HARROGATE HERE WE COME...

Way too much to catch up on over the last year, so just a quick post to say Theakston Old Peculier Crime Writing Festival beckons and I'm honoured to be reading a short story along with nine other far more talented authors at Harrogate's first ever 'Noir at the Bar'. I'll also be 'starring' in the North v South crime writers' footy match. Should be fun. Hope to see you there.

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

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.

PLEASE GOD....

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.

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

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