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R.G. Manse

Goodreads Author

Website

http://rgmanse.com

Twitter

rgmanse

Genre

Contemporary, Mystery

Member Since

November 2014

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I caught up with local writer R.G. Manse in an odd little cafe near Stockbridge in Edinburgh. Manse writes outrageous stories, closest to contemporary mystery, but not your auntie’s murder mystery. With a genre as popular as mystery, why not stick to the script?
“Too many elves,” Manse says and swills the dregs of a tea gone cold.
I blink at the non sequitur but Manse goes on to clarify.
“I used to read tons of fantasy until one day I just couldn’t face another elf. I was reading the same story time and again. As a reader, that’s what drove me back to sci-fi, but I wasn’t happy back there. I wasn’t discovering new worlds; my mind didn’t want to take the journey anymore. I became an omnivore again, as likely to pick up a John Sandford or Tom Cl I caught up with local writer R.G. Manse in an odd little cafe near Stockbridge in Edinburgh. Manse writes outrageous stories, closest to contemporary mystery, but not your auntie’s murder mystery. With a genre as popular as mystery, why not stick to the script?
“Too many elves,” Manse says and swills the dregs of a tea gone cold.
I blink at the non sequitur but Manse goes on to clarify.
“I used to read tons of fantasy until one day I just couldn’t face another elf. I was reading the same story time and again. As a reader, that’s what drove me back to sci-fi, but I wasn’t happy back there. I wasn’t discovering new worlds; my mind didn’t want to take the journey anymore. I became an omnivore again, as likely to pick up a John Sandford or Tom Clancy as a Stephen King. But that long exposure to the fantasy genre changed me. Sensitised me. To repetition. Predictable set-ups. They turn me right off.”
Our server interrupts the conversation. He’s not a man to ignore. He looks like he could take down half the Scottish rugby squad. “What else are you having?” he says, and folds his arms. ‘Nothing’ is clearly not an acceptable answer.
“Same again,” Manse says, a tad nervous, I feel.
A meaty hand lifts my lipstick-stained teacup onto a tray. “You need to eat more. You’re like itty-bitty matchstick people. Two scones?”
Manse and I exchange glances, then the writer nods. “Go on. You’ve twisted my arm.”
The man grins. “Nah,” he says, “or I’d snap it right off.”
“Formulas?” I say, but find my eyes following our server. He pats a customer’s head on his way back to the counter.
“I like stories about people, not people squished into roles. The murder mystery format works, but for every book? I thought I didn’t want to write a mystery series. Actually, I just didn’t want to write a series of murder mysteries.”
I check my recorder is still happy. “Hence the Frank Friendship series, your so-called epic mystery? Your books are rather… crude, and the subjects you’ve chosen are controversial. By your own admission, you’re not sticking to the murder mystery formula. Who would want to read your books?”
Manse shrugs. “Readers who like a story to surprise them—shock them, even. Who like the odd laugh. Readers who enjoy a realistic story with larger than life characters.”
Our hulking server deposits a tray with two cups and two scones.
“Thanks, Frank,” Manse says.
“Frank?” My eyes widen. “Not… Frank Friendship?”
The server’s not quite straight eyes meet mine, and there’s a sparkle in there. “Yeah, lady,” he says. “What? You think Mansey’s brain just magicked me up?” He laughs. “Now, that’d be pure fantasy.” ...more

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Combine Editions
R.G. Manse’s books

Average rating: 3.83 · 202 ratings · 55 reviews · 4 distinct works

	Screw Friendship (Frank Friendship, #1) 3.67 avg rating — 127 ratings — published 2014 — 5 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Frank Friendship’s Free Fireworks: Two Darkly Fun Short Stories Starring Everybody’s Friend 3.53 avg rating — 34 ratings	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Pursue Friendship (Frank Friendship, #2) 4.39 avg rating — 23 ratings — published 2014 — 3 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Deny Friendship (Frank Friendship, #3) 4.83 avg rating — 18 ratings — published 2014 — 4 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars

* Note: these are all the books on Goodreads for this author. To add more, click here.

24 posts
R.G. Manse's Blog

Genres Suck (get over it)

Dont get me started on genres. But whether you think genres take you on exhilarating new journeys or on a familiar trudge along worn-out paths where only the donkey droppings are fresh, theres one thing for sure: youre far more likely to go looking for a book if its similar to another book you liked.

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Published on April 17, 2016 17:00

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Series by R.G. Manse

Frank Friendship (3 books)
by

R.G. Manse (Goodreads Author)

3.89 avg rating — 168 ratings

Quotes by R.G. Manse (?)

“Frank's phone beep-beeped and vibrated before he’d put it back in his pocket:
Love to! xx
Man. Two kisses already. The woman was a nymphomaniac.”
― R.G. Manse, Pursue Friendship

3 likes

“Rosy ferried the drinks back to the table, slid the Guinness his way. “You said you have a show. Is it a comedy?”
“No, but you will laugh, I hope, after hearing my qualifications.” His eyes glittered. “I do magic, with a twist. The twist is, my clothes are the first thing to disappear.”
Rosy gaped.
“Yes. I do magic… naked. I not only have a big ego.” Marek wiggled his middle finger. “I have a big wand.”
― R.G. Manse, Screw Friendship

tags: comedy, ego, magic, magician, naked, wand

2 likes

“Frank treated customers with the contempt Rosy had only seen before at airport passport control. Even then, she’d never heard an immigration official refer to anybody as baldy.
“Hey, baldy,” Frank had said and whistled to call a customer back as though he were down in the paddock with an unruly herd. “You forgot your juice.”
Frank held up the bottle of Tropicana orange juice. And when… baldy came back, Frank slapped the bottle into his hand as though passing him the baton in a relay race, then waved the man aside—“Go!”—and pointed at the next customer.
“What do you want?” Frank said. “Cheese? Again? That’s three cheese you’ll have had in a row. Are you eating right?”
The customer stammered.
“Eh-but-eh-but-eh-but,” Frank mimicked. “Never mind. But think up a different filling next time. And not cheese and tomato.” He shook his head and made up the roll.”
― R.G. Manse, Screw Friendship

tags: bald, cafe, contempt, customer-service, friendship, sandwich, stammer

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Topics Mentioning This Author

topics	posts	views	last activity
Making Connections: 3567. SCREW FRIENDSHIP (Frank Friendship, #1) by R.G. Manse	12	68	May 06, 2015 11:36PM

R.G.’s Quotes

“Frank's phone beep-beeped and vibrated before he’d put it back in his pocket:
Love to! xx
Man. Two kisses already. The woman was a nymphomaniac.”
― R.G. Manse, Pursue Friendship

3 likes

R.G.’s Friend Comments

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message 2: by Liis

Aug 17, 2015 11:47AM

R.G. wrote: "I've met some lifelong friends who just happened to be characters in a book. My dream as a writer has always been to create such friends and today a reader has made me a very fulfilled writer indee..."

My absolute pleasure! I wish Many more mischiefs and odd situations for Frank! :)

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message 1: by R.G.

Aug 17, 2015 11:09AM

I've met some lifelong friends who just happened to be characters in a book. My dream as a writer has always been to create such friends and today a reader has made me a very fulfilled writer indeed. Thank you, Liz.