Nigel Bird's Blog, page 58

October 12, 2012

When The Protectors Need Protecting


I hope you caught Thomas Pluck’s excellent piece on how he put together ‘Protectors – Stories To Benefit Protect' yesterday.  It demonstrates the hard work and commitment of the editor and I take my hat off to him for what he’s achieved.
I wanted to support the collection by writing about why I wrote the story – Patti Abbott has opened the doors to her blog with her ever-flowing generosity – and I’d have sent her something had I not just done the very thing for Both Barrels.
Instead of taking up Patti’s space, I thought I’d write it here at home instead.
My story in ‘Protectors’ is called ‘Baby’s In Blue’ and in many ways it came very differently to others I’ve written.  In some ways, I needed protecting from my own creation as I put it together as I felt extremely uncomfortable as I worked.
The starting point is something that really happened, much as I wish it hadn’t.
Several years ago now, a young woman collected a severely-disabled girl from her family to give them respite care.  At some point in the evening, the carer wrapped up the child in a blanket and left her outside in her wheelchair and then went into a party.
It must have been one hell of a party, too.
When the taxi turned up to take the child to school the next day, she wasn’t there.  She was found where she’d been left the night before almost dead after sitting through temperatures that dipped below zero. 
That such things can happen beggars belief.
I guess I wondered just how good something would have to be to make someone forget that kind of responsibility.  The lure of alcohol or drugs and the distractions of love and sex can be mighty powerful, I suppose, but I couldn’t find it in me to sympathise at any level.
That forged the ending of ‘Baby’s In Blue’.  I wanted to use the situation, but in a different way.
To fuse things together and to create the necessary baby of the title, I got to thinking about fertility clinics.  The money people spend to conceive a child.  Surely there must be loads of folk out there doing it in unorthodox ways in order to overcome the problems on the cheap.
Take a lesbian couple.  How about they just get a mate to sleep with them.  No strings.  What man could resist a threesome if his own wife was actually asking him to help out?  Certainly not the character I created.
And then I imagined what it might be like for such a man to see his son being brought up by a couple of women.  Wouldn’t he think about adding a little male influence on the child in the interest of balance?
Which is where I was.
I use the words ‘character I created’ back there quite deliberately.
Ordinarily, I wouldn’t claim responsibility – it’s as if they’re already formed in some way when they arrive.
This time, however, I was manipulating the people in the story like a puppeteer.
There was a major consequence to this.  As I was the one pulling the strings, I was also the one leading the situation to its terrible conclusion.  Instead of playing God, I was playing the devil.
For one of the few times in my experience as a writer, I felt damaged by the ideas and the acts of the story.  There was a burden to it.  A dark mass to be carried on the inside.   It was a rough and unpleasant thing to go through and I could only let go of the negative thoughts when the last full-stop was put in place.  In some ways an explanation mark might have felt safer, or putting the laptop behind bars.
I think it holds a great darkness in spite of some of the humour and the attempted lightness of tone.
When I sent it to TP, I was really worried that he’d never speak to me again once he saw what I’d done (for that’s how it felt – like I’d done it).
TP, gracious as ever, accepted the story and even embraced it as part of the collection.  That made me proud I can tell you.
There was also another feeling about the story.  If I’d felt such a revulsion during the process, did it mean that it was something special?  A work not even from my top drawer but from some secret cupboard somewhere?
I’m yet to read it again, so I’m not sure.  When I do, I won’t be the best judge anyway.
Should you get there, and I recommend that you at least buy the book (it’s to help the vulnerable, after all), maybe you’ll check it out and let me know.
Thanks again, TP, for all your hard work and dedication.  I shan’t be forgetting it any time soon.
 
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Published on October 12, 2012 07:22

October 10, 2012

Title Fight


‘Tranent was one of the few places that, to Carlo, looked better in the fog.’
My novella ‘Smoke’ is set in Tranent, the town in which I work.
It’s a satellite town of Edinburgh that has its roots in mining and agriculture.  The mining’s gone, however, and the town may never have really recovered from that.
The mushrooming of new housing and an influx of families from the city is changing the character of the place slowly, whether people want it to change or not.  Even so, it remains a tough town.  A hard place.  An area with its own culture and ways of doing things. 
It’s also an area where there are pockets of extreme poverty and with that, as is often the case in the Western world, comes a battery of problems – health, alcohol and other drugs, violence, defiance and anger.
I picked up this tweet the other day from Kirsty Gibbins.  It’s perfect:
‘Fifty years ago, Friday night dances in Tranent were banned due to ongoing "disturbances and damage to premises". I'm saying nothing...’
I was lucky enough to have an article in the local press a while back on the subject of ‘Smoke’.  In the comments section there was a guy who was really pissed at me because the town has a bad enough press as it is out here in East Lothian (outside of East Lothian, I doubt many have heard of it at all).
He might have a point.  Maybe it does. 
The way I see it, I generally hold back the punches when I talk about the place out of a sense of respect for the families I work with and also because a lot of the things I know aren’t for sharing.
In terms of the novella, however, I don’t think it should upset anyone who lives there.  It’s not Tranent in any real way - it’s simply a background to tell a tale.  Like the wash behind a water-colour painting or a landscape by an impressionist where the detail might be difficult to find.
When Blasted Heath came to creating a cover for the book, the title of it and the themes were problematic.
I wondered whether it could be something other than ‘Smoke’.
At the top of this piece, I mention the fog.  Fog is smoke-like, but there were more links to it that meant the title had to stay.
There’s Nan Ramsay, mother of the two young hoods who are central to much of the violence of the story.  She’s smoked herself into the ground.  Sits with her oxygen mask on in between puffs.  Sells illegally imported cigarettes to anyone who wants them including in ones or twos to young children
There’s the smoking high that’s sought by burning wheelie bins and inhaling the fumes – it’s something the fire-brigade were getting pretty fed-up with a few years ago.
There’s the smoke from the barrel of a gun.

There are the twin towers of the chimneys down at the power-station in Cockenzie, always filling the air with clouds.
There’s the exhaust from the old Capri that Jimmy’s dad drives when he decides it’s about time he got it back on the road so that he can sort out a few problems in his own way.
 There are the smoke-and-mirror tricks behind the use of a town in a way that would make any tour based upon the novella an impossibility to set up.
And smoke gets in your eyes – I hope when you read it, you may get a real sense of that and that you might even well-up whether it’s from wincing or emotional resonance. 
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Published on October 10, 2012 02:20

October 6, 2012

One Man's Opinion: BACKBURNER by NICOLA RAIN JORDAN



Nicola Jordan Rain offers up 2 really good stories in this book.
First off is Backburner (US), the tale of a couple of exes meeting up after hooking up on Facebook.
I know from personal experience just how messy such a reconnection can be – there’s all that emotional energy that had you together in the first place, there’s the sexual tension, the ‘what if?’ question that will always remain unanswered and there’s the foggy pain of the separation.
All-in-all, it makes the perfect situation for a tight piece fiction where the darkness has the subtlety of the shadows rather than the full-on black of midnight.
It’s a very good story and an enjoyable read. 
The situation plays out in a very real way.
Harrie is in her late thirties.  Life hasn’t been easy for her since her split with Patrick.
Patrick, on the other hand, has what looks like a beautiful life – wife, child, home, holidays, good job and the trimmings.  Soon as he sees Harrie, though, the dissatisfaction with all he has descends upon him and he sees his opportunity of escape when his youth and lust are rekindled.
We know the outcome from the start.  The work is written in reverse sequence.  Rather than making it less interesting, this structure adds layers to the sinister feeling of it all and helps us get a strong sense of depth without having to reach in and explore all the details.
The second story, ‘The Devil’s Pretty Daughter’ tells the tale of a backpacker who hitches a ride with a serial killer and finds the van-door lock has been removed.  It has a claustrophobic tension that’s very enjoyable.
This is a book that is short and not-so-sweet.  It is, however, a kind of treasure in itself.
The style suggests that the author might be at home writing in any genre or for any medium. 
The stories have a feel that they’re written with a view through  2 lenses – there’s the main one where the bigger picture is on show and there’s another that sees things from an unusual viewpoint and adds a perspective that strengthens the work.
Also of note is a rather lovely use of description:
Patrick – ‘awash with approval and starting to turn tweedy...[he] had given up on ‘travelling light’, his new ethos was ‘dragging this crap all over the country’.’
Noise – ‘The whistle of the kettle was putting on weight.’
Travel – ‘I got a Skytrain to the outskirts of Vancouver.  I got a bus to the outskirts of the outskirts.’
Such lovely brushstrokes add to the pleasure of the read.If you're interested, Nicola has the  second story from the book (The Devil's Prety Daughter) and also her work GPSimone available for free over at Smashwords.
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Published on October 06, 2012 01:53

October 3, 2012

A Taste Of Honey


Shotgun Honey is one of the most exciting places to read fiction online.  Flash stories that win every single time. 

Now they've brought out a collection of their own, with some slightly longer stories that they usually publish.

Yesterday was the official blast-off and now we can all see what the complete project looks like.

What a lineup they've put together.

Check this out:

'Shotgun Honey has brought together 29 authors from around the world to produce our first anthology, Shotgun Honey Presents: Both Barrels. Featuring stories from: Patti Abbot, Peter Farris, Trey R. Barker, Hector Acosta, Cameron Ashley, Ray Banks, Frank Bill, Nigel Bird, Jen Conley, Paul D. Brazill, Thomas Pluck, Garnett Elliott, Matthew C. Funk, Chris F. Holm, Glenn Gray, Naomi Johnson, Nik Korpon, Kieran Shea, Julia Madeleine, Joe Myers, Andrew Nette, Mike Oliveri, Dan O'Shea, Tom Pits, Keith Rawson, Holley West, Frank Wheeler Jr., Jim Wilsky and Steve Weddle.'

That crowd make sweet, sweet music together. 

Blown away? You should be. 

I am too, to be part of such a celebration of fiction. 

You can pick up the kindle versions in the UK and the US and there's also a paperback on offer (which I'll be going for to put on my bursting shelves) - so what are you waiting for?  You know you want to pull the trigger.

And what about this for a new logo?  She's the new Mona Lisa the way I see her.  I have my suspicions that it's Sabrina Ogden in fancy dress, but that might just be my fantasies projecting themselves all over the place.

If you're short of the change needed for the book, why not pop over to Goodreads and enter the giveaway draw there.  It's got to be worth a shot. 
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Published on October 03, 2012 02:44

September 28, 2012

Dancing's Nimble for Kindle - Richard Godwin



Deliciously Dark, Superbly Seductive


For the first time in E Book since its bestselling publication over a year ago in paperback,

Apostle Rising is available in all formats, for all E readers
with some juicy extras, an excerpt from Mr. Glamour and four deliciously dark Noir stories, like the finest handmade chocolate. Here in the US for $3.24  Here in the UK for £2.05
On Kobo

On Xin Xii






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Published on September 28, 2012 04:21

September 26, 2012

Smoke: The Resurrection



Life's funny.  It is.

On the day my mum's been taken in to hospital, there's the resurrection of my novella Smoke.  The release couldn't be better timed to give me something to occupy my time and my mind.

I'm going to stick to the book and let the family noise move to the background for a while.

It's been a while since the ill-fated experience with Trestle Press, but it's been a wait that's been worth it.

When Blasted Heath took on the book, I was absolutely thrilled.  It was like I'd found a home.

What I didn't realise (and should have) was that it was only the beginning.

Allan Guthrie really put me through my paces with his suggestions from an editorial point of view and I learned a huge amount about some of my habits in the process of re-working. 
As a consequence, the book's much sharper and better-written that it was originally and I know from the generous feedback that it was already pretty good back then.

What you'll get is the same story, just with tighter prose.

The other part of the package is the cover.  I believe it took some working on to get it to the final version, but I think it's a real peach (thanks JT Lindroos).

The other good news is that you can buy it just now at the reduced introductory price of 99p or 99c via Amazon. 

Now I'm off to hold on to my insides and to think about that Blasted Heath tattoo.

If I disappear for a while, I'll soon be back.

Till soon. 



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Published on September 26, 2012 04:41

September 22, 2012

One Man's Opinion: ISHMAEL TOFFEE by ROGER SMITH



I loved everything about the novella ‘Ishmael Toffee’ (US).  Was drawn in by the voice and the subject immediately.
Ishmael’s just out of prison.  He’s a killer who suddenly tired of killing.  Whilst watching his back in the cells, he discovered a new freedom in the form of gardening, a new connection with the earth and the way things might be.  He’s hard, poor and covered in tattoos.
His rehabilitation is to be encouraged by work – a job in the garden of a rich, white man in the luxurious settings of a mightily secure house where only the help has colour to their skin.
There’s a snake in the garden, mind.  Family life is not all it should be.  Ishmael knows that what’s happening is wrong, but he also knows that trying to help will get him in to no end of trouble.  It’s a question of whether the old or the new Ishmael is going to show up and I’m not going to tell you how it shapes up.
It’s a fantastic piece of fiction which deals with the injustices of poverty, the inequities of the world, the stark realities of life and death.  The prose is sharp and clinical, yet there’s a heart beating through it all the way along, a hope that warmth and fairness might rise above the setting and the situation no matter how farfetched that seems at times.  It does get tough – gruelling material at which the writer shows his class instead of flinching away.
By year’s end, this book is going to shine out as one of my favourites.  There’s no doubt about it.
Very highly recommended.
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Published on September 22, 2012 01:26

September 19, 2012

Bloody Scotland


 Given the rich tradition of Scottish crime fiction, it seems crazy to think that there’s not been a Crime-Writing Festival in Scotland.  Not that such things are easy to spot until they’re pointed out.  Thankfully, there are people who can identify gaps and then can work really hard to make sure that spaces are filled.  The team at Bloody Scotland, I have to say, made a Stirling effort to pull things together, resulting in last weekend’s tremendous event in the middle of the country.
I spent my Saturday there and didn’t really know what to expect.
I’ve made many visits to the Hay Festival and the Edinburgh Book Festival over the years and have dipped my toe in at Lennoxlove, too.  None of them have been crime-writing festivals though, and my ideas of what such a weekend might be like were formed by these previous experiences.
What I was delighted to find was that the events ran smoothly, that the ones I attended were excellent value for the entry-fee and that crime-writers and the crime-writing community offer something very different for the visitor than those broader –themed events to which I’ve been before.
At Hay, and even more-so at Edinburgh, the guests become practically invisible once their event and signing is done.  The press/author tents look big and cosy and are obviously so enticing that most writers tend to hang around in there and in their hotel rooms while in town.  I don’t blame them for that at all; I’d be inclined to do the same if I let my natural instincts take over.  It just seems a shame.  There have been exceptions over the years – Benjamin Zephaniah signing a book on the lawn; Brian Patten sharing a pint; Lawrence Block stopped in passing...
It was all so very different in Stirling.  The writers were milling around like everyone else.  They seemed to make a point of making themselves accessible to their fans for short spells of the day, allowed themselves to be approached and took the time to listen.  What a bonus that was, not that I had the guts to go up to anyone I hadn’t already met.   How wonderfully open it made it all feel.  How friendly and supportive.  I loved it for that.
I attended 3 events in all.
First off was Downloading The Detectives.  I’d been looking forward to this most of all because, not only would I be seeing Allan Guthrie in action, I’d be seeing the mightily talented John Rector.  Sadly John wasn’t able to make it over.  I’d been completely thrown by that when I found out the night before, but John was kind enough to get in touch and apologize for not being able to come over due to ill-health and offered me a signed book if I wanted.  What a gentleman.  I declined the book and didn’t need an apology, but it was very kind of him to contact me.  John’s replacement was another very well-regarded and best-selling kindle author, Gordon Ferris.  It was great to get some insight into the world of ebook sales, going back to 2010 and tracing the evolution of the Kindle phenomenon from there.  Clearly what will be next for authors and readers remains a mystery, but change it will and we’ll all need to be on our toes if we’re interested in keeping up with the pace of that change.
Next event was a mind-blower.  William McIlvanney.  As a McIlvanney virgin, I wasn’t really sure what to expect.  An old man was all I could picture.  What I got was a vibrant, energetic, passionate speaker who has great eloquence and clearly is a major writing talent.  All was helped by a smooth approach from Len Wanner (interviewer) who left Willie to his own devices and only added questions when it was time to change direction.  I loved it.  Would put it up there with my favourite events of all.  Funny thing is he’s been out of print for a while.  Thankfully, he’s about to be back on the shelves courtesy of Chapman.  For me, having heard readings from 4 books, the waiting time is too long and I’ve already got hold of a couple of second-hand copies to enhance my library.
Last one for me was a debate on the Booker Prize and whether a crime-fiction novel would ever be a winner.  Turns out there have been crime novels as winners already, if you’re prepared to stretch definitions only a little.  It involved Peter James & Ian Rankin vs Stuart Kelly & Willy Maley, with Nick Barley in the chair.  What they offered was an interesting and entertaining look at books and I came out feeling alive and well.  Great points all and no real winners.
What I enjoyed most of all that day was the company I found myself in.  I met up with friends of mine whom I’ve known in the flesh and some whom I’ve only known virtually until now. Spending time with such great people who have such enthusiasm about books and crime fiction and life in general is about as good as it gets.  No, it’s not better than sex, but it’s still a fantastic experience.  I felt blessed by life while I was there and proud to be part of such a warm community of folk. 
To those who organised, I’d like to thank you for your hard work and the application of your expertise.  You clearly know what you’re doing and I hope you have the will and the energy to repeat the event in some form next year.  To let it die after such an impressive debut would be a travesty.  Good on you all.  Should you happen to want an up-and-comer to occupy a small event in a tepee or a camper van somewhere in 2013, you know where I am.
As a little aside, I’d like to mention that one of those big-hearted friends from the event, McDroll, has 5 of her kindle books up for grabs just now at Amazon and you don’t have to pay a penny or a cent for any of them.  You have nothing to lose and much to gain, so why not take a chance?
And my little brother, Geoff, one of the stars of the world of radio production, had a programme about Richard Brautigan broadcast on Monday, which is available for a while at this link.  It features the Lovely Eggs, Jarvis Cocker and (listen carefully) my dear friend Tom Ash as driver.  Tom is the inspiration for the character Wolf in In Loco Parentis, though he’s no killer in real life.
Have a good week.  Read books and prosper.
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Published on September 19, 2012 02:49

September 12, 2012

I Can't Thank You Enough



It's true, that title.  I really can't.

This week has been such a thrilling one for me. 

I was giving away copies of In Loco Parentis as a promo and am absolutely delighted by the response.

Funny thing is, in my mind I was never going to give it away.  My reasons for changing direction were mainly that a couple of other promotions meant that my short story collection had a rise in sales.  The hope was that it might happen again if I did it with the novel.  The other reason was, basically, poor sales - it was difficult to know that I had a worthy book out there that was just not being read.

Anyway, I've really enjoyed watching the KDP sales clock up.  Instead of the usual several hours between clocking up a sale, it turned to downloads by the minute which is much more fun.

As always, the movement was down to a lot of effort and a lot of support.  Hence the thanks.  I know that there were friends out there blogging, tweeting, Facebooking and downloading away and it means an awful lot.  I've often talked about the strength of community and it's wonderful to feel the respect, warmth and friendship of each of those efforts.  Bless you all. 

Needless to say, when it's your time, let me know and I'll try and reciprocate.  If you get in touch, it's much more likely that I can help than if you don't - I often miss promotions and releases just because life is busy and the social network thing seems enormous at times.

I'm also thrilled for some other reasons.

Crime Factory Issue 11 has been released.  It's a bundle of stories and pieces that you should really have.  They give you the option of free copies, but it can be bought at Amazon for a pittance via the link.  I've not had time to read it yet, but the contents page is as impressive as ever.  Check it out.

Delighted, too, to see the cover and to have proofed my story for the upcoming Shotgun Honey release.  It'll be special.  I was happy that as I read my work I was actually impressed and that doesn't always happen to me.

The roller-coaster of being part of the Protectors: Stories To Benefit Protect is still fun and is continuing to raise money for a great cause.

And there's something new from Beat To A Pulp that always brings a smile.

I'd also like to thank The Guardian for a little thread they put up for self-promotion of work. It was a good idea and I hop that they'll open up to the e-book-independent world in more and more ways; I'm sure they've seen some of the talent on offer and I hope that it will increase their enthusiasm.  If you haven't done so, you might want to add a book to the list by following the link.

So it's been a good week.  A fab week.  A week to savour and to be grateful for and above all to be thankful to my friends.  Hats off.



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Published on September 12, 2012 02:00

September 5, 2012

One Man's Opinion - SEVENTY TIMES SEVEN by JOHN GORDON SINCLAIR


 Seventy Times Seven  (US) is billed on the cover as ‘one of the finest debuts of the decade’.  To my mind, it really isn’t that.  It might be better seen as the debut of a writer who shows a fair amount of potential within the thriller genre.
It tells the story Danny Maguire who has worked in parallel with the IRA in the nineties, but never been one of their ranks.  He’s a killer and has been since the death of his brother Sean.  Danny’s resolved to revenge his brother’s death and the opportunity arises when information emerges about the identity of the key players from the time.  It’s a journey that will take him to America, where we’ve already witnessed a number of attempts on the life of Danny’s new target.
The idea of the story is a strong one and it’s easy to see why Sinclair was offered a publishing deal on its basis.
The main positive of the book for me is the skeleton of the story; as a storyboard or in synopsis, there’s a lot to like about the way Sinclair plays things out.  The way it keeps switching location and characters to reveal aspects of the plot is pretty well handled.  It has some of the energy and the drive that one would want from such a book and the core issues are left well-disguised right up until the points at which they are revealed.
The book also describes violence in a realistic way and avoids creating any romantic notions of pain and death.  It also has some pleasing humour running through it that provides a good deal of entertaining material.
I get the feeling that there’s also been a lot of research involved with this project and that creates a believable foundation to the piece, though at times the insertion of such information might be a little crude.
Where I think the work falls down a little and reveals the author’s lack of experience in novel writing is with the pacing, the dialogue and the way the key information is pointed out a little too boldly (at least for my taste).
Essentially the book could be shorter and, with a good edit, leaner and meaner (while still maintaining the warmer elements of the relationships and the very human perspective on ‘The Troubles).
Some of the description is heavy-handed.  There are too many strings of adjectives which slow things down imperceptibly in a similar way that the friction caused by tiny air molecules will eventually bring a moving object to a halt. 
Here’s a small illustration:
‘The bed looked deep and comfortable with large sky-blue satin pillows resting against its tall, pink-velvet button-fronted headrest.’
There’s nothing wrong in this, but the bed plays little or no part in the scene and it could be much plainer and slicker.
My thought on the dialogue is that the characters need to be more distinctive.  Everyone has a very witty repartee that shows off that talent for humour and this might be worthy of attention.  There’s also rather a lot of exposition through the conversation and it’s a little clunky in that way:
‘God that seems like it was about two weeks ago,’ replied Marie. ‘It’s hard to believe that was only two days ago.’
With a little attention Sinclair’s dialogue could be a real strength – there’s a thin line here that shouldn’t take much to get across it.
Here’s another example of something that could be ironed out in an edit.  It identifies a lot of things that are stated as obvious when they’re not – a little show-not-tell might not go amiss:
‘It was obvious from her expression that checking people in and out of the Lakeshore Hotel didn’t require too many qualifications.’
I wonder what the expression actually was – I’ve been practising in the mirror, but don’t think I’ve mastered it yet.
All-in-all, it’s a mixed bag.  Lots to please a reader and enough room for improvement to suggest that Sinclair has what it takes to make it as a thriller writer if he’s prepared to work on a thing or two.   I know that there’s a second novel on its way at some point and do feel that is likely to step up on this.  Writing is a craft and those skills can only be learned through the doing and by being well-mentored and with these things in place I think that Sinclair can move on up the ladder at a fair rate.
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Published on September 05, 2012 06:03