Audible.co.uk today announced the release of Bill Bryson for the Love Hearts Appeal, a previously unpublished anecdote written and recorded by the internationally best-selling author. Bill Bryson for the Love Hearts Appeal is available free at Audible.co.uk and the audiobook provider will donate 50p per download from Audible.co.uk to the Love Hearts Appeal for Great Ormond Street Hospital Children’s Charity.

The 12-minute download is a must for any fans of Bill’s work. With trademark wit, Bill divulges his unfortunate “genius for painful outcomes.” This hilarious account of his own encounters with injury accompanies Bill’s depiction of a truly heroic person he knows.…

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If, like me, you’re missing the big crime festivals this year, then fear not…. You still have the chance to catch up with one of the biggest names, Jeffery Deaver, on his UK tour for new Lincoln Rhyme book ‘The Kill Room’ at the following bookstores and events:

UK & Ireland book tour for The Kill Room

June 20, 2013, Manchester
12.30pm
Signing at WHSmith, Store 5, Arndale Centre, Manchester M4 3AD.
To reserve copies – 0161 834 8300

June 21, 2013, London
12.30pm
signing at Waterstones, 1-3 Whittington Avenue, Leadenhall Market, London EC3V 1PJ
To reserve copies: 0207 220 7882
7.00pm
Launch event at Waterstones Piccadilly, W.l.…

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On Monday, I had a rare (and yet familiar) treat. One that gave me a pleasant flashback to my film reviewing days of old pre-internet times!

As tie-in promotion to the Picador movie-jacketed edition of the classic novel, and with thanks to Picador and to Warner Bros, I had the opportunity of viewing the new movie adaptation by Baz Luhrmann in the wonderful and luxurious surroundings of the preview screening room at Warner Bros London offices.

I’m always a little dubious of 3D movies (of which this was one) and rarely choose that option if a 2D version is available.…

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Publishing soon from Exhibit A Books and available for pre-order on amazon HERE, Hard Road sounds like a cracking thriller.

In his own words, here’s author JB Turner on the story behind the book:

It began with a simple notion: what if an assassin doesn’t kill the man he was sent to kill. The idea had been forming for many months. Maybe years, who can really say? But this is how my conspiracy thriller, Hard Road, began.

What I needed though was a complex narrative to make the story come alive.

As a former journalist, I’m a bit of a news junkie.…

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Please indulge me a while on movies, there is good reason for this post, and wonderful book news towards the end…..In a couple of weeks it would have been the 100th birthday of the late great Peter Cushing, gentleman of horror and fantasy cinema and actor behind many of the most iconic characters to have graced the silver screen.

Despite having visited Bray Studios a couple of times in the past, sadly it was after Mr Cushing’s passing in 1994 aged 81, so although I have met many who have worked with him, I was never lucky enough to meet the man himself.…

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A debut novelist muscles up against giants of the genre as the longlist is announced for the 2013 Theakstons Old Peculier Crime Novel of the Year Award, one of the most prestigious crime writing prizes in the country.

Lee Child who won the Award in 2011 returns to the longlist with The Affair, dubbed ‘his best book yet’. Sizing up to the phenomenal Jack Reacher is the master of the race-against-time thrillers, Simon Kernick, with Siege.

Other giants of the genre on the long-list are Stuart MacBride with Birthdays for the Dead, and two-time award-winner Mark Billingham for his stand-alone novel, Rush of Blood, said to be his most ambitious and accomplished work to date.…

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Over the weekend I took the family to Whitstable  – it’s nearly the Centenary of Peter Cushing’s birth – and I was moved by the clear affection the town clearly has for their former resident and gentleman of the Hammer Horror movies (amongst his numerous other classic roles).

I’d just started to group the photographs taken there with a view to posting them with a blog piece this evening when I received the sad news that another of my monster movie heroes and another true gentleman of the business had passed away.

Ray Harryhausen’s influence on the movie world and beyond cannot be for a moment be considered anything other than spectacular.…

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From the first tweet I read on the day, from @MPSinthesky (the Met Police Helicopter crew) which stated ‘May the Fourth be with you, always’ accompanied by a photograph of two stormtroopers in a pod on the London Eye, this 4th May started off as something quite special – it was clearly time to get our collective geek on.

Making the decision the evening before to spend the morning trawling London area comic stores for the great annual ‘Free Comic Day’ we set off on the train after breakfast for a full day of superheroes and Jedi-based fun.

First stop: Orbital Comics, although only for a brief photo opportunity with the collective heroes and villains assembled outside -the queue was already around the block, so we opted to return later in the day (and even then were still rewarded with some late free comic goodies).…

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CRIMEFEST ANNOUNCES AWARDS
SHORTLISTS 2013

Michael Connelly, John Grisham, and Ian Rankin are amongst those battling it out for Audible Sounds of Crime Award, whilst Declan Burke, Ruth Dudley Edwards and Christopher Fowler face each other on multiple shortlists!

CrimeFest is thrilled to announce the shortlists for the 2013 CrimeFest Awards. Now in their sixth year, the awards keep going from strength to strength. Joining the prize line-up this year is the new H.R.F. Keating Award which highlights some criminally overlooked publications in recent years: biographies and critical books related to crime fiction. The award is named for Harry Keating, who died in 2011, one of Britain’s most esteemed crime novelists, a reviewer for The Times, and writer of books about crime fiction.…

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I know, I’m shocked too, but when I saw the buzz and the comments made about the planned ‘Dark Fairy Queen Writerly Bridal Shower’ ebook plans for Anna Meade (co-editor of ‘Once upon a time…’) I felt compelled to give it a go.

You can check out my entry below, and totally for FREE you can download the entire collection to read all 75 (YES 75 !) wedding-themed stories right HERE.

So, go on, give it a whirl, you are in for some fantastical and surprising tales. Oh, and I mentioned my story, right?  Well, here you go:

Unlawful Impediment  By Keith B Walters

Michael wiped at his forehead and adjusted his tie once again – a sudden habit he’d grown to hate in recent hours.…

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