And a Magickal New Year

Chaos

Another challenger was setting up the balls, trying to impress me by spinning them into place and using the triangle to make them jump. This guy had his own cue, which he’d taken from one of those carry-boxes and was now screwing together, and was even wearing a leather glove on one hand. I turned away in disgust.

“You any idea how dangerous these boys can be? You must have, if you’re scared to go yourself.”

This didn’t shake his smile. I was starting to think it was some kind of birth defect.

“Only to outsiders. They’ve got nothing against you, son. In fact, I think you were probably born for this job. Destiny, like.”

I was already starting to plan my next tattoo. Maybe a leather jacket as well. I didn’t see how a quick recce mission would help the parents any. I mean, they already knew that she was in there. So it wasn’t as if I would be betraying any great secret by having a quick look and reporting back.

And if some of the information got a bit twisted along the way, well, who was to know? This had the potential to turn into another small victory for the forces of chaos, spreading confusion among the blind slaves of law and order. Nothing earth-shattering, but every little bit helped.

Hey, even the unemployed can have a mission in life.

“Let me think about it for a couple of minutes.”

He smiled, puffed on his cigarette, and ordered another two beers.

Extract from Burning Roses, a decadent tale of sex, drugs, rock n roll & magick, set in the clubs and bars of 1980s Johannesburg. Available on Amazon.

Or in paperback from Curiosity in Pretoria, and The Real Mackay in Blairgowrie.

And throughout the festive season, you’ll also find my books at Chameleon Village in Hartebeespoort, at The Alternative Geeks Artist Alley, running from the 14th of December to the 12th of January. They’ll be sharing a table with a handful of other local authors’ books.

Till next time.

Cheers.

Wishing everyone a Twisted Xmas

Rat trap

“What makes you think she would want anyone to know where she is?”

“That’s not the point, son. Her parents are worried about her. She dropped out of college and ran off to be with this lot. She’s screwing up her life.”

This was a subject close to my heart, and I had another drink.

“Her life. We’re not all meant to join the rat race.”

“Oh, I just love teenage angst. I wanted to change the world too, in my younger days. Believe me, it doesn’t always turn out the way you planned.”

“Life’s not a rehearsal. If she wants to get out there and live while she still can, who are you to interfere?”

“I’m the guy buying the beers.” And he pushed another one towards me. “I’m the guy prepared to pay a grand for the information I’m looking for.”

Being terminally unemployed, and living from day to day on the streets of Johannesburg, this was a tempting offer. What I would actually do with the money, I had no idea. But first things first.

“So, assuming I’m interested, where do we go from here?”

“I’ll get you a picture. I just need to know if she’s there, if she seems happy or if she’s there against her will, is she healthy, that kind of thing. Just a quick in and out.”

Extract from Burning Roses, a decadent tale of sex, drugs, rock n roll & magick, set in the clubs and bars of 1980s Johannesburg. Available on Amazon.

Or in paperback from Curiosity in Pretoria, and The Real Mackay in Blairgowrie.

And throughout the festive season, you’ll also find my books at Chameleon Village in Hartebeespoort, at The Alternative Geeks Artist Alley, running from the 14th of December to the 12th of January. They’ll be sharing a table with a handful of other local authors’ books.

Or grab a festive copy of Dancing in Valhalla, or Tales from the Crying Room, both free today on Amazon.

Catch Burning Roses free on the Smashwords End of Year Sale.

If you narrowly miss the free period for whatever reason – or if Amazon cancels the free day because it’s decided to promote these books itself – give me a shout and I’ll tell you where to download a (temporarily) free copy.

Till next time.

Cheers.

Helter skelter

Mr PI lit a cigarette, still smiling. I was starting to think he was on something. Surely someone in his line of business had no right to be this happy.

“Funny, son, funny. No, I’ve got a pretty good idea where she is, but I can’t get in there to see how she is. It’s like a private club. Halfway to Pretoria. A select group of individuals, many of them very much like yourself. They’d see me coming a mile off. But you, on the other hand…”

I knew the crowd he was talking about. A farm out near Midrand had been bought by some rich kid who’d inherited the family fortune. He’d turned it over to a bunch of lads. Bikers, survivalists, ex-military types, who’d got involved in some kind of commune effort, and claimed to be setting up a type of church for those living on the fringes of society. Falling squarely into that category myself, I’d been invited out there a couple of times, but had just never got around to actually going.

Not that I had any intention of joining their loony tunes commune (and some of these guys were seriously loony tunes), but I knew some of the girls who’d moved out there. And there didn’t seem to be much talent in Mike’s. Visions of Charlie Manson sitting around a campfire, singing Helter Skelter while his family drove off into the night, swam before my eyes.

Extract from Burning Roses, a decadent tale of sex, drugs, rock n roll & magick, set in the clubs and bars of 1980s Johannesburg. Available on Amazon.

Or in paperback from Curiosity in Pretoria, and The Real Mackay in Blairgowrie.

And throughout the festive season, you’ll also find my books at Chameleon Village in Hartebeespoort, at The Alternative Geeks Artist Alley, running from the 14th of December to the 12th of January. They’ll be sharing a table with a handful of other local authors’ books.

Till next time.

Cheers.

Eskom-proof entertainment

Load-shedding getting you down? Too wet to play outside?

Read a paperback!

Day-time – no accessories needed!

Night-time – just a candle! And a match!

Eskom-proof yourself at Curiosity in Pretoria, or The Real Mackay in Blairgowrie. Or – for a limited time – at The Alternative Geeks Artist Alley in Hartebeespoort.

Best of luck during the Dark Ages.

Cheers.

 

Stay out of jail

“You a cop?” After our previous run-in, I wasn’t in the mood to help the boys in blue. Then again, I can’t remember a single moment when I was in such a mood. I’d had various encounters over the years, from being searched on the street, to having my bedroom ransacked by the occult crimes division, to being told (on numerous occasions) to turn down my music. And waking up to find police cars parked across the street, waiting for me to turn the music up again.

Then there was the famous birthday party in a friend’s flat, where I was passed out on the floor, headbutting the carpet in time to the new Metallica album, and the neighbours downstairs decided to complain about the noise. The police who’d responded to that call couldn’t understand why I had carpet burns on my forehead, or why no-one was trying to stop me.

“Private investigator. Client’s hired me to look into the whereabouts of his daughter.”

I played two shots, carefully this time, and managed to clear the table. As the black sank into a corner pocket, my opponent shrugged and moved towards the bar, digging in his pockets for change.

“Typical. Some bird goes missing, and I get the blame.”

Extract from Burning Roses, a decadent tale of sex, drugs, rock n roll & magick, set in the clubs and bars of 1980s Johannesburg. Available on Amazon.

Or in paperback from Curiosity in Pretoria, and The Real Mackay in Blairgowrie.

And throughout the festive season, you’ll also find my books in Shop A at Chameleon Village, at The Alternative Geeks Artist Alley, running from the 14th of December to the 12th of January. They’ll be sharing a table with a handful of other local authors’ books.

Till next time.

Cheers.

Video killed the radio star

Join me at the Joburg Record Fair today in Parkhurst.

Twisted tales of music, magick, mayhem and murder, set in 1980s Johannesburg, are on sale. Novels and short stories.

Relive South Africa’s first mosh pits with Ragnarok, Toxiksox, Agro Grannies, Urban Assault, and other great South African bands, in decadent tales of sex, drugs, rock n roll & magick.

http://www.amazon.com/author/burning

https://web.facebook.com/events/762428587504188/

A hard rain

The Good Life Festival in Pretoria on Saturday has been postponed to next year, due to current weather conditions.

You can still catch me at the Jo’burg Record Fair on Sunday.

Burning Roses, Dancing in Valhalla, and Tales from the Crying Room will all be on sale.

As will the new collection, Flambe, A Silk Tie Murder, and The Rooibos Baby. It contains a couple of my short stories, as well as a bunch of stuff from other South African authors. Available on Amazon in digital and paperback formats. I’ll have a couple with me on Sunday if anyone’s interested.

And Richard Edwards will be joining me with his Puzzle Train series, including Puzzle Island, hot off the press. Get those young adults reading this Xmas.

Till next time.

Cheers.

Weekend warriors

Remember to catch me this weekend at The Good Life Festival in Pretoria on Saturday, or the Jo’burg Record Fair on Sunday.

Burning Roses, Dancing in Valhalla, and Tales from the Crying Room will all be on sale.

Check out this new collection of short stories on Amazon. Flambe, A Silk Tie Murder, and The Rooibos Baby. It contains a couple of my short stories, as well as a bunch of stuff from other South African authors. Available in digital and paperback formats.

And if that isn’t enough – here’s a recent interview that Shane Lambert was kind enough to post on his blog.

Till next time.

Cheers.

Behind the eight ball

Another greasy-looking oxygen thief slapped a coin on the table and adjusted his belt. He winked at someone who could have been his mother. If he’d ever had one.

I smiled my friendly smile, the one that said I wouldn’t kill him, not today, and reached for another beer.

There was a new face propping up the bar next to my ever-growing collection of empty mugs. An older face, lined with memories, and crowned with a shock of white hair. Intense grey eyes seemed to absorb me, the pool table, my opponent, the entire bar, before nodding absently, as if it all met with his approval.

“Afternoon,” he smiled.

I gazed at him over the rim of the glass, wondering where I’d seen him before. Probably in the same place, different day. Johannesburg could be a really small world sometimes.

“You figured that out all by yourself, did you?”

He smiled again as I turned back to the table. Loverboy had broken, and I sank a couple of balls just for the hell of it. When I reached for another sip, Smiley was still there.

“You looking to make some spare cash?”

“Put a coin down,” I told him. “We’ll see what happens.”

Another smile. “I’m not talking about playing pool.”

Extract from Burning Roses, a decadent tale of sex, drugs, rock n roll & magick, set in the clubs and bars of 1980s Johannesburg. Available on Amazon.

Or in paperback from Curiosity in Pretoria, and The Real Mackay in Blairgowrie.

Or you can get a signed copy from me over the weekend. On Saturday the 7th I’ll be at the Good Life Festival in Pretoria, with my mates from Curiosity.

And if I survive that, Sunday the 8th will see me selling books at the Jo’burg Record Fair.

Check out Graham Downs’ monthly newsletter, which features – amongst other goodies – an article on yours truly.

Till next time.

Cheers.