Urban Magic

About time – can’t wait for my copy to arrive. I’ve been waiting for this since about halfway through book 1!

…and I already got it. You’re a wonderful writer, you know?

My paperback copy dropped through the letterbox this morning, and my hardback should be along very soon. Not going to read it yet; I’m going to re-read ‘A Madness…’ again to re-aquaint myself with the story. Oddly, there was no hat arrived with the package. Strange…
Maybe it’s with the hardback…
Kate, is there a possibility you’ll do a signing like you did with ‘Madness…’?
If so, could you give some notice, please, as I have to arrange a day off work a week in advance, and it’s too far to rush up straight after work. Thank you.

Publishers are Strange Creatures to whom Publication Dates are the Stuff of Fantasy and so it is that ..in between stretching my spine, visiting the loo and checking my e-mails … I’m reading page 180 of the Orbit Hardback edition of ” The Midnight Mayor ” that was shipped over here by …

http://www.bookdepository.co.u.....%2FSPAN%3E

RATS!!! The buggers have reduced the price since I bought my copy! On both Hardback and paperback too !

Anyway I am now reading all about Shoes ..and here’s something New. Neither Roger Zelazny nor Rex Stout explored the possibilities inherent in Shoes but you have and have and thus you have outdone them!

You may all now admire the my, typically Masculine, forbearance in not making any silly jokes about Soul/sole Music.

Well done Kate! It is perfectly possible that in the half century or so that I’ve been reading fantasy that I’ve just missed any mention of the possibilities inherent in foot ware .. beyond that of a standard fashion necessity .. but it may well be that you have a first .. and the path of The Shoe is as you describe it is Great Fun too.

Right then ..back to my/your book and to the remainder of my bottle of Shiraz.

Arnold.

Just finished reading my copy. Fab . Really enjoyed it please get going on the next one.

OK, so I lied about re-reading ‘A Madness…’. I just couldn’t resist having a little shufti at the first page, and the next thing I knew I was on page 18. There are strange, arcane powers at work here. Or maybe just the work of an extraordinarily good writer. Or possibly both. Certainly I’m going to be a lot more circumspect when confronted by a figure in a hoodie with ‘Chi-chichi chi-chichi’, or ‘Shhhhshhhshhhshhha shhhshhhshhhshhha’ emanating from the depths of the hood. Fortunately my shoes fit…

YAY. Off to the store I go.

YAY!!! I am so excited. I’m off to the bookstore as soon as I have a day off (maybe I’ll call in “sick”?).
Are there any websites where you sell signed books/an address where we can send books to be signed? I live in the US and doubt you will come by for a signing any time soon..,

Ordered mine in October last year – it won’t reach Australia until May *cries* Re-reading A Madness of Angels to tide me over until then (maybe if I read really slowly it’ll stretch) Can’t wait!

You Do Believe in the Power of Co-Incidence don’t you Oh fellow readers of ” The Midnight Mayor ” ?

Even if you don’t Believe then please do your best in the ..do you believe in fairies ? ” Peter Pan-ish sense to Believe because I spent most of my childhood in a vast North East of England Council housing estate .. in the US of Aliens I gather that such things are called housing ‘projects ‘ .. in a Street called RALEIGH ROAD …

http://maps.google.co.uk/maps?.....CAcQ8gEwAA

I’m up to page 245 and so, Kate, if I’m due to be on the receiving end of of anything Mystical I’d appreciate advance Notice so that I can summon my Power.

Best Wishes .. So Far ..but it has been a ROUGH and Tough Winter and I could do without personal Attacks of a Supernatural Nature. Damn .. Where did I put the ‘Very Lazy Garlic ‘ and the aerosols of Paint?

Best Wishes .. for the Moment … Wot sort of Theatrical Lighting did you say that you were playing with right now?

Arnold.

It’s here, it’s here, it’s here! Or rather, I can pick it up at the local post office after 1pm tomorrow. Oh the joys of living in rural Alberta, Canada. I can’t wait to start reading! Hmmm…maybe I should make sure I get all my classwork done in the morning…

Thanks for being such an AWESOME writer!

Don’t mind me, the shy little lurker crawling out from under her rock, but I simply had to join in the collective chorus of “Woo hoo!” I’ve eagerly been looking forward to this release ever since the first book came out, so thank you for making my week!

And, whilst I’m here, de-lurking, I want to say thank you in general for always writing such engaging characters and fantastic worlds (Gosh, I don’t get beaten up if I dare mention your alter-ego’s works, do I?). I remember being blindly drawn towards one of your previous titles at the local bookstore, and have been embarrassingly hooked ever since. Keep it up!

So, the Saturate. That has got to be one of the most outrageous, bizzarre and… downright unpleasant creations I’ve ever read about. Kate, have you perhaps considered a little therapy? ;0) Seriously, I continue to be amazed at your writing, your descriptive powers, painting pictures with words. I can visualise the movie of the book so clearly, if it ever gets made the director will have little work to do to capture your vision. Great work, Kate.

Congratulations!! On the very same day the token male got offered a PGCE place. Celebrations due!!! (New milkshake place opened just by our door!)

Morgan, Hi, good to see someone else appreciates Kate’s other literary worlds. I started with ‘A Madness Of Angels’, which immediatly prompted me to check out all Kate’s (Catherine’s) books in published order, and what a joy they turned out to be. This isn’t really a forum for them, but I’m sure that Kate quietly appreciates the fact there’s a crossover readership who enjoy books aimed at younger readers that have sophisticated enough stories for adults to read without it feeling at all inappropriate, in the same way as Alan Garner’s books like ‘The Owl Service’. Her first two ‘Mirror…’ books are a league above a great many so-called ‘adult’ titles; in my humble opinion, of course. ;0)

AdrianH Will know that theres only 23 days to go to the publication of …

The Dream Thief: v. 4 (Paperback)
By (author) Catherine Webb

http://www.bookdepository.co.u.....Thief-v.-4

I’ve had my order in with amazon.co for some time now after failing to discover whether or not the neat little ‘ATOM ‘ hardbacks of the Horatio Lyle series are being replaced by paperbacks.

Anyway I first came to Catherine/Kates books by the medium of a remaindered copy of …

” The Obsidian Dagger: v. 2: Being the Further Extraordinary Adventures of Horatio Lyle (Hardcover)
by Catherine Webb (Author) ”

Which was one of a stack of SIGNED copies of the book on sale at £1 eachin a remainders shop in Sunderlands town center. No I didn’t buy all of them, just the one, and then went back the following day after reading the first few chapters only to discover that only one copy was left of the substantial stack. Just how a stack of signed hardbacks found their way to a remainders store in Sunderland I wouldn’t care to guess, But The Store Has Since Disappeared !! Which sounds more dramatic than saying that the shop has closed down.

There are still some bargains to be had though. See here ..

http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/off.....dition=new

Go and BUY them NOW .. but only one copy per person, eh?

The Horatio Lyle series has some splendidly nasty Villains and my own opinion is that the more interesting people in ‘chilrens’ fiction are often the Adults and the Children are often required to grow up very quickly under the pressure of events.

I can understand why Kate felt the need to separate her, then, New series that was directed to adults from her earlier works but I’d say that with the success of ‘The Midnight Mayor ‘ and her third ” – Swift, M., ” in progress she could now build an annex to this site to accommodate her earlier books.

And speaking of that Third Book .. I have now finished The Midnight Mayor ‘ a remarkable climax ..I wouldn’t have been as humane as Swift had I been in his ill fitting shoes.

If Kates publishers have any sense the Third BOOK should be out in time for Christmas next …. Please?

In the mean time there’s always Jim Butchers ‘Harry Dresden ‘ series.

Adrian: I’m so glad it’s not just me! I don’t see them discussed around here, so I feared I would receive the internet equivalent of a swift jab to the solar plexus if I dared open my mouth.

Haha, I’m all about crossover readership, that’s for sure. If the plot is solid, the world engaging, the characters fantastic, I could care less about whom the book is marketed towards. I know a certain scientifically-minded special constable quickly escalated to being one of my all-time favourite literary characters, primary youth audience be damned!

I am not familiar with ‘The Owl Service’; perhaps it warrants a looksee next time I wander into the bookstore! You are, as well, certainly welcome to your humble opinion, as I am inclined to agree

Hi, Morgan, ‘The Owl Service’ is probably Alan Garner’s best known book. It was made into a children’s TV series by the BBC, and it’s a pretty dark story, set in Wales.It’s been released on DVD fairly recently, too. His other books, which also use British myth to underly the stories, include ‘The Weirdstone Of Brisingamen’, ‘The Moon Of Gomrath’, ‘Elidor’, and ‘Red Shift’. They’re all still in print, and I would recommend them to anyone who appreciates Kate’s books for their strong storylines and well crafted and well rounded characters.

Arnold, thank you for the tip-off about the new Horatio Lyle book, I was unaware of it’s impending release, or even existence. All my Catherine Webb books came from real bookshops in Chippenham and Bath, so I didn’t have Amazon emailing me to say that I might be interested as I’d bought previous books by Catherine. I’m quite beside myself with anticipation, thanks again. I’m rather fond of a literary/art movement known as Steampunk, which the Horatio Lyle stories fit quite neatly into, the best description of Steampunk I’ve read was ‘Neo-Victorian Retro-Futurism’, which sums them up very well, I think.

Finished Midnight Mayor, and I must say It was everything I hoped it would be and more. Brilliant work, Kate, fantastic sense of place, you just describe the hidden parts of our capital city so well, I want to come up and explore it all. So, when can we expect volume three…?

AdrianH, I have already wondered the same! A quick search reveals that “The Neon Court” is currently due to be released on 03/02/2011.

I finished reading the Midnight Mayor at 1:30 in the morning on Monday (knew I had to be up at 5:30 for a presentation in one of my classes but I didn’t care). I absolutely loved it. The descriptions of London are so gloriously vivid and poor, poor Matthew. He just can’t take a break, can he? I love him and his snark, and the very interesting dynamic that is developing between him and Oda. They are so beautifully fleshed out and real and I loved their conversation about things that Oda likes to denounce. Haha. The climax was so, so good, hence how I couldn’t stop. I just loaned A Madness of Angels to my grandma and recommended them to one of my friends who has already started and also delights in Matthew’s humor (we have final exams this week, but it hasn’t stopped either of us from spending a considerable amount of time discussing and reading them).

I googled book 3 and I may not survive the wait until next March. Gah. The brief synopsis I found of it sounds really great, but, really, I would read anything about this series. I can’t wait.

I just a quick google, (other search engines are available), and I was reading a blog on Orbit’s site by the cover artist for Kate’s books, and it seems that she has a big love affair going with the series. Doesn’t alter the fact I’ve got to wait a whole year for ‘The Neon Court’. Dammit. Guess I ought to get my pre-order in soon… ;0)

Kate, I’m addicted. You seem to make the unseen details of London come to life, your urban magic spells are a mix of ingenuity and humour, your characters have depth and texture, love ‘em all.

Sorry for the gushing, but as a lurker, I have to get it all out before disappearing back into the ether..

I don’t know if you’ve heard of this little 1967 documentary ‘The London Nobody Knows’ but I think you’d really enjoy it.
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0061914/

Thanks for some fantastic reading, I’m looking forwards to another already.

dear kate.. page 57 so far and had to stop as eyes would not stay open any longer.. damn the need to sleep .. wonderful book thank you

p.s I would still love to know if the telephone exchange is real …

I absolutely loved ‘Madness of Angels’, so when I learned a second book was on its way I had it pre-ordered for my Kindle. I think I finished reading it a week after it downloaded.

Fantastic job, I love your narrative style. I have never been to London, but the way you describe it makes it come alive and I really want to visit now, some day.

Anyway, I just found your web page and I’m poking aruond, and I thought I’d drop a few nice words about the novel. Keep up the excellent work!

page 116

I’ll swap a signed print for a map with X marks the spot and/or hand written directions

Well, I have to say you’re doing rather well out of me, Kate. Not only have I bought both of the Urban Magic books in paperback, which I’ve read and passed onto a friend, I’ve got hardcovers of both, and, having noticed Bob had bought a Kindle edition I just had to check, and now I’ve bought both books as Kindle editions on my iPhone!
…then there’s all your other books under your own name, and I daren’t go look for Kindle versions as well as all of the dead tree versions I’ve bought.
Well, perhaps just a peek…

…And if that wasn’t enough, I’ve just pre-ordered The Neon Court hardcover from Borders in the States. Just put on The Blue Nile’s ‘High’ to calm down with, and the very first line is “She lives in a house in London”
How very spooky.

Here is an oddity. The Book Depositorys site informs me that ” The Dream Thief: v. 4 (Paperback) By (author) Catherine Webb ..

Out of stock …

We can notify you when this item is back in stock and you don’t have to register ”

” Short Description for The Dream Thief: v. 4
The fourth volume of the continuing incredible escapades of Horatio Lyle!

Full description

Publisher: Little, Brown Book GroupPublished: 01 April 2010Format: Paperback 320 pagesSee: Full bibliographic data Categories: Crime | Historical ISBN 13: 9781905654253 ISBN 10: 1905654251 ”

Note the publication date! Either there has been an astonishingly high level of sales on the first day of publication or the publication has been delayed without explanation. Damn! I was monitoring the Countdown and looking forward to the notification that it was on it’s way.

Just checked my order with Book Depository, and it says ‘The Dream Thief’ is awaiting publication, so I don’t know what the hold up is.

Just Googled and according to Amazon, the publication date is now July 2010.
Bother. Humph. (Goes stomping off to locate some toys to toss out of the pram).

I just picked up Madness of Angels in paperback while I was looking for another book. The book notes on the back sounded interesting. I love the elevation of the commonplace to the extraordinary and as a Dickens fan I can’t have too many characters in a novel. Just a couple of days after I finished MOA, I found Midnight Mayor in hardback and had a 40 percent off coupon as a well respected member of the Border’s Book Club. Coincidence? I think not.

I was unfamiliar with your work and I just happened to pick up Madness of Angels in paperback while I was looking for another book. I love your point of view and as a Dickens fan there can’t be too many eccentric characters in a novel for me. Just after I finished MOA I happen to see Midnight Mayor in hardback and had a 40 percent off coupon. Coincidence? I think not. I will eagerly await your next book in this series.

Your writing is excellent. The beginning of the Midnight Mayor is possibly the best prose I’ve read this year.

That’s on hold for now, though; there is absolutely NO indication anywhere on the book that it is a sequel, so only after reading a few pages did it become clear. Now I’m eagerly waiting for the first book.