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 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!