Haunt Me by Liz Kessler

"What the hell-" 

A sound like gunshot pierces my dream and I'm bolt upright, shaking, wide awake. 

I look down my body. I seem to be intact. No blood. 

Published by Orion Children's Books in October 2016

Pages - 400

Summary

Joe wakes up from a deep sleep to see his family leave in a removals van. Where they've gone, he has no idea. Erin moves house and instantly feels at home in her new room. Even if it appears she isn't the only one living in it. Bit by bit, Erin and Joe discover that they have somehow found a way across the ultimate divide - life and death. Bound by their backgrounds, a love of poetry and their growing feelings for each other, they are determined to find a way to be together.

Joe's brother, Olly, never cared much for poetry. He was always too busy being king of the school - but that all changed when Joe died. And when an encounter in the school corridor brings him face to face with Erin, he realises how different things really are - including the kind of girl he falls for.

Two brothers. Two choices. Will Erin's decision destroy her completely, or can she save herself before she is lost forever?

*****
Firstly I have to say Liz is a friend of mine. However I try really hard not to let that affect my reviews of her books and she always requests that I'm honest. So here goes. 
My honest opinion is that that is the best book she has ever written. I don't know how she can top this one. I'm not sure if it's because I love ghost stories, in fact I love anything involving ghosts and I'm convinced there is more to the spiritual world than we truly see, but this book really grabbed me. 

It's like a revival of the early YA books, such as Evermore, Unearthly, I Heart You, You Haunt Me and A Certain Slant of Light, which were the books that made me want to read YA in the first place. In fact it made me realise  that I've lost my direction with YA, as I've moved into reading so many more contemporary when really fantasy and paranormal are my first genre loves. 

The book is told from three points of view. Erin, a troubled teen hoping for a new start. Jo, who doesn't realise he is dead to begin with and hides a dark secret and Olly, his brother who still struggles with Jo's death. I love how the plot unfolds and brings these characters together. 
At the plot moved forward, I was convinced that someone would end up with a broken heart. Once the relationship between Jo and Erin is established and Olly turns up, the story really picks up in pace and I found myself whizzing through the pages. 
If you think this book is just a paranormal love story, then you would be wrong. It deals with some very gritty and realistic subjects that affect many teenagers of today. From bullying to self harming and drug taking to bereavement, the book really takes you on an emotional rollercoaster. 
If you loved Ghost or Truly, Madly, Deeply, you will fall in love with this book too. I'm really hoping that with the release of this book, it means that paranormal YA is making a comeback. 

How Emily Windsnap came to be by Liz Kessler

I could't possibly have a mermaid week, without one of my favourite people, author Liz Kessler, who is well known for her Emily Windsnap series. Liz has just published her first YA novel, Read Me Like A Book, which I would recommend that everyone reads.

It was early spring in the year 2000 and was living on a narrowboat on a canal when a few lines of a poem came into my head. 

Mary Penelope lived on a boat, 

Which was all very well, but it didn’t quite float.

It wavered and wobbled and fell on its side 

Whenever she tried to go out for a ride. 

Over the next few weeks, I found myself scribbling and scribbling until I had finished my poem about a girl who secretly becomes a mermaid when she goes in water. 

Three years later, that poem turned into a book, called The Tail of Emily Windsnap. The book became a series, and the sixth one, Emily Windsnap and the Ship of Lost Souls, is out in August this year. 

In the meantime, I have moved from living on a boat bobbing about on the canal to living in a house overlooking the sea. I just can’t keep away from water! Like Emily herself, I am drawn to it and love and respect its majesty and beauty. 

Whether I am out on a fishing boat or a kayak, surfing or body boarding, walking along the coast path or sunning myself on a beach, I am always happiest when I am near (or on) the sea. So, writing about mermaids is the icing on the cake. (Or should that be the dolphin on the crest of a wave? Or something.) 

Mermaids, for me, represent the fact that there is always something in life that is a bit magical, that we can’t explain or prove, but that might, just might, exist. And they remind me that although the ocean covers over two thirds of our planet, we know very little about it. Its power, magic and mystery are amongst the most exciting and awe-inspiring things I can think of. And I am grateful that I get to sit in my office, pen in hand, looking out at it every day - and call it work! 

As Liz mentioned, the sixth Emily Windsnap book, Emily Windsnap and the Ship of Lost Souls will be published this August by Orion Children's Books.

To find out more about Liz Kessler:

Twitter / Website/ Facebook

Read Me Like A Book by Liz Kessler

Where's your best friend when you need her?

I mean, seriously.

It's Saturday night and here I am in Luke's front room with his sister, Zoe, and a bunch of his mates, listening to a rock band blaring about how we all going to  die, and watch a couple of lads do something that I think is intended to be dancing but looks more like they're being slowly electrocuted. 

Published by Indigo in May 2015

Pages - 297

Ashleigh Walker is in love. You know the feeling - that intense, heart-racing, all-consuming emotion that can only come with first love. It's enough to stop her worrying about bad grades at college. Enough to distract her from her parents' marriage troubles. There's just one thing bothering her . . .

Shouldn't it be her boyfriend, Dylan, who makes her feel this way - not Miss Murray, her English teacher?

*******

This is one of the most hotly anticipated novels of 2015 and it did not disappoint. I've read quite a few of Liz Kessler's middle grade novels, so I was surprised and worried about the author's transformation to Young Adult, especially when dealing with such a topical and often sensitive subject, but I can actually say she blew me away with this book.

The main character, Ashleigh, is one of those people that  you feel like you know before she really knows herself.  You can see she isn't happy with everything that is going on her life. Her relationships so far haven't been anything to write home about and her encounters with Dylan, just leave her cold. Her home life is awful; she feels that is stuck in the middle of her parents, as the move towards divorce. 

I think the author captured the rollercoaster of emotions that many teenagers seem to travel on extremely well. Ashleigh's feelings are all over the place, she is confused by her feelings for Miss Murray, and worried about everything that is going on with Dylan. 

I love that the author didn't shy away from sex in this novel. We all know that teenagers have sex, it might not be talked about loudly, but we know it happens and it needs to be included in YA novels. I thought the description of Ashleigh's first sexual encounter with Dylan, extremely well written. I can remember many of my friends of that age, desperate to lose their virginity and then telling horrific tales of their first times. 

I thought it was brilliant how Ashleigh came out to her parents, which showed the contrasting views of many parents today, who either are fully supportive of their child, or really struggle to accept their child is gay. 

This really is a brilliant book and definitely one that all teenagers should read. If you know any child who is struggling with their sexuality, this book would be an ideal read for them.  The YA genre welcomes this book gladly to it's fold. 

This book shows that when you fall in love, gender doesn't really matter. 

Waiting On Wednesday-Read Me Like A Book by Liz Kessler

Waiting On Wednesday is a weekly event, started by Jill at Breaking The Spine, highlighting future book releases everyone is waiting on! Today I am super excited about the next book from Sarah Alderson, one of my favourite authors. Conspiracy Girl will be published in February 2015 by Simon and Schuster and I can’t wait to read it.

Read Me Like A Book by Liz Kessler - Published in May 2015 by Indigo

I know that Liz has been waiting for this book to be published for a long time, so I am super excited to read her first LGBT YA novel.

Ashleigh Walker is in love. You know the feeling - that intense, heart-racing, all-consuming emotion that can only come with first love. It's enough to stop her worrying about bad grades at college. Enough to distract her from her parents' marriage troubles. There's just one thing bothering her . . .
Shouldn't it be her boyfriend, Dylan, who makes her feel this way - not Miss Murray, her English teacher?

Has Anyone Seen Jessica Jenkins? by Liz Kessler

It was during a Friday afternoon double geography lesson that I first discovered I had superhuman powers.

Published by Orion Children’s Books in August 2014

Pages - 256

Summary

Jessica Jenkins is missing...
Jessica Jenkins has always thought she was a perfectly ordinary girl, until the day that part of her arm vanishes in the middle of a Geography lesson! Her best friend Izzy is determined to help Jessica realise what a great opportunity the power to turn invisible could be, but where has her new ability come from? Does this mean she's a superhero? And, when her friends are threatened, can Jessica use her superpower to help?

*****
I love the premise of this book. Who wouldn’t want the power of invisibility? Just imagine the trouble you could cause if you could make your body disappear with just a thought.  What a fabulous idea and one that seems rare within the Middle Grade market.

I enjoyed the pacing of the story and I was quick to follow Jessica as she came to terms with all the changes and revelations occurring around her. Jessica’s friends made excellent secondary characters as they each came to terms with their own problems while learning to deal with their new situation.

I know some reviewers found the connection between the super powers and gem stones difficult to believe, but personally I thought it was a brilliant idea. I could see the scientific potential and how this could actually happen.  Gem stones have always fascinated me, especially with each one having it’s own meaning and purpose in connection with our bodies. So it seemed perfectly feasible to me, that they could be used for a wider purpose.

I think a little shout out is needed to the illustrator, Emily Twomey , as the illustrations at the start of each chapter are simply gorgeous and not forgetting the awesome cover.

I do have one little niggle with the book. I wasn’t completely sure I agreed with the way the antagonist was dealt with in the story. However, I do feel that the way the book ended, the plot left it open for perhaps a future book in the series.

At times I wasn’t always sure of which age group the book was aimed at. It had a strong, young, Middle Grade feel to it, however these kids were all about sorting the problems out themselves without adult intervention, which tends to stray into the YA genre. On reflection, I think this book would  definitely suit the younger end of the  Middle Grade bracket and I think anyone who loved Liz Kessler’s last two standalone books will really enjoy this one too. An enjoyable read with a twist of Heroes in it for the younger market.

North of Nowhere by Liz Kessler

Pages 229

Published by Orion Children's Books on 17th January 2013

I need to write it all down. That's the only way I'll believe it's true.

Spring half-term of Year Eight. All those incredible, impossible things. Did they really happen? I've tried a hundred times to tell myself that they couldn't have done, that none of it is possible.

Amazon Summary

When Mia's grandfather disappears, Mia and her mother immediately rush down to stay with her grandmother and offer support. With no friends and no internet access in the little seaside village where her grandparents live, Mia is bored and lonely--until she makes friends with Dee, the daughter of a fisherman from a nearby island, and Peter, who is on holiday with his parents. But Mia's grandad is still missing, and actually meeting face to face with Dee is proving surprisingly difficult. Mia becomes determined to find out what's going on, but the truth is much more mysterious than she ever imagined...

********
Liz Kessler has done it again. 

North of Nowhere seems to have collected the essence of excellent time travel stories and weaved them together to make a modern, believable book with a strong British feel to it that is a ruddy good read. 

There is the growing and long lasting friendship I so loved in Tom's Midnight Garden and the detailed planning of time travel to save the future from the past that was such a major part of the Back To The Future films. There is a heartbreaking moment too, which brought tears to my eyes as I remembered something similar that happened to Nicholas Lyndhurst in Goodnight Sweetheart. 

Liz captured the mind of the pre teen so accurately that she could almost have been sat in my house listening to my two in conversation. 

I also thought the book handled the difficulties that often do occur because of the generation gap extremely well. I loved the way Mia was beginning to realise that perhaps raising her voice and arguing wasn't really going to get her anywhere. My girls are just beginning to adopt the 'Be Nice' strategy.

I loved that the story was told from multiple points of view, as well as using other methods to communicate such as letters and the diary. 

I was not expecting the ending at all. I can’t say what I wasn’t expecting or I’ll give it away, but I’ll just say the ending took me by surprise!

I thought North of Nowhere was stunning! Mindblowing!  I can’t say much more to express how much I loved it because this book insists on secrecy otherwise the surprise will be spoilt.

So in the end all I really need to say is - READ IT! It is awesome!

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Letters to Liz... by Liz Kessler

As part of the blog tour for North of Nowhere, I asked Liz Kessler to write me a post. Now Liz has been on my blog a few times so we had to come up with something different for her. I had been toying with the idea of a new author feature which involved the published author writing to their unpublished self. Liz loved the idea and happily went away to write it. The resulting post is better than anything I could have imagined. Thank you Liz for sharing these with us.

 

Letters to Liz… 

Dear Liz,

I’ve recently seen your poem, Jinx’s Shop, in the Manchester Evening News. How cool is that? You’ve got a poem printed in a newspaper at the age of nine. And what a great poem it is, too. I love the perfect scanning and rhyming of it (although you do know that poems don’t always have to rhyme, don’t you?)

I have two bits of advice for you.

One - look after this newspaper as well as you can. One day, about thirty years from now, you’re going to start carting this around on school visits, and it would be great if it wasn’t a faded, scrappy, barely legible slip of paper when you do.

And two - I know you want to be a poet when you grow up but maybe think about having a fallback plan, just in case. Being a poet isn’t the easiest way to make a living. Oh, and I wouldn’t particularly pursue your other idea, either. You’re going to spend about twenty years being afraid of flying and I don’t think ‘air hostess’ is the best occupation for you, either. In fact, you know what? You’re nine. Forget about jobs for now and just carry on enjoying your childhood!

 

Love Liz x 

******

Dear Liz,

Hi again. So you’re still writing the poetry, huh? And the diaries! Wow! How do you find time to feed yourself and go to school - sorry, university - while you’re doing all this writing?

I get it. You’re not thinking about being published any more. The diaries are your way of making sense of the world. And the poems - well, hmm. Let’s not dwell too much on those for now. Every teenager experiences angst, and yeah, I do remember what unrequited love is like. It’s painful. If the writing is helping you with all of that, then go for it. Writing is the thing that you’ve always got. I can see that by now. It’s one of the things that keeps you ticking and keeps you being you. You’re going to forget this for a while, but don’t worry - a bit of you, buried somewhere inside, will always remember it, and it’ll be back when you need it.

 

Love Liz x

*******

 Dear Liz,

It’s been a long time, hasn’t it? Where did you get to? No, it’s OK. I know, really. You’ve been travelling, you’ve been working, you’ve basically gone off and turned into an adult while I wasn’t looking.

But you’re back now and that’s all that matters. And hey, guess what? You want to write a book. Well, I knew it was only a matter of time. In fact, you’re going to write lots of books. But listen, this first one that you’re writing - it might not get published straight away, OK? Yes, yes, I know, it’s really important to you. And no, I’m not saying you should give up on it. Just, everything has its time. This one might have to wait a while is all I’m saying. But this new thing that’s just popped into your head, this Emily Windsnap idea - I like that one. Kick-ass mermaids sound like fun, and much more commercial!

Enjoy the ride, Liz, and work hard. At the moment, you’ve got a lot of people telling you stuff, offering all sorts of opinions, thrusting advice your way. You’ll listen to a lot more of it than you need to. But that’s OK. It’s part of figuring out whose advice you really value. The most important voice to listen to, though, is your own. It’s always been there. It’s been as much a part of you as your curly hair, or your quirky sense of humour, or your passion for standing up for justice. It’s you. You are a writer and the fact that you’ve remembered that now, and have put that knowledge at the heart of the way you live your life, is all you need to do. The rest will follow.

And you see that huge wall in front of you? The one you can’t even see the top of? The one that has an agent and a book deal on the other side of it? Well, guess what? Once you get over it, you’ll realise it wasn’t a big wall at all. It was just a line drawn on the ground. And there are more of them ahead. And they’ll all look just like this one - maybe even higher. So don’t get too hung up on any of them. Getting an agent, getting published, being on bestseller lists, winning awards, getting the film deal - big, big walls all of them. Some of them you’ll achieve, others you won’t. Some of them I don’t know yet as I’m only a few walls ahead of you now. But what I can tell you is this. All of them are mirages. They’re not real. They’re lines drawn on the ground. So try to just enjoy the journey and forget about looking up at these towering walls that don’t even really exist.

Make the most of this year on your Writing MA. Say hi to the others for me. Tell Julie that she’s a brilliant writer and not to forget it. Tell Michael thank you for giving you confidence. Tell Jackie you’ll never forget that she was the first writer to say she liked Emily Windsnap - even before it changed from a poem into a book.

But most of all, tell yourself you have talent. You’ll probably never find it easy to hear this and will always wonder if it’s all just a big fluke, or a dream you’re going to wake up from to find everyone laughing at your ambitions and hopes. But it isn’t a dream. It’s real, and it’s you. So be proud of who you are, of what you’re doing and of the decisions you’re making. It’s all leading you where you need to go. Enjoy the now; the future will look after itself.

 

Love Liz x

North of Nowhere is available to buy now.

To find out more about Liz Kessler:

Website: http://www.lizkessler.co.uk/

Twitter: @lizkesslerbooks

Facebook:http://www.facebook.com/lizkesslerchildrensauthor?fref=ts

 

You may also be interested to hear about a North of Nowhere creative writing competition that we are running to celebrate young talent. The competition is open to all writers aged 8-13 who need to finish the story (which is the opening paragraph of NORTH OF NOWHERE) in 500 words or less. Entries are open from 17 January 2013 - 28 March 2013. The winner will have their story published on the Guardian Children’s Books website, will win a digital camera as well as £100 worth of Orion Children’s Books for their school library.

The competition will be launched on the Guardian Childrens Books website on 17 January: http://www.guardian.co.uk/childrens-books-site

A Day In The Life of Liz Kessler

I love to get being nosy and checking out what writers actually do all day, so I was over the moon that Liz Kessler agreed to write an honest post about her day. As part of The Land of the Midnight Sun blog tour, the fifth book in the Emily Windsnap books, here is Liz telling us all about her day.

 I bet anyone who’s ever been asked to write a ‘Day in the Life’ article has the same question go through their head. Do I write about a real day in my life or a day in the life that I aspire to and that part of me pretends I actually have?
I’m opting for the former. So if you have romantic visions of writers sitting in their attics from dawn till dusk as the muse guides them smoothly through their day, quill pen and creativity flowing, I suggest you look away now.
Actually, the attic bit is true. My study is in a beautiful attic room, with a view of the sea and gorgeous little nooks and crannies, and that is where I start my day.

‘My study, complete with dalmatian muse.’

Actually, I start it at the kettle. First cup of tea in hand, dog patted and cuddled, I sneak off to my little haven at the top of the house around 8 am(ish).

What I’d love to say now is that I sit working solidly on my book and emerge an hour later with my first thousand words written. Actually, to be fair, this sometimes is the case. When I’m on the first draft of a book, usually the words do flow quite fast and I resent most things that get in the way of me spending time with them.
But at the stage I am at right now - which is the very early thoughts about one book, the final edits of another and the publicity plans for a third - things are not so clear cut.
So, cup of tea (Earl Grey) sorted, the first job of the day - as any writer knows - is to check emails, Facebook and Twitter. I’ll reply to anything urgent, spend a good ten minutes trying to think of a witty & erudite tweet (and usually fail) and then start to think about a second cup of tea.

‘My fave mug’

By the time I have made my next cuppa and have woken up the partner and the dog, had a chat on the doorstep with the neighbours/postie/passing holidaymakers who stop and coo at next door’s cat, possibly given my mum a quick call and (occasionally) got dressed, it somehow seems to be getting on for 10 o’ clock. (See I nearly said 9 there, but I told you I was being honest.)
Which means it’s time to check emails, facebook, twitter again.
Somewhere around this point, I’ll realise I’ve been up for over two hours and not achieved anything, and any time now, I’ll decide I really need to get to work.
I would dearly love to say that this is the point where I exclude every distraction, put the ‘Do Not Disturb’ sign on my door, and get creating. But it’s not to be. Not yet. There is still Stuff To Do before I can allow myself that luxury. All good. All related to be being a writer. None of it actually writing.
Here is an example of my Stuff To Do, all taken from the last week…
* Working with my publicist to plan some publicity events for my new book, which comes out in a month.
* Working with my web designer to create the ‘Emily Windsnap Friendship Festival’.  * Reading through the US page proofs of Emily Windsnap and the Land of the Midnight Sun and sending my comments back to my US editor. * Making a video of my recommended summer reads, for Amazon.com’s ‘Author Adventures’
* Visiting a local hotel run by friends of mine with my dog (the star of my new Early Reader, Poppy the Pirate Dog to give a talk to families staying at the hotel.
* Running a writing workshop for children as part of the Penzance Literary Festival.

‘The next generation of fabulous writers.’

* Making arrangements with another local festival, and with a local reading agency, to run more writing workshops for children.
* Writing an article for the local newspaper about Poppy the Pirate Dog.
* Um. Writing some guest blogs.
There is more, but you get the idea. The other thing I should mention is that I’m running a raffle for a local children’s hospice at the moment, so I’m putting about half my time into that as well.
All of which means, we’ve now got to about 4 pm. In fact, to be honest, it could be 4, but it could just as easily be 7 or 8 pm by now. I still haven’t done any actual writing - but I’m not too worried. I have come to trust that at these early stages, ideas are almost certainly beginning to form silently in the back of my mind. And I also know that once I get started, none of this admin will stand a chance, as all I’ll want to do is write. So sometime around now, whatever time that is, I’ll switch off my computer, make a long list of all the things I wanted to get round to doing but didn’t, and call it a day.
And unless it’s a beautifully sunny day and there are perfect waves (in which case most of the above gets abandoned to go surfing) or a beautifully sunny day and the sea is flat calm (in which case most of the above gets abandoned to go fishing or kayaking) or a beautifully sunny day and a friend puts a message on facebook saying ‘Anyone fancy the beach this afternoon?’ (in which case…well, it’s obvious what I’d do in this case) - then that’s pretty much how a Day in the Life of Liz Kessler goes. At the moment.
And now, at 9.29 am, I’m off to wake up the partner, cuddle the dog and have a cup of tea on the doorstep with my neighbour.

The Emily Windsnap books are all about friendship! We’re inviting young readers to join the Emily Windsnap Friendship Festival in September 2012 - go to www.lizkessler.co.uk to find out how to get involved and win!
The whole series has been given a set of gorgeous new covers! What do you think?

Now how would you like to win a copy of the fifth book in the series 'The Land of the Midnight Sun'?

Well thanks to the lovely ladies at Orion Children's Books I have three copies to give away. This is a UK only competition, so please do not enter if you live outside the UK as your entry will be invalid.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

The Orion/Indigo Summer Ball

On Wednesday the 29th of July, I was kindly asked to attend the Orion/Indigo Summer Ball. A fair amount of  squeeing occurred on receipt of this invitation, especially when I realised how many fantastic Orion authors would be attending. 

The event was held at the October Gallery in Bloomsbury, which I actually struggled to find. After nearly sending myself into a severe asthma attack after climbing 175 stairs at the Russel Square station, I then found myself stranded in the centre of London.  At one point, I was ready to throw my bag on the floor and throw a major toddler tantrum in protest of not knowing where I needed to go. It wasn't until I saw Jenny from Wondrous Reads, my guardian angel for an instant moment, that I sighed with relief at realising I had passed the building several times. 

 On arrival at the October Gallery, Jenny and I were joined by a delightful lady, whom I only realised five minutes after the conversation began was Lucy Coats, who I had spoken to several times concerning the ABBA online literary festival. 

Once inside the gallery, the lovely Nina Rogers led us out into the courtyard where we were served drinks and canapes. The courtyard soon began to fill up and I found myself mingling with lots of fantastic authors as well as bloggers, such as Liz and Mark de Jager from My Favourite Books and Darren from Bookzone.

I also got to meet some AMAZING authors too. 

Standing next to me in the photo, is James Dawson, a new author for Orion who will be published under their new imprint Indigo in February next year. His book is called Hollow Pike and has that Twin Peaks feel to it. James is very entertaining and I could have listened to him talk all night. I can't wait to read Hollow Pike.

 I also got to see Liz Kessler again, who is pictured here with Lucy Coats and Kate Christer, one of the lovely  publicists from Orion.

 For a little while during the evening, I got to sit and talk to Caroline Lawrence, author of the Western Mysteries. As we were chatting, I took a picture looking down on the crowded courtyard. To the right of the picture, you will see Cliff Mcnish in a blue shirt. I spoke to him earlier in the evening, was amazed to find him so relaxed and really funny, especially as he writes horror books for a living.

 Another picture from above, showing Fiona Kennedy, publisher of Orion Children's books and Indigo can be seen in the black and white dress in the left hand corner. She made a wonderful speech thanking all her staff and authors for another successful year at Orion Children's Books. She gave special mentions to Annabel Pitcher ( My Sister Lives On The Mantelpiece) Marcus Sedgwick ( White Crow) and Lauren St John (Dead Man's Cove) who had all had a very successful year with their books.

Apologies for the quality of this picture, but  I took it on my phone. 

Here we have Annabel Pitcher, Jenny Davies from Wondrous Reads and James Dawson.

I had the most AMAZING time at the Orion/Indigo Summer Ball and came away feeling inspired to finish my own writing. The authors I met were so kind and supportive and I wish them all well with their new publications. Thank you to Nina and Kate for allowing me to attend such an exciting event. 

Here are two more posts about the Orion/Indigo party.

http://www.orionbooks.co.uk/news/the-orion-children-s-book-summer-party

http://bookwitch.wordpress.com/2011/06/30/orions-party/

A Year Without Autumn by Liz Kessler

Book published in April 2011 by Orion Children's Books
Pages - 246
Aimed at 9-12 year olds
Book kindly sent to be reviewed by the publisher

'Stop the car!'
'What?' Dad swivels round in his seat. The car jerks into a swerve.
'Good grief, Tom! Mum squeals, gripping her arm rest as she pulls a was of tissues out of her bag.
'Stop the car!' I repeat. It's going to be too late in a  minutes. I grab the tissues from Mum and shove them over Craig's mouth.
Dad pulls over just in time and Craig lurches out of his seat, runs to the gravelly path by the side of the road and doubles over. 
The car stinks of sick for the rest of the journey.




Jenni Green is off on holiday with her parents to the same destination that they go to every year.  Not that Jenni minds because she gets to spent the week with her best friend Autumn.  Yet something goes slightly wrong with this annual trip and Jenni finds herself transported a year into the future, where Autumn's life has hit rock bottom. Something tragic occurred the year before which shattered the lives of Autumn and her family as well as ruining the long term friendship of Jenni and Autumn.  Can Jenni figure out what happened to change Autumn's life so drastically and can she turn back time to stop whatever happened occurring.

If you are looking for an awesome time travel novel, then this is the book for you.  Liz Kessler introduced time travel so smoothly into the story that I never doubted its credibility once. The author has managed to breathe reality into science fiction.

I know book reviews are not meant to be personal, but I cannot help but love a book that instantly catapults me back to my past and that first paragraph had me travelling in the back of the car with my parents on numerous long journeys to Devon. Not the best traveller and long before travel sickness pills came into fashion, I was Craig!

The book is written is present tense which I normally whinge about as it is one of my pet hates, but I cannot say it affected my enjoyment of the story at all. In fact, I didn't notice it after the first page, which is amazing for me. The story is extremely well written and highly polished allowing the story to just flow off the page.

This book may only be 246 pages, but it has a lot packed into it. I was completely captivated from the first page and ended up reading it in one sitting. I was desperate to discover how Jenni would deal with her unusual situation.  There is no sign of predictability within this book and I found myself constantly surprised by the route the story took.

I loved all the characters within the book and instantly felt their anguish when their personal situations changed. Jenni was my favourite character and I loved how her desperation changed her character for the better and made her so much stronger. She dealt with the time travel situation thrust upon her with maturity and grace.

One of the main themes dealt with in this book is friendship; the author explores how a cross word can turn friendship to hate. The story provides a strong reminder of how we should treat the people close to us. Liz Kessler also focuses on the possibility of small random acts changing your future forever. The theme reminded me of a short story I read during secondary school which was called The Butterfly Effect, where one minor choice can have major effects on the future. The whole theory is quite mind boggling. This book will definitely make you look closer at the choices and actions you make in life and how little things can escalate into bigger issues.

This is the first book I have read by Liz Kessler and I can say with absolute certainty that it won't be the last. I love her descriptive style of writing.  The way she conjured up nostalgic memories of my own childhood caught me by surprise. This book may be aimed at 9 to 12 year olds, but I found it to be ageless. I know without a doubt that readers in my age bracket will love it.

When you read this book, expect the unexpected and freeze reality for a while in order to believe in the unbelievable!

I have two copies of 'A Year Without Autumn' to give away over at Goodreads. So please do go over and enter if you would like the chance to win a copy.

The Day I Met Liz Kessler!

Last Tuesday, I was really lucky to be invited to the launch of Liz Kessler's new children's book 'A Year Without Autumn'. The event was held in London  in The Marquis, which was just across the road from Trafalgar Square.

When I arrived,  I was introduced to Nina and Kate from Orion, who were both very lovely ladies and two people I had got to know quite well recently via email and Twitter. I also finally got to meet Liz from My Favourite Books - one of my favourite blogs.

There were so many people there to congratulate Liz Kessler on the publication of her new book. Fiona Kennedy from Orion made a lovely address about working with Liz over the last few years, followed by a delightful and entertaining speech by Liz Kessler herself. 

 Throughout the evening, I got to speak to Liz quite a few times and I have to say she is absolutely delightful and really funny.  She is just so entertaining to talk too.  We discussed our proposed Twitter interview and talked about the her blog tour which was underway.  I hadn't realised that Liz had actually written the first draft of 'A Year Without Autumn' before she had published her very successful Emily Windsnap  and Phillipa Fisher books. 

Liz kindly signed my copy for me and I did come away with a couple of other signed books which I will be giving away via Goodreads very soon. 

We were also given these gorgeous Thornton chocolates with the cover of Liz's book on top. 

I actually finished reading 'A Year Without Autumn' on the weekend and I can't wait to tell you next week all about it. If you like time travel books, you will absolutely love this book.

The Transcript From The Live Twitterview With Liz Kessler

As many of you know I did a live Twitterview with Liz Kessler, the author of the Emily Windsnap and Phillipa Fisher children's books on Thursday. Liz is currently featuring on a blog tour for her new book 'A Year Without Autumn' and stopped by my blog a week ago to feature in The Big Break which you will find here.

The Twitterview went live at 12 noon on Thursday and with the help of lots of Tweeters we enjoyed an hour of Liz's company and got her to answer all our questions. So here as promised, is the interview in full.

@serendipidy101 : Hi Liz, thank you for letting me interview you via Twitter today. Shall I begin with the first question?

@serendipidy101: @PewterWolf13 asks what song best sums up 'A Year Without Autumn?

@lizkesslerbooks :  I love this question! How about 'If I Could Turn Back Time.'

@serendipidy101: An email question up next.

@serendipidy101: Emily B wants to know what inspired you to write The Tale of Emily Windsnap?

@lizkesslerbooks: Nice question Emily B. Well I love the sea, I love boats and mermaids are cool! So that's 3 good inspirations!

@serendipidy101: Blogger question from Petty Witter. Which book do you wish you had written and why?

@lizkesslerbooks: Ooh, good one. The Time Traveller's Wife. Cos it is AMAZING!

@serendipidy101: Another blog question - Kulsama - how did you get the initial idea for A Year Without Autumn?

@lizkesslerbooks: I love time travel - that's why I thought of it first. Then the idea sort of emerged bit by bit.

@serendipidy101: From Kulsama again. How much did the story change from first draft to final draft?

@lizkesslerbooks: HUGELY! My mum read 1st draft and just read the book this week and said it was like a different book!

@serendipidy101: @lovelytreez asks who designed the cover for A Year Without Autumn?

@lizkesslerbooks: Orion chose the designer. I don't know her name! You like? I do!

@serendipidy101: From me *sneaking in there* when will the book be published in the US?

@lizkesslerbooks: A Year Without Autumn is out in the States in November this year :))))

@serendipidy101: Sorry *pushing to the front again* What are you working on next?

@lizkesslerbooks: I'm currently finishing the second time travel book, then it's a 5th Emily Windsnap - YAY!! :)

@serendipidy101: @DarrenDac asks if your life was made into a film, who would play you and why?

@lizkesslerbooks: Crikey. No idea! Someone with mad curly hair! Any suggestions? (Although why would they make a film of my life?!?!)

@serendipidy101: Anyone know who should play Liz in a film?

@serendipidy101: Just had a suggestion of Barbara Streisand!

@lizkesslerbooks: Barbara Streisand!!! Hilarious! She's about 50 years older than me isn't she??

@craftywhoopingdoo: That actress in DR Who at the moment. The one who keeps turning up and used to be in Eastenders.

@lizkesslerbooks: Who's that? Gotta be a closer match than Barbara Streisand!

@serendipidy101: Den's ex wife who killed him in Eastenders!

@lizkesslerbooks: Not having mad Angie from Eastenders playing me! The movie deal is off!!

@serendipidy101: No, the one who killed him, later on.

@craftywhoopidoo: The actress is Alex Kingston :-) plays Riversong in Dr Who.

@serendipidy101:@craftywhoopidoo @Lady_K_Black both just told us its Alex Kingston. You will have to check her out.

@lizkesslerbooks: Thanks! I'll check her out and see if I agree that she's suitable for Liz Kessler: The Movie LOL!

@serendipidy101: @curtweaver asks: Who is your favourite author?

@lizkesslerbooks: I have LOTS of fave writers! At the moment - @jodipicoult for adults and the brand new @APitcherAuthor for kids! :)

@serendipidy101: @Curtweaver wants to know how did you come up with the idea for A Year Without Autumn?

@lizkesslerbooks: I love time travel, and like to think what might happen if you had the chance to go back and do things differently.

@serendipidy101: Another one from @Curtweaver - Do you follow any English football teams? Big fan of yours I think.

@lizkesslerbooks: Not passionately. But if I had to choose, Man Utd. (And very weirdly Man City too, as they were my grandad's team)

@serendipidy101: Just received an anon. one. Do you believe in fate?

@lizkesslerbooks: Hmm, fate...I don't know! I believe in something out there, but as yet I haven't worked out what I call it!

@serendipidy101:  Was there a book/film/childhood experience that prompted your love of mermaids and inspired Emily Windsnap?

@lizkesslerbooks: The fact that I grew up near the seaside may have something to do with it. and my dad was mad about boats (as I am!)

@serendipidy101: @craftywhoopidoo wants to know if you get any say in your cover design or the illustrations?

@lizkesslerbooks: I do get my say on covers thank goodness.Orion are very lovely at taking on board each nitpicky thing I ask for!

@serendipidy101: An FB fan ChloeC. Why didn't your 5th grade teacher believe you wrote the Jinx's Shop poem?

@lizkesslerbooks: Hi Chloe! My teacher didn't think I'd written Jinx's Shop because he said it was too good for me!

@serendipidy101: Shame on your teacher!

@lizkesslerbooks: Yeah, but you can't blame him too much. I was quite naughty as a child!

@lathersoapco: Good Morning from US, waiting for coffee! Any plans to attend the US Nat Book festival again?

@lizkesslerbooks: I'd LOVE to come to the US Nat book festival again! Hint hint @Candlewick!!

@lizkesslerbooks: The US Nat book festival was one of the absolute highlights of my career to date, no question!

@serendipidy101: FB LoriS; What led you to write A Year Without Autumn?

@lizkesslerbooks: Loris, I wrote Autumn cos I love the idea of time slip and thinking what we would do differently if we cou

@serendipidy101: FB JudyR. wants to know how long it took to write 'A Year Without Autumn?

@lizkesslerbooks: It took a long time! Altogether, maybe about a year and a half - but I started it six years ago!!

@serendipidy101: Also wants to know how you organise your writing process? How many drafts?

@lizkesslerbooks: JudyR, I plan and plan and plan. And once I know exactly what's going to happen in my book, I start writing it!!

@serendipidy101: My favourite question coming up.

@serendipidy101: From FB Amina if your having a bad writing day, do you change into your lucky underpants? LOL

@lizkesslerbooks: Err...Amina, I can't say I particularly have any lucky underwear! (I often write in PJs though if that helps?)

@serendipidy101: And your crown. Don't forget you write in your crown too. LOL

@serendipidy101: Are your stories the end results of ideas you had as a child? From FBHeatherBS.

@lizkesslerbooks: Heather BS My stories aren't consciously to do with my life but I know bits of real life does come into them!

@serendipidy101: *sneaking one in again* What is your favourite dystopian novel?

@lizkesslerbooks: Ooh, I do love a good dystopian novel. At the moment it'd have to be the first Hunger Games book.

@lathersoapco: Daughter leaving for 6th grade bus. Who was your favourite character to write or most like you?

@lizkesslerbooks: Most like me is Emily Windsnap. Most fun to write - Mystic Millie or Mr Beeston. Or Neptune cos he SHOUTS A LOT!

@serendipidy101: FBSaraT asks what is the most adventurous and/or gross thing you have ever eaten?

@lizkesslerbooks: SaraT I tried a tiny bite of lobster. That's about as adventurous as my eating gets! (I'm a very boring eater.)

@cloverness: Who's your favourite fictional character?

@lizkesslerbooks: Ooh. Of mine or someone else's? (She asks, buying time as it's a tricky question!!)

@serendipidy101:Yours I think

@cloverness: Oh, definitely both!

@lizkesslerbooks: @cloverness OK mine - I love them all - they're my babies!! Someone else's - the whole cast of the Phantom Tollbooth!

@serendipidy101: FBJodyDS asks how did you research all the different fish in the Emily Windsnap books?

@lizkesslerbooks: Doing lots of snorkelling and watching lots of underwater documentaries!

@serendipidy101: FBAmyNS asks what is your favourite book that you have written?

@lizkesslerbooks: Amy NS - my favourite of my own books at the moment is definitely A Year Without Autumn! :)

@serendipidy101: *sneaky me* If you could be any other author dead or alive, who would you be?

@lizkesslerbooks: If I could be any author, I'd be.......ME! :)))

@CazApr1: Would you consider writing a YA time travel book?

@lizkesslerbooks:  @CazApr1: I might well do a YA time travel book at some point. Who knows! I'd quite like to!

@cloverness: Did you have a role model growing up?

@lizkesslerbooks: I had a wonderful English teacher who changed my life and made me want to work hard! (But not till I was 16!)

@coletteO3: How do you deal with writer's block?

@lizkesslerbooks: @colette03: I don't really use the term writer's block. I just think that sometimes it's hard - but so is any other job!

@serendipidy101: One final question to wrap up the interview.

@serendipidy101: FBElizabethGF - What inspires you to be a writer?

@lizkesslerbooks: ElizabethGF I think being a writer is just part of who I am. Writing makes me feel alive and wonderful! :)

@lizkesslerbooks: Nice question to end on by the way!

@serendipidy101: Thank you Liz for such excellent answers.

@serendipidy101: Thankyou to everyone who sent in questions and who joined in the interview.

@lizkesslerbooks: Thank you to everyone who sent all those fabulous questions and especially to @serendipidy101 for being such a brill twitterviewer!!

I hope you all enjoyed that! Liz and I both agreed that the hour went very quickly. 

Liz Kessler will be picking out the three winners with the best questions soon. I will announce the winners as soon as she does and the lovely staff at Orion will send out three signed copies of Liz Kessler's new book 'A Year Without Autumn'.

Thanks for joining in the fun.

The Big Break with Liz Kessler

 The Big Break is over the moon to be interviewing Liz Kessler, author of  two very successful children's books series, Emily Windsnap and Phillipa Fisher. Her new book 'A Year Without Autum' will be released on the 7th April by Orion Childrens Books.

 Firstly, can I thank you for joining me today on my blog.

Thank you very much for having me. It’s great to be here!

What career did you have before you began writing for a living?

I worked as a teacher (English and Media Studies) and as a journalist.

How long had you been dreaming of being published before you got that life changing phone call?

Well it started when I was about eight. I had my first poem published in the local newspaper and I was pretty sure that I was going to be a famous poet when I grew up. I kind of forgot about the dream for a couple of decades, but when I came back to it, it was as if I’d remembered that that was what I’d always wanted to be, and I didn’t waste any more time. I got straight on with it.

How long did it take you to write your first book?

About a year. Then a bit longer for the editing, once I’d got the book deal.

What was your first reaction when you found out that your debut novel ‘The Tail of Emily Windsnap’ was to be published?

I couldn’t believe it. It was the BEST feeling ever!

What were you doing when you found out?

I was at home on the narrow boat I used to live on, on a canal just outside Manchester.

Who did you tell first?

My best friend, Fiz, who lived on the boat next door to mine. (See the Bookwitch Guest Blog on April 7th for more on this!)

How long did it take for your book to reach publication after the initial agreement?

Eek, I can’t remember! I know it felt like a lifetime! Probably about a year and a half.

What was happening to your manuscript during this time?

Well, firstly it went backwards and forwards about a hundred times between me and my wonderful editor Judith Elliott. Then once that was all done, it was over to Orion to add lovely line drawings to chapter headings, produce the cover and so on. And then off to production I guess!

How did you keep yourself occupied as you waited for publication day?

I had a couple of part time jobs at the time. I was teaching a couple of writing courses and working freelance with an editorial and advisory agency, editing other people’s manuscripts. That was great. Both of these helped me to spot lots of flaws in my own writing.

Where did you see your book on sale first? How did it feel to see your name on the finished book?

The first place I remember seeing it was in Ottakar’s (now Waterstone’s) in Wilmslow. I was with a friend and we couldn’t see it on the shelves. My friend persuaded me to ask them if they had it, and it turned out they were just about to put them out on the shelves. I came out beaming! (And have stayed good friends with that bookshop ever since.)

Your new book ‘A Year Without Autumn’ will be released on the 7th of April. How will you celebrate publication day?

By throwing a party in my favourite café bar in St Ives, overlooking the beach and drinking Prosecco. Why, is there any other way to celebrate publication day?

How does it feel to have people recognise you as an author?

Err...I don’t exactly get recognised a huge amount! Actually, I did once get recognised at my local co-op after there’d been an article in the local paper. And last summer a girl came up to me on the beach and told me she was a fan. That was fantastic! Oh, and while we were on a family holiday in Croatia last year, my nephew spotted a girl reading my book in Swedish! That was very cool!

How would you spend a typical writing day?

I don’t really have a ‘typical’ day. It can range so much, depending on all sorts of things: where I’m up to with the current book, whether we have people staying, how sunny it is, how good the surf is looking etc!

Recently, my work day starts at 7am. I’m at my desk dealing with admin, emails, twitter, facebook etc etc. I try to get all that kind of stuff out of the way to clear my head. Then I’ll do my work. I set targets. If I’m on a first draft, I usually do 1,500 words a day. If that takes all day with lots of faffing in between, then that’s OK. But if I want to go out to play in the afternoon, I’ll work really hard and be done by lunchtime. If I’m editing (which I am at the moment) I try to edit a chapter a day.

Whatever aspect of the job I’m doing, I do spend a lot of hours doing it. But I try to do lots of other stuff in between as well!

What advice would you give to aspiring and unpublished authors?

There is so much I could say here! If you want a long answer to this question then check out my website. (Click on the keyboard on the desk and it’ll open up a page of writing advice!)

But in short, I would say: work hard, write the things that really drive you, and enjoy it! Don’t try to figure out what the market wants - the market is very fickle and by the time you’ve figured out what they want, they’ll have moved on! Just write what’s really in your heart - but also listen to the advice of people who know what they’re talking about.

Remember your mum/best friend/partner will tell you that your book is great - and to them it will be. They probably don’t know anyone else who’s written a book! But telling you that you’re great is part of their job description, so when they say that, be grateful and polite, but then go and show your work to someone else as well, just to be sure! Joining (or starting) a writing group is a great thing to do. Being around others who are passionate about writing and sharing your work with each other is one of the most empowering and useful things you can do.

Carry a notebook around with you for those moments when inspiration strikes. And don’t worry if you have long periods where you feel you have no ideas or you can’t figure out what to do next. It’s all part of the process.

Ooops. Just remembered I said ‘In short’ didn’t I?! Oh well, hope this helps. The main thing above everything else - enjoy it!

Thank you Liz for talking to us today. If you would like to know more about Liz then click on her website here. If you want to know more about 'A Year Without Autum' which comes out next Thursday then click on the Amazon link here.