tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-83522818505792624982024-03-13T22:02:08.134+12:00Howard LinskeyWriter of "The Drop", "The Damage" & "The Dead"Howard Linskeyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02924393004568306692noreply@blogger.comBlogger23125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8352281850579262498.post-60695157061621224242014-05-15T00:05:00.000+11:302014-05-15T00:05:16.940+11:30Joining Penguin
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Been sitting on some big news for weeks that I’m finally
allowed to announce. I’ve just signed a three-book deal with Penguin Random
House. My latest book has some new characters and is set in County Durham. It
involved about a year’s slog and not a little self-doubt along the way but I
got there in the end and thankfully Emad Akhtar from Penguin really liked it.
Of course the hard work on the second draft and the next two books starts here
but for now here is the press release from Penguin. I'm off for a cold beer. </span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><u><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Penguin Press
Release<o:p></o:p></span></span></u></b></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Michael Joseph and
Penguin Random House are delighted to announce the acquisition of a new crime
series by Howard Linskey. Editor Emad Akhtar has bought World English Language
rights for three novels in a deal with Philip Patterson of Marjacq Scripts Ltd.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">The first book, to
publish in 2015, follows journalist Tom Carney who returns home to the
north-east of England after being suspended by the London tabloid he works for.
Working with new local reporter Helen Norton, they investigate a string of
disappearances of young girls in the area.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Working the same
case, outcast Detective Constable Ian Bradshaw struggles with guilt for his
past mistakes and the fear that the only thing this investigation will unravel
is himself. When a body is found, everyone is shocked to learn it’s not one of
the missing girls, but a decades-old corpse. The search for answers uncovers
years of buried secrets, while in the present-day a killer who seems
unstoppable must be brought to justice.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Emad Akhtar, Editor
at Michael Joseph, says: “Right from the beginning I felt that this is a story
that has everything you want in a crime novel. It’s a truly gripping plot, with
characters you completely believe in, told in an unpredictable and hugely
satisfying way. The balance between the cold and current cases was superbly
handled and keeps the pages turning like very few books ever do. This is a
brilliant new series by an author who will be a joy to publish.”<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Author Howard
Linskey says, “This is a story that I believed in from the beginning. Every
author dreams of writing a book that is snapped up by a big publisher and for
me that long-held dream is now a reality.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>It doesn’t get any bigger or more iconic than Penguin books. I’m
absolutely thrilled to be joining them. ”<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">“I’m delighted that
Emad Akhtar shares my enthusiasm for the story and characters and I’m really
looking forward to working with him on the new series and finding out where the
characters will go next.”<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">Philip Patterson of
Marjacq Scripts added, </span><span style="font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">"I am thrilled that Howard Linskey will be published by
Penguin Random House. We have both been very impressed by Emad Akhtar's vision
for the series and are looking forward to working with him."<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">*<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Howard Linskey’s
first novel, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The Drop</i>, was voted one
of the Top Five Thrillers of 2011 by <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The
Times</i> Newspaper. His second, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The
Damage</i>, was a Top 12 Best Summer Read in the same newspaper. Both books
reached the top five in the Amazon Kindle charts and the David Blake trilogy
has been optioned for film by Harry Potter producer, David Barron.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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Howard Linskeyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02924393004568306692noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8352281850579262498.post-46082117163128351412014-05-14T00:37:00.001+11:302014-05-14T00:40:23.649+11:30A Game of Author Tag<br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">There’s a game of tag going on between writers at the moment
where we answer questions about our writing process. I’ve been tagged by top
northern crime writer Nick Quantrill who preceded me on his blog. You can read
all about what he has been up to, along with news of an exciting new series he
is planning, right here: <a href="http://www.nickquantrill.co.uk/index.php/news-media/31-writing-process-blog" target="_blank">Nick Quantrill</a></span><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">In the meantime my answers to the questions are below:</span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">What are you working
on?</span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">I have just finished ‘Death Knock’; a crime story set in
County Durham that features three new characters; a tabloid journalist, a local
newspaper reporter and a young Detective. They are each investigating the
disappearance of a young girl and simultaneously caught up in a cold case,
involving a sixty year old, unidentified corpse found in a field on the edge of
a village. The book will be published in 2015.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">How does my work
differ from others in the genre?<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">I am probably less aware of the rules of the genre than most.
I’m not as influenced by classic crime novels because I grew up as a film fan
and I think that affected my story telling style. I’m big on dialogue and like
to leave incidental stuff to your imagination, so I won’t spend a whole page
describing a room. The lines between good and bad characters get blurred quite
a lot in my books and there is a fair amount of what I suppose would be classed
as social commentary, so I will give politicians or the top brass, in organisations
like the police or the press, a bit of a kicking along the way.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"></span></b><br />
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Why do I write what I
do?<o:p></o:p></span></b><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">I am story led as opposed to genre led. The idea for the
story is always the beginning for me and the book that was my breakthrough just
happened to be a crime story. With ‘The Drop’ I had an idea about a white-collar
gangster who thinks he is immune from the violence of his criminal world and
then something goes very wrong. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Money
he’s responsible for goes missing and he must get it back or he’s a dead man. The
first David Blake book yielded so many ideas it became a trilogy that was
published by No Exit. <o:p></o:p></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">My latest book is based on an idea I first had almost
fifteen years ago, about a journalist who has to return to his home and
confront his past, while using his wits to solve a mystery that has
repercussions for everybody around him. It took me all those years to complete
the story in my head, while I was writing other things, then another year to
write it as a novel. You could say it’s been a slow burn but I think it’s been
worth it and I hope the readers agree.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">How does your writing
process work?<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">My daily writing routine starts as soon as I’ve dropped my
daughter at school. I have just over six hours before I collect her again, so I
waste absolutely no time and start my procrastinating straight away. Over
breakfast I’ll read a few pages of the Times then launch straight into the evil,
web-based distractions of Facebook, Twitter and Newcastle United transfer news
in the north-east newspapers. Only around mid-morning, when I have started to hate
myself for not doing any actual writing, will I actually open the manuscript
and begin. Powered by shame and self-loathing, I am capable of short, intense
but very effective bursts of activity that might yield anything between a
thousand and three thousand words in a day. That probably sounds impressive
until you remember that many of those words will not make it into the final
book. A lot will either be edited out as I go along or are culled at the end of
my first draft, because my word count is out of control by that stage. <o:p></o:p></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">To keep my morale from plummeting completely in the early
stages of a book I use a very rudimentary spreadsheet to update my word count
at the end of each day. Watching the numbers rise gives me a false sense of
momentum that is so important during the highly depressing beginnings of a book
when there are at least ninety thousand words to go.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">About two-thirds of
the way into a book, I’ll do extra hours when everyone else is in bed. These
additional shifts are sometimes powered by illicit substances such as chocolate
or wine, both of which have been known to keep me going when I’m flagging late
at night. I do a lot of editing and before a book is complete I will have endured
many hours of fear and self-doubt. By the time it is finally finished I will
have reached the stage where I can no longer see the wood for the trees and
will be convinced that I am the only person on the planet who actually thinks
that it’s any good. This means that when my agent and publisher report back
that they love it I am always both pleasantly surprised and pathetically
grateful. On a good day I’ll re read it and admit to myself that actually some
of it isn’t all that bad. That’s as good as it gets when you are your own worst
critic but I have become resigned to the fact that it is the harsh, self-critical
editing and fear of failure that keep me plugging away until the book is finally
good enough. Sadly it comes with the turf.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Next Up:<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Now I’m going to pass the baton to a cracking writer and
all-round top bloke Adrian Magson, who has been a great support to me. He’s
the creator of one of crime fictions most intriguing and expertly-drawn
characters, Lucas Rocco, a French detective in 1960s Picardie. If that wasn't enough he also writes more
modern thrillers featuring former MI5 agent Harry Tate that are absolute page-turners. <a href="http://www.adrianmagson.blogspot.co.uk/" target="_blank">Adrian Magson</a></span>Howard Linskeyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02924393004568306692noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8352281850579262498.post-26788794318293183712013-09-30T09:57:00.000+11:302013-09-30T09:57:34.402+11:30<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-3c8z9fnRHjQ/UkikHTNip9I/AAAAAAAAAEE/kfrhBEoe_lM/s1600/The+Mag+25th+anni.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-3c8z9fnRHjQ/UkikHTNip9I/AAAAAAAAAEE/kfrhBEoe_lM/s1600/The+Mag+25th+anni.jpg" /></a></div>
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The following post first appeared in the 25th Anniversary special edition of Newcastle United fanzine 'The Mag'. I started out writing for The Mag and was honoured to be invited back for a guest writer slot and an interview below:<br />
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 2;"> '</span>Abandon
All Hope Ye who Enter Here'<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 4;"> </span>By
Howard Linskey<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">It’s been twenty years since my last article for The Mag,
which is, admittedly, a bit of a gap and it got me thinking about how things
have changed since the days when I wrote my first piece for the fanzine. Back
then, in the Gordon McKeag era, I used to rant that we were being run by idiots
who cared very little for the fans, failed to maximise our commercial potential,
sold our best players to clubs with more ambition but often fewer fans and
chronically under invested in our own side. Sound familiar? <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">I’ve written a hell of a lot of words since those days; for
newspapers, magazines and web sites and, more recently, books but it was ‘The
Mag’ that got me started and the first time I saw my name on anything I’d
written was in these hallowed pages. We were in the old second division back
then, having failed to capitalise on Kevin Keegan’s playing days. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Things are so bad these days that I almost feel nostalgic
for a time when our chairman was merely out of his depth and not seemingly
intent on crushing all of our hopes for the hell of it. In six years under Mike
Ashley we have been relegated once and almost went down a second time last
season. For a club our size that is some achievement. Even a Mackem double agent
would struggle to match Ashley’s record for sheer ineptitude.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<o:p><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span></o:p></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Neutrals occasionally express surprise when I say that I despise
Mike Ashley. I admit it is a bit strange for a middle aged man to feel quite this
strongly about somebody he has never actually met but I can honestly state that
my hatred for him is real. It grows with each year and every fresh humiliation
he bestows upon us. The latest of course is the appointment of a complete clown
with amnesia/dementia/tourettes/all three (delete where applicable) as Director
of Football. Not the first time I have found myself thinking, ‘does Ashley
really believe this will help or does he just do it because he enjoys winding
us up?’ <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Even the idiotic Llambias (“Lambeezey”) couldn’t bring
himself to work with Kinocchio, a man who cannot even pronounce player’s names
correctly and routinely lies or forgets facts from his own CV; small things
admittedly, like being relegated, fired or how long he actually spent managing
the Toon.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">It is probably no surprise to any of us these days that our
long term transfer targets are being snapped up by more ambitious clubs, like
Norwich City, or that we are reportedly reluctant to enter into ‘bidding wars’
with Everton or the mighty Swansea, even though the former are basically broke
and the latter have been in the premier league for just one season. Because we
will never pay the going rate for players, we will only ever get them if they
are out of contract or nearly out of contract.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">When I look back on all of the ludicrous, misplaced, foolish,
ill-judged and vulgar decisions the fat man has made in his time, I can only
assume it is all part of some evil plan. Was he beaten up by a Geordie when he
was a teenager and vowed vengeance upon the entire city of Newcastle? Surely
that can be the only explanation for Joe Kinnear. I imagine him sitting in his
hollowed-out volcano, stroking a white cat and going, ‘Right, I have already
offended the two finest players ever to pull on a Newcastle shirt, sold Shay
Given, Kevin Nolan and Andy Carroll, renamed the stadium after my tacky cash
and carry, stuck a legal loan shark on the shirt, ensuring thousands of fans
who would normally purchase a top as a matter of routine will refuse to buy a
new one, so….what can I do next that will really piss them off. Got it! Get me
Joe’s number!’<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Which brings me to the Ashley apologists, a dwindling band
it has to be said, who still cling to the view that without the fat man we’d be
bankrupt and the club would no longer exist. They nearly always mention the
£100m of interest free loans he has graciously lent the club. The club that he
owns. So, let’s consider that shall we? The man is apparently worth £2.3
billion, he bought Newcastle United outright, so he could have a bit of fun
with it, didn’t do due diligence, was surprised to learn there was £100m of
debts and now lends <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">himself</i> the money
(he is sole owner after all, there are no other shareholders), without charging
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">himself</i> any interest (very good of
him that) and we are supposed to be grateful. In the meantime he will make ‘no
capital outlay’ on the club, so where does all of the TV money, the shirt money
and the ticket money go? Into the black hole of the accounts that’s where. Meanwhile
he is stuck with us, so he uses the club in the only way he knows how, by
turning St James Park and Newcastle united into one huge advertising hoarding
for Sports Direct, which makes us nothing more in his eyes than a giant
billboard. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<o:p><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span></o:p></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">So is this any different from the McKeag era I used to write
about? I’m afraid it is, in one very big respect. Back then we longed for a
multi-millionaire to wrestle control of the club and invest in it properly.
Nowadays it would require a billionaire and there aren’t many of those around,
particularly British ones. The irony is we have already got one and he is as
tight as a gnat’s chuff.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<o:p><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span></o:p></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">What strikes me the most about supporting Newcastle United
today is the complete absence of any hope, which is a sentence that is as
depressing for me to write as it is for you to read. Aside from those few
Ashley apologists, who would find a reason to forgive the fat man no matter
what he did, I think the vast majority of Newcastle fans think we are going
absolutely nowhere with him as the owner, except down. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">I am so sorry that after twenty years absence from the Mag
my guest spot is such profoundly depressing reading but I suspect that most of
you will agree with at least some of the points I’ve made. Like me, you probably
see very little hope that the club will ever move forward or realise its
undoubted potential until Ashley sells up, with the list of potential suitors,
at a quoted price of £267m, pretty small in this day and age. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">What a shame that neither Mike Ashley nor the departed
Lambeezy ever had the imagination to work out how amazing this club could be if
it was run even half properly. If the manager was given resources commensurate
with Newcastle’s position as one of the best supported teams in the Premiership
for example; I’m not asking for anything outlandish here, just the ability to
perhaps bid £10m or £12m for a striker every few years. Ashley wasn’t around
when the place was absolutely buzzing and we stuffed Man Utd and beat Barca and
money is clearly the only thing that excites him. Trouble is most Newcastle
fans aren’t energised by a healthy balance sheet. We’re a bit old fashioned
like that.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Maybe in twenty-five years, if I’m still around, I’ll be
able to write a more optimistic anniversary posting about how things improved
with the departure of the fat man when he sold up to someone with a more
positive view of our football club; such as a creepy Russian Oligarch, a
despotic <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Arab oil magnet or Kim Jong Un
perhaps. In the meantime, like you, I’ll keep watching and caring, reading the
posts in the local papers and wincing every time Kinnear makes us a laughing
stock. I’ll keep counting the hours and crossing off the days, months and years
until, like the Berlin Wall, Mike Ashley’s awful bloody regime finally crumbles
and comes crashing to the ground. Then we might have something to smile about
again. Till that moment, we can always console ourselves by remembering the
good times. Now where did I put the DVD of that 5-0 stuffing of ManUre? <o:p></o:p></span></div>
............................................................................................................................<br />
<br />
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<b><span style="color: black; font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Segoe UI";">Howard
Linskey is now a bestselling author, one time writer for The Mag and of course
a Newcastle United fan. We caught up with Howard to ask him about Siberian
gangsters, lap dancing clubs & brothels and Newcastle United.</span></b><span style="color: black; font-family: "Segoe UI","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="ecxmsonormal" style="background: white; margin: 0cm 0cm 16.2pt;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Segoe UI";"> </span><span style="color: black; font-family: "Segoe UI","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Segoe UI";">If
people haven’t read them, how would you describe your books?</span><span style="color: black; font-family: "Segoe UI","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Segoe UI";"> ‘The
Drop’, ‘The Damage’ and ‘The Dead’ are crime thrillers set in Newcastle. They
all feature David Blake, a reluctant white-collar gangster who always ends up
in a lot of trouble. He mixes with drug dealers, enforcers, corrupt politicians,
bent coppers and one dodgy footballer. The Drop was voted one of the top five
thrillers of the year by The Times and the books have been optioned for TV by,
David Barron, the producer of the Harry Potter films, so hopefully you will see
David Blake in Newcastle on the telly one day.</span><span style="color: black; font-family: "Segoe UI","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Segoe UI";">Was
using the city of Newcastle a no-brainer when it came to choosing a setting for
your books?</span><span style="color: black; font-family: "Segoe UI","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="ecxmsonormal" style="background: white; margin: 0cm 0cm 16.2pt;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Segoe UI";"> As
soon as I got the idea for the story of ‘The Drop’ I wanted to set it in
Newcastle and nowhere else. I can’t think of a more atmospheric place and I’m
always surprised there aren’t more books, films or TV series set in the city.</span><span style="color: black; font-family: "Segoe UI","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Segoe UI";">Has
Newcastle United inspired any of your storylines, or would that be just too
far-fetched....?</span><span style="color: black; font-family: "Segoe UI","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="color: black; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: "Segoe UI"; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"> You couldn’t
actually make up the situation at Newcastle. Ashley’s time as owner is way
stranger than fiction. I do have a character who’s </span>a premier league
footballer and he is so appalling I am often asked if he is modelled on Joey
Barton. The truth is he is a fictitious creation, partly influenced by the bad
behaviour of the aforementioned mister Barton, along with the ‘escapades’ of
the likes of Bowyer, Bellamy, Dyer and a dozen others I could name. Just when I
think I may have gone a bit over the top with him, I pick up a newspaper and
realise there are real footballers out there behaving far worse than he does.
They never let me down.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In short, the
character I created is vermin but he is probably still a lot nicer than Nile
Ranger. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="ecxmsonormal" style="background: white; margin: 0cm 0cm 16.2pt;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "Segoe UI","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.5pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="ecxmsonormal" style="background: white; margin: 0cm 0cm 16.2pt;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Segoe UI";">What
inspired you to write for The Mag in the early days?</span><span style="color: black; font-family: "Segoe UI","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Segoe UI";"> I’m
not just saying this as it’s you asking but I thought it was very cool to be
involved in The Mag. Back then fanzines were just starting out. They were
pretty subversive and the only alternative we had to the match programme, which
wasn’t reflecting the real views of the fans. I bought a copy of ‘The Mag’ and
thought it was amazing because I’d never seen anything like it before. I sent
in a letter to begin with, describing a trip to see the Leeds game where Micky
Quinn scored four on his debut. When it was printed I thought I’d chance my arm
with an article. When you printed that as well I was chuffed to bits, as I had
never had anything published before, so I can honestly say it was The Mag that
started me off. Those articles gradually gave me the confidence to go on and do
other things. I’ve mentioned The Mag in every bit of press I‘ve done with my
books because it really did set me on my way. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><span style="color: black; font-family: "Segoe UI","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="ecxmsonormal" style="background: white; margin: 0cm 0cm 16.2pt;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Segoe UI";">Why
did you stop?!!!</span><span style="color: black; font-family: "Segoe UI","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: "Segoe UI";">In the end, life got in the way. I
wrote an article in every issue for four years (and yes, I’ve still got them) but
then I became a journalist and found it too hard to write in the evenings when
I was already writing all day. I also lost my anger about our perennial lack of
achievement. </span>By the time I stopped writing for The Mag, the club was
back in the Premier League, they were transforming the ground and the team were
going places, we were signing top players and were led by a manager who
believed anything was possible. What was left to moan about? We’d almost
reached the promised land. It makes our current pathetic plight all the more
depressing.<span style="color: black; font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: "Segoe UI";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Segoe UI";"><o:p> </o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="ecxmsonormal" style="background: white; margin: 0cm 0cm 16.2pt;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Segoe UI";">What
are the high and low points in these 25 years of following Newcastle United?</span><span style="color: black; font-family: "Segoe UI","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Segoe UI";"> I
think my personal high spot was the 5-1 demolition of the Mackems – Bramble
being sent off towards the end made it feel as if I had written the script
myself - closely followed by the 5-0 dismantling of the evil empire of Man
united. Then there was Tino burying Barca and thumping Leicester 7-1 at the end
of the promotion season. The two FA Cup semi-finals vs Sheffield United and
Spurs were great too. Shame about the finals.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Segoe UI";">Low
points? Have you got all day? Obviously losing the championship to Man Utd, a
team I absolutely despise, along with their awful former manager, was just terrible
but Mike Ashley’s tenure just keeps on delivering new lows. His treatment of
Keegan, his treatment of Shearer, selling Shay Given, relegation, renaming our
hallowed ground, putting Wonga on our shirts and finally appointing Kinocchio
not once but twice, all of it beggars belief. He must hate us. It’s the only
explanation.</span><span style="color: black; font-family: "Segoe UI","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="ecxmsonormal" style="background: white; margin: 0cm 0cm 16.2pt;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Segoe UI";">Living
in the south now, what reaction do you get off people when they find out you
are a Newcastle fan?</span><span style="color: black; font-family: "Segoe UI","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="ecxmsonormal" style="background: white; margin: 0cm 0cm 16.2pt;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Segoe UI";"> Pity.
Honestly they get a kind of rueful look about them and usually say something like
‘Oh dear, what’s going on at your place then?’ after the latest fiasco.</span><span style="color: black; font-family: "Segoe UI","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="ecxmsonormal" style="background: white; margin: 0cm 0cm 16.2pt;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Segoe UI";">How
optimistic/pessimistic are you at this point (mid-July)?</span><span style="color: black; font-family: "Segoe UI","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Segoe UI";"> I
think I am at rock bottom where optimism is concerned. It’s not that I think we
will be relegated again necessarily, although a couple of injuries will see us
right back down at the bottom of the league for sure, it’s more my awareness of
Mike Ashley’s complete indifference to strengthening the team that has got to
me. How many transfer windows have we sat through while he asset strips the
side only to just fail to bring a new player ‘over the line’. It happens time
and time again and it’s clearly deliberate. He will never spend sufficient
funds for us to have a half decent squad. It’s profoundly depressing. I expect
us to finish in the bottom half this time.</span><span style="color: black; font-family: "Segoe UI","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Segoe UI";">How
many signings do you think Newcastle will get ‘over the line’ and how many do
you think we need in reality?</span><span style="color: black; font-family: "Segoe UI","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Segoe UI";"> It
could be none (we haven’t signed anybody at time of writing, even Mick Harford
turned us down) but I suspect it might be one or two and I don’t think they
will be particularly great signings either. As I write, we are linked with
Darren Bent but still won’t pay a fee of £6m for him and none of us are too
excited about him coming either. It wouldn’t surprise me if Cabaye is sold for
£20m towards the end of the window, leaving us no time to get a replacement,
which Ashley will be absolutely thrilled about. I suspect we might get Bent and
somebody we have never heard of or ‘one for the future’ for about £1m but that
will be it. I really hope I’m wrong but I doubt it.</span><span style="color: black; font-family: "Segoe UI","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="ecxmsonormal" style="background: white; margin: 0cm 0cm 16.2pt;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Segoe UI";">What
do fans of other clubs say to you about how Mike Ashley is running Newcastle
United?</span><span style="color: black; font-family: "Segoe UI","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="ecxmsonormal" style="background: white; margin: 0cm 0cm 16.2pt;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Segoe UI";"> I
don’t think they fully appreciate how bad he is, because they don’t live with
it every day like we do, so I go off on a rant whenever they say ‘he signed a
few players in January with the Andy Carroll money’. I then forcefully educate
those Arsenal or Spurs fans that the Carroll money was spent on the club not
the team, paying for a few tiny transfer fees, agent’s fees, player’s salaries
for the next five years and a bore hole at the training ground, while the rest
covered the cost of toilet rolls, footballs, nets and the cleaner’s wages for the
next decade or two. I try to explain that no other club in the country claims
to have ‘invested’ transfer fees in the way we do. </span><span style="color: black; font-family: "Segoe UI","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="ecxmsonormal" style="background: white; margin: 0cm 0cm 16.2pt;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Segoe UI";">Out
of the current squad who would you be happy to see line up (players who
realistically you don’t think we can bring in anybody better than) on the first
day of the season against Manchester City?</span><span style="color: black; font-family: "Segoe UI","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="ecxmsonormal" style="background: white; margin: 0cm 0cm 16.2pt;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Segoe UI";">We
have a decent first eleven until the inevitable injuries hit. I rate Krul, Mbiwa,
Taylor, Collocini, Haidara, Sissoko, Cabaye (if he sorts his head out, as he
went seriously off the boil last year), Tiote (if he recovers his form), Ben
Arfa and Cisse if they don’t sell him because of the Wonga issue.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="ecxmsonormal" style="background: white; margin: 0cm 0cm 16.2pt;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Segoe UI";">I
don’t think Guttierez has been anything like good enough for a while. His
crossing and shooting is ineffective. We should be doing better than Williamson
and I was very disappointed with Santon last year, as he kept costing us goals.
I’m not convinced he is even a defender and I’d be tempted to try him at left
midfield instead of Guttierez. At least he can pass, cross and shoot and would
be less of a liability in that position. I actually would have kept Simpson, Perch
and even Steve Harper for another year as they were all reasonable cover for
the first team and we won’t be replacing them with anything decent. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="ecxmsonormal" style="background: white; margin: 0cm 0cm 16.2pt;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Segoe UI";">Wonga
or Wronga?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="ecxmsonormal" style="background: white; margin: 0cm 0cm 16.2pt;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Segoe UI";">I
am disgusted and embarrassed that my beloved Newcastle United has the name of a
legal-loan-shark plastered on the shirt. I bought shirts when they had NTL,
Northern Rock and Virgin on them but I won’t buy one with Wonga on it and I
know I am not the only one. It’s symptomatic of Ashley’s lack of style and
class and his complete disregard for the wishes of the fans. Pay day lenders
should be outlawed not plastered on the shirts of long standing footballing
institutions like Newcastle United. It has brought shame on us and the city.</span><span style="color: black; font-family: "Segoe UI","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="ecxmsonormal" style="background: white; margin: 0cm 0cm 16.2pt;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Segoe UI";"> </span><span style="color: black; font-family: "Segoe UI","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="ecxmsonormal" style="background: white; margin: 0cm 0cm 16.2pt;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Segoe UI";">Are
you a Shola fan and is it time for him finally to vacate the premises?</span><span style="color: black; font-family: "Segoe UI","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="ecxmsonormal" style="background: white; margin: 0cm 0cm 16.2pt;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Segoe UI";"> I
don’t hate the guy. He has scored some vital goals, earning him the ‘Mackem
Slayer’ nickname but he has underachieved for many a year. His other nickname
of ‘Stroller Ameobi’ is more fitting and his continual presence in our squad underlines
our total lack of ambition. He should definitely be off, with our guarded good
wishes. He is a local lad who enjoyed some good moments and was bloody well
rewarded for them but his career has been one of what-might-have-been in my
view.</span><span style="color: black; font-family: "Segoe UI","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="ecxmsonormal" style="background: white; margin: 0cm 0cm 16.2pt;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Segoe UI";">Does
living away from Newcastle make it easier or harder when times turn bad at the
club?</span><span style="color: black; font-family: "Segoe UI","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="ecxmsonormal" style="background: white; margin: 0cm 0cm 16.2pt;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Segoe UI";"> I’m
not sure. I’ve been an exile from the north east for years and I ended up
working all over the country but Geordies are like the Irish, they turn up
everywhere, so wherever I go I bump into them. I live in Hertfordshire these
days and often watch Newcastle on Sky TV in my local pub. There are always
fellow Toon fans at the bar there and their pain is just as real as yours I
imagine. With social media being what it is, I’m always aware of what is going
on. I have a Google-alert rigged up for Newcastle United, I read the Mag, the nufc.com
site and the nufc.blog, plus the Journal and Chronicle on line, so I feel like
it’s all on my doorstep. I don’t even bother to read my local newspaper so I am
far more in tune with Newcastle news than I am with what’s going on in Welwyn.</span><span style="color: black; font-family: "Segoe UI","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="ecxmsonormal" style="background: white; margin: 0cm 0cm 16.2pt;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Segoe UI";">Is
writing a form of release from your everyday life and Newcastle United, or more
a way to unleash the demons and work yourself into a frenzy?</span><span style="color: black; font-family: "Segoe UI","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="color: black; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: "Segoe UI"; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">It’s nice to escape from
reality and my books always have Toon references in them, so I suppose that is
a form of release. </span>I always smuggle in character names that mean nothing
to my publisher but get spotted by die-hard Newcastle fans of a certain age.
Not the Shearers and Keegans, which would be a bit obvious, but I have
characters called Wharton, Anderson, Cartwright and Jinky Smith. The top crime
boss in Newcastle in ‘The Drop’ also goes by the name of Mahoney. I get a lot
of Tweets and Facebook messages from Newcastle fans who read the books and
enjoyed the Toon references. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="ecxmsonormal" style="background: white; margin: 0cm 0cm 16.2pt;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "Segoe UI","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.5pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="ecxmsonormal" style="background: white; margin: 0cm 0cm 16.2pt;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Segoe UI";">If
properly run, where would you see Newcastle United’s natural place in the
pecking order?</span><span style="color: black; font-family: "Segoe UI","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="ecxmsonormal" style="background: white; margin: 0cm 0cm 16.2pt;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Segoe UI";">Top
six or at least top eight. Why not? We’ve done it before. I know there is this
stupid media misconception that Newcastle fans have unrealistic expectations
but I haven’t met anybody who actually thinks we are going to win anything and,
let’s be honest, we never do. However, with the massive fan base and the
revenue it generates when the team is doing well, there is no reason why we
can’t slowly make our team better every year. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="ecxmsonormal" style="background: white; margin: 0cm 0cm 16.2pt;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Segoe UI";">Is
there any difference in your love for Newcastle United and the City of
Newcastle, or are they one and the same?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="ecxmsonormal" style="background: white; margin: 0cm 0cm 16.2pt;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Segoe UI";">I
think over time they became inextricably linked. I started with a love for the
club, because my Uncle Neil went to games in the seventies and brought me back
the programmes and rosettes from the two Wembley finals. I was hooked on the
black and whites from that point really. The city was always a place I
gravitated too as well, because it had the big shops when I was a kid. Later it
was the atmosphere of the match that attracted me and, later still, the night
life that drew me back to the city.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I can
honestly say that some of the best nights out in my life have happened in
Newcastle. You just can’t beat the atmosphere of either the city or the ground.</span><span style="color: black; font-family: "Segoe UI","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="ecxmsonormal" style="background: white; margin: 0cm 0cm 16.2pt;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "Segoe UI","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.5pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="ecxmsonormal" style="background: white; margin: 0cm 0cm 16.2pt;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Segoe UI";">In
your ‘literary’ world, what have been the most extreme/amusing reactions when
people have discovered you are a football fan?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="ecxmsonormal" style="background: white; margin: 0cm 0cm 16.2pt;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Segoe UI";">I
was at ‘Crimefest’ in Bristol in May. After my panel, I had a drink with a
crime critic, Mike Stafford, who likes my books and is a Sheffield Wednesday
fan. We were with a PR Manager who heard I was from Ferryhil and she said
‘That’s south of the Tyne, which means you are really a Mackem.’ I obviously
disputed this but she continued with it so, without thinking, I said ‘why don’t
you just accuse me of being a paedophile while you are at it?’. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A few days later Mike wrote this in his piece
about Crimefest, which made me laugh……<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="ecxmsonormal" style="background: white; margin: 0cm 0cm 16.2pt;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="color: #333333; font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.5pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">“I was fortunate enough to be bought a pint by none
other than Howard Linskey, writer of the David Blake series. True to the crime
writing mould, he’s a warm and friendly bloke – although when Head of Zeus’s
Publicity Manager Becci Sharpe suggested that geographically he should be a
Mackem, he did express a certain horror. For a die-hard Newcastle man, it turns
out even the sex offenders’ register would be a less shameful place to find
yourself than the home end at the Stadium of Light.</span><span style="color: black; font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Segoe UI";">”</span><span style="color: black; font-family: "Segoe UI","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="ecxmsonormal" style="background: white; margin: 0cm 0cm 16.2pt;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Segoe UI";">Growing
up in Ferryhill (Co.Durham) there must have been a fair few Sunderland fans
around, have they inspired any of the ‘baddies’ in your stories?</span><span style="color: black; font-family: "Segoe UI","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="ecxmsonormal" style="background: white; margin: 0cm 0cm 16.2pt;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Segoe UI";">In
my school year we had Newcastle, Sunderland and Middlesbrough fans, so there
was lots of banter but basically people got on. It’s not quite the same as
attending derby matches and hurling abuse at each other from either end of the
ground. I did include a scene in The Drop, which had a bit of playful Mackem
bashing in it but my agent was a bit perplexed by it and I realised that
outside of the two cities nobody else would understand it, so I took it out.
When I launched the book, the sales manager from the distribution company
turned out to be a Sunderland fan and he arranged for me to sign books at
Waterstones in Sunderland after I’d done a signing in Emerson Chambers
Newcastle but there was a big fun run that day and the city was roped off, so I
called them up and said maybe I should stay here in Newcastle for the day as
we’d sell more and they agreed. The lasses in the Emerson Chambers shop were
chuckling away at that and I had a top day signing books there.</span><span style="color: black; font-family: "Segoe UI","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="ecxmsonormal" style="background: white; margin: 0cm 0cm 16.2pt;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Segoe UI";">If
you were asked to write a screenplay on Newcastle United, what would you call
it and which actors would you have taking the leading parts?</span><span style="color: black; font-family: "Segoe UI","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="ecxmsonormal" style="background: white; margin: 0cm 0cm 16.2pt;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Segoe UI";"> I’d
base it on ‘Get Carter’ and call it ‘Get Ashley’ or maybe we could remake that
eighties Schwarzeneger movie ‘The Runing Man’ and put Lambeezy, Kinnear and
Ashley in the arena, so they could be hunted down. We wouldn’t need actors,
they could play themselves. It would be cheaper, which ironically Ashley would
appreciate whilehe was <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>running for his
life. Maybe we could borrow that other good film title, ‘Run Fatboy Run.’</span><span style="color: black; font-family: "Segoe UI","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<br />Howard Linskeyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02924393004568306692noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8352281850579262498.post-91690727439532811962013-08-29T09:44:00.000+11:302013-08-29T09:44:05.000+11:30Carry On Up The Amazon
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">I just had one of those days writers dream about. It started
with an e-mail from my publisher that morning, telling me my second book ‘The
Damage’ had been selected as a Kindle Daily Deal. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Obviously this was good news. I regularly get promotional e-mails
telling me a certain book is available for a lower than normal price and I
figured a number of people might see an advert like that for ‘The Damage’ and be
tempted to give it a try. Hopefully I’d sell a few more than average but I
didn’t have very many expectations beyond that. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">I’m not arrogant about my writing, far from it in fact. Most
writers I know are riddled with insecurities about their own work. It tends to
come with the territory and the divas that think they are God’s gift to the
writing world are, thankfully, pretty few and far between. However I have had
enough positive feedback in reviews, Twitter messages and Facebook postings from
readers to know that most people really like my David Blake books once they’ve
read them. I reasoned that by the end of the Kindle Daily deal, I might have
gone up a few notches on the much vaunted Amazon listings and perhaps picked up
a few more readers along the way, who might enjoy ‘The Damage’ and maybe even
tell their mates about. If I was fortunate, some of them might even buy the
other books, ‘The Drop’ and ‘The Dead’ as well<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">I then got on with some work. Around noon I received the
first bit of positive news. My agent had checked the Amazon rankings and
discovered ‘The Damage’ was number 482 in the Kindle charts. That might not
sound too great to anybody but an author but there are many thousands of books
in the world and I had started that day with my second David Blake book
residing at 33,889 (I know that because we eventually found out how many places
up the charts it had soared in just one day). Agent, publisher and I were all very
happy with 482.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">I carried on with some editing for a while and genuinely
forgot about it, figuring it might have peaked already. An hour later, my
diligent Literary Agent checked again and told me we were at 138. Things were
starting to look quite exciting all of a sudden. I was up there rubbing
shoulders with the big boys; writers who’ve written a stack of best-selling novels
and become household names in the process, with major publishers and huge
advertising budgets to promote their latest work.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">More writing followed but, by this stage, I was a bit
distracted and beginning to wonder just how far I could climb this pesky Amazon
chart and, subsequently, how visible my books might become to the wider world.
I can put it into perspective by saying that they have done pretty well
already; having been optioned for TV by Harry Potter producer, David Barron,
who is adapting them with Layer Cake writer, JJ Connolly. My first book ‘The
Drop’ was voted one of the top five Thrillers of the Year by The Times and ‘The
Damage’ was nominated as one of the ‘Top 12 Best Summer Reads’, again by The
Times but none of that helped me mount a major assault on the monolith that is
the Amazon charts. It’s amazing the difference a bit of advertising and the
power of social media can make.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">By 2.00pm The Damage was at number 24 and we still had ten
hours of the promotion to go. Figuring we’d make the most of it, the agent,
publisher and I all tweeted about it and posted on FB. Then a lovely thing
happened; people started to spread the word for me; lots of people. Twitter re-tweets
were so numerous I couldn’t thank everybody for them individually and there
were lots of shares on Facebook, saying that my book was on offer and worth a
read. Many took the trouble to inform their friends and Twitter followers that
the book was storming the kindle charts. It was lovely, life affirming stuff
and I was touched by the level of kindness shown.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">By 4.00pm we were, unbelievably, in the top ten of the
Amazon chart. ‘The Damage’ was seventh in the Kindle book list, ahead of
massive names like John Grisham and Dan Brown’s latest.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was even higher than ‘Gone Girl’. That was
a champagne moment, or it would have been if I’d had time to pause for a second
to open a bottle, as messages were coming into me now at an amazing rate. Other
authors I knew were cheering from the wings on Twitter, which was lovely but
not wholly surprising, as the crime writing fraternity is, on the whole, an
incredibly warm and supportive place. We’ve all struggled at one point or
another, so we all genuinely like to see one of our own having a good day. This
time it was my turn.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">There were more tweets and more shares, more good wishes,
congratulations and ‘wow’s from publisher and agent. The next time we checked,
I half expected ‘The Damage’ to have peaked or gone back down again, authors
are like that, by the time we’ve even been published we’ve had so many
disappointments and knockbacks we basically prepare ourselves for them in
advance, but it hadn’t peaked. When the chart was updated, I was at number
three and somebody called JK Rowling was at number four. I instantly took a
screen grab of that one for posterity. I figured it would be nice to show the
grandchildren one day.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">At half past eight, the book eventually peaked at number 2
in the Amazon Kindle chart having gone up a staggering 33,887 places in a day,
and was only kept off the top spot by a book that had been in the top 100 for
75 days; ‘The Detective’s Daughter’ by Lesley Thomson. My other two David Blake
books, ‘The Dead’ and ‘The Drop’, hung onto the coat tails of ‘The Damage’ and were
dragged up with it until they were residing at numbers 40 and 149 respectively.
I can only assume a number of people bought two of the books or all three together,
once they’d had the chance to read the synopses and reviews. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">I didn’t go daft. There was no Krug or caviar. Instead I had
a couple of bottles of beer and tried to reply to as many people as possible to
thank them for spreading the word. Then I sat back and enjoyed the nice, warm
feeling of being second in a chart that probably boosts an author’s profile
like nothing else can. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">I don’t yet know how many of ‘The Damage’ we sold but it was
thousands. In one day. Like most authors, I am in it for the long haul though and
my books have had their profile raised, which should lead to more people trying
them out.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Of course it might make no difference to me at all in the
end. I could ultimately be ignored, dismissed or forgotten by an apathetic
public; a one day wonder, the guy who could have been a contender. I might live
to be an old man, residing in some underfunded nursing home somewhere,
surrounded by young people who might understandably doubt my credentials. They will
look at me questioningly and ask themselves, ‘Did he really write a book that went
above JK Rowling and Dan Brown in the Kindle chart?’ At which point, like some
ageing actor from a forgotten era, who carries his creased and fading newspaper
reviews around with him in his wallet, I will reach for whatever electronic
device has superseded the lap top or tablet and I’ll show them that screen grab,
while tunelessly singing ‘They can’t take that away from me, oh they can’t take
that away from me,’ as they gently wheel me away for my medication. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-BNdQhEkX04E/Uh5zkKYhGPI/AAAAAAAAADw/8vQgNSo0nOQ/s1600/3+Books.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="196" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-BNdQhEkX04E/Uh5zkKYhGPI/AAAAAAAAADw/8vQgNSo0nOQ/s320/3+Books.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
Howard Linskeyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02924393004568306692noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8352281850579262498.post-40625905233352604222013-08-27T10:06:00.000+11:302013-08-27T10:06:53.851+11:30
<br />
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">This is an
interview that originally appeared on Ruth Jacobs great web site ‘In the Booth with Ruth’, which is here: <a href="http://ruthjacobs.co.uk/2013/07/08/howard-linskey-interview/">http://ruthjacobs.co.uk/2013/07/08/howard-linskey-interview/</a><o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><o:p><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span></o:p></b></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">What’s your
writing background? When did you begin writing and what inspired you?<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">I started writing
years ago for a very popular Newcastle United fanzine ‘The Mag’. That was the
first time I saw my name in print and it gave me the confidence to go on and
become a journalist working for regional newspapers. I’ve written all sorts of
things over the years, for web sites, magazines and newspapers but I was also
writing fiction as well. Like most writers, I got plenty of rejection letters
but they were nice ones. They usually told me my stuff was good and that was
enough to keep me going. Obviously I read books but I think I am even more
inspired by films if I’m honest. My first book ‘The Drop’ has been compared to
‘The Long Good Friday’ and ‘Get Carter’, which I am pretty chuffed about, as I
love both of those classic Brit ganster flicks. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><o:p><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span></o:p></b></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">How often do you
write? And how do you manage to fit in writing among other commitments?<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">I try to write
every day but it doesn’t always work out that way, as life gets in the way. Before
jacking in the day job, I could only write in the evenings and at weekends,
which put a lot of pressure on me. There were points during the writing of my last
two books where I did feel absolutely knackered but I managed to keep going
somehow. It wasn’t easy though and I had to be pretty disciplined. I hate
wasting time, as I still don’t have much of it. I look after my daughter, which
is wonderful but it shortens my working day, as you can’t really write once a
seven year old comes home from school. I never watch soap operas or reality TV
or much TV at all in fact. I moved house a few weeks ago and still haven’t
rigged up the TV but I haven’t missed it. I try and ration myself to an hour a
day with a DVD box set. Perhaps unsurprisingly I like something that has a bit
of quality writing in it, like ‘The Killing’, ‘Mad Men,’ ‘Borgen’ or ‘Boardwalk
Empire’. I’m currently watching ‘Spiral’ the gritty French cop series, which is
very good.<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><o:p><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span></o:p></b></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">In which genre do
you most enjoy writing?<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">I’m not too hung
up on genre but I have no problem being described as a crime writer or referred
to as an author of thrillers, though it doesn’t worry me to write outside those
genres either. I have written a historical story set in World War Two, which I
am in the process of editing, so you might see that published at some point in
the future hopefully. I grew up reading John Le Carre, Len Deighton, Jack
Higgins and Frederick Forsyth so I’ve always enjoyed WW2 and Cold War
thrillers. I’m currently reading Peter Guttridge’s ‘The Thing Itself’, which
has sections set in WW1, WW2 and the present day and I’m loving it so far.<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><o:p><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span></o:p></b></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">What draws you to
write in that genre? <o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">I’m led by the
story not the genre, so I came up with the idea of ‘The Drop’ then realised it
was a crime story. I enjoy writing crime because it gives you the opportunity
to place your characters in pretty extreme, stressful situations involving
death or injury, imprisonment or betrayal and it brings emotion to a story when
so much is at risk for the characters.<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><o:p><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span></o:p></b></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<b><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Can you tell me about your current project(s)? <o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Now that my
trilogy of Newcastle gangster stories is complete, I’m giving David Blake and
his crew some time off.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>My new book is a
crime story but this one has some different characters. I am tackling a book
about a journalist who returns to his home to investigate the disappearance of
a missing girl.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As usual with my books, it
is more complex than that though, with several different story lines all
happening at once, over two time periods. Somehow I never seem to keep it
simple but I enjoy writing books that have a lot going on in them. <o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><o:p><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span></o:p></b></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">What are your
writing plans for the future?<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">I don’t look too
far ahead but I want to keep on writing books for as long as people are keen to
read them. I’ve been lucky so far. ‘The Drop’, ‘The Damage’ and ‘The Dead’ have
all been well received. I am published in the UK and Germany and the David
Blake books will hit America in the autumn…or should that be ‘the fall’? The
books have been optioned for TV too, so I just want to build on all of that and
keep going. <o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-rc0IY9Cp_UI/UhvYOM4o2hI/AAAAAAAAADc/uFGR9jJse8Q/s1600/The+Mag+25th+anni.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-rc0IY9Cp_UI/UhvYOM4o2hI/AAAAAAAAADc/uFGR9jJse8Q/s1600/The+Mag+25th+anni.jpg" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><o:p><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span></o:p></b></div>
Howard Linskeyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02924393004568306692noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8352281850579262498.post-68592955724863916652013-07-08T09:00:00.002+11:302013-07-08T09:00:52.408+11:30Music Maestro<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-PkmZEvlStJE/Udnc8QGpiiI/AAAAAAAAADM/qeLYCBHbbjQ/s1600/Get+Carter.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-PkmZEvlStJE/Udnc8QGpiiI/AAAAAAAAADM/qeLYCBHbbjQ/s320/Get+Carter.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
This post is from a piece I was asked to write about music and writing:<br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">I like to listen to music while writing but my choices are
limited because I just cannot write while anything with a lyric is playing. I
am so interested in writing of any kind that I become too easily distracted by other
people’s words to write my own. As a result, I am usually restricted to tuning
into Classic FM, so most of my gritty, contemporary crime stories are written
while the music of long dead composers plays gently in the background. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Music does feature in my books. I figured David Blake, my
white-collar gangster anti-hero would spend a fair bit of time in night clubs,
so I researched the kind of music that would be played in them these days and
was quite surprised to pick up a taste for R&B along the way. I found
myself driving around with Rihanna and Black Eyed Peas CDs in my car and Flo Rida
or Neo blasting out of the radio. Down with the kids? No, it’s more of a
guilty, private pleasure. If I attempted to bust some moves to Rihanna, I’d
look like one of those embarrassing dads trying to dance at a wedding.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">If I’m really looking for a bit of inspiration to get the
words flowing or to drag me away from the twin, distracting evils of Facebook
and Twitter, I’ll play a film score. I’ve always been a film fan and my writing
is more influenced by films than books if I’m honest. I love soundtracks and
these days, with the advent of YouTube, it’s even easier to find obscure scores
from long forgotten movies or TV shows. I’m a fan of Ennio Morricone,
particularly his score for ‘The Good, The Bad and The Ugly’ and John Barry’s themes
from, ‘The Ipcress File’, ‘The Persuaders’ and the Bond films never seem to
diminish with age. Hans Zimmer, composer of ‘Gladiator’ amongst others, writes
some stirring stuff to help gee up the word count and it doesn’t get more
atmospheric than Trevor Jones soundtrack for ‘Last Of The Mohicans’.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<em><strong>Ipcress File Theme</strong></em> <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i2Jw6_Xgszk">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i2Jw6_Xgszk</a><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">I’ve never been able to pick up a copy of my all-time
favourite film soundtrack, so I have to summon it up from YouTube whenever I
feel the need to hear it again, which is often. The theme for ‘The Long Good
Friday’ is simply terrific.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Francis
Monkman’s pulsating score might sound like it was distinctly of-its-time but
still provides the perfect backdrop for London’s top boy, Harold Shand’s
arrival at the airport, ten minutes into the film. Bob Hoskins doesn’t even have
to emote at this point. The theme tells us everything we need to know about
Shand. He’s nails and you wouldn’t mess with him……unless you happen to be the
IRA of course, which sets us up for possibly the finest climactic scene of any
British film ever. Hoskins face, as he is driven away at the end of The Long
Good Friday, to the strains of Monkman’s brilliant theme, lives long in the
memory. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<strong><em>The Long Good Friday theme:</em></strong> <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PAXxYKave6o">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PAXxYKave6o</a><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">A couple of years back, I managed to get hold of the
soundtrack for the classic British gangster film ‘Get Carter’, which has a
particular resonance for me. My first book ‘The Drop’ has been described as “A Get
Carter for the 21<sup><span style="font-size: x-small;">st</span></sup> Century”, partly because the two stories share a
common gangster theme but primarily because ‘The Drop’ is also set in Newcastle
(though the original book ‘Jack’s Return Home’ by Ted Lewis is famously not based
in Tyneside). Roy Budd’s soundtrack is one of those scores that’s instantly
recognisable. ‘Get Carter’ is a very good film that becomes a terrific one because
the incidental music lends it an instant ambience of understated cool. It even
makes up for Michael Caine’s ludicrous accent; a Geordie returning to his
homeland? I don’t think so, unless the Elephant and Castle is actually a
district of Wallsend. Somehow it doesn’t matter and ‘Get Carter’ is still a
classic.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<strong><em>Get Carter theme</em></strong>: <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aoa3OTJfWIY">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aoa3OTJfWIY</a><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">When my second book ‘The Damage’, came out, I was
interviewed on TV for the first time. The ‘North East Tonight’ reporter asked his
cameraman to film me walking up and down the mean streets of Newcastle. I was
eager to please but more than a little self-conscious. I didn’t expect much
from the end result but was pleasantly surprised when they aired the footage. I
was no better looking, cooler or harder than normal - I look like a chubby
Peter Beardsley on a good day - but, as I made my way through the dimly-lit, pedestrian
tunnel behind Newcastle Central Station they played a bit of background music
that I instantly recognised; the theme from ‘Get Carter’. The reporter
concluded that, “Forty one years on from Get Carter, Newcastle may have another
gritty gangster thriller to define its character in the eyes of crime novel
readers.” I don’t do cool; never have, never will but that was……<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">almost</i> cool. So shoot me know. Thanks to
Roy Budd’s iconic theme, that short walk, captured on film, was easily my
finest hour.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">That TV interview: </span><a href="http://www.itv.com/news/tyne-tees/2012-05-08/newcastle-gangster-novel-adapted-for-tv/"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Calibri;">http://www.itv.com/news/tyne-tees/2012-05-08/newcastle-gangster-novel-adapted-for-tv/</span></a><o:p></o:p></div>
Howard Linskeyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02924393004568306692noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8352281850579262498.post-1219902553995698802013-06-10T03:57:00.001+11:302013-06-10T03:57:56.320+11:30Living with a GangsterI was honoured to be invited onto author and reviewer Graham Smith's blog in May, which is where the following post first appeared. Graham has a lot of interesting posts on his blog from up and coming writers. There's a chap on there at the moment called Lee Child for example and he seems to be doing okay. <a href="http://grahamsmithwriter.blogspot.co.uk/">http://grahamsmithwriter.blogspot.co.uk/</a> <br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">For the past three years now I’ve been living with a
gangster. It’s been a dysfunctional and abusive relationship but you might be
surprised to learn that he took the brunt of the violence not me. In three
books now; ‘The Drop’, ‘The Damage’ and ‘The Dead’, which has just been
published by No Exit, I have taken great delight in placing my Geordie,
white-collar criminal, David Blake, in trouble again and again. Blake has been
beaten up and shot at, chased by men on motor bikes then threatened with
imprisonment, torture and execution. He has been targeted by hit men, assaulted
by Police officers and forced to fend off an attacker in his apartment, using nothing
but an urn containing the ashes of his girlfriend’s mother. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Blake is no saint however and he, in turn, has killed people
in all three books; with knives, guns, machetes or simply by ordering their
deaths. Not bad for a man who never actually considers himself to be a gangster.
Blake’s life is pretty stressful, so he has occasionally turned to drugs but,
being an old fashioned, northern lad, he tends to prefer booze or, on
occasions, women to relieve that stress. He is not the best boyfriend material
however, having cheated on his girl with minimal guilt, and is unlikely to
empathise with you if you’ve had a hard day at the office, as it is unlikely to
have been as tough as the 24 hours he has endured. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">And what has David Blake given me in return for all of the
grief I’ve put him through? Well, plenty. Apart from the obvious relief and joy
that comes with finally becoming a published author and seeing my name on a
book cover, I wasn’t sure what to expect as a first time novelist. Would
anybody read my book, would anyone actually like it? Thankfully they did and
they do. I have had some wonderful moments because of Blake. I’ve been reviewed
positively by, amongst others, The Daily Mail and The Times; the latter naming
me as one of their top five thriller writers of the year because of ‘The Drop’,
an accolade that I still can’t quite believe, even now. Frankly I’d be happy to
have that one etched on my tombstone. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">In the north east in particular, the books have gone down
really well and I have received a stack of messages from folk who enjoyed
reading a story that is set in an area they know. I’ve been interviewed in all
of the local papers, made numerous appearances on BBC Radio Newcastle and even been
on TV. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’ve also given away my books in
competitions on NUFC.com, the web site for exiled Newcastle United fans around
the globe, which I think gave me almost as much pleasure as the Times review. ‘The
Drop’, renamed ‘Crime Machine’, has been published to great reviews in Germany,
so ‘The Damage’ will follow it there next year and, in the Autumn, Harper
Collins will publish both books in the U.S. God knows what they will make of my
Geordie gangster in America.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">The only thing that could possibly top all of the above is
the e-mail my publisher received from someone claiming to work for David
Barron, producer of the Harry Potter films. He had apparently bought a copy of
my book, read it, loved it and wanted to turn it into a TV series. This seemed
a tad unlikely but it turned out, astonishingly, to be true. A few weeks later
I was sitting in my agent’s London office in a meeting with David, who turned
out to be a very nice bloke indeed. I spent a pleasant hour or two with the man
behind the most successful movie franchise the world has ever seen, discussing
the practicalities of bringing David Blake to the small screen. The scripts are
being developed by JJ Connolly, another top man, who wrote the great British
gangster flick, ‘Layer Cake’. Hopefully one day I’ll be able to watch David
Blake being put in peril all over again; this time on the telly.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Now that the trilogy is finally complete, I’m not going to
say whether Blake, or his large assortment of supporting characters from the
Newcastle underworld, will ever make a re-appearance. That’s dependant on me coming
up with a strong enough storyline. The last thing I want to do is churn out two
dozen very similar books, on auto pilot that, like Hollywood sequels, fall foul
of the inevitable law of diminishing returns.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">I have an idea for a new book and I’m afraid there’s no space
for David Blake in this one. I owe the fellah a great deal but I’ve been seeing
other people lately; in my mind’s eye at least. I’m going to take a break from
Blake for a while, to allow some different characters to live with me instead.
However there is no way I am ever going to forget the man and everything he has
done for me. Who knows, maybe one day, I’ll come crawling back to him. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
Howard Linskeyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02924393004568306692noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8352281850579262498.post-24173739836047252072013-01-28T04:09:00.002+11:302013-01-28T04:16:53.841+11:30On the Joys of Editing ‘The Dead’<span style="font-family: Calibri;">This writing lark is easy really. Just rattle out a first
draft of your novel in six months or so then send it off to your editor, who’ll
ring you straight back to tell you she just loves it, don’t change a word; job
done. Oh, if only.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">I finally sent the second draft of ‘The Dead’ off to the
publisher last week, meeting its deadline by, well, minutes, if I’m honest. The
second draft is the big one. When I send the first draft to my agent and editor
it feels a bit like stepping off a cliff. Nobody else has seen it until that
point, so I have no idea what their reaction will be. There was a huge sense of
relief this time when they both really liked ‘The Dead’, because they would
tell me if they didn’t, believe me.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">So they both loved it but there were just a few changes
needed. Even though I have been through this process before with ‘The Drop’ and
‘The Damage’, I was still lulled into a false sense of security by their
positivity, mainly because I was pathetically grateful that they didn’t hate
the book. They really like it! So I must be nearly finished, right? Wrong.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">I then had to wade through every comment on my one hundred
and four thousand word manuscript and there were a lot of them. Not every page warranted
their scrutiny but every now and then there’d be a little observation on the
side of a page, “Can we have a little bit more of this….or a little bit less of
that? Could we delete this bit for pace but could we expand on this? How about
an extra scene here, where we see this explained earlier and, I hate to say it,
but do we really need this chapter at all….you know…the one you spent a week
writing.…..oh and that character…you know the one…..sorry but I’m afraid she
doesn’t really work for me at all.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">At this point my heart sinks and not because I resent my
agent and editor’s input, far from it. It’s precisely the opposite in fact. I
really respect their opinions and had to think long and hard about what they had
told me, because I want this book to be the best it can be. I obsess about it
in fact. I picture readers having the exact same thoughts they do. I know what
it feels like to spend eight quid on a paperback and invest a week or two of
your commute time or that precious last hour before bed, only to be
disappointed by the outcome. I don’t want to be responsible for that feeling in
anyone, so I am my own worst critic. I’d rather change or bin anything that
doesn’t quite work long before it reaches the reader.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">When I wrote the second book in the David Blake trilogy,
‘The Damage’ I took out two whole chapters because both my agent and editor
thought they were “good but they slow down the narrative”. I think I allowed
myself to use the word ‘bollocks’ quietly to myself more than once, as I
contemplated the time it had taken me to write, edit, re-edit and final-edit
the words I was about to delete but when I looked at the book again with fresh
eyes I knew they were right.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Editing ‘The Dead’ was tricky. I’d specifically asked my extremely
talented editor, Keshini Naidoo, if she could help me get the word count down
and she removed 5,000 words before returning it to me. This was great on one
level, because it saved me a lot of work, but it still hurt a little when I saw
some of the writing I had been quite proud of culled from the page, even though
I knew it had to be done. I then went and made another fifty-five fairly major
changes. I know it was that many because I made a list of all the work I had to
get through to complete that second draft, so I could cross each one off when
I’d finished. Some of those changes took a few minutes, some half a day. The
worst one involved removing a key character that had become an integral part of
the story and one of half a dozen plot lines that were all interwoven nicely
together in ‘The Dead’. As I mentioned, neither my editor nor my agent were
convinced by the character and felt removing this plot line would streamline
the whole story and make ‘The Dead’ a stronger read. No problem I thought, as I
methodically removed every scene involving that character, sobbing to myself
inwardly as more than eight thousand words hit the cutting room floor.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Eventually, draft two was complete and a manuscript covered
in electronically generated amendments – the Microsoft word equivalent of reams
of red pen crossings-out – was off to the publisher. This version will be copy
edited and returned to me with just a few grammar amends and literals that three
pairs of eyes all somehow missed (it happens, believe me) and I’ll get to read
through the whole thing again to check that I’m finally happy with it. Draft
three will be the final version that hits the book shops on April 25<sup><span style="font-size: x-small;">th</span></sup>.
We will be launching ‘The Dead’ with a couple of events and some signings, plus
radio and press interviews, which is a fun and exciting way to complete a very
lengthy process. I can go into the launch with a clear conscience because, after
all of the hours of hard work, fretting, editing, more fretting, further
editing and fretting about my fretting…..I am really happy with the end result
and I hope that readers of ‘The Dead’ will be too.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">The only bit that remains is the nervous breakdown, which I
have pencilled into my diary for the end of May.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">It’s strange though. I had been really looking forward to
completing that difficult second draft and was going to reward myself with a
nice little rest from writing for a while. After a couple of days I was already
reading through my notes on a new book. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">The writer Eugene Ionesco once said, “A writer never has a
vacation. For a writer, life consists of either writing or thinking about
writing.” In my case, he could possibly have added ‘with just a few strategic
breaks to read web articles about incoming Newcastle United players during the
January transfer window” but, aside from that, the gist of what he said is undoubtedly
true.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">The next book after ‘The Dead’ will be my first that does
not feature David Blake. I have some great ideas for this one and I think it
will work but I know there will be countless man-hours devoted to knocking the
first draft of that one into shape. Then, if I am really lucky, my agent and
editor might both agree that they love it……………but they’ve got just a few,
little changes in mind…………<o:p></o:p></span></div>
Howard Linskeyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02924393004568306692noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8352281850579262498.post-88113488032812441142013-01-27T06:58:00.002+11:302013-01-27T06:58:39.832+11:30<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/---vuJUcdIuc/UQQuWnq0BZI/AAAAAAAAACM/S4N-YJXj3LI/s1600/The+Dead_Usethisone+(3).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/---vuJUcdIuc/UQQuWnq0BZI/AAAAAAAAACM/S4N-YJXj3LI/s320/The+Dead_Usethisone+(3).jpg" width="210" /></a></div>
<br />Howard Linskeyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02924393004568306692noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8352281850579262498.post-62145872115608707092013-01-27T06:56:00.001+11:302013-01-27T06:56:39.709+11:30Geordie gangster, David Blake, returns in 'The Dead'; to be published by No Exit on April 25th, 2013. In the third installment of the trilogy the reluctant gangster is back on his home patch and facing his biggest challenge yet<br />
<br />
David Blake is now running three cities, top boy. Life is sweet until his bent accountant is arrested for murder. The money man is nailed on for a life sentence until he puts five million pounds out of Blake's reach. Now Blake faces an agonising choice; fix the acquittal of a child killer or run out of the cash he needs to bankroll his empire.<br />
<br />
Meanwhile, Serbian gangsters are slowly taking over his territory and a crazed Russian Oligarch wants to use Blake's drug supply line for his own ends. Back at home, the Police are closing in, determined to take David Blake off the streets of Newcastle forever, and Blake's girl Sarah is asking awkward questions about the death of her father that he really doesn't want to answer.<br />
Howard Linskeyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02924393004568306692noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8352281850579262498.post-22162036135292025612012-12-17T09:26:00.000+11:302012-12-17T09:53:51.232+11:30The Next Big Thing - Peter Guttridge's Questions<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 9pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">Guttridge: What is the working title of your next book? <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 9pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">It’s called ‘The Dead’ and it’s the third in the David Blake series.
Blake is a white-collar gangster, an anti-hero and the reluctant boss of a
Geordie crime firm.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 9pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">Where did the idea come from for the book? <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 9pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">I started out wondering what it must be like to work for a gangster,
particularly if you are not a big, scary enforcer type. What if you used your
brain not your brawn and left the dirty work to others, because you assumed
you’d get all the benefits of a criminal life; money, prestige, women, without
any of the down side? Then something goes wrong and you are left in fear of
your life. That’s what happens to David Blake.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 9pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">What genre does your book fall under? <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 9pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">Crime –thriller I suppose. My books have been described as crime fiction
or thrillers so I guess they straddle both genres.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 9pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">What is the one-sentence synopsis of your book? <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 9pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">David Blake is back and he’s got problems. Very big problems.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 9pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">Will you will be self-published or represented by an agency? <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 9pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">I’m published by the lovely people at ‘No Exit’, who manage to confound
their reputation as gritty, hard boiled crime aficionados by being really very
nice indeed. I’m represented by Phil Patterson at Marjacq Literary agency or
‘Agent Phil’ as he is affectionately known by everybody in the business, as he
is something of a legend. He’s also a very nice bloke, so I don’t think he
really gets this agent lark. They are supposed to be nasty aren’t they?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 9pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">How long did it take you to write the first draft of the manuscript? <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 9pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">This one took about nine months but I didn’t do myself any favours. I
don’t write chronologically, so I’m always left with the pieces of a very
complicated jigsaw that has to be spliced together somehow and I seem to come
up with complicated multi-storyline plots. I curse myself for not just having
someone murdered then allowing the case to be solved by a maverick detective.
It would make life a lot simpler. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 9pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">Who or what inspired you to write this book? <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 9pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">I am influenced by classic British gangster films like ‘The Long Good
Friday’ and ‘Get Carter’ and American mafia movies like ‘The Godfather’ and ‘Goodfellas’.
I wanted to write the kind of book I like to read.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 9pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">And your commissioning editor? <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 9pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">Ion Mills from No Exit bought the first two David Blake books, ‘The
Drop’ and ‘The Dead’ and they proved successful enough for him to ask me for a
third. Ion enlisted the help of a great editor, Keshini Naidoo, to work on all
three novels. Keshini used to be with Harper Collins but, luckily for me, she
is now a freelance. She gave me invaluable help and advice on my earlier books
and will doubtless do the same with ‘The Dead’.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 9pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">What else about your book might pique the readers' interest? <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 9pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">I get a lot of positive feedback on the setting from people who live in
or around Newcastle because they love it when I mention a place or a pub they
know well. I think Newcastle has an atmosphere all of its own that adds to the
books. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 9pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">For the next in the Next Big Thing interviews, I'm passing my baton on
to three excellent writers of crime fiction who you are going to hear a lot more
from in 2013: <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 9pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">Nick Quantrill: </span><a href="http://wwwshotsmagcouk.blogspot.co.uk/"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 9pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;"><span style="color: blue;">http://wwwshotsmagcouk.blogspot.co.uk/</span></span></a><span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 9pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 9pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">Ian Ayris: <a href="http://www.ianayris.com/"><span style="color: blue;">http://www.ianayris.com/</span></a><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 9pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">and Luca Veste: <a href="http://lucaveste.com/"><span style="color: blue;">http://lucaveste.com/</span></a><o:p></o:p></span></div>
Howard Linskeyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02924393004568306692noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8352281850579262498.post-60309246970239290002011-06-05T02:05:00.000+11:302011-06-05T02:05:18.945+11:30A Time of FirstsIt's been a time of firsts lately. In the past couple of months, leading up to the launch of The Drop, I have been interviewed by newspapers, magazines and radio programmes and I've read reviews of The Drop in a dozen publications or on line, all of them, thankfully, very positive, including wonderful reviews in The Times and New York Journal of Books. I've done signings in branches of Waterstones and public readings of my book at Bookstock and the launch party, in front of dozens of close friends. All of these have been slightly terrifying experiences, the latter requiring copious amounts of alcohol beforehand, to give me the courage to read from The Drop to people I have known and cared about for years, but all went really well on the night.<br />
<br />
When you are a writer you spend endless hours on your own, trying to create something readable out of one original germ of an idea that you hope, and I stress the word hope, someone will like when you are finally finished wrapping 90,000 words around it. The trouble is, you become so close to your work while writing it, editing it, rewriting it and re-reading it countless times that you end up not really knowing if it's any good or not. In other words you can't see the wood for the trees. That's why it's important to have a few loyal friends to not only take the trouble to read your book but also give you some positive feedback. This acts as the reassurance insecure writers need to keep them going.<br />
<br />
While you are writing your book you barely dare to hope that someone will want to publish it one day and then, when it does happen, you can scarcely believe it. The time between shaking hands on a publishing deal and seeing your finished book on the shelves flies by but you must try to enjoy it because there are some lovely moments along the way. When I launched the book in Waterstones Metro Centre branch in Gateshead, friends I had not seen since my school days 25 years ago turned up to buy copies and wish me well. My old primary school teacher, from thirty odd years back, phoned the branch in Newcastle when I was signing there, as he’d seen me in the local paper. He called for a chat about the days when I used to play (badly if I’m honest) for his school football team and asked me for a signed copy. I’ve been on Radio Newcastle and Radio Leeds, where I was interviewed by my old and very close friend Adam Pope, who hosts the morning show. Adam and I were at Huddersfield Poly together 24 years ago and I told him then that one day I would become a writer. He kindly interviewed me on his show about the long journey to publication. I think, as much as anything, to ask me why it had taken me so long to get round to it! In all seriousness it was a big and quite emotional day for both of us.<br />
<br />
Adam was one of many friends who took the trouble to attend the launch party for The Drop. It was a fantastic evening and the room seemed full of goodwill (or was I just drunk?). It is a quite surreal thing to sign copies of your book for your friends (including my good mate Imogen on the pic below) but it is one of the nicest experiences a writer can have. It also gave me the chance to publicly thank a few very deserving people like my fantastic publishers at No Exit, my terrific agent Phil Patterson at Marjacq and the friends who kept me going with their faith, when publication seemed as likely a prospect as dinner with Cameron Diaz…or Newcastle winning the Champions League…three years running. Finally, I got to thank my lovely wife Alison for putting up with all of those hours of writing and years of near misses before The Drop finally appeared in print. It was nice to see her having as much fun that night with all of our friends as I did, because she bloody deserved it.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Hdin5CPO96Y/TepCGD1ZKpI/AAAAAAAAACA/-nioDtNQEUU/s1600/Launch+do+14.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Hdin5CPO96Y/TepCGD1ZKpI/AAAAAAAAACA/-nioDtNQEUU/s320/Launch+do+14.jpg" t8="true" width="320" /></a></div>Howard Linskeyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02924393004568306692noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8352281850579262498.post-43694145483502630222011-03-28T03:07:00.001+11:302011-03-28T08:59:01.512+11:30Busy, busy busy....<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><span lang="EN-GB"><span style="font-size: x-small;">I can't believe it has been so long since I have had the chance, or should I say the time, to write here. Where have the weeks gone? Blink and you miss them. It seems crazy to say I am more busy now the book is complete than when I was actually writing it but it's true and there are a number of good reasons for this.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><span lang="EN-GB"><span style="font-size: x-small;">The first is a condition one of my writer friends describes as 'Death by Proofs'. This is the process where a writer and the publisher's readers and copy editors go through the entire manuscript with a fine tooth comb, looking for mistakes then correcting them before publication. Then they do it again and again and again. More than anybody, I want the final version of 'The Drop' to be as perfect as I can make it. The published version will be out there on offer to a wide readership and I don't want any embarrassing errors. However, I have now lost count of the number of times I have read the blooming thing from beginning to end and I think it is true to say that sometimes you can get a bit too close to your own work. So much so that you can no longer see the wood for the trees and you just want the whole painful process to be over. We eventually concluded the 'Final, final, final version' of 'The Drop' last week and I sent it off for publication late one evening. The next day I felt like I'd been liberated. Now I can look forward to the day when the completed book finally drops through my letter box.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><span lang="EN-GB"><span style="font-size: x-small;">It hasn't all been tedious proof reading however. This being-a-writer lark can be a lot of fun. I've done a couple of interviews already; for 'Crime Time' magazine and 'Writing' Magazine, who profiled me as a 'new author' that could give tips to other budding writers. At first I felt like a bit of a phoney. What advice could I possibly offer other people I wondered? Then I realised that I had indeed 'made it' in their eyes. I am not being flash here and I certainly don't mean 'made it' in the rich and famous sense, but more that I had somehow managed to overcome the very long odds against being published. Once I'd realised that, the tips were easier to come up with. For the record, they included getting an agent, which isn't easy, and a far simpler one of watching less TV. Most people could write a trilogy in the time they spend viewing soaps and reality Telly. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><span lang="EN-GB"><span style="font-size: x-small;">With 'The Drop's publication date fast approaching, I have signed up for a bunch of events to go out and tell the world all about my book. Waterstones will be holding a launch even in <city w:st="on">Newcastle</city> and the Metro Centre and I'll be signing 'The Drop' in the <place w:st="on">St Albans</place> branch. I'm really looking forward to 'Bookstock' in <city w:st="on">London</city> and 'Crimefest' in <city w:st="on"><place w:st="on">Bristol</place></city> and we are going to have a little party in Welwyn to celebrate the launch itself. After all, you only get to be a debut author once, so it's worthy of commemoration and there a lot of people I want to thank on the night. This will be the perfect excuse to buy them all a drink.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><span lang="EN-GB"><span style="font-size: x-small;">There is a full list of my events on the link to my publisher's web site below. If you are in the area pop along and say hello. </span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><span lang="EN-GB"><span style="font-size: x-small;"> <a href="http://www.noexit.co.uk/features/linskey_events.php">Forthcoming events</a></span></span></div>Howard Linskeyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02924393004568306692noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8352281850579262498.post-83833805410573312452011-01-16T08:32:00.000+11:302011-01-16T08:32:39.882+11:30Extract from 'The Drop' - now on-lineMy publisher 'No Exit' has put an extract from 'The Drop' on their web page. <br />
In these pages, David Blake goes to see drug dealer Billy Warren with his enforcer Finney. There they encounter one of the Premiership's finest in the middle of a coke deal.<br />
<a href="http://www.noexit.co.uk/titles.php/itemcode/537">http://www.noexit.co.uk/titles.php/itemcode/537</a>Howard Linskeyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02924393004568306692noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8352281850579262498.post-41287076429156410362011-01-16T06:42:00.000+11:302011-01-16T06:42:17.712+11:30Great First Reviews for 'The Drop'The first reviews of 'The Drop' are in and thankfully they are great, better than I could have hoped for. I'm delighted and also relieved because I think my confidence might have been a tad dented if they'd all said the book was crap!<br />
<br />
Crime Time Magazine called 'The Drop': <strong><em>"A classic British gangster novel that evokes and matches some of the best writing in the genre"</em></strong><br />
<a href="http://www.crimetime.co.uk/mag/index.php/showarticle/1700">http://www.crimetime.co.uk/mag/index.php/showarticle/1700</a><br />
<br />
Renowned Crime Writer, Nick Quantrill said: <strong><em>"Linskey is sure to be at the forefront of Northern crime writing in 2011."</em></strong><br />
<a href="http://www.harrogate-festival.org.uk/yourebooked/2011/01/the-drop-by-howard-linskey/">http://www.harrogate-festival.org.uk/yourebooked/2011/01/the-drop-by-howard-linskey/</a><br />
<br />
And finally best seller Simon Kernick called 'The Drop': <strong><em>"A brutal hard-hitting debut",</em></strong> which is a quote that now proudly adorns the book jacket.<br />
<a href="http://www.noexit.co.uk/titles.php/itemcode/537">http://www.noexit.co.uk/titles.php/itemcode/537</a><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_WUhSphwp0bY/TTHxVlhiXzI/AAAAAAAAAB4/b55ZnvZe0C0/s1600/The+Drop+-+Kernick+quote.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" n4="true" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_WUhSphwp0bY/TTHxVlhiXzI/AAAAAAAAAB4/b55ZnvZe0C0/s1600/The+Drop+-+Kernick+quote.jpg" /></a></div>That's a great start for a debut crime writer. Here's hoping for a few more positive reviews in 2011.Howard Linskeyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02924393004568306692noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8352281850579262498.post-34884379579456815142010-12-01T02:39:00.000+11:302010-12-01T02:39:52.175+11:30An interview with Barry Forshaw from Crime Time Magazine<a href="http://www.crimetime.co.uk/mag/index.php/showarticle/1672">http://www.crimetime.co.uk/mag/index.php/showarticle/1672</a>Howard Linskeyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02924393004568306692noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8352281850579262498.post-69441022359685477792010-11-28T23:16:00.000+11:302010-11-28T23:16:26.412+11:30First press Article on 'The Drop'The press release went out from No Exit this week. The following article is the first piece to appear in the Trade press about 'The Drop'. It's on Booktrade.info.<br />
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<a href="http://www.booktrade.info/index.php/showarticle/30515">http://www.booktrade.info/index.php/showarticle/30515</a><br />
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British Gangland Debut Snapped Up By No Exit <br />
<div style="color: silver; font-size: x-small; margin-top: -1.5em;">Posted at 5:15PM Monday 22 Nov 2010 </div>A scorching debut novel set in the Newcastle underworld and likened to iconic British gangster movies, Get Carter and The Long Good Friday, for their hard-hitting portrayal of organized crime, has been acquired by leading crime fiction specialist No Exit Press. <br />
World English language rights to THE DROP, the first novel by Howard Linskey, were bought from agent Philip Patterson at Marjacq, in a two-book-deal for an undisclosed sum by No Exit's Publishing Director, Ion Mills. <br />
Brutal and terrifying, THE DROP tells the story of David Blake, a white collar criminal living the high-life on the payroll of ruthless crime boss Bobby Maloney. But when a big chunk of Bobby's money goes missing, along with Geordie Cartwright, Blake is in the frame and he must journey deep into the heart of gangland Newcastle to save himself and to uncover the explosive truth. <br />
No Exit's Ion Mills said of the acquisition, 'The Drop is a pulverizing British crime story and an instant classic, rich on atmosphere and unflinching in its portrayal of gangs and mob violence. Howard has a razor-sharp ear for dialogue and The Drop is breakneck entertainment from start to finish. We are very much looking forward to launching it next April.' <br />
A former newspaper and magazine journalist, Linskey was born and raised in the North East and now lives in Hertfordshire. He said, 'I am delighted to have signed a two-book deal with No Exit. The team has a first-class reputation for publishing edgy and gritty crime novels and I know The Drop is in expert hands.' <br />
THE DROP will be published by No Exit Press in paperback in April 2011. Advance proofs are available on request. <br />
For a proof copy, an author interview, or for further information call Chris Burrows PR on 0161 445 6635 / 07738903955 / chrisburrows2@virginmedia.com <br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.noexit.co.uk/titles.php/itemcode/537" style="font-weight: bold;">http://www.noexit.co.uk/titles.php/itemcode/537</a>Howard Linskeyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02924393004568306692noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8352281850579262498.post-89463530295702833782010-11-19T10:41:00.000+11:302010-11-19T10:41:02.957+11:30The Drop - from Tesco, Waterstones, Foyles, WH Smiths.......<strong>'The Drop'</strong> is now available as a pre order on the following sites:<br />
<br />
<strong>Tesco: <a href="http://www.tesco.com/books/product.aspx?R=9781842433942">http://www.tesco.com/books/product.aspx?R=9781842433942</a></strong><br />
<br />
<strong>Waterstones</strong>: <a href="http://www.waterstones.com/waterstonesweb/products/howard+linskey/the+drop/8166410/">http://www.waterstones.com/waterstonesweb/products/howard+linskey/the+drop/8166410/</a><br />
<br />
<strong>Foyles</strong>: <a href="http://www.foyles.co.uk/Public/Shop/Detail.aspx?itemId=5077268">http://www.foyles.co.uk/Public/Shop/Detail.aspx?itemId=5077268</a><br />
<br />
<strong>WH Smiths</strong>: <a href="http://www.whsmith.co.uk/CatalogAndSearch/ProductDetails.aspx?productID=9781842433942">http://www.whsmith.co.uk/CatalogAndSearch/ProductDetails.aspx?productID=9781842433942</a>#<br />
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As well as on <strong>Amazon</strong>: <a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/Drop-Howard-Linskey/dp/1842433946/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1289662705&sr=1-1">http://www.amazon.co.uk/Drop-Howard-Linskey/dp/1842433946/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1289662705&sr=1-1</a><br />
<br />
<strong>Amazon Author's Page</strong>: <a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/Howard-Linskey/e/B004C6O2OI/ref=ntt_athr_dp_pel_pop_1">http://www.amazon.co.uk/Howard-Linskey/e/B004C6O2OI/ref=ntt_athr_dp_pel_pop_1</a><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_WUhSphwp0bY/TOWvQZ3f5fI/AAAAAAAAABY/jcZPIfIVY9k/s1600/The+Drop+jacket.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" ox="true" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_WUhSphwp0bY/TOWvQZ3f5fI/AAAAAAAAABY/jcZPIfIVY9k/s320/The+Drop+jacket.JPG" width="211" /></a></div>Howard Linskeyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02924393004568306692noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8352281850579262498.post-610635982383390912010-11-12T10:20:00.000+11:302010-11-12T10:20:43.501+11:30'The Drop' on Amazon'The Drop' is now available to pre order on Amazon:<br />
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<a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/Drop-Howard-Linskey/dp/1842433946/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1289515760&sr=8-1">http://www.amazon.co.uk/Drop-Howard-Linskey/dp/1842433946/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1289515760&sr=8-1</a>Howard Linskeyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02924393004568306692noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8352281850579262498.post-79014981263426542052010-11-11T06:17:00.000+11:302010-11-11T06:17:17.539+11:30The Drop - a sneak preview of the cover of the book<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_WUhSphwp0bY/TNrnYxLl2cI/AAAAAAAAAAw/lAnyqjeOTqI/s1600/The+Drop+jacket.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" px="true" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_WUhSphwp0bY/TNrnYxLl2cI/AAAAAAAAAAw/lAnyqjeOTqI/s320/The+Drop+jacket.JPG" width="211" /></a></div>We have a cover for 'The Drop'. No Exit have been playing around with a lot of different ideas but it looks like this is the one we will go with. It is now on my page on the publisher web site and on the jacket of the proof copy of the book, which arrived at the weekend. I have to say they have done a great job. I think it looks sensational!Howard Linskeyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02924393004568306692noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8352281850579262498.post-48257600340456429122010-11-02T09:50:00.000+11:302010-11-02T09:50:56.842+11:30Prevarication's what you needNot written for a little while and I think the main reason is how easily I am distracted from the business in hand, even when that business is writing. When I don't have enough hours for writing, which is most of the time, I crave the opportunity to sit down in front of the keyboard and get going. So often, I start a day with good intentions and reach the end of it having achieved very little. Frankly there are simply not enough hours in a day. There would be enough if I didn't have to sleep! <br />
At those times, usually in the middle of a book, if I can steal an hour at the weekend or when every one else is tucked up in their bed, then I am a happy man. When I'm really on a roll it isn't unheard of to get 1,000-1,500 words done in a day, maybe more if I can squeeze two sessions at the computer into the same 24 hour period. That's how you write a book, by getting a momentum going and keeping it up every day, revisiting your words and characters on such a regular basis that they become almost second nature and every time you sit down to work, the words just flow. Then there is the editing process that immediately follows. By the time you have written your book, read your book, edited your book then re-written it over and over again, time after time, it has become something you have lived with for months and sometimes years. The first book I wrote took me three-and-a-half years, including a stack of research, and it still didn't find a publisher but it did get me a literary agent, which is a massive step forward.<br />
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I then wrote two 60,000 word books, under a pseudonym, for a publisher who gave me an idea, some characters and a synopsis then asked me to deliver both novels in just five months. Somehow I did it but I really don't know how. There were a lot of sleepless nights and crazy 3,500 words-in-one-sitting stints at the weekends that got me across the line but not without two bad attacks of sinusitis along the way; one at the end of each book. I never go to the Docs. I'm a bloke after all, but I had to go and get some pills to get rid of the blinding headaches, so I could start work again. Was it caused by trying to write two books in less than half a year I asked the doctor? Yep, apparently it was. <br />
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Then I wrote 'The Drop' and the first draft took just six months. The 90,000 words just seemed to flow. They were duly edited again and again until I was happy with every single one of them. <br />
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And now the book is done, the final draft has been submitted to 'No Exit' for a proof. In fact it has been there for a couple of weeks now. I gave myself a few days off as a reward and fully expected to get straight back into it; starting my next book or at least blogging away to spread the word about 'The Drop'. But no, I've not written a word in three weeks until now, unless you count Facebook, which I don't. I've gone from a 1,000 word a day average to zilch, nicks, nada, nowt. Even the 140 words maximum of a tweet on Twitter seems too much like hard work at the moment and I can't explain it. Actually I figured I should try, in this blog, and, in doing so maybe force myself to get going again.<br />
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So here it is, I think when you work so hard and so long on something and it's finally over…..you just crash. Your body, your brain, your imagination, just says 'stop, I need a break' and looks for a million and one reasons to avoid starting the writing process again; playing with your kids, watching something mindless on TV, cutting the grass, washing the pots, going for a run, anything but actually getting back to doing what you have always wanted to do…….write. <br />
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It's a funny old world…..and it has taken me an arduous 700 words to explain it. I think I need to go and have a lie-down now.....<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Howard Linskeyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02924393004568306692noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8352281850579262498.post-38179092069334566282010-10-20T19:15:00.000+11:302010-10-20T19:15:23.430+11:30The Business of Writing<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 10pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;"> <br />
<span style="font-size: small;"> It's been an exciting and busy couple of weeks since 'No Exit' bought my debut novel 'THE DROP'. I would love to say I have been so busy there has been no time to celebrate but that would be a lie. More than one friend has supported me while I have been writing the book, so it was only right and proper that I had a drink with each of them to celebrate. Call it a thank you because they believed that I would get there in the end. I am about half way through my thanks-yous now, so a spell in the Priory probably beckons when I'm finally done. Do I need an excuse? Not really. If you can't raise a glass or two to celebrate a publishing deal, when the odds against being published are so high, then you will never find an excuse to celebrate anything.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;">That said, it has not all been drinks and groggy mornings hunting for the<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"> nurofen</span>, there has been a surprising amount of work too. 'No Exit' don't mess around and they are already going out there with all guns blazing to publicize 'THE DROP'. There's a web site, announcements on Facebook and Twitter and a Press Release on the way, which means they need as much help and information from their new author as possible. </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;">Obviously they were looking for anything of interest about me that a newspaper, web site or magazine might like to pick up on. Tempted as I was to tell them a lurid tale of teenage drug use, spells as a 'face' in a football hooligan crew, prison time, rehab, mercenary work in Bosnia and a dozen other common staples you would expect to hear from a new thriller writer, I was forced to settle for the truth. The reality is far more ordinary; a few years as a journalist and a series of jobs in sales and marketing, either side of a mad stint working for an even madder celebrity chef, plus a sad and enduring passion for Newcastle United football club. I'm glad it was all done by e-mail, so I didn't get to witness the underwhelmed looks on their faces in the press office when they read all of that.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span> </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;">Since then, I've been busy spreading the word about 'The Drop' on-line and in the flesh. The most amusing part is when you tell a friend or colleague who has no idea you spend your so-called free time writing. They tend to give you a funny look, then answer "You've written a <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">book</i>?" sometimes they put it like this; "You've <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">written</i> a book?" and occasionally they say it like this "<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">You've</i> written a book?" which I hope is down to my north east accent and not just because they always assumed English is my second language.</span><br />
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"><span style="font-size: small;">I'm not used to all of this but it is fun and, the more of it you do, the more you begin to slowly and steadily realise that something that did not previously exist, until you dreamt it up in your fevered imagination, is about to be launched onto an unsuspecting world as a fully fledged novel. Blimey! </span></span><br />
</span>Howard Linskeyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02924393004568306692noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8352281850579262498.post-20933173312323404552010-09-30T00:10:00.000+11:302010-09-30T00:10:27.955+11:30'THE DROP' - my book will be published by 'No Exit'<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><span lang="EN-GB"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Hello all, I am starting this blog to coincide with the announcement that my debut novel "THE DROP" will be published by 'No Exit' in 2011.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><span lang="EN-GB"><span style="font-size: x-small;">I am pleased to say I have signed a two-book deal with Ion Mills, head of 'No Exit' and, since the press release hasn't gone out yet, you heard it here first! </span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><span lang="EN-GB"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Sincere thanks to my agent, Phil Patterson at Marjacq Literary Agency for believing in my story and in me. Thanks also to Isabella Floris and Luke Speed at Marjacq and to the following for their ongoing faith and support, which means a great deal, <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>particularly during the long and lonely process of writing a book; Adam Pope, Gareth Chennells, Andy Davis and, of course, my dear wife Alison and beautiful daughter Erin.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><span lang="EN-GB"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Below is an outline of what 'The Drop' is all about. If, like me you enjoy classic British gangster films like 'The Long Good Friday' and 'Get Carter' then you should love this………………………………………………….</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><span lang="EN-GB"><span style="mso-tab-count: 4;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"> </span></span></span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size: 24pt;">'THE DROP'</span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size: 12pt;">"'Geordie' Cartwright has disappeared, along with Bobby Mahoney's money. I have to find him and fast, or it's going to be my face staring into the business end of a nail gun"</span></i></b></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size: 12pt;">David Blake is no gangster, or so he likes to think. He's a white-collar criminal, working for gangster Bobby Mahoney, enjoying the good life while the money keeps on pouring in. Trouble is, a big chunk of that money has just gone missing, along with Geordie Cartwright, and Blake is getting the blame. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size: 12pt;">Has Geordie done a runner with The Drop or has he been killed by a rival gang? As Blake goes deeper into the <place w:st="on"><city w:st="on">Newcastle</city></place> underworld, a seedy and violent place filled with clubs, pubs, lap-dancing bars and brothels, he slowly starts to uncover the truth; there's a rat in Bobby's crew and someone else is planning a take-over. Meanwhile the Serious and Organised Crime squad and an ambitious D.I are both closing in on Bobby. It's just a matter of time before he's finally nicked for good. Blake must uncover the truth before it's too late for them all.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size: 12pt;">If that were not enough, he has to choose between his girlfriend, the beautiful lawyer Laura and the impossible-to-resist Sarah, his bosses' gorgeous young daughter. Sarah might just to be the most dangerous person in his life right now, if her dad finds out. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size: 12pt;">In a desperate and bloody finale, Blake has to make an agonising choice then some one will pay the ultimate price in </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><span lang="EN-GB"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><span style="mso-tab-count: 2;"> </span></span></span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size: 20pt;">'The Drop'</span></i><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size: 20pt;">.</span></div>Howard Linskeyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02924393004568306692noreply@blogger.com3