In order to write great stories, you need to have experienced something profound and come out on the other side with a new perspective. Whether that perspective is one you can laugh about, use to teach or warn others not to make the same mistakes, or share in an empathetic way is up to the author. Author Hayley Walsh is one writer who took her life experiences, added a humorous spin, and put it all together on paper to create entertaining stories that will appeal to many readers. Check out my interview with Hayley Walsh below, and be sure to follow her on social media and check out her books!

About the Writer

Hayley is an Australian author of light-hearted women’s fiction. Hayley was born and bred in Sydney and lives with her partner and two stepsons in Sydney’s greater western suburbs. Hayley love animals, is a coffee addict, and has a wicked sense of humour. Her sense of humour is brought to life in her story telling. She loves to make women laugh, by writing fun stories women can relate to.

Name: Hayley Walsh

Book Titles:

Crayons and Chaos (Published March 2020)

Making March (Published May 2020)

Genre: Light hearted women’s fiction

Buy them here!

Author Links

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Book summaries

Crayons and Chaos – Two years ago, forty three year old Natalie, left her joke of a marriage. After meeting her wonderful new man, she has been catapulted into the life of instant step mum to two miniature terrorists. Can she find her place among the chaos?

Making March – Kate feels old, alone, and regrettably round. It’s the 1st of February, and today happens to be her fortieth birthday. This month she must survive a pending divorce, raising her offspring spawn from Satan, being Maid of Honour, a fellow bridesmaid from hell, multiple dress fittings, and her meddling mother. Can she make it to March without losing her marbles?

Book Excerpts

Crayons and Chaos  

It was clear, the distressed calls for help were coming from the backyard. Do you know what I found? Sean tethered to the clothesline. ‘What the hell is going on here?’ Sean was red with pure rage. How the hell did Reese over power his twelve-year-old brother? I swear this kid is going to be a career criminal one day.

‘It started as a game of cops and robbers, and then he arrested me, and tied me up.’ A sheepish Reese then appeared from around the side of the house, closely followed by Monty, his collar replaced with a robbers red bandana around his neck. ‘Untie your poor brother, I think this has gone a bit far, don’t you?’ Reese looked down at his feet, and mumbled something under his breath.

‘Natalie, please get me out of here, I need to pee.’

“Reese, I can’t hear you mate, what are you saying?’

‘I can’t get him out.’

‘Why not?’

‘I don’t have the keys; I can’t find them.’

‘What bloody keys, what are you talking about?’

Oh no, surely not. I hope it’s not what I think it is. I walked around behind Sean to have a look, and my worst fears were confirmed. Reese had found the set of handcuffs from Tom’s old security job in my bedside drawer. Yes, in case you are wondering, Tom and I have used them in the bedroom. You don’t want things to become stale in that department, do you? We like to experiment.

Making March

The night ended with one of our party being fished out of the harbour by the water police. We could not find Marie and went looking for her after the strip show had finished, and the bar had just called for last drinks. We were lucky to make it outside in one piece to find her. As any Aussie knows when a bar calls for last drinks, it looks like a wild animal stampede in the African plains.

Needless to say, we found her eventually. When we did, she had her tongue firmly down the throat of one of the strippers and her hand down the front of his red glitter G-string. He got so startled when we all turned up, that he let go of her waist, sending her flying overboard. They then gave a new meaning to the term drunken fling, and it was absolutely hilarious.

Review excerpts

Hayley Walsh packs a punch into this debut novella, a look-back of the travails and rewards of a new marriage and becoming a step parent in an extremely smart, witty, profound and thought-provoking way, more importantly — “staying alive to tell the tale”

Talking Shop

What is the central theme or message of your story? What do you want readers to take away from it?

Crayons and Chaos is a special story. It is very close to my heart as it is based on my own personal experience. After walking away from an unhappy marriage at the age of forty-one, I met a wonderful guy who made me smile again. I have no children of my own, and he had two young boys from a previous relationship.

Suddenly, I was a step mum to two boisterous boys. I had no idea how to build a relationship with them, and I was terrified I would get it all wrong. There have been moments of fear and doubt, but most importantly many funny heart-warming moments along the way.

The kids have been in my life for over three years now, and I thought my experience would make for a funny, raw story about one woman’s experience of having her life as she knew it, being turned upside down for the better. I hope readers come away believing that you can adapt to any change and come out the other side unscathed, while maintaining your sense of humour and having a good laugh.

What’s the best review/compliment that you’ve received about your book?

I have a lovely work colleague. Her husband suffered a significant stroke last year. She and her family have been going through a tough time and she has been feeling very down emotionally. After reading Crayons and Chaos, she messaged me to tell me that it made her laugh, and that it was the first time she had laughed in a very long time. As a writer of humour, this made my day. I made someone smile. What more could I ask for?

What famous books can you compare to your own?

Both Crayons and Chaos and Making March are written in first person point of view, in dairy entry form. I could compare them to Bridget Jones’s Diary, written by the very talented, Helen Fielding. I love telling the story through the main character’s eyes. My current work in progress is being written in third person point of view, as I like to challenge myself in order to grow as a writer.

How long did it take to write your book from the day you got the idea to write it to the day you published it?

The idea for Making March had been floating around in my head for years before I finally put pen to paper. After a lifetime of writing poems and short stories for my own enjoyment, I decided it was time, and I started writing a book.

I first started writing it in 2012. I was forced to put it on hiatus many times over the next five years due to job changes, my father’s death, and a marriage break up. Finally, I picked it back up in 2017, determined to get it finished.

I completed it in mid-2019, and spent the next six months getting it professionally edited and proofread. I queried over seventy literary agents and got four full manuscript requests. All sadly ended in rejection. I am now in the final stages of preparing to publish it in May this year.

What is the most fun part about writing? The most difficult?

I have always enjoyed writing and have written since I was a young girl. I still can’t quite believe it took me until my late thirties to take my writing seriously. Better late then never hey? I am a true panster. I know the main plot and how it will end when I start to write. But the middle part kind of fills itself in as I go along.  I never quite know where the characters will take the story, and that is part of the fun. I love surprises.

Being a self-published author, the hardest part by far, is the marketing of your book. It is a second full time job. Writing the book is the easy part, now the real hard work begins. It is however, a labour of love, so it is not a chore at all, as far as I’m concerned. No reward will ever come without putting in the hard yards.

“What If” Scenarios

If your book ever becomes a movie, and you get final say over the cast, which actors would you hire to play your characters?

Being an Aussie, and Making March being a very Australian book, I would have to say that I would choose the following actors:

• Kate (Main character) -Rebel Wilson
• Heather (Best friend) Toni Collette
• Tracy (Other bridesmaid and antagonist) -Isla Fisher
• Marie (Heather’s mother and resident clown) – Rhonda Birchmore
• Kate’s mother -Jacki Weaver
• Rachel (The other woman) – Margo Robbie
• Matt (Kate’s ex) – Joel Edgerton
• Andrew (Kate’s love interest) – Samuel Johnson

If you could have one person that you admire, living or dead, read your book, who would it be?

This one is easy. My dad. I lost my wonderful father very suddenly when he was only sixty-six. He always encouraged me to follow my dreams and when he died, it made me evaluate a lot of things in my life. I have him to thank for pushing me to strive for bigger and better things. Both books are dedicated to him as I know he would be extremely proud of me.

If you could be in a writer’s group with up to four famous writers, who would they be?

I would choose Marian Keyes, Sophie Kinsella, and Helen Fielding. Marion Keyes is my favourite author, but in my opinion these three ladies are the undisputed queens of light hearted women’s fiction, and I admire them all very much.

Your book becomes a best seller. What do you do next?

I would probably faint to be honest. I dream of that happening. In all honesty though, becoming a best selling author is a bonus. Knowing people enjoy my work, and I make them laugh is the reason I write my books.

Would you rather own your own book store or your own publishing house, and what would you sell or publish?

I have always said, if I could give up my day job tomorrow, due to the fact that my writing brough in a full-time income, I would open a little book shop. It would also contain a little coffee counter, cozy corners to curl up with a good book, and resident recuse kitties would live there to keep the readers company. I would sell all sorts of books and invite local authors to come and do readings of their work.

Just For Fun

One bucket list item you’ve completed and one that’s still on your list.

I saw the Grand Canyon in 2011, and I really want to go to the Greek Islands on a cruise. I love cruises, and I love to travel.

One year of your life you’d like to do over.

I know this sounds cliché, but I wouldn’t do any over again. I have had regrets. But all events have led me to where I am now, and I am happy.

What legacy do you want to leave behind?

I would love to be remembered as someone with a wicked sense of humour who made people laugh, especially through my writing.

Your most unrealistic dream job.

Apart from being a full-time writer, my dream job would be a vet. I’d love to do that, but can’t afford to study and have a complete change of career at my age. I am a nurse, in my day job, but I’d rather work with animals.

A talent you have and a talent you wish you had.

I have a quirky talent. I can say the alphabet backwards really fast.

A talent I wish I had: I’d love to be able to tap dance. I think tap dancing is awesome.

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