THE COLORS OF MADELEINE BLOG TOUR (& Giveaway): A Corner of White by Jaclyn Moriarty

Jaclyn Moriarty is one of Ana’s favourite writers (her Ashbury/Brookfield series is a thing of beauty) and A Corner of White has been a highly anticipated read since she first heard about it. And the book turned out to be as AMAZING as expected. So when we were invited to take part on the blog tour, we said yes as fast as we could.

Please, give it up for Jaclyn!

The Colours of Cello

In the Kingdom of Cello, certain colours that have come to life. These are known as the Colours of Cello. A Colour’s shade determines its form and its effect: some Colours float or mist or rain, some get under your fingernails or into your coffee beans. Some Colours have a fragrance, some, like Lemon Yellow or Hot Pink, can be extremely damaging to your eyes. It can be difficult to distinguish between a third level Grey, which will tear you to pieces, and a thunderstorm… There are Colours that bring out the beauty of your smile, Colours that spike like needles, and Colours so loud they can overwhelm your senses.

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A few years ago, I decided to write a trilogy about the Kingdom of Cello. I drew a map of the Kingdom and its provinces, and I wrote notes about its landscape and politics. But I felt like something was missing.

One day I was working on my plan in a café. I always take big notebooks and coloured markers along when I work in a café. I use the markers to draw pictures or diagrams, and to accidentally drop onto the floor. So I spend a lot of my writing time bumping my head on the underside of tables as I search for a fallen marker, or apologising to strangers who have tripped over one (those things can really send you flying), or knocking my coffee sideways as I lunge across the table to try to catch a marker that is rolling steadily towards the edge.

Anyway, this day, a friend walked by the cafe where I was working. He waved through the window, then came inside, sat at my table, and asked what I was up to. (One thing about working in a local café: friends are always pulling up a chair to chat. They don’t realise it’s my office. They think it’s a café.) (It’s okay, I’ve learned to steer the conversation directly to the topics I’m researching. Eventually I find a topic in which they have expertise. Then I take notes while they talk. In effect, they become unpaid employees.)

So, like I said, my friend sat at my table and asked what I was up to. This friend, I should say, is a filmmaker, and his latest film had been a horror movie. I told him all about the Kingdom of Cello.

‘What are your monsters?’ he said at once. ‘You can’t have a kingdom without monsters.’

I looked at him.
He was absolutely right.

That’s what my kingdom was missing.

Then I looked down at the table—at all my coloured markers rolling around—and I decided that the monsters were colours.

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That made no sense, of course. How can a colour be a monster?

But I started researching the science of colour, and I realised that it did make sense. Of course colours can be monsters. When you think about it, colours are just pieces of light. The sun sends out rays and each ray is a different form of energy. Most of these forms of energy are invisible, but light is the visible part—and if you break that light into pieces you get colours. Colours are just flying energy.

(The above is more or less true, but extremely simplified. Don’t show it to a physicist.)

About the Author: Jaclyn Moriarty is the prize-winning, best-selling author of novels for young adults and adults including Feeling Sorry for Celia and The Year of Secret Assignments. Jaclyn grew up in Sydney, lived in England, the US, and Canada, and now lives in Sydney again. She is very fond of chocolate, blueberries, and sleep.

Thank you, Jaclyn!

And don’t forget: today The Colors of Madeleine tour also stops by Perpetual Page Turner to feature “Pining for Purples” and Ana posts her review of the book.

The Giveaway:

One (1) winner receives The Colors of Madeleine prize pack in Purple:

· Moleskine journal
· Pen
· Coffee mug
· Copy of A Corner of White

The contest is open to addresses in the US ONLY and will run until Sunday, April 7 at 12:01 am PST. In order to enter, use the form below! Good luck.

a Rafflecopter giveaway