Trailer for coding of a concrete animal

A nifty little trailer for my first novel:
Coding of a concrete animal: the Billy Michaels story

This book chronicles the extraordinary life, exploits and adventures of Billy Michaels. Born into a family steeped in nefarious deeds and activity, Billy's fate was cast from the cradle, questioning whether it's genetics that provides a life pattern, or just fate.

Billy learns the hard way that by fulfilling his bloodline's destiny, a life of crime and violence can get you where you want to be. Proving the fact that brain can beat brawn, schoolboy Billy falls in as a leader of the local gang, moving from demanding treats with menace from local vendors to running the neighbourhood drug trade. Billy, learning the tricks of his predestined trade from masters in the field, proves to be quite adept and effective in this endeavour.

As his firm work their way up the criminal food chain, their futures appear to be nothing more than a litany of successful and profitable capers, events as they would have anticipated weren't exactly as they expected. After the overdose of one of his closest friends, Billy embarks on a drunken path of violent redemption, which leads him to the dark world of vice and security. By the time the end comes to his teenage years, Billy has witnessed death, experienced loss, repaid emotional debts and found the true meaning of sacrifice.

This is the story of Billy Michaels, his East End heritage and his love for his brothers and extended family. A family that becomes at odds with choices made and sides taken within the criminal world that serves to destroy the oaths and family ties made by love and blood. As all their unflinching attitudes to life and the acceptance of 'normality' which those on the outside may think immoral and destructive become common practise. This is the Billy Michaels story, the animal from the concrete jungle.

BIGGS - THE FACTS!!! By Tel Currie

Hi All,

You may have realized there has been a lot of news about Ronnie Biggs in the media lately... Most of it completely inaccurate!

As you may or may not know, my friend Mike Gray and I have written a book published by Apex called 'Ronnie Biggs- The Inside Story' Using his word board, Ronnie has given us (Myself, Mike and often Roy Shaw.) The TRUTH!

1) Ronnie NEVER even set foot upon the train. He was on the grass verge with a spare train driver who turned out to be useless!

2) People constantly say that the train driver Jack Mills was killed by injuries sustained by the train. Mills actually died SEVEN YEARS LATER OF LEUKEMIA.... No disrespect, but where is the link to the robbery and Mills tragic death? If he was that hurt, how did he get back behind the train controls and drive it to where Reynolds wanted it when Ron's driver turned out to be useless??? Like it or not... It was all propaganda!!

3) It's a fact that three of the robbers got away and have not been caught up till this day. One of the three that was never even suspected was the one who coshed Jack Mills... FACT!!
Every train robber held their silence. Imagine that today, they would climbing over each over to make statements!!! So, they got thirty years for a man who was not even on trial!!

4) In the words of the leader Bruce Reynolds "Ronnie was the tea boy" he was at the bottom of the chain! Some reports have Ron as the 'robbery mastermind' even Ron laughed at that!

5) The robbery was NOT an armed robbery. Reynolds insisted on NO guns or knives!

6) If Ronnie was a hardened villain,why did he not make money from crime in Brazil like Charlie Wilson did in Spain and a lot of others have done all over the world, or ended up in the drug world like Wilson, Tommy Wisbey and Eddie Richardson?

He chose instead to make self-deprecating T shirts and other dignity stripping souvenirs,that's what made it look like he was taking the pi** out of the system but he was trying to promote T-Shirts with things like 'I met Ronnie Biggs in Brazil.' he would rather be self deprecating than go back into crime!! Ronnie wasn't a villain, he was actually a carpenter.

7) The idea of prison is rehabilitation/change for the better. How can you can more than a young man climbing over the wall 40 odd years ago, to a man who can't talk (He uses a letter board!), can't eat (tube in the stomach), Can't drink (through a drip!) Can barely walk (Wheelchair!), Caught MRSA,'is seen as a threat to society!' Even if released, he would be in his own prison but tax payers won't have to pay for it....Can you change more than that!

8) ALL these idiots that say 'He should stay in prison' I have talked too do NOT know their facts or done any research, they are stumped after 2 minutes! You, know, EMPTY VESSELS MAKE THE LOUDEST NOISE!!!!

Opinions are a reward for knowing your facts, everyone is entitled to them but I think they should be earned by research!

There's so many things I don't know about, so if it comes to something I don't know, I listen and research.But most people just shout crap out!!

The facts on here by the way, come from myself, Mike Gray, Mike Biggs and Roy Shaw who are Ron's most regular visitors. Also, Freddie Foreman - who hid all the train Robbers and got them out of the country. (Fred knows and knew EVERYONE... But he had never heard of Ronnie... Just proves how big a villain Ron was!), Bruce Reynolds, ALL the 'Chaps' and even screws on visits who don't think he should be in there!

We ALWAYS question the screws and they can never believe he's in there!!

9) The system will wait until they know Ron has got about 3 weeks left and then release him on compassionate grounds. That way they look humane and Ron's out of their hair! The same thing happened with Reg Kray. (Strangely, also in Norwich!) and NOT ALL the train robbers served 30 years, 'Buster' Edwards got 15 years but never served it all.

10) Just to let you know, There is a lot of talk about Ron's so called 'friends' taking bribe money to make sure Ron didn't change his mind and got on the plane,knowing he was going straight to prison!! A LOT of 'Heavy Duty Chaps' have the hump and say Ronnie was handed over like a cow for cash!!

Thank you to Mike Gray, Mike Biggs, Ronnie Biggs, Roy Shaw, Paul Knight, Jamie O'Keefe, 'All the decent chaps' And the man I really admire- Mal Vango!

'RONNIE BIGGS - THE INSIDE STORY' by Tel Currie and Mike Gray - foreword by Roy Shaw, published by apex is out now.

Check these two links.

HERE

and

HERE

Thank You
Tel Currie

Innocent Death

Many years ago, I made a conscious effort to change my life, to turn my back on a world that only ever offered two choices, Jail or death neither of them really floated my boat so I did what I needed to do to make the changes happen. It was hard at first, you’re used to a certain reaction when something happens and you respond accordingly but that response doesn’t fly in the Joe Norn world of day jobs, taxes and day to day responsibilities. I made mistakes, big ones trying to adjust, to fit in, I still do... some cost me more than I like to admit, others are small enough to learn from and rectify. I tell myself that it all goes towards helping me grow as a person and become a balanced role model for my kids and future grandkids, that violence isn’t the answer to every problem. I now deplore violence, I’m happy to never be faced with it again and if that means being branded a coward, a pussy, a fraud then so be it... I can live with that, I can’t live with being dead... the names called and labels given are just words, and as someone driven by writing I see them for what they are. In the 12 years I spent working the doors, I must have been insulted around a 50 times a night, 6 nights a week... do you honestly believe that something is going to be said that hasn’t been said before? And verbally attacking my family, really... why get annoyed, are the slurs true???? Hell no, so why bite? A cool head will always prevail over a hot one... no I’m happy to grow up and leave my past in the past, where it belongs... away from the eyes of those whose opinions matter the most to me and that is my children. A fist is nothing but a closed hand that is unable to accept the gifts that an open palm can... I’m not trying to disown my actions as a younger man, I wasn’t a nice person, and I hung around with equally or worse people and was in a world where violence and death were real outcomes to stupid and simple situations... I saw a total of 23 deaths in a short space of time, mindless and pointless but accepted.

I suppose the reason behind me seeing the flaws in a world that I was part of (and still have friends and associates that still go around and around those circles) is that I was of an age that I understood the consequences, I knew what the reality of my actions were and knew how to move on. This week however, brought home the other side to it all, when you don’t understand or grasp the reality of death... where compassion rather than coldness is required, and the tears of innocence brings you more pain than any amount of violence could.

Whilst most of Britain was enjoying the benefits that a snow day brought on Monday (02.02.09), my youngest daughter’s friend Holly died from Meningitis, she had only recently turned 5. Other than seeing Holly the odd time in the playground when picking up my kids from school, I didn’t know her or her parents but my little girl Paige did. She attended Holly’s birthday party in October of last year, where Holly looked a picture of health after a 5 year battle with Leukaemia, she had finally been given the all clear, and she had a prosperous life ahead of her. However on the weekend leading up to the nation’s snow day happiness, Holly contracted a form of Meningitis that robbed her of all her hopes and dreams in a matter of days... I know from experience that there aren’t enough words or sentiment that I could send her family that would even begin to ease their pain so I’ll not make out that I even tried, it goes without saying that no parent should outlive their child.

My pain was from watching my daughters’ reaction to the news that we had to break to her on Wednesday night, the school had sent home a letter to the parents confirming the news and highlighted that the school had yet to make an official announcement to the children and wanted us to speak and inform our kids first. There had been talk and rumour flying around the playground that day from children whose parents were friends of Holly’s parents, but they didn’t fully understand what was being said to them. That night my wife (and better half) D and I kept looking at each other without saying anything, both knowing we had to brooch the subject but not knowing when, we waited till after dinner and before dessert, hoping the promise of something sweet and yummy might dull the sadness... it didn’t. It took some explaining to Paige before she grasped what was being told to her, her eyes welled up and she started to cry now fearful that other people she loves were going to die, including us, her sister, other friends and her grand parents... I hate not being able to make certain pains and realities go away... I hated those that feel violence and threats of death are the only answer... I hated the fact that my innocent children had to know and feel the hurt that comes from the death of a friend at such a young age, but kids are resilient, they bounce back like nothing had happened. My Paige’s first thought was to draw a picture of her friend that also depicted how sad she was that her friend was no longer able to run around with her in the playground but by the time the picture was finished, my pleased little girl said that she would give the picture to Holly the next day to cheer her up which in return meant another bout of highlighting to her that Holly wasn’t going to be around anymore, more tears, more heartache.

The next day, all the children had been told about Holly and the kids grieved to the best of their understanding and ability... I picked my kids up from school that day and I witnessed the sadness on the faces of the children as they left the building and ran to their parents waiting arms, in desperate need of that embrace of security and protection that only a parent can give. By the time we reached home that day, Paige told her mum about how sad everyone was about Holly and that she would invite Holly to her birthday party to cheer her up... even with all the support of friends, teachers and parents... the reality to understand about life and death was above these young kids’ heads and I felt a lump in my throat as I pondered how many days would go by before my innocent little girl realised that Holly wouldn’t ever be returning to school so they could run around the playground together.

Xmas 2008

What can I say other than I can’t believe how long it’s been since my last blog... there are plenty of excuses but none that I should be using, it doesn’t take but a few minutes to jot something down and post it.

The second half of 2008 was a very negative time for me and those around me, I allowed myself to be de-motivated by the most insignificant reasons and has the year ended it was revealed to be a complete waste of time...a total anti climax to an arduous 6 months. No rhyme or reason to the madness, as random as random gets, up down up down, opportunities missed, favours lost, friendships dissolved and I look back and think was it really worth all that and the answer is ‘no’... if anyone is wondering what to get me for Christmas this year... I’ll take a dose of hindsight please, because lord knows it’s needed lol

I was asked if my usual Christmas disasters were happening to me... every year brings something bad, but at the time when I was asked, nothing had happened... I suppose the events leading up to that point were disastrous enough... but sure as eggs are eggs the next day my washing machine broke down... had to be something I guess. However, that was it that was the Christmas occurrence and in the grand scheme of things an easily fixed one at that, unlike the year before when anything and everything went wrong... including my boiler blowing up.

Anyway, I didn’t want to go into detail about the whole onslaught of negativity, the reasons and incidents do not deserve to get free public advertising and I really do not wish to relive them for the sake of making this entry longer... All I will say is this, I’m back to (hopefully) making regular entries, 2008 is over... roll on the opportunities that 2009 will bring, opportunities I do not intend to let slip by again.

Stay Frosty

Opinions - 29.05.08

Events happen in a person’s life from time to time that draws the interest of the people that have an interest in that person. Could be a birthday, a death, being fired, getting promoted, attracting a new partner or losing one… simple things that for a short while brings old names and unfamiliar faces out of the woodwork to dissect and explore avenues of your past and present. For those, like me, that are at the beginning of their path to branch out to the public world through the expression of media, those events happen a little more often.

I am slowing building a reputation in the writing world, my chosen genre is crime fiction but my background and associates also has me getting involved in True Crime books, compilation books and biographies. I do not sell myself on my past I only highlight it so those who wish to know about me and my work have a starting template to base a more informative opinion and at least acknowledge that I have some insight to that kind of world and therefore my written work has at least some measure of credit. I do not attempt to cash in on those that are more widely known to the general public and I have had of pleasure of being involved in their lives, I do not write about those who cannot answer back on the claims I may make and I do not force myself on to the public by being loud, brash and available for every and any public outlet so I can get my face out there. I am an easy going person, who likes his privacy yet also likes the company of friends, I have no interest in trying to control what is said about me on the internet etc I respect the fact that everyone will have a differing opinion to mine and has every right to air that opinion, I do not whine or threaten those that have said something I would deem negative about me, I am understanding of all criticism as long as what is being used to form that opinion is from fact and not hearsay, jealousy or ill informed strangers. Only one person knows me inside and out that could confirm, deny or debate facts about me and that person is me. So I always find it comical that very few people actually contact me direct to find out something but would rather speculate or bad mouth me to their peers without any input from their subject matter, there is a huge divide between those with an informed opinion and those that are just self opinionated. The internet, unfortunately, not only provides a platform for people to advertise their selves but also acts as a soapbox for those that would rather point a finger with a black and white attitude rather than seeing the splendour that grey can offer if they just took a step back to see the bigger picture.

The latest event that seems to have brought me the attention of others is the fact that I have agreed to help a young man write his biography and publish it through a newly formed business partnership with Jamie O’Keefe and New Breed books. The young man in question is having the credibility of his life events challenged by a handful of people that fall under the same categories I listed above. In return, my future in the writing/publishing game is being denounced because I would choose to take on such a subject matter, and the seriousness of my reputation as a True Crime writer (which I have a limited interest in being) will be severely harmed. It is said that my client has no story, that he has not done anything of importance, that the events he does proclaim to be actual proceedings are lies, the reasoning behind wanting a book about himself out is for notoriety and prosperity rather than remorse for a supposed fable life. The motives of my client for wanting his story told are his own, the concept that was pitched to me was interesting, emotional, comical and remorseful, the people involved in a number of the escapades described have been contacted and aspects of the stories confirmed by those either Jamie or myself personally know. I am in possession of documented evidence that backs the claims on those particular incidences and I have newspaper clippings that support others. Even if his life story was just based on the facts already confirmed this would prove to be an interesting book to read for those that have an interest in lives that have been lived rather than ones that have to be lived through others.

As a writer, the challenge of creating a piece that captures the reader’s attention and unfolds a person’s story at the right pace and believable tone is what will make a writers reputation, to be able to take the mundane and produce the sublime, to make an everyday occurrence of crossing the road to go grocery shopping sound like an adventure of wonder and mystery. I believe that gift will determine how my future in the literacy world will unfold and be interpreted by my readers no matter whom or what the subject matter is.

Nevertheless, I have already stated that everyone is entitled to air their opinion even if that does generate negative feedback before the product has been created, and I for one am grateful that people do because even negative feedback acts as a catalyst for interest, for every 1 person that questions its credibility, 10 more will be interested in reading it to see what the commotion is about and the beauty is that for every person that could confirm if it is a lie or not there are tens of thousands that would have no idea and there lies the flaw in True Crime. People will accept what they are told to be true until someone comes forward to query what has been printed and the only way that critic’s ramblings will be considered is if they too were present at the time of events being questioned. This in turn creates interest from people who then want to read that persons account of that particular event and about the rest of their life, it is a domino effect that a lot of True Crime subjects both play and rely on to generate that notoriety and prosperity that my client is being accused of seeking. Of course, the beauty of True Crime is there are not many in a rush to come forward and be acknowledged for being involved in that way of life, not everyone from a criminal background wants to be thrust into the public eye for scrutiny and judgement like their retied associates that now have very little to lose. The same critic’s of my client, happily stand behind another subject matter of the True Crime genre that in turns has their own group of people that question their version of events and produce negative feedback on their lives and work and so on and so on, each person depicted in a book will have their own followers and disbelievers, it is the way of human nature to find something to disagree on but it is those that know and accept this that I am truly in awe of because they can accept and weigh up both sides, choose their side and just get on with their lives without acting like a sheep and listen to someone else’s biased opinion and claim it for their own because they cannot make up their own mind.

It has been asked (not directly to me mind but openly to others that do not know me) who the f*ck I am, what have I supposed to have done, who am I related to and what bearing does my background have on my work. I personally do not see the constructive point of these types of questions, who am I? I am me, who I am related to and where I am from have very little relevance to what I write as a Crime FICTION author and as for the work I produce for compilation books etc, my past speaks for itself within its contents, the biographies I am getting involved with are not based on me but of clients seeking the services of a writer to help produce their life story so who am I plays no part in being a factor.

People and their opinions, what else can you say on the matter? Constructive criticism will always be accepted by me whereas destructive comments will always be used as a point of fuel for my rants and ramblings… there is a positive in every negative; it’s whether or not you are experienced enough to see it and wise enough to use it.

Stay frosty

The past - 25.03.08

If you have ever taken the time out to read my blogs, website, forum etc… you wouldn’t be blamed for thinking that I used to be someone with a quick temper, a passion for fighting and was involved in criminal activities. I was part of a large group of people, gang, firm whatever you want to call it… it wasn’t the firm but it was a firm all the same. Our area, manor, territory (again, you pick the terminology) was mainly East and North London with fingers in pies that stretched into Essex, South London, West London, Ireland, Manchester, Spain, with the odd bit of business with certain people who lived in certain areas. We weren’t big time compared to those who you read about in books, we didn’t have the mafia shitting themselves and we never said we were more than what we were.

We earned money from illegal enterprises, we earned from collecting, we earned from security work, we earned full stop. We were also leant on, threatened and made to feel our lives were in danger because some people felt we were betting too big and taking a too bigger slice of the pie… I don’t know about your kitchen, but if the pie is running out you bake a new one. That’s how I see life; I can’t see the point of worrying about one thing, because if you have a brain in your head you should be thinking of the next thing. That was me and my lot, I saw the money, the violence, the good, the bad and the ugly, I saw friends leave this mortal coil too early and I saw scum not get it early enough. There are those that seem to want to chastise me because they hadn’t heard of me, I got news for ya, I didn’t hear about you either so what does that say? Nothing. I have those that feel that the history they have created for themselves makes them more than me, I say “well done but what have you done lately?” There are those that are quick to jump on a band wagon even when they don’t even know what tune is being played. Then there are those that feel you still have to be the person you used to be, why? I have spent years moving away from that world, I don’t care if someone insults me, it’s just words, I get threatened and don’t retaliate, that’s not intimidation that’s knowing that all threats are empty… that’s the whole point of a threat. It stops being empty the second someone actually follows through with it, until then just words. I issue public apologies to someone, that’s not me running scared that’s me admitting I was in the wrong and being the bigger person to acknowledge it. It’s comes down to what I think about myself as a person not what others think about me, I’ve paid my dues to those whose opinions actually mattered to me, I don’t owe anyone else anything… I give because I want to give the same way I’ll take when the moment I need to arrives. There are those that are foolish enough to believe that my laid back approach is a sign of weakness, it’s not weakness, it’s a case of mind over matter… I don’t mind because you don’t matter.

Recently, I was publically targeted with my address being displayed on the internet, the person who posted had to hide behind a false name and IP addresses despite being someone who has “done more in a morning than I have in a lifetime” (there words not mine). He couldn’t see how by doing what he did he could be of been putting my family in danger from those out there that would do something for the sake of doing something. He said that he wanted to prove a point that he knew how to get to me, how did he say this to me, by email… so he could of emailed and enlightened me with the fact he knew my address without publically airing it on the internet for anyone to see. It would have provided the same desired effect for him but would have got a quieter response from me. I don’t need to name this person, he informs me that his time for me has expired and advises we just go our separate ways on the subject, which I’m happy to do. Why, because I am scared, no, it’s because I have a young family at home that doesn’t need to be put into a situation because someone would rather post my address on the internet because they can’t see the danger that could incur in today’s world where the cost of a life is that of whatever is in your pockets at the time than just contact me direct and in private. That’s all I have to say on that particular incident, it’s what lead on from that that I feel more compelled to write about.

Because this was all public, those who I call ‘friend’, also then publically chastised me for not retaliating, questioning my motives and lack of action. What do they expect the right course of action to be, I don’t know, what do I do to make things balanced? Go round their house and do what, argue with them, fight them, spray paint some private information about their family on their walls? What would that prove, nothing… if I did that to you what would be your response… it would be to do someone thing back and so it goes on… the only way it would stop would be to kill them so they couldn’t do anything like that again. But then there would be someone else to carry on the bouts of to’ing and throwing, who would want to kill me for what I had done… anything less would be empty and if looked at logically would be a waste and pointless – so why do anything? If I’m wrong in how I see it all then please highlight to me your course of action and be sure to include all the consequences that would come with your reaction… once all the pro’s and con’s are there, you tell me if one side outweighs the other. In the meantime I’ll stick with my chilled out, water off a ducks back approach and let it go over my head. I know that is the best course of action, logic tells me it is, like minded people tell me it is, the authorities will tell me the same thing… so why prolong something that doesn’t need to be drawn out? I don’t hold anything against my friend for having his opinion, it’s one of the things I admire about him and I’m confident that he will see this blog as me clearing the air in public view and understand it is not him I am directing this to but the general readers ever where I post my personal rants.

Still, the questioning of my methods and reaction does make ya second guess yourself and makes your mind go back to a time where logic wouldn’t factor into it. If someone had pulled that stroke 15 years ago, what would have happened… the stupid course of action would have unfolded… my lot would have driven to where ever we needed to be and done some physical damage and would have relished the onslaught that would have followed. My associates would have joined in and put the word out for any and all to have a pop at this person, his family, his home etc… favours would have been called in, sides would have been taken and it would have become a case of where ever the chips may lie. Because that’s how it used to get dealt with, no internet, no email exchanges, no blogs, no public involvement – just plain old violence with no consequences, talks of broken codes, boundaries crossed, street justice prevailed.

It just seems like a simpler time, eye for an eye and all that… I took that same attitude into the work place with me when I was trying to start over. I had a line manager that just didn’t like me because of the person I was, my interview was with his boss and most of it centred on door work and celebrities I had met rather than experience in the field I was applying for. As time went on, my line manager kept digging and made waves… so one Saturday he was paid a visit and his ankle was shattered. He hobbled into work a week or so later on crutches, saying it was a rugby accident… I took the piss; he threw that ‘I’m your boss’ routine in my face and the following weekend his other ankle was shattered. He left in the end and so did I, I just changed companies but he moved countries… horses for courses I guess. As the years rolled on I gave up that kind of course of action although I think back to it and wondered if I did the right thing… you want promotion but that person above you won’t leave… beat them until they do, your boss gives you a hard time, beat them so they spend time in hospital leaving you alone, you have someone whose gonna cost ya £80k in redundancy costs, beat them so they quit… someone calls the cops on ya, have them beaten by someone else until they drop the charges… that’s how it used to be… so is going back to that way of thinking really that wrong? Is the caveman approach so outdated that it wouldn’t work? Is violence a thing of the past? Are people not scared anymore of being a victim? Of course it would still work in today’s world… the majority of people who know no different are still concerned about physical confrontation, they still believe that the police and the justice system will protect them and dish out righteousness, they would still cave and give you what you want in exchange for not being harmed any further. And it’s that knowledge that lets me know I shouldn’t question myself… if someone pulled the same tactic with me, I know what I would do, I know there are those that would still walk through hell with me, why? Because I’m one of the minorities who’s used to violence and confrontation, I’ve paid my dues, I have loyal friends and family that would do whatever needed to be done to make a problem go away and that’s how I know I don’t have to dance to someone else’s tune or worry about what someone else thinks about my moves.

The dark times are over for me… I’ve been there no matter what someone who doesn’t know me, my family or life say… I don’t need to prove what I used to be like, I don’t need to grunt and swear to put a point across, and I don’t need to act hard and tough to uphold a fabricated image. It used to be about street reputation not ghost written biographies, It used to be what you could do on your own not in a group, it used to be about being someone to others rather than others having to promote you’re someone.

All these mixed emotions had me think about the things I have done in my life, the good things, the bad things, the violent things and the creative things… which leads me on to share the very first piece of work I ever had published, many moons ago. They say music soothes the savage beast, but I think it’s poetry that aids the violent… expression in words is something that seems to go hand in hand with people in our circles… whether it be spoken, song lyrics, stories or things like this:

Dream or Reality?
I had a dream or is it real?An omen, portent, a vision of dread,Rubbled city skies fall beneathA blanket of darkness.The world is in decay, destruction is here.The Devil reigns supreme.
Cries in the polluted air.Sirens for survivors to hear and gather.Wailing from children, grieving for the dead.What brought on this wrath?Pray to a God, forgiveness is soughtPlease bless us with salvation.

In the form of light, hope is given,Rays of warmth shine through.From the blackness a single candle flameFlickers to and fro, dancing the tango of life.Raised spirits, heart filled joy, the people cheer,I just laugh and blow the candle out.

Xmas Karma 2007

Let me start off by sending my hopes that you all had a festive Christmas and are heading for a full on New Years Eve, may 2008 provide the solutions to the issues that 2007 produced. I feel that it is only right to send good tidings even though I very rarely receive them and if I do, I usually that them slip by me like a shadow ninja in the night. I am not a big lover of the Christmas time; I rarely send out cards, I don’t do decorations or rope lights, I hate snow, carols and Figgie pudding – to me Christmas day is just another day in the paradise that is my life.
It wasn’t always like that, I used to love the holiday season, I used to dress as Santa and give out presents to all my family, friends, and work colleagues. I went the whole nine yards but as the years rolled by and life changing events took place, all around the festive period, I slowly began to curse Christmas and all that it stands for. They say that payback is a bitch and those words ring true for me every year, I am not a religious person, I do not trust in a higher power, I go for science more than gospel but I am a big a firm believer of the saying ‘what goes around, comes around’, karma is real and it’s not just for people called Earl… it’s a governing body that I use to help me make my decisions in life, I always weigh up the worst case scenario that could come back and bite me in the arse if I chose to walk off the beaten path to achieve a desired result. Do bad things and bad things will happen to you, do good things and good things will happen to you… but get that healthy balance and you have the best of both worlds. The problem is I have done some very bad things in my life and yet it doesn’t seem to matter how many good deeds I perform, I still get a reminder from karma that I have a long way to go and it’s usually around this time, I call this my Christmas karma.

What things have happened that could make me feel this way at a time of giving? I won’t go into detail, I was thinking about it but this is meant to be a blog not a novel, so let’s just keep it to a brief outline.

During the Christmas period over the years I have endured:
The murder of friends, the deaths of family members, heartbreak, lost loves and relationships failed, lose of work, arrested for crimes not committed, shot at, life threatened, slashed tyres, hospital stays, car trouble, STD’s, lost phone, missing wallet, cuts, burns – to name but a few and then there was this year…

Christmas weekend, if work hadn’t taken such a sudden u-turn from fun and enjoyable to disillusioned and de-motivated perhaps I would have entered that Christmas Weekend with a touch more vigour and preparation, after all I know it’s that time of year when it all turns to shit but I had my guard down and karma knew it.

From out of nowhere my mother-in-law arrives from Ireland and visits, any husband out there know how that one makes ya feel… this was then followed by my tooth breaking (too many fights in my younger days have had this knock on effect to my teeth and joints), if the knowledge of having to grin and bear it didn’t kick in before the infection that was imminent in my gum then I was canoeing up shit creek during the rapids season. And to help slow me down even further, my boiler sprung a leak… the pressure dropped and my house was devoid of central heating. I stopped the water flow so I could ease the constant stream of h2o that was escaping from the cracked primary overflow switch but stopping that problem caused another and the redirection of pressure blew out my auto purger which in turn caused a leak that filled up the encased gas heated pipe work. This of course caused the flame to go out but the supply of gas to continue… you can see where this is going can’t you… needless to say I unscrewed the cover, the overflow of water bellowed out and on to exposed electric cables that caused a spark and, bang, an instant flame thrower… which burns the back of my right hand that I threw up to shield my face. I turned the gas supply off and was forced to take my family to a hotel so they had heat and hot water… more expense at an expensive time and all that was on the Saturday. Sunday I returned home to strip my boiler down and to see the extent of the damage… knowing what you are doing is the difference to fixing it yourself or bringing in a plumber at Christmas at double the normal call out rate, whose first piece of advice will be to purchase a new boiler (£600 - £900) and then have a Corgi registered installer to install it (a further £300 - £500). With the limited supply of natural day light to see what I was doing (due to my boiler being housed where the domestic lighting just casts shadows rather than workable illumination)… Sunday was a waste of a day. On the Monday (Christmas Eve) I bundled the family in the car and rushed around a few plumbing shops to purchase the spare parts that I needed, installed them and tested the boiler… still some tinkering to be done… the tinkering took almost 10 hours… but by midnight I had a fully functioning boiler, warm and toasty central heating and plenty of hot water that I could take a midnight bath to wash away the grime… my head hit the pillow by 2am and was back up by 8 cause it was Christmas morning and my kids wouldn’t open their presents without me there to watch… you gotta love the offspring.

That was my Christmas… people you see at work etc the following days always ask how ya Christmas was with big smiles on their faces and songs in their hearts look completely shocked when I give the answer “Total Shit”… Bah Humbug!!!

Review endorsements needed...By Paul Knight

Hey good people

I hope, as you read this that you and yours are doing fine and are all on cloud nine.

I gotta say, it’s been real busy of late… because in case you didn’t know, I have a book coming out on March 1st called ‘Coding of a concrete animal’. This focuses on an East End family, neck deep in the criminal underworld of UK gangland. You can check out some readers reviews at Waterstones…

What makes me think I could write such a tale and make it sound believable? Go visit my official site and read the 'intro' and ‘About Me’ sections…that should give you an answer.

Whilst you’re visiting… leave a few words on the ‘Guest List’, sign up for the ‘Chat’ rooms or get some free publicity by putting yourself forward for the ‘Associates’ area and just to show it’s not all about ducking and diving and fighting people… for all you taggers and PSP wannabe’s there’s a special section just for you.

What can I say, I’m a giver…

Okay, I’m gearing up for the March release, the proof reading as been done, revisions made and all I’m missing is some review endorsements…

So if you are in the media’s eye and would like a signed 1st edition copy of my book in exchange for a snappy comment I can have printed on the book cover… then please drop me a line, either through MySpace or from a link on my site.

Remember, it’s a March release so it would need to be a fast turnaround…

Thanking any and all of you in advance…

I’m hoping to get some time to myself in the coming weeks, away from interviews with the local rags and promo work… so I’ll write a more in-depth blog then…

Stay frosty and thanks for all your support…

BPW

Book Signing...By Paul Knight

Hey, out there…

Happy Crimbo to you all and I hope you are all planning to have a merry new year!

The first edition of my book hit the door mats last week (20/12/06), to a somewhat successful opening…if you were one of the 137 people that bought a copy, I thank you. This may not sound a lot but you have to keep in mind that no marketing has been done by the publishers, I am not a high profile name for the media to latch onto nor am I an established author…so to me, 137 pre-orders is big numbers. This was mainly through all you guys and gals on MySpace…you won’t be forgotten.

Not to mention the 58 additional copies that flew out, at my very first book signing session, at the Alibi Bar, in Shoe Lane, London.

I wish to thank the gang there who allowed this to take place on the Friday before Christmas…a very busy time for them and they still gave me a 2 hour slot to occupy an area of the place for a meet and greet.

Here are a few Pic’s are some kind supporters who turned up (or could have been there already…after all it was a bar on a Friday evening) and bought a signed copy from yours truly.

On top of all this, Amazon are even showing a few reviews on the release…I personally do not think that the book is that good…but I’m happy to take the compliments before the negativity comes…So if you want to publicly air your thoughts on it, then please point your browser over to Amazon and add your piece. No offence taken…honest guv’.

Since the book signing, I have myself a web domain and have a site under construction…on it, I would like to feature reviews from you good readers – good or bad. In addition, I would like to get a gallery going. So if any of you initial peeps would like to have your pic up there, with a link to your site / page etc then please email me a pic of you holding a copy of my book (Mine’s called Coding of a concrete animal…in case I have not mentioned it before) to:

coca@paulknightonline.co.uk

The 2nd edition (with marketing) will be out on March 1st, 2007 and it’s on this release that I am hoping to get a bestseller rating…no matter how small…so please put the word out to family / friends / work colleagues / milkman etc and make a total strangers dream come true.

Thanks for reading and all your support,

Stay Frosty

RIP James Brown

It’s safe to say, that I am not the biggest fan of the Christmas holiday, I feel more comfortable being a giver than a receiver…(oo’er missus). And although I have mellowed on the festive humbug attitude since my kids have come on the scene…I’m still not quite there.

Nevertheless, when asked if I believe in Santa Claus…the answer will always come back ‘yes’ (remember, I have kids…plus I am still young at heart). However, that belief has been put to the test because I cannot see how Santa can give with one hand and take away with another.

What am I talking about? Soul legend, James Brown, the 'Godfather of Soul' who had more than 119 chart hits in the US and recorded over 50 albums, died this Christmas at the young old of age 73. The original sex machine had been admitted to hospital in Atlanta for treatment of severe pneumonia and lost the fight.

I send a big shout out (and I hope you will join me) to his family and loved ones, James was an icon and will be sorely missed. Moreover, he was in the Blues Brothers, for Christ sake…that has to be worth a minutes silence on its own.

Please, Please, Please rest in peace James.

Seeing [RED]...By Paul Knight

How far the world of science has come to finally provide a ray of hope to those stricken with HIV / Aids. I still remember when HIV / Aids first hit the media's attention some 20 odd years ago. The propaganda behind it was more frightening than the actual virus, it was a disease that was out to kill homosexuals, created in monkeys and spread by Africans. These titbits were then followed by the fact you could catch it by being near an infected party or sharing the same toilet seat, being spat on or by coming in contact with their blood…the horror of that last one came to fruition when a heterosexual contracted the virus after a blood transfusion. This was the turning point that actually made the media report the real facts about the virus and once they did, everyone not affected seemed to lose interest.

From numerous campaigns that went out to scare the public, revealing the horrors and possibilities of unprotected sex, the whole sexual partners pyramid scheme (anyone remember that? If you had slept with 5 different people and they all had slept with 5 different people and they all slept with 5 different people…and so on and so on…), to nothing…medical science took so long to produce a glimmer of a real cure that the attention span for the deadly virus seemed to fizzle out of existence. The public found new things to occupy its time with…until now and it is about time.

The one thing that doctors and the medical profession never provide is a cure…only different ways to treat and ease suffering. Why? Because there is more money in keeping you ill than actually curing you. So for a cynical old duffer like me to actually see medical progress that can cure a virus that has claimed friends of mine, then I'm all for it…and have gone out to do my bit by buying [RED] products to help the cause…will you do the same?

If you are interested in doing a small part in the grand scheme of things then head on over to [RED] by clicking the link below:

Rather RED then dead...show your support.

My news, compared to that, seems somewhat lacking in moral fibre and coloured ribbons…but I am going to share anyway.

To all you UK readers out there…my book, 'Coding of a concrete animal' will be ready for the last Christmas post day to all those that pre-ordered it through Troubador (Click to buy it now). Due to the perfect timing of its release, Christmas (what was I thinking???) this graphic tale of the UK criminal underworld will NOT be available to the general public until late Jan / early Feb 2007.

This gives the marketing team time to get over their New Year hangovers and start publicising my book in magazines, radio, buyer's guides and the internet, it also means that you would be amongst the first to own, read and share your comments before anyone else. What are you waiting for? Get in on the ground level, help a fellow tagger / MySpace friend out, show your support by buying a copy, spreading the word though the power of email, text and word of mouth, and make it a number one bestseller.

I thank you…

To celebrate its release I am taking my new bride to Vegas next week (no kids…what will we do with ourselves?) and live the high life (even if it is for only 6 days). The last time I was in a casino was back in my naughty days, when a late shift would usually end up in a late night intake of drink, cigars and gambling…

I remember one night, when a group of guys bet more than they could lose and tried to do a runner without settling their debts. Big mistake, the club was in the heart of Soho and believe me, there is no place to run before something big and nasty emerges out of a side alley and gives you the old slice and dice. My entourage and I (6 lumps who had just finished a 7 hour shift at a drum and bass promotion…so you can tell what kind of mood we were in) were just about to come down the stairs of this particular establishment when the paupers, who were trying to make it away on their toes, ran straight in to us. Now at first, they thought we worked at the casino and started to double back down the stairs only to see the club bouncers making their way towards the stairs…they were caught like scared rabbits, dazed and confused.

They say that there is 7 stages of grief, me, I used to give plenty of people plenty of grief back in my previous life…some times for a reason and others because I was bored…but there was never 7 stages…maybe 3. You don't do as you're told, I give you verbal grief, you mouth back, I give physical grief, you get physical back then I give you pavement concrete grief…there was no 4th stage.

These herberts, however, showed these stages once they clicked that we were on the side of our comrades in arms…it's an unwritten rule that doormen watch each others backs (not always the case mind you…there are a few that talk the talk but fail to walk the walk) even if you work at different clubs.

The first was disbelief at their predicament.

The second was denial; their luck could not be this bad.

The third was anger in which fury reared its head as they attempted to STG.

The fourth was bargaining, once it sunk in that they did not stand a chance.

The fifth was depression, as bladders leaked, eyes wept and a lack of caring arose.

The sixth was acceptance, they knew they were in the wrong and was going to get a beating and so they gave up. Whack!!!

The seventh stage is guilt, which these fellows never showed and so got an extra smack across their knuckles (literally) with an extendable cosh.

This is but one of many happy memories concerning casino's…I hope my experience of Vegas only adds to them.

Stay frosty!

Old age…it catches up with all of us…By Paul Knight

Looking at a recent photo, my tired old face seems to make me wish I was Dorian Gray…especially when I compare it to my lovely, youthful pic of when I was 23. As I loom towards the milestone of 40, I cannot help but to look back and reflect how I am so stuck in my cynical ways that it almost affected one of the happiest days on this planet for me and mine.

I have referred to my past life and the work I used to undertake, most of it went to guarantee that, if I were a religious man, I would not be entering the gates of heaven when I finally die. My upbringing and career choice made me secretive and made it extremely hard for me to share aspects of my life. Over time, I developed the ability to separate the 3 areas of my life, Work, Social & Private.

The friends and associates I make in work, are just work colleagues. I do not discuss my private life but I do start a social life with a select few from work. My social crowd do not get bored with my working day or my private life; it is all about the good times. My private life is just that, private. A handful of people get to enter my private life, invited to my home, meet my family etc but there needs to be a special bond there. My lovely wife however has to put up with me making her friends feel awkward and unwelcome because I just don’t like to open up my front door to those how have not shared blood, sweat and tears with me. It has caused a few arguments but we have come to find some middle ground on the subject and part of my code of life as rubbed off on her too, because she has come to live by it (to a certain degree).

Therefore, to recap, my work colleagues only know me in work and nothing else, my social crowd do not know about my work friends or what I do nor do they know about my private life, family etc and my closest friends know about my private life and share in with the special occasions. I am hoping by now you get the point of these last 2 paragraphs…

So, if I am so secretive about my life, why share at all? Because of old age and the fact that my secretive life meant only a handful of people knew I got married recently and who to…that was of course the beautiful Diane or Candyass to those out there in the internet world. Yes, despite having separate lives on the threads we have in fact been a couple for many years (the clues were all there people…), a couple, who are adults but do not feel we have to be a couple in everything we do. It also means I get to share these pictures with you all.

I am trying to change how I see life and writing the book helped a great deal with that…but I am what I am, Paulie the mystery man…toot toot!!!

Stay frosty

The talented Mr. Perry...By Paul Knight

Ben Perry is has big in personality has he is in stature…He stands in at 6ft 8” and weighed in at 22 stone (at the time of our business relationship)…when asked by an irate punter “Just who the hell do you think you are?” Big Ben simply replied “God…because I have the power to separate your head from your shoulders with one smiting blow.” Yes, the Ben Perry Haymaker was an equaliser that when in affect would put the explanation mark on the fact you just got hit by a 22 stone giant.

Although an intimidating sight, with his skin head and devil beard, he was more Gentle Ben than anything else and if any punters who used to visit the Goth and punk club “Slimelights” in the nineties would be able to tell ya, he was a good laugh.

It’s hard for me to take my old partner in crime seriously after witnessing him curl his huge frame under a small oval floor rug, whilst E’ing out of his face, to show the world he was really a turtle. He would stretch his neck, while making a turtle face from his shell (the small oval floor rug) and try to eat imaginary lettuce.

It was all very surreal…but not as bad as when Ben and a small group of friends tried to re-enact the ‘Wizard of Oz’ whilst on LSD. Watching a grown man tuck a chequered tea towel down his pants, while sporting a twine mop on his head, acting like he is stuck in a tornado, screaming “Where’s Toto?” Is an image that is not easily forgotten!

I’ll never forget the first time I worked with Ben, we were positioned in Burger King in Leicester Square, stopping non-customers from using the upstairs toilets. I know that must seem both petty and a waste of our time but despite the jokes and insults…it was one of the roughest gig’s going. When our company (Scorpion Security now trading under the name ‘Silent Security’) first got involved, it was being abused by drug dealers, prostitutes, transients and kiddie fiddlers…it was a family restaurant that was not a safe place to be.

The rent-a-cops that were in there before us never tackled the problem…why would they, they were getting £4.85 an hour. We, on the other hand, were getting 3 times that and were up for a rumble…so after months of fighting, death threats, stabbings and major displays of dominance…Scorpion made an example of all of them and marked their territory with the scent of blood.

Of course, once you have it how you want it…it needs to be maintained, so hence the heavy artillery to keep those who were not paying customers out of the comfy, out of sight upstairs area. Plus anyone who as ever walked through Leicester Square of a night time can testify that there is a huge amount of trouble with the drunk and drugged revellers, Triads and thugs (who can’t enjoy a night out without either mugging someone or getting in to tear-ups), these too needed to be stopped at the door and that is why we were there.

I remember having to stand on the first step just to come to eye level with him, I was a new guy with Scorpion at the time whilst Ben was an established body…but we clicked straight off the bat and the rest, as they say, is history.

I have some absolute cracking memories of Ben (you will need to read the sequel to ‘Coding of a concrete animal’…of course first you will actually need to read ‘Coding of a concrete animal’) and it was a crying shame we fell out of touch…the last I saw of him was when he worked for ‘Autoglass’ in Black horse Rd…if any readers, know him…please get him to contact me through this site.

Thanks for the assist…and stay frosty.

Snap Happy...by Paul Knight

What can I say, you put a few old photo’s up with your profile and the first question that comes up is:

“Where are the pictures of the celeb’s?”

Yes, I rubbed shoulders with some of the biggest names in music, acting and the world of finance but I was working (and not in a position to take happy snap’s with my clients). Most assignments are under a confidentiality contract (you’d be surprised how many of the famous brigade like their privacy when it comes to things they shouldn’t be doing), some are so controlled by their managers / Agents that they wouldn’t even know they had security let alone pose for photo’s once you were off the clock and the others just didn’t like cameras…what can I say, I’m not a big lover of having my photo taken either. But those I have partaken in hold some good memories and start the telling of some interesting tales.

My two biggest regrets regarding private photo’s are the Great shed fire of ‘87, where every baby photo, family snap shot and boxing pic went up in flames when someone set fire to my folks garden shed when they just moved (ironically off of a very nasty council estate where they had no trouble…except for one major incident but that’s for another blog) into a middle class environment in Chingford. All those little knick-knacks that everyone has (that had yet been unpacked) were stored in there and 19 years of memories went up in a cloud of smoke.

The other regret was not emptying my attic out when I walked away from my 6 year relationship with my ex-fiancé. There was some fantastic photo’s etc stored up there but when I walked away from the woman I no longer loved I only took the clothes on my back and my border collie…everything else stayed and I would assume went the same way as those artefacts in the Great shed fire of ’87.

After all that, having my photo taken or even being in the background was a no-no, for personal and business reasons…being easily recognised does not make a good impression when trying to keep a low profile whilst looking after someone who also would like to keep a low profile.

Unlike certain celeb’s who need to stand out, a prime example would be the detail the security company I used to work for got assigned with a certain ‘Material Girl’ who insisted on having the biggest looking bodyguards with her whenever she stepped out the door. This approach of course led to the much publicised fracas that was known as the Hyde Park incident. Those who remember this will be able to tell those who don’t…all I can say on it is that it involved the singer, jogging and inflated ego’s. And who was it that got to spend 16 hours a day for 3 weeks looking after her ‘Lucky’ knickers…you guessed it. Who the hell believes that they are that important that they need their underwear guarded? Still a job’s a job.

A great man once told me (and this was repeated to me 2 years later by another great man) “It’s nice to be important but it’s important to be nice.”

As this particular blog is about photo’s…it leads quite nicely into the subject of cameras. We used to work with a bubbly, northern lass by the name of Cheryl, who used to shrill on the door of the Shepherds Bush Empire… ”No Cameras!!!” Sounding like something from the TV show, ‘Open all hours’.

This requirement however, left the front door with a nice box of confiscated cameras…now being the mature, professionals we were, at no time did we take inappropriate photos of our genitalia or other areas of the human anatomy that could embarrass ya in front of your grandparents. No, I can honestly say that no inappropriate photos were taken…they were all appropriate right down to the last one that looked like a long nosed fella that sported a beard and curly eyebrows (you work it out). The camera’s were then returned to their unsuspecting owners until processing was needed (this was before digital camera’s)…all except one. There was one time we didn’t return a certain disposable camera, because the talented Mr. Perry (Big Ben – 6ft 8” and weighed over 22 stone) and myself, snagged a photo with the Cadbury’s Flake girl from the early 90’s, and didn’t want to give it up…so we kept the camera and used up all the film on taking pictures of the team.

So there you have it…the reason why no photo’s of me with my clientele will ever be available for public display…I know it’s a let down (or even a cop out) but that’s the facts, Jack.

Until the next one…stay frosty

Self Preservation...by Paul Knight

Even with all I have seen over the years, I can still be amazed by the slightest thing…the slightest thing in question this time, is how some nasty people with a limited capacity to be able to walk and talk at the same time, let alone throw in the extra addition of chewing gum (who I would have presumed were either dead or had been incarcerated) from back in the day have grasped today’s technology of emailing and blogging or in this case Blog reading. Why amazed, seeing as I used to be one of these Neanderthals and am writing the blogs that the others are reading? Because I was always (well there were a few years in the 90’s where this wasn’t the case) Brain rather than Brawn. It just seemed out of the ordinary to have a few ex-associates contact me through (I’m assuming and hoping) MySpace or Blogger.

I am sure they would be the first to agree that they would have been the last people to even know how to turn a PC on let alone use it to a beneficial level (I hope this is the case because now I know you are reading my blog’s, I wouldn’t want to offend or anything…besides fella’s, you know me, if I ain’t busting balls then I must be dead). So hence the amazement when I got 2 separate emails from 2 fellow face-punchers asking "What’s up?” and “What happened?” Did I see the light and follow the path of Jesus like some of our kind has done, does the love of a good woman really make a difference or am I still pulling scams and this is all an angle? I won’t go into the replies I sent but the basic response was “No” to all of the above. I just woke up one morning and said “Today is the first day of a new life”…no religion, no angles, no alternative reasons…It was just a desire to change.

There is a code amongst the family, firm, underworld (pick your preferred label for the criminal fraternity…whether it is to romanticise or dramatise) that you do not speak outside of school, you don’t grass and you do not drop others in it. Now obviously there are those that despite swearing to uphold this code, squealed, at the first sight of trouble from either the police or opposing fractions, like a fat man camping in Hillbilly country…cue the ‘dwelling banjo’s’.

Self preservation sets in real fast and suddenly the rules don’t apply and they do whatever they feel needs to be done to escape trouble…loyalty is well sought after commodity and should never be taken for granted…It is a golden rule I have lived by all my life and as a result, have been asked to be involved in a number of dodgy things because other’s knew that I was solid, a diamond geezer who knew how to keep shtum…in total, I could be counted on…but now a little tremor of doubt is setting in with some of my old running buddies regarding what secrets I am giving away in my book. To them I say ‘fear not’…although based on true events - names, places and dates have been changed to protect the guilty who were smart enough not to leave a fingerprint, evidence or witnesses to their involvement. Besides, the story focuses on the fictional character called 'Billy Michaels’ (wink, wink) and his brothers… And no, I am not insulted that they would think that way.

When I decided to walk my current path, I moved address, changed my mobile number and stopped hanging around my old haunts…there was still the odd occasion I would bump into an old face or asked to sort something out for someone…get hold off a “cold elephant and a handful of peanuts” (don’t ya just love street talk) or pass a message on etc…I rarely gave out my new contact details…but somehow, others still knew how to get hold of me if my services were needed…I would like to think it was out of the same loyalty I showed towards them, that my decision to get out of the game was respected and the calls were minimal.

I know that makes me sound like I was some top ranking mafia lieutenant or something (I wasn’t) but that’s the way it was…I was never high profile, I rubbed shoulders with all the big names but made a point of not being remembered…pretty hard I know when you’re 6ft 2” and was tipping the scales at 18 stone but I find that those who love the limelight will die in the limelight…me, I like the idea of growing old enough to be a burden to my kids like they’re a burden to me now…lol.

When asked for 2 words that best describes me…I always use ‘Respected’ and ‘Connected’, it’s the only way I can be summed up and I am happy to live with it. There are big names with even bigger nicknames out there that I have a lot of respect for, “the Guv’nor”, “Chairman of the board”, “the Yellow pages of crime”, “Mean Machine”, “Short, baldy bloke” the list goes on…me, if I had a nickname that best suits me, it would be “the AA” because I always know a man who can. Whatever you wanted I could put you in contact with someone, for a small considerable fee of course…I won’t go in to how far my connections went or what I could get arranged but those who know me can regale you with some amusing stories and confirm just what a few phone calls and a trip to Southampton docks can accomplish.

Anyhow, the need for a bottle of JD, a couple of cigars and a few spare hours to reminisce about the old days are in order to get additional material for the sequel but it seems people are waiting to read the first one before wanting to participate in the next…self preservation again, it’s the name of the game.

Be cool…and stay frosty.

Ranking...by Paul Knight

I first would like to give a shout out to the ‘Cyber Babes’ for all their support and promoting of my novel. You guys not only set the standard in the PSP tagging community but also show what team work is all about. Many Thanks!!!

Since putting the word out I have had this strange curiosity how I am faring in the Google Search Engine results. So I typed in my name ‘Paul Knight’ and hit ‘Search’. My name and book popped up at number 10 on ‘The web’ option out of 23,700,000.

However, type in ‘Paul Knight’ and hit ‘Search’ for just ‘The UK’ option and my name and book pop’s up at number 8 out of 1,710,000. Which can’t be bad.

Type in the title ‘Coding of a concrete animal’ and I’m Number one, a small victory I know but still…it all helps.

But on another note…type in ‘Big Paulie Walnuts’ and I rank NO.3 on the web and numbers 1& 2 on the UK.

At this rate, by the time the book is released, I could rank number 1 in all the searches…

My fifteen minutes of fame is fast approaching (again) – like I have said before, I have lived a whole other life before becoming the law abiding figure that presents these blog’s to you and this time I may have to take advantage of it and make it last a little longer.

The mystery that is me continues…

I know this entry comes across a tad random and a touch egotistical but you gotta ride the wave…to be honest, I am more impressed with myself that I actually finished a project…the last achievement (family not included) I succeeded in was passing my Masters Degree while working on average 11 hours a day for seven years…in a corruptible environment, granted it wasn’t a 2.1 but I did pass. Getting that certificate felt good and gave me a sense of accomplishment for a few brief moments because lord knows I have yet to find how having an MBA as helped my working life or career development. We all know it’s who you know not what you know!

On the subject of my past and books (a weak link I know), I have just finished reading ‘Meeting the Guv’nor’ by Alan Mortlock. Al is known as the “pirate promoter” because of the stigma that still goes hand in hand with the unlicensed boxing circuit (people fail to understand that it’s called ‘unlicensed’ because it’s not sanctioned by the boxing board and not because it’s illegal). In truth, Alan is a well experienced boxing trainer and promoter who runs the IBA and should be commended for not only turning his life around through Jesus but for also the awesome shows he and his fighters put on…you should make a point to catch one. A few of my friends and family have fought for Alan over the years and none of them have ever said a bad word about him or the way he runs his business.

Anyway, I wanted to read his book because Alan was born and raised in the same neck of the woods I was brought up in, drank and visited the same haunts, all the same night clubs and ran the same snooker / boxing club I used to go to. ‘Hayden’s’ was where I went to spar with some up-and-coming fighters in the nineties, just to stay in shape, and it was there that I got a chance to go a few rounds with Scott Welch, before he went on to win the heavyweight title.

Another young chap (at the time) who used to knock the heavy bag around when I was at Hayden’s was Jamie Mclean, the son of the legendary Lenny Mclean. Jamie has grown to become the spitting image of his old man and I hope he is still living the way Lenny would have wanted him to.

So if you want to know what kind of background I came from, read this book and you’ll get the idea…although I’m 10 years younger than Alan (no offence if you read this), we still moved in the same circles…only I was probably wheeling and dealing with the offspring / younger siblings of the villains he was rubbing shoulders with.

That’s it for this one…stay frosty.

My first review...by Paul Knight

Okay, now I am playing the waiting game…Matador has produced my AI (Advance Information) sheet that goes out to all the major buyers, media and reviewers. This sheet can either grab someone's attention, sending your possible writing career to dizzy heights or get your work sent to the bottom of the bargain basement bin. The decisive moment is coming and the question that haunts any writer will soon get answered…

Is my work any good?

Every author has his loyal followers who are biased and will easily gloss over any flaws when give feedback. However, professional men and women in the industry that make a living from choosing the best authors to make their commission on are a little more disconcerting when giving back criticism…it's a lot like being a stockbroker, you need to believe that this is the right stock to invest in if you expect others to invest in it too.

What is it that as got my hopes up that my work will be seen and recognised as being something to invest in…my very first, professional review…I am well chuffed…

Date: August 23, 2006

From: Jean Wahlborg, Editorial Co-ordinator – Dorrance publishing co.

'Coding of a concrete animal: The Billy Michaels story', written by Paul Knight, is an intriguing submission of original fiction that focuses on the extraordinary life, exploits and adventures of the main character. Born into a family steeped in nefarious deeds and activity, Billy Michaels' fate was cast from the cradle. As a third generation 'East End' villain, Billy's childhood was short, though eventful.

Learning the tricks of his predestined trade from masters in the field, he proved to be quite adept and effective in this endeavour. While his future appeared to be nothing more than a litany of successful and profitable capers, events as he would have anticipated weren't exactly as he expected. From this foundation, the author constructs a riveting saga the embodies many of the same traits often associated with well-known works of a similar literary genre.

Composed in captivating narrative and compelling dialogue, the story flows at a brisk tempo. The plot contains more than a few strategically placed, unexpected twists that should maintain the reader's interest throughout. The characters are well developed and presented in a multi-dimensional fashion revealing the intricacies of their unique personalities and individual agendas. In addition, Mr Knight effectively manages to avoid artificially padding the work with superfluous material and unnecessary characters thereby keeping the focus directed towards the primary storyline. Navigating the plot to a well-conceived and logical conclusion, the author could leave the reader with a sense of time well invested in the reading of this story.

Paul Knight's highly descriptive style of writing combined with a keen attention of detail further enhance's the appeal of this work.

You have got to give it up for that one, haven't you? I mean, that has got to be a motivator for the buyer just as much as it motivates me…

Well anyway, I am keeping this blog brief because I just wanted to share that review with you all and get on with my Friday night plans…

Stay chilled...

The next chapter...by Paul Knight

When looking into the world of POD (Print On Demand), I found that there was more than a fair share of cheaply produced books with no marketing or professional input. The next range of printers offered a little bit more but were not very clear in their pricing what was included and seemed to be happy to hide the small print regarding the extras. The higher range of companies I found were very much upfront but lacked the customer services skills that was required for newbie's into this field…all except one, Troubador. I found their responses, fast and concise and they were the only company that encouraged you to get other quotes. They confidently admitted that they were not the cheapest but they did produce the best quality work and when you are trying to get your first novel out there, presentation is what it is all about.

Jeremy (from Troubador) was and has maintained to be a complete star, he as been extremely helpful and as offered advice on the overall finished product. Troubador, also as their own publishing division, called t2, which is where I asked for my manuscript to be sent for consideration.

Although t2 have yet to tell me one way or another, Matador (a subsidiary of Troubador) offered a publishing partnership with me on my first venture…If I can get enough interest on this first one then hopefully a larger publishing house will be interested to take me on for the sequels (you heard me right, sequels…I have so many tales to tell…all fiction of course, because how would I, a PSP tagger and all round nice guy have any insight to such goings on???).

If anyone out there can get a campaign going that will help me sell 100,000 copies then I am all ears…(It will have an International ISBN number…so anyone can order it through their respected suppliers, Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Waterstones etc).

If a love cheat can be ratted out worldwide from a friendly email to a work colleague or a film clip of a chimp peeing in his own mouth can become an inbox star or a guy can get his partner to agree to a threesome if his web site gets x amount of hits or a film can have hardly any media attention but still become one of the most eagerly released box office titles (Snakes on the Plane) all thanks to the power of the internet. Then surely there is hope for me yet to hit such a measly target when there are billions of users that have the power to spread the word….wouldn't you agree?

Anyway, back to my entry into the realms of publishing…Luckily, I could design my own front cover (and save myself £300 or $550) and had a couple of people spend a month proof reading it for me for free (saving yet another £700 - $1200). My biggest challenge was getting those in my circle, who feature heavily in my book or should I say characters based on them, to be okay with me writing about the subject matter in question. They might not be top of the criminal food chain but an unsolved crime is still just that…unsolved. A lot of answers could be found by those searching for answers in this publication…those who are heavy in to the folk lore could have a field day deciphering the clues and piecing the puzzle together. It's the Di Vinci code only easier to read and not as complicated to understand… (Just how gutted was everyone who rushed to buy his second title only to find out it had nothing to do with his last one…If I'm not mistaken, it was set in the military…come to think both his following titles were…I could be wrong, they may of come before Di Vinci, I'm not much of a reader so I couldn't honestly say this is the case…I'm a big enough guy to admit if I'm wrong).

My first sequel is into its 5th chapter and I got to warn ya that this one is dark…American Psycho kind of dark (only without the rat pipe…that will mean more to the book fans than the movie fans), because it centres on the decade where the main character, Billy Michaels, goes through a very violent, unflinching time in his life whilst working in the Entertainment Security industry…It ain't going to be pretty folks…but still, that's the sequel and getting the first one out into the public eye.

I'll keep you updated