tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-67604854990687970452012-02-29T12:06:08.722-08:00katie dalenoreply@blogger.comBlogger591100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6760485499068797045.post-11080452288393142822012-02-28T03:25:00.000-08:002012-02-28T03:25:19.293-08:00

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

katie dalenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6760485499068797045.post-51125679625758432442012-02-27T07:58:00.000-08:002012-02-27T07:58:38.232-08:00

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

katie dalenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6760485499068797045.post-32046279452969310182012-02-27T07:46:00.001-08:002012-02-27T07:47:02.453-08:00

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

katie dalenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6760485499068797045.post-18985501863671053262012-02-14T04:33:00.001-08:002012-02-14T04:35:37.260-08:00

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

katie dalenoreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6760485499068797045.post-91088868326306993962012-02-08T07:00:00.000-08:002012-02-08T07:00:20.262-08:00

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

katie dalenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6760485499068797045.post-73581465256553723642012-02-06T07:22:00.000-08:002012-02-06T07:22:53.511-08:00

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

katie dalenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6760485499068797045.post-55490791045827168752012-02-02T05:10:00.000-08:002012-02-02T05:10:13.372-08:00

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!

katie dalenoreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6760485499068797045.post-73185211698180932012012-01-30T03:49:00.000-08:002012-01-30T06:29:07.811-08:00

With just three days - THREE DAYS! Where does the time go?! - till publication of my debut YA Novel, Someone Else's LifeI'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

katie dalenoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6760485499068797045.post-85885134791084311622012-01-20T05:31:00.000-08:002012-01-20T05:31:49.455-08:00

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 Lifepublished February 2012    by Simon & Schuster UKDelacorte Press USA Doubleday Canada US & Canada Cover  UK cover

katie dalenoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6760485499068797045.post-78036276242615657002012-01-12T05:17:00.000-08:002012-01-12T05:45:18.160-08:00

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

katie dalenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6760485499068797045.post-73530349124326425792012-01-05T04:57:00.000-08:002012-01-05T04:57:29.120-08:00

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

katie dalenoreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6760485499068797045.post-89662222480965264192011-12-24T03:41:00.000-08:002011-12-24T03:41:56.369-08:00

Christmas Eve already! Once the shopping and wrapping and peeling and preparing's done, there's nothing like settling down with the family to watch a wonderful Christmassy film. Here's my Top Ten: Miracle on 34th Street The wonderful story of a little girl who comes to believe in Santa in the most unusual way - through a court case! Both versions are great, but Mara Wilson and Richard

katie dalenoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6760485499068797045.post-90884012088697616322011-12-22T01:41:00.000-08:002011-12-22T01:41:03.055-08:00

On the 12th Day of Christmas,  My True Love gave to me... 12 Drummers Drumming 11 Pipers Piping 10 Lords A-Leaping 9 Ladies Dancing 8 Maids A-Milking 7 Swans A-Swimming 6 Geese A-laying 5 Gold Rings 4 Calling Birds 3 French Hens 2 Turtle-Doves and a Partridge in a Pear Tree!  But can you complete the jigsaw below and find them all?!! Enjoy! k xx <p><p>

katie dalenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6760485499068797045.post-31645875880242973542011-12-21T03:20:00.000-08:002011-12-21T03:20:17.601-08:00

On the Eleventh Day of Christmas My true Love gave to me Eleven Pipers Piping... So what were they piping? Christmas tunes of course! Here are my top eleven all-time favourite Christmas songs - have I missed any? It Feels Like Christmas - my all-time favourite from the incredible Muppet Christmas Carol - a Christmas Eve tradition! Walking in The Air - Another classic. You know it's Christmas when

katie dalenoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6760485499068797045.post-21793867679942705402011-12-20T03:56:00.000-08:002011-12-20T03:57:00.066-08:00

On the Tenth Day of Christmas  My True Love gave to me Ten Lords A-Leaping! Can you help turn these "leaping lords" (or frog princes!) back into princes by clicking on them with your mouse? Watch out for those nasty piranhas though!

katie dalenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6760485499068797045.post-20320609172306739812011-12-19T05:29:00.000-08:002011-12-19T05:29:35.166-08:00

On the Ninth day of Christmas  my True Love sent to me Nine Ladies Dancing... Congratulations to Harry Judd - winner of this year's Strictly Come Dancing! But which Christmassy tracks do you love dancing to most? Here are my top 9 faves - enjoy!: All I want for Christmas - nothing beats Mariah! Rockin' around the Christmas Tree - perfect when decorating the tree! Run Run Rudolph - from the

katie dalenoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6760485499068797045.post-54447775552467583092011-12-18T04:42:00.000-08:002011-12-18T04:42:11.892-08:00

Advent Calendar Day 18 Well, after our flurry of snow I'm getting all excited with hopes for a White Christmas, so here's two versions of that Christmas classic - Bing's traditional version still the best-selling single of all time! And one that's a little bit different! Which do you prefer?! Enjoy! kxx

katie dalenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6760485499068797045.post-89007834022577900572011-12-17T04:40:00.000-08:002012-01-04T14:51:00.904-08:00

katie dalenoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6760485499068797045.post-54028964479410573972011-12-16T01:56:00.000-08:002011-12-16T01:56:27.648-08:00

Oh the weather outside is delightful...! It's here! The first snowfall this winter! I woke to the delighted cry of a child "It's snowing!", leapt out of bed, and sure enough - big white flakes were floating from the sky. Hurray! So, on a theme, I decided to explore Randy Ingermanson's Snowflake Method for writing a novel...(like the link? ;)) Here's the simplest explanation I found online,

katie dalenoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6760485499068797045.post-42368671041781745262011-12-15T03:51:00.000-08:002011-12-15T03:51:32.318-08:00

On the Eighth Day of Christmas  My True Love gave to me Eight Maids A-Milking... Can you name these 8 famous maids? Would you want them at your wedding? If only she had a Fairy Godmother... Who'd work at Fawlty Towers? New York's finest Downton's finest The world's most famous bridesmaid... Robin's Sweetheart Camelot's Sweetheart Enjoy!Every correct answer emailed here wins a

katie dalenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6760485499068797045.post-20774834299687576472011-12-14T01:24:00.000-08:002011-12-14T01:25:07.103-08:00

On the Seventh Day of Christmas My True Love gave to me Seven Swans A-Swimming... Can you find all 7 Swans a-swimming AND  6 Geese a-laying,  Five Gold Rings,  Four Calling Birds,  Three French Hens,  Two Turtle Doves  and a Partridge in a Pear Tree hidden in this picture?  Like Where's Wally-at Christmas! (Click the picture to enlarge it) Good luck - and Enjoy! kxx

katie dalenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6760485499068797045.post-20667099222838852592011-12-13T01:39:00.000-08:002011-12-13T01:39:22.661-08:00

Top Ten Choose-Day! Top Ten Christmasses in Literature! Christmas is such a magical, emotional, special time of year - especially in books. Here's my top ten fictional Christmasses - in no particular order!  Which is your favourite Christmas?  The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe  C.S. Lewis In the land where it's always winter but never Christmas, Peter, Lucy and Susan meet Father Christmas -

katie dalenoreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6760485499068797045.post-42664290708534466642011-12-12T01:25:00.000-08:002011-12-12T01:25:41.499-08:00

On the Sixth Day of Christmas My True Love gave to meSix Geese A-Laying... Can you catch the eggs as they're being laid? Watch out because eggs aren't all that these geese lay!!Chicken Egg Play free Games - a game from Adventure | Action Games

katie dalenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6760485499068797045.post-62809565368711479772011-12-11T03:34:00.000-08:002011-12-11T03:36:09.226-08:00

On The Fifth Day of ChristmasMy True Love gave to meFive Gold Rings! Can you fill in the missing words in this Christmas story? One magical Christmas Eve, Mary Christmas and Noel, were walking home through the snow when suddenly – ‘Help!’ Mary Christmas cried. I’ve lost one of my diamond _ _ _ RINGs! It must have fallen off when I took my hat off at the circus! Noel, RING the _ _ _ _ _ _ , it

katie dalenoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6760485499068797045.post-59797310650310071632011-12-10T03:15:00.000-08:002011-12-10T03:20:16.610-08:00

On the Fourth Day of Christmas  my true love gave to me Four Calling Birds... Which, to me this Christmas has to mean Twitter! So here are my top four 'calling birds' well worth following for their fun, interesting and entertaining tweets... @Tamsyn Tweetie Author of the fabulous 'Afterlife' series, Tamsyn's sparky tweets always brighten up my day. @Keris Author of Della Says OMG and Jessie ♥ NYC

katie dalenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6760485499068797045.post-17873312002281251042011-12-09T03:24:00.000-08:002011-12-09T09:49:13.468-08:00

This one counts! - Just find 2 more! On the Third Day of Christmas  my true love gave to me Three French Hens... Find 3 French hens scattered round my website then email me here to say where you found them - and win! The French certainly know how to party, but here are my  Five Festive Friday DOs and DON'Ts  for publishers parties this Christmas: Teri Terry - author of the upcoming SLATED

katie dalenoreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6760485499068797045.post-37376372710164353792011-12-08T03:01:00.000-08:002011-12-08T04:19:06.538-08:00

A Turtle-Dove...? On the Second Day of Christmas  my true love gave to me Two Turtle Doves  and a Partridge in a Pear Tree Prize! Limited-Edition Someone Else's Life fridge magnet! Whoever thought of the name turtle dove? A dove looks nothing like a turtle, right?  But can you name the other animals whose names are derived from two other animals from the clues below?  Answer for fun in

katie dalenoreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6760485499068797045.post-48688375118448692252011-12-07T00:12:00.000-08:002011-12-07T00:25:46.869-08:00

Advent Calendar Day 7 -  On the first day of Christmas,  my true love gave to me A Partridge in a Pear Tree! Stuck for a stocking filler? As it's Wednesday Winsday, what better day to launch my Twelve Days of Christmas contest! Simply find today's picture of a partridge in a pear tree (identical to the one above) somewhere on this website, then click here to send me a message telling me which

katie dalenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6760485499068797045.post-20360509928479065432011-12-06T03:34:00.000-08:002011-12-06T05:11:04.461-08:00

Advent Calender Day 6 - Oh Christmas Tree! My Christmas tree! I'm very excited today, as I've just bought and decorated my first very own Christmas tree! There's nothing quite like a tree to really make you feel festive in the run-up to Christmas, sipping mulled wine and watching the twinkly lights as presents slowly begin to accumulate beneath... But some people have entirely different ideas

katie dalenoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6760485499068797045.post-53568740949301143992011-12-05T03:43:00.000-08:002011-12-05T03:43:26.995-08:00

Advent Calendar Day 5 - Christmas Come Early! Today, nineteen talented SCBWI-ers (members of the Society of Childrens Books Writers and Illustrators) discovered that Santa had left them a very special early Christmas present - as winners of the Undiscovered Voices 2012 competition!  Congratulations to the six winning illustrators: Julia Groves, Amber Hsu, Heather Kilgour, Shana

katie dalenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6760485499068797045.post-90567202448570108352011-12-04T04:36:00.000-08:002011-12-05T02:10:34.694-08:00

Advent Calendar Day 4 - Santa Skills! So, now it's Sunday I thought it's time for a little bit of fun and a chance to test your Santa skills...  Click here to play! Can you help Santa grab as many prezzies and candy canes as possible - whilst avoiding bashing his bald head?! Move the mouse left and right to skate along the pond then click or double-click the mouse to make him jump! Good Luck!

katie dalenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6760485499068797045.post-42426707960694065092011-12-03T05:07:00.000-08:002011-12-03T05:08:11.685-08:00

Advent Calendar Day 3 - Jingle Those Bells! Today I found some pretty bells for the top of my blog and what better to go with it than a clip of the great Andrea Bocelli singing Jingle Bells - with a few friends who've tagged along... Enjoy! kxx

katie dalenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6760485499068797045.post-22478997262536930802011-12-02T02:10:00.000-08:002011-12-02T02:10:31.418-08:00

Advent Calendar Day 2 - Look what I found in the attic! Some pretty Christmas baubles to decorate the top corners of my page :) Plus these great photos from the amazing Kids' Lit Quiz... The 28 teams wait nervously for the Quiz to begin... On Monday night the North London heat of the International Kids' Lit Quiz was held at Broxbourne School. The spelling round took ages to mark! This

katie dalenoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6760485499068797045.post-47085376373105000152011-12-01T09:49:00.000-08:002011-12-01T09:49:56.680-08:00

Advent Calender Day 1 -  Let it Snow, Let it Snow, Let it Snow!  Well, it's December already - the countdown to Christmas has begun! Time to open the first window on my very own advent calender! Every day I'll be featuring something Christmassy to really get in the mood for the big day!  Today - even if it's not snowing outside (yet!) it can still snow on my blog! (And here's a bit of Bambi too ;

katie dalenoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6760485499068797045.post-85690028438323235522011-10-13T14:18:00.000-07:002011-10-13T14:18:16.013-07:00

Paula's Rawsthorne's blog about ebooks with soundtracks got me thinking about the relationship between words and music. They go together like, well, music and lyrics, don't they? Or is music disruptive to the reading process? Do you like to listen to music while you read or write, if so what kind of music? Is it whatever happens to randomly come onto your radio or mp3 player? Or do you have

katie dalenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6760485499068797045.post-76050028125143018732011-09-20T11:00:00.000-07:002011-09-20T11:00:23.768-07:00

Oops - nearly forgot to get my Euromillions ticket. And now I'm reading Lia's Guide to Winning the Lottery by Keren David I'll know exactly what to do (or not do) if/when I win!

katie dalenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6760485499068797045.post-30388487306365711112011-09-13T03:33:00.000-07:002011-09-13T03:33:03.629-07:00

I am thrilled to reveal the fabulous covers for my new 5+ series for Orchard Books: 'Fairy Tale Twists', illustrated by the amazing Matt Buckingham.  Each rhyming story takes a familiar fairytale character and reveals their version of events - as you've never seen them before!  It's such a thrill to see the characters come to life in Matt's fantastic illustrations - enjoy! I bet you think you

katie dalenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6760485499068797045.post-34200652691701149092011-08-23T07:01:00.000-07:002011-08-23T07:02:46.085-07:00

Exciting News! - Someone Else's Life is highlighted as "One to Watch" in the Children's Bookseller! Here's their review -  “A girl who discovers she was swapped at birth triggers an unstoppable chain of events in this riveting debut about families, relationships and long-buried secrets. A really gripping family drama that reads like a Jodi Picoult for teens.” !!

katie dalenoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6760485499068797045.post-4037708443390211282011-08-20T03:03:00.000-07:002011-08-20T03:03:34.468-07:00

Is it important where a story is set? At first consideration it might not seem to matter too much, and in some cases the location is pretty interchangeable. For example, Sam in Before I Fall could pretty much attend any US high school – or even be relocated to the UK, as the teen social scene is fairly similar (which is one of the reasons the book is so thought-provoking – this could happen to

katie dalenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6760485499068797045.post-69735854916939076512011-06-24T03:20:00.000-07:002011-06-24T03:20:53.181-07:00

I grew up devouring every American teen novel I could. I was obsessed. Sweet Valley High, Caroline B. Cooney, Judy Blume, I just could not get enough. I don't know if it's that there just weren't all that many British teen authors around at the time, or if it was also partly because of the saturation of TV by US shows - Dawson's Creek, Buffy, Friends, Lois and Clark, Gilmore Girls - or if it was

katie dalenoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6760485499068797045.post-73162720222810435502011-06-13T10:54:00.000-07:002011-06-13T10:57:09.875-07:00

Ooh - my first "Happy Publication Day" card! *Squeal!* Okay, so it's a little belated as I'm so utterly disorganised I didn't find this in some stray post until yesterday, so actually missed my actual publication day (June 6th), but the thrill is still completely the same - Hurrah! "HOW TO BE A BOY" IS OUT THERE! IN BOOKSHOPS! This is a biggy - my FIRST fictional sale, my FIRST complete

katie dalenoreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6760485499068797045.post-25501837138423228642011-06-10T09:42:00.000-07:002011-06-10T09:42:21.288-07:00

Another amazing *Squeal!* moment - a whole new incredible cover for the US version! What do y'all think?!

katie dalenoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6760485499068797045.post-1018556424077556782011-05-24T09:11:00.000-07:002011-05-25T09:45:58.156-07:00

Yesterday the postman brought me something utterly thrilling - a contract to publish SOMEONE ELSE'S LIFE in Brazil - BRAZIL! How cool is that?! If they keep my title and translate it it'll be Alguém a Vida de Else! (English to Portuguese translation c/o http://www.athropolis.com) How utterly mind-blowing. This possibility did not even cross my mind while I was writing the book - all those

katie dalenoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6760485499068797045.post-57973868498166779022011-05-05T13:39:00.000-07:002011-05-05T14:36:45.922-07:00

Ok, so there are a lot of *Squeal!* moments that come with getting your first book published.Here are mine (so far)... 1)  Being announced a winner of the SCBWI/Working Partners Undiscovered Voices Competition *Squeal!* Someone out there actually likes my writing!(For your chance to get your children's/YA fiction read by top agents, editors and scouts I simply CANNOT recommend Undiscovered Voices

katie dalenoreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6760485499068797045.post-84412023856696347922011-04-29T13:47:00.000-07:002011-04-29T13:47:10.679-07:00

There’s no denying that the marriage of Prince William to Kate Middleton is straight out of a fairytale. The story of a normal girl marrying her handsome prince has captivated the world with its magic and romance, as millions gathered round their televisions, camped out on the streets of London, and organized street parties and communal celebrations – a show of national spirit and goodwill seen

katie dalenoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6760485499068797045.post-74581303951187210142011-03-16T08:35:00.000-07:002011-03-16T08:35:16.211-07:00

The fabulous Keris Stainton (author of the wonderful Della Says OMG) has organised this terrific initiative to raise funds to help Japan.    Up for auction are a huge range of signed books, chapter critiques, dedications, characters to be named after you, bespoke pieces of artwork, as well as meetings - and cake! - with authors and agents. These are things that money can't (usually!) buy - but

katie dalenoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6760485499068797045.post-46644687638317837442010-11-24T02:50:00.000-08:002010-11-24T02:50:21.646-08:00

Ever read a really great book and wish you'd written it? Actually, this happens to me quite a lot, and is probably a large part of what inspired me to want to write myself, after reading incredible authors such as Jodi Picoult (my literary idol) to Caroline B Cooney, Jacqueline Wilson, Sharon Creech. Conversely, have you ever had a really great idea for a book, only to discover that someone

katie dalenoreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6760485499068797045.post-66093570319288463862010-11-18T09:50:00.000-08:002010-11-18T10:39:27.145-08:00

Apparently, quite a lot! Just heard from my editors that they'd like me to consider an alternative title for my upcoming YA/Crossover novel. 'Someone Else's Footprints' they say "feels like something we've read before - perhaps a mystery?" So they've come up with a few alternatives, and I've also added my own to the list above. (Please note, any title which includes the word Lives/Life I want

katie dalenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6760485499068797045.post-36598844343853804182010-11-17T02:48:00.000-08:002010-11-17T08:24:27.514-08:00

Wow! 10 Years of the Society for Childrens' Books Writer and Illustrators of the British Isles - and what a success story it has been! Attending the Conference this year was a) Incredibly Inspirational: So many big names in childrens books shared their pearls of wisdom, whilst a HUGE number of fellow SCBWI members celebrated book deals, publications, and awards - including Carnegie

katie dalenoreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6760485499068797045.post-81091600608226707042010-11-11T07:42:00.000-08:002010-11-18T09:46:30.658-08:00

Apparently, quite a lot! Just heard from my editors that they'd like me to consider an alternative title for my upcoming YA/Crossover novel. 'Someone Else's Footprints' they say "feels like something we've read before - perhaps a mystery?" So they've come up with a few alternatives, and I've also added my own to the list above. (Please note, any title which includes the word Lives/Life I want

katie dalenoreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6760485499068797045.post-835156663029023282010-11-05T10:58:00.000-07:002010-11-05T10:58:24.101-07:00

Phew! Hi! Remember me? Actually, I hardly do - it's been so long since I've surfaced from the swamp of paper, red pens, computer files to do - well - anything...  - Look in the mirror...how'd I get so pale? - Stand on the scales...Eek! (Editing is definitely bad for diets - all that mental agility and slogging doesn't actually burn off all that chocolate "brain food"- shocker!) - Twitter...

katie dalenoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6760485499068797045.post-29459158106762581962010-09-18T16:51:00.000-07:002010-09-18T17:02:37.384-07:00

Whew - I'm finally breaking the surface for an evening from the OCEAN of edits I have been wading/swimming/drowning in for the past two weeks. Procrastination? Who's got TIME?? Especially when you have EIGHTY pages of edits!! and a DEADline! I even had to miss the amazing Keren David's launch for the Almost True (which I am just finishing reading - incredible - the story is so fast-paced and

katie dalenoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6760485499068797045.post-67858914898668207352010-09-09T14:45:00.000-07:002010-09-10T11:09:13.760-07:00

This is it! No more excuses! No more holidays abroad No more weddings to plan/decorate/attend No more house-guests descending from foreign shores It has been one true jam-packed roller-coaster of a summer but Summertime is well and truly over (literally - my 2-year-old niece Summer who's been staying this week has now gone, leaving the house judgementally peaceful) And I have a DEADLINE which is

katie dalenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6760485499068797045.post-38630974351083489282010-07-07T15:33:00.000-07:002010-07-08T06:37:51.509-07:00

Well, it's been a very busy authorly week. Not only was I treated to the fabulous Teens on Moon Lane event (blog below) but on Friday my lovely agent Jenny Savill threw a glorious picnic for her blossoming list of children's authors - Sunshine, smoked salmon, strawberries, and lashings of interesting conversation and laughter as we mingled with each other and the editors and scouts who'd been

katie dalenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6760485499068797045.post-67005816067658908442010-06-29T14:31:00.000-07:002010-06-30T04:07:06.333-07:00

Fabulous YA event last night, thanks to Dulwich Library, fab independent bookshop Tales on Moon Lane, and the wonderful Chicklish - celebrating its 4th birthday! Most probably the UK's very first YA book blog, founders Luisa Playa and Keris Stainton (both with fab books on display) told of how they came to start the blog together after becoming refugees from online writing groups that didn't

katie dalenoreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6760485499068797045.post-72112794842509219882010-05-25T13:57:00.000-07:002010-05-25T14:31:25.693-07:00

New from the FABULOUS Candy Gourlay...Andi desperately hopes her long lost half brother Bernardo will be as mad on basketball as she is. But when he steps off the plane from the Philippines, she can't believe her eyes.She hasn't seen him for ten years, but even so, how did he get to be EIGHT FOOT TALL? An eight-foot-tall boy who is about to crash into her life with his size 22 feet.But Bernardo

katie dalenoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6760485499068797045.post-88807847423848764212010-05-21T14:12:00.000-07:002010-05-22T10:17:23.041-07:00

So I confess, I am a little addicted to reality TV. Not the Big Brother/I'm a Celebrity/humiliation variety, but X Factor? I'm there. Dancing on Ice? Love it. Over the Rainbow? Try getting me off my sofa for the final this Saturday night (or at least try to stop me desperately catching up on Iplayer on Sunday!)I guess it's the actress in me - I know how excruciating the audition process is, and

katie dalenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6760485499068797045.post-57597428114551723072010-05-17T05:55:00.000-07:002010-05-19T10:17:53.663-07:00

Hiya!Welcome to my blog!I am a writer and an actress, and my first YA novel Someone Else's Footprints will be out next year (Simon and Schuster), followed by an eight-book Crunchies series for younger readers with Orchard books!It's been an exciting rollercoaster ride to get this far and you can read all about it at 'The Story So Far - a Series of Fortunate Adventures' - a little like Lemony

katie dalenoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6760485499068797045.post-87082859160549772592010-04-27T09:40:00.001-07:002010-07-07T12:53:59.340-07:00

Hello and welcome to my blog! I'm completely new to this, so please bear with me while I find my blogging feet (any advice/comments greatly appreciated!) and Twitter wings http://twitter.com/katiedaleuk

katie dalenoreply@blogger.com1