Author Interview: Laurie Tomlinson

Happy Monday, Reader Friends!

Thanks for stopping by to check out another interview on Soulfully Romantic. I have the lovely Laurie Tomlinson here with me today. We’ll be chatting about her book, With No Reservations. Please grab a cup of tea (or coffee) and say hello!

About the Book

The Blurb: “There can be more than comfort in food…

What could well-known and wealthy Graham Cooper Jr. have in common with a blogger like Sloane Bradley, a woman with secrets she’s kept firmly out of the public eye? That is, besides a love of food. Sloane still can’t believe Cooper’s the chef at the restaurant she’s been assigned to promote. But she’s boiling to prove to him that her “little blog” can put his place on the map. She can also fall head over heels for the guy, who has secrets of his own, it turns out…except for one thing. She can’t get past the post-traumatic stress disorder that keeps her walled up in her home studio.”

Links: Amazon, B&N, Harlequin, GooglePlay, Goodreads

Interview

Toni: Welcome, Laurie! I’m so thankful for the chance to talk about With No Reservations with you. I love food and foodie books are fantastic. Did the idea come first, or Sloane Bradley’s occupation?

Laurie: It started with the idea of writing a food blogger character. I am a longtime reader of food blogs (do the pictures and videos suck anyone else in??) and dabbled in it when I first got married. The rest of the story premise unfolded from there!

Toni: That’s so awesome. I love the pictures. Yum! What makes Graham Cooper Jr. the perfect hero?

Laurie: He’s the perfect hero because he’s IMPERFECT. He has his vices that he battles with every day, but because he has learned how to fight and comes from a place of experience, he is an excellent partner and encourages her to be the best version of herself.

Toni: I love that! If With No Reservations was turned into a movie, who would play Sloane and Graham?

Laurie: Probably an older Dianna Agron (of Glee fame) and Canadian actor Peter Mooney, who starred in my favorite show of all time, Rookie Blue. I have heard lots of fun answers for this one!

Toni: Rookie Blue was such an awesome show. Do you like…movies or tv shows?

Laurie: TV Shows

Toni: I should have guessed that from the TV references above. 🙂 Homemade meals or take out?

Laurie: Cooking a big meal (if I don’t have to do the dishes).

Toni: Not doing the dishes is a HUGE plus. Fruit or veggies?

Laurie: Fruit

Toni: Agreed. Cake or cupcakes?

Laurie: Can I just pick frosting? 🙂

Toni: Sounds good to me. What are three elements that are always included in your writing?

Laurie: Some reference to sports, food, and hopefully relatable characters! My goal is to show that, yes, the hero and heroine get the happy ending (kind of a given in this genre, right??) but the things they’ve been through together have made their relationship sustainable after the initial magic wears off, if that makes sense.

Toni: Perfect sense. Do you have any advice for aspiring writers?

Laurie: Write for the joy and worship of creating with your Savior above all else, show up “to work” as regularly as you can manage, and everything else will fall into place. Plus, don’t forget to READ! I give you permission to read as on-the-job training.

Toni: Yes! Last but not least, is there anything you’d like to tell the readers?

Laurie: I will be announcing my next project soon in my newsletter! Sign up to be the first to know at www.laurietomlinson.com/newsletter. Thank you so much, Toni!

Toni: You’re welcome! Readers, do you have any questions for Laurie?

About the Author

Laurie Tomlinson is an award-winning contemporary romance author and cheerleader for creatives. She believes that God’s love is unfailing, anything can be accomplished with a good to-do list, and that life should be celebrated with cupcakes and extra sprinkles. Her novella That’s When I Knew was featured in the Love at First Laugh collection, and her debut novel, With No Reservations, is now available from Harlequin Heartwarming.

You can connect with Laurie on her website, Facebook page, and Instagram. Sign up for her newsletter to download a free COOK With No Reservations PDF cookbook.