tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22572108115366125602012-01-20T11:46:06.265ZWhere The Third Pig Detective Agency likes to hang out from time to time.Bobhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14712832783749303461noreply@blogger.comBlogger1071100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2257210811536612560.post-70722069648043359502011-11-23T14:25:00.005Z2011-11-23T14:31:24.150Z

I'm just popping in quickly to mention the post below from fellow author Celine Kiernan. It speaks (quite eloquently) for itself so if anyone is interested... In 2009, Alexandra Trotsenko, a Russian artist living in Ireland, had her fingers cut off. This happened during the course of a vicious knife attack in her own home. The attacker has since been jailed for 16 years, but without expensive

Bobhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14712832783749303461noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2257210811536612560.post-8925563434995742472011-10-05T11:41:00.002+01:002011-10-05T11:44:11.767+01:00

every time I see this poster on a streetlampthis is what I actually see

Bobhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14712832783749303461noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2257210811536612560.post-63509765838389163182011-09-28T13:24:00.008+01:002011-09-28T14:21:33.139+01:00

October is Children's Book Month in Ireland and that can only mean one thing...Bookfest. Writers, storytellers, musicians, artists and all other manner of amazing folk will descend on libraries during the month to be all writerly, artistic and musical.I got involved last year and had a blast. Seemingly I didn't embarrass myself too much either because they've asked me to come back and do some

Bobhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14712832783749303461noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2257210811536612560.post-71098810046578367982011-08-30T11:40:00.003+01:002011-08-30T11:44:39.951+01:00

The rather excellent Celine Kiernan has a new YA book coming out in September. If anyone fancies snaffling a free signed copy of Into the Grey, along with a signed flat of the Australian cover then do go here and give it a lash... You know you want to (and it'll be worth it, trust me)

Bobhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14712832783749303461noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2257210811536612560.post-74419128080116650072011-07-31T12:58:00.002+01:002011-07-31T13:16:57.708+01:00

So, where are we then?Well, I've just finished the latest round of edits on The Curds and Whey Mystery (the third Third Pig Detective Novel). They've gone back to the publisher for excising and dismembering so we'll see how that goes. The editing process is an interesting one, Frequently the editor comes up with great ideas that most definitely make the story better and this was no exception.

Bobhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14712832783749303461noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2257210811536612560.post-22075668404135631872011-05-18T10:37:00.004+01:002011-05-18T10:53:43.844+01:00

And here they are...The Bisto Book of the Year Award – Chris Haughton’s A Bit LostThe Eilís Dillon award for a first children’s book – Chris Haughton’s A Bit Lost (as far as I know this is the first time two awards have gone to the same author)The Honour Award for Fiction – Sheena Wilkinson’s Taking FlightThe Honour Award for Illustration – Caitríona Hastings and Andrew Whitson’s Mac Rí

Bobhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14712832783749303461noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2257210811536612560.post-36476420243909233962011-04-27T09:39:00.002+01:002011-04-27T09:41:51.126+01:00

A little tribute to Poly who died yesterday.

Bobhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14712832783749303461noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2257210811536612560.post-37931082812127616682011-04-19T14:14:00.006+01:002011-04-19T14:22:27.808+01:00

Now that the 2011 Awards are imminent (see post below), I have to return the very nice indeed Eilis Dillon Award glass sculpture I won last year. It has taken pride of place in the Burke living room over the past twelve months. I'll miss it but I know it will be passed on to a more than worthy recipient this year.All is not wailing and gnashing of teeth however as I do get to keep this rather

Bobhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14712832783749303461noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2257210811536612560.post-85359330780961894662011-03-15T10:57:00.004Z2011-03-15T12:27:03.364Z

This years Bisto Award nominees have been announced. The Bistos are Ireland's biggest and most prestigious book award and celebrate excellence in children's literature and illustration.The full shortlist is: A Bit Lost by Chris Haughton Dancing in the Dark by Peter Prendergast Mac Rí Éireann le Caitríona Hasting agus Andrew Whiton Prim Improper by Deirdre Sullivan Taking Flight by Sheena

Bobhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14712832783749303461noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2257210811536612560.post-90628106329422937362011-02-22T12:08:00.003Z2011-02-22T12:15:50.870Z

Last Tuesday I spent the day in Milford National School in Castletroy.I did readings for 5th and 6th classes and we discussed where ideas came from and writing in general. Both sessions were followed by an excellent Q&A session with lots of good questions.In the afternoon, I spoke with the school's book club who were reading The Third Pig and I Am David. To round off the day, I visited 3rd Class

Bobhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14712832783749303461noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2257210811536612560.post-64010851628689857412011-02-22T09:52:00.004Z2011-04-06T09:12:15.923+01:00

Various writing friends/acquaintances/colleagues (delete as appropriate) have been receiving some good news over the past few weeks and, being the good-natured soul that I am, I thought I'd share it with you.Declan (no relation) Burke, he of the excellent Crime Always Pays blog, has just been given a deal for his latest book, currently titled The Baby Killers.'So what?' I hear you say. Well, not

Bobhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14712832783749303461noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2257210811536612560.post-92058190013577778232011-02-01T11:54:00.003Z2011-02-01T12:10:30.553Z

Wow, what a busy few months it's been. IT work sort of took over for a while, Christmas came in the middle and writing was relegated to the back seat until things settled down (as was blogging). So, what's been happening?The Ho Ho Ho Mystery was finally published on 28th October and I'm led to believe that sales have been good...which is nice. The week of publication Hughes & Hughes in my home

Bobhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14712832783749303461noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2257210811536612560.post-75572539440932865742010-11-29T10:11:00.004Z2010-11-29T11:23:12.071Z

Still up to my tonsils in (non-writing) work but The Third Pig received a great review on the excellent Page Turners website so I thought I'd post the link hereIt was a nice start to the weekend.

Bobhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14712832783749303461noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2257210811536612560.post-40739446824487601512010-11-10T09:55:00.004Z2010-11-10T10:00:23.427Z

The current reading pile is growing ever bigger at the moment, due mainly to work commitments...but they'll all have to take a back seat now as this arrived yesterdayI don't read much fantasy but I'll always make an exception for Donaldson.

Bobhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14712832783749303461noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2257210811536612560.post-9964265963476732102010-10-25T12:23:00.003+01:002010-10-25T12:32:32.490+01:00

Well, this promises to be an exciting week. The Ho Ho Ho Mystery is officially published this Thursday 28th October although copies may start trickling into bookstores earlier in the week so keep an eye out.After the book's release, I'll be doing a signing in Hughes & Hughes bookshop in Ennis on the following Saturday 30th October at 2:00 (that's afternoon not morning - just in case).If you're

Bobhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14712832783749303461noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2257210811536612560.post-88282485669227199062010-10-11T13:49:00.002+01:002010-10-11T13:51:20.099+01:00

And when I got home today, I found these waiting for me. Woot! And perfect timing for the first of my library visits tomorrow.

Bobhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14712832783749303461noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2257210811536612560.post-38932321883234351932010-10-06T15:17:00.002+01:002010-10-06T15:49:45.997+01:00

The 20th annual Children's Books Festival kicked off on Friday 1st October with 70+ authors, illustrators, storytellers and performers due to visit libraries, schools and arts centers across Ireland throughout the month.As part of the festival I'll be visiting libraries in Limerick and Clare. The dates and venues are:Tuesday 12th October 9:30am Watch House Cross Library, Moyross 11:30am

Bobhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14712832783749303461noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2257210811536612560.post-31655753331571806482010-10-05T10:09:00.003+01:002010-10-05T10:19:51.028+01:00

I quite like it. So what do other people think?

Bobhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14712832783749303461noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2257210811536612560.post-29457673153659565912010-10-04T17:37:00.003+01:002010-10-04T17:38:25.015+01:00

Bobhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14712832783749303461noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2257210811536612560.post-31110558699622010762010-10-04T17:03:00.003+01:002010-10-04T17:16:41.820+01:00

I recently did an article for Words With Jam - an online writing magazine. I touched on how Harry came to be, how useful I found online critique sites and some other bits and pieces that I hoped the readers might find interesting. The magazine and article can be found here but there was such a handsome fellow on the cover I thought I'd include it below...I was also quoted in an article by Helen

Bobhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14712832783749303461noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2257210811536612560.post-61772511162736879482010-09-30T12:42:00.004+01:002010-10-09T16:34:11.900+01:00

Way, way back in the dim distant days of 2008 when this blog was a mere infant, I blogged about The Africa Reich by Guy Saville and said that it was going to be mega.Now adopting an 'I told you so' tone of voice, I can reveal that Guy got a two book deal with Hodder and Stoughton and The Africa Reich, complete with spanking new cover (draft below), will be published in 2011. Now the lucky sod is

Bobhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14712832783749303461noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2257210811536612560.post-5701025427789138132010-09-24T13:00:00.002+01:002010-09-24T13:15:04.141+01:00

And yes, I keep promising to update but so much is happening I'm falling way behind the curve in all things writing. All will change but in the meantime here's a superb piece of music to keep you going.I'm no Eagles fan but I think this is a really evocative piece and so unlike most anything else they've ever doneand yes, I'm also aware of the somewhat brilliant, cheap and cheerful version the

Bobhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14712832783749303461noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2257210811536612560.post-44599788402114499352010-07-30T16:05:00.002+01:002010-07-30T16:15:10.744+01:00

The sharper-eyed among you will probably have noticed that the promised reviews have been less than forthcoming. In my defence, I ended up having to dump some 20k words of the third Harry Pigg book when I realised it wasn't working. This was a big step and one not made without much furrowing of brow and hovering of finger over the delete key.As I result I've spent most of the past 6 weeks

Bobhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14712832783749303461noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2257210811536612560.post-1492351551718243322010-06-17T15:02:00.003+01:002010-06-17T15:05:12.281+01:00

I've been a bit remiss with reviews of late - primarily due to other stuff happening. This must be rectified so over the next few days I'll be posting what I thought of some of the many books I've read lately, including Changeling 3, Leviathan, Fever Crumb, From Hell and whatever else comes to mind. Don't go away now.

Bobhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14712832783749303461noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2257210811536612560.post-71062642675068997002010-05-31T16:19:00.003+01:002010-05-31T16:41:15.018+01:00

By now I suppose everyone knows that I won the Eilis Dillon Award for Best First Book at the CBI/Bisto Childrens Book Awards last week. I should have blogged about it earlier but the week passed in a blur and I'm only getting back to reality now.It's probably the oldest of cliches but I was thrilled just to have been shortlisted for the award and never expected to go any further so it was with a

Bobhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14712832783749303461noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2257210811536612560.post-31213600158154544052010-05-27T11:40:00.004+01:002010-05-27T11:52:22.547+01:00

I know I've ranted on sometime in the dim distant past about why I don't read much fantasy any more. Suffice to say, most of it is derivative, predictable and very, very cliched. By the same token, I do enjoy it when I discover a good fantasy writer. Over the past few years I've loved the work of both George RR Martin and, especially, the magnificent Steven Erikson.Recently, I've also been

Bobhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14712832783749303461noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2257210811536612560.post-2549034700746022592010-05-26T12:29:00.004+01:002010-05-26T12:31:22.192+01:00

More details soon on what turned out to be a great day, I just need to recharge the batteries

Bobhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14712832783749303461noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2257210811536612560.post-5712140840196830932010-05-12T10:46:00.002+01:002010-05-12T11:01:25.391+01:00

On Monday I had my 8 minutes of fame when I appeared on RTE's The Afternoon Show to discuss the Bisto Awards. Also on the show was Catriona Hastings, author of the fabulous looking An Greasaí Bróg agus na Síoga (an Irish retelling of the elves and the Shoemaker).After waiting around in the green room (which isn't green but had loads of coffee) we were taken to the studio where we were

Bobhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14712832783749303461noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2257210811536612560.post-62918415728479088882010-04-22T14:06:00.004+01:002010-04-28T12:41:25.375+01:00

As I was in Dublin yesterday for a meeting, I took the time afterwards to drop into the Gutter Bookshop to browse and say hello. This is a new bookshop in Temple Bar and offers a great selection of books in bright and airy surroundings. I wish them every success.As they were also hosting the launch of John Connolly's new book, The Whisperers, and as I'm a huge, huge fan I came back later that

Bobhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14712832783749303461noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2257210811536612560.post-66753262398475064072010-04-15T12:43:00.002+01:002010-04-15T12:44:25.550+01:00

Though there's no cover yet, the blurb for Ho Ho Ho is now up on the Harper Collins website. Here's how it reads...The festive follow-up to The Third Pig Detective Agency.When Father Christmas goes missing on Christmas Eve eve, Mrs Christmas calls on our intrepid hero Harry Pigg to track him down. What follows is another hardboiled caper featuring fairy tale villains, plenty of red herrings, a

Bobhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14712832783749303461noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2257210811536612560.post-35861518214078946032010-03-27T12:04:00.003Z2010-03-27T12:07:23.985Z

The current 'to be read' pile.....To be fair, I've started New York and Wolf Hall (which is turning out to be surprisingly readable for a Booker winner).So many books, so little time.

Bobhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14712832783749303461noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2257210811536612560.post-63456393192171333502010-03-24T12:53:00.003Z2010-03-24T13:00:11.600Z

And as I'm still totally impressed by the novelty of it all, some more links to articles about the CBI Bisto Book Awards are here:The IndoThe ExaminerIrish Times complete with photo (tho' not of me thankfully)Book2BookScott (Me and My Big Mouth) Pack - publisher extraordinaire

Bobhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14712832783749303461noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2257210811536612560.post-24927886300558842782010-03-23T12:51:00.003Z2010-03-23T12:58:29.449Z

And here I am in a state of shock. I've just gone and been nominated for the Children's Books Ireland Bisto Book of the Year 2010. This is the biggest children's book prize in Ireland so my gast has been truly flabbered.The full shortlist is here and there are some serious writers on the list (including John Connolly, one of my favourites). More to follow - once I've recovered from the shock.

Bobhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14712832783749303461noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2257210811536612560.post-89496490509980749872010-03-05T12:35:00.005Z2010-03-08T10:53:57.869Z

Yesterday was World Book Day. As part of the celebrations I was invited to Donoughmore National School to do readings and Q&A to 5th and 6th classes. As both classes had read The Third Pig, they promised to be intetersting sessions as they'd be the first groups I'd spoken to where everyone had read the book. After reading the poo chapter to 6th class (always a favourite and it seemed to go

Bobhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14712832783749303461noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2257210811536612560.post-38956109052545998072010-03-04T15:08:00.005Z2010-03-04T15:17:45.810Z

The very talented Darren Craske has a newbook coming out today. It's called The 11th Plague and you should all go out and buy it forthwith. "But it's a sequel," I hear you say. "How will be able to read it if we haven't read the original?" "A good question," I reply. "But fear not because you can read Book 1, The Equivoque Principle, in its entirety should you so choose. Just click below and

Bobhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14712832783749303461noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2257210811536612560.post-89882161931258405562010-03-01T11:50:00.003Z2010-03-01T12:10:48.830Z

Well, not surprisingly none of my choices made the Top 10 and only four made the Top 50. There are some good choices in the list but I feel that the Top 10 is a predictable, safe and very Book Club-ish selection (Niffenegger, Hosseini, Zusak etc). The Top 10 books are as follows:1. Boy in the Striped Pyjamas - John Boyne. Is it the best book of the noughties? probably not but it's still a

Bobhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14712832783749303461noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2257210811536612560.post-44558495913427495942010-03-01T11:42:00.001Z2010-03-01T11:45:00.266Z

I was very disappointed to hear about the demise of the Hughes & Hughes bookshop chain over the weekend. Apart from the loss of over 220 jobs, it's always sad when an independent bookstore closes its doors. More information and updates can be found on the Irish Publishing News website. H&H had a marvellous store in my hometown of Ennis. It was a modern bright bookshop with a Costa Coffee

Bobhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14712832783749303461noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2257210811536612560.post-22887379600387884162010-01-20T14:13:00.002Z2010-01-20T14:22:53.191Z

Eason's are carrying out a poll to determine their top books of the Noughties. Some interesting choices in there - as well as some that aren't fit even to line a budgie's cage.Vote for your top 5 and you're in with a chance of winning the Top 50.There weren't too many Crime or Science Fiction novels (now there's a surprise) but some of the books I really enjoyed were included. For what it's

Bobhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14712832783749303461noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2257210811536612560.post-71665061932617603542010-01-18T14:29:00.003Z2010-01-18T15:00:57.140Z

As usual, Santa delivered the goods and a bagful of books descended on the Burke household. Yours truly didn't get as many as in previous years (but did get a wodge of book tokens) but I did receive Under the Dome - a real return to form by Stephen King - and Unseen Academicals by Terry Pratchett.N1S picked up Changeling by Steve Feasey (which I have now read and saw that it was good), Leviathan

Bobhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14712832783749303461noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2257210811536612560.post-27983086818331776732010-01-08T15:51:00.002Z2010-01-08T15:53:07.449Z

Last Week's Top Ten eBooks at Waterstone's----------------------------------------------------------------------1. The Lost Symbol by Dan Brown (Transworld Digital) 2. The Third Pig Detective Agency by Bob Burke (HarperCollins e-books) 3. Glass Houses by Rachel Caine 4. Twilight by Stephenie Meyer (Hachette Digital) 5. Not Dead Enough by Peter James 6. FlashForward by Robert J. Sawyer (Gollancz)

Bobhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14712832783749303461noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2257210811536612560.post-12221269235750414172009-12-10T21:18:00.003Z2009-12-10T21:28:26.618Z

This morning I signed a contract with The Friday Project for two more Harry Pigg books. Woohoo - joyness abounds.Mark your calendars. The Ho Ho Ho Mystery is scheduled for publication in November 2010 and the second (provisionally entitled The Curds and Whey Mystery) will be published in the middle of the following year.Now all I have to do is finish them!!!!

Bobhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14712832783749303461noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2257210811536612560.post-78319374599939436622009-12-04T17:30:00.000Z2009-12-04T17:31:05.607Z

----------------------------------------------------------------------Last Week's Top Ten eBooks at Waterstones.com----------------------------------------------------------------------1. The Lost Symbol by Dan Brown (Transworld Digital) 2. Eclipse by Stephenie Meyer (Hachette Digital) 3. Twilight by Stephenie Meyer (Hachette Digital) 4. Breaking Dawn by Stephenie Meyer (Hachette Digital) 5. New

Bobhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14712832783749303461noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2257210811536612560.post-56306804893422712262009-11-29T13:33:00.003Z2009-11-29T13:40:46.743Z

I'd missed this, but Declan (no relation) Burke of the wonderful Crime Always Pays Blog brought it to my attention.... ----------------------------------------------------------------------Last Week's Top Ten eBooks at Waterstone's----------------------------------------------------------------------1. The Lost Symbol by Dan Brown (Transworld Digital)2. Wolf Hall by Hilary Mantel (HarperCollins

Bobhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14712832783749303461noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2257210811536612560.post-68119930913334232822009-11-12T16:18:00.003Z2009-11-12T16:27:48.153Z

I like using the word 'predicament'. A quick search of novel currently undergoing edits revealed an embarassingly large amount of predicaments. I love the search and replace function.Ditto for 'clearly'. Clearly, I like using clearly.Action scenes need to be fast-paced. The reader doesn't need or want to know what the hero is thinking, just what he's doing (and doing it in short snappy

Bobhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14712832783749303461noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2257210811536612560.post-46957701147867475402009-11-02T16:06:00.003Z2009-11-02T16:16:05.250Z

Apologies for the recent lack of updates. It's not all due to laziness on my part though. Much has happened in the past few weeks, not least the fact that I've landed myself an agent, and, as a result, learned more about the publishing industry than I ever thought possible.There have been other more exciting developments however that, for the time being, must remain under wraps (and have

Bobhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14712832783749303461noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2257210811536612560.post-51065960868770970902009-10-07T10:20:00.003+01:002009-10-07T11:01:32.012+01:00

Darren Shan is a writer that I admire hugely. He writes fantastic horror stories and, when I've had the opportunity to see him live, does great readings and really cares about his fans. His current series, The Demonata, concludes with Hells Heroes, the 10th volume in the series. Shan likes to leave his readers dangling and the end of Vol 9, Dark Calling, was no exception. Bec had allied with

Bobhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14712832783749303461noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2257210811536612560.post-79345628239252758012009-09-02T15:01:00.007+01:002009-09-03T11:55:00.627+01:00

The Bromley Boys: The True Story of Supporting the Worst Football Team in Britain is an affectionate look back at Bromley's 1969 season by lifelong - and somewhat obsessed - fan Dave Roberts.What makes the book so much more than so many dull football memoirs is character of the narrator himself (and the fact that Bromley were indeed a bit rubbish). Eternally optimistic, a draw or narrow defeat

Bobhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14712832783749303461noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2257210811536612560.post-47214395513608869812009-08-31T10:25:00.003+01:002009-08-31T10:26:46.877+01:00

..and Bryan Adams can stop worrying now. After a good run at the top of the charts I had dropped down to No. 5 on the original fiction list last week. Can't complain though.

Bobhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14712832783749303461noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2257210811536612560.post-72705232929902768772009-08-25T14:12:00.003+01:002009-08-25T14:43:46.222+01:00

It's been a busy few weeks at Casa Harry. A few more updates on events occuring:Third Pig got good reviews at the Eurocrime and Cornflower blogs as well as in the Tuam Herald newspaper (below). Good to see that people are still liking it.Another local newpaper, The Limerick Leader, did an interview. I can be seen, in all my glory, here.The Third Pig was also released as an ebook and sales have

Bobhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14712832783749303461noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2257210811536612560.post-6842419470322435842009-07-29T11:10:00.004+01:002009-08-03T17:31:37.396+01:00

It may be the only time I'll ever top a bestseller chart. It will almost certainly be the only time I figure ahead of a Booker Nominee (Colm Toibin), Carlos Ruiz Zafon and one of my all time heroes John Connolly. I think I should just call it a day right now - or maybe just savour the experience a little while longer.Update August 3rd: Still Number One. That's four weeks. I'm getting delusions

Bobhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14712832783749303461noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2257210811536612560.post-45694013109547718882009-07-27T16:22:00.005+01:002009-07-27T16:38:35.139+01:00

Now that The Third Pig is on shelves, I, of course, want people to flock to bookshops in their thousands and buy it. As part of that grandiose aspiration, Harry needs as much publicity as he can stand (and that's quite a bit). With that in mind, we came up with a cunning plan to try and get review copies noticed.Firstly, we mocked up a Thid Pig Detective Agency complimentary slip. Using the

Bobhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14712832783749303461noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2257210811536612560.post-6212222967840323222009-07-21T11:20:00.003+01:002009-07-21T11:36:00.803+01:00

And still the publicity machine rumbles on.The Clare Champion did a good interview and photo recently. They're still working on their online site so for the moment you can have a gander here:I've had a couple of good reviews recently also (which is great).Award-winning crime writer Matt Beynon Rees enjoyed the book and followed it up with a Q&A session which you can read here.Caroline Smailes,

Bobhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14712832783749303461noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2257210811536612560.post-30010457963145564792009-07-12T18:35:00.004+01:002009-07-12T18:58:14.463+01:00

Yesterday's signing was a hoot. It went off well and a goodly crowd (who weren't all family and friends) showed up. I was signing for about 40 minutes and then did a quick reading. As the signing went on, my handwriting deteriorated so those at the top of the queue got wonderfully legible messages, those at the end may have trouble deciphering what I wrote.Kudos to Dervilla and the girls at

Bobhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14712832783749303461noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2257210811536612560.post-19997064630414743022009-07-10T16:46:00.002+01:002009-07-10T16:49:16.174+01:00

...if anyone happens to be around, do drop in.Hopefully I'll have some pics of what went on (assuming someone, other than me, is there to use the camera)

Bobhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14712832783749303461noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2257210811536612560.post-51081802347355321172009-07-07T17:18:00.005+01:002009-07-07T17:31:20.461+01:00

There seems to be a lot of activity around Harry Pigg at the moment. Hughes & Hughes in Galway (hi Liz!) have sold out of their current stock of The Third Pig and O'Mahony's in Limerick have said they're almost out of theirs. Means someone is buying it at any rate!The Ennis Bookshop contacted me and asked would I be interested in doing a signing. Would I, heck! If anyone is in the Ennis area

Bobhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14712832783749303461noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2257210811536612560.post-58906691977608464112009-06-26T16:39:00.005+01:002009-06-26T17:13:02.276+01:00

What a crazy few weeks it's been! Two frenetic weeks holiday in Orlando for the theme-park junkies (recommend Manta, Kraken, Hulk and Simpsons rides) followed by a jet-lagged return to Ireland to discover The Third Pig Detective Agency had already gone on sale. I was so out of it I walked past the local bookshop, saw something in the window that struck a chord in my befuddled mind and went back

Bobhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14712832783749303461noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2257210811536612560.post-16394749048927112412009-06-11T00:45:00.001+01:002009-06-11T00:46:20.524+01:00

As I'm on hols right at the mo, opportunities for blogging will, I suspect, be limited - especially when they're up against all the attractions Florida has to offer.That having been said, I got to read (The Artist formerly known as Colin) Bateman's latest, Mystery Man, while waiting in airports, waiting on planes etc. I'l stick up a proper review in due course but in the interim, it was an

Bobhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14712832783749303461noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2257210811536612560.post-33842110999695965672009-06-06T12:33:00.005+01:002009-06-06T12:40:28.102+01:00

Crime Always Pays, brainchild of renaissance man and criminal mastermind Declan Burke (no relation) keeps tabs on all aspects of Irish crime writing. Occasionally, Dec will strap someone into a chair, attach electrodes to sensitive areas, beat them with some rubber tubing and shine bright lights in their eyes while brutally interrogating them about their writing*.I was lucky to survive such an

Bobhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14712832783749303461noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2257210811536612560.post-75461361836537441732009-06-04T11:58:00.006+01:002009-06-17T15:15:18.182+01:00

The sequel to Tom Reynolds Blood, Sweat and Tea, his memoir of his experiences as an inner-city ambulance driver is now available. Friday Books are also making it available to read here:Open publication - Free publishing - More teaDo have a look, bet you'll like it.

Bobhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14712832783749303461noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2257210811536612560.post-87051252950355208282009-06-03T16:58:00.002+01:002009-06-03T17:01:58.552+01:00

Following on the school visit yesterday, I got a call from Scott at The Friday Project this morning. He told me that the advance copies of The Third Pig Detective Agency had arrived in the office and that they looked fab. More importantly, a copy of the book was winging its way to me through the miracle of the postal system as we spoke.As news goes, this was as exciting as it gets. Hopefully

Bobhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14712832783749303461noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2257210811536612560.post-29744527950617473902009-06-03T16:42:00.005+01:002009-06-03T16:58:46.316+01:00

Yesterday I got an opportunity to talk to a class of 9-10 year olds at a local Gaelscoil (for the benefit of those of you watching in black and white, a gaelscoil is a school where education is carried out via the Irish language). The school itself is very forward-thinking and the original plan was to talk to a group of students about how to add flavour and characters to virtual worlds that they

Bobhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14712832783749303461noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2257210811536612560.post-23106601569601222732009-05-06T15:58:00.005+01:002009-05-06T16:10:02.741+01:00

The more I read about the publishig industry, the more I've become aware that regardless of how the publisher works, when it comes to selling and marketing the book a lot of the heavy lifting is going to have to be done by the writer. With that in mind (and not being the 'cold calling' type of individual) I approached my biggest local independent bookshop with some degree of trepidation to see

Bobhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14712832783749303461noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2257210811536612560.post-88812003036767997502009-04-24T14:18:00.002+01:002009-04-24T14:22:02.025+01:00

Well the radio chat went reasonably well - according to those who listened in. As it was a morning show, the chat was short and snappy but I didn't screw up (to the best of my knowledge) and answered what I was asked without getting tongue-tied or saying any rude words.Rumour has it I might even get asked back for a more detailed chat around the book's release date. I should have a copy of what

Bobhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14712832783749303461noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2257210811536612560.post-84350042446851277162009-04-23T11:35:00.004+01:002009-04-23T12:08:05.764+01:00

Well there have been some developments on the Harry front over the past while...Waterstone's are quite enamoured of our porcine detective, so much so that they want to include TPDA in one of their summer promotions. As a result, publication has been brought forward to 25th June. From what I'm hearing, it's going to be part of the Crime section. Does that mean I have to change my job description

Bobhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14712832783749303461noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2257210811536612560.post-74485565109317508102009-04-22T12:23:00.003+01:002009-04-22T12:38:38.255+01:00

Scott Pack and the rest of The Friday Project Team are nice people - but then you knew that didn't you. And Scott makes a great cup of tea. Bonus points for including my son (11yo) in the conversation. He enjoyed the trip to Harper Collins as a result. More news on developments on Third Pig to follow soon.Madame Tussauds is outrageously overpriced and distinctly underwhelming. We were both

Bobhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14712832783749303461noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2257210811536612560.post-40080901734386298292009-04-17T15:52:00.004+01:002009-04-17T16:09:55.236+01:00

Things are beginning to happen as a result of recent developments.Publication date has changed once more - but this time it's been brought forward to June 25th. This is as result of major interest by a well-known bookstore chain. Hopefully I'll be able to be a tad less cryptic after I meet Scott (my publisher) in the flesh (so to speak) next Monday morning.In other news, I finished the first

Bobhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14712832783749303461noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2257210811536612560.post-19370065218086318942009-04-07T11:30:00.005+01:002009-04-07T11:43:27.249+01:00

Dublin: One City, One Book is an initiative designed to encourage everyone in the city to read the same book during the month of April each year.This year's book is one of my favourites, Bram Stoker's Dracula, and there are a host of events designed to support the initiative including tours, readings, exhibitions, and films.I think this is a fantastic idea and the organisers deserve much credit

Bobhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14712832783749303461noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2257210811536612560.post-60744771221938828712009-04-01T11:40:00.003+01:002009-04-01T11:57:41.077+01:00

The nominations for the Irish Book Awards 2009 were announced this morning. The full list of categories and nominees can be found here.I'll be watching the Childrens and Crime Awards with interest and, if there's any justice, Mr. S and the Secrets of Andorra's Box will romp home in the popular fiction award. There are a lot of "obvious" nominations (Netherland, Secret Scripture, Mr. Whicher,

Bobhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14712832783749303461noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2257210811536612560.post-51563395877920382122009-03-18T19:25:00.002Z2009-03-18T19:28:57.835Z

Scott, my publisher, tells me that HarperCollins Canada are showing an interest in The Third Pig, so much so they even have it in their catalogue. What that means in real terms I have absolutely no idea but it's exciting all the same.I see they have a publication date of 15th April which I suspect is incorrect. Hmm, must investigate further.

Bobhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14712832783749303461noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2257210811536612560.post-59709405759678129452009-03-15T08:10:00.003Z2009-03-15T08:13:44.191Z

The stuff in this blog is so wrong on so many levels I can't even begin to describe the fun to be had therein.This is a blog for dipping into when you need a spot of light relief or cheering up.

Bobhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14712832783749303461noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2257210811536612560.post-40648590311930299852009-03-12T09:11:00.005Z2009-03-15T08:20:39.748Z

This is a mind boggling clip - hilarious, compelling and oddly scary.For anyone from outside Ireland, some explanatory notes are required. Fianna Fail are the current party in government and recently held their annual conference. As is usual with these things, RTE (national broadcaster) sent their PolCorr to report. The clip below is from the news programme where he wraps up what went on at the

Bobhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14712832783749303461noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2257210811536612560.post-90530105821515835252009-03-11T11:59:00.003Z2009-03-11T12:02:27.437Z

The 2009 shortlist for the Bisto Book Awards in association with Children's Books Ireland has just been announced. There are some very strong contenders in this years field.Airman by Eoin ColferAn Phleist Mhór le Ré O’Laighléis, Susan Edwards & Emily ColensoAnila's Journey by Mary FinnBog Child by Siobhan DowdBrionglóidí le Áine Ní Ghlinn & Carol BeteraCreature of the Night by Kate ThompsonHer

Bobhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14712832783749303461noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2257210811536612560.post-67373695591331518172009-03-09T12:20:00.004Z2009-03-09T12:33:57.059Z

Further to my post a few weeks back about a possible interview in a national Sunday newspaper, a photographer eventually arrived to take a few shots for the article - evidence enough that it was going ahead. Well, it appeared in the magazine supplement to yesterday's Sunday Tribune and the horrible evidence can be seen here.I should point out that the photo was cropped for the article but for

Bobhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14712832783749303461noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2257210811536612560.post-48681289090033499692009-03-02T10:33:00.005Z2009-03-02T10:51:57.222Z

At last, after a long wait, the full Third Pig Detective Agency cover is here. And what a joy it is. I love the way the designer, Liam Relph, captured that dime novel, noir-ish feel. It's almost exactly like how I envisioned it - and I love it to bits. So without further ado... If you look really carefully you might even be able to make out the blurb, bio and other gubbins that are part of the

Bobhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14712832783749303461noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2257210811536612560.post-53879765677928892562009-02-23T11:51:00.003Z2009-02-23T11:56:09.285Z

Did you ever claim to read a book you hadn't actually read, in order to impress someone? Well now's your chance to fess up. As part of World Book Day, this fun survey looks at peoples' secret reading habits.

Bobhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14712832783749303461noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2257210811536612560.post-66319734805423420172009-02-17T10:35:00.002Z2009-02-17T10:40:08.430Z

Literally, in this case!

Bobhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14712832783749303461noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2257210811536612560.post-21112817650918248052009-01-29T12:12:00.002Z2009-01-29T12:30:11.038Z

Interview - Wayhay: following the announcement that Dell were shedding 1,900 jobs locally, I was contacted by a journalist who was doing an article on ex-Dell employees who had made a career change or done something with themselves after leaving. Having a book published this year clearly qualified so we had an interesting chat and I had the opportunity to talk about The Third Pig Detective

Bobhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14712832783749303461noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2257210811536612560.post-34106054676766510342009-01-21T09:48:00.001Z2009-01-21T09:48:30.863Z

Bobhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14712832783749303461noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2257210811536612560.post-39148539283701716982009-01-12T12:43:00.003Z2009-01-12T12:57:35.759Z

I've been on a bit of a book binge over the Christmas. Current reading list includes:Ritual by Mo Hayder (always worth a read)Just After Sunset by Stephen King (short stories)Memories of Ice by Steven Erikson (one of a very few decent fantasy writers)The Bloomsday Dead by Adrain McKinty (comes highly recommended, we'll see how it goes)Farewell My Lovely by Raymond Chandler (the master at work)

Bobhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14712832783749303461noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2257210811536612560.post-77124596492773958012008-12-09T12:04:00.002Z2008-12-09T12:09:32.097Z

Darren Shan is a deservedly successful writer of horror fiction for younger readers and his blog always has interesting and useful insights into the writer's routine. A recent article about his editing process is worth a look.

Bobhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14712832783749303461noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2257210811536612560.post-89743354310741606442008-11-28T10:38:00.003Z2008-11-28T10:58:10.666Z

Want to know what happens in the publishing industry? Check out Jane Smith's informative and very objective blog How Publishing Really Works. Not enough books and courses cover the technical aspects of what really happens behind the scenes once your ms has disappeared into the mailbox but this site has a wealth of information, written by someone who's been a researcher, editor and writer so

Bobhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14712832783749303461noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2257210811536612560.post-9675881493058853092008-11-20T14:29:00.006Z2009-03-18T20:14:56.784Z

I just noticed that on my most recent "What I'm reading" list there were two fantasy novels. Not strange in itself but I'd given up on fantasy about 20 years ago, finding that - with very few exceptions - most of what was out there was derivative and predictable. I know I'm probably generalising to some (a large) extent but after devouring tome after tome in my teens and early twenties I

Bobhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14712832783749303461noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2257210811536612560.post-27989882249807019842008-11-20T11:24:00.003Z2008-11-20T11:42:31.847Z

Geekness abounds. Not only do we get a new Watchmen trailer - with some effective use of Philip Glass music but the trailer for the new Star Trek movie is online too. As a Trek fan since the original series (first seen in glorious in black and white on RTE) I was unconvinced by the " how they all met" concept of the new movie; I just didn't think it'd work. Attaching JJ Abrams to the project

Bobhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14712832783749303461noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2257210811536612560.post-61180623402372590062008-10-28T14:24:00.003Z2008-10-28T14:28:10.126Z

Eoin Purcell's blog is never less than interesting but his latest entry gives some useful insight into what aspiring authors should be looking at when submitting to publishers. Some good points - although the one about the picture is a bit surprising!

Bobhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14712832783749303461noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2257210811536612560.post-50596463470794361512008-10-27T15:53:00.003Z2008-10-27T16:04:20.822Z

The Absolute Write Water Cooler is a huge moderated forum that covers all aspects of writing. Of particular interest is the Bewares and Background Check section. Here members can ask about agents and publishers and get feedback from other forum members on their experiences with them (good and bad). This feedback is generally open and honest and reflects the real world position. If you need

Bobhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14712832783749303461noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2257210811536612560.post-45659716041448752612008-10-13T11:44:00.003+01:002008-10-13T12:18:28.178+01:00

One of the things I missed when I started writing was objective feedback. As I worked full time and any writers' groups I knew of met during the day, any opinion on what I was doing and whether it had any worth was difficult to come by.I was muchly relieved therefore to discover the online writers group YouWriteOn a few years back. Set up by Edward Smith - with some Arts Council funding - to

Bobhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14712832783749303461noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2257210811536612560.post-74032236249057636822008-09-26T17:23:00.002+01:002008-09-26T17:31:16.175+01:00

One of the great pleasures of being a writer (whether amateur, professional, unpublished or whatever) is being able to write The End when your story is finally complete. It may only be a first draft, will probably require rewrites and edits but the first part of the journey is finished.I've just written The End on part 3 of my werewolf trilogy and it feels great. I've wrestled with the last

Bobhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14712832783749303461noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2257210811536612560.post-51758581741657270932008-09-24T13:26:00.001+01:002008-09-24T13:51:31.252+01:00

As part of the Children's Books Festival 2008, Children's Books Ireland got together with Trim Library Book Club to design a poster outlining what would happen if kids made the reading rules. The result is a funny, accurate and very pertinent set of guidelines including advice for parents: If we are reading don't stop us for bed and publishers: Encourage new writers and Don't give away the

Bobhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14712832783749303461noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2257210811536612560.post-56252718428924725032008-09-22T12:38:00.000+01:002008-09-22T12:50:23.599+01:00

As I've discovered, there's lots (and lots and lots) of waiting in the publishing game, especially for a newbie like me. So rather than sit and wait (and wait and wait), I figured that the best thing to do was to write another book - or books as it turned out. As I've been a huge fan of horror since I was a wee lad (a love I seem to have inherited from my mother), I thought I'd do something

Bobhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14712832783749303461noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2257210811536612560.post-86923637785717452402008-09-19T14:06:00.000+01:002008-09-19T14:14:55.246+01:00

...nothing happens for weeks on end and then suddenly there's a rush of activity.Blurbing Away: Firstly I had to come up with a blurb for TPDA. How do you compress a plot into a few hundred words, keep it in the style of the book and still give nothing away? It was an interesting exercise. I decided not to go with the standard blurb format but do it as a telephone conversation between Harry

Bobhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14712832783749303461noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2257210811536612560.post-16796018839749184132008-09-15T17:06:00.000+01:002008-09-15T17:11:03.877+01:00

Actually it's music to write to, to drive to, to eat to, to anything to. A stunningly beautiful piece of music from a truly outstanding band. Ladies and gentlemen, I give you Glosoli by Sigur Ros. Sure, they're not immediately accessible but this is a grower...listen with open ears. And the video is a cut above the average too!

Bobhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14712832783749303461noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2257210811536612560.post-19531371078229905062008-09-12T12:30:00.001+01:002008-09-12T12:34:19.407+01:00

Caroline Smailes (who is a wonderfully talented writer you should all read) has come up with an interesting idea to publicise her book Black Boxes.It's simplicity itself:Click on the widget (thingy on the right)Make some decisionsAdd one of your ownSee where you end upFeel free to comment on the blog you ended up atBe warned, it's very addictive and elevates displacement to an art form.

Bobhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14712832783749303461noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2257210811536612560.post-70104801543258850042008-09-04T11:23:00.001+01:002008-09-04T11:31:39.597+01:00

One copy edit later and I'm amazed that, after all my rewrites and re-readings, there were still lots of little things that were spotted and that required amending. Most of them were the previously mentioned Americanisms (making sure they were consistent) but there were others that, when pointed out, caused a "how did I miss that" moment, including:- having one character in two different places

Bobhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14712832783749303461noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2257210811536612560.post-55079118237253425882008-08-29T14:40:00.000+01:002008-08-29T14:46:58.490+01:00

The path to publication seems to involve a lot of waiting (and waiting and waiting and...). Finally this week the copy-edit of the Third Pig Detective Agency began in earnest. As I'm still a novice at this game I was wondering exactly what it would involve but, as it turned out, it was a painless affair. Apart from consistency checks - particularly in relation to Americanisms (no hard-boiled

Bobhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14712832783749303461noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2257210811536612560.post-32879547084426571172008-08-19T14:04:00.000+01:002008-08-19T14:13:44.004+01:00

World War Z by Max Brooks (son of Mel) is a compelling, horrifying account of how humanity is almost wiped out by a zombie plague. The story unfolds as a series of newspaper-style reports and interviews with the survivors. Starting with the doctor who discovers the original outbreak in China, the narrator crosses the world talking to soldiers, politicians, black-marketeers and others who played

Bobhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14712832783749303461noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2257210811536612560.post-21452904413436520562008-08-11T14:24:00.000+01:002008-08-11T14:48:15.718+01:00

...because there were some I'd forgotten (mea maxima culpa).JA Konrath - US crime writer in the Evanovich mode. Criminally underappreciated this side of the Atlantic (pun not intended)Christopher Brookmyre - his glossary at the end of A Tale Etched in Blood and Hard Black Pencil is worth the price of admission alone...and you can read it here.Tom Sharpe - when he was on form there was no-one

Bobhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14712832783749303461noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2257210811536612560.post-8479508444400008582008-07-21T15:11:00.000+01:002008-07-21T15:12:44.223+01:00

Now they've added a blurb to my entry on the HC web-site. It goes something like...this:"Harry Pigg, the only surviving brother from the Big Bad Wolf attacks, has set up business as a private detective in Grimmtown, only things aren't going too well. Down on his luck, with bills to pay and no clients in sight the outlook is poor. But then in walks local businessman Aladdin who needs someone to

Bobhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14712832783749303461noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2257210811536612560.post-53307133704659911272008-07-18T13:40:00.000+01:002008-07-18T13:45:56.253+01:00

I know that trailers can be most deceiving and that Alan Moore hasn't been particularly well served by movie adaptations of his work (yes I'm looking at you LXG!) but the preview of one of my all-time favourite works, Watchmen, looks promising. If nothing else, Zack Snyder (Dawn of the Dead remake and 300) seems to have captured the look of the graphic novel at any rate. I remain hopeful.Check

Bobhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14712832783749303461noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2257210811536612560.post-53560495176522601022008-07-16T15:04:00.001+01:002008-08-11T14:28:50.115+01:00

There's nothing I like more than a good laugh - ok, there are lots of things I like more but, for the purposes of this article, let's say that laughter is it. It seems that it's easy to make people laugh on the big screen (Airplane, Some Like It Hot, Blazing Saddles) or on TV (Fawlty Towers, Frasier, Fr. Ted) but infintely more difficult to do so on paper. Sure there are writers who raise a wry

Bobhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14712832783749303461noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2257210811536612560.post-10466132479107865492008-07-09T12:41:00.000+01:002008-07-09T12:44:54.968+01:00

Looks like I've finally made the big time (sort of) - and I'm on Amazon too. Now all I need is a cover!

Bobhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14712832783749303461noreply@blogger.com0