This weekend I'm off to the Debut Authors Festival at the Treverse Theatre in Edinburgh. Friday at 7pm is the "jam session" where budding young hopefuls get 4 minutes to read their work in front of a distinguished panel. I guess it's a bit like X-factor for writers (just without crap singing and a man who wears his trousers to close to his armpits)

Sunday, there's a discussion on the pros and cons of creative writing courses. I hope there' a lot of cons ... cus I haven't been on one (does it show?)

Last weekend I went to Murrayfield for the last round of the rugby 7's.

England were rubbish and got booed by the locals (and the Welsh, the Aussies & everybody else).

The cheerleaders were nice though ...

Picture the scene, an Englishman abroad ... the wrong side of thirty coming out of retirement and dusting off his boots for a special game of footy in Drumchapel, Glasgow. With the opposition including professional footballers including a Motherwell striker (yes, I'm making excuses already) and me at centre-half alongside a man with a dodgy knee and bad back, we were always going to be on a hiding to nothing. The end result was a fairly respectable 7-0 beating. I'm pleased to say I lasted 90 mins without turning my ankle and thoroughly enjoyed the occasion.

EXCLUSIVE - The Positive Publishing website has now been launched.

I've basically set it up to help people try and avoid the barriers I've encountered over the last 3 years and brought everything under one roof.

Your one-stop publishing stop.

http://www.positive-publishing.co.uk

Digging Deeper has now officially been assigned an ISBN ... 978-0-9556090-0-8. You heard it here first.


It's been an interesting day all told ...
1) For those of you who knew I had an "appointment" today, the verdict is, I'll live. The nurse asked me what I did. I said I was an author. She said her cousin was Iain Banks. I felt 2 feet tall.

2) I had an email from Nielsen BookData who informed me that I'm able to use a sooper dooper service they offer whereby book shops and distributors will be able to order Digging Deeper through them ... NBD will then inform me ... and I will do the necessary. Brilliant! Theoretically this is great because it gets around the problem of having to have a distributor who generally don't appear to be interested unless you have 100's of 1000's of books to sell. The thriller's good, but we're not quite in that bracket yet.

3) Following my email from NBD, I rang them, to confirm that this sooper dooper "thing" was indeed sooper dooper. I'm pleased to report it sounds like it is. I therefore asked if I could have 12 months and Worlds Apart ordered through them on the same basis ... even better, they said yes. I asked what was currently on the system for the first two books, and she informed me that anyone wanting to order them would have to go through Gazelle book services. I've never heard of them ... and subsequently (although not surprisingly) found out when I rang them that they'd never heard of me. Having sent an email to NBD, this has hopefully been sorted through Positive Publishing (watch this space for further news)

4) It also may appear that I've found a printer ... again, watch this space

So yes, the book is finished ... reviewers, editors, proof-readers, cover contributors, ISBN's and the like are all being done/sorted and I'm hoping the book will be released in the next 3-4 weeks.

If you'll excuse me, I'm off to watch Liverpool lift the European Cup for the 2nd time in 3 years. Come on the Reds!

The news in brief? Well, Last weekend was spent seeing the folks down south and a good time was had by all ... I've bought a polaroid camera ... bought tickets to see Prince in August ... and had some success with editing the book and receiving contributions for the cover.

I'd like to thank the following people for their help to date

David Markoff - http://markoff.pl/

Meghan Colson

Clara Goodger

Laura Gregory

carmendevos http://www.polanoir.com/carmendevos

www.philippamarshall.co.uk

Currently in discussions with actor Philippa Marshall with regards to releasing some sample chapters of my books as podcasts. This is for the lazy gits who never get around to reading any of the chapters on the website.

As well as her acting, Philippa has done loads of voice over work so I'm looking forward to working with her.

I've come up with a new idea for the front cover of Digging Deeper, which I'll keep under wraps for now as I am working with a few people to come up with some proposals.

Suffice to say I'm very pleased with the response, glad with both the concept, the potential eye-catching appeal and the fact that Enrique won't be on the cover for a 3rd time.

If you'll excuse me, I must get back to some editing ...

Image details:

magdalena #04 by carmendevos

people.polanoid.net/carmendevos

http://www.polanoir.com/carmendevos

Aaaah, gorra b jaysus, that's me back from a Bank Holiday weekend in the Emerald Isle. Very nice to get away although the majority of the city was shut on Good Friday. Thank heavens for the hotel bar.
I'm planning to get straight back on the editing now although I'm slightly concerned having read some 'proper' books of late and wondering if I can cut the mustard. The story flies along at 100 mph at the moment and although - in my humble opinion - it's a page turner, does it have enough description to allow the reader to actually give a monkey's about the characters? Add my previous concern with regards to the level of dialogue ... and I have a bit to work on, but I am really pleased with the storyline.

On another note, I don't know if I've mentioned it before (I don't think I have) but someone was telling me the other day that they're doing (or at least filming) some reality show involving authors. The basic concept I think is for self-published monkeys to stand up, knees knocking in front of a panel of judges, and read extracts from their work. Would I ever enter I hear you cry?

No chance!

1) I find it difficult to read to an audience.
2) Imagine the humiliation of hearing your work's a pile of pony only fit for the recycle bin ... and then it being aired on telly so that everyone else knew you were a loser.

I can see it know, me with goofy teeth and a lisp, forearms across my face in the form of a cross. "I'th got thhe xth thactor" just before we cut to a scene of me in tears, crying/hugging Ms Deeley or Dermot O'Leary (I imagine it would be one of them presenting it, both of whom lack the bosom to cry into following such a traumatic ordeal. Maybe some boffin type like the Vorderman would be more appropriate, a heftier bosom if nothing else) after having my book, yes MY BOOK, cut to ribbons.
Not sure how it's going to work. I can hardly see the contenders walking out onto the stage to some hip-hop beat, bright lights and a frenzied audience, with banners and all ... there's an expectant hush ... before some geeky bloke with glasses produces a book and proceeds to read some poetry???
All the best to all those brave enough to have a go though eh? Don't let a self-critical wuss with no confidence eager to cling onto whatever pride he has left like me put you off ... I'll still probably be sad enough to watch it, especially if they shoot anyone not up to the grade. A programme that kills and maims any of my potential competition gets the thumbs up from me.

The first draft of the thriller has now been completed. I'm taking a break from it before returning to do the editing sometime after Easter.

Also, I've bought myself a digital camera and so have been thinking about possible covers. Any ideas gladly welcome ...

Ahh yes, with the clocks springing forward tonight, we know that Summer is finally here. This fact was reinforced as I drove to Edinburgh Airport last night and was pebble dashed with stones as I overtook a gritter on the M9. Here in Scotland, last week in snowed and last night, the gritters were out.
Is it any wonder the Romans gave up. Managing to conquer the rest of Europe (in bright sunshine) they got up here and eventually thought, sod that for a game of Roman legions. Fighting against tribes who spent 6 months of the year in almost complete darkness, freezing temperatures, cutting winds ... and kilts. Bopping a few Italians over the head would have been a doddle compared with day to day survival. Having survived 2 Scottish winters myself (albeit they've apparently been fairly mild), the changing of the clocks is almost a celebration. It's as if the summer months and light evenings are a reward for having put up with all that the previous 6 months has thrown at you. In a nutshell, I'm looking forward to my pupils adjusting to the new levels of light in the morning.
PS On the book front, I'm hoping to have the first draft complete my Sunday night (fingers crossed)

Not so good news on the word count. Slacked off this last week but belted out a few yesterday. Now up around the mid 52's and hoping to churn out a few more this afternoon.

PS Went to see Alan Carr last night as part of Glasgow's Comedy Festival. Very funny! Alan (from my book) would have loved it.

We have the technology ... sort of! The podcast of my radio interview is now available by clicking the jellycast icon on my website.

The problem - I found out more by luck than judgement - was that the file needed to be an MP3 as opposed to a WAV (I see you all nodding knowingly). It's a little crackly but seeing as how my only copy was on good old audio tape, it made the transfer a bit tricky.

I've just typed a load of updates only for the chuffing thing to crash on me, so I'm afraid you're going to have to have the shortened version.

1) My first official ad campaign has commenced. Having become addicted to urbandead.com over the last few months, I found out today you can advertise with them ... so I have.

2) The cashpoints, bus shelters and telephone boxes of Falkirk are awash with free books after a flurry of releases by yours truly this morning through BOOKCROSSING.COM

3) I'm pleased, following my entry earlier this week, that Liverpool managed to scrape through in the Champions League meaning I didn't need to delete my hard work. Even better, Celtic went out which meant I recouped the £100 bet I lost in the summer on a double or quits. PSV in the next round ... I mean Liverpool of course, not Celtic

4) After 6 months off the smokes, the craving have hit back with avengance. I've not caved though, yet.

5) Ewan McGregor becomes the first A lister to decline, very graciously, to review my book. Something to do with agents dictating what he can and can't endorse. I can't blame these celebs to be honest. They must get asked to get stupid things all the time, open crappy fairs and fetes, read crappy books etc etc

That'll be it for now. Trying and failing to put out my radio interview (yes the one I did two years ago) as a Podcast. Bit too technical for me. Hope to get back the the writing tomorrow.