I discovered the writing of Kirsty Eagar and was blown away. Everyone needs to read her now.

I was wowed by Margo Jefferson's memoir, Negroland, which is about growing up black and privileged in Chicago in the fifties and sixties. It was a window into an alien world. Obviously, I'm not black, but what was really alien to me was her family's focus on respectability. I was never taught when to wear white gloves, what length skirt is appropriate.

I continued blogging, but between illness and deadlines, did not manage to blog nearly as much as last year. I'm hoping to do better in 2016.

When I was little, I made up my own fairy tales, and the ghostly echo of Once upon a time shapes all the fiction Ive ever written.

Blogging, I love you no matter how out of fashion you are.

My favourite vampires are all very scary indeed. So the idea of falling in love with one is just weird to me.

If you're ever invited, fellow YA authors, go. It's the first YA con I've been to that was overwhelming populated by teens. Wonderful!