Peter James news October 2011

Hello again,

Well, I have had quite a result this past week.  Much to my amazement I won the TV3 People’s Bestseller Dagger Award!!!   I beat Lee Child, David Baldacci, Mark Billingham and Peter Robinson, and I could not be more thrilled.  I owe all of you who voted – and who so enthusiastically got friends, family and even strangers to vote – a huge, huge thank you!  And a special thanks also to all of my wonderful supporters who joined me for fish and chips at the Pier in Brighton to celebrate.

Then as if last week could not get any better, the UK paperback publication of Dead Man’s Grip went straight to the top, not just of the paperback chart, but of all the charts in the UK, beating the normally invincible superstar chef Jamie Oliver by over 7,000 books!  Dead Man’s Grip is being published in the US on November 22 in hardcover and Kindle and is available for pre-order from Amazon.com.

News on publications:

My standalone novel Perfect People will be published on all platforms in the UK on Oct 27th.  I’m really excited about this book!  It is a thriller about a couple who go to a secret clinic to have a “designer baby” where they choose the genes themselves…a technology that is fast becoming a reality.  It also has a wonderfully wintry cover – so it will look great in a Christmas stocking!  This can be preordered at Amazon.co.uk.

One small request – if you enjoy Perfect People or the paperback Dead Man’s Grip, please could you take a couple of mins to pop a review on Amazon.co.uk – nice reviews are really helpful.  And the same for those of you in the US, please on Amazon.com.

Because of the popularity of my Hall Of Fame Christmas competition last year, I’m running it again with the prize of a magnum of champagne to the winning entry.  The rules are simple:  The prize is for the best or most fun photograph of one of my books, either being read or in a fun or unusual location, anywhere in the world.  Details on the contest will be announced on my blog in the coming weeks.  Stay tuned!

Also, I will soon be putting up an Christmas Quiz, created by Ken Owen who will be on Mastermind in the UK next spring, with the Roy Grace novels as his chosen specialist subject.  There will be Champagne to be won in the quiz, too!

I am off on my travels and hope to see some of you, if I am in your area.  I will be in Cape Town, SA Nov 8th -12th; Sharja in the Emirates, at the Sharjah Literary Festival Nov 17-19th, and I will be in Dublin Nov 22-23rd.

Next weekend the clocks go back in the UK.  Longer nights… so longer to be tucked up in bed with Peter James!

All very best and again, thank you all so much for your fantastic voting support!  Please remember I always love to hear from you on Twitter, on blog posts, on Facebook and by email at scary@pavilion.co.uk.

Peter James newsletter

Having just got his latest paperback looking forward to reading it! An author who kindly supported my fundraising this year.

Out now in the UK! Paperback now available!  Order now at Amazon.co.uk!    Coming soon! November 4, 2011   Preorder now at Amazon.co.uk!      Out now in the US! Order now at Amazon.com!      Follow my updates on: PeterJames.com News, updates, blog posts and more!  Hello again, A sooner-than-usual follow up to my last newsletter, but there is a lot happening and on top of that, voting for the ITV 3 People’s Bestseller Dagger Awardcloses at the end of next week on Oct 7th.I’ve just found out that in addition to voting 5 times with each email address, you can phone vote 5 times via telephone on each number!  With the very heavy competition I am facing, I would hugely appreciate every vote you can give me – and also if you can badger family members and friends to vote as well! I am also giving a special treat!!!  If (big “if”) I win, I will invite all my fans for fish and chips on Brighton Pier in the following weeks!  My lovely Canadian publishers are going to do the same in their office in Toronto! The email voting link is:   http://www.itv.com/crimethrillerawards/2011/peterjames/ For those in the UK who’d like to phone as well ( I don’t expect those of you overseas to make long-distance calls!),  you simply dial:  090 1616 1403 I am also happy to announce that the week before last, the paperback of Dead Like You was released in the USA – I was at Bouchercon, the world’s larges mystery writer’s convention, in St. Louis, Missouri for the launch.  Then, last week I was in Toronto, Canada for the launch of Dead Man’s Grip there.    I have some special connections with Canada.  I lived in Toronto during the 1970s and loved it.  But also, in 1967 one of my aunts jumped over Niagara Falls.  Everyone thought she had committed suicide, but there is growing speculation in the family, as stuff is emerging about her past, that perhaps she was pushed…  I went to the scene and am wondering whether I ought to bring Roy Grace onto the case… This week sees the publication in the UK of Dead Man’s Grip in paperback, which I am really excited about!  It is available for purchase at both Amazon.co.uk and Tesco. Also, November 4th is drawing closer, which sees the publication of Perfect People, my thriller about “designer babies” (available to preorder at Amazon.co.uk and Tesco).  When I started work on this novel 10 years ago it was very much the stuff of fiction, but now it is all becoming a scary reality.  Very soon, parents will have the option of choosing qualities like the level of empathy of their child.  Will they go for a sweet, gentle boy or girl, or someone tough?  If they go for someone tough, he or she could turn into a sociopath, but if they go for someone gentle, they could end up being trampled on.   I have written Perfect People very much in my usual short chapters and page-turner style, but it contains some very important issues.  I think it is a book that fans of my Roy Grace novels and my previous novels will enjoy. Thank you so much in advance, for all of you kind enough to vote for me and pass it along.  Please remember I always love to hear from you on Twitter, on blog posts, on Facebook and by email at scary@pavilion.co.uk. Very best,

Signed Sir Steve Redgrave photo charity auction

As well as sponsoring us to read books you can bid on a few signed items

First up a signed photo kindly donated by Sir Steve Redgrave- all proceeds to Surrey Young Carers

 

Peter James news

Hello again,

Welcome to my newly improved newsletter - in keeping with my newly redesigned website, which I hope you will take a look at, if you haven’t already.

Firstly, I’d like to ask you all a favour, please.  I’ve been shortlisted for the very prestigious and high profile ITV3 People’s Bestseller Dagger Award, which will be televised in the UK on October 7th.  The award is decided entirely by public vote, and I’m up against some stiff competition, so I’m counting on my fans for support.  I would be hugely grateful if you voted for me, and spread the word to friends to do the same.  You may vote up to five times each, but the sixth vote nullifies the first five, so exercise caution.

I’m also delighted to tell you that thanks to you, my wonderful readers, Dead Man’s Grip went straight to No. 1 on the UK bestseller lists!  Almost equally as pleasing, it prevented the new James Bond book, Carte Blance by Jeffery Deaver, from reaching that spot!

I had the pleasure of meeting Jeffery in New York two weeks ago – we each contributed a chapter, for charity, to a fun serial novel titled No Rest For The Dead – and attended the launch signing of the book.  This photograph shows just how pleased he was to see me!!!

In other exciting news, my thriller about “designer babies”, Perfect People, which I have been working on for ten years, is set for publication in the UK starting November 4th (click to preorder at Amazon.co.uk).  I’m very happy with the jacket design, and I hope you’ll agree.

I am off to Washington D.C. tomorrow to meet with an FBI agent who spent two years in Iran tracking down a terror suspect.  He ultimately arrested the man, brought him to the USA for trial and was then invited by the suspect to his execution.  Chilling, but fascinating.  I am also attending an international detective conference while there, which is an annual event and a great resource for my work.  The perfect inspiration for future Roy Grace stories…

Meanwhile, I am happy to report that I am progressing on the 8th Roy Grace novel, Dead Man Laughing, which will drop in the UK in May of 2012.

Thank you so much in advance, for all of you kind enough to vote for me and pass it along.  Please remember I always love to hear from you on Twitter, on blog posts, on Facebook and by email at scary@pavilion.co.uk.

Very best,
                

RIP – Stephen Foster

Sad news with the passing of fellow Stoke City supporter who penned two great books on Stoke City, including ‘She Stood There Laughing’. An email interview with him is here and the local paper has a piece on him as well.

Top 10 highest bidded charity auction items to date…

	Top 10 highest bidded items…	Final selling price
1	Rebus whisky	£1,319.00
2	Signed Red Dwarf script	£857.77
3	Signed Harry James drumsticks	£103.00
4	Vinny Burns guitar lesson	£62.00
5	Signed FM CD	£41.00
6	Signed Rodney Matthews ‘Sleepwalking’ poster	£35.27
7	Signed Francis Dunnery CD	£35.00
8	Signed Francis Dunnery CD	£31.00
9	Signed Rodney Matthews ‘OASTN’ poster	£26.10
10	Signed David Tennant photo	£21.00
		£2,531.14

 

I am still amazed at how much the Rebus whisky went for and the signed Red Dwarf script (signed by Rimmer aka Chris Barrie). I have been doing these signed items for charity for a while now and it is always fun to see a) what you can get kindly donated and b) the final selling price. Onwards and upwards!

Peter James news

Hello again

I am delighted to give you two pieces of good news!

The first is to tell you that my 7th Roy Grace novel, Dead Man’s Grip, will be published on May 26th. It is currently available in print and Kindle for pre-order on Amazon UK. Also in a new and pioneering development it can be pre-ordered now in 9 Tesco stores across Sussex for delivery on publication day (Worthing, Shoreham, Hove, Eastbourne, Hastings, Burgess Hill, Gatwick, Portslade and Lewes) and stock will be available in all Tesco stores throughout the country on May 26. I am going to be doing a number of signings on and shortly after publication day – including Tesco Lewes and Tesco Shoreham on May 26th – details are on my Appearances on my website – hope perhaps to see some of you at them.

This is to give you a little taste of the novel:

Carly Chase is traumatised ten days after being in a fatal traffic accident which kills a teenage student from Brighton University. Then she receives news that turns her entire world into a living nightmare.

The drivers of the other two vehicles involved have been found tortured and murdered. Now Detective Superintendent Roy Grace of the Sussex Police force issues a stark and urgent warning to Carly: She could be next.

The student had deadly connections. Connections that stretch across the Atlantic. Someone has sworn revenge and won’t rest until the final person involved in that fatal accident is dead

Roy Grace’s team advise Carly her only option is to go into hiding and change identity. The terrified woman disagrees – she knows these people have ways of hunting you down anywhere. If the police are unable to stop them, she has to find a way to do it herself. But already the killer is one step ahead of her, watching, waiting, and ready… 

The police advise Carly her only option is to go into hiding and change identity. The terrified woman disagrees – she knows these people have ways of hunting you down anywhere. If the police are unable to stop them, she has to find a way to do it herself. But already the killer is one step ahead of her, watching, waiting, and ready… 

The second good news is for all of those of you who have asked if I could write more than one novel a year! Well, this year I have two books coming out! The second, Perfect People will be published in November. This is a novel I am very excited about; it tells the story of a young couple who have lost their son at four years old to a rare disease, and they learn they are both carriers of the gene, which means a high probability of any future child having this same terrible disease. Then they hear of a secret clinic, on a converted cruise ship off the coast of New York – outside any legal jurisdiction – where for $400,000 they can choose the genes of their child – literally have a “designer baby”. But of course, it does not all work out as planned….

I’m very delighted to tell you that in addition to the launch of Dead Man’s Grip on May 26 I am launching my completely revamped website, which is going to be great-looking and a lot of fun to navigate – and much more information on it.

At the launch party for the book itself, I’m going to be doing a daredevil stunt, re-enacting one of the scenes in the book! We are going to be filming it and I will be posting links on my blog, on Twitter and on Facebook. Hopefully I will survive to write more books….!!!

2011 has already been a very hectic year for me. I’ve been to Germany, India, Australia and Finland on book promotion, I was recently made Chair of the Crime Writers Association, and I am now in the middle of moving house in Sussex! However, it promises to be a very exciting year, and I hope to be able to report developments on the Roy Grace TV series in the coming months.

Last week we had lunch at the famous Fat Duck restaurant in Bray, and I will shortly be posting pictures on my blog of some of the 16 courses! You may also enjoy my recent blog which is about my fascinating meeting with Jesse Marcel Jnr, the last living person to have been at Roswell that night in 1947 and seen and touched the wreckage of the alleged alien spacecraft crash there.
Thank you again for all your interest and support, and as ever, I always love to hear from you on Twitter (http://www.twitter.com/peterjamesuk), on blog posts, on Facebook and by email - scary@pavilion.co.uk 
Very best, 
Peter James

Signed Simon Brett book for charity auction

http://tinyurl.com/3soyxvj

A signed copy of Simon Brett’s new paperback ‘The Shooting In The Shop’ with all proceeds to the Beating Bowel Cancer charity.

I read many of Simon Brett’s Charles Paris novels, all set in the theatrical world, back in the day and they are very enjoyable. I have not read any of his later books but will give them a go now.

World Book Night part #2

Copies of Lee Child’s ‘Killing Floor’ now winging their way to South Africa and Australia, a warm-up maybe for next year when World Book Night could become international.

Had some reader feedback already on the copies I have given out including one from my friend complaining he couldn’t gte his son to go to bed as he was enjoying the book so much! Just think he has a whole load more Jack Reacher adventures ahead of him. Hoping as well some of the reluctant readers (you know the ones who say ’I don’t read books anymore’) will give the book a try and if they do that will be a result.

Really enjoying re-reading ‘The Spy Who Came In From The Cold’ by John Le Carre. One of my dad’s favourite writers and I must get Le Carre’s latest books to read as ‘The Perfect Gardener’ was the last boom I read by him.

Some personal suggestions for titles to be given away next year would be Christopher Fowler’s ‘Roofworld’, Terry Pratchett’s ‘Mort’ and George Orwell’s ‘Animal Farm’. Mind you I could think of many more!

World Book Night tonight

Well most of my copies of Lee Child’s ‘Killing Floor’ have been given out as part of today’s World Book Night. I have a few left for Surrey Young Carers. I was chuffed as well to be given a copy of John Le Carre’s ‘The Spy Who Came In From The Cold’ whilst in Staines today. I read this back in my teenage years so I am looking forward to reading it again.

All these books floating around can be tracked on the Bookcrossing website. I first joined this back in 2004 and haven’t been on since 2006 and was surprised to see two books I ‘released’ back then have since made it to the US and Canada. Hopefully some of these Lee Child books will become well travelled and bring enjoyment to the readers.

World Book Night has been great fun and I hope they repeat it next year. Yes there have been teething problems but hey no-one has ever distributed and given away one million books in one night! Well done all and keep on reading folks…

PS Read some people’s replies to the Mad About Books questions here and the BBC has launched a Year Of Books

World Book Night this Saturday (March 5th)

I am a giver for World Book Night giving away copies of the excellent debut novel by Lee Child, ‘Killing Floor’. It’s the first time we meet Jack Reacher,  drifting ex-military policeman who always seems to attract trouble. The books are very readable, fast paced and appeal to both men and women. The books are bound to be given the Hollywood treatment at some stage although apparently a stumbling block is finding an actor to do the Jack Reacher character justice.

There are five copies of the book to give away here (simply like the Facebook page for a sponsored read for Surrey Young Carers) and here (simply tell us about the first book you read and latest book your reading)

Surrey libraries – some good news

The mobile library service is still under threat as the eleven libraries under threat get a possible reprieve ahead of the Council’s decision tomorrow – March 1st.

You can sign the petition to save the mobile library service here

Children’s authors dominate most borrowed list

Seven out the ten most borrowed library authors last year were children’s authors according to a recent news piece in the Bookseller magazine. My two children love going to the library and its ideal when they get through so many books!

How much? £213K for Surrey’s Chief Exec

Nice work if you can get it… perhaps we could cap his salary as per the Coalition advice and use the surplus to save some services? Or better still how about he volunteers each week and helps at his local library.

More press coverage as Age UK weigh into saving  Surrey’s libraries.

Good news as the decision to close the mobile library and 11 other libraries is ‘called in’ by the independents and Resident’s Association county councillors. On March 1st there maybe some developments as the council’s cabinet meets and may take on any recommendations from the Safer and Stronger Communitites committee.

Please sign the petition to help keep Surrey’s mobile library service.

Save Surrey’s mobile library service update

The online petition now has 139 signatures but more are needed – feel free to add your support here. The local press are picking up on the growing anger at this cut including interviews with some mobile users in the Surrey Herald  and the Surrey Heath Residents blog kindly featured the petition.

On Alan Gibbons website one mobile library user sums up what the service provides…

‘I’ve used the mobile library which visits the Windlesham Field of Remembrance for 25 years and have been so grateful for the wonderful service and warm welcome provided by the excellent librarians. The mobile library is a meeting place for young and old and, if the closure goes ahead, will be a devastating loss to the community. I feel so strongly that this is just plain wrong and will be writing to Surrey County Council to tell them so!’

Surrey CC are issuing a few press releases about WiFi coming to libraries and the massive growth in downloaded ebooks (although when your starting base is small any growth looks big in percentage terms). All good but the cynic in me thinks it is all part of a show trying to justify cuts in the library service. Not everyone has access to a PC and internet and there can be no greater pleasure than escaping into a good book. It costs nothing (unless your book goes overdue) but can bring so much into your life. Please help to persuade Surrey CC to rethink this closure.

Stephen King ‘Full Dark, No Stars’

Just finished reading this as part my daugther’s and I sponsored read for Surrey Young Carers. Glad to report that Stephen King is back to his best. All four stories are very dark and bleak in their nature, a fact acknowledged by the author in his customary afterword. One in particular, ’1922′ you could see being made into a successful film like previous short stories like ‘Shawshank Redemption’.

Next up ‘Blood Dark’ by Stuart MacBride, always a treat – graphic and darkly comic in parts, crime thrillers set in and around Aberdeen.

Help keep Surrey’s mobile library service

It has 3,900 users but with more promotion and a decent publicity drive it could reach many more people. Given that most users are over 65 and have a mobility issue of some kind it is a cruel cut in my view.

Please sign the petition and spread the word!

http://petitions.surreycc.gov.uk/mobilelibrary/

 

What does this service currently provide?

* Four mobile libraries visit 148 sheltered housing units every four weeks as well as 181 village and similar isolated communities every week or fortnight.

* A larger mobile library serves sixteen isolated urban areas every week and one location fortnightly.

* There is also a dedicated mobile library that visits 235 residential homes for elderly and disabled people across Surrey every three months to exchange deposit collections.

Stop the library closure madness

The Coalition govenment have now turned their fire onto closing libraries (view the full updated list here). They seem to think libraries are simply a place for lending books and of course the numbers lent each year falls, hence their interest on cost savings. But libraries on the whole have adapted with the times and now have free web access, free basic PC skills courses, lots of activities for younger children, author events and even tea & coffee!

Do your bit and help save YOUR library, even if you have never set foot in it go along and see what’s on offer. Once it is closed there is no going back…

More at one of my old employers ‘The Bookseller’ magazine and their campaign plus Orion (another old employer!) author Alan Gibbons is inspiring many to take up the fight on behalf of libraries.

Quick guide to Christopher Fowler

Another author I first discovered during my years at WH Smith via his debut novel ‘Roofworld’. This really left an impression as it took some parts of the horror genre and set them in contemporary London where two gangs battle for survival on the rooftops of London. Christopher Fowler had published a couple of short story collections before this novel, ‘City Jitters’ volumes 1 & 2 which are very hard to track down. ‘Roofworld’ is still one of my all time favorite novels.

Since then he has written a series of modern horror novels and short story collections but not horror in the classic sense. Many of his books are based on the everyday horrors modern day life can provide.

Then in 2004 he published ‘Full Dark House’, the first of the very enjoyable mysteries to feature the elderly detectives Bryant and May. They had appeared in an earlier book ‘Rune’  back in the mid-90′s but this was the start of a series of books featuring the pair. They often use unorthodox methods to get results and their foes can, on first appearances, have a supernatural connection. As an added bonus each book reveals more of hidden London and the quirky history of the capital. He really knows about the undiscovered side of London.

I’d highly recommend ‘Roofworld’, ‘Rune’, ‘Soho Black’, ‘Uncut’, ‘Psychoville’ and any of the Bryant & May novels (‘Full Dark House’ stands out for me due to it being set in a theatre). Then there is ‘Paperboy’, his childhood memoir which I have yet to read.

Christopher Fowler is a delight to read and deserves a much wider audience than he currently does.

Quick guide to Robert Goddard

A series looking at authors I enjoy and have been reading as part of my sponsored read and authors who have kindly donated signed items for my fundraising for Beating Bowel Cancer and Kidney Research UK.

Robert Goddard is an author I first came across in my days working at WH Smiths where his book ‘Into The Blue’ won the WHS Thumping Good Read award. Bizarrely though not one of his best for me after reading so many of his other novels.

His novels are always well researched and the attraction for me is the fact they have a modern day charcter drawn into the past which is often revealed in each book via  a series of flashbacks. His writing also celebrates many traditional parts of the British twentieth century e.g. cricket on the green, the traditional village and you can be assured the body count won’t be high like some other thriller writers. He also builds the tension slowly but surely with plenty of twists along the way.

He has written 21 books to date and I’d highly recommend ‘Past Caring’, ‘Sea Change’ (a very enjoyable historical novel), ‘Take No Farewell’ and ‘Beyond Recall’. His novels that have a basis in WW1 or WW2 are amongst his best for me as he has the knack of taking an ordinary character and turning their world upside down as the past catches up with them.

For a well written and enjoyable historical thriller he’s your man!

Well Read 2011

There is All Booked Up where the idea is to raise funds for two charities - Beating Bowel Cancer and Kidney Research UK - by auctioning off various signed or unique items donated by authors via EBay.

In addition myself and my daughter can be sponsored to read books with all funds going to Surrey Young Carers. It is like the sponsored reads we used to do at school. It can be per book; a set amount or you can sponsor us to read a book of your choice.

(This will run from December 1st 2010 until 31st December 2011)

I am currently reading:

‘Marching To The Fault Line’ (book on the 1984 miners strike – very interesting read although Arthur Scargill refused to be interviewed for the book)

‘Agent Zig Zag’ by Ben Macintrye

‘The First Rule’ by Robert Crais (first book I have read by this author. Fast paced thriller meets crime, similar to Lee Child but not quite as good)

Finished reading:

1. ‘Dead Like You’ by Peter James (these crime novels set in Brighton are simply wonderful. Go some way to fill the void left by ‘Rebus’)

My daughter is currently reading:

 ‘Justin Bieber’ My Story’ by Justin Bieber (how can he write his life story at just sixteen???)

Finished reading:

1. ‘Underworld’ by Cathy Macphail (She loved this one – another vampire based novel. I keep telling her read Stephen King’s ‘Salems Lot’, now that is a proper vampire novel)

Signed Peter James paperback charity auction

Signed copy of his new paperback ‘Dead Like You’, plus a signed author photo – you can bid here. 

All proceeds go to Kidney Research UK.

Charity auction – Rare Rebus whisky plus signed Ian Rankin paperbacks

Thanks to those awfully nice folk at Orion Books you can bid on a rare ‘Rebus’ 20th anniversary whisky here and there will be lots of signed paperbacks from Ian Rankin. You can bid on ‘Exit Music’ here.

All proceeds to Beating Bowel Cancer.

Signed Jeffrey Archer

Click here to bid on a signed copy of his latest book ‘And Thereby Hangs A Tale’, kindly donated by the man himslef and raising funds for the Beating Bowel Cancer charity.

More soon!

All Booked Up 2011

I’ve done music and running related fundraising before and now its the turn of another great love of mine – books!

The idea is to raise funds for two charities – Beating Bowel Cancer and Kidney Research UK - by auctioning off various signed or unique items donated by authors via EBay. Also you can sponsor me to read a book of your choosing but within reason – no IT manuals please Bit like the sponsored reads we used to do at school.

As charities are seeing declining donations due to the current economic climate I thought one way to get in vital funds is by charity Ebay auctions as people get an item they want whilst helping the nominated charity, who get funds they may not have otherwise have got.

Please note – 100% of the selling price goes to the nominated charity less Ebay’s final selling fees Charity EBay auctions

Total raised so far via EBay auctions…£9.50

Beating Bowel Cancer = £9.50

Kidney Research UK = £0.00

If any author would like to donate an item for an EBay auction please contact me via papa_bear70@hotmail.com

Items donated… (BIG thanks to all the people mentioned below and please do visit their websites)

Signed Peter James novel

Signed Paul Doherty hardback

Signed Jeffrey Archer book

Best of 2010

 Here is my selection, not in oder (possibly subject to slight change when I remember a good album I’ve forgotten!)…

             1. FREEDOM CALL ‘Legend Of The Shadow King’ SPV/Sony

Power metal how it should be done. Gloriously OTT.

2.      GIANT ‘Promise Land’ Frontiers

First of three albums this year to feature vocalist Terry Brock and although it may not quite meet the band’s classic debut album it certainly deserves the Giant name.

3.      BRIAN HOWE ‘Circus Bar’ Frontiers
Former Bad Company singer comes good with a solo album ideal for lovers of melodic hard rock.

4.      FOREIGNER ‘Can’t Slow Down’ Ear Music/Edel
Although the US were lucky enough to get this album last year it was well worth waiting for. Not a duff song in sight and good to see the band tapping into their more rockier side.5.      FM ‘Metropolis’ AOR Heaven
FM are back and with possibly their strongest album of their career. Happily gone  is the plodding blues rock of the Andy Barnett era and instead we get a mix of top notch melodic rockers and blues rockers.6.      BELLOWHEAD ‘Hedonism’ Navigator Records
A band recommended for those who think they won’t like folk but will be converted by this album. Good mix of ballads and sing-a-longs all backed by their wide musical instrumentation including brass, accordion and some stunning sax.

7.      ARK ‘ Wild Untamed Imaginings’ ProgRock Records
Ark comeback with a wonderfully diverse album that encompasses then 80’s neo-prog sound, folk and more modern proggers like Kino.

8.      NELSON ‘Lightning Strikes Twice’ Frontiers
Billed as follow-up to their smash hit 1990 album ‘After The Rain’ (they have released albums in-between times but sadly not with much success sales wise). The harmonies and radio friendly tunes are here.

9.      PHIL CAMPBELL
Singer/songwriter who recorded most of this album himself, which surprises the listener given how much is going on musically. ‘Vodka Milk’ and ‘ are two of the songs of the year.

10.     DOWN ‘N’ OUTZ
Def Leppard’s Joe Elliott hooks-up with some of the Quireboys to produce an album of covers from Mott, Ian Hunter and British Lions. Quite possibly the best things Joe Elliott has sung on since the glory days of Def Leppard. Great songs and great fun.

11.     AVANTASIA ‘The Wicked Symphony’ Nuclear Blast
Tobias Sammet gathers together another all star ensemble and this time it is spread over tow albums. Bob Catley and Jorn Lande are amongst the vocal highlights.

12.     ASIA ‘Omega’ Frontiers
Easily the best album they have done since reforming.

13.     MASS ‘Sea Of Black’ Escape Music
Another 80’s band producing some of the best music of their career. They have turned up the guitars and rock out big time.

14.     GLYDER ‘Yesterday, Today And Tomorrow’ SPV
If this is indeed the band’s swansong it is a strong way to finish.

15.     PRETTY MAIDS ‘Pandemonium’ Frontiers
They don’t release albums that often but when they do they are essential. This new one is no different and they are one of the few bands who can successfully meld classic metal riffs with their more melodic rock side.

16.     GRAND ILLUSION ‘Brand New World’ AOR Heaven
So good to have this band back! The pomp and vocal harmonies are still in place as ‘157^th Breakdown’ proves.

17.     LAST AUTUMN’S DREAM ‘A Touch Of Heaven’  Escape Music

Amazingly the band’s seventh album in as many years and easily one of their best.

18.     CHRIS SINGLETON ‘Lady Gasoline’ Indie
‘Twisted City’ was a great album and this new one pips it. A delightful pop rock journey from start to finish.

19.     STAR ONE ‘Victims Of The Modern Age’ Inside Out
Arjen Lucassen is always a busy man and good to have the second studio album from Star One. More straight ahead metal than Ayreon with a SF background.

20.     TONY HARNELL & THE MERCURY TRAIN ‘Round Trip’ Frontiers
Ex-TNT vocalist Tony Harnell revisits some of the TNT classics he recorded plus songs from his
other bands including Westworld. All are redone in an acoustic setting and the songs take on a whole new slant.

Re-issues:

1. JACKDAW4 ‘Retrospectables’ The band’s first two albums and a veritable aural delight for those who like their pop rock with a barbed edge.

2.      RICK SPRINGFIELD ‘Venus Exploding’ Frontiers
Quite possibly his best album to date and great to see it get a full release.

3.      SAVATAGE ‘Still The Orchestra Plays – Greatest Hits Volume 1 & 2′ Ear Music/Edel
Never tried Savatage before? There is no excuse now with this best of and you can see where the massively popular Trans-Siberian Orchestra got some of their musical ideas from (along with band members!).

4.      URIAH HEEP ‘On The Rebound: Best Of’ Universal
Like Motorhead and Saxon there are many ‘best ofs’ littering the market by Uriah Heep but this one is the best for successfully straddling the band’s classic 70’s Byron fronted era, through to the underrated n80’s line-up featuring Pete Goalby on vocals and bang up to date with the Bernie Shaw years.

5.      JIMI JAMISON & JIM PETRIK ‘Extra Moments’ Melodic Rock Records
The two Survivor pals present an album of ‘demos’, whose production puts many ‘finished’ albums to shame. Needless to say this is a ‘must have’ for fans of Survivor and it includes the song Jimi Jamison used in his Survivor audition back in the day.

Gigs:
FOREIGNER
They blew Europe of the stage at the ITunes gig. Kelly Hansen is the consummate frontman – like a younger version of Steve Tyler minus the big lips.

FM
They are back and sounding on top of their game.

SAINT JUDE at GUILFEST 2010
First time I had heard anything by this band – female fronted blues/classic rock. A must see live.

JUDIE TZUKE
A name I knew a lot about but not heard much by before. She has lost none of her powerful voice and one of the gigs of a lifetime, never mind the year!

DAN REED
An acoustic gig backed by a very talented band including Tommy Denander this gig combined his newer solo material plus some Dan Reed Network classics. His rendition of ‘Rainbow Child’

DVD:
I watched a few this year but ELO’s ‘The Early Years’ (Eagle Vision) wins hands down as it shows the band just about to hit the big time. It also features the late Mike Edwards and of course Kelly Groucutt who sadly passed away last year.

Let downs…

A fair few albums failed to deliver…Strangeways (tried to appeal to fans of both styles of the band but failed), Allen/Lande (good album but mushc too similar to what had gone before), Y&T (a couple of cracking songs but the rest is pretty average by this band’s high standards).

Author interview – John Osborne

Author and poet John Osborne is worthy of your attention if like me you love radio. He trawled the online and FM radio stations for the highly readable ‘Radio Head’. He is also a poet and has a new book out, ‘The Newsagent’s Window’. For more info pop over to his publisher’s page http://authors.simonandschuster.co.uk/John-Osborne/65784601

1. What are you currently up to?

At the moment most of what I’m doing involved poetry. In the last couple of months I’ve performed at Glastonbury, Latitude, Port Eliot, I’m about to head up to the Edinburgh fringe. I’m also working on a new book of poems for Nasty Little Press, who I worked with earlier on this year to publish my first poetry pamphlet What if men burst in wearing balaclavas. Hopefully something will be out by next summer.

2. After writing ‘Radio Head’ were there any radio stations that you discovered that have now become firm favourites? Have you listened to the rebranded Virgin Radio now called Absolute?
 
Yes, Absolute is one of the stations I listen to most regularly now. Frank Skinner and Dave Gorman have brilliant shows,they’ve adapted really well to radio. Geoff Lloyd’s Hometime show is one I always try and listen to, as well as his Sunday evening show where he plays more alternative music. It’s great that Absolute seem to be embracing interesting and original music and shows – their playlist is really varied now.

I also listen to 6music a lot, it’s much better than it was when I wrote the chapter about it in Radio Head. Lauren Laverne’s show is one of my favourites, the range of music she plays is pretty incredible. I also love Tom Ravenscroft on Friday nights.

3. Who are your radio presenter/DJ heroes and why?

Well the big one was obviously John Peel, he changed everything, discovering his show when I was about 15 was one of the biggest things of my life. Apart from him I just love people who make entertaining radio. Geoff Lloyd, Danny Baker, I think Jonathan Ross will be missed. But Peel will always be special to so many.

4. How did the idea come about for your latest book on newsgents’ window ads?

I moved into a house that was completely unfurnished; it didn’t have beds, chairs, a toaster, kettle. And I saw an advert for a single bed, then an advert for a garage sakle and gradually I started to pick up bits and pieces. The people I met were fascinating, everything I bought had a story behind it and I started to use newsagents windows more and more.  My book is about the community of people who use these windows, a world without ebay and gumtree.

5. How did the ‘Homework’ events come about? What have been the highlights to date?
 
I’m part of a poetry collective called Aisle16. Homework is a monthly night at Bethnal Green Working Men’s Club where we try out new material. It’s called Homework because it’s pieces we’ve written especially for the night, we theme the events so it’s just trying to stretch ourselves. One project we did was called Local Boys Done Good, where 5 members of Aisle16 all did gigs in the towns where we grew up in. The most recent night we had about 150 people in, so it’s getting pretty well known. We’ve also been able to invite a few special guests along, people whose work we all really love and wanted to be part of the night. My big highlight was definitely getting Jon Ronson along, the writer and filmmaker. We’re all big fans of his work. Also we had Tim Key who then went on to win the Edinburgh Comedy Award, Kate Nash, Kevin Eldon. They’re fun nights to do, we’re planning next year already.

6. Does the advent of readers like Kindle and I Pad now mean the days of the published book are numbered?
 
No, not at all. I think the kindle will be popular and people will use it. Clunky things like dictionaries and encyclopedieas will struggle, but people will always buy books. I hope so, anyway.

Links
aisle16.co.uk
http://johnosbornepoet.blogspot.com

‘And She Laughed No More’ by Stephen Foster

The follow-up to ‘She Stood There Laughing’ sees Stephen Foster continue his love hate relationship with Tony Pulis, although now we are in the Premiership he has more, albeit grudging respect for Mr Pulis. Maybe more for Stoke fans due to the ‘in’ jokes about various Oatcake message board members (the Stoke City MB and very good it is too) but the general fan of footie books will relate to fans frustrations, joy and despair as the season progresses. It is our first season in the Premiership (we were of course regulars in the old First Division but not since the mid-80′s).

Rory Delap and his longthrow get mentioned plus a very amusing rant one of the most useless players ever to wear a Stoke City shirt, Vincent Pericard, We have had some utter shite players down the years but this lad really is useless. He is to football what the Benny Hill Show was to women’s rights…

Well worth a read and a must for all Stokies but obviouisly not Vale fans as we all know they can’t read or write

Read interviews with Stephen Foster 2009 and 2008

Five Quick Q’s with author BRIAN MANLY

Brian Manly is the author of the rather wonderful book on Sweet’s vocalist Brian Connolly called ‘The Man Who Sang Blockbluster’. You can read more about it and get a copy at www.somehitwonders.co.uk

1. What inspired you to write a book on Brian Connolly? How did you go about researching for the book?

I was inspired to write the book by one simple fact, it had not been done already. It was the same for my first book. I was fed up with reading the same old story so I wrote the one I would like to read myself. Similarly, no biography of Brian and Sweet had come out and I thought that time was running out , 40 years  is a very long time and there are few left to tell the tale. I myself am nearly fifty and so I thought, better late than never.

2. What was the first Sweet song you heard? Which era of the band do you enjoy most?

The first Sweet song I heard was Co Co when I was nine years old, the first I bought was Little Willy in 1972. My favourite period is without doubt the Glam Rock period. I think that would be Little Willy to Fox On The Run. I love all  silly songs from that period, Bolan,Bowie, Slade , MUD , Suzi Quatro, Wonderful ! 

I think the LP Sweet Fanny Adams is a special moment from the 70s.

3. Do you think they would maybe still be going strong today if they had had more chance to tour the ‘Love Is Like Oxygen’ album?

I think that Sweet neglected thier British fans, unlike Slade and Glitter who toured long after the hits had gone Sweet virtually never played in the UK after 1974. As a result Slade et al kept a relationship with thier fans in the fallow years. Thus when another creative burst came they still had a following. I think Sweet’s day was comming to an end with the passing of the 70s no matter what but  to survive on the big stage requires an intact band  with a good lead singer. Without the kudos of recent hits its all about  showmanship.

4. Reading your book ‘The Man Who Sang Blockbuster’ its apparent the band had a big impact on your life with their music. What really stood out about the band for you that made you such a big fan of the band?

I am a Sweet fan because of Brian Connolly, I say I, but Im refering to a ten year old who was blown away by an image and prescence that was totally perfect for that moment. I loved the way Sweet messed about too, my Dad used to go nuts when Steve blew kisses at the telly!  I loved MUD and Suzi Quatro  just as much on the surface but  I discovered that if you scratched the Sweet’s surface there was a fascinating otherside, the b side.  I loved thier b sides.  I think they were just about the best melodic rock  group there has been.

5. Any good films…TV…music…books you’d recommend…

If I have a film to suggest it would be one from two years ago called Short Bus. It was directed by the guy who made Hedwig And The Angry Inch. It is about a woman who cant have an orgasm and is very sexy, very funny and very moving. Short Bus.

Anything else to add…

Anything else to add ? Hmmmmm well how about a suggestion that we all go on you tube and watch Noosha Fox sing Only You Can. The best enigma that the 70s left us with? Noosha Fox, I cannot decide if she was crap or if she was utterly brilliant…….so i watch her again and again. Only you have the right to be you !

Signed NICHOLAS PARSONS DVD

DVD of the classic 70′s quiz show ‘Sale Of The Century’ signed by its host Nicholas Parsons. All monies raised from this one go to the Insulin Dependent Diabetes Trust (IDDT).
 
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&ssPageName=STRK:MESELX:IT&item=300296357301
 
Also up on EBay now are a signed copy of the excellent football book ‘Tie Me To The Mast’ by David Johnson; more signed Robert Llewellyn (Red Dwarf) goodies and signed Clive Nolan (Arena/Pendragon/Caamora) CD’s.
 
Plus there are two Rocky Horror Show items, both signed by the 1983/84 Frank ‘N’ Furter Jeffrey Longmore. Coming soon will be another signed item from another Frank ‘N’ Furter Jonathan Riley. I am slowly tracking down the Theatre Royal Hanley RHS cast but any contacts would be most welcome.
 
Look out soon as well for a signed copy of Stoke City legend Dennis Smith’s memoir; signed first editions of the new hardback by Paul Doherty and a very special signed photo of Martin Walkyier (Sabbat/Skyclad) with notes on the back by the photographer Noel Buckley who took the photograph.