Well, it has been some time since I posted. Frankfurt, a trip to New York and then the myriad of things to catch up on.  So new news, and then some older news.

CRACKS has a terrific review on BBC 4′s Open Book on Sunday from Amanda Craig praising it as absolutely fabulous with a Matrix like premise. We are reprinting as a result.

'absolutely wonderful' Amanda Craig

CRACKS and SILENCED  are on the Leeds Book Award shortlist.

Shortlisted again

IRRESISTIBLE (Kindle edition is out on Dec.6th) and a second book by the wonderful Liz Bankes has been sold to Bloomsbury as a two book deal for a very good sum.

And the story is totally irresistible too!

And last, but not least, below is a photo of us celebrating with Adele Geras as she signed copies of her warm, loving, highly acclaimed  IT’S TIME FOR BED. The perfect Xmas gift!

Adele with from left Michaela Mc Gorty, Colleen McMorran, GBS and me with the prosecco

I don’t know why this made me so happy, but as I was getting out of the tube this morning I spied a trendy man in his twenties reading what looked like our very recently published NEPTUNE’S TEARS. It couldn’t be I thought. I hurried to catch up and YES it was. I followed him and planned to tap him on the shoulder, but he was too quick and the lights changed. But the very best bit is that he was reading it every chance he got. The fact that he worked in the building of another publisher – exactly where I was headed – didn’t diminish my joy. Now I know how best selling authors must feel. It was lovely.

Read or download it for yourself. You’ll be as enchanted as the young man on the tube.

A debut novel full of romance and charm. Julia Eccelshare

Well, copies of this book have finally arrived to great excitement in the office. It looks dazzling and we are just sorry you can’t see how beautifully sparkly this cover is. Also google it for some fab reviews, and of course you can buy it on amazon.

"If you read nothing else this year grab yourself a copy . . .wonderful"

Now with everyone so excited about our star crossed lovers Zee and David, we are picking the stars to play them in the film. Vote for your favourite by going onto the facebook page for the author, Susan Waggoner.  So for

ZEE

Bonnie Wright

Emma Stone

JaneLevy

And for DAVID

Sam Worthington

Ryan Gosling

Robert Pattinson - he needs distracting

We look forward to your votes on Susan Waggoner’s facebook page.

Sometimes the characters that authors create bear very close resemblance to themselves. In a recent package from Arthur Robins we got this illustration:

Her name is Liz Vicious, who is she really?

Follow us on twitter @piccadillypress to find out how to win the latest book from our dynamic duo.

Out at the end of September

Today with no effort on our part Piccadilly feels like they have just got the gold for the 200 metres. Arthur Robin’s artwork arrived for the next Downtown Dinosaur. The illustrations are wonderful, so much fun, and really bring DINOSAURS IN DISGUISE to life:

Published in October order your copy now

The first title has sold nearly 10,000 copies since March and of course is very appropriate for this Olympic month:

Madcap and hilarious

The illustrations are so fabulous that one of the resident Piccadilly cats even tried to get into the plastic covering. I think Arthur may have some dogs living with him. And also we need to add that he is a double star as he had a tight deadline for someone else and has produced this first batch in super quick time!  Bravo Arthur.

Isla Whitcroft whose new book, THE VIPER’S NEST, has just been published did a really successful event at Waterstone’s in Northamptonshire at the weekend. Check it out below:

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We love Cate Carlisle and in this story she is in Los Angeles uncovering smugglers of priceless Mexican relics, and mixing with pop stars and attending glitzy parties. What’s not to love!

Here is a blog I started last week, thought I had lost it,  and then found it today!

Yesterday’s (July 22nd) Independent on Sunday had reviews by Susan Elkin and out of the 11 books chosen Piccadilly had 3. High marks for all the titles: CRACKS by Caroline Green, SILENCED by Simon Packham, and WHATEVER LOVE IS  by Rose Rushton. Read the full text of the reviews here: http://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/books/features/dystopia-war-and-spies–just-for-those-tough-teenage-years-7964069.html

Out and about in the last week or so was Jeanne Willis in Somerset :

Tackling Flint Beastwood

Jeanne manages to look super glam wherever she is.

And Isla Whitcroft celebrating the third in the Cate Carlisle series -VIPER’S NEST with a writing workshop in Waterstones.

Everyone is working so hard

All very successful with everyone clamouring for more!

And this week we thinking we should rest on Danny Boyle’s laurels. Piccadilly LOVED the opening ceremony, though we thought Elton John should have had a part. Where was he?

A busy week last week so finally getting up some photos from the CBC party

Natasha, Vivien and Margot

Brenda, Klaus - Andersen Press, Judith Elliott - formerly Orion

And now that the tennis is over we can really concentrate on the Olympics and all the disruption. We have 3 bicycle riders who are hoping not to be affected. A number of train commuters (but not every day) and several bus users. So we will monitor our progress as the capital waits for the influx. We are planning normal activities and we are hoping to come out of it unscathed. In the meantime, we are all re-reading the best book on the Olympics ever!!

And now have a look at the author who can turn a Genie into a Clown.

Yes, it is the indefatigable Ciaran Murtagh already for one of his new roles on CBBC Dick and Dom Hoopla. Coming soon . . .

Well, the summer (?) season has begun in earnest, with not one, but two major parties last night. Both 50th Birthdays. The Children’s Book Circle had a celebration at The Union and Piccadilly Press ladies slipped into their finery to glitter and party. Publisher and MD, Brenda Gardner, had to shoot off after an hour to the IPG party in The Fishmongers Hall. A grand place for the 400 or so guests. More prosecco, and more 50th celebrations, but very sad to miss a very funny speech by John Crace in the dash between venues.

This weekend we have two authors celebrating the Festival of Stories at the Granary in King’s Cross:

Ros Asquith

and Ciaran Murtagh

Looks like a fun event and it is all free. Get yourself down there!

Ros Asquith and Jeanne Willis gave a sparkling performance at a breakfast meeting at last weekend’s conference. An early start did not dim their glamour and humour as both of them presented their books and told a bit about the inside of their working lives to a packed session.

Ros, Jeanne, Brenda Gardner Publisher & MD, Karen Robinson YLG committee

Well, many of us returned to the office telling everyone where we had been and what we watched over the long 4 day holiday. Some are still on holiday. The conclusion was that there was a lovely atmosphere about it all even for the few who professed to be republicans. And we had another reason to celebrate because CRACKS got a smashing review in The Times by Amanda Craig:

Clever flights of fantasy; if you devoured The Hunger Games, (this) will hit the spot. Green’s fast-paced thriller is a standalone novel, and you’re on her hero’s side all the way… entertaining, funny and thoughtful.

And Piccadilly are reprinting yet again Ciaran Murtagh’s GENIE IN TRAINING. He was a big hit at the Hay Festival. Here’s what Martin Chilton from the Daily Telegraph braving the elements to attend actor/writer Ciaran Murtagh‘s Jubilee-themed story workshop this morning. SOMEBODY GET THIS MAN A CUP OF TEA AND A TOWE said:
There was a lot of fun – and some comments that might have prompted an ‘Off with their heads’ command in previous era – at Ciaran Murtagh’s wildly inventive show in the Starlight Stage. In the midst of Diamond Jubilee celebration weekend, he invited the audience to help him write a story called The Dangerous Curtsy.