OZYA Archives - Page 4 of 4

#LoveOZYA Interview: Gabrielle Tozer

Apr 29, 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 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.

#LoveOZYA Author Interview: Sarah Ayoub

Apr 1, 2016

To open this new feature I am interviewing the lovely Sarah Ayoub. Sarah is the author of Hate is Such A Strong Word (2013, HarperCollins Australia) and The Yearbook Committee (2016, HarperCollins Australia). Let the Interview begin.

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

Hi everyone! I’m a Sydney-based journalist and author of two novels published by Harper Collins (Hate is Such a Strong Word and The Yearbook Committee). I teach Journalism at the University of Notre Dame Australia and run writing workshops in high schools. My work has been published in Marie-Claire, Sunday Style, CLEO, Girlfriend, Cosmopolitan, Shop Til You Drop, Yen, Frankie and more. I wanted to be a journalist from the age of 10 – I was a big fan of Superman and basically wanted to be Lois Lane. I love cake and afternoon tea, am a hopeless Francophile, and often feel like I was meant to be born in a different time. I’m definitely an old soul, with a big sense of wonder and wanderlust.

What has your writing journey been like? When did you start? Why?
I suppose I started writing in my late teens, but I wrote a lot of rhyming poems that were very ‘young’. I went to university thinking I would wind up in PR, before realising in third year that I was a hopeless suck up and sales person and that my sense of curiosity and unabashed penchant for asking questions would suit feature writing better. I didn’t plan on writing books – they were never a part of my ‘plan’ – but I started writing Hate on a whim and eventually had ten chapters to show an agent. I just felt like Sophie’s character was strong and she had an important story to tell.

What was the process of getting your first book published?
I was really lucky in that it happened without too much effort on my part. I had ten chapters which I took along to a manuscript assessment day at the NSW Writer’s Centre. Following my session (which had its fair shares of compliments and criticisms), I sent my ten chapters to an agent I had been introduced to and she immediately said that while the story had potential, my writing needed a lot of work. I hadn’t studied creative writing so there was a lot of trial and error. I wrote my manuscript three times (the third time on trains as I travelled round Europe) before sending it to the agent from a remote village overseas. I returned home two weeks later and found that I’d had an offer from a publisher. It was all incredibly exciting for me.

Was it different when getting your subsequent books published?
Writing my first book was simpler because I had no expectations. I just wrote because I didn’t know what would come of it. I wrote with complete freedom. Writing the second book was harder – I wrote it in a short space of time because by then I had the creative writing skills (showing not telling) that I had not had before – but this time I had a publisher who had expectations so I didn’t know if I was meeting them. It was a very anxious time.

You are an OZYA author, what are some of your favourite Aussie YA books?
I love Australian stories and I love that Australian YA leads the charge in areas of diversity and intelligent books for its readers. I loved reading John Marsden (So much to tell you, Letters from the Inside, Winter etc) and Jaclyn Moriarty (The Brookfield/Ashbury stories) in my teens and Melina Marchetta’s books are constant faves (I seriously can’t choose between Looking for Alibrandi, Saving Francesca, and On the Jellicoe Road). Lately I’ve loved Kirsty Eager’s Summer Skin, Fleur Ferris’ Risk, and Claire Zorn’s The Protected.

You can find Sarah at @bysarahayoub on twitter, sarahayoub.com and add her books to your goodreads

Hate is such a Strong Word by Sarah Ayoub

Pages: 256
Publish date: September 1st 2013
Publisher: HarperCollins Australia
ISBN: 0732296846
Purchase: Book Depository – Amazon UK – Amazon US – Amazon AU – Dymocks

I hate being invisible.

I hate that I still can′t fight my own battles.

I hate that I can′t keep up with the demands of high school.

Sophie Kazzi is in Year 12 at an all-Lebanese, all-Catholic school where she is invisible, uncool and bored out of her brain. While she′s grown up surrounded by Lebanese friends, Lebanese neighbours and Lebanese shops, she knows there′s more to life than Samboosik and Baklawa, and she desperately wants to find it.

Unfortunately, her father has antiquated ideas about women, curfews and the Lebanese ′way′. Bad news for Sophie, who was hoping to spend Year 12 fitting in and having fun – not babysitting her four younger siblings, or studying for final exams that will land her in an Accounting course she has no interest in.

Just when it looks like Sophie′s year couldn′t get any more complicated, Shehadie Goldsmith arrives at school. With an Australian father and a Lebanese mother, he′s even more of a misfit than Sophie. And with his arrogant, questioning attitude, he also has a way of getting under her skin…

But when simmering cultural tensions erupt in violence, Sophie must make a choice that will threaten her family, friends and the cultural ties that have protected her all her life.

Are her hates and complaints worth it? Or will she let go … and somehow find her place?

The Yearbook Committee by Sarah Ayoub

Pages: 304
Publish date: March 1st 2016
Publisher: HarperCollins Australia
ISBN: 0732296854
Purchase: Book Depository – Amazon UK – Amazon US – Amazon AU – Dymocks

Five teenagers. Five lives. One final year.

The school captain: Ryan has it all … or at least he did, until an accident snatched his dreams away. How will he rebuild his life and what does the future hold for him now?

The newcomer: Charlie’s just moved interstate and she’s determined not to fit in. She’s just biding her time until Year 12 is over and she can head back to her real life and her real friends …

The loner: At school, nobody really notices Matty. But at home, Matty is everything. He’s been single-handedly holding things together since his mum’s breakdown, and he’s never felt so alone.

The popular girl: Well, the popular girl’s best friend … cool by association. Tammi’s always bowed to peer pressure, but when the expectations become too much to handle, will she finally stand up for herself?

The politician’s daughter: Gillian’s dad is one of the most recognisable people in the state and she’s learning the hard way that life in the spotlight comes at a very heavy price.

Five unlikely teammates thrust together against their will. Can they find a way to make their final year a memorable one or will their differences tear their world apart?

And that is it for this week’s #LoveOZYA Interview. What did you think of Sarah and her books? I hope you enjoyed it. 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.

Book Review: What I Saw by Beck Nicholas

Feb 25, 2016

What I Saw by Beck Nicholas

Pages: 320
Publish date: March 1, 2016
Publisher: Harlequin
ISBN: 9781760371975
Purchase: Book Depository – Amazon US – Amazon AU – Harlequin

One punch will shatter a town.

Is anyone ready for the consequences of the truth?

Callie Jones is not the kind of girl who gets drunk at school dances, and certainly not now, with her scholarship on the line. And she definitely doesn’t hang around with bad boys like Rhett Barker. Especially alone, at night. But these are the circumstances she finds herself in when she witnesses a king hit that lands the town’s golden boy in a coma.

With his reputation, no one is less surprised than Rhett when he is accused of throwing the punch. But he didn’t do it. And he knows Callie saw what really went down. He just has to convince the ‘ice princess’ to come forward and talk to the police – except, for once, good girl Callie doesn’t seem all that interested in telling the truth. Just what is she hiding, and why?

Drawn together by secrets, scandal and heartache, Callie and Rhett find themselves getting closer – even as the solution to their problems gets further away.

What I Saw:

I received an e-arc of What I Saw by Beck Nicholas via NetGalley from Harlequin Australia in exchange for an honest review. This has in no way influenced my thoughts and feelings about the book.

I have wanted to read this book from the moment that I heard about. I like novels that capture heartbreaking incidents from a different perspective. The king hit – is something quite big in Australia at the moment and a lot of I leads to death and the person that committed the crime, either getting away with it or being judged guilty for the crime.

But what happens when the person being accused of the crime didn’t do it? What if the person who was king hit is the towns darling? And what if the only person that saw what happened, wants to hide the truth? Then you have What I Saw by Beck Nicholas.

What I Saw follows protagonist Callie Jones and Rhett Barker as they go through a journey of hurt, truth, lies and questioning what would you truly do if someone you care for was in trouble.

I feel very confused about this book – it had so much potential, so much to go on and then it fell flat. The concept of the plot, intrigued me from the get go and that is what kept me reading. I wanted to know what would happen.

The romance was the biggest problem for me in What I Saw. The book went from about 3/4 days and in that time both Callie and Rhett pretty much feel in love with each other … too much instalove for me. Can it even be called that though? Since they have known each other or about each other for quite a bit.

If the book was set over a couple of weeks and the romance was building in that time – then I would have loved the romance, because Callie and Rhett are quite cute together, but it was just was too fast.

I enjoyed Rhett much more than I did Callie. I sympathised with Rhett and all I wanted to do was tell him that, somehow everything is going to be okay. Everyone pretty has hates Rhett and when is accused of the one doing the punching, it was never questioned. And gosh did it make me angry. I like these types of characters, those who are misunderstood, however I hate the situations. Rhett wasn’t who everyone thought he was, he is just this big squishy marshmallow.

In saying that, I didn’t like Callie as much. She annoyed me quite a bit throughout the novel was getting on my nerves. She wants to be ‘perfect,’ for her family and she plays guitar and just so uptight. I found her quite blank.

I also didn’t like her Callie’s parents, but when do I like parents in YA anyway – next to never.

Nevertheless, I did enjoy What I Saw but not as much as I thought I was going to, I liked the protagonists, but didn’t love them, the message of the book, stood out and I did enjoy that, because it is an important message. Something that everyone should listen to – one punch can kill.

Overall, What I Saw by Beck Nicholas shows us that sometimes the right thing to do is the hardest thing, that sometimes family isn’t everything and the importance of how a king hit can not only hurt the Victim but everyone else around them.