Hot Key Books Launch

Before I go any further, I want to thank Hot Key Books for inviting me. I still get EXTREMELY excited and honoured when I get invited to these events (and for someone who's still waiting for a "Hey! What are you doing here, you're not a TRUE book blogger! GET OUT!"). I, also, has to say sorry in advance. I didn't take notes so am using memory and other bloggers's write ups to refresh my memory...

At Hot Key HQ, a bunch of us Book Bloggers (hi everyone who went! Nice to see you all again and hello to everyone who I met for the first time!) chatted to everyone at Hot Key, all the bloggers and the three lovely authors who were there: Sarah Mussi (author of launch title Angel Dust), Lydia Syson (author of The World Between Us) and Sally Gardner (author of Maggot Moon).

Together in a shiny conference room, Hot Key explained the content guidance ring (which explains the story's main themes) and they chatted about their books coming through 2012 and hinted at some of their titles in 2013 (barring a few titles, all of them sound cool and up my street! And we can't talk about them! Wanna see the Launch List? Here you go!).

All three authors chatted about their books: Sarah Mussi explained how the idea came from a traffic jam at New Cross and explained that her story is about an angel who goes to earth to bring a gangster to the afterlife - but instead, she falls in love with him. Lydia Syson explained about her own grandparents in the Spanish Civil War, talked about how this Civil War isn't taught in schools and briefly touched that this story, while set against the civil war, is a love story. Sally Gardner chatted about Maggot Moon, how it was inspired from her research of her previous novel, Double Shadow, and how she wanted to really show what dyslexia is really like. 


After that, we had a skype chat with S.J. Kincaid, author of Insignia, another launch title for Hot Key. Some of you guys might be aware of this book as most UK book bloggers have raved about this book (once it's released, you'll see their quotes in the front and back covers). The buzz is going to get bigger with the news with 20th Century Fox optioning the film rights to the trilogy (which means I will be reading this soon...). 


It was fun day so, again, thank you Hot Key for the invite! 


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Oh, while I'm chatting about Launch Parties, I need to chat to you about 3 events I went to over the last few months and haven't written up yet (sorry for the hijack!). I can't really chat about the Cat Clarke event till Quercus gives us the all clear [though it's common knowledge that her novel will be called UNDONE]. The Cassandra Clare event hosted by Maureen Johnson... well, I have a shocking memory and I blocked out most of the answers she gave as I haven't read City of Fallen Angels and City of Lost Souls so I won't be writing that up (sorry, Neil at Foyles who invited me! You're awesome, FYI). And the Creative Voices event (with Kimblery Derting, Cat Clarke, James Dawson & Tanya Bryne)... I will try and write that up soon!