Since many people struggle with pronouncing 'genre' anyway, it's probably best to stay with my rhyme. Perhaps my next series will be written in iambic pentameter - has that been done?

Tom -- we need to find you something else to do -- how goes the new book??

Tom,
Thanks for the comment, and you have great taste in books. Leonard....my all-time fav
Cheers, J

Thanks for the invite! A lifetime ago I spent a summer as an exchange student in Nice. Is there still an Algerian vendor on the beach singing out his wares? Coca-cola, l'eau minerale, orangina, hashish, cocaine....

Nice to meet you, Tom.
Condemned is the name of my son's metal band. Need I say more?
BTW, my dog's name is Cain. What a great name! He's the best dog so please consider it a compliment.

They're on a break right now. But they practiced here all the time. We have a basement, we lovingly call The Dungeon. I'm an official 'band mutha', and love every minute of it. I go to all the shows. I'm a roadie.

Anyone who knows me. I have a t-shirt that says it in case there is any question. But since I'm on the sidelines or near the mosh pit at all the concerts, it's kind of a given. I'm just a mom who loves her son. Support is important when you're in the arts. As writers well know.
:))

LOL thanks for the message, but it's not a self portrait. I appreciate the add. :-)

Thanks for the message, Tom
There's a few I can add to my authors list, but let me know if you need to borrow any Bruen books...I can recommend the lot!
Tony

Sorry I'm so late in answering your question about Tarheels, Tom. I've been away for a couple of weeks. A little vacation between a little promotion. As for the question, nobody is sure where the nick name came from, but experts say it came about because of the tar and pitch in the pine forest in the eastern part of the state. Tar and pitch were important exports from the colonies. I like the story that says locals filled a stream with tar to slow down armies during the Revloutionary War and when the troops finally forded the stream they had tar covered feet and said everyone in the colony must have tar on their heels. Wherever the name came from, most North Carolina natives are proud to be called Tarheels.

Hi Tom,
Thanks for stopping by. Add me to the list of those who liked Jurassic Park. Only time I understood chaos theory! Good luck with your sequel. We're working on ours too - and also feel the pressure.
Evelyn

Hey Tom, I did get that TV job, lo these many years ago, lol. But I much prefer not being in the spotlight, quietly writing my books. Thanks for being my friend!

Oh, and I was reading the comment about Tarheels. I'm originally a child of the South, and another story is that the NC boys "stuck like tar" during an important battle.

All is forgiven! It's safe to cross The Pond, now!

Tom - it's nice to know I've got a thing in common with her! Sadly, I never felt that way when I was a teenager, but have hope: by the time they hit about 25 they'll come around.

Hi Tom!

Thanks for the comment.

I'm sure I could walk you through fixing that porch... I taught my husband how to do dishes, and nothing could be harder than that.

The Duke case was amazing- a fascinating mix of true crime and crime fiction. I was sure that after the hearing the interest in it would die down... and most likely wouldn't have written about it again- but how can I turn down the chance to get a free book? Especially one that was so well written. That's one of the perks of being a blogger :D

Is it 500 words or 500 pounds you owe me..? Take your time, sure you're good for it.
Tone

Hi Tom! Thanks for befriending me. With every book, I ask myself--how do you do over again? It's always a daunting process for me.

Thanks for your comment about my cover, Tom. I have to say, I was pretty floored when I saw that big old doll face for the first time!

Hi Tom - Thanks for the invite, I really appreciate the welcome. Still finding my feet here on Crime Space ... Glad to see you're a Fleming fan, I didn't know it was cool to admit to that again ... I started reading the James Bond stuff when I was about 12, and I've been planning to get back into him again for about two years now ... I love Alistair Maclean's Chandler / Fleming homage, When Eight Bells Toll ... one of my all-time faves, actually, and a big, big influence on my first book ... Anyway, thanks again for the invite, and chat soon. Cheers, Dec

Beach Volleyball is pretty entertaining if you ever get a chance to watch it, they even used it in an episode of CSI Miami.

I'll look forward to reading your book, finding new authors is something I always look forward to.

Hi Tom - I just finished The Accident Man. Really enjoyed it, it's a wild ride. Congratulations, and thanks for a great read!

Yup - your one is on my list of events to attend - I'm really looking forward to Harrogate. Should be fun!

Great news, I'll put it on my lookout like. I'm still trying to figure out who you really are just by your writing. Read the excerpt and was immediately grabbed, so you have another reader across the pond....

Tom, thanks for the comment and for telling me about Mary Wesley, whom I hadn't heard of. I AM a spring chicken--Mom was going strong till 96 and one aunt still is at 95, including playing tennis and going dancing. Liz

Okay TC...lets test those journalism skills a'yours...caption competition on my page in five! You're in the biz, so we'll have a stick-up too!! Man dontcha lurve that industry jargon..?

Sorry to everyone who messaged me over the past few days - been up in Harrogate at the Crime Writers Festival. Gave our joint publishers kittens by having an argument with Lee Child that began over dinner at our hotel and went on till 1.00 am. Learned a lot about Lee ... and also Jack Reacher. Great times ...

Hey, Tom - further to our conversation about black-clad crime writers, I take it the way Christopher Brookmyre was dressed on Saturday night wasn't lost on you? Black kilt and matching t-shirt - worked for me!

Thanks for this. sorry that I was so disorganised that I cam to Harrogate and had not made a list of crimespace people to meet up with. Ning was down on the day I left and the friend I stayed with didn't have a computer I could use. I really enjoyed it and met some intersting people from all over the world in the various queues to go back into the main room. Also attended the new blood panel at which you spoke though I have not read the book - hardback and too expensive for my meagre budget but I will ask local library to buy it!

I was at the festival in part to write it up for a website I am involved with europolar.eu. So now all I have to do is condense the interesting notes I have into something readable...

My Harrogate notes should be up here in blog form within the next couple of days ...

Really good to meet you too Tom. Thought you were very funny on the New Blood panel! Hope you got home OK and that we can meet up again soon!

Nice to meet you Tom and thanks for the invite! The New Blood Panel was one of my favourites. I took notes in fact and if I get a chance I will put them up :o) And you interviewed Al, Russel and Jools and not me???? Thank f*ck! I am the shy retiring type.

PS - In fact, I did actually mention it in Vincent's thread on the Forum :o)

Here you go:
http://crimespace.ning.com/forum/topic/show?id=537324%3ATopic%3A56775

Howdy back, Tom...

I really enjoyed the article Tom, nice to see someone who actually likes crime fiction reporting on a crime festival.

In answer to your question, last year I described le Barclay:

"Then it was off to the bar, where the inimitable Alex Barclay (who isn't actually a man) made her usual dramatic appearance, telling everyone they looked gorgeous in a ninety mile an hour Southern Irish accent. Alex tends to create her own event horizon, frenetic energy building up to critical mass until it implodes into a gravitational well that pulls in men for miles around. Shameless hussy that she is."

She denied everything afterwards of course...

Thank you for adding me and thank you so much for the very kind comment on my page!

Hey Tom. Glad to see you're flying the flag for us Brits on here and congrats on the success of The Accident Man. If you're ever up town and fancy talking shop or handy ways to avoid Sky Sports News, feel free to drop me a line. Best, Matt

Hi Tom, yes Random House here in NZ, published your book The Accident Man last month. We sold out almost straight away!

Yes I did order more!

Hello Tom,

Thanks for dropping in to visit me. You're getting great word-of-mouth on The Accident Man. I'm off to add it to my reading list.

Slan, Pat.

Hi Tom
How's that follow up going? I've started a sequel to Reaper and have got down two quality pages. Oh well.

Hi Tom
My follow up is very slow. I hate the idea of deadlines but maybe that's what I need. I can see by the time of your message that you're hard at it. I seem to fill spare time with heavy duty mulling and little else. What's part 2 called?

Thanks for accepting. I read your book a couple of months ago and was impressed by the pace and the strong grasp you have of your main character. Incredible that it was your first effort. But, as you say, you have been writing for a long time. It shows. Good luck with the next one, and give your norwegian granma a ring this christmas, or else she will serve you Lutefisk next time around.

I'd just like to say how much I enjoyed your novel, "The Accident Man". It was well crafted and hooked me from the very first page. I like how you took basically impossible scenarios and made them believable as opposed to the corny or ridiculous situations some action heros extract themselves from.
I look forward to your next book and will be looking out for it at the store.
Regards Jon

I'm sure the publisher will love it if it is as good as the last. I imagine the pressure of a second novel must be quite intense.
I really hope you get a good deal on selling the film rights to your novel, I've had dealings with producers before so watch out that they don't take your watch when they shake your hand, and if they give you a hug check your wallet if you keep it in your back pocket.
regards
Jon

Screw them next time then. The book{s} would make a great movie franchise or TV series, it's a pity Daniel Craig is busy with Bond as he'd be great as "The Accident Man". Maybe Sean Bean would like to laser the drunk driver in the tunnel, if he tones down that "Sharpe" accent.
Just keep the writers etc responsible for ruining the UK "Ultimate Force" series away from it. A classic example of how to stuff up a good story to make it more universally acceptable. .
I don't know if you have read any of the Lee Child books, again an incredible opportunity for a screen franchise but who the hell could play Jack Reacher, his stature and bearing is so well embed into the readers mind that casting must be a nightmare.
I'm also waiting for John Rain to make his screen debut to challenge Samuel Carver as the number 1 hitter in town.
Best of luck.
Jon

Now that would be tragic, I actually like some of the stuff Tom C has done but he's no Jack, in-fact that is as absurd as the time Sean Connery was being muted for Gandalf, that made me shudder as well {though he is one of my favourite tough guys} and strangely enough my pick for the part was Ian Maclellan and was very happy when it was finally announced a lot later. Happily I got to see him in action, as did most of Wellington, when i did a little stint booming on LOTR.
You know I wouldn't mind putting a fiver on Jason Statham being the one put forward if it is done in the next few years and the producers can come up with a mid range budget. Be a shame really as the story would deserve more production money and someone with the A grade charisma.
The Bourne franchise sure has worked but for god sakes why do the bloody directors insist on that stupid camera shake, it makes the scenes unwatchable on the big screen in my opinion. If I want to get sick I'll go sailing.
I loved the way Len Wiseman did the latest Die Hard, great action. No shaky shaky, lets see what the poor stunties are putting their lives on the line for.
How about Karl Urban as Sam, better get in quick though before his fee goes up :) though with sods law he'd test for Sam and come away as a Russian assassin.
Have you read "Spencerville" by Demille, just fantastic. Should have been a movie ages ago, Jessica Lange as the sheriffs wife and Nick Nolte as the sheriff, maybe Michael Douglas as the ex CIA hero or Harrison Ford, hmmm.
How sad that producers sit on these things and let a lot of great works just go dusty in their draws or get turned into crap because the moneys not there for a better production. Though David Cronenberg proves quality can be done without a T Cruise budget.
By the way your book certainly has some damn fine reviews out there online. That must give you a good feeling.
Jon

Jason Statham is what you might call the 'you want ... you settle for ... you get" option. But my feeling is that the only way this film gets made is with a big budget, as the launchpad for a franchise. That's what one super A-list director with a mega action trilogy behind him (hint, hint!) wanted to do, till his studio's top brass got scared off by the Diana angle .. and it's what another major studio were interested in doing until Paramount came in for it, with a contract that entitles them to make sequels from now to the crack of doom. But since Hollywood is dead at the moment, because of the writers' strike, and unmade projects are piling up all over the place, I'd say the odds on it being made are getting ever-longer, unless it sells bucket-loads of books in the States. To which end, those reviews are, indeed, very gratifying ... And thanks for reading them!

Thanks too for the friend invite: delighted to accept ...

That's an interesting point about the Studio worrying about the Diana angle. I was under the impression that Americans were fascinated by the royals and love nothing more than a good old conspiracy theory,e.g. who killed Kennedy; who tried to poison Castro; did anyone really land on the moon; how could you vote both father & son into the white house & then think of voting the wife of a previous president in, bizarre really; and look how they took to " The D-V----C-d-" a not so good book & terrible movie. So wouldn't they just love to see this tale of royal and political intrigue. I can see how the Brits might be a bit uncomfortable but the demographic for the movie are probably too young to give a toss, & any negative publicity for poor taste or "too soon" would just mean more bums on seats. The churches did a marvelous job in promoting that before mentioned "blasphemous abomination" to their beliefs.
I think they are foolish and misguided obviously but then its not my money.
Regards Jon