Scattered Reds and That Old Tornado-Feeling

I'm missing a lot of good things this week. If I had unlimited funds and a jetpack/helicopter gunship, then this week would be looking very fine. This week, I'd be feeling a little like an international playboy, so to speak. Because this week, two books that I've been lucky enough to get stories into are being officially launched. The first launch, for Even More Tonto Short Stories was last night, in Newcastle. By all accounts it went really well. I'm sorry I missed it.

Then tomorrow, in Manchester, Bad Language are launching Scattered Reds, their second anthology. My story, Pause, is in the book. I won't know who else is in it till I get my hands on a copy, although I do know my fellow Bugged alumnus Calum Kerr is in there, and he'll be reading on the night.

Here's the official blurb:

Scattered Reds - Book Launch

Bad Language will be launching their second anthology at the Castle Hotel on the 24th November. There will be guest stars! There will be books for sale! There will be an open mic slot!

The launch will be free to attend, and if you wish to partake in the open mic slot, please e-mail events@badlanguagemcr.co.uk
in order to book a place.

We hope to see you down there!

Dan, Nici and Joe.

I wish I could be there. It promises to be an amazing evening. If you're in the vicinity, then you should definitely pop in.


In other news, I NEED to visit this place.

Also, it's National Short Story Week this week, and I've managed to get two new stories written, and finished one I'd been wrestling with for a while. (Yay!) It makes a nice break from editing. I do need to stop with the 4am bedtimes, though.


I spoke with a friend a while back about feeling like there's a tornado inside you making everything heightened and crazy. Sometimes it lasts a few hours. Sometimes it's a few weeks. And it's always fun, but it puts everything up in the air and you're never quite sure how things will land, or what will happen when they do. I've got that now, the tornado-feeling, and I don't know why. Maybe I should wear my red shoes today, just in case.