Scalzi in Santa Fe

April 18, 2017 at 2:11 am

Bestseller, Hugo Award winner, former SFWA president, blogger, bon vivant, and the world’s leading expert on taping bacon to cats… John Scalzi is a man of many parts.

He made a whirlwind visit to Santa Fe yesterday, and the Jean Cocteau was thrilled to host him.

He did not actually sing in the rain. But he did play a ukulele. And he talked. And laughed. Ate a churro and some carne adovada. And signed a LOT of books.

(That’s me and Steve Gould with him in the picture)

If you couldn’t be there, hey, no problem. We’ll be putting up a video of our talk. And we made him sign stock before we let him go, so you can get your autographed copies of THE COLLAPSING EMPIRE, OLD MAN’S WAR, and REDSHIRTS (winner of The Big One) from the Jean Cocteau website.

http://jeancocteaucinema.com/

Next up: magician Francis Menotti.

Tags: author events, jean cocteau cinema bookstore, science fiction, signed books, signings

Authors on Video

April 10, 2017 at 4:01 pm

We’ve been doing our author events at the Jean Cocteau Cinema since 2013, but until recently they’ve only been available to those who could attend in person.

This summer, however, in response to numerous requests, we’ve begun taping the events.

And now, for all of you who were not able to be there, we’ve uploaded some of the videos to the Jean Cocteau website. You can find them at http://jeancocteaucinema.com/exclusive-video/

There’s some fun stuff there, including my talks with Carrie Vaughn and Stephen King, our HAP & LEONARD event with Joe Lansdale, and — from last summer — the big big WILD CARDS event where an all-star lineups of Wild Cards authors try to play their characters.

Check it out.

And for those of you who ARE in New Mexico, don’t forget the events we have coming up this week: JOHN NICHOLS on April 15 and JOHN SCALZI on April 17. Reserve your books (and your seats) for those two early, if you haven’t done so already. They’re both filling up fast.

Tags: author events, jean cocteau cinema, jean cocteau cinema bookstore, signed books, signings

Connie Is Coming! Again!!

April 8, 2017 at 4:34 pm

That Willis Woman is descending on Santa Fe once again!

Yes, it’s true. CONNIE WILLIS will be visiting the Jean Cocteau tomorrow (Sunday) night, to tell us all about her new novel, CROSSTALK. MELINDA SNODGRASS will be on hand as well, to interview her… and of course I’ll be hanging around, to make faces at them from the audience.

CROSSTALK is Connie’s romcom. She’ll talk about the book, about romantic comedy in general, about her favorite romcoms, about the ones that didn’t work. She’ll may talk about the Hugo Awards as well, and Donald Trump, and how much fun it is to live in The Weed State, and… well, really, anything you ask her about. We’ll be opening the floor for questions.

And then we make her sign. If you can’t be there, you can get a signed book via mailorder.

And if you CAN be there, the fun starts at 7pm.

Tags: author events, jean cocteau cinema bookstore, signed books, signings

Author, Author, Author, Author

March 29, 2017 at 3:08 pm

We love writers at the Jean Cocteau Cinema, and April is going to be one of our biggest months ever for author events, with no less than four of them scheduled.

First up, on Sunday April 2, we’ll be hosting the editors and contributors for the GUNS, an original anthology about… yes, you guessed it, guns. Editor Gerald Hausman will be joining us for the evening, together with writers Trent Zelazny, Jane Lindskold, M. Scott Momaday, Rebecca Godfrey Poe, Peter Lauritzen, Peter Eichstaedt, Jim Terr, and Alice Carney.

One week later, on Sunday April 9, we’ll once again be hosting one of our favorite people, the one and only CONNIE WILLIS. Connie’s got a new book out: CROSSTALK, her long-awaited romcom, and as usual it’s a delight… as is she. Of course, we’ll have her other books as well, the many Hugo- and Nebula-award winners, and the one or two that were only runners-up.

Just a few days later, on Saturday April 15, we will have the honor to host one of New Mexico’s own treasures, JOHN NICHOLS, the author of THE MILAGRO BEANFIELD WAR. There’s never been a writer who captured the soul of northern New Mexico like Nichols, and the Jean Cocteau is thrilled to have him.

Last but not least, JOHN SCALZI will be hitting town on Monday, April 17, with his new novel THE COLLAPSING EMPIRE. (And rest assured, we’ll have his older books on hand as well, including his Hugo award winning REDSHIRTS).

Remember, the Jean Cocteau has only 130 seats, and some of these events are already filling up fast. To reserve a book, and a seat, go to the Jean Cocteau website http://jeancocteaucinema.com/ and get in your order now.

See you at the ~~movies~~… er… the booksignings.

Tags: jean cocteau cinema bookstore, signed books, signings

Coming to Santa Fe

March 3, 2017 at 9:37 pm

We have some really cool events scheduled for the Jean Cocteau in March and April.

On Monday, March 13, we’ll be screening the second season premiere of HAP & LEONARD, and Joe R. Lansdale his own self will be returning to Santa Fe to host the show, talk some, and scrawl in some of your books.

<lj-embed id=”880″/>

Then, just a few days later, on Thursday March 16 and Friday March 17, H.P. LOVECRAFT will be returning from the dead, to our stage. That is not dead which can eternal lie, and with strange aeons even death may die. Aiee aiee shub niggarath, the goat with a thousand young…

On Saturday, April 8, we have a special screening of the classic animated film WATERSHIP DOWN. We’re doing this one in connection with Rabbit Rescue, who will be offering free pet bunnies for the attendees to take home. C’mon, boys and girls, help Hazel and Bigwig find a new warren.

<lj-embed id=”881″/>

On Saturday April 15, JOHN NICHOLS, author of the MILAGRO BEANFIELD WAR and many other great titles, will be visiting us for some conversation and booksigning, and we’ll be screening the film of his novel in honor of his visit.

Just two days later, on Monday April 17, JOHN SCALZI will be in town on his COLLAPSING EMPIRE book tour. We’ll talk, he’ll sign, a good time will be had by all.

And on April 21-22, we’ll have a return visit from the magician FRANCIS MENOTTI, who stumped Penn & Teller and filled the JCC the last time he was in town.

<lj-embed id=”882″/>

A number of these events are a good bet to sell out, so if you’d like to join us for any of them, I’d advise going to our website to secure your tickets now.

Tags: jean cocteau cinema, jean cocteau cinema bookstore, movies, signed books, signings

Jimmy Is Coming

February 11, 2017 at 10:51 am

Come join us at the Jean Cocteau tomorrow.

James S.A. Corey — that famous two-headed science fiction writer, otherwise known as Daniel Abraham and Ty Franck — will be on hand at 1 pm to talk about his/ their latest installment in the Expanse series, BABYLON’S ASHES. And of course he/ they will be scribbling in books afterwards.

The fun starts at 1pm. Admission is free with the purchase of a hardcover book, $5 with the purchase of a paperback, and $10 without book purchase. You can call ahead and reserve a book if you like, and I do advise it; stocks are limited.

Daniel and Ty are also Wild Cards contributors (though Jimmy is not), the creators, respectively, of Jonathan Hive (Bugsy) on the one hand, and Tinkerbill and Horrorshow on t’other. And of course we’ll have piles of Wild Cards titles on hand for them to sign as well, along with the earlier books in the Expanse sequence, and lots of Daniel’s solo fantasy novels.

For what it’s worth, I loved BABYLON’S ASHES. One of the best Expanse books yet, and a novel that will certainly be on my own Hugo nomination ballot. If there’s any justice at all, it ought to be a finalist this year.

Might also mention that we have lots of other great guests and special events coming up at the JCC in the weeks and months to come. Comedian CARLOS MEDINA will be here on Tuesday, February 14, if you’d like to spend Valentine’s Day laughing. On March 13, Joe R. Lansdale His Own Self will be returning for a special screening of the second season of HAP & LEONARD… and of course to sign some of His Own Books as well. Further down the road, we’re expecting visits from JOHN NICHOLS and from TERRY BROOKS (not the same night, no), dates and details to come. And yes, we have MAX HEADROOM and H.P. LOVECRAFT coming as well! Visit the JCC website at http://jeancocteaucinema.com/ and sign up for our newsletter and e-mail blasts, and you’ll never need to miss one of our special events.

See you at the movies.

Tags: jean cocteau cinema, jean cocteau cinema bookstore, signings

Carrie, Carrie, Carrie

January 29, 2017 at 4:53 pm

We had a fun afternoon with Carrie Vaughn today at the Jean Cocteau. Talked about new book, MARTIANS ABROAD, about Old Mars and New Mars and Podkayne and Heinlein, about her bestselling Kitty Norville series, about her contributions to Wild Cards.

If you missed it, have no fear. We taped it, and plan to upload a streaming video soon.

Before she left, of course, we made her sign lots and lots of books for us, so if you’re looking for an autographed copy of MARTIANS ABROAD or any of her earlier books, or a hardcover of INSIDE STRAIGHT signed by both Carrie and yours truly, you need look no further than the JCC bookshop.

Check out these and other signed books at http://jeancocteaucinema.com/product-category/author/

Tags: jean cocteau cinema, jean cocteau cinema bookstore, signed books, signings

Carrie Is Coming…

January 23, 2017 at 2:28 pm

… back to the Jean Cocteau.

Colorado’s own Carrie Vaughn, one of our favorite people, will be returning to New Mexico on Sunday for an author event at the Jean Cocteau. We’ll do doing an interview and a Q&A, and Carrie will be signing copies of her new novel, MARTIANS ABROAD.

We’ll also have plenty of copies of Carrie’s Kitty Norville series on hand for autographing, as well as all the Wild Cards books that she has contributed to. (Her Wild Cards characters include Curveball, Earth Witch, Rikki, and Wild Fox).

The fun starts on Sunday at 1:00pm. Come join us, in you’re in the vicinity of Santa Fe. And if you’re not, you can still get a signed book by mailorder through the JCC website.

Tags: jean cocteau cinema, jean cocteau cinema bookstore, signings, wild cards

South of the Border

November 28, 2016 at 2:55 pm

Strange to say, although I have lived in New Mexico since 1979, I have never really visited Old Mexico. Oh, I attended a Westercon in El Paso a few years back, and spent an afternoon in Juarez with some other fans and writers. And I spent a few hours in Tijuana back in the late 80s, I believe, while attending Comicon in San Diego. But that hardly counts. There’s a lot more to Mexico than the border towns.

My first real visit to Mexico starts tomorrow, when I jet down to Guadalajara for the Guadalajara International Book Fair: https://www.fil.com.mx/ingles/i_info/i_info_fil.asp

I’m one of the guests at the conference. I’ll be doing interviews, a press conference, a live streaming event, and a signing. I expect I will be doing some tequila tasting as well. I am informed that Guadalajara is the tequila capital of Mexico.

I am looking forward to meeting my Mexican publishers, editors, and fans.

This is my last scheduled event for 2016. My appearance schedule for 2017 is very limited, and will remain so until WINDS is completed. So if you want to meet me or get a book signed, this will be the last chance for a good few months…

See you south of the border.

Tags: conventions, signings, travels

At the Jean Cocteau

November 5, 2016 at 1:20 pm

TRUMPLAND opened yesterday at the Jean Cocteau Cinema, playing to large and enthusiastic crowds. Whatever you may think of Michael Moore or his politics, he’s never less than entertaining. He makes some great political points in TRUMPLAND, but even if you disagree with every one of those, there are a lot of laughs as well. We’re the only theatre in New Mexico showing the film and we’ll be running it through the election, so do come down and catch it if you can.

We do have one break in the TRUMPLAND screening schedule, however. Come Monday night, we’re having another one of our famous author events. This time the JCC is honored to be hosting EMILY ST. JOHN MANDEL, the best-selling author of STATION ELEVEN and other acclaimed novels.

I’ll be doing an interview with Emily, followed by an audience Q&A, and of course a signing. We should have all of her earlier novels in stock, as well as the new paperback of STATION ELEVEN.

Emily St. John Mandel is one writer that I’ve never met before, but I’m very excited that I will have a chance to talk with her. STATION ELEVEN just blew me away when I read it, a few years ago. Actually, it was the best novel I read that year (2014), and I was hoping it might be a Hugo contender, as regular readers of the Not A Blog might remember. I wrote, “One of the 2014 books that I did read stands above all the others, however: STATION ELEVEN, by Emily St. John Mandel. As best I can recall, I’ve never met Emily St. John Mandel, and I’ve never read anything else by her, but I won’t soon forget STATION ELEVEN. One could, I suppose, call it a post-apocalypse novel, and it is that, but all the usual tropes of that subgenre are missing here, and half the book is devoted to flashbacks to before the coming of the virus that wipes out the world, so it’s also a novel of character, and there’s this thread about a comic book and Doctor Eleven and a giant space station and… oh, well, this book should NOT have worked, but it does. It’s a deeply melancholy novel, but beautifully written, and wonderfully elegiac… a book that I will long remember, and return to.”

((Sadly, no, STATION ELEVEN did not get a Hugo nomination. The reports of my vast power and iuence within the field seem to be greatly exaggerated. So far as I can tell, my effect on the Hugo nominations is exactly nil. But I’ll keep recommending good stuff anyway. I’m stubborn)).

Anyway… if you’re here in the Land of Enchantment, come down and join us on Monday night and meet Emily St. John Mandel. And if you’re not, well, autographed copies will be available afterwards for mail order. Of her books, my books, books by all the great authors we’ve hosted. (Depending on what happens on Tuesday, we may remember Monday night as the last good time before the lights began to go out. Though I hope not).

Tickets to both TRUMPLAND and Emily St. John Mandel are available on the Jean Cocteau website: http://www.jeancocteaucinema.com/

Tags: jean cocteau cinema bookstore, movies, signed books, signings

Not a Blog