Upcoming events...

INFINITE SKY comes out in the UK in paperback in 16 days. Hurray, right? Right. Those of you who thought ten smackeroos was a bit steep for my delightful masterpiece will now be able to buy it for seven pounds. £6.99 to be exact.

It also comes out in Australia on the first of July.

Here's the cover, in case you have forgotten.

In case you've forgotten the title, it's Infinite Sky.

Also, here are some events that I will be taking part in. You should totally come and see me.

26th June - Ashbourne Library - Me, Emma Pass and Helen Mort talk with River Wooton about writing, and read from our books.7:15 start.

8 July - Cafe Writers, Norwich - I'm reading along with Anne-Marie Fife and Cahal Dallat. 7:30

9th July - FLY Festival, UEA, Norwich - creative writing workshop 13:00-14:00

9th July - FLY Festival, UEA, Norwich - reading, talk and signing 14:30-15:45

I also have some exciting news to announce soon, so, you know, check my blog every day.

Winner of WONDER and INFINITE SKY competition...

A little longer than intended passed before this results post. I hope you have all been managing to sleep okay in the mean time.

SO. The prize of one signed copy of INFINITE SKY and one unsigned/fake-signed [your choice] copy of WONDER goes to...

Simon P. Clarke!

Thanks so much for entering the competition, and taking the time to answer the question, of which blue was better, the blue of the cover of WONDER or the blue of the cover of INFINITE SKY. As I said before, there is no wrong answer, but the right answer was, of course, INFINITE SKY.

[Incidentally, Simon got the answer wrong.]

INFINITE SKY paperback cover reveal!

Here it is, the paperback version of INFINITE SKY. What do you think? I would love to hear from you.

Do you like it more or less than the original hardback cover?

Wonder by R. J. Palacio and Infinite Sky Giveaway!

So, as I wrote when I was featured over at The Overflowing Library's Bookcase Showcase, I have toooo many books. And I can't stop buying them. It's one of my-least-necessary-to-keep-private problems.

Probably self-explanatory

In the spirit of sharing my love of good books, I've decided to give one of my favourite new books away - WONDER by R. J. Palacio - along with a copy of INFINITE SKY.

The books look vaguely similar, and I think they could probably be quite good friends, if they would only make the effort.

R. J. Palacio's WONDER

Both have themes of prejudice and judgement and loyalty, and both are written by authors with the middle initial 'J'.

Coincidence? Yes.
 
To enter the competition, and be in with a chance of winning one of these lovely blue books, answer this following question in the comments box below, and leave a way for me to get hold of you. The contest will run for a month.

Which shade of blue do you prefer?

a. The blue of WONDER by R. J. Palacio
b. The blue of INFINITE SKY by C. J. Flood

N.B. There's no wrong answer.

Infinite Sky is out in the world...

Apologies if you already know this, because it's all I've talked about for forever, but, yep, my first book is out, and available in all good book shops and all good online places too.

The day it launched, I was bed-ridden with a chest (and lung!) infection, but I had the loveliest time. My publisher and agent sent me enormous bunches of flowers, which I was too ill and short of vases to display properly.

Ill face, body and hair + party dress, champagne and flowers = really sexy actually.

My friends bought me champagne, which they passed through the door to me as though I had bubonic plague, and my best friend risked it all by coming round to make me the most nutritious dinner of my life. Later, we launched a heart-shaped paper lantern covered in our dearest wishes into the sky.

It plummeted after a few seconds.

Since then, I have been lucky enough to get reviews in all The Big Guys (Telegraph, Guardian, Times), and to cut a long story short, they basically said the book is pretty  s w e e t.

I also did a signing at Derby Waterstones, where we sold out of books in the first hour, and I wore really high shoes, and tried not to walk like a heron.

My nan and my best friend queuing up to meet me.

So, thanks so much to all of you who have bought my book, and sent nice messages saying that you enjoyed it, I never ever get tired of receiving them. Please don't forget to recommend it to others too, if you liked it, (and even if you didn't.)

Infinite Sky countdown

Okay, I admit it, I'm A BIT EXCITED about my first ever book, Infinite Sky, coming out.

Petra, better-known as Safari Poet has made a countdown widget for lots of marvellous-looking books, including mine, and many of my Lucky 13 colleagues. Have a look at it on the right hand side of the blog. It's the coolest thing I've ever seen. In my whole life.


A couple of other nice things book-related have happened lately.

One is that children and adult author/Independent columnist Terence Blacker has given a lovely blurb for Infinite Sky:

"Infinite Sky is terrific - moving, original and heartfelt. I loved it. A compelling, heart-wrenching coming-of-age story."

Terence taught me creative non-fiction at an Arvon retreat at the ridiculously gorgeous Totleigh Barton in Devon a few years ago. He saw Infinite Sky in its earliest stages, and was very encouraging and supportive, though he did have to tell me off for my presentation skills (I handed in my work on a creased bit of ripped-out notebook paper for some reason.)

The other good thing is that I'm going to do my first ever radio interview. It's with Andy Potter at BBC Radio Derby, and will be on in the next couple of weeks, and I'm going to try really hard not to say anything stupid. My dad sorted it out for me, which if you know my dad, you'll know is quite extraordinary. I have started calling him PR guy. I suggest that you do too.

My first handwritten letter from a reader...

Hey look!

I received my first ever handwritten letter from a reader. Her name is Ellie Ball, and she is nearly 16, and clearly very, very cool.

Here is what she wrote: