Q&A With Lori Foster 

Mark Gottlieb was kind enough to connect me with USA Today, Publishers Weekly & New York Times Bestselling Author of contemporary romance, Lori Foster! Lori has written over 100 titles! Some of her many works are The Fearless One, Let Me Be The One, The Little Flower Shop, The Guest Cottage, The Lake House, When I First Met You & her upcoming release Love Comes In Small Packages which will be released on May 31^st! 

Q: Welcome to Book Notions Lori! I’m so excited about interviewing you! I realize you have over 100 titles. So, I only ask, can you give a brief description of your recent work beginning with Love Comes In Small Packages? 

A: Thank you for reaching out. I’m always happy to meet new people. 

My novella, That Special Someone, includes two characters introduced in previous books as part of a series – but I make certain all my book can stand alone. Laylee and Knox have grown close as best friends within the group of characters. They’re both interested in more but worry about ruining a great friendship. Circumstances bring them even closer together – a cat rescue, a robbery, and Laylee maybe accidentally getting pregnant – and they soon realize they’re meant to be together.

My story is what I call a “benefit book,” where I donate all advance and all proceeds for the life of the book to a local no-kill animal shelter, AAFPets.org. I’ve been doing a benefit book each year since 2008. 

Q: When you began your writing career, what drew you into writing in the romance genre? Are some of your ideas inspired by bits and pieces of real people and places? 

A: I wasn’t even a reader… until I picked up a romance novel. I think sometimes “assigned reading” is so heavy, and often depressive, it turns off readers instead of drawing them in. That’s what happened to me. 

One day I was stuck in bed (ill) and my sister brought me over a bag of romance novels. I skimmed one, got snagged on a scene, totally loved it and went back to the beginning to read the entire thing. I ended up devouring the whole bag of books and wanted more.

I was only a year or so into my reading journey when I started to write my own stories, longhand with paper and pencil. After a time, I got a typewriter, then a word processor (this was pre-computer) and eventually a computer. I wrote 10 manuscripts over 5 years before I sold my first book in 1995, and it was released in 1996.

For me, the human connection in romance is what makes reading and writing so wonderful. I know it’s different for everyone and I respect that, but I enjoy witnessing two people triumph over their problems, and the difference love can make to even the worst situation. 

As to being inspired by real people and places, the answer is yes – to a degree. I’ll pick up a tidbit of conversation, or see one exchange take place, and build an entire scene around it. And of course, a scene needs a book, so… I do the same with some headlines and current news, but only as inspiration.

Growing up, I spent summers at a lake with my siblings, and I often incorporate “lake life” into my stories. 

Q: How long does it take you to write a book? How many hours do you spend a day plotting, writing and editing? 

A: I used to be such a fast writer that I could easily produce a novel in 3 months. That was before social media became so prominent, and admittedly, age has slowed me down. These days, I like to give myself 5 or 6 months to ensure I have plenty of time.

I don’t actually do a lot of plotting. I start with a kernel of an idea and let it grow as I write. I’m a “seat of my pants” writer vs a “plotter.” At the start of a book, I like to do a character sheet to remind myself of hair color, eye color, height, age, job description, type of car driven, names of friends or relatives… Anything that I might reference. I add to it as I write.

If during the story I need to research, I do it when it comes up. I’ve found that if I try to do too much research upfront, I lock down details that I never need.

As to how much time I spend… I wake early, somewhere between 4am and 5am. My first few hours are drinking coffee and tackling social media. After that, I do any promo necessary, and then I get busy writing.

I usually work until 5pm or whenever dinner is ready. (My husband is a terrific cook and handles dinner almost every day.)

Q: Other than a brilliant love story, are there reminders, lessons and emotions you hope readers remember, learn and feel once they turn the final page? 

A: Something that seems to come up naturally in my books is the idea that unwelcome situations can often lead you to better places. 

A marriage that ends badly eventually opens a door for you to meet your real true love.

Losing a job leaves you in a position to take one that feeds your soul.

Relocating to escape a scary problem puts you where you’re meant to be.

Surviving something horrendous might enable you to help someone else to survive. 

I love the idea (I consider it a truth) that there is often an upside – when we bother to look for it, or notice it.

And of course, there are situations where all we can do is grieve, heal, and finally recover. Those life lessons are important too. 

Q: Congratulations on your books being on three bestsellers lists: The New York Times, USA Today & Publishers Weekly! Does it feel surreal knowing your books made all three lists? 

A: Yes, very much so! I meet many fabulous authors who are comfortable in the role of public persona. They tell everyone they’re published novelists. They share their books when they travel. They openly take photos with their books in stores. I love that for them, but I’m the opposite. 

Now if someone recognizes me and says “hi,” I love it. (Readers should feel free if they see me out and about!) I don’t announce it, though. If I’m not at a book event, I keep a really low profile. If I get a photo with my books in public, I’m sneaky about it – and I wait until no one is looking. 

It’s always awkward for me when someone asks what I do. I’ll say, “I work for myself.” And they ask, “Doing what?” At that point, I have to confess – but I try to get around it first.

The next question is usually, “You’re published?” Eventually, after many questions, they discover that I’m a bestseller. I understand their surprise because, for real, I don’t have the “bestseller” look. I better fit the grandma vibe.

So yes, being a bestseller remains a shock. I’m so, soooo grateful to the wonderful readers who gave me that gift. It’s been a wild, fun, very fulfilling and unexpected ride.

Q: Can you reveal any upcoming releases and new stories you are writing right now, or is it too early to reveal anything yet? 

A: I’m finishing up the 3^rd book in the Firefly Summer series. First was The Guest Cottage with Marlow, then The Lake House with Pixie (out May 26) and sometime in 2026, The Rainbow Connection (tentative title) will be released with a story for Erin.

July 14^th will be When I First Met You, the 2^nd book in the Family Ties series. That’s Kam’s story, brother to Tanner in Let Me Be The One. 

YES, it all gets confusing! I keep two working calendars on my wall – one for when things are due, and one for when books release.

Next I’ll be writing a Christmas book and I already know the characters and love them and their flaws so much. In my head, the story is all mapped out, but it’s definitely too soon for me to share details. I’ll just say there is a lot of family strife and some difficult history (romantic and otherwise) in the small town she left behind. Naturally, things happen and she has to return for a funeral…which turns into a much longer stay. A lot of tense situations, including with her love interest, because everything is different the second time around, and the town she fled might just become the only place that really feels like home.

Q: What is one piece of wisdom you have for future authors, especially those wanting to write romance like you do?

A: Advice is never easy because an author’s path is such an individual, private, personal thing. In writing workshops, you hear so much advice…yet rarely did any of it apply to my approach and process. Basically, you need to sit down and write. Finish something, even if it’s not great, so you know you can. The upside is that writing helps to teach you your own process and what works for you.

I like to write at my desk. One author friend sits on her patio to write. Another wanders the woods and finds a nice spot. Find your spot and write. 

Don’t share until you’re done. I think too often, authors want immediate gratification, so they show friends and get their feedback – and soon, they’re not as driven to write the story. I don’t share until the book is done, that way I stay motivated to finish it so I can share.

Make it the best book you can, but don’t polish it so much that you polish away your voice, because that’s the only unique thing you have in this business. Plots aren’t unique. Settings aren’t unique. How you tell the story is what makes it special. (Which is another issue with getting too much advice – you dilute your own voice.)

Q: Does Hollywood have the rights to your work? Whether they do or not, do you have a dream cast in mind to play the characters you created within your novels? 

A: Oh, how I wish, but no. I’ve had books optioned over the years, but nothing ever came of it. As for the cast… Liam Hemsworth, Jake Gyllenhaal, Josh Duhamel, Florence Pugh, Hailee Steinfeld, Sydney Sweeny, Daisy Ridley, heck, I’d be happy with any attractive, talented actors, well-known or not. 

I don’t see that happening, though, and my personal go-to actors to watch for great movies are Jason Statham, Denzel Washington, and Bob Odenkirk – because I favor action movies!

Q: Lori would you please post your social media accounts so the readers of the blog and I can follow you?

A: Yes, of course. Thank you.

LoriFoster.com 

https://www.facebook.com/lorifoster/

https://www.instagram.com/lorilfoster/ 

https://x.com/LoriLFoster 

https://www.youtube.com/user/lorifosterauthor