Twisted Tales, Liverpool and Other Stuff

So, Friday saw me catching the train to Liverpool to meet with the ever-reigning Cate at Cafe Nero in Liverpool One. No, not to swap state secrets or foil a dastardly terrorist plot- we're doing that next weekend- but for a cup of coffee prior to the Twisted Tales event at Waterstone's. Ally Bird and Joel Lane joined us as well, and Cate (despite what she says on her blog) managed not to turn into a complete gibbering wreck. We'll get her through this year's Fantasycon yet...

No photographs of that historic meeting exist, sadly, because I still can't find a camera that can capture the awesomeness that is Cate without melting. You'll just have to buy her story collection to get an idea. It's really good- see? I'm also proud to announce that I persuaded Cate to sign her first ever autographs, as well. Yay me. I made history ;-)
Anyroad, there are some photos from Twisted Tales and its drunken aftermath, I'm pleased to state. It's sort of like Jackanory, but with horror writers. Present this evening were Joel (pictured above reading from his tale Winter Journey), the lovely Ali Littlewood (doing her first ever public reading and acquitting herself admirably) and Conrad Williams. All three read cracking little horror stories. The event was a lot of fun and also in attendance were the likes of Roy Gray of TTA Press, Dark Fiction editor and agent Sharon Ring and Ramsey and Jenny Campbell (which was particularly handy as I managed to snag a copy of Ramsey's latest novel, The Seven Days Of Cain, and so got it signed.)

Over here we have Conrad Williams, looking a little bit demonic. But Liverpool will do that to you- joking!











Afterwards, we sloped off for a drink or two and ended up in the Cavern. Beatles tribute bands a-go-go...

Over to the left, Ali Littlewood and her equally nice partner Fergus...









Over here, Roy Gray and Ally Bird...













And dear god, what the hell is this hideous apparition?! Oh- it's me. Ahem. Move along please, ladies and gentlemen. Nothing to see here.










In other news, I do have a rather ace announcement to make. Solaris Books have commissioned a new novel from yours truly, which is due to hit the bookshelves in February or March 2012. The title? Still TBC, but watch this space for an announcement. There shall be more anon.

Hope you have enjoyed all this. We now return you to your regularly scheduled programming. Unfortunately this means it's Monday tomorrow and you have to go back to work. It's not my fault.

Coming Soon...

Had to check my spelling there. Nearly typed 'Coming Son', although that might have increased my site traffic...

Happy New Year! by the way. Two previous posts into 2011 and I completely forgot to say it. Ah well, said it now, and it's still January. The 25th! Jesus, that's nearly 1/12th of the way through the year already. Christ. Talk about yer intimations of mortality, guv.

Anyroad...

Very soon now, some good news. Can't talk about it publicly as yet, but in the next few days all shall be revealed. I will try to restrain myself to wooting, but cannot promise, in spite of all best efforts to the contrary, not to squee. And there shall almost certainly be a happy dance.



Ahem. To resume abnormal service...

With a little less mystery, there will be a guest blogger on this site in a couple of days' time. Thursday night, to be precise, ensure you are a-watchin' of this space...

Who'll be here? Ah, that would be telling. A boy's got to have a few secrets.

Till then.

Fantasycon 2010!!!

Today's the day! I shall be arriving in Nottingham this afternoon, despite the combined efforts of the payroll department and a certain Nottingham hotel (who shall remain nameless here) to balls it up.

Budget or no budget, it's time for a weekend of meeting up with friends I haven't seen in a long time, drooling over books I can't afford to buy, and getting rather drunk. Oh, and there possibly might be curry too.

Have a great weekend, whether you'll be there or not!

My Gran

My grandmother, Lillian Iris Gillespie, is 100 years old today.

Off to see her later this morning. This is a woman who's lived through two world wars and the Great Depression (plus the current one.) Quite something, really. Her dad- my Irish great-grandfather, was the chief groom to the Earl of Stamford at Dunham Massey; apparently his skill with horses was remarkable. A genuine 'horse whisperer'. His skills saved my gran's life when she was a baby; she caught double pneumonia and he used a poultice on her that he used to treat sick foals (this was in the days before antibiotics.) If not for him, and the skills he had, she wouldn't have lived to grow up, meet my grandfather, raise my mother... and I wouldn't be here. One of those little stories which makes you a little awed by just how much chance, how many random factors, come together to make you who you are.

My great-grandfather was also in the Territorial Army- my Gran was actually born in an Army barracks in Liverpool- and fought at Ypres, losing an arm and possibly also being gassed (he died of throat cancer in 1945.) One of these days I really need to find out more about his family, the Lynams (and yes, I am apparently distantly related to Desmond of that ilk!)

Both of my grandmothers are still alive. It's only in the last few years that I've realised how incredibly rare that is, and how lucky I am. My Welsh gran will be 100 in another five years. I hope I'll get to go to another party like today's.

Happy Birthday Nana.

Out with the old...

So today, at last, America got a new president.

After eight years of being run by an insane chimpanzee and a pack of raving crooked fundie lunatics, the Bush Gang are OUT!

Oh yes. Thank you God.

I'm not going Obama crazy, like some. I remember all the fanfare and optimism with which Tony Blair was elected here in Britain back in '97. And how a lot of people's hopes were cruelly betrayed. 'Guarded optimism' just about covers it. There's a big opportunity to make some real changes. Let's face it, nearly anything's got to be an improvement on Bush and co.

The 'New Right' brigade have really set the political agenda since the late '70s- Reagen in the US, Thatcher over here. Before that, the consensus had more to do with the legacy that Roosevelt and Attlee left. So, that lasted about 30 years. Guess how long it's been since 1979..?

And maybe I'm just talking bollocks. But nonetheless- this goes out to all the Americans I know. Congratulations and here's a better tomorrow. God knows we need all the luck that's going...