Carla Laureano talks about The Saturday Night Supper Club

I am delighted to have the amazing Carla Laureano here with me today. I first got to know her and her work when I read Five Days in Skye. I have been waiting (not so patiently) for her next series and wowza people, it was worth the wait! Read my review of The Saturday Night Supper Club here

Q: What was the most enjoyable part of doing your research, and did that include taste-testing the menu?
Carla: Believe it or not, there was no taste-testing of the actual menu in the book! Some of the dishes are ones that I borrowed with minor changes from favorite restaurants or well-known chefs. Some I invented myself based on what I know will go well together, but I haven’t developed a lot of the recipes as I originally intended. (Late-onset food allergies mean that I can’t eat most of what I wrote about.) I think what I enjoyed most was getting to know the Denver neighborhoods I used as the setting for The Saturday Night Supper Club. I’ve lived in the metro area for almost twelve years, but since I spend most of my time on the outskirts, it took some concerted effort to know the character of the different downtown neighborhoods. And they do all have their own flavor if you’ll pardon the pun.

Q: What is it about Rachel and Alex that makes them so perfect for each other . . . particularly since Rachel fights against the attraction a little?
Carla: Without giving too much away, Rachel has always had to fit into other people’s expectations of her, both in her family life and in her career. Alex is the first person who really sees and accepts her for who she is. His psychology background gives him a good set of tools to understand why Rachel is so relationship-averse, so he’s extremely patient. Plus they both have unconventional careers and schedules, so they both understand what it’s like to not hold a 9-to-5 job. Never underestimate the importance of the mundane things in a relationship!

Q: I loved the friendships that Rachel has. Without spoilers, will we get to hear more from these phenomenal women in the future?

Carla: Yes! There are two more books in the Supper Club series to follow, each centering on one of the friends in this book. I think I enjoyed their friendship just as much as the romance. Book two, Brunch at Bittersweet Café, will follow Melody Johannson in both her career aspirations and her quest for love. Book three, as yet untitled, will involve Analyn Sanchez and how she deals with some very sudden and disturbing changes in her perfectly arranged life. I loved these three characters so much that I can’t wait to share their stories with readers!

Melony: Oh my goodness! This makes me sooooo happy!

Q: What role does faith play in this story?
Carla: The faith element in this story is subtle but particularly meaningful to me. Rachel’s past experiences have damaged her view of God (and men) and left her with deep scars. In the end, the story is really about how God uses circumstances to guide her back to Him, even while she thinks she’s having to go it alone. It’s taken me decades to fully understand how God has been present in my own life; only now with the benefit of hindsight do I see how He was working all things for my good.

Thank you so much, Carla, for giving us a sneak peek into the makings of The Saturday Night Supper Club.

Melony Teague is a freelance writer who believes everyone has a story to tell and each story is unique and sometimes wilder than fiction. She loves to uncover the good news in society and writes human interest and community pieces. As co-author of As the Ink Flows, she loves to inspire and motivate others through her written words. In her spare time, she reviews books and interviews authors. These reviews can be found right here on her website. Melony Teague was born in South Africa and immigrated to Canada. She now lives in Toronto with her husband and their two children and two cats.