and there’s lots of hints of that in ‘Just Friends for Now’. I also knew what Mya’s career was in Just Friends in Vegas and there’s lots of hints for that too. But the love story element for Mya and for Paige in this new book I didn’t know about until nearer the time.
Where do you get your ideas from?
Oh various places. I quite often like to go on a quick writing walk, and that will help inspire me. But I might just get an idea or a concept or sometimes I just want to explore a particular trope or theme. For example, Just a Boy Friend – Enemies to Friends to Lovers. Just Friends – brothers best friend. Just Friends in Vegas – Competitors almost Forbidden Lovers. Just Friends for Now – Bang it out of our systems, and grumpy sunshine.
How do you find time to write and do you have a routine?
I wish – I would love a routine and a dedicated writing time. But between two young kids, working full time I grab whatever time I can get. And even then I think I spend too much of that time on TikTok instead of writing.
What writers have influenced you?
Oh so many. I adore Talia Hibbert’s books and would recommend them to everyone. I love Tessa Dare, KJ Charles, Ali Hazelwood and Sally Thorne.
Is this the end of the series and if it is, what have you got planned next?
This is the end of the Friends series. But I do have a couple of other ideas that I’d like to try and write out, so I guess watch this space.
About the book
Just friends for now . . . but what about later?
Bar owner Paige’s mojo is broken. She’s eternally single and there’s a new Instagrammable bottomless brunch spot in town that’s threatening to steal her regulars.
But she can’t deny that there’s just something about competitor Melanie and her prim and proper librarian look.
There’s no denying the chemistry. But Melanie should be her rival, not her friend. And definitely not anything else.
But when they’re thrown together to work on a local art project, Paige might find that being just friends is going to be trickier than she imagined . . .
This is book four in the Friends series but it can be read as a standalone novel. This is Paige and Melanie’s story.
Buy here: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Just-Friends-Now-Lucy-Keeling-ebook/dp/B0BXTD54NX
About Lucy Keeling
Lucy Keeling is an author writing fun, sexy, stories with all of the happily ever afters. When she’s not typing at the kitchen table, she’s finally seeing her friends for the occasional spot of day drinking.
Lucy has just written the fourth and final book in a romantic comedy series, the first of which was Runner-Up in ChocLit’s ‘Search for a Star’ competition. This story has become her romantic comedy debut ‘Just a Boy Friend’. The second book in the series ‘Just Friends’ has been described as ‘unputdownable’ and ‘A fabulous will they won’t they love story with moments of hilarity sprinkled throughout’ and the third, ‘Just Friends in Vegas’ finally reveals what Mya does for a living. The final friend to have their story told is Paige, and you can read her happily ever after in ‘Just Friends for Now’ out 23rd May 2023
Follow Lucy on Twitter: @Lucy_K_Author
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