Guest Post: One novelist + one disastrous love life = Book material? by Carrie Stone

This morning I'm delighted to hand the reins of the blog over to author Carrie Stone who has written an entertaining guest post on how her dating history has influenced her writing.   

I think a lot of us have been there time and again. The guy that started out most definitely as ‘The One’ and less than a week later he’s been banished to the Top 10 Asshole list – sound familiar? 

I’ve had so many of those that I’ve actually lost count. 

Really, there’s only so many times you can convince yourself that Mr Right is just around the corner. And usually he is…. Until you find out about his addictions, manipulative personality, or even his wandering eye. Yes ladies, I’ve experienced all of these. So trust me on this when I say I’ve met my fair share of Mr Wrongs.

I won’t put all of the blame on the guys I’ve been chatted up by. I’m certainly not perfect and I absolutely will not put up with anything less than what I feel I deserve (ie. The very best, of course!) My one-strike-and-they’re-out approach, probably doesn’t help matters either…

So you’re likely to be wondering whether as a writer does my love life at times filter through and influence aspects of my male characters? The answer – hell yes!

If I hadn’t had the luxury/misfortune (take your pick) of being chatted up by guys from as many different cultures and backgrounds as you can possibly imagine, then I wouldn’t have had half of the experiences and knowledge that I do have.

My interactions with many (too many) jerks has brought me to a place of knowing exactly what I would like from a Mr Right. And that is the very same Mr Right that I always tend to fall back upon in my novels – albeit in various different forms. 

Therefore I can hand on heart say that yes my love life both consciously and sub consciously has provided indefinite material for my novels. It may always be wrapped up in (hopefully) unrecognisable packages but the familiar situations are always there. I’m also pretty certain that a few other authors would have to agree.

So, all I can say is thank you - to the countless male interactions that provided me with fun, smiles and happiness as well as those who provided the pain, humiliation and frustration. You have all supplied me with endless writing content.

And an even bigger thanks – this time to the heavens - that I write the type of women’s fiction that a lot of men aren’t interested in reading. 

Otherwise I’m pretty sure that at some point there will be quite a few disgruntled messages flying my way from the ones that thought they were God’s gift to me!  I suppose in hindsight they were – but just not in the way they expected ;) 

Amazon links: Kindle or Paperback

Kate loves Alf. And Alf loves Kate… Doesn’t he? 

Kate can’t wait for her long-term boyfriend Alf to propose. So he might be a bit of a control freak who’s obsessed with his career … and he also seems to have conveniently forgotten their two-year plan to get married, buy a bigger house and have children. But Kate’s sure that ring will be on her finger soon. 

When her thirty-second birthday ends in humiliating, proposal-less disaster, even Kate is left wondering if Alf really is The One. Then Alf’s friend, Marcus, needs a place to stay. With his dark eyes, easygoing manner and kind concern for Kate, Marcus is everything Alf is not – and it’s not long before Kate begins to wonder if there’s more to life than diamonds.