Col Bury's New Crime Fiction

New video for Manchester 6 ebook... feedback welcome!

2012-01-16T20:53:00.000Z

WRITING JOKES #1... wanna join in?

2012-01-04T14:12:00.001Z

I thought I'd start the new year with a bit of fun in this (hopefully) new feature...

Please feel free to contribute in the comments section. I'd prefer one-liners, but would stretch at two, the punchier the better. Anything around books, reading, writing, authors, stories, crime fiction - even tenuous links - will suffice. So, if you think of one, or hear a good un, you know where to come to spread the fun!

Here's me first batch for starters...

I've put everything I know into this novel... it's turned into a short story.

A row of books just hit me on the head... I've only got my-shelf to blame.

Been reading this book called 'The History of Glue'... I just couldn't put it down.

To celebrate my publication, the wife treated me to a candlelit meal... for some reason it was under-cooked.

Was gonna read this book I bought about improving your memory... but couldn't find it.

I'll get me coat...

Can YOU do better...? If not, no worries, just pick yer fave! :-)

But make me laugh 'n' I'll open the feature out to guest posts of YOUR writing jokes.

Ps. Thanks must go to 'King of the one-liners', Tim Vine, whose DVD I got for Christmas and inspired this.

'Preditors & Editors Readers Poll' 2011...

2011-12-29T23:23:00.001Z

It's that time of year again. It's great to see so many of my writer friends nominated for awards this year.

Personally, I'm ecstatic that my adult zombie short, Supper Time, has been nominated in the 'Best Short Horror Story' category. It's in good company along with the likes of...
...the popular Drunk On The Moon by Paul D Brazill... Getting High On Daisy by the inimitable Richard Godwin... The Endless Game by Anthony Cowin... It's A Curse by K A Laity... The Devil's Music, Raised In Hell by Julia Madeleine... and Still Alive by Erin Cole... the list goes on...

You can vote for your favourite horror short here...
http://critters.org/predpoll/shortstoryh.shtml

Some selfless, hard-working ezine editors have been nominated...
... notably and unsurprisingly, my long time mate, David Barber for resurrecting The Flash Fiction Offensive so adeptly... and my co-editor over at Thrillers, Killers 'n' Chillers, Lily Childs, who has invigorated TKnC with her class. Top notch U.S. editor, David Cranmer is also one of my faves, for the sterling work he does over at Beat To A Pulp.

If you have a minute, vote here...
http://critters.org/predpoll/zineeditor.shtml

It's also good to see that The Flash Fiction Offensive and Thrillers, Killers 'n' Chillers are in the race for 'Best Fiction Magazine' too!

Here's the link: http://critters.org/predpoll/fictionzine.shtml

Plus, David Barber's short, Best Mates and Lovers, earned a deserved nomination in the 'All Other Short Stories' section along with some crackers from Darren Sant, Graham Smith, Luca Veste, Ben Sobieck and Pete Sortwell, to name a few.

Vote here:http://critters.org/predpoll/shortstory.shtml

Current standings are here.

The poll runs through to January 10th 2012.

Ps. Sorry if I missed you - nominations increase hourly.

Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays 'n' may your New Year prosper!

2011-12-24T19:53:00.000Z

A heartfelt thanks for all your support to date.

I hope Christmas 'n' New Year fulfils all your dreams!

Best,
Col 'n' family.

Great time with Graham 'n' the Brit Grit crime gang up at Gretna Green...

2011-12-22T15:16:00.000Z

NOTE: Subs now open at Thrillers, Killers 'n' Chillers.

Good times: Denise, Graham , Matt, Col, Sheila 'n' Dave

To coin from Dave's story: 'Best Mates 'n' Lovers'! :-)

Yep, we had a 'mini-crimefest' up at Crimesquad reviewer-cum-writer, Graham Smith's stunning converted mill, (The Mill Forge) where many a Brit has kept with tradition to 'elope'. None of us got hitched, but Dave Barber and I frolicked at the 'Kissing Gate'! (Don't tell the wives).

The bosses... Lisa 'n' Mand'.

On Friday we settled in and, along with Graham 'n' Dave, we chewed the fat about crime writing, editing, webzines, eBooks, our 'novels', plus 'man-talk' into the wee hours. So, as is tradition, we all got shit-faced! :-)

On Saturday, after a splendid day Christmas shopping up the road at Gretna Gateway, we met up with thriller author Matt Hilton, his lovely wife, Denise and crime novelist Sheila Quigley. In the bar on Saturday night, the stories and banter flowed smoother than the ale, and talk about laugh - I nearly bought a round. :-)

It was truly great to hook up with genuine, like-minded people who I'm proud to call my friends. A top weekend was had by all, so thanks to our host, Graham and his wonderful staff at The Mill Forge, for their hospitality. I feel an annual event in the offing.

Enough rambling, I'll let the pics speak for themselves...

Pine Lake - check out the backdrop of the snow-topped Lake District mountains

Col 'n' Mand'

Wolf at the bar... spooky...

"One pint of froth coming up!"

"You're sacked, Bury!"

Love this pic.

Spent a bloody fortune... but they're worth it

Brit Gritters

Happy families: Joe, Mand, Col 'n' Olivia

Our wonderful kids... Melissa, Olivia, Joe 'n' Imogen

Warped minds of Crime...

No, Dave, that rope won't take your weight! :-)

Aw... Melissa, Imogen, Joe 'n' Olivia

I've already thought of a short story for this!

Kids havin' fun. For once am taller than Barber!

On our way back... to reality...

But we couldn't resist stopping for the stunning view of the Lakes...

It was brill... I think you got the picture!

Guest's Crime Fiction Choice - Nigel Bird...

2011-12-11T21:42:00.001Z

Firstly, allow me to welcome a writer I've admired for a good while now...

Nigel Bird's Crime Fiction Choice is The Baby In The Icebox by James M. Cain.

The Baby In The Icebox. What a title. It’s like anirresistible newspaper headline. Imagineseeing it in the rack if you were, say, stopping off at the services to fillyour car with fuel; I’d wager you’d buy yourself a copy or take a sneaky lookat the very least.

It’s also the way this story opens, our man about to tell usthe real story. The one behind thenewspaper articles.

Cain’s roots were in journalism, so maybe that should be nosurprise at either of these things.

For lovers of James M, the setting here is likely to befamiliar, though this story comes just before ‘Postman’, first published as itwas in 1933.

We’re just off a highway at a stop-off. There’s a diner and a gas station. A couple run it and a there’s our odd-job manwho both observes what happens and is also right in the middle of things.

Where we stray from ‘Postman’ is that Duke, owner of the place, has the idea of getting holdof some wildcats to draw in custom. Theintroduction of the characters to the wildcats tells us pretty much all we needto know about them, though we’ll know far more before things close.

It’s not long before the menagerie has expanded to includemountain lions and a tiger. Not thatit’s helping the business.

Duke sees himself as some kind of Tarzan, a fearless manable to command ferocious animals with his eyes. Thing is, he’s the only pussy-cat in theplace and needs a gun on his back before he’ll go in with his pets.

His wife, Lura, on the other hand, is able to control themwith her presence. Cain describes Luraas a tigress, the way her eyes are the same as the cat’s and the way shescratches and wondering paws in the diner with a slash of her nails. The comparison is wonderfully drawn. Lura is powerful, sexy and has something ofthe wanderlust of the feline. She alsohas a heart.

It’s about the time that Duke takes to his own wanderings insearch of cats that Wild Bill Smith The Texas Tornado shows up. He’s a fake snake-doctor, but he’s not a badguy.

One thing leads to another. Me, I’d have willingly swapped places with Bill, any day of theweek. So would our narrator, if givenhalf a chance.

The baby of the title comes along as a result of theseencounters and where the icebox fits in, you’ll just have to read it and findout for yourself. All I’ll say is thatDuke isn’t too happy when he discovers the baby isn’t his and decides to useRajah the tiger as the ultimate murder weapon.

So, what have we got in the story that makes it essentialreading?

First of all, we have the title. Mind-blowing.

Next we have voice. Cain slips into character like an actor. He’s similar to later creations, but unique enough. The narrator is sharp. A bright guy. Knows the ropes and probably his alphabet too. There’s something of the street and thecountry about his language, but it’s only a little rough around the edges.

Our setting is vivid. The isolation creates and intensity when required and makes the unusuallives and goings on highlyplausible. The characters are as muchpart of the fabric as the house and the cages and their interactions describeplace brilliantly. Everything’s vivideven when not fully fleshed out. For me,it’s visual and at the same time gives all my senses a work out along the way.

And the people, they’re as real as I am, so much so thatit’s like an actual event he’s describing.

There are many ‘how to write’ books out there. If you check out ‘The Baby In The Icebox andother short fiction’, you might just save yourself a few bob on those.

You might also find yourself wanting to write something justas great; that I’m afraid is something most of us can pretty much forget.

Read and weep.

Buy The Baby In The Icebox here.

Find out more about talented author, Nigel Bird at his popular blog, Sea Minor.

Col Bury's Crime Fiction Choice #21 - A GOOD DAY (Tales from the Longcroft Estate - volume 1) by DARREN SANT...

2011-12-01T09:09:00.001Z

This short eBook opens with a pigeon scavenging for food, quickly setting the scene on the Longcroft Estate in an original way which made me smile knowingly. Not that I scavenge for old kebabs, but with the credit crunch kicking in who knows, eh? The upshot, I knew where I was from the outset - in a harshly real place.

The story is told from the viewpoint of a selfish heroin addict, and I have to say that Sant's portrayal was as authentic as I've ever read. I was particularly struck by the warped views of the addict and how he saw the decent folk in society as scum, and with the same contempt they rightly had for him. Clever that.

When our druggie gets new neighbours, this gritty story takes a dramatic twist, which questions the morality of the man drowning in a sea of drugs. The intrigue in this tale drags you along, and it ends with a second, bonus gut-punch, which again made me smile at the author's prowess. Thoroughly enjoyable read, and a reminder of what goes on as we all innocently go about our daily routines.

My only negative would be that I wanted more, which is obviously a positive too. So, I'll be buying more of Sant's work for sure. Starting now with volume two, COMMUNITY SPIRIT.

Check out Darren Sant at Amazon, or at his blog.

At last... LEE HUGHES is officially back!!!

2011-11-24T15:17:00.001Z

A long overdue 'n' welcome return to a dark fictional world like no other. Lee's work has left a void in the online writing community. If you've missed his mind-altering stories as much as I, then enjoy his raw talent again here.

To announce his comeback, he's also treated us to another cracker on his blog here.

Col Bury's Crime Fiction Choice #20 - Magenta Shaman by Lily Childs...

2011-11-17T12:19:00.001Z

This eBook may not be seen as crime fiction per se, but it is dark cross genre fiction, which qualifies it for my review series.

Note: I don't do bad reviews, only those books I love and feel comfortable recommending to others.

Lily's unique creation, Magenta Shaman, truly is something to behold. The strange world she inhabits via shamanic trances (Magenta, not Lily), is portrayed in such a subtly clever drip-feed to the reader that it fits as snugly as a woolly winter jumper; albeit one that prickles the skin!

In this first foray, Magenta's loyal husband, Tom, is dismayed that Magenta (or 'Maggie' as he calls her) has been secretly doing her dangerous and mystical work 'on the other side'. Magenta has been reporting to 'The Judge', a character who features heavily throughout, but there's much more to him than meets the eye (no spoilers here). In stark contrast to the transcendent place where Magenta does her work, back in the real world the seaside resort of Brighton offers a strong sense of place.

When Tom's instincts to 'protect' Magenta rise to the surface, knowing her compulsion to continue her work is steadfast, there's only one way for him to do it... join her on the other side. Much easier said than done. If Tom manages this, then will his inexperience put him in danger? Will the 'protector' need protecting?

As Magenta safeguards the innocent souls on this distant and perilous plane, she encounters the fearsome Billowat, with razor fangs, one bite from which will 'zombify' you forever. Your naturally instinct would be to run and never return. Not so Magenta. How can she when her mission is to bring back the creature's tooth! But is she is being watched? Are things really what they seem? And to what lengths will her beloved Tom go to save her? And vice versa.

The writing flows as smooth as silk on a polished table, and the editing is top notch, as to be expected from a hawk-eyed editor.

Lily Childs reaches deep into the chasms of her mind and skilfully drags the reader into a new world in such a way that you're there beside Magenta with every perilous step she takes. The ending gave me goose-bumps. In short, the darkest, suspenseful love story I've ever read. Buy it here.

And now Magenta's second outing is upon us... "Magenta Shaman Stones The Crow"... I've got my copy... what are you waiting for?

Col Bury's Crime Fiction Choice #19... with a difference! HARD BITE AND OTHER STORIES...

2011-11-07T19:35:00.000Z

HUMAN PEST CONTROL

Only 99 cents

Neighbour driving you crazy?

Mother-in-law making your scalp crawl?

Wish people would just GO AWAY?

Let

HARD BITE and OTHER SHORT STORIES

do the dirty work for you.

"I started seeing an amazing trend," says writer Anonymous-9. Friends and loved ones read my stories

and immediately left me alone. It never fails!"

Just look at a few of these powerfully repelling compelling titles:

Hard Bite

Killer Orgasm

Return of the Night of the Living Dead Monkey

from Sunset Boulevard

M-N-S (n) murder-necrophilia-suicide

(and 6 more)

NOW THIS AMAZING COLLECTION IS AVAILABLE TO YOU!

Just send a gift copy to the person of your choice.

Your phone will stop ringing.

Annoying invitations will cease.

The doorbell will NEVER buzz AGAIN.

BUY NOW!

99 cents at Amazon and Smashwords.

Still not sure? Read Alan Griffith's take on HARD BITE here.

Reviews for MANCHESTER 6, a couple of CHIN WAGS 'n' story news...

2011-11-01T16:46:00.000Z

A few reviews are now up on Amazon regarding my début e-book, MANCHESTER 6. It's always an anxious time wondering how your creation will be received in the big, wide world, but I'm happy to say, 'so far so good'. Thanks to those who have taken the time and trouble to write a review - it's really appreciated as all feedback helps you grow as an author.

If you missed it, I was honoured to have been invited by acclaimed author of APOSTLE RISING, Richard Godwin, for a warts 'n' all Chin Wag at the Slaughterhouse, where we chewed the fat about criminal pathology, amongst other things. And, for the first time, I opened up regarding my endeavours, via the traditional publishing route, with agent Nat Sobel, and our ongoing attempts to get my crime novel series on the bookshelves.

LIVERPOOL 5 author, Luca Veste has also had a chitchat with me over at his popular Guilty Conscience site. One of the topics discussed was the forthcoming charity e-book involving thirty-seven writers, OFF THE RECORD. I'm chuffed to bits that my new story RESPECT will be included, inspired by Aretha Franklin's classic song.

Lastly, for now, after well over one hundred entries for this year Radgepacket - Tales from the Inner Cities Volume 6 (Byker Books), I'm ecstatic to announce that I made the cut! :-) Plus, there's a whole bunch of British writers in Paul D. Brazill's forthcoming anthology, BRIT GRIT TOO.

Congrats to all my fellow writers who made it into the anthologies, and commiserations to those who didn't.

That enough links for you? Okay then... back to the novel...

Best,

Col

MANCHESTER 6... E-book out now...

2011-10-27T13:13:00.001+01:00

A heads up to let you know that my first collection of gritty crime stories in the 'MANCHESTER' series is out on Amazon. UK readers click here (for a the price of a cheap brew!). If in doubt, you can read the product description there too. Non-UK readers click here.

Publisher, Trestle Press, reliably informs me: "Readers can purchase in whatever country they live. It can be read on any e-reading device and whatever platform, smart-phone, tablet, e-reader."

Haven't got a Kindle? No sweat, as you can download 'Kindle for PC' free! :-)

Any issues, please use the comments section below.

I sincerely hope you enjoy MANCHESTER 6...

LIVERPOOL 5... MANCHESTER 6... now THAT'S entertainment!

2011-10-22T04:01:00.001+01:00

What a game that was!

Yep, the secret's out (unbeknown to me, all over Facebook, while I was still editing the bloody stories - and, yeah, they're bloody alright!). So, after dragging my feet on the ebook lark, I've finally succumbed and am so proud to say, my own collection is imminent... MANCHESTER 6 will be out in the next couple of days.

I've been thinking about it for a while, after seeing a lot of my good buds bringing out ebooks. My issue was simply not wanting to disrespect my agent, Nat Sobel, who I'm still working with on a prospective crime novel series. So, I asked for Nat's blessing and, he said, "Go for it". Things moved fast then...

Thursday afternoon I emailed my proposal (for a series) to Trestle Press. An hour later their head honcho, Giovanni Gelati accepted, and by the evening 'Gio' (he's me mate now, innit!) designed the snazzy looking cover. I was up all night editing, tweaking, cutting, tightening the six stories, and, after doing a blurb and bio, by the early hours of Saturday morning, it's all been sent to Trestle.

As us Mancs, say, "Am well chuffed".

I felt Trestle would be a good choice as many of my trusty writer buds are already with them. Which brings me to LIVERPOOL 5.

This developed for Luca just hours after I posted the interview with him below. So to update his rapid rise to 'Authordom'... his collection is available to buy, for the price of a bag of chips, over at Amazon... here.
I love chips, so have already bought mine. What? You didn't know Amazon sold chips? They're doing everything now... e-chips are amazing... eat all you want 'n' yer don't get fat! No? Okay, good night.

You're havin' a laugh... well you soon will be at THE LAUGHTER SHACK!!!

2011-10-12T09:51:00.004+01:00

The Laughter Shack is a fun new webzine that's now open for business. According to esteemed Editor, BJ Titzengolf, and his 'buxom' assistant, Joanne Kallot, "We'll be showcasing some well written, funny stories of up to 500 words".

They also have a 'general dogsbody' about the place, so if there are any issues just shout, "Mike Oxlong!", and things should get sorted pronto.

In my humble opinion, this will be a breath of fresh air blowing through the blogosphere; something to lift your spirits, and give you a break from reality.

So, what are you waiting for...? Get writing, reading, following and get yerselves over there! It's gonna be a right good laugh! :-)

Full submissions guidelines are here.
Follow the Laughter Shack on Twitter @LaughterShack

Interview with reviewer-cum-writer, Luca Veste...

2011-10-05T22:25:00.000+01:00

Italian football's latest star!

Luca's popularity around the blogosphere is no surprise to me. It's testament to him being an all round (or oval) good egg, family man, friend, honest reviewer, and talented writer. We 'chewed the fat' about stuff, including - Manchester (Mancs) v Liverpool (Scousers), OFF THE RECORD (e-book for charity), being published, reviewing and, of course, the FTSE 100 index (I lied about the last bit)...

1) The Beatles or Oasis?

Have to say The Beatles, otherwise they will revoke my Scouser card. 'A Day in the Life' is one of the finest songs ever written, so Oasis don't even come close to be fair.

2) Manchester and Liverpool are both major cities in the Northwest of England, and only 35 miles apart. What are the similarities and differences?

I don't really know Manchester all that well, but from what I hear from various Mancunian friends, there are lot of similarities in the poorer areas. A sense of community, that sort of thing. I think our sense of humour differs greatly though. I suppose Liverpool's history as a Port, Football and The Beatles stuff has given us an edge on Manchester, which we never really took advantage of. I think Manchester grasps any opportunities that comes their way a lot more than Liverpool ever has. Which means you get Olympic stadiums which become fantastic Football grounds, and Liverpool gets a nice new concrete shopping paradise instead.

3) There's a myth that Mancs 'n' Scousers simply don't get on. Do you think that this stems purely from football rivalry, or is it more deep-rooted than that? And, have we blown that myth out of the water with our friendship?

I think it's definitely a Football thing. Before the 90s, and Manchester United's rise to dominance, I don't remember any real anonymity between the two cities, well, not to the level it can get to now. I think it's a jealousy (ugh, as a Red, I hated typing that) thing for Liverpool fans, Everton fans don't really have the same anger towards Man Utd as Liverpool fans do. Plus, we're two big Northern cities, there's always a sense of competition between the two.

And you're a Man City fan, so we'll never know how it will have been if you'd of been Man Utd fan. Mind you, you'd be from down South if that was the case!

4) You bounced onto the blog scene, as a reviewer of crime/horror novels, in June this year, and have made quite an impact. Do you think that famous 'Scouse sense of humour' (he-he) played its part? Where was Luca Veste before June, and what was he up to?

I was reading. A lot. I lost my job a couple of years back, and it turned out to be the best thing that could've happened in a strange way. I started an access course at University of Liverpool (I came top of the class...after marrying above my station and having two beautiful daughters, it's my proudest achievement) and began looking at DOING rather than THINKING. It was something I was considering doing for quite a while. I was always reading reviews and stuff online, and wanted to have a go at it. It came from wanting to give something back to writers I enjoyed. If you look at some of my early reviews, they are all of my favourite writers...Steve Mosby, Neil White, Charlie Williams, Sean Cregan etc. I write how I talk really, and I think that comes through in the reviews. If I loved a book, you're able to tell from my review. It really took off when Lawrence Block put out a call for anyone wanting a guest blogger, and I threw my hat in the ring and he accepted. That was a cool day.

5) I had the honour of publishing your first short story, TIME, over at Thrillers, Killers 'n' Chillers. The story was/is a cracker, proving you're actually a bloody good writer who also reviews. Did this help give you the confidence to write your forthcoming short story collection, TEN LITTLE FINGERS?

Most definitely. I wasn't expecting the reaction I received for that. It was the second story I'd written. You can thank Charlie Williams (author of the Mangel trilogy of four books) for it really. During a Facebook discussion about something I can't remember, which degenerated into ridiculous ideas, I made the point that Vampires always have cool names, you never see 'Jeff, The Uninspired Vampire'. He sort of dared me to write Jeff's story, so I did on the spur of the moment, fired off 800 words and sent it to him. After that, I got the bug. Wrote 'TIME' next and thinking 'Nothing Ventured...' sent it off to TK'n'C. As soon as that was accepted, and the reactions I got, I started to believe it was something I could actually do. Receiving that email acceptance for TIME was another proud moment. So if anyone wonders who's to blame for the infliction of Luca Veste fiction on the world, blame Col Bury!

6) OFF THE RECORD is an inspired idea. 35 writers from all over the world, and charities will benefit. Tell us more about this and how it came about.

I was reading PULP INK, a fantastic collection of stories based on the Pulp Fiction soundtrack, and really, that inspired it. After TIME was published, I started reading short stories a lot. They're a forgotten artform in wider circles, but there are some great sites out the showcasing these beauties. So, I was getting in touch with these writers, talking about their stories etc, and had the idea of putting a collection together, incorporating all of these excellent writers. I started sounding people out about it, deciding we needed a prompt, or a hook I should say, for the collection and was deciding between Film titles or classic Song titles, and went for songs. Everyone I asked said yes. Even when I shot high and emailed Ray Banks, who came back instantly with "What kind of an egregious c**t would I be if I turned this down for charity" which is still my favourite reply. I emailed so many of my favourite short story writers, and it just grew and grew. Now we have 35 writers involved, and some astounding names within. The charity aspect came from seeing Thomas Pluck and Fiona Johnson on Flash Fiction Friday donating money for each story they received that week. I thought, if they can donate they're own money, 35 writers can do the same sort of thing. And it got us Ray Banks, with instantly raises the credibility of the collection!

7) Do you have any plans to write more shorts, or a novel, perhaps, since you read so many? I've always wished for more time to read, so where do you find the time?

I'm writing shorts all the time. I have quite a few I'm hoping to publish soon, and see how that goes...as for a novel, well there's a certain character called 'Shooter' who I've been working hard on making a longer novel work with. That's the dream, but 1500 words is easy...100,000 is a different thing altogether!

I smoke, so every hour or so, I go out in the back (never smoke in front of or around the kids!) so there's 10 minutes of reading. And there's always evenings where I'm up until 3AM reading to the end of a book. I love reading, so it's not something I have ever had to put aside time for, I just always read.

8) Do you think Liverpool FC stand any chance of beating Manchester United to that elusive 20th Premiership title, or will it be down to my beloved Manchester City to shut those spoilt brats up (not that I'm bitter!)?

I think LFC will be up there next season. This season was always going to be about getting back in top four, something that with the emergence of City and Spurs, is getting harder each year. King Kenny is rebuilding a squad at the moment and needs time. So, I'm desperately hoping City win the title this year, just to make sure they don't hit 20 before us!

9) The Manchester Ship Canal links Manchester to Liverpool (yet another historical link between the cities). Are Scousers envious that it was named the MANCHESTER Ship Canal?

We couldn't care less to be honest! You can have the Canal, we have a whole River!

10) So, now we all know what an accomplished scribe you actually are, do you think the reviews will continue? Oh, and I nearly forgot... I've just read 'n' accepted your second short for TKnC... SCOUSE GRIT, intoducing you protag', 'Shooter' to the world. He sounds like a proper wrong-un. :-)

That's great news! I love the TK'n'C site, it's a fantastic way of getting your stories out there, and there are always great stories featured. I'm honoured to get a second story on there.

Shooter is a character I've been playing around with for a while. He's based, in a small part, on my Grandad actually. He's nicknamed Shooter, and that always fascinated me, because he's never even seen a gun in his life! So, it came from there, and also life in Liverpool. I wrote a story about Shooter, and shared it with Nick Quantrill (someone I always go to first for writing advice, as he's a great writer and always nails it when it comes to talking about the process) he loved the character, so I'm hoping he gets out of my head and onto paper/screen a lot more now!

They will, just not at the rate I was getting them out in the first few months! I was doing one a day at one point, I was reading that quick. But, I'm in Uni full time now, so that cuts down on spare time a lot! I enjoy reviewing, especially if I love a book.

Good stuff, Luca. Been a pleasure, mate. If you've enjoyed this interview, then let Luca know below. All comments are welcome (except Chinese porn!).
Read Luca's brilliant short story, TIME... and his latest short, SCOUSE GRIT.

Luca's Blog: A GUILTY CONSCIENCE

Coming soon... Mammoth Book of Best British Crime... plus, other really interesting stuff...!

2011-09-15T14:44:00.001+01:00

Things are on the up when an aspiring writer, such as little old me, discovers he'll soon be sharing the pages with top crime authors. For years I've admired the likes of Mark Billingham and Val McDermid, and more recently Matt Hilton, Nick Quantrill and Adrian Magson. So, when you throw in Sophie Hannah and Zoe Sharp, amongst other accomplished wordsmiths, you know you'll have a short story collection to remember! I just hope my first ever published (in print) crime story, MOPPING UP (Tonto Books) justifies its selection.

It's an absolute honour to be involved, so a big thanks to editor Maxim Jakubowski for showing faith in my story. The Mammoth Book Of Best British Crime 9 is out on February 2nd 2012.

Sorry if this is a bit of a 'me post', but I also have a crime short upcoming at A Twist OF Noir in the ongoing '600 to 700 (words) Challenge'. Plus, I've submitted stories to a couple of e-book anthologies recently (to be announced, even if I don't make the cut!), and also to Byker Books for the popular Radgepacket - Tales From The Inner Cities (volume 6). So, fingers crossed...

And, yes, I'm still chipping away at the latest crime novel. Don't forget, if you wanna read about my exploits over the last eighteen months with New York agent, Nat Sobel, then look out for a warts 'n' all 'Chinwag' coming soon...

Well, that's enough about you, let's talk about me! :-) Seriously, what writing projects are YOU excited about, or currently working on?

Best,
Col

Ps. I've added a couple of pages to the blog 'n' tidied up a bit - let me know what you think...

Thinking of you... New York...

2011-09-10T22:54:00.000+01:00

Heartfelt condolences... New York... I hope to meet you one day...

Writin', editin', drinkin' 'n' KILLIN... with me old bud, David Barber...

2011-09-03T00:16:00.000+01:00

Mean 'n' moody crime writers love Killin...

Spent five wonderful days with my long time writing buddy, David Barber, and his lovely family, up in Crieff, Scotland. We supped some ale, I'll tell yer! I really needed to recharge the old batteries, and Dave and Lisa were perfect company to relax with. The bonus that our kids get on great, made the break one to remember.

Although the day trip on the train from Dunblane to Edinburgh was enjoyable, the highlight of the holiday, scenery-wise, was definitely a little village in a valley, named KILLIN. The name is intriguing in itself, but in no way reflects the place, as it's simply stunning. Dave bumped into Matt Hilton there earlier this year, and I can see the attraction - it's a writer's dream. If me numbers ever come up, then that's where I'm heading! I'm not at all envious of Dave working up there, and he never sends me picture-texts rubbing it in with the tag line: 'my view from work!'

Killin is a writer's dream ...

Once our families retired to beddy-bo's, Dave 'n' I mixed our drinks and discussed all things writing (plus, a bit of football, of course), including, our novels, our ezines, deadlines and ideas for the future. If we'd have had more time we'd have spoken about time management. Anyway, I think we're both more focused now.

On our way up from Manchester, then on our way back down, we dropped in at The Mill in Gretna Green to see popular Crimesquad reviewer, Graham Smith, at the family hotel (for weddings), where he works. Graham's certainly an expert on crime fiction, devouring a couple of novels a week. Plus, he attends the crime events and festivals, where he regularly interviews authors old and new. Coincidentally, he's just reviewed Matt Hilton's latest novel, Dead Men's Harvest. Since Matt's 'author of the month', there's a nice interview with him too.

With Crimesquad's Graham Smith at Gretna Green.

Graham's also writing a crime novel and has joined Dave and my-good-self in the race to hit our respective first draft deadlines! Nowt like a bit of stiff competition to kick you up the arse, eh?

So now, I've returned to claustrophobic city life totally inspired... but I can feel the walls closing in already...

Thanks to Dave 'n' Graham and their lovely families for making us feel so welcome.

COL BURY'S BEST OF BRIT GRIT BLOGS...

2011-08-24T18:18:00.000+01:00

The popular 'Brit Grit' series rolls merrily on, and I'm honoured to feature this week. To read about my top twenty 'Best of Brit Grit Blogs' over at Elaine Ash's cool website, go here.

(S)HIT COUNTER...

2011-08-17T23:04:00.000+01:00

No, I've not been lining up me dog's number twos 'n' counting them. Just noticed my hit counter has packed up, 'n' so has TKnC's. WTF? Is it blogger playing up again, or have so many people been visiting that it's seized up? (Yeah, right). Can anyone shed any light on it? Cue the torch jokes...

'BRIT GRIT' is live... and a forthright 'CHIN WAG' coming soon...

2011-08-12T02:06:00.001+01:00

Unfortunately, it's not crime fiction, but real crime that's dominating my thoughts at the moment. Dark, metaphorical clouds hang over England, including my beloved city, Manchester. I won't ramble on about it here - I'll just say, "sub-human scum" and leave it at that. However, I've been having a 'Chin Wag' with a good friend about this and other stuff, where I do say a lot more, including my endeavours with agent, Nat Sobel. It'll be a 'warts 'n' all' affair, so watch out for that soon!

I'm also honoured to be involved in the new 'Brit Grit' series, which started last Sunday with Alan Griffith's superb short, 'Two Fingers of Noir'. Thanks to writer/editor, Elaine Ash for setting the whole thing up over at AshEdit. As you can see, my name didn't quite make the promo poster, but I'm in good company with Ian Ayris... One day, Ian, one day... :-)

In other news... Paul Brazill's 'Drunk on the Moon' series rolls merrily on... Dave Barber's back from his jollies, now editing again at The Flash Fiction Offensive... Matt Hilton's latest Joe Hunter thriller is out... and I had the pleasure of publishing a crackin' short by a reviewer who can actually write! Luca Veste's 'Time' is over at Thrillers, Killer's 'n' Chillers.

God, am such a name-dropper, aren't I? :-)

It's SUPPER TIME...Zombie adult fun at Chris Grant's EATEN ALIVE...

2011-07-25T20:22:00.001+01:00

Over the last few weeks - in between regular sessions of crime novel writing - I've 'stretched' somewhat and penned a couple of flash fiction pieces, slightly away from my norm. The aforementioned Clarity of Night contest submission is a supernatural/paranormal crime story (see last post). Meanwhile, when A Twist Of Noir editor, Christopher Grant kindly invites you to write a zombie short for his new site, EATEN ALIVE, then you write one! SUPPER TIME is my somewhat naughty response. I hope you enjoy it here... feel free to let me know...

PS. Mum, this one's NOT for you! :-)

Clarity of Night Contest - read some crackin' entries, plus my 'adult flash'...!!!

2011-07-20T17:38:00.002+01:00

If you missed it, The Clarity of Night Contest is run by American attorney and writer, Jason Evans. It's become a very popular competition, as the 100+ entries testify. The photo (left) is the prompt, and it's fascinating how differently the entrants interpret it in the allotted 250 words.

There's a whole new writing community over there and a helluva lot of hidden gems. I spotted a couple of friends' stories too - belters from Jodi MacArthur and Chris Allinotte.

Oh, 'n' my story's called TILL DEATH DO US PART... it's a bit naughty, but I enjoyed writing it as it stretched me from my norm. The first draft was nearly 500 words, so I had to cut, edit and tighten, which is all good practice.

I would really appreciate it if you'd take a look and maybe even leave a nice comment. Pretty please with sugar on top! :-)

BTW, the contest is now closed (sorry), but Jason will be running another later in the year. I'm gonna have a trawl through the list of the stories here.

Cheers,
Col

Ps. Missed out, that my bud, Michael J. Solender, also has a crackin' entry too!

A 100 thank yous, a clingy dog 'n' finding balance... (dunt that just roll off the tongue?)

2011-07-18T22:11:00.001+01:00

Great to see my 'followers' officially hit '100'. A heartfelt thanks to you all, including email subscribers and those who follow privately.

Since I'm editing at Thrillers, Killers 'n' Chillers a lot, I can't post here as much as I'd like. Especially as I'm endeavouring to write a crime novel series too. Add demanding full-time shift work, two children and a clingy dog to the mix (Riley's like my shadow, even follows me into the bathroom!), and you can probably appreciate I'm forever battling for that elusive 'balance'.

How do you find your balance? Or, like me, are you constantly striving for it?

BLOGFLASH... Thrillers, Killers 'n' Chillers has a new 'Guest Editor'...

2011-07-12T12:04:00.001+01:00

...LILY CHILDS!

Find out more here...

Crime novel by 26 authors... whadderyereckon...?

2011-07-07T13:22:00.003+01:00

I know this has been done before, but in NO REST FOR THE DEAD, according to Guardian Online, each writer wrote a chapter not knowing what the previous one had written. Don't know about you, but I can't see how this could possibly work.

Quite a few 'names' have taken part, including: Peter James, Kathy Reichs, Faye Kellerman, Tess Gerritsen and Jeffery Deaver. Lots of sarcasm and cynicism in the comments section of the article too. Have a nosey here, then kindly pop back and let me know what you think.

Cheers, Col

BULLET POINTS...

2011-07-03T23:48:00.004+01:00

The Brazilliant blog king extraordinaire, Paul D. Brazill has an exciting new ebook out, which is incredibly 'cheap as chips'! For more on 'DRUNK ON THE MOON' click here.
Over at cool American ezine, A Twist Of Noir, editor Christopher Grant has resumed the 600 to 700 Challenge.
Geoff Eighinger has thankfully resurrected the sorely missed, Bullet Awards for best stories of the month on the net. It's truly awesome to have this back, as it is to see David Barber's ever-growing Flash Fiction Offensive bagging TWO places in the top three! Dave's doing a sterling job over there. Well done to all the winners - more here.
Thrillers, Killers 'n' Chillers has yet more debuting writers, with some great flash fiction, including Thomas Pluck, Margaret D. Whittle and K.R. Helms, amongst others.
Crime thriller author of the popular Joe Hunter series, Matt Hilton, talks about the importance of libraries, and how they inspired him to write as a kid. Listen to Matt's many variations of the word, 'Erm' (including, 'ehm' 'n' 'um') on BBC Radio Cumbria (fast forward to 2 hrs 18 secs).
Oh, 'n' after some heavy research for my crime novel, I've decided to join horror writer Steven Chapman in the 'summer camp' at NaNoWriMo, where you commit to writing a 50,000 word novel in a month. What have I done? Cheers, Steve! If you need a bit of motivation to write, then it's not too late to join. Here's my profile page. Obviously, I'll be aiming at the 90,000 word mark. But I'm a third of the way in already, so doing this is good for focus, in the busy life of a working dad!

Regards to all,
Col

Writer's block... I found my answer! How do YOU overcome it?

2011-06-28T02:03:00.000+01:00

Firstly, when I heard about Peter Falk's death, I was gutted. It immediately dawned on me that he (& Sherlock) got me into the mystery scene as a kid. R.I.P. Columbo.

"Just one more thing..." (sorry, couldn't resist).

I've been doing a lot of research lately, intertwined with spasmodic spells of writing my current novel. However, I recently hit, what I call 'plot-block'. It's closely related to 'writers' block', but I tend to get this amid the intricacies of longer works. Whereas, with short stories an idea just pops into my head, soon followed by a title and, within an hour or so, I have something to mould into shape. The process with shorter works is so much smoother.

Anyway, last weekend I'd been looking forward to a couple of blank diary days, but when the time came, I just found myself struggling at a crossroads, not knowing which way to turn...

It was deeply frustrating, as I really wanted to crack on and get stuck in. Remembering past writing sessions that flowed, I began searching in the kitchen cupboards for a tipple. And there it was... in a box... the answer... an unopened bottle of Martell's cognac with '2000' emblazoned in multi-colour on the box. Three glasses later, and I wrote till five in the morning!

I know it's somewhat stereotypical for a writer, drinking to find the elusive muse, but it worked for me. So, I found my answer... if you write, then how do YOU overcome writer's block?

Ps. I'm booked into an AA meeting next Friday!

Flashback...to my first ever 'published' fiction...

2011-06-14T22:44:00.000+01:00

My first published story was a piece of flash fiction, and it now 'graces' my new website. There's also a little bit about how my friendship with thriller author, Matt Hilton, began to flourish.

Some of you may "Remember" (big clue there, for the detectives among you!) the story. Read it here. All comments are welcome and appreciated, here or there.

Regards,
Col

I digress from crime fiction to share good family news...

2011-06-12T03:06:00.000+01:00

Life can be a real bummer at times, so it's always good to share uplifting news... and the Burys have had plenty recently, which makes a pleasant change...

My brave sister, Deb, has beaten cancer (for the second time in her life). A dark cloud has dispersed from above the family...thank God.

Following on from his under 9's cup win, my lad, Joe, has just been awarded 'Manager's Player of the Year'... making his daddy a very proud man!

After my footy team, Man City, recently won the F.A. Cup Final (I've waited 35 years for that!), I assumed that would be it. However, it seems the Lord is showering us in positivity just lately.

Long may it continue...

Ps. Dear God, I don't wanna push my luck, but it would be nice to have my novels published soon, if that's okay.
Amen.

Mammoth Book of Best British Crime Stories, vol. 9 ... I'm in!

2011-06-06T20:40:00.003+01:00

Just had an email from Maxim Jabowski, the editor of the 'Mammoth' series. My short story MOPPING UP (as in, the streets) won an online comp', 18 months ago, to be included in 'Even More Tonto Short Stories'. Well, it's now been accepted for next year's 'Mammoth Book of Best British Crime Stories, vol. 9'. So, cheers, Maxim!

To say I'm humbled and honoured is an understatement. I know this year's volume included a few of my writing friends, alongside the likes of Mark Billingham and Ian Rankin.

As I sit here drinking my celebratory cider (proper Manc!), I've just discovered that I'll be proudly sharing the pages with my writing buddies, Nick Quantrill and Ian Ayris! Well done chaps.

Thanks also, to Tonto Books head honcho, Stuart Wheatman, for originally publishing 'Mopping Up'.

Well chuffed.
Col

THRILLERS, KILLERS 'N' CHILLERS revamped with cool new features...

2011-05-30T01:50:00.005+01:00

TK'n'C has had an overdue makeover! It's BIGGER... it's BETTER...

Can you make our top ten popular posts, and join the likes of Richard Godwin, Sean Patrick Reardon, RS Bohn, Chad Eagleton, Michael J Solender, Nick Quantrill and Jodi MacArthur?
Have you voted on the site's new layout yet?
Or have you checked out a crackin' debut from Robin Billings...?

Well, what are you waiting for? Get your butt over there!

And please remember, comments are actively encouraged...

What's up with blogger?

2011-05-29T18:49:00.003+01:00

As usual, I've been browsing friends' blogs, stories, etc. However, I can't seem to comment any more. I'm not being ignorant, but WTF is going on? It seems to have corresponded with this new 'spam filter' introduced by blogger, and me changing the blog design to wide. Their online help is crap. It's doing me head in!

Any ideas, folks? Or can you not comment either?

Regards,
Col

Ps. My NTL WORLD email is also playing up, so please use my gmail or hotmail.

New blog design... your thoughts and help please!

2011-05-20T19:17:00.003+01:00

So, how does it look? Any techies, or expert bloggers, among you? If so, how the hell do I widen my pic of Manchester and add background pics? I'm also struggling to change the font size on my blog intro' under the title.
Feedback and tips appreciated.
Cheers,
Col

Guest post: this letter to Norman Court (part nine) by Pablo D'Stair...

2011-05-16T23:23:00.004+01:00

It's great to be a small part of an ingenious Internet experiment from a talented writer, Pablo D'Stair...

this letter to Norman Court is a novella consisting of 22 sections (each around 1250 words) I am releasing by way of the following experiment: I am trying to serialize the piece across blogs, by reader request. If you read and enjoy the section below and have a blog the readers of which you think would enjoy a selection, as well, please get in touch with me to be an upcoming host. A little hub site is set up at www.normancourt.wordpress.com that has a listing of the blogs that have featured or will feature sections—please give it a look, get yourself all caught up if the below piques your interest.

It is my simple hope to use this as a casual, unobtrusive way to release this material to parties interested. As of now the 22 slots have all been requested (cheers to everyone for that) but if you enjoy what you read please do get in touch with me via unburiedcomments@gmail.com. I welcome any and all comments on the piece (positive, negative, or ambivalent) or general correspondence about matters literary.

Cheers,

Pablo D’Stair

this letter to Norman Court
Pablo D’Stair

nine

I’d ducked into my room just long enough to throw some water on my face, place a call in to Darcy about a taxi, told them I’d be out front of the Horton Super Eight, agreed no problem about paying meter-and-a-half considering the trip out it’d be for their driver.
I could hardly picture some police car rolling up on me, but kept in the bleak, back behind the buzzing sign, sat on an overturned shopping cart full of rocks, figured it was where someone sat their smoke breaks, stubs all around the litter of dead grass.
Regretted not having taken some of the tissues from the room, roll of toilet paper, but it seemed the worst of my cold, allergies, whatever it’d been was now subdued by the tablets I’d taken, my head a wet sock rolled up in another by the time I was in the heated cab, dozing as the driver kept tuning the radio between commercials on various stations.
-You know when the commuter train out of Darcy goes?
He thought it was at just past six. I looked at the clock—sneaking up on one—asked if there were any cheaper motels inside five minutes walking or so to the station.
-Not five minutes, no. Hotels’re all kind of outside the city.
So I told him never mind, he could just leave me at the train, I’d wait.
There was a convenience store open, down a few blocks, bought a nice sturdy document envelope and a book of stamps, more cigarettes, noticed the copy machine so made one more replica of Klia’s letter, nothing particular in mind for it, just something to do five minutes, warm pages spit out, glow of the scan crisping against my eyes in stabs.
There was a train left out at quarter past five, boarded that one, saw that a certain compartment had a placard it was a Quiet Car, no talking allowed, lights off, business people listening to whatever on headphones, most of them also either nodding off or else reading paperbacks illuminated by little blubs clamped to the back pages.
By the time I was back in to Mill Creek, my head’d cleared enough air actually passed clean in through my nostrils and drinking a hot coffee too fast settled me back more or less to even, except the sour glaze of fatigue, my eyes hurt to blink against the coming sun changing the sky bright.
Wondered was there some way I could get a buck or two off Herman for the letter, but couldn’t come up with an angle’d make it someone would pay me money out to get a letter proved their wife had gone around on them.
In a sandwich shop toilet around midmorning I counted what money I had left—seven thousand three hundred thirty-five dollars, counted it off eight times to be sure. I breathed a long sigh out, proud of myself, though really it meant I’d managed to spend through something seven hundred dollars in two days, calmed myself by calling it all return on investment.
Across the street from where Herman worked, everything seemed strange to me all of a sudden—really there was nothing left to do, nothing but hand a man a letter and that’d be it, nothing left but what I’d been paid to do, only, to begin with. Probably, the feeling was worse for I’d not slept since bleeding the money off Lawrence, that still seemed like where I was though at the same time ages ago, nothing that could ever find me no matter how bad suddenly it might want to. Lawrence’d be having to explain about why he’d not be able to do paychecks that week to his staff, though maybe not even, I’m sure he had enough in the bank to cover it, really he’d just be fretting in the shower, thinking how he was gonna float things this account to that, keep the wife from knowing something was off or else barring that what he was gonna say to keep it had anything to with Klia out of it.
-Klia Klia, I mumbled, looking down at the business envelope I’d prepared, eight dollars worth of stamps in the corner, Herman’s name and office address, a name from out of my own imagination as the return.
I had two last cigarettes, put a stick of gum I’d bought in my mouth, got on the elevator up to the office, same receptionist from before, she looked up she’d recognized me.
-For Mister Flake?
I nodded, started to ask Is he in, but already she was on the phone, saying to probably Herman that a gentleman was there, had been in earlier in the week. She nodded, hung up the phone, took a sip from the fast food drink she had there by the phone, told me he would be right out.
The man who came out of one of the two doors off the waiting area few minutes later looked nothing like his nondescript brother, this one portly but only in the arms and legs, face with a beard shouldn’t be on it, easiest guy in the world to describe later only everyone would think you were describing something out of R. Crumb instead of anything actual.
-Mister Flake?
He eagerly extended his hand, I gave it a dull, gripless touch.
-Sorry I missed you, was out at a conference, really thought I’d cleared my appointments up better.
-That’s fine, it might’ve been my fault, nothing really except to give you this.
He took the envelope, a grinning nod, I could see his eyes tick on the return address, narrow a bit and he started turning the thing he was gonna open it right there.
-Do I need to sign anything for this?
I wished I’d thought of something like that, something to’ve given me a brisk reason to appear and just as quick disappear, instead had to shake my head No, asked did he have anything for me to take back. It was stupid, but the moment of his confusion then his face shake No, no validated me nodding and telling him Thanks again then. I got in through the closing elevator probably just as he was recognizing his wife’s handwriting, body shifting a squint, looking up to see maybe was I still around.
I found subway stairs right up two blocks, got down them in the midst of all sets being used by people coming up, fished a ten dollar bill out of my pocket to buy a pass, got on the first line pulled up, set my head to the window then when no one took the seat in front of me to the top of that. I laughed, it hurt to do in that position and kind of my head clogged back up, but I laughed and let myself, rubbing and rubbed my eyes each with three fingers of a hand.
I switched trains, rode to the end of some line, out into the cold afternoon, into a cigarette I hardly bothered to smoke, into an hour spent drifting, reminding myself why the bag I was holding hurt so bad on my wrist.
Noticing a menswear shop, I remembered how I’d wanted to buy that coat before, fondled lapels of suits along the racks until I found a checkered top coat, closed myself in a room to try it out for size. I made the deal that if it didn’t drop me below seven thousand up, didn’t drop me below seventy-one hundred up, I’d take it, frowned when I saw it cost five hundred, just kept it on and rearranged the insides of my duffle.
I’d forgotten really about the last photocopy, took it up, read some of the boring stuff from the first page. I folded the pages shut, stood up to look at myself, closing the buttons of the coat up around me, slipping the pages into the deep of one side pocket while I touched my thumb to my nose, gave a nice little sniffle.

Pablo D’Stair is a writer of novels, shorts stories, and essays. Founder of Brown Paper Publishing (which is closing its doors in 2012) and co-founder of KUBOA (an independent press launching July 2011) he also conducts the book-length dialogue series Predicate. His four existential noir novellas (Kaspar Traulhaine, approximate; i poisoned you; twelve ELEVEN thirteen; man standing behind) will be re-issued through KUBOA as individual novella and in the collection they say the owl was a baker’s daughter: four existential noirs.

A mysterious new website opens... plus, a stranger makes a welcome return...?

2011-05-09T16:25:00.005+01:00

That mysterious, masquerading man, Vallon Jackson, has opened his vault to all comers (no innuendo intended). There are some cracking stories over there, including three 'laugh out loud' humorous crime shorts, under the 'weird' tab on the site. The 'Pie Saga' will lift yer spirits too. Unravel the mystery of Vallon here.

Also... I hear whisperings... feint rumblings in the distance... murmurings within the blogosphere... that one of our sorely missed friends could be making a most welcome return...

But, SHH! We don't want to scare him off before his inimitable 'wordsmithery' scares us shitless!

In other news: crime writer, and all-round good guy, Sean Patrick Reardon has been interviewed by author/literary agent/editor, Allan Guthrie here.

Check out this awesome book trailer... plus news...

2011-05-02T17:55:00.015+01:00

Crime thriller author of the Joe Hunter series, Matt Hilton, has recently been teasing us all with snippets of the mysterious, 'Third Act Montage'. Well, it was certainly worth the wait - it's like a mini action film. Check it out here. You can also have a nosey at the snazzy new Joe Hunter site here.

Fast-rising horror writer, Lily Childs, gave a profound and personal interview on fellow horror scribe, Erin Cole's site. If you missed it go here.

Lily's dark heroine, 'Magenta Shamen', debuts on Kindle. And, while we're on the subject, don't forget Julie Lewthwaite's highly regarded 'Gone Bad' is also available on Kindle. Julie recently 'danced with herself' over at Nigel Bird's gaff.

Congrats to Spinetingler Award best short story winner, Matthew C Funk.

A great day for Great Britain... or just the rich showing off to the peasants?

2011-04-29T11:14:00.004+01:00

Comments please...

Gotta Kindle? Then check out B. R. Stateham's gritty 'Smitty' stories...

2011-04-27T18:43:00.009+01:00

'A Dish Served Cold - Two Tales of Blood & Mayhem, from the 'Call Me Smitty' series, is now on Kindle. I know the central character pretty well, having published two of B.R.'s 'Smitty' stories on Thrillers, Killers 'n' Chillers.

Smitty lurks in the shadows, waiting to dish up poetic justice with blood dripping from the plate. Don't be deceived by those dark eyes - he's a killer with a heart, and a conscience, but mess with Smitty 'n' you're in deep shitty!

For a short intro' to Smitty go here.

To read 'A Dish Served Cold' go here.

Learn more about the author B.R. Stateham here.

Guest's Crime Fiction Choice - Anonymous-9...

2011-04-23T00:43:00.003+01:00

Anonymous-9's Crime Fiction Choice

My story choice, because of its action and adventure plus heart, is “Six Bullets for John Carter,” by Chad Eagleton, published by Beat to a Pulp in 2009, and archived under the science fiction genre.

In a futuristic world where love and intimacy are rare, even obsolete, the unnamed hero of the story steals DNA from an unknown girl on a train and clones her. As she “develops” in a tank, he feels love for her, and her “birth” awakens the emotional life within him,

“But no one prepared him for the long wait, watching the cells begin to coalesce, seeing the body form and move and swim in the nutrient soup. No one told him about the feeling he'd get in the pit of his stomach when the eyes opened and stared at him.”

He originally created this girl to sell to “John Carter” a generic name for those rich enough to buy black market human clones. But in the middle of the sales negotiation, the hero backs out, and gets punished for it.

“The bodyguard's first punch splattered his nose. The second popped his chin back, clattering his teeth together as his attacker stomped on his instep. The third...”

He loses his girl to John Carter, but returns for revenge. Successful, he takes a fatal bullet in the process. While dying…

“He looked up at the twin moons staring down at him with full, silvery eyes, and said, aloud, "But I know who I am...for the first time."

On the simplest level it’s the story of a man taking revenge. Dig a little deeper, and there’s an emotional through line that explores love, leading to a final discovery of self.

Chad Eagleton has recently received a Spinetingler Magazine nomination for Best Short Story on the Web 2011.

Find out more about Chad Eagleton and his work at http://cathodeangel.blogspot.com/

Find Anonymous-9 at http://www.anonymous-9.com/Website_of_Anonymous-9.html

My flash, BROKEN, gets an overdue airing at Jeanette Cheezum's swanky site...

2011-04-19T10:14:00.016+01:00

One of my earlier efforts at flash fiction is one I'm quite proud of. I penned it in a matter of minutes back in 2009 when 'the muse' struck, and it remains a favourite of mine. Check it out at writer, Jeanette Cheezum's 'Cavalcade of Stars'... and feel free to let me know what you think. If you're hungry, have a browse around Jeanette's place, as there are lots of goodies for you to nibble on.

COMING SOON... Crime Fiction Choice by Anonymous-9...

The Full Nine Yarns... over at Thrillers, Killers 'n' Chillers...

2011-04-09T23:51:00.005+01:00

Nine mighty fine short stories, from writers old and new, uploaded in a day. Pour yourself a drink, enjoy and, if you have time, please support the authors by leaving a comment. Thrillers, Killers 'n' Chillers.

Thanks,
Crime Editor, Col

Guest's Crime Fiction Choice - Paul D. Brazill

2011-03-31T02:15:00.009+01:00

If you don't know Paul Brazill, then you haven't got a computer! The man's everywhere - am sure there's two of him. A while back, I commented on TKnC that his writing was / is 'Brazilliant'. And he's a top bloke to boot (not literally of course).

Paul Brazill's Crime Fiction Choice

PICTURES OF YOU by Keith Rawson & Chad Eagleton - Darkest Before The Dawn, December 2009.

Purcell is serving ten years in a prisons protective wing. One day he has a visitor. A stranger who shows him a photograph of his beloved wife, half naked and tied up. The deal is this: Purcell’s wife will be set free only after he does them a favour. A dangerous favour. And he has 48 hours to do it.

Pictures Of You is a brilliant piece of hardboiled noir writing from two of the best crime writers around. It’s strong on atmosphere and has meaty characterisation, sharp dialogue, great images and a plot that keeps you constantly on your toes.

Highly recommended.

Cheers, Paul!

BIO:
Spinetingler Award nominee Paul D. Brazill’s stories have appeared in A Twist Of Noir, Beat To A Pulp, Dark Valentine Magazine, Crimefactory, Needle Magazine, Pulp Metal Magazine and Thrillers Killers 'n' Chillers, as well as in the anthologies Radgepacket Four & Five and The Mammoth Book of Best British Crime Fiction 2011. His blog is YOU WOULD SAY THAT WOULDN’T YOU?

New Writer Promo... follow Jim!

2011-03-29T12:20:00.004+01:00

One thing I've noticed, is that not everyone of us lovers of writing 'n' reading has as big a 'virtual gob' as the likes of little old me! Some writers are simply just shy and, despite their talent, don't seem to get noticed as much as they should. Please read on...

One of these guys is a modest chap, I've previously nicknamed, 'Gentleman Jim', when he was over here on my Guests' Crime Fiction Choice feature not so long ago. Jim Wilsky is a central Illinois native with a lifelong passion for writing and storytelling. His stories are damn good too, and well worth a nosey.

Jim emailed me to say he had a story up over at the popular ezine, Beat to a Pulp. What got me, was the fact Jim said, "I don't have a wide circle of writing friends yet, so I thought I'd ask what one of my blog's two followers thought of my story BIG CAT."

Well, Jim, I say to you, "Roar a little louder, buddy!" and to everyone else...
Let's show Jim that we don't bite! Check out the excellent BIG CAT at Beat to a Pulp, and please feel free to follow Jim at his blog Word Counts.

Ps. Jim, don't forget to post the cheque! :-)

Spinetingler Award Nominees 2011, for best short story...

2011-03-25T05:32:00.008Z

The Spinetingler Awards, as many writers and readers will know, are among the most respected on the net. So, to see some of your friends on the list of nominees is thrilling. Two of the nominees made my 'Crime Fiction Choice' series, proving the Spinetingler selectors also have impeccable tastes! :-)

I have to say, I'm particularly thrilled that my loyal friend, horror/crime writer extraordinaire, Lily Childs, made the coveted list with her short story Carpaccio. We're so proud to have published this creepy and memorable tale on Thrillers, Killers 'n' Chillers.

Jodi MacArthur's cracker, Pillow Talk, is also among the ten nominees - including, others I'll be checking out from, Matthew C Funk, Nigel P Bird, Chad Eagleton, Steve Weddle and more. Voting starts next week. The full list is here.

Congratulations to all the nominees!

Col Bury's Crime Fiction Choice...

2011-03-15T00:47:00.008Z

This time, as my Guests' Crime Fiction Choices are more than adequately covering the many excellent short stories out there, I thought I'd recommend a stonker of a novel I recently enjoyed in just three sittings. Hence, the longer than usual write up...

Col Bury's Crime Fiction Choice #18 - MAXWELL'S SILVER HAMMER by Andy Rivers

To be honest, when I saw the title I wasn't overly enthused. Then I realised it was a song by The Beatles, which pricked my curiosity. I'm so glad it did, as I learned a lot from this book about characterisation.

Maxwell's Silver Hammer is a unique take on life in a tough northern city, in this case Newcastle, and is like no other novel I've read. It reminded me of 'CRASH', the Oscar-winning 2004 film, where several characters' stories were so effectively interwoven. Between sittings, I wanted to ditch everything and find out how the characters were doing.

Being a 'plot-driven' kind of writer myself (but that may change after reading this book), I was somewhat taken aback by Andy's no nonsense writing style and at how he, brashly, used the characters to drive the book forward. It was really intriguing to see how it all panned out, because the author, somehow, got me empathising and caring about the characters early on.

Another thing that struck me was, initially, flicking from one person to another - sixteen in total - I wondered if Andy had made a monumental mistake, because I'd always thought it best to have a protagonist, an antagonist and a few peripheral players. However, I'm pleased to say that Andy's prowess shined through and he came up trumps.

The plot is, paradoxically, both simple and complex. Simple in that, the basic storyline surrounds reformed tough guy, Billy Reeves, and his lifelong rivalry with Newcastle's top man, Vince Merry. When those closest to Billy are under threat, the beast within him is unleashed. Yet the complexity involves the skillful linking-in of all the characters, and you soon realise why each and everyone of them were relevant to the overall story.

With a fast pace, gritty edge, extremely strong sense of place and laugh out loud humour, and an ending that finally made me realise why the title was chosen in a 'goosebump moment', I implore you to buy this cracking book here.

I tip my hat to Mr Rivers.

BIO:
Andy Rivers has been a Butlins barman, pretend chippieon a Spanish construction site, coach holiday rep, mobile sandwich salesman and outdoor traffic cone washer to name but a few of his eclectic 'career' choices. Originally from the East End of Newcastle he now lives in Oxfordshire where, as well as following Newcastle United around the country, he passes the time by indulging in his passion for ‘Professional Geordie-ism’ and lager. This is his first novel but he is also the author of ‘I’m Rivelino’, also published by Byker Books, a hilarious account of the thirty odd years of hurt he has suffered at the hands of the Magpies. With the royalties from this book he plans on buying a Ferrari and having a proper mid-life crisis.

Guest's Crime Fiction Choice - Alan Griffiths...

2011-03-08T12:41:00.007Z

WARNING: Adult content...
Today I'm well chuffed to welcome my good friend Al' - a 'Brit Grit' cockney geezer, who's a dab hand with pen & ink... little cockney rhyming slang joke there... no? Okay. Over to you Al...

Alan Griffith's Crime Fiction Choice

HARD BITE by ANONYMOUS-9 - Beat to a Pulp, Dec.2008.

Recently I’ve been privileged to be one of the few hot-off-the-press readers to peek at Anonymous-9’s completed novel length manuscript of Hard Bite. And, in my humble opinion, a humdinger of a novel it is. Tightly plotted and twisty narrative, great characters, a page turner….

But I digress because today I’d like to beg a few minutes of your time to acquaint you with the original, award winning short story.

When Col kindly asked me to write a few words for this feature I immediately thought of Hard Bite. Why? Well, when I first read this story it just struck a chord. Had me thinking, Hell, I wish I could write like that. And, whenever I re-read this story (which I do) it inspires me to try…

I like to kill people.

It's important to admit the truth to yourself, even if you lie to others, and I do a lot of lying in my line of work. Inside my head, I try to keep the truth black and white, no grey area: I like to kill. I love to kill, people.

So starts Anonymous-9’s Spinetingler award winning short story Hard Bite; published online at Beat to a Pulp and in print within the BTAP Round One anthology.

Did the voice get your attention? Grab you by the throat and shake you a little? Mulling over a decision: Should I connect with this nut job and keep reading?

I think it did.

Because for me it is the voice of A-9’s wise-cracking protagonist that is the key to this brilliantly told story.

As the piece unfolds you realise that this is not just a cold hearted, deranged and cynical psychopath but, after a cruel blow by fate, a wheelchair bound cripple. Who is hell-bent on bringing righteous vengeance to evil people.

What do you do with your life motherfucker???? ..........Sorry, I rant sometimes. Sorry, buddy. Keep reading. Please.

The killer is talking to you. Calling you buddy so you will set aside any preconceived ideas or prejudice; engage and listen to his story.

And, what an original tale it is.

A Los Angeles rock n roll ride: A hardboiled narrative, pared to the bone; sprinkled with deliciously dark and tragic humour. Spiced with a thirteen-year-old capuchin monkey helper with a porn habit, a rental chic that lets our killer hero have his wicked way free once a week, a transsexual surprised in the shower and a fight-dog execution scene.

I kill for extremely personal reasons. Starting with the individual who hit me with his black BMW, carrying me ten blocks on the grille, braking so I'd fall off, and gunning over top of me, shattering my neck, crushing my left arm and feet, and squashing my large intestine to mush. I can't digest much of anything, but my dick still works. Go figger.

But for me it is all about the voice.

Don’t just take my word for it; check it out. And when you have been blown away by Hard Bite check out M-N-S (n): murder-necrophilia-suicide at Plots with Guns and The Master Bedroom also at Beat to a Pulp.

Hard Bite is not just a one off. Anonymous-9 is a seriously talented writer, transcending the Crime and Horror genres. This mysterious lady has been nominated for a Spinetingler award for Best Short Story on the Web twice over (2009 & 2010); winning it once (2009).

My hat is doffed to you, A-9 and thanks for the entertainment!

And thank you, Al!

BIO:
Alan Griffiths, a rookie writer, hails from the badlands of South London, England. His fictional crimes can be found on websites such as: A Twist of Noir, Thrillers, Killers n Chillers and Radgepacket Online. His story, ‘Concrete Jungle’, features in the e-book anthology Discount Noir published by Untreed Reads. ‘Say Hello, Wave Goodbye’ will be published in the forthcoming Byker Books anthology: Radgepacket – Tales from the Inner Cities Volume 5. His literary hero is Ernie Wise and when the mood takes him he blogs at: http://britgrit.blogspot.com/

Lee Hughes says, "Thanks"...

2011-03-07T19:22:00.004Z

Lee has texted me with a heartfelt "Thanks" to all those of you who offered your support. Having now moved homes, he's sorted one of his 'issues', at least, and he hopes to be back on the net soon. I knew I could rely on you folks to help lift Lee's spirits, so hopefully we'll have him back in the near future.

LEE HUGHES, our friend... a rallying call...

2011-03-01T13:31:00.005Z

I've been in constant contact with 'The Big Man from the Isle of Man', and have just come off the phone to him. In brief, he's had a shitty run of luck in his personal life and has a few very important things to sort out.

He knows I'm doing this post, but he doesn't know I'm asking for you all to leave a comment below to give him that boost he currently needs - maybe your favourite story of Lee's, a funny moment shared, or just some good wishes.

For my small part, on my new website, I've just resurrected one of my favourite stories penned by Lee, from the archives of Thrillers, Killers 'n' Chillers... you can read it, rate it and comment here.

I know our fantastic online writing community will show this talented writer, and friend, just how much we care, to hopefully accelerate that day when he'll be back with us all again.

Thanks in advance,
Col

Thrillers, Killers 'n' Chillers' closed for submissions, but the show still goes on...

2011-02-28T14:45:00.005Z

Just a quickie to let you know that the award winning ezine I help run, with Matt Hilton and Lee Hughes, has closed for submissions until March 31st 2011. To read about a couple of changes to the site go here.

Guest's Crime Fiction Choice - Ian Ayris

2011-02-17T12:52:00.005Z

WARNING: X-rated language from the start...
Today's guest reviewer is fellow Brit, Ian, a talented yarn-spinner I admire, whose top notch stories seem to be popping up everywhere.

Ian Ayris's Crime Fiction Choice.

SAVANT by A.J. Hayes, A Twist of Noir, October 2010.

'Fuckin' guns. It's always fuckin' guns. They think they pull a fuckin' gun and everybody just goes shit that's a fuckin' gun and falls down.'

With an opening like that, you just know you're reading something special.

And it's like that all the way through. The writing. Sharp and nonchalant all at the same time. Breaking so many rules of convention yet making you think, no, this is how writing should be. This is how writing can be.

Savant introduces us to Jimmy, a twelve year old autistic kid with a penchant for, well, violence. We see him standing amidst bodies, the 'skinny black kid in the red shrift-store hoodie'.

The narrator, Jimmy's friend, Holmes, lets us in early on there's something special about Jimmy, something to be wary of. So when local drug lord Sanchez turns up and starts waving his gun around, we're just waiting. Waiting for Jimmy.

And Jimmy... Jimmy doesn't disappoint.

A brilliantly written and conceived tale that knocked me flat when I first read it, and continues to do so.

Talk about a writer finding his voice.

Fantastic.

Bio:
Ian Ayris has had over thirty short stories published both online and in print. He lives in London, with his wife and three children, and his debut novel 'Abide With Me' will be published through Caffeine Nights Publishing late 2011. Ian blogs at ianayris.blogspot.com and can be found on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/home.php#!/ian.ayris

Eight top notch "Guests' Stories" uploaded on my new website...

2011-02-10T19:57:00.009Z

Quality short fiction from eight accomplished writers over at my new website. Have a browse around the place and let me know what you think.

Constructive comments and 'star' ratings are actively encouraged.
http://colburysnewcrimefiction.wordpress.com/

Regards,
Col

Guest's Crime Fiction Choice - Jim J. Wilsky...

2011-02-09T01:40:00.010Z

Continuing this new feature is someone I've found to be... 'Gentleman Jim'...

Jim J. Wilsky's Crime Fiction Choice.

Go Cup by Matthew C. Funk – April 2010 at A Twist of Noir.

So many good short stories to pick from, but this one stands out for me. I like tense, I like the edge and waiting for that bad thing to happen. This story is an absolute must read. Matthew Funk has many great stories out there and I’ve enjoyed each one. However, Go Cup grabbed me by the neck and shook me around a little bit. The characters, the feel of the situation, and the dialogue was fantastic. The State Trooper, well, he was magnificent and a story in his own right.

I won’t go into the details but this story will hold you and not let go. It never hurts to be able to relate to a short story. Years ago, decades ago to be more precise, I had a pretty hot Camaro. One night on a dark country road a County Sheriff pulled up behind me out of nowhere. I was very young and had an open beer can between my legs, oh and traveling well over the speed limit. I had several speeding tickets already. Not a good situation. Someday, I’ll write something up on that little nightmare but I’ll be lucky to come even close to this fine short by Matthew Funk.

I can’t recommend it strongly enough or do it justice. Read and enjoy Go Cup if you haven’t already. You won’t be disappointed.

Jim J. Wilsky is a central Illinois native with a lifelong passion for writing and storytelling. He has written over 200 published and unpublished short stories. He is supported and strengthened by a wonderful wife and two beautiful daughters.
Jim blogs here...http://word-counts.blogspot.com/

P&E 'Best of 2010' Results...Unbelievable!

2011-02-04T07:51:00.012Z

Well, it was just nice to be nominated, but from the 32 nominees, I'm flabbergasted to announce that I actually won the 'Best Magazine/ezine Editor 2010'.

I humbly accept this award on behalf of Matt and Lee, as a reflection of the joint efforts we all put into running the site. (Final standings here)

Following on from our win in 2009, Thrillers, Killers 'n' Chillers, itself, did really well again, bagging 4th spot out of the 53 nominated fiction-zines. (Final standings here)

Other notable successes were...

Best horror short: Paul Brazill's 'Thump' (TKnC) came 13th out of 62 stories. 'What Doesn't Kill You' (Spook City) by Anthony Cowin finished 8th, and Jodi MacArthur managed two in the top 20 with 'Spindled Souls' (Flashes in the Dark) and 'Pillow Talk' (BEAT to a PULP).

In the other shorts category - Mr Brazill was at it again, making the top ten with 'Anger Management' (Powder Burn Flash). And another TKnC story came in at number 14 - 'Rigor Mortis' by Stephen D. Rogers.

I must add that I can think of many outstanding stories, ezines and editors who were not nominated... so next year let's ensure all your faves are in with a shout.

A massive thanks for all who took the trouble to vote and comment.

Regards,
Col

February Femmes Fatales over at The Feardom...

2011-02-01T17:22:00.008Z

There's a dark fiction extravaganza running throughout February, created by the inimitable Lily Childs, that's causing quite a stir within the blogosphere.

Desperate to take part, I tried to enter as 'Collette', but, alas, was thwarted by Lil! :)

Be sure to check in daily for a fantastic fiction feast from the February Femmes Fatales...

The secret's out... I have a new website...

2011-01-25T19:21:00.010Z

Not much of a secret, I know, but below is a 'Bury Bonus' for all aspiring crime writers so read on...

I was gonna keep the site under wraps, until I'd completed its construction, but a few beady-eyed sleuths spotted it! (Typical crime writers, eh?).

I wanted something, easy(ish) to manage, more like a website, to complement my blog, and Wordpress.com seemed ideal. So thanks to fellow writer, Jeanette Cheezum, for inadvertently introducing me to Wordpress.

I'm well pleased to have had permission from top notch writers, Lily Childs, Al Griffiths and Paul D. Brazill to re-publish a cracking story apiece, under the 'Guest's Stories' tab. And that's just for starters! Be sure to check out their quality fiction, comment, and rate them out of 5-stars.

Oh, 'n' I've uploaded ten of my own shorts for you to devour if you're hungry.

And the 'Bury Bonus'... My American agent has subscribed to the site and will be reading the short fiction on there and offering comments now 'n' then. He's informed me he enjoys short fiction, but is actually on the lookout for 'crime driven novels'.

So, if you get an invitation from me asking your permission to showcase one of your shorts in the future... who knows...?

Pop over for a nosey here... http://colburysnewcrimefiction.wordpress.com/

Preditors & Editors 'Best of 2010' Polls... update...

2011-01-24T09:16:00.004Z

Well, with only two days of voting to go, the clock is ticking, and we're extremely proud to announce that out of the 51 nominated fictionzines for 2010, Thrillers, Killers 'n' Chillers is a very respectable 4th at the moment. Up to January 26th, you can vote for your fave here.

Also, I'm both stunned and ecstatic, that from the 31 zine editors on the list, I sit proudly in 3rd place. Wow! There are many deserving editors of some cracking ezines to choose from - cast your vote here.

Browsing through the categories I spotted many of my online friends, especially in the short story sections... Paul D. Brazill, Anthony Cowin and Jodi MacArthur, to name a few. If you have time, have a nosey here, and for the current standings go here.

Many thanks to those of you who have taken the time to show your support.

Regards,
Col

Guest's Crime Fiction Choice - Chris Rhatigan...

2011-01-20T05:15:00.008Z

I'd like to welcome Chris, who's the first to join me in this new feature...

Chris Rhatigan's Crime Fiction Choice.

Too Beautiful by Patricia Abbott - in the winter issue of Dark Valentine Magazine.

If you haven’t checked out Dark Valentine yet, you’re missing out. This newish quarterly is always packed full of top shelf short fiction and gorgeous, colorful art.

Patti Abbott is known as one of the best crime fiction short story writers around right now and Too Beautiful highlights her many talents. The story concerns the perfectionist ice queen, Natalie, and her thoughtful, neurotic husband, Paul. They have a complicated relationship, which appears to be heading south when Natalie falls off a train platform and is killed. Or did she fall? Or was she pushed?

Instead of taking the tried-and-true whodunit track, Abbott primarily deals with Paul’s reaction to his wife’s death. (Don’t want to give away too much more, as there are a couple of a nice surprises in here.) This proves to be a perfectly paced, well-plotted piece with convincing characters and a satisfying conclusion. It’s everything a short story should be.

Chris Rhatigan is a writer based in Iowa City, who reviews crime fiction and blogs at Death by Killing.

'Preditors & Editors Readers Poll'... TK'n'C nominated... & little old me ... jeez!

2011-01-13T13:38:00.015Z

TK'n'C, sure... but ME...? Anyway, voting is open until January 26th 2011. If you wanna vote for Thrillers, Killers 'n' Chillers - or any of the other fine sites listed - as the best fiction e-zine of 2010 go here... http://www.critters.org/predpoll/fictionzine.shtml

And if you really think I was last year's best e-zine editor (then keep taking the tablets!) - vote here... http://www.critters.org/predpoll/zineeditor.shtml

You have to scroll down a tad to reach the list and you do have to verify each vote with your email address, but 'Critters Workshop', who run the poll, is a trustworthy site and doesn't send spam.

Note: If there is another site/editor you feel should be on the list, then you can nominate them too (Matt Hilton & Chris Grant are pretty damn good).

Regards,
Col

Col Bury's Crime Fiction Choice... with a twist!

2011-01-12T08:58:00.011Z

This time I've chosen my top five shorts from 2010, but the punchy reviews aren't here. Why? Chris Rhatigan kindly invited me to join his series, 'My Top Five for 2010', over at his cool blog, Death by Killing. So I thought, 'Two birds, one stone...' 'n' all that. They're all crackers, I promise - the link is below my choices.

Col Bury's Crime Fiction Choice #13 - THE WATCHER by A.J. Humpage

Col Bury's Crime Fiction Choice #14 - CARPACCIO by Lily Childs

Col Bury's Crime Fiction Choice #15 - AN URBAN MYTH by David Barber

Col Bury's Crime Fiction Choice #16 - UNITED WE FALL by Sean Patrick Reardon

Col Bury's Crime Fiction Choice #17 - THE LIARS OF THE LAUGHING CITY by Richard Godwin

http://death-by-killing.blogspot.com/2011/01/top-five-for-2010-col-bury.html

Ps. If you fancy reading all my Crime Fiction Choice's to date, then click here.

NEXT TIME THERE WILL BE ANOTHER EVEN TWISTIER TWIST! :)

BLOGFLASH... And the new Flash Fiction Offensive editor is...

2011-01-10T23:25:00.004Z

Fellow Mancunian 'n' all round good egg, DAVID BARBER! This is fantastic news, since my old school mate has only really been on the scene for about 18 months. What an impact he's made, and what an achievement!
I'm so proud of you, Dave. CONGRATS and GOOD LUCK!

Read Dave's own take on things here.

Pretty please with sugar on top !

2011-01-07T20:33:00.000Z

I'm on me own for a couple of weeks over at Thrillers, Killers 'n' Chillers, so I asked our contributors to go easy, using one of my favourite quotes: Harvey Cartel in Pulp Fiction...

Do Some Damage 'Christmas Noir Challenge' featuring my new short... SNAKES 'N' LADDERS...

2011-01-02T20:23:00.007Z

Over at cool crime fiction site, DO SOME DAMAGE, there are some 'Christmas Crackers' (sorry) in their Christmas Noir Challenge.

Never one to shirk a challenge, I came up with SNAKE 'N' LADDERS, and I'm honoured to be included. If you fancy a nosey, here's the link.

Ps. All feedback welcome, unless it's negative! :)

HAPPY NEW YEAR... plus some musings on 2010.

2010-12-31T17:17:00.005Z

So 2010 draws to a close. Personally, it's been a tough year mentally and I've learned a few lessons along the way (more on this below). After somehow fitting in a total rewrite - plus edits - of my crime novel, under the able tutorship of my agent, alongside a jam-packed family life, full-time work and editing webzine, Thrillers, Killers 'n' Chillers, I managed to keep my head above water... just! In between I also penned a dozen or so short stories, some of which made it into anthologies, others featured in webzines, and four recent ones are currently under consideration as I try to branch out to newer 'markets'.

Meanwhile, my beloved Manchester City are making steady progress near the top after 34 years of waiting! Perhaps I'm mirroring them with the writing journey, and 'success' awaits...?

Who knows what 2011 will hold for any of us? I'm still in that limbo of wondering whether my endeavours will prove fruitful. Maybe the global credit crunch is having a major impact on publishers committing to new authors. Or, perhaps, I'm just a shit writer!

The wait to find out has taught me a couple of important things, and they 'spring to mind' as cliches - guess that's why these cliches were initially coined.

Keep your feet on the ground... always. Never count your chickens... Don't put all your eggs in one basket. And the most crucial ones of all for wannabes... Never lose sight of the importance of family. Look after and appreciate your bread and butter - your job that pays the mortgage, because writing won't... not for a long time, if ever. Sacrifice, yeah, but get your priorities right.

I kinda new these things already, but this wait for news (it was mental torture at first to a sensitive soul such as little old me, but now I'm easy) has reminded me big time of my responsibility to my wonderful wife and kids.

HOWEVER, writing is my passion. I MUST do it. So I will continue with belief and enthusiasm. And, to end on another cliche: patience (most definitely) is a virtue.

A hearty thanks to all those of you who've offered support and words of wisdom throughout 2010. Have lovely New Year celebrations with your families, and may your individual 2011's be propserous.

Regards,
Col

Ps. This was initially gonna be me saying which crime stories, shows and novels I'd enjoyed in 2010, but, as us Mancunians say, 'I went off on one!' :)

Merry Christmas 'n' Happy Holidays...

2010-12-24T00:09:00.002Z

The kids are buzzing 'n' daddy's got the beers in! To all my friends throughout the blogosphere... have a good 'n'.

Cheers,
Col

Richard Godwin's first novel, APOSTLE RISING, sounds like an absolute cracker...

2010-12-21T13:33:00.011Z

Just listened attentively to fellow writer, Richard Godwin, being interviewed over on 'The Authors Show' about his first novel, APOSTLE RISING. It's out in March 2011, but I, for one, eagerly anticipate its release because I've a strong feeling it could be one the best first novels of 2011.
Accomplished speaker Richard explains all in his own inimitable way here.

Ps. Thanks to Ian Ayris for the heads up.

Blog posts well worth a nosey...

2010-12-10T15:24:00.010Z

On my travels around the blogosphere, I stumbled across a couple of things particularly worth sharing. So, in case you missed them, do check out the nostalgic and intriguing 'podcast' posted by John McFetridge over at crime blog Do Some Damage. It's a 4-part conversation between writing legends, Ian Fleming and Raymond Chandler! It really is unmissable.

The Ian Fleming and Raymond Chandler 'podcast'

Also, on Nicola Morgan's blog there's a link to editor Lynn Price's candid views, including pitfalls and a reality check on how tough this industry can be.

When a Contract is Cancelled.

Catch you all soon,
Regards,
Col

Col Bury's Crime Fiction Choice...

2010-11-27T10:01:00.018Z

Col Bury's Crime Fiction Choice #10

CHARLES IN CHARGE - by Sean Patrick Reardon

Sean chose the rarely used 2nd POV for this Halloween short over at TKnC, and expertly pulled it off.

When a family man fighting his demons takes a trip to the fairground with his teenage daughter, things go horribly wrong, culminating in an unexpected denouement.

Col Bury's Crime Fiction Choice #11

PILLOW TALK - by Jodi MacArthur

Found this beaut over at Beat to a Pulp. From the title, I initially thought it was gonna be a cosy number, but how wrong could I be?

The central character, Henrietta, has to be one of the most disturbing female protags I've read in any short around. Fierce, yet unembellished, in its delivery, this creepy tale will keep you shuddering long after the final word.

Col Bury's Crime Fiction Choice #12

SLASH AND BURN - by Matt Hilton

In the third of the Joe Hunter crime thriller series, Matt Hilton provides the compulsory action, bullets, explosions and body count. However this time, not only is it sprinkled with dark humour, but also a pleasantly surprising touch of romance for tough guy Hunter, which adds further story depth.

In this adventure, Hunter is up against a murderous businessman (Huffman) who has kidnapped Hunter's dead, Special Forces friend's sister in a bid to save the former's corrupt empire from crumbling. If this isn't enough, the formidable Bolan twins on Hunter's tail remind me of Heavyweight Champs, the Klitschko brothers.

When reading a novel it's preferable to learn something new, and here I could certainly tell from the face-to-face combat that it was penned by a martial arts expert. The author is the first to concede it won't be everyone's cuppa, but if you like escaping via entertaining, dynamic prose and the thrill of the chase - in this case, from Florida through to Little Fork, Kentucky - then look no further than Slash and Burn.

Col Bury's Crime Fiction Choice... resurrected!

2010-11-22T19:50:00.005Z

A little over a year ago I started punchy reviews of short stories and flash fiction I'd enjoyed around the net. However, with my own novel writing, added to hectic family life, a demanding full-time job, plus co-editing Thrillers, Killers 'n' Chillers, although I enjoyed doing it, I had no 'choice' - pardon the pun - and it was placed on the proverbial back burner.

Well, it's back! But this time I'll be including crime thriller/mystery novels. Check back later in the week for Col Bury's Crime Fiction Choice numbers 10, 11 & 12.

If you can't wait (yeah, right!), see the first nine here. And remember, I only choose stuff I really loved reading and want to recommend to friends.

REMEMBER...

2010-11-11T22:58:00.002Z

PLEASE GOD....

2010-11-10T18:15:00.005Z

Manchester features heavily in the crime novel I've written, and my Detective Inspector Jack Striker is obviously a fanatical blue (well, they say write what you know).

Currently the city is abuzz with banter regarding tonight's Manchester derby versus our illustrious (and somewhat spoilt!) neighbours, Man.United. As always my beloved Man.City are underdogs, so I've got everything crossed they don't 'do us' by snatching a last minute winner (in Fergie time!), like they did in three of the four derbies last season.

Just setting off with my lad now... please God...

UPDATE:
What an anti-climax. For those of you interested, it was a bore-draw...nil-nil... orchestrated by two fearful managers, especially ours sadly. But at least we didn't lose and the pee-taking will be tempered somewhat... THANK GOD.

HAPPY HALLOWEEN, FOLKS... fancy some topical flash?

2010-10-31T19:26:00.009Z

Well, not much reading or writing done tonight, as I've been up 'n' down answering the door and I'm all out of treats. That'll teach me to stick a pumpkin in me front window, eh? Whatever happened to the old Halloween songs...? Now the kids just grab a handful 'n' do one - maybe that's the 'trick' part? And some of them were bigger than me, so I'm not arguing!

Anyway, my kids love dressing up and I hope those of you with - or without - children have a had a good time. Why not round it off with some topical crime fiction? Check out a tasty Halloween treat by Sean Patrick Reardon over at Thrillers, Killers 'n' Chillers, or my resurrected flash below...

Happy Halloween, Officer

‘The target is taking a left, left, onto Market Street. Temporary loss…’

‘Stick with him, John. I’m ten metres behind. Louey’s in position opposite.’

‘Okay, Morse. Got eyeball again. He’s speeding up. Right, right, down Back Piccadilly. Temporary loss…’

‘Let’s just nail the scumbag. With blood on his jacket, he’s obviously bang at it,’ said Louey, thinking of the pending paperwork and the fact he should’ve been taking the kids to a Halloween party. Fat chance.

‘Be patient, Louey. Wait…eyeball again. He’s just turned left, left, into an alleyway. And, watch it, it’s dark down here.’

‘Right behind you, John,’ said Morse.

Louey shuddered in the meagre moonlight as the night wafted its chill down Back Piccadilly.

John’s voice, a whisper now. ‘Left, left, into the alleyway. Even darker now…shit!’

The scream halted Louey. ‘John? You okay?’ Adrenaline flooded his veins, his heart-rate doubling.

Morse’s misshapen figure did a swift left into the alleyway.

‘What the fuck? No…pleeease…’ crackled through his earpiece.

Louey withdrew his baton and torch then sprinted.

Torchlight revealed Morse on the floor, a shadowy shape stooped over him. Louey raised his baton.

A squelchy noise made him lift the beam higher. He froze on seeing the target’s blood-swilled face and manic smile - John pinned up against the wall, his neck gaping dark crimson.

Shuffling behind. Louey pivoted, shined the beam.

Bloody fangs grinned at him. His last thought was of his kids.

‘Happy Halloween, Officer.’

Got a taste for it...? Then pop over to Erin Cole's blog and sample her fantastic 13 Days of Horror, but feel free to comment before you go.

An interview with crime thriller author, Adrian Magson...

2010-10-24T21:37:00.009+01:00

I've been looking forward to picking Adrian's brains (especially since watching Hannibal!), as Mr Magson is one of those writers who's been there, done it 'n' got the T-shirt. He recently showed that hard work and perseverance does pay off with a well-deserved double two-book deal.

Q1) You have a reputation of being one of the nicest and most supportive authors around. Having had the pleasure of meeting you a few times, I can firmly concur. But for the people who haven't had this pleasure, could you give us a potted history of how you got into writing, and your early successes and failures?

You trying to make me blush? Potted history: I started writing short stories when I was in my teens, and sold the first one - a crime caper called 'Hole in One' - to a London newspaper when I was 19. Decided I'd got it made... but it was three years before I sold another one! I think that's what's called a reality check. After that, I spent years writing in my spare time while holding down a variety of day jobs. My early sales were mostly to women's magazines, and that's how I continued. It was the most active market for selling short fiction at the time - and still is - and a really good apprenticeship in learning how to write for a specific market, which was romantic and relationship stories (I even wrote under a female pseudonym for some years). I also wrote several novels which didn't sell, probably for good reason. Apart from shorts, I wrote features for magazines here and abroad, wrote some comedy material for Roy Hudd, a short play which was performed at the Oxford Literary Festival, and in between that wrote slogans for t-shirts and scripts for greetings cards (both for companies in the US). In short, I was a writing tart, picking up work wherever I could while still adding to my world-class collection of rejection slips.

Q2) You do a regular slot called 'Beginners' in Writing Magazine, and another interviewing debut authors ... how did these come about?

Luck and circumstance. My name was put forward by Liz Smith of My Weekly when someone else dropped out. I'd written a lot of different things for Liz by then, so she knew I could turn my hand to it and meet deadlines. By then, I had some insights to share both as a beginner and a more experienced writer, and knew what worked. But I also knew that writing is as much about getting your bum on a seat and doing it, not simply talking about it or having a fluency with the language and grammar. And that's the way it's been ever since. It also led on to me teaching creative writing, which was another string to the bow. The profiling of debut authors came later.

Q3) Before your recent double success, you had a few novels out. How did they do?

That was a series of five books between 2004 and 2008 (the Riley Gavin/Frank Palmer crime novels) based in and around London. The two main leads were a woman reporter and her sidekick, a former Redcap. They did reasonably well (I was described by the publisher as their best-seller), and I got some great reviews here and in the US, where they did well in libraries.

Q4) So how does it feel to get TWO 2-book deals after years of trying?

Even better than one two-book deal! That was down to luck and a good agent (David Headley). I decided in 2008 that I wanted to switch genres to write a contemporary spy series (always supposing I could sell the first book, anyway). That was 'Red Station', featuring MI5 officer, Harry Tate. I completed the book and gave it to David and continued writing, this time a French police thriller - basically to see if I could, as I didn't normally write procedurals. By the time David sold 'Red Station' to Severn House, I'd finished 'Death on the Marais', which features Inspector Lucas Rocco, and he promptly sold that, too, to Allison & Busby - all within 48 hours. It was a lesson I'd learned writing for magazines: don't ever stop writing because you never know if someone will say "What else have you got...?" (see also with an early manuscript below). Fortunately, Severn House have just asked me to sign a contract for two more books in the Harry Tate series, so that takes me into 2012. I was particularly pleased to be with both publishers because Severn House are very strong in the library and trade paperback markets here and in the US, and A&B have a very strong crime list - the best of both worlds for me. And they're both such a pleasure to work with.

Q5) Give us a blurb on Red Station and tell us about Harry Tate?
Red Station is basically a 'what if' thriller. What if a character who usually follows orders is put in a situation where he finds himself at odds with his employers? In this case, Intelligence officer Harry Tate finds himself betrayed and marked down for termination because of departmental expediency. Harry is a former soldier, loyal Security Services (MI5) officer, and when a drugs bust goes bad and two civilians are shot dead, he's hustled out of the country to avoid embarrassing media questions. His new posting is called Red Station in Georgia, and he's under a No Contact Rule, which means he's off the radar and being watched closely. What his bosses haven't told him, though, is that Red Station is a punishment posting for washed-out spooks from MI5 and MI6... and Harry won't be coming home again.
Of course, in the best tradition of thrillers, Harry decides to fight back. While writing this, incidentally (and to show we can't make anything up, no matter how hard we try), I'd just written the scene where Harry arrives at Red Station and asks his new station chief what he's supposed to be doing there (it's a remote spot with little obvious strategic interest). He's told to keep his eyes and ears open because the Russians are coming (well, they're always good for a threat in a spy thriller, aren't they?) Three or four days after writing this scene, I turned on the television to find that the Russians had marched across the border into Georgia. Surprised is putting it mildly, because it threw me into a spin. This was now old news. Do I carry on or junk it? I decided to carry on, mainly because I hate throwing anything away, and just because Vlad Putin was feeling spitty, why should I dump a good story? In the end, it actually helped fasten the story more firmly to a specific place and time, and gave Harry a greater reason for breaking out and having what my wife Ann calls his MacGyver moment.

Q6) Lucas Rocco is a French cop. Cool name, by the way. Why did you choose this location and was there a lot of research involved? Plus, did it conflict with the very different spy novel starring Harry Tate, or were they written years apart?

I was partly educated in France (my parents lived there for 20 years from the late 50s), so a lot of the research was more in the way of cross-checking and reminding myself of facts. 'Death on the Marais' - the first book in the series - is set in the 1960s, which was a period of huge upheaval and change in France, so a volatile pot for me to write about. The central character, Lucas Rocco, is a French police inspector. I chose the name because I wanted one that English-speaking readers could relate to, and one which fitted the character. Rocco has a tough sound and Lucas is a French-sounding name, too, although mostly pronounced locally without the 's'. As a character, he's tall and dark, dresses impeccably in imported clothes and for all sorts of reasons stands out from the pack. The Plot: As part of a new nationwide policing initiative to spread investigative resources throughout the regions, Rocco is sent from his base in Paris to Picardie in rural northern France. He has to cope with totally different circumstances, different procedures and people, and his new boss, Commissaire Massin, was his former commanding officer in Indochina (France's own Vietnam), whom he last saw having an attack of cowardice and cowering in a foxhole, and had to drag to safety. This places Rocco in an awkward position with plenty of potential conflict between them, but that's part of the plot. Rocco is not only dealing with new situations, but is now faced with the worst one - that of a boss who'd rather see the back of him. And when he finds the body of woman in a British military cemetery, and she turns out to be the daughter of a highly-placed industrialist and former SOE officer with a big secret to hide, his situation worsens because Rocco is not one to back down when it comes to solving a case. It's a very different book to and was written straight after I'd finished 'Red Station'. I simply put on another head and got on with it. That sounds a little glib, maybe, but after years of writing all manner of different things, I've got used to compartmentalising and focussing on the current job in hand.
For various reasons 'Death on the Marais' involved more research and fact-checking than 'Red Station', but maybe that helped me NOT get the two confused. Mind you, I'm not saying I didn't wake up now and then and wonder who the hell I was writing about.

Q7) Akin to our mutual friend Matt Hilton, it seems your best successes to date have sprung from your creation of 'series characters'. Did you have this in mind from the outset, or was it a conscious change of tack?

A: Absolutely. I like writing series characters, because if it works well, it's a great way to build a core of readers. As you know first-hand, Matt Hilton can certainly attest to that, and he's building a very extensive and loyal following for his Joe Hunter series. I like reading series novels, anyway (Lee Child, Robert Crais, John Sandford, Matt H, Tony Black, to name a few) so I understand the pleasure in getting the latest instalment, to see where the characters go next. I still have people asking when the next Riley Gavin will be out, which is very flattering (the answer is, they're on an extended break) and now have readers asking when the next Lucas Rocco or Harry Tate book is due. That is a real buzz.

Q8) Clearly persistence has paid off in your case, but have you any advice for all the wannabe authors out there?

A: KEEP WRITING. That's the main one. You never know when something will happen, so don't sit on your laurels and wait for your one writing project to be bought, whether it's a short story, feature or book. The moment the completed one hits the mailbox, start another. I once sent off a thriller many many years ago to a big publisher and got a 'Not this one - but what else have you written?' rejection letter. Trouble was, I was away from home a huge amount at the time, and when I was able to write, was working on a typewriter (that's a mechanical device rather like a PC but without electricity or memory) and hadn't got anything else to show them. By the time I did have, the editor had retired. That was really tough, because what he'd been saying was, 'I quite like your style and would like to see something else'. A lost opportunity? Possibly. I certainly thought so. So I got working. Before I got my first novel published (2004) I wrote all those others things, and often had up to 40 short stories circulating in the market here and overseas, as well as trying out comedy scripts, plays, gags - even drawing cartoons. It probably comes from my sales background, where I learned the art of accepting rejection as a 'not this time' rather than a 'never', and worked on the basis that the more I did, the more likely I'd be successful one day. For me, that still holds true . Luck is a core ingredient in any creative job, but someone - I forget who - was right on the button when they said "The harder I work, the luckier I get."

Q9) So what's next for Adrian Magson?

A: I'm currently writing what I call 'Rocco 2', as well as thinking hard about 'Harry Tate 3' (Harry 2, called 'Tracers', comes out in March). I also have some short stories on the boil and a non-fiction book in mind. That sounds like a recipe for mental implosion, I know, but it's the way I work. Coffee helps.
In the meantime, thank you, Col, for kindly giving me this opportunity.

Adrian, it was an absolute pleasure, and thank YOU for providing us with your inspirational words of wisdom.

Adrian's website.

Feeling lucky, punk? My new story, LUCKY SHIT, over at A Twist Of Noir...

2010-10-15T18:18:00.003+01:00

Christopher Grant's 600 to 700 Challenge rolls on over at A Twist Of Noir, and number 608 (words) is my turn. Feel free to pop over and comment at ATON or below.

Ps. In a rare, but rather large, cock-up, I had to re-submit due to formatting issues and, while cutting 'n' pasting, I missed off the last line... I'll reveal it (my last line, not my....!) in a subsequent post, and you can tell me if it was required or not, as I still feel the current ending works.

Ian Rankin interview... over at author, Nicola Morgan's blog...

2010-10-14T19:44:00.003+01:00

UK's number one crime novelist, Ian Rankin, creator of 'Rebus', gives some cracking insights into how he struggled to make it to the very top (not Rebus - Rankin!). A must-read for all aspiring crime writers - well, any writers actually - over at author Nicola Morgan's blog. Nicola has a wealth of knowledge on writing and the publishing industry, and regularly offers pertinent advice. Have a nosey here...

A TWIST... over at A TWIST OF NOIR...

2010-10-10T14:28:00.003+01:00

Christopher Grant, the editor of top American ezine A Twist Of Noir, has a new 600 to 700 (words) 'challenge' beginning Monday 11th October. It's not a contest as such, more of a test to see if writers can keep things punchy.

Personally, I think it's a refreshingly creative idea, and I'm sure it'll prove a resounding success. Obviously, it's an honour to be playing a small part myself, alongside some seriously talented fellow scribes.

Here's the line up... 600 to 700 Challenge.

HIT THE NORTH!... Paul Brazill interviews little old me...

2010-10-02T22:13:00.005+01:00

My latest interview is up over on prolific writer, Paul Brazill's blog, You Would Say That, Wouldn't You? It's part of his popular 'HIT THE NORTH!' series, whereby he speaks with writers from the north of England.

I chat about my crime novel, living in Manchester, and co-editing ezine Thrillers, Killers 'n' Chillers.

If you fancy a nosey, just click the here.

Regards,
Col

Ps. The photo is of the Beetham Tower in Manchester city centre.

Laugh? I nearly bought a round...

2010-09-29T10:44:00.007+01:00

Since I'm finding this 'wondering' state somewhat torturous, I thought I'd lighten the mood with three punchy jokes. I have my own favourite, but would be interested to know what my friends around the blogosphere think, in a not-so-scientific test on humour...

1) Bloke threw a block of cheese at me.
I said to him, "That's not very mature."

2) Sausage and an egg in a frying pan...
Sausage says to the egg, "Hot in 'ere, innit, mate?"
Egg replies, "Bloody'ell, a talking sausage!"

3) Two birds sat on a perch. One asks the other, "Can you smell fish?"

What? Don't give up the day job, Col? Okay, but let me know your favourite, so I can re-visit the lab and assess the results. :)

Eastern Standard Crime is back... plus a few musings...

2010-09-18T08:52:00.012+01:00

Geoff Eighinger is re-opening Eastern Standard Crime on October 1st. I have fond memories of the site, as my short FORUM OF FURY was given a very positive review there once upon a time. Plus, several writer friends received acclaim for their stories on the likes of Thrillers, Killers 'n' Chillers and A Twist Of Noir. I recall TKnC actually winning a 'Bullet Award' from ESC in August 2009, as did, the somewhat stunned, David Barber for one of his first published stories, SORRY LOVE. I blogged about it here on TKnC.

However, to avoid the burnout that saw Geoff close the site last year, he will be only reviewing crime novels from North American writers (sighs). Who knows, he may branch out to the Brits one day (hint, hint, Geoff).

To diverge, may I thank all my blog friends who chose to spread the word about my recent good news of earning representation from highly-respected New York agent, Nat Sobel.

Also, I had a lovely surprise earlier in the week when EVEN MORE TONTO SHORT STORIES slapped onto the hallway mat. It contains my first ever story in print, the gritty, no-nonsense, MOPPING UP - which introduces characters from my crime novel, including Detective Inspector Jack Striker. In a welcome twist of fate, I'm honoured to be sharing the pages with Matt Hilton, whose story THE SKIN WE'RE IN is well worth a nosey.

Thanks, too, to Matt Hilton, who assisted me with my crime postings over at TKnC, as I've been particularly busy lately. There has been a flurry of posts recently and you may have missed some excellent stories, including some cracking debuts, so why not check out the last dozen or so? You won't be disappointed. And please let the writers know what you thought, constructively! http://thrillskillsnchills.blogspot.com/
I'm rambling, so catch you soon... hopefully with good news on my crime novel, which is doing the rounds...

Regards,
Col

Hooking up, with a trio of writer buds...

2010-09-15T04:51:00.002+01:00

Recently I took a hard-earned break and headed up to Scotland to spend some time with my long-time writing bud, David Barber. It was great to finally see where Dave and his lovely family lived, and to take in the stunning scenery up in 'the heart of Scotland'. The snapshot (top left) was taken a stone's throw from Dave's home. And, despite Dave positioning himself, on that rock, to look taller than I, we all know the truth. The cool dude at the front is my lad. It seemed fitting to celebrate the finishing of my crime novel and the good news on the agent front, with my old school pal. We had a damn good laugh, 'chewed the fat' about writing, and I sampled not only a few bottles of a dark Scottish ale, but also Dave's age-old whisky. Needless to say, I can't recall much else of my trip!However, one place I couldn't forget was Loch Lubnaig, where Dave says he beat me at skimming stones. Funny how every time I did a 'sixer' or 'niner' he seemed to be looking away, so it didn't count. Dave 'n' Lisa took us all over the place during our short stay... to several lochs, water falls, castles, a wildlife park, and Rob Roy's grave, to name a few. And our kids got on just great. One thing's for sure: we'll be back again next year.
On our return I couldn't possibly miss out on hooking up with a man who's been not only a great mate, but also an inspiration to me, and many other aspiring writers... thriller author, Matt Hilton. We met in Carlisle and, as a thank you for all his support, I bought him 'dinner'. We celebrated my recent good news in true northern style... with a cappuccino at McDonalds! (The champagne's on ice - just hope it dunt melt).
Then we were off again, eastwards, to a family wedding in Lincoln, which was thoroughly enjoyable. However, since the kids wanted to see The Humber Bridge, and I wanted to meet up with another writing bud, we took the scenic route home, and headed for Hull... Nick Quantrill territory...
Hands up if you've ever played football on the shores of the The Humber with a crime novelist... Yep, Nick, me lad 'n' I did just that, as we had a good old chinwag about this writing lark and the (mis)fortunes of our respective footy teams: Hull and Manchester City. At 1.4 miles long, the Humber Bridge is mightily impressive, akin to the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco. But I think that's where the similarities with Hull end! Nuff said.

It was great to see Dave, Matt 'n' Nick, three better lads you couldn't wish to meet.

Ps. 'Stuff' is happening re' the novel, but I'm frankly too scared to tempt fate. It's somewhat surreal, as I'm at the 'wondering' stage in a kind of torturous limbo...

BLOG-FLASH...New York agent, Nat Sobel, has 'signed up' little old me...!!!

2010-08-23T16:36:00.008+01:00

But things could've been so very different...

Around October 2009 I heard from A Twist Of Noir Editor, Christopher Grant, that a powerhouse in the publishing world was hunting on the internet for new talent. I believe Chris put forward a few names, and, being the type of genuine guy who looks out for his mates, Chris kindly pointed Nat Sobel in the direction of Thrillers, Killers 'n' Chillers. Matt Hilton gave me the heads up that Nat Sobel had described my writing as 'impressive' and informed me to expect an email. Gulp, I thought, recalling what Nat had done for Stuart Neville and The Ghosts of Belfast.

Now then, obviously the tingle of excitement was there, but I heard absolutely nothing for a few weeks, yet there were rumbles in the blogosphere that other writers had been invited to send stuff to Nat.

Then it struck me like a slap in the face...

While co-editing TKnC, Matt 'n' I were receiving lots of spam per day, as our emails were on the site for all to see 'n' abuse... I had deleted Nat Sobel's email!

Had I blown my big chance before it had begun? In early November I wrote Nat an email designed to resurrect my chances, and thankfully, he requested the first pages of my crime novel. However, those pages changed several times, with Nat looking for 'improvement'. I later sent him the whole novel and he suggested many, many changes.

By early 2010, when Nat asked me to basically start from scratch, my head nearly popped! It was very heavy going, but I soldiered on, and re-sent it. When many more changes were suggested it nearly sent me under! If I change that bit, then that bit doesn't make sense... I was tired from work... the kids kept interrupting me... the dog kept interrupting me... the wife kept interrupting me... sleep kept inter'... you get the message. My family have been brilliant throughout and I sincerely appreciate their patience.

I did the changes, and noticed the novel was taking shape and reading better. A couple of months ago, I sent off draft three. The waits in between each draft being sent were torturous. Expecting a, 'No, you're shit really, and this was a big mistake.' It came back requiring more edits... so I did them, wondering when I'd actually reach a point when it would be good enough.

Last night at 3.00 am (I write better at night) my email pinged with Nat's response to draft four... That tingle of excited again... "...It seems to me that you have done all the work I’ve asked for... We are going forward... My plans for the novel are... ...I can’t guarantee publication, but I am going to really try...."

I didn't cry (okay there was a solitary tear, but don't tell Nat!), but my relief was tangible.

Nothing has happened yet, I know, but big steps have been taken on this steep learning curve, and I am honoured to be represented by someone as experienced and professional as Nat Sobel. And it's fair to say that he squeezed this novel out of me.

I would like to thank all my friends in the blogosphere for your support and encouragement, in particular those I'm in daily contact with - you know who you are.

Also a big shout to Chris Grant for the fateful role he played. And who says networking doesn't work?

The moral of the story is... check your spam before clicking delete!

Regards,
Col

Ps. Off to Scotland for a few days for a rest :)

Proof of stamina...my crime novel... 'completed', at last.

2010-08-16T08:51:00.009+01:00

After twenty years of spasmodically learning my craft, last Sunday - August 8th - saw a huge, psychological milestone reached for little old me... the completion of the crime novel, I'd tentatively started in early 2007. BUT, the 'journey' wasn't without its 'moments'... 89,300 words of sweat, tears, tantrums and turmoil!

A year later, I hit a brick wall, plot-wise, at 41,000 words. Dispirited, frustrated and doubting I had the stamina to write a novel, I left it for a while.

Around April 2008, I began a second novel that had been pecking to be created for months. It included many of the same characters as my first attempt, but was set some years later. My enthusiasm for this story was boundless... initially.

As the 41,000 word milestone loomed, I began to encounter similar problems... stamina and enthusiasm fading, as I struggled, 'head-poppingly', with plot... again!

In August 2008 my great friend, thriller writer Matt Hilton, suggested I start a blog, post some short stories - I had loads of ideas for them - and get some feedback. So I took an audibly deep breath and took Matt's advice, thinking, But I've only ever shown my writing to me pets n me mum before now...eeek! However, positive feedback spurred me on, keeping the dream alive. Maybe I could write, after all... but could I write a novel?

In a eureka moment, in early 2009 , I decided I could merge the two 'half-novels' together. This was very tricky, but I managed it... well, sort of. Chopping and cutting, re-writing and editing, until I had a mishmash of 70-odd thousand words... but, alas, it still wasn't right.

There was a point where, despite my tenacity and ambition - or because of it? - I had to pull away from it all, as it was becoming too much. But that's when you know who your friends are, right? Many offered encouragement and I'm truly thankful, but there were four in particular, who have been constant throughout, and had more faith in me than I probably had myself... my brother, Dek, Dave Barber, Lee Hughes and Matt Hilton - cheers, lads!

A couple of trusted friends gave me feedback, and liked it (but they would, I hear you say!). By this stage, my confidence was up, due to having successes with numerous short stories accepted for e-zines, plus a few online competition wins, and even bagging slots in three anthologies. However, two other factors, in keeping me upbeat and focussed, were crucial too. The growing success of Thrillers, Killers 'n' Chillers, whereby I read and edited many top notch stories, and had contact with some really talented writers. Plus, the online writers' group, Writers' News Talkback, where I found, not only encouragement in abundance, but also many genuine friends.
Obviously, the followers and commenters (except the Chinese porn trolls) on this blog have been a Godsend as well.

So, in summary, the writing community within the blogosphere kept me going, and pushed me that extra mile. Well, that, and the fact I'm a stubborn old git! :)

And so, I kept my head down, between work, the kids, and life, rattling the keyboard and, after much turmoil, the result is... proof, to myself more than anyone, that I do have the stamina to complete a novel.

This is sounding like an acceptance speech at the Oscars, and I've done nothing yet! But it's a really big deal, to me, getting to this point, after looking like it was impossible. I have high hopes for this book. I'd say it's a third draft, but in reality it's probably a sixth or seventh draft. No doubt, there'll be more tweaking to do in the future, too.

And, yes, someone is currently reading it... and it's not me mum! Can't say anything yet, in case it goes tits up, but watch this space...

Regards,
Col

Ps. I'm still undecided on the title, so feel free to vote on your favourite, top right.

My fiction debut in print... Even More Tonto Short Stories, publication date announced...

2010-07-23T10:23:00.023+01:00

Over at indie publishers, Tonto Books, head honcho, Stuart Wheatman, has been working his butt off, trying to keep his head above water throughout the credit crunch. This has delayed the publication of his latest annual short story collection, Even More Tonto Short Stories - aka EMTSS. However, I'm extremely pleased to announce that the definite date it becomes available to the public is AUGUST 5th 2010.

"So, Col, how did you bag a place in such a coveted anthology?"

"Bit nosey, aren't you? But thanks for asking. I guess, I'll have to tell you then."

"Well, we're not that arsed, really, Col, hearing about your poxy short story."

"Why are you here then? To put one of those Chinese porn links on my site? If I ever catch the bas... And, anyway, it's not 'poxy', you cheeky git. It's got stories from real authors in, not just me."

"Okay then, smartarse, name one."

"Matt Hilton."

"Never heard of him!"

"Alright, how's about crime mystery author, Sally Spedding, or Robert Endeacott... plus, it's edited by Caroline Smailles."

"Okay, then, Mister Big Shot, so how did you get in?" (Yawns, scratches arse.)

"Well, since you're so interested.... Just under a year ago I broke me left wrist and was in plaster up to me elbow. And, yeah, I'm left-handed. A novelist friend, Sheila Quigley, mentioned there was a few days left on Tonto's competition to win a place in their popular anthology. So, one-handed, and one-fingered, I tapped away all day, and just manged to make the deadline.

I awaited the results, and Bob's yer Auntie's live-in lover!"

"Well done, I suppose. Anyway, I need to go n watch some paint dry, so am offski."

"No worries, and thanks for popping by."

"See ya... maybe... 說文解六國文字/六 ................. !"

"OY!!! What have I told you, mum?"

(Joke, it wasn't me mum, really.)

To find out more about the winning stories - including my 4,000 word short, MOPPING UP, introducing characters from the crime novel I'm currently editing - go here.

Regards,

Col

Interview with new mystery novelist, Michael Robert Gordon...

2010-07-04T20:26:00.011+01:00

There's a new novel out in the crime genre: Killer Commute by Michael Robert Gordon...

1) So tell us a bit about Mike Gordon n how you ended up writing.

I'm a married man with four wonderful children and a beautiful wife. I feel like I just wrote the lyrics for the Talking Head's song, Once in a Lifetime. Anyway, I work in sales for a logistics company. My past life includes freedom, stints in the Merchant Marines, construction, painter, and fraud investigations for a bank. Writing has always been a part of my life since childhood. It's something I need to do to maintain any sanity; it's a safe nonaddictive escape from the world.

2) I recall publishing your short last summer on Thrillers, Killers 'n' Chillers. It featured Detective Mick Doran. Was this his first tentative step into the big wide world?

Actually it was. I appreciated the response from some of the readers, if I remember you felt there could be more stories coming. I'd like to work on a serial.

3) Killer Commute, give us a blurb.

Mick Doran, a hypochondriac is a veteran detective for the MTA, Metropolitan Transit Authority leads an investigation into the deaths of two attorneys. The problem is he has to work with his ex-wives husband. His investigation leads him to a former conductor, Mitchell Richards. The novel utilizes lyrics from REM's Mr. Richards (from their last album) and captures what the average commuter experiences on their ride on the Long Island Rail Road, but there's so much more. Here's a blurb... just to be clear, Reggie Sanders is Mick's new partner and Kevin Elwood is the first victim.

"Don’t be an asshole all the time. Just once try to control yourself.I know it’s difficult for a prick like you. What happened was a long time ago.
"Reggie laughed. "Right, that’s exactly how I feel. What happened was along time ago. You were under a lot of stress back then. Let it rest,water under the bridge and all that. Right? So, what do you say, let’s work together on this case. Is that cool?"
"Sure, sure."
Mick didn’t care what Sanders thought; his main concern was convincing the DA that he should lead the investigation. And yet Mick knew the reasons were purely superficial. Sanders had stolen Mick’s wife—he didn’t want the asshole leading the case.
Mick’s stomach was killing him. He stepped into the aisle and kneeled on the seat next to Elwood, carefully leaned over to move the corpse's head to check the other side. He saw where the cord had cut off the air. There was a small maroon bruise close to the Adam’s apple.
Slowly, Mick rolled the coat sleeve up the left arm and moved his handover Elwood’s cold flesh, carefully inspecting the veins. There was nothing.
"What are you doing?" Sanders asked.
"Pay attention and learn. I’m determining if he was injected with anything. I’m looking for small punctures. Do you remember that unsolved case back in ’88? A victim was found on a train with a needle-mark in his arm, but he was not a drug user. We couldn’t solve it; spent weeks chasing after false leads. Then another victim showed up. Something like this. The train just pulled into the last station and the victims were found DOA. That was a mess. Passengers were scared of sitting next to one another. We had a letter from the killer. He wrote to Newsday saying he wanted to wipe out anyone who looked at him the wrong way. Turns out it was a hoax."
"Don’t remember. Guess that was before my time."
Sanders moved his immense body into the row of seats behind the body.He looked over Elwood’s neck, and made a note in his book. "It looks like the killer came behind and reached down with a cord or something and strangled him. He was an attorney,you know."
"No shit. Anyone with a brain can tell he was an attorney from the case on the rack. What else do you know about him? Married? Where did he work? Does he have partners? Did we check for a cell phone? Hey,what’s that?"
Mick shined the light onto a piece of paper on the darkened floor.
"What?" Sanders asked.
"It’s a punched ticket. Why would that be on the ground?" Mick inspected the one-way peak-time ticket and noticed the distinct diamond-shaped hole punch, but did not pick it up.
"What do you mean?" Sanders asked.
"If it’s a one-way, most conductors keep the ticket. There’s no reason to give it back. Unless it was used as a receipt or a marker on the seat and it fell down. Mick carefully leaned over the victim and picked up the ticket.
"This is interesting, see the hole in the ticket? Every conductor has their own punch. So there’s no confusion if you transfer from one train to another. Where’s the conductor?"
The ticket was to Port Jefferson. Mick placed the ticket in one clear plastic bag and leaned over Kevin Elwood’s stiff leg and picked up a crushed 16-ounce can of Bud and dropped it in another clear plastic bag.
Mick sighed since Reggie hadn’t answered. "Sanders, is the conductor still here?"

4) So how did the publication become reality n enlighten us about Champagne Books.

Publication was the typical series of queries and rejections to agents and publishers. I would say there was an interest in most of them. One agent suggested I rewrite the novel from first to third person. I did. I thought it would be represented, but they still rejected it. I was looking for a press that would publish books not just e-books. If you're a commuter you want to hold a paperback in your palms. Champagne appealed to me and I noticed there were a low percentage of acceptances. This is important since it tells the writer this publisher is serious about their projects. There are a lot of e-book publishers that will accept your work quickly so be wary of those. I’ve been very happy with the support from the writers and the staff from Champagne, especially the editorial work Cyndi Davis provided. She pulled this book into shape.

5) Any tips, or advice, for aspiring novelists?

Write. Write more often than before. Set time aside each day, you can do it. Learn from your mistakes, make writing a craft, and write more often, but write. Share your work. Believe in yourself. It’s a lonely gig and no one is going to make you write except you. Don't assume you need a quiet place. Killer Commute was written on the train, since I have little time to write. The hour and half each way is a blessing. Be the master of your destiny, I heard that before, but it’s true. We have this gift each day to create a day and fill it with life and what we want. Set a reasonable deadline; write a novel in three weeks. Bang the keys like a maniac. Find a writers group. Do not pay to have your work read or represented or published. There are too many predators that will suck the life and money out of you. If anyone requests a fee, tell them to go fuck themselves.

6) So what's next for Mike Gordon - retirement, putting yer feet up?

Now it's promo time, getting the book out there and trying to line up interviews, reviews, and meet some interesting readers and write whenever and where ever I can.

Cheers, Mike, and good luck with the novel.

Suspense/Mystery novel, Killer Commute, will be published by
Champagne Books July 5th 2010.

To find out more visit him at his blog, http://trainwriter.blogspot.com/ or at http://champagnebooks.com/

(Photo, copyright of Emma Tess Gordon. Cover art, copyright of Trisha Fitzgerald.)

Sod the footy... Thrillers, Killers 'n' Chillers is back!

2010-06-28T17:47:00.007+01:00

After a much-needed hiatus, and all round rethink, I'm thrilled to announce that Thrillers, Killers 'n' Chillers is back, and open for submissions from July 1st onwards.
Click on the title above to reveal more, including a revamp(ire) of the site, new submission guidelines, plus a welcome surprise!
Regards,
Col
Ps. Please feel free to spread the word.

Pleeease - no more penalties...

2010-06-26T01:19:00.002+01:00

"Come on England!" (FF's sake!).

2010-06-22T18:53:00.002+01:00

Hi chaps n chapettes,
I will soon be providing updates regarding my hiatus, but am not quite ready yet. However, I couldn't resist a football post - which one could argue is both 'crime' n 'fiction'.

I'm sure most of you are aware that the Football World Cup is well underway in South Africa. England, to coin an apt cliche, have flattered to deceive so far, drawing two of their group games to leave a must-win fixture versus the mighty Slovenia on Wednesday. Maybe we could say the 1-1 draw with the US was our way of maintaining that, somewhat strained, 'Special Relationship' (told you I'd include fiction). But the draw against Algeria was a bridge too fookin far! I made a bold prediction before the match: let's just say I got Algeria's nil correct n leave it at that.

Coupled with the naff performances n players speaking out against the manager's questionable tactics, our camp is in disarray. But I suppose it could be worse, looking at the French squad who imploded n sent a player home which, incidentally, is where they're all heading now (au revoir - he,he!). Poetic justice, I feel, after them cheating v the Irish in the qualifiers.

The passion for the England side is still massively strong over here, with red n white Saint George's flags hanging out of windows on every street, flying on many cars, and no doubt the pubs will be full again for the next game. If our over-paid players could just put their over-inflated egos to one side n just play the game - we bloody invented - at their optimum levels then we'd easily brush aside the Slovenians. Alas, the pressure is akin to a bubbling volcano, as the notorious English press are circling for the kill, so ...sod it ...2-1 England! (more fiction?).

You heard it here first (gulp).

Oh, n the 'crime' bit... well, if we lose n go out it would be a heinous crime committed by our multi-millionaire players against all true England fans.

So FF's sake... "COME ON ENGLAND!"

Catch y'all soon,
Col

Hey guys n gals... I'm back... well, nearly...

2010-06-07T15:34:00.008+01:00

Hi Folks,
Just a quickie to let you know that my time away from blogging has been utilized to sort out a few extremely important issues. Throughout my hiatus I've tried to keep in touch as best I can with this fantastic writing community we've all created.

I'm on the home straight now regarding the 'important issues' that needed resolving. Despite some of the aforementioned being private, I will be back real soon with updates and things will be much clearer then.
Regards,
Col

Col Bury's Blog Break...

2010-03-25T12:10:00.010Z

For personal reasons I'm taking a break. My time and energy is required elsewhere for a while. There are some extremely important things I need to address.
Meanwhile, since you find yourself here, be sure to check out the many crime fiction related pieces by scrolling down on the right... including: author interviews, my take on selected short stories, my own short stories, crime comedy, reviews and excellent links to writing websites - feel free to leave comments.

Many thanks for the support and feedback received over the last eighteen months from my many friends out there in the blogosphere.

Back soon enough,
Col

Ps. I'll still be checking in and also co-editing TKnC.

SHOT TO DEATH - Stephen D. Rogers...

2010-03-22T08:57:00.005Z

I agreed to help fellow crime writer, Stephen - who has, what sounds like a cracking anthology, out called Shot To Death - whereby I had to choose a starter sentence from one of his short stories... read all about it and Stephen's interesting insights into the short story below...
Regards,
Col

BIO:
Stephen D. Rogers is the author of SHOT TO DEATH(ISBN 978-0982589908) and more than six hundred stories and poems. He's the head writer at Crime Scene (where viewers solve interactive mysteries) and a popular writing instructor. For more information, you can visit his website, www.stephendrogers.com, where he tries to pull it all together.

SHOT TO DEATH contains thirty-one stories of murder and mayhem.

"Terse tales of cops and robbers, private eyes and bad guys, with an authentic New England setting."- Linda Barnes, Anthony Award winner and author of the Carlotta Carlyle series.

"Put yourself in the hands of a master as you travel this world of the dishonest, dysfunctional, and disappeared. Rogers is the real deal--real writer, real story teller, real tour guide to the dark side."- Kate Flora, author of the Edgar-nominated FINDING AMY and the Thea Kozak mysteries.

"SHOT TO DEATH provides a riveting reminder that the short story form is the foundation of the mystery/thriller genre. There's something in this assemblage of New England noir to suit every aficionado. Highly recommended!"- Richard Helms, editor and publisher, The Back Alley Webzine

SHOT TO DEATH Blog March.
"I should have been sleeping but I couldn't" - C.O.D.
So begins one of the 31 stories contained in SHOT TO DEATH(ISBN 978-0982589908).

Within that beginning lurks the ending to the story and everything that happens between the beginning and the end. Or at least it seems that way to me.

"I should have been sleeping...." How doesn't lack of sleep complicate matters? Moods sour, tempers flare, and decisions stain.

"...but I couldn't." Why? Was the narrator keeping himself up or he was being kept up? If being kept up, was it something internal or something external? I imagine that if you compiled a list of all major events, you would find that very few of the positive ones developed out of exhaustion. Negative events? Exhaustion is probably right up there with drugs and alcohol.

"I should have been sleeping but I couldn't." The sentence ends on a down note, which means the story should as well.

So far, what I have is a situation, not a story. How do I get from the first to the second?

He should be sleeping but he isn't. Something is keeping him from sleeping. He hasn't been sleeping. He's exhausted, and thus his judgment is impaired. He knows he hasn't been sleeping and thus he decides to improve his situation by actively affecting whatever has been keeping him from sleeping. But his judgment is impaired. He acts on a plan developed when trying to change. His critical thinking is affected by the very situation he's trying to change. The more important changing the situation is, the less capable he is of making the right choices.

But the plan is already in play. He's just waiting for events to unfold, for the guilty to pay. (Thus the title, "Cash on delivery," and having to cough up the money after it's too late to cancel the order.) Ending on a down note.

All that remained was the writing.

For a chance to win a signed copy of SHOT TO DEATH, click on over to http://www.stephendrogers.com/Win.htm and submit your completed entry. Then visit the schedule at http://www.stephendrogers.com/Howto.htm to see how you can march along. And then come back here to post your comments. Phew.

Final round of voting on Joe Hunter short story comp'...

2010-03-20T23:51:00.004Z

Matt Hilton's 'Joe Hunter' style short story competition is now at round two. Voting has been reset to zero and the top three stories from round one now feature on both Matt's blog and Thrillers, Killers 'n' Chillers.

Up to the launch of Matt's latest novel, Slash and Burn, on March 31st voting for your favourite story on both sites is permitted here and here.

An interview with debut crime novelist, Nick Quantrill...

2010-03-15T18:57:00.016Z

Nick Quantrill's debut novel, Broken Dreams, is released by Caffeine Nights this week and I had the pleasure of meeting up with Nick at the Trafford Centre in Manchester recently where we chatted about crime fiction, our aspirations, Nick's road to publication and, of course, football! (I can hear the sarcastic comments already about my Caribbean blue jumper... and don't worry, am not squeezing Nick's hand too tight - that's the normal expression of a hardened Hull City fan!).

So tell me about this unassuming bloke, Nick Quantrill from Hull. How did you become a crime writer?

I think I became a crime writer first and foremost as a consequence of a being a big reader. As I child, I loved mystery stories and read anything I could get my hands on. As an adult, I worked my way through Steinbeck and Hemingway before moving onto more contemporary stuff like Roddy Doyle and Irvine Welsh, but the love of mystery had got under my skin. I was also reading the likes of Ian Rankin and Elmore Leonard and I could see links and overlaps between all these different writers, and joining the dots lit a path for me to follow.

Many people probably haven't heard of Hull, so please enlighten us and why did choose it as a setting for your novel?
Hull’s an isolated sea port out on the east coast of England. The reason people probably don’t know the city too well is that it’s not the kind of place you pass through by accident, or on your way to somewhere else. You need a reason to visit. What strikes me in terms of it being different to other cities is the curious inward looking mentality of the place. Sometimes it can be a strength, like during the floods of 2007 when the city looked after its own, but sometimes it breeds an air of cynicism and wariness of new ideas which really drags the place down. Why write about Hull? Because it’s home.

Tell us about your previous successes, be it short stories, articles and the progression up to writing Broken Dreams.
So why a PI and not, say a procedural or a straight crime novel?

Before writing novels, I tried a few different things. I started out by writing reviews of CD's, restaurants, anything I fancied, for a local website. Once I made the decision to write fiction, there was no looking back. My first short-story, ‘Punishment’, won the Harper Collins Crime Tour competition back in 2006, which really was the definition of beginner’s luck! After writing a fair few more shorts, I had a crack at a novel, ‘Black and White’, and although it had some elements I liked, it turned out to be more a vehicle for learning how to actually write a novel, rather than something I seriously thought I might get published. I’ve messed around with a few different characters, police, PI, assorted low-life, but nothing felt completely right until Joe came along. I wrote a proto-type PI story and the reaction to it was far, far better than it had been for the others, so I knew I was out onto something. Without the nagging doubt of trying to get police procedure right, I was able to get under Joe’s skin a bit more easily than with some of the other characters I’d created.

How did the acceptance from Caffeine Nights come about and did you try other publishers or agents first? And how did it feel to see your name on front of your own novel?

I’ve always posted short-stories on my website http://www.hullcrimefiction/ and had pages on MySpace and Facebook, so I was networking from day one. The pay-off was that when I was ready to punt ‘Broken Dreams’ about, I had a good feeling of what was out there. I had a wish-list of independent publishers I liked the look of and I was very fortunate to agree a deal with one of them. It’s taken about a year to get from signing the contract to publication, and there’s been some great moments along the way, but seeing the cover and holding the final product in my hands – brilliant.

Give us a quick Bio of Joe Geraghty.

Joe’s a former rugby league player, turned PI, once he learns the hard way that he has an aptitude for the work. He works in the Old Town of Hull in a small office with his colleagues, Don and Sarah Ridley, who are father and daughter. When Joe’s wife died in a house fire, it was Don who took him under his wing, and with Sarah’s help, he started to put his life back together. Joe’s an ordinary man trying to do a difficult job. He’s nothing special, he’s not hard, he’s just trying to make a living the best way he can.

Give us a quick blurb of Broken Dreams.

How about the blurb from the back of the book? I’ve also started to think, rightly or wrongly, that’s it’s the story of a neglected city’s past, present and possibly its future:

‘Joe Geraghty, Private Investigator, is used to struggling from one case to the next, barely making the rent on his small office in the Old Town of Hull. Invited by a local businessman to investigate a member of his staff’s absenteeism, it’s the kind of surveillance work that Geraghty and his small team have performed countless times. When Jennifer Murdoch is found bleeding to death in her bed, Geraghty quickly finds himself trapped in the middle of a police investigation which stretches back to the days when the city had a thriving fishing industry. As the woman’s tangled private life begins to unravel, the trail leads Geraghty to local gangster-turned-respectable businessman, Frank Salford, a man with a significant stake in the city’s regeneration plans. Still haunted by the death of his wife in a house fire, it seems the people with the answers Geraghty wants are the police and Salford, both of whom want his co-operation for their own ends. With everything at stake, some would go to any length to get what they want, Geraghty included.’

Any tips for aspiring crime writers?

I have two tips, neither hugely original, which probably means they have some value. Firstly, reading is a necessity. I love crime fiction and I’m as likely to pick up a Lee Child novel as I am the latest from, say, George Pelecanos. The trick is not only to read for pleasure, but to work out what you like and what you don’t like about a particular author’s style. The other tip is to not hide your work away. Now’s a great time to putting stories out on the Internet and beyond. There’s great websites like http://thrillskillsnchills.blogspot.com/, http://a-twist-of-noir.blogspot.com/ and http://bykerbooks.co.uk/default.aspx, to name but three, and they’re all hugely supportive of new and emerging writers. It’s a great way to learn.

Do you think Hull City will stay up!!?

You’re asking me this on the back of a massive thumping at the hands of Everton! It’s always going to be tough for a small club like us to compete with the biggest clubs in the world, but I think we’re making a decent fist of it, despite what the detractors may say. I’d be gutted if we were relegated at the end of the season, but ultimately it doesn’t matter too much. I’ve been a pass-holder for a number of years, and like most sports fans, Saturdays are about the excitement of the game, catching up with friends and having a laugh. The opposition is secondary. What I’ve learnt over the last couple of years is that it doesn’t matter whether it’s Everton or Exeter who thump you 5-1, it still hurts the same. Will we stay up? I think we will. Just. But don’t quote me on that.

So what's next for Nick Quantrill?

The main aim is to get a decent draft of Joe’s next story, ‘The Late Greats’, in my hands over the summer. It’s coming on nicely, but there’s still work to do. I’m starting to think about the book after that and have a couple of things in mind, so I’m fairly happy with what I’ve got in the pipeline. I’ve also had some interesting offers come my way, so it’s just a case of working out what there’s time to do. I’ll also be doing my best to promote ‘Broken Dream’. It’s taken a lot of hard work to get to this stage and I don’t want it to stop just yet.

Thanks for the interview, Nick, and good luck with Broken Dreams. Let's hope it's the start of something big for you.

Check out Nick's cool website here and order Broken Dreams here.

I'll be reviewing Broken Dreams in the not too distant future on this blog.

Ps. Hull have sadly parted company with manager, Phil Brown (pictured)... but, hey, at least Nick's got his novel out!!!

Birthday Blues...?

2010-03-14T20:28:00.008Z

Well, I was having a lovely little 21st birthday until... huh?.. okay, so you've seen my photos? Double it then! As I was saying before I rudely interrupted me-self... I was having a lovely 42nd birthday with some of my family round when - in true antisocial git style - I just had to watch my beloved blues (Man.City) playing live on Sky versus Sunderland.

In desperate need of points, and one-nil down for most of the match, my mood changed from happy-go-lucky birthday boy to someone out of one of me crime stories! I found me-self shouting n swearing at the telly, something I've not done in what must be two, three, maybe four... days... when I watched some Tory MP spouting bullshit on BBC's Question Time. So one by one my family slipped out of the room for cover, leaving just me n me Mum (she's a hardcore blue, yer see).

It's sad for a grown man's mood to be dictated by the (mis)fortunes of his sports team but, hey-ho, nobody's perfect. Anyway, an jury time equalizer did the trick n me head bounced off the ceiling! Suddenly it was a happy birthday-cum-mother's day again (pathetic? yeah I know) and we all had a great party with E-numbers everywhere you turned.

The nicest part of the day was as I opened my last present saying, "I hope it's a pair of slippers cos that's all I needed to be honest." (God, I am getting old!). It wasn't slippers, but my two wonderful kids scrambled together their pocket money for me to buy a pair, which I thought was a nice touch (they're both 21 - joke - 7 n 8 really). It gave me goose bumps and reminded me that if my beloved blues would've lost then it wouldn't have mattered so much after all because I have something far more beloved... my beautiful family.

Ps. Having said all that, if City had lost I'd have kicked 'em all out int Manchester rain!!!

Joe Hunter comp' - voting now open...

2010-03-13T16:29:00.006Z

Matt Hilton's now opened the voting over at JOE HUNTER'S FIXERS to determine the top three short stories in the competition to win a signed first edition hardback copy of SLASH AND BURN.
Despite Matt being a good buddy of mine, I couldn't resist the challenge of writing out of my comfort zone so I did enter and thoroughly enjoyed the process. My decision was based on Matt reassuring me that the voting would be anonymous and clear for all to see.
There are ten action-packed crackers to choose from. Just click the title above and vote for your favourite read.

Check out my 'Guest Write' about 'Crime Comedy' over at Paul Brazill's mighty fine blog...

2010-03-11T05:01:00.006Z

Just a quickie to let you know Brazilliant blogger extraordinaire, Paul Brazil, recently invited me to do a guest blog. Read my take on humour's place in crime writing by clicking the title of this post...

BULLET POINTS...

2010-03-08T17:28:00.007Z

Just a quick heads up on a few crime fiction related bits n bobs...

* Only four days to go to the March 12th deadline (when the voting goes live) to win yourself a signed copy of SLASH & BURN, Matt Hilton's 3rd crime thriller novel in the popular Joe Hunter series. If you fancy your chances you've just gotta write a Hunter style short story here.

* Got a nice little mention (for my recent short, A PUBLIC SERVICE, on A TWIST OF NOIR) from Gary Dobbs AKA Archavist over at his damn fine blog, THE TAINTED ARCHIVE.

* Watch this space for a Q&A with debut novelist, Nick Quantrill, around the day of his book launch of BROKEN DREAMS on March 20th.

Catch you all soon,
Col