Carol Marinelli

Carol Marinelli grew up in London, but after training to be a nurse, went on holiday to Melbourne and never left. She has lived in Australia for ten years and has travelled extensively around the country. She has embraced Australian life to the full and now lives with her family in Melbourne. Carol is a Nurse by day and an author by night, when she’s not working or writing, Carol loves to travel, with her favourite destination being New York. She hates airports and goodbyes, and is happiest at her computer lost in her imagination and making up stories.

1. Your new book “Putting Alice Back Together” tells the story of Alice, a fun loving, carefree girl who is the life and soul of the party but behind closed doors, she harbours a secret. A secret that could potentially pull her life apart if it’s ever revealed. What inspired you to write this type of story?
   The story just grew. I never sit down and think “I’m going to write about that” – I don’t plot (I wish I did) normally I just get a glimpse of someone, or something and I try to grow it from there. Alice started out light and happy and became darker and darker, ever if I tried to pull her back at times.
2. To the readers of the website, that may not be familiar with you or your writing, can you tell us a bit about yourself and how you got into writing.
   I have always loved writing – from about the age of ten. I didn’t take it seriously for a very long time. While raising a young family and nursing I used to hand write on my breaks, when I was on bedrest while pregnant etc, really, whenever I got a chance. I was lucky enough to be accepted by “Mills and Boon” and have written many shorter novels with them. Except, even thought busy, I still kept writing and trying different things. Writing is my job as well as my hobby, so I am always trying something new.
3. I always thought the opening line to “The Lovely Bones” was quite memorable, are there opening lines to books that stuck out to you?
   My favourite opening is in Bryce Courtenay’s “April Fools Day”. Straight away you know what happens and straight away you know there is so much more.
4. What authors do you admire?
   I admire all authors. I think it is wonderful to have written something from start to middle to end. I have many favourites – these are some that I hang out for – Bryce Courtenay, Jackie Collins, Anne Gracie, Jilly Cooper, Marian Keyes, Yasmin Boland, Fiona McArthur Sophie Kinsella.
5. And finally Carol, do you have any new projects or releases on the horizon which you would like to share with the readers of the website?
   I have just handed in the follow up to “Putting Alice Back Together”, so I am taking a little breather and catching up with life.

Read more about Carol Marinelli online