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The Hyde Hotel, edited by James Everington and Dan Howarth, opened its doors yesterday and it contains my story
The Coyote Corporation's Misplaced Song alongside stories by authors such as Simon Bestwick, Alison Littlewood, Ray Cluley, S P Miskowski, Mark West, V H Leslie and others.
Many thanks to James and Dan for inviting me to write for the anthology. You can find it on
Amazon.
In other news, there is an interview with one of the contributors, Ray Cluley, over at
The Haunted Omnibus.
Another Twisted Tales event last night. First one in awhile and a bit of a landmark as before snagging the Bestwick, I used to meet him for coffee in Liverpool before Twisted Tales events and then we'd go to the readings.
This time the guests were Adam Nevill (always charming), Stuart MacBride and Steve Mosby. The theme, as you can guess from the poster to the left, was serial killers. Each author read a piece from their books and then David McWilliam hosted a discussion on serial murder, crime and its connection to horror, before opening the questions for the audience to ask the authors.
I haven't read anything by Stuart MacBride or Steve Mosby before so I'm looking forward to checking out their books, especially as I haven't read any crime/thrillers in a wee while. Stares at to read pile. Falls over.
After the event, we went for a meal in China Town with several awesome people including Ramsey & Jenny Campbell, Marie O'Regan, Paul Kane, David McWilliam, Stuart MacBride, Adam Nevill and Glynn Morgan. Lovely food even if I did have a minor spat with the Bestwick over what I was eating because I couldn't make up my mind. I can be annoying. Also good to see
Priya Sharma and Roy Gray again. Hopefully, I haven't missed anyone out.
Actually, food caused me no end of problems yesterday including the death of my porridge. It went splat all over the work kitchen sink. Guess, I'm a cereal killer. You have permission to groan.
Last weekend, I attended my very first convention - Fantasycon - and I loved it. Here are some of the things that occurred and helped make it something to remember...
- Simon may never forgive me for making him run from our B&B to the convention hotel because I wanted to attend Rob Shearman's reading. The run included stairs. I will apologise eventually. Maybe. Probably not. It was Rob Shearman after all. I also attended readings by Simon Bestwick (duh!), Alison Littlewood, Gary McMahon, Graham Joyce and Jon Oliver.
- Beware of Graham Joyce and seemingly innocent lists of signatures. Always check under Joyce's thumb. Several writers signed their names to the List of Cunts. Snort.
- An absolute thrill to finally meet Ray Cluley and to discover that his girlfriend, Victoria, is VH Leslie who's had stories published in Black Static. At several points during the weekend I was surrounded by Black Static and Interzone authors. This makes me part of the gang, right? Right? It's almost like having a story within the pages, right? Simon and I went for a meal with Ray and Victoria on the Friday night. A definite highlight of the weekend. The following night we returned to the same restaurant with the brilliant Gary & Emily McMahon. I ate swordfish. This is exotic for me.
- Arriving at a disco via the dance floor when your boyfriend is an extrovert and you are an introvert is scary. I demanded a pint of cider and after a few sips discovered my rhythm - or rather, no longer cared whether or not I had rhythm. I didn't have rhythm.
- Beware of DJs with a wicked sense of humour.
- I can hold my drink. Cue one boyfriend who was slightly less concerned when I demanded he buy me another pint of cider.
- During the British Fantasy Awards the room erupted when Rob Shearman won the award for best collection. Although all the winners received generous applause, the announcement of Rob's win almost brought the hotel down. In fact, I suspect parts of Brighton are still shaking. Adam Nevill got a rapturous applause too. Someone needs to check if the hotel is still standing.
- Despite claiming we would, the Bestwick and I never managed a trip on the big wheel. We ran out of time. It wasn't because we're wimps or that we were still trying to catch our breath after running to Rob Shearman's reading. Although, hearing Soozy Marjoram's report of her experience on the big wheel I'm rather grateful to the beast that stole time.
- Nina Allen is so lovely.
- Alison Littlewood & Fergus are lovely too. But this I already knew. In fact, lots of people were lovely and in some cases bonkers. I appreciate bonkers. Amongst the lovely and the bonkers who I spoke to (leaving out those already mentioned) were Graeme Reynolds, Simon Kurt Unsworth, Jay Eales, Rosie Seymour, Christopher Teague, Rio Youers, Lynda Rucker, Mark West, Selina Lock, Joel Lane, Gary Cole Wilkin, David Price, Simon & Lizzie Marshall Jones, Neil Buchanan, Maura McHugh, and... okay, I've mentioned him before but... Rob Shearman. So, so excited to meet Rob. I don't think it showed though. Apologies to all those I forgot to mention (I have just face palmed)
- Somebody forgot to attend any panels. That would be me. No matter the awesomeness of the Guests of Honour if you get lost in Alice in Wonderland corridors you'll never find your way to their interview. Oops! In fact, I think my reflection is still trapped somewhere in the basement of the con hotel.
- I didn't take many photos because I suffered a strange case of Behind Camera Shyness. This is a new illness. I'm going to prescribe something sugary.
- I developed an addiction to ice cubes. My home made ice cubes do not compare. I would also like to continue having breakfast in bed. Someone arrange the latter.
- Roy Gray (of Interzone / TTA Press) kindly gave us a lift to and from Fantasycon. Much thanks to him. I think he survived the experience.
- Candy floss was consumed.
- Most important of all, the convention made me desperate to write. I'd lost a little of that want over the past few months. Oh, and did I say, I met ROB SHEARMAN!!! This may have pleased me.
This is Horror are hosting an event on Saturday September 22 to celebrate the launch of their second chapbook
Thin Men with Yellow Faces by Gary McMahon and Simon Bestwick. Joining Simon and Gary will be Ramsey Campbell, Conrad Williams and Jasper Bark.
The launch event will be held at MadLab in Manchester from 6:30pm running through to 8:15 pm.Tickets are just £3 and you can purchase them via the
This is Horror website. I have mine and if you're in the area then go get yours.
Thin Men with Yellow Faces will be available for the special price of £4 in Manchester for one night only and as it's a collaboration between two hugely talented writers you know it's going to kick-ass.
Life has taken an interesting turn at this end. If you're one of my Facebook friends you may already know what I'm talking about. If not...ooh, the mystery.
Here's a clue... Faceless
Don't panic, I haven't removed my face. Actually, that may be cause for some to start panicking. Don't worry, the lesser-spotted-me doesn't leave the North West area very often. Fair warning: I will be in Brighton this September.
Here's another clue... Twisted Tales
You may recall that I've mentioned attending writers events at my local Waterstones. You may also recall that I meet a friend for coffee before these events. I've known said friend since the late 1990s when he edited a magazine, we spoke on the phone a few times, he published some of my stuff and then I vanished from the writing world and we didn't catch up again until I returned to the writing fold, found his blog and yelled 'hello'. We started meeting up for the occasional coffee two years ago, in August 2010.
Another clue... My head is in the clouds and airships are floating by.
No, I'm not tripping.
I think.
So, for those of you not on my Facebook friends list, I just updated my status to... In a relationship with Simon Bestwick.
It appears my glorious two weeks off work have whittled down to this last day. I'm not certain how that happened. Okay, I know how that happened but some of it is a blur and some of it deliciously highlighted in its wonderfulness. Back to reality tomorrow.
Ugh! (Uttered like a caveman in pain)
The plan for today (should I ever escape the endless loop of Twitter and Facebook) is to work on my novella/novel, which I haven't touched since Tuesday. My first week off work I wrote, wrote, wrote. The second week not so much, but that doesn't matter as I was out having adventures. One of those adventures included going to a Terror Scribes meeting in Manchester yesterday. I always feel so brave going to events because I can be incredibly shy. Annoyingly shy. God help me at Fantasycon--I shall have to get drunk on candy floss. At Terror Scribes, people were lovely and welcoming, and luckily I went with Simon Bestwick so that helped the nerves a little.
Now I shall go play with some ghosts, including a malicious one who appears to be channelling Willy Wonka.
It's apt that my tour should find its way to Simon Bestwick's blog today as I met up with the dude in Liverpool yesterday evening for another Twisted Tales event (more on that in another post). Today's post is another cautionary tale -
The Travelling Theatrical Tour: Costume Department - on what happens to those who find employment in the theatre.
Simon's second novel '
The Faceless' is published next week by Solaris (I shall be haunting the postman until he brings my copy which according to Amazon is on the way). In the meantime, for those who can't wait, you can purchase his short story collection '
A Hazy Shade of Winter' (Ash-Tree Press). I'm reading it at the moment and it is delightfully chilling.
Things to look forward to in 2012...
Is it here yet?
Attended another Twisted Tales event last night (I blogged about the last one
here) at Waterstones in Liverpool One. This time the guys at Waterstones were celebrating the release of the PS Publishing anthology
Gutshot.
First off there was an introduction by anthology editor, Conrad Williams followed by readings from Gary McMahon, Joel Lane and Amanda Hemingway. After the readings there was a question and answer session which my pal Simon Bestwick joined because he's also in the anthology.
How cool is my city?
Before the event I met Simon Bestwick, Gary McMahon and Joel Lane in the cafe opposite Waterstones. Never mind my city, how cool am I? I've met Joel before (briefly), but it's the first time I've met Gary and as expected he's super awesome as well as being super talented. Picked up Gary's
The Concrete Grove and of course
Gutshot. The anthology is available from
PS Publishing.
The next Twisted Tales event has readings by Ramsey Campbell and Pete Crowther. Again, how cool is my city?
Remember, remember it's the first of November...
I'm glad I'm not participating in NaNoWriMo but I do keep having twinges of envy when I read the status updates of those who are. Especially as I'm in an 'I used to write' funk at the moment which is exasperated by my spending too much time selling things on eBay. We've been down this road before and it led to an accidental* four or five year break from writing. :O Way to freak myself out. (I may have just spun around the room flapping my hands).
*Seriously, accidental. I slid away from writing, left a novel in progress for all those years, and then got a wake up call one day when I was talking to someone at work (who I'd just discovered was a writer) and realised I hadn't been a writer for some time. Although that journey into eBay was to pay off some astronomical debts, I have no such (touch wood) excuse this time.
The thing about not writing is it stresses you out and you end up on a not-so-merry-go-round of achieving nothing. I will get my funk back. Or steal someone else's. Muahaha. (Dear Google Spell Check, Muahaha is spelt correctly :P) Or maybe I'll attack my laptop with a ruler (it's about the most dangerous thing here) and sit in a corner with pen and paper.
By the way, this is not a 'please sympathise with me' post, it's a 'where I'm at at the moment post and I will speed through it and annoy you with how much I've written before we all know it'. Plus life is full of awesomeness thanks to things like this review for Theatre of Curious Acts in
Publishers Weekly...
Anyway, I shall leave you with some fantastically sad and fantastically spooky fiction to read if you are so inclined.
Like Origami in Water by Damien Walters Grintalis
and
The Psalm by Simon Bestwick (which you will find on about page 138)
and I haven't read it yet, but quite frankly we all know it will be awesome,
The Sons of Chaos and the Desert Dead by Aaron Polson.
Now I must check how those things are selling on eBay and see if I can afford a paddling pool yet or maybe I could buy a muse that is Castiel shaped. Oh yes please.
Last night I attended the
Twisted Tales event at Waterstones in Liverpool One. They've been holding these events for a year but this was the first I've attended.
Go me or bad me or something of that flavour.
Met up with Simon Bestwick for a coffee (okay, I had a bottle of water because I was way too hyper) before heading into the event. There were readings by Nicholas Royle, Lisa Tuttle and Adam Nevill, a question and answer session and then a signing.
Picked up the House of Fear Anthology, The Silver Bough by Lisa Tuttle, The Ritual by Adam Nevill and Regicide by Nicholas Royle (which when I read the blurb on the back screamed 'I have to read this now' so I guess I'm shoving that one to the front of my towering to read pile which is actually rather neatly organised now).
Oh and I sat behind Ramsey Campbell during the event (yep, you read that right) and of course Simon being Simon (i.e. he knows everyone) he introduced me to Ramsey after the readings. I ran away rather quickly. Better that than subjecting him to a stream of incoherent nonsense.
The planned writing break ended before it began. I have no problem with that. In fact, I think I'll threaten the muse every week and get it to kick its ass in gear. Worked on a short story this morning that has so much running under the surface, I think I may have to dredge a canal.
Spent this afternoon in the company of esteemed writers (Simon Beswick, Ally Bird and Joel Lane). I think I looked like a mannequin set to 'awe' and maybe a nodding dog. I felt like a pretend writer. Heck, with the time I spend on twitter even my laptop thinks I'm a pretend writer. Oops! I have to say Allyson Bird is one of the loveliest people ever. Not that Simon and Joel aren't of course.
Then, I arrive home and yay, the new issue of Space and Time is out in the world (and should be in bookstores in Canada) and my name is on the cover. Or rather my old name. I think this is the last story out in the wild that will appear under the name Catherine J Gardner. I should mark the name's passing with a moments silence or a biscuit.
The hilarious, talented and insane Marshall Payne inspired this post. His blog post on Tuesday reminded me that a blog shouldn't be all me, me, me (except of course when it's about me) and that I should set some blog time aside to pimp others. Hence the birth of Somebody Else Saturday TM. Now let me introduce my first victim, ahem, I mean someone you should take a little time to stalk. Oh dear, that doesn't sound any better...
I am fortunate enough to remember Simon Bestwick from way back when he was the editor of the anthology, Oktobyr, in the 1990s. An anthology that attracted the likes of Simon Clark, Jonathan Aycliffe, Tim Lebbon and me. Grins and promises she's not pimping herself, she's only proving that as an editor he attracted the outstanding, the famous (who are also outstanding), and took pity on an unknown because he was kinda cool like that.
This week marks the publication of Simon's short story collection, Pictures of the Dark, published by Gray Friar Press, and the collection was put together by Gary Fry. Hey, how did Gary slip in here, if it can't be about me, then it can't be about him. Boo! :o Maybe I should take away the boo, I shouldn't really antagonise people higher up the food chain than me. Okay, that's everyone. Nice boo!
Here's the blurb from the back of the book:
There are dark places everywhere.
The world outside your front door, and the one inside your head. Dreads and longings. Pasts and futures.
Loneliness and relationships. Love and hate. Life and death . . . and what might lie beyond.
And then there’s the place the stories come from.
The council estate where the dead walk . . . The farmhouse attic filled with mummified corpses . . .
The old tramp’s blanket, and what slept in it at night . . .
Tempted. I was, hence the picture of the collection standing just behind Mr. Grim (out of shot, because it's not about him either). Oh dear, my too read pile is set at wobble.
And if the above hasn't tempted you to check out Mr. Bestwick. Perhaps the fact that his novella, The Narrows, has made the British Fantasy Awards 2009 shortlist, or that, The Narrows, has also been selected by Ellen Datlow (I refuse to boo Ms. Datlow for appearing here, instead I'll curtsey) to appear in Best Horror of the Year #1.
Now go stalk him, or buy his book, or lick the copy of Best Horror when it arrives later this year.
It was really lovely to see you again too, beautiful!
Congrats again on your story in Shimmer. I'll check it out.
All the best and hope to see you again,
Priya
Thanks, Priya. Hopefully we'll bump into each other at another event.
Sounds like a good time, Cate!
These events looks fabulous. Very jealous.
Always, Lee :D
They are, Deborah :D