Lip Service Episode 2- I didn't see THAT coming (and apparently neither did Cat)

Okay okay... I know what you're thinking... Perhaps I was a little harsh with my comments about episode one of the new series of Lip Service. But hell, I can admit when I'm wrong and let's be honest,  episode two was a bloody revelation! (Pardon the tasteless pun). I for one did NOT see that coming!
So there I was, settling down to another episode, willing it to be better than the first, when all of a sudden, whammo! Cat, reading a text from her secret lover Frankie, steps out into the road and ...well, you know the rest!
So with Cat meeting a rather grisly end, all that remained was for Sergeant Sam to organise and attend the funeral and for Frankie to get shit-faced and have a kip in the graveyard.
Seriously though, the acting and script in this episode were of the highest order and I was gripped from start to finish.  Heather Peace in particular delivered a flawless and totally convincing performance, so much so in fact, that at times, her grief was almost too difficult to watch. Fiona Button was also excellent (but isn't she always- my word that girl can act) and Ruta Gedmintas was also spot on, with her handling of some very sensitive subject matter. The dialogue too was a vast improvement on last week; believable and moving throughout, without ever once drifting into the realms of cheap sentimentality.
I should probably mention that I did notice the odd strange edit and on one occasion I completely lost the plot, when we skipped from one scene to another in what felt like a completely nonsensical way, but really I'm clutching at straws.
All in all, a terrific episode, with a tight script, solid direction and some thoroughly heartbreaking performances. In fact, I'd go as far as saying I think it's the best one yet.

Very well done Lip Service. Lots more like that please. :)

T x

Albert Nobbs- A Jaw-dropping Performance by Glenn Close

Today, Glenn Close's new movie, Albert Nobbs, goes on limited release across the UK. The film is described as, "a moving period drama about a woman driven by tragedy to disguise herself as a man."

The film has received some mixed reviews, but critics generally agree that the central performances from Glenn Close and Janet McTeer are wonderful. In fact, both were nominated for the Academy Award in the categories of Best Actress and Best Supporting Actress, respectively. They also received Golden Globe Award and Screen Actors Guild Aware nominations. (Perhaps if Meryl hadn't been doing her thang, 2012 might have been Glenn's year.)

In brief, Albert Nobbs (Glenn Close) is a woman living as a man in order to find work in the cruel environment of 19th Century Ireland. Viewed with suspicion by his contemporaries, Albert has lived as a man for thirty years and works as a hotel waiter, but dreams of saving enough money to open up a business, ideally with a wife by his side. 

Albert's life is turned upside down by the sudden arrival of Hubert Page (Janet McTeer) a house-painter hired by the terrifying Mrs Baker( Pauline Collins) the hotel owner. 

Pictured- Janet McTeer, whose performance as Hubert has earned plaudits and nominations.

This heartbreaking performance earned Glenn Close her sixth Oscar nomination, taking on a role that she first played on stage over 30 years ago.

It's out today, so get yourself a ticket- if you can find a cinema where it's showing. I can confirm the Odeon, at the Manchester Printworks is showing it from tonight  :) 

Bold Strokes Author Book festival UK 2012

Here's an interesting event for your diaries:

The dates for the 3rd Annual Bold Strokes Books Author Festival, Nottingham UK have been set!

Get to Waterstones Nottingham on Saturday August 4th and Sunday August 5th for some amazing LGBTQ literature from some of the finest authors writing today.

On Saturday, it kicks off at Waterstones at 10:30am for a full day of readings, signings and chat. Then head out for the evening Meet and Mingle, where you can chat with the authors, get your books (or whatever else!) signed, and generally have a jolly spiffing night.

On Sunday the day starts with coffee and cakes provided by Starbucks about 11:30 and then there are more author readings and talks. Sneak peeks, erotica and publishing are on the menu this year!

About 1:30 a free lunch will be provided at The New Foresters  (free?!? GREAT) . It’s your last chance to relax over a pint and chat with the authors and editors.

So far, these authors are planning to attend:

• Jane Fletcher
• D Jackson Leigh (from the US!)
• Cari Hunter–Facebook
• Rebecca S Buck
• Stacia Seamen (editor from the US *tentative)
• Kev Troughton
• Andrea Bramhall–Twitter
• Gill McKnight (*tentative)
• Justine Saracen
• Crin Claxton
• Lesley Davis
• Robin Summers (from the US! *tentative)

Sounds good doesn't it. 

T x


PS Did I mention there's a free lunch? And my dad always said there was no such thing as a free lunch...

When Sally Met Sally

Okay girls...This is just a quick shout out in case any of you aren't aware of this cool site. I would imagine most of you are way ahead of me and already have this one bookmarked. (I can be a little slow on the uptake at times.)
 Anyway, just in case you didn't know about it already, you may like to take a look at When Sally Met Sally. There's a nice interview with Heather Peace this week and some interesting revelations about the lovely Jessie J (that can't be true can it? Wishful thinking I reckon).

As well as all, that there's News, Features, Entertainment and Travel. Well worth a visit. :)

So the new series of Lip Service started last night and to be honest, it's difficult to know exactly what to make of it. For the most part I really enjoyed the first series and was happy to overlook the odd bit of dodgy acting and clunky dialogue. After all, you have to love the BBC and Harriet Braun for finally producing a show like this, even if occasionally it felt a bit like Hollyoaks for lesbians.
But last night, I just couldn't get into it. Fiona Button, as always, was simply brilliant as Tess and there were a few other  performances worth a mention. Laura Fraser was charming as Cat and I enjoy Ruta Gedmintas' portrayal of the damaged, but sexy Frankie; I just wish occasionally she would smile.
My main issue last night was the dialogue, which just didn't feel authentic and occasionally made me uncomfortable. I wanted to love it; I wanted to laugh out loud; but unfortunately I found the episode was lacking something and at the end, I felt slightly disappointed.
On a more positive note, I'm hoping these were just teething problems and that as the show progresses, it will pick up some of the cool energy and pace, so abundant in the last series.
I don't want to be too critical. The show looks great, there were some enjoyable scenes, like when Cat got stoned and tried unsuccessfully to sober up before giving her presentation.
Also, it is thoroughly refreshing to finally see lesbians depicted in a "mostly" positive light.
So a thumbs halfway up for Lip Service 2, but sharpen up that dialogue...please.

The Cotswolds - land of green fields, manor houses and thatched-roof villages, where the screams of ancient massacres linger in the leafy woods, faeries weave sadistic spells, and pagan gods stir beneath the moonlit hills . . . This frightening new anthology, the second in a series seeking to spread horror all over the British Isles, contains chilling tales by Ramsey Campbell, Simon Clark, Alison Littlewood, Gary McMahon, Reggie Oliver, Joel Lane and other award-winning masters and mistresses of the macabre.


So- here is the latest Terror Tales Collection from Gray Friar Press and much to my amazement, I've got a story in it! I've not read the other stories in here yet, as I'm still waiting for my copy! However,  I'm absolutely delighted to be listed among some big-hitters from the horror world.


The previous Terror Tales collection, Terror Tales from the Lake District, was an absolute cracker, and I'm confident that this one will be just as good. Anyway, for anybody who likes good horror, it's got to be one for the collection!


I don't think it's available for the kindle, but you can get it in paperback from amazon and it's available now.  

Okay Girls- Here is a sneak preview of SunKissed,a fantastic new anthology from Freya due out in just over a month.
It is a brilliant collection, featuring some incredible work from some of the Uk's best indie writers, including Rosen Trevithick, Clare Ashton and Kiki Archer. I've got a little story in there too (so I admit I'm biased) and there are also contributions from talented, new writers, like Emma Rose Millar, Niamh Murphy, Sam Paterson-Sleep, Betty Flack, Frankie Morgan and Melody Breyer-Grell.
Honestly, there are some seriously sexy  and seriously funny stories among this little lot, but it's a diverse collection too, and you can expect to encounter cheating girlfriends, mistaken identity, the Spanish Inquisition, pirates, vampires and of course, lots of lovely ladies who love other lovely ladies.
So it does exactly what it says on the tin, and perhaps a little bit more.

The Lost Resort was my first novel. It's basically a story about a woman whose travels to Lesbos on the back of a broken relationship and opens up a women's hotel on the Island. It's the first in a series of novels. The second volume will be available Spring 2013.http://www.amazon.co.uk/The-Lost-Resort-Series-ebook/dp/B005KCL9M6/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1334907959&sr=8-1