Owing to a considerable amount of confusion and bewilderment over my singing mice confession, I’ve uploaded some live footage of the “Let It Snow” mouse. He’s standing next to some book. Unfortunately his friend, the “We Wish You A Merry Christmas” mouse has been rushed to singing mouse hospital for Transanal Endoscopic Microsurgery. He hopes to be fully recovered by Christmas Day.

UPDATE 14th December: and you can read part 2 here.

(My daughter was very confused about the competition – she thought you were all coming over to our house to take part in some kind of challenge – but she was happy to decorate the competition receptacle and close her eyes to select…..*drumroll*

Suzana from Bookalicious! Send me an email (em@emilygale.co.uk) with your details and I’ll post your copy on Monday.

Thanks to all who entered.

And the reason for my dancing?

See here, where fellow YA author Cat Clarke on her blog “This Counts as Writing, Right?” comes up with five reasons to read Girl, Aloud (Cat’s debut will be published by Quercus…see her blog to find out more).

and also here, where one of my writing heroes, Luisa Plaja, of the brilliant “Chicklish”, calls my book “a wonderfully-observed, realistic and moving mix of relationship drama and gentle comedy”. This is very special because Luisa is one of the reasons I started writing Girl, Aloud back in 2006. If you don’t know her work (shame on you!) do check out Split By A Kiss (very soon to be followed by Swapped By A Kiss, which I’m dying to read).

and finally here, where author, bookseller, reviewer, supremo Litopia podcaster (yep, she’s a busy woman) Eve Harvey of Vulpes Libris describes it as “a dark comedy full of bittersweet self-effacing humour” and claims I nearly made her cry (only nearly? Hmm, more work on that needed! I’ll get ya good n proper next time, Eve).

Don’t forget to enter my competition to win a copy of Girl, Aloud – open to all! Winner to be drawn on Friday 4th December. See here.

Emily Gale deals with some very difficult and complex topics with a sparkling mix of wit, humour, and intelligence. The characters have real depth, and while the story themes may not be new, their telling is original, and the story is moving and hilarious in just the right quantities. read more here if you like…

Kass's doodles

From today, star of Girl, Aloud – Kass Kennedy – will be letting off steam on Twitter (find her at http://twitter.com/KassKennedy). She’ll tweet her Dad’s latest crazy ideas (first up: why on earth is he looking for her double?), her brother’s misdeeds and what her best friends think of it all (Izzy speaks fluent therapy and Char is being mysteriously catty).

Question is, can Kass really sum up her problems in 140 characters or less? Follow her and see!