Interview with Lily Temperly - Fix: Sex, Lies & Banking

Today I'm welcoming debut author Lily Temperley whose novel is based on a true story, hers!
Read on and I'm sure you'll be as excited to read this book as I am!

• ISBN-13: 9781909477018
• Publisher: Clink Street Publishing
• Publication date: 11/7/2014
• Pages: 218

 

Overview

What's love got to do with it? Patrick Harrington is handsome, wealthy and successful. He is also a high-functioning addict that craves his next fix. His vices of choice are money and women: taking risks at work and pursuing multiple sexual conquests. Determined to get what he wants, as he always does, Harrington fixates on Alexandra Fisher - the latest pretty young thing in his office.

Hi Lily, welcome to The Reading Frenzy.

I understand Fix: Sex Lies & Banking is based on a true story.
How true? :)

The story is more true than I care to admit! I have had a very interesting life and my romantic endeavours gave me rich material to turn into a story that I hope my readers will enjoy. The two central characters, Alexandra and Patrick are very closely modelled on real people but also balanced with a bit of fiction to mix things up. I would like to keep my readers guessing where the line between reality and artistic licence begins and ends.

One of the catch phrases for the book is “Love makes you do crazy things.”
Is this a romance too?

There is romance in the story as I am a romantic at heart and Alexandra certainly gets wooed and pursued by Patrick. It also blends the love and romance with sex and addiction so I guess it is not a typical boy meets girl tale. I named it "Fix" for three reasons: one it can be interrupted as a means of satisfying an addiction, two it is a position from which it is difficult to escape, and thirdly it means to repair or mend. This story can be read through all three meanings.

Lily I understand you write under a pseudonym because you’re still working in the banking industry, only now instead of London you’re based in the Middle East.
Do you find living there hard for a western woman?

Yes and No. I do think it is a matter of confidence, perspective and understanding. There is a large expat community here so there are times where you look around and think that you could be in London or New York. There are many bars and restaurants that are internationally known and people turn up dressed to impress which may include a bit or a lot of flesh showing. On the other hand, having been here long enough to understand more about the culture and wishing to be very respectful of traditions and customs means that you think harder about your appearance and behaviour. At work and in public spaces like malls I make sure my shoulders and knees are covered. In terms of things I miss as a women in the Middle East, the most noticeable thing is men tend not to hold open doors so I miss the gentlemanly approach of guys in London!

Now that you’ve got book one under your belt what about the entire process will you change with your next book? Or will it all stay the same?

There is a sequel underway but I also have lots of ideas for different novels. I have had a mixed and pretty hilarious experience dating in my thirties that I hope other women will identify with or enjoy the insight into for example. I am not sure everything I write needs to be erotic. I wouldn't want to be typecast as a writer in only one genre. 

Your bio says there are two more books planned around your personal banking experience.
When will the next one be available?

I work full time and have a very active and full life (which I love). It means I have to prioritise time to write, which I do most days. However, the production of a novel is slower going now as I juggle my time than when I had a year off to focus almost solely on writing. In short, I hope to complete it before the year is out.

Lily, you’ve been featured in many media markets talking about your book, yet you want to stay incognito.
Do you think it’s possible in today’s über-fact seeking world to accomplish that?

This is a great question. So far so good. I have to be realistic about anonymity and the risk of exposure and what the consequences might be. I am mindful of what I put out there, but I don't worry too much as I now that it is in the public domain I don't have any control over what happens next! 

Cosmopolitan calls it a “Real Life” Fifty Shades of Grey story.
True?

I am always flattered when comparisons are made to Fifty Shades of Grey on the basis of how successful E.L James has been and that it has turned into such a phenomena. I dream of the same kind of outcome. The are some parallels with the controlling relationship and addictions but there is no bondage or BDSM in this book. The fact that it is based on real life means it is a different lens on love, sex and relationships. I hope it is believable given how much of it is true!

Lily, thanks for being on the blog, good luck with this and all your future books too!

My thanks for featuring Fix on your blog. I was delighted to be asked! 

Connect with Lily - Website - Twitter 

MEET LILY:

Lily is now based in an exotic location after fifteen years of living and working in London. She arrived in London at the tender age of twenty with a dream: to dominate the world and see as much of it as she could while doing so. Reality soon bit with paying her rent becoming paramount, and so it was that she shunned everything she learnt at law school and opted for a shiny, lucrative job in the city.

Today's Gonereading item is:
Picasso's Woman Reading Pring

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