Drogba in, Dagger out

I asked if it was a dagger, I saw before me and now I’ve got the answer. Er, no it wasn’t.

The shortlist for the CWA John Creasey (New Blood) Dagger has been reduced to a final four and – dagnabbit – I didn’t make the cut. Oh well, it was good while it lasted and anyway, I didn’t really have time to spend an evening in London drinking champagne with people off the telly. I’m pretty sure I’m washing my hair that night.
The final four comprises…

Acts of Violence, Ryan David Jahn (Pan)
Rupture, Simon Lelic (Picador)
The Holy Thief, William Ryan (Mantle )
The Pull of the Moon, Diane Janes (Robinson)

Congratulations and good luck to all of them. I’ll settle for trying to win the office fantasy football league instead. Which reminds me… Rooney or Drogba up front and will Milner start every week if he goes to Man City?

In other news, I interviewed Stuart MacBride yesterday for the day job. Top bloke, top beard, and it was just a pity I had to dash off to catch a train south again just an hour after we sat down.

He was even kind enough to take a copy of Random from me (well I foisted it on him to be honest) even though he has little chance of actually being able to read it due to a current workload that would shame a Dickensian urchin. The latest in his Logan McCrae series has been brought forward six months and by the time it hits the shelves he’ll have had four books published in 18 months. Ouch.

Is this a dagger I see before me...

I’m trying to play this as cool as possible while desperately attempting an air of casual indifference. But failing. Badly.

Last Friday, the shortlist for the 2010 CWA John Creasey (New Blood) Dagger was announced and, whether by error or design, my name was there. I did a little jig in the manner of Riverdance (the post-Flatley years naturally) and then quickly looked around to make sure no-one noticed.

I suspect, like the other seven writers who have been shortlisted, that getting a book published was itself the realisation of a dream and anything that comes after that really is a bonus. So I’m taking this for what it is, recognition from people who care about crime writing and who must think I’ve done something right. The eight are reduced to a final four on August 9 and my editor Maxine has left me in no doubt how important it is to make the cut. After all it will make the difference between her getting a new frock or not. Fingers crossed, Max.

Reading about the others on the shortlist is a depressing task because they all sound excellent. My hopes for a couple of duffers in there just haven’t materialised at all. The list is …

Acts of Violence, Ryan David Jahn
Cut Short, Leigh Russell
Martyr, Rory Clements
Random, Craig Robertson
Stop Me, Richard Jay Parker
Rupture, Simon Lelic
The Holy Thief, William Ryan
The Pull of the Moon, Diane Janes

Congratulations and good luck to everyone on the list. I’ve a fair idea how much hard work has gone into each book and sincerely hope that all do well both in terms of the dagger and beyond.