Think nothing tastes as good as slim feels? You're obviously not eating the right food . . .

Holly, Naomi and Kate are determined to win the battle of the bulge. So it's down to the local slimming club, where carbs are strictly off the menu and there's no escaping the scales. But calorie-counting isn't the only thing on their minds.

Newly engaged Holly should be over the moon. So why does she blush every time her sexy boss walks into the room? Curvaceous Naomi finds herself the object of a very unusual fetish and a shocking secret is revealed when an unexpected visitor arrives on Kate's doorstep.

Yet with a little group support (and a particularly brutal weight loss boot camp) the women manage to stick to their regime, in time for the glamorous Slimmer of the Year Awards. But with tempting buffet tables, highly competitive contestants and even the odd fat fetishist lurking, it's anyone's guess as to what will happen . . .

» Read the first pages of The Fat Chance Guide to Dieting by downloading the Penguin Taster here

» Visit Penguin Tasters

Read our Q&A with Claudia here

How did you get into writing?

I used to be a showbiz journalist and spent four years interviewing the rich and famous in my capacity as Senior Staff Writer at OK! magazine. Soon after I left, I decided my experiences at the magazine would be wonderful inspiration for a novel – and so my first book Wow! was born.

Why did you choose to set your novel in a dieting club?

Over the years, my sister has tried every weight loss method under the sun. Listening to her talk about the slimming club she'd just joined and the mini dramas that were being played out at the weekly meetings convinced me it would be a wonderful backdrop for a novel.

What do you do in your spare time?

I live in an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, so I love going for long country walks. My routes nearly always take me past a well-stocked tearoom. Funny, that…

Do you have any pets?

No, unfortunately. However, my home office overlooks a field of the fattiest, fluffiest, most cartoon-like sheep you’ve ever seen in your life. The farmer has promised I can help round them up, come shearing time. I’m counting the days!

Are you writing your next book?

Yes. I always feel rather lost and slightly wistful after I’ve finished a book (I imagine it’s a bit like the feeling mothers get when their children leave home), so I generally start on the next one straightaway.

And finally, are you planning to diet over Christmas?

I’d rather remove my own spleen with a hot shoehorn than forego a giant tin of Quality Street and at least two Terry’s Chocolate Oranges.