Rather to my surprise, the German version of Johannes Cabal the Necromancer is out, and has been for a week. I thought it was out in October but, after my gratis copies turned up this morning, I went to Amazon.de to check how the pre-orders were going, only to discover that the book has been out since the seventh of September. I'm not peeved, just ( Read more... )

Because here's a banner, and I'm posting about it today. You see what I did there? Ingenious, no? You're quite right. No. Never mind.

Linda "Snugbat" Smith, who did the chapter heads for Johannes Cabal the Necromancer, has also done me a rather handsome banner for the website (www.johannescabal.com). Should anybody reading this wish to use it on a ( Read more... )

I have been asked by my agent to write a Johannes Cabal the Detective blurb for the agency's foreign catalogue. When that is published, then the blurb will obviously be in the public domain, and I shall reproduce it here. This will constitute the first real information about the contents of the book beyond A) it features Johannes Cabal, and B) he ( Read more... )

Johannes Cabal the Necromancer has been reviewed a good few times thus far. The vast majority of these have been positive, which obviously gladdens my heart. It has, however, never been reviewed or, at least, pithily analysed, in poetry before. Not doggerel either, but an altogether more intriguing form called a senryū, a cousin of the more famous ( Read more... )

As will be witnessed by this post's subject line, I have finally got around to buying OMD's "Dazzle Ships" on CD to replace my ancient and venerable vinyl version with the really cool sliding time zones insert. Well, not replace it, because I won't be throwing it away, but a CD's more convenient. And, yes, I have heard of MP3s, thank you very much ( Read more... )

I listened to an interesting programme yesterday on BBC Radio 4, entitled "Frequently Asked Questions." It was about the relationship between writers and their readers, ( This way lies the mystery... )

I was interviewed about the book this evening by the delightful Dorothy Robinson of the Metro US, through the medium of international telephony. It's the first time I've been interviewed "live" as opposed to by email so I'm as nervous as all get-out, whatever that means. I hope I came over as the scintillating wit and genius I know I am, and not ( Read more... )

I couldn't think of an amusing title line. All my thoughts involved either "Viva" or "CSI." Anyway, the "Las Vegas Review-Journal" has posted a very nice review, bless them.
http://www.lvrj.com/blogs/booknook/Johannes_Cabal_sinister_fun.html

I like Denver. It is a decent, civilised place, marked by good taste, and a wise temperament.
http://www.denverpost.com/lifestyles/ci_12856765

And San Diego is a good place too, full of prescient and intelligent folk.
http://www3.signonsandiego.com/stories/2009/jul/19/lz1a19orbits181353-eccentric-orbits/?books

Well, there's no pleasing folk. As long term readers -- should I be possessed of such a thing -- know, I subscribe to the "Fortean Times," and the new issue turned up this morning. I had no intimation that they would be reviewing Johannes Cabal the Necromancer, so seeing the cover pop up in their review section was an utter surprise. ( Continuud anonon, gentel reeder... )