| Latest Stuff Interested in an email newsletter? Cut Adrift – doing well, so far Cut Adrift hasn’t been out long and it’s already got more reviews than most of my other novels manage after an entire year. Click on the Reviews tab on the Cut Adrift screen if you’re interested. Just as importantly – and more satisfying – are the reactions many readers have been kind enough to send. Thanks for such positive comments. The novel after Cut Adrift I’m pleased to say it’s almost finished – and it’s looking like a bit of an epic. Normally my books are about 90,000 words long (or three A4 lined pads, since I like to write in longhand). This one is closer to four pads – so an entire 25% extra free! Oh no, I’m sounding like some supermarket packaging. Shortly after, he’s back in Manchester, walking with his family in the local park when his beloved dog, Punch, is savaged by a fearsome-looking beast. Jon gives chase and sees the dog jump into a back of a van with Irish number plates. After that, events escalate very quickly because, for Jon, things are now personal… Now I just have to type the thing up – close on 120,000 words. Think of me in my little shed this summer! Stuck for a gift idea? Hell’s Fire was recently released as an unabridged audio book. (Abridged versions can have as much as 60% of the original version missing). So, if you know of anyone who does a lot of driving or likes to listen to books in bed, it could be for them. Harrogate Crime-Writing Festival I recently received an invitation to appear on a panel chaired by the legend that is Ian Rankin. Delight turned to trepidation when I read that the topic of discussion will be – ‘Ian talks to four new writers viewed as most likely contenders for his throne.’ The Edge is out! Number five in the DI Spicer series hit the book shops at the end of April. It’s always weird to see something that existed as a loose idea, then as a messy manuscript, suddenly become an actual item people can pick up, turn over and, hopefully, decide to read. The jacket image was quite a problem for Orion – but I‘m really pleased on the version they settled on. The odd review has trickled in – click on the ‘Reviews’ link on ‘The Edge’ screen to read them. They’re not bad! A blast from the past A while ago, I got a deal with a small, independent publisher in the United States to sell my first two novels, Outside the White Lines and Pecking Order. OWL came out first and has sold a few; Pecking Order comes out soon. To ensure their computer programme had successfully turned my nice British version to the corrupted form of English which Americans use (!!!), I had to read Pecking Order again. Short story Not long ago, my disturbing little tale, Mother’s Milk was published by the American mystery magazine, ‘Ellery Queen’. It’s now been selected for the next ‘Best British Crime’ anthology, edited by Maxim Jakubowski. Look out for it on the shelves of your local bookshop from March. New cover The design department at Orion are giving my book covers a new look, starting with the paperback of Savage Moon. It’s quite stark and modern-looking, in my opinion – I guess to give it ‘stand-out’ on the shelves of bookshops. Waterstone’s 25 To celebrate ’25 years in books’ Waterstone’s
have, with the input of publishers, agents, booksellers and others in
the industry, selected their twenty five authors for the future. What
a good idea, I thought – made even better when Orion told me I’d
made it on to the list. Film Clip I mentioned how my library talks involve two actors who perform a scene from ‘Shifting Skin’. It seems to go down really well with the audiences - better than my attempts at reading an extract, that’s for sure. So I was really pleased that a local director agreed to film and then edit the whole thing. It’s come out better than I ever imagined – see what you think by clicking here or paste (http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=44pJ86o2Nz8) into your browser and watch it on youtube. The animated trailer for ‘Hell’s Fire’ For those who’ve watched the one for ‘Savage Moon’, please note the ‘Hell’s Fire’ trailer doesn’t have a soundtrack. (So it’s not your computer’s speakers playing up.) This one’s got a really interesting mix of treated photography with pure animation: I hope you enjoy it. To watch, click here. The Influence Of Film To help me develop the themes in my books, I often watch films which achieve similar things to what I’m trying to do with my plot. In the case of ‘The Edge’, it’s a slow and smouldering build up to an explosion of violence at the end. As a result, I bought a copy of ‘Taxi Driver’ and realised it really should have been in my Top Ten film list all along. (I’m sure Mr Tarantino will be really anguished to learn that Pulp Fiction has been bumped. Sorry, Quentin.) The revised list is at the end of this section. Savage Moon Reports keep trickling in from all sorts of publications (see the ‘Reviews’ screen for the book). The animated trailer. Finally it’s here, the prologue of ‘Savage Moon’ brought to life. To have a look, click here. Please note, you’ll need flash to play it. Article and Interview ‘Killing the Beasts’ made Shots Magazine’s ‘Best Crime of 2005’ selection. For a review and interview article, go to their web site, www.shotsmag.co.uk Favourite Books I’m often asked which particular books have had a major influence on me. So, if I had to name six, I would (currently) pick these – The Collector (John Fowles). Two amazingly written viewpoints in one excellent, but disturbing, book. Perfume (Patrick Suskind). You’d never believe such a fantastic story could be crafted around the sense of smell. The Wasp Factory (Iain Banks). A trip into the mind and hobbies of a very bizarre young person. The Butcher Boy (Patrick McCabe). The story of another very odd youngster, with horror and tragedy mixed in. Silence of the Lambs (Thomas Harris). So well plotted you really can’t put it down – I devoured it in one go. Blood Meridian (Cormac McCarthy). Violent and brutal - told in a biblical style to match the epic setting in which events unfold. Heart of Darkness (Joseph Conrad). As beautiful, dense and dark as the jungle is describes. The Heart of the Matter (Graham Greene). A poignant portrayal of one man’s mental disintegration.
A few people have used the word ‘filmic’ or ‘cinematic’ to describe the feel of my books. I do very much visualise my plots as if they’re playing out on the screen – I find it helps with achieving pace. As a result I’ve had a few enquiries of ‘What are my favourite films?’ Favourite Films It’s a tough question since sneaking off to the cinema on my own during the afternoon is one of my favourite pastimes. Anyway, in no order of preference, here’s my current Top Ten. (Current because it changes quite a bit.) For those of you who’ve read my books, you’ll not be surprised that most of the films listed below are (apart from one) pretty dark. There are a couple of comedies in there, but they’re…um…dark as well. Blade Runner
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