Tuesday Tales 024: They try to with the food

A couple of weeks ago, the 24th prompt from online writing group Tuesday Tales was ‘pie’. I was on holiday so didn’t get it done in time but wanted to do it anyway.

Tuesday Tales provides a new prompt each week, the members write a story inspired by it and post it on our blogs / websites. Then we email the link and first two or three sentences to Jean Joachim. She then posts them on the Tuesday Tales blog (on a Tuesday ), gives us the link then we go out and shout about it. So, without further ado, here is my 670-worder, inspired by Roald Dahl’s Fat Chance (and I’ve given my characters the actors’ names).

They try to with the food

“Cherry Pie, John?”

“Yes, Miriam.”

“No stones?”

“No, Miriam.”

“Thank you, John.”

“You’re welcome.”

“Oh yes… it’s still warm. Well done you.”

“Shall I put the kettle on?”

“That would be lovely.”

“Right you are.”

Miriam knew the pie would taste even better with the tea but didn’t want it to get cold so took a bite and savoured it until she heard the kettle boil.

“Are you not having any tea, John?”

“I have to go back to work.”

“This late?”

“We’re a doctor down so I’ve been seeing more patients, more paperwork. Don’t wait up.”

***

Had Miriam looked out the window or waved her husband goodbye from the front door, she would have seen him turn left instead of right as he should have done to go to the surgery. Of course John knew she’d still be sitting on the sofa as she did every Monday and Thursday evening when he brought her cherry pie.

***

“Oh, John!”

“Oh, Sheila!”

“That was wonderful.”

“It was.”

“When are you going to leave Miriam?”

“Soon.”

“How soon?”

“Soon, my darling.

“You know I have a business trip next week.”

“I do and I shall miss you dreadfully.”

“You will?”

“Of course. You know I only want to be with you.”

“Then leave her.”

“I shall.”

“While I’m away. If you’ve not left her when I come back then we’re over.”

“Sheila!”

“I mean it.”

“OK.”

“OK?”

“Yes, my darling.”

“You will?”

“I will.”

“While I’m away.”

“Yes.”

“Oh, John!”

“Oh, Sheila!”

***

“Hello, McNeill.”

“Hello, Doctor Castle.”

“Do you have…?”

“I do, sir. You did want this strength, didn’t you?”

“I did.”

“They’re quite lethal in the wrong hands.”

“Just as well they’re in mine.”

“Fair point. There we are then.”

“Thank you, McNeill.”

“Good day, sir.”

***

“I’m home!”

“Goodie. Do you have it?”

“I have, Miriam, still warm.”

“Thank you, dear.”

“You’re welcome.”

“Work again, tonight?”

“Not tonight, no. I thought I might go to the club though.”

“You do work so hard.”

“You don’t mind?”

“Not at all. There’s a really good program about dung beetles just about to start.”

“That’s nice dear. I’ll make you a cup of tea first though, yes?”

“Not tonight, John, not thirsty.”

“Alright then.”

“…Not hungry either,” she said when she heard the front door slam.

***

The program it turns out was less interesting than Miriam had hoped and she’d swiftly fallen asleep only to be disturbed by a visitor who hadn’t stayed long.

***

“It’s last orders, Doctor Castle, would you like another?”

“Better not, Derek.”

“Will we be seeing you tomorrow for the bridge match?”

“I’m not sure. I’ll know better when I get home.”

“Not a problem, Doctor Castle. Have a good night, sir.”

“Thank you, Derek.”

***

John Castle quietly let himself into his house and crept into the lounge. He smiled when he saw his wife sprawled across the sofa, eyes firmly shut. He looked at the coffee table and saw no pie.

He was leaning over her when her eyes sprang open and she screamed. He backed away just as violently.

“John! What were you doing?”

“Oh God! Er… sorry Miriam. I thought I saw…”

“What?”

“I don’t know, something moving, I’m not sure.”

“Where?”

“I think it’s gone.”

“Thank goodness.”

“Was your pie, nice?”

“I don’t know.”

“Oh? You’ve not eaten it yet?”

“I wasn’t hungry.”

“Never mind. You could have it now. I’ll put the kettle on.”

“No need.”

“For lunch tomorrow then.”

“If you buy me another.”

“Sorry?”

“I wasn’t hungry so I gave it away.”

“Gave it.. away? There was someone here?”

“Only for a few minutes. Was in a hurry. Had to catch a plane.”

“Really?”

“A business trip, she said.”

John swallowed hard. “She?”

“Oh, yes. Sheila, one of your receptionists. Said she wanted an update on something…”

“And you gave her the pie?”

“I didn’t think you’d mind. I wasn’t hungry and you know what aeroplane food is like. If they don’t kill you with the turbulence, they try to with the food.”

***

The links to the earlier prompts, and resulting stories, and the forthcoming prompts can be found on this blog’s Tuesday Tales page. Do go and check out the Tuesday Tales blog – it’s a wonderful idea supported by talented writers.

So, not only can you read these stories but you could also write your own using the prompts given each week. There’s no word count limit. Single-word prompts are something I regularly give my Monday night workshop and it’s amazing how different our stories can be.

You can sign up to receive these blog posts daily or weekly so you don’t miss anything… and follow me on Twitter where each new posting is automatically announced. You can also read / download my eBooks and free eShorts at Smashwords, Sony Reader Store, Barnes & Noble, iTunes Bookstore, Kobo and Amazon, with more to follow. I have a new forum, friend me on Facebook, like me on Facebook, connect with me on LinkedIn, find me on Tumblr, complete my website’s Contact me page or plain and simple, email me.  I also now have a new blog creation service especially for, but not limited to, writers.

Unfortunately, as I post an interview a day (amongst other things) I can’t review books but I have a feature called ‘Short Story Saturdays’ where I review stories of up to 2,500 words. Alternatively if you have a short story or self-contained novel extract / short chapter (ideally up to 1000 words) that you’d like critiqued and don’t mind me reading it / talking about and critiquing it (I send you the transcription afterwards so you can use the comments or ignore them)  on my ‘Bailey’s Writing Tips’ podcast, then do email me. They are weekly episodes, usually released Monday mornings UK time, interweaving the recordings between the red pen sessions with the hints & tips episodes. I am now also looking for flash fiction (<1000 words) for Flash Fiction Fridays and poetry for Post-weekend Poetry.

 

Tuesday Tales 026: Hold On

The twenty-sixth prompt from online writing group Tuesday Tales (my twentieth story for them) was ‘trees’ and below is the result. You read the other writers’ stories for this prompt here.

Tuesday Tales provides a new prompt each week, the members write a story inspired by it and post it on our blogs / websites. Then we email the link and first two or three sentences to Jean Joachim. She then posts them on the Tuesday Tales blog (on a Tuesday ), gives us the link then we go out and shout about it. So, without further ado, here is my 725-worder. If you’ve been reading my Story a Day May stories you’ll recognise this from 12th May but the prompt was too perfect not to re-post this.

Hold On

No-one’s told him how he should be feeling but it’s nice… a kind of tingling.

He stares at his new neighbour. He wants to curl his mouth, if he had one, like he’s seen those pink stick things do. He thinks they’re called ‘peeple’. He’s heard one of them say “sum peeple!” but he can’t be sure. He has to call them something and they’re small, like beetles, so they’re the beetle peeple.

He doesn’t understand their language, still feels like he doesn’t belong, even after all these years.

He did once, he thought, hear familiar words, his mother tongue, but it came from a little black box. He was listening hard until one of the peeple prodded the box and it crackled, like it was in pain, then the voice was replaced by music… loud, unpleasant, not like the birds. He knows music from the birds but that doesn’t help because he can’t speak their language either.

The new neighbour’s really quiet. He’s sure he should be picking up something… maybe she’s still too young. He can’t remember how old he was when he first started sensing things… not feeling, he doesn’t feel as such, but he’s old, wise and knows how life goes – in his part of it anyway.

He’s seen thousands of peeple coming and going, using him as shade, shelter, protection… a climbing frame, until one got very high then screamed as it… ‘he’ went down very quickly. A moving white box with coloured lights came and put him, and a screaming bigger ‘she’, inside and went away making lots of noise.

He prefers it when it’s quiet, and dark, it’s cooler when it’s dark. Sometimes it gets too hot. He thinks where he’s from, originally, is colder, except he can’t really remember. He remembers a journey, going over some water but most of it was land, green like here. He thinks he was young, like his neighbour, when he arrived. It was a long time ago. When she’s old enough he’ll ask her if she remembers. There won’t be so far back for her to think.

After the white box went, some more peeple came and put a barrier around him, and big yellow squares with black squiggles he couldn’t understand but he knew what it meant; that no-one could touch him anymore, couldn’t climb, couldn’t hug.

He liked it when peeple touched him, even when they cut squiggles into him. It didn’t hurt, just tickled a little, felt nice, like they were making him their own, like he belonged.

But now he has a different kind of company, his own kind and he can’t wait for her to grow, to have someone to ‘feel’ with.

There’s that tingling again. It’s like… no, it can’t be. He tells himself not to be so silly. He knows ‘silly’ from the little peeple. They’d do funny things with their faces then tell each other not to be silly, but silly looks like a lot of fun.

It is! It… no, it can’t be… It is! A new bud!

He’d felt sick for ages, not like the little ‘he’ who’d fallen from him because ‘he’ hadn’t moved… but tired, old. It’s not like that now. It feels like when little ‘he’ started climbing, to explore, reach out… grow.

They’re taking the barrier away! He must be better. He can have peeple touch him again. He feels like being very silly today!

There’s a big ‘he’ with a large shiny stick. What’s he doing? He’s pulling a bit of… something out of it and it’s making a roaring noise, like he’d seen one of the little ‘he’s do which made a little ‘she’ scream. All the other peeple laughed but he didn’t find it funny. The little ‘she’ had looked scared. He remembered scared from when the sky grew dark, and the rain came, and there were loud noises way above them and the peeple screamed and ran to him, and he made them feel safe.

Hey! He’s cutting squiggles into him, making him his own. It’s not unpleasant but it’s not stopping, he must really like him.

He feels all wobbly, wants to put his branches out to balance himself. He felt like this when he got sick, but he doesn’t feel sick now, he feels… free. He feels… aliv…

“Timber!”

“Hold on!”

***

A couple of weeks ago the prompt was ‘pie’ and I missed it as I was on holiday. I’ve written the story and it follows later today.

The links to the earlier prompts, and resulting stories, and the forthcoming prompts can be found on this blog’s Tuesday Tales page. Do go and check out the Tuesday Tales blog – it’s a wonderful idea supported by talented writers.

So, not only can you read these stories but you could also write your own using the prompts given each week. There’s no word count limit. Single-word prompts are something I regularly give my Monday night workshop and it’s amazing how different our stories can be.

You can sign up to receive these blog posts daily or weekly so you don’t miss anything… and follow me on Twitter where each new posting is automatically announced. You can also read / download my eBooks and free eShorts at Smashwords, Sony Reader Store, Barnes & Noble, iTunes Bookstore, Kobo and Amazon, with more to follow. I have a new forum, friend me on Facebook, like me on Facebook, connect with me on LinkedIn, find me on Tumblr, complete my website’s Contact me page or plain and simple, email me.  I also now have a new blog creation service especially for, but not limited to, writers.

Unfortunately, as I post an interview a day (amongst other things) I can’t review books but I have a feature called ‘Short Story Saturdays’ where I review stories of up to 2,500 words. Alternatively if you have a short story or self-contained novel extract / short chapter (ideally up to 1000 words) that you’d like critiqued and don’t mind me reading it / talking about and critiquing it (I send you the transcription afterwards so you can use the comments or ignore them)  on my ‘Bailey’s Writing Tips’ podcast, then do email me. They are weekly episodes, usually released Monday mornings UK time, interweaving the recordings between the red pen sessions with the hints & tips episodes. I am now also looking for flash fiction (<1000 words) for Flash Fiction Fridays and poetry for Post-weekend Poetry.

 

5PM Fiction 003: The big black one with the space in the back

5PM Fiction 003: The big black one with the space in the back

Welcome to the third in the new series: 5pm Fiction.

Late April 2011 I discovered http://StoryADay.org and the project that is to write 31 stories in 31 days. Anyone who knows me or follows this blog, knows how passionate I am about short stories so my clichéd eyes lit up at this new marvel. And just a few days later there I was, breathing life into new characters. This went on to become (with some editing of course) my 31-story collection eBook Story A Day May 2011.

I was nearing completion of the 2012 project when I decided that I didn’t want to stop at the end of May so 5PM Fiction was born. I put a load of prompts on the 5PM Fiction page and today’s prompt was a ‘mixed bag’ (two characters, an object, a location, a dilemma, a trait), and today’s were an undertaker, a school boy, a book, a bus, the bus has broken down and claustrophobia, so here is my 655-worder.

The big black one with the space in the back

I can’t breathe… I… can’t… breathe… Help.

I want to shout but I can’t speak. It’s too hot in here. I’m going to cook. Someone, please, look at me, see what’s happening. I try to cough out the words but all I do is cough.

Yes! He’s looking… I know him! He’s Mr Taylor from that funeral place on Rawlings Terrace. He’s measuring me up for a coffin, I can tell, it’s in his eyes.

“Hello, Billy.”

Cough. “Hello…” Breathe. “Mr Taylor.”

“You don’t look very well. Are you OK?”

I decide that nodding my head is the best thing to do.

He smiles and I think he really means it. He doesn’t seem disappointed at all that I’m alright. “What are you reading?”

I look down at my book, my dad’s dictionary, and blush. He doesn’t know I’ve got it and he doesn’t like me taking things without asking, so I turn it over so Mr Taylor can’t see the front.

“Just a school book,” I lie and he nods.

“Are you sure you’re OK?”

I nod again and add a smile this time.

“OK. Well… they’ll get the bus running in a minute. And if they don’t they’ll send another bus.”

Oh God. We’re going to have to wait? That could take hours.

Breathe. Mum tells me not to panic, that I should breathe. I’m trying, but all I do is gulp air like a goldfish and some of it goes down the wrong way so I cough again.

I want Mr Taylor to return to his seat but he doesn’t.

“Do you mind if I sit next to you, Billy?”

I shake my head. Mum says I shouldn’t talk to strangers but Dad knows him, pointed him out to me once, so he must be alright and there are lots of people around.

“It’ll be nice to have the company, if I’m honest,” he says to me. If he’s honest? Does that mean he’s not? If they do ‘get the bus running’, will he follow me if I get off alone? Will he…

“Makes me nervous,” he continues.

I don’t know what he’s got to be nervous about, unless he doesn’t travel on the bus very often. He’s not been on mine before. “Nervous? Why?”

“Can you keep a secret?”

I look at my dad’s dictionary and nod.

“I don’t like confined spaces,” he tells me.

I want to open my dictionary but don’t. “What’s confined?” I ask him.

“It’s being in a small space when you want to be in a big one.”

It’s nice to know he feels like I do so I grin like my dad does when my mum’s just kissed him. “But this is a bus, it’s big.”

“I know,” he says and laughs.

“And you’re not alone,” I add.

He nods. I feel a bit better but he doesn’t look so good now. I wait for him to carry on but he doesn’t. “Why did you get on the bus if you don’t like being here?” I know it’s a silly question because I did the same thing but I have to because Mum and Dad are working.

“My car’s being serviced.”

“The big black one with the space in the back for…”

He laughs again. “Yes, Billy, the hearse. I’m on my way to collect it now.”

I’m too young for a car but I know Mum and Dad love driving theirs. It must be horrible for him not to have one, especially one that’s so special.

The bus wobbles and someone behind me cheers. Mr Taylor looks happy too and makes me feel good.

“The garage is on the way to your house, Billy, I could give you a lift, save you being on this thing the whole journey.”

I’ve always wanted to travel in a hearse. Hearse. Confined. I’ve learned two new words today. I don’t think my dad will mind at all.

You can sign up to receive these blog posts daily or weekly so you don’t miss anything… and follow me on Twitter where each new posting is automatically announced. You can also read / download my eBooks and free eShorts at Smashwords, Sony Reader Store, Barnes & Noble, iTunes Bookstore, Kobo and Amazon, with more to follow. I have a new forum, friend me on Facebook, like me on Facebook, connect with me on LinkedIn, find me on Tumblr, complete my website’s Contact me page or plain and simple, email me.  I also now have a new blog creation service especially for, but not limited to, writers.

Unfortunately, as I post an interview a day (amongst other things) I can’t review books but I have a feature called ‘Short Story Saturdays’ where I review stories of up to 2,500 words. Alternatively if you have a short story or self-contained novel extract / short chapter (ideally up to 1000 words) that you’d like critiqued and don’t mind me reading it / talking about and critiquing it (I send you the transcription afterwards so you can use the comments or ignore them)  on my ‘Bailey’s Writing Tips’ podcast, then do email me. They are weekly episodes, usually released Monday mornings UK time, interweaving the recordings between the red pen sessions with the hints & tips episodes. I am now also looking for flash fiction (<1000 words) for Flash Fiction Fridays and poetry for Post-weekend Poetry.

 

Author interview no.389 with crime fiction guru Chris Simmons

Welcome to the three hundred and eighty-ninth of my blog interviews with novelists, poets, short story authors, biographers, agents, publishers and more (and my 1,001th blog post ). Today’s is with Crime Squad website host, CWA judge and author Chris Simmons. A list of interviewees (blogged and scheduled) can be found here. If you like what you read, please do go and investigate further.

Morgen: Hello, Chris. Please tell us something about yourself, where you’re based, and how you became involved in the writing industry.

Chris: Hi, Morgen. I am based in the UK and since a teenager when my Nana Simmons gave me a couple of Agatha Christie’s to read I have been a huge crime fiction fan. When I was a young there wasn’t the great choice teens have today. There wasn’t such a thing as ‘Teen Reads’! So I was very bored with the limited choice. Then Nan gave me the Christie’s and the rest as they say is history! I became involved in the industry because I was fed up with the lack of good reviews out there for crime fiction.

Morgen: It’s my favourite genre and I’m surprised when I don’t have a body in one of my stories, however loosely connected. Your website is http://www.crimesquad.com – how did that come about?

Chris: It was started in 2004 when I talked about it with different people. One conversation led to another and I began to put together a ‘Wish List’ of what I would like to find on my version of the ideal crime fiction website. Then in early 2005 I started putting it together and in March 2005 Crimesquad.com was launched upon the world.

Morgen: One of your features is Author of the Month – how do you choose who to feature, and of all the authors you’ve spoken to, does anyone stand out?

Chris: I have a fantastic team of reviewers who will come to me and tell me about a great book they’ve read and that they’d think it a great one for ‘Author’ or ‘Fresh Blood’. I also keep my ear to the ground and listen to what books people in the industry are getting excited about. I also like to mix it up a bit so that all publishers (big and small) get a bite of the cherry.

Morgen: You just mentioned Fresh Blood which features new authors – do you pick them or do they approach you (or perhaps via a third party)?

Chris: ‘Fresh Blood’ is a very heavily contested page – THE most heavily contested page of the site. With the number of visitors to Crimesquad.com and with our standing within the industry, they know that any new author who doesn’t necessarily have a huge marketing budget will be instantly seen on Crimesquad.com. And if it is also on ‘Fresh Blood’ then they feel that it automatically has a seal of approval from a crime review website like Crimesquad.com. (Those are not my words BTW – but from different people in the publishing industry).

Morgen: Reviews, as you say, is another aspect of your site – with all the books to choose from, what grabs you to review the ones you do?

Chris: My team of reviewers who include Helen, Sylvia, Sarah, Michael, Graham and Kirstie thankfully all like different sub-genres within crime fiction. So I am blessed that they know what they like and that I am going to bring something new and fresh to the table every month and that there will be such a mixed bag that there will be something for everyone who visits Crimesquad.com.

Morgen: They’re pretty generous, with everything currently reviewed receiving 4 or 5*s (I love your magnifying glass rating system), have there been any books to your knowledge that they really didn’t like?

Chris: I wouldn’t call it ‘generous’ – just what books get us reviewers excited. I do not decide on the ‘Spyglass’ ratings. That is down to the individual. We have scored some threes but never a two or a one (or even a zero!). The whole point of Crimesquad.com has always been to ‘promote’ crime fiction. I want to tell our visitors out there what is good and current and fresh. We don’t review with rose-tinted glasses. We will say if something in the book jarred or we weren’t quite convinced by the conclusion – but there will always be the positives. Whenever a new reviewer comes on board I tell that exactly what I have written here. I want to PROMOTE crime fiction – there are enough places you can go to who are more than happy to rip a piece of work to shreds, to tell you how crap a book is and fill their site with negativity. We read plenty of stuff that doesn’t float our boat or is so-so. In those instances we simply don’t review it. I want to get our readers buying those great, shiny new books. Only the other day I got an email from a guy who came to Crimesquad.com and bought three books we had reviewed. For me, that is what it is all about.

Morgen: You’re absolutely right because listing books that no-one should buy would be wasting your and their time and readers want recommendations, don’t they. Do you have any tips for anyone who’d like to become a reviewer?

Chris: Be honest – but not too honest that you become unkind. If you hate a book, put it aside and read the next one. The next one may blow your socks off where the previous one left you cold. And if you’re going to review either of them let it be the one that excited you and wouldn’t let you go. Spread the word! With all the debate about e-books vs. the printed word and literacy, we need to give people a good reason to get people in bookshops or downloading on to their e-reader. And that is with honest reviews.

Morgen: I enjoyed your Classic Crime section – apart from the language used and police procedures, are there differences are between crime writing of the early 20th Century and now?

Chris: There are masses of differences. In Christie’s day DNA hadn’t even be thought of. There wasn’t a CCTV camera on every corner of every street. You couldn’t find a killer with a simple piece of fluff. Then it really was a matter for the ‘little grey cells’ whether you were Poirot or not. In the Golden Era characters were sacrificed for the sake of the plot. As crime fiction developed in the 50’s / 60’s the lives of the people became as important as the plot. Practitioners of this were excellent writers like Celia Fremlin and Margaret Millar who wrote exceptional crime novels in the 50’s both of which won the Edgar for Best Crime Novel. Millar in 1955 for ‘Beast in View’ and Fremlin in 1959 for ‘The Hours Before Dawn’. Both excellent books. I have recently written a piece about The Heritage of Crime Fiction for the Theakstons Old Peculier Crime Writing Festival in Harrogate which is on the 19th – 22nd July and is a must for any crime fiction fan.

Morgen: I’d love to go to that, hopefully next year. You also have an Events listing – do you manage to get to many of them?

Chris: Thankfully I don’t live too far out of London so I can get to a number of events. It is always good to meet the authors as well as catch up on news from the publishers.

Morgen: I’d go to everything if I could. Now I don’t have a day job it’ll certainly be easier, just the small matter of affording them all. Are you involved in any competitions?

Chris: Not at the moment but it is something I am currently exploring.

Morgen: I’m sure it would be popular. You write as well – is this in the crime genre too?

Chris: I have written a novel which ISN’T crime fiction and is being looked at by an agent. I am currently writing some crime short stories, though for an e-book.

Morgen: Oh good luck with your novel (and your shorts, of course), do let me know how you get on and I can add it as an update to this posting. eBooks are pretty easy to do but give me a shout if you get stuck, although I’m sure you have loads of people who would help you. Have you had anything else published to-date?

Chris: I haven’t had anything published. I am one of those terrible writers who thinks that anything they write isn’t good enough. However, in recent years I have decided that won’t get my work in print so I have a few projects that are currently in progress.

Morgen: I’m not great at submissions, I keep writing but rarely send anything out so I only have 28 rejections, less acceptances sadly but I’ll be working on that this year with my shorts to magazines, online etc… and I’d like to do more guest blogging and interviews on others’ blogs (in case anyone reading this would like to ask me ). Do you write every day? Do you ever suffer from writer’s block?

Chris: I try to write every day but work, Crimesquad.com take precedence so sometimes writing takes a back seat. No, if anything I am the opposite. I have to curb myself from writing too much. And my head is always full of ideas so I want to get on to the next book / short story whilst still writing the current one!

Morgen: I’m the same. I’ve been writing a short story every day since May 1st (Story a Day May then 5PM Fiction) so 33 stories so far (34 as at 5pm today ) and it’s great, hard work, but great. Do you plot your stories or do you just get an idea and run with it?

Chris: I have tried many different ways from meticulous plotting to simply running with it. The one I feel comfortable with is having an outline / sketch and then seeing if I keep to the path or go off in a different direction. For me, too much plotting made me feel too constraint. I know it works for others and talking to many writers they all have a different approach to writing.

Morgen: Again I’m the same. I plotted more for my first novel (a lad lit about a hitman, which I plan to eBook this year) but then realised that the characters took over so have plotted less with each one – I’ve written four and a half and will be doing another this November for NaNoWriMo). What’s your least favourite aspect of your writing life?

Chris: It is when you get to a point in the book and you begin to doubt yourself. Many writers, even the big sellers have that ‘moment’. Their advice is to simply work through it and believe in yourself.

Morgen: Because it’s going to be a first draft, so no need to worry until it’s done and you have to go back through it by which time you’ve (hopefully) loved the story and found it all hangs together. What advice would you give aspiring writers?

Chris: Keep writing! As long as you have that fire in your belly you can create great fiction.

Morgen: I do. If you could invite three people from any era to dinner, who would you choose and what would you cook (or hide the takeaway containers)?

Chris: That’s a difficult one. I’d like Agatha Christie as it was her book, ‘Sad Cypress’ which got me on the crime fiction road. I know it has been well documented she was painfully shy but it would be nice to have her at my table. Oscar Wilde would be my second choice as he was so witty and acerbic and went through such trials during his life. A great talent cut short by a close-minded society. My third choice would be the novelist, Margaret Millar. She wrote some great crime fiction and really pushed the envelope by writing about taboo subjects like race and homosexuality in her novels during the 50’s. Plus she was a screenwriter in Hollywood and I am sure she will have some VERY interesting tales to tell about the Golden Era of the silver screen. And can I be cheeky and have a fourth guest? Eartha Kitt who was an amazing woman who went through so much adversity during her lifetime. She’d be by the piano purring away with that divine voice of hers.

Morgen: As it’s Eartha you could definitely have a fourth, she’s great… I’d get her to purr all the way through the meal. Is there a word, phrase or quote you like?

Chris: I have a week where I use a word and try to put it in a sentence. This week’s word is ‘umbrage’. Don’t ask me why – it just popped in to my head!

Morgen: It’s a great word. Are you involved in anything else writing-related other than your website and writing?

Chris: I am currently a judge for the John Creasey / New Blood CWA Dagger for first published debut crime novel. It has been a great honour being a judge for this award as new writers are and always have been my passion. It is always wonderful to welcome someone new to the party! Also, I will be moderating at Crimefest this year, which is a great honour for me. Again, I will be interviewing five fresh, debut authors.

Morgen: How wonderful. I hope you’re there when I go. What do you do when you’re not writing? Any hobbies or party tricks?

Chris: Reading! I am currently reading all the time. I still have a few books for the Dagger to read and then a couple of the panellists at Crimefest. Then I have a summer of reading more – but this time I get to choose what books I want to read! I also enjoy the theatre and cinema.

Morgen: I love the cinema and have a season ticket for one of the ones in Northampton so can go as often as I like for £15 a month, it’s great. What do you think the future holds for the writing industry?

Chris: I think it is a very exciting time for publishing at the moment. Lots of people fear the e-book but I believe that like everything else it will all calm down and there will be equilibrium between the printed word and e-books. There are those that are scaremongering that the days of the printed word are numbered. I believe that books and e-books can and will live happily alongside each other / hand-in-hand. But for any new writer, e-books are a great opportunity to get your book out there. What I do advise is to get any book edited and checked professionally. If you put your book out there without making sure its flies are done up and shoe laces tied properly, then you will have to live with people saying how shoddy your work is – and no writer wants that!

Morgen: I totally agree. I have an editor and two regular first readers (as well as my writing groups) and put my shorts / writing workbook on Smashwords first because of the daunting 70-something page style guide but it turned out just to be thorough and after that Amazon was a breeze – I’d also recommend doing it that way round as Smashwords provide free ISBN numbers which Amazon asks for. I’m doing a talk on the subject at one of my writing groups in a couple of weeks which will (hopefully) be fun. Your site is http://www.crimesquad.com – is there anywhere else where can we find out about you and your work?

Chris: I think one website is enough! I rather it focus on the books than be about me, really. When publishers and writers sing Crimesquad’s praises I get quite embarrassed. Maybe when I’ve printed my own book I will have my own website – for now Crimesquad.com suffices.

Morgen: I know what you mean. It’s lovely when people say good things about this site (which I’m very fortunate that they often do), it makes the late nights and early mornings worth it. Is there anything else you’d like to mention?

Chris: I’d like to mention my exceptional team of reviewers – Helen, Sylvia, Sarah, Michael, Graham and Kirstie. I have been blessed to find so many great people who have become great friends as well. Plus, they are as intense and as passionate about crime fiction as me – so I don’t feel quite so alone anymore!

Morgen: I’m lucky that I love being a solitary writer (although I have a dog and a new lodger so not alone) and I’ve made so many friends through my blog, LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter etc. that I can’t imagine feeling lonely. Thank you, Chris. It’s been great ‘meeting’ you and hopefully our paths will cross in real life before too long.

Chris Simmons conceived and created Crimesquad.com seven years ago. It was his passion for crime fiction, in particular debut novels that started this path. With ‘Fresh Blood’, Crimesquad.com has highlighted many new and exciting writers who have gone on to receive awards for their first novels (Stef Penney, Ryan David Jahn, Louise Penny amongst others). Due to this passion Chris was approached by the CWA and is currently a judge on the CWA John Creasey (New Blood) Dagger for best crime fiction debut.

***

If you are reading this and you write, in whatever genre, and are thinking “ooh, I’d like to do this” then you can… just email me and I’ll send you the information. They do now (January 2013) carry a fee (£10 / €12.50 / $15) for the new interviews on this blog but everything else (see Opportunities on this blog) is free.

If you go for the interview, it’s very simple; I send you a questionnaire (I have them for novelists, short story authors, children’s authors, non-fiction authors, and poets). You complete the questions, and I let you know when it’s going to go live. Before it does so, I add in comments as if we’re chatting, and then they get posted. When that’s done, I email you with the link so you can share it with your corner of the literary world. And if you have a writing-related blog / podcast and would like to interview me… let me know.

Alternatively, if you’d like a free Q&A-only interview, I now have http://morgensauthorinterviews.wordpress.com on which I’ve rerun the original interviews posted here then posted new interviews which I then reblog here. These interviews are Q&A only, so I don’t add in my comments but they do get exposure on both sites.

** NEW!! You can now subscribe to this blog on your Kindle / Kindle app!

See http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B008E88JN0

or http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B008E88JN0 for outside the UK **

You can sign up to receive these blog posts daily or weekly so you don’t miss anything. You can contact me and find me on the internet, view my Books (including my debut novel, which is being serialised on Novel Nights In!) and I also have a blog creation / maintenance service especially for, but not limited to, writers. If you like this blog, you can help me keep it running by donating and choose an optional free eBook.

For writers / readers willing to give feedback and / or writers wanting feedback, take a look at this blog’s Feedback page.

As I post an interview a day (amongst other things) I can’t unfortunately review books but I have a list of those who do. I welcome critique for the four new writing groups listed below and / or flash fiction (<1000 words) for Flash Fiction Fridays. For other opportunities see (see Opportunities on this blog).

The full details of the new online writing groups, and their associated Facebook groups, are:

Morgen’s Online Non-Fiction Writing Group

• http://nonfictionwritinggroup.wordpress.com
• http://www.facebook.com/groups/335526669896374

Morgen’s Online Novel Writing Group

• http://novelwritinggroup.wordpress.com
• http://www.facebook.com/groups/508696639153189

Morgen’s Online Poetry Writing Group

• http://poetrywritinggroup.wordpress.com
• http://www.facebook.com/groups/388850977875934

Morgen’s Online Script Writing Group

• http://scriptwritinggroup.wordpress.com
• http://www.facebook.com/groups/319941328108017

Morgen’s Online Short Story Writing Group

• http://shortstorywritinggroup.wordpress.com
• http://www.facebook.com/groups/544072635605445

We look forward to reading your comments.