And this Chargy Bargy advert comes to you from O2…

by Caroline Smailes on March 9, 2010

OK, so a rather charming man called Jeremy emailed me on behalf of 02 and the following blog post comes from him, through me, to you…

With the Six Nations in full swing, Jeremy thought you might be interested in their brand new rugby game called Chargy Bargy Grand Slam.

The main aim of the game is to choose a team, choose an opponent, puff up your chest, catch the ball and make a run for it!

To play the game click on this link.

And the bit that might be of interest to some of you. They’re currently giving away Nintendo Wiis, Blu-ray DVD players and LCD TVs to those who top the leader board and, what’s more, four lucky winners picked at random from all O2 customers who’ve entered the competition will snatch VIP tickets to the Emirates Airline London Sevens at Twickenham for themselves and three friends…

And that is all that Jeremy had to say… but you can find out more by clicking here.

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My So-Called Afterlife – Tamsyn Murray

by Caroline Smailes on March 8, 2010

(Note to reader: I’ve a SIGNED copy of ‘My So-Called Afterlife’ to give away and all details can be found at the end of this long (but very interesting) post)

‘Aaargh!’ Stumbling backwards, the man’s reflected face flooded with horrified embarrassment. ‘How long have you been there?’ Turning, he glared at me. ‘This is the men’s toilets. You should be in the ladies’ next door.’

My mind fizzed furiously. He could see me. He could actually see me! I could have hugged him! Well, I couldn’t, but you know what I mean.

Fifteen-year-old Lucy has been stuck in the men’s loo since she was murdered there six months ago. Starved of company and celebrity gossip, she’s almost given up trying to get herself seen and heard – then Jeremy walks in. Just her luck that he’s seriously uncool with the fashion sense of a geography teacher – but at least he’s determined to help. Once he’s come up with a way to get Lucy out of the toilet, there’s no stopping her and she’s soon meeting other teen ghosts, including the gorgeous Ryan. But when Jeremy insists that she helps him track down her killer, things start to go wrong. Will Lucy lose everything she cares about again?

Witty, current and fast-moving, ‘My So-Called Afterlife’ will appeal to young teens. With sharp dialogue and likeable characters, this is a clever story that displays utter skill in its playing with humour and emotion. For me it is the strength of characterisation and the fully formed individuals that made this story so very strong. I read a review on Amazon that criticised this strong characterisation, because the reader was left wanting more. I see this as an absolute compliment, but one where an adult reader is possibly pushing adult story-rules onto young teen fiction. The characters were fully formed and refreshingly original.

Tamsyn Murray is a talented writer, one who is clearly in touch with current teen culture and has created a story that is utterly clever and fresh. I fully recommend this book to you and to your young teens.

Asking Tamsyn:

What inspired you to write ‘My So-Called Afterlife’? Where did you find that first seed of a story? (I am really hoping that a tramp did a wee on your Uggs…) I’d love to be able to say a tramp weed on my Uggs but it was a bag lady really. Actually, the idea arrived on a sunny summer day in 2008. I was wondering (as you do) what would happen to a ghost if the building they haunted was demolished and something gross built in its place. Before I knew it, Lucy had arrived in my head with an awesome first line and from then on, I couldn’t get the story out fast enough.

I love to hear publication journeys, so tell me, Ms Murray, how did you come to be published? I know it’s traditional to have a torturous tale to tell but my journey was the literary equivalent of a trip where you catch the fast train and get a table seat – in other words, disgustingly easy. Writing My So-Called Afterlife took around six weeks and I sent it off to a new agent called Jo Williamson, who’d just joined the Anthony Harwood Literary Agency. A month later, she got back to me with some suggested revisions and we batted the MS back and forth a few times until she was happy with it and suggested I join the agency. In March 2009, Piccadilly Press made an offer on the book and we snapped it up. And here I am now, with one book out and another couple on the way. Blimey, I sound a bit like Sara Cox, don’t I?

Is writing your full-time occupation? This is a bit of a touchy subject because I want more than anything to call writing my job. At the moment, I work full time and write in the gaps. Hopefully, this will change in the future.

Can you offer any tips for people wanting to be published? Let’s see, I’m sure I can think of a few…oh yes – write whenever you can and write whatever you can. Sometimes it’s easy and at other times you’ll despair but keep going. If you can persuade someone to cook and clean around you as you write, so much the better. Significant others are much better than pets for this part.

And what do you plan to write next? Apart from the answer to this question, you mean? I’ve written the follow up to My So-Called Afterlife (titles My So-Called Haunting, out Sept 10) and the second book in my Stunt Bunny series for younger children so the next job on my list is another Afterlife book, I think.

Have you learned anything about the industry that has shocked you/surprised you? I was surprised by how close-knit the publishing world is – everyone knows everyone. It really is like marrying into a big dysfunctional family, but without the punch-up on the dancefloor (so far, anyway). I haven’t met the embarrassing uncle yet but it’s only a matter of time and I bet there’s more than one.

Who do you feel would be your ideal reader? I’d like to think I don’t really have one.  I write for children and teenagers but hopefully there’s enough humour to pull adults in, too. And rabbits would probably enjoy the Stunt Bunny books. Maybe cats as well.

If you weren’t a (fabulous) writer, what would you like to be (when you grow up)? Please can I be Glinda the Good from the musical Wicked? If I can’t be her, I’ll settle for being Truly Scrumptious from Chitty Chitty Bang Bang. In case you hadn’t guessed, I like to sing. Other people prefer me to stop.

And, finally, (with the skilful smoothness of the finest of interviewers) do you in any way know Simon Cowell? I shouldn’t really tell you this but I’m on first name terms with Simon Cowell, although I usually call him Knitted. (You did mean the Knitted Simon Cowell, didn’t you?)

You can buy ‘My So-Called Afterlife’ here.

And the lovely Tamsyn has agreed that I can give away a SIGNED copy of ‘My So-Called Afterlife’. All you have to do is leave a ‘please pick me’ comment by 3pm (GMT) March 12, then I’ll pop all names in a mug and ask a small child to select a winner. This competition is open to all.

*

About Tamsyn Murray: Tamsyn was born on a Wednesday in December. Apparently, this makes her full of woe but she reckons she’s mostly woe-less and often sickeningly cheerful. She grew up listening to ABBA, watching Star Wars and reading anything she could get her hands on (from Mills and Boon to Charles Dickens). This explains a lot.

When she isn’t writing, Tamsyn messes about on stage in musical productions with an am-dram company. In her head, she actually *is* Mary Poppins but her husband and teenage daughter would beg to differ.

Here is a link to the first chapter of ‘My So-Called Afterlife’ and Tamsyn’s website can be found HERE. She can be found on Twitter and also on Facebook.

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And the winner…

by Caroline Smailes on March 7, 2010

… of  ‘The Equivoque Principle’ and ‘The Eleventh Plague’ by Darren Craske

is Jane Willis (@compergrapevine).

Congratulations Jane, please do email or DM me your address and The Friday Project will send you both copies.

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Olá Portugal!

by Caroline Smailes on March 5, 2010

Yesterday brought a VERY lovely email.

A publisher from Portugal has offered for the Portuguese language rights and we’ve said yes. (Actually, I typed ‘OMG and Squee!’ but I’m hoping Mr Publisher kept that to himself)

Like Bees to Honey is flying to Portugal. (squee!)

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Sport Relief 2010

by Caroline Smailes on March 4, 2010

The lovely people at Comic Relief have emailed about the exciting Sport Relief weekend that is happening on 19th – 21st March.

The campaign is aimed at including people of all ages and ability – from teeny-tots with their mums and dads to super sprinters up against the clock. And the idea behind Sport Relief is to raise as much cash for charity as possible while getting the public involved.

There are many different facets to the campaign and something for all ages. Just today a team of seven celebs will complete their cycle ride from John O’Groats to Lands End, while last week they had a ‘Baby and Bumps’ Mile in Battersea Park. Denise Van Outen recruited a team of pregnant celebrities and new mums to show that everyone can take part in the Sainsbury’s Sport Relief Mile, whether you run, walk, or waddle the distance!

As well as various celebrity challenges they are encouraging the public to take part in the Sainsbury’s Sport Relief Mile on Sunday 21st March, where hundreds of thousands of people across the UK will take to the streets and go the distance for Sport Relief.

I think it’s time for us all to put on our wellies, high heels or (possibly) trainers and enter the Mile. You can find your nearest Mile HERE.

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My first guest – Darren Craske

by Caroline Smailes on March 2, 2010

(Note to reader: I’m giving away a copy of ‘The Equivoque Principle’ and a copy of ‘The Eleventh Plague’ to one lucky reader and all details can be found at the end of this post)

Hello you.

First of all, I am not Caroline Smailes. There. We got that out of the way, just so there’s no confusion. My name is Darren Craske, and I am the writer of the Cornelius Quaint Chronicles (The Equivoque Principle and The Eleventh Plague so far). I have been an admirer of Caroline’s work for many a year now, and so I’m thrilled that she’s let me borrow her seat for today (it’s still warm, in case you’re wondering). I’m here to do some shameless plugging, folks. I just want to put all my cards on the table to make sure there’s no misdirection, and assure you that this is no trick and no illusion.

And now (with a link that The One Show would be proud of) I am going to tell you what I do – simply put: I write stories about the adventures of Cornelius Quaint, professional conjuror and owner of Dr Marvello’s Travelling Circus. Part Sherlock Holmes, part Indiana Jones, and part Harry Houdini. The books are full of larger than life characters thrust into perilous situations, facing insurmountable odds and personal tragedy in the battle against evil in all its varied forms. Those who regularly visit this site might have read Caroline interview me some time back when The Equivoque Principle was released last year, so we don’t need to tread familiar ground. Instead, I want to take some of your time to talk about the sequel to Equivoque, called The Eleventh Plague.

Something that is a shame is that most readers merely assumed that Equivoque was just a boisterous, exciting and unpredictable piece of Victorian detective fiction, without realising the concept behind it. Without giving too much away to those of you who might not have read it – it is no coincidence that my main character happens to be a conjuror – a man skilled in the art of misdirection. Mysteriously teasing enough for you?

Once The Eleventh Plague is released on March 4th 2010, readers will be very surprised at the direction the series takes, and where it can go from there. No more dingy London backstreets, hansom cabs and grimy tenement buildings on the Thames, this book builds on the foundations of the first book, and will pick you up for a thrilling ride from one cliffhanger to another – by way of a death defying escape or two. I am very proud of this book, because not only is it all that I originally intended when I was plotting it a few years back, but because it’s become far better than I could have imagined. I am very confident that you’re going to love it, and as someone not used to blowing my own trumpet, I wouldn’t say that unless I really meant it. Plague is better in every imaginable way, which is exactly what a sequel should be – familiar, yet taking things to another level with a brand new cast of characters to love and hate.

My time is up, and to be honest, filling Caroline’s shoes is getting a mite uncomfortable anyway – the toes are far too pointy. All I will say is in The Eleventh Plague, Cornelius Quaint will face insurmountable challenges, ancient Egyptian curses, desert thieves and dastardly villains – but beyond all that, there is far more going on beneath the surface, as those of you who stick with the series will discover.

Thank you for lending me your eyes today, and if you fancy tagging along on Quaint’s adventures, I know that both he and I will be glad to have you onboard. Thanks once again to the sublimely talented shooting star, Caroline Smailes for the airtime.

Darren Craske

*

About The Guest: Darren Craske is the author of the Cornelius Quaint Chronicles amongst other things, and lives in Hampshire with his wife and two children. His first published work was ‘The Equivoque Principle’ to be followed by its sequel, ‘The Eleventh Plague’ on March 4th, 2010. His website can be found here and he is on twitter @DarrenCraske.

About The Guest’s Books:

‘The Eleventh Plague’ (book 2 of the Cornelius Quaint Chronicles) – is released in paperback by The Friday Project, an imprint of HarperCollins on March 4 and can be bought HERE. And, ‘The Equivoque Principle’ (book 1 of the Cornelius Quaint Chronicles) can be bought in paperback or in hardback.

About The Guest’s Free Stuff:

As well as a little sneaky peeky at ‘The Eleventh Plague’ – ‘The Equivoque Principle’ is being offered as a FREE download for a limited time via this link and also on Kindle via this link.

And, Mr Pack at The Friday Project has agreed that I can give away a copy of ‘The Equivoque Principle’ and a copy of ‘The Eleventh Plague‘. To win both, all you have to do is leave a ‘please pick me’ comment by 3pm (GMT) March 5, then I’ll pop all names in a mug and ask a small child to select a winner. This competition is open to all.

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Blogsplash

by Caroline Smailes on March 1, 2010

Ruth’s diary is the new novel by Fiona Robyn, called Thaw. She has decided to blog the novel in its entirety over the next few months, so you can read it for free.

Ruth’s first entry is below, and you can continue reading tomorrow here.

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These hands are ninety-three years old. They belong to Charlotte Marie Bradley Miller. She was so frail that her grand-daughter had to carry her onto the set to take this photo. It’s a close-up. Her emaciated arms emerge from the top corners of the photo and the background is black, maybe velvet, as if we’re being protected from seeing the strings. One wrist rests on the other, and her fingers hang loose, close together, a pair of folded wings. And you can see her insides.

The bones of her knuckles bulge out of the skin, which sags like plastic that has melted in the sun and is dripping off her, wrinkling and folding. Her veins look as though they’re stuck to the outside of her hands. They’re a colour that’s difficult to describe: blue, but also silver, green; her blood runs through them, close to the surface. The book says she died shortly after they took this picture. Did she even get to see it? Maybe it was the last beautiful thing she left in the world.

I’m trying to decide whether or not I want to carry on living. I’m giving myself three months of this journal to decide. You might think that sounds melodramatic, but I don’t think I’m alone in wondering whether it’s all worth it. I’ve seen the look in people’s eyes. Stiff suits travelling to work, morning after morning, on the cramped and humid tube. Tarted-up girls and gangs of boys reeking of aftershave, reeling on the pavements on a Friday night, trying to mop up the dreariness of their week with one desperate, fake-happy night. I’ve heard the weary grief in my dad’s voice.

So where do I start with all this? What do you want to know about me? I’m Ruth White, thirty-two years old, going on a hundred. I live alone with no boyfriend and no cat in a tiny flat in central London. In fact, I had a non-relationship with a man at work, Dan, for seven years. I’m sitting in my bedroom-cum-living room right now, looking up every so often at the thin rain slanting across a flat grey sky. I work in a city hospital lab as a microbiologist. My dad is an accountant and lives with his sensible second wife Julie, in a sensible second home. Mother finished dying when I was fourteen, three years after her first diagnosis. What else? What else is there?

Charlotte Marie Bradley Miller. I looked at her hands for twelve minutes. It was odd describing what I was seeing in words. Usually the picture just sits inside my head and I swish it around like tasting wine. I have huge books all over my flat; books you have to take in both hands to lift. I’ve had the photo habit for years. Mother bought me my first book, black and white landscapes by Ansel Adams. When she got really ill, I used to take it to bed with me and look at it for hours, concentrating on the huge trees, the still water, the never-ending skies. I suppose it helped me think about something other than what was happening. I learned to focus on one photo at a time rather than flicking from scene to scene in search of something to hold me. If I concentrate, then everything stands still. Although I use them to escape the world, I also think they bring me closer to it. I’ve still got that book. When I take it out, I handle the pages as though they might flake into dust.

Mother used to write a journal. When I was small, I sat by her bed in the early mornings on a hard chair and looked at her face as her pen spat out sentences in short bursts. I imagined what she might have been writing about; princesses dressed in star-patterned silk, talking horses, adventures with pirates. More likely she was writing about what she was going to cook for dinner and how irritating Dad’s snoring was.

I’ve always wanted to write my own journal, and this is my chance. Maybe my last chance. The idea is that every night for three months, I’ll take one of these heavy sheets of pure white paper, rough under my fingertips, and fill it up on both sides. If my suicide note is nearly a hundred pages long, then no-one can accuse me of not thinking it through. No-one can say; ‘It makes no sense; she was a polite, cheerful girl, had everything to live for’, before adding that I did keep myself to myself. It’ll all be here. I’m using a silver fountain pen with purple ink. A bit flamboyant for me, I know. I need these idiosyncratic rituals; they hold things in place. Like the way I make tea, squeezing the tea-bag three times, the exact amount of milk, seven stirs. My writing is small and neat; I’m striping the paper. I’m near the bottom of the page now. Only ninety-one more days to go before I’m allowed to make my decision. That’s it for today. It’s begun.

Continue reading tomorrow here…

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The cover: Like Bees to Honey

by Caroline Smailes on February 26, 2010

Wordpress doesn’t like the file size, so I can’t get a sharper picture… but do click on the photo once or twice and the exquisite detail will be there, hopefully (or go HERE for a super huge detailed version and see the hand-stitching).

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Allow me to draw your attention to #10

by Caroline Smailes on February 26, 2010

Last Week’s Top Ten eBooks at Waterstone’s :

1. Dead Tomorrow  by Peter James  (Pan Macmillan)

2. The Lovely Bones by Alice Sebold (Young Picador)

3. The Lost Symbol by Dan Brown (Transworld)

4. Not Dead Enough by Peter James (Pan Macmillan)

5. No Second Chance by Harlan Coben (Orion Publishing Group)

6. The Shadow Project by Scott Mariani (HarperCollins)

7. Breaking Dawn by Stephenie Meyer (Little, Brown Book Group)

8. Eclipse by Stephenie Meyer (Little, Brown Book Group)

9. The Neighbour by Lisa Gardner (Orion Publishing Group)

10. In Search of Adam by Caroline Smailes (HarperCollins)

*

I’m still clinging on in the top ten, oh yes I am, but Ms Meyer has taken over me in the last 2 weeks (pesky vampires!)

You can buy the ebook here, if you’d like to.

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(squee!)

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Context

by Caroline Smailes on February 25, 2010

I read a sarcastic comment about me the other day. It was something or other about how excited I get about ‘little’ things. I don’t think the person was being intentionally cruel, just laughing with another and at me.

Whatever the reason (and yes, I know the reasons) there is part of me that finds it hard to accept that nice things happen to me. In simple and uncomplicated terms – I feel like I don’t deserve good things, they shock me, they make me squee, they make me cry, they make me check the name that the email was supposed to be sent to. Good things will never be my norm.

It could simply be that I was never the lucky child, I was the one that went a lot wrong and caused major worry. So I guess I grew never expecting this, I mean never expecting all that I have now and this means that each and every ‘tiny’ (or ‘large’) nice thing that happens to me is a ‘big deal’.

And so with this front cover that has been created for me (yes, I know it’s about sales and commercial considerations, but right now it feels mine). Someone took the time to read every single word that I’d written, someone looked at my words and saw beauty, then they hand stitched teeny tiny bits and pieces of significance into a cover. I think it’s the most beautiful thing in the world, probably because it’s better than any portrait any one could ever paint of me, it captures part of me that is supposed to be buried away. My new front cover has been created by a magician and seeing it for the first time made me cry in Costa and made Littlest give me a very tight squeeze.

I guess it’s about context and about people needing to realise that I have no positive expectations. Each teeny tiny nice thing that happens is huge in my world, because each nice thing means that someone else has ‘got’ me and perhaps the reality is that I’m still that lonely kid who is aching to belong.

I guess what I’m trying to say, is that I’ll never stop being excited about the little things that come my way, this is me, it’s who I am.

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