Angela Meyer, who blogs at "LiteraryMinded", writes about her thoughts on how to make a successful panel item at a literary festival. This is mainly done from the POV of the chair of a panel but you can also pick up a lot of tips about how to be a useful member. Just one thing to be added to the chair's role: don't allow one panelist to dominate. I've seen too many instances of a panel topic being ruined by one member deciding that that very hour was the best time to spruik their new book, magazine or film.
A few weeks back I stated that Steampunk was the next New, New Thing. Now Anne Rice, she of the so-so Interview with a Vampire, now says the next big thing will be angels. I hope not. I wasn't overly impressed with Elizabeth Knox's The Vintner's Luck about ten years ago. Jessa Crispin linked to this book, and if that's an exmaple of an up-coming trend I'm heading back to westerns. Not that I've got anything against westerns, you understand.
George Dunford seemed rather enthusiastic early on regarding the new Marieke Hardy story being delivered by SMS. Not so much anymore, possibly due to the fact that Fairfax, the publishers of "The Age", have made the first 5 episodes available online. He's also not that sure about the delivery. And Adam Ford is not so sure it's good value or a reasonable "first".
The angels are indeed coming; see _Hush, Hush_ by Becca Fitzpatrick.
Oh, and there's a great angel in Libba Bray's new one, _Going Bovine_.