Ellie Marney's Blog, page 14
October 15, 2018
Circus Hearts: All Aces – cover + blurb reveal
Today’s the day! I finally get to show off the final cover of the final book in the Circus Hearts series – Circus Hearts: All Aces. And take a look at this gorgeousness!
For those of you intrigued by Zep Deal, the mysterious suspected saboteur in Circus Hearts 2, and Ren Putri, the carnival’s resident contortionist, you’re going to *love* this one 
October 10, 2018
#LoveOzYAbookclub October 2018 title announcement – SONGS THAT SOUND LIKE BLOOD
Hi again! We’re getting closer to the end of the year, goodness – I can’t quite believe that we’ve only got two more books to go in 2018 after this one!
You might have noticed that the schedule has been stretched out a little; our October book is only just arriving, which means the discussion will be held in early November, and our November book will stray into December…and that’s totally okay, because our final book of the year is a longer read that takes us through to the start of February, so I don’t mind dragging things out a little towards year’s end.
And I’m very pleased to announce the title of our October read: SONGS THAT SOUND LIKE BLOOD by Adelaide author Jared Thomas. Here’s the blurb:
Roxy May Redding’s got music in her soul and songs in her blood. She lives in a hot dusty town and is dreaming big. She survives run-ins with the mean girls at high school, sings in her dad’s band and babysits for her wayward aunt. But Roxy wants a new start – when she gets the chance to study music in the big city, she takes it.
Roxy’s new life, her new friends and her music collide in a way she could never have imagined. Being a poor student sucks…navigating through the pressure of the national music competition has knobs on it…singing for her dinner is soul-destroying…but nothing prepares Roxy for her biggest challenge. Her crush on Ana, the local music journo, forces her to steer her way through a complex maze of emotions alien to this small town girl. Family and friends watch closely as Roxy takes a confronting journey to find out who the hell she is.
If you haven’t encountered any of Jared’s work before, he also wrote Sweet Guy (shortlisted for the 2006 Vic Premier’s Literature Awards and the 2009 SA People’s Choice Award for Literature), Dallas Davis, and he collaborated with Patty Mills on the Game Day! series of middle grade books. Last but not least, he wrote Calypso Summer, a really amazing read which I heartily recommend – it was a State Library of Qld black&write! winner, was featured at Reading Matters in 2015, and was also listed as an International Youth Library White Raven book in the same year, so go check it out.
I really hope you enjoy SONGS THAT SOUND LIKE BLOOD in October – if you’d like to pick it up (with free shipping!) from Boomerang Books, use the ‘loveoz’ promo code right here. Alternatively you can buy the ebook here.
Happy reading, and happy October!
xxEllie
September 30, 2018
Circus Hearts: All Fall Down is liiiive
I’ve always been kind of fascinated by bitchy characters – I know, it’s a personality flaw – but really I just want to know what makes them the way they are and how that strategy is working out for them. I also like seeing bitchy characters have their world re-arranged, and the tumult that ensues…and hence my desire to write Fleur Klatsch’s story.
Fleur is a spoiled princess, and she was kind of the villain in All The Little Bones – and for all her flaws, she certainly chewed the scenery whenever she popped up. I was only halfway through writing that first book when I thought ‘Wow, what would this girl do if she was put under stress?’ (heh, this is how my evil mind works, sorry), so I decided to spin her head around. And because these books are All About The Romance, it got me thinking what kind of person would be able to get under Fleur’s skin…and that’s when her childhood buddy, Marco Deloren, came along. Here’s the back cover blurb:
A ringmaster’s daughter and a bearded lady’s son join forces to stop a saboteur…
Nineteen-year-old Fleur Klatsch is loyal to her trapeze team and her ringmaster father, dedicated to the circus, and tough on everyone around her. After a series of accidents at Klatsch’s Karnival, Fleur is left holding the ball: she’s running the show, trying to stop a saboteur, and taking care of her dad. She doesn’t need anyone’s help, least of all Eugenia Deloren’s son, Marco, who’s been trying to break out of the circus life since the moment he was born into it. All Marco needs to do is get Klatsch’s back on its feet so he can leave. But after one fateful kiss with Fleur, will he really want to? And will Fleur and Marco figure out who’s trying to kill the show before someone kills them…
So now Fleur and Marco’s story is out in the world! I’m very excited to share it, and you can find out how Marco manages to up-end Fleur’s life (and how they’re forced to work together if they want to save the circus) by clicking on any of these links:
I really hope you enjoy the book! I had a heckuva lot of fun writing this one, and the romance is…wow. Let’s just say these two have a lot of chemistry *fans self*
If you really like the books and you’d like to leave a review, I would love you for it! You can post a review at any of these links:
And the best news is: the final book in the series, Circus Hearts: All Aces, is due for release on 1 November. Yup, again with the fast release time (because why not?) and the cover for the third book will drop into my subscribers’ inboxes on 9 October (and go out to the rest of the world a week later). If you’d like to be on top of that, my newsletter sign-up is right here.
Don’t you love these quick releases? I love them. It means you can read the whole series in one big hit, in the space of three months. And paperbacks for all three books will go to print next month and be available from 1 December. I’m setting up dates for a little signing tour, for folks who’d like to get their books signed and say hi, so I’ll update you about that soon.
Meanwhile – enjoy All Fall Down! And have a great week
September 28, 2018
#LoveOzYAbookclub – September 2018 author interview: Alison Evans (IDA)
I finally got to meet Alison Evans at a YA author catch-up in Melbourne recently (hey Alison! *waves*), and apart from being a really good sport about answering our slightly dopey questions here on bookclub, they also have the same weapon-of-choice-in-a-zombie-apocalypse as me, so we are now fast friends
Please read on to find out more about Alison, the possible alternative title for IDA, and how the book would fit perfectly into a rainy-day bush tea party in the Dandenongs…
Why this book? Why this story?
I love sci fi and I wanted more with queer characters in it! I am also really scared of doppelgangers and so I thought: why not write a whole book about the thing I am scared the most of? What a good plan!
Your book has been the basis for the development of a themed party. What’s the party like and what’s on the menu?
The theme we’re going for is rainy Dandenongs bush tea party so: everything is grey, grey-blue, grey-green and fern green. We’ve got a mirror-glaze cake that is swirls of the colour scheme, a few different types of tea, scones. The decorations are gum leaves and wispy white drapes.
Okay –three hot books you would run in to save if your house was burning?
My copy of Ida. I get people to sign it when I sign their books, and there’s so many memories inside it! I would also choose In the Dark Spaces by Cally Black and Night Swimming by Steph Bowe, because I love them both so much.
Your book has a title, and it’s an awesome title. But what might it have been called, if it wasn’t called what it is now?
In the first draft, it was called Ida Lost, but then I thought it may have been too reminiscent of Paradise Lost, and I wasn’t sure what implications would be drawn, so I just dropped the Lost.
The zombie apocalypse strikes, but it’s okay, cos you have your choice of weapons, and you choose…
I would choose a machete, I think. It’s quiet, and sharp. But also I know I would die almost immediately because I am very unfit and also scared of everything.
Alison, thanks for joining in our author interview! (and it was really lovely to meet you the other day
September 18, 2018
Circus Hearts 2: All Fall Down cover reveal and preorder!
Thar she blows! Here’s the gorgeous cover!
And you can now preorder Circus Hearts 2 on all platforms, so go wild with this link:
Circus Hearts 2 Universal Book Link
Carnival glamour and swoon-worthy romance in Book 2 of the latest dark YA contemp series by the author of Every Breath.
A ringmaster’s daughter and a bearded lady’s son join forces to stop a saboteur…
Nineteen-year-old Fleur Klatsch is loyal to her trapeze team and her ringmaster father, dedicated to the circus, and tough on everyone around her. After a series of accidents at Klatsch’s Karnival, Fleur is left holding the ball: she’s running the carnival, trying to stop a saboteur, and taking care of her dad. She doesn’t need anyone’s help, least of all Eugenia Deloren’s son, Marco, who’s been trying to break out of show life since the moment he was born into it. All Marco needs to do is get Klatsch’s back on its feet so he can leave. But after one fateful kiss with Fleur, will he really want to? And will Fleur and Marco figure out who’s trying to kill the show before someone kills them…
Circus Hearts – Step. Right. Up.
The book is available at the special price of $2.99 ($3.99 AUD) during preorder – it will cost $4.99 on release.
You can read the first chapter on Wattpad here, and add the book on GoodReads here.
Keep your preorder receipts – email me at elliemarney at gmail dot com with a pic of your receipts, and I’ll send you a snazzy postcard and a temporary Circus Hearts 2 tattoo.
Wow! Busy times. Okay, yes, releasing four books in one year is a slightly deranged plan on my part, but I do love the fact that everybody gets to read the books in one long hit. And I hope you like this plan too – and love the books as much as I do
September 10, 2018
#LoveOzYAbookclub September 2018 title announcement – IDA
September is here, spring air is wafting around the flowers etcetera etcetera…and we have a great new title for bookclub
September 2, 2018
Circus Hearts: All The Little Bones is out in the world!
Ahhh, it’s finally release day! I’ve got to say, I’m not a patient person – and waiting to share this book has felt like a special kind of torture! I’m really proud of the Circus Hearts series, and I’m so glad that now people are able to read the first book. It feels great to get the ball rolling!
If you’d like to buy the ebook, you can find it here at these links:
And if you’d like a copy of the paperback, don’t worry! The paperbacks are coming all at once on 1 December.
But the most amazing thing is…the next book releases in a month.
Yep, you read that right – Circus Hearts 2 will be out on 1 October, and the cover and blurb will be shared with subscribers and then the rest of the world in just a few short weeks. The pre-order for Circus Hearts 2 will start on 18 September.
Far out, Brussel sprout! Things are moving along at a rapid pace – the best way to keep up with all the new releases and special offers is to join up here to my newsletter. My subscribers get all the goss first, and I do my best to avoid making the newsletters too boring.
One thing I will ask: if you have read Sorsha and Colm’s story and enjoyed it, please leave a review! Reviews are not only awesome for authors – they give us hope and encouragement – but they’re also really great for the book itself (all buzz is good!) and for the reading community (a lot of people check reviews before they give a book a chance! Reviews are readers helping readers). If you’d like to leave a review, I’d be hugely grateful, and you can do that at any of these links:
Thanks!
Okay, I want to keep this short and sweet, so I’ll end here. But I’d like to say a giant thank-you to all the people who have supported Circus Hearts, and bought the book and given me hugs (real and virtual) along the way. Thank you all for joining in the excitement for the series, and see you again soon!
xxEllie
August 25, 2018
CIRCUS HEARTS 1: All The Little Bones is on pre-order!
I need to announce that the pre-order of Circus Hearts 1: All The Little Bones is live! Yes, folks, you can now pre-order the ebook. Go forth and do that right here (but keep a pic of your receipts!):
Pre-ordering means that the first Circus Hearts ebook will drop right into your device as soon as the clock ticks over to 1 September. I’m extremely excited (and also a bit terrified) about the Circus Hearts release, and I’m nervous and thrilled that you’ll all get to read it soon. For those of you asking about paperbacks – they arrive in December this year.
Remember I said hang on to your receipts? That’s because I’m giving away a sweet-as Circus Hearts 1 postcard and a cute temporary tattoo to everyone who sends me a pic of their pre-order receipt. Just email me (elliemarney at gmail dot com) with your pic plus a snail-mail addy, and I’ll pop a card in the post for you.
I’m also running another little giveaway to spread the love about the Circus Hearts 1 release, which you’re welcome to join in: Post your favourite circus-themed picture on social media, using the #CircusHearts tag (and tag me @elliemarney too, if you want to be sure I’ll get it) between now and 1 September. I’ll give away a free copy of the new ebook plus a $20 bookstore gift card to whoever posts the most gorgeous pic – I’m posting a new pic of my own every day on Insta and Twitter and also at my Bookapalooza FB group, and I’d love to see your circus vibes!
I’ve posted the first chapter of
the book up on Wattpad, so if you’d like to check the book out a little before plonking down your hard-earned cash, go here and enjoy. For those of you who’d like to join in sharing the Circus Hearts pre-order love, feel free to grab one of the images at this link and post them to your social media – there are banners, headers, Insta posts and more, so go wild.
What a month it’s been! Phew. I should’ve blogged about all this sooner, but it’s August. For those of you not in the know, August in Australia is the busiest time of the year for writers – it’s when Book Week is on, and Melbourne Writers Festival is on, and a bunch of other writers festivals are on, and it’s also halfway through Term 3 (aka: the longest school term of the year), and because it’s end-of-winter it’s usually also when you’re feeling a bit peaky…
I love festival time though, especially when I get to visit students and schools. You can catch up with me at Melbourne Writers Festival if that’s something you’d like to do – I’m talking to Rebecca Lim about YA Crime Fiction here and chatting to Amie Kaufman about life in space here (that one’s in Warrnambool).
I can’t believe Circus Hearts 1 is about to release – far out. For those of you who’ve been watching as these books have developed…we’re nearly there! Catch you again in a week, when I’ll announce the release, and meanwhile have a lovely August!
xxEllie
August 23, 2018
#LoveOzYAbookclub August 2018 author interview – ERIN GOUGH (Amelia Westlake)
Erin Gough is a lovely person, and I know this because she once sat and chatted with me on the floor of the Melbourne Arts Centre during lunch at Reading Matters, and she happily ignored that fact that bits of salad were dropping off my plate onto the carpet near her foot.
No but really, Erin is a long-standing writer of talent: her 2015 book The Flywheel won the Hardie Grant Egmont Ampersand Prize and was listed as a White Raven International Youth library title, and prior to that success she wrote for Best Australian Stories, The Age, Overland, Southerly and Going Down Swinging. She has spoken for Stella Schools and at a number of writers festival around Australia – in 2019, Little Brown will publish Amelia Westlake in North America.
Erin has been kind enough to answer a number of our messy questions for bookclub, so I reckon she is a pretty good sport – and if you enjoyed Amelia Westlake, be sure to chase up The Flywheel!
Why this book? Why this story?:
The original idea came from a hoax I did with two of my school friends when we were in year 12. That hoax was the best thing about high school as far as I’m concerned, and I thought it would be fun to revisit it in fiction. As I began writing the story – about three years ago now – I realised it was developing into an exploration of power and privilege. As it happened, those concerns were becoming central to the cultural conversation as well, and we’ve since seen them culminate in the ‘me too’ movement.
Your book has been the basis for the development of a themed party. What’s the party like and what’s on the menu:
Everything about the party is a hoax. The hosts: a pair of blow-up dolls. The venue: a glittering hotel that halfway through the night, when the backdrop collapses, turns out to be a dusty warehouse. On the walls: fake Picassos. On the menu: rubber chickens and mock turtle soup. And carob for dessert.
One curious or unusual thing about you that most people don’t know:
When I was 20, I won $10,000 on a Channel Seven gameshow called ‘Hotstreak!’ Despite what it sounds like, the gameshow involved word games, not actual streaking, which is probably why it got axed after only one year.
Your favourite fictional tropes are:
Two of my favourites are the “opposites attract” trope (which I use in Amelia Westlake) and the “getting the band back together” trope. This is where characters who were once a team are reunited to undertake one last robbery, or to save the day one last time. Think RED, think The Muppets, think Oceans 8. I haven’t used this one yet, but one day I hope to!
While researching your book, you found out some crazy stuff, and it was this:
I love this question! How much weird stuff is there on the internet?? While researching Amelia Westlake I found out about a bunch of crazy hoaxes that have been perpetuated throughout history. In 1951 at a famous dinner party the host pretended to serve his dinner guests prehistoric sloth meat. In 1998 David Bowie and his friends made up a fake artist called ‘Nat Tate’ and published his supposed biography, fooling much of the New York art world. I also found out that there are a lot of people on the planet who think AUSTRALIA ITSELF IS A HOAX.
Erin, thank you for joining in with us on bookclub! Folks, stay tuned for our discussion post of AMELIA WESTLAKE, coming early next week.
xxEllie
August 5, 2018
#LoveOzYAbookclub August 2018 title announcement: AMELIA WESTLAKE
Good morning, team! Our new title for August 2018 is AMELIA WESTLAKE by Erin Gough.
“Two very different girls, and one giant hoax that could change – or ruin – everything.
Harriet Price has the perfect life: she’s a prefect at Rosemead Grammar, she lives in a mansion, and her gorgeous girlfriend is a future prime minister. So when she risks it all by creating a hoax to expose the school’s many problems – with help from notorious bad-girl Will Everheart, no less – Harriet tells herself it’s because she’s seeking justice. And definitely not because she finds Will oddly fascinating.
But as Will and Harriet’s campaign heats up, it gets harder for them to remain sworn enemies – and to avoid being caught. As tensions burn throughout the school, how far will they go to keep their mission – and their feelings for each other – a secret?”
I’m looking forward to this one heaps! AMELIA WESTLAKE recently won the Readings YA book Prize – it’s Erin Gough’s second novel after her critically-acclaimed debut The Flywheel.
Feel free to order the book in hardcopy through Boomerang Books, using the ‘loveoz’ code to get free shipping. You can also grab the ecopy here.
Also, a quick note to say that if you have suggestions for future bookclub titles, feel free to share them in the Comments on the FB thread – I’m always keen for more books!
Catch you later, folks, and happy reading
