Colin O’Sullivan on Random pointless questions from rock music obsessives
Like the character of Bernard in my debut novel, Killarney Blues, many of my friends are music obsessives, the kind of people who wouldn’t be out of place in Nick Hornby’s High Fidelity.
These cardigan-wearers (to which I am a fully fledged and flouting member) often fire out pointless emails asking all kinds of random music questions. These have been happening for years, and the sad fact is that I have begun to cherish the arrival of these useless inquisitions.
Below are an example of some of the kinds of questions my muso buddies like to ask, and my deeply considered answers (we’re talking hours people, days). Please note also that these answers are liable to change. For example, when recently asked about my favourite Bowie album I instinctively answered Low, but on the following day could just have easily said Station to Station or Hunky Dory. Such is the kind…
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From HEAD GAMES by Craig McDonald
"I kicked Orson once … and couldn’t tell if I hit fat or special-effect’s padding. So I kicked him again. But to no discernible effect. “You and me,” I said to Welles, “we’re through.” I walked as Marlene stooped to help Orson to his feet. The Kraut and a forklift might get the job done. … Continue reading From HEAD GAMES by Craig McDonald
From LA FRONTERA by Sam Hawken
"He was in the storeroom when the soldiers came. They smashed through the front door, tearing the bells off their mount and cracking the glass, eight men in green uniforms with weapons. Luis had an armload of shoeboxes with him; he dropped them when they began to tear the store apart. “Wait! What’s going on?” … Continue reading From LA FRONTERA by Sam Hawken
From ONE TRUE SENTENCE by Craig McDonald
"Snow falling on the Seine. It was half-past-two and it was quiet as it gets with the heavy falling snow and Hector was just starting to cross the Pont Neuf, heading home after a long night of writing. He was alone and cold and slightly drunk. Icy fog crawled across the river. The lights of … Continue reading From ONE TRUE SENTENCE by Craig McDonald
HEAD GAMES available for pre-order!
Our edition of highly acclaimed HEAD GAMES, the Edgar® and Anthony Awards finalist, will be released on the 24th of February 2015 and is now available for pre-order here: getBook.at/HeadGames_preorder "Craig McDonald, a genuine expert on the history of crime fiction, gives free rein to all his obsessions in a debut novel that's a berserk 1957-based … Continue reading HEAD GAMES available for pre-order!
Richard Kalich’s interview on Books Go Social
"I’m not completely nihilistic. I believe that as long as we can still ask questions about the meaning of it all, there’s hope for an authentic life." Richard Kalich in conversation with Lucy Sweeny Byrne on Books Go Social http://buff.ly/1Abb7VC
A new trailer for a new edition of HEAD GAMES!
"Few writers can blend a contemporary feel with what drew us to old-style pulp and original paperbacks: that momentum, that craziness, the thrill of the downhill slide and crash. Head Games is smart, it's funny, and it moves like a roach when the lights go on -- what's not to love?" -- James Sallis … Continue reading A new trailer for a new edition of HEAD GAMES!
A sneak preview of the next Hector Lassiter novel
Two final, never-before-seen Lassiter novels will appear in the second half of 2015. First up, will be a novel featuring Hector and James Bond creator Ian Fleming in 1962 Japan, and, a bit later, in Istanbul, witnessing the filming of the classic Bond novel, FROM RUSSIA WITH LOVE. Japanese author Yukio Mishima will also have … Continue reading A sneak preview of the next Hector Lassiter novel
Salman Rushdie condemns attack on Charlie Hebdo
English PEN condemns today’s shootings at the offices of satirical newspaper Charlie Hebdo as a shocking assault on press freedom and free speech. Writer and PEN Pinter Prize winner Salman Rushdie has issued the following statement about the horrifying events in Paris "Religion, a mediaeval form of unreason, when combined with modern weaponry becomes a real threat to … Continue reading Salman Rushdie condemns attack on Charlie Hebdo
HECTOR LASSITER: A LOOK BACK & AHEAD by Craig McDonald
"The New Year will see the completion of the Hector Lassiter series' publication, for the first time in its entirety, in chronological order and uniform packaging, by Betimes Books. As the calendar year changes, here's a little look back, and ahead, for the Hector Lassiter novels. The Lassiter series returned courtesy of Betimes Books in … Continue reading HECTOR LASSITER: A LOOK BACK & AHEAD by Craig McDonald
Today: Sam Hawken’s choice
The book I read the most often might not necessarily be my favorite book, but it is the book which speaks to me the most: No Country for Old Men, by Cormac McCarthy. When I first read the book in 2005, I knew I’d found the key to unlocking my own voice in writing. Up … Continue reading Today: Sam Hawken’s choice
Today: Jackie Mallon’s choice
There is a passage from classic literature so vividly macabre yet fantastically romantic that it seared itself into my girlhood brain. Nothing Hollywood’s big budget pyrotechnics or CGI wizardry has ever produced has come close to replicating it: the image of Miss Havisham catching fire in Great Expectations. Unlike some little girls I didn’t grow … Continue reading Today: Jackie Mallon’s choice
“CENTRAL PARK WEST TRILOGY is not your average novel.”
"...wrought with dark humour and a multitude of literary, philosophical and psychological references. The trilogy is an essential read for anyone who enjoys a challenge: predictable neither in content nor in form, CENTRAL PARK WEST TRILOGY is not your average novel." Full review here: http://www.palatinate.org.uk/?p=52129 Richard Kalich's book is on promotion in the UK and … Continue reading “CENTRAL PARK WEST TRILOGY is not your average novel.”
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