Secret Serendipity Seven with Elizabeth Dale

Today I'm pleased to welcome children's author and SCBWI pal, Elizabeth Dale, onto the blog, to share seven secrets with us. Yesterday on the blog, her latest picture book, Nothing Can Frighten A Bear was reviewed by Liss Norton. 

We all love secrets, don’t we? Some we don’t mind sharing, some we’re a bit tentative about. Should I tell you my 7th one? Read it and see!

1. I originally started writing children’s books because they are short. Honestly! My first ever writing attempt was a long adult novel. It was typed on a portable typewriter with keys that stuck if I typed too fast, edits could mean re-typing whole pages or chapters - and no-one wanted to publish it. After all those endless late nights hammering away on my ancient machine, I vowed that never again would I spend so long on something that might never be published. So I wrote magazine stories, which were wonderfully short. And then when my daughters were born, and I was reminded how wonderful children’s books are, I started writing them, too. Firstly because they were short, but then because I fell in love with them. Writing for children is the most fun of all. Indeed, my daughters were so impressed by what a blissful life I lead - sitting with my feet up, drinking coffee, gazing out the window - sorry, writing! - that two of them, Katie Dale (Little White Lies, Mumnesia, Fairy Tale Twists etc) and Jenny Jinks (A Treasury of Bedtime Stories) are children’s authors, too.

2. My latest picture book Nothing Can Frighten a Bear was inspired by a trip to Canada where I went for walks in the woods looking for bears. But I am really, really pleased to say we never found one! I would have been scared silly. My daughter thought she saw one and our screams of terror were deafening (even though it turned out to be only a squirrel!). So whilst it’s true that Nothing Can Frighten a Bear, there is a lot that can terrify this human!

3. I’m useless at baking cakes. My picture book The Carrot Cake Catastrophe is about a girl rabbit and her granddad making a birthday cake for her mummy that goes disastrously wrong. It was written from experience. I shall never forget the day I was baking with my daughters and egg whites were mistaken for peach juice! The Carrot Cake Catastrophe has a recipe in the back for a yummy carrot cake, which my editor provided and tested out. Not me. I didn’t want my own carrot cake catastrophe!

4. I often get car sick. My picture book Off to Market - about a trip on an African minibus to a market, was based on a real journey I took in Uganda. There was everything on that minibus: goats, rugs, hens, and lots of people. It was hot, jam-packed and full of very interesting smells. Fortunately, despite these and the bends and very bumpy roads, I didn’t feel sick. Which is just as well as I’d never have been able to push my way off that crowded bus in time!

5. I’m allergic to dogs, cats, horses, and anything furry. The first picture book I ever had published, Scrumpy, is about a dog that died and is based on a dog of that name we all fell in love with one holiday. I wrote it because my daughter’s hamster died and I saw the devastating effect that had on her, and I wanted to write a positive story about moving on after the death of a pet. But I’ve never had a dog. My children would have loved one, but they couldn’t because of my allergies. I have had courses of de-sensitising injections but they didn’t work, so the only dogs in my house are in books.

6. Not many people know that I am writing a musical - working title Always a Rainbow with my daughter, Katie, and the lovely Helen Bonney who is a musical genius. It is based on the life of Janusz Korczak who ran an orphanage for Jewish children in Poland in the Second World War, and refused to leave them no matter what. It’s funny, sad, heart-rending but hopefully uplifting too - and filled with beautiful songs.

7. I do not have an agent. I have had over forty books accepted, due to dogged persistence, learning from feedback and never giving up over the years. Which leads to an extra 8th secret. I am the Rejection Queen. I am used to rejection, I expect rejection, I can take it. It’s hard sometimes, especially when I’m on the verge of acceptance and it falls through, but I have learned that every rejection is an opportunity - to send that text out to someone else. So for all fellow writers reading this, I would say - Never Give Up! Embrace rejection, it comes to us all (well most of us!) and when an acceptance finally happens, past rejections make it even sweeter.

There… should I have revealed that I get rejected a lot? Hardly makes me look like a mega-successful author, does it? But all you writers or would-be writers out there suffering or fearing rejection need to know -you are not alone! It’s healthy. It’s normal. It’s part of being a writer. But despite them all, being a writer, especially for children, is still the best job in the world!

Nothing Can Frighten A Bear is published by Nosy Crow. To read a review, click here. 

Summary

Snuggled up in bed one moonlight night, Baby Bear is sure he hears a monster outside. Daddy Bear insists there’s nothing scary in the forest and, anyway, nothing can frighten a bear. But as the family of bears set out to make sure, and all vanish one by one, it looks like Daddy Bear might not be as brave as he seems… 

This bedtime story is full of comic surprises and gentle reassurance. After all, the things that go bump in the night are never as scary as you might think!

***

If you want to know more about Elizabeth Dale and her books, please visit her website - http://elizabethdaleuk.blogspot.co.uk/

Or contact her on [email protected] 

Secret Serendipity Seven with Swapna Haddow

Today I'm pleased to welcome Swapna Haddow onto the blog, to reveal seven secrets about her chapter book for younger readers, Dave Pigeon and herself. I loved Dave Pigeon! You can read my review here. I honestly can't wait for the next book in the series. 

• There is a comedy dog in every first chapter of every first draft of a story I have ever written who is always cut from final draft of the book. In Dave Pigeon, the dog’s name was ‘Dog’.

• Skipper, Dave Pigeon’s best friend, was not originally called ‘Skipper’. He had another name. It was Another.

• I don’t really plan my books, which is ironic because ‘Dave Pigeon: How to deal with Bad Cats and keep (most of) your Feathers’ is a book about plans. I tend to write and see where the characters take me.

• I’ve been afraid of pigeons since I was a child. When I was six, I was harassed at Trafalgar Square by an army of pigeons because I was eating a sandwich. Writing the book has been very therapeutic and now I’m quite fond of pigeons.

• I’ve been afraid of cats since I was a child. I was scratched by a cat when I was younger and never really got over it. Writing the book has not been therapeutic for this in the slightest and I may be more afraid of cats now than I ever was.

• I tend to write in bed, which is why it takes me a while to finish writing a story because I fall asleep A LOT.

• Despite all my sleeping, I have finished writing the second Dave Pigeon book! Yippee! In the next book Dave Pigeon and Skipper are lured away from their shed and they have to take on a very gruesome villain, one who has an incredibly sinister plan for our feathery friends. Find out what adventures are in store for Dave and Skipper in February 2017.

Published by Faber and Faber in April 2016

Summary

Join Dave Pigeon and his sidekick Skipper on their quest to defeat the most evil cat in town. There will be funny bits, scary bits and biscuity bits...

To find out more about Swapna Haddow:

Website / Twitter

Secret Serendipity Seven with Sara Grant

Today I am pleased to welcome, Book Bound mentor and amazing author, Sara Grant onto the blog to tell us some of her secrets about Chasing Danger and her writing. 

1) Sex Change

The two main characters in Chasing Danger transformed considerably from initial idea to published book. Originally I’d imagined Chasing Danger as a young adult novel with a boy and girl protagonist. The first storyline included a bit of light romance. But my agent and editor suggested that Chasing Danger should be for middle grade readers with two girl protagonists. They were right. This change in age range and gender really unlocked the story.

2) SHARK!

If you read Chasing Danger, you’ll notice that sharks play a prominent - and terrifying -role. I was scarred for life by watching the Jaws advertisement when the movie debuted in 1975. I never could build up the courage to watch the movie. For years after, that horrible image on the movie poster would spring to mind and freak me out whenever I went swimming -whether it was in the city pool, murky lake or crystal blue ocean. 

3) Resurrection  

In nearly every book I’ve ever written - except for Magic Trix, my series for younger readers about a girl training to be a fairy godmother - my agent or editor has stepped in to save at least one character. I have a bad habit of killing off too many people in my original storylines.

4) Excuse for a Holiday 

The first Chasing Danger was inspired by my trip to the Maldives. The secluded island resort in Chasing Danger is roughly based on the island where I stayed. I’ve researched - and by research I mean I’ve taken a holiday at - several more destinations perfect for mayhem and murder - and not too bad for a holiday either. For example, the second book in the Chasing Danger series is set at an ice hotel in the Arctic Circle.

5) Plans, Strategies and Tactics 

I worked seventeen years in public relations. My last PR job was as the director of communications for the Lumina Foundation, which is dedicated to improving access to higher eduction. I was known as the ‘matrix queen’ for my love of creating planning documents - which usually included a grid of action items and deadlines. I still create plans and timelines for my projects - from Undiscovered Voices to my Book Bound events to the promotion of my next book. It’s no real surprise then that I created a detailed plot - a nearly 10,000-word storyline - before I wrote the first draft of a Chasing Danger.

6)Guilty Pleasure

 

Okay, first I’m not sure this should be consider a guilty pleasure. I love British TV mysteries. (It’s not like I’m admitting to binge-watching Top Model or Big Brother.) I’ve watched every Miss Marple (the 1984-1992 version with Joan Hickson and the recent re-boot) and Hercule Poirot multiple times. Sherlock, Midsommer Murders, Lewis, Vera, Shetland, Endeavour etc…- yep, watched every series at least once. 

7) Useless, Random Fact 

And oh-so randomly…I am able to recite the alphabet as quickly backwards as forwards. It’s a trick I learned from an older cousin on holiday when I was probably ten years old.

About Sara Grant

Sara Grant is the author of the new middle-grade, action-adventure series Chasing Danger:

When fourteen-year-old Chase Armstrong is sent to visit her grandmother at a remote tropical resort, she’s looking forward to sunbathing, swimming and snorkelling. The last thing she expects is danger. But she’s in for some surprises. She discovers another girl hiding out on the island and uncovers a devastating secret about the mum she’s never known. When modern-day pirates attack the island, it’s up to Chase to outrun, out-think and outfight the pirates . . . before it’s too late! 

www.sara-grant.com

SaveSaveSaveSave

Secret Serendipity Seven with CJ Flood

To celebrate the publication of Nightwanders, I'm pleased to welcome the author, C.J. Flood onto the blog to tell us seven secrets about herself and her book. 

Okay, here are some secrets about me and my new book, Nightwanderers. Some are pretty embarrassing, so enjoy…

1)Nightwanderers was inspired by a situation from my life, in which a friend was expelled from school after a teacher said she had threatened to stab her (my friend promises that she didn’t). We began a petition to get our friend back into school, which was quashed by our Head of Year. It all ended well though as my friend went on to be very successful as a gymnast and contortionist, and is now one of the top poledancers in the UK! I don’t know what became of the teacher… 

2)Ti stepping in a metal dog bowl during a nightwander in the book is also from real life. My friend and I accidentally did this, disturbing the man of the house who claimed to be a policeman (though was in pyjamas at the time) and drove my brother and his friend home in his car. My friend and I escaped. We were very good at escaping (I still am). 

3) Rosie’s dad is a little bit based on my boyfriend who used to be a chef and rather likes Pulp. 

4) There used to be a whole subplot where Rosie, Kiaru and Alisha took over the stage during Grease and did a silly dance to show their disdain for the daft popularity hierarchies of Fairfields. It featured jazz hands and also a move called The Lobster, which I will show you for a large fee. 

5) Fairfields is based on Woodlands Community School, which I attended. I wish I could say I was like Kiaru and Alisha but I was more like Rosie and Ti, with a dash of Ophelia. 

6) The story Ti recounts of her expulsion is based on my own experience as I was asked to leave Sixth Form, and advised that College might be a better fit. My biggest crimes were not wearing the correct uniform (polyester suit with strangling neckerchief like a mini Apprentice-wannabe) and preferring to be at home with a chicken and mushroom Pot Noodle. My teacher was right, and I much preferred Art College, where I played with paint, clay and metal, and they barely kept a register. In spite of my rebellious years, I made it to university where I began to work hard and discovered the Brontés, and grew *a little bit* better at accepting authority. 

7) Embarrassing secret alert! I wish my first kiss had been as romantic as Rosie’s and Kiaru’s. Mine took place in front of a small audience in the netball courts at the back of youth club. Afterwards I discovered that the boy had done it for a bet, and even more wonderful than that - I had bitten him. You’re welcome!

Thank you C.J. for sharing some secrets with us! I love the last one. 

Nightwanderers is published by Simon & Scholastic in June 2016

Summary

It all started with a poo in a flowerbed. 

Rosie and Titania are as close as sisters - closer, in fact. While Rosie is shy, red-faced and passive, Ti is big, tough and daring. They shouldn't be friends, but they are. 

Creeping out at night, the girls love to secretly wander through their coastal town, exploring empty streets and sharing their frustrations about school and their different, but equally difficult, families. 

But when Rosie betrays Ti, the two girls run in different directions - making decisions that could do irreparable damage to both of their lives. As Rosie confronts harsh truths, she must find a way back to Ti, and to herself. 

Whenever I heard the word kindred I thought of me and Ti.

To find out more about C.J. Flood:

Twitter 

Secret Serendipity Seven with E.R. Murray

Today  I am pleased to welcome author, E.R. Murray onto the blog. E.R. Murray is about to publish her second book, Caramel Hearts, with Alma Books. She has come on the blog today to tell us seven secrets about her books and her writing. 

• My first book, The Book of Learning came about because I saw a ghost - but I don’t actually believe in ghosts! I didn’t feel like ‘ghost’ was the right word for what I’d seen - nor phantom, ghoul, or spirit. I couldn’t find any words that suited. It wasn’t a scary encounter, but it was really intriguing, especially as it was completely unexpected. It made me think about how much language can constrain us and our thoughts/beliefs, and I began to look into what people around the world, in times ancient and modern, thought might happen to us after we die. Eventually, it led to my own version of reincarnation and past lives seeking out communication with future selves - not that that’s what I believe I saw, but the ghost is where the search for the idea began. (I still don’t know what to call or how to explain the experience that I had!)

• My second book, Caramel Hearts is structured around real cake recipes, but I don’t even like most cakes! Apart from ginger and carrot, I’d rather have a bowl of raw chillies (my favourite food). But I do love baking and watching people’s reactions when they smell, see and taste a fresh, home-baked cake. I love giving away things I’ve baked! Have you ever noticed how people react to homemade cake or bread? It’s a physical, mental and emotional reaction - and it’s always positive. I knew this was the perfect way for my main character, Liv Bloom, to explore her feelings and the recipes almost became a character themselves. 

• In the Book of Learning, there is a boat scene where the main character, Ebony Smart, gets caught in a storm at sea. This is based on true events, but it’s exaggerated for effect, of course! The trip I took was to Cape Clear in my husband’s punt - a small, Irish boat with a motor. It was a beautiful clear day and we hiked around the island, but as we left, the fog came down and we couldn’t see more than a metre or so in front of us. We had no choice but to go on. At one point, the engine cut out and the boat was flung a few metres off course by a wave; the engine started up again and my husband knew the seas really well and got us back on course. I was really scared but in reality we weren’t far from home and we were quite safe - and the emotions I went through meant I could write a really convincing boat disaster! I think it’s one of my favourite scenes.

• I love dual settings in books and both Caramel Hearts and The Book of Learning are set in two places - and both contain a mixture of real and fictional places. Caramel Hearts is set in a fictional town in the North-East of England, and also in Greenwich, London, while The Book of Learning is set in Dublin and a fictional village in West Cork, Ireland. In both instances, the two settings contrast each other. This is no accident. I’m intrigued by how people act and react in different environments and really do believe that physical journeys help with emotional journeys - and so I wanted to bring this element out in my stories.

• There is an autobiographical element to Caramel Hearts because I grew up in a family affected by alcoholism - but the characters or situations in this book aren’t based on anyone real. The aim of the book wasn’t to tell my story, but to look at the impact of addiction on a family unit. In this book the addiction is alcohol, but I wanted the story to resonate with anyone dealing with any form of addiction. This meant that I had to draw on some unpleasant memories and explore the emotions involved to make sure my characters’ actions and reactions were realistic. At times, it was really difficult to write.  

• I love animals and nature, and ever since reading Kestrel for a Knave - the only book that ever made me cry - I’ve been obsessed with human/animal friendships in books. That’s where I got the inspiration for Winston, Ebony’s best friend, in The Book of Learning. And seeing as I think conservation is so important, I couldn’t resist adding a prehistoric wildcat or two. 

• Music is another key feature in Caramel Hearts, while I spend most of my life in silence! I can’t listen to songs with lyrics because I accidentally write them down and any kind of crescendo pulls me out of my concentration. In my book, Liv Bloom has taken over her mum’s vinyl collection while she’s away in recovery, and has developed a love for Johnny Cash. I chose Johnny Cash (or rather, Liv did!) because Liv is a bit of a loner and although she makes mistakes and bad decisions, she’s also strong enough to like and do her own thing when it counts.

Summary for Caramel Hearts

Liv Bloom’s life is even more complicated than that of your average fourteen-year-old: her father walked out on the family when she was young, her mother is in a recovery centre for alcoholics, and her older sister is struggling to step into Mum’s shoes. The only person she can turn to is her best friend Sarah, who gets out of scrapes at school and is a constant source of advice and companionship. One day Liv discovers a book of recipes written in her mum’s handwriting, which sets her off on a journey towards self-discovery and reconciliation - but a theft, a love rivalry and a school bully are just some of the many obstacles on the way.

Structured around real cake recipes, Caramel Hearts is a coming-of-age novel about love, disappointment and hope, and discovering the true value of friends and family, no matter how dysfunctional they are.

About E.R. Murray

E.R. Murray writes novels for children and young adults as well as short fiction. Caramel Hearts (Alma Books) is her first book for young adults. Her middle grade debut The Book of Learning - Nine Lives Trilogy 1 (Mercier Press) was chosen as the 2016 Dublin UNESCO City of Literature Citywide Read for Children, and The Book of Shadows - Nine Lives Trilogy 2 will be published in September 2016. Elizabeth lives in West Cork, where she fishes, grows her own vegetables and enjoys plenty of adventures with her dog, Franklyn.

You can find out more about Elizabeth on her website, or chat to her on twitter @ERMurray, facebook or instagram. 

Secret Serendipity Seven with Nikki Sheehan

Today on the blog, I'm pleased to welcome the rather amazing author, Nikki Sheehan. Nikki's latest novel, Swan Boy, is published this week with One World Publications. Nikki is here to give us seven secrets about her book and her writing. 

• The main character Johnny was originally a girl. I wrote the first few chapters with a female MC and then something didn’t feel quite right. So I changed her name to Rowan, which can be used for either gender, and carried on until I was sure that he was a he!

• The whole book was written in the first person until a few months before publication. My editor Sarah Odedina suggested changing it to third and I was really scared and thought that I’d have the perspective swinging around all over the place. But I trusted her, and did it (and no, you can’t just search on “I” and replace with “he”, and yes it took Aaaaages) I was really pleased with the result because it allowed me to really explore the other characters. So pleased actually that my next book is also in third person

• I don’t know what I”m going to write usually, and I never know what I’ve written until I read it through afterwards. Sometimes I’m quite surprised at what I find, and not always in a good way.

• I was working on another book, one about a tiny cult in Devon, and had almost finished when the idea for Swan Boy came to me. I tried to ignore it but in the end it got so persistent that I could feel a pressure in my chest, so I gave in and wrote Swan Boy.

• The first draft took seven weeks. The rewrites took over a year.

• I lived in Turkey when I was younger and I had a boyfriend with the same white streak in his hair as Johnny. He, as far as I know, had no strange swan encounters

• I love ballet and did it from age four to sixteen but I wasn’t very good. At every exam I took I got progressively worse marks. But I didn’t care, I loved it anyway, and I reckon that’s the point.

Summary

When Johnny moves house and starts a new school he has to deal with a bully who can't leave him alone. But help comes from an unexpected and surprising source and Johnny's growing power soon puts him in a very special place.

A chance encounter with a swan sparks a series of events that result in Johnny playing the lead in a school ballet. His teacher wants him to live the role, and when feathers start sprouting on his chest, Johnny begins to understand his true potential. But will he be strong or brave enough to beat his bullies, take care of his brother, support his mother and find a place for himself among all the chaos that is prevailing in his life

To find out more about Nikki Sheehan:

Twitter / Website

Secret Serendipity Seven with Sue Wallman

I am over the moon to have one of my fellow Bookbounder authors on the blog, Sue Wallman, who is the first one of our team to be published. Sue's been kind enough to let us into some secrets about her debut novel, Lying About Last Summer.

• In earlier drafts of Lying About Last Summer Skye and Luisa were cousins, not sisters. I wrote it that way because I felt I’d read lots about sisters in YA fiction, but not much about cousins. Then I won a whole-manuscript critique with editor Natalie Doherty at a Society of Children’s Writers and Book Illustrators (SCBWI) conference and she said that a way to intensify Skye’s grief would be to make them sisters. I gave it a go and she was right. Here is a photo of me with my own sister, Clare. Those hideous purple outfits were our school uniform. 

• A swimming pool is important in the book. I’m really into swimming but I only learned how to be a good swimmer in my twenties when my cousin Kate, over from New Zealand, taught me how to do front crawl. Up until then I’d been doing breast stroke with one leg doing a weird twist. 

• People-watching was a family hobby when I was little. I love listening to snatches of conversations. When I’m on the bus or in a café, I confess I sometimes disguise my earwigging by wearing earphones with the sound turned off. I’m particularly fascinated by teenage slang, which I hear a lot at home as I have three teenagers, but obviously I had to be careful not to use much of it in my book because it would date too quickly or might not be understood. 

• In Lying About Last Summer there’s a karaoke evening. I used to want to be a musical theatre actress - until I realised I was too shy and wasn’t that great at singing. However, I know all the words to the songs from The Sound of Music - and here I am at my Sound of Music 40th birthday party!

• There’s also a quiz evening in the book. I’m not a fan of quizzes. (*Shudders*) 

• My main character in Lying About Last Summer used to live in a house called Yew Tree House. I chose the name because my grandfather and step-granny used to live in a road called Yew Tree Close. When I was little I thought their house was the height of luxury because it was so warm. We lived in an old draughty house with no central heating and I used to get dressed under the duvet. 

• The first draft of Lying About Last Summer was called One Summer’s Day. My agent, Becky Bagnell, came up with the new title which reflected the darker nature of the book, and the double-meaning for lying worked perfectly.

Summary:

The story centres around a girl called Skye, who is sent to a camp for troubled teenagers after her sister dies in an accident. However, once she is at the camp she starts receiving text messages from someone pretending to be her dead sister.

Information about the Book

Title: Lying about Last Summer

Author: Sue Wallman

Release Date: 5^th May 2016

Genre: YA Mystery/Thriller

Publisher: Scholastic Press

Format: Paperback

Goodreads Link: http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/27860794-lying-about-last-summer

Amazon Link: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Lying-About-Last-Summer-Wallman/dp/1407165364

Secret Serendipity Seven with Esther Dalseno

I am pleased to welcome author Esther Dalseno onto the blog today to tell us seven secrets about her debut novel, Gabriel and the Swallows, which is published by OfTomes Publishing today.

1.  Gabriel and the Swallows began its life titled The Swallowed Girl and was initially based in Burgundy, France.  When I discovered the town of Orvieto in my travels, I couldn’t help but transplant it.

Orvieto in Umbria, Italy

2.  The first three chapters of Gabriel were written in a bout of feverish inspiration three years before the remainder in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.  The first three chapters were completed in two days in 2010, and the remainder of the book was completed in four months in 2013.  I wrote the majority of the book, which is based in Italy, in a tiny beach town called Hoi An in Vietnam.  So it’s a book set entirely in Europe that was written entirely in Asia.

The majority of the book was written in Hoi An, Vietnam.

3.  Just weeks before publication, a brand new prologue was written for Gabriel and the Swallows.  It’s set in Istanbul, Turkey in the year 1972, and is designed to be a bridge linking Gabriel to its upcoming sequel, Orlando and the Spirits.

The new prologue is set here, in the spooky underground Basilica Cistern in Istanbul. 

4.  I am Australian, but ethnically, I am half Malaysian-Chinese and half Italian.  I was brought up in the USA and Australia, and when I finished my university degree, I decided to leave Sydney to teach in South Korea for one year.  I am literally still travelling the world and I haven’t been home except for weddings and other flying visits - and it’s been ten years now.  I picked up an international dog, husband, and daughter along the way…we all have different passports!  I currently live in Berlin.

My current home of Berlin. 

5.  Gabriel and the Swallows is a diverse book, racially and culturally, and I am proud of that.  I was happy to use my Italian culture in a novel and even managed to squeeze in a bit of the Asian as well.  The secondary character of Gabriel is a Muslim immigrant from Turkey and the sequel revolves around him - it’s going to be a continuing challenge to write!  In the sequel, I also aim to write about sexual diversity and LGBT characters.

6.  I just returned to Germany from my research trip to Istanbul for Orlando and the Spirits.  On day three of my trip, I deleted the entire manuscript that I had already written.  Now that I had seen the city, I knew the tone was off, the vibe was all wrong, and the plot wasn’t going to work.  I am currently cobbling together a new plot and new characters.

7.  This is sad, but I want it to be noted:  the dedication in Gabriel and the Swallows is for two very close members of my immediate family who tragically died together in an accident two Christmases ago.  They are always in my heart and I’ll see them in the next world.  I wanted to pay homage to their precious lives and how dearly they are missed.

Summary

A lonely farm boy.

A girl with swallow’s wings.

An ancient city buried in a volcano.

A mystery old as blood and bone.

To find out more about Esther Dalseno:

Website / Twitter

Secret Serendipity Seven with Jenny McLachlan

I absolutely love the Ladybird series, so I am over the moon to have the author, Jenny McLachlan on the blog to tell us seven secrets about the final book in the series, Star Struck.

1) Star Struck opens with Pearl trying to get her confiscated mobile back from her headteacher. People sometimes think that students who get into trouble at school don’t enjoy being there, but this isn’t always the case. Pearl much prefers being at school to being at home and is close to a lot of her teachers even though she drives them mad in lessons. I taught quite a few students like Pearl when I was a teacher.

2) The action in Star Struck takes place around a musical production of Romeo and Juliet. I always wanted to be in school productions when I was a teenager, but I was too shy. Once I went to audition for Nightshriek, a musical Macbeth, but I chickened out and ended up turning pages for the boy playing the piano. Writing allows me to indulge in a lot of wish fulfilment!

3) Pearl’s family don’t have much money and they live on a farm. Urban poverty is perhaps better represented in YA fiction than rural poverty, but I thought living on an isolated farm suited Pearl’s story. 

4) Hoshi is the new girl who arrives at Pearl’s school and who refuses to be intimidated by Pearl. Hoshi’s mum is Japanese and this allowed me to include a lot of references to Japanese culture, which I love. I’ve visited Japan and found it a fascinating country. I wouldn’t be surprised if Pearl ended up living in Tokyo one day. Yes, I’ve created adult lives for my fictitious characters!

5) Pearl’s brother Alfie is probably the nastiest character I’ve created and I wanted the air to prickle with tension whenever he stepped into a room. 

6) When I planned Star Struck, Pearl fell in love with a different character, but as I was writing it became clear that there was one character who was a match for Pearl. The kiss in Star Struck was my favourite one to write!

7) Originally, Star Struck ended in Japan and Pearl played a different character in Romeo and Juliet, but this changed dramatically thanks to a great idea from my husband (cheers, Ben!) and the realisation as I was writing that I didn’t need the final planned chapter. I still get goose bumps thinking about the last scene in Star Struck. Go, Pearl!

****

I can't wait to find out what happens in the end now!

Star Struck is published TODAY!

Summary

In a huge fantastic final hurrah to our lovable heroines - Bea, Betty, Kat and Pearl - Jenny McLachlan's latest book tells Pearl's story. Pearl is the 'bad girl' of the group - she drinks, she smokes, she swears - and she's mean to Bea and Betty. But she did fly halfway round the world to rescue Kat in Sunkissed. If there's one thing Pearl knows deep down, it is how to be a friend. And now, more than ever, she could really use a friend.

****

To find out more about Jenny Maclachlan:

Twitter / Website

Secret Serendipity Seven with Melissa Keil

As part of the Incredible Adventures of Cinnamon Girl blog tour, I am pleased to welcome author, Melissa Keil, onto the blog, to tell us seven secrets about herself and her writing. 

Secret Serendipity Seven with Lara Williamson

I'm jumping around excitedly today as I have one of my favourite people on the blog - Lara Williamson. Lara's second book. The Boy Who Sailed The Ocean In An Armchair is published today and you will love it. I will be reviewing the book on the blog tomorrow, but for today, Lara is telling us some exclusive secrets.

Oh, I love a good secret. Even the word suggests some sort of magic is afoot. A secret is something special, something you keep to yourself or something someone else shares with you. If that’s the case you are the chosen one and have to guard that secret with your life. I’d like to think that I’m a very good secret-keeper but I’m also very good at sharing my own. So come closer and I will reveal seven secrets. But remember this, you are the chosen one and will need to guard these with your life.*

*Okay, I’m making that bit up.

• I’ve always been a bit obsessed with glitter and often wonder if it was sparked by my love of Dorothy’s ruby slippers in The Wizard of Oz movie. In the absence of being able to own those slippers for myself I surround myself in glitter, sequins or rhinestones. Life is too short not to sparkle. 

• In A Boy Called Hope the dog, Charles Scallybones, chewed on everything he could get his canines on. Once I had this beautiful glittery (yes, glittery) super-bouncy super-ball and our real life dog, Ben, chewed it to bits. Although I wasn’t best pleased at the time, I look back now and smile thinking Ben and his chewing exploits have made it into a book. If you check out the acknowledgements in my first book, Ben gets his own mention. 

• Despite wishing I could swim, I can’t. However, I have this really strong pull to the water and used a watery-seaside-fish theme throughout The Boy Who Sailed the Ocean in an Armchair. Sometimes I look into the sea and it’s so beautiful, so sparkly and inviting that I feel like jumping in and then I think, ‘Hey, are you crazy, girl? You can’t swim!’ 

• I go through life with my own little belief system. If I see a white feather I immediately think angels. I used this in A Boy Called Hope. In The Boy Who Sailed the Ocean in an Armchair I have used butterflies in much the same way and also one thousand paper cranes because if you fold one thousand you get a wish. Part of me thinks these beliefs are the real magic in the books. 

• If I see a lone magpie I will salute. It doesn’t matter where I am or how many people are around me or how crazy I might look. In fact, it is in my plans to get a magpie into one of my books. Oh, and a robin at some point too. 

• At school I worked hard, particularly at exam time. In fact, I was so busy giving it my all in my Latin exam that I ignored the fact that I felt sick and in the end I threw up on my actual exam paper. It was completely ruined, a diced carrot disaster. Oh, and the horror on everyone else’s face is hard to forget. Anyway, I needed a mark of some sort so the teacher gave me 60%. That’s 60% for my sick, my friends. (If Becket had been there he would have probably explained the medical facts behind vomit.) 

• In my first book, Dan lived in a town called Paradise and in the second Becket lives in Eden. I chose those names because I always knew that no matter how far Dan and Becket might travel their home was their real Paradise. I was actually born in a town called Eden and the very thought of this makes me smile.

I love these secrets! Thank you Lara for sharing them with us. We cross our hearts and swear never to tell another soul... Only a few thousand people on the internet. 

The Boy Who Sailed The Ocean In An Armchair is published today by Usborne.

Summary

Becket has no idea why his dad takes him and his brother Billy to a new home in the middle of the night. But he's determined to find out.

So Becket sets out on a journey of discovery with Billy, a snail called Brian and a Jedi Knight. It's not plain sailing but then what journeys ever are?