Gerard Brennan is Having a Good Month

My blogging friend Gerard Brennan just announced some exciting news on his blog: he has been taken on by literary agent (and acclaimed crime writer) Allan Guthrie of Jenny Brown Associates. I've said it several times already, but it bears repeating - congratulations, Gerard, this is well deserved and long overdue.

And it comes in the wake of some short story successes. I posted the other day about Gerard's recent appearance in Thuglit, and he also just had a story appear in Three Crow Press.

Keep up the good work, Gerard.

In Other News

Congratulations are also due to Chris F Holm for a fine horror-crime mash-up that recently appeared in the Beat to a Pulp ezine.

I have received the final version of THE TWELVE's UK cover...

The differences are subtle, but I do think this version seems more balanced and cohesive. And that tag line is a nice touch. It's a recurring line of dialogue from the novel, so well done to whoever thought of putting it on the cover.



I also received the US design for THE GHOSTS OF BELFAST (as THE TWELVE shall be known there). This time it follows the corporate branding of Soho Press, with the characteristic white stripe for the title.

A Nice Surprise: The CCV Catalogue

The postman delivered another nice package today, courtesy of my editor at Harvill Secker, Geoff Mulligan. It was the June 2009 CCV catalogue. CCV (Cape Chatto Vintage) is the division of Random House that encompasses Harvill Secker amongst others, including the Vintage mass-market paperback imprint, where I will eventually end up. Anyway, I was shocked and delighted to find that THE TWELVE is featured on the back cover, presumably as a preview for the July catalogue. Needless to say, I am chuffed!

In other news:

Two blogging friends have recently had short stories published online, and I read both stories one day apart, which given the nature of the pieces, may have left me traumatised. These authors are sick puppies, and neither story is for those of a nervous disposition. You have been warned...

Gerard Brennan's Hard Rock, in which sex, drugs and rock'n'roll lead to worse than rehab, is in Issue 29 of ThugLit. Start running a bath now. You'll need it when you're done reading.

Chris F Holm's flash fiction horror piece The Well just appeared at Flashes in the Dark. The claustrophobic among you should proceed with caution.