The Sunday Mail seemed to live at the side of the couch until the next edition appeared. At this point in my life, when I was heading to college, the Sunday newspapers felt like a mandatory part of working class life. Everyone read the News of the World and (here in Scotland) the Sunday Mail.… Continue reading Ping Pong Bitches by Ping Ping Bitches
Author: Kirkland Ciccone
Bad memory people
DORA - My mother had this really nasty friend who once tried to get into the bathroom while I was having a bath. I never liked her and couldn't understand why she had all those boyfriends. What did they see in her? Her appeal was completely lost on me. All those men cheating on their… Continue reading Bad memory people
The books that didn’t make it
For every book that gets published, there are books that didn't make it. For whatever reason, they just didn't make it. An agent couldn't sell it. A publisher went cold on it. Bad timing. Bad luck. Sometimes the author decides to bin the book. I have four YA novels published and an adult novel soon… Continue reading The books that didn’t make it
I’ve laminated my Dorit Kemsley fan club badge
I can't pretend The Real Housewives Of Beverly Hills is my favourite show from the long-running, mega-successful franchise. My heart belongs to New York. However, I watch most of the various different shows in the Real Housewives umbrella. Beverly Hills is often regarded and referred to as 'lifestyle porn' because it presents the cast in… Continue reading I’ve laminated my Dorit Kemsley fan club badge
Books I love you might not know but should know because I love these books
I feel like a hunter when I'm in a book shop. I get the same feeling when I'm in a record shop. I want something. I must have something. It's there somewhere, hiding, so I've got to find it. That means exploring the surroundings. When I get a book or a record/CD that I didn't… Continue reading Books I love you might not know but should know because I love these books
Do you feel the need for tweed?
There we were, laughing and chatting, when suddenly we realised we weren't alone. This isn't unusual in a public building, in our case the local library. I'd been put on a shift with Andrea and we were enjoying ourselves. I'd always found it easy to chat with Andrea, whose sense of silliness matched my own.… Continue reading Do you feel the need for tweed?
Mr. Magic gets on his bike
I'd heard stories about The Cumbernauld Flasher from friends but none of us really believed he existed. He was an urban legend, constantly shifting shape and location, a threat we didn't actually take too seriously. And then one day I did. Nearly a decade ago while working in Abronhill Library, close to the school where… Continue reading Mr. Magic gets on his bike
Boomania by Betty Boo
Every kid deserves their own pop star, that one superstar they can adore from a distance. As a child, I wasn't short of icons to admire. There was The Doctor and Ace, who saved the universe from evil monsters each week on BBC1. Agent Dale Cooper was there for me even though he preferred coffee… Continue reading Boomania by Betty Boo
He who lives by the sword, also lives across the street
The night my neighbour pulled a sword on me started off quietly enough, or about as quietly as it could living in a flat in a rundown part of town. There were always varying levels of noise. Arguments heard through thin walls were accepted and endured with all the grace I could manage. Boyracers tearing… Continue reading He who lives by the sword, also lives across the street
The New Abnormal
I haven’t been able to update my blog in a while for a few reasons. Chiefly, my beloved dog passed away. I knew it was coming, but that doesn’t make it easier, does it? I’m fine, but the world feels very strange. It feels strange anyway, with the Lockdown happening around me, but little moments… Continue reading The New Abnormal