Alex Gray's Commonwealth Games Inspiration
Who is Sam Alexander?
The identity of
#WhoIsSamAlexander
IS REVEALED
Sam Alexander is none other than CWA Dagger Award winner Paul Johnston, author of three bestselling series of crime novels, including Greek detective Mavros.
Bloody Scotland will be hosting Sam Alexander aka Paul Johnston at an exclusive event during Book Week Scotland 2014 in November.
As Scotland’s International Festival of Crime Writing, Bloody Scotland are proud to support an international author from Scotland and his publisher Arcadia Books who have created quite a stir around the author’s mysterious identity. Paul is a seasoned hand at crime thriller writing and his first Sam Alexander novel, set in the North of England, represents a new direction in his writing career. Carnal Acts has garnered glowing reviews with a new approach to the police procedural novel. We look forward to hosting Paul in November.
In preparation for this morning's announcement caught up with Paul and his publisher Arcadia Books...
How do you get a completely brilliant book noticed when you don’t have an author?
We put our faith in the crime community, and reckoned they’d all have a go at working out who the author might be. We weren’t disappointed. Everyone from avid readers, crime festival-goers and reviewers to big-name authors themselves joined in to guess #WhoIsSamAlexander, and our twitter feeds have been completely eclipsed with suggestions (3000+) – much to the amusement (and sometimes horror or pride) of our author. The excitement caught the eye of the amazing Bloody Scotland team, who have supported us non-stop throughout this campaign. And the book is attracting fabulous reviews, with more to come.
Paul Johnston will be well known to most seasoned crime folk, and is a stunning author to follow if you are new to the game or just love great crime, as we do. He’s appeared on over 200 panels at festivals during the past few years, his ‘Quint Dalrymple’ series won a CWA Dagger, his ‘Mavros’ series (highly praised by Jeffery Deaver, Peter Robinson and Mark Billingham, amongst others) won the Sherlock Award for Best Detective novel, while his Matt Wells series was shortlisted for the Barry Award.
We loved the opportunity to ‘launch’ Paul as Sam Alexander, and believe that he has pushed himself to new limits, finding a new voice, a splendid new sub-genre (Northumbrian Noir), and some believable, identifiable and highly individual protagonists that had the Twitter community almost completely split between identifying Sam as male or female.
The very exciting news is that the sequel to Carnal Acts will appear next year and, hot on its heels, a brand-new Mavros title, for which we’ve just acquired the rights! There have been many weeks of feverish activity on the Twitter front, and we are so grateful to everyone who has taken part. Let it be known that two twitteratis guessed the identity in the last couple of days, and rumour has it that they might be written into the plot of the Carnal Acts sequel (out July 2015).
http://www.paul-johnston.co.uk/books.html
A Message from Paul Johnston:
On this historic day, my nom de plume and I would like to wish all our subjects a bloody good, bloody carnal read, with appropriate acts to follow. No, really, it's been incredible how much interest there's been in the campaign – well done to the superb Arcadia Books – and I'm, I mean we're, very grateful to everyone who tweeted suggestions, though maybe not the person who came up with Jeffrey Archer. To think that our writing could bear comparison with that of Kate Atkinson, Ian MacEwan, Val McDermid, Irvine Welsh, AL Kennedy ... not to mention – oh go on then, we will – JK Rowling. We hope people who haven't yet read Carnal Acts will do so very promptly. After all, we know your Twitter handles ... Thanks in abundance and remember: According to Shakespeare, "All your acts are queens." No, we don't know what he was on about either. Sam/Paul
A message from Gary Pulsifer, Arcadia’s publisher:
I share a love of Greece with Sam, or Paul as we must now call him, I guess. My great friend in Athens, the journalist Vivienne Nilan, introduced me to the Mavros series a few years back and I became hooked. Mavros is humane, cultured and half Scottish, yet the novels are gripping page-turners. And they cover Greek politics and contemporary history in a way that Greece's greatest crime export Petros Markaris cannot, because Paul is uncovering the country for outsiders (and now Greeks, too, as the series is published in Greek). So imagine my absolute pleasure when Paul offered us his latest departure by Sam Alexander – and now another Alexander and a new Mavros.
Who is Sam Alexander?
At 11am tomorrow, Bloody Scotland and Arcadia Books will reveal the identity of mysterious alias Sam Alexander, with the announcement happening right here on our website.
Arcadia Books revealed that the author of recently released novel Carnal Acts, was in fact a nomme de plume for an existing crime writer.
The unknown author of Carnal Acts has attracted wild speculation over the last few weeks, with readers trying to guess the crime writer's identity on twitter using the hashtag #WhoIsSamAlexander? to discuss the book and who it's writer might be. Over 3000 tweets have been sent by eager crime readers trying to solve the riddle of Sam Alexander's identity.
Join us tomorrow at 11am to find out just who Sam Alexander is and for exclusive news about the mystery author...
Crime Writing Tips
Killing your darlings and other stories - Liam Murray Bell's Crime Writing Tips
To tie in with this year’s Bloody Scotland Short Story Competition, on the theme of ‘Escape’, I’ve been asked to draw up some hints and tips for all you crime writers out there, along the lines of the ‘rules’ for writing that Elmore Leonard drew up in 2010 .
So here they are: my five tips for writing a crime short story. Happy writing!
1) First impressions count. Grab the reader with your opening scene. Hell, grab them with your opening line – drag them into the plot by getting them to ask What has happened? or What will happen next? These two questions, in essence, are the cornerstone of plot, tied to the idea of a whodunit and a cliff-hanger. Even better, get the opening line to ask both questions, as with the opening line to Ruth Rendell’s A Judgement in Stone: “Eunice Parchman killed the Coverdale family because she could not read or write”.
2) Avoid cliché in your similes and metaphors like the plague. This is not because similes and metaphors don’t work – they do – but a tired image will just cause your reader to skip over it. Make it original and bold and tie it into the voice of your character. You can’t go wrong with Philip Marlowe, the detective written by Raymond Chandler, who’s never far from an original wise-crack, like “I belonged in Idle Valley like a pearl onion on a banana split”.
3) Following on from the last point, think about the voice of your main character and how close you want the reader to be to them. This can be in third person or in first person, but make sure it’s consistent and that you’re signalling to the reader if/when you’re shifting point-of-view. The degree of intimacy between the character and the reader is important because it can produce sympathy or, even, a degree of complicity. So, for instance, Jeff Lindsay is able to produce some form of feeling for his serial-killer character of Dexter by giving him a platform for a ‘confession’: “I know what I am and that is not a thing to love”. Ah, bless.
4) Think about your structure. This is a short story you’re writing, so there’s no point in setting up a police investigation that’s never going to be concluded or setting up a will-they-won’t-they love affair. Your story should have a beginning, middle and an end, although not necessarily in that order. And why not a twist, to cap it all off. Like this tip not ending with a quote like all the others have – didn’t see that one coming, did you?
5) Edit. Sounds obvious, but make sure that the work you’re putting forward is the very best it can be by re-writing and re-working until you’re happy with setting, character, plot and the prose style. If possible, let it lie in a drawer or on your desk for a few days before editing or give it to a trusted reader for comments and corrections. And be brutal with your edits: even if you love a line, if it doesn’t fit or work then leave it out. You can always keep it in a notebook for another story. As the saying goes, “Kill your darlings”. As Stephen King says, “Even when it breaks your egocentric little scribbler’s heart, kill your darlings”.
Liam Murray Bell is a Lecturer in Creative Writing at the University of Stirling and author of 'So It Is', shortlisted for Scottish Book of the Year 2013, and 'The Busker', released in May 2014.
Liam will also be holding workshops during the Bloody Scotland Crime Writing Masterclasses at the University of Stirling on Friday 19th September. You can find more information and book your place here.
Crime does pay as titles top list
Scotland’s book readers have been officially declared a bloodthirsty bunch by libraries. The list of the top 100 most borrowed books of 2012 has been released and, astonishingly, the entire top 20 are crime novels.
Lee Child’s The Affair tops the list compiled by the Public Lending Right (PLR) and two Scottish authors, Ian Rankin and Stuart MacBride, also leave their bloody stamp on the top ten.
The top 20 also includes murderous tales from such authors as James Patterson, Harlan Coben, Karen Slaughter and Quintin Jardine.
Crime fiction has long been recognised as the most popular genre in both bookshops and libraries in Scotland.
The genre is celebrated north of the border at the Bloody Scotland crime writing festival in Stirling each September. The event has attracted huge crowds since its inception in 2012 and has featured several of the names in the most borrowed list including Jo Nesbo, Lee Child, Ian Rankin and Denise Mina.
According to international bestselling author Val McDermid, there is no mystery to Scotland’s addiction to crime novels. She says that readers love the up-to-the-minute thrills that crime fiction can provide. “Because most crime writers produce a book a year, we've always got our finger on the pulse of contemporary society. And now more than ever Scots are fascinated with what's going on in their world.”
The author of TV’s Wire in the Blood series also says that crime fiction provides a handy outlet for the strains and stresses of living in modern Scotland. “We feel really murderous a lot of the time and reading about it diverts us from doing it!”
Award-winning Scots author Denise Mina says that it’s the quality of crime-writing that attracts readers most, saying that good crime fiction is something they can trust.
“Crime fiction promise a diverting story and, if it doesn't deliver that, it's bad crime fiction. Doesn't matter how well written, researched or sold. That's the contract with the reader. Also, it's so broad, from historical into future worlds, from aristos to homeless refugees, all of human life is here”
Stuart MacBride, whose Birthdays for the Dead was at number seven in the list, believes that crime fiction fare reflects the Scottish character.
“The Scottish race is thrawn by nature, and we're drawn to the rebellious nature of most crime fiction protagonists. We like to root for the plucky underdog, beset on all sides, but determined to see justice done. Crime fiction embraces so many aspects of what it is to be here and now, reflects our hopes and fears, all tied up in a juicy story that grabs you from the first page and won't leave you alone until you know how it ends. Or at least it should do. And the characters in these books are always caught in extremis, when they're at their most raw and real. What could be more interesting than that?”
People have always been fascinated by crime and criminals. Those who offend break societal boundaries about what is acceptable and unacceptable and so they take risks that we would never dream of taking ourselves. So too people have always been both scared and fascinated by monsters. Fear and fascination. Two seemingly mutually incompatible emotions but something that psychologists call "co-activation" - which explains why we can be both scared by a horror movie but nonetheless don't want to look away."
The chair of Bloody Scotland’s organising committee, agent Jenny Brown, has no doubt that the reading public’s appetite for crime novels justifies the now annual celebration of bloody books.
“Scots clearly love to read about a good murder and we also happen to be rather good about writing them. We have had two outstandingly successful festivals, if we say so ourselves, and it has been wonderful to see readers come along in such huge numbers to listen to, and chat to, their favourite crime authors.”
“We can’t name names just yet but a number of those at the top of the most-borrowed list will be coming to Bloody Scotland in 2014 and I’m sure readers will be just as excited about that as we are.”
For more information, please contact Dom Hastings, Bloody Scotland Festival Manager: dom@bloodyscotland.com
The Swedish Storyteller
Fans of Scandinavian crime fiction have been spoilt for choice in recent years, with the likes of Henning Mankell, Arne Dahl, Jo Nesbo and Karin Fossum thrilling and terrifying in equal measure.
Which is why any new names on the scene need to offer something a bit different in order to stand out from the ever–growing crowd.
And that's where Mons Kallentoft comes in.
His main character is a brilliant detective who works too much, drinks too much and has relationships problems. So far, so familiar, right?
Think again. Because Mons’ troubled hero is actually a heroine – welcome to the world of Detective Inspector Malin Fors.
Those at the event were treated to a reading by Mons of an excerpt from the book Savage Spring. Event chair, and Bloody Scotland co–founder, Alex Gray is a big fan of the dark, poetic prose and it was easy to see (or should that be hear?) why.
As readers, we are given Malin’s point of view but the Swedish author is fairly unusual in the respect that he also gives a voice to the victims whose murders she must try to solve. “You should feel the breath of the dead in your ear,” he told the audience, as a cold chill no doubt crept down the spines of everyone in the room.
Four of his books are available in English so far – Midwinter Sacrifice, Summertime Death, Autumn Killing and Savage Spring. Clearly a fan of the seasons, and with all the usual ones used up, the next book in the series is, naturally, called The Fifth Season.
As well as the Malin Fors books, the hugely talented Mons is also the author of the novels Pesetas, Marbella Club, Attractive, Healthy and Spontaneous, plus Food Noir, a collection of food essays.
So how did it all begin?
A keen footballer and ice–hockey player, at the age of 14, a sports injury confined him to the house. A lack of anything decent to watch on television saw him turn to books and delve into the darker elements of literature. His debut novel, Pesetas, was first published in Sweden in 2000 and saw him win the Swedish equivalent of the Costa Book award. However, it is the Malin Fors books that have seen Mons establish himself as one of the most exciting Scandinavian crime writers around at the moment.
Once the roving microphone made its way around the room, one audience member wanted to know why, as a man, Mons is so good at writing a female protagonist? He explained: “As a good writer, you should be able to write – whether the characters are male or female. Men and women are not that different. Malin is very much a human being.”
As for Malin being a television star of the future, Mons isn't so sure.
“I've turned down a lot of television and film offers,” he revealed. “Malin is my baby. I'm still waiting for the perfect moment.”
Post by Lisa Gray
Violent Femmes
This has been a big news week in the crime writing world!
Our Sunday night headliner Lee Child was awarded the CWA Diamond Dagger award last Monday for his outstanding contribution to the world of crime fiction. Our Fresh Blood author Malcolm Mackay has also been shortlisted for not one, but TWO awards (The Ian Fleming Steel Dagger Award 2013, CWA John Creasey 'New Blood' Dagger 2013), which confirms our suspicions that he's certainly 'one to watch'! Grab your tickets to our Fresh Blood event featuring Malcolm before everybody else catches on, too!
We also reckon that you'll have failed to miss the news that a certain debut novel from Mr Robert Galbraith was in fact Ms JK Rowling's first foray into crime writing. Journalists, industry professionals and authors were shocked that The Cuckoo's Calling was the work of Rowling rather than a Mr Galbraith, but why the surprise, fiction fans? We've known all along that where there is excellent crime fiction, there is often a female author not far behind it...
This week we're featuring some of the amazing events that feature the women of Bloody Scotland 2013.
Did you manage to make it along to Catriona McPherson's book launch on Wednesday evening? If not, fear not - you will have another opportunity to catch the Queensferry ex-pat in September! McPherson will be appearing alongside Nicola Upson and Martha Lea in their event another time another place. All three authors specialise in tales set in the mid 19th and early-20th century, so is sure to be a must-see event for those who enjoy a bit of history with their thrillers!
What would you say if we told you that you have the chance to see blades in action at Bloody Scotland? Scared? Intrigued? Hungry..? We will be transforming the MacLaren suite into a kitchen at our Killer Cookbook event where Caro Ramsay will be asking some very special guests about their favourite dark recipes, from killer cocktails to death by chocolate...
Violent Femmes Louise Welsh and Denise Mina create some very dark material, indeed. From short stories to novels as well as Mina's recent move into the world of graphic novels, there is a murderous thread that runs through their fiction. Our event Dark Deeds will be sure cover the dark inspiration that lurks behind their work - and we cannot wait!
And that's only a handful of the amazing women that we have at this year's festival - check out our for much, much more!
Crime from further afield
We hope that you have been getting out and about and enjoying this distinctly un-Scottish weather that we’ve been having for the past couple of weeks. What a July it’s been!
This week we’ve been inspired to look at some of the exotic, far-away locations which some of our Bloody Scotland authors call home, from Spain to New York, the sunny South to the Emerald Isle...
This weather has been inspiring such great cheer, and what better way to keep it going well into September than by grabbing yourself a ticket for our Irish event Good Craic! Join us for a craic-filled event with Colin Bateman and Eoin Colfer. Fans of Hitchiker’s Guide to the Galaxy or the Artemis Fowl series will no doubt be familiar with Colfer - this is a great opportunity to hear about his foray into crime fiction. Bateman is an accomplished novelist and screenwriter, gaining accolades for his work on Murphy’s Law and Rebus TV series. This is shaping up to be a great event with some literary heavyweights!
Some of our authors can’t get enough of the Bloody Scotland audiences: not only is Quintin Jardine opening the festival on Friday 13 September, he will also be appearing alongside Jason Webster for our Foreign Bodies event. This event focuses on crime fiction set or written abroad. How much does location affect writing? Quintin (a Scot living in Spain) and Anglo-American Webster will be offering their insight into writing from foreign spaces.
We have a number of friends from the South visiting this year. We are especially excited about Thrilling Tales and Psychological Twists which will welcome Zoë Sharp and Julia Crouch to the MacLaren Suite. Both authors are adept at creating complex characters in their fiction and know how to shock their readers with twists in the tale. Come to hear the secrets behind the characters in their thrilling fiction.