HOGMANAY HOOT

Being Scottish by birth-right and half-Scottish by blood, I can't help but feel the stirring in my breast as the skirling of bag pipes herald in a new year.

So, in true Hogmanay style, I offer you a Scottish joke to herald in 2010, and to leave 2009 behind with a fond smile.

Here ye are:

Prince Charles is visiting an Edinburgh hospital. He enters a ward full of patients with no obvious sign of injury or illness and greets one.

The patient replies:

"Fair fa your honest sonsie face,

Great chieftain o the puddin race,

Aboon them a ye take yer place,

Painch, tripe or thairm,

As langs my airm."

Charles is confused, so he just grins and moves on to the next patient. The patient responds:

"Some hae meat an canna eat,

And some wad eat that want it,

But we hae meat an we can eat,

So let the Lord be thankit."

Even more confused, and his grin now rictus-like, the Prince moves on to the next patient, who immediately begins to chant:

"Wee sleekit, cowerin, timrous beasty,

O the panic in thy breasty,

Thou needna start awa sae hastie,

Wi bickering brattle."

Now seriously troubled, Charles turns to the accompanying doctor and asks "Is this a psychiatric ward?"

"No," replies the doctor, "this is the serious Burns unit."

THE TELEGRAPH'S THRILLERS OF THE YEAR

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/books/bookreviews/6662621/Thrillers-of-the-year.html

I think I might have mentioned this before, but didn't have a link at the time. So here's what the Jeremy Jehu from the Telegraph newspaper recommends as thrillers of the year. It's good (I think).

Sons of Spade - Favourites of 2009...and the winner is....

I'm thrilled to find that Judgement and Wrath has been voted the best of 2009 in the 'Best Action Scenes' category over at JV Steen's SONS OF SPADE blog site.

Take a look via this link, and please feel free to thank JV while you're there (if you wish).

http://sonsofspade.blogspot.com/2009/12/favorites-of-2009.html

Grit Lit welcomes Joe Hunter - Take Two

As the link to the Contra Costa Times website is short-lived, Myles Knapp has given permission for me to post the review he did of Dead Men's Dust direct to my blog here. My thanks to Myles for his kindness.

Grit Lit: Prolific Matt Hilton leaves other gritty writers eating his 'Dust'


By Myles Knapp

Contra Costa Times correspondent

Industry scuttlebutt — more reliable than one of those unaffiliated blogger dudes but not as reliable as this fine family publication — rages on and on about a new author prolific beyond the imagination of normal scribes.

The back story: First-time author pens a great book. By the time he's found an agent, he's finished his second book; by the time the agent is ready to send out book No. 1, writer had finished book No. 3; by the time a publisher bought No. 1, writer had finished book No. 4; and by the time book No. 1 came out in the United States and the United Kingdom, the writer had finished book No. 5.

And the good news for Grit Lit readers — publishers plan to release two Matt Hilton hardcovers a year for the next two years "... at least.

• "Dead Men's Dust" by Matt Hilton (William Morrow, $24.99, 336 pages, www.MattHiltonBooks.com). Joe Hunter is the perfect Grit Lit tough guy. If you haven't been able to satisfy your jones for Lee Child's Jack Reacher, Robert Crais's Joe Pike or are still rereading Travis McGee hoping John D. will rise from his grave and write another unmatched novel, dig out your credit or library card and order "Dead Men's Dust."

Hunter is a former Special Forces agent with exceptional killing skills. Skills that lead some to call him a vigilante. But if you're a single mom whose children have been threatened, Hunter's the guy you need.

Hunter is one of the most exciting new tough guys to come along in years. And he's up against a devious, smarmy, rotten, scary tough guy, Tubal Cain. Just the name makes you want to cock and lock your Glock, doesn't it?

Hunter spent years in the Special Forces hunting bad guys. His objective — kill murderous thugs, save innocent strangers. Now, with trusty SIG Sauer strapped to his side, he sets out on another mission. Only this time, it's personal.

Judgement and Wrath in large print

Those wonderful folk over at Clipper books are about due to release the large print edition of Joe Hunter 2 JUDGEMENT and WRATH.

Here's a link, if you know anyone who may like a copy: http://www.wfhowes.co.uk/catalogue/titles.php?&t=4277

Grit Lit welcomes Joe Hunter

http://www.contracostatimes.com/books/ci_14050506?nclick_check=1

I just spotted this review of both me and Dead Men's Dust in Myles Knapp's column Grit Lit at the Contra Costa Times. Although my prolific output is a tad misquoted, I'm not complaining. A damn fine review in my estimation.

Since originally posting this story I have had the pleasure of communicating with Myles Knapp, who informed me that the story runs in a number of newspapers. "Generally it runs the entire family of papers which includes the San Jose Mercury, Contra Costa Times, Oakland Tribune, San Ramon Valley Times, Marin IJ, the San Mateo Times plus a bunch of other papers. Plus they offer it for free to a bunch of non-competitive major city dailies." So it looks like the word is well and truly spreading on the West Coast of the USA. My genuine gratitude goes out to Mr Knapp.

Where to meet me...

I've just added a bunch of dates to the sidebar 'Where To Meet Matt' for where I'll be appearing in the new year. If anyone is nearby any of the venues, it would be great to see/meet you.