Susie, Author at Allison & Busby

The inside scoop from Wimbledon

22 June, 2009

Today is the first day of this year’s Wimbledon Tennis Championship. I happen to live in Wimbledon and this weekend I passed Jamie Murray in the vegetable aisle at Sainsbury’s. I thought it was Andy at first, but then noticed the bigger hair. Anyway, he was chatting to a man I can only assume was […]

Beauty talk

19 June, 2009

I’ve just had a lovely tea with Australian beauty guru Tali Shine (of Tali Shine Cosmetics for Girls on the Go) who is friends with another Australian beauty guru, Zoë Foster, the author of the debut chick-lit novel Air Kisses we’re publishing this August. (My, that was a mouthful.) And may I digress for a […]

A couple of reasons why a person might buy a magazine

18 June, 2009

On Tuesday I got to the office early to find I had left my office keys at home. I hate moments like this. There I am, crouching by the front door, swearing profusely at myself, with the entire contents of my A&B bag strewn across the pavement – it’s not a pretty sight. Then some […]

A must-see for art lovers

17 June, 2009

The celebrated British artist Keith Coventry held a private view of his work last night at Haunch of Venison in Mayfair which I was lucky enough to attend. I particularly loved his Echoes of Albany series which takes as its inspiration the mysterious Albany apartments in Burlington Gardens which have been home to numerous distinguished […]

Mad for Muddy Boots & Silk Stockings!

12 June, 2009

I write this blog in haste because I probably have about another 5 minutes before the phone starts ringing again. Today, from the moment we stepped into the office, we’ve been inundated with calls from readers wanting to buy a copy of Muddy Boots & Silk Stockings, by Julia Stoneham which featured in this month’s […]

Zoë Sharp nominated for Short Story Dagger

8 June, 2009

Zoë Sharp’s story Served Cold has been nominated for the Short Story Dagger this year.

Happy Birthday to Marshall Karp!

4 June, 2009

Today is Marshall Karp‘s birthday. I could break out into song but no one would probably ever return to this blog again. So I’ll simply say, on behalf of everyone here at A&B: He’ll be celebrating something else later this month – the UK release of Flipping Out, the next book in his acclaimed Lomax […]

A lesson in how to make the most of bad publicity

1 June, 2009

It can be disappointing for us publicists, when one of the books we’ve been promoting gets a bad review. We harrass and push and chase editors in the hope of getting the book reviewed at all, rejoice when we hear it has indeed been selected for coverage, and then get a big slap in the […]

Just when you thought you’d heard it all…

28 May, 2009

What? More Rachel Caine I hear you say? Ok, I admit it, we’re getting close to Rachel Caine overload but can you blame us? More and more people are clocking on to this brilliant series, including the reviewer John Loyd at The Bookbag who devoured the books and reviewed all four of them in just […]

Quality not quantity

27 May, 2009

My parents are over in London at the moment and renting out a flat for the time they are here. Beats a hotel. Anyway, the interior design is modern and minimalistic – no real sign that anyone lives there for some of the year. In fact, there’s a large built in bookshelf in the living […]

That last day with Rachel Caine

26 May, 2009

How lucky am I? I was the first person (from the A&B office) to get to see Rachel Caine when she arrived in London and I was the last to see her off on Saturday – the final day of her UK tour. The day was split as follows: morning – signing at Watertone’s Bluewater; […]

Pictures from the Morganville tea party

22 May, 2009

On Monday, I promised you I’d be posting pictures from our lovely tea party with Rachel Caine, which saw our office filled with a jolly gathering of booksellers who came from far and wide (including Milton Keynes and even Bristol!) to meet her! So here, thanks to Christina’s camera work are some shots from the […]

Rachel Caine is in the building

18 May, 2009

Just popped up to my desk very briefly to say that we have the wonderful Rachel Caine – author of the hit Morganville Vampire series – in the building right now! She flew in from the U.S yesterday and now is downstairs enjoying cupcakes and tea (how very civilised) and mingling with various booksellers who […]

Christmas starts early at A&B

12 May, 2009

It seems so odd to be thinking about Christmas given I’m sitting here in short-sleeves with the sunshine pouring into the office … but think about it I must. Two lucky members of the A&B team need to know when we’ll be shutting-up-shop as they will be spending the holidays on the other side of […]

JOIN TIM LEBBON ON HIS BLOG TOUR…and get lots of free stuff!

11 May, 2009

Follow Tim Lebbon’s Blog Tour for some great interviews, guest blogs, exclusive extracts, free books and a chance to win a signed copy of The Island!

The (over?) critical eye…

6 May, 2009

Today I was discussing a manuscript with Lara (our Managing Editor). She’s read it all whereas I’m only a hundred pages into it, so far, but we were exchanging a few views. And in doing so it struck me how my attitude to a book changes when I’m not simply reading it for pleasure. I […]

Morganville Vampire mania and UK book tour

1 May, 2009

Buzz is building for the first UK Morganville Vampire book tour! Rachel Caine, author of the bestselling teen vampire series, will be coming over at the end of May for a series of talks and signings.

Rachel Caine at Murder One Film Club evening

1 May, 2009

Monday 18th May, 6.30pm SHOREDITCH, LONDON EC1 Murder One Film Club presents an evening with Rachel Caine, author of the bestselling Morganville Vampire series, at HOME (101-106 Leonard Street, Shoreditch EC2) including a book signing and a screening of her favourite vampire film Lost Boys (complete with popcorn!). The 80’s classic starring a very young […]

Get your very own A&B bag!

28 April, 2009

They might not rival Gucci or Prada, but our A&B branded bags proved such a hit with London Book Fair goers that we’re now offering anyone the chance to get one (while stocks last). I actually got a rather unexpected call at the office one Book Fair morning from a random guy who said he’d […]

Do we really want to be available 24-7?

27 April, 2009

Someone asked me at last week’s London Book Fair why didn’t I have a Blackberry so I could spend all my waking hours hunched over it, fingers feverishly tapping… and I thought to myself, how blissful it is that I don’t have one and so can’t be found 110% of the time! And then someone […]

Time to get Twittering…

24 April, 2009

Yesterday, back in the office routine after the Book Fair mayhem, I was hit by a notable contrast. At the fair you have three days where the hordes who work in publishing collide under one roof – and there’s a real physical and audible connection there. You see people having face-to-face meetings, physically bumping into […]