Giveaway & Interview ~ Carol Wyer Author of Surfing in Stilettos

Amanda Wilson is all geared up for an exciting gap-year, travelling across Europe. She soon finds her plans thwarted when she is abandoned in France with only a cellarful of Chateau Plonk, a large, orange Space Hopper, and Old Ted, the dog, for company. Fate has intervened to turn Amanda's life on its head. First the campervan breaks down. Then her dopey son, Tom, who is staying in their house in the UK, begins wrecking it, one piece at a time. The jaw-dropping video Skype calls that her irrepressible mother insists on making are, by contrast, making Amanda's humdrum trip even less palatable. Finally, she discovers that her new-found, French friend, Bibi Chevalier, had engineered a plan to ensure that her philandering husband would never stray again; unfortunately, Amanda is unwittingly drawn into the scheme, becoming a target. Meanwhile, on a beach in Sydney, a lonely Todd Bradshaw realises that his first true love, Amanda Wilson, is definitely the only woman for him. Can he get back into her good books and hopefully back into her arms with his latest plan? Or will fate intervene yet again and turn everyone's lives upside down?

Tomorrow the Surfing In Stilettos ebook will be released by Thornberry Publishing! Find it at Amazon US and Amazon UK.

About The Author:  

A humorous writer and blogger whose light hearted novels and articles encourage others to laugh at life and grow old disgracefully.

Her best selling novel 'Mini Skirts and Laughter Lines' won five awards for humour including Readers Views Reviewer's Choice 2012 and Silver medal in the Indie Book Awards 2012.

The sequel 'Surfing in Stilettos', released July 2012, is a Costa Award nominee. It charts the further adventures of Amanda Wilson, a middle-aged woman seeking fun and adventure, who gets more excitement than she bargained for when an adult 'gap year' goes wrong.


You can find her on her Website, Blog, Twitter, or Facebook .



 I interviewed Carol and this is what she had to say:

What part of writing do you find the most challenging?most enjoyable?

The most challenging part of writing is finding the time to sit and type out the novel itself. Holding on to all those ideas and words for so long makes your head want to split open, so once I start to type, I am very reluctant to stop and will type all day and night. That is, I would if a certain someone didn't keep interrupting me. My husband is retired and at home all day. Even though he knows I hate being disrupted he'll come barging into my room and start chatting about something he has read or ask me to help him hold a screw so he can fix something or ask if I would like to make a coffee! That's why I now write over night. The problem is that even for a person with insomnia, it gets tiring after a few days. You can usually tell when I am working on a book. I have bags under my eyes the size of suitcases.

What's the most enjoyable? Beginning to get that story that you have been working on in your head down at last and see it shaping up. Like many authors, I get completely involved with my characters and the plot and it's wonderful to see it all coming to life, on paper at least.

In what scenario do you do your best work?

On a desert island with no one around other than a waiter who could keep me plied with cocktails! That isn't likely so the alternative is locked away in my room at night with only the sounds of the odd barn owl to disturb me and the distant snores of Hubby.

Beef, chicken, pork, or vegetarian?

Vegetarian. I bet that surprised you all. I haven't ever really liked meat. I prefer pasta and vegetables so meat isn't something I bother about much. I'm not into cooking either. What a dreadful housewife I am. Thank goodness for ready made meals.

What is your favorite fairy tale?

When I was little I had a series of records consisting of all the best fairy tales. Each tale was told by actors and they all had atmospheric music accompanying them. My mother would put them on for me to listen to at bedtime. I listened to them time after time and never tired of them. My favourite was Hansel and Gretel because the woman who played the stepmother was really sinister. I practised speaking like her and scaring everyone. To this day I can hear her voice saying "Something has to be done, husband, something has to be done." On a lighter note I also loved the idea of attempting to eat a giant gingerbread house.

If you could pick any destination, where would you go?

I've been lucky enough to do quite a bit of travelling but one place I would love to visit would be the Galapagos Islands. I have mixed feelings about going though because the fact that so many tourists now visit that region must present potential dangers for the animals and environment. Still, who wouldn't want to take a photo of their Hubby with a giant Dragon lizard breathing down his neck?

What type of music do you listen to?

Oh dear. This is a hard question because I listen to just about anything depending on my mood. I love eighties music for a workout, seventies music for a sing song and to cheer me up, modern music because I like playing it loudly when I am driving or dancing at a party like a mad woman. I like classical music for when I need to gather my thoughts. I even listen to old French songs for a change. I can't really be more specific. If I told you that on my IPhone I have all the Killers albums, Andy Williams, Carmina Burana, Muse and Greatest Hits of Boney M that might help explain the problem. The fact is that I like most music (with the exception of opera and jazz) and unfortunately for everyone in the vicinity, will often be heard singing along to a song.

How likely are you to suffer from road rage?

No chance! I don't get worked up about people driving badly or being aggressive towards me on the road. I figure they have had a long day and need to chill out. I leave Hubby to do all the yelling at people. It's like having a special app on your phone that shouts out "Get out of the way, Gramps!" "Your car got no indicator then?" " You *~@@* !" "Come on Darling it's not a bus,"and many other phrases. Maybe I should patent it. It sounds like he and I would have fun riding together!

What is your biggest weakness?

I have a Midget Gem dependency at the moment. When I type I need to chew on something and those little hard jelly sweets do it for me. I have though managed an entire week without any so I might be on the road to recovery.

Do you have a favorite gem?

Apart from those I eat? Oh I see - gem as in precious stone. Hee hee! I have always liked emeralds because they are green and green is my favourite colour. Alas, I don't have any emerald jewellery or even emerald eyes.

What is your least favorite thing to do?

Weeding in the garden. I loathe getting my nails dirty. It never seems to come out and you have stained fingers for days after. I also hate bending over for hours on end getting back ache and yanking up weeds for them only to all grow back again next week. Finally, I hate being outside in the wind and cold - which it nearly always is here. The bad news is that I have to do it. It's my job in the garden. I wish we'd had the place paved over. It would have been easier.

What is your favorite flavor of ice cream?

Strangely, I don't like ice cream much. Hubby adores it and could live on it which is just as well given my lack of culinary skills. I suppose at a push I would say Mint Choc Chip. Now if you'd asked me which flavour of pasta... Do they make Spaghetti Bolognaise flavoured ice cream? lol! Thankfully, I don't believe so.

Night or Day?

Night for the reasons above.

Thank you for taking the time to answer my questions.

It has been a huge pleasure and a lot of fun. Thank you for having me on your wonderful blog.  :D


Carol has been kind enough to offer two of her books in paperback for a giveaway! You are eligible as long as you are older than 13 and the Book Depository or Amazon ships to you. :-)




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