Naughty Nuns and Provocative Priests
I confess, there are few topic that are more likely to upset a certain group, than allegations of misbehaviour in Holy Orders. OK, I know it’s a cliche nowadays. I accept that. Since it appears that scarcely a month goes past without a story about another bad boy in the vicarage in Ireland, or America, … Continue reading
Ten Deadly Sins of Entering Competitions
This week, the competition run by Simon & Schuster for a Michael Jecks Detection Collection pen from Conway Stewart as been won, by Michael Chidley. Congratulations to Michael, and sorry to all those who didn’t win the pen. You’ll just have to save your pennies! Thinking of competitions, I was reminded of the old CWA … Continue reading
Crime Writers’ Association
The Crime Writers Association has been a group I have long enjoyed being a member of. I was inordinately proud to be elected as Chairman (and panic-stricken, I hasten to add), because it’s had such a brilliant history. Not many people have ever heard of the CWA unless they’re in the business of publishing books, … Continue reading
Punishments
One of the guys who tried to incite other people to riot. Nice guy. Ok, I know I’ve been muttering darkly about executions and punishment recently, but this one gets me going. Two young guys were sentenced to four years each, and suddenly the liberal press has gone into overdrive. Screams of “disproportionate” can be … Continue reading
To Birch or not to Birch?
Ok, this one will probably get me some irritated responses, but what the heck. When I was ten or eleven, I can clearly remember the day when it was announced that coporal punishment was to be banned from school. The reasons were obvious enough to any thinking adult. First, how can a grown up smack … Continue reading
Rioting and the Police
Who started the riots this week? God knows. I don’t live near London, Bristol or Manchester, so it’s all very confusing. However, there are some facts which seem pretty fixed already. The timeline was: 1. Police pursue (not at speed, only monitoring) a young man whom they suspected of some crimes, specifically firearms crimes; 2. … Continue reading
Ruminations on Executions and Referenda
This has been an interesting few days. Guido Fawkes, God bless ‘im, has started a petition on the UK government website. Now the idea of petitions is not new, but our revered leader has decided that he will listen to any petitions, and if more than 100,000 names are added to the petition, it will … Continue reading
Ideas, Ideas, Ideas
Where do the ideas come from? I was once sitting in Crediton Church (which I can heartily recommend) and listening to Exeter Chamber Choir giving a redition of Faure’s Requiem, when I suddenly had a flash of inspiration: a scene sprang into my mind of a number of scruffy, ill-armed, but violent ruffians swooping down … Continue reading
More Money Musings – and Publishing
A little more about money, since apparently everyone is interested in authors and their incomes. First, although people seem to understand the simple principle that “advances” are only interest free loans against future income, there is still confusion about how much authors get paid. I think it’s fair to say that the vast majority of … Continue reading
Musings on Writing – and Money
It is so tempting, having heard that a second very senior policeman from the Met has decided that his career is better off curtailed, even though he doesn’t see that he did anything wrong, to launch into a long spiel about the newspapers. But I won’t. I have interests in the story, which I’ll explain … Continue reading
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