Stephen King Country
26 September, 2011
So here I am, blogging from Maine, USA – otherwise known as the home of Stephen King (pictured above). In fact, I passed through his birthplace, Portland, on my way up from Boston, and looked out for the guy, before remembering he actually now lives further north in Bangor. As I drove through the streets […]
Happy Talk Like a Pirate Day!
19 September, 2011
Today is International Talk like a Pirate Day! (I’ve not made this up, it’s actually official.) If you entered Laurie R King’s Parrot King Competition, you can check out all the other artistic submissions on her website here and keep your eyes peeled as the winner will be announced today! Then, get into the spirit […]
Introducing an inspiring new blog
16 September, 2011
Today I have the pleasure of introducing a new blog by Jacqueline Winspear, the author of the acclaimed Maisie Dobbs mystery series. For those who are not familiar with her books, they are set in 1930s London, featuring the young psychologist and investigator Maisie, and infused with an emotional undercurrent, where the impact of the […]
Start Parroting!
6 September, 2011
No, this isn’t quite the new craze to replace Owling, but it’s nevertheless catching on… Pose with a parrot for your profile picture on Facebook or Twitter! Why? Because it’s a way to declare your love for Laurie R King’s Mary Russell & Sherlock Holmes series and celebrating the upcoming release Pirate King ! Or […]
Swatting up on your Norman history
26 August, 2011
A while ago, my sole knowledge of Norman history centred on The Battle of Hastings – and namely on the simple fact that a) there was a battle, b) it was in Hastings, and c) it was in 1066. That, and a very vivid memory of a primary school project where our class lined the […]
Beyond James Patterson…
25 August, 2011
Whilst the Guardian comments that one might be surprised by the huge figures some authors are earning, it is no real surprise that Forbes Magazine has just named James Patterson as the highest paid author amongst them. When I visited the States last year, I could have been excused for thinking Patterson was the only […]
The World Beyond beats One Day!
18 August, 2011
It’s always lovely seeing our titles on display in bookshops, but this has got to beat any recent book spotting… Check out The World Beyond, by Sangeeta Bhargava topping the chart at Waterstone’s in Harrow – number one out of their 100 top bestsellers. And yes, that’s ahead of One Day, by David NIchols, which […]
Gestation, Gluttony, and Gin…
12 August, 2011
Yesterday we ended the working day with a festive ‘tea’ at The Parlour at Fortnum and Masons to celebrate the fact that Lara will shortly be leaving us on maternity leave and embarking on a very exciting (albeit sleep-depriving) journey as New Mum. And when I say ‘tea’, I really mean a feast of unabashed […]
Day dreaming about a World Beyond…
5 August, 2011
..and I mean specifically day dreaming about a world beyond London and this inconsistent summer weather. Yesterday was grey, rainy and rather miserable. At least today the sun is gracing the capital once again. But I long for some proper, uninterrupted heat. And the ‘Indian summers’ we occasionally get in October don’t quite cut it. […]
Who do you think would make a good Ethan Gage?
1 August, 2011
Today we have launched the new Ethan Gage website! (I’ll leave you a few moments to go check it out…) Done? You like? Did you enter the competition to win a copy of Napoleon’s Pyramids? I was definitely in pre-launch mode this weekend, with Ethan Gage and historical myths and adventure on my mind. And […]
Sharing the love for olive oil…
28 July, 2011
Being half-Italian, I do love my olive oil. Give me some bread to soak it up with and I pretty much down the stuff. Give me a rich extra virgin olive oil – be it Greek, Spanish, Italian (I’ve also been seeing a lot of oils from Israel lately which I will have to try) […]
Spreading the Cosplay fever! (Brilliant video!)
22 July, 2011
We already knew that Susie’s brother, Rob Dunlop, was a talented man. A freelance web designer, editor and writer (he wrote the story for the popular Tozzer comics) he also happens to be a talented photographer (for the Rob Dunlop Photography facebook page click here). He’s made quite a name for himself photographing weird and […]
Wednesday Cover Story: Cover spotlight at Bodies in the Bookshop
20 July, 2011
Last night I had the pleasure of attending the annual crime extravaganza, Bodies in the Bookshop at Heffers in Cambridge – which we were delighted to sponsor this year. The event attracts a plethora of established and exciting debut authors, who like moths to a flame, come flocking to the bookshop every year to meet […]
Let’s not forget there are MANY writers inspired by the sea…
19 July, 2011
This weekend I strolled along the Southbank which is celebrating the Festival of Britain and the atmosphere was buzzing. There’s a beach bar, a small fun fair, a temporary mini croquet court, a sandpit for children to play in along a good portion of the waterfront railing, and on the Queen’s Walk (infront of the […]
A night as a (temporary) insomniac…
14 July, 2011
Last night I simply could not sleep. I was extremely and unequivocably tired, and yet I could not sleep. After almost three hours of tossing, huffing and turning in bed, picture me at about 1.30am, curled up on the couch with my LED Book Light (nifty little thing), a blanket and a World Book Night […]
Laurie aRrrgh! King’s Art Competition!
8 July, 2011
Get yer eye-patch, stuffed parrot and wooden leg out – it’s time to talk PIRATES. We know many of you are anxiously waiting for the next installment in the Mary Russell and Sherlock Holmes series by Laurie R King, and you won’t have to wait too long. Pirate King (which sees Russell investigating the criminal […]
Love your library…
1 July, 2011
The Women’s Institute has launched a Love Your Libraries campaign to fight councils’ plans to close many libraries, replace staff with volunteers and cut opening hours. It is now asking its members to sign up to their local library, to write to their local council sharing why they value the library’s services and explaining its […]
Escape to the Italian countryside…
24 June, 2011
I’ve just come back from four days in and around Perugia in Umbria scouting out possible wedding venues and I have to say, it is the perfect excuse to go visit some gorgeous places you might otherwise never have had reason to come across. In fact, forget the wedding, I now have a list of […]
The Gender Question again…
14 June, 2011
Lesley-Anne’s blog and VS Naipaul‘s rather silly claim that he can tell, from just a few paragraphs whether the words were written by a male or female hand, reminded me of one of the Washington Post‘s brilliant competitions, where people were asked to assign a gender to specific nouns (in the way foreign languages have […]
The legacy of Olga da Polga
10 June, 2011
One of my most memorable moments working for Allison & Busby was a lunch we had with Michael Bond, author of the Monsieur Pamplemousse crime series, but better-known as the creator of Paddington Bear. However, whilst his Paddington Bear fame would instill awe in any former child, the real thrill for me came when, through […]
Inspired by the railways…
7 June, 2011
This morning saw us talking about trains. Now, this would usually mean we were talking about author Edward Marston and his hugely popular Railway Detective series, but in this instance the subject arose because Susie had found herself watching an episode of Time Shift on BBC4 last night, entitled Between the Lines – Railways in […]
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