Post-Harrogate Post

Well, Harrogate Crime Festival was excellent. Not that I went to any events, so I can't comment on those, but it was so brilliant to catch up with old friends and to make new ones who you feel as though you've known forever. I'm not going to list everyone, because that would just be ridiculous, but you know who you are because I probably hugged you several times (or, if I didn't know you very well, I probably shook your hand whilst wishing I knew you well enough to hug you). Some brief highlights:

Getting to spend time with the gorgeous Christa Faust after missing out on an LA trip last year due to pneumonia. (Photo courtesy of Adele (who, at one point during the weekend, told me I wasn't scary after all. Am I scary, dear Reader?))

Lovely agent Allan Guthrie calling the screenplay I just sent him 'a humdinger' (he never usually says anything nice to me...)

Getting to meet Steve Mosby's gorgeous little baby boy.

The hilarious dinner where we developed a concept for the new TV show RUN, RUSSEL, RUN starring Russel D McLean and his catchphrase "Now THAT I can do." Thanks to Al, Damien, Kate, Charles, Adele, Kat, Vincent and Russel for such a fun evening.

My lovely new shoes - courtesy of the aforementioned Christa Faust.

Being insulted by young Kat Heubeck in such a lovely way. Knowing that I am a big fan of 70s punk (it having been the music of my heyday), Christa had also bought me a book about an LA punk club from the late 1970s. Kat, taking a look at it, said "Oh! A history book." I am, officially, history.

Meeting one of my heroes - Cathi Unsworth - and getting to talk music with her. It made me come home and play my old Sisters of Mercy albums.

Being inspired by Harrogate to finish up/write three short stories on the train on the way home, and dying to get stuck into the new screenplay.

Anyway, a wee bit of Scottish crime fiction news, because it doesn't just all stop while I'm away, you know. Before that, a rather marvellous picture from Harrogate of those Reservoir Scots Allan Guthrie, Stuart MacBride and Russel McLean (aka Mr Giggle, Mr Ponytail and Mr Breadcrumbs).

Craig Russell unwittingly leads tourists astray.

A review of Alexander McCall Smith's THE DOG WHO CAME IN FROM THE COLD, reviews of Grant McKenzie's SWITCH and NO CRY FOR HELP, and Publisher's Weekly on Denise Mina's THE END OF THE WASP SEASON.

Win tickets to the Edinburgh Book Festival.

Finally, several authors who were at Harrogate choose their favourite fictional characters.

Sheds, Swords and Sex

Tomorrow I have decided to treat myself to a day out...errrrr... spend a hard day researching the route from Glasgow to the Isle of Skye. This involves sitting on a train for 5 hours and taking in the beautiful scenery on the West Highland Line, which includes the Glenfinnan Viaduct (better known as the one from Harry Potter) and the beautiful Arisaig, before spending two hours in Mallaig for a wander round and some fish and chips, followed by a 5 hour trip home again. It's a hard life.

If you really need any more persuasion to buy Allan Guthrie's brilliant TWO-WAY SPLIT, here's the lovely Declan Burke to give you that extra push.

A review of Helen Fitzgerald's FURCHTBAR LIEB (aka DEAD LOVELY ) It's in German, and, if I concentrate, I can understand a lot of it. However, it's much much more fun to go to Babelfish and get an...ahem... 'English' translation, which has gems such as "Thus a harmonious Sexualleben of a marriage transforms into a Reproduktionsmarathon" and "Krissie of One Night conditions becomes just now more pregnant".

A review of Philip Kerr's FIELD GREY.

Alexander McCall Smith's wish for Darfur.

Grant McKenzie talks about true crime inspiration.

GOVERNMENT OF THE LIVING DEAD - a wee treat from Douglas Lindsay, starting on Monday and lasting forever (or at least a week).

If you read it in a book, would you believe a story about a woman who lived in a shed in her married lover's back garden?

And a serious one to finish with for a change: Reducing gang violence in Glasgow.

"I only went out for a loaf."

Just one film in this weekend's film viewing: from Park Chan-Wook, who also directed the wonderful OLDBOY, we watched SYMPATHY FOR MR VENGEANCE. It's a dark and disturbing hard-boiled thriller about a steelworker who cannot hear or speak and who is sacked from his job. With the help of his girlfriend, decides to kidnap his boss' daughter in order to pay for a new kidney for his sister. This is a lovely looking film (even the bits I couldn't watch because they were so gory), but I didn't find any of the characters particularly sympathetic because you don't get to know them that well. As a result, I wasn't emotionally involved. Well worth watching though (but not as good as OLDBOY, which I loved).

Helen Fitzgerald needs your help - she's looking for a new title for THE DEVIL'S STAIRCASE. And, talking of Helen, she's doing an event at the Ramshorn Theatre in Glasgow on Wednesday. If you're going along, I'll see you there.

Ian Rankin will be at the Poisoned Pen in Scottsdale, Arizona on March 22nd and Alexander McCall Smith will be appearing at the Seattle Public Library on 1st April.

Jay Stringer and Russel McLean in a podcast interview with Tony Black (who is apparently being interviewed inside a woolly sock).

Robert Louis Stevenson's abandoned first novel has been found, completed and is set to be published.

Eurocrime reviews Grant McKenzie's NO CRY FOR HELP, Bookpage reviews Kate Atkinson's STARTED EARLY, TOOK MY DOG and The Guardian reviews Gordon Ferris' THE HANGING SHED.

And, finally, Stan Laurel's statue turns up after seven years. Brilliant.

From Zombies to Superheroes

Fancy some graphic novels? Geeks.co.uk reviews Denise Mina's A SICKNESS IN THE FAMILY, as well as some Sherlock Holmes adventures, including VICTORIAN UNDEAD: SHERLOCK HOLMES VS ZOMBIES. And Broken Frontier also reviews SICKNESS.

If you live in Tyneside, how about an evening with Stuart MacBride on February 3rd? No zombies...probably.

A review of Graham Moore's THE SHERLOCKIAN, and THE HOLMES AFFAIR and the blog In Which I Read Vintage Novels reviews John Buchan's THE THREE HOSTAGES. Keith Walters really enjoyed Craig Robertson's RANDOM, and reviews over at Eurocrime for M C Beaton's AGATHA RAISIN AND THE BUSY BODY and Grant McKenzie's SWITCH.

Talking of John Buchan, here's his grandson on the 39 steps to writing the perfect thriller.

Louise Welsh will be giving a reading at the University of Glasgow on Tuesday 18th January.

Allan Guthrie has a new blog E-Books That Sell.

It looks as though Alexander McCall Smith is going to be busy again next year. As well as the Aye Write gig, there's a musical night with him in Edinburgh on March 4th, and he's appearing at the William and Mary College in Colonial Williamsburg on April 7th.

Better hurry up if you want tickets for a special screening of TRAINSPOTTING on 2nd February.

And, finally, I do wish Glasgow could have its own Superhero like Seattle does. Given the latest bizarre twist to the Tommy Sheridan perjury trial, I think Glasgow's should be a wee yellow and black striped hero called Spelling Bee.

Good Books and Bad Sex

A wonderfully touching blog post from Peter May. Well worth a read.

A few reviews - first of all Stuart MacBride's SHATTER THE BONES, one of Denise Mina's graphic novel A SICKNESS IN THE FAMILY, and Inkcrush reviews Helen Fitzgerald's young adult novel AMELIA O'DONOHUE IS SO NOT A VIRGIN. I really need to get my hands on that one. A review of Alexander McCall Smith's CORDUROY MANSIONS, and one of Grant McKenzie's NO CRY FOR HELP.

I've been bemoaning the fact that Marten Claridge hasn't had anything new out for a while and, interestingly, Google alerted me to this. And not only a new one, but a re-release of the earlier books.

Ian Rankin and Richard Havers talk music and writing.

The knowledgeable (CrimeFest Mastermind winner for the last few years) and charming Martin Edwards reviews William McIlvanney's LAIDLAW for Patti Abbott's Forgotten Friday series.

And finally, dear reader, has it really been a year since we had bad sex? Well, it's only another week or so to wait and then we can lie back, think of England, and smoke a cigarette in the aftermath. By the way, does "off the beaten track" strike anyone else as a euphemism? No? Just me? Oh, OK.

In Which Your Humble Blogger Is Likened To A Lorry Load Of Horse Manure

This weekend it was my Mum's birthday, so we took a trip to surprise her. Last time I surprised my Mum for her birthday she burst into tears and said "This reminds me of the time your Granddad arrived with a lorry load of horse manure." This time, she just cried. Result.

My parents live in a complex with a lot of other...ahem...people of a certain age (most of whom, apparently, are dangerous when in possession of a mobility scooter, if these signs are to be believed. All of them knew about my visit as my Dad had told everyone except my Mum. One of them stopped me in the hallway to chat. The conversation, as is its wont, turned to crime fiction (it turns out he's an Ian Rankin fan). "Are you the lady who writes books?" he said.

"Well, yes, I suppose I am," said I.

"I'd love to read it," said my new friend.

"Weeeeeeell, there's a lot of swearing in it."

"I don't mind."

So I went into my parents' flat. "I need to get your copy of OLD DOGS to give to Brian."

"What?!" shrieked my mother. "You can't do that." She jumped off the chair (and with her dodgy knees too) and barged past me. "Brian, you can't read our Donna's book."

"Why not?"

"It's full of bad language. You think she's a nice girl, but she's not." She did, however, have an alternative solution. She went back inside and brought out GO TO HELENA HANDBASKET. "Here, take this one. It's weird, but there's less swearing."

Errrrr...thanks Mum.

Ian Rankin doesn't understand his first book.

An interview with Kate Atkinson. And a couple of reviews of STARTED EARLY, TOOK MY DOG.

More on the fight to save Conan Doyle's home.

If you're in Brighton on 20 November, you can go and see Louise Welsh.

The Coast Reporter has an article on Grant McKenzie.

William McIlvanney is taking a break from crime to write a book about Sean Connery.

KansasCity.com on Alexander McCall Smith's CORDUROY MANSIONS, The Musings Of A Dreamer on Iain Banks' THE WASP FACTORY, and Reading For The Joy Of It reviews Quintin Jardine's BLOOD RED.

And, finally, apparently, Scotland has more book festivals than anywhere else in the world. Yay for us!

It Must Be Interview Season

Alexander McCall Smith in The Scotsman on 44 Scotland Street.

Grant McKenzie at Author Toolbox on writing, reading, and his ideal day off.

Irvine Welsh at The Guardian on what he sees in the mirror.

Toronto's International Festival of Authors - Writing Scotland Q&As with Margaret Elphinstone, Quintin Jardine, Denise Mina, and Ian Rankin (nice mention for Al Guthrie!)amongst others.

The Rap Sheet hosts an excellent conversation between Megan Abbott and Lee Horsley (author of THE NOIR THRILLER. Part 1 here and Part 2 here.