The Passage Readalong - Week 2

Hi everyone,

Welcome to Week 2 in The Passage Read-along which is being co hosted with Elle and Kate from The Book Memoirs.  Just to warn you before you read on, there will be spoilers included in this post.

Brief Overview
This next section of the book seemed to be all about journeys. These journeys were either going back in time or journeys progressing to a destination. This really was the part of the book where we got to know the characters better and we see their motivation.

In Chapter Six we were shown Lacey's past and it really wasn't pretty. It becomes quite clear why she became a nun as her past led her to become rather insular. I really wasn't expecting her to have suffered so greatly. This chapter really gave me a feeling of foreboding and Amy scared me a little. Her ability to drive all the animals wild in the zoo was quite strange and I am wondering exactly what she is capable of.

Chapter Seven takes us on a journey with Carter as he is transported from the prison to the secret location. I find I can't help but feel sorry for him, even though he is a convicted criminal. At this point we don't really understand his crime and he seems so scared about what is in store for his future. He is treated rather cruelly by his escorts and you really want to see him escape. Within this chapter we also see the beginning of Amy's journey to the secret location. As the journey progresses, you can see how Wolgast is developing paternal feelings for Amy. He is desperate to protect her. He has really grown in my estimations and I look forward to seeing how he will progress as a character.

Chapter Eight finds us continuing the journey with Wolgast and Amy. Wolgast becomes even more desperate to escape from Doyle and get Amy to safety. You can feel his desperation dripping off the page. Amy has really got to him.

Chapter Nine - we are back with Grey as Zero begins to infect his mind. Somehow, these creatures who are kept in sealed rooms have developed mind control and they are trying to take over the people looking after them. Grey is running scared. He doesn't want to lose his job but he cannot cope with the mind games that are making him ill.

Chapter 10 takes us back to Carter again and we finally find out what actually happened to the woman he was supposed to have killed. I believed he was innocent from  the start and this chapter just proves it. He was just really unlucky and happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time.

My thoughts
I feel a bit vague as I write this post this week and I am struggling to find the right words to describe what I feel about this book. I am still enjoying it, even though the pace is slower and I look forward to what else may occur in the next few chapters, even though I feel a little bit scared about the future events.

Overall  I found this section to be a lot slower than the first which I suppose is to be expected after such a dramatic opening. It would have been too much if the book had continued to go at such a dramatic pace, so it was nice to have a dip in the story where we got to find out more about the characters involved. I am hoping that the story will pick up a bit during the next section.

I found that each of the chapters has left me with more questions that I am desperate to have answered. I need to know what is going on.  Although at least now the choppy nature of the beginning of the book  makes sense and the characters are slowly becoming interlinked and gravitating towards Amy.

So far my favourite character has to be Amy. I am worried for her in the same breath as being in awe of her. She obviously has some hidden talents that are yet to be revealed. I can't wait to find out more about her. I keep envisaging her as the little girl from the rather cheesy 80's mini series V, who saves the world at the end from alien destruction.

Roll on next week to find out what twists and turns The Passage will take.

There Is No Dog by Meg Rosoff

Pages - 243

Published by Penguin in September 2011

Opening lines
Oh glorious, most glorious glorious! And yet again glorious!
The sun spreads warm and golden on Lucy's face and arms. Pale new leaves unfurl so fast she can almost hear the little sighs they make as they open. Birds tweet and twitter their social networks, like city workers seeking potential mates.  A few tipsy clouds punctuate the sweet blue sky. The world reels,drunk with happiness. 


Goodreads summary 
Meet your unforgettable protagonist: God, who, as it turns out, is a 19-year-old boy living in the present-day and sharing an apartment with his long-suffering fifty-something personal assistant. Unfortunately for the planet, God is lazy and, frankly, hopeless. He created all of the world's species in six days because he couldn't summon the energy to work for longer. He gets Africa and America mixed up. And his beleagured assistant has his work cut out for him when God creates a near-apolcalyptic flood, having fallen asleep without turning the bath off. 

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Meg Rosoff is definitely a one of kind author, her books are always quirky, refreshing and original. There Is No Dog is no exception. Her books are not to everyone's taste, but personally I have grown to enjoy them and this one is definitely my favourite. Meg Rosoff is definitely an acquired taste, but this book is one I will treasure and read again. 

I would never have imagined God as a hormonal sex crazed teenager whose emotions actually affect the climate of the world, but that is exactly what Bob/God is in this book. He couldn't care less what state the world is in and leaves the running of it to his overworked and extremely patient yet long suffering side kick Mr B.  You feel like you want to sit Bob/God down and give him a good talking to  You could almost see the reality of the situation, as you watch one world disaster after another and wonder if  God does exist and has he taken his eye off the ball. 

When we get to meet Mona, his drunken gambling mother, you instantly think of a trailer trash mum and not the goddess you would expect to be God's mum. Especially when you discover that she won the right to be God in a poker game. 

This book is absolutely hilarious and just so well written. The characters are brought to life with vigour and enthusiasm. I dare you not to fall instantly in love with Eck, Bob's unusual pet that reminded me of a dodo. He is warm and loving. Definitely a creature I want as a pet. Estelle is the voice of reason throughout the book and hopefully the one who will eventually make the world a better place. 

I found myself smiling and giggling all the way through the book. I really didn't like Bob/God at all and I am pretty sure he was still too self obsessed to learn anything by the end of the book. Thankfully Estelle and Mr B can see him for his true nature and deal with him accordingly.

If you like something completely different  from the normal YA book, then this book is definitely for you.  A  quick read that may have you questioning who actually controls the world. 

The Write Way with Meg Rosoff

I am extremely excited to have Meg Rosoff, author of There Is No Dog and many other fabulous Young Adult books, join me on the blog today to talk about her writing techniques. 

You have written six children’s novels and three picture books, do you find the writing process gets easier with each new book you write?

Tragically, not. Books seem to have their own agendas, and it definitely doesn’t get easier. There is No Dog was incredibly difficult to write and took much longer than any of my previous books – I guess I should have realized before I started that the subject of God and the universe would be a bit tricky to tackle. I always think it’s interesting that when you read a book, the chapter order and arc feel inevitable (if you’re lucky) whereas writing can be a completely different matter – messy, chaotic, frustrating. There were times with this book that I wanted to bury it (or myself) in a hole in the garden, but most of the time I just plowed on. As for picture books – I’ve pretty much given up. It’s too hard to write a really good one, and pays too little when you do (or think you do!)

Growing up in America, must have provided you with lots of writing material, do you use any of your own experiences within your books?
I always thought that one of the reasons I could never be a writer was that my life was so ordinary. I grew up in the suburbs in a comfortable academic family and it seemed to me that the lack of exoticism was a terrible curse. What I’ve realized over the past years, however, is that being a writer is about how you process experience – what you observe and what you do with it. All the wild rides in the world can’t compete with a brain that sees things slightly askew.
And yes, I always think people who say they don’t draw on their own experience to write are lying. What else is in your brain? But having had the experiences, it’s then the writer’s job to transform it into something new, something magic. Alchemy: dross into gold.

Have you ever included areas you know well in the books you have written?
I set What I Was on a stretch of coastline in Suffolk that I know quite well, and that has a magical and ancient history. But I also mixed in a bit of the Martha’s Vineyard I remember and loved from the 1960s and 70s. Places you love come alive on the page.
I never specified where we were in How I Live Now, but the house in the book, which is so important to the action, is based on a beautiful old house owned by friends in Oxfordshire. For The Bride’s Farewell, I combined a general knowledge and love of the English countryside with a couple of trips down to Salisbury Plain. And when I went to Luton to research Just In Case, I felt so sorry for it that I changed the name to Orking. But then my agent made me change it back. Luton is not the world’s most auspicious place, but made a perfect suburban base for poor Justin to escape from.

The concept behind There Is No Dog is amazing. What inspired you to write it?
My husband was listening to the radio and heard a programme on all the actors who’d played God in the movies. He came downstairs annoyed that they were all old white guys, and said ‘why don’t they ever have a teenager play God?’ And it was like a light bulb appeared above my head. The minute he said it, it seemed to make total sense of why the world is such a mess. So the idea was easy, but the book itself was much harder to write than I thought it would be.

What kind of research did you need to carry out before writing There Is No Dog and how long did it take you?
I didn’t do any research, really. Though I did go back and read through the Old Testament. A lot of it is unbelievably weird.

Do you plan before you begin writing or just go with the flow of the idea in your head?
Most of the time I jump first and think later. But in the books that have been easier to write (How I Live Now, What I Was, and The Bride’s Farewell) I had at least a vague idea of the story arc before I started.

When writing, what is your daily word target?
I don’t believe in word targets. Quantity is irrelevant. I write because I want to get through the book and make it work.

Do you use Mac or Windows to write in?
I’m a Mac fanatic. I’m attached at the hip to my MacBook.

Do you edit your first draft as you go along, or do you wait until it is completed?
Both. Depending on the book, though, I try not to read the draft too many times while I’m working on it. I like to be able to read the whole thing as if someone else wrote it, and you can’t do that if you know every paragraph by heart.

How long did it take you write the first draft?
There were about nine million drafts of There Is No Dog. I’m not sure the first one took terribly long to write – it was the next ten thousand trying to get it right that took more than two years.

What  do you normally do once the first draft is finished?
My first drafts tend to be short (about 25-30,000 words) -- sometimes I’ll show it to my agent or editor at that point because I’m so excited to get to the end, and they’re usually bemused and/or appalled, so I just go back to work and start sorting it out.

What are you planning to write next?
I’ve started a new book about a man who disappears, and the father and daughter who set out to find him. I wasn’t sure why he disappeared when I started writing, then I thought I‘d solved it at the end of the first draft, but now I’ve changed my mind again.

When is your ideal time to write? Morning, afternoon or evening?
I’m not at all a morning person. It can take me hours to work up to writing. So, definitely afternoon/evening.

Do you write in silence or do you need music to help you?
Music is much too distracting, though I don’t mind other kinds of noise.

Which authors inspired you whilst growing up?
Joseph Heller, Ian Fleming, Dostoevsky, Graham Greene, Madeleine L’Engle, Lloyd Alexander. Just to name a few.

Who is your favourite author now?
I don’t really have a favourite author. Anyone who writes something surprising and delightful becomes my new favourite.

Out of all the books you have written, which is your favourite?
I don’t really have a favourite. If I had to choose, I guess I’d choose What I Was, because it’s possibly the most personal.

If you could have written any other book in the world, what would it be?
Wolf Hall (by Hilary Mantel). Or on days I’m feeling short of money, Harry Potter.

What advice can you give to unpublished authors?
Keep writing. Age and wisdom don’t ruin anyone’s books.

Thank you Meg for giving us an insight into your writing life. 
What fabulous answers from an amazing,unique author. There Is No Dog is available to buy from the 1st September. If you would like to read my review of this book, please come back at 3pm for my post. 

Hot Books For September

I can't believe September is nearly here already. As the children get ready to go back to school and we pull our winter clothes out just in case, our lovely UK publishers have got lots of lovely books for us to keep us entertained as the nights begin to darken.

Orion

September sees the launch of Orion's new imprint INDIGO which brings us three new books this month. 

Soul Beach By Kate Harrison - this is a new direction for Kate Harrison who is well known for her chicklit novels. This book is a thriller full of intrigue and murder.

Darkness Falls by Mia James - I read the first book in this London vampire series last month, so I am really looking forward to getting my hands on this one. 

Shelter by Harlan Coben  - for all Harlan Coben fans, we see his first venture into the teen market. This is a Mickey Bolitar novel - Mickey is the nephew of Myron Bolitar, the character who has appeared in other books by Coben.

The Warrior Heir by Cinda Williams Chima - I know this series has been a big hit in America,so I am intrigued how the UK market are going to enjoy these books. This book is set in Trinity, Ohio which seems normal, but the town is home to an underground society of magical people who live among us. 

Bloomsbury 

Velvet by Mary Hooper - I have just finished this one and I loved it. Mary Hooper takes us back to the beginning of the 1900's where Velvet is working hard in her new position working alongside a medium. My review will be up later this week and I will be on the blog tour for this one. 

After Obsession by Carrie Jones and Steven E. Wedel - Carrie Jones is really well known for her bestselling novels Need, Captivate and Entice. This is her first collaboration with adult fantasy writer Steven E. Wedel. This book sounds very dark. 

Oxford University Press

Stealing Phoenix by Joss Stirling - I am really excited about this book. I loved the first one in the series 'Finding Sky' which came out last year and I can't wait to read this one. The best way to describe this book is  'What do you do when soulmate turns out to be a thief?'

Random House Children's Books

Dearly Departed by  Lia Habel is a 'pacy, bloodthirsty, entertaining teen zombie novel with an unconventional but tender love story involved.' This is released on the 29th September. 

The Adventures of the New Cut Gang by Phillip Pullman - this is the first time that two thrillers about this group of Victorian crime solving urchins have been put into one volume. 

Penguin 

Kill All Enemies by Melvin Burgess - this is a very real book and deals with the young teenagers who were chucked out of school and labelled as losers, wasters and the ones no one wants their kids to mix with. Can't wait to read it.

There Is No Dog by Meg Rosoff - imagine God was a hormonal, lazy teenage boy! I am reading this at the moment and I find it hilarious. Meg Rosoff is definitely unique. 

Hodder and Stoughton

Daughter of Smoke and Bone by Laini Taylor - This book is creating a lot of attention and is going to be HUGE! It is released on the 29th September. 

Liesl and Po by Lauren Oliver - Lauren Oliver continues to surprise us with her diversity. This book is her first children's novel which has been described as magical. This is also out on the 29th of September. 

Hodder and Stoughton also see the release of their fabulous new Flipback books. Click here to find out more. 

Walker Books

Paradise by Joanna Nadin - I don't know a lot about Joanna Nadin and her books, but I know she is popular. This one is a romance with heartbreak and tragic circumstances. 

Walker Books also sees the smaller paperback publication of City Of Fallen Angels. As well as the publication of Blessed, the third book in the vampire series by Leitich Smith. 

Simon and Schuster

Fury by Elizabeth Miles - This is actually published at the end of August, so I sneaked this one in. This has a hint of Greek mythology in it and is a little bit scary.

Sister, Missing by Sophie McKenzie - I really enjoyed Girl, Missing earlier this month, so I am really looking forward to reading this sequel. This is released on the 15th September. 

Simon and Schuster are also publishing The Hidden by Jessica Verday, the third book in the Sleepy Hollow series and Vengeance by Kate Brian, the final installment of the scandalous Private series. 

Piatkus

Darkness Unbound by Keri Arthur is the first book in Keri Arthur's spin off series from her successful Riley Jenson Guardian series. It will be released on the 27th September. 

When Beauty Tamed The Beast is the second book in the Eloisa James series and as you may have guessed it is loosely based on the Beauty and the Beast story. This is out on the first of September. 

Piatkus also see the release of Dark Predator, which is the next book in the Carpathian series written by Christine Feehan and Fated by S. G. Browne - a satirical look at the supernatural world. 

Chicken House

Undead by Kirsty Mckay - I am reading this book at the moment and can only describe it as gory yet funny! This book is full of zombies but is hilarious. Out on the 1st of September. 

Abrams and Chronicle

 Amulet Books ( an imprint of Abrams and Chronicle)  sees the paperback release of Struts and Frets by Jon Skovron 

Headline 

 The Gallows Curse by Andrew Hammond is released on the 1st of September and is one of the scariest books I have read this year. Watch out for an interview with Andrew Hammond later this month.

Headline are also bringing out the paperback version of  A Discovery of Witches by Deborah Harkness on the 29th of September with this beautiful new cover. 

Macmillan 

Dark Inside by Jeyn Roberts is another book everyone is talking about. After several major earthquakes shake the continent, something strange begins to happen. Are you ready to face the darkness inside? Out on the 2nd of September. 

Abandon by Meg Cabot - Meg Cabot takes the Hades and Persephone story and gives it a new angle. I can't wait to read it. 

  

Macmillan also see the release of Forbidden, the second book in the Demon Trappers series by Jana Oliver.

Harper Collins Children's Books

The Poison Diaries: Nightshade by Maryrose Wood  is the second book in the series based on the Poison Gardens in the grounds of Alnwick Castle. I haven't read the first on in this series yet, but I am looking forward to it.

Atom Books

This is the third book in the Lisi Harrison Monster High series. 

So there are some highlights of the books that are being published in the UK in September,which ones do you want to read?

The Gallows Curse by Andrew Hammond

Pages - 338
Published by Headline on the 1st September 2011

In the darkness of the underground, among the bats and the spiders and the rats, another train thundered down a neighbouring tunnel. 
People read their newspapers. Some tried the crossword. Two kids argued over who was having the last Haribo. A woman shuffled in her seat and dropped her folder of papers. They splayed out over the floor. Letters from clients. Telephone messages. Conference notes. Doodles on pad. A day's work.

Goodreads Summary

Meet Jud Lester: Paranormal Investigator. When a crime is committed and the police are at a loss, the Covert Response Youth Paranormal Team (or CRYPT for short) is called in to figure out whether something paranormal is at work. Jud is their star agent. Jud, unwillingly paired with new recruit Bex, has just landed his biggest case yet...people have been disappearing in mysterious circumstances while others are viciously attacked - yet there are no suspects and a complete lack of hard evidence. The only thing that links each attack is the fact that survivors all claim that the culprits were 17th century highwaymen. Can Jud and Bex work out what has caused the spirits of these dangerous men to return to the streets of London before they wreak more death and destruction?

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After reading this book, I was convinced that I would never travel on the London Underground again!

This book has to be the most goriest, scariest book I have read this year. I would have freaked out completely if London had ever suffered the scenarios described in this book. It was gruesome, grotesque and barbaric and I LOVED every minute of it!

The characters are really intense. Especially Jud, who has every reason to be and takes his role as a paranormal investigator extremely seriously. You want him to lighten up just a tad, but you can see why he can't as he is living a lie and the guilt is eating away at him. Zakis, the billionaire property owner was ruthless and his actions were rather sickening - I really didn't like the way he treated people, fortunately he got his comeuppance. 

The chapters are short and sharp, adding to the intenseness of the story. You find yourself quickly gasping at each situation as you race from one to another.  The evil in the book just builds and builds with so much tension until you feel it erupting. As the book progresses all the hauntings and gruesome attacks begin to make sense as Jud and Bex work out why these events are happening. It is like a child's dot to dot, when all the events are placed together, you understand why they are happening. These are some seriously angry ghosts.

If you love gore and gruesome thrillers,then this book is definitely for you. A brilliant debut from hopefully a series that will continue. 

Think Pirates of the Caribbean meets Hellraiser!

The Big Break with Paula Rawsthorne

The second author to join us from The Edge blog is Paula Rawsthorne who debuted this month with her first book - The Truth About Celia Frost which I reviewed yesterday. If you would like to know more about The Edge blog, then please click here.  This interview was conducted before publication day which occurred in the last couple of weeks. 

Firstly, can I thank you for joining me today on my blog.
Hi Vivienne, Thanks so much for inviting me, it’s great to be here.

What did you do for a living before writing became your chosen career?
I was a hospital social worker. I’ve also worked in a children’s home for kids with disabilities and I worked in the Sudan for a year. I gave up my social work job after my second child was born as I really wanted to be at home looking after my children when they were preschool.


I understand that you won The BBC ‘Get Writing’ Competition a few years back? How did that feel?
It was an incredible, wonderful surprise! I’d seen the competition advertised on BBC1 television. The remit was to write a modern retelling of a Canterbury Tale. I immediately felt excited at the prospect of giving it a go and I sat down and started working on making the tragic Pardoner’s Tale into a comedy about a group of Liverpool priests using their parishioners’ money to put a bet on a doped horse at The Grand National!
Then, weeks later, the phone rang and I couldn’t initially hear the caller as I had my three preschoolers grabbing at me legs so I hid from the kids and then heard this BBC Executive informing me that my story was a winner! I ended up in the London Radio Studios with the actor Bill Nighy, recording my story. He’s such a great bloke that we then all went out and had a brilliant evening. My story, The Sermon On the Mount, was broadcast on Radio 4 and chosen for Pick of the Week. I just kept pinching myself!

How long did it take you to write your debut novel ‘The Truth About Celia Frost’?
It took me a school year to write the first draft. I didn’t embark on it until my three kids were all at school (I’d been writing short stories for adults and doing community plays whilst they were still at home all day).


Where did you get the idea for the book?
At first I just had a very strong idea of what kind of book I wanted to write. I knew that I wanted my first novel to be for Young Adults and I knew that I wanted my story to be gripping, entertaining and hopefully thought provoking. However before any plot emerged, the characters of Celia and Janice Frost came to me very vividly, fully formed. Once I had them I knew that there was something about Celia that her mother wasn’t telling her and my plot started to develop and evolve.



Was ‘The Truth About Celia Frost’ your first finished manuscript, or are there others lurking in the dark?
I’ve been incredibly lucky! Celia Frost is my first attempt at writing a novel.


How long did it take you to find an agent?
Again, I was extremely lucky. I entered the first two chapters of Celia Frost into the Society of Children’s Writer’s and Illustrator’s (SCBWI) British Isles, Undiscovered Voices 2010 Competition. It was another absolutely gobsmacking moment in my life when they phoned me and said I was a winner. The judging panel was composed of agents and publishers. Jo Unwin is a fantastic agent who was on the panel. She read the full ms, phoned me straight away and said that we should meet. I went to see her in London, we had a great meeting and she offered to take me on.

How many rejection letters did you get before it was accepted?
After I’d written the first draft I was completely cowardly about sending it out anywhere as I was obviously terrified of rejection (not a good thing to be in this business). So I only got my act together to send three chapters and a synopsis to two agents who both rejected it. Then I found the wonderful SCBWI on the internet, entered the Undiscovered Voices Competition and got on with other work.


How many times did you have to edit your book before the agent was happy to send it off to publishers?
It was fantastic to be able to examine my novel with my agent. I actually quite enjoyed the process of editing although it was hard work and took several months. However, I was happy that the vast majority of it stayed intact and the parts that I added or changed only made it better.

What was your first reaction when you found out that your book was to be published?
Even before Jo and I had finished the meeting with Usborne I knew that they were the publishers for me. Their enthusiasm and commitment to The Truth About Celia Frost was overwhelming. However, it didn’t really sink in that I’d got a publishing deal until a delivery man arrived at my house with an oblong box. I read the lovely message from Usborne then opened the box. When I pulled out a bottle of champagne I just burst into hysterical, unstoppable laughter. I just couldn’t believe that this was happening to me! I was hugging the bottle, tears of joy streaming down my face. Luckily, I was on my own otherwise I would have been carted away for my own safety.

How long did it take for your book to reach publication after the initial agreement?
From the date on my publishing contract to the date of publication will be exactly 11 months.

What was happening to your manuscript during this time?
Usborne’s Fiction Editorial Director Rebecca Hill and Senior Editor Sarah Stewart expertly went through the manuscript and suggested minor, but insightful edits. I really enjoyed working with them and having editorial discussions. They were so in tune with the book, it was a real pleasure.


How are you keeping yourself occupied as you wait for publication day?
I’m busy writing another stand alone thriller for Usborne. I’m also busy talking about Celia Frost and meeting lots of interesting people who are in the bookselling business or simply love books. It’s great meeting people who are passionate about books. I’m also a member of The Edge- a group of novelists who all write fiction to get teenagers reading and talking! (http://edgeauthors.blogspot.com)



How will you celebrate on publication day in August?
Well, it’s going to be surreal as I’ll be at a riverside campsite in France with my family. We booked our summer holiday before I knew the publication date! I’m thinking that I’ll have to invest in a Blackberry or something so I’ll be able to have some idea of what the heck is going on and be able to get overexcited with everyone here! I’d like to say that I’d celebrate by doing one of my favourite things, swimming in rivers, but realistically I’ll have had had too many glasses of celebratory French wine to do that.




Can you tell us a little about the next writing project?
It’s a thriller brimming with suspense, tension, twists and really meaty characters. I’m really enjoying writing it.


Do you write full time now?
Yes. I write when my kids are at school. However, things grind to a halt at 3p.m when they descend on me.


Tell us what a typical writing day would be like?
I walk my youngest to school, the other two cycle. Then I head straight to my local deli to get a takeaway coffee and cake (a very healthy writer’s diet) and back to my front room. Once in the house I do my best to ignore the fact that it looks like a bomb has hit it and I get down to work. At first I get horribly distracted by emails and the internet. I try to work until it’s time to pick up my youngest. I don’t always succeed as life sometimes gets in the way.
Then when the kids are all in bed (which is getting later and later) I’ll often do more work. During school holidays it’s a real struggle to get a decent amount of writing done but I’m not complaining, as I know people who start their writing day at 10p.m and work through the night. I’d end up going insane if I did that- I love my sleep!


What advice would you give to aspiring and unpublished authors?
Firstly, if you are writing or have written a children’s novel then definitely enter SCBWI Undiscovered Voices Competition- it could change your life!
I think that entering any reputable writing competition can be a great motivator as you are then working to a deadline and know your work will be read.
Find out how you work best; If you thrive on feedback then maybe joining a decent critique group is for you. If you never let anyone see your work in progress then set goals and deadlines for yourself.
“It’s a marathon not a sprint”- is so true. Have stamina, determination and try to keep hold of the love and excitement you feel for your story.

Thank you Paula for sharing your publication journey with us. Anyone wishing to know more about SCBWI Undiscovered Voices Competition, please click here. 
The Truth About Celia Frost was published by Usborne 1st August. To find out more about Paula, click here.

The Truth About Celia Frost by Paula Rawsthorne

Pages - 343

Published by Usborne in August 2011

Book kindly given to me by Sarah from Feeling Fictional.

Opening paragraph

Celia Frost allowed her body to relax just a fraction as she lifted her coat off the peg in the bustling cloakroom. All she had to do now was get to the staffroom, where somebody would be waiting to give her a lift home. Usually she cringed at having members of staff ferry her to and from school, but today Celia couldn't wait to get into the safety of a teacher's car. 

Goodreads Summary

Celia Frost is a freak. At least that's what everyone thinks. Her life is ruled by a rare disorder that means she could bleed to death from the slightest cut, confining her to a gloomy bubble of safety". No friends. No fun. No life. But when a knife attack on Celia has unexpected consequences, her mum reacts strangely. Suddenly they're on the run. Why is her mum so scared? Someone out there knows - and when they find Celia, she's going to wish the truth was a lie - A buried secret; a gripping manhunt; a dangerous deceit: what is the truth about Celia Frost? A page-turning thriller that's impossible to put down.

**********

From the first cut that Celia experiences, you know that something just doesn't quite ring true with her supposed condition. You have absolutely no idea what might be going on and why she has to be treated with kid gloves, you just know that the story her mother is telling her is just not true. As a reader, you begin to feel rather uneasy when Celia's mother appears; is she a sufferer of Munchhausen By Proxy??

After the rather stressful incident, Janice reacts in the same way she always does and packs up their belongings and moves them to a new town. A new start is needed, just like all the other times, the only problem is that someone has managed to follow their scent this time and is on the trail.

Poor, poor Celia, I really felt for her to begin with. I struggled with how much her mother had lied to her and I   was cheering her from the sidelines as she gave her mother hell for keeping her under lock and key for most of her life. I was so pleased to see her rebel against her mother and shift from the scared young creature to a bold,sassy and rather nasty teenager. However as the story progressed, I began to realise that Janice had her reasons, which we were not privy to and she was completely justified in her actions, so I did feel rather sorry for her and the way Celia treated her. I felt terrible for jumping to conclusions. It was quite pitiful to see the deterioration of the mother and daughter relationship.

It is really difficult to review this book, as it has such a huge twist in it, that you know will appear, but you just can't put your finger on what it actually is. All through the book, you find yourself feeling rather desperate to know what the truth about Celia actually is. When the truth eventually is told, life changes for the better for Celia and Janice, which shows that it is better to get the truth out there rather than living a lie.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book and insist that people read it, as the truth about Celia will keep you turning those pages desperate for an answer. When the truth was revealed, it really surprised me as I hadn't expected it at all. A fabulous debut  with a fascinating story line and extremely strong and well written characters. 

The Passage Readalong Quick Update

Hi everyone,

If you are looking for the main post for The Passage Read-along as well as the competition winners then you need to head over to THE BOOK MEMOIRS for the main post.  Please head there to link any posts you may have done. If not, just join in and let us know what you think. We decided that it would probably be a good idea for who ever wasn't hosting to add a quick update on their thoughts on the book too.

So here are my thoughts on the first five chapters of The Passage.

Firstly I must tell  you that I began reading this book with absolutely no knowledge of what is was about. I knew it was getting a HUGE amount of attention and that everyone who had read it had loved it, so I went into it quite blinkered. I even refused to read the blurb for the book.

Chapter 1 - The first chapter is really powerful. It was real life, upsetting and extremely gritty. We meet Amy for the first time and realise just how harsh the first six years of her life are. Her mother Jeanette was very young when she gave birth and struggled to cope after the death of her father. You can't say she didn't try as she worked her butt off to help care for her daughter. In the end it just wasn't enough.  A really sad and emotional start.

Chapter 2 - This chapter took me completely by surprise as it almost felt like a different story altogether. The chapter consists of emails between two professors. Within this chapter, you hear whispers of vampires and the answers to eternal life. It definitely created an air of intrigue and foreboding and you find yourself trying to fill in the missing information you are not being told.

Chapter 3 - Here I found we went off on another direction as we visit death row. I literally began to read this book with my eyebrows raised and my eyes wide open as every chapter seemed to go off in a different direction, leaving me baffled about how they were all connected. Until the end  of the chapter, when the links between them become slowly visible.

Chapter 4 - The plot begins to thicken. Amy has been left at a nunnery, where she finally begins to feel a little safer as the nuns shower her with love and affection. Yet her visit to the nunnery has drawn the attention of others and now someone is very interested in getting their hands on her.  Why do they want Amy? Why is she going to be used and involved in something we still don't quite understand?

Chapter 5 - This chapter left me shocked and mind boggled. What were these creatures? It was a little scary to say the least and so unexpected.

Overall thoughts.
I am really enjoying this book!
I struggled to pull myself away after finishing Chapter 5. I am really glad to be taking my time reading this book as their is just so much information to be digested.
I thought it was brilliantly written and very intriguing as each chapter drew you more into the spider's web.
I am really looking forward to the next few chapters.

I can't wait to read everyone else's thoughts.

Lottie Biggs Is Not Tragic by Hayley Long

Pages - 265
Published by Pan Macmillan ( August 5th)

Opening lines.
Just when I thought I knew everything about me that there is to know, I have gone and shocked myself. I am potentially the next Lady Gaga. I've written my very own chart-topping smash hit pop classic, which succeeds in being both poppy and light and deep and meaningful all at the same time. When you consider that I gave up music at the end of Year 9, this is actually quite  incredible. 


Goodreads Summary
Just when things were starting to look up for Lottie her life's gone a bit pear-shaped, wonk-ways and downside up again. Her mum's all soppy over a bloke with a horrible shemo daughter, her best pal Goose has disappeared in a cloud of nerd-gas and Lottie's in the midst of an existential crisis. There's only one thing to do - get the hell out of Cardiff and go on the road with the gorgeous Gareth Stingecombe (and his manly thighs). But things don't go to plan, and Lottie starts to realise she might have been a bit me me me lately...a female emo, obviously The wit of Louise Rennison meets the depth of Jacqueline Wilson.

**********

This is the final book in a trilogy all about Lottie Biggs. I haven't read the first two books, so I was dubious to read this one as a standalone, but I was assured it would stand extremely well on its own and it most definitely did.

This book is hilarious to begin with. The first couple of pages had me stitches , but also made me cringe as I can remember doing exactly the same things at Lottie's age. I went through that stage of writing songs and believe me they were cringe worthy! It really was an entertaining read. Some of the thoughts that went through Lottie's head were surreal at times but very entertaining.  Once I realised the book was set in Wales, I couldn't help reading the story in the voice of Stacey from  the hit UK comedy Gavin and Stacey. I found it just flowed so easily with a Welsh accent!

This book is full of really cool illustrations which still appeal to me as an adult. I honestly felt like I had stepped into a time machine and been transported back to my teenage years. I just thought Lottie and her friends were fabulous. Poor Gareth, his pitiful attempts to admit his love for Lottie were sweet as well as embarrassing. 

I think this book is really in disguise. I am convinced it is a step by step guide for teenagers to help them deal with relationships.  I say this because there was lots of hidden information which teenagers would absorb without realising. These are the things that I learnt from the book (even though I am old, you can teach an old dog new tricks!)

1) Never judge someone by other people's standards.

2) Just because someone isn't deemed popular as others, it doesn't mean they are not cool to know.

3) Try and think of other people's feeling first.

4) Treat others as you would expect to be treated yourself.

5) Always value the people closest to you. 

6) Learn to love yourself. 

See!  Hayley Long secretly wrote a YA self help book!  

A really entertaining read that will secretly change your teenager from a stropster to a heavenly angel. ( I can dream can't I?)

The Ice Age by Kirsten Reed

Pages - 209

Republished by Picador in 2011 (an imprint of Pan Macmillan)

Goodreads Summary

'We left a tip and the waitress shot us what I suppose was intended to be a look of gratitude. She really only managed a weak glare. I guess that's the countryside for you. People are a little edgy'. A young inquisitive girl hitches a lift with an older charismatic Bohemian man. Neither has a final destination in mind, and so they find themselves drifting aimlessly through middle America; driving, smoking, sharing confidences, looking out for each other, and stopping as and when the mood takes them. Their relationship is pure, simple - and when they do finally have sex, it's she who makes the first move. But this is a strange, stolen time that must come to an end: the girl will grow up; the man's past will catch up with him; and the world outside will not accept their relationship. With shades of Lolita and Morvern Callar, "The Ice Age" is a remarkable first novel, with an exceptional voice that's both seductive and compelling, and which readers will quite simply fall in love with.

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I was a bit wary to read this book at first when I realised how young the girl was in the book. I do struggle with the Lolita scenario and that is probably due to being a mum. The book is told from the point of view of the young girl, whose name we never discover. Right from the start it is obvious that she is extremely attracted to her older travelling companion, Gunther, and is the one doing all the chasing. She does practically throw herself at Gunther, who resists for a period of time until he can resist no longer.  As the book progresses, you become aware that he feels guilty about how their friendship developed into a sexual relationship. He has a conscience  and is uncomfortable with how much older he is than her  and struggles to see anything right in the developments. He is a wanderer who does not want to be tied down and seems to find her affection stifling after awhile. I never once viewed him as a dirty old man and found his conduct to be quite gentlemanly at times. He obviously cared for her and by the end he went out of his way to put her on the right road to a better future. He didn't want her to settle for someone like him. Yet she was in the throws of her first love and with that, obsession can take place. She cannot see any of his faults, to her he is the love of her life and one she will never forget. Her love for him is all consuming and leads her into dangerous situations. 

 I found this to be a thoughtful read which made me reminisce my own experience of first love. The book is beautifully written and comes from the heart. This young girl is opening up her emotions for everyone to read. At times the words were sad and poignant, as she suffers under the full weight of her feelings. 

The road trip takes her on a coming of age journey. She began as an innocent young girl and ended it still young, but a lot wiser about love, relationships and sex. The road trip also took their relationship in full circle, as they moved back into the friendship mode as they neared the end.  At times, the book was rather brutal and I found myself a little emotional. She really does suffer through lack of knowledge in this book. 

If you are looking for a fast paced ride, then don't look here, as this book is a slow journey, where you watch both characters slowly evolve over a period of time and change in their situation. 

My only niggles with this book were that throughout the road trip, there is no mention about how Gunther paid for all the hotels and restaurants along the way and I couldn't work out how he managed to pay for everything. Also we never find out the girl's name or where she came from. On both counts, it really is the author's choice, but I would have like a little bit more information.

If you like your coming of age fiction real and emotional, then you will enjoy this book.  A quiet read with some painful scenes that will stay with you when you finish reading it. 

Kiss At Midnight by Eloisa James

Pages - 374
Published by Piatkus in August 2011

Once upon a time, not so very long ago.....
This story begins with a carriage that was never a pumpkin, though it fled at midnight; a godmother who lost track of her charge, though she had no magic wand: and several so-called rats who secretly enjoyed wearing livery.
And, of course, there's a girl too, though she didn't know how to dance, nor did she want to marry a prince.

**********

Goodreads Summary

Miss Kate Daltry doesn't believe in fairy tales . . . or happily ever after.

Forced by her stepmother to attend a ball, Kate meets a prince . . . and decides he's anything but charming. A clash of wits and wills ensues, but they both know their irresistible attraction will lead nowhere. For Gabriel is promised to another woman—a princess whose hand in marriage will fulfill his ruthless ambitions.

Gabriel likes his fiancée, which is a welcome turn of events, but he doesn'tlove her. Obviously, he should be wooing his bride-to-be, not the witty, impoverished beauty who refuses to fawn over him.

Godmothers and glass slippers notwithstanding, this is one fairy tale in which destiny conspires to destroy any chance that Kate and Gabriel might have a happily ever after.

Unless a prince throws away everything that makes him noble . . .

Unless a dowry of an unruly heart trumps a fortune . . .

Unless one kiss at the stroke of midnight changes everything.

***********

Before talking about the book itself, I have to mention the cover. It is utterly gorgeous and probably one of the main reasons I decided to actually read this book. I just find it so magical to look at. I must also point out that it states in the author's biography, that she is married to a real Italian knight! 

As you might have already realised this book is a 'Regency style re imagining of the story of Cinderella'. It follows the story extremely loosely but is cleverly told none the less. This book is not for the easily shocked as it  does contain some rather hot and heavy scenes of the sexual nature. Definitely not one to be read on the train, if you suffer from extreme blushing! 

I loved Kate as a character. Her humour was just endless. Here is one of my favourite lines within the book.

After four hours in the carriage with Lord Dimsdale, Kate decided that the most interesting thing about Algernon was that he wore a corset. 

Kate is extremely modern in her way of thinking and was a breath of fresh air within the book. You could not help but love her and want her to succeed in life.  I adored the way she began to take a stand and show her true strength of character. She just shone out as the  most amazing character in the book. Henry, Kate's godmother, was also a brilliantly written character and could have easily been transported to any of our modern day sitcoms as the older woman, who stills sees herself in the prime of her life. She has had a good life and continues to enjoy it at its fullest, even if her body might be groaning a little and putting up some resistance. 

The book is full of bawdiness and wickedness, as well as a severe amount of double crossing. It actually reminded me quite a lot of Shakespeare's 'The Taming of the Shrew'. ( I can tell you are now shocked to read that I have ACTUALLY read The Taming of a Shrew, but I can inform you it was not my choice; I studied it for English 'O' level.) The bickering between Kate and Gabriel is just hilarious as they constantly try to outwit each other in the beginning of the book. It was so entertaining to watch their dislike for each other blossom into love via a fair amount of playful banter. 

The imagery and the metaphors used really stood out for me.The way the Prince's castle was described was quite breathtaking and made me yearn to visit. I also found quite a few of the metaphors just so original and humorous. 

The only niggle I have with this book, is during the middle part I found a particular scene seemed to drag on a little, but once I was past that, I found myself completely engrossed in the budding relationship of Kate and Gabriel. 

If you love historical chick lit, then this book is for you. Be prepared to blush as the hot and heavy scenes.