Newsy Stuff

Alexander McCall Smith has written a prequel to his successful Mma Ramotswe series. Entitled Precious and the Puggies it tells the story as Mma Ramotswe as she undertakes her first case as a child. However, it will be at least a year before it will be available in English, as the prequel has been written in the Scots language. More information can be found here.

Depending on which fan you talk to it may or may not be good news that Katherine Heigel has signed up to play the lead character in Janet Evanovich’s widely successful Stephanie Plum series. Her devoted and loyal fans have their own views on whom they consider the best actress to play Stephanie Plum.

More information about the latest news on the Stephanie Plum film which will be “One for the Money” (the first book in the series) can be found here. Personally I would like to see Queen Latifah play Lula!

The winners of the 3rd Black Quill Awards have been announced. The editor’s choice for Dark Genre Novel of the Year was awarded to Gillian Flynn’s Dark Places whilst the reader’s vote went to Drood by Dan Simmons. The full list can be found here.

Newsy Stuff

Allan Guthrie is interviewed by The Scotsman on everything relating to Edinburgh and other personal stuff. It is interesting to note that Allan and I share the same birthday!

Laura Wilson via the Guardian does a round-up crime novels - The Way Home by George Pelecanos, Ice Cold by Andrea Maria Schenkel, The Information Officer by Mark Mills and Rage by Sergio Bizzio.

The Time Magazine has an interview with best-selling author Janet Evanovich who assures her legion of fans that she hs not got any plans to stop writing the Stephanie Plum series as she is having too much fun.

Publishers Harper Collins are to sponsor a season of crime programmes on Virgin Media Channel, Living. They will use the sponsorship to promote a series of crime and thriller releases across the summer and raise awareness of its bestselling authors.

Orion are due to publish six more books by thriller writer James Rollins.