Everybody Freeze! No Alibis Scandinavian Crime Night

Scandinavian Crime Night

Mon 29^th April 6.30pm

No Alibis Bookstore

Arne Dahl (Sweden) & Antti Tuomainen (Finland)

With Stuart Neville

A handsome trio, I think you'll agree. Very photogenic. Make one of them smile on the night and you win a high five.

No Alibis Event

Claire McGowan
Saturday 6th April 3:00PM
Tickets: FREE

No Alibis Bookstore invite you to celebrate the launch of Claire McGowan's second novel, THE LOST, on Saturday 6th April at 3:00PM. 

THE START OF AN EXCITING NEW SERIES FEATURING FORENSIC PSYCHOLOGIST PAULA MAGUIRE, WITH THE POTENTIAL TO APPEAL TO AN AUDIENCE BEYOND THE WORLD OF CRIME. 

Not everyone who's missing is lost. 

When two teenage girls go missing along the Irish border, forensic psychologist Paula Maguire has to return to the hometown she left years before. Swirling with rumour and secrets, the town is gripped by fear of a serial killer. But the truth could be even darker. 

Not everyone who's lost wants to be found. 

Surrounded by people and places she tried to forget, Paula digs into the cases as the truth twists further away. What's the link with two other disappearances from 1985? And why does everything lead back to the town's dark past- including the reasons her own mother went missing years before? 

Nothing is what it seems. 

As the shocking truth is revealed, Paula learns that sometimes, it's better not to find what you've lost. 

Claire McGowan grew up in a small village in Northern Ireland. After completing a degree in English and French from Oxford University she moved to London and worked in the charity sector. She is currently the Director of the Crime Writer's Association. THE FALL is her first novel. 

To book your free spot, email David or call the shop on 9031 9607. 

Time

I hear myself say, "I don't really have the time, sorry," quite often. Since I'm sitting in the middle of a pretty decadent Saturday afternoon scene right now -- one barefoot mancub playing trains while his younger counterpart watches In The Night Garden during the day with his welly boots on -- and I am being ignored for the time being, I guess I have a few moments to analyse that.

I currently work full-time. My job requires I put in a 36-hour week if I'm not taking advantage of decent annual leave and flexi-time. For this exercise, we'll stick with a standard week. I take half an hour for lunch most days. So I give 38.5 hours to the place during a normal week.

I live an hour away, so that's a two-hour return commute over fives days. 10 more hours.

My kids require attention (not complaining -- stating a fact), so lets say that I can't concentrate on anything but them (based on their bed time, but it can vary due to sickness, insomnia or a bit of messing about) for at least three hours a day, on a week day. That's 15 hours.

On a typical week day, I sleep for five or six hours. Call it about 30 hours from Monday to Friday.

I get my exercise at a local boxing club three nights a week. With travel time, that's about six hours.

I'm married and enjoy spending time with my wife (don't raise your eyebrows, some of us do). Maybe two or three hours a night. call that 15 hours.

So:

38.5 + 10 + 15 + 30 + 6  + 15 = 114.5 hours.

Hours in those days:

24 X 5 = 120

It looks like I have 5.5 hours to play with during a working week. In that time I write, read, edit, spend time online, watch a bit of telly or a decent movie. Sure, I can do some of that with my wife and/or the kids, but not all of it. Not by a long stretch.

Moral of this post? I guess I do have time. Just don't expect me to be pleasant if you steal some of it. You're either eating in to my family time or sleep time. And thank God for the weekend! But that's for me, my family and my close friends. Don't ask me what I do with those 48 hours. I'm likely to tell you it's none of your feckin' business.

Love y'all lots like jelly tots.

What's THE POINT of this Competition?

The winner of this contest has been chosen and contacted. Thanks to all who had a punt.

Right, you beautiful people. I'm feeling a little needy and neglected today so I'm going to invite you all to enter a wee competition that'll hopefully cure me of my self-pity.

I want more Amazon reviews, most preferably a 20th 5-star review for WEE ROCKETS on Amazon UK, but I'll gratefully accept anything you're willing to give me. So, review any of my books on Amazon UK or Amazon US (or both!) between now and Friday 15th March 2013 at 23:59 GMT, and I'll enter you into a draw for a signed copy of the paperback version of THE POINT.

You up for it?

I hope so. It'll be embarrassing if nobody enters.

Of course, I'm no stranger to embarrassment.

But I keep setting myself up for it.

The Sweety Bottle -- Coming VERY soon!

Belfast in the 1970s. At the rear of Brennan’s sweet shop, a popular ‘shebeen’ is in full swing. This secret drinking den is a place where punters come to escape the troubles around them and to exorcise their own personal demons.

Through the many huge characters and calamitous incidents, we embark on a voyage to an era where the city and its people never ceased to find humour in even the darkest of times.

A hilariously nostalgic trip down memory lane, ‘The Sweety Bottle’ is sure to have you crying with laughter as we remember everything that was good about Belfast during the rare auld times.

Directed by Tony Devlin

Written by Joe Brennan and Gerard Brennan

Starring Marty Maguire, Carol Moore, Lalor Roddy, Gordon Fulton, Gerard Jordan and Ciaran Nolan

The tour is starting next week! Check the Brassneck Theatre Company website for tour dates.