tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30864903781671726322024-02-18T21:06:50.091-06:00Caroline LeechOften reading, often writing and always searching for mermaids.Caroline Leechhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00402828925594070848noreply@blogger.comBlogger71125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3086490378167172632.post-49915917682191224012019-02-10T06:40:00.001-06:002019-02-10T06:41:57.645-06:00Critique Group Cheerleading<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Several years ago, while I was still very much a wannabe
writer with barely one badly-drafted novel to my name, a dear friend here in
Houston, Andrea White, invited me to join her in a new critique group with
another of her friends, Chris Cander. Andrea was already a published YA author
(SURVIVING ANTARCTICA, WINDOW BOY, RADIANT GIRL) and Chris had just
self-published her first literary novel for adults (11 STORIES). <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Chris and I immediat</span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">ely knew we'd get on, and over the next
few months we invited three more friends </span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">to join our group, </span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">all then unpublished writers like - Eleri Grace, Tobey Forney and Mimi Vance. Unlike </span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">other critique
groups, we decided early on that we wouldn't swap chapters. Instead we would be
t</span></span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">here as a support group for each other, meeting up every so often to catch up
and offer advice, and it works brilliantly. Five years on, I know I have the
best squad of cheerleaders any writer could ask for. Certainly, when my own
books came out in 2017 and 2018, I was so thankful to have my own personal
cheer squad standing beside me.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Of course, it hasn't all been sunshine and roses. We've all
had ups and downs with our publishing journeys, but I remember saying, the
first time all six of us got together over lunch, how exciting it would be when
every one of us would become published writers. I know it's only a matter of
time before that happens (they are all so talented, believe me!), and we are
getting closer to our goal each year. From out of our group of SIX writers,
FOUR of us are now published, and even more amazingly, we have had THREE new
books published just in the last few weeks!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I'm therefore proud and delighted to introduce you to these
brand-new beauties from my wonderful critique partners, in alphabetical order,
along with their retail links so you can buy them!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>THE WEIGHT OF A PIANO </b><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">by <a href="https://chriscander.com/" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue;">Chris Cander</span></a><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">A moving dual time-line story about the two women and the
piano </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">which connects their lives.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="color: blue;"><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Weight-Piano-novel-Chris-Cander/dp/0525654674" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue;">Amazon</span></a> <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><a href="https://www.brazosbookstore.com/book/9780525654674" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue;">Brazos
Bookstore</span></a></span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>COURAGE TO BE COUNTED</b><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">by <span style="color: blue;">Eleri Grace</span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">A lush WW2 romance about Red Cross girls and B-17 bomber
boys. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The first in the Clubmobile Girls series.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Courage-Counted-sizzling-romance-Clubmobile-ebook/dp/B07L1VK58P" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue;">Amazon</span></a><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><o:p> </o:p>SURVIVING MINIMIZED</span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">by Andrea White <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">A post-apocalyptic young adult thrill-ride about a boy who
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">when everything around him is going wrong.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Surviving-Minimized-Andrea-White/dp/1632991942" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue;">Amazon</span></a><span style="color: blue;"> </span> <a href="https://www.brazosbookstore.com/book/9781632991942" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue;">Brazos
Bookstore</span></a><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">If you are writing, whether as a newbie or an old hand, I
cannot recommend enough the value of finding 'your people'. You don't
necessarily need to find an established critique group to join, you just need
to find another one or two other writers you think you can get on with, and
start your own. Ours was created using the good old friend-of-a-friend method,
but if you don't think you know enough writers to make that work, why not talk to your local chapter of SCBWI or any other writing
organization to see if anyone else is looking for support? In our Houston SCBWI
chapter, there have been two new groups set up in different parts of the city
just in the last few months. And if you live in a rural area, have kids to stay
home for or have problems travelling, why not set up your critique group
online? With video services like Skype and Zoom, you can chat to one or more
other people from the comfort of your home. Who knows, you and your critique partners you might end up being life-long friends, all cheering each other as you compete for the top spot on the bestseller list!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br />Caroline Leechhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00577580003627430304noreply@blogger.com1Houston, TX, USA29.7604267 -95.369802828.8787477 -96.6606963 30.6421057 -94.0789093tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3086490378167172632.post-35241487106091119642018-10-10T14:22:00.001-05:002018-10-10T14:22:45.822-05:00I'm was on TV to talk about love stories, of course!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #1d2129; font-family: "helvetica" , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">It was great fun last night to watch myself on TV (actually it was rather terrifying!) and to revisit the fun banter and mic-destroying laughter we shared when we were recording the </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #1d2129; font-family: "helvetica" , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">Houston Public Media's <i>Cover to Cover</i> program, as part of the <i>Great American Read</i> series on PBS. </span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #1d2129; font-family: "helvetica" , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">Our episode was all about LOVE, and the series is chaired by Ernie Manouse. On my episode, I was talking with AGT singer Christina Wells, CEO Kelly Young and librarian Savannah Dorsett. We had such fun!</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #1d2129; font-family: "helvetica" , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">So if you have 26 minutes or so to spare, here's us talking all about LOVE!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">And if you'd like to watch any of the other episodes, <a href="https://www.houstonpublicmedia.org/the-great-houston-read/#ghr-ernie" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue;">you can find them all by clicking here </span></a></span></div>
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Caroline Leechhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00577580003627430304noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3086490378167172632.post-3777522131375613172018-09-25T06:00:00.000-05:002018-09-25T09:55:26.696-05:00Audiobook of IN ANOTHER TIME out now!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<i><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">I was so excited to hear over the summer that the lovely Scottish actress Eilidh Beaton had agreed to narrate the audiobook of </span></i><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">In Another Time<i> which is out now, digitally and on CD—purchase
links down below. (And in case you wondered,
Eilidh is a beautiful Scottish Gaelic name and is pronounced like Hailey, but without
the H!)<o:p></o:p></i></span></div>
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<i><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">Eilidh already has around 30 audiobooks under her belt, and
when I first heard her audition tape in which she read the opening few pages of
my latest novel, I didn’t want her to stop reading. With her soft Scottish
accent and deliciously lush tone, she lifted Maisie and all the other
characters right off the page. The audiobook comes out today in North America,
but it has been available in the UK for the last couple of weeks, and I’ve
already had wonderful feedback from reader-listeners.<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
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<i><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">Audiobooks are a huge part of my life, and I seldom do any
driving, cleaning, shopping, ironing etc without headphones in, listening to a
book, but I realized that I knew very little about how the magic happens. So, while
I held Eilidh Beaton captive in the recording studio recently, I took my chance
to ask her all about it: <o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">Can you tell me a little about yourself
and your background/acting training?<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">I realised at a
very early age that I was going to be an actor when I was maybe three or four.
My parents, who are both scientific, were terrified at the prospect of this and
did everything they could to dissuade me. As a compromise I went to university before
drama school (thank goodness I did, what a blast) to study Drama at
Aberystwyth. It was the perfect playground for actors, writers and directors
because the English and Drama departments were so massive. This meant that we
could put on plays constantly, generally getting performance spaces for free,
and had a lot of fun. Then I went to East 15 Acting School to do a Postgraduate
Diploma in Acting where I honed my performance skills. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">How and why did you start specializing
in audiobook narration?<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">I come from a
very large Scottish family and story-telling has always been a huge part of our
get-togethers and general way of interacting. I used to record myself telling
stories and making up radio shows when I was younger—always with lots of
characters—and I loved listening to audiobooks. However then dreams of the
stage took over. My postgraduate year at Drama School was one of the best, and
definitely most intense years of my life but whilst I came away confidant that
I was a far better actor and ready to tackle this crazy world of theatre, my
school left me woefully equipped with the skills to actually secure work. After
a couple of years spending more time juggling day jobs to pay the rent than
treading the boards I thought it was time to think about where my real
strengths lay. I love reading stories, I love telling stories, I love creating
characters and worlds with my voice and finding subtext and I can sight read
really rather well. I also LOVE microphones. This all led me to one conclusion:
audiobooks were the answer! I got in touch with lots of publishing houses and
production companies, sending my demo and hoping someone would give me a
chance. Finally, WF Howes took a chance on me and gave me my first book to
narrate, <i>Remember Me</i> by Lesley Pearce.
I was hooked. The Royal National Institute of Blind People was also fantastic
at giving me a chance to come and show what I could do and I’ve done lots of
books for them over the years, alongside commercial book reading.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">With a story like <i>In Another Time</i>, in which you are narrating any number of
characters, many of whom have very different accents, how do you go about
preparing to create the voices? Did <i>In
Another Time</i> give you any particular challenges?<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">Creating the
characters is one of my favourite parts of the audiobook process. First of all,
I read the book through, writing down any clues for the characters (accent,
vocal characteristics, age, any physical features, what people say about them,
what they say about themselves). My aim is to make each character as rounded as
possible. Of course, you don’t have the time to do this for minor characters
who only have a couple of lines but any who are part of the story, even
briefly, need to be real. I mentioned physical features because although
listeners are hearing the book, the actor will not be sitting still while
narrating it. In books such as <i>In Another
Time</i>, when you might have five or six characters talking on a single page,
a physical gesture can really help get you straight into the voice you need.
Accent wise, different accents are focused in different areas of the mouth, and
the jaw and mouth are also held differently so this is another way of getting
into the characters. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEOECyc5ICX4wrzJj_wJqmpwZhlf6nDsqfH5EJU2DOudC2fjMomgyE5Iax2209LibY5j9rJF4tdGxO2tJymCYBq_lmAMROV6ZVFdLp6XeOHTEzx9uDPXM00-EBYmmLywpBCbiBV8JaFrA/s1600/soundcloud.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="198" data-original-width="515" height="153" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEOECyc5ICX4wrzJj_wJqmpwZhlf6nDsqfH5EJU2DOudC2fjMomgyE5Iax2209LibY5j9rJF4tdGxO2tJymCYBq_lmAMROV6ZVFdLp6XeOHTEzx9uDPXM00-EBYmmLywpBCbiBV8JaFrA/s400/soundcloud.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: blue; font-size: small;"><a href="http://images.harpercollins.co.uk/hcwebimages/hccovers/161800/161897-exa.mp3" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue; font-size: small;">To sample the first chapter, click here</span></a></span></td></tr>
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<b><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">Or is having everyone speaking with only
one accent even harder? How do you differentiate between the voices of different
characters who are, say, from the same place/family?</span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">Both present
challenges! Preparation is key because you need to have built up your
characters (know how they would tie their shoelaces, know what makes them angry
etc.) and this then enables you to slip between the characters more easily. For
characters who have the same accent, this is particularly important. For
example, in <i>In Another Time</i>, Maisie
and her sister Beth have the same accent but are very different characters, and
Beth is also a few years younger, which allows the narrator to create a
slightly more immature voice as well as considering the differences in their
characters.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">Is this something you have to go to a
big recording studio to do, or do you sit at your kitchen table with your
iPhone and earbuds? How often do you take a break, and how do you protect your
voice from overwork? Paint us a picture of a typical recording day for you.<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">I have a
recording studio at home but it needs a little work to make it fully equipped
enough to record a book. I have a really good microphone, audio interface,
editing software etc, so the hope is there that I’ll be able to do so in the
future. It’s a brilliant way of doing what you love whilst also being around to
pick the kids up from school and help with homework and everything else family
life demands. However, there’s nothing like going into a lovely studio, working
with a lovely producer who is your audience for the days you’re recording the
book. In the studio, I would typically record for an hour and a half and then
take a 15 or so minute break. The aim is to record 4-4½ hours of finished
material a day. That’s intense so as you say, protecting your voice is really
important. I start my day with a pint of hot water and lemon. I do a vocal
warm-up in the shower. My children think this is normal behaviour! If things
are feeling croaky, I will pop my head over a bowl of hot water and let the
steam work its magic. I also do a lot of articulation exercises because keeping
your tongue nimble as a narrator is very important!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">What’s your favorite moment in the
audiobook process? The first read? The final word? Something else?<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">This is very
tricky. I love the whole process. I love it when I get the main character. For
example, in <i>In Another Time</i>, getting
Maisie right was key, and I hope I did. The moment I really felt I had found
her energy and impulses was a pretty nice moment. It can feel a bit magic when
you’re in the recording booth, your headphones are on and it’s just you, the
mic and the world you’re creating. When that clicks, and you can feel the
breeze and see the mountains, you can feel confident that you’re building
images for the listener (fingers crossed!). <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">You’ve narrated all sorts of audiobooks
– for kids, teens, detective stories, romances and even non-fiction. Do you
have a favorite genre to narrate, and why?
And is this different from the books you like to read for pleasure?<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">I love stories
and I love the variety of taking on different genres. It’s amazing to be
building up eerie suspense one week and then a couple of weeks later, the main
aim is to make the listener laugh out loud. It is particularly enjoyable when
the you can have fun with the main character. For example, in <i>In Another Time</i>, although it’s written
in the third person, Maisie is so integral to the energy and drive of the book,
her character comes through the prose. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">What are your best tips for anyone who
needs to read stories aloud, whether they are narrators, authors, teachers or
parents?<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">I would say
that remembering that you’re reading to entertain is key. If you want to keep
your listener on the edge of their seats, whether you’re a narrator, author,
teacher or parent, you need to vary the pace, trusting and using the
punctuation, it is your friend! Take pauses between sentences to ensure the
listener is keeping up and take the pace easy but don’t be afraid to speed up
at times to keep things spontaneous. Putting on different character voices
keeps people’s attention so, parents and teachers especially, should not be
afraid to put on silly voices. It is really fun to do and the kids won’t judge
you for it; they’ll love it!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="border: none; color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">When telling a story, you want to help awaken the
listeners’ imaginations to see and feel the world the author has created. An
easy technique to help achieve this is to imagine everything you’re describing
and depicting. In </span><i><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">In Another Time</span></i><span style="border: none; color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">, for example, while reading the words, I imagined
swinging the ax alongside the other fellers, the feeling of space all around,
the other lumberjills singing their song to help them with their swings and the
feel of the weather at that moment. If the reader is really ‘in the moment’,
the hope is that the listener will be too.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="border: none; color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><i>Thank you, Eilidh, for sharing so much about the audiobook process with me, and for your fabulous narration of IN ANOTHER TIME!</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b>IN ANOTHER TIME on audio</b></span></div>
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<i><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">You can buy your copy of the IN ANOTHER TIME audiobook from
all the usual audiobook places, including:<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
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<i><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><b>USA</b> – <span style="color: blue;"><a href="https://www.audible.com/pd/In-Another-Time-Audiobook/B07FMZNTB4?qid=1537804675&sr=sr_1_2&ref=a_search_c3_lProduct_1_2&pf_rd_p=e81b7c27-6880-467a-b5a7-13cef5d729fe&pf_rd_r=PEZD13Q1DH39T069D7TW&"><span style="color: blue;">Audible.com</span></a> </span></span></i><i><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">–</span></i><i><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"> <a href="http://a.co/d/jhZFHPN" style="color: blue;">Amazon.com</a><span style="color: blue;"> </span>– <span style="color: blue;"><a href="https://www.audiobooks.com/audiobook/in-another-time/346344" style="color: blue;">Audiobooks.com</a> - </span></span></i><i><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><a href="https://www.kobo.com/us/en/audiobook/in-another-time-7" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue;">Kobo</span></a></span></i></div>
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<i><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><b>UK</b> – <a href="https://www.audible.co.uk/pd/In-Another-Time-Audiobook/B07FFVB3NJ?qid=1537804546&sr=sr_1_1&ref=a_search_c3_lProduct_1_1&pf_rd_p=c6e316b8-14da-418d-8f91-b3cad83c5183&pf_rd_r=9YNJ53V5E9FNJMZSEFVC&"><span style="color: blue;">Audible.co.uk</span></a>
– <a href="https://www.amazon.co.uk/In-Another-Time/dp/B07FN4C8QL/ref=asap_bc?ie=UTF8"><span style="color: blue;">Amazon.co.uk</span></a><o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
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<i><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">Also available through international distributors<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><i>Please also check with your <b>local library's digital catalog</b>, and if they don't yet have IN ANOTHER TIME (or my first book WAIT FOR ME) in their system, why not request that they buy it so you can borrow it and recommend it to your friends?</i></span></div>
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<i><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">And if you’d like to listen to other books narrated by Eilidh Beaton,</span></i></div>
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<i><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"> <span style="color: blue;"><a href="https://www.eilidh-voice.co.uk/credits"><span style="color: blue;">visit her website</span></a></span> </span></i></div>
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Caroline Leechhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00577580003627430304noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3086490378167172632.post-11713377478169715992018-08-28T14:21:00.000-05:002018-08-28T14:21:27.605-05:00IN ANOTHER TIME is published today!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuQ4Rf1WRmbugsDpVLqVKLzFUUvcXGTvspKUcuGEU_c4tBghDKe8JSwGadxQmAn77_ancoOsQBj6QusuENNdC8kd2SbTavikkzNoIezi4LgtcqhCXjsakdiCvIIbTqwsR-2-NaKwzF9So/s1600/IAT+pub+day+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="480" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuQ4Rf1WRmbugsDpVLqVKLzFUUvcXGTvspKUcuGEU_c4tBghDKe8JSwGadxQmAn77_ancoOsQBj6QusuENNdC8kd2SbTavikkzNoIezi4LgtcqhCXjsakdiCvIIbTqwsR-2-NaKwzF9So/s400/IAT+pub+day+1.jpg" width="300" /></a></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #1d2129; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">IN ANOTHER TIME is the story of Maisie McCall, a young lumberjill of the Women's Timber Corps in 1942, during World War Two. In writing her story, Maisie has taken me on such a wonderful journey along so many wooded paths of the Scottish Highlands.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtjwEruq8C6_lq1KNdc4s9YJkJxPv8FP1Q-sKMjks5l4Vj_kuXO1o1T7yMO7QjE6GCRvqLJ4o1dmdLSHqNiApXUurkITLod9Prh7xuFED8yy0k0wjJcpan0z_dY4PAwRipR7NYQfIQnjw/s1600/Christina+Forrester+lumberjill.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="748" data-original-width="458" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtjwEruq8C6_lq1KNdc4s9YJkJxPv8FP1Q-sKMjks5l4Vj_kuXO1o1T7yMO7QjE6GCRvqLJ4o1dmdLSHqNiApXUurkITLod9Prh7xuFED8yy0k0wjJcpan0z_dY4PAwRipR7NYQfIQnjw/s320/Christina+Forrester+lumberjill.JPG" width="195" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-jVRxRrWOcCHgjM5bdKTWQ531xqpZQe_7CyDo1KCHo9qg-QxIcaIB0cqBaakmRaexLQGCO0aG2CH5rF-2Bx3f0DcX3mARf01uMLz9ETGJqD47EcQmpLf-KpDTefKvSd_l8rxKS2ENGGY/s1600/IMG_9981.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-jVRxRrWOcCHgjM5bdKTWQ531xqpZQe_7CyDo1KCHo9qg-QxIcaIB0cqBaakmRaexLQGCO0aG2CH5rF-2Bx3f0DcX3mARf01uMLz9ETGJqD47EcQmpLf-KpDTefKvSd_l8rxKS2ENGGY/s320/IMG_9981.JPG" width="240" /></a><span style="background-color: white; color: #1d2129; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">Without doubt, the highlight of my research for this story was getting to meet Christina Forrester (nee Edgar) who joined the WTC when she was just 19 years old, and has just celebrated her 95th birthday. </span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #1d2129; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">Mrs Forrester </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #1d2129; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">sat with me last summer at the feet of the beautiful Lumberjill Memorial Statue overlooking the forested hills in the Queen Elizabeth Forest Park near Aberfoyle in central Scotland. </span><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #1d2129; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14px;"> The memorial was not erected until 2007, following a long campaign by former lumberjills and Forestry Commission Scotland to mark the Women's Timber Corps's significant contribution to the war effort.</span></span></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkT80q38g2MYFemm_0UGOHcgf4Ogme8nJEfJX9mw1APXPAf1SJRTPoZXOtO4OgUtsG4vK8CTog3G4zZUp-_OJvAGCYv8uW0jejq1ihTd6XIoPbVdn8RlC19quJ0yiJp1ykqdYFfvK5SuQ/s1600/lumberjills+-+Forestry+Commission+Scotland.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="428" data-original-width="674" height="203" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkT80q38g2MYFemm_0UGOHcgf4Ogme8nJEfJX9mw1APXPAf1SJRTPoZXOtO4OgUtsG4vK8CTog3G4zZUp-_OJvAGCYv8uW0jejq1ihTd6XIoPbVdn8RlC19quJ0yiJp1ykqdYFfvK5SuQ/s320/lumberjills+-+Forestry+Commission+Scotland.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #1d2129; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">IN ANOTHER TIME is my small tribute to the courage of Christina and all her lumberjill colleagues. I hope I have done all their stories justice.</span><div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggaWtoNccg-z9nDt-wvTguA0xkKrIW7n29j2ghXD5yEbes_uAs0kDXYLePbP7mQbQwQwiqFn_E4mo-RkaIh05rER7z_17wVrjZ-ylsS0bRLsVoEX6CULocMrZwjDPwHWztUZjJtzH8Tj0/s1600/WTC+Lumberjills+memorial+-+Aberfoyle.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggaWtoNccg-z9nDt-wvTguA0xkKrIW7n29j2ghXD5yEbes_uAs0kDXYLePbP7mQbQwQwiqFn_E4mo-RkaIh05rER7z_17wVrjZ-ylsS0bRLsVoEX6CULocMrZwjDPwHWztUZjJtzH8Tj0/s320/WTC+Lumberjills+memorial+-+Aberfoyle.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Lumberjill Memorial Statue, <br />Queen Elizabeth Forest Park, Aberfoyle, Scotland</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjt0s6kUlWJd-1SdYhKL1mgna4_gfXfWLADt_o_Eo3yTCJILJ5ZYbMdvT-eMhRpFV76esnE7-uiVLnvbzVMNArbyOK2OUMHo94DKWeC8t9xBv9PV__Rj1ydBEC_XAOT-6TZYFOHpS-O6g4/s1600/IMG_0002.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="364" data-original-width="1600" height="90" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjt0s6kUlWJd-1SdYhKL1mgna4_gfXfWLADt_o_Eo3yTCJILJ5ZYbMdvT-eMhRpFV76esnE7-uiVLnvbzVMNArbyOK2OUMHo94DKWeC8t9xBv9PV__Rj1ydBEC_XAOT-6TZYFOHpS-O6g4/s400/IMG_0002.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The lumberjill's view </td></tr>
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Caroline Leechhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00577580003627430304noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3086490378167172632.post-46497191480330437542018-08-08T20:43:00.000-05:002018-08-08T20:45:17.709-05:00FREE PRE-ORDER GIFT for IN ANOTHER TIME<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRH8ABo2o4ZXFkMxd74AhUvgCbdzL2lws7P0vMPRfdKKPYYSivEuofxWbJ8EnXLIzZHZybeU59RWkQgWKefjAo6iqFneY08dVsNmFAIankM2oRUBTrCPiDxdZWgxiVoBTxD0fAlZYhzUc/s1600/Preorder+photo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1281" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRH8ABo2o4ZXFkMxd74AhUvgCbdzL2lws7P0vMPRfdKKPYYSivEuofxWbJ8EnXLIzZHZybeU59RWkQgWKefjAo6iqFneY08dVsNmFAIankM2oRUBTrCPiDxdZWgxiVoBTxD0fAlZYhzUc/s400/Preorder+photo.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">As a <b>pre-order thank you gift</b> for everyone buying my new novel, <b>IN ANOTHER TIME</b>, I have commissioned an
amazing map of Scotland, showing you all the places I wrote about in IN ANOTHER TIME </span><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">(coming from Harper Teen on Aug 28th) </span><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">and in my debut, WAIT FOR ME (in stores now). </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">
The supremely talented artist, illustrator and now map-maker, <span style="border: none windowtext 1.0pt; mso-border-alt: none windowtext 0in; padding: 0in;"><a href="http://www.adamfwatkins.com/" style="background-position-x: 0px; background-position-y: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; outline: 0px;"><span style="color: blue;"><b>Adam Watkins</b></span></a></span>,
has been so patient as we developed the map and I know you'll agree, he
did a wonderful job. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">
Along with the map, which I will sign, I'll send you bookmarks and
postcards for both </span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">books. So, how do you get your gift? Well...</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> All you have to do is:</span></div>
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<ul>
<li style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b><span style="border: none windowtext 1.0pt; mso-border-alt: none windowtext 0in; padding: 0in;"><span style="background-position-x: 0px; background-position-y: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; outline: 0px;">Pre-order IN ANOTHER
TIME</span></span></b> from your usual bookseller</span></li>
<li style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="border: 1pt none windowtext; padding: 0in;"><span style="background-position: 0px 0px; box-sizing: border-box; outline: 0px;"><b>Email me your receipt</b></span></span>, to <a href="mailto:carolineleechmail@gmail.com"><b>carolineleechmail@gmail.com</b></a>, either
by sending me a photo or by forwarding your emailed order confirmation. </span></li>
<li style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Give me your <b><span style="border: none windowtext 1.0pt; mso-border-alt: none windowtext 0in; padding: 0in;"><span style="background-position-x: 0px; background-position-y: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; outline: 0px;">best mailing
address</span></span></b></span></li>
<li style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Tell me whether you'd like your gift <b><span style="border: none windowtext 1.0pt; mso-border-alt: none windowtext 0in; padding: 0in;"><span style="background-position-x: 0px; background-position-y: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; outline: 0px;">personalized</span></span></b> with your
name, or someone else's. If you don't specify a name, I'll assume you only want
a signature. </span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>All formats</b> count for the gift – hardback in the USA/Canada,
paperback in the UK, and it's also in e-book and audiobook – and <b>international
orders</b> are totally welcome.</span></li>
</ul>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"> As a side note, when you are ordering, please think about supporting an </span><b style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="border: none windowtext 1.0pt; mso-border-alt: none windowtext 0in; padding: 0in;"><span style="background-position-x: 0px; background-position-y: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; outline: 0px;">independent bookstore</span></span></b><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">, either
via its website or in person, rather than a huge international online
mega-company like... well, you know the one! Indie booksellers make such an
enormous contribution to us as authors and to all of you and to us as readers,
and while it might cost you a couple of dollars/pounds/euros etc more, I'd look
on that as an investment in the future of all the books you love to read.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And if you are coming to my
<b><a href="https://www.brazosbookstore.com/event/caroline-leech-another-time" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue;">Launch Party</span></a></b> in Houston on August 30<sup>th</sup>, then pre-order your book from <a href="https://www.brazosbookstore.com/event/caroline-leech-another-time"><b><span style="color: blue;">Brazos
Bookstore</span></b></a>, and you can pick up both your copy and your gift on the night!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"> I'll start sending
out the gifts next week, first-come-first-served, so email your receipts
to me as soon as you can at:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="border: none 1.0pt; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; padding: 0in;"><span style="background-position: 0px 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: blue; font-size: large; outline: 0px;"><a href="mailto:carolineleechmail@gmail.com" style="background-position-x: 0px; background-position-y: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; outline: 0px;" target="_blank"><b>carolineleechmail@gmail.com</b></a></span><a href="mailto:carolineleechmail@gmail.com" target="_blank"><span style="background-position: 0px 0px; border: none; box-sizing: border-box; outline: 0px;"><o:p></o:p></span></a></span></div>
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<span style="border: none 1.0pt; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; padding: 0in;"><i><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: "merriweather" , "georgia" , serif; text-align: left;">Love is worth the fight </span><br style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; text-align: left;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; text-align: left;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: "merriweather" , "georgia" , serif; text-align: left;">It’s 1942, and Maisie McCall is in the Scottish Highlands doing her bit for the war effort as a Women’s Timber Corps lumberjill. Maisie relishes her newfound independence and her growing friendships—especially with the enigmatic John Lindsay. </span><br style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; text-align: left;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; text-align: left;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: "merriweather" , "georgia" , serif; text-align: left;">As Maisie and John work side-by-side felling trees, Maisie can’t help but feel like their friendship has the spark of something more to it. And yet every time she gets close to him, John pulls away. It’s not until Maisie rescues John from a terrible logging accident that he begins to open up to her about the truth of his past, and the pain he’s been hiding. </span><br style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; text-align: left;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; text-align: left;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: "merriweather" , "georgia" , serif; text-align: left;">Suddenly everything is more complicated than Maisie expected. And as she helps John untangle his shattered history, she must decide if she’s willing to risk her heart to help heal his. But in a world devastated by war, love might be the only thing left that can begin to heal what’s broken.</span></i></span></div>
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<br />Caroline Leechhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00577580003627430304noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3086490378167172632.post-7948338715984359552018-07-23T17:24:00.000-05:002018-07-23T17:24:41.709-05:00Flash Giveaway! Win paperback of WAIT FOR ME<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3pJofwg5NCOKu7oW4dCaBxeHRymZCBBtCKfnhTG1JoU5gWgZxIdJxojmQFo7x-1DQBqXXcPfIDhjQfxyKLz1zYLZrzPJLk7ibhA3Pu3RphvIMuC5_h528ofd5ioGyZyYVWggdUQx1-8o/s1600/IMG_3799.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="640" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3pJofwg5NCOKu7oW4dCaBxeHRymZCBBtCKfnhTG1JoU5gWgZxIdJxojmQFo7x-1DQBqXXcPfIDhjQfxyKLz1zYLZrzPJLk7ibhA3Pu3RphvIMuC5_h528ofd5ioGyZyYVWggdUQx1-8o/s400/IMG_3799.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #1d2129; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">Just to add to all the new book excitement, the US paperback version of WAIT FOR ME will be published on July 31st. To celebrate,I'm doing a quick giveaway! </span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #1d2129; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;"> I've posted this photo on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram, so for each one you share/retweet, like and/or comment on, you'll get one entry into the giveaway (max of three per person). I'll announce the winners on July 31st!</span>Caroline Leechhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00577580003627430304noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3086490378167172632.post-33607490424940859802018-06-02T10:00:00.000-05:002018-06-06T07:12:06.187-05:00MEET MY DESIGNER - Aurora Parlagreco<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
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<i style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The next in a series which will let me introduce you to the </span></i><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><i>most important people in my writing life</i></span><i style="color: #222222;">...</i><i style="color: #222222;"></i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: medium;"><b>AURORA PARLAGRECO</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>Senior Designer - HarperCollins Children's Books</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b><i>Pocket bio</i></b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b><i><br /></i></b></span>
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<i><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">Where are you from?</span></i></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">Long
Island, New York</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<i><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">Where do you live now?</span></i></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; text-indent: -0.25in;">Brooklyn, New York</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; text-indent: -0.25in;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<i style="text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">What genre do you read for pleasure?</span></i></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; text-indent: -0.25in;">Literary fiction, dark mysteries, YA</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; text-indent: -0.25in;"><br /></span></div>
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<i style="text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">Favorite book ever?</span></i></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; text-indent: -0.25in;">Harry Potter and </span><i style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; text-indent: -0.25in;">Pride and Prejudice</i></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">How
did you get to where you are now? Did you always want to design book covers?<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">I’ve always loved books,
so working in publishing is a dream come true! I got my BFA in Communication
Design from Carnegie Mellon University, along with minors in Photography and
English. I was lucky enough to intern in the Children's Design group at
Harper before starting full time after graduation.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">Where
do you start when you are putting together a cover? Do you always read the book
first? <o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">For each new book that I
am assigned, I get a Cover Summary that includes a lot of important information-
plot summary, character descriptions, as well as a list of competitive titles
so that I can see where the book will fit into the existing market. If there is
a manuscript available, I always read it before I get started. I love getting
an early glimpse at the book, and it helps me to get a feel for the story and
pull out details for inspiration!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; text-indent: 0.5in;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; text-indent: 0.5in;">I’ll then
look at images and artist samples online for further inspiration, and put
together a presentation of different cover directions.</span><br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijc2XlqcoLKlZU_iMu4elQXKI5oHDPAkjpaEjwvQittzXXDnGfY__fMgstpMofwVmjEJirYJkbb8IhMCDTAgGEgRVGCRX2GbHwJt6NtAsNJTzhPDj78V1Ku8RrYnQjfHi7ZNzDphWwtMQ/s1600/2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="373" data-original-width="944" height="156" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijc2XlqcoLKlZU_iMu4elQXKI5oHDPAkjpaEjwvQittzXXDnGfY__fMgstpMofwVmjEJirYJkbb8IhMCDTAgGEgRVGCRX2GbHwJt6NtAsNJTzhPDj78V1Ku8RrYnQjfHi7ZNzDphWwtMQ/s400/2.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Some of Aurora's recent cover designs</i></td></tr>
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<b><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">What
are a book designer’s most useful tools? Do you ever use a paper and pencil
anymore, or is it all done on computer?<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">I usually begin by taking
notes as I’m reading, and sketching out ideas in my sketchbook. I’ll then move
to the computer to comp up ideas in a more finished way. If I hire an artist to
work on a project, they may deliver the art as a physical piece, although many
prefer to send things electronically. I compile everything digitally, using the
Adobe Suite (InDesign, Illustrator, and Photoshop) to pull together and refine all
the elements of a cover.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; text-indent: 0.5in;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; text-indent: 0.5in;">One my
favorite things to add to my designs is hand lettering (as in </span><i style="font-family: arial, sans-serif; text-indent: 0.5in;">Wait for Me</i><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; text-indent: 0.5in;">!). I’ll do this by hand before
scanning and cleaning it up on the computer.</span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">What
is it within a story that triggers your decision to go for, say, realistic
photography over drawing/painting, over textiles, over abstract graphics?<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">The context of a book
really directs us towards what style to pursue. Sometimes I will present a
variety of directions for a cover, and sometimes one style will feel like the
right way to go. Often, we choose a direction through discussions with the
book’s editor and our sales team, also taking into consideration what is
working in the current market. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">Designing
a book is not just about the cover art, is it? What else is involved in getting
a fully designed book to print?<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">The cover is often the
first thing a reader will see, but I love being able to design a book’s full
package. Once the front cover is done, we use it as a starting point to create
the full jacket and then the interior. This involves choosing typefaces,
designing chapter openers, and in some cases, adding maps, endpapers, and interior
illustrations. Of course, there are a lot of other people involved in getting a
book print-ready! We work with editors, copy-editors and production managers to
make each book the best it can be.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></b>
<b><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">What
techniques/add-ons can a designer include for the big-budget covers and what’s
the most complicated cover you’ve ever worked on because of that?<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">We work with our
Production department to choose a jacket’s “specs” based on what will best
compliment the cover design. There are a lot of different options we can choose
from- do we want to the jacket to be glossy or matte? Should we print over foil
for a metallic sheen? We can also choose smaller areas of the cover to apply
gloss, or an emboss, among other things.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">If a cover has a lot of complicated specs, a designer
will sometimes travel to the printer to make sure that the printed jacket
matches our vision. I did this for <i>Dumplin’</i>
by Julie Murphy - and again on </span><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">Julie’s new book, </span><i style="font-family: arial, sans-serif;">Puddin’ </i><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">(above). We printed the cover using a mix of Pantone colors to get pure,
bold colors. We also used a soft-touch (velvety) finish, emboss and gloss on
the title type, and a silver foil for the crown. These finishing touches helped
to enhance the design and make the cover really pop!</span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">Where
does the decision-making power lie for cover art – with the designer, the
editor or with marketing/PR team? Does the author get any say in the matter?<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">I’ll first discuss the
cover with my art director and the book’s editor. Once we have a cover that we
are happy with, we’ll bring it in to sales and marketing to get their thoughts.
We also show the author and always try to accommodate any ideas or concerns
they may have. The goal is to create a book that we are all proud of!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">Would
you take us through the process which ended up with my own gorgeous WAIT FOR ME
cover?</span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">In reading <i>Wait for Me</i>, I knew it would be
important for the cover to show the romance between Lorna and Paul while
balancing the tension of war.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; text-indent: 0.5in;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; text-indent: 0.5in;">Alice and
I looked at a variety of stock images before landing on the perfect one. Some of
these featured just one figure, but ultimately we decided that it was important
to show a couple. I love that the hands in the final photo are almost touching,
but not quite- it captures a lot of the complicated emotions involved in their
relationship. I decided to create hand lettering for the title type to give the
cover a more contemporary feel.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; text-indent: 0.5in;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; text-indent: 0.5in;">Because time
and place are so important to this story I wanted to be sure that we were
depicting an accurate setting. I looked at reference photos for the Scottish
landscape and we added some WWII planes in the sky to emphasize the lingering
danger. With the help of a retoucher (and Caroline’s guidance!) we made sure
that these planes were the correct models- two Spitfires and a Flying Fortress.</span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">What
advice would you give to a teenager who is interested in becoming a book
designer?<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">It’s important to keep up
with trends in the book world and be aware of what’s out there. You can look at
blogs, go to bookstores, and, of course, read! Try creating covers for classics
or books that you love for practice. It’s also great to have experience working
in both traditional and digital formats. It helps to be able to express your
ideas in a variety of ways!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBM6c71fKN3uiwZZwqyI9iLwX5H2oD8C9s1KWQ86R7jhB1j8Nc_0DNlKN5DHvJEfpSoiQg1OWi9qOK6ONNkOnIze7k6GFq7k28-5ssrM1ACUs7Wycefd8WlibNYelMdIomfWu977vjjM0/s1600/York.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="834" data-original-width="536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBM6c71fKN3uiwZZwqyI9iLwX5H2oD8C9s1KWQ86R7jhB1j8Nc_0DNlKN5DHvJEfpSoiQg1OWi9qOK6ONNkOnIze7k6GFq7k28-5ssrM1ACUs7Wycefd8WlibNYelMdIomfWu977vjjM0/s320/York.jpg" width="205" /></a><b><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">Which
YA/children’s book cover do you wish you had designed and why?<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<i><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">A
Series of Unfortunate Events</span></i><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">-
these were some of my favorites growing up, and the whole package is so unique
and special! The covers, illustrations, and even the endpapers perfectly
capture the mood of the stories before you even read a word.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">What’s
your favorite among all the books you have designed and why?<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">This is such a hard
question! I would have to say <i>Dumplin' </i>because it<i> </i>was one of the first books I
worked on and has a special place in my heart. The other would be <i>York: The Shadow Cipher</i> by Laura Ruby (left),
because it is exactly the kind of book I would have loved when I was younger
(and still do)!<o:p></o:p></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><i>Aurora has been an amazing designer, not only for my covers, but she also designs the inside pages of the books too. As she mentions above, when we were first looking at the WAIT FOR ME cover, I asked if the largest of three planes, originally drafted as an RAF Lancaster bomber, could be swapped for a American bomber, the B17 Flying Fortress, which was mentioned in the story. Aurora didn't turn a hair. She studied the WW2 Royal Observer Corps silhouette outlines I sent to her, and the Lancaster was suddenly a Flying Fortress. Hands up if you'd spotted the difference!</i></span></div>
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Caroline Leechhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00577580003627430304noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3086490378167172632.post-69397869091577493902018-04-01T07:41:00.000-05:002018-04-01T07:41:12.594-05:00Meet my EDITOR - Alice Jerman<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
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<i style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The next in a series which will let me introduce you to the </span></i><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><i>most important people in my writing life</i></span><i style="color: #222222;">...</i><i style="color: #222222;"></i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: medium;"><b>ALICE JERMAN</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>Editor - Harper Teen, HarperCollins</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b><i>Pocket bio</i></b><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><i>Where are you from?</i><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">New Jersey<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><i>Where do you live now?</i><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">NYC<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><i>What genre do you read
for pleasure?</i><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">YA Fantasy, true
crime, graphic novels <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><i>Favorite book ever?</i><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><i>The Winner's Curse</i> trilogy, by Marie Rutkoski<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>How did you get to where you are now? Did you always want to edit
books/work in publishing?</b><span style="color: #222222;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I loved books and <span style="color: #222222;">writing, but my favorite part
was always </span>talking about books<span style="color: #222222;">. So </span>I knew I had to be an
English major in college. It wasn't until my sophomore year, though, amidst
generalized "what will I do for a career" panic that I realized
"Oh wait, there are people who <i>make </i>the books. I would
like to do that!" I got an internship at an agency and after working there
for a few years, decided I'd like to be an editor, so I can talk about books
and their intricate inner workings and character motivations and everything I
loved from English class (minus the tests) for the rest of my life. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgp-EoMWBzBTJCoMlJHH6uAVkjP_fbo-ZbBA4y1u8B4DL_MTR10HFVN6WFkS3U40qNEOIvdbRDsVnYigfD8DHU_tMG_8uniwMtQ96bMgU2dli9DeHumDMqc26aatcfntUtib_aAYSNxrV8/s1600/AEJ+desk.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgp-EoMWBzBTJCoMlJHH6uAVkjP_fbo-ZbBA4y1u8B4DL_MTR10HFVN6WFkS3U40qNEOIvdbRDsVnYigfD8DHU_tMG_8uniwMtQ96bMgU2dli9DeHumDMqc26aatcfntUtib_aAYSNxrV8/s320/AEJ+desk.jpg" width="265" /></span></a><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>What’s involved in being an editor, that is, how much more to the
job is there than just line editing a manuscript?</b><span style="color: #222222;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Ha! Quite a lot goes on behind the scenes. It's always fun to
explain to my family and friends that I do more than just fix the
commas. <span style="color: #222222;">Before
I actually acquire a manuscript from an agent/author, there is</span> <span style="color: #222222;">lots of
networking, </span>reading queries, and then negotiating <span style="color: #222222;">deals</span>, <span style="color: #222222;">plus </span>paperwork<span style="color: #222222;">,</span> paperwork<span style="color: #222222;">,</span> paperwork<span style="color: #222222;">. Then once I’ve
acquired the book, there is reading</span> drafts<span style="color: #222222;"> and</span> doing rounds of
edits,<span style="color: #222222;"> </span>author phone calls,
writing copy (flap copy, internal copy, catalog copy, galley copy, selling
copy)<span style="color: #222222;">.
In house, I am</span> the author's<span style="color: #222222;"> and the book’s</span> champion, <span style="color: #222222;">which means I </span>coordinat<span style="color: #222222;">e</span> with various
departments about the book, making sure it's in front of everyone it has to be<span style="color: #222222;"> before it goes out
into the world</span>.<span style="color: #222222;"> (And then more paperwork).</span> It's a lot, but it's all for
really great books I love, so it's all worth it! <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>How many queries and submitted manuscripts do you read each month,
and what is it that you are looking for?</b><span style="color: #222222;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">This number varies depending on the time of year, but in an
average month I'd say I read about 50 submissions per month. <span style="color: #222222;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I'm looking for primarily<span style="color: #222222;"> diversity, own voices,</span> fantasy, <span style="color: #222222;">and</span> any sort of
forbidden romance. I<span style="color: #222222;"> also</span> love historical fiction,<span style="color: #222222;"> </span>stories about friendship,
family, <span style="color: #222222;">and</span> coming of age. I
look for middle grade and YA. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Of the books you have bought for publication, what key
factors made you want to take that particular book over the others you read
that week?</span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">It's a combination of a few things, really. On a practical level:
will this book work on my list? Will this book stand out on the list at Harper?
Will this book be a good fit for the market now? Then there's the technical
stuff: how is the writing? Is the plot strong and hooky? Then questions like:
do I connect with this book? Does it speak to me in some way? Do I feel
passionately about it? Do I <i>love </i>it? Because that leads to the
biggest question of all: Is this a book I want to read over and over and over
again? We spend hundreds of hours on a single book, so if it's not something
you don't see yourself pouring a good chunk of your soul into, even if
everything else about it is technically perfect, you shouldn't go for it!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>Would you talk us through the process from start to finish – submitted
ms to book on shelf – as far as your work is concerned? And which is your
favorite part of that process?</b><span style="color: #222222;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">For me, once I get a submission that I like, I need to run it by
the members of my editorial team and then run it by my department heads. If
they also like it, then I can offer on it. If all goes well, I buy it. Yay!
Then I go through a few rounds of edits with the author, while I work with
design to coordinate a cover. I work on packaging the book--that means coming
up with catchy copy. Then I launch the book to my team, telling them the big
highlights, how I feel about the book, etc. Then my marketing team is coming up
with plans and my copy-editors are copy-editing the book. Then when it's perfect,
the book is sent to the printer and turned into a physical book. <span style="color: #222222;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">My favorite part is definitely editing! I love working with the
book at the text level.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgi9ZY09jBX7DvptjdqR7Y3_dE-hEPyGFtcfiqdRrIvQ-Pm0OBM4Gm0DbHrHqSplNzN6eafKGLbrWGdt1FW2bkORh6yOXR3IvILgfWI1D3vLX4WvVTXOQY7lqrvim9Y3sP5CoGQxHZT6aY/s1600/Harperteen+logo.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgi9ZY09jBX7DvptjdqR7Y3_dE-hEPyGFtcfiqdRrIvQ-Pm0OBM4Gm0DbHrHqSplNzN6eafKGLbrWGdt1FW2bkORh6yOXR3IvILgfWI1D3vLX4WvVTXOQY7lqrvim9Y3sP5CoGQxHZT6aY/s1600/Harperteen+logo.png" /></span></a><b><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">What is on your manuscript wish list?<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Diversity! Especially Own Voices. I also am looking for <span style="color: #222222;">fantasy, </span>forbidden romance<span style="color: #222222;">, friendship stories, or
coming of age stories.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>What advice would you give to a teenager who is interested in
becoming a book editor?</b><span style="color: #222222;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Make sure you LOVE it! This isn't a job you do lightly, you pour
your heart and soul into it at every step: buying the book, editing the book,
cheerleading for the book. It requires your everything, so make sure <span style="color: #222222;">the job is</span> right for you. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">What book do you wish you
could have worked on?<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><i>Midwinterblood</i> by Marcus Sedgewick or <i>Counting By 7's</i><span style="color: #222222;"> by Holly Goldberg
Sloan</span>.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>Do you write too? Would you every write/have you ever written a
novel?</b><span style="color: #222222;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I write only on occasion. Writing takes a lot of time, so I
guiltily have to say I don't really have time for it. I love writing,
and I have a minor in Creative Writing, so I should put that to use, after
all! <span style="color: #222222;">I
suppose there’s always</span> next year<span style="color: #222222;"> to pick up a pen…<o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOQxZQhw80BT79UFEeWOI5lPaWNgCGHJ3nzY5RCkZehJAp66eEKfwYesNNZazH-Q36pob2qb1V9q07j81iSh3vNvEHXBks70EyFUTvGqMGLPdsDcCK34P8xsjfsPGhmo2fQueUJly2f5E/s1600/me+and+alice.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOQxZQhw80BT79UFEeWOI5lPaWNgCGHJ3nzY5RCkZehJAp66eEKfwYesNNZazH-Q36pob2qb1V9q07j81iSh3vNvEHXBks70EyFUTvGqMGLPdsDcCK34P8xsjfsPGhmo2fQueUJly2f5E/s400/me+and+alice.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgi9ZY09jBX7DvptjdqR7Y3_dE-hEPyGFtcfiqdRrIvQ-Pm0OBM4Gm0DbHrHqSplNzN6eafKGLbrWGdt1FW2bkORh6yOXR3IvILgfWI1D3vLX4WvVTXOQY7lqrvim9Y3sP5CoGQxHZT6aY/s1600/Harperteen+logo.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: small;"><br /></span></a><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: small;">Alice and me at the Harper offices in New York</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>Of all the books you’ve worked on, which did you enjoy the most?</b><span style="color: #222222;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">So many of them! I got to help edit Jodi Lynn Anderson's books,
and I love her. And I really enjoyed <span style="color: #222222;">editing</span> <i><span style="color: #222222;">Connect the Stars</span></i> by Marisa de los Santos and
David Teague<span style="color: #222222;">, as
well as David’s most recent novel <i>How
Oscar Indigo Broke the Universe (and Put it Back Together Again)</i></span>. I really loved working
on <i>Pretty Little Liars</i> and <i>The Perfectionists</i> by Sara Shepard, as
well as Jessica Leake’s <i>Beyond a Darkened
Shore</i>, and Laura E Weymouth’s <i>The
Light Between Worlds</i>. And, of course, <i>Wait
for Me</i> by Caroline Leech is incredibly close to my heart. <3</span></div>
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<i style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Alice first came across my WAIT FOR ME manuscript when she was one of the judges for the RWA Emily Contest in 2014. She read the first twenty pages and immediately requested the full manuscript. She was very patient while I finished off some revisions, and was wonderfully enthusiastic when I sent the manuscript to her. Within two weeks, she had offered me a two book deal. I still sometimes read that first email from her to remind myself that this whole book deal is a real thing!</i><br />
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Caroline Leechhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00577580003627430304noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3086490378167172632.post-58279095017459164682018-03-01T09:57:00.000-06:002018-03-01T09:57:11.352-06:00Meet my Agent - Jordan Hamessley<div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: small; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><i>The first in series which will let me introduce you to the </i></span><br />
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><i>most important people in my writing life</i></span><i style="color: #222222; font-family: "helvetica neue", arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">, starting with...</i><br />
<b><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><br /></span></b><b><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Jordan Hamessley</span></b></div>
<div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<b><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">Literary Agent</span></b></div>
<div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<b><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">New Leaf Literary & Media Inc</span></b><br />
<br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;"><b>Pocket bio </b><i><o:p></o:p></i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;"><b><br /></b></span></div>
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<i><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">Where are you from?</span></i><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;"> </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;"> Born and raised in
Austin, TX. Followed by twelve years in NYC.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;"><br /></span></div>
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<i><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">Where do you live now?</span></i></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">The San Francisco Bay
Area</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;"><br /></span></div>
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<i><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">What genre do you read for pleasure?</span></i><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt;"> </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">YA Contemporary<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt;"><br /></span></div>
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<i><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">Favorite book ever? </span></i></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt;"> The Haunting of Hill
House<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: left;">
<b><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">How did you get to where you are now? Did you
always want to work in publishing? <o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">I moved
to NYC right after high school to go to school for musical theater and spent several
years in NYC performing. Eventually I found myself reading a book a day and
wanted to find a way to use that skill, so I started looking for publishing
jobs and never looked back. Apparently when I was a kid I told my aunt that
when I grew up I just wanted to read all day, so I guess I got my wish. My
other dream job as a kid was to be a talent agent, so I didn’t end up too far
off from that dream.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">What’s involved in being a literary agent? Do
you have a ‘typical week’ yet? <o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">There are
so many emails! I try to spend my mornings responding to emails from clients
and editors. My afternoons are usually spent reading submissions or prepping
client projects for submission. I spend a lot of time on the phone, as well,
whether it’s talking a client through a revision, getting to know editors, or
pitching projects. I squeeze in reading queries when I can, but most of the
time I read them after dinner and on weekends. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">How many queries and submitted manuscripts do
you receive/read each month, and what is it that you are looking for? <o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">I’m
getting several hundred queries a month and I request about three manuscripts a
week, but it all comes down to selling me in the query and the pages. I’ve had
moments where the query is on point and then the pages don’t live up to the
promise of the pitch. Those are tough passes. For me, I want to know what the
book is about from the query. If all I know is themes and find myself left
asking “But what is the plot?” there isn’t much to excite me. Keep in mind what
comp titles you are using for you book and that they actually convey the tone
or genre of your book.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">Of the
authors you now work with, what key factors made you want to represent that
particular writer over the others who queried you? (It’s fine if you only refer
to your new signings, rather than your ‘adopted’ clients) <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">One of
the first clients I signed had two perfect comps in his query and it made me go
“I <i>must</i> read this book.” One of the
comp titles was in my “top 5 books of all time” listed on my bio and it was a
perfect comp. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">Once you have taken on an author as your
client, talk us through your process from start to finish for selling
manuscripts to the books reaching the shelves and then beyond? And which is
your favorite part of that process?<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">Because I
spent so many years as an editor, I tend to be a very editorial agent with my
clients. I do at least one editorial pass on a manuscript before I put it out
on submission, sometimes more! Then the fun part of putting together the
submission list starts and I get to start pitching. If all goes as planned and
we get a deal, then I switch into more of a management role. I keep up to date
to the author’s deadlines and keep in touch with the publisher on all things
promotion/publicity. I love when we get cover designs in or find out what
illustrators an editor envisions for a picture book. There are fun parts to the
entire process, but I’m a big fan of seeing the finished book for the first
time. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">What is on your manuscript wish list right now?</span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">I’ve gotten
quite a reputation for being a horror editor, but my tastes have shifted a bit
recently. I’m easily spooked these days, so I’m being very selective about the
horror I take on and I’m much more excited to find great contemporary YA and
middle grade fiction. Some of my favorite TV shows are Jane the Virgin and
Friday Night Lights and I’d love to find stories that bring me the laughs and
heart of JtV and the emotional tears of FNL.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">I’m
always looking for queer stories in the middle grade space, especially for
young queer girls. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">I’m a
sucker for music and theater stories as someone who has spent a lot of my life
performing.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: left;">
<b><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">What are the biggest mistakes that prospective
authors make when they’re approaching you looking for representation? <o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">There are
a lot of times I see people trying to fit my bio their query and it just isn’t
the best fit for their book. If you are going to reference something in my bio,
make sure it’s really connected to your book. I mention that I sing and tap
dance in my spare time and as a result I get a lot of queries telling me about
the author’s high school musical from 15 years ago. If it isn’t relevant to the
book and you as an author, I don’t need to know.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">What advice would you give to a teenager who is
interested in becoming a literary agent?<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">Read read
read! The books I read as a teen are still the defining books of my life and
helped form my tastes.</span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt;"><br /></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: left;">
<b><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">Do you write too? Would you ever write/have you
ever written a novel?<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">Whenever
I’ve thought I had the idea for a book, I sit down and end up writing one
paragraph and say “Well, that was all I had to say about that.” So no, I
haven’t ever written a novel of my own. Part of what I love about my job is
helping authors decide what story to tell next and I get to flex my creative muscles
in those moments. There are many books in the world that I’ve edited that have
pieces of me in them from the editorial discussions I’ve had with authors and
that’s fulfilling for me.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">Of all the books you’ve worked on, which did
you enjoy the most?<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">That is
like choosing a favorite child! I have an eternal fondness for the first series
I ever acquired, Adam-Troy Castro’s <i>Gustav
Gloom</i> series. It set me on my middle grade horror for a few years. I’m also
very proud of Kaitlin Ward’s <i>Bleeding
Earth</i>. The two of us went on quite the journey getting that book published
and I’m so happy that it’s out in the world. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">Now that
I’m on the agenting side of things, I have so many projects that I’m in love
with and excited to share with the world.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<i><span style="background: white; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; line-height: 107%;">With nearly a decade of experience working on the editorial
side of publishing at Penguin Young Readers (Grosset & Dunlap), Egmont USA,
and Adaptive Studios, Jordan Hamessley made the switch to agenting.
Jordan had the pleasure of editing many award winning and critically acclaimed
authors such as Sara Benincasa, Len Vlahos, Ilsa J. Bick, Adam-Troy Castro,
E.C. Myers, Dori Hillestad Butler, Andrew Keenan-Bolger and Kate Wetherhead,
Michelle Schusterman and more</span><span style="background: white; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">.</span></i><i><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
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<br /></div>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Visit the<span style="color: blue;"><a href="http://newleafliterary.com/" target="_blank"> New Leaf website</a> f</span>or more information about Jordan, New Leaf Literary and its clients, and to find information on how to submit your manuscript.</span></div>
Caroline Leechhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00577580003627430304noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3086490378167172632.post-59328416757422837512018-01-28T14:01:00.000-06:002018-01-28T14:01:07.192-06:00Newsletter launch - sign up and win!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyr4CHDouJm-DqwaXuKp7_RfBjqpgFFub0c06uaPG7BQ5l-zBw2LVDeQggOky9EAIYL5auDJyOKvmonsFeVgpesEUMVId1ZrrB6NtnFgpOIYwQqj3JJnFnsLrLSnCZJdqjplivGtCSgEA/s1600/First+newsletter+canva+pic.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="800" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyr4CHDouJm-DqwaXuKp7_RfBjqpgFFub0c06uaPG7BQ5l-zBw2LVDeQggOky9EAIYL5auDJyOKvmonsFeVgpesEUMVId1ZrrB6NtnFgpOIYwQqj3JJnFnsLrLSnCZJdqjplivGtCSgEA/s400/First+newsletter+canva+pic.png" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">To mark the first anniversary of WAIT FOR ME's publication, and of me becoming an author, I'll be launching my first newsletter later this week.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Although I will still posting longer reads on this blog, the newsletter will give you a monthly, quick-to-read update on what is happening with me and my books. Each month will include news, events, a writing craft tip, a peek into the history I write about, and last but not least, a book giveaway of my favorite of the new Young Adult releases.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">So please, head over to my website at <a href="http://www.carolineleech.com/"><span style="color: blue;">www.carolineleech.com</span></a> to sign up!</span>Caroline Leechhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00577580003627430304noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3086490378167172632.post-72197715091831581582017-10-03T13:31:00.000-05:002017-10-03T13:31:00.367-05:00Cover Reveal - Come and meet the Lumberjills - IN ANOTHER TIME<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcb08CEBtY-969ykDVhi63iHOLgiVZPPsawTBhOWDaMM6ctMdJhSvtT2A5fC0BhWP87X0jCtqJhqYuaAkxRqbIQvU9ZiWHSNY-nPOsdGg5B-1G2WV6sp0OBpYeCPaUH5IQ1UV9n2dXqUo/s1600/Cover+reveal+clip+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="304" data-original-width="470" height="205" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcb08CEBtY-969ykDVhi63iHOLgiVZPPsawTBhOWDaMM6ctMdJhSvtT2A5fC0BhWP87X0jCtqJhqYuaAkxRqbIQvU9ZiWHSNY-nPOsdGg5B-1G2WV6sp0OBpYeCPaUH5IQ1UV9n2dXqUo/s320/Cover+reveal+clip+1.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.8px;">To see the whole cover, please keep reading…</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I am so thrilled to be able to share with you the beautiful cover for my second novel, IN ANOTHER TIME, which will be published on August 28th by Harper Teen in the US and Harper Collins Children’s Books in the UK. The fabulous book blog, YA Books Central has today unveiled the cover for me, and to celebrate, we are giving away FREE BOOKS AND OTHER STUFF, including an advanced copy of IN ANOTHER TIME.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibWJz2AYLUSA-_sR5O2Vqgb8rAjhk7vB8e3djkojDxWvCWC3Mabc1VMfpps8086Lq_D_Sx-KZFcl4c6eYMlZyq8V5CnQaIEwhatF4x30qWIaA7JeF-2_LKJEOb9X5JVxYTx9_EhtOoRcM/s1600/Cover+reveal+clip+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="250" data-original-width="1123" height="88" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibWJz2AYLUSA-_sR5O2Vqgb8rAjhk7vB8e3djkojDxWvCWC3Mabc1VMfpps8086Lq_D_Sx-KZFcl4c6eYMlZyq8V5CnQaIEwhatF4x30qWIaA7JeF-2_LKJEOb9X5JVxYTx9_EhtOoRcM/s400/Cover+reveal+clip+2.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">IN ANOTHER TIME is set in 1942—half-way through World War Two—and follows Maisie McCall, a Glasgow girl who defies her parents, and volunteers to pick up an ax and saw to become a lumberjill of the Women’s Timber Corps in the Highlands of Scotland. She makes friends quickly, and not only with the other lumberjills. There’s also a handsome Canadian lumberjack . . .</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkeninZzKK1rfgU0FbiYt6zRRrOaQxYH1uiYTIIxashSF4mmccQ-P9ZvBwWrzqztcUbKI2hoUq4qQhkr6awMHsl5yCrx1qzB7svXBG-jA_WrDO7YOHGZCF_JtzGjualSG_1gq158cj3oI/s1600/Cover+reveal+clip+4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="667" data-original-width="372" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkeninZzKK1rfgU0FbiYt6zRRrOaQxYH1uiYTIIxashSF4mmccQ-P9ZvBwWrzqztcUbKI2hoUq4qQhkr6awMHsl5yCrx1qzB7svXBG-jA_WrDO7YOHGZCF_JtzGjualSG_1gq158cj3oI/s320/Cover+reveal+clip+4.jpg" width="177" /></a></div>
<i><b><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Love is worth the fight</span></b></i><br />
<i><b><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> </span></b><br style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;" /><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">It’s 1942, and Maisie McCall is in the Scottish Highlands doing her bit for the war effort as a Women’s Timber Corps lumberjill. Maisie relishes her newfound independence and her growing friendships—especially with the enigmatic John Lindsay.</span><br style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;" /><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> </span><br style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;" /><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">As Maisie and John work side-by-side felling trees, Maisie can’t help but feel like their friendship has the spark of something more to it. And yet every time she gets close to him, John pulls away. It’s not until Maisie rescues John from a terrible logging accident that he begins to open up to her about the truth of his past, and the pain he’s been hiding.</span><br style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;" /><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> </span><br style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;" /><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Suddenly everything is more complicated than Maisie expected. And as she helps John untangle his shattered history, she must decide if she’s willing to risk her heart to help heal his. But in a world devastated by war, love might be the only thing left that can begin to heal what’s broken.</span></i><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">So now, if you are ready, here comes the full cover . . .</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgudNz7D5VJzRXgy0xuetkB02wAXWHLrFI6kev14LeVrzHbWUinHwvAt5fHupx4v5Iu87a9LVNGBODHJ3MDzGi6AcHQ_PTdj2tft5-oMdR5G9H9_YxVrwhWi6z-24JRQpv7fD6C1ojlxhU/s1600/In+AnotherTime+FINAL+MEDIUM+cover.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" border="0" data-original-height="1208" data-original-width="801" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgudNz7D5VJzRXgy0xuetkB02wAXWHLrFI6kev14LeVrzHbWUinHwvAt5fHupx4v5Iu87a9LVNGBODHJ3MDzGi6AcHQ_PTdj2tft5-oMdR5G9H9_YxVrwhWi6z-24JRQpv7fD6C1ojlxhU/s640/In+AnotherTime+FINAL+MEDIUM+cover.jpg" title="IN ANOTHER TIME - Caroline Leech - Harper Teen August 2018" width="420" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b><br /></b></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>
Isn’t it beautiful?</b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">When my lovely Harper Teen editor, Alice Jerman, first sent me a draft of this amazing cover—again designed by the genius that is Harper Collins’s Aurora Parlagreco—I was struck at how beautifully it captured this particular period of the wartime. This girl looks strong and independent just like Maisie, but still, there’s a hint of worry in her expression—it is wartime after all—and there’s also some uncertainty, as if she is searching for the answer to a very particular problem out there on the hillside. And as you will learn once you read the book, that’s all very Maisie too.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">And of course, I was thrilled to see again the same title font—“my font”—which Aurora created by hand for the cover of WAIT FOR ME. With the same titling and color palette used for both covers, look how beautifully my two books will sit together on a shelf.</span><br />
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</span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white;">Thank you for shar</span>ing this exciting moment with me, but before you head over to YA Books Central to enter my Giveaway, here’s a snippet of the lumberjill action you can expect from IN ANOTHER TIME, just to keep you going until next August, or until you win my advance copy in the Giveaway!</span><br />
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<i><span style="font-size: 13.5pt;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">What song
would John Lindsay hum as he was swinging his ax? Suddenly a tune came into
Maisie’s mind. It was the one she and John had danced to, albeit briefly and
disastrously, last night.<o:p></o:p></span></span></i></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><i><span style="font-size: 13.5pt;">Before the
music escaped her mind, Maisie lifted her ax. Then, as she began to sing under
her breath—“</span></i><span style="font-size: 13.5pt;">We’ll meet again, don’t know where, don’t know when<i>”—she brought the ax down
sharp into the bark of the log.</i></span></span></div>
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<i><span style="font-size: 13.5pt; line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">Amazingly,
it did the trick, and Maisie let out a cry of delight as the ax sliced cleanly
again into the flesh of the tree.</span></span></i></div>
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<b style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">Giveaway!</span></b></div>
<br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">To enter this celebratory Cover Reveal Giveaway, head over to </span><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.yabookscentral.com/blog/it-s-live-cover-reveal-in-another-time-by-caroline-leech-giveaway-intl" style="color: blue;" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue;">YA Books Central</span></a> f</span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">or a chance to win not one, but THREE fabulous prizes, including an advanced copy of IN </span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">ANOTHER TIME!<br /> </span><br />
<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">One winner will receive a signed ARC of IN ANOTHER TIME, as well as a signed copy of Caroline’s 2017 debut, WAIT FOR ME, both nestled in a goody-bag of book swag and Scottish sweet treats.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">A second winner will receive a trio of the newest Harper Teen historical YA reads (see additional details below) and IN ANOTHER TIME book swag.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">A third winner will receive a $30 Barnes and Noble gift card and IN ANOTHER TIME book swag.</span></li>
</ul>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">(<i>The trio of Har</i></span><i><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">per Collins new YA historical novels to be won will be AMONG THE RED STARS by debut Gwen Katz, a thrilling new novel about the WW2 Russian girl pilots known as the Night Witches; THE FREEMASON’S DAUGHTER by Shelley Sackier, another Scottish historical tale dubbed OUTLANDER for YA; and Mackenzi Lee’s THE GENTLEMAN’S GUIDE TO VICE AND VIRTUE, a funny and sweet swashbuckling 18</span><sup style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">th</sup></i><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><i> century adventure. Three perfect reads for fans of historical YA fiction.</i>)</span><br />
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<b style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: blue; font-size: large;"><a href="http://www.yabookscentral.com/blog/it-s-live-cover-reveal-in-another-time-by-caroline-leech-giveaway-intl" target="_blank">TO ENTER THE GIVEAWAY, CLICK HERE!</a></span></b></div>
Caroline Leechhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00577580003627430304noreply@blogger.com0Houston, TX, USA29.7604267 -95.369802829.7604267 -95.3698028 29.7604267 -95.3698028tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3086490378167172632.post-49651895119818802142017-06-13T07:46:00.002-05:002017-06-13T07:46:55.897-05:00Edinburgh International Book Festival - I'm coming home!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I am so excited to be part of today’s announcement of the
Edinburgh International Book Festival’s programme for August 2017. I’ll be
appearing alongside the amazing and prolific Scottish children’s author and Carnegie
Medal-winnner, Theresa Breslin,<span style="color: blue;"> on </span><a href="https://www.edbookfest.co.uk/the-festival/whats-on/theresa-breslin-caroline-leech-historical-fictions" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue;">Sunday August 13th, at 4pm in theBosco Theatre tent on George Street</span>.</a><span id="goog_166973335"></span><a href="https://www.blogger.com/"></a><span id="goog_166973336"></span> Theresa’s latest YA novel THE RASPUTIN
DAGGER is set in the Russian Revolution, and will be published in August, so we’ll
be talking about creating fictional stories around historical events.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I'm also proud be taking part in the <a href="https://www.edbookfest.co.uk/the-festival/whats-on/amnesty-international-imprisoned-writers-series-113-10173" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue;">free reading on Monday August 14th</span></a>, to support the important work of Amnesty International. Each day, festival authors will be reading works by authors who have been imprisoned by oppressive regimes around the world.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">To see details of my events, and also access the full
festival programme, click on the link blue links above. Tickets will go on sale on Tuesday
June 20<sup>th</sup> at 8.30am BST. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Please come if you can, I’d love to see you in the tent on August
13!</span><o:p></o:p></div>
Caroline Leechhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00577580003627430304noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3086490378167172632.post-60170253069132778262017-03-04T10:22:00.003-06:002017-03-04T10:22:58.602-06:00My Book Launch - see the pics & watch the video!<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Tuesday, February 7th 2017 - </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Brazos Bookstore, Houston, TX</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Thank you to everyone involved in my fantastic </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">WAIT FOR ME launch last month, </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">especially <b><a href="http://joypreble.com/" target="_blank">Joy Preble</a></b> and all the staff at <b><a href="http://www.brazosbookstore.com/" target="_blank">Brazos Bookstore</a></b>, </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">and everyone who came along to listen.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">If you missed it, and would like to see a little of what went on, </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">watch this amazing little video made by a very talented student at </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Houston's High School for the Visual & Performing Arts, </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b><a href="http://savlimphotography.weebly.com/" target="_blank">Savanna Lim</a>.</b></span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo: thanks to Taryn Feheley</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo: thanks to Jennifer Yen</td></tr>
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Caroline Leechhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00577580003627430304noreply@blogger.com0Houston, TX, USA29.7604267 -95.369802828.8787477 -96.6606963 30.6421057 -94.0789093tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3086490378167172632.post-55552652677656428422017-03-01T10:18:00.002-06:002017-03-01T10:18:38.481-06:00Radio interview with NPR's Houston Matters<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">With Houston Matters' Michael Hagerty</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I was delighted to have had the chance recently to chat with the delightful Michael Hagerty, senior producer of NPR's Houston Matters program on Houston Public Media. Below is the interview which aired yesterday, in which I discuss WAIT FOR ME and its historical background, and also about my thoughts on the importance of historical fiction for young adult readers.</span><br />
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<iframe frameborder="no" height="166" scrolling="no" src="https://w.soundcloud.com/player/?url=https%3A//api.soundcloud.com/tracks/309997415&color=d71921" width="100%"></iframe>Caroline Leechhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00577580003627430304noreply@blogger.com0Houston, TX, USA29.7604267 -95.369802828.8787477 -96.6606963 30.6421057 -94.0789093tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3086490378167172632.post-91306056332844726432017-02-11T04:00:00.000-06:002017-02-11T04:00:25.618-06:00Guest post - my mother tells her own story<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><i><b>Caroline: </b>To mark this week’s publication of the British edition of WAIT FOR ME, I thought it would be interesting to feature two people who were very important to the book – my parents! </i></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><i>As you will see, I dedicated the story to them and told a little of their wartime stories in my Acknowledgments at the end of the book, but I asked my mother, Shirley, if she would write in more detail about her own experiences as a child evacuated from London, and tell us more about my father’s time as a young British soldier. </i></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>Shirley: </b>Caroline very kindly dedicated her YA debut novel, <i>Wait for Me</i>, to us, her mum and dad. In her Acknowledgments at the end, she thanks us for talking to her throughout her life about our own experiences. It amuses me that the book is regarded as historical fiction when it is in fact set in a period of our lives, but I wanted to put her book into perspective by recording some of what happened to real people during a devastating time in the world. There are many such stories, but here are ours. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I was eight years old when war was declared on September 3rd, 1939. On the Friday before that, however, my distraught mother took us to the end of the street to await my father’s return home from work, and the very next day my six year old sister, Sylvia, and I were driven from Surrey to a village called Churchill in Oxfordshire to live with a grandmother we barely knew, along with one of our cousins, Gwen, who arrived from Birmingham. My grandmother gardened, kept a pig and hens, and ran the village newspaper delivery service, so although her quiet cottage life was suddenly disrupted, she did gain some delivery girls!</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Sylvia, Gwen and I attended the village school run by a headmaster who had just arrived from East London with his evacuated pupils, as much in a state of shock as we were. We settled into village life and enjoyed our freedom to roam the countryside but we missed our parents and our baby sister, Freda, who had remained in London. </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">My father was a builder, which was a reserved occupation, meaning he was not called up to the army because he was needed to stay back to rebuild after any bomb damage. Of course, this meant that Mum, Dad and the baby were in London throughout the severe bombing of the London Blitz. However, my mother’s five brothers were all called up to serve in the Army and Royal Air Force. Thankfully, they all survived the war. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">My sister and I were eventually taken back to London in 1942 and so were there during the period where the Germans were bombing the city with the doodle bugs (V1’s) and the rockets (V2’s), and much of our time at school was spent in concrete shelters. At home, we slept in a Morrison shelter which served as our dining table during the day and bed at night for the children. We also had an Anderson shelter in the garden but that was always a bit damp and dank most of the year, though it made a great place to play during the hot summer months. </span></span><br />
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<i style="text-align: center;"><i style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Anderson shelters (left) and Morrison bomb shelters (right) were named </span></i></i><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Victory in Europe came on 8th May 1945 but the war in the Far East lasted until August of that year. After that, our education got back on track, my uncles came back from war, and my aunts were able to give up their arduous work making uniforms for soldiers. The effect of the war lasted much longer, however, with my dad working on the rebuilding of London for several years, and of course, food rationing continued until 1952. </span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggu3dZj3LZUrFImEsCjqttiaTQsoF2w5z4RlNWHAMIMxI3VbDXTprdOnKnHFc2C_1cCvKuh7BfcXJnD0_KaUUEsf3YfjEh6J06roAvDn5BhtWy9DkEMNpcGHo7tF507mC-rDG68VZdtNo/s1600/Horlicks.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggu3dZj3LZUrFImEsCjqttiaTQsoF2w5z4RlNWHAMIMxI3VbDXTprdOnKnHFc2C_1cCvKuh7BfcXJnD0_KaUUEsf3YfjEh6J06roAvDn5BhtWy9DkEMNpcGHo7tF507mC-rDG68VZdtNo/s200/Horlicks.jpg" width="200" /></span></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Sugar rationing was particularly hard for us children. During the war, we were allowed only about 2-4 ounces per week. We used to suck on Horlick’s tablets instead of sweets (Horlicks was a night time drink to help you sleep), and my dad would bring us beetroot from his allotment as another sweet treat, which we ate with Salad Cream. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"></span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I married Jimmie in 1961 and came to live in Edinburgh where I became part of the collective story of his family, the Sibbalds. Jimmie was thirteen when war was declared, and the youngest of five brothers, with two sisters, the eldest and youngest siblings in the family. By that time, his two oldest brothers, Frank and Archie, had already enrolled in the Auxiliary Territorial Army and were immediately called into military service with the Royal Artillery, defending the shores of Britain before going to fight with the Eighth Army in North Africa. They served together in the same unit until Christmas Day, 1941, when Frank was out on patrol their temporary camp was strafed by a passing enemy aircraft and Archie was killed. Frank continued in the North African campaign, and thereafter took part in the landings in Italy and fought his way with a mounted gun battery up the length of the Apennine mountain range. </span></span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Frank and Archie</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Meanwhile, the next two brothers. Billy and Eric, joined up and were trained to take part in the D-day landings on 6th June 1944. Billy crossed over on D-day itself, though Eric got left behind with his tank crew until the following morning. On the other side of the Channel, in attempting to find his own unit, Eric found Billy’s unit instead, and stayed until daylight before continuing on to join his own men. </span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Jimmie, 1944</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">As the youngest, Jimmie had been evacuated from Edinburgh to St Andrew’s early in the war, but when he turned 18 in 1944, he enlisted in the army. After his initial training, he was sent to India to the Indian Military Academy where he was commissioned as an officer. He served with the Rajputana Rifles and was trained for jungle warfare. If the atom bomb had not been dropped on Japan in 1945, Jimmie would have been in the next wave of attack on Japanese forces. He went on to serve in Java and then in Palestine. On his return home in 1947, his transport ship was routed via Egypt and Libya, so he was able to visit the war grave of his brother Archie in Benghazi. </span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Archie’s grave is in the military cemetery in Benghazi, Libya, </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">and is looked after by the <a href="http://www.cwgc.org/find-war-dead/casualty/2064467/SIBBALD,%20ARCHIBALD%20LOW" target="_blank">Commonwealth War Graves Commission</a> </span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Jimmie’s mother, Isabella, wrote weekly to all her sons and they all wrote regularly home, and we still have a good number of those letters. She had four of her five sons home again by 1949. Archie had been married for just three months before he was sent overseas and his young widow, Ellen, remained a much-loved member of the Sibbald family until she died in 1993 in her eighties. Ellen had been so devoted to Archie and to his memory, she had never remarried. </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">So, although I was a child, I was not entirely protected from the worries and anxieties as the war progressed, and of course, Jimmie was old enough to see service. Looking back now, and remembering the death and destruction which happened to military servicemen and servicewomen, and to civilians, across all the theatres of the war, I know that it is important that the stories of all those lived through World War Two, and especially the stories of those who died, must never be forgotten. </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">In <i>Wait For Me</i>, Lorna’s story is a poignant reminder of the war, much as I experienced it. Slightly older than me, she was strong enough to take on some of the farm duties, along with the lovely Land Girl, Nellie, whose roots and home were in London, hundreds of miles to south. Lorna’s brothers were both serving their country and this was a source of worry for Lorna and her overworked farmer father. Paul, the German POW brought to work on the farm, so far from home, having been conscripted at a young age and having suffered terrible injuries.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">These two young people, brought together in such difficult circumstances but learning that they were both part of the same human race, had to fight their own prejudices and feelings, as well as those of the community in which they lived. For me, Caroline’s story captures the essence of East Lothian, and of an ordinary family battling on to help keep the nation fed and, to use a cliché, to keep the home fires burning until sons and brothers, and land girls, were able to return home. </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">In this past year, we have been remembering and mourning again the battles of the First World War, in particular the Battle of the Somme in 1916 where 16,000 soldiers were killed on one day. In just a couple of years, we will mark the 80th anniversary of the start of World War Two. War is a ghastly and terrifying experience, and I hope and pray that one day the world’s citizens will learn to live peacefully with each other. </span></span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><i>Lest we forget</i></span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>Caroline Leechhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00577580003627430304noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3086490378167172632.post-27117990350100905602017-01-24T14:18:00.002-06:002017-01-24T14:18:39.981-06:00Look what has just arrived! BOOKS!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">LOOK! Real copies of a real book! </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It's only one week to go until its US publication - and just over two weeks until the UK publication - and all I can smell right now is delicious new books! Best smell ever!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">To pre-order your copy, visit one of these lovely booksellers: </span></div>
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<span style="color: blue;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white;"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Wait-Me-Caroline-Leech/dp/0062459880" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue;">Amazon</span></a> </span> </span><span style="color: blue;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.brazosbookstore.com/book/9780062459886" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;" target="_blank">Brazos Bookstore</a></span> <span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/wait-for-me-caroline-leech/1123722314" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue;">Barnes & Noble</span></a> </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.indiebound.org/book/9780062459886" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue;">Indiebound</span> </a> </span></span></span><a href="http://www.booksamillion.com/p/Wait/Caroline-Leech/9780062459886" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue;">Books a Million</span></a><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>UK - February 9th: </b></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: blue; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/Wait-Me-Caroline-Leech/dp/0008213399" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue;">Amazon UK</span></a> <a href="http://www.waterstones.com/book/wait-for-me/caroline-leech/9780008213398" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue;">Waterstones</span></a></span></div>
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Caroline Leechhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00577580003627430304noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3086490378167172632.post-1003972815479718592016-12-31T09:09:00.000-06:002016-12-31T09:09:55.338-06:00One month till publication!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b>PRE-ORDER NOW, </b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b>READ IT ON PUBLICATION DAY!</b></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">Pre-Order links - USA - January 31st: </span><o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Wait-Me-Caroline-Leech/dp/0062459880"><span style="color: blue;">www.amazon.com/Wait-Me-Caroline-Leech/dp/0062459880</span></a>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.brazosbookstore.com/book/9780062459886"><span style="color: blue;">www.brazosbookstore.com/book/9780062459886</span></a><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Barnes & Noble </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/wait-for-me-caroline-leech/1123722314"><span style="color: blue;">www.barnesandnoble.com/w/wait-for-me-caroline-leech/1123722314</span></a>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.indiebound.org/book/9780062459886"><span style="color: blue;">www.indiebound.org/book/9780062459886</span></a>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.booksamillion.com/p/Wait/Caroline-Leech/9780062459886"><span style="color: blue;">www.booksamillion.com/p/Wait/Caroline-Leech/9780062459886</span></a>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/Wait-Me-Caroline-Leech/dp/0008213399"><span style="color: blue;">www.amazon.co.uk/Wait-Me-Caroline-Leech/dp/0008213399</span></a><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<u><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><a href="https://www.blogger.com/www.waterstones.com/book/wait-for-me/caroline-leech/9780008213398">www.waterstones.com/book/wait-for-me/caroline-leech/9780008213398</a></span></u><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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Caroline Leechhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00577580003627430304noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3086490378167172632.post-23465766726046942482016-12-26T16:25:00.000-06:002016-12-26T16:25:45.167-06:00Goodreads Giveaway - Five ARCs up for grabs!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSikYda1A4_xJl3xexfjsVNRsfGeSFNS6C_9_elzU_T5PYZOtesrzJoVUWJ2anfaSd7ss38qa1v4eoVDDzpYbm7URV9Gtl2K9TwPqEJvirNyz5DecuHpHdx9HAcF4se1sNWAt_77RQuus/s1600/Wait+for+Me_final+medium_HiRes_JPG.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: large;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSikYda1A4_xJl3xexfjsVNRsfGeSFNS6C_9_elzU_T5PYZOtesrzJoVUWJ2anfaSd7ss38qa1v4eoVDDzpYbm7URV9Gtl2K9TwPqEJvirNyz5DecuHpHdx9HAcF4se1sNWAt_77RQuus/s320/Wait+for+Me_final+medium_HiRes_JPG.jpg" width="211" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">If you'd like to get your hands on one of five advanced copies of WAIT FOR ME, head on over to Goodreads for a chance to win, courtesy of Harper Teen.</span></div>
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<b style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/giveaway/enter_choose_address/213310-wait-for-me" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue; font-size: large;">ENTER THE GIVEAWAY HERE!</span></a></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">And while you're there, I'd love you to FOLLOW me on Goodreads too - there's a button for that on my author page. It's a great way to keep up with what's happening with WAIT FOR ME, and with my future books too. And if you are looking for a good book to read, you can also see all the books I am reading and loving, and happy to recommend. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The books on my READ list are mostly, but not all, young adult books, and if I've added them to my list with four or five stars, that means they are definitely worth your attention. If I have written a full review (rather than just given them stars), that means they are probably books which are coming out in 2017. So if you see one which appeals to you, then click on its WANT TO READ button, and you'll get a reminder from Goodreads when it hits bookstore shelves.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">And if you are not on Goodreads yet, it's just like Facebook for readers. Yes, it has had it's problems, but overall it's a great way to find out what books should be next on your TBR list (your To Be Read list).</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">(However, I've recently discovered that someone who is my Friend on Goodreads will have any Amazon reviews they post about my books removed. So while I'd love you to follow me, please let me apologize now if I don't accept your Friend request.)</span>Caroline Leechhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00577580003627430304noreply@blogger.com0Houston, TX, USA29.7604267 -95.369802828.8787477 -96.6606963 30.6421057 -94.0789093tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3086490378167172632.post-38611114997512578602016-12-12T12:00:00.000-06:002016-12-12T13:08:57.469-06:00Listen to Chapter One<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnyK8rY9HdXgnCGfp-F1AHOBLziFwjfx513JcBiyJWV5GJm4sK95eG1if_eUZw1TvUTee6fo9xm5w5FHXdwvI13jNdxNz6IMFAxu82jYGiUuQtumV37CqEkw1Hufml6lgMYgsBRLsEiDA/s1600/audio+symbol.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnyK8rY9HdXgnCGfp-F1AHOBLziFwjfx513JcBiyJWV5GJm4sK95eG1if_eUZw1TvUTee6fo9xm5w5FHXdwvI13jNdxNz6IMFAxu82jYGiUuQtumV37CqEkw1Hufml6lgMYgsBRLsEiDA/s320/audio+symbol.JPG" width="281" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">WAIT FOR ME, my debut novel, is set in 1945 on a farm in Aberlady, East Lothian, about twenty miles to the east of Edinburgh, where I was born and brought up. Even after living in London and Wales for a number of years, and in Texas for almost ten, people still comment that my Scottish accent is as strong as it ever was.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">There are a number of distinct regional accents even within Scotland, though most people from outside the country seem to think we all talk the same. People from Edinburgh and the eastern side of the country generally have a softer accent than those from Glasgow and the west. Highlanders and Islanders have a very lilting, sing-song way of speaking while those from around Aberdeen and Dundee can be all but indecipherable to outsiders when they are talking among themselves.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">So you have been wondering what accent should be in your mind as you read WAIT FOR ME, I've recorded the first chapter for you to listen to for guidance. </span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh94s5kCNMZfdIEC-FMAzcQWKDhIsMjAvzz8L2AenjRzWX-_xsMoPRJkNVXfffpuEgwmwGbMl0-zEI3kQ_T2eT1UMAPTu6UOLzVskskdItZod_q6hSBjrtcxhGMIuB2WrzWgGNT7sBaHOs/s1600/audio+symbol+-+small.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh94s5kCNMZfdIEC-FMAzcQWKDhIsMjAvzz8L2AenjRzWX-_xsMoPRJkNVXfffpuEgwmwGbMl0-zEI3kQ_T2eT1UMAPTu6UOLzVskskdItZod_q6hSBjrtcxhGMIuB2WrzWgGNT7sBaHOs/s1600/audio+symbol+-+small.JPG" /></a><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b><a href="https://www.dropbox.com/s/nci3kmpnpktxmar/WFMe%20First%20chapter.m4a?dl=0" target="_blank">LISTEN </a></b></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b><a href="https://www.dropbox.com/s/nci3kmpnpktxmar/WFMe%20First%20chapter.m4a?dl=0" target="_blank">to Caroline reading Chapter One </a></b></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="https://www.dropbox.com/s/nci3kmpnpktxmar/WFMe%20First%20chapter.m4a?dl=0" target="_blank">of WAIT FOR ME</a> </b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">If you'd like to read along as you listen, the first chapter has also been published today by the wonderful friends at the YA Book Central blog.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghyLGckpK5LhY6EEpNSluXbRzK6E_F3jVjeHQqJa60PvMjPTN8SyM7QqyP7DBouKp-vrNvy5xRf_itFVC4Nf7UUjj9XjjqTA1GW2_bl_M66v39Nk7mrXAS8_Bm56G6J3CBZ41L_bOSxVs/s1600/YABC+logo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="43" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghyLGckpK5LhY6EEpNSluXbRzK6E_F3jVjeHQqJa60PvMjPTN8SyM7QqyP7DBouKp-vrNvy5xRf_itFVC4Nf7UUjj9XjjqTA1GW2_bl_M66v39Nk7mrXAS8_Bm56G6J3CBZ41L_bOSxVs/s320/YABC+logo.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b><a href="http://www.yabookscentral.com/blog/spotlight-on-wait-for-me-caroline-leech-first-chapter-reveal-giveaway" target="_blank">Read along with WAIT FOR ME Chapter One as you listen.</a></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">There will be more exciting news about a full audiobook in the next few weeks, but in the meantime, I hope you enjoy reading and listening to the opening few pages of my debut novel.</span><br />
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Caroline Leechhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00577580003627430304noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3086490378167172632.post-6357682200990116802016-11-23T16:00:00.000-06:002016-11-23T16:00:00.250-06:00Cover Blurb Reveal - Joy Preble<span style="background-color: white; color: #1d2129; font-family: "helvetica" , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">Day Four of my cover blurbs to mark my thankfulness for my </span><a class="_58cn" data-ft="{"tn":"*N","type":104}" href="https://www.facebook.com/hashtag/yalit" style="background-color: white; color: #365899; cursor: pointer; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; text-decoration: none;">#YAlit</a><span style="background-color: white; color: #1d2129; font-family: "helvetica" , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 14px;"> debut, WAIT FOR ME, and for all the new friends it has brought me. Today is from Joy Preble, the Children’s Specialist at Houston's wonderful indie Brazos Bookstore, and author of the bestselling Dreaming Anastasia series, The Sweet Dead Life, Finding Paris, and It Wasn’t Always Like This.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #1d2129; font-family: "helvetica" , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 14px;"><br /></span>Caroline Leechhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00577580003627430304noreply@blogger.com0Houston, TX, USA29.7604267 -95.369802828.8787477 -96.6606963 30.6421057 -94.0789093tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3086490378167172632.post-41149973783356277432016-11-22T18:00:00.000-06:002016-11-22T18:00:01.294-06:00Cover blurb reveal - Anne Blankman<h1 style="background-color: white; border: 0px; font-family: proxima-nova, "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Day Three of my cover blurbs to mark my thankfulness for my<a href="https://www.instagram.com/explore/tags/yalit/" style="border: 0px; color: #003569; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">#YAlit</a> debut, WAIT FOR ME, and for all the new friends it has brought me. Today is from Anne Blankman, author of the frighteningly prescient The Prisoner of Night & Fog series & Traitor Angels.</span></h1>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjW-qvGBMb6fYA5ApCUxC7tpYk6x-2heTlQKBKnOYWMf6XIByl57BDmPiGwQPkFhzT3xOBtXhioYql-d_mQwNLsGNs0QJvlCWWd0KNhRUwogburzTHkbR0RKlh5JheVeKuQnChQdUaaflI/s1600/Anne+Blankman+blurb+pic.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjW-qvGBMb6fYA5ApCUxC7tpYk6x-2heTlQKBKnOYWMf6XIByl57BDmPiGwQPkFhzT3xOBtXhioYql-d_mQwNLsGNs0QJvlCWWd0KNhRUwogburzTHkbR0RKlh5JheVeKuQnChQdUaaflI/s640/Anne+Blankman+blurb+pic.jpg" width="426" /></a></div>
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Caroline Leechhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00577580003627430304noreply@blogger.com0Houston, TX, USA29.7604267 -95.369802828.8787477 -96.6606963 30.6421057 -94.0789093tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3086490378167172632.post-88305093000441988032016-11-21T18:00:00.000-06:002016-11-22T17:17:50.848-06:00Cover blurb reveal - Sarah Alexander<h1 style="background-color: white; border: 0px; font-family: proxima-nova, "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Day Two of my cover blurbs to mark my thankfulness for my <a href="https://www.instagram.com/explore/tags/yalit/" style="border: 0px; color: #003569; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">#YAlit</a>debut, WAIT FOR ME, and for all the new friends it has brought me. Today is from the lovely Sarah Alexander, author of THE ART OF NOT BREATHING, a gripping and very moving YA novel set on the Black Isle in the north of Scotland, one of my favorite places in the world.</span></h1>
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Caroline Leechhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00577580003627430304noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3086490378167172632.post-79978622460294159362016-11-20T18:38:00.000-06:002016-11-20T18:38:40.536-06:00Cover blurb reveal - Kathi Appelt<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Requesting cover blurbs from other authors, especially well-known ones, is one of the most terrifying jobs for an author. I was, however, incredibly lucky to receive wonderful endorsements of WAIT FOR ME from four amazing authors. So in thankfulness for their time and kindness, and for the whole of this book deal excitement, I'll be revealing each blurb, one a day, up until Thanksgiving Day itself.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">First up, Kathi Appelt, Newbery Honor Winner and National Book Award Finalist, who mentored me through substantial revisions of WAIT FOR ME after I won her in the SCBWI's Joan Lowery Nixon Prize in 2014.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Thank you, Kathi!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">By the way, this photo is Coffin Lane in Aberlady, which leads up from Craigielaw to the Church, past the kirkyard on the left, and appears in WAIT FOR ME several times.</span></div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>Caroline Leechhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00577580003627430304noreply@blogger.com0Houston, TX, USA29.7604267 -95.369802828.8787477 -96.6606963 30.6421057 -94.0789093tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3086490378167172632.post-10345686448066645292016-11-18T11:00:00.000-06:002016-11-18T11:00:17.290-06:00Guest blog - FIRST DRAFT ROAD TRIP<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I've been guest blogging again, this time specifically for writers taking part in NaNoWriMo - National Novel Writing Month. My YA debut, WAIT FOR ME, started life a a NaNo book several years ago, so I know exactly how hard it can be to stay focussed on keep that number count rising throughout November.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">As a guest on YA Interrobang, I've been talking about the trials of writing a first draft, likening to to a road trip. To read more, click on picture below...</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Thanks to Nicole Brinkly at YA Interrobang from inviting me to take part, and lots of cheers and whistles to you, if you're NaNoWriMo-ing right now!</span>Caroline Leechhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00577580003627430304noreply@blogger.com0Houston, TX, USA29.7604267 -95.369802828.8787477 -96.6606963 30.6421057 -94.0789093tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3086490378167172632.post-20663960741060419122016-10-24T12:41:00.002-05:002016-10-24T12:41:45.957-05:00My first ever VLOG! Writing accents on YA Word Nerds<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I've always thought that I hated hearing my own voice and watching myself on video far too much to ever do a video blog - a vlog - but when I was offered the chance to do one about an aspect of my writing by the lovely writers at the YA Word Nerds channel on YouTube, I thought I'd give it a go anyway. It was a scary idea to put myself out on video like this, but if there is one thing that I am learning from this journey towards publication it's that being scared isn't a good enough reason not to grab hold of a great opportunity to promote my book.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">So I did record a video and edited it, and it's been posted at</span><span style="color: blue; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;"> <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Is1RBQop4nQ" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue;">YA Word Nerds.</span></a></span></div>
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It's all about how I approached writing the accents that are in WAIT FOR ME, given that so much of my writing is deliberately accent-neutral. In fact, did you even realize that I have a Scottish accent when I speak?</div>
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And do you know I learned from this exciting experience?<br />
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That I STILL hate hearing my own voice and watching myself on video, especially when I then have to edit my endless ramblings down into a tighter 4-5 minute piece, so I''m forced to watch it over and over again.<br />
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But I also learned that I might feel a certain pride in facing something I'm nervous about head on, and who knows, perhaps I might give this vlogging thing another go soon.</div>
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Huge thanks to E.Latimer, and to her fellow YA Word Nerds - Erin, Rachel, Emma, Kellie, Desiraye and Meghan - for having me on board.<br />
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<i>To see more of the fantastic vlogs by the team and their guests, visit the channel at https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCSKHG1eUF7vnL1kieYiVasA </i><br />
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<i>And if you are feeling stuck or a little down and you just need a writing pick-me-up, then click here for the very special . . . </i><br />
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<a href="https://www.blogger.com/%3Ciframe%20width=%22560%22%20height=%22315%22%20src=%22https://www.youtube.com/embed/BwwJDFOSdzo%22%20frameborder=%220%22%20allowfullscreen%3E%3C/iframe%3E" target="_blank"><b>YA Word Nerds Dance Break</b></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It makes me dance and smile every time!</span>Caroline Leechhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00577580003627430304noreply@blogger.com0Houston, TX, USA29.7604267 -95.369802828.8787477 -96.6606963 30.6421057 -94.0789093