Die Booth's Blog, page 21

The Titanic’s Centenary

As everybody in Britain is probably aware, 2012 marks the 100th anniversary of the sinking of the Titanic, a tragedy that continues to capture the public’s imagination a century on.

I’m no different. I’ve always been fascinated and terrified by the Titanic disaster. Either I went down with a ship in a past life or perhaps I just watched The Poiseidon Adventure too young (I did – most of my adult traumas can be traced back to those damn 70s disaster movies) but few things can provokethe heebsin...

The Titanic's Centenary

As everybody in Britain is probably aware, 2012 marks the 100th anniversary of the sinking of the Titanic, a tragedy that continues to capture the public's imagination a century on.

I'm no different. I've always been fascinated and terrified by the Titanic disaster. Either I went down with a ship in a past life or perhaps I just watched The Poiseidon Adventure too young (I did – most of my adult traumas can be traced back to those damn 70s disaster movies) but few things can provoke the...

Book review: A Place of Meadows and Tall Trees by Clare Dudman

In a nutshell: heartbreaking but fascinating historical drama – truth is always stranger than fiction.

This isn't my usual kind of read. It's got no supernatural element, no mystery to investigate and no rock n' roll. In fact, being based upon the true story of 19th century Welsh settlers in Patagonia, it's only partly fiction. I was doubly pleased, therefore, that I enjoyed this book as much as I did and found it so memorable and moving.

I think one of the reasons I enjoyed it so much was the ...

My first solo author event

Recently I was honoured to be invited to Coventry University, to talk about my work. So, last Friday, I had my first official solo author event, namely attending a genre fiction seminar run by lecturer Alyson Morris.

I was pretty nervous, not knowing what to expect exactly and being told I needn't prepare any notes. Actually being asked to talk about my work to people who don't know me personally is a novelty in itself to me! It all went really well though. Alyson was lovely and welcoming...

There’s Only Alice

2012 marks the 150th anniversary of the first telling of Lewis Carroll’s iconic Alice in Wonderland. What better way to mark this occasion than with a beautiful new reprint of both Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland and Through the Looking Glass?

My good friend and very talented textiles artist Sarah Grant has organised a project that will see a different artist take on a different chapter of Wonderland or Looking Glass, to illustrate in their own unique way. The idea is that this will result in...

There's Only Alice

2012 marks the 150th anniversary of the first telling of Lewis Carroll's iconic Alice in Wonderland. What better way to mark this occasion than with a beautiful new reprint of both Alice's Adventures in Wonderland and Through the Looking Glass?

My good friend and very talented textiles artist Sarah Grant has organised a project that will see a different artist take on a different chapter of Wonderland or Looking Glass, to illustrate in their own unique way. The idea is that this will result...

Review: The Ghost Drum by Susan Price

In a nutshell: an exquisite fable-for-all-ages of almost poetic beauty.

"In a place far distant from where you are now grows an oak-tree by a lake.

Round the oak's trunk is a chain of golden links.

Tethered to the chain is a learned cat, and this most learned of all cats walks round and round the tree continually.

As it walks one way, it sings songs.

As it walks the other, it tells stories.

This is one of the stories the cat tells."

That's the opening paragraph of 'The Ghost Drum' by Susan...

Review: Being Human – Series four opener

I don't normally write film or telly reviews on here but watching the Series four opener of Being Human last night has motivated me to do at least this one.

When Being Human started, it was something new, just ahead of the recent influx of supernatural soap opera that's flooded the market with True Bloods and Vampire Diaries. It was also something different, being particularly British and low-key, focusing more on lovely, real characterisation, funny and endearing dialogue and the small-town r...

Re-Vamp review competition winner!

On behalf of myself and LC I'd like to thank everyone who entered the Re-Vamp review competition for all your excellent reviews.

Today being results day, I employed the ancient scientific method of writing everyone's name down on a slip of paper and drawing one name out of a hat (obviously made more scientific by the fact that it was my top hat.)

I'm pleased to announce that the winner of the simultaneously worthless and priceless prize of naming a character in my forthcoming novel is Katie...

PS Publishing Showcase, Liverpool One Waterstones

Twisted Tales always put on really entertaining events and last night's PS Publishing Showcase, held in Waterstones Liverpool One, was no exception.

There was a great audience turnout to listen to three excellent authors read some recent work. One of these authors was Peter Crowther, editor-in-chief at PS, who kicked off the evening with an introductory background talk about PS and how they came to be the leading publisher of genre fiction that they are today. It's particularly comforting to k...