Carina Axelsson's Blog, page 6

Model Undercover: London – here’s the U.S. cover!!!

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

Woohoo, U.S. readers! I’m super excited to show you the American cover for 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 Under Cover 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 Under Cover 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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I heart my Totally Tween video!

Shooting video for my Totally Tween interview!

Hey MUC readers! Check out my Totally Tween video interview to hear me answer some frequently asked questions about the Model Under Cover series, what it’s like to be a writer, detectives and fashion!

I did this interview a few weeks ago while I was in London for my Deadly by Design book tour. It was filmed at my UK publisher’s, Usborne, HQ in London. So click here or on the image below to head over to the video! And if you’d like to see some of the questions I was asked, just scroll down to the bottom of the page.

I hope you like the video! You can let me know what you think in the comment section below or send me an email via the Contact page of my website.

Carina x

Click on this image to watch my Totally Tween video!

 

Questions I was asked in my Totally Tween interview:

You were a model before you became an author – can you tell us a little about what it was like to be a fashion model?

When you finished modelling you decided to write books. Was Model Under Cover your fist idea and when did you realize it could make a great story for children?

Axelle is the lead character in your books, is she based on you or somebody you know?

Do you know any real-life detectives that you based Axelle on?

Is it easy to write for children and do ask for children’s input into the stories?

How do you make your writing appeal to us?

How old were you when you wrote your first story that someone wanted to turn in to a book?

Where does your inspiration come from?

Roald Dahl used to write in his shed at the bottom of the garden. Where do you go to write?

How long does each book take you to write?

Are you writing any other books for children at the moment?

What advice would you give to our audience if they are considering writing as a career?

 

To watch me answer these questions head over to my Totally Tween video by clicking here or on the image above!

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I talk fashion, detectives and girl power…

Check out Books for Keeps, the online book magazine for kids!

While I was in London earlier this month for my Deadly by Design book tour, I met fab journalist and book lover, Andrea Reece, at my publisher’s, Usborne, headquarters. Andrea was there to interview me for the fantastic online book magazine for kids, Books for Keeps. I had a great time talking to Andrea and our time together sped by. Of course, we talked about Model Under Cover…but we also talked about lots more!

In the interview we touch on lots of really interesting subjects including the relationship between my teen fashion detective and her romantic interest, Sebastian. I really enjoyed talking to Andrea about the relationship aspect of the Model Under Cover books because I have given Axelle and her relationship with Sebastian a lot of thought (and sleepless nights as a consequence of all that thought!). When writing the books I always had it in mind that I did not want to have a heroine who hangs out by the phone waiting for the guy she likes to call her. I wanted someone who was so busy following her dream that she would only make space in her life for someone very special, someone who really cares for her and understands her. So head over to Books for Keeps to hear what more I have to say about romance in Model Under Cover.

We also spoke a lot about girls in general. Of course, I love girls! And I think that a girl is capable of doing whatever she wants in life – I’m a total believer in girl power! This is a theme that is very important to me and when I started writing the Model Under Cover books I was absolutely determined to write about a clever, sassy and strong girl lead character. Someone who has no fear of what other people think about what she does, someone who only knows that she has to do what’s in her heart – and in Axelle’s case it’s to solve mysteries. She’s not mean or nasty in the way she goes about doing what she loves to do, but she is determined – and I think that’s a great quality to have!

Andrea and I also discussed fashion! In fact, you can even find out what I was wearing the day we did the interview because Andrea’s first question to me was: Carina, what are you wearing?

So head over to Books for Keeps and let me know what you think!

Carina x

Click on the image to read my girl power interview!

 

I did the Books for Keeps interview while on my Deadly by Design book tour!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The post I talk fashion, detectives and girl power… appeared first on Carina Axelsson.

I talk girl power and relationships…

Check out Books for Keeps, the online book magazine for kids!

While I was in London earlier this month for my Deadly by Design book tour, I met fab journalist and book lover, Andrea Reece, at my publisher’s, Usborne, headquarters. Andrea was there to interview me for the fantastic online book magazine for kids, Books for Keeps. I had a great time talking to Andrea and our time together sped by. Of course, we talked about Model Under Cover…but we also talked about lots more!

In the interview we touch on lots of really interesting subjects including the relationship between my teen fashion detective and her romantic interest, Sebastian. I really enjoyed talking to Andrea about the relationship aspect of the Model Under Cover books because I have given Axelle and her relationship with Sebastian a lot of thought (and sleepless nights as a consequence of all that thought!). When writing the books I always had it in mind that I did not want to have a heroine who hangs out by the phone waiting for the guy she likes to call her. I wanted someone who was so busy following her dream that she would only make space in her life for someone very special, someone who really cares for her and understands her. So head over to Books for Keeps to hear what more I have to say about romance in Model Under Cover.

We also spoke a lot about girls in general. Of course, I love girls! And I think that a girl is capable of doing whatever she wants in life – I’m a total believer in girl power! This is a theme that is very important to me and when I started writing the Model Under Cover books I was absolutely determined to write about a clever, sassy and strong girl lead character. Someone who has no fear of what other people think about what she does, someone who only knows that she has to do what’s in her heart – and in Axelle’s case it’s to solve mysteries. She’s not mean or nasty in the way she goes about doing what she loves to do, but she is determined – and I think that’s a great quality to have!

Andrea and I also discussed fashion! In fact, you can even find out what I was wearing the day we did the interview because Andrea’s first question to me was: Carina, what are you wearing? Something, apparently, she’d never asked an author before!

So head over to Books for Keeps and let me know what you think!

Carina x

Click on the image to read my girl power interview!

 

I did the Books for Keeps interview while on my Deadly by Design book tour!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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My Deadly by Design book tour…

I just recently came back from my super fun Deadly by Design book tour and all I can say is, I had the best time!!! Thank you to all of the lovely Model Under Cover readers I met along the way. I was thrilled to see you all!

For me, hands down, the main perk of being an author is meeting readers! I love the interesting questions I get asked about the characters and the books, but I also love meeting new readers who don’t know the series because it’s exciting to introduce them to Axelle and her fashion mysteries.

Some of the essentials I took with me on my book tour…

So what did I do and where did I go on my Deadly by Design tour? For starters, I went to lots of schools. Here are some pics from a few of the schools I visited…

Here I am at the fab Bishop’s Hatfield School…

This school visit took place on the hottest day ever recorded in London, so, yeah, I was a bit sticky! But thanks Carshalton High School for Girls for a great morning!

I had the best time at Hornsey School for girls. Thanks head librarian Ted Barrow for a great time!

Most of the questions I was asked by readers were about the writing process and about being an author in general. You can find the answers to many of the same kinds of questions on my Writing Tips page or in the FAQ section of my About Me page.

As part of my book tour I was also fortunate enough to be invited by Fun Kids Radio for an interview. The last time I interviewed with them was for my A Crime of Fashion book tour, so I was excited to meet with them again! I’ll post my interview here once it’s live – and I’ll even try to listen to it…I always think I sound so weird when I hear myself recorded!!!

I always think I sound really weird when hear myself recorded!

I love quirky independent book stores with strong personalities. So for me, another perk of being an author is that I get to meet a lot of the coolest booksellers around! If you’ve never been to the super cute Nomad Books in Fulham, then you should! Not only does this charming book store have a fab kids department, it also has a really comfortable and cosy tea and coffee area.

Meeting awesome MUC readers at Nomad Books!

I also stopped by various book stores to sign stock (FYI: signing stock means that I go to a book store and sign any books of mine they have in stock. It’s not a public event.) These visits included the stylishly old-fashioned Daunt Books in Chelsea and the fabulous Waterstones at Piccadilly in London.

Signing stock at Waterstones bookstore in Piccadilly.

Signing stock at cosy Daunt Books in Chelsea!

Book tours always include answering lots of questions – and that can sometimes mean sitting down and being interviewed. For this book tour I was lucky enough to spend some time with the lovely Andrea Reece from Books for Keeps. She interviewed me about Model Under Cover and asked me some really great questions. I’ll share the interview here as soon as it’s live.

I also did a really fun video interview for the Totally Teen website which I’ll share here, too, as soon as it’s live.

Shooting video for my Totally Tween interview!

The one thing I always do when I’m in London is to visit my literary agency, Andrew Nurnberg Associates. It’s always great to catch up with book stuff!

Needless to say I love the books on my agent’s bookshelves! :-)

Of course, I had to squeeze in a bit of research while I was in London, and there were two places I absolutely had to go! The first was the super cool London modelling agency, Storm. It was great to catch up on fashion chat and to see everyone working on the booking tables. Every visit to Storm also makes for a great photo op! Can you spot Kate Moss’s ZED card on the wall behind me?

For great research I love visiting Storm Models whenever I’m in London!

The second place I absolutely had to go to for more fashion research was the V&A museum. I was desperate to see the Alexander McQueen exhibition, Savage Beauty, and I finally did! Everything about the exhibition was stunning, from the clothes to the exhibition rooms themselves. Because I write about fashion I’m always on the look out for opportunities to see spectacular clothes close-up – and this kind of exhibition gives me exactly that kind of experience. The exhibition is on until the 2nd August, so get going fashion detectives! Fashion doesn’t get better than this!

I love doing research!

My week in London also included a fun video interview for my very own website. I can’t wait to show it to you. It should be up here soon so make sure you check back!

Last but not least, friends gave me a lovely book launch party. It was a perfect summer night and I felt so lucky to be surrounded by so many friends and well-wishers!  

At my book launch party!

Thank you to all of the awesome Model Under Cover readers, librarians, booksellers and interviewers who helped make my Deadly by Design book tour week so fantastic and so much fun! I loved every second of it and am already looking forward to my next book tour!

Until then, though, I have to get cracking on book 4!

Carina x

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Model Under Cover Kindle Summer Sale!

#Kindle #SummerReads

FYI fashion detectives: Kindle has selected Model Under Cover: A Crime of Fashion for its summer sale! You have until August 30th to download A Crime of Fashion for a super summer price! So if you haven’t yet read the first book in the series, now is your chance to hit the beach with the perfect summer read!

And don’t forget your sunglasses!

Carina x

Get reading!!!

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Meet me in Edinburgh!

I can’t wait!

Woohoo! Come and join me in Edinburgh, Scotland, on Sunday 16th August, 2015 at the fabulous and fun Edinburgh International Book Festival! I’ll be talking all about Model Under Cover and do a couple of readings from the books, too. So check out their fantastic lineup of events and book your tickets now!

To find out more about my event head over to the Edinburgh International Book Festival website.

I hope to see you at the #Edbookfest!

Carina x

Meet me in London!

Come and meet me in London for a fab afternoon of Model Under Cover on Tuesday 30th June!!! I’ll be doing an event at the lovely and cosy Nomad Books on Fulham Road from 4pm to 4:45pm and can’t wait to chat with you about Axelle and her fashion detective world! Afterwards I’ll be signing books.

Nomad Books is located at 781 Fulham Road, London, SW6 5HA. For more information please ask in store or call 020 7736 4000.

I can’t wait to see you there!

Carina x

Why I heart London!

I love London! I took this pic from the taxi.

Visiting London is one of my favourite things to do! I absolutely love this sprawling city that oozes history and fabulous street style. And what atmosphere too! Cosy corners for tea and scones, secret gardens, and world-class culture – not to mention the strong Sherlock Holmes vibe you can’t help but feel on a foggy night down along the River Thames. I’m often asked about my favourite things to see and do in London – so here are ten of my fave top tips:

Hyde Park at sunset!

Hyde Park: One word: marvellous. Romantic and large, this park is a bucolic dream in the heart of London. Bridges, swans, centuries-old oak trees, Italian gardens, vast lawns, and a picturesque lake you can row a boat on – it’s all here! Don’t forget to pack a picnic!

From the Alexander McQueen exhibition at the V&A.

V&A: For me, a trip to London isn’t complete without a visit to the Victoria & Albert Museum in Knightsbrige. This enormous treasure-trove has something for everyone – including the largest fashion collection in the world. Meander past the Roman sculptures, glittering gemstones and exquisite children’s book illustrations before stopping at their café – it’s the perfect place for a yummy lunch or tea. I can spend all day in this place…

I hope you like pink!

Sketch: It is said that this tea salon on Conduit Street in Mayfair is the most Instagrammed restaurant in London – and one look at its stunning pink interior will show you why! So if you feel like treating your inner fashionista to an Instagram-worthy English tea, then this is your place. Just be sure to bring your bejewelled powder compact with you to check your lippy, dahling! Scones or no scones – you better look fab!

Signing stock at Waterstones Piccadilly.

Waterstones Picadilly: I’m a huge fan of the Waterstones book stores and this one is fabulous! It’s the biggest bookstore in Europe, covers eight floors and has a cosy café with large windows overlooking buzzing London. You can have your tea with a view! What’s not to love? Book worm heaven!

I love a fun sneaker!

Office on Kings Road: Like my detective, Axelle, I love a pair of sneakers, and this small shop on King’s Road, just a stone’s throw away from lovely Sloane Square, is where I go to treat my tootsies. The last pair of Converse I bought here are covered in pink sequins. Fab!

I love the ballet and opera!

Royal Opera House: I love the ballet, and the Royal Opera House at Covent Garden is where I like to get my fix. I go as often as I can, sit smack in the middle of the auditorium, kick back and enjoy! And don’t forget to check out the dazzling view of lovely London from the rooftop terrace. If the ballet doesn’t make you swoon, this will!

The classic fashion detective coat!

Burberry: I confess: I don’t have one of Burberry’s iconic trench coats – but I wish I did! They make the most beautiful ones, all lined in their famous house check. And their classic models are just as detective and fashionista-worthy today as they were when Burberry first introduced them at the turn of the last century. One day…but in the meantime, I’ll admire from afar!

The little streets all around Covent Garden are fun to explore…

Wahaca: Whenever I’m in London I indulge my craving for Mexican food at this colourful and lively restaurant near Covent Garden. Plus it’s only a five minute walk from the National Gallery, so it’s perfect for lunching after an exhibition. I always order the taquitos and fresh guacamole!

Axelle’s dog, Halley, as a pup!

Mungo & Maud: Dogs need fashionable accessories, too! So if you’re a dog lover like Axelle (and me!), you’ll definitely want to check out this tiny emporium devoted to upscale doggy necessities. Whether it’s a cute and colourful collar and lead set, or a pretty and practical food bowl, you’ll be sure to find something special for your four-legged best friend here!

I love this view!

South Bank: Want to see the quintessential London view and people watch at the same time? Then this is the place for you! Lined up for your viewing pleasure you’ll find the striking Palace of Westminster, iconic Big Ben, the London Eye, and the glorious Thames. Don’t forget to buy an ice cream!

Have fun!

Carina x

London calling!

How to dress like Axelle…

Do I have Axelle’s glasses? Or does she have mine?

Here is a question I’m often asked:

My friends and I want to dress up as Axelle. What should we wear? And what should we do if we don’t have a large camera like on the book cover of the UK edition?

I think the idea of dressing up as Axelle is great! But don’t feel you need a camera. Of course, if you have one, use it, but I would say that the three most important elements of Axelle’s fashion detective look are the following:

Karlie Kloss as fashion detective!

 

Axelle in her trench coat…it looks great with the collar turned up.

 

1) A trench coat. This is definitely a vital component to Axelle’s look – she wears one all the time. They are light and easy to pack in a suitcase, plus, on days when Axelle has modelling work to do and clues to hunt down, a trench coat is super practical because she can dress like a model for her castings and then cover up her model-y look with her trench coat. Like this she easily blends into a crowd! Burberry, the English fashion house, was the first to make them – and they still do. But the high street stores also make great looking versions – in prices that won’t break the bank!

 

Glasses are totally vital to Axelle’s look!

 

A fashion detective look from the Gucci Autumn/Winter 2015 fashion show.

2) Glasses! This is a necessity for replicating Axelle’s look. She wears them because they really make a difference when it comes time to go undercover. You can have your makeup done, but if you put on large thick glasses you can instantly move around with more anonymity. But what if you don’t need glasses? Easy! Just buy an inexpensive pair and leave the plain glass in them!

The perfect getaway shoe!

 

3) Getaway shoes. A pair of cool getaway shoes, like Converse, or any sneaker you like, is an essential part of Axelle’s fashion detective’s kit. She may go to some glitzy fashion parties, but Axelle always remembers that she might have to chase after a suspect at any moment – or be chased herself! So even if wearing a pair of heels can look fabulous…Axelle is more concerned with being able to getaway quickly. Here’s a fun fashion tip that you may remember reading about in the books: Axelle often gives her Converse a fun dose of DIY with studs or drawings. You might try to do the same!

So once you have your trenchcoat, glasses and getaway shoes on, ruffle up your hair a bit, put some lip gloss on and you’re ready to go crack a case!

 

French singer, actress and fashion muse, Françoise Hardy, looking like a retro fashion detective on the streets of paris in the 1960s.

Get inspired to create your own fashion detective look by checking out my Fashion Detective Pinterest board. I’ve got all kinds of cool vintage and new detective looks pinned to the board to help me get inspired about creating Axelle’s look. Have fun!

Carina x