What a couple of months: 2 new countries, 2 new covers, and 1 audible interview!

I can't believe the summer's over *sigh* but what a couple of months August and September have been in FANDOM-land!

First up, Elinor Bagenal sold THE FANDOM to China and Israel, taking my license number up to 22. Knowing my book-baby will be published in other countries never ceases to amaze and delight me. In fact, as the number grows, so too does the excitement. It never gets old, I never grow complaisant... whenever I get an e-mail from Elinor, my heart flips! I keep a list of all the countries on my phone and sometimes I just stare at it in disbelief. And it  reminds me of one of the main themes of my book: we're all the same really. Regardless of language, culture, history, race... we're all humans, and we all love stories! Except for Elinor, she is not human. She is magical book-selling wizard!!!!

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Secondly, I got not one new book cover, but two!

The UK cover got an overhaul. It's by the super talented Helen Crawford-White, and I think you'll agree, it's rather special. I always find it difficult to verbalise why I love art, words don't do it justice, but here goes.... It's dark and yet beautiful, which kind of sums up the world that the characters are transported into, and the stems remind me of the bars on a cage, which gives the sense being trapped... just like my characters. The stems also make me think of sleeping beauty, which links into fairy tales more generally, a theme running through the book, and of something hidden behind a wall of brambles, another world perhaps! And anyone who knows the book will also know there's a play on the character's names. Rose and Thorn. And as my editor, Kesia, so succinctly put it: the characters expected a world of roses, but they got a world of thorns. I also love the use of two colours against the black, it hints at the duality within the book... two worlds! Ooh and I LOVE the strapline, invented in a flash of genius by my publicist, Jazz, at Comic-con.  All in all, an absolute beauty... strong, dark and dangerous! Thank you Helen, I LOVE IT!

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And here's the US cover, revealed yesterday on the website, fangirlish (a brilliant site for any fangirls and boys out there!) I don't know who the artist is yet, but when I do, I may have to build them some sort of statue or temple in my living room! Isn't it amazing!?!

So the butterfly effect is a theme which runs through the book, just as the strapline says: one word off script and they may never get home. Violet often describes herself as a butterfly, messing everything up, flapping her massive wings. And as a Toni Snapelover Davis on FB pointed out, there is a female form at the centre of the butterfly - squint slightly, and once you see it, I promise, it's impossible to un-see! The copper and the blue eyes also have significance, but you'll have to read the book to find out what! I also love the book title font, just gorgeous. Like the UK cover, it nods to the duality within the book. And of course, I LOVE  the quote from James Dashner (squeee!). Not to put too finer point on it, I think this is one of the most beautiful covers ever to grace this planet. I've already decided to get it printed on my duvet and pillow... and now I'm considering a tattoo! Certainly, I can't stop looking at it, just in case I dreamt it!

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Other exciting news, I had an interview at amazon audible in London. I was very surprised by quite how much spangley equipment there was: a HUGE mixing desk thingy, which looked like my old eight track on steroids, and lights and a proper camera... I don't know why this surprised me! I guess it's just a whole other world (four hours earlier I'd been picking cereal out of the kids hair!) Anyway, it was great fun, though I was very nervous, and talked far more than intended about the book, writing and life in general. But most importantly, it really brought home the fact that my books going to be available to listen to, and this blows my mind! Partly cos I love listening to stories, it takes me back to childhood, and also because I love the fact that it increases accessibility for people who can't read. Look at my cheesy little grin -- says it all, really!

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So a hugely exciting couple of months... not to mention endorsements from THE James Dashner, and one of my favourite YA writers, Louise O'Neill! And only three months till publication in the UK now. Let the count down commence!

And thank you if you read this post till the end! I know it was a long one! xxx