Chris Nickson's Blog, page 26
August 1, 2012
Let Good News Abound
It’s a time when good news seems to abound (and, aptly, it's Yorkshire Day). The other week, up in Leeds, I was showing my son the interior of Holy Trinity Church, which dates from the times of my Leeds novels. It suddenly struck me that this would be the ideal place for the launch of the fourth in the series, Come the Fear. After a quick word with the venue director – it’s now called Trinity Arts – things were set in motion, and a week ago everything was confirmed. There will be readings from the book by young actors, storytelling from a couple of England’s top storytellers – Shonaleigh and Simon Heywood (who’ll celebrate their marriage just two weeks before) – along with music and artwork from young artists inspired by passages from the novel. Hopefully a great evening’s entertainment, and for anyone around Leeds on the evening of September 14, come on down.
And then, yesterday, my publisher made an offer, which I accepted, for the next book in the series, At the Dying of the Year, which will be published February 2013 in the UK (June in the US). I’m thrilled. It was a difficult book to write, very emotional and draining. I won’t say why, but I will let slip that it’s the fifth in the Leeds series. Whether Richard Nottingham himself is in it – my mouth’s zipped, and if you read Come the Fear you’ll know why.
On top of that, I’m working on the publisher’s edits for the first of my Seattle books, Emerald City, which will appear as a simultaneous ebook and audiobook in the next few months and waiting to hear the audiobook version of The Broken Token. I feel as if I’m beginning to make at least a little headway. It’s been a long, hard slog, but when I finish something and feel that it’s good, it’s all worthwhile.
And then, yesterday, my publisher made an offer, which I accepted, for the next book in the series, At the Dying of the Year, which will be published February 2013 in the UK (June in the US). I’m thrilled. It was a difficult book to write, very emotional and draining. I won’t say why, but I will let slip that it’s the fifth in the Leeds series. Whether Richard Nottingham himself is in it – my mouth’s zipped, and if you read Come the Fear you’ll know why.
On top of that, I’m working on the publisher’s edits for the first of my Seattle books, Emerald City, which will appear as a simultaneous ebook and audiobook in the next few months and waiting to hear the audiobook version of The Broken Token. I feel as if I’m beginning to make at least a little headway. It’s been a long, hard slog, but when I finish something and feel that it’s good, it’s all worthwhile.
July 7, 2012
50 Shades of Yorkshire, Chapter 1
She saw the advert in the Yorkshire Evening Post and it was as if it spoke to her soul. ‘Wanted,’ it said, ‘lass to work in chippie. Hard graft, but good rewards and free scraps.’ She read it again and again, and she knew it was fate calling. This was a job made for her, with the sensual feel of fat and batter.
It was up in Leeds, but she wasn’t going to let distance stop her from following her fate. The next morning she dressed well in her fanciest coat, taking the rollers out of her hair before she finally put on the new headscarf from the market her mam had given her for Christmas, and took the bus from South Elmsall.
The journey was tortuous, but that only strengthened her resolve. If she could get there before three, the job would be hers. She willed the driver on through the puddles, noticing how, as she moved north the people began talking funny, saying town instead of tarn and right instead of reet. It scared her, being in this alien land.
She found the place at five minutes to three. Green’s Fish & Chips, the sign read, and her heart raced to see it, scarcely contained by her lacy 38F bra. A world of promise lay inside.
‘Eh up, luv, what that having?’ a girl said to her. She was dressed in whites, the clothing pristine and pure except for the stains across her front.
‘I’d like to see t’owner,’ she answered, he voice as meek as a mouse in a cattery. ‘About t’job.’
The girl nodded at a door with the word 'private' painted on it. A door of temptation and promise, she thought.
‘Go through there, luv, and up t’stairs. Office is at top. I’ll ring him for thee.’
‘What’s…’ she began, and had to force herself to breathe before she could continue. ‘What’s ‘is name, please?’
‘Herbert Green. Right bugger wi’ ‘is hands he is, too.’ She surveyed the lush form in the low cut dress. ‘He’ll be over you like a rat on a corpse.’
Herbert Green. Even the name sounded magical, she thought as she climbed the stairs to a small waiting room with two old chairs and a coffee table. She balanced her handbag on her lap and waited, crossing one leg over another. Finally, after five minutes, a door opened and a man stood looking at her.
‘Thas’s here about t’job?’
He had a deep, masculine voice that flowed liked water through a slag heap. His belly bulged invitingly against a 1974 Leeds United home shirt, and over the waist of his brown terylene trousers. He had a thin, cruel mouth, and he gave her a smile that would have been overwhelming with a full set of teeth. She felt the heat flow through her. She’d never seen a man like this, one who exuded power and the smell of mint humbugs in equal portions.
He began to turn away from her, back into the office. She stood quickly to follow and tripped over the rug, sprawling behind him. He offered a hand to help her up.
‘Do that near t’fat fryer and tha’ll be ruining a tenner’s worth o’ chips’ he warned her. ‘Can’t be going arse over tit here.’ She held his hand a little longer than she needed, relishing the strong grip. ‘And summat else, lass, you forgot to put your kecks on this morning.’
She blushed deeply, embarrassed by her stupidity, the haste in which she’d dressed to come her following him into the office. The windows looked out onto a row of back-to-back houses and the desk was scarred wood. This was a man’s office, she thought, the centre of an empire.
‘What’s tha name?’ he asked, and she could feel his eyes boring into her. She could never have any secrets from this man.
‘Call me…Doris.’
‘Aye, right. What experience do you have, Doris?’
‘None,’ she admitted, lowering her eyes. ‘I’ve done nowt.’ Suddenly there was pleading in her voice. ‘But I’m eager to learn. I want this. I want it all.’
‘Steady on, lass,’ he said quietly, reaching across the desk to pat her wrist. So there was tenderness in him, too, she realised. He was a complete man. ‘Can tha make a decent cuppa?’
‘Pot to the kettle,’ she said, ‘and let it steep for three minutes before I pour.’
He smiled and she knew. The job was hers.
‘When can tha start?’
‘Now,’ she said impulsively. She had nowhere to stay in this strange town, no money, no spare clothes, not even a pair of knickers. But life was giving her a chance, and for Herbert Green she was willing to take it.
‘Champion,’ he told her. ‘Champion.’
It was up in Leeds, but she wasn’t going to let distance stop her from following her fate. The next morning she dressed well in her fanciest coat, taking the rollers out of her hair before she finally put on the new headscarf from the market her mam had given her for Christmas, and took the bus from South Elmsall.
The journey was tortuous, but that only strengthened her resolve. If she could get there before three, the job would be hers. She willed the driver on through the puddles, noticing how, as she moved north the people began talking funny, saying town instead of tarn and right instead of reet. It scared her, being in this alien land.
She found the place at five minutes to three. Green’s Fish & Chips, the sign read, and her heart raced to see it, scarcely contained by her lacy 38F bra. A world of promise lay inside.
‘Eh up, luv, what that having?’ a girl said to her. She was dressed in whites, the clothing pristine and pure except for the stains across her front.
‘I’d like to see t’owner,’ she answered, he voice as meek as a mouse in a cattery. ‘About t’job.’
The girl nodded at a door with the word 'private' painted on it. A door of temptation and promise, she thought.
‘Go through there, luv, and up t’stairs. Office is at top. I’ll ring him for thee.’
‘What’s…’ she began, and had to force herself to breathe before she could continue. ‘What’s ‘is name, please?’
‘Herbert Green. Right bugger wi’ ‘is hands he is, too.’ She surveyed the lush form in the low cut dress. ‘He’ll be over you like a rat on a corpse.’
Herbert Green. Even the name sounded magical, she thought as she climbed the stairs to a small waiting room with two old chairs and a coffee table. She balanced her handbag on her lap and waited, crossing one leg over another. Finally, after five minutes, a door opened and a man stood looking at her.
‘Thas’s here about t’job?’
He had a deep, masculine voice that flowed liked water through a slag heap. His belly bulged invitingly against a 1974 Leeds United home shirt, and over the waist of his brown terylene trousers. He had a thin, cruel mouth, and he gave her a smile that would have been overwhelming with a full set of teeth. She felt the heat flow through her. She’d never seen a man like this, one who exuded power and the smell of mint humbugs in equal portions.
He began to turn away from her, back into the office. She stood quickly to follow and tripped over the rug, sprawling behind him. He offered a hand to help her up.
‘Do that near t’fat fryer and tha’ll be ruining a tenner’s worth o’ chips’ he warned her. ‘Can’t be going arse over tit here.’ She held his hand a little longer than she needed, relishing the strong grip. ‘And summat else, lass, you forgot to put your kecks on this morning.’
She blushed deeply, embarrassed by her stupidity, the haste in which she’d dressed to come her following him into the office. The windows looked out onto a row of back-to-back houses and the desk was scarred wood. This was a man’s office, she thought, the centre of an empire.
‘What’s tha name?’ he asked, and she could feel his eyes boring into her. She could never have any secrets from this man.
‘Call me…Doris.’
‘Aye, right. What experience do you have, Doris?’
‘None,’ she admitted, lowering her eyes. ‘I’ve done nowt.’ Suddenly there was pleading in her voice. ‘But I’m eager to learn. I want this. I want it all.’
‘Steady on, lass,’ he said quietly, reaching across the desk to pat her wrist. So there was tenderness in him, too, she realised. He was a complete man. ‘Can tha make a decent cuppa?’
‘Pot to the kettle,’ she said, ‘and let it steep for three minutes before I pour.’
He smiled and she knew. The job was hers.
‘When can tha start?’
‘Now,’ she said impulsively. She had nowhere to stay in this strange town, no money, no spare clothes, not even a pair of knickers. But life was giving her a chance, and for Herbert Green she was willing to take it.
‘Champion,’ he told her. ‘Champion.’
June 13, 2012
Making My Main Character Female
For my new Seattle Emerald City series of books, my main character was a male music journalist – something I did myself in that city. I say was quite advisedly: the company that’s publishing the books (simultaneously as ebooks and audiobooks) suggested making the protagonist female. It wasn’t a demand, by any means, and I understood the practical rationale behind it (one of the women behind the company is American and an award-winning ebook narrator and actress – Lorelei King). But it appealed to me. I’m male, think like a man. Now I’m changing the character’s sex and it’s proving to be a wonderful, deep challenge.
It affects every dynamic in the book, every interaction with every character, male and female. More than that, I have to get into her head and learn to think, and more especially feel, as a woman. What writer wouldn’t relish? Seattle in the late 1980s was far more feminist than most parts of the US. Gender politics were rife, as were gay politics, which were interlinked. That has to be part of it, and it’s made me think and become more aware of the sexism inherent in everyday life. It was more so then, and quite casual, but it still exists. It was even there in the music scene, not too bad but still there. There were some female music journalists around, but men remained in the majority and they made up most of the musicians.
A woman writer said to me that women feel more. That might not always be exactly true, but in general women are more aware of their feelings, and they’ll discuss them, with partners and friends, so that has to becomes part of the equation of character, too.
Add to that the fact that I’m inserting this character into a story that’s already written, although there will be some changes and it becomes even more interesting. Am I enjoying it? Absolutely. Will it succeed? I hope so, but you’ll have to read for yourself to decide. That’s your challenge…
May 28, 2012
A Deal Gone Right
You probably missed it. I was amazed - there it was on Booktrade and Bookbrunch. And here it is now - the press release for my deal with Creative Content. All the words, no filler.
Creative Content, the specialist digital publishing company, has signed a 3-book deal with Chris Nickson, author of the popular Richard Nottingham historical crime series .
Changing country, century – and the gender of the protagonist – Nickson's "Emerald City" is a trilogy of crime novels set in Seattle during the evolving grunge music scene of the 1980s and '90s, featuring music journalist Laura Barton.
Ali Muirden of Creative Content said "We were really excited when we read Chris's manuscript, as it encapsulates Seattle during the period. Chris lived and worked there for many years and it really shows in the way he writes. His evocative descriptions of Seattle and the surrounding Pacific North West coast area really made me want to visit the city. "
Chris Nickson said "I'm thrilled to be working with Ali and Lorelei again – we've collaborated on a couple of projects before. They're knowledgeable and enthusiastic – and complete professionals. Bringing Laura and Seattle alive with them will be an absolute joy."
The first novel in the series will be published later this year as a simultaneous eBook original and audio book to be read by Lorelei King, recently voted Audible's 'Narrator of the Year'. She said, "I've long been a fan of Chris Nickson's writing, and I'm so thrilled he's doing a book set in America. I can't wait to record this one."
For more information, or to request a review copy, please contact Ali Muirden at ali@creativecontentdigital.com or visit our website at www.creativecontentdigital.com
For more information on Chris Nickson, please visit www.chrisnickson.co.uk
www.creativecontentdigital.com
Creative Content, the specialist digital publishing company, has signed a 3-book deal with Chris Nickson, author of the popular Richard Nottingham historical crime series .
Changing country, century – and the gender of the protagonist – Nickson's "Emerald City" is a trilogy of crime novels set in Seattle during the evolving grunge music scene of the 1980s and '90s, featuring music journalist Laura Barton.
Ali Muirden of Creative Content said "We were really excited when we read Chris's manuscript, as it encapsulates Seattle during the period. Chris lived and worked there for many years and it really shows in the way he writes. His evocative descriptions of Seattle and the surrounding Pacific North West coast area really made me want to visit the city. "
Chris Nickson said "I'm thrilled to be working with Ali and Lorelei again – we've collaborated on a couple of projects before. They're knowledgeable and enthusiastic – and complete professionals. Bringing Laura and Seattle alive with them will be an absolute joy."
The first novel in the series will be published later this year as a simultaneous eBook original and audio book to be read by Lorelei King, recently voted Audible's 'Narrator of the Year'. She said, "I've long been a fan of Chris Nickson's writing, and I'm so thrilled he's doing a book set in America. I can't wait to record this one."
For more information, or to request a review copy, please contact Ali Muirden at ali@creativecontentdigital.com or visit our website at www.creativecontentdigital.com
For more information on Chris Nickson, please visit www.chrisnickson.co.uk
www.creativecontentdigital.com
May 17, 2012
Going Digital
As some of you will already know, I’ve just signed a contract for a three-book deal. This is wonderful news, of course, and it’ll give me chance to explore the Seattle music scene from the late 80s up to around 2000.
What’s particularly interesting is that the novels that will comprise the series – and yes, they’re all mysteries – will all appear as ebooks. I’ve worked with this publisher before; they put out the digital version of The Broken Token and also my John Martyn biography. But I was in the unbelievable and enviable position of having an offer from another publisher, a small press who would have issued the book in both paper and digital formats.
So why choose digital only?
In part, because it’s the future. More and more people have ebook readers, and that number is only going to grow. It’s handy, portable, and you can carry a staggering library on one. It’s cheaper for the reader and often more attractive. That’s not to say books will fall by the wayside, by any means. I still read more books than ebooks and it’s likely to continue that way for a while.
But I also work as a music journalist and I’ve seen the changes wrought by the mp3. So many labels distribute their music to reviewers in that format. Buying music on mp3 is easy, and for most people any difference in sound quality is hardly noticeable. You can burn a disc of it, play it on your computer, transfer it to your mp3 player – it’s amazingly versatile.
Ebooks are still a few years behind the mp3 in acceptance, but the statistics are telling. More ebooks are sold than hardbacks, for example. Giving people the chance to look in the book on a site like Amazon allows people to get a taste of what they might be buying. Granted, most magazines and newspapers don’t review ebooks, but libraries carry them now, and mainstream reviews are only a matter of time (with the exception of self-published).
It’s growing, and I’m happy to be a part of it. With production costs spiralling, I think a time when we generally see only paper and ebooks of new titles published is just around the corner. And, no small matter, a writer can earn more from ebook sales than from other methods. That’s important to those of us who are scraping by.
What’s particularly interesting is that the novels that will comprise the series – and yes, they’re all mysteries – will all appear as ebooks. I’ve worked with this publisher before; they put out the digital version of The Broken Token and also my John Martyn biography. But I was in the unbelievable and enviable position of having an offer from another publisher, a small press who would have issued the book in both paper and digital formats.
So why choose digital only?
In part, because it’s the future. More and more people have ebook readers, and that number is only going to grow. It’s handy, portable, and you can carry a staggering library on one. It’s cheaper for the reader and often more attractive. That’s not to say books will fall by the wayside, by any means. I still read more books than ebooks and it’s likely to continue that way for a while.
But I also work as a music journalist and I’ve seen the changes wrought by the mp3. So many labels distribute their music to reviewers in that format. Buying music on mp3 is easy, and for most people any difference in sound quality is hardly noticeable. You can burn a disc of it, play it on your computer, transfer it to your mp3 player – it’s amazingly versatile.
Ebooks are still a few years behind the mp3 in acceptance, but the statistics are telling. More ebooks are sold than hardbacks, for example. Giving people the chance to look in the book on a site like Amazon allows people to get a taste of what they might be buying. Granted, most magazines and newspapers don’t review ebooks, but libraries carry them now, and mainstream reviews are only a matter of time (with the exception of self-published).
It’s growing, and I’m happy to be a part of it. With production costs spiralling, I think a time when we generally see only paper and ebooks of new titles published is just around the corner. And, no small matter, a writer can earn more from ebook sales than from other methods. That’s important to those of us who are scraping by.
May 15, 2012
A Three-Book Deal
I'm very pleased to say that I'm a signing a contract with Creative Content for a three book series of novels. These will come out as ebooks.
They'll all be set in Seattle, where I lived for 20 years, and set around the music scene. The first, Emerald City, takes place in 1988 as the local music scene that will become known as grunge, is crystallizing and involves the investigation of a musician's supposed heroin overdose by a local music journalist.
That one's written, and will receive a final polish. We've yet to sort out a publication date, but it will be available worldwide.
They'll all be set in Seattle, where I lived for 20 years, and set around the music scene. The first, Emerald City, takes place in 1988 as the local music scene that will become known as grunge, is crystallizing and involves the investigation of a musician's supposed heroin overdose by a local music journalist.
That one's written, and will receive a final polish. We've yet to sort out a publication date, but it will be available worldwide.
May 7, 2012
Come the Fear
Come the Fear, the fourth book in the Richard Nottingham series, is set to publish in the UK at the end of August. It's a darker book that those that have come before (don't ask - I like dark).
Want to know what it's about?
March, 1733. Richard Nottingham, Constable of the City of Leeds, joins others trying desperately to put out a fire in an empty house before it destroys the entire street. The next morning, searching the blackened ruins, he finds the charred corpse of a girl, something placed on her chest. Had the fire been started to conceal her murder?
Starting with just a single clue, Nottingham his deputy John Sedgwick and Rob Lister slowly piece together the girl’s past, a journey that takes them into the camps of the homeless, the homes of rich merchants, down and the poor and those beyond hope, deep into the dark secrets and lies that families keep hidden.
And meanwhile, the first draft of the fifth book is the series is complete. There might also be some news about a completely different novel soon, too...
Want to know what it's about?
March, 1733. Richard Nottingham, Constable of the City of Leeds, joins others trying desperately to put out a fire in an empty house before it destroys the entire street. The next morning, searching the blackened ruins, he finds the charred corpse of a girl, something placed on her chest. Had the fire been started to conceal her murder?
Starting with just a single clue, Nottingham his deputy John Sedgwick and Rob Lister slowly piece together the girl’s past, a journey that takes them into the camps of the homeless, the homes of rich merchants, down and the poor and those beyond hope, deep into the dark secrets and lies that families keep hidden.
And meanwhile, the first draft of the fifth book is the series is complete. There might also be some news about a completely different novel soon, too...
