Where do you hail from and what do you love most about your hometown?I’m from Adelaide in Australia. It’s smaller than the big city of Sydney, where I lived for three years – most people from overseas seem to know Sydney more! I love Adelaide’s hot, dry weather in summer, its friendliness and how easy it is to get around.
As a child, what did you want to be when you grew up? A novelist! Sad, but true. I never wanted to be a ballerina or firefighter. I wanted to be the next Enid Blyton or Judy Blume or whomever I read next!
Tell us about your latest book. Protagonist Stella lands a great job as a mommy blogger. The catch is she’s never had children. Plunged into a world of insanity every mother faces, she must learn to cope as her lies build upon one another. A sexy ex comes into the picture, forcing her to choose between him or the job and a handsome ‘keeper’ of a co-worker. It can’t last forever!
Do you have anything new in the works and can you tell us a bit about it?Yes, I’ve also just released an eBook called Cityglitter, out through Penguin’s digital-first imprint, Destiny Romance. It’s about a gorgeous fairy living a glam life in the big city, who does the one thing she promised herself she’d never do: fall in love with a human.
Is there anything you find particularly challenging about writing?Editing can be a drag! I love coming up with ideas. It’s just the writing and editing part that’s tough haha.
What advice would you give to writers just starting out?Keep honing your writing, read voraciously, watch the market – and send your work out! Even if you get a rejection, you might get valuable advice on where your work needs to be tweaked. Keep lapping up the advice like a sponge – when the time’s right, it will happen.
Do you ever suffer from writer’s block? If so, what do you do about it?Yes, but I just try to write through it. Like everyone, I have my good days and bad days. I work from home, so procrastination happens – like today! Not good. Then I get the guilts that I haven’t done enough…
Who is your favorite author and why? Sophie Kinsella, behind the Shopaholic Series. I’m always one of the first in line to get her latest books. I just find her writing so funny, escapist and positive – plus, there’s always a dreamy hero in the mix!
What books have most influenced your life?Looking for Alibrandiby Australian author Melina Marchetta was a big one. It’s about a young Italian-Australian girl, trying to find her way as a teen, living within two cultures. I could totally relate being Italian-Australian myself!
How did you deal with rejection letters?It always hurts, like any kind of rejection. I usually just tell someone I know to “share” the pain, then put the email away in my rejections folder (away from my vision) and, the next morning or hour, I’m usually over it. I’m good like that!
What tools do you feel are must-haves for writers?A good computer and internet connection, of course!You don’t want a computer you feel like chucking out the window when you’re in the midst of a great scene. Oh, and a library card, plus a mini notepad for carrying around whenever ideas or plot changes strike!
Where do you as an author draw the line on gory descriptions and/or erotic content?I do worry about my rellies reading stuff, so I try to make love scenes a little more poetic and beautiful (well, I’m working on it), so I won’t be embarrassed later. Violence is not really my thing. I used to get scared watching Murder She Wrote as a kid – enough said!
What’s the weirdest thing you’ve ever done in the name of research?Going to a sex shop for a fashion article on fetish footwearas a cub reporter? Okay, not that risqué… Perhaps I should have mentioned seeing mulesing in action as a country newspaper journo (‘mulesing’ being removing strips of wool-bearing skin from around the buttocks of a sheep to prevent flystrike!) Any novel research has been quite tame in comparison.
Don’t forget to give us links to your website etc.www.carlacaruso.com.au, (Mommy Blogger) http://www.eternalpress.biz/book.php?isbn=9781615727223, (Cityglitter) http://www.destinyromance.com/products/9781742536552/cityglitter
Big thank you for your time!
