Carol Wyer's Blog: Carol Wyer, page 4

Feel Good Friday #Books

Happy Friday! Since I am tied up in edits on my next book (which will be out in September) I thought I’d theme today’s jokes accordingly. Have a good weekend.

Right, back to the edits…

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Q: What would you get if you crossed a locomotive with the author of Tom Sawyer?

A: A choo-choo Twain.

Q: What would you get if you crossed a comedian and an Edgar Allan Poe story?

A: The Wit and the Pendulum

Q: What happened when the bomb-sniffing dog wrote his autobiography?

A: It got on the best smeller list.

Q: What did they call Tom Sawyer’s friend after he lost a lot of weight?

A: “Huckleberry Thin.”

Q: What do young ghosts write their homework in?

A: Exorcise books.

Q: What sort of people make the best bookkeepers?

A: The people who borrow your books and never return them.

Q: What did one arithmetic book say to the other?

A: I’ve got a big problem.

Q: What is a flea’s favourite book ?

A: The itch-hikers guide to the galaxy!

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My wife gave me a really cheap dictionary for my birthday.

I couldn’t find the words to thank her.

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A novelist went to a psychiatrist and said anxiously, “Doc, I keep having the same dream, over and over. I wake up and I know the dream is a great idea for a best-selling novel, then I go back to sleep and, when I wake up the next morning, I can’t remember the plot! It’s driving me crazy!”

“When you go to bed at night,” the psychiatrist suggested, “leave a notepad and pencil on the bedside table. When you awake from the dream, with the memory of it fresh in your mind, write it down.”

That night, the writer placed a pad and pencil next to his bed. As usual, he had the dream again and woke up more convinced than ever that it was a terrific idea for a book. He snatched up the pencil, jotted a brief note, then, relieved, turned over and went back to sleep.

When the novelist awoke in the morning, he couldn’t remember a single thing about the dream, but he knew he’d followed the psychiatrist’s sage advice. Excited, he grabbed the notepad and read his note to himself:

“WRITE IT DOWN.”

Senior Moments of an Aging Author #amwriting

In spite of laughing a lot (see post below about memory) I’ve got to a point where if I don’t write something down, I am likely to forget it. I’m like a plate-spinner trying to keep all my plates spinning on their poles at the same time. Mr Grumpy claimed it’s down to my age and went back to reading his paper.

Anyway, so much has been happening over the last few weeks, I’ve not had the chance to stay on top of it all and now have numerous notes reminding me what to do, all over my desk.

According to one yellow one, I am the guest author today at Mim’s cafe and coffee shop in Cannock. This is great. If only I could remember what I am supposed to do? Do I speak about my books or about what I’ve read recently or … do I just eat cake and try to look interesting? Maybe I should take my author business cards along in case anyone turns up. Better write a note to remind myself. And another to tell me to check train times. And the route.

Another, in luminous green, reminds me to complete several written interviews ahead of the release of my new book. Life Swap is out in less than three weeks and there is a lot of buzz surrounding it. I am indebted to all of those who have reviewed the book or interviewed me on their blogs. Now, have I filled out this questionnaire about my likes and dislikes already? I can’t remember. I don’t seem to have written a note saying I have done it.

The rather large post-it note directly in front of me reminds me I have five posts to write for the Huffington Post, Silver Travel Advisor and website Sixty and Me….better ge those done. Well, I would if I could find the note with all the topics on it.

This scrawled note on the back on an envelope informs me I have a phone interview at 10:30am tomorrow but it doesn’t tell me who with. Is it a journalist or my mum?

This block of notes are to alert me to the fact I need to schedule some posts for this blog. There are all sorts of interesting articles and interviews coming up … if I can recall where I filed all the photographs to accompany them.

This book, next to the laptop, is stuffed with notes for my next book – research, character sketches and the like. I really want to get on with writing this but I haven’t time yet. It’s doing my hea din, carrying around all these characters and plots. I look at the notebook longingly and write a post it note to remind myself to take it with me in case inspiration hits me as I travel to Cannock today. Then, I write another to remind myself to clear out my large handbag so the notebook can be transported. It won’t fit in the bag I was going to take.

These scribbles on this sheet of A4 tell me I have to go to the dentist, collect my new glasses from the optician, pick up some dry cleaning I left two months ago, put the bin out, book train tickets, phone the garden centre about some hedging, and so on – house things.

Over here, I have a diary of where I am expected to be – oh crumbs! I forgot I was supposed to be in York then. It now clashes with a radio interview. Better rearrange my calendar.

This orange note has “5th April” written in large letters. It’s to remind me it’s the start of the new tax year today and Grumpy will demand all my tax details by the end of the week. He insists on being the first person in the country each year to file his and my tax returns. I haven’t begun to search out all my receipts and details to complete mine. Better make a note to do it tonight when I get back. Maybe I can pull anothe rall-nighter. It’ll be the fifth in a row but sleep is over-rated right?

This is my small diary that tells me what I need to prepare for … three weeks to my book launch … aaaargh!

And this very large blue note reminds me to stop typing at 5:30 pm and go cook Grumpy some dinner or he’ll starve…oh better go to the shops and buy some food again. We’ve only got gummy bears  and easter chocolate left in the cupboard. Must make  anote of what we need to buy.

Just to add to the general confusion, old grumpy-guts and I have been travelling and making new videos for The Grumpy Channel. We’ve got a corker coming up in a couple of weeks for you to watch. I really must unpack the case from the last trip. I’m sure that washing is beginning to pong.

Anyway, I have remembered that tonight you can hear my interview with Jennie Carr on The Travel Show about where to go for a Winter break. Tune in by clicking the link HERE and selecting “Listen Live’. The show begins 6pm BST. Good thing I wrote a note, eh?

Why You Should Laugh – Part One #memory

You know I have a mission in life to make people laugh – from my books, articles and blog posts to my daft jokes on social media sites and stand up routine. Many wonder why I am so passionate about it but you see, I happen to know it’s not just good for you, it’s essential to well-being. I am going to post a variety of posts that support my arguments to prove you need to laugh more.

Maybe I am preaching to the converted given you all come here to read my bonkers posts – thank you if you are regular followers. If not, then read on and then make sure you return, especially on a Friday when we share jokes from around the world.

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Taken from an article written by Emma Innes

Could laughter be the best way of improving memory? Older people had better short-term recall after watching comedy

The stress hormone has a negative impact on memory, researchers found

When a person laughs, they have lower levels of cortisol in their bodies

From tying knots in handkerchiefs to writing on our hands, we’ll try anything to avoid forgetting something important.

But a study has found that laughter could be the best way of improving memory.

U.S. researchers say older people are more likely to remember something if they have been laughing.

This is because laughter reduces stress levels – and stress can have a negative effect on memory, ABC News reports.

Scientists at Loma Linda University, in California, asked 20 healthy adults to watch an amusing video for 20 minutes.

At the same time, another group were asked to sit calmly without watching a film

Following this, both groups performed a memory test and had saliva samples taken and tested for the stress hormone cortisol.

The results showed that the people who had watched the funny video performed better in the short-term memory test than those who had not been laughing.

They also revealed that the levels of cortisol in the saliva of people who had been laughing were much lower.

‘Learning ability and delayed recall become more challenging as we age,’ study author Gurinder Bains told ABC News.

‘Laughing with friends or even watching 20 minutes of humour on TV, as I do daily, helps me cope with my daily stressors.’

He added that people who are less stressed tend to have a better memory.

This is because laughter increases the level of endorphins in the body and this sends dopamine to the brain, providing a feeling of happiness and reward.

This changes the activity of brain waves resulting in improved memory, the researchers say.

Read the entire article at The Daily Mail

In the Spotlight – Sue Watson

In the Spotlight is back for its second season and I am over the moon that our first guest this series is the amazing Sue Watson.

Sue Watson was a TV Producer with the BBC who combined motherhood and family life with a busy career. However, one day it dawned on Sue that Cosmo magazine may have been telling porkies about ‘having it all,’ and her life had become a slightly crazed juggling act.

So after much soul searching (and comfort eating) Sue abandoned her TV career, bought a pink laptop and wrote ‘Fat Girls and Fairy Cakes.’ It was then Sue realised she couldn’t stop writing and produced ‘Younger, Thinner, Blonder’ ‘Love, Lies and Lemon Cake’ and ‘Snow Angels, Secrets and Christmas Cake,’ ‘Summer Flings and Dancing Dreams,’ and ‘Bella’s Christmas Bake Off.’ Her next book ‘We’ll Always have Paris,’ comes out in June 2016.

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Sue, a very warm welcome to Facing 50. Please help yourself to the fairy lemon cakes that Mr Grumpy has baked in your honour. Before we chat about your next book which is out in June, I have some nice easy questions for you. Please relax, take a deep breath and then answer the rapid fire round:

The Flower Pot Men or the Magic Roundabout? If you don’t remember either of these, you are definitely far too young to be here.

The flower Pot Men because I hated it when Zebedee popped up and said ‘Time for Bed!’ on The Magic Roundabout. I hated going to bed early as a child, so I stay up late all the time now to make up for it.

‘Dirty Dancing’ or ‘Grease’? 

Grease. Every.Single.Time. I wanted to be Olivia Newton John in that tight black leather, sadly I never had the figure.

Join the club, Mr Grumpy said he didn’t look good in tight black leather either. Mary Quant or Channel? I was always fascinated by my mother’s white Mary Quant lipstick. I wasn’t allowed any make up until I was thirteen and then I was given a pot of purple eye shadow.

I had a little plastic wallet of MQ creamy eye shadow. It was really special and I loved it but was really upset when I lost it. Then when I was staying over at my best friend’s house I saw it in her bedroom drawer it was definitely mine. I didn’t say anything, but it really hurt and made me realize she wasn’t really my friend.

What was the first book you ever bought for yourself? 

The Wishing Chair by Enid Blyton.

You are walking past a deserted children’s play area – what are you most likely to jump on?

The roundabout, but knowing me I’d go too fast and end up in a crumpled heap just whizzing round – not a good look.

Did you ever dress up as a super hero or a famous person in a book? Who did you pretend to be when you were a child? (I always pretended to be Timmy the dog in the Famous Five!)

Cinderella, I loved the transformation, I was never ‘the before,’ always ‘the after.’

Sorry, this next part is obligatory. The audience expects it. Can you tell us a short joke?

I can’t believe I forgot to go to the gym today. That’s 9 years in a row now.

What makes you laugh most?

I have a dark humour, I laugh at terrible things. I am also terribly sophisticated and laugh at people falling over (it’s the irony darling).

Right, onto you and your books. Please teel us a little about the  genre you write.

I write romantic comedy, but my summer book this year ‘We’ll Always have Paris,’ is a slightly more emotional book, with an older heroine. It’s a story about taking a second chance on first love.

Who is your favourite character in your books?

Faye from Love, Lies and lemon Cake – she’s funny and flaky and has a rampant thing with a gorgeous toyboy. She’s my younger, thinner, blonder – and luckier – self.

Where do you think up your ideas for stories?

I listen to friends, conversations in cafes and I watch too much TV pretending it’s research. But more often than not my characters kind of develop the story. I was sitting at my laptop laughing to myself the other day (it’s my age) and my daughter asked me why I was laughing and I just said ; ‘because someone’s just done something funny in my book and I didn’t expect it.’ She just rolled her eyes, she’s used to me.

What do you do to help you concentrate on writing?

I have to have silence and no distractions, I am a dreadful procrastinator even have to put the cats out because I will use any excuse. I’m not sure my publisher would be too pleased if I said my book was late because of ‘vigorous and incessant cat grooming.’

Now, we’re a nosey bunch here in Facing 50 so could you please let us into a secret about yourself – something that doesn’t show up on your website. Surprise us.

I wrote Summer Flings and Dancing Dreams because I wish I could dance, but I can’t. I dream of capturing the swirling stomping passion of The Argentine Tango. I long to captivate a toreador, to tease him on that dance floor with my shimmering hips and fancy footwork. But I’m chunky with two left feet so writing about it is the next best thing – and I did it sitting down!

Sue, thank you so much for being on the blog today. Mr Grumpy is waiting in the wings in his tuxedo to lead you onto the dance floor and trample all over your feet to prove you can’t possibly be that bad at dancing.

 

You can find out more about Sue by clicking on the links below

   ****   Website   ****   Facebook   ****   Twitter

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We’ll Always Have Paris

When she was almost seventeen, Rosie Jackson locked eyes with a charismatic student called Peter during their first week at art college, changing the course of her life forever. Now, on the cusp of sixty-five and recently widowed, Rosie is slowly coming to terms with a new future. And after a chance encounter with Peter, forty-seven years later, they both begin to wonder ‘what if’ . . .

Told with warmth, wit and humour, We’ll Always Have Paris is a charming, moving and uplifting novel about two people; the choices they make, the lives they lead and the love they share.

 

Pre-order your copy of We’ll Always Have Paris:

Amazon UK    ****    Amazon US

Blazing a Grumpy Trail #travel #lanzagrotty

I’m not sure if Mr Cameron read my article in Silver Travel Advisor or listened to me on The Travel Show talking to Jennie Carr before he chose to head off to Lanzarote but in my opinion he picked a great place to hang out for Easter. It is definitely less #lanzagrotty than you may imagine. The Marina Rubicon off Playa Blanca, is stylish and upmarket with smakrt bars and cafes. It has hosted clebes such as hotelier and Hotel Inspector Alex Polizzi, and when we were there in December, the team for Rip Off Britain were filming.

In case you’re not convinced yet, tune in to The Travel Show on April 5th at 6pm. You can listen by clicking the link HERE. You’ll hear me explaining why you should get booked up now.

And, in case that’s not enough for you. Here is our latest Grumpy Travel Show video which we filmed in March in Lanzarote. I apologise for the sound quality but by gum, it was a windy day when I filmed and old grumpy wouldn’t speak up no matter =how many times I asked him to. Yes, the grumpy is finally on film. I kno you’ve all been dying to meet him so here he is!

 

So, now you know!

A Day in The Life … #amwriting

I was very honoured to be featured on Louise Jensen’s Fabricating Fiction blog earlier this week in a new feature called A Day in the Life.

OCD, insomnia, slow cookers, grumpy and jelly sweets, it’ll help explain why I am a tad on the bonkers side.

“I’m so pleased continue my ‘Day in the Life of…’ series by welcoming Carol Wyer onto the blog. From the moment I first laid eyes on Carol’s fabulous blog Facing 50 with humour (He who laughs…lasts) I knew I’d love her books and I was right. Life Swap, the story of Polly and Simon is hugely entertaining and there’s a brilliant, unexpected twist, but as well as the quirky humour there are also moments that made me think about my own life and realise how grateful I am for what I have. The grass isn’t always greener. So how does Carol spend her days? I was expecting something a little bit bonkers and I wasn’t disappointed!”

Read the entire post by clicking HERE

Feel Good Friday #Easter

Given it’s Easter weekend, I thought I ought to treat us to some Easter-related jokes. So here’s a few to crack you up! (See what I did there?)

Wishing you all a very happy Easter weekend.

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What happens if you mix up a computer manual with a cookbook?

You get an egg-shell spreadsheet!

What does an egg do when he sees a green light?

He egg-celerates!

What do you get when you cross a chicken with a cement mixer?

A brick layer!

How did the egg get up the mountain?

It scrambled up!

What do eggs tell at parties?

They tell yokes!

What do you call a bunny with a large brain?

An egghead.

Where does the Easter Bunny get his eggs?

From Eggplants.

What happened to the Easter Bunny when he misbehaved at school?

He was eggspelled.

Did you hear about the lady whose house was infested with Easter eggs?

She had to call an eggs-terminator.

Why do we paint Easter eggs?

Because it’s easier than trying to wallpaper them.

What day does an Easter egg hate the most?

Fry-days.

What kind of bunny can’t hop?

A chocolate one.

Why couldn’t the Easter egg family watch T.V.?

Because their cable was scrambled.

What do you call a mischievous egg?

A practical yolker

What do you get when you cross a rabbits foot with poison ivy?

A rash of good luck.

What do you call a bunny with a dictionary in his pants?

A smarty pants.

Where is the best place to learn about eggs?

In the hen-cyclopedia

Why did the egg cross the road?

To get to the shell station.

What do you call a city of 20 million eggs?

New Yolk City!

Knock, Knock!

Who’s there?

Omelette.

Omelette who?

Omelette smarter than I look!

Did you hear about the wizard who turned his friend into an egg?

He kept trying to poach his ideas.

What do you call an egg that goes on safari?

An eggs-plorer!

What happens when you tell an egg a joke?

It cracks up!

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Don’t eat too much chocolate!

Fashion Faux Pas For 50-Year-Olds

Some people over 50 are quite confused about how we should present ourselves. We’re unsure about the kind of image we are projecting and whether or not we are correct as we try to conform to the fashions that the designers in NYC, California, and/or Paris inflict upon the world. So, someone made a sincere study of the situation, and here are the results.

The following combinations DO NOT go together:

1. A nose ring and bifocals.

2. Spiked hair and bald spots.

3. A pierced tongue and dentures.

4. Miniskirts and support hose.

5. Ankle bracelets and corn pads.

6. Speedos and cellulite.

7. A belly button ring and a gall bladder surgery scar.

8. Unbuttoned disco shirts and a heart monitor.

9. Midriff shirts and a midriff bulge.

l0. Bikinis and liver spots.

11. Short shorts and varicose veins.

12. Inline skates and a walker.

With these guidelines I’m sure we’ll all be looking good.

Marshmallows, a cat and fried eggs #Talkofthetown #writerslife

Mr Grumpy looked at me in astonishment when I joined him in the kitchen at breakfast the other day. ‘What on earth is the matter?’ he gasped, taking in my appearance.

Fat, blobby tears had erupted from my eyes and I had two fat slugs of mascara chasing each other down my cheeks. I snivelled and gulped. ‘This,’ I said, thrusting my iPad at him. He read, eyes narrowed in concentration then nodded. ‘Ah, I see,’ he replied as a large smile broke across his face.

This is what he read:

“Prepare yourself for a book that you will probably remember the day after you read it. Prepare yourself for a book that will have you wondering ‘what the fried eggs is going on?’. Prepare yourself for a book that will leave you that puzzled to the point of being unable to put it down. But more importantly, prepare yourself to be transported into a story that will make you look at your own life a little bit differently….”

Before reading the Life Swap, I did the unthinkable. I didn’t read what it was about so I took it by its lively and bright looking cover and title. I straight away assumed that it was going to be about one person wanting a better life for themselves. Ever seen ‘The Holiday’ with Kate Winslet? I thought it was going to be similar to that. I know it is wrong to assume, however, it makes a much better surprise if you do in the book world. Brace yourselves, it’s not often I admit this so I am just telling you, you can keep a secret right? I was wrong, completely wrong. It was nothing like ‘The Holiday’. Lives were swapped, but not in the way that you might think.

Life Swap starts by the hunger inducing, wonderful thoughts of…..marshmallows. Yes, the book begins with marshmallows! If you’re not a fan of them, don’t let it put you off the book though, I mean, it’s not like it’s a talking marshmallow! No really, it’s not! At the beginning you’re introduced to Mr Simon Green, a car salesman with a wife and two children. Oh, and a cat. I won’t mention the cat too much, not that I have anything against cats, but, oh you’ll see! Mr Green is unhappy in his current life and wishes for his troubles to disappear (don’t we all). He wishes for the typical thing, happiness. Luckily for him, strangers come to the ‘rescue’ and promise him that things will change for the better and that a happier life is before him. Or is it?

Meet Polly MacGregor. An unlucky in love sports therapist that adores spending money on things she doesn’t really need. Polly is also unhappy in her life because of problems facing her that could ruin everything. She could lose everything. No wonder she wants a new life, a life full of luxury and without problems. Unexpectedly, Polly gets promised the world also, beckoning her into a life that she desires. A life swap. But is it really what she desires?

Throughout the story you will swap between the two main characters, their lives and their ‘new’ lives, with every chapter leaving you will something to think about and laugh about. Go with the story, because you’ll be truly kicking yourself at the end. Don’t blame me if you hurt yourself though!

       …

If you’re into weird and wonderful humour, then expect the unexpected because you’re in for an absolute treat. It’s so bizarre and hilarious to the point that you will be guaranteed to remember it. Lose yourself in the joys of what unfolds before your very eyes. Laugh out loud. This is definitely a book for relaxing and to not take things so seriously. It’s my feel good book of 2016 so far!”

Read the whole review at –The Writing Garnet

When a reader/reviewer writes a review like that it has the effect of making you well up with gratitude and huge affection for the person who has enjoyed, understood and written such a comprehensive review. You want to cut the reviews out and frame them on your wall and shout to the world ‘Look, someone loved my book!” You want to dance a silly dance in the kitchen and wave your tea towel high in the air and sing loudly. (Sorry about that MrGrumpy.)

At the same time, you feel humble and so very, very thankful. So, the tears were real but they were happy tears and Mr Grumpy got an extra slice of celebratory toast for breakfast.

This is not a promotion for my book. It is a genuine heartfelt thank you to all of you who review books. You have no idea how much it means to a writer who has poured heart and soul into their work. They will have sweated for months over characters, plots, edits and gonethrough a myriad of emotions form feeling they are useless and their work is lousy to euphoria when the editor approves it or someone like you says they have enjoyed it.

Without your reviews we would not attract readers and would suffer real lows of confidence.

Finally, the hugest of thanks to Kaisha from The Writing Garnet for this amazing review. You have made me a very happy writer.

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I am linking this post up to the #Talkofthetown hosted by Shaz from Jera’s Jamboree and Heidi from Cosmochicklitan today to shout out to all of you who read our books and write reviews for them. Thank you all.

Marshmallows, a cat and fried eggs #writerslife

Mr Grumpy looked at me in astonishment when I joined him in the kitchen at breakfast today. ‘What on earth is the matter?’ he gasped, taking in my appearance.

Fat, blobby tears had erupted from my eyes and I had two fat slugs of mascara chasing each other down my cheeks. I snivelled and gulped. ‘This,’ I said, thrusting my iPad at him. He read, eyes narrowed in concentration then nodded. ‘Ah, I see,’ he replied as a large smile broke across his face.

This is what he read:

“Prepare yourself for a book that you will probably remember the day after you read it. Prepare yourself for a book that will have you wondering ‘what the fried eggs is going on?’. Prepare yourself for a book that will leave you that puzzled to the point of being unable to put it down. But more importantly, prepare yourself to be transported into a story that will make you look at your own life a little bit differently….”

Before reading the Life Swap, I did the unthinkable. I didn’t read what it was about so I took it by its lively and bright looking cover and title. I straight away assumed that it was going to be about one person wanting a better life for themselves. Ever seen ‘The Holiday’ with Kate Winslet? I thought it was going to be similar to that. I know it is wrong to assume, however, it makes a much better surprise if you do in the book world. Brace yourselves, it’s not often I admit this so I am just telling you, you can keep a secret right? I was wrong, completely wrong. It was nothing like ‘The Holiday’. Lives were swapped, but not in the way that you might think.

Life Swap starts by the hunger inducing, wonderful thoughts of…..marshmallows. Yes, the book begins with marshmallows! If you’re not a fan of them, don’t let it put you off the book though, I mean, it’s not like it’s a talking marshmallow! No really, it’s not! At the beginning you’re introduced to Mr Simon Green, a car salesman with a wife and two children. Oh, and a cat. I won’t mention the cat too much, not that I have anything against cats, but, oh you’ll see! Mr Green is unhappy in his current life and wishes for his troubles to disappear (don’t we all). He wishes for the typical thing, happiness. Luckily for him, strangers come to the ‘rescue’ and promise him that things will change for the better and that a happier life is before him. Or is it?

Meet Polly MacGregor. An unlucky in love sports therapist that adores spending money on things she doesn’t really need. Polly is also unhappy in her life because of problems facing her that could ruin everything. She could lose everything. No wonder she wants a new life, a life full of luxury and without problems. Unexpectedly, Polly gets promised the world also, beckoning her into a life that she desires. A life swap. But is it really what she desires?

Throughout the story you will swap between the two main characters, their lives and their ‘new’ lives, with every chapter leaving you will something to think about and laugh about. Go with the story, because you’ll be truly kicking yourself at the end. Don’t blame me if you hurt yourself though!

I finished the book in five and a half hours. I was hooked on the bizarreness of what I was reading. Many, many times I did say out loud ‘what the fried eggs is going on?’ but I HAD to finish it. It is definitely an unpredictable story, however, it has the most incredible conclusion. This was the first book by Carol Wyers I had read, I didn’t know what her style was like, but I laughed, I laughed a lot. The things you will come across in the book are actually relatable to an extent because of the real life worries that do occur. Not everyone is happy in their lives, people do want things to change, but I would suggest not going down the route that Simon and Polly did!

If you’re into weird and wonderful humour, then expect the unexpected because you’re in for an absolute treat. It’s so bizarre and hilarious to the point that you will be guaranteed to remember it. Lose yourself in the joys of what unfolds before your very eyes. Laugh out loud. This is definitely a book for relaxing and to not take things so seriously. It’s my feel good book of 2016 so far!”

Read the whole review at –The Writing Garnet

When a reader/reviewer writes a review like that it has the effect of making you well up with gratitude and huge affection for the person who has enjoyed, understood and written such a comprehensive review. You want to cut the reviews out and frame them on your wall and shout to the world ‘Look, someone loved my book!” You want to dance a silly dance in the kitchen and wave your tea towel high in the air and sing loudly. (Sorry about that MrGrumpy.)

At the same time, you feel humble and so very, very thankful. So, the tears are real but they are happy tears and Mr Grumpy got an extra slice of celebratory toast for breakfast.

Thank you to all of you who review books. You have no idea how much it means to a writer who has poured heart and soul into it. They will have sweated for months over characters, plots, edits and gonethrough a myriad of emotions form feeling they are useless and their work is lousy to euphoria when the editor approves it or someone like you says they have enjoyed it.

Hugest of thanks to Kaisha from The Writing Garnet for this amazing review. You have made me a very happy writer today.