'Songs About Us' - a cover reveal AND chapter 1!
I
am both gleefully fangirlishly squealingly overjoyed and most
sensibly humbly honoured to have been given the chance to unveil not
only the cover for the hot new
#boybandlit release 'Songs About Us', sequel to Chris Russell's
totally gorgeous 2016 novel 'Songs About a Girl', but also
to be treating you lucky readers
to a snippet of the first chapter! Oh yes, you guys are getting a deluxe VIP backstage pass to the hottest show in town right now...
Book trailer for 'Songs About a Girl'!
For
those of you who don't know, 'Songs About a Girl' came into the world
of UKYA last year (under the watchful eye of the total babes at
Hachette) and soon we were all hearing the hot goss about quiet teen
girl Charlie Bloom, the amateur photographer suddenly called in to
shoot the Fire&Lights lads backstage on their tour...and getting
more than she bargained for between snaps.
Also,
the book had a soundtrack! If you wanna know all about that, be sure
to read this guest post by the fabulous author and get listening to
the jams.
'Songs About Us' is due out on the 13th of July 2017. But surely we cannot be expected to wait until then to see what it'll look like?! Oh, no.
Enough
teasing now, I think. Let's have a look at the cover, shall we...??
In 3, 2, 1...
I
know. Gorgeous, right? I won't lie guys, I didn't think anything
could match up to the first cover...and I've been very happily proven
wrong! And yes, I do dream
of being 'with the band'. Maybe someday...
But
the juicy reveals aren't over yet! This just in – a Chapter 1
preview! Enjoy, devoted fans...
I stared
into Gabriel’s eyes, heart pounding in my throat. Memories were
rushing back to me in broken fragments, the smell of his skin, lines
from his songs. My feet were rooted to the ground.
‘You
know this toothpaste is on two-for-one, don’t you?’ said the
check-out lady, waving for my attention. I tugged my gaze from
Gabriel’s face on the magazine rack.
‘Sorry?’
She was
pointing a tube of Colgate at me.
‘Two-for-one,’
she repeated.
‘Oh.
Right.’
I moved a
block of cheese on to the conveyor belt, fighting a blush. Meanwhile,
the check-out lady clicked her fingers at a lank-haired boy stacking
baskets at the end of the aisle. He looked up, like a startled bird.
‘Mav’ll
get it for you.’
The boy
nodded, then shuffled off towards the toiletries. The woman went back
to scanning my shopping.
‘Sexy,
isn’t he?’ she said. I watched the lank-haired boy scratching his
bum as he wandered past the meat counter.
‘Who,
Mav?’
She
snorted, and dropped a box of tampons.
‘No, not
Mav.’ She nodded at the magazine rack. ‘That Gabriel West.’
My eyes
returned to the row of magazines. Ten Gabriels, standing side by
side, gazing back at me from underneath the headline: ‘GABRIEL WEST
TOPS OUR SPRING HOTTIES LIST!! GET IN LINE, GIRLS!!’
‘Um,
yeah, I suppose.’ I unfolded one of my tote bags. ‘If you like
that sort of thing.’
The
check-out lady made a funny sound, a sort of ‘mmm’ mixed with a
‘yeeeah’, and stared off into the distance. Then she picked up a
cucumber, and started waving it around.
‘Mind
you, that other one, Olly Samson, he’s got a pretty face and all.
He’s from round here, you know.’
My phone
beeped loudly in my pocket. The woman nodded at my hip. ‘Who’s
that, your boyfriend?’ she asked nosily. My mouth dropped open as I
read the name on the screen.
‘It’s
. . . Olly Samson.’
The woman
froze, a bag of satsumas dangling from her hand. I realised I’d
said the words out loud, and a quiet panic gathered inside me. I
hadn’t been recognised as ‘that random groupie’ for months –
the world had, thankfully, forgotten about me entirely – but even
so, it was a stupid mistake to make.
She was
staring at me, her forehead crinkled. Eventually, her features broke
into a smile.
‘Aaah,
that’s a good one, that is! “I got a text from Olly Samson”.’
She shook her head, and passed the satsumas through the scanner. ‘And
I suppose you’ve got Gabriel West on speed-dial, right?’
Relieved,
I began filling my bag with shopping.
‘Something
like that, yeah.’
‘I’d
take any one of them, myself,’ she said, with a musical sigh. ‘But
let’s face it . . . popstars don’t exactly fall for people like
us, do they?’
On the way
out through the car park, shopping bags in one hand, phone in the
other, I read Olly’s message.
Hey,
Charlie!! It’s been a while. How are you? :) x
I tapped
back a reply.
I’m
good. Great to hear from you. How’s the tour? x
Exhausting,
but SO much fun.
I hadn’t
heard from Olly since December. After that night at the Rochester, he
had sent me a single Facebook message – If you ever need to
talk, I’m here – but I hadn’t replied. I’m not sure he
expected me to. And then the band went away on tour, and he didn’t
make contact again. If I knew Olly, he’d simply been waiting
patiently, while I drifted back to normal life.
Hearing
from him again like this, out of the blue, was giving me an
unexpected rush.
So
where are you now? I replied.
Hotel
in Tokyo. People keep bringing us sushi! You?
Been
to the shops. We ran out of dishwasher salt. I waited a
moment, then added: Sometimes I can’t
take the glamour.
:)
:) :)
I searched
around for Dad’s car, and spotted it by the trolley rank. Another
message hit my screen.
So
. . . do you have any plans on Friday?
I picked
up speed, typing as I walked. Why would he be asking that?
Don’t
think so. Why?
Thirty
seconds passed. I reached the car and dropped the bags into the boot.
He still hadn’t replied.
Olly?
Sorry,
Sian’s just arrived – I have to go. TV interview!!
I walked
round to the passenger door, clicked it open and dropped inside. Dad
was still on the phone to a client.
So
what’s happening on Friday? I wrote.
I’ll
tell you later – but keep it free if you can. I promise it’ll be
worth it :) x
By the
time I’d shut the door behind me, Olly had already gone offline.
***
There we have it, my fellow fangirls and hardcore #boybandlit lovers! Are you intrigued? I know I am. Bring on July 13th!
This cover is fantastic and I can't wait to read this book but I need to read the first book!
ReplyDeleteYou totally do, the first book is excellent! (And just FYI, it's only £5.87 on A Great Read... https://agreatread.co.uk/songs-about-a-girl-9781444929157/ ;) )
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