Carina Axelsson's Blog, page 5

Model Undercover: book 3 in the U.S.!

There’s nothing as exciting as holding a new baby…er…I mean book!!!

Woohoo (!), U.S. readers, book 3 in the series, Model Undercover London, Deadly by Design, will be in U.S. bookstores in exactly one week from today, on January 5th! So get cracking all you lovely Model Undercover readers and head over to your nearest local bookstore to place your order now and start your year off with Axelle in London as she solves her fab new fashion mystery!

Model Undercover London, Deadly by Design is also available for pre-order on the Amazon and Barnes & Noble websites now, too. So no excuses, basically!  

Dressed to Kill now available for pre-order!

Dressed to Kill is ready for pre-order!

Dressed to Kill, Model Under Cover book 4, is now available to pre-order online at Waterstones and Amazon in the UK!!!

Axelle’s newest mystery takes place in Milan and it’s an action-packed one! Here’s a tiny taste of what Dressed to Kill is all about…

Dressed to Kill takes place in super chic Milan! Standing on the rooftop of the Duomo cathedral…

The last thing hot new model Axelle expects to find at a photo shoot is a top stylist dead on set. But as a high-heeled, runway-ready secret sleuth, she’s just the girl to solve the mystery of who poisoned Elisabetta.

With gorgeous Sebastian by her side, Axelle plunges into a world of dirty rumours, sparkling jewels and high-speed chases to track a ruthless killer. Could this be Axelle’s most dangerous investigation yet?

I had a blast writing Dressed to Kill – and in no small part because of the research trip I made to Milan! I spent days exploring this chic and cosmopolitan city – and loved every minute of it (maybe especially the pasta, pizza and pastry part)! Wait until you read my Milan city tips – you’ll want to visit straight away!

And I was super inspired by many of the cool places I checked out – including abandoned buildings and the rooftop of the fabulous Duomo cathedral (make sure you go at sunset). Many of the fantastic locations I explored have gone into the book. I wanted a lot of action this time around, and I think I’ve got my wish!

Checking out abandoned buildings…

As for Axelle’s mystery…it’s a tricky one – hopefully I’ll keep you all hanging with suspense until the end! It’s a mystery fuelled by gossip and secrets, and in which nothing is quite as it seems – a lot like life, sometimes, in fact! What’s also fun about this mystery is that it takes place during the Men’s Fashion Week in Milan, so fashion lovers will get to see a side of the fashion world that I haven’t written about before.

Speaking of which…many of you have written me, asking if Ellie will be back – and, yes, she will! You’ve also asked about Sebastian – and the answer is yes, he’ll definitely be in Milan, too! But I won’t say more for now…

But, just so you know, as soon as my publisher has an excerpt up I’ll let you know here…so keep checking back!

In the meantime stay happy and keep reading!

Carina x

The view from the Duomo rooftop! Go at sunset…

 

 

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Meet me at WHSmith Paris!

Come and meet me at WHSmith Paris for an afternoon of Model Under Cover fun! I’ll be holding an event there on Sunday 6 December at 3pm, and I’m really, really looking forward to it because this bookstore has special meaning for me…

 

When I lived in Paris – for more than a dozen years! – I spent hours (actually, sometimes entire DAYS) hanging out in this store looking at books, buying books, and checking out the English and American magazines. I relished pushing open the heavy glass door that fronts the busy rue de Rivoli and feeling it swish shut behind me. Whatever thoughts may have been kicking around in my head were immediately forgotten as the cosy bookish ambiance and that special “book store sound” – the one of hushed voices, pages turning and contemplative, happy interest as people browse the new titles tables – took over.

WHSmith Paris is always busy and bustling so on those days when I needed a bit of quiet I would head up the creaky old wooden carpeted stairs that lead to the first floor. There, the low ceilings and cubby-hole rooms made me feel as if I’d stepped into a Dickens novel. The kids books are upstairs, so I often spent a lot of time up there – and so are the history books, another section I loved to peruse. Downstairs, though, in their fab classics section, was where I’d get my 19th century English lit fix. LOVE!!!

So, yeah, I’m super excited about doing an event in this book store! Plus it’s in Paris (!!!), in a stunning location right in the heart of the city. And it’s even in a beautiful old building.

 

I love Paris!

By the way, just a quick note for UK readers who are familiar with the WHSmith stores in England…this Paris branch is quite different to the ones in the UK! Although the Paris store does sell some book accessories, stationary and magazines, it is really and truly a book store with wall to wall shelves packed full with all kinds of titles. It’s comforting and old-fashioned, with places to sit and a lovely view through the windows that look over the beautiful Tuileries park. It’s a total gem. And I’m thrilled to be a part of it on December 6th!

Carina x

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Lovely Paris…

Paris has always been beautiful – and will always be beautiful…

Thank you so much to those of you who have contacted me on my social media about lovely Paris and the tragic events of a few days ago…My followers know how much the city means to me and how much I enjoyed the many years I lived there. It’s the glittering setting for A Crime of Fashion, the first book in the Model Under Cover series, and a city, that for many reasons, is close to my heart…

It’s the city I was living in when I finally decided to give writing a real try (it took me forever to make the jump!) and, more specifically, it’s also the city that inspired me with the idea of a writing a series about a teen girl who solves fashion crimes. I can still remember the idea hitting me, and then dashing off to my desk to write the first notes and brief draft about Axelle – all of which I eventually turned into A Crime of Fashion.

Two weeks ago A Crime of Fashion was published in France by my French publisher, Fleurus. There, the book goes by the name of L’Affaire Moon and the series is called Fashion Detective. I love both the series name (!) and the totally cute cover of L’Affaire Moon. Now I just can’t wait to meet French readers!

I LOVE the book’s cover!!!

To help launch the book I have a couple of events planned over the weekend of the 5th and 6th of December – events I’m super excited about and will hopefully be doing despite the recent sad events. The first one will be on the afternoon of Saturday the 5th, at the Paris Book Fair (Salon du Livre et de la Presse Jeunesse), and the second will be on the afternoon of the 6th at the wonderful WHSmith book store on the rue de Rivoli.

Not all event details are confirmed yet, but as soon as they are I’ll let you know here, on my blog, so please keep checking back…

And in the meantime, let’s keep praying for Paris…

Carina x

I love Paris!

 

I’m so excited about the publication of L’Affaire Moon!!!

 

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Meet me at the Copenhagen Book Fair!

I’ll be launching MUC: A Crime of Fashion in Denmark with some fun events!

Meet me at the Copenhagen Book Fair for some Model Under Cover fun on Saturday 7 November at 11am. I’ll be there to launch the Danish edition of Model Under Cover: A Crime of Fashion. You can find me at the Bogforum (that’s what the book fair is called in Danish) at my publisher’s (Turbine Forlaget) stand, where I will do a reading with the super cool and super talented Danish actress (and my fab friend!) Ellen Hillingsø.

To find out more about the Copenhagen Book Fair (Bogforum) visit their website here.

And in case you can’t make the Bogforum in Copenhagen, then catch me for another afternoon of Model Under Cover fun at the Egeskov Christmas Fair on Sunday 8 November at 11am. This gorgeous Christmas fair is held yearly at the fairytale-like Egeskov castle, which is on the idyllic island of Fyn in central Denmark. I’ll be there for a Model Under Cover reading (Countess Caroline Ahlefeldt will be doing the reading in Danish), Q&A session, and book signing. Find out more here.

I’m totally looking forward to meeting Danish readers and can’t way to see Model Under Cover in Danish book stores and libraries!!!

To check out what other Model Under Cover events I’ll be doing while I’m in Denmark (like school visits) follow me on Instagram!

I hope to see you in Denmark!

Carina x

Meet me in Copenhagen at the Copenhagen Book Fair on Saturday 7 November at 11am!

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Danish cover of A Crime of Fashion!

A Crime of Fashion’s Danish book birthday is October 23rd!

Woohoo – here’s the Danish cover of A Crime of Fashion! Looks familiar, doesn’t it? Apart from the title being translated from A Crime of Fashion to MODEKRIMI, it’s the same as the UK cover. Axelle and her first mystery adventure will be on Danish bookstore shelves on October 23rd! So very soon – and I’m totally excited!

My Danish publisher, Turbine, is an independent publisher based in Aarhus, Denmark’s second largest city. They started out publishing kids books although today they publish books for adults as well. I visited them last spring at their HQ in Aarhus. Here’s a pic of my day in their offices:

Visiting Turbine Publishing in Aarhus last spring.

I’m really looking forward to sharing my teen fashion detective series with Danish readers and have some fun events planned for the book’s release. Check back here to find out what I’ll be doing during my Danish book launch week. I’ll soon post more details about what I’ll be doing and where I’ll be to celebrate Model Under Cover’s arrival on Danish shores.  

Carina x

Pretty Copenhagen!

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Model Under Cover Halloween giveaway!

#modelundercoverhalloween

Head over to Instagram MUC readers – I’m running a Model Under Cover Halloween giveaway of a signed box set of MUC books 1, 2, and 3! With tricks and treats and all kinds of dress-up parties about to happen even fashion detectives need to get into the spirit of Halloween! So what do you have to do to enter and win this fab giveaway?

Easy peasy! Just channel your inner fashion detective, then glam it up or scare it up, and send me a pic via Instagram of you dressed as a model undercover. I’ll do a random drawing on November 1st and announce the winner on my Instagram account on Monday November 2nd.

Here are the rules:

Make sure you’re following me on Instagram.
Like the post that announces the contest.
Dress up as a model undercover, take a pic and either post it on your Instagram account (if it’s public) and tag me, or, if your account is private, then DM me your pic (and tag me).
Whether you post your pic on your own account or DM me privately, don’t forget to use the hashtag #modelundercoverhalloween so that I know you’re entering the giveaway.

That’s it!

So get your skates on and start getting your model undercover look together. Be inspired by Axelle or by Ellie B! To kick-start your imagination click here to read a blog post I wrote about dressing like Axelle.

By the way, I’m doing this giveaway with my UK publisher, Usborne, so the boxed set will be of the UK edition of Model Under Cover. But if you’re an American or French or Danish reader, don’t worry – I plan on holding more giveaways for the U.S., France and Denmark in the next few months, so keep checking back on my blog to follow those!

I can’t wait to see your entries! Good luck!!!

Carina x

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Model Under Cover in France!

I love the French cover of Model Under Cover – known in France as Fashion Detective!

Ooh la la, MUC readers, get ready to see Model Under Cover in France!

The first book in my fashion detective book series will be published in France on October 23rd, 2015!!! And check out the super cute cover – I absolutely love it!

So what will the series be called in France?

Fashion Detective.

And what’s the title of the first book?

A Crime of Fashion will be called L’Affaire Moon in France.

Will the books be the same? Or have changes been made for the French edition?

No changes have been made. The translation has remained totally faithful to my original manuscript – although, it does seem to have acquired a certain je ne sais quoi – just by virtue of being translated into French!

I’m often asked if I have anything to do with the translations of foreign editions…the answer is no, I don’t! The responsibility of translating my books rests entirely upon the shoulders of my publishers.

Translating is not easy work! It’s a highly specialised craft that requires a very instinctive feel not only for finding the right words, but also for what an author’s voice is like. Every writer has their own “voice” and it’s not easy to capture the nuance, humour and mood that someone you’ve never met is trying to convey. That’s why translators tend to specialise in certain genres.

My publisher, Editions Fleurus Jeunesse, specialises in kids books and they are based in Paris. You can find out more about them here: Fleurus.

And FYI: I’ll do a couple of events in Paris for the book’s launch, including a book signing session at the Salon du Livres de Jeunesse a Montreuil 2015, on Saturday 5th December. Please keep checking back here on my blog to find out what other events I’ll be doing – and come and join me if you can!

In the meantime, bonne lecture!

(Yeah, that’s happy reading in French!)

Carina x

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Edinburgh Book Festival!

Hanging out at the Edinburgh Book Festival Author Yurt…

I’m just back from the Edinburgh Book Festival where I had the BEST TIME EVER!

Edinburgh is one of my all-time favourite cities, so to be able to combine a visit there, with the possibility of meeting lots of Model Under Cover readers was, for me, a dream come true! Even the weather was fab on the weekend I was there (15-16 August) – sunny and warm. I was able to sit outside at the festival for lunch and I needed to wear my new sunglasses while out sightseeing!

I had the best time doing my event!

The highlight, though, of my five days in Scotland was, obviously, my event. I got to speak and read to a full auditorium which was great, and many of the readers who came were already familiar with Model Under Cover. And I had such fun meeting my readers at the signing immediately after my event. The readers I met were so motivated and fun – and stylish. I saw lots of glasses like mine and Axelle’s and there were oodles and oodles of readers wearing Converse which I thought was uber-fab! I was also asked lots of really interesting questions during the Q&A session of my event – both about writing and about Model Under Cover.

I LOVE meeting my readers – and there were a lot of you who were so sweet and so excited. You totally made my whole weekend in Edinburgh!

I’d like to send out a huge thank you to all of the lovely MUC readers who made it into Edinburgh to see me two weeks ago. For me, meeting you all is the best perk of being an author! I love your  excitement, comments and questions and totally appreciate your interest in my Model Under Cover book series. While I think writing is the best thing in the world to do, and I’d be doing it even if no one read what I wrote, still…being able to share what I write and hear feedback from readers like you is something really, really special that goes straight to my heart! THANK YOU!!!

I’d also like to send a huge thank you to the fabulous organisers at the Edinburgh Book Festival. Everything was so beautifully organised and they’d thought of every little detail to make the day special and smooth for us authors. I really hope I’ll be invited back!

THANK YOU MUC READERS!

Carina x

Signing books at the Waterstones on Princes Street…

 

It was so sunny and warm in lovely Edinburgh!

 

I did some sightseeing outside of Edinburgh, in East Lothian, too. I love Scotland!

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U.S. cover of Model Undercover: London!

YAY! The U.S. cover of book 3 is here!!! Model Undercover: London

Woohoo, American MU readers, here’s the U.S. cover of Model Undercover: London (Deadly by Design), the third book in the Model Under Cover series!!!

The series is published in America by my fantastic publisher, Sourcebooks. It will be out on January 1st, 2016 and is available for pre-order on Amazon now. So if you’re living in the U.S. make it your first fun read of 2016 and place your order now!

So what’s the book about? Well this tricky case happens on Axelle’s home turf of London and involves a dark fashion secret from the past.

So is Ellie B around to help her? Yes! You bet.

And what about Sebastian? Well, I don’t want to give any spoilers away, but with a gorgeous and talented boy band singer on the scene, sparks are flying in all directions. You’ll have to read the book to find out what happens!

Here’s a teaser:

London is calling! So when a deliciously dangerous case lands right on her London doorstep, sixteen year old top model and secret sleuth Axelle Anderson can’t resist strapping on her high heels and snapping on her shades to track down the person who attacked fashion photographer Gavin.

But what’s the deal with the mysterious memory stick full of photos? And why do the clues keep leading her back to a certain well known London fashion family? From charming Notting Hill to dazzling Hampton Court Palace, the heat is on in this race with the past as Axelle tracks down long-buried clues and dangerous secrets while hot on the trail of an elusive suspect. But can she stop getting distracted by a certain mega-cute boy band member long enough to stop a killer in their tracks?

With the London fashion scene in full swing, and Ellie, Sebastian, and even Halley, Axelle’s dog, on hand to help crack this tricky case, London has never been more dazzling – or dark!

One question I’m often asked is whether the U.S. and UK editions of the Model Undercover books are different. Well, the answer is no, not really! By this I mean that the only differences between the different editions are minor linguistic ones. For instance, in the UK, the books have the word lift instead of elevator and in the U.S. the books use mom instead of mum. Otherwise, the mysteries, clues, and dialogue between the characters is all the same!

To stay up to date with when the different editions of the Model Undercover books will be published you can follow me on Instagram, Facebook or Twitter. Or just check back here on my blog! And to see where else in the U.S. you can order the Model Undercover books go here.

Happy reading!

Carina x

 

Book 2, Model Undercover: New York

Book 1, Model Undercover: Paris

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