POLTERGEEKS is coming!

Posted on 26th January 2012 in cool beans!


Picture of angst-ridden Canadian author who is dying to share AWESOME news but has been told to keep his trap shut.

 

I’ve been meaning to add a blog posting about the fact that Angry Robot’s new YA imprint Strange Chemistry Books has acquired my novel POLTERGEEKS. I’ve been burning the candle at both ends for the past few weeks. First off, I’m just pumped about the deal my agents Jenny Savill and Ella Kahn negotiated. We’d been submitting the novel to publishers since last March and actually came pretty close early on but it didn’t pan out – this is a good thing because I love Angry Robot’s books. (I’m currently reading NEKROPOLIS by Tim Waggoner it’s a great, great read. It’s Simon R Green’s Nightside on speed.) You can actually buy them in a bookstore in Saskatoon (whereas my Snowbooks titles aren’t available at bookstores in North America.) and the publisher puts out really cutting edge stuff.

Ella Kahn informed me that she was submitting at the beginning of December just after Strange Chemistry was revealed to the world and she nailed it – she said we’d be a perfect fit. Naturally I went into my own little fit of giggles when I thought about it because Angry Robot is just a fantastic publisher and I drew onto my reserves of patience through the Christmas season because if you’re an agented author you’re really in the dark until your agent hears something. Christmas came and went and then on January 4th of this year I received the following email:

>>Hey Sean,

 Might you be free for a quick phone call? We have some news for you…

 Ella J<<

So I’m at work. It’s my second day back after the holiday. It’s like … nine in the morning here in the middle of the frozen Canadian prairie and I have to do everything humanly possible not the #$%@ a brick. I quickly emailed back and Ella was on the phone from London less than five minutes later. (By the way, I haven’t actually met my agents yet – this was the first time I heard Ella Kahn’s voice so, yeah, she doesn’t sound like Eartha Kitt’s Catwoman, but that’s cool. I’m hoping to visit the UK in short order to rectify this.)

She let me know about the offer. I tried again not to #$@! a brick and then I went into “keep this under your hat mode” for two weeks. Do you have ANY idea how hard it is NOT to tell the world that one of your absolutely FAVE publishing houses wants to buy your book? Keeping your trap shut is actually harder than writing the book! Seriously, it was a crazy two weeks until the book deal was finalized and then on Friday last, Amanda Rutter (who is my editor now) emailed me with the press release instructing me to shout the news from the rooftops. (She then emailed me with cover art ideas and she  too freaking nailed it. She knew what I was hoping for and I have a sneaky suspicion that the POLTERGEEKS cover is going to look absolutely AWESOME!)

So, here we are. The deal is announced and I’m knee-deep in edits that have to be completed by the end of February. Amanda has given me some really neat ideas for constructive changes to the story that are going to help it shine and we get along famously. I’ve acquired a hell of a lot of Twitter followers (Thanks for following me everyone! You’re awesome!) and I’m told that Amanda is getting a lot of requests for ARC’s of the book.

It’s been a whirlwind month, but I have to tell you – it feels really great. Jenny, Ella and I worked our tails off to make POLTERGEEKS salable and I’m really blessed to have such a wonderful, supportive and creative team of people behind me.  I have the second novel already outlined and will be digging into that once this round of editing is done. I’m looking forward to organizing a blog tour and setting up some giveaways. I’ve also got a neat idea for a book-specific website with some interactive content – shhhh … more to follow on that as we approach the publication date this fall.

In the meantime, I just want to say that I’m a really happy guy. Ella told me that she had a feeling 2012 was going to be an awesome year. She was right. Have a good one!

P.S. Your agent is always right.

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The World Must Know…

Posted on 24th January 2012 in cool beans!

Alright, I grew up in the 1970′s and I feel the world needs a coffee table book about customized vans. They were a bone-fide phenomenon in the late 70′s and I feel there is great injustice that the world cannot share in these ultimate machines which were really a form of rolling sculpture. (Okay, they were shaggin’ wagons, but still.) Here’s a link to a great posting about them and below is a picture of what I’m talking about if you think I’m insane.

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Blown away by a book

Posted on 24th January 2012 in Uncategorized

I think that every once in a while there’s a book that each of us reads where we’re absolutely moved by not only the quality of the writing, but also the story, the characters and possibly even the deeper meaning in the story. I have a theory that everyone has at least one book they will remember all their lives – maybe even more than one, right? I think that reading a book that so connects with us is a lot like your sense of smell – you know, where a smell is imprinted on your brain? (If you’re a young adult and you’re reading this, you might not know what I’m talking about – then again you might have a great memory!) I’m in my mid-forties now, so I think that when you approach mid-life, you’re constantly bombarded with sensory information that acts to remind you of the fact that you ain’t getting any younger. A whiff of something can send you back in time better than any old Tardis and I think a book can do that too.

For me, I’m transported back in time by a book by John Saul - When the Wind Blows.  It was published in 1981 so I’d have been fourteen when I read it for the first time. His books always had kids in them. Bad things always happened to kids and ALWAYS in a small town with a dark and terrible secret. It was a winning formula and more than thirty books later, he’s still pumping out great reads. I’ve read all of his stuff, but this book in particular still sticks with me. I’m probably romanticizing  and/or lamenting the fact that I’m growing older, but I do fondly remember reading in Confederation Park in Calgary on a hot July afternoon in the shade of a huge poplar tree. (I’ve actually drawn on this memory for a scene in POLTERGEEKS. If you get the book in October you’ll probably recognize it.)

What books have resonated with you? Or if there is a book you’re currently reading that just blows you away, what’s it called and what is it about?

 

 

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Big News – Big Day!

Posted on 20th January 2012 in Uncategorized, young adult books

It’s been a long haul writing POLTERGEEKS and then finding an agent and then going through an intensive review process under the guidance of my two lovely agents – I’m just so very thrilled to have signed a book deal with Strange Chemistry Books. So here’s to a great working relationship! Onward and upward!

Press Release
20th January 2012 ~ For Immediate Release

Angry Robot Announces Strange Chemistry Launch Titles

Strange Chemistry – the YA imprint of award-winning indie genre fiction publisher Angry Robot - has announced two deals that will help launch the list into publishing super-stardom.

In a post on Strange Chemistry’s website – http://strangechemistrybooks.com – imprint editor Amanda Rutter has revealed that Strange Chemistry’s first two titles will be…

Shift by Kim Curran

About The Book: When your average, 16-year old loser, Scott Tyler, meets the beautiful and mysterious Aubrey Jones, e learns he’s not quite so average after all. He’s a ‘Shifter’. And that means he has the power to undo any decision he’s ever made. At first, he thinks the power to shift is pretty cool. But as his world quickly starts to unravel around him he realises that each time he uses his power, it has consequences; terrible unforeseen consequences. Shifting is going to get him killed. In a world where everything can change with a thought, Scott has to decide where he stands.

About the Author: Kim Curran was born in Dublin and moved to London when she was seven. After studying Philosophy and Literature at Sussex University her plan of being paid big bucks to think deep thoughts never quite paid off. She became an advertising copywriter instead, specialising in writing for video games. She lives in SW London with her husband, if they’re not both off travelling. When she’s not writing she fences and plays guitar, both very badly.
Visit Kim online at http://www.kimcurran.co.uk/

Kim Curran says: “When I saw Angry Robot was launching a YA imprint I literally said I would kill to be published by those guys. So to have signed with Strange Chemistry is everything I could have wished for and then some. To say I’m excited is a massive understatement. I just hope I won’t be expected to actually kill anyone!”

Amanda Rutter says: “We’ve signed debut novelist Kim Curran for two books in a new YA SF thriller series. The first title – Shift – will be published in September of this year, with the second to follow in 2013. The deal, concluded with Sam Copeland, of Rogers, Coleridge and White Ltd, includes world English rights in physical and electronic formats.
“As soon as I read the first page of Shift, I absolutely knew I wanted Kim on board. The novel is fast-paced, exciting and a real page turner. I simply cannot wait to introduce the world of Scott and Aubrey to YA readers!”

Poltergeeks by Sean Cummings

About the Book: Julie is an apprentice witch – or so she believes. When a dark power comes stalking out of the past to haunt her and her mother, Julie learns that she is far more than just a witch. With the help of her best friend Marcus and a rather unusual Great Dane, Julie has to race against time to ensure she can defeat the bad guy, save her mother and avoid being grounded – again!

About the Author: Sean Cummings lives in Saskatoon, Canada. He’s a comic book geek, superhero junkie, zombie fan and a total nerd. His interests include science fiction, the borg, cats with extra toes, east Indian cuisine and quality sci-fi movies/television. Sean has been writing since 1978 (as a means of liberating his “inner nerd”) and his published works for adults include Shade Fright, Funeral Pallor and Unseen World, all published by Snowbooks. Poltergeeks is his first book for Young Adults.
Visit Sean online at www.sean-cummings.ca and www.darkcentralstation.com.

Amanda Rutter says: “We have signed Sean for two novels in the Poltergeeks universe, the first to be published in October of this year with the second to follow in the summer of 2013. The deal, concluded with Jenny Savill and Ella Kahn of Andrew Nurnberg Associates International Ltd, includes world English rights in physical and electronic formats.
“Sean has written a wonderful book with a title that made the whole AR office sit up and take notice – who wouldn’t want to read a novel called Poltergeeks?! As you read further, you just become gripped by this sassy and sarcastic apprentice witch who has to face down the darkest of powers. It’s just a tremendous story, and I’m thrilled that Strange Chemistry is bringing it to you.”

Sean Cummings says: “I’m a huge fan of Angry Robot Books and when I heard they were starting a Young Adult imprint I just knew they’d be publishing some of the best in YA fiction. I’m thrilled that Poltergeeks has found a home with Strange Chemistry and I look forward to working with Amanda. (Did I mention that Angry Robot has fantastic cover art, too?)”

:::

More information can be found at strangechemistrybooks.com and angryrobotbooks.com.

Angry Robot is a genre publisher that brings readers the best in new SF, F and WTF?! Strange Chemistry is Angry Robot’s YA imprint. All titles are released as paperbacks and in all major eBook formats. Distribution is through Random House (North America) and GBS (UK). Angry Robot is part of the Osprey Group.

For more information, review copies, interview and feature requests contact our Marketing Manager, Darren Turpin at darren.turpin@angryrobotbooks.com or by phone on +44 (0) 7584 355911 [UK Office Hours]

 

 

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Dystopia, Apocalypse, Doomsday ‘n Teens

Posted on 10th January 2012 in the writing life, Uncategorized, young adult books

Dystopia is all the rage in Young Adult fiction these days. I suspect that literary agencies and publishers are swimming in the stuff. Hell, even I wrote one. (Though it’s more post-apocalyptic than it is dystopia and I’d been planning on writing one since … like forever. Seriously, read on…)

Is this just publishers trying to cash in on a trend after some authors hit it big or is there more to it than that? I think that in order to answer the question we have to try and look at the world through the eyes of your average run of the mill teenager and I can’t do that because I’m what the average run of the mill teenager would  classify as old. But I do remember what I was reading when I was a teen (which was, like, more than thirty years ago). Stephen King’s THE STAND. It is and will always remain the GOLD standard when it comes to post apocalyptic fiction. I read it when I was in grade ten so that’s like 1982 or something. I’ve read it numerous times since and it’s the book that inspired me to write THE NORTH. (Which my agent and her assistant are reading at the time of this blog posting.)

So. Want to know something? A lot of teens back in 1982 were reading King’s novel. As a matter of fact, I do recall a friend giving me his copy and telling me, “read this book. It’s wicked.” (We said “wicked” in 1982 instead of “awesome”.) And it was. That led me to WAR DAY by Whitley Streiber and James Kunetka (which I’m sure is the template for Max Brooks’ brilliant World War Z though I can’t prove it) Nature’s End by the aforementioned pair of authors and finally Swan Song by Robert R, McCammon.

In short, the only thing that has changed is that Young Adult is an actual market now whereas it didn’t exist per se in 1982 – that’s why we were reading King and everybody else that our parents frowned on. Why did we read it? I dunno … probably because it was “wicked” and, you know, being a teen sucks nineteen times out of twenty. It was worst case scenario escapism and I think that there was even an element of end of the worldishness back in 1982. Sure, we didn’t have planes crashing into buildings, student massacres or Al Qaeda and homegrown terrorism, but we sure as hell had the Cold War, If You Love This Planet, and The Day After. We had Jonestown and war in the middle east and an immediate family member who actually fought in a world war … this AFTER having lived through ten lost years of the great depression.

I guess I’m arguing that an element of dystopia has been clinging to the fabric of our lives for as long as I can remember and it might be due to this that teens are attracted to the topic. At least now they have their own identifiable genre and this can only be a good thing because end of the world fiction when written very well is thought provoking, terrifying, hopeless, bleak … you name it. When it’s not written well, then it’s just like every other poorly written book – it doesn’t matter if it’s romance or horror or even really bad literary fiction.

What do you think? Is end of the world/post end of the world fiction a fad or a genuine genre that’s been around for decades. Me? I think it’s been here for a while and will continue as long as there are original takes on it.

 

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Dear Authors: Your Book Might Suck. Now Chill.

Posted on 9th January 2012 in reviews, the writing life

 

WARNING. LOOK AT THE KITTEH BEFORE YOU READ THIS. LOOK AT HIM!! ISN’T THE KITTEH CUTE?

Much has been said over the past couple of weeks about the subject of author meltdowns, notably, how NOT to behave when you get a bad review. You see, the latest episode occurred on Goodreads. I’m not going to go into the details because really, unless you’ve been living in a snow drift in northern Saskatchewan, you’d have heard about it by now.

These things tend to take on a life of their own, don’t they. At some point in the last few days, I’ve seen numerous Tweets and I’ve read a few blog postings where the following question was posed: who precisely are the reviews for … authors or readers?

That the question should even be posed is a bit surprising since the last time I looked, reviews are simply an opinion. We’ve had them for years, actually, when it comes to books – they used to be in the newspapers. Now I’m forty-four and want to know something? I can’t remember an author having a meltdown about a bad review in the newspaper. I could be wrong, mind you – who knows, maybe some authors did. The difference of course is that now you can have a hissy fit in a very public way thanks to the Interweb and social networking. I suspect that authors in the pre-Netscape 1.0 world had private hissy fits. Maybe they went to the pub and washed their sorrows away with beer and whiskey. Maybe they’d start a fist fight and wind up with a shiner, right? Because you can’t really react any other way in a pre-Interweb world, can you. You just have …. to …. suck it up, yeah?

But, see the thing that’s rubbing me the wrong way about all this is the fact that an author should be used to crummy reviews by now because if they’re published, isn’t a rejection an all-encompassing review of your work by someone in the industry? I mean, hell, some of those rejections can be pretty harsh … I’ve received a number of rejections over the years that were so harsh, in fact, that they recommended I get out of writing all together.

So. Why the hissy fits? I just don’t get it.

Perhaps one needs to be a psychologist to figure it out. What I do know is this: authors should treat reviews of their books by writing a new book. Authors should treat downright atrocious reviews of their books by writing a new book. Authors should stay out of the review zone, you know what I mean? (And I know that it’s hard because there’s just so many venues for reviews nowadays. I get that.) But come on … it’s a freaking review. You honestly can’t go into this writing gig expecting everyone to fall in love with your stuff because that’s insane, frankly. There are six billion people on the planet, the odds are that someone is going to think your book is worth less than a roll of toilet paper.  That’s life. That’s how it goes.

Anyway, I’m rambling here. My point is that if you’re going to get all freaked out about bad reviews … I dunno … get some therapy to deal with your negative integer self esteem. I get bad reviews … I read them sometimes and sometimes I don’t. Whatever. As well, I would counsel that author to think about restaurant reviews … which, by the way, can be BRUTAL. Absolutely BRUTAL. I’d also counsel them never to open a Bistro until they get their anger management issues sorted out.

Hmmmm …. I’ll close by pointing out that it’s easy for people to jump on a dogpile. So authors, don’t be the dog in that dogpile. Just say no to freaking out.

Okay…. have a good one, yeah? I’m off to read some Laurell K Hamilton reviews on Amazon.

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How Solar Flares will Save Publishing

Posted on 2nd January 2012 in ereaders, publishing thoughts, rants

 

The better half bought me a new Sony Reader for Christmas. It’s fantastic – you can download directly from the Sony Reader store, you can check your email, it’s super fast and lighter than my PRS 505. On Boxing Day the better half decided she’d like one too so we went off to Best Buy and Future Shop to find one. There were a ton of Kobo Readers available at both locations, but not a single Sony Reader. (Did Sony sell more than Kobo during the holiday season? Beats me, but they clearly must have at the two big box electronics chains in the small city of Saskatoon, where I live.)

Yes, 2011 was a banner year for e-readers. You can buy them everywhere now – even Walmart. They’re no longer expensive (along with plasma TV’s which are super cheap now. You can get a 52 inch plasma TV for under $500! Unreal! Too bad there’s nothing in our 500 channel universe worth watching, but that’s another blog posting.)

So with e-readers having hit critical mass this Christmas, it stands to reason that 2012 will likely see a proliferation of illegal downloading sites. If 2011 was the year when people embraced e-readers, then 2012 is going to be the year of the illegal download.

I’ve railed against illegal downloading of books for a while now and I’m fully aware that I’m fighting a losing battle because there is a culture of “get it for free” that exists on the Internet. I know that publishers are/were ill-prepared for this and on one hand, I can’t blame people for not wanting to buy what amounts to an electronic file for the same price as the print version. It’s the consumer price equation: benefit over price equals value. In other words, to get people buying there has to be enough “what’s in it for me” to justify the high price. A hardcover book with a lovely jacket and fantastic cover art selling for $40 is easy to get your head around: the “what’s in it for me” of the lovely jacket and fantastic cover art are just a couple of factors – but you are buying a physical thing with weight and that nice printing smell. Once you’ve read it, you can decorate your home with the book or use it to hold up a coffee table. It’s when that same book sells for $40 as an ebook that people have trouble seeing the value, and rightly so.

Spanish author  Lucía Etxebarría has kicked a hornet’s nest with her decision to prematurely retire from writing because of illegal downloading  of her books.  Part of me can’t really blame her. Readers have no clue how hard it is to write a book. How it is a devil’s game of “wait and see” as you try to find an agent or a publisher. How you have to revise the living crap out of a manuscript if you’re lucky enough to get a book contract. Often readers will justify illegal downloads for the reason I’ve mentioned above – that they’re not prepared to spend the same amount of money for an electronic file as the physical book itself. I can see that, but hey, here’s a thought – you can get the book for free from the library! FREE! FREE!! FREE!!! Yes, I know there are challenges getting certain books loaded onto a reader depending on the library. It even happens here at home in Saskatchewan.

I know that illegal downloading of books is here to stay. (You cheap, CHEAP bastards. How dare you steal a book that was written by someone who probably makes less money than you do. Someone who has to get up early or stay up late to write. Someone who has a day job and dreams of the day they will be able to write full time. Seriously, if you are illegally downloading books, justify it to yourself anyway you like, you’re still a cheap bastard and I have no @$# use for you, frankly.) So what is the answer? Authors shouldn’t have to simply give in and quit like Lucia Etxebarria has. Yes, I know that all publishers are greedy …. keep telling that to yourself.

Perhaps the answer is create a new Library of Alexandria online. One where publishers sell the digital version to the library for a fair price that allows of unlimited downloads. At least that way the author will still get freaking paid. Perhaps Amazon can take this on since they already possess the cyber infrastructure. I’d do it, but I’m too busy doing a second draft of a book I’d like to get off to my agent. With a little luck it will get revised a third time and then it will get submitted to a publisher. If I’me really REALLY lucky, I’ll receive an offer for the book and then I’ll have an editor and I’ll revise it even further. Once that’s done we’ll know when it goes to press and I can spend the next eight months trying to stitch together time to promote the book in hopes that someone will buy the darned thing. Will anyone buy it? Well why should they when its available for free!

I write because I love to write. I would like to be compensated for my work. If you’re illegally downloading books then you’re ripping off people who make dirt money – you might feel that you’re sticking it to the evil corporate publishing beast from the pits of you-know-where, but you’re not. And it’s wrong. I’ll close by pointing to this lovely little blog post about music piracy that appeared on Stuff White People Like:

When (not if) you see a white male with a full iPod, ask him if all of his music is legal. If he does not immediately launch into a diatribe about his right to pirate music, you might have to nudge him a bit by saying “do you think that’s right?” The response will be immediate and uniform.

He will likely rattle off statistics about how most musicians don’t make any money from albums, it all comes from touring and merchandise. So by attending shows, he is able to support the musicians while simultaneously striking a blow against multinational corporations. He will proceed to walk you through the process of how record labels are set up to reward the corporation and fundamentally rob the artist of their rights, royalties and creativity.

Touring and merchandise? Yikes! I’ve yet to see someone wearing a “Margaret Atwood Alias Grace ’96 World Tour” t-shirt with a list of all the bookstores where she did a reading and a signing.

Given that it’s a new year and the Mayan’s have predicted that we’re all doomed on December 21st – I’m kind of just hoping for a big ass solar flare. One that will wipe out the Internet and all those ebook piracy websites that are popping up. This would mean that I have to actually revert back to writing on a typewriter, but at least it will save the publishing industry and keep independent book stores open.

Happy New Year, by the way. If you got an ereader for Christmas – please buy the book. Don’t be a cheap bastard.

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Year End Thoughts

Posted on 31st December 2011 in the writing life

Well, that’s it for another year. The older I get, the faster they blow by. Still, 2011 was a really productive year for me. January saw the release of UNSEEN WORLD (which I hope will be available as an e-book in no short order.) I also wrote TIM REAPER and just this morning, I sent off THE NORTH to my agent. I’ll look forward to doing revisions on both before we get down to the business of trying to sell them. (Yeah, I know – I actually said I look forward to revisions.)

I’m thankful for a lot of things that happened in 2011 – here’s a short list:

 

1) I’m thankful that I wrote two books – I didn’t know I had it in me.

2) I’m thankful to my faithful beta readers who have helped me throughout the year with both projects.

3) I’m thankful to have a great literary agent and a great literary agent’s assistant. Without them, I would go nuts.

4) I’m thankful to those who bought my books in 2011 and who took time to send me an email asking when the next book is coming out.

5) I’m thankful to have moved to a better house in a way better neighborhood.

6) I’m thankful to my better half, Cheryl, and my family for all their support. Without their encouragement, I don’t think I would be able to write a damned thing.

7) I’m thankful to have such fantastic friends who are published: Wayne Simmons, Nancy Holzner, Erin Kellison, Linda Poitevin, Thomas Emson, Neil Godbout, Darren J. Guest – all great authors with great books so, you know, go buy one!

8) I’m thankful to readers of this blog – thanks for stopping by from time to time.

9) I’m thankful to book bloggers who reviewed my books in 2011

10) And finally, I’m thankful to have rediscovered the joy of watching football (as in soccer). I used to follow it years and years and years ago. The World Cup this year reignited my love of the sport and I’m watching Barclay’s Premier League games basically every weekend now on the dish. (Go Spurs!)

Here’s to a great 2011 and I want to wish you and yours a happy, successful and safe 2012. Happy New Year everyone!

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Merry Christmas!

Posted on 25th December 2011 in Uncategorized

Just a short note to wish you and yours a very Merry Christmas! Thanks to everyone who bought and read one of my books in 2011 – I’ve got some pretty cool stuff heading to my agent in the new year. In the meantime, have a great holiday season!

 

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My Top Book Blogs for 2011

Posted on 18th December 2011 in reviews, the writing life, Uncategorized

We authors would be in a world of hurt without book bloggers. Think about it for a second – someone who loves books takes time out of their reading schedule to actually post reviews. That’s quite an amazing feat given that most book bloggers are literally swamped with requests for reviews. As the marketing dollar from publishers continues to be clawed back, authors are increasingly looking for ways to get the word out about their books and bloggers are at the forefront because they’re generally linked with other book bloggers and bibliophiles, so the social networking component is absolutely paramount if we want people to discover our books. Yes, there are some authors who go bat shit crazy every year and with everything from web-based hissy-fits to  …. well if you’re a blogger and you’re reading this, you know who and what I’m talking about.

There are a lot of quality blogs out there. There are a few questionable ones that are little more than review mills. A note to bloggers – we authors can tell if you haven’t read our books by the quality of the review – even the bad ones. If a review sounds mechanical – if the reviewers personality isn’t inserted into the review, it’s a good bet the reviewer didn’t read the book. (I could be wrong, but … I don’t know … you can just tell, okay? That’s all.) On top of the quality of reviews, I also look for the general coolness of the blog. How user friendly is it? Does it jam up my browser with a crap pile of plug-ins running in the background. Does it have annoying music playing while the page loads. Does it take FOREVER for the page to load. I think a good quality book blog needs to reflect the quality of the reviews and think about it for a second: if someone loses patience waiting for the page to load because of a flashy-dashy stuff running in the background of the page, a reader is going to lose patience.

At any rate,  here’s my top book blogs for 2011 – in no particular order because I’m all about inclusiveness and stuff like that. :)

The Book Smugglers – LA and Cambridge – talk about bridging the distance between two friends with a hell of a lot of really solid reviews. Thea and Ana are funny, they are really very good writers, actually and their reviews are absolutely fantastic. Their love of books pours out on the pages of their blog (which has been going now since 2007) and not only are the reviews great – there’s interviews and TONS of pictures of things like  … BOOK FAIRS! CONS! You name it, it’s all there. Check them out because for this book lover, The Book Smugglers are a daily read.

 

Genre Reviews - Anna (who is from Winterpeg) Sarah and Shannon comprise the book reviewers on this very entertaining blog that proves content is far more important than flashy, glitzy crap that will bung up your browser faster than you can say what the @$)#??? This blog does a great job of not only reviewing books fairly and in an entertaining way, but there’s also a lot of other cool stuff to warm your inner geek. Anna is, in my humble opinion, probably the geekiest blogger I read and with a new baby on her hands, I don’t know how she (or other bloggers with little ones) can find the time to read, manage the blog and interact on Twitter. I don’t know what this blog’s following is and frankly, I don’t care, because if your book passes muster with these people it doesn’t entirely suck. Period. Read them every day if you can … I do!

 

I Smell Sheep is an odd name for a book blog, don’t you think? This is another minimalist blog (THANK YOU!!!) with very readable reviews and a cadre of reviewers who actually *get* it when it comes to keeping a review short, sweet and to the point. I’ve been reviewed along with pretty much the current bunch of authors over at Dark Central Station.  They have a growing following, I think every reviewer is plugged into every social networking too known to man. Check them out!

 

 

Smexy Books – a daily freaking read for me. Why? Because these people are INSANE about romance and don’t even get me started on erotica. Wow! Okay, mea-culpa time. I read their reviews (and follow them on Twitter) because I don’t exactly write the best romance on planet earth and … well, ya gotta have some romance in urban fantasy. You just have to. They’re plugged in on Goodreads, they don’t have an annoying website that takes twelve years to load and the reviews are good. I mean, real good. Not only are they looking for quality writing and believable plots, they’re searching for believable romance and HOT, I repeat, HOT SEX! Check them out – you won’t be disappointed.

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My All -Time Holiday Favorites #1

Posted on 8th December 2011 in reviews

Topping off a week of counting down my favorite people, books, TV shows and myths about publishing comes a very special festive themed countdown.

I freaking hate Christmas. It’s probably because I’m forty-four now and my frame of reference for a happy holiday is locked in the past somewhere. I hate the crowds, the packed parking lots and cooking for family and friends when I just want to lie on the couch and watch TV and enjoy the silence. (Yeah, I’m anti-social … sorry … it’s just how I’m hard wired.) So you can imagine, I don’t entirely enjoy this quality about myself and I got to thinking this week about what made Christmas special for me when I was a boy. Sure, there was the wonder and mystery of it all, the bright colourful lights and the promise of presents on Christmas morning … but mine wasn’t a happy household growing up – I escaped from it by reading and watching Christmas specials on TV. (Don’t know what a Christmas special is? Don’t be shocked by this … they’re not so commonplace anymore.)

Through the magic of YouTube, there are clips of shows I watched on TV as a boy because they aren’t shown anymore in our 500 channel universe. Each day between now and Christmas Eve, I’m going to post a link or a clip or possibly even the entire program for your viewing pleasure. Here’s the first one: The Selfish Giant. I defy anyone to watch this and not shed a freaking tear. If you’re over 40 and Canadian, you’ll likely remember this …

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My Top 5 TV Shows for 2011

Posted on 8th December 2011 in reviews

Not another countdown … I must be insane!!!

Okay, this posting comes with the following caveat: some of the shows on my list have been on for a couple of years but I discovered them in 2011 and that’s why they made my list. Anyway … here goes.

 

5) Sons of Anarchy 

There is absolutely nothing to dislike about this show – not a damned thing. My better half and I found it online early in the year and watched the first two seasons over the span of a week. Holy … suffering … crap. It’s gritty, it has some funny scenes, it has really memorable characters and powerful performances from everyone in the cast. It’s one of the most intense shows I’ve ever seen in my life – riveting entertainment, and really, what’s not to like.

With solid character actors like Ron Perlman and Kim Coates (who plays Tig and who is from Saskatoon … yeah, that’s right … Saskatoon!!) on the show, you can’t go wrong. If you haven’t seen Sons of Anarchy, you’re missing one of the most inventive, well written programs on the tube and yeah, I know they’re bikers and outlaw bike gangs are supposed to be bad, but there’s nothing bad with this show at all. In a nutshell, it’s Hamlet … with bikers. Nuff said.

 

4) Justified 

You can’t not like FX’s Justified. It just can’t be done. It’s the story of Deputy US Marshall Raylan Givens played by actor Timothy Olyphant and it’s based on two of Elmore Leonard’s books Pronto and Riding the Gap.  Right off the bat, it has to be good because everything Elmore Leonard has ever written is freaking brilliant. It’s got hillbillies, moonshine, off-the-wall colourful characters, gunplay, bad guys and of course a hero who is better suited to be a US Marshall in the old west than he is in modern Harlan County because he’s rather keen to shoot you … but only after he’s given you ample warning. Interesting how people manage to get shot even after Givens warns them … after he shoots you, you generally wind up with an “I told you so” from the good Marshall … oh and he has a history, you see. Because he’s from Harlan County so everyone selling drugs or running a still … they were all his friends growing up. Did I mention that his father is a criminal and Givens is still in love with his ex-wife? There’s so much to cheer about on this show, I just don’t know where to begin, but I will offer this much: two words…. Boyd Crowder  played by actor Walton Goggins. Hand’s down, my favorite character on the program … I watch it just to see what the hell kind of trouble he’s gotten himself into this time. If you haven’t been watching Justified, it’s on Netflix. Watch it … you won’t be disappointed.

 

3) The Walking Dead

This one is a no-brainer because I’ve been blogging about the new season since October. The Walking Dead makes my list of top shows for 2011 not because of what it is – a show about the zombie apocalypse, but more because of what it isn’t – shlock horror. This is a complex show about human relationships at the end of all things, the zombies just happen to be the horrifying backdrop to a world that has gone to hell. It’s the way human beings fight to survive against seemingly unthinkable odds and what’s more, this show could have been turned into splatter TV, but it hasn’t, not one little bit. Yes, there are obligatory “shoot the monsters in the head” scenes in every episode, but the real joy of this program is seeing people slowly come undone (Shane) keep secrets (Lori) discover their courage (Glenn) turn into heroes (Daryl). If you’re not a zombie fan or you aren’t into apocalyptic fiction, you probably won’t like it unless your curious. We’re halfway through season two and there’s still so much that can go wrong for Sheriff Rick’s band of survivors and so little that can go right. Brilliant program, even if the mid-season finale’s big reveal could be seen coming from twenty miles away.

 

2) The IT Crowd

I hate sitcoms. They’re predictable, boring, poorly written and formulaic. They insult your intelligence and next to reality TV, they’re the second most likely thing to rot your brain. Imagine my surprise to have discovered The IT Crowd on Netflix this fall. I’ve blogged about it over at Dark Central Station, so I won’t go into too much detail save for the fact that few comedy programs have ever  brought tears to my eyes from laughing so hard like this show. It’s already been on for four series and sadly, there won’t be a fifth. Watch it … that’s all I can say … just watch and prepare to laugh your ass off.

 

1) Doctor Who

Okay, I’m an unabashed Doctor Who fan so maybe I’m just a tad biased when it comes to this show. I’ve been watching it since the late 1970′s and I was a relative latecomer to the 2005 reboot of the program. Doctor Who is the kind of show you’re either going to fall in love with because you *get* it or you’ll quickly lose interest in because the concept of time and space are just too damned complicated for you to get your head around. There have been eleven doctors so far, and the current one played by Matt Smith is among my favorites. This series has been fraught with mind boggling plot twists, no shortage of pathos and we begin to see Matt Smith really start to own this role and make it his own. River Song played by Alex Kingston is a fantastic character – her relationship with the Doctor finally got sorted out this season with the Doctor marrying her in the season finale … but wait … there’s more! Karen Gillan continued to entertain as the Doctor’s companion, Amy Pond and good old lovable Rory, he’s just the best … especially when he punched Hitler in the face.

Look … it’s been on TV for fifty years, I can’t go into why it’s such a brilliant show other than to say that the program continues to entertain year after year after year. It’s a national institution in the UK, the acting is among the finest I’ve ever seen and frankly the show is, in a word, epic.

 

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