C L Taylor and Craig Robertson Book Event

This was our first time going to this Waterstones, Byres road in Glasgow, the West end. Also our first time seeing C L Taylor, I have seen Craig Robertson at Edinburgh book festival or another book event.



Taylor was talking about her new book Sleep but also got into her earlier work, I didn't know she was originally a rom com writer, did you?




Sleep has been optioned so we may well see it on tv someday, fingers crossed, I would love to see quite a few books made into movies or tv.




Robertson talked about his book, he has another coming out next year I think (sorry I did't catch the name) and they both discussed names and how difficult it can be when you are trying to come up with one. He accidentally ended up with a name of a neighbour a few doors down!




Three of Taylor's books have stalkers in them and she talked about her own personal experience of stalking, pretty horrific but also so good she managed to take a negative and use her writing to take a positive from it. Her story of taking a photo of her wee one on a train and not looking at it until later was enough to make the hairs on the back of your neck stand up!




The two just flowed and it wasn't until the last few minutes Robertson brought out the list of questions he had prepared earlier to ask, he hadn't needed them. If you get a chance to go to a book event please do, you support your authors, book stores and sometimes you get a few wee insider scoops. Like an author I really like who writes rom com is turning their hand to a crime novel oooooooh, gossip! It was lovely to actually meet Taylor, she is very nice, interesting and if the chance comes up, go and see these guys!




Afterwards both happily signed books, gabbed away and there was some wine provided for attendees (I don't drink wine nor alcohol if working the next day) I was happy to take the piccys and just gab.




A fab night, I seen some of my favs and had my wee Harry Potter shoes out for an outing, please support your book shops and authors guys, it is always a great night out!




SLEEP is only 99p on ebook and £3.99 paperback from Amazon, get your copy now CLICK HERE

Dead Inside by Noelle Holten Paperback launch

When possible we like to support authors and go to book events, we also like to meet before hand for a gab and scran. Some of my pals are more book geeky than others but we all love food and chat. So I grabbed my current read "The Pact We Made" and headed in on the bus.




How fab are my pals wee shoes, Disney baddies!




So we headed in, a wee group of us went to hear Noelle talk about her book and be interviewed by blogger extraordinaire Sharon B from Chapter in my life.





Sharon "grilled" Noelle, what it was like getting started as a writer, going from a book blogger to actually writing and getting published.





They had such a good flow and banter, we all laughed and raptly listened to Noelle talk about her past, how she left her job being a parole officer, getting her job with Bookouture.




They opened up questions to the floor and Sharon had plenty incase, for once, we were a shy audience. Think it was a case of we were enjoying listening to them but we did have plenty of questions coming in from the audience.




Noelle told us what is in store next and many of us are looking forward to Bloody Scotland and her taking the stage with Ian Rankin!





After that folk lined up to buy the book and get it signed. Noelle looked glowing and in her element, it was such a great night. If you can, please go to book events - it supports the book community and authors and readers always have a great night!





The book is out to buy in treebook and ebook (only £1.99) format, from AMAZON and book stores. Enjoy!





Incase you missed it, I have a Q&A with Noelle, you can read it HERE and a few days left on the giveaway for x1 copy of the ebook of Dead Inside, UK only as Amazon won't allow me to gift an ebook outside of my country.

Sonny and Me - Ross Sayers Book Launch

Today was the perfect day for my wee Cranachan totebag. I was meeting the girls for food then we headed to Waterstones for the book launch "Sonny and Me" by Ross Sayers, out to buy now, treebook and ebook format - Amazon link!




Blurb for the book

FOURTH YEAR. TWO PALS. ONE MURDER.WELCOME TO BATTLEFIELD HIGH...‘Whoever said yer school days are the best days ae yer life was at the absolute wind up. I hink maist adults dinnae mind whit it was really like. Wait til yeese hear whit Sonny and me got detention for...’Daughter and Sonny are two best friends just trying to get through fourth year at high school. But when their favourite teacher leaves unexpectedly, and no one will say why, the boys decide to start their own investigation. As they dig deeper into the staff at Battlefield High, they discover a dark secret which one person will kill to protect...Will they uncover the truth without being expelled? Can their friendship survive when personal secrets are revealed? And will they manage to skive off double English?"A unique blend of crime and comedy with an inclusive cast of characters, SONNY AND ME is brilliant: intriguing, heart-warming, and very funny." Sophie Cameron




The place was packed, every seat taken and folk standing.




Ross was interviewed by fellow author Caroline Logan whose book is coming out, by Cranachan, in October this year "The Stone of Destiny".




Ross read the first chapter of the book and we all laughed, I love Scottish humour/banter so I will be bumping the book up my TBRM.


His mum made wee biscuits with the book cover on it, I love this and just think it is such a lovely wee touch!








You can find Ross on Twitter and Facebook

Chris Carter at Waterstones

The event was sold out and most of us got there before the area opened.





I took my wee reusable cup as I am trying to be good with recycling. I don't often drink hot drinks but when I do I have this and my fav colour, purple.




Hunting Evil is book 10 in the series and out to buy tomorrow.





What a nice down to earth guy.





He spoke about what he did for jobs and how he came upon being an author.





He was very humble and honest about his journey, after chatting about his career in crime, dealing with police and helping catch criminals, the effect that has on you working day in and out with the worst aspects of humanity. Then he went for a career change and into music and his band days, joking that way he would get the girls. He then moved onto how writing started for him by penning a dream, folk reading it, him doing more and not really believing it was good enough. Sending out three chapters and after four days getting word back to send more and maybe this was actually happening, then another few days and asked to send the rest of the book. The rest is history!





He was so animated and chatty, we didn't even get to the book lmao, he just gabbed away about his life and journey to being an author. What happened after and then it was opened up to questions. When the host realised we hadn't talked about the book we all laughed but don't think anyone would have changed anything. He was so engaging, and we all chuckled when after the first two questions he had to get her to translate as the thick Glaswegian accents were a bit much for him. I LOVED Sharons question (from A Chapter in my Life) "Does writing satisfy your inner serial killer?" absolutely brilliant.





Then after that up for book singings.





How fab is his leather jacket. As he says you can tell he likes rock!





The queue was huge for getting books signed, everyone wanted a wee gab, shame he didn't go to the pub afterwards but I think he had more travelling to do and maybe just exhausted. Fantastic night, could have listened to him go on and on!

Kimberley Chambers and Anna Smith book event at Waterstones

Last night we headed to Waterstones to see crime authors Kimberley Chambers and Anna Smith. The event was chaired by book blogger legend Sharon from Chapter in my Life, if you haven't checked her blog out, do so she is a cracker!



Chambers new book is The Sting and has stunning purple print page ridges (limited edition), I LOVE purple and you all know how much I love Chambers books so I cannot wait to get mine (on route, ordered December)! The Hit was Anna's Book on display but her newest book (due out this year) is Fight Back book 2 in the Kerry Casey series.



This is the second time I have seen these ladies together and they are great onstage together, both very different but it works and flows so well. With Sharon chairing the event it was just a natural flow, good chat, bantz, laughter and stories.



Chambers talked about the new book and the prequel to The Butler series which we are all gagging for and how this book is a bit different from her others but still with the heart of what she does best.



We got onto the subject of books making it to tv/movies and Anna admitted this is a dream for her. Chambers would rather be actively involved, have her say on how it is done, who would play the characters as only she knows exactly what they would look like. Smith wasn't as bothered about the control aspects of direction and choices but would love hers to be transformed onto the screen. Both discussed how long the actual process can be and had much praise for Martina Cole's adaptations, character choices and direction she had. I do love Cole but haven't seen any of her stuff on the screen, I aim to change this asap and apparently Tom Hardy is in one of them!



Both ladies signed books after the event finished, the hour went by in a flash, I could have listened all night and everyone echo'd those sentiments, the ladies are naturals!



Some of us nipped round to the pub nearby, had a wee drink and gab before we all headed off home. I cannot go on enough about how nice it is to meet very successful people who are just lovely and down to earth. Chambers is going to Harrogate this year. I have yet to go here, many of my fellow bloggers LOVE it and always have amazing stories, maybe this could be the year I make it. After going to Edinburgh book fest last year for the first time I find the idea less terrifying (now I know what a festival entails) and always good to know authors you enjoy reading will be attending. Smith's new book comes out this year too so once I have details for that I will tweet and hopefully get to go, shifts permitting.

You can follow the ladies (in a non stalker/creepy way lol) on Twitter:

Chambers
Smith
Anna Smith's Facebook author page
Kimberley Chambers Facebook author page

Gothic night at Waterstones

So on a pretty cold October night we headed down to Waterstones for a wee gothic night. Three authors, one I had heard of, who hasn't heard of the fabulous Michael J Malone :D Anthony O'Neill and Charles McGarry.





Not my best photograph but some of these I had taken with my mobile. The books all had a wee reading from each author.


Anthony O'Neill read from Dr Jekyll and Mr Seek.





Charles McGarry read from his book "The Ghost of Helen Addison".





And Michael J Malone reading from his book "House of Spines".





All of our authors were interviewed by the lovely Sharon B from Chapter In My Life, if you aren't familiar with her blog please check it out.


There were drinks provided free of charge, wine, water and soft drinks, we partook in a wee orange juice, I was working the next evening and never have a tipple of any kind if on the next day.





For the event I wore my Christopher Lee Dracula T shirt I picked up when I was at Liverpool horrorcon & my wee chain I got from one of the stalls, do you recognise which movie she is from?








When I was leaving these fabulous bookmarks caught my eye, I didn't buy them that night but went back for them a few days later. Stainless steel British Writers, Charlotte Bronte, Charles Dickens, Jane Austen and William Shakespeare. You know I love a bookmark so couldn't resist.