Lauren Hewitt | 041Books
Luna Hayes is an NMB-based indie author who writes closed-door (okay, three-quarters-closed) romance novels. She loves custom bookish-themed scented candles and eats far too much chocolate while writing, usually with a cat on her lap. When she’s not writing, she’s having full-on conversations (in her head) with her characters while milking goats or watering her garden.
Luna’s Books
I Did, Did I?
You find the perfect flat to rent… only to discover the owner will only rent to a couple.
When ex-classmates Hannah and Siris both attend a showhouse viewing and learn they can’t live there unless they’re a couple, they briefly weigh the pros and cons—and then decide to pretend they’re blissfully in love.
Throw in a ten-year school reunion, a jealous ex-girlfriend, and real feelings that sneak in when no one’s looking… and things start to get complicated. Especially when Hannah’s past threatens to repeat itself. She’ll have to choose: change the ending, or call it quits.
Love at First Light
Erin Winters arrives in Lockhart Falls with a broken heart, her best heels, and a “Ta-Da” list. After walking in on her best friend and longtime boyfriend, she’s returned to her grandparents’ town to rediscover herself.
She didn’t plan on literally falling for Jamie Burns, her new landlord and neighbour. But it can’t go anywhere… she’s only staying a few months before heading back to the city.
Except Jamie is not who she expected, and neither is Lockhart Falls. A family secret, a blizzard in a snow globe, romance under the Northern Lights, and an intimate wedding change everything. Erin will have to decide: stay or go?
Friends With Zenefits
Can an accidental marriage between opposites end in happily ever after?
Hazyl Burns knows turning 33 will be unforgettable—and she’s not wrong. She wakes up in Noah White’s bed… and they’re married.
After a failed attempt at annulment, they’re sentenced to three months of “hard-marriage”—they must prove to the court they actually tried. But how can two people, who are barely friends, live together and fake a marriage convincingly?
Between yoga, chickens, pregnant goats, and totally different personalities, they’ll have to learn to get along. When disaster hits, will it bring them closer—or push them further apart?
Will they call the whole thing off… or turn this fake marriage into the real deal?
Q&A with Luna Hayes
Tell us about your road to publication in South Africa:
I chose the indie author route—I like having creative control over every part of my books.
Are any scenes based on real-life events?
Quite a few! There’s a scene with a spider in a boot in I Did, Did I? that’s ripped from real life. And in Friends with Zenefits, the truck lights being left on actually happened, though I definitely embellished it.
If your books became movies, who would play your leads?
- I Did, Did I? — Hannah: Lily Collins, Siris: Zac Efron
- Love at First Light — Erin: younger Amy Adams (Leap Year era), Jamie: Levi Stoke (a model I saw!)
- Friends With Zenefits — Hazyl: Anna Kendrick, Noah: Luke Newton
Favourite childhood books?
As a kid, Matilda by Roald Dahl. Then all the Enid Blyton books, Sweet Valley series, and Sweet Dreams romances.
Writing routine?
I’m up just after 5 am, make a cup of coffee, and write until 7:30 am—when it’s time to wake my husband and son. Some days, the words flow. Other days… I question every sentence.
How do you celebrate finishing a book?
I set milestone rewards—small things like a pampering face mask or a bar of chocolate. When I write “The End,” I pour a glass of wine, eat more chocolate… and immediately start worrying if anyone will like it.
How do you choose character names?
I use a baby name book and keep tweaking names until they feel right. I try to give each character a unique sound and starting letter.
Where do your story ideas come from?
Inspiration’s everywhere: social media posts, tweets, newspaper stories, random overheard conversations. The next book in the Lockhart Falls series was supposed to be a standalone, but two chapters in, I realised it was part of a series. The side characters demanded their own stories.
If you could spend a day with another author…?
I’d love to spend a day with some of the indie authors I’ve “met” online. That would be amazing.
Would you be friends with your characters in real life?
Absolutely. There’s a bit of me in all of them. I think Erin (Love at First Light) and I would get along best.
Any message for your readers?
Thank you for choosing my books when there are millions out there. Every message, story, review, and purchase makes my day. You’ve made ten-year-old me’s dreams come true, and I appreciate you more than I can say.
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