Author Interview | Laura Chapman

 

Today I’m extremely excited to share an interview with author Laura Chapman. Her latest novel The Marrying Type is released today and it’s a keeper! It’s a fun novel filled with love and laughter and chances are high that you’ll enjoy this story. I was lucky to have the opportunity to interview Laura and found out more about who she is as an author and what she enjoys doing in her free time. I hope you enjoy this interview as much as I did! <3

Interview with Laura Chapman

1. Hi Laura, a huge, warm welcome to Living Life With Joy! Thank you so much for participating in this interview. Would you like to start by introducing yourself?

My name is Laura Chapman, and I am an author of women’s fiction. My second novel, The Marrying Type, is being released today by Marching Ink. My debut novel, Hard Hats and Doormats, was published in December 2013, and I have two novelettes featured in the anthologies Merry & Bright and A Kind of Mad Courage. A Nebraska native, I love football, Netflix marathons, and my cats, Jane and Bingley. Until I fulfill my dream of landing a British husband or becoming a Disney princess, you can find me in a bar working on my next novel.

2. Can you tell us a bit about your latest book and the inspiration behind it?

The Marrying Type tells the story of Elliot Lynch, a young woman working for her family’s high-end wedding planning business. After her father’s sloppy business management leaves the company facing bankruptcy, she signs up to participate in “The Marrying Type,” a reality show that shines the light on the people behind the scenes of flashy weddings. When the one who got away ends up being one of her new customers–as a bankroll for his sister’s wedding, not as a groom–she’s forced to confront a lot of emotions she’s buried for years. She also has to deal with a competitor trying to encroach on her turf, an irritating bridesmaid who keeps making reappearances at various weddings, and lots of work drama. Back in college, I started jotting down notes about a man and a woman who reconnect years later at a wedding. After reading Jane Austen’s Persuasion, I was inspired to turn my story of a modern day wedding planner into a re-imagining of the classic novel. It’s amazing how quickly my story outline came together after getting that idea in my head.

3.What is your favorite thing about writing romance novels?

I’ve been a sucker for a good love story ever since I watched The Little Mermaid when I was three years old. Love is such a personal yet universal experience, which makes it incredibly fun to write about. There are few things I enjoy more than throwing two people–or a family or a group of friends–together and making them realize that love can help them get through anything if they truly listen to their hearts.

4. Is there one book that stands out in your mind that you wish you’d written?

It’s a toss-up between The Island by Tracey Garvis Graves, Can You Keep a Secret? by Sophie Kinsella, and Attachments by Rainbow Rowell. All three are books that I couldn’t put down once I started reading them, and I’ve always admired people who can create something so enticing that a reader has to keep turning the pages as quickly as he or she can.

5. Can you tell us a bit about what you’re working on at the moment?

I like to leave a little mystery about my works in progress until I have a publication plan, but I can tell you that my third novel is the first in a series. It is set in my hometown of Lincoln, Nebraska, and it allowed me to use some of the experience I’ve gained as a lifelong Husker football fan. I finished the first draft in October and I am in the editing process right now. I’m happy to report how much I have enjoyed revisiting these characters and this story, which is great, because thy gave me a little trouble during the first draft.

6. Where is your favorite place in the world?

In a previous job I was fortunate enough to see a lot of the world–22 states in four years–and I saw and experienced so many wonderful places here in the U.S. It’s hard to pick a favorite, but my top locations would probably be watching the ships and ferries set sail from Port Angeles, Washington, the drive through the Adirondacks in Upstate New York, and seeing the leaves change in Massachusetts each fall. Internationally, my favorite spot is Westminster Abbey in London. There’s so much beauty and history packed into one place that it left me feeling totally awed.

7. If you could plan the perfect holiday, what would it be?

This changes depending on the time of year and my mood–I’m a whimsical dreamer, particularly when it comes to vacations–but right now I’d love to go on a Mediterranean cruise. I’m a fan of beauty and history in my travel destinations, and touring that part of the country would be a great way to see both. If I can really dream big, I’d want to backpack Europe. I sketched out a plan for doing it in eight or twelve weeks when I was in college, but I unfortunately haven’t been able to take that trip. It would be a dream to do it.  

8. What’s the most important life lesson that you’ve been told or learned?

There are no free lunches. I learned that during one of the economics classes I had to take in college. While those were probably my two worst grades in my entire academic career, I did leave with a lot of good lessons, the most important being this one. While I’m sure my instructors meant “no free lunches” in the terms of someone has to pay for the ingredients and the time even if it doesn’t come out of your pocket, I’ve come to realize how true this is in other parts of life. If you want to become an author, you have to work at it. No one will write, edit, format, distribute, sell, promote your book without hard work and dedication on your end.

Thank you so much for participating in this interview, I’m delighted to have you on my blog and truly appreciate you taking the time to answer my questions!

About the Author – Laura Chapman

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Laura Chapman is the author of The Marrying Type, Hard Hats and Doormats and the Autumn and Tuck series, which appear in Merry & Bright and A Kind of Mad Courage. A native Nebraskan, she loves football, Netflix marathons, and her cats, Jane and Bingley. Until she fulfills her dream of landing a British husband or becoming a Disney princess, you can find her in a bar penning her next novel.

The Marrying Type by Laura Chapman

Publication Date: February 24, 2015

Always the wedding planner, never a bride, Elliot Lynch is famous for orchestrating the splashiest weddings in Charleston, South Carolina. When her father’s sloppy management practices leave them on the brink of bankruptcy, Elliot will do whatever it takes to save the family business. When asked to appear on “The Marrying Type,” a reality TV show about the people behind the scenes as couples exchange I dos, she says yes to the invasion of privacy (and the hefty paycheck that comes with it).

With a camera crew capturing every detail of her life, Elliot faces her most challenging contract yet: planning a wedding where her ex is involved in every part of the process. Add in a lazy assistant, liquor-loving bridesmaid, and rival planner encroaching on her turf, and Elliot’s wedding season goes from high-end to high-stress.

Forced to confront her past, Elliot must live out her troubled present on national TV if she has any hope of saving her future.

Buy Links: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Kobo | Marching Ink