Ally Kennen

Bullet Boys launch tour

2012-02-03T14:32:00.000-08:00

Bullet Boys is well and truly launched. I went North with the lovely Catherine from Scholastic and we visited Preston and Salford.
Look at this cake, made by All Hallows Catholic School, how fantastic! and it tasted great too. I've never had a book cake before and I am much in favour.

Over the course of the tour I held raffles with fabulous prizes (ahem) had lovely dinners and held creative writing workshops and Author Talks at lots of great schools. It was great to meet all of you. Even the student I had to convince that a fiver was a fair price for a book.( remember, coffee and a cake in a cafe don't give much change from five pounds these days. I hope you've read the free book you conned out of me!) I hope I didn't give the 700 odd kids I met my cold, sorry if I did. I had a most interesting time watching the Indian dancing, and sampling some most splendid canteen grub. We went to Askews in Preston and met Hazel and I saw all the children's books ever published stacked up on shelves and shelves and sheves. it was like the library in GHOSTBUSTERS. Fantastic! Here's a pic of Catherine and Hazel finding MY books.

On Friday morning was the Salford Children's Book Award and I met authors Candy Gourlay, Pat Walsh and Alan Gibbons and Jon Mayhew AND Richard Platt AND I met the mayor and lots of kids and Ebony read out a stonking review of SPARKS (thankyou). Michael Morpurgo won with SHADOW. He wasn't there as I believe there is the small matter of a major motion picture galloping around at the moment. Here is a picture of everyone's backs and Catherine haring up the aisle. Wow Salford is proper cool with massive boats and the ship canal and the BBC and Imperial War Museum and the Lowry Centre, I didn't know where to look. We need all these things in Taunton please.

After a quick lunch it was off to another school in Salford, Moorside High (waves) then back on the train to Somerset.

I found the letter above waiting for me; Intelligence of an attempt to sabotage and derail the whole book thing, by a member of my inner circle. Shocking stuff. Come Monday, it was off to Leeds, where I met Hannah, who bravely took over from Catherine as publicist for the tour. here is a picture of Hannah, Donna, librarian at Mount St Mary School, Debbie and another Hannah, trainee! (What a beautiful library I might add)

There are lots of new schools being built up North, I visited many sites where a gleaming new building was being raised next to a crumbling old mouldy one. I'd like to see more of that down south too please!

We rushed over to Sheffield where I told Hannah my two lengthy cat stories (sorry) and on Tuesday visited TWO MORE SCHOOLS, The City School and Fir Vale Secondary. Here's me in the BRAND NEW LIBRARY at the City School with Richard from Rhyme and Reason Bookshop (obviously a fan of The Phantom Tolbooth, though I did not ask if he had a son called Milo) and Marion Milroy, Librarian. Thanks for a great visit!

THEN on to Fir Vale, where, despite the fire alarm, I met some great, inspiring kids. Here's their display.

In the centre, there is a picture, by Aliyah, of ME wearing a crown. This is continuing to delight me, thank you.Then I went home, phewy. Thanks Scholastic (And especially Catherine) for organising such a great tour for me and thanks to everyone who had us to visit, we appreciate your hard work and hospitality. BULLET BOYS HAS ARRIVED.....

BULLET BOYS TOUR

2012-01-24T13:16:00.000-08:00

A busy day in London yesterday, doing talks and writing workshops at Fortismere School (fantastic kids, lovely lunch...)and then a podcast at The Guardian, note, twenty minutes before this was was recorded I was only able to mutter BIG CAFFEINE PLEASE to the man in the cafe, so I'm a little concerned I may not be as sparkling and clever-by-half as I would have preferred. We shall see. (trembles with nerves) Whenever I come to London Town I expect to see celebrities as this is where they all seem to live, and I was pleased to spot Jarvis Cocker and then Sarah Beenie. My taxi driver told me how he never ate baked beans and had some good parenting advice for me which I fully intend to try. On the train the woman in front was having a most interesting conversation with her gentleman friend which I eavesdropped in a writerly way and will come in useful some day I'm sure.
A winner of a day!
Today I powered up the M5 in the rain and fog and landed at Brimsham Green School, Yate and spoke to some great students (120!!) about writing and BULLET BOYS. We had a raffle and a good chat. Thanks to Becky Harrison, the librarian, and her colleagues at the school for looking after me.

I was very impressed with the dedicated fiction room (as well as the library). All students get a fiction/reading lesson every fortnight. How intelligent! Why don't all schools do this?

Backwell School does! and I had the pleasure of meeting students there this afternoon. Here is a picture of uber-librarian Anne Gibson in her fantastic fiction room.

Backwell also has a great pasty shop. (I found no pasty shops in London I might add, celebs yes, pastys no -this is why I live in Somerset)

Tomorrow I press on to Preston with a mountain of badges, then to Salford for the Salford Children's Book

Award. http://www.salford.gov.uk/2011bookaward.htm

BULLET BOYS LAUNCH TOUR!

2012-01-16T02:32:00.000-08:00

The Bullet Boys juggernaut is revving up! Here are some details...and more are TBC

Monday 23rd Jan, London.- Fortsimere School Muswell Hill
Tuesday 24th Jan, Yate- Brisham Green School and Backwell School, Backwell
Wednesday 25th Jan, Preston
Thursday 25th Jan, Preston, All Hallows Catholic High School and Our Lady's Catholic High School
Friday 26th Jan, The Salford Book Award, Salford
Monday 30th Jan Leeds, Mount St Mary Catholic High School
Tuesday 31st Sheffield, The City School and Fir Vale Secondary School
Saturday 18th Feb Yeovil, Empty Shop Project Quedam centre

Bullet Boys Review and DAYBREAK

2012-01-10T03:12:00.000-08:00

Here's a new review of Bullet Boys
http://www.lovereading4kids.co.uk/book/7171/Bullet-Boys-by-Ally-Kennen.html

And my new book for Collins Big Cat school reading series, DAYBREAK, illustrated by Liz Monahan, is also out now!

http://www.harpercollins.co.uk/Titles/64835/daybreak-ally-kennen-liz-monahan-9780007428281

Tomorrow is Linnie’s birthday, and all she wants is to see the bore: a tidal wave about to crash down the estuary. But there’s a problem on the farm and (to her sister’s delight) mum says she can’t go. Desperate to see it, Linnie makes a big mistake, but finds help from an unlikely source.

BULLET BOYS...has officially arrived

2012-01-05T01:37:00.000-08:00

So Bullet Boys is published today. Big thanks to everyone at Marion Lloyd Books and Scholastic. I will be launching the book with a tour later this month (please, no snow) visiting London, Bristol, Preston, Salford, Sheffield and Leeds.

Here is one of the first reviews

http://www.thebookbag.co.uk/reviews/index.php?title=Bullet_Boys_by_Ally_Kennen

Research, photos and book notes
When I began this book I had no military knowledge whatsoever and I have some characters in the story who are soldiers, so I scoured the internet, using youtube, military websites, and emailing contacts, but I also did some research in the real world, going into my local army recruitment office armed (ha ha) with a list of questions. I was scared I admit, would they make me do press-ups? Would there be shouting? Luckily a very nice chap in clean boots answered my stupid questions, though I was first rigorously interrogated about my credentials.
'So you're a children's writer?'
'Well yes, well, mostly teen fiction...'
‘Are you a terrorist?’
‘Er, no,’
‘OK, a journalist?’
‘Nope.’
‘A ecologist?’
'Nope.’
‘Fine then, let's see your questions.’
And that was that. And no press ups. Phew. Good to know no one gets past that lot very easily. I then had a delightful 20 mins asking how one might steal an armoured vehicle say, or what might happen if one strayed into a firing zone on Dartmoor and so forth. Thanks! I spoke to other military personnel, what exactly might a group of squaddies be wearing on a physical training challenge on a hot day on Dartmoor, or how might one smuggle military equipment out of a war zone. All my contacts were most helpful and I now have some good ideas about a new career in gun-running should the writing not take off.

The book is set on and around the north moor of Dartmoor. I have spent quite a lot of time on Dartmoor in my life, but this book required some specific knowledge, (though those familiar with the moors will not recognise invented valleys, drains, vast trees and farm buildings) So I took a few trips over last summer, here’s a picture of my dad and my son enjoying a picnic amongst the sheep droppings.

On another trip we travelled on the Dartmoor railway www.dartmoor-railway.co.uk, from Oakhampton to Meldon Quarry and beyond. Hammerton is very loosely geographically based on Oakhampton, though the town centre is completely different to my creation and as far as I know there are no Celtic chieftains running pubs with skulls around their necks. (sorry Max)
I persuaded my aunt to come with me on a long Dartmoor walk up and around Cosdon hill. We got lost before we had even properly begun, but not unpleasantly so. Like Alex, we were well equipped with maps and food and water and phones. There were a few incidents with some persistent cows (and I grew up with the creatures so am not usually rattled) and some ‘boggy bits’ (understatement, my aunt and I had conversations about whether one should or should not 'struggle' in quicksand etc) and of course the weather changed every five minutes, and forests and mires and slopes seemed to pop up all over the place. But I considered it my duty to feel as lost as Max on Dartmoor, all for an AUTHENTIC VOICE. That’s my story and I’m sticking to it. I think my aunt’s feet have recovered. (She did have shoes on, unlike poor Max

Nosey cows at stone row.

Here is my aunt on Cosdon Hill. ‘I’ll just check the map, Ally !’ (said in fearful tones) She wasn't reassured when I said we should rely on The Force to guide us.

Where would you hide?

Hares
At the beginning of the book there is a story about a hare, who could make time stand still. This story was told to my parents by Radley Greenslade, a seasoned countryman who used to walk for miles to come and buy milk from our farm. He always wore white shirts, wellies, and a coat belted with string. He died about 16 years ago. I was only small but was entranced by the vigorous waving of his walking stick to punctuate his talk, and his croaky voice, so thick with somerset accent, I could barely understand him, even though he talked for ages. (he took a shine to my mother, who was a hard-working farmer in her early twenties when she met him) He was full of stories about the area (in this case, Exmoor) but this one was something he had seen. It was about two hares who began dancing together in the fields, and then time stood still; the wind stopped blowing, the birds sat still in the trees, and the river ceased to flow. Then the hares turned into humans, a gentleman, and a lady, and continued to dance. When the dance was over, time continued, and the dancers returned to their original form. It sounds like a crazy story, I know, but if you are going to find magic anywhere, it would be up there, on those hills. When we meet Alex in Bullet Boys, he has his gun sights trained on a hare, but cannot shoot it. The story, told to him by his mother, is one of the first things he mentions and a hare appears, at a moment of great need, later in the book.
Strangeways
There is a farm in the story which is central to the action and to one of the character's lives. It is called Strangeways Farm, a fictious place, once owned by Alex's family, now belonging to the military for training exercises. I needed an exciting name for the farm, and Strangeways is the name of the family farm of my husband's childhood. I asked if I could 'borrow' the name and he agreed, though my farm bears no resemblance to the real Strangeways. I love the name, it implies all sorts of mischief and mystery, and for a time, considered it as a title for the book!

BULLET BOYS PUBLISHED BY MARION LLOYD BOOKS TODAY!
Buy it here!

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Bullet-Boys-Ally-Kennen/dp/1407129902/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1325759513&sr=1-1

For more information about the story, see below.

I hope you enjoy it.

BULLET BOYS is published tomorrow!

2012-01-04T03:32:00.000-08:00

Fireworks, clinking of glasses, rustling of pages, roaring. The countdown has begun for the official publication day. All right, some copies are in the shops already and can be ordered online but Thursday 5th January is the official book birthday for my new teen novel BULLET BOYS.

The book is set on and around Dartmoor and is about Alex, a cool-headed, crack-shot gamekeeper's son, Max, a turbulent and mixed-up trouble-maker who has been kicked out of his posh school for extremely bad behaviour and Levi, a friendly shrewd boy who holds the gang together.

This unlikely set ricochet off a young squad of local army recruits. And when the boys discover something very real and deadly, buried in a bog in the depths of a military training ground on the moor, explosive events are set in motion.

A man hunt, with armed soldiers, takes place on the moors, with unexpected and terrifying results.

For a review, see below....
GO BULLET BOYS!

I will post some extra notes about some of the adventures I had in the creation of the book tomorrow...on publication day.

Bullet Boys review

2011-12-13T08:32:00.000-08:00

This is what the The Bookbag has to say about Bullet Boys

http://www.thebookbag.co.uk/reviews/index.php?title=Bullet_Boys_by_Ally_Kennen

And look at all those copies, waiting to fly out into the world. Good luck my young ones!

Updates

2011-12-02T06:41:00.001-08:00

BULLET BOYS IS COMING!!! official publication date January 5th, (but I bet copies will be about before that)

As there are no offical reviews yet (much biting of fingernails) here are some unofficial ones. Completely unbiased of course.

'It's pacy stuff! I read it until 2 am.That Max is a nut case,' (my mum)
'I loved the soldier bits' (my dad)

We'll be launching BULLET BOYS with a northern tour in January..

Other newish news
Recently 'Quarry' has been shortlisted for the Coventry Inspiration Book Awards 2012,

The Grampian Children's Book Award 2012 and The Leeds Book Awards 2102
Sparks has recently been shortlisted for the Calderdale Children's Book Award and the Stockport School book Award.
Phewey.

Writer's block?

2011-12-01T01:52:00.001-08:00

There are many different sorts of writer's block. These are mine.
This morning, before my allotted 3 and a half hours I have
1) Completely overhauled damp cross struggling 2 year old
2) Fed 6 hungry chickens
3) Supervised 3 enthusiastic advent calendar openings, admiring ice skating rodents, bigging up festive pine cones and justifying lack of chocolate.
4) BRIEFLY checked 'stray' cat's castration area (it was yesterday) and explained to 4yr old and 6 yr old what castration is and why it is done. In a roundabout way.
5) Fed 4 cats (one ruffled)
6) Fed 3 children with no breakages or major mishap.
7) Calmed pre nativity rehersal nerves and listened to Angel song three times.
8) Located essential nativity trousers at bottom of third overflowing wash basket
9) Written meaningful comments in two school reading diaries
10) Broke up two mid-level fights,
11) Found 2 fairly clean school uniforms and supervised dressing/teeth brushing etc
12) Written shopping list for dinner, remembered party invitations and communicated essential morning domestic tasks to husband in non patronsing manner.
13) Put on load of laundry (patting machine affectionately)
14) Emptied dishwasher, cleaned revolting filter and re-filled it whilst singing 'baa baa black sheep' with son.
15) Emptied 2 bins (one of which was breeding)
16) Lit fire
17) Made second (red) tier of double jelly with helpful two year old.
18) Wrote procrastinating blog
WHERE IS MY MEDAL???

And now, now, I am ready (breathes in) to continue on my writerly journey. The room is quiet, we artists must have utter peace, for our mystical and magic practices to begin.
Like hell.
I assume it is like this for everyone though I have an image in my head of a writer, this time, but not always - a chap, who rises to a cup of steaming coffee from his adoring wife, who, over a considered breakfast, reads a witty email from his youngest daughter who is at University. A morning stroll around his garden to dead head some roses and he is nearly ready to begin. but first, a steaming hot shower, some gentle stretches and his fingers are ready to begin dancing over the keyboard, in his book lined, quiet study, walls annointed with awards and witty pictures. He has the whole day, and all night if he likes (One does not interrupt him when he is working, not ever)
Does this man exist or is everyone like me? What stops you working?

QUARRY LONGLISTED FOR CILIP CARNEGIE MEDAL 2012

2011-11-04T03:57:00.000-07:00

YEEEEESSSSS!!! What a week. ahem I am delighted to report that Quarry has made it on the longlist for the medal of medals. Go Quarry! You dark, creepy thing, you! Lurking out there in the world and getting on longlists. (Pats book on bookhead) Massive congratulations to Marion Lloyd Books who have 4 titles nominated this year...Moira Young with Blood Red Road, Eva Ibbotson with One Dog and His Boy,
Kate Saunders with Magicalamity and QUARRY by me!

Here's a link to the whole list....

http://www.carnegiegreenaway.org.uk/pressdesk/press.php?release=pres_nom_car_2012.html

Well done everyone! Let the whittling and begin. Happy reading all you shadowy schools...

Teen panel event at the Free Word Centre

2011-10-05T09:51:00.000-07:00

So, here are five authors hanging out at the Free Word Centre last night; The evening comprised of the wondrous Sophie McKenzie reading from SISTER MISSING, me blithering on about QUARRY, the legendary Graham Marks, laying aside his author hat in order to chair the event, awesome Jenny Downham, reading from YOU AGAINST ME, Gregg Olsen, talking about his fabulous ENVY. We all chatted about writing teen books and inspiration and answered questions from the audience.

The journey from apple-land to the big smoke usually offers some gifts or other and this time they were.
1) Man with large green parrot on shoulder buying coffee at Taunton Station cafe (His jacket was very worn around shoulders suggesting these were old friends) note: it was not the parrot wearing the jacket or buying the coffee.
2) Plumptious lady on train exhorting her small son not to use her 'bum as a step.'

3) Finding a book at Paddington instructing me how to knit the royal wedding, oh my, the knitted Arch Bishop of Canterbury is the funniest thing I have seen for a very long time. (the beard! the hair! ) 'KNIT YOUR OWN ROYAL WEDDING' by Fiona Goble. How can anyone live without this book I don't know.

UKLA Children's Book Award 2012

2011-09-27T12:46:00.000-07:00

Yeeharrr! She screams in a ladylike and very serious authorish manner , QUARRY has been longlisted for the UKLA Children's Book Award 2012! Hot Dang! But check out the competition...rats rats rats, it's FIERCE. But in the meantime GO QUARRY!!! (Author speaks to her book... It was serious work writing you and it is lovely lovely you are longlisted!) Thankyou THANKYOU Lovely people at UKLA Longlist 12-16 Hodder Children's Books My Name is Mina David Almond Bodley Head Long Lankin Lindsey Barraclough Walker Books Flip Martyn Bedford Oxford University Press Buried Thunder Tim Bowler

Puffin Books iBoy Kevin Brooks Bloomsbury Tyme's End B.R.Collins Quercus Bracelet of Bones Kevin Crossley-Holland Templar Publishing The 10pm Question Kate De Goldi Andersen Press Annexed Sharon Dogar David Fickling Books You Against Me Jenny Downham Puffin Books Being Billy Phil Earle Marion Lloyd Books Quarry Ally Kennen Andersen Press Everybody Jam Ali Lewis Oxford University Press Pull Out All The Stops Geraldine McCaughrean David Fickling Books Trash Andy Mulligan Walker A Monster Calls Patrick Ness David Fickling Books Half Brother Kenneth Oppel Hodder Children's Books Bruised Siobhán Parkinson Orion Children's Books My Sister Lives On The Mantlepiece Annabel Pitcher Bloomsbury The Dead of Winter Chris Priestly Orion Children's Books White Crow Marcus Sedgwick Scholastic Children's Books The Last Summer of the Death Warriors Francisco X. Stork

BOOK CREATOR!

2011-09-17T14:47:00.000-07:00

Ha ha! Well, whilst I've been writing books and rearing young, my uber-geek handsome husband has been whittling away on his mega app BOOK CREATOR and here is a video all about it. Basically it's an app to create picture books on your iPAD, or whatever books you like. You can make very slick books with this, and if you want you can publish it to the iBookstore. And it is EASY-PEASY to use. I know this because I have been commenting on it all the way, and my knowledge of all things tech is archaeological (see my website for example) so it has to be EASY for me with no annoying jargon or cryptic symbols and it has to WORK otherwise I would throw the iPAD to the floor in RAGE. Anyway, I've been playing with the thing and it's great. I know I would say that, but it is... see for yourself. I WISH I could draw, then I'd be firing out e-picture books like nobody's business, but sadly all I can draw is a cartoon cow with a steaming cow pat. Anyway it's great for photo books, kids books and all sorts. AWAY YOU GO! And you'll be the first to see my cow e-book when it goes live on iTunes! for more info see www.redjumper.net/bookcreator

Book Creator for the iPad from Red Jumper Studio on Vimeo.

Books Update and first lines

2011-09-06T13:59:00.000-07:00

I've just finished going through the first proofs of BULLET BOYS, it's always exciting to see the book look more bookish. I've scribbled over it in red pencil which feels efficient. Hopefully at some point there will be a bound proof, (at this time I'll let my mother read it!)

I've done the same with DAYBREAK, my new book for Collins Big Cat school reading series, both are publishing in January 2012. A fast-paced start to the new year...
On another note,
My six year old is starting to read and is sneaking copies of my books off and trying to read the first few lines, so I've been going back and checking to see if they are suitable...or not eeek!
Most of my books are for 11/12+ apart from SPARKS and my Big Cat books
I love reading first lines in bookshops. It's a great way to scramble up one's thoughts! (not that mine need scrambling at the moment)
First sentences of some of my books....

'Here is a list of the ten worst things I have done.'     -  BEAST, Marion Lloyd Books 2006

'It was Devil who had my finger.'     - BERSERK, Marion Lloyd Books 2007

'Mother says girls shouldn't go out at night.'    - BEDLAM, Marion Lloyd Books 2009

'Rain dribbled down Carla's neck as she slipped and skidded over the muddy river path.' - SPARKS, Marion Lloyd Books 2010

'I thought he was dead this time.' - QUARRY, Marion Lloyd Books 2011

and a special preview!

'Alex never killed hares.' BULLET BOYS , Marion LLoyd Books, publishing in January 2012

Favourite first lines?

Bullet Boys News

2011-07-19T02:02:00.000-07:00

I'm editing....

How did you write a book with a newborn baby...?

2011-07-12T13:28:00.000-07:00

Teach it to type! ha ha!

Well, the answer to this question is... ON MY KNEES. It can be done, fellow fecund fictionist, but you might suffer a transformation into an old, haggard woman.

Seriously a little while back, with baby 3 and book 5 to deliver at the same time, whilst counting my lucky stars to be in this predicament, I did wonder how the hell I was going to do it.

Here's the Ally Kennen guide to losing your teeth, your muscle tone and your mind. (Forever)

STEP ZERO: Only have babies with a man who can cook, remember to buy toilet roll, put older children to bed and iron his own bloody shirts. If all females insisted on these qualities, sub-functional men would be bred out of the human race very fast.

STEP ONE: At 36 weeks pre-natal ask/beg for an extension (the publisher that is, a sixty week gestation is never going to be pretty) Don't most working women get maternity leave? Can't we?

STEP TWO: Write as much of the book as you can in bed (you can fool any other children that you are playing at potholing under the duvet)

STEP THREE: Give birth by whatever means possible. (I tried to outsource this step but was unsuccessful)

STEP FOUR: Regret Extension as you now have to write a book with a tiny weeny human gurning at you all day and all night and demanding sustenance.

STEP FIVE: Feed baby to sleep, lean over, turn on laptop. Write.

STEP SIX: Repeat step five every two/ three hours in first month, and every bloody four hours in 2nd and 3rd months

DIFFERENT STEP SIX: DO NOT CLEAN YOUR HOUSE

STEP SEVEN: Take baby and any other small children for drive. As soon as they fall asleep (it may take hours), pull over, whip out lap top and WRITE. Do this often. Do not kill anyone who knocks on window to ask 'if you are all right' thus waking children...

STEP EIGHT: Buy expensive Breast feeding baby sling, master art of loading dishwasher whilst feeding child, then start typing with chicken elbows with baby in situ. Feel like master of universe.

STEP NINE: Worry that radiation from computer is damaging weeny developing brain. No longer have baby on lap whilst writing

STEP TEN: Place your light sleeper on shoulder, head well away from harmful rays (maybe protected with cardboard hat made from cornflakes packet) and learn to type book with ONE HAND.

STEP ELEVEN: Whilst out walking with buggy, dream of typing machine that fits over handles, you could type with your thumbs whilst strolling in the park/on the school run/ going to buy toilet roll (no man is perfect)

STEP TWELVE: Cease all superfluous activities like: haircuts/cutting nails/answering emails/shopping/baths/lengthy showers (ie more than 3 minutes)/answering the phone/booking dentist appointments/exercise/TV/washing floor going out... .... ...etc etc

STEP TWELVE POINT FIVE. You MUST do online food shopping.

STEP TWELVE POINT SIX: Convince yourself that ceebeebies is really quite good and is teaching your other children vital life skills.

STEP THIRTEEN. Become a creature of the night. When at last everyone is asleep, creep to the nearest window sill as silently as possible, power on laptop, put curtains behind back, and write in darkness for as long as you possibly can. Remember at 1 am when you are so tired your skin is crawling, that everything is always brighter in the morning !

STEP FOURTEEN. Learn to function in the land of the living dead. Be Vague. Shorten sentences you utter before you forget the endings, Survive on pasta, cheese and apples and get used to the funny looks people give you when you try to converse. Don't worry about making sense, being able to count, reverse down narrow country lanes, or contradicting yourself in the same breath.

STEP FIFTEEN: Deliver book....then run around house screaming (holding surprised baby)

There we are girls, easy -peasy huh! Who was it said a pram in the hall was the 'something derogatory' of creativity? Was it herself, Vag Woolf? or someone else? Anyway what nonsense.

With my indispensible guide, any gal can nurse a newborn and pen THAT book.

Good luck!

'BULLET BOYS' PROGRESS...

2011-06-26T13:07:00.000-07:00

Well it's Sunday night and some lucky humans are at Glastonbury Festival enjoying themselves, but I am Cinderally and am busy slaving away on my new book, Bullet Boys, which I am going to send to my editor/publisher this week. I've been working on this book since about January. A lot of writers have a 'first reader' - a reader who the writer trusts to make a considered and constructive appraisal of their manuscript. Mine is my husband. He knows I would have him killed if he was too harsh :) but despite this knowledge, I think he likes it! He has suggested I add a few extra passages near the end, which I am doing. After this I will go through the manuscript again and try to neaten my sentences and cut out any words that haven't earned their right to remain...I'll also destroy any mention of ferrets. I'll add bits and double check my facts... then I'll read it again. Then I'll send the whole thing off and anxiously wait for the response from on high...

Back to it!

Bullet Boys, publishing in January 2012.....by Marion Lloyd Books

SNEEKY PEAK..

2011-06-13T12:20:00.000-07:00

at the cover of my new book BULLET BOYS, which I am, ahem, just finishing (said in trilling tones) Back to it, due to deliver at the end of June, which is not long....

Shoes

2011-06-12T14:10:00.000-07:00

So when I was doing A level history, last century, my buddies and I thought it highly amusing to burst into class, pretending to have bound feet, in the style of long-ago sophisticated chinese ladies. We were studying this at the time, you see, and the practice was so GROSS and unlikely, we could be jovial about it. Ha ha ha. Haven't we women moved on.
Not.
Will future swotty lassies be chortling away as they learn that some females in the UK in 21st century injected POISON into their faces to make their muscles stop working, and therefore amass less wrinkles?
POISON!!!
Are we completely nuts?
I could write all this off, adult women, free to make their own barmy choices etc etc, BUT for seeing in a lovely high street women's clothing shop, which sells very pretty lil girls clothes HIGH HEELS FOR TWO/THREE YEAR OLDS! size 07...
Arrrghh (mad screams) leave them alone ! We're not talking stilettos here but still a heel big enough to wrench an ankle and alter walking. My daughter (age six) would love these shoes. Lots of small girls like sparkly and grown up, they love the stuff pedalled in the shops. Of course I won't bloomin buy them for her, but she will SEE and WANT and think that this is NORMAL for her to want. And these teeny teeny shoes for fat little pudgy feet, only been walking for eighteen months, already strapping up and making infants toddle are SICK! Dressing up in mum's shoes is one thing, selling heels to infants, still young enough to poo themselves, but not young enough for horrible manipulative marketeers to entice into completely unsuitable shoes, is quite different.
Leave the kids alone! sell them gold glittery wellies if you have to, or pink ribboned trainers, but NOT foot torture for tots. Little girls will think this is what they need to wear... and if they see one of their kind wearing them at a party, they will all want them.
What next, BOTOX after circle time?
Too, too young....little girls should be scribbling and laughing and chucking things about, not lured, treacherously toddling, onto the dark continuum of female vanity... not yet...

HAY FESTIVAL 2011 again

2011-05-30T05:21:00.000-07:00

What fun was had at HAY over the weekend. I had a great time on Sunday talking with Tim Bowler about his new book BURIED THUNDER, my book QUARRY, and chaired by the excellent Pete Hurley of Pembertons Books.
(here we all are, looking very cheery)
It was great to see you all and thank you everyone to who came along.

I also went to hear David Almond and Patrick Ness talk about their books, 'My Name Is Mina' and Patrick's 'A Monster Calls' both books are shortlisted for the Carnegie medal.
It was an entertaining and thought provoking event, entrancing my dad (a farmer and visionary)
my mum (the most hard working person on the planet) and my six year old (none of the above). Fantastic.
Other Hay highlights for me were:
Riding in a rickshaw powered by an aimiable young man down to the festival
Seeing a big blushing policeman getting his cook book signed by Nigella Lawson
My mum saying very loudly in the green room 'Who on earth is Rob Lowe?'
Watching Allison Pearson's event
Near Riots amongst authors in Green Room as they run out of cake
Finding 'Here Comes The Poo Bus' by Andy Stanton for my 4 yr old....

The festival of course, still has another week to go, but for me the swanning around is over and it's back to the coal face, working on my new teen book BULLET BOYS...

HAY FESTIVAL 2011 -

2011-05-26T13:32:00.001-07:00

I am going to Hay-on-Wye for the mighty book festival. I am fortunate enough to have an event with the fantastic Tim Bowler on Sunday 29th at 5pm. Hay is a brilliant festival with billions of authors and book lovers and book-loving authors milling around being bookish. Authors get to talk about their books and spy on/*secretly get starry eyed over other authors talking about their books.
Readers and authors meet and everyone eats an ice-cream at some point. This is one of the Laws of Hay. Nobody eats any books but I will report back if I witness this. Another Law of Hay is that if you spot a very-famous-author eating an ice cream you *MUST REMAIN NONCHALANT AND BOOKISH even if they have exceptional sideburns which, in normal circumstances, would require further investigation.
Authors usually spend most of their time sitting alone in bad trousers, muttering at their desks, exaggerating fictional events and laughing at their own jokes. So when they come to an event like Hay they DRESS UP. You will spot the author in the crowd at HAY 1)by the smell of mothballs fuming from their (odd) best clothes and 2) the limp as they walk in uncomfortable new shoes. (usually they wear slippers to work)
3) They will also look shifty as they try not to exaggerate.
Books are sold, signed and celebrated. The town itself is stuffed full of book shops (maybe I'll pick up one or two to add to my meagre collection)
I have been to the Hay festival once before, for about 2 hours, one of which was largely spent changing the baby's nappy and feeding it ice-cream.
This is why I have such vast knowledge on Hay-lore.

Bring it on!

(Note: Apology. pointless Blog waffle increases as NEW BOOK deadline approaches. I'm aiming to deliver my new teen novel BULLET BOYS, to my publisher at the end of June...)

Kingston Reader's Festival

2011-05-17T02:31:00.000-07:00

I'll confess that at six-thirty a.m on Friday the thirteenth, leaving darkest Somerset for Kingston Reader's Festival in Surrey, I did wonder how I would make it through the day without attracting some malign attention of the fates, but I needn't have worried, I was given a very warm welcome at Tolworth Girls' School and had an enjoyable session, talking about books and writing, then lunch with the school reading group. I met lots of sparkling book-crazy girls! Then on to the Holy Cross School in the afternoon. Special thanks to Irene Marillat, fantastic school librarian at Tolworth Girls, for making me feel so welcome and creating a great event and Vanessa Howe for organising everything and shuttling me around!

(I didn't entirely escape bad luck though, as I lost my scarf and my return train ticket. I thought I'd have to hide in the loo (haven't done this since I was 18) but the ticket inspector never came! fortune smiled after all!)

photo by Irene Marillat

THE BOOKS THAT LIVE IN MY HOUSE..

2011-05-04T04:55:00.001-07:00

...have taken over everything.

There are books piled here and there...
Books for the jumble, kitchen cooking books, books in the sitting room...
There are library books too.

Books everywhere. Read books, un-read books. Scary books. Stupid books. Clever magic books.

Bloody awful books.

My books.

(Why do I need to write books? There are SO MANY books already!)

Books by the loo.

Books in the bedrooms
The only organised bit is a bookcase full of Enid Blyton. (I designated this book shelf when I was a child and had more ordered habits)

More Books on the stairs,

There are also quite a lot of children's books scattered around on the floor.

Wow, what if all these books were e-books? Would they get read? Would they be lost in cyber space? Or is it MORE likely they would be read. How would I be tempted to pick up Archie's Life of Mehabital? Or The Devil Rides Out? Or David Austin's Rose Guide? Or The Man Who Made Husbands Jealous? Or The Dictionary?

Or maybe I would be freed from the tyranny of books. I could collect something else, like, um nick nacks (ughhh) If I read less, I suppose I could answer the siren call of housework or grimace at the TV. But if I had no books, only a small electronic reading thing, how would I insulate my walls? How would I replicate that virtuous feeling for weeding out three or four for the charity shop? How would I wedge doors open, stabilise chests of drawers or press flowers?
If I got rid of my real books, all that would be left would be vast undusted tracts. And what's the point of a room without a mess of books in it?

hmmm

SOLIHULL CHILDREN'S BOOK AWARD

2011-04-05T08:23:00.001-07:00

Had a good day on Friday 1st April in Birmingham. I talked to over 300 children (crikey) Congratulations to Pat Walsh with THE CROWFIELD CURSE for winning the award. SPARKS and WARRIOR SHEEP were runners up. Met some very cool kids and some very hard working librarians. Here I am with Christopher and Christine Russell, authors of the fantastic WARRIOR SHEEP series. Now I want a SPARKS T. Shirt!

UKLA award news BIG entry WITH PICTURES

2011-03-15T07:00:00.000-07:00

Hurrah! Sparks has been shortlisted for the UKLA children's book awards, the ceremony will be in July. http://www.ukla.org/news/

This is very good news indeed.

Work on the new teen novel continues. I have been looking at shot guns and rifles,

watching buzzards and pestering the army, oh and writing...

I am in Birmingham on Thursday for The Education Show at the NECC (last time I was there I was on stage in a silver dress and huge boots singing at Gatecrasher, maybe, ahem, about ten years ago now.. my how times change...)

Anyway on Thursday I will not be singing or dancing to 'Progressive Trance' or whatever it was called but reading from my book 'The Hedgehog Mystery' which was written for the fantastic school reading series, Collins Big Cat, and answering questions.

http://www.education-show.com/education11/website/Home.aspx?refer=1&id=mainLnk1

WORLD BOOK DAY

2011-03-02T14:18:00.000-08:00

Go read! Go buy/borrow a book! Dress up as your fav fictional character. Why not?

http://www.worldbookday.com/

Here at Kennen Towers am agonising over the title for my new book... which is only half way through the 1st draft. My first drafts are always like having lots of small energetic pixies running howling in all directions. I have a firm suggestion for a title which is fantastic, but it's like naming your children, full of GREAT RESPONSIBILITY and DREAD. What if your Algernon turns out to be more of a Dwayne? Your Jane more of a Chrystal?

Watch this space. I may make a special WORLD BOOK DAY announcement as to the new title tomorrow.

WORLD BOOK NIGHT

2011-03-01T14:20:00.000-08:00

I'll be at Taunton Waterstone's for World Book Night, March 5th. 6-8pm along with eight other authors.

There will be free books to the first people through the door (not sure what book) wine and book signing and selling and chat.

http://www.somersetcountygazette.co.uk/leisure/8877477.Waterstones_to_hold_World_Book_Night/

Had a good visit today to Thornton Heath Library. Hello St Cyprians School! Great to meet you...

If you had any more questions, do ask them here...

QUARRY on the radio

2011-02-18T03:03:00.000-08:00

I'm being interviewed by young10radio on Saturday about QUARRY, all the interviewers will be 15 and under...

QUARRY review in The Guardian

2011-02-14T13:28:00.000-08:00

http://www.guardian.co.uk/books/2011/feb/12/quarry-ally-kennen-review

:) :)

jus bought a copy of SPORTING GUN for research for my new book. I'm learning about sorting out the game cart, gun dogs, ferrets and pigeon decoys.

My chapter book 'The Hedgehog Mystery' for school reading series Big Cat is also now out. (8+)

WATERSTONE'S QUARRY EVENT

2011-02-05T10:44:00.000-08:00

Thank you everyone who turned out and supported this event. Had a great afternoon in the book shop, chatting, signing books and eating more beetles...

QUARRY LAUNCH AT WIVELISCOMBE LIBRARY

2011-02-04T12:14:00.001-08:00

We had a fantastic afternoon at Wiveliscombe library to launch QUARRY, with brilliant and inspiring questions from Kingsmead School students, a brownie mountain, a 'cockroach hunt' whereby the little 'uns hunted down chocolate cockroaches amongst the book shelves and a great turnout. Thanks to Jenny and Linda for their support. And to Charlotte, my PA for the day who did a great job selling oodles of books and to Dan who wowed the lovely library ladies with his baking... Great that we could have this event here!

Tomorrow I'm at Taunton Waterstone's from 2-4pm and am interviewed on bbc radio somerset at about 8.45 am.

And tomorrow is a national day of action to SAVE OUR FANTASTIC LIBRARIES!!!

QUARRY IS PUBLISHING TODAY!!!

2011-02-03T02:32:00.000-08:00

QUARRY HAS ARRIVED... read it if you dare! A fantastic day today as I have also just heard that SPARKS has been shortlisted for the Rotherham Children's Book Award, The Bolton Children's Book Award and the Warwick Children's Book Award! yeeharr. Yesterday it was all dead chickens, fog and mouldy cheese, today it's like Christmas!

Launch events:

Friday 4th Feb: Exclusive QUARRY extract on http://10radio.org/at approx 7.45am

Live Interview on 10 radio at approx 9am on breakfast show

3.30-4.45pm QUARRY event at Wiveliscombe Library

Saturday 5th Feb : Live Interview with BBC Radio Somerset

http://news.bbc.co.uk/local/somerset/hi/tv_and_radio/

At approx 8.45 am

Waterstone's Taunton. QUARRY event 2-4pm. Signing, books and answering questions in the book shop... beware of the chocolate cockroaches...

EXCLUSIVE QUARRY LAUNCH EVENTS

2011-01-27T07:42:00.000-08:00

I will be launching QUARRY at Wiveliscombe Library, 3.30pm on Friday 4th Feb and Taunton Waterstone's from 2 -4pm on Saturday 5th Feb.

In the run up to these events, there will be 3 minute bites of QUARRY broadcast every morning next week on the breakfast shows on 10 radio http://10radio.org/

I'll also be doing a live interview on Friday 4th, at about 9.15 am. Tune in!

QUARRY LAUNCH AND EVENTS!

2011-01-19T13:03:00.000-08:00

I will be signing copies of my new book QUARRY at Taunton Waterstones on Saturday Feb 5th from 2 - 4 pm. I'll be answering questions and talking about the book. come along! there will be FREE CHOCOLATE!!!!!

SAVE SOMERSET'S LIBRARIES!

2011-01-10T03:31:00.000-08:00

Somerset County Council has gone mad! It is proposing to CLOSE twenty libraries, to cut mobile libraries from 6 to 2 and to reduce opening hours at the remainder.

Find out more info below

http://savesomersetslibraries.wordpress.com/

http://www.gopetition.com/petition/41569.html

This is to save cash as the council is vastly in debt. But as a percentage, the money saved from closing libraries is teeny compared to the overall budget, but the effects of library closures will be vast and long reaching.

The libraries will be lost, maybe forever.

What message does the council think this is giving to children about the importance of reading, literacy, education and measured, researched learning?

How dare the council decide for us that our written history; our fiction, research, science, geography, EVERYTHING in fact, is not ours to access? (Especially as we have paid our council tax for this service already!!)

This is an Orwellian-style offensive of cold statistics, that saving pounds, is more important that the right of every citizen to educate themselves, and have access to, and enjoy, a treasure house of information, stories, tapes, CDs, our human heritage, skilled librarians and so on into infinity.

Do these people wish us to become a nation of ignorant ROBOTS? Where is THE JOY??? (And this August council has also decided to cut 100% of Arts Funding)

A few suggestions ;)
1) DO NOT CLOSE A SINGLE LIBRARY! INSTEAD, INCREASE THE MEAGRE BOOKFUND YOU PHILISTINES! AT THE LEAST, EDUCATED CHILDREN WILL, PROBABLY, IN THE FUTURE, PAY MORE TAXES THAN UNEDUCATED ONES!
2) SAVE THE CASH (1.4 Million???) instead by:
-Looking at how the vast amount of OUR money, care of the elderly and vulnerable children, is spent.
Shouldn't some of these services be taken back in house??? The structure of these vital services need a BRUTAL overall. Take them back in house and stop our chucking money at private agencies.
-SAVE MONEY ON ADMIN eg, No colour photocopying of leaflets, no free posting etc etc
-RIGOROUSLY audit IT expenditure (including allowances for laptops etc for staff)
-NO 'jollies' (Christmas lunch anyone?)

TURN OFF THE LIGHTS!
ASK THE STAFF HOW THEY COULD SAVE MONEY IN THEIR DEPTS. They'll have a better idea than anyone.

rant over, for now. do get involved and sign the online petition.

CHRISTMAS COMPETITION! WIN SIGNED BOOKS!

2010-12-16T13:59:00.000-08:00

For a chance to win a signed set of my books, including a proof of QUARRY, my new novel, publishing in February 2011, email publicity@scholastic.co.uk

Go for it! What have you got to lose?

Dr Who...

2010-12-01T09:34:00.000-08:00

I wrote a short audio story about Doctor Who and a whale and it's great. Take a look at www.bigfinish.com/Short-Trips-Audio-BooksTo celebrate, I've got three copies of Doctor Who: Short Trips Volume 1 to give away.Send an email with your name and address to shorttrips@bigfinish.com by December 24th 2010 and the first three names drawn out of a hat on Christmas day will win a copy! It's read by Dr Who himself, *Peter Davidson*

QUARRY

2010-12-01T09:18:00.001-08:00

Scrappy, a 15 year old boy who lives in a breakers yard, is being sent crazy anonymous dares. Once he gets caught up in them, he finds he can't stop, and the last challenges send him to the very edge...

see reviews below.

http://mrripleysenchantedbooks.blogspot.com/2010/12/ally-kennen-quarry-book-

review.html

http://www.thebookbag.co.uk/reviews/index.php?title=Quarry_by_Ally_Kennen

http://www.librarymice.com/2011/02/quarry.html

http://www.richtercollective.com/kimharte/?p=540

http://www.wondrousreads.com/2011/02/review-quarry-by-ally-kennen-giveaway.html

http://www.overflowinglibrary.com/2011/02/review-quarry-by-ally-kennen.html

NANOWRIMO???

2010-11-26T13:39:00.003-08:00

I don't think I am going to make 50,000 words this month, but I do have 24,000 words of a new 8+ novel which is wonderful.
I met a young writer from Orkney today at the Scholastic HQ, visiting with the Scottish Book Trust, who has done it this month and already topped 50,000 words! well done.
Today I have recorded some of QUARRY for a web link, spoken to Julia Eccleshare and had a new author photo taken!

I am now thinking about a new teen novel....

NANOWRIMO???

2010-11-26T13:39:00.001-08:00

NANOWRIMO

2010-11-16T02:59:00.001-08:00

arrgh, falling behind...I'm trying to fire out a very rough first draft of my new book, maybe called SCAVENGERS, and it's fun but NOT ENOUGH TIME, am off to find a book to make a plan (I'm nearly 20,000 words in and I still haven't got a plan, that's what nanowrimo is all about I suppose) But free writing (like free diving only with oxygen, you plunge deeper as you go into the unknown) is a good way to generate ideas... but I should have written 26,672 words by now in order to 'win' nanowrimo.

Back to it...must also find out about cliff erosion, sea slugs, shipping lanes and dynamite.

Swindon Ten Youth Festival

2010-11-13T01:14:00.000-08:00

Visits to Kingsdown School and Dorcan Tech, post your stories below if yoiu would like some feedback!

Nice to meet you all.

HAYGROVE SCHOOL VISIT

2010-11-05T09:18:00.001-07:00

I visited Haygrove school in Bridgewater today and had a very nice time talking about BEAST and SPARKS and my other books.
Post your story below! Go on, do it! Thanks for being fabulous.
Enjoy the carnival tonight...

HURRAH! SPARKS LONGLISTED FOR CARNEGIE 2011

2010-11-05T09:16:00.000-07:00

This is the sort of news that keeps me pounding the keyboard late into the night...

http://www.carnegiegreenaway.org.uk/pressdesk/press.php?release=pres_nom_car_2011.html

As ever, very stiff competition... but go SPARKS!!

NANOWRIMO 2010

2010-10-22T13:58:00.000-07:00

www.nanowrimo.org.

like reading books? why not write one?

I am going to try to fire out the first draft of a new book this November along with the crazed organisation that is NANOWRIMO. You write 50,000 words in a month. That's 1667 words a day. I did my first drafts of SPARKS and BERSERK this way, and most of it was dreadful, and I had to throw most of it away. But some of it was ok! and it is great to have something to work with rather than the empty screen.

Why don't YOU try and write a novel in November too? (but don't make it too good because I don't want to be out of a job!)

QUARRY UPDATE

2010-10-10T01:33:00.001-07:00

I've just sent off the proofs for QUARRY, my new teen thriller, and it is due to be published by Marion Lloyd Books in February 2011.

It's about Scrappy, a 15 year old boy who lives in a breakers yard who is being sent crazy anonymous dares. Once he gets caught up in them, he finds he can't stop, no matter how much he wants to, and the last challenges send him to the very edge...

The Hedgehog Mystery

2010-10-10T01:03:00.000-07:00

This is my new book for Collins Big Cat Educational series, for younger readers, 8+ out in January. It's about a wild motorbiking granny, a conniving circus acrobat and two small, determined children. It's published in January 2011.

I LOVE Mark Beech's illustrations.

Check it out at..

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Collins-Big-Cat-Hedgehog-Sapphire/dp/0007336381/ref=sr_1_12?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1286697824&sr=1-12

http://www.waterstones.com/waterstonesweb/products/ally+kennen/the+hedgehog+mystery3a+band+16_+sapphire/7913364/

Appledore Book Festival

2010-09-30T13:04:00.000-07:00

A busy week visiting Holsworthy Community College and Holsworthy Primary School (incredible art at this school!) And on Friday 1st Oct I'll be dropping in at Torrington Community School and South Molton Community College.

http://www.appledorebookfestival.co.uk/

Interview on Guardian Online

2010-09-10T13:00:00.000-07:00

Check out the interview...all about SPARKS and I would officially like to credit Dan Amos for the photo (taken a few years ago I might add and the years have not been kind!)

Lots of school visits coming up...

http://www.guardian.co.uk/books/2010/sep/10/ally-kennen-childrens-fiction-sparks

The Edinburgh Book Festival and socks

2010-08-27T14:01:00.000-07:00

I shall be appearing at the Edinburgh Book Festival on Sunday 29th August at 4.30 at an event with the fabulous Lucy Christopher (Stolen and Flyaway) to talk about our books.

http://www.edbookfest.co.uk/the-festival/whats-on/lucy-christopher-ally-kennen

Am away for five days and that means five pairs of socks for the five people in my family. That means 25 pairs of socks! They will not match.

Guesting on 'Teens Read Too' Blog.

2010-08-13T04:30:00.000-07:00

I will be a guest on the 'Teens Read Too' Blog, today, but as it is a US site, It may be a few hours before they wake up! Will be popping in all day to answer questions...

http://trtbookclub.blogspot.com/

SPARKS reviewed in the Daily Telegraph and Books for Keeps

2010-08-13T02:48:00.001-07:00

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/books/7890327/Childrens-books-For-young-hearts-review.html

http://www.booksforkeeps.co.uk/issue/183/childrens-books/reviews/sparks

That will do nicely thank you!

SPARKS reviewed by Philip Ardagh in The Guardian

2010-06-16T13:28:00.001-07:00

http://www.guardian.co.uk/books/2010/jun/12/sparks-ally-kennen-children-fiction

SPARKS longlisted for Guardian Children's Fiction Prize

2010-05-28T12:38:00.000-07:00

http://www.guardian.co.uk/books/2010/may/28/guardian-childrens-fiction-prize

Am off to Hay on Wednesday to talk about the book...
Very very pleased indeed!

HAY UPDATE
Had a great time at HAY on a hot, hot day talking with Julia Eccleshare about SPARKS.

Norton Hill School

2010-05-27T13:57:00.000-07:00

Was lovely to meet you all, but shame about those fire alarms. Funnily enough, my new book Quarry, features a school evacuation, (though only the once in a twenty minute period) and this is not due to high jinks of departing six formers, but because of a cockroach infestation, yeuch!
But what of your books? What will happen to Sky the wolf, Bramble the cat and Ned the 84 year old castaway, plagued by giant snails?? What of Mr Bubble and the 'Thing?' What of Dave, the boy who couldn't sleep?
What of Carrie, does she still rot in the compost? What of Jez and Jeremy? What does Ebony, the 18 year old assassin get up to? We were cut off in our prime were we not?
Do post any questions below and I'll reply extra quick. if you want to upload your paragraphs here, I'd love to see them... Ally K.

Quarry cover...

2010-05-02T04:13:00.000-07:00

If someone told you to jump over a cliff, why would you do it?

QUARRY... coming soon.....

SPARKS IS OUT OUT OUT!!!

2010-04-06T13:26:00.000-07:00

SPARKS official publication date was April the 4th... so should be available from all good book shops, (and hopefully bad ones too) I can't write too much about it now as I am short of time but it's here at last!

Visit to Worle Community School, Somerset

2010-03-07T01:54:00.000-08:00

I met two groups, year 7 and year 10 on Friday. Thanks for your company and your fantastic work. Who won the prizes for the best first page of a novel??? I think there may be something about Book Week in the Weston Mercury this week...

QUARRY is new title for RITES. And SPARKS out soon!

2010-02-27T03:13:00.000-08:00

I've delivered QUARRY, (the new title for RITES) and am now doing some further editing.

SPARKS should be in all good bookshops from the middle of next month. (official publication date April 4th)

New editions

2010-01-29T07:00:00.000-08:00

wow! look at these.. out in May...

SPARKS

2010-01-15T09:05:00.000-08:00

LONGLISTED FOR THE GUARDIAN CHILDREN'S FICTION PRIZE!

Reviews

…has a beautiful emotional intelligence and humour that make its suspense all the more enjoyable. It is one of the best new books for 9+ out this year. --The Times

Enterprising writing of a high calibre. --Independent on Sunday

Inventive, funny and moving family adventure ... one of the season s stand-outs particularly when original novels for this age group are so scarce. --Children's Bookseller

The Guardian review

http://www.guardian.co.uk/books/2010/jun/12/sparks-ally-kennen-children-fiction

About the book

When Carla's beloved Grandpa dies, she is inconsolable. Then she finds a secret letter, and decides to give him the end he always wanted. A Viking funeral, in a burning boat heading out to sea. Carla and her siblings set out on a crazy and dangerous race against time to achieve the impossible. SPARKS is a dark, funny and moving story about love, death, sailing and coffin-stealing from a very popular, original and award-winning children's writer. Ally Kennen is the acclaimed author of teen novels BEAST, BERSERK and BEDLAM. SPARKS is her first book for readers of 9 and up.

Happy Christmas !

2009-12-21T04:24:00.001-08:00

2009-11-23T06:39:00.000-08:00

BEDLAM LONGLISTED FOR 2010 CILIP CARNEGIE MEDAL

2009-11-06T13:16:00.000-08:00

Very excited about this! I just heard today... This annual children's book award is the bees knees. It's a pretty strong longlist though, there are some meaty authors with mighty pens...
Delighted and not surprised that Elen Caldecott's fabulous 'How Kirsty Jenkins Stole The Elephant' (Bloomsbury) is also there...The shortlist won't be announced until the spring.

LONGLIST

Agard, John The Young InfernoPublisher: Frances Lincoln ISBN: 9781845077693
Allen-Gray, Alison LifegamePublisher: OUP ISBN: 9780192728432
Almond, David Jackdaw SummerPublisher: Hodder ISBN: 9780340881989
Anderson, Laurie Halse ChainsPublisher: Bloomsbury ISBN: 9780747598077
Anderson, R J KnifePublisher: Orchard ISBN: 9781408303122
Ashley, Bernard SolitairePublisher: Usborne ISBN: 9780746081372
Bowler, Tim BloodchildPublisher: OUP ISBN: 9780192719805
Brennan, Sarah Rees The DemonÕs LexiconPublisher: Simon & Schuster ISBN: 9781847382894
Brooks, Kevin Killing GodPublisher: Puffin ISBN: 9780141319124
Burgess, Melvin Nicholas DanePublisher: Andersen Press ISBN: 9781842701812
Caldecott, Elen How Kirsty Jenkins stole the elephantPublisher: Bloomsbury ISBN: 9780747599197
Cassidy, Anne The Dead HousePublisher: Hodder ISBN: 9780340932285
Chancellor, Henry The Remarkable Adventures of Tom Scatterhorn: The MuseumÕs SecretPublisher: OUP ISBN: 9780192720832
Christopher, Lucy Stolen Publisher: Chicken House ISBN: 9781906427139
Creech, Sharon Hate That CatPublisher: Bloomsbury ISBN: 9780747595298
Crossley-Holland, Kevin Waterslain AngelsPublisher: Orion ISBN: 9781842556917
Dogar, Sharon FallingPublisher: Chicken House ISBN: 9781905294695
Donaldson, Julia Running on the cracksPublisher: Egmont ISBN: 9781405222334
Dowd, Siobhan Solace of the RoadPublisher: David Fickling ISBN: 9780385609715
Dowswell, Paul AuslanderPublisher: Bloomsbury ISBN: 9780747589099
Finn, Daniel Two Good ThievesPublisher: Macmillan ISBN: 9780230737761
Fisk, Pauline Flying for FrankiePublisher: Faber ISBN: 9780571236190
Forman, Gayle If I StayPublisher: Doubleday ISBN: 9780385616201
Gaiman, Neil The Graveyard BookPublisher: Bloomsbury ISBN: 9780747569015
Golding, Julia Wolf CryPublisher: OUP ISBN: 9780192727619
Grant, Helen The Vanishing of Katharina LindenPublisher: Puffin ISBN: 9780141325736
Hardinge, Frances Gullstruck IslandPublisher: Macmillan ISBN: 9781405055383
Hearn, Julie Rowan the StrangePublisher: OUP ISBN: 9780192792150
Higgins, F E The Eyeball CollectorPublisher: Macmillan ISBN: 9780230532281
Hoffman, Mary TroubadourPublisher: Bloomsbury ISBN: 9780747592518
Kennen, Ally BedlamPublisher: Marion Lloyd Books ISBN: 9781407103853
LaFleur, Suzanne Love, AubreyPublisher: Puffin ISBN: 9780141326870
Laird, Elizabeth The Witching HourPublisher: Macmillan ISBN: 9780230736795
Manning, Mick & Granstrom, Brita Tail-End CharliePublisher: Frances Lincoln ISBN: 9781845076511
Muchamore, Robert Brigands M.C.Publisher: Hodder ISBN: 9780340989036
Ness, Patrick The Ask and the AnswerPublisher: Walker ISBN: 9781406310269
Newbery, Linda The SandfatherPublisher: Orion ISBN: 9781842555484
Patterson, James MaxPublisher: Doubleday ISBN: 9780385614528
Peet, Mal ExposurePublisher: Walker ISBN: 9781406306491
Perera, Anna Guantanamo BoyPublisher: Puffin ISBN: 9780141326078
Philip, Gillian Crossing the LinePublisher: Bloomsbury ISBN: 9780747599937
Pratchett, Terry NationPublisher: Doubleday ISBN: 9780385613705
Rai, Bali City of GhostsPublisher: Doubleday ISBN: 9780385611695
Reeve, Philip Fever CrumbPublisher: Scholastic ISBN: 9781407102429
Riordan, James The SniperPublisher: Frances Lincoln ISBN: 9781845078850
Riordan, Rick Percy Jackson and the Last OlympianPublisher: Puffin ISBN: 9780141382944
Sedgwick, Marcus The Kiss of DeathPublisher: Orion ISBN: 9781842551851
Sedgwick, Marcus RevolverPublisher: Orion ISBN: 9781842551868
Strangolov, Lazlo Feather and BonePublisher: Walker ISBN: 9781406316605
Stroud, Jonathan Heroes of the ValleyPublisher: Doubleday ISBN: 9780385614016
Valentine, Jenny The Ant ColonyPublisher: HarperCollins ISBN: 9780007283590
Ward, Rachel NumbersPublisher: Chicken House ISBN: 9781905294930
Whitley, David The Midnight CharterPublisher: Puffin ISBN: 9780141323718
Wilson, Leslie Saving RafaelPublisher: Andersen ISBN: 9781842709184

QUARRY

2009-11-04T04:11:00.001-08:00

Work on QUARRY continues...

RITES V Nanowrimo

2009-10-31T15:39:00.000-07:00

Nanowrimo starts tomorrow, but this year I will not be attempting to write a 50,000 word novel in a month (booo) as I'm working on RITES which I need to get ship shape before Christmas. It's about a boy who lives in a scrapyard who is getting weird annoymous challenges...Next year I'll be back to Nano madness. check out http://www.nanowrimo.org/ if you fancy a bizarre challenge of your own.. quick!

Sparks are flying

2009-09-23T06:03:00.000-07:00

I've just recieved the proofs for my book 'Sparks' due out next spring. It's beginning to look like a book, yippee! I'm now working on my new teen novel 'Rites'...

Leicester Teen Readers Expo

2009-06-25T04:01:00.000-07:00

Lovely to meet you all !Sorry to the ones who had to read out chocolate fudge recipes/ perculiar lists
and thanks to my PA for the day, Abdee!

Visit to Stanchester Community School

2009-04-29T02:22:00.000-07:00

I had a very enjoyable visit to this school last week. We had a good session, with some excellent creative writing coming out of my rather haphazard workshop.. (who won the prize??) Also, thanks chaps for the suggestions for the title of my new book. I'll post on here if one is used instead of 'SPARKS'

Keep reading! And I hope you enjoy the Carnegie Shadowing.

SPRING WORD FRENZY

2009-04-13T11:56:00.000-07:00

I'm about to attempt to write 50,000 words in a month again. The idea is to get a first draft nice and quickly, and hopefully create a few ideas worth saving, and get lots of dead ends out of the way early on. Personally inspired by NANOWRIMO, I'm doing this with a small community of like minded lunatics I mean writers... Starting tomorrow....oh no, not again....

SPARKS

2009-03-26T02:30:00.000-07:00

I have just delivered a book SPARKS for ages 8+ to my publishers. If they like it I think it might be published in April '10... Now to crack on planning the next one before the editing begins.. next event SLG Conference in Peterborough on 4th April

LAUNCH PARTY

2009-02-02T03:22:00.000-08:00

I'm very late posting this... but we had a launch party in Bristol at the Folk House in January to launch BEDLAM and my mate, Elen Caldecott's HOW KIRSTY JENKINS STOLE THE ELEPHANT.

We had the fabulous Phantom Limb play for us http://www.myspace.com/phantomlimbrobot

They are awesome! I would have been very happy to forget the rest of the launch and just listen to them... however, next we had a question and answer session, where I asked Elen questions and vice versa, we read from our new books and took questions from the floor.

Thanks to everyone who came and supported us. Foolishly I forgot about photographs, so there are only one or two....

Bedlam news

2009-02-02T01:51:00.000-08:00

BEDLAM was reviewed by Mal Peet in last Saturday's Guardian
See review below.
http://www.achuka.co.uk/achockablog/archives/2009/01/guardian-review-11.html

And also in the latest Waterstone's Books Quarterly by John Lloyd.

Bedlam is currently being translated into Norweigen by Stian Omland, who also translated Beast and Berserk.

Fact for the day: Kos in Norweigen means 'Cuddle...'

Oh yes, finished the second draft of 'Sparks'....

BEDLAM OUT TODAY!!!! BEDLAM OUT TODAY!!!

2009-01-05T11:39:00.000-08:00

Bedlam is published today in the UK and should be in all good book shops.
I'm having a launch party this Thursday in Bristol, together with my mate, the highly talented Elen Caldecott - author of 'How Kirsty Jenkins Stole the Elephant' also out today!

I shall be lurking in bookshops, re-positioning the book to the front of the best seller charts and turning it face out on the shelves, heh heh heh

I've also finished the first draft of my new book... working title... Sparks...due to be published April 2010...

And now for the real work

2008-11-29T03:42:00.000-08:00

I've just written 50,000 words in one month!

Will probably have to bin most of it, but even so...

By the way BEDLAM out v. soon!

Less than a week to go

2008-11-26T05:54:00.000-08:00

I've got to write 8,000 words in 5 days in order to win NanoWrimo this year. I'm still going to try!

N is for NOVEMBER,NANOWRIMO and NORWAY

2008-11-10T14:04:00.000-08:00

On target for NanoWrimo, but only just! I'm planning to write two books this year so this is a good way of accelerating. It's great fun to try and write 50,000 words in a month. I don't know why everyone doesn't do it (!) I've also been doing research for my new novel THE END, which has been fun and of course isn't procrastination. I'm going to Norway on a mini book tour next week, which is great but I think it's going to be even colder than Bridgwater...

I'm also planning the launch of BEDLAM in January with my mate Elen Caldecott, author of the fabulous 'How Kirsty Jenkins Stole the Elephant.' We're going to have a joint launch party as our books are coming out on the same day.

Nanowrimo 2008

2008-10-31T13:22:00.000-07:00

50,ooo words in one month? Can it be done? I managed it in 2005 (and wrote a massive chunk of BERSERK) There's 3 and a 1/2 hours to go before midnight when this crazy international writing challenge kicks off...On your marks... get set....
http://www.nanowrimo.org/

Trip to Milan and Sardinia

2008-10-15T00:33:00.000-07:00

Thanks to my Italian publishers, Il Castoro, I've just been to Milan and Sardinia on a whirl wind tour of events and nice dinners...

Visited La Libreria dei Ragazzi, the fabulous children's bookshop in Milan, and met the legendary Roberto Denti.

Then on to Cagliari for the BESTIVAL book festival....an amazing event with loads of children's authors and illustrators and madness.

And of course, the 'poo' exhibition....

Fantastic!

West Oxfordshire Book Award

2008-09-26T13:31:00.000-07:00

This event was held at Marlborough School in Woodstock. Derek Landy's Skulduggery Pleasant won the award, congratulations...and BERSERK won Highly

Commended. Hurrah and thank you!

Can you see yourself in the photos?

Visit to St Katherine's School. Ham Green, Pill

2008-09-25T12:45:00.000-07:00

I visited St Katherine's School today as part of the Bath Children's Literature Festival. I had a very enjoyable visit, speaking with 30+ year 8 and 9. Everyone participated in the writing exercises (maybe tempted by the prize of Justin Somper's Vampirates trilogy, and a pristine copy of BEAST)
I love it when students join in, ask questions and listen.
Thanks for a great visit!

And tomorrow is the West Oxfordshire Book Award, for which BERSERK has been shortlisted. Hurrah!

Bath Children's Literature Festival

2008-09-18T12:29:00.000-07:00

I'll be at Bath Children's Literature Festival on Monday 22nd Sept at 6pm. The event is called
Writing for Young People and features myself, Sally Nicholls, Julia Green and Nicola Davies. It's in the Guildhall and costs £5... Welcome to the Bath Festival of Children's Literature

BEDLAM news

2008-08-14T13:37:00.000-07:00

BEDLAM is now being copy edited, and I expect to recieve the proofs over the next month or so. It's due to come out in January 09...

Now I'm thinking about the next books.
Also WOW 366 is out in the shops now. (for more info see below) My story is on page 417. I think my mate Elen Caldecot's story is the best in the book. (and her book 'How Kirsty Jenkins Stole the Elephant' Bloomsbury, is out in Jan '09!)

Buy Wow! 366 from Amazon

Gustav-Heinemann-Friedenspreis

2008-06-27T14:19:00.000-07:00

BEAST has been shortlisted for this prestigious award in Germany. Will find out on Sept 1st who wins...
A good week!!
And congratulations to Philip Reeves for winning the Carnegie medal this year with Here Lies Arthur. I've just bought my copy... can't wait to read it!

THE LEICESTER BOOK OF THE YEAR

2008-06-27T14:15:00.000-07:00

Yippeee! BERSERK won this award at the Guildhall in Leicester on Tuesday 24th June!
http://teenagefiction.wordpress.com/2008/06/26/and-the-winner-is/

Highland Children's Book Award

2008-06-18T23:39:00.000-07:00

Berserk was shortlisted for the Highland Children's Book Award. The winners were announced yesterday. Sadly I couldn't make it. Berserk didn't win but it is very nice to get shorlisted... hurrah!

Behind the Beast

2008-06-13T23:02:00.000-07:00

Beast is set in the West Country. Gruton Reservoir is a fictional place, but I took a lot of inspiration from Clatworthy and Wimbleball reservoirs on the Brendon Hills where I grew up. Here are some pictures from my notebook:

WOW speedy stories

2008-06-13T13:37:00.000-07:00

I have a new very short story -Free Range- in the Anthology 'WOW 366' published by Scholastic August 2008 to celebrate National Year of Reading...

BEDLAM

2008-06-13T13:27:00.001-07:00

When they closed the asylum they thought everyone had left...

Lexi falls into deep trouble in a derelict asylum...

BEDLAM features Lexi, the girlfriend of Chas from BERSERK. (And Chas is the little brother of Stephen, from BEAST) The books can be read as a sequence, but also make sense if you read as stand alone novels.

Order Bedlam from Amazon

http://www.achuka.co.uk/achockablog/archives/2009/01/guardian-review-11.html

http://www.thebookbag.co.uk/reviews/index.php?title=Bedlam_by_Ally_Kennen

Berserk

2008-06-13T13:24:00.000-07:00

What happens when there's no-one around to tell you when to stop?

When fifteen year old Chas finds a website asking people to write to prisoners on Death Row, he thinks it would be funny to get letters from a murderer. He writes to an inmate, pretending to be his mum. When his new pen-pal is unexpectedly released, Chas' already problematic life spirals horribly out of control...

Chas is the younger brother of Stephen, the hero of Ally's debut novel Beast.

"Written with a verve and confidence that never lets up"... "This excellent novel well deserves the large audience it should get." Nicholas Tucker, The Independent

Full review from the Independent

Winner of the Leicester Book of the Year Award 2008

Winner of the North East Teenage Book Award 2008

Shortlisted for the Manchester Book Award '07

Shortlisted for the Highland Children's Book Award 2008

Highly Commended for the West Oxfordshire Book Award 2008

Longlisted for the Carnegie Medal 2008

Buy Berserk from Amazon

Beast

2008-06-13T13:18:00.000-07:00

"I buy one pig a month. I can't afford any more. I've no idea whether this is enough, but it keeps the Beast alive. He's grown so big. I'm going crazy with worry someone will discover him."

Stephen is a boy with a dangerous secret. For four years he has kept a terrifying creature locked up in a remote hiding place. Once just a vicious litle baby, it is now a powerful predator, big and hungry enough to break free from its rusting cage.

Stephen has other problems. A mother he never sees, and a father he wishes were dead. His foster family are scare of him - he's not a boy who plays by the rules. But his extraordinary struggle to free himself of his Beast makes him a hero you will never forget.

"Ally Kennen is a gripping and original new children's novelist... I really love this book" Amanda Craig, The Times

"Beast has a tension that never lets up. Ally Kennen is already a remarkable assured writer" The Independent

"An exceptional first novel" Books for Keeps

Beast has been shortlisted for:
Carnegie Medal 2007
Branford Boase Award 2007
Booktrust Teenage Prize 2006
Bolton Book Award
Leicester Book Award
Berkshire Book Award
Winner of the Manchester Book Award 2007
Shortlisted for the Gustav-Heinemann-Friedenspreis
Published in 13 languages

Reviewed in the Times

Reviewed in the Independent

Buy Beast from Amazon!

Scottish Book Trust

2008-06-13T12:07:00.000-07:00

I've got a new story 'Rip-Tide' on the Scottish book trust website.
The direct link to the story is http://www.scottishbooktrust.com/node/19225
The story features Lexi, hero of BEDLAM...
And the link to the writer-in-residence homepage, where all the online stories are featured, is http://www.scottishbooktrust.com/children-and-young-people/books/stories