carolwyer

February 18, 2019

#Boom #SuddenlySingle

“The most uplifting book of 2019 that you will read!”

Today, I am incredibly proud to reveal the cover of my forthcoming comedy SUDDENLY SINGLE about Chloe Piper, author of a raunchy best-seller, Spank Me Harder, Vicar, who flees her soul-destroying marriage, cheating ex and village gossips for a life of solitude in the newly built Sunny Meadow Farm with her hapless dog, Ronnie.

But Chloe is soon pushed out of her comfort zone. Because with a lively development building crew – headed up by charming Alex – and a larger-than-life neighbour determined to make Chloe’s love life her pet project, Chloe finds herself in a whole new world of chaos…

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Oh my! How I loved researching and writing this book. I hope you find it as hilarious to read as I did to write and come way feeling truly uplifted.

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“This enthralling romantic comedy of self-discovery and new beginnings is perfect for fans of Kirsty Greenwood, Colleen Coleman and Marian Keyes.”

SUDDENLY SINGLE out APRIL 8th but available to pre order now by clicking any of the links below:

Amazon UK – Amazon US – Kobo – Apple iBooks – Google Play

February 17, 2019February 17, 2019

Crime Pays #writers-life

In January 2017, I moved from comedy to crime. It was a bold move. I’d made my name as writer of comedy and enjoyed much success, written features for and appeared in national magazines, been on numerous BBC radio stations, even interviewed on BBC Breakfast Television (twice!). I’d won the prestigious People’s Book Prize award and had a contract with Bookouture/Hachette to write 2 more romantic comedies… and… I was performing a stand-up gig around the Midlands, entitled, Smile While You Still Have Teeth to sell-out audiences.

Moving from one genre to another is a challenge. You learn skills and techniques while writing one genre that can’t be transferred to another and you have to treat the whole writing process in a completely different way. Where I had once written whatever came into my head and written larger than life, hilarious characters and scenarios, now I had to think up twists and devious red-herrings and imagine the mind of a killer. I had to plot my books carefully, research like mad and lose the humour!

Bold or not, it was the right move. LITTLE GIRL LOST shot up the charts to become the #2 best-selling on Amazon Kindle and even became a USA Top 150 Best-Seller. DI Robyn Carter was taken to my readers’ hearts and more books in the series were commissioned and written.

Earlier this month, I had the most incredible news – my crime novels had sold over 500,000 copies. I had to sit down. Half a million copies? How was that ever possible?

Having pinched myself several times, I checked the email again. It was true and I was astounded. It was beyond my wildest expectations and I felt a huge surge of gratitude to my publisher, to all of the reviewers, bloggers and friends who have helped promote my books and most of all to my readers.

I have always dreamed of selling million copies. I love entertaining people, whether that be by making them laugh, feel-good about themselves and life or by thrilling them and making their jaws drop. To know half a million people have read my books is amazing.

My sincere to all of you who have helped make this happen. THE DARE, the third book in the DI Natalie Ward detective series comes out in April. There’ll be two more after it and one further crime thriller to be written by the end of the year. I have plans for more after that and hope you will continue to read and enjoy my books. I have my fingers tightly crossed that one day in the near future I’ll be able to say I’ve attained my goal but until I hit that elusive one million sales, I am immensely satisfied with what I have achieved so far and can only say that crime definitely pays!

February 16, 2019

Day in the Life of a Writer and Her Grumpy and more #writers-life #new-release

Last week, I was interviewed by chellesandbbooks and I thought I’d share the interview with you. If you ever wondered where my inspiration comes from, or which character I’d really like to bitch slap, read on….

Please tell us a little about What Happens in France and where your ideas for the book came from?
It’s a feel-good story about Bryony Masters, a somewhat quiet and reclusive teacher, whose sister, Hannah, ran away from home when she was 16. Bryony blames herself for the incident and has over the years, tried to find Hannah, but to no avail.

When her father has a sudden stroke, she is propelled into taking more drastic action and egged on by her best friend, Melinda, applies for a televised gameshow in the desperate hope she can use it as a platform to find her sister.

The show is filmed in France and she finds herself teamed up with the gorgeous but unattainable Lewis, and a bunch of hilarious competitors, including a limelight-stealing pug – Biggie Smalls. With Lewis’s help she has to fight off the competition and take part in a series of wacky and fun challenges, not to win the prize but to get the winners’ ten minutes of air time at the end of the show each day, which she uses to find Hannah.

As for the book’s inspiration, well, it was a mishmash of things. My mother suffered very badly from St Vitus Dance as a child and relayed the horrors of her own childhood which gave me the kernel of the idea for the Hannah and Bryony plot. That led me onto how Bryony would manage to find her sister and in turn, took me down the gameshow route. Given our obsession with shows like Love Island and the like, it seemed an ideal solution, so I applied for a variety of gameshows to see what I could find out. I ended up on quite a few (all in the name of research) but they helped fuel my ideas for the ridiculous challenges and games Bryony and Lewis have to tackle.

Finally, I am an absolute Francophile and have lived and worked in France. Nowadays, I visit the country several times a year, renting small gites, so it seemed the perfect place to set the book. A few years ago, my husband, AKA Mr Grumpy, and I travelled around Brittany and the Loire-Atlantique and stayed in chateaux along the way. It was such fun we went back a few more times and saw as much of the regions as we could.

Do you have a favourite character or scene from What Happens in France?

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Read more and my life with Grumpy by clicking this link HERE which will open another window and take you to the interview.

February 4, 2019

#Giveaway #Winner

biggie prize

Finally, I can reveal the #Biggie Prize winners. There are a few of you scattered over Twitter/FB and Instagram but here we go:

*****1st Prize ******

A cuddly toy pug, pen, signed postcard and sticker go to:
Nicola Southall
Alison Stockley and Dawn Vegas

*****2nd Prize*****
A cuddly pug key ring and signed postcard
Shell Baker

*****3rd prize*****
Biggie pen, signed postcard and sticker
Ann Jones

*****Runner Up prizes*****
Signed postcards, Biggie stickers
Diane Croad,Susan Hampson Julia Davis,Trish Tishylou Hills Julie Ryan

Many thanks to everyone who took part and to all those who are hosting me on the WHAT HAPPENS IN FRANCE blog tour.

January 30, 2019January 30, 2019

A Big #Biggie #Giveaway @canelo_co

Day 3 of the What Happens in France Tour and the Biggie Giveaway. Today, I’m also offering a short extract from the new book below.

You can win this super prize (a cuddly pug, stickers, signed postcards and a pen) just by downloading a copy of What Happens in France and sending me proof of purchase. (via FB or Twitter message)

EXTRACT FROM WHAT HAPPENS IN FRANCE

‘Time for your first challenge. It’s a pretty basic one but will test your communication skills and determination. If you’d like to follow me.’

The contestants trooped after Laura to the front of the château.

‘You’re joking!’ Lewis exclaimed. Lined up on the drive stood three Citroën 2CVs. The first was covered in orange and black zigzags, the second had bright yellow and black panels and the third was covered in fur fabric so it looked like a woolly car.

‘You cannot be serious!’ exclaimed Donald in a fair impression of tennis star John McEnroe. ‘There is no way on this planet I’m getting into the woolly one,’ he stated, folding his chunky arms and pouting. ‘It will ruin my macho image.’

Laura held out three cards to Nicola. ‘Pick a card.’

Nicola took the middle card, turned it over and read, ‘The 2CV Tabby.’

‘Is it that orange one? A tabby cat. At least it doesn’t have ears and whiskers,’ grumbled Donald, taking the key from Laura. ‘But it clashes with my kilt.’

‘Jim, your turn.’

Jim selected one and passed it over to Oscar, who read, ‘The 2CV Bumblebee. Has to be the yellow and black one.’

‘That means we’ve got the beautiful furry one,’ said Bryony. She accepted her card. ‘It’s called the 2CV Furby.’

‘What does 2CV mean anyway?’ asked Oscar, picking up a prancing Biggie, who was keen not to be left out.

‘The 2CV name is an abbreviation for Deux Chevaux Vapeur,“two steam horses”, which is actually a technical legal term from the French tax code,’ explained Jim. ‘The 2CV was designed to fall into the second horsepower tax class. It did not mean that it had only a two-horsepower engine,’ he added.

‘So it’s got more poke than a lawnmower,’ said Lewis.

‘I think it has a little more “poke”, as you put it, but it’s no Ferrari,’ replied Jim. ‘Or “Fur-rrari”, Lewis.’ He chuckled. ‘It was designed for country roads not grand prix circuits.’

‘Jim, you have more knowledge in your brain than there is in an entire series of University Challenge. Is there anything you don’t know?’ Oscar asked, head cocked to one side.

Jim thought for a second. ‘There’s lots of things I don’t know,’ he mused before adding, ‘yet.’ His shoulders rocked with silent laughter at his quip, making Oscar snigger.

*****

“Carol Wyer is back! Laughs aplenty and a heartwarming read.’ Mandy Baggot, author of One New York Christmas

Buy WHAT HAPPENS IN FRANCE by clicking HERE

My thanks to today’s hosts on the blog tour

Buttercup Reviews

Belle and the Novel

January 29, 2019January 29, 2019

The #Biggie #Giveaway

It’s day 2 of the What Happens in France blog tour. All this week I am offering the chance to win a fabulous #Biggie Prize: a cuddly toy pug, a Biggie pen, signed Biggie postcards and Biggie stickers.

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WHAT HAPPENS IN FRANCE

“She stood and took her place in front of the camera… It was now or never”

Bryony Masters has been looking for her long-lost sister, Hannah, for years, but when their father has a stroke her search takes on new urgency. So when primetime game show, What Happens in France, puts a call-out for new contestants, Bryony spots the ultimate public platform to find her reality TV-obsessed sister, and finally reunite their family.

With the help of handsome teammate Lewis, it’s not long before she’s on a private jet heading for the stunning beauty of rural France. With a social media star dog, a high maintenance quiz host and a cast of truly unique characters, Bryony and Lewis have their work cut out for them to stay on the show and in the public eye.

Yet as the audience grows and the grand prize beckons they find that the search that brought them together may just fulfil more than one heart’s wish…

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GIVEAWAY

To win your very own cuddly pug, just send me proof you have bought a copy of WHAT HAPPENS IN FRANCE (a screenshot will do) to author@carolewyer.co.uk or message me on Twitter or Facebook.

Buy the book by clicking on the title: WHAT HAPPENS IN FRANCE

Good luck!

*****

Today my thanks go to the following bloggers for hosting me:

Katherine’s Book Universe

Blooming Fiction

January 28, 2019January 28, 2019

France, Pugs and a #Biggie Giveaway #Giveaway @carolewyer

I could never have guessed when I wrote What Happens in France that a pug dog who dressed like his namesake the late rapper, Biggie Smalls, would end up being the star of it.

*****

What readers are saying about What Happens in France:

“Wow, wow and double wow….What a fantastic, fun and beautifully written book this was” Reader review

“Left me with tears in my eyes and wanting more. A hilarious and touching tale.” Sue Watson, author of Love, Lies and Lemon Cakes

“Carol Wyer is back! Laughs aplenty and a heartwarming read.’ Mandy Baggot, author of One New York Christmas

‘A refreshingly different romcom that’s sweet, funny and moving in all the right amounts.’ Victoria Cooke, author of The Holiday Cruise

“Fantastique and frivolously funny – but for goodness sake, read with a box of tissues!… A sensational story that will sweep you up in spontaneity, sympathy and endless smiles.” Isabella May, author of Oh What a Pavlova and The Cocktail Bar.

“Funny, lighthearted, romantic and utterly fabulous. This book is a chicklit fan’s dream” Reader review

Buy the book by clicking on the title: WHAT HAPPENS IN FRANCE

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GIVEAWAY

To celebrate the release of What Happens in France, I’m offering a brilliant Biggie prize: one of these cute toy pug dogs, a Biggie pen, signed Biggie postcards and Biggie stickers.

To win your very own cuddly pug, just send me proof you have bought a copy of WHAT HAPPENS IN FRANCE (a screenshot will do) to author@carolewyer.co.uk or message me on Twitter or Facebook.

Buy the book by clicking on the title: WHAT HAPPENS IN FRANCE

Good luck!

*****

Today my thanks go to the following for hosting me:

Chelles and Books

StefLoz Book Blog

My Book and My Coffee