A - Z OF PEOPLE WATCHING: C IS FOR COFFEE SHOPS

This week's installment of my A - Z in human behaviour and people watching, stems from a few too many trips to my local coffee shop. This post is a little different from the previous ones as it's mostly based on my observations in a particular setting, but stick with me. Hopefully you'll find some nugget of truth or inspiration hidden in there somewhere.

C is for Coffee shops

Over the past few weekends whilst I've visited my regularly coffee shop, I've sipped my coffee and nosily watched the other people around me. And I couldn't help but notice particular types of drinkers.

The Techno Single
You'll recognise the techno single by the ubiquitous white headphones, laptop and phone. This drinker will have settled themselves near an electrical socket and most often in the comfiest seat. They will be in for the long haul so don't expect to get that comfy seat from them. They are also very keen to protect the space around them, and will pile their coat and bags up on the surrounding seats to prevent anyone else from getting too close. Despite the long hours they spend in the coffee shop, you'll rarely see a full cup of coffee in front of them. They're far too busy tapping away on their phone or computer to actually get a drink.

The Couple
Particularly prominent in new relationships or younger couples, you'll find these pairs deeply absorbed in each other's words or actions. Leaning over the table towards each other, they'll feed each other food, sip from each other's mugs, and find different ways to touch each other. For the couple, they are happy in their own little world, sharing little smiles between themselves. For the observer, it can be a little sickly sweet. Look at your own peril.

The Friends

The group of friends will create their own little space by pulling chairs or tables together and huddling around. Other members of the group will lean in over their steaming mugs as they listen to the next piece of interesting information from their companion. Volume won't be a concern as they chat, gossip and laugh together, getting increasingly louder as the conversation gets more interesting. 

The Student
Surrounded by books, the student will have their head in their hand as they contemplate the matter before them. They may be scribbling away in a notebook, or staring into space whilst they tap their pen in deep concentration. They'll have the table to themselves and their books, but there won't be a spare chair around them because the group of friends will have already taken them all.


But what does this have to do with writing, I hear you say. Well, to some degree, not much. They're just my observations. But to another degree these small observations can help bring our writing to life.

How many films feature cafe or diner scenes as part of their story? It's actually quite a lot. Think of the opening scene of Pulp Fiction, or Jim Carey's testing of his God-like powers in Bruce Almighty. OK, so these might be rather extreme examples, but even in these seemingly mundane places, things can happen. Unusual events that change the whole story or maybe it's something that just tells us a bit more about the protagonist. Does the hero stare into his coffee because he can't stop thinking about the girl he should have kissed? Are the couple one table over staring at each other shyly because they are on their first date or are they best friends that just haven't admitted their feelings for each other?

When it comes to writing (and acting) even the smallest of things can stick in your mind or make an impact on you. For me, I think Maggie Stiefvater is the perfect author of those random little moments and places. In The Wolves of Mercy Falls series I loved all the intimate and very real moments that Grace and Sam shared, whether it was in the bookstore, car or diner. In this example from Linger, I love how the awkwardness between Sam and Isabel comes across in their behaviour in Kenny's diner.

While she was gone, Isabel and I sat in a kind of uneasy silence filled by a Motown song playing overhead and the clattering of plates in the kitchen. I studied the shape of the salt shaker's warped shadow across the container of sugar packets. Isabel examined the chunky cuff of her sweater and the way it rested on the table. Finally, she said, "You made another bird thing."
I picked up the crane that I'd folded out of my napkin while I was waiting. It was lumpy and imperfect because the napkin hadn't been quite square. "Yeah."

Whilst I may have chosen a rather strange way to do it, the point I'm trying to illustrate is that you can find inspiration anywhere no matter how mundane or unexpected. So when you're next buying a coffee, take a look around and see what is lurking beneath the surface.

But before you go, tell me, which type of coffee drinker are you? :D

TRAILER TUESDAY #3

The purpose of my weekly trailer teasers is to highlight some fab books (and/or their related movies). Here are this week's trailers:

The first is a tribute to Halloween. It is the trailer for Alice in Zombieland by Gena Showalter published earlier this month by Mira Ink. A perfect read for Halloween!!

She won’t rest until she’s sent every walking corpse back to its grave. Forever.
Had anyone told Alice Bell that her entire life would change course between one heartbeat and the next, she would have laughed. From blissful to tragic, innocent to ruined? Please. But that’s all it took. One heartbeat. A blink, a breath, a second, and everything she knew and loved was gone.
Her father was right. The monsters are real….
To avenge her family, Ali must learn to fight the undead. To survive, she must learn to trust the baddest of the bad boys, Cole Holland. But Cole has secrets of his own, and if Ali isn’t careful, those secrets might just prove to be more dangerous than the zombies….

I wish I could go back and do a thousand things differently.
I'd tell my sister no.
I'd never beg my mother to talk to my dad.
I'd zip my lips and swallow those hateful words.
Or, barring all of that, I'd hug my sister, my mom and my dad one last time.
I'd tell them I love them.
I wish... Yeah, I wish.

*****

Although I haven't read the Hush, Hush series by Becca Fitzpatrick, I love the trailer for Finale. It really does tempt me to start the series! For those who want the last installment in the series, Finale was released a few days ago by Simon & Schuster:

Fates unfurl in the gripping conclusion to the New York Timesbestselling Hush, Hush saga.
Nora is more certain than ever that she is in love with Patch. Fallen angel or no, he is the one for her. Her heritage and destiny may mean they are fated to be enemies, but there is no turning her back on him. Now Nora and Patch must gather their strength to face one last, perilous trial. Old enemies return, new enemies are made, and a friend's ultimate betrayal threatens the peace Patch and Nora so desperately want. The battle lines are drawn—but which sides are they on? And in the end, are there some obstacles even love can't conquer?

THE GATHERING DARK BOOK EVENT & TRAILER

Earlier this week I had the great privilege of meeting Leigh Bardugo as part of her tour for her first YA fantasy The Gathering Dark (aka Shadow and Bone). Not only is Leigh an amazingly lovely person, but as Leigh described how she came up with the idea for her debut book, I literally got goosebumps...

Previously Leigh worked as a makeup artist. And as Halloween was always a time when everyone wanted spooky makeup done for free, Leigh decided to go out of town and escape from work. Her getaway with friends included a Halloween party for which she kindly offered to give the hosts a makeover as a goodwill gesture. Unfortunately they offered the entire party a free makeover courtesy of Leigh. So after several hours of slaving away at the party, Leigh wasn't best pleased. As a show of her feelings, the next night she decided to stay in and read when everyone else went out partying. But after falling asleep, she awoke in the strange country house to pitch blackness. As she panicked trying to find the light switch, she started thinking about a place where the dark was permanent and couldn't be turned off by the flick of a switch. This is turn made Leigh think about where this dark place would be and who might create such a terrible place. And thus, with some research which included Russian post-war stories, Shadow and Bone was born.

Having read the book, I can truly say it is beautifully written and enchanting. I loved the Russian elements, and now having heard of Leigh's background some of the characters and their roles in the book make perfect sense. In case you are intrigued, here is the blurb for the book:

The Shadow Fold, a swathe of impenetrable darkness, crawling with monsters that feast on human flesh, is slowly destroying the once-great nation of Ravka.

Alina, a pale, lonely orphan, discovers a unique power that thrusts her into the lavish world of the kingdom’s magical elite—the Grisha. Could she be the key to unravelling the dark fabric of the Shadow Fold and setting Ravka free? 

The Darkling, a creature of seductive charm and terrifying power, leader of the Grisha. If Alina is to fulfil her destiny, she must discover how to unlock her gift and face up to her dangerous attraction to him.
But what of Mal, Alina’s childhood best friend? As Alina contemplates her dazzling new future, why can’t she ever quite forget him?

There seems to have been a spate of YA books being bought recently for film, and The Gathering Dark is no different. Dreamworks have picked up Leigh's book for future film production and I can't wait to see who is cast for it. A few months back before this news was known, Casey at Dark Readers also saw the book's potential and decided we needed to make a trailer for the book.

So here is the video trailer the fab Casey and Amina put together for The Gathering Dark.

You can check out Leigh and The Gathering Dark here:

Amazon
Twitter
Goodreads

AUTHOR POST: TERA LYNN CHILDS ON SWEET VENOM

Today I am really excited to have author Tera Lynn Childs joining me on the blog to talk about some of the nasty and smelly mythological creatures her characters face in Tera's urban fantasy Sweet Venom.

Gretchen’s Top Three Mythological Monsters

After four years of hunting down human-thirsty beasts and sending them back to their bleak home, I think I’ve encountered pretty much a one of everything. Some were easier than others but, one way or another, I’ve fought and won every single time. There have been a few close calls, a handful of monsters that I’d rather never see again.

1. Cynocephali – A vicious tribe of dog-headed dudes. Every breed of dog is represented in their numbers, and the labs and collies are more bark than bite. The Dobermans and pit bulls, however, are bite-to-the-death types.

2. Sphinx – While the Egyptian version might be a riddle, the Greek beast with the body of a lion, eagle’s wings, a poisonous serpent for a tail, and the head and torso of a woman is real up front in her intention to kill. No mystery there.

3. Manticore – Big, brawny, and dumb as a pile of hollow rocks, manticores are human and huntress killing machines. Anything with the body of a lion is a tough hunt, but that spike-covered tail is a powerful deadly weapon.

If you see one of these walking down the street—not that you would, but if you did—then find another street. Or, better, find another town.

When I run into these creatures, if I’m not distracted by other problems like diva sisters and missing mentors, I like to use the element of surprise. They can’t smell me coming the way I can pinpoint them, so I put myself in position to sneak up on them or trap them. Then I get my bite in fast and hard, as close to the pulse point as possible. The less time these beasties spent in this realm the better. For all of us.

Thank you so much Tera for taking time to talk about Sweet Venom's Gretchen and the monsters she fights! I love Gretchen's attitude and the way she describes these nasties. If you would like to find out more about Tera Lynn Childs and her book Sweet Venom you can find it here:

Tera's website
Goodreads

Sweet Venom was released earlier this month by Templar Publishing. You can read my review of it here or you can head on over to Amazon to grab yourself a copy.

Tera is also doing a live webchat on Monday 1st October at 7pm (UK time). Just use the password getbitten.

FYI...AUTHOR EVENT 26TH SEPT 2012

Here's a quick bit of info, in case you missed it first time around like me.

An Evening with David Almond and Oliver Jeffers, chaired by Sarah McIntyre

WATERSTONE'S PICCADILLY
Wednesday 26th September at 6.30pm

Tickets £5/£3 for loyalty card holders, available in store or via events@piccadilly.waterstones.co.uk or 020 7851 2400.

David Almond, multi award-winning author of Skellig and Kit’s Wilderness will be joined by internationally acclaimed artist, writer and illustrator, Oliver Jeffers, whose books include Lost and Found, How to Catch a Star and the new release This Moose Belongs to Me, where they will be discussing their new book The Boy Who Swam with Piranhas, through a special words and pictures event, chaired by illustrator and writer, Sarah McIntyre.

More details: http://www.waterstones.com/waterstonesweb/displayDetailEvent.do?searchType=1&author=David|Almond

RHCP LAUNCHES NEW TEEN WEBSITE 'TOTALLYRANDOM'

There is some very exciting new today from Random House Children’s Publishers, as they have launched a new website aimed at teen and YA readers, TotallyRandom books.

It features author information with book samples, book trailers, blog posts written by authors and you can even vote on what's hot. 

Over the past 3 years RHCP has built an active teen community via Facebook and teen mailing lists and the new site provides a platform to grow this community, connecting readers from some of RHCP’s most successful teen brands including Lauren Kate, Christopher Paolini and Malorie Blackman, and introducing them to up and coming teen and YA authors.

The site launches with a feature on Jenny Downham before the forthcoming release of the Now is Good film adaptation of her YA novel, Before I Die.

Go check it out now!

VOTE FOR YOUR TOP UK YA BOOKS

In case you haven't heard, UK YA have put together the top 100 UK YA books, as decided by the public.

The list is now up on their website, and it is up to you to vote for your favourites. You can pick up to 10 of your favourites, but I guarantee it will be a tough decision!

SUMMER SCREAM: 4 VERY LOVELY AUTHORS

Zoe, Karen (talking about her books) & Lee

The other week I was thrilled to go to Foyle's Summer Scream event in London. Amid the chaos of the Olympics, 4 wonderful authors braved the tourists to come speak about their books.

The authors were: Zoe Marriott, Karen Mahoney, Michelle Harrison and L.A. Weatherly.

It was so refreshing and reassuring to hear authors talking about the struggles it took to get their first and current books written and published. Zoe talked about how her characters changed gender several times in the editing, and they all mentioned the frustrations and downfalls of leaving a story unfinished and uncompleted.

All four of the authors were lovely and funny and each gave a reading of their books. Michelle's reading was scary and thrilling (I loved Unrest!) and we were lucky enough to get a read from Karen Mahoney's not-yet-published book Falling to Ash. The main character, Moth, sounded spunky and so fun! Lee talked about her books becoming films, and Zoe talked about her childhood passion with a lot of zeal!

4 authors and 4 very cool books. In case you haven't picked up these books yet, here's a quick blurb...

Angel Fire by L.A. Weatherly
Only Willow has the power to defeat the malevolent Church of Angels, and they will stop at nothing to destroy her. Willow isn’t alone, though. She has Alex by her side – a trained Angel Killer and her one true love. But nothing can change the fact that Willow’s a half-angel, and when Alex joins forces with a group of AKs, she’s treated with mistrust and suspicion. She’s never felt more alone…until she meets Seb. He’s been searching for Willow his whole life – because Seb is a half-angel too.

Michelle and Zoe

The Wood Queen by Karen Mahoney
Donna Underwood is in deep trouble.An ancient alchemical order is holding her accountable for destroying the last precious drops of the elixar of life. Never mind the fact that Donna was acting to free her friend, Navin, from the dangerous clutches of the Wood Queen at the time. But what the alchemists have in store is nothing compared to the wrath of the fey. The Wood Queen has been tricked and Donna must pay. Get ready for all hell - quite literally - to break loose...

Unrest by Rachel Harrison
Seventeen-year-old Elliott hasn’t slept properly for months. Not since the accident that nearly killed him. Sometimes he half-wakes, paralysed, while shadowy figures move around him. Other times he is the one moving around while his body lies asleep on the bed. His doctors say sleep paralysis and out-of-body experiences are harmless - but to Elliott they’re terrifying.
Convinced that his brush with death has attracted the spirit world, Elliott secures a job at a reputedly haunted museum, determined to discover the truth. There, he meets the enigmatic Ophelia. But, as she and Elliott grow closer, Elliott draws new attention from the dead. One night, during an out-of-body experience, Elliott returns to bed to find his body gone. Something is occupying it, something that wants to live again - and it wants Ophelia, too . . .

FrostFire by Zoe Marriott
Frost is cursed - possessed by a wolf demon that brings death everywhere she goes. Desperate to find a cure, she flees her home, only to be captured by the Ruan Hill Guard. Trapped until she can prove she is not an enemy, Frost grows increasingly close to the Guard’s charismatic leader Luca and his second in command, the tortured Arian. Torn between two very different men, Frost fears that she may not be able to protect either of them ... from herself.

EXCLUSIVE COVER REVEAL & ARC GIVEAWAY: BROKEN

Today I am really pleased to be part of the exclusive cover reveal for Strange Chemistry's January 2013 title BROKEN by A.E. Rought:

Imagine a modern spin on Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein where a young couple’s undying love and the grief of a father pushed beyond sanity could spell the destruction of them all.

A string of suspicious deaths near a small Michigan town ends with a fall that claims the life of Emma Gentry’s boyfriend, Daniel. Emma is broken, a hollow shell mechanically moving through her days. She and Daniel had been made for each other, complete only when they were together. Now she restlessly wanders the town in the late Fall gloom, haunting the cemetary and its white-marbled tombs, feeling Daniel everywhere, his spectre in the moonlight and the fog.

When she encounters newcomer Alex Franks, only son of a renowned widowed surgeon, she’s intrigued despite herself. He’s an enigma, melting into shadows, preferring to keep to himself. But he is as drawn to her as she is to him. He is strangely…familiar. From the way he knows how to open her locker when it sticks, to the nickname she shared only with Daniel, even his hazel eyes with brown flecks are just like Daniel’s. The closer they become, though, the more something inside her screams there’s something very wrong with Alex Franks.

And when Emma stumbles across a grotesque and terrifying menagerie of mangled but living animals within the walls of the Franks’ estate, creatures she surely knows must have died from their injuries, she knows.

What do you think of the cover? I love the colours and the gothic feel to it! It perfectly fits the synopsis for the book.

Broken will be simultaneously released in paper and ebook versions in January 2013, which seems like a long way away! To make the wait even more tantalising here is my favourite snippet from Broken picked out by Ann the author.

       A heavy breath escapes me, and if he wasn’t holding me so close, I might melt and pour from this dress. 

     Alex clings to me like I may honestly be a fairytale princess and when he lets go, I’m going to disappear. He pulls off one glove, tingles following his bare hand as it glides over the curve of my back, up my neck to tangle in my curls. He guides my head to his chest. Thunder rumbles in his heartbeat, and his electric surge slicks over my skin like warm oil. 

     Neither of us speak. Words have less meaning than time in his arms. 

    “There’s so much I want to say,” he whispers in my ear. I press my fingers to his lips. My heart jolts when Alex kisses them. Then he curls them in his gloved hand and holds my hand pressed above his heart. “Feel that? It doesn’t beat for me, Emma.”

Gah, I can't wait to read it! If like me you can't wait to get your hands on a copy, enter below to win an ARC of Broken - UK entrants only sorry. (Please note: the giveaway deadline is 1st August 2012, and the winning ARC will be available a few weeks after this.)

a Rafflecopter giveaway

If you want visit the other blogs taking part in the cover reveal, here they are:

http://carlybennett.blogspot.co.uk/
http://daisychainbookreviews.blogspot.co.uk/
http://hannahmariska.blogspot.co.uk/
http://yabluewater.blogspot.co.uk/
http://www.chapter-by-chapter.com/
http://www.ilikethesebooks.com/
http://www.prationality.com
http://amberinblunderland.blogspot.com/

EXCLUSIVE PREQUELS TO SERAPHINA & THRONE OF GLASS

This is a quick note to highlight the prequels to two YA fantasy stories...


FREE NOVELLA TO THRONE OF GLASS
Bloomsbury are kingly offering readers the chance to read the free prequel novella to Throne of Glass by Sarah J. Maas, The Assassin & The Pirate Lord on SugarScape. It's only available for a few more days, so get reading. On this site you can also read a taster for Throne of Glass.

EXCLUSIVE PREQUEL TO SERAPHINA
Rachel Hartman has written a short prequel to her amazing fantasy, Seraphina, which is available for download on Scribd here.

I loved both of these books, so take the chance now to read the prequels and I would definitely recommend reading the books too!

HARRY POTTER COMPETITION: 15 YEARS OF MAGIC

Bloomsbury are currently holding a fab competition to celebrate the 15 year anniversary of Harry Potter. For your chance to prove you are the #1 Harry Potter fan and win some stunning prizes, read on ...

HARRY POTTER COMPETITION 

CELEBRATING 15 YEARS OF HARRY POTTER MAGIC 

THE SEARCH FOR UK AND IRELAND'S BIGGEST HARRY POTTER FAN

26th June - 31st July 2012

From an idea born on a train journey, to its creation in a small cafe in Edinburgh Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone is the book that started a global phenomenon. Rejected by many publishers and with an initial hardback print run of 500 copies, it has now sold over 90 million copies worldwide. It is the book that put Harry’s destiny in motion and created a whole new generation of readers. It is hard to think now that before 1997 none of us knew about Hogwarts, Quidditch or Voldemort (who was voted as the favourite literary villain in a recent Bloomsbury poll).

To celebrate the 15th anniversary of the publication of Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone Bloomsbury is launching a nationwide competition to find the UK’s biggest HARRY POTTER fan.

Bloomsbury is inviting fans to write a letter of no more than 50 words explaining why they love HARRY POTTER. We are looking for the most creative, clever and entertaining reasons and, while the word limit is set to a strict 50 words, entrants are encouraged to draw, doodle and make their letters as elaborate as possible.

HARRY POTTER fans can only enter by visiting a local bookshop or library and posting their letter in the specially designed postboxes. Over 1800 bookshops and libraries have already signed up to take part. The competition will run from Tuesday 26th June to Tuesday 31st July 2012 after which we will name the UK and Ireland’s biggest HARRY POTTER fan. The winner and runners up will be announced on Saturday 1st September.

Details of how to enter, a list of participating bookshops and libraries, and details of the prizes can be found on the website: www.bloomsbury.com/harrypottercompetition

Bloomsbury has created an exclusive short video to celebrate this anniversary which can be viewed at www.bloomsbury.com/harrypotter or by watching the trailer below:

ISTANBUL AT A GLANCE

In case you hadn't seen my occasional Twitter post last month, I thought I would regale everyone with pictures from the fabulous Istanbul, otherwise renamed by me as the 'Disneyland of Turkey' ;)

View from Topkapi Palace

Hagia Sophia

Istanbul is absolutely infused with history, right through from the Byzantium period (AD) to muslim life as it is today. It has seen Greek settlers, conversion to Christianity, Ottoman rule, Sultans, and chariot racing in the main square. The Hagia Sophia, above, was once the world's largest cathedral, although today it exists as a mosque. The Blue Mosque below is named after the blue tiles that adorn the inside, and the chatting at prayer time was magical. 

Blue Mosque at night

Although we only had a few days there, we managed to get around and see quite a bit. Topkapi Palace had some stunning views out over the Bosphorous, which would have made a pretty stunning home for a Sultan and his harem. Although the dedicated circumcision room was a little much for my taste!

Lots and lots of Turkish Delight!

The food there was also stunning with so many spices, street food like roasted chestnuts, plenty of Turkish delight and coffee that will keep you awake for days! All in all, it was a pretty cool way to spend a big birthday :)

Photos by my lovely other half, Dani Riot.

1952: A DIAMOND JUBILEE OF BOOKS

As we are celebrating the Queen's Diamond Jubilee, and commemorating her accession to the throne 60 years ago, I thought I would look at books published in 1952. These books hold high regard for me and will always have a fond space in my heart, not for the film/TV adaptations but because they take me straight back to me childhood. Other amazing books that were being published at this time were the Famous Five and Secret Seven series by Enid Blyton and Carolyn Keene's Nancy Drew series. I absolutely loved reading these books as a child with the lashings of whipped cream, frothy ginger beers and a huge dollop of mystery, and I will certainly pull out my family's old battered copies to read with my children.

Even though I read this book as a young child, I couldn't actually believe that it was published 60 years ago. I loved this book, because really who could resist the charm of a baby pig?

Charlotte's Web by E.B. White

An affectionate pig named Wilbur befriends a spider named Charlotte, who lives in the rafters above his pen. In this story of friendship, hardship, and the passing on into time, White reminds readers to open their eyes to the wonder and miracle found in the simplest of things.

*****

I was a little older when I read this one, but I think its underrated and overshadowed by some of the other books in the Narnia chronicles.

The Voyage of the Dawn Treader by C.S. Lewis

NARNIA . . . the world of wicked dragons and magic spells, where the very best is brought out of even the worst people, where anything can happen (and most often does) . . . and where the adventure begins. The Dawn Treader is the first ship Narnia has seen in centuries. King Caspian has built it for his voyage to find the seven lords, good men whom his evil uncle Miraz banished when he usurped the throne. The journey takes Edmund, Lucy, and their cousin Eustace to the Eastern Islands, beyond the Silver Sea, toward Aslan's country at the End of the World. Enter this enchanted world countless times in The Chronicles of Narnia.

*****

This book won the Carnegie Medal in 1952, and even today is still enchanting audiences on paper and film.

The Borrowers by Mary Norton

The Borrowers—the Clock family: Homily, Pod, and their fourteen-year-old daughter, Arrietty, to be precise—are tiny people who live underneath the kitchen floor of an old English country manor. All their minuscule home furnishings, from postage stamp paintings to champagne cork chairs, are “borrowed” from the “human beans” who tromp around loudly above them. All is well until Pod is spotted upstairs by a human boy! Can the Clocks stay nested safely in their beloved hidden home, or will they be forced to flee?

INSURGENT BLOG TOUR: PIERCINGS

As part of the Team Dauntless UK blog tour for Insurgent, I'll be looking at the wonderful world of body piercings.

Although tattoos and piercings are now fairly commonplace in our society, they can still be a taboo thing to have, especially when it comes to work. But in the Dauntless faction, it wouldn't be odd or out of place.

Nowadays body piercing is a form of self expression, but different forms of body piercing have existed since ancient times, often with a spiritual or ritualistic element. The oldest mummified body with ear piercings is 5,300 years old and the tradition in India for women of childbearing age to wear a nose stud dates back to the 16th century. Even back then you could find the dauntless!

As my current partner is an ex-body piercer (and it was in this role that we actually met) I thought I would ask him about some of the more unusual and interesting piercings he’s done: 

"The more unusual and most complicated, piercing I did was a corset piercing on a girl's back. It took two of us to do and 4 hours overall, as we had to do 12 individual ring piercings that all had to line up as it would later be threaded with ribbon to make the corset effect. The most fun one to do was actually nail piercings as I got to use a tiny drill to make a hole in the nail. But it was often the most unassuming of people that would walk in, wearing their office suit, to get hidden piercings..." 

Many, many years ago as a young teenager I was considering what first piercing to get when I saw an article on the different types of piercings in Kerrang magazine. The one that stood out for me was the septum piercing (think Keith from Prodigy). After that I got the back of my neck pierced with a small bar, followed by my wrist piercing (which was when I met my lovely other half whilst he worked in the piercing studio) and then I set about stretching my ears to 10mm. I've lost a few piercings over the years, but think I may still  have one or two left in me.

But if piercings aren't daring enough for you, then there is a myriad of other forms of self expression that might take your fancy such as implants. Far from the 'normal' surface piercings such as ears, lip, belly button or tongue, dermal implants are surgically anchored under the skin with the jewellery showing on the skin like a little flat ball. For those with no fear at all, then full implants under the skin might be your style.

What I’d really like to know is whether you have been tempted or could be tempted to get a piercing? What kind of piercing would you have and where would you get pierced?

Click here to pre-order Insurgent which comes out on 1st May 2012.

Don't forget to check out Jayde's post which is also up today and forthcoming posts from Andrew and Keith…

28th April: Jayde @ Ink Scratchers
29th April: Andrew @ The Pewter Wolf
30th April: Keith @ Books and Writers