Author Interview (and a Giveaway!): Laurie Tomlinson & With No Reservations

I always love getting to chat with this sweet author, so I’m excited to welcome her back to the blog!

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.

Her debut novel, With No Reservations, is on sale today for only $3.99!

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.

My 5-star Review

Hi friend! Welcome back to the blog!

Laurie: Strawberry cupcakes from Antoinette Bakery in Tulsa

Carrie: Well now I’m drooling…

Laurie: A yellow rose with pink tips

Carrie: Oooo that’s one of my faves too.. or red tips. So pretty!

Laurie: Does October count? 🙂

Carrie: Yes. Yes it does.

Laurie: Right now, “Spirit Move” from Bethel Worship

Carrie: Oh that’s a good one!

Q:  Alright. Fess up. What’s a secret talent you’ve been hiding? ?

Laurie: Since I make no secret about my car singing habit, let’s go with math and science. I am a rare writer sort who went to genetics conventions in high school and tutored pre-med students in chemistry. But it was the people (and the pretty words) that drew me to English lit 🙂

Carrie: This is a talent I do not have in any way, shape, or form lol

Q: Which books are ‘on your nightstand’?

Laurie: Before We Were Yours by Lisa Wingate, Hometown Girl by Courtney Walsh, Shalom Sistas by Osheta Moore, and Dance Stand Run by Jess Connolly. (I know. That’s a lot.)

Carrie: ooo I get to read Hometown Girl soon too! Yay!

Q: What’s the weirdest thing you’ve ever Googled while researching a book?

Laurie: Oh, goodness. I’m surprised I’m not on some kind of government watch list for the things I’ve Googled. (If I am: Hi, just doing my author thing over here and actually moved a turtle out of the street the other day, thank you very much.) I always find cars and clothing for my characters. With my current WIP, the last 4 things I’ve searched are probate (estate/living will) laws in South Carolina, the technicalities of changing one’s name, the best sweet tea proportions, and the parts of the brain that affect seizures. So random!

Carrie: hahaha!

Q: As a Christian writing for a secular publishing house, what are some of the challenges you’ve faced?

Laurie: In Christian writing circles, it’s almost automatic for authors to pray with each other/speak about their faith because the Lord has inspired us, and He’s ingrained in every word and decision. In secular writing circles, when you mention that you’ve also written inspirational work, very few don’t really know what to do with that. But most are really supportive, even if they aren’t on the same wavelength. The biggest challenge has been building a platform among inspirational readers for years and then seeing some hesitant to read a general market novel, even if it’s clean and God-breathed 🙂

Carrie: I don’t know when Christians became so dependent on labels but it’s something that has spread to every area of life – from relationships to music to people in general … and to fiction. I know it grieves the heart of the One in Whom there are no labels, no ‘Jew or Gentile, slave or free, male and female. For you are all one in Christ Jesus.‘ Somehow we need to get back to that again. <steps off soapbox> lol

Q: On the other hand, what are some of the blessings of being a Christian author for a secular imprint?

Laurie: When I got the call that my editor was interested in my book but wanted me to remove the inspirational element, I heard God clearly telling me: I don’t need my name in this book to make myself known. The biggest blessing has been seeing that happen, in people who have seen healing and freedom from a divine perspective for the first time.

Carrie: Oh I love that!

Q: What do you most want readers to take away from your books?

Laurie: I would love to bring hope to people who are tired of fighting, to help them remember that they are never too stuck nor their circumstances too bleak to experience restoration – even if it looks different than they expected.

Carrie: Yes. Amen.

Thank you so much for taking time to talk with me! 🙂 Before we say goodbye for today, tell us what‘s coming up next for you.

Laurie: I’m working on a few projects that are still a secret (*shifty eyes*) and I’m going to be participating in NaNoWriMo (National Novel Writing Month) to write a brand new novella, hopefully releasing this spring!

Carrie: oh yay!! Looking forward to reading more from you 🙂

Laurie is offering a copy of With No Reservations to one of my readers! (Signed paperback for a US winner OR ebook for international. Void where prohibited by law.) This giveaway is subject to Reading Is My SuperPower’s giveaway policies which can be found here. Enter via the Rafflecopter form below.

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What about you? What’s your favorite song right now?