Author Q&A with Jane Carroll!

Hello All! 

I am extremely pleased to post a Q&A with the very talented Jane Carroll author of Bertha Size Your Life! To those of you who haven't had a chance to read it, I highly recommend that you do!
I will also be posting a short review later on today or early tomorrow morning as well.  
I would also like to take the time to thank Jane for taking the time to be a part of this interview and thank her for letting me pick her brain, so here it is!

Q: Bertha is quite a character, did anyone inspire you to write her, and how on earth did you come up with some of the funny scenarios she does (like dressing up like a clown, or telling off that gossip in the beauty parlor)? 

A:Originally, I wanted to write a book of self-discovery for women who were experiencing empty-nest syndrome. I started it, but it was pretty boring. In fact, I didn’t even like it. Then one day my life coach left me a message that her daughter had moved out and asked what she should do. She wasn’t at home when I returned her call so I shot her a flippant email, telling her to name her nest. I named mine Bertha and made up a little story about the benefits of doing that.
The next thing I knew…I was upset about something and I casually thought I should just let Bertha take care of it. And that’s exactly what I did. I wrote a story letting Bertha take charge of things. Later, when I reread the story I realized that it had some really great advice in it, but it was a little too revealing for my comfort level. So, I just changed the details of the situation until only I really knew what it was all about and the beauty parlor scene you mentioned was born.
And that, as that say, was that. One exercise at a time, Bertha took over the entire book I was writing and the energy changed. I guess you could say that Bertha replaced lectures with laughter. I took the wonderful self-help principles I’d learned over the years and turned them into outlandish antics and added in some nostalgia to make it more fun.

Q: I know this may sound a little random, but I've got to ask, will singing to a begonia really help it? 

A: I love this question. While I wish I could say that it did, I can only say that I have never had any luck growing begonias and the one that inspired the story didn’t fare any better than her predecessors. Of course…it could have been the choice of Bertha’s song!

Q: Do you feel like you relate more closely to the narrator or Bertha?

A:Honestly, I think most people would tell you that I closely resemble Bertha. I generally have a very upbeat attitude and have been known to be a little goofy. Of course, I don’t have her wardrobe and wouldn’t dare wear the heels she loves so you can definitely tell us apart.
But although I resemble Bertha, I identify with the narrator more. I believe the reason is that Bertha represents all the lessons I’ve learned in my life from a variety of sources. I’m still learning every day so I’m still that person.
A side note. Some people ask why the narrator doesn’t have a name. Honestly, I suppose it started because I was writing in my journal and in first person. But as the stories started to become a book I thought it was important to keep the details as blurred as possible so that any woman could identify with the narrator. It was my hope that the reader would feel as though she was actually in the room with Bertha. That’s also why the cat isn’t named. Almost everyone has known ‘a cat’ at some point and it was nice to let them identify with that cat rather than mine.

Q: I love how positive and uplifting this book was to read, and I loved how it really has no age limit. What do you hope is the biggest thing that people take away from your book?

A:I want people to come away knowing that they can be anything and everything that they want to be. There are no limits except those we impose on ourselves. And the more fun we have along the way - the easier it is to get there. That’s where Bertha comes in; she’s straight up fun!
One of my wildest dreams was to become a bestselling author. I have now a reached that status on not one but two continents. You can be anything you want to be; I’m living proof.

Q: Are you currently reading anything now? Who is your favorite author or genre?

A:Currently, I’m between reads. I’ve been so busy this summer that I’ve gotten behind. I will be remedying that shortly.
I enjoy reading non-fiction, self-help, motivational type books. Og Mandino was my all-time favorite author. I loved his ability to masterfully craft a story around the principles he was teaching. In many ways he is the inspiration for my writing style.
In fiction, I enjoy something that is mostly light. Sarah Addison Allen is one of my favorite authors. I love her mix of a hint of magic, intrigue, romance and delicious descriptions.

Q: I noticed it is part of "The Bertha Series", are you already working on the next book? Any idea on when the next book will be available (I know there are probably quite a few of us looking forward to another Bertha book!) 

A:Thank you. There is a Bertha sequel in the works. I had hoped to be finished by now, but Bertha is still teaching me some of the lessons that are in the book. I will say that there will be a twist or two in this one. Hopefully, it will be out in this winter.

Q: I think a lot of us are going to start looking through life in "Bertha-vision", I know I am, did writing this book change the way you see things in life?

A:First, I love the phrase “Bertha-vision” and you know that I am stealing it! Secondly, absolutely! Bertha has changed everything about my life. It’s like I can’t get away with anything anymore - she’s always there pointing out a more positive way of looking at things. I even read through the book from time to time when I need a bit of inspiration.

Q: Any shout-outs to anyone?

A:Cynthia Dendy is not only my illustrator but, my sister. I love that she was able to take my stories and give Bertha a face, although I do believe that Bertha favors her!
I would also like to thank Debra Shiveley Welch and Saga Books for republishing Bertha. They have been awesome to work with.
And last but by no means least, is Kim Mutch Emerson of MasterKoda.com. Winning her marketing package, “The Extreme Author Makeover” at the beginning of the year totally shifted my writing career into high gear. Kim has been a continued source of encouragement and support and I can’t thank her enough.
And…last…last…a huge thank you to all of the women and men who have honored me by reading Bertha. I appreciate you more than you will ever know!!

Thanks again for stopping by the blog Jane! 

Here is a link to the Kindle edition of her book if you haven't read it yet (so read it!!!):

http://www.amazon.com/Bertha-Size-Your-Series-ebook/dp/B008873ZRM/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1345734585&sr=8-2&keywords=bertha+size+your+life

HAPPY READING!!!