- My mantra is carpe diem. I have been lucky enough to enjoy some amazing experiences and through my writing I try to encourage others to seize opportunities and challenges however small they may seem.
- I am addicted to laughter and agree that is it medicinal. As a child I had quite a few setbacks that shot my confidence to pieces until a trip to watch comedian Ken Dodd perform changed my life. I discovered the link between happiness and laughter, and learned the best way to cope was to laugh at yourself first. I write a lot of observational comedy that people can relate to and try to provide several chuckles to lift flagging spirits or morale.
- My biggest critic is my eighty-two-year-old mother who is a prolific reader. If she likes what I write, I breathe a sigh of relief and crack open the Pinot Grigio.
- I take research to ridiculous levels when writing a book. This philosophy resulted in me trying out a zip wire, eating mealworms and locusts, zorbing and diving with sharks along with other lunatic activities. It also set me on the path of stand up comedy and research for 'Life Swap' saw me attempting to be a living statue and prance about Derby shopping centre dressed in a demon costume asking if people would want to swap lives.
- You will invariably find me whistling Monty Python's "Always Look On The Bright Side of Life" or similar in the supermarket as I have a theory that if you hum or whistle a happy tune, someone in the same aisle as you will pick it up. It's a mood lifter.
- My first story was set in Casablanca Morocco where I lived at the time, and was about a camel and some dustbin cats. I decided it was a niche market and didn't offer it for publication!
- In my thirties, I wrote a series of illustrated children's books for the 3 to 6 year-old-market that taught them French and were accompanied by a tape of French songs also written by me but mercifully sung by someone else.
- I can't write unless I have several bags of jelly sweets to help me through the long nights. Great for inspiration but terrible for my teeth. For 'Life Swap' I behaved myself and only stared at the sweets. I still have them on my desk. They're special Haribo black and yellow bananas from Germany. I'm not sure how much longer I can hold out though.
- I always get into each character's role when I write which is fine except for the time I was writing about a psychotic, husband-murdering wife and asked a doctor if it was possible to put glass in someone's Happy Meal and kill them. I almost got taken into custody there and then.
- I absolutely love reading (especially thrillers) and am a speed-reader-a technique I learned at university-so I binge read on holiday until my grumpy old husband drags my Kindle off me.
Life Swap by Carol Wyer is out on 22nd April.
Carol Wyer
A funny feel good read about starting again
She wanted a new life and true love. Be careful what you wish for ... Handsome prince, beautiful house, fabulous job? Polly has none of these. All she has to her name is a string of failed relationships and she's up to her ears in debt. She sees herself as a hopeless case and would do anything to change her luck. Simon is approaching the big 50. He's off his game at work, his kids don't seem to notice he exists and his wife seems to think he's made of money. As for sex …what's that? So when the opportunity comes for both of them to swap their lives for a life of luxury, they jump at the chance. For Simon a life of helicopters, fast cars and hot babes beckons. For Polly, it's all diamonds, spa days and celebrity parties. Now all that's missing from her life is a bit of romance. Can handsome stranger Matt step up? Trouble is, the grass isn't always greener on the other side. Can the life you've always dreamed of get in the way of true love? A witty, heart warming read, perfect for fans of Debbie Johnson and Carole Matthews.
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