An original blend of hardboiled crime fiction and horror –  Zombie Noir.

Pat O’Hare is the only (living) private detective in Farrelton, a crime-ridden city still recovering from the ravages of an undead uprising.  Pat is hired to find the missing granddaughter of a rich industrialist.  But, what starts out as simple enough job turns into a fight for survival as he finds himself pulled into a deadly mystery where nobody can be trusted.  Helped only by a trigger happy ex-cop and a washed up boxer with a pathological fear of trees, Pat has to use every trick in the book just to stay alive.

Caught between corrupt police, gun-wielding hitmen and a ruthless crime lord, Pat soon learns that the zombies are not the most dangerous creatures in town.

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And now CS McLean with:

TO RETREAT OR NOT TO RETREAT?

There are few things that split writers as widely as the subject of writing retreats.  For some – like Stephen King – they are to be avoided, partly because they give the impression that writing is something ‘special’ rather than an everyday activity.  For others, they are an ideal environment to boost your writing.

So, how did they become so controversial?  Well, I think it is a kind of self-fulfilling prophecy.  People that think retreats are a waste of time find them to be just that.  And those that expect them to be worthwhile get the most out of them.

I can only speak from my own experience. Having visited Moniack Mhor in the Highlands for a number of courses and retreats, I have always found them incredibly productive, and have always returned buzzing with energy for my next project.

One of the criticisms is that you focus all of your writing into a short period of time.  I’ve never found it to be that way.  I’ve always found that a writing retreat gives me an energy boost that lasts for a long time after I leave.  Also, in my day job I don’t know any writers.  If I tell someone I’m struggling with my main character’s story arc they look at me like my head just exploded.  So, to be surrounded by other writers who know what you are going through, it’s a treat, something that makes me feel like I’m actually a real human being instead of just some sad individual tapping at a keyboard while my cat looks on in judgement.

I do write most days.  I write wherever and whenever I can.  And I definitely don’t sit around waiting for the muse to come knocking. But, to have a period of a few days when you can focus your energy on your writing and nothing else, I can only say that it works for me.

Writing retreats are not for everyone.  But, if you are so inclined, I’ve found them to be a real source of inspiration.