A Signed Book for Christmas?

It's almost December already - where did the year go? It'll be Christmas before we know it!
If you're shopping for a book-lover and think they would like a signed and personally dedicated copy of any of my books (from young readers up to young adult), just email me at katiedaleauthor@hotmail.com

I will send anywhere in the world. (all books cost RRP + postage)

Merry Christmas!

For younger readers:

Click here for more information about these books

FAIRY TALE TWSTS! For readers aged 5+ 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!  RRP £4.99 published by Orchard Books

For readers aged 9-12 

MUMNESIA!: Lucy's mum is so out of date she's practically mouldy! She's super-strict, overprotective and won't let Lucy go to the school ball! Lucy can't believe she was EVER a teenager . . . until the morning her mum wakes up with no memory of the last thirty years - and thinks she's a twelve year old time-travelling from the 1980s!  All Lucy wants is for her mum to go back to being her old self - but how?" 

RRP £6.99 published by Macmillan Children's Books

THE NEVER-ENDING BIRTHDAY Twins Max and Anni have had the worst birthday ever. Max has missed a vital goal in the football Cup Final and Anni has fallen out with her best friend. Feeling thoroughly miserable, Max and Anni sneak downstairs at midnight and light the candles on their untouched birthday cake and, as they blow them out, they make a wish . . . to redo the day!

When they wake up, their wish has come true! And this time Max and Anni aren't going to mess things up. But little do they realize that they are going to have to relive their birthday again . . . and again . . . and again. 

RRP £6.99 published by Macmillan Children's Books

Young Adult Novels 
SOMEONE ELSE'S LIFE: 

Click here for more information about this book

When seventeen-year-old Rosie’s mother, Trudie, dies from Huntington’s Disease, her pain is intensified by the knowledge that she has a fifty-per-cent chance of inheriting the crippling disease herself.
Only when she tells her mum’s best friend, ‘Aunt Sarah’ that she is going to test for the disease does Sarah, a midwife, reveal that Trudie was not her biological mother after all...
Devastated, Rosie decides to trace her real mother, hitching along on her ex-boyfriend’s GAP year to follow her to LA.
But all does not go to plan, and as Rosie discovers yet more of her family's deeply-buried secrets and lies, she is left with an agonising decision of her own - one which will be the most heart-breaking and far-reaching of all... "
RRP £6.99 published by Simon & Schuster UK; Delacorte Press (US); Doubleday (Canada) 

LITTLE WHITE LIES

Click here for more information about this book

Lou Shepherd takes the opportunity of starting at university to reinvent herself – completely. She dyes her hair and changes her name in an attempt to hide her past – but then she meets a guy who's doing exactly the same thing, for very different reasons. Why does Christian clam up every time Lou asks about his past? Why doesn’t he have any family photos, and why does he dye his blond hair black?
Lou finds herself falling for Christian, so when his house goes up in flames, his tires are slashed, and he flees for his life, she insists on going with him. But as Christian’s secret is finally unveiled in front of the whole world, it seems everything he’s ever told Lou is a lie. Can what the media are saying about him really be true? Should Lou trust him? Or is she in grave danger? And was their chance encounter really an accident at all…?
As lie follows lie, nothing is as it seems, and soon Lou finds herself ensnared in a web of deceit, her loyalties torn, her emotions in tatters as she faces a heart-wrenching dilemma: should she shatter the lives of those she holds dearest, or betray the guy who, against all odds, she's fallen in love with?
RRP £6.99 published by Simon & Schuster UK; Delacorte Press (US); Doubleday (Canada) 

OMGA - It's a Family Affair!

I always look forward to the SCBWI (Society of Children's Authors Writers and Illustrators) Mass Book Launch Party. Writing can be rather a solitary occupation, and SCBWIs (affectionately pronounce "Scoobies") are among the friendliest people in the world, so it's a wonderful opportunity to get together for  lovely chat, catch up with old friends and meet new ones, sharing news and celebrating our new books together - in fancy dress, no less! (theme: children's book characters of course!).

Can you guess which children's book characters we are dressed as?

But this year was extra special, because for the first time my Mum, Elizabeth Dale, and my sister, Jenny Jinks, and I were ALL launching books together!
Actually, Mum was launching THREE books!
NOTHING CAN FRIGHTEN A BEAR is a rhyming picture book published by Nosy Crow, and follows the story of little bear who hears a scary sound in the night, so the family of bears embark on an expedition through the woods to prove that there is nothing to be scared of - or is there?

Nothing Can Frighten a Bear!

HUG ME TIGHT is a board book with furry arms, perfect for hugging!

Hug Me Tight

And a treasury FULL of Teddy Tales!

My Treasury of Teddy Tales

Jenny's book is technically LOTS of stories in one, as it is another treasury - this time a TREASURY OF BEDTIME STORIES! Filled with gentle tales of magic and adventure, it is perfect bedtime reading, and beautifully illustrated too. Not bad for her very first published book!

A Treasury of Bedtime Stories

To be honest, I feel like a bit of a slacker in comparison, launching only one book, MUMNESIA!, but I decided to make up for it by dressing as Lucy, my main character! Can you spot the differences?

(Any excuse to wear fingerless gloves!)

One of the highlights of the party every year is the cake - a different one each time, which features the cover and/or characters from each one of the newly published books, and is always a marvel to behold (and extremely yummy too!).
Can you spot our book covers on the cake? And Lucy from Mumnesia, climbing up the side?!

Congratulations to all the SCBWIs who launched books this year, and if you're thinking of writing or illustrating a children's book yourself, I highly recommend joining SCBWI. You won't find a more friendly, helpful, encouraging and knowledgeable group of people, and who knows, maybe I'll see you at the party next year!

MUMNESIA Blogtour & Goody-Bag Contest!

OMGA! 

Look what was spotted in Asda and Morrisons! MUMNESIA! In the wild! Next to David Walliams! For £3.50! I'm so excited I'm holding a contest! 

If you spot MUMNESIA in a supermarket or bookshop, take a piccie and email me your snaps to katiedaleauthor@hotmail.com! 

Double points for selfies! 

All entries (UK only) will enter the 

MUMNESIA GOODY-BAG Prize Draw!

The MUMNESIA Goody-Bag!!

Meanwhile, why not join me on my blogtour - where there's an extra chance to enter each day (and a special bonus prize draw for all 8 correct answers)!

MUMNESIA Launch & GIVEAWAY!

 Whoop Whoop! MUMNESIA! is OUT NOW! 

I'm so excited I'm running a giveaway! 

(see bottom of the page for details!)

Win a whole bag of MUMNESIA goodies!

I was a little bit naughty for this book and actually had my launch party last week at Waterstones Islington - a WHOLE WEEK early! - and had so much fun I wanted to share a sneaky peek at my party photo album, and share my five steps to a RAD launch party!

Step 1: Get party supplies together!

Step 2, Decorate Nails!

Step 3. Dress like it's the 80s!

Step 4. Make sure there's LOTS of fun stuff to eat and do!

Step 5. Add lots of wonderful friends and family (the most vital ingredient) and PAR-TAY!
(L-R My mum, author Elizabeth Dale, author Sarwat Chadda,
my sister, a Pat Sharp wannabe, me and author Tamsyn Murray!)

The fab author Sarwat Chadda re-enacting the 80s
- mobile phones really were HUGE back in the day!

Rubik's Cubes are HARD!
Lovely Kathy Evans (author of More of Me)
 with wonderful crimped 80s hair!

My lovely agent Jenny Savill and her daughter
performing an extract of MUMNESIA - fabulously!

And my lovely publishers Macmillan
 even gave me a MUMNESIA necklace!

Everyone wrote down their fave memories of the 80s:
Roller Boots and Rara skirts, Hair Wraps, ABBA,
Reebok High-Tops, Wacaday, Adam Ant,
Crimped Hair and Shell-Suits, Mullet Hair,
Wham, Thundercats, Leg-Warmers and
 Spitting Image all feautured - and my fave...

I'm so thrilled that the fab Lilly Lazuli (centre) who illustrated
the cover could come to the party - it was the first time we'd met!

My lovely friend Kathy even took Polaroid photos!
Pics to treasure forever :)

It was a wonderful evening that I'll never forget. 

Now for the giveaway! 

To enter the draw (UK only) to win the MUMNESIA goody bag, 

simply answer the question: 

WHO ILLUSTRATED THE COVER FOR MUMNESIA?

Email your answer to katiedaleauthor@hotmail.com

Or answer via my Contact Form!

Good luck! And I hope you're having a wonderful day!

MUMNESIA Launch Party invitation!

WHOOP WHOOP! My new book MUMNESIA! comes out soon and to celebrate I'm holding a launch party THIS THURSDAY - AND YOU'RE ALL INVITED!

Here are the details:

(Thursday 9th June, 6.30-8pm Waterstones Islington)

After writing YA and younger children's fiction, MUMNESIA! is my first middle grade book and is a comedy/drama pitched as "Freaky Friday - without magic!" and is being published by Macmillan Children's Books on 16th June - or get a sneaky early copy at the party!

Here's the blurb:

"Lucy's mum is so out of date she's practically mouldy. She's super-strict, overprotective and won't let Lucy go to the school ball! Lucy can't believe she was EVER a teenager . . . until the morning her mum wakes up with no memory of the last thirty years - and thinks she's a twelve year old time-travelling from the 1980s!

All Lucy wants is for her mum to go back to being her old self - but how?"

And some early reviews from some totally fab authors!

"You'll laugh, you'll cringe, you'll never look at your mum in quite the same way again..." - Joanna Nadin, author of THE RACHEL RILEY DIARIES

"Mum minus memory = a whole lot of FUN!" - Tamsyn Murray, author of the COMPLETELY CASSIDY series

"Fast and funny; a Freaky Friday for the twenty-first century!" - Jo Cotterill, author of the SWEET HEARTS series and A LIBRARY OF LEMONS

I'm super-excited and really hope to see you on Thursday!

An A-MAZE-ING Book Festival!

Hello lovelies!

Well it's been a very exciting couple of weeks!

Firstly, I went to Balletomane's performance of THE THREE MAGIC MICE BALLET!  I was completely blown away by their performance and so honoured that they chose one of my books. It really was just magical watching the characters come to life. The fabulous Balletomane are a self-funded company of volunteer dancers (many of whom have non-dance related careers, from architects to social workers!) who bring ballet to people with limited access to the theatre. They perform in public libraries free
of charge, and also offer free workshops in schools to explore story-telling and literacy themes through movement and dance - do let me know if you’d like them to perform at a library near you or come to your school!

Helen searches for the way out

Then I was invited to take part in Linton Bookfest's A-MAZE-ING Storytelling event! Wonderful children’s authors Helen Moss, Yasmin Finch, Janet Bingham and I snuck in early to explore the beautiful gardens, lake and MAZE! A proper “Alice in Wonderland” style hedge maze!

What do you call 4 children's authors
stuck in a maze? Answers on a postcard!

It was very complicated (and there was even a lion in the very middle – eek!) and we got a bit lost, and only just made it out in time to tell our stories!

Helen read from her fantastic ADVENTURE ISLAND series, Janet shared her beautiful picture books DADDY’S LITTLE STAR and THE BEST PRESENT, I read PRINCE CHARMING'S PRINCESS QUEST (and nearly deafened Helen with my Princess Aurora impression!).

Then it was the super-duper very-special world premiere performance of Yasmin Finch’s MR MUSTACHIO – complete with builder outfit and mustaches on sticks!

I love book festivals - there's always such a buzz and excitement about reading and books - and I seized the opportunity to see some of my favourite authors in action.

The lovely Ruth Hatfield ran a workshop based on her novel "The Book of Storms"

Helen Moss and Robin Stevens talk about their anthology of crime stories:
"Mystery and Mayhem" - Helen's story is all about a pineapple!!

I was especially impressed that both Helen and Robin
wore nail varnish to match their book cover! Awesome!

I also went to a fab event on The Hero's Journey by the equally fabulous Candy Gourlay, but I wasn't allowed to take photos, so here's a lovely one of Candy with the library cats instead!

Photo by Ruth Keys

What fun, exciting, inspiring, fascinating events book festivals are! Have you been to any fab festivals lately?

Ballets and Book Covers!

Today I have TWO lots of exciting news!

Firstly, the EXTREMELY SPARKLY cover for my new MG comedy/drama MUMNESIA! is REVEALED over at Serendipity Reviews!
I'm super-excited about this one because it's my first middle grade novel, and after writing gritty YA it's been so refreshing to write something lighter and full of fun - and did I mention it has a SPARKLY cover?? (It literally had me jumping around the room with excitement!) I'll post more about it very soon, but meanwhile do check it out and let me know what you think!

Secondly, I'm off to see the THREE MAGIC MICE ballet again tomorrow! I never get tired of watching it - the ballerinas are beautiful, elegant, fabulous, and super-brave (I've lost count of how many injured feet I've seen backstage - ouch!) Do pop by if you're in Stanmore - it's free, fun, and totally FAB! 
Here are some photos from the last performance to whet your appetite! 

The ballerina narrator finds a book - The Three Magic Mice!

But as she falls asleep the characters come to life!

Cinderella's stepsisters are mean to her 

But the 3 Magic Mice cheer her up!

Cinderella's Fairy Godmother turns the mice into men
so they can take Cinders to the ball!

But the cheeky friends run away from the Fairy Godmother so they
don't have to change back to mice - then turn into 3 Billy Goats!

They flee from a nasty troll!

and become PIGS instead!

But there always seems to be someone after them: a troll, a wolf...

Even Goldilocks!

Will the 3 friends escape from the characters chasing them? Will they ever change back to mice? Come along to the ballet to find out - or read the book!