 |
In
Music, Musica, a karaoke bar on the Spanish riviera, Roxi is about
to discover that her dreams may come true when Brian Ferguson offers
to hook her up with his connections back in London. Roxi has no idea
of the price attached to this offer; Brian doesn’t do anything
without good reason.
And for Miles Ashley, who thought he’d escaped Brian’s
clutches years earlier, a single phone call is enough to stop the
song, rewinding the tape to zero.
Throw in an A&R rep under threat of castration and an exquisitely
dangerous hood on the verge of a nervous breakdown and it’s
time to make music; gunfire drumbeats, filter sweep of cordite.
As the double-crosses, gang wars, reclaimed favours and challenged
loyalties intertwine, it’s clear that only blood spilled in revenge can clean
the slate ready for Roxi’s success.
In this part of the world, this is how business gets done.
Even the music business.
‘Karaoke Criminals’ is a fast-paced contemporary
novel, the bastard offspring of 'The Commitments' and 'Lock,
Stock and Two Smoking Barrels'.
Music has never been this dangerous.
| top | What do they say? |
Nothing yet. But they will.
| top | What do I say? |
Started: October 2001
Finished: September 2003
If you've been following my blog, you'll know much of this.
The original idea for 'Karaoke Criminals' came to me when Jane and I were on holiday in Spain. At the time, I was in the process of finishing up 'Do Sparrows Eat Butterflies?'. As often happens for me, getting toward the end of one novel began to spark the next, a hunger to be moving on, like a marathon runner fantasizing about the next race while knowing there's still miles to go before the end of the current one.
There were two bars at the resort and they eventually collided into the Music, Musica of the novel - and, yes, one was owned by a former footballer.
Just like the best ideas, it started as a simple joke. A young singer being spotted by a mobster in Spain. And then getting famous through his strong arm tactics. It actually started life as a comedy, everyone in the music biz on drugs and getting threatened. While that thread is certainly still in there, it grew. As I got to know Roxi, Miles, Barry, Jay, Rob and Brian it expanded. And, as ever with me, it added some darkness under the comedy.
It sat for a long, long time after first draft - I wasn't happy with it. During the writing of Crims, we'd become parents, moved to the US and I hadn't been able to dive into the story as much as I wanted. It felt loose, flabby. The comedy felt like it was trying too hard, the drama half-baked. Just not good enough - and given my ever-present inner critic, this was just amplified. I really thought I'd never publish it (I'd already moved on to the next two projects anyway, like a marathon runner... You get the drift?)
Finally, in late 2005, after re-reading it a couple of times, I kicked my own arse and got to work re-writing it. And during the re-write, I fell in love with it over again. As it tightened, Roxi's character became more focused, the tension between Miles' past and present more precise and the feel altogether more polished. I guess that's what a re-write should do. I was hooked again.
I decided to publish via iUniverse again, as I had with 'Sparrows' and in the publication process, it achieved Editor's Choice status - with some pretty glowing compliments from the editor in question.
'Karaoke Criminals' was published in April of 2006.
| top | Want to read more? |
'Karaoke Criminals ' is print-on-demand, available to purchase from on-line bookstores (search for Vincent Tuckwood in 'Books' section).
In the US:
in the UK:
If you read Crims, please drop me a line via the feedback section to let me know what you think.
