Winter Downs launch @RadioStoke #Winter Downs #crime #winterdowns @BBCRadioStoke @jenqoe @thesentinel @bellaboobos11 @stokelibrary

The day began with an early-bird visit to the Radio Stoke Saturday Breakfast with Stuart Ellis and Jodie Looker at 7.45.  I don’t do morning so that was a shock to the system but  Stuart and Jodie are lovely people and it seemed to go well despite my shock at being up before 6am!

Then it was time to whizz over to Misha’s for a much needed coffee and to change into our launch day costumes.

May I present Bunch and Dodo!

It was  fun getting dressed up as characters from Winter Downs for the occasion. Misha as Daphne ‘Dodo’ Tinsley,  the lady of breeding (left) and myself as her big sister, Rose ‘Bunch’ Courtney – the horse-mad land girl. Sisters in crime-busting!

We got to City Central Library where the lovely James helped us in with our mounds of goods. Then a mad scramble to turn the Tolkien Room into a ww2 event. Bunting and posters and old maps, and a CD of 1940s  tunes to set the mood.

  

Plus, of course, the cakes!  All made by Misha and me!

A photographer from the Sentinel turned for a photo call  (pics will be in next week’s Sentinel along with an interview with  John Woodhouse).

Sadly Becs from the 6 Towns Radio Curtain Call show 6 Towns Radio Curtain Call show and I kept missing each other’s calls, but still hoping to catch up with her in the next day or so!

Then readings:  Nic Hale heroically stepped into the breech to read a piece by Jem Shaw from his forthcoming collection Discollection. (Jem couldn’t be there because he was on a plane bound for China – the lengths some people will take hey? 🙂 )

Misha (who also compered the event) read from her upcoming book Shadows on the Grass.

Then me… with the opening pages of Winter Downs

Followed by a lively Q&A session…

and the signings.

 

 

A Fabulous day. Many thanks to the wonderful folks who came to listen and chat and huge thanks to Emma and James at the City Central Library for making the event possible.

And whilst all this was going on the blog tour continued online with a Q&A at JennyB’s   and a fab review and blog over at Chat About Books.  (the blog tour continues all week)

For those who missed the launch you can buy Winter Downs in Paper  or Kindle Kindle formats!

Worn out now so signing off until my brain returns…

Photographs (c) 1 to 4 Peter Coleborn : 5 to 10 Tim Diggles