G.R. Mannering's Blog, page 15
September 24, 2013
September 15, 2013
September 10, 2013
I Interview Isabel Atherton & Bethany Straker about their new book, SMELLY GHOST
Today over on Author Allsorts I am interviewing Isabel Atherton & Bethany Straker about their new, amazing picture book SMELLY GHOST. Check out the interview here.
The trailer is just so good too:
September 6, 2013
August 29, 2013
Cover Release: The Spotty Dotty Daffodil
Hey guys, I’m so excited to share the cover of my picture book with Bethany Straker called, The Spotty Dotty Daffodil! The idea for this story came from a few scribbles and a ropey narrative that I produced on holiday when I was nine. Bethany’s illustrations are so gorgeous and I’m really pleased to have collaborated with her on this. Can’t wait until it’s released next year!
August 25, 2013
Review Copies of ‘Roses’
So the advanced copies of Roses are out and arriving in people’s post. The very first review on Goodreads is up (albeit an extremely short one with the real review to come) and I’m starting to feel nervous. Nervous and excited. But predominantly nervous.
Being a people-pleaser, I want everyone to like Roses although I know realistically that is not going to be the case. Lots of writers rally back against negative feedback. Some of my favourite authors are notoriously up for fighting with a sort of “bring it on” kind of attitude. Me? I curl up into a ball and hide. Which, as you might be able to tell, is why I am nervous.
However, I am also humbly grateful to anyone who even buys and reads Roses in the first place and the countdown until that occurs is beginning around about now. Advanced readers copies are for reviewers, but come November 6th it will be available to everyone and anyone. About that time will be when I get a copy myself too. Roses is out in hardback first and I can’t wait to actually hold it in my hands. I haven’t received a review copy, I’ve only ever seen it as a pdf (and in these photos) so that will be especially exciting.
In case you’re interested, leading up to publication (aka starting very soon) I’ll be holding competitions, giving away a free short story and doing every number of promo things. I’ll be advertising these extras on my facebook page, youtube channel, twitter and on this blog, so if you stick around then you’re unlikely to miss it.
Fingers crossed everything runs smoothly!
(Photographs provided by author, Kate Ormand)
August 23, 2013
August 15, 2013
What happened to ‘It’s All Make Believe’?
Signing my very first contract
A few people have been asking me recently what happened to ‘It’s All Make Believe’ and I’ve been meaning to tell this story for months but I was busy and, if I’m honest, I was too sad. It’s not a happy story for me and so I’ve been trying to ignore it for a while, but I decided this morning that now is the time to tell it. So here we go.
Back in 2011 my first novel, ‘It’s All Make Believe’ was accepted for publication by Meadowside Fiction and I was ecstatic. ‘It’s All Make Believe’ is a contemporary YA about coming to terms with the death of a loved one and falling in love. It was the novel that secured me my agent (the lovely Isabel Atherton from Creative Authors Ltd) and almost two years later it was finally going to be published. I was thrilled and I celebrated with champagne and friends.
For nine blissful months I worked on it with an editor, looking forward to the time that it would go to print and I could finally hold it in my hands. But then disaster struck. I found out that the publishing house was being taken over by a larger company and they were… scrapping their teenage line. Meadowside Fiction were professional and kind about the whole process – they paid me in full the agreed amount and reverted the rights of the novel back to me as soon as possible.
But I wasn’t going to see my book published.
Far worse things happen in the world every day, but I loved ‘It’s All Make Believe’ and the whole thing knocked my confidence. Every time somebody kindly asked me how it was going, I would inwardly cringe and try to awkwardly explain the situation.
But every cloud has a silver lining and (without sounding waaay too cheesy) out of the ashes of ‘It’s All Make Believe’ came ‘Roses’ my first fantasy novel. I found out that I had secured ‘Roses’ a month later and I didn’t celebrate. I was worried. What if the same thing happened again?
But… the publication day for ‘Roses’ is getting closer and closer and so far, everything has gone smoothly. My team at Skypony Press have been so lovely and everybody has been really supportive. I don’t think I will rest assured until I actually hold ‘Roses’ in my hands, but that day is getting closer and closer (6th November!).
So what happened to ‘It’s All Make Believe’? Nothing. At the moment it’s back with me and just lying low for a while. It may have a future – it may be reborn, but right now, I’m focusing everything on ‘Roses.’
