Hello!

Happy May!

Book News . . .

The publication date for my new book Nourish is getting ever-closer – 14^th July, to be precise. Last month I shared the fabulous cover design (I’m still ridiculously excited!), so this month I thought I should tell you a bit more…

In draft form, Nourish got a stamp of approval when it was longlisted for the Yeovil Literary Prize. The novel is a dystopian thriller for teenagers (and adults who remain in touch with their inner teen!). Here’s the back-cover blurb:

Cal lives in a post-food world. People don't eat. They have Nutritional Provision.

When Cal is enrolled in a fancy boarding school after the death of his father, he discovers a rare edible substance that forces him to question everything he’s been told about nourishment.

Determined to discover more, he joins forces with classmate Andi, heiress to the Nutritional Provision Corporation. But as their investigations lead to trouble and a friend’s life is in danger, will they dare risk everything to expose the truth?

Nourish will be available to preorder soon and I’ll send an exclusive discount code for subscribers. If you have reader friends who might be interested, please forward this email so they can sign up to stay in the loop!

Reading recommendation

My YA top tip this month is a gorgeous book called The Last Whale by Chris Vick. The title made me expect a worthy, perhaps obvious, story about saving whales – however, this book is anything but predictable! It has a fiery young protagonist called Abi and an intriguing plot that kept me reading past bedtime.

It also features an intelligent computer called Moonlight. I have to admit, I’ve a soft spot for fictional sentient machines, particularly since reading the brilliant Illuminae by Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff (which I recommended back in October).

Real-world AI, on the other hand, gives me the heebie-jeebies – if you’re curing cancer or solving climate change, go ahead and use it, otherwise I reckon we should all be cautious. And please avoid ChatGPT unless you like the idea of funding the Orange Toddler in the White House – there’s an excellent campaign, QuitGPT, which outlines the many reasons why ChatGPT is the chatbot to dodge. If you do want to use AI, some higher privacy and open-source alternatives include: Lumo, Confer, Mistral and Ellydee.

(Sorry for that tangent, couldn’t help myself...!)

Lazy green wins #23

Sometimes a one-click win feels worth having. Got time for two clicks? Here are a couple of current petitions worth signing:

1. Glyphosate is the world’s favourite weedkiller (and appears in my dystopian novel, Dirt). But it isn’t just used on weeds. It’s widely sprayed on food crops as a ‘desiccant’, to dry them out for easier harvesting. Since glyphosate can be devastating for wildlife and is probably carcinogenic, the EU has banned pre-harvest spraying. The Soil Association have started a petition for the UK to do the same.

To sign the glyphosate petition, click here.

2. McDonald’s, Coca-Cola, and more than 130 corporations are lobbying European leaders to weaken one of the world’s strongest plastics laws, despite it already having passed. The law is set to take effect this August, and polluters are looking for a way out.

To sign the plastic petition, click here.

Have you come across any inspiring books or campaigns recently? Do let me know!

Until next time, Happy reading! Laura