Sally Partridge's Blog, page 2

Cover reveal! Leo Jantjies & the Esports Championship

This might come as a surprise to many of you, but I have written a children’s book for readers aged ten and above.

My husband is crazy about online gaming (think Counterstrike, Rocket League, World of Warcraft etc.) As a kid he received a lot of flack about it being a waste of time, which I am sure is still the case for millions of kids around the world – despite professional esports being a million-dollar industry. (I’ve sat through my share of DOTA tournaments, let me tell you.) So I decided to write a book about a South African boy whose parents also think its a waste of time.

Its my absolute delight to announce that Leo Jantjies and the Esports Championship is coming out August 2023 from Human & Rousseau and features amazing (you seriously have to see these!) illustrations by Johan Strauss.

Here’s the back cover blurb:

Leo Jantjies loves playing Theatre of Gods and Heroes (TOGAH). He’d play all day and night if he could – if it weren’t for nuisances like school and chores. The game has quickly become part of the professional esports scene where teams from around the world compete for millions of dollars in prize money. When a clip of Leo playing TOGAH goes viral, he doesn’t expect to be branded the best King Shaka player in the world. And he certainly doesn’t expect to get a call from a pro team to recruit him for the Esports World Championship in Paris! But soon Leo, his best friend Fiks, and his sister Lauren jet off to Europe for an adventure none of them thought was possible. 

And here’s the cover:

I think the cover is incredible! It features our leading man Leo, of course, but also shares a glimpse of some of the TOGAH characters you’ll meet in the book.

Let me know what you think!

Roundup of recent events

It’s been a fun few weeks promoting my eighth novel, The Witches of Hogsback. I recently returned from a whirlwind trip to Johannesburg to attend the Kingsmead Book Fair. I was originally going to talk about how to write a crime novel, but my final topic was much more delicious – The Midnight Hour, covering our ongoing fascination with all things dark and spooky. I was joined by one of the college’s English teachers, Louisa, suitably attired in crescent moon earrings and a snake ring, and together we covered a range of subjects including the origins of Wicca, Hermione Granger’s suitability as a witch, the bad PR witches got from the Romans, the Brothers Grimm, and Disney, as well what makes small towns like Hogsback perfect for spooky crime stories.

The Witches of Hogsback is a whodunnit set among the mountains and forests of Hogsback in the Eastern Cape. The location has such a spooky, magical atmosphere, especially in autumn when all the trees turn red and the forest seems to swallow everything. Its easy to imagine witches and ghosts in those forests, especially at night when the samango monkeys bark unseen from the trees.

In my version of Hogsback, everyone has a secret, and the witches who inhabit the forest make the perfect scapegoats for when things go wrong.

I also drove out to Franschhoek for Bridge House School’s Book Week, which coincided with the Franschhoek Literary Festival. I had a great chat with grades 4-6 about the stories they like to read and then all the seniors at the school assembly. Not scary at all.

Thankfully, some of the students had just completed a hiking trip of their own (like the kids in The Witches of Hogsback) so I could riff off of that to lighten the mood.

I always take heaps of books with me to give away, and always stick around for a while to chat to anyone who has questions. For me, that’s always where the value of these visits lie. Everyone has a story inside them, and sometimes all it takes is a little encouragement to tell it.

Thank you to both Kingsmead College and Bridge House for having me.

Next up, I have a few Exclusive Books events which promise to be fun. Watch this space for an update, which I will post as soon as I know more.

Sea Star Summer awarded the Percy Fitzpatrick Prize

My sixth novel for young adults, Sea Star Summer, has been named as the joint recipient of the Percy Fitzpatrick Prize for youth literature awarded by the English Academy of South Africa.

My co-winner (twinner?) is Penny Lorimer for Luntu Masiza Tells the Truth.

This is what the judges had to say:

“There were two novels that stood out. Both are not only well-written and – crafted, but also explore current issues as part of the lived experience of the protagonists and are very distinctly youth-centered. Both are engrossing and embody hope.”

Published in 2020, Sea Star Summer follows sixteen-year-old Naomi’s journey of self-discovery while on holiday in the Eastern Cape town of Jeffrey’s Bay. 

You Magazine wrote:
“A story about young love and self-discovery which cements Partridge’s status as one of SA’s best young adult authors.”

The award ceremony will be taking place in July.

Out this May – The Witches of Hogsback

Inspired by the absolutely breathtaking mountain town of Hogsback in the Eastern Cape, and my love of a good old-fashioned whodunnit, comes my eighth book for young adults, The Witches of Hogsback.

It has been a dream in the making.

As a child, I devoured anything by R.L. Stine, Christopher Pike and yes, Agatha Christie. I love the fast pace, whittling down the list of suspects and navigating the red herrings. Today there has been a resurgence in the good ol’ teen crime caper, and I am beyond excited to have finally added my own interpretation to the mix.

My crime solver and lover of true crime podcasts, Zelda Scott is a detective for the new generation. Smart, quick-witted and razor-tongued, she’s ready to put herself in danger to unmask killers, and find justice for those society has turned its back on.

After a humiliating breakup, she gatecrashes a school hiking trip to Hogsback, and discovers a wild world of intrigue, secrets and mystery.

Here’s the blurb: 

A girl on a high school hiking trip to the mountain town of Hogsback.
A fatal accident.
A coven of witches who seem to be the obvious suspects.
None of these are what they appear to be.

Zelda is a self-proclaimed do-gooder who simply cannot stay silent if she sees something wrong. Unfortunately, this doesn’t win her any popularity votes. Even her boyfriend Dylan couldn’t put up with it anymore.

Desperate to escape from everything for a while, Zelda signs up for a school hiking trip to Hogsback. Her illusion of having a nice, relaxing time shatters when she stumbles across a mystery nobody seems to care about: the death of local teen Stefan Dale.

Soon, Zelda finds herself knee deep in trouble: from having her room vandalised to nearly being killed by an unknown assailant. Someone clearly doesn’t want her looking into Stefan’s death. Her prime suspects are a group of teenagers known as The Witches of Hogsback, but are they really the most dangerous people in the forest?

The book will be hitting all good bookshops and online stores in the coming weeks. I’ll update this post with links when they become available. 

Cover reveal! The Witches of Hogsback

Happy New Year! It’s January, which means I can officially reveal the cover of my new YA murder mystery, The Witches of Hogsback, coming out in May this year with Lapa.

Here’s the short of it:

Seething from a recent breakup, wannabe sleuth Zelda Scott ditches Muizenberg and heads to magical Hogsback, where mystery and murder lie in wait.

The novel was inspired by my own holiday in Hogsback, which is a wonderland of forests, waterfalls, valleys and clear night skies full of stars. Its the perfect small mountain town to set a murder in, with a suspect pool of some very strange characters.

This book was a joy to write, so expect plenty of mystery, twists, love, friendship and of course MURDER.

Here is the cover in its full glory, teasing one or two important plot points from the story! I’d love to know what you think.

Book sale and signing at Tokai Library

Join me and a host of other local authors, radio and TV personalities at Tokai Library on Saturday 10 September 2022 for a morning book sale and signing.

I will have most of my books on sale, including limited edition signed sets of selected titles no longer in print.

See you there!

The Girl Who Chased Otters audiobook featuring Daniel Lasker

The Girl Who Chased Otters will be available as an audiobook from 1 August 2022!

The main character, Nathan, is voiced by actor Daniel Lasker, who many will recognise from TV shows like Raised by Wolves and Noughts + Crosses.

The book is written in first person and told from the perspective of Nathan, a keen observer of human behaviour. I can’t wait to hear him speak in a voice that isn’t mine! And based on what the character looked like inside my head, Daniel is perfect!

Here’s Daniel at Kirstenbosch Gardens next to the otter statue. I was told by producers that he really loved the book!

The audiobook was produced for Modjaji Books by BiB, Africa’s Audio Library. Check out their app on 1 August.

If you’d like to read the book, you can buy the paperback version here.

Some love for The Girl Who Chased Otters

The Girl Who Chased Otters is a sensitive tale of friendship, love and acceptance set in the southern suburbs of Cape Town. A keen observer of human behaviour, Nathan has never cared about fitting in, but when Olivia asks for his help becoming popular, he can’t refuse.

The Girl Who Chased Otters has been out for a few months, so I thought I’d do a quick round up of some of the love its been getting in the press.

The Sunday Times gave it four stars! “This is a tender and keenly felt story of friendship, and the challenges teens face. It is also refreshing to read an autistic character (Nathan) not used as a comedic or tragic device but as a person. A lovely read — and yes, there are otters.”

The Daily Vox also conducted an interview with me and had this to say: “Oftentimes young adults and teenagers find their troubles and issues considered unimportant by adults. In Partridge’s books, not only does she not do that but she also shows how young adults are often forced to experience “adulthood” quicker than they should… However, above the struggles and the bad things, the book is about hope and acceptance and why it’s so important.”

(The journalist told me afterwards she read and loved The Goblet Club in school and still has her copy!)

Last year, some of the team involved in the making of the book (sensitivity readers, editors) as well as readers and young people on the spectrum, joined me for a virtual celebration and chat. Watch the Zoom recording here.

If you’ve read The Girl Who Chased Otters, please consider leaving a review on Goodreads.

Look out for exciting news about the audio version soon.

5 stars for The Tortoise Shell cat hotel

I am a big fan of mini breaks, and usually take the cats along with me. But this time… I guess after months of being stuck indoors and woken up at five o clock sharp everyday, I needed a little time away from both the house and the cats.

Usually we’ll ask a friend to watch them, but this time we decided to try out a friend’s new venture – The Tortoise Shell, a boutique cat hotel in the northern suburbs.

The owner loves cats and has plenty of her own. The cat hotel was a dream in the making, and it shows in the care and the detail she’s put in.

Princess Kate and Hannibal stayed in Calico Cottage, a completely enclosed garden cottage with two patios and real grass. The interior features a bunk bed, with a secret hidey hole underneath for extra privacy and an owl’s nest in the roof if the guests really want some time apart. A sliding door opens up onto one patio with tree stump, grass, viewing decks and windows. There is a walkway to the second patio which has grass and a privacy kennel.

Amenities include two litter boxes, a water fountain, food bowls, comfy cushions, a cat bed in the hidey hole and calming music and mist on arrival. When you book you can also choose free ‘activities’ like catnip, boxes, crinkly paper and brushing – I only signed up for three but got all four.

And the best part about the experience is that the hotel is equipped with motion sensor cameras. On arrival you receive a link where you can check in on your cats throughout their stay. Mine spent most of their long weekend sleeping, which wasn’t surprising at all.

As much as I would love for my cats to be world famous influencers, they are not, and the stay was fully paid for. The rates are extremely reasonable, and the owner is the gentlest and kindest soul you will ever meet. She even won over Princess Kate, who is so feisty she will bite and slap anyone, even (especially) me.

I would highly recommend The Tortoise Shell for your fur babies. Knowing they were in good hands meant I could completely check out over my holiday and get some proper R&R.

Check them out here.

Notes from the Paula Hawkins masterclass

The marvellous Fiona Melrose has put together a series of that draw on her own wealth of knowledge, as well as those of special guest authors and members of the publishing industry. I signed up for the Craft Masterclass with Paula Hawkins, author of The Girl On The Train, Into the Water and A Slow Fire Burning. 

I needed a bit of a motivational boost and this class seemed just the thing to do it, and it was.

Paula was exceptionally generous with her advice and as an accomplished author herself, Fiona asked just the right questions. In the space of an hour they covered getting started, location, character, narrative persona and pace.

Location

Paula always begins with a character in mind and a location. She then asks herself a series of questions:

Why are they there?How did they come to be there?What sort of people are there?

She explained that location can shape a novel and lends specificity. It’s the character’s distinctive world and can often shape how you plot the story. For example, in some countries, the police are corrupt, so a journalist could easily take on the role of detective.

The aim is to make the reader feel at home in that world, and show them you know what you’re doing. 

Character

Characters are driven by wants and needs. Paula admits her characters tend to not be doing very well in their lives, and often have other characters there to support them – this opens up room for expansion. 

She believes characters need agency. As an author you shouldn’t be writing about characters just reacting to things. They’re driven by something, and this moves the story forward.

Characters are also real and different from one another. A neurodiverse person, for example, is not just a collection of symptoms. Damage affects people differently, and their trauma and experiences frame who they become and how they react. 

Narrative Voice

Voice dictates how you want the reader to experience your story. 

First person puts the reader in the character’s head and lends immediacy to the story. Third person adds a cool distance between the characters and the reader, making it easier for the author to reveal certain facts slowly.Polyphonic novels have lots of different perspectives. In this case the characters need to be diverse. Paula’s advice is to immerse yourself in one character at a time and remember that just like real people, characters change their tone depending on where they are and who they’re talking to. 

Lastly, use slang sparingly or steer clear entirely, otherwise it looks like a poor imitation.

Plot

For Paula, the joy of writing is in the spontaneity, and while she doesn’t overly plan or plot in advance, it helps to have an endpoint in mind. Know where you’re going and let the rest fall into place naturally.

Tension should come in waves, while suspense keeps the reader turning the page. So don’t give away too much too soon.