Discover new books on Goodreads

See if your friends have read any of Carol Balawyder's books

258 ratings | 195 reviews | avg rating:4.67

Carol’s Year In Books

Carol’s 2025 Year in Books

Take a look at Carol’s Year in Books, including some fun facts about their reading.

Go to Carol’s 2025 Year in Books

Carol Balawyder’s Followers (26)

Carol’s Bookshelves

to-read (0)
currently-reading (3)
read (276)
did-not-finish (0)
ana-linden-christmas-book-2 (0)
me-before-you (0)

Carol’s Friends (43)

Carrie Rubin

100 books | 557 friends

Fiza Pathan

6,319 books | 2,294 friends

Rebecca Bradley

1,646 books | 1,120 friends

Elke Feuer

492 books | 784 friends

H.Y. Hanna

109 books | 213 friends

D.G. Kaye

969 books | 692 friends

Carrie

999 books | 97 friends

1,011 books | 83 friends

More friends…

Carol Balawyder

Goodreads Author

Born

in Montreal , Canada

Website

http://www.carolbalawyder.com

Genre

Crime, Fiction, Spirituality

Member Since

December 2013

edit data

My dad was born on a farm town in Rama, Saskatchewan and my mom in Montreal. I was born in Sherbrooke, Quebec but currently I live in Montreal. I first came to study Early Childhood Education at McGill. It was a lonely time for me. Away from home for the first time. My parents didn’t believe in summer camps.

I didn’t like teaching kindergarten. All that discipline and yelling and screaming all at once…no I had the book first…he hit me…Patty peed in her pants. So I went on to get a B.A. in Education so I could teach high school. My first teaching job was teaching poetry to a group of drop-outs who were no older than I was and even some of the boys in my class were my brother’s friends. It was weird. Teaching High School didn’t turn out to be My dad was born on a farm town in Rama, Saskatchewan and my mom in Montreal. I was born in Sherbrooke, Quebec but currently I live in Montreal. I first came to study Early Childhood Education at McGill. It was a lonely time for me. Away from home for the first time. My parents didn’t believe in summer camps.

I didn’t like teaching kindergarten. All that discipline and yelling and screaming all at once…no I had the book first…he hit me…Patty peed in her pants. So I went on to get a B.A. in Education so I could teach high school. My first teaching job was teaching poetry to a group of drop-outs who were no older than I was and even some of the boys in my class were my brother’s friends. It was weird. Teaching High School didn’t turn out to be the be all and end all of saving the world.

After that, I got a neat job teaching English as second language for this company run by a really old woman who let me do practically whatever I wanted. I got to create a lot in those years.

And then I needed to travel. I did some research at The British Museum Library on my own grant. It was on Alice in Wonderland. The real reason why I wanted to do this research was that I just wanted to read from the original Lewis Carroll manuscript. Man, did they ever survey that manuscript. You’d think I was taking out Russian spy material.

Fast forward. I went back to study Applied Linguistics at Concordia University in Montreal where I almost got an M.A. degree if it weren’t for this professor (Gosh I wish I could remember her name…she was ancient) who didn’t think that using music to teach a second language was cool to use with adults. Although, a year later she kind of got with it and delivered a speech at an ESL convention using my material! Really. Now, that’s not fair.

Okay, so bad things happen to good people. I write a few ESL books that sell fairly well. Maybe you’ve heard or even used some of them: Open For Business and Windows on Sci-Tech. These were under my married name Carol Ann Fournier.

So I have my Andy Warhol fifteen minutes of fame and now what?

Oh, I know… I want to write crime novels. But don’t I need some kind of credibility, like maybe having been a criminal myself or a detective (which really, really would have been super cool, if in my good old days they’d accepted women in the police force).

I went back to university to get a M.Sc. in criminology and then ended up teaching Police Technology and Corrections for eighteen years in a college in the north end of Montreal. How’s that for credibility?

In the meantime, I got divorced and found myself side tracking from crime writing and writing about dating. Horror!

Here I am, years later and too many dates to keep track of but with a collection of dating stories and a novel.

Now you know my sad story of how I became a writer. But wait, that’s not all. I’m only beginning. ...more

463 posts
Carol Balawyder's Blog

October’s Last Days

Flower boxes emptied

Tilling the earth in bare hands

Pulling out dead roots

Ready for hibernation

Thank you Mint, Thyme

Rosemary and Basil

The crunch of fallen leaves

Winter tires ready for snow

October is:

Clear Blue Skis

Pretty in Pink

Orange Glow

Harvest Moon

Let the final days of October fill your heart with joy.

Combine Editions
Carol Balawyder’s books

Average rating: 4.86 · 83 ratings · 65 reviews · 16 distinct works

	Warning Signs 4.80 avg rating — 15 ratings	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Not By Design: A Getting to Mr. Right Series 4.77 avg rating — 13 ratings	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	The Lilac Notebook by Carol Balawyder (Goodreads Author), Anita Carroll (Illustrator), Anneli Purchase (Goodreads Author) (Editor) 4.92 avg rating — 12 ratings — 2 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Missi's Dating Adventures 4.70 avg rating — 10 ratings — published 2013 — 2 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Mourning Has Broken 4.88 avg rating — 8 ratings — published 2011	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	The Longest Nine Months: A Getting To Mr. Right series 4.63 avg rating — 8 ratings — 2 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Just Before Sunrise it was amazing 5.00 avg rating — 6 ratings — 3 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	CAFÉ PARADISE: A Getting To Mr. Right Series 4.83 avg rating — 6 ratings — published 2015	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Getting To Mr. Right it was amazing 5.00 avg rating — 5 ratings — published 2014	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Getting to Mr. Right it was amazing 5.00 avg rating — 4 ratings — published 2014	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars

More books by Carol Balawyder…

Carol is Currently Reading

Carol Balawyder is currently reading

How to Walk into a Room: The Art of Knowing When to Stay and When to Walk Away

by Emily P. Freeman (Goodreads Author)

bookshelves: currently-reading

Rate this book

Clear rating

1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars

Feb 20, 2024 02:58PM

Carol Balawyder is currently reading

Evidence of the Affair

by Taylor Jenkins Reid (Goodreads Author)

bookshelves: currently-reading

Rate this book

Clear rating

1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars

Sep 03, 2023 11:33AM

Carol Balawyder is currently reading

Going Home

by Sharon Marchisello (Goodreads Author)

bookshelves: currently-reading

Rate this book

Clear rating

1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars

Jun 06, 2023 05:16AM

Carol’s Recent Updates

Carol Balawyder wrote a new blog post October’s Last Days Flower boxes emptiedTilling the earth in bare handsPulling out dead roots Ready for hibernationThank you Mint, ThymeRosemary and Basil The crunch of f Read more of this blog post »
Oct 28, 2026 02:45AM · 1 like · like
Carol Balawyder rated a book it was amazing Holding Hands by Stevie Turner (Goodreads Author)	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
This is a book which I read with pleasure. It has three sections. The beginning focuses on Tom, a widower in his late eighties who goes about his lonely days trying to fill it with activities that he doesn’t really enjoy. He does volunteer work in a ...more
Sep 04, 2026 12:13PM · 3 likes · like · see review · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of Holding Hands by Stevie Turner. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — Holding Hands by Stevie Turner <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
Carol Balawyder rated a book it was amazing Shooting Stars - Book 3 by Ana Linden (Goodreads Author)	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Although I didn’t yet read book 1 and 2 of the Shooting Stars series, I was familiar with the characters from reading the author’s Christmas Reunion Series. Shooting Stars Book 3 goes back to the past when the characters were in their last days of hi ...more
Nov 11, 2025 01:39PM · 1 like · like · see review
Carol Balawyder has read Whereabouts by Jhumpa Lahiri	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Dec 16, 2024 04:52AM · like
Carol Balawyder rated a book it was amazing Albatross: Short Stories by Ana Linden (Goodreads Author)	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
In Albatross, the opening story, Linden gives us an honest perspective of husband and wife regarding the staleness of their marriage. Then there is the single woman’s paranoia and fears that accompany what it’s like to live alone after being robbed. ...more
Nov 18, 2024 02:20PM · like · see review
Carol Balawyder rated a book it was amazing Frames by Ana Linden (Goodreads Author)	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Frames consists of four short character driven stories. These are not ordinary characters and through their flaws Ana Linden gives us insight into relationships and human nature. The subjects of her stories range from the damaged educational system, t ...more
Nov 18, 2024 02:17PM · like · see review
Carol Balawyder rated a book it was amazing Parallel Lives by Ana Linden (Goodreads Author)	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Nov 18, 2024 02:13PM · like
Carol Balawyder rated a book it was amazing Miracles and Ghosts: A Christmas Collection by D.L. Finn (Goodreads Author)	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Starting off with a novelette followed by a collection of short stories where ghosts and magic bring to mind that in this holiday season miracles are possible. Although the stories contain tragic deaths (many of them accidents) the ghosts are loved o ...more
Nov 18, 2024 01:56PM · 2 likes · like · see review · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of Miracles and Ghosts by D.L. Finn. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — Miracles and Ghosts by D.L. Finn <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
Carol Balawyder rated a book it was amazing Christmas Reunion - Book 3 by Ana Linden (Goodreads Author)	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Friends since they were children, this group, now in their thirties, gathers at Edelweiss Inn to celebrate both a wedding and Christmas in a winter wonderland outside with its “…mesmerizing view of snowy mountain peeks on the backdrop.” Ana Linden d ...more
Nov 18, 2024 01:54PM · like · see review

More of Carol's books…

Carol’s Quotes

“Your task is not to seek for love, but merely to seek and find all the barriers within yourself that you have built against it.”
― Rumi

tags: inspirational-love, misattributed

9673 likes

“Whatever it is you're seeking won't come in the form you're expecting.”
― Haruki Marukami

tags: expectation

6483 likes

“I am a citizen of the world.”
― Sylvia Beach

tags: citizenship, identity, world

1547 likes

“I've got the guts to die. What I want to know is, have you got the guts to live?”
― Tennessee Williams, Cat on a Hot Tin Roof

2989 likes

“Once he’d had happiness but for so brief a time; happiness was made of quicksilver, it ran out of your hand like quicksilver. There was the heat of tears suddenly in his eyes and he shook his head angrily. He would not think about it, he would never think of that again. It was long ago in an ancient past. To hell with happiness. More important was excitement and power and the hot stir of lust. Those made you forget. They made happiness a pink marshmallow.”
― Dorothy B. Hughes, In a Lonely Place

12 likes

More of Carol’s quotes…

Carol’s Friend Comments

Comments (showing 1-2) post a comment »

date

newest »

message 2: by Carol

Feb 27, 2014 10:05AM

Donna Tartt

This is a benchmark of what good writing is all about.
Her last six chapters on art and death are absolutely exquisite. I will never look at art in the same way again.
You can read my post on my blog: http://carolbalawyder.com/2014/02/24/...

reply | flag

message 1: by Carol

Jan 04, 2014 10:40AM

D.G. Kaye
This is a memoir about the power of guilt. It is a story about a woman's boundless compassion towards an emotionally abusive mother and the toll it takes on her own health and happiness.
The story has many layers: her loving relationship with her father, her siblings, her dear aunt and her different romances.
But basically it is a memoir of letting go of guilt. Kaye shows us how strong a mother/daughter bond is, even when it is destructive. Her wish to get out of the relationship is held back by guilt - a guilt which in itself is toxic.
Kaye is not a best selling author, nor is she a rock or movie star nor won any Olympic Gold medals. As memoirs go, she is on the bottom rung of "important" people to read about. Yet, her memoir is one of these books that I couldn't put down.
She especially shines in the romance sections and writes with a good mastery of suspense.
Perhaps its only flaw is that it is at times a bit repetitious but overall for anyone who loves strong, courageous and loving protagonist MG Kaye proves to be one in her own memoir.

reply | flag

Carol Balawyder’s Followers (26)

Carol Balawyder

Goodreads Author

Carol’s Recent Updates

See a Problem?

Preview — Holding Hands by Stevie Turner

See a Problem?

Preview — Miracles and Ghosts by D.L. Finn