Guest Post With Carol Thomas

This week I'm delighted to welcome fellow Choc Lit and Ruby Fiction author, Carol Thomas, to the blog for the first time. Carol is always very supportive of other authors and she's recently become a member of our local Cariad Chapter. I met her in person at the RNA York Tea in September 2019. Her latest novel A Summer of Second Chances was published by Choc Lit on April 27th.

Carol, welcome!

Please tell us a little about yourself and your writing. 

I live on the south coast of England with my husband, four children and lively Labrador. I am a primary school teacher and have been a volunteer at my local Cancer Research UK charity shop for several years.

I write for both adults and children. My romance novels are published by Choc Lit /Ruby Fiction and have relatable heroines whose stories are layered with emotion, sprinkled with laughter and topped with irresistible male leads. My children's books are self-published and have irresistibly cute, generally furry characters young children can relate to.

This is your fourth novel. What do readers expect when they pick up a Carol Thomas book? 

My publisher advertised the release of A Summer of Second Chances by saying it was a fab new rom-com filled with my “magical ingredients: romance, friendship and four-legged friends.” That made me smile as I think it sums up my novels, and what readers can expect.  

What was the inspiration for A Summer of Second Chances? 

I volunteer in a charity shop and received a donation of a photo album. As I was checking the quality of it for resale, I spotted a single photograph that had been left inside. My mind began to weave plots and possibilities from that. What if that photograph held a secret? Who were the people? What was the occasion? What happened before and after that picture?  

Can you summarise your new novel in just a few sentences? 

A Summer of Second Chances is about Ava Flynn, who lives in the village of Dapplebury and feels life is slipping her by while she works in a charity shop to keep her mother's beloved wildlife rescue centre, All Critters Great and Small, going. But when Ava's first love, Henry Bramlington, returns to the village, it is not just the donation he makes to the shop that unlocks secrets and emotions related to Ava's past. 

How much planning do you do for each novel?

It depends on the novel, but as a general rule, I like to know my beginning, middle and end point (even though they might change while writing), I do character profiles and some initial research before starting. I then continue researching as I write as my questions become more focused.

Your children’s books are delightful. How do pets and four-legged friends feature in your novels for adults?

I can’t seem to help myself when it comes to including dogs in my novels; all have a Labrador in them and A Summer of Second Chances also has a springer spaniel. I think dogs add warmth to a book. They also give subtle clues about characters in they way they respond to them and vice versa. 

I’m full of admiration that you work as a teacher and have a young family at the same time as being an author. When and where do you write best? 

I like writing in cafes. I have a couple of favourite spots locally. Writing, like reading, is a form of escapism; though when you write you get to choose the journey and the destination so that adds to the fun. 

What is the best piece of advice you’ve been given as a writer? 

When writing romantic comedy you don’t have to shy away from the darker moments in life so long as they are balanced with lighter moments. Even in a romantic comedy, life can’t be jolly all of the time; if it were it wouldn’t feel real. 

What is the biggest compliment a reader could pay you?  

Leaving a positive review and/or recommending my books to a friend. I think those are lovely things to do. Reviews are so important to authors and help get them and their work noticed. They also keep them going when the writing is tough and the words aren’t behaving.

Thank you for having me on your lovely blog, Jan.

It's been a pleasure to find out more about you, Carol. Good luck with your new novel. I hope it flies!

BLURB FOR A Summer of Second Chances.

Does first love deserve a second chance?

Ava Flynn sometimes feels like the clothes donated to her charity shop have seen more life than her, but 'maximum dedication for a minimal wage' is what keeps her mother's beloved wildlife charity, All Critters Great and Small, running -especially in the village of Dapplebury, where business is certainly not booming.

But when Ava's first love, Henry Bramlington, returns to the village, suddenly life becomes a little too eventful. Henry escaped Dappleburymany years before, but now he has the power to make or break the village he left behind - All Critters Great and Small included. Can Ava trust the boy who ran away to give bother her and her charity a second chance? 

Links to A Summer of Second Chances:

 Amazon| Kobo | iBooks | GooglePlay | Nook |

Other books can be found via: http://carol-thomas.co.uk/books

Blog and website: http://carol-thomas.co.uk/blog

FB Author page: http://facebook.com/carolthomasauthor

Twitter: http://twitter.com/carol_thomas2

Thank you for reading. I hope you enjoyed finding out more about Carol and her lovely books. As a writer, do you include four-legged friends in your novels? As readers, what do animals bring to your enjoyment of a story? I'd love it if you left a comment for Carol and me. Thank you.

You may also follow me on Twitter @JanBaynham and on my Jan Baynham Writer Facebook page.