Under Rose-Tainted Skies Blog Tour: Louise's Top 5 Books About Teens and Mental Health

Hello everyone and welcome to my stop on the Under Rose-Tainted Skies blog tour! Today I have the wonderful Louise Gornall as a guest sharing her top five books about teens and mental health.

Hi there.

Massive thanks to Jess Hearts Books for having me over to celebrate the release of my new book, Under Rose-Tainted Skies. So, seen as mental health is a prominent theme in my life, I thought I'd throw out some of my favourite YA books, featuring mental health. Not necessarily in order of my favourite, there isn't one of these books that I couldn't, at some point, relate to. It would be totes in apropos to include my own book on this list though, right? Right. Just checking… ;)

1. Am I Normal Yet? By Holly Bourne -- this book should be on every MH reading list. It’s superb.
2. It’s Kind of A Funny Story by Ned Vizzini. This book is wonderful. Real. Heartbreaking. Warm. It’s definitely one to read.
3. Wintergirls by Laurie Halse Anderson -- a tough read, but one of the best, most honest books I’ve read about eating disorders.
4. All The Bright Places by Jennifer Niven -- I saw some criticism of this book recently, from people who said it was a false portrayal of depression. I beg to differ. It felt very real to me. A tragic story with some beautifully written moments that rang so true.
5. The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky. I was very unprepared for this book. I think maybe I was expecting cutesy coming-of-age and instead was crushed by Charlie and his internal struggles. A devastatingly poignant read.

Thanks for stopping by Louise! I totally agree with this list (especially my personal favourite Am I Normal Yet?)

 Don't miss the rest of the blog tour!

For more from Louise follow her on Twitter @Rock_andor_roll 

 Under Rose-Tainted Skies is available to buy in all good bookshops across the UK from the 7th July 

For more of my thoughts on this incredible book check out my 5 star review here

Following Evan Blog Tour: Top 5 Places to Write

Welcome to my stop on the Following Evan blog tour! Today I am sharing the top 5 places that author Elida May likes to write and find inspiration.

1) Grandma’s garden in Albania
This was a place I used to write and read in when I was young. I used to go to the end of the garden and hide between the flowers. I would forget myself for hours there and wouldn’t stir until my grandma, Nadira, called me from the kitchen window, reminding me to eat. Nadira lived in the countryside in a beautiful stone cottage surrounded by a large and beautiful garden. I liked to spend a lot of time there during the long summer holidays and I enjoyed the company of the chickens, rabbits and the cat, whom I named Lula. She was white with a big, brown patch on her head.

2) My bedroom
These days I live in London, which is a world away from Grandma’s garden, and there is always background noise. At home, therefore, the place to write is my bedroom. In the daylight I have the window open and can see the sky, while at night I find it inspiring to look out at the stars.

3) My favourite coffee shop
I often escape to Muss Café to indulge in a spot of people-watching. Because I spend too much time indoors reading and writing, I like the fact that this café is a 30-minute walk away from my home.

4) My kitchen
I like to sit in here at my big, wooden table with a cup of steaming coffee next to me.

5) The park
I live in a flat so I don’t have a garden, but luckily I have a park nearby that I like to spend time in. Sometimes, I’ll even visit when it’s raining because then I know that it’s likely to be just me and the trees.

Don't miss the rest of the blog tour!

Mystery & Mayhem Blog Tour: Robin Stevens

Welcome to my stop on the Mystery and Mayhem blog tour! I'm delighted to be bringing to you a guest post from one of my favourite authors Robin Stevens on the origins of her short story The Mystery of Room 12.

The Origins of ‘The Mystery of Room 12’ by Robin Stevens 

Sometimes, stories just happen to you.

In spring last year I travelled to St-Annes-on-Sea for Storytellers Inc’s Midsummer Mystery festival. I knew I had a short story to write for a mystery anthology I was working on at Egmont, but I hadn’t been able to find inspiration for it yet. I wanted to challenge myself by creating something contemporary – after four books, the 30s felt dangerously comfortable, and I wanted to make sure I was actually capable of writing a detective story in a world with iPads and smartphones and Google. But where should I set it? And what could it be about?

It should have occurred to me that St-Annes-on-Sea was probably by the sea – but, somehow, what I found when I stepped off the train was a complete surprise. A miles-long expanse of beach and sky, beautiful but with a slightly eerie, off-season loneliness of it as the sun began to set, and one single donkey plodding along very slowly, far out on the sand. I stood and stared at it, and I thought to myself, this is a place that someone could get lost.

I wheeled my suitcase along the row of beachfront hotels until I found the one I’d been booked into. It was tall and white with elegant windows, like something from an episode of Poirot. And I suddenly realised that I wanted to set my story in a hotel, in a seaside town just like this one.

I went up the steps, and pushed open the front door. The hall was empty, the front desk lit by a big antique lamp with a fringed shade. I went up to the desk and rang the bell – and a gorgeously large and hairy dog leaped up out of nowhere, banged its front paws down on the wood of the desk and panted in my face. A hotel with a dog concierge! I thought. That sounds like the beginning of a story.

By the time I’d been shown to my room, at the top of a winding, narrow set of stairs, hung with paintings and lined by statues and figurines and china ornaments, lamps and tables and desks and drawers, the story was alive in my head. My detective would be a little boy called Jamie, who lived in a seaside hotel with his father and his pet dog. And the mystery, of course, would be a disappearing guest. Jamie would be a modern detective, with all of the gadgets of the 21st century at his disposal – but the mystery would still have to be all about careful observation and clever deductions, with three suspects and one bewildering question: what happened to the guest in Room 12?

The idea sat in my head for a month, and then I finally wrote it in August last year. Writing a short story turns out to be very different to writing a novel. A book is a marathon – slow and steady’s the way to go. But short stories are one sprinting burst of inspiration. It took me less than twenty-four hours to write 4,000 words of it – and it turns out that I love writing short stories. You can test yourself, try new things and explore ideas without the pressure of 60,000 words ahead of you. Trying to create a totally new character, too, was harder than I’d expected – I had to make Jamie seem real instantly, and different enough from Hazel, the narrator of my Murder Most Unladylike Mysteries, to be believable.

I hope Jamie and his story works – and, from reading the 11 other stories in the collection, I know that it’s in great company. The stories of Mystery & Mayhem are smart, funny, strange and gruesome. I never knew what to expect – and I hope that, when you read them, you’ll feel just as fascinated and delighted by them as I did.

 Don't miss the rest of the blog tour!

Blog Tour: Lying About Last Summer

Hi everyone, today is my stop on the Lying About Last Summer blog tour! I have author Sue Wallman on the blog today with a very intriguing post, can you uncover the truth?

Truth or Lie by Sue Wallman 
(A list of things about Lying About Last Summer where some things are true, some things are false but no indication of which is which)

• My character Brandon was named after Brandon Stanton who founded Humans of New York, which I follow on Facebook. I was on Facebook in one of my (many) writing breaks when I was trying to name him.

• When I wrote the first draft of Lying About Last Summer I wrote it in chronological order and didn’t include any flashbacks.

• When Skye and Brandon go orienteering, Skye vaults over a five-bar gate. I used to be able to do that.

• There’s a paintballing scene in the book. I was once hit in the neck by a paintball pellet and had a massive bruise that looked as if someone had tried to strangle me one-handedly.

• I was shown an early version of the cover in black, white and red.

• The epilogue was the quickest chapter to write.

• There’s a farm shop in the book. I had a Saturday job at a farm shop for a couple of years when I was teenager.

• After I’d finished writing the book I read a story in the paper about a grandmother who’d been buried with her mobile. Her granddaughter used to text her to help get over her grief and was stunned when she started getting replies.

• For research I interviewed someone who runs activity camps for teenagers in Scotland.

• My middle daughter helped me get the kayaking scenes right. She’s kayaked for England. 

ANSWERS! (Highlight to see)
My character Brandon was named after Brandon Stanton who founded Humans of New York, which I follow on Facebook. I was on Facebook in one of my (many) writing breaks when I was trying to name him. TRUE – I’m a big fan of Brandon Stanton 

When I wrote the first draft of Lying About Last Summer I didn’t include any flashbacks. TRUE – I misguidedly thought it was frowned on to put flashbacks into young adult fiction 

When Skye and Brandon go orienteering, Skye vaults over a five-bar gate. I used to be able to do that. TRUE – I used to get a real kick out of doing this 

There’s a paintballing scene in the book. I was once hit in the neck by a paintball pellet and had a massive bruise that looked as if someone had tried to strangle me one-handedly. FALSE – I’m too much of a wimp to go paintballing 

I was shown an early version of the cover in black, white and red. FALSE – I only ever saw the finished cover and as far as I know there wasn’t one in black, white and red 

The epilogue was the quickest chapter to write. TRUE – it just all came together really easily (the only part that did) 

There’s a farm shop in the book. I had a Saturday job at a farm shop for a couple of years when I was teenager. FALSE – when I was a teenager I worked in a café and the local post office, and I was also a chambermaid 

After I finished writing the book I read a story in the paper about a grandmother who’d been buried with her mobile. Her granddaughter used to text her to help get over her grief and was stunned when she started getting replies. TRUE – the grandmother loved her mobile so much she’d been buried with it. Then O2 reassigned the number to someone else and when the granddaughter texted the number to feel close to her nan, the man who’d acquired the number texted back as a prank. 

For research I interviewed someone who runs activity camps for teenagers in Scotland. FALSE – I based the camp on a mix of activities my daughters had done, trips they’d been on, and internet research 

My daughter helped me get the kayaking scenes right. She has kayaked for England. TRUE – apologies for parental boasting 

 Did you uncover the truth? Make sure you follow the rest of the blog tour!

Susin Nielsen Blog Tour: Writing Two Narrators

Welcome to my stop on Susin Nielsen's UK blog tour! Today I have the lovely Susin herself guest posting a piece about what it's like to write two narrators.

      

What’s It Like Writing With Two Narrators? by Susin Nielsen

Until We Are All Made of Molecules I had never written a book with two narrators. I really wanted to write a story about a blended family. And if it was going to be blended, two narrators seemed like the way to go. Stewart – intellectually gifted, socially awkward, empathetic – was the voice that came to me first. I remember having fun with the first iteration of the opening chapter as I began the journey of discovering his voice.

Ashley was more challenging. I knew she needed to be, in many ways, the polar opposite of Stewart. I knew she would be much more self-centered, socially gifted, academically not so much. It wasn’t until I’d been playing with her opening chapter for a while that I had a revelation: I had met her before. She had been a secondary character in one of my earlier books, Dear George Clooney: Please Marry My Mom. In that novel, she had been little more than the stereotypical mean girl. Suddenly I couldn’t wait to dig in, and dig deeper, into that character.

So – as you can tell from their micro-descriptions – I rather intentionally started out with two characters who, at first glance, could be perceived as stereotypes; then, chapter by chapter, started stripping back their layers.

I loved writing Stewart because he is just such a decent human being. But I loved writing Ashley, too. Beyond having fun with her malapropisms, I had a lot of sympathy for her. Most readers seem to warm to her; I’ve had a few people tell me they couldn’t stand her. If I’m “totally one hundred percent honest,” to use Ashley’s phrase, maybe I have sympathy for her because I remember being her in so many ways. She is in that teenage girl swirl of hormones and insecurity, and it results in some really crap behavior. Um … been there, done that …

From a technical perspective, writing two narrators was a unique challenge. On the plus side, I really only had to write half a length of a book for each of them. :) The challenges were making sure I kept the story propelling forward every step of the way. I tried hard not to have too much repeat information, unless it was crucial to get it from both perspectives, in which case I’d try to tell it from a different entry-point into the scene.

I also had to be very careful to make their voices entirely distinct. Thank goodness for my great editors, because they found a few slips, where I had given certain expressions to both of my narrators.

 Don't miss the rest of the blog tour!

We Are All Made of Molecules and The Reluctant Journal of Henry K. Larsen are both out now and available in all good bookshops. 

For more from Susin follow her on Twitter @susinnielsen and check out her website http://susinnielsen.com/

Guest Post: The Story Behind Crush by Eve Ainsworth

Anyone who has followed this blog for a while will know that domestic abuse is something that is very close to my heart and I think it's so important to have more stories on this topic out there to make abuse more easily recognizable. To celebrate the publication day for Crush by Eve Ainsworth I've invited Eve on to the blog to share the story behind Crush with you today.

The Story Behind Crush by Eve Ainsworth 

Writing about an abusive teen relationship was not an easy thing to do, in fact it was one of the hardest things I’ve written so far. Almost immediately I grew to love Anna. She was a character that developed quickly within me. She is an honest, hardworking, faithful girl. She strives for more and she cares fearlessly for those around her. I’ve known girls like Anna, and I’ve known girls like Anna who have ended up in awful toxic relationships. 

At school, I remember the raw frustration of being single – I was that girl, the one that wanted a boyfriend and never had one. Yet most of my friends seemed to fall into relationships easily. Most of them were the usual up and down, first love headaches - but two of my friends had something different, they had something far more dangerous. Not that they realised that at the time. 

One girl’s boyfriend would follow her around everywhere, a permanent shadow behind her. He vetted her friends, he questioned her movements. He was never violent, but the snarl on his face and his biting comments were enough to turn my bubbly mate into a quiet, compliant wreck. My other friend had it worse. Much worse. She ended up completely isolated and afraid, hiding bruises from her family, excusing his behaviour to friends and eventually leaving school to be with him. It took several violent and degrading incidents before she finally found the strength to leave. 

I never forgot these stories, and even though these friends are safe and happy now, their faces still change when they talk of that time. They physically recoil and become quite angry. It was a bad time and they are both lucky to have got out when they did. 

Maybe I would’ve forgotten about this if it wasn’t for the job that I ended up doing. Working with teens just highlighted that none of these issues have gone away. I remember one girl – once bubbly and outgoing, who was now trapped in a toxic web. Her boyfriend had complete control of her. He checked her phone, he kept her away from her family, and if she complained – he pinched her arms and pulled her hair. 

“But he loves me,” she said, “you don’t understand.” 

But I did. I’d seen it before. And not just with my female friends. Toxic love could twist any relationship, taint any love – and I understood only too well. I understood that it needed to end. 

So, I had to write Crush. I had to tell Anna’s story and Will’s too. I needed to show how quickly abusive love can develop and the reasons why someone can chose to control another. Most importantly I wanted to show how crucial it is to break away before matters escalate. 

Because love should never, ever be about control - and if I can help one teen reader realise that, I will be very happy. 

 Crush is available to buy from all good bookshops as of today 

For more from Eve follow her on Twitter @EveAinsworth 

and check out her website http://eveainsworth.com/

Never Evers Blog Tour: Tom and Lucy's Favourite UKYA Books

Welcome to my stop on the Never Evers blog tour! Today I have the wonderful duo and authors of Never Evers Tom Ellen and Lucy Ivison sharing their favorite UKYA books.

Tom and Lucy's Favourite UKYA Books 

TOM

1. The Secret Diary of Adrian Mole Aged 13 & 3/4 - Sue Townsend
Not a very original choice, I'm afraid, but I do think it's one of the best books ever written about being a teenager. Not to mention one of the funniest/most cringeworthy/unputdownable, too. Everything from bullying and first love to school, parents and friendship is covered in an incredibly funny and moving fashion.

2. Harry Potter & The Goblet of Fire - J.K. Rowling 
I'm a massive fan of the whole series, but if I have to pick one, I'm going for Goblet of Fire because it's got everything: the Tri-Wizard Cup, the lake, the dragons, the ball, Ron wearing that ridiculous gown... Everything. Plus, I really fancy Fleur.

3. Just William - Richmal Crompton
Like Adrian Mole, this pre-dates the whole existence of the 'YA' genre, but it was a massive favourite of mine growing up, and it really captured the hilarity and confusion and frustration and awkwardness of being a pre-teen.

 LUCY

1. Angus, Thongs & Full Frontal Snogging - Louise Rennison 
It's everything UKYA should be - funny, relatable, honest... It was one of the main inspirations for our first book, Lobsters, as we wanted to try and write a Louise Rennison-style book full of cringey comedy, for slightly older teens. Georgia Nicolson is such a great character. Whether she's mistakenly dressing as a stuffed olive, or shaving one of her eyebrows off, you can't help but love her.

2. Silence is Goldfish - Annabel Pitcher
I literally finished it this morning and it is SO good. Brilliantly written, moving and memorable.

3. The Art of Being Normal - Lisa Williamson
Amazingly written, sensitive, real. I loved this book the moment I read it and will always have it on my book shelf and book-push it whenever I can.

 Thank you so much for stopping by the blog today Tom and Lucy! Some of these are my all time favourites too. 

 For more fun from Tom and Lucy don't miss out on the rest of the blog tour!

Never Evers by Tom Ellen and Lucy Ivison published by Chicken House is out now priced £6.99 and available from all good bookshops.

Truthwitch Blog Tour: Friendships Discussion With Alyssa and Susan

Hi everyone! I'm absolutely thrilled to be taking part in the Truthwitch pen pal blog tour today to celebrate the release of the phenomenal Truthwitch by Susan Dennard! Truthwitch was one of the best books that I read last year and I'm so excited that it's finally out in the US and will be out in the UK on the 14th January. One of my favourite aspects of Truthwitch is the kickass friendship between our two heroines Safiya and Iseult, so for our stop on the blog tour Alyssa from The Eater of Books and I will be hosting a friendship based, non-spoiler discussion on Truthwitch. Stay tuned until the end as we will have Truthwitch author herself Susan Dennard join us!

                    

Alyssa & Jessica: Hey everyone! Welcome to the Truthwitch blog tour! Today’s stop is hosted by Alyssa (USA) and Jessica (UK). We’ll be discussing Truthwitch in the most non-spoilery way that we can. Join us in the comments!

Alyssa: Truthwitch was quite the whirlwind! What’s one word that encompasses how you felt about the book when you finished? For me, it was probably something along the lines of “OMG”. Although that’s technically not a word… or actually it’s three words… but you get the idea. The book was just WOW!

Jessica: I think for me it was “FINALLY” I don’t think I realised how much I was craving a book about an epic female friendship until I read Truthwitch. Sure, you see strong female friendships in contemporary all the time, but it wasn’t until I read Truthwitch that I realised how lacking they are in fantasy. Usually the heroine is too busy trying to save the world to keep up with her girlfriends so it was fantastic to see two heroines go on an adventure together here.

Alyssa: I didn’t think of that! I think I was more concerned about the fate of our protagonists. :D But that’s so true - YA non-contemporary lit has a bit of a scarcity in strong female friendships. I think one of the the reasons why I love fantasy the most is because of the epic story - but it’s so important to show some female solidarity in what used to be a heavily male-dominated genre. One of my favorite female friendships in non-contemporary YA is Ismae and Sybella’s, from Robin LaFevers’ His Fair Assassins series (one of my favorite series in YA!). Despite being separated for a book and a half, the pair maintain their strong connection and stand with each other with the duchess. They grew up together and fought together and learned the ways of Death together - not an easy friendship!

Jessica: I love that series too! I think it’s brilliant that Truthwitch is bringing female friendships into the limelight especially for a teenage audience in YA. As a teenager the most important thing to me were my friendships and so it’s great to see that being reflected more and more in YA. Truthwitch got me thinking about other strong female friendships that I’ve loved in books. Staying in the fantasy genre I love the friendship between Celaena and Nehemia in the Throne of Glass series by Sarah J. Maas . I think that Sarah and Susan’s friendship is reflected in their own characters which is wonderful to see.

Alyssa: Celaena and Nehemia’s friendship surprised me! I wasn’t expecting them to be so deeply connected, but I loved how their friendship came about. It’s such a beautiful reflection of Sarah and Susan’s relationship! As well as Safi and Iseult’s friendship. I love seeing authors who are such good friends! Another set of powerful relationships in YA fantasy is the six girls in the Waterfire Saga by Jennifer Donnelly. There are six girls who are linked together by ancient magic, and while they had a rocky start when they learned about each other, their friendship and connection became very unshakeable. Especially Serafina and Neela’s! They are like sisters. All of these strong friendships show that there can be an epic plot and all the impending doom of saving the world, but a girl can always have time for friends! And other relationships, amirite?

Jessica: Speaking of other relationships, who are you shipping in Truthwitch!? As well as friendships Sooz does romantic relationships so, so well. I could practically feel the chemistry sizzling off the page for some couples! There is a ball scene early on in Truthwitch that had me blushing! My favourite ship though is a bit spoilery so I don’t want to say too much here but let’s just say it involves Iseult and had me feeling ALL OF THE FEELS come the end of the book!

Alyssa: Oh my goshhhhh, I ship Merik and Safi so hard! I think by now, most people know at least about this couple. There are (in my opinion) two other ships in the book BUT *zips lips*. For any readers interested in a swoony Merik/Safi scene, I shared one during the Waterwitch Babes blog tour! One of my favorite scenes - along with the ballroom scene. I loooove the pair’s banter. There are two other pairs, one of which is not quite a ship - yet! What do you think - will Sooz go in that direction in the next books? :D

Jessica: I think she will! I’ve spoken to a couple of friends who have read it and they seem to think the same which I’m very excited about.

Alyssa: It would be so great! I love that pair. My favorite ship has to be Merik and Safi though. While I love the girls, Merik is my favorite character - he’s got a bit of a temper, which I love. He’s also so duty-bound and driven, and he has good intentions and a fierceness about him that I really like. He’s so devoted to Nubrevna, which is honorable and respectable. But mostly, I like his temper. The first meeting between him and Safi is precious!

Jessica: I’ve seen a lot of love for Merik! I think my favourite character has to be Iseult. I can see a lot of Iseult and Safi’s relationship between myself and my best friend. When we took the quiz on the Truthwitch website to find out which character we are I wasn’t the least bit surprised when she got Safi and I got Iseult. I see a lot of myself in Iseult, she’s very relatable to me so I think that if I had to choose she would be my favourite character.

I see you’re in the Water clan - are you a Waterwitch then? I love all of the different types of witchery in this book and can never decide which type of power I would like to have! I took a quiz (yes, I am addicted to these quizzes okay?) that placed me as a Waterwitch but I also love the idea of being a Wordwitch! If any readers would like to find out what type of witch they’d be you can take the quiz here.

Alyssa: Yes and no! I was placed as a Voidwitch when I took the quiz, which I took twice (“Void is the element of power. It is creative and inventive and dark. Your choices reflected an original mind, open to many things. Void is the possibility of everything.” - I’m okay with that!). BUT I definitely identify with the Waterwitches - as a Waterwitch clan of Sooz’s Witchlanders street team. I love the street team! It’s a lot of fun and we do tons of creative promotional stuff, rather than spammy repetitive messages. Sooz is fantastic!

I think being a Waterwitch would be epic - the Waterwitch in Truthwitch is one of my favorite characters. I think being a Poisonwitch would be interesting (as it is a subset of Waterwitchery)! I’m a chemistry nerd so the thirst for that type of knowledge is there. I cannot wait to discover more types of witches in the future books! Do you think we’ll get to meet more rare types, like Truthwitches or witches from the Void like Aeduan?

Jessica: I LOVE the street team. I have a few friends who are part of it and it looks so fun! Ohhh you’re right a Poisonwitch would be so interesting. I love that there is so much potential for different types of magic in Truthwitch and I definitely think that more types will get revealed throughout the series. I felt like in Truthwitch we were only just being introduced to this world and new magic system and that Sooz has so much more in store for us! Because I got to read Truthwitch early there is such a long wait for book two and it’s already killing me! Trying to keep this spoiler free, what would you like to see from the next book?

Alyssa: Ahem, more from the ships! Safi and Merik (it IS called Windwitch!), but also development of the one ship that we shan’t spoil! I’d also like to see Safi develop and wield her Truthwitch power, which I think is very probable. I also think we’ll see a lot more of Aeduan and his internal struggle with certain… things. And you?

Jessica: Most of the things that I want to see more of are spoilery! Let’s just say that I’d love to learn more about Safi and Iseult’s friendship and what that means for this world. I’d also love to see more of Aeduan and the ship that we can not spoil!

Alyssa & Jessica: Thanks for reading our discussion *cough* fangirling *cough* of Truthwitch. We’d now like to welcome Truthwitch author Susan Dennard to join the discussion and answer our question for her.

Alyssa & Jessica: If you and your friends lived in the Witchlands, what would you get up to?

Susan: If my friends and I lived in the Witchlands…Well, as much as I’d like to say we’d be down in the Pirate Republic of Saldonica raising a ruckus, let’s be honest! My friends and I (most of whom are authors) would probably live in the canal-filled, trade hub of Veñaza City. We’d all be Wordwitches (able to magically manipulate spoken and written word to persuade or tell fantastic stoires), and we’d probably sit in a coffee shop all day while we waxed poetic. ;)

Hmmmm, the pirate option was way more fun, wasn’t it?

 If you've read Truthwitch feel free to join in with our discussion in the comments! And make sure to follow the rest of the blog tour for more Truthwitch goodness. 

 Find out more about Susan and her books at: http://susandennard.com/

Christmas With Keris Stainton

Today on the blog lovely UKYA author Keris Stainton is taking part in my festive feature Christmas With so grab a hot chocolate, turn on your Christmas playlist and get ready to spend a magical Christmas with Keris...

Christmas With Keris Stainton

1.) What made you decide to write a Christmas book for children?
It didn't actually start out as a Christmas book, but my editor thought it had Christmassy potential and asked me to Christmas it up. As soon as she said that, I knew she was absolutely right, not least because I had the original idea - and made the first notes - at Disneyland Paris at Christmas. So it was always a Christmas book, even if I didn't realise it until it was pointed out to me.

2.) How did you get into the festive spirit to write?
I have a Christmas playlist on Spotify. I also have a Disney Christmas playlist. There's a song they play at Disneyland Paris called Chante C'est Noel and that gets me in the spirit straight away. (It's also good for kitchen-dancing.)

3.) If you could wish for anything this Christmas what would it be?
Health and happiness for family and friends, of course. And I'd quite like to bump into Harry Styles while 1D are on their hiatus. I want to give him a copy of Counting Stars, cos he's in the acknowledgements.

4.) What’s your favourite thing about Christmas?
Bailey's. I can only have it at Christmas because otherwise I'd honestly put it in my coffee in the morning. Also fairy lights. I have some up all year round, but at Christmas I hang them everywhere. 

5.) Do you have any Christmas traditions? 
We try to make new Christmas traditions all the time. We go to a Victorian Christmas fair every year (and I usually have my first mulled wine of the year) and we also like to go the a local garden centre that has lovely gifts and amazing lights and decorations. And we usually have a mince pie there too.

6.) Favourite Christmas food and drink?
Argh. ALL the food and ALL the drink. I absolutely loved mulled wine. And mince pies. I've never really got on with Christmas cake or Christmas pudding though, which is odd for me since I pretty much eat everything.

7.) Favourite Christmas movie?
Elf. I love watching it with my boys. And Nativity. The bit when he reads the children's letters to Santa breaks my heart every single time.

8.) What does Christmas mean to you?
Family. We used to have huge family Christmas parties as a child and we don't do that anymore - and I miss it - but we try to make Christmas as fun and memorable as possible for our two boys. Some of my best memories are of childhood Christmases and I hope the same for them.

 Lily and the Christmas Wish is available to buy now from all good bookshops 

 Add Lily and the Christmas Wish on Goodreads here 

Follow the author on Twitter @Keris

Snowed in for Christmas Blog Tour: Christmas With Claire Sandy

For my stop on the Snowed in for Christmas blog tour author Claire Sandy is taking part in my Christmas blog feature 'Christmas With...' answering some questions about all things festive! So grab a hot chocolate, turn on your Christmas playlist and spend a White Christmas with Claire Sandy...

Christmas with Claire Sandy

1.) What made you want to write a Christmas book?
I was born wanting to write a Christmas book. I am pro-Christmas; violently so. I would march on Downing Street if my right to obliterate my house with tinsel was taken away. I've always savoured Christmassy scenes in books, loving how the stories glow on the page. When I had the opportunity to bring out my own, I knew there must be turkey and snow and flirting; pinning down that special hyper-happiness of Christmas Day on the page was a thrill and I can only hope readers agree with me.

2.) How did you get into the festive spirit to write? 
Hmm. Well, this is where the glow dims a bit. It would be wonderful if I'd written the book over Christmas, mince pie in one hand, wonky paper crown on my head, but books take months to write and this one came to life in late spring and early summer. I stuck a list of festive words above my laptop - random ones like tingle and snowballs and enchantment. Plus of course Baileys and indigestion. When in the thick of writing a scene, I was lost in a wintry wonderland, snow all around, the tip of my nose a Rudolph red and my soul serene. Then I'd look up and realise the sun was shining into my study, and flowers were brazenly growing in my window box. Usually I welcome these signs of renewal but right then all I could do was mourn the vanished whiff of sprouts.

3.) If you could get snowed in anywhere where would it be? 
I'd get snowed in in a log cabin. I have no desire to go skiing - obviously I'd break both my legs and at least one of my husband's - but I do have a yen to snooze in front of an open fire as the snow banks up against the windows of a timber house. Being snowed in is as much a state of mind as anything else; I'd relish the opportunity to switch off. If it was impossible to go anywhere I'd have to be satisfied with what was on hand. It goes without saying that there's a full fridge in my snowed-in fantasies.

4.) How would you spend a day snowed in with your loved ones? 
Hmm. Do all of my loved ones have to be there? I mean, I love them (hence their title) but that doesn't mean I want to be snowed in with them. I'd probably spend the day avoiding them... 

5.) What’s your favourite thing about Christmas?
EVERYTHING. How can you make me choose? It's like asking if somebody has a favourite child. In no particular order my favourite Christmas things are: drinking champagne for breakfast; stockpiling talc; turkey sandwiches; cracker jokes being funny due to champagne for breakfast; chocolate as far as the eye can see; old films on the TV; gravy; Yule Log; a good row and a good making up.

6.) Do you have any Christmas traditions?
I have many, thank you for asking. Christmas Eve = smoked salmon for me and Him, after we put our daughter to bed. Even though He (and I don't mean God by the way, I mean my other half) doesn't like smoked salmon. Another must is my father-in-law coming round at midnight to dress up as Santa and bumble into my little girl's room with a sack of presents. Christmas isn't Christmas unless we eat stuffing made to my mum's recipe, and lay out clementines studded with cloves, and have at least one bout of fisticuffs over the remote control.

7.) Favourite Christmas food and drink?
From the twentieth December I move into a Quality Street tin and don't emerge until New Year's Day. As for a tipple, I'm all about fizz.

8.) Favourite Christmas movie?
If I'm wearing my Intelligent hat (it doesn't fit too well) I'll say, with a pious expression, "It's a Wonderful Life". If I'm wearing my far more comfortable Big Kid hat, I'll answer honestly with "Elf".

9.) Favourite Christmas song? 
That's easy. I have no choice; I have to say Mistletoe and Wine. Yes, I know, Cliff sings it like a nun in a jock strap, but my father in law wrote it, so...

10.) What does Christmas mean to you? 
Christmas means to me what it means to you. It's a bright beacon in the midst of winter's gloom, a celebration. It's permission to be sentimental, to cry over the people you've lost, to feed the ones you have. It's the best and silliest time of the year.

 Snowed in for Christmas is available to buy now from all good bookshops 

 Add Snowed in for Christmas on Goodreads here 

Follow the author on Twitter @berniestrachan 

 Follow the rest of the blog tour!

Never Kiss a Man in a Christmas Jumper Blog Tour: Christmas With Debbie Johnson

For my stop on the blog tour for Never Kiss a Man in a Christmas Jumper author Debbie Johnson is taking part in my new Christmas feature 'Christmas With...' answering some questions about all things festive! So grab a hot chocolate, turn on your Christmas playlist and spend Christmas with Debbie Johnson...

Christmas with Debbie Johnson

1.) What made you want to write Christmas books?
I have always loved writing stories – and I have always loved Christmas, so it was a good fit! When I had the idea for my first HarperImpulse book – Cold Feet at Christmas, which came out last year – I was walking my dogs across a field in a huge snow-blizzard, and it all felt so mysterious and full of potential – like anything could happen! Plus Christmas is such an emotional time of year – sometimes good, sometimes bad – that it seems the perfect occasion for some wish fulfillment! My Christmas is focused around my kids now, but I do remember when I was single, how I’d always hope for a bit of Christmas romance – a kiss under the mistletoe, meeting someone at a party, a special encounter on a night out! I do write books that aren’t set at Christmas, but I love the romance opportunities that the festive period brings – heightened feelings, a focus on hopes and dreams, plus of course the very dodgy Christmas jumpers!

2.) How do you get into the festive spirit to write? 
That can be tough – Christmas Jumper was written in the summer, and during an especially hot part of the summer! I was wearing sandals and T-shirts and Maggie and Marco were wrapping up warm in boots and gloves! Music helps – listening to Christmas albums is an excellent way to put yourself in the mood!

3.) What are your favourite Christmas stories?
I think THE Christmas story is actually a fantastic one – we’ve all seen nativity plays a million times, but really, if you sit down and really think about that tale, it’s amazing. I’ve had three babies, and I really can’t imagine riding around on a donkey at the end of my pregnancy, and then not being able to find a place to rest. It’s the original and the best, I suppose! But I also love some of the wonderful children’s Christmas stories that are out there like The Snowman and the Little Matchgirl. For myself, I always love a bit of Bridget Jones at Christmas!

4.) Which fictional character would you like to kiss underneath the mistletoe?
Hmmm...purely fictional, maybe Han Solo, before he met Princess Leah (as I wouldn’t want to tread on her toes!)? Or James Bond, Daniel Craig era.

5.) What’s the worst Christmas jumper you’ve ever seen?
It was one I saw at a party that was a 3D turkey – all the turkey’s legs and bits and bobs were dangling down the front of the man’s chest; to be honest, it looked absolutely obscene!

6.) What’s your favourite thing about Christmas? 
Spending time with my family, when everyone is switched off from work/school/real life – and focused on being at home, enjoying each other’s company! Christmas is like a very welcome break from reality.

7.) Do you have any Christmas traditions?
We have a few. We go and choose our Christmas tree from the same place – a garden centre in the suburbs of Liverpool – on or around December 1. I usually go into a zen-like state of trance as I wander around, looking at almost identical pine trees until one ‘speaks’ to me – although not literally. I’d get really worried if that happens. We also let all three of the kids choose a new decoration – which means that our tree, like Maggie’s, looks like a drunken elf has vomited all over it! We’ve been going there since the kids were tiny, and the staff always remember us. We also go to a service at our local church called Christingle on Christmas Eve, which involves carols and sweets on sticks stuck into oranges, and that is always lovely – sometimes Christmas Eve is actually nicer, because of the sense of anticipation. It’s the calm before the storm, and doesn’t involve batteries, Phillips head screwdrivers or cooking!

8.) What does Christmas mean to you? 
For me, at this stage in my life, a perfect Christmas is all about family – seeing the excitement on my children’s faces in the morning; sharing a meal with loved ones; celebrating all that is good in our lives. It’s a time to count our blessings and be thankful – which is very easy to forget in the insanity that lead up to it! If the cooker broke or the dogs ate the turkey (both very feasible scenarios in my house), I’d still be happy if we were all healthy and together. In Never Kiss A Man in A Christmas Jumper, Maggie is facing up to her first Christmas alone – and although she tries to stay strong about it, that is also one of my worst nightmares. Having a young family is chaotic – but does make for the best Christmasses ever!

9.) Do you treat yourself to a reward once you finished writing/published a book?
I usually just sit back, take a big sigh of relief, and put something fab on the telly! I know that sounds boring, but I have to try and avoid the TV when I’m on deadline – working from home is fraught with perils, and the goggle box is one of the main distractions! I once got lost in a Netflix boxed set of an American sports drama called Friday Night Lights for weeks on end...so being able to grab a coffee, sit on my own and watch something entertaining is brilliant – it’s a chance to enjoy the fruits of someone else’s imagination, rather than just using my own!

 Never Kiss a Man in a Christmas Jumper is available to buy now 

Add Never Kiss a Man in a Christmas Jumper on Goodreads here 

Follow Debbie on Twitter @DebbieMJohnson 

 Follow the rest of the blog tour!

Christmas With Cressida McLaughlin Author of A Christmas Tail

If you follow my blog then you'll probably know by now that I love Christmas in a big way and one of my favourite things to do during the countdown to Christmas is to snuggle up with a festive read. This year I decided to take it a step further and do a festive feature between now and Christmas getting some lovely authors who have Christmas books out this year to come on the blog and have a little chat with us about all things Christmassy and festive!

To debut this feature I have Cressida McLaughlin on the blog today talking about her book, what puppy she'd like to find underneath the Christmas tree and how she celebrates Christmas. So grab a hot chocolate, turn on your Christmas playlist and spend Christmas with Cressida McLaughlin.

 Christmas with Cressida McLaughlin

1.) A Christmas Tail was first released as four novellas. Did you know when starting this series that the final story would end at Christmas? What made you decide to conclude the series at this time of year?
Yes, when I started the Primrose Terrace series, I knew it would end at Christmas. Each story roughly covered a season, starting with spring, and Christmas seemed the perfect time to tie all the storylines together and for Cat to have her happy ending. There’s nothing more magical than a Christmas romance.

2.) How did you get into the festive spirit to write? 
I was writing the last part of the book in the hot, sultry August weather, so it was particularly hard to feel wintry! I put all my fairy lights on, and found a Christmas radio station so I could listen to Wham, Mariah Carey and Slade while I was writing. Once I got immersed in the story it was much easier, and I was quite surprised (and a bit disappointed) when I stopped writing for the day and discovered that I wasn’t in my woolly penguin socks, hibernating from a snowstorm.

3.) Which fictional character would you like to kiss underneath the mistletoe?
Oooh, my favourite kind of question! But also the hardest to answer, because how can I pick just one? It would either be John Thornton from North and South, or Ross Poldark. They’re both a bit brooding, but I’m sure they’d be excellent kissers, and would look lovely with snowflakes in their dark hair. What a lovely daydream.

4.) What would your dream puppy be to find underneath the tree this Christmas?
A cockapoo! I love them. I keep looking at photos, and “cockapoo puppies to buy” pages on the internet. They are the most adorable breed of dog.

5.) Favourite Christmas food and drink? 
Pigs in blankets are so delicious, and I love a traditional turkey dinner. Drink would be mulled wine or champagne. There is never a bad time for champagne, but it’s extra delicious drinking it next to a twinkling Christmas tree with your loved ones around you.

6.) Favourite Christmas movie?
Elf. It’s hilarious and romantic and magical and it leaves you with the warmest glow. You know you can really get into the festive spirit when Channel 4 shows Elf.

7.) Do you have any Christmas traditions?
My family always have boiled eggs with soldiers on Christmas morning. It’s a tradition handed down on my dad’s side of the family, and now I can’t imagine having anything else.

8.) What’s your favourite thing about Christmas?
Do I have to narrow it down? I love snuggling up inside with my family, I love the colour and twinkle of Christmas lights. I love that everything sparkles, and I love London at Christmas. I love walking in the cold, with a woolly hat and scarf, and seeing the decorations and glow in windows, imagining everyone safe and warm and celebrating inside. Sigh. Is it December yet?

Thank you so much for sharing your Christmas with us Cressida! As a proud cockapoo owner I very much approve of your choice of puppy!

A Christmas Tail is available to buy from all good bookshops now. 

 Add A Christmas Tail on Goodreads here 

 Follow Cressida on Twitter @CressMcLaughlin

Six of Crows Blog Tour: Six signs you have what it takes to join Kaz's crew!

Today I am so excited to be hosting "Six signs you have what it takes to join Kaz's crew" as part of the Six of Crows blog tour. I'm sure a lot of you know that I am a massive fan of the Grisha trilogy and Six of Crows and it is always a pleasure to have Leigh on the blog! This is a joint tour so make sure you check out Reading Teen as well for the sister part to this post!

Here is a special message from Six of Crows author Leigh Bardugo herself about today's post...

"Hey, Jess! Thank you so much for being a part of the Six of Crows blog tour. I've been living with the members of Kaz's crew for so long that it's hard to remember exactly how they all came into being and developed their particular skills, but I can at least tell you who arrived first: Matthias, Nina, and Kaz. 

A few years back, my agent Jo and I were on a bus in Ireland (long story), discussing possible bonus content we could offer fans of the Grisha trilogy. I realised that I really wanted to write something from the point of view of a Fjerdan drüskelle, one of the deadly witchhunters who pursue Grisha. Because as frightening and brutal as they are, I could still understand the fear that would drive them. I wanted to put a Grisha soldier and drüskelle into a survival situation and see what might happen. But was it a short story? A novella? I wasn't sure. Then I got the idea for Six of Crows and I had my answer: Nina and Matthias, two people with some serious history and plenty of prejudice between them, would be part of the team forced to band together to pull off an impossible heist. 

As for Kaz, the leader of the crew, his story began with an idea for a character known as Dirtyhands, a boy for whom no deed was too low, no job too dangerous. He's the criminal you go to when you're out of other options, the person you don't want to be indebted to, the guy you never want to hear knocking on your door. As soon as I knew who would be leading the team, the rest of the characters began to take shape."

Six Signs You Have What It Takes To Join Kaz's Crew 

To join Kaz's Crew you need to be...Resilient 

A big theme throughout Six of Crows is resilience and to be part of Kaz's crew you need to have it in buckets. The crew is made up of characters with horrific pasts but what's important is that you bounce back from the horrors of the world time and time again and be stronger for it.
Most Resilient Crow: Kaz 

To join Kaz's Crew you need to be...Cunning

This crew has an impossible heist to pull off so you need to be ruthless and willing to do anything to see the mission through. Each crew member needs to be cunning enough to make sure that nothing stands in their way.
Most Cunning Crow: Jesper 

To join Kaz's Crew you need to be...Calm 

With all the craziness that comes with being a crow crew member you need to be able to keep your cool in situations where chaos is going on around you. You need to be able to stay calm and focused to complete what needs to be done.
Most Calm Crow: Nina 

To join Kaz's Crew you need to be...Intelligent

To be part of Kaz's crew you need to think outside of the box. Heist's take a lot of planning beforehand but you also need to be somebody who thinks on their feet to save yourself and your crew from tricky and unexpected situations.
Most Intelligent Crow: Wylan 

To join Kaz's Crew you need to be...Courageous 

Being a crow means willingly putting yourself in dangerous situations as part of the job but as well as risking your life daily you're also going to have to face and overcome some of your most personal demons.
Most Courageous Crow: Inej

To join Kaz's Crew you need to be...Strong 

Whilst it's good to have physical strength, as a crew member it's more important that you're mentally strong. To live life as a crow you need to have incredible inner strength in order to face a life of trickery, deceit and risk.
Most Strong Crow: Matthias 

Giveaway 
From 24/9 - 29/9, bloggers in the US and UK will be paired up to share their own Six of Crows-inspired lists, such as six tips for surviving the Grishaverse, six signs you do/don't have what it takes to join Kaz's crew, and more.

But wait. There's more! Enter to win a Six of Crows prize pack full of US AND UK swag by commenting on all 12 blog posts by 11:59pm EST Friday, October 2.

See Leigh on Tour!

For more of my thoughts on Six of Crows check out my review here.

The Dead House Mirror Tour: Scariest Moment of Your Life and Giveaway

Hi everyone! I'm so excited to be part of today's The Dead House Mirror Blog Tour. The Dead House is about two girls who share the same body. Carly gets the day and Kaitlyn has the night and so the idea for this blog tour is to represent that with a Carly and Kaitlyn post. Today I am sharing with you Carly's post and a chance to win the book for yourself. Make sure you stop by Katie's Book Blog for Kaitlyn's version!

Scariest Moment of Your Life 

CARLY 

Diary of Carly Johnson, 
Date Unspecified

When I was ten or so, I used to transition back in, to find dozens of panicked post-its from Kaitie all over the room. I’ve kept every single one of those post-its.
I remember one day it was particularly bad. I found myself huddled in the corner of the room, post-its stuck to the wall and floor all around me. My body was completely tense, muscles on the verge of spasm. My face was tight with dried tears.
Right away, I knew what had happened, and I burst out crying. Our body still had tears left to cry. I wanted more than anything to be there for her—and to understand why she was so afraid.
I picked up the first post-it.
Carly, there’s something by the window.
I wrote a reply to that one, and stuck it down in exactly the same place:
Don’t worry Kaybear, it was probably just a tree or the wind.
The next: What do I do?
I wrote: Stay calm. I’m here with you, remember?
The next: I’m scared.
I wrote: I know. I’m here.
The next: They’re asleep. They don’t care.
I wrote: They don’t realize. You can wake them up.
She wrote: I wish you were here.
I wrote: Me too.
She wrote: What does it feel like? The sun?
I wrote: Warm, Kaitie. So warm. Like a warm bath!
She wrote: I’m alone.
I crossed that one out. Wrote on top. Liar.
She wrote: I can’t do this.
I wrote: You can do anything. Oh, Kaybear, I wish I was there for you! I feel so bad. I want us to be normal. Why can’t we be normal? I’ve brought you a present!
That day, I left my school copy of The Outsiders under the pillow with a fresh post-it note on top. It read:
Surprise!
And on the inside of the book, another:
I hate English, but this one was OK. What do you think?
The next morning, there was only one post-it note.
Cool book. Any more?
I opened my bag to get my reading list, and found all of my S.E Hinton homework done for me.
I guess that’s cheating; it wasn’t really my scariest moment, but it led up to my scariest moment.


For years, I never heard a peep about Kaitie being scared at night.


But one day, I opened my eyes, and it was completely, utterly dark. I thought I was blind! I really, really knew what Kaitlyn meant by “dark” that day. I startled so badly, that I banged my arm on the side of something, and then I kicked out—kicked the wardrobe door open.
Kaitlyn had left me in the closet.
It was terrifying, because I just had no idea what she went through during her night. But also because I realized she had been lying to me for four or more years. She didn’t get over her fear.
She just hid it from me.
And I was never there for her.
And that terrified me to my core. I didn’t know my sister.

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Check out The Dead House as part of Books With Bite's Dark Summer Read! 

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