Category: Guest Author

Guest Author Rebecca Coleman

Sarah from Media Muscle/The Book Trib contacted me a couple of months ago to ask if I would like to be a part of this amazing tour.  Why amazing you ask?  The manuscript was a semifinalist in the 2010 Amazon Breakthrough novel competition (borrowed from press release).  So without further ado, Ms. Rebecca Coleman.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Rebecca received her B.A. in Englishliterature from the University of Maryland at College Park and speaks towriters’ groups on the subjects of creative writing and publishing. Hermanuscript for THE KINGDOM OF CHILDHOODwas a semifinalist in the 2010 Amazon Breakthrough Novel Competition.
A New Yorker by birth, Rebecca grewup in the close suburbs of Washington, D.C. in an academic family. A year spentin Germany at age eight would later provide the basis for the protagonist’sbackground in THE KINGDOM OF CHILDHOOD. Rebecca first learned about the WaldorfSchool movement at age 14 and quickly developed a fascination with its cultureand philosophies. After studying elementary education for several years, shegraduated with a degree in English, awarded with honors.
Rebecca lives and works nearWashington, D.C. with her husband and their four young children. 
Visit www.rebeccacoleman.net. 

ABOUT THE BOOK

Semifinalistin the
2010Amazon Breakthrough Novel Competition
THE KINGDOM
OF CHILDHOOD
By Rebecca Coleman
 An utterly absorbing look at thebreakdown of a woman and a family, THE KINGDOM OF CHILDHOOD (MIRA Books,October 2011, $15.95 U.S./$18.95 CAN.) is the beautifully written novel by Rebecca Coleman that explores a relationshipbetween a teenager and a teacher as it veers from platonic to unsettlinglyforbidden territory.
THE KINGDOM OF CHILDHOOD is the story of a boy and a woman: sixteen-year-old ZachPatterson, uprooted and struggling to reconcile his knowledge of his mother’sextramarital affair, and Judy McFarland, a kindergarten teacher watching herfamily unravel before her eyes. Thrown together to organize a fundraiser fortheir failing private school and bonded by loneliness, they begin an affairthat at first thrills, then corrupts, each of them. Judy sees in Zach theelements of a young man she loved as a child, but what Zach does not realize isthat their relationship is, for Judy, only the latest in a lifetime ofdisturbing secrets. As the walls close in, Zach finds himself needing todisentangle himself from premature adulthood.  But the lines between adultand child have blurred, and life and sanity are unraveling faster and further thananyone could ever have imagined.
Rebecca’s exploration of thecontroversial Waldorf School movement will make THE KINGDOM OF CHILDHOOD a much-discussed and debated novel. 

THANKS TO SARAH AND MEDIA MUSCLE,
I HAVE ONE (1) BOOK TO GIVE AWAY.

CLICK HERE TO BRING YOU TO 
THE GIVEAWAY ENTRY PAGE.

DISCLAIMER

I received a copy of this book, at no charge to me, 

in exchange for my honest review. 

No items that I receive 

are ever sold…they are kept by me, 

or given to family and/or friends.




Guest Author Rebecca Coleman

Sarah from Media Muscle/The Book Trib contacted me a couple of months ago to ask if I would like to be a part of this amazing tour.  Why amazing you ask?  The manuscript was a semifinalist in the 2010 Amazon Breakthrough novel competition (borrowed from press release).  So without further ado, Ms. Rebecca Coleman.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Rebecca received her B.A. in Englishliterature from the University of Maryland at College Park and speaks towriters’ groups on the subjects of creative writing and publishing. Hermanuscript for THE KINGDOM OF CHILDHOODwas a semifinalist in the 2010 Amazon Breakthrough Novel Competition.
A New Yorker by birth, Rebecca grewup in the close suburbs of Washington, D.C. in an academic family. A year spentin Germany at age eight would later provide the basis for the protagonist’sbackground in THE KINGDOM OF CHILDHOOD. Rebecca first learned about the WaldorfSchool movement at age 14 and quickly developed a fascination with its cultureand philosophies. After studying elementary education for several years, shegraduated with a degree in English, awarded with honors.
Rebecca lives and works nearWashington, D.C. with her husband and their four young children. 
Visit www.rebeccacoleman.net. 

ABOUT THE BOOK

Semifinalistin the
2010Amazon Breakthrough Novel Competition
THE KINGDOM
OF CHILDHOOD
By Rebecca Coleman
 An utterly absorbing look at thebreakdown of a woman and a family, THE KINGDOM OF CHILDHOOD (MIRA Books,October 2011, $15.95 U.S./$18.95 CAN.) is the beautifully written novel by Rebecca Coleman that explores a relationshipbetween a teenager and a teacher as it veers from platonic to unsettlinglyforbidden territory.
THE KINGDOM OF CHILDHOOD is the story of a boy and a woman: sixteen-year-old ZachPatterson, uprooted and struggling to reconcile his knowledge of his mother’sextramarital affair, and Judy McFarland, a kindergarten teacher watching herfamily unravel before her eyes. Thrown together to organize a fundraiser fortheir failing private school and bonded by loneliness, they begin an affairthat at first thrills, then corrupts, each of them. Judy sees in Zach theelements of a young man she loved as a child, but what Zach does not realize isthat their relationship is, for Judy, only the latest in a lifetime ofdisturbing secrets. As the walls close in, Zach finds himself needing todisentangle himself from premature adulthood.  But the lines between adultand child have blurred, and life and sanity are unraveling faster and further thananyone could ever have imagined.
Rebecca’s exploration of thecontroversial Waldorf School movement will make THE KINGDOM OF CHILDHOOD a much-discussed and debated novel. 

THANKS TO SARAH AND MEDIA MUSCLE,
I HAVE ONE (1) BOOK TO GIVE AWAY.

CLICK HERE TO BRING YOU TO 
THE GIVEAWAY ENTRY PAGE.

DISCLAIMER

I received a copy of this book, at no charge to me, 

in exchange for my honest review. 

No items that I receive 

are ever sold…they are kept by me, 

or given to family and/or friends.




Guest Author Laura Caldwell

If you have followed my blog then you know I am like a magnet to novels of mystery and suspense.  I just can’t say that 2 letter word that starts with N and ends with O.  So when Erin from Media Muscle/The Book Trib contacted me about today’s guest, it was an automatic Yes!!  So I ask that you help me welcome the very busy, multi talented and author of many books, Ms Laura Caldwell, to the CMash blog as she visits and tells us about her latest novel.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Laura Caldwell is a former civil trial attorney, now Distinguished Scholar in Residence at Loyola University Chicago School of Law, Director of Life After Innocence, published author of several novels and 1 nonfiction book.
Before beginning her writing career, Laura was a partner in a Chicago law firm, specializing in medical malpractice defense and entertainment law. In 2001 she joined Loyola University Chicago School of Law and has taught Advanced Litigation Writing and International Criminal Law among others.
Laura’s began her writing career in women’s fiction and soon turned to mystery/thriller. Her first book, Burning the Map was voted as one of the best books the year by Barnes and Noble.com. Booklist declared “Caldwell is one of the most talented and inventive…writers around,” after the release of The Year of Living Famously and The Night I got Lucky. The release of her trilogy in 2009 received critical acclaim and nominations for prestigious industry awards.
While researching her sixth novel, The Rome Affair, Caldwell was led to the criminal case of Jovan Mosley, a young man charged with murder, sitting in a Cook County holding cell for nearly six years with no trial date. After hearing about his case, Caldwell joined a renowned criminal defense attorney to defend him, ultimately proving his innocence and inspiring her first nonfiction book, Long Way Home: A Young Man Lost in the System and the Two Women Who Found Him (Free Press, Simon & Schuster).
She is published in over 22 countries and translated into more than 13 languages. Laura is also a freelance magazine writer and has been publi shed in Chicago Magazine, Woman’s Own, The Young Lawyer, Lake Magazine, Australia Woman’s Weekly, Shore Magazine and others.
Inspired by Mosley’s case and his challenges of rejoining society, Caldwell founded Loyola’s Life After Innocence that assists wrongfully convicted individuals or other innocent persons affected by the criminal justice system in order to help them re-enter society and reclaim their lives.
You can visit Laura here.

ABOUT THE BOOKSYNOPSIS:

Forbidden relationships are the most tempting. And the most dangerous.


It was a crime of passion-or so the police say. Valerie Solara has been charged with poisoning her best friend. The prosecution claims she’s always been secretly attracted to Amanda’s husband…and with Amanda gone, she planned to make her move.

Attorney Izzy McNeil left the legal world a year ago, but a friend’s request pulls her into the murder trial. Izzy knows how passion can turn your life upside down. She thought she had it once with her ex-fiance, Sam. Now she wonders if that’s all she has in common with her criminally gorgeous younger boyfriend, Theo.

It’s Izzy’s job to present the facts that will exonerate her client-whether or not she’s innocent. But when she suspects Valerie is hiding something, she begins investigating-and uncovers a web of secret passions and dark motives, where seemingly innocent relationships can prove poisonous…

THANKS TO ERIN FROM MEDIA MUSCLE,
I HAVE TWO (2) COPIES OF THIS BOOK TO GIVE AWAY.
CLICK HERE TO BRING YOU TO
THE GIVEAWAY ENTRY PAGE

DISCLAIMER

I received a copy of this book, at no charge to me,
in exchange for my honest review.
No items that I receive
or given to family and/or friends.

Guest Authors Amy Lewis Faircloth and Joanne Lewis

The ladies at WOW are back again but this time they haven’t brought one remarkable author, NO, they have brought two amazing women writers.  So without further ado, allow me to indroduce you to sisters Amy and Joanne Lewis.  Welcome to the CMash blog!!!

ABOUT THE AUTHORS

It was a chilly day in Maine when Amy received the call from her sister, Joanne, “Wanna write a book together?” Amy said yes and the journey began.
Amy is the older sister who loves her 2 sons and nephew, dogs, volunteering at the Bangor Humane Society, running, hiking, snowshoeing, surfing the web, her brown poodle Teddy, Lola, writing, reading, cycling, going to bed early, spending time with her friends and family, being outdoors when it’s nice outside and indoors when it’s not, and editing Joanne’s writing. She is a pescatarian and a lawyer in Maine.
Joanne is the younger sister who loves her 3 nephews, her grey poodle Frisco, writing, hiking, snowshoeing, kayaking, cooking, traveling, Florence, Italy, anything to do with the Italian Renaissance, Michelangelo, spending time with her friends and family, and being edited by Amy. She a vegetarian and a lawyer in Florida.
Two sisters, both attorneys; as sisters, Amy and Joanne have learned to play to each others strengths—an important lesson for any co-authors.
You can find Amy and Joanne at their website or blog.



GUEST POST

How Much Trouble Can One Kid Get Into?
by Amy Lewis Faircloth
Writing Wicked Good has been a communal project beyond the two of us.  We have enlisted the help of my children, various book groups, relatives and friends.  We have a lot of smart friends with a lot to say.  For example, my smart scientist friend suggested we  nix the mad scientist seeking to kill Rory for his special DNA in our original draft of Wicked Good.  
One of my smartest friends is a professor of Philosophy at an elite college in the Northeast.  I was so pleased, and rather anxious, when she agreed to read a draft of Wicked Good.  She invited me to lunch once she had finished reading it, telling me she had some notes about the novel which she wanted to share with me.  After reminding my 18 year old son several times to pick up his 16 year old brother at 1:00, I went to lunch, my stomach churning with anxiety.  I was mainly worried she hated it but would be too kind to tell me.
We ate Chinese food and exchanged pleasantries.  I couldn’t wait any longer.
“Okay, what did you think?”  She reached into her bag and pulled out a quarter sheet of paper covered with penciled words.  I tried to read the words from the other side of the table.
“I like it, Amy.”  She said.  I scooted my chair to get closer to read the penciled words to learn what she really thought.  There were too many words to be summarized with a mere, “I like it, Amy.”
“But there was sort of one thing .  . . .”  She looked down at her paper.  I started to squirm.  
“Rory gets in a lot of trouble.”  I knew that.  He drinks alcohol in school, steals a car, writes graffiti on a wall.  So what was the “sort of one thing”?  I leaned my head over the table to glimpse the paper.  
“It doesn’t seem realistic.  How much trouble can one kid get into?”   
I began to attempt to explain, recognizing that many of Rory’s antics would be unbelievable had they not been based somewhat in truth.  As I began to stumble over my words, my phone rang.  I looked at my watch and saw it was 1:10.  Thinking it was my younger son calling to complain that his brother had not come to pick him up,  I searched for my phone in my purse and apologized to my friend.
“Hello” I said, seeing the word Restricted across the screen.
“Is this Amy Faircloth?”
“Yes, who is this?
“Sergeant Bell at the Bangor Police Department.”  I knew Sergeant Bell.  
“Is everything okay?”  I looked across the table at my friend.  The concern on her face scared me even more than the officer’s phone call.
“Someone called in a report about trash being tossed out of your son’s vehicle.  They gave us the license plate and we thought we would check with you.”
“Is he okay?”
“He’s fine.  We just want to talk to him.  Do you know where he is?”
“I know where he is supposed to be ten minutes ago.”  I gave the officer the location and looked at my friend.  All color had drained from her face, hearing only my side of the conversation.  I laughed and explained.  
“Did you want to ask me that question again?” I said. “You know, about how much trouble one kid can get into?”
She took a pencil out of her purse and vigorously crossed out the penciled words on her quarter sheet of paper.
ABOUT THE BOOK
Synopsis:

Available as e-book for Kindle and Nook and in print.
No one is perfect, not even Archer—but she would like to be. As an attorney with a possible judicial seat Archer struggles to maintain balance between her professional responsibilities and her responsibilities as mother to her adopted special needs child.
Rory has Asperger’s Syndrome; he is sensitive, difficult, and stubborn. When Rory decides to go searching for his birth parents Archer has no choice but to join him. What follows is a wild journey of self discovery for both of them!
Wicked Good is full of rich characters with whom you will cry, hope, laugh, and cheer.


Just Thought You Should Know:
Jane Austin, Virginia Woolf, Hans Christian Anderson, Shakespeare, Mark Twain, and George Orwell are just a few of the famous authors thought to have had Asperger’s Syndrome or a related condition.


Press Release 09/12/11:
  WICKED GOOD, One blustery day two sisters decided to write a book together. What began as a blog became a hit novel!  WICKED GOOD is currently #1 on Amazon in the Women’s Fiction – Mothers & Children category for print books, and has won a Reader’s Favorite Book Award 2011 in Fiction Drama!

THANKS TO THE AUTHORS, AMY and JOANNE LEWIS
I HAVE ONE COPY OF THIS BOOK TO GIVE AWAY.
CLICK HERE TO BRING YOU TO
THE GIVEAWAY ENTRY PAGE.

DISCLAIMER
I received a copy of this book, at no charge to me,
in exchange for my honest review.
No items that I receive
are ever sold…they are kept by me,
or given to family and/or friends.

Guest Author Neil Hanson

When Nicole from Tribute Books contacted me regarding today’s guest and his novel, I didn’t even have to think twice.  It was a definite yes.  The premise of his book is one that is so important but is a topic that should be discussed among loved ones but isn’t.  His book that he will be discussing today hits very close to home with me.  Please, take a seat, and help me welcome Mr. Neil Hanson.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Neil Hanson lives and works in Colorado. Peace at the Edge of Uncertainty is his first book. He blogs actively and writes articles for periodicals. He is an avid outdoorsman, passionate about hunting and fishing. He spends a great deal of time bicycling the roads and trails of Colorado, and backcountry skiing in winter. His passion for gardening spills over into a joint venture with his oldest son, where they operate a landscaping and construction company in Colorado.

You can find Neil at his Website, Blog Tour Page, Facebook, Twitter, Blog

GUEST POST
ABOUT THE BOOK
In this story told in the first-person form of a letter from a middle-aged man to his deceased father, Hanson invites us to journey with him through the final days of the father’s life, finding a magical transition waiting at the end of that journey. The story weaves end-of-life reality and spiritual questioning into a sensitive and revealing tapestry of Truth and Wisdom. The tapestry is colored with true stories of mystical experiences that inform the spiritual path of the son.

Most of us will face difficult and painful end-of-life decisions with the most important people in our lives. The threads of this aspect of the story are sensitive, and Hanson reveals the struggles and destinations of the son as he wrestles deeply with the journey that he must walk in making these decisions for his dying father.

THANKS TO AUTHOR, NEIL HANSON, HE HAS GENEROUSLY
OFFERED ONE (1) PRINT COPY TO THE FIRST PERSON WHO
COMMENTS ON MY REVIEW—– U.S. RESIDENTS ONLY
(PLEASE LEAVE EMAIL ADDRESS) AND EBOOK EDITIONS
INTERNATIONAL WHO LEAVE COMMENTS DURING THE
MONTH OF SEPTEMBER (LEAVE EMAIL ADDRESS)
All entrants will automatically be subscribed to Neil Hanson’s email newsletter. Contact information is NEVER shared, and subscribers can unsubscribe at any time.
CLICK HERE TO BRING YOU TO
THE GIVEAWAY ENTRY PAGE.

 DISCLAIMER
Giveaway copies are supplied and shipped to winners
via publisher, agent and/or author.  This blog hosts
the giveaway on behalf of the above.
I received a copy of this book, at no charge to me,
in exchange for my honest review.
No items that I receive
are ever sold…they are kept by me,
or given to family and/or friends.


Guest Author Kathleen Kent

We have treats here all the time but today is special!  Anna, from The Hachette Book Group, hasn’t done a tour in quite a while, but she is doing one now and we are one of her stops.  Today she is visiting and introducing us to author, Kathleen Kent.  So I ask, to please help me in giving them a warm welcome to the CMash blog!!

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Kathleen Kent lives in Dallas with her husband and son. The Heretic’s Daughter is her first novel.
Most of the books that have influenced and touched me the most are historical fiction.  When I was a child I read a lot of Dickens, Poe and H.H. Monroe.   Some of my favorites from the past are The Quincunx, by Charles Palliser, Instance of the Fingerpost by Iain Pears, The Weight of Water by Anita Shreve, and The Source by James Mitchener.  I also read everything by Annie Dillard, Cormac McCarthy and Larry McMurtry.  Currently I’m re-reading a book called The Long Home by William Gay who is, to me, one of the best writers in American fiction today.
You can find Ms. Kent at website, FB

ABOUT THE BOOK
SYNOPSIS OF( from the publisher):
In the harsh wilderness of colonial Massachusetts, Martha Allen works as a servant in her cousin’s household, taking charge and locking wills with everyone. Thomas Carrier labors for the family and is known both for his immense strength and size and his mysterious past. The two begin a courtship that suits their independent natures, with Thomas slowly revealing the story of the role he played in the English Civil War. But in the rugged new world they inhabit, danger is ever present, whether it be from the assassins sent from London to kill the executioner of Charles I or the wolves-in many forms-who hunt for blood. At once a love story and a tale of courage, The Traitor’s Wife confirms Kathleen Kent’s ability to craft powerful stories from the dramatic background of America’s earliest days.
THANKS TO ANNA AND THE TERRIFIC PEOPLE
AT THE HACHETTE BOOK GROUP, I HAVE
THREE ( 3) COPIES OF THIS BOOK TO GIVE AWAY.
CLICK HERE TO BRING YOU TO
THE GIVEAWAY ENTRY PAGE.
DISCLAIMER
Giveaway copies are supplied and shipped to winners
via publisher, agent and/or author.  This blog hosts
the giveaway on behalf of the above.
No items that I receive
are ever sold…they are kept by me,
or given to family and/or friends.

Guest Author Kathy Handley

Robyn and Jodi, from WOW never cease to amaze me with the authors that they want to share with us.  Today, I am in awe, absolute awe, of today’s guest author.  She is stopping by to talk about her debut book.   However, you may be asking yourself, we have had many debut authors stop by and visit, why is she so different. Well…..the difference is…..she is 71 years young!!!  So please help me welcome Ms. Kathy Handley!!

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Her grandfather entertained his family with stories and dancing, her father quoted Shakespeare and her mother was known as “Mary the Poet” so naturally Kathryn would become a writer…eventually!
Now a published novelist at age 71, Kathy’s short fiction has appeared in many literary
magazines. She recently won Word Hustler’s Page-to-Screen Contest (2011) and currently serves as Prose Poetry Judge for the National League of American Pen Women Soul-Making Contest. A collection of her work will soon be released under the title
A World of Love and Envy (short fiction, flash-fiction, and poetry).
You can visit her website here.
GUEST POST

Vacation Reading- Guilty Pleasure
There was a time when a reader had to set aside her time forreading.  Now, it’s all about access. Wehave books to hold, Kindles, internet, books on tape, Facebook, Twitter,streaming, blackberry, Ipad, interviews, and blogs.
There’s no excuse not to read and sometimes bits at a timeor that long languid session with time to spare on vacation destination orcruise.
Vacation reading can be a guilty pleasure at home or away,but think of the benefits to friends and family. Reading expands our thinking,allows us to relax, dream, imagine and then, share our new ideas  sky, and view the soft movement of the beachrose bushes and grasses, I ponder the joys of vacation reading.  During cocktail hour last night in the midstof great cheeses and wines, I asked my fellow travelers about their readinghabits while away from home.  Here’s whatthey are reading:
Maps, local tourist info booklets and local authors- CapeNoir stories, Jenna Blum’s latest book, Stormchasers, The Help, BonjourHappiness, and yes, one gal is reading my novel, Birds of Paradise.
When questioned if the genre changes when they pack forvacation reading, most said, “No.”
A history buff takes along historical nonfiction, one bringscurrent novel by Jodi- Picoult at the Indiana airport for full price andreturns it for 50 percent on the way back from family visits. Soduku andcrosswords were also popula. Past hobbies and interests provide a reading list.If you once were an avid sailor or skier, perhaps you take this free time toread and bring back memories for good conversation.
A good book will transport you to a new place or offer youanother take on a familiar spot. Curling up with a great book provides amini-vacation for busy moms, teachers, business men and women, and children.Enjoy!
ABOUT THE BOOK
SYNOPSIS:
When trucker Joe-Mack picks up a runaway in Vegas and drops him in Hollywood, he leaves him with a phone number—just in case. When the call comes, Joe becomes embroiled in Freddie’s life and the search for Starlet, the homeless girl who desires stardom. The three share a common search for love and for a place to belong.
With vivid imagery Handley tells a tale of dreams lost and found, of broken hearts and edgy situations. This is a story of life on the street. Handley’s characters meet life head on, taking risks and maintaining thin threads of dignity amidst troubling situations with surprising twists along the way.
Available as eBook for Kindle or soft cover.
THANKS TO THE AUTHOR KATHY HANDLEY
AND THE LADIES FROM WOW, I HAVE
ONE (1) COPY OF THIS GREAT BOOK TO GIVE AWAY.
CLICK HERE TO BRING YOU TO
THE GIVEAWAY ENTRY PAGE.



DISCLAIMER
I received a copy of this book, at no charge to me,
in exchange for my honest review.
No items that I receive
are ever sold…they are kept by me,
or given to family and/or friends.
ADDENDUM
I do not have any affiliation with Amazon.com.
I am providing this link solely for visitors
that may be interested in purchasing this EBook.
I do not receive any monetary compensation from any parties

Guest Author Carol Wyer

Believe me……you are in for a treat today!!!!!  Not so long ago, during one of my days of hopping, can’t remember which hop, I found this blog and thought that whoever was behind the screen was hysterical!!  And of course, I could relate, since the blog’s name is Facing 50 With HumourThen in July I received an email from Carol reminding me that I had given her an award and that she had some great news……She had written a book and asked if I would read and review it.  Absolutely yes!!!  But since I knew her “when” she was a blogger lol, and now that she is a published author, would she give me the honor of hosting her as my Guest Author.  And the answer was Yes.  Please help me welcome blogger, and now author, Carol Wyer!!!

She sent me 2 pictures and told me to pick one, I decided to use both.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR

I have always been a communicator- worse still, a communicator (or ‘chatterbox’ as my mother called me) with a vivid imagination. It started from a very early age, when as a toddler I would chat to complete strangers, much to the amusement of my mother, and regale them with stories or ask them if they knew how to make scotch eggs. Language 2000 Ltd, and taught languages to individuals and companies and translated documents.
Mini Skirts and Laughter Lines

As I became older I had further complications with my back. A spinal fusion has cracked at the upper end and was causing much pain. I gave up teaching along with the language company to try something new – I became a fitness instructor. I trained and worked for several people in France and the UK. I even appeared in a fitness magazine

What brought about the desire to write a novel? There were several reasons. Being someone who loves to talk, my head was always filled with noise. For the last two or three years, since I stopped working, I find myself awake at night ‘talking’ to myself. My brain will make up stories to while away the hours. It was a natural progression to write down these thoughts and stories.

Last year was a significant one for me. My husband had retired; my son had turned twenty-one and had just flown the nest. I was facing fifty in July. Many of my friends were turning fifty that year too and they all seemed to be doing something radical. They were either having cosmetic surgery, taking up hobbies, moving abroad or even splitting up from long term relationships and going off on adventures. They all had one thing in common – they were embracing their fifties. Up until then I hadn’t given it too much thought and was only really focused on actually going away for my birthday for the first time which was quite exciting.

Looking at a friend’s wall on Facebook and at the photographs of her celebrating her birthday and reading about her plans I thought I ought to treat my fifties as an opportunity. Here I was, child-free at last, with the chance to enjoy life with my husband. I had already been extremely fortunate in life and had the opportunity to travel, to learn to fly a helicopter and to dive. The year before I had taken up art and drawn a series of pictures. I felt though I needed to do something more. I drew up a ‘bucket list’ of things to do. One of my first goals was to write an article or short story and get it published or win a prize. I set about rewriting some of the stories that had popped into my head.

Late in June 2010 I was visiting my usual haunt in town – a rather nice ‘boutique’. As always I was talking to the assistants and women there. I was regaling them with a story about my son and as usual they were laughing about it. One of them told me I was very entertaining and I really should write down some of the stories I had told them during my visits. As it happened I had by then written one or two. They seemed to flow quite well together and I suddenly decided that I might be able to write more than just a story.

Initially, I wanted to write my novel in the form of a diary of a woman aged 50 but this format has been chosen a lot over the years. In this day and age my character should be more ‘with it’. Most of my friends are on Facebook. They have iPads and iPhones My character would be more than able to use a computer. I decided to put it in a blog-like form. That way the reader wouldn’t have to complete a chapter if they were time-short as each entry stands alone.

Knowing nothing about blogging I had to research and set up a blog to see if the format would be viable to a fifty year old. Last July I created a blog, called it

I wiped the July entries from my blog and began the book. I did however restart the blog as a humorous take on facing 50 recording amusing events from my own daily life to see if the formula would work. It did. Within three months I had a few hundred followers and now I have thousands of hits a month and have guest blogged on several blogs.

Amanda is the main character and the novel is written through her eyes. She is not however the main character. She is a conduit or a mirror for the reader. The reader should be able to see something of themselves in her and as the novel progresses also reach the same understanding as Amanda; that life is for living and enjoying. Her background is deliberately vague so that the reader can associate with her better. It is more important that they recognise her anxieties and concerns and indeed have experienced those things themselves. The strongest and most amusing character is the mother, who remains nameless throughout the novel. As Amanda grows to appreciate her mother the more astute reader will notice that her tone has changed. Instead of calling her ‘my mother’ she starts referring to her as ‘Mum’.

Each character is equally important as they represent the various stages of ageing and problems associated with each age. Amanda has all of those difficulties associated with a woman reaching middle age; her husband wrestles with retirement and anxieties over their financial future as no more income is headed their way. Her son is struggling because he is trapped at home and cannot yet find the independence he desperately needs. Her mother is grabbing at every opportunity in her twilight years yet yearns to have her daughter as a friend.

The novel is more than one woman’s story. It is about the complexity of relationships and the need to nurture them. It is about friendship and how important that is to individuals. It is about embracing life and seizing the day. Mostly it is about enjoying life. You can’t succeed at everything but you can laugh at it and if you have a positive attitude you will have a positive life.

I couldn’t turn back the clock and relive my life. I had to face up to being older and not as fit as I was, or as wrinkle free as I had been, but I could stay cheerful and youthful on the inside. I wanted to share that message with others and help them laugh at what life offers sometimes. My mother’s mantra, even in the face of adversity is, ‘Well, you have to laugh at it, don’t you?’ I hope that my novel allows people to have a giggle for a while. I hope it lifts their spirits and I hope it enhances their laughter lines! is not the first book I have written. In fact I wrote a series of books for children that tell an amusing story about an animal and also teach them French. They were en route to being published when my friend and illustrator for the books unexpectedly died at the age of fifty. I didn’t continue with them after that. Zest as a ‘Before’ and ‘After’ story. Facing 50 with Humour’ and wrote a series of entries as if I were Amanda Wilson. They formed the original first chapter. Having no followers at that point I asked the ladies in the boutique along with some of my Facebook friends to read the entries and tell me what they thought. The result was extremely encouraging. They urged me to continue and write the entire book. They loved every entry and claimed it was like ‘Grumpy Old Women’ only funnier You can find Carol at: Facing 50 With Humour and her website.

Born in Germany into a military family I spent my early childhood in Germany. I seemed to have an ability not only to talk a lot but in other languages too. Apparently, I would even talk in my sleep and often would dream in foreign languages – although as I gravely explained to my mother when I was about three – I had dreamt in German but not understood it!
I developed a love of reading early in life too thanks largely to my mother. I was brought up to read regularly. I had ample opportunity to read to my heart’s desire after a lengthy spell in hospital when I was 17 years old due to major spinal surgery which left me in hospital for weeks and bed-ridden for months. Here, I also started my writing career, as the only way I could stay in touch with friends, was to write long letters telling them about my stay in hospital and the characters in my ward. I was to spend a further year undergoing surgery and being housebound during my university years.
As I grew up, it was soon obvious to my parents that I would become either an actress or a teacher as I had a propensity (?) for language, and deciding I would get more lines and a better chance for a leading role, I chose the latter.
I studied English and French at the University of Keele and graduated in 1984. I then promptly headed to Morocco (Casablanca) where I taught English in English and American institutes and French to companies.
Two years later I returned to the UK where I took up a position at a private school in Staffordshire as a teacher of English to pupils aged 11-18.
After meeting and marrying my husband and giving birth to my son I set up my own language company,
Teaching allowed me to make full use of my linguistic and acting skills and afforded me the opportunity to communicate on many levels. To help people learn successfully and be a good teacher you need to be able to make the subject come to life. I have been known to teacher German to a group of accountants using puppets as a puppet show.

       ABOUT THE BOOK
SYNOPSIS (from the author):

MINI SKIRTS AND LAUGHTER LINES is women’s light hearted fiction. It offers an entertaining insight into many of the emotions, dreams, relationships and concerns facing both women and men as they face up to becoming older.

Amanda Wilson and the sixteen cartons of half price soya milk, now filling the shelves of her fridge, have the same problem. They are all rapidly approaching their use by date. She is about to be fifty but she may as well hang a sign around her neck saying ‘Out Of Order’.

Whatever happened to her husband, Phil, the sparkling, fun-loving man who danced the conga, at 3am, with a pineapple on his head? Newly retired, and constantly under her feet, he now makes Victor Meldrew look like Coco the Clown. Nothing amuses him or interests him. His joie de vivre has evaporated as quickly as their life savings. Phil spends his days sitting fixated in front of the computer screen trying to manage their share portfolio uninterested in life and uninterested in her.

He only emerges to mope about the house or squabble with their son who admittedly, is making life very difficult since he boomeranged back to the nest unexpectedly. Tom appears to have his own agenda at the moment and no one can get through to him. It will require more than the average maternal skills to prevent war from breaking out between him and Phil. Although, if he pulls any more of his stunts, Mandy might just be the one to launch the first blow.

With nothing but gloomy prospects on the economic horizon it seems probable that at least one of them will have to seek employment. In the meantime, strict austerity measures will have to be enforced in the house, which can mean only one thing. Not only will Mandy have to hide her bottles of wine in the bottom of her wardrobe, but she will have to give up sneaking home new clothes. There are seriously no pleasures left.

Surely, fifty is supposed to be the new forty. In Mandy’s eyes she should be fab, not drab, at fifty and certainly not stuck in the dreariest village in England waiting for the excitement of the Annual Open Gardens Event. Even her effervescent mother, now in her twilight years, is enjoying life to the full. Her exuberant behaviour and increasingly wild adventures are the stuff of television comedy. Mandy can only admire and envy her. However, she begins to have serious reservations about the latest love interest in her mother’s life; Grego. After all, what sort of man cries at an opera and encourages your aged mother to buy a sports car?

Feeling unwanted by all around her, she reconnects with her first true love, Todd Bradshaw, now residing in Australia. Todd’s charm and zest for life is a welcome contrast to Phil. His life is chocablock full of adventure and a far cry from her existence. It’s not long before they are reliving old times and engaging in regular games of ‘Lust Scrabble’. Reminded of who she used to be, Mandy rediscovers her youthful side. Before long she is faced with a difficult decision. Should she meet the beguiling Todd who is coming over to the UK? He certainly wants to be more than internet friends. Could this be the opportunity that she passed up many years before?

However, determined to not give up on her family just yet, she endeavours to drag the reluctant Phil into a happier, more fruitful retirement, with comic results. Her plans to introduce him to new interests and hobbies go completely awry. Fortunately, the hilarious results are highly appreciated by a growing group of followers, who interact with her on her blog.

After endless battles and much heartache her relationship with Tom is finally given the opening it needs after he is jilted by his girlfriend. Mandy, reminded of how she felt when Todd and she split up, sets about mending her son’s broken heart by sending him on holiday for his 21

Meanwhile, her mother seems to be embracing life with the gusto of a pit bull terrier chasing after a postman. She has been hosting wild ‘Twister’ parties, and performing Tina Turner’s hits at the local
Karaoke evening. Her relationship with Grego is also heating up. Not only does he return to the UK with her mother but has asked her a vital question. If only Mandy knew what the question was and hadn’t dropped the phone into her lumpy gravy at that particular point. Her mother is suddenly out of contact and Mandy is left suspecting she is to be getting a toy stepfather.

Mandy gradually learns that the formula to staying youthful is to appreciate and laugh at life. She only has to take a look at the aged neighbours to recognise that life is to be fully enjoyed. They have bought themselves a ‘peaPad’ and a new motorbike. Others, equally aged villagers, have surprising amounts of fun at art classes, quiz nights and gardening events all with fun results. She must now decide the direction her life should take, and with whom she should make the journey. Or, is it too late and that particular decision has just been made for her?
Read my review here.

Watch the trailer:

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HEAD ON OVER TO CAROL’S BLOG “FACING 50 WITH HUMOUR” WHERE SHE IS HAVING A HUGE BOOK LAUNCH PARTY TODAY, SEPTEMBER 16TH, WITH PRIZES.

DISCLAIMER

I received a copy of this book, at no charge to me,
in exchange for my honest review.
No items that I receive
are ever sold…they are kept by me,
or given to family and/or friends.