06 August 2010
Yippee! My copies of "A Very Private Murder" arrived yesterday afternoon, plus a boxful for me to sign. It looks great, and already one eager reader has emailed me a highly favourable critique. He must have read it while the ink was still wet. (I know, I know. There's an ambiguity back there. Can I point out that there were NO adverse criticisms.) That's it for now; back to the treadmill.
14 July 2010
We came back from holiday on July 8 2010 expecting to learn that "A Very Private Murder" had hit the bookshop shelves in our absence, only to find a pile of emails from readers asking where it was. I am now informed by the publisher that the book has been held up by "production problems" and should be available "next week", or, for those demanding a more precise date, week commencing August 16. A thousand apologies to you all for the delay and for being so vague about dates and for not being more helpful. Thanks, as always, for your patience and support. When I have any more news I'll post it on here on the blog. www.stuartpawson.com
28 March 2010
We'll start with the important news: all the tortoises have survived the winter and are merrily doing what tortoises do.
"A Very Private Murder" (aka "AVPM") has survived the editing process, thanks to the wizardry of Louise and others at Allison & Busby, and is still on schedule for publication in July 2010. There's some topical, cutting edge policing in it, so I'm looking forward to its release before topical becomes historical. Remember: Charlie did it first, by about a year.
There's nothing to report, I'm afraid, on book XIV. The hardest mysteries to write are the ones with just one murder, so it's looking like we may have to fall back on a serial killer.
21 January 2010
At last we have a date for the publication of "A Very Private Murder". A lot can happen before then but word has it that Book XIII in the Charlie Priest saga is scheduled for July 2010. If anything changes I'll let you know.
So now I have no excuse for not directing my creative juices towards the next volume, Book XIV. In the absence of a blinding moment of inspiration where the full story is revealed to me as I shelter in a doorway from the mother of all thunder storms, I'll settle for determining what time of year the drama will unfold, and, if I'm doing well, on an interesting location for some of the scenes. Hopefully that will get me off the mark but it's not laid in concrete and can be changed anytime. Then all I need is some characters and a plot.
09 November 2009
"Last Reminder" (1997) began with Charlie feeling slightly under the weather, due to over-imbibing in sloe gin the previous evening. Since then the gathering of the sloes has become a rather pleasant autumn rutual amongst the Elders, to provide a special treat in time for the Christmas festivities. Last year the sloe harvest was almost non--existant, but this year it is a bumper one. Walking alongside the River Derwent last week we discovered hedgerows laden down with the berries in almost industrial quantities. The gin is delicious - more-ish, as we say. If anybody needs a recipe let me know and I'll include one in next month's diary. As the Poet said: "I often wonder what the vintner buys, one half so precious as the goods he sells." Well now you know.
02 November 2009
We have some time on our hands, so ought to be doing other, constructive things, like plotting the next novel, writing a short story or two, or even some poetry, to keep the brain cells active. But we're not. Any time now I'll receive the proofs for "A Very Private Murder", and that can be a sobering experience. Fingers crossed that there aren't any major errors of chronology.
I am, though, catching up on some reading. I don't read much while I have a book in progress, but try to make amends at other times.
Magna have just sent me my complimentary copy of "Last Reminder" on CD and cassette, read by Archers stalwart Andrew Wincott. If it is still raining after lunch I might have a listen.
06 October 2009
Yippee! At last we have a name for Book XIII. It has been a long struggle, with dozens of suggestions considered, but we've finally reached a consensus which I believe reflects the essence of the story. Book XIII will therefore henceforth be known as "A Very Private Murder". It's a little different to what's gone before and we are confident it will gain the approval of Charlie's bourgening fan base. (Especially the ending, but no more of that - you'll have to read the book.) The manuscript then goes, electronically nowadays, to an editor and a proof reader. These are weirdly clever people who can spot an illegal semicolon at 500 yards and who cackle with delight if they should happen to find I've said "appraise" when it should have been "apprise". Meanwhile, we are thinking about the next story. Methinks we'll write the title first, this time. Publication date for "A Very Private Murder", alas, is scheduled for sometime next year.
05 September 2009
We've added a couple of pictures to the photo gallery, one of which shows a location used in "Limestone Cowboy". We intend to add more of similar locations in future updates. Meanwhile, if you have any queries or requests about where Charlie spends his time, let me know.
I've received and signed the contract for Book XIII, so all we need now is a title.
27 August 2009
Someone kindly sent me a copy of Yorkshire Magazine for June 2009, drawing my attention to an article on Public Lending Rights, or PLR. This is the system which keeps track of the number of borrowings of books from libraries and pays the writer a proportionate fee, based on about 5p per borrowing. The article listed the top 20 authors in the county, based on PLR, and there I was at number 10, in front of some really big names. Lydia Monks was top of the league, with one of my favourites, Joanne Harris, in second place.
30 July 2009
We still haven't settled on a title for Book XIII.
30 July 2009
'Deadly Friends' is now available on cassette courtesy of those nice people at Magna Story Sound, who are based at Long Preston, in the heart of the Dales. It is convincingly narrated by Jonathan Keeble, better known as 'Owen the Rapist' in 'The Archers'. You will need a spare nine hours plus to listen to it, spread over seven cassettes.
30 July 2009
I've been invited to talk to readers at Kippax (Leeds) library on Monday 14th September 2009, 5:30 - 6:30. Y'all welcome. This date and time is now confirmed.
01 June 2009
My agent (one of the most respected in the business) rang me to say she thinks the new book is one of my best, which is a big relief. I'll let you know if it meets with the publisher's approval and keep you informed of its progress through the publishing process, or otherwise. I'm really pleased with it but times are hard out there.
30 May 2009
There have been several enquiries about the health of the tortoises. New readers might, or might not, be interested to learn that I have four. Once there were five, but Number One Tortoise died a couple of years ago. For the benefit of any entomologists out there, the greenbottles were first on the scene, just like it says in the text books. But I digress. They are all well, thank you, and eating me out of house and home. They woke up from their winter sleep in early April and immediately started doing what comes naturally. Their favourite food is iceberg lettuce and they get through one per day, plus assorted vegetables. They do not, unfortunately, eat snails.
19 May 2009
We are currently updating and completely re-hashing the Meanstreets website. I hesitate to say the new site will have a blog but the intention is to update it by the first day of each month. We have removed the bells and whistles of the old site and intend to concentrate on news about the books and writing in general, with an assortment of photographs and comments about any burning issue that takes my fancy.
18 May 2009
Latest news (17/5/2009). The manuscript of the next novel, number 13 in the Charlie Priest series, should land on my agent's desk "tomorrow". The most pleasant moment in the writing of a book is when you type those beautiful words "The End". This is immediately followed by the worst part, lasting a week or two, when you are awaiting a response from your agent or publisher. As you put your golden prose down on the page you are convinced it is the best stuff you have ever done. However, by the time you submit it you have probably read it 50 or 100 times, and even you are starting to find it a trifle jaded. So fingers crossed.
Nearly forgot - we don't have a title for it yet.
17 May 2009
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