I’m elated to welcome Megan Mayfair back to the blog today to talk books, writing, and binge-worthy TV. Her latest novel, Spoonful of Sugar (Book 3 in her Tangled Vines series) just released out into the world.
Author Name: Megan Mayfair
Book Title: Spoonful of Sugar
Book Genre: Romantic Fiction
Release Date: September 14, 2019
Publisher: Crooked Cat Books
Welcome back, Megan! Please tell us about your latest book.
The heart of a Spoonful of Sugar is that it is never too late to start again and find the purpose, and spark, in life.
What inspired the idea?
I wrote about the same family in Tangled Vines, and then again in The Problem with Perfect. There was a third sibling, Rose, who sort of flittered around in the other books and I wanted to give her the chance to tell her story. I thought she seemed a bit lost and the idea of giving her a near-miss with a tram gave her a bit of a jolt to start examining what she really wanted in life. I also had one side of the story in a love triangle in Tangled Vines that I wanted to hear the other person’s side. For me, this book was all about bookending some of the events of Tangled Vines.
How close is the end product to that seed of an idea?
It was pretty close given I already had the story in my mind. Odette, the matriarch of the family did surprise me, however, and her story ended up being a little more involved than I planned. It was a pleasant surprise though as she is a little cold in Tangled Vines and The Problem with Perfect but I think readers will see a different side of her. Someone who is maybe a little more approachable and less confident than perhaps readers may think.
In what ways do you think you’ve evolved as a writer over the course of your career so far?
I’m definitely a better planner when it comes to plotting out my novels.
I imagine planning is so key, especially when it comes to writing a series! What’s your favorite part about writing? What do you find challenging?
I love the spark of coming up with a new idea – often totally out of nowhere – and thinking up all the whatifs and what nexts, it’s sort of fun and terrifying at the same time as the brain seems to speed up and all these possibilities come together. I love also getting on a roll and just writing. I find time management challenging – I work in PR and teach at a university and have a young family, so stealing those moments to just write can be hard.
That sounds like a lot to juggle! What are your interests outside of writing and reading?
Spending time with my family. I love watching Aussie rules football and cricket, binge-watching a few shows – love a great drama like The Americans or The Wire or Line of Duty. Always on the look out for what’s new on Netflix. I like exploring around wine regions around Victoria and coffee – I love coffee.
What are you working on now?
I’m writing a contemporary romance set in the medical world and plotting out a new women’s fiction title.
Where can readers find you?
Website: https://www.meganmayfair.com
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/meganmayfairwrites
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/meganmayfairwrites
Thank you, Megan! A Spoonful of Sugar is out now.
Bio:
Megan Mayfair is an Australian writer who writes women’s fiction with a dash of family intrigue, a sprinkling of humour and a spoonful of romance. And a lot of heart.
Her debut novel, The Things We Leave Unsaid, is published by Crooked Cat Books, as well as Tangled Vines, The Problem with Perfect, and A Spoonful of Sugar.
Tangled Vines won the Romance Writers of Australia Romantic Book of the Year (Ruby) Award in 2019 in the romantic elements category. Megan was also a finalist in the 2018 Australian Romance Readers Association Awards (Favourite Debut Romance Author).
A Spoonful of Sugar
It’s never too late to start again…
Rose Doyle never wanted a career. A job was fine, but it all seemed like a distraction from what she really wanted: love and family. Filling her days with fun, friends and fashion seemed like a good way to spend the time, but when a near-death experience leaves her questioning her life, she sets out to discover her purpose.
Noah Edwards is a doctor at the cross-roads. With career ambitions having drawn an irreconcilable wedge between himself and his former life on remote Bruny Island, tough decisions must be made. Will a chance meeting with Rose give him the courage to face his past?
Odette Doyle is a woman on the edge. After years of questioning her marriage, a heart-breaking discovery sees her finally start a new chapter in her life.
As Rose and Noah grow closer, Odette worries her daughter may make the same mistakes she made in her life. Will her deepest secret protect Rose’s future, or will it tear mother and daughter apart?