Sunday 29 January 2012

Twisted Tales

Attended another Twisted Tales event on Friday evening. There were rumours that this would be the last event, but nope, they're just not going to hold them every other month as they did in 2011. Excellent news.

About half-an-hour before I was due to leave for the event it started to lash down and added a thunder and lightning show to spice up my nervousness, so I booked a taxi and dashed as fast as I could from the drop off point to where I was meeting Simon Bestwick.

Had a drink and a natter with Simon before the event and got to fondle a copy of The Faceless which is out this week (in fact, Amazon insists a copy is on the way to me). Looks fantastic.

The Twisted Tales readings this time were by Paul Kane (bloody awesome short story with a fabulous ending - but, of course, I always loved Paul Kane's stories back in the late 90s), Peter Crowther (reading from his new novel Darkness Falling) and Ramsey Campbell (who did a hilarious and character-full piece from his book Ghosts Know). Our little corner of Waterstones was packed. I think that has to be the most attended event yet. Or at least, the most attended one that I've been too. There was a question and answer session after the readings, and then a signing. Ramsey needed a pen. I provided said pen. Claim to fame achieved.

I bought Ramsey Campbell's Ghosts Know, Paul Kane's The Butterfly Man - both PS Publishing books and bloody gorgeous - and I also bought Peter Crowther's Darkness Falling. All signed of course.

Then, on attempting to leave the store, the automatic doors wouldn't work. This isn't unusual - automatic doors often don't recognise me or they decide to eat me. But this one even refused to recognise Ramsey Campbell or Peter Crowther. So wrong! We escaped eventually at which point I turned back from a mouse into a person and climbed into a pumpkin.

In other news, I finally (it's only taken two years) booked tickets to FantasyCon, which takes places in Brighton this September. Let the nail-biting begin.

15 comments:

Anthony Rapino said...

This sounds *so* cool! I wish they had an event like this around me. I'm lucky enough to have a local horror movie event (and for a small area like this, even that is a great surprise), but a literature review would be an awesome addition.

Glad to hear your had a good time!

Cate Gardner said...

The guys who run these events work very hard to pull them off. We're lucky they choose to do it in Liverpool.

Katey said...

This sounds like so so so much fun, Cate! I really wish I could come to FantasyCon sometime, too. I'm going to start wiggling my way into plane tickets... maybe next year...

Hunter Shea said...

Sounds like a great event. Wish they had something similar to it here.

Aaron Polson said...

Wonderful, Cate. Thanks for sharing. I have to run my own events in the basement--and I'm the only one who shows!

Ray Cluley said...

Hurray! I'll buy you a drink at FantasyCon then!

Ray said...

Oh, you doing a reading by the way?

Cate Gardner said...

I seriously wish you could come to FantasyCon too, Katey.

It is, Hunter.

I hope you have drink and nibbles, Aaron

And I shall have to buy you one back, Ray. And 'god no' to the reading. Are you?

Deborah Walker said...

That sounds so much fun. Forget about Fantasy Con, are you going to Eastercon. I've committed, and I'm nervous. I'm looking for a posse. If you join it will be a posse of two.

Cate Gardner said...

I'm not :( and I so desperately need a posse.

Deborah Walker said...

Oh man, that's a real shame. Ne'er mind if Eastercon goes fabulously well, I might make it down to Brighton.

Cate Gardner said...

Then I hope it goes swimmingly.

Ray said...

I think I will do a reading if I can get a spot. Maybe. Whatever happens, definately going though. Great fun.

Ray said...

And by definately I of course mean definitely. I must practise (or practice?) my spelling...

Cate Gardner said...

And I shall definitely be in the audience, Ray