 GMB: Hi Nicole ... Welcome to the 'Anything But a Tired Barn' ... I see you dressed up for this interview... NC: I sure did ... *Huge smile * Wanna' see my shoes? GMB: Oh yeah ... You going to tell me its all about the shoes? NC: Well sure ... What were you thinkin'? GMB: Uh, well ... I um ... Hey Nicole why don't you tell us a little about yourself ... Something for our Barn Blog fans to get to know you better... NC: Well... according to my driver’s license, I’m a XX-year-old 163cm-tall white female with crappy vision and an attitude problem. GMB: Nice... ;-) NC: I thought so... Yes ... Well okay then ... That last part’s not true, but it’s not my fault, they just wouldn't let me smile for the photo. GMB: And pray tell ... were you dressed like an Egyptian for your Driver's photo? NC: Yep. GMB: Perhaps that is why they wouldn't let you smile? Tell us Nicole ... is it your smile or your affinity for dressing like an Egyptian that provides your greatest inspiration? NC: Nope ... Inspiration is everywhere. Anything can strike me funny at any time. Bad behavior can inspire a character (the jerkoff Homeland Security ex-husband in Sumer Lovin’ was inspired by an HS power Nazi I saw at a New York airport.) GMB: I see... Does he know? NC: Well I had on my T-shirt that reads, “Careful, or you’ll end up in my novel.” Ahem ... Mitch ... You've been forewarned ... ;-) GMB: You bet ... Now what has you choosing to write humorous fantasy in particular? Please don't tell me that HS guy in the Airport inspired you to write about...?  NC: No ... No ... I've been a lifelong smart-ass and I like to make people laugh. Plus, I've been a Pagan for over 20 years now and I've learned a lot of really weird stuff along the way that I decided to put to work for me. GMB: No kidding... NC: Yep again ... Then I moved to Canada in 2005 and now I have a new mandate: To make Canada funnier. Or at least weirder. I find Canadian humor tends to be a bit staid and low-key because Canadians live in constant mortal fear that anything they say can and will give offence to someone somewhere. Which it probably will. While I’m not in favor of intentionally giving offence, humor can challenge our assumptions and belief systems and sometimes what we think we find offensive actually means we've just had our worldview shaken up a little. GMB: Now that is a huge task ... You know ... making Canada laugh the right way ... I mean unintentionally and all-- NC: But I'm up for it... *Big Egyptian Smile* You wanna' see? GMB: Sure ... maybe after ... NC: No no ... GMB: Ahem ... Well okay then, is there any other genre, subject matter you like to write about? If so, why? NC: I've actually written some dark fantasy but haven’t done anything with those projects. Long story why involving American publishers, the Great Financial Collapse of 2008, and my vampire-free story-line. Well, except for one wannabe who reads waaaay too much Anne Rice. I have currently approached one dark fantasy publishing company that has expressed an interest in it and re-reading both novels made me think there’s a possible third book to make it a trilogy. Both explore the evil that lies within normal people like you and me. GMB: 'me'...? NC: Sure ... But I don’t know that dark fantasy is something I would pursue further. Making people laugh (sometimes unintentionally ;) is something I’m better at ... more than exploring our own inner Hitler or Jeffrey Dahmer.  GMB: And speaking of the old 'own inner' ... Has your own life influenced your novels? How have your novels influenced your life? NC: Well my brother just accused me of cadging from our childhood when he read my latest novel Sumer Lovin’ – and he’s right, that whole gerbil-raising thing is lifted directly from our adolescence. Some of the dating tribulations happened to me as well, like the guy who blew me off through his mother, not to mention the Universal Pickup Script which has since changed a little – now Toronto horndogs are starting off with a stock “pretty eyes” line in an effort to butter you up for a date. But I also read pretty widely, mostly non-fiction, so I get a lot of ideas from everywhere. GMB: Now ... If I was a publisher, I believe my first question would be, “Why were you chosen to write Sumer Lovin'?” How would you respond to the inquisitive publisher? NC: Because I’m the one who thought of it!  GMB: Well okay then ... I'd have to agree with your choice to follow the funny, and to also opt for unintentionally providing humor to all of Canada ... Nicole, now I have to ask... NC: No don't ... GMB: But I have to... NC: Okay then... get it over with... GMB: First tell us your shoe size, and then tell the Barn Bloggers which appears first for you when contemplating a new project: Is it a character, the plot or perhaps the title? NC: No comment and I almost never consider the title first ... but I do confess my feet are .... "No!" I can't go there... GMB: But you said ... NC: Nope ... But I can tell you I have a few titles with no story-lines that I should probably write: Satanic Gerbils (don’t ask, I have a weird affinity for gerbils), Canadian Badasses (really; can you think of anything funnier?) and You Can’t Say ****** In Church, based on a conversation that had to be given to an adult friend of mine who went off on a rant in church during the Clinton-Lewinsky scandal... GMB: I see... Kind of read-between-the-line kinda of stuff that turns into unintentional humor and... NC: Yep ... And sometimes I start off with a set of disparate weird characters and sometimes I come up with the plot line first. I seem to be on a trend in which Toronto is this desperately mystical place and no one really understands that; sort of like Buffy’s Sunnydale except without the vampires, great tans, or perfect hair. Toronto’s a great city to live in but the people are famously reserved and occasionally a little tight ... so smiting them with paranormal weirdness is something I find a tough funny... GMB: What is the hardest part of a novel for you to write: beginning, middle, or end? Why? NC: All of the above. First drafts are a bitch. I generally start off with a rough outline that is subject to change as the story progresses; arcs can move in a different direction, characters can become good guys or bad guys depending on where the story is going. Although I love the writing part, doing it is difficult; I keep having the feeling whatever I’m writing totally sucks, even though I know yes, of course it does, it’s a first draft that no one will ever see except me, and it’ll get much better with the next few drafts. Often I know the beginning and end but have no idea what goes in the middle. GMB: Who is your favorite character that you have created? Moreover, why is this character a favorite? NC: There’s a character in my as yet-unpublished project that I just adore – a burnt-out ex-rock ‘n’ roller who’s an alcoholic loser and a giant pain in the ass to his half-his age next-door neighbor, after whom he lusts greatly. He claims he’s a former guitar god from some incredibly popular ‘80s band that no one’s ever heard of and he’s in major denial that he’s not the muscle-bound sex symbol he clearly sees himself as. I think we’ve all known people like this – I just had a blast with him coming to terms with what a loser he’d become and facing whether he was going to get his shit together or not. Alcoholism is a subject close to my heart because people close to me have suffered from it. GMB: Tell us about your newest release or a project you are working on. NC: Depends on whether you’re referring to the next project coming out or the first draft that I’m working on. The next novel to come out will also be set in Toronto and involve a young witch who brings a famous rock star back from the dead to be her boyfriend; the aforementioned alcoholic self-proclaimed former rock star with hot bananas for her; a male friend who’s not sure if he’s still a virgin or not (he was so drunk the one night he was sure he was in bed with a woman he can’t remember what happened) and a neighbor who thinks he’s the reincarnation of Aleister Crowley, The Great Beast. And it answers the burning question we all have – “If Sarah Palin was a Pagan witch, what would she be like?” The first draft I’m working on now is a time travel story in which a recently unemployed and sexually liberated babelicious actress accidentally travels back to the late 60s when people only think they’re sexually liberated… GMB: Soooo ... 'Pretty eyes' ... Its been a while since I heard the term 'babelicious' ... Now I think we here in the Barn have the 'XX's on your driver's license figured out... NC: Oh you big, bad investigator you... *batting eyelashes* What else you got? GMB: Oh ... Okay I get it ... *winks* Now ... which do you prefer, a great hero or a great villain? Why don’t you name one of each… NC: I like villains more than heroes. They’re so much more interesting; why are they the way they are? No one cares what made Mother Theresa; but people are far more interested in why Hitler or Jeffrey Dahmer or the Boston bombers turned out as they did. One of my favorite villains is Hannibal Lecter; so brilliant, so clever—so decidedly evil. Although when I explore themes of evil I’m far more interested in the evil within everyday people like ourselves – inspired when I Googled years ago on American lynchings and wondered at the white people photographed beneath black bodies swinging above them; they’re laughing and pointing. WTF? Did these people go to church the next morning and confess their sins, and if they did, did they happen to mention they were party to MURDER? Or, to cite another example, all the good little Germans who helped carry out Hitler’s Final Solution; they were not all psychopaths. Most of the rank-and-file were people like you and me who were just, you know, doing their job. It really was far more banal than most people guess. GMB: What is your favorite movie? And why? What is NOT your favorite movie? NC: I don’t really have favorites and non-favorites. I loved Star Wars back in the day, more recently I love the Jurassic Park trilogy – my inner 6-year-old is still jumping up and down and screaming, “Dinosaurs! Dinosaurs! Dinosaurs!” I don’t go to the movies much anymore because Hollywood hasn’t had an original idea in years and nothing they put out is worth the $13.00. I’m very much not a fan of inscrutable foreign films of the artsy-fartsy variety. I wonder if the movie industry is ripe for an upheaval like we’ve seen in Big Publishing in recent years – sooner or later people have got to get sick of the 18th Iron Man release, movies based on lame-ass TV shows, Batman LXIX: The Dark Knight Rises With Some Help From Viagra, and geez, at this point there must be more Star Trek movies than there are episodes in the original TV series. I’m ready to let the indies take a whack at entertaining us. While traditional publishing keeps looking for the next Harry Potter or Dan Brown, self-publishers, micropress, subsidy presses and hybrid presses are showing that there are some pretty damn talented writers out there who aren’t represented by the Big Six Five (possibly soon to be Big Four) Publishing Companies because they know the world doesn’t need another damn zombie story or formulaic art history murder mystery with puzzles. It’s time to let the indy movie producers give it a whirl now.  GMB: I tend to agree ... If you could be anyone in the world, space, and designated realm, who would it be? And why?
NC: Y’know, I really don’t lust after anyone else’s life. I figure I’ve gotten a fairly good deal with this life and shouldn’t complain. My goal is to be a widely-read writer. I don’t care about winning awards; it doesn’t matter to me if I never win the Giller Prize or even the Bulwer-Lytton prize; but you know what, it would be really funny if I did win the Bulwer-Lytton (for the worst writing ever), because then I could claim to be an “award-winning author” and most people wouldn’t know the difference between the Bulwer-Lytton and, say, a REAL writing award ;) And ‘Bulwer-Lytton Prize’ sounds soooo British and pompous! So you KNOW this has to be a really good book, right?!?! I want to stay here in Toronto where I have lots of friends and more money than I had in the States and be a famous writer. I do love it here although I do wish the men weren’t so timid around women. But hey, that’s also where some of my inspiration comes from. GMB: Where do you see your writing career in the next five to ten years? NC: I haven’t the foggiest idea. I could never answer that question in job interviews either. My life hasn’t turned out how I planned it thirty years ago, but come to think of it, I didn’t really have a plan then either. I just kind of went with the flow. And that’s what I’ll do now – not plan for five or ten years down the line, just see where my writing career takes me. You know .. that is except for planning my marriage to George Clooney after he lifts the restraining order, of course!GMB: So where can we find you if we're looking for your website? NC: My website Link is http://www.nicolechardenet.com GMB: And Sumer Lovin' is humourous fantasy fiction that can be found... NC: The Purchase Link is http://www.amazon.ca/Sumer-Lovin-Nicole-Chardenet/dp/0988104849 and the Publisher's Link is https://sites.google.com/site/deuxvoilierspublishing/ GMB: Nice again ... now I was wondering of you could share with the Barn Bloggers a blurb for 'Sumer Lovin'' NC: Yes ... Sumer Lovin' tells the story of Rachel Brinkerhoff, a vivacious New Yorker who dumps her psycho macho husband and immigrates to Canada. Rachel is keen to re-launch her matching business for Jewish singles and find new love, but nobody told her that female-aversive Toronto is definitely BYOB (bring your own boy). Then an earthquake shakes up Canada's metropolis in more ways than one, releasing from an ancient underworld, a male-hungry Sumerian demi-goddess and a rag-tag army of Canaanite warriors. The novel is a brash poke at male-female relations and an artful offering of paranormal adventure and romance. GMB: Sounds great ... I like how the paranormal kind of sneaks in there ... And did you bring an excerpt or perhaps a review you like, and that you might share with us today? NC: Why of course... I have a book review I'd like to share... GMB: Well okay then ... Can you give us a taste? NC: Sure ... Here ... take a peek at this... Reviewed by Carlos Savanera Canadian humour?! Since Leacock? From Toronto? You gotta be kidding! Well, that was my first reaction when Sumer Lovin’ was pitched to me for a review. I was wrong. Nicole Chardenet has certainly pulled off a Canuck version of Woody Allen. Beyond a doubt, this hilarious story is the best humour from Canada in a decade. Sumer Lovin’ combines a mischievous poke at Canadian über-politeness and Toronto's unter-machismo with a wicked use of Sumerian mythology. The heroine, Rachel Brinkerhoff, is a very attractive 41-year-old New Yorker, who has fled the Big Apple and her psychotic ex, Austin, a Homeland Security Rambo. Her goals are to re-establish her matchmaking business in Toronto and find a Canadian soul mate. Pretty simple, eh? Well, Toronto ain’t New York and finding Jewish singles to match up is pretty slim pickings. As for finding a new soul mate, as author Nicole Chardenet puts it, it is BYOB – bring your own boy. The solution? Rachel teams up with Mahliqa and Amita, immigrants from Pakistan and India, who run Love Comes Later, a service to counsel Canadian parents who want to “arrange” marriages for their hapless progeny. Thus enters Dave the Tarantula Guy and Dave the Gerbil Guy, typical IT nerds who are more drawn to arachnids and rodents than to the vivacious, albeit demanding, women that Rachel, Mahliqa and Amita line up for them. When all seems hopeless, an earthquake mystically shakes up the libido of Torontonians and opens a portal to an ancient underworld. Out of the fountain at Nathan Philips Square, emerges the lascivious Lamashtu, a Sumerian demigoddess. The divine Lamashtu, famished by her centuries-long celibacy, goes right to work to replenish her powers by sucking out the energy of the city’s myriad male virgins. When her Sumerian sights set on Dave the Gerbil Guy, Rachel is caught up in a wild rescue plan to save her client from Lamashtu’s nasty and lethal little “surprise.” Lamashtu is not the only trimillenarian to cross through from the underworld. An army of Canaanite warriors march forward, guided by their map-challenged scribe who confuses Canada for Canaan. Their mission is to lay claim to their ancestral homeland and boot out every “squatter” since the first millennium A.D. When the Canaanites realize that their land claim is six thousand miles off the mark, they offer their martial skills to help Rachel and her friends save Toronto from Lamishtu's murderous intent. The new alliance proves promising in more ways than one as Rachel finds herself drawn to the bronzed and well-muscled Canaanite leader, Ammishtamru. Chardenet, herself an American transplant, has earned her spurs in Sumer Lovin’. The humour is on par with the best of Canadian comedians, who have made their names on the silver screen – Jim Carrey, Mike Myers, Martin, John Candy, Dan Akroyd and the list goes on. Sumer Lovin’ is a delightful, absolutely zany story, which pushes the boundaries in many directions. A highly recommended read for 2013. GMB: Well that is great ... that's a lot of good company you are keeping with these comparisons... Nicole, Thanks for joining us in the "Anything But a Tired Barn" and I hope you have enjoyed your visit... NC: Its been great Mitch ... Except when you tried to cover the duck's ears when I said... GMB: I swear I thought there were ears to cover... NC: Nope... GMB: Well to learn something new each and every day is to... NC: Be alive and on a quest to conquer Canada with more unintentional humor! GMB: Yeah ... That's it... Ducks do not have ears and you will be conquer Canada with more unintentional humor... NC: That's it ... Now you're getting the big picture... Nice to see you Mitch ... Let's do this again soon... GMB: You got it Nicole ... Quack, an unintentionally chortle and a bye for now... Sumer Lovin’ by Nicole Chardenet Deux Voiliers Publishing 2012 Aylmer, Quebec ISBN 978-0-9-881048-4-6
1 Comment
 GMB: Kristal ... Thank You for crossing The Pond and visiting with us in the 'Anything But a Tired Barn' here in western Canada! Kristal, please, share a little about you with our Blog Fans.  KM: I'm Kristal McKerrington from Glasgow Scotland. I've been writing since 2010 professionally with several publishing companies worldwide. I'm a member of Romance Writers of America's Association and represented by Barone Literary Agency. I'm of the first wrestling romance authors in the world. I write erotica and a range of genres. I'm currently working with a co-author Joe E Legend. GMB: Yes, and I know you from a recent time when we were with one of those companies ... You have also been very kind to me, when discussing the ins-and-outs of the publishing industry and you have been so kind as to offer and make kind referrals for me... I want to take this opportunity to Thank You for your being a great professional and colleague. Tell us Kristal ... Where and how do you find your greatest inspiration? KM: I think I have said this on other interviews, but my two biggest inspirations have been Catherine Cookson and of course wrestling. I created the wrestling romance genre for the likes of those wrestling fans who write and read fan fiction without making the work about real wrestlers. So far they all seem to love it. GMB: What made you chose to write Contemporary Romance in particular? KM: This romance genre is a test for me. The freedom I get in Erotica doesn't apply here and often the setup to the story-lines must be different. You have to have far more plot in the Contemporary Romance genre than you need in Erotica even if I do tend to be very plot driven with both. GMB: Is there any other genre you’d like to write? And, if so, why? KM: I really hope to do a criminal, thriller in the coming years. Its a genre I like to see how they setup their characters and the tension. I like the idea of being able to challenge myself. So far this year I took on the challenge of dealing with a co-author.  GMB: Kristal, which appears first when contemplating a new project: a character, the plot or the title? KM: For me I get all of it in one go. Normally it all comes to me and it stalks me. If it hangs out in my mind very powerfully then I will write it. I have a habit of writing down the notes for the book idea and never writing it. Most of what I get ideas for never make it to the publishers desks. GMB: What is the hardest part of a novel for you to write: beginning, middle, or end? Why? KM: For me its always the middle. I lose steam at this point and then I start to get distracted by other book ideas. When it comes to keeping my mind focused on the whole book then I struggle. I never thought it would be as hard to do books of greater length, but I live and learn. I do know the best part is the ending when I see the characters all screaming at me to not end it there. GMB: Has your own life influenced your novels? How have your novels influenced your life? KM: Gosh okay, wow lots. My life has snippets of it in a few books. There is snippet of me in all of my books whether I want it to be there or not. Novels have driven me to do this and to make me a determine author. So many writers have heard the word no and it makes me want to fight for them, to do right by them. Novels and their writers make me proud to be a writer. GMB: Who is your favorite character that you have created? Moreover, why is this character a favorite? KM: Hmm so hard to answer this one. I think the best character I created is either Marie or Charlie from the upcoming Layla's World series. Both are so strong have so much depth to them. They make it easy to write them and yet hard to decide where they are going. I find them so interesting and full of life.  GMB: Tell us about your newest release or a project you are working on. KM: Well if I did both then we would be here all day. I've just released 'In The Shadows' which was my first wrestling erotica. I've signed the talent contract for a Reality TV show. I'm working on a drama show which is currently in development. I'm about to release 'Marie's World'. I have 'Charlie's Journal: A Man's Desperation' coming out in September. 'The Vampire and The Wrestler' another print book is due out in December. I have several eBooks due out this year and just signed a contract with Joe E Legend to do 'Dragon', a fantasy novel with Media Aria CDM LTD a British publisher. GMB: Outstanding Kristal! Congratulations ... And here I thought I was busy with four novel releases for 2013, and a dabble with a film production company ... I mean really Kristal .... I knew you were busy, one of the hardest working author's I know, but I had no idea... Thank You so much for making time for this Interview and sharing so we can keep up with you... Can you share with us the blurb from 'In the Shadows'? KM: Sure Mitch ... Jasmine got obsessed with a man and now he's obsessed with her. Steamy nights, kisses and rules being broken awaits them. She turned his whole world upside down and now he's doing it to hers. In this free fall, can they survive each others love? GMB: Now, continuing with this wonderful interview, Kristal, if I was a publisher, I believe my first question would be, “Why were you chosen to write your new release 'Marie's World'?” How would you respond to the inquisitive publisher? KM: Well Marie's World is the name of the Street Dance character I use to dance and acted. I think putting some of her dance story-lines in wrestling makes me feel more comfortable. It makes another world open up and its part of the reason I chose to write the series. I have written "In The Shadow's" because I couldn't shake the story-line out of my head.  GMB: Yes ... I kind of have the same approach ... If I get an idea, a concept I don't write it down and assume that if it stays with me for a day-or-two its worth remembering and further considering ... Now can you share with us which do you prefer ... A great hero or a great villain? Why don’t you name one of each for us... KM: Another great question. I have to say I like both. Marie is a great hero, she doesn't give up and during the series your going read how Herald is a wonderful villain in Marie's World. He has his hand in all the bad things going on. For 'In The Shadows' there is no real bad guy. My first grey area book. 'Charlie's Journal' I have to say the great hero is the father of the book, you don't meet the villains until the second book in the series. Its not one you want to miss at all. GMB: I love it ...! You are so creative in your approach to storytelling ... I mean to write a book like 'In the Shadows' with no 'bad guy', and then maintain creative tension ... And then in Charlie's Journal' defer the antagonist until the second novel ... Unbelievable ... *smiles* I have to read these books ... Now I'm going to change gears a little ... NO wait! ... Have I mentioned how HOT I think your cover is for 'Marie's World'? KM: No Mitch you haven't *smirking* GMB: Well Kristal *thunder crashing around me now* Your cover for 'Marie's World' is HOT! :-) KM: Right oh Mitch ... Thanks ... I think ;-) GMB: And now changing gears once again, may I ask you about your favorite movie? And why? Perhaps you can share with us what is not a favorite movie? KM: I love every dance film and I have to say my favourite dance film is 'Save The Last Dance'. It showed just how Street Dance started to bloom and I like the fact they mixed it with Ballet. The second 'Save The Last Dance' wasn't my favourite. I hated how it played out and the way it just didn't hold the same spirit as the first one did.GMB: Now, to reveal a little more about you, the person behind the Author, I need to ask, if you could be anyone in the world, space, and designated realm, who would it be? And why? KM: I can't think of anyone. I'd like to be Marie out of my books and playing her again. I think being back in the saddle and doing the dangerous dance lifts is something I really like the idea of doing again. Working with something far bigger than myself again would be really amazing. GMB: Well okay ... there is always a bit of the risk-taking ... I can compare as much to my Motocross racing back 'In-The-Day' ... Now Kristal, your are having a great 2013 and on into 2014 ... Now, where do you see your writing career in the next five to ten years? KM: A continued published author with several books out with my co-author Joe E Legend and working with mainstream publishers as well as independent publishers worldwide. I like the idea of doing more for the book industry and helping others enter it. GMB: And as I've already mentioned, you have certainly worked well with me to do more for the book industry and by helping me along the way. Kristal, Thank You so much for joining us in the 'Anything But Tired Barn ... coming to us all the way from Glasgow, Scotland. It has truly been a pleasure getting to know more about you today... Kristal, if you could be so kind and leave with us some contact information as much would be so appreciated. KM: Mitch, Thank You for hosting me here in the Barn today ... There never is a long way to travel, when there is an invitation from a great host upon arrival ... Now our Blog Fans can find me at my Website Link: kristalmckerrington.com and a great Purchase Link is: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/in-the-shadows-kristal-mckerrington/1114860428?ean=2940016387901 ... I want to personally invite everyone to and come visit me and check out my books...
 GMB: Hi Jane Carroll ... Author of "Bertha Size Your Life" fame... Thanks for peddling on over here to the 'Anything But a Tired Barn' to chat. I hope our Blog Fans to get to know you, and your work a little better... I have come to know you through the wonderful world of the Master Koda Family and welcome you here, to the Barn today JC: And it was a glorious ride over here to meet with you in the Barn today Mitch ... Thanks for having me...  GMB: Now that I've shown you around the Barn a little, how about we go over to the Route 66 Diner...? JC: Sure Mitch ... quite the unexpected tour... GMB: You are very welcome ... And we now have our coffees in our hot little hands... Settling now ... Please ... Jane share with us a little about yourself. JC: Well…first of all…I’m very comfortable here…since…I was raised in a barn. Well…maybe not…but it’s a question I heard a lot growing up when I failed to act in a civilized manner…which was quite frequently. Actually…I did grow up in the rural South…and we always had a barn. My first career…and the one that still mostly pays the bills…is nursing. I currently work as a school nurse at a K-12 school when I’m not writing or working with clients as a life coach. I have two grown daughters, two grand-daughters, and most days I’m happily single. GMB: And on most days when you are 'happily single' ... Hey guys out there in Blog Land ... pay close attention now ... *grinning cheeky* Uh ... oh yes ... Now Jane, where and/or how do you find the greatest inspiration for your writing? JC: Life…most definitely! I generally incorporate humor with insights from my every day experiences into my writing.  GMB: Wonderful! And 'Bertha Size Your Life' is a humorous self-help book ... It focuses on self-help, motivation, personal transformation and the law of attraction ... Why chose to write self-help book that includes the law of attraction in particular? JC: I gravitate to self-help like a moth to a flame…so it was never really a question. Years ago I thought I was going to…fix…myself but I have since realized that it’s not about…fixing…it’s about growth. And just like Jello…there’s always room for growth. GMB: Jello growing? If I saw jello growing I always thought it'd spent a little too long in the fridge... or on the picnic table ... I'd better get this figured out and I think I know just the book to help me along with this dilemma... Jane congratulations on such a wonderful effort ... How about sharing the Blurb for Berta ... Heh, heh ... That sounds kind of catchy ... 'Blurb for Berta'... *grinning* JC: Sure Mitch ... Here's a Blurb for Berta... *grinning back* 'Bertha-Size Your Life!' is a book of personal transformation that reads like a series of entertaining and humorous stories. Bertha, a zany redhead, mysteriously appears in the narrator’s life during a walk in the park. Quicker than a man can hand off a baby with a dirty diaper, she has moved into the narrator’s empty nest and the fun begins.  GMB: Is there any other genre you’d like to write? And, if so, why? JC: I have started a fiction piece but it will still be a process of transformation for the main character as she determines why she has settled for less than the life she could have been living. It may fit into Boomer Lit…not far enough along to know yet. GMB: We've switched from coffee ... Taken a relaxing stroll to an outdoor cafe down the way ... Here's where I ask Jane, which appears first when you contemplate a new project such as the fiction piece you describe ... a character, the plot or the title? JC: Definitely the character then the plot…the title is usually the hardest part for me. GMB: And the hardest part of a novel for you to write besides the title ... the beginning of the story ... the middle or end? can you share with us 'Why'? JC: Well…Bertha…isn't really a novel but a series of life lessons that read like short stories. I actually wrote them as the inspiration hit me. There really wasn't a rhyme or reason for them. The publisher had a difficult time putting them into a sequence. I was more deliberate with the sequel and it has definite stages that it goes through. I found the ending to be the most challenging. GMB: Has your own life influenced your writing? If so, how? JC: Absolutely! I write life lessons…so everything that I write about is triggered by something that I've learned or experienced either personally or through a coaching client or friend. GMB: Who of your creations is your favorite character? JC: Of course I have to say…Bertha…although sometimes I say…the cat…just to rile Bertha up. GMB: Why Bertha and not the cat? JC: I love Bertha because she lives life out loud…in a way that I aspire to do. I love that she is flamboyant and gaudy but she’s always true to who she is. I also appreciate that even she loses her self-confidence from time to time…which makes her real. She’s just like the best friend you could ever want to have and she’s always up to something. The cat…I love just because it has such a bat catittude. I based it very closely to my cat at the time.  GMB: Can you share anything about an upcoming release? JC: It’s Bertha’s sequel ... it starts where Bertha-Size ends and takes the narrator further into her transformation and has a few fun twists along the way. I have submitted it to the publisher and am waiting for the editing process to begin. I’m really excited about the direction the book took and hope that it will be released by the end of the summer. GMB: Speaking of 'publishers' ... If I was a publisher, I believe my first question would be, “Why were you chosen to write this story?” How would you respond to the inquisitive publisher? JC: I think I was just in the right place at the right time. My daughters were both out of college and married…so my nest was empty. I had just completed my training as a life coach and I’d always wanted to write a book. Besides that…I was probably the only person who was just goofy enough to listen to Bertha and put her words on paper. GMB: Sounds like Bertha is a pretty lucky character ... Jane, which do you prefer, a great hero or a great villain? Why don’t you name one of each… JC: Oh…I always go for the hero. Of course, without the villain he wouldn't be a hero…would he? (Even Bertha has a nemesis.) I’ll stick with my favorite movie and choose George Bailey as my hero and Mr. Potter as the villain. GMB: What is your favorite movie? And why? What is NOT your favorite movie? JC: My all-time favorite movie is It’s a Wonderful Life. I love the message of the importance of each individual and how each person impacts so many others. There is a lot of wisdom in that movie. My least favorite movie would be anything with a lot of violence and suspense. GMB: Yes, yes ... and I noticed,m when preparing for this Interview that there are a lot of Christmas photos ... I dare to guess Christmas is a nice time of year for you and your Family. If you could be anyone in the world, space, and designated realm, Christmas or not ... Who would it be? And why? JC: I have to say I’d still be me but I would love to be impacting the world with my writing, speaking and coaching on a larger scale than I am now. GMB: KEWL ... very cool ... Where do you see your writing career in the next five to ten years? JC: Hmmm…by then I should be retired from nursing so I’ll be writing full-time. I would love to be spend more time as an inspirational speaker and life coach as well. I’m sure there will be a whole troop of 'Berthas' running around by then.  GMB: And here is one of those Christmas photos from your Facebook page ... I behold ... and e-Reader ... *smiles* Jane, let share with our Blog Fans that information so they can find you, and your books... JC: Great Mitch ... the link to my website is: http://www.janecarrollauthor.com GMB: And if we grab up our e-Readers, what would be your Favorite Amazon Review that we can take a peek at? JC: I kind of like the following Amazon Consumer review. " Not Just for Empty-Nesters GMB: And while we're on our e-Readers and Pads and PCs how can we purchase Berta Size Your Life?
JC: You can find us to buy us at: http://amzn.com/B008873ZRM. You can also find Berta and I using the following links: *Twitter: https://twitter.com/janecarroll10 *Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/197223.Jane_Carroll *Facebook page: https://facebook.com/janecarrollauthor *Amazon.com: http://amzn.com/B008873ZRM *Her website is: http://www.janecarrollauthor.com *Blog: http://janecarrollauthor.com/category/life-according-to-jane-blog/ GMB: Well Jane Carroll, Author of 'Bertha-Size Your Life' its been great to meet you and get to know you and your book a little better. Thank You for joining us here in the 'Anything But a Tired Barn' ... Be well, Taker Care and have a Great Day ... Oh and please be careful peddling around out there... You never know when a steer may jump out and scare the handlebars off your bike... :-) Bye for now... *Smiles* |
Host AuthorAmazon Author Page for G. Mitchell Baker Archives
September 2015
Categories
All
|
G. Mitchell Baker, Author
RSS Feed
