Between the Lines

Eep! The countdown to the release of Fairy Bad Day is on! Ten days for the US release and 28 days for the Australian/NZ release. I'm over at Between the Lines, the fabulous Australian Penguin Teen site talking about the rise of YA paranormals and why I think it's a good thing!

I'm also getting organized for our upcoming move to Australia. Do I sound cool, calm and collected because trust me I'm not!!!!!! Retweet this button on every post blogger

Another Fairy Competition

I'm over at Darkside Downunder today and there is a copy of Fairy Bad Day up for grabs, so make sure you race over and leave a comment. Yes, I'm talking to you!

In other unrelated news, I've discovered that the best way to stop your family asking for cookies is to accidentally add baking soda instead of baking powder. Who knew that there could be such a simple solution? Retweet this button on every post blogger

GCC presents Elizabeth Scott

Gosh, it seems like forever since we've had a GCC tour but what better way to break the drought than with Elizabeth Scott. I'm such a huge fan of Elizabeth's books (especially Love You, Hate You, Miss You) so it's super exciting to have her here.

Her latest book, Between Here and Forever and here is the skinny:


Abby accepted that she can't measure up to her beautiful, magnetic sister Tess a long time ago, and knows exactly what she is: Second best. Invisible.

Until the accident.

Now Tess is in a coma, and Abby's life is on hold. It may have been hard living with Tess, but it's nothing compared to living without her.

She's got a plan to bring Tess back though, involving the gorgeous and mysterious Eli, but then Abby learns something about Tess, something that was always there, but that she'd never seen.

Abby is about to find out that truth isn't always what you think it is, and that life holds more than she ever thought it could...

1 How did you come up with the idea for this book?

The very start of the idea actually happened back in 2007, when I was writing discussion questions for my first novel, Bloom--I was writing a question about what readers felt the future held for all the characters--and accidentally paired up two characters who weren't
supposed to be! At the time, I laughed and changed it, glad I'd caught my mistake--but for some reason the idea of those two characters stayed in my mind and I actually wrote the first scene where they meet and connect on an entirely new level.

But at the time, I had a bunch of other stuff going on, and I wasn't sure if anyone would even want to read a sequel to Bloom that wasn't about Lauren and Evan. So, I kept the idea of those two characters together, floating around, and when I got the idea for Abby and her story--well, let's just say those two characters from Bloom were perfect for an important role in the book. I was thrilled to be able to revisit them as I dove into Abby's world, and everything combined together to create a story that I'm truly proud of.

2 What’s been your favorite author moment so far in your career?

Meeting readers is absolutely my favorite author moment!

3 It’s Oscar speech time! Who are the three people that you would most like to thank for helping you write this book?

Jess, Jen, and Diana.

4 Describe a typical writing day

Get up, wish there was more time in the day, then try to do all my
online stuff in three hours or less and then work until 6 PM.

5 Tell me one strange random fact about this book.

Part of the book came because I typed the wrong name for a discussion
question about my first novel! Retweet this button on every post blogger

Fairy Bad Day competition

I'm over at Tote Bags 'n' Blogs and there is a copy of Fairy Bad Day up for grabs, so what are you waiting for?????? Off you go and enter. You know you want to (yes, I really am a card-carrying Jedi Mind Trick Master!)

In other, completely unrelated news, I'm still obsessed with Bruno Mars! Retweet this button on every post blogger

This, that and the jolly next thing

Goodness, the countdown is on! I can't quite believe that Fairy Bad Day is out in three weeks! Even better, I just got my first ever Kirkus review and I came through it unscathed! Anyway, I will share it very soon! Plus let you know all about my upcoming blog tour and the various competitions that I will be running!!!

Right now I'm working on the revisions of my first mid-grade book and I'm starting to get very excited about these books! Even better, there is now a series title for it: SOPHIE'S MIXED-UP MAGIC, which I really adore. I think book one, Wishful Thinking will be out sometime next summer with the other two books not too far behind, so watch this space!!

So that's me. What's everyone else been up to? Deets please!!!!!! Retweet this button on every post blogger

Bruno Mars - The Lazy Song [Official Video]

I'm not sure what I love more about this - the song or the video! Bruno Mars is so perky and adorable that I want to put him in my pocket and carry him around with me!!!!! Btw, Fairy Bad Day is out in one month!!!!!! Retweet this button on every post blogger

Publishers Weekly review

I'm so happy with the lovely review that Publishers Weekly gave me and from now on I will always refer to myself as a 'zippy' writer, since it's a term that I now officially adore!!!!!!!

Sophomore Emma Jones has been training at Burtonwood Academy for years, expecting to follow in her late mother's footsteps and become a dragon slayer. Being made a fairy slayer is not in her plans--fairies are harmless and lame ("...the worst she'd ever seen them do was change the food labels at the supermarket"), nearly impossible to kill, and they love taunting her. Worse, she's forced to train with Curtis, the cute guy who took her dragon job. As Emma tries to change the principal's mind about her specialty, an extremely dangerous seven-foot-tall fairy that only she can see shows up. Now Emma needs to figure out where the creature came from, what it wants, how she's going to kill it, and most of all, how it knew her mother. In a fun mashup of the modern and the magical, Ashby (Zombie Queen of Newbury High) creates nicely developed characters and supports them with strong plotting and zippy writing. Laced with humor, danger, and romance, this book will have readers smiling all the way to the last page. Ages 12–up. (June)

In other news, my two kids now have the plague of some description and seem hellbent on giving it me. Funny that they weren't so generous when it came to Easter chocolate! Apart from that, I've finally started work on a new project and will try and get as much written as possible before my next lot of revisions of arrive, which means I officially name May the month of writing!!!!!!

What's everyone else been up to in my blogging absence!!!!! Retweet this button on every post blogger