Author LC Whitehouse Interview

booktalkwithbookis
Jul 31
6 min read

Where did you get your inspiration for your Beauty & the Beast meets Bridgerton novel, A Taste for Lies?

I wanted the book to feel like bingeing Netflix’s Bridgerton. Like you can’t put it down, you just keep letting it roll through the credits to the next episode (chapter) even though you should have been in bed hours ago. That’s my favorite feedback from readers — when they tell me they were completely useless the next day because they stayed up all night finishing it.

But then there’s the more in-depth answer, which is that I was inspired by current events to write a story about an oligarchy of ordinary humans who manage to subjugate an objectively more gifted and talented minority by spreading fear and prejudice about them. And it’s set in this Bridgerton world and has all the fun parts of that—the dresses and the parties and the gossip—but also that extreme social hierarchy.

That’s where the Apex come in, and the beast prince. He’s judged by everyone, including the FMC, Alora, for being “a beast” and part of her character growth is starting to question the social construct she’s always accepted. For the MMC Taran, the beast prince, I constantly hear that line from the Beauty & the Beast song in my head—”But he was mean and he was coarse and unrefined. But now he’s dear, and so unsure, I wonder why I didn’t see it there before.” It’s all about revealing the truth of who he really is behind the bias and the menacing reputation.

There’s also a lot of the classic heist movie vibe mixed in. Alora is a master thief and keeps referring to the Guild’s 10 Rules throughout the book—those are inspired by the movie Zombieland where Jessie Eisenberg’s character constantly repeats his rules for survival. The different Guild Inn headquarters are based on the John Wick hotels but in a fantasy setting. It all contributes to the fast paced, adventure feeling that makes you want to keep reading.

The slow burn was done very well in your book! What advice would you give others who are trying to accomplish the same effect?

Add as much yearning and longing as you can haha. That’s why Taran “falls first” and why we get his POV. Because he is tortured by it and it's delicious.

The best part about slow burn IMO is when at least one of them longs to be together, but for some reason they can’t. For Alora and Taran, there’s a lot keeping them apart, not least of which is that human-Apex relationships are forbidden. I love that moment when she asks him what the worst part of being an Apex is and he’s looking at her, and obviously wanting to kiss her, and he replies that probably the worst part of being an Apex is happening to him right now.

There needs to be a strong reason why they can’t be together, either because they have good reasons to hate each other and need the time to overcome it, or there’s something external keeping them apart. Then all that tension and angst and longing builds until one of the characters says “f-ck it”. Love it when that happens.

What were your favorite scenes to write in A Taste for Lies?

(For the record, my favorite scenes to read were the tree scene and the jacket scene)

My favorite scene is the first one I wrote. I was laying in bed one night and just started typing it into my phone. And yes, it is the scene when Taran comes out on the balcony and discovers Alora in another man’s coat and he is just incensed by it. It goes completely against his creature’s instincts to have her covered in another man’s scent and he acts almost involuntarily to get it off of her and cover her with his own instead. At this point, they still haven’t even kissed, and he’s already acting like she’s his.

Another one I had a lot of fun with was the queen’s garden party when all the ladies are gossiping and Alora is trying to maintain her cover. It’s a super Bridgerton moment and I can just picture Taran’s ex, Victoria, (who is absolutely Cressida-coded) preening in front of her little clique.

And, of course, any dialogue with Carter. He makes every scene fun. Like when the gang is scheming how to break into Lord Winters’ office and he feels compelled to correct them that it’s an “evil lair”. A lot of the time, he’s saying what the reader is already thinking, like, “every lady wants a little beast in her prince”.

With which character do you identify the most?

Maeve. I love Maeve. The first draft of the book had so much Maeve, it was almost sapphic. I had to pull a lot of her scenes with Alora and give some of her original lines to Taran since that’s the romantic arc. On the outside, Maeve is prickly and stubborn but as the book goes on, you learn that it’s a mask for this deep anxiety that comes from always having to be the voice of reason and the one in charge. She’s a classic eldest daughter personality, carrying a lot on her shoulders even when no one asked her to. I can’t wait for her spin off story, there’s going to be a lot that has to happen to break down those walls she’s built.

How long did you work on your novel before publishing?

Not long, actually! I started writing it in January 2024 and it was proofed and final by the end of January 2025. It took another few months to get the cover and blurb ready for launch and then the book came out in early April. I have a full time job and a kid so I write in the small pockets of time that I can find. I’m also a severe procrastinator so I work a lot better on deadline. I book my editor in advance and then I have no choice but to get the draft done in time for her.

Is there anything you can tell us for the sequel, An Ear for Secrets?

I’m going to do my best to keep this spoiler free. Book 2 takes place in a different location so there will be a new social hierarchy and culture to explore and a new cast of characters to get to know. But obviously all of our favorites are there too and you’re going to learn more about each of them. I’m especially excited for readers to get to know Eleni more because she was off stage for most of Book 1 and she’s such an important person to Alora. There were a few open threads that weren’t addressed in Book 1 like why Taran and Alora have such a strong draw towards each other and what the heck the Pearls of Azure do that are going to be answered. Harlan is also a wild card with a role to play.

Do you enjoy the editing part of writing?

I enjoy every part of writing and being an author. I keep waiting to find a part that’s not fun, but I haven’t come across it yet. I will say, I don’t love the self editing phase as much because it’s too easy to get in your own head. I have a fantastic editor (shoutout Shavonne at Motif Edits!) and I really enjoy the editing process after she’s done the initial developmental edit and given me outside feedback to work with. I think authors work too long on their own drafts without external feedback (whether that’s beta readers or an editor), which slows down the process. You can tinker with word choice later.

What does a typical writing session look like for you?

I write on my laptop, usually on my couch. Sometimes I get ergonomic and hook up to the monitor, but usually I just grab the laptop when inspiration strikes and get going. Most times, my husband is watching baseball and my son is playing with legos right next to me. Doesn’t matter–-I tune it all out. For me, it’s about squeezing in the writing time when I can. I don’t have a set time of day that I do it, I don’t do it every day, and I don’t have any word count goals. I’m constantly thinking about the story in my head and playing around with ideas so when I find that moment, it all comes pouring out of me. I consciously plan the big milestones I want to hit and my subconscious knows the characters and how they want to get there.

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