Exclusive: Daisy M. Hartley Gets Candid About Her Upcoming Novel

It’s Spring, and love is in the air! At Heartspell Publishing, this much is always true, but I think we’re all looking forward to a little romance to make this last stretch of winter a bit cozier. My name is Mandi Mae Downey. I’m the CPO of Heartspell Publishing and am looking forward to the release of my debut novel Save the Date later this year. As a huge fan of the romance genre as well as a writer with an insatiable curiosity for improving my craft, when the opportunity to sit down and interview a new and upcoming author presented itself, I seized the opportunity.

Daisy M. Hartley is the author of Romance on the Menu and its upcoming sequel, Pawsitively Yours. She has also teased a third mystery project that she promises to give away for free to her readers. (Details on that will be provided later in the interview!).

I met Hartley back in 2024 when she provided me the pitch for her Hallmark-esque cozy Romcom, Romance on the Menu. I was immediately charmed by the picturesque New England setting, the unique cast of charming characters, and her feel-good blend of humor and romance. I asked for the first third of the book and within a month it was clear that we had chosen the right author to represent. Romance on the Menu debuted back in Summer 2024. With the release of Pawsitively Yours slated for March, it seemed the perfect time for me to sit down with Daisy and get the inside scoop on her refreshing approach to romantic comedies.

(Interview has been edited for quality and length)

HSP: For readers who are unfamiliar with your work, can you give a quick introduction to past and future projects?

Hartley: Certainly! In the Summer of 2024, Heartspell Publishing released my Debut Novel, Romance on the Menu, a novel about Willa Fairfax, a recent culinary school graduate who abandons her aspirations in the big city to deal with a hole-in-the-wall diner that she inherited from her late father. Upon arriving in Hollyhead, Massachusetts, Willa meets the dashing Dom Calloway, a local farmer who provides fresh produce for the diner. The two are drawn to each other, but Willa’s plans to return to New York City threaten their budding romance. The sequel, Pawsitively Yours is expected to release in March and focuses on Daniel Fairfax. This novel sees Daniel team up with his best friend, Chaya Bhatt, as they create a baking fundraiser to save the town’s animal shelter.  Along the way they discover that perhaps love is closer than they imagined. You can read the official blurb here, and Romance on the Menu is available for purchase as well. 

HSP: Let’s cut to the chase. We heard that you had a special novella that you plan to offer to your fans for FREE! Can you tell us a little more about it? 

Hartley: Hollyhead Hearts readers will be familiar with Rhett, Dom’s best friend and business partner. Dreams by the Fire is a HollyHead Hearts Novella that tells the prequel story of Rhett and his future wife Sarah Forde’s romance. If you love masquerade romances and the snowed-in and forced-proximity tropes, you will love this free Novella. It's short enough for you to read in an evening with a glass of wine (or a glass of bubbly if you’d like to reference Rhett and Sarah’s meet-cute!).  Everyone who signs up for Heartspell’s mailing list will receive a FREE copy of Dreams by the Fire. How exciting is that? You can sign up right here.

Hollyhead Hearts becomes a series with the introduction of two new books in the series!

HSP: Maybe I’m biased, but Massachusetts felt like a fantastic setting for the series.Why did you feel New England was the perfect backdrop for your Hollyhead Hearts series?

Hartley: Growing up in rural Massachusetts felt like a magical experience, but I guess I’m biased too! Do you ever go on vacation and look at all the locals walking down the street and think, Gosh, they’re all lucky enough to live here? I happen to be one of the lucky ones. Maybe my small town isn’t a classic vacation destination, but spend a week decompressing among farm life and relaxing on a hammock with a romance novel and a mimosa, with nothing to distract you but birdsong and you’ll know exactly what I mean. It’s rejuvenating. It feels like a fresh start, and for the ever-uptight Willa Fairfax, I couldn’t dream up a better place for her to reimagine a life worth living.

HSP: The Hollyhead Hearts series references cooking quite a bit. What was your inspiration to make cooking such a large part of these romances?

Hartley: Life is funny! I started out applying to culinary school, and in a devastating blow, I ended up rescinding my acceptance letter due to the cost. Armed with a lack of direction and a desperation to save enough money to go to culinary school, I took a job at a library. It didn’t pay much, but being surrounded by books helped me realize that there were shelves full of stories that could help me live out all of my greatest dreams. During long shifts when all my work was finished, I eventually tried my hand at writing my own. I was also lucky enough to meet my husband, John, who met with his science-fiction book club every Thursday in the rotunda. He typically read sci-fi, but one afternoon he returned a cookbook and quipped that the apple pie didn’t have enough apple or pie so I offered to give him my own recipe. Turns out food has a great way of bringing people together, and although a life of writing chose me, there was still that Willa Fairfax in me that needed to open her own diner. So I thought, why not do both?

HSP: You and many other pastoral romance writers explore themes of leaving the big city for a quieter life in the country. Why does this theme speak to you and why do you feel this continues to be culturally relevant in the romance genre?

Hartley: I love that question! I think it’s become perhaps a bit of a cheesy trope at this point but the desire is real! These days I can’t go longer than an hour without a text coming through, seventeen emails clogging up my inbox (seriously, I need to clean-up my email!), and the threat of digital deadlines looming on my calendar like a hungry black bear. But that noise is hourly. In the interim, I can take a deep breath in the garden, or take a drive through the country roads and remember that the world is unusually quiet and it’s only my phone that’s loud. It’s a simpler life. It’s an easier life, in my opinion. No matter where you live or what you do, I think we all fantasize a little about a quieter life (and maybe a small-town muscle-bound firefighter or Christmas tree farmer to keep you company).

HSP: You have a large cast of unique characters who represent different walks of life, viewpoints, and cultural backgrounds. Why is representation so important to you?

Hartley: I’m glad you brought this up. I think this is a discussion worth having in the romance genre. My childhood best friend, who I still keep in touch with to this day (Love you, Tara!), shared my love of reading, but rarely ever saw plus-size characters that looked like her. She had often expressed to me that she wasn’t going to find her romance novel soulmate because things like that didn’t happen to girls like her. When I started writing, I always remembered that. I think it’s important that everyone sees themselves in fiction. So much of our lives as readers are shaped by the people, places, and romances we read about. We learn what we want, and what we don’t want, and perhaps get hare-brained ideas that we should go to culinary school when we can’t help but overcook chicken like it’s our greatest aspiration. Maybe if I had seen Willa Fairfax’s journey as a reader, I might not have fallen so spectacularly out of high school and maybe if Tara saw herself in fiction, she might have ponied up and had the confidence to ask her husband out three years before she did (Yes! She got her happy ending!).

HSP: We were very excited to hear that Pawsitively Yours is centered around saving a struggling animal shelter. What about this plot point drew your creative attention?

Hartley: I rescued my Pomeranian, Roscoe, back in 2022. He’s been such a joy in my life. I’d never been very determined either way to adopt or shop, but once I met Roscoe who had never had an opportunity to be loved the way he deserved because he was missing an eye, I changed my mind. I wanted to show what good rescues do especially in small communities like the one I live in. Every day animals are surrendered faster than they can be adopted. Besides, I always thought Daniel Fairfax would look cute with a puckish cat on his head. 

HSP: Pawsitively Yours features a large and lovable cast of animal characters including a protective, snarky, and music-loving African Grey Parrot named Pepper and a loyal and gentle Husky named Aspen. What was your creative process behind the development of these characters?

Hartley: My family is full of animal lovers! My daughters have a turtle named Greenie, and my husband has previously owned birds. I’ve read so many books that feature animals, but they are often written and regarded as props rather than intelligent characters with motives, fears, interests, and full personalities. I really wanted to treat these animals as characters and not just props used to further the plot. I had a lot of fun creating all these unique critters, but I clearly had a lot of fun with Pepper Newman! Probably one of my favorite characters to date!

HSP: Heartspell Publishing was drawn to you initially by the way you spoke about your visions for a better romance genre as a whole. As a Publishing House, we strive to not only provide fresh new novels but to offer reads that add value and empowerment to our reader’s bookshelves. What is your take on writing to empower the reader?

Hartley: I have read a lot of romance novels and it’s unfortunately all too common to see unhealthy relationships presented as aspirational. It’s important to me as an author to empower readers by showing them the kind of love we all deserve. 

HSP: After the release of Pawsitively Yours, what can you tell fans about your plans for the Hollyhead Hearts novels? Who can we expect to be lucky in love next?

Hartley: Hm. I don’t want to give away too much! In March with the release of Pawsitively Yours, we’ll be releasing a second edition of Romance on the Menu. I heard my readers saying they wanted even more romance, so I added some new swoon-worthy content there. Additionally, with a sign-up to the Heartspell Publishing mailing list you will receive Dreams by the Fire, the Sarah and Rhett prequel novella for FREE! Sign up for the list here. As for the third book in the series, my ideas are subject to change, however, it seems Jillian is overdue for her own romance. Perhaps she will meet her match with a taciturn and mysterious fine-dining chef? I suppose you’ll just have to wait and see. 

There you have it folks! Remember to check out Daisy M. Hartley’s books, and follow her journey as she progresses as an author. As her publisher, I’ve had the pleasure of reading Pawsitively Yours and Dreams by the Fire and they were every bit as enjoyable (and more!) than I’d hoped. For now, make sure to check out Romance on the Menu here and sign up for our mailing list for updates on Hartley’s new releases!