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Monday, May 13, 2019

THE LITTLE TEASHOP ON MAIN by Jodi Thomas ~ Author Interview ~ Lone Star Literary Book Blog Tour

THE LITTLE TEASHOP
ON MAIN
by
Jodi Thomas
Genre: Contemporary Literary Fiction / Coming of Age
Publisher: HQN
Publication Date: May 7, 2019
Number of Pages: 336 pages
Scroll down for the giveaway!


A rainy-day ritual—a tea party between three little girls—becomes the framework of not only their friendship, but their lives. Blonde, curly-haired Zoe is openhearted, kind and free-spirited, and dreams of becoming a famous actor in New York City. Shy Emily struggles with mental health but has the heart and soul of a writer. And Shannon—tall, athletic, strong—has a deep sense of loyalty that will serve her well when she heads off to military college. As Zoe, Emily, and Shannon grow into women—forging careers, following dreams, and finding love—they’ll learn that life doesn’t always unfold the way they want it to, but through it all, the one constant is each other and their regular tea parties. And when the unthinkable happens, the girls must come together to face the greatest test of all.  A deeply moving novel about the family that raises us, the hearts that nurture us, and the great friendships that define our lives. 

PRAISE FOR THE LITTLE TEASHOP ON MAIN: "Heart-wrenching as well as heartwarming, the book reflects the experiences of these seven multifaceted and compelling characters as they journey through challenging years together." -- NY Journal of Books “A comforting treasure for regular Thomas readers who enjoy the easy flow of her writing, a little steamy romance to spice things up, and the development of vulnerable, realistic characters.” -- Booklist


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Jodi Thomas
Interview and Comments
on The Little Teashop on Main

What was the inspiration for The Little Teashop on Main?

When I first began to write The Little Teashop on Main, I knew I wanted to tell the story of a man who loved three women. There are many kinds of love in this world and all can be true.

Jack grew up in the small town of Laurel Springs. As a six-year-old, he watched as three little girls had a princess tea party before they started kindergarten. Little does Jack know that these women will mold his life in the years to come.

Can you provide some insight into The Little Teashop on Main and the writing process?

I often say that, as a writer, I don’t spend time trying to piece a plot together.  It’s more like I sit down in my study and wait for the people in my stories to come to me.  In my mind they walk in, take a seat and tell me their story.  With Tea, it seemed a crowd walked in and they all wanted to tell me their story: a story of friendship so deep it lasts a lifetime, a man strong enough to care profoundly about three women… loving one, befriending one, and protecting one. I piece together lives and show how important the people we get to know and love influence our actions.With many of my stories, the secondary characters tend to stand up and yell their stories.  That happened in Tea.  Alex and Mack were the single parents of two of the girls and they had a story to tell. I loved Mack because he was one on those dear people that others count on.  A quiet hero.

What drew you to write about the friendship between Emily, Zoe, and Shannon?

As I wrote The Little Teashop on Main, I realized how lucky a few of us are if we have one or two friends we keep for a lifetime. My three little girls form a bond at five that shelters and grounds them in good times and bad.

A note about Laurel Springs: 

The Little Teashop on Main is the second book I’ve set in Laurel Springs. Mornings on Main was my first and has been very successful.  With the first, I stepped into the quilting world to do my research and am having a grand time meeting quilters across the country.  Though I have many quilters in my family, I don’t quilt. My mother loved the art. She lived long enough to read my first novel and she once said, “Jodi, you quilt with words.”

Tell us about the release of The Little Teashop on Main:

I’ll be touring with Tea this spring, and I’m looking forward to stepping into the world of tea parties.  People often ask me how I pick where I travel. I’m sure some writers map it out by region, but for me it’s more like where interest takes me. I once did a tour in Oregon because a bookstore owner wrote me a letter saying her mother would “have a cat” if I came to their store. I figured I’d check it out. Didn’t see the cat birth but did meet some delightful people.

So, walk with me though Laurel Springs.  Get to know my people. Stay a while.  I promise, when you close the book and leave my little town in Texas, you’ll smile.

Final Note:

One cold day in March, I walked through the sunroom where my granddaughters often play.  I stopped as the real world touched my writing world. There the girls were, wearing their hand-me-down ladies’ hats and gloves, having tea and cookies. The tea cups might have been full of juice, and the cookies were raided from my stash of Girl Scout cookies, but the ritual was there. 

For a moment I didn’t see two little girls; I saw them in college having tea and talking about their lives. I saw them as mothers relaxing on the patio as their kids play.  At that moment I realized that the simple rituals we share bind us together.

Their tea set was an old one I found at a garage sale, but my little Harper pointed at the fine English tea set on the top shelf. “When I’m thirteen, I’m getting that one down, Gram.”
And she will, I have no doubt.




With millions of books in print, Jodi Thomas is both a New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of over 45 novels and 14 short story collections. Her stories travel through the past and present days of Texas and draw readers from around the world.
In July 2006, Jodi was the 11th writer to be inducted into the Romance Writers of America Hall of Fame. With five RITA’s to her credit, along with National Readers’ Choice Awards and Booksellers’ Best Awards, Thomas has proven her skill as a master storyteller.
Honored in 2002 as a Distinguished Alumni by Texas Tech University in Lubbock, Texas, Thomas enjoys interacting with students at West Texas A&M University in Canyon, Texas, where she currently serves as Writer in Residence.
When not working on a novel, or inspiring students to pursue writing careers, Thomas enjoys traveling with her husband, renovating an historic home, and “checking up” on their grown sons and four grandchildren.


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-------------------------------------
GIVEAWAY!  GIVEAWAY!  GIVEAWAY!
ONE PRINT COPY OF MORNINGS ON MAIN,
THE FIRST LAUREL SPRINGS BOOK
May 8-18, 2019
(US ONLY)
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