One Day to Sci Fi Weekender

Tomorrow I'm off to my first convention of the year - the fifth Sci Fi Weekender, in North Wales.

It's the third year I've attended this Con, and I always look forward to it.  It's a Con to celebrate all things geeky in TV, film and books, and it actively encourages Cosplay.  Seeing all the incredible costumes is always a highlight of the Con.

This year I'm looking forward to it all the more as I am on several panels.  As it happens they are all on Saturday afternoon - at least I get them all out of the way at once.  At 2pm I am on a panel called 'Does Crime Pay', exploring the concept that 'crime is the new black'.  Then I've got a bit of a break, but can't go too far as at 3pm I'm moderating the 'Blurred Lines' panel discussing cross-genre.  And I still haven't come up with questions for the panel yet.  So I know what I shall be doing tonight.

And following that I'm on the next panel too, which is exploring what makes science fiction - 'from Space Opera to Dystopian Futures', the panel description says.  I suspect it was my public declaration of love for Star Wars that got me on that one.

With only a day to go, the usual dilemma has reared its head - what to wear for a Con?  I'm not organised enough to put a costume together.  The usual fall-back Con wear is jeans and a Geek t-shirt.  However, I have recently realised that I literally have a drawer full of Geek t-shirts, reflecting an array of geeky interests - Star Wars; Buffy; Dr Who.  I've even got a Resident Evil 4 t-shirt.  So which ones do I pack?  My favourite Con t-shirt is the girlie pink one with the cartoon grim reaper on that says 'Horror Writer'.  But I wore that at the last Con.  Can a self-respecting geek be seen in public wearing the same t-shirt at every Con?

If you're going to be at the convention, do stop by and say hello.  And if you're not - well, I'll catch up with you when I return to normal life. 

In the meantime, I'm off to go ransack my t-shirt drawer and think up intelligent questions for my panel.

   

Another Promotional Round-up

This blog has been a bit quiet of late, and for that I apologise.  We had an unexpected burst of Spring here in London last weekend, and we all went rushing outside to make the most of it.  Sadly it seemed to have been a blip, with normal UK weather restored in time for the working week.  After basking in the garden in a t-shirt on Sunday, I was obliged to get back into my coat and scarf on Monday.  Still, at least the rain has been holding off of late.

And in the meantime I've been very busy in cyberspace, with two more guest appearances in the last week or so.

First up, I was interviewed by Pete Sutton for his BRSBKBLOG blog, which is described as 'Adventures in Publishing'.  We talked a lot about the creation of my amateur sleuth Shara Summers, and the forthcoming re-release of DEATH SCENE, and you can find the interview here.

This week, I've been visiting 'Waibel's World', blog of fellow MuseItUp author Mary Waibel, and talking about how being a writer is both a curse and a blessing.

And finally, it's just over two weeks until the Sci Fi Weekender in Wales, my first Con of 2014.  This year, not only am I going, I'm on the programme.  I'm very excited to have received preliminary details this week about the panels I'll be on.  All will be revealed soon!

In the meantime, if you'll be at the Con, do stop by and say hello.

My First Print Book

Front Cover: The Ripper's Daughter

I'm so excited! This evening, I got the news via Facebook that copies of my latest release, The Ripper's Daughter, had arrived. The goal was to have them ready for a local author fair this weekend.

The Ripper's Daughter is my first print book. This is a significant moment for me. It gives me opportunities I never had before. I can set up signings, sell my book at local cons, donate copies to my local libraries, etc.

The Ripper's Daughter is the second vampire historical book I've written, the first set during the French Revolution. This one was written during NaNoWriMo in 2011, and was partly based on my fascination with the Ripper case. Of course, this is my fictional take.

Blurb:

Louisville, Kentucky 1898

Ten years earlier, Jack the Ripper terrorized London's Whitechapel district. Assigned to the case, Detective Inspector Nathan James discovered the Ripper's true nature, and made a decision that changed his life. But the murders stopped and the Ripper disappeared.
Now living in Louisville, Kentucky, Nathan runs a saloon, while trying to keep his relationship with his manservant, Stephen, secret. He's never forgotten his failure to stop the Ripper, and when murdered prostitutes start showing up, suspects the elusive killer stalks the city's streets. But is the Ripper responsible for these deaths, and will he reveal Nathan and Stephen's darkest secret?

Currently available from:
Amazon
Barnes and Noble