Beyond Blackboards and Baking: An Interview with Elsie Beya, author of A Florist Called Daisy

Finding teaching to be more about paperwork than expanding the minds of young children, Elsie started chasing her dreams of being a writer. She loves writing, reading, shopping, biscuits, tea, gin, and boybands. She is currently studying for her Master’s in literature, romanticism, and the Lake District.

Like Daisy, she would very much like to live by the sea.

You can buy the book here.
Are you a writer, too? Submit your manuscript to Atmosphere Press.

Tell us the story of your book’s title. Was it easy to find, or did it take forever?

I love a pun and play on words, and I thought it would be amusing to have a florist with the name of a flower. I decided on Daisy pretty quickly as the flora really matched her personality.

How did it feel when you first saw your book cover? Or when you first held your book in your hands?

I was so happy to see the cover! It’s beautiful and is even more perfect in physical form. I spent a lot of time holding the book and squealing with happiness!

Who/what made you want to write? Was there a particular person, or particular writers/works/art forms that influenced you?

I always loved writing: the escapism and the rewriting of the world. In my teens I fell in love with Emily Brontë’s Wuthering Heights and the poetry of Christina Rossetti.

I love a happy ending and a romance, but I also wanted to create lighthearted stories that explored deeper and heavier issues.

What other professions have you worked in? What’s something about you that your readers wouldn’t know?

When I was a child I wanted to be either a waitress or a writer. I was a terrible waitress, and an even worse bakery assistant!

I trained as a primary school teacher, and after supply teaching I became a nursery practitioner, which I loved. We did a lot of learning through play and it was a fascinating job.

What was the most rewarding/meaningful part of publishing your book?

Seeing my words, characters, and the world I created in print is a fantastic feeling. I love hearing what other people connected with in my stories.

If your book had a soundtrack, what are some songs that would be on it?

I Might – Tom Grennan

A Wilder Heart – Prides

You Are in Love – Taylor Swift

Million Words – The Vamps

What is one thing you hope readers take away from reading your book? How do you envision your perfect reader?

I hope readers are left with hope for happiness and true love and an understanding of self-harm and the pressure we put upon ourselves.

Anyone can be the perfect reader, but someone who picks up the Star Wars and Wuthering Heights references would connect with the book on a different level.

What new writing projects are you currently working on? Or, other projects that are not writing?

I’m currently busy studying, so my creative life has taken a little pause. But I’m currently planning book three, which is either about a group of songwriters or an island watchman.

There’s a follow-up to Daisy, too, but I might keep that for myself, as I like the openness of the ending in A Florist Called Daisy.

How was working with Atmosphere Press? What would you tell other writers who want to publish?

Atmosphere Press is amazing! I cannot sing their praises enough. Everyone on the team is supportive, encouraging, and really passionate about making the books the best they can be.

Writing is scary, and publishing even more so! But you’ve got to go for it and enjoy every opportunity and every minute of the writing and publishing journey. Atmosphere Press is like an extended family, and it’s a joy to be able to work with them.

You can buy the book here.
Are you a writer, too? Submit your manuscript to Atmosphere Press.