Rum Cocktails with Janice Horton

‘The Backpacking Housewife’ travelling in Thailand with her backpack on.

I hadn’t expected to see a grey sky when I arrived in St Lucia.  Warm air blasted into my face when I stepped outside of the plane. Why had I tugged my jacket out of my tightly packed rucksack?  A large taxi transported me through the luscious landscape of the Caribbean. Blue sky dissolved the grey and sunshine chased away clouds. My eyes feasted on palm trees, banana plantations and snatches of rainforest.  Finally, the taxi driver parked in an open-air reception of a hotel, and he laughed that I didn’t have any luggage.  Janice spotted me instantly. Relaxed and tanned in her colourful dress, it was clear she was enjoying life in paradise. The bar was located beside the pool area, and tables were shaded with umbrellas constructed from palm trees.   A rum cocktail soothed my senses then chased away my jet lag.  I settled into the chair and kicked off my trainers.

The Backpacking Housewife

Jessie:  This rum cocktail is delicious.  It was a long, noisy flight.  What a relief to be here.  Tell me more about your novel, Backpacking Housewife. What is it about?

Janice:  Lovely to meet you, Jessie.  Take it easy, finish your cocktail and soak up the atmosphere.  You did look frantic when you arrived.  The Backpacking Housewife is a work of fiction but it’s also a travel adventure loosely based on my own travel experiences. It’s a story about an ordinary woman, who on finding her husband of 25 years in bed with her best friend, grabs her passport and handbag and heads out of the door to the airport.

Jessie: Wow.  The book sounds great.  I love the idea of leaving with a handbag and passport.  I love to travel light.  I expect the book was well received by the reviewers.

Janice:  Here’s some reviews on Netgalley. I’m so happy with the response and have lots of great reviews.  It is difficult to choose.

Janice and her husband love to travel.

“Lori’s story had me gripped throughout and I couldn’t get enough of her travel tales.” Linda B. “I highly encourage you to read this novel, which is loosely based on Horton’s actual life travelling with her husband. I wish I could be more like her.” Heather L.“What a fun book to read! For anyone who likes to travel, or who even thinks about travel, this is the book that will inspire you to really do it.” Deah H.

Jessie:  You must be delighted with your reviews. Please tempt me with an extract.

Janice:  “With the top off the coconut, he quickly grabs a bottle of rum from a supply box and pours a good glug of it inside. ‘There you go. A rum cocktail for the lady!’”

On a Long Tail Boat in Thailand

Jessie:   A fun extract to accompany my cocktail. It must have been a joy to write the book.  How did you feel when you had finished writing your book, and did you miss any of the characters?

Janice: To be honest, I was euphoric to have finished because I’d been writing to such a tight deadline. I’d been travelling in Asia when I was asked by Charlotte Ledger, Editorial Director at Harper Impulse, to write The Backpacking Housewife. Once I’d signed the contract, I knew I’d have to stop travelling for a while and settle down somewhere to write the book. My husband and I immediately applied for a housesitting gig in South West France. The assignment was to care for a beautiful chateau in the wine region and a handsome cat called Monsieur Smudge. It was there that I worked on the manuscript and where I battled not to be distracted from the enormity of my task by the beautiful house and swimming pool and bounty of French wine and cheese! And in the end, I will admit that I had grown very fond indeed of brave Lori, the heroine of the story, and was rather smitten with Ethan, the gorgeous hero.

Jessie:  I am so envious of you housesitting a chateau. I imagine you had the opportunity to dream up other stories.  I don’t know how you managed to avoid distractions.  Tell me, who would you like to read your book and why?  This could be another author, someone famous, a friend or a member of your family. 

Janice: Actually, if I can bend the rules a little, I would sincerely like any woman who dreams of travelling the world to read my book. I’d hope to inspire her through this story and through my own travel adventures so one day her dreams can come true.

Jessie: Why should I keep your book in my handbag?

Janice: I believe there’s two good reasons to have a copy of The Backpacking Housewife in your handbag (or beach-bag). 1) To read when an escape from real life presents itself. 2) As part of a relaxing sun-lounger on the beach or next to the pool with a cocktail summer holiday experience.

Jessie: What is the last sentence written in your writer’s notebook?

Janice: Write up author interview for Jessie Cahalin and Books in my Handbag Blog’

Jessie: What is the biggest challenge for an author?

Janice: To write the kind of book that people want to read and publishers want to publish.

Jessie: What is the best advice that you have received as a writer?

Janice: Terry Pratchett famous said: ‘writing the first draft is just you telling yourself the story’. I try to keep this in mind while I’m writing the ever daunting first draft.

Writing desk in France – favourite writing place

About Janice

Janice Horton writes contemporary romantic fiction with a dash of humour and a sense of adventure. In 2014, as empty-nesters, Janice and her husband set off to explore the Caribbean. In 2015, they returned to the UK only to sell their material possessions in favour of travelling around the world.  Janice Horton is the person behind the travel and adventure website www.thebackpackinghousewife.com. Her current location is somewhere in the Caribbean. Janice’s exciting summer 2018 book release is from Harper Impulse ‘The Backpacking Housewife’. Look out for her bestselling romantic adventure novels ‘Bagpipes and Bullshot’ ‘Reaching for the Stars’ and ‘Castaway in the Caribbean’ – a #1 Kindle Bestseller shortlisted for the prestigious Love Story Awards.

What a pleasure to meet an author and a traveller.  Janice and her husband’s decision to sell material goods in order to travel is an inspiration.  Clearly, Janice loves the simple things in life, and I admire the way she grabs opportunities: life should be an adventure.  The Backpacking Housewife sounds like a good laugh!

Janice’s contact details:
Web: https://thebackpackinghousewife.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheBackpackingHousewife
Twitter: https://twitter.com/JaniceHorton
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/janicehortonwriter

 

Please see all my author interviews at My Guests and my website and blog at JessieCahalin.com

5 thoughts on “Rum Cocktails with Janice Horton”

  1. Hi Jessie – thank you for this lovely chat in the tropics and thanks for having my on your fabulous blog! Love, Janice xx

  2. Great to see Janice here. She used to live near here so I’ve known her for a long time – quite envious of her travelling life.

    1. Hi Mary – how are you? Lovely to see you here – especially as we are all having rum cocktails on St Lucia today! I hear the summer in Scotland has been superb. Hope to see you next time I get back xx

  3. Inspirational. What an interesting concept for a story. I have loads of gardening to do today… I might just pack a rucksack instead…

    1. Hi Angela – yes, I can heartily recommend packing a rucksack and heading off on your travels or – if you do decide to do the gardening instead – reading The Backpacking Housewife afterwards with a cocktail to hand ! xx

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