HRF Keating at Budleigh Salterton Literary Festival

29 May, 2009

Sunday 20th September, 11am    BUDLEIGH H R F Keating, author of the best-loved Inspector Ghote series, will be speaking at the first ever Budleigh Salterton Literary Festival, running from the 18th – 20th September. Keating is part of an impressive line-up of authors including Hilary Mantel, Simon Brett, Michael Mopurgo, Val McDermid and many more. […]

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 […]

Victorian Murder Mystery Evening with Martin Edwards

28 May, 2009

Sunday 26 June, 7.30pm        Carlisle Come join the fun at a Victorian Murder Mystery Evening written by Martin Edwards and performed at Carlisle Library. For details call 01228 227310.

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; […]

Book Launch: Tim Lebbon at Waterstone’s Cardiff

25 May, 2009

Friday 19th June, 6.30pm    WATERSTONE’S, CARDIFF Award-winning dark fantasy writer Tim Lebbon will be celebrating the launch of his new book, The Island, set in the exciting world of Noreela, at Waterstone’s, 2a The Hayes in Cardiff. Enjoy the chance to mingle with the author, but the book at a special price on the night […]

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’s visit to Boston

20 May, 2009

There’s quite a lot that succeeds in making me feel old these days. Bills. Songs on the radio. Slang that doesn’t make sense to my enfeebled mind. The prospect of my Young Person’s Railcard expiring – boo! But the thought of going back to a real school does the trick most completely. Timetables. School-dinners. Maths […]

Muscles & Frites

19 May, 2009

Don’t you find it weird how you’ll go for months not thinking about a particular thing and then all of a sudden it’ll be completely ubiquitous? For instance, one morning you’ll wake up and there’ll be a news report on Penguin Books, then you’ll read an article on the way into work about an oil […]

Love in the Library event with Victoria Connelly

19 May, 2009

Friday 10th July 12.30 – 2.30pm. Part of the RNA Conference, 10 – 12 July Victoria Connelly, author of Molly’s Millions will be speaking at the Love in the Library event at Penrith Library, as part of the Romantic Novel Association Conference.  She will be on a panel with fellow romantic novelists including Freda Lightfoot, […]

Victoria Connelly at Jarrolds, Norwich

19 May, 2009

Thursday 6th August 6-7pm    Jarrold’s, NORWICH Come and meet Victoria Connelly, author of Molly’s Millions, at Jarrold’s department store. Details of the event to follow.

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 […]

I have been outed.

15 May, 2009

So, just when I thought I could continue to pootle along undetected, generally keeping a low profile and letting our readers believe that the A&B office is staffed by only five people, along comes my colleague Louise who blows my cover by mentioning me in her entry about Lord of Misrule – thanks, Louise!!! Just […]

Book launch for Octavia’s War in Woking

14 May, 2009

Saturday 20 June, 10am – 3pm     WOKING Beryl Kingston will be celebrating the launch of her new book Octavia’s War at Waterstone’s, The Peacock Centre, Woking, Surrey, GU21 1GD. Set in Woking in the run up to the Second World War it is a moving account of a pioneering woman’s struggle in a town […]

Frederic Lindsay at the Edinburgh International Book Festival

13 May, 2009

Sunday 30 August, 6.45pm  Peppers Theatre, Charlotte Square, EDINBURGH Acclaimed Edinburgh crime-author Frederic Lindsay will speaking at the Edinburgh International Book Festival about his latest book The Stranger from Home. He will be joined by fellow thriller-writer, Charles Maclean. For the full list of events visit www.edbookfest.co.uk

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!

What to get for a baby shower

7 May, 2009

Am meeting up with the girls tonight to plan a baby shower for a friend. She’s doing the baby’s room in a Winnie-the-Pooh theme – how easy does that make it for us to buy gifts for her! In amongst the craziness of Ferrari strollers and Jamie Oliver bottle warmers, I got thinking about our […]

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 […]

Westfield – good or bad?

5 May, 2009

Opinions are divided on this one – mostly male vs females – but I for one am in love with this marvellous monstrosity of commercialism. From Gucci to H&M this shopping mecca offers me everything – windows to drool over and aspire to, as well as those shops I can actually afford to step into […]

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.