Readers Where Would a Writer be Without Them

This is only one of my bookcases - multiply this by about 10



I’ve been a reader ever since I was big enough to hold a book. As a child I devoured books and lived in a magical fantasy land conjured up by my current reading material. I danced round fairy rings, fought dragons, became a princess, had pillow fights at boarding school, joined the Chalet girls in Switzerland. Then, of course, when I was older, among other things I became a spy, detective, femme fatale, gentleman burglar (even though I was a girl). I solved crimes with Hercule Poirot, and Sherlock Homes, I visited Miss Faversham, made love to Heathcliffe, hid from Dracula and Frankenstein. In fact, I did everything but live in the real world. So is it any wonder I became a writer.

Being such an avid reader gives me something in common with my readers. I want to please them in the same way that I have been pleased with all the books I’ve read over the years. I love to hear from readers, get to know their likes and dislikes, have conversations about characters, mine and those of other authors.

So, one of the joys of my life as an author is going out to meet readers, luckily, libraries often invite writers to come and talk, and local groups often ask me along, some of these talks are paid and some are not. But my reason for accepting all these invitations is not based on finance, it is because I truly love talking with readers.

So. Don’t be shy, come along and talk to me, whether it is face to face, on Facebook, or on Twitter. I’m here and I’d love to hear from you.

http://www.chrislongmuir.co.uk/index.html

Book Launch Competition Results

I want to thank all those who entered the competition for a free ebook. It was a names in the hat draw with the winners randomly selected, and to ensure there was no favouritism I made sure the person selecting the winners, was totally objective. Well, the draw has now been done, all fair and square, by the President of Angus Writers’ Circle at their meeting last night.

And the winner of Ghost Train & Other Stories is ……….(long pause, wait for it)……….Gilly Fraser.

And the winner of Obsession & Other Stories is …………(another long pause, wait for it)………….. Myra Duffy.

Happy reading, ladies, and don’t scare yourselves too much as I cannot be held accountable for panic attacks, heart attacks or anything of that nature!

Until the next time.

http://www.chrislongmuir.co.uk

Love A Happy Ending Book Launch

This is the official launch of my two short story collections, however readers may be disappointed if they are looking for happy endings in these two ebooks because the stories fit better into the scary or dark type where happy endings are not guaranteed. So be warned - if you suffer from unexplained fears, panic attacks, or have an adverse physical reaction after reading them, I cannot be held responsible. On the other hand, if you like a good scary read, then these are the books for you.

Both books have been published to Kindle and Smashwords, plus they can be found at most outlets that sell electronic books, including the Apple iBookstore for the iPad.

Now what can I say about the stories in these two books. Well, Ghost Train & Other Stories is probably the scarier book of the two and is mostly horror stories. While Obsession & Other Stories has a mix; there are some really scary stories, some dark and gritty crime stories, and a couple of gentler ones.

So let's have a look at some reviews and maybe that will give you an idea of what you are in for!

Reviews for Ghost Train & Other Stories

Stories that creep into your head
As another reviewer said, these aren't horror stories of the vampire, slasher, gore-fest type and, as a result, they lever themselves more insidiously into your consciousness. Even though you know that's the genre you're reading, Longmuir lulls you into accepting the normality of what she's describing. Her characters are normal, relatively `ordinary' people in mostly familiar contexts, but as you get to know them, they or the contexts warp, twist, take us further and further into what becomes a nightmare for them, and/or for us. My own favourite here is Brainpower, but they're all good, scary reads.

Horror stories at their best
This collection of horror stories has no vampires or werewolves nor the blood and gore that the horror genre has taken on in recent years. These stories get inside your head and stay there.
Definitely not for the faint-hearted but if you love to be scared when you read, then this collection is for you.

Insomniacs Beware
Ghost Train and Other Stories by Chris Longmuir is a collection of short stories that is sure to have you sleeping with the lights on, providing you can get to sleep in the first place. We've all heard horror stories that scare us but we can dismiss them as fanciful. The truly horrible are those stories that take a normal fear well beyond the comfort level where you really don't want to go; to a place where maybe you can see it actually happening.... have fun, horror fans.

 Reviews for Obsession & Other Stories

Gripping

Chris's collection of stories is both dark and gritty, with a couple of gentler ones added to help ease that looking over your shoulder feeling.
The title story Obsession is about a stalker and told from his point of view - not the vicitim's. Scary indeed. This short story was the basis for Chris's crime novel Night Stalker.
This is an excellent collection of stories which works well for those who don't like to read longer works.

The Darker Side of Human Nature
Obsession and Other Stories by Chris Longmuir is a dark and thought-provoking collection of short stories that touch on the seamier side of life. There's a touch of history, a touch of mystery and a fanciful tale with a very real theme. All six stories are told in Chris's no-holds barred, gritty style.
The featured story, Obsession is a disturbing tale of a stalker told from that viewpoint - the stalker, not the victim. Very creepy being in that head! This is the story that lead to the novel, Night Watcher, an excerpt of which follows after the collection.
If you like to read but prefer short stories, I don't think you'll be disappointed.

If you decide to give these books a try they won’t break the bank because, as an introductory offer I’ve priced them at less than a pound or dollar. There will also be a prize draw of one book from each selection, but please bear in mind they are ebooks. If you want to enter the draw please leave a comment below, but I will need your email address and which electronic version you prefer, for example, Kindle, epub or PDF. Now I know that Blogger has been having problems and some folks seem to be prevented from leaving comments, so if that happens to you, then send me an email either directly or through the Contact page on my website http://www.chrislongmuir.co.uk/contact/index.html and put Book Launch in the subject line.

Once you have read them it would be awfully nice if you could leave a brief Amazon review and maybe mention what you liked or didn’t like in the stories. No obligation though, just if you feel like it. Now I know that not everyone has the same tastes in reading so if you really don’t like the books tell me why, but please don’t be cruel, we authors are sensitive people, and we don’t like our babies to be abused.

Now that you’ve found your way to my blog why don’t you check out my website http://www.chrislongmuir.co.uk/index.html

Nice talking to you.

Scotland’s New Crime Festival - Bloody Scotland

I had the most fantastic time on Friday at the launch of Bloody Scotland in the company of most of Scotland’s crime writers, and I wanted to share it with you.

Authors attending launch of Bloody Scotland

What is Bloody Scotland? Well, it’s an exciting new project to bring together the best of Scottish crime writing and crime writers in a new festival planned for next year. The venue is Stirling, and the dates are 14th to 16th September 2012.

How did it all come about? Alex Gray and Lin Anderson say they were indulging in a glass of Prosecco at the bar and wondering if Scotland could have its own crime festival, similar to the one in Harrogate. Several glasses later they were still tossing the idea around and had even given it a name, Bloody Scotland, visualising Harrogate Crime Festival attendees turning to each other at the bar and saying, ‘You going to Bloody Scotland this year?’ So that was the start of it.

So, out of that conversation Bloody Scotland took root as more than an idea. Therefore it can be said that the festival is the inspiration of crime writers Lin Anderson and Alex Gray who believed, given the global reputation of Scottish crime writing, that there should be a showcase to celebrate its quality and diversity while placing it in an international context.

After that initial start a committee was set up and has been beavering away to make Bloody Scotland a reality. The launch on Friday was the first step towards publication of the information and to hail the Bloody Scotland Festival in Stirling as the place to be next September.

The festival has the support of Stirling Council, Creative Scotland, University of Stirling and will be working closely with Stirling’s well-established literary festival, Off the Page.

Ian Rankin said “Scottish crime writing continues to fire on all cylinders, and talented new voices keep appearing. Bloody Scotland is a long overdue celebration of Scotland’s favourite genre, one of its most successful cultural exports ~ and a chance to hear some of the most interesting international writers too.”

Robert Ruthven, Information, Libraries & Archives Service manager commented, “It is a great compliment to the continuing success of Off the Page Stirling Book Festival that the organisers of Bloody Scotland have chosen Stirling as the venue for their Crime Weekend. Visiting crime authors are always warmly received by the Stirling public and the inaugural Bloody Scotland Festival can only add to Stirling’s reputation as the city which loves its crime. Our library staff who organise Off the Page are looking forward to this new working partnership.”

On 14 September 2012 the University of Stirling will host masterclasses, workshops and a publishers and agents forum. “Stirling has a thriving centre for publishing studies and we’ve just launched a postgraduate creative writing programme,” says Douglas Brodie, head of the School of Arts and Humanities. “We’re delighted to help aspiring writers at the festival develop their talent, technique and professional savvy.”

Emma Turnbull at Creative Scotland says “Bloody Scotland will be a welcome addition to the host of vibrant and diverse literature festivals we support across Scotland.”

Full programme details of the debut festival will be launched in late spring 2012.

For more information contact 0797 1099402

So, put the date in your diary and remember to look out for the submission information in the spring. And I’ll see you there.

http://www.chrislongmuir.co.uk/index.html

Dundee International Book Prize - What it Feels like to Win

Ten aspiring authors have been lucky enough to be included on the short list of the Dundee International Book Prize, details can be found on the Dundee Book Prize website at http://www.dundeebookprize.com/index.htm and you can read excerpts from the winning novels if you go to the Literary Dundee website http://www.literarydundee.co.uk/bookprize/ I can just imagine how those ten authors must be feeling, because I’ve been there. As they say - been there, done that, worn the tee-shirt.

It seems a lifetime now since I won the Dundee Prize, although it was actually only two years ago in 2009. I can’t begin to describe the experience, only that it was awesome. It started the year before that when, in September 2008, I was informed my novel, Dead Wood, was on the short list. Then in October I was told I had won, but I was given strict instructions to tell no one. There was to be a moratorium on the information until the launch date, which was 29th June 2009.
 
Unfortunately I had already told the two friends who edit and proof read for me. You see after I got the phone call, and after I’d convinced myself it wasn’t a scam, I was simply bursting with the need to tell someone, and I didn’t know about the moratorium until the next day when the letter of confirmation arrived from the Lord Provost of Dundee. Needless to say my two friends were sworn to secrecy and adopted the mantles of Secret Agent Two and Three. They allocated the title Secret Agent One, to me.
 
After the letter everything went deathly quiet. I had been told I would be contacted by the publisher, Polygon, but no call came until March 2009, five months after I’d been told I had won. During those five months I began to think it had all been a dream, wishful thinking on my part. It was only the prodding of my two Secret Agent friends that reminded me it had actually happened. But you know how it is when the doubts surface. It’s difficult to shake them off.
 
But in March when the publisher eventually got in touch, it was a flurry of activity. An editor was appointed to do the substantive editing bit which consisted of instructions to lose 7,000 words, plus advice on what to get rid of and what to expand, and so on. Okay, the 7,000 words were cut from the manuscript, however in following the advice to expand certain bits another 7,000 words were added. So, back on the merry-go-round to lose another 7,000 words. I still don’t really know where those 14,000 words went, but go they did. At last, the editor was satisfied and I was satisfied so the book then went to the proofing editor.
 
Proofing is a fairly straightforward process, however the proofing editor changed some names to make my novel more Scottish. So Tony’s wife Madge, became Mairi. Sergeant Dobbs, nicknamed Dobbsy, became Sergeant Robertson with no nickname. And Angel became Angela. I dug my heels in about Angel though, because she was a pole dancer and whoever heard of a pole dancer named Angela. I argued that Angela sounded more like the girl next door, while Angel was a name a pole dancer might assume for her act. So Angela returned to Angel, thank goodness for that.
 
The other thing that arose was the book’s title. The Dundee Prize judges had insisted my book, which was originally called The Screaming Woods, should be retitled, and when I was chosen as the winner I would have stood on my hands and done cartwheels if they’d asked. So, agreeing was a no-brainer. During the editing process the publisher decided the book should be called First Blood, then shortly after they changed their minds and decided on Dead Wood. So, Dead Wood it became and that’s how it stayed.
 
The day of the launch was getting frighteningly near and I started to wonder if the book would be ready on time. I needn’t have feared, because almost on the eve of the launch the book was ready.  I think all publishers must work to this exacting timescale but it’s quite frightening if you aren’t used to it.
 

Anyway, the launch day arrived, bright and sunny. Thank goodness for that because publicity shoots had been arranged to take place in Templeton Woods, the setting for my murders. It was a whirlwind of activity. First the photo shoot, then the interview for television, then the secret signing in the stock room of the local book store. At last, I got my hands on my novel. A lovely new shiny paperback that I didn’t want to release from my grasp once it was there. I wanted to stroke it, kiss it, and generally just make love to it. But, I had to sign them and leave them there. Then it was off to a swanky hotel to freshen up for the evening reception.

 
Prised out of my jeans and dressed up to the nines I took my place at the top table, rubbing elbows with the Lord Provost and other dignitaries. A lovely meal and several speeches later, excerpts from three of the short listed books, which had become the short-short listed books, were read, and I was announced as the winner. I made a speech but couldn’t tell you what I said because I was still floating on a cloud. I was presented with my award and the gold envelope containing that lovely, lovely cheque. Then it was off to sign books and what a fabulous experience that was, sitting at a table signing my very own book.

Ah, well, that was two years ago and I wish the winner of this year's Dundee Book Prize as much joy and success as I’ve had since winning it.
 
http://www.chrislongmuir.co.uk/index.html

Do you like a good scary read?

I thought that for a change I would give you a wee peep at what I have been up to over the past few weeks. Now, I don’t usually bore you with promotional stuff on my blog. Nor am I prone to saying ‘look at what a good girl I’ve been’, but I’ve had my head down, working hard and couldn’t resist giving you a peek at my two new books of short stories.
 
Two? I hear you say. You’re churning them out, two at a time? Well, you see I thought I would ransack my hard disk for some short stories to keep my readers amused, not that my writing is in any way amusing, you understand. I also thought I might manage to turn up enough stories to fill a book. So I got hunting and quickly realized that if I put all the short stories that wriggled out of my hard disk into one book, I might have something the length of War and Peace. Nothing daunted I compiled the resurrected short stories into two separate piles. One set was an assortment including crime and a few gentler ones, while the other set was horror. I won’t bore you by describing the revision and polishing process, but the end result was two different books of short stories. So, if you can bear it I’ll include the details below.
 

The first book, Obsession & Other Stories is a collection of short stories meant to entertain and intrigue. The collection includes dark and gritty crime stories as well as a couple of gentler ones.

These six short stories are a mixed batch which I hope you will enjoy. They include:-

‘Obsession’ - which is a dark story about a stalker, and not recommended for those of a nervous disposition. This was the story which gave birth to the Night Watcher and is the precursor of my novel of the same name.

‘In Zofia’s Footsteps’ - is the story of migrant fruit pickers working on a fruit farm in Scotland. Make up your own mind whether or not there is a hint of the paranormal in this one.

‘Not a Bad Person’ - is a gritty story which introduces Baz, a heroin addict and what he feels compelled to do to acquire money to feed his habit.

‘Ghost of Christmas Past’ - is a gentle ghost story which is not in the least scary, although I’m better known for my scary stories.

‘Sin’ - is a tale of the Magdalene Laundries, the institutions for unmarried mothers which were infamous in Ireland in the not too distant past.

‘Santa’s Little Helper’ - a little bit of nonsense to finish off with.

 

The second book. Ghost Train & Other Stories is a collection of horror stories, not meant for the faint-hearted.

What you won’t find in this book are zombies and vampires. Nor will you find anyone running around wielding a chainsaw, although there might be some knives and maybe a cleaver. Blood and gore is also missing, although I can’t guarantee you won’t stumble across some body parts.

However, you will find plenty to scare you in these stories unless, of course, you have become hardened to horror.

 
The four short stories in this book are a mixed batch of horror and paranormal stories which I hope you will enjoy. They include:-

‘The Ghost Train’ - was previously published in issue 39 of Dark Horizons in 2001, and is a dark story set in a fairground.

‘The Gourmet Club' - is a story about a restaurant which features an exclusive, invitation only, gourmet club with rather unusual tastes.

‘Brainpower’ - is a fantasy about what happens to a student who craves more and more knowledge.

‘Déjà vu’ - is another paranormal story with a dark theme.

 

I am publishing these two books at the lowest possible price that Amazon allows as a reward to my readers and an encouragement for new readers. I can only hope that folks will enjoy them.

 

A couple of five star reviews which are already on Amazon:-

Obsession and Other Stories by Chris Longmuir is a dark and thought-provoking collection of short stories that touch on the seamier side of life. There's a touch of history, a touch of mystery and a fanciful tale with a very real theme. All six stories are told in Chris's no-holds barred, gritty style.

The featured story, Obsession is a disturbing tale of a stalker told from that viewpoint - the stalker, not the victim. Very creepy being in that head! This is the story that led to the novel, Night Watcher, an excerpt of which follows after the collection.

Also included is an excerpt from Chris Longmuir's latest novel, A Salt Splashed Cradle, an engrossing family saga from a time when livelihoods were made from the sea.

If you like to read but prefer short stories, I don't think you'll be disappointed.

Well done, Chris Longmuir. I look forward to more.

Ghost Train and Other Stories by Chris Longmuir is a collection of short stories that is sure to have you sleeping with the lights on, providing you can get to sleep in the first place. We've all heard horror stories that scare us but we can dismiss them as fanciful. The truly horrible are those stories that take a normal fear well beyond the comfort level where you really don't want to go; to a place where maybe you can see it actually happening.... have fun, horror fans.

If you like the look of these two books of short stories they can be found on Amazon and Smashwords, just search my name and they will come up.

Until the next time.

Harrogate Crime Festival - A Criminal Weekend

I’ve been a regular at the Harrogate Crime Festival since 2007, and have enjoyed every one. I treat it a bit like a summer break and it’s the ideal holiday for bookaholics like me, and writers addicted to their craft, again like me. This year we were in Harrogate’s Old Swan Hotel, famous for being the place Agatha Christie was found after she went missing.

 
The place hotches with writers, agents, editors and publishers. We are told it is now the largest crime festival in Europe, and I believe it. I meet up with old chums and new acquaintances, some famous, some not. It makes no difference, everyone is friendly. It all goes to make a fabulous three days, four if you also attend the Creative Writers day where the workshops are always instructive and entertaining. This year’s workshops were run by Allan Guthrie and Stuart MacBride, an entertaining double act doing ‘Show Don’t Tell’. Dreda Say Mitchell, assisted by Tony Mason did a wonderful workshop on ‘Characterisation’, and Natasha Cooper and Selina Walker (Publisher at Random House) ably presented ‘Submission Letters & Synopses’. Then on to the ‘Dragon’s Pen’ session where some brave souls pitched their crime novels to a panel of agents, editors, and publishers, before we all relaxed with wine and nibbles at the Alibi reception.
 
The Crime Festival proper, starts on Thursday at 8pm with the Theakstons Old Peculier Crime Novel of the Year Award and festival opening party. The winner of the award was Lee Child for ‘61 Hours’. But there was also another award this year, a special one, and that was given to PD James for her outstanding contribution to Crime Writing. When she went up to the platform to collect it she received a standing ovation and I thought the clapping was never going to stop. Thursday night ended with the party where wine and canapés were served.
 
Friday morning dawned, and somewhat bleary-eyed we turned out to hear Martina Cole being cross-examined by Dreda Say Mitchell. There followed a succession of panels featuring well known crime authors talking about a variety of crime writing topics. I couldn’t start to name them all, the list would be too extensive, but among them were some of my favourites, namely Mandasue Heller, Denise Mina, Allan Guthrie, and Cathi Unsworth. The day finished off with a lively exchange between Linwood Barclay and Lisa Gardner, following which we all trooped off to bed wondering how on earth anyone could manage to sew a rattler into someone’s mouth without suffering a snake bite themselves. Guess I’ll have to read the book if I want to find out.
 
Saturday, up bright and early to hear Tess Gerritsen being interviewed by Radio 4’s Jenni Murray. The interview was brilliant and one of the high spots of the weekend. This was followed by ‘The Outer Limits’ an interesting look at the paranormal in crime fiction, and then the ‘New Blood’ panel which featured Julia Crouch, Gordon Ferris, SJ Watson, and Melanie McGrath, who were introduced by Val McDermid. Val, as always, was her usual effervescent self and led the discussion with lots of humour. This panel was of particular interest to me because I was in the middle of reading Gordon Ferris’s ‘The Hanging Shed’, currently top of the Amazon e-books chart.
 
Several panels and a clutch of well-known authors later came the next high spot of the weekend - the conversation between David Baldacci and Joseph Finder. Both authors were vibrant, entertaining and interesting. They easily held the attention of an audience, wilting under the onslaught of so many stimulating panels. As if one Saturday high spot wasn’t enough, we then had Lee Child telling us about his personal hates, which were fairly minor. On the list of his pet hates were bad reviews, characters’ descriptions given through mirror reflections, authors who embellished their CVs with information that had no basis in fact, for example, saying they had worked for the FBI or the CIA. And lastly, novels which had a character saying ‘There has been a murder’.
 
Saturday wound up with the late night quiz which is a riotous and noisy affair, often with a fair amount of cheating going on. Val McDermid and Mark Billingham were the quizmasters and they tried valiantly to keep order. I’m proud to say that our team, the Sexy Ladies, came in at fifth place. We were fourth from the bottom last year, but this year there were thirteen teams with lower marks than ours. So, all in all, a great but exhausting Saturday.

Sunday dawned bright and sunny, and it was time to pack the suitcase which was now considerably heavier with all the books I had acquired. But there were still two panels to go. The first one on place and settings, and then the well-anticipated final event with Dennis Lehane, well-known American author of ‘Shutter Island’ and ‘Mystic River’ as well as a host of other successful novels. Both these events were great and Dennis Lehane was a fitting end to one of the greatest crime festivals in Europe.
 
Roll on next year.