Interview with Lateefa Harris, Author of The Spinster’s Resolve

What’s the story behind the story? What inspired you to write The Spinster’s Resolve?

Such a big question! It actually started during COVID — the internet was down (the horror), I’d finished all the books on my Kindle, and I was craving a Regency slow-burn, clean romance with a cozy mystery. Out of sheer boredom, I started imagining a story in my head… and found I was having way too much fun with it. Then a spinster appeared — fully formed and quite opinionated — and refused to leave. So I started writing. And once I realised I could weave in all the things I’ve loved reading over the years, I couldn’t stop.

If you had to pick theme songs for the main characters of The Spinster’s Resolve, what would they be?

For Grace, it would be “Reflection” from Mulan — that sense of someone who knows who she is deep down, but feels unseen by the world around her. It’s soft, powerful, and quietly aching — just like her.

For Gabriel, I’d choose “My Confession” by Josh Groban — all intense longing, buried emotion, and the quiet torment of loving someone he’s not quite sure he deserves.

What’s your favorite genre to read? Is it the same as your favorite genre to write?

Unfortunately, I’m a bit one-dimensional — I tend to reach for Regency romance or cozy murder mysteries almost every time. If I find a book that combines both? That’s my happy place. Add a slow-burn romance, a suspicious footman, and a heroine with sharp instincts, and I’m not moving from my reading nook for hours. Luckily, I ended up writing exactly the kind of book I love to read.

What books are on your TBR pile right now?

Right now I’ve got A Method for Revenge by Cara Devlin and The Gravesend Murder by Lana Williams waiting for me — both historical mysteries, of course. And there is a stack of unread nonfiction I keep pretending I’ll get to.

What scene in your book was your favorite to write?

So many to choose from! But I absolutely loved writing the ballroom chapter — Grace’s Cinderella moment, when her outward appearance finally reflects the quiet, defiant beauty she’s always carried inside. Gabriel’s reaction… let’s just say… it was extremely satisfying to write. That chapter is an emotional rollercoaster — a few soaring highs, followed by some brutal drops. I know, I’m a bit sadistic like that. But it’s where everything shifts, and I couldn’t stop smiling (and wincing) as I wrote it.

Do you have any quirky writing habits? (lucky mugs, cats on laps, etc.)

I can’t write a single word unless I have a steaming cup of tea beside me, my cat sprawled over my shins like royalty, and I’m sitting in the cosiest spot on the sofa (it’s mine, and everyone knows it). I often play instrumental music or random nature sounds from YouTube — rain, birds, sometimes forest ambience. I know. I’m odd. But somehow, it works.

Do you have a motto, quote, or philosophy you live by?

Softness is not weakness. It’s strength in a quieter key.

If you could choose one thing for readers to remember after reading your book, what would it be?

That being overlooked doesn’t mean being powerless. Some of the boldest revolutions begin quietly — with tea, observation, and a refusal to be silenced.