Where to start? Where to stop? (Ah, the old Runaway Keyboard Syndrome!)
Having been involved in Small Press/Semi-Pro editing and printing ventures since 1979 (as a hobby), and after retiring from the Navy (22 years), along with various other jobs since then, I have now decided to put myself into a world I really love and enjoy - ie, words and writing. The main ambition is to become phenomenally successful. But then aren't all writers dreamers at heart?
But my main aim is to have as much fun as I can along the way (and yes, I appreciate writing is a business - but that doesn't mean you can't take your fun seriously as well. Does it?)
Favourite books at the moment...
Glitterburn (Heywood Gould) any Reginald Hill, the Alphabet novels from Sue Grafton, the Numbers/Plum novels byJanet Evanovich, old school material from both Ross and John D. (Macdonald), Lemmy Caution novels by Peter Chayney, most of Robert Crais, and the late Robert B. Parker
I have one full American Modern PI novel at the HarperCollins electro-slushpile (aka Authonomy) and one UK Cheshire Police novel finished but undergoing review. A second Harry Rhimes (American PI) is in the process of being first drafted.
Still hunting for an agent (with a big stick, an-a whole lotta luve) and am more than happy to settle for Airport sales rather than Academic sales.
Oh, yeah, and I tend to laugh a lot.
If there's a blurb/pitch thread I'll post the back cover blurb for Mad About A Boy, and if anyone is interested in reading it I'm hoping to get off my tush and put a site together on this Interweb thingy...
General wants from this place? Honest crit - I don't want to know what you like about it, I wanna know how to make the damn thing SELL!
What do I bring to the table? A couple of extra stone I could do with shedding, but I've also worked with words most of my (long) life, so should hopefully offer up alternatives or at least show by example (rather than just "K-rist, this sucks!"
Looking forward to having fun!