Publication Date: End of January 2011

Hey mates,

I'm dead sure there's a separate entry somewhere here in this blog to stick this update, but I'm chilling out with La Familia as the New Year wind-up and beginning is more important in Japan than Christmas (in my case I get to celebrate both!), so in the meantime I'm putting this here in case anyone's at all vaguely interested.

My debut novel Tobacco-Stained Mountain Goat will now definitely be published, through US label Another Sky Press, at the end of January 2011.

It's a bit of a cut-up fusion of genres and cultures (blame 10 years in Tokyo and the rest in Melbourne, aside from six months in London and a little bit of time on the Gold Coast). Oh, and we've fixed most of those non-standard dialogue tags! ;)

My editor (Kristopher Young, who penned Click), when pressed, put it thus:


"The book itself is sort of... well, indescribable, really - noirish, subtly sci-fi, hard-boiled, futuristic; Blade Runner with a touch of Sam Spade, a smattering of Orson Welles circa Touch of Evil, or The Third Man. And a shot of bourbon."

Anyway, though I'd struggle to insert my own work in the same sentence as these cool people (a list that includes Kristopher himself), I like to believe that's what we've at least fractionally achieved...

While we're still in the edit on the book (mostly cleaning up and organizing the cover artwork - front and back both done by the insanely cool Scott Campbell), we have a sneak preview of the original, unedited first two chapters here, plus you can pre-order the beastie if that insane compulsion grabs you - it's retailing at only US$4.50 plus postage.

Cheap is always good.

Plus we've got some great feedback to the tome from magazines, newspapers and blogs like The Age, Vice, Filmink, Forces Of Geek and Impact.


You can find out more plus peruse the better-tuned propaganda and info online at
Tobacco-Stained Mountain Goat

Anyway, I'm obviously over the moon about publication of the bugger in the new year and hope you have the inclination to check it out. If you do find the time to potter over something a little different... read away.

I'd love to know what you think!

Otherwise, two wise last words here: HAPPY NEW YEAR. Oops... them's three, not two.

All the best,
Andrez

Sneak Previews

There're some sneak preview excerpts of the novel now out and about. First up has been published in the December issue of British action, anime, and Asian cinema magazine Impact - released this week.

There's also an excerpt included in a rather self-indulgent article I did for the cool Forces Of Geek website (it's called, ominously enough, 'What Music Do You Like To Make Love To?') and you can check that particular one out online here.

But beware - these are sourced from a previous version of the manuscript that may've been altered a wee bit since then, and probably still include some of those hackneyed non-standard dialogue tags we talked up (below). ;)

Non-standard Dialogue Tags

Well here's something I missed, possibly because I've been wrapped up in cotton wool here in Tokyo these past nine years, or more likely for the reason that I just get bored with the standard dialogue tags like "said" and "asked".

Which brings us to the final edit of TSMG, which was sent out to readers this month prior to publication. Lucky indeed, as one of the readers - after nicely saying "Amazing tale!!! I love the references to other texts!" - pointed out that "The non-standard dialogue tags are grating to the ear. Since you cannot
frown, ruminate, or mug words, sometimes the tags are not just distracting but also bewildering."

Which, on second thought and a reread of the novel taking this in mind, is so darned true that I'm kicking myself I didn't notice earlier! Having nutted over this manuscript for years (really!) and editing it pretty much solidly over the past three of 'em, it's unbelievable what can slip through the net.

The reader went on to recommend that "I'd go with the standard, non-distracting 'said' or simply delete dialogue tags when the speaker's identity is obvious. Also, a gesture before or after the spoken words can convey the frowning, mugging, grousing, quipping, declaring, responding, grumbling, pontificating, parrying, countering, complaining, ruminating, agitating, etc., without interrupting the fictive dream or making readers go back to reread a line and insert the grousing they missed."

Heh-heh... I had no idea I'd added so much unnecessary (and hilariously over-the-top) colour, though my editor Kris obviously did. He tactfully suggested that "some do add flavor, but you have a tendency to put too much flavor in sometimes."

So I've just reviewed the whole novel with a meat cleaver and some sewing tools, attacking the non-standards but occasionally saving some. I think it does definitely read better as a result.

And funnily enough I just decided to Google "non-standard dialogue tags" and came up with this interesting blog (called Help! I Need A Publisher!) that addresses precisely this issue, and makes me feel how outlandishly silly the whole concept is. The author points out about non-standards that "their unnecessary use is now regarded as a bad habit and poor style."

Man, why hadn't I twigged on this before?


Then again I did grow up early on with '70s reprints of British author Enid Blyton (shhh), whom Nicola points out to be one of the old school villains of the non-standard dialogue tag - so I'm going to blame her, along with the unflappable, occasionally ham-fisted shenanigans of Jo, Bessie, Fanny and The Saucepan Man.

Still, Blyton did pen The Naughtiest Girl in the School, so she had something going for her.

Out, damned tag! Out, I say!

The Wayward Premise

Melbourne (Australia) in the somewhat vaguely not-too-distant future. An alcoholic film-buff detective who smacks of vituperativity while leaning heavily on chemical dependency. An over-boiled world in climatic and moral decline, a mystery, a geisha, kanji clues, goats aplenty, several murders, the obligatory femme fatale, and an array of sweaty red herrings.