And then it was off to Hay …. I’ve been there when it’s very very sunny (when it’s the best place in the WORLD) and when it’s very very rainy (when it’s merely ONE of the best places in the world). On the last Tuesday in May it was very
Launching and lunching in Belgium
At the end of May, it was off to Belgium with Barry Cunningham, to launch The Look and a couple of other Chicken House books in Flanders. Turns out Flanders has a thriving book trade. Didn’t know this. Do now. It also has fabulous food. I did know this,
The tour and the other tour
Right now, my bed is covered in clothes and so are the doors of my wardrobe: Next week I’m off round the country, to visit schools all over the place from Urmston to Banbury to talk about writing. And a lady who writes about fashion kind of needs to look
Hay Festival
I’m really, really excited about this one. First of all, I love going to the Hay Festival, in Wales, in the summer. Hay is in the most beautiful spot: surrounded by green rolling hills, and full of interesting book and antique shops. It’s the perfect place to just lie in
New Year’s round-up
So what will 2013 hold? Being a writer is a scary, roller-coaster ride. You do all your most important work alone, in the dark, not knowing if it will work, or anyone will like it. Writing the first book is best in many ways, because you have a million dreams
Competition!
Want to win a book? I’m running a new competition on my blog, and all you have to do is design a book cover. The prizes are a copy of The Look, and also a copy of Sarra Manning’s new book, Adorkable. I’m doing an event with Sarra in Edinburgh
Books about books
After a couple of great school visits this week, with more to follow, I’m blogging on Girls Heart Books again today, about this: and this: Or, more specifically, the joys of reading aloud and discovering new books through anthologies. You can read all about it here.
Travels …
One of my readers from India has just sent me some wonderful pictures of her trip to Agra, Udaipur and Ahmedabad. Here’s the Taj Mahal, which inspired Crow so profoundly in book 2. How could it not, when it’s so magnificent? Meanwhile, I shall be off travelling soon too. Not
US cover reveal!
It’s not out until 2013, but Siobhan, my lovely editor in NYC (can I tell you how much I enjoy writing that?) has just shared with me what Scholastic are planning for the cover of The Look in the US. [Update: she’s written a comment about it below, by the
Sometimes, even the author doesn’t know
One of the things about running a website is that you get a statistics page (‘stats’ to you and me) that tells you all sorts of useful things about how people are using it. The obvious thing is how many people reach it each day, and which pages they look