A Conversation with Catherine Lanigan, Author of HEART’S DESIRE (Premiering as SWEETEST HEART on the Hallmark Channel Saturday!)

 

On Tour with Prism Book Tours

***Premiering as Sweetest Heart on the Hallmark Chanel 9 PM ET***
(check your local listings for your air time)

Welcome, Catherine! What 5 things should readers know about you?

Because this tour is a bit different from my other book release tours, in that we are announcing the airing of THE HALLMARK CHANNEL film of my book HEART’S DESIRE, I thought I’d answer these questions with a film slant.

1. The first thing readers should know is that I have worked on this particular film for over four years. My producers are two of the loveliest ladies I’ve met in the film industry. They have persevered through a great deal to bring the first of my SHORES OF INDIAN LAKE SERIES to television.
2. My husband, Jed Nolan, was a film producer and the last meeting we took before his death four months later, was a meeting with Bart Fisher, our Hallmark Executive and our producers Marcy and Ann.
3. The third thing to know is that when I began creating my small town of Indian Lake, I based a lot of the businesses, the layout of the town, and the fact that it is not far from Chicago (The Emerald City of Wizard of Oz fame) or very far from Amish country.
4. Indian Lake is one of those communities where people still sit on their front porches and wave at friends walking by…in the summertime…right now, it’s freezing outside so there’s not a whole lot of that going on. In MY front yard, I have two Adirondack chairs where Jed and I used to sit and wave to the golfers who were walking down the fifth fairway. The golf course across the street was designed right after World War One. In the 1930’s until the 1970’s it was part of THE WESTERN GOLF TOUR. It’s a monster of a course. And no, I don’t play anymore. I’m too busy writing books.
5. I write screenplays as well as novels.

So sorry about your husband—but it’s wonderful that you were able to work with him on this project. I can’t wait to see it!

 

Where did the inspiration for this book come from?

This book is about Maddie Strong and her Cupcake Café.  There is a little place in our town, The Karmel House that is in a little stucco house off one of the main streets in our town. I’ve loved going in there for pastries and coffee from time to time.

One of my best friends, Sally Fischer, is a real gourmet when it comes to just about anything from the kitchen, but she’s nearly famous for her cupcakes. Sally has all kinds of fillings for her treats: lemon curd, cheesecake and chocolate mousse to name a few. I went a step further in the story and had Maddie serving up “Made To Order” cupcakes. A patron would come in and order the cake, then choose the kind of icing they wanted on top. Nothing was already prepared. It was like Starbucks, you had to make a LOT of decisions just for your cupcake.

LOL—I can imagine that causing all kinds of delicious angst! Also, now I’m totally craving cupcakes…

 

How long have you been writing, and what (or who) inspired you to start?

I have been writing for 39 years. My inspiration story would take hours to write and when I tell the story in a speech, it’s a long one. My Cliff Notes version is that I always wanted to be a writer. A journalist, actually, when I was in high school. When I went to college, my first creative writing professor read my first short story and told me I had “NO talent whatsoever as a writer.” He told me, “You’ll never make a dime as a writer.”

I believed him and gave up my dream of dreams for 14 years until I met an investigative journalist for ABC television who encouraged me to write. I did just that and he sent my manuscript to his agent and she signed me up. Within two months or less she had two publishing houses bidding on my book which was a spy-thriller/romance. I’ve been writing ever since.

30 years—impressive! Shame about that creative writing professor, though—what a disappointment! Grrrrrrrr…

 

What are you working on right now? What can readers look for from you in the next year?

Blessedly, I just emailed my new manuscript, TOO CLOSE TO THE FIRE, to my editor at Heartwarming. It has a pub date of November of this year.  I’m starting my next Heartwarming book, MY RACiNG HEART.  I’m also working on a thriller and a new screenplay.

Sounds great—and like you’re going to be very busy!

 

What are you currently reading, and what are your thoughts about it so far?

I’m reading Bringing Rosie Home by Loree Lough and loving it tremendously.

Oooh, I’ve heard good things 🙂

 

If you had to “sell” your book in a single Tweet, what would you say?

“Like bittersweet chocolate, everlasting love is delicious.”

Works for me! Thanks so much, Catherine!

 

About the Author:

Catherine Lanigan is the international bestselling and award-winning author of over forty-five published titles in both fiction and non-fiction, including the novelizations of Romancing the Stone and The Jewel of the Nile. Ms. Lanigan’s novels have been translated into over twenty-four languages. Lanigan was tasked by the NotMYkid foundation to pen a collection of compelling and informative true stories of teen addicts. Ms. Lanigan’s SHORES OF INDIAN LAKE series for HARLEQUIN HEARTWARMING includes LOVE SHADOWS, HEART’S DESIRE , A FINE YEAR FOR LOVE, KATIA’S PROMISE, FEAR OF FALLING, SOPHIE’S PATH, PROTECTING THE SINGLE MOM, FAMILY OF HIS OWN, HIS BABY DILEMMA, TOO CLOSE TO THE FIRE (2018) and MY RACING HEART (2019).

The Hallmark Channel will air HEART’S DESIRE on March 17, 2018.

Ms. Lanigan is a frequent speaker at literary functions and book conventions as well as inspiring audiences with her real stories of angelic intervention from her Angel Tales series of books. She is an outspoken advocate for domestic violence and abuse and was honored by The National Domestic Violence Hotline in Washington, D.C. She has been a guest on numerous radio programs including “Coast to Coast” and on television interview and talk show programs as well as blogs, podcasts and online radio interview programs. She writes a monthly blog for Heartwarmingauthors.blogspot.com. Visit her at www.catherinelanigan.com, on Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter@cathlanigan.com, Pinterest, Goodreads and Google+.

Website│Goodreads│Facebook│Twitter│LinkedIn│Pinterest

 

Heart’s Desire
(Shores of Indian Lake #2)
Catherine Lanigan
Contemporary Romance
Paperback & ebook, 191 pages
August 1st 2014 by Harlequin Heartwarming

His homecoming is bittersweet…for both of them

Café owner Maddie Strong is finally ready to take her burgeoning cupcake business to the next level. With the help of handsome businessman Alex Perkins, her future’s all mapped out. Until her first love comes home.

At seventeen, Maddie adored Nate Barzonni with her whole heart and soul. But when he asked her to elope, she’d said no—she couldn’t let him throw away his dream of becoming a doctor. Then he vanished from her life for eleven years. Now the cardiac surgeon has returned to Indian Lake asking for a second chance, and Maddie has to choose between her new life…and the man she never stopped loving.

Goodreads│Amazon│Barnes & Noble│Harlequin

Other Books in the Series:

 

Tour Giveaway!

1 winner will receive a $50 Amazon eGift Card
Open internationally
Ends March