Friday 4 July 2014

The Pink Sofa welcomes Jo Carroll



There are some people who are so amazing that I stand back in awe and wonder! Jo is one of those people. We met on Twitter (where else). Jo has brought up 4 children on her own, and now, free of domestic duties (tho' a devoted grandma) she is a traveller. Jo goes to wonderful places in the world, and then shares her adventures on her blog and in her books. The header pic tells you all you need to know about her! The Pink Sofa is in awe, and is contemplating abandoning its latest oeuvre: More Upholstery for Beginners in favour of a travel book. I have told it that Travels Round The Writing Attic may not have the same appeal as Jo's marvellous books. It remains unconvinced.

In honour of Jo's visit, there is rum and coffee and Cuban Shortbread Cookies on the coffee table.So, lovely lady, the sofa is yours:

Goodness, a seat on the Pink Sofa – I’m honoured. (If I’m very good, do you think she’ll give me cake?) Many thanks to Carol for letting me creep in and tell you about my travels. 

For those of you I’ve not met before, I need to tell you that these aren’t any old travels. After thirty years in Child Protection I threw all thoughts of work in the air, bought a rucksack, sold my car, found a tenant for my house, abandoned my children and went off for a year. What I didn’t know, when I bought my round-the-world ticket, is that not many middle-aged women do that.

So when I came home I wrote a book about it. Well, there were far too many stories to tell and far too few people listening to them.

Then I went off again. I no longer try to understand what this wanderlust is about. I simply recognize days when I dream of hot streets and dust, of the screech if cicadas or the smell of incense, of the roar of tigers or sips of tiger beer – and know it’s time to get the passport out again.

And why would I stop writing? Most winter trips have been followed by a little ebook. So episodes like my drive down the Siddhartha Highway after a cyclone could become a funny story (even though it was truly terrifying at the time). I could share my efforts to understand the horrors of years of bombing in Laos.

Last winter I went to Cuba. I’ve written about this trip with some trepidation. I was given so much advice before I left: it seemed that Cuba provoked strong opinions and anyone who has been there needed to share theirs. But my Cuba is not their Cuba. I don’t pretend to draw conclusions from such a complicated country. But I have found the story of my trip, in all its wonderfulness and contradictions, the teased it into another ebook entitled VULTURES OVERHEAD.

It has a cover: 

And a blurb:

It’s time for JO CARROLL to pack her rucksack again, and this time she’s heading west, to Cuba.Everyone, it seems, has been to Cuba, or wants to go to Cuba, or knows about it. Cuba, they insist, is on the brink of change. A market economy will finally see off the old cars and rationing. They’ve been saying that for decades. But what face does Cuba present to a tourist in 2014?
She finds salsa, of course, and cigars, and wonderful coffee. But what surprises wait for her when the music stops?

There are pictures on my website here.

This time I’ll not stop there. I know many people who have asked me to produce print books. I’ve resisted that so far, as the ebooks are small and readers could rightly be miffed about being asked to pay a book-price for something so small.


But I now have three ebooks from my last trips. Put together, they are print-book length. So give me a week or several, and you can read about my travels in a ‘real book’. 

Jo can also be found on Twitter @jomcarrroll

Thanks Jo. You are and hopefully will continue to be an inspiration. Right....while Jo has a coffee and a Cookie, it's over to you......

22 comments:

  1. Jo, your life is so interesting.Can't wait for your next adventure. Please resist the Pink Sofa's pleadings. I need it here to host future guests. Besides, it tends to get seasick.

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  2. Thanks for making me so welcome, Carol. Think I'll hang around for more cake if I may. But not for too long as I need to start looking at flights for my next trip!

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  3. Wow Jo!...I am aghast, agog and absolutely in awe of your accomplishments! It takes more than balls to set up and sod off unto the potentially dangerous world of travel. I once ventured to Southport on a tandem...I still have nose bleeds at the thought of my daring adventure...so well done that woman!!...
    I'm sure many people, especially those who are less able to travel, will glean great delight in accompanying you on your exploits via the pages of your books...I for one look forward to that journey...Great stuff Jo...

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    1. Lynn - once you have the idea, sitting at home and thinking about it is worse. Once I'd weighed up the thought of me-at-eighty, wishing I'd done it, and the moment of stepping off with a rucksack - then there was no contest!!

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  4. As one of the said 'abandoned children' I think I can speak for us all when I say how proud we are of you Mum.

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    1. So you should be! She is a LEGEND! and from what I gather, you lot haven't turned out that bad!!!

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    2. Tessa, thank you. I do my best on the mum-front (when I'm here!!)

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    3. And Carol - you should know that my daughters are wonderful - feisty, opinionated, independent women. And two of them are great mums (which is not to say that two aren't, they are just busy doing other stuff).

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  5. Jo is an inspiration to all of us. I am also one of her biggest fans (next to the Pink Sofa) and I've revelled in her books as she's been to places I only dream of going and she does the travelling I want to do! I have the latest tucked safely into my Kindle for the moment when I can read screens again easily, but I would LOVE to have the print book (sorry, Jo, I know you know that I know your ideas about this) and I'm very much looking forward to a compendium of her adventures :)

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    1. The print book is coming, honest!!!!

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  6. Just reading this interview gives me itchy feet, Jo, and sets my imagination on fire.
    I shall save the proceeds of my novel (when it gets published, if anyone ever buys it) and follow in your footsteps. My goal is Australia, via Iceland, Alaska and Hawaii!
    Lovely interview, Carol.

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    1. Go, Teagan, go - find a way! You'll regret it if you don't.

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    2. Thank you so much for your encouragement, Jo, it's genuinely appreciated - and I'm writing faster!

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  7. I like the title you finally settled on for your Cuba story Jo. All the brain wracking paid off.

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    1. It was Mark - who does my covers - who found the title. Well, he found the picture first, and then the title. Glad you like it!!

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  8. Severe envy. It's impossible for me even to go to the Scottish Highlands right now, and I just wish I'd made the most of my younger days when it WAS all possible - but never mind, reading about other people doing it is fab! My most desired places are, oddly, the same as Teagan's, above. Add in Minnesota, Maine, New Zealand and the Shetlands (yes, I like the little populated, and cold!)

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    1. Try Iceland, Terry - it's astonishing. (And cold!!).

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  9. I hardly dare say anything, as it's mostly been said above, so I'll squeak out my admiration Jo! Any woman so bold and daring has my attention and awe. I've been to a number of holiday destinations but nothing like yours. Have fun, keep adventurous, and tell us all the wonders of it all so that in our armchairs we can dream along with you! And Thanks!!!

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    1. I can do dreaming too, Catherine! And sometimes I dream of fire sides when I'm stuck up a mountain!

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  10. I can't understand why a publisher has not snapped your books up by now and I do think they would make a great paperback for holiday reading. You amaze me too Jo and I only wish I had half you courage and guts.

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  11. It is no secret that I am totally in awe of Jo Carroll. She is not only an amazing traveller and fascinating story teller, she's a good Twitter friend too. I think it's a great idea to put your ebooks together into one print book. I know we live in a work of ebooks and Internet but there are still many, many people who would love to read about your travels but would prefer a book in their hand. Good luck with it.

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  12. Great inspirational post Jo and one that makes me start reaching for my passport. I've never travelled outside Europe, never wanting to spend most of my one week off just getting to and from somewhere but I certainly have plans to do so in the future. Your stories sound like they would make a perfect print book.

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