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Thursday, February 28, 2013

Cover Love: Space Edition

Good evening book cover lovers!

Today's edition is a bit of a celebration for me. I'm all proud and chuffed, like. Not only are we looking at some kick ass young adult book covers, but I am so happy for the authors, too!

Let's start with this one:

 These Broken Stars by Meagan Spooner and Amie Kaufman.

I was lucky enough to be on retreat with Amie a couple of months ago and she may have read out the first chapter of These Broken Stars over the dinner table. Needless to say, I am thoroughly looking forward to this book. I have personally witnessed Amie working with Meg (via the interweb) on this and its sequels and they are super hard workers. They are going to make this series AMAZING.

And check out that cover! Props to Disney-Hyperion, don't you think? They sure delivered. The stars in the background are so beautiful and LOOK AT THAT DRESS!

Awesome.

Life in Outer Space by Melissa Keil

I attended the launch of this book this evening and it was a great night with a big turn out and fun speeches. And super yummy cup cakes!

For those of you who have followed this blog for a long time, you may remember that I interned with Black Dog Books a couple of years ago (before the Melbourne office was moved to Sydney) and Melissa just happens to have been the senior editor there at the time!

I was really excited to snag this book and check out what her writing style is like - and it's awesome. I'm in the middle of reading Life if Outer Space and am really loving it and Sam's voice. And it's a contemporary YA with a male protagonist! I love these! You should pick it up. And when Broken Stars comes out in November, you should pick that one up too, just like I will.

I'm just sayin'.


Ba(n)d Romance Winner Announced!

Congratulations Pernille!

a Rafflecopter giveaway


Pernille won the ebook of Ba(n)d Romance by tweeting about the giveaway, and what an awesome job you did!


I hope you enjoy it.

New giveaway tomorrow, so stay tuned!

Wednesday, February 20, 2013

Weekly Giveaway! Ba(n)d Romance

Do you like giveaways? I do. And there are so many awesome and easy ways to win AWESOME stuff!

For the next 14 weeks (as long as I remember to) I will be giving away one of my ebooks each week! 

This week, it's Ba(n)d Romance!


Jordan thought she and Paul were forever. Then she found out about Missy: Paul’s other forever.
Now it’s the night of the sophomore dance. Jordan’s on stage with her band, Paul’s text bombing her and Missy’s in the audience with murder on her mind. Unfortunately, it’s not Paul in Missy’s sights.

Another short and sassy story from Sarah Billington











Did you enter? Good luck!

There are a heap of other comps to enter so make sure you go hopping and check out the others!

Tuesday, February 19, 2013

Cover Love #8!

How was your weekend, you guys? I hear it was a long weekend in the US of A. Did you make the most of it? Read anything awesome? DO anything awesome?

I have been collecting covers that I love for ages now and haven't been posting the awesome here. So stupid of me.

Here are some of my faves lately. What do you think? Do you love or hate? And why?

I love the title so big and taking up the whole cover, here. I don't really have any feel for what the book would be about, but I think it's well designed.


The colouring is so complementary, don't you think? All those shades of blue, the jetty over the lake. I think this looks like a really sweet story.
I love the simplicity of this cover. Rapunzel's long blond hair in a plait, it's exactly what you think of when you think of Rapunzel. The font on Rapunzel and the sparkles beside "a novel" make it look a little magical, a little fairy tale-esque. Fab.













Speaking of covers... I was TOTALLY going to release the cover of The Kiss Off 2 in February, and with it, the brand-spanking new (and AWESOME) cover for The Kiss Off. But the release has had to be a bit delayed as I need to get it signed off by someone.

Which is a hint at some exciting news to come.

I was aiming for a July release but MAY need to push it back for the same reason. But it may still stand. I'm not sure. Everything's all a bit up in the air at the moment.

Anyhoo, if you want to be one of the VERY FIRST to find out the exciting news (there's even more!) sign up for the mailing list - you can find it at the top of this page.

Ciao for now!


Thursday, February 14, 2013

Happy (...um...VERY BELATED) New Year!


Hello you dashing creatures, you!

It's been awhile, right? Sorry about that. Stuff has been happening. And then more stuff. And some stuff I can't really talk about just yet but will as SOON as it's all finalised because I'm dying to tell you.

How have you been? How was your Christmas? How was your New Year? Have you kept any of your resolutions?

Me, I resolved to take a break from writing over the summer. And I did. And for once in my life I got to enjoy doing things and not feel guilty. One part of being an author is that it feels like you have homework every day for the rest of your life. :) I'm working on this one.

Here is some other stuff I've been doing:

READING

Ghost Huntress

I enjoyed this book, it goes into the more technical aspects of ghost hunting and what it’s like to be psychic, which has always been a bit of a mystery to me. And did you know Marley Gibson is an ACTUAL paranormal investigator herself? I saw her on the show Ghost Adventures and everything. I love paranormal investigation shows, and I have been known to go on ghost tours on more than one occasion. Should I be visiting a different city or country I will find a ghost tour to go on, don’t you worry. This may be why I was pretty much convinced the house I lived in all of last year was haunted. I don’t live there anymore (you win, ghosts!)

Ashfall

I’m about halfway through this one at the moment and really enjoying it. Mike Mullin has clearly done his homework and I totally believe the world he’s built, in the aftermath of a volcano eruption 900 miles away. All. That. Ash. It’s destructive. Plus Mike has the habit of ending chapters like “Aaah. Everything’s going to be okay now oh wait no it’s not” which is definitely keeping me turning pages.

Starkissed 

This was such a light, cute read. Easy reading which is exactly what I was looking for. Like if a cupcake was a book, this is what it would read like.

Skylark

Hats off to Meagan Spooner, she has such a way with words, it’s really beautifully done. I plowed through the beginning, got a little bogged down in the middle but the ending was fantastic and I’m so glad I continued. If you like dystopian fantasy, then give this one a crack for sure.

Obsidian

When I finish Ashfall, I’m going to start Obsidian. You have no idea how many people are telling me what a treat I’m in for. I have to read it now because I need to know how a book can be THAT good! I’ll keep you posted. Or I might forget, which is more likely. But when I DO finish it I’ll be saying so on Goodreads. Make sure you friend me so we can compare notes on books, okay?




WATCHING

The Mindy Project

Come on. How cute is this show. I love Mindy. I just do.

Elementary

I wasn’t sure what this was going to be like when I started. I’ve never been a HUGE fan of Johnny Lee Miller (though it’s not like I hate him or anything) and Watson as a woman? And in New York? I thought this was going to be a watered down version of the universally acknowledged brilliant British show, Sherlock. But it’s not. It’s way different, I think Johnny does a stellar job as (a very different depiction of) Sherlock, and though the character of Watson is completely different, she’s a positively capital fit. Jolly good.

Bunheads

When I watched the first episode of this show I was like “this is SO familiar.” And then I figured out what it was. On the same set as Gilmore Girls, with a bunch of the same cast as Gilmore Girls and the same super speed dialogue as Gilmore Girls, by the same show creator. Though it’s a different story, it’s also kind of the same. Definitely feels the same. I wasn’t sure what I thought of that to begin with, Gilmore Girls 2.0, but hell, it’s grown on me.

The Walking Dead

Who ISN’T watching The Walking Dead, am I right? Though you may have to hide your enjoyment of this show from your elders as they may look at you funny and be somewhat concerned at your enjoyment of a show with THAT MUCH gore. Can you tell I’m talking from personal experience? I haven't seen the new episode yet, so don't spoil me, okay?


DOING


Penguin Parade

I worked over the summer period at the Penguin Parade on Phillip Island, Victoria in the gift shop, talking with visitors from all over Australia and abroad, sometimes in English and sometimes in hand gestures and lots of pointing. Before you ask – no – alas, I didn’t steal a Penguin. I really should have.

Editing

I've been editing some fantastic up-coming books which I really hope either get picked up by publishers or the authors self-publish themselves.
CJ's Boys of Summer is one of those fantastic books I worked on late last year. I'm looking forward to the next one!
If you're looking for an editor, you can totally shoot me an email.




Harriet & Ray Accessories

I’ve stated selling jewellery at markets! It’s been really fun sourcing quirky pieces that you can’t find in stores and selling them at my table. My favourites are the pocket watches. I love getting to meet so many people (and their dogs) as they peruse weekend markets, which is quite frankly one of the best ways to spend your weekend, don’t you think? You can check out some of my stock (I have new stock ALL the time) on the Harriet & Ray facebook page!


Writer’s Retreat!

Since the Penguin Parade is over for me for the year, and school has gone back, I decided my writing break was over! I am just back (today, in fact!) from two weeks by the beach, churning out words. Lots and lots of words. The first draft of The Kiss Off 2 is complete!

And has a new name!