Thursday, October 25, 2012

John and Carole Barrowman Milwaukee signing event - Hollow Earth

Article author: Alwyn Ash


The unique power of twins brought to life in childrens book.

Brother and sister team John and Carole Barrowman will be signing copies of their novel Hollow Earth at Alverno College in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, US, where Carole works as Professor of English and Director of Creative Studies in Writing. Actor, author, singer and entertainer John is famously known for playing the role of Captain Jack Harkness in both Doctor Who and, later, Torchwood.

"Lots of twins have a special connection - being able to finish each other's sentences; sensing what the other is thinking; perhaps even knowing when the other is in trouble or in pain - but for 12-year-old twins, Matt and Emily Calder, the connection is beyond special. Together, the twins have extraordinary powers - they are able to bring art to life, or enter paintings at will. Their abilities are sought by villains trying to access the terrors of Hollow Earth - a place where all the demons, devils and creatures ever imagined lie trapped for eternity.

"The twins flee with their mother to the security of an island, off the west coast of Scotland, where their grandfather has certain protective powers of his own. But too much is at stake, and the twins aren't safe there either. The villains will stop at nothing to find Hollow Earth and harness the powers within...."







Published in the US by Aladdin (an imprint of Simon & Schuster) later this month, this is the first novel for children to be written by them. If you are able to attend then drop by the Alverno College (Wehr Hall, Milwaukee, WI 53234) at 7.00pm on Friday 2nd November 2012. You will have an opportunity to meet both John and Carole, and purchase a signed copy of the novel (sales through Boswell's Bookstore). Any questions perhaps give the college a call?

For details of further signings and events visit the official John Barrowman website. Hollow Earth was published in the UK early this year by Buster Books (an imprint of Michael O'Mara Books).

Also written by the Barrowman team is Torchwood: Exodus Code, released by BBC Books, an epic thriller of a story that follows Captain Jack and Gwen Cooper as they attempt to save Humanity:

"It starts with a series of unexplained events. Earth tremors across the globe. Women being driven insane by their heightened and scrambled senses. And the world is starting to notice – the number one Twitter trend is #realfemmefatales. Governments and scientists are bewildered and silent. The world needs Torchwood, but there's not much of Torchwood left.

"Captain Jack has tracked the problem to its source: a village in Peru, where he's uncovered evidence of alien involvement. In Cardiff, Gwen Cooper has discovered something alien and somehow connected to Jack. If the world is to be restored, she has to warn him – but she's quickly becoming a victim of the madness too."


Torchwood: Exodus Code is also available from AudioGO Ltd. And of course there will be The Bone Quill, the exciting sequel to Hollow Earth, to be published by Michael O'Mara Books in early 2013. So start the journey now, pick up a copy of Hollow Earth either before Halloween or at the aforementioned signing!



Monday, July 11, 2011

Torchwood: Miracle Day - The New World - TVReview

GUEST article author: Beth Evers


"With all the extra people, resources are finite. It’s said that in four month's time, the human race will cease to be viable."

Torchwood is back, bigger and better than ever! Convicted pedophile/murderer, Oswald Danes (Bill Pullman) is scheduled to die by lethal injection. This fails, and we see that something strange is happening across the world. "Someone changed the rules. Miracles got easy." No one has died, anywhere. People still get sick or injured, but no deaths.

Much of this first episode is set in Wales, and we see where Gwen (Eve Myles), Rhys (Kai Owen) and baby Anwyn have been in hiding for the past 12 months. Torchwood no longer exists. Jack (John Barrowman) has disappeared, and all the rest are dead. The CIA gets involved and starts investigating Torchwood following an email sent at the same time of the last recorded death.



John Barrowman and Eve Myles




There are some classic Russell T Davies scenes and definitely some funny tongue-in-cheek moments throughout this first episode. Miracle Day was well written, and set up future episodes nicely. It provided enough back story for new viewers, but was fast paced enough for existing fans. And the moment where Jack and Gwen see each other for the first time was a definite payoff. British fans needn’t worry that it has become too "American"; Torchwood: Miracle Day still has all of the charm and flavor that the previous series’ had.

It’s great to see old friends Barrowman, Myles, Owen, and Tom Price back on the screen. Their chemistry together is terrific. Pullman has aged and is über-creepy as the baddy. He is almost unrecognizable. I haven’t warmed yet to the CIA agents played by Mekhi Phifer and Alexa Havins, but their acting was good, and I think that they will be interesting players in the next episodes.

Definitely looking forward to episode two!