Friday 26 February 2010

Gruesome, Handsome and Radge-some

A few choice links before the weekend festivities start. Since I have been poorly sick all week, for me that will consist of a nice cup of tea, tucked up on the sofa watching DVDs. Bliss.

I recently linked to this article in the Sunday Times about how Waterstones mistakenly recommended Stuart MacBride's SAWBONES as a suitable read for 8 year olds. SAWBONES is "The story of a serial killer who tours the United States murdering young women, it opens with the sentence: “Soon as I see the police in the rear-view mirror I know we’re f*****.” Over the next 113 pages it uses the F-word and its variants 89 times. The plot includes three male castrations, references to oral sex, limbs being amputated and one attack on a girl by a vicious dog." (Many thanks to the Sunday Times for giving my mother a job counting swear words, by the way). Waterstones recently apologised for their 'terrible mistake'. And now, here's that evil, child-corrupter, Stuart MacBride himself with a very funny post on the subject.

Leither Magazine interviews the "darkly handsome" Tony Black. You can read the article at the 'continue reading' link, but if you're looking for more darkly handsome photos, you will find one on page 17 of the actual magazine. I had one blown up for every room of my flat (just kidding, Tone - I only put one in the kitchen).

Fancy a copy of Denise Mina's SLIP OF THE KNIFE? You can get one here if you're lucky (and happen to live in the US or Canada).

If you're on Twitter (Dad, you don't want to know, trust me), excellent Glasgow author Karen Campbell has just joined. You can follow her by adding @writerkcampbell. Karen is also one of the Tesco Bank Summer Reads, which will be launched at the Aye Write Festival next month.

Irvine Welsh once "conned tourists on spooky tours". Since then, he's moved up in the world and will shortly be appearing at Adelaide's Writers' Week.

And finally, one of my favourite short story sites - Byker Books' Radgepacket Online - has just updated with some new and very fine stories from Julie Morgan (that's my good mate and partner in crime at UK conferences, Jools), Paul Brazill, and Nick Boldock. Byker Books are...ahem...not quite in Scotland hailing, as they do, from the North East of England, but if I were to stand right on the border between Scotland and England and throw a brick really, really hard...well, OK, it would probably go about three feet, since I am a girl and cannot throw anything more substantial than a hissy fit. Besides, those guys at Byker Books are tough, and might thump me if I threw a brick at them. Errrrr...and Dad - you might not want to read those stories, OK?


7 comments:

  1. You see..I first read that 'Leather Magazine had an interview with ... Tony Black'. I've not ben well...

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  2. LOL Paul. The darkly handsome Tony Black would be a hit at Leather Magazine, methinks.

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  3. No I do not twitter. Some may think I'm just a twit. What is wrong with the Byker books?

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  4. Dad - I am so not commenting on the twit thing. And nothing is wrong with Byker Books. They are most excellent. But the stories might raise your blood pressure. Definitely don't let Mum read them.

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  5. Yep, keep your mum away from Julie's corker of a story, Donna!

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  6. Julie's story is ace like.
    Oh, and I think if you stood on the real border (Hadrians Wall) you'd only have to drop your brick on the other side and you'd be in the People's Republic of Tyneside. :->

    ps - just sent you a copy of 'Radgepacket 4' ... don't let ya mam read it! ;->

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  7. Paul - actually, she might not even UNDERSTAND that one :o)

    Ed - I shall be careful with my brick. And many thanks for Radgepacket 4! I await its arrival with bated breath - can't wait to read it.

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