Q&A With Laura Lee Guhrke

This Q&A was a long time coming! A few months back I read Bookshop Cinderella, a historical romance novel by Laura Lee Guhrke. Laura Lee Guhrke’s historical romance novels are on the USA Today & New York Times Bestsellers lists! Many of her books are part of a series. The sequel to Bookshop Cinderella titled Lady Scandal will be released on June 18th! I cannot wait to read it after falling in love with Bookshop Cinderella. 

Q: Laura, would you like to tell the readers of the blog and I a little bit about Lady Scandal, & where the idea for the book came from?

A: Lady Scandal is the second book in my Scandal at the Savoy series, which is set in the opulent luxury of London’s Savoy Hotel. My story is fiction, but it centers around a true historical scandal. In 1898, the hotel was run by the famous Cesar Ritz. Ritz and many members of his staff were suspected by the hotel’s owners of theft and embezzlement. My heroine Delia (who readers may remember from Bookshop Cinderella, the first book of the series) is Savoy’s events planner and one of Ritz’s best friends. My hero, Simon, is hired by the owners to uncover the extent of the theft and determine just which members of the staff are responsible, and he realizes almost immediately that the beautiful and beguiling Delia is one of his prime suspects. When he starts falling in love with her, he’s got a big problem on his hands.

Q: I’ve gotten into reading historical romance in late 2023. It blends two great genres together. Laura, what is it about writing historical romance that you enjoy so much? 

A: I love history, and I love romance. It seemed a perfect fit!

Q: Laura, I read your bio and it’s very impressive! Before becoming an author, you were in advertising for seven years, had a successful catering business and managed a construction company. Was the transition going from advertising, catering, and managing a construction company, to becoming an author an easy one?

A: Absolutely not. Writing is MUCH harder! It’s been the hardest job I’ve ever done. And the most rewarding.

Q: In your opinion, what makes the perfect historical romance novel for anyone wanting to write one? What lessons do you hope readers take away from reading your books?

A: To me, the perfect historical romance is a slow burn. Before the end, I want my readers to laugh, cry, get mad, forgive, and know by the last page that the two main characters will live happily ever after.

Q: How long does it take for you to research & write a historical romance novel?

A: The amount of research varies from book to book. For Lady Scandal and the other books in the Scandal at the Savoy series, I had to do a great deal of research because the series centers around a true historical event, so the setting plays a crucial part in the plot.

Q: What was it like advertising, catering and managing a construction company?

A: Selling advertising was tough because I really didn’t want to be in sales and only took the job because I had to pay rent. But I did end up enjoying it more than I thought I would. Catering was a sideline, something I did to make extra money. I catered and bartended on weekends and that extra cash was really handy.

Q: Do you have any more upcoming releases and upcoming works you are writing?

A: Of course! I’m currently writing the third book of the Scandal in the Savoy series. The title is Bad Luck Bride, and the book should be coming out in the summer of 2025.

Q: If Hollywood were to get the rights to your work (if they haven’t yet) who would be your dream cast to play your characters? I could picture either Emilia Clark as Evie Harlow & Santiago Cabrera from the BBC show Merlin to play Maximillian Shaw. 

A: Those two would be excellent. It’s really hard for me to pick actors to play my characters because no one really looks or sounds like the characters in my mind. But I’d be happy if anyone decided to make a movie out of any of my books!

Q: Have you ever doubted yourself while you were writing your stories? If so, how did you overcome your doubt so you can write and finish your stories? 

A: I experience self-doubt on a daily basis. My best way of battling it is to remember the reasons why I made the book decisions I made. If I run into a plot snarl, for example, I stop and think back about how and why I put my characters here, and that makes me realize that I really am on the right track. The fact is, writing is hard, and self-doubt is one of the reasons why. It’s also something every writer (every GOOD one, anyway) experiences. You just have to persevere.

Q: What’s it like knowing your novels are both New York Times & USA Today Bestsellers? It sounds like such a dream come true to make both lists!

A: It’s very gratifying to know so many people like my books! But it also doesn’t mean I can ever take those readers for granted. I know I have to try every single time to write the best book I can so I don’t let those readers down.