A MOST DELIGHTFUL TREASURE: CHARLIE PLUNKETT

I am delighted to have as my guest, Charlie Plunkett, a British mum who commemorates the milestones in her life by writing. She is the author of 3 popular true-to-life books: The True Diary of a Bride-To-Be, The True Diary of a Mum-To-Be and The True Diary of Baby’s First Year. Charlie lives in Brighton, England, with her lovely husband, Dave, and their gorgeous son, Cole.  





Charlie has just published 100 Little Words on Parenthood, a compilation of anecdotes gathered from parents, grandparents and experts. This 5* review captures it's essence: “Charlie has managed to pull together a rich variety of writers to contribute to this masterful collection of parental reflections. It’s genuinely funny, often heart-breaking and always honest.”  There's quite a lot going on in Charlie's world, including a few more blog stops. Take a moment to visit her website  Here.

Connect with her Facebook page here.

Connect on Twitter @charlieplunkett

 

Charlie describes herself as a ‘wanna-be domestic goddess.’ Many of us, however, know that Charlie has already met this challenge; she is a domestic goddess! Welcome to Treasured Encounters, Charlie.

Hi Dody and thank you so much for the wonderful introduction.

 You’ve written 4 increasingly popular true-to-life books yet stated that your most amazing achievements to date are, “marrying my soul mate, Dave, and becoming a mummy to my adorable son, Cole.’ What is the reason that you describe marriage and motherhood as achievements?

 I suppose many people when they hear the word ‘achievement’ automatically think of academic achievement or of attaining a goal, such as getting a promotion at work. For me, achievement encompasses anything in life that I aspire to and that brings me a feeling of joy and happiness. To me, finding my ‘soul mate’ is an amazing achievement. In the huge sea of fish, I have found my perfect partner and I count my blessings every day for our relationship. Shortly after Dave and I were married, we started thinking about having a family of our own and it was a very bumpy road for us until little Cole came along and made our lives complete. Without wishing to sound corny, motherhood is the most fulfilling thing I have ever experienced in my life. I think many parents and people who work with children would agree that children bring love, laughter and an opportunity to connect with your own inner child. I honestly believe if you are surrounded by people you love and who love you, you can achieve anything.

The titles of your first 3 published books are quite fascinating: 'True Diary of a Bride-To-Be,' 'True Diary of a Mum-To-Be' and 'True Diary of Baby’s First Year.' I am fascinated because the words, ‘true diary,’ suggest that readers will have a front row seat, have an up-close view of very personal segments of your life. How did the idea come to you and more so, did it take a ton of courage to share so openly?

 The titles of my books are similar to a famous advert for wood varnish that states ‘It does what it says on the tin.’ I am a very open, honest and sensitive soul and so it made sense to me when writing my diaries that my life be laid out like an open book. There has been no creative license or extra drama added solely for entertainment as I feel non-fiction should be totally honest. It is strange when I meet people who have read my books and we slip into an easy conversation as they know so much about me. I think my close friends would say that I am the type of person they feel they can call anytime and I will always try to offer help and support; so when writing these ‘true diaries,’ I have also included tips and advice that have helped me. Funnily enough, my dad is one of my biggest fans, but when he heard I was writing my pregnancy journal, he did say he probably wouldn’t read it as it may be too much information for him!

Your latest publication, '100 Little Words on Parenthood,' is a collection of anecdotes, advice and wisdom from parents, grandparents and experts. I’ve read that you compiled this collection when you were in the midst of writing another ‘true diary’ book. What inspired you to write '100 Little Words' and ‘change horses in the middle of the stream?’

 Wow, I’m impressed you noticed that Dody; not many people have picked up on that little fact. I was working on a book called The Toddler Files which was intended to pick up where The True Diary of Baby’s First Year left off and continue right up to Cole’s first day at school or his 5^th birthday. I am still working on it but I stopped purely because I reached a point where we hadn’t experienced those things yet. The idea for 100 Little Words on Parenthood was like an itch that just wouldn’t go away and I thought I could write the two books in unison. The reality of coordinating nearly 100 contributors and sourcing quotes meant I ended up being fully enveloped in that. But once the promotional period is over I shall be continuing the writing  of The Toddler Files.

I was deeply touched by your words in the Dedication section of 100 Little Words on Parenthood. In what way do you see ‘all you mums, dads, and grandparents out there’ as the ‘unsung heroes, the glue that holds this world together’?

When I was a child, if I ever hurt myself my mum would always say, ‘Let me kiss it better,’ and magically, it always worked. Who hasn’t had moments in their life when the only thing that will make things better is a ‘mama hug;’ and I’m forever picking up the phone to my parents to ask their advice. Parents offer unconditional love and support to their children and then they, in turn, pass this lovely legacy on to the next generation. I like to think that I am glued to my parents (not literally but spiritually, hehe!). In my world, they help hold everything together. As my little boy grows up, I hope to be his stability and ‘super glue.’

Many view you as a treasure, as evidenced by the personal remarks of others in reviews and on Twitter. I discovered on your website the evidence which demonstrates that you too, view many others as treasures.  Tell us about 'Three Little Things.'

 Aw, you are so very kind. I shan’t be able to squeeze my head through the door!

Three Little Things is a very simple idea because I couldn’t come up with anything complicated! It is my way of thanking the wonderful people who have helped me with my book; and I also would like to extend it to everyone I follow on Twitter and for them to share it with their followers. It is a way of acknowledging the people whose words touch us, be it our favourite bloggers, writers or authors. I have made a couple of lists of things that I think these lovely people would appreciate: like offering a simple tweet, saying how great they are, buying and reviewing their book, or commenting on their blog. Many people naturally do this already. I just wanted to harness the idea and encourage everyone to take a few minutes to make someone else’s day.

Recently, an author and friend said to me, “I always picture Charlie with a pair of fairy wings.” Do you have a pair and where do they take you?

Hehe! My mum always says she is half fairy so I guess that must have rubbed off on me. I don’t have wings but I do have a beautiful rainbow halo made from colorful feathers that I picked up at Glastonbury Festival! If I did have fairy wings I would do lots of flying around the world (low level as I hate heights) and would love to visit all of my fabulous twitter pals to say hello. You would probably find me playing in the fountain at The Bellagio Hotel in Vegas. I’d like that!

You’ve put a lot of work into compiling and publishing 100 Little Words on Parenthood. Are you going to take a well-deserved break, Charlie? If not, what can readers expect from you next? 

Well, I really do need to finish The Toddler Files now that you have reminded everyone about it! I have a couple of other non-fiction books started that are very different from those I have written to date. One is a theatrical memoir and the other is a secret (hehe!). I also have two ideas for fictional books, both jostling for attention in my mind. I need to create some extra hours in the day, or maybe I should just sprinkle some fairy dust!

 Thank you, Charlie, for your delightful openness. You are a treasure! Lucky for us, looks like those fairy wings are going to come in handy for you!
 
Charlie's books are shown on the right side of this page. Click on each book to access their U.S. Amazon pages. For access to Charlie's books on the U.K. Amazon site, click here for her U.K. Amazon author's page.