Have questions for Russel? You can always drop him a line via the feedback forms on the website (or get in touch via twitter - while Russel has a Facebook presence, he's much more active on Twitter). But why not check here first to see if your question hasn't already been answered?
Q: Will there be another McNee book?
A: I always maintained there would be five books. I had a vague plan at the start and followed through on most of it. For now, McNee's story is done. He may return one day, however, if there's a story that suits him.
Q: What does the D stand for?
A: As I always say to people - it stands for "don't know" (afraid that's all you're going to get)
Q: What's McNee's first name?
A: In about the geekiest reference to populate any of my books (and there are many), we only ever learn the first two letters of his first name (Ja) but no more than that. This is actually a callback to a story about the Joker from Batman that was published in the late nineties, where we learned the crown prince of crime's name started with those letters, too. Oddly enough, in the Italian version of The Good Son, he does gain a first name: John.
Q: Will there ever be a movie of one of your books?
A: Maybe. Maybe not. If a producer shows interest, something might happen. Mister Speilberg, if you're wanting to ask about the rights, you can contact my agent. Allan Guthrie. He'll be able to put is in touch.
Q: When will Book X be published in language/territory Y?
A: In order to be published in another language, generally a publisher in that language would have to be interested. So far, The Good Son has been published in Italian, while Ed's Dead has been snapped up by French and German publishers (I'll have more info on when those two are to be published soon). The first two McNee books are available in the US, as are the last two.
If you are a publisher outside the UK who'd like to publish my books in your country, do get in touch with my agent Allan Guthrie at Jenny Brown Associates to inquire about rights to the McNee novels, or my Scottish publishers Saraband for And When I Die and Ed's Dead.
Q: Are you part of a left wing fascist conspiracy to promote violence among our children?
A: No. (This was a genuine accusation thrown at me via email once)
Q: Are you really a PI? Did you lose your fiance in a car accident?
A: I have been asked these questions a few times. I'm afraid both of these incidents are unique to McNee. Any paralells between our lives are quite coincidental (although for a while we both wore the same leather jacket)
Q: Are the pubs mentioned in the McNee books real?
A: If nothing bad happens in them, then yes. The Crow and Claw - which appears in the Sam Bryson shorts - is fake. But the Phoenix bar is real, and is where I used to drink regularly. As is Mennies/The Speedwell. Beiderbeckes is a real restaurant, too.
I should also apologise to the Phoenix for putting a moose head on their wall. Its really a bull's head, as the landlord reminded me for years after the publication of The Lost Sister. If you do go the Pheonix, by the way, you should have the chili. There's a very good reason they put a ring of fire next to it on the menu (denoting the opening of Bonanza, apparently).
Q: Will you come speak at my library/festival/bookshop/living room?
A: Maybe. Get in touch via the feedback forms and ask.
Q: Did you work as a bookseller in Dundee?
A: Yes, I did. Over ten years in three bookshops.
Q: Who are your writing heroes?
A: My earliest influences were probably the DIamond Brothers books by Anthony Horowitz and the Three Investigators books, which I was later disappointed to learn were not written by Alfred Hitchock. Later, I was turned onto adult crime fiction by Raymond Chandler, Lawrence Block, James Lee Burke, and James Ellroy. I love science fiction by Philip K Dick, and was a massive fan of the sadly departed Iain (M) Banks.
More recent writers who make me weep with jealousy include Megan Abbott. Laura Lippman, Reed Farrel Coleman, Ray Banks, Cathi Unsworth and the late Tom Piccirilli (who I only latterly realised had been very encouraging to my teenage self on the AOL writer's boards back in the late 90s).
Q: I want to write. Do you have any advice?
A: Read a lot. Research what you're doing. Don't think your first novel has to be published (even if it can be - you only get one chance to make a first impression, so make sure you are putting your absolute best work out there). In the same way a musician has to practice before they can play their first gig, so a writer has to develop their skills before publishing their first novel.
Over time I hope to develop a small series of hints and tips on this website, but I would also recommend you go out and find other sources. I find screenwriting books are actually very good for novel structure (Alexandra Sokoloff - a writer whose work I admire - has a very helpful book about this called Stealing Hollywood). Places like Writer's Workshop may be of help in getting an outsider to look at your weaknesses. But you need to be absolutely honest with yourself about how your work measures up to your writing heroes. I wrote four novels before I understood how they worked. I know very few writers who came right out the gate with a brilliant novel. Many of them had to learn for years how storytelling works.
Q: Will there be another McNee book?
A: I always maintained there would be five books. I had a vague plan at the start and followed through on most of it. For now, McNee's story is done. He may return one day, however, if there's a story that suits him.
Q: What does the D stand for?
A: As I always say to people - it stands for "don't know" (afraid that's all you're going to get)
Q: What's McNee's first name?
A: In about the geekiest reference to populate any of my books (and there are many), we only ever learn the first two letters of his first name (Ja) but no more than that. This is actually a callback to a story about the Joker from Batman that was published in the late nineties, where we learned the crown prince of crime's name started with those letters, too. Oddly enough, in the Italian version of The Good Son, he does gain a first name: John.
Q: Will there ever be a movie of one of your books?
A: Maybe. Maybe not. If a producer shows interest, something might happen. Mister Speilberg, if you're wanting to ask about the rights, you can contact my agent. Allan Guthrie. He'll be able to put is in touch.
Q: When will Book X be published in language/territory Y?
A: In order to be published in another language, generally a publisher in that language would have to be interested. So far, The Good Son has been published in Italian, while Ed's Dead has been snapped up by French and German publishers (I'll have more info on when those two are to be published soon). The first two McNee books are available in the US, as are the last two.
If you are a publisher outside the UK who'd like to publish my books in your country, do get in touch with my agent Allan Guthrie at Jenny Brown Associates to inquire about rights to the McNee novels, or my Scottish publishers Saraband for And When I Die and Ed's Dead.
Q: Are you part of a left wing fascist conspiracy to promote violence among our children?
A: No. (This was a genuine accusation thrown at me via email once)
Q: Are you really a PI? Did you lose your fiance in a car accident?
A: I have been asked these questions a few times. I'm afraid both of these incidents are unique to McNee. Any paralells between our lives are quite coincidental (although for a while we both wore the same leather jacket)
Q: Are the pubs mentioned in the McNee books real?
A: If nothing bad happens in them, then yes. The Crow and Claw - which appears in the Sam Bryson shorts - is fake. But the Phoenix bar is real, and is where I used to drink regularly. As is Mennies/The Speedwell. Beiderbeckes is a real restaurant, too.
I should also apologise to the Phoenix for putting a moose head on their wall. Its really a bull's head, as the landlord reminded me for years after the publication of The Lost Sister. If you do go the Pheonix, by the way, you should have the chili. There's a very good reason they put a ring of fire next to it on the menu (denoting the opening of Bonanza, apparently).
Q: Will you come speak at my library/festival/bookshop/living room?
A: Maybe. Get in touch via the feedback forms and ask.
Q: Did you work as a bookseller in Dundee?
A: Yes, I did. Over ten years in three bookshops.
Q: Who are your writing heroes?
A: My earliest influences were probably the DIamond Brothers books by Anthony Horowitz and the Three Investigators books, which I was later disappointed to learn were not written by Alfred Hitchock. Later, I was turned onto adult crime fiction by Raymond Chandler, Lawrence Block, James Lee Burke, and James Ellroy. I love science fiction by Philip K Dick, and was a massive fan of the sadly departed Iain (M) Banks.
More recent writers who make me weep with jealousy include Megan Abbott. Laura Lippman, Reed Farrel Coleman, Ray Banks, Cathi Unsworth and the late Tom Piccirilli (who I only latterly realised had been very encouraging to my teenage self on the AOL writer's boards back in the late 90s).
Q: I want to write. Do you have any advice?
A: Read a lot. Research what you're doing. Don't think your first novel has to be published (even if it can be - you only get one chance to make a first impression, so make sure you are putting your absolute best work out there). In the same way a musician has to practice before they can play their first gig, so a writer has to develop their skills before publishing their first novel.
Over time I hope to develop a small series of hints and tips on this website, but I would also recommend you go out and find other sources. I find screenwriting books are actually very good for novel structure (Alexandra Sokoloff - a writer whose work I admire - has a very helpful book about this called Stealing Hollywood). Places like Writer's Workshop may be of help in getting an outsider to look at your weaknesses. But you need to be absolutely honest with yourself about how your work measures up to your writing heroes. I wrote four novels before I understood how they worked. I know very few writers who came right out the gate with a brilliant novel. Many of them had to learn for years how storytelling works.
