The Sarah Billington Blog

2013-03-28T15:03:00.003+11:00

Here it is.

The previous, dot point-like blurb which can be found on Goodreads (have you added it to your TBR list yet?) was written BEFORE the book.
So it was essentially my plan for what was to come.

Now, behold, the real deal, what the book IS actually about!

Warning: Sexual References, occasional coarse language.

Teen Youtube song writing sensation Poppy Douglas's lead singer boyfriend Ty's been criss-crossing the country and living it up on tour for months while Poppy has been stuck in the boring suburbs, finishing out the school year.

But it's Summer now, and the best thing just happened: Poppy's royalties for writing the hit song The Kiss Off just came in. She's minted, and she knows just what she's going to blow it on.

Ty's band Academy of Lies are headlining a summer music festival, and Poppy is taking her girlfriends along for the best weekend of their lives. It's all organized: the weekend is going to be full of camping under the stars, backstage passes, VIP rooms and partying like rock stars, not to mention some long awaited one-on-one time with America's favorite front man.

Except, when someone drops out of the trip and Poppy takes the opportunity to mend a broken friendship, it doesn't quite go according to plan. And when she meets her boyfriend's BFF from another band, the paparazzi form their own totally wrong conclusions. There's also the matter of Ty's 'super fan' stalker, but the less said about her the better.

The biggest test of all comes in the form of an opportunity too good to pass up. But will insecurities and jealousy stand in Poppy's way? Can Poppy and Ty's relationship even survive it?

Life is about to get much more complicated for Poppy Douglas, but what can you expect when your boyfriend is a rock star?

Do you have any ideas? Guesses as to what's going to happen?
Have a guess in the comments!

As stated earlier, this blog is moving to www.sarahbillington.weebly.com/blog. There are just double up posts at the moment but make sure to point your browser THERE in future, 'kay?

The Kiss Off 2 TITLE REVEAL!

2013-03-28T14:59:00.003+11:00

As the book cover reveal on April 1 draws closer (it's not too late to sign up!), I have a couple of other things to reveal.

Like the new title!

I have been calling the sequel to The Kiss Off "The Kiss Off 2" since I started writing it late last year, and I'm well aware of what a lame name that is.

Sounds like a movie sequel, not a BOOK, sequel, right?

So it had a new name for awhile there. It WAS called: The Kiss Off 2: Fame, Blame and Full of Shame.
Which was kinda catchy.,, but long. And still sounds like a movie.

So I thought about it some more.
The Kiss Off is the name of the song that Poppy writes, the catalyst that sets the plot into motion.

So it only makes sense that future books in the series should be named after songs she writes in that book as well, don't you think?

So The Kiss Off 2 has a new name. Are you ready for this?

It's name is...

Over It

Clean. Simple. What do you think? It's kind of indicative that there will be drama inside. But this is Poppy we're talking about. Drama was a given.

Stay tuned, in the next day or so will be the official blurb reveal! Much more detail than the original blurb, which I actually wrote BEFORE writing the novel.

This blog is moving!

2013-03-28T14:50:00.000+11:00

It's about time I streamlined my website and blog together. And I'm finally doing it!

This blog is moving to www.sarahbillington.weebly.com/blog

Easy.

I'll double post a bit for a few weeks as the big Kiss Off 2 cover reveal is happening, but soon the doors will close and you'll find me primarily at the new, shiny blog. And Facebook. And Twitter.

I'll be around, but not here.

Did I make that unnecessarily confusing? You bet!

Speaking of the cover reveal (which I did a couple of sentences up there) last minute sign ups are taking place! http://www.xpressobooktours.com/2013/03/cover-re-reveal-sign-up-kiss-off-book-1.html

Cover Reveal Sign Up: The Kiss-Off (Book 1 & 2)

2013-03-19T08:47:00.001+11:00

It's that time!
If you have a blog and want to participate in the cover reveal for The Kiss Off 2 and the re-release of The Kiss Off then sign up below!

It's all going down April 1!

Xpresso Book Tours: Cover Re-Reveal Sign Up: The Kiss-Off (Book 1 & 2) by Sarah Billington:

Love Sair

'via Blog this'

Get your eBook Autographed!

2013-03-09T21:48:00.000+11:00

Hi you guys!

Happy Labour Day, Aussies! Enjoy the long, hot weekend. I am outdoors all weekend at markets and this heat wave can sure sap your energy, can't it?

I'm knackered. I came home and have been lying under the ceiling fan watching Lost in Austen, the British miniseries.

Have you seen that? If you like Jane Austen books/movies then you totally should. Jane marries Mr Collins! Mr Bingley turns into a depressed drunk and runs away with Lydia. What? WHAT?
It's lots of fun. Check it out.

But that's not what I'm here to talk about.

If you like my books and have them on your ereader of choice, you don't need a paperback to get a book signed. I can sign your EBOOK. YES I CAN.

Say hello to Authorgraph.

Just request and you shall receive!

That is all,

Life Was Cool Until You Got Popular paperback giveaway!

2013-03-01T14:30:00.000+11:00

This week's giveaway - a paperback copy of my upper-middle grade novel Life Was Cool Until You Got Popular!

AND if the winner is an aussie, it will not just be a book but a SIGNED book. So good luck to you all!

If you're an international winner...sorry guys. Shipping is CRAZY expensive, so it won't be signed, but it will still be a book.

This is what you'll win!

Thirteen year old Kaley’s best friend Jules is an alien clone. That has to be it. Because Jules wouldn’t dress like that or act like that…and she definitely wouldn’t be friends with Meg-a-bitch.

Kaley can't wait to start at her new school with her best friend Jules. Jules was away in Europe all summer (worst summer of Kaley's life!) But it's cool, now school is starting and everything is going to be awesome. However as the school bus pulls up on that first day, Kaley barely recognizes the silky hair and glossy lips as Jules gets off with the cool kids and with their arch-nemesis Meg, the popular girl (God only knows why) who made Kaley and Jules's lives miserable in elementary school. In Europe, Meg had somehow won over Kaley's best friend and Kaley finds herself frozen out.

LIFE WAS COOL UNTIL YOU GOT POPULAR is a first person middle grade novel told through Kaley’s eyes, chronicling the initial pain and incomprehension of what happened to destroy their friendship. But that doesn't last long. Kaley decides that underneath the bleached blond clone with the personality transplant, Jules is still in there. Somewhere. And she is going to get her best friend back!

And this is how you win!

Goodreads Book Giveaway

Life Was Cool Until You Got Popular

by Sarah Billington

Giveaway ends May 15, 2013.
See the giveaway details at Goodreads.

Enter to win

Too easy! Good luuuuuck!

Cover Love: Space Edition

2013-02-28T22:51:00.001+11:00

Good evening book cover lovers!

Today's edition is a bit of a celebration for me. I'm all proud and chuffed, like. Not only are we looking at some kick ass young adult book covers, but I am so happy for the authors, too!

Let's start with this one:

These Broken Stars by Meagan Spooner and Amie Kaufman.

I was lucky enough to be on retreat with Amie a couple of months ago and she may have read out the first chapter of These Broken Stars over the dinner table. Needless to say, I am thoroughly looking forward to this book. I have personally witnessed Amie working with Meg (via the interweb) on this and its sequels and they are super hard workers. They are going to make this series AMAZING.

And check out that cover! Props to Disney-Hyperion, don't you think? They sure delivered. The stars in the background are so beautiful and LOOK AT THAT DRESS!

Awesome.

Life in Outer Space by Melissa Keil

I attended the launch of this book this evening and it was a great night with a big turn out and fun speeches. And super yummy cup cakes!

For those of you who have followed this blog for a long time, you may remember that I interned with Black Dog Books a couple of years ago (before the Melbourne office was moved to Sydney) and Melissa just happens to have been the senior editor there at the time!

I was really excited to snag this book and check out what her writing style is like - and it's awesome. I'm in the middle of reading Life if Outer Space and am really loving it and Sam's voice. And it's a contemporary YA with a male protagonist! I love these! You should pick it up. And when Broken Stars comes out in November, you should pick that one up too, just like I will.

I'm just sayin'.

Ba(n)d Romance Winner Announced!

2013-02-28T21:41:00.001+11:00

Congratulations Pernille!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Pernille won the ebook of Ba(n)d Romance by tweeting about the giveaway, and what an awesome job you did!

I hope you enjoy it.

New giveaway tomorrow, so stay tuned!

Weekly Giveaway! Ba(n)d Romance

2013-02-20T22:04:00.000+11:00

Do you like giveaways? I do. And there are so many awesome and easy ways to win AWESOME stuff!

For the next 14 weeks (as long as I remember to) I will be giving away one of my ebooks each week!

This week, it's Ba(n)d Romance!

Jordan thought she and Paul were forever. Then she found out about Missy: Paul’s other forever.
Now it’s the night of the sophomore dance. Jordan’s on stage with her band, Paul’s text bombing her and Missy’s in the audience with murder on her mind. Unfortunately, it’s not Paul in Missy’s sights.

Another short and sassy story from Sarah Billington

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Did you enter? Good luck!

There are a heap of other comps to enter so make sure you go hopping and check out the others!

Cover Love #8!

2013-02-19T19:55:00.004+11:00

How was your weekend, you guys? I hear it was a long weekend in the US of A. Did you make the most of it? Read anything awesome? DO anything awesome?

I have been collecting covers that I love for ages now and haven't been posting the awesome here. So stupid of me.

Here are some of my faves lately. What do you think? Do you love or hate? And why?

I love the title so big and taking up the whole cover, here. I don't really have any feel for what the book would be about, but I think it's well designed.

The colouring is so complementary, don't you think? All those shades of blue, the jetty over the lake. I think this looks like a really sweet story.

I love the simplicity of this cover. Rapunzel's long blond hair in a plait, it's exactly what you think of when you think of Rapunzel. The font on Rapunzel and the sparkles beside "a novel" make it look a little magical, a little fairy tale-esque. Fab.

Speaking of covers... I was TOTALLY going to release the cover of The Kiss Off 2 in February, and with it, the brand-spanking new (and AWESOME) cover for The Kiss Off. But the release has had to be a bit delayed as I need to get it signed off by someone.

Which is a hint at some exciting news to come.

I was aiming for a July release but MAY need to push it back for the same reason. But it may still stand. I'm not sure. Everything's all a bit up in the air at the moment.

Anyhoo, if you want to be one of the VERY FIRST to find out the exciting news (there's even more!) sign up for the mailing list - you can find it at the top of this page.

Ciao for now!

Happy (...um...VERY BELATED) New Year!

2013-02-14T19:51:00.000+11:00

Hello you dashing creatures, you!

It's been awhile, right? Sorry about that. Stuff has been happening. And then more stuff. And some stuff I can't really talk about just yet but will as SOON as it's all finalised because I'm dying to tell you.

How have you been? How was your Christmas? How was your New Year? Have you kept any of your resolutions?

Me, I resolved to take a break from writing over the summer. And I did. And for once in my life I got to enjoy doing things and not feel guilty. One part of being an author is that it feels like you have homework every day for the rest of your life. :) I'm working on this one.

Here is some other stuff I've been doing:

READING

Ghost Huntress

I enjoyed this book, it goes into the more technical aspects of ghost hunting and what it’s like to be psychic, which has always been a bit of a mystery to me. And did you know Marley Gibson is an ACTUAL paranormal investigator herself? I saw her on the show Ghost Adventures and everything. I love paranormal investigation shows, and I have been known to go on ghost tours on more than one occasion. Should I be visiting a different city or country I will find a ghost tour to go on, don’t you worry. This may be why I was pretty much convinced the house I lived in all of last year was haunted. I don’t live there anymore (you win, ghosts!)

Ashfall

I’m about halfway through this one at the moment and really enjoying it. Mike Mullin has clearly done his homework and I totally believe the world he’s built, in the aftermath of a volcano eruption 900 miles away. All. That. Ash. It’s destructive. Plus Mike has the habit of ending chapters like “Aaah. Everything’s going to be okay now oh wait no it’s not” which is definitely keeping me turning pages.

Starkissed

This was such a light, cute read. Easy reading which is exactly what I was looking for. Like if a cupcake was a book, this is what it would read like.

Skylark

Hats off to Meagan Spooner, she has such a way with words, it’s really beautifully done. I plowed through the beginning, got a little bogged down in the middle but the ending was fantastic and I’m so glad I continued. If you like dystopian fantasy, then give this one a crack for sure.

Obsidian

When I finish Ashfall, I’m going to start Obsidian. You have no idea how many people are telling me what a treat I’m in for. I have to read it now because I need to know how a book can be THAT good! I’ll keep you posted. Or I might forget, which is more likely. But when I DO finish it I’ll be saying so on Goodreads. Make sure you friend me so we can compare notes on books, okay?

WATCHING

The Mindy Project

Come on. How cute is this show. I love Mindy. I just do.

Elementary

I wasn’t sure what this was going to be like when I started. I’ve never been a HUGE fan of Johnny Lee Miller (though it’s not like I hate him or anything) and Watson as a woman? And in New York? I thought this was going to be a watered down version of the universally acknowledged brilliant British show, Sherlock. But it’s not. It’s way different, I think Johnny does a stellar job as (a very different depiction of) Sherlock, and though the character of Watson is completely different, she’s a positively capital fit. Jolly good.

Bunheads

When I watched the first episode of this show I was like “this is SO familiar.” And then I figured out what it was. On the same set as Gilmore Girls, with a bunch of the same cast as Gilmore Girls and the same super speed dialogue as Gilmore Girls, by the same show creator. Though it’s a different story, it’s also kind of the same. Definitely feels the same. I wasn’t sure what I thought of that to begin with, Gilmore Girls 2.0, but hell, it’s grown on me.

The Walking Dead

Who ISN’T watching The Walking Dead, am I right? Though you may have to hide your enjoyment of this show from your elders as they may look at you funny and be somewhat concerned at your enjoyment of a show with THAT MUCH gore. Can you tell I’m talking from personal experience? I haven't seen the new episode yet, so don't spoil me, okay?

DOING

Penguin Parade

I worked over the summer period at the Penguin Parade on Phillip Island, Victoria in the gift shop, talking with visitors from all over Australia and abroad, sometimes in English and sometimes in hand gestures and lots of pointing. Before you ask – no – alas, I didn’t steal a Penguin. I really should have.

Editing

I've been editing some fantastic up-coming books which I really hope either get picked up by publishers or the authors self-publish themselves.

CJ's Boys of Summer is one of those fantastic books I worked on late last year. I'm looking forward to the next one!

If you're looking for an editor, you can totally shoot me an email.

Harriet & Ray Accessories

I’ve stated selling jewellery at markets! It’s been really fun sourcing quirky pieces that you can’t find in stores and selling them at my table. My favourites are the pocket watches. I love getting to meet so many people (and their dogs) as they peruse weekend markets, which is quite frankly one of the best ways to spend your weekend, don’t you think? You can check out some of my stock (I have new stock ALL the time) on the Harriet & Ray facebook page!

Writer’s Retreat!

Since the Penguin Parade is over for me for the year, and school has gone back, I decided my writing break was over! I am just back (today, in fact!) from two weeks by the beach, churning out words. Lots and lots of words. The first draft of The Kiss Off 2 is complete!

And has a new name!

I’ll announce that in a couple of days. And I'll announce some other stuff too, but the mailing list subscribers will find out first! If you want to subscribe, just toss your email address into the signup at the top of this page.

But for now, wow. Good on you. This was a big post. You kept reading all the way.

More later (I promise!)

Love

The Kiss Off $1.99 SHORT TIME ONLY!

2012-12-23T16:31:00.000+11:00

Hello wonderful ones!

That was a pretty anti-climactic end of the world, wasn't it? Do you think we're all dead now and we don't even know it?

You, don't do you. Right. Me either.
Anyway. How's the season treating you? I must say, living in the country by the beach, Christmas shopping is WAY more civilised than it is in a city, or even the suburbs. Man. It's been EASY. But as soon as Boxing Day hits, my little corner of the globe is going to be flooded with holiday makers so really I should have made the most of the shops while they were still quiet...

You excited for Christmas? Me, well one family Christmas is done and dusted, one more to go! How many Christmas's are you having this year?

To help you celebrate, I have something for you guys. Either treat yourself if you've been putting it off, or get your ereading friend/family member something awesome for Christmas while it's cheap!

What am I talking about?

THE KISS OFF IS ONLY $1.99 FOR A SHORT TIME ONLY.

Click through to Amazon for Kindle, or Smashwords or Omnilit for kindle/epub/pdf.

Cheapest Christmas present EVER, you guys. Perfect for the music-loving, boy band obsessed reader in your family/friendship group.

Or just someone who likes to read about teens embarrassing themselves in front of the global media, and how they go about getting out of it.

If you don't know anything about The Kiss Off, read below:

When sixteen year old Poppy Douglas writes a song about her ex-boyfriend Cam and ex-friend Nikki, she has no idea that her heartbreak is about to go global.

A local band picks up her song from Youtube and soon she's along for the ride with her own fanbase as they blow up on the local club scene and hit the international charts. Though it turns out leaving Cam behind isn't as easy as she had hoped.

Tangled in a web of unfinished homework, ill-considered sexting and a new lead-singer boyfriend, Poppy has a choice to make between the ex that inspired it all and the rock God whose poster lines the inside of half the lockers at school. But as she struggles to keep her emotional dirty laundry private, she learns that the truth can be hard to find when your life is in the headlines.

WARNING: Sexual references, occasional coarse language.

ALSO:

Want more Poppy?
At every FIFTY Amazon reviews, exclusive content will be released to mailing list subscribers! Be the ONLY ONES to access deleted scenes, dream casting, behind the scenes info, book music playlists and more! Head to Sarah's website and sign up now.

So there ya go.
Hope you have a wonderful holiday and relax, stay cool, Aussies, and stay warm all you higher up the planet!

Love,

Feature Me Friday (06) Author Tammara Webber!

2012-11-23T11:09:00.002+11:00

Happy Friday, Aussies! And Happy Thanks Giving to all you still enjoying Thursday on the other side of the world.

Today's Feature Me Friday is super-successful contemporary Young Adult and New Adult author Tammara Webber!

I read her first novel, Between the Lines which happens to be the first ever ebook I read, and I loved it. I have its two sequels and her stand alone, Easy, awaiting my eyeballs as well. Can't wait.

But with no further ado, I give you Tammara Webber!

Name: Tammara Webber

Latest Release: EASY

Genre: Contemporary Romance (Category: New Adult)

Book Blurb:

A girl who believes trust can be misplaced, promises are made to be broken, and loyalty is an illusion. A boy who believes truth is relative, lies can mask unbearable pain, and guilt is eternal. Will what they find in each other validate their conclusions, or disprove them all?

When Jacqueline follows her longtime boyfriend to the college of his choice, the last thing she expects is a breakup two months into sophomore year. After two weeks in shock, she wakes up to her new reality: she's single, attending a state university instead of a music conservatory, ignored by her former circle of friends, and failing a class for the first time in her life.

Leaving a party alone, Jacqueline is assaulted by her ex's frat brother. Rescued by a stranger who seems to be in the right place at the right time, she wants nothing more than to forget the attack and that night--but her savior, Lucas, sits on the back row of her econ class, sketching in a notebook and staring at her. Her friends nominate him to be the perfect rebound.

When her attacker turns stalker, Jacqueline has a choice: crumple in defeat or learn to fight back. Lucas remains protective, but he's hiding secrets of his own. Suddenly appearances are everything, and knowing who to trust is anything but easy.

The Interview

If you could have been told one thing that you weren't told when you were a teenager, what would you like to have heard?

I would have liked someone to tell me to stop being so fearful of making a mistake that it kept me from taking chances. True mistakes are things you know are mistakes ahead of time. Everything else is a learning opportunity. You have to go out and live your life to learn who you are, what you want, and what you need. Life is best lived unafraid.

What's your pet peeve?

Negative people. I believe in the idea of promoting what I like and ignoring what I don’t. Nothing is gained by hating something or someone and letting it consume you. It just makes you a negative person, too.

Do you have any writing quirks?

I need quiet. I can have music playing at a low level while brainstorming or writing non-dialogue scenes, but when I’m writing a scene with dialogue, it’s got to be utterly silent. I have to be able to visualize the characters, their body language and physical engagement with each other; I have to “hear” what they’re saying and how they say it.

Tell us three random facts about yourself.

(1) The only time I was ever called into the principal’s office was for kissing my boyfriend in the hall. We were blatant breakers of the school’s PDA policy. The vice principal was almost frothing at the mouth as she told me, “Boys don’t respect girls who act like that!” Well, lady, I’m still married to that boy.

(2) I’m really, really nearsighted.

(3) I’m extremely shy; the thought of public speaking makes me ill. In school, I took a zero on any project requiring an oral presentation, thereby ruining my average for that grading period. Only one of my teachers ever figured out what I was up to. She made me recite my memorized Shakespearian piece in front of my best friend, my boyfriend, and her only, instead of the whole class. I shook like a leaf regardless and received hugs from all three afterwards. That teacher was a forensics and debate teacher who’d been roped into teaching one sophomore English class. I will always love Ms. Hall.

Describe your book in one sentence.

A New Adult romance about Jacqueline - who is learning to trust again after she is dumped by one boy and assaulted by another, and Lucas - who helps her recover her self-confidence while hiding the trauma of his own past.

How long does it usually take you to write a book, from the original idea to finishing writing it?

That varies widely from book to book. Not including my shelf novels, the shortest was four months from idea to done (Where You Are), and the longest was thirteen years (Easy). Once I began writing Easy, however, it took about six months; it was one of those books that simmers in the back of your mind, and you’re sure you’ll never write it at all, and then one day there it is, demanding to be written. Between the Lines and Good For You took eighteen months each – but they overlapped with each other and Where You Are. I look at those first three as one giant project – 26 months that produced three books. So I’d say my average is about eight months.

Advice for writers:

Get a critique partner if you don’t have one. If you have one, get one more. (If you prefer, a circle of writers who trade paragraphs, chapters or manuscripts will do nicely.) What a critique partner is: a working writer – i.e.: a writer either published or striving towards publication. (This has nothing at all to do with whether you’re traditional or indie.) Beta readers are necessary, too, once you’ve got a solid completed manuscript – and those can be any reader you trust to tell you the truth: friends, coworkers, a spouse, sibling, voracious readers of your genre/category. But a critique partner should be a writer, because a good writer knows how to spot a plot hole, a confusing paragraph, an unnecessary character, a boring chapter. And a good critique partner knows how to offer criticism without making you want to give up writing and live in a box. If you’re a novelist, get a critique partner, and prepare to be one.

Tammara Webber is a hopeful romantic who adores novels with happy endings, because there are enough sad endings in real life.

Social Media Links:

TammaraWebber.com,

Facebook.com/TammaraWebberAuthor,

Twitter.com/TammaraWebber

I loved this interview. Thanks for stopping by, Tammara! The paperback of Easy is out NOW in the US but UK folks (which usually includes Aus and NZ) will have to wait until Jan 06, 2012.

If you are a young adult author, publishing professional, book blogger or simply a book lover and would like to be interviewed for your own Feature Me Friday post, contact me at SarahBillingtonBooks AT Gmail DOT com!

Mucho love,

Life Was Cool Until You Got Popular News!

2012-11-18T09:43:00.004+11:00

Soooo stuff's been happening and there's just been too much of it to keep you all updated.

Sorry about that.

I am moving to the beach for the summer - woohoo! And have been editing some fantabulous new YA books for most excellent authors, AND have scored myself a part-time job at an awesome tourist attraction that I love. Not only all that, but I've started a secret project which is totally un-writing related and totally exciting but I'll tell you about that later because today, I am talking about my middle grade novel Life Was Cool Until You Got Popular.

It is an ebook already (available pretty much everywhere), but as of December 1 it will also be a PAPERBACK!
And to celebrate the paperback's release, it has a brand new, bright and colourful, in-your-face cover!

Cool, right? I love it.

In case you don't know, or have forgotten, this is what the book is about:

Thirteen year old Kaley’s best friend Jules is an alien clone. That has to be it. Because Jules wouldn’t dress like that or act like that…and she definitely wouldn’t be friends with Meg-a-bitch.
Kaley can’t wait to start at her new school with her best friend Jules. Jules was away in Europe all summer (worst summer of Kaley’s life!) But it’s cool, now school is starting and everything is going to be awesome. However as the school bus pulls up on that first day, Kaley barely recognizes the silky hair and glossy lips as Jules gets off with the cool kids and with their arch-nemesis Meg, the popular girl (God only knows why) who made Kaley and Jules’s lives miserable in elementary school. In Europe, Meg had somehow won over Kaley’s best friend and Kaley finds herself frozen out.
Life Was Cool Until You Got Popular is told through Kaley’s eyes, chronicling the initial pain and incomprehension of what happened to destroy their friendship. But that doesn’t last long. Kaley decides that underneath the bleached blond clone with the personality transplant, Jules is still in there. Somewhere. And she is going to get her best friend back!

Ebook available now (check the sidebar carousel ---->) and in paperback December 1!

More later,

Feature Me Friday! (05) Author: Karen Simpson-Nikakis

2012-11-09T11:58:00.000+11:00

Karen Simpson-Nikakis, Fantasy Author

Today on another belated Feature Me Friday (curse you scheduled posts not posting when scheduled!), I have fellow Australian, high fantasy author Karen Simpson-Nikakis! Not only is she a fantasy author but she is the head of the Bachelor of Writing & Publishing, which I just completed! So basically, she knows what she's talking about. Take it away, Karen!

What are you currently working on?

I am presently working on the second book in an angel trilogy. When I’ve finished that, I am writing a stand alone fantasy that has been in my head for two or three years. It will have a male as the main character, the first time I have attempted this. I love female heroes but for some reason, I know the hero in this narrative is male. Then I am writing another trilogy. I have pictures pasted on the wall above my desk related to all three projects and the novels’ names. This encourages me to keep going but also helps with the gestation of the stories which are simmering along in the back of my head. I would love to write full time but I also love a lot of what else I do, including teaching and researching and writing academic papers. I also love being able to pay the bills. My angel books are more lyrical than hot and sexy which means I’m still looking for a publisher. I am interested in what divides the human from the divine and how each group has their own particular struggles.

What genre do you write and what do you like about it?

I write a type of fantasy that is variously called high, quest or epic fantasy. These have fully developed secondary worlds and are pre-industrial. I have a low level of interest in political intrigue, and none in wizards, the fae, magic or dragons – although I am toying with using all of them in the next trilogy. I am interested in the extraordinary, and also in how landscapes affect characters and whole societies. In The Kira Chronicles, Kira is Tremen and grows up in the forest world of Allogrenia. Their bonding and burial practices are deeply impacted by living in the soft arboreal gloom. The Tremen are pacifists and protected by the vast forest, but when it is breached, they must fight or die. I’m interested in how they maintain their integrity and still survive. All my books, published, unpublished, or in process are essentially about reconciliation or redemption, and fantasy provides a really beautiful space to explore these ideas.

Fantasy allows me to play around with setting too. As an ex-geography teacher, I love landscape. I love knowing why rain falls and where, what will create waterfalls and caves, why some places are permanently clothed in mist. I also love these things for their own sakes, because they are pure and unspoiled. In the angel world of Ezam, the forests have only one type of tree called glis. They are either silver or gold and their leaves are like tinfoil. When the breeze blows, they tinkle. It is so much fun to create such places.

I am quite envious of musicians and film makers. I think these two groups have media to work with more easily evokes emotions. Words are so slippery and unforgiving. They can be like wrestling the Balrog from Lord of the Rings. Certain pieces of music will provide me with lots of dialogue, so I sometimes listen to music, then turn it off and write. I can’t write with music on, but it is great for evoking mood. As I mentioned, I have pictures pasted above my desk but I also have scrap books full of pictures clipped from newspapers and magazines. My characters don’t look like the pictures but they have the same emotional feel. For instance, I have a picture of an AFL footballer who looks exhausted. His whole demeanour is desolate and in stark contrast to the strength and youthful beauty of his body. That image gives me a sense of the vulnerability of one of my characters who is wild and out of control, but devoted to his only child – a little girl.

Who are your favourite authors?

I don’t have favourite authors as I can read one book by an author and it resonates deeply, and another will leave me cold. Tolkien and Mary Stewart (her Merlin series) opened my eyes to the potential of setting; Ursual Le Guin to the psychological possibilities of writing; Natalie Babbit (Tuck Everlasting) to the power of simplicity. Favourite books teach me about writing but also what it is to be human. I often dip into these books when I’m stuck or tired. After five minutes of reading, I can write again.

Writerly advice: be really clear that you are writing because you are passionately in love with the story you are telling. You will try to tell it superbly but you are only human and are still learning. Always strive to write better. The value of the story is this integrity that you bring to it. Do not judge your story by publisher or agent rejects; by sales or lack thereof; by critics or reviews. You know, in the kind and ruthless parts of your heart, when your writing rings true, and when you have fudged, skipped or avoided your truth. Be brave and resilient; delight in your writing journey, and see your story through to its end. Enjoy.

The Cry of the Marwing – Published by Allen and Unwin, is her last published fiction title.

This is the final in the Kira Chronicles trilogy.

www. ksnikaki.com or through Goodreads.

‘With battles raging and Shargh warriors threatening the future of her homeland, gold-eyed Kira is forced to betray her every principle by requesting Tremen Protectors fight and kill to defend Allogrenia. During the sickening carnage that follows, Ashmiri treachery threatens to deliver the Shargh victory over the Tremen. Realising her love for Tierken is not enough to bridge the gulf between them and their respective peoples, Kira flees the Terak. During her desperate journey south, she is reunited with her first love, Caledon. Together they decide to journey back to Allogrenia, but disaster strikes when Caledon’s star vision fails him and they are confronted by the Shargh. With the prophecy drawing towards its chilling conclusion, Kira realises that victory over the Shargh may cost her everyone and everything she loves . . .’

Karen Simpson Nikakis was fortunate to grow up riding horses through some of Victoria’s most beautiful country. She trained as a teacher and has taught in schools, TAFEs, AMECs and Universities both in Australia and China. She holds an M.Ed (Hons) in the purpose of dragons in selected literature, and a Ph.D in Joseph Campbell’s monomyth as applied to a female hero. She presently heads NMIT’s Bachelor of Writing and Publishing. She is the author of The Kira Chronicles (Allen and Unwin) and Dragon Tales (Heidelberg Press) as well as of numerous research papers in the areas of myth and fantasy.

If you are a young adult author, publishing professional, book blogger or simply a book lover and would like to be interviewed for your own Feature Me Friday post, contact me at SarahBillingtonBooks AT Gmail DOT com!

Feature Me Friday! (04) Blogger: Brittany from Book Addict's Guide

2012-11-07T11:42:00.000+11:00

Name: Brittany

Blog name: The Book Addict's Guide

Blog Address: http://www.bookaddictsguide.wordpress.com

How long have you been blogging?

I actually just made it over the 6 month mark in the beginning of October. Once I started blogging and really getting into the community, I just knew I'd have a ton of fun with it. And now after getting to know all of the awesome bloggers in the community, it's made my experience that much better. I enjoy every minute of it and I look forward to many more months and years to come!

Do you run any other types of features aside from book reviews?

One of my favorites is Top Ten Tuesday hosted by The Broke and the Bookish. I usually participate in that one almost every Tuesday. I also tried starting my own feature - Since I read a lot of new release books to review on my blog, I created The Deja Vu Review (which I run on Sundays) that features mini-reviews of books I've read before I started blogging. I do have a few people who participate in the meme each week, but it's still taking off. I love being about to talk about all the books we've read before we started our blogs though. I know most of us bloggers have been readers for life and there are a lot of new people out there who aren't able to talk about the "older" reads.

What do you think makes a good book blogger?

Oh tough question since that definition really changes for everyone. For any book blogger, I think it's important to have reviews no matter what. I know a lot of people see reviews as a requirement for being a book blogger and they're also really important to me. Other than that, I say have fun and just be respectful to the book community - bloggers and authors alike. I'd say being respectful to authors is a really big thing too - We're privileged to be able to review these book, especially for ARCs.

Do you think it’s important to blog regularly or just when you have something new to share?

I think blogging regularly is important to keep followers or new visitors coming to your blog, but to keep it relevant. I admit I've gone astray a few times, but by all means, you don't have to post every single day (although I've gotten on a schedule where I do post just about every day...), but often enough so that people won't forget about stopping by!

Ebooks, print books or both?

Absolutely print books. I own a Kindle, but the bad news is that I have WAY too many unread ebooks on it. I'll almost always pick up a library book or a book from my own shelf before I pick up my Kindle. I think I need to spend a good month just reading books on my Kindle to catch up! It's bad!

Feature Me Friday! (03) Bookseller: Samantha Thomas

2012-11-02T11:34:00.000+11:00

Name: Samantha Thomas

Job Title: Bookseller

Company you work for: WHSmith

What type of qualifications do you have and do you think it has helped you in your job?

I don't have any specific industry qualifications for this job, but retail or prior book selling experience is often preferred by employers as books are a very specialised product to sell and also something you need to know a lot about in order to sell properly. Also, employers in this industry, especially the retail sector; want people who actually read.

What does a typical day look like in your job?

Start of a shift often involves a quick check of the store to see what stock needs replenishing and making a list to fulfill that. Most often it will be the Penguin Classics and Vintage Classics lines that need the most replenishing, along with best sellers and feature titles that WHSmith will display on tables in bulk.

What do you think people ASSUME is a typical day in your job?

People assume that I simply show up and stand behind a counter reading all day.

What do you like most about your job?

We are encouraged to read the books our store sells, and are also encouraged to suggest new titles to stock to our management.

They appreciate that we keep our eyes on trends and on books reviewed on radio and in the newspaper prior to release so that
we can keep up with public demand for big titles.

What do you like LEAST about your job?

The thing I dislike most about my job is customers assuming that we will stock every book ever published, no matter how old or obscure.

Most bookstores, especially those located in an airport like WHSmith is, will only sell titles up to five to ten years old, and even that depends on its sales figures in years previous. Otherwise, we will sell lines of classic fiction, like the Penguin Classics. I don't think people realise that there are specialist bookstores available for that obscure psychology text you might need...

Is there a duty that you perform as a part of your job that might surprise people?

People look to booksellers as a great source of literary knowledge. I spend a lot of time researching new titles and reading author biographies in order to increase my knowledge of an author and their works, as well as reading the books themselves. Research outside of work is a huge element to being a good bookseller.

What can authors do to help you help THEM?

Insist that your publishers put a blurb on the back of your books rather than filling the back covers with flowery newspaper review quotes. People don't want to know what a newspaper pseudo-intellectual thinks of your book, they want to know what your book is about.

Also, if authors could insist on a page in the beginning of their book that lists previous titles. Yes this is common, but a lot of books are still lacking this page, it makes my job especially difficult if the book is part of a large series and the customer wants to know the order in which the series runs and it is not listed.

What do you wish authors wouldn’t do?

Don't come in to chain stores like WHSmith and try to sell us their self-published book. We are retail staff and have very little say over what books are stocked.

If you are interested in having your book on our shelf, you need to contact the book buyer at our head offices.

What do you like to do when not working?

When I'm not working, surprise surprise, I love to read. I have a soft spot for the classics, but am a die-hard Stephen King fan and love to read banned or controversial literature.

Three fun facts about you:

1) I read To Kill A Mockingbird for the first time at age 22, but will gladly sell it to anyone who will listen as one of the great additions to the classic American literature canon.

2) I flat out refuse to read any new vampire literature. It's Anne Rice or nothing.
3) I read my first Danielle Steele novel at age 13 and the main character inspired me to become a writer. Paxton Andrews from Steele's Message from Nam remains to this day, one of my favourite literary figures.

Ereader, print book or both?

I have an Ereader, but rarely use it unless I'm travelling. For someone who both works in a bookshop and is an aspiring librarian, there is something sacred about the physical printed book for me. I delight in being able to pick up that little brick of paper, bury my face in it when the story is sad, or cuddle it to my chest when the story is romantic.

The Blog Tour of Epicness! Starts Thursday!

2012-10-31T16:23:00.000+11:00

As all good music acts do, Academy of Lies is going on tour and they're taking The Kiss Off with them!

Check out all these brilliant places the book and I will be stopping by! And if you haven't read it already and the bloggers kinda make you want to, well, who am I to stop you? It's available everywhere so feel free to grab yourself a copy!

There will be interviews, a couple of guest posts, stacks of reviews and even some sneaky-peeks at scenes from The Kiss Off TWO which isn't released until 2013.

Speaking of: While The Kiss Off is on tour, I'm at a beachside Summer music festival! Well. I'm WRITING a beachside Summer music festival. I am personally in a house by the beach, though. But it's Spring. Anyway, I'm hard at work on The Kiss Off 2 over here is what I'm saying. It's coming along great and will be a fun, perfect companion for The Kiss Off!

Enough about me though - check out this tour! Big props to Megan of Reading Away the Days who helped organise it!

TOUR STOPS

NOVEMBER

Thursday November 1: Hey! Teenager of the Year!

Friday November 2: Elz Reads

Saturday November 3: Ja'dore Happy Endings

Sunday November 4: Lizzy Ford Books

Monday November 5: I Want to Read That

Thursday November 8: Princess Reviews

Friday November 9: Julia Crane's Feature Friday!

Sunday November 11: Big Book Little Book

Thursday November 15: Book Labyrinth

Saturday November 17: I Devour Books

Sunday November 18: Book Vixen

Monday November 19: The Book Scoop

Tuesday November 20: Read and Repeat

Wednesday November 21: Uniquely Moi Books

Thursday November 22: The Book Swarm

Friday November 23: Love Big Read Big

Saturday November 24: I Love YA Fiction

Friday November 30: Itching for Books

DECEMBER

Saturday December 1: Debra's Book Cafe

Sunday December 2: The Reader Lines

Monday December 3: Reading Away the Days + We Fancy Books

Tuesday December 4: YA Fantasy Author

Wednesday December 5: Above Average Below Special

Thursday December 6: Tales of Books and Bands

Friday December 7: Once Upon a Twilight + Young Adult Book Addict

Saturday December 8: Always YA at Heart + I'm a Book Shark

Monday December 10: Love YA Books 4 EVA

Tuesday December 11: Totally Bookalicious + Letters Inside Out

Wednesday December 12: For the Love of Films and Novels

Thursday December 13: My Guilty Obsession

Friday December 14: Book Passion For Life

Saturday December 15: We Do Write

Monday December 17: Cause I Said So

Tuesday December 18: Bookaholics Book Club

Wednesday December 19: The Pen & Muse

Thursday December 20: The Book Scape Report

Friday December 21: Read and Repeat

Saturday December 22: Winged Reviews

Monday December 24: Book Labyrinth

Tuesday December 25: HAPPY CHRISTMAS EVERYONE!

Wednesday December 26: HOPE YOU BUY SOME BARGAINS TODAY!

Thursday December 27: Caffeinated Book Reviews

Friday December 28: Tina's Book Reviews

Come play! Read interviews, reviews and exclusive excerpts, not to mention enter to win a paperback copy of The Kiss Off!

See you there,

Feature Me Friday! (02) Georgia McBride, Publisher of Month9Books

2012-10-27T16:41:00.000+11:00

In today's Feature Me Friday I have speculative fiction author, YAlitChat community founder and Month9Books publisher Georgia McBride with me! Let's see what life is like as a publisher.

What type of qualifications do you have and do you think it has helped you in your job?

I have been a manager-level professional in start-ups and established corporations since 1992. My first job out of school was as a marketing manager for a major television personality. Being a good manager of people and process is essential to success in any business.
What does a typical day look like in your job?
Hmmm. I don't tend to have typical days, but I can tell you what I've done so far today!

1. Negotiated with an agent on a deal.

2. Responded to a new employee regarding questions about their employment contract.

3. Helped brainstorm (and rejected) tagline ideas for our new romance eNovella imprint, Swoon.

4. Reviewed and approved our Fall 2012 Rights Guide.

5. Added content to month9booksblog.com.

6. Approved art for new postcards.

7. Updated a press releases.

8. Submitted editorial idea for major trade press magazine.

9. Approved new Month9Books online store.

10. Reviewed comments from an agent on a publishing contract.

11. Approved cover design concept for Into the Fire by Kelly Hashway.

12. Ordered print galleys for Gabriel Stone and The Divinity of Valta.

13. Sent eGalleys to NetGalley for Gabriel Stone and the Divinity of Valta.

14. Scheduled 2 meetings.

15. Updated YALITCHAT topic for Weds.

16. Updated content on YALITCHAT.ORG.

What do you like most about your job?

I love bringing stories to readers. I love interacting with the authors of these stories and helping them make them the best they can possibly be. I love being able to make dreams come true. I also love negotiating deals, and of course, the marketing planning is fun. I know. I am a geek. Oh, and I LOVE LOVE LOVE working on covers and providing art direction to the designers and illustrators.
What do you like LEAST about your job?
I hate having to reject submissions.

Is there a duty that you perform as a part of your job that might surprise people?

My entire job is about duty: to the reader, to the author and her or his family, to the author's agent, to my staff, my distributor, co-agents, etc. I feel a tremendous sense of responsibility and duty to everyone Month9Books touches.

What can authors do to help you help THEM?

Be flexible. Try to learn about the business. Be willing to try new things and take direction.

What do you wish authors wouldn’t do?

Really, the internet is the worst place to get advice. Remember that your path is yours, and the path someone else is taking may not work for you. Do not compare your book, sales, or path to someone else's. That fixation can surely break your spirit and cause you to make decisions about your career and writing out of fear and panic, leading to certain disaster.

What do you like to do when not working?

I love hanging with friends and family, but don't get to do that often. I am a HUGE texter, so it helps me stay close to those I don't get to see much. If not working, I am normally at the movies, or catching up on shows or books I have no time to watch or read. I also love to travel.

Share three fun facts about you:

1) I often lie about my age. :-)
2) One of my legs is a tad shorter than the other.
3) I hate commas.

Ereader, print book or both?

Both work well for me, depending on what I need to use it for. I love the feel and emotional charge of a printed book. I like the eReader for submissions, taking books with me when traveling, and reading naughty books that would make my kids take notice if I were reading the print version. I have a Kindle, a Nook, and use my iPad for eReading mostly.

Georgia loves a good story. Whether it’s writing her own, or publishing someone else’s, story is at the heart of everything Georgia does. Founder of Month9Books, YALITCHAT.ORG and the weekly #yalitchat on Twitter, Georgia spends most of her days writing, editing, or talking about books. That is, of course, when she is not blasting really loud music or reading. She is represented by Tamar Rydzinski of The Laura Dail Literary Agency. PRAEFATIO is her first novel.

Thanks Georgia!

Event Breakdown: Leanne Hall and Persnickety Snark (Adele Walsh) talk YA

2012-10-14T18:12:00.002+11:00

Adele

I went to a free event in Melbourne last Tuesday, an "in conversation" with author of This is Shyness, Leanne Hall, and he State Library of Victoria’s Centre for Youth Literature Program Coordinator Adele Walsh. It was a really interesting evening and they both had a lot to say about YA in general, Australian YA in particular and misconceptions in the publishing industry.

I was sitting with a good blogger friend of mine, Steph aka Read in a Single Sitting, and she took copious notes which culminated in a much better breakdown of the night than I could ever have put together, especially as I am down with a cold at the moment with the concentration span of a fish. I am feeling ridiculously sorry for myself, so it's okay, you don't have to.

Go check out what Leanne Hall and Adele Walsh had to say over at Read in a Single Sitting.

Go do it now.

Feature Me Friday (01): Blogger Crystal of Lives and Breathes Books

2012-10-12T22:59:00.000+11:00

Welcome to Feature Me Friday Numero Uno!!

Over the weeks I will be interviewing authors, publishing professionals, readers and book bloggers.

This week's edition is in celebration of Book Bloggers! They often promote authors with interviews, guest posts and reviewing our books and as an author, I want to say thank you and share the love right back. Let's get to know the people behind the blogs!

Meet Crystal D. Spears!

Blog name: Lives & Breathes Books

Blog Address: http://livesandbreathesbooks.blogspot.com/

What do you think makes a good book blogger?

Honesty! No doubt, it’s one hundred percent honesty. If you’re going to blog about a book and make opinions on some-one else's work just be honest. And never ever put an Author down. Just blog your opinions about the book not the Author. If you want to speak about the Author make sure it's kind. Authors have enough to deal with being critiqued about writing let alone themselves.

Of all the types of blogs out there, why books?

Hmm...Because ever since I was a little girl my mom used to sit in her big black comfy rocking chair and read Cassie Edwards Novels. After I seen her purchasing so many books I got interested, I started going with her to book stores and purchasing my own reads. Then this year I stumbled upon ebooks. And I was grateful saves me trips to the store. And then I discovered all the review and book blogs and I simply fell in love. I remember the day I came upon Goodreads.com I felt like I had hit the jackpot of the book world.

How do you go about attracting new followers?

My reviews on Goodreads and Amazon I always attach a blog link. I also Twitter all my blog reviews along with using facebook.

What’s your favourite genre and what do you like about it?

This is a tough question because I love reading and reviewing all types of genres.

But if I have to choose just one it would be YA.

Who is your favourite author and why?

I have a few favs, but for now my main one is Jillian Dodd. That Boy and That Wedding changed my view on how writing can be written. It was very creative the way she chose to write those two books. And then with her newest novel Stalk Me. I was hooked.

What are you reading right now and what are your thoughts so far?

Right now I am straying from YA and I am reading The Curio Series by Cara Mckenna as they are released. It's a great heart wrenching series.

Do you think it’s important to blog regularly or just when you have something new to share?

I think it depends on what kind of blogger you want to be or are. I am the type that blogs when I read something and I have something to say about it. I just recently helped with a Blog Tour for Annie Wells, Taking on the Dead her debut novel of her (The Famished Trilogy) and I loved it. So I am leaning more towards wanting to help Indie Authors Promote, it’s fun and for a good cause.

Ebooks, print books or both?

Ebooks at first and if they are a great read I will purchase the read in print. There is nothing like kickin' back with a paperback' , you can't cuddle the proper way with a read if it's digital.

The Next Big Thing Blog Hop

2012-10-09T04:39:00.000+11:00

I done been tagged!

Author Michelle Hansen (whose debut young adult novel Painted Blind is out now, just sayin') tagged me in the Next Big Thing Blog Hop.

What's that, you ask? Well it's a blog hop in which authors answer juicy questions about what they're working on RIGHT NOW.

Juicy questions like these:

What is the working title of your book?

The Kiss Off 2

It is going to have a subheading, like, an actual INTERESTING name, but for the moment it is merely numero 2.

Where did the idea come from for the book?

I wanted to do something more with Poppy, her relationships with friends and foes, and the band Academy of Lies. But it couldn't really be done if I kept the crew at home in the suburbs, because chart-topping bands don't tend to hang out in the suburbs. So it made sense for me to send Poppy and (some of the) gang to a beachside music festival that Academy of Lies headline. Shenanigans ensue.

What genre does your book fall under?

Young adult chick lit. Fo' sho'.

Which actors would you choose to play your characters in a movie rendition?

I've been thinking about this. I don't have a super clear image of Poppy, to be honest. I do kinda envision her being like Alexs Johnson (Jude from Instant Star) though.

And Ty's always had a bit of Nick Roux going on. That's how I see them. How about you guys?

What is the one-sentence synopsis of your book?

I haven't actually thought about this yet.

Will your book be self-published or represented by an agency?

All by myself. :)

How long did it take you to write the first draft of your manuscript?

It's not finished as yet, but WILL be by Christmas. It just WILL. I took myself off to a house by the beach for a week and wrote the first 25,000 words in a week which was BRILLIANT but since I came home progress has been very slow as I prioritised my business over my writing. I'm back into it now though and really enjoying myself.

What other books would you compare this story to within your genre?

I'd say Audrey Wait! by Robin Benway, crossed with Diary of a Crush 2 by Sarra Manning. But the second half where they go to a music festival and it's all kinds of hell.

Who or what inspired you to write this book?

My characters did. The Kiss Off was designed as a stand alone, but I wasn't done with them. I really like the world and feel there's more to them than was in The Kiss Off. I wasn't just going to write any old thing, though, I didn't have a sequel planned but when THIS idea came to me it felt right and fun and it's certainly turning out to be!

What else about your book might pique the reader’s interest?

The Kiss Off 2 is chock-full of stuff! There will be:

A road trip with an unexpected passenger.
Camping.

The realisation too late that they don't actually like camping.A super hot frat boy.

Sunburns.
Accidental topless swimming.
Paparazzi punch ups.
A news-worthy (yet totally false) love triangle.
Obsessed fan girls.
A stalker.
And an overwhelming request from someone super-famous.

It's definitely not smooth sailing.

These were most excellent questions and I'm glad I was tagged.

Now my turn to do the tagging! I HEREBY TAG:

CJ Duggan

Heather Adkins

Julia Crane!

Looking forward to your posts, ladies!

Cover Love #7 Featuring Some Fab Fontage

2012-09-30T20:42:00.000+10:00

It's cover love time!

I am such a font freak these days. I was at an AFL Grand Final party this weekend and since everyone was talking, the die-hard fans had the subtitles on.
Does Sarah even notice what they're saying? Of course not. She's wondering what font the subtitles are written in.

I have been clicking on and saving so many great books covers lately, you don't even know. There's a lot of awesome out there.

Behold!

The title font and colouring is so
eye catching and cool!

So much atmosphere.
And the texturing really adds to that.

The setting, the costuming, the lighting,
and check out that font for The Agency!

Love the simplicity, the bright pink sash
and title font. Lovely.

Am I right? You don't have to tell me. I know I am. They're all most excellent in their own ways.

Finished my last two assignments for my ENTIRE Bachelor's degree this weekend. HELL YES I DID. As someone who did two years of an Education degree before deciding she didn't really want to be a teacher followed by a year of a Bachelor of Writing & Publishing full-time before having to cut back to part-time for the next two years...I am so ready to not be a university student anymore, you don't even know.

What did you do this weekend? What do you think of the pretty that is the book covers above? Look like great books, am I right?

Love you all,

Short, Sassy & Scary! Available Now!

2012-09-27T03:40:00.000+10:00

Hello most excellent ones!

I have NEWS. Firstly I got out of suburbia this weekend and headed to the country to visit one of my bestest friends in Yarrawonga, Victoria, Australia.

On the way there, I had to pull over and take a photo of the sunset because it was absolutely beautiful.

But then I looked at the photo, and it makes me think I seem to have survived the apocalypse. Don't you think? Yowza.

I seem to have gotten into the WORST ROUTINE EVER and am wide awake and working at 6am these days, so while my friend was sleeping off the end of the school term (she's an English teacher, who, I discovered today, yells homework assignments at her students as they walk past her down the street. I think all three of us - the student, the teacher and I - were horrified at this development), for a couple of hours before she got up I was hard at work on what I have to say is my favourite scene so far of the The Kiss Off book two.

And. AND. New books alert!

Well. Sort of new. I have bundled three of my short contemporary young adult titles into the Sarah Billington Short & Sassy Collection: Volume One, and a mixed bag of four of my scary stories into the Sarah Billington Short & Scary Collection: Volume One.

Observe:

Pretty, yes? And by buying in bulk, it's cheaper for YOU, and I make more money. Win-win, right?

AND though I absolutely LOVE LOVE LOVE the cover for my middle grade novel Life Was Cool Until You Got Popular, I can't use it for the print edition which IS BEING MADE AND WILL HOPEFULLY BE AVAILABLE WITHIN 6-8 WEEKS.

And though I LOVE LOVE LOVE the cover up there, I SUPER LOVE the new cover. For realz. And you'll see it soon, I promise.

That's it from me for now. How about you?

In Which I Become a Complete Brent Crawford Fan Girl

2012-09-03T09:02:00.000+10:00

I love Will Carter.

Truly I do. In a kind of, he'd be the funniest yet most annoying little brother ever, but I want to pat him on the head and say "aw, my boy's all growed up (but not entirely)" way.

Hi, my name is Sarah Billington and I am a complete Brent Crawford fan girl.

He brought Carter into my life a couple of years ago with this book...

Carter Finally Gets It

Meet Will Carter, but feel free to call him Carter. (Yes, he knows it's a lazy nickname, but he didn't have much say in the matter.)
Here are five things you should know about him:

1. He has a stuttering problem, particularly around boobs and belly buttons.

2. He battles Attention Deficit Disorder every minute of every day...unless he gets distracted.

3. He's a virgin, mostly because he's no good at talking to girls (see number 1).

4. He's about to start high school.

5. He's totally not ready.

Join Carter for his freshman year, where he'll search for sex, love, and acceptance anywhere he can find it. In the process, he'll almost kill a trombone player, face off with his greatest nemesis, suffer a lot of blood loss, narrowly escape death, run from the cops (not once, but twice), get caught up in a messy love triangle, meet his match in the form of a curvy drill teamer, and surprise the hell out of everyone, including himself.

And then again with this book...

Carter's Big Break

After surviving freshman year (just barely), Carter is craving his summer break. Unfortunately, when he and his girlfriend, Abby, part ways, it looks as though summer just might break him. Things start to look up when he's unexpectedly cast in an independent film opposite the world's biggest tween sensation, Hilary Idaho. With Hollywood knocking on his door, Carter gets a taste of the good life. But as the film spirals out of control, he begins to fear that he's not the "somebody" he thinks he is and more the "nobody" he's sure he always has been. Find out if Carter goes Hollywood...or Hollywood goes Carter.

And then, most recently, I got to hang with Carter and his boys again in this book...

Carter's Unfocused, One-Track Mind

After an eventful freshman year and disastrous summer, fifteen-year-old Will Carter returns to Merrian High none the wiser. His sophomore year will present a host of new problems: the return of Scary Terry from juvie, the pregnant presence of Amber Lee, friends-with-benefits negotiations with Abby, prom night expectations, and the ever-constant harassment from his boys. When Abby announces that she might be transferring to a New York arts school, Carter's world is turned upside down and he'll be forced to make the biggest decision of his life. In his signature voice, author Brent Crawford details young Will Carter's high school struggles, this time focusing on Carter's discovery of his true passion and the sacrifices he'll need to make.

While reading, I laughed out loud a whole bunch of times and subjected my sister and her boyfriend to funny paragraphs that I thought were simply genius. I had them trapped in a car so they couldn't run away from me and my Carter recital anyway. They could roll their eyes (which my sister did when I first started) but they both laughed when I started reading (at the book, not at me. I think) so it all ended up brilliantly.

The Carter series is just so REFRESHING. Contemporary fiction from the boy's point of view, and OH how different it is to a girl's.

There are no boys to swoon over in these books, these are the kind of boys who push each other over and shave off someone's eyebrow because they think it's funny.

And in Carter's world, it totally is.

If you like comedies and contemporary young adult fiction I highly recommend these books. Seriously. I don't know Brent Crawford (I totally want to write him a fan letter though, but don't know how to contact him) but am a big, big fan.

I can't wait for the next book. I really really hope there will be a next book.

So this is my fan girl post. I'm sharing the book love. What books, movies, bands or things do you LOVE SO MUCH OH SO MUCH that you want the world to also recognise the awesome (mostly so you have someone to talk about it with)?

Love,