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A Second Chance
Lunch Tales: Teagan follows a woman grieving the loss of her husband and adapting to being a single parent who, through this crisis, is reunited with her first love, and dares to think she could find love again. What was the inspiration for the setup of your story?
The inspiration for the setup of Lunch Tales: Teagan started with her best friend Suellen’s book, where we first meet Teagan. The inability to have children and the financial burden of fertility treatments were causing problems in Teagan’s marriage. She didn’t think she could ever get over not being able to have a child, while her husband Mike, said that she was enough for him, and thus began a clash in their marital partnership. Eventually, Mike gets on board with Teagan’s wish to adopt, and just as their threesome has blossomed in the best way, Mike is killed in a car accident, and Teagan finds herself a single parent at the start of her story. Since I write realistic fiction, many of my themes come from real-life stories. Teagan’s story is a blend of several occurrences I pondered, and I wanted to give it the respect I would give anyone in a similar scenario. The purpose of my stories is to inspire and instill hope.
There was a lot of time spent crafting the character traits in this novel. What was the most important factor for you to get right in your characters?
I had a head start because Suellen’s book included Teagan’s work friends, which gave me a basis to build upon. As for Teagan’s family, I have Irish friends who helped me with the particular traits of an Irish family. Our closeness, coupled with several interviews, gave me confidence that I would get it right.
What were some themes that were important for you to explore in this book?
Teagan’s experience highlights the strength found in the backing of friends and family, while I also explored adoption as a positive option. The most uplifting and charming theme is a romance that offers a second chance.
Will there be a third book in the Lunch Tales series? If so, who will the story focus on?
The third installment of the Lunch Tales series will feature Carol and is currently in early development.
Author Links: GoodReads | X (Twitter) | Facebook | Website | Amazon
Pushing her son’s stroller on a summer day, thirty-six-year-old Teagan Quinn has no reason to think a big change is looming-the kind that happens in a mind-blowing instant. Nothing could prepare her for a shocking heartbreak.
Gripped by the trauma and grief of suddenly becoming a single parent, Teagan leans heavily on her lunch friends and lively Irish family for support. But when something ends, something usually begins-and Officer Luke Pisani walks back into Teagan’s life. Not just any old friend, he was her idealistic first. The man who got away.
As the grieving months go by, Luke is there at every turn, and gradually, old attraction reignites. But as ambivalent feelings challenge Teagan’s new beginning, a series of hurtful anonymous notes arrive, each angrier than the one before it.
With grit and urgency, Teagan must summon her inner sleuth before the letters poison one of the best things that could happen to her-learning to love again.
Lunch Tales: Teagan
From the very first page of Lunch Tales: Teagan, I was pulled straight into Teagan Quinn’s world. The book begins with warmth, ease, and a glimpse into a contented life, marriage, motherhood, and family. Then suddenly, that life is shattered. Her husband dies in a freak accident, and we follow her through the crushing grief that follows. We see her try to put one foot in front of the other. There’s love, loss, friendship, heartbreak, and a tentative hope that life can still hold beauty, even when it feels like the world has gone cold. The story unfolds through Teagan’s eyes as she faces widowhood, single motherhood, and the slow, painful path toward healing.
Reading this felt like listening to a friend spill her heart. Teagan’s voice is honest. Author Lucille Guarino doesn’t palliate grief. It’s raw, messy, and stretches out longer than you’d think. What I loved most is that she doesn’t turn Teagan into a saint. She’s angry. She’s tired. She lashes out. She feels selfish. She feels broken. But she keeps trying, and that’s what makes her feel real. The writing is clean, almost conversational. At times it’s quietly poetic, but mostly it’s grounded, warm, and intimate. And while the story could easily slip into melodrama, it doesn’t. The emotions feel earned. I laughed. I cried. I caught my breath in parts. There were scenes I had to reread just to sit with the weight of them.
What surprised me was how much I came to love the side characters. Suellen, Bridget, even Luke. Everyone felt like someone I’d met in real life. The friendships, especially among the lunch moms, were such a balm. They held her up when she couldn’t stand. And while there’s a flicker of new romance by the end, it’s not rushed or forced. It’s more like a door left slightly open. The book isn’t about moving on. It’s about moving forward. There’s a big difference. And Guarino nails that. She doesn’t give us a fairytale. She gives us the slow, stumbling rhythm of real healing.
I’d recommend Lunch Tales: Teagan to anyone who’s ever had to start over when they didn’t want to. It’s a gentle, moving story for readers who crave depth and feeling over plot twists and speed. I found that the book reminded me somewhat of The Light We Lost in its raw emotional core, and it had echoes of Still Me with its theme of rebuilding life, though it carries a gentler, more hopeful tone overall. I think this book is for women who understand how complicated love is. And how precious.
Pages: 288 | ASIN : B0FR582BPJ
Inspiring Women
Lunch Tales: Suellen follows a lawyer recovering from a toxic relationship whose attempt to begin again with the ideal man is thwarted by a health crisis. What was the inspiration for the setup of your story?
Lunch Tales: Suellen is personal for me as I went through a similar medical crisis at the same age and know firsthand all the feelings and emotions she had to go through. I have met so many extraordinary and resilient women in my lifetime—inspiring women who have had to overcome hardship and health challenges. This book is for all of them.
Was there anything from your own life that you put into the characters in your novel?
The law office scene is drawn from my own personal experience in working at a major New Jersey law firm for several years where I met a lot of colorful characters and made lifelong friends.
What were some of the emotional and moral guidelines you followed when developing your characters?
In writing and developing my characters, I wanted them to be as truthful as they could be in dealing with the seriousness of the challenges they faced, emotionally, realistically, and morally. The guidelines for realistic fiction are simple. Be totally honest and reliable in the telling, no matter how difficult or heart-wrenching. When it comes to authenticity, readers are quite intuitive.
Can we look forward to more books in the Lunch Tales series? Where will it take readers?
More books in the Lunch Tales series are forthcoming. Lunch Tales: Teagan is slated to publish in January of 2026. Teagan is Suellen’s best friend and her story is uniquely compelling. They are major characters in each other’s story, and the same supporting characters are in both novels. Originally, when I drafted Lunch Tales, it was from four women’s points of view in one novel. After I read it through, I decided to give each of these women more space for the reader to get to know them better and gave them their own standalone novel in the Lunch Tales series. Once I did that, they evolved in ways I never imagined at the start.
Author Links: GoodReads | X (Twitter) | Facebook | Website | Amazon
Suellen Atkins’ trust fund has given her everything except love. As the youngest attorney in a major law firm, her life is filled with reckless spending and meaningless flings. But when she dumps her latest wild guy, he doesn’t leave quietly.
Unable to shake the feeling she’s being watched, Suellen runs into an old classmate at a colleague’s farewell. Adam Isaacson is one of the good guys — and that might be more scary than her stalker ex. With the echoes of her parents’ tumultuous marriage still ringing in her ears, Suellen can’t imagine anything this promising.
When a shock medical diagnosis complicates things, her proclivity for self-sabotage goes into overdrive. As life turns upside down, her lunch friends at the law firm become a lifeline in the storm. But even they, with all their good intentions and well-meaning advice, can’t save Suellen from herself. Nor can the man who’s fallen in love with her. Only she can do that.
Lunch Tales: Suellen
Lucille Guarino’s Lunch Tales: Suellen is a captivating addition to her series about four women working together in a bustling law firm. Each day, these women gather in the cafeteria to share their lives over lunch, creating a tapestry of stories that are as engaging as they are relatable. This installment centers on Suellen, a lawyer whose journey explores love, family, and resilience. Suellen’s story unfolds with her trapped in a toxic relationship, a struggle she eventually overcomes. Her courage leads her to Adam, a man who seems to embody the qualities she has been searching for. However, her path to happiness takes an unforeseen turn when a health crisis forces her to break things off with Adam, driven by a desire not to burden him. Once recovered, Suellen embarks on a journey to rebuild her life, but moving on from Adam proves to be far more difficult than anticipated.
Guarino masterfully weaves the narratives of all four women into this novel, offering glimpses into their lives while keeping Suellen’s story at the forefront. The interplay of these interconnected lives adds depth to the plot and invites readers to explore the rest of the series. The characters are vibrant and relatable, grounding the story in realism. There’s an authenticity in how the events unfold—no overly dramatic twists, just scenarios that feel true to life. The romance in this book strikes a perfect balance. It’s heartfelt, engaging, and written with sophistication. The ups and downs of Suellen’s journey, combined with moments of unexpected plot development, keep readers intrigued. The story wraps up with the kind of satisfying conclusion that leaves you smiling.
For anyone who loves a feel-good romance that mirrors real-life complexities, Lunch Tales: Suellen is a must-read. It’s a book that not only entertains but also connects with its audience on a deeply personal level. Lucille Guarino’s skillful storytelling hooked me from the start, and I can’t wait to delve into the rest of the series to uncover the lives of the other remarkable women in this group. This is a heartwarming, well-crafted story that I wholeheartedly recommend.
Pages: 297 | ASIN : B0DJDK14X6
Validation and Encouragement
Elizabeth’s Mountain follows a mother and daughter, one who reflects on her past relationships and one who is hoping to have a love like her mom. What were some themes that you felt were important to highlight in this story?
The most important theme highlighted in Elizabeth’s Mountain is love, of course. Through generations, mores and approaches toward dating and romance change, but love never changes. Other themes prevalent in Elizabeth’s Mountain are the attitudes and recognition of PTSD for what it is, and the essence of land partnered with life.
What’s the trickiest thing about writing characters of the opposite gender?
The trickiest thing about writing characters of the opposite gender is thinking like them. “Men are from Mars, women are from Venus” aptly applies!
Are there any books or authors that inspired you to become a writer?
I get inspiration from many authors, but there are a few who stand out for me: Ann Patchett for her family sagas, Pat Conroy for his emotion-heavy reads, Harper Lee for her classically poignant American story.
Has writing and publishing a book changed the way you see yourself?
There is validation in seeing your work published and the reviews and responses to it. It’s heartwarming and encourages me forward as a writer.
Author Links: GoodReads | Twitter | Facebook | Instagram | Website
Present day. Amanda yearns to stop wasting time. After ending a dead-end, three-year relationship and moving in with her spirited grandmother, the thirty-four-year-old nurse sees her dream of marriage and kids vanishing. But when she meets a handsome widower at a hospital summit, she cautiously lets down her walls.
As Elizabeth’s memories take her back to when she was a hopeful young woman, she reveals how a horrific accident led to the ER and a charming doctor. While Amanda fears the worst when she overhears the enigmatic man she’s fallen for talking on the phone with another woman.
Do both women’s stories lead to a grand legacy and a lifetime of love?
In an emotional rollercoaster that interweaves the two women’s chance at a future, their parallel romances illustrate the power of resilience and hope despite heartbreak. And as one story comes to its twilight years while the other is just beginning, readers will fall hard for this poignant inheritance of happiness.
Elizabeth’s Mountain is an enchanting women’s fiction novel. If you like relatable characters, dual timelines, and multi-generational romance, then you’ll adore Lucille Guarino’s touching tale.
Never Lose Hope
Elizabeth’s Mountain follows a mother and daughter as one reflects on their life and past relationships, and one struggles to find the love and romance she has dreamed of like her mom’s. What was the inspiration for the setup of your story?
The inspiration for the setup of Elizabeth’s Mountain‘s story came to me in a dream that followed a phone conversation I had with my ninety-two-year-old aunt. She was living alone in Florida during the pandemic and I could feel her loneliness. One of her granddaughters had just had a baby, but she couldn’t see him during a time when social distancing was prevailing. We talked about her granddaughter who she was close to and hadn’t seen in quite a while and I could sense how much she missed her. I, too, have two granddaughters with whom I am very close and could relate. I also thought about what it must be like to have lived ninety-some years, all that she had seen and lived through, and now going through an isolating time. Coming out of the pandemic, as things normalized again, I went to my laptop and started writing Elizabeth’s Mountain. I’ve always loved Asheville, the Blue Ridge Mountains. I live two-and-a-half hours away and enjoy visiting there often, so the choice of setting was almost an instant one. Coupled with my enjoyment of reading a good romance story, I thought about the generational changes in attitudes and perspectives on dating just in the last one hundred years and realized that while much has changed, love never changes.
What character did you enjoy writing for? Was there one that was more challenging to write for?
I enjoyed writing about Elizabeth’s character the most because the time when she was a young woman falling in love was the early fifties which is a fascinating time in American history, and because her advanced age carried so much insight into love and life. The character that was the most challenging to write would probably be Jesse since I couldn’t resonate with his conflicts as easily as the other characters. I felt like he needed to be a little self-centered based on how his dreams were thwarted, but wanted to keep him generous and likable.
There is so much to be said about love in this book. What do you hope your readers take away from your story?
I hope that the takeaway for my readers will be that love can happen when you least expect it, whether it’s first love, second-chance love, or in what seems like the most ill-timed. Whether in times of sorrow, despair, loneliness, or disillusionment, never lose hope. And the deepest meaning of hope is love.
What is the next book that you are working on, and when will it be available?
The next book I am working on is Lunch Tales – Suellen, which is due to launch on February 13, 2025. A twenty-eight-year-old single female lawyer working at a prominent law firm bonds in a melange of lunch tales with a cadre of coworker friends who find it hard not to love her despite a sassy disposition and rebellious nature. Another emotional-heavy read that will offer inspiration and hope to readers.
Author Links: GoodReads | Twitter | Facebook | Instagram | Website
Asheville, North Carolina. Elizabeth has a dilemma. After celebrating a milestone birthday, the feisty ninety-year-old anxiously contemplates a developer’s lucrative offer for her Blue Ridge Mountain farmhouse. Worried her adult children will pressure her to sell, the lively senior recalls how her journey to this forever home began back in the 50s when she met the man who would become her husband…
Present day. Amanda yearns to stop wasting time. After ending a dead-end, three-year relationship and moving in with her spirited grandmother, the thirty-four-year-old nurse sees her dream of marriage and kids vanishing. But when she meets a handsome widower at a hospital summit, she cautiously lets down her walls.
As Elizabeth’s memories take her back to when she was a hopeful young woman, she reveals how a horrific accident led to the ER and a charming doctor. While Amanda fears the worst when she overhears the enigmatic man she’s fallen for talking on the phone with another woman.
Do both women’s stories lead to a grand legacy and a lifetime of love?
In an emotional rollercoaster that interweaves the two women’s chance at a future, their parallel romances illustrate the power of resilience and hope despite heartbreak. And as one story comes to its twilight years while the other is just beginning, readers will fall hard for this poignant inheritance of happiness.
Elizabeth’s Mountain is an enchanting women’s fiction novel. If you like relatable characters, dual timelines, and multi-generational romance, then you’ll adore Lucille Guarino’s touching tale.
Buy Elizabeth’s Mountain to believe in tomorrow!
Elizabeth’s Mountain
Elizabeth’s Mountain, written by Lucille Guarino, weaves a generational tale set against the backdrop of the 1950s—a period marked by conflict, illness, and hardship. The narrative opens with Elizabeth, a character grappling with personal loss during these turbulent times. Following a tragic bus accident, her path crosses with Joseph, a trauma surgeon. Their shared experiences of pain and trauma forge a bond that evolves into a deep friendship and eventually blossoms into an enduring love. The story then shifts its focus to Amanda, Elizabeth’s granddaughter, who is navigating the aftermath of a failed relationship. At a healthcare convention, Amanda encounters Jesse Taylor, a lawyer, sparking a mutual attraction. However, Amanda’s reluctance to compromise her aspirations in the wake of her past relationship threatens this new potential connection.
Guarino skillfully alternates between the perspectives of these two women, eloquently capturing their journeys through love, trauma, and fear. The resilience of Elizabeth and Amanda as they tackle life’s challenges forms the core of the narrative. The parallel drawn between Elizabeth’s past and Amanda’s present is particularly poignant, influencing Elizabeth’s choices about her treasured mountain home. Their male counterparts, Joseph and Jesse, enrich the story with their steadfast support and commitment. The author addresses themes like PTSD and the lingering effects of trauma with sensitivity, bringing depth and authenticity to her characters. Elizabeth’s Mountain seamlessly merges elements of 1950s historical romance with contemporary storytelling, presenting a rich tapestry of love and perseverance across generations.
Guarino’s exploration of enduring relationships through a lens of historical and contemporary romance, coupled with her well-developed characters, makes this book a noteworthy read for those who are drawn to stories that span different time periods and showcase the complexities of life and love.
Pages: 328 | ASIN : B0CPHFWCHF
Elizabeth’s Mountain
Elizabeth’s Mountain is a poignant and intricately woven narrative that elegantly traces the life of Elizabeth. The story begins in her childhood, capturing a tender romance at eighteen with Robbie, a young man whose life is tragically cut short by war. The novel eloquently navigates Elizabeth’s journey through the depths of grief and her eventual path to healing. A pivotal moment occurs with a tragic bus accident that steers Elizabeth’s life in an unexpected direction. During her recovery in the hospital, she meets Joe, who becomes her future husband. Their romance is depicted with a sense of enchantment, embodying a love that is both pure and enduring.
Parallel to Elizabeth’s story is the tale of her granddaughter, Amanda, who finds herself at a crossroads after ending a lackluster relationship. Amanda’s yearning for a love as profound as her grandmother’s adds a contemporary twist to the narrative. Author Guarino excels in crafting a well-structured story that seamlessly navigates between two distinct timelines. The characters are crafted with care, making them both relatable and endearing, which keeps the reader deeply invested in their journeys. The novel’s strength lies in its ability to juxtapose romantic experiences across generations, highlighting themes of love, family, and the cyclical nature of life. While adhering to the conventions of a classic romance novel, Elizabeth’s Mountain steers clear of the grittiness often found in modern narratives. Instead, it celebrates the essence of true love and traditional romance, making it a heartwarming read that honors both romantic and familial bonds.
Elizabeth’s Mountain is a testament to the enduring power of love and the beauty of a well-lived life. Its uplifting nature makes it an ideal read for those seeking solace or a touch of optimism. The book concludes on a note of satisfaction, leaving the reader with a sense of fulfillment and joy.
Pages: 328 | ASIN : B0CPHFWCHF
LITERARY TITAN 