Feeling Fictional: Dave Cousins

Showing posts with label Dave Cousins. Show all posts

Friday, 15 March 2013

Waiting for Gonzo 'Tache Tour - Dave Cousins' Top 10 Moustaches!

I absolutely loved Dave Cousins' debut novel 15 Days Without A Head when I read it last year (read my review here) so I couldn't wait to get my hands on his latest novel Waiting for Gonzo. This is another fabulous story and one I'd highly recommend (my full review was posted earlier today). To celebrate the release of Waiting for Gonzo I'm thrilled to welcome Dave to the blog today with a fantastic guest post about his Top Ten Moustaches. Before I hand over to Dave though I want to tell you a bit more about the book:

********************

Waiting for Gonzo ’Tache Tour!

Top Ten Moustaches and One Red Nose …

by Dave Cousins

When Oz draws a moustache on a photograph in Waiting for Gonzo, he does it because he thinks it’s funny. Moustaches are funny – end of story. So, when I found out that the Gonzo ’Tache Tour would be at Feeling Fictional on Red Nose Day, I thought what better way to celebrate than with a chart of Top Ten ’Taches!

It’s quite a tricky task when you get down to it. A quick search comes up with all the usual suspects: Hulk Hogan, Hitler, Hagar the Horrible (does your name have to start with an H to sport some lip hair?) Historically, most of the royals had at least some facial hair too, except Victoria – but then how close did those portrait painters really get? But you don’t want those old soup-sievers do you? You want something new, something original, something you haven’t seen before …

Well, I can’t promise any of the above, but here is a list of a few inspiring moustaches and their stories, to give you an idea of how this little piece of face fur has influenced the world – not just the life of a teenage boy!

© Dave Cousins 2013

At number ten – Me! What do you mean, it’s fake? Plus, I get double points for having a red nose and anyway, it’s my chart.

Credit: AP / AP / Press Association Images

Number nine, so fine – Groucho Marx. I loved the slapstick and witty one liners of the Marx Brothers films when I was growing up. Of all the moustaches in the world, Groucho’s must rank as one of the most famous. It even spawned the classic popular comedy disguise set of bushy eyebrows, glasses, a large plastic nose, and of course – a moustache!

Credit: www.collider.com

Looking great at eight – The Thompson Twins – two for the price of one! I was a big Tintin fan as a kid and spent a lot of time dragging a stuffed Scottie dog around on a piece of string. Anyone I encountered with a moustache immediately became one of the Thompson Twins in my alternative reality. Given this was the 1970s (A Golden Age of the moustache) I ran into them a lot.

Credit: Ron Wolfson / Landor / Press Association Images

Seven – The Magnum PI or Tom Selleck – this piece of face fuzz is so famous it has become synonymous with the moustache.

Credit: dpa-Film Peter Mountain/DPA/Press Association Images

Sneaky tricks at Six – So can a moustache EVER really be cool? Well, yes – yes it can. But only if coupled with a big old beard – and it helps if you’re a pirate. Blackbeard (admittedly, he wasn’t called black ’tache, but hey …) kept fireworks in his facial hair and lit them to scare his enemies. Johnny Depp looked ace, if a bit camp, in Pirates of the Caribbean. Even Lovejoy (Ian McShane for those of you too young to remember the antique-selling sleuth) looked pretty cool in that!

Credit: AP / AP / Press Association Images

Five alive – What is it about artists and facial hair? But then maybe the idea of walking round with a neatly trimmed and waxed clump of hair stuck to your top lip IS fairly surreal. So … to the King of the Weird and Wonderful … Mr Salvador Dali.

Credit: Chris Pizzello /AP / Press Association Images

1-2-3-Four! – Music plays an important part in Waiting for Gonzo, and the annals of rock history provide plenty of ’taches to choose from. Jimi Hendrix and Prince, both worked a straggler, but still managed to look kinda cool. Sgt. Pepper era Beatles had some impressive nose frills going on and we shouldn’t forget Lemmy from Motorhead. But the best one has to be Frank Beard, the drummer from ZZ Top – who despite his name, was the only member of the band NOT to have a beard. He made up for it with a pretty impressive nose rug though.

Credit: www.telegraph.co.uk

Three is the Magic Number – In honour of Gonzo, I had to include a Muppet in the list. Waldorf – one half of the curmudgeonly duo Waldorf and Statler – has a fine snowdrift ‘tache, but in the end he had to make way for Swedish Chef, whose moustache/eyebrow combo are just hilarious.

Credit: www.amazon.co.uk

Two – The Fu Manchu – partly because it rhymes(!) but mostly because it deserves a place in any list of top ’taches. The Fu Manchu is even a category in the World Beard and Moustache Championships. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/World_Beard_and_Moustache_Championships) However, did you know that in the original Fu Manchu stories by Sax Rohmer, the character Fu Manchu did not have a moustache? He first appeared with facial hair in the 1923 film The Mystery of Dr Fu Manchu and never shaved again!

Credit: Tim Ireland/PA Archive/Press Association Images

And finally, perching on very top of this tickly totem of ’taches, the One that first nudged the Wheel of Destiny into motion for Oz in Waiting for Gonzo – Marcel Duchamp’s piece of art terrorism on a postcard of the Mona Lisa. He said he did it because he wanted to change people’s perception of what art could be. He was lying. He did it because it was funny. Moustaches are funny. End of Story. Or is it in fact, just the beginning …?

Thank you to Feeling Fictional for agreeing to host this farcically furry leg of the Waiting for Gonzo ‘Tache Tour. Find out more about Waiting for Gonzo at www.davecousins.net

********************

Thanks for stopping by with such a fabulous guest post Dave! That's a fab pic with your fake moustache & I'm glad to see you have your red nose ready for tonight too :o) Since it is Red Nose Day and we're all supposed to do something a little silly I thought I'd join in with a 'tache pic, I don't have any fake moustaches at home though so I had to improvise!

So which of Dave's top ten moustaches is your favourite? Are there any 'taches that he's left off his list that you would have included in yours? What are your plans for Red Nose Day?

Don't forget to check out the rest of the Waiting for Gonzo 'Tache Tour stops below:

Review: Waiting for Gonzo - Dave Cousins

Meet Oz . . . he's got a talent for trouble but his heart's always in the right place (well, nearly always).

Uprooted from his friends and former life, Oz finds himself stranded in the sleepy village of Slowleigh. When a joke backfires on the first day at his new school, Oz attracts the attention of Isobel Skinner, the school psycho - but that's just the beginning.

After causing an accident that puts his mum in hospital, Oz isn't exactly popular at home either. His older sister's no help, but then she's got a problem of her own . . . one that's growing bigger by the day.

Oz knows he's got to put things right, but life isn't that simple, especially when the only people still talking to you are a hobbit-obsessed kid and a voice in your own head!

Packed with action, heart and humour, Waiting for Gonzo takes you for a white-knuckle ride on the Wheel of Destiny as it careers out of control down the Hillside of Inevitability. The question is, do you go down laughing? Or grit your teeth and jump off?

Visit Dave Cousins' website for more information

Review:
I loved Dave Cousin's debut novel 15 Days Without A Head and he has hit the spot again with his hilarious second novel Waiting for Gonzo. Oz's life is turned upside down when his parents decide to move the family from London to the middle of nowhere. Oz and his sister, Meg, are far from happy about the move but neither of them was given a choice in the matter. All Oz wants is to move back to his old house so he can hang out with his friends and live the life he used to have but since that isn't an option he'll settle for getting through his first day at school without making an idiot of himself and for finding some new friends to make life in the sticks more bearable. When he draws a moustache and glasses on a photo displayed in the school corridor he is hoping people will find the joke amusing but he gets a lot more than he bargained for when he ends up with the school psycho on his tail. It isn't easy fitting in when you've already made a major enemy on your first day.

Waiting for Gonzo is a comedy of errors, poor Oz goes from one disaster to the next as his life starts to spiral out of control. Who could have guessed that a simple moustache could cause him so many problems? As if his problems at school weren't bad enough Oz has uncovered a secret that Meg is desperate to keep hidden and he has no idea what to make of it all. Oz is such a fun character, the kind boy most of us knew as a child, one who works hard at being the funny guy but who is also kind hearted and just trying to find his place in life. I loved his developing friendship with Ryan but I think the best thing was the family dynamics between him and his sister. They fought like cats and dogs but they loved each other and Oz would do anything to look out for Meg.

I love the way the story tackles some serious issues but it does it with humour throughout. 15 Days Without A Head was one of my favourite books on 2012 and Dave Cousins has definitely become a must read author for me, I can't recommend his books highly enough to anyone who is looking for a funny story with real heart and a great British feel to them.

Source: Received from Amazon Vine in exchange for an honest review

Other Reviews:
If you have reviewed this book on your blog please leave a link to your review in the comments & I'll add the link here.

Paperback / Kindle:

Wednesday, 4 January 2012

Review: 15 Days Without A Head - Dave Cousins

Fifteen-year-old Laurence Roach wants a normal life. But that's not easy when is Dad is dead, his Mum is a depressed alcoholic, and his six-year-old brother - Jay - thinks he's a dog. (Scooby-Doo, to be exact.) When Mum fails to come home one night, Laurence and Jay are left alone - with no head of the family.

Terrified that he and his little brother will be taken into care, Laurence tells nobody. Instead he single-handedly attempts to keep his family together, spinning an increasingly complicated web of lies, and even dressing up as his Mum in an elaborate act of deception . . .

To top it off, each evening Laurence calls his local radio station from a telephone box, impersonating his dead father in an attempt to win an all-expenses-paid luxury holiday in the sun. Surely that would be enough to cheer Mum up, stop her drinking so much, and make her come back home?

After two weeks on their own, running out of food and money, and with suspicious adults closing in, Laurence finally discovers where his Mum has been. And that's when the trouble really starts . . .

Disillusioned with her ability to cope, will the boys be able to convince their Mum to come back home?

Visit Dave Cousins' website for more information

Review:
I've been looking forward to reading 15 Days Without A Head ever since I heard Dave Cousins give a reading at an event last year so my expectations for the story were high. The trouble with expecting so much from a book is that it is easy to end up disappointed so I'll admit I was nervous when I started reading. Luckily Dave not only lived up to my expectations - he completely surpassed them and the story blew me away. It's hard to believe that this is a debut novel and that just makes me even more excited to see where Dave's writing career takes him in the future.

With themes of alcoholism, poverty and neglect this story could have made for a depressing read but although your heart will break for Laurence and the thousands of children around the world who are currently living in similar circumstances you will find yourself laughing out loud regularly as you are reading. The story will bring tears to your eyes one minute and have you snorting with laughter the next which is something I really appreciate when reading about such difficult subject matters.

Our narrator for the story is 15 year old Laurence who lives with his alcoholic mother and his younger brother Jay. Well, he did until the day his mother doesn't bother to come home. Laurence is sure that she will be back soon, after all she's never left them for more than a couple of days before, but as the days go by and the money and the food run out Laurence is finding it harder and harder to cope. It isn't easy to deal with a demanding 6 year old and try to keep up appearances so that the neighbours don't get suspicious and call social services. What Laurence wants more than anything is to keep what's left of his family together and to find a way to get his mother to come home. He is under more pressure than a child of his age should ever have to face but he copes exceptionally well in the circumstances. I have to admit that I was praying for social services or a responsible adult to step in and help him though, all I wanted to do was cuddle the two boys and make everything better for them. There were times I wanted to shake the adults in their lives and just make them DO something.

The characters are both so real that they practically walk out of the pages and I loved the relationship between Laurence and Jay. The age difference between me and my younger brother is the same so I could completely relate to Laurence's frustration at some of Jay's antics but you can also feel the strong bond between them. Jay was a typical 6 year old boy and reminded me so much of my brother at his age. The story is ultimately about love - the love the brothers have for each other and for their mum and even in her own strange way the love that she has for them. That love gives them all hope for the future and leaves you with the feeling that good things are possible after even the darkest times.

I really can't recommend 15 Days Without A Head highly enough, I think it's a book that everyone should read so if you're only going to take my advice once this year make it this book. I can't wait to see what Dave Cousins comes up with next - it will automatically be at the top of my wish list.

Source: Received from OUP in exchange for an honest review

Other Reviews:
If you have reviewed this book on your blog please leave a link to your review in the comments & I'll add the link here.

15 Days Without A Head Blog Tour - Guest Post from Dave Cousins

I'd like you all to give a warm welcome to author Dave Cousins who has kindly stopped by today as part of the blog tour for his debut novel 15 Days Without A Head which will be available in all good book shops from tomorrow! I was lucky enough to meet Dave at an OUP event last year where he gave a reading from the book and it has been at the top of my most anticipated 2012 reads ever since. Trust me this is a book you're going to want to get your hands on ASAP! I absolutely loved it so watch out for my review which will be posted later today. In the meantime you can read the blurb and watch the trailer here:

Dave Cousins

On my desk: objects no writer should be without.

If I have to, I can write almost anywhere: on trains, in libraries, in the park, while walking (this one needs a little practise though). Sometimes you have to take the opportunities when they arise. Having said that, it’s important to have a space, however small, dedicated to writing – a room of one’s own, if you like – somewhere your brain recognises as the place you work. For me, that’s a corner of our attic, on a makeshift desk, surrounded by boxes of Christmas decorations, videos and old toys.

Unlike Ted Hughes, who had five desks, I have only one, though my table has had various shelves bolted on over the years. It’s a mess – but one in which I feel comfortable and of course, know exactly where everything is.

So, if you’ll excuse the mess, and mind you don’t bang your head on the roof, I’ll take you on a tour of my desk …

Within easy reach are my stack of word books. It sounds an obvious thing to say, but I do like words, and I’m fascinated by etymology. I can lose hours in a thesaurus! This collection includes the dictionary my wife used when she was at school, complete with doodles and margin notes, which can add unexpected moments of humour when looking something up.

One of the most common questions asked of writers is where do you get your ideas from? It's an enquiry that many will struggle to answer. Not me. I know exactly where my stories originate. On my desk there is a metal box, 18cm wide by 9cm deep and 8cm high; I call it The Word Tin. It contains all the words I need, stamped into small strips of metal, like dog-tags. To build a story, I simply delve into the box, pull out a handful of words and put them in the right order – easy! Unfortunately, I’m joking (but imagine if such a tin existed! Now there's an idea for a story …) The tin is real though, if not magic, and I have once or twice tried to conjure a story the way I described; it produced some interesting, if not exactly publishable, results.

On the shelf next to the Word Tin is The World’s Largest Rubber Band Ball – at least it will be when it’s finished. My youngest and I have been working on this for years – only red Post Office bands are eligible. We convene at the end of each day to empty our pockets of leaves, grit and anything else we might have picked up along the way, and count the day’s haul of rubber bands. We thought it was going quite well until we visited a friend’s house and saw theirs was twice the size. Still, size isn’t everything … except when you’re trying to create the World’s Largest Rubber Band Ball, I suppose.

The Big D in front of the ball was a present from my wife. To remind me who I am, when I get lost inside my own head, which I do often.

To the left of the D is a Calvin and Hobbes book. I like to have this on my desk for inspiration. It’s an over-used term, but Bill Watterson, is actually a genius. Calvin and Hobbes is as near to perfection as it is possible to get. Funny, wise and heart-felt, Watterson’s strips are beautifully drawn stories featuring two of the best characters ever created. Reading a few pages of Calvin and Hobbes never fails to inspire, enlighten and put a smile on my face.

Most of my writing is done on an Apple MacBook, but I have three fountain pens and, as you can see, bottles of different coloured ink. I like the ritual of refilling the pens from a bottle and getting ink all over my fingers – it makes me feel like a proper writer. I rarely draft stories in longhand these days, but I do write lots of notes and scribble on manuscript pages. I enjoy the physical act of writing with a nice pen. I use red for marking up scripts, and blue and brown for notes, depending on how I feel. I also have a tendency to draw decorated boxes around paragraphs and arrows pointing to things – it’s good to know all those years at art school weren’t wasted!

The top of the bookcase on my desk is known locally as Diamond Dave’s Retirement Shelf for Toys. In case you haven’t already worked it out – I’m a bit of a hoarder. I find it hard to throw stuff away, especially objects that have some meaning. My Toy Retirement Shelf has some items from when I was ‘officially’ still a child, though the ones in the picture all belong to our youngest. We spent many happy hours together watching and playing Turtles – Mutant Ninja, as opposed to Hero. In the picture you can see Michelangelo in toddler and adult form. Everyone has a favourite turtle (don’t they?) and Mikey was always mine. Before Turtles it was Thunderbirds and Stingray – on my hands and knees searching for those ‘teepeedoes’, when they’d been fired under the settee for the millionth time. The brown guy with the beard is a Pete Fowler Monster – a present from an old friend. Pete Fowler produces a lot of the artwork for Gruff Rhys and Super Furry Animals, as well as many other weird and wonderful artworks and creations. The owl was one of a series my wife made. I like its air of quiet wisdom.

I was a huge fan of Scooby-Doo as a kid. It was one of the cartoons I’d run home from school to watch. This, of course, was back in the days when there were only four channels, and children's television occupied a narrow late afternoon slot before the early evening news. I have to admit that I always thought the credits looked scarier and more exciting than the actual shows, but there was something about Shaggy and Scooby that appealed. They were funny, easy-going and cowardly, yet never deserted each other in a time of crisis. I suppose it was natural that my dog-obsessed character, six-year-old Jay in 15 Days, should choose to identify with Scooby. It is a testament to Hanna-Barbera head writers Joe Ruby and Ken Spears, along with artist and designer, Iwao Takamoto – that Scooby-Doo is still on television nearly thirty years later.

Scooby must also take some of the credit for the fact that 15 Days Without a Head is being published. When Oxford University Press invited my agent and I to their offices to pitch for the book, they not only got a male member of staff to dress up in women’s clothes and serve dinner (all will become clear if you read the book), they also presented us with a box of home-cooked Scooby Snacks each. I have to admit, that pretty much clinched the deal for me!

Wisdom watches over me while I write! Another character from the Turtles – their surrogate father and sensei, Master Splinter, stands directly opposite me as I write. If I look up from my screen, I find myself confronted by his steady gaze; it’s a little intimidating if I’m honest, but keeps me working. This figure is from the 2007 TMNT movie – my wife and son spent years trying to track one down, which is why he takes pride of place on my desk.

The Book-End Pig stands guard on one of my many bolted on bookshelves. This is one (half anyway) of the pigs from my grandmother’s collection. In 15 Days, Laurence and Jay are momentarily saved by the money they find in a grotesque “Frankenstein’s Monster of a piggy bank” on top of the fridge. Laurence explains to Jay that their Nanna collected pigs when she was alive. This was based on my own Nan, who had hundreds of pigs in various forms, on shelves in her kitchen. My Nan was a great reader – we used to swap books, and between us collected an almost complete set of Robert Westall novels. Sadly, my Nan didn’t live to see 15 Days published, but I think she’d be glad that she found her way into the story itself, and that the Book-End Pig is being put to good use!

That brings us to the end of the tour, folks – thanks for visiting the attic and taking a trip around my desk. Apologies to the tall gentleman who banged his head on the low beam – keep holding the tissue in place until the bleeding stops, sir. And to the lady who pocketed the David Soul figure from my Starsky and Hutch set, if you’d be kind enough to put him back into the precinct we’ll say no more about it. Now, I suppose I should get on with some work, Master Splinter is glaring …

******************************

Thanks so much for a fabulous guest post Dave, can I just say that I'm very jealous of your rubber band ball - it makes mine look absolutely pathetic! I love that you have such an eclectic mix of items on your shelves, thanks for taking us on a tour.

Don't forget to check back later today to read my review of 15 Days Without A Head and make sure you go out and pick up your copy tomorrow! Also, check out the banner below for details of the other stops on the blog tour to find more fun guest posts from Dave.

Sunday, 27 November 2011

Publisher Spotlight: Oxford University Press - January - March 2012

I thought it would be fun to start spotlighting new releases that different publishers have coming up over the next few months for us to look forward to. I'm constantly looking for new books to add to my wish list and thought it would be a nice way of spreading the bookish love with other bloggers. So stepping into the spotlight today we have . . .

Today I'm going to be talking about some fabulous books that Oxford University Press will be releasing early in 2012. Trust me these books are ones you're going to want to add to your wish list! Visit the Oxford University Press website for more information.

The first book I'm going to tell you about is 15 Days Without A Head a 2012 debut novel by Dave Cousins. This is being released in January 2012 and I can already tell you that this one is a MUST read! I was lucky enough to meet Dave at an OUP blogger event in September and the reading he did from 15 Days Without A Head had me in tears of laughter. Although the story is obviously full of humor it also touches on some really difficult issues and I literally can't wait to start reading it. I already know I'm going to love it! You can find out more by visiting Dave Cousins' website.

The Butterfly Effect: the scientific theory that a single occurrence, no matter how small, can change the course of the universe forever.

Jamie and Will have bunked off school to go hunting. Kuni, an 18-year-old Japanese climber is approaching the summit of Mount Everest. Tina is piloting a troublesome flight from Heathrow to Moscow. Six-year-old Bakili is desperately guarding his family's crops from bloodthirsty baboons in Malawi. Shelton, an unhinged father in Washington DC, is hooked on revenge and building a bomb . . .

Flashing between characters around the world, Mortal Chaos is a heart-stopping adventure that will leave readers breathless. Though the action starts with an innocent beat of a butterfly's wings in sleepy Wiltshire, this sets in motion a global chain of events that build to a nerve-jangling climax of mayhem and destruction.

Some will live. Some will die. All are connected.

Now we have Blade: Enemies by Tim Bowler, this is a bind up of the first two stories in the Blade series and looks like it will be a gripping read. You'll be able to grab your copy from the 2nd of February. Visit Tim Bowler's website for more information.

So what am I going to tell you? Not much so don't get excited. You probably want to know my name. Well, that's a bit of a problem. I got loads. But there is one name I like. Everybody called me it in the old days. No one does now cos no one in this city knows it. And that's fine. I don't like to remember. But I do like the name. You can use it if you want.
BLADE.

Previously published in two parts as Blade: Playing Dead and Blade: Closing In, this is a stunning new package for this groundbreaking series. Narrated by Blade himself, be prepared to enter his world. It's not pretty . . . it's urban, real and dangerous. As Blade's story unfolds, readers will become completely hooked by this unforgettable character.

Last but not least we have The Girl in the Mask by Marie-Louise Jensen that is due to be released on the 1st of March. I've been really enjoying my historical fiction recently so I have to say this one really appeals to me. I love the idea of a young girl who dresses up in ball gowns by day and sneaks out at night to commit robberies! You can find out more by visiting Marie-Louise Jensen's website.

Set in Georgian England, fifteen-year-old Sophia is trapped by the limitations of living in a man's world. Forced by her father to give up everything she loves, Sophia is ordered to make a new life in Bath. By day, she is trapped in the social whirl of balls and masquerades. By night, she secretly swaps her ball gowns for breeches, and turns to highway robbery to get her revenge . . .

When one man begins to take a keen interest in her, Sophia must keep her distance, or risk unmasking her secret life.

So what do you think of the upcoming Oxford University Press titles? Are you adding them to your wish list?

Friday, 23 September 2011

OUP Blogger Event with Joss Stirling & Dave Cousins - 21st September 2011

For my stop in the Stealing Phoenix blog tour I'm doing a write up from the fantastic event I was lucky enough to attend earlier this week. I had planned to get this post up first thing this morning but I've spent the best part of the last 2 days trying to get the pictures uploaded - my internet connection reallys sucks at the moment :o( - so I'm sorry it's a bit late. Still, better late than never so finally here is my write up! Make sure you check back tomorrow to read my review of Stealing Phoenix.

On Wednesday I was part of a group of bloggers who were invited to an event with OUP (Oxford University Press) to celebrate the launch of Stealing Phoenix by Joss Stirling and to introduce us to Dave Cousins an author whose debut novel 15 Days Without A Head will be published in January 2012. We were treated to cocktails and canapes and had time to mingle with the authors, staff and other bloggers before getting to hear both authors talking about their work.

Jennie (OUP) introducing Joss Stirling & Dave Cousins

First to chat to us was Joss Stirling who told us that she decided to have a go at writing dark romance because her daughter was stuck in a Twilight loop, re-reading the 4 books over and over, refusing to give anything else a try. Joss wanted to tempt her to read something different so decided that she would have to write something for her, she wanted it to be about something other than vampires and werewolves and came up with the idea of characters with psychic abilities. She hadn't planned on writing more than 1 book so although she was happy to continue the series she isn't quite sure how she will be able to write books for the older brothers as they aren't really the right age range for the YA market. We did speak to her about this earlier on in the evening and she reassured us that she knows the fans all want to see each of the brother's stories and she is currently thinking about possible ways to do this.

Joss reading from Stealing Phoenix

When Joss decided to write Yves' story for the second book in the series she thought it would be nice to set the story in London rather than in the US. Yves is the right age to have come over to London for a college conference and she had fun setting the story in an area that she knows well. She wanted to make Phoenix very different to Sky and decided to not to give her the same stable background.

When asked about how many drafts she writes Joss told us that she doesn't tend to plan her books in advance and makes it up as she goes along. She said that her first draft usually ends up being quite similar to the finished book although there can be some changes along the way. Talking about the names she gives her characters she said that she wanted to give them unusual names because they are unusual characters.

If you read my review of Finding Sky then you'll already know how much I was looking forward to Stealing Phoenix and I can tell you now that I loved it even more. You'll have to come back tomorrow if you want to read my full review but if you haven't started reading this series yet then I'd highly recommend ordering your copy now! I'm very excited to be able to confirm that Xav's story is definitely coming next, Joss hasn't started writing it yet but it is due to be published in February 2013 (I know, that sounds like a horribly long wait doesn't it!!). The working title for Xav's book is currently Seeing Crystal but please be aware that this might change by the time the story is written and ready to publish.

Dave tells his life story in under 8 minutes

Dave Cousins was introduced by his editor Jasmine who told us that Dave was the winner of the Undiscovered Voices competition. Part of his novel was included in an anthology that was sent around to the publishers and as soon as Jasmine read it she knew she wanted to be the one to publish it. In fact, she went as far as getting one of her male team members to dress as a woman to convince Dave that OUP was the publisher for him (that will make much more sense when you've read a bit more of my write up!).

Dave started by giving us a quick run down of his life so far, he has been writing stories since he was a child but joined a band when he was at college studying for his art degree. The band got a record deal and were almost famous for a while in the 80's and spent time touring the country. (Despite our attempts to persuade him we didn't manage to get the band name out of him, although I think he may have let it slip to Carly so I'm intending to try and drag the information from her next time I see her!). When he decided it was time to retire his leather trousers and get a proper job he started working for a design company but he had always wanted to go back to writing stories. He got up at 5am every day to write before work but despite doing this for 4-5 years and completing several manuscripts whenever he re-read them he was convinced they weren't good enough and would stick them under the bed and start all over again.

One day when in a pub he was sitting at a table next to a drunk obnoxious woman who was there with her two children, one about 15 and the other much younger. He started to wonder what the children's lives must be like - was the mother always like that? Did the older brother have to look after the younger one? In the end this is what sparked the idea for 15 Days Without A Head. Dave re-wrote the book twice and spent over 2 years on it but he was still convinced that it wasn't good enough. Eventually he got his wife to read it and luckily for us she was the one who persuaded him to enter the Undiscovered Voices competition.

Dave did a reading from 15 Days Without A Head and I have to tell you now you want to add this book to your wish lists as it was absolutely hilarious (I had tears in my eyes from laughing so much!). In the part he read the main character Laurence (who is 15 and has to hold things together at home for his younger brother 6 year old Jay because their mum is always out drinking) is desperately in need of money because they haven't eaten properly for days. Laurence has found a bank book in his name but he needs his mum to be present to withdraw any money so he decides he'll have to pretend to be his mum and go to the bank. The descriptions of poor Laurence trying to put on tights and a bra were so funny and I can't wait to read the rest of the book! Dave did confirm that he tried dressing up as a woman himself before writing the scene and you can tell it was written from personal experience.

Casey, Hayley, Viv, Liz, Dwayne, Jasmine & Joss

Harriet, Stacey, Karen, Casey, Hayley, Viv & Liz

Carly, Darren, Sammee, Megan & Harriet

Dave & Joss

I'd like to say a massive thanks to OUP for organising such a fab evening and to both Joss and Dave for telling us all about their new books. I already know I love Stealing Phoenix and I'm sure I will enjoy 15 Days Without A Head.

Who was there:

Jennie, Jasmine & Harriet - Oxford University Press

Joss Stirling - Website

Dave Cousins - Website

Darren - Bookzone 4 Boys

Carly - Writing from the Tub

Casey & Hayley - Dark Readers

Dwayne - Girls Without A Bookshelf

Karen - Teenage Fiction For All Ages

Liz & Mark - My Favourite Books
Megan - The Book Addicted Girl
Paula - PaulaSHx - Event Report

Sammee - I Want To Read That

Stacey - The Pretty Books