UK Meet - why attend?

Plenty of good reasons (and some silly ones) to be found here.

New time for live twitter chat on reading family today: 19.30 GMT – 20.30 GMT. See you at #ukmeet14

Awfully Glad official release day!

Wonderful to see it on the Publishers Weekly Blog.

And here's another wee snippet:

Wine drunk, a convenient pause in the conversation found. Sam decided it was high time to go and find some food before the rumbling of his stomach raised complaints from the rest of the clientele. He rose from his chair, then realized some damn fool must be making the room move around like it was the deck of a transport ship. Presumably nobody was shelling central London, and everyone else seemed to be carrying on as normal, so the problem must have been in his head.
“Are you all right?” Jonny’s voice sounded dull, as though coming through layers of cotton wool.
“I hope so. Maybe I shouldn’t have had the second glass before dinner. Not got the constitution for it anymore. Disgrace to the rugby club.”
“Sit down.” Jonny tried to take his arm, but Sam eluded his grasp.
“No, I’ll make even more of a spectacle of myself, then. I need to get out into the fresh air.”
“Really? Won’t you end up flat on your face? You’re not going anywhere but the restaurant.” Jonny took his arm, intending to steer him in the direction of food.
The next few minutes became a bit of a blur, probably due to the rate at which Sam was being marched, but when his head decided to clear, he found himself at a pleasantly situated table for two, with a solicitous waiter hovering, and Jonny ordering water—lots of it—as, or so he confided, Lieutenant Hines was feeling the effect of his wounds.
Sam thought about arguing, but pragmatism won out. Jonny seemed a capable sort of chap—if he wanted to overegg the pudding and make sure they didn’t end up getting slung out for being drunk and disorderly, then he’d play along.
“Here.” Jonny tapped the menu. “Find something that’s not at risk of coming straight back up again.”
“Since when did you become my nurse?” Sam asked, although he perused the menu as instructed. “I’ll have the steak. Well done. Will that fit the bill?”
“Sounds spot on.” Jonny grinned, neat little white teeth flashing. “Just as well for you that I came along or where would you have been?”
“In another restaurant, probably. I was about to leave when you appeared.”