Blog Tour: You Had Me at Melot - Author Q&A with Lisa Dickenson


You Had Me at Merlot is the kind of love story that will have you crying with laughter one moment and nodding your head in agreement the next. Full of sultry summer nights, hilarious moments and plenty of wine, it will warm even the most cynical of hearts and have you believing in the magic of romance… and of course, the power of a decent glass of Merlot. And it's finally out in paperback! To celebrate, author Lisa Dickenson has stopped by to talk about it:

1) Hi Lisa and welcome to Alba in Bookland. First, could you tell us a bit about yourself?
Hi Alba! Total flippin’ pleasure to be here with you again; it’s like coming home! A bit about me… well, I live in Devon – currently house hunting so I can move out of rented and Husband Phil and I can get some big dogs – and I like Beyoncé, holidays, funny ladies and peanut butter. I dislike moany people, and mayonnaise. 

2) You Had Me at Merlot is about two friends who go on a singles holiday to a beautiful vineyard in Tuscany. Did you have fun writing it?
I did… I wish I could say I went on an exotic research trip but in actual fact I just drank wine and surrounded myself with Italian holiday brochures. But it was really good fun to write, and I could easily picture that Tuscan sunshine beaming down on me.

3) I completely fell in love with Tuscany reading this book. Why did you choose this setting?
Oh yay, that’s fab news! I chose Tuscany because I already had the idea of the vineyard holiday (and the title) and wanted a beautiful, sun-drenched, delicious-fooded part of the world for the girls to escape their city lives to. As our leading lady is somewhat coaxed by her friend to join her on this trip, it would have been unrealistic for them to go as far as the Californian, Australian or South African vineyards, so Italy seemed perfecto.


4) How did you research it? Was there a lot of wine tasting involved?
Haha – of course! It was actually done a lot from memory of various wine tastings and vineyards I’d experienced in the past. And never underestimate the power of google images to help you visualize a setting!

5) Elle, the main character, is single but not looking for love. Why did you chose that?
I don’t like the idea that a woman is only going to be happy when she finally has a partner. I think it’s perfectly easy to be 100% happy in this life on your own, if that’s what you want. And so I wanted to convey the message that the single life isn’t some sad misfortune, but something a person is quite within their right to choose. And if they then do meet someone, that’s fine too, because happiness can happen in so many forms.

6) Did you have someone in mind for inspiration when you were writing about a certain sexy Italian?
Nope, not really. The males in my books are open to whatever interpretation gets your juices flowing.

7) You Had Me at Merlot was first released as a serialised enovel. How did you feel when you saw the final paperback with that dreamy cover?
SO. HAPPY. I loved the bright yellow cover from the moment Little, Brown emailed it to me, and when the first paperback arrived and I saw the red was all shiny I was even more in love. I’m so glad you like it too!

8) Of all the characters on the singles holiday, who was your favourite to write? I am a big fan of George, the loaded American womanizer ready to become Elle's sugar daddy.
I quite liked the two Bristol girls – they were fun to write. Maybe they should have a spin off book of their own... And George was fun, the cheeky lothario!

9) Your characters always find themselves in the most hilarious situations. What the funniest thing that has ever happened to you?
Wow, that’s a hard question! Often the funniest things aren’t very funny at all at the time, but looking back they’re quite amusing. A memory that springs to mind was when my friend and I were backpacking after university – we were nineteen and had rocked up to a dodgy hostel on the dodgy end of Hollywood Boulevard, which at the time was quite a lot dodgier than it is now. The room had a foot-high gap at the bottom of the door, a bit like a toilet cubicle door, and in the middle of the night some residents in the room opposite started shouty-arguing, gangster-style. “What am I gonna have to do to make you pay, huh?” “I’m sorry, Johnny, I’ll get your money for you by tomorrow!” Then a lady of the night stormed out of the room to clack up and down the corridor and bang on our room, shouting “ANYONE IN THERE GOT A DIME?” My friend and I were convinced we were about to witness a murder, or be murdered ourselves, so we high-tailed it to another, less dodgy hostel as soon as it was morning, and we thought it was safe to exit the room. Looking back, it was quite funny. Sort of…

10) What are you working on right now? 
Right now I’m finishing edits for my fourth book, which will be out in paperback this Autumn and is called Mistletoe on 34th Street. I’m also just beginning to put pen to paper for Book 5…




Thank you Lisa for stopping by and answering all my questions. I absolutely adored You Had Me at Merlot and I'm already looking forward Mistletoe on 34th Street! 

You Had Me at Merlot is the perfect summer read: hilarious and heart-warming. It has this feel-good sparkle than will have you turning page after page and will leave you with a huge smile in your face. So, don't doubt it, get it right now and enjoy the sun and magic of Tuscany. You are in for a real treat. Lisa is one of the funniest and wittiest writers you can find and I'm sure big things are coming her way.


And get it now:    Amazon | AmazonUK

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4 comentaris

  1. Such a stunning photo! I can't wait to get my hands on this book. A lovely post, thank you for sharing :)

    Katie | www.bookabie.co.uk

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    1. Thanks Katie! It's a fantastic read to enjoy this summer, I hope you love it as much as I did! :) Alba x

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  2. Thanks for an entertaining Q&A Alba. Brought a smile to my face :)

    #TalkoftheTown

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    1. Thanks for stopping by Shaz, so glad you enjoyed the Q&A! There's always something new to discover at #TalkoftheTown! x

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