Sometimes, the mss just kicks your ass

We have to admit that we’re nursing a bit of a crush on John Rickards, the Brit-based author of WINTER’S END and THE TOUCH OF GHOSTS, that started a few days ago after stumbling across his blog. For the 26 year old author (gack, he’s young. Ed. he’s only a year older than you are. Oh, right.) is trying very hard to finish his new book, which would be the third installment in the Alex Rourke series, and it’s not exactly going terribly well:

Eventually did spend Friday night getting drunk and most of Saturday in the pub – though on the Coke for half the night; getting old, y’see and the liver can’t take it these days. Have now tried to get back down to work and done a mighty 400 words. Truly, I rule. Woo. Yeah.

Still kinda wish I could get away with writing “Fuck” 30,000 times and handing the finished manuscript in to Penguin. Sadly, not only would they shout and throw things – or have me committed – but there’s a clause in the contract that says “work of publishable quality”. Cunning, cunning devils.

Still, it gives me hope that someone, somewhere has already tried the same trick. Which is enough to raise a smile on an otherwise craptastic weekend.

Before Rickards went on the aforementioned bender, he killed time by taking some new pictures of himself to put on his blog and website, because he could. Or something to that effect.

A self-indulgent smart-ass. Could somebody please broker a meeting? Well, after he delivers the manuscript on time…