Licks, an all new standalone Second Chance Romantic Comedy by Kelly Siskind, is releasing April 4th!
 
Blurb:
36 hours is a short spell when racing the clock.
2,160 minutes is an eternity for old friends to fall in love… 

August Cruz is the only man I’ve ever loved. 
He’s the one who got away. 
He’s the one I totally screwed over. 

Now he’s standing on my doorstep, nine years later, but he’s not the only thing that turns up. My mother’s lost diary is in my hands, and it might lead me to my father. A possibility I wished for one year ago, at my last birthday. 

I have 36 hours to fulfill that wish. 
I have 36 hours to drag August on a wild scavenger hunt. 
I have 36 hours to protect my heart before I lose him again...because there's something he's not telling me. 

​EXCERPT
August was a slight step ahead of me. I followed close on his heels until we were outside. We paused, fingers intertwined. He faced me and ran his thumb over the back of my hand. It was a simple brush, but there was nothing simple about touching August.
 
We both glanced at our clasped hands. My breath faltered. The past few days had been warm for April, the heatwave steaming the evenings, too. Being with August made it steamier.
 
He wound both our arms around my back, pulling me against him. “You look beautiful, Possum.”
 
His nickname for me pinched my heart. As kids, I’d pretend to sleep sometimes while we’d watch TV, like a deceiving possum playing dead. I’d then bolt upright to scare the living shit out of him. A screeching August was supremely entertaining.
 
I tilted my head back to look into his eyes, every memory we’d shared reflected in those hazel pools. “I’ve missed that nickname.”
 
His free hand came to my cheek, knuckles brushing it gently. “I’ve missed you. It was always there, under my skin, in every song, but I didn’t realize how much until today. My heart is fucking racing.”
 
God, this man. I squeezed our laced palms and unfurled my other over his sternum. Over his heart. Need bellowed in that thundering beat. “You don’t smell like grass.”
 
He wrinkled his nose. “I used to smell like weed?”
 
“Like grass, dummy. Your lawn mowing business.”
 
He smiled and shook his head lightly. “We can roll around in a park, if you want.” He sucked on his bottom lip while eyeing mine.
 
Lord have mercy. “I can’t believe this is happening.”
 
“Oh, it’s happening.” He gripped my hand tighter, pulled me closer, brushed his nose against mine.
 
My best friend, the friend I loved irrevocably and thought I'd lost for good, might actually kiss me.

About Kelly Siskind

A small-town girl at heart, Kelly moved from the city to open a cheese shop with her husband in northern Ontario. When she’s not neck deep in cheese or out hiking, you can find her, notepad in hand, scribbling down one of the many plot bunnies bouncing around in her head. She laughs at her own jokes and has been known to eat her feelings—gummy bears heal all. She’s also an incurable romantic, devouring romance novels into the wee hours of the morning.
 
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About the Author:
 
Laura Thompson works at Essay Writing Service UK under the English and Creative Writing fields. With experience of undertaking modules in a diverse range of subjects, she has acquired exceptional knowledge of contemporary and classical theories which include philosophy, history, cultural studies, film and literature. Having recently graduated with a first Class combined Bachelor’s with honours, she has a clear understanding of current academic systems and regulations, as well as high quality proof reading skills.

Best Book: I think my co-author, Sue Featherstone, and I are bound to say A Falling Friend – our first novel together. But if that’s not allowed, I’d have to say whatever is gripping me right now… as I often read a book and think: Wow, this is the best I’ve ever read…Currently reading H is for Hawk (great) and just finished Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine (brilliant).
 
Best Band: The Rolling Stones – without a doubt. When I was younger, you were either a Stones fan or a Beatles fan. I’m sorry to say, I was never switched on by the Beatles – those hairstyles! But the Stones…wow! I saw them live a few years ago – and was just blown away by their energy and style.
 
Best Song / Worst Song: Best song: Hallelujah when sung by the late, great Leonard Cohen. Worst song: anything that involves waving your arms in the air and doing actions. Am I thinking of the chicken song? Argh!
 
Best Holiday / Worst Holiday: Best: Vietnam and Cambodia two years ago – the scenery, people, food… all stunning. Worst: a camping holiday in Cornwall. In the rain. Having just broken up with a boyfriend. While broke.
 
Best Animal: Cavalier King Charles spaniel
 
Best Item of Clothing: Whichever pair of jeans I have on right now – with my white shirt.
 
Best Food / Worst Food: Best: Vietnamese curries. Worst: Pot Noodles or anything that comes dehydrated in a packet.
 
Best Drink / Worst Drink: Best: Ground coffee made properly in a cafetiere. Make sure you warm the pot and don’t put boiling water straight on to the grounds – let the water cool for a couple of minutes otherwise you’ll burn the coffee; Worst: Instant coffee. I’m a coffee snob, if you hadn’t noticed.
 
Best Alcoholic Drink / Worst Alcoholic Drink: Best: chilled white wine; worst: warm white wine
 
Best Friend: Oh that’s easy… Sue Featherstone, without whom…
 
Best Writing Moment: Oh that’s easy too: meeting Sue… little did I know the writing that was to come!
 
Best Word / Worst Word: Best: Absolutely; Worst: No.
 
Best Shop: Not so much a shop, more a website – Hush - casual and relaxed clothing. Otherwise it’s M&S.
 
Best Job: The one I’m doing now – writing fiction. Although this Q&A isn’t fiction. I promise!
 
Best Teacher / Worst Teacher: The best teacher – there were three: My English teacher at school who gave me my first taste of Shakespeare; a lecturer at Ilkley Teacher Training College who persuaded me to follow my dream of being a journalist rather than a teacher. The third best teacher was a lecturer at Leeds University where I did a degree as a mature student. He burst into the lecture theatre one day and declaimed: ‘Restless he rolls about from whore to whore…’ He was talking about John Wilmot, the 2nd Earl of Rochester – a poet, libertine and total rake – and, like Teri in A Falling Friend, I was hooked! Worst: The worst teacher was the headmistress of my primary school. I’d spent my very early years in Hong Kong and on returning to England, fetched up in a small village school in Yorkshire where the head was a bully who liked to humiliate anyone who had imagination or who’d lived a different life.
 
Best Time of Day / Worst Time of Day: Best: 5pm when it’s time for tea and toast. Worst: 3am.
 
Best Day Ever: So difficult as I’ve had so many wonderful best days – the day A Falling Friend was published; reaching the summit of the 214th fell in the Lake District (it took me years to climb them all); getting my BA Hons after studying for six years as a part-time, mature student while working full time, which involved lots of juggling. Picking up the ukulele for the first time – and then playing with my orchestra for the first time in a live gig.
 
Best Gadget: The battery-driven de-bobbler that I use when a favourite jumper starts pilling.
 
Best Restaurant: Kendalls in Leeds. Totally French – loud French music; candles dripping on to stained wooden tables; waiters who won’t speak English; fabulous food.
 
Best Time of Year / Worst Time of Year: Best: summer; Worst: January
 
Best School Subject / Worst School Subject: My best subject was English and my worst was physics. What is that all about? One of my wonderful nieces is a geophysicist who tries to explain physics to me, but I glaze over after she’s said: ‘It’s simple, really…’
 
Best Body Part / Worst Body Part: Best: my nose; worst: my nose. I had such a complex about my nose when I was younger that I went to the doctor to ask if I could have plastic surgery. He laughed and told me to stop being silly! I hate it, but I sort of love it too. 


OMG, I need a de-bobbler in my life! And, one of my dogs is half Cavalier so you can pop round anytime to give him a pat. 

I am so so excited with today's (and tomorrow's!) guest on my blog. This lady (and tomorrow's!) has been a big part of my life for the past couple of years and her (and tomorrow's guest!) debut novel was one of the first that I ever published with Lakewater Press. And today, well, today we're celebrating again because book number 2, the sequel to the debut, is launched too! I am delighted to introduce you to the wonderful Sue Featherstone! 

Sue Featherstone is a former journalist and public relations practitioner turned academic.

Her career started in local newspapers before switching to PR to become internal communications manager with a large utility company.

She completed a degree in English Literature as a mature student and subsequently moved into higher education, teaching journalism to undergraduate students at Sheffield Hallam University.

At the beginning of 2017, Sue left Sheffield Hallam to focus on her writing.

Together with her friend and writing partner Susan Pape, she has written two successful journalism text books - Newspaper Journalism: A Practical Introduction; and Feature Writing: A Practical Introduction.

Their first novel, A Falling Friend, was published by Lakewater Press in 2016 and a sequel A Forsaken Friend is published on March 21, 2018. The final book in their Friends trilogy will follow next year.
​
They now write about books at https://bookloversbooklist.com/
Sue is on twitter @SueF_Writer

​Best Book: That’s an impossible question – like asking who’s my favourite daughter? So, instead of one best book I’m going to nominate three I regularly recommend to other readers. The first is Sad Cypress by Agatha Christie, followed by God’s Bits of Wood by Sembene Ousemane and, finally, Mama Day by Gloria Naylor. All very different reads but all brilliant. Oh, and I’ll add in The Murder of Roger Ackroyd, also by Agatha Christie. I bought copies for my daughters for Christmas and the youngest enjoyed it so much she’s decided to read more of Christie’s murder mysteries. I’ve been telling her for years she’d enjoy Hercule Poirot and Miss Marple. 

Best Holiday: I spent a month in Australia last year, visiting my youngest daughter who is backpacking Down Under. It’s somewhere I’ve always wanted to see – something to do with Skippy the Bush Kangaroo, which was a popular TV show when I was growing up. A beautiful country and I can’t wait to go back for a longer trip and explore a bit more.  

Worst Holiday: A caravan in Skegness, a seaside town on the east coast of England. The town’s slogan used to be: It’s always bracing in Skegness. In other words, it’s always cold and windy. And it was.

Best Drink: Like Lee Harper, the character I write in my Friends trilogy with Susan Pape, I love a crisp dry Muscadet wine.

Worst Drink: milk. This is a hangover from the days of free school milk, a UK government-funded scheme to improve the health of the nation’s children – one third of a pint of milk provided free every day for every child. In winter, the milk was either frozen solid in the bottle, because the crates were left outside, or half boiled, if the caretaker remembered to bring the crates inside, and de-frost them next to the classroom radiator. In summer, whether left inside or out, the milk was on the turn. Ugh! Just thinking about it makes me heave.

Best Writing Moment: all of it. I love everything about the whole writing process: thinking, planning, plotting. Crafting sentences, re-writing to make things better. And re-writing again to improve some more. Holding my books in my hands and knowing I helped birth them. I love writing almost as much as I love my two daughters…

Best Childhood Memory: Christmas morning when I was about seven or eight. My dad had built a wooden dolls house for my sister and I to share. (My brother was also nominally joint owner but he wasn’t into dolls as much as us.) But Dad had forgotten to furnish the house so Santa left a note saying he’d noticed the bare rooms and had left some furniture and a family of dolls for us. Can you imagine? Santa wrote us a letter!

Best Word / Worst Word: Best is bocadillo, which is the Spanish word for sandwich. I love the way it rolls off the tongue. Worst: relatable. As in: ‘This book is so relatable.’ What on earth does that mean?

Best Shop: Blacker Hall Farm Shop near my home in Yorkshire. Good quality food, with friendly, helpful staff. Shopping there is a pleasure. And they have a lovely, very reasonably-priced café too.

Best Sport: Not sure it’s strictly a sport but Nordic Walking. I belong to two Nordic walking groups and swing my legs and Nordic walking poles twice a week at Nostell Priory, a National Trust property which sits in 300 acres of parkland, and at Newmillerdam, a lake and woodland nature reserve – in spring the bluebells are stunning.

Best Job: Being a writer. I’ve wanted to write since I was nine years old and decided that when I grew up I’d be a famous author and live in a bungalow by the sea. Well, nobody knows my name yet – except in my household – and I don’t live in a bungalow or by the sea. But I am a writer – so I’m happy.

Best Saying: I’m not a huge fan of DH Lawrence but one from Sons and Lovers, which I studied at high school, has always resonated. Gertrude Morel, mother of the book’s not very likeable hero Paul Morel, realises early in her marriage that she and her husband are not compatible. In early 20th century Britain divorce was out of the question for working class women so Gertrude decides: ‘What cannot be altered must be endured.’ It seems like a bit of a grim philosophy and, actually, most things can be changed or improved for the better. But when they can’t? Sometimes, gritted teeth are the only option and the people I admire most are those, like my husband’s aunt, for instance, who lost a leg to diabetes, and who cheerfully copes with being in a wheelchair and still manages to enjoy her life.

Best Teacher: I was lucky enough to have a number of inspiring teachers. Two in particular stand out – Mrs Urquhart, who was head of English, and Mr Croft, who was head of history. Both made learning fun. Worst Teacher: Mr Donnelly, the headteacher of the first primary school I attended. I was terrified of him.

Best Restaurant: Rinaldi’s, which is an independently-owned Italian restaurant about a mile from my house. It’s our go-to place for family celebrations. It’s also where, over a pizza, Susan and I came up with the idea for our Friends trilogy.

Best Movie: Fargo. Love the wood chipper scene. Worst Movie: Les Miserables – I thought it would never end…

Best School Subject: English Literature. Don’t want to brag but I was always top of the class.

Worst School Subject: I once came second from the bottom in art. Still can’t draw.


Oo, bocadillo just rolls of the tongue! And, I am totally with you on the Christmas morning memories! 

​Best Book: That’s tough! I’m going to have to say The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe because it had such an impression on me as a child. And to this very day, I want a gigantic armoire!

Best Band: Again, I’ll harken back to my youth at the band who had such an impression on me as a teenager. Duran Duran.

Best Song: The best song, one that I want played at my funeral, is Metallica’s “No Leaf Clover”, the version done with the San Francisco Symphonic Orchestra. I have no idea why. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KZz1I46QuR4

Best Holiday: Hands down, Halloween!! Plus, it’s also my birthday. I get to be who I really am on that day, no questions asked.

Best Animal: I hope my cat isn’t watching me type. I gotta say a dog. If we’re talking fictitious animals, then I’m changing my answer to dragon. (Even though dragons are real.)

Best Item of Clothing: SWEAT PANTS

Best Food / Worst Food: Best: Good Tex Mex.  Worst: Bad Tex Mex.

Best Drink / Worst Drink: Best: Coffee. Rich, dark delicious coffee. Worst: Weak coffee, aka brown water. Or iced coffee. Yuck!

Best Alcoholic Drink / Worst Alcoholic Drink: Best: Gin & Tonic. Worst: Beer & tomato juice. Good gods! Who thought that disgusting mixture up?!?

Best Friend: My boyfriend, Neal.

Best Writing Moment: When I watched my debut novel download on my Kindle at 12:01am on April 1, 2017. I cried like a baby!

Best Childhood Memory / Worst Childhood Memory: Best: Exploring an old ghost town in the mountains with my family. Worst: Too many.

Best Word / Worst Word: Best: Widdershins. Only a handful of people know what it means and it just sounds fun. Not a word you’d use every day, though. Worst: Cock (in reference to a man’s penis in romance novels). I hate that word.

Best Shop: Amazon. Yeah, I’m lazy, I know.

Best Sport: For me personally, hiking.

Best Job: Working for yourself. No matter what it is.

Best Saying: Fortune favors the bold.

Best Teacher: Best: I can’t remember her name, unfortunately. But it was my junior year and I missed the last few weeks of school because I had a horrible case of poison ivy. It was everywhere. And I do mean everywhere. She let me skip having to take the final in Advanced Biology and automatically gave me an 85 (because I was always a good student).

Best Time of Day / Worst Time of Day: Worst: Mornings before I’ve had my coffee. Best: Mornings after I’ve had my coffee.

Best Room: My home office.

Best Day Ever / Worst Day Ever: Best: When my biggest dream came true – publishing my first novel. Worst: When my house was struck by lightning and caught fire. I’d gotten the dog out but my cat was trapped. It was agony, not knowing if she was alive or dead, until a wonderful fire fighter saved her. (http://www.carriedmiller.com/2017/12/14/the-worst-hour-of-my-life/)

Best Smell / Worst Smell: Best: Cinnamon! I absolutely love that smell. Second favorite is clove. Worst: The smell of burning insulation, plastic, and electrical wiring. That smell is burnt, no pun intended, into my brain forever.

Best TV Show / Worst TV Show: Best: The Big Bang Theory. Worst: Way too many to be listed here. I would say any and all “reality” shows. *eye roll*

Best Gadget: The Bacon Boss! OMG! I love it sooooo much!

Best Sound / Worst Sound: Best: A cat purring. Worst: Snoring!

Best Restaurant: I really don’t have one.

Best Movie: Best: For me, it’s The Dark Knight because Heath Ledger did such an amazing job as the Joker. He was an incredible actor and the world is a little less with him not in it.

Best Time of Year / Worst Time of Year: Best: Spring and Fall, Worst: Any other time of the year when I’m either too hot or too told.

Best School Subject / Worst School Subject: Best: My favorite subject was first History and then English. Worst: PE. Who wants to sweat in the middle of the day and have to put real clothes back on again?

Best Body Part / Worst Body Part: Best: My hair. It took me many years, but I now love and appreciate my naturally curly hair. Worst: My eyebrows. 


Sweat pants with purring car on your lap! Heavenly. And I am checking out the Bacon Boss right now! 

Amber Elby was born in Grand Ledge, Michigan but spent much of her childhood in the United Kingdom. She began writing when she was three years old and created miniature books by asking her family how to spell every, single, word. Several years later, she saw her first Shakespearean comedy, Much Ado About Nothing, in London. Many years later, she studied Creative Writing at Michigan State University’s Honors College before earning her Master of Fine Arts degree in Screenwriting at the University of Texas at Austin. She currently resides in Texas with her husband and two daughters and spends her time teaching, traveling, and getting lost in imaginary worlds. Her favorite tea is Yorkshire Gold; her favorite biscuits are Crawford's Bourbon Creams; and her favorite pizza toppings are corn and mushrooms.

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Website: www.amberelby.com ​

Best / Worst Book  
Best: This is such a difficult question, and it completely depends on my mood.  My go-to book is Anne Brontë’s The Tenant of Wildfell Hall.  Worst: I can’t think of a book at the moment that I completely hated, but I disliked many that I read at school just because they were required and not of my own choosing. 

Best / Worst Band
Best: A local Austin band called The White Ghost Shivers (you can listen to them on Spotify).  Worst: ??? (I don’t know any terrible bands because I simply don’t listen to them.)   

Best / Worst Song
Best: I played saxophone throughout high school and college, and I always loved to play “In the Mood.”  Worst: Whatever my daughters play 100+ times, which at the moment is anything by Taylor Swift.

Best / Worst Holiday
I’m going to assume this means vacation and not holiday like Thanksgiving, right?  Best: Whichever vacation I am about to take because I love the planning stages.  Worst: A business trip to England without my family because I kept seeing places that my daughters and husband would love to visit.    

Best / Worst Animal
Best: Cats.  Worst: Cats.  (As the nursery rhyme about the little curly-haired girl goes, “When they are good, they are very, very good, and when they are bad, they are horrid.”)

Best / Worst Item of Clothing
Best: Fuzzy socks.  Worst: Pants (especially jeans).

Best / Worst Food
Best: Key Lime Pie.  Worst: Cilantro (I’m one of the people who thinks it tastes like soap.)

Best / Worst Drink
Best: Unsweet iced tea.  Worst: I recently tried a foreign soda called Beverly.  It was awful, but I suppose that it’s an acquired taste. 

Best / Worst Alcoholic Drink
Best: I don’t drink much, but I usually choose something with rum; I recently read that rum makes you happy, too.  Worst: Anything with cheap liquor because it seems to have more burning and less taste.

Best / Worst Friend
Best: My husband.  Worst: [Redacted, Top Secret]

Best / Worst Writing Moment
Best: Coming up with memorable titles.  Worst: The feeling of never being finished.

Best / Worst Childhood Memory
Best: One of many was when I used to read under a large oak tree in a field near our house.  Worst: When I broke my back ice skating (I didn’t lose mobility, thankfully). 
 
Best / Worst Word
Best: Svelte. Worst: Ruffage

Best / Worst Shop
Best: Any thrift or charity shop.  Worst: Any “big box” store.

Best / Worst Sport
Best: Ballet, which my family insists is a sport; I’m currently taking adult beginner classes (emphasis on “beginner”).  Worst (to watch): Golf. 

Best / Worst Job
Best: Gift wrapper in my hometown’s now-closed bookstore.  Worst: Substitute middle school teacher.

Best / Worst Saying
Best: Mark Twain’s “A classic is something that everyone wants to have read but nobody wants to read.”  This seems to come up in my conversations quite frequently.  Worst: “Like a girl,” which I told my daughter means “doing something with skill and precision.”  I’m not sure if she’s yet discovered that it’s supposed to be derogatory.

Best / Worst Teacher
Best: I had many great teachers, especially in college, but my favorite high school teacher was Jen Deja. Worst: A guest lecturer in graduate school who would cross out entire pages of our writing projects and just write “no” in the margins.  When we asked what he didn’t like, he told the entire class that he didn’t even read our assignments, and he said this with an unbelievable amount of arrogance and no shame.

Best  / Worst Time of Day
Best: Morning, but not too early.  Worst: Around 2:00 p.m. because I realize that I haven’t accomplished everything that needs to get done.

Best / Worst Room
Best: Bedroom.  Worst: Downstairs hallway that doesn’t have a window.

Best / Worst Day Ever
Best: There are too many.  Worst: The day my father died suddenly.

Best / Worst Smell
Best: Roses.  Worst: Mold.

Best / Worst TV Show
Best: Veronica Mars (first season).  Worst: I don’t watch bad television, but I had to stop watching The Handmaid’s Tale because it made me too uncomfortable (I love the book, though).

Best / Worst Gadget
Best: Coffee maker.  Worst: “Easy to use” can opener.

Best / Worst Sound
Best: Wild birds singing.  Worst: Any kind of scratching.

Best / Worst Restaurant
Best: Torchy’s Tacos.  Worst: I read reviews before I go out, generally, so I avoid the bad ones.

Best / Worst Movie
Best:  This is also so difficult!  I always enjoy Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind.  Worst: This is incredibly controversial, but I don’t like The Big Lebowski because the Dude doesn’t change.  Yes, I know that’s the point, but I like characters with arcs.  No hate messages about this one, please.

Best / Worst Time of Year
Best: Winter holidays.  Worst: The week before school begins in the fall.

Best / Worst School Subject
Best: British Literature.  Worst: I disliked geometry in high school but enjoyed all of my other math classes.

Best / Worst Body Part
Best: Hands because I always use them.  Worst: My hair, only because I battle with it more than any other body part, and I spend the most money to maintain it.

Best / Worst Thing About Living in Austin
Best: Many options for grocery delivery, so I never have to leave the house.  Worst: Traffic, which is why I never want to leave the house.
​

Oo, I rather like a bit of ruffage! But I'm totally with you when it comes to grocery delivery! 

In his day job, Dr. G. R. Dix is Regulatory Expert and Safety Assessor for a multinational fragrance house. He holds a Doctorate in Health Science and is also qualified in Medical Toxicology. He is an active member of various committees and working groups within the fragrance and cosmetic industry. Outside of work, he considers his most important role in life to be that of proud Grandad to three special boys, to whom his books are dedicated. He is a member of the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators (SCBWI).
​
G. R. Dix lives in Northamptonshire, UK and is available for interviews.

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Best Book ...
For a grown-up book, I would say Wizard & Glass by Stephen King (book 4 of the Dark Tower series). Most King books are masterclasses of writing, but this one is particularly affecting on an emotional level; I don’t remember feeling the same after reading this with any other book before or since.

For a children’s book, it would have to be Charlie and the Chocolate Factory by Roald Dahl. I loved it as a child in the early stages of reading for myself, and I have loved reading it as an adult – both reading for my own pleasure and reading it aloud to my grandchildren. There always seems to be something new to pick out every time – our latest theory is that Willy Wonka chose Charlie before the day even started, and the tour was designed to pick off the other children!
 
Best Band...
Queen, they were the perfect mainstream rock band, with a surprisingly heavy prog-rock flavour in their early days. Also Muse, to my ears a lot of their work is basically classical music played as rock, which is very appealing. The Beatles would have to get a mention too…and early Genesis…I’ll stop there!
 
Best Song / Worst Song...
This would be a long list!
A few examples:
Queen: Death on Two Legs; The Prophet’s Song
Muse: Space Dementia; Butterflies & Hurricanes
The Beatles: Across the Universe; Tomorrow Never Knows; Something

For worst song: any of the formulaic pop songs infecting the airwaves over the last 2 decades or so.
 
Best Holiday...
Orlando, Florida: wonderful family holiday memories. Also, the Grand Canyon – this is something everyone should see at least once, you have to experience it for yourself.
 
Best Animal / Worst Animal...
Tigers, there is something so dignified about them. Also Snow Leopards…also Leopards and Jaguars…basically all big cats!

For worst animal: I cannot bear centipedes and millipedes, I didn’t even like typing those words!
 
Best Item of Clothing...
Just treated myself to a Hugo Boss overcoat…
 
Best Food / Worst Food...
Steaks and burgers in USA, the quality is just levels above. Also, anything cooked tandoori or shish style.

For worst food: mushrooms, they make me very sick, even smelling them makes my stomach turn. I never liked the ‘classic’ English vegetables, like carrots, cauliflower, and cabbage; growing up in a boring unadventurous household, it took a long time to be exposed to other veg like spinach, sweetcorn, sweet potatoes and asparagus, which I really like.
 
Best Drink...
Pomegranate tea – wouldn’t normally go for ‘unusual’ teas, but the pomegranate gives it a really nice sweetness. Also, I really got into iced black tea with lemonade on our last USA trip.
 
Best Alcoholic Drink / Worst Alcoholic Drink...
I don’t often drink, but when I do it would be a pint of Guinness; dark lager; or a good port.

Worst drink would be whisky, whether blended or single malt, doesn’t matter, it’s all disgusting!
 
Best Friend...
This is easy – my wife, Sylvy. I was so, so lucky to meet her, she has been so supportive and patient with all my studies, writing and side-projects, and she makes me try to be a better person every day.
 
Best Writing Moment...
Can I be cheeky and pick three?

The ‘lightning bolt’ moment when Brian Brackbrick came into being. I was doing one of the regular football car trips with my grandsons, and we were chatting about unusual names on the way home. One of the names that came out was ‘Brian Brackbrick’, just out of the blue, and this character pinged to life in my head and hasn’t left me alone since!

After the first delivery arrived, opening the box and holding copies of my very first children’s book, Brian Brackbrick and the Hazard of Harry Hatman. An indescribable feeling.

Receiving a hand-written review of the book from a happy reader. The fact that a child had taken the time to sit and write this really affected me, and I think I had something in my eye for a little while!
 
Best Childhood Memory / Worst Childhood Memory...
I had a pretty boring and lonely childhood to be honest, so I learned early on to retreat into books and comics. Discovering the books and worlds of Roald Dahl, Dick King-Smith and CS Lewis really helped, and unknowingly gave me a good grounding for writing my own stories. I also have to credit Simon Furman for his work on the UK Transformers comics – the story arc “Target: 2006” was a masterwork of short, punchy storytelling and plot development.

For a specific memory, I still fondly remember getting my first games console – original NES, none of your Switch or Wii back then – and playing Mega Man for hours and hours.
 
Best Word...
Hmm. I really like the word “Behold!” It’s one of those words that doesn’t need the support of any other words, it does the job all by itself! Also, “nudgepot” is a great child-friendly substitute swear-word…
 
Best Shop...
We all need to support our independent bookshops, they provide such an important resource to readers and writers, especially the self-published ones. Foyles in Birmingham, UK, is a great bookstore, big enough to host and facilitate events and signings, but with an independent mindset.
 
Best Sport...
Youth football. Two of my grandsons play in local teams every weekend, so I spend a lot of time either at matches or at training sessions. Frankly, watching the kids play is better than the overpaid professionals, they haven’t yet learned all the bad habits!
 
Best Job...
Although I do have a full-time ‘proper’ job, writing is, for me, the best job in the world, especially writing for children. It’s an enjoyable process and nothing is a chore, and you have the potential to make a positive impact on children’s lives – a real privilege.
 
Best Saying...
This is quoting a film, so it’s someone else’s saying, but I can’t put it better:
“Do or do not. There is no try.”
 
Best Teacher...
My Doctorate supervisor at the University of Portsmouth, Dr. Isobel Ryder. A positive presence and influence throughout the course.
 
Best Time of Day / Worst Time of Day...
Best: early evening. The work day is done, dinner is finished and cleared away, time to relax together.

Worst: first thing in the morning!
 
Best Room...
My study. I have everything set up to write, and also a turntable with a shelf full of classic vinyl. (Also an Xbox, but that’s not for me, honest…)
  
Best Smell / Worst Smell...
In my ‘proper’ job I work for a fragrance manufacturer, so I am exposed to a wide variety of smells all the time, good and bad. I really like vanilla as an odour, and red apple, and orange blossom…I could go on! Thinking about finished perfumes, I like either complex ones like Le Male (JPG), or something light and fresh like Issey Miyake.

Worst smell: bad personal hygiene. Absolutely no excuse for it.
 
Best TV Show / Worst TV Show...
The Apprentice UK: love watching this every year, so entertaining. The contestants had to visit our UK headquarters to complete a task a few seasons ago.

Frasier: smartest comedy around. Essentially a seaside farce at heart, but executed in such a clever way, and it always assumes a level of awareness from its audience.

Worst: any of the many many reality shows that seem to be filling up the schedules. At best, empty entertainment; at worst, quite dangerous if young people hold up the reality ‘stars’ as something aspirational.
 
Best Gadget...
I resisted getting an iPhone for quite some time. Now I have one, however, I can appreciate how they can make life so much easier for people. Also, there are apps to improve accessibility for the visually-impaired, so this is an instance of technology making a positive difference.
 
Best Sound...
Kids laughing, when they really properly lose it and laugh uncontrollably.
A grand piano played by someone who knows what they’re doing.
There are a few singers who have a certain warmth and tone to their voice, that you have to stop and listen to – like Otis Redding, George Michael, Dusty Springfield.
 
Best Movie...
The Empire Strikes Back – my favourite film, I could watch this over and over again. A lot of life lessons in here if you pay attention. Also the Godfather; Shawshank Redemption; and I have a soft spot for the Transformers Animated Movie from 1986, or at least the first 15/20 minutes.
 
Best Time of Year / Worst Time of Year...
Best: The week between Christmas and New Year. I always have time off from work over this period, so it’s a lot of family time and relaxing.

Worst: January and February. Christmas and New Year are over; it’s a long time until the next vacation; and it’s cold!
 
Best School Subject / Worst School Subject...
Probably English at school. Science wasn’t taught very well at my school, so I have learnt all I know for my day job and career since leaving school.

Worst: P.E.! I wasn’t – and still am not – very ‘sporty’ so this was torture for me.
 
Best Body Part / Worst Body Part...
Best: the only decent thing is my brain I think!
​
Worst: my spine is partially fused together (I have AS, Ankylosing Spondylitis), so this makes things awkward and uncomfortable sometimes. I have to keep reminding myself that there a lot of people in the world with much, much worse conditions and illnesses. 

I know! I'm honoured to host these guys today. And, more precisely, these guys are... 
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Gracie, Louisa, Julie, Erika, Shain, Kate, Lorna,
Emily, Heidi, Michelle, Katherine, and Susan. 

Just click here to find out more about each writer individually. 

Rather than let you listen to me blabbering and rambling on, I'll hand straight over to the LOVE AT FIRST CHAPTER crew... 
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QUESTION 1​
So go on, tell us in a nutshell … what is LOVE AT FIRST CHAPTER?
 
Love At First Chapter is a biweekly young adult fiction newsletter that introduces the first chapter of an upcoming or new release to subscribers. With each newsletter, subscribers can “fall in love” with the book and either purchase or preorder it at the end of the email. It’s a fun reader resource that allows a wider audience to sample new, diverse releases -- and introduces authors to more engaged readers who are likely to be interested in their book. A win-win for everyone involved!

QUESTION 2
You guys are all YA writers and met during Author Mentor Match. But how did you go from not knowing each other to setting up this amazing new service for YA book lovers?
   
Amidst talk of revisions and drafts, Graci Goldhart, our founder, introduced the idea as a fun way to promote upcoming YA releases we’re excited for. The rest happened pretty quickly after that. We set up the website, assigned roles, came up with a list of our most anticipated releases, and prepared for our Valentine’s Day launch.

QUESTION 3
Since you’re a part of the AMM family, what advice would you give to people looking to apply next month?
 
Louisa: Apply, apply, apply! Your AuthorMentorMatch mentor will be there to help you shape your manuscript, curate an agent list, and/or navigate the tumultuous waters of your debut year.  The best thing about the program is that it promotes long-term mentorship (and friendship, if we’re being honest), and if there’s anything you need when you’re trying to make it as a writer, it’s a mentor and a friend.

Lisa: My advice is to go for it. My mentor has been amazing and she immediately found  some issues I just didn’t see because I was so wrapped up in my story. I’ve gotten great advice and she’s been there for me through every step of the process. That being said, I also want to add that I’ve also bonded with the other mentees and they have been amazing also. When I  received feedback from an agent that I wasn’t sure how to interpret, I asked them about it. They all responded with some excellent advice and shared tools that would help me clear up the issues the agent brough to my attention. It has been an incredibly positive experience for me.
 
Shain: To quote Nike, “Just do it!” You’ve got nothing to lose and everything to gain, including at least one amazing life-long friendship. The other mentees and I have really bonded as well, obviously. Alexa Donne (one of the founders of the AMM program) really works to vet the mentors so, just like with the pieces we share, you can know that they are gems. Although my experience was halted a little by just crazy timing things on both my end and my mentors, we’ve finally gotten started and it’s amazing. Kevin (Savoie) and I are both Pisces, Disney-philes, gamers, and our birthdays are literally days apart. He’s amazing and I even bought him Christmas presents and the same copy of TLM that I have so we can (hah!) be on the same page. And yes, I use the word amazing so much because I’m still in awe about the whole situation.

Michelle: Do. Not. Self. Reject. I had counted myself out when my CP asked if I was submitting. I owe it to her that I applied. I’m still a bit in disbelief that I got in and Gail (Villaneuva) has turned out to be such a blessing. She’s in my corner for the long-term to help my manuscript be the best it can be and is guiding me through every aspect of the industry. And beyond my mentor, I’ve met such an incredible group of mentees who I now consider friends and writing buddies.

QUESTION 4
Who came up with the amazing idea of LOVE AT FIRST CHAPTER?
 
The brilliant Graci Goldhart thought up the concept of LAFC and asked us if we wanted to join her -- and we immediately fell in love with it!
 
QUESTION 5
Will you share only standalone novels, or do you intend to share books within a series too?
 
We are open to sharing both. If the first book in a series is highly anticipated and we’re also really excited for it, then we’d love to feature it!

QUESTION 6
Will it be only novels, or will you share anthologies or perhaps novellas as well?
 
As of now, we’re focused on sharing YA novels, but may open to anthologies in the future. There are so many good ones coming out lately!

QUESTION 7
Will you share only traditionally published books or indie and self published as well?
 
We focus on traditionally published books.

QUESTION 8 
Will you consider adding other age groups in the future?
 
It is something we’ve talked about and are open to exploring, but we’re currently set on curating YA.

QUESTION 9
What’s different about the reader service you’re providing?
 
All the books selected for Love At First Chapter have been recommended by one of our curators. That means we’ve read and can vouch for the book, have enjoyed it, and want to share it with others. We like to think of it as an unconventional book club of sorts: recommending books and building a community based on readership.

QUESTION 10
Why should readers sign up?
 
We’re unlike any other YA newsletter or book service -- it’s 100% free to sign up (and will remain that way!) and you get a surprise first chapter of a new or upcoming YA release straight to your inbox. Like the chapter? Purchase or preorder through links in the newsletter. Don’t like the chapter? Feel free to delete the email. It’s pressure-free and only aims to spread our love of books.
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QUESTION 11
What are you guys reading right now?
 
Shain: Reign of the Fallen and 101 Best-Loved fairy tales… The latter there is a writing reason for and I got it on sale at Barnes and Noble for seven dollars exactly. JUST SAYING. Don’t agree with what they just did to their employees, but think it’s important we not let brick and mortar stores get outright overpowered by Amazon.
 
Lisa: At this moment my TBR pile is huge. There are just so many great stories out there, but currently I’m reading KEEPER by Kim Chance and it’s a great story!
 
Julie Abe: My TBR list is miles long! Currently in my queue: Princess Academy (Shannon Hale), The Adventurers Guild (Zack Loran Clark), The City of Brass (S. A. Chakraborty)
 
Louisa: My next YA read is THIS SIDE OF HOME by Renee Watson, which I found - surprise, surprise! - from a friend’s recommendation.
 
Heidi: I’m reading an ARC of my mentor’s book, THE DIMINISHED. It’s pretty great so far!
 
Michelle: My TBR is beyond manageable right now, but I’m pages into S. Jae-Jones’s Wintersong and AMM mentor Adrianne Finlay’s Your One and Only.

Savannah Hendricks is the author of Nonnie and I (Xist Pub., 2014) available in English, Spanish, and bilingual editions. She is also the co-author of Child Genius 101: The Ultimate Guide to Early Childhood Development Vol 1, 2 & 3 (Knowonder Pub., 2013). Savannah has over 25 pieces published in magazines and anthologies such as Dear Nana, Highlights High Five, and Front Vision. She has been a member of the SCBWI since 2006, has a Master’s in Criminal Justice, and a degree in Early Childhood Education.

BLOG: http://theseashellsoflife.wordpress.com/
TWITTER: @AuthorSavannah
INSTAGRAM: AuthorSavannahHendricks
AMAZON AUTHOR PAGE: https://www.amazon.com/Savannah-Hendricks/e/B00BO0RQK2

“Mom can I take Nonnie to school? I bet she will learn a lot!”

She shakes her head. “Nonnie must stay here.”
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My lower lip sticks out, my head hangs low,
my tummy starts doing flips and feels funny.”


A young girl is afraid that her first day of school will mean leaving her best friend Nonnie, a giraffe, behind. This picture book, set in Botswana is the perfect match for any child starting something new to ease worries and anxiety, while teaching an important lesson. 
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