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- [00:02]
A
Welcome to the show. Things are going to get weird. It's your fave Villain K, and you're listening to Barely Famous. Today's guest is Lucy Score. She's one of the biggest names in indie romance. Her books are full of small towns, big emotions, swoony slow burns, and characters you wish were real. Has built an empire from the ground up, gone viral on booktok, and somehow keeps things fun, grounded, and relatable. All right, Lucy, thank you for joining me on Barely Famous podcast.
- [00:41]
B
Thank you for having me. I'm so excited to be here.
- [00:43]
A
You said this is your first in person podcast, which I'm so happy to be the first one. Hopefully I set the bar high for all the other podcast.
- [00:51]
B
I think it'll all be downhill from here.
- [00:54]
A
But first and foremost, Lucy is a pen name. Is that right?
- [00:58]
B
Yeah.
- [00:59]
A
What made you decide to go under a pen name?
- [01:01]
B
Well, when I started writing romance, I was working full time for an accounting firm in marketing, and I just had this feeling. I was like, I don't think they're going to like me doing this on the side. And so I was like, you know, I'm going to have a cool pen name. Something short that's easy to sign. Yeah. So I worked really hard to come up with the exact perfect name, and I went with Lucy because my grandfather used to pretend that he couldn't remember my name and he'd always call me Lucy.
- [01:30]
A
That's so cute. What a cute story, though.
- [01:32]
B
I. Yeah, so that was my nod to him. And score came from the. The same night I picked Lucy, we went to a ceremony for one of Mr. Lucy's nephews. And we're in this auditorium and there's like this big marble surround over the stage, and the first couple of lines of the. The Gettysburg Address were carved into it. So it was four score. And I was like, lucy score. Nailed it. Yeah.
- [01:59]
A
No, I love that. Are you actually familiar with the rumor that you're Colleen Hoover's niece?
- [02:04]
B
Oh, my God. Colleen was the one who told me this.
- [02:07]
A
Really?
- [02:07]
B
And I think we figured out like a year later that I may have accidentally started that rumor.
- [02:13]
A
Oh, good.
- [02:13]
B
Because I have an Aunt Colleen, and I dedicated a book to her. And I think people just made the leap that you were. Because Colleen Hoover is one year older than me or no, one month older than me.
- [02:26]
A
So y' all are like this.
- [02:29]
B
And I was. Yeah, I thought that was hilarious. I. I had a DM from her a couple years ago, and I'm like, oh, my gosh. Colleen Hoover is in my DMs. And she's like, hey, have you heard that I'm your aunt?
- [02:40]
A
So you did. You started that rumor.
- [02:42]
B
Oh, accidentally.
- [02:43]
A
Are you related to any other authors that we should know about?
- [02:46]
B
No, not to my knowledge.
- [02:47]
A
Okay.
- [02:48]
B
But I'm. I'm hoping that somewhere in my genealogy will be, like, a cool author or something.
- [02:53]
A
I. I had Tamara Mowry on the podcast a lot. Like, what, last year. And her last name is one letter off from me. And I used to tell everybody that I was related to her because our last names were almost the same. Don't know how I got there, but I started that rumor myself as well.
- [03:07]
B
Seems logical.
- [03:09]
A
So your most recent book is Story of My Life, and this is the beginning of a new series for you?
- [03:13]
B
Yep.
- [03:14]
A
Okay.
- [03:14]
B
1.
- [03:15]
A
Let's talk about it. What was the writing process like for this book?
- [03:17]
B
This was a little hectic. This one took me longer than usual, but I was enjoying it so much, I didn't start to panic until right before my deadline. I just. I wanted to write a book. Book dedicated to my readers. And I had had this idea for a really long time about a romance novelist who would go and build a town. Like one of her fictional towns. She would build it in real life, and I was like, oh, my gosh, that would be such a great movie. And I don't know how to write a screenplay. So I was like, I guess this idea is just gonna die with me. And I was explaining it to my agent one day. She's like, make it a book. Yeah, like, oh, yeah, that's actually a really good idea. So I changed it a little bit. But basically, the heroine, Hazel, is a romance novelist. So I had to do very little professional research for this, which was convenient. And she moves to a small town for inspiration and kind of helps reinvigorate the town.
- [04:14]
A
And when you start a book, do you know right off the bat whether it's going to be a series or a standalone?
- [04:18]
B
Usually, yeah. With my Knock Them out series, I didn't know I started writing the first one. I started writing things we never got over as a standalone. And then that kind of messed me up big time when I realized it was going to be a three book series. But this time I had my shit together and I knew that this was book one of three.
- [04:35]
A
Okay, so also three. And how do you decide what you're going to build off of? You just do.
- [04:42]
B
Yeah, it's the vibe I think I really love. Starting with a grumpy Sunshine, Enemies to Lovers, that kind of Story. And I don't know, I love book ones because I love creating the world. I love sinking into this small town and figuring out who all the people are and what all the businesses are. And I just. I really have a good time with that. So that's. That's where I started with this one.
- [05:07]
A
Do you pull any inspiration from your own life? Like, maybe you're where you're from or even your personality in any of your characters?
- [05:13]
B
Definitely. I mean, I'm. I'm relatively boring and I don't have a lot of life, but I do love to eavesdrop on other people.
- [05:24]
A
You can do that here.
- [05:25]
B
Our favorite sushi place. The tables are, like, almost stacked on top of each other, so I cannot wait to go there every time because I always get, like, great little nuggets of life and relationships and interactions and so, yeah, I. I'm just constantly mining real life for something that I can pull into fiction, but in a totally legal sense.
- [05:46]
A
Yeah, for sure. Legal. Do you have a favorite part of this writing process or a favorite part of this book?
- [05:54]
B
I think my favorite part of the writing process is kind of the beginning, when I'm full of ideas and energy and motivation and, you know, it's. The sky's the limit. Nothing's wrong with this story yet. And I'm so far away from deadline. There's. There's no stress. I love the beginning. I get really hung up on, like, the two thirds part. That's when I realize all the problems with what I've written so far, and I start to panic. And then the last, like, third of it is I'm coming up on deadline and I have got to hit it, so I need to work really hard, really fast. I think my favorite scene in the book was their meet. Cute. When she's driving into town for the first time and a bald eagle crashes into her and she crashes into the town's welcome sign. I was, you know, I was like, what is the worst possible first impression you could make as a heroine in a romance novel? And I was like, oh, hitting a bald eagle would pretty much nail the trick for sure. No bald eagles were actually harmed in the making of this book. I would just like to say that.
- [06:59]
A
Did you always want to be an author?
- [07:02]
B
No, I wanted to be Lois Lane. I wanted to be a journalist. I went to college for journalism. And then I realized how depressing the news was, and I was like, oh, this is not going to feed my soul. No, this is going to kill my soul. So I worked a series of Real jobs. None of which I was good at. None. I got fired and laid off a lot. But in my spare time, I was always writing little, little stories, little scenes that. It was just my hobby. And I think when I was working at a newspaper, when 50 Shades of Gray was really popular and we were passing the book around the newsroom and I remember reading it and finding out that it was originally self published. And I was like, what? So I. That's when I think the bug was planted. Yeah, I, I was like, I. My mom is a librarian, so she was always like, why don't you write a book? I'm like, books are so long.
- [07:55]
A
Yeah, it's a lot of work. Mine especially, I think the Knock Them out series. Like 600 pages each, right?
- [08:01]
B
Yeah, they're huge.
- [08:03]
A
It definitely set you apart from other romance authors, I would say. When I first got into reading a couple years ago, like what, two, two years ago, I hadn't seen books that thick. Right. Like romance novels, I was like seeing like maybe around like 250, 300 pages and so. And then I learned about the knock series, was the first time I heard about Lucy. Score. So what was your first, first published book?
- [08:27]
B
Undercover love in 2015. So it's my 10 year anniversary this year.
- [08:31]
A
So excited. And you've published 25?
- [08:33]
B
I think around 35, not 100. Sure. I think it's 35.
- [08:38]
A
And did you start self publishing or did you. Did. And so what was your, like, what was the final push that made you decide, okay, I'm gonna try to publish this book by myself?
- [08:47]
B
I was, I didn't like the idea of gatekeepers, you know, like I'm, I'm a hold my beer kind of person. So I was like, I don't want some complete stranger just reading a couple chapters and saying, no, you're not good enough. So my, my first book, I self published and sold 35 whole copies. And thankfully my brother had shared a link to the book in one of his forums at the time. And these two authors who were self publishing had started their own publishing imprint.
- [09:18]
A
Oh, cool.
- [09:18]
B
And they reached out and asked if would let them publish it under their label. So that was it came out in 2015 and they did my first five books. And then I felt like I learned a lot from the process and I was like, I think I can do this myself. Myself, meaning me. And dragging Tim, Mr. Lucy along for the ride, I asked him if he would be my publisher. So he was like, let's give it a try. So the next 20 books were yeah, he still does all of my digital, so he. He still publishes my ebooks and my audiobooks, and then I have print deals.
- [09:58]
A
That's so exciting.
- [09:59]
B
It's really, really cool. Like, I love that. It's like, you know, maintaining authorship and ownership of those rights is, like, just really exciting.
- [10:09]
A
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- [11:38]
B
It's weird. I honestly feel like I'm basically 98 Lucy at this point. I don't have any. I don't use any personal social media anymore because I just can't. I can't keep up.
- [11:50]
A
So when you're. When you go out in public and people recognize you, do they call you Lucy? Do people know it's a pen name?
- [11:56]
B
Yes.
- [11:57]
A
Okay. Okay. I didn't know if that was, like, groundbreaking information. And you have Another book in the works in addition to this series, the Body in the Backyard.
- [12:07]
B
Oh, my gosh. My Riley Thorne series.
- [12:09]
A
Yes.
- [12:09]
B
I'm obsessed with it. It's okay. It's like. It's like a little cult series. Like it's. It. It does not have the star power of Knock him out and Story of My Life. But I am obsessed with this series. I set it in Harrisburg, which is right across the river from where we live. And she's a reluctant psychic and she falls in love with a private investigator. So it's a series of solving murders and missing persons cases. And it's ridiculous. It's so over the top. I love writing it. So that's an ongoing series?
- [12:44]
A
Yes.
- [12:45]
B
Story of My Life. Or Story Lake is an ongoing series. And then I have a bunch of ideas for. For more.
- [12:52]
A
How does it work? Because I've talked to some authors that have like a book a year or they'll. They'll do 18 months or they'll have. I think Frida was talking about having several books in a year. So how do you decide?
- [13:02]
B
I. What's kind of deciding for me right now is the pacing. I think I'm a slow writer.
- [13:09]
A
Okay.
- [13:10]
B
And with how everything has exploded since the Knock Them out series, there's a lot more happening on the business end of things, which I'm sure you totally get. Like, you know, there's. There's this sliver of creative process and then there's everything that supports that.
- [13:28]
A
Sure.
- [13:28]
B
And so that side of things has really slowed me down.
- [13:32]
A
Yeah. For sure.
- [13:33]
B
Last year and this year I'm only putting out one new release. Bloom Books, my North American print publisher, has been re releasing all of my backlist in paperback. So that's exciting to see new readers discover old books. But it's a lot of work. So I was only able to write one book last year and this year, but I'm hoping to I will hashtag manifestation. I will write two and release two for 2026.
- [14:04]
A
That's exciting. I will say, being a part of the reader community, though, like, we're willing to wait for quality books.
- [14:11]
B
I appreciate that.
- [14:12]
A
I think so often, like, maybe it's hard to gauge what the pacing looks like, but if we're pumping out so many books, it's like, how much time can you really put into it?
- [14:20]
B
Right.
- [14:20]
A
And so I would say Emily, she's a co host on my book club. We would. We appreciate that for sure. How has your husband supported your career as an author? He is called an amazing Mr. Lucy.
- [14:35]
B
I know he was.
- [14:35]
A
He was like, rolling his eye.
- [14:39]
B
He was always like, I don't want to be Johnny Carson. I want to be Ed McMahon. He's like, I don't want to be up front. I don't want to be in front of people. He's been amazing, not just from. He handles all of the business side of things. Like, he's the reason why I'm not in IRS jail or making sure the taxes get paid. The accounting, the taxes. He coordinates all the editorial process across publishers because we also have foreign publishers. He basically acts as my manager. But in addition to all that, he's just been really supportive of me and my process. I mean, it's. Living with a romance author is intense, you know, like, because I don't know how you feel when you're reading a book, but I feel it, you know?
- [15:25]
A
Oh, yeah. You're like, in the book. You're in the book for sure.
- [15:28]
B
So I will be writing the big, giant breakup scene, and I will be devastated for two days. Like, in my real life, I will be depressed and feeling like, oh, my gosh, I'm going through a breakup. And he, you know, he's.
- [15:39]
A
He gets it.
- [15:40]
B
He gets it.
- [15:41]
A
So you just give her her space. Yeah, he's nodding his head, so we love the support. Do you ever pull inspo for your characters, the boyfriends from him? Oh, yeah.
- [15:49]
B
Yeah.
- [15:50]
A
You have to, right?
- [15:51]
B
Yeah. The second book in the Blue Moon series, Fall Into Temptation. The hero has this heart of gold, and he's also incredibly stubborn and very dedicated to doing the right thing. And that was like, definitely Mr. Lucy. And then things. We never got over Knox's grumpiness with, like, the teddy bear underneath. That is also that guy.
- [16:15]
A
Does he know which one. Which characters are inspired by him?
- [16:18]
B
I don't know. Like, you know, without me telling him, I don't know if he's, you know, he's like, I see that sometimes.
- [16:25]
A
Yeah, that's so cute. You were talking about foreign publishers, and we were just talking about not part of the plan, having a brand new cover. Do you have any say in what goes on the COVID Do you just kind of give a vibe in.
- [16:37]
B
In the North American stuff? I have a lot of say on the covers with the foreign edition, so I've been published In, I think, 30 different languages now, which is so cool. So I have less of a say on the foreign language editions, but also I tend to trust them to know what works best in their market because, you know, the Finnish market is going to be way different than the North American market and things like that. So it's really exciting to me to see what people come up with, you know, what their, what their visual inspiration is for these books.
- [17:12]
A
I love the covers. I think they're so cute. Actually did. We designed book marks and Kindle case covers inspired by the Knock Them out series.
- [17:21]
B
Oh my God.
- [17:22]
A
These are a couple of them. I'll show you because they're just so bright.
- [17:26]
B
I love that. That's so cute.
- [17:28]
A
Yeah. So I'll send you home with these. When did you know that writing books was going to work like that? You were going to do this full time?
- [17:35]
B
Okay. I'm still not convinced.
- [17:37]
A
You're like, am I living in the Twilight zone?
- [17:39]
B
I still live under the apprehension that this could all go away at any moment. And I think I'm okay with that. I think it makes me appreciate it so much more.
- [17:50]
A
Sure.
- [17:51]
B
Because I am terrified that it could all go away. What happened is my second book was gonna come out. I was still working a full time job and I had a plan. I was gonna, I was gonna take five years and I was gonna save up one year of salary and I was gonna. After that five years, I was gonna take the year off and try to be a full time author. The Wednesday or the Monday or whenever. I started to get nervous because a couple of my co workers found out that I was writing on the side. And they were like, really supportive and excited. But it's a small office and secrets don't keep. So I finally, I went to one of the bosses and I confessed. I was like, hey, I just wanted to let you know I've been writing romance novels on the side and you know, it's a hobby and I really love it. And she was like, oh, good for you. Congratulations. The next day they called me into the conference room. All of the bosses were there. And I sit down, I'm like, what's up, guys? And they're like, yeah, we're gonna close down your department. And you have until the end of the year to find a new job.
- [18:59]
A
Because you were writing romance novels or just the timing?
- [19:02]
B
Timing was super suspect. Like, let's just.
- [19:05]
A
Is there a reason why you couldn't do both? Because against policy.
- [19:11]
B
No, I don't think so. I. I can't guess. But it all worked out for the best. But the very next day, my second book came out and two weeks later, it hit number one on Amazon and I was able to quit early.
- [19:23]
A
Oh, so you didn't even finish out the year with that?
- [19:25]
B
I didn't even finish out the year because I spent 24 hours being devastated. I was like, I have to stop writing books. I have to start working on a resume. I have to get a job. This is my five year plan. Has to start all over again. And that second book just struck a chord with readers, thank God. And I have been full time ever since.
- [19:47]
A
What a crazy story.
- [19:48]
B
I know. I mean, like, just. And isn't that life? You know, you go from being absolutely devastated to it turning out to be one of the best things that ever happened.
- [19:56]
A
Like a blessing in disguise. Yeah. How did that feel to have your book number one on Amazon?
- [20:02]
B
That was crazy. I was really excited. I wanted it bad. And I was watching. I had been sitting at number two for, I think, like a full week, and I just wanted that one spot so badly. And there was this one author who wouldn't give it up. And I remember I was in the car with a co worker. We went for lunch and I just hit refresh on my phone and I was like, I'm number one. I mean, I was like rolling down the window screaming, so excited. And that other author ended up messaging me and congratulating me.
- [20:34]
A
Isn't that so nice? I know.
- [20:36]
B
It was so nice. His name's Matthew Fitzsimmons and he. He was writing thrillers. I think he writes sci fi now. But so we. We kept in touch for a while after that. And we ended up naming characters after each other in future books because we had this, like, competition. So my character Fitz in Blue Moon, who is a used bookstore owning hippie who strips on the side, was named after Pete Simmons. And then he named a bad guy after me and killed me in one.
- [21:05]
A
Oh, no. But that's a cool story, though. Do book. Do the book talk know that?
- [21:10]
B
I don't know. I don't think so because this was so before, back in 2015.
- [21:15]
A
Yeah.
- [21:15]
B
Yeah.
- [21:16]
A
Oh, wow. That's really cool, though.
- [21:17]
B
It was really neat. And it just. I mean, that's. That's the author community for you, you know?
- [21:21]
A
So you found support in the author community.
- [21:23]
B
Yeah.
- [21:26]
A
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- [23:14]
B
That's. That's such a shame.
- [23:15]
A
Well, I think it's hard because obviously you all want to be number one or you know, in the top 10, the top five. And so when someone else, it's like, why can't, why couldn't that be me? And so it's hard. It's bittersweet. You want to be happy for someone, but you also want it for yourself. And I can imagine that that's, I.
- [23:29]
B
Think that's something that we all work on a lot because we're all doing the same job. We want the same things, right? But there's, I think I went through a phase where I just Felt like the scarcity mentality. I felt like if somebody else had that number one spot or if somebody else got that huge publishing deal that meant I couldn't have it. And I eventually realized that is absolutely not true. Every time somebody, a romance author hits number one on Amazon, that just makes it more possible for somebody else.
- [24:01]
A
Sure.
- [24:02]
B
Every time somebody signs a seven figure deal that makes it more possible for, for me. And so I think it just, it really was a big mindset shift to realize that other people's successes are just showing me the way it's showing me what's possible.
- [24:17]
A
How does it work for authors that are trying to like when they're releasing their book? Is it a timing thing or does. How often does the New York Times list come out and stuff?
- [24:26]
B
Once a week.
- [24:27]
A
Oh, once a week. So there's, you could hit it at any point in 52 weeks out of the year, right? Yep. Okay, so that's exciting.
- [24:33]
B
Yeah.
- [24:34]
A
So there's like 52 opportunities.
- [24:35]
B
You never know. I mean you could have a launch and it could not hit and Booktok could get a hold of it six months later and make it go viral and you're on the New York Times. Like you.
- [24:45]
A
Six months, six months later.
- [24:46]
B
Yeah. Or a year later or even more. You know, it's, it's really exciting to see what's possible now.
- [24:53]
A
Yeah. Well, I was going to say how do you think Booktok has impacted your career and your book sales and you.
- [24:58]
B
Know, oh my gosh, the, the knock them out series, things we never got over. Booktok discovered that. I don't think I was even on TikTok at the time when it happened because I'm a grand a grandma. I don't understand how social media works.
- [25:10]
A
Me neither.
- [25:11]
B
Just kidding. I mean I don't know how to make anything on there but they found this book and they loved it and it was there. It was just so authentic and organic that I will just never forget that it was the power of these young women telling other young women all about something that they love. And I don't, I don't know what's more powerful than that. It was, it was incredible. So I, I'm very grateful for what that did. It opened me and my backlist up to an entirely new audience and that was really, really exciting because I would.
- [25:45]
A
Imagine if someone likes, you know, see someone talk about your book, one of your books on Booktok, they might, they want to go look up the rest of your books which then is successful for. Emily and I were just talking about How Literally? If we'll say we read a new author, for example, she recently got into Megan Quinn, she'll go in and buy every single book. You know what I mean? And when we fell in love with Still Beating by Jennifer Hartman, went in and bought every single book. So it's like, even if we don't get to them on our tbr, we're still going to go support the author if we like one of their books, which is kind of cool, I would imagine, for you guys.
- [26:18]
B
I love readers.
- [26:19]
A
Yeah, yeah, yeah. And once you buy one of them, you have to buy the whole series because then it only counts as one book. And so. Girl math, right? Library math. Do you. You pull inspiration from any other romance authors?
- [26:32]
C
Oh.
- [26:32]
B
Oh my gosh. Everything that I read, everything I see on tv, every, everything is inspiration to me. It's. It's just really. I don't know, it's. My brain works in such a weird way. I think it makes me a good writer and I think it makes me a less good human being just because I'm not fully present in any moment because I'm constantly the writer. Part of me is like, oh, that would be funny. Or what if this happened? Or, you know, like, it's just, it's constant. It's exhausting and exasperating and absolutely delightful.
- [27:08]
A
How do you know if you get an idea that you're gonna write about it? Like, do you keep a notes app or anything? And you're like, okay, this might make a story later on.
- [27:15]
B
You would die if you saw my iPhone. Notes app. Like, I, I keep notes on everything. I keep notes on names that I like for characters, story ideas. Every one of my social media accounts has a list, list of like a secret list of book inspiration. So it'll be, you know, it's anything. My, My second book that made me a full time author. Pretend you'd mind. That entire book came from me. Binge watching Soldier Homecoming videos.
- [27:47]
A
Are you serious?
- [27:48]
B
I am dead.
- [27:49]
A
Like on Tick Tock or like just social media in general?
- [27:52]
B
Yeah. I don't know what I was watching it on back in 2015.
- [27:55]
A
Oh, I. Those will make me cry. Like the compilation ones that they do on TikTok Tok. I'm like, I, It's 7:30 in the morning, was sobbing.
- [28:02]
B
And that's where that entire book came from.
- [28:04]
A
What were some of the biggest changes that you made when you decided to continue with a full time career in writing?
- [28:13]
B
I. I struggled because I was like, oh my gosh, I am no longer dedicating nine hours of my day to working for someone else. This is gonna be so amazing. I'm gonna get so much more done. It does. It did not work like that.
- [28:25]
A
No.
- [28:26]
B
I was like, I'm home. I'll do a load of laundry. I'm home. I need a.
- [28:31]
A
You're just distracted.
- [28:32]
B
I was.
- [28:33]
A
I find it very hard to even podcast at home because I'll look at my phone, I'm eating snacks, I'm, like, clicking around on my computer. My kids are walking. It's really hard.
- [28:41]
B
It is. It is. So it took me probably a year before I kind of found my groove, and now, you know, now I have it down to a science. Like, I'm good. But, yeah, it was a. It was a big transition. Like, I felt for people when everybody was moved home during COVID and the lockdown, because everybody had to learn to do their jobs from home and homeschool, and I just. I really. I. I felt their pain.
- [29:09]
A
No, I completely agree. And you were telling us before we started rolling that you have sort of like a family affair of your family reads all your books, and then your brother, you had to do. You had to hire him in order to get him to read your books.
- [29:24]
B
No, he was the lone holdout. He was like, I'm not reading. Reading your books. No, no, He's a huge reader. Well, I think I've been told my voice comes across very clearly in my book. So I guess when you know me. Okay, that can make the sex scenes awkward.
- [29:42]
A
So he's reading them now.
- [29:43]
B
He's. Yeah, he proofs all of our audiobooks, so he and my sister. Our younger sister Madison, she writes for us now, too.
- [29:52]
A
Oh, I actually did read that. So what is that like, working with your brother?
- [29:55]
B
It's awesome. I mean, he and I have gotten along since he was born. You know, we have always been good friends. We have the same personality and the same sense of humor. Like, I feel so bad for all of our significant others when Dan and Madison and I are together, because we are the same person, and it's just. It's a lot. I think, personally, it's incredibly entertaining. Yeah, I think we should go on the road together. I think, you know, for a book tour, I should take them.
- [30:22]
A
Mr. Lucy is shaking his head, like, I don't know about that. Do you like working with her family? Oh, yeah. Oh, yeah. You guys have a good time? Oh, yeah, I love that. Do you have any authors that you read regularly? Do you feel like naming them or.
- [30:39]
B
Like, off the top of my head, I Have you ever read Leanne Moriarty?
- [30:43]
A
Yes. God. Apples don't fall.
- [30:46]
B
Apples never fall.
- [30:47]
A
Yep.
- [30:49]
B
My favorite of hers is the Hypnotist Love Story.
- [30:53]
A
Okay.
- [30:53]
B
I think so. Good. And the Husband in Secret was really, really good. That one. Like, you get to the epilogue, and you're reading it and you're like, what just happened?
- [31:03]
A
But that's not your. That's not the genre that you write.
- [31:05]
B
No, no. I read everything.
- [31:07]
A
Okay. Same. I just recently got into Dystopian, I think it's called, and I. We were just talking about it. I don't even know what categories I'm reading, what genres I'm reading. I just like what I like exactly.
- [31:16]
B
I don't have, like, a favorite exact way. I. I can't. I can't stay focused on all the labels because the names change anyway. And I'm just like. I like this.
- [31:24]
A
This. Yeah. I. A couple books. Wild Dark Shore, I just read this year, and I'm obsessed with it. But that's Charlotte Mahog McConaughey.
- [31:33]
B
Okay.
- [31:34]
A
Yeah. Love that one. It's a good one. But it's like Dystopia. I don't think it's like, Thriller. Like, man. All right, can you walk us through your Pomodoro writing style?
- [31:42]
B
Yeah.
- [31:42]
A
What is that?
- [31:43]
B
Oh, my gosh. So I write in sprints, okay? So my intention is very hard to harness. So I've gone through a lot of action plans, and I've tried a bunch of different hacks, but this is the one that works best for me. I go into my office, I turn my music on, I put my headphones on, and I have a visual timer. It's not, like, numbers, it's red.
- [32:07]
A
Okay?
- [32:08]
B
So I set it for 25 minutes, and then the only thing I'm allowed to do is write. I can't touch my phone. I can't get a snack. I can't pee. I can only write. And. And since I'm focusing so hard on that 25 minutes. If I get to a part in a sentence, like, oh, I don't know this character's name, or I forget what color eyes they have, I just leave myself a note. I just do, like, double asterisk, and I'm like, try to remember this guy's name for next time. And I keep going. So nothing slows me down. It's not fun for me when I get to the revision part, but I have to go back and fix all the notes. But that's how I get my first draft done in 25 minute increments.
- [32:52]
A
So then after the 25 minutes, then what do you do? And how long is the break?
- [32:55]
B
Super. Well, I'll just set it again or I will take a five minute break and do like, I will get more water or I'm trying to do like more moving.
- [33:06]
A
Yeah.
- [33:07]
B
So I'll do like some push ups or some stretching and then I just jump right back in for nine hours. There's a lot of business stuff that takes up my time. So now I would say I probably write for about three hours a day.
- [33:21]
A
Okay.
- [33:22]
B
Which I would love to do more. But I also don't want to drop the ball on everything else.
- [33:26]
A
What is the pantser or planner?
- [33:29]
B
Oh, pantser or plotter. And so pantser means you have no idea where it's going. You just sit down and the story takes you wherever. Okay. Plotter means you sit down and you have an outline and you know where the story's going. You know what's going happen. I'm both.
- [33:47]
A
Okay.
- [33:47]
B
So I start with an outline and I always feel overly confident. I'm like, oh, this is a real story. Good job, me. I finally figured it out. Way to crack the code. And then I start writing and my book will be 50% longer because I didn't plan for all of the stuff that comes up while I'm writing. So it's like, I don't know, there's something about being in the story where more of it opens up for you. So.
- [34:13]
A
And so that's a time where you would reset the clock completely.
- [34:16]
B
Yeah.
- [34:16]
A
Okay. Makes sense. I recently just gifted Willies to a friend for their birthday and I'm super excited for them to try it because Willy's is amazing. You guys don't have to wake up with a hangover anymore because you can replace your alcohol with THC infused tonic and you're up. You're gonna be obsessed with it. Okay. Willy's was founded by the legendary Willie Nelson and it's premium THC infused social tonic Panic. It's inspired by his way of living, where peace flows freely and hangovers are a thing of the past. I never want to feel a hangover ever again in my life. Okay. I don't want to do it. It's low calorie, low sugar alcohol alternative. It actually works and it delivers a fast acting, euphoric social buzz without the regrets that come with alcohol. And I've seen it one too many times in other people. I don't want to experience that. Okay. Willie's social tonics come in 5 milligram and 10 milligram doses and taste delicious with a subtle tropical citrus flavor. You can enjoy it as a shot or sipped over ice, or you can even mix it into your own favorite mocktail. I love that it's very versatile. So if you are a regular drinker, this is a great alternative. Willy's is not the feared edible that you ate too much of in college or for me, a full blown adult. Willie's unique blend of thc, cbd, CBG and L theanine delivers a feeling of calm, clarity, euphoria and relaxation. So one shot of Willies helps you relax, unwind and de stress. This is perfect for taking the edge off. So if you come home from a really stressful day at work. Work. Have yourself some willies. Okay, maybe your social battery needs to be recharged because that's me every freaking day. Willys offers the kind of feeling that makes good company even better. Willie sold out three times in the first six months with over 50, 000 plus happy customers. And they just restocked. Willys ships directly to your doorstep in 40/states. You can order now at drink willys.com and use code famous for 20 off your first order plus free shipping on orders over $95. And enjoy life in the high country. What do y' all do? What do you do while she's writing? Publish books.
- [36:11]
B
Oh my gosh, you're printing? She's so busy.
- [36:16]
A
Okay. And y' all do that in the same house?
- [36:18]
B
Yes, we have. We built our house a couple years ago and it was really fun process because we're like, okay, guys, so we need a lot of guest bedrooms and we need two gigantic offices. So we keep our offices on separate floors, which I think is good because otherwise he would be distracted by hearing me in my office either tearing up the keyboard or whining about how hard writing is. But yeah, he's. Oh my gosh, he's so busy. He has way more meetings than I do. He works with my publishers, he works with my agent, he works with my brother, he works with our accountant. All of the lawyers, it's. If I were in charge of this, I would probably never put another book out because I would be so busy dropping all of those balls.
- [37:03]
A
No, Siri, I have a whole team and I feel like I can't keep up.
- [37:06]
B
Thank you. Shout out to the teams out there behind the scenes because you guys make our job so much easier. I have two assistants who are amazing. I could not function without them. Like, it just makes a huge difference.
- [37:20]
A
Kind of cool. You should. You could do a whole romance novel where the character are partners.
- [37:26]
B
I know.
- [37:26]
A
Married or something.
- [37:27]
B
Yeah.
- [37:27]
A
Pulling inspiration right out of your own life.
- [37:29]
B
I know.
- [37:30]
A
How has your writing and your process evolved since you published your very first book?
- [37:36]
B
It's. It's kind of interesting. I think it's gotten harder because my standards have gotten higher. Okay. I've learned so much since I wrote my first book, and now it takes me that much longer to write one because. Because I'm so aware of character arcs and themes and layering those pieces in on top of a romance. So it's. I used to get really down on myself for how long it would take me to write a book because my lovely friend Megan Quinn can write one in, like, three weeks, and she writes long books. But she's just so incredibly talented and focused on. Focused. And I think I'm relatively talented, but not focused.
- [38:21]
A
It's hard, especially when you're doing it all in house and, like, there's so many moving parts. I could see why that would be tricky. It's.
- [38:27]
B
It's just. It's a lot. So I've learned to just. You know what? It takes me this long to write a book that's. You know, I'm not gonna fight that.
- [38:36]
A
Yeah.
- [38:37]
B
I'm gonna make sure I. And something that hasn't changed is I will not turn a book in until I'm happy with it. Like, I will not. If there's something that I feel is wrong with the story or a missing component, I won't turn it in.
- [38:52]
A
Do your publishers get mad at you for that?
- [38:54]
B
They're super nice to my face, so they don't let me know how much that I stress them out. They're very. They're very. Well, they all want me to turn out the best book possible, too, so it benefits all of us. But things we never got over. That book was three months late. That. And that was before I had a print deal. So at least it was just our deadline that I completely murdered. But it was worth it. It was absolutely worth it.
- [39:21]
A
Yeah. And three months isn't that late. You know what I mean? It's like, it wasn't like four years. You're like, no big deal. Just three months. What do you think the. The. The hardest part of publishing was for you in the beginning compared with now? Now?
- [39:37]
B
Oh, the hardest part. I. You know what? I think it was growing a thick skin.
- [39:43]
A
Do you read Goodreads reviews? I do.
- [39:45]
B
Not anymore.
- [39:46]
A
Yeah, I would imagine not.
- [39:48]
B
I don't go near the site.
- [39:49]
A
I Think every single author that I've spoken to does not read reviews on Goodreads. Now, I feel like, because I get to know some authors on this podcast, like, one, I never want to hurt anyone's feelings with my reviews. So if I don't love something, usually we'll give it a three. Because I don't want people to not read something simply because I don't like it or just like, making the bad part of the review funny.
- [40:14]
B
Right.
- [40:15]
A
Because, you know, I don't want to hurt anyone's feelings.
- [40:17]
B
Right. Yeah. I mean, it was. It was something that I. It made me look at how I was talking about other people's content and art that they've created because I've been known to be like, that TV show ending. I'm so pissed off. I will never re. Watch it. I'm, you know, I've. I'm. I had feelings and I was, you know, I voiced them publicly. And once I started getting some, like, really mean one star reviews, I was like, oh, my gosh, I'm a human and the people who wrote that TV show are humans, too. And I was just like, oh, that thing that you spent years on and bled and sweated into? Yeah. No, I hate it.
- [40:58]
A
Oh.
- [40:59]
B
I mean, I was like, oh, crap, I can't. So I only talk about books that I found five star. I only talk about books that I think my readers will love. And I never talk about, like, if I'm just reading something for fun, I never talk about what I'm reading just because I don't, you know, if somebody asks me, I don't want to say I didn't love it. I didn't, you know, like, it's. Yeah, I'm. It made me, you know, being on the receiving end of people being like, you should never write another book again because you're awful.
- [41:27]
A
I was like, have people said that?
- [41:28]
B
Oh, my gosh, they've said that. Said terrible, terrible things.
- [41:33]
A
I would imagine that would be the most challenging part.
- [41:35]
B
It's a book, guys. I think you can close it and go get something else you like. It's. It's fine. You know, don't. Don't feel like you have to finish something that you hate.
- [41:44]
A
So. Speaking of that, do you DNF books?
- [41:46]
B
I am a huge dnf.
- [41:48]
A
I can't bring myself to dnf. Once I commit to this book, I don't care if it took me, if it takes me three days or three weeks, I have to finish it. And Emily and I, I used to be the Same, like, yeah, she was the same way. And now she DNFs books. But I, I don't know if it's like a complex that I have about.
- [42:02]
B
That'S a, how do you feel? Like, if, if you know, you don't like the book and you finish it, how do you feel afterwards? Are you like, thank God that's over, or are you still angry at how much time it stole from me?
- [42:12]
A
There's only been two or three books that I was like, I wish that I DNF'd. Yeah. Most of the time I'm like, I'm just glad it's over. I can move on. But I'm like, I feel like I hit the goal. I, it counts towards my reading. You know what I mean? So I, I, I will say that I cannot DNF. I can't.
- [42:29]
B
I'm a big DNFer, and sometimes I.
- [42:32]
A
Have to read just to get like, is it, Am I really reading this book that's, you know, this bad or whatever? And so, like, I have to, I don't know. It's just a complex.
- [42:41]
B
Yeah.
- [42:43]
A
I have a couple questions about books specifically, if that's okay.
- [42:46]
B
Oh, yes, please.
- [42:47]
A
Okay. So what about 50 shares inspired 50 shades inspired you?
- [42:52]
B
I just thought it was amazing that, that this woman wrote this story, self published it, and then it exploded. It became this worldwide phenomenon.
- [43:05]
A
And I didn't actually know it was self published. I had no idea.
- [43:08]
B
Originally. Yeah. And it was, it was originally fanfic for Twilight.
- [43:13]
A
I did not know that.
- [43:14]
B
I just think that is the most amazing thing. So just, I mean, that's a beautiful way of how inspiration plays a role in, in these stories. Like, you can take something and take the pieces that you loved from this, and then you can add your spin and you just create this whole new story.
- [43:33]
A
Right.
- [43:33]
B
And I just, I thought it was amazing. We've been lucky enough to meet El James Erica a few times, and she's like the most delightful person on the place. She is so happy and so generous and so confident and we, I just, I think what a great role model for authors, you know, especially young women who are trying to tell their stories. I just, it was really cool to see that.
- [44:02]
A
If she asked you to collab on a book, would you do it?
- [44:04]
B
Yeah. And I am a terrible collaborator, so I would feel bad for her.
- [44:08]
A
Every author I talk to says that. What is it about you? Like, I feel like I want to collab with an author on something.
- [44:14]
B
And I just, it's so intense for me personally, I Nobody sees my story. Nobody.
- [44:23]
A
Not even Mr. Lucy.
- [44:24]
B
Nope. Nobody sees it until I have gone back through. I did three drafts of this book or three read throughs of this book.
- [44:32]
A
Story of my life.
- [44:33]
B
Mistakes were made. Book two, I just turned it in. Okay, so that's coming out next year. But I did did three drafts of that and nobody saw anything from it until I turned it into my editor.
- [44:48]
A
So you couldn't do that with like a co author because they would have to be able to have some sort of say.
- [44:52]
B
Yeah. And they would be looking at my first draft, which is a flaming dumpster explosion. And they would be like, how, how did you get to where you are? And I just, I can't, I can't open myself up to that. And then I also am extremely protective of my characters and my storylines. So somebody would be like, you know what would be better? And I'd be like, no, I don't.
- [45:16]
A
Want to hear it.
- [45:17]
B
And they would be like, wow, I have a lot of regrets collaborating with you.
- [45:22]
A
When I started this podcast, it seems like I had to figure it all out on my own. Scripts, set up, filming schedule, logos. It was all super overwhelming and honestly still is. Every day seemed like it introduced a new decision that I needed to make and I needed an answer. But when you're starting off with something new, it seems like your to do list just keeps growing every day with new tasks. And Shopify makes it way easier. Shopify is the commerce platform behind millions of businesses around the world and 10 of all E commerce in the UN in the US from household names like Mattel and Gymshark to brands just getting started. You guys can get started with your own design studio. With hundreds of ready to use templates, Shopify helps you build a beautiful online store to match your brand style and accelerate your content creation. Shopify is packed with helpful AI tools that write product descriptions, page headlines, and even enhance your product photography. You guys can get the word out like you have an entire marketing team behind you, easily create email and social media campaigns or wherever your customers are scrolling or strolling. And best yet, Shopify is your commerce expert with world class expertise in everything from managing inventory to international shipping, to processing returns and beyond. So if you're ready to sell, you're ready for Shopify. Turn your big business idea into With Shopify on your side, sign up for your $1 per month trial and start selling today at shopify.com barelyfamous go to shopify.com barelyfamous shopify.com barely famous I know that you don't want to collab with anyone. But if you were to collab, who would you pick? Dream collab. And it was completely seamless.
- [47:02]
B
Ah, okay. I would pick Nora Roberts.
- [47:13]
A
Okay.
- [47:13]
B
I love, I love her books. Her book, the Obsession is one of my all time favorite books. So good. There's romance, there's a serial killer, there's home renovation, like so you wouldn't stick.
- [47:25]
A
Maybe in the romance genre you would.
- [47:27]
B
I, I, I love a little romantic suspense.
- [47:30]
A
Okay.
- [47:31]
B
I, I would dabble in that. Yeah. I think also I would just want to sit in Rebecca Yarros office while she writes just to be like, what are you thinking now?
- [47:42]
A
Do you like her books? Have you read some of her books?
- [47:44]
B
I do. I've read, I read the first one and I have the next two to read. But the first one I read while I was trying to write a book and I didn't write a word for like four days. Cause I was so sucked into her book. So I'm not allowed to read her stuff while I write.
- [47:56]
A
I, there are some people. Cause I'll listen to a book, book, physical copy, and then also one on my Kindle and people are like kale, how do you do that? Do you read and do you read more than one book at once?
- [48:06]
B
Oh yeah. I, I usually have about three books going at one time.
- [48:09]
A
Yeah.
- [48:10]
B
And I'm a mood reader. So you know, I always have a non fiction going. I always have an audiobook going that's usually romance. And then I have something on my Kindle.
- [48:21]
A
But the Rome, the romance smut, spicy scenes on audio like that, that doesn't bother you at all?
- [48:27]
B
I, I think I'm immune.
- [48:30]
A
I don't think that listen to sex scenes on audio. Like Emily was reading Credence. Oh, she was listening to Credence. And we pulled up to the school parking lot that's across the street. So the kids were not around us yet. Just a disclaimer. And I hear the audio through the car and I was like, oh no girl, you could not pay me to listen to this book. I can't do smut on audio. Do you get to pick your audio readers like the narrator? Yeah. And do you get to decide if it's a full cast or just one person that does all the voices?
- [49:04]
B
We have generally stuck to two narrators just because it's easier for the narrators and easier for us to proof. And I think the full cast ones are amazing to listen to. But every time somebody tells me how much work goes into making that a cohesive product. I'm like, I want to jump off a bridge.
- [49:23]
A
Oh, I wouldn't. I. Recently I read Beautiful Ugly by Alice Feeney, and it was a great book. I read the physical copy, but somebody else was listening to it in my book club, and they said that they had, like, every walkie talkie that was, like, mentioned in the text. It was like. Like an audio sound effect. Yeah.
- [49:41]
B
Like a radio play.
- [49:42]
A
Yes. So, like, all the little sound effects were in the full.
- [49:45]
B
That's so crazy.
- [49:46]
A
And, like, I would imagine that would be so hard because I know what goes into editing a podcast, and just, like, the small sounds that have to be edited out or, like, color balancing that people don't think about and what. All of that, I cannot imagine. For a full cast of characters on audio and also getting them to. You're not seeing them.
- [50:04]
B
Right.
- [50:04]
A
And so you have to come up with the. The emotion of the characters.
- [50:07]
B
Yeah.
- [50:08]
A
Do. Do you know if they have to read the book prior to getting in to recording? Because how do you know what the tone of the character is?
- [50:15]
B
Well, we've been working with the same two narrators for several books now, just because I love them so much. Lila Winters, Natalie Duke. She's done. Done so many of my books, and I just. She gets me.
- [50:26]
A
Okay.
- [50:26]
B
She gets my humor, and she adds a layer on top. She. She performs it. And so sometimes when I'm writing, I will be like, I will have somebody eating a ham sandwich and say a line just because I want to hear Natalie do this in the audiobook. She's. She's incredible. We've worked with Sebastian York a lot, too, and he's. He's such a professional, and he has such a great voice.
- [50:52]
A
But so, like, your brother or your other family members that read your books, they. They probably know how you want it narrated, which is nice when you build that relationship with people.
- [51:01]
B
And every book I write has a Bible. So it is the character's name, the age, the physical description. Like, there's so many. So many columns. It's a spreadsheet, like, what kind of car they drive, what pets they have. And I have a column for the audio narrators. Like, this is how I hear their voice in my head. So it gives them a little bit of guidance On. On. Does this person have an accent? Is this person really young? You know, okay. Yeah. So it's. It's really cool. But I'm. For the most part, I just sit back and let them do their thing because they. They just get me, and they know what they're doing. Yeah, it's such. It's such a joy to work with them.
- [51:35]
A
Do you ever sit in on them with. No, you just let them do their thing.
- [51:38]
B
Yeah.
- [51:39]
A
If you ever need a narrator, just let me know. Okay.
- [51:41]
B
That would be so cool.
- [51:42]
A
I'm not gonna narrate the spicy scenes. Count me out of those.
- [51:46]
B
I'll put them all in the mail. Pov.
- [51:48]
A
Perfect. Could you. Yeah, that would be great. And you're from Pennsylvania. Are any of your towns or plot the settings of your books based out of where you're from?
- [52:00]
B
Oh, it's. There's. There's inspiration there for sure. I wrote a book called Rock Bottom Girl, and I borrowed heavily from the town that I grew up in.
- [52:08]
A
Yeah.
- [52:08]
B
And my high school. And so that was a lot of fun. I. If you can't tell, I love not doing research on things, so. So when the inspiration is that close to me, I really enjoy it. But. Yeah, they're just. I grew up in a small town. I live in a small town. There's just such a vibe to it that I love putting that on the page because it becomes its own character then. Yeah, it's very much like what I loved about Gilmore Girls wasn't Rory and Lorelei, it was Stars Hollow and all of the secondary characters. That was my. My favorite thing.
- [52:40]
A
Do you have any characters in mind from any of your book, like ancillary characters that you would build a series from?
- [52:46]
B
Yeah, I think there's. There's always people in the books that kind of surprise me. There was this hilarious bodyguard character named Jane in my book the Price of Scandal. I just had the best time writing her. It was. She's just this ridiculous over the top character. And I was always. I wrote like a little short short story for her afterwards just because I had so much fun with her. So there's always little characters hanging out, and I have to be careful because readers will. They'll be like, that person's single. We need. We need their book.
- [53:21]
A
And do you do it?
- [53:21]
B
Not everybody gets a book.
- [53:23]
A
No, of course not.
- [53:24]
B
Everybody gets a book.
- [53:25]
A
How do you name your characters?
- [53:27]
B
I take a lot of inspiration from real life. I keep a list on my phone, and I actually have a list of, like, funny potential character names, like Shifa Robe. Like, can you imagine somebody. And their nickname would be Shippy.
- [53:44]
A
You'd have to put, like, how to pronounce it too, because I can't tell you how many books I've read that I cannot pronounce it. So I just say whatever and Then I'll hear the audio.
- [53:53]
B
I'm like, what? Well, as a reader, I think we experience that a lot, but so you.
- [53:58]
A
Do the same thing. Like, you're having names that people probably wouldn't be able to pronounce.
- [54:01]
B
Oh, my gosh. And, you know, I've been such a big reader my whole life. There are so many words that I've only read and never heard out loud. I remember I was in college talking to my advisor, and I mispronounced the word constituent. I said constituent, and she was like, what?
- [54:16]
A
It's like.
- [54:16]
B
And I was like, oh, my gosh. I've never heard that word out loud before.
- [54:20]
A
I pronounced in indicted. Indicted.
- [54:23]
B
Well, why wouldn't you write that?
- [54:27]
A
Universe said. Why wouldn't you? Why would.
- [54:29]
B
The universe is like. I intended it to be pronounced addicted.
- [54:33]
A
I literally was reading, like, an article on the podcast, and my co host did not correct me. So it didn't get, like, edited or anything. And so indicted has become the word that I can never live down.
- [54:44]
B
That makes sense. I didn't know narwhals were real.
- [54:47]
A
Well, they seem like they would be fantasy.
- [54:49]
B
Yeah. Why. Why would a. The swimming sea unicorn be real? Okay, thank you. I feel so much better today just.
- [54:57]
A
When she said that. Yeah, well, you know, ligers are real too.
- [54:59]
C
What?
- [55:00]
A
Ligers from. What was that movie? Napoleon Dynamite. A liger. And no, ligers are real. Out of all your books, do you have a favorite? It's like picking a favorite child.
- [55:10]
B
Okay, well, I'm gonna be a jerk and say mistakes were made, which is the one that I just turned in, because I am in that beautiful window of time where I finished the book. I love it. I'm so happy that the thunder loves it too, and I haven't gotten any negative feedback on it.
- [55:28]
A
Oh, good.
- [55:29]
B
So it's this perfect window of. I feel like I crossed the line at a marathon, and I'm really proud of myself and really happy with what I've accomplished. So that is the perfect moment.
- [55:40]
A
What is the process, then, when you hand in a manuscript? Did they. Does your publishers or Mr. Lucy send it out to, like, our arc readers for.
- [55:48]
B
Arc readers don't get it. I don't. Reader. Readers don't get to see it for a long time. We go through a pretty extensive editing phase. My. My print editor will get it. My UK editor will get it at the same time, and they coordinate on. On their edits and developmental story stuff. And then we have editors on our team that will get it and read it. It goes through a sensitivity read. And then there's like line edits, copy edits, proofreading. It's by the time the book goes to the printer, I'm so sick of seeing the pages. I'm like, I don't know where commas go, I, I, and I don't care.
- [56:34]
A
Please someone figure it out, fix them.
- [56:36]
B
And leave me out of it.
- [56:38]
A
If you could pick any of your books to be a series on TV or a movie, what would it be, be?
- [56:43]
B
Well, I'm so glad you asked because the Knock him out series has been optioned for a TV series with Amazon MGM Studios. And I'm super excited about that and there might be a couple other projects in the works that I can't talk about yet. So I guess I can't tell you. But there, yeah, I'm, I'm really excited.
- [57:07]
A
And how do you, how are you handling. And I say this to every author when we talk about this part of this. It, Colleen Hoover was the first person to tell me that the manuscript for a book, the reason why you have to cut so many things out for a TV or a show or a movie is because you're, you're taking a typically 300 page book and then you have to write a 150 page screenplay or screenwrite. And so for you, how has that process, has it, have you been like, okay, I can see this part, you know, be cut out or whatever.
- [57:37]
B
I'm not, not the script writer, so I'm really enjoying it.
- [57:42]
A
So is there, are there parts that you're like, I don't want you to cut this out?
- [57:45]
B
The, yeah, they've, they've definitely asked certain things like, you know, what are the most important components? You know, what do, what do you need in here for your readers? And you know, I mean, one of the things that I was like 1000% clear on was no cheating. Like, they don't cheat in the books. I don't, you know, don't, don't add that, please. No, we have, we have lots of conflict and lots of, lots of ways to keep viewers entertained. So no cheating. And also I was like, you know, the humor is really important to me. And they're like, yeah, that's not going anywhere.
- [58:20]
A
Good, that's good.
- [58:22]
B
So, yeah, I don't, I don't know. Like, I don't know how somebody would take a book and then turn it into a script for a movie or, or season one of a TV show. Like, I, I'm just really enjoying watching the process unfold with experts.
- [58:39]
A
Yeah, yeah. You're like, I'll let you do what you do.
- [58:41]
B
Yeah, it's. It's so. Because it's such a different animal and like, you know, the book, it's so. It's all happening inside your head. Everything in that book is designed to make you visualize something, to make you see it and feel it. But obviously TV and movie, you're already seeing it, so everything has to be adapted so you can deliver the same feelings through a different medium. And I'm just really excited to see how it all plays out.
- [59:08]
A
So that's everybody signed to read the Knock Them out series before it comes to the big screen.
- [59:12]
B
I would definitely recommend that and then read it after.
- [59:15]
A
Yeah. Oh, that's a good idea to see how, like, your perspective has changed and.
- [59:18]
B
Share with your friends.
- [59:20]
A
You're like, tag everybody. Send it to your mom. Do it in front of your boss. Love it. Before we close out, where can people find you on social media? And where can people buy your books?
- [59:31]
B
I am on Instagram, Lucy. I'm on Facebook, and I have a website that's lucyscore.com. my books are available in bookstores everywhere. You can hit up a big retailer or your favorite indie store and also on Amazon on.
- [59:49]
A
Thank you so much for joining us for Barely Famous.
- [59:51]
B
Thanks for having me.
- [60:36]
C
Hi, I'm Adam Rippon and this is Intrusive Thoughts, the podcast where I finally say the stuff out loud that's been living rent free in my head for years. From dumb decisions to awkward moments I probably should have kept to myself. Nothing's off limits. Yes, I'm talking about the time I lost my phone mid flight and still haven't truly emotionally recovered from that. There might be too many sound effects. I've been told to chill. Will I? Unclear. But if you've ever laid awake at night cringing at something you said five years ago, congratulations, you found your people. Intrusive Thoughts with Adam Rippon is available now wherever you get your podcast.
- [61:16]
B
This October, Fear is free on Pluto.
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A
Tv with horror movie collections from Paranormal.
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B
Activity, the Ring, you will die in seven days.
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A
Scream. And From Dusk till Dawn.
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B
This is my kind of place.
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A
And don't miss the man made nightmares in Mary Shelley's Frankenstein or the world.
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B
Ending chaos in 28 days later.
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A
There's something in the blood.
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B
All the scares, all for free.
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A
Pluto TV stream now. Pay never.