Friday 31 October 2014

The Blog Lives! And a FEARLESS Giveaway

Hello!

A while ago, I announced I was moving this blog to Tumblr. I really like the format and the immediacy of that platform, but having dipped my toe in the water, so to speak… I've realised it's not for me. I don't have time to keep up with it – like Twitter and Facebook, you have to post and interact there regularly for it to be worthwhile. So I've decided that, just in time for Halloween, I'm bringing this blog back from the dead! [insert spooky ghost noises here] And I've given it a bit of a facelift, too - what do you think?

What have I been up to while this blog has been in stasis? Well, several exciting things have happened. I'm still sworn to secrecy about two of those things, but I'll share when I can. What I can tell you is that THE FEARLESS has been nominated for the 2015 CILIP Carnegie Medal - my second nomination in two years. To say I'm thrilled is an understatement.

I'm also working on some new book ideas, but again, they're top secret at the moment. I'm fairly superstitious about my new ideas, and always think if I talk about them too much it will jinx them, so I'm keeping quiet for now. Sorry!

In between writing and the day job, I've been doing plenty of workshops and events - this week, I ran a teen writing workshop at Wirksworth Library, and also took part in a panel discussion and author Q&A at Lincoln High Street Waterstones with Kerry Drewery and Zoe Marriott. Despite suffering from a horrible cold, I had the BEST time. Fellow authors Kendra Leighton and Rebecca Mascull came along to cheer us on and it was so lovely to meet and chat to everyone. One girl told me that THE FEARLESS made her cry all the way through, and another that ACID is the book that's made her want to write dystopian. Sometimes, when I'm struggling through my first (or second, or third, or tenth…) draft, wondering if anyone will ever want to read the words I'm trying to get onto the page, writing can feel like a lonely and frustrating business. To hear such passionate responses from readers really makes me feel like it's all worth it!





A big thank you to Giles, Kirsty and all the staff at Waterstones Lincoln for looking after us so well. BTW, they have limited amounts of signed stock AND swag from all three of us, so if you're in the area, hurry down and grab some before it sells out!

Finally, to celebrate the blog revival and Halloween, I'm giving away two signed copies of THE FEARLESS. It's dark and gruesome and simply perfect for this time of year, so if you want to win a copy, leave me a comment below and/or follow me on Twitter and tweet about this post with the hashtag #FearlessHalloweenGiveaway. The giveaway is international and entries close on Friday 14th November.

Happy Halloween!

25 comments:

  1. Cool! Glad to see you back on the blog - I couldn't get on with Tumblr either, maybe one day ;) Oo wonder what your secret projects are, will have to keep an eye out for news on here then!
    Congratulations on your nominations!!! Good luck for the next stage.
    Lovely to hear how passionate you still are about your work and passing it on to teens - my daughter LOVES workshops like that but sadly none near us. She's just approached our local library about helping her to start up a teen book club in the meantime - no budget but they're determined together to make it happen somehow.
    Happy Halloween! #FearlessHalloweenGiveaway

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you, Avril! I'm glad to know I'm not the only person who can't do Tumblr. That's a shame about there not being any workshops near you, but I hope your daughter manages to set up her book club!

      Delete
  2. Congratulations on being nominated. Happy Halloween

    ReplyDelete
  3. Emma, how you deserve all this success, after all that hard work. I, for one, will be cheering for you!

    ReplyDelete
  4. Congratulations on your nomination.you deserve it. You know I loved ACID but yet to read FEARLESS, excited I still have it to delve into! Anyone reading this comment should know what an inspiration you are at your workshops, they are exciting and informative and you come away ready to write and write and write! Thank you for being so gracious with your time. Hope to attend another one soon. Have a happy Halloween. #fearlesshalloweengiveaway :)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you so much, Wendy. I hope I see you at another workshop soon. And happy Halloween to you too!

      Delete
  5. Wow, congrats on another nomination! I am excited The Fearless and would love a copy so much... #fearlesshalloweengiveaway

    Rachel
    @ Rachel's Reading Corner

    ReplyDelete
  6. Yay for the blog and for secret projects!

    ReplyDelete
  7. Ooooh!! Welcome back! You chose to come back on my favourite holiday of the year!! =D
    And congratulations in the nomination again!!
    Cannot wait to hear what else you have in works (crossing my fingers for a sequel for The Fearless!!).
    Thank you soooo much for making this giveaway international!!

    ReplyDelete
  8. This looks great! Happy Halloween!

    ReplyDelete
  9. Can I just shout 'Me me me me me me me me!' like the annoying kid in class who wouldn't sit down and put their hand up!
    Congratulations on the nomination Emma - I loved Acid and look forward to reading Fearless :-)

    ReplyDelete
  10. super giveaway thanks for the chance

    ReplyDelete
  11. I am so looking forward to read The Fearless!! I LOVED LOVED Acid!! My favorite book so far! Will there be a book two and three?? I'm praying there will be:) Thank you for this awesome giveaway!!
    livvie_v@yahoo.com

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you, Lisa! I'd love to write a sequel, so all I can say is… watch this space!

      Delete
  12. Congrats on nomination, super excited to read The Fearless, absolutely loved Acid!
    Thanks for a giveaway and for making it international! :)
    Following on twitter: @_Sandra_R_
    https://twitter.com/_Sandra_R_/status/529306958424076290

    ReplyDelete
  13. Congratulations on the nomination! The Fearless sounds really good. I love dystopian. Need to get my hands on a copy of this book asap! Thanks for the international giveaway. #fearlesshalloweengiveaway

    ReplyDelete