Mid-week Mash Up

Bigstock

Bigstock have produced an illustrated compendium of words that have a totally diffeent meaning the US and the UK. A laugh-out-loud learning experience!

"Here in the United States, we speak the same language as our ye old predecessors in Great Britain, but we don't always speak it the same way. So, we asked our oh-so British receptionist, Ryan Lovett, to give us a crash course in some of the more notable discrepancies.

"Here are 20 words (along with some accompanying Bigstock images) that have pretty different meanings in Great Britain than they do in the U.S."

Read on... 

Amazon Launches in Australia 

"Never one to rest on its laurels, Amazon has launched a Kindle Store in Australia.
Numerous authors have been tweeting over the past few hours that Amazon has also added a new sales channel in KDP for a new Kindle Store at Amazon.com.au


Read on...

And Waterstones have taken a leaf out of John Lewis's book and created a Christmas advert - albeit on a slightly smaller budget...

 

Here's the John Lewis one, if you want to see what GB£7m will buy you! It's already gone viral - would love to see Waterstone's making that leap. :)

BOOK SIGNINGS

Writers tend to be shy creatures.  They spend all their time locked away from human contact while they spin tales to entertain you.

Once in a while they emerge, blinking in the light to sit in a bookshop, a pile of books in front of them ready to sign, bookmarks, postcards to give away.  Even a dish of chocs if you're lucky. 

If you see one, sitting in a bookstore, do not scuttle past as if she might force you to buy a book - she won't!   You're in a bookshop and even if you're in there to buy a map, or the latest celebrity cookbook for your sister's birthday, do pause for a moment, say hello, take a bookmark or postcard (it doesn't bind you to anything) and make her feel welcome. (None of which applies if the author is J K Rowling, btw!)


I had the pleasure of dropping in at the author-friendly Waterstone's in Carmarthen a couple of weeks ago to catch up with debut author Christine Stovell, whose book, TURNING THE TIDE has been published by Choc-Lit.

This is not my photograph.  I managed to turn up without a card in my camera - and the new camera doesn't say "no card" when you press the button so I was home before I realised I'd missed the big moment.  I had to beg this picture from someone else who was there.  By the time I arrived, the table was crowded with people and the pile of books seriously diminished.  Exactly how a book signing should be.

It's always fun to go along to book signings and meet with authors you admire, have a chat about the book and get one personally signed.  Maybe two.  Books make fabulous presents for friends and family.  I've just bought the Winter Flower Fairies for my eight month old grand-daughter.  You cannot start too young!.  .

But back to Chris's delightfully atmospheric romance.  You'll find an excerpt and more background to the book here or if you click on the link below.