Book Festivals and Why I Love Them

Me and Some Amy Green Readers at the West Cork Literary Festival

Every year I’m lucky to be invited to lots of book festivals. This year I’ll be at Listowel Writers’ Week in Kerry in June; Dalkey Book Festival in June; Kilkenny Arts Festival in August; and Mountains to Sea Book Festival in Dun Laoghaire in September (all in Ireland). There may be one or two more on the cards also, including some UK events.

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Why I love festivals so much:

1/ I get to meet YOU – readers! There’s nothing like meeting readers in person, it’s such a thrill.

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2/ I get to hang out with my writer friends like Judi Curtin, Oisin McGann (lovely Irish fantasy writer), Don Conroy (nature writer and novelist from Ireland), Cathy Cassidy and loads of other cool wordsmiths. Plus I love hearing other writers talk about their work, it’s fascinating.

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3/ I always learn something new - fantastic books to read, how other writers organise their writing lives - are they morning writers or evening writers; do they have any lucky writing charms; paper or laptop etc.

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4/ My mind fizzes with new book ideas after book festivals. There’s nothing more inspirational than being surrounded by world class writers. So far my favourite festival talk ever was one given by Patrick Ness about writing with joy – it was spoken from the heart and very moving. If he’s ever at a festival near you, go! You won’t regret it. He is a truly gifted speaker.

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5/ Book people are MY people and it’s lovely to be with my tribe, especially children’s book people, who truly rock!

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Have you ever been to a book festival? Was it fun? Who did you see?

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Yours in writing,

Sarah XXX

PS Check out the original version of this post at the Girls Heart Books blog - www.girlsheartbooks.com

What's In a Name - Naming Your Characters

Hi There,

If you like writing or are interested in how writers name their characters, read on! And check out the cover of my new book, Dancing Daze, out in September - pretty cute, isn't it? I love the tiny ballet shoes!

Names are VERY important and I always put lots of thought into choosing them. Here are some of the names I’ve chosen for various characters in my books and why I picked that particular name:

Amy Green – My daughter’s name is Amy (Amy-Rose to be precise) and she loves the fact that Amy Green shares her name – big mummy points here. It’s one of my favourite girl’s names and it’s a name lots of girls can identify with – most people know an Amy. I added Green as I wanted a surname that again, is well known, as Amy in the books is my ‘every girl’ character, a girl that readers can hopefully relate to. Being ‘green’ also means helping the environment and Amy Green loves helping people.Her nicknames are: Ames, Green Bean, Beanie, Greenster and Bean Machine.

Remember to give your own main characters nicknames – most of us have them in real life!

Amy Green’s best friend is called Amelia Starr or ‘Mills’. She’s just that, a star, and most Amelias I know are shortened to Milly, so I thought Mills was a little bit different.

Clover Wildgust – Clover is a little bit crazy and she powers around the place like a tornado. I chose the name Clover as it’s a bit unusual but not too whacky to be unrealistic, and Wildgust is a name I found in a graveyard in Ireland. I thought it suited her perfectly as she’s just that, a wild gust of wind! Clover is always just Clover, she doesn’t have a nickname.

Graveyards are excellent places to find unusual names, or names that are particular to that region. If you are setting your book in West Cork for example, the names would be different to a book set in Dublin city, especially the surnames. I’m sure it’s the same in London and Devon for example.

Other names I’ve used (in Ask Amy Green) are Seth Stone (Amy Green’s solid as a rock boyfriend), Bailey Otis (Mills’s surfer/musician boyfriend – there’s a famous old song called Miss Otis Regrets), Nina Pickering (who never stops picking on people), and Sophie Piggott (who is a total pig!).

Funny, clever names are more memorable than ‘ordinary’ names – like Mary Smith for example, unless you are using the name to make a point eg ‘Mary Smith was a very ordinary girl, with an extraordinary secret . . .’

Some writers are brilliant at naming their characters:Derek Landy is a naming master in the horror genre – Skulduggery Pleasant, Melancholia, Ghastly Bespoke. Darren Shan also creates brilliant names – Lord Loss and Larten Crepsley.

I love Cathy Cassidy’s names too – Dizzy, Ginger, Scarlett.And Jacqueline Wilson’s – Lottie, Floss, Hetty Feather. And what about J K Rowling’s names, genius! Hagrid, Sirius Black, Albus Dumbledore. And Roald Dahl – Matilda, The BFG, Charlie Bucket. What are your favourite character names?

Happy writing and reading,

Sarah XXX

All I Want for Christmas . . .

Hi All,

This was first posted on the Girls Heart Books site - do check it out for a great read!

Not long now until Christmas! And I for one can’t wait. Every year I ask my friends and family for one present, and one present only – book tokens!

Walking into my local bookshop – Dubray Books in Dun Laoghaire, Dublin – and knowing I can treat myself to those hardback books I’ve been gazing longingly at all year makes me so happy.

In case some of you also get book tokens for Christmas, or are looking for a brilliant read over the holidays, I’ve collected together a few of my favourite books of the year below.

I read a lot of books which are supposed to be for children or teenagers as they’re so darn good! I was a children’s bookseller for years and now I review children’s books for The Irish Independent, but to be honest I’d read them anyway. I like strong characters, clever, original plots and a sense of hope, all of which I get in books for young readers.

My Book of the Year: When You Reach Me by Rebecca Stead

I love, love, loved this wonderful book. Part time-travel novel, part family and friendship drama, it’s original, compelling and I can’t recommend it highly enough. It’s set in New York too, and I love books set in NYC. It’s a cracking read.

I also loved Skulduggery Pleasant: Death Bringer by Derek Landy, a fantasy-horror adventure about a skeleton detective and his teenage side kick. It’s a hilarious, rip roaring read and I’d highly recommend the whole series. If you like something a little different, this book is for you.

Eva’s Holiday by Judi Curtin is just perfect for girls who like warm, funny reads. Eva loves fashion and hanging out with her friends, so when she has to spend the whole summer in a cottage down the country, she’s not happy. But soon she finds out that there’s more to life than clothes and having the right friends.


And I also adored Marshmallow Skye by Cathy Cassidy, the second in her warm, sweet Chocolate Box series. And finally another wonderful book is The Real Rebecca by Anna Carey is the story of Irish teen, Rebecca and her ultra embarrassing mother.

What will YOU be reading this Christmas?
Happy Christmas to all! May 2012 bring you many wonderful things . . . including brilliant books!
Yours in books,

Sarah XXX