What to read next ...

I have just finished reading this wonderful book* - loved. Loved. LOVED it - and now have an embarrassment of book riches to choose from next.

*If you haven't read it yet, go read! Brilliant, fantastic story full of wood-elves, a hot half-fairy, and a heart-warming best friend :-D


But ...

I have a TBR pile dilemma.
 

These are the books I managed to sneak* out of Gollancz Towers last week when I visited my lovely new editor, Gillian. (makes everyone drool with envy *g*)





*I ♥ my editor! As soon as I arrived she handed me this book, (6 down in the left pile) 'cos she knew I'd love it :-) Then she let me raid her bookcase! Yay!
  

Plus I have 32! Yes, 32! books on my kindle!

Opps, not sure how that happened ... *one click has a lot to answer for*
 

Then there's this fantastic book which I've been desperate to read ever since I knew Jon was writing it! 

After all, Jon writing vampires in Venice! I know it's going to be freaking fang-tastic!

Big Thanks and {hugs} to Jon Courtenay Grimwood (who finally, after me begging, pleading and badgering him for months kindly sent it me :-D.


Oh, and there's my original TBR pile which totals ... umm, over 20 books at least, I think ... which is somewhere in all of this! Oh, and there's *cough* a few more *cough* arriving soon ... after all, I've got to get these new ones by all my fav authors :-). 

But there's one fantastic book I've already read - Green-Eyed Demon by my fab Crit Partner Jaye Wells - and I'm giving it away to one lucky commentator here! So what are you waiting for, go enter :-D

ETA: Reading stats: Jan 2011 - Short stories = 4, novellas = 2, books = 11 (inc: 2 for CPs, 1 mine). 9 on kindle/8 on paper - Total = 17

The Forbidden Planet Signing Report!

Left to right: Tom Lloyd, Jon Courtenay Grimwood, Jaine Fenn, Joe Abercrombie, James Swallow, Suzanne McLeod, Alex Bell, Mark Chadbourn, David Devereux

What can I say; this was so cool on so many levels that I’m just going to list them :-)

1. David Devereux’s got a head full of fab, fantastic and original ideas, [read his books and you’ll see!] but the group author signing/mini-con has to top them all, both for its concept and his generosity in persuading threatening with unspeakable tortures* his fellow authors** to take part.

2. Readers brought [and bought] my book for me to sign! Whoo hoo! A big, big thank you from my heart to all of them.

3. I got to chat to old friends [among them Liz of My Favourite Books – check out her blog for more photos] and new about books, SFF and writing. To finally meet online friends in the real world instead of just cyberspace. The two hours of mixing it up with everyone flew by I was enjoying the company so much.

4. Forbidden Planet is awesome, a veritable bookshop heaven for SFF readers; the shelves are full of books!! [Okay, it’s a bookshop, I know, but these are shelves full of books by authors I love and those authors who are on my reading wishlist and are usually ones I have to order to get. I just don’t see their books on shelves all together like that in real life, let alone pick them up and stroke look at them, so FP is a SFF fans’ wonderland, a place to get lost in – literally at times *g* – and of course, there’s not just books, but all sorts!]

5. I got to buy new books and have them signed by some of my favourite authors!! Major squeeee time!

6. There’s was live footage by Nik of Loudmouthman and podcasts by David of GeekSyndicate – so it will be possible to watch/listen to us authors as we roamed free and uncaged by signing tables in the basement depths of FP – watch this space for further details.

7. And a mega thank you to Danie at Forbidden Planet, [Danie's photos here] for organising [this woman would be a world champion at herding cats after the practice she’s had on all us authors LOL!] and those at FP, London for hosting the event, and may there be many more like it. [Check out Danie's photos to find out who the mystery author in attendance was!]

*Check out Graeme's Fantasy Book Review for more info on David Devereux’s new book Eagle Rising – Graeme himself is one of the book’s star victims characters.

** Visit the authors’ websites

Joe Abercrombie

Alex Bell

Mark Chadbourn

David Devereux

Jaine Fenn

Jon Courtenay Grimwood

Tom Lloyd

Suzanne McLeod

Steve Savile

James Swallow

Forbidden Planet Signing

I'm excited and delighted to say that on Thursday 22nd January, starting at 5:00pm, Forbidden Planet will be hosting a mass signing/mix-it-up with the following authors: -

Joe Abercrombie
Alex Bell
Mark Chadbourn
David Devereux
Jon Courtenay Grimwood
Tom Lloyd
Suzanne McLeod
Steve Savile

And this isn't going to be your traditional signing; danacea of Forbidden Planet describes it as book-buffet-party/wacky miniCon where the tables will be shifted to one side and the authors can mix it up with their fans. So if you're in and about Forbidden Planet, London* on the 22nd, come and check it out and say hello/ask questions/keep us from feeling lonely/chat to all of us :-)

Visit danacea 's blog for some more details.

ETA: Forbidden Planet Megastore, 179 Shaftesbury Avenue, London, WC2H 8JR