The Guardian newspaper has picked my novel Fifty Grand as one of its books of the year and as a recommended book for Christmas (thank you Justine Jordan). Fifty Grand also got a nod as one of the books of the year by John O'Connell in the The New Statesman and I got a hat tip from Chris Mullin in The Observer. So far so good in Britain! but this is a novel which has struggled a bit in the US. The reasons for this are many: the bad economy didn't help; it also wasnt good that my editor left Holt two months before publication and that my replacement editor left two weeks before the pub day. Editors are crucially important in getting blurbs for books and getting them into the hands of reviewers. With 50G review copies were only sporadically sent out, were not followed up on, and there was no budget for publicity. I also think the subject matter may have been too controversial for some American reviewers. Still the success of Stuart Neville's Ghosts of Belfast shows you what a dedicated publishing house can do (it also helps that the book is f**king brilliant) and in the UK the success of Fifty Grand is all down to the hard work of Rebecca Gray, Anna-Marie Fitzgerald, Pete Ayrton et alia at Serpents Tail; and in Oz, Kate Hyde at Allen and Unwin. Word of mouth of course also helps and if you were one of the people who reviewed Fifty Grand on Amazon.com or Amazon.co.uk or Good Reads or Audible.com rest assured that I not only read your review but showed it around the family and probably sent it to my agent to prove that "some people like me". Thank you very much, I really appreciate it....
Blurbs are important too and I'd like to thank Ken Bruen for being an early champion of Fifty Grand. Finally a word about the blogosphere. Because I didn't get reviews in the likes of The New York Times, The Washington Post etc. I was more dependent than ever this year on bloggers for their support, so a big thank you to Declan Burke, Gerard Brennan, Peter Rozovsky, Dana King, Brian Lindemuth, Seana Graham, Sandra Ruttan, Brian O'Rourke, Liam Hoyle, Dan Wagner, Jolie Jordan, John McFetridge and many others - without you I'd be up the bloody creek. Thank you guys and gals. If there are going to be Adrian McKinty crime novels in the future (something I'm thinking quite hard about right now) it will largely be down to your support. Go raibh maith agaibh.
112 comments:
Adrian,
Although I do enjoy this blog, I started reading it because I enjoyed your novels so much.
"I also think the subject matter may have been too controversial for some American reviewers."
What a load of shite. You're right, but it's still shite. Crime fiction should be at least a little controversial; it deals with right and wrong and all the shades of gray in between. A reviewer--or outlet--who won't review something because it's controversial should get out of the business and give a chance to someone who has a pair.
If there are going to be Adrian McKinty crime novels in the future...
IF!?!?
Wriing books is a marathon, not a sprint, you know that. When you're 65 you'll need 10-15 books to be your pension. You can't stop now.
Nice one, mate. Glad it's getting at least some of the oxygen it deserves. Hope the good vibes continue into next year.
Cheers
gb
That's fantastic news. She seems very sharp, that Justine, judging by her other evaluations.
Coincidentally, I just finished Boyd's Ordinary Thunderstorms, the book Fifty Grand shares that best crime novel paragraph with, and thought it was very good, and memorable for many things, though I didn't find the larger crime all that convincing. It's interesting, though, that both books happen to have protagonists who shed former identities to go into the underclass of a society, which is a strength in both books.
I think all the reasons you cite for lack of U.S. buzz around this are real. I think you could add that the fact that the whole Dead Trilogy isn't available means that it's really hard to build an audience for a hardback here.
As far as the Cuba issue goes, I have wondered about it all along. I think the difference between Stuart's book and yours is that Northern Ireland is in a period of reevaluation about the recent past and we are not quite there yet. People are still fixed in whatever their particular response to the Castro regime is. In Britain and elsewhere, people can probably read it with a little less prejudice, just as I could probably read a book about European dealings in Africa with a more open mind, not thinking I know all that much coming in. For a Santa Cruzan, I was pretty openminded about Cuba, but that's because I plead ignorance about most things.
I don't exactly have the scope of Justine Jordan, but I did put Fifty Grand on our best fiction of the year wall, with blurb, so I can at least say I beat her to the punch.
I understand what you're saying about the writing gig, and any writer would be a fool not to think seriously about the future of the whole publishing world, but I agree with John. It's hardly the time to stop now.
Congratulations, Adrian.
yeah man, john's right, of course! you must keep doing what you do. so many of us love it, so PLEASE don't give up!
HUGE congrats on the Guardian recommendation, Adrian! I hope it spurs you on to write more, I really do. My faith in the writing and publishing biz is dented enough as it is.
SJ
Thanks man, I appreciate that.
Dana
You dont know the half of it, but a lot of it is my fault. It isnt just Cuban politics, I think I made the book more toxic than it needed to be by going after Telluride in such a big way. I hate the Tom Cruise celebrity worship cult in Telluride (and Aspen and Vail too) but that wasnt really what my story was about and it meant I think that places like Entertainment Weekly, The Denver Post etc - people who had reviewed me in the past - thought uh oh, we dont want to piss off the Cruises or the Scientologists lets give this guy a wide berth.
John
Yeah but I think I'm hitting that wall marathon runners talk about. This might be a good time to have my prison experience or to explore the world on foot or something.
Ger
The Guardian has been so good to me both this year (big positive review, book of the year, Christmas book) that I feel bad about cancelling my Saturday subscription when it changed to the Berliner format two years ago. Its biting the hand that feeds. Karmically all wrong...
Seana
The Dead trilogy issues in the US make me insane. I dont understand Scribner's policy here. Books 2 and 3 have been consistently in print for 3 or 4 years but not Book1. Why? Book 1 got better reviews, was a Dagger Award shortlisted novel, was a Borders and Booklist book of the year etc. etc. It doesnt make any sense. Scribner just paid 5 million dollars for the new book by that Time Travellers Wife lady but they cant spend 500 bucks on a print on demand reissue of Dead I Well May Be? To make things more confusing I have offered Scribner money to buy the rights back from them and they have refused. I just dont get what their game is.
HB
Its something I have to discuss with my family over the next few months.
I know there arent a lot of fans of my childrens book here on the blog but it just might make better economic sense for me to concentrate on Young Adult novels in the future. Kids and their parents (and uncles and grandparents) are still buying books unlike adult males.
Mike
Thanks man and hey congrats yourself on the new agent: dont worry you'll be knocking back the Johnnie Walkers with Neville and Ellroy in no time at all. (Actually make that Coors Lite with Nev!!)
A little birdie just reminded me that you can of course review me on Amazon.com even if you didnt buy the book there - not unethical at all; however you shouldnt review me on Audible unless you did actually listen to the audio version.
Thanks....
Seana
And hey thanks for the Best Of pick!
You're welcome, and I will be sure and add a little mention of that Guardian thumbs up when I go in tomorrow. Funny, but my recommendations somehow just don't have that same ring of authority as that of an internationally acclaimed paper. Not sure why.
Personally, I have no problems with you going the middle grade/YA route for awhile--it hasn't hurt Rick Riordan, that's for sure. I've got one or two things ahead of it, but I'm planning on getting to the Lighthouse Trilogy early in the new year. But I'd hope that at some point it would allow you to write the books you really want to write.
I really wish we could sell the Serpent's Tail editions of the Dead Trilogy here. We do get some Serpent's Tail, but those don't seem to be available to us. I guess it's a conflict of interest?
Hmm. Foot trek around the world. Not a bad idea for a travel narrative. I'm not really sure how your family would take it, though.
The sun never sets on British reviewers' intelligence.
====
Detectives Beyond Borders
"Because Murder Is More Fun Away From Home"
http://detectivesbeyondborders.blogspot.com/
Adrian,
I, too, started reading this blog because I love your novels - all of them. I'm a Midwesterner from the US. A couple of years ago I was researching a problem I was having with iTunes and audiobooks. I found a blogger who helped me solve my problem but the bonus was finding this post:
http://aldoblog.com/2007/03/the-bloomsday-dead/
"Dead I Well May Be" was my very first Audible.com purchase. I was hooked in the first five minutes.
I hate to think I may never read a new chapter in the life of Michael Forsythe. I also enjoyed "Fifty Grand". But then, I'm not a member of the Tom Cruise celebrity worship cult...
I'll just keep re-reading the books I'm lucky to have until the day comes you can write us another. Many, many thanks.
Many congratulations on making those end-of-the-year lists, Adrian.
Seana
Yeah you can the Serpents Tail editions everywhere in the world except the US and Canada. Which means of course that the only place in the world where you cant get Dead I Well May Be is the US and Canada, but of course you can get books 2 and 3 of the trilogy.
Its brilliant really.
Peter
Thanks man - nice British Empire ref BTW, I think you'll enjoy my next post. In fact since I know for a fact that you are a fan of Alan Moore's LOEG I know you'll like the next post.
Jean
I really appreciate that and I'll say it again: I think Blackstone did a brilliant job with the audiobooks.
As I was saying to Seana, its not a question of not wanting to do more crime fiction or even to do more M Forsythe books its merely that I think its a smarter decision for me to do more Young Adult novels than crime. It takes me a year to write a book and if its going to be my only income for the year then probably I should only write YA's. The YA market is healthy and the crime fiction market at my end of the spectrum is not. I know this sounds crass but I have to do whats best for the family and who knows in a year or two the economics could completely flip again...
Girish
Thanks man.
BTW Girish is an art critic for Time Out magazine, an Op Ed writer for the Times of India etc. and an old friend of mine. Check out his blog here.
Hey, your Lighthouse Trilogy is great! And I know we'll see more KcKinty crime novels because I simply cannot conceive of a world without them. But you gotta do what you gotta do, Adrian.
I don't really consider YA a step down, and I think your fans will probably read whatever they can. But it does seem sad if you've got a good idea for a crime novel and have to weigh it against financial considerations.
Weighing such things does seem to be a part of almost every writer or artist's life,though.
You would not believe how many kids are now super interested in Greek mythology now, thanks to Riordan's Lightning Thief gig. I don't know what he thinks about the whole deal though. Perhaps he'd rather still be writing adult fiction too. But I suspect that he now has the luxury and liberty to do just that.
Matt
Thanks for that. I actually think I really nailed it in that second part of the trilogy. They go to safe the world and it all goes to hell...thats my kind of kids book.
Oh yeah and the Expedition to the Barrier Peaks ending...
Seana
Yes if I'm being honest I think I'd like to do more crime novels like 50G, taking my time to learn about a culture, really getting into the characters heads that kind of thing...But I do think Lighthouse 2 is a good book and 1 and 3 aint terrible.
Jonathan Franzen said that he'd only spent about five years of his life writing what he really wanted to write. I don't know if that's encouraging or discouraging, but it's worth thinking about in terms of what the writing life really is.
Great news, Adrian. I'd been thinking of doing a best reads of the year for children's books, and then wasn't sure about it. Maybe I could do a mini best reads for crime...
Must go back and scour the Guardian. I only skimmed it on Saturday.
Miss Witch
You do a mini crimey thing absolutely.
I love the Guardian, its a quality publication with a very insightful staff, obviously.
Seana
Well The Corrections was pretty good writing wasnt it?
Miss Witch
BTW I left you out of my list of bloggers to thank and for that I apologise.
And of course thank you.
So you want me to review you on Amazon then?
Xena
That'd be great.
I think what Franzen was talking about was that not only the obstacles and financial considerations come in but that accumulating life experience enough to write a worthwhile novel takes time in itself.
Don't know what Joyce Carol Oates would say to that, though.
I hope Jonathan Franzen said he's only spent about five years, "So far," writing what he really wants to write.
Elmore Lonard is 84 and has a new novel coming out next year about a Somali pirate getting involved with crooks in New Orleans.
Franzen's got a lot of writing ahead of him.
But it is a tough decision, especially for those of us writing for about the smallest market of book buyes. Most of us only do it because we've ben at it so long we can't do anything else very well.
If you can write the YA stuff and it pays better that's certainly an understandable decision.
I know you've done your research, John, and there's that whole "men don't read fiction" thing, but crime fiction does seem to be very popular across the whole spectrum of readers, and even men read fiction when they're stuck in airports and places like that. Put another way, I don't think Michael Connelly or Carl Hiaasen or, ahem, James Patterson feel that they made a huge mistake in their chosen genre.
Frantzen should have a new book out in the fall, by the way, which I'm looking forward to. But maybe more to the point here, I think he is a marvelous essayist, and up to The Corrections, anyway, I'd suspect that was his bread and butter money. He may not personally have enjoyed writing them as much as fiction, but that doesn't mean they weren't worth writing.
I should post this anonymously, but anyway...
Patterson, Hiasson, even Connelly - I know people love their books but they aren't in the same category as Adrian. Yes, they're "male" books with crime in them, but frankly those guys have never written anything that make me think about my life in a different - and possibly uncomfortable way. You know, the way literature does.
There's a small market for the kind of book that actually makes you think, "Hey, maybe I'm not right about everything," and within the crime genre it's even smaller. People are usually up front that they like crime fiction because, "justice is served," good guys win and we can go on about our day.
Now, if Adrian wanted to write a book like that I'm sure he could, but I don't think that's what he's done so far.
Say it isn’t so!!!
Adrian, you can NOT stop writing crime fiction. I’m addicted to it. It's already too rough waiting between each publication – if nothing's in the queue, my head will explode.
I’m sorry to say that I haven’t read any of your young adult fiction, but I’ve read everything else by you and still can’t get enough.
If it helps at all, I reviewed your books on Amazon and Audible – like I said, I’m addicted and I’ve both read and listened to all your crime fiction.
But it’s not all about me… You can’t stop now! You’re at the threshold of greatness.
I understand what you're saying, John,and I'm not really comparing the merits of each, I'm just talking about genre. I do think there is a market for smart crime fiction though, and I think, say, the Swedish crime fiction wave is evidence of that. I know there are a lot of people who just want something mindless to read on the plane, but in general I find mystery readers to be a pretty smart and savvy crowd.
If Greg Love can engage a bunch of at risk youth with Dead I Well May Be, then I don't really think accessibilty is the problem. As Adrian says in his post, it really does come down to marketing.
Oh yes, marketing for sure.
I'm too cynical and getting too many bad reviews myself (always compaining there are too many characters and the plot is too complicated. Meh, I don't have a plot...) but the question might be, why do some books get more marketing than others?
A writer like Adrian will always get editors excited - they're people who love books, love literature and can really dig into them, but they can't always get the marketing people as excited.
The sorry state of Adian's trilogy would probably be my best example.
Maybe the marketing department kno their business, maybe they know that no matter how much they put behind the books they'll never sell like Patterson's (I've never been a fan of the Scandanavian, whiny-white-boy angst, I also find them too full of reassurance that my moping isn't just me on a bad day but certainly the result of something "bigger," but that's just me ;)
I just hope Adrian will keep writing until he finds the right combination of editorial and marketing departments to push his books over the top.
John, my man Andrea Camilleri had a theatre and film career behind him as well as a novel or two when he tried writing a mystery. He was 69 at the time, when the first novel about Salvo Montalbano appeared.
The eleventh has just appeared in English, with five more already published or in the can in Italian. There are also collections of Montalbano stories, and an entire cottage indistry of books and scholarship about Camilleri and Montalbano. He's 84 now and still going strong.
================
Detectives Beyond Borders
"Because Murder Is More Fun Away From Home"
http://detectivesbeyondborders.blogspot.com/
If nothing else, the Scandinavians are proof that Patterson isn't the answer to everything. And I'd say that Leonard is proof that there is indeed still a market for books like yours. Here's hoping some felicitous combination of editorial and marketing puts your books over the top too.
John
It's funny because to me your novels are actually closer in feel to some Scandinavian novels than to classical American ones. Scandinavia is not only whiny-white-boy angst - there are a lot of whiny female detectives too ;)
Their novels also seem to have often an ensemble cast and are much more interested in immigration than the average Us novel.
Adrian
Congratulations for the recommendations. Don't lose hope.
Marco, I'm taking that as a compliment ;)
Seana
All except for the bit on the cruise ship - that was too sitcomy for me. Funny yes but still a bit too sitcomy.
John
Thanks for the kind words.
Its not as if I'm ever going to become rich with the YA's either, but at least if I do one of those a year I can say to my family "hey look I am making some money as a writer" whereas with the crime novels the whole loss leader concept started to grow a bit thin several years back.
Holden
I appreciate the review and your support! Its not like I'm quitting for ever, its just that in these trying times I really have to focus on what I can do to bring in some cash!
Marco
I was waiting for the knife thrust under the compliment. Whats the matter with you, are you mellowing?
Peter
I love stories of late bloomers and Elmore Leonard is definitely an inspiration to keep going. Personally at 72 I think Thomas Pynchon has written his best novel in decades (and its a crime novel) but not all the critics agree with that of course.
John,
Maybe you should adopt a Swedish pseudonym and ride the Scandinavian wave. Jonas Fredriksson?
I was waiting for the knife thrust under the compliment.
You think very badly of me, and with little reason. I'm not one to rub salt in the wound.
1-2 Fiorentina 1-2 Arsenal
1-2 Fiorentina 1-2 Arsenal
1-2 Fiorentina 1-2 Arsenal
1-2 Fiorentina 1-2 Arsenal
...
I take it you mean in The Corrections. I don't remember much about that part. I think what I liked was more a kind of overall tone and energy and richness of language. But people liked and hated it for all kinds of reasons. Some people, for instance didn't like the book because they didn't find the characters that 'likable'.
Re Marco--I expect the knife comes later.
Adrian, you're dead right that Nordic crime novels tend to have ensemble casts and to concern themselves with immigration more than their U.S. counterparts do. It's easy to see the reason for the second of those, anyhow.
As to whiny detectives ("morose" would be more accurate), yes, but ... Arnaldur Indriðason's protagonist has issues, even one from deep in his past that haunts him, but he's not unhappy. Even Jo Nesbø's Harry Hole (prounounced Heu-leh), sodden and alcoholic, manages to be that way without self-pity.
I'd also look into Karin Fossum's He Who Fears the Wolf for non-angst from the north. Reading, thinking about and discussing Nordic crime fiction will also let you use characters and diacritical marks you never knew your keyboard had.
Skål!
==============
Detectives Beyond Borders
"Because Murder Is More Fun Away From Home"
http://detectivesbeyondborders.blogspot.com/
No thanks necessary - just send money. ;)
I must thank you for your kind words on Peter's blog.... and also for writing something so worthy of championing.
You son of a bitch.
I not only reviewed Fifty Grand but also named it as one of my top 50 favorite books of the decade.
Just because I'm a poor white boy from Baltimore doesn't mean you have to exclude me from your little thing here.
Now I have to go looking for that DELETE button......
Brian
Totally forgot. I shall add you right now. My excuse as usual is abject stupidity.
BTW if there's anyone else I forgot PLEASE remind me.
Sandra
The words were heartfelt. Just wish I could nudge the culture even more.
Marco
Talking about kicking us when we're down. Worst season start in a long long time. Still memories of 2005 will keep me going through the dark times.
Seana
Gotta say my quibble with The Corrections was merely that - a quibble. Pretty much close to perfection in novel writing.
Havent read the essays.
Peter
Your argument is with John not me I havent read enough to be qualified as a debater.
Did you ever see the original Insomnia film? I thought there was a dark sense of humour there which I quite enjoyed.
I think you probably should have just stuck to thanking all the little people who made it all possible, and we all would have assumed we were included.
Funny, but over on Martin Edwards blog he was talkng about some Al Pacino movie which then got sidetracked on to the American version of Insomnia, and several hard core insomniacs commented that the movie rubbed them the wrong way because they had lived with a few hours of sleep for years and had never noticed becoming disoriented at all. I'd like to see the Norwegian version sometime.
Seana, the closest I can offer to Norwegian Insomnia is Icelandic Hypothermia.
==============
Detectives Beyond Borders
"Because Murder Is More Fun Away From Home"
http://detectivesbeyondborders.blogspot.com/
Hopefully you realize that I couldn't pass up the opportunity to bust your balls.
I think I called David Corbett a name this year too. It's been a banner year for me. Can't take me anywhere.
So when are you going to send Nerd of Noir a copy of 50G?
Brian
I know Dave Corbett a little bit. I offered to take him drinking in Chinatown in San Francisco and he totally wussed on me! We did have a rather more civilized luncheon in Denver though.
What gives? N of N should already have a copy.
Seana
I know EVERYONE is a fan of Christopher Nolan. I however am not convinced. I thought his version of Insomnia (and all his films) reeked of artifice. I will say this though - Robin Williams (another of my bete noirs as you know) was excellent. Its such a dull witted cliche to say but the original was better.
Peter
Oooh I feel a chill coming on (best said in a kenneth williams accent if you know who KW is).
Funny I'm listening to the BBC version of JG Ballard's The Drowned World at the moment and of course there many of the lead characters suffer from hyperthermia.
Peter, I haven't gotten to that particular Indridason, but I've liked the two I've read very much and expect that I'll eventually read all or most of them.
Adrian, I had to google Nolan to find out if I was a fan or not. I've seen Memento and The Prestige. I did enjoy the premise of the Memento, but it isn't one that would really hold up well on second viewing--kind of like The Usual Suspects. The Prestige was rather beautiful to behold, but in truth I get it mixed up with The Illusionist which came out at around the same time and was stylistically similar. I haven't seen the Batman ones--not interested in Batman's early life, and I didn't really want to see Heath Ledger alive right after he had just died. It seemed a bit macabre. Maybe someday.
I think Nolan is a good director; however you think someone who has directed two Batman films by know would figure out how to shoot a compelling fight scene, or hire someone who could. Wait, erase that. I don't want hordes of Bat-fans googling criticisms of the film, tracking down my IP address and knocking down my door.
As a high school teacher, I can tell you that despite the tremendous explosion in YA fiction in recent years there is always room for a writer of merit. And I think there are a couple of niches which have yet to be filled in the genre.
Matt, I'm really sorry to tell you this but word on the web is that you are now dead meat. I'd say watch your back, but what's the point?
Speaking of YA, I just read this editorial in the latest Publisher's Weekly today. It will be proportionally heartening or disheartening according to your particular place on the YA writer's path.
Seana, Hypothermia (COOL title!) is still very new.
In re Nolan, I've seen Dark Knight and part of Batman Begins. Dark Knight was good; Batman Begins was shite.
==============
Detectives Beyond Borders
"Because Murder Is More Fun Away From Home"
http://detectivesbeyondborders.blogspot.com/
Oh, I've seen Memento, too. I seem to remember liking it -- I think.
I see some local writer gave you a free kick on the Readings bookshops 2009 picks.
Peter
You're on a roll with the gags today arent you? Must be that Halladay trade.
Matt
I'm not knocking YA's (the first two books of the Golden Compass trilogy for example are brilliant) but my first love is crime fiction and I'd rather be doing that any other type of writing.
Seana
I liked the Colorado Springs scenes in the prestige.
Cam
I was in Readings yesterday. Didnt notice anything. Free kick can have two meanings cant it. A good thing as in soccer and rugby or you know a bad thing.
BTW I've learned a new aussie word: Bogan!
I think I am a bogan culturally and economically but I lack the blonde tips to my hair and a propensity for drunken fighting on Saturday nights.
A bogan sounds a bit like a ned.
Check the Readings website for Best Books of 2009. Free kick has only one meaning: slotted.
Yeah, Tesla--who knew?
Peter
Or a "spide" or "chav".
Cam
Oh yeah. Up there wit McGilloway, Colm Toibin and McCann - nice Irish contingent.
Seana
Its a strange and interesting place.
Well, at least Temple only named one of the Micks.
My dad had an old Air Force friend who we used to go visit there when I lived in Denver as a kid. I think we went to the Airforce Academy every time we went down there.
The other thing I remember is going back as an adult to my friends wedding there. I may have mentioned before how we all tried to square dance without altitude adjustment and were lucky that we were still young enough not to kill ourselves in the effort. But it wasn't pretty.
No Tesla sightings, though.
but I lack the blonde tips to my hair and a propensity for drunken fighting on Saturday nights .
My v-word tells me you're not being onnest.
Adrian,
I'm a bit late to the game on this post, but allow me to underscore what everyone else is saying: I hope you do keep writing, regardless of the genre. I'll read your YA, I'll read your crime fiction, and I know everyone else that visits this blog will too. It's pretty clear you've developed quite a loyal fan base, so I think it's only a matter of time before some editors/marketers wake up and realize that with a little more help from them, you'll hit that tipping point.
And regarding that ominous marathon wall, just think about it like this. The proverbial wall is the toughest part of the race, but it also comes right before the greatest part of the race: when you reach the home stretch and can enjoy the fruits of all your labors. The last few miles should be painful as all hell, but you're riding on an adrenaline high as you near the finish line, so none of the previous hardships mean shit.
Anyway, enough blathering from me. Please keep writing. I'll keep reading. And this may be small consolation to you, but I know a lot of people (ahem, myself included) who would kill to have the success you currently enjoy.
Marco, that v word could mean that he is 'on the nest', having renounced the drunken violence of the past.
Brian, good coaching, from one who knows about endurance races. I don't think you should have told him that there is still pain at the end, though, masked or not.
I know his friend's here will get over to Brian's blog eventually, but just thought that someone ought to mention that O'Rourke's a father.
The Jays got rid of Halladay, but unfortunately Vernon Wells is still dragging the Jays down with his mammoth contract.
Speaking of baseball, I can't remember if I linked this to you yet, Adrian, Dock Ellis and the LSD No-No. It always cheers me up!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_vUhSYLRw14&feature=player_embedded
I'm down with you writing the crime fiction Adrian. I think you can see from the posts here your legion of fans is growing...
"Or a "spide" or "chav".
My source on neds was Donna Moore, who observes them rather than hanging with them. I believe "spide" and "chav" came up in our discussion. Donna is English but has lived in Glasgow for years, so she's seen a fair range of neds and spides and chavs and probably yobs and hooligans as well.
I titled a blog post "Night of the living neds" in honor of the information I had acquired.
==============
Detectives Beyond Borders
"Because Murder Is More Fun Away From Home"
http://detectivesbeyondborders.blogspot.com/
I loved your Dead series and decided to give it to my 19 yr old son for Christmas. I had a terrible time finding Dead I Well May Be & finally had to buy it used from Amazon.
Brian
I really do think a half marathon is within but not a full one. At least not until I get a half one under my belt.
Seana
I really like the Springs, such a diverse interesting place full or right wing and left wing nuts and very very beautiful - especially in winter. The only thing that made me slightly sad of course is that unlike in the movie the train no longer goes there.
Peter
Do you know the cricketer Shane Warne? Very famous here and throughout the cricketing world. Aparently he is the definition of a bogan.
Matt
I think the Angels seem to have done worst out of all the trades. They lose quality pitching for an aging DH.
I wonder what will happen to Wang?
Margaret
I honestly dont know what Scribner is playing at.
Dead I Well May Be has been out of print for nearly a year and they wont do a print on demand for Amazon.
According to my agent if it remains out of print for 2 full years the rights revert back to me automatically so I may stop pushing them to bring out the edition just so I can get the rights back.
In the meantime the only way to get DIWMB new is from Amazon.co.uk in the British edition.
Crazy, I know.
Adrian, you're a poseur.
You cannot be a Bogan if you read more than three books a year.
V-word: preda (prey)
Marco
If those three books are only about football and cricket or the publishing house was Playboy I think you're in the clear.
My friend Michael saw Warne on the street the other day blonde tips resplendent.
The other Melbourne look is what we used to call a "hengie" i.e. white guys with dreadlocks, tribal tattoos, long raincoats and DM boot without any laces. Steam Punk really would help them
By the way, if tomorrow at this time of day if you look here you'll see me and the other guys of the list (now a movement, association, group whatever) broadcasting live.
Hopefully.
Adrian, I'm afraid my knowledge of cricket is so sparse that I could not name a single cricketer, bogan or otherwise.
Make Money With Affiliate Programs
How To Make money with affiliate programs Today. Affiliate marketing is the easier and probably the most effective method to make money from the internet. It is basically, a kind of selling technique where potential buyers from your website are directed to the websites of sellers. For every click, the website owner gets a small commission.
www.onlineuniversalwork.com
Affiliate Marketing is a performance based sales technique used by companies to expand their reach into the internet at low costs. This commission based program allows affiliate marketers to place ads on their websites or other advertising efforts such as email distribution in exchange for payment of a small commission when a sale results.
www.onlineuniversalwork.com
I enjoyed the trilogy and Fifty Grand very much, so much that I thought they'd make excellent Xmas presents. But after drawing a blank (and blank looks) at three book shops in Melbourne and another in seven in Perth, I was starting to doubt that Adrian McKinty even existed. Fortunately a small independent bookshop in Fremantle came up with Yard and Bloomsday and Mary Martin in Southgate had all three for a relative who fortunately turned up well after Xmas. I asked a woman in a Perth Readings, "How can he be so well-known overseas and you haven't heard of him?" Insert "grunt" here.
Hey thanks for the getting the books. Hope they are liked. Or tolerated.
Dont worry I'm completely unknown overseas too.
I will be in Perth though at the end of Feb at the writers fest so if you want those books signed come on out. Dont exactly know what I'm doing there but I will be doing something.
This seems as good a place as any to mention that we had a nice little spike in the store on Fifty Grand over the holidays, thanks to my mention of the Guardian pick and very secondarily my own fiction pick. Stuart Neville did well too. It's nothing to write home about in the grand scheme of things but I'm glad people picked these up.
I know it's just adding to your frustration, but I do think I could sell Michael Forsythe if DIWMB was available. I would say it to Pocket if there was a decent sales rep, but unfortunately, there is not. There isn't even a sales rep who lives in the region--just someone who phones periodically from L.A. and doesn't care at all about that sort of thing.
Seana
You know what I'll email Serpents Tail and see if they cant ship directly to the US. I'm fed up with Simon and Schuster. No one seems to know what the hell is going on over there.
We do get some from Serpent's Tail. I just wonder if they have to respect Simon and Schuster's territory in some way. If that contractual agreement is coming to an end, DIWMB would definitely work in trade. But I don't want to be setting you up for more frustration over this than has already been part of the whole thing.
I was in Perth on holiday with family - we're actually in Melbourne. In fact my boy tells me your little girl is in his class at StKPS. But here's some advice on Perth: spend as little time in the city as possible and as much time as you can on Cottesloe Beach and Fremantle. And if you like beer, have lunch at the Little Creatures Brewery on Fremantle's waterfront. Frenetic but ultimately rewarding.
I'll try and get there but I dont know how much time I'll have. When they fly you out for these things they tend to insist on getting their money's worth and working you pretty hard which is fair enough I suppose. Irvine Welsh is coming too though so I might be able sneak off with him to Little Creatures.
Post a Comment