Five Questions with Lisa Darcy (Heidke)
Next up in my series of ‘Five Questions’ is Lisa Darcy (some of you may know her as Lisa Heidke and the name change is explained below). This is not Lisa’s first visit to my blog, back in 2012 she told us what she was grateful for, in 2015 she shared here about her then new release It Started with a Kiss, and in 2016, with the release of The Callahan Split we got a read about the challenges of writing that novel set around the international tennis arena. All well-worth reading to get further insight into this much-loved Australian author skilled in writing and making people laugh!
Okay, let’s go…
Your seventh novel, Lily’s Little Flower Shop, has just been released. Who/what inspired you to write this book?
My dear friend, Louise, who owned a flower shop at Wentworth falls in NSW and has since passed away.
When I’d see Louise, she would share funny/sad/crazy anecdotes about her customers. For example, one guy would order flowers for his lover to be delivered the same day he’d send flowers to his wife for her birthday, anniversary, etc.
I’d sit in Louise’s shop for hours, eavesdropping on conversations and talking about different seasonal flowers, and watching how bouquets, wreaths are created, stored etc. It was a great fun. Louise was a whizz at creating magnificent arrangements. She made the process appear effortless.
The more we chatted, the more I thought what a great premise for a book it would make – a corporate city girl moving to a small village to start a flower shop, and the massive learning curve that would entail.
Because I live in a small coastal town two hours south of Sydney, it suited me to set Lily’s story on the coast. Of course all my characters are fictional…
You’ve joined the New Authors Collective Literary Agency (NAC). How did that come about?
My first five books were published with Allen & Unwin, and I didn’t have an agent. Honestly, I thought I never would.
However, a couple of years ago, when Lily was in good shape, I was talking to a girlfriend who was with NAC. She suggested I chat with Michael Cybulski, the company’s founder. We talked. He liked Lily and we signed a deal. I was ecstatic because NAC not only pitched to Australian publishers, but international publishers as well.
It was an exciting and trouble-free procedure – and only fifteen years in the making.
My mantra: Never give up!
Michael paired me with editorial coach, Andrea Barton, NAC’s Editorial Head. Thankfully, she is a dynamic, insightful editor and all-round fabulous person, and we worked together to finesse the manuscript until it was ready to be submitted to publishers.
Lisa Heidke is now Lisa Darcy. How did that come about?
When Bloodhound Books, a UK publisher, offered me a contract, I was thrilled. However, it was conditional. The company wanted me to use a different author name. I hesitated because I’ve had my name since birth (and am quite fond of it). But I also understood that Bloodhound wanted to rebrand me.
The first surname that came to mind for romance, in honour of Jane Austen, was Darcy. It sounded like a name a romcom writer would have. I googled Lisa Darcy and was surprised to find that there were no authors with that name, so I suggested Darcy to Bloodhound and they loved it.
I thought the hardest part would be changing my social platforms from Heidke to Darcy, but it was that simple. Within moments, Heidke became Darcy and I haven’t looked back.
I’m so glad I signed with Bloodhound Books because after a deal for Lily’s Little Flower Shop was reached, they contracted me for another three books.
What’s next?
Bloodhound are taking an active interest in my backlist, and I’m pleased to announce that they are republishing Claudia’s Big Break as My Big Greek Holiday, in August this year.
Claudia’s Big Break was published in 2011. I’ve had enormous fun editing, updating, and spending time with Claudia and her friends to bring them into the 2020’s to become My Big Greek Holiday. I’ve always loved this novel and am excited that the story will now find an international audience.
You have been writing fiction for twenty years and have been published for thirteen. What advice would you give your younger self – especially when you received you first rejection letter? From Mills & Boon, wasn’t it?
Ha! Yes. Mills & Boon. A 60,00-word novella. It was soundly rebuffed across several continents. The best rejection letter started with “Great first line, but all downhill from there.” Harsh!
Coming back to my mantra, I would say: Never give up!
I would also say don’t write what you think publishers want to publish, or what you think readers want to read. Write what you want to write because you love the story that’s been bubbling in your head. You have to truly believe in the story you’re committing to, otherwise you’ll be bored before you’ve hit 20,000 words. And, if you, the author are bored, how can you expect readers to be excited about reading your novel?
Trust your words and your voice. You are unique.
I’d also say start walking 10,000 steps now! Don’t wait until 2018 when Fitbit Versa tells you to!
Finally, opening that second bottle of tequila is NEVER a good idea.
Lily’s Little Flower Shop is available from Amazon, Booktopia and all good bookstores.
You can follow Lisa on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and read about all her writing journey via her Website.
