Author Interview - Vicki Grant

Yesterday I reviewed the fun (and cute) Betsy Wickwire's Dirty Secret. Take a second to read it if you haven't already.

Today I have the author, Vicki Grant, for an interview. I had the opportunity to ask her a few questions and it turned into a really fun interview...I especially love the insight into her daughters influencing the look of the guys in the novels.

You can learn more about Vicki and her novels at her website.



1. Describe Betsy Wickwire’s Dirty Secret in 3 words.

Funny. Sad. Hopeful.

2. What sort of research did you do for this book?

Not much frankly. I live in Halifax and set the story here so that wasn't hard. I've done my fair share of housecleaning so didn't need to research that much either. The little bit of research I should have done, I didn't. I gave Dolores a crush on the goalie of Nick's rugby team. It wasn't until my daughter - a rugby player herself - read it that I realized the game doesn't have goalies.(I clearly should spend less time talking with the other mothers on the sidelines and more time actually watching the games).

3. Betsy Wickwire experiences the heartbreak of having a significant other break up with you. What is your recipe for curing heartache?

Time. Food. Coming up with nasty names for the creep who broke your heart. More time. Someone new.

4. Your book is a fantastic beach read. What is your favourite beach read?

I'm about to start writing a YA mystery set in Halifax during the second world war. (it was the most important port in North America at the time and doubled in population with the arrival of tens of thousands of young - and handsome, older women tell me - service men) because of that, I've been reading books set in WWII. we happened to have Ken Follett's books, The Eye of the Needle and Jackdaws, at the cottage. The're both ripping wartime yarns. Perfect beach reads.

5. Who gets to read your writing first?

Usually my daughters. They'll read over my shoulder as I'm writing but also sit down wtih the early drafts of the manuscript. You can often see their influence in the description of the guys in my book. I can pretty much figure out who they have a crush on by how they want me to tweak my characters. "He should be taller with green eyes..." "His hair is darker than that..." It might be easier if they just pointed him out in the yearbook and let me take it from there.

Betsy Wickwire's Dirty Secret by Vicki Grant

Betsy Wickwire's Dirty Secret by Vicki Grant
Release Date – August, 2011
Publisher – HarperCollins
Publisher Social Media - Twitter
Pages - 288
My Rating- 8/10
Obtained - from HarperCollins for an honest review (thanks Shannon)

Here is the Goodreads synopsis

Betsy’s life is officially over: Dumped by her boyfriend, betrayed by her best friend . . . how is she ever going to show her face again?

Determined to avoid everyone and everything from her previous life, Betsy stumbles into an unusual café and an even more unusual girl. Dolores Morris—a mouthy, green-haired outsider Betsy can’t quite remember from school—talks her into starting a cleaning service. Before she knows it, Betsy is down on her knees, dressed like a dust bunny, scrubbing strangers’ toilets.

It’s a long way for the most popular girl in school to have fallen. But Betsy finds comfort in the wine bottles and prescriptions and other dirty secrets she finds hidden in her clients’ homes. She also finds love with a client’s son, friendship with Dolores and a liberated sense of herself. Her new life soon falls apart, though, when valuables begin to go missing from some of the homes she and Dolores have been cleaning. Betsy discovers the hard way that not all dirty secrets can just be swept under the rug.

I had read a whole bunch of more serious, intense reads and was looking for something lighter. This arrived in my mailbox and I was eager to dive right in because it sounded like exactly what I needed. I got a funny, charming read that was an instant pick me up. I also wanted to add more books set in Canada to my list and was thrilled to see that this took place in Halifax.

Betsy Wickwire is a character that I really enjoyed. I felt for her when she discovers the betrayal of her boyfriend and best friend. I felt I could really relate to her as I have been in a similar position. I loved the character growth she had throughout the novel. She provided a lot of the funniest moments. Her reactions to cleaning were hilarious, and her first meeting with Murdoch made me laugh out loud.

Dolores was another character I really liked. She was quirky and I loved her different outfits. She was exactly the type of friend Betsy needed when she met her.

Murdoch was another example of a character being exactly what Betsy needed at the time. He’s sweet, geeky in the most adorable way, and the romance is cute without being over sappy.

I liked the light tone of the book, even when dealing with more serious issues. It was a great balance between the comedic part and the series parts. Vicki really makes you feel for these characters and understand their motivations. Often in “female literature” the characters are one dimensional and more a means to the story than important to it. Vicki makes each character unique and interesting.

Betsy Wickwire is a fun, cute summer read that would go perfectly with a day at the beach and a nice Piña colada. Don’t be surprised if you are smiling after you’ve read it!

In My Mailbox

This is a weekly meme hosted by the awesome Kristi at The Story Siren. It gives us a chance to showcase the books we got during the week.

I had a pretty crazy mailbox week....







I purchsed:

Juliet Immortal by Stacey Jay (goodreads)

It FINALLY came in this week. Stacey Jay was offering to send a signed book sticker if you preordered it and that also came this week (along with a Juliet Immortal magnet).

I won:

Die For Me by Amy Plum (goodreads)

Amy was having a contest on her Twitter for a signed copy and I won. I was so happy to get a signed copy. I have an extra copy now so I will be having a contest for that soon.

For review:

Betsy Wickwire's Dirty Secret by Vicki Grant (goodreads)

I also like the actual cover MUCH better :)



Thank you HarperCollins (and Shannon). This was a really cute book. Look for the review next week.

The Pledge by Kimberly Derting (goodreads)



The S&S GalleyGrab had this in it, and it was the only one I decided to take. Thanks to Simon and Schuster for the chance to read it.

What books did you get this week? Leave me a comment and I will check it out.

Happy reading everyone!