June - Book News for Amy Greensters!

Hi All,

Apologies for the lack of posting recently - I've been working away on Amy Green 3, Bridesmaid Blitz. I'm delighted to say it's finished now and I'm really pleased with it. It's out in October and I'll post a sneak peak of the first chapter soon, but until then, here's the first few lines:

Chapter 1

‘I’m soooo depressed,’ I moan. ‘I can’t believe we’re back at school tomorrow. Kill me now.’ I grab my best friend, Mills’s GHDs and pretend to stab myself in the heart. ‘Oh happy dagger. Let me die.’ Then I stagger backwards, fall onto her bed and squash her against the star-patterned duvet.
‘Ow, Amy. Get off me, you eejit,’ she squeals. ‘And stop with all the Shakespeare. I don’t want to be reminded of English class, thanks very much.’
I laugh and roll sideways. We both lie on our backs, staring up at the ceiling.
There’s something stuck to it. A photo. I squint up my eyes, then grin. Ed Whooley’s tanned face is smiling down at us.
‘Nice pic,’ I say . . .

Stay posted if you want to read on.

And coming next month - info on an Amy Green event in Kildare in August and also the Armed, Pink and Dangerous tour with Sophia Bennett and Judi Curtin in October.

SarahX

News on Amy 3 - but in the meantime you could read . . .

Hi folks, Amy here again!

Lots of you have been asking when the new book featuring my most excellent and thrilling adventures is out - well, that would be October. Sarah tells me it's finished and it's absolutely fab if she says so herself.

It's called Bridesmaid Blitz and all the old gang are back - Amy and Clover obviously, Mills, Seth, and the ancients - Polly, Sylvie, Gramps, Dave. Plus a rather mysterious new character called Bailey.

But in the meantime if you just have to read something and you've already devoured Boy Trouble and Summer Secrets dozens of times (that would be you, Michelle C, don't deny it!), check out Threads: Beads, Boys and Bangles by Sophia Bennett. Set in the London fashion world, it's full of cool dresses, cute ballet boys, mad friends and Indian adventures. I LOVED it.

And more news - Sarah is touring Ireland with Sophia and another fantastic Irish writer, Judi Curtin in October - the Armed, Pink and Dangerous Tour 2010. More details soon.

Talk soon,

Amy XXX

Spring Break, Dublin Style

Is there anything better than school holidays? I think not! Unfortunately my annoying female parental thought I was having far too much fun sleeping, hanging out with my friends, and catching up on Glee and decided to put me on baba duty for the afternoon while she went to the dentist.

At least that’s where she said she was going – I have my doubts – can a filling really take two whole hours? Please! Her teeth are not elephant tusk sized.

So I got landed with Alex and Evie, my little brother and sister. And I was supposed to be meeting up with Seth and Mills. They kindly offered to help me with the babies, so I pushed Evie in the buggy, and Seth put Alex on his back and we headed off to the park.

Alex nearly gave Seth a black eye with his sharp little heels, but apart from that we all got there in one piece.

Then we made the mistake of giving the babies ice cream cones, which they got all over their faces, hands, hair and clothes. Evie even got ice cream up her nose – yuck! I had to dig it out with the corner of a tissue.

When we got home Mum nearly had a fit.

‘What happened?’ she demanded. ‘Why are they both so sticky and what’s that gloop in their hair? Amy!’

‘It’s only ice cream, Mum,’ I said. ‘It’ll wash out.’

She narrowed her eyes. ‘Did Dave put you up to this?’ (Dave’s my kind of step dad)

‘Up to what?’

‘He told you, didn’t he? That if you do something badly I might not ask you to do it again.’

‘No! And I wasn’t trying to be a rubbish babysitter on purpose if that’s what you’re implying,’ I protested. ‘I was doing you a favour. Look, I’ll put them both in the bath for you. OK?’

She softened up a bit then and gave me a tenner. Score!


Hope you don’t have to babysit too much over the holliers, my friends!

Until next time -

Keep smiling!

Amy XXXX

Paddy's Day Palaver!

Well my dear friends, I'm still a-shaking and a-quivering all over!

Mills and Seth had this great idea yesterday - to go to the funfair at Bray. OK, I thought, that's coolaboola - I can just watch and catch some rays (the sun was actually out yesterday - hello stranger!). I'm so not into being hurtled around in the air, my stomach lurching into my mouth.

Then Clover decided to tag along too. Brains (her boyf) was playing a Paddy's Day gig in the evening with his band so he was off setting it all up, and she had the afternoon free.

But when I got there Clover said 'Come on, Beanie. Don't be such a chick-chick-chick-chicken.' She folded her arms under her armpits and did a flapping impression. 'Bwalk, bwalk, bwalk, bwalk, bwalk.'

'Fine,' I said huffily. 'I'll go on one ride. Something that doesn't go up in the air, understand?'

So she pulled me towards the swings by the arm, Seth and Mills following behind. Before I knew what was happening, I was strapped into a seat, my body suspended in the air. I looked up - the two chains looked safe enough but I was still nervous.

Clover was sitting on one side, Mills on the other and Seth just behind us.

'What does this do exactly?' I asked Clover.

Clover smiled. 'It just swings around a bit, you know. The clue's in the title - the swings.'

'Don't be such a smartie pants,' I said. The machine sprung into action and all the seats started to lift in the air. And lift, and lift, and lift - until we were dozens of feet off the ground. YIKES!

'I hate heights, Clover,' I shrieked. 'You know that.' I screwed my eyes shut.

'Hum, we are quite high up, aren't we?' she shouted back over the noise of the ride. 'But what a view.'

'I'm not opening my eyes,' I said. 'Tell me when it's all over.'

I hung to the chains for dear life and wished I'd stuck to my guns.

Well, I lived to tell the tale. But I'm never, ever going near a fun fair with Clover again, eva!

Catch you soon,

Amy XXX

Rin on the Rox

My friend, Kate sent me this link of Rin on the Rox - two American girls who truly rock! Check them out singing on You Tube - they are sooooo addictive.
See ya,
AmyXXX
The You Tube link:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dNWShAAbjr4

Happy World Book Day and Thanks for Reading!

First of all, I got several emails this week saying how much you're enjoying reading my blog. Thanks so much for checking it out! You guys diamond rock!

Well, I have good news - Sarah says I can keep writing the blog as long as I have something to say. Yeah and double yeah!

Hum, better find something to say then.

Happy World Book Day for a start. To celebrate a copy of Boy Trouble (my first book, but you know that, right!) was left at the end of Dun Laoghaire for some lucky - ahem - person to find. Wonder who it went home with? Can't wait to find out. It's called book crossing - you release a book into the wild for other readers - pretty cool, eh?

You can check it out here: www.bookcrossing.com

Otherwise all is pretty cool chez Green this week - nothing major to report. Mum's been dropping hints about Mother's Day - don't forget - it's Sunday 14th. Big hints - like 'If you guys forget Mother's Day again I'm going on strike! No washing, no cooking, no cleaning.'
'What like normal you mean, Sylvie?' Dave said, grinning.
Mum swatted him with a tea towel. She wasn't amused. I thought it was kinda funny myself.

OK, she's yelling at me again, dinner's up. Spag bol - tres exciting, not! Hope it's edible - Mum's not exactly Jamie Oliver. See ya soon,

Amy XXX

Rachel's Ode to Maths

This is a cool article sent to the Goss by a student in 6th class in Dunboyne (nice place in Ireland) - Clover passed it on to me - it's pretty good so I thought I'd publish it here on my Amy Blog.

I've added my own comments on it of course! If you've read my books you'll know I'm a maths geek, sad but true!!!!

Amy XXX

Make Maths a Friend! by Rachel
:)

To me, Maths has no personality. It’s like a dead person, it doesn’t exist. (How can you say this, Rachel? Amy)

There’s nothing deep about it. You can’t leave your own mark on it. It doesn’t express who you are as a person, because in maths there’s always an answer but only one. You have no choice. You can’t leave your own stamp on it. But maybe I’m missing something? There could be some secret to maths no one knows. Something deep hidden behind the numbers. (See, Rachel, you're getting it now - Amy)

All subjects can be thought about in different ways, In the end I think it all depends on our attitude towards it. Maybe if we think about Maths in a more positive way, it will appeal to us differently. We just think of maths as a bad subject because it seems like that subject everyone just has to hate and groan about, because if you think about it, it’s not very popular is it? (Except with me!)

Maybe maths seems bad to us because it is one of those subjects we just love to hate. Pretend for a minute maths had feelings, I don’t think it would like being complained at so much, would you?

I know I wouldn’t be the first person you’d think of running to for tips on maths but here are some on how you can help improve your attitude towards it. (You go, girl!)

Tips:

1. Think of maths positively. If you think about maths in a positive way. It will come out like that on the paper.

2. I know I said before maths has no personality, but as hard as it is try your very best to pretend it does. Pretend Maths has feelings like a person. Pretend he’s...Max! If Maths was a real person you wouldn’t wan’t to hurt his feelings would you? So try your best doing the sums for him, and not only the teacher will be pleased.(I know this sounds crazy, but try it out and it might work.)

3. Try come up with different ways to get the answer . You don’t have to figure it out the same way as everyone else. Everybody is different and has a different approach. Even though I said there is only one answer there are still a hundred ways to get it. (Abso-doodle-lutely, Rachel!)

4. Tutor! Yes tutor. If you feel you have a strength in a certain area don’t be afraid to help someone who doesn’t. Once you know you’ve helped someone get an answer you’ll feel much better about yourself and tutoring also is a brilliant fun way to learn as you can still learn by teaching someone.

5. There are so many different areas in maths that if you feel you’ve given up (Never Give Up!!) in a certain area don’t be afraid to give a go at another one, you never know, surprisingly you might like it, it’s always good to try new things.

6. Ok so this is my last tip and so for the final one I think overall it’s all about how we look at things. Like me you may think that maths is boring or nothing to it, or not deep in any way. But try turn those bad thoughts the other way round, you know all the moaning and bad thinking won’t make it any better. Pretend Maths is all the things you think it isn’t and you just might believe it! So that’s it I think by writing this down I’ve seen maths in a different way and you should too because I guess really in the end the numbers don’t bite! (Rachel, you are so right! Numbers don't bite. But my baby sis, Evie does - ow, ow, ow. Have to go, she's got my leg . . . . Amy)