Author Interview: Bree Darcy!

I'm honoured to welcome Bree Darcy to the blog today to tell us a bit more about her latest release 'Don't Mention the Rock Star' (click here to read my review of the book)!

How would you describe 'Don’t Mention the Rock Star' in five words? Reuniting with a first love. 
What did you have most fun with while writing this story? I loved writing about Andy and Kellie’s past. They seemed so perfect together – despite being complete opposites – so it was intriguing to unravel why they went their separate ways. And it was great fun reuniting them two decades later, to see the spark was still there. I also liked dropping in some hints of what was to come. I do like a good twist when I’m reading – someone once said that this works best when a clue isn’t obvious when it first appears but the reader remembers it later.
Have you based any of your characters on real friends/family? Absolutely not! I definitely thought it was safer to make sure none of the characters mirrored anyone from my real life, although I guess it is inevitable that some traits creep in. My husband is definitely not a Curtis – or an Andy, for that matter. And I don’t have a friend like Nikki, who has had more toyboys than Madonna.
How have you found the switch from book blogger to author? It does feel a bit weird straddling the two worlds and it is definitely more scary on the author side of the fence. Having a book to promote has probably made me reach out to more bloggers and see what they are up to. I have been surprised by how many are on hiatus and not accepting review copies - I guess it shows that book blogging is a tough gig and can wear you out. I don't think I'll feel like a legitimate member of the author fraternity until much further on in my writing career.
What novel are you most looking forward to reading this year? Probably the one that jumps out at me the most from the list of upcoming releases is Killing Monica by Candace Bushnell. Its journey to publication has been rather fraught, after a hacker leaked the first 50 pages in mid-2013. It’s about a famous writer who resorts to faking her own death in order to get her life back from her most infamous creation - Monica.
Can you perhaps tell us something about your future plans? Are you working on another novel? There are about three storylines I am raring to explore but my next project is about a woman called Yvette, who’s having a terrible time of it. When her pushy boss pushes her to the brink, she snaps and ditches work for the day to have some adventures. It’s like a Ferris Bueller’s Day Off for grown-ups. It will be more of a comedy than a romance.
If you could have one superpower, what would it be? Time travel. So I could go back to 1989 and tell the writers of Back to the Future II that they had no clue what 2015 would really look like. I mean, where were all the people walking around the streets tapping their phones? I don’t remember Marty McFly having a sleeve of tattoos or taking selfies with the Doc. And hello, I am still waiting for my hoverboard and flying car! 
What are the three things you couldn't live without? Music, books and chocolate.
About the book: They fell in love in an instant … so why have they spent a lifetime apart? 
As a teenager Kellie dated an American boy but circumstances meant they went their separate ways. Now he’s back and she’s so tempted to see him again. But two decades have passed and they are both married with children.
And the last thing a celebrity reporter like her needs is the world finding out about her past relationship with a rock star. Especially as Kellie’s husband doesn’t even know she once dated AJ Dangerfield, lead singer of legendary band Danger Game. And she has no intention of him finding out. EVER.
As Kellie deals with a demanding boss, a bullied son, an infuriating mother-in-law and a best friend who won’t act her age, she finds herself playing a dangerous game. What will happen if her two worlds collide? And is it possible that first love never fades?
About the author:  Bree Darcy is the pseudonym of Australian journalist Stephanie Pegler. She is the publisher of several popular websites for readers and authors, including Chicklit Club, Connect and We Heart Writing, and also runs the annual International Chick Lit Month event. She worked as a newspaper sub-editor in Perth for about twenty years, and is married with three children. Don’t Mention the Rock Star is her debut novel. See breedarcy.com for more details.