Bookseeker Literary Agency

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August is Festival Month

Bluesman Alvin Youngblood Hart at Perth Southern Fried.

Bluesman Alvin Youngblood Hart at Perth Southern Fried.

It seems that August is a rare old month for festivals here in Scotland, festivals of everything and anything. Bank Holiday weekend kicked off with Southern Fried in Perth, a celebration mainly of American Roots music, but these days seemingly taking in everything from food to hot rod cars. The gigs at Perth Concert Hall and other venues around the town are pretty darned good – you can read reviews of some of them here, here, and here.

Hot on the heels of Southern Fried comes the Pittenweem Arts Festival. This is another event that seems to have grown over the years. From fairly humble beginnings it now takes over the whole of the picturesque town in the East Neuk of Fife, with resident artists opening their homes and studios for the public to traipse in and out, or renting space in shops, halls, lock-up garages, anywhere. As well as the official venues, a strong ‘Fringe‘ has developed, until it seems as though there is no longer any space left anywhere.

Meanwhile, of course Edinburgh Festival has been getting underway in the Capital, with its own famous Fringe too. By the last couple of weeks of the month the Edinburgh International Book Festival will be full swing in Charlotte Square, with talks, book signings, literary discussions, interviews, and many other events. Bookseeker Agency‘s own Paul Thompson has been at Perth and Pittenweem, and will be at the Book Festival too reviewing some of the events and meeting people, so keep an eye open for him. Check the Contact page on this web site for a photo.

So far the Scottish weather has been fairly kind for festival-goers. Let’s hope that continues.

Hot rod cars at Perth Southern Fried.

Hot rod cars at Perth Southern Fried.

Artists Lesley Haycock and Chloe Brown at Pittenweem.

Artists Lesley Haycock and Chloe Brown at Pittenweem.

Flowers, near St Fillan's Cave, Pittenweem.

Flowers, near St Fillan’s Cave, Pittenweem.

Edinburgh Book Festival atmosphere - queues are part of the culture!

Edinburgh Book Festival atmosphere – queues are part of the culture!


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Kurt Vonnegut on the Shapes of Stories

If there is any author whom other authors cite as an influence, or look up to generally, then surely it’s Kurt Vonnegut. It doesn’t matter what genre you work in, Vonnegut seems to be the guiding light of the author’s craft. So, how does he see the construction of a story? The answer is with simple humour, that’s how. Click the picture to find out more.

vonnegut


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‘The Mumble’ – Scotland’s explosive Review Site!

Mumble poster

A team of reviewers cover as many of the gigs, talks, readings, stand-ups, signings, performances, events, etc. as possible. This year you may find them on the go at Perth Southern Fried, Edinburgh International Book Festival, The Fringe, and many, many more. Click on the banner to go there.


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Two new books at P’kaboo!

It’s an exciting time at P’kaboo this month as two new books have been published in rapid succession.

SplidDsmlcarmenFirstly there is Split Decision by Carmen Capuano, a new novel for the young adult readership.

How was Natalie to know that the decision she was about to make between two potential dates, would forever be a pivotal point in her life? That it would mark the time where childhood innocence ended?

How could she even imagine that the wrong decision would send her life spiraling into the stuff of nightmares where she might not come out alive?

Life takes a cruel twist of fate when Natalie, a completely average [almost] 16 year old is forced to make a split-second decision… a decision that will change her future and forever alter her perception of trust, love and the realities of life.

Following two alternate plotlines as if each were the real one, the reader is kept in suspense right up until the last moment, unable to tell which guy Natalie accepted and which she turned down. And at every step there are twists and turns which will keep you on the edge of your seat, as one thread takes Natalie on a romantic discovery where events take on a more ominous edge than expected, whilst the other takes her on a dangerous slide into the dark side of life, a shadowy world of danger, where the reader is unsure whether she will make it alive to her forthcoming birthday.

This is a book of intensities, of sweet discoveries and dark revelations which you will not want to put down.

First stop for a copy is, of course, the publisher’s web site, but if you want a Kindle version head straight to Amazon. Here’s a nice tweet from Carmen shortly after publication:

carmentweet

Then there is the children’s book Pink Wish Ice Cream by Andrea Kaczmarek, with illustrations by Eva Kuenzel.

pink2pink3As you might guess from her name Mrs Polly Pink-Witch is a witch. In the summer she makes her delicious Pink Wish ice cream and likes nothing better than traveling from town to town in her bright pink ice cream van.

Why is Mrs Polly Pink-Witch’s ice cream called ‘Pink Wish’?

That’s a very good question, and the answer is easy too: if you buy, and enjoy, her delicious Pink Wish ice cream you get a free wish!

Of course, there are conditions attached. This means there are only certain children who get a wish granted. Mrs Polly Pink-Witch can’t stand rude children, so they absolutely never get a wish granted. And you must say please and thank you. Mrs Polly Pink-Witch knows if you really mean it; she can tell if it’s a proper please and a proper thank you.

So which children get a free wish? That’s easy too, I am sure you will guess, but what kind of wishes come true?

Again, call in at the publisher’s web site.


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A Thunderclap for ‘Polly Pink Witch’

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Pink Wish Ice Cream, a lovely children’s book by Andrea Kaczmarek, illustrated by Eva Kuenzel, is due for launch soon, and we are promoting it with another Thunderclap. Please click here and join in – we need 100 people, again, to make this promotional tool effective.

pink-wish-catPink Wish Ice Cream deals with a sweet, rounded, good-natured Polly Pink Witch teaching some brats to be nice.  It is a classic kiddies book with classic morals, the type your mum, grand-mother and aunt would have instilled in you.  It’s really simple:  Say “please” and “thank you”, and your wish will be granted; be rude and obnoxious and you forfeit your wish.  This even applies if you’re a mommy trying to bend the rules a little for the sake of your kid…  I’m curious which lessons the other witches will be instilling in potential sequels.


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Help Carmen Capuano’s ‘Split Decision’ reach escape velocity!

SDprelimcoverWe’re looking for at least 100 people to help Carmen Capuano‘s new novel Split Decision launch with a bang on 4th of July. We’re doing it using the Thunderclap web application, and we need your support. There’s no money involved, no catch, and only a couple of minutes of mouse-clicking to do. But we have to gather those 100 by the 4th in order for this promotional tool to work.

Will you join in? It will benefit all authors, clients, and potential clients in the long run, because if this campaign is a success then we’ll use it again in the future. Click here to start the process. Thank you in advance.


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Only the best wanted!

the-scream-detailIn addition to wanting submissions in the upmarket crime or suspense genre, we have been asked if we can find contemporary women’s fiction, contemporary crime by women authors, and especially at the moment novels with a rural Scottish setting. Do you have something that squarely fits the description? Let us know.

Another publisher is looking for something entirely different – non-fiction books on ‘magick‘, occult, tarot, Old Testament magic, and Egyptology.

Politely, we ask – please don’t send us anything that’s only peripheral or tangental to these subjects. We’re looking for material that is right on topic in every case.

Thanks


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Carmen Capuano moves into journalism

GEM-SWB-2013-04carmen2Our client Carmen Capuano has been head-hunted by Gem Media, and vibrant and growing media company in Birmingham. Carmen is to be Copy Editor and columnist of Gem Magazine, the glossy, go-to magazine for food, wine, fashion, beauty, motoring, health, gardening, heritage, culture, house, and home for Birmingham and its core districts. The magazine has events management at its heart; Carmen will be taking over her duties in the July issue and is set to provide insights into her creative writing process and to her daily life in the column.

“I am delighted to be involved with this informative and inspirational magazine. I have always read GEM with great interest and it’s wonderful to think that I will be a part of it now,” said Carmen.

Said a spokesperson for the group, on the appointment, “We are so pleased to be welcoming Carmen onto our team. We feel that she has an often quirky and unique take on life and are sure that she will entertain our readers in her own inimitable style.”

We know Carmen’s talents first-hand, and we’re sure she will make a success of this new venture.

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