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.
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?
I'm really honoured and excited to be part of the blog tour for Bree Darcy's debut novel 'Don't Mention the Rock Star' today! Bree Darcy is the author pseudonym of Stephanie Pegler, the founder of the wonderful website Chick Lit Club (click here to visit it), for which I'm also a reviewer. When Steph contacted me about possibly reviewing her debut novel, which was released this January, I couldn't say 'yes' quick enough. I had a good feeling someone who knows this much about chick lit would be able to write a pretty amazing novel herself, and the blurb sounded really promising as well, so I was really excited when I was able to pick up the book a few weeks ago and start reading!
When she was just a teenager, Kellie fell head over heels in love with American bad boy Andy who was in Australia visiting his family. The two of them were inseparable, but things suddenly changed and they both went their seperate ways. These days, Kellie is married to Curtis and tries to juggle both taking care of their children and her job as a celebrity gossip journalist. Andy is now A.J. Dangerfield, lead singer of world famous rock band Danger Games, and happily married with kids. Due to certain events at work, Kellie unexpectedly gets back into touch with Andy and while she knows she's taking a big risk by letting Andy back into her life (especially since her family doesn't even know about her connections with the famous rock star) she can't seem to stop herself. Did Kellie really get over Andy and vice versa, or is there still a trace of a spark between them?
The basic storyline of 'Don't Mention the Rock Star' is quite a classic one within the world of chick lit, but the author has definitely managed to make it her own and turn it into a thoroughly enjoyable read. The novel has some well-drawn and easily loveable characters at its core. I immediately warmed to Kellie and Andy was unlike any other male hero I've come across before; I loved how unique and funny he was. The reader is also introduced to Kellie's husband Curtis, their children, her mother-in-law, her colleagues, and her best friend. Since the novel is quite long, there was more than enough time to get to know all these characters and their background stories, and I really fell in love with all of them as the story progressed (except for Curtis, whom I couldn't help but intensely dislike!).
As I already mentioned, the book is quite long. I have to admit it was a bit daunting to me at first, but when I got into the story I really couldn't get enough of it. I loved all the flashbacks to the past, seeing how a young Andy and Kellie got together, how they grew up, and how everything eventually turned into the present situation. I also enjoyed all the different locations of the story: Australia, the UK, the USA. But most of all, I just really enjoyed the author's writing style. This was such an entertaining and comfortable read; I honestly loved it. 'Don't Mention the Rock Star' is an amazingly entertaining and simply wonderful debut novel; I loved everything about it and I already have high hopes for Bree Darcy's next work, hopefully we won't have to wait too long!
Rating:
9,5/10
For more information about this book: Amazon.co.uk / Amazon.com / Goodreads
Thanks to the author for providing me with a review copy in exchange for an honest review.
