Author Interviews Archives - Page 11 of 13

#LoveOZYA Interview: Ellie Marney

May 20, 2016

I love Aussie YA. I love reading books from authors that live in the same country as me, that know things that people out of Australia might be so confused about. I love how sometimes they can incorporate this into their book and it is fabulous.

So in saying that, I have decided to start a new feature on Angel Reads spotlighting Australian YA Authors. Each Friday for the next couple of months, I am going to interview an OZYA Author. I thought it would be a fun way to share my love for Australian Young Adult authors with not only fellow Aussies, but everyone around the world. I want more Australian YA books to be read, because they are amazing.

First week I interview Sarah Ayoub, then Fleur Ferris, followed by Will Kostakis, then Shivaun Plozza, and Gabrielle Tozer, followed by Jay Kristoff and then last week Kylie Fornasier. This week we have none other than Ellie Marney author of the Every Series (2013, Allen and Unwin).

Hi Ellie, and welcome to Angel Reads. First can you introduce yourself to everyone? Tell us a little bit about yourself.

Hey Angel, thanks for having me to visit. I’m Ellie Marney, I’m a teacher and a writer of YA fiction – I wrote a YA crime series, the Every series (Every Breath, Every Word, Every Move) that has gone out to readers in eight countries – yay Rachel and Mycroft!

What has your writing journey been like? Where did you start? Why?

I started writing in primary school, so yes, I caught the bug early. I think it was a direct consequence of being a big reader. I think my writing journey looks – from the outside – like a fairly straight line, but from my end it looks more like a twisty turny caterpillar trail. Every Breath was a bit of a hit, but like I said, I’ve been writing a very long time. I wrote stories as a kid, then when I went to uni and studied literature, I became very intimidated, so I stopped writing altogether for years.

I got back into writing through fanfiction – it’s a great way to write anonymously, get feedback, and (as Amie Kaufman once said) ‘build your writing muscles’. I wrote about seventy fic stories, publishing them under a pseudonym, before I got my mojo back and started writing originals again. Then I entered some stories in competitions, to test the waters…and I won the Scarlet Stiletto Award in 2010 (through Sisters in Crime Australia). Everything took off after that.

What was the process of getting your first book published?

I wrote Every Breath in about six months, then spent about a year polishing it (as you do, when you have no obligations re: deadlines) before submitting it to publishers and agents. It was accepted by Allen & Unwin, the first publisher I approached, and I ended up being represented by Catherine Drayton of Inkwell Management, the first agent I approached. I think that qualifies as a bit of a dream run with a first book.

Was it different when getting your proceeding books published?

Why YES, it’s interesting you asked! Allen & Unwin really got behind Every Breath in a big way; well before the book was published they were championing it all over and generally being awesome, and they asked me to write a sequel. Which was good, because I already had half a book’s worth of sequel ready to go! But the timelines for each subsequent book got shorter – I had nine months between each release – which was very demanding, especially for Every Move, when I had to write and edit a book, and prep it for publication, inside nine months. It was such a hard book to write and I was frantic right up to the to-print date.

What was the difference between getting your books published here in Australia and internationally?

When the books went international, the covers were changed – they were hardcovers, for a start (why don’t we have hardcovers for YA in Australia? I don’t know. Maybe people don’t think Oz teens can look after nice things!), and the designs and taglines all changed. They also changed some of the lingo, like asphalt for bitumen, and flashlights for torches, and flip flops for thongs etc – but that was mainly to clarify meaning for overseas readers (you can particularly understand about the thongs). Most of the Aussie content was retained, which really surprised me, so there are still references to all the Melbourne locations, like the MCG and Sydney Road, and all the swearing is still authentically Aussie, which made me very happy.

You are an OZYA author, what are some of your favourite Aussie YA books?

Is this where I get on the desk and shout ‘MELINA MARCHETTA FOREVER’? Because she is like my OzYA superhero. I’ve also been in love with John Marsden’s Tomorrow series since they were first published (Homer ftw, by the way), Simmone Howell’s work, and I’ve always loved Cath Crowley and Leanne Hall’s This is Shyness duology.

New YA is much harder to nail down, because there’s so much great stuff out there…but I think some of the coolest OzYA books I’ve read recently are Summer Skin (Kirsty Eagar), Illuminae (Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff), Calypso Summer (Jared Thomas), Black Spring (Alison Croggan) and Clancy and the Undertow (Chris Currie).

I have read all three books in the Every Series and gosh did I love them. They are fantastic, engaging, full of romance and crime – it’s brilliant. You can find Ellie at @elliemarney on twitter, elliemarney.com and add her books on your goodreads.

Every Breath by Ellie Marney

Pages: 335
Publish date: 5th Spetember 2013
Publisher: Allen and Unwin
ISBN: 1743316429
Purchase: Book Depository – Amazon UK – Amazon US – Amazon AU – Dymocks

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’s 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 follows 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 have meet Ellie quite a couple of times name and she is just fantastic. She is amazing to listen to and always has something to bring.

Thank you Ellie for joining me at Angel Reads. That is it for this week’s #LoveOZYA Interview. What did you think of Ellie and her books?

Come back next week for some more Aussie fun. If you want to know more about the #LoveOZYA movement check out the website for all the details.

#LoveOzYA Interview: Kylie Fornasier

May 13, 2016

First week I interview Sarah Ayoub, then Fleur Ferris, followed by Will Kostakis, then Shivaun Plozza, and Gabrielle Tozer, And last week Jay Kristoff. This week we have Kylie Fornasier the young adult author of Masquerade (Penguin Teen, 2014) and The Things I Didn’t Say (Penguin Random House,2016).

Hi Kylie, welcome to Angel Reads. First can you introduce yourself to everyone? Tell us a little bit about yourself.

Hey guys! Important things first: I love Pretty Little Liars and The 100, though I’m not up to the episode that has a lot of people angry at the show; I am currently obsessed with Peck’s cheddar flavoured rice biscuits, like I go through a pack every few days; and I’m not quite sure if I’m using punctuation currently here, that’s why I have an editor! I live in the Hawkesbury which is west-ish of Sydney. It’s definitely not the “country”, like some people think, though I do have four chickens.

Other things you should probably know about me is that I write books for children and young adults. In 2014, my young adult novel, Masquerade was published by Penguin Books Australia. It’s Gossip Girl meets Downton Abbey set in 18^th century Venice. And my newest YA book, The Things I Didn’t Say, is being published by Penguin Random House this May. It’s the love story of the girl who doesn’t speak and the boy everyone talks about.

What has your writing journey been like? When did you start? Why?

It’s been a bit like the Rainbow Road level in Mario Kart. If you’re not familiar with Mario Kart, it’s this level:

It’s been amazing and exhilarating and like nothing I could’ve imagined. Most of all, an absolute roller coaster! I started writing in my teens and got published in my early twenties. I didn’t study writing and my day job (teaching) doesn’t have a lot to do with books. But writing is what I’ve wanted to do since my teens. When you think about getting published, you think that the hardest part is going to be writing the book or getting the publishing contract but for me, they were the easier parts. Navigating the world of being a published writer, the incredible highs and the lows have been the more difficult part for me. But it’s the whole experience of the writing journey that’s shaped who I am and the books I write.

What was the process of getting your first book published?

The first book I had contracted for publication was actually a children’s picture book (The Prince who Shrank). My story came to the attention of an editor who attended one of my writers’ group meetings and from there I was offered a publishing contract. Joining a writers’ group was the best thing I could’ve done. You meet people with the same interests and develop friendships, you get feedback on your work, you learn to give feedback and improve your editing skills, you develop networks and opportunities. If you are an aspiring writer and not already part of one, join a writers’ group!

Was it different when getting your subsequent books published?

My next book that was contracted was a children’s chapter book (The Ugg Boot War), which was found in the slush pile. Following that, my first young adult novel, Masquerade, came to the attention of an editor from Penguin Books at the Sutherland Shire Writers’ Festival during a paid publishing consultation. From that I got a full manuscript request and from that a publishing deal. My newest young adult novel that is released in May, The Things I Didn’t Say, was probably the most straight forward book to get published. I sent the first draft to my editor and publisher who I’d worked on with Masquerade and waited to hear if they liked it and wanted to publish it – they did. The writing, editing and publishing process was much different with this book, though. Because it had been contracted from a terrible, shocking first draft there was a lot of work to do on it in an incredibly shorter timeframe.

You are an OZYA author, what are some of your favourite Aussie YA books?

Oh gosh, I can only pick some?! Ok, my recent favs are Yellow by Megan Jacobson, Frankie by Shivaun Plozza and The Sidekicks by Will Kostakis. They will always and forever be my #YASquad2016. I also will never stop raving about The Lumatere Chronicles by Melina Marchetta and anything by Amie Kaufman. Oh, and Spark and Stray by honorary OZYA author, Rachael Craw.

I have read both of her books and you can read my reviews of Masquerade and The Things I Didn’t Say and I lets just say I love them. You can find Kylie at @KylieFornasier on twitter, kyliefornasier.com and add her books on your goodreads.

The Thing’s I Didn’t Say by Kylie Fornasier

Pages: 320
Publish date: May 2nd 2016
Publisher: Penguin Teen Australia
ISBN: 9780143573630
Purchase: Book Depository – Amazon US – Amazon AU – Dymocks

I hate the label Selective Mutism – as if I choose not to speak, like a child who refuses to eat broccoli. I’ve used up every dandelion wish since I was ten wishing for the power to speak whenever I want to. I’m starting to wonder if there are enough dandelions.

After losing her best friend that night, Piper Rhodes changes schools, determined that her final year will be different. She will be different. Then she meets West: school captain, star soccer player, the boy everyone talks about. Despite her fear of losing everything all over again, Piper falls in love – and West with her – without Piper ever speaking one word to him. But will it last?

***

Thank you Kylie for joining me at Angel Reads. That is it for this week’s #LoveOZYA Interview. What did you think of Kylie and her books? I was lucky enough to meet Kylie a couple of months ago at the #YASquad2016 and she is so lovely.

Come back next week for some more Aussie fun. If you want to know more about the #LoveOZYA movement check out the website for all the details.

#LoveOZYA Interview: Gabrielle Tozer

Apr 29, 2016

First week I interview Sarah Ayoub, then Fleur Ferris, followed by Will Kostakis, then last week Shivaun Plozza. This week we have Gabrielle Tozer. Gabrielle is the author of The Intern (HarperCollins, 2014), Faking It (Harper Collins, 2015) and Remind Me How this Ends (HarperCollins, 2017).

Hi Gabrielle, and welcome to Angel Reads. First can you introduce yourself to everyone? Tell us a little bit about yourself.

Hello and thanks for inviting me to stop by! My name is Gabrielle Tozer and I’m an author and journalist from Wagga Wagga in regional New South Wales, but I now live and work in the heart of Sydney. My first YA novel, The Intern, won the State Library of Victoria’s 2015 Gold Inky Award, and its sequel Faking It came out last year. It’s been a busy few years! My third novel Remind Me How This Ends – a contemporary YA standalone set in regional Australia – and my first picture book, Pip and Pop (illustrated by the marvellous Sue DeGennaro), both hit shelves in 2017.

I also work as a freelance writer, editor and sub-editor and have contributed to publications including Dolly, Girlfriend, Cosmopolitan, TV Week, Who, Cleo, Woman’s Day, Bride to Be, The Canberra Times and news.com.au. When I’m not working on my next project, I love relaxing with my husband, friends and family, speaking at schools and writers’ festivals and watching too much television.

What has your writing journey been like? Where did you start? Why?

I often describe it as a roller-coaster. There have been plenty of ups and downs, laughing, screaming and some nausea. I’m one of those annoying people who’ve known what they want to be when they “grow up” since they were little. My love of writing stemmed from my love of reading (thanks, Mum and Dad!) and by about six years old, I announced I wanted to be an author – not that I really knew what it involved. But I suppose it shows my love of storytelling has been there from a young age.

What was the process of getting your first book published?

First things first, no journey to publication is the same. I realised that early on after meeting a few of my author idols – and no writer journey is the same either. The cool thing about it? There’s no “one way” to become an author, so anything is possible! All of my writer buddies have different stories to tell on how they got their break – it’s an important reminder not to compare, methinks.

Mine came about 12 years after my first stint of journalism work experience – and, for those 12 years, I was taking part in writing competitions, studying journalism and creative writing, staying up writing short stories and some (truly terrible) poetry, and working fulltime as a magazine journalist and sub-editor. I also did the occasional course to stay inspired – and it was at one of these courses that I met a lovely non-fiction publisher. We stayed in touch for years and one day I received an email out of the blue from a publisher at HarperCollins asking me whether I’d like to pitch them some ideas – the non-fiction publisher had recommended me! I nearly fell off my bed during that call. I pitched them three YA ideas – one of them was The Intern, not that it had a name back then – and they encouraged me to write a few sample chapters. I ended up writing a novel on spec, which means I didn’t have a contract locked in, but once I’d written my manuscript (and edited it about four times!) I sent it off. The rest, as the cliché goes, is history.

Was it different when getting your proceeding books published?

Yes. Like I mentioned, no author journey or path-to-publication journey is the same – that goes for each book’s journey, too!Faking It was part of the two-book deal I signed for The Intern. After Faking It came out, I pitched another YA novel idea, which got close but didn’t quite make it over the line, so I kept brainstorming until I came up with the story for Remind Me How This Ends. I also wrote five or six picture book drafts and they were all rejected except for one… Pip and Pop, which comes out next year. Rejection is part of the process, whether you’re working as an author or a journalist. I’ve been getting stories rejected since I was 18 so I’ve had a lot of practice at failing, picking myself up again and repeating.

What was the difference between getting your books published here in Australia and internationally?
I haven’t attended overseas writers’ festivals or schools to promote my books yet, so that’s probably one of the biggest differences. I love doing those events in Australia! Maybe one day I’ll get the call: “Gabby, we need you in America / New Zealand / Germany now!” Imagine that. A gal can dream, I suppose…

You are an OZYA author, what are some of your favourite Aussie YA books?

I love Australian literature and my shelves are heaving with it. In the interest of stopping myself from listing every #loveozya book on my shelf, it might be safer to reveal the two books that officially locked in my love of YA all those years ago: Looking For Alibrandi and Tomorrow, When The War Began.

You can find Gabrielle at @gabrielletozer on twitter, gabrielletozer.com and add her book to your goodreads.

The Intern by Gabrielle Tozer

Pages:227
Publish date: 2014
Publisher: Harper Collins
ISBN: 9780732297053
Purchase: Book Depository – Amazon UK – Amazon US – Amazon AU – Dymocks

Josie Browning dreams of having it all. A stellar academic record, an amazing journalism career – and for her current crush to realise she actually exists. The only problem? Josie can’t get through twenty-four hours without embarrassing her sister Kat or her best friend Angel, let alone herself.
Josie’s luck changes though when she lands an internship at the glossy fashion magazine Sash. A coveted columnist job is up for grabs, but Josie’s got some tough competition in the form of two other interns. Battle lines are drawn and Josie quickly learns that the magazine industry is far from easy, especially under the reign of powerful editor, Rae Swanson.
From the lows of coffee-fetching and working 10-hour days, to the highs of mingling with celebrities, scoring endless free beauty products (plus falling for her cousin’s seriously gorgeous flatmate James) this is one year Josie will never forget

***

Thank you Gabrielle for joining me at Angel Reads. That is it for this week’s #LoveOZYA Interview. What did you think of Gabrielle and her books? I know that I am in love. I hope you enjoyed it. Let’s Chat!

Come back next week for some more Aussie fun. If you want to know more about the #LoveOZYA movement check out the website for all the details.