Guest Blog - Allan Guthrie

As you are all well aware, I have a great love of music. I have music playing continuously and blog about my passion regularly. I thought I would invite some of my fellow authors to share the ten songs that they like to play while they are writing. I have also requested their guilty pleasure to add a little bit of fun.

My first guest is fellow Scot, Allan Guthrie. Allan is an award-winning Scottish crime novelist, a literary agent, and co-founder of Blasted Heath. His latest book is Bye Bye Baby, a police thriller novella, published in paperback by Barrington Stoke in December 2011. A self-published ebook edition was an Amazon Kindle top ten bestseller earlier in the year, selling over 35,000 copies. 

Many thanks, Sinclair, for the invitation to supply a playlist of songs I listen to while writing. I'm afraid I have to cheat a little, since I can't write when I'm listening to music. I've tried many times but I'm the world's worst multi-tasker.

So here's a list of the ten songs I listened to most whilst not writing over the last few months.

Maria Solheim: Different Seasons


Norwegian singer-songwriter of off-kilter pop songs. 

Amanda Palmer: Leeds United


In a world where it's hard to be decadent any more, Amanda Palmer manages to succeed. Btw, this is the video where her record company wanted the images of her belly removed cause it was too fat. She refused and was dropped for being uncommercial.    

NIN: Something I Can Never Have (live studio version)

Best version of the best song ever written.

The Blue Nile: I Would Never


Paul Buchanan has that same haunting edge to his voice that Trent Reznor has, and the kind of emotional intensity to their voices that means they could be telling you the sky is red with yellow spots and you'd believe them without queston.  

Fresh Mud: Make The Devil Mad


Nothing quite like a bit of hard funk, now, is there?

Kimbra: Good Intent

I didn't know noir pop existed till I heard this.

Niki King: Wild Is The Wind


Scottish jazz singer with a great voice.

Julia And The Doogans: Come Home

Another Scottish singer with a great voice. Love the cello. In an idea world, Bye Bye Baby would be adapted for TV and the end credits would roll over Julia Doogan's vocals.

Rubberbandits: Song For Willie O'Dea

This should probably be my guilty pleasure, but I think it's such a great piece of musical parody that I don't feel guilty listening to it. It's a song about an Irish  politician I'd never heard of. Doesn't matter. The dancing's great. Reminds me of me.

Fiona Apple: Fast As You Can


A good song to play when your deadline's approaching. 

Guilty Pleasure: 

The Baseballs: Chasing Cars.

Well, um, yeah. Be happy!

Thanks Allan for this fantastic list of songs. There are a few favourites and one or two tunes that are new to and I love to discover new music. I hope you enjoy Allan's playlist and that you will support his writing.

I will be inviting some more authors to contribute their musical favourites in the near future.

Charles Dickens - A Christmas Carol

Next year will be the 200th anniversary of the birth of Charles Dickens. I have been a fan of the great man since reading Christmas Carol when I was quite young. I have read it more often than any other book I own and have now added it to my e-book collection. It has also been in my thoughts as my daughter made her first appearance in a school show on Monday, as Scrooge.

What I love about the story is the way Dickens uses the supernatural to make the reader realise the real meaning of Christmas and the way it appeals across generations. It is populated by people that exemplify Dickens' own genius for creating characters and are the secret of the novella's continuing popularity. 

Scrooge begins as the very epitome of avarice and greed, the Victorian 'man of business' exposed as heartless and uncaring. Christmas is a day that costs him money, he cares nothing for and knows nothing of his employee Bob Cratchit.

Bob is the antithesis of his employer. He is a dedicated family man and someone who sees Christmas as a joyous time to spend with his family. He must suffer Scrooge's mistreatment for the sake of his wife and children.

Marley's Ghost

Jacob Marley's ghost is the spectre of what may happen to Scrooge if he does not mend his ways. Dickens' perfect use of the chains as punishment for the people who have ignored their duty to their fellow human beings is brilliant. The links they should have made with other people have become they chains binding them to earth.

The ghosts of Christmas past, present and yet to come, each have their own characteristics. The first two ghosts throw Scrooge's own words back at him and as a result make him look in the mirror and begin the transformation to the man he should be.

The characters shown to Scrooge on his journey include the effusive Mr and Mrs Fezziwig who are everything that Scrooge isn't. Scrooge defends them vehemently when the ghost of Christmas past dismisses what they did for their employees at Christmas. It is a glimpse at the person Scrooge used to be before money became his obsession.

It is a short book and there isn't the range of less sympathetic characters that normally populate Dickens' novels. Scrooge is the only 'nasty' character until the final ghost shows him the future. Scrooge's character is reflected in the  'men of business' discussing whether to go to his funeral and the vagabonds arguing over the bed clothes that were stolen while he lay still warm on the bed. Scrooge does not realise who they are talking about until the spirit shows him his own headstone and the transformation is complete.

Scrooge then becomes the spirit of Christmas himself and embraces his responsibility to humanity not just at Christmas but all through the year.

The story was published in 1843 and is one of Dickens' most enduring and best-loved stories. It is also the most filmed story ever with over 60 movies made over the years. Despite that, if Dickens came back for Christmas 2011 he would see child poverty in Britain on the rise once again and the 'men of business' going on their merry way. I wonder what he would he think.

If you haven't read Christmas Carol, you should, it is a masterpiece. If you prefer to watch it with your family,  I recommend the 1951 version starring Alastair Sim which was called Scrooge and Patrick Stewart's TV version from 1994.

You can see more of the magnificent original illustrations to the book here.

No matter your faith or if you have none,  I wish you all a peaceful and happy holiday period. 

My Top Ten - Blues Songs

Born from the pain of slavery, the blues is the single most important musical genre in American music. The blues gave birth to Jazz, Soul and Rock 'n Roll. Its finest artists inspired many of the great British artists of the sixties and without it there would be no rock,  R&B or indie.

I discovered the blues by tracing the origins of the artists like the Rolling Stones. What was revealed to me was music so rich in emotion that I couldn't help but be captivated. So let's go on a short trip to the Mississippi Delta and beyond.

Robert Johnson - Crossroad Blues The legend of Johnson meeting the devil at the crossroads to sell his soul is surely one of the greatest in all of music. As the story goes, Robert Johnson was a poor exponent of the blues until that fateful meeting. When he returned to the circuit he was a guitar virtuoso, an emotive singer and was the new king of the delta blues. The song's a perfect example of the raw sound of those original blues men.

Elmore James - Dust My Broom Producer and consumer of moonshine whisky, Elmore James had the colourful life that made for a great blues man. 'Dust My Broom' is the typical subject matter for blues singers, a cheating woman.

John Lee Hooker - Boom Boom John Lee Hooker's staccato style of delivery is distinctive and unique in the blues. In 'Boom Boom' he tells a girl that he's going to knock her off her feet and take her home by the sheer power of his personality.

Muddy Waters - Mannish Boy The main inspiration for the Rolling Stones, Muddy Waters is one of the very best blues artists. The lyric of this song includes the line 'I'm a rollin' stone'. This is about as good as the blues gets.

Bessie Smith - Me And My Gin Bessie Smith is one of the all-time great singers and was a huge influence on a number of jazz artists who followed her. In this song she covers a popular subject for the blues, alcohol. She plaintively tells anyone who will listen that 'any bootlegger sure is a pal of mine.'

Howlin' Wolf - Smokestack Lightning A giant of a man with a powerful voice, Howlin' Wolf was another huge hero of British acts like The Animals and The Faces. This song with its hypnotic rhythm of passing train is his finest work.

Arthur 'Big Boy' Crudup - That's Alright Mama The fact the first song that Elvis Presley released was a cover of this song speaks volumes about his influence of 'Big Boy'. Crudup was one of the black artists that helped to create Presley's style.

Sonny Boy Williamson - Don't Start Me Talkin' He was one of the best harmonica players of his generation and also a fine singer. In this song he comes across as the town gossip as he regales us with tales of infidelity, violence and scandal.

B.B. King - The Thrill Is Gone Riley 'Blues Boy' King is possibly the most famous bluesman on the planet. Now well into his eighties he still loves to strap on his old guitar 'Lucille' and play for audiences. His distinctive way of bending a guitar string and mellow voice have made him popular with artists such as Eric Clapton and U2.

The end of another list that was way too short, I could probably have created a top 100 of my favourite blues songs. I hope I've inspired you to discover the blues for yourself or if like me, you're already a fan then I hope you will be pressing play on your favourite blues tracks again.

My next musical blog will be about another of the blues children, the classic soul of the 1960's.

You can listen to my Blues Top Ten if you are a Spotify subscriber.

My Top Ten Rock 'N' Roll Songs

I have professed my love of music before on this blog. I was exposed to many different forms and genres when I was young. Over time that love has deepened and broadened to include music from every age and of every kind.

Today my blog is the first of a series of ‘Top Ten lists’ of different genres, as I would find it impossible to pick a single list of top ten songs. The first set I have chosen is from the great Rock 'n' Roll of the fifties.  I first encountered these songs in the shape of Elvis Presley on my Dad’s crackly old vinyl. When I got interested in The Beatles, I traced their influences and it lead me back to that explosive period of music.

Bill Haley & His Comets - Rock Around The Clock The unlikely spark for a revolution, this song caused riots when it was included in the soundtrack of the movie Blackboard Jungle.

Elvis Presley - That’s All Right When Sam Phillips heard Elvis sing he knew that the world would never be the same. Elvis was what the Sun Records' owner was looking for, a white singer with a black voice. He placed his new talent with guitarist Scotty Moore and bass player Bill Black, as a result the blues were given new life and rock 'n' roll was born. I can only imagine what it was like when ‘That’s All Right’ was played on radio for the first time.

Chuck Berry - Johnny B Goode Rock 'n' roll is the blues with even more attitude. No one shows that more than the brilliant Chuck Berry. He wrote songs with stylish lyrics driven by the sound of his own cherry-red Gibson guitar. Johnny B Goode is one of many great Berry tunes that I could have chosen.

Buddy Holly - That’ll Be The Day There were many Elvis clones in the wake of his explosive arrival on the scene but Buddy Holly chose a different tack. Like Chuck Berry, the Texan wrote his own songs and also had a hand in producing them. He was to have a huge influence on The Beatles and who knows what he may have achieved if he hadn’t died on that fateful February night in 1959.

The Everly Brothers - Wake Up Little Susie Although it was rock 'n' roll with a pop sensibility, the music of The Everly Brothers was still significant. Their close harmonies were the model for both The Beatles and The Beach Boys. This song has the kind of bounce that was ideal for jiving in the dance halls.

Fats Domino - Blueberry Hill The music of Fats Domino is rooted in the blues of New Orleans. He was one of the great exponents of the rock 'n' roll piano with a voice that was the epitome of the Big Easy. This song stands as one of the greatest of the period.

Jerry Lee Lewis - Great Balls Of Fire Another genius of the piano, Jerry Lee ‘The Killer’ Lewis is rock 'n' roll stripped bare. Aggressive, raw vocals and an amazing stage presence helped to earn Lewis his nickname. This song is the Sun Records artist at the top of his game.

Little Richard - Tutti Frutti A-Wop-bop-a-loo-lop a-lop-bam-boo. Nonsense lyrics, screamed in a register that teenage girls would struggle to reach, Little Richard was a one off.  His influence carried all the way to Prince, he is undeniably one of the rock 'n' roll greats.

Roy Orbison - Oh Pretty Woman Possibly the finest singer in the rock 'n' roll genre, Roy Orbison was also an excellent songwriter. This song is so distinctive from the first beat of the drums in the introduction and even today still finds its way into movie and TV soundtracks.

Elvis Presley - Heartbreak Hotel According to John Lennon, “Before Elvis there was nothing”. This was the first Elvis song to be released in the UK and the one that catapulted the boy from Tupelo to worldwide fame.  A plaintive blues that shows his voice at its best, Heartbreak Hotel is a classic.

That’s it for today, although I could have added many more from the likes of Eddie Cochran, Gene Vincent and Carl Perkins. These were the pioneers who kicked down the doors of the music establishment and paved the way for all that was to follow.

In my next top ten I will look at rock 'n' roll’s Daddy, The Blues and give you my favourite artists and their best songs.

You can listen to these songs here Rock 'n' Roll Top Ten

Parliamo Glasgow

Before I began writing the first ‘Reluctant Detective’ book, I thought long and hard about how to portray the Glaswegian vernacular. In the end I decided to use it where appropriate and write the majority of the book in standard English.

What I did avoid however, was words that may be alien to the majority of my readers. Today I thought as a bit of fun I would show you the kind of words you may come across and think ‘what does that mean?’

Language in Glasgow has many roots including traditional Scots, Irish and Western Isles influences. Some of these are not unique to Glasgow but they are used here quite a bit.

Blether: It is both a verb and a noun. As a verb it means to talk. One friend may say to another, “We were blethering aboot the X-Factor?” As a noun it takes on a different connotation. It means someone who talks a lot. “See her, she’s a right blether.”

Scunner’t: If someone is scunner’t they are fed up or frustrated.

Drookit: A word we use a lot in Glasgow because it means soaked to the skin.

Wean: The derivative is from ‘wee yin’ and it means a child. A famous line in Rab C. Nesbitt that probably left many people from outside the city perplexed was “Ma wean’s done a bunk and ah’m up tae high dough”. The translation in English is “My child has run away and I am very worried.”

Steamin’: A person who has consumed a little too much alcohol. “On Friday ah wis absolutely steamin’, so ah wis.” See also “blootered; hammered; bevvied; blazin’; fleein’. We seem to have a lot of words to convey this particular state. I'm not sure why!

Stoater: Someone who looks attractive. “See her, she’s a pure stoater.”

Swedger: A sweet. “Gonna gie’s wan o’ yir swedgers.”

Glaikit: Someone who lacks intelligence or looks as if they do. “See that George Osborne, he’s pure glaikit.”

Jeely piece: A jam sandwich.

Crabbit: Someone who is in a foul mood. “She’s a crabbit besom first thing in the moarnin’.”

Fankle: A mess. “Ah goat in such a fankle tryin’ tae build that sideboard.”

Wabbit: Tired or exhausted. “Efter writin’ aw these words, ah’m fair wabbit.”

That brings to an end your introduction to wonderful world of Glaswegian slang. If you would like to learn more, why not consult the Scottish comic genius Stanley Baxter for more advanced lessons.

http://bit.ly/tWC1vz

Notes of a meditation novice

I began to meditate regularly about seven weeks ago. I thought I would share my experience as a meditation novice and my feelings about the practice.
You can find details of the benefits of meditation on many sites across the web. The ancient practice is a great way to deal with stress, provides acknowledged health benefits and many creative people find it helps them to focus when they are working.
I first encountered it about 10 years ago and it helped me to deal with the stressful atmosphere of my job but like many things, life gets in the way and I drifted from it.
My wife uses meditation as one of her tools to help her clients deal with stress, anxiety and depression. Due to the literature she has around our house I decided to give meditation another go.
When I first started to meditate again I found it difficult to still my mind. I wasn't sure that I was doing it properly but apparently it is a common problem for people starting out.
Over the last couple of weeks I have begun to meditate into a deeper state and my mind isn't so restless. My writer's block seems to have been released and I am finally back on track with the book. I feel happier and I think I have coped with stressful situations better in the past few weeks than I would have previously. I have accepted that change and problems are inevitable but after all our family has been through they are, in truth, trivial in comparison.
In the times we live in stress is everywhere. It is a very destructive force and is at least in part the cause of cancer, heart disease and strokes. It may not be for everyone and it's not a panacea for all ills but I would suggest that it is worth giving meditation a go to help you cope with all that life has to throw at you.
I will write again about this subject in a few weeks to tell how how things are going.
It would be interesting to hear from experienced meditators about how you believe it had benefitted you.
You can read more about how my wife helps people at Stress The Positive.

Hidden Gems

It's Friday, so time for a musical-themed blog to help set you up for the weekend. Today I'm going to give you a list of some great tracks you might not have heard. Hopefully you'll enjoy them.

First up is Some Misunderstanding by Soulsavers. An epic track which lasts nearly eight minutes, it is full of sumptuous guitars and a laconic vocal. Simply beautiful.

Colourful Life by Cajun Dance Party is a bouncy, joyous track from the very first chord. It's bound to lift your spirits.

Next up is Keep Walking by Emily Maguire. A celebration of persistence and an anthem to those who want to follow their dreams.

Raphael Saadiq may be the coolest guy on the planet. Sure Hope You Mean It epitomises his sixties sound and would not have been out of place at the Wigan Casino soul dance marathons.

No Time by The Heavy is a fusion of traditional rock and soul, driven by a fierce guitar and raw, grating vocal.

To Ohio is a folky blues by The Low Anthem. It shows that you don't need lavish production if you have a great melody and delightful harmonies.

The Island by Scotland's own Phantom Band is another epic. It has an almost hypnotic, meditative quality.

There's a lot of fantastic folk-related music around at the moment and Northern Skies by I Am Kloot is a stand-out track.

The Jim Jones Revue owe their sound to the great rock 'n' roll of the fifties. On High Horse  they sound like Jerry Lee Lewis went for a beer with The Ramones and they jammed in the bar. Brilliant.

The National are one of the top bands on the American indie scene. Bloodbuzz Ohio is one of the best tracks on their recent album.

So that completes my Hidden Gems playlist. I hope you find something new to delight you in this collection. You can check the songs out on Spotify, just click the link. I hope you have a great weekend.

Brandon Sanderson - The Mistborn Trilogy

As some of you may know, although my first love is crime fiction, I am also a devotee of fantasy and science fiction. A friend gave me 'The Hobbit' to read when I was twelve, I became a fan of the amazing alternate worlds that can be found in these books and love the sense of escapism they offer.
One of the very best series of novels is Robert Jordan's 'Wheel Of Time'. It is possibly the grandest fantasy vision ever created, spanning an incredible fourteen novels with a cast of hundreds, it is truly epic fiction. When Mr Jordan passed away in 2007 with three books incomplete, his family chose Brandon Sanderson to finish the story from notes left by the author.
Before that I knew little of Brandon Sanderson or his work but I was intrigued to see why he had been given this mammoth task.

I chose the Mistborn trilogy as my introduction to his work and I am very glad I did.
The three books 'The Final Empire'; 'The Well Of Ascension' and 'The Hero Of Ages' represent some of the most original fantasy fiction I have read in years.
The magic system in the books is based on people who can use metals to achieve certain feats. The metals are paired with one balancing the other and as the story progresses the reader discovers all the ways they have been used to control and change people.
Without spoiling it too much for you, the first book is the story of the overthrow of the Lord Ruler, a dark dictator who runs the world with the help of the obligators - magicians with metal spikes driven through their eyes. The following two books deal with the aftermath of the overthrow of a tyrant and the faith required by the main protagonists to overcome the problems that they have created by killing him. They discover that there was more than evil behind the Lord Ruler's actions and the consequences of overthrowing him are far reaching. As the story unravels you realise that despite the oppression, he had been a force for good within the land and now that he is gone the world seems doomed.
There are creatures born of magic like nothing else I have ever read, the characters are diverse and interesting with many of the fantasy cliches being turned on their head. The storytelling is wonderful and my only regret was that it finished too soon.
If you are looking for a new take on the fantasy genre, I can thoroughly recommend these books.

More new music

I said I would return to some of the music released this year that I have enjoyed and hope they inspire you. Here are another five albums that I think are worth checking out.

First up is Adele and her album 21. I must confess that modern pop music rarely appears on my playlists but Adele's amazing voice is worth making an exception for. She has an incredible vocal range and her song writing is wonderful, if a times a little gloomy. She hasn't had much luck in love if her lyrics are anything to go by but she delivers every word with a conviction and emotion that the X-Factor contestants can only dream of. Top songs are "Rolling in The Deep"; "Rumor Has It"; "Set Fire To The Rain" and the wonderful "Someone Like You".

Admiral Fallow are a Scottish band and their debut album Boots Met My Face is packed full of cracking melodies and evocative lyrics.

In "Subbuteo", Louis Abbot takes a nostalgic trip home and writes "I've returned for a while, To the concrete that once claimed my knees, And the stones my hands owned, As I sent them toward windows and trees". The album is filled with the kind of imagery that really tells a story. 

Boots Met My Face is packed with great folk inspired songs but my favourites are "Squealing Pigs"; "These Barren Years" and the aforementioned "Subbuteo". 

Kasabian are back with another towering record, Velociraptor!  - the exclamation is theirs not mine.

Kasabian have always walked their own path and they continue to find new ways to entertain. This album is possibly a little less bombastic than their previous efforts but it still has great songs like the almost hypnotic rhythm of "Days Are Forgotten" and the gentle "Goodbye Kiss. There isn't anything to alienate fans in this album but it does continue their evolution into one of the best bands around at the moment.

Now for a change of pace. Barton Hollow by The Civil Wars is a stripped back country-folk album originating from the home of country music, Nashville.

Joy Williams and John Paul White combine their voices perfectly against a background of simple arrangements. Among the stand out tracks are "20 Years"; "I've Got This Friend" and the title track.

If you enjoyed Robert Plant's collaboration with Alison Krauss then you will love this.

Finally I offer you the foot-stomping, drum-battering, guitar-shredding blues-rock of Vintage Trouble's, The Bomb Shelter Sessions. From the first track "Blues Hand Me Down" you are in no doubt that the guys are tipping their hats to the blues legends of the past like Albert King. Ty Taylor's soulful voice is underpinned by the guitar of Nalle Colt, whose playing will raise a smile among the old blues masters.  As well as the opener there is much to love about this album including "Nancy Lee"; "You Better Believe It" and Total Strangers."

That's all for this blog, as usual I would love to hear about anything exciting you've discovered.

Holiday thoughts

I have returned from a week's holiday in the beautiful country of Italy and thought I would share with you my impressions of my first visit in twenty years.
We were based in Lucca in Tuscany and it gave us an opportunity to visit some of Italy's most famous destinations.
Lucca is a city with a long history that dates back to the time of the Romans. The ancient amphitheatre was directly opposite the flat we were staying in. Where once gladiators battled in front of baying crowds there are bars, restaurants and shops catering for the visitors to the city. The ancient stones are mostly gone but you can still see remnants of the Roman structure in the buildings.

The Piazza dell' Anfiteatro in Lucca

Lucca is a walled city and within those walls the streets are narrow and filled with expensive shopping opportunities. The Italian sense of style is a part of the national identity. In Lucca it's not only the clothes that are stylish, even the shops are the very essence of elegance and glamour. To wander down the Via Fillungo, the main shopping street, is to stroll back in time. The shops are small and there are few of the usual high street names that you would find in any shopping mall in Britain. In Italy small is beautiful.

The Di Simo is just one example of the stylish shops.

The trains in Italy are a lot cheaper than the UK. This gave us the opportunity to explore Tuscany in all its glory. We visited Pisa, its tower still defying gravity and offering one of the true wonders of the world.

The Leaning Tower

We also visited the spa town of Montecatini Terme. It was our first visit there and it was an amazing find. You can ride a funicular railway to Montecatini Alto which sits high in the hills above the main town. The views from the top are stunning, the red roofs of the farmhouses and towns stand out from the green of the olive groves as the full pallet of Tuscan colours are displayed.

The Tuscan landscape

Also on our itinerary was Viareggio, which is a lovely seaside town with a beautiful beach. We had stayed in Viareggio on previous visits so there was a little bit of nostalgia when we spent a day in this coastal idyll.
No visit to Tuscany would be complete without a trip to the Renaissance treasure that is Florence. It was my third visit and I never tire of admiring the artistic and architectural achievements that are displayed in that wonderful city.
Other highlights of our stay were Puccini's house in Lucca and the Palazzo Pfanner with its incredibly beautiful gardens.

The garden at the Palazzo Pfanner

At the heart of Florence there is a bronze statue of a wild boar. There is a tradition that states if you rub the boar's nose, one day you will return to the city. We all hope that it proves to be true.

Note: All photographs are my own so please if you would like to use any of them drop me a line.

Steve Jobs 1955-2011

I have been a Mac user since 2004 and love that Apple produces technology that gets out of the way to allow you to do what you want. What Steve Jobs achieved in his life was remarkable. Rather than try to put it into my own words, I thought I would point you to some of the best tributes around the web.

Jason Snell, the MacWorld writer. Making a dent in the universe

Devour shows you Jobs the salesman. Devour tribute page.

The Appleoutsider site. SJ

Thoughts of the staff at TUAW. Remembering Steve Jobs

Photographer and photoshop expert, Dave Cross. Thank you Steve Jobs

The San Francisco Chronicle. And now, a world without Jobs.

The New York Times. Apple's visionary redefined the digital age.

Stephen Fry. Steve Jobs

The man himself with a truly inspirational speech. Stanford Commencement Address 2005

The world may miss him but none more than his family. I hope they take a little comfort in knowing how much he meant to so many people.

Rest in peace, Steve.

A future for indie bookshops?

You won't be surprised to read that I have had a passion for books since I was very small. My mother would take me on an exciting trip to my local library where I would return home clutching a copy of a Paddington book or a Secret Seven mystery. The smell or feel of books can take me back there in seconds.
In the 21st century the future seems bleak for 'real' books. The rise of the Kindle, the iPad and other e-readers has been a boon for self-published authors like myself but it is changing the traditional model of publishing at an amazing rate.
The biggest losers in the move towards internet buying generally and e-books in particular are the large bookstores. Borders has closed, Barnes & Noble in the US and Waterstones in the UK face financial difficulties.

The question is will anybody want to go and browse for books in a shop? The answer at least for the foreseeable future will be yes, people like me. But with no huge bookstores where will we go? I think there is an argument to say small bookshops will survive as a specialist service for those who love the feel and smell of a book rather than just the words between the covers. There might even be small bookshops who specialise in a particular genre, whatever the model there will still be a market for real books and someone will find a niche catering for that market.
I love that e-books are allowing me to sell books around the world and reach people with my stories but I must admit, I would hate to think of a day when I couldn't buy a real book.

What about you are you a complete convert to digital or do you still prefer to hold a book in your hands?

No matter where we buy our books, I hope it's not like this place. How not to run a book shop.

The Aaargh Factor

I don't get the X-Factor. I don't get the fact that the lead story in the two biggest-selling newspapers in Scotland was about how a girl from Fife didn't get picked to appear in the live shows. I don't get that the same story was talked about and tweeted about and Facebooked about for ages on the morning radio show.
It's a celebration of mediocrity. Classic songs are reduced to bland karaoke by people whose talent is about right for a cruise ship or a holiday camp. With the exception of Leona Lewis, the majority of winners sink without trace, any talent they had ruined by the mass produced pop of the Cowell song sweat shops.
There are the now annual scandals which generate column inches of indignation and another million viewers. It is manipulative almost beyond belief and the British public lap it up.
Add to that the overly sentimental stories of life's hardships, the yearly buying of the Christmas number one and Louis Walsh and you have a recipe for television that makes me feel physically sick.
Despite all those things that should make everyone want to reach for the remote to change the channel, it remains the most popular show on British television. ITV and Simon Cowell make millions and the public are so busy talking about it they don't notice anything else.
Maybe it's just me. Maybe I don't get it because I fell in love with music that had real emotion behind it. If the X-Factor had been around since the sixties would The Beatles and The Stones ever have been successful? Would Bowie have challenged the world with his asexual brand of glam rock? Would punk have been strangled at birth by the knot of commercialism? It's a scary thought and with the last truly momentous shift in music being nearly twenty years ago we could be looking at bland being what dominates music.
But have hope, there are still people trying to produce music that matters, it's just that you have to look a wee bit harder.

Sunny Day Tunes

As we have had a surprisingly warm and sunny week in Scotland, I thought I would compile a Friday playlist of tunes for a sunny day. They are in no particular order, it's just a bit of fun.

• The Kinks - Sunny Afternoon One of the best bands of all time and one of their best tunes.
• The Beatles - Good Day Sunshine Paul radiates optimism in this classic from Revolver.
• Janis Joplin - Summertime I doubt that Gershwin envisaged Joplin's interpretation when he wrote this. She sounds as if living is far from easy.
• Bob Marley - Sun Is Shining What better way to enjoy a glorious sunny day than with some reggae and a cold one.
• The Stranglers - Always The Sun They had left their punk roots behind by the time they released this in 1987.
• Kevin McDermott Orchestra - She Comes From The Sun A great Scottish songwriter, he should have been a huge star. This is a song filled with positivity and joy.
• Van Morrison - Warm Love For an old curmudgeon, he has certainly written some beautiful tunes.
• The Ramones - Rockaway Beach It might not have been a very quiet beach but a sunny day with The Ramones would have been interesting.
• The Beach Boys - Good Vibrations You could not have a playlist like this without the Beach Boys. I could have chosen any number of songs but this is my favourite.
• Bill Withers - Lovely Day A great soul voice and a wonderful tune.

Here's to some more sunny days before winter takes hold.

I hope I've inspired you to think about your favourite songs for a glorious day.

The beating heart will never die

We came to Dunfermline from Newcastle and Manchester, Glasgow and around Fife. We came as friends united in our respect and admiration for one man.

The golden leaves were drifting down as part of the annual surrender to winter but the sun shone with summer heat and the sky was a clear, brilliant blue. It was appropriate as we commemorated the glorious summer of Stuart Adamson's life.

The unveiling of the beautiful bench that celebrates the life and work of William Stuart Adamson was a simple ceremony but one of genuine warmth and heartfelt gratitude for all that he meant to us.

Stuart was a man of integrity with a love for his fellow man that many would do well to replicate. He believed in the beauty of the human spirit regardless of how much money a person had or the social class they were born into. All of those qualities were reflected in his music, passionate songs with compassionate lyrics, he was a Scottish poet.

In my life music has been a constant companion. There are artists like Elvis, John Lennon and Jimi Hendrix whose music I particularly connected with. As I detailed in my previous blog, for me, Stuart stands in that category and possibly, as a Scot, even closer to my own life and experience. 

Yesterday we forgot about the troubles of his later life, instead we remembered the real man.

The man who as part of The Skids and Big Country, reached out through his music to touch our hearts. He was the man who wrote lyrics of hope and peace and a belief in social justice. He was a man who loved his nation and sang of its grandeur and its wonderful people. He was a fine Fifer and a great Scot.

Yesterday may not be my last memory of Big Country, but it did ensure that there will be a lasting memory of Stuart Adamson and all that he meant to the people he reached with his music. The beating heart of our memories will never die.

More photos here.

Dreams stay with you

I wondered what I would write about today but it seems that there has been a lot pushing me in this direction for a while.
It was 1983, Margaret Thatcher's dismantling of the industrial life of Scotland was well under way. I had just left school into a bleak jobs market where even 7 'O' Grades and 5 Highers couldn't get me a job. I suffered the embarrassment of walking to sign on every two weeks and after three months it began to depress me.
I searched for answers, I searched a way to lift me a way from my bleak feelings. Music was always a refuge for me but one song changed my attitude. One song which expressed a hope and belief that things could be better.
That song was "In A Big Country" by the Fife-based band, Big Country. The lyrics were powerful and reached into my soul and shook me out of my bleakness.

"So take that look out of here, it doesn't fit you

Because it's happened doesn't mean you've been discarded

Pull up your head off the floor, come up screaming

Cry out for everything you ever might have wanted

I thought that pain and truth were things that really mattered

But you can't stay here with every single hope you had shattered."


It remains a defiant, strident lyric of hope. A lyric that young people need to hear once again as our politicians and business leaders fail miserably to provide the leadership we need.
These are my very personal feelings regarding this song which comes from one of the best and most overlooked albums of the 1980's. If you would like to understand a little bit more about the band, the album and the music you should read this amazing blog by Anis Waizi who has written an analysis more erudite and poetic than I could ever achieve. Flowers In The Desert
On Saturday in Dunfermline, the lead singer, guitarist and soul of Big Country, Stuart Adamson, will be commemorated in his home town. A memorial bench will be unveiled decorated with some of Stuart's lyrics. I only know this because two weeks ago I responded to a tweet which contained a picture of Stuart. From there I was contacted by Gwenda Matthews who was the driving force behind the fund-raising to see this memorial erected. It seems that fate was trying to ensure that I would be there to pay my own small tribute to a man that I never had the chance to thank. I am only sorry that his own words could not light his dark place the way they did for me.
In a Big Country, Dreams stay with you.

The Jack Reacher Series

I've just finished Lee Child's Killing Floor. I had read a couple of the later Jack Reacher novels, so I thought would go back to the start and read the uncompromising hero's first adventure.
My first surprise was that it was written from the first person perspective. The two books I had read previously were both written in the third person and it got me to thinking if I had ever come across that before in a series of novels. I couldn't think of a single instance.
I wondered why Lee had changed the style. I know from my own experience that seeing the story from your protagonist's point of view can restrict what you write. You need to let other characters tell parts of the story rather than let your reader see it first hand. It also places some constraints on the timeline of the story, it tends to unfold in chronological order as the character moves through the book. Did he change due to those restrictions or was it the reaction of his reader's that made him alter the style?
Regardless of the style, Jack is the kind of hero who walks a moral high wire. He is James Bond for the 21st century with a bit of the Littlest Hobo thrown in. He wanders through the towns of America righting wrongs, normally by shooting, strangling, stabbing and blowing things up, before packing his bag and heading off into the sunset.
The 'Killing Floor' is typical of Jack as he destroys a counterfeiting ring, killing every bad guy in sight and freeing the town from the adverse influence of the villain. His actions in this book are motivated by a very personal tragedy and that is maybe the key to the character in his subsequent thrillers.
Like Bond at his best, Jack's investigations are exactly the kind of escapism that results in the male readers wishing they were him and the women wishing they could bed him. Great fun and I will definitely be catching up with the rest of Mr Reacher's adventures.
I'd be interested in hearing from anyone who has seen a change of perspective from one book to another in a series or alternatively what style do you prefer in the Jack Reacher series?

Guest post - Boab the joiner

Today's blog is a little different. Boab the joiner offers his thoughts on the state of the world.

Awright people, ah hope ye're aw hale and hearty.


Ah see there's been another wan o' they rogue traders. Whit is it wi' these guys? Money pouring' oot o' every orifice an' it's still no' enough. Gie them a hammer an' they widnae know whit way tae haud it but they can certainly play the fiddle. 
Whit gets me is they keep daein' it. If you wur a fermer and a fox stole yir chickens, ye think ye wid build a better fence. No these bankers, naw they let the thieves steal even mair money. Ah suppose it's no their cash, so whit dae they care. They'll be roon' wi a beggin' bowl again before long anyway.


Ah see the chancellor's wantin' tae help they poor people that huv tae pay the 50% tax rate. It must be hard fur the poor wee souls tae huv tae decide if they kin afford tae go tae Aspen fur Christmas or slum it in St Moritz. Must be hellish.


Well if he lets me back ah'll mibbee huv mair wisdom fur ye soon.

Boab exists only in my head and the pages of The Reluctant Detective. I hope you enjoy his occasional rants.

Great crime films

Today I thought I would write a short list of crime movies that I love.

• The Godfather Trilogy I know it's a bit of a cheat to have three grouped together but they are really one long film. I had seen the original a long time ago but had avoided the sequel in the naive belief that it couldn't be as good as the first film. How wrong was I? Pacino's finest hour, the second part of the trilogy is my personal favourite. Brando's iconic performance in the first, the classic dialogue that crackles all through the three movies and the set piece violence that defines the story of gangland America make the trilogy one of the finest achievements in the history of cinema. Although many will say that the third is weaker than the first two parts, taken on its own merits, it's still a fine film.
• The Big Sleep Regular readers won't be surprised to see this appear on my list. It's got Bogart and Bacall, it's got a complicated story, Chandler's dialogue and evokes the era so beautifully. The violence and sexual blackmail must have seemed quite shocking when the film was released but will seem tame to modern audiences. I love it.
• Double Indemnity Billy Wilder's classic tale of lust, adultery and pre-meditated murder is one of the best films nominated by the academy not to win an Oscar. The screenplay was adapted by Wilder and Raymond Chandler from a short story by James M. Cain. The 'femme fatale' played by Barbara Stanwyck persuades her lover, Fred MacMurray, to kill her husband to make a claim on an insurance policy. The plan fails thanks to the investigator, Edward G Robinson but the plot was thought to be shocking and one critic even called it the recipe for the perfect murder. One of the very best in the 'Film Noir' genre.
• The Italian Job One of the best British films of the sixties, this tale of a gang of bank robbers is filled with quotable dialogue. It features one of the classic car chases of all time as the very British minis are pursued through the streets of Turin. The film is one of Michael Caine's best in a career packed with great performances. Least said about the dreadful Americanised version from 2003, the better.
• The Ladykillers Another British bank robber caper, The Ladykillers is a different style of crime film. The robbers, including Alec Guinness, Peter Sellers and Herbert Lom, hole up in a boarding house. Mrs Wilberforce, the owner, believes them to be a group of musicians. The gang believe that she has seen too much and decide to kill her. The incompetent criminals only succeed in killing each other leaving their landlady with the proceeds of their crime. A charming movie with a dark edge, it's the kind of film we used to do so brilliantly in Britain. It's another British classic that got a Hollywood reworking in 2004. The Coen brothers directed it, with Tom Hanks in the Guinness role and it is a good movie, even if not quite up to the standard of the original.

I'm sure I have missed some that deserve a place on the list but I'm hoping you'll help me out.