Interview with Sherry Gammon & Unlovable GIVEAWAY!

Today I am very lucky to have the talented Sherry Gammon stopping by an interview and also giveaway.  Last week I read Unlovable by Sherry Gammon and it was fantastic.  A book I thoroughly enjoyed from start to finish.  You can read my review here.  Unlovable is the first book in the Port Fare trilogy.

1.  What were you inspirations? 

Maggie was based on two girls I grew up with. I like to write about things that bother/haunt me as a way to deal with life’s injustices! It helped my find closure on my friend’s unfair lives.

2.  What is one thing that you admire most about Maggie and also Seth? 

Maggie: her strength. She Never gave up. 

As for Seth, his patience and endurance.

3. What is your typical writing day/night like?

I write at night when the kiddies are in bed. It is nice and quiet. Also, I used to take care of an elderly woman, and I would write when she went to sleep.

4. Can you tell us a little bit about the next book in the series Unbelievable?  

Will Maggie and Seth be dropping by? Book 2 is about Cole and his journey to love. There are two woman in his story. One good, one not so good. He has to deal with both. And yes, Maggie and Seth will definitely be dropping by!

5. Unlovable has a beautiful love story.  Who are some of your favourite literary romantic couples?

Jennifer Cavalleri and Oliver Barrett the IV, (Love Story by Erich Segal, Bella and Edward, by… well, I think we all know who wrote their story;] and Layla and Majnum written by Persian Poet Nizami Ganjavi.

Thank you Sherry for stopping by!

GIVEAWAY:

One lucky reader will win a ebook of Unlovable by Sherry Gammon.  Opened INTERNATIONALLY!

All you have to do to enter is a leave a comment with you email address.  

Extra entry if you tweet about this giveaway. 

Giveaway closes midnight on Saturday 24th September, 2011.  

Winner will be chosen by random.org in accordance with my giveaway policy.

Good luck to everyone.

Interview & Giveaway (International) with Christina Garner

Today I have Christina Garner the author of Gateway stopping by for an interview. I just recently read Gateway and really enjoyed it.  You can read my review here.      

Christina Garner began writing stories at the age of six. At eighteen, her aspirations as an actor had her loading up her Buick and setting off for Hollywood. Since then she has written and directed 10 short films, including Rewind and Reminder, both of which received acclaim on the festival circuit. In 2007 she was hired to write her first feature film. Her YA Urban Fantasy novel, Gateway, is now available. 

1.  What inspired you to write Gateway?

A fear years ago I watched a TV show on the Houska Castle in the Czech Republic which is rumored to be one of the "Gates of Hell." I have always been interested in the supernatural, and though I didn't want to write specifically about hell, I did like the idea of gateways to alternate dimensions, and who might guard them. When NanoWriMo rolled around a month or two later, I decided to explore the idea. 

2. Describe both Ember and Taren in 5 words or less.

Ember is a survivor, first and foremost. She's also mysterious and wounded. 

Taren is loyal, protective and has a strong sense of duty. 

3. What was the most challenging and also the most enjoyable part of writing Gateway?

They are one and the same: Creating a supernatural world, even one that overlays modern-day Los Angeles, is both challenging and freeing. Freeing because I get to research mythology and ancient civilizations (which I love) in order to pull together the elements that give the story context, and challenging because I need to keep track of every nuance that I've created so that I don't invalidate the world I've put forth. 

4.  There was quite a few unexpected surprises in Gateway.  When you started this story did you have a clear picture of what was going to happen or did it change in the writing process?

I'd say it was a combination of both. I knew how I wanted the story to begin and how I wanted it to end, but in my rewriting process I realized I needed to strengthen the characters' motivation. I did that by deepening their backstories and relationships with each other, which in turn created more tension and plot twists. 

5.  I loved the characters in Gateway.  If you could hang out with any fictional character for 24 hours who would it be and why? 

Wow, tough question! I could ruminate for hours, but I'll go with my first thought, which is Min, from the Robert Jordan series, Wheel of Time. I'd like to hang out in that world (Oh how I'd like to be an Aes Sedai!) and I think Min and I would get along--she's my kind of chick. 

6.  Are there going to be more books in the Gateway series? Can you tell us anything about the next book?

Yes, I'm working on Book 2 right now! The main story of Ember, Taren, and the fate of the Gateway will be told in three volumes, which I already have sketched out. Expect book 2 later this year. After that, I may explore the world through the eyes of some of the other characters as they deal with the aftermath. All I can tell you about Book 2 is that all hell (alternate dimensionally speaking) will break loose ;)


Thank you Christina for stopping by.  I am excited to hear that Gateway will be a 3 book series.


You can find out more Gateway at Christina Garner's website or buy a copy at amazon.


GIVEAWAY:   
Thanks to Christina I have one copy of Gateway in ebook format for giveaway.  
- Open internationally.  
- All you have to do to enter is fill out this FORM.
- You can gain extra entries by tweeting.
- Giveaway ends at midnight 22nd July, 2011.
- Winner will be chosen by random.org in accordance with my giveaway policy.


Good luck to everyone!

Interview with Hannah Harrington

Today I have the amazingly talented author Hannah Harrington.  Her debut book Saving June is published by Harlequin Teen and is available in Australia now and will be available internationally in November.  If you have stopped by mu blog recently you will know that I am in love with Saving June and it has found a place in my absolute favourite shelf.  You can check out my review here.    It is definitely one book you shouldn't miss out on.

1.  What were your inspirations?

SAVING JUNE was inspired by a combination of things. Some of it comes from my own life experiences. Music, of course, was definitely a significant influence, too.

2. What is one thing you most admire about the main character Harper?

Harper is very uncompromising. Not that she isn't willing to admit when she's wrong, but more that she doesn't change how she behaves or what she thinks in order to please other people. She has no problem standing up for herself or those she cares about. I admire her personal integrity.

3.  I love the character Jake (okay I might have a bit of a literary crush on him) so I was wondering how did he come together as a character? Was he inspired by anybody?

Jake is not based on any specific person, though I've known people who are sort of like him. He definitely has a bit of a "bad boy" persona, but I didn't want him to be too broody, since Harper was already in a dark enough place. I knew I wanted music to be a strong theme, so giving him that obsession felt like a good way to weave music throughout the story. I also wanted someone as a good foil to Harper, and I liked the idea of them both being these very strong personalities even while being emotionally guarded, with enough differences to butt heads at times, but also challenging each other in good ways and bringing out honesty in one another, so you could see why they actually connected.  


4.   What was the hardest part of the writing process for you?

Whatever part of the process I'm currently in is always the hardest! Whenever I'm writing a first draft, I'm wishing I was finished so I could move on to revising because it seems easier, but then when I'm revising, I wish I was back at the first draft stage because it seems easier. The grass is always greener, I suppose.

5.  If you could go on a road trip with anyone from the past or present, fictional or real, who would it be?  Why?

Oh, man! Hmm... Amy Poehler is hilarious, and I bet she has some fantastic stories. If you're going to be trapped in a car with someone for a long time, they better provide good conversation. I think we'd have a lot to talk about!

6.  Music is a big part of the story.  What are five albums your recommend?

Ooh, I love this question!

Off the top of my head:

Jack's Mannequin - Everything In Transit (Great driving music; my favorite tracks are "Bruised" and "MFEO Pt. 2 - You Can Breathe")
Hole - Live Through This (It's one of those albums that got me through high school; I was living a decade behind, musically. "Doll Parts" is the most well known song off of it, but I really love "Asking for It", which is also included on the mix Jake makes for June)
Yeah Yeah Yeahs - Fever to Tell (Karen O is amazing; "Maps" and "Modern Romance" are my favorite tracks)
Tarkio - I Guess I Was Hoping For Something More (This is Colin Meloy's, lead singer of The Decemberists, first band; I love his voice and his lyrics.) 
Sharon Jones & The Dap-Kings - I Learned The Hard Way (Her voice does things to me. It's very old school soul. The title track and "She Ain't A Child No More" are my favorites.)

7.  Can you tell us anything about your next novel Speechless?

My second book, SPEECHLESS, is tentatively due to be released in September 2012 (also by Harlequin Teen). It centers around Chelsea Knot, a girl who takes a vow of silence after her gossip-mongering ways yield unexpected consequences. There is, of course, also a romance involved!

Thank you Hannah so much for stopping by.  I surprisingly own one of the albums you mentioned!  And I can't wait for Speechless.  I am just going to have re-read Saving June a lot to get me through until September next year.


You can visit Hannah's website for more information or Goodreads.  

                                     Australian cover                                  US cover

Interview with Jessica Shirvington

Today I have the very talented Aussie author Jessica Shirvington stopping by for an interview.  Jessica is the author of the Violet Eden Chapters, Embrace (review here) and Enticed (review here).  

1. Why YA?

I don't really think there was any other option for me. I read more YA than anything else. They are the stories and authors I love to read and when I started to write EMBRACE, I didn't even pause to consider what genre it would be, I just knew.

  

2. What were you inspirations for this series?

 All the small thoughts.

Little by little I had ideas that I then went and researched, starting with the name Violet and an interest in the angel hierarchy. When I found stories of a group of angels referred to as the 'Grigori' I used that as a base for the story and then built around that. I also think a lot of my inspiration has come from researching many different types of religious text and folklore rather than one specific religion - it has helped to open story lines to many possibilities.

3.  Did you have a clear idea at the beginning of what was going to happen in the series or has it changed while writing each book?

I knew where I wanted the first three books to end (and I thought I knew where I wanted Book4 to end, but over the course of writing the first 3, that has organically changed), but that was it. From there, each time I start the process of writing a new book, I try to look at it with a fresh perspective and find something new to offer. I am definitely open to change as I am writing and find that sometimes even though I had plans for one particular character, somehow they seem to take themselves in a different, more appropriate, direction. That's half the fun.

  

4.  Where is your favourite place to write?

I like to mix it up, depending on what stage of the writing process I am in. Sometimes I just have to lock myself away at home and put in the quiet hours, other times I love to be out and about. I have a few favourite cafes that I haunt and every now and then I will work from the library for a while. As long as I have my laptop with me, I'm generally pretty flexible.

5. What has being the most challenging part of writing this series so far?

As each book goes on, I face different challenges. It's a new experience each time. I tend to get very wrapped up in the characters lives and since I know all their secrets I also know the ins and outs of how each situation affects them and all of their hidden sorrows. At times I find that hard and have to build myself up to writing a certain section.

6.  After Emblaze do you have plans for another project?

Yes. The Violet Eden Chapters is set to continue. It was always planned as a four book plus series and it is important to me to finish the series at the right place for the characters. At this stage, I believe the final number will be six. In addition to The Violet Eden Chapters, I am tinkering with another couple of ideas that I am hoping to give some more attention to shortly.

7.  What are some of your favourite books?

There are so many. Recently, I think the stand out books in YA have been:

Slightly younger end of YA:

Gallagher Girls Series - Ally Carter

The Gone Series - Michael Grant

 Upper end of YA:

Poison Study Series - Maria V. Snyder

The Hunger Games  - Suzanne Collins

Graceling - Kristen Cashore

Anything by Melissa Marr or Holly Black

AND I'm looking forward to reading the debut novel by Veronica Roth - Divergent. I know I am going to love it.

8.  The Violet Eden Chapters has a great bunch of characters (I adore Spence).  Do you have a favourite? 

I'm glad you like Spence. He was one of those characters that almost wrote himself. I love where he is going.

Since I write from Violet's pov, I am most invested in her. That said, I find myself constantly pulled between the three main characters; Violet, Lincoln and Phoenix. To me, each of them has an equally important road to travel / story to tell. Depending on what point I am in each of their stories, I find myself pulled between them. And sometimes out of nowhere, another character will completely blow me away and they become all I can think about - like Spence or Steph, for example. My mind is a busy place sometimes!

Thank you Jessica for taking the time to answer my questions.  I am excited to hear that it looks like there is going to be six books in the series (and hopefully Spence will be in them all ~crosses fingers).

Embrace and Enticed are available now in Australia with Emblaze set to come out in October 2011.

Also Embrace will be available internationally from The Book Depository in October, 2011.

For more details visit Jessica Shirvington's website.  


Check out the German covers for Embrace and Enticed.  They are gorgeous!

Interview and GIVEAWAY with Danielle Weiler

I am excited to have another brilliant Aussie author stopping by for an interview.  Today I have the very talented Danielle Weiler. debut author of Friendship on Fire.  You can read my review for Friendship on Fire here.

I am always curious with authors - why YA?
A few reasons. Firstly, it’s what comes into my head and sets up house in there. I only get stories about teenagers and ‘coming of age’ older YA characters attacking me during my sleep. I fear for anyone who ever asks me to write a crime or fantasy novel. I could probably stretch to Chick Lit but it’s just not as interesting as seeing a young person flounder around and grow from their misadventures.

What inspired you to write Friendship on Fire?  
Honestly? I woke up one Sunday morning in Melbourne in 2009 and a girl with accidentally dyed red hair was vividly in my head as the school captain of a conservative school who was about to get into big trouble with the principal. I tried to ignore her, saying to myself that I was way too busy teaching to even think of writing a novel. But the first line kept repeating itself in my head – always with the first lines. “You would think that at a school as large as mine, one could go unnoticed and subtly anonymous for one day…” and it snowballed from there – seriously. Think projectile vomit but in a literary, non-gross sort of way.

Did you always have a clear idea of Daisy's journey before you started writing or did the story change once you began writing?
Yes I did. I don’t know why. I wrote a plot outline straight away with all the major plot points and I knew the story was going to encompass her entire last year of school – I can’t write these 2-4 week things. And if some readers think 471 pages is massive for a contemporary YA novel, I had to cut out 15,000 words before I even got to the end product. I could have written about Daisy forever and I also wanted to give people value for money.

I never got writers block as such, but toward the end (I’d already written the exact ending) I sort of didn’t know how to tie it up, like how much detail to include about end of year events and I kind of baulked at it for a few weeks until the seniors at school got sick of waiting and threatened to fill in the blanks on their own. It can also be hard knowing what a character is about to do and still having to write them through it, knowing it’s going to hurt the heck out of themselves or someone else. The one thing I did decide part way through was what to do with Daisy’s best friend, Rachael. That’s all I’ll say before I give away too much.

I loved Daisy's family and how they played such an important part in the story (especially her brothers). Did your own family life influence you at all? 
Absolutely! I have 5 older brothers and 2 very supportive parents. I didn’t have an active grandparent in my teen years though so Nanna came from my imagination. I wouldn’t know how to write about older sisters – I’d have to research that one! I told/tell my mum everything. My parents are teachers though, my dad car crazy but not as spacey as Daisy’s dad. My brothers I kind of mashed together and spread them out again and when Daisy was going through her issues I thought ‘now what would Damon/Brendon/Shannon/Jamieson/Tristan say about this?’ and went from there. I was so incredibly proud of them then (and still am) and they were very tough on me but very loving in their ‘guy’ ways and I have the sense of humour I do today because they wouldn’t let me be a princess.   

I noticed on your website that you said you have been writing stories since you were six. What has your road to publication been like and what was your first story about?
I think I’ve distracted myself from writing for a long time, partly because it takes a lot of energy and discipline and I wasn’t sure if I had that. But I do, and it hurts not to write. I was the editor of my uni mag and year book so I had to write articles for it every fortnight and I tried to write a really bad novel when I was 13 about 5 girls who went on a crazy school camp and told bad ‘why did the koala fall out of the tree?’ jokes. I got to 40 pages then gave up because my mum didn’t like the character’s mother because she smoked. Well, that and I was trying to keep up with my brothers. Because I did an English degree and had to constantly read weekly texts for that, I didn’t read YA until a long time AFTER I wrote FoF, which is a bit stupid. I didn’t realise the power of reading on your own motivation and writing. I had no idea about clichéd characters or contemporary styles or storylines or blogs or anything. I just wrote Daisy’s story how I saw it and I was so green it wasn’t funny.  

I love imagining a soundtrack to go with the books I am reading.  Do you have one song that would be on the playlist for Friendship on Fire? 
I have a series of songs, actually. When I was planning my book launch, I wanted a play list of music that I listened to while I was writing. The artists include: Sixteen Cities, Switchfoot, Tenth Avenue North, Foo Fighters, Anberlin, Brooke Fraser, Leeland… but one that stands out is “You Are” and “You Are More” from Tenth Avenue North.

Now for a fun question:  If you got stranded on a deserted island with one literary character, who would it be?
Haha my first instinct would be to say Nate because he certainly wouldn’t let us get bored. Then I’d say Roman because he’s amazing company but if I ventured outside my book I’d have to try Mr Darcy. I’d love to have a big, fat argument with him and watch him huff and puff and then make him fall in love with me (assuming I didn’t have my current husband, Edward. Shh I won’t tell if you won’t)

What are some of your favourite Aussie YA titles?
“Everything Beautiful” by Simmone Howell – had me in absolute stitches and amazed at her ability to fit so many important words into once sentence.

“On the Jellicoe Road” by Melina Marchetta – I’m not really why as I found it stressful and soooo sad but the style was so clever and the way everyone interacted and were so believable that I didn’t want it to end. I wanted to know more. The parallels between past and present were handled well too.

There are plenty more but these two come to mind.

Have you got any plans for any future titles?  Can you tell us anything about it?
The first thing people generally ask me after they finish FoF is – is there going to be a sequel? I do have a sequel in the back of my mind about Daisy’s life at Uni but I’m not sure if it will go anywhere soon. I have written a second book about a reckless girl called Milly that I wrote over a 4 week period while working full time which nearly killed me but she wouldn’t shut up either so I had to start that. I’m in the process of having that looked at. I need to practice writing less…which is hard for me…so yesterday I spent the whole day shaving 9,000 words off the manuscript to try to make it to the first milestone of 80,000 words. There’s more info on my website but I’m really hopeful and excited about having people read it and give me feedback on the change of style and completely opposite character to nice-girl Daisy.

Thank you so much Danielle for stopping by and answering my questions.  I love the sound of your upcoming project.  Milly sounds like an interesting and fun character and I can't wait to meet her.  And I agree that "You Are" by Tenth Avenue North suits this book perfectly.

Danielle is giving one lucky reader the chance to win a copy Friendship on Fire.  It is opened INTERNATIONALLY!!!!

How to enter:
* Simply leave a comment in the section below with your name and email address.
* You must be a follower to enter.
* If you are participating in the Aussie YA Reading Challenge 2011 you get 5 extra entries.    Make sure to note this also in the comment section.
* Contest ends 3rd May 2011 (midnight Australian EST) and winner will be selected by Random.org as in accordance with my giveaway policy.

Good luck to everyone!

Fury Interview & GIVEAWAY (INTERNATIONAL)

Today, I have the always entertaining and outspoken Eliza Boans from Fury by Shirley Marr stopping by for my first ever character interview.

For those of you who haven't had the pleasure of reading Fury yet. Here is the blurb from it:

Let me tell you my story.
Not just the facts I know you want to hear.
Eliza Boans has everything.
If I’m going to tell you my story,
I’m telling it my way.
Strap yourself in...
A big house.
A great education.
A bright future.
So why is she sitting in a police station confessing to murder?

1. How are things going for you these days? How has your life changed?
Hey Nic, thanks, like, TOTES for asking me! Everyone just thinks I'm really strong or that I'm going to chew their head off for asking (like of course I won't). I am human too. It's like these days every time I look at anyone I used to know, they pretend not to see me, or they turn away or start talking into their phone even though, like, I know their phone hasn't even rung. I know I've probably aged a million years since being in custody, but I reckon I look at least a billion times better than Lindsay Lohan, so I don't get it at all. I mean, last week I saw a bunch of girls from school I wouldn't even talk to back in the day, and I was like "Hey guys!" (only cos I'm sorta desperate and lonely these days) and they... whispered among themselves, stuck their noses in the air and avoided me. WTF? I'm Eliza Boans! They should worshipped the fact I said hello! But obviously times have changed...

WELL, the court case is taking up most of my time right now. And I'm spending almost every second of the day with my MOTHER. I know, seriously. But Mum's kinda like my only friend right now...

2. Tell us something unique about you?
That I am like totally smarter than anyone else thinks. I mean I don't have a lot of time these days (what with dodging the tabloids and paps, who write the worst, UNTRUE things about me) but when I get the time I read like, really really old books. You know the ones written like about a billion years ago and I review them on my blog (Eliza-Doo-Little). Like my byline reads: I am not a dumbass. I know that Shakes Spears is not related to Britney Spears.
Oh and I totally suck at math, but when it comes to a shoe sale, I can magically work out the discount in my head. Go figure. One of my many hidden talents.

3. Tell us one of your favourite memories?
I remember when I was really young and my dad was still around - Mum, Dad & me would sit together on our old couch on a Friday night and watch a movie. Most of the time it would be something totally crapola and OLD (Dad's choice) or crapola and a chickflick (Mum's choice), but what I really liked was back in the day, we were still kinda poor (before Mum became a rich lawyer) and our couch was so small, we'd all be touching when we sat on it. It was... nice. Like we were very close.
Of course these days our house is huge and our furniture is also massive and Dad's gone. Me and Mum would never dream of sitting so close together.

4. If you could spend 24 hours with anyone famous dead or alive who would it be and why?
Ooo, I should totally say Paris Hilton cos I want to know how she can keep going in and out of jail and still be a socialite people ACTUALLY want to hang out with... but I think maybe I should say, like, Buddha or Ghandi or something Lexi would say. They would probably teach me something actually worthwhile. Sometimes I feel like I don't want to be shallow forever...

5. What do you see your self doing in 10 years time?
OMG. In 10 years I will be, like, almost 30! Sorry, but I can't imagine being that OLD. I guess I will probably be seeing a very good dietician (cos my Mum says I can't keep eating crap 'cos one day my metabolism will catch up with me and then my life will be Muffin-top Misery) and a good beautician. And a good plastic surgeon. Only jokes. I don't want to end up with a permanently surprised look. I like glaring at people for one thing. But um to be, like, serious, I would like to free, independent and a strong working woman, maybe working with other people who have made a massive mistake in their lives, but want to overcome that and just be good person. Actually, it wouldn't be too bad if I ended up like my Mum (but no one ever heard me say that).

6. What is your favourite song on your ipod at the moment?
For some reason I keep listening to this song by The Manic Street Preachers called The Soulmates. My friend Neil put it on there for me last year. Which used to really annoy me, cos he would put random stuff that was "alternative" (yeah, like a crap alternative to decent mainstream popular music). But now I appreciate what he did for me. I keep listening to the lyrics "the graffiti/you left one me/means every part/is still bleeding" and it makes me feel a funny emotion I don't think I've ever felt before... I think it's called... sadness?

7. If you could give advice to your younger self what would it have been?
I would say to Young Eliza: appreciate your parents, cos they might not always be there. Appreciate your friends cos one day they might be gone. And appreciate what you have today, cos these will be the best days of your life.

Thanks Nic for asking me these questions. When I become rich and famous one day I'll remember you.
xoxo Eliza

Thank you Eliza for stopping by!   As you can see Eliza is very amusing and not your typical teenage heroine. You can check out my review for Fury here.

GIVEAWAY :

Thanks to the awesome Shirley Marr I have a SIGNED copy of Fury to giveaway (I am sending virtual hugs to Shirley for this). Fury is an Aussie title and is not available internationally so I am extra excited to announce this contest is OPEN INTERNATIONALLY!!!!!

How to enter:
* Simply leave a comment in the section below with your name and email address.
* You must be a follower to enter.
* If you are participating in the Aussie YA Reading Challenge 2011 you get 5 extra entries. Make sure to note this also in the comment section.
* Contest ends 1st March 2011 (midnight Australian EST) and winner will be selected by Random.org as in accordance with my giveaway policy.

Good luck to everyone!

Interview with Cath Crowley

I am so happy to have one of my all time favourite authors Cath Crowley stopping by for an interview.  Seriously I am jumping up and down with excitement.  Cath Crowley is an Aussie author of A Little Wanting Song (known in Australia also as Chasing Charlie Duskin), Graffiti Moon and the Gracie Faltrain series.

Why YA?

I like writing about firsts – first dates, first loves, first longings. In Graffiti Moon Lucy says that she feels like bare skin shining in darkness. I remember feeling like that when I was a teenager, as though great and terrible things could happen at any moment.

What is your typical writing day/night like?

It varies. Once I have my plot mapped out and I know my characters I write from about five in the morning until about two in the afternoon. I don’t have a set routine when I’m still working on the idea. I might go for a walk or see a film. I’m still working but it’s mostly not in front of the computer.

What were your inspirations for Graffiti Moon?

Ed and Lucy, the main characters, connect through art. So their conversations are inspired by the artists that I love - Mark Rothko, Sam Leach, Rosemary Laing, Jeffrey Smart, Pablo Picasso, Johannes Vermeer, Michael Zavros, Rosalie Gascoigne, Bethany Wheeler, Ghostpatrol and Miso. I wanted to write about people who speak through images as well as words.

The characters are all fictional, but they were inspired a little from people I met. A girl with long plaits told me she was psychic. A tattooed guy read me a line of his poetry. A glass artist told me stories about taking lessons when she was in Year 12. Ed reminds me of teenagers that I’ve taught over the years. He’s smart but he doesn’t realise it because he learns in a different way to most of the kids he knows.

A Little Wanting Song and Graffiti Moon are both written in dual narrations. Was that the original plan or did you ever consider tell either story a different way? And were any of the characters easier to write than others?

I had always planned to write both books as dual narratives.

I love writing characters that bounce off one another.

In the first draft of Graffiti Moon Lucy was an angry character and Ed was quite playful. It wasn’t working, though, so I switched their characters. One I did that they were easy to write. The second draft rolled out pretty quickly.

Charlie Duskin was a hard character to write. My editor at Pan Macmillan, Brianne Tunnicliffe, helped me a lot.

Charlie changed again when I rewrote her for the US version. Allison Wortche edited that version and her help was invaluable. I like that Charlie became more upbeat with every draft. I was lucky to have two brilliant editors.

Music is a big part of the story in a Little Wanting Song.  If it had a soundtrack name one song that would be on it?

Galaxies by Laura Veirs.

And maybe A Little Bit of Sunshine by Reamon

What was your journey to publication like?

I studied Professional Writing and Editing at RMIT in 2001, when I was about twenty-nine. I loved the subjects Literary Non-fiction and Writing for Young Adults. Some of the articles and short stories that I wrote in class were published in newspapers and magazines.

While I was writing those smaller pieces I finished my novel and in 2003, Pan Macmillan published The Life and Times of Gracie Faltrain. I’ve been published with them since then.

After I was published I had to work hard to get better – I’m still working hard at this. And it took me a while to find my style. I think I’m getting close to that in Graffiti Moon. That book has sold overseas, as has A Little Wanting Song (Chasing Charlie Duskin), which is great.

What are some of your favourite Aussie YA titles?

Notes from the Teenage Underground by Simmone Howell

Six Impossible Things by Fiona Wood

On the Jellicoe Road by Melina Marchetta

Five Parts Dead by Tim Pegler

When Dogs Cry by Markus Zusak

Little Paradise by Gabrielle Wang

Are you working on another book?  Can you tell us anything about it?

I’m working on a book called The Howling Boy. It’s a dual narrative, told from the perspectives of Audrey and Crow. It’s a mystery and a love story. I’m preoccupied with the same themes – teenagers on the fringe and how they find a way to fit in.

A BIG thank you to Cath Crowley for stopping by my blog and answering my questions.  I am so thrilled that she is writing another dual narrative book.  I will be eagerly awaiting The Howling Boy's release.    

Don't forget to check out my reviews for Graffiti Moon and A Little Wanting Song.  I absolutely LOVE both of those books.  You can also visit Cath Crowley's blog here.