Louie the Lynx and Ryan the Lion was the winner in the ROMANCE category of the 2024 IndieReader Discovery Awards, where undiscovered talent meets people with the power to make a difference.
Following find an interview with author Sarah Lahey.
What is the name of the book and when was it published?
Louie the Lynx and Ryan the Lion. Published in September 2023.
What’s the book’s first line?
Late Friday afternoon, Louie Leon entered Max Cabot’s office at City University. The office was empty, but she wasn’t there to see Max, she was searching for a book—an art book.
What’s the book about? Give us the “pitch”.
Louie the Lynx is an enemies-to-lovers romance about an anxious, idealistic PhD student and a successful, pragmatic architect. Louie is nine years into her PhD on light—a topic she can answer in three words—light is everything. With only six months left to complete her research, Louie’s focus is unwavering. Until a fateful encounter in the university tutorial room with the charming, yet infuriatingly attractive Ryan McDermott changes everything.
What inspired you to write the book? A particular person? An event?
I normally write sci-fi novels, so Louie the Lynx was a shift in genre for me. But I love romance, and I couldn’t get the story out of my head. I wanted the novel to be filled with all my favourite things—art, architecture, and dogs.
What’s the most distinctive thing about the main character? Who-real or fictional-would you say the character reminds you of?
Louie is completing her PhD, so she’s a smart, hardworking woman. But she has an idealistic worldview and won’t settle for anything less than perfection. For her, life can easily become overwhelming. As a university lecturer, I often see these traits in my students. For some, perfection is anxiety’s evil twin.
What’s the main reason someone should really read this book?
The book is a joyful exploration of love and the unexpected twists that make romance stories enchanting, but it also explores the idea of perfectionism that many people place on themselves. The universal message is that we can’t be good at everything. We need to be kinder to ourselves, and it’s okay to let some things go. The book also has the perfect happy ending.
If they made your book into a movie, who would you like to see play the main character(s)?
Louie: Emma Watson
Ryan: Liam Hemsworth
Louie’s Mother Tara: Toni Collette
Uncle Max: Stanley Tucci
Uncle Filip: Sam Neill
Eva: Any Australian kelpie would fit the part.
Best Friend Lila: Emma Stone
Best Friend Henry: Troye Sivan
When did you first decide to become an author?
The first book in my sci-fi/romance series was published in 2020. The third and final book in that series was released earlier this year. With the series complete, I felt like an author.
Is this the first you’ve written?
Louie the Lynx is my fourth novel and my first self-published book.
What do you do for work when you’re not writing?
I teach design subjects, including creative thinking, sustainable design, and emerging design technologies, at a university in Sydney, Australia.
How much time do you generally spend on your writing?
I write for three hours every morning before I go to work. I also try to find some time on the weekends. When I’m working on a new book, I try to write 1000 words a day or 10,000 words a week.
What’s the best and the hardest part of being an indie?
Indie publishing means no more gatekeeping to your writing dreams. This is the best thing about being self-published, you get free reign to share your stories. While writing is hard work, publishing is even harder, and indie authors need to know the business inside out. We wear many hats. My least favourite hat is marketing.
Is there something in particular that motivates you (fame? fortune?)
The desire to tell stories would be my main motivation. I have dozens of story ideas that I can’t wait to write. While fortune would be terrific, most authors quickly realise this is unrealistic. It’s a very competitive market.