December 4, 2018 – JO LAMBERT

Hi Carol and welcome. Can I start, as always, by asking you a little about yourself?

Hello, thank you for having me on your blog. I live on the south coast of England with my husband, four children and lively young Labrador. I have been a playgroup supervisor and taught in primary schools for over fifteen years, before dedicating more of my time to writing.

In 2017 I was delighted to gain a publishing contract with Ruby Fiction, an imprint of Choc Lit, for my romantic comedy novel, The Purrfect Pet Sitter.

When did you decide you wanted to be a writer and how did you begin?

I have always had a fascination with words and studied creative writing as part of my degree. I had an idea for a book, so in 2012, when I was taking a break from teaching, I decided it was a now or never situation. My contemporary romance novel, Crazy Over You was published via Matador in 2015.

What makes a good heroine?

I like to read and to write about relatable heroines. Female friendships tend to be central to my novels. When bringing these women to life, I like to juxtapose either their character type or their stages of life.

Name one of the most memorable things that have happened to you?

The birth of each of my babies was special, of course. But the experience of having my third daughter was particularly memorable as my husband delivered her. It was two weeks before Christmas, the tree was up in the living room, and it was a frosty morning. Labour started and progressed quickly. The ambulance and midwife couldn’t make it on time, and so my husband delivered our daughter with instructions being given over the phone from the hospital. With just us, our other two daughters and our, then two, Labradors in the house, it was very special.

You’re a dog lover, and canine friends feature in ‘The Purrfect Pet Sitter’. Are you planning to include them in any future books?

I am indeed. As I’ve had Labradors in my house for the last eighteen years, they are very much a part of my everyday life. As a result, they sneak into my books too. The sequel to The Purrfect Pet Sitter sees a return of Jack, the wonky-eyed black Labrador, and I am twelve thousand words into my current WIP, and what do you know, a dog has snuck in already.

What would be your most romantic holiday destination and why?

CAROL 1 Hmm, this is tough because I do like Venice and honeymooned there. But last year I convinced my husband to take me on a research trip to the French Alps. We stayed in Verchaix, it was just the two of us, snowy, magical and very romantic. The trip inspired scenes in The Purrfect Pet Sitter.

And finally, you’re planning a dinner party. If you could choose four celebrity guests (past or present) who would they be and why?

Gary Barlow, Chris Hemsworth, Aidan Turner and Keanu Reeves. I’d like to point out that this dinner party is strictly for research purposes into character types for writing male heroes, honestly! 😉

THE PURRFECT PET SITTER

Introducing Lisa Blake, the purrfect pet sitter!

When Lisa Blake’s life in London falls apart, she returns to her hometown rebranding herself as ‘the purrfect pet sitter’ – which may or may not be false advertising!
But being back where she grew up, Lisa can’t escape her past. There’s her estranged best friend Flick who she bumps into in an embarrassing encounter in a local supermarket. And her first love, Nathan Baker, who, considering their history, is sure to be even more surprised by her drunken Facebook friend request than Lisa is.
As she becomes involved in the lives of her old friends Lisa must confront the hurt she has caused, discover the truth about her mysterious leather-clad admirer, and learn how to move forward when the things she wants most are affected by the decisions of her past.

Genre: Romantic Comedy
Publisher: Ruby Fiction

Buying Links
Amazon: http://getbook.at/TPPSAmazon
Kobo: https://www.kobo.com/gb/en/ebook/the-purrfect-pet-sitter
Ruby Fiction: http://www.rubyfiction.com/dd-product/the-purrfect-pet-sitter/
View the book trailer: http://tinyurl.com/TPPS-booktrailer

About the author:

CAROL 2 Carol writes contemporary romance novels, with relatable heroines whose stories are layered with emotion, sprinkled with laughter and topped with irresistible male leads.