Lucy Springer Gets Even Virtual Book Tour - author inspiration

A writer is all about words and inspiration. On Wednesdays we ask our visiting authors what their favorite quote is and why? Lisa Heidke had this to say about contemporary author Marian Keyes.

"Chick Lit uses humor to reflect life back to us. It's a very comforting genre, and it's the first time our generation has had a voice. It's a very important genre for all of those reasons.” Marian Keyes

I choose Marian Keye’s quote because she is a contemporary author whom I admire for many reasons. Keyes unashamedly writes chick lit and says she uses humor to reflect life back on us – and she does it so well. Her books such as Watermelon, Anybody Out There? and The Other Side of the Story, are entertaining. I relate to them because Keye’s heroines although flawed, have hope and humor and are engaging, despite their troubles.

She has the ability to tackle serious subject matter – addiction, depression, death, etc and write about them with passion, integrity and warmth but at the same time, still not take herself too seriously. Keyes says that ‘in my experience, the best comedy is rooted in darkness.’ And it’s true. I can still laugh at her words even during the most traumatic of circumstances she is writing about.

Keyes inspired me to write the books I write. When I started out, I was a features writer at a parenting magazine and was dabbling with fiction writing, in particular, romance. I completed a 60,000 romance which was dreadful and thought about giving up.

But then I read Keye’s first novel, Watermelon, and my eyes widened. It was exactly the style of writing I wanted to do – first person and confessional, wrapped up in a chatty, conversational tone. So, I started experimenting and my character, Lucy, and her story, fell into place. In Lucy Springer Gets Even, I confront issues, including divorce, infidelity and child-raising in a humorous setting – but it’s still relevant and real. I am not a literary author. I’m not out to change the world. However, I am out to challenge preconceived ideas. I’d like readers to think, ‘what if.’

Reading Marian Keyes novels gave me the confidence to believe I could write those kinds of books. She makes it seem easy because of her incredible talent.

ABOUT THE BOOK: Lucy Springer Gets Even is about Lucy, an out of work actress and mother, who is living through a renovation nightmare when her husband suddenly takes off and she is forced to get her act and life together. I wanted to write a light hearted story in diary form about a woman whose husband leaves her, day one, sentence one. I thought it would be interesting to look at a woman in her mid-thirties with a couple of kids who thinks her life is moving happily along and rip it to shreds. I plotted Lucy’s journey from the depths of despair and bewilderment on day one to her getting her life together by day sixty-five.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:Lisa Heidke lives in Sydney, Australia, and was a feature writer on several national magazines including Practical Parenting and Bride To Be, before deciding the time had come to write a novel. Lucy Springer Gets Even (Allen & Unwin, 2009) is her first novel and was quickly followed by What Kate Did Next (2010). Her third novel, tentatively titled Claudia Changes Course, will be published early 2011. Follow Lisa on Twitter and visit her website at http://lisaheidke.com
Lisa’s books can be purchased at www.allenandunwin.com
and www.amazon.com

Last night my husband, Max, looked at me over his halfeaten Pad Thai and, in calm, measured tones, said, ‘I’ve had enough.’

I took him to mean he’d eaten enough dinner. He’s been on a health kick recently, prompted by watching The Biggest Loser.

I was preoccupied thinking about our two children, who’d left on a school camp that afternoon, and so didn’t pay much attention as he pushed his plate away, stood up and disappeared out the kitchen door. A few minutes later there was a clatter as he pulled his surfboard from its wall bracket. It’s been a long time since Max has hit the waves.

And besides, it was dark. I went to the window just in time to see him reversing his car down the driveway at considerable speed, his bright red board strapped to the roof-racks. Stopping briefly to check for oncoming cars, he screeched onto the road and accelerated off into the night.
It’s now three o’clock the following afternoon. He’s not back and I have a sneaking suspicion (well, not that sneaking really) that he’s not surfing because:

1. It’s a cold August afternoon.
2. Nineteen hours is a long time to stay out waiting for sets.
3. Max has been pissed off for some time now.


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Lisa Heidke’s Lucy Springer Gets Even Virtual Book Tour 2010 will start July 6th and end on July 30th. You can visit Lisa’s blog stops at www.virtualbooktours.wordpress.com during the month of July to find out more about this great book and its talented author.