JG at TivLitFest this weekend

This weekend I am in Devon for the Tiverton Literary Festival.

On Saturday I shall be selling my books at the Book Fair at St George's Church, from 10.00am - 1.00pm.

On Sunday I shall be giving a talk about writing tie-in fiction for some of the UK's most popular franchises, as well as the appeal of Steampunk, and the gamebook renaissance.

You can buy tickets in advance here, at the festival website, or, I am told, you can rock up and buy tickets on the door.

Maybe I'll see you there.

Gamebook Friday: Last weekend at the UK Games Expo

Last weekend I was at the Birmingham NEC for the UK Games Expo. After having such a successful weekend last year, I went with some trepidations this year as the gaming and trading aspects of the event had been separated. As it turned out, I need not have worried - the Expo was even bigger and better than last year.

I was there primarily promoting Alice's Nightmare in Wonderland, but several people picked up copies of my Pax Britannia novels and some die-hard fans of Fighting Fantasy were keen to grab some of the last hardback copies in existence of YOU ARE THE HERO.

It was a weekend of many highlights, including meeting Facebook friends in person for the first time, as well as making new friends. And of course it's always nice to learn that people have enjoyed your work and appreciate what you do.

One of my first visitors came bearing gifts. You can back the Star Bastards Kickstarter here.

Fighting Fantasy gamebook fan Olivier stopped by to say hello.

The Starburst guys, among them Shakespeare Vs Cthulhu contributor Ed Fortune.

Fighting Fantasy legends Ian Livingstone and Steve Jackson were featured in the Expo programme.

Jamie Wallis demoing Fighting Fantasy Quest - coming soon to Kickstarter.

Alice's Nightmare in Wonderland, playing cards, and a teaser about a future Kickstarter.

The Daleks were out in force again this year, demanding money with menaces.

A lot of gaming took place over the weekend... but then it was the UK Games Expo.

Alice's Nightmare in Wonderland, was up for Best RPG in the UK Games Expo Awards.

James Spearing and his wife Julia also stopped by to say hello.

Loyal Fighting Fantasy fan Mark Crew.

Mr Colin Baker (a.k.a. the Sixth Doctor) stopped by, which was nice.

The 19th Century Falcon.

SHARKPUNK and Pax Britannia.

 Alice's Nightmare in Wonderland.

Author Gareth Baker.

Alice meets Alice.

Special thanks must go to author Gareth Baker, who shared the authors' table with me, Haydn and Steve who helped out over the weekend, Darren Pearce, and UKGE Director Richard Denning's sprightly octogenarian father John who wrangled us writers very effectively over the weekend.

The whole experience was a lot of fun, and I hope to be back again next year - possibly with this in tow...

Tie-in Tuesday: Lovin' the Kraken

Apart from one rather strange review, in which the reviewer seemed put off by the smell of the book more than anything else, my latest Doctor Who gamebook Choose the Future: Night of the Kraken has been receiving a lot of love online.

First there's this review by blogger and book critic Kathryn White.

And then there's this one, written by Antony McGarry-Thickitt, over at Geek Syndicate. I particularly liked this bit:

"I always consider it a good sign when I see Jonathan Green’s name attached to any interactive fiction project. Green has a long and successful record writing these types of books and so I was reasonably sure that Night of the Kraken would be a solid adventure in its own right. I wasn’t wrong."

Thought for the Day

Shakespeare Sunday: Shakespeare Vs Cthulhu - Table of Contents

It's the update you've all been waiting for - the table of contents for the forthcoming ultimate genre mash-up anthology of the year!

(Those of you who have been paying attention will know that eleven of the stories have already been previewed via updates such as this one, and those that are left will be featured between now and the book's publication later this summer.)

JG at TivLitFest

Today I may be at the UK Games Expo, but this time next week I shall be in Devon for the Tiverton Literary Festival.

I shall be selling my books - mainly Alice's Nightmare in Wonderland - at a stall on the Saturday 11th June, and giving a talk, followed by a Q&A and signing, at the Mayoral Rooms in the Town Hall at 11.30am on Sunday 12th June.

You can find out more about the event, and how to buy tickets for my talk, here, at the festival website.

Gamebook Friday: Alice's Nightmare at the UK Games Expo

This weekend I shall be attending the UK Games Expo, promoting my crowdfunded Choose Your Path Adventure Gamebook Alice's Nightmare in Wonderland - which is up for an award in the Best RPG category of the UK Games Expo Awards - as well as giving attendees the first glimpse of what I'm going to be working on next, in a similar vein.

If you're attending, look me up at Stand A23 in NEC Hall 1.

In other Gamebook Friday news, according to LinkedIn.com, this month I am celebrated 23 years at Penguin Books. To be honest, if it hadn't been for all the messages people have been sending me celebrating me on achieving this work anniversary, I think it would have passed me by.

I haven't worked for Penguin for the last 23 years without a break, but my most recently published book is Doctor Who: Choose the Future: Night of the Kraken came out through Puffin Books (an imprint of Penguin) as did my first published book, the Fighting Fantasy Gamebook Spellbreaker, which came out in June 1993! And both books are gamebooks, of one stripe or another.

Also out this week is Fighting Fantazine #15. My work gets a few mentions, in the form a piece about Tin Man Games' Bloodbones app, and two very pleasing reviews. The firsts of these is Brett Schofield's review of Alice's Nightmare in Wonderland, and the second is James Spearing's review of Doctor Who: Choose the Future: Night of the Kraken.

You can download your own copy of Fighting Fantazine #15 for free here.