The Sad Songs Blogfest! (a.k.a Shed Tears Now)

Brace yourselves for some serious boo-hooing. What better way to celebrate the end of the week, right? Today is the Sad Songs Blogfest, hosted by Spunk on a Stick, so pop over to the link to see her song choices and the list of fellow boo-hooers!

(Sorry if it takes me a while to visit everyone on the list. I'll do my best!)

What the blogfest is about: list the songs that move your spirit, cut deep into your soul, and threaten to break your heart.

I love this theme! Some of the greatest songs in the world are sad songs. I sing to my baby (whether he likes it or not is another question, but that's neither here nor there), I yowl in the shower, I listen to the radio in the car, and, most importantly, I write with music. All of my books/stories/projects have a playlist (in fact, you can see THE LOST GIRL's playlist here.)

Which means picking just a few songs was almost impossible, but here we go. They're in no particular order. 

What these songs are about doesn't really matter. The only thing they have in common is all of these have made me cry. Yes, I am a sap.

1. Someone Like You, Adele

Ah, Adele. I'm sure this song is supposed to be as hopeful as it is sad, but I bawl. Bawl like a baby.

2. White Blank Page, Mumford & Songs

If you haven't heard this one, go do it. It's amazing.

3. Now We Are Free, Hans Zimmer and Lisa Gerrard

Okay, so I don't even know what Lisa's singing about, but if this song didn't make you weep copious tears at the end of Gladiator, you're not human. I'm just sayin'.

and finally

4. My Heart Will Go On, Celine Dion

I know. Cheesiest choice ever, right? But I can't help it. There's that bit at the end, where everything crests, and I shed embarrassing tears every time. (Seriously cannot believe I'm admitting this...)

What are your favourite sad songs?

Fun on a Friday

Happy Hunger Games, everyone! I went to see the movie last night and, let me just say, it's awesome. Really, really awesome.

I won't say much more, because most of you probably haven't seen it yet, so I'll leave it at: they've done some very clever things with it, including letting us see the Gamemakers at work (am I weird for kind of liking Seneca Crane?), and the characters were all spot on. Effie is hilarious. So, yeah. It's so worth going to see, even if you haven't read the books.

As for other amazing movies/films, I discovered this gorgeous short animation on Youtube the other day, and I had to share it. Seriously, I have so much admiration - and a fair bit of envy - for people who can create things like this.

Have a lovely weekend!

Catching Up

I've been somewhat absent the last couple of weeks. There's just been so much going on, so this will be a quick stop to catch up!

1. Last week I was interviewed by Ashelynn Hetland over at her blog; we talk about THE LOST GIRL's cover and she asked me some really fun questions, so be sure to check it out.

2. Jeremy learned to roll, which now means I now have to keep both eyes on him all the time, or he's off who knows where...

3. Steve, Jeremy and I went on a little holiday up north, to the gorgeous Lake District and thereabouts. It was even more special for me, because up north is where Steve and I went to university, and a lot of my book is set in those places. I have plenty of photos so I'm going to do a 'Key Moments from THE LOST GIRL' teaser post soon.

4. I've been doing a fair bit of writing, which is very exciting. There's nothing quite like the feel of a shiny new project, is there?

5. I've just realized my last 'Day in the Life' post is sadly out of date. With a baby in the way, and planning for when we move house next month, and so much work that doesn't involve actual writing, that portrait of my day is, alas, no longer entirely accurate. So keep an eye out for a new one soon!

Hope everyone's having a good Tuesday! What's going on with you this week?

My First Fan!

...and if anyone asks, he's not yawning. His mouth is open because... erm... because he's astonished! Yes, that's right. He's astonished because he loved reading it so much.

That's my story and I'm sticking to it.

Happy Friday! Anyone have any big plans for the weekend?

It's time for the Catch Fire! blog party!

Before I launch into today's post, I just want to thank everyone for all the lovely comments about my cover reveal and ARC giveaway last week - you're the best!

And onwards. Today marks the release of blogger and author Alex J Cavanaugh's second book CassaFire, and he's having a massive blog party to celebrate - yay! If only cakes and cookies could be snatched through cyberspace... ah, well. Alex is also running a blog tour until the 9th of March and anyone who comments on his blog during that time could win a special goodie bag from his publisher, so pop over to his blog and check it out.

CassaFire

by Alex J. Cavanaugh

CassaStar was just the beginning…

The Vindicarn War is a distant memory and Byron’s days of piloting Cosbolt fighters are over. He has kept the promise he made to his fallen mentor and friend - to probe space on an exploration vessel. Shuttle work is dull, but it’s a free and solitary existence. The senior officer is content with his life aboard the Rennather.

The detection of alien ruins sends the exploration ship to the distant planet of Tgren. If their scientists can decipher the language, they can unlock the secrets of this device. Is it a key to the Tgren’s civilization or a weapon of unimaginable power? Tensions mount as their new allies are suspicious of the Cassan’s technology and strange mental abilities. 

To complicate matters, the Tgrens are showing signs of mental powers themselves; the strongest of which belongs to a pilot named Athee, a woman whose skills rival Byron’s unique abilities. Forced to train her mind and further develop her flying aptitude, he finds his patience strained. Add a reluctant friendship with a young scientist, and he feels invaded on every level. All Byron wanted was his privacy…

CassaFire is the sequel to Cavanaugh’s first book, CassaStar, an Amazon Top Ten Bestseller.

Doesn't it sound cool? Alex's sci-fi/space opera is available now. Visit his blog for links to buy, more details, and a very very cool book trailer.

Congratulations on your release, Alex!

COVER REVEAL! Yay!

It's time! Finally! Chances are you're not going to give a hoot about what I'm saying up here, so I'll get straight to the good stuff.

My gorgeous cover.

Are you reading this part already? No, no, go back and take another look. You must. Honestly, my publisher's got me the bestest cover ever. Isn't it beautiful and haunting and don't you just want to stroke it to death? (If the answer is no, don't tell me.)

Okay? Looked at it? Twice? Three times? Now you can read on.

Eva's life is not her own. She is a creation, an abomination - an echo. Made by the Weavers as a copy of someone else, she is expected to replace a girl named Amarra, her 'other', if she ever died. Eva studies what Amarra does, what she eats, what it's like to kiss her boyfriend, Ray. So when Amarra is killed in a car crash, Eva should be ready.

But fifteen years of studying never prepared her for this.

Now she must abandon everything she's ever known - the guardians who raised her, the boy she's forbidden to love - to move to India and convince the world that Amarra is still alive. 

"The most honest portrait of grief and loss that I've read in a long time. Filled with heartache, love, and things that would stir Mary Shelley's ghost, this is not a story to be missed."

-Lauren DeStefano, bestselling author of the Chemical Garden trilogy

THE LOST GIRL will be out August 28th, which seems like forever away, but the book is already available for pre-order! A few of the links are below.

Amazon US

Amazon UK

Barnes and Noble

Can I just say? I could have fainted on the spot when I saw Lauren DeStefano's blurb. FAINTED. I read WITHER several months ago, not long after it first came out, and loved it so much. It was just the most exciting thing that Lauren read(!) and liked(!!) my book too.

And now for the other part of this post: ARCs. More specifically, an ARC giveaway! A signed ARC, no less. Because, while it will be a wrench to part with one of my shiny copies, I love you all that much.

Yes, one of those!

So, to enter to win, leave a comment on this post, including some way for me to contact you (ideally an email address), and obviously with many, many swoonings over how pretty the cover is. I will pick and announce a winner on April 20th. The giveaway is open internationally.

And this isn't necessary to enter, but it would be very very lovely if you could tweet/blog/somehow get the word out about the cover and giveaway - I'm so excited about this and I just want to show my amazing cover off to the world!

Have a wonderful weekend, everyone.

What's going on?

There seem to be so many amazing and exciting things going on in the blogging/writing worlds right now, so, with the weekend around the corner and my brain virtually on holiday already, I thought today would be a great time to talk about fun stuff.

For starters, Talli Roland recently revealed the cover of her next book, CONSTRUCT A COUPLE, and it's so pretty you simply have to go check it out!

Saumya Dave has just signed with an agent, which is one of the most awesome things to happen to any writer, so huge huge congratulations to her!

If you don't know Alex J. Cavanaugh already (and I'd be amazed if you didn't), pop over to his blog and check out his next book CASSAFIRE's release party, it's going to be massive! The launch is on February 28th and Alex is giving away five copies of CASSAFIRE.

As for me, it's been a mad, hectic week, but it's not all been baby-related. ARCs of THE LOST GIRL arrived yesterday and I spent most of the day jumping around, squealing, and just generally staring lovingly at the books. I can't actually believe this is real. Even with a copy in my hands, even reading it, doesn't feel real. It feels like I'm reading another author's book. Maybe it will sink in one day.

But I'm going to share the joy! Look out for an ARC giveaway with my cover reveal next week...

Hope everyone has a great weekend!

Love

...because I've had far too little sleep to be able to think of a cleverer title!

Happy Valentine's Day, bloggers and readers! It's the official day of romance, and roses, and other things beginning with R (okay, so I couldn't think of a third. Did you not see the part about the lack of sleep?) and though I personally think every day should be about romance, roses and R-things, today seems a particularly good time to talk about love stories.

So here are a few of my favourite romantic/love-filled/similarly-themed books-

1. Me Before You by Jojo Moyes

Unadventurous Lou becomes crippled Will's carer and everything changes. This is lovely. And it's a bawl-fest.

2. Millie's Fling by Jill Mansell

A summer by the seaside. A girl who likes a boy. A boy who doesn't want to like the girl. Fun, funny and sweet.

3. Frenchman's Creek by Daphne du Maurier

Bored, beautiful Donna meets a French pirate on the shore of a lonely Cornwall creek. This is passionate and heartbreaking and beautifully written. Love, love, love this one.

4. Shiver by Maggie Stiefvater

Boy meets girl. Except boy turns into a wolf when it gets too cold. Sweet, exciting, glorious. Many tears were shed. 

                   

5. Forbidden by Tabitha Suzuma

Boy meets girl. Except they don't quite 'meet' because they've known each other all their lives. They also happen to be brother and sister. It's controversial. But so wonderfully written, so wrenching, so amazing.

What are your favourite love stories?