Archive for the 'Uncategorized' Category

July 23, 2010 • 2 Comments

So……….. I haven’t posted in two weeks, which is long enough for WordPress to forget my log-in…. ooops. Which is always a worry because I can never remember all my different usernames. I thought about writing all my passwords and usernames down in one place, but then you’re told not to do that. Not only that I have so many where would I start?

Anyway, I managed to remember and got in here to blog.

Not a lot has happened, apart from yesterday Amanda and I spent the day preparing for our YA workshop at the Australian conference in 2 weeks and six days. And also creating a very pretty raffle prize (which, seeing as neither of us are creative, was a huge achievement in itself). I’m so looking forward to going…. I’ve never been to Sydney before and can’t wait to see the sights. And of course hearing Deb Dixon on Goal, Motivation and Conflict is going to be the most awesome experience ever. It’s an area that I think I understand until one of my CPs points something out and I realise that maybe I don’t!

Talking of CPs at the moment we’re on a writing 1k a day stint,  and for every time a person misses the target that means they have to buy the other two a drink at conference…. now I know we’ll be doing that anyway but it still seems to be a great incentive. And I’m in charge of recording our progress…. I have my sheet of paper and tick off each day when each person meets their word count. I have the added pressure of having to get my words done before Masterchef…. a new series has started (Australian version) and I LOVE it!!!

Not as much as Glee though, which annoyingly is finishing next week, as are so many of my favorite TV series. Luckily, I got the first two series of Bing Bang Theory for my birthday so I’ve been filling up on those, it has to be the funniest program on TV.

Okay, I’m off to start on my 1k words for today…. as well as the usual motel work which needs doing…. wish me luck!!!!

July 9, 2010 • Comments

Check out my post on Teen Fiction Cafe about making friends.

Other exciting news, I’ve just signed with the awesome Amy Tipton of Signature Literary Agency, and already my book is out on submission.

Getting really excited because it’s only 5 weeks until we go to the RWAus conference in Sydney. I’ve never been to Sydney before and we’ve scheduled in a little sight-seeing time….. can’t wait to see the Opera House. And also really excited about doing the Deb Dixon workshop on Goal, Motivation and Conflict. And then there’s the matter of our workshop….. we’ve prepared some slides (because the conference organisers needed them for the conference packs) but other than that we haven’t done any more preparation….. nor have we bought the chocolate (which is most important). We’ve found the promise of sweets (candy/lollies) works well when enticing people to attend…..

Hope you all have a great weekend…. I’m hanging out for some sunshine, we’ve had way too much rain and cloud recently.

July 1, 2010 • Comments

I’m excited to be touring Jenny O’Connell and her two books Local Girls and Rich Boys

There are two kinds of people on the island— those who leave at summer’s end… and those who are left behind.

Bestselling author Jenny O’Connell presents a sizzling series for summer. Her first two Island Summer novels, LOCAL GIRLS and RICH BOYS highlight the lives of the summering visitors, the year-round locals living in the beach towns of Martha’s Vineyard, and the fireworks that explode when they combine for three steamy months.
In LOCAL GIRLS, friendships are in danger of ending with the summer. Kendra and Mona are best friends, local girls who spend their summers catering to rich tourists and the rest of the year chafing against small-town life. Then Mona’s mom marries one of the island’s rich summer visitors, and Mona joins the world of the Boston elite, leaving Kendra and Martha’s Vineyard behind. When Mona returns the following summer, everything is different.

Unlike his sister, Mona’s twin brother Henry hasn’t changed. He’s spending his summer the way he always has: with long, quiet hours fishing. Early mornings before work become special for Kendra as she starts sharing them with Henry, hoping he can help her figure Mona out. Then Kendra hatches a plan to prove she’s Mona’s one true friend: uncover the identity of the twins’ birth father, a question that has always obsessed Mona. And so she begins to unravel the seventeen-year-old mystery of the summer boy who charmed Mona’s mother. But it may prove to be a puzzle better left unsolved–as what she is about to discover will change their lives forever…
In RICH BOYS, Winnie jumps at the chance to babysit for a wealthy summer family and earn some extra money—but soon learns that life in the Barclay’s beautiful vacation home isn’t as perfect as it appears. And what was supposed to be a carefree summer quickly becomes more complicated than she ever thought possible.

Learn how you can win an Island Summer t-shirt – just in time for the beach. Go to http://jennyoconnell.blogspot.com and enter to win today! And learn more about LOCAL GIRLS and RICH BOYS at www.jennyoconnell.com.

Bio
Jenny O’Connell received her BA from Smith College and her MBA from the University of Chicago. The author of PLAN B and THE BOOK OF LUKE, she lives outside of Boston with her family.

June 25, 2010 • 8 Comments

It’s me……………… I’m getting so slack at blogging it’s not funny. Anyway, less about my shortcomings and more about what’s been happening.

Before I start I’d just like a little moan…. actually a big one……… THE WEATHER!!! Okay, I know it’s winter, but really we might as well be back in the UK it’s been so freakin’ cold. I swear the other morning it was negative 4 or something. And yes at times it does get very nice during the day and we have blue sky and sun but even so. And as soon as the sun goes in the temperature drops about 10 degrees. Still, only a year to go before we move to Australia and the Sunshine Coast…. omg I’m counting the days.

Okay, back to me………………… I’ve been really busy finishing off my latest manuscript, which is much more edgy and gritty than my other stuff, but I loved writing it so much. As long as there’s no blood. I can’t do or read anything with blood in it…. which means most of the Vampire books have passed me by, with the exception of House of Night series and the first Twilight book.  Anyway, so I’m now working on a new idea, just as edgy and gritty and again I think from a boy point of view.

What else……………. well, it’s only 7 weeks to the Australian conference, which reminds me Amanda and I need to get our workshop prepared. We’re doing one on YA which will be fun, and of course there will be lots of chocolate and candy to go round………. a YA workshop isn’t a YA workshop without it.  I’m trying not think of the 10lbs I want to lose in the interim.

And another exciting thing about conference is it’s just before the publication of our CP Christina Phillips debut book, which is awesome. Last year at the NZ conference when we last saw Christina she’d just signed with her agent and her book was out on submission, since then she sold a two book deal and now it’s coming out………….. I’m just wondering now if she had sold by conference, my bad memory is legendary so I’ll wait to be corrected!!

I think that’s about it.

Have a great weekend!

June 8, 2010 • 1 Comment

I’m posting at Teen Fiction Cafe on fashion and style!!!

I know I’ve been slack at blogging recently… promise to get better soon….

May 11, 2010 • Comments

Head over to Teen Fiction Cafe because we have some very exciting news. In fact, you might want to pop over every day this week. That’s all I’m going to say the rest you have to find out for yourself!

Other news…. well, I’m writing up a storm which is very exciting. It’s different from my usual style and I’m LOVING writing it…. who knew I had such a dark side????? My crit partners would probably say they did, it just took a while for me to realize.

Not a lot else to say, unless you want me to bore you about the weather, and how much I’m hanging out to move to Australia (of course it’s not on my mind every minute of every day, whatever gave you that idea?).

Have a fabulous week, wherever you are!