Thursday 13 February 2014

Happy Birthday Cat (and the Dreamer)!


My first novella turns two today! (Or yesterday, if you go by Amazon - they always jump early, don't they?)

I still remember the acceptance email, seeing the first edits, seeing the cover for the first time... Those memories hang around forever.

To celebrate, I've pepped up my bio a little bit and changed my author pic....


It took a lot of time to get a photo that didn't make Hubby laugh out loud, and didn't make me want to put a paper bag on my head.

I've also been playing around with the blurb, so I've got a good excuse to share it with you again!




“In my world, I am fifteen, the age I was when I met Rachel Carr, the age I was when Rachel Carr killed herself with a tonne of painkillers and two bottles of rum.”

Julia survived a teen suicide pact: her best friend Rachel did not. Years later, Julia is introvert and insular, spiralling into depression, shrouding herself in daydreams to protect herself from reality – a controlling mother and a huge burden of guilt.

When Adam walks into her office, Julia knows he won’t be interested in her; Cat, her flirty blonde colleague, has already chosen him as her next conquest. But his presence alone is enough to shake Julia up, and make her realise real life could be so much better.

Except Cat has other plans, lurking in Julia’s imagination, torturing her, telling her she should have died too. And she’s right, of course, because Cat is always right.

Buy here: KindleNookKobo

What were you doing two years ago?



67 comments:

  1. Happy Birthday, Cat! Time really flies, doesn't it?!

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  2. Happy birthday Cat. That blurb is great and might even push me into buying it! I don't have a Kindle and the postage to Tenerife is extortionate, so I don't usually buy on line.

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    1. It's only in ebook format, but I've been using the Kindle app on my laptop and phone for the past couple of years and it works quite well ;-) I'm glad you like the blurb!

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  3. Hey:)

    Happy Book birthday - and your new profile pic is Fab :)

    Much lighter and brighter than before, so good on ya, mate :)

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    1. It's scary putting new photos out there, so thanks for that, Mark :-)

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  4. Lovely book cover. And great photo as well. It is hard choosing the right one isn't it?

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    1. Thanks Barry. Personally I'd prefer to be immortalised in cartoon, but apparently I need a photo :-)

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  5. Congratulations! And I wouldn't dare laugh at any of my wife's photos.
    Adjusted blurb is even better.
    Two years ago I was preparing for CassaFire's release. Whoa...

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    1. My son took the photo, so I had the two of them giggling before I even saw it :-( Two years seems like no time at all, doesn't it, until you think of all the things that have happened in the meantime?

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  6. Congratulations!

    Two years ago? I can barely remember what I did yesterday! :)

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  7. I love your new pic! Happy birthday to your book!

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  8. Love your new pic! And your comment about wanting to put a bag over your head cracked me up, that's how I feel with almost every pic I take LOL.

    Happy Birthday to a fantastic book. :)

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    1. I think they ought to provide free bags when they sell cameras! But thank you :-)

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  9. I was reading Cat and the Dreamer and loving it!

    I think you look beautiful. You have such a nice complexion...I get all red and splotchy as soon as the camera comes out!

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    1. Glad you enjoyed it! And thanks for liking my photo - you are way too kind though, it was all makeup that I took off again the moment the right photo was settled on... But sssh, don't tell anyone ;-)

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  10. Happy book birthday! Love the new picture, it looks great :)

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  11. Happy book birthday (or anniversary?)! A lot has happened in two years, hasn't it? I was preparing a trip to the Donald Maass Breakout Novel Workshop, and had just started writing full time. Crazy, Huh?

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    1. I'm sticking with birthday :-) Writing full time is my goal... maybe in the next two years!

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  12. 'It took a lot of time to get a photo that didn't make Hubby laugh out loud, and didn't make me want to put a paper bag on my head.'

    :) Too cute.

    Happy 2nd birthday to CatD!!

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    1. Poor Hubby, I made him sound really mean - he isn't, he's just very... erm, happy! :-D

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  13. Happy Birthday to your book! I love the photo of you - and I'm worse than you. I just don't like ANY picture of me AT ALL. You look so happy.
    The blurb is awesome. I want to read it right now. I'm on a self-imposed book-buying pause though until I read the 105 books in my TBR pile in my Kindle...sigh. So many books, so little time...

    Tina @ Life is Good
    A to Z Team @ Blogging From A to Z April Challenge 2014
    @TinaLifeisGood, #atozchallenge
    http://www.facebook.com/TinaLifeIsGood

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    1. 105 to read, wow! It's just so easy to scroll and buy, isn't it? Online shopping never feels like REAL shopping :-)

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  14. Two years ago, I was waiting for my own first book to be published and planning my wedding. That was a hectic time. Fun though.

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    1. I remember your wedding planning, I didn't realise it was that long ago!

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  15. Two years ago was a happy time before a bunch of problems began. Looking back at that time feels good. :) Happy anniversary! I like the new headshot. I need to get one done, but I'll want to put a paper bag over my head, too.

    The Warrior Muse

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    1. Thanks Shannon - I'm happy the paper bag is a natural reaction to having photos taken! I hope your problems have passed and the future is positive :-)

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  16. Happy birthday to your book! Hmm, two years ago I was chasing a toddler around and marveling at how clearly he could talk for his age.

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    1. It's pretty mind-blowing how quickly kids change and grow, isn't it?

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  17. The "terrible twos" look good for you. Congrats on the novella, new pic, and blurb. It's all good!

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    1. Thanks Joanne. When I hit send on this post, I cringed - so many new things out there all at once :-/

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  18. Time flies. Two years ago I probably thought I would have a book released by now. But March 2014 is just around the corner. Congrats Annalisa.

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    1. It really does. And sometimes the road to publication is just a tiny bit slower than we hope it will be. March is very close :-)

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  19. Happy birthday! And love the new pic :)

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  20. Congrats and really like the new blurb:)

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  21. Congrats on 2 years! I loved reading this when it came out and still think of it from time to time.

    Lets see, two years ago....living in my parents' house working as a sub. Yay.

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    1. I sometimes find scenes of books playing in my mind, so I'm honoured mine is still lingering with you :-) And, I think it's fair to say, you really have done a lot more in the last two years than most people - what a huge adventure you're having!

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  22. Many congratulations to the birthday of your novella. Nothing like pepping up your bio :) Looks good, Annalisa.

    Gary :)

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  23. Congratulations on your novella's birthday. I too pepped up my bio last week. Your pic is lovely.

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    1. Thanks Rachna - it's good to change things up every so often, isn't it?

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  24. Hi Annalisa .. two years ago I was blogging on and probably miserable with the snow!

    Your photo looks great - you look you .. healthy and au naturel ...and well done for updating your blurb for your novel: Cat and the Dreamer ...

    Here's to a happy successful year ahead .. Hilary

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    1. That's my biggest fear, when I have photos taken, that I'm not going to look like me! I like my new blurb, but I don't know how many people will get to see it, because I don't think my publisher will bother to change it in the various places it's available. Never mind, it was good practice for me!

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  25. Two years ago I was living in another town.

    Thank you. Love love, Andrew. Bye.

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  26. Two years ago? Probably the same thing as I'm doing now. Writing. Blogging. Writing.

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  27. Happy book birthday! Two years ago I started work on my second book. How time flies!

    hugs!
    Nutschell
    www.thewritingnut.com

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    1. Time really does fly - you sit down at your computer and when you stand up to make a drink, it's six months later!!

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  28. That's a lovely title. Congrats on the two year anniversary.

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  29. Wow it's amazing to think how time flies.

    I like your new author pic. :-)

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    1. Thanks Misha. It's scary to look back, sometimes, isn't it?

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  30. Happy book birthday! I loved Cat and the Dreamer. Great book!

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  31. Congrats on your two year book anniversary! This time two years ago I was still new to blogging. I have always said I wouldn't get one, but I am getting a Kindle and will look for your book!

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    1. Thanks Gossip_Grl. Enjoy your new Kindle - you'll find all your blogger friends are fantastic writers!

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  32. Whew! Two years... Congrats! Two years ago I was buying and moving into my first house while anticipating the results of an epic writing contest I'd entered...that led directly to my publishing contract. It's amazing how much can happen in just a couple years, eh?

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    1. That's awesome. I love entering contests, you never know where it might lead.

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