Congratulations Teri for an amazing 11 awards!

This week, crack open the champers and make some noise for Teri Terry who’s just launched the final book in the Slated trilogy, Shattered. Teri blogged about the launch party here, where she says: “I've gone from completely-terrified-debut-author-clutching-first-book-full-of-hope, to slightly-less-terrified-third-time-author-clutching-last-of-trilogy.” 




For the last few months, Slated has been scooping awards all over the country.

The eleven awards won by Slated so far: 

North East Teen Book Award
Leeds Book Award
Portsmouth Book Award
Angus Book Award
Amazing Book Award (Sussex Coast Schools)
Rotherham Book Award
Rib Valley Book Award
Bishop Luffa School Book Award
RED Book Award (Falkirk)
Concorde Book Award (Bristol)
British School of Paris Brilliant Book Award 

Teri says “Slated was written on hope: hope that one day it might be published, hope that it would then find its way into the hands of readers, and hope that they might like it. I'm absolutely thrilled, delighted, and more than a little astonished that Slated has captured readers' imaginations as well as their votes for these awards.” 

We were extra thrilled for Teri that Fractured, the second book in the trilogy was recently in the shortlist for the SCBWI Crystal Kite Awards, together with Candy Gourlay's Shine, which won the Award, and Elizabeth Wein's Rose Under Fire. It was a tough shortlist to choose from! 

You'll be pleased to hear that Orchard Books have acquired a further two books from Teri Terry. The first, a futuristic thriller, is scheduled for publication in March 2015. 

Some of you will be with Teri this weekend at the SCBWI Writers' Retreat at Dunford House. 

And here are some more pictures taken at the launch of Shattered at the Islington Waterstones in London. There were YA authors and Scoobies a-plenty. See if you can spot them in the piccies below. Thanks to my daughter Anushka Tay for taking the photos.

Candy Gourlay, Nick Cross & Megan Larkin, Publishing Director, Orchard

Hilary Freeman, Judy Waite, Amanda Lillywhite

Candy Gourlay, Laure Eve, James Dawson, Ruth Warburton

Tim Collins, Jo Wyton

Emma Styles, Charlotte Ellis

Anushka Tay snapping away...

Teri Terry signing away...

Penny Holroyde, Agent at Caroline Sheldon Literary Agency,
Rosie Turner, Editor at Orchard Books, Jessica Clarke, Editorial Director,
Orchard Books, Victoria Rontaler, Publicist at Orchard, Corinne Gotch.

---

Tania Tay is an ex-advertising copywriter and has been published in Sable LitMag. She is currently writing a YA romantic thriller with the help of The Golden Egg Academy.

Let's celebrate with Bryony Pearce!

Bryony Pearce’s heartfelt tale about her journey as an author has long been the most popular post on Words & Pictures. So we're very happy to crack open the bubbly and celebrate the launch of her second novel, The Weight of Souls which was published by Strange Chemistry on 1st August. 

Book blurb: Sixteen year old Taylor Oh is cursed: if she is touched by the ghost of a murder victim then they pass a mark beneath her skin. She has three weeks to find their murderer and pass the mark to them letting justice take place and sending them into the Darkness. And if she doesn t make it in time? The Darkness will come for her... 

 Amanda Rutter, Bryony’s editor at Strange Chemistry says: "I decided to commission The Weight of Souls on the basis of the first chapter - I had so many questions about the curse that Taylor Oh carries that I knew I would just have to read on. And then I was sucked into a brilliantly-written novel that was dark and funny and managed to handle such deep issues as bullying with a delicate touch. The tone of the dialogue was simply pitch-perfect, and I knew this was a book that teenagers (and older readers) would devour in one sitting - just as I did." 

@BryonyPearce

 Bryony Pearce is a chocolate loving vegetarian who lives with her husband and two small children in a village on the edge of the Peak District. She writes whenever she can because otherwise her characters fill her head with noise. Her writing is darker than she appears and, since publication of her first novel, mothers on the school run have started looking at her as if she will begin serial killing any moment. However there are very few people she would like to chop into small pieces, so they are probably okay. Her first book, Angel's Fury was winner of the Leeds Book Award and Cheshire Schools Book Award. 

 If you haven't already read Bryony's account of her publishing journey, do read it here. And please join me in wishing Bryony every success for the future! 

---

Tania Tay is an ex-advertising copywriter and has been published in Sable LitMag. She is currently writing a YA romantic thriller, and is on the editorial team at Words & Pictures.

Crack open the bubbly for Kathryn & winners Teri Terry and Dave Cousins

Three cheers for Kathryn! Hip Hip...

 It’s been an exciting week for SCBWI writers but first, I’d like you to join me in saying a massive thank you and hip hip hooray to Kathryn Evans, our lovely Celebrations Editor here at Words & Pictures. She’s been unflagging in cheering on the brilliant SCBWI successes since Words & Pictures started in March. Kathryn says: “I'm really sorry to be stepping down as I've had so much fun sharing everyone's news but I'm taking on a new SCBWI role and there just won't be time to do this one justice as well. So drum roll please.....here's Tania Tay!!!!!” 

Yes, that's me... I’m taking over the Celebrations column for a bit so please send me all your successes and let’s carry on toasting everybody’s amazing news!

Teri Terry's a winner in Leeds

For my first piece of fabulous news, you may remember a few weeks ago we told you that Teri Terry was nominated for the Leeds Book Awards among a host of awards listed here. Well, I’m delighted to announce that last week her brilliant book, Slated was the winner for the 14-16 category. Teri says: “I was very excited when Slated won the Leeds Book Award in the 14 - 16 category in Leeds on 23rd of May!” And we were all extremely excited too… 

 Photo: Nicky Busby@Yorkshire Images

In Teri's own words... pretty awesome! The Leeds Book Awards winners are voted for by young readers through schools and libraries in Leeds – and as we all know, it’s ultimately the readers who count. Teri tells us that the Leeds Book Awards ceremony was held at the Leeds Civic Hall. The event was MC'd by writer Dave Cryer and there were 10 short listed authors present, five from the 11 - 14 and five from the 14 - 16 categories. Each author spoke for a few minutes about themselves or their books, then answered questions from a packed audience of readers from schools across Leeds. Finally, a golden envelope was opened by a volunteer student to announce each winner. The winner for the 14-16 category was Teri for Slated, and the 11-14 category was won by Mark Lowery, for Socks are not Enough. 

Megan Larkin, Teri’s editor said: "Slated is a remarkable debut; it completely gets under your skin, and lingers in your mind long after you've finished reading it. It's haunting, tense and thought-provoking. We're thrilled to be launching such an exciting new author on the Orchard Books teen list." And at Words & Pictures we’re thrilled to bits that it’s got under the skin of all the teenage readers in Leeds who voted for Teri to win… 

Teri’s busy promoting Fractured the sequel to Slated, and doing final edits for the third in the trilogy... the title of which was just revealed on Teri's website as... drum roll!!.... Shattered.

---

Congratulazioni Dave Cousins!

Photo by Jennie Younger

The amazing Dave Cousins is back... This time, the Italian edition of 15 Days Without a Head…. Quindici Giorni Senza Testa – published by San Paolo in Jan 2013 - won the Andersen Prize for Best Book for readers over 15 years. The Andersen Award is the most prestigious Italian award given to children's books, their authors, illustrators and publishers. Each year they select the best works, with particular attention to the most innovative and original. Fresh off the plane, Dave tells us: “I had a great couple of days in Italy. The people from Andersen and San Paolo were wonderful hosts, and the audience at the award were very gracious in their applause after my attempt to give an acceptance speech in Italian!” 

The Italian edition!

Just in case you missed it, Jan our Editor chatted to Dave last week  about winning Undiscovered Voices and his journey to the 2013 SCBWI Crystal Kite Award for the UK and Europe, which many of us will have voted for. But his remarkable book keeps scooping up the nominations and awards. 15 Days Without a Head has been long-listed for both the Carnegie and Branford Boase this year. It was also shortlisted for the North East Teenage Book Award, The James Reckitt Hull Children's Book Award, The Grampian Children's Book Award and the Lancashire Book of the Year Award. Dave tells us: “It is also on a number of other shortlists, but the winner hasn't been announced for those yet, so I'm still keeping my fingers crossed!” 

Woooohooooo!!!!! Applause please!!!!

I hope you’ll join me in giving Teri Terry and Dave Cousins a ton of applause and hip hip hoorays for their inspiring wins. Ciao from me until next week! 

---

Tania Tay is an ex-advertising copywriter and has been published in Sable LitMag. She is writing MG and YA fiction, and is on the editorial team at Words & Pictures.