Interview with Jane Carroll ~ Bertha Size Your Life

I've read Bertha Size Your Life and I enjoyed it! It's a humorous tale of empty-nest. While I'm not there yet, it made me laugh out loud, and I will be sure to read this again when the time comes. And that time is not too far off, my daughter is sixteen. Today I have Author Jane Carroll on the blog with a few questions, let's start off with something wild and wacky!

You’ve been contacted by the Association of Libraries from the Alien Planet of Zaolia. They want to know the five most important novels in all of Earth’s history. Which five novels do you give them?

The Greatest Miracle in the World—Og Mandino

The Alchemist—Paulo Coelho

Garden Spells—Sarah Addison Allen

The Little Engine That Could—Watty Piper

Bertha-Size Your Life!—Jane Carroll

What was the turning point in your life when you decided to start writing?

My youngest daughter had just gotten married so although she had been away at school, my nest was officially…empty. Having been a single mother for many years, I was relieved. But I knew that many women don’t feel that way. Their identity is so entwined with their children that they don’t know who they are once the kids are grown. I had completed Life Coach Training and loved to write…a book about empty-nest just seemed like the perfect thing to do at the time.

Q: What is or are the genres of your book or books?

Bertha-Size Your Life! and the upcoming sequel are considered non-fiction, personal growth, self-help but they read like a series of funny short stories which makes them unique.

Q: What made you decide to write in your particular genre?

Personal growth has always been my primary interest…it’s just where my mind gravitates. I love seeing myself and others reaching a new level of understanding.

Q: When you write do you take notes, organize your characters and plot, or you write freely as you go?

Generally I just write…I may make a note of an idea that crosses my mind for a story so I won’t forget it…but I’m not into outlines and such.

Q: Where does your inspiration come from?

Life…everything I see and hear is likely to become a Bertha story. Bertha is all about taking everyday life experiences and teaching poignant lessons from them.

Q: Do you write about your personal life experiences in your stories?

Yes and no. The stories in Bertha-Size Your Life! are generally life lessons…some of them I’ve learned the hard way and some I’ve learned from others…and some were written to answer questions asked by others…they just all get in the mix…and no…I won’t tell you which ones I learned the hard way!

Q: What is your favorite scene in your story?

You know…I can’t choose a favorite. My favorite was always the one that I just finished writing…now it’s the one that I need that day.

Jane, you are a wonderful guest, and I enjoy our time on social media together! Thanks for visiting today and sharing so many fun things about yourself!

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Jane Carroll Links:

Website: http://www.janecarrollauthor.com

Facebook: https://facebook.com/janecarrollauthor

Twitter: https://twitter.com/janecarroll10

Book Synopsis:

Bertha-Size Your Life! reads like a series of humorous short stories but it is so much more. Bertha, a zany redhead, mysteriously appears into the narrator’s life while walking in the park. Quicker than a man can hand off a baby with a dirty diaper, she has moved into her new friend’s empty nest and the fun begins.

Bertha is always up to something and delights in standing on a soapbox while dispensing down-home wisdom and perky advice. She explains The Law of Attraction in a refreshing, humor-filled, practical way that has you going hmmm instead of humph.

Throw in a conniving nemesis, an antagonistic cat, lime green spandex, and high-heels and you’ve got a book that’s sure to tickle your funny bone and leave you wearing your thinking cap as you read and reread each vignette.

Who knew personal transformation could be so much fun? “Bertha, that was a rhetorical question. Get off your soapbox…”

Here's the link to purchase Bertha for .99 cents! Amazon: http://tiny.cc/zgaafw 

Bio:

Jane Carroll, Author of Amazon Bestselling Bertha-Size Your Life!, is a Life Coach, Registered Nurse, Reiki Master, Mother, Grandmother, and long-time student of life. She has seen the focus of her over 30 year nursing career change from illness to wellness to wholeness, a philosophy that permeates everything she does. While she enjoys all aspects of her life, writing is her passion and she is currently working on Bertha’s latest adventures.

Bertha-Size Your Life! recently received the MK Traditionally Published Best Book of 2012 Award.