So what's TORN all about?

Thank you for your lovely comments about the cover!  I seem to have lost the ability to comment on my own blog though, so that's a bit rubbish.

Anyway, I think I posted a little blurby bit aaaaages ago, but they weren't the official wurdz or anything. Here's what's going on the back of the book (probably):

Four girls. One dead body. A whole lot of guilt.


Alice King isn’t expecting the holiday of a lifetime when she sets off with her classmates on a trip to the Scottish wilderness, but she’s not exactly prepared for an experience beyond her darkest nightmares…

Alice and her best friend Cass are stuck in a cabin with Polly, the social outcast, and Rae, the moody emo-girl. Then there’s Tara – queen of mean. Powerful, beautiful and cruel, she likes nothing better than putting people down.

Cass decides it’s time to teach Tara a lesson she’ll never forget. And so begins a series of events that will change the lives of these girls forever...

A compelling story of guilty secrets, troubled friendship and burgeoning love.


Ooh! I want it read it! Oh wait...

Cover reveal: TORN

Here it is! Here it is! Here it is!

There might be some tiny tweaks still to be made, but this is pretty much it...

What do you think? Thoughts on a postcard, please. Or maybe just put your thoughts in the comments. Yes, that would probably be more efficient.

My writing space

I'm over at Absolute Vanilla today with a few other lovely writers. If you want to find out where we write, I suggest you head over here.

In other news, I should be able to share the cover of TORN with you all VERY soon. Oooh!

Now, there's tennis to be watched and strawberries to be eaten. Laters, alligators.

A new addition to the family

I'd like to introduce a soon-to-be resident of the Jam Factory.

His name is Griffin and... awwwwwwww I got distracted by the cuteness. Sorry.

I'll be bringing him home in a few weeks and let's just say I'M A LITTLE BIT EXCITED! *does excited puppy dance*

Look! Feel? Cook meal? Brooke Shields?

BOOK DEAL! I've got a new book deal. More books, written by me! (Note to self: this means you actually have to, y'know, write more books. Eek.)

I'm very (VERY!) happy to announce a new two-book deal with Quercus Publishing. I'm hugely excited about getting to make more books with the Quercus gang - they pretty much rock my socks off.

Big thanks to my agent, Marvellous Victoria, for doing all that clever agenty deal-making stuff. And big thanks to Quercus (especially my wonderful editor, Roisin) for wanting me to write more books. And big fat HUGE thanks to those of you who've bought ENTANGLED or blogged about it or tweeted about it or mentioned it to your friends, because if you hadn't... *shudders*

Anyhoo, the first book is currently called UNDONE. I'll tell you more about it soon, I promise. But here are some of the featured elements to keep you going till then: a girl called Jem; REVENGE; the best character I've ever written (*crosses fingers*); a series of letters; someone called Fernando. (N.B. Some of these elements may not make it into the finished book, although the first three are pretty sure bets.)

Here's an unnecessary picture of Taylor Kitsch in celebration of this momentous occasion...

In summation: YAY!

In other news, I'll be taking a little break away from the blog, for personal reasons. It might be one week, it might be two. But have no fear, I shall return! Thanks for sticking around. Your patience is muchly appreciated.

Nova Ren Suma plays Chocolate or Cheese?

Let me tell you about this book I read a few months ago. A book that blew my tiny mind. It crept and crawled its way inside me in a way I've never experienced before. It made my throat hurt and my skin itch, and believe it or not, these are good things. The book in question was IMAGINARY GIRLS, written by my dear friend, Nova Ren Suma. (I heartily recommend Nova's middle-grade novel, DANI NOIR. But do read IMAGINARY GIRLS first because it's all new and shiny.)

IMAGINARY GIRLS is Nova's debut YA novel and it's achingly beautiful. You must read it. And luckily for you, it's published one week from today! And oh my isn't the cover the most beautiful thing you've ever seen with your eyes?!


Here's the trailer...

And here's the description from the official IMAGINARY GIRLS website...


Chloe's older sister, Ruby, is the girl everyone looks to and longs for, who can't be captured or caged. When a night with Ruby's friends goes horribly wrong and Chloe discovers the dead body of her classmate London Hayes left floating in the reservoir, Chloe is sent away from town and away from Ruby.

But Ruby will do anything to get her sister back, and when Chloe returns to town two years later, deadly surprises await. As Chloe flirts with the truth that Ruby has hidden deeply away, the fragile line between life and death is redrawn by the complex bonds of sisterhood.


To celebrate One-Week-Till-Book-Birthday I had to get Nova on here. And, of course, instead of asking her lots of clever questions about her incredible book, I asked her to play Chocolate or Cheese? The rules are simple: you must choose between two options. The option you do not choose is off limits for the rest of your life, so you have to think very carefully before answering. It's a serious game for serious people. *cough*


Reading or writing?
Writing. (I'm on deadline... I have to say that, in case my agent or my editor sees this.)


Reading or listening to music?
Reading. A good book can be its own kind of music.


Facebook or Twitter?
Sadly, I say Twitter. It's an addiction. I wish I'd never had my first taste.


Mountains or ocean?
I grew up in the mountains, and I do think I am more myself there than anywhere else, but I also spent my childhood and teenage years feeling absolutely trapped in the middle of nowhere and begging to get the hell out. The ocean makes it seem like there's somewhere else to go... even if it's off in the far, unseen distance. So I'd pick ocean.


Korean food or Mexican food?
Korean! The first time I ever ate kimchi, my mother-in-law had to wash each piece off in water before I could swallow it, but I've gotten a bit better with spiciness. One of my favorite meals is dolsot bibimbap with tofu. That's the bibimbap served in the hot stone pot. I like when it comes out of the kitchen sizzling.


Muffins for hands or squirrels for feet?
WTF, Cat! I can visualize this all too well and it's a bit traumatizing. Obviously squirrels for feet. I can't type a novel with two muffins.


IMAGINARY GIRLS or DANI NOIR? (Mwahahahaha!)
You know what I'm going to say. IMAGINARY GIRLS. I started it before DANI NOIR, and picked it up again after, and, besides, I put my heart and soul and all my hopes and dreams and nightmares into it. It's pretty much the most true thing I've ever written.

And the most important question of all... Chocolate or cheese?
I hope you still like me after I answer this question, since I know how important cheese is to you. Chocolate. Forever and always chocolate.

Oh dear. Never mind. Is it too late to take back those things I said about your book? Sigh. I suppose I still like you... sort of. Mostly because you like Korean food as much as I do.

Anyway, people, go buy this book. You won't be disappointed.

You can follow Nova on Twitter here and check out her website here.

Remember the time...

... I wrote 30,000 words in two weeks?

*collapses*

Things I have learned from writing 30,000 words in two weeks:

1. I am in awe of writers who do this sort of thing as a matter of routine.
2. It makes for some particularly freaky dreams and odd sleeping patterns.
3. Having a writing hangover is almost as bad as having a real hangover, but you feel extra sorry for yourself because you were writing, dammit!
4. I can't read books written in the first person while I'm writing a first-person book. (N.B. This has never been a problem when writing at my normal sloth-like speed.)
5. My slightly (!) obsessive personality comes out to play in a big way. If you are not my novel, I have no time for you right now. Harsh, I know.
6. This book is going to need a whole lot of editing. Seems like my usual pace allows ideas to percolate, while this pace... er... does not.
7.  Movie and TV soundtracks are the perfect writing accompaniment.
8. I can stay off Twitter for an hour at a time. Easily.
9. Writing can be fun. (I'd somehow forgotten this one.)
10. I'm not sure if I can carry on at this pace, much as I'd like to.

So... what have you learned this week?