#WalkerFictionFest

I must sound like I lead an exciting life when I start a blog post with the term "I went to a blogger event". I don't. Am a very dull human creature. But, I was invited to a blogger event at Walker Books and, today, I was in Walker Books HQ, trying to figure out how to steal a giant hare from their reception and chatting to other bloggers/vloggers - some that I know and other I have only met today. If I chatted to you, scare me online! I would love to stalk you on Twitter and YouTube.

So, after tea, snacks and a lovely catch up, all us bloggers were whipped into a room and Walker shows us the pretty titles in the coming months. The theme to this was a music festival, to celebrate the recent release of Remix by Non Pratt (which I still need to read. I know - BLAME MY REAL LIFE!)

Now, there are loads of books I want to talk to you about. Some that I loved and made noise over and others that I have reread my notes over while at home now and gone "Actually... This sounds cool". But first, I shall talk to you about the authors who were there and other odds and ends. I have put some pics on my Twitter, some videos on Vine and I will put some other stuff up on my Facebook so check them out!

The first author to excite us was Katie Everson, who's debut novel, Drop, will be released in early August. She chatted about what it was like to get this book published and other little titbits over this book before reading a tiny snippet from the book.

The book itself will excite some of you guys who like dark contemporary. Carla has moved to London and changed schools. Again. She just wants to fit in. But when she meets the good-looking Finn and is swept into his world. A whirlwind romanic that takes a dark turn of parties and drugs. Soon, Carla's grades begin to slip and people are warning Carla to stay away from Finn.  Even Finn's brother, Isaac. But does he have an ulterior motive, and are either brother right for Carla?

Now, I never heard of this book before today (am so out of the loop), but this sounds gripping with an edge of humour. Plus, this book is getting compared Junk by Melvin Burgess. So, if you like your contemporary with grit, this is for you.

The second author to excite us is Lauren James. Her debut novel, The Next Together, is already making waves online with being one of this year's most highly anticipated novels of 2015. She talked about writing this book while studying for her Masters degree in Natural Sciences, and how this idea has been with her since her teens. After this, she read a tiny extract (I popped this on Vine), where we see one of the greatest love stories ever told: a man and his pen...

I jest, but for those of you unsure over this, The Next Together is the story of Katherine and Matthew, meeting and falling in love with each other. Only this takes place over four timelines, centuries apart. But why do Katherine and Matthew keep coming back? Why do they keep falling in love with each other and cruelly separated? Will the next together be different?

I am really excited over this book. It sounds yummy. Plus, we have been warned that this book has a lot of kissing.

The third and the final author to talk to us was Zoe Marriott, chatting about the final book in her Name of the Blade trilogy, Frail Human Heart. Chatting about the series as a whole, her future plans and answering some questions, Zoe read a tiny scene.

Now, I love this series and I know talking about this book would reveal spoilers so, here is me trying to talk without spoiling. Milo isn't having a good week. Having just banished the Goddess of Death's plague-spreading monsters, Mio doesn't think she has the emotional strength to go on. She's already lost one person she's cared about, she doesn't want to lose any one else. But she has no choice. The war between the gods is drawing closer and with hell breaking loose in London, Mio is the only thing standing in the way of apocalypse. Her and her sword. But will it be enough?

We also had two designers, explaining how their designed the covers of The Next Together and the new Mortal Instruments covers. I found that really interesting!

After this, we chatted about more books that Walker will be publishing in the coming months. There are a few I want to chat more about so am pick'n'mixing here.

The first is The Rest of Us Just Live Here by Patrick Ness. Yes, I know I have already read and reviewed this but I love it and want to push it on you. Not going to talk too much about that. Nor will I about the new covers for the Mortal Instruments series. But they are very pretty - and designed by Mila Furstova, who did Coldplay's album cover, Ghost Stories.

Now, to some other books.

Hell and High Water by Tanya Landman is inspired by the true story of Thomas Benson, an eighteenth century smuggler. The story follows Caleb, who's father is wrongfully accused of theft. When he is sentenced to transportation, Caleb is alone and in danger, due to the fact he is mixed race boy, living in a era of slavery. To stay safe, he is forced to seek out his estranged aunt in Dorset. But when he is there, a boy washes up on the beach and soon, his new life and the lives of his family are put in mortal danger...

Another historical that caught my eye was 101 Pieces of Me by Veronica Bennett. Set in the era of The Great Gatsby, this follows the story of Sarah Freeboy when four seconds of her life is caught on film - 101 frames of film (aka pieces) - change her life. A producer sees her and becomes obsessed with her, desperate to have her in his next movie. Soon, Sarah is Clara Hope, living the glamorous life as a film starlet. But behind the glamour, there is a side that Sarah begin to question whether life in film is right for her...

The River and the Book by Alison Croggon is a surprise book to catch my eye. The main reason it does is because Amnesty International UK endorses this as contributing to a better understanding of human rights and the values that underpin them. In Simbala's village, there are two treasures: the River and the Book. The River is the road to their god. The Book is their history, oracle and their soul. Like the women before her, Simbala is the Keeper of the Book, finding answers within to answer the villager's questions. When the Book predicts change, Simbala thinks it's the developers who are poisoning the River. But it's not. It's when a sympathetic Westerner who causes the greatest damage...

My last is a middle grade book and, again, this is a surprise! Julius Zebra: Rumble with the Romans is a strange mix of Madagascar and Gladiator from Gary Northfield, the man behind The Terrible Tales of the Teenytinysaurs!. Taken from his watering hole, deep in the heart of the Serengeti, Julius Zebra and his friends are forced to gear up and be gladiators. Only when they win the love of the Romans crowds will they win their freedom. From the look of the trailer, this is going to be a laugh a minute and I can't wait.

There are more books, far too many to write up when you're trying to write up a blog post and your kitten goes insanely hyper. Yes, that is what happening at the moment. So, I shall end this post here. I must take everyone at Walker for organising this! Was a great morning! Thank you to the authors who were great with us and we cornered them and asked them questions. And yeah to the other bloggers - we need to do a real catch up soon!

But thank you. And thank you for the goodie bag. There's one or two books in here that I mentioned above that I am very excited to read and shall be starting in my month off from blogging. Thank you!