Me being lazy? Never. Although, I did just lift the info for this post from Caroline’s blog.

This week I’ve mainly been emptying the Tonto warehouse to ship books down to Vine House Distribution. And managed to fall over doing so this morning. There was blood everywhere and my wounds probably needed several stitches, but I soldiered on.  That’s the kind of life we publishers lead… always putting our lives on the line for books, always prepared to take the metaphorical bullet (fall over and look silly) for our authors (no choice).

And speaking of authors, there should be news of a couple more new signings for next year to announce very soon. All info will be posted up as soon as it happens.

Below is the info I borrowed from Caroline’s blog. This will be a brilliant workshop to attend and even more brillianter is the price. I mean, what can you get for one single squid these days? a pastie or a can of pop – certainly not worth buying one without the other. If I had a pound and wasn’t at the Blaydon Race that evening, I’d be in Middlesbrough at this workshop.

No excuses.

Writing From Memory and Mentoring – Caroline Smailes & Rosalind Wyllie

Date: June 9 2008
Location: Central Library
Victoria Square
Middlesbrough
TS1 2AY

Time: 6-8pm
Entry: £1 (yes £1!)

Would you like to write a novel, but don’t know where to start? Would you like some tips on how to edit and improve your writing? Caroline Smailes and Rosalind Wyllie will lead a friendly discussion, showing how writers can use their own memories to produce plots and tales. After offering their top tips on self editing and on the mentoring relationship, Caroline and Rosalind will lead a writing workshop on how to use memory as a creative springboard, and how to make the most of what you have written.

Tickets can be purchased from Central Library. If you would like any further information, please visit www.middlesbrough.gov.uk/libraries or contact one of the festival team:

Sara Dennis
Reader Development Manager
(01642) 729426
sara_dennis@middlesbrough.gov.uk

Lisa White
Outreach Librarian – Central Group
(01642) 729419
lisa_white@middlesbrough.gov.uk

Sound as a pound!

Here’s a voucher you can print off and spend at Borders up until the end of this month. Use it to get 20% off Tonto titles, or get some other book if you really must. Link to voucher here.

The title may have been a giveaway, but I’ll explain a bit more.

To tie in with the release of The Road To Hell, Sheila is running a competition on her website. Rather than linking to hers, I’ll just do the same comp but on here. Mainly so I don’t have to think of a new one myself.

As you may know, Sheila is fond of using song titles for book titles – the competition is to come up with three titles that fit in with her kind of writing. The comp runs until 1 November. If you want to enter, drop me a line with the three titles/artists and you might be in with a chance of winning a signed copy of the new book!

You can drop in on Sheila’s website here for more info.

What a week it has been. A good yet hectic week.

Sheila Quigley was officially signed up on Monday 11 May. We’d been meeting up at Starbucks in Borders for the last few weeks and we’re sure the staff thought something dodgy was going on. And oddly, as we were sat looking around for a contract witness in true Gretna style, who should walk in but the actor Craig Conway. Perfect timing. Craig’s in Cannes at the moment with The Tournament. Hope the weather is nicer than it is here today.

Sheila is a welcomed addition to the ever-growing list of Tonto titles and we’ve got more great publicity in place for her book. I’ve always been impressed not only by her writing, but her energy and drive in promoting herself and north-east writing in general. Feedback so far at the Crime Fest she’s at is that there is a ‘buzz’ about her signing for Tonto. The print version of the Bookseller was out today and most people down there are reading it for the first time.

The phone is a bit quieter today. It was a bit mental yesterday to say the least. Literary agents actually phoned from The London! The London, I tells ya!

Sidetrack: Always reminds me of the days in Tonto Towers. Paul answered a call one day and the woman caller’s opening gambit was ‘Oh, hello. I’m calling from London.’  What? London you say? And this was only last year. Luckily electricity had just caught on up North. It’s amazing what you can do with phones and that these days, isn’t it?

I was a bit concerned by the Bookseller article as I struggled with the ‘tiny’ label somewhat, but I’m sure I’ll cope. At least it’s kept Tonto in the headlines … and my New Year Revolution was to think positive and be positive. But tiny … come on. I’m mates with a few microscopic publishers and I bet they’re bricking it in case they get a newsworthy story.

On Wednesday I had a good night out watching Russ Hastings of From The Jam playing an acoustic set in Newcastle. It was a really enjoyable night listening to all The Jamclassics (apart from my favourite, Liza Radley) and watching a group of ‘tired and emotional’ people having a good dance. First time I’d seen such enthusiastic dancing to an acoustic set, mind.

All book info was sent over to the new sales and distribution team today. I’m really impressed with my sales rep, Clive. We met up last week for a cuppa and he’s got some great plans and is very much behind all Tonto titles. Always nice when someone believes in something as much as you do. With his help, I’m looking to be relabeled as regular-sized by the end of the year and am aiming for medium this time next year.

The future is bright…

News of Tonto’s latest acquisition, The Road to Hell by Sheila Quigley, has made industry news today.

Check us out … front page news on BookBrunch.

And Bookseller feature with slight inaccuracy. In this article, I was called a tiny publisher when I am in fact 5’9″. I’ll be demanding a full apology. At least BookBrunch only said small. Whatever happened to plain old independent?

Sheila is at the Bristol Crime Fest right now and will be back in the north-east after that for press interviews.

If you are outraged at MPs claiming all kinds of ridiculous expenses and you a) Haven’t got a second home b) Haven’t got a swimming pool c) Haven’t got a moat around the second home you haven’t got d) Haven’t got a tennis court e) Don’t really want a load of manure piled up to your windows, then listen up.

Why not pop over to the new Tonto Books Shop and see if you can blag any books on your company expenses. Or if you are an MP, even better.

Par example:

Sin Cities; Adventures of a Sex Reporter by Ashley Hames: This would be an essential guide if you’ve just had cable or Sky TV installed on your expenses. Or if you are planning a debauched MP holiday to all the destinations of sin you can handle.

The Non-Beardy Beer Book: This is a no-brainer. You are an MP sat in your second home. The cleaner has left for the day, you can’t be bothered with a game of tennis and the court honks of manure anyway. This book will guide you through what the commoners guzzle while watching Jeremy Kyle before going to pick the kids up. It’s important research and you’d be well within your rights.

Everything You Ever Wanted by Rosalind Wyllie: Chick lit? How would you get away with this one? Easy. It’s for the missus. She loves this kind of tat. You just need to have a sly look at all the rude bits before you hand it over and there’s another £7.99 of Johnny Taxpayer’s money well spent.

There’s plenty more to get away with: Charlie Walduck - that bloke off ‘This Morning’ show. Common folk watch daytime telly, so it’s another one to pass the receipt over for. Tony Hart - you were doing some research on painting because you wanted to paint the house yourself this time to save on a decorating bill. Ker-chinggg! Sheila Quigley? She’s terribly northern – tell your accountant to say you wanted to know what life was like up north without actually having to travel there yourself. Not to save travelling expenses, just because it’s the north.

If you want to order any of the above or others. Just let me know at the checkout and I’ll destroy all evidence so you’ll not get collared.

Right, I’m off for a swim. Thanks for dropping by.

Kind of.

Hello, and welcome to the new Tonto Blog. I hope you’ve had a look in on the new website too. As you can see, there are a few new posts up here as they were written during the great interim blog period. The Byker Books interview suffered as a result of the crossover, so I will post the whole interview up very soon.

New titles and new events listed here and on the website. Submission guidelines now on the website too. Hopefully that will clear up any past confusion. Or fuel it. Who knows.

Thanks for looking – please pass the news on about the website and subscribe to this blog.

And look out for a few special offers coming your way…

In keeping with her tradition of using song titles, it gives me great pleasure to announce that Sheila Quigley has been signed up to Tonto Books. 

Sheila is a best-selling novelist from the north-east and  to say I’m quite pleased would be a slight understatement! Sheila is a great writer and a great personality and I’m sure will be an excellent addition to Tonto’s slate. The book is called ‘Road to Hell’ and will be out on 5 November 2009. We’ll hopefully get a load of publicity around this signing as the rights are in place for the ‘Seahills series’ of Sheila’s… and the relationship is set to grow.

Sheila’s last books have done amazingly well so it is a real honour for me to be working with her and I’m looking forward to seeing how far we can take the novel.

It’s a busy time at Tonto – Dirty Leeds will be out on 24 September, Slimmer Charlie on 1 October and Road to Hell out on 5 November.

New website is up and running so you can buy all the new titles in time for Christmas!