Lots and lots of things.

What a week. Lots going on and I feel like I'm juggling with too many balls. I have so much I want to do at the moment but so little time in which to get it done. I'm working on a new short story that seems to be growing as I write. Provisionally this is called 'Pick-up 76', but there is plenty of time for it to change. I'm really happy where it is going and the tone of voice and I'm also thinking it might be worth me self-publishing it. I'm tired with the length of time it takes traditional publishers get to print (I finished 'The Missing' two and half years ago and I'm still waiting for release day).

I have also promised at least two short stories to a charity book for The British Heart Foundation. The book is called 'UpBeat' and should be available in August. I think I might be able to get plenty of copies so you will either be able to order from me (and I'll sign them if required) or else they can be ordered through the BHF website (and I think Amazon and Lulu).

I'm also looking at finally getting a website up and running for 'The Chronicles of the Gap', practising my photography as I want to incorporate some art work, and taking up yoga.

This morning I got to see an advance screening of "Coraline', thanks to a note made by Neil Gaiman on Twitter (see it does work). The film is brilliant. Scary, dark, funny, charming, gothic, optimistic and in 3D. What more could you ask for? If you get the chance to see it, go. Take a kid if you have one hanging around the house. If you don't, go anyway.

*****

A few things I've looked at this week which is worth having a gander at:

This rather brilliant new piece of tech. from the TED archives. I can't wait to get one these devices. It's the first thing I've seen that trumps the iphone.

And then there this. The film '9' is out later this year but this is the original short version made by Shane Acker. I'm looking forward to this hitting the big screens.

I've also put a few of my photos up from the regualr Saturday morning Farmer's market we have 

in Edinburgh. Underneath the castle, the streets full of small stalls selling some great local

produce. You can see the photos on my flicker stream here.

****

Just finished Mike Carey's 'Dead Men's Boots', the third Felix Castor novel and the best one yet.

Felix is drawn into a murder investigation taking place in a seedy hotel in Kings Cross, that 

seems to have been committed by a woman long dead. At the same time his possessed friend

Rafi is subject to a legal battle and to make matters worse people are trying to kill him.

As always the book is a fast paced read, with plenty of witty one liners from our 'film noir' hero.

The books are building towards the reason why the dead are returning and demons can now walk

the Earth.

'The Picture of Dorian Gray', is one of my favourite works of horror. It's one of those books that

always gets overlooked by those who insist on using genre / literature to identify authors. Oscar

Wilde is of course a great writer of literature but he also wrote a horror novel which ever way

you want to look at it. It's been a couple of years since I last read it and I must admit that Oscar

can get a little tiresome with his pithy one liners (many just come over as catty and not very

clever) but the construct of the novel is so clever that I'm willing to forgive him.

*****

Read this week:

Dead Men's Boots by Mike Carey

The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde (read on my iphone).

Between Flights

I'm between flights.

I got back from my brothers home in Devon yesterday. Whilst we were down he proposed to his girlfriend, getting down on bended knee in a nice restaurant having hid her ring inside an Easter egg. There was then much quaffing of champagne and excited chatter about weddings, honeymoons and stag do's. I've been appointed 'best-man' and now have to think of a venue for several well built police officers to let off steam.

I haven't really had much time to get any writing done (none, if truth be known), but the brain is beavering away tweaking current stories and building on new ones.

I'm up again tomorrow to fly to Berlin. I have a very early start (I'm not good early in the morning, my brain refuses to work before 8.00 am), but as the weekend will involve copious amounts of alcohol and food it will probably be the best I feel all week.

Had my birthday yesterday, which was a quiet affair as MadameVin is not very well. Thanks to all of you in Twitterland and Facebook World  for the well wishes, it's very much appreciated.

Got some cool pressies, including many books and DVDs, but best of all, a 1st edition copy of Dave Mckean's 'Cages', which must have cost my other half a small fortune. 

Right, now I'm off to cook, pack and get an early night (probably).

Something New

Working on something new at the moment that is coming along slowly. It has a very different tone of voice for me. Very quiet and thoughtful, slow but in a very sinister way. I'm thinking of publishing the work myself as I want to include some art work and no mainstream publisher would touch that kind of work. It's far too different for them to consider. 

Some great art work by John Coulthart at his website {pantechnicon}

Interesting talk about pneumatic tubes under Paris by Ignite

One of my short stories is coming out shortly in New Horizons. I'll let you know when its published.

I've also been asked to work on a book for charity which should get underway in the next couple of months.