Ellie Marney's Blog, page 31

YA Crime Report: GUEST POST - Kirsten Krauth

Another blog post, another wonderful guest!  Today I’ve persuaded Castlemaine’s own Kirsten Krauth to give us a visit.  Kirsten and I knocked knees together during our very first author readings, and now Kirsten’s debut novel just_a_girl has recently been released by UWAP.  Set on the outskirts of Sydney, it’s the strange and sultry story of Layla.
Layla may be only 14, but she’s grown up fast.  She does a lot of things online that she probably shouldn’t.  Her mum has her own problems to deal with, plus she’s a bit church-obsessed.  Layla is figuring things out on her own, and she’s a quick study.  And somewhere else in the city, a man is packing his lover into a suitcase…
Just_a_girl is an adult novel that looks into the heart of teenage life, its darkness and light, and it’s filled with beautiful language that made me drool a little.  So now I’d like you to give a warm welcome to the very talented Kirsten Krauth!!

Kirsten – hey there, how’re you going?  You’ve been a writer and blogger for some time, but what’s it like now, being a fully fledged author?
It’s a big step. It feels different having your book out in the world. Very exciting to receive that little package in the mail. It’s kind of like being pregnant. You don’t really believe you’re going to have a baby, until you have a baby! I have the book on top of the huge pile of books next to my bed. It’s nice to look at when I wake up.

Now here’s the question that seems to be compulsory for every writer – which is it, plotter or pantser?
Definitely a pantser. For this first novel, I was learning, so I started out just concentrating on voice (Layla’s). I wrote paragraphs, playing with words. Gradually the paragraphs started to merge, new characters were born, and connections were made. I don’t know where the characters are taking me, and it’s one of the joys of writing, to find that out. I like seeing the shape of the novel emerge slowly. I concentrate on structure and plotting in later drafts.

Just_a_girl is pitched as an adult novel, but your protagonist is 14.  What were the challenges of writing from a teenage perspective?  Did you find yourself doing a lot of eavesdropping and observing to research the way teenager’s behave and talk?
Layla’s voice had real resonance with me. I find 14 year olds endlessly fascinating and she was the easiest character in the book to write. This is because Layla is on the cusp, in so many ways. She is full of contradictions: sexual but naïve; angry but vulnerable; passionate but evasive. I think I am always drawn to teenagers as they often see themselves as outsiders looking in, trying to work out the world. I think most writers see themselves that way too! The challenge with writing from a teen perspective is you have to hold onto that naiveté, and remember how much they don’t yet know. With Layla, her style is very distinctive. Short, sharp, disjoined sentences. Often not grammatically correct. So it was important to keep that consistent.
I used to commute between Springwood (where the novel is set) and Kings Cross in Sydney for four hours a day. It gave me a lot of time to listen to girls on the train. I was surprised by how much they revealed to each other and all of us listening (and questioned quietly how much of it was true). I used to note things down. I also spent a fair bit of time on Facebook seeing how young girls communicated there…

What prompted you to write just_a_girl in the first place?  How did it all start to come together?
I had a few ideas about Layla (she originally started as a hypertext fiction created for the internet, which is why she is so jumpy!) and took them to university where I did a research masters in creative writing. My supervisor Sue Woolfe was a fantastic encouragement and I had a shorter version of the novel by the time I completed my degree.

So much of teenage life is conducted online now – chatting with mates, arranging events, acquiring knowledge, even hooking up – and it’s all conducted in full public view.  Everything you do is out there, like you’ve taken out a half-page ad in the paper.  And yet the responsible adults are often a bit oblivious, because they’re not as connected with or informed about the technology.  It struck me that just_a_girl highlights this idea really well – the existence of a secret life, conducted in public.  Was this something that you noticed too, as you were pulling all the threads of the novel together?

Yes, yes, yes. I actually set out on the book with this theme in mind. It continues to occupy me. I was interested originally in the impact of digital technologies on people’s lives, family, parenting, teenagers. What could a teenager do in her bedroom that I couldn’t when I was that age? If she could chat with a stranger (who could find out a lot about her online and gear the conversation around certain things), and then organise to meet him in another town, that’s a pretty big shift! Then when I told people about my novel and ideas, stories just poured out. Of young people discovered doing the most secretive and scary things. One sticks in my mind, a young boy who was selling naked images of himself. His mother only found out when she discovered his bank account had thousands of dollars.
I think you’ve just given me a great line for the book … ‘a secret life, conducted in public’. Can I use it?  (Sure! – go for your life!) 

As a parent yourself, though, do you find it a bit unnerving?  Or is this just normal for teenagers now, and do adults need to get over it (or get with the program)?
As a parent (of two young children) I’ve been dwelling on these ideas a lot. How do you control your children’s access to technology, when they are so desperate to keep up and fit in? Is it possible when most parents (and teachers) know less about technology than the children do? I have always been interested in computers and communications so I try to keep up with it. I think all use can be moderated to some extent. If kids are going to use iPads, laptops, they need to do it in family areas, with parental supervision. And they need to switch off too. With mobiles, it’s more difficult. I’m sure as my kids reach their teens, technologies will have changed rapidly again, so I’ll have to revise my thinking…

The book has been described as having a ‘noir-ish feel’, which to me was odd (as I always think of Elmore Leonard when I think of noir) but also strangely appropriate.  Do you think it’s an accurate description?
Funny, I hadn’t thought of it that way, but yes, I think it works. The author Wendy James describes her work as ‘suburban noir’ and it might fit in there. I hope the book crosses genres in some ways so I’d be happy for it to be described like that. The book has an undercurrent of darkness that permeates…

I noticed you slipped in a reference to Layla reading Murakami…  What sort of books were you reading when you were 14?  Do you think they influence you even to this day?
I wasn’t reading any Japanese writers (a shame) but I was a voracious reader. On my school hols my dad would buy me a pile of 10 books and I’d binge-read, happy as anything. My favourites were the US writers in teen fiction, Judy Blume, Robert Cormier, Paul Zindel, SE Hinton. Yes, these writers were focused on sex and occasionally bleak themes (with the odd strike of light and humour), so they have definitely influenced my first book. I still love to see them on my bookshelf.

Just_a_girl is your first book – what has it been like to see your ‘baby’ go out into the world (and did you ever read through the typeset pages and think ‘omg, I should have changed that!’ etc)
It has been both exhilarating and unnerving. It’s strange to let go of something you’ve worked for so many years on. I love hearing what other people think of it, especially when it’s struck a nerve. Even thought it’s written for adults, I’ll be very pleased when I hear a teenager’s opinion. I haven’t looked through the final copy as I don’t want to think about changing anything! I just like looking at the cover!

So now you’re published, do you have any words of wisdom for other young writers out there?
Write what you’re passionate about. Be resilient. Keep trying even if you get knocked back a few times. Learn to know which advice/criticism to take on. For the first draft, don’t look back. Just keep writing. Don’t think about it. Plenty of time to do that in future drafts.

Well, folks, that’s the end of Kirsten’s interview – thanks, Kirsten, for being such a lovely guest, and good luck with the book!  If you’d like to come to the launch of just_a_girl here in Castlemaine, come along to Lot 19 on Saturday 13 July, 5-7pm.  Ask a local for directions!  (or tweet me, because I’m going, so I can point you the way)
And if you’d like to read just_a_girl, copies are available from Stoneman’s Bookroom in Castlemaine, various bookstores around the country, or online (paperback or ebook)
Finally, before I go, a couple of VITAL things.  The next few weeks are going to be incredibly busy, because everything is happening at once, it seems.  But I do need to mention –
* I went to Angela Savage’s book launch for The Dying Beach!! 
Here's the author, hard sloggin' it with the signings...

It was a fantastic night at Brunswick Bound, and if you’re a crime fan, go and grab a copy of this awesome novel featuring the hard-drinkin’ ever-lovin’ detective Jayne Keeney in Krabi (I’m hoping to hit Angela up for an interview some time when she’s not busy as a bee…).

On ya, Angela!



* The winner of the Every Breath Cover Reveal Competition is about to go live!!  I’m pulling a name out of the hat this weekend, and I’ll post it up on Sunday.  Check out one of the sweet sweet prizes… 
(No, not me !  The t-shirts!)

Yes, you get one of these, plus a copy of the book, so if you’ve been thinking you’d like to jump aboard, then – quick!  Go here right now and comment, or say hi on Facebook or Tweet me @elliemarney, for your last chance to win!

(More crazy selfies below!  It's the t-shirts, people, the t-shirts...but check the stylish beanie...)


* If you’re a student at Castlemaine Secondary College, the Every Breath Review Comp starts on Tuesday 16 July – that’s next Tuesday! 
I know, I know, it’s sad to go back to school, but…Prizes!  Book copies!  Your name in lights!

If you’d like to enter the competition, go see your English Teacher and nominate to review the book – your review could be published online here, and in the Castlemaine Mail!!



* Last but not least – er, KOALAS IN OUR DRIVEWAY. 

Well, not plural koalas, just one very lost-looking koala, who spooked the chickens when he/she wandered into our place on Wednesday…  The koala took a side trip into the study, so yes, I am writing in the very place that our koala friend peed (koalas get freaked out in confined places – who knew?).  Koalas – very fluffy ears, and totally weird.






That’s the round-up.  Hope you’re all having a good week, and talk to you again very soon J
Xx Ellie

Cashing in my Review V-card

Peoples!  Every Breath has had its first review!
This came out in Books & Publishing a short while ago, and I was rapt when a friend sent it to me.  As the site itself is subscriber-only, I thought I’d post it here so everyone and their dog could read it too...

Every Breath (Ellie Marney, A&U)
Picking up on the current Sherlock Holmes zeitgeist, Every Breath is the story of two teenagers playing at detective, trying to solve the death of their friend Homeless Dave. Rather than Holmes and Watson we get Mycroft and Watts, best friends drawn to each other because they have both lost everything—Mycroft his parents and Watts her family home in the country. As they are pulled deeper into the mysteries surrounding Dave’s murder, they also discover a growing attraction to each other, so like all good stories about death it’s about love too. Mycroft and Watts are fast-talking, flawed, bright characters. The requisite banter is threaded through with the language of crime procedurals—lividity and rigor mortis and blood spatter patterns—which is charming in its novelty. Ellie Marney’s YA novel explores the isolation and the desperation to escape later teenage years, and is moodily underscored by a cold and gloomy Melbourne. The writing is pacy and engaging but doesn’t shy away from darkness. Reminiscent of Lili Wilkinson’s A Pocketful of Eyes, although slightly grimmer in tone, Every Breath will be enjoyed by readers aged 13 and up. It is the first book of a trilogy.
Reviewer: Cordelia Rice works at Thorpe-Bowker.
She is a former bookseller and previously worked at the Centre for Youth LiteratureIf you’re still keen to enter the Cover Reveal competition, it closes in a few days – but you can still drop me a line HERE to put your name in, or FB me, or Tweet me @elliemarney…  I guess you know how these things work.
And my next post will be a new YA Crime Report with the entrancing Kirsten Krauth, talking about a teenage cyber-perspective and noir suspense surrounding her new book just_a_girl.  Make sure you pop along and say hi.
Xx Ellie

YA Crime Report: GUEST POST - Lili Wilkinson

I promised you some guests would be dropping in for a chin-wag, and I do try to make good on my promises.  So today I am very excited to be playing host to…the lovely Lili Wilkinson!! 
Lili Wilkinson (excuse me Lili, but I have to say this) is kind of like literary royalty at our place – her mum Carole wrote the first chapter book my son ever read (Dragonkeeper), and Lili has also written many other books we’ve loved, including Scatterheart, Angel Fish, Pink (awesome), and my personal fave, A Pocketful of Eyes.
Lili’s most recent book is The Zig Zag Effect, in which Sage Kealley tries to unravel a mystery involving a magician, a series of very nasty stage tricks, and a haunted theatre - with the somewhat distracting assistance of Herb, a magician-in-training.
Every book I read of Lili’s has me admiring the craft and skill in the writing, and loving the realness of the characters, so please give a very big welcome to Lili Wilkinson!!! *cue dry-ice smoke, the wave of a wand, a red-cape swirl*

Hey Lili!  Lovely to see you, how’s it going?
*pulls rabbit out of hat, and egg from rabbit’s ear* Eggcellent! (sorry)

I just finished reading The Zig Zag Effect, and the way you pulled all the elements of the mystery together was beautifully done.  I particularly loved the refs to Conan Doyle and Houdini, and Sherlock (of course).  Was it a lot of fun, writing a detective-style mystery?
Yes! It’s the third mystery I’ve written – after Pocketful of Eyes and Love-shy. The first one was dreadfully hard, because I wrote the first few scenes and just threw interesting clues all over the place without having any idea how they were going to pay off. I learnt my lesson, and now I have a much better strategy – solve the mystery first and then work backwards. But there are always a few hairy moments where you have no idea how it’s all going to come together.

And  can we deduce you’re a fan of Sherlock Holmes too? (I always love meeting another Sherlockian!)  Do you have a favourite Conan Doyle story?
Probably The Adventure of the Speckled Band – I love a locked room mystery. I’m also loving all these new versions of Sherlock Holmes that are popping up! (For the record, Elementary is my favourite because of the Holmes/Watson relationship, and Holmes’s beautiful vulnerability. Cumberbatch’s Sherlock is fascinating, but a bit too cruel for me.)

You’ve obviously done a fair bit of research into the history of magical mystery with this book – did you find anything really interesting along the way that you’d like to share?
Ooh, so many things. Some of which I can’t divulge (I promised I wouldn’t spill any big magic secrets). I was definitely fascinated by the role of women in stage magic – and how creepily violent their jobs are – getting tied up and cut in half and everything. The history of magic is just fascinating – especially people like Houdini and his confrontations with Arthur Conan Doyle.

Love is a pretty popular theme in so many YA books – I thought you drew Sage and Herb together in a genuinely realistic way.  How do you handle the romance factor in your novels?

I love writing romance, and I love reading it. I can never quite fathom why romance in books is seen as being somehow trivial or trashy – isn’t love one of those fundamental defining characteristics of humanity? Isn’t it something that we’ve all felt or wish to feel? Adolescent romance is so much fun to write – falling in love for the first time as a teenager is probably the most intense thing you’ll ever feel. I try and approach romance with respect, honesty and humour, and then throw in steamy makeout scenes on the backs of stuffed tigers or in close proximity to bucketfuls of urine.

There’s a great piece of dialogue early in Zig Zag (well, there was plenty of fantastic dialogue, but I loved this bit especially!), where Sage and Herb get the connection between their names.  So…character names – are they plucked like magic from thin air?  Or do you think the characters choose their own names?
Sometimes I’m very nerdy and figure out what year my characters were born in, then look up ABS data and pick a relatively popular name. Sometimes they  come from thin air (I just liked the name Sage). Sometimes they’re named after real people (in Pink all the stage crew kids are named after real people). I hadn’t realised the Herb/Sage thing until I’d written a couple of chapters. By then I was so attached to their names that I decided to make a joke out of it.

What time of writer are you?  An early bird?  A day warbler?  A night owl?  Okay, enough with the bird analogies – when do you do what you do?
I’m pretty boring, really – a 9-5, Monday-Friday kind of girl. Not to say that I write for eight hours a day – that would be ridiculous and impossible. But I do some kind of work – boring tax stuff or research or interviews or school visits. And I try not to work on weekends.

And do you have any little rituals or routines in your writing practice?  (Are you a bit superstitious about it?)
Like Herb, I don’t have a superstitious bone in my body. I have plotting routines or techniques – like whenever I’m stuck I go back to the question of What does this character want, more than anything? Otherwise I think I’m pretty boring in the actual writing process. No special hats or pens for me!

Lili, you’ve been a very gracious guest, so thank you so much for visiting!  Folks – give her a round of applause!
If you’d like to read a bit more about Lili, you can find her at http://liliwilkinson.com.au or @twitofalili.
The Zig Zag Effect can be found at most good bookshops, or online both physically and electronically.

That’s it for the guest post today, but I have another special guest lined up for next time, so please stay in touch.
Remember, you’ve got another week to put your name in the hat for the EVERY BREATH Cover Reveal Competition - it’s easy to join in, just comment here, or at my Facebook, or throw me a mention on https://twitter.com/elliemarney, and I’ll put you down to win a special EVERY BREATH prize pack, including a copy of the book. The comp closes in about a week, so put your name in the hat!
ALSO – there’s a big new review competition being organised for Castlemaine Secondary College, so if you’re a student there, keep an eye out.  It will start the first week back at school (so that’s something to alleviate the end-of-holidays pain, I hope) and there will be flyers and stuff all over the place telling you to Contact Your English Teacher To Enter.  So…y’know, go enter!
Thanks for coming along for the ride today, and next time…tea and bikkies with another Crime Guest J Have a good week!
xxEllie
 

COVER REVEAL AND GIVEAWAY: Every Breath

Ah, wow, I feel strangely nervous!  I’ve been looking forward to showing you all the cover for the book for so long, and it’s finally here!
Yes, EVERY BREATH went to print (‘went to bed’ is the publishing parlance, I believe) on Monday, and Eva has released the cover for me to show off.  So here it is!  What do you think?  (I know I’m biased, but I think it’s fantastic!)


EVERY BREATH Synopsis:

Rachel Watts has just moved to Melbourne from the country, but the city is the last place she wants to be.  James Mycroft is her neighbour, an intriguingly troubled seventeen-year-old who is also a genius with a passion for forensics.
Despite her misgivings, Rachel finds herself unable to resist Mycroft when he wants her help investigating a murder.  He’s even harder to resist when he’s up close and personal – and on the hunt for a cold-blooded killer.
When Rachel and Mycroft follow the murderer’s trail, they find themselves in the lion’s den – literally.
A trip to the zoo will never have quite the same meaning again…

 
I am really thrilled with…well everything really!  But the cover, by Lisa White, is really special.  Check out Flinders St in the background!  And Cath Crowley, who is a writer I love and admire so much, has written a wonderful recommendation for the front – thank you, Cath!
I can’t wait for people to read it J  Or rather, I’m nervous that people will be reading, but also incredibly excited.
If you’d like to pre-order your copy, keep an eye on the Allen & Unwin site, for more info coming down the pipeline soon.
And now I’m so rapt with life and the world, I’m going to hold a giveaway!
I'm going to do it the old-fashioned way, as I haven't got one of the tricky little giveaway doo-whackeys yet.
If you’d like a special hot-off-the-presses copy of EVERY BREATH, then please write a comment on this blog post and I’ll put your name in a hat .  If you write a comment and link this post back to your own blog/website/Twitter feed/Facebook page, then I’ll put you in the hat twice!
At the end of 2 weeks, I’ll draw a winner, and that person will win a special EVERY BREATH prize pack, which includes a copy of the book, and a few other goodies.  I'll publish the name of the winner here, and they can get in touch, and then I'll package up their prize and post it off! (where would we be without snail mail?)
So comment away, and thanks for being here for the unveiling.  Have a great week!

***PS:  Our first GUEST POST from our YA Crime guests will be coming soon, and I think it will be a very surprising visitor…  Stay tuned!
xx Ellie

YA Crime Report: unsuspecting guests

I have some awesome news!
No, it’s not that the cover of Every Breath is ready to show off – that won’t happen for about another week or so, according to my editor.  But I do have some other good news!
It’s this: Now, you might remember that early last month I did a short article on YA Contemporary about crime becoming the new vogue in YA circles…  What, you didn’t read it?  Oh well, maybe you didn’t get around to it, but I’m gonna keep banging on about it.  Because I honestly reckon that crime is getting more popular in YA, as a new niche for writers and readers (which is all good, as far as I’m concerned – come on, I did write a murder mystery).
Now hang on, here’s the good bit.
Some of the authors I profiled in that article, and also a few other amazing authors and special people I know, have been generous enough to agree to GUEST POST ON THIS BLOG.  Outstanding!
So dress nice, people, we’re having guests.
Over the next few months, I’m going to feature a new guest every alternating post.
Lili Wilkinson (A Pocketful of Eyes, The Zig Zag Effect) will be coming in, as well as Rebecca James (Beautiful Malice, Sweet Damage) and Kim Kane (Cry Blue Murder).
Castlemaine locals will also swing through – both the lovely Simmone Howell (Girl Defective), and Kirsten Krauth (just_a_girl), debut novelist and all-round cool chick, will be dropping over for a coffee and a chat.
And I’ve also asked a couple of real-live forensic specialists to say hi, and give us the ins and outs of professional forensic process, so break out your magnifying glass and your Tyvek.
All these gorgeous guests will be touching on the theme of crime, with particular emphasis on crime writing and Young Adults.  We’re having a CRIME PARTY, guys.  Wow – this is just like playing Cluedo in your living room, or How to Host A Murder!  (But without the crazy costumes.  I mean, you can still read this while you’re in your pyjama onesies and ugg boots, which has to be an added bonus. I know I said ‘dress nice’, but this is the internets)
So see you next time, with our first guest, and have a good week.  And if you’re in Victoria, stay warm xx

Books!! The Americans!! Chicken Slaughter!! Randomness!!

Here’s some stuff I’ve been doing lately.
* Ate a lot of dark chocolateBecause, lo, it is the stuff of life.
* Not exercisedI started out so well.  Then I lapsed.
Now I’ve been trying hard to get disciplined on this.  See?  It’s working – I’ve disciplined myself not to exercise.  Now if I could only figure out how to discipline it back.
I like exercising – I really do.  But there are honestly not enough hours in the day for me to write, work, parent, do school drop-offs/pick-ups and other good-parent things, grocery-shop, garden, clean the bathroom, figure out how to use the Internets properly, cook healthy dinners, fix my computer and so on, AND exercise.
Give me an extra couple of hours in the day, and I’ll give you a fitter, sleeker, more toned-looking me.  Until then – ‘Blah’, as Toad always says.
* Ranted about copyeditsDo you hate the automatic conversion of imperial measurements to metric in contemporary fiction?  Does it bother you that US copyeditors are continuing with the dreadful new habit of using ‘I saw her couple years ago’ instead of the more grammatically-correct ‘I saw her a couple of years ago’?  (People – you are deleting two whole useful words there, ok??)  Are you still getting over the fact that ‘focussed’ is now ‘focused’?  Do you hate hate hate the use of semi-colons in dialogue? (Because I was saying this to my copyeditor, that no one uses semi-colons when they talk,  and she was, like, ‘Well, Ellie, let’s see; I think we’ll just have to agree to disagree’)
If you are pernickety about any of these things – congratulations!  Join me at the next meeting of the Grammar Pedants, of which I am the Current Chair.  We will go bowling with Hilary, my copyeditor, and talk about the use of ‘that that’s’ and other incredibly scintillating things…
* Moved an echidna off the road to our houseBecause apparently echidnas like us.  A lot.  They come on pilgrimages to our place.  (Even in winter – I know, that’s so weird!)
Sometimes, due to a lack of road sense and a certain peculiarity that involves enjoying warm bitumen surfaces, these loyal pilgrims die along the way.  I always feel sorry for them, and stop the car and try to sort of…shoo them.
When you’re trying to shoo an echidna off the road, it’s enough to walk behind them a little way and kind of wave in their direction.  Don’t prod them with a stick, or stamp your feet, or make loud ‘shoo’ noises – they will just curl up into a ball.  They can’t help it – it’s an “evolution+spikes=curling” thing.  But it’s kind of hard then to get them off the road, unless you don’t care that much about your hands and you’re happy to roll them or something.  * Stressed about book publicityEven though the A&U publicist, Lara, is like this bastion of calm in a sea of chaos, and she has assured me that all will be well, and please, don’t worry about it – I’m sorry, but I worry.  It’s kind of an amusing personality quirk.
* Applied for jobsBecause, woe, a family of six cannot live on one person’s part-time income and another person’s as-yet-non-existent royalty cheques alone.
*Ate gluten-free breadAs a test.  And apologies, guys, but – it sucks.  I have a problem with it, and it is mainly that it does not taste like bread.  Sorry, gluten-free, it’s into the chook-bucket for you…
*Spread manureBecause, y’know, I’m an author!  That’s what I do!  No, seriously – it’s important to garden.  It keeps me sane, except for the fact that whenever I see a ring-barked tree on our property I want to KILL ALL RABBITS IN A VIOLENT WAY.  So, yeah, apart from that, gardening is good.
* TweetedI am totally getting into this tweeting thing.  Oh yeah.
* Stole my sister-in-law’s firewoodFrom the enormous mountain of firewood she had cut when she felled a whole lot of trees last spring.  Really, she has too much firewood  – no, I know, this doesn’t make it right!  Deb, I’m sorry!  I will pay it all back, I promise!
*Paid my kids the $124 dollars I owed them in pocket moneyOuch.
*Did not set off the smoke detector during meal preparation – not even once
* Went to SydneyI told you about that already.
* Accidentally killed my son’s favourite chickenOMG!!  *flails*
I tweeted about this too, so it was a very public disaster.  But it really wasn’t my fault!  We have many chickens, and they are a variety of colours, but they all look largely the same.  It wasn’t until I had chopped, and then thought, and then realised…
And I actually feel really bad about this, because he was a very nice chook.  At the moment my son is clueless about it, but one day, very soon, he will look into the chook pen and realise that, oh dear, his favourite chook has mysteriously disappeared.  And I will have to spin the story of my life, about the brave rooster who saw a nasty fox, and flew over the fence to give his life for his flock…and I will work that really hard.
And no one is allowed to say anything, okay?
* Started another bookThe third book, this is.  So yeah, I’m writing a trilogy, except that makes it sound like an epic fantasy series, and it’s not.  People say the second book is really hard – I don’t agree.  The second one was easy.  I’m finding the third one an absolute ball-breaker.
*Watched a new tv showOh, I’m addicted to something new – that’s exciting!  I watched the first ep of The Americans – it totally had me from the first opening sequence, when the Russian spy couple are chasing down the bad spy guy, with Tusk by Fleetwood Mac playing in the background.
So yeah – 80’s Reagan-era sleeper agents, and Jordache jeans, and I found the whole thing so incredibly cool I may now watch the entire season.  Except it kind of craps all over Elementary, which is a bit saddening – but I will still watch Elementary because of the Sherlock.  I am hooked on the Sherlock in every form.
Although I read a very insightful analysis of the first ep of The Americans on livejournal, which said that Phillip, the male main character, is dominating the story, and that Elizabeth, the female main character, is kind of background wallpaper, even though this is supposed to be a show about a marriage (okay, Russian spies and stuff, but you know, basically it’s about a marriage).  Which I agreed with, actually, although I’m interested to see if this is just a consequence of the lead actor being really bloody good, and perhaps we’ll start to see a change in Elizabeth’s character as the series progresses, so she starts to become more identifiable.  Because right now, Phillip is the one who really cares, who is the most emotionally vulnerable in the marriage, and Elizabeth has kind of replaced love with dogma, so I’d like to see a bit of that start to shatter.
And don’t get me started on character backstories in tv shows, because I will just go on and on.
*Read ‘The Fault In our Stars’ by John GreenWhich, if you haven’t read it – why are you reading this?  Go, go now!  Go and get this incredible book!
It made me bawl my eyes out, though, so fair warning.


So that’s it.  All these things I did, and many other things besides, which owing to space and time considerations it would be tedious to list all of them.
I hope you did some fun stuff in May.  I plan to do more fun stuff now June is here – see you round.

Fangirling, or why there’s no such thing as too many exclamation marks

You know by now that I am a total fangirl, right?
I mean, I developed extremely nervous hands when I got introduced to Libba Bray at the Emerging Writer’s Festival.  And also, Garth Nix was standing right there, so I could go home and say ‘OMG, I saw Garth Nix!’ to my kids, and they were all ‘Wow, OMG!’ right back.
And I met Lili Wilkinson once! (She is awesome, btw)  And Karen Healey! (Who totally talked to me!)  And I still sometimes tweet replies to Maureen Johnson’s tweets, and live in hope that one day she will tweet back, at which point I will fall over or something, and then start squeeing ‘ OMG, Maureen Johnson!!’ to everyone nearby, and they will look at me weirdly (especially my husband, who doesn’t really know who Maureen Johnson is), but I will not care because OMG, Maureen Johnson!!!
Because to me, this all started with being a fangirl.  Mainly of authors like Susan Cooper and Elynne Mitchell and Roald Dahl and Susie Hinton and Margaret Mahy, and then onto authors like Margaret Atwood and Cormac McCarthy, and somehow at the same time authors like John Marsden and Melina Marchetta and Margo Lanagan (I met her once too!  She signed my copy of Red Spikes!) and so on, until I reach this point I’m at now, where I actually get to meet some of the people who have created some of my favourite books, like Simmone Howell and Leanne Hall and Cath Crowley.
For me, the thrill never goes away.  And I find it pretty inspiring, to know that those real live people out there exist, who keep giving their whole selves to the writing of the words that lift me up and spin me round and make me see the world in a different way.
That’s the promise I try to keep: that I’ll do my utmost to throw myself into the things I write, that I’ll try to give my best (or at least as close to the best that I’m capable of at this moment) to the words.  Basically, that I’ll be the best fangirl I can be, for the worlds I create.

Anyway, I said I was going to Sydney - yeah, well, I went :)  I met my agent, Catherine Drayton, for the first time, and - with her incredible powers of assurance - she filled me with the feeling that Every Breath will be fine, that it will go out into the world and have a happy life.  So thank you, Catherine, it's good to have that feeling in the last few months before your book is released.
I also met the lovely people who work at Allen & Unwin Sydney, who took me out to coffee, and bought me lunch, and listened to me bang on about the book, and my kids, and checked out the photos of Guildford and our house and stuff that I had on my phone.  And I met the cover designer, Lisa, and talked characters and book covers, and then slogged on in the rain to visit bookstores all over Sydney, in the short time I had left.
Now I'm back on the ranch, and it's a freezing Victorian winter (Sydney, you were so warm!), and I'm deep in the writing of the third book, while the winds howl outside.  My littlest son sometimes stops by to sip my tea while I'm working, and I am planning the launches for Every Breath.
Yes - launches.  I said there would be two, and now there are two, one for Melbourne friends and one for Castlemaine friends (although friends from both are welcome to go to both...I'm sure you know that).  They are both in September (the 12th and the 20th) and as we get closer I'll probably send out invites and bake cakes and buy bottles of wine, and all that stuff you do for parties...  I'll let you know more details as the Time Draws Near.
I'm also going to do some special posts soon, with details about giveaways, and competitions, and also some guests, and - this is very exciting - I will be able to show everyone the cover of Every Breath soon, very soon.  Don't worry, you won't miss it - I'll probably make up a giant blow-up poster and stand on the street corner, pointing and grinning like an idiot.
Until then, have a good week.

CALM! We must have CALM!!!!

I leave on Tuesday for Sydney.  I’m going up to see the lovely peoples from Allen & Unwin there, as well as meet my agent, Catherine, for the first time (after communicating via phone/internets for nearly a year).  I’m also going to an Australia Council bash – yes, I have agonised over clothes.  Most of you who know me know that my clothes fall somewhere along the spectrum from ‘chook-shed cleaning/chainsawing clothes’ to ‘look decent at a pub clothes’ and not much in between.
Apart from couture decisions, there’s so much to do!  Planning for meetings and organising flight paperwork and arranging child-care, along with other general life-house-mess stuff, and two of the boys have the lurgy, and…and…
I am repeating the ‘Calm!  We must have CALM!’ mantra.
While I’m away, I will be thinking up ideas for helping get Every Breath out into the world.  I have plans, oh yes.  Plans that involve giving things away, and making trailers, and extra stories, and blog tours, and free stuff…chime in if there’s anything you think I could do that would make the arrival of Every Breath more exciting!
Oh, and I’m going to throw a party!  Actually, I have plans for TWO parties!
I know, I’m going crazy!  Someone, please, stop me!  (Omg, that means I will have to find PARTY CLOTHES.  I’m officially freaking myself out now.)
But the launch is only…crap, it’s only 3 months away.  I’m getting that fluttery nervous anxious feeling in my gut just thinking about it.  Now I’ll have to go watch some Elementary re-runs or something to get a handle on it.
When I come back from Sydney, prepare for plans.  See you then!

The Hot Seat

  Your palms are clammy.  Your breath feels tight.  Sweat is staining the armpits of your shirt – damn, the Rexona has failed again – and your throat is dry.  People start looking at you, and your heart begins thumping out of your chest…
What is it?  Could it be…yes!  You’re PUBLIC SPEAKING!!!
Check out the hot seat at right, cunningly disguised to look attractive.  You can't see it, but there was even a flickering-flame graphic on the screen in the decommissioned fireplace behind the chair!
Yes, I took to the stage to read at Newstead Short Story Tattoo, and it was stressful.  Getting to watch Cate Kennedy, who speaks so eloquently, and with such a relaxed style, was pretty inspiring.  If Cate can do it, damnit, I can too!  Sadly I was scheduled just before Cate, so it was only in the aftermath of my own turn that I was able to settle down and enjoy the ride.
But it was a fun ride.  I think I’m improving – now my hands only shake at the start.  Which is okay if you can steady them on a lectern, but no good if you’re holding the mike in one hand and your book in the other.  You just look like you’ve got the DT’s.
Anyway, I’m working on it.  I think I’m getting the hands thing under control – except after the shakes leave my hands they head south, so by the halfway mark, my knees are knocking together.
I’ll get the hang of this eventually.  Maybe by the time the next Newstead Tattoo rolls around.

Website: The website is up and running!  Lope on over to www.elliemarney.com and see what you think.  Is the banner too pink?  (If it is - tough!  It's too late now!  Bwahahahahaa!!)  Actually, I love the look of the site, and all the credit for website awesomeness goes to the Amazing Jane from Blue Vapours, who can even make haybales look inspiring!

Guest post:  Tomorrow I’m guest posting at YA Contemporary.  Thank you very much to Jim for inviting me to post – I wrote a piece on YA crime, which I like to think is on the up and up.  Go have a look, hope you like it!

Here's some more shots of the Tattoo, for your viewing pleasure:
Neil Boyack, organiser extraordinnaire...











Someone who must have had the Hot Seat experience before me... 











Lucy Sussex in full flight during the Horror Stories on Friday night...











And finally...when I came out of the Community Hall on Sunday afternoon post-Sister's Salon, I noticed that in fact a story full of drama and pathos had been going on right across the street from us, while we were busy listening...

Here was the final line:

                                                    Hemingway, eat your heart out!

Newstead Short Story Tattoo

It’s on again – the biannual Newstead Short Story Tattoo, in our gorgeously autumnal locale of Newstead, from Friday 3 May to Sunday 5 May.


So take the road less travelled by, and check it out!  There will be campfires!  And a zombie disco!  And of course, stories – more stories than you could poke a stick at.  All organised by the amazing Neil Boyack, seasoned with a cast of thousands!
Go here if you’d like to have a look at the full program, and please come along.  Entry to Newstead Community Centre is largely by donation, and there’ll be a bar, and music, and loads of friendly hillbilly folk.
I’m going to be reading at the Sister’s Salon, on Sunday May 5 at noon, alongside Cate Kennedy, Tru Dowling, Annie Drum, Megan Anderson and Emma Scherlies.  There will be an open mic as well, so if you’re feeling brave (or even if you’re not) come on up and give it a whirl...
Hopefully I'll see you there :)