Inspiring Interviews
Printfresh x Simon & Schuster Book Club: Meet Author Lia Louis
For this winter edition of the Printfresh x Simon & Schuster Book Club, we’re thrilled to chat with author Lia Louis on her lovely novel, ‘Eight Perfect Hours.’ In this beautifully crafted tale, readers follow the lives of Sam and Noelle as their paths cross during a snowstorm, the perfect read for a cozy evening spent inside relaxing in pjs. Check out this special blog as Lia explores the inspiration behind her book and writing process!
Lynzi Yearick
December 2023
Lia Louis for Printfresh
What inspired you to write Eight Perfect Hours?
We had a storm here once in the U.K. called the Beast from the East and there were all these news articles about people who were stranded on a motorway in the snow for hours. Food delivery trucks gave away food, teams of locals got together to deliver food and blankets to cars. I’m sure it wasn’t romantic for the people on the motorway, but I found something about it so romantic and interesting! I like the idea of two people meeting who would have never ordinarily met too.
What’s one thing you’d like to share with shoppers who read the book?
That I wrote it during the pandemic and the first 2020 lockdown, and it really held my hand. Sounds silly, perhaps, talking about a piece of writing this way but when we couldn’t leave the house and I was drowning in home schooling and child wrangling, diving into Noelle and Sam’s world was a really warm and indulgent escape during a really difficult, worrying time.
What’s an interesting fact about the book or your writing process that readers may not know about?
I wrote it at the most random, crazy times of day and in random, crazy places! Because of the pandemic and with both me and my partner working from home, plus our three children studying at home, I had to snatch time wherever I could get it. If I could have written undisturbed at 2am standing on my head, I would have done it, haha.
Lia Louis & signed, sealed & printed
What’s your favorite part of the book?
Very hard to choose but the car scenes! Especially the very first, awkward one.
How do you think your background in copywriting influenced your career as an author?
I think it makes me linger over sentences, considering the power of the words. Sometimes just using one word in a certain way, or using a metaphor that really works can add so much heft and depth.
Any future books in the works?
Ohh yes! My next book is out in May, and it’s called Better Left Unsent. It’s a book about a woman whose draft emails all get sent, including a love declaration to her ex who’s about to get married!
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