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EXCHANGING LIVES: Ever wonder how the other half live?

Get ready to find out in Kathy b's fantastic debut novel Exchanging Lives when two former besties both head off on an exciting adventure - trading in Australia for America for three months!

ANNIE FOX
INTERESTS: Fashion, boys, being popular
DESTINATION: New York City

CHARLIE ZINICOLA
INTERESTS: Animal rights, the environment, music
DESTINATION: Redlands, Ohio

Annie and Charlie may be former besties but now they couldn't have less in common. So when they both go on exchange from Sydney to America, they have very different trips planned. Annie's dreaming of glamorous New York City and down-to-earth Charlie can't wait to spend some time in country U.S.A. Then their parent's pull a switch - and unexpectedly turn Annie and Charlie's worlds completely upside down!

A special prelude to Exchanging Lives (The best novel since The Sisterhood of the Traveling pants, Princess Diaries and Gossip Girl!)

If you haven't been paying attention in English class … don't worry if anyone gets why it's ultra important to put some serious thinking time into whether you are going to buy one of those yummy giant chocolate chip cookie's from the canteen or eat the apple and cheese in your lunch-box like you know your mum wants you to, then I do. But just so you know 'prelude' is basically just a fancy schmancy way of saying this is the introduction to this story about two really cool girls I know you are going to love.

p.s. Try using one next time you write a story yourself and you'll definitely score a brownie point or two.

Okay, I'm going to let you into a secret. You know how normally you start reading a book and you can pretty much figure out what's going to happen by the end of the first chapter? I do that all the time. So, you know how you sometimes start getting a bit bored? Then your mind wanders and you start thinking about how cute that surfer guy on the KFC ad your brother is watching in the other room (and make a mental note to ask if the next topic for your debating team can be why don't guys at your school look like that?!) Instead of, you know, getting so engrossed in the story your latest crush could unexpectedly pop over to ask you out to the movies and you wouldn't even notice (okay, well maybe that's a slight over-exaggeration!)

Well, I think its okay, even if you can guess what's about to happen with our story. Don't get me wrong there will still be some really cool surprises along the way even if you're onto what's happening all along. So, I really hope you never get bored!

But what I mean is that in this story, and in our own lives, it is the journey – as in the friends you make along the way, your day to day experiences, you know the boring stuff like getting the bus to school, and basically the mix of good and bad experiences you have - which usually turn out to be the most important things.

It isn't just about the end result like making the cross-country squad (see, your dad was right, all that extra training and drinking a gazillion scarily bright orange cups of freshly-juiced carrots was worth it!). Finally getting a great boyfriend (make sure he respects you and treats you right or dump him quicker than hot potato, promise?!). Or studying hard and getting an A+ (congratulations by the way, that's so cool! I love smart chicks!).

Because life isn't just about those extreme 'Kodak moments'. I mean, you know how you go to a friend's house and all the framed photos have everyone looking ecstatically happy? If you think about it, the truth is, someone probably just had a massive fight right before or after the photo was taken but it looks like everyone is sooooo unbelievably happy in the photo that they could be on a tacky toothpaste commercial! Get what I mean?!

And if you really think about it, it is those messy moments in between the snapshot 'perfect' photo moments in your life, that really make things interesting, right? So, if you never had that horrible fight with your best friend – I know you felt horrendous at the time and would have done anything to change it. But if it hadn't happened, then you never would have made up, understood how each other 'worked' and gotten even closer, right? That's what this growing up business is all about. Yeah, it absolutely sucks sometimes. But it turns out there are some pretty serious reason behind why they call them 'growing pains'.

The truth is, without the bad bits, which if you're anything like me when I'm not feeling quite so generous and together, I often cry into my pillow and try to will away with all my imaginary might. Okay, so admittedly I was just doing that last night and unfortunately it still doesn't work! But I also know that those ick or thinking you could die you're so completely humiliated moments (and trust me I've had my fair share) are what make the sweet moments even better (so, you enjoy them even more!).

Ever heard that saying, 'it's always darkest before the dawn'? Well, basically it means that you've got to make it through the tough times to get to the really good bits. You know what? It might sound a bit old fashioned but it's usually true. Well, when I decided I wanted to write a book I knew I wanted it to be about simple yet complicated, girls like me and my friends, frenemies and well, straight out enemies who have crossed my path (who shall forever remain nameless!). All their faces and names will all be different, but I'm sure you've got a mix of those people in your life too, right?

But the truth is that Charlie and Annie, the two main characters in Exchanging Lives, are made up of the best and worst of me (and maybe you too!?). I bet if you are really honest with yourself you'll see some of you in both of them too. They both have good hearts (deep down) but neither of them are perfect. Annie can be just a tad self-involved and well, Charlie sometimes lets her shyness get in the way of trying new things.

But after all, perfect Barbie doll types who seem to always know the right answers - before they've even heard the question - are completely boring (and only really exist in animated movies anyway). It doesn't mean we all shouldn't all be at least trying to become better people. But the truth is, when it gets down to it, the most interesting characters are at least a little bit flawed, right?

Okay, I think it is only fair if we start off this thing being straight with each other. If I'm going to be writing good and bad stuff about others then I figure it's only fair if I come clean too.

PRESENTING KATHY B’S (THAT’S ME!) MOST EMBARRASSING MOMENT:

EMARRASSING INCIDENT NUMERO UNO: When I was running late for high-school, grabbed my school uniform to get changed in the car. Then got out with my school skirt completely tucked into my black tights, which had holes in them and those daggy old lady lines at the top near the gusset. Yuck!! Don't you just hate that word gusset? It's enough to put me off eating the rest of my bowl of rocky road ice-cream (hey, one of the best things about being female is being able to multi-task with ease).

I can simultaneously a) type b) remember horrendous incidents from my eventful past I'd really prefer to forget and c) eat ice-cream.

NO PROBLEMO!

So, picture me, flashing the absolutely cutest guy from the neighbouring boy's school – sandy blonde hair, a swimmers body and gorgeous puppy dog brown eyes - who also happened to live near me and be on my bus route so I saw him every day! Eeek!

I jumped out of the car, sauntered around trying to look cool and casual for a full minute before I felt a faint gust of wind, felt behind me and instantly felt like crawling into the dirty roadside drain when I realised my wardrobe malfunction faux pas and saw Junior Hottie Esq. standing at the lights, smirking gleefully.

He sprinted across the road to no doubt tell everyone he could what a loser I was. Then I caught a different bus home, which added an extra twenty minute walk to my journey for three months. I could never look in his direction, without going beetroot red ever again.

MORAL OF THE STORY?:

a) Never lazily sleep in so late you accidentally tuck your stockings into your undies.

b) Some things really are worth sacrificing five minutes sleep for!

PRESENTING KATHY B'S TOP THREE ABSOLUTELY WORST (AND BEST) TRAITS!:

SELF-CONFESSIONAL NO 1: Never ironing anything. SERIOUSLY!

Good point about this: I figure life is too short to waste behind an ironing board. My mantra is there are too many great books to read, friends to hang out with, oceans to swim in and adventures to spend time ironing and I'm sticking with it! Bad point about thist: Sometimes my poor mum still gets mad at me for looking a bit 'scruffy'. And even if I see a totally gorgeous outfit I just won't buy it no matter how much I love it, if I can tell it is high-iron-maintenance. Sigh!

SELF-CONFESSIONAL NO 2: I can be really stubborn and act like I think I'm always right. Good Point: Ummmm … learning humility when I have to admit I'm wrong after all?! GRRRRR!! bad point: Sometimes I actually am right!

SELF-CONFESSIONAL NO 3: I still get really badly hurt by people sometimes. Good Point: You know what? I don't let people walk all over me but I'm really proud that I have a really big heart I'm willing to share (even though it has been knocked around a bit). I think that if you don't have the courage to have an open heart and to take a chance on letting some new people in you'll miss out on so many wonderful experiences.

Okay, I think this one needs an extended explanation. I know this is really hard to get your head around sometimes, especially if you've recently been made to feel like you're a squashed cockroach by someone particularly vile. If so, take a massively deep breath and read on …

So, the truth is, even if I had a time machine and could go back in time, is I really wouldn't change a thing. And I've had a couple of friends hurt me so badly I've felt like my heart was about to burst with the raw pain. Yep, I have cried that really embarrassing 'ugly cry', you know it just goes on and on and your body convulses until you finally fall asleep, exhausted. You know that bad cry that even if your best friend makes that really funny face she does that always cracks you up. Or even if your dog was licking your hand and jumped up to give you a canine cuddle, couldn't stop the full force of it? It's pretty bad, huh?!

I figure that as much as I'd love to eradicate a few not terribly cool moments in my life, if I hadn't made it through each and every good and bad experience then I wouldn't be living out my dream of actually being a writer (which I secretly never thought would ever happen but here I am. Yaaaah!).

And even more importantly I wouldn't have as much empathy for other people who I can see and feel are feeling pretty bad. I can recognize those feelings in other people because I've been there too. And being able to make them feel a little bit better sometimes makes me feel really, really great. Pretty cool, huh?!

bad point: My heart still hurts when I think of some of my pals and guys who have really badly let me down when I truly believed I could trust them. But here's something really important to remember. Big changes in your life can feel intensely painful but they can also be pretty wonderful too.

p.s. Please just trust me. Wait and see. You'll see that success and happiness is the very best and most satisfying revenge!

Okay, so there are loads more (but even I have my limits on how many accidentally undie revealing incidents I'm prepared to admit to!). Unfortunately, there are a few!! I reckon everyone has a bit of Annie and Charlie inside them. I know I do, which is why I love them so much (and why they also make me really, really mad when they sometimes take a few steps in the wrong direction).

But the thing is I don't worry about them too much because I know in my heart that they are going to somehow find their way in school, with their friends, with guys and in life, just like I have (and am still trying to do every day). Even though I'm just stumbling along most of the time, and I often make mistakes, still take the wrong road side-ways or even back-wards in the wrong direction. But I always eventually find my way back onto the right track and I just know you will too.

I know we don't often have that many really deep conversations about how 'normal' stuff can be really scary. But the truth is that life is a bit terrifying sometimes. These days – if I want to - I can come across as a pretty cool cat (that's the Annie in me). But the truth is on my first day of high-school I didn't know anyone or even my way around the school. I felt so shy and out of my depth that I escaped, hid in the bathrooms and cried.

That is until another girl my age clearly had the same idea. After meeting in kind of a weird way, we both chatted and laughed together for a while before we came to our senses. We quickly wiped our tears away and headed out arm and arm to meet a bunch of seriously cool new girls who within weeks I couldn't imagine my life without (that's the Charlie in me).

It can be really scary not knowing what's going to happen, or if you really can make the grade. Or how you are going to cope getting the bus when that weirdo nasty chick you've always been really nice to, just sits there giving you evils and you really don't know why (seriously, don't worry about her!). Just keep putting one foot in front of the other, and you will make it through okay, I promise!

If you want to write to tell me about you and what's going on in your life, what you think of my favourite girls Annie and Charlie, to write a review of Exchanging Lives I might publish on my website or invite me to come and meet you in person at your book club, library or school. Or just to tell me about a fab new way to make an extra decadent and delicious chocolate cake (my fav!), then I'd ABSOLUTELY LOVE to hear from you.

So, that's more than enough about me. After all this is Annie and Charlie's story and they can't wait to get started. So, get ready to read Exchanging Lives and make some great new friends …

WHAT DO YOU THINK OF EXCHANGING LIVES?

p.s. please send me your comments via the contact form on this website and you just might see it published online!

"It's just FUNNY, FUNNY, FUNNY! I love the bit when stuck-up Annie gets cow poo in her hair. I can't wait to read Roman Holiday one!" Amanda, 13

"Your book, Exchanging Lives, is one of the greatest, most interesting books EVER!! I love it sooo much. My favourite parts were the emails that Charlie and Annie sent to each other. I take it whenever I go on long car rides or plane trips. In a way I'm more like Annie, I've always wanted to go to New York (even though I'm lucky enough to have gone to Europe). But I'm also a bit of Charlie because I love to read and I go with my own style and not those fashion magazine clothes (yuckk!!). My favourite character is Annie because she is so self absorbed." Paige H.

"Exchanging Lives is soooo funny! Maddie and Veronica are really mean - I'd hate it if they were at my school but Charlie Z is really cool." Rachael, 10

"I loved Exchanging Lives - I loved how Charlie was always bullied but then she went to NYC and was the popular one for once and then Annie went to Ohio and was a complete loser. I would love to be an exchange student. I think that this book was H.O.T. LOL." Lulu C.

"I'm a big fan of Exchanging Lives. I found it my school library and thought it was a boring book then a few days later I decided to read it and it was fantastic. I started crying with tears of happiness when Johnny kissed Charlie. It was wonderful. It is now the best book I've ever read. I have recommended this book to my friends and they love it, especially my friend Ruby." Lueth (pronounced loo-weth)

"I have just finished reading your book Exchanging Lives. I might be classified as 'too old' to read this one as I'm 21, but when I saw it was about two Australian girls going over to the U.S. I had to, as I went on exchanging to Canada in 2008 and wanted to see how it was portrayed. I want to say what they went through was spot on, and some of the things that they said/thought were exactly what I did. So, thank-you!" Emma B

"Exchanging Lives is one of the BEST books I've ever read. The book had a lot of emotion and I LOVED it." Nicola

"Exchanging Lives was an amazing book. It taught me a lot about friendship to the social hierarchy in American schools while being highly entertaining at the same time. I loved both Charlie and Annie in their own quirky ways. Charlie is such a strong, passionate and beautiful young girl who stands by her beliefs and Annie managed to win me over on in the end with her growing heart." Jaana A

"My name is Meg and I have just finished reading your book Exchanging Lives and I loved it. Whenever I opened the pages and got introduced to new characters I instantly thought of what actor that would fit the description of the person in the book. Have you thought of creating a movie? Thanks!" Meg, 12

"Hi I am a big fan of the book Exchanging Lives!" Sophie

"I just want to say that I love Exchanging Lives. It makes you really want to visit New York and Ohio and experience what they did. It is a great book." Eliza

"Exchanging Lives is an AWESOME book!! It really lets a reader 'be in the book' and fully imagine themselves being there. I really love all the characters personalities, especially Annie's. I really love the last two chapters. Johny sounds great. This book is just AAWWEESSOOMMEE!!!!!" Danni

"Usually I wouldn't read books, if I do I wouldn't be able to finish it. One day there was a book fair and I had spare change in my pocket. I decided to pick up a book in front of me and pretended to read while my teacher walked past me. I had only realised that I was actually reading the book and it was good so I bought it. The book inspires me to read more and I don't think that there will ever be a book as good as Exchanging Lives. From Your Biggest Fan, Chloe". Chloe C, 11

YOUR review goes right here!

SO, YOU WANT TO BE A WRITER? 5 QUICK TIPS FROM AUTHOR KATHY B ON HOW TO GET STARTED...

TIP 1. The most important thing is to JUST DO IT and NEVER GIVE UP. Don't just spend ages thinking or talking about it, sit down and actually WRITE! My first article about my dog Tuppy was published when I was ten-years-old in Queensland's Courier Mail newspaper. We were soooo excited to see my name in print for the first time - Tuppy and I barely slept for a week! why don't you start right now by writing a review of Exchanging Lives?!

TIP 2. A really good way to be able to spot quality writing and to be able to write well yourself is to read a lot. I grew up surrounded by books in my parent's book shop and now I'm a book reviewer as well as writing novels (how lucky am I?!) So, try reading lots of different types of books. If you read a book which isn't that great then what could have made it better? If you come across an amazing book, then what makes it so fantastically good? Become an amateur book reviewer, start your own personal library and do book swaps with (trusted) friends or even start a book group with pals who love books too.

TIP 3. Do you want to write a funny, sad or maybe even aN out-of-this-world fantasy story? This is called the genre or type of story. Work on creating a main character (also called the protagonist) who people will really like and relate to (or really hate - just like I chose Maddie to be the evil frenemy in Exchanging Lives!)

TIP 4. Write about what you know. So, for example, even if you are writing about an alien - then wny not make the main character 'Natalie the Alien' who has problems most of us can relate to - like maybe there's an boy alien who isn't paying her any attention (but should be!). Or she wants to get in the school play on Mars but gets horrendous stage fright. Or maybe her mum is driving her mad by making her do her homework when she'd much prefer to be talking to her alien best friend on her intergalactic computer. Real emotions always come through on the page. So, if you've had a bad - or great - experience then why not write about it?

TIP 5. Know you can do it. A writer's biggest nightmare is staring at a blank screen (I've been there so many times ... AHHH!!!). So just start writing SOMETHING. Even if it isn't a masterpiece, once your creative juices get flowing then before you know it you'll have something great to work with. The secret to good writing is having a really fantastic editor. So read over your work again and again (I find when you feel like hurling it out the window never to be seen again then that's the moment when you might be really getting somewhere!) At that point pass your story onto a trusted and helpful friend, family member or teacher who can be your 'editor'. My mum and dad and two lovely big sisters have been my first editors for years and even though sometimes I'd much prefer they just said 'it's fantastic Kath!' so I can guiltlessly watch The Simpsons and eat some chocolate instead of working .... I've learnt to listen to what they say because the end product is always so much better (Groan!). I know it is really hard sometimes but listen to constructive feed-back and use it to make your writing even better.

However, the most important thing is to always HAVE FUN!