Hey, friends.
Before I get too much grief for not spreading the whisky gospel here as frequently as I should, rest assured…I haven’t gone anywhere just yet.
I’ve been doing a lot with whisky and a lot with writing. Just not writing about whisky. I’ve been captaining a handful of whisky events here in Calgary (sharing the spoken word, and not just the written), and I’ve been rather buried in trying to knock off the last stretch of my second novel. Almost there.
A few of you were kind enough to track down my first published foray, “Sadie”, and shared some great feedback. Thank you for that. Appreciated more than you know. Breaking into the writing world is harder than you can imagine.
Earlier this year I finished my first actual novel. It’s a dark one. I can’t lie. Gritty. Nasty. Think early Stephen King and you probably have an idea as to the vibe of seventies-homage horror I was aiming for. All polished up, of course, with a bit of contemporary stylings. If you’re interested, “Darker Things” is available on Amazon here (US) and here (Canada). E-readers only, at the moment, but hard copies will be available soon. Early reviews have been great (and flattering), but every review/rating helps. If you do elect to follow me down this dark path, please, please, PLEASE leave some Amazon/Goodreads feedback.
Have also started a new blog for this venture. Feel free to pop by in its infancy. http://www.darkerthoughts.com
Thanks a million.
More whisky to come. Soon.
All Things Whisky 
I’ll definitely keep an eye out and buy a copy – and congratulations, because writing is a hard road. Early Stephen King is an enviable target because, particularly in his short stories, you could see the honing and the work happening at the same time (although he also took a lot of inspiration from Richard Matheson). All the best.
Sláinte!
Thanks, Jeff. Appreciate the kind words.
Bought it. But I have a couple of books from the library that have long wait lists. Those will go first.
Congrats on publishing your novel!
Thanks, Skeptic.
How long was spent creating this book? Does it carry an age statement?
🙂
Just finished it. Can’t wait for the next one.
Look forward to discussing over a few drams, mate.
Just started reading and it’s easy to get into. I stopped because I have to go shovel (for the 4th time today but tonight I hope to relax, sip on a dram, rest my aching muscles and read on.
Any suggestions for what style of whisky goes best with this? Don’t say 25 YO anything…I’m not as wealthy as the author in your book.
Something deep and dark and heavily-sherried. I drank a lot of Kavalan Solist Sherry while working through this one.
Well, last night I had some Bladnoch 12 YO Sherry cask – matured 55%. Very sherried.
Tonight I went for Laphroaig 10 CS. It matched the weather and the weather matched the book as it neared its conclusion.
Well done, Curt! Your writing style is very readable, and there are patterns that match your writing style here. A few hints of your “hobby” peeked through. I’d be curious to know what the 25 YO Scotch they were drinking was.
Looking forward to your next book. Same genre or something different?
I’ve been considering a novel as well. I wrote a short story for a contest (can I say I won if I was the only person who entered?) but I felt that the story would have lent itself better to a much longer piece. Maybe I need to pick a single malt to carry me through it. But unless I get an advance from a publisher it won”t be Kavalan…
Thanks for the great read!
Thanks, David. Appreciate the support and the kind words. Quite an uphill battle. Trying to get Amazon and Goodreads filled with legitimate reviews and ratings, but it’s harder than you can imagine to crack.
Next book is done and going through the last of peer editing as we speak. Longer. Different. But still dark. A little less…visceral, perhaps. A third and fourth are well under way.
As to your own…yes! You should definitely pursue it. No matter what comes of it, there is profound sense of accomplishment for such a vast undertaking.
And the 25…the passage in the book is the only hint you’ll get. 😉