We’re so happy to welcome Carol Schoenig and her book, The Caretaker, to Nomad Authors!
NA: How did you come up with the idea for your book?
CS: I came up with the idea for The Caretaker in talking to my friends and neighbor. I used to belong to a sewing group. One of my friends was telling us about how her sister and brother-in-law put their belongings in storage and rented out their home. They did this because they wanted to travel in Europe for 9 months. They found a job as a House Sitter in France. It just popped into my head that could make a great story, but I wanted a romance story.
My neighbors were celebrating an anniversary. I asked how did they meet. Well, they were high school sweetheart, but her parents didn’t approve of him. Vince was drafted to serve in WWII. Life moved forward for both of them. Vince’s wife passed away, and he had grown children and lived in Boston. Mary had divorced with grown children living in Cranberry Township North of Pittsburgh PA. Vince came into Pittsburgh for a 50 HS reunion. Vince stopped in at our church asked if Mary was around. Sure enough she was only a few feet away. They started dating and got married when they were 72 years of age.
They’ve been married for 15 years. Mary died a few months ago. Vince is in a nursing home.
NA: What sort of research did you do to write this book?
CS: I’ve always wanted to go to Mallorca Spain so most of my research was finding restaurants and interesting sites in Mallorca, building supplies stores in Rome that are similar to those in the US. Home Depot.
NA: What is the main thing you want readers to take away from your book?
CS: Love isn’t just for the young. There are so many people over 50 plus looking for companionship or love. In fact, three friends that read my book ended up in relationships.
J got married, she’s 70.
NS is 73 and dating a friend from high school, and I asked if marriage was in the horizon and she said possibly. Nancy shared with me a story about her friend I’m saving for another book.
CP is a friend of mine from high school and she is 70 and in a relationship. Neither he nor she is interested in marriage. Carol’s reasons are fodder to be used later.
NA: Do you have a day job? What was your job before you started writing full time?
CS: I currently work part-time in a retail store. I had a twenty-five-year career in Human Resources in various industries, engineering, health care, advertising and biotechnology.
NA: What started you on the path to writing?
CS: It has been a long time coming to be a writer. I think I was first inspired to write after reading the poem I think I’ll never see a poem as lovely as a tree That poem gave me an emotional jolt. I wanted to write something as beautiful as that poem. I want to inspire people and make them feel and see things from another prospective.
NA: What do your friends and family think about your being a writer?
CS: They’re excited, supportive and proud of me. They think it’s awesome. My high school friends want me to write a book about our friendship.
NA: Do you outline books ahead of time or are you more of a by-the-seat-of-your-pants writer?
CS: Definitely by-the-seat-of-my pants and that is not good. If I outline, I feel like someone has put me in a room and locked me up. I see the need and reason for outlining, but I have a hard time. I feel confined.
What has been one of your most rewarding experiences as an author?
NA: Which kind of scenes are the hardest for you to write? Action, dialogue, sex?
CS: Definitely sex scenes. I bought a book naughty words for good girls. One thing I’ve found though is when watching a movie and the characters will kiss, I zone in on the steps they look in the other person’s eyes, move closer, closer until their lips meet. I have a friend that writes erotic books, and she tells me she watches porn.
NA: What do you like to do when you’re not writing?
CS: I think of myself as a jack of all trades master of none. I have many hobbies and likes. I’ll sew, clothing, quilts, purses. I like to make cards, sing in the choir, I like to travel, but don’t do enough of it. Spend time with my grandchildren, Bake I used to make wedding cakes. I recently did a cupcake bouquet.
NA: What are your top three favorite books of all time?
CS: The Last Forever by Nora Roberts. The inn that is being renovated in the book is a real place in Boonsboro, MD and is owned by NR.
Her Summer with a Marine by Susan Meier. I love all of Susan’s books. She has written over 50 and I think I have 35 of them. I like this one because the occupation was different.
And most recently I enjoyed Her Lover’s Face by Patricia Elliott. I thought how they met was very unique.
NA: A pet peeve.
CS: Not sure what you mean here, in writing? Pet peeve is big books. I like to read something that can be done in a day or two, not a month. I prefer dialogue and not all the narrative. That’s probably why I have difficulty writing narrative.
NA: First thought when the alarm goes off in the in the morning?
CS: I hate waking up to alarms. I rarely use one and if I have to use one, I’m up before it goes off. I’ve been able to visualize or train myself to do this. I went on a retreat with a friend and she wanted to set an alarm for 6 a.m. I told all I need to do is tell myself to get up at 6 a.m. and I’ll be up. Sure enough I was up at 6 a.m. The same when I worked, I‘d visualize the parking spot I wanted and it would be available to me.
I’d love to do that with my writing. Although, I made a book jacket with the title and my name on the binding. Went to Barnes and Nobles and placed it in the spot where it would go on the shelve and took a picture. That was my motivation to keep writing. I got the book written. It’s not on the shelves of B&N. It will be one of these days.
NA: What errand/chore do you despise the most?
CS: Grocery shopping. I’ve passed it off to my husband. When I was diagnosed with Celiac disease ten years ago, I began to hate grocery shopping. It was torture. Everything I picked up had wheat in it. I’m not a big veggie or fruit eater so it was like there is nothing for me to eat. Over the years it’s gotten better and there are more options for Celiac disease. I don’t enjoy eating out a lot for the same reason.
NA: What famous person would you like to have dinner with?
CS: Tom Hanks or Michael Keaton. I love their sense of humor. I spoke to Michael Keaton on the phone once, but I didn’t know it was him. I worked with his sister and brother and he called in to talk to them. I passed the call through. When Doug (Michael’s brother) got off the phone he came over and told me it was Michael Keaton. He is originally from the same area where I grew up.
NA: What are you working on now?
CS: I’m finished a short story for the Mystic Desire Anthology and hope to complete my second novel A Make-Believe Engagement. It’s about a woman who lost a leg after celebrating her engagement. Shortly afterward, her fiancé dumpS her, and she loes her yoga studio. Five years later she finds herself playing the role of a fiancé to keep her sister out of jail.
I was inspired to write this for several reasons. Amy Mullins gave a TED Talk about her twelve pairs of legs. Amy lost her legs at the age of two.
I hear the struggles women have meeting guys etc. It made me think about how hard it must be if you have a disability or disfigurement.
Not every missing limbed person has a great story to tell like Amy Mullins etc. I wanted to reach out to those people and let them know not to give up.
Another book I’ve started developing my characters is a story about sexual harassment at work. I was sexually harassed at work, before there were laws to protect women. When the MeTo movement began and every time something appeared in the news about someone being harassed etc. it brought those memories back. But what I have a hard time understanding is waiting decades to come forward or wanting to sue for money or make myself known. I need to research some of this and understand more. I can only write from my experience. I just want to forget it and move on.
Also, my high school friends keep asking me to write a book about us. There are 10 of us that get together once a month for dinner. We’ve gone to elementary school and high school together. We’ve been friends for over 50 years. Last year 6 of us went on a cruise to celebrate our 70th birthdays. I think it will have to be a series, Married, Divorced, Widowed.
NA: What adventurous things have you done in your life?
CS: Windsurfing (I did this when I was younger) 
Parasailing
Zorbing
Ziplining
White water rafting
No door helicopter ride
Swimming with dolphins
Segway in Bermuda
Hot-air balloon ride
The Caretaker blurb:
Phae Carson married young to a husband that was verbally and emotionally abusive. Having two kids by the time she was 20 kept her in the relationship.
For twenty-seven years he controlled her life, not giving her access to money and not allowing her to work outside the home. He nixed family vacations and outings of any kind. He expected the house clean, home cooked meals and no laundry in the hampers.
Finally, widowed, with her children grown, Phae is presented with a job opportunity as a caretaker for a villa in Mallorca Spain. She jumps at the chance to experience some of the adventures she’d dreamed about in her youth. However, she’ll have to take control of her life. Starting by going against the wishes of her grown children Kera and Jeff, who try to dissuade her from taking the job.
In Mallorca, she finds more than she expected when she meets Finn Callahan, the owner of the villa she’s hired to take care of.
Phae initially wants no part of falling in love because she doesn’t want to lose the autonomy she has gained. But she begins to wonder if it’s possible loving someone, being in a relationship, isn’t synonymous with losing one’s independence?
Buy The Caretaker on Amazon
Author info:
Carol Schoenig used to joke with co-workers that when she retired she was going to sit on a beach and write scintillating romance novels.
Married to the same man for 50 years. She spends time with her two grown sons and five grandchildren. She reads, sews and sings in the choir.
She believes you’re never too old to pursue your dreams.