Teaser Tuesday #3

I’m not sure what Threads 3 will be called yet. ‘Beads, Boys and Bangles’ took AGES to think of. I quite like the idea of ‘Stars and Spangles’, but I have a feeling the publisher he say ‘no’. It’s a bit early to be sharing stuff. I wish it wasn’t, but I’ve been busy, OK?

So instead, here’s a bit of book 2, to celebrate the fact that I SENT THE PROOFS OFF YESTERDAY!!! and I won’t see the text again until it’s a real book with a cover and everything. I call this the ’silver dress’ bit.

…

‘And it’s not the top award or anything,’ Edie continues. She really is so embarrassed about this. ‘It’s just the “rising star” category.’

‘OH MY GOD!’

‘Nonie? What’s happened?’

It’s what’s about to happen. The words ‘rising star’ have reminded me: I have a DATE with my nearly-boyfriend in TWO HOURS! What have I been thinking?

‘I have to go. Alexander … but well done. And good luck. And do the tee-shirts, of course. I’ll even buy one. And Crow’ll be fine. I’ll just …’

‘Oooh, Alexander!’ she yells at me, excitedly. ‘Shut up and get going! We’ll sort it out later. Just have a good time, OK?’

It’s how we stay friends. She can switch from Saviour Of The World to normal person, just like that. And she totally understands how cute my nearly-boyfriend is.

Ninety minutes later, I’m in Crow’s workroom, staring at myself in the mirror. Crow’s staring at me too, needle in hand, just in case I need any last-minute adjustments.

She gives me one of her rare, incredible smiles.

‘I think we’re done,’ she says.

We are. I have been transformed from wonky-haired midget into glamorous fashion queen. I’m in a gorgeous, silver knee-length dress that makes me look at least eighteen. I have proper, grown-up tights on without any patterns, sequins or holes. I have not only high heels but PLATFORMS that give me ten precious extra centimetres in height. Designer platforms by Prada that I shall probably leave to my children in my will.

I’m wearing enough eyeliner for an emo convention and individual fake eyelashes, for extra oomph. And possibly a tiny spritz too much perfume, but it’s too late now.

I have never looked like this before and I probably never will again. I’m a hot babe, basically, and Alexander is going to adore me.

‘Jewellery?’ I ask, panicking suddenly.

Crow shakes her head. She’s probably right. There’s enough going on already.

I grab my jacket and my vintage bag from a little pile on the workroom floor (I’m not totally careful with my clothes, I admit), and I’m ready to go.

Mum’s standing in the hall, waiting.

‘Wow,’ she says. ‘You look … different. Go gently on him, darling. He won’t know what’s hit him.’

Different good or different bad? It’s too late to find out, so I give her a quick kiss and head out of the door before she realises quite how much of her perfume I’ve borrowed.

‘Back by midnight, don’t forget,’ she shouts after me.

SO Cinderella. I’ve been given an extension because Harry will be there.

‘And don’t let him …’

Yada yada yada. I can’t hear because I’m rushing into the taxi and concentrating on not doing a Naomi Campbell in my platforms down our front steps. They’re not quite as easy to walk in as I’d hoped.

Teaser Tuesday #2

So, about those extracts …

I am currently reading ‘Summer Secrets’, the second in the ‘Amy Green Teen Agony Queen’ series by Sarah Webb. I’m reading it because it’s funny and real and has wonderful, complex, life-affirming characters and it makes me feel like I’m on holiday on the West coast of Ireland, which is no bad place to be.

I’m not reading it because I happen to be going on a mini-tour with Sarah and another writer called Judi Curtin in October (YAY YAY YAY!!!!) and I’ll be spending 3 days in Ireland talking about nothing but books, music, girls, clothes, music, books … you get the general idea.

Here’s the bit of Summer Secrets I’m on now:

‘Clover whistles under her breath and pokes me in the side to get my attention. “Would you look at Dr McSteamy over there?”

“Which one?” I stare over at the band.

“Him. Hubba-hubba. Must be the new lead guitar.”

Clover is staring at a tall, muscular boy with a tattoo of a skull on his hand. He’s adjusting the strings of his guitar. “I do like a tasty Indi boy. Hubba-hubba,” she says again. “He can tighten my strings any time.” She gives a dirty laugh.’

Clover is every teenage girl’s perfect aunt. Young, trendy, loyal, unshockable and with an irrepressible sense of humour. I’ve mentally adopted her. She’s mine, OK? She’s mine …

Teaser Tuesday #1

I’m not remotely an expert on this, but I gather from bloggers younger and wiser than me that there’s a bit of a tradition of posting up extracts from work you’re writing and/or reading on a Tuesday. Well, it beats actually having to think of something original, so I shall do both.

But before I do, here’s another teaser. Barry Cunningham (head of Chicken House and therefore as close to a boss as I’ll ever have as a writer) has tweeted (he’s @barrychicken if you’re interested) that he’s chosen the shortlist for the 2010 Times/Chicken House children’s fiction competition and informed the winners. Some of whom cried. And one of whom was so disbelieving that Barry had to call him/her back. So hopefully they’ll be announced in the Times soon. Keep a lookout.

In 2008 the inaugural competition was won by Emily Diamand with Reavers Ransom, later retitled Flood Child. This book was sold to 18 countries and given to 55,000 11 year-olds as part of the Booked Up programme. The sequel is out in August.

In 2009 the competition was won by a very lucky aspiring writer from Wandsworth. Wonder what happened to her.

Extracts coming shortly. Watch this space.

Today I am mostly …

… loving the following things:

Pride and Prejudice in emoticons. I came across this ages ago, but it’s still just as brilliant. Look at the little faces and you’ll never need to read the actual Austen again. Unless you want to, obviously.

Justine Winsdor being JD Sallinger being JK Rowling. I haven’t read Sallinger (I know, I know … he’s on my list, OK?), but having read Justine, I feel a bit more competent to mourn his passing. And Quidditch will never be the same again.

The Editorial Ass on What Makes a Dream Author. Again, it’s not new, but that doesn’t mean it isn’t useful. Even if it makes me feel small and inadequate, grouchy and not necessarily grateful enough for THE LOVELY WORK THAT EVERYBODY DOES ON MY BEHALF AT CHICKEN HOUSE, it still gives me something to aspire to.

The fact that I’ve just finished going over the page proofs for book 2 (ie the pages set out as they will be in the book, but printed side by side on A4). I know I keep saying I’ve just finished book 2, but they just keep coming back at you, these things. We’re down to commas now, though. And my ability to spell ‘commercial’.

Carey Mulligan’s OSCAR NOMINATION!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Go Carey! YAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Dressing Up reminder

Big reminder, everybody. The Dressing Up competition (describe an outfit for your favourite character and the winning outfit will be used in book 3) FINISHES ON 31 JANUARY.

WHICH IS IN 2 DAYS!

So if you’re thinking of entering, please do it this weekend!

I’ll be judging the entries in Feb. Make sure yours is one of them, designer-reader people.

Those fashion competition winners in full …

Ta daaa!

The moment you’ve all been waiting for. Well, lots of you, anyway. And quite rightly. Hundreds of you entered the Threads fashion competition, to design a dress to be made by Tammy and featured in Bliss. As I announced earlier, the winner was Jewel Simpfendorfer. Go Jewel! But I have finally got the full list of second place, highly commended and runners up. I’ve posted all the names on the threadsthebook website, here.

Well done, all of you. We loved your designs and the work you put into presenting them. We’ll be showing the designs on the threadsthebook website soon. And meanwhile, Jewel’s dress is in the process of being made by Tammy and will be featured in the June issue of Bliss, which comes out in the third week of April. (That’s right, June editions can come out in April – that’s fashion publishing.)

Look out for it. Guess who’ll be buying the first copy!

And Jewel, I can’t wait to see you at the V&A in February to discuss YOUR DRESS and YOUR VISIT TO LONDON FASHION WEEK!

Yay!

Roze vleugels en glitterjurken

Roze vleugels en glitterjurken

Omschrijving:
Nonie, Edie en Jenny zijn drie vriendinnen. Hartsvriendinnen zelfs, ook al zijn ze nog zo verschillend. Nonie is gek op alles wat met mode te maken heeft, Edie is de studiebol en wil de wereld redden en Jenny heeft een rol in een Hollywood-film.

You guessed it! (At least, I think you did.) Threads in Dutch! (At least, I think it is.) Coming out in May. If you need to order it in Dutch for some reason – like you’re Dutch, for example – it’s here.

And guess what the Dutch for Hollywood film is? (Go on, you know you want to.) It’s Hollywood-film!

I’m learning so much with these translations!

Yay!

They tell me …

OK, guys – Thursday. That’s what they tell me. Full list on Thursday. That’s when the fashion comp organisers are back from PARIS and MILAN and all the other fashion places they have to go to to do they’re fashion thing. I’m not promising, because stuff happens … but I’m promising I’ll try. Watch this space on Thursday. I know what it’s like to wait (it was ew) so I’ll make it as short as I can.

Nonie lever og ånder for mote

Nonie lever og ånder for mote. Edie planlegger å redde verden. Jenny har fått en rolle i en Hollywood-film. Først når de tre bestevenninnene treffer en yngre flyktningjente som kaller seg Crow, har rosa alvevinger og tegner kjoler, får de en sjanse til å utrette noe virkelig fantastisk – og til å virkeliggjøre drømmene.

How cool is this? Threads in Norwegian! With a translation by the truly wonderful Cecilie Winger (whose name I’m definitely borrowing for a future book).

My first translation. My first foreign edition.

SPECIAL SPECIAL DAY!!!!!!!

(And if you’re still on tenterhooks, waiting for the announcement of the runners-up in the Tammy fashion competition, I haven’t forgotten, promise! I’ll post the names the minute I have the full, properly-spelled list and the go-ahead from the organising team.)

(And if you’re still thinking about entering the Dressing Up ‘describe an outfit for your favourite character’ competition, it’s open for another week, so GET ON WITH IT! I can’t wait to see what you come up with.)

(And if you’re wondering what to read at the moment, try Flyaway by Lucy Christopher – a fellow Chicken House author. Everyone’s talking about it. I’m desperate for my copy to arrive. Or, of course – if you speak Norwegian – Cecilie’s translation of Threads …)

Strictly Hollywood and Strictly Writing

Whereas the most searched-for words on my blog used to be ‘Emma Watson Burberry’ (there must be literally hundreds of people every day looking for stuff about Emma in her trench coats), Emma is gradually moving aside in favour of Carey Mulligan. Go Carey!

Carey in Vionnet at the launch of An Education in Leciester Square

So for all you Carey fans who, like me, are watching with bated breath as she goes up for EVERY AWARD IN THE UNIVERSE, and is consistently nominated alongside SANDRA BULLOCK and MERYL STREEP, here’s a link to a nice little article about her in the Daily Mail, which is full of useful facts (I assume they’re facts; for once I didn’t spot any glaring errors) – even if they do lose the plot half way through and call her Carey Milligan.

I’ve decided I’m borrowing her hairstyle for Jenny in book 3. Look out for it.

Meanwhile, I’ve been leading my own life in the media spotlight. By which I mean I’ve done an interview for Strictly Writing, which was great fun to write and might give you an insight into how I try and put those books together.

Which reminds me. Must get on with book 3. Because my childminder – who is MUCH better connected than me – is off to Hollywood to stay with a certain up and coming actress for a few days, and I have to take advantage of every child-free moment I’ve got.