Our guest blogger for today is Carole Brungar of Levin, New Zealand.

Thanks Ada for inviting me to chat on your blog. It’s lovely to be here.

In November 2014, after more than eight years in the making, I self published my very first novel, A tide too high. As well as writing and teaching fabric art classes, I work four days a week in local body government. Each day during my lunch break I disappear to a quiet spot and write. My work colleagues have been very supportive of my writing and many even purchased a copy. In fact my manager bought a copy and everyone signed the inside covers and then it was presented to me at a special morning tea. It was a lovely gesture and I would have been happy for it to end there. However, it was not to be and word spread around work that I had written a book. Suddenly staff members were approaching me asking who my hero was based on, did they know them? Where did I get my female character from and in one case I was told a male staff member was telling others that I had modelled my high-flying, handsome hero on him!

Then, one day several weeks later, just when I thought things had settled down and no one had mentioned my writing, I attended a meeting that included a general manager and several other managers. The meeting was pretty much run-of-the-mill until at a break in the meeting the general manager asked, in front of everyone gathered, were any staff members going to be included in my next book? He said there was lots of inspiration in the male members of staff on the floor above mine and I should go talk to some of them! There was lots of laughter and names thrown around as I reaffirmed that none of my characters were inspired by anyone at work, nor were they ever likely to be.

I couldn’t believe just how many people thought I had either written them into my story or given characters in my stories traits specific to them.

My goal for 2016 is to finish the novel I’m working on. I’ve hit the half way mark at 70 thousand words and can see the light at the end of the tunnel now. I am hugely motivated by A tide too high being judged a finalist in three different competitions and some encouraging requests from editors to read my new novel. But I’ve decided to keep quiet about this book unless someone asks about it I won’t be mentioning it.

Now I have a new manager. As I walked him around the building and introduced him to staff, he was interested to hear that I’d published a novel. Later that afternoon I overheard him tell the young man who sits next to me – “you know she’s basing her hero in her new book on you, don’t you?”

You can find a copy of A tide too high at: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00P5ZSESA/ref=tsm_1_fb_lk
You can visit me at: https://www.facebook.com/CABrungarAuthor

About A Tide Too High:

Mac Morgan is the driving force behind one of New Zealand’s biggest exports, rock band Polar Blaze. With thousands of fans and packed concerts around the world she has spent her life living in her sister’s shadow. But when Mac collapses on stage in front of a packed stadium she has no choice but to give up the unhealthy lifestyle and make some serious life changes. She disappears from media scrutiny and spends time at a private beach in the far north of New Zealand, a large coastal property owned by the Stanford family.

London based Alec Stanford wants what his twin brother has, a home, a wife and children. But just because he’s one of the world’s most successful and respected businessmen doesn’t mean he’s good at personal relationships. After his beautiful socialite wife files divorce papers, he thinks maybe he’s just not marriage material. But he’s not prepared for the chance meeting with a burnt out rock star who’s hiding out from the media. A chance meeting that shifts the axis of two separate worlds with devastating results.

Who will Alec choose and who will he lose? A tide too high is a story about relationships, misplaced loyalty and being strong enough to believe in yourself.
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