Source: bbcnews

NEIL GAIMAN WINS BOOK PRIZE

Writer Neil Gaiman has won the prestigious children’s fiction prize – the Cilip Carnegie Medal – for his fantasy tale The Graveyard Book.

The novel, about an orphaned boy brought up by ghosts, has scored a literary double, having also won the Newbery Medal – the US equivalent of the Carnegie.

Gaiman, who grew up in the UK but now lives in the US, is best known for the Sandman comic series and his novels Stardust and Coraline – which became big-screen hits.

He was inspired to write The Graveyard Book when his son rode into a graveyard on his tricycle. The story echoes the plot of Rudyard Kipling’s The Jungle Book, in which orphan Mowgli who is brought up by animals in the jungle.

Read more here…

Source: forbesindia

THE PAPERBACK TURNS 75

It was the year 1966, and Paul McCartney wrote a song called Paperback Writer. It was about a writer who was desperate to get his work published. As it was then, so it is now. As it turns 75, the paperback book remains the sure way for a writer to reach the masses.

OK, we are cheating a bit. Strictly speaking, the paperback is a little older than 75. The first paperback got published in 1931. But this pioneering effort by German publisher Albatross Books failed to attract any takers. It was only in 1935 — when Sir Allen Lane launched the now legendary Penguin Books — that the paperback took off. The high quality books priced at 2.5 pence — the same as a pack of 10 cigarettes — were a runaway success. The age of the paperback was upon us.

Read more here…

Source: startelegram

SCOTT SIGLER PLAYS WITH SCIENCE FACT NOT SCIENCE FICTION

Scott Sigler’s techno-horror mash-up of a novel, Ancestor, on sale this week, has a little bit of everything: recklessly ambitious medical research, predator monsters bursting from the bellies of host cattle, heavily armed scientists and paramilitary types fighting the creatures and each other at a remote island facility and even a love story.

There’s nothing fundamentally new about it, structurally or stylistically. Bestselling authors James Rollins, Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child have written similar books. But the way that Sigler has become one of the genre’s new heavy hitters is unique.

Read more here…

Congrats to Neil Gaiman on winning the the Cilip Carnegie Medal!

Are you a fan of Scott Sigler? Which books have you read?

There is a lot going on this July. San Diego Comic Con is finally here and Charlaine Harris will be making an appearance. The Official Twilight Conventions are still going strong and many other authors make appearances. Check out the list…

AUTHOR APPEARANCES & EVENTS

Charlaine Harris

July 21 – 25: ComicCon, San Diego, CA

George R.R. Martin

Instructor at Clarion Workshop

July 4-10, 2010 – Instructor at Clarion Workshop – San Diego, CA

Scott Siegler – Ancestor Tour

PORTLAND, OR – July 5, 7:00pm – Powell’s Books

3415 SW Cedar Hills Blvd, Beaverton, OR 97005
Bar stop after reading: McMenamins Cedar

SEATTLE – July 6, 7:30pm – Barnes & Noble University Village

2675 NE University Village, Seattle, WA 98105
Bar stop after reading: The Ram Restaurant and Bighorn Brewery

DENVER – July 7, 7:30pm – Tattered Cover Book Store

1628 16th Street, Denver, CO 80202

Bar stop after reading: The Celtic Tavern

MINNEAPOLIS – July 8, 7:30pm – Magers & Quinn Booksellers

3038 Hennepin Avenue, Minneapolis, MN 55408

Bar stop after reading: Old Chicago Minneapolis Uptown

CHICAGO – July 9, 6:00pm – The Bookstall at Chestnut Court
811 Elm Street, Winnetka, IL 60093
Bar stop after reading: The Happ Inn

DETROIT – July 10, 2:00pm – Barnes & Noble Royal Oak
500 South Main Street, Royal Oak, MI 48067
Bar stop after reading: The Rock on 3rd

TORONTO – July 12, 7:00pm - World’s Biggest Bookstore
20 Edward Street, Toronto, ON M5G 1C9, Canada
Bar stop after reading: The Imperial Pub

MOUNTAIN VIEW, CA – July 14, 7:30pm - Books, Inc.
301 Castro, Mountain View, CA 94041
Bar stop after reading: St. Stephen’s Green Irish Pub

SAN MATEO, CA – July 15, 7:00pm – “M” is for Mystery
86 East Third Avenue, San Mateo, CA 94401
Bar stop after reading: 3rd Ave Sports Bar & Grill

CORTE MADERA, CA – July 20, 7:00pm - Book Passage
51 Tamal Vista Blvd, Corte Madera, CA 94925

Bar stop after reading: Brick & Bottle

For more info: Scott Sigler

Charles Stross

July 13, 2010 – Pandemonium Books and Games in Cambridge, MA

Presenting The Fuller Memorandum, the latest book in his “Laundry” series.

For more info: pandemoniumbooks

LADY A’S VAMPIRE SOCIAL

Vampire Tiki Party

July 15th – 16, 2010 – Chicago, IL

For more info: vampiresocial

CONVENTIONS

INCONJUNCTION 30

July 1-4, 2010 – Indianapolis, IN

For more info: incon

SALUTE TO SUPERNATURAL

July 9-11, 2010 – Parsipanny, NJ

For more info: supernaturalfans

G-FEST XVII (Godzilla / Japanese Monsters)

July 9-11, 2010 – Rosemont, IL

For more info: gfest

LIBERTYCON 23

July 9-11, 2010 - Chattanooga, TN

For more info: libertycon.org

MYTHCON 41

July 9-12, 2010 – Dallas, TX

For more info: mythcon41

ANCIENTY CITY CON IV

July 10-11, 2010 – Jacksonville, FL

For more info: ancientcity

OFFICIAL TWILIGHT CONVENTION

July 9-11, 2010 – Indianapolis, IN

For more info: twilightind

July 16-18, 2010 – Boston, MA

For more info: twilightma

July 30-August 1, 2010 – Toronto, CANADA

For more info: twilightca

JOURNEY TO WHERE

July 16-18, 2010 – Austin, TX

For more info: journeytowhere

SAN DIEGO COMIC COM

July 22-25, 2010 – San Diego, CA

For more info: comiccon

CONFLUENCE 2010 – 22nd Annual Literary Sci-Fi Convention

July 23-25, 2010 – Pittsburgh, PA

For more info: confluence

PULPFEST 2010

July 30 – August 1, 2010 – Columbus, OH

For more info: pulpfest

PARANORMAL PSYCHIC FAIRE

July 31 – August 1, 2010 – @Fort Knox in Prospect, ME

For more info: fortknox

INTERNATIONAL

FESTIVAL FANTAZIE

July 1-11, 2010 – Chotebor, Czech Republic

For more info: festivalfantazie

GATECON (Stargate – Sci-Fi)

July 8-11, 2010 – Vancouver, B.C.

For more info: gatecon

BETTER THAN LIFE 2

July 9-11, 2010 - Red Dwarf Convention - The Park Inn, Bedford, UK

For more info: better than life 2

POLARIS 24

July 16-18, 2010 – Toronto, ON

For more info: polaris

Guest Appearance: Lindsey Wagner (Bionic Woman)

LONDON FILM AND COMIC CON

July 17-18, 2010 – Earls Court 2, UK

For more info: londonfilm

CONSTELLATION 2010

July 24-26, 2010 – Glasgow, Scotland

For more info: constellation

On Our Radar: Scott Sigler’s ‘Infected’

‘Infected’ is a sci-fi thriller novel by American writer Scott Sigler, which was originally a podcast novel called ‘Infection’ and was later renamed to accommodate its hardcover release by Crown Publishing in 2008. Film rights have since been purchased by Rogue Pictures and Random House films and they have optioned to develop the novel into a feature length film.

Infected Synopsis:

Perry Dawsey is 6-foot-5, 265 pounds of angry ex-linebacker. He knows all too well that if he doesn’t control his quick temper, people get hurt. Through constant focus, he has locked his violent past away in the deep dungeons of his mind.

The infection changes everything.

Strange microscopic parasites tap into Perry’s bloodstream like tiny little vampires. They start as bright orange blisters, but soon take the shape of triangular growths just beneath his skin. The “Triangles,” as Perry calls them, try to control their host by manipulating hormone levels and flooding his body with neurotransmitters — imbalances of which cause paranoia, schizophrenia and excessive aggression. As Perry begins a desperate battle to cut the Triangles out of his body before it’s too late, his self-control dissolves into raging, murderous madness.

Reviews for Sigler’s novel have been off the charts. Author of ‘Patient Zero’, Jonathan Mayberry, a Bram Stoker Award winner said:

“Sigler is the Richard Matheson of the 21st Century…smart and creepy, INFECTED is a flawless thinking-person’s thriller. Bravo to a bold new talent!”

With parasites, science fiction and horror all rolled into one…‘Infected” is a novel we will be surely place in our review cue. So stay tuned.

To read more about Scott Sigler’s novel ‘Infected’, view the book trailer, hear podcasts, and listen to free audio-books, (yup, you heard correctly), hop on over to his site  http://www.scottsigler.com/infected

Podcasting novelist, New York Times best-selling author and “failed pimp” Scott Sigler has announced the formation of Dark Overlord Media, a publishing house created to produce books and other properties for established online personalities.

“Entertainers are using the internet to establish their own audiences,” Sigler said. “You no longer need a big publisher or a network marketing machine to generate a fan base. Dark Overlord Media wants to help those entertainers and journalists create tangible products that will make their audiences happy, then facilitate selling directly to those audiences.”

Dark Overlord Media’s first publication is the hardcover release of The Rookie, a far-future football novel written by Sigler. He gave the story away as a free podcast in 2007, then sold a young adult version iPhone App in early 2009.

Read more here.

This was a really smart move on Sigler’s part; such a great idea. I can’t wait to see what Dark Overlord Media churns out!

Will you pick up ‘The Rookie’?

Do you listen to Sigler’s podcast?

  Do you wanna have a Tailgate party with Scott Sigler? Good news, you can! He will be visiting 21 cities (wow!) soon…Check for your city below:

 Everything is a go. We’re still packing Rookie books, so we haven’t nailed down times and bars in each city, but clear your calendars from 4pm to 9pm. It will be somewhere in that window (unless there is Monday Night Football, then it will be a bit later).

• Sept. 6th: Atlanta, GA (link coming soon)
• Sept. 7th: Birmingham, AL
• Sept. 8th:  Nashville, TN
• Sept. 9th: Indianapolis, IN
• Sept. 10th: Chicago, IL
• Sept. 11th: Grand Rapids, MI
• Sept. 13th: Ann Arbor, MI
• Sept. 14th: Cincinnati, OH
• Sept. 15th: Canton, OH
• Sept. 16th: Pittsburgh, PA
• Sept. 17th: Philadelphia, PA
• Sept. 20th: New York City, NY
• Sept. 22nd: Jacksonville, FL
• Sept. 23rd: Talahassee, FL
• Sept. 24th: New Orleans, LA
• Sept. 25th: Houston, TX
• Sept. 26th: Dallas, TX
• Sept. 27th: Norman, OK
• Sept. 28th: Little Rock, AR
• Sept. 29th: St. Louis, MO

Twenty-one cities in twenty-four days. Show me another author who’s this down for the gunfight. You Junkies rule and I want to meet as many of you as I can.

Check out Scott’s site here.

Oh man, no Phoenix, AZ date? Dayum…and this sounded like such fun!

Will you attend this event?

Which Sigler book is your fave?