A Couple of Cracking Christmas Presents

My friend Donna is the Grand Master of giving personalised gifts.  For Christmas, she gave me the mouse mat in the picture on the left.  When I removed the wrapping paper and looked at what was inside, I started to laugh.  Donna started laughing too.  She said, ‘Is it cheesy?’

‘A bit,’ I said, truthfully.  And then, still laughing, I thought, if anyone sees this, they’ll think I’ve got a head the size of a planet.  But then I thought of something else and it stopped me laughing.  I said, ‘Those books in the photo – are they all yours?’

‘Yes,’ said Donna.  ‘From my own personal collection.’  Then she said, ‘Is the mouse mat alright?  Do you like it?’

‘I love it,’ I said, truthfully.  ‘Sweetest present ever.  Thank you.’ 

‘You can always update it when you win,’ said Donna.

‘Let’s not go there,’ I said.

As it happened, this mouse mat will serve superbly because I didn’t win.  And although that’s disappointing for a moment, it really is no more disappointing than that.  And then the amazement comes back and you think, Flipping heck!  I got shortlisted for a Costa Book Award.  A Costa Book Award!  Again!  And what’s the point of feeling disappointed about that?

So I want to use this first blog of 2016 to do a big thumbs-up wave to Sally Nicholls and Andrew Norriss who were on that shortlist with me for their marvellous books, An Island of their Own and Jessica’s Ghost, and of course to say a big CONGRATULATIONS to Frances Hardinge who won with her brilliant book The Lie Tree.  Also I want to say a massive THANK YOU to Martyn Bedford, Andrea Reece and Melissa Cox who put me on that shortlist in such great company.  From any angle, the Costa Book Awards are SO exciting!  Writers of adult fiction, kids’ fiction, biographies and poetry are all placed together in the arena to slog it out in Hunger Games-style until only one book remains.* And because the cannon has sounded and my face has already been flashed up in the sky, I’m now going to lay my cards on the table and say this:  I’d like Frances Hardinge to win.  For the kids.  For everyone who reads fiction for younger people.  For everyone who writes it.  And publishes it.  And promotes it and sells it and loves it and values it and thinks that it deserves a few more seconds on the TV and radio and a bit more space in the newspapers. 

Go Frances!

And you know what?  Being on that shortlist was one of the best Christmas presents ever.  Ta J

*OK, it doesn’t quite happen like this.  No deaths are involved.

WAHEY!

My book ‘Sophie Someone’ has been shortlisted for the...

2015 COSTA CHILDREN’S BOOK AWARD.

This is BEYOND LUSH.

Now, rather inconveniently, I recently left Twitter.  And in the event that my resolve might weaken I DELIBERATELY screwed up my password and forgot-your-password link so that I cannot get back on!

This means that there is a fairly good chance that NOBODY is reading this blog post and it also means that I have no quick and easy way to say thank you to all the nice people on Twitter who have been saying nice stuff regarding me and my book.  [Yes, I had a lurk!]

But I shall say what I need to say anyway.

Thank you x

And that thank you very much extends to the Costa team too.  This is an ENORMOUS BOOST and VOTE OF CONFIDENCE not only to me personally but to all writers who want to write their books in a secret code :)

It’s a damn fine shortlist.  Especially that children’s category.  ‘Sophie Someone’ is sitting alongside fantastic titles by Frances Hardinge, Sally Nicholls and Andrew Norriss.  Congratulations all of you and I can’t tell you how CHUFFED I am to have my name on that list next to yours. 

For more information on all the books and all the shortlisted authors please click here.

There Can Be Only One!

Yes.  Just as the rubbish 1986 film Highlander once taught me, ‘There Can Be Only One.’ 

Winner of the Costa Children’s Book 2012 that is. 

And it wasn’t me or Dave Shelton or Diane Hendry.  It was the brilliant Sally Gardner for her unique dystopian novel, ‘Maggot Moon.’   Very big congratulations to her.

I won’t say I wasn’t disappointed.  Because I’d be lying.  In fact, for a little while I totally understood how Joey Tribbiani felt when he didn’t win best actor award for his role as Doctor Drake Ramoray in the stunning hospital drama Days Of Our Lives.

Click here to watch!

But that didn’t last long.  And you know what?  I’m just so chuffed to have got on that shortlist in the first place.  It feels like an achievement bigger than my degree and my driving test and my A Levels and my basic food hygiene certificate and my BAGA gymnastics award Level 4 all rolled into one.  And it’s been good for me.  Because it’s made me begin to believe that I can be up there with the best.  And now I’m reworking the manuscript for my next book like my fingers are on fire.       

I once heard someone on the telly saying that success isn’t supposed to be easy and it’s all about the struggle.  It was the singer from the 90s band, The Bluetones.  He was talking about how a teacher at his school told him that a caterpillar needs to struggle out of its cocoon in order to change into a butterfly.  Without that struggle, the newly emerged butterfly would never fly.  It was the most memorable episode of The Chart Show I ever saw.  

Anyway, I suppose what I’m saying is this:  Writing books isn’t easy.  Neither is winning awards.  I’m amazed at how far I’ve managed to get in this game and I intend to keep trying and trying and trying to get further and further and further.  Because it’s what I love to do.  And I bloody well want to be shortlisted for a big book award again. J

Winner of the box of stuff described in the last blog is Melissa Marshall of Peterborough.  Hooray!

Happy New Year to her and Happy New Year to you all!

       

THE COSTA BOOK AWARD SHORTLIST!!!

OH ME OH MY!!!!!

'What's Up With Jody Barton?' has been shortlisted for the Costa Book Awards!!!! 

I cannot BEGIN to tell you how excited I am.  I am as chuffed as chips.  I am as pleased as punch.  I am on top of the world, high above the houses and over the moon. 

I write stories about ordinary people who live ordinary lives in ordinary places and do ordinary things.  I learned this trick from my hero, Sue Townsend.  She taught me that real life is plenty quirky enough when you look at it really closely.

...And now, my ordinary / extraordinary Jody Barton has been acknowledged by the judges of one of the most prestigious literary prizes in the UK.

I am BEYOND CHUFFED. 

I am also extremely grateful to everyone who has read that book and kept the twist a secret :-)

Anyway, to celebrate, I am going to run a quick mystery competition.  This will also give me the opportunity to encourage you to visit my newly revamped website.

www.hayleylong.com

All you have to do is visit the site, go to the contact page and use the contact form to send me an email which says: Hey Hayley, I'd love to receive a surprise package of nice things through the post - of course I would.

Do this before THE END OF NOVEMBER and you might be the lucky person who'll get a lovely load of goodies in time for Christmas (if you live in the UK - if you live somewhere else, it'll take a bit longer).  Anyway, there you are then.

xxx

P.S Don't forget to check out girlsheartbooks.com.  I'm now blogging with these lovely people on this great site.