IAN FLEMING FOUNDATION 30th Anniversary party

Last week I had the pleasure of attending the 30th Anniversary celebration of the Ian Fleming Foundation at the Petersen Automotive Museum in Los Angeles, CA. The Petersen currently has the "Bond in Motion" exhibition featuring cars from the IFF collection (and few on loan from Eon). It was a marvelous night packed with Bond VIPs. I was very excited to meet Lucy Fleming's son, Robert Laycock, although we talked Houdini rather than 007. Great to see Bond author Raymond Benson and his lovely family in attendance. It was also nice to reconnect with many Bond friends I haven't seen in a long time.

Gloria Hendry, Maud Adams, and Luciana Paluzzi there to provide Bond Girl glamor. As you can see below, Luciana still knows how to mount a motorcycle, even when it's a snow mobile.

Thanks to Athena Stamos, seen below with Octopussy herself, for the pics.

You can keep up with the Ian Fleming Foundation via their official website, Facebook page, and YouTube.

IFP teases James Bond Day announcement

 Fingers crossed for a new continuation novel.

👀👀👀

See you on James Bond Day! #007 pic.twitter.com/RR0PX0iBhP

— Ian Fleming (@TheIanFleming) September 15, 2022

R.I.P. Queen Elizabeth II

Author KIM SHERWOOD on The Bond Experience

Here's an excellent interview with Kim Sherwood, author of the recently released Double or Nothing, on one of my favorite Bond YouTube channels The Bond Experience. Enjoy!

You can purchase Double or Nothing at Amazon.co.uk. You can find a full schedule of UK book events HERE. The U.S. edition will be released next year. 

DOUBLE OR NOTHING released today in the UK

Today sees the release of Double or Nothing, Kim Sherwood's highly anticipated first book in a new series that introduces a modern generation of double O agents in a reimagined British Secret Service.

I've read the book and it's good. Very good. Kim Sherwood is a talented writer and this promises to be a bold series. The absence of James Bond does make this tough for an old traditionalist like me to fully embrace. But inclusion of familiar faces like Moneypenny and Felix Leiter help, and I was especially happy to see the appearance of an unexpected Bond Girl.

The book has been brilliantly marketed and I expect many will find it a breath of fresh air. Here's hoping the plan is to bring 007 himself into the series in the next book.

You can purchase Double or Nothing at Amazon.co.uk. You can find a full schedule of UK book events HERE.

The U.S. edition will be released next year. 

WITH A MIND TO KILL paperback coming April 13, 2023

The UK Amazon now has a pre-order listing for the paperback edition Anthony Horowitz's With A Mind to Kill. It shows April 13, 2023 as the release date from Vintage. No cover art. While I do like the hardcover art, I'm hoping for something different on the paperback, just for collector variety.

Pre-order With A Mind to Kill UK paperback at Amazon.co.uk.

KIM SHERWOOD on Ian Fleming's style

In the run up to the release of Double or Nothing, HarperFiction on Twitter is sharing a series of short film clips of author Kim Sherwood talking about her journey from Bond fan to Bond author. I really like today's installment in which she recalls reading Ian Fleming's From Russia With Love for the first time.

Today we have another very special #DoubleOrNothing sneak peek video from our filming with author @kimtsherwood at @BarbicanCentre. In this clip Kim shares her favourite #JamesBond memory...

Pre-order the @Waterstones special edition here: https://t.co/5MxXEIZkKw @TheIanFleming pic.twitter.com/1GuIgIP5VU

— HarperFiction (@HarperFiction) July 22, 2022

Double or Nothing will be released in the UK on September 1, 2022 and is available for pre-order on Amazon.co.uk.