Lucy Score knows how to capture readers’ hearts. With romance, captivating characters and engaging storytelling, her books are as relatable as they are swoony. She has garnered a legion of fans hungry for more of her stories and gains new readers with every book that she releases.
Once Lucy Score picked up her first romance novel, she was destined to become a writer of addictive love stories. A former journalist with experience in marketing, Score released some novellas while still working at her full-time job.
When she released her first book, Undercover Love, in March of 2015 as an indie writer, she had a chance to pursue her passion for writing. After she was signed by Bloom Books, the rest is history. Score has since reached the bestseller lists with her Knockemout series, which begins with Things We Never Got Over.
We spoke with Lucy Score about the business side of writing, running her own publishing company and the upcoming addition to her Riley Thorn series.
Q: You have been an avid reader since you stole your first romance novel from your mom at the age of 13. Do you remember what the book was? What were the other formative books you read that shaped you into the writer you are today?
A: I don’t recall what the very first book was, but I do know that I read Julie Garwood’s The Bride very early on. It was my introduction to the enemies-to-lovers trope and it’s still one of my nostalgic favorites!
Q: You had a job in marketing before becoming a full-time writer of fan-favorite books and started out as self-published before being picked up by major publishers. You’ve since started your own indie publishing company, That’s What She Said Publishing. What has that experience been like?
A: Mr. Lucy and I started That’s What She Said in 2017 so he could handle the business side of things while I wrote. Since then, we’ve grown quite a bit. We now publish five other contemporary romance authors and my brother works with us full-time. We also have several part-time contracted employees who keep everything running smoothly.
It’s funny how romantic the idea of being an author was to me at first. I thought it would be long, lazy days of staring out the window and jotting down delicious sentences. I had no idea how much “business” would be involved in the process. But having such a great team around me means I’m able to accomplish so much more than I would on my own. It’s crazy and hectic and there’s never enough time in the day, but I absolutely love it!
Q: With insight into both the publisher and author side of things, what advice would you give an aspiring author when it comes to persevering in the publishing industry?
A: My first rule is always write the best book you can. My second rule is go write another one. Beyond that, I think it’s important to choose a focus. There is so much to learn that it can feel incredibly overwhelming. By choosing one thing to focus on at a time — whether it’s Amazon ads, or growing your newsletter list, or increasing your social media engagement or querying agents — you can still make meaningful progress without getting frozen by all the things you don’t know yet.
Q: Your upcoming spring releases, The Corpse in the Closet and The Blast from the Past continue the Riley Thorn series, which follows a sleuthing psychic and a handsome private investigator, Nick Santiago, who team up to solve numerous cases. Tell us the real-life private investigator that sparked the idea for the series.
A: Mr. Lucy worked for a PI when we first started dating. On one of our earliest dates, he took me to a junkyard where he had to clean out personal effects in a wrecked car that had been sitting out in the elements for months. I remember rummaging through the glove box and thinking, “This would make a good scene in a book!”
It took quite a few years, but that scene turned into the Riley Thorn series.
Q: Rumor has it that Riley Thorn is your favorite of all the characters you’ve written. Why is that?
A: I love all my characters … well, almost all of them. But Riley is special to me because I have so much fun writing her books. They’re complete chaos loaded with murder and mayhem and well-meaning family and friends who just complicate everything. Riley is just there in the center of it all trying really hard to be normal. She’s not judging anyone else or trying to change them. She lets everyone be exactly who they are. I do my best do the same in my writing. I don’t worry about anything except making myself laugh while I’m writing in this series!
Q: Readers were thrilled to hear that you signed a deal with Amazon MGM Studios to develop Things We Never Got Over for TV. Are there any updates you can share with us about the project? What excites you the most about the prospect of bringing your work to the big screen?
A: Oh my gosh, I’m right there with them with the excitement! I don’t have any specific updates to share, but things are moving forward. I can’t wait to see these characters come to life with actors and wardrobe and music. It’s a whole different kind of storytelling for me, which makes me nerd out!
Q: What books have you enjoyed reading recently?
A: I recently picked up (and loved) The Bright Spot by Jill Shalvis, Raiders of the Lost Heart by Jo Segura and Other Birds by Sarah Addison Allen. I also just grabbed Brittainy Cherry’s The Problem with Dating. And of course I read my sister Madison’s book Bride or Die.
Q: What else is up next for you in the literary world and beyond?
A: To no one’s surprise, I’m writing a new book. It’s an idea I’ve had for a couple of years now and I feel like this is my love letter to my readers. As for my plans of world domination, I’m looking forward to more opportunities in film and TV and maybe I’ll manifest a partnership with Taco Bell so they can recognize me for my excessive support of their menu.
For more Lucy Score, check out the paperback re-releases of the Riley Thorn series:
Book 1: Riley Thorn and the Dead Guy Next Door (3/12/24)
Book 2: The Corpse in the Closet (4/16/24)
Book 3: The Blast from the Past (5/14/24)
Lucy Score is a #1 New York Times, USA Today and Wall Street Journal bestselling author. She grew up in a literary family who insisted that the dinner table was for reading and earned a degree in journalism. She writes full-time from the Pennsylvania home she and Mr. Lucy share with their obnoxious cat, Cleo. When not spending hours crafting heartbreaker heroes and kick-ass heroines, Lucy can be found on the couch, in the kitchen or at the gym. She hopes to someday write from a sailboat, oceanfront condo or tropical island with reliable Wi-Fi.
