Book Chick City: March 2010

Event: World Horror Con 2010 [+ Giveaway!]

Wednesday, March 31, 2010 | Posted by Book Chick City |

Since I found out that World Horror Con was coming to Europe for the first time and it was being held in a town only a couple of hours drive from me, (Brighton), I knew I had to get tickets. Unfortunately I left it too late and when I went to buy them the event was sold out. Luckily they had a waiting list and I was number 21. Most of the peeps on Twitter thought it was unlikely that I would get tickets, but a week or so before the event I received an email telling me two places had become available! Yippee! I was so excited as horror is my favourite genre and the line up of authors to attend was just amazing. I'm so glad I went as World Horror Con ROCKED!!!

My hubby and I drove down to Brighton Saturday morning and checked into our hotel. When we arrived at the Albion hotel, where WHC was being held, we were given our registration badges and a goodie bag each. Now these weren't normal goodie bags... these were HUGE goodie bags! They were so big and so heavy we had to take them back to the hotel before continuing as I knew I wouldn't be able to carry it around with me all day!

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Awesome Goodie Bag!

Back at WHC I bumped into Adele from UnBound and briefly said hello, it's a shame we didn't get to chat for longer but she was rushing off for a panel and I was about to meet Ms Armstrong!!

MEETING KELLEY ARMSTRONG

To add more awesomeness to the event, I was offered the chance to interview Kelley Armstrong Saturday morning by Orbit and of course I jumped at the chance. I will be doing a separate post on this interview in the next week or so, but just as a little taster:

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Me & Kelley Armstrong!!

MEETING JAMES HERBERT

After my interview with Kelley, we had time to have a good look round. Unfortunately, I missed the interview with James Herbert by Neil Gaiman but I heard that it was very interesting. However, as James Herbert was a guest of honor, he held a two hour signing, so in the queue I went! I am a BIG fan and James Herbert's attendance was one of the main reasons I wanted to go to WHC. Meeting the master of horror was such a highlight of my day. Not only did he sign three books but he asked me to sit down and we had a little chat.

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James Herbert asking how to spell my name

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James Herbert signing my copy of THE RATS and asking why I love horror

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"Love & Kisses" *hehe*

As he signed THE RATS, I told him it was the very first book I ever read of his and he said "what made you read horror?" to which I replied, "I'm not sure, I just love it" I think he was surprised that a girl was reading his books and looking by the line of people waiting for their books to be signed I can understand why as most were guys, and the woman that were there were actually getting books signed for someone else rather than themselves.

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James Herbert signing my copy of OTHERS

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In the HUGE goodie bag was a Brighton Shock WHC Souvenir Book with pages at the back especially for autographs. James also signed that for me:

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He also had a drink in front of him and offered me one, which I thought was sweet, unfortunately it was a little early for me to be drinking, what looked like 60% proof Absinth (my hubby thought this very funny). James Herbert was a lovely man and his signed books are prized possessions and are now safely tucked away on my designated "signed books" shelf!

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James Herbert & Me!!

MEETING SUZANNE MCLEOD

Inbetween interviewing Kelley Armstrong and meeting James Herbert *can't get over how cool that sounds*, I also met and had my book signed by the lovely Suzanne McLeod. When I first came across her books (which I have on my shelves but haven't read yet), I thought she was an American urban fantasy writer. It was only recently that I discovered she's actually a Brit chick, like me! We bumped into each other several times throughout the day, but I can't believe I didn't get a photo! (I am going to Odyssey 2010 *eastercon* this Saturday, so maybe I can ask her for one then).

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'EVOLVE' BOOK LAUNCH

"The intriguing vampires appearing in Evolve all share a common link to the iconic character DRACULA"- Dacre Stoker

During the afternoon I went to the book launch for EVOLVE, which includes short stories by Kelley Armstrong and Tanya Huff among many others. I was lucky enough to get my book signed by some of the authors (sadly Tanya Huff was not in attendance). Unfortunately, due to the amount of people who wanted their books signed I didn't get to ask who was who - so if you can identify the authors then drop me an email and I can update post. Obvioulsy I know which one is Kelley Armstrong :)

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Kelley Armstrong and some of the other authors

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Waiting in line for Kelley Armstrong to sign my book

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Kelley signing my book! We've met so often, I think we're buddies now! ;)

Signings (L-R) Kelley Armstrong, other authors, Sandra Kasturi

I also won the raffle!! I never win anything, so I was really excited to see what my prize would be. This is what I won:

Mmmm, yummy! ;)

Also, tucked away secretly in the EVOLVE flyers for the launch I found ONE MILLION DOLLARS:

I'm rich!!

As I was mooching around looking at all the books I could buy *and drooling a little* I met Danie Ware (@Danecea from Forbidden Planet) who was working so it was just a quick hello. Also met author Sam Stone, who gave me two of her books to review: KILLING KISS & FUTILE FLAME - nice to meet you Sam!

These look pretty good!

There were many other authors that I saw wondering around WHC: Brian Lumley, who I am also a big fan of, but was too shy to go and ask for an autograph. Already mentioned Neil Gaiman (sadly missed his signing). A few others authors I never even got to see: Thomas Emsen, Tim Lebbon, Wayne Simmons, all of which I would loved to have met.

We did manage to meet up with the very lovely Sam (publicist from Headline) and author Dan Wells (I AM NOT A SERIAL KILLER, which I have reviewed here) and had lunch at a Japanese place, which was yummy. Another highlight was resting my poor aching feet in the afternoon in one of the bars and having a glass of wine with Sam, her partner and Lynsey (publicist from Transworld - who I met for the first time) and of course my hubster.

Then we all dispersed to do out own thing for the evening. Hubby and I went to Jamie Oliver's Italian restaurant, which was very nice, but not sure it was worth the hour and a half wait! Then it was back to the hotel and off home the next day.

There were so many people I didn't get to meet, publicists, bloggers and authors, but I'm onto Odyssey (EasterCon) next, this weekend in fact, so hopefully I will meet some of them there!

WORLD HORROR CON was an awesome event and I had an *amazing* time!

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As I received two goodie bags, I am going to give away some of the duplicates, along with some swag *'cos I'm a lovely chickie*

There are two prizes to win, which means two winners: one from the UK and one international. All you have to do to enter is fill out this form! [NOW CLOSED]

BATCH 1

• Strange Angels by Lili St. Crow

• Anno Mortis by Rebecca Levene (Tomes of the Dead)

• Extract booklet from Coldbrook by T. J. Lebbon

• Chapter sampler of I Am Not A Serial Killer & Mr Monster by Dan Wells

• Chapters sampler from ASH by James Herbert

• Fantasy Tales Magazine

• Bookmark - The Nocturne by Steve Gerlach

•Bookmark - Lake Mountain by Steve Gerlach

• Bookmark - Kumiho by Peter Mark May

• Bookmark - Evolve edited by Nancy Kilpatrick

BATCH 2

• Strange Angels by Lili St. Crow

• El Sombra by Al Ewing (Pax Britannia)

• Extract booklet from Coldbrook by T. J. Lebbon

• Chapter sampler from Crawlers by Sam Enthoven

• Fantasy Tales Magazine

• Kitsune by John Paul Catton (Novella)

• Bookmark - The Nocturne by Steve Gerlach
•Bookmark - Lake Mountain by Steve Gerlach
• Bookmark - Kumiho by Peter Mark May
• Bookmark - Evolve edited by Nancy Kilpatrick

This giveaway ends Saturday 10th April and the winner will be announced on the Sunday!

Good Luck!

53 comments |

BOOK REVIEW: I Am Not A Serial Killer by Dan Wells

Tuesday, March 30, 2010 | Posted by Book Chick City |

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Title: I Am Not A Serial Killer

Author: Dan Wells

Publisher: Headline

Publication Date: 5 March 2009

Paperback: 281 pages

Genre: Horror

Young Adult

Rating: 9/10

Summary:

John works in his family’s mortuary and has an obsession with serial killers. He wants to be a good person, but fears he is a sociopath, and for years he has suppressed his dark side through a strict system of rules designed to mimic 'normal' behavior.

Then a demon begins stalking his small town and killing people one by one, and John is forced to give in to his darker nature in order to save them. As he struggles to understand the demon and find a way to kill it, his own mind begins to unravel until he fears he may never regain control. Faced with the reality that he is, perhaps, more monstrous than the monster he is fighting, John must make a final stand against the horrors of both the demon and himself.

Review:

I Am Not A Serial Killer gives a fascinating glimpse into the psyche of a fifteen year old boy on the verge of possibly becoming a serial killer. It delves into the human side of what it's like to have dark, murderous thoughts and how to keep them in check.

I was surprised at how much I liked the main protagonist, John Cleaver. Wells has created a character that I sympathise with rather than fear and I'm certainly intrigued to find out what kind of person he grows up to be. John is completely aware of his unnatural feelings and behaviour, which he refers to as Mr Monster. He knows who he is and who he doesn't want to become. His character also made me question whether this is how all serial killers started out and would I have liked them too. However, the issues John Cleaver has as a possible sociopath/serial killer are chilling.

John visits a therapist on a regular basis talking through his disturbing thoughts. He also has a list of rules to prevent him from becoming the serial killer he thinks he is. Rules to not stare at someone for too long as he may become obsessed and begin to stalk them; say nice things to people even if he's thinking otherwise; not harm animals etc. These rules make him feel in control even if sometimes he ends up breaking them.

John enjoys helping his mother and aunt in the mortuary, working with the dead bodies, examining them, touching them. He's very inquisitive but most importantly it keeps him calm. His mother is worried about him as well as a little fearful, but as this is a first person narrative we don't get to hear what she is thinking, but through John and the dialogue between them, we get to feel her emotion and feelings of helplessness and confusion.

There are strong visual scenes, especially with the description of how a body is embalmed, so if you're not used to this kind of thing then just be warned it isn't for the faint hearted and certainly has the 'ick' factor. As the book suggests, a strong stomach is essential.

The story is great and there is an element of fantasy with the inclusion of a demon, although I think this book would have worked equally well without the demon and in many ways may have made it even darker. I thoroughly enjoyed following John's process to catch and kill the demon, but It's the human side of the story that interested me the most. I really enjoy reading and watching anything to do with serial killers. Jack the Ripper being my favourite. I find these kinds of people fascinating and monstrous in equal measure.

Verdict:

I Am Not A Serial Killer is easy to read without being simplistic and flows throughout each chapter really well. There isn't a dull moment anywhere and the action is consistent enough to keep you turning the page, but John Cleaver is the star. An interesting and likable character with a dark side that keeps you completely engrossed in the story. Although it's a fairly dark and sinister tale, it's not morbid and has a fair amount of humour to lighten the tone. I Am Not A Serial Killer is a fantastic read and one that I highly recommend.

This book was purchased by me.

You can find out more about the author here:

Website | Twitter | Goodreads | Facebook

Labels: 9/10 Rating, Book Reviews, Dan Wells, Horror, Young Adult |

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Cover Crush - UK Edition: Bullet by Laurell K. Hamilton

Monday, March 29, 2010 | Posted by Book Chick City |

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During the brilliant Headline party, we were shown a presentation of upcoming books and BULLET was among them. It was my first glimpse of the gorgeous new cover and now I can show it to you! I love it. I must say I think all the UK covers for the newly published Anita Blake series by Headline are much better than the US editions. I still have to re-read the first ten books of the series and complete the rest (for my Anita Blake Reading Challenge) before getting my hands on this one. So, what do you think?

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Bullet (Anita Blake #19)

Laurell K. Hamilton

Headline

June 2010

Summary

The triumvirate created by master vampire Jean-Claude, necromancer Anita Blake, and werewolf Richard Zeeman has made Jean-Claude one of the most powerful vampires in the U.S. He's consolidating power in himself and those loyal to him, doing in America what Belle Morte did in Europe when she was at her height of power. She almost owned Europe, and there was those who are determined that Jean-Claude won't do the same in America. Jean-Claude's motives may be kinder, but as any lawyer will tell you: motives matter, but you're just as dead.

Assassins are coming to St. Louis to kill them all. Anita knows they're coming, but even being forewarned doesn't mean you can win.

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Headline have also launched a fantastic UK Anita Blake Website , which is well worth a visit (also better than the US one, easier to navigate).

They are also sponsoring The Anita Blake Challenge hosted here at BCC. They are giving away the entire Anita Blake series to one lucky participant of the challenge - sadly this contest is open to UK residents only - but obviously anyone can join the challenge!

Click HERE to view all the UK Edition covers

Labels: Cover Crush |

13 comments |

Event: Headline Meets Online Party!

Monday, March 29, 2010 | Posted by Book Chick City |

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I was invited, along with lots of other bloggers, to attend a presentation/party at Headline. I was thrilled, to say the least. So, just to warn you this post is going to be of a gushing nature. It will also be very long, but please bare with me.

When I arrived in London I met up with Jenny (Wondrous Reads) and Carla (The Crooked Shelf) *who are absolutely adorable and so much fun*. As I came in on the underground and they both came into the main station, which are 200m apart, unknown to us, we spent 15 minutes trying to find each other. Eventually we did and realised we had no idea how to get to Headline HQ, so out came my trusty iPhone and maps app. It did a great job and got us there in one piece - it was like a little mini adventure ;)

We then bumped into Amanda (Floor to Ceiling Books), author Alex Bell and Sophie (So Many Books, So Little Time) and as we had all arrived an hour early we settled down at E.A.T. and had coffee and chatted about... yes, you've guested it, Books!

Headline HQ is very swish. I must say I was a little nervous as we headed on up to the 16th floor. But once inside and after meeting all the publicists who were warm and friendly, just like their emails, all my nerves went away. We were given little name tags along with our blog names (otherwise we wouldn't have recognised each other!) and was handed a lovely big canvas bag with catalogues, pencils, bookmarks etc, but was then bowled over when Caitlin (head of publicity) said the most wonderful words: "here's your canvas bag, now go fill it up"

As you can imagine this was an 'OMG!!!!!!" moment, but I didn't waste a minute and managed to fit 7 books into my bag in about three seconds flat! There were many others, which I didn't take as they weren't in the genres I read, but I think 7 is pretty amazing! So, these are the books I managed to stuff in my bag with growing glee:

I then spent some time talking to a few bloggers before the presentation: Dot (Dot Scribbles) who is just lovely and a brief hello to Gav (Next Read), Liz (My Favourite Books), Becky (The Bookette), Jo (Once Upon A Bookcase) and Rhys (Thirst for Fiction).

I also met the lovely publicists and editors I have been emailing for the past eight months and they are all so lovely. They had also put on a wonderful spread of cakes and treats, which was just yummy - so thank you ladies! :)

We all then watched a twenty minute presentation of the books Headline will be releasing throughout the coming months. I wish I was a little more savvy about these events as I wish now that I had written some of the books down so I could tell you about them but unfortunately I didn't. But let's just say I can't wait for the new zombie book coming from the legendary George Romero and a young adult novel called Wintercraft by Jenna Burtenshaw. There's also exciting news about Glee!

After the presentation there was some time to meet the authors before we were put into teams for the quiz. Meeting Paul Magrs was *amazing* - I was a total fan-girl!! I had initially thought that we would have a lovely intellient conversation, but my mind went totally blank and all I kept saying was "so great to meet you, I love your books!" Luckily, Jenny was also talking to him about his new YA novel, A DIARY OF A DR WHO ADDICT and so I don't think he noticed *well, I hope not* Paul was a lovely guy and I'm so pleased to have met him. His words "I stop by your blog everyday" have been burnt into my brain and will never be forgotten *squeals with delight and pride* :D

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Me & Paul Magrs

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Me, Paul Magrs & Jenny

Another fabulous author I met was Carole Matthews. Although I don't read a lot of chick-lit now and have never read a book by her, it was still wonderful to meet her. She really is a lovely lady and we chatted for a good twenty minutes or so about books and blogging. I was also a member of Carole's quiz team (we came second!).

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Dot, Me, Amanda & Carole Matthews

After reading I AM NOT A SERIAL KILLER, I was dying *sorry for pun* to meet Dan Wells. This book is just so good and I can't wait to read the second book in the series, MR MONSTER. Dan was a real cool American and completely delightful. *Loved* his accent and his marvelous hat! This was another author that I had a list of questions for, but again my crap girlie fangirl brain went blank and I just ended up saying "I loved your book", again.... *shakes head at disgust at oneself* He was at World Horror Con this weekend so I hope I gave a better impression and showed that I do have some intelligent things to say....ahem. Dan was also kind enough to sign MR MONSTER for me!

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I also had a quick chat to the completely mad but very funny Sean Cregan, who's new novel THE LEVELS (of which I have had my eye on for some time now) is out now. We chatted about his book and he had me laughing for most of it. A really great guy who I hope to meet again in the future. He also signed my book for me!

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Me & Sean Cregan

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After the event a few of us went to the pub for a drink where we chatted for a while longer. I slipped away about 8:30 but heard that Amanda and Alex didn't get in until 3am (dirty stop-outs!)

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Jo, Carla, Jenny & Me

This was a really great event. Thank you to Maura, Sam, Caitlin, Helena and Rosie, I had a fab time. Thank you so much for inviting me and I hope to meet you all again very soon!

Labels: Book Chick City News, Events |

20 comments |