Rachel Lacey and I chat about her upcoming book releases, childhood aspirations, what books she is most excited to read this year and much more!
Purchase Rachel's books below:
Read Between the Lines: A Novel (Ms. Right): Lacey, Rachel: 9781542033541: Amazon.com: Books
No Rings Attached: A Novel (Ms. Right Book 2) - Kindle edition by Lacey, Rachel. Literature & Fiction Kindle eBooks @ Amazon.com.
Don't Cry for Me: A Lesbian Romance (Midnight in Manhattan Book 1) - Kindle edition by Lacey, Rachel. Literature & Fiction Kindle eBooks @ Amazon.com.
Rachel Lacey and I chat about her upcoming book releases, childhood aspirations, what books she is most excited to read this year and much more!
Purchase Rachel's books below:
Read Between the Lines: A Novel (Ms. Right): Lacey, Rachel: 9781542033541: Amazon.com: Books
No Rings Attached: A Novel (Ms. Right Book 2) - Kindle edition by Lacey, Rachel. Literature & Fiction Kindle eBooks @ Amazon.com.
Don't Cry for Me: A Lesbian Romance (Midnight in Manhattan Book 1) - Kindle edition by Lacey, Rachel. Literature & Fiction Kindle eBooks @ Amazon.com.
Welcome to the introductory episode of The Sapphic Book Review Podcast. My name is Laura and I'll be your host, I thought I'd take a moment to tell you a little bit about me and why she listened to this podcast. I have two teenage boys, Josh is 17 and a senior in high school and Adams 15 and a sophomore. I've been with my partner Deb for 11 and a half years. We live in Missouri with our boys and our dogs, Sam and Lucy. I started a blog late last year where I reviewed lesbian books and interview authors. It's been so therapeutic, and it's helped me through a very difficult time. The writers and readers of lesbian fiction are such a wonderful group. And I'm so thankful for the friendships I've made. This is such a close knit community who support each other through moments of adversity, as well as moments of joy. And I'm so thrilled to be a part of it. I want this podcast to be a celebration of the brilliant writers who bring such wonderful stories to life. And I want us to share the books that touch our hearts, get our juices flowing, or bring us a much needed laughter. I'll be bringing you interviews with some of my favorite authors, as well as sharing my feelings on the books I've been reading, and hopefully getting some recommendations from you. Thanks so much for listening. Now on with the show. Rachel Lacey is an award winning lez fiction writer. Her latest book Rea Between The Lines was released in December and is still near the top of Amazon's top 100 In lesbian fiction. Her next book, No Rings Attached, will be available on April 12. Hi, Rachel, thank you for being my first guest. It's lovely to talk to you.
Rachel:It is lovely to be here. And I am excited to be your first guest.
Laura:Between the Lines has over 2000 ratings on Amazon. That's insane. Are you still pinching yourself?
Rachel:Totally still pinching myself on that. It's still, to be honest, it still feels a little surreal. I've been publishing books for a long time I released my first book in 2014. And it didn't have much success. I've been kind of flying under the radar for a long time, I got used to really no one paying attention to me. And now this book has been so successful. It's just really blown my mind in a really good way.
Laura:I finished reading No Rings Attached a few weeks ago. And it's another wonderful book and I'm sure it's going to be a huge success. It also has one of my favorite tropes fake dating. I think when I was single I could have rocked fake dating. I think I probably would have been much better fake dating then real dating. Have you ever been anyone's fake date? And what else can you tell us about Lia and Grace?
Rachel:I have not ever been anyone's fake date. And the truth is now that you got me thinking about it, I don't know that I've ever known anyone in real life who's fake dated, right? It's more a book thing. It's so popular in in romance and in movies. And it's one of my always one of my favorite tropes. But yeah, I don't actually know anyone who's ever done that. And I know I would love to do that, that there'd be so much awkward. There'd be so much potential for awkwardness. I feel like in real life, because what are the chances that you'd actually fake dating like, your soulmate? Right? It probably be someone that you really didn't like at all
Laura:I think I'm totally the opposite. I think it would totally be your person. That would just happen organically. You just start talking all of a sudden you're like I love after two days.
Rachel:That would be a really cool, really cool love story in real life.
Laura:So what's up with Lia and Grace?
Rachel:So for anyone who's read Read Between The Lines, they already know Lia is Rosie's best friend. And there were some mentions to Rosie having another best friend who lived in Europe, who Lia had kind of jokingly called her imaginary friend because no one had ever met her. So, in No Rings Attached. we're going to meet Grace. Basically, Lia needs a date to her brother's wedding in London. And she doesn't have anyone to take as an actual date. So Rosie suggests that she take Grace as her fake girlfriend for the weekend. And plus, it's a chance for Lia and Grace to meet and so it kind of goes from there. We got some fake dating, only one be, gotta love the only one bed and a lot of good stuff there. And then there's also a road trip as Grace goes on the hunt for some answers about her past.
Laura:You just took all my favorite things and put them into one book.
Rachel:I know. I know. That's like one of the best things about being authors. Like I really love like fake dating tropes. You know what? I'm gonna write one. There we go.
Laura:I know it's gonna be another big year for you. In addition to No Rings Attached, what else do you have planned for release this year?
Rachel:Okay, so after No Rings Attached, I'm part of a sapphic romance anthology releasing in May. It's called Love On Location. And it's gonna be me, Lily Seabrooke, Milena McKay, Jacqueline Ramsden, Johana Galvez, Jamey Moody. And Margaux Fox. And all the stories are vacation or travel themed, which I mean, we could all use a little virtual escape right now. So, yeah, we're really excited about that. And then after that, in September ish, I'm going to be releasing She'll Steal Your Heart, which is the fourth book in my Midnight in Manhattan series. For anyone who's read Don't Cry For Me. If you remember when Josie's bar got robbed, So that was Lauren who robbed the bar. And she's actually the heroine of book four. This whole time I had been planning to redeem her and tell her story, but things got shuffled around with the pandemic and stuff. And I ended up writing a different book first. So I'm excited to finally redeem Lauren, and give her backstory. And this one is an online friends to lovers and an age gap. And really kind of my love letter to like fandoms and fandom communities. Because both heroines of that book are both big fans. In fact, Lauren is also the author of The fanfiction from Book Three with Piper and her television show. So there's a lot of fanfiction and fandom references in that one. So. Yeah, I'm excited. And we get to see Josie and you get to check back in with Josie and Eve.
Laura:I have huge crush on Josie.
Rachel:Yeah, I love Josie. She's one of my favorites.
Laura:Anyone who can take care of little baby kittens. Yeah,
Rachel:I know. I'm an animal lover, but that's a big commitment, Yeah, getting up during the night.
Laura:it's hard enough with the actual kids.
Rachel:I know. It's like having like multiple newborn babies in the middle of the night, I guess
Laura:So when I was little, I wanted to be a model and actress, a singer, a school teacher. And because they had the candy, a checkout girl at the grocery store. What did little Rachel want to be?
Rachel:So there are two things that I remember, when I was really little. I wanted to be what I called a building knock downer, which was essentially the person who like man's the wrecking ball that knocks down the buildings.
Laura:that's badass.
Rachel:Yeah, I have no idea where that ever came from for me, because I wasn't like, particularly into trucks and stuff as a kid.
Laura:You just wanted to destroy shit.
Rachel:I just wanted to destroy shit when I was very small. So. And then, when I was a little older, I very much wanted to be a vet. Because I loved animals. And I wanted to help animals. And I thought that that sounded great. And then as I got older, I was like, you know, like to be a vet, you have to do surgeries and like, deal with a lot of like wounds and things and I'm not really good at a lot of fluids. Like I can I can handle it with my own family and pets. But like, the thought in nothing medical I don't think I could ever do.
Laura:Now I know I could never do it. I'd be out as soon as somebody started bleeding or other things started coming out. I'm out. This medical school was a waste of time.
Rachel:And also like having the responsibility for someone's life in your hands that way. I don't think I can handle that.
Laura:No writing love stories is much better for you. No one's gonna die.
Rachel:Well, that was one of my favorite things about romance. You don't know how you're going to get there. But you know, you're going to have a happy ending.
Laura:Well, unless you write one that's not a happy ending.
Rachel:Yeah. It's not technically a romance.
Laura:That's true. You're right. Tell me one thing about you that would come as a complete surprise. Maybe you have a hidden talent. I don't know. Maybe you breakdance.
Rachel:I do not break dance. I did do ballet when I was little, but I was not that good at it. Um, something that would surprise you about me? Probably would be that I was a Spanish major in college. So um, the backstory for that, as with many things in my life, I am a huge fan girl. And I was a huge fan of Gloria Estefan. I still am but in my teens was when I like first became a fan and I really wanted to be able to understand the lyrics of her Spanish songs. So that was like, that was initially why I started learning Spanish and then I just really fell in love with the language. And I just enjoyed it so much that I ended up double majoring in business and Spanish in college. I spent a summer living in Spain.
Laura:Oh, nice,
Rachel:like a study abroad. And yeah,
Laura:So you can speak Spanish Are you like fluent?
Rachel:See, this is my regret.
Laura:Oh boy.
Rachel:I could speak Spanish, I can still understand it pretty well. But I don't speak it very well anymore. I just I didn't keep up with it. I didn't practice.
Laura:I took two years of French in high school, because I thought it was a sexy romantic language, right? I can say my name. That's it.
Rachel:French confuses the heck out of me. There's so many letters in there.
Laura:I don't know what I was doing. I just thought this is sexy language.
Rachel:It is a really sexy sounding language.
Laura:But maybe I'll now take it up again. And romance my lady with my sexy French voice. Hmm,
Rachel:yeah, we took a trip a couple years ago, before COVID to London in Paris. And we tried to learn a little bit of French before we went just to be able to like, you know, ask for things in stores and stuff. And I was like, Yeah, it's like, the pronunciation is really out there. Or, I mean, I guess if you really, truly learned the language, it would make sense. But
Laura:I went to Paris with my mom. And it was right after high school. So I was like, 20 something maybe? And I tried to speak French to the people and I all I could ask them was where the bathroom was. That's all I managed to speak.
Rachel:It's like the most important thing to learn.
Laura:I think it really was. Yeah, but that's, that's all. Yeah.
Rachel:Because they always tell you to learn how to ask like, where is, you know, whatever. But then, you know, they're gonna answer you in the language that you don't speak and then,
Laura:right, you're like, I don't know what you just said, whatever. What is the cause that is near and dear to your heart?
Rachel:Um, well, I think anyone who knows me at all knows that I am a huge animal lover. And more than that, I'm a huge animal rescue advocate. All of our pets, including like, my son's hamster, were adopted. We adopted our hamster from the animal shelter. And yeah, so I support my local shelters. And I'm also involved with Carolina boxer rescue, which is where we had adopted our boxer from, and I have volunteered with them, and we used to foster for them as well.
Laura:Very nice. We have rescue dogs as well, Sam's a sweetheart, and then we have a Shih Tzu who's not a rescue but she's, she's something. Yeah. I know you love to read lesbian
Rachel:Yeah. Oh, no, I don't count mine and that at all. I fiction almost as much as I do. What books are you really looking forward to coming out this year? Besides your own? You can't count those. have a love hate relationship with like, release day approaching. it's very stressful. So other people's books I'm very excited about that. We just have so many good lesbian fiction books coming out.
Laura:I know. And there's a lot coming out like really soon to where I dont know how I'm going to fit them all in.
Rachel:Yeah, so um, I think probably the one that I that off the top of my head, and is probably the one that's the most far out for release is Lee Winter's redeeming the villain book.
Laura:Oh, yeah. That's going to be so good.
Rachel:I'm really interested to see how she does that because Michelle Hastings
Laura:she was horrible.
Rachel:Yes, so bad. But I mean, I love everything that Lee writes. So I'm so confident that she's gonna successfully redeem Michelle for me.
Laura:Yeah, we're gonna love Michelle by the end of it. And I don't know for sure how she does it.
Rachel:Um, let's see what else Melissa Brayden has a new one coming out soon. I'm not sure when. it's called Exclusive.
Laura:Exclusive. I finished that yesterday,
Rachel:Did you? Is is ike rival TV reporters or something like that rivals?
Laura:It's an anchorwoman and a local woman from down the way a little bit. She comes to work there as a reporter. And there's so you know, instant like chemistry sparks situations.
Rachel:Yeah. Melissa does that so well. So I'm looking forward to that. And it must be coming out fairly soon then if you've already gotten it read.
Laura:Yeah, I think it comes of March.
Rachel:And that's even even sooner than I was thinking. Um, of course, Milena McKay has A Whisper Of Solace coming out of I want to say April. But I mean, pretty sure that one is a celebrity ice queen. And that is like two of my very favorite things. And she writes ice queen so well. So we looking forward to that one. And another Stephanie Shae has a new one coming out, I think later this month.
Laura:Yeah, I think it's the end of the month.
Rachel:Yeah. Really looking forward to that one. I had really loved Chef's Kiss. And I think this one is, is a sequel or set in the same world as Chef's Kiss.Missed Connection.
Laura:That's it. I've been bothering her asking her when she's gonna have that done so she can send it to me.
Rachel:I'm not remembering when these things are coming, but then I see them drop into my social media feed. I'm like, yes, I forgot that one too.
Laura:I know E.J. Noyes book that's coming out with Rebecca and Sabine River. That's going to be amazing. I think that's the one I literally squealed when I saw that she was releasing it. And I was like,
Rachel:I haven't read Ask Tell yet. I have to add that one to my list before the for the other book comes out.
Laura:You're not watching the Super Bowl tonight. Just get that book out instead.
Rachel:I will be working though.
Laura:Oh, all right. If you say so. Where can readers find you to connect on social media?
Rachel:Twitter is where I am the most and Instagram probably. Both places. I am Rachel S Lacey. And you can find me on Facebook. You can find me most places. I'm not on like, Tik Tok
Laura:No, I don't get that.
Rachel:Yeah, I think I may be like too old.
Laura:If you're too old, then I am definitely too old. I watch other peoples videos
Rachel:Yeah, I'm not a cute little video kind of person. There's so many people they can just take these those cute little videos of themselves and it's funny to watch.
Laura:Erica Lee is adorable on TikTok .
Rachel:I'm not that person. I always feel super awkward on video. I can't watch anything. I'm often like if I'm on a piano or something. I can't watch it back after
Laura:I don't like to see myself. Yeah, even taking my own picture I'm like what is that? What's wrong with your eye? What is up with my head?
Rachel:You know, you take 500 selfies to get like the one that you're okay sharing.
Laura:Especially now that they have this HD shit. Now where you look like really the way you look.
Rachel:yeah, my phone is a few years old. So I don't think I have like the most up to date one.
Laura:Yeah, I would keep it that way. I have an up to date one and it's awfu.
Rachel:Well, I need a new one because it's starting to like, not quite like sync to things correctly anymore. But yeah, so yeah, you can find me on most most social media if you search Rachel Lacey.
Laura:Alright, and go to Amazon get all of her books. Rachel, I can't tell you how much I appreciate you doing this for me. I'm so grateful to have the chance to get to know you. And I wish you only the best. You're a special writer, but an even more special person.
Rachel:Aww, thank you so much, Laura. This is wonderful to see you and chat with you in person here today.
Laura:I know it's been great. If you haven't read it yet. I'm not sure what you're waiting for. Go online right now and pick up Read Between The Lines. It's a lesbian version of You've Got Mail, and you're gonna love Rosie and Jane. And preorder No Rings Attached, available on April 12. I hope you enjoyed by visit with Rachel Lacey. My goal is not only to talk about books with the authors, but also to give you a little window into who they are as people. Thanks for listening, and don't forget to subscribe. I'll have more interviews with the best authors in lesfic. Right here on the Sapphic Book Review Podcast