Guest Post: The Best Medicine – Elizabeth Hayley

We have Elizabeth Hayley with us today, chatting about two minds being better than one.  Help me in welcoming Elizabeth to Cocktails and Books!

Two Dirty Minds Are Better Than One

At different points in our adult lives, we’d both toyed with the idea of being writers. But motivating ourselves to see a project through individually never held a ton of appeal. We’d start things and never finish them, losing interest in the solo journey. Then, one day after reading Fifty Shades of Grey, Hayley said, “We could totally write a romance book.” And she was right (for once).

We wrote our first book in under two months, falling easily into a writing routine that suited us both: we’d map out a story arc, plan five or six chapters, and then pick which ones we each wanted to write. We wrote in Google Drive so that we could edit each other’s work until we felt comfortable with a chapter. This enabled us to both have a hand in each chapter that was written, further ensuring that our writing styles meshed indistinguishably.

We often hear comments about how difficult people think it would be to write together, but we’ve never felt that difficulty. It’s been seamless from the beginning, probably made easier by the fact that we share a brain. Our style is nearly identical to begin with, we have a similar sense of humor, and easily agree on major plot points. So basically writing together is incredibly simple. And it’s bonded us together in ways that were unimaginable before we started. Our husbands often joke that the two of us are in a secret sexual relationship (they both think they’re really funny), but the truth is our relationship is unique. We’ve become best friends, business partners, and soul-mates in writing. And in our opinion, creating stories is so much more rewarding when you get to spin them with your sister from another mister.

The first novel in a sparkling and sexy new contemporary romance series about four best friends looking for love in all the right places—and the one woman who discovers that it takes more than an impeccable bedside manner to make dreams come true…

Lauren Hastings is finally ready to enter the real world. At twenty-six, she’s about to get her master’s in psychology, and she’s well on her way to beginning the career of her dreams—until she suffers public humiliation and has to endure something she thought she’d never have to deal with again: a part-time job.

A gig at Trinity Hospital isn’t exactly Lauren’s definition of a good time, but Dr. Scott Jacobs quickly changes her mind. He’s straight-up gorgeous, and he always gets what he wants. And that includes Lauren. It’s an ideal arrangement for both of them. No strings. Just fun—at least at first.

But feelings quickly begin to run deeper than either Lauren or Scott is willing to admit, causing issues neither of them want to confront. After all, who wants to risk the perfect relationship on something as terrifying, as messy, and as unpredictable as love?

Elizabeth Hayley is actually “Elizabeth” and “Hayley,” two friends who love reading romance novels to obsessive levels. This mutual love prompted them to put their English degrees to good use by penning their own. The product is Pieces of Perfect, their debut novel. They learned a ton about one another through the process, like how they clearly share a brain and have a persistent need to text each other constantly (much to their husbands’ chagrin).

“Elizabeth” lives with her husband, daughter, and nutjob of a dog. “Hayley” lives with her husband, son, and her own crazy dog. Thankfully, their children are still too young to read.

Elizabeth Hayley’s writing motto is best captured by the words of Patrick Dennis: “I always start with a clean piece of paper and a dirty mind.”

We split the time on Goodreads, so those of you who have been communicating with us get “pieces” of each of us. We appreciate all of your support!

Web Site | Twitter | Facebook