Rogue Blog Tour
Pan Macmillan Australia, together with the #AusYABloggers are celebrating the release of Rogue by Australian author A.J.Betts. On tour, you will find bloggers, reviewers and Instagrammers from Australia sharing their thoughts on Rogue, beginning on July 1st until July 5th 2019.
Tour Schedule
About the book
Published by Pan Macmillan
ISBN 9781760556440
Published June 25th 2019
Add to Goodreads
RRP $16.99
There was no going back; there was no choice, anymore. I'd chosen out and this was it: hot-cold, dry-wet, bright-dark and lonely.
Hayley has gone rogue.
She's left everything she's ever known - her friends, her bees, her whole world - because her curiosity was too big to fit within the walls of her underwater home.
But what is this new world she's come to? Has Hayley finally found somewhere she can belong?
Or will she have to keep running?
The thrilling conclusion to Hive from award-winning, internationally bestselling author A. J. Betts
PRAISE AND AWARDS FOR HIVE
"A striking dystopian world: Hive carves out a niche through intriguing and original world-building [with] enough imaginative vitamin to tease readers into anticipating the second and final volume in the series." Sydney Morning Herald
Shortlisted for the Australian Book Industry Awards 2019
Shortlisted for the Indie Book Awards 2019
Children's Book Council of Australia Notable Book 2019
About the author
A. J. Betts is an Australian author, speaker, teacher and cyclist, and has a PhD on the topic of wonder, in life and in reading. She has written five novels for young adults. Her third novel, Zac & Mia, won the 2012 Text Prize, the 2014 SCBWI Crystal Kite Award, and the 2014 Ethel Turner prize for young adults at the New South Wales Premier's Literary Awards, was shortlisted for the 2014 Queensland Literary Award, and is available in 14 countries. It was adapted for American television by AwesomenessTV, and will soon be available globally. Her fourth novel, Hive, was shortlisted for the 2019 Indie Book Awards and is a notable book in the Children's Book Council of Australia awards. A. J. is originally from Queensland but has lived in Fremantle since 2004.
All That Impossible Space Tour!
Hachette Australia, together with the #AusYABloggers are celebrating the release of All That Impossible Space by Australian debut author Anna Morgan. On tour, you will find bloggers, reviewers and Instagrammers from Australia sharing their thoughts on All That Impossible Space, beginning on June 24th until June 28th 2019.
Follow the tour below
About the book
Published by Hachette Australia
ISBN 9780734419637
Published June 25th 2019
Add to Goodreads
RRP $19.99
Amelia Westlake meets My Favorite Murder in this debut from a terrific new voice in Australian YA. Combines a realistic story about high school drama and toxic friendship with true crime - the endlessly fascinating Somerton Man or Taman Shud mystery.
15-year-old Lara Laylor feels like supporting character in her own life. She's Ashley's best friend, she's Hannah's sister-she's never just Lara.
When new history teacher Mr. Grant gives her an unusual assignment: investigating the mystery of the Somerton Man. Found dead in on an Adelaide beach in 1948, a half-smoked cigarette still in his mouth and the labels cut out of his clothes, the Somerton Man has intrigued people for years. Was he a spy? A criminal? Year 10 has plenty of mysteries of its own: boys, drama queen friends, and enigmatic new students. When they seem just as unsolvable as a 60-year-old cold case, Lara finds herself spending more and more time on the assignment. But Mr Grant himself may be the biggest mystery of all...
About the author
Anna was born in Sydney, but spent most of her childhood surrounded by mountains in Nepal and Tibet while her parents were part of an international community of health professionals. Navigating this cross-cultural life made her a curious observer of people, although most of her time was spent reading Enid Blyton and dreaming of going to boarding school. This did not cushion the shock of shifting from home-school in Tibet to an all-girls high school in Melbourne when her family returned to Australia.
Anna completed a MA in Writing for Young People at Bath Spa University in 2015, and now lives in Melbourne with her husband. She works as a bookseller.
Blog Tour: Kindred: 12 Queer Stories #Loveozya - Guest Review and Interview from Amy
We are opening up our blog today from a Guest Review and Interview from Amy. Hope you enjoy her thoughts- Tash
Hey! I am super grateful to be a part of this tour with the
release of Kindred: 12 Queer #LoveOzYA Stories and I’d like to start off by
saying a massive massive thank you to Walker Books Australia and
AusYABloggers for sending me a copy of the book and allowing me to share my
thoughts. I’ve also had the delightful privilege of interviewing Erin Gough,
which you can find after my review.
About the book...
What does it mean to be queer? What does it mean to be human? In this powerful #LoveOzYA collection, twelve of Australia’s finest writers from the LGBTQ+ community explore the stories of family, friends, lovers and strangers – the connections that form us.This inclusive and intersectional #OwnVoices anthology for teen readers features work from writers of diverse genders, sexualities and identities, including writers who identify as First Nations, people of colour or disabled. With short stories by bestsellers, award winners and newcomers to young adult fiction including Jax Jacki Brown, Claire G Coleman, Michael Earp, Alison Evans, Erin Gough, Benjamin Law, Omar Sakr, Christos Tsiolkas, Ellen van Neerven, Marlee Jane Ward, Jen Wilde and Nevo Zisin.
Includes a foreword by anthology editor Michael Earp, resources for queer teens, contributor bios and information about the #LoveOzYA movement.
View Kindred on Goodreads | Walker Books Australia
Purchase Links
If you purchase Kindred from The Little Bookroom you can have it signed By Michael Earp. All You have to do is mention in the order notes that you followed the Kindred Tour and would like your copy signed by Michael.
This is a book for queer youth to know that they are not alone in
their experiences, that these incredible and diverse set of authors have lived
these queer lives and understand themselves and their experiences so much so
that they are able to articulate this understanding beautifully and capture it
in stories such as the twelve wonderful short stories in this anthology. We
read to know we are not alone, and to read a book like this instantly validates
experiences outside of the usual cishet bubble. As lovely as this tour it, I really
hope that this book finds itself in the hands of the kids who need it and for
them to know that it’s okay.
This book was wonderfully diverse and not just with a variety of
queer identities, but also featured disabled and First Nations authors and characters.
In the same way I feel validated by reading about the gay stuff, I know that
this extra level of inclusivity will mean worlds for the young people in those
situations.
I enjoyed certain stories more than others, which I think is fair when
reading an anthology like this with such a diverse set of very unique and
really very quite different stories. From dystopian worlds to first
interactions with crushes, relationships with family to magical quests, there
is a story in here for everyone. I think my personal favourites would have to
be Jen Wilde’s “Waiting”, Marlee Jane Ward’s “Rats”, Michael Earp’s “Bitter
Draught” and of course, Erin Gough’s “In Case of Emergency, Break Glass”.
Please make sure to check out the other stops on this tour with
plenty more in depth reviews and interviews by going here!
Interview with Erin Gough
Without further ado, I’d like to share my interview with the every
lovely Erin Gough. I am absolutely obsessed with her second novel, Amelia
Westlake, and adore her works, so this interview was particularly exciting.
This interview was completed before I had received the book,
however I had the absolute pleasure of meeting Erin at the Kindred launch in Melbourne
to say hello. Even as I got stuck behind the tables and had to rush off quickly
afterwards – heaven forbid we miss our train home (spoiler: we didn’t) – she
was very kind and welcoming.
Before I
get too into it, I thought I’d start off with some simpler easy questions first
just to let you warm up a little.
Yes or no
- Pineapple on pizza?
Yes. Bring it.
Do you
have a favourite word?
‘Agile’ is my current favourite. I am
definitely overusing it in my writing at the moment.
If you
could only ever listen to one artist for the rest of your life, what would it
be?
Nina Simone.
Alright
too easy (I hope?). I think that's enough of a warm up, here's some questions
that perhaps may require a bit more brainpower.
Exploring
and defining your identity can be a difficult process on its own without the
extra hurdles that can come along with being queer - such as potential mental
and internal struggles, or challenges from the world around you. How did you
navigate (or perhaps still are navigating) this process of exploring your queer
identity?
It was hard. It’s still hard at times,
but it’s a lot easier than it was when I was a teen. I was in denial for a long
time about my sexuality. I didn’t know any lesbians. I grew up in a fairly
religious community and being gay was not a legitimate identity in that
community. Even though I suspected I was a lesbian, I told myself it was just
that I hadn’t met the right boy yet. I decided I had to date a few boys to be
sure, which I did. Then I kissed a girl. It changed everything. I was at
university and living out of home by then, which made it a lot easier to
explore who I was. I don’t think I could have done that had I been living with
my parents.
And to
follow on from that, how do you identify?
As a cis lesbian.
And of
course, queer identities also generally have the extra element of them with
regards to coming out. How was your coming out experience?
It was pretty hard. I was 24. I waited
until I was living overseas to phone my parents. They were really upset and
said some hurtful things. When I came home a few months later I had a hard time
adjusting to being out. My friends were amazing, which helped. Some of them
knew already. My girlfriend and her family were incredibly supportive. I also had
some counselling, which was exactly what I needed. And I took up kickboxing,
which was awesome! I pounded a lot of anger into those punching bags.
What (or
who?) inspired the short story you contributed to Kindred?
The story is partly inspired by my own
experience of dating boys when I was in my late teens and early twenties and
trying to make it work. And then meeting someone who changed everything. That’s
what my protagonist, Amy, experiences. She meets this girl – in a hall
cupboard, of all places – and it is so life changing that the dead rise up, the
world floods, and people start speaking in rhyme. These surreal elements of the
story are a departure from my usual approach. I wanted to convey how incredible
it is to finally be with someone you’re attracted to, after denying that part
of yourself for so long.
Apart from
your own story, which is your favourite story from Kindred and why?
Marlee Jane Ward’s ‘Rats’ is amazing.
The voices of her characters are so strong, the language she uses to tell her
story is poetry, and her narrative had me on the edge of my seat.
And
finally, do you have any words of wisdom for young queer Aussie teens?
Be proud of who you are, because you
ought to be.
Kindred Tour
Walker Books Australia, together with Michael Earp and the #AusYABloggers are celebrating the release of the Kindred: 12 Queer #LoveOzYA Stories anthology. This is an #ownvoices tour featuring queer creators, bloggers, instagrammers, reviewers and youtubers from Australia and New Zealand, celebrating pride month with the release of Kindred.
Follow The Tour Below
About the book...
What does it mean to be queer? What does it mean to be human? In this powerful #LoveOzYA collection, twelve of Australia’s finest writers from the LGBTQ+ community explore the stories of family, friends, lovers and strangers – the connections that form us.This inclusive and intersectional #OwnVoices anthology for teen readers features work from writers of diverse genders, sexualities and identities, including writers who identify as First Nations, people of colour or disabled. With short stories by bestsellers, award winners and newcomers to young adult fiction including Jax Jacki Brown, Claire G Coleman, Michael Earp, Alison Evans, Erin Gough, Benjamin Law, Omar Sakr, Christos Tsiolkas, Ellen van Neerven, Marlee Jane Ward, Jen Wilde and Nevo Zisin.
Includes a foreword by anthology editor Michael Earp, resources for queer teens, contributor bios and information about the #LoveOzYA movement.
View Kindred on Goodreads | Walker Books Australia
Purchase Links
If you purchase Kindred from The Little Bookroom you can have it signed By Michael Earp. All You have to do is mention in the order notes that you followed the Kindred Tour and would like your copy signed by Michael.
For people looking to find a bookshop near them: Find A Bookshop.
Hashtags to check out and keep an eye on even after the tour is over:
#KindredStories #AusYaBloggers #AusQueerYA #LoveOZYA #OwnVoices
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