THE FEARLESS - News!!

I have two pieces of exciting news about my next book, THE FEARLESS (Corgi, 3rd April 2014 in the UK).The first is that US readers will get to read it too – Delacorte will be publishing it in 2015!

And the second is that IT HAS A COVER.

THE.

FEARLESS.

HAS.

A.

COVER.

It's another masterpiece by Larry Rostant, and the fab Kate Ormand is revealing it over on her blog today. So go, take a look, and then come back here and tell me what you think!

*Does a happy dance*

G-Dog Blogs: 10 Questions for April Genevieve Tucholke, Author of Between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea

 

Hello! *waves a paw* My human has finished her latest round of edits for THE FEARLESS now, but she's so busy trying to catch up with everything else that she's handed the blog over to me, G-Dog.

Today is publication day for BETWEEN THE DEVIL AND THE DEEP BLUE SEA by April Genevieve Tucholke (Dial/Penguin Random House). My human has read an ARC and assures me that it's a fantastic book - dark and gothic and twisty. I like the sound of that! Here's the blurb:

You stop fearing the Devil when you're holding his hand...

Nothing much exciting rolls through Violet White's sleepy, seaside town...until River West comes along. River rents the guesthouse behind Violet's crumbling estate, and as eerie, grim things start to happen, Violet begins to wonder about the boy living in her backyard. Is River just a crooked-smiling liar with pretty eyes and a mysterious past? Or could he be something more? Violet's grandmother always warned her about the Devil, but she never said he could be a dark-haired boy who takes naps in the sun, who likes coffee, who kisses you in a cemetery...who makes you want to kiss back. Violet's already so knee-deep in love, she can't see straight. And that's just how River likes it.

Here's what Publisher's Weekly had to say:

Tucholke debuts with a thoroughly eerie novel set in a quintessential horror-story location: a quaint Maine town. Violet White and her 17-year-old twin brother are living in the dilapidated glory of their family’s coastal estate while their parents traipse Europe. To help pay the bills, Violet places an ad for a boarder for their guesthouse; it’s quickly answered by River West, a mysterious boy who cannily avoids giving straight answers about his past. Violet doesn’t typically pay boys much mind, but she’s soon spending the night with River, both drawn to and wary of him. The enigma of who or what River is pulls readers through the story with steady, unsettling momentum, especially as frightening visions and events pile up (at one point, the town’s children form a ragtag army, ready to battle the Devil with wooden stakes) and family secrets come to light. Tucholke luxuriates in the details of small-town life, including her characters’ gourmand tendencies and their quick-witted interactions, in a chilling supernatural exploration of free will and reality’s fluidity. 

And here's the cover:

To celebrate all this awesomeness, I asked April ten questions:

Books or TV?

Books.

Facts or fiction?

Fiction.

Coffee or tea?

Coffee. Always.

Sweet or savoury?

Savoury.

Shoes or boots?

Boots. No question.

Fields or forest?

Forest. 

Cats or dogs?

Dogs. Dogs, dogs, dogs. (Hooray!)

Sun or rain?

I used to be very rain. And then I lived in Portland, OR and Edinburgh. Now I'm sun, with the occasional big thunderstorm. 

Sea or shore?

Shore. I love the ocean, but it scares me. 

Odd or even?

Odd. Always.

You can buy DEVIL from Amazon, Barnes and Noble or Books-a-Million.

April Genevieve Tucholke digs classic movies, red-headed villains, big kitchens, and discussing murder at the dinner table. She and her husband Nate Pedersen live in Oregon at the edge of a forest.

Find April on Twitter

Check out her website

Happy Book Birthday, April – hope you're having a blast!

Wags,

G-Dog.

Before and After

I thought it was time to do a post about what life's like now I'm a published author. Getting here has been a very surreal and exciting journey, with lots of waiting, bursts of panic and moments of total awesomeness.

So what's changed? Well, I have a book published, and another coming out next year. This has been a dream of mine since I was 13 years old, and to say it's been a life-altering experience is an understatement. Whatever happens in the future – and I hope that involves getting more books published, but you can never take anything for granted in this business – there is a book out there with my name on it. Yes, I'm still pinching myself.

Even more thrilling is when readers get in touch to tell you they've enjoyed your book. My favourite email so far has to be from a lady who told me that thanks to ACID, she's started reading again after a very long break. To think that the words I wrote on my sofa, on my dented laptop, can do that for someone… wow.

I've also been doing lots of school visits and events. Writing can be a lonely business, and it's so much fun to get out and meet readers and other authors – I love it!

What hasn't changed, however, is that I still don't feel like I know what I'm doing. At all. 

I used to think that if I got published, something would go ping inside my head and all the struggles I encountered when trying to write my novels would magically disappear. I'd feel confident about my plots. I'd be able to work out my characters' motivations first time round. I wouldn't get stuck halfway through and have to go back and work out where it had all gone wrong. And I most definitely wouldn't have many, many days where I felt like the Worst Writer Ever™ and doubted my ability to finish a single sentence.

Er… no. Ironically, since ACID sold, I've doubted myself more, not less. This has partly been the dreaded second novel syndrome (yes, it exists) - writing to a deadline for the first time EVER, worrying whether my publisher will like it, worrying whether readers will like it… you get the idea.

Part of it also comes from being more aware of the writing process. Now, when something in my stories isn't working, I know straight away. I can no longer kid myself that it'll be OK, and carry on in a haze of blissful ignorance. These days, writing is a stop-start-stop-start process for me; very rarely do I sit down and start typing, and the words just flow.

But I've found ways of coping, mostly by reminding myself that I've done this before, and I can do it again. There's always a way through, even if finding it involves a lot of rewriting, hair-pulling and wine coffee drinking.

And nothing beats the excitement of opening up a blank word document and typing the first line of a story that's been keeping you awake at night – it's worth all the stress that inevitably follows, just for that!

Having a support network has helped, too. Getting to know other writers via Twitter and Facebook has led to me being involved with two group blogs, The Lucky 13s and Author Allsorts. Once upon a time, I kept my writing a secret and didn't know any other writers at all. Now, I know many other people who understand the highs and lows of the writing process, which makes those difficult times less scary.

To finish, here are two of those moments of total awesomeness…

No. 1: ACID has been nominated for the 2014 Coventry Inspiration Book Award, 'Just the Book' (14+) category. I don't know who else is on the shortlist yet, and the winner isn't announced until February, but as soon as I have more details, I'll let you know. Here's the 2013 shortlist - I think you'll agree that whoever's on it this time round, I'm going to be in some very distinguished company!

No. 2: last week, ACID was Number 3 in the Waterstones Children's Sci-Fi Bestsellers list, two books below Rick Yancey's THE FIFTH WAVE. Waah! A huge thank you to everyone who's bought, read and helped spread the word about ACID - it wouldn't have got there without you!

Thank you!!

Before you go, check out today's post over at Author Allsorts, where I and some other members of the group are sharing our favourite pieces of advice for budding authors and illustrators.

See you next time!

The Big Book Bash!

Normally, I wouldn't get up at 6am on a Sunday for anything or anybody, but Sunday 14th July saw me staggering leaping out of bed not long after the birds had started singing… Why? I hear you ask. What madness is this?!

You might remember that last year, I volunteered to help out at the Big Book Bash, a day of author events and workshops for foster children and families and children in care. This year's was extra special as it was the 10th Big Book Bash, so I was thrilled not only to be volunteering, but to be taking part as an author as well!

I started the day in volunteer mode, frantically framing certificates for a presentation later on. Then I had to dash to get ready for the opening ceremony. It was both fabulous and surreal, especially when Nick Sharratt (yes, THE Nick Sharratt) grabbed my hand and tried to get everyone to sway in time to the DaleDiva Women's Chorus. Due to my extreme lack of co-ordination, we only managed to get half the group dancing, but hey, we tried!

After that, I switched back to volunteer mode, helping a colleague run a Bag Books session. Bag Books produce tactile, multi-sensory books for children and adults with disabilities, and the stories in the session went down a storm, especially the one about CJ the library cat! It was great to see the kids having so much fun, and definitely something I'd like to get involved with in the future.

Then I hurried up the corridor to the Green Room (yes, we had a green room!) for lunch, where I chatter to Jon Mayhew and admired Sophia Bennet's fabulous shoes, and got ready for my panel discussion with fellow Author Allsorts Fletcher Moss (THE POISON BOY) and Sarah Naughton (THE HANGED MAN RISES). It was lovely to meet them both in real life at last. Sadly, I 'died' in the first round of Sarah's Victorian It's a Knockout, but that didn't spoil the enjoyment of hearing them talk about their books. I highly recommend you go out and buy both books now!

The day ended with a dash down to the marquee to get my copy of 'PANTS' signed by Nick Sharratt… who drew me a pair of smiley pants! Then, loaded down with a fabulous commemorative 10th Big Book Bash calendar and glass book, it was time to head home. HUGE thanks to Annie Everall and everyone else who makes the BBB so special – here's to many more years of this amazing event!

Smiley pants!

Busy, Busy, Busy...

Hello! I've been so busy recently, this blog has been getting a bit neglected. Sorry, blog. It's not you, it's me. Really.

Anyhow, this is what I've been up to...

You might remember my last post about the Totally Random Blog Tour with Amy McCulloch and Karen Mahoney. Well, it was fantastic! The Goodreads and Facebook chats were my favourite bits - I loved finding out more about Karen and Amy's writing processes, and we were asked some great questions on Facebook.

A few weeks ago, I took part in Literally Coventry Literature Festival. In the morning, I gave a talk at Tile Hill Wood School - my first talk ever, so I was very happy that no-one fell asleep or threw things, and that the students asked loads of brilliant questions at the end. Even better, my PowerPoint worked! Then I was whisked off to Coventry library for lunch and had time for a wander round and a look at the cathedral before being taken to King Henry VIII School to run a writing workshop. It was a lovely day, and I'd like to say a huge thank you to Joy Court and everyone involved with the festival, the staff at the library and both schools, and especially to Tracy and Sophie Lynch for looking after me so well. 

Next up was a workshop and talk for the Teen Book Group at Chesterfield library. They produced some great work, and I really enjoyed chatting to them about writing and books!

After that, I led a day of novel writing workshops at Alfreton Library for Derbyshire County Council and Writing East Midlands. I was a little nervous as it's the first time I've done anything like this, but the day absolutely flew by, and I was so impressed by the standard of work that everyone produced. 

I also did a panel at Ashbourne Library with INFINITE SKY author CJ Flood, which was chaired by former Derbyshire Poet Laureate River Wolton. It was a fun evening and we were asked some really interesting questions about our work and what it's like to be debut authors.

Then, this week, it was off to Brookfield Community School in Chesterfield, where I led 3 workshop sessions for Year 9 through to 6th form. I've done some work with the school before, and once again was struck by the enthusiasm of the staff and pupils, and the commitment the school have to nurturing creativity.

I've also recently found out that ACID is going to be an audiobook - squee! It will be released as an audio CD and download from The Listening Library on 11th March 2014, which is also now my official release date for the US edition of the book... which is going to be a hardcover! Double squee!

And FINALLY... Since before Christmas, I've been helping Cathy Grindrod, who's been writer in residence in a school in Nottingham for a charity called First Story. First Story place writers in secondary schools where they run after-school writing clubs, which results in the work the students produce during these sessions being published in an anthology. The whole experience has been brilliant, and last night, the school launched their anthology at Waterstones in Nottingham. It was a proud moment to see the students get up to read their work - they have worked so hard, and sharing your work with a room full of people takes a lot of courage, whatever age you are. I'm not ashamed to admit that afterwards, I got a bit emotional and had to go and hide in the loo for 5 minutes to compose myself!

Actually, that's not quite it, because before I go, I have to tell you about a fantastic book I read recently. It's called MY FRIEND THE ENEMY and it's by Dan Smith, who's already written three thrillers for adults, DRY SEASON, DARK HORIZONS and THE CHILD THIEF. Now he's turned his pen (or rather, his laptop) to writing for children, and if this book is anything to go by, I predict that by the end of the summer, Mr Smith is going to be well on the way to world domination… now that's a scary thought. 

Anyhow, the book is out from Chicken House today - hooray! - and here's the summary from Amazon:

Summer, 1941. For Peter, the war is a long way away, being fought by a faceless enemy, marching across places he's never seen. Until the night it comes to him. A German plane is shot down over the woods that his Dad looked after, before he went off to fight. Peter rushes to the crash site to find something exciting to keep. But what he finds instead is someone: a young and injured German airman. The enemy. Here. And in trouble. Suddenly, helping him seems like the right thing to do.

 This book opens with one of the most thrilling opening chapters I've ever read. I loved the main characters, Peter and Kit, and found the depiction of their developing friendship touching and realistic. The character of the German airman, Erik, was also skilfully drawn. The book has obviously been thoroughly researched, but the story is so well told that the historical details fit seamlessly, never getting in the way. The pace is fast and the writing vivid and exciting as the plot twists and turns all the way to the nailbiting finale. MY FRIEND THE ENEMY reminded me of a childhood favourite, Robert Swindells's THE MACHINE GUNNERS, and I'm sure young and adult readers alike will love it.

If you want to read more about Dan, and why and how he wrote the book, head over to Author Allsorts, where you can read my book birthday interview with him. 

Annnd... That's a wrap, folks!

Happy Book Birthday to Joanne Hall and THE ART OF FORGETTING: RIDER!

Today is the official publication day for Joanne Hall's THE ART OF FORGETTING: RIDER (book 1 of The Art of Forgetting sequence). Joanne is a fellow hound minion, the driving force behind the awesome BristolCon, and an all-round nice person, and when she asked if I'd like to read an early copy of the novel, I jumped at the chance – and loved it! Compelling and beautifully written, it's not a book I'll be forgetting any time soon. So to help celebrate her book birthday, I asked Joanne to pop over to the blog and answer a few questions. Take it away, Joanne!

When did you first realise you wanted to be a writer?

I always wrote little stories right from when I could first write, and I used to fold them into “books” – I think my granny still has a book I wrote about a lion when I was about five. Then when I was about six or seven I discovered that writing books was a proper job that people did, and I ditched my initial plan to become a Jedi and decided I would write books instead.

What drew you to writing fantasy/SF?

When I was growing up, the house was always full of books of all kinds. My dad would take me to the cinema to watch fantasy films, and I was lucky enough to grow up in the 1980’s, which was a great period for family friendly fantasy and SF films. My mum and her brother are both SF and Fantasy fans, and they let me raid their bookshelves as much as I liked. It was my Uncle Rob, when I was moaning that I’d read all the good books in the school library and I was bored with reading about kids like me, who lent me The Belgariad (I think I was about ten). About the same time a girl I was friends with at school lent me Anne McCaffrey’s Dragonflight – those are the books that are chiefly responsible for making me the nerd I am today. I read everything in the genre that I could get my hands on, which wasn’t much as we lived in a tiny village with no bookshop, and it was a long trip into town to go to Smiths or Waterstones, but my mum was a passionate library-goer, and it was through the library that I discovered David Gemmell, Terry Pratchett, Marion Zimmer Bradley... It seemed natural that the stories I wrote were fantasy, because that was what I loved to read.

Who inspires you?

I suck up inspiration from all over the place, like a blobby old sponge. It can be anything – there was a story on the news last night about a man who goes fishing every morning in the Fukushima fall-out zone, even though the fish are radioactive and he has to put them back, because that’s where he used to fish and now it’s the only thing in his life that’s normal. That kicked off all sorts of story ideas. As for people; my friends who are also writers inspire me and push me on to do better. Inspiration – it’s kind of a hard thing to quantify....

What is the best and worst advice you've been given about writing?

“Write what you know” is terrible advice, and it’s one I hear a lot. If everyone just stuck to writing what they knew, where would speculative fiction be? Far better to write what you love, what you’re interested in, what you feel passionate about. And if you don’t know about what you’re writing about, get out there and learn about it!

The best advice always seems to come from my friend Gareth L Powell, who posts regular advice columns on his blog, but most of my favourites, and the advice I turn back to over and over again, are the ones about getting the ruddy thing finished. All first drafts suck; you can’t edit a blank page; get it written, then get it right. I find myself repeating these on a regular basis!

Can you tell us about your journey to becoming published author?

I wrote a book (Hierath), I sent it out to everywhere I could think of, I amassed a lovely collection of “Thanks-but-no-thanks” letters, and while I was doing that I wrote another book. By the time the second book was finished, I had an acceptance for a trilogy from Epress Online, a small press publisher based in Florida, so I wrote the third book. Publishing takes a really long time, so while I was editing the books that they had accepted, I started work on another book.

Sadly, the two woman who ran Epress, Joan McNulty Pulver and Margaret Carr, died within a few months of each other, and the company folded and the rights where returned to me. So I had three books out but no publisher, one finished manuscript (The Art of Forgetting) and another one that was halfway through. So I started looking for a publisher all over again, and I can tell you it’s no easier second time around. I found my current publishers, Kristell Ink, on Twitter. They’re a new publisher based in Oxford, and I was keen to go with them because they had no upper word limit (Art of Forgetting is loooong….). It didn’t take long for them to get back to me, and they said they loved it, only… “it’s a bit long….” Which is why it’s coming out in two volumes!

What is your dream writing day like?

Get up, have a cup of tea, walk the dog in the sunshine, write 1500 words of scintillating brilliance before a lunch of coffee and calorie-free cake with a good friend, write another 1500 words of scintillating brilliance, walk the dog, come back to find tea cooked for me by my boyfriend, curl up with a movie or a good book (This Never Happens)

And what's your actual writing day like?

Fall out of bed, groan at my hair, drag the dog around in the rain, stare at a keyboard until my eyeballs bleed, fart around on Twitter, type a bit, delete it, do some admin, fart around on Twitter some more…  I try and write 1000 words a day between bouts of hideous procrastination and furious admin-ing, and I usually get most of them done before lunch, because I’m more awake in the mornings. But I’m the world’s most easily distracted person, so it doesn’t always work out like that!

What's your favourite...

Film?

Star Wars : A New Hope. PROPER Star Wars, watched at an impressionable age. I’ve seen it a million times, but if I turn on the TV and it’s on I’ll still drop whatever I’m doing and watch it. Other favourites are Labyrinth, Terminator, Dogma and The Princess Bride.

Song/piece of music?

“Motorcycle Emptiness” by Manic Street Preachers. The Manics are my all-time favourite band, I’ve seen them live dozens of times. I worked in record shops for years, and I’m into all kinds of music.

Book?

“The Lord of The Rings” – I don’t read it that often, but when I go back to it I’m reminded why I love it – it’s the perfect fantasy novel.

Links  
www.hierath.co.uk – my blog

www.kristell-ink.com – publishers

@hierath77 – Twitter 

About Joanne
Joanne Hall is the same age as Star Wars, which explains a lot….  She lives in Bristol, England with her partner.  She enjoys reading, writing, listening to music, playing console games, watching movies, eating chocolate and failing to exercise.

A full-time author since 2003, Joanne’s “New Kingdom” fantasy trilogy was published by Epress Online, and was a finalist in both the PLUTO and EPPIE awards .  Her short stories have appeared in many publications, both print and online, including Afterburn SF, Quantum Muse, and The Harrow.
She has had short stories published in several anthologies, including “Pirates of the Cumberland Basin” in Future Bristol, and “Corpse Flight” in Dark Spires.  Her short story collection, “The Feline Queen” was published in March 2011 by Wolfsinger Publications, and her fourth novel, “The Art of Forgetting”, has been accepted for publication by Kristell Ink and will be released towards the end of 2013.

For the last four years, Joanne has been the Chair of BristolCon, Bristol’s premier (and only!) science fiction and fantasy convention  She also runs the Bristol Fantasy and SF Society Facebook group, and occasionally works in an editing position for Dark Ocean Studios, a small comics company based in San Jose, as well as taking on freelance editing projects.

She is the co-editor, with Roz Clarke and Rick Novy, of “Colinthology”, a tribute anthology to the late Colin Harvey, which also includes her short story “Lukewarm in Lynhelm.”  “Colinthology” was published as an ebook in October 2012 by Wizards Tower, and launched at BristolCon.
She sometimes answers to “BristolCon” and talks about herself in the third person on the internet.  She is always happy to hear from readers, either via the “Talk to Me” form or via Twitter ( @hierath77 ).
 

About THE ART OF FORGETTING: RIDER

A young boy leaves his village to become a cavalryman with the famous King’s Third regiment; in doing so he discovers both his past and his destiny.

Gifted and cursed with a unique memory, the foundling son of a notorious traitor, Rhodri joins an elite cavalry unit. There, struggling with his own memories of his father, he begins to discover a sense of belonging. That is, until a face from the past reveals a secret that will change not only Rhodri’s life but the fate of a nation. Gifted and cursed with a unique memory, the foundling son of a notorious traitor, Rhodri joins an elite cavalry unit. There, struggling with his own memories of his father, he begins to discover a sense of belonging. That is, until a face from the past reveals a secret that will change not only Rhodri’s life but the fate of a nation.Gifted and cursed with a unique memory, the foundling son of a notorious traitor, Rhodri joins an elite cavalry unit stationed in the harbour town of Northpoint. His training reveals his talents and brings him friendship, love and loss, and sexual awakening; struggling with his memories of his father who once ruled there, he begins to discover a sense of belonging. That is, until a face from the past reveals a secret that will change not only Rhodri’s life but the fate of a nation. Then, on his first campaign, he is forced to face the extremes of war and his own nature.

This, the first part of The Art of Forgetting, is a gripping story about belonging and identity, set in a superbly imagined and complex world that is both harsh and beautiful.

What others are saying about THE ART OF FORGETTING: RIDER
 
‘A roistering romp, with darker undercurrents... Intriguing characters in a setting both familiar and different'

Francis Knight, author of ‘Fade to Black’, Orbit publishing

‘...another excellent addition to Joanne Hall’s rapidly growing collection of published works.’

Robert Harkess, author of ‘Aphrodite’s Dawn’, Salt Publishing.

‘With characters real enough to touch and a storyline that tugs on the heartstrings . . . a tale that will linger long after the pages close.’

Fantasy Faction

Buy THE ART OF FORGETTING: RIDER from Forbidden Planet today! (click for link)

Interview With Leigh Ann Kopans, Author of ONE

I've been excited about this post for a looooong time. I first met Leigh Ann Kopans on Twitter after discovering her blog, which is packed full of insight, humour and honesty. When she announced that she would be self-publishing her debut novel, ONE, and asked me if I would like to read an early copy, I jumped at the chance because I'd already heard a lot about it and was desperate to get hold of it. And oh my goodness, WHAT A BOOK. I seriously loved it. It's original, fast-paced and has a strong, edgy main character who doesn't need anyone to rescue her, thank you very much. Here's the cover (isn't it gorgeous?) and the blurb:

One

When having two powers makes you a Super and having none makes you a Normal, having only one makes you a sad half-superpowered freak.

It makes you a One.

Sixteen-year-old Merrin Grey would love to be able to fly – too bad all she can do is hover.

If she could just land an internship at the Biotech Hub, she might finally figure out how to fix herself. She busts her butt in AP Chem and salivates over the Hub’s research on the manifestation of superpowers, all in hopes of boosting her chances.

Then she meets Elias VanDyne, another One, and all her carefully crafted plans fly out the window. Literally. When the two of them touch, their Ones combine to make them fly, and when they’re not soaring over the Nebraska cornfields, they’re busy falling for each other.

Merrin's mad chemistry skills land her a spot on the Hub's internship short list, but as she gets closer to the life she always wanted, she discovers that the Hub’s purpose is more sinister than it has always seemed. Now it’s up to her to decide if it's more important to fly solo, or to save everything - and everyone - she loves.

So, to celebrate the impending release of ONE, which is out on 11th June, I invited Leigh Ann to take part in a one-themed interview…
 

 Hi, Leigh Ann, and welcome to the blog!

Thank you so much! I’ve been reading your blog forever, so I’m seriously fangirling that I’m ON it. Whoa. Just…whoa.

Can you sum up your novel, ONE, in one sentence?

ONE is about Merrin Grey, a girl with half a superpower, the boy who makes her fly, and the terrifying truths about the Supers’ Biotechnology Hub they must uncover to survive.

What is the one thing you hope readers take away with them after reading the novel?

That they should never take “no” for an answer.  If you want something badly enough, find a way to make it happen.

Name one thing that inspired you while you were writing ONE (and why).

Music was a HUGE inspiration! So many songs are about the desire to fly, literally or figuratively, or the sky, which is my main character Merrin’s obsession.

What is the one piece of advice you'd give to aspiring authors?

Surround yourself with people who will give you two things: The critique you need and the support you need. Both are invaluable.

What is the one thing you can't manage without when you're writing?

Coffeeandchocolate. If I say them together like that, do they count as one thing?

Definitely! :D If you had to pick one favourite book, what would it be?

Jane Eyre. It has it all – the creepies, the romance, the drama. It was my first book love, and I think it’ll be my last, too.

If you had to pick one favourite song, what would it be?

Just one? Like, for all moods? You are TOUGH, Emma! Right now, I’m going to say “Happiness” by the Fray, because it encompasses so many different ones.

If you had to pick one favourite place, where would it be?

My husband and I visited Arizona last year, and it’s my new dream home (sorry, Ohio!) The dry heat, the glorious sunshine, the big red rocks and cacti, and all the open space…it’s like an introverted writer with Seasonal Affective Disorder’s dream.

If you had to pick one favourite food, what would it be?

A macaron ice cream sandwich from Jeni’s Ice Creams. Pure heaven. (http://www.jenis.com/ice-cream-sandwich-8-pack-collection/)

And one last thing… If you could have one superpower for a day, what would it be (and why)?

Just one day? I’d fly, for sure. Just like Merrin.

Thank you so much for having me today, Emma! You’ve been such an incredible friend and support throughout my debut process and I can’t thank you enough. 

 You're so welcome, Leigh Ann - thank you for such great answers! I wish you every success with ONE and hope that everyone who reads it loves it as much as I do! 

Click here to preorder ONE through Leigh Ann's website. 

What people are saying about One: 

One balances a fully imagined, super world with deep, well-crafted characters and took me on a heart pounding, heartbreakingly authentic journey I hated to see end. 

~Trisha Leigh, author of The Last Year series and the upcoming The Historians

 I opened One and didn't put it down. On the surface it's a fast-paced superhero story combined with all the wonderful and terrible aspects of teenage life, but beneath that is the story of a girl who only wants to be more than she is. It's a fun adventure cloaking a simple but powerful truth of the human condition. 

~Francesca Zappia, author of the upcoming Ask Again Later (Greenwillow/HarperCollins 2014)

And here's my blurb (you can read the rest of my review on Goodreads here- http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/509274383):

Exciting, edgy, romantic and beautifully written, ONE is a book from an incredible new writing talent that will leave you longing for more! 

About Leigh Ann

Raised on comic books and classic novels, Leigh Ann developed an early love of science fiction and literature. As an adult, she rediscovered her love for not only reading, but also writing the types of fiction that enchanted her as a teen. Her debut novel, ONE, is about a girl with only half a superpower, the boy who makes her fly, and her struggle to make herself whole.

Leigh Ann, her husband, and four children live in Columbus, Ohio. When she’s not immersed in the world of fiction, you can find her obsessing over the latest superhero movie or using her kids as an excuse to go out for ice cream (again.)

 Contact

Twitter: @LeighAnnKopans

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/LeighAnnKopansbooks

Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6439443.LeighAnn_Kopans

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Email: LeighAnnKopans@gmail.com

 

Any Other Name Is Here - Join The Shenanigans!

                                      

I'm really pleased to welcome Emma Newman back to the blog today. A writer of post-apocalyptic fiction and short stories, Emma is also the author of The Split Worlds, a quirky urban fantasy series published by Angry Robot Books. The first book, Between Two Thorns, came out earlier this year and has been receiving rave reviews. Now, the second book in the series, Any Other Name, is being unleashed on the world, and Emma has asked me to take part in the celebrations. Of course, I said yes!

Here's the blurb (doesn't it sound good?!):

Any Other Name follows on directly after the events in Between Two Thorns. Cathy is secretly seeking a way out of Nether Society by helping Max and the gargoyle to investigate the murders in the Bath Chapter. When she learns more about the mysterious Agency which oils the wheels of life in the Nether it becomes clear that the privileged few are enjoying their existence at a price far higher than they realised. It's time to change Nether society, but with assassins, Fae lords and revengeful fallen Rosas to deal with, can Cathy survive long enough to make a difference?

 

Pre-order/buy the book here:

 

Release date: 28th May US/Canada paperback, audio and e-book worldwide, 6th June 2013 UK paperback

Signed copies will be available from Toppings Books, Bath and Forbidden Planet.

Pre-order options

UK Print & Ebook
Amazon.co.uk | Book Depository | Waterstones |
US Print & Ebook
Amazon.com | BarnesandNoble.com | IndieBound.org
DRM-Free Epub Ebook
On-sale May 28th 2013 from the Robot Trading Company

Pre-order the audio version from The Book Depository | BarnesandNoble.com

And now for the shenanigans!

Emma has hidden descriptions of objects from Any Other Name on the Split Worlds website. They can only be found via direct links, and there are going to be 12 in total, so look out for the other links! Here's the one for this blog...

http://www.splitworlds.com/split-worlds-extra/secret_object_5th/

As for Emma, you can find her on her website www.enewman.co.uk, on Twitter and on Facebook. Thanks for letting me host you today, Emma, and very best of luck with Any Other Name - I can't wait to read it!

The Totally Random Blog Tour!

Drum roll please… I'm really excited to share details of the Totally Random Book Tour, which I'll be taking part in along with Amy McCulloch and Karen Mahoney, starting this Monday! Woo-hoo!

Here's where we'll be and what we'll be doing:

WEEK ONE
Mon 27th May – “Our Top 5 writing tips!” – MOVELLAS
Tue 28th May – “Book Reviews” – SUGARSCAPE
Wed 29th May – “If I wasn’t a writer, I would be…” – CHICKLISH
Thurs 30th May – “Dream Cast” – BOOKS FOR COMPANY
Fri 31st May – “Group Discussion” – GOODREADS 6pm-7pm

WEEK TWO
Mon 3rd June – “Dream literary dinner party guestlist” – BOOK PASSION FOR LIFE
Tue 4th June – “Places that inspire your writing” – SABLE CAUGHT
Wed 5th June – “Webchat” – TOTALLY RANDOM FACEBOOK (5-6pm)
Thurs 6th June – “Soundtrack to your writing” – WONDROUS READS
Fri 7th June – “Group interview” – TOTALLY RANDOM BOOKS 

See you there!

I'm The Totally Random Author In Residence!

Head over to Totally Random Books now to read my first post, which is about my writing rituals – and tell me about yours!

Also, the Totally Random Tour starts on Monday! I'm going to be doing a blog tour with Amy McCulloch and Karen Mahoney (apparently we're "responsible for some of the coolest teen and YA books around", which is rather nice to know!). More details very soon!