Thursday 10 November 2011

News - November 2011

ARTICHOKE HEARTS ON CARNEGIE LONG-LIST
I was so delighted to get a call from my editor Sam Swinnerton last week asking me to look up who was on the Carnegie Long-list. I could not believe my eyes when I saw Artichoke Hearts. This has been a year of asking people to pinch me to make sure I'm not just imagining things (a hazard of being a writer). What an honour to be placed among such brilliant writers. I spent half a day looking at who was on the list dating way back to the 1930's. Check it out. I now have loads more books to add to my Christmas list for myself, my children and all my nephews and nieces.
http://bit.ly/tbLqr8


BOOKED UP BOOKS HIT SCHOOLS
It's so lovely to come to my email this morning and find out that the free books have arrived with year Seven in schools up and down the country thanks to the Book Trust's excellent scheme. Thank you to all of you who chose Artichoke Hearts. I am so delighted to hear that you are enjoying it and it's particularly wonderful that some of you have been told off by your teachers for not wanting to put it down and get on with your lessons!

You can post your comments and reviews on this site, MyKindaBook http://bit.ly/9jk28u  and also the Book Trust's site. http://bit.ly/cEgOt6


JASMINE SKIES
I'm starting to get 'Butterflies in my belly' (like Mira!) about Jasmine Skies my next book to be published by Macmillan in April 2012.

The cover is a real treat... a beautiful sunset palate and Mira's been at it again, with her doodle pen! There are pimped up converse, Jasmine flowers, a kingfisher, saris, ear phones, old letters and Mira and a mysterious boy running across a crazy Kolkata street.




THE TRAILER
I met actress, singer and director Renu Arora to talk about making a book trailer for Jasmine Skies...Since I've started writing it there's only ever been one soundtrack for this book..... 'Summer Breeze' sung by The Isley Brothers has been 'blowing through the Jasmine in my mind!'  But if Mira's DJ cousin Priya has anything to do with it...there'll be a drop into dubstep somewhere along the line!