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Saturday 24 November 2012

Thanksgiving

I know I'm not American, but whilst I was there on my study abroad year with uni I was lucky enough to spend a Thanksgiving with a family in Florida, and think it's kind of a shame we don't celebrate something similar on this side of the pond. 

I don't need pilgrims and pumpkin pie to just stop and take a moment and think about all the things I'm grateful for in my life. My family, my friends, just how lucky I am to be pursuing a career I love - to finally be a published author. Which leads me to a whole other bunch of people I'm thankful for - my lovely agent, wonderful editors and cover designers, the fab Matt Buckingham who illustrated the Fairy Tale Twists series, my friends and colleagues on The Edge, and all at the SCBWI and the Undiscovered Voices competition which really kicked everything off. 


This time last year I had no books to my name, but now I have nine. NINE! How crazy-mad-fantabulously-insane is that?! It's a dream come true. And yes, along with the euphoria and thrill it has been really hard work too - learning to work creatively yet restricted by deadlines, trying to balance writing and editing with other aspects of my life (I admit I am definitely still learning on this one, and have spent much of the year cloistered away like Rapunzel in my flat being a hermit working on my second novel, sometimes not leaving the building for up to a week!) But whilst it can be frustrating/maddening/time-consuming I thank my lucky stars that I get to live my dream, and I am so grateful to my friends and family for being so understanding and supportive whilst being somewhat neglected. I love you all. 

And tonight I am extra thankful because I am going to the SCBWI's Mass Book Launch Party - what better way to celebrate a truly incredible year than with my friends and colleagues who have also had their fabulous books published this year - and best of all I get to celebrate with my mum, who's celebrating the launch of her 6th picture book.

It's been a fantastic year. And I am truly grateful.

Tuesday 28 February 2012

Interview with Rosie!


Today on the Blogtour, Rosie, the main character in Someone Else's Life, gets her own interview over at The Book Addicted Girl
Find out what it's really like to discover your whole life has been a lie...

k xx

Monday 27 February 2012

Day In The Life

Blogtours are such fun! With the US one kicking off today, the UK tour is still in full swing, and I had great fun writing this 
"Day in the Life" post for Books4Teens! 
Thanks Jesse!
kxx

US Blogtour!

Thanks to The {Teen} Book Scene 
for launching my US Blogtour today, 
and thanks to Britta at I Like These Books 
for kicking it off with a lovely interview 
about travelling, writing, and the publication process
 - with some crazy madlibs thrown in too!
kxx

Tuesday 14 February 2012

Someone Else's Life - 2nd Birthday!

Don't worry! You haven't stepped into a time warp and ended up two years in the future!  (Though how cool would that be?!)
Just like the Queen, SOMEONE ELSE'S LIFE is lucky enough to have TWO birthdays!
Today is its US and Canadian birthday, and to celebrate, three lucky winners can nab a copy of the US hardback edition with its beautiful cover by talented photographer Dimitri Caceaune - See details below!


Wednesday 8 February 2012

Someone Else's Life - Soundtrack!

Ever wondered what the soundtrack to your favourite book would be, if it were a movie?
Head over to the fab Readaraptor blog to listen to the SOMEONE ELSE'S LIFE Soundtrack!
It's a work-in-progress so I'd love any further suggestions!

Enjoy!

k xx

Monday 6 February 2012

SNOW!

Typical! 
The minute I remove the snowflakes from my blog - it snows outside!
Isn't it beautiful? Somehow it just make the world outside look magical - a bit like Narnia. I couldn't resist rushing outside into it - but this year I decided not to make a snowman, but a snow-cat! 
And it seems I'm not the only one - 
look at all these wonderful creations!  
Thomas Taylor's snowman!
Karen Ball's MA-HOO-SIVE snowman!
Savita Kalhan's Snow CAVE!!
Have you built any snow creations? I'd love to see your pics! 
Enjoy the snow! 
kxx

The world outside looks different already. A desert of white. The snow hides everything, glossing over the lumps and dips and tufts to leave a perfect, smooth surface. 
Like icing on a Christmas cake. 
[Chapter 1, Someone Else's Life. Read the rest of the Chapter here]

Thursday 2 February 2012

BOOK BIRTHDAY!!

It's Here!! 
SOMEONE ELSE'S LIFE is out TODAY!!


Now please excuse me while I pop out to my launch party! 
Or, even better, please come and join me! 
6pm Waterstones 11 Islington Green :)
Hope to see you there!


kxx
Read Chapter 1 here!



Monday 30 January 2012

BLOGTOUR!

With just three days
 - THREE DAYS! Where does the time go?! - 
till publication of my debut YA Novel, 
Someone Else's Life
I'm thrilled to announce my very first Blogtour
I'll be guest-posting on these wonderful 
book-blogs and sharing heaps of fun stuff - 
much like the "Special Features" on a DVD :)
I'm really looking forward to it - so do pop along and join me!
kxx

Friday 20 January 2012

Book Trailer for Someone Else's Life!

I'm thrilled to reveal the book trailer for my upcoming Teen/Crossover novel Someone Else's Life!

Would love to know what you think!
kx

To read Chapter One click here
  
Someone Else's Life
published February 2012
    by Simon & Schuster UK
Delacorte Press USA 
Doubleday Canada

US & Canada Cover 
UK cover

Thursday 12 January 2012

SNEAK PEEK!! Chapter One of Someone Else's Life!

Click here to read Chapter 1!
So a book isn't published in a day - a week - or even a year, in this case. In fact here's the timeline of the 10-year(!) life of 
Someone Else's Life!
2002 – I write the first chapter of a YA novel entitled Holding Onto Snowflakes for homework in my Writing For Children course at the University of North Carolina. 
2003-2006 - Uni, drama school, Shakespeare tours and Post-apocalyptic feature films get in the way, but I manage to write another 4 chapters.
2007 - September: The SCBWI launch their inaugural Undiscovered Voices competition! I rename ms Someone Else's Footprints. Just before going travelling for eight months! *D'oh!*
          - October: At a Vietnamese internet cafe I get an email saying I've been chosen as a winner of Undiscovered Voices! *Hurray!*
Editors and agents ask to read rest of the book - but I've only written five chapters - *D'oh!*
          - November: Try to complete book whilst on various beaches/boats/elephants but foiled by juddery transport, beautiful sunsets and pesky stinging millipedes - *Ouch!*
2008 - Miss Undiscovered Voices launch party *Sob* :(
         - May: Finally home! Finish novel - 140,000 words! *Eek!*
         - Send it out to editors and agents...nothing. *Sigh*
2009 - I get an agent! I sign up with the lovely Jenny Savill at Andrew Nurnberg Associates - who helps ruthlessly slash 40,000 words! *Hurrah!*
2010 - Publishing deal! Simon & Schuster in the UK, Delacorte Press in the US and Doubleday in Canada buy the rights to Someone Else's Footprints! *Whoop whoop!*
2010-11 EIGHTY A4 pages of edits arrive in my inbox... *Gulp!* 
2011 – After much discussion, the title changes to Someone Else's Life!
 *I get to see the Book Covers *WOW*
* Foreign Rights are sold to Germany and Brazil! *Squeal!*
*First early reviews start coming in *Sweat trickles down spine* Read them here.
*Pre-order becomes available at Amazon UK  Amazon US and fab new venture The Hive Network, where you can order books from bookshops - at Amazon prices - delivered to your home or local store! *Whoop! Whoop!*
12th January 2012 - Chapter One is released as a SNEAK PEEK! Yes, that's right! That's TODAY! I can't wait any longer! It's only another 21 days till PUBLICATION DAY 2ND FEBRUARY but you can read Chapter One right here just by clicking this link! 
Hope you enjoy it - do let me know what you think!
k xx

Thursday 5 January 2012

My First Book Birthday!!

Happy New Year, everybody! 
And it's got off to a very exciting start for me - with my first ever book birthday! 
And it's twins!

The Fairy Tale Twists series, published by Orchard Books has been such fun to write, and I'm so thrilled that the first two books are now actually out - for sale! In bookshops! Crazy!
Each illustrated funny rhyming story takes a familiar fairy-tale character (usually a villain) and reveals their version of events. 
In The Big Bad Werewolf The Big Bad Wolf is actually Little Red Riding Hood's Granny - who's secretly a werewolf! When she's chased by Red and the woodcutter, she flees and desperately tries to seek refuge in the Three Little Pigs' homes - but accidentally knocks them down! 
Her dentures tumbled to the floor
As Granny scrambled out the door.
She raised her head and howled with glee
For Granny was a WOLF, you see!
In Goldilocks and The Pea, Gretel (nicknamed Goldilocks for her wild blonde hair) is an incredibly picky little girl - everything has to be "just-so", which leads her into trouble galore, from a close encounter with a witch and a wolf, to a disaster at the 3 bears' house! 
But could a pea - a vegetable she despises - really be the answer to all her problems?
"Oh crumbs!" she wailed. "Look at this mess!
The chair! The floor! Oh no - my dress!
I can't meet dwarves with stains and splatter -
First impressions really matter!"
But of, course, all the characters live happily ever after - albeit in the most unexpected ways!
The series is designed for beginner readers (5+) and is illustrated by the fabulous Matt Buckingham.
The other 6 books in the series will be published two at a time each month through February, March, and April, and to celebrate we will be launching a competition so 
stay tuned! - and in the meantime do join me in a having a lovely piece of cake!




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